tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15357821983767452412024-03-14T07:52:54.316+00:00Theatre Girl In a Science WorldChemistry's just the day jobLucyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14793816357577481239noreply@blogger.comBlogger46125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1535782198376745241.post-24859729311409420732012-05-27T21:05:00.003+01:002012-05-27T21:12:33.677+01:00There's a time to come..and a time to leaveToday I decided to begin my life. I decided to step away from what I thought was my place of sanctuary and move on. It turns out it hasn't been my sanctuary for quite a while. As Marta says in Company: "There's a time to come to New York, and there's a time to leave". Well I've decided its time to leave MTSoc.<br />
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When I started university I wanted to have a completely fresh start- shed the years of bullying and loneliness and become a new person. I found the Musical Theatre Society and knew I was home. These were people like me- they weren't like everyone else at Imperial and needed an outlet. I was apprehensive that would be divas and premadonnas but they weren't. In those days we didn't appreciate divas which was refreshing. I was amazed to be cast in the lead and t seemed that people really did want me around. The love I felt was all encompassing, especially from Seb, Alex and Dale - my new family and director from the show.</div>
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For the next couple of years, no matter how shit my course got I knew that I could leave the labs and lectures and go and see my friends at rehearsal. We shared the same interests, we bitched about the same things and, more importantly, we cared about each other. I finally felt accepted.</div>
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Come my final year of Uni, I was Vice Chair, in demand as a costume designer, got the part I wanted and was doing a show I love. Those people got me through a really tough year- I had been diagnosed with depression and MTSoc gave me escapism from my own mind. that year we did Hair and enjoyed a blissful summer of love. I was leaving university with great memories and the hope that I would be welcomed back after uni. </div>
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I came back to costume another show after being requested to do it. Maybe there was still a place for me. I felt that society was in good hands that would continue the friendly and warm welcome I had received as a fresher.</div>
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This year I decided to be in the show which was still a nice experience but I didn't feel the same friendly atmosphere I had worked hard to build up. Today I made up my mind- I need to move on. i feel like maybe I'm a hindrance and people don't appreciate me around. I know I can be grumpy and moody at times, I never intend to be that way but strangely being a recovering depressive can make you that way sometimes. And yes, maybe I take things the wrong way. I've always found it difficult ot make friends and years of bullying at school has left me constantly seeking acceptance- something I used to have at MTSoc. Now I'm beginning to feel like the odd one out. I always assumed I had a couple of years before I was too old for the society. Perhaps I've grown up faster than I thought or was at the end of an MTSoc era- a left over.</div>
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So I've decided. I'm moving on. I can't kid myself I'm a student any more. I'm going to have to go through the whole process of making friends again and I'm scared. I'd always planned to move back to London to be closer to my friends. The question is will I have any friends left when I get there?</div>Lucyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14793816357577481239noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1535782198376745241.post-37278802594439183732012-03-30T22:03:00.001+01:002012-07-24T12:54:06.603+01:00Who Celebrates Their 35th Birthday?I finally got to see some new writing this week in the form of Zach Braff's "All New People". It was a truthful, if stylised, portrayal of people on the edge but not wanting to admit it. Everyone has a secret that has led them to become the fucked up person they appear to be and by the end of the hundred minutes they come to realise that maybe there are people more fucked up than themselves.<br />
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At the end of the evening I walked out of the theatre with some disconcerting feelings that I doubt the rest of my group were feeling. I had entered two hours earlier anticipating a play were everyone is sad for extremely over the top reasons, resolved them and felt better. Instead I came out realising how close to home some of the situations and feelings were to me.</div>
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Braff's character Charlie has come to this deserted beach house to hang himself; not because he has slept with his brother's girlfriend or some other crazy reason. His reason for ending his life stems from being stuck in a rut and feeling that deep down he is lonely despite having many friends and acquaintances. Now, obviously I'm not planning on killing myself but I am at a point in my life where I'm stuck in a rut and distanced from the people I love most- my friends This is where theatre is at its best, when something that could have been pure entertainment unexpectadly reaches you on a complete other level. Whereas, to me, musicals focus on escapism plays can tackle the feelings you've tried to hide and possibly help you conquer them. I'm not the only person that has felt like this in real life or in fiction.</div>
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As Charlie revealed that this was his thirty fifth birthday I was taken back to the screening of Company I had seen a few weeks previously. Here we have two men both approaching middle age with little to show for it with noone to love or to love them back. Each is surrounded by people yet feels no attachment to them.<br />
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What I found fascinating was the differrent ways in which the central characters' pathways differed. Bobby in Company begins the play wishing to be alone but thinking the shallow affections he feels for his friends is enough. It takes those friends to realise that he needs something more in his life. I've seen a few versions of the show each with a different way of portraying Bobby's psyche in the final scene. Is he content with living alone? Is he actually planning to kill himself? Or has he found someone?I guess this is left deliberately ambiguous as to leave the audience to make up their own minds. Having first heard the show in my teens, my views and understanding have already begun to change and I feel will continue to change as I face new challenges and embrace new things.<br />
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For Charlie, he has already reached rock bottom but, as I often feel when I'm low, he wants to be alone, to sit out this depression without anyone annoying him. But (as I need to learn) it takes these three strangers taking an interest in his well being to make him open up and explore his suicidal thoughts. They aren't there to tell him everything will be alright as Bobby's friends do. but share their own anxieties instead. Maybe this is why Charlie chooses not to kill himself whereas Bobby feels more alone than ever.<br />
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Perhaps the passage of thirty or forty years, and changes in society, have altered the way we want our lives to be and how and who we feel able to open up to. In the seventies, one couldn't simply tell their friends how they felt but had to keep up appearances; just as Bobby does at his surprise party. He is their crazy friend- reliable but never exciting, stable but never happy. Charlie is allowed to feel down- these strangers even joke about his suicide attempt. As they continue to argue and bicker , he is able to see himself in the others resulting in an ultimately therapeutic evening.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Charlie is finally able to open up (to the delightful Eve Myles)</td></tr>
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They say that society has changes for the worse but I disagree. We have saved Charlie from suicide and are more able to embrace our negative attributes which Bobby's friends refuse to do.<br />
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"I stood it"</div>Lucyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14793816357577481239noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1535782198376745241.post-16819560860344781652011-09-08T18:53:00.001+01:002012-07-24T12:54:53.859+01:00And There Was Distant Music (Coming From a Small Stage in Clapham)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Another wet and windy afternoon in London Town, another solo theatre adventure. Following a night spent with some very drunk friends, and thanks to my trusty smartphone, I decided to leave them in their hungover stupors and get on a bus to the Landor Theatre in Clapham to see their revival of Ragtime. Standing outside under an umbrella I looked up towards the room above the pub dubious as to how the traditionally grandiose epic was going to fit into such a tiny space.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Ticket bought, tummy in nervous state of "I really hope they don't screw this up and ruin all my preconceptions that this will be amazing", I climbed the narrow staircase, pass through a cramped corridor and entered a space not that much larger than my living room. Being the (very short) eager beaver I plumped for a front row seat and awaited preconceived amazement.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">The novel of Ragtime by EL Doctorow is a classic in America yet hasn't made the transition to many British readers (although I love the book). This is undoubtedly due to the story being firmly set in 1900 USA, examining the American Dream whilst intertwining real figures from American history into fiction. The same inability to transition to the UK is also true of the musical; it has been in the West End before but not to much success. I felt that the episodic nature of the book did not transfer to the stage too well, donating large periods of time to one of the three story threads leaving the audience wanting to get back to a different part of the story. This was especially obvious at the beginning of the second act where bereaved widower Coalhouse vows revenge then disappears for half of the act, leaving the other story lines to provide some of the weakest songs in the show. I just wanted to know what happened to Coalhouse! Why build tension up and then allow it to subside whilst we watch a pointless number about baseball?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">All the performances were very strong even under the close scrutiny of an audience less than an arms length away. Alexander Evans showed a vulnerable side to the thankless roll of Father; if any character could be thought of as the villain it is he, yet Evans managed to make me empathise with his struggle to keep up with the changing times. Louisa Lydell as Mother held the whole story together tremendously, impressing with a vocally triumphant "Back To Before". John Barr played Tateh with real love and warmth; by the end I wanted him to be my dad, his accent was spot on and he had real chemistry with his onstage daughter. It is hard to live up to a role originated by a four time Tony Award winner but Rosalind James made the part of Sarah her own, infusing it with soulful vocals and powerful acting. For me, the real standout was Kurt Kansley as Coalhouse Walker Jr, he inhabited every trait and characteristic of the part and wasn't afraid to show his emotions. "Make Them Hear You" was one of those moments you live for in theatre where one person takes the entire audience's breath away. the band, although small, could give any larger show a run for its money, I particularly enjoyed musical director George Dyer "head conducting"- a must have skill for an MD/Conductor/piano player.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">As a girl who occasionally dabbles in the technical side of theatre, I liked the simplicity of the set combined with the effective use of silhouettes to echo large set pieces the theatre did not have room for. The homemade quality made you think they could have been made by Tateh himself. There was one moment at the top of act two that made my heart sink though. If you are going to use newspapers in a show, please make them at least look period; with the audience so close you really can't just use the Metro. Maybe the props person spent all their time on the highly symbolic model car but I don't think 1900s newspapers had TV listings.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Aside from the oversight on some props, the entire production was amazing, I had goosebumps from the outset with the rousing title number. It literally took ten minutes for me to stop shaking after "Till We Reach That Day"</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">- a mournful gospel song with a heartbreaking solo by Emma Beckford. Director Robert McWhir has managed the impossible in translating Ragtime to a small fringe theatre, amplifying the emotions without losing pacing in what can be a clunky story.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">PS. The guy playing Henry Ford is hot!</span></div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Jd_FKa6ri3o/TmkAFoJ8eoI/AAAAAAAAAMs/wPaj8cyz-T0/s1600/tn-500_r8.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"></span></a></div>Lucyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14793816357577481239noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1535782198376745241.post-69029988808040219422011-09-01T18:29:00.002+01:002012-07-24T12:55:08.754+01:00Finding Wonderland<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">So the theatre season has been over for a few months now, Book of Mormon has swept the awards boards and the losing shows have posted their closing notices. But this post isn't about any of those shows; it's about a show that never really had a chance. Wonderland (A New Alice, A New Musical) opened with some somewhat dubious publicity from the New York critics and closed pretty soon after. I recently watched a filming of the musical and feel that I can now have some sort of opinion on this year's biggest flop. Frank Wildhorn has never had a "comfortable" relationship with theatre critics, being synonymous with writing long, ballad-heavy period pieces such as Jekyll and Hyde, Wonderland appeared to be something different; a lighter, pastiche-ridden fluffy take on Alice in Wonderland. Please note, I really don't like the use of sub titles in musicals, do we really need the "A New Alice, A New Musical"? Just as do we really need "A New Mel Brooks Musical" alongside everything Mel Brooks has ever hummed into a tape recorder?</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Alice and Friends. That would be a great title for a sitcom.</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">The show wasn't as bad as many would be led to believe- the costumes were awesome, the songs were catchy and, on the whole, the actors did their best with some rather cheesy dialogue. But I've never seen a show where is faults are so obvious and easy to rectify. The main issue is the book, in particular the structure of the book. I know that a) the show has already closed, b) I'm not a theatre script doctor (unfortunately) and c) Frank Wildhorn doesn't really listen to anyone but himself but I'm going to have a little dissection of the play and examine how it could easily be improved. This also requires the following warning- *SPOILER ALERT*.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">My first issue was with the placement of the Mad Hatter's big showstopper "I Will Prevail", having heard the song on AccuBroadway I assumed it was the big eleven o'clock number yet it appeared at the beginning of act two. The phrase eleven o'clock number refers to when shows used to start later with the penultimate song occuring at eleven clock; a big showy number to keep the audience awake! Famous examples include "Sit Down You're Rocking the Boat" from Guys and Dolls and (more recently) "No Good Deed" from Wicked. So step one in reorganising Wonderland is to move "I Will Prevail" to the eleven o' clock position which leaves an act two opening slot. My second issue was the use of "Through the Looking Glass" as the ending to act one; it was a good song but far too poppy and happy to conclude the act. There just wasn't enough tension or build up for an ending number, I'd instead move it to the beginning of act two. The act two opening is intended to bring the audience back into the show with something fun and buzzy to bring them back up to speed, which I think "Through the Looking Glass" does very well. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">What does this do to the entire storyline of act two? I hear you ask (well only if you know the show). The capture of Alice's four companions has always appeared to me as being too early in the plot leaving a long time for Alice to journey around the land beyond the mirror by herself with very little reason for it. I understand that many of Alice's songs in the second act are by herself or with characters she encounters, it would be easy to split herself and her companions' endeavour; the four friends off to save the brainless soldiers and Alice to find her daughter. This would also solve our act one finale dilemma- have Chloe being taken by the Mad Hatter as the ending to act one with her mother and she singing a duet about being apart, or even giving the Mad Hatter another song (please do, she's great!). Now the story is starting to sound a lot like The Wizard of Oz which is probably a good thing as it is 'one of the best musicals ever' and therefore must have done something right. Even the use of the same actors playing different characters in and out of Alice's dreamworld echoes that great film, I feel that this concept could have been used to greater effect, placing her other friends El Gato and Caterpillar within her real world. I also liked the concept of the Mad Hatter as Alice's alter ego, created because she didn't come to Wonderland as a child but it needed to be more defined or made more of a big deal to really drive the idea home. </span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">See Chloe, I told them what would happen if they didn't give me an Act One finale of my own...</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">As I've previously said a bad book doesn't always lead to an unpopular musical, there are plenty of shows lacking in the storyline department that have done really well. For Wonderland I don't believe it was the bad structure that really paved the way to failure but the steely determination of the top critics to let it fail. As I mentioned above, Frank Wildhorn has never really been liked by the critics with very few of shows his shows doing well on Broadway, he's not the only one. A very nicely documented account of a similiar occurance is the launch of "Taboo" on Broadway shown on "Showbusiness: The Road To Broadway". One scene I distinctively remember is of the leading New York critics having a good old giggle about a Boy George musical coming to Broadway and thinking the idea is absolutely hilarious. Another case closer to home was the critics' opinions on "Imagine This", the musical based in the Warsaw Ghetton. Having done my own article on the show, my Dad sent me a rather more derigatory and unresearched piece mocking the use of a serious storyline in a musical. From the Guardian no less! </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">This is nothing new though, my History of Twentieth Century Technology characterised me as the person who always blames the media for the downfall of anything new. The electric car is a great example, the media didn't like it so wrote articles about how unreliable and costly it was, next thing you know the New York electric taxi company has gone bust and the plans to roll out electric recharging stations in America have been stopped. Oops</span></div>Lucyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14793816357577481239noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1535782198376745241.post-23330553747779620272011-04-04T20:36:00.002+01:002011-09-08T19:11:17.365+01:00Not Perfect..<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Oh yes, I have just used a title with multiple meanings, how awesome. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">So I'm not perfect, I haven't updated the blog in an incredibly long time, this is down to me being rubbish and can now also be blamed on having a job (for the rest of this month anyway). Jobs= moneys= being able to see my friend in London - yay! But it also means having to go to work everyday, and what I really miss in going to work is being able to discuss the arts as no one there seems to care.<script type="text/javascript">
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">The subject of this blog actually derives from an event at work when I was on put on hold by a sustainable bag company. Now most hold music sucks- cliched classical music or some dodgy Spanish guitar- but this most certainly did not for it was Canvas Bags by Tim Minchin. My workmates had no idea why I started bouncing up and down excitedly to the hold music, or why I exclaimed to a bemused stranger on the other end of the phone that his hold music was AMAZING!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">I never used to be one for comedy songs as they're usually a bit shit or "in-jokey" but the Australians seem to have developed a knack for it. What I like about Minchin's work is that he knows that most comedy songs are a bit shit and makes no apologies for this. He also has a great range to his work, whereas many comedians can only write one type of song his range from all-out offensive anthems to meaningful ballads. So this is what I'll show you. But first I feel I have to show you what all the fuss on the phone was about:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Its catchy, funny and even makes an environmentally friendly statement! Plus it would brighten up anyone's work day when the alternative highlight is whether they have chocolate sponge for lunch or not. Minchin hits satire on the head without making it obvious and who else could have Bono glasses and an accordion in the same video?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Next up, something a bit more offensive:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Happy Little Africuns!! Yay! Although I now feel that I live in a third world country as I don't own a PlayStation either. As a musician I appreciate that the song quality is never compromised and as a comedy fan I'm also glad that its funny- best of both worlds. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Although he's known for his blasphemous little ditties, much like my musical theatre preferences, I actually prefer when Tim Minchin is being a little more serious. Which brings us to the title of this blog: Not Perfect. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Much like his song Rock and Roll Nerd which is essentially that story of my teenage years, Not Perfect really got to me. I found this song at time where I needed reassuring that I don't have to be perfect but I can still be happy in myself, and Tim Minchin did this for me. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">So what is next for Australian Musical Comedy? Why that would be Axis of Awesome who I discovered on a rather hungover day watching Comic Relief in bed. Their Four Chord Song is absolute genius- really smart and really funny. I like the smug feeling I get being a musician listening to it (and then running to my piano to try out their theory) but that isn't to say its not accessible for the regular comedy fan, it really is nicely funny without offending anyone...except maybe Journey.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">PS. If you're reading this Geoff, is it true that you're touring with Tim? If so I may have a small fan-gasm.</span>Lucyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14793816357577481239noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1535782198376745241.post-34867620079008858902010-11-05T19:38:00.001+00:002011-09-08T19:12:44.456+01:00It Gets Better<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><object height="385" width="640"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/YRwZfLpibh0?fs=1&hl=en_GB"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/YRwZfLpibh0?fs=1&hl=en_GB" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="640" height="385"></embed></object></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">I don't usually go in for these sorts of things and I may not be gay, but I was really touched by this video. It's not just for homosexuals, its for anyone who's ever been bullied, including myself. Seven or eight years later I'm still getting over it and its going to take time for me to resolve my issues, but now I have a group of friends who love me for who I am and I love them for who they are. Whilst at the moment I'm feeling rather down and lonely, I know that it is going to get better and it already has got much better. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">PS. I do find it fun to look up my old bullies on Facebook to find they're fat, or single mothers, or in dead end jobs. The lesson here? Karma is a Bitch.<script type="text/javascript">
