Showing posts sorted by relevance for query 9 to 5 The Musical. Sort by date Show all posts
Showing posts sorted by relevance for query 9 to 5 The Musical. Sort by date Show all posts
Wednesday 2 September 2020
16 Her-storical Facts That Didn't Make it into Six The Musical
Six the Musical isn't only full of absolute boppage, but also a fair few facts about the Queens we know and love. However, the 75 minute musical can't cover everything so here are sixteen herstorical facts you may not know...
1. Twenty one years Henry’s junior, Catherine Parr was actually named after Henry’s first wife, Catherine of Aragon, to whom Catherine’s mother had been a lady-in-waiting.
2. Before marrying Henry VIII, Catherine of Aragon was married to his elder brother, Arthur. Arthur died of a mysterious “sweating sickness” shortly after their marriage, leaving Catherine a widow at just 16 years old.
3. Between Arthur’s death and her marriage to Henry, Catherine served Henry’s father (Henry VII) as the royal ambassador to Spain, making her the first female diplomat in European history.
4. The day after Anne Boleyn’s beheading, Henry got engaged to Jane Seymour, Anne Boleyn’s lady in waiting. While she was publicly proclaimed queen, her coronation never went ahead due to an outbreak of plague.
5. Catherine Parr was a dedicated patron of the arts, and she encouraged the spread of Renaissance humanism. When Spanish scholar Juan Luis Vives wrote a book arguing that women had the right to an education, he dedicated it to Catherine.
6. As a young woman, Jane Seymour almost married William Dormer, the son of Sir Robert and Lady Dormer. However, William’s mother canceled their engagement because she thought Jane wasn’t noble enough.
7. Two months before her execution, Anne Boleyn helped pass the poor law which said that “local officials should find work for the unemployed”
8. Contemporaries held Holbein’s pictures to be accurate depictions of the girls—not flattering misrepresentations, as the legend came to describe them. However, both Anne of Cleves and her sister Amalia wore veils covering their faces most of the time, so it is believed that it was a struggle to get them to reveal themselves for portraits.
9. Jane Seymour divided opinions, with one courtier saying she was “not of much beauty,” whilst another named her “the fairest of all the king’s wives.”
10. Henry’s treatment of Catherine of Aragon after their divorce caused a major rift between Henry and his daughter, Mary. To help curb Mary’s resentment, Henry forbid the mother and daughter from communicating, but sympathetic servants secretly carried letters back and forth between them.
11. According to one legend, Henry wrote the famous, anonymous “Greensleeves” to seduce the woman who would become his second wife, Anne Boleyn.
11. According to one legend, Henry wrote the famous, anonymous “Greensleeves” to seduce the woman who would become his second wife, Anne Boleyn.
12. Catherine of Aragon remained married to Henry VIII for 24 years. Their marriage lasted longer than all of Henry’s other marriages combined.
13. Catherine Howard was at least two, if not seven, years younger than Henry's daughter Mary, so she found it very hard to be a motherly figure
14. Catherine of Aragon spent her final days as the image of Catholic piety. Though she had access to all of Kimbleton Castle, she remained in a single room, fasting and praying.
15. During his courtship with Anne of Cleves, Henry also considered her sister, Amalia! After Holbein returned and Henry saw both portraits of the women, he went with Anne over Amalia. Many historians agree that the choice probably had less to do with looks, and more because as the younger daughter, Amalia had less hereditary rights than her sister.
16. Whilst still married to Anne, Henry began a flirtation with Jane Seymour, even giving her a locket with his own portrait inside!
15. During his courtship with Anne of Cleves, Henry also considered her sister, Amalia! After Holbein returned and Henry saw both portraits of the women, he went with Anne over Amalia. Many historians agree that the choice probably had less to do with looks, and more because as the younger daughter, Amalia had less hereditary rights than her sister.
16. Whilst still married to Anne, Henry began a flirtation with Jane Seymour, even giving her a locket with his own portrait inside!
So there you have it, sixteen facts about the Queens of the castle! Hopefully it won't be long until we can rock out like royalty at the theatre, but in the meantime, stay safe and channel your inner queen!
