The Band

When last time I watched a jukebox musical, I didn’t like it, especially the story (I don’t even want to mention it). Leaving the theatre, I was thinking what I just watched. Anyway, I still decided to watch another one, giving jukebox musicals one more chance. Somehow it worked this time.

Hot Gay Time Machine

Funny, exuberant, and a joy to watch. I saw the fantastic musical Six few months ago, it’s from the writers of Hot Gay Time Machine. That’s one of the reasons I decided to watch Hot Gay. This show with only two actors brings audience laughs from beginning to end (75 minutes “gay” through). Good singing, a lot of jokes (18+!), references to some famous songs. No need to say too much, it's just good. I really enjoyed it. Definitely recommend it!

黑帝斯鎮 Hadestown

A retelling of the story of Orpheus and Eurydice, a musical mixed with American folk music with New Orleans jazz. The music is beautifully made and sung by a strong cast, the melody is still haunting in my head after the show finished. However, I have to admit I’m a little bit disappointed about the set.

夥伴們 Company

Music from the composer of "Into the Woods", "Follies"

The show focuses on the issues of modern marriages, relationships, and companionship. although it's a comedy, it's that kind of comedy that will make you think. This London revival of this show gives a new perspective to the original, I like it! 

異型奇花 Little Shop of Horrors

This show was held in the outdoor theater, and I liked it very much!  One you enter into the “theater” area, there are actually outdoor places (covered) to get something to eat or drink, so naturally I started out by getting a beer.

哈利波特：被詛咒的孩子 Harry Potter And The Cursed Child

Harry Potter And The Cursed Child Part 1 & Part 2 review

There aren't any spoilers, don't worry!

I waited a whole year to see this show! My Taiwanese lover managed to log into some kind of online ticket queue in 2017 at just the right moment and we got tickets for just 30 pounds (for both parts 1 and 2). The seats however, were on the 4th level of the theater. The price is right, and we had to wait until August 2018. I wasn't even sure what to expect. I am not usually someone to want to watch long shows, let alone TWO LONG SHOWS. How good can it possibly be? But I had an open mind and since I was already familiar with the characters in the movies, it should be an easy play to start watching.

怪物來敲門 A Monster Calls

怪物來敲門 A Monster Calls

觀賞日期：2018/08/15

地點：The   Old Vic，倫敦，英國

二次感動的給分：4.5/5

雖然我前幾年已經看過電影版，但詳細劇情不太記得，現在再看舞台劇的改編版仍然感動不已。

第四十二街 42nd Street (同場加映)

42nd Street review

If you like tap dancing then you will love this show!  The story itself is about the production of a musical (a musical-within-a-musical) where a young girl takes the leading role and is under pressure.  The plot is a bit light so you don't have to think too much, but this also make the show feel a little bit longer than it needs to be.  I got a little bit bored with the story, BUT it was made up for by all the fabulous tap dancing. I have never seen so many people dancing all together, in step, in time, with very complicated maneuvers in my entire life. It was great!

國王與我 The King and I

國王與我  The King and I

觀賞日期：2018/07/27

地點：London Palladium，倫敦，英國

看過電影後的給分：4/5

這是國王與我的復排。當然這齣戲拍過幾次不同版本的電影，我也看過其中幾個，包括音樂劇版和非音樂劇版。

新科學怪人 Young Frankenstein (同場加映)

Young Frankenstein review
I think this was just about the best comedy musical I’ve ever seen. I could feel a connection to pretty much all the characters! The character development was great, so I could feel that each of the main characters had good points and flaws as well, and I could come to love all of them!  The cast in this particular rendition of the musical was spectacular, especially the monster and the doctor, but my main praise goes to the writer Mel Brooks for creating something so delightful for me to watch.

新科學怪人 Young Frankenstein

新科學怪人Young Frankenstein

觀賞日期：2018/06/06

地點：Garrick Theatre，倫敦，英國

開心地二刷給分：5/5

停筆了幾個月，終於要再開始打字了！

新科學怪人是根據1974年的恐怖喜劇片改編而成(我並沒有先看過電影版)，原電影並非歌舞片，現在才被搬上舞台成為歌舞劇。

第四十二街 42nd Street

第四十二街 42nd Street

觀賞日期：2017/12/11

地點：Theatre Royal Drury Lane，倫敦，英國

尖叫地給分：5/5 滿分！滿分！（尖叫~）

再強調一次，滿分！要我花錢用全額票價買票我也甘願！（重點是：我還是用半價買到的頂級中間位！）

《第四十二街》意指美國紐約戲院區的一條大街，顧名思義，這齣戲的故事就圍繞在一齣戲上（沒錯，戲中戲！），從一齣戲的誕生到巡迴演出。

大娛樂家 The Greatest Showman (同場加映)

The Greatest Showman review

Finally! A show where the attractive people aren't the heroes! I'm sick and tired of seeing all the beautiful people in other musicals get everything they want at the end of the story. Here, the freaks are the heroes of the story; in other words, people I can actually relate to. The bearded lady, the really tall man, the midget riding a horse into the theater. By the end of the story I came to love many of the characters and relate to them! 

