Wednesday, 24 February 2010

Long Time NoBlog!

Sorry! I didn't realise that it had been so long since my last post.

Well, I have been rather busy, exams and uni and stuff. But I have been to see a number of shows since my last blog. There was Dirty Dancing in the Summer (2009)Avenue Q, then Forbidden Broadway, Avenue Q again, Wicked, twice since, Chicago and Megan Mullally recently, all of which have proved to be enjoyable and well worth the money paid for them. They are all well worth watching and seeing.

Coming up this Sunday there is Stephanie J Blocks' concert which includes Oliver Tompsett, Annalene Beechy (Plus Baby Bump *Congratualtions Annalene*) and SJB's Pirate Queen male Lead, Hadley Fraser (TICKETS ARE STILL AVAILIBLE!!!!) Then there's We Will Rock you in March and Wicked cast change on the 27th. (So many are leaving!)

Welll I think thats a basic overview of my last year. I shall try and better at updating this, but at the moment I don't know if I shall have the time to. So much work to do. :(

Monday, 25 May 2009

Spring Awakening 23rd May 2009 (A week before it closed in London)

Ok so on Saturday after work, I went up to London with some friends to see Spring Awakening, just about a week before it closes in London.

And well what can I say? My friends dayticketed for me, meaning we got some awesome front row seats for the evening performance, which means we were right up close to the stage and the actors (Droolage!!!)

Anyways, after Lunch at Waggamummas for Abbie's birthday, we went to the Spring Awakening Stage Door to wait for the Matinee to finish. And can I just take a minute to say how different the stage dooring for Spring Awakening is to that of Wicked? No barriers for one thing!!! And the stage door was left open. We considered rushing it- but to no avail!!!

Anyway we caught many people coming out after the Matinee (See pictures below) and I got this free magazine with Spring Awakening in it and got them to sign it. They were really lovely people, some were probably younger than I was. Actually I know they were younger than I was!!! It was strange because they didn't act it. They could have easily have been as old as the Wicked cast members!!!

Anyway, so we got signitures and pictures and then trotted round to the front of the theater, and I got myself a couple of programs, and both posters (Which I got signed after the show).

Once we were in the threater, I have to admitt I was a little worried about what it would be back- the OBC soundtrack doesn't do it much justice- possibly part of the reason why it's closing??? Just a thought!

Anyways, it started in due course and I must say it was mesmorising, the colours, the set, the songs!!! The Cast was amazingly talented!!! Well you sort of have to be, to be on the Stage!

Apparently I went Bright red during "My Junk" and "I believe"! Well in "I Believe" you do get to see the lead Male's very supply nice butt, and the lead females Breast. I won't explain why in case you haven't seen it. But anyway it was very very very good and it's a shame it's closing!!!:(

At the end of the second act there was so much clapping and pretty much a standing ovation that they did a "Totally Fucked" Encore, which according to Trish is rare.

So then we made our way out of the theater to stage door again, and I got the posters signed and pictures with the lead males (Aneurin for the second time) and one with Jamie Blackley, who is super sweet and very gentlemanly!!!

A good night was had by all, and it was lovely seeing my girls again! The gang was once more truely together!:D

Now, shall we enjoy some pictures???

Me with Richard Cordery

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Me with Natasha Barnes

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Me with Lucy Barker

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Me with Jamie Muscato

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Me with Jamie Blackley

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Me with Iwan Rheon

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Me with Gemma O'Duffy

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Me with Evelyn Hoskins

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Me with Edd Judge

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Me with Sian Thomas

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Me with Charlotte Wakefield

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And then as desserrttt ! (Lolz) Me with Aneurin Barnard (Twice!:D) Once after the Matinee and then after the Evening show!!!

After the Matinee

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And after the evening (and Can I add? Boy can this guy act! He has to do raw emotions on Stage every night, like he's breaking apart and boy does he do it welll!! and he can sing!:D)

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I so wish Spring Awakening didn't have to close!!!:(

Sunday, 3 May 2009

Wicked (Fake Cast Change) 2nd May 09

OK, so Yesterday was my fouth and fith times seeing the Wonderful Wicked:)

So basically how the day started out, was good. Had everything I thought I would need and then Daisy and Louise came round and we left for Twyford and got on the train to Paddington. OK this is where things began to go a little wrong- I realised I'd forgotten to bring some pictures to get signed for my friend.

