tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-56956620663140041362024-03-19T11:35:20.286+00:00My life abroad and its consequencesElwingdahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04489282946238037060noreply@blogger.comBlogger90125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5695662066314004136.post-43984009224956387952016-04-15T01:02:00.000+01:002016-04-15T01:02:02.253+01:00The New York theatre ticket experience<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzNtbfmcZhOq5K98ysOQ_3nm0REGciElkGi4Y1clnAsIXPauKAgB6fV8wBZiIY6puSjGsCe9OsbUIODgFN1_2Ozo7IVsd-oyV2MJikO4U-4xGHxBCBgKEPX05QC8qH7_UUEzp1wVU03tU/s1600/12967435_10207510394975679_4689817637260169422_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="358" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzNtbfmcZhOq5K98ysOQ_3nm0REGciElkGi4Y1clnAsIXPauKAgB6fV8wBZiIY6puSjGsCe9OsbUIODgFN1_2Ozo7IVsd-oyV2MJikO4U-4xGHxBCBgKEPX05QC8qH7_UUEzp1wVU03tU/s640/12967435_10207510394975679_4689817637260169422_o.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: #0c343d; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">That's one thing off my bucket list: Visit New York. Well, I suppose two things for anyone who doesn't consider "See a Broadway show" to be synonymous to visiting New York. I only booked in advance for <i>Wicked </i>despite knowing I would want to see more shows. Seeing as there was nothing else specific I was absolutely desperate to watch, I decided to chance it and look for cheap tickets when I got there. This turned out to be a good decision in my situation. As I am still a student, I did not have a lot of money to spend but I still wanted to get the most out of New York and have the Broadway experience. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #660000; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Compared to the West End, Broadway tickets are, on average, more expensive. Off-Broadway shows are also more expensive that their London counterparts. Where it is possible to get a variety of deals for tickets online for shows in London and the prices can vary greatly depending on where you look, Broadway seems to have more uniformity when it comes to the pricing of tickets. "Cheap" is not really a thing. To put this into context: Our <i>Wicked </i>tickets cost $159 (about £110) each for mid-stalls. To see <i>Wicked </i>in London you would be looking at a face value of around £65 for a similar view. I paid $58 (roughly £40) per ticket to see <i>The Fantasticks </i>including a 30% discount. Your full price ticket to a professional off-West End show in a venue of a similar size would cost £20-25.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #0c343d; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">The main paths to cheaper tickets are lotteries, general rush tickets, standing room only (SRO) tickets and the TKTS ticket booths. The general rush tickets work in a similar way to West End day seats: get to the box office early on the day of the performance and you could secure yourself a cheap front row seat to the show. However, you may have to get there hours before the box office opens. The same rule tends to apply for SRO tickets or they could be offered to people who don't win in the lottery. Lotteries you sign up within a certain time frame either online or in person (on the day or the day before depending on the show). They then pull the lucky winners out of the hat. The prices for general rush and lottery tickets vary between $10 and $50 and you can normally get a maximum of two tickets per person per show. I signed up to all the online lotteries and won $28 front row seats for <i>The Phantom of the Opera </i>for that evening. I found this website the most helpful when researching day seats: <a href="http://broadwayforbrokepeople.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://broadwayforbrokepeople.com/</a></span><br />
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<span style="color: #660000; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">The main <a href="https://www.tdf.org/nyc/7/TKTS-ticket-booths" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">TKTS booth</a> is located on Times Square and offers last minute discounts of up to 50% on Broadway and off-Broadway performances. Find out what time the booth opens and get there early in order to secure the best deals. Despite arriving 10 minutes after the booth's opening time I managed to secure <i>Fantasticks </i>tickets for the evening. I ended up having to queue for about half an hour but this was on a Monday when most Broadway theatres are dark so I would expect the queue to be longer on other days of the week. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #0c343d; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Although I obviously wish I had been able to see everything, time and money prevented that. Had the weather been warmer I might have tried for some general rush tickets but I was very happy with the two sets of discounted tickets I was able to get on the day. Obtaining cheaper tickets can be more effort but then, for a theatre buff that could be a part of the so-called Broadway experience.</span></div>
Elwingdahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04489282946238037060noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5695662066314004136.post-91407365501796987722016-04-14T01:36:00.003+01:002016-04-14T01:36:53.814+01:00£8.50 youth tickets at Chichester Festival Theatre<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">What prevents many young people from attending the theatre regularly? I consider the cost of attending shows to be a big factor. It is usually cheaper to see something at the cinema than seeing a professional theatre production. Particularly musical theatre can be a very expensive viewing experience. Chichester Festival Theatre encourages young theatre-goers to see more shows by putting aside a certain number of seats for every performance of every show, and selling these to young people aged between 16 and 25 for £8.50 each. This scheme has recently been relaunched as 'Prologue'<i> </i>and requires the young person to sign up to the scheme (the sign-up is free)<i>.</i> The seats are of course not the best in the house being side view but they are certainly not the worst ones either, and with the incredibly high quality of CFT productions in general, the seats are fantastic value. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #7f6000; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I have taken advantage of the £8.50 tickets on a number of occasions during my time at Chichester university. As far as musicals go, I saw <i>Guys and Dolls,</i> <i>Gypsy </i>and<i> </i><i>A Damsel in Distress. </i>The former two ended up transferring to the West End after their respective runs in Chichester. I also saw the plays <i>The Rehearsal </i>and most recently, in February, <i>Single Spies</i>. My next Prologue show will be the new musical version of <i>Travels with My Aunt </i>in May which will be my end of semester treat. The production was otherwise sold out by the time the Prologue tickets were released a month before the opening so I rushed to book mine. I will definitely also book to see one of my favourite shows, <i>Half A Sixpence,</i> which will be on at CFT in the summer. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #7f6000; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">More information available on the CFT website: </span><br />
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Elwingdahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04489282946238037060noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5695662066314004136.post-33327708921775412262015-09-29T23:51:00.000+01:002015-09-29T23:51:32.795+01:00'The Curious Incident'<u><span style="color: #7f6000; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i>The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time </i>at the Gielgud Theatre, London</span></u><br />
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="color: #7f6000; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Performance:</b>
Tuesday 7<sup>th</sup> July 2015<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="color: #7f6000; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Cast:</b> Siôn
Daniel Young (Christopher Boone), Rebecca Lacey (Siobhan/ensemble), Nicolas
Tennant (Ed/ensemble), Mary Stockley (Judy/ensemble)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="color: #7f6000;"><b>Director:</b>
Marianne Elliott</span><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="color: #073763; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">When I
received Mark Haddon’s novel <i>The Curious
Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time</i> for Christmas years ago, it took me
two days to finish it. I thought it one of the most intriguing novels I had
ever read, one of a kind, and I readily recommended it to friends and
relatives. Therefore I am slightly ashamed of how long it took me to go and see
the stage production even after it received top reviews from every imaginable
direction. I just never seemed to get round to it. The novel (and play) tells
the story of 15 year-old Christopher who has Asperger’s syndrome. He excels in
maths, and likes taking care of his pet rat, Toby. When the neighbour’s dog,
Wellington, gets killed, Christopher decides to investigate the case and finds
out more than he was perhaps supposed to. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="color: #7f6000; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">We had seats in the front row of the balcony and the view was absolutely fine. There was nothing we could not see from where we were sitting. I have a feeling the view would have been more restricted from the rear stalls due to the overhang. </span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><img alt="The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time (play).jpg" height="356" src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/e/eb/The_Curious_Incident_of_the_Dog_in_the_Night-Time_%28play%29.jpg" width="640" /></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #7f6000; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">The plot of the play is faithful to the original work. The novel isn’t particularly big and I felt like the play had been stretched out a little unnecessarily (it was as long as a musical!). Particularly the second act was very slow-paced. That is my biggest criticism.</span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="color: #073763;">The set is
