| LOTR Musical |
[Jul. 12th, 2008|11:53 pm] |
Oh man, that was good.
It was a little weird at first; the constant wacky hand-motions from some of the characters and the wailing sort of singing the elves did bothered me for a bit, but then I remembered the guy who adapted it was a famous Bollywood director, and suddenly, it all made sense and made it much easier to enjoy (though it still doesn't change the fact that Gandalf was like a Scottish, Shakespearean Captain Kirk. Overacting much, mate? Ah well, gave me a chuckle most of the time. Galadriel had moments where she sounded way too much like the Lady of the Lake. And Arwen and Aragorn have at least two mushy songs, but at least the first one was interupted by Frodo moaning. Yeah, my sentiments exactly).
Pippin got dumber. Yes, dumber than the movie. But then, their role was pretty small (and the Ents were almost ridiculous, really. Talked awful fast, too, and not just for Ents). But Merry smartened well enough to actually talk about books and reading. Best was Samwise, though (isn't he always?), who got to have a sort of deadpan snark about him at times that just cracked me up.
The Balrog was terrifying. Sheer, delicious, omigosh-it'sgonnagetme terrifying. Wind and smoke blowing and you really felt like there was something absolutely terrible in the theatre. And the orcs were brilliant, they way they moved and looked so acrobatic yet creepy and mishapen at the same time. I loved the bouncy one. Oh man, and the Nazgul. Forgot about them 'cause they're not around for much of the second bit. But the way they did them was great--sort of that old "guy on a horse" costume gag, but with stilts added, so the horse's legs looked skeletal, and the way the necks moved was just plain scary, but what made them so freaky was the way they just sort of appeared. They'd be in the darkest shadows of the stage, so you wouldn't notice them, even if you were looking, until the lights started flashing around them, then went out, and they were gone. Fantastic!
(We're not even going to talk about Shelob. I curled up in my seat, helplessly muttering "Oh no. No thank you!" until she was gone. Way to capture all the freakiest things about spiders.)
Actually, the play does brilliant things with light. I remember being amazed seeing Les Mis, when they make it look like Javert dives into a whirlpool/river. Yeah, this leaves that in the dust. And the moving stage is just amazing. It's divided into...I don't know, at least ten or twelve parts, so aside from just rotating and raising in a simple spiral, it can turn into all kinds of terrain.
One of my favourite bits: The play has three acts, but between the second and third, there's not really an intermission. The lights didn't go up all the way, but it was a break. Then somebody shrieked nearby. Looked around, and saw one of the orcs, near an exit, menacing an audience member. Looked around some more, and saw them crawling about the seats. "Wicked!" I was stoked. I mean, these orcs were cool! Followed their progress for a bit, and one of them returned to that spot across the section from me. I chuckled, watching in get right in somebodies face. Then someone near me makes a little sound, and I hear a big thunk and turn around quickly.
There's an orc in my face.
I should point out, I had an aisle seat. This thing is, as previously mentioned, terrifying, and even moreso up close, and it's hissing and growling about three inches from my face, looming over me.
I kept my dignity. I think my reaction was a high pitched "WHOAHMIGAWD!Holycrap!" that sounded remarkable like my Aunt Pat, and eventually faded into exhilirated, breathless giggling until the show started again. I'd totally wanted to touch them when I saw them from far away, but up close, I couldn't imagine anything more pants-wettingly scary. Shades of the time my Dad pushed me towards the breathing Dark Vader at Disney World all over again. Though in retrospect, I wish I could've found that guy after the show and given him a hug. He made my night.
Oh, and it should be noted for Cat that during the blizzard scene, some of the Fellowship scattered themselves throughout the theatre. Boromir showed up about seven or so seats down from me. Very sexy. Speaking of sexy, I never thought I'd be able to find Legolas sexy again, but this guy made it work. For one, long hair, yes, but long brown hair, and in a smarter style. For another, he was just good, great voice. Oh, yes, and he was actually a jerk when he was supposed to be. Yay!
