Home
Pirates of the Burley Griffin
A schedule bears the same relationship to reality as Astrology.
On Board 
17th-Feb-2008 10:18 pm - Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street
Arcadia

Musical junkie that I am I really wanted to enjoy this but I found it to be more impressive than enjoyable.

Certainly the staging, the costuming, the lighting were superb in that inimitable and undefinable Tim Burton style. I enjoyed the performances of the cast, the songs were appropriate if not particularly memorable.

But...something didn't quite work for me. I don't know if it was the subject matter or something else but I don't particularly want to see this again. Nor, unlike Rent, am I particularly interested in seeing a live performance.

16th-Oct-2007 08:23 pm - Dubbing cuts both ways...
Arcadia
The wikipedia page for Maaya Sakamoto* lists her dubbing roles in addition to her roles as an anime voice actress. It's no surprise that an actress as capable as she is would get these roles, the surprise lies in some of the roles she's had. Nothing major, just little things like Padme Amidala and Rose Tyler...

Oh and Eponine** in Les Miserables...

*who among other things played the lead role of Hitomi Kanzaki in the superb Vision Of Escaflowne.
**She also has a gorgeous singing voice.
29th-Sep-2007 10:26 pm - The Lion King? Really? And then he said what?
Open Road!
Although I've never seen the film, I have seen the stage musical of The Lion King. And wasn't overly impressed.

To say that I was surprised to see it listed as one of "The Canon: 50 Essential Film Musicals" in The Rough Guide To the Film Musical by David Parkinson is something of an understatement. So I skipped ahead to that review and got even more surprised by some of the content. Quote and comments beneath the cut...

20th-Jul-2007 02:52 pm - Musical Quiz - The Remaining Answers
Arcadia

Here are the remaining answers:

2. But I was, as many young barristers are,
               An impecunious party.

This was the Judge introducing himself in Gilbert and Sullivan's Trial By Jury

3. Isn't it nice to know a lot!
    And a little bit not...

Red Riding Hood, I Know Things Now, from Sondheim's Into The Woods (and there are certain people out there on my friends list who I'd expected would see this and immediately get it. You know who you are... :) )

5. We just log on and dreams appear

The Ga Ga Kids (ensemble basically), Radio Ga-Ga from Elton's superb We Will Rock You. (This one was hard because several of Queen's lyrics, especially Radio Ga-Ga, were rewritten to fit the story).

I may put another quiz together this weekend but then again I might not.

14th-Jul-2007 06:18 pm - Musical Quiz - 1st Answers
Airborne!
So, so far we have:

[info]spaetlese on 9 points
[info]slrose and [info]stephen_dedmantied on 5 points
[info]fred_mouse on 2 points.

The answers that have been picked so far are;

1. John, "Bui-Doi", Miss Saigon
4. Mr Bumble, "Boy for Sale", Oliver!
6. Fantine, I Dreamed a Dream, Les Miserables
7. Christine, Phantom of the Opera, Phantom of the Opera

I didn't expect 3 to be missed, but 2 and 5 are less surprising.

Think of it as a challenge. :)

13th-Jul-2007 11:25 pm - Musical Quiz
Open Road!

Inspired by [info]stephen_dedman's comic quizzes. :)

Lines from songs from various musicals I have seen performed live. Sometimes more than once. And if I've seen them they shouldn't be too hard right?

Name the song, the singing character (which may be the ensemble), and the musical.

1. Conceived in hell, and born in strife

2. But I was, as many young barristers are,
               An impecunious party.

3. Isn't it nice to know a lot!
    And a little bit not...

4. Only seven guineas.
   That or thereabouts.

5. We just log on and dreams appear

6. But the tigers come at night

7. In sleep he sang to me, in dreams he came

13th-Jul-2007 10:42 pm - Five Hundred Twenty Five Thousand Six Hundred Minutes...
Arcadia
...How do you measure a year in a life?

This evening I watched Rent, the movie of the musical by the late Jonathon Larson.

The movie format... didn't quite work for me. There was something removed. Absent. A lack of connection somehow. A sense of sterility.

Despite this there are moments where the confronting story reaches a level of high tragedy that did really move me.

On the DVD I checked out the alternate ending which I think recreates the way the stage play would end. And it worked better.

Definitely one to see live if I get a chance.

PS: A Seasons of Love music video is available here.
This page was loaded Jul 7th 2008, 2:52 pm GMT.