genius and the miniature railway Christopher builds throughout the first act
provides continuity and a spectacular finish to the first act both visually and
in aiding the story. I have nothing but outmost respect to the ASMs on this
show as a single misplaced piece of train track could cause the entire first
act to go horribly wrong. </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="color: #7f6000;">The show is
heavy on physical theatre and the set effectively consisted of a few white
boxes which were moved around by the actors to create different scenes from a
train to Christopher’s neighbourhood. </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="color: #073763;">I was
incredibly impressed with Young’s portrayal of Christopher. Playing a character
with Asperger’s syndrome convincingly is challenging to begin with no to
mention that Christopher hardly leaves the stage. Luke Treadaway who originated
the role won the 2013 Olivier Award for Best Actor for his performance.</span></span></span></div>
Elwingdahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04489282946238037060noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5695662066314004136.post-966686448582428032015-05-29T12:47:00.001+01:002015-05-29T12:47:32.477+01:00Musical Theatre Society - Fame and JekyllI have served in the committee of the University's Musical Theatre committee this year as Secretary and although that enables me to audition and perform in shows like any other member, I decided to focus on backstage work in the second semester instead. I helped in designing, sourcing and making props, costume and scenery for the two shows performed by the Society, <i>Fame </i>and <i>Jekyll & Hyde.</i><br />
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In terms of style they were obviously very different shows. <i>Fame</i> following the 80's fashion trends for the students and teachers dressing up in more old-fashioned clothing made the acquiring of costumes relatively easy. Everyone has something 80's in their wardrobe be it colourful leggings or a turtleneck top. <i>Jekyll & Hyde </i>was more of a challenge as steam punk was the decision of the director. We ended up raiding charity shops and altering more modern items of clothing to fit the time period where we were unsuccessful in finding suitable items at budget.<br />
Below the posters for the two shows as well as a few photographs from the performances. Poster design by Sarah Melville and photography by Andrew Worsfold and Richard Cobden.<br />
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On the performance nights I ended up assisting with sound as, particularly in <i>Fame</i>, there were a total of 21 microphone changes over the course of the show (we only had four radio microphones at our disposal). For <i>Jekyll & Hyde </i>we managed to acquire an additional four meaning every principal could be miked up but supporting characters had to still be rotating microphones. In practice, I sat backstage with some tape helping performers in and out of microphones. It linked in nicely with my technical theatre module of the semester also as I had been researching the role of a sound engineer in musical theatre and had assisted my tutor with sound on a university production of <i>Just So</i>.Elwingdahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04489282946238037060noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5695662066314004136.post-51512175046089361752015-05-25T00:40:00.003+01:002015-05-25T00:40:30.591+01:00Back to blogging (aka an update)<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Hello, everyone!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I realise it has been over a year since my last post. Wow! </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">When I think about it though, I feel like not very much has changed since then as I am still studying music and musical theatre at the University of Chichester. I have had the opportunity to take part in a number of shows and have started focusing more on backstage work rather than performing as I feel it offers more variety. Unfortunately I have not had the chance to go to the theatre very much as a spectator but as I am hoping to slowly ease my way back into blogging, I hope to entertain you with a variety of theatre-related articles. Perhaps beginning with a couple of posts about the shows I have been lucky enough to be involved in this year including <i>Half a Sixpence</i>, <i>Jekyll & Hyde, Picnic at Hanging Rock</i> and currently <i>Sweeney Todd</i>. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Please stay tuned :) </span><br />
<br />Elwingdahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04489282946238037060noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5695662066314004136.post-11177337815241981792014-03-24T02:02:00.001+00:002014-03-24T02:03:51.794+00:00Keeping busy at university<span style="color: #274e13;">Hello, all! It's been a while. I've had a busy semester 2 of my first year of university and therefore I have unfortunately not had much time for blogging or for going to see shows at the theatre but here is a brief update.</span><br />
<span style="color: #274e13;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #274e13;">I have managed to get involved in a fair number of projects and performances this semester which I am very happy about. I enjoy having lots of things to do and I like the challenge of trying to fit everything into my schedule. My compulsory contact hours only amount to 8 hours per week so there is plenty of time to get involved in extra-curricular activities and since I am doing a music degree, this involvement is very much encouraged. </span><br />
<span style="color: #274e13;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #274e13;">A few events have already been done and dusted such as two concerts at Chichester Cathedral in which I got to sing in as part of the university's Chamber Choir. I have also been participating in a stage combat course. I had never done stage combat before and although with my spatial awareness I have succeeded in unintentionally kicking and punching people for real, I think I have learned some basics :P</span><br />
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<span style="color: #274e13;">Exciting projects and things still coming up:</span></div>
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<span style="color: #274e13;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="color: #274e13;">April: <i>Seussical</i> as ensemble and assistant director</span></div>
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<span style="color: #274e13;">May: <i>Spring Awakening</i> as assistant stage manager</span></div>
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<span style="color: #274e13;">May: <i>Jesus Christ Superstar</i> as ensemble</span></div>
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<span style="color: #274e13;">May: Orchestra trip to Guernsey as violin 2</span></div>
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<span style="color: #274e13;">June: Chamber Choir tour to Rome as soprano 1</span></div>
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<span style="color: #274e13;">September: <i>Carmen</i> as ensemble</span></div>
Elwingdahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04489282946238037060noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5695662066314004136.post-19671134783042793992014-02-09T20:36:00.000+00:002014-02-13T01:05:29.402+00:00'Candide' - great first show of the year<span style="color: #4c1130;">The musical </span><i style="color: #4c1130;">Candide</i><span style="color: #4c1130;"> is based on the 18th century satire, </span><i style="color: #4c1130;">Candide, or Optimism</i><span style="color: #4c1130;"> by the French philosopher Voltaire. The novella focuses more on ideas and message than plot and although I studied and greatly enjoyed the book at college, I struggled to picture how it could be translated onto stage as during its less than 100 pages it manages a dozen different locations around the world. I personally find that stories that are based on travelling (e.g. that of </span><i style="color: #4c1130;">Shrek the Musical </i><span style="color: #4c1130;">or </span><i style="color: #4c1130;">Lord of the Rings</i><span style="color: #4c1130;">) sometimes struggle to keep the visuals variable and the story consistently interesting. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #660000;"><br /></span>
<b><u><span style="color: #073763;"><i>Candide</i> at Menier Chocolate Factory</span></u></b><br />
<span style="color: #073763;">Performance: Wednesday 8th January 2014 at 20:00</span><br />
<span style="color: #073763;">Seat: Front row</span><br />
<span style="color: #073763;">Music: Leonard Bernstein</span><br />
<span style="color: #073763;">Lyrics: Richard Wilbur</span><br />
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<span style="color: #073763;">Book (adapted from Voltaire): Hugh Wheeler</span><br />
<span style="color: #073763;">Director: Matthew White</span><br />
<span style="color: #073763;">Cast included: Fra Fee (Candide), James Dreyfus (Pangloss/Cacambo/Martin), Scarlett Strallen (Cunegonde), Jackie Clune (Old Lady), David Thaxton (Maximilian), Cassidy Janson (Paquette)</span><br />
