As some of you know (from my 20 things post) I have a fairly close relationship with my Mum (the daily phone calls was a hint) she is a wonderful, hardworking woman who deserves nothing less than the best, therefore every Christmas I work to find the perfect annual gift to give her and for Christmas 2013 I found myself giving her the gift of a Ghostly theatrical performance!
Since a young age I have shared many cinema going and movie watching experiences with my mother, but none, more so, than of the Hollywood blockbuster and romantic comedy genre ( mostly of the Patrick Swayze persuasion I may add!) With some of her most loved films being Dirty Dancing, Pretty Woman and of course Ghost it was natural that I take her to the live stage shows when they occasionally appear in Aberdeen, and this year was no exception.
(My copy of the programme)
On purchasing the tickets for 'Ghost' the West End spectacular about 6 months ago, I went in with not only skepticism but exceedingly high hopes, the transition of a Hollywood classic to a theatrical stage show is not an easy feat to accomplish, but tackled the right way can lead to something mesmerising.
From arriving at our well picked (if I do say so myself) seats in the stalls I was in awe at how my small local theatre had been transformed into a clear window display of the New York skyline, from then on I was hooked (my NYC love knows no bounds) Although, we were intrigued as to how they could turn one of our favourite movies into a musical performance having known only one song from the actual film, but I must say their original songs 100% delivered and I think struck the perfect balance between cinema and stage show.
Perhaps the most impressive and jaw dropping aspect of all; other than the male lead's washboard abs.. it had to be mentioned; was the special effects. NEVER and I mean NEVER have I seen a show who used so many clever lighting tricks and special effects to simply add to a shows performance. Bodies floated with what appeared to be no strings, the actors ghostly bodies appeared while at the same time leaving their physical bodies behind, and most impressively our buff Sam was shown to pass through physical objects, as if the scene had literally jumped out of our much loved Hollywood blockbuster and onto stage... more impressive in real life if you ask me!
(Musical numbers from the show)
As I do not want to spoil anything for those who may not have seen the film, or those who may even now be wishing to see the stage show, I'll end here, but I will say this...bring your tissues ladies and gentlemen, there won't be a dry eye in the house.
Most importantly, my mum had a blast and I couldn't have been happier! So until the West End decide to make a Pretty Woman Musical I may have to get a bit more imaginative with future gifts!
As always your comments are welcome and you can always catch me on Twitter or follow me on BlogLovin
H.Elizabeth
Stay tuned for my Ghost | What I Wore post coming soon.
(Recent theatre visits include: Dirty Dancing, The Full Monty and The Rocky Horror Picture Show)
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