Tag: west end

Moulin Rouge the Musical-London

On By Travels with MelindaIn adventure, England, Europe, London, Theater, Travel, travel tips, UncategorizedLeave a comment

Moulin Rouge the Musical in London’s West End is the best musical I have ever seen, and I get around! Now, I have never seen Moulin Rouge the movie, but I did go to the original Moulin Rouge live show in Paris last year on our Girls Trip 2023. I had no idea what the Moulin Rouge Musical would be about-would it mirror the dancing/singing extravaganza like the original live show, or would they take that setting and weave a story around it with acting? It turned out to be the latter with a huge stellar cast crafting popular tunes around the story of Satine, the lead act at the Moulin Rouge in Paris being wooed by a poor songwriter and a rich Baron who could save the show for her and her castmates.

The costumes, the staging of the ensemble dance numbers, and the high energy of the cast were all spectacular and the historic Picadilly Theater a stunning venue. I found myself not knowing where to look next because there were amazing performances being executed all over the stage and auxiliary balconies. I think you could see this show many times and still not be able to appreciate and catch all the individual talent. It is truly an extravaganza for the senses!

Does it parallel the show at THE Moulin Rouge in Paris? Not at all and that’s okay. There are some brief can-can dance numbers but that’s about it. If you are coming to the musical to see lots of bare women, that is certainly not the case like it is in Paris, where costumes are teeny tiny and the T & A’s are bare.

I really appreciated the diversity of the musical cast that covered the gamut from short/tall, slim/full-bodied, male/female/trans. Too many times, especially for dance casts, they want everyone to be the same height, the same hair, the same skin, and the same body. Too much sameness is boring. It’s great when a production is inclusive and diverse.

Whatever your taste in theater-musical or drama-find a show to see in the West End while you are in London. Enjoy the journey!

TICKETS

  • Demand pricing affects the ticket prices. Weekends are popular and the most expensive.
  • If you absolutely MUST see a show on your trip, then pay full price and book it in advance so you secure the seats you really want. Check out the view from the seat you are purchasing-most apps will show you this. There are “limited view” seats which are cheaper if you don’t mind seeing the only part of the stage.
  • If you are able to be flexible and buy tickets the day of the performance, you can save money but you probably won’t get the best seats or perhaps you can buy great seats but not sit together. It depends on your priorities.
  • We bought our tickets online from the theater (https://moulinrougemusical.co.uk/london-tickets/) the day of the show after one of my early meetings cancelled and my day freed up. After comparing prices to the TodayTix app site, which is typically the cheapest site, the theater site offered a package deal including early access to their Ambassador Lounge, free program, and refreshments. So, I could pay the same price on the TodayTix app for the seats without the lounge or get the seats plus the lounge from the theater site. We went with the premium experience with the lounge. Enjoy the journey!

AMBASSADOR LOUNGE

  • Luxury cozy lounge in the theater with maximum capacity of about 20 people with lovely wait staff. Yes, please!
  • Nibbles and alcohol were included in the ticket price. Bring on the champagne!
  • Best part of the lounge experience were the private bathrooms you had access to before/during/after show. I will never forget running up several flights of stairs at a performance of Hamilton in Vancouver, Canada with my sister after seeking out a less crowded women’s bathroom in the lowest level of the huge theater at intermission, standing in line and finally using the facilities right before the curtain went back up. Intermissions are typically 20 minutes for theater shows and, in that time, the hundreds of women in the audience have to hope that the lines move quickly at the 20 or less stalls in the Ladies Room. Ridiculous!
  • We also got complimentary programs with this package deal.

SEATS

  • Most theaters are small and beautiful. They are tall not wide and, if you have any fear of heights, don’t book the top balcony seats because they are WAY up there.

NO FILMING/PHOTOS

  • Every theater probably has different policies and methods with regards to filming/photos of the show but please follow whatever they announce. There are reasons for these restrictions-it is distracting for both the audience and the cast if everyone is taking pictures vs. watching the show. Also, for musicals there are problems recording copyrighted music. At the theater where I volunteer as an usher back in Boise, the security team actually takes the patron’s phone if they choose to tape/take pictures when told not to and they make them erase it and, if they refuse, the patron can be arrested. Don’t be that person! The photos in this article were taken before the show started.
  • At the Picadilly Theater, you can take pictures prior to the show starting while they have some of the cast on the stage posing. We got great pictures and stopped once the ushers walked up and down the aisles with the paddles that said “no filming/pictures” right before the show started. The gentleman next to me took a picture during the show and the usher immediately walked next to our row angrily waving their paddle at him. Shame!!

MERCH/PROGRAMS

  • If you want to buy show merchandise, the best idea is to get to the theater early to avoid lines. During intermission and after the show, these usually small booths where they sell the merch are swamped.
  • Programs are not automatically handed out at most theaters. You can purchase one from ushers stationed around the theater.

