The show opens at the Manchester Opera House a week today!

They've released 4 songs on the website... thoughts? Caissie Levy's "With You" was the highlight of the Whatsonstage awards...

http://www.ghostthemusical.com/#/music

I'm booking my tickets for April tomorrow...

So I'm continuing with my monologue about Ghost the musical with some new rehearsals photos:

http://www.ghostthemusical.com/#/gallery

What do you think?

The special effects are supposed to be maaaaad.

Ghost has got some really great reviews before its West End Transfer. The trailer on the website look like the staging is terrific.

The score from the cast recording is now available to listen to on their Facebook page. I'd definitely be interested in seeing this show.

I caught the matinee last Thursday, so here's some quick thoughts on the show:

- My summary to a friend was: 'Act One was a mess. Act Two, I was a mess.' In the first half, there wasn't that much of an emotional pull. It seemed quite episodic, with any emotional moments feeling almost perfunctory (save 'With You'). However, in Act Two everything clicked together. The effects took a backseat to the story and Sam and Molly's love for one another took centre stage. I was weeping for about the last half an hour.
- The score is, in places, really beautiful. Obvious highlights are 'With You' and the Act One Finale, but really, it would be easier to name the songs I disliked: 'Focus' - bizarre, inappropriate and 'Ball of Wax' - bizarre, inappropriate.
- Caissie Levy is a revelation in this. Some of her material is a bit trite and cheesy, but she makes everything work. She played the sadder scenes wonderfully and her voice is just incredible (I'll come back to that). She also wins the award for highest belting so soon into Act Two of any show I've ever seen.
- Richard Fleeshman was good with a great pop voice. Sharon D Clarke stole every scene she was in, being the only character with anything amusing to say.
- The overamplification was ridiculous (I had the same problem with Wicked). Everything sounded incredibly artificial and computerised EXCEPT for Caissie Levy, whose voice carried right to the back of the house.
- I disapprove of the amount of prerecorded vocals.
- The effects were stunning. The three walls of the stage are covered in LCD screens which are mostly useless, showing pointless backdrops or videos of what was already happening onstage. However, the stuff done with projections was insane. We're talking characters disappearing and reappearing before our eyes, walking through walls etc. Actually, overall I preferred the older school effects - the doppelganger moments where the body and ghost separated, the substitution of Oda Mae for Sam etc. But really, it was probably the most visually impressive thing I've ever seen onstage.
- The ensemble serves no purpose at all. Very talented, but pointless.

Conclusion: If ticket prices dropped or they started doing day seats, I would go back. Otherwise, I think one enjoyable visit was enough.
7.5/10

I agree for the most part with your comments. I went in expecting to become madly obsessed with it and came out weirdly ambivalent. That is not to say that I didn't love the show. I just loved certain elements more than the show as a whole. As a show it was badly stitched together.

I really didn't like:

1) The office scenes and superfluous office type people
2) The strange matrix-like video projections (if they are still in)
3) I also disliked the hospital ghost scene... but I think that is the general consensus with everyone who has seen the show. They could have kept the scene, made it less comic and ditched the song. That way it might have worked better.
4) I'm pretty sure they changed the ending and the way the death happens... but correct me if I'm wrong! I was waiting for some gory impaling...

I really liked:

1) Sharon D Clarke's scenes/songs
2) Act 1 Finale or was is Act 2 opening? With the Umbrellas? It was a while ago!
3) All of Caissie's songs with the exception of her early restaurant duet with Fleesh. I liked her in this but I haven't seen her do any comedy before so I don't know if what I'm seeing is perhaps a bit one-dimensional? I will reserve judgement.
4) Fleesh's torso
5) The effects... although I fear that this is somewhat dependent on the seat you get!

I was in the back row of the grand circle - literally as far from the stage as you can be - and the effects were still great.

I agree that the whole experience was about Caissie Levy and Sharon D. Clarke for me. Both phenomenal singers and actors.

It has Sharon D. Clarke, and a load of office-clad Yes-Things.
That alone makes it worth seeing.

Ghost the Musical will be heading to Broadway. Thoughts?
http://www.playbill.com/news/article/15 ... t-Broadway

I really loved Ghost - the special effects were incredible! I prefer the show to the film.

So, Ghost the musical opened in the West End last July and it began previews on Broadway last Thursday (March 15th), with Opening Night on April 23rd.

Is anyone planning on catching it on Broadway? Caissie Levy and Richard Fleeshman (who have transferred over from the London production) are amazing! Go see them.

I really do recommend seeing the show if you can - Caissie Levy sings the score absolutely beautifully and the technical elements are truly incredible.
I've heard mixed things about some of the new Broadway company, but it's definitely worth seeing while Levy is around.