Well once we got to Paddington, we went to Covent Garden, The Dress Circle and Cyber Candy, where I got the finsihing touches to my present for Caroline Keiff (Explain later), and then we trotted off to the Apollo Victoria.

We reached the AV soon after about half eleven to find that we couldn't buy programs until One thirty, so I had to go and get a notebook to get signed. And lucky I did, because the first signiture I got was soon after this purchase. A.C Garica.

And it just continued in this way, people coming and going, grabbing people as they walked in an out so many pictures! (See the end of the Blog) And anyway, Kerry came through and i gave her the present i'd made for her, considering that it was meant ot be cast change, until it was changed until the 9th May. And I think she liked it. She liked her home made birthday card as well. And then I had a Bag for Caroline Keiff as well, and well Caroline simply appeared to lover hers! It was so sweet! And she was sooo nice as well! Really chatty! Oh and we gave Liam Tamne a Good Luck card for after cast change, and he was genuinely please to get it, and once he'd sorted himself out, after coming back out to sign things for us, on his way into the Theater again, we were still standing there and he said "Hi Stef" he me!!! I was almost hysterical!!!:P

So anyway, Oli dubbed the 2nd the "Fake Cast Change" and we got full cast as if to make up for the changed cast change!!!

So anyway we went into the Matinee and had a wonderfull show. Di's Popular was amazing, Des forgot his lines during Wonderful, and Kerry kept lasping into an American accent, but personally I liked her Defying Gravity, for the Matinee certainly!!! The evening performace, I was rather underwelmed.

But anyways, after the show, we'd snuck out at the end of the applause to get to Stage Door, and met Kirsty, and got oursleves a place at SD although it was very crowded and you could tell that people were waiting for Kerry, who didn't come out between shows, so many left disappointed. But we had a fabulous time with Alex, Kirsty and Louise, until she had to go, and daisy took her back to Paddington. Before Daisy left with louise, Liam Tamne cam out and we got him to sign the "Hairspray" Advert in the Wicked Program, because after Cast change Liam's going on to become Link in Hairspray, and one of the ensemble members said to him as he signed the adverts "You're not in it yet" as a joke, but we were happy! Then Trish arrived, so we had an entertaining half hour or so, also in the process, loosing Daisy, but then finding her as we needed to go in for the Evening perfromance.

Again another great performance from all the cast, Di's Popular was hilarious, Caroline's WWOE was awesome again, and I just loved the whole of the performace, though No Good Deed, for the second time was underwelming. But never the less, all the fan girls seemed to have arrived and screamed the place down as normal.

Again with getting to the SD, we left at the end of the cheers and I swear, I've never run as quickly up stairs and out a fire escape, buit it paid off, because we were the first people there and at the front of the SD, which is an achievement in it'self. We got the rest of the signitures needed and, had another chat with Caroline and Kerry, and Des and Harriet. So it was all good. then we went home!

So all around it was a good day!!! And here are the pictures to prove it...
alex
Me with Alex Jessop

andy
Me with Andy Mace

ash
Me with Ashleigh Gray

Caroline
Me with Caroline Keiff- The Most sweetest woman ever!!!

chloe
Daisy and Me with Chloe Taylor

Cindy2
Cindy and Me with the scarf she made for Wicked, which I brought

des
Me and Des

Dianne
Me and Dianne Pilkington

earnie
Me and Sarah

gary
Me with Gary Wood

george
Me with George Ure

Jake
Me with Jake

jeremy
Me with Jeremy

kerry
Me with the leading Lady herself- Kerry

liam
Me with Liam:)

matthew
Me with Matthew Boulton

mitchell
Me with Mitchell Mahony

nadine
Me with Nadine Cox

oli
Me with Oli:)

rachel
Me with Rachel Muldoon

sabrina
Me with Sabrina Carter- Elphie Understudy.

stollar
Me with Stollar!

tim
Me with Tim Waldon

[Somemore coming soon- will update when I can:)]

But thats all for now:) Twas a good day!:)

Monday, 23 March 2009

Wicked 21st March 2009 ASHLEIGH AS ELPHIE!