<span style="color: #073763;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #073763;">Brief plot summary: Candide, the illegitimate nephew of the Baron is seen kissing the Baron's daughter, Cunegonde, and is evicted from the castle. He ends up on a trip around the world equipped with the teachings on optimism of Dr Pangloss. His experiences make him question the validity of Pangloss's philosophy. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #4c1130;">In the past I have visited the Menier theatre on two occasions and I was intrigued to see how this production team had decided to use the space. I find that, rather like the Union Theatre, the Menier is a highly versatile space. <i>Candide </i>was theatre in a round, well, in some sort of a quadrilateral more like. However, not only did they have a performance space in the middle with exists in each corner, a balcony passage ran across three walls behind the audience. In addition, the actors made use of the aisles cutting across two blocks of seats. The actors were effectively everywhere around you. The show was interactive with the actors giving things to unsuspecting audience members and putting hats on their heads. My favourite one was the judge roasting marshmallows stuck to a pitchfork over a burning torch and then feeding them to the audience members sitting nearest to him.</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://www.theatreticketsdirect.co.uk/image/candide.jpg/ShowsImage/Custom/500/250" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://www.theatreticketsdirect.co.uk/image/candide.jpg/ShowsImage/Custom/500/250" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.theatreticketsdirect.co.uk/shows/764/candide" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">(Source)</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="color: #073763;">I think the best thing about this musical was the visuals. There was a lot going on all the time and the show included some incredible dance numbers. Sitting in the first row of such an intimate space, you always wonder whether someone might accidentally kick you in the face or something one day. Just for the record, that has not yet happened to me. The costumes were stunning also - with the audience able to see them so close up, detail in creating them would have been absolutely vital.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #4c1130;">I have heard many speaking highly of Fra Fee but this was the first time I had seen him on stage. He was a great choice for the title role and I enjoyed his vocals. Scarlett Strallen as Candide's love interest stood out particularly by her skills as a dancer. However, she also deserves a mention for her interpretation of <i>Glitter and Be Gay</i>, possibly the most well-known song in the show. She nailed the challenging vocals and kept the audience laughing with her well-timed comic acting, which was appropriately exaggerated. I was further impressed by James Dreyfus's ability to move from playing one character to playing the next with ease and fluidity. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #073763;">Like the original book, the musical is <i>very</i> fast paced in terms of the story. I don't think I would have been able to follow had I not known it from before. There was a group of Americans sitting behind me who confessed they did not manage to stay on top of the events. However, even if you did lose the plot, the musical had a lot of entertainment value both of the satirical and physical comedy nature.</span><br />
<span style="color: #073763;">I walked out of the theatre thinking "Although this was only the first thing I have seen this year, I would not be surprised if it turned out to be the best," and coming from me, that is saying a lot.</span>Elwingdahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04489282946238037060noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5695662066314004136.post-15684476621095758632014-01-07T01:15:00.001+00:002014-01-07T01:21:51.855+00:00'Seussical' for inspiration<span style="color: #783f04;">As I will be assistant-directing <i>Seussical</i> at my university next semester, going to see this limited-run production of the show was an ample opportunity to gather some ideas for the visuals and observe how the professionals have brought the characters to life.</span><br />
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<b><u><span style="color: #20124d;"><i>Seussical </i>at the Arts Theatre</span></u></b><br />
<span style="color: #20124d;">Performance: Sunday 29th December 2013</span><br />
<span style="color: #20124d;">Seat: Circle right</span><br />
<span style="color: #20124d;">Music: Stephen Flaherty</span><br />
<span style="color: #20124d;">Lyrics: Lynn Ahrens</span><br />
<span style="color: #20124d;">Director: Kirk Jameson</span><br />
<span style="color: #20124d;">Cast included: Ste Clough (Horton the Elephant), Elliot Fitzpatrick (Cat in the Hat), Jordan Veloso (JoJo), Kirsty Marie Ayers (Gertrude), Jessica Parker (Mayzie)</span><br />
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<u><span style="color: #783f04;">Brief plot summary</span></u><br />
<span style="color: #783f04;">Horton the Elephant hears the cries of the Whos, a race so small that it is invisible to the naked eye, from a clover. He takes it up as his duty to guard the clover. JoJo, a Who child, gets into trouble for thinking too much and he bonds with Horton, because he, too, has 'thinks'. Meanwhile, Gertrude is trying to impress Horton but feels she is not succeeding because of her virtually non-existent tail and asks Mayzie for help. </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://musicaltheatrereview.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/Seussical-Cast-Image.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://musicaltheatrereview.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/Seussical-Cast-Image.jpg" height="320" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://musicaltheatrereview.com/seussical-director-kirk-jameson-makes-musical-magic/#.UstUEPR5O_Q" target="_blank">The cast of <i>Seussical.</i></a></td></tr>
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<span style="color: #20124d;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #20124d;">The plot summary suggests a slightly nonsensical children's show. The musical is based on the stories of Dr. Seuss so that offers one explanation. A lot of the spoken dialogue has been left in verse form as per the original books. I think <i>Seussical</i> falls into the same category with shows like <i>Honk</i> in which adults run around the stage in costume, pretending to be animals and therefore just hearing about the show it may be difficult to take it seriously. This particular version was a shorter, one-act version of the original as it was aimed at children. However, it was brilliant fun to watch for someone my age also and I think the longer version, which we will be performing at university, has a lot of potential to appeal to a slightly older audience.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #783f04;">I was surprised to find that Ste Clough, who has taught me dance workshops, was playing the main character. I had a brief chat with him afterwards and, incredibly, he did remember me! I haven't seen him on stage before so it was a fun experience. He did a good job of the mellow Horton.</span><br />
<span style="color: #783f04;">I was amazed at the extent to which Mayzie had been made stripper-like considering the target audience of the show, but this polarisation was perhaps seen as essential in order to establish the opposing personalities of Mayzie and Gertrude, who, in turn, was presented as shy and geeky, wearing dull clothes. Mayzie was dressed in bright red. Even though the set was simple and the actors were not wearing animal outfits, colours had been used effectively throughout in compensation and the show was a great example of how obvious colour choices can take you far in conveying a message.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #20124d;">This was my first time visiting the Arts Theatre and I fell in love with its intimate atmosphere. When I got round to booking my ticket, there weren't many left and I did not get much choice with my seat so I did not expect much in terms of the view but it was absolutely fine. I should think that almost every seat in the auditorium grants a great view. The small size of the theatre made it essential that the cast be small. It consisted of 12 members in total with supporting characters doubling up but with the smoothness of the costume changes there may as well have been half a dozen more actors. The ensemble work was great.</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://cdn.londonandpartners.com/asset/c0f7399e74cbfb572b50703cb732acdd.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://cdn.londonandpartners.com/asset/c0f7399e74cbfb572b50703cb732acdd.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.visitlondon.com/things-to-do/place/246500-arts-theatre" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">(Source)</a></td></tr>
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<span style="color: #783f04;">Overall I enjoyed the show but I think understanding the story and the characters fully would have been very difficult for someone not familiar with it at all beforehand. I overheard one lady in conversation in the foyer after the show saying that she and her children were very familiar with the stories of Dr Seuss and for them the show had made perfect sense. This was in response to another lady who had been left slightly confused by the whole thing having not read any of the original books. A day in the library reading through all of the Dr Seuss books will be my next stop in preparation for our own production.</span>Elwingdahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04489282946238037060noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5695662066314004136.post-92103245073505307702014-01-01T19:22:00.001+00:002014-01-01T19:22:17.854+00:00Review of 2013<span style="color: #274e13;">There are lots of these around this time of the year so I thought I would make one as well. </span><div>
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<ul>
<li><b>January:</b> <span style="color: #274e13;">I played the title role in an amateur pantomime, <i>Little Bo-Peep</i>.</span></li>
<li><b>March:</b> <span style="color: #274e13;">I joined the same drama group in their next production. Rehearsals began for an original play set in the Second World War, <i>Violette - The Fight for Freedom </i>in which I was double-cast as a French resistance worker and a concentration camp prisoner.</span></li>
<li><b>April:</b> <span style="color: #274e13;">I found out my University of Chichester audition had been successful and I was offered a place on BA Music with Musical Theatre.</span></li>
<li><b>May:</b> <span style="color: #274e13;">I performed in a musical theatre showcase at the Questors Theatre in West London as a part of my musical theatre foundation course. I also acted as an assistant stage manager for a production of <i>Honk Jr.</i>.</span></li>
<li><span style="color: #274e13;">I passed my motorcycle theory test.</span></li>
<li><b>June:</b> <span style="color: #274e13;">I attended my step-sister's wedding in Finland.</span></li>
<li><span style="color: #274e13;">Performances of <i>Violette </i>took place. </span></li>
