You may (or may not) remember a blog post I put together back in 2017 about West End and Day Seats (read here) when I went to London last week, eventually and to return to the theatre I had actually wondered if Covid would put a stop to this and box offices not opening early to be able to get cheaper last minute tickets direct from the theatre’s box office.
However, I did not have to worry about that. when TodayTix had a few different deals on what they list as Rush Tickets (hello Broadway words coming into the West End). Which is the same thing as day seats, all you need to do is download the app from the App Store and they go on sale at 10am which was always the time the box office opened for the same reason. These are £25 per ticket on the app and the options to buy are for 1 or 2 seats, because I go alone a majority of the time wanting only one single seat works out very nicely that is for sure. But for that price it wouldn’t really matter if you went with someone and didn’t sit together would it?
I have always loved and adored musicals but I am fully aware that the genre seems to be the most difficult to please people who aren’t the biggest fans of them. After rewatching Chicago and the up and coming release of In the Heights it has me thinking about musicals going from stage to screen. Then if you have actually seen them on stage before the film adaptation or if you see the film first and then the stage musical. For obvious reasons a lot of changes have to be made when taking a show from the stage and putting it on screen, this is the main reason I feel Wicked has been left in production for around 12 years now. It’s one of my favourite stage musicals that I have currently seen nine times, but I really cannot picture how it will transfer to film without losing its magic and quite frankly being rather ridiculous on screen?
In the Heights is a show that I have been very lucky to see on stage twice, the first time on Broadway the night before it won the Tony Award for Best New Musical in 2008 and then in the West End in 2016. Both times I appreciated the unique nature of the music and quite frankly I think it is better than Hamilton. Both obviously coming from the genius mind of Lin-Manuel Miranda, seeing him perform on Broadway was certainly very special. I have been looking forward to seeing the film adaption of In the Heights since it was announced and that is now only a few weeks away. The reviews that have been released so far have been extremely positive and this increases my excitement to see the film. As we always seem to go through phases with musicals and one often leads to more being released.
I am really hoping that people who are not the biggest fans of musicals will give In the Heights a watch though as it really is not like any other musical you have seen before, we have come a very long way from the traditional musical numbers and acting. The rap/hiphop style is something so unique and different that it is a true joy to witness, I feel I have now moved more into begging people to see it, even though I haven’t myself yet either. I just hope audiences will be open minded and see something that dares to be different.
Having rewatched Chicago over the weekend it got me thinking about this song Class, which was added to the DVD release as a deleted scene. It is an incredibly powerful song that still feels so relevant to this day. It has always been in the stage show and that is something that I love about that version, the reason it was cut from the film? Well, they didn’t feel it fit in with the rest of the film being the musical numbers taking place in Roxie’s head (I mean don’t get me started that Mr. Cellophane doesn’t fit in with that). Anyway why not enjoy Queen Latifah and Catherine Zeta Jones singing Class?
This is something I have been putting together for quite a long time now and I have held off posting it or even attempting to start the blog post in fear that I have forgotten and somehow missed a favourite film from the list. Barring in mind I got up to 72 films and then had to cut it down to the 50. I would like to make clear these are my favourite films, some might have happened to win Oscars as well and some certainly have not at all. The way I have decided on my favourites is the sheer joy they bring and the number of rewatches I have had over the years. While I have listed 1-50 a lot of them can be shifted around and changed with each other. It is going to highlight my love for musicals and for certain actors and actresses! I doubt it will contain many surprises though!
Broadway legend Ann Reinking has sadly passed away at the age of 71. She was part of the original Chicago broadway cast and over the years spent a lot of time working on the show, which I must add is my all time favourite.
Rest in peace to a true musical theatre legend who you might know from films All That Jazz (1979) and Annie (1982). Especially considering this blog is named Let’s Go To The Movies and that song is performed by Reinking in the film.
Emily Cooper had been living in Chicago with her boyfriend but she takes a transfer with her marketing firm in Paris despite not being able to speak French. Her social media Emily In Paris would quickly change everything.
When Stephen and Brian McCaffrey must start working together in a Chicago fire station this is going to prove testing in their strained relationship. But they must band together when a very dangerous arsonist is on the loose and firefighters are getting killed.
Ferris Bueller fancies having a day off from High School deceiving his parents, sister and most importantly the Principal who does not believe for a second that he is really sick.
This recreating the movie moment was not something that I had even thought about myself. A story is behind this one as Marathon Talk a podcast has a kit around the world challenge, wearing the kit around the world!
When in Chicago I was trying to find a great location for a catalogue pose in my Trust the Process Run t-shirt. I decided on the Skydeck in Willis Tower . . .
When Martin Yelling was doing this feature on the podcast he likened the location to that in Charlie and the Chocolate factory with the elevator scene! So I have to not only thank him but also be happy to have another addition to the recreating the movie section! Totally by accident and something I hadn’t even thought of 😂
