Nonetheless, the show just did not sit right with me. There was a lingering feeling that something…just something was off. It was late in the second act when I finally realized right in the middle of the iconic and beloved number “Shall We Dance.” The scene, which was my favorite in the entire musical as a child, suddenly soured when the image of Anna Leonowens dancing with the barefoot king of Siam reminded me of another poignant image from the St. Louis World Fair.
This was originally supposed to be a review of the new Broadway revival of Barlett Sher’s The King and I. However, I realized soon after watching the show that there was very little to fault creatively or production-wise: Kelli O’Hara did not disappoint (then again, I always knew she was an incredible singer having listened to South Pacific and The Light at the Piazza on Spotify numerous times), Ken Watanabe was charismatic, the choreography was intriguing, the kids were cute, and the Tony Award winning Ruthie Ann Miles was not there (because what is an Aglaia Broadway experience without someone important being absent).
Nonetheless, the show just did not sit right with me. There was a lingering feeling that something…just something was off. It was late in the second act when I finally realized right in the middle of the iconic and beloved number “Shall We Dance.” The scene, which was my favorite in the entire musical as a child, suddenly soured when the image of Anna Leonowens dancing with the barefoot king of Siam reminded me of another poignant image from the St. Louis World Fair.
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Even if you’ve only browsed this blog, you probably have figured out that I am obsessed with musicals. Alas, I cannot go to the theater every night- no time and my pocketbook will not allow it. Yet, I can wallow in front of my TV with a recording of a film adaption of a musical that I borrowed from the library. There is much argument about whether a film can do a stage musical justice or the other way round. I have decided to compare a few different stage productions with their screen counterparts in The Epic Musical vs. Musical Movies Showdown!
So in each round, I have chosen a musical that I have seen both performed live and also as a movie. To decide which is superior, I will look at the appropriateness of casting, the interpretation of the plot, and the visual and design aspects. HERE WE GO! Teachers can make a difference in their students’ lives. We all remember our favorite teacher who inspired us to pursue our dreams. Perhaps it was his or her kindness, patience, or encouragement when we wanted to give up that is engrained in our memories. Not all teachers, however, change lives through empathetic techniques. Some employ harsh, strict, and even degrading methods meant