HAMILTON - coming to the refurbished VPT

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kport
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Re: HAMILTON - coming to the refurbished VPT

Post by kport »

Hamilton ticket and opening dates announced:
The production will open at the Victoria Palace Theatre in November 2017
http://www.whatsonstage.com/london-thea ... 42073.html
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Re: HAMILTON - coming to the refurbished VPT

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andrewcraig
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Re: Hamilton

Post by andrewcraig »

All the info so far of the eagerly anticipated West End performance of the hit Broadway musical.

http://uk.blastingnews.com/entertainmen ... 13337.html
kport
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Re: HAMILTON - coming to the refurbished VPT

Post by kport »

Tickets on sale at the end of January.

I have worked out that, if timed right, it could be considerably cheaper to fly from NY to LGW r/t(*), see the show and spend one night in a good London hostelry and have a slap-up meal, than to see it on Broadway.

(*) JFK - LGW r/t on Norwegian's Dreamliners can be had for under $300.

http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-enter ... 08701.html
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Re: HAMILTON - coming to the refurbished VPT

Post by kport »

Ensemble casting announced for Hamilton in the West End
It follows the news that Jamael Westman has been cast in the titular role
Jack Butterworth, currently on the BETM Tour, is among them.

http://www.whatsonstage.com/london-thea ... 43886.html
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Re: HAMILTON - coming to the refurbished VPT

Post by Billy Whiz »

The opening of Hamilton has been pushed back by two weeks to December 6th.

I had a ticket for the 1st preview on November 21st and it has been moved to December 6th. Sadly I also have a hotel booked and train tickets for November 21st - all non-refundable.

http://metro.co.uk/2017/09/08/hamilton- ... d-6912905/
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Re: HAMILTON - coming to the refurbished VPT

Post by andrewcraig »

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/home/event/a ... t-End.html
Interesting and long article

Sir Cameron Mackintosh, who is bringing Hamilton to the UK, is confident it will all translate for a British audience. ‘I didn’t feel it was any more American than Les Misérables is Parisian,’ he says. ‘It feels entirely contemporary. You realise that nothing much has changed – a bunch of American politicians fighting to create a country are not so very different from a bunch of American politicians fighting to run it now, or indeed our own British politicians.’
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Re: HAMILTON - coming to the refurbished VPT

Post by kport »

First performances of “Hamilton” on the West End: audiences love it!
https://www.anglotopia.net/british-ente ... nces-love/
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Re: HAMILTON

Post by Real Geordie »

A visit to an old haunt, the Victoria Palace, to see Hamilton. I had reservations about going to see Hamilton due to the fact that rap and hip-hop (along with punk) are my least favourite styles of music, and so far as American history circa 1750 to 1800 is concerned - I wouldn't exactly say I was an expert, like. However, it’s best to keep an open mind. I’m just going to give a brief overview of how the performance appeared to me. Firstly, the stage seemed enormous. I’m not sure if it has been extended since Billy days, and memory can play tricks, but the volume seemed greater, particularly the height. There is very little scenery change. Staircases are repositioned, and props such as tables, chairs etc. are moved on and off at speed, but otherwise it is a static set. Lighting was used to good effect. My overwhelming impression was constant movement, with all members of the cast spending just enough time off stage to do a quick costume change. It just rattles along at speed, not stopping for breath. It must be physically demanding to take part in this production, and they carry no dead wood. The choreography is first rate and at times intricate. The narrative is almost entirely through song - just a few sentences otherwise. As for the singing - hmm ! I think it is in the nature of hip hop in particular (and again I’m no expert) that your ear has to be tuned in to pick up all of the rhythm and lyrics. There were chunks of dialogue I just could not make out, and therefore (lacking historical insight) did not understand what was taking place at that particular time. As the third member of the triplets dumb, dumber and in my case dumbest, this might be my own problem. In other songs I could hear what was being sung clear as a bell, so it could be down to the individual singer. No problem with the acoustics of the VPT itself. A mention for King George III. Whenever he appeared on stage, resplendent in his robe and crown, you could guarantee laughs would follow - a great performance. Finally, I thought that the second act was stretched out just a little too long. A surplus of songs. Overall, I very much enjoyed the performance - there was a great deal of wit and humour, where and when I could interpret the lyrics. It seemed to be a full house, mid-week, and clearly everyone had a good time, with a standing ovation to conclude. Incidentally, pointless fact, the ancestral home of the family of George Washington - Washington Old Hall in Washington, County Durham - is only 10 miles from Billy’s Easington. They both ended up in the VPT. Slide that into a conversation, stand back and wait for dropping jaws (or maybe not) !

General comments - I was in seat L36 in the stalls, and had a good view - I suspect that the sight lines were good from everywhere. The seating layout has been reconfigured and - again memory can play tricks - there seemed to be more legroom than of old. The VPT has of course been refurbished and generally tarted up and the auditorium looks really elegant now. The same cannot be said of the surrounds. There are still builders hoardings all over the place - will they ever finish whatever they are doing there ? I took the opportunity to have a quick walk around “da hood” - hip-hop style ! My favourite Italian family coffee shop has bitten the dust. Fortunately the Windsor Castle pub, just behind Westminster Cathedral, is still trading, so time for a quick pint before heading back to Euston. This coming week off to see Book of Mormon at the Prince of Wales, and the week following Phantom at Her Majesty’s Theatre. Busy times.
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Re: HAMILTON - coming to the refurbished VPT

Post by Todd »

Just wondered if anyone knew how "Hamilton" has been doing (in terms of ticket sales, word of mouth, etc.) there at the V.P. I see where it's survived over 9 months now, and when I went on the Victoria Palace Theatre web site and acted like I wanted to buy tickets, many of the performances in the coming weeks appeared to be close to sold out (at least in the stalls, where I checked) while performances for next month still have quite a few good seats available.

I would think this show would be a tough sell for British audiences, for reasons listed in Real Geordie's review in the previous post. As an American theater-goer, you would think I would be much more likely to enjoy and understand the show, but that certainly was not the case with me. I, too, find rap and hip-hop monotonous and not interesting musically, and also had trouble keeping up with the rapid-fire delivery of all the lines and understanding who was who and what was going on. I seemed to be in the minority of others whom I talked to, as almost all of them gushed at how wonderful the show was. While I don't doubt the sincerity of many of those who enjoy it, I wonder how many of them are simply afraid to say they don't like it because . . . . .well . . . .everybody loves "Hamilton" and they don't want to be the one person who doesn't "get it."
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