大娛樂家 The Greatest Showman

大娛樂家 The Greatest Showman

觀賞日期：2018/01/07

開心給分：4/5

在網路上看到許多影評，評價褒貶不一，專業影評不喜歡，觀眾卻很喜歡。而且我不久前也才在倫敦劇院裡看過《大娛樂家巴納姆》Barnum（根據相同故事改編的音樂劇），想來比較一下，毅然決然要來親眼見證一下這部休傑克曼演的《大娛樂家》到底拍得如何。

大娛樂家巴納姆 Barnum

大娛樂家巴納姆 Barnum

觀賞日期：2017/12/17

地點：Menier Chocolate Factory，倫敦，英國

場地是否要大一些的給分：3/5

這齣音樂劇是美國馬戲團始祖P.T.巴納姆的傳記故事，最早在1980年百老匯首演。想必這次復排可能是因為電影版的《大娛樂家》The Greatest Showman上映。要注意的一點是電影版並非改編自這齣音樂劇，而是採用全新的劇本和音樂。

所以也就是說，巴納姆的人生故事被改編成兩部不同的音樂劇？！

陰陽魔界 The Twilight Zone (同場加映)

The Twilight Zone review

We saw an afternoon performance of The Twilight Zone. The venue had a small café/coffee shop just inside it near the entrance, and right when we walked in the door (about an hour before the start of the show) was the moment that the last seat in the small cafe (which could hold maybe around 12 people) filled up.  So I still got a coffee but had to congregate outside the little seating area.  It was not exactly a negative, just a small amount of bad luck, but soon the whole place filled with fellow coffee-drinkers just before the show so I felt a bit of camaraderie among the other theater-goers and we could chat a bit.

陰陽魔界 The Twilight Zone

陰陽魔界 The Twilight Zone

觀賞日期：2017/12/23

地點：Almeida Theatre，倫敦，英國

來自不同次元的評分：4/5

鼎鼎有名的影集《陰陽魔界》首次被搬上舞台，劇情改編自1959~1964的原版影集，故事從不同季中取出幾集融合而成。提早約三個月，我九月時就把票買好了，非常期待這類型的戲劇。

吸血鬼之舞 Tanz der Vampire (Dance of the Vampires)

吸血鬼之舞 Tanz der Vampire (Dance of the Vampires)

觀賞日期：2018/01/10

地點：Ronacher，維也納，奧地利

沒在算數學的給分：3.5/5

倫敦行結束（已想念起倫敦的戲院們~），就到了維也納過兩晚。我逗留兩天的唯一目的就是可以剛好進城去看場音樂劇（小小劇迷的奢望），我別的地方當然也都沒去，反正從機場到市中心不用二十分鐘，坐機場快捷到市中心，這家戲院只要再走十分鐘左右就會到，別再多逛了啦，心中只有戲院！

這時剛好在上演《吸血鬼之舞》的二十週年復排，本劇改編自羅曼・波蘭斯基執導的恐怖喜劇電影《天師捉妖》The Fearless Vampire Killers（1967）。

笑面人奇談 The Grinning Man

笑面人奇談 The Grinning Man

觀賞日期：2017/12/12

地點：Trafalgar Studios，倫敦，英國

分數廢話不多說就給：5/5

求二刷！下次去有機會要二刷！

在Bristol Old Vic劇院首演成功，目前至倫敦演出。

這是一齣新的英國音樂劇，改編自《悲慘世界》和《鐘樓怪人》的作者雨果的另一部小說《笑面人L'Homme qui rit 》The Man Who Laughs，小說本身也被多次改編成電影。

漢密爾頓 Hamilton (同場加映)

以下是從另一個角度看這齣戲，和我的看法很不一樣XD

Hamilton review

I’m not really much of a musical watcher, but I like politics and history a lot!  So I thought this would be a good musical for me.  I was treated in London to a fabulous show, full of really nice songs, and these aren’t the run-of-the-mill Rogers and Hammerstein-style songs. No! They are more hip hop in style and sound very sophisticated and interesting. It’s pretty much the best musical I’ve seen recently.

漢密爾頓 Hamilton

漢密爾頓 Hamilton

觀賞日期：2017/12/26

地點：Victoria Palace Theatre，倫敦，英國

很照個人喜好的給分：3.5/5

應我寶貝的要求，如果我們在倫敦多看一齣戲，我就得開始寫我的非專業劇評部落格（就是純粹分享啦）。所以，答啦！在你們眼前的就是XD