Musicals and Other Shows

[Rob Houghton]

I agree about those two songs in Sunset Boulevard - some of the best AWL songs! I also like 'The Perfect Year' - which was from the same show which Dina Carrol had a hit with.

I saw Sunset Boulevard a number of years ago at Birmingham Hippodrome ( a great theatre to see West End shows because the stage is bigger than most West End theatres!) starring Faith Brown as Norma. Brilliant performance!

[Anita Bensoussane]

- some of the best AWL songs!

Has he changed his name to Andrew Webber Lloyd?

[Rob Houghton]

Must have, lol! Sometimes I type too fast for my brain!!

[Anita Bensoussane]

Last weekend, Tony and I saw the musical The Dreamers at the Abbey Road Studios in London. It was brilliant to be at Abbey Road, knowing that The Beatles had recorded so many songs there! Studio One had been set up as a theatre for the weekend and we went along to the Saturday matinee. Before going in, we spent some time looking at the famous crossing which features on the record sleeve of Abbey Road. Numerous foursomes had their photos taken recreating The Beatles' poses - at some risk as there was a steady stream of traffic! People had written tributes to The Beatles on the "graffiti wall" in front of the studios, so we read some of those and also went into the Abbey Road Studios shop, which sells items associated with The Beatles and other artists.

The Dreamers is about a unit of soldiers involved in the Gallipoli Campaign in the First World War (and about their loved ones back home) and it was beautifully sung and very moving, with some humorous episodes too. A CD of eleven of the songs was attached to the theatre programme and, although I haven't played my CD yet, the same song selection is currently available to listen to free of charge on the website of The Dreamers. Wonderful melodies:

https://www.thedreamersuk.com/?fbclid=I ... D807AUuhT0" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Included in the price of the ticket was an interval drink (being a Blytonite, I chose a ginger beer!) and we were delighted to discover that the drinks were being served in Studio Two where The Beatles did a lot of recording. It's a large room containing several pianos that were used on various Beatles albums, and there are photos of The Beatles and other artists on the walls (including Pink Floyd, The Hollies, Eartha Kitt, Shirley Bassey and Kylie Minogue). Strangely, we didn't spot any pictures of or information about Cliff Richard even though he has recorded a massive amount of stuff there.

A lovely musical and it felt really special to be able to spend the afternoon in studios that are known around the world.

[number 6]

How fabulous, Anita! The musical you saw sounds absolutely wonderful. I'm glad you both enjoyed your trip to such an iconic venue.

[Daisy]

Sounds wonderful, Anita. Glad it was such a great experience for you both.

[Lucky Star]

Sounds great Anita. Glad you both had a good time.

[Anita Bensoussane]

Thanks, everyone! I played the CD today and I particularly like track number 5, The Dream. It's haunting and is beautifully sung by Charlotte Wakefield.

[number 6]

Moved from 'General Natter Room'.

After watching Chitty Chitty Bang Bang for the first time in many years at Christmas, I was intrigued to see if there were any videos of the filming locations used in the film. I was quite delighted to find such a vid. So, for those who are still fond of the film, here it is...

https://youtu.be/3vRRXdKUHbs" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[Jack400]

Thank you, Number 6, I'll be looking at that soon as I've often wondered where it (and anything else that I watch) was filmed.

[Rob Houghton]

I've always loved Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. In fact Sally Ann Howes was my first crush as a young boy!

[Anita Bensoussane]

Chitty Chitty Bang Bang is a favourite of mine too. I'd seen the video clip before but I enjoyed watching it again - thanks, Number 6! Tony and I saw Chitty Chitty Bang Bang on stage in 2016, at the Mayflower Theatre in Southampton, and it was a delightful piece of theatre.

[number 6]

What a treat, Anita! I've not been lucky enough to get the chance to see a stage production of Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. It certainly sounds like a wonderful experience!

Although Sally Ann Howes wasn't my first crush when I was young, Rob, I still was quite taken with her!

[Anita Bensoussane]

Reading the original book by Ian Fleming, I was amazed to find that Truly Scrumptious and the Child Catcher weren't in the story at all. They were invented by Roald Dahl, who wrote the screenplay.

[Rob Houghton]

Yes - the book (in my opinion) is very pale by comparison. I personally think its a rare example of the film being way better and much more enjoyable than the book!

The stage version is brilliant too - I saw it twice at The Birmingham Hippodrome. The flying car was amazing!

However, the film is better in my opinion. I am a bit annoyed with the stage version because they took the song 'Lovely Lonely Man' - sung by Truly Scrumptious, out of the score. It has always been one of my favourite songs.