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Avenue Q- more than just puppet sex</td></tr>
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</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">I originally saw Avenue Q during previews, the day before my A Level Maths exam, and loved it (having already obtained the sheet music and CD). I was interested to see how my perception of the show has changed 4 years later. A lot has happened in those four years, I've lost my puppy fat, made a lot of good friends, done a lot of things I'd never dreamed of doing and, through a lot hard work, somehow got a Masters in Chemistry. Coming out the other side, I feel I'm better for those experiences and now find myself in a position echoing those of the characters in the show. I was only to realise this when I heard the line "You are twenty-two, and you live on Avenue Q". Shit, I'm 22 and just like Princeton, I'm 22 and looking for my purpose in life. And just like Kate Monster "I'm kinda pretty and pretty damn start" and still don't have a boyfriend. For once a show I can directly relate to, although not in a good way.</div><br />
Avenue Q has always been a bittersweet story but at the tender age of 17 I only noticed the funny songs and the puppet sex. I wasn't sure if this show had enough depth. Now I've realised it was not that it wasn't there, it was just that I was oblivious to it. Just like Christian at the beginning of Moulin Rouge, I realised that I wanted to write about all these things but I couldn't as I'd never experienced them.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">No, this wasn't just an excuse to post a picture of Ewan Mcgregor, he has a point.</td></tr>
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</div>Watching Avenue Q now, as a rather more embittered 22 year old, I began to notice Princeton's inability to find his way in life or Kate Monster's inability to connect and have a relationship. I left the show actually feeling better about myself as I realised I'm not the only person in this situation and perhaps I shouldn't feel so ashamed.<br />
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Just as I've grown into Sondheim, I'm finding myself growing into shows that never appealed to me before. After performing Make Our Garden Grow in Budleigh, I discovered Bernstein's grandiose Candide. Never before had I ventured so close to the territory of opera. But, after watching the Kristen Chenoweth production, I have to say I loved it. Yes, it is all very silly, but it is knowingly silly rather than The Boy Friend that thinks it is silly and clever but fails.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_RwxcEXaPnXA/TKTpg9r7evI/AAAAAAAAAME/BlKw_8DSDNo/s1600/intheheightsbwayprod460.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="208px" px="true" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_RwxcEXaPnXA/TKTpg9r7evI/AAAAAAAAAME/BlKw_8DSDNo/s320/intheheightsbwayprod460.jpg" width="320px" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">In The Heights- If you haven't checked out this show yet, you should</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">As I come to the realisation that I do have to face real life, I find new meaning in old songs and new songs that I can relate to. No longer is Breath, from In The Heights (a song about not wanting to tell your parents how you really feel about your education and university) the soundtrack to my life. I now find myself drawn to Being Alive, as Bobby laments the fact that all his friends are in serious relationships and he has no one, and Stranger In This World from Taboo as I've found myself feeling more distant from my family and unable to connect with the world.</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">What the future may hold I do not know, I still have a sea of Broadway love songs that I just don't get the meaning of. As Christian says "How could I understand love when I've never been in love?" And that's the one thing I feel is missing. Love. There are so many songs about being in love that I've always shied away from but now I'd just like to be loved like all those lovelorn heroines.<script type="text/javascript">
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">I recently added most of William Finn's back catalogue to my Spotify playlist as I enjoyed Spelling Bee and have been recommended much of his work by friends. His works A New Brain and Falsettoland definitely bare many similarities. A New Brain is a semi-autobiographical account of Finn's battle against a brain tumour whilst Falsettoland concerns a gay Jewish man and his battles with his ex wife, his son's bar mitzvah and his lover's struggle against AIDS. I first heard the song Sailing sung by my friend Dale (I would link to his blog but he has a proper job now working in politics so I don't know if he wants to be associated with a little old blog like this!) at his inaugural cabaret show and loved it in then. I finally got round to searching for it on Spotify to find it was performed by Norm Lewis on the cast recording. For those who don't know, I love Norm Lewis's silky smooth voice, it so comforting to listen to and he get away with singing almost anything and still sound amazing. As an extra note, I really gutted I can't make it to "The Music of Scott Alan" produced by my friend Phil as Norm is going to be there. Instead I'll be pretending to laugh at the jokes of financial advisor types in Grantham. Sad face :(. So back to Sailing, firstly here's the chosen video (as there isn't one of Norm I had to go with someone else).</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Now I admit that this isn't the best sung rendition of the song but it has a lot of heart and works well with Jonathan's voice despite being completely different to Norm's. Groff's voice is sweet and tender, as if he were singing a lullaby to his lover. What I love about this song is how it flows so easily up to that middle eight where Finn injects a little humour with lines like "sex is good but I'd rather be sailing", almost to break up the sentimentality and remind us that this isn't a stereotypical love song. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">As well as non-sentimental love songs that are still tearjerkers, Finn also has a knack for inappropriately funny bittersweet songs that really get to you in a way you weren't expecting, for this we look at Falsettoland. Completely the trilogy with The March of the Falsettos and In Trousers, it came to Broadway in 1992. But for our trip into non-original renditions we have to travel forward to this year and Seth Rudetsky's Broadway Chatterbox. Recently, I've been trying to catch up on my Chatterboxes via </span><a href="http://www.broadwayworld.com/"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">broadwayworld.com</span></a><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"> and stumbled upon an interview with Krista Rodriguez and Wesley Taylor, stars of the new Addams Family musical. Wesley Taylor is most well known as Franz in Rock of Ages, a comedic gay German and so the song he sang came as a complete surprise and a revelation. After listening to the original version, this is so much more heartfelt. So, ladies and gentlemen, I give you You Gotta Die Sometime-</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">This song reflects a harrowingly truthful view about dying, whereas most musicals gloss over death ala A Little Fall of Rain from Les Miserables, Falsettos represented a more realistic portrayal of the effect that news has on us. This may have been a result of the increasing threat of AIDS to the gay community in New York, they needed something they could relate to, we could no longer brush it under the carpet. Whereas Stephen Bogardus's version was very lyrical and precise, almost matter of fact, Wesley Taylor has a vulnerability in his voice, as if he is trying to keep a brave face but inside he's crumbling. I particularly like the strain in the last sustained Sometime, it's not because he can't reach the note, its because he's doing a little "pull at your heartstrings" riff. I'm officially in love with Wesley Taylor.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Our final offering for today is completely different from William Finn's modern, realistic works about modern day families. Instead we look to Bernstein and his grandiose operetta Candide. I've been putting off listening to Candide for quite a while now, despite many recommendations by friends, I just felt it would be too operatic for my tastes. So I was sceptical when it was suggested we did a song from it for our Charity Concert in Devon. Well, Make Our Garden Grow is now one of my all time favourite finales. Apparently Candide is based on parodies of operas, but it can still be enjoyed by people like me who have never been to the opera and so do not take in these references. But back to Make Our Garden Grow, and it's amazing ending- the moment when the chorus come in is just breathtaking; the audience is suddenly hit with the wall of harmony. Many of the productions I have found on Spotify are very dry and operatic, I was surprised by the lack of emotion as I had assumed opera was all about emoting. Instead I turned to YouTube after a recommendation by my friend Michael to check out the Broadway concert. Here is the video of that Make Our Garden Grow. Although I tend to have a love/hate relationship with Kristen Chenoweth (much as I do with John Barrowman), I am absolutely in love with her portrayal Cunegonde, her phrasing in her solo is brilliant, with a slight nod towards musical theatre without riffing the hell out of the beautiful melody. Also, watch out for the spellbinding moment when the chorus rise to their feet. Amazing.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">I hope you enjoy indulging in and digesting these three little songs, hopefully I'll find some more tidbits to delight you and will duly post about them. I may even make a Spotify playlist of "songs you should know from shows you won't know". Happy listening!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Firstly, what is a concept musical? A concept musical typically removes a story from its perceived setting, often using a "concept" or certain idea to do this An early, not wholly conceptual idea would be Jesus Christ Superstar. Although the Jesus character was kept true to the perceived image, the setting of the title song thrusts the show in to the realms of concept. The show was brought bang up to date, using the fashion for disco, flares and the funky chicken to bring the message of the bible to the theatre going masses.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">The seventies saw a string of conceptual hits, and misses, and started a trend that can still be seen today. I'm going to have a look at some of the best (and worst) concept musicals to hit the stage.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_RwxcEXaPnXA/TI4E1Ct0lHI/AAAAAAAAALo/fQEq5o3t7L0/s1600/pippin.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><img border="0" ox="true" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_RwxcEXaPnXA/TI4E1Ct0lHI/AAAAAAAAALo/fQEq5o3t7L0/s320/pippin.jpg" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">The curse of the cute leading man strikes again, mmm....William Katt...</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Pippin perfectly represents a conceptual musical- both in it's book and musical, and it's staging. It tells the story of the son of Charlemagne through a travelling troupe of performers led by the eponymous Leading Player (originally played by Ben Vereen). As they tell the tale, the lines between fiction and real life start to blur as Pippin truly becomes the son of Charlemagne and the troupe turn against him. The play shows that we can change history and make love, not war, in a not so blatant as Hair way. I love the layers of concept in this show and also the fact that it can be enjoyed on so many levels, depending on how much you want to think about it. I also love that Pippin was successful and is still performed a lot regionally today.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Ragni and Rado may have taken conceptual musicals a bit too far with Dude! It was a confusing mix of Shakespeare, biblical mythology and rock music. While I appreciate their creativity, I just don't think audiences could work out what the concept was. And here lies the issue with concept musicals, if you don't give the audience enough hints or make your concept too confusing or complicated, the audience won't care about the characters or your show.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_RwxcEXaPnXA/TI4FTluIoYI/AAAAAAAAALw/VmPu3ZuRfvY/s1600/CHIcago.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><img border="0" ox="true" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_RwxcEXaPnXA/TI4FTluIoYI/AAAAAAAAALw/VmPu3ZuRfvY/s320/CHIcago.jpg" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Yeah yeah, I know, sexy ladies, Fosse hands, enough already.</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Although the concept musical never really went away, the movement definitely received a revival in 1996 with Chicago. Although I personally refuse to see the stage production because of its cheap stunt casting and recycling of cast members, at the time it was pretty radical, and is one of the few situations where a revival has been more financially successful than the original. the production was completely pared down to skimpy black costumes, a non-existent set and the diminutive band onstage. To the casual onlooker, there is no way a conceptual show like this would still be running but through clever marketing and an emphasis on sex, it has. Whilst I would have been interested in seeing the production when it opened in 1996, it has been cheapened by the Weisslers' incessant need to put untalented celebrities into the roles- more of an issue in the Broadway production.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">But one thing I am proud of is the legacy of Chicago to allow other concept shows to believe they can succeed in the current climate. Which brings me on to American Idiot. Yes, I have already dedicated a whole blog post to it, but I feel it is relevant in the journey of the concept musical. Similarly to Jesus Christ Superstar, Idiot originated as a concept album, but this time the concept is almost supplementary to the music, just there to elevate it to another level. The only character to speak is our protagonist Johnny, and he speaks in monologue correspondence to his familiars. this was a brave thing for Michael Mayer to do as he could have easily alienated Greenday fans by intellectualising the show too much. Instead he allows the audience to piece together the story how they want, interesting both Greenday fans and theatre fanatics.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_RwxcEXaPnXA/TI4FvTqC7eI/AAAAAAAAAL4/2CslqlL3l_o/s1600/Bloody+Bloody+Andrew+Jackson+scene.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><img border="0" ox="true" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_RwxcEXaPnXA/TI4FvTqC7eI/AAAAAAAAAL4/2CslqlL3l_o/s320/Bloody+Bloody+Andrew+Jackson+scene.jpg" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson. I wish the real Andrew Jackson had looked like that.</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">I hope this trend will continue with the arrival of Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson, the emo musical about a not so famous president. I have to admit I know little about the show, apart from that it did very well off-Broadway, but I'm glad that something truly original is coming to the Great White Way. If anyone sees it, let me know how it was!<script type="text/javascript">
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">This cake went everywhere; College, Hair, Gay bar and back home again</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">yI made it using a lot of blue food colouring and some awesome food colouring pens. It was very delicious and kept us well fed, although I did have to carry it around London, although I was never questioned what was in the bag. Second was Hair, my third visit, this time in row F as "Hair Whore" had taken all the front row seats (that's a nickname, not a real name, I don't know her real name, I don't want to). Highlights included: Darius Nicholls getting stuck in the audience, Andrew Kober dropping his doobie on the way to the trip and, upon telling him it was my birthday, getting a hug from Gavin Creel. Just in case you wanted to know he smelt minty fresh with a hint of sweat. The final part of the epic birthday extravanganza was my first ever trip to a gay bar,<script type="text/javascript">
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</script> G-A-Y at Heaven to be precise. Here I learnt that the plus side of Gay bars is no groping and lots of cheesey music (in the small room that I liked anyway), the downside is strange stains on the sofas and lots of angry gays when The Saturdays cancel due to illness. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Now I am resigned to the grown up which involves getting up, going to work, coming home from work, eating and looking for jobs. I'm at a bit of a disadvantage having come from a science background and wanting to work in theatre admin. If only there was a way of expressing how much I love the theatre and also how much I know compared to all these Arts graduates. I guess that's what this blog is for, although this entry has contained nothing deep or thoughtful about the arts. Apologies, this is due to the lack of new theatre in my life at the moment. Stotfold is hardly the centre of culture- the nearest we get is the Christian choir and an am-dram group putting on tired murder mysteries. My Dad and I always had a pipe dream of opening an Arts centre here- part book shop, part cafe, part gallery and part performance space. I'd run the theatre company performing classic musicals (for the old dears) in rep with new contemporary musicals, whilst Dad put on open Shakespeare in the Summer. Anyone would be allowed to use the space and we'd make the money through the cafe and bookshop (which would obviously specialise in sheet music, theatre books and train books). Unfortunately we don't have the money and even if we did, the house we wanted to use has been turned into a day nursery. So until I find I job and move back to London I remain <em>Theatre girl in a cultureless world.</em></span>Lucyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14793816357577481239noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1535782198376745241.post-3746804958145851002010-07-08T18:50:00.003+01:002011-09-08T19:17:43.197+01:00A Dynasty of Typecasting, or Lucy's playing a small girl again folks!<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Not much in the way of theatre at the moment I'm afraid- a job back in Bedfordshire has seen to that. But there will definitely be a third trip to see Hair for my birthday (14th August, remember the date people). Until then I'm concerned with my own onstage antics in our latest show The Boyfriend. As successfully predicted I am playing Dulcie- the part made famous by Barbara Windsor in the film adaptation . For any of you who don't know the show, she's the one who giggles a lot and tries to cop off with an old man. The pair thus create the musical's comic relief. This has become a bit of a pattern for me; even my lead role in Batboy, although a tragedy, tended to add some comic relief in the form of "white girl rapping" and general outbursts of squealing. Even Crissy in Hair, although not a comedy had her moments of comic genius, including the classic exchange "do you wanna come home with me?" "Yeah? I'd rather do it myself". </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">My feelings about this type casting in comic bit parts are uncertain. Yes, I've enjoyed playing all these parts and yes, I seem to do comedy well and I'm grateful for the parts I've been given yet I often want to strive for something more. I want to play the lovelorn damsel or the tragic heroine. I ant to play Swallow in Whistle Down the Wind and Queenie in The Wild Party. Everybody tells me to wait until I'm older except I worry that I'll go straight from young comedy player to aged character actor just because I'm not pretty enough or tall enough. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">So I thought we'd take a look at type casting on Broadway and can do this with just one family: the Fosters. In 2002, Sutton and Hunter Foster found themselves vying for Tony awards for best musical for Thoroughly Modern Millie and Urinetown respectively. Add in Hunter's wife Jen Cody and Sutton's ex Christian Borle and we have ourselves an interesting comparison of succumbing to and defying the type casting curse.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_RwxcEXaPnXA/TDYOz2fXllI/AAAAAAAAALA/GYSPgnmolPU/s1600/SieberJM91ED0123.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><img border="0" rw="true" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_RwxcEXaPnXA/TDYOz2fXllI/AAAAAAAAALA/GYSPgnmolPU/s320/SieberJM91ED0123.JPG" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">The least childlike picture of Jen Cody I could find, plus who can resist Jerry Mitchell?</span></td></tr>
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</span></div><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">We start with the situation closest to my own. Jen Cody is a well known yet diminutive figure in the world of the Broadway gypsy. A string of featured roles show that she has got the talent but has never broken out of Broadway bit parts and regional leads. Fair enough, those bit parts have been pretty good- Becky Two Shoes and (later) Little Sally in Urinetown, Cha-Cha in Grease and Mae in The Wild Party to name but a few. Are character actors really ever satisfied ? Do they just readily accept their fate or do they yearn for something more? </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_RwxcEXaPnXA/TDYO2F7oTPI/AAAAAAAAALI/yUGNYsdvaSU/s1600/Christian_Borle.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><img border="0" rw="true" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_RwxcEXaPnXA/TDYO2F7oTPI/AAAAAAAAALI/yUGNYsdvaSU/s320/Christian_Borle.jpg" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Aww! Christian Borle as Emmett.</span></td></tr>
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</span></div><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Christian Borle, with his slightly awkward looking face and dorkish charm looked to be heading down the path of the character actor, having played a myriad of comedy roles in Spamalot. Then came along Legally Blonde and his luck changed. Emmett was never intended to be a perfect looking guy- we had Warner for that. But he did have to have a warmth and vulnerability about him; which Borle. Things looked great for Christian- a popular new musical and a popular new girlfriend in Laura Bell Bundy, but will he ever shake off the type casting curse? I don't think so. Since Legally Blonde closed, Borle has become the umpteenth replacement for Bert in Mary Poppins. A fine way to earn a living- yes, but the way to pursue a career as a leading man? No.</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Mmm...Hunter Foster.... This is Kiss of The Spiderwoman peeps.</span></td></tr>
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</span></div><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Hunter Foster is a lucky sod in that he has never really been typecast. Starting out as a 'bit of a dancer', performing in Cats and Grease, he found great success in Urinetown as the eponymous hero Bobby Strong. With his unconventionally boyish good looks, his portrayal of Bobby was nominated for a Tony (his sister won, he did not). Hunter has become one of those actors where every time you think to yourself "I wonder when Hunter Foster is coming back to Broadway, I haven't heard anything of him for ages", he is suddenly cast in a new show. What is really refreshing is that he has never stuck to one kind of role, flitting from nerdy lead in Little Shop of Horrors to manager of rock and roll bands in Million Dollar Quintet. In the same way that Stephen Sondheim has never stuck to genre (as previously mentioned), neither has Hunter Foster. His repertoire spans from Leo Bloom in commercial smash hit "The Producers" to Dr Frankenstein in the morbid Off-Broadway musical Frankenstein. </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_RwxcEXaPnXA/TDYO_uTdGzI/AAAAAAAAALY/xHqrdTNm2vA/s1600/suttonfostercuea460.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><img border="0" rw="true" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_RwxcEXaPnXA/TDYO_uTdGzI/AAAAAAAAALY/xHqrdTNm2vA/s320/suttonfostercuea460.jpg" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Show off! No literally, that's the name of the song.</span></td></tr>
