Happy Birthday, SONDHEIM & LLOYD WEBBER!

Happy Birthday to the Kings of Musical Theatre

Stephen Sondheim & Andrew Lloyd Webber!!!

Today kind of seems like Christmas for the musical theatre community.

My life (especially the junior high years) & iTunes have been infintely improved by these two men,

so their birthdays are certainly worth the celebrating.

I vote that next year, they should do a birthday concert at Royal Albert Hall.

[my boyfriends singing a tribute to Cameron Mackintosh]

[A side note on birthdays & Sondheim: I met Stephen Sondheim with my sister on her 25^th birthday. We were at the Lincoln Center in NYC to see a concert performance of Sweeney Todd  & got to the theatre obscenely early. There was a bar on the empty lobby of the mezzanine & there were 2 people at the bar with their backs to us. Jenny thought one of them was Sir Sondheim, but we couldn’t be sure. Then the lady he was with turned around & we recognized her as Maria Friedman, which meant the man was with her was probably Sondheim. So we approached, using our status as Friedman-fans as the catalyst. And then we met the man himself, breathed his air, & exchanged words. I remember nothing anyone said except his affirmation that my sister looked like Johanna. Talk about a happy birthday.]

Phantom of the Opera 25th Anniversary Concert

The Phantom of the Opera was the first show I ever saw on Broadway.

I went with my parents & sister in the winter of sixth grade.

The tickets cost $15 & our seats were in the 2^nd to last row  (we bought binoculars).

it was amazing.

My father grew to love musicals because of the interest my sister & I exhibited;

this was probably his favorite musical, so it will always mean a lot to me.

In celebration of Phantom’s 25^th Anniversary, Cameron Mackintosh directed an innovative, amazing concert performance 

@ Royal Albert Hall with a cast & orchestra of over 200 & some special guest appearances. and it ruled.

THE PLAYERS

• As our Leading Men, Ramin Karimloo (The Phantom) & Hadley Fraser (Raoul) were both sufficient, but neither brought anything especially heightened or new to their roles. The Phantom needs to seem like he’s constantly on the brink of losing his crazy temper & Karimloo lacked that gruffness. As Raoul, Fraser was romantic & committed, but I like Raoul to be presented as a strong man of society man with striking, impeccable charm. The audience needs to fall in love with Raoul along with Christine, but I just fell into like.
• As Carlotta, Wendy Ferguson immediately established her character as an veteran, 19-year employee of the Opera Populaire who has been taken advantage of rather than the bland, warbling Prima Donna. Carlotta was originally supposed to be played by Kiera Duffy, but, couldn’t perform the role due to illness. I can’t imagine Ms. Duffy could have been better than Ms. Ferguson because she really was the perfect Carlotta. As Piangi, Wynne Evans embodied the male musical diva to compliment his Carlotta; they seemed to have an established history & strong symbiotic relationship that was consistently & subtly communicated throughout the show.
• Barry James & Gareth Snook were great as M. Firmin & M. André. They had great comedic timing without being over-the-top & created fulfilling characters considering their stage time (especially solo-time) was somewhat limited.
• I didn’t love Daisy Maywood as Meg; her performance was a too Ado Annie & lacked the sense of French elegance. I love that Phantom has a brunette lead with a blonde supporting actress, but this Meg was a little too blonde, a little too old, & a little too much. This is especially frustrating since Meg is not that difficult role to perform well. Maybe it was an artistic intention to have Meg have no resemblance to Mme. Giry (physically & in character), but I dislike when familial resemblance is given no regard in casting. I loved Liz Robertson’s Mme. Giry; she was sharp, smart, providing a sense of mystery & backstory (and had that classic French beauty). I have no idea how she could have given birth to this Meg.

And finally…Sierra Boggess as Christine

I immediately recognized our Christine as Ariel from Broadway’s The Little Mermaid. There are some unexpected similarities between Christine & Ariel: the relentless pursuit of misguided goals, easily-manipulated, and having the Voice of An Angel that people manipulate & use to their advantage. Boggess played all the facets of Christine’s character impeccably: the impressionable young girl, the terrified victim, the young starlet shining in a new spotlight, & young woman falling into her first love. Her voice was perfect & liked her half-curled hair with contemporary crimps (much better than the 1980s ringlet-wig from productions past). Overall, a perfect Christine who carried the show & needs to be acknowledged as one of our generation's most-respected, exceptional leading ladies.

• The Prologue’s moment of a “a little illumination” opened the show with the perfect sharp, strong, startling effect. I’m glad they made an appropriate spectacle of the chandelier because that dramatic factor is always underplayed; this chandelier was huge, crazy, & perfect.
• Due to the size of the theatre, the production relied heavily on the use of projectors. Projectors are becoming more & more apparent in musical theatre. When used well, projecting a set provides both an opportunity for further authenticity & further artistry in production design.
• The Royal Albert is the perfect setting for this performance; the setting established the creepy old theatre factor better than any other theatre I could imagine. The opera was so full & vibrant (and Jamaican in color-scheme!). The opera felt operatic rather than a musical’s lame interpretation of what an opera would be. I loved the aerial shots of the ballerinas.
• Think of Me started off too trembling, but I loved the songs’s transformation from a quick, on-the-spot audition to full-costumed glory.
• Music of the Night was performed to an awake Christine (who is such a good actress, she absorbs other character‘s energy), which allowed a more multi-faceted performance of the song; however, my first (and lasting) impression of the Phantom was that he was too clean & needed to be roughened up around the edges.
• All I Ask of You was perfect & beautiful. Their rendition made me re-hear the lyrics for the first time & appreciate them with a more mature perspective & understanding. It is a song that is taken for granted, but really is quite insightful & stunningly in message. Plus, the harps were lovely.

