When the staff from All Tickets Inc. (ATI) flew across the Pond to get a firsthand viewing of Ghost The Musical they were all impressed, as was the rest of the audience watching that evening’s performance. They went knowing that the show was a big West End hit, and they had seen promotional footage for the new musical. But seeing it live at the Piccadilly Theatre in London made a huge impression, leading everyone from ATI to agree that they had seen a premium production.
The critics in London were overwhelmingly impressed with the show. Five major media publications gave the show four out of four stars—Metro, Daily Telegraph, Time Out, The Times and the Daily Express. Here are some snippets from various reviews that offer an opening night perspective.
Time Out
Any musical demands excellent performances. Ghost The Musical performers have to live up to and exceed what was done in the movie. (Unlike Swayze, Moore and the others in the film, they must sing!)
On the romantic leads, the reviewer from Time Out noted, “Caissie Levy and Richard Fleeshman make the Demi Moore/Patrick Swayze roles of murdered banker Sam Wheat and his artist lover Molly their own.” Audiences genuinely connect with them.
The writer added, “Andrew Langtree is wonderfully desperate and insidious as Sam’s betraying buddy, Carl Bruner. And Sharon D Clarke is a mountain of much-needed comedy and charisma, belting her way to glory as the sham psychic who helps Sam avenge his death and touch his beloved Molly one last time.” Both of these characters add a lot of spice to the plot.
Sunday Telegraph
The Sunday Telegraph said that Ghost The Musical “is a highly entertaining one that looks set to keep audiences laughing, gasping and sniffing back tears for a long time to come.”
Is the stage version better than the hit movie version? That was answered by the Telegraph in the positive. The critic wrote, “Like the film on which it is based, Ghost The Musical proves the guiltiest of pleasures. Indeed, in many ways, Matthew Warchus’s production strikes me as superior to the 1990 movie starring Demi Moore and Patrick Swayze.”
The Guardian
The writer for The Guardian observed, “Musicals based on movies are a dime a dozen, but Ghost is the first I’ve seen that feels like a film. It is not just that Bruce Joel Rubin’s book adheres closely to his movie script.
It’s also that the real stars of Matthew Warchus’s production are Rob Howell’s sets and Jon Driscoll’s video designs, which graphically recreate the kaleidoscopic frenzy of Manhattan life. This is a musical in which the eyes emphatically have it.”
This is a visually stunning piece that has audiences mesmerized by its scenic and filmic elements. The show is a highly complex, technical undertaking and it comes off without a hitch.
What’s On Stage
One of the Internet-based publications, WhatsOnstage.com, noted that there was a lot of good in the show and they were especially impressed with the afterlife and the characters of Oda Mae Brown.
The critic said, “These sequences are what make the musical crackle into life where there previously was none. Contact with both Sam and the zombie half-way house fraternity is sealed with the intervention of Sharon D Clarke’s mountainous, hot-gospelling psychic Oda Mae Brown, sensibly avoiding any wise-cracking, wacky resemblance to Whoopi Goldberg in the movie.”
Andrew Lloyd Webber
Remember what we reported Sir Andrew Lloyd Webber Tweeted, “A heartbeat away from the best musical of the last 20 years.”
Other critical comments include Front Row – BBC Radio 4, which called Ghost The Musical “Genuine theatrical magic” and “An amazing staging. Incredibly imaginative. Spectacular.”
The Evening Standard called the show, “Gasp-inducing ingenuity and technical wizardry make Ghost the Musical an unearthly hit,” and the Independent shouted, “A production of spectacular visual dynamism” and “Paul Kieve’s illusions thrill.”
Finally, The Sun said it all very simply and directly, when they commented that Ghost The Musical is “Simply out of this world.”
Tickets in This World
Add to all above the fact that a few weeks ago the Olivier nominations came out in London and Ghost The Musical earned five including Best Musical. To get great group tickets prices contact All Tickets Inc. at 800-922-0716 or click here. This is a fantastic time to scoop up seats before the reviews come out. Audiences at the Lunt-Fontanne are standing for Ghost The Musical. The one place you don’t want to be standing is in line to see this show. Get tickets now!