Ok, so on the 21st March for my birthday (which was the 17th! my 18th!) I got tickets to go and see Wicked.

At the time we brought them we were expecting to see the Great Kerry Ellis, but as it turns out, we get to see the most Amazing Ashleigh Gray, who was mind blowingly Fantasmicgorcial!!! I'm not even kidding!!!

So we started off, getting into London at about One O'clock, too late to catch the cast going into The AV for the Matinee, so we head off to Monmouth Street to have lunch at the Italian Restaurant.

After the usual scrummy Pizza we head to the dress circle where I was able to get the last Green Defy Gravity V-Neck T-shit and "Act One" Songs from The Muscials of Alexander S. Bermange (Which I highly recommed BTW)

After this little excursion, we moved on to Forbidden Planet, where we spent about half an hour browsing merchandise, and I for one, came out very happy. Then we went to Cyber Candy, where you can get sweets from all around the world, then Waterstones.

But we eventually made our way to the AV and Victoria station, baring in mind the Victoria Line was down, so we had to get onto the Circle (Or was it District) line, to get us to the AV. We arrived about five O'clock, so for about fifteen minutes we had a sit down in the station, after I had purchased a new Program for the show, which contained Ashleigh's pull out for her taking Kerry's place on Stage. Also we found out that Stollar was playing the Father and Dr Dillamond, so it was all good.

So anyway about quarter past five we positioned ourself at the stage door gates and waited for the cast to come out. We were not five metres from the door, It was fantastic! First out of the door was Sarah Earnshaw (Earnie) dashing off for food. She hadn't been on, but it felt rude asking for a picture when she appeared to be on a mission. So we let her pass.

Next out was the adorable Liam Tamne, who is Fiyero Understudy, who gladly stopped and signed my program and I had a picture with him, which he was more than happy to have.

So anyway we waited around and people came out and back in again and we caught most of the people. (We saw Oli three times before the evening performance!) So we got a lot of pictures and signitures. It was very fun. Plus made a lot of new friends!!!

We saw a group of the cast go out for a run after the show, and when they came back, my friend wanted a picture with Oli, who was desperate to get inside, so we made it quick. Then Dianne Pilkington rolled up, after her seperate run and was also surprised that we wanted pictures with her, but was so lovely about the whole thing! And Then Caroline Keiff, who is the most lovelist person I have ever met! She was coming back from a jog and was really surprised that we wanted to have pictures. She even said "You were going to say I look horrible weren't you?" When I was telling her that she looked fantastic whatever she thought.

Ashleigh didn't come out after the Matinee, but was recieving a lot of estatic reviews from the people we were stage dooring with!

So after we were satisfied about people coming in and out, we went to the digital photo booth, where you can print out pictures for 20p a snapshot, we printed out the pictures of us with the cast and decided to get them signed after the show.

So now we went and waited in the lobby for the show to start. When we we let in we found that we had some very good seats, althought slightly too far off to the left, and sitting in a draft, which wasn't brilliant, but it was as wonderful as always.

So the show started, with a wonderful enterance from Dianne Pilkington and flowed as wonderfully as usual. There was silence as Ashleigh rolled up onto stage before Dear Old Shiz, and she was mind blowing in the Wizard and I. I said to my friend, "If thats her Wizard and I, I can't wait for her Defying Gravity." And my friend, a first timer, Agreed.

Ash continued her amazing run, her voice was so strong and there was something about the energy she had that Kerry appeared to be lacking since she got back from Broadway.

As predicted Ash's Defying GRavity, stunned and blew all away. She was so strong, powerful and wonderfully raw with emotion that all our jaws almost dropped to the floor. She gave me goosebumps! The whole crowd erupted when she'd finsihed and the curtain swang forward for the interval.

The next surprise of the night was when during the last few notes of Thank Goodness, Di performed the Hilty High Note (
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G8xVOW9gRXo See Second Clip (Megan Hilty)) which was stunning! And Caroline Keiff belted out Nessa's top note with so much force during the Wicked Witch of the East!