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</span></div><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">By far the most successful of the Foster clan is Sutton, picked out of obscurity in a real life 42nd Street situation, Foster took over form Erin Davie as the title role in Thoroughly Modern Millie. This garnered her first of four (I believe) Tony nominations and her only win. Foster has used her type casting as bright young ingenues to win lead roles in show after show. She was in the Drowsy Chaperone, Young Frankenstein, Shrek and soon a revival of Anything Goes- all taking advantage of her youth and innocence. But Sutton is starting to get older and is still appearing in primarily light, fun, dancey shows. Although she is starting to buck the trend, soon appearing in an off-Broadway play with Zach Braff. Which way her career will go after Anything Goes is anyone's guess.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">It will be interesting to see where <span style="background-color: white;">the</span> Foster family will be in 10 years time. Hunter appears to be favouring roles that will keep him on Broadway for some time- choosing roles that suit him now and not 10 years ago. I fear that Christian Borle may just fall away from the Broadway limelight, he does seem to be getting tired. I would love for Jen Cody to break out but I think she is too well known as a Gypsy and a character actress for this to ever happen. Whilst her ability to play children will fade with age, her utility as a comedienne and a dancer will allow her to continue working even if she has to accept the stereotype. Looking at other ingenues who have continued to work, Sutton should have longevity- delving into the world of glamorous older lady with a belt, in years to come.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">As for me, I guess I'll just have to accept playing teenagers and young, innocent girls until I get too old. I'll have to get my dramatic kicks through other means (or learn to become more patient).<script type="text/javascript">
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_RwxcEXaPnXA/TBvouW6ZwYI/AAAAAAAAAKw/1GRrs8iYsJM/s1600/8867a.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><img border="0" qu="true" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_RwxcEXaPnXA/TBvouW6ZwYI/AAAAAAAAAKw/1GRrs8iYsJM/s320/8867a.jpg" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">The Fantasticks- the long running off-Broadway one, not the non existent British one</span></td></tr>
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</span></div><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">So following the announcement of an early end for Hair, we now have the shock closure of The Fantasticks. This is particularly surprising as it holds the title for the longest running off Broadway show. It's starting to get a bit depressing really yet still producers insist on opening shows at the beginning of the Summer. In theory this is a good idea- schools are out, tourists are in and the evenings are lighter and warmer. But in practice it just doesn't work; so much for producers being realists. Last year we saw Spring Awakening and Too Close to the Sun close, this year the pattern of a direct Broadway smash hit and a London production have fallen foul of the curse. Why aren't the theories living up to the reality?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">School's out, so what? Unless your show is aimed at young children, this won't help a bit. Few teenagers can afford to go to the theatre without help from their parents. And by their teenage years children don't particularly want to spend the evening with their parents. To get a show to stick with teenagers your PR department need to work damn hard. Spring Awakening didn't seem to have a publicity scheme- a few posters on the underground. Where was the mention of cheap onstage seats? Where were the appearances on T4 and the like? Whilst the show made a lasting impression on Broadway it will remain a long forgotten West End flop with a few loyal fans. A step back in the progression of the West End methinks.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_RwxcEXaPnXA/TBvowirFYiI/AAAAAAAAAK4/PEsb8ziQFfs/s1600/nr-hair_1618331c.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><img border="0" qu="true" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_RwxcEXaPnXA/TBvowirFYiI/AAAAAAAAAK4/PEsb8ziQFfs/s320/nr-hair_1618331c.jpg" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Yes, I've probably used way to many pictures from Hair in this blog. But I like it so tough.</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Hair, although having a very active publicity department got its target market completely wrong. For some reason Cameron Mackintosh aimed the show at himself- the middle aged person who like the show the first time round so, yeah, obviously wants to see it loads of times now. Perhaps Cameron was on drugs when he met with the PR company, surely a man who has made his money producing blockbuster shows couldn't make such an elementary mistake? All those I know who are interested in Hair are my age with a small but disposable income. We can afford the (barely mentioned) £25 day seats where you can't see much but have a great time but over £60 for a stalls seat plus more for a premium seat? No chance! Originally even group tickets only took £5 of this top price; because I know so many coach parties that want to see that show. Luckily they realised quite early on and have drastically reduced prices to a more student friendly figure.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Enough with deconstructing marketing plans, what about the theatre scene in the Summer? I've previously mentioned the influx of tourists, swarming around the ticket touts and discount booths. Although tourists are willing to pay extraordinary prices, they'll want to see the show their friends all saw, a well established show that London is famous for. That'll be Les Mis or Phantom, or if you're lucky Wicked. Once your show has become popular with the tourists you can stay open indefinitely. If, however, you attempt to do anything outside the parameters of big spectacles, a heart warming story and a happy ending, tourists will stay away. Unfortunately we on the West End have to separate art from economy meaning that very few "different" shows ever survive. It's sad but its unfortunately reality and just shows how the British treat the theatre.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">It's finally got above 12 degrees (centigrade, I'm not actually American) and its May, so theoretically more people will be out and about and wanting to see a show. Wrong. Britain has a strange culture where at the sudden sight of sunshine, we remove most of our clothes and congregate in the nearest park. In the Winter its too cold and in the Summer its too hot, you can never win. In London it doesn't really matter that the evenings are lighter- there are so many street and shop lights it never gets completely dark. Plus most people will travel to the theatre on the underground- you can't even see the sky from there. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">So what I'm trying to say is PR companies need to take a step back and look at the environment their show is going into. Is this really the right time for this show? Sure, if something delays opening, they'll be a few people like me who are disappointed but the show may last long enough for me to see it more than once. Win.</span><br />
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</script></span>Lucyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14793816357577481239noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1535782198376745241.post-56477747107194861482010-06-11T12:40:00.003+01:002011-09-08T19:22:37.249+01:00Cheeky Charming Close Harmony Cabaret<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Once my degree has finished, I'll post the full transcript of this interview, it was so full of irreverent conversation I felt I had to edit it somewhat for Felix. Alex, who has previously been mentioned in this blog, won the Sondheim Student Performer of the Year award last week so hoorah for that! She's been a friend of mine since my first spring show and I met Jen whilst performing in West Side Story directed by Alex. My first memory of Kate is at a fancy dress party where I was dressed in a very short pair of dungarees as Lucy from the Raggy Dolls... So here's the article:</span></div><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">The Three Maids...plus Leo</span></td></tr>
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</span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">I joined Jen Woodward, Alex De Lyckefold Young and Kate Marlais, otherwise known as The Three Little Maids for a chat at the Royal Academy of Music, a place they all have ties to, to chat about their upcoming concert, comedy cabaret and whether scientists are good in bed. </span></div><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><br />
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<span style="color: #f4cccc; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><strong>How did you meet and where did the name Three Little Maids come from?</strong></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Alex: I met Kate at Kings College where we both studied music, I went up to her on the first day and said “I think you’re really pretty” in her specs and floral shirt, Kate replied “Ok…my names Kate” and we went from there. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Jen: I met Kate and Alex through Kings Musical Theatre, which they were ruling over at the time and I would then be passed the crown for. They were living in a house on Old Kent Road with my new boyfriend and ended up liking me more! </span><br />
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<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_RwxcEXaPnXA/TBIgACLuovI/AAAAAAAAAKY/BZ9N4vKW5w0/s1600/mugshot_alex.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><img border="0" qu="true" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_RwxcEXaPnXA/TBIgACLuovI/AAAAAAAAAKY/BZ9N4vKW5w0/s320/mugshot_alex.jpg" /></span></a><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Kate: And then we did a cabaret show called “And Then There Were Six” with three other boys, we dropped the boys to make Three Little Maids. </span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Alex: Then I discovered our very handsome pianist Leo when he was repiteur for IC MTSoc’s spring show How To Succeed in Business Without Really Trying which I appeared in. </span></div><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Kate: We’re called the Three Little Maids because there’s three of us, and we’re girls</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Alex: The Three Little Maids song is from the Hot Mikado, a jazzed up version of the G&S classic.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><span style="color: #f4cccc;"><strong>How would you describe your style and who do you think you appeal to most?</strong></span> </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">All: Cheeky charming close harmony cabaret!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Jen: We’re like the Poo-poo (Puppini) Sisters and the Andrew Sisters but better.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Alex: There’s lots of three part girl groups but they’ve all jumped on the retro bandwagon and niched themselves. They just do one style or a novelty thing like jazzing up pop songs. We do a bit of everything</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Jen: We do just what we want to do, we try not to do things others could do, we put a bit of ourselves in it.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Kate: It’s a cross between cabaret and comedy! Our rule is for every serious song, we’ll do three funny songs. And we do always pay homage to our true love musical theatre. But the 60’s pop songs have been going down well in our Old Vic Pit Bar gigs. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Alex: The thing I’m proud of is not taking ourselves seriously, we’re a little bit silly and have remained true to our individual personalities and our loves, I’ll wank over some Sondheim, Kate will pay homage to Judy Garland…</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Most of you have links with Imperial through MTSoc and MTSoc tour, so can scientists make good performers/lovers?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Jen: My boyfriend is a scientist and he loves Musical Theatre. Scientists are good because there’s a connection between Maths and Music.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Alex: Well, mines a wannabe scientist, he’s a bit of a geek and reads the New Scientist.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Kate: My dad is a scientist and he loves the Maids, secretly he wants to be one of us. I’ve heard he’s an excellent lover.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Jen: Scientists work very hard so they need some relief</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Alex: They have to think creatively , be brave and take risks just as actors do.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">All: Our conclusion is…yes!</span><br />
<span style="color: #f4cccc; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><strong>What do you enjoy most about performing together and what’s your favourite venue and dream venue?</strong></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Kate: The Old Vic pit bar!</span><br />
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<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_RwxcEXaPnXA/TBIgB8P4M2I/AAAAAAAAAKg/1Cw1HqIq2c0/s1600/mugshot_jen.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><img border="0" qu="true" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_RwxcEXaPnXA/TBIgB8P4M2I/AAAAAAAAAKg/1Cw1HqIq2c0/s320/mugshot_jen.jpg" /></span></a><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Alex: Royal Festival Hall would be my dream as I have fond memories of playing in orchestras when I was little. The Albert Hall would be amazing too but we also work well in small intimate venues so I think the Menier Chocolate Factory would be great. We did some gigs in Jen’s hometown of Norwich at the Sewell Barn which was lovely and intimate.</span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Jen: I like working with these two because they make me laugh. My pleasure is to work with such talented people as these guys. They have these amazing arrangements and I’d never get the opportunity to work with people like them anywhere else.</span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Kate: I enjoy our banter, we’re never quite sure what we’re doing next. Alex generally plays Mum and I’ll talk until someone tells me to stop.</span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Alex: I feel we have a real partnership so that we can trust our instincts to know what to do on stage. We can be ourselves with people we trust.</span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><span style="color: #f4cccc; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><strong>If the Three Little Maids could be joined by 3 Little Men, who would your dream men be?</strong></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">All: Oooh!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Jen: Philip Quast! And Hugh Jackman (Alex intercepts with a cry of “No not Hugh Jackman!”) And Zubin Varla! He was in Jesus Christ Superstar and he’s in Warhorse at the moment.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Kate: Can he be dead? Gene Kelly, and we’d choreograph all our numbers.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Alex: I would have the Australian god Philip Quast too. Or, I think we’d push all of those in the sea if Stephen Sondheim joined us on the piano. Leo can join in and clap along, or turn the pages. </span><br />
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<strong><span style="color: #f4cccc; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">What’s your favourite song to sing?</span></strong><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Kate: I know what I like- Chattanooga Choo Choo.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Jen: Send in the Clowns as that was the first thing we arranged. Also, Wash that Man as I’m a real Rodgers and Hammerstein geek, it goes in from Oklahoma so its just like I’m cumming everywhere. Plus Leo does an awesome version of Sesame Street so that’d be his favourite.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Alex: I like Drive My Car too, we do a great version ala Lilly Allan which the audiences love. Three Little Maids obviously, our title song. Everyone loves it when we do it as an encore as we can just mess around and it goes down really well. The other two don’t agree but I like closing with Better from A Class Act (Lucy at this point cries I love that song!).</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Kate: I’m totes over it. It went down like a sack of poo last time. I know my favourite! Man in the Mirror! How did we forget that? It’s the best thing you’ll ever see ever! Jen gets all black on us</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Alex: Kate rives around on the floor</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Jen: Alex bursts out from a curtain</span><br />
<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><strong><span style="color: #f4cccc; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Whats in store for the Three Little Maids and yourselves individually?</span></strong></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Kate: Worldwide fame, millions in the bank, lots of lovers</span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_RwxcEXaPnXA/TBIgDfJCToI/AAAAAAAAAKo/ITbulkBcbyY/s1600/mugshot_kate.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><img border="0" qu="true" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_RwxcEXaPnXA/TBIgDfJCToI/AAAAAAAAAKo/ITbulkBcbyY/s320/mugshot_kate.jpg" /></span></a></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Jen: This summer is packed with private gigs. The good thing about these is that as we arrange our own songs, if someone has a favourite song, we’re happy to accommodate. Plus from each gig we get another gig. </span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Alex: We’re hoping to have some sort of Industry launch in London, invite anyone who’s interested to see us or manage us or hire us! </span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Kate I’m doing a musical at the Young Vic, The Human Comedy in September. And I’m also musically directing Romeo and Juliet at the Leicester Square Theatre.</span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Alex: I’m singing in the Stephen Sondheim performer of the year final, hopefully that’ll go nicely. Plus I’m playing Desiree in A Little Night Music at RAM.</span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Jen: I’m starting RAM in the Autumn but at the moment I’m a primary school teacher. </span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Leo: I’m Musical directing Hamlet the Musical at the Edinburgh Fringe. We were hoping it would star Tim Minchin but sadly he’s turned down the role. But we’re currently in talks with Karl Kennedy from Neighbours, and they’re casting as we’re speak.</span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Alex: I want to play Ophelia! If Leo can wangle it. And if it pays.</span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_RwxcEXaPnXA/TBIfyjUM8cI/AAAAAAAAAKQ/UxCIZgxfGcg/s1600/play_12.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><img border="0" qu="true" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_RwxcEXaPnXA/TBIfyjUM8cI/AAAAAAAAAKQ/UxCIZgxfGcg/s320/play_12.jpg" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Some crafty umbrella work there</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"></span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">The comments from my companions as we reached the Old Vic Pit Bar were ranging from “ooh, this is a nice theatre” to “if Jeff Goldblum is there, I’m going to go up to him and ask him if he wants a blowjob”. And I guess these two remarks sum up what the Three Little Maids are all about- charming and nice with a naughty irreverent edge. The bar itself is small and cute, no more than a anteroom to the Old Vic staircase, with some rather reasonably priced drinks on offer (if you’re feeling really posh there’s Tatty for £7.50 a glass). The crowd varies from trendy young things to elderly theatre goers with the odd celebrity chucked in for good measure (Omigod it’s Neil from the Inbetweeners!). </span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">But to the Three Little Maids themselves, all look charmingly gorgeous and well complemented by some custom made bunting and their pianist Leo. The set didn’t exactly start with a bang but the ‘60s medley performed was nice enough, including a Lilly Allen-esque rendition of I’m Into Something Good. The Lilly Allen style was later echoed in an uptempo arrangement of The Beatles “Drive My Car” both with some effective shakey egg and cowbell action from the girls. Highlights of the first set included an authentic trip back to the ‘40s with Chatanooga Choo Choo ala The Andrews Sisters, an impromptu cameo from Leo singing Cabaret and a very smooth Moon River with an almost dreamlike quality with it’s lilting melody. The downside with this first set for me was the sound quality which made it difficult to hear the Maid’s sparkling wit and ad libbing as well as many of the intricate harmonies. Another issue with the venue was the many people pushing past to get to the bar, but again, there’s not much you can do about this in a bar.</span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">The second set contained my absolute favourite number of the night: Maid in the Mirror. Yes, you heard me right; a girly take on that Michael Jackson classic Man in the Mirror complete with impassioned hand gestures, a few sch-mos and he-hes and some very impressive riffing. Also rating highly was a rather unique version of Sesame Street, I’d never have expected to find a children’s TV theme tune in a Cabaret set but it was charming and very well done. </span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">After a short break, the Maids were back for their final set which took on a more musical theatrey tone starting with a few Sondheim classics- the well performed, if slightly predictable You Could Drive a Person Crazy and a beautiful arrangement of Send In The Clowns. This was followed by another highlight that caused most of the crowd to burst into fits of laughter- a well judged I Know Him So Well with brilliant impressions of Elaine Paige and Barbara Dickson by Kate and Jen respectively. </span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">The Three Little Maids definitely stood up to their motto of Cheek Charming Close Harmony Cabaret, it was a fun evening filled with perfect harmonies and some great comedy moments. I’d love to see them in a Cabaret orientated space so that their personalities could really shine. If you’re interested in where the Maids will be next, check out their website </span><a href="http://www.threelittlemaids.net/"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">http://www.threelittlemaids.net/</span></a><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">!</span></div>Lucyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14793816357577481239noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1535782198376745241.post-23272046172055124072010-06-10T16:53:00.002+01:002011-09-08T19:24:22.513+01:00American Idiot/Chemistry Genius? I Think I'm In Between The Two<span style="color: #f4cccc; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Apologies for the incredibly long absence, you see I have this thing called a degree which I had completely forgotten about. Suddenly there were these things called exams and a dissertation and three vivas. I'd like the next line to be "and then I woke up and realised it was all a bad dream" but alas it is real life and I'm scarily about two weeks away from closing the doors on four years of hard work (if anyone wants to give me a job from October, that'd be great thanks!). So am I going to have to come up with a new name for this blog? As I'm not planning on staying in the science world once I'm finished. Suggestions on a postcard or, more conveniently, in the comments box below.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><span style="color: #f4cccc;">Of course, weeks of revision have allowed for weeks of procrastination and whilst I haven't had the chance to write anything or see much theatre, I've had plenty of opportunities to ponder the theatre world and watch a lot of YouTube.</span> </span><br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_RwxcEXaPnXA/TBEJNSGR9kI/AAAAAAAAAJw/YfgMMDBzGKY/s1600/American-Idiot-Musical-Album-Inspired-By-Green-Day-on-Broadway.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><img border="0" qu="true" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_RwxcEXaPnXA/TBEJNSGR9kI/AAAAAAAAAJw/YfgMMDBzGKY/s320/American-Idiot-Musical-Album-Inspired-By-Green-Day-on-Broadway.jpg" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">The amazing set of American Idiot</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><span style="color: #f4cccc; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">My favourite new show of the Broadway season, despite having not seen any of the shows in any media but videoclip, is American Idiot, the Greenday based rock musical. Not only does this choice probably surprise you dear reader but also myself. When I first heard about the idea, I though "how on earth is that going to work?" and I was then taken back to my teenage years at my rural community college where Greenday were <strong>the</strong> band to like- we even had a school tribute band. I guess you could say I wasn't the most popular girl at school (tubby, glasses, short, brainy, you get the picture) so I never really got into the group then.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #f4cccc; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Fast forward five years, I've changed completely, lost the weight, started drinking, grown my hair long. I feel like I'm reliving those teenage years I never had- drinking Bacardi Breezers and dodgy perry, chilling in the park. I guess rediscovering Greenday was the next logical step. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #f4cccc; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">By now I've hope you've all realised I'm not the greatest supporter of the jukebox musical- it cheapens the art form and stifles the growth of any new talent or original shows. But there are a few jukebox shows that I really enjoy on an artistic level as well as a purely entertaining level; American Idiot is one of them and I've been trying to work out why. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #f4cccc; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Firstly, lets look at American Idiot the CD- a hugely popular, millions-selling almost concept album. And there is the key phrase: concept album. Billie Joe Armstrong himself has explained that in writing the album, it was intended to tell a story and take music to another emotional and creative level, just as a musical does.</span><br />