<li><b>July:</b> <span style="color: #274e13;">I took the Associate Trinity College London Performance Diploma in Musical Theatre exam.</span></li>
<li><span style="color: #274e13;">I got a sports massage for the first time in my life.</span> </li>
<li><span style="color: #274e13;">I cooked dinner at my house for 9 of my friends plus myself. That is more people than I have ever had to cook for. </span></li>
<li><b>August:</b> <span style="color: #274e13;">I spent two weeks in Finland visiting friends and relatives. I also attended the annual summer meet-up of the Finnish <i>Wicked</i> fanclub while there.</span></li>
<li><b>September: </b><span style="color: #274e13;">I moved to Chichester and started university. I also got a branch transfer at work so I could keep my Saturday job while at university.</span></li>
<li><span style="color: #274e13;">I visited a friend who was working on the Isle of Wight. I had never been there before.</span></li>
<li><b>October:</b> <span style="color: #274e13;">I participated in another, shorter performance of <i>Violette</i> at the Spelthorne and Runnymede Drama Festival. This time I was allocated a different part. </span></li>
<li><b>November:</b> <span style="color: #274e13;">I passed the second part of the motorcycle practical and gained an A2 motorcycle licence. </span></li>
<li><span style="color: #274e13;">I got a trombone. </span></li>
<li><b>December:</b> <span style="color: #274e13;">I sung in two different university concerts and played violin in the band for a showcase.</span></li>
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<span style="color: #274e13;">Looking forward to discovering what the year 2014 has in store!</span></div>
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Elwingdahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04489282946238037060noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5695662066314004136.post-48212594810530641212013-12-23T21:33:00.000+00:002013-12-24T21:34:35.369+00:00My first semester at university<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjt6-voHPgCmlLxN2l7iNL7T6tzl3xOvoukO9edJF1Hv0WhMsUh0_SSDrkwXJQyKF90auQjMDFOdLMSFLjxYfCr6bn-A1sqiWzGjXSt-64A-1Gw4wwttXQZxMGEpwyUKnqOsmfna0ovS_I/s1600/IMG_2702p.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="280" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjt6-voHPgCmlLxN2l7iNL7T6tzl3xOvoukO9edJF1Hv0WhMsUh0_SSDrkwXJQyKF90auQjMDFOdLMSFLjxYfCr6bn-A1sqiWzGjXSt-64A-1Gw4wwttXQZxMGEpwyUKnqOsmfna0ovS_I/s640/IMG_2702p.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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I realise I never finished my Soundtracker Project on here. I did listen to lots of recordings but never got round to writing about them. Oh well, I got over half way.<div>
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I thought I would update everyone on some of the the things I got involved in in my first semester. Now, overall I really enjoyed what is, believe it or not, one-sixth of my entire degree. For those who don't know, I'm studying BA Music with Musical Theatre at the University of Chichester :) The music department at the university is fantastic and although it is a big department considering the small size of the university, everyone seems to know everyone and you feel like a part of one big family if you just care to get a little involved in the activities of the department.</div>
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The compulsory part of the degree: </div>
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<ul>
<li>Introduction to Musical Theatre: We learned some background of the main disciplines of musical theatre as well as learning to analyse and write about the different components of the genre.</li>
<li>Performance Development: Practical module with one group session (where certain people would be nominated to sing each week and everyone else would give feedback) and two half-an-hour individual singing lessons weekly. </li>
<li>Musical Grammar: Music theory.</li>
<li>Introduction to the Music Industry: I chose to swap for this module because it sounded interesting and I am glad I did. We learned about the different job roles within the music industry. </li>
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If one chose to only do the bare minimum, that would have been it. I, however, filled up my timetable with practical activities. Some of those: </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhefDgtZDccUpKoIZT4Xob8srrz90XcrSsq8HNe7jRMYNTADXHwtT18PYMqe3nh4hU8bzBbBJYV6liJs0HMIIfOYPO36aBwrdpFz4pd7ykH28tn12ccZjzmBY-9_qCd-763MfHUzrKcDgU/s1600/1462616_10201532276886463_1023735775_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhefDgtZDccUpKoIZT4Xob8srrz90XcrSsq8HNe7jRMYNTADXHwtT18PYMqe3nh4hU8bzBbBJYV6liJs0HMIIfOYPO36aBwrdpFz4pd7ykH28tn12ccZjzmBY-9_qCd-763MfHUzrKcDgU/s400/1462616_10201532276886463_1023735775_o.jpg" width="205" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My new trombone and I.</td></tr>
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<div>
<ul>
<li>Dance classes: Every weekday morning 8.30-10.00. Jazz, zumba, contemporary, ballet and tap.</li>
<li>Musical theatre ensemble: We rehearsed chorus numbers from musicals by Rodgers and Hammerstein and performed them with selected soloists in a small end-of-semester concert.</li>
<li>First year choir: Smallish choir focusing on singing technique and sight-reading. We got to sing at Chichester Cathedral at one of their carol services with two other university choirs. </li>
<li>Pops Orchestra: The biggest orchestra at the university as anyone can take part without auditioning. The music is straight-forward so even with my lacking violin skills, I managed to keep up. This semester we played music by ABBA. </li>
<li>Training brass band: Aimed at instrumentalists who haven't played a brass instrument before but are keen to learn. For a few years now I have wanted to try out the trombone and this has been my opportunity.</li>
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There are also societies you can join which are student-lead and the meetings usually take place in the evenings or during the weekends, outside of timetabled hours. I did attend the classes organised by the dance society occasionally but I got most involved in the activities of the musical theatre society. This semester gone, the first years performed in a freshers' showcase while the rest of the students were working on a full-length production of an original musical, <i>Dennis!</i>. I opted to play violin in the band for the showcase instead of singing as there was a massive shortage of violins. Next semester, all society members will come together to work on <i>Seussical the Musical </i>which will be performed at the university in April. I am very excited to be assistant-directing the show and hopefully I will also get the opportunity to be in the ensemble. </div>
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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://siliconvalleyandbeyond.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/seuss.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Post image for #82 – Seussical the Musical – Mountain View" border="0" height="200" src="http://siliconvalleyandbeyond.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/seuss.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://siliconvalleyandbeyond.com/blog/82-seussical-the-musical-mountain-view/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">(Source)</a></td></tr>
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Elwingdahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04489282946238037060noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5695662066314004136.post-56303282653478745662013-10-23T20:29:00.000+01:002013-10-28T21:14:25.412+00:00MT Soundtracker: Day 23<div>
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<img height="200" src="http://a3.mzstatic.com/us/r30/Music/24/3b/86/mzi.fnwvbigl.100x100-75.jpg" width="200" /></h3>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span></h3>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Kismet (1953)</span></h3>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b>Original Broadway Cast Recording</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Music: </b>Alexander Borodin </span><br />
<b style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Musical adaptation and Lyrics:</b><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> Robert Wright and George Forrest</span><br />
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<b style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Synopsis:</b><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> Set in Baghdad in the times of </span><i style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">The Arabian Nights</i><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">, and based on a 1911 play by Edward Knoblock, the musical tells the story of Hajj the poet who starts off as a poor beggar but rapidly gains money and status while his daughter, Marsinah, catches the eye of the Caliph who wants to marry a foreign princess. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b>Music</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">It seems astonishing that <i>Kismet </i>and <i>Gypsy</i>, the show I dealt with in my previous post, should be from the same decade. Having listened to both recordings, it seems like the two shows could not be much more contrasting. Where big belters are required for <i>Gypsy</i>, I could imagine Julie Andrews being cast in <i>Kismet</i>.</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> The musical has an operatic quality to it as the music has been adapted from the work of Romantic Russian composer Alexander Borodin. Particularly the song </span><i style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Stranger in Paradise</i><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> draws strongly upon his work featuring some of the show's most well-known musical themes. Borodin's music is described as evocative and rich in its harmonies</span><i style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">. </i><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Though the setting of the show might suggest so, the score is not reminiscent of traditional Middle-Eastern music. Listening to the soundtrack it does come across American. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">There are many big, operatic ensemble numbers and in order to comprehend everything that is sung, you almost wish for surtitles. However,<i> </i>the song <i>Gesticulate</i> for example features a more speechy quality. It was the score that made the <i>Kismet</i> successful with <i>Stranger in Paradise </i>and <i>Baubles, Bangles and Beads</i> even playing on the radio. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b>Productions</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">The original Broadway production enjoyed a successful run and won the Tony for Best Musical. <i>Kismet</i> did even better in London when it opened in the West End in 1955. That same year, a film version of the musical was released. </span>Elwingdahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04489282946238037060noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5695662066314004136.post-11413376786571008552013-10-22T23:32:00.000+01:002013-10-28T20:25:17.612+00:00MT Soundtracker: Day 22<div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Gypsy: A Musical Fable (1959)</span></h3>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b>Original Broadway Cast Recording</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Music: </b>Jule Styne</span><br />
