Posted in Theatre

5 Musicals That Could Actually Have Good Sequels

Posted on by Georgia Haze

Musical theatre sequels aren’t really much of a thing – apart from the odd exception here and there. Love Never Dies is one everyone thinks of when it comes to theatrical sequels but then you have shows like The Cursed Child where you see two performances anyway, it’s basically like the second show is a sequel. So, I’ve put together a few shows that I think could have potentially amazing sequels.

**Warning, spoilers ahead!**

Bare: A Pop Opera

I’d love to see the aftermath of the events of Bare, maybe with the sequel beginning a few months down the line. It would be so interesting to see how Peter, Nadia and co. handle their grief and graduate school to start new lives in university/college. We could see Peter find acceptance in his new community and maybe even find love again. Bare: A Pop Opera does such a great job at showing the complexities that can form between faith and sexuality so a sequel where Peter learns he can be both Catholic and openly gay in a far more accepting society than St Cecilia’s would be really heart-warming and such an important message for young viewers. This would be especially moving since we see his mum start to overcome her initial shock at realising Peter is gay and decide that she will ultimately love her son no matter what in Bare so the sequel could also dive more into Peter’s relationship with his mum.

I would also love to see a proper friendship develop between Nadia and Ivy. Their budding enemies-to-friends storyline only comes into effect in the last few scenes so to see Nadia be a supportive friend to Ivy as she makes the decision of what to do about her pregnancy would be great. As the school community seems quite traditional in their beliefs I’d imagine Ivy would be encouraged to keep her baby. In which case, the sequel could also tackle the topic of teenage motherhood.

Also, I just feel like I need more Sister Chantelle being a legend in my life so a sequel would be fab. K, thanks.  

Hamilton

Ok, so there’s a fairly obvious obstacle with this one in that Alexander Hamilton dies in the show and it’s based on real history so there’s no bringing him back to life for a fun zombie spin-off… or isn’t there???? Erm, no, I’m going to say there isn’t. I think a Hamilton sequel could work though if it was focused on Elizabeth Schuyler-Hamilton, AKA one of the most inspiring women in history. The show could tell the story her life after the death of her husband, which was hardly uneventful. Do I need to remind you she raised funds for the Washington Monument, spoke out about slavery and established the first private orphanage in New York City?

I, for one, would not say no to learning more about her in glorious musical form (not say no… see what I did there?).

Also, I saw a YouTube comment one time that had the theory that the show is called “Hamilton” because that could refer to Alexander or Eliza and that blew my mind and makes me think this sequel is totally justified. So, Lin, I know you’re really busy right now but like, just think about it ok?

Les Miserables

Lol jk, a sequel wouldn’t work because everyone dies. Except for Marius and Cosette. And no one really cares about them.

In The Heights

Sorry to throw another Lin Manual Miranda musical into the mix, I know he’s very busy and has no time for sequels but hear me out. Benny and Nina have some of the best love songs in musical theatre so I just want to more from them. I want to see Nina finish her degree at Stanford, move back to Washington Heights, marry Benny, have an amazing career in her field whilst Benny is also building up to an amazing career, have children with Benny, grow old with Benny and retire to a nice house paid for by the hard-earned money they both got from their amazing careers. Is that too much to ask?

Besides, I don’t want it to all be exclusively about Benny and Nina (but mostly about Benny and Nina), I also want to see Usnavi and Vanessa’s second date and I want Usnavi’s shop to be the most successful spot in Washington Heights. I want Vanessa to get to travel on an airplane as her and Usnavi jet off on a trip together. I JUST WANT EVERYONE TO BE HAPPY, OK. Is that TOO MUCH to ask? Is it?  

It’s ok, I’ve calmed down now… let’s move on, shall we?

Everybody’s Talking About Jamie

Now, for this musical sequel, wouldn’t it be so cool to see Jamie a few years down the road living his life as the iconic adult we all knew he was going to be? In this case, the sequel would just work because Jamie is just such a fun character. Another show all about him would definitely be an exciting treat for theatre fans. I don’t really have many ideas for the story as such but Jamie Campbell is a huge fan of the show and has seen it many times so it could go full theatre-ception by showing the adult Jamie New going to see a musical about himself from when he was younger which is the real musical Everybody’s Talking About Jamie… I’m not even sure if that’s a good idea or just plain confusing but now I really want them to try it.

Something Rotten!

I’m sad this musical hasn’t made it’s way to the UK yet but as the story of Nick, Nigel, Bea, Portia, Nostradamus and Shylock ends up with them having to leave London for America as exiles it would be great to see them bringing musicals to New England. It would be an amazing chance for some more silly antics for this gang of ridiculous individuals, especially if they brought Omelette! to America. It would also be entertaining to see how Nick and Nigel would fair as fathers and we could maybe even see the brothers coming to loggerheads over which of them has the most theatrical family. I’m thinking a Cheaper by the Dozen 2-style family feud comedy show would work well here.

So, there you have it. Those are just a few musicals I think could work as sequels, from the sincere to the silly. I’d love to hear your suggestions too!

Posted in Theatre

I Saw Come From Away’s First London Performance!

Posted on by Georgia Haze

Squee. My first ever time of seeing the first performance of a new London show was a pretty epic experience. Come From Away’s first London performance was on the 30th January 2019 and I saw it from the third row. I had eye contact with the actors at points. I don’t think I’ve never felt more #blessed lol.

So, what was it like? Well, let me tell you, Come From Away is not a show that disappoints. It’s a fantastic celebration of all that’s good in humanity and a reminder that kindness and positivity can still prevail even in the darkest of times. I know that’s kind of a cliché but when you remember that Come From Away is based on a real event and each individual story told in the show is based on a real person’s accounts of what happened to them, this message loses it’s corniness and starts feeling like a real comfort. Especially in light of the grim stories that are being churned out of the news every day.

