Review – Gone With The Wind – The Musical! (Act 1) at the New London Theatre

The London Marathon arrived a few days early for the Whingers. Standing in freezing weather watching people run past dressed as rhinos would have been a doddle compared to this.

Thankfully the Whingers and their plus-eight (remember that – it is important later) had come prepared: thermos flasks of coffee, energy drinks, sports chocolate, pillows and hot water bottles were all smuggled into the auditorium. Beneath his smart evening-wear Andrew was sporting a natty and almost fresh set of his favourite jim-jams.

Most shockingly of all, Phil had broken his “no caffeine after 5pm” rule (one of the conditions of his ASBO) in a determined effort to make it through to the very end of the four-hour (but getting shorter) marathon that is a preview of Gone With The Wind – The Musical!

The big question on everyone’s lips, of course, was: “How can they possibly squeeze the thousand-odd pages of Margaret Mitchell’s epic novel into “just” four hours? The answer is simple…

Height restrictions for Broadway audiences – whatever next?

The Whingers received some disturbing but equally exciting news yesterday afternoon.

Andrew made an unusual decision to attend the rather wonderful Ben Yeoh’s birthday celebrations in the National Film Theatre BFI Southbank bar. Unusual for Andrew as he usually prefers to curl up in a ball under a manky duvet with his cats, than attend anything with the word “party” attached. Yes it’s all very Grey Gardens.

Phil of course loves parties being much more socially adept than his fellow Whinger. So while Andrew sat nursing his bottle of Côtes du Rhône in a corner hoping no one would would bother him, Phil was working the room.

Our last words on Broadway. Promise.

Did we mention that we had been to Broadway? Can’t recall. Anyway, we have. And here are a few thoughts on things we cared for and didn’t care for.

Re-review – Young Frankenstein revisited

The Whingers don’t normally give shows a second chance.

But chance played a huge part in the Whingers’ last night on Broadway.

Scratching around for something to see amid the detritus caused by Local One, and mulling over several options which weren’t really capturing the Whingers’ (admittedly limited) imaginations, they decided to let fate make the decision for them.

Guess who we saw today?

So, anyway, there we were having a quiet drink with Mel Brooks and Roger Bart when who should drop into the bar but Baz Bamigboye, the Daily Mail’s chief show-business reporter. Imagine the Whingers’ excitement.

Review – Radio City Christmas Spectacular

The next time some New Yorker is telling you what a wonderfully multi-cultural, multi-faith city it is, take them along to the Radio City 75th Christmas Spectacular (sponsored by North Fork Bank) – the show that time forgot. Almost literally – some of the choreography is 73 years old.

Review – The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee

Hoorah for Local One!

The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee was way down the Whingers’ list of shows to see while they were in New York but thanks to the stage hands strike, it crept up onto their list.

And they are dead chuffed that it did.

Review – The Ritz, Studio 54

So the Whingers had been walking off their tired feet up and down Broadway for five days and so it was definitely bath time.

Gay bath-house time, in fact, as they took a trip to the legendary Studio 54 to see the revival of Terrence McNally’s 1975 farce The Ritz.

Review – Young Frankenstein,

Well, nothing could live up to what came before it, could it?

And we aren’t just talking about The Producers.

Young Frankenstein ain’t The Producers, but it ain’t Xanadu either.

Two nights ago the Whingers came out of Xanadu with mixed feelings – euphoric, but knowing in their hearts (sic) that their Broadway adventure had unexpectedly peaked too early.

They had mulled over what star rating they would have given Xanadu if they weren’t too lazy to have a star rating system. The Whingers love star ratings. They know where they are with a star rating; so much more useful than having things located in the wider discourse for you when it comes to deciding what to see.

So they and decided that on a six star Time Out rating, it would get a five.

On a standard five star rating such as The Guardian‘s (which actually has now been thrown into confusion having been exposed as a six level rating thanks to Gardner’s no-star rating for Menopause the Musical) they decided that to give Xanadu anything less than a five would be churlish.

Review – Xanadu, Broadway

Oh, pity that poor journalist. He’s scouting around for a human interest story by interviewing audience members coming out of Xanadu (one of the eight shows unaffected by the strike) hoping to interview distraught theatre-goers whose Broadway dreams have been devastated by the strike and have been reduced to seeing something rubbish as a last resort.

Review – Altar Boyz, Broadway

The Whingers went Off-Broadway last night.

Forced by the Broadway strike to choose from a very limited selection and fresh (in Phil’s case) and not so fresh (in Andrew’s) off the plane and unable to get into Xanadu (sold out – presumably from the knock on effect of so many shows being closed) they opted for the highly recommended (you know who you are, Sue) Altar Boyz.

A Broadway Diary: Saturday – flights and strikes

Phil needed new underpants. Desperately.

And given the pound’s current exchange rate against the dollar, the only sensible thing to do was fly to New York and buy some. And maybe take in some shows at the same time.

But who could have thought Broadway would have reacted so vociferously to the news?

Is it coincidence that on the day the Whingers arrive in New York, the Broadway stage hands go on strike?

Guest review – Young Frankenstein on Broadway

The West End Whingers greatly enjoyed The Producers so when they heard that Mel Brooks was to follow up his tour de theatre with a musical version of Young Frankenstein they acted without hesitation and sent a reconnaissance team to New York City to check it out and report back on whether it was worth going or not.

Choosing the team was easy. Andrew had been so impressed with the critical faculties that Stanley (11), Delilah (16) and Mathilda (18) had exhibited at Gilgamesh that he shipped them off steerage class with their drowsy chaperones Allan and Helen.

Stars and their Websites

The Whingers spend many a happy hour researching their links and occasionally unearth a few treasures.

Many stars have fantastic websites unashamedly selling themselves, (and their merchandise) and who can blame them?

So in the interest of your needs, the Whingers have made it very easy for you:

Prolific Mark Wynter is a particular favourite. He’s been in just about everything and sells autographed photos for £10, reduced to £7 if you buy one of his CD’s too. This really is a fantastic site, take the phone off the hook and enjoy.

Top 10 songs from shows within shows

The pastiche of 1920s musical theatre featured in The Drowsy Chaperone reminded us that there’s a terrific revue waiting to be commissioned (Hey, Mr Producer. We’re talking to you, sir.) based around songs from shows within shows or shows within films. Or films within shows. Or films within films. Or just musical performances portrayed in a naturalistic context.

Anyway, anyway. Here are the Whingers’ Top Ten parodies and pastiches.