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</span><br />
<span style="color: #f4cccc; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Each song is encapsulated in its own style and self contained story. We have an opening number in "American Idiot" - a rock anthem in a similar but better vein to the title song from Rent but without feeling so dated. Wake Me Up When September Ends has long had a connection with theatricality; its video is a mini epic telling of a teenage love ripped apart by war. Letterbomb was apparently always written for a girl to sing, again revealing the intention to take the album to the world of theatre.</span><br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_RwxcEXaPnXA/TBEJYkCWNlI/AAAAAAAAAJ4/4Yl1vfPVAjI/s1600/AmericanIdiot.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><img border="0" qu="true" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_RwxcEXaPnXA/TBEJYkCWNlI/AAAAAAAAAJ4/4Yl1vfPVAjI/s320/AmericanIdiot.jpg" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Ooo, its snowing! And they're all angsty</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><span style="color: #f4cccc; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">In the show, American Idiot is still the opening number but ramps up the anger and tension with increasing intricacies of harmony, flashing lights, blaring TV screens and short, sharp shocks of choreography. Wake Me Up When September Ends becomes a heartfelt ballad sung by the three leads on acoustic guitars. excitingly Letterbomb is a female cry of hatred for the opposite sex with some brilliant dancing on top of a hydraulic lift (see Wicked, you aren't the only ones with a lift).</span><br />
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<span style="color: #f4cccc; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">From what I've seen American Idiot does the complete opposite to what I'd expect from a jukebox musical- it takes the music to a completely new level. What could just be a song you happen to dance to really reaches into your emotions and makes you feel that angst the characters feel. And that's what a good musical should do. The fact that an album by a rock band can do the same is a credit Greenday and their creative vision.</span><br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_RwxcEXaPnXA/TBEJhL2IszI/AAAAAAAAAKA/BejON3E-XU0/s1600/roa1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><img border="0" qu="true" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_RwxcEXaPnXA/TBEJhL2IszI/AAAAAAAAAKA/BejON3E-XU0/s320/roa1.jpg" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Gotta say, I'm a sucker for an air guitar</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><span style="color: #f4cccc;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">So why do I find myself liking this show but not most jukebox musicals? And an even greater mystery: why do I like Rock of Ages? </span><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Rock-Ages-Original-Broadway-Recording/dp/B002ACKBR8?ie=UTF8&tag=theat0e-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Rock of Ages </span></a><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><img alt="" border="0" height="1px" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=theat0e-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=B002ACKBR8" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px !important; padding-left: 0px !important; padding-right: 0px !important; padding-top: 0px !important;" width="1px" />should be the my most hated show- taking some 80s power ballads, adding a ridiculous story and camping it up. The key is creativity. Rock of Ages knows it is being silly but it takes some songs I never knew and presents them in a completely unexpected way with some real musicality. Whilst many musical theatre purists find it puerile and something for tourists and beer louts, I think its actually been very clever by lovingly mocking the musical theatre art form in a way that only theatre fans would understand, to a tourist or beer lout this is just a fun show. American Idiot, I find, also has something to offer musical theatre fans on a separate level. Greenday fans will go for the music whilst theatre fans will go for the entire thoughtful but showy spectacle. We can all appreciate good choreography and a decent (if flawed at times) story which I think both shows have.</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #f4cccc; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Whats the moral of this story? Well, if you're going to write a jukebox musical, make sure you understand the art of musical theatre even if you don't like the music. Whilst a straightforward jukebox musical will put bums on seats (and be made into a box office smash film...), it will always be known as the so and so music show rather than a musical in its own right. And can a jukebox musical ever be accepted in the theatre world? Yes, as long as it accepts the theatre world.</span><script type="text/javascript">
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<span style="color: #f4cccc; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Andrew Lloyd Webber is very good at one thing: </span><br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #c27ba0; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Making biblical characters sexy</span></div><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><br />
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<span style="color: #f4cccc; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><object height="385" width="640"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/-QA0MMUSJqM&hl=en_GB&fs=1&color1=0xcc2550&color2=0xe87a9f"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/-QA0MMUSJqM&hl=en_GB&fs=1&color1=0xcc2550&color2=0xe87a9f" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="640" height="385"></embed></object></span><br />
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<span style="color: #f4cccc; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><object height="385" width="640"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/zuR2mVKEfdE&hl=en_GB&fs=1&color1=0xcc2550&color2=0xe87a9f"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/zuR2mVKEfdE&hl=en_GB&fs=1&color1=0xcc2550&color2=0xe87a9f" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="640" height="385"></embed></object></span><br />
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</span><br />
<span style="color: #f4cccc; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">And it really must be the revision talking as I'm starting to find this strangely attractive:</span><br />
<span style="color: #f4cccc; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><object height="385" width="480"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/AffkqMVnTBM&hl=en_GB&fs=1&color1=0xcc2550&color2=0xe87a9f"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/AffkqMVnTBM&hl=en_GB&fs=1&color1=0xcc2550&color2=0xe87a9f" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="385"></embed></object></span><br />
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<span style="color: #f4cccc; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">I wonder what God thinks?</span><br />
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</span><br />
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</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #ffccff;">I guess my first exposure to Sondheim, as is 'traditional', was to <a href="http://www.amazon.com/West-Side-Story-Irwin-Kostal/dp/B00023GGK8?ie=UTF8&tag=theat0e-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank">West Side Story</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=theat0e-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=B00023GGK8" style="border: medium none ! important; margin: 0px ! important; padding: 0px ! important;" width="1" />. Strangely in my family it's my Dad who is the theatre lover, with <span class="goog-spellcheck-word">WSS</span> being one of his favourites. A copy of Tonight could often be found atop the piano and once I learnt to play I could be found playing said copy of Tonight. Dad tried to get me to <span class="goog-spellcheck-word">watch</span> the film but I never made it past the endless overture. Tonight still contains some of the most romantic lyrics, the phrase "today the world was just an address, a place for me to live in, much better than alright" also ways captivates me. I found myself appearing in West Side Story many years later and, although I had very little to do in the show, it felt special to be doing such an eponymous musical.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_RwxcEXaPnXA/S743Yc12u0I/AAAAAAAAAJQ/guObV4TRjfs/s1600/180px-EveningPrimroseTV.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5457860691618085698" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_RwxcEXaPnXA/S743Yc12u0I/AAAAAAAAAJQ/guObV4TRjfs/s320/180px-EveningPrimroseTV.jpg" style="height: 257px; margin-top: 0px; width: 180px;" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #ffccff;"><span style="color: #a64d79;">Charles and Ella embrace in Evening Primrose</span> </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #ffccff;">We'll start this little trip down memory lane with possibly my favourite bit of Sondheim and also because I was just listening to it on <span class="goog-spellcheck-word">Spotify</span>. As a small detour from the road to becoming one of the most admired songwriters, Stephen wrote a small musical for television in</span><span style="color: #ffccff;"> the style of The Twilight Zone. <a href="http://www.amazon.com/The-Frogs-Evening-Primrose/dp/B00124HR9A?ie=UTF8&tag=theat0e-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank">Evening Primrose</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=theat0e-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=B00124HR9A" style="border: medium none ! important; margin: 0px ! important; padding: 0px ! important;" width="1" /> tells the story of Charles, a stressed out writer as he discovers the after-hours inhabitants of a department store. He meets the mysterious Ella and together they plot to escape this underground existence. Being a short television special, Evening Primrose boasted only four songs but they are four of Sondheim's finest. If You Can Find Me I'm Here sets the story for the listener and cleverly builds up pace by adding more and more words in typical Sondheim fashion. When? Is a strange one, sung telepathically between Ella and Charles juxtaposing a card game. Charles riffs off the moves he makes in the game to construct a love song between the two of them. Much like Sondheim himself, Charles battles to find words to rhyme with Ella, conceding that his job would be much easier had she been named Jane. I Remember has become a cabaret classic- with Sondheim's trademark clever rhyming and magically conjured up metaphors. Where clever metaphors did not sit well with Maria in I Feel Pretty, they are much more convincing with the lonely and alienated Ella. My favourite of the four songs is Take Me To The World, Ella dreams of seeing this dreamlike outside world as Charles tries to convince her of the cruelty and evil that he has experienced there. They concede that wherever they go it will be with each other. I love the counterpoint between the two characters and the dreamlike quality conjured up by Sondheim's lilting melody. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #ffccff;">Enough about shows no one has heard of. My real love affair with Sondheim started with Company- the sartorial examination of romance set in 1970s New York. Despite being in my teens when I first heard the songs such as Being Alive and Another Hundred People, I felt I could relate to Bobby. Everyone around me was starting their first serious relationship and here I was having friends but never feeling like I fitted in. As I've grown up and those relationships around me have developed I can see Bobby's view of just wanting to be loved and having someone to love. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_RwxcEXaPnXA/S7436MGV3sI/AAAAAAAAAJY/SM5-XC_yCZM/s1600/Into-The-Woods-Original-Broadway-Cast-into-the-woods-5794662-636-438.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5457861271239384770" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_RwxcEXaPnXA/S7436MGV3sI/AAAAAAAAAJY/SM5-XC_yCZM/s320/Into-The-Woods-Original-Broadway-Cast-into-the-woods-5794662-636-438.jpg" style="height: 220px; margin-top: 0px; width: 320px;" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #a64d79;">Bernadette Peters and friends in Into The Woods</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #ffccff;">Many of Sondheim's shows tend to be the type w</span><span style="color: #ffccff;">here I absolutely love particular songs or ideas but have never got round to fully appreciating the play itself. Two examples of this genre would be <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Into-The-Woods/dp/B0037BCWW8?ie=UTF8&tag=theat0e-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank">Into The Woods</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=theat0e-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=B0037BCWW8" style="border: medium none ! important; margin: 0px ! important; padding: 0px ! important;" width="1" /> and <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Sunday-Park-George-Original-Broadway/dp/B0009A40KW?ie=UTF8&tag=theat0e-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank">Sunday in the Park With George</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=theat0e-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=B0009A40KW" style="border: medium none ! important; margin: 0px ! important; padding: 0px ! important;" width="1" />. One thing that sets Sondheim apart from his peers is use of slightly off the wall material for his shows. Into The Woods focuses on the fairytale characters we all know and love but hits you with a bizarre second act portraying what happens after they've got their happy ending. "Sunday" (did you really think I was going to write Sunday in the Park With George every time?) starts with the familiar territory of the life of Georges Seurat and extends into the perceived future of Georges' great grandson George. What appears to be a biographical show about an artist evolves into Sondheim's comment on the creation of art.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #ffccff;"> This can be seen in songs like Putting it Together and Children and Art. I'm a personal fan of Move On, Dot's message from beyond the grave to the modern day George to be grateful for what has achieved and not fret about the future. <span class="goog-spellcheck-word">Hmph</span>, if only life was really like that.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_RwxcEXaPnXA/S745zxCPPUI/AAAAAAAAAJg/incfauajZ3A/s1600/FunnyThing1a.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5457863359918456130" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_RwxcEXaPnXA/S745zxCPPUI/AAAAAAAAAJg/incfauajZ3A/s320/FunnyThing1a.jpg" style="height: 256px; margin-top: 0px; width: 320px;" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #a64d79;">Oh look! Embarrassingly stereotyped Romans, must be Forum</span></div><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #ffccff;">Just like anyone, Sondheim is not perfect. I direct you to <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Funny-Thing-Happened-Broadway-Revival/dp/B000002SJO?ie=UTF8&tag=theat0e-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank">A Funny Thing Happened On The Way To The Forum</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=theat0e-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=B000002SJO" style="border: medium none ! important; margin: 0px ! important; padding: 0px ! important;" width="1" /> (or Forum as it will be known from here on in). I know many of you reading will be fans of this show (as I know many of you reading will be friends of min</span><span style="color: #ffccff;"></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #ffccff;">So what does the future hold for Stephen Sondheim? And who will replace him when he is gone, in fact, will we ever have anyone to replace him? </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #ffccff;">This year, he'll just be doing a lot of celebrating and smiling to celebrities and audiences alike as the many tributes to the master of the musical keep popping up. There is little news of new shows being written but what do you expect from someone old enough to be my great grandad? (well, just) Road Show (or whatever it is called now) still seems to be in developing hell following an out of town tryout, whether it ever makes it to Broadway no one knows. Perhaps, much like the numerous <span class="goog-spellcheck-word">Kander</span> and Ebb musicals that have posthumously crept out of the woodwork, we will have to wait until Sondheim dies to fully appreciate works like Road Show and Saturday Night that have never been seen on the White Way. In my dream world Evening Primrose will be resurrected in some form so that I can see it! It is sad to think that one this amazing man will be gone but it is inevitable and so we look to the next generation of songwriters to provide the ambitious and ingenious shows that Broadway so desperately needs. Strangely my dad asked me this exact question last week, I didn't think he cared that much! </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_RwxcEXaPnXA/S746KoG_ObI/AAAAAAAAAJo/iiTOoB1TGfc/s1600/13600.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5457863752659450290" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_RwxcEXaPnXA/S746KoG_ObI/AAAAAAAAAJo/iiTOoB1TGfc/s320/13600.jpg" style="height: 183px; margin-top: 0px; width: 320px;" /></a></div><br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #ffccff;">13, or Jason Robert Brown- the early years</span></div></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #ffccff;"><span style="background-color: #a64d79;"><span style="background-color: #a64d79;"></span></span></span></div><br />
<span style="color: #ffccff;">The obvious answer would be Michael John La <span class="goog-spellcheck-word">Chiusa</span> for it is he (with the stupidly long name) that is associated with the 'intellegent' musical. My issue is that La <span class="goog-spellcheck-word">Chiusa's</span> music is hardly catchy and I find his shows being intelligent and intricate for intelligence's sake. Some of his stuff is good- Little Fish featured some nice numbers, as did The Wild Party. Perhaps if he stuck to just writing the music and the lyrics and let someone else deal with the book we could have a future Sondheim on our hands. Another writer being touted as the next Sondheim is Jason Robert Brown. OK people just because two people are Jewish it does not make them the same! Whilst I do appreciate Jason's music, I find it a bit samey (lots of quavers in the piano part and smug jazz solos) and when he does try something different it doesn't turn out as well (*cough* 13 *cough*). He also relies a bit too much on his own life for inspiration and ideas- both The Last Five Years are essentially biographies of different moments in his life. Adam <span class="goog-spellcheck-word">Guettel</span> could also fit the Sondheim mould- smart, intelligent musicals based on interesting source material. I find <span class="goog-spellcheck-word">Guettel's</span> musical, whilst beautiful and sweeping, a little dull- if he could have a more commercial hit or two he could be in with a chance of Sondheim's crown.in</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #ffccff;">If you'd asked me this question a few years ago, my two personal favourites to follow in the footsteps of Stephen were Laurence "call me Larry" <span class="goog-spellcheck-word">O'Keefe</span> and Andrew <span class="goog-spellcheck-word">Lippa</span>. <span class="goog-spellcheck-word">Lippa</span>, another Jew, wrote the incredible The Wild Party, taking inspiration from <span class="goog-spellcheck-word">Kander</span> and Ebb, twenties Jazz, Salsa and Sondheim himself to create a wonderfully dark and sordid tale of sex, drugs and violence- it's still one of my favourite musicals. He went on to write a musical adaptation of A Little Princess, one of the most memorable books from my childhood, from what I've heard of it this was equally as clever and lyrical as the Wild Party. <span class="goog-spellcheck-word">Lippa's</span> latest venture is The Addams Family on Broadway and it is here where my love of his music takes a dip. I've heard some pretty bad things about this show and fear this may be where <span class="goog-spellcheck-word">Lippa</span> loses his credibility which would be a shame. Laurence O' Keefe has also followed in a similar vain, Bat boy was a terribly witty and self knowing show based on some crazy source material. Although I am biased as this was the first show I performed in, it is still one of the shows I haven't tired of. <span class="goog-spellcheck-word">O'Keefe's</span> big break came with Legally <span class="goog-spellcheck-word">Blonde</span>, co-penned with his wife Nell Benjamin. Whilst I do have a soft spot for the show and it is still the witty, clever musical you'd expect from Larry, it is wrapped up in a huge mountain of fluff and pink. Sadly, in this climate, the balance between economical success and critical acclaim is hard to achieve.</span></div><br />
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</script>Lucyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14793816357577481239noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1535782198376745241.post-25034688219710397412010-03-19T15:53:00.010+00:002010-04-23T17:26:43.309+01:00Straight Plays. Yes look at me aren't I grown up...<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_RwxcEXaPnXA/S6d3pYeaWgI/AAAAAAAAAIQ/UvDBGQ7G7NA/s1600-h/23457_378330642662_508242662_3737179_3734972_n.jpg"><span style="color: #ffccff;"></span></a><span style="color: #ffccff;"> Apologies for any dodgy typos, I'm typing this in the lab whilst running UV <span class="goog-spellcheck-word">Vis</span> spectra every 15 minute- not enough time to go away and do something else but enough time to get bored. UV <span class="goog-spellcheck-word">Vis</span> goes something like this; put sample in, press button, press button 15 minutes later and so on. I'm also wearing <span class="goog-spellcheck-word">nitrile</span> gloves which keep sticking to the keyboard and safety specs and a lab coat. Oh the glamour of Chemistry.<br />
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<div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_RwxcEXaPnXA/S6d3pYeaWgI/AAAAAAAAAIQ/UvDBGQ7G7NA/s1600/23457_378330642662_508242662_3737179_3734972_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5451457426783623682" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_RwxcEXaPnXA/S6d3pYeaWgI/AAAAAAAAAIQ/UvDBGQ7G7NA/s320/23457_378330642662_508242662_3737179_3734972_n.jpg" style="height: 214px; margin-top: 0px; width: 320px;" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #ffccff;"><span style="color: #a64d79;"><span class="goog-spellcheck-word">Dramsoc's</span> production of Noises Off </span></span></div><br />
<span style="color: #ffccff;">So tonight, in order to both cheer myself up and pay them back for seeing our show, I saw <span class="goog-spellcheck-word">Dramsoc's</span> production of <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Noises-Off-Michael-Caine/dp/B0000DZTOM?ie=UTF8&tag=theat0e-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank">Noises Off</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=theat0e-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=B0000DZTOM" style="border: medium none ! important; margin: 0px ! important; padding: 0px ! important;" width="1" />- the comical farce that everyone seems to love. It was amazing! And absolutely hilarious (see Boeing Boeing, this is how you do comedy) I don't want to go into a full review as that is not the point of this post and I also don't like reviewing student shows as they tend to involve many of my friends. Past <span class="goog-spellcheck-word">Dramsoc</span> productions have left a little to be desired although this may be down to the choice of material and not the efforts of the society. They seem to flit between almost pantomime-standard fantasy type pieces where I'm left cringing at some of the casting decisions to well executed period pieces that are just a little dull (but do have spectacular sets). So <span class="goog-spellcheck-word">Dramsoc</span> have finally decided to return to what they do best- comedy. And I'm pleased, especially as this year's <span class="goog-spellcheck-word">MTSoc</span> was generally a lot less comedic than in past years.<br />
