More exercise at the theatre, where I had to climb the stairs to the balcony - no bag check here, handily enough! I don't think I'd have been let into a West End theatre with a 2l bottle of liquid and an aerosol.. anyway, I had my usual high perch, with a sideways view. And if you go to this, it's worthwhile going in early - they have a very interesting slideshow of old b&w photographs from around the 1920s in the States:
I noticed the place was more than half empty - they obviously knew more than I did. Because, I'm afraid, the slideshow is the best of it. It's the fictional story of a jazz singer in the 1920s and 30s, mostly in New Orleans, and is told solely by one woman on stage, who sings some numbers. A pianist accompanies her to the side.
The show obviously hinges largely on her performance. What a pity, then, that her voice isn't quite up to it! Oh, she can sing - she'd better be able to, since someone told me at the interval that she's a music student (apparently the pianist is an examiner at the same college). But she just doesn't have that oomph that you expect from a show like this. Indeed, she avoids the big notes till the very end - when yes, she does screech.
It seems that most of the numbers are original, written for the show. Gee, they're underwhelming though - only the last did I find catchy enough to be humming it out the door. And forget her covers of classics - they're just dull in her voice, which has no character at all. Combine all of this with a complete non-story - for goodness' sake, the character doesn't drink, doesn't date, doesn't want for money.. I hoped for a bit of racial tension to give us a hook to hang the story on, but it's only ever on the sidelines. Nothing much really happens to her at all! I dunno, maybe a less bland actor could have made something of it.. Oh, and they might want to rethink that headdress she wears - it muffles the mic she's obviously wearing at her hairline!
I have to laugh at the theatre's show description:
"Lady of Jazz is an uplifting evocation of 1920s New Orleans and the gripping story of Honey Grey, lead singer in her Daddy’s band. She sings her own brilliant ragtime, Charleston and blues numbers, but also standards like Careless Love, Frankie & Johnnie, Ain’t Nobody’s Business and more.
But Honey is living a lie and that’s a dangerous thing to do in the 1920s in the South …"
Yeah, copied and pasted from one review site to another. Really, just do a search for this show, you'll keep coming up with exactly the same text. "Gripping" it ain't. Might have been uplifting if I hadn't kept being bored. And the "danger" they describe? Blink and you'd miss it. Anyway, finishes tomorrow, to everyone's relief, doubtless. The highlight of the show for me was when the usher - unusually for here - said that, what with all the free seats, I could swap to a more face-on one for the second half, if I wanted! Which turned out to be a good thing, because now I could at least see the piano, which switched to the other side of the stage at the interval. Imagine though, instead of £10, that seat would've cost me £18.50..
Tomorrow, I booked at the Turbine Theatre, for Torch Song. This is the inaugural show at the new theatre in the revamped Battersea Power Station! But last week, London European Club (courtesy of Henning) advertised a concert of Cretan music at Jamboree, which sounds much more fun - so I've decided to go to that instead. Wow, it's years since I was last there!
On Thursday, North London Friends is off to A History of Water in the Middle East, at the Royal Court. Another where I got my ticket from the organiser.
On Friday, back with Up in the Cheap Seats (UITCS) - to Southwark Playhouse this time, for Preludes. D' you know, I bought their passport a while ago, which entitles you to cheap tickets to five shows - and of the last three I booked, something else came up for every single one! Hope I make this one.. reports of it being "weird" don't phase me in the slightest!
On Saturday, seeing the matinee of Solaris at the Lyric Hammersmith. Turns out that both UITCS and Love London Theatre, Arts, Music & Stuff (LLTAMS) are going - so I booked with both! Why not? Each requires you to buy your own ticket. And since only the organiser and I are going from LLTAMS, I hope we can merge.. Ivan was talking about possibly meeting up that evening, but then realised he had a train booked for the following morning, so we have to reschedule.
On Sunday, joining the London Improvisation Community Group for the first time - they have a show called Happily Never After at the Pleasance - part of the London Horror Festival.
On Monday, I'm seeing Mother of Him, at the Park.
Next Tuesday, UITCS is off to the Albert Hall for Symphonic Queen - the Royal Philharmonic is performing Queen.
Then begins a long period of non-Meetup stuff. On the 16th, I'm heading to the ballet Manon, at the Opera House.
On the 17th, the Crick Crack Club (CCC) is back at Rich Mix, with Melusine. TUUP is the headliner on this occasion, which should be terrific!
On the 18th, Helen's in town, heading to a Midge Ure concert at the Palladium - we're meeting for dinner beforehand. Now, that's the day I should be flying back to Ireland - so I'm going the next day instead. And with my mother's birthday during the week - and not having any major holidays booked - I said, why not just take the week off and spend it in Ireland? So I am.
On the 28th, the CCC is back again - Ben Haggarty is in Soho Theatre with Grim Grimms - a dark take on fairytales, highlighting four lesser-known tales of the brothers Grimm. With musical accompaniment. Tickets weren't available when I noted this in my calendar - they are now, and will likely sell out.
On the 29th, I'm trying to persuade the social group from my former company to come with me to a Design My Night event - Fright Night Cinema is showing Hallowe'en in the Rivoli ballroom, with a themed cocktail bar and people dressed in spooky costumes. Now, that sounds like fun.. I've booked, at least, and a couple of others have indicated they'll come.
On the 30th, back with Meetup at last - UITCS is at a mixed programme by Birmingham Royal Ballet, at Sadler's Wells. I've seen part of it before, and it's excellent.
For Hallowe'en, The Embers Collective stepped up to the plate, with a storytelling performance called Witch, at The Jago.
On the 1st, that rescheduled meeting with Ivan.. he's away most of the time till then, and I'm busy the rest of the time!
And on the 2nd, I've booked with Best Authentic Walking Tours in London, for a Royal Maritime Greenwich Ghost Tour. Now, this is - as with all their walks - with Funzing, so I can get a refund up to 48 hours beforehand. Which I'll probably do (have, in fact, done for this twice already), as I might go to a film that day - depending what's on - or, if I don't like the offerings, LLTAMS is off to Blood Wedding, a new adaptation of the Lorca play, at the Young Vic. By 'eck, though, I see there's already limited availability on tickets for the whole run! Hope I don't lose out..
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