Monday 30 May 2016
10 Reasons You Should See In The Heights
If you want some background information on the show check out my review here and if you fancy reading a cast interview, there's one here.
Saturday 31 December 2016
Olivia's Top 10 Shows of 2016
Without repeats, I saw 59 different shows this year so compiling this list has been difficult to say the least! This has been a brilliant year for theatre and through this website I really feel that I've become a part of the theatre community. 2016 has seen some brilliant big budget shows as well as smaller fringe ones, many of which have thrilled me. This list is of the shows that stuck with me long after I'd seen them and that I feel are very resonant in our 2016 world. This will probably be a bit of a long post, I have a whole year to fit in after all, so grab yourself a cuppa and some biscuits and enjoy!
This list is in reverse order, cause we all need that extra bit of excitement in our lives.
One of Paul Taylor-Mills' incredible productions of 2016. The music was performed beautifully and the touching and heartbreaking story of conjoined twins Daisy and Violet was told sincerely and gracefully by Laura Pitt-Pulford and Louise Dearman.
Did anyone not like this show? All I heard were incredible reviews and rightly so. An exciting and refreshing revival of a much loved Classic which ticked all the boxes of a hit musical. Charlie Stemp is talent on another level. I'm sure we'll be hearing plenty more good things about the show and cast in 2017!
This was my first visit to The Union Theatre and wow was it a good first. I absolutely adored this show. I was completely unfamiliar with the music and was just blown away by it. The cast were sublime and the story telling was impeccable. I'm sure this would be a huge hit if more people got to see it.
27 must have been one of the most hyped musicals of 2016 and I could certainly see why when I saw it. It's a musical like I've never seen before, so fresh and different to what's currently on the West End stages. The plot twist at the end had me physically breathless, a stunning piece of artistry.
This was another small show but it definitely packed more than a small punch. It was sweet, pink, sassy and sumptuous. One of those shows which really made you think and reflect on your life. Lauren Samuels gave a standout performance!
I saw this show alone so the minute I stepped out of the theatre I called my friend to fangirl about it like a mad woman. I was completely awestruck by the whole performance. It was moving, funny, relevant and thought-provoking. The use of songs was done smoothly and effectively and it was overall just an A* worthy production.
This was the perfect treat to see just before Christmas. Although the story is slightly dated and everything is a little over the top, it's a fantastic production full of sweetness, heartbreak and love. Scarlett Strallen's performance was absolutely impeccable and nothing short of perfection. With the amount of people I've told to see this, I wouldn't be surprised if it gets a West End transfer in the near future.
I've grown up with Rent so finally seeing it on stage was a very special experience for me. Each cast member is fully immersed into their roles and the whole production is raw, gritty and believable. Philippa Stefani gives the performance of a superstar and had me in floods of tears. The production will continue to tour next year and I'll certainly be seeing it again so don't be surprised if it features in my top 10 of 2017 too!
The St James theatre was on fire this year! The Last Five Years is another one which I've wanted to see on stage for years. Jason Robert Brown's story is heart-warming and heart-breaking at the same time. It's always a joy to see Samantha Barks on stage and seeing her shine as Cathy was even more wonderful because of how incredibly she showed off her effortless belt and sincere acting. The wonderful mix of simplistic staging, the stellar duo of Barks and Bailey and Jason's beautiful music, rightfully earn The Last Five Years my number two spot!
1. Dreamgirls: Savoy Theatre
If you haven't heard about Dreamgirls' triumphant return to the West End then you must have been living in a cave. This was the 2nd to last show I saw and I couldn't be happier that I could end the year on such a fantastic note. This has got to be the theatrical spectacle of the year, the sets, costumes, choreography and cast are all exquisite and I cried a bucket load of happy tears, which I never do! Go see Dreamgirls in 2017, I guarantee you'll leave singing it's praises!
So there's my top 10 shows, of course there's other brilliant ones and I'm sure your list varies but this has been a brilliant year for theatre and I can't wait to see what 2017 brings *cough* Hamilton *cough*
But wait, where's that other show that I've been posting and tweeting about like crazy and have seen 32 times!? I haven't forgotten it, I just wanted to give it a special mention because its such a special show. So my "The Show Which Changed My Life: 2016" award goes to IN THE HEIGHTS at the Kings Cross Theatre! I've done a billion posts on it (just search it on the homepage) so I don't need to write any more soppy words but this show has seriously been my everything this year. I've met incredible people from it, both fans and cast members and I'm so incredibly grateful for that. Unfortunately I won't be at the last show as I'm in Australia (boo hoo, woe is me, right?) but I'm so sad its closing, and I'm sending all my thoughts and positive vibes to the theatre gods that they will bring it back because I will never be ready for the lights to go down on Washington Heights! Thank you In The Heights for being there and helping me and I'm sure many others, through tough times and making us feel at home in the theatre. Even if you had no idea how you were helping, I guarantee you made some tough days just that much easier. No pare sigue sigue!
I hope you had a brilliantly theatrical year too and I'd love to hear your favourites so drop me a comment on here or tweet me @OliviaMitche or @RewriteThisWeb
Au Revoir 2016! Stay Stagey, 2017!
Monday 31 December 2018
Olivia's Top 10 Shows of 2018
2018 has been a whirlwind year full of amazing theatre. I was lucky enough to see a total of 150 shows so whittling them down to a top 10 was extremely difficult. Although this list is in an order, I really loved each of them equally as they all moved me in a particular way and provided some theatrical treats. 2019 is the year of change for West End theatre as a lot of beloved shows close and we get a number of new shows and shows from across the pond. I can't wait to see what next year provides and if we get anything like the treats from this year, it's going to be truly wonderful...
This was one of the wackiest nights out at the theatre. Alan Menken's score, accompanied by the changing natural light, a dancing tongue (shoutout Billy), and a host of standout performances, you couldn't help but smile and laugh at this treat of a summer show.
My heart was torn out and I ugly cried most of my train home but this was a magical theatrical experience. Highlighting the struggles of grief, this production cleverly used simplistic, ensemble staging to create a highly moving, highly polished, yet still raw piece of theatre.
This is one of the most truthful productions I have ever seen in my life. The outstanding cast seemed as if they were living the show for the first time as they travelled through Nine Nights of mourning with humour and depth in perfect balance.
This show deserved better. Mythic was a whole host of self-aware-hilarity accompanied by the catchiest music. A modern twist on the Greek Gods, it was 90 minutes of unadulterated brilliance and I can only hope 2018 isn't the last time this show graces the stage.
Robert Hastie's revival of The York Realist was 130 minutes of theatrical perfection. Handled with genuine care and a real attention to detail, this was a beautiful exploration of love, class and life.
All I can say is that London is not ready for the perfection that this show is. Book your tickets NOW.
Toby Marlow and Lucy Moss are the best thing to happen to British theatre in a long time. Telling the stories of the wives of Henry VIII, Six uses modern musical styles, mixed with laugh out loud one liners, out of this world performances from the Queens and it's just spectacular. It's a show for all ages that is sure to wow audiences for years to come as they keep coming back for their royal fix.
This is another gem of a show from Trafalgar Studios. Arinzé Kene gave the most devoted and energy fuelled performance I've ever seen. Misty is vibrant and fresh as it uses the dual-narrative structure perfectly to leave you wordless.
If The Rink was a person, I would've married it by now. Caroline O'Connor gave a masterclass in acting and this show needs to come back right now. Roller blades, delightful music and fabulous staging made this a faultless production.
I saw Hadestown twice this year but if I could've made it 20, I would have. I truly can't describe how special this show is; the lighting, staging, choreography, ensemble, leads and music come together to create an emotional journey and spectacular theatrical experience. The entire show is painfully relevant and the whole spectacle of it is exceptional.
So there we have my Top 10 Shows of the year, do you have any of the same ones? I'd like to give mention also to Bat Out of Hell which became a huge part of my year and provided some wonderful memories; and the BTA who put on two fantastic shows: Spring Awakening and Bring it On which featured stellar performances from the stars of the future.
For me, this was the year of female led performances and a real forward movement in the showcasing of diversity in theatre which are two huge positives in the industry. Lets hope for a continuation of these changes in 2019! Wishing you a the stagiest of stagey 2019s!
-Olivia x
-Olivia x
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