<b style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Lyrics:</b><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Stephen Sondheim</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b>Synopsis:</b> Based loosely on the memoirs of the striptease artist, Gypsy Rose Lee, the musical focuses on her mother, Rose, who is trying to raise her two daughters into show business; one of them a talented extrovert and the other shy, always secondary to her sister.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b>Music</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i>Gypsy </i>is one of only three musicals Stephen Sondheim has written lyrics but not the music for (the most famous one being <i>West Side Story</i>). I realised this was the third musical of my project composed by Jule Styne also (after <i><a href="http://elwingda.blogspot.co.uk/2013/10/mt-soundtracker-day-5.html">Bells Are Ringing</a></i> and <i><a href="http://elwingda.blogspot.co.uk/2013/10/mt-soundtracker-day-11.html">Gentlemen Prefer Blondes</a></i>). </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Two songs from <i>Gypsy</i>, <i>Let Me Entertain You </i>(which is a reoccurring musical theme in the show and is effectively used to enhance the sense of character development) and <i>Together Wherever We Go</i> were familiar to me from the pantomime I took part in in January. They are catchy tunes as well as <i>Some People</i>. <i>Rose's Turn </i>is also a famous track. Because of the show business centered plot line, many of the songs are "big" and one can imagine them as stereotypical stagey numbers. The main part of Rose in particular is highly demanding due to the heavily belt-orientated songs. Like the two other Jule Styne musicals I have already explored, this one also contains some great female solos. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b>Productions</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Since the original Broadway production, there have been four revivals of <i>Gypsy </i>on Broadway alone. The part of Rose has been played by several notable actresses; this particular recording features Ethel Merman in the role. In the original West End production in 1973, Rose was played by Angela Lansbury and she won a Tony for her portrayal. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">A successful film version of <i>Gypsy </i>was made in 1962 and another one, for television, was released in 1993.</span>Elwingdahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04489282946238037060noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5695662066314004136.post-43024789812883226172013-10-21T18:11:00.000+01:002013-10-27T19:03:16.026+00:00MT Soundtracker: Day 21<div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Guys and Dolls (1950)</span></h3>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b>New Broadway Cast recording (1992)</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Music & </b></span><b style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Lyrics:</b><b style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-weight: normal;"> </b><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Frank Loesser</span></div>
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<b style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Synopsis:</b><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> The musical is set among the world of the New York gangsters. Nathan Detroit, desperate for money, bets Sky Masterson that he can't get a Salvation Army girl, Sarah Brown, to go with him to Cuba while Nathan himself struggles in his long-term relationship to Adelaide who wants to get married. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">I found most of the soundtrack fairly unforgettable which I was surprised over knowing how well-known <i>Guys and Dolls </i>is. The score is true to its time in terms of style and reminded me of <i>Kiss Me, Kate</i>. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">My favourite song of the soundtrack by far was the love duet, <i>I've Never Been in Love Before. </i>I knew I had heard this song before but I had been unaware of its musical of origin. In fact, there were a few songs I recognised such as <i>Luck Be a Lady</i> and <i>Sit Down, You're Rocking the Boat</i>. <i>Adelaide's Lament</i> is the infamous one which apparently you should never sing in an audition as trying to sound like you have a cold is rarely useful. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b>Productions</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">The original Broadway production which opened in 1950, did brilliantly well and won five Tony Awards including Best Musical. The first West End production opened in 1953. <i>Guys and Dolls </i>has since been revived several times in various formats, particularly in New York. Presumably due to the variety of characters and the many ensemble opportunities, the musical has become popular among schools and amateur groups.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">A UK revival is being planned for the 2014 season at the Chichester Festival Theatre, which I will fairly certainly go and see. I get the impression from the number of professionals productions that have taken place that <i>Guys and Dolls </i>is one of those classic shows every musical theatre enthusiast should have seen at least once. </span></div>
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Elwingdahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04489282946238037060noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5695662066314004136.post-78650752979518701892013-10-20T17:36:00.000+01:002013-10-26T21:32:30.760+01:00MT Soundtracker: Day 20<div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Whistle Down the Wind (1996)</span></h3>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b>Original Cast Recording (1998)</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Music: </b>Andrew Lloyd Webber</span><br />
<b style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Lyrics: </b><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Jim Steinman</span></div>
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<b style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Synopsis:</b><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> Based on the 1961 film of the same name, the musical is set in Louisiana in 1959. Swallow finds an unknown man hiding in the barn and believing him as he says he is Jesus Christ, she and the other children promise to keep his existence secret while the adults search for a murderer on the run. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b>Music</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Like most Andrew Lloyd Webber scores, <i>Whistle Down the Wind </i>has one very distinct motif which keeps returning for continuity and coherence. Even though the musical was unfamiliar to me, I still knew that 'Whistle Down the Wind' tune. However, even for Lloyd Webber, this tune was recycled a lot and I was tired of it before I was even halfway through the soundtrack. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Many of the songs are very melodic and are reminiscent of older musical theatre shows by the likes of Rodgers and Hammerstein. Like in <i>Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat</i>, children are an integral part of the show. A few of the songs are rock-influenced such as <i>Cold</i> and <i>Tire Tracks and Broken Hearts</i>. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Interesting fact:<i> No Matter What</i>, sung by Boyzone on the concept album and later released by them as a single, was voted UK's single of the year in 1998 and it became the most successful single produced from a musical ever. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Also <i>A Kiss Is a Terrible Thing to Waste </i>and <i>When Children Rule the World</i> became well-known tracks outside of the context of the show. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Productions</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Due to the negative reviews following its Washington D. C. premiere in 1996, the date set for a Broadway opening of <i>Whistle Down the Wind</i> was cancelled. A reworked version of the musical opened in the West End in 1998 and this production ran for over 1000 performances. It has since been revived in the West End and it has successfully toured both in the UK and the USA. </span></div>
Elwingdahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04489282946238037060noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5695662066314004136.post-19162031656030429182013-10-19T17:16:00.000+01:002013-10-21T20:41:32.955+01:00MT Soundtracker: Day 19<div>
