'Lift' at Soho Theatre

[Sean2]

What does anyone know about this? I just saw a poster for it at Dress Circle today. Is it based on a play? It seems really familiar to me. Sounds like a nice cast, too.

[Phantom of London]

I am looking forward to this.

[bob8rich]

It's a brand new and original musical with a score by Craig Adams. It's been developed by Perfect Pitch and was workshopped last year.

It's about a one minute trip in a lift by 8 people but explores the lives and relationships of the various characters.

There is a website where you can learn more:

http://www.liftmusical.com/

[Sean2]

Thank you, bob8rich! Don't know how I couldn't find that myself... Glad to see another original musical making its debut. Somehow I've confused it with another piece that I think was at the Edinburgh fringe, also about being in an elevator.

[mallardo]

It sounds like a spinoff from "Happiness", the show that flopped in New York a couple of seasons ago. In that one it was a group of people on a subway.

[Sean2]

You know, I bet that's what I'm thinking of! Well done, you! Thanks!

[mking12]

We've been listening to the CD at Dress Circle for a while! What a recording! Absolutely one of our favourites and cannot wait for the show to open at the Soho Theatre!

CD Available at Dress Circle: http://www.dresscircle.co.uk/Lift-New-Musical-Julie-Atherton/dp/B009946PZC
Lift 2012 Original Concept Album

[bob8rich]

Does anyone know the running time of this show? I see it has a 4 pm matinee & am wondering if it's viable to see a matinee on a day I'm also seeing a show elsewhere in the evening.

(Note: 4pm matinees are a pain LOL)

[Jimbob2]

Someone on whatsonstage messageboard said 75 mins straight through; but I can't vouch for that myself Bob.

[thatgirlsophie]

The Lift twitter has said that it's 75 minutes

[bob8rich]

Thanks, thatgirlsophie and JimBob2.

[songanddanceman2]

It really does sound a very similar plot to Happiness

[bob8rich]

I can't see much of a comparison between LIFT and HAPPINESS. The latter was about a group of dead people doomed to travel on a subway car forever unless they could think of one special moment in their lives that was so special that they should spend eternity reliving that moment. Here's the official synopsis of LIFT (pretty different to me):

"Eight people get in a LIFT at Covent Garden tube station on an ordinary morning and what follows is an exploration into their thoughts. Through seeing everything they think and revealing their innermost secrets, we realize that in some way they are all connected and if they reached out to one another they might change their lives forever.

The journey of the LIFT takes one minute (or thereabouts) but the journey of the show takes us through a minute within everyone’s imagination, allowing us to say and see things that might not be possible in real life. Will the characters do something about it today or will they choose to carry on being anonymous, walking off into the rush and lose themselves once more in the city."

I saw HAPPINESS at the Mitzi Newhouse and enjoyed it (much preferred it to Korrie & Frankel's more well-known Grey Gardens.)

[bob8rich]

Just booked my ticket to see this on Sat. Feb 16. Really looking forward to it, especially as I've just found a video of one of the songs from it on youtube, sung by my friend, the amazing Rebecca Trehearn (she was in the cast when they work-shopped the show last year). Take a listen - she and the song ("Lost In Translation") sound fantastic!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4JdO_e9MqFM

[ukpuppetboy]

The show, the cast, the book and the songs are all quite simply stunning. It single handedly gives you hope for the genre of musical theatre which as a Brit you are born and raised to think the Americans could lay total ownership to. But this, if we must do comparisons, out Rent's Rent hands down. No clunky dialogue or awkward unfinished songs. Quite simply worth three visits at least just to fully appreciate how brilliantly constructed it is. Not something i am in the habbit of saying often. Not something that musical theatre often requires. And fyi i am in no way affiliated to this show. I'm making puppets for a Dahl number elsewhere.