Oliver! (2025) (West End)

At the Gielgud Theatre, the seats at the back of the stalls/orchestra are sold as restricted view because of the deepest balcony overhang I've ever seen. For most of Act I, it's not really a problem. But in Act II, we do miss the climax which happens too high above the stage. The other British thing is that you don't get a Playbill on the West End like you do here. Not inherently a problem except the role of Oliver rotates between several kids and I'm not sure which one we saw. I also didn't realize that Oliver isn't technically the lead role. He wasn't even the second billed. Fagin and Nancy take their bows after Oliver. Nancy has the iconic As Long As He Needs Me which Ava Brennan sings powerfully, on Nicole Scherzinger level. I was expecting a showstopper standing ovation but she quickly left the stage to move onto the next thing. The orchestrations are beautiful. Oom Pah Pah and Consider Yourself are also fantastic high-energy scenes. This production by the way is directed by acclaimed choreographer Matthew Bourne. I wasn't all that familiar with the story of Oliver Twist but it's way darker than I expected. I knew he was an orphan but it's quite the downer. Who knew he lived in a funeral parlour and was trapped in a coffin? 

Old Friends (2025) (Broadway)

Stephen Sondheim's contribution to the American Songbook is incomparable. His music is harmonious and his lyrics witty. This posthumous tribute revue pulls all of the best songs from his musicals. They're great songs, divorced from the context of their shows. The comedy and drama of the songs don't land as impactfully as a consequence, but the music is beautiful nonetheless. Bernadette Peters and Lea Salonga are two of the biggest divas on Broadway. Both are excellent. Perhaps the biggest surprise is that they're not in all the songs. They even cede the spotlight on some of the biggest numbers, The Ladies Who Lunch or I'm Still Here, songs made for divas. So I expected a little more of the two of them. I was surprised to find out afterwards that it was an unrecognizable Lea playing Mrs Lovett behind the cockney accent. 

Good way to spend a Wednesaday matinee off from work!