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<div><span style="color: #ffccff;">I've been having a think about my history with plays (or as I tend to refer to them "straight plays" as technically a musical is a play too). My acting past shows a myriad of small plays usually written by our drama teacher that tended to be set in schools thus allowing for easily costumes and not much acting. From there I moved onto the school Christmas panto- a version of Peter Pan with tired jokes and eighties rock anthems. Not being <span class="goog-spellcheck-word">blonde</span> I was, of course, cast as Tiger Lily. After this, a select few were due to rehearse a serious piece about gambling called "High Stakes", I was to play the main characters' sister if the lead hadn't decided to not bother turning up to rehearsals. Thus ends my straight play acting life.<br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_RwxcEXaPnXA/S6d3wQUkZKI/AAAAAAAAAIY/4UT3S-ZR8Pk/s1600/equus.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5451457544853939362" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_RwxcEXaPnXA/S6d3wQUkZKI/AAAAAAAAAIY/4UT3S-ZR8Pk/s320/equus.jpg" style="height: 320px; margin-top: 0px; width: 256px;" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #ffccff;"><span style="color: #a64d79;">Daniel Radcliffe straddling a horse- nothing strange here, honest.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #ffccff;">For a long time I really wasn't interested in seeing plays, I was musical theatre girl and anything without singing would just seem dull or pointless. Until I saw <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Equus-Peter-Shaffer/dp/0743287304?ie=UTF8&tag=theat0e-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank">Equus</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=theat0e-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=0743287304" style="border: medium none ! important; margin: 0px ! important; padding: 0px ! important;" width="1" />. Yes I know, you think I went because of Daniel Radcliffe's penis and maybe I did but I came out barely having noticed it. What really struck me about the piece was how effective the spoken word (or even silence) could be. Emotions are heightened not by a song but by a facial expression or the way a line is delivered. I was really struck by how the entire story was presented within a small, simple setting with few props or colours to distract. This was acting at it's purist.</span></div><br />
<div><span style="color: #ffccff;">After that I began to pluck up the courage to see more plays, there has been the odd blooper- <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Happy-Days-Samuel-Beckett/dp/0571229166?ie=UTF8&tag=theat0e-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank">Happy Days</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=theat0e-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=0571229166" style="border: medium none ! important; margin: 0px ! important; padding: 0px ! important;" width="1" />, although an interesting concept and with the excellent Fiona Shaw as the lead, failed to capture my imagination. I don't think I'm quite at the age to understand Becket (plus I needed new glasses and so couldn't see everything), one day I'll realise the significance of his work but that day is not today. Another tick in the fail column would have to be Boeing Boeing- it just wasn't funny. Yes, Mark <span class="goog-spellcheck-word">Rylance</span> was good but I felt the cast were trying too hard to make themselves into caricatures. Yes you're going to tell me it was a farce but there's funny farce and there's <span class="goog-spellcheck-word">cringey</span> farce. This was <span class="goog-spellcheck-word">cringey</span> farce.<br />
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<div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_RwxcEXaPnXA/S6d39aToWjI/AAAAAAAAAIg/1bHV48devms/s1600/Gallery-Matt-Smith--Matt--003.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5451457770872658482" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_RwxcEXaPnXA/S6d39aToWjI/AAAAAAAAAIg/1bHV48devms/s320/Gallery-Matt-Smith--Matt--003.jpg" style="height: 214px; margin-top: 0px; width: 320px;" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #ffccff;"><span style="color: #a64d79;">Future Doctor Matt Smith in That Face </span></span></div><br />
<span style="color: #ffccff;">So what have been some of those saving graces that have really made me see the reason behind theatre and encourage me to explore the world of the straight play? High up on my list is That Face, the first straight play I ever reviewed for Felix. It was a damningly honest tale of a family in turmoil over the mother's alcoholism culminating in a tragic scene in which her son (possibly the only level headed person in the play) loses it under the pressure of looking after his fragile </span><span style="color: #ffccff;">mother. This son happened to be played by Matt Smith, now the new Doctor Who but at the time was a fresh young actor with bags of talent. The star name of the show was actually Lindsay Duncan, who isn't too well known outside theatre circles thus proving you don't need a celebrity to provide a brilliant and riveting play.<br />
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<div><span style="color: #ffccff;">Another high point was The Viewing Room starring Leonard Roberts of <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Heroes-Season-Three-Jack-Coleman/dp/B0024FAD9C?ie=UTF8&tag=theat0e-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank">Heroes </a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=theat0e-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=B0024FAD9C" style="border: medium none ! important; margin: 0px ! important; padding: 0px ! important;" width="1" />and <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Buffy-Vampire-Slayer-Collectors-discs/dp/B000AQ68RI?ie=UTF8&tag=theat0e-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank">Buffy </a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=theat0e-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=B000AQ68RI" style="border: medium none ! important; margin: 0px ! important; padding: 0px ! important;" width="1" />fame. Typecast as the strong silent type, Roberts, as the mysterious and slightly creepy prisoner, was able to break out of his niche and provide a captivating performance. I like it when actors do this; show the audience that they can be so much more than what we see on television, it's almost like a reward for theatregoers. Sheridan Smith as Elle Woods comes to mind as the perfect example of this category.</span></div><br />
<div><span style="color: #ffccff;">While a musical has to be big and happy to succeed in today's economic climate, there is more scope for creativity and the chance to explore darker themes in a play. I find it sad that musicals do not have the same opportunity to proceed forward, not every pop song or rock song or rap song is about the happier side of life so why should musical theatre songs have to be? My favourite songs are those about heartbreak or tragedy, they rip at your heartstrings and go somewhere a monologue in a play can't. I see plays because I'm interested in the subject matter or a specific performer. I see musicals because I'm interested in the writer or design. Have I really become so worn down by happy musicals or those with a lack of storyline that I no longer look for integrity and have to search further afield into the world of plays to find it?<br />
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</script>Lucyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14793816357577481239noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1535782198376745241.post-9587105908561047862010-03-15T14:06:00.019+00:002010-06-09T14:45:38.135+01:00Theatre Etiquette<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_RwxcEXaPnXA/S56zgPeYJDI/AAAAAAAAAHg/nWHb8uVY8Rw/s1600/14994_356576381923_517821923_4277617_1893863_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5448989965656007730" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_RwxcEXaPnXA/S56zgPeYJDI/AAAAAAAAAHg/nWHb8uVY8Rw/s320/14994_356576381923_517821923_4277617_1893863_n.jpg" style="height: 244px; margin-top: 0px; width: 394px;" /></a></div><br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #ffccff;"><span style="color: #a64d79;">Look its me! And my awesome friend Phil </span></span></div><br />
<span style="color: #ffccff;">Or at least I think that's how you spell etiquette; the <span class="goog-spellcheck-word">interwebs</span> doesn't seem to know either. So why is this my topic of the day? Well it may have something to do with that I'm sleep deprived, grumpy and suffering from post show blues. Or it might be to do with what happened on Friday.<br />
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</span><br />
<div><div><div><div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_RwxcEXaPnXA/S560yCXKLUI/AAAAAAAAAHo/IfHew2bjUh4/s1600/untitled.bmp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5448991370885344578" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_RwxcEXaPnXA/S560yCXKLUI/AAAAAAAAAHo/IfHew2bjUh4/s320/untitled.bmp" style="height: 277px; margin-top: 0px; width: 406px;" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #ffccff;"><span style="color: #a64d79;">The finale of <span class="goog-spellcheck-word">Batboy</span>- my first show </span></span></div><br />
<span style="color: #ffccff;">For those very few of you who read my blog but aren't part of my daily life I feel the need to fill you with what's been happening for the last couple of months (and my excuse for not posting regularly!). I've just finished a week of performances in Hair for Imperial <span class="goog-spellcheck-word">MTSoc</span>-it was amazing! I've never felt that sort of intense, <span class="goog-spellcheck-word">trippy</span> atmosphere in any musical I've been in. It was hard work but so worth it especially for me as I planted the seed of doing Hair over a year ago so I feel like things have come full circle not just with doing the show but within my musical theatre life at Imperial. My first show here was <span class="goog-spellcheck-word">Batboy</span>, I was 18, young, didn't really know what I was doing, somehow had a lead and developed an amazing support group around me. And here I was three years later having that same support group watching me out there on my own doing my thing and wanting to make them proud. I hope, no, think I succeeded. I don't usually make a point of making blatant, slushy acknowledgments but I did spend some of Saturday's show thinking how much I've grown as a person and an actor and there are three people who I really do owe a lot of it to (despite seeing them not often enough!). <a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_RwxcEXaPnXA/S560yCXKLUI/AAAAAAAAAHo/IfHew2bjUh4/s1600-h/untitled.bmp"><span style="color: #ffccff;"></span></a></span></div><div><span style="color: #ffccff;"><br />
</span></div><div><span style="color: #ffccff;">I finally saw Alex for the first time in years on Saturday. Alex played my Mum in <span class="goog-spellcheck-word">Batboy</span> and we did get close. She was this amazingly glamorous <span class="goog-spellcheck-word">belter</span> with a string of amazing performances behind her. When I got ill during show week she was the one to make sure I was able to continue </span><span style="color: #ffccff;">and look after me in this big scary world of theatre. I haven't seen her much since as she goes onto bigger and better things; now at the Royal Academy of Music. But the moment I saw her in the front row on Hair I just felt I had to make her proud and it was so nice to see her afterwards and just show her how much I've grown as a person. </span></div><div><span style="color: #ffccff;"><br />
</span></div><div><span style="color: #ffccff;">I still see <span class="goog-spellcheck-word">Seb</span> as my pseudo-father despite his leaving Imperial to do his own environmentally <span class="goog-spellcheck-word">thang</span>. <span class="goog-spellcheck-word">Seb</span> came from the same sort of background as me; hadn't done much theatre before Imperial but had spent much of his time whilst there invested in the society and enjoying both the onstage and offstage fun. Despite going through a rough patch after last year's "A Funny Thing Happened On The Way To The Forum", <span class="goog-spellcheck-word">Seb</span> has always been the person I turn to for advice or just generally to moan at. He's been through the same sort of things as I have and is kind of like that big brother I never had. <span class="goog-spellcheck-word">Seb</span> and Alex always believed in me and I hope in some way that my performance in Hair showed them that their belief was well worth it.</span></div><div><span style="color: #ffccff;"><br />
</span></div><div><span style="color: #ffccff;">And finally Dale, my original Gay Best Friend (although I don't think he really likes that title). Dale was my director in <span class="goog-spellcheck-word">Batboy</span> and general instigator of drunken fun (mainly consisting of my mentioning of Jason Robert Brown and him going absolutely crazy). I love Dale to pieces, he's one of those people who even after just seeing them you already miss them. He understands my obsession with theatre and we can share (and angrily debate) all things show-based. I always feel that he generally wants to see me and chat and is genuinely interested in what I have to say.</span></div><div><span style="color: #ffccff;"><br />
</span></div><div><span style="color: #ffccff;">To all three of you, I love you all and we really should have some sort of self-indulgent <span class="goog-spellcheck-word">Batboy</span> reunion. Rob can come too.</span></div><div><span style="color: #ffccff;"><span class="goog-spellcheck-word">Ok</span>, I wasn't expecting all that gushing to come out just then but it did, and I'm glad. And so back to our topic- theatre etiquette</span></div><div><span style="color: #ffccff;"><br />
</span></div><div><span style="color: #ffccff;">Alex, <span class="goog-spellcheck-word">Seb</span> and Dale weren't the only people to see Hair this week; after much nagging, members of my lab turned up on Friday. In some ways I wish they hadn't. Most of them were well behaved and really enjoyed the show but a few decided to get wasted beforehand and things got a little messy. Literally. The first I knew of Friday's antics was when the director came up to me at the interval and asked if the group at the back were my friends. I replied that they were probably my lab group and what</span><span style="color: #ffccff;"> had they done? I had already heard a overly loud amount of cheering after my song but put this down to them trying to make me feel happier. What I didn't know is they had to be told to be quiet by the director after talking through much of the act and that one of them had vomited over the back row. Nice.<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_RwxcEXaPnXA/S561auuezwI/AAAAAAAAAHw/Ru05bbgfSFU/s1600-h/14994_356576301923_517821923_4277611_6773977_n.jpg"><span style="color: #ffccff;"></span></a></span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_RwxcEXaPnXA/S561auuezwI/AAAAAAAAAHw/Ru05bbgfSFU/s1600/14994_356576301923_517821923_4277611_6773977_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5448992069989093122" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_RwxcEXaPnXA/S561auuezwI/AAAAAAAAAHw/Ru05bbgfSFU/s320/14994_356576301923_517821923_4277611_6773977_n.jpg" style="height: 251px; margin-top: 0px; width: 428px;" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #ffccff;"><span style="color: #a64d79;">The cast of Hair. Not <span class="goog-spellcheck-word">vomitting</span>.</span></span></div></div><div><br />
<span style="color: #ffccff;">I was mortified by their behaviour and, although they have apologised, I feel that people need to learn to have a bit of respect for the arts. What you do in a rugby match and what you do at a play are completely different things (although I think if I vomited over your pitch you wouldn't be too happy with me). I spend quite a lot of time on the boards at <span class="goog-spellcheck-word">Broadwayworld</span>.com although I post very little, and the subject of audience behaviour comes up fairly often. The standards of theatre behaviour really have gone down since I say my first show at the age of 5. Then, the theatre was still something exciting, for the elite, for the cultured. Now it is starting to become a tourist trap and little else. Lets take the old school rules of theatre and show you how they should be followed now shall we? </span></div><ul><li><span style="color: #ffccff;"><span style="color: #ff99ff;"><span style="color: white;">What to <span class="goog-spellcheck-word">wear</span></span>.</span> </span></li>
</ul><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_RwxcEXaPnXA/S561h9-IHVI/AAAAAAAAAIA/qXnYEu5FAv0/s1600/25646_369491216923_517821923_4308133_6540827_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5448992194340330834" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_RwxcEXaPnXA/S561h9-IHVI/AAAAAAAAAIA/qXnYEu5FAv0/s320/25646_369491216923_517821923_4308133_6540827_n.jpg" style="height: 265px; margin-top: 0px; width: 408px;" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #ffccff;"><span style="color: #a64d79;">The incomparable Rob <span class="goog-spellcheck-word">Felstead</span> as Claude. This is the sad bit! </span></span></div><br />
<span style="color: #ffccff;">When I was a kid going to theatre meant going with mum to <span class="goog-spellcheck-word">BHS</span> to buy an entire new outfit because I wanted to show to Shane Richie and Sonia how trendy I was. <span class="goog-spellcheck-word">Ok</span>, this was my first show Grease and I seemed to think that the stars of the show would see me. I'm still that way though, unlike the theatre where you go in when it is dark and leave when it is <span class="goog-spellcheck-word">d</span></span><span style="color: #ffccff;">ark you can actually see everyone around you for prolonged periods of time. I still see the theatre as something special and, just like when I got to a nice restaurant, I want to show those working at the theatre that I do appreciate where I am and the theatre isn't just somewhere to go after a few drinks. Fair enough, I'm not going to go in a full out ballgown like our contemporaries in the the earlier half of last century would. But I'm not going to turn up in what is effectively a long t-shirt (I kid you not, a girl wore that exact outfit to The 39 Steps- not even a pair of tights underneath!). If I am to go to the theatre, even on a comp seat, I'll dress to suit the show. For something a bit more contemporary, like Rent Remixed I'd go for a nice denim skirt/shirt combo. If its a grand show in a grand theatre, maybe a cute little dress. But I don't think I've worn jeans to a theatre, it just doesn't seem right. So, fair enough, Hair was a student show and thus what you wear doesn't particularly affect me but I would prefer if you didn't have that 'just out of the lab and I can't be arsed' look about you.<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_RwxcEXaPnXA/S561h9-IHVI/AAAAAAAAAIA/qXnYEu5FAv0/s1600-h/25646_369491216923_517821923_4308133_6540827_n.jpg"><span style="color: #ffccff;"></span></a></span><br />
<ul style="color: white;"><li>What to say </li>
</ul><div><span style="color: #ffccff;">Frankly I don't care what you say before the show or during the interval. Although certain things do annoy me like talking about how much you are obsessed with this show and then getting really simple facts about it wrong. Trust me, I probably know more. I also don't <span class="goog-spellcheck-word">appreciate</span></span><span style="color: #ffccff;"> people who won't take me seriously as a critic because I look like a 16 year old- I know a lot more than you think and probably more than your other critics. During the show you really shouldn't speak at all. It's a well known fact. In the olden days people appreciated the theatre as an <span class="goog-spellcheck-word">artform</span> and came to see a play, not sing/speak along with it. I don't mind the odd remark, I'm guilty of that but running commentaries are most definitely out. Especially if you are one of those people listed above. What is especially rude is if you aren't even talking about the show and are instead going about your everyday conversation as if you were in a cafe. The amazing thing is that we can hear everything as we are the well behaved people who keep quiet.<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_RwxcEXaPnXA/S561azPZn9I/AAAAAAAAAH4/AtsuZlNzAFg/s1600-h/25646_369491426923_517821923_4308145_186213_n.jpg"><span style="color: #ffccff;"></span></a></span></div><ul><li><span style="color: #ff99ff;">What you do</span></li>
</ul><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_RwxcEXaPnXA/S561azPZn9I/AAAAAAAAAH4/AtsuZlNzAFg/s1600/25646_369491426923_517821923_4308145_186213_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5448992071200907218" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_RwxcEXaPnXA/S561azPZn9I/AAAAAAAAAH4/AtsuZlNzAFg/s320/25646_369491426923_517821923_4308145_186213_n.jpg" style="height: 247px; margin-top: 0px; width: 432px;" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #ffccff;"><span style="color: #a64d79;">Our future choreographer James going slightly <span class="goog-spellcheck-word">mental</span></span> </span></div><br />
<span style="color: #ffccff;">This is the big one as it covers many a sin. Firstly mobiles and blackberries. I hate this enough when I'm in the cinema but at the theatre is just taking the piss. Fair enough I can't turn my phone off as it has some sort of strange problem where when I turn it back on it vibrates like mad and won't stop playing Defying Gravity. So I put it on silent and shove it far into my bag. And check it before the show. And check it at the interview. Not for messages but just to make sure its on silent.</span></div><div><span style="color: #ffccff;"><br />
Food. Yes I can be a cheapskate and sneak in my own food from time to time but I'll only eat it surreptitiously during the interval. If I'm not feeling to well I may extend this to having a mint to settle my stomach during the show. But why would you feel the need to start eating crisps and sweets during a show? You only have to wait just over an hour until the interval surely you can manage til then? (Unless you're a diabetic where it is perfectly fine and you are probably used to eating very quietly and understand how disruptive it could be)</span></div><div><br />
<span style="color: #ffccff;">Drinking. I know that some theatres will let you take your drinks into the auditorium but please don't leave it in the way for us all to trip over. The other peril is that you have to much drink and turn into my lab group. THIS IS NOT ACCEPTABLE THEATRE BEHAVIOUR. Amazingly we have also paid money to see the show and don't want to feel like we're back <a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_RwxcEXaPnXA/S562lh1KJUI/AAAAAAAAAII/YnJHFR0Fdi4/s1600-h/24214_361330766923_517821923_4285653_3489886_n.jpg"><span style="color: #ffccff;"></span></a>in the student union. I've seen many shows I don't like and instead of passing them by getting rat-<span class="goog-spellcheck-word">assed</span> I use my time constructively and critique the show in readiness for a post on this dear blog. You wouldn't get so drunk that you couldn't concentrate at a cinema, so why at a theatre when even the people in the story can see you? Especially when you pay so much money to go to the theatre, it's just a waste of a ticket that someone who longs to go but can't afford to could have used.</span></div><div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_RwxcEXaPnXA/S562lh1KJUI/AAAAAAAAAII/YnJHFR0Fdi4/s1600/24214_361330766923_517821923_4285653_3489886_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5448993355017626946" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_RwxcEXaPnXA/S562lh1KJUI/AAAAAAAAAII/YnJHFR0Fdi4/s320/24214_361330766923_517821923_4285653_3489886_n.jpg" style="height: 320px; margin-top: 0px; width: 213px;" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #ffccff;"><span style="color: #a64d79;">Yeah, it's me <span class="goog-spellcheck-word">again</span></span> </span></div><br />
