Hopelessly Devoted to #GreaseLive - Review

About the show:

Grease: Live is a television special that was originally broadcast by Fox on January 31, 2016. It was a live, televised adaptation of the 1971 musical Grease, produced by Marc Platt, directed by Thomas Kail, and starring Julianne Hough, Aaron Tveit and Vanessa Hudgens.

Patterned on similar live television musicals that had recently been produced by NBC, the production incorporated elements and songs from both the original stage musical and the 1978 film version of Grease, as well as additional songs that were not present in either. In an effort to emulate the "energy" of a theatrical setting, live audiences were incorporated into the production's stagings. Grease: Live was broadcast from Warner Bros. Studios, utilizing two soundstages and the studio's outdoor backlot—the usage of the latter was notably affected by rain in the Los Angeles area on the day of the broadcast.

Critical reception to Grease: Live was positive, with particular praise to the overall atmosphere and production style of the presentation, as well as the performance of Vanessa Hudgens as Betty Rizzo—the special was dedicated in the memory of Hudgens' father, who had died from cancer one day prior to the broadcast.

More here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grease:_Live

My opinion:

When I saw all about #GreaseLive I got really excited. You all know that I am a big musical fan and Grease is just one of these classics. I saw it more than ten years ago in Switzerland and I loved it. I have seen the movies too, but somehow don’t remember too much. I love the songs and the music: so much fun, bubbly and awesome!!! I know most oft hem off by heart.

The highlight o fit all is Aaron Tveit. He is my favourite musical actor, I adored him in Les Mes and after seeing him live in Assassins I adore him even more. He is so talented and just amazing. I was also excited when I saw that Julianne Hough and Vanessa Hudgens were going to be part of it.

Now I just had to figure out, when and how to watch it. Live wasn’t an option from  Switzerland, so I watched it a few days later online.

I don’t even now where to start this review… maybe be saying that IT WAS AWESEOME!!!

At the start we see Danny and Sandy by the sea, it’s the perfect opening scene. Then the camera zooms away and the fun begins. Jessie J began to sing, walking through the studio and also outside. There was the audience cheering and all the actor having fun. It’s incredible what they did. The whole studio with settings and different locations meant fast changes for the cast and crew. At times they had to run, catch a “golf cart” and go to the next scene. At all worked perfectly. It’s unbelievable how much organisation, planning and rehearsals that needs. Having the audience there live meant seeing their reaction, I really liked that. In between there were some little behind the scenes parts, which were great and gave a little insight.

I’m not talking about the story too much, since you guys all know it. The actors did an amazing job. Julianne and Aaron being my favourites. Julianne is an incredible actress and singer, she really rocked it. So did Aaron Tveit, I can never get enough of him. I have so much respect for Vanessa Hudgens. Her dad died they day before and she just rocked it!!!! They other actors, actresses, dancers etc. also did an awesome job. A talented bunch, that played beautifully together.

As you know, I love the songs and they all did a wonderful job singing them, but they way they acted just made it even more emotional and true. The choreographies are just out of this world!!!

The set design and the costumes were om spot as well. There was so much energy and passion “on stage” (what would be the right expression here?!).

So all in all: I’M HOPELESSLY DEVOTED TO #GreaseLive!!!!

Assassins – A Musical by Stephen Sondheim

About the show:

Assassins is a musical with music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim and book by John Weidman, based on an idea by Charles Gilbert, Jr. It uses the premise of a murderous carnival game to produce a revue-style portrayal of men and women who attempted (successfully or not) to assassinate Presidents of the United States. The music varies to reflect the popular music of the eras depicted.

The musical first opened Off-Broadway in 1990, and the 2004 Broadway production won five Tony Awards.

More info on the musical: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Assassins_(musical)

More info on the show at the Menier Chocolate Factory in London:

Assassins at the Menier Chocolate Factory

My opinion:

As a big musical fan I was really excited to see this show. I’ve been a Sondheim fan for ages, I even wrote my thesis about him for my Baccalaureate.