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<span style="background-color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">The Wiz (1974)</span></h3>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b style="background-color: #eeeeee;">Original Cast Recording (1975)</b></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #eeeeee;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Music & </b></span><b style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Lyrics: </b><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Charlie Smalls (others also contributed with additional music and lyrics)</span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: #eeeeee;"><b style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Synopsis: </b><i style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">The Wiz </i><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">is a musical adaptation of Frank L. Baum's novel, </span><i style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">The Wonderful Wizard of Oz: </i><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Dorothy ends up in the land of Oz after a tornado and embarks on a journey to see the Wizard in order to get back home. On the way she picks up the Scarecrow, the Tin Man and the Lion all of whom also want something from the Wizard. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b>Music</b></span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: #eeeeee;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Whenever <i>The Wizard of </i>Oz<i> </i>is mentioned, most people think of the 1939 film starring Judy Garland. I think the association of the title to that film is even stronger than the association with the original novel. Therefore, it is easy to forget that the musical film is only one take on the classic children's book. <i>The Wiz </i>(full title: </span><span style="line-height: 19.1875px;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i>The Wiz: The Super Soul Musical "Wonderful Wizard of Oz"</i>) puts the story into an African American context and the score is, as the title suggests, based on soul music. Some of the songs can be directly paired up with numbers from the 1939 film version as there are no alterations in terms of the plot<i>. </i>For example <i>Ease On Down the Road</i> serves the same purpose as <i>We're Off to See the Wizard</i> as reprises take place throughout the journey to enhance continuity. Out of all the songs in the show, this song became the most well-known. The Scarecrow, the Tin Man and the Cowardly Lion each have their own song too (<i>I Was Born on the Day Before Yesterday, Slide Some Oil to Me</i> and <i>I'm a Mean Ole Lion</i> respectively) </span></span><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 19.18402862548828px;">which are located in the same place in the story as in the above-mentioned film version</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 19.18402862548828px;"> </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 19.1875px;">. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b>Productions</b></span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i>The Wiz</i>, when performed professionally, is usually performed with an all-black or mostly black cast. The original Broadway production in 1975 was significant for the African American culture as it was a big-budget production and allowed later the emerging of of other musicals in similar style such as <i>Dreamgirls. </i>The Broadway production ran for four years and received several Tony Awards. However, there has not been a production nearly as successful since.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #eeeeee; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">A film version of the musical was released in 1978 starring singer Diana Ross as Dorothy. Michael Jackson played the Scarecrow. </span></div>
Elwingdahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04489282946238037060noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5695662066314004136.post-73791191663324789402013-10-18T14:16:00.000+01:002013-10-21T16:23:16.031+01:00MT Soundtracker: Day 18<div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Bonnie and Clyde (2009)</span></h3>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b>Original Broadway Cast Recording (2012)</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Music: </b>Frank Wildhorn</span><br />
<b style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Lyrics: </b><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Don Black</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b>Synopsis:</b> The musical is based on the lives of outlaws and lovers Bonnie Parker and Clyde Barrow who, in 1930's America, robbed stores and killed people while travelling around to avoid being caught.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">This is the most recent musical of my project so far. I have much love for the completeness of musical theatre soundtracks nowadays due to the technological advances allowing more tracks to fit onto discs and this makes it possible to often piece together the story just by listening to the songs. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">It is a shame that the stage show of <i>Bonnie and Clyde</i> flopped as I enjoyed the soundtrack. It is not a box-standard Broadway musical score even though Wildhorn being the composer does not come as a surprise to someone who is familiar with his other work (e.g. <i>Jekyll & Hyde</i>, <i>The Scarlet Pimpernel</i>) . Broadway pop is variably mixed in with western (particularly <i>You're Going Back to Jail</i>), blues and gospel music (e.g. <i>God's Arms Are Always Open</i>). Despite the many different styles featured, the soundtrack comes together well as a whole. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I spotted a great female duet, <i>You Love Who You Love</i>. <i>How 'bout a Dance</i> was a song I had heard out of context before and that is a lovely track for a female singer with a jazzy voice. There are also some great male solos. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b>Productions</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">After two smaller productions in the USA, <i>Bonnie and Clyde </i>went to Broadway but closed after only a month and a half after a generally negative reception from the critics and tickets sales being worse than expected even though the audiences seemed to like the show. This might end up being one of those shows that will get rediscovered in 10 or 20 years time and successfully revived. </span></div>
Elwingdahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04489282946238037060noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5695662066314004136.post-37660361227175700062013-10-17T16:45:00.001+01:002013-10-18T00:37:48.082+01:00MT Soundtracker: Day 17<div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Mack & Mabel (1974)</span></h3>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b>Original London Cast Recording (1995)</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Music & </b></span><b style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Lyrics: </b><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Jerry Herman</span><br />
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<b style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Synopsis:</b><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> Set in Brooklyn in 1911 as a flashback, Mack Sennett was a silent movie director who spotted the talent of Mabel, a delicatessen worker, and made her a film star. Although Mabel falls for Mack, she wants to act in serious films instead of just doing the comedies Mack wants to direct so she meets with another director, William Desmond Taylor, who is attracted to her and is prepared to give her a role in a drama. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b>Music</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">What I found the most intriguing about this soundtrack was the fact that Mabel's character development is perfectly discernible even just hearing the recording. Without giving the whole plot away, Mabel starts in a very girly, energetic voice (<i>Look What Happened to Mabel</i>) and this contrasts with the maturity she has developed and reaches towards the end of the show (<i>Time Heals Everything</i>). I was astonished by the excellent communication of the recording in this respect.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Although<i> Mack and Mabel</i> is set in the early 20th century, it is obvious from the soundtrack that the musical is from a much later decade. The orchestrations are more modern and when a track such as <i>Tap Your Troubles Away</i> comes on, however customary tap was to a certain era in musical theatre, it feels out of place here. However, the audible jazz influence traditionally associated with the earlier musicals has been incorporated with the newer Broadway sound. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b>Productions</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Although the original Broadway production received praise from the critics, it only ran for eight weeks and despite getting nominated for several Tony Awards, it won none. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Interestingly, the musical became known to a large proportion of the British public in the 1980's as a British team won the World Figure Skating Championships in ice dance and they used the overture of <i>Mack and Mabel</i> as their music. As a result, the high demand resulted in the original cast recording being re-released in the UK. Still it took the musical another 10 years to actually open in the West End. </span></div>
Elwingdahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04489282946238037060noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5695662066314004136.post-71219854187110330392013-10-16T01:02:00.000+01:002013-10-17T14:20:51.344+01:00MT Soundtracker: Day 16<div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Damn Yankees (1955)</span></h3>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b>Broadway Revival Cast Recording (1994)</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Music: </b>Richard Adler</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Lyrics: </b>Jerry Ross</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Synopsis:</b> Based on the German legend of Doctor Faustus, Joe Boyd is an estate agent who wants the baseball team he supports to win for once. Mr Applegate, who appears to be a salesman but is actually the Devil, offers Joe a deal: if Joe gives up his soul and leaves his wife, he can become a young, brilliant baseball player and join the baseball team to help them win. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Music</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">The 1994 Broadway revival of </span><i style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Damn Yankees</i><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> had a revised story line and, understandably, orchestrations of songs were updated. </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> The interesting thing about this particular soundtrack is that it contains not only the songs but also small snippets of dialogue which give a more comprehensive account of the show. They have been slotted in between the songs as separate tracks so suppose someone only wanted to listen to the songs, the spoken sections would be easy to skip. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">This is one of the most energetic recordings I have come across during my project so far. It was the first one during which I actually thought 'this is musical theatre cheese'. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i>Whatever Lola Wants (Lola Gets)</i> is one of the track I had heard before. It is a seductive character song with a dance break. It starts of with a tango feel and moves towards a more rhythmic Spanish sound. The other track which knew possibly from dance class was <i>Who's Got the Pain?</i> which is quite catchy. In fact, not only do many of the tracks on the recording lend themselves to dance but they vary a fair amount in style promoting the inclusion of many different styles of dance. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Productions</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i>Damn Yankees</i> did very well when it first opened on Broadway (featuring choreography by Bob Fosse). A short West End run took place the year after and a musical film was made in 1958. The musical has been since revived in both London and in New York.</span></div>
Elwingdahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04489282946238037060noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5695662066314004136.post-58706111413003116272013-10-15T22:03:00.000+01:002013-10-16T23:31:25.957+01:00MT Soundtracker: Day 15<div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Kiss of the Spider Woman (1992)</span></h3>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b>Original Cast Recording</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Music: </b>John Kander</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Lyrics: </b>Fred Ebb</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Synopsis:</b> Luis Alberto Molina is a gay prisoner in Latin America who mostly lives in a dream world to get away from the life in prison. He is particularly drawn to the voice of seductive actress, Aurora, the 'Spider Woman'. Molina cares for his repeatedly tortured cell mate, Valentin, and Molina has to decide whether he is prepared to betray Valentin for the sake of seeing his sick mother. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Music</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">John Kander and Fred Ebb are best known for creating the scores for <i>Cabaret </i>and <i>Chicago</i>. <i>Kiss of the Spider Woman</i> is obviously a later piece of work and although I can see the resemblance in the music between this show and others composed by the duo that I know, it is a more modern sound. Not the pop sound which has become popular in this day and time mind you, but rather a modern musical theatre sound. In fact, the music reminds me of the work of Frank Wildhorn (e.g. <i>Jekyll and Hyde,</i> <i>The Scarlet Pimpernel</i>)<i>. </i>I am personally very fond of his style and already the first few ominous phrases of the <i>Prologue </i>of <i>The Kiss of the Spider Woman</i> drew me in and made me want to listen to the rest of the recording. As a result of the show's setting, the rhythmic Latin American drive is the basis of several tracks. There are some great solos for males and for a low female voice in the show, e.g. <i>Marta, She's a Woman, Kiss of the Spider Woman, Do Miracles </i>(a duet but would work as a solo). <i>Morphine Tango</i> wins the prize for the eeriest track with its choral base.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Productions</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">The musical got criticised for failing to do justice to the novel it is based on and for presenting the serious subject matters the musical deals with too lightly. However, although its West End run was not the longest, the Broadway production (1993, with Chita Rivera in the title role) was very successful and won several Tony Awards. </span><br />
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Elwingdahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04489282946238037060noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5695662066314004136.post-47155423528103426432013-10-14T22:34:00.000+01:002013-10-16T21:57:47.820+01:00MT Soundtracker: Day 14<div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Hot Mikado (1986)</span></h3>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b>Original Cast Recording</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Music: </b>Rob Bowman</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Lyrics: </b>David H. Bell</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Synopsis:</b> Based on one of Gilbert and Sullivan's most frequently performed operettas, <i>The Mikado, Hot Mikado</i> is set in Japan in the 1940's. Nanki-Poo, the son of the Mikado of Japan, arrives at the village of Titipu disguised as a musician looking for Yum-Yum, a girl he has fallen in love with, thinking that the man she was supposed to marry (Ko-Ko) is to be executed. Turns out Ko-Ko has been made the Lord High Executioner and that he is to soon marry Yum-Yum but because he was not executed, someone else must be.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Music</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Interestingly, Bowman has used a lot of Sullivan't original music but re-orchestrated it to comply with the popular styles of the 1940's. Many of the melodies remain the same. The score is heavily jazz-influenced in particular. Elements of blues and gospel for instance are also identifiable. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">The song <i>Tit-Willow</i> made me giggle mostly because of my immaturity but it is also a slightly peculiar song. I very much enjoyed the thick, juicy harmonies taking place in many of the songs. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Productions</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i>Hot Mikado </i>was a new adaption of the well-known show created after the composer and lyricist realised there was very limited material available for the 1939 Broadway production of <i>The Hot Mikado</i> which also was an adaptation of <i>The Mikado</i> but it had an African-American emphasis.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i>Hot Mikado</i> has up to this point never been on Broadway. It has, however, been performed in several venues in the USA and a short West End run took place in 1995.</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> </span></div>
Elwingdahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04489282946238037060noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5695662066314004136.post-9493530214770169142013-10-13T23:43:00.000+01:002013-10-14T23:53:27.013+01:00MT Soundtracker: Day 13<div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">The Light in the Piazza (2003)</span></h3>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b>Original Broadway Cast Recording (2005)</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Music & Lyrics: </b>Adam Guettel</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Synopsis:</b> It is the 1950's. Margaret Johnson and her emotionally unstable daughter, Clara, spend a summer in Italy. Clara falls in love with an Italian, Fabrizio. Margaret tries her best to stop the relationship but the young couple plan to marry regardless. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Music</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Here we have another rather unique musical. Firstly, the score is very operatic (especially e.g. <i>Clara's Interlude</i>), in order to enhance the feel of a 1950's setting perhaps. It also contains long, instrumental sections (e.g. <i>American Dancing</i> has no vocals at all) It is quite rare to find a musical from the 21st century in this style. Secondly, it is the only bilingual Broadway musical that I have come across (if anyone knows any others, please let me know) with numerous characters being Italian. </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Overall I did not find the soundtrack particularly memorable. I think <i>The Light in the Piazza</i> might be one of those musicals that are best seen on stage partly because for anyone who does not speak Italian, the staging probably greatly helps in understanding the meaning of the songs in that language. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">However, particularly the title track as well as <i>Love to Me </i>are beautiful numbers, <i>Hysteria</i> grabs your attention because it lives up to its name. <i>Octet</i> partly follows in the footsteps of <i>Hysteria.</i></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Productions</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">The original Broadway production was received positively and it won several Tony awards. It has since been performed around the US as well as outside of it. The UK premiere took place in Leicester in 2009 but the show has so far not made the West End. </span></div>
Elwingdahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04489282946238037060noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5695662066314004136.post-55793683558795255132013-10-12T15:28:00.000+01:002013-10-13T16:40:04.071+01:00MT Soundtracker: Day 12<div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum (1962)</span></h3>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b>Original Broadway Cast Recording</b></span><br />