<span style="color: #ffccff;">I'm not trying to be a killjoy but you wouldn't behave like this in an art gallery or a museum so why do we take such liberties with another <span class="goog-spellcheck-word">artform</span>? It is fine to enjoy the theatre and indulge in what you are seeing but it's when someone who obviously doesn't want to be there decides to ruin it for the rest of use that I get a bit pissed. </span></div><span style="color: #ffccff;">Rant over. Oh, and as there aren't many pictures you can use to illustrate theatre etiquette, I've peppered this piece with pics from our production of Hair (because I can) and maybe one from <span class="goog-spellcheck-word">Batboy</span>. Kudos to </span><a href="http://www.elysemarksphotography.com/"><span style="color: #ffccff;">http://</span><span style="color: #cc33cc;">www.<span class="goog-spellcheck-word">elysemarksphotography</span>.com/</span></a><span style="color: #cc33cc;">.</span></div></div></div></div>Lucyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14793816357577481239noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1535782198376745241.post-64408195619224896492010-02-26T16:13:00.007+00:002010-04-23T17:36:32.054+01:00Dude! (I Got Tu Go Disco)<div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_RwxcEXaPnXA/S5pZL5wd-yI/AAAAAAAAAHI/wdTsdekPGDU/s1600-h/GerGaltDude.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5447764760275581730" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_RwxcEXaPnXA/S5pZL5wd-yI/AAAAAAAAAHI/wdTsdekPGDU/s320/GerGaltDude.jpg" style="float: left; height: 320px; margin: 0px 10px 10px 0px; width: 175px;" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #ffccff;">Yes, please do note the intentional [title of show] pun.<br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #ffccff;">So, where were we? Oh yes, the works of <span class="goog-spellcheck-word">Galt</span> <span class="goog-spellcheck-word">Macdermot</span> and his fellow Hair alumni Gerome <span class="goog-spellcheck-word">Ragni</span> and James <span class="goog-spellcheck-word">Rado</span>. So <span class="goog-spellcheck-word">that'll</span> be <i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Dude-1972-Original-Cast-Members/dp/B000004CQ7?ie=UTF8&tag=theat0e-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank">Dude</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=theat0e-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=B000004CQ7" style="border: medium none ! important; margin: 0px ! important; padding: 0px ! important;" width="1" />, the Highway Life- </i>the second work by these collaborators and the last to appear on Broadway. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #ffccff;">Dude again took its inspiration from those great texts of the past; in this case Shakespeare and the Bible. According to <span class="goog-spellcheck-word">wikipedia</span> (the font of all knowledge) the plot goes a little like this:</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #ffccff;">"Reba and Harold, actors who believe they have been cast in </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_III_%28play%29" title="Richard III (play)"><span style="color: #ffccff;">Richard III</span></a><span style="color: #ffccff;">, instead find themselves portraying </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adam_and_Eve" title="Adam and Eve"><span style="color: #ffccff;">Adam and Eve</span></a><span style="color: #ffccff;"> in a </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Garden_of_Eden" title="Garden of Eden"><span style="color: #ffccff;">Garden of Eden</span></a><span style="color: #ffccff;">-like setting, where they are tempted by Zero (the </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Devil" title="Devil"><span style="color: #ffccff;">devil</span></a><span style="color: #ffccff;">) and give birth to son Dude. The forces of Good (#33, Bread, Susie Moon, Mother Earth, and the <span class="goog-spellcheck-word">Shubert</span> Angels) and Evil (Zero, Nero, <span class="goog-spellcheck-word">Esso</span>, Extra, and Sissy) try to gain control of Dude's soul. Dude grows up and succumbs to the temptations of bizarre </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sexual_intercourse" title="Sexual intercourse"><span style="color: #ffccff;">sexual practices</span></a><span style="color: #ffccff;"> and illicit </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Recreational_drug_use" title="Recreational drug use"><span style="color: #ffccff;">drugs</span></a><span style="color: #ffccff;">, leaving his parents guilt-ridden, until Guide #33 (</span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/God" title="God"><span style="color: #ffccff;">God</span></a><span style="color: #ffccff;">) assures them that life is merely show business and everything has a happy ending."</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #ffccff;">This story doesn't sound to implausible; <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Jerry-Springer-Opera-Richard-Thomas/dp/B0000TSRII?ie=UTF8&tag=theat0e-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank">Jerry Springer</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=theat0e-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=B0000TSRII" style="border: medium none ! important; margin: 0px ! important; padding: 0px ! important;" width="1" /> addressed the fight between good and evil in a much more controversial manner, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Tommy-Who/dp/B000002OZY?ie=UTF8&tag=theat0e-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank">Tommy </a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=theat0e-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=B000002OZY" style="border: medium none ! important; margin: 0px ! important; padding: 0px ! important;" width="1" />and <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Taboo-2003-Original-Broadway-Cast/dp/B00028HBSY?ie=UTF8&tag=theat0e-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank">Taboo </a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=theat0e-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=B00028HBSY" style="border: medium none ! important; margin: 0px ! important; padding: 0px ! important;" width="1" />both address a young man growing up and dabbling in bizarre sexual practices and illicit drugs. Plus every good old Broadway show ends with a happy everything. To me the plot sounds like a message to Broadway about the development of contemporary theatre and that in the end it is only theatre.<br />
<br />
But you don't expect <span class="goog-spellcheck-word">Rado</span> and <span class="goog-spellcheck-word">Ragni</span> to approach the plot in a conventional manner do you? Of course not. With Eugene Lee on board as designer, the entire Broadway Theatre was gutted and replaced with a theatre in the round, placing the various parts of the orchestra at different sides of the theatre. Did no one ever think about acoustics in those days? This probably explains why I can't think of any success musicals that have been performed in the round- even the <span class="goog-spellcheck-word">Donmar</span> Warehouse has a vague front to it. In addition to this reconfigured stage, attempts were made to transform it into a primeval forest using real dirt. Way to go Eugene, dry dirt caused dusty faced audiences and attempts to control it with water led to mucky faced audiences. Eventually a fake dirt compromise was reached after also cutting the real chickens that were intended to wander the stage. Lee basically threw everything at this show- walkways, ramps, seated areas, trapdoors, even trapezes. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_RwxcEXaPnXA/S5pZRAyni-I/AAAAAAAAAHQ/JREEmcxc9z4/s1600-h/Dude2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5447764848062991330" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_RwxcEXaPnXA/S5pZRAyni-I/AAAAAAAAAHQ/JREEmcxc9z4/s320/Dude2.jpg" style="float: right; height: 194px; margin: 0px 0px 10px 10px; width: 320px;" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #ffccff;">The actors weren't the only people to find themselves going through a strange, radical experience; the audience were also left slightly bemused. Instead of <span class="goog-spellcheck-word">orches</span><span class="goog-spellcheck-word">tra</span>, mezzanine and balcony we had valleys and foothills, mountains and mountain tops and tree tops and trees respectively. I quite like this as the <span class="goog-spellcheck-word">hoity</span> <span class="goog-spellcheck-word">toity</span> would enjoy the novelty- "Oh look darling tonight we sitting in the foothills, guffaw" and those who could not afford the good seats had no way of showing it- instead of last row in the balcony, you'll be sitting in the tree tops. Much more romantic.<br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #ffccff;">And here is where the problems start. By splitting up the orchestra, acoustics were a real problem especially if you happened to find yourself right by brass section! Another issue with in the round theatre is that a large portion of the action, especially in dialogue scenes will only visible and audible to certain areas of the audience.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #ffccff;">It wasn't just the sound designer who was having a nightmare of a time, during previews the director and choreographer both resigned, being replaced by <span class="goog-spellcheck-word">Rado</span> and Ragnis' old friend Tom <span class="goog-spellcheck-word">O'Horgan</span> (director of Hair) at short notice. After complaints from both the cast and creative team <span class="goog-spellcheck-word">Ragni</span> finally addressed the mammoth task of rewriting much of the show including replacing a 23 year old Dude with an 11 year old Dude. Just a few minor tweaks then.<br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #ffccff;">So one would think that despite these chaotic scenes backstage surely <span class="goog-spellcheck-word">Rado</span>, <span class="goog-spellcheck-word">Ragni</span> and <span class="goog-spellcheck-word">Macdermot</span> can pull it out of the bag again? Nope, the critics hated and audiences just didn't want all the fuss of getting confused about where they'd be sitting or the risk of getting a bit grubby.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #ffccff;">So now we address why? I get the feeling that <span class="goog-spellcheck-word">Ragni</span> and <span class="goog-spellcheck-word">Rado</span> were on a bit of an ego trip following Hair. Dude sounds like the sort of show that would fit in with off-Broadway today not the stuffy Broadway of the early seventies but because of their stature within the community, they could straight to the Great White Way. The creative pair had <span class="goog-spellcheck-word">carte</span> <span class="goog-spellcheck-word">blanche</span> because producers were desperate to make the next Hair. I'm all for creativity on the stage but <span class="goog-spellcheck-word">Ragni</span> took this a step too far by not thinking about the practicalities. Real dirt, whilst a romantic idea, is a logistics nightmare as are livestock- what if someones allergic? </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #ffccff;">I get the feeling that <span class="goog-spellcheck-word">Ragni</span> insisted that he was running the show despite having no experience as a director, choreographer, musical director, etc. I can imagine this would really rub some people up the wrong way.<br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #ffccff;">Yet I don't feel like I want to lay all the blame on Gerome <span class="goog-spellcheck-word">Ragni</span>; musicals are a collaborative effort with many different factors that must be woven into each other to get it right. Whereas my examination of Via <span class="goog-spellcheck-word">Galactica</span> took the post modernist approach of finding the piece that was missing from the jigsaw, the fate of Dude! is less clear cut. Even though I love his work, I think Eugene Lee went a bit too far in creating an all round environment in a theatre that was never made for anything but traditional proscenium arch based shows. The producers were pretty much out of their depth- should you really go trusting lots of your money on some guys that spend most of their days stoned?</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #ffccff;"></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #ffccff;">And so finally I address a huge contributing factor that has nothing to do with anyone involved in the show. Timing. Although I know no one is ever going to want to revise Dude! I feel it may have had a more successful life if it had arrived thirty years later. In the early seventies, Broadway was nearing the end of a prosperous time that had seen so much progress in the world of the musical. Soon the great British super musical would arrive and metaphorically piss over creativity. If scaled back slightly and set in a more suitable theatre, it could have made a nice little earning off-Broadway and would have a been a good stepping-stone for young actors. Although we still see a lot of the same old film based musicals on Broadway, off Broadway has become much more creative (strangely) in the years since 9/11. Instead Dude! went up to that great show graveyard in the sky (or possibly in that church that used to be a theatre on Broadway) </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
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<span style="color: #ffccff;"></span></div>Lucyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14793816357577481239noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1535782198376745241.post-86977241313459117382010-02-19T12:22:00.009+00:002010-06-10T16:58:02.822+01:00OMG! I Interviewed Stephanie J Block!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_RwxcEXaPnXA/S36EKrciLvI/AAAAAAAAAG4/RNkGX1m1-gg/s1600-h/SJB_Color_300dpi.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="background-color: black;"><img alt="" border="0" height="253" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5439930718906101490" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_RwxcEXaPnXA/S36EKrciLvI/AAAAAAAAAG4/RNkGX1m1-gg/s400/SJB_Color_300dpi.jpg" style="height: 253px; margin: 0px 10px 10px 0px; width: 320px;" width="320" /></span></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: black; color: #a64d79;">Stephanie J Block</span></div><span style="background-color: black;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="background-color: black; color: #ff99ff;">Yeah, I got a bit excited. No one else did. Not even when I told my editor that I was putting an interview with a Broadway leading lady into his paper. British people suck. So I'm hoping you darling readers of my blog (all 7 or so of you) will be more appreciative and will also appreciate the pictures that were intended to go with the article.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: black; color: #ffccff;">Most of you will never have heard of Stephanie J. Block, but to those of you who have, the news of her first solo outing in London is a big deal. On Broadway she is a leading lady with an amazing voice, having appeared alongside Hugh <span class="goog-spellcheck-word">Jackman</span> in <i>The Boy From Oz</i>, held her own as Judy <span class="goog-spellcheck-word">Bernly</span> in <i>9 to 5 The Musical</i> and originating the role of <span class="goog-spellcheck-word">Elphaba</span> in the workshop productions of <i>Wicked</i>.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: black; color: #ffccff;">Following a successful appearance in Scott Alan's <i>Just Me...And Them</i> <span class="goog-spellcheck-word">SimG</span> productions have brought her back for her very own concert at the New Players Theatre which looks set to be an awesome event. I got to speak to Stephanie in preparation for this concert and I must say I was bloody excited to be speaking to someone of such high calibre on the Broadway Scene.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: black; color: #ffccff;"></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_RwxcEXaPnXA/S36EOibrHWI/AAAAAAAAAHA/VOposTrqjKE/s1600-h/bfo1press.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="background-color: black;"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5439930785206050146" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_RwxcEXaPnXA/S36EOibrHWI/AAAAAAAAAHA/VOposTrqjKE/s320/bfo1press.jpg" style="height: 320px; margin: 0px 0px 10px 10px; width: 213px;" /></span></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #ffccff;"><span style="background-color: black;"><b> </b><span style="color: #a64d79;">Stephanie as Liza Minnelli with Hugh <span class="goog-spellcheck-word">Jackman</span></span></span><b><br />
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<span style="color: #ffccff;"><span style="background-color: black;"><b>How did your concert at the New Player’s Theatre come about? How do you find the intimate concert atmosphere in comparison to being on a huge stage?</b><br />
I performed in London late last year with Scott Alan. Simon <span class="goog-spellcheck-word">Greiff</span> produced Scott's concert(s) and it was beautifully presented, with a lot of care and class. Simon asked if I would be interested in bringing my solo concert to the West End and I was thrilled! There is something really special about performing in an intimate setting as one's self. I began performing in jazz clubs here in NYC in 2004 and found that I absolutely loved it. It's a vulnerable position to be in... standing alone on stage sharing your personal stories and favorite music. But it is highly gratifying.<br />
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<b>What do you have planned for the concert? Any special surprises? And please say you’ll sing Get Out and Stay Out as I love that song!</b><br />
I am not going to tell you my set list... You must attend the concert to know the music. :) But, yes, there will be some surprises and I will be singing GET OUT AND STAY OUT!<br />
<b>I saw you in Scott Alan’s “Just Me… and Them” concert last year, how did it feel to be making your London debut? And how do you feel London audiences compare to Broadway audiences?</b>I was extremely nervous coming to perform in London, but I had the buffer of Scott Alan. I know how much he is loved over there. And that helped to settle my nerves. I found a VERY warm welcome when I stepped onstage and I can only hope that happens this time around. I never expect any particular response from any audience whether it be a regional, Broadway or a London crowd. You have to earn an audience's appreciation, respect and response. I plan on "earning it" on the Feb. 28th.<br />
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<b>This is your second trip to London within a year, what do you enjoy most about London and if you ever get to just be a tourist, where are your favourite places to go?</b> <br />
The last time around, I did have some time to be a tourist. I did a little Christmas shopping in <span class="goog-spellcheck-word">Notting</span> Hill. I saw the National Theatre's production of WAR HORSE... incredible! And I was able to spend time with some dear friends. This trip I will be taking a day to give a master class at <span class="goog-spellcheck-word">MTA</span>. Then there will be rehearsals with the band and guest vocalists (<span class="goog-spellcheck-word">Annalene</span> <span class="goog-spellcheck-word">Beechey</span>, Oliver <span class="goog-spellcheck-word">Tompsett</span> and, just recently on board, Hadley Fraser... sensational artists in their own right. I am so lucky and grateful to be able to share this experience with them). And then, of course, the 2 concerts on Sunday. So... I won't be able to play in London as much as I would have liked. But, I'm sure I'll enjoy a pint or 2.<br />
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<b>Would you like to appear on the West End (hint hint!)?</b><br />
YES! I would love to appear in a show on the West End. However, I am a wife and a mother (to a 4 lb. puppy). So I can't just pack my bags a commit to a West End contract. Beyond the joy of theatre there is life. My family and life will always be my first priority. As the character Fanny Brice says in FUNNY GIRL..." You can't take an audience home with you."<br />
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<b>Would you like to do more album based work and who would be your dream duet?</b><br />
I would love to do more recording. The beauty and the struggle of recording, though, lies in the process. With THIS PLACE I KNOW, I was not only the artist but the executive producer. I made sure every decision feel to me. It was exhausting but a true labor of love. So, that is the question I now ask myself... do I have the energy, finances and inspiration to produce another album? It would really have to be a theme and line up of songs that filled me with great passion. I am always thinking of what's next. As far as my "dream duet"... I have many. I would LOVE to sing with Ms. Streisand. To share a song with James Taylor would be THE ultimate. His voice, his vibe, his musicianship... it would be heaven. And of course, I always love singing with my husband, Sebastian <span class="goog-spellcheck-word">Arcelus</span>.<br />
<b>You’ve starred in shows alongside the likes of Hugh <span class="goog-spellcheck-word">Jackman</span> and Alison <span class="goog-spellcheck-word">Janney</span>, do you ever get starstruck? And who would you get starstruck meeting?</b>I was not star struck with Hugh or Allison because they were so laid back, welcoming and excited to get to work. Don't get me wrong, I always felt blessed and extremely lucky to work along side them. But you don't want your co-star to think they are going to be working with... a fan rather than a peer. They are actors. They love what they do. And they are counting on their fellow cast members to do their best work in order to create WITH them.<br />
If I was to become stage struck, it would be in the presence of Barbra Streisand, Julie Andrews, and Carol Burnett.</span><b><br />
<span style="background-color: black;">You’ve worked with some of the best songwriters in the business, whose work have you enjoyed performing most and is there anyone you would love to work with but haven’t had the chance to yet?</span></b><br />
<span style="background-color: black;">Well, I can't answer who's music I've enjoyed most. Every songs evokes a different emotion, a different story and you just can't rank them in an order. That's the genius of art. It's not black and white, 1-2-3, right or wrong. I do have several composers I would still love to work with. Stephen Sondheim tops my list, as well as John <span class="goog-spellcheck-word">Kander</span>. I adore the music of Adam <span class="goog-spellcheck-word" style="background-attachment: scroll; background-image: none; background-position: 0% 0%; background-repeat: repeat;">Guettel</span> and would find it a glorious challenge to sing one of his scores. I guess that's the goal... to be inspired AND challenged. These 3 composers certainly do that for me.</span><b><br />
<span style="background-color: black;">As the original <span class="goog-spellcheck-word">Elphaba</span> in the Wicked workshops, how do you feel about the show’s success and its impact on the theatre world?</span></b><span style="background-color: black;">I am <span class="goog-spellcheck-word" style="background-attachment: scroll; background-image: none; background-position: 0% 0%; background-repeat: repeat;">soooo</span> proud to have been a part of <span class="goog-spellcheck-word" style="background-attachment: scroll; background-image: none; background-position: 0% 0%; background-repeat: repeat;">WICKED's</span> initial workshops, the original company, the first <span class="goog-spellcheck-word" style="background-attachment: scroll; background-image: none; background-position: 0% 0%; background-repeat: repeat;">Nat'l</span> tour and the Broadway company. I've shared an 8 year relationship with WICKED and I am truly honored. I knew from the moment I read the script's first version that it would be a remarkable piece of theatre. The music was magical. The script was powerful and clever. And the creative team/ production team had an amazing pedigree. It all added up to equal great success. I will forever have a deep connection to the show and the role of <span class="goog-spellcheck-word">Elphaba</span>.</span><b><br />
<span style="background-color: black;">What would your ultimate dream role be? (Irrespective of gender!)</span></b><br />
<span style="background-color: black;">Fanny Brice in FUNNY GIRL.<br />
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<b>What would you say has been the most rewarding part you’ve played and why?</b><br />
Every role brings great reward and great heartache. As an artist, one invests so much time, love, tears, hard work in creating a role. You truly fall in love with the character you been bringing to "life". I have learned so much from each experience that it all has lead me to be the performer I am today. That's the reward... that you learn from each character, each challenge, each success and each flop.<br />
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<b>Can you give us any clues about what you’re up to next!?</b><br />
They are a few irons in the fire... but until a contract is signed... it doesn't exist.</span></span><script type="text/javascript">
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</script> <span style="background-color: black;"></span></div>Lucyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14793816357577481239noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1535782198376745241.post-9368016719324428462010-02-16T17:24:00.007+00:002010-04-23T18:03:57.353+01:00Big Broadway Mistakes<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_RwxcEXaPnXA/S3reGt-qn7I/AAAAAAAAAGo/uBQ_q9u8OVA/s1600/Via%2520Galactica-787718.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5438903707006312370" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_RwxcEXaPnXA/S3reGt-qn7I/AAAAAAAAAGo/uBQ_q9u8OVA/s320/Via%2520Galactica-787718.jpg" style="height: 297px; margin-top: 0px; width: 213px;" /></a></div><span style="color: #ffccff;"></span><span style="color: #ffccff;">I've decided to dedicate a little series to those great people who tried and failed to bring something new (</span><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_RwxcEXaPnXA/S3reGt-qn7I/AAAAAAAAAGo/uBQ_q9u8OVA/s1600-h/Via%2520Galactica-787718.jpg"><span style="color: #ffccff;"></span></a><span style="color: #ffccff;">or something crap) to the Great White Way. This week; <span class="goog-spellcheck-word">Ragni</span>, <span class="goog-spellcheck-word">Rado</span> and <span class="goog-spellcheck-word">McDermott</span>, generally because they've been on my mind a lot with our production of <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Hair-New-Broadway-Cast-Recording/dp/B0026OTQX0?ie=UTF8&tag=theat0e-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank">Hair </a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=theat0e-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=B0026OTQX0" style="border: medium none ! important; margin: 0px ! important; padding: 0px ! important;" width="1" />opening in three weeks and also because they have attempted some of the most audacious stuff ever tried on Broadway.</span> <br />