We are doing the show next year with our theatre group, so it was pretty special. When the cast was announced I couldn’t believe my eyes! There he was: AARON TVEIT, one of my favourite musical actors. I first saw him in Gossip Girl and then properly in the Les Misérables movie. He has an amazing voice and he’s an awesome actor.

The theatre is in an old chocolate factory, a very special place. We went for dinner there first, it was delicious. Well, when we sat there and ate, he came in and got ready ;) My mum’s comment when he came in (I had my back to the door): A good looking guy just came in…

Well, now let’s get to the show. The venue was in a basement kind off set-up, with six rows on the right and six rows in the left, they were playing in the middle. We sat in forth row and it was great to have the actors so close.

The show is really intense and none of the actors, whether it was a same role or a big

one, left the stage. They were always in character walking around and coming up to where the audience was. They put a lot of heart and emotions into the acting and the songs. It was awesome to see their expressions so close. The acting was brilliant and they all had their accents well lined out. The songs were something else, they not only live with a melody and the singing, the need a lot of emotions and skilled singers. They have done a great job. There wasn’t much dancing, but the choreographed parts were fantastic, small things, but very effective.

The scenes changes and the costumes changes were perfectly integrated into the show and it all had a nice flow with the orchestra playing music in between. Small props and effects made the show very dramatic, but also very authentic.

I loved every part of this show. The actors were fantastic, especially the men. But of course the best part for me was Aaron ;) He is amazing to see LIVE on stage, his acting is marvellous and he has the voice of a god!!!

 

After the show we went to have a drink in the bar and I was really hoping for Aaron to come out. And he did… There were other young girls waiting for him and he signed their programs and took a picture of them. I became like a child again, a bit shy, but I went up and told him, how amazing he was, how great the whole show was and that it was awesome seeing him live. He signed my program and then my mum took a picture of us!!! THE BEST NIGHT EVER!!!! He’s so nice in person and he’s the only man looking great in a beard and moustache, I prefer him without though ;)

I found a little interview on broadway.com with Aaron talking about the show at the Menier Chocolate Factory:

Before we left, we found a second program with his signature and two other signatures, I just took it ;)

That was by far the best experience ever! I still can’t believe I’ve actually met him 

❤️❤️❤️

One last comment on the show: GRIPPING!!!!

Signed programs and ticket

The group

LONDON over NYE 2014/2015

Seven Dials, Covent Garden

Finally, on Dec 28th I left for London with my mum. Some friends, who took the same flight, picked us up. We left early, because it was snowing like crazy. We were at the airport early, but it was okay, we had time for a coffee and a croissant.

We boarded the plane on time and then we had to sit there and wait until they de-iced the whole thing. We were about an hour delayed.

After checking in and taking a short break, we went to Covent Garden. I love it there and it looked even more beautiful with all the Christmas decorations. We continued with a bit of shopping around in the area to Neal Street and SuperDry close to our hotel. Our hotel is just located in Mercer Street, still part of Seven Dials. The hotel is perfect, close to shops, close to theatres and it’s quiet.

I bought a blue sparkly cardigan at Karen Millen. I was really hoping to find something like that, to complete my NYE outfit.

Aaron Tveit at Assassins

Back at the hotel we changed into something elegant and freshened up. Then we took a taxi to the Menier Chocolate Factory. Our theatre friend reserved a table in the restaurant. We were the first ones to arrived and ordered some beer, and then our friends arrived. We were six in total. The dinner was delicious, especially the chocolaty desert ;) A part of the menu was adapted to the show (Assassins). We just had to walk a few meters and there it was the theatre. But before I can tell you more about the theatre, there is something else: While eating the cast members walked through the restaurant to the theatre and of course Aaron Tveit had to walk through as well and he came, he wasn’t even a meter away. I had my back to the door and when he came in, my mum just said: A good-looking guy just came in…

Now the theatre: I was awesome, kind of in a basement, row on the left and on the right with some spooky music and props. The actors played in the middle and we sat in forth row. It was great to have them so close. The show was amazing, awesome acting, great songs and so much more. If you wanna know more, come back to this place, I will post a review in February.