Come From Away had me laughing (A LOT more than I thought I would, honestly) and holding back the tears too. It was fun and it was heart-breaking and it was simple and complicated all in one. In case you haven’t been able to guess this already, I completely loved it.

I’ve listened to the cast album many times and I’d consider Me and the Sky to be one of my favourite songs ever (it’s, like, a feminist anthem!) so needless to say I was very excited about the seeing the show. The first thing I’ll say is that the cast and the band were amazing. The way the cast so quickly changed characters, which often involved switching accents and rarely involved leaving the stage in-between character changes, was seamless. One moment I was believing Rachel Tucker was Annette, a Newfoundland fantasist, the next, there she was as Captain Beverley Bass, the first female captain of a US commercial airline. The whole cast worked together so well and the comedy and sense of camaraderie that the show thrives on was generated brilliantly by everyone involved. The live band got to shine as well, particularly during Screech In and at the end when they showcased how talented they all were as individuals.

What surprised me the most was how little of the story I knew from listening to the cast album. There’s a whole storyline about Bonny and the animals on the planes (including the only rare Bonobo chimp in Newfoundland which was particularly touching) that you only get from seeing the show itself. I also found myself getting very emotional over certain parts of the story, particularly Hannah’s struggle to find out the fate of her son and her budding friendship with Beulah and the treatment of Ali by those around him. The show doesn’t shy away from important topics and actually makes the audience see issues from different points of view without ever losing the cheery spirit of the performance for too long. This is something I really admire in the writing of Come From Away.

It’s a beautiful show and I feel very lucky to have been there. I bought a Me and the Sky t-shirt on my way in and collected my free “I’m an islander” badge on the way out (they’re only giving out 20,000 of them so that felt a little bit special too). It’s uplifting and thought-provoking and moving and I hope I get to see it again before the end of its run but if I don’t then so be it. I still got to see it and it has to be one of my best theatre experiences ever. Getting to see it on its first London performance when the audience was full of die-hard fans and there was a buzz of excitement throughout the theatre was really special.

Just one question I was left with… why is every West End show now performed on a revolving stage??

What’s it about?

Come From Away is a musical about Operation Yellow Ribbon. After 9/11 happened, the USA closed its airspace and the planes flying in were told to land at Gander International Airport in Newfoundland. The show tells the stories of the plane crew, passengers and the people of Newfoundland who took in 7,000 people for several days until they were able to get back in the air. It’s a heart-warming show with a small cast playing multiple roles to tell the stories of many different individuals involved in the operation.

How can I see it?

Come From Away is currently showing at the Phoenix Theatre in London’s West End and booking until the 25th May.

Posted in Other

The Things I’m Not (or hi, let me introduce myself)

Posted on by Georgia Haze

Blogging is a fairly new venture for me. I have had blogs in the past but not kept up with them and frankly the less said about them the better so this blog feels like a new and exciting project. I can’t wait to get chatting about the things I care about like musicals and dogs and history and so much more but let’s start with me introducing myself. I didn’t want to jump into what will hopefully be regular scheduled programming without putting out there who I am and why I’m blogging now but I couldn’t figure out how to start. The first time I went to write this post it started a little something like this:

me - what i'm not

“Hi I’m Georgia, I’m 22, I graduated with a BA in English Literature with Creative Writing in 2017 and have been working in marketing since. I love musicals and history and am a proud dog mother to Rebel, my very bouncy labradoodle.”

This intro is fine if not a bit personal statement-y or worst, a bit dating profile-y. Then I thought it might be a bit more interesting to shake it up and explain the things I’m not to get the ball rolling. Hopefully this intro to me will be a bit less dull.

  The things I’m not:

  • A singer… you have no idea how much this fact upsets me. I’ve been a huge fan of musicals pretty much all my life and I listen to showtunes over any genre of music any day but when I sing along I either sound like I’m screeching or mumbling, there is no in-between. Don’t get me started on the belting in musicals either, I can’t hold a note longer than half a second and the fact I can’t sing any higher than most men leads me to conclude I am definitely not a singer.
  • A skeptic… tell me gullible is written on the ceiling and I will look up, I’ll believe just about everything. Now, there’s obviously no shame in believing in certain things and anyone that makes anyone else feel disrespected for their belief system is no better than a bully but I believe in nearly EVERYTHING. Ghosts, aliens, the idea that I’ll get seven years of bad luck if I open an umbrella indoors or forget to salute at a single magpie, I’m basically constantly terrified of either being possessed by a demon, zapped up into space or stepping on a crack and breaking my mother’s back.
  • A super slim, exercise-loving Instagram star… here’s the thing, I like to eat. I’ve tried dieting in the past and it was depressing af. Living a healthy lifestyle shouldn’t be such a chore. Exercise releases endorphins that make you happy but so does chocolate so do both in moderation. I’m sure dieting and doing a 2-hour workout everyday works for some people and more power to them but I cba to keep up with that. I try to exercise regularly enough, whether that’s going on a walk at lunchtime or throwing my body around on the Wii Fit (does anyone else still use the humble old Nintendo Wii?) but I do it because I want to, because it’s enjoyable and because I like my body to feel strong and fit rather than slim. I’m never going to be Instagram-model slim but I can teach myself to like the way I am and that’s way more worth my energy.

So, there’s a just a little bit about me before we start. I’m going to see Come From Away tonight because I don’t know if I’ve made it clear enough yet but I really do bloody love a musical. TTYL.