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<div><span style="color: #ffccff;"><span class="goog-spellcheck-word">McDermott</span> followed the mammoth success of Hair with <i>Via <span class="goog-spellcheck-word">Galactica</span></i> and <span class="goog-spellcheck-word">Ragni</span> and <span class="goog-spellcheck-word">Rado</span> with <i>Dude!</i> (which is referenced in the <a href="http://www.amazon.com/title-show-2006-Original-Off-Broadway/dp/B000G5SI80?ie=UTF8&tag=theat0e-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank">Title of Show</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=theat0e-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=B000G5SI80" style="border: medium none ! important; margin: 0px ! important; padding: 0px ! important;" width="1" /> ode to flops <i>Monkeys and Playbills</i>). Hair itself was a similar beast- a new concept that rocked the Broadway world and could have gone the same way as its descendants. </span></div><br />
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<div><span style="color: #ffccff;"><i>Via <span class="goog-spellcheck-word">Galactica</span></i> portrayed the lives of misfits living on an asteroid in 1972. Yeah way to go, what a great thing to base your musical, how are you planning to portray an asteroid on stage exactly? The production had a strong creative team behind it- <span class="goog-spellcheck-word">McDermott</span> was the more sensible member of the <i>Hair</i> creators and book and lyric writer Christopher Gore would go on to write the songs for <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Fame-Original-Soundtrack/dp/B002DYKW86?ie=UTF8&tag=theat0e-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank">Fame</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=theat0e-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=B002DYKW86" style="border: medium none ! important; margin: 0px ! important; padding: 0px ! important;" width="1" />. The cast included such stalwarts as Raul Julia, who would go on to originate the role of Guido in <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Nine-O-S-T-Various-Artists/dp/B002VXECD0?ie=UTF8&tag=theat0e-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank">Nine </a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=theat0e-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=B002VXECD0" style="border: medium none ! important; margin: 0px ! important; padding: 0px ! important;" width="1" />and Irene Cara who continued her professional relationship with Gore through her work as Coco Hernandez in <i>Fame</i>. Slightly embarrassingly the director; Peter Hall had previously founded the Roy</span><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_RwxcEXaPnXA/S3rdo77-RUI/AAAAAAAAAGg/CdlE_Zjjdy8/s1600-h/rauljulia.bmp"></a><span style="color: #ffccff;"><span class="goog-spellcheck-word">al</span> Shakespeare Company and had found directorial success with the English premiere of <i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Samuel-Beckett-Waiting-Critical-Interpretations/dp/0791097935?ie=UTF8&tag=theat0e-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank">Waiting for Godot</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=theat0e-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=0791097935" style="border: medium none ! important; margin: 0px ! important; padding: 0px ! important;" width="1" />.</i></span></div><br />
<span style="color: #ffccff;">Via <span class="goog-spellcheck-word">Galactica</span> appeared to have a solid director, a well known composer and a talented cast, so where did it go wrong? </span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_RwxcEXaPnXA/S3ret-06SYI/AAAAAAAAAGw/jG_gQjztkdI/s1600/ArticleGaltMacDermot.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5438904381543696770" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_RwxcEXaPnXA/S3ret-06SYI/AAAAAAAAAGw/jG_gQjztkdI/s320/ArticleGaltMacDermot.jpg" style="height: 236px; margin-top: 0px; width: 158px;" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #ffccff;"><span style="color: #a64d79;">The main (flop) man- Galt McDermott</span> </span></div><br />
<span style="color: #ffccff;">Obviously, I've never seen the production and so can only go on what I h</span><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_RwxcEXaPnXA/S3ret-06SYI/AAAAAAAAAGw/jG_gQjztkdI/s1600-h/ArticleGaltMacDermot.jpg"><span style="color: #ffccff;"></span></a><span style="color: #ffccff;">ave heard and the hard facts behind the show but there are still some obvious flaws in the plans. The biggest contributor has to be the book which is often the weak link in a show- look at most flops and you'll find an <span class="goog-spellcheck-word">incohesive</span> or <span class="goog-spellcheck-word">disinteresting</span> book covered up with some pretty <span class="goog-spellcheck-word">showtunes</span> and magical dancing girls. The main antagonist of the story was a dustbin man named Gabriel Finn, played by Julia but the story just didn't make any sense and theatre goers don't like it where stories don't make sense as they actually have to think. Who wants to pay lots of money to think? The failure of the book have been often cited as the reason for <i>Via <span class="goog-spellcheck-word">Galactica's</span> </i>premature closure but I think there is more to it. </span><br />
<span style="color: #ffccff;">Peter Hall was 42 when he directed the show, <span class="goog-spellcheck-word">McDermott</span> was getting on a bit and the producer, George W George was pushing 50. If it was in a similar vein as Hair as is suggested by having a book and lyric writer aged 28 and the composer of Hair, then would these more geriatric members of the creative team fit in with such as show? I can understand <span class="goog-spellcheck-word">McDermott</span> as he had already found success in a rock musical and George was there stump up the money. But Hall had come from a traditional background of directing Shakespeare, could he really conceive a futuristic rock musical? The answer appears to be no. In a move possible ahead of his time, Hall filled the show with cheap tricks- pyrotechnics, special effects and many giant trampolines (I assume to denote living in space). These cheap tricks would reappear much more successfully in the eighties (cough cough Andrew Lloyd <span class="goog-spellcheck-word">Webber</span> cough cough).<br />
</span><br />
<span style="color: #ffccff;">Just a few years after the Apollo 11 moon landings I would have thought audiences would have been interested in a show about space and all things sci-<span class="goog-spellcheck-word">fi</span>. I can even forgive the giant trampolines as at least someone was making an effort to depict space in the Uris theatre. It appears to me that Hall was directing a musical the way he perceived musicals- all froth and cheap tricks when he was putting on a show in a time of great musical change and discovery.<br />
</span><br />
<span style="color: #ffccff;">I think I'll split this tale into two halves as it seems to be getting rather long. Oops. More soon guys!</span><br />
<blockquote></blockquote><script type="text/javascript">
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</script></div></div>Lucyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14793816357577481239noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1535782198376745241.post-29683748639068566062010-01-29T16:17:00.011+00:002010-04-23T18:05:40.208+01:00The Diary of Anne Frank- Yes An Actual Serious Post<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_RwxcEXaPnXA/S2MZqCf419I/AAAAAAAAAFw/5ONt6iB5sEU/s1600/anne_frank_news.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5432213785554769874" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_RwxcEXaPnXA/S2MZqCf419I/AAAAAAAAAFw/5ONt6iB5sEU/s320/anne_frank_news.jpg" style="height: 189px; margin-top: 0px; width: 266px;" /></a></div><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_RwxcEXaPnXA/S2MZqCf419I/AAAAAAAAAFw/5ONt6iB5sEU/s1600-h/anne_frank_news.jpg"><span style="color: #ffccff;"></span></a><span style="color: #ffccff;">Wow this must be a record, three posts in one week. Or it just means I'm back in labs.<br />
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Anyway I'm going slightly off topic today for a more meaningful yet less theatrical post that has been hanging around my head for a few days. As a nice interlude to my evenings I've been re-watching the <span class="goog-spellcheck-word">BBC's</span> production of the Diary of Anne Frank (which they annoyingly spread across three weeks). Now everyone knows the story of the plucky young girl who hid in the attic from the Nazis only to be caught only months from liberation eventually dying in a concentration camp from tuberculosis.<br />
<br />
But there were two aspects of this adaptation that caught my attention. The first was Anne's blossoming relationship with Peter Van <span class="goog-spellcheck-word">Dann</span> and her discovery of her body and her sexuality. I assume my reason for not knowing this was that most coverage of Anne Frank's diary took place at school which is hardly a forum for discussing sex. Thinking about it there may be another reason. The bible has always been thought to have been doctored to cut out anything unpleasant or derogatory to Jesus and I think the same has been done to dear St Anne. We try to make out that she is a sweet innocent girl who harmlessly posts about her struggle- the poster child for Nazi brutality. But she was also a teenager; she didn't always get on with her parents, she didn't always do the right thing and she was going through puberty. We tend to ignore this and just go for the hardship of living in cramped conditions in fear of you life the entire time. Whilst I can't relate to Anne's situation- the part that is most often emphasised, I can relate to Anne's feelings of loneliness and inability to fit in with those around her who all seem to be getting on perfectly.<br />
<br />
<span class="goog-spellcheck-word">Re-watching</span> the series really brought this back to me even if Anne's world was a tad smaller than my own, her experiences were just concentrated into a confined space which always brings the worst out of people. I feel that if teenage girls were taught about this part of Anne's life they would probably find the diary more interesting and less of "something we have to read in English class". I've always found that English classes suck the life out of anything you read (hence my dislike of them teaching Shakespeare and Harry Potter- I've only come to rediscover the beauty of Shakespeare at the age of 21, watching Hamlet over Christmas).<br />
<br />
The other aspect that I'd never noticed was most prevalent in the last episode. As we sense the end is near for Anne, she embarks on some soliloquy about why writing is so important to her and why she must write to make a difference to the world. I've come to realise I'm the same. Ellie Kendrick as Anne plays the mood just <span class="goog-spellcheck-word">right and</span> presents Anne not as the sweet innocent child we have been led to perceive she is but as a developing woman, stubborn and strong and with her own mind.<br />
<br />
<br />
</span><span style="color: #ffccff;"></span><br />
<blockquote><span style="color: white;">I know I can write, I’m sure I can, after all I’m my own harshest critic. I know what is good and what isn’t. If you don’t write yourself you don’t know how wonderful it is. When I write all my sadness disappears. But, and it’s a big but. Will I ever be able to write something great?</span></blockquote><br />
<span style="color: #ffccff;">I've recently been thinking the same. Is there a point to my writing? </span><span style="color: #ffccff;">Does anyone actually read it and take anything from it. Of course, mine has much less of an importance than Anne's diary but she may have thought the same at the time. Who wants to read a teenager's diary? For all I know nobody actually cares about theatre which does make me think should I be writing about something more worthwhile? I certainly don't feel like writing a lot about myself at the moment and I wouldn't want to share my feelings with the world so I write about what I know; the theatre. But is this just puerile compared to say, the situation in Haiti or the many warnings of terrorism we see. Another quote from Anne reflects my feelings about making my writing mean something :</span><br />
<span style="color: #ffccff;"></span><br />
<span style="color: #ffccff;"></span><br />
<blockquote><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_RwxcEXaPnXA/S2MZu7uWjHI/AAAAAAAAAF4/wpIXivCqGB0/s1600/6a00d8345192e469e2010536b3297c970c-800wi.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5432213869635734642" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_RwxcEXaPnXA/S2MZu7uWjHI/AAAAAAAAAF4/wpIXivCqGB0/s320/6a00d8345192e469e2010536b3297c970c-800wi.jpg" style="height: 300px; margin-top: 0px; width: 200px;" /></a></div><span style="color: #ffccff;"><span style="color: #ffccff;"><span style="color: white;">I haven’t got much time don’t you see, I have to do this. I don’t want to be a movie star anymore, I want to be a writer. He doesn’t understand me. I’m going have a different life from most girls. I don’t want to be like mother or all those other women who have a family and then their forgotten. I don’t want to have lived in vain like most people I want to go on living even after my death.</span> </span></span></blockquote><span style="color: #ffccff;"></span><span style="color: #ffccff;"></span><br />
<span style="color: #ffccff;"></span><br />
<span style="color: #ffccff;">For some reason I feel really silly comparing myself to a 14 year old girl who <span class="goog-spellcheck-word">di</span><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_RwxcEXaPnXA/S2MZu7uWjHI/AAAAAAAAAF4/wpIXivCqGB0/s1600-h/6a00d8345192e469e2010536b3297c970c-800wi.jpg"><span style="color: #ffccff;"></span></a>ed in terrible circumstances but I guess it just shows that deep down we can all share the same feelings. At the moment I'm feeling that nobody understands me, I don't like Chemistry, I don't want to be in this (metaphorically) toxic lab environment. I want to be writing and doing what I love. It's an escape from the humdrum. Anne wants to go on living after her death and I feel the same, what is the point of living if not? I guess this is why I originally wanted to become a chemist- to make a difference in the world, discover something wonderful. But the spark has gone and I move onto another career path that allows me to be noticed and not just forgotten by those around me. </span><br />
<span style="color: #ffccff;">I'm feeling rather melancholy now, perhaps I should stop before I have to call a therapist. I'll leave you with Anne's last entry and the link to the last episode so you can see the story unfold for yourself.<br />
</span><span style="color: #ffccff;"><span style="color: #ffccff;"><br />
</span><a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b00gny29/The_Diary_of_Anne_Frank_Episode_5/"><span style="color: #cc66cc;">The Diary of Anne Frank Episode <span class="goog-spellcheck-word">5</span></span></a><span style="color: #cc66cc;"><br />
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</span><span style="color: #ffccff;"></span><br />
<blockquote><span style="color: #ffccff;"><span style="color: white;">Deep down the young are lonelier than the old, its hard for us in this mad world. How can we hold onto our opinions when ideals are being shattered and destroyed? When everyone comes to doubt truth, justice and God. I see the world being transformed into a wilderness. I hear the approaching thunder, I feel the suffering of millions. And yet I somehow feel that everything will change for the better, that in spite of everything people are good at heart.</span></span></blockquote><span style="color: #ffccff;"></span><br />
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<span style="color: #ffccff;"></span>Lucyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14793816357577481239noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1535782198376745241.post-46549415227040022512010-01-27T13:20:00.015+00:002010-06-10T17:00:09.330+01:00Front Row Seats- What Happened!?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_RwxcEXaPnXA/S2Bfhpu03gI/AAAAAAAAAFY/hId3z9Bm-k8/s1600/rethelmermansbroadway.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5431446182351396354" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_RwxcEXaPnXA/S2Bfhpu03gI/AAAAAAAAAFY/hId3z9Bm-k8/s320/rethelmermansbroadway.jpg" style="height: 194px; margin-top: 0px; width: 149px;" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #ffccff;"><span style="color: #a64d79;">Ethel Merman- who else?</span> </span></div><br />
<div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #ffccff;">In days gone past, the front row was the place to be- the most expensive tickets, the most exclusive tickets, the ticket that showed that you had power and position in the world. In short theatre seating hierarchy was simple. The closer you were to the front, the higher you were in the hierarchy. I guess this has something to do with not only being closest to the stage (and so supposedly having the best view) but also being closest to the stars of the show (and we are talking some big names, it hasn't just been recently that star names have been required to sell a show- imagine being front row to the opening of a new <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Memories-Ethel-Merman/dp/B001YV50S6?ie=UTF8&tag=theat0e-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank">Ethel Merman</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=theat0e-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=B001YV50S6" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px !important; padding-left: 0px !important; padding-right: 0px !important; padding-top: 0px !important;" width="1" /> show- WOW).</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #ffccff;">So what has changed? Most front rows are now taken up by loudmouth teenagers with no knowledge of dressing up for the theatre (I even once saw a girl just wearing a t-shirt and not much else). I think this progression is twofold (or maybe three if I can think straight!) and its results also give the appearance of <span class="goog-spellcheck-word">ouroboros</span>; that of a snake biting its tale- or in theatre terms, well we'll get to that later.</span></div><br />
<div><span style="color: #ffccff;">Over the years, set designs have become more vast if not more imaginative. During the sixties and seventies we saw some of the most amazing designs such as the set of <i>Grind</i> that completely rotated between scenes to show the inside and outside of a club. A pioneer of outlandish set design was Eugene Lee, one of my favourite set designers if only for the way his sets encumbers all and perfectly set the atmosphere of a play. Among his craziest ideas were a production of Candide in which the Broadway Theatre was broken up into small stages connected by walkways and seats ripped out in favour of wooden benches and stools. This closed pretty soon after opening. His other famous attempt at completely demolishing the Broadway was Dude! by <span class="goog-spellcheck-word">Ragni</span> and <span class="goog-spellcheck-word">Rado</span> (who else?) The stage and seats were separated into different areas such as forest and sky with different areas also representing different price ranges (clever Mr Producer always knows how to get more money out of theatregoers without them realising). The floor was strewn with chicken feathers and soil. Needless to say this closed even quicker than Candide.</span></div><br />
<div><span style="color: #ffccff;">But sets did continue to grow, especially through the 1980s when recession meant people wanted more for their money and so wanted huge extravaganzas with sets to match. Into the nineties and to the present day we have looked towards huge automated sets that look pretty, change within the blink of an eyelid, and have the potential to decapitate a poor unsuspecting ensemble member with one blow. So what does this sort of set mean for sight lines, especially for the front row elite?</span></div><div><span style="color: #ffccff;"></span></div><div><span style="color: #ffccff;">For the cheap seats, things got better, big sets mean you can see more of it from away and there tend to be larger ensembles hence more to see if you sit far back. For the first class front rowers, things got worse. A large set means more will be played upstage meaning you can't see jack all. The stage will be further above the seats to accommodate all the <span class="goog-spellcheck-word">mcgubbins</span> controlling your swanky automated set and the larger ensemble will mean more feet for you to stare at! Two friends of mine recently found themselves in the front row of Hairspray where the view was so bad they had to move back a few rows just to see any of the show. In short, only foot fetishists and those who like peering into the orchestra pit would ever pay full price for these seats.</span></div><br />
<div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_RwxcEXaPnXA/S2BfqzsriTI/AAAAAAAAAFg/QTC06Omtzeg/s1600/rent_6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5431446339645573426" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_RwxcEXaPnXA/S2BfqzsriTI/AAAAAAAAAFg/QTC06Omtzeg/s320/rent_6.jpg" style="height: 258px; margin-top: 0px; width: 411px;" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #ffccff;"><span style="color: #a64d79;">I blame Rent, well Rent and John <span class="goog-spellcheck-word">Barrowman</span>- <span class="goog-spellcheck-word">everything's</span> always his fault!</span> </span></div><br />
<span style="color: #ffccff;">Another reason for the decline in popularity can be trace</span><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_RwxcEXaPnXA/S2BfqzsriTI/AAAAAAAAAFg/QTC06Omtzeg/s1600-h/rent_6.jpg"><span style="color: #ffccff;"></span></a><span style="color: #ffccff;">d back to <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Rent-1996-Original-Broadway-Cast/dp/B000005ALT?ie=UTF8&tag=theat0e-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank">Rent</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=theat0e-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=B000005ALT" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px !important; padding-left: 0px !important; padding-right: 0px !important; padding-top: 0px !important;" width="1" />. In an attempt to be hip and "down <span class="goog-spellcheck-word">wiv</span> <span class="goog-spellcheck-word">da</span> kids", and also in an attempt to honour Jonathan Larson, Rent implemented the first lottery ticket system. People would line up at crazy o'clock in the morning to obtain $25 tickets for the front two rows of the theatre. This idea became a phenomenon with <span class="goog-spellcheck-word">Rentheads</span> camping out multiple times a week and even creating their own little universe within these lines. Other shows started taking this idea for themselves until almost all musicals on Broadway had some sort of lottery or student rush. Now London is starting to catch on with <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Legally-Blonde-2007-Original-Broadway/dp/B000R7I3NW?ie=UTF8&tag=theat0e-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank">Legally <span class="goog-spellcheck-word">Blonde</span></a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=theat0e-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=B000R7I3NW" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px !important; padding-left: 0px !important; padding-right: 0px !important; padding-top: 0px !important;" width="1" /> offering cheap front row seats that tend to be full of screaming teenagers, or worse screaming drama students. My point about lottery seats is that now the front row is notorious for being where the desperate fans sit (even if they don't realise they are now possible the worse seats to have). Next to Normal used to have a rush system where the first there would get the first seat and so on. Things got so bad that there was a crazy girl who insisted on having "her seat" every time and would queue up even the night before to ensure this. <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Wicked-2003-Original-Broadway-Cast/dp/B0000TB01Y?ie=UTF8&tag=theat0e-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank">Wicked </a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=theat0e-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=B0000TB01Y" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px !important; padding-left: 0px !important; padding-right: 0px !important; padding-top: 0px !important;" width="1" />had an instance of Kelly Ellis getting so annoyed with the <span class="goog-spellcheck-word">fangirls</span> in the front row that an accidentally left on mic revealed that she wanted to stab the girls with the pins her dresser was holding. Perhaps this is another reason why we don't want to sit in the front row anymore- to escape the grasps of crazy fan girls.</span></div><br />
