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Belters and bohemians: Opera Locos @Sadlers_wells

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At the start of the Opera Locos performance, the announcement says that they really are singing. You could be forgiven for wondering that, given the amplification turns up the backing track and the voices so loud that you can't always tell what's real. But this is a mostly harmless and slightly eccentric blend of opera classics fused with the occasional pop classic. However, recognising the pop tunes would help if you were over a certain age. The most recent of them dates back twenty years. It's currently playing at the Peacock Theatre .  Five performers play out a variety of archetype opera characters. There's the worn-out tenor (Jesús Álvarez), the macho baritone (Enrique Sánchez-Ramos), the eccentric counter-tenor (Michaël Kone), the dreamy soprano (María Rey-Joly) and the wild mezzo-soprano (Mayca Teba). Since my singing days, I haven't recognised these types of performers. However, once, I recall a conductor saying he wanted no mezzo-sopranos singing with the s

Rehearsals: The view from the back

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The first rehearsals for the London Gay Men's Chorus started Monday evening... And it was a packed house... The concerts are at Cadogan Hall on December 19 and 20. Posted by email from paulinlondon's posterous

Street Art: On leake street

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Amongst the debris, there is some interesting street art... Posted by email from paulinlondon's posterous

Hot news this week in London...

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Is this the end of the Caped Crusader? , originally uploaded by paulbrannan . Holy W7 Batman...

Sights: On the underground

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Down in the underground, you'll find someone true... Down underground... Posted by email from paulinlondon's posterous

Front door conversation stoppers...

Pushy man from Npower : You know we are so much cheaper than British Gas Paul: Yeah but what are your kilowatt hours like? Pushy man from Npower: Uhhhhhhh....

Sights: On oxford street...

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The men are workin' it... Posted by email from paulinlondon's posterous

Theatre: Joan Rivers A Work In Progress by a Life in Progress

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I asked my friend Adam if he wanted to see Joan Rivers in her show and his response (in his best Joan voice) was, "Doo eye??? Doo eye ever???" Such is the pull of Joan Rivers with gay men. They love her. Can't get enough of her. Well, it was a silly question for me to ask. So there we were on Wednesday night in the Leicester Square Theatre watching her new show. The show is part drama, part autobiography, and part stand up routine and it is great from start to finish. Joan doesn't quite look like she does in the picture when she first walks on, but that is part of the story as well. Being Joan Rivers she doesn't hold back talking about ageing. And she goes into every detail about things that drop... I always love a filthy mouth and as Joan herself says (to paraphrase of course as I was laughing too much to really note the line), "When you reach 75 why can't you say motherfucker if it gives you enjoyment?" Well she says a lot more than that during t