Les Miserables 25th Anniversary Concert

Wednesday night, I took a trip to the local movie theatre to see the Les Miserables 25th Anniversary Concert. Les Miz has always had a special place in my heart. It was one of the first musicals I ever discovered, and while I think the story could be fledged out a bit more and the characters are flat for the most part, I've always loved the music, so I know I couldn't pass up the opportunity to see this. And I'm so glad that I decided to go - it was amazing.

Almost all the performers were wonderful. Lea Salogna played Fantine perfectly. Her facial expressions and on-cue crying added to all those emotional moments that the character has to go through. Ramin Karmiloo shined as Enjolras, and Matt Lucas made a hilarious Thenardier. I also loved Jamie Davies as Gavroche. He made the character so cunning, cute, and interesting all at the same time. He's definitely one of my favorite, if not my absolute favorite Gavroche I've ever seen or heard.

The new orchestrations enhanced the score, making it more lush and beautiful than ever. Hearing it in surround sound made the experience even better. There were also some 'bonus songs' at the end of the concert, including a quartet of Valjeans from the different productions over the years singing "Bring Him Home". It was so amazing, so breathtaking, that words can't describe it.

There was one problem I had with the concert, though, and that was Nick Jonas as Marius. He seemed very weak next to all the other performers. It was as though they had a bunch of professionally trained, experienced actors, and then he was just thrown into the mix. His singing was alright, but his acting was laughable. I actually had to stop myself from laughing at how bad he was at some points, especially at the part where he first meets Cosette. Not to mention, he also brought in loads of fangirls who wouldn't stop giggling and freaking out over him during the whole thing. But I will admit, Cameron Macintosh was smart with this decision. Sure, Nick wasn't very good, but he did bring a new audience to Les Miserables who may not have been interested in the musical beforehand.

If you didn't get a chance to see the concert in person or in theatres, rent or buy a copy of it as soon as it comes out on DVD. You'll be in for a three-hour-long musical treat.

-Marina

Adaptation Overload: Is it Good or Bad?

           

          If you were to take a survey asking fans of musical theatre if they think that theatre nowadays is lacking originality, nine out of ten would probably say yes. It seems like we’re always complaining about the number of jukebox musicals and adaptations we see every year. Nearly every hit on Broadway now is an adaptation. The only exception that comes to mind is Next to Normal. But is the lack of originality in theatre really as bad as we all make it out to be?

Personally, I think it’s a blessing and a curse.

First, the blessing part. There have been some great musicals that have been adaptations. In fact, my favorite musical of all time, The Producers, was adapted from a movie. There are some stories that just seem great for the stage, and have proved that they’re even better when they have song and dance blended into them.

But at the same time, this trend is also a curse. For every great adaptation, for every story that was made better by becoming a musical comedy, you have the shows that are just terrible and were only created because the people behind them knew they would turn a huge profit. That’s why we have shows like Mama Mia and Legally Blonde. They’re mediocre at best, but because they carry familiar names of movies and 80’s pop groups, they sell. People go toward what they’re familiar with, so adaptations of blockbuster movies and jukebox musicals consisting of the music of famous bands and musicians usually become hits. This wouldn’t be such a bad thing if it didn’t mean that original, creative musicals don’t get as much attention as they deserve.

Sadly, it looks like this is a pattern that is going to continue. As I said, these adaptations sell well, so producers are going to produce them. It’s only natural that we see more of them than we see musicals such as [Title of Show].

So what can theatre fans do instead of sitting around and complaining about the lack of originality on Broadway? We could go see more original shows that don’t seem to be getting much attention, see some of the new shows looking for their big break Off-Broadway, and attend more regional theatre shows. If you look around, you’ll be surprised by the amount of wacky and creative shows are out there.

The trend of jukebox and adaptation musicals probably isn’t going to end anytime soon. After all, these types of shows are making producers millions of dollars because of their successes. But don’t be afraid to give some of them a chance because some end up being great, and remember, originality in theatre isn’t completely dead – sometimes it’s just harder to find those gems out there.

-Marina

Theatre - Just as Addicting as Sweets

Anyone who knows me knows that I love sweets. Especially ice cream. It takes a ridiculous amount of willpower to keep myself from splurging on it everyday. It's addicting, and if I don't get ice cream at some point during the week, I go crazy. I need that sweet, sugary sensation to keep a hold of my sanity.

For theatre people, being part of shows, whether it's acting, directing, or being on tech, is the same way. It's addicting, and when you don't get to be involved with shows for a long time, you practically go through withdrawal because you miss the excitement, and even the stress, that you live for.

Why do I bring this up? It's happening to me right now.

I haven't been involved with a show since August, and unless something changes, I won't get the chance to be involved in another one until after Christmas. I haven't been able to do the shows at the community theatre I volunteer at due to the fact that I wouldn't be able to get there every night because of other stuff that's been going on in my family. I was supposed to be assistant directing my school's play, but that got postponed until further notice because of some bad news. So what am I doing in the meantime?

Going absolutely crazy.

I've been to see a few plays, including the one that's currently playing at the community theatre, and I'm ushering for one of the shows this weekend. I've been reading some plays, watching some musicals on DVD, and going to tech night at the theatre, but as anyone who's ever been involved with theatre will know, it's not enough.

When I'm not involved with a show for more than a month, there feels like a part of me is missing. I don't have to go to rehearsal? I don't have to go to a show? I just have to sit around? It doesn't seem right! Theatre is what I live for, and I hate having too much free time on my hands!

So for the next few months, I'll probably be in this awful mental state and eagerly anticipating whatever show comes my way next (I'm still not sure which one it is, since I'm not too sure about dates for everything yet). Because theatre is like sugar - no matter what you do, you're always going to crave that feeling of being part of an amazing live performance.

Helloooooo blooger.com!

Hey everybody who's reading this blog! I thought I might as well make an introductory post before I actually start blogging.

I'm a high school junior who absolutely loves theatre, which is why I've decided to start blogging about it. I've been involved with theatre since I was 13, but didn't start seriously pursuing it until last year. I'm not much of an actor, but I do a lot of tech work at a local theatre and granted that situations get better over the course of the year, I'll be starting to assistant direct school shows. In the long run I hope to pursue a career as a director or a producer for shows.

So, what should you expect from this blog? All sorts of stuff! I plan to review shows that I see, cast albums that I buy, discuss some of my favorite and least favorite shows, and give some of my thoughts on different things going on in the world of theatre. I hope to update once a week, if not more.

Until the next post,
Marina