The Rest of the show, the As Long as You're Mine, Oli and Ash and the No Good Deed, so raw and powerful, all but blew my head off. Ashleigh was just one amazing Elphabla, and recieved a highly deserved almost complete standing Ovation at the end of the show!!! My voice was hoarse afterwards!

So as soon as the curtain went down, me and my friends dashed from one side of the theater Auditorium to the other and up out of a fire escape, briefly wondering if we'd set off the fire alarm, to get a good place at stage door, and arrived and managed to stand straight out in front of it!!! First out, as the wonderful Liam, who was all too happy to sign my photo from earlier, sign my friends ticket and have a picture with her, both of them actually. The Oli, and Jeremy Legat, followed by Jake Samuals, and finally, Ashleigh, who was really lovely and smilely and seemed really surprised when we told her how much we loved her performance and how mind blowing it was. She happily stood for pictures for all of us and signed my program, my friends Cyber Candy Bag and my other friends ticket.

So all in all, buzzing as we got onto the train, we had a fantabulous night!!! And the pics below tell it all (note: My friend has my picture of me and Ash, so that will be added at a later date!!!)


This is me with Jake Samuels (Understudy Fiyero!) He's nice. We like Jake!:D
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This is me with Cindy Belliot (Ensemble!)
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Me with Caroline Keiff (Nessarose)
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Me and My friend Daisy with Desmond Barritt (The Wizard)
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Me with Sarah Earnshaw (Standby Glinda!)
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Me and Alex Jessop (Understudy Boq)
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Me with Jeremy Legat! (Boq)
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Me with Nadine Cox (Understudy Madame Morrible)
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Me with Dianne Pilkington (Glinda)
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Me with Oliver Tompsett (Fiyero!!!:D) Loving Oli!
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Annnndd Me with Liam Tamne!!!!!!!!!!! (Understudy Fiyero 1 LOL) We like Liam as well!

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(Added 25/03/2009)
Me with Stollar, who was playing the Father and Dr D.
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Annnnnnddddd Me with the star of the night.... Ms Ashleigh Gray!!!!!!!!!!!

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Thats all folks!:D

Tuesday, 28 October 2008

Wicked Day 26th Oct 2008

Last Sunday, was Wicked Day! (In London!) Fully prepared and armed with pens, bags and money, Daisy and I arrived late to meet Trish at Reading Station. Well we got there ok?

When we reached Paddington we took a Taxi to the AV, and waited for some of Trish's stage Door crew to show up. And it was raining.

So when we finally found where we were going there was a long que and it was still raining. I got Daisy to write "Wicked Rocks" on my face in eyeliner. We got in about 12:30 and were given little goodie bags from cast memembers! I got mine from Caroline! We then purchased a cast photo that was taken especially for the day and set about getting it signed.

Straight off we met the wonderful George Ure(Understudy Boq) who was AWESOME! Desmond Barritt who plays the Wizard, and Harriet Thorpe, who plays Madam Morrible! And the wonderful Caroline Keiff!

Then there was the opened bit with some singing by a Stage Coach group and then we dispersed to look around.

Seriously I can't really remeber what Happened after that. We met so many people and it was just fantastic.

I brought a scarf made by a Wicked cast member in the auction, got pics with Dianne Pilkington, Alexia Khadime, Jeremy Legat, Liam Tamne, Geogre Ure, Alex Jessop, Sarah Earnshaw, and OLIVER TOMPSETT!!!:D

There's a bit of a story to the Oli pic actually. I was waiting in line with Daisy to get a picture with Oli, (This is where the "Wicked Rocks" comes into play). At Oli's concert in August, I had written "Olly Rocks" on my face and managed to meet him. Well I got to the front of the que, and Oli looks at me and says "You like writing on your face don't you?" and I was shocked and managed to choke out, "You remember me?" He smiled and said "Yeah!" I literally couldn't breathe! And I got a hug! I was so shocked. And soo happy!:D

Anyway! It was just amazing!:D So here are some of my pics!:D

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Me with Earnie!

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Me with OLI!

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Me with Liam!

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Me with Jeremy!

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Me with Jake Samuals!

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Me with Harriet!

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Me with George!

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Me with Dianne!

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Me with Des!

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Me with Caroline!

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Me with Alex Jessop!

And...

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Me with Lexi!:D