<div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_RwxcEXaPnXA/S2Bf1GBg3AI/AAAAAAAAAFo/pt6saj_6CR0/s1600/HAIR%2520Broadway%2520_7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5431446516363484162" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_RwxcEXaPnXA/S2Bf1GBg3AI/AAAAAAAAAFo/pt6saj_6CR0/s320/HAIR%2520Broadway%2520_7.jpg" style="height: 271px; margin-top: 0px; width: 440px;" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #ffccff;"><span style="color: #a64d79;">This author would willingly straddle these two, wouldn't you?</span> </span></div><br />
<span style="color: #ffccff;">And finally to the <span class="goog-spellcheck-word">ouroboros</span> moment- audience interaction. I guess <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Hair-New-Broadway-Cast-Recording/dp/B0026OTQX0?ie=UTF8&tag=theat0e-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank">Hair </a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=theat0e-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=B0026OTQX0" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px !important; padding-left: 0px !important; padding-right: 0px !important; padding-top: 0px !important;" width="1" />started this back in the 60s, when front seats were still the place to be and <span class="goog-spellcheck-word">hoity</span>-<span class="goog-spellcheck-word">toity</span> types were stunned when a <span class="goog-spellcheck-word">hippy</span> suddenly jumped onto their chair or gave them a flower. As time has carried on, interaction has continued and those who do not wish for a negative interaction have distanced themselves from the front. Blue Man Group tend to sell of their front seats cheap and I think they also provide disclaimers as many of their stunts can "leak" out to the front row. In <span class="goog-spellcheck-word">Denzel</span> Washington's Julius Caesar, the production was so</span><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_RwxcEXaPnXA/S2Bf1GBg3AI/AAAAAAAAAFo/pt6saj_6CR0/s1600-h/HAIR%2520Broadway%2520_7.jpg"><span style="color: #ffccff;"></span></a><span style="color: #ffccff;"> bloody that the front row were provided with <span class="goog-spellcheck-word">pacamacs</span> to protect themselves from flying blood. As negative effects like this increase, the value of front row seats decrease (unless you're in for a cheap thrill). </span></div><br />
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<div><span style="color: #ffccff;">But we have now come full circle. The new production of Hair has brought back the thrill of being in the front row. People are now willing to pay as much money as they can to have Will <span style="background-color: black;"><span class="goog-spellcheck-word" style="background-attachment: scroll; background-image: none; background-position: 0% 0%; background-repeat: repeat;">Swenson</span> sit</span> on their lap or Gavin Creel molest them. (I would.)</span></div>Lucyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14793816357577481239noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1535782198376745241.post-45452253720626715012010-01-19T12:43:00.017+00:002010-06-10T17:00:38.992+01:00George, Rosie And Some Dodgy Theatre Choices<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_RwxcEXaPnXA/S1W7_hseHLI/AAAAAAAAAEw/7xpZlcWMm0U/s1600/taboo2.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="background-color: black;"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5428451625916046514" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_RwxcEXaPnXA/S1W7_hseHLI/AAAAAAAAAEw/7xpZlcWMm0U/s320/taboo2.gif" style="height: 320px; margin-top: 0px; width: 229px;" /></span></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #ffccff;"><span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: #a64d79;"><span class="goog-spellcheck-word" style="background-attachment: scroll; background-image: none; background-position: 0% 0%; background-repeat: repeat;">Euan</span> Morton as Boy George</span> </span></span></div><span style="background-color: black;"><br />
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<span style="color: #ffccff;"><span style="background-color: black;">As a post exam treat, I finally got round to buying the London cast DVD of </span><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Taboo-Region-2-Paul-Baker/dp/B0000UM0CG?ie=UTF8&tag=theat0e-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank"><span style="background-color: black;">Taboo</span></a><span style="background-color: black;"><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=theat0e-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=B0000UM0CG" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px !important; padding-left: 0px !important; padding-right: 0px !important; padding-top: 0px !important;" width="1" />. Please, no mocking. Although it became known as "The Boy George Musical" it was not a jukebox musical, instead Boy George wrote an entire new score (and boy can that man write a mean ballad) and book writer Mark Davies centred his story not only around George but around his contemporaries of the times and also fictional characters. This combination of fact and fiction allowed the viewer to enter this strange world much more easily as it was seen through the eyes of Billy, a normal teenager from <span class="goog-spellcheck-word">Bromley</span> that was more <span class="goog-spellcheck-word">relatable</span> to than say Phillip Salon or Leigh Bowery. The interesting twist was that by the end of play you found yourself more able to identify with these sexually ambiguous self confessed freaks than with the morally ruined Billy who has sold himself out to get ahead in life and taken advantage of everyone he comes in contact with. As good as this outline is, the book itself was quite convoluted with Davies trying to pack too many <span class="goog-spellcheck-word">storylines</span> into one show leading to the audience never really knowing where they are as we flit from Leigh Bowery's art exhibition to Boy George's destructive relationship with Marilyn to Billy's mother going into business with Salon's sister Kim. The show did well and suited the small venue it played at, providing the opportunity for audience to become part of the action (and Paul Baker as Salon to try out some of his one liners).</span></span><span style="background-color: black; color: #ffccff;"> </span><br />
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<div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_RwxcEXaPnXA/S1W8HG3JCiI/AAAAAAAAAFA/8lHVCSn96Wk/s1600/tabooone.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="background-color: black;"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5428451756151999010" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_RwxcEXaPnXA/S1W8HG3JCiI/AAAAAAAAAFA/8lHVCSn96Wk/s320/tabooone.jpg" style="height: 308px; margin-top: 0px; width: 320px;" /></span></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #ffccff;"><span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: #a64d79;">'Cos everyone loves a urinating man</span> </span></span></div><span style="background-color: black;"><br />
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<span style="color: #ffccff;"><span style="background-color: black;">And then Rosie O Donnell appeared on the scene. (I really should get some sound effects for this- dun dun dun!) This is where things get a little hairy. O'Donnell decided that because she had all the money she could do what she liked with Taboo and so hired <span class="goog-spellcheck-word">bo</span></span></span><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_RwxcEXaPnXA/S1W8HG3JCiI/AAAAAAAAAFA/8lHVCSn96Wk/s1600-h/tabooone.jpg"><span style="color: #ffccff;"></span></a><span style="color: #ffccff;"><span style="background-color: black;"><span class="goog-spellcheck-word">ok</span> writer Charles Busch to adjust certain things and make the focus of the play the real stories of Bowery, Boy George, Marilyn and so on. This is fair enough; the book needed tightening and Busch obliged. A few bad songs were replaced with better songs and things were generally rejigged. Having seen many a <span class="goog-spellcheck-word">youtube</span> clip of the Broadway production this was mainly for the best; a clear narrative now ran through the piece and superfluous characters had been cut (although I do miss Petal, he was decidedly creepy).</span></span></div><span style="background-color: black;"><br />
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<div><span style="background-color: black; color: #ffccff;">Rosie also decided that if this was her show, it deserved to be on Broadway. Yeah Rosie that's great, lets take a show based in a tiny hall to a giant Broadway sized theatre. It just didn't sit right; the ensemble was bumped up to Broadway type numbers turning intimate club-based songs into large song and dance numbers that didn't particularly fit with the type of music. It also meant that the audience were separated from the performers and so there was a feeling of isolation from the eighties atmosphere. The publicity was also a mess- who puts a giant poster of a guy urinating in Times Square? That was a rhetorical question until I remembered Rosie O' Donnell. Timing was not ideal either, she had just entered into a huge court case which, in hindsight, could have been a blessing as it kept her away from the production. Instead O' Donnell decided to use the case a cheap publicity stunt, plugging the show whenever possible. Not the greatest thing to do when you may end up losing your reputation and lots of money.</span></div><span style="background-color: black;"><br />
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<div><span style="color: #ffccff;"><span style="background-color: black;">Not everything was Rosie's fault; the critics had it in for Taboo right from the start (as shown on Show business: The Road To Broadway- damn you Ben Brantley <span class="goog-spellcheck-word">et</span> <span class="goog-spellcheck-word">al</span>!) and timing was not great- the show was up against </span><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Avenue-2003-Original-Broadway-Cast/dp/B0000BZK1R?ie=UTF8&tag=theat0e-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank"><span style="background-color: black;">Avenue Q</span></a><span style="background-color: black;"><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=theat0e-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=B0000BZK1R" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px !important; padding-left: 0px !important; padding-right: 0px !important; padding-top: 0px !important;" width="1" /> <b>and </b></span><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Wicked-2003-Original-Broadway-Cast/dp/B0000TB01Y?ie=UTF8&tag=theat0e-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank"><span style="background-color: black;">Wicked</span></a><span style="background-color: black;"><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=theat0e-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=B0000TB01Y" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px !important; padding-left: 0px !important; padding-right: 0px !important; padding-top: 0px !important;" width="1" />.</span></span></div><span style="background-color: black;"><br />
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<div><span style="color: #ffccff;"><span style="background-color: black;">This got me thinking about two things: making changes to shows post opening and the impact the theatre you choose has on the success of your show. Two shows spring to mind: </span><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Bat-2001-Original-Off-Broadway-Cast/dp/B00005JXS7?ie=UTF8&tag=theat0e-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank"><span style="background-color: black;">Batboy </span></a><span style="background-color: black;"><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=theat0e-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=B00005JXS7" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px !important; padding-left: 0px !important; padding-right: 0px !important; padding-top: 0px !important;" width="1" />and </span><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Footloose-Original-Broadway-Cast/dp/B00002MNKN?ie=UTF8&tag=theat0e-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank"><span style="background-color: black;">Footloose</span></a><span style="background-color: black;"><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=theat0e-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=B00002MNKN" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px !important; padding-left: 0px !important; padding-right: 0px !important; padding-top: 0px !important;" width="1" />. <span class="goog-spellcheck-word">Batboy</span> was originally played off-Broadway and did really well, I believe it was meant to go to Broadway but 9/11 put a stop to that. Instead it was taken to the <span class="goog-spellcheck-word">Shaftsbury</span> Theatre in the West End. Until recently the <span class="goog-spellcheck-word">Shaftsbury</span> was known as a place where shows go to die and this is what happened to my beloved <span class="goog-spellcheck-word">Batboy</span>. Two songs were replaced in the move but actually the replacement songs were better than the originals and the show even retained its title star, <span class="goog-spellcheck-word">Devin</span> May as <span class="goog-spellcheck-word">Batboy</span>. Yet it still played to weak audiences and did not receive the acclaim it got off-Broadway. This proves that, although we like things to be as big as possible in order to get the most coverage, sometimes things just work better on a smaller scale. For instance, for ages I had dreamed of <span class="goog-spellcheck-word">Zanna</span> Don't receiving a big revival on Broadway or the West End but after seeing it in the tiny Upstairs at the <span class="goog-spellcheck-word">Gatehous</span>e theatre I realised it just wouldn't work on a big stage. The intimacy works with the subtly bittersweet storyline and the small cast would just get lost on a big stage. Plus there aren't that many people who would want to see a gay fairytale no matter how good it is.</span></span></div><span style="background-color: black;"><br />
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<div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_RwxcEXaPnXA/S1W8TZN9wqI/AAAAAAAAAFI/RMjC5MdtsVo/s1600/footloose.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="background-color: black;"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5428451967237997218" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_RwxcEXaPnXA/S1W8TZN9wqI/AAAAAAAAAFI/RMjC5MdtsVo/s320/footloose.jpg" style="height: 237px; margin-top: 0px; width: 300px;" /></span></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #ffccff;"><span style="background-color: black; color: #a64d79;">Seriously, this was the only picture I could find of the Broadway cast </span></span></div><span style="background-color: black;"><br />
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<span style="background-color: black; color: #ffccff;">Footloose is a tale of where changing a show can make it a perennial hit. On Broadway, it did alright but not amazingly- fair enough. When it came to the </span><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_RwxcEXaPnXA/S1W8TZN9wqI/AAAAAAAAAFI/RMjC5MdtsVo/s1600-h/footloose.jpg"><span style="color: #ffccff;"></span></a><span style="background-color: black; color: #ffccff;">West End it was a pretty big hit, staying around for ages, going on tour, coming back, going on tour again...you get the picture. Only small changes had been made but I think they just made the production more like the film that people know and love and more coherent as a piece of storytelling. The writers realised that, although musicals are renowned for people singing rather than talking, sometimes dialogue can be more effective than song. The pretty dire excuse for a rap "Dancing is Not A Crime" was replaced by a speech by <span class="goog-spellcheck-word">Ren</span> to the town council, much like that in the film. Another song was also removed to allow for an emotional scene between Reverend Shaw and <span class="goog-spellcheck-word">Ren</span>. </span></div><span style="background-color: black;"><br />
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<div><span style="background-color: black; color: #ffccff;">Again, the choice of theatre also had a part to play in <span class="goog-spellcheck-word">Footloose's</span> English success. Instead of heading straight to the West End where it could get chewed up in the sheer number of film based shows on offer, Footloose toured Britain. This works twofold- first, the general public who would not normally bother going to London to see a show could see something new and exciting rather than a tired rehash of a West End show. Secondly, tours are cheaper to run and do not have to rely so heavily on star names to sell them so more risks can be taken without losing so much money. When it did finally hit the West End, there was a <span class="goog-spellcheck-word">premade</span> audience of those who had heard from friends who had seen it on tour. Perfect. </span></div><span style="background-color: black;"><br />
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<div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_RwxcEXaPnXA/S1W8eaMEwdI/AAAAAAAAAFQ/rgNPcfDg-lY/s1600/tos.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="background-color: black;"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5428452156477063634" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_RwxcEXaPnXA/S1W8eaMEwdI/AAAAAAAAAFQ/rgNPcfDg-lY/s320/tos.jpg" style="height: 213px; margin-top: 0px; width: 320px;" /></span></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #ffccff;"><span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: #a64d79;">My beloved Title of Show</span> </span></span></div><span style="background-color: black;"><br />
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<span style="color: #ffccff;"><span style="background-color: black;">So there we have it, the cautionary Tale of Two Theatres. Other examples that prove the choice of theatre can really affect the success of a show include </span><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Next-Normal-Original-Broadway-Cast/dp/B001VRDRFG?ie=UTF8&tag=theat0e-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank"><span style="background-color: black;">Next To Normal</span></a><span style="background-color: black;"><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=theat0e-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=B001VRDRFG" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px !important; padding-left: 0px !important; padding-right: 0px !important; padding-top: 0px !important;" width="1" /> and </span><a href="http://www.amazon.com/title-show-2006-Original-Off-Broadway/dp/B000G5SI80?ie=UTF8&tag=theat0e-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank"><span style="background-color: black;">Title of Show</span></a><span style="background-color: black;"><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=theat0e-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=B000G5SI80" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px !important; padding-left: 0px !important; padding-right: 0px !important; padding-top: 0px !important;" width="1" />. Next to Normal started off-Broadway, played out of town and then finally went t</span></span><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_RwxcEXaPnXA/S1W8eaMEwdI/AAAAAAAAAFQ/rgNPcfDg-lY/s1600-h/tos.jpg"><span style="color: #ffccff;"></span></a><span style="color: #ffccff;"><span style="background-color: black;">o Broadway. The key in its success on Broadway was its choice of the Booth Theatre. Originally destined for another theatre, the producers snapped up the Booth as soon as </span><a href="http://www.amazon.com/STORY-LIFE-Original-Broadway-Recording/dp/B0025AY3GU?ie=UTF8&tag=theat0e-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank"><span style="background-color: black;">The Story Of My Life</span></a><span style="background-color: black;"><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=theat0e-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=B0025AY3GU" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px !important; padding-left: 0px !important; padding-right: 0px !important; padding-top: 0px !important;" width="1" /> flopped. The Booth is one of the more intimate spaces on Broadway which suited this intimate show. Title of Show followed a similar route; originally conceived for the New York Musical Theatre Festival, it was snapped up by producers and put on at The Vineyard before playing a commercial off-Broadway run to rave reviews. I personally love the little show- its full of so much heart and hope of following your dreams yet is sassy and sarcastic at the same time. What followed was a huge campaign by Hunter, Jeff, Heidi and Susan to get the show to Broadway. And it worked! Unfortunately their dreams were dashed by the choice of the Lyceum theatre- it was just too big for only four chairs and a keyboard and so, again, the intimacy of the piece was lost and [<span class="goog-spellcheck-word">TOS</span>] closed after a few months.</span></span></div><span style="background-color: black;"><br />
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<div><span style="background-color: black; color: #ffccff;">Well back to the Chemistry for me, I'll try and update this blog a bit more regularly although this term is looking even busier than last. Oops.</span></div></div>Lucyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14793816357577481239noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1535782198376745241.post-3555765163455262782009-11-05T14:16:00.010+00:002010-06-10T17:01:18.198+01:00Sorry-Grateful<div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_RwxcEXaPnXA/SvLhPO2V_zI/AAAAAAAAAEg/z7t0DAEjlQw/s1600-h/bedella.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="background-color: black;"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5400626554970963762" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_RwxcEXaPnXA/SvLhPO2V_zI/AAAAAAAAAEg/z7t0DAEjlQw/s320/bedella.jpg" style="height: 320px; margin: 0px 10px 10px 0px; width: 172px;" /></span></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #ffccff;"><span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: #a64d79;">David <span class="goog-spellcheck-word" style="background-attachment: scroll; background-image: none; background-position: 0% 0%; background-repeat: repeat;">Bedella</span>- the self made standing ovation</span> </span></span></div><span style="background-color: black;"><br />
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<span style="background-color: black; color: #ffccff;">Wow, has it really been three months? Sorry- I've been having to spend too much time in the science world and scarcely any in my beloved theatre world.<br />
First a quick update. I'm now in my final year of my chemistry degree (thank goodness) and am currently rerunning the beginnings of my year long research project that takes little effort but lots of waiting and doesn't really work, hence time to write this. So here's the grateful part; theatre...I think I can sum it up in three bullet points:<br />
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1) I'm now an arts editor for Felix which means I get to make the page look pretty as well as write the articles. I also get to have a monthly moan about something arts based which may or may not come from this blog<br />
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2) I finally got to see Rocky Horror live. Dressed in just a bra and petticoat. <span class="goog-spellcheck-word" style="background-attachment: scroll; background-image: none; background-position: 0% 0%; background-repeat: repeat;">Bedella</span> had to just move to warrant mass screaming and the rest of the cast was equally amazing. Turns out a friend of a friend works on the show which leads me to point three.<br />
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3)I also got to go to Scott Alan's concert Them and Me. I wasn't a huge fan of the material mainly because I haven't been in love and I don't have a dog but this fact paled in comparison to who were singing the songs- Stephanie J Block, Alison <span class="goog-spellcheck-word" style="background-attachment: scroll; background-image: none; background-position: 0% 0%; background-repeat: repeat;">Jiear</span>, our beloved <span class="goog-spellcheck-word" style="background-attachment: scroll; background-image: none; background-position: 0% 0%; background-repeat: repeat;">Bedella</span>, the list goes on. The said friend of a friend was co producing the night so we stayed back a little to do a bit of schmoozing. I nearly hit Alison <span class="goog-spellcheck-word" style="background-attachment: scroll; background-image: none; background-position: 0% 0%; background-repeat: repeat;">Jiear</span> with my coat as she bent down to get her bag, I managed to bag a photo with David by convincing him that he was going to have to wait in the queue to get out anyway so he may as well do something with his time and discovered that Oliver <span class="goog-spellcheck-word" style="background-attachment: scroll; background-image: none; background-position: 0% 0%; background-repeat: repeat;">Thompsett</span> smells of leather (or rather his new leather jacket). In all, a good night!</span></div>Lucyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14793816357577481239noreply@blogger.com0