REFRESHMENTS

  • Picadilly Theater has an unusual policy of allowing patrons to purchase their beverages (alcohol and non-alcoholic) and bring them into the theater to sip during the show. These refreshments are in glass cups. WTH! The seats in this theater are a tight fit with no cup holders though that wouldn’t help with the wine glasses. It is carpeted throughout, but still can you really trust your audience to bring those glasses back to the bar??? Watch your step at intermission and after the show because those glasses are rolling all over the floor under the seats.

London Theater-Girls Trip 2022

On By Travels with MelindaIn Girls Trip, London, Uncategorized1 Comment

One of the many reasons that I love London is the theater scene. We try to go to NYC every year and always see a Broadway show. While some of the same shows are currently on stage in both places, there are some West End exclusives too. On this Girls Trip 2022, we checked out one London show exclusive and one classic musical available in many places.

The London theater district aka the West End is spread out over a larger area than the Broadway area in NYC. These theaters are lovely old buildings for the most part and rarely is there a bad seat. Usually, you want to arrive at least 30 minutes at least prior to the performance in order to find your seats and go to the bathrooms. I am always shocked at how few bathrooms they have at these venues for women so plan ahead! Some theaters allow you to buy beverages and bring them to your seats and others make you chug down your beverage in the lobby. Cheers!

First show on our trip was & Juliet, a “coming-of-age jukebox musical” that is a glorious eruption of dance and song. Shakespeare is introduced at the beginning and his wife suggests he change the ending to Romeo & Juliet, wondering what would have happened if Juliet did not kill herself.  At Romeo’s funeral, Juliet finds out that Romeo had many female AND male conquests besides her. Oops. Juliet takes a liberating road trip to Paris with friends and hilarity ensues especially when Romeo returns to pursue Juliet again. Winning many awards in the UK while playing at the Shaftesbury Theatre in London, & Juliet will close in March 2023 and has already moved to Broadway in NYC. A very diverse cast sings cover tunes from the Backstreet Boys to Britney Spears. This show can be enjoyed by anyone who appreciates music, dancing and an original story.

Our second show was the classic musical Mamma Mia. We all watched the movie prior to going to London to refresh our memory of the story and practice singing along! It was well staged, and, at the end, the talented cast all came back to the stage to lead a singalong of a few tunes from the show. We danced in our seats while we belted it out and loved every last minute of it. What a great way to spend your evening in London!

We only had time to check out two shows on this trip but on a previous trip, Thom and I went to the Globe Theater and saw a wonderful modern (goth punk style) rendition of Romeo and Juliet. Opening in 1997, Shakespeare’s Globe Theater, is a replica of the original theater, set in an open-air space with capacity for 1,400 patrons. It is located on the banks of the River Thames, in the Bankside Cultural Quarter. If you want to interact with performers, get tickets to stand vs. sit. When we went, the show moved from the stage to the floor and back, all the while staying in character. So. Much. Fun. Their shows go on even if it is raining so come prepared with a poncho. If Shakespeare isn’t your jam, not to worry. They also put on modern plays, music concerts, film screenings, etc. Attend a show, take a tour of the theater, and experience what it might have been like in Shakespeare’s days. Located somewhat close to London Tower, a perfect day might be taking a tour of London Tower, lunch and shopping at Borough Market and then taking in a theater performance at the Globe. All within walking distance, if you like to walk!

No trip to London would be complete without diving into the theater scene. Enjoy the journey!

Buying tickets and theater manners

With regards to theater manners, I would suggest not standing to dance and sing with your favorite musical unless everyone around you is doing it. Otherwise, you’re “that person” who is ruining the view for others. That goes for leaning too. For Mamma Mia, we sat in Dress Circle seats on the side of the theater and were on the railing. Which was fine until the very tall person next to me leaned way forward to check out the side of the stage, obscuring the entire stage for me. I tapped on her shoulder and asked her nicely to please lean back in her seat. While she was outraged, she did it and I enjoyed the rest of the play. Awkward yes but it had to be done. So don’t let some rude patron ruin your night. Be polite and tell them to behave. And, of course, for the singalong at the end, we all stood up and danced the night away!

We bought our theater tickets in advance at a savings (20-40% off face value) on TodayTix | Theater Tickets to Musicals, Plays, Broadway, More. Similar to TKTS where we buy our NYC Broadway tickets, you get a discount that gets steeper the closer to the date you attend the show. We wanted seats together (single seats are really cheap if you don’t mind sitting separate from your party!) with a good view so we booked a few months in advance. You can also check out the tickets on https://officiallondontheatre.com/tkts/ which is the London TKTS site. If you are really flexible and want to show up the night of the play and see if you can get “rush” tickets, which are tickets that are still unsold and cheap-usually single tickets and may have some obstructed view-that is the most economical way to see a show. Tickets are all digital and you just pull them up on your phone to be scanned when you enter the theater.