Her Majesty's Theatre — Attraction in Melbourne

The theatre was great. However, the show really missed the mark.

The positives-very strong ensemble and great costumes. The set was appealing for the most part. The lighting design was spot on. And finally the sound design and orchestra were fantastic.

The negatives-CASTING was incredibly horrible. Overall the cast was too young and the speaking voices of the Beast and Gaston don’t match the vocal ranges of the music and the roles. They were boys trying to play men. Belle had no acting ability whatsoever. The casting of Maurice was embarrassing and his costuming was awful.

The musical direction was all wrong. Musical theatre is a specific art form and with certain techniques that must be employed to grip an audience. The transitions from underscoring of scenes into songs were rushed and paid no importance. Therefore stripping the songs of their emotional journeys. This combined with the cutting of NO MATTER WHAT and HOW LONG MUST THIS GO ON completely removed any heart from the show. A CHANGE IN ME was turned into a power ballad and that’s the complete opposite of what the song is about for Belle at that point of the show. Also, the tempo for HOME was a disgrace.

The show was rushed and felt like the production was ticking boxes on a check list.

Musicals are supposed to take the audience on an emotional journey. They can also be spectacle and entertainment, but they can’t only be that. For the budget and the experience of the director, this was a terrible...

Went to see "Beauty and the Beast" on Sunday, 30th of June, 2024. We laughed, we cried, we sat spellbound by the cast and orchestra until the very end when with the rest of the audience, we expressed our delight and appreciation as best we could.

Pity about the sound though - it was simply too loud. There were times when both I (52 yo) and my father (78yo) were wincing with discomfort as the sound levels were simply too high. We both commented shortly after leaving the theatre that we should have taken protective headphones.

I suspect that the sound technician(s) may be half deaf due to too much exposure to noise but that is no reason to deafen the rest of us. According to the "American Speech-Language- Hearing Association":

"Sounds over 85 dBA can damage your hearing faster. The safe listening time is cut in half for every 3-dB rise in noise levels over 85 dBA. For example, you can listen to sounds at 85 dBA for up to 8 hours. If the sound goes up to 88 dBA, it is safe to listen to those same sounds for 4 hours. And if the sound goes up to 91 dBA, your safe listening time is down to 2 hours."

It would be very interesting to know how loud it actually was last night! I wonder if the theatre has an Occupational Health, Safety & Welfare officer that might be able to monitor sound levels, not only for the comfort of the patrons but also to protect the hearing of theatre employees!

Please turn the sound down, it was simply too loud ... everything else however...

I recently had the pleasure of attending a production at Her Majesty's Theatre, and it was an overall enjoyable experience. The play, "Death of a Salesman," was well-executed and engaging, providing a fine evening of theater.

During the interval, I decided to indulge in a cocktail, and it turned out to be an unexpected highlight of the evening. I ordered a Four Pillars gin and tonic with an orange slice, and for some reason, it was the best I had ever tasted. In fact, it was so good that I went back for a second one. What surprised me even more was that it was reasonably priced at just $12, which I consider great value for a theater setting.

The theater itself is in good condition, and the seats are comfortable for the first 45 minutes or so. However, as is often the case with modern theaters, comfort can become an issue if the play runs longer. It seems that many theaters prioritize packing in more seats over comfort these days.

Despite the minor discomfort of extended seating, Her Majesty's Theatre provided a great overall experience. The combination of a well-executed play and that exceptional Four Pillars gin and tonic made it a memorable evening. I'd recommend a visit to this historic venue for a dose of culture and a surprisingly...