Musicals & Music Films > Opera & Operetta Musicals & Music Films > 15 GBP to 20 GBP

Advantages: Everything.
Disadvantages: Nothing.

...the story begins just as Giulio Cesare has triumphed over his rival, Pompey, in Egypt. Pompey’s widow and son, Cornelia and Sesto, are taken under Cesare’s protection, while Cesare offers to forgive Pompey if he surrenders. However, Egypt’s King Tolomeo (Ptolemy, Cleopatra’s ambitious brother), Pompey’s ally, wants to rule Egypt alone, without his sister Cleopatra. He sends to Cesare through his general, Achilla, a gift of the bloody head of Pompey ...
...Character --- Performer (voice) Giulio Cesare --- Sarah Connolly (mezzo-soprano) Cleopatra --- Danielle de Niese (soprano) Cornelia --- Patricia Bardon (mezzo-soprano) Sesto --- Angelika Kirchschlager (mezzo-soprano) Tolomeo --- Christophe Dumaux (counter-tenor) Achilla --- Christopher Maltman (baritone) Nireno --- Rachid Ben Abdeslam (counter-tenor) Curio --- Alexander Ashworth (baritone) On-stage violinist --- Nadja Zwiener Orchestra ... Read review

Advantages: Marvellous adaptation, glorious music, excellent soloists
Disadvantages: None

...Theatre des Bouffes-Parisiens. Orphee aux Enfers (Orpheus in the Underworld) was Offenbach's first full length operetta completed in 1858. The legend had been used as a theme (usually as a tragic one) for opera several times before. Here, though, is an irreverent romp through a classic tale of Gods and mortals, supposed good and evil - with blurring of both around the edges, scattered about by wicked wit, salacious humour and at times down right ...
...ORPHEE AUX ENFERS FROM THE OPERA NATIONAL DE LYON This production of Orpheus was staged in 1997 in Lyons, Grenoble and Geneva and was the result of a collaboration between Laurent Pelly (stage director) and Marc Minkowsi (conductor). In the sleeve notes to the CD boxed set, Marc explained how they wished to return to the simplicity and charm of Offenbach's original 1858 version while not losing some of the more musical embellishments of the later ... Read review

Advantages: Really funny, slapstick, harmless fun
Disadvantages: Dragged a bit, not great singing

Stars - Meryl Streep Pierce Brosnan Colin Firth Good points - Harmless cheerful fun Bad points - Far too much ABBA for me! My ears are ringing I was a bit weary of this film but both my mother and my aunt were extremely excited about this film so I thought I would go along with them to see what the fuss was about. I have to admit this film was really funny, if not a bit ridiculous and I did enjoy it. However Im in my 20s so missed the whole Abba ...
...a bit much and was slightly relieved when it was over. Julie Walters is the best thing about this whole film though, she is fantastic. The singing wasnt up to scratch to me. None of these people would have made it on the west end. HOWEVER I think those who remember Abba from the first time round will love this. ... Read review

Advantages: Funny, warm, great cast, great songs, a real feel-good film that will make you smile
Disadvantages: Very slightly inferior to the stage version

...to the cinema to see Mamma Mia with my mother-in-law (while my husband, son and youngest daughter saw Hancock). I saw the stage version of Mamma Mia in January this year and thought it was brilliant. I'm also a big Abba fan and have been for about thirty years, so I'm in the ideal demographic for this movie. The cinema was almost full and those seeing Mamma Mia were admittedly mainly women, but from the elderly down to young kids. There was a bit ...
...The basic plot to Mamma Mia (on stage and screen) is that Sophie is getting married. She's twenty and lives on a small Greek island with Donna, her single mother. Being brought up never knowing her father, Sophie discovers an old diary of her mother's and reading through it, she realises her father is one of three men - Harry, Sam or Bill. So she invites all three to her wedding, hoping that she'll recognise which one is her father and her wedding ... Read review

Advantages: Hilarious - didn't take itself seriously - great songs
Disadvantages: Pierce Brosnan can't sing.

Went to see this film at the cinema with a group of friends from work, and the general consenus was that you either loved it or hated it. In the most part, those in the hating catergory didn't realise it was a musical, so a little warning if you are planning on seeing it and will be offended by the characters bursting into song at the drop of a hat! It wasn't technically good, the cast aren't trained in musical theatre, and it shows (particularly ...
...was full of fantasic people who could all sing and dance, but weren't well known, it wouldn't have been so entertaining. I've never seen Mama Mia the musical at a theatre, so wasn't familiar with the plot, but as musicals go, it was a quite interesting. A young girl is getting married, and decides to try and find out who her father is to invite him. She reads her mum's diary from the year she was born and finds three potential dads. They all arrive, ... Read review