• The Overture was stunning; it reminded me of olden-times Broadway when there were songs worth an orchestrational reprise. I liked the choice to have the orchestra suspended above & behind the actors. It is more respectful to the musicians since the are not hidden in a pit underneath the production & probably provides a fuller orchestral sound for the audience. The first time I saw a production staged in this manner was Sam Mendes’ Broadway Revival of Cabaret. I’m glad this trend has caught on & hope it becomes more apparent in future, large-scale musicals.
• Masquerade was a glorious, old-school glamorous, carnival-vibed gala. The spectacle did astound me & The Phantom appearing as a singing skull (+ the giant projection behind him) was pretty terrifying & effective. I didn’t really get why Raoul was costume looked like a matador (maybe it was symbolic because he taunts the big Phantom BULLy, but I didn’t love it).
• Wishing You Were Somehow Here Again was my favorite part of this show. Christine’s costume was starkly different than the traditional attire for this number; it seemed more intentional in design due to the reminiscence of Little Red Ridinghood lost in the forest; I love that juxtaposition that allows the audience to subconsciously associate her feelings with the feelings we associate with the familiar character that is Little Red. She looked exhausted & still completely immersed at the end of the song (as well she should). It was also a beautiful & emotional element to showcase the strong violinists in the orchestra since Christine’s father was an accomplished violinist.
• The Point of No Return was a strange, sweaty, intense ballad. The moment of Piangi’s lynching was much more terrifying. The mayhem in the theatre was palpable. It is a very interesting dynamic when there is a play within a play factor because the audience is inadvertently forced into playing the role of the audience. This production seemed to incorporate that subtle psychological element (which was largely lacking in previous productions) & I am sure that element enriched the experience of the audience members.
• Down Once More was presented as a character-based finale; there was a simplicity in setting in compared of rest of production. It was a great finale that provided the climax of the play as well as the breaking point for Christine. The dynamics of the finale seemed at a higher stake than the rest of the show, which is appropriate & shows a smart, conscientious attention to pacing & perception.

[I try not to post super-long videos, but this one is worth it.]

• I teared up when MICHAEL CRAWFORD came out. I grew up on his voice & it was great to see the effect on his face of seeing all his fans [like me] thrilled.
• SARAH BRIGHTMAN is a goddess. It was so cool to see her singing the songs that were written for her & inspired by her 25 years ago. She is a perfect, professional performer who still exhibits the wow-factor she did so many years ago. Speaking of so many years ago, there is also the Webber/Brightman love story that is still such an important facet of the creation of this musical. I have such respect for that, despite their divorce, they still speak of each other with such respect  & admiration.
• The PHANTOMS: Colm Wilkinson, Anthony Warlow, John Owen Jones, Peter Jöback. I like them all, but Colm Wilkinson is the biggest, best, all-star Phantom & his presence was the icing on an already heavily-iced cake.

ARTonNews: Les Mis Movie Initial Cast

Papers have been signed & the plans are in the works for Les Miserables: The Movie Musical. Original producer Cameron Mackintosh will oversee the film, which will be directed by Tom Hooper (The King’s Speech). Filming is set to start in London in February with a projected release date of December 7, 2012. Partial initial casting as been confirmed with Hugh Jackman as Jean ValJean, Russell Crowe as Javert, and Anne Hathaway as Fantine. Rumors are indicate that Geoffrey Rush & Helena Bonham Carter will be playing The Thenardiers.

"Even though I have dreamt about making the film of Les Miserables for over 25 years, I could never have imagined that we would end up with the dream director Tom Hooper, and the dream cast of Hugh Jackman and Russell Crowe as the two great protagonists Jean Valjean and Javert…Not only were they born to play these roles vocally, but they thrillingly inhabit this great score. I can’t wait to hear the people sing at my local cineplex."

-Cameron Mackintosh

Hugh Jackman as Jean ValJean

I dislike this casting. He lacks the seasoned, gruff & base street-smart quality of a criminal who has seen Hell but chooses Heaven. I get it. He’s an accomplished Hollywood actor who has proven versatility in roles, the ability to act and sing at the same time, & a face that will sell tickets. But he is just too young & green to play ValJean. I would have loved to see him cast as Marius, a much more appropriate casting for his specific skill-set. This is the ValJean that Victor Hugo envisioned and I am curious & doubtful as to whether Captain Jackman will suffice compared to his predecessors.

Anne Hathaway as Fantine

A very confusing casting choice, to say the least. Just as Hugh Jackman would have been a better fit for Marius, Hathaway could have been a great Eponine. They could have still had their faces on the posters without them playing the headlining characters. She & Jackman have the same problem: lack of authentic weathering as an actor. I don’t want to see a bright-eyed, simple belter as Fantine. I want to see an actress of epic proportions who happens to also have an amazing voice. I want to see an actress I associate with no other major movie roles so that I can accept her as a new Fantine.

Russell Crowe as Javert

If this casting was in reference to purely cinematic interpration of the character in the novel, I would be 100% supportive. But can Russell Crowe seriously sing?? I think he communicates Javert's history more than his present. Textually, Javert grew from a guttered childhood to become the pristine, respected police inspector. Crowe has the brooding history, the intimidating mannerisms, but lacks the clean intimidation Javert consistently displays in this adaptation.