Oxford Apollo Theatre (Oxford)

...Barry Manilow's Copacabana) at the Oxford Apollo.

This is a review of the Oxford Apollo, because there is no category for Copacabana (BUT you will also get a mini bonus review, just like on DVD!)

This theatre is in the heart of Oxford and was scheduled for refurbishment and re-branding as the NEW Theatre (which it was called before it was renamed Oxford Apollo). It is just a short ride from the Park and Ride and then ...
...Taylor.)

The Oxford Apollo is sadly in need of this facelift! The carpet was in the pattern Cruise Ship Nightmare and the airconditioning only worked in the lobby, or perhaps that was just that they had all the doors open in the interval.

During the intermission, we made a bee-line for ice creams and they had only ONE person at the refreshments and we only guessed at ice cream as there was no sign. Once acquired we positioned ... more

Last night we went to the opening night of Copacabana (CORRECTION: Barry Manilow's Copacabana) at the Oxford Apollo.

This is a review of the Oxford Apollo, because there is no category for Copacabana (BUT you will also get a mini bonus review, just like on DVD!)

This theatre is in the heart of Oxford and was scheduled for refurbishment and re-branding as the NEW Theatre (which it was called before it was renamed Oxford Apollo). It is just a short ride from the Park and Ride and then just around the corner.

I went there with two local girls who said it was always called the New Theatre and they did not know of an Old Theatre (or just A Theatre). (Though they did explain to me about the Playhouse which was funded by Richard Burton and Liz Taylor.)

The Oxford Apollo is sadly in need of this facelift! The carpet was in the pattern Cruise Ship Nightmare and the airconditioning only worked in the lobby, or perhaps that was just that they had all the doors open in the interval.

During the intermission, we made a bee-line for ice creams and they had only ONE person at the refreshments and we only guessed at ice cream as there was no sign. Once acquired we positioned ourselves next to the door / breeze and had 3 or 4 people come up to us to ask us WHERE'S Ice Cream? (We should have gotten a commission. I started posing with mine held aloft!) The stand had a sign that there was no diet coke or water there, but had a fridge full of high-octane coke - go figure! Could they have been less customer friendly?

We expected they would turn on the air in the auditorium in the break but nooooo - so either it did not exist or was broken or they couldnt be asked.

I am not short - I am 5'10" (dunno what that is in metres or is it stones?) and my knees had NO ROOM at all. We sat in row J centre - excellent view of the stage but no leg room.

These reserved seats had been turned back in to the box office for resale, by a Corporation (so we were told) so we paid 1/2 price £11, by turning up at the Box office before the show. Then we went across the road to have a coffee beforehand at the Pub.

We saw Copacabanana or BARRY MANILOW's Copacabana as written on the Curtain that formed the back drop for a large portion of the show! Was this because Barry M has a HUGE EGO or was it because the Set Designer had little flexibility given the size / shape of the theatre. The stage is very narrow -- if you are not in the centre you might miss some of the action.

We expected a lot of salsa dancing - when I searched on Ciao for Copacabana, it only gave me the Copacabana Club in Manchester - a latino bar - so we expected dancing on stage and perhaps even in the aisles! but alas.. It was mostly men and women walking around with the exception of the finale.

The costumes were lavish - a million ostriches must be very chilly now - but they had feathered headdresses on the MEN - and feather boas, looping down too. We expected Ricky Martin, Mr Iglesias Jr, Ricky Ricardo even, but we got errr.. boyish grins and love handles with white booties in the Cuba number - it didnt work.

Compared to other theatres, like the Grand Opera House in Belfast, the Oxford Apollo does not do justice to a grand city like Oxford.

We hope that the refurb makes a big difference = bigger stage, more legroom, air conditioning or even just a ceiling fan.

AND I hope they will REPLACE That CARPET!

 

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