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<b style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Music & Lyrics: </b><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Stephen Sondheim</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Synopsis:</b> The musical is based on farces of the Roman playwright Plautus. Set in ancient Rome, the story focuses on the lives of three adjacent households. In order to free himself from slavery, Pseudolus promises his master, Hero, that he will help him get the girl next door he has fallen for. The musical has retained many characteristics of farce with mistaken identities, satire and puns. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Music</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I thought it was about time to explore a new Stephen Sondheim. I'm sure I'm not the only one who on the first few listens was not too keen on the work of this legendary composer. His absolute focus on the lyrics to the extent that his melodies mimic the natural intonation of speech reduces the melodic aspect of the songs; an aspect which I generally demand from the music I listen to for pleasure. It is only when I got to singing Sondheim that it became clear how challenging some of his songs are to sing (and for the accompanist to play). I learned to appreciate Sondheim on a whole different level and he really is a genius. Having commented on the complexity of his music and his harmonies, however, I also have to point out that many of his scores are very similar to each other. That takes me to <i>A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum</i>. The first song, <i>Comedy Tonight, </i>does not quite utilise enough atonality/wordiness (for me) to determine the show to be a Sondheim one - in fact, it resembles a stereotypical musical opening number to a great extent - but from then on, there is no doubt of who is behind the score.<i> </i>The next song, <i>Love, I Hear</i>, opens with speech-singing and the melody feels secondary to the lyrics. </span><i style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum</i><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> was Sondheim's first major musical for which he wrote both the music and lyrics so compared to some of his later work (e.g. </span><i style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Into the Woods</i><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">) where his unique writing is more refined, so this show is not quite as "weird" musically.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><i>A Funny Thing... </i>contains some brilliant lyrics and character songs (<i>I'm Calm</i>) and some remarkably catchy phrases. I was ended up singing "<i>Everybody Ought to Have a Maid". </i>I also particularly enjoyed <i>Bring Me My Bride </i>for its comic value. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Most of the characters with solo songs in the musical are male but interestingly the main part of Pseudolus, though originally written as a male part, has been played by both men and women. </span></div>
Elwingdahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04489282946238037060noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5695662066314004136.post-91966456665582912822013-10-11T23:09:00.001+01:002013-10-12T01:10:51.841+01:00MT Soundtracker: Day 11<div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Gentlemen Prefer Blondes (1949)</span></h3>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b>New York City Center Concert Recording (2012)</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Music: </b>Jule Styne</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Lyrics: </b>Leo Robin</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Synopsis:</b> It is the 1920s. Lorelei and her friend Dorothy board a ship from the USA to France. Lorelei is certain her boyfriend, Gus Esmond, wants to break up with her so the two women get acquainted with the wealthy men on the ship. Lorelei also gains possession of a tiara which two detectives start tracking down. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Music</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I have admit that I chose this particular recording because one of my favourite Broadway actresses, Megan Hilty, sings the lead role of Lorelei Lee but the show itself is a classic too and so rather appropriate for this project. <i>Diamonds Are a Girl's Best Friend </i>is the most well-known song from this show and I was unaware for quite some time that the song originated from a musical. I found <i>A Little Girl from Little Rock</i> the most memorable track closely followed by <i>Diamonds Are a Girl's Best Friend</i>. The music is very jazzy and there are some great, belty female solos. This is a lovely recording to play as background music too, as on top of the vocal tracks and sections, there is a fair amount of fantastic instrumental content for the customary dance breaks. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Productions</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I suspect most people know <i>Gentlemen Prefer Blondes</i> from the 1954 film of the same name starring Marilyn Monroe. It did well for itself of Broadway in 1949 but did not last for very long in the West End in 1962. There have been a number of subsequent revivals, most notably a 1995 Broadway production. </span></div>
Elwingdahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04489282946238037060noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5695662066314004136.post-130632630959324622013-10-10T23:05:00.000+01:002013-10-11T02:10:28.959+01:00MT Soundtracker: Day 10<div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Young Frankenstein (2007)</span></h3>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b>Original Broadway Cast Recording</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Music & Lyrics: </b>Mel Brooks</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Synopsis: </b>The musical is based on the 1974 film with the same name which parodies Mary Shelley's classic book <i>Frankenstein</i>. The story is set in Transylvania in the 1930's where Dr Victor Frankenstein has just died. To the disappointment of the villagers, Dr Frankenstein's grandson Frederick travels from New York for his grandfather's estate. Frederick is then encouraged to take over the family business and to build a monster of his own. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Music</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">The soundtrack reminded me a little of <i>The Rocky Horror Show, </i>especially songs such as <i>Please Don't Touch Me </i>but mixed in with something from <i>The Producers</i> in terms of its comic value. There are some brilliant exaggerated foreign accents going on but in general I found the recording a little bit samey all the way through. I could not pick out a song that I enjoyed more than the others. <i>The Brain </i>is quite an impressive one requiring excellent diction but I don't know whether I could describe that as my very favourite. The music is of the flashy Broadway style - you can imagine many of the songs being combined with big dance numbers. From the lyrics and the exaggerated expression of many songs, it is obvious the musical is a parody. One of the characters (Inga) even starts yodeling in the song <i>Roll in the Hay</i>.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Productions</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I was astonished a musical as recent as this had gone completely unnoticed by me seeing as it involves Mel Brooks (I love <i>The Producers</i>), Sutton Foster who I think is a brilliant performer and Christopher Fitzgerald, a name I have been coming across frequently lately. then again, <i>Young Frankenstein</i> is not widely spread outside of the USA. The original Broadway production received mixed reviews even though the audience response was largely positive.</span></div>
Elwingdahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04489282946238037060noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5695662066314004136.post-54355819564555193682013-10-09T23:47:00.001+01:002013-10-09T23:47:33.779+01:00MT Soundtracker: Day 9<div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">They're Playing Our Song (1978)</span></h3>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Music: </b>Marvin Hamlisch</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Synopsis:</b> The musical is based on the real-life relationship between the composer and the lyricist. Pop music composer Vernon Gersch meets with lyricist Sonia Walsk and although they are very different personalities, they decide to go ahead with a collaboration. They begin developing a closer relationship but Sonia's ex-boyfriend Leon starts causing trouble.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Music</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Marvin Hamlisch is most famous for writing the music for <i>A Chorus Line</i>. Listening to <i>They're Playing Our Song</i>, the fact that the two shows are by the same composer does not surprise me. Virtually all songs are male-female duets as <i>They're Playing Our Song</i> is effectively a two-man show. However, both characters have so-called Greek choruses off-stage. The sound is contemporary with pop and rock influences. </span><br />
<i style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">They're Playing My Song</i><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> was the only track I recognised as having heard before. </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">I enjoyed </span><i style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Workin' It Out </i><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">as a track. The lyrics of that worked brilliantly. </span><i style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">When You're In My Arms </i><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">is perhaps the catchiest song, it flowed beautifully and it had a lovely drive to it. It is a shame that I am slightly too young to sing anything from this show at the moment but I guess the time will come.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Productions</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">After a brief Los Angeles run, the show went to Broadway and ran for over 1000 performances. A year later it opened in the West End and it has since been revived in London and produced internationally. The original Broadway production was nominated for Tonys but failed to win any. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Somehow I can't quite imagine <i>They're Playing Our Song </i>on Broadway stage due to the small cast. However, I am sure it works wonders in a small </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">venue such as the Menier Chocolate Factory in London where it was revived in 2008. </span></div>
Elwingdahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04489282946238037060noreply@blogger.com0