The very best thing about this, for me anyway, was Gollum. He had my full, undivided attention from his first speaking bit, and IMHO, he almost trumps Andy Serkis in the sheer physicality he brings to the role. No, he doesn't dive into a rocky, freezing river fifteen times, but he's just got this great way of moving--this sort of crouch slither. And when he talks, he tends to pop from a nearly lying down position into a full stand in less than a blink, and the back, and up again. And even more than Serkis' Gollum, he brought a new sense of sympathy to the role, to me anyway. But what disturbs me is that within about a minute of him doing his thing, I found myself thinking..."Okay, dude...that's kind of sexy." WTH, self? Gollum is not supposed to be sexy. Ever. I blame it on me being a bit of a drama nerd. I'm a sucker for good pops, and his are the best I've ever seen.
Also, he did some amazing stuff with his voice. For about ten seconds, though, you realise he really does have a good singing voice. He just doesn't get to use it.
Would you hit it? I'd totally hit it. Well, I'd hug it. And feed it soup. There's him normal. Man, I love an actor who can actually make themselves seem completely physically different (even without the paint, I'd never connect the two.) *cough*I'm looking at you, Alan Tudyk*cough*
Oh yeah, I forgot. See, the stage and the area around it is covered in a tangle of "vines." Act Two starts with Gollum climbing headfirst from the top to the bottom. I didn't see a wire. I mean, there must be, but I didn't see him take it off either. Either way, it was hardcore. He was hardcore. If I go to see it again, it'll be to see him.
In some ways, though, I think it was almost a mistake to see it. I don't regret it, but homesickness hit me like a ton of bricks. At first, it was just a little bit, watching Pippin and Merry. But I actually started crying during Frodo and Sam's song, "Now and For Always." It makes sense--LotR's a story about being far from home, and I remember when I left for college in Savannah, thinking of Pippin leaving Merry, and taking courage from that. But now I'm so much further away, and it hits so much harder. I guess that's why I didn't usually cry for movies when I was a kid--when you're younger, you have less experience to draw from, to relate to.
But also, by the end of it, I just wanted to be home, or at Mr. Mike's, watching LotR with Cat. It just seems so weird that it will be months before I can. And I desperately wish you could see the play, Kitschen. I think you'd love it, but more than that, I just want to watch it with you, so we could laugh, cry, and hug together. Merry and Pip (even though they're really minor), constantly arm and arm nearly broke me at the end. I just kind of want to watch the movies now, but they're just not the sort of things you watch alone. Or at least, I don't think I ever did. Not really.
*Snif* Pip needs Merry.
Found a YouTube of "Now and For Always" the song that made me cry. Fortunately, it was followed (here and in the play) immediantly by Gollum being awesome, so I didn't cry long. Here it is. Just the songs and a slideshow, not actual clips. Also, for the Gollum bit, imagine that every time he changes voices, he is literally leaping up from lying down flat, and then back again, or in some equally tricky position. It was heartbreaking, really--when the hobbit's song starts out, he's shaking on the far side of the stage, where he tries to go to sleep. By the end of it (before he mentions "her"), once he calms down, he'd crawled to the plaform below theirs, and curled up there, resting his head by Frodo's feet. The "coward" line made me want to hug him.
And when he had the sword to his own throat...woah.
I'll admit, most of this show is spectacle over substance, but it is a crime if his preformance doesn't get videotaped or something. It's far far too good to be lost to the annuls of "Musicals that Flopped."
ANYway, I honestly think I'm going to try and see it one more time this week, before it's gone for good. I really wish I had a video camera or something--I'd totally sneak it in and try and pull a Wicked. Barring that, I suppose I'll buy the album, or at least a couple of the songs, off iTunes. The soundtrack gave me goosebumps at some points ("Lothlorien" for examply), but I think I'll be happy with Frodo and Sam's song, and Gollum's (though I imagine it's nothing so good without the amazing pops behind it). Oh, and "The Cat and the Moon." I thought they did a brilliant job; a lot of the songs have a very Indian feel to them, but that one sounds like it really could just be an old English drinking song.
GAH, it was good.
I'd really like to meet a few of the cast. Don't suppose anyone knows the standard procedure for West End musicals? I know that sometimes during Broadway musicals, afterwards, some of the cast come out, great the audience, and sign autographs (should've stayed longer; don't know why we hurried out).
Hm...also...Karl didn't pay me back for the ticket. Dunno how to tactfully bring that up, especially since I was the one who called him up and said "Hey, wanna go?" But he asked how much they were, so I figure he knew it wasn't my treat. Maybe. Dunno...
Also, Cat, give me your number. I totally wanted to call you tonight, but I don't have it anymore. |
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upset...again.
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