Well, after the show we went to have a drink in the bar and then he came out – AARON TVEIT – I got my program signed and he took a picture with me!!! He’s so nice and I loved seeing him live on stage – best day ever!!!

Carnaby Street

Let’s get to Monday now. Monday was shopping day. We walked down Shaftesbury Avenue to Piccadilly Circus, where we started. Then we did the shops up Regent Street and some places nearby. Of course we also went to Abercrombie and Fitch, where I bought two jumpers. Regent Street has some great shops: Massimo Dutti and Banana Republic. Before we went to them, we were hungry and left Regent Street for the Carnaby Street area, there is a nice Italian/Spanish/French place there, where we had lunch. Then we did Carnaby Street; I bought two pairs of trousers. Then we went back to Regent Street. It was very busy there in the afternoon and after some more hours we were exhausted and went back to the hotel.

London Eye View

On the 30^th my dad arrived in the morning. We booked the fast track at the London Eye and looked at London from up there. I did it already in 2012, but London has changed so much already. The view up there is breath taking. After that we walked up to Big Ben and then we took at taxi to Harrods, where we had lunch inside at the Rotisserie. We always go there to have chicken, it’s delicious. Then we took the time to walk around in Harrods and I bought some souvenirs. Down in the Knightsbridge area there are a lot of shops, so we had a look at them, went back to Harrods for an early dinner before going to the Victoria Palace Theatre to see Billy Elliott – what a great show, a review will follow in February as well.

Pat Elliott

On the 31^st it was finally time to meet up with Pat Elliott, a lovely author I met on Twitter. I went to the apple store at Covent Garden with my parents and then waited for her. We walked around Covent Garden and then down to Somerset House. It’s so beautiful there, with the tree and the ice rink. We sat down there and had lunch. It also gave us the possibility to talk – a lot. After that we walked around the city, up to Oxford Street, where we met my parents. It was wonderful meeting Pat, she is a great person!!!

After saying goodbye to Pat we went into some shops in Oxford Street before going to Hyde Park to the Winter Wonderland. It was around 4 pm and it was almost dark already. Winter Wonderland is awesome, it’s very big and there are lots of different things to see. We had some mulled wine there.

NYE outfit

After that we went back to the hotel to get ready for the night. We booked a table at the Murano restaurant. I was wearing my black jumpsuit with some black high heels, my new cardigan and my statement necklace. Dinner was delicious, we had an eight-course meal and the cook “Angela Hartnett” came out to great us. At midnight we were celebrating with the whole staff at the restaurant. Our main waiter was German and he was very nice. After the meal w walked back to the hotel. The streets were full of people, who went to see the fireworks. We didn’t see them; we watched them afterwards on TV. There weren’t any tickets available anymore, but that was okay, we had a great night.

On the last day we walked to Trafalgar Square and spent about an hour at Waterstones. Books are so much cheaper in the UK, I practically had to buy them. We saw a part of the New Year’s parade and them went back to the Covent Garden area, walked around and looked into some shops again,

Oxford Street

before going to Jaime’s Italian for lunch. Jamie’s Italian is great and the food is amazing.

Then my London holidays came to an end… We passed St. Paul’s and the Tower on the way to the airport, which was a great end.

I had an amazing time in London. The city is just fantastic; I really love my second home. I can’t wait to go back again and it will probably be soon: In March, when I’m going to see some lovely author and blogger friends.

My highlight of this trip:

-       Seeing Aaron Tveit live on stage and meeting him after the show

-       The London Eye

-       Meeting Pat Elliott

-       NYE

Everything was marvellous though!!! See you soon LONDON!!!

You can look at more pictures here: 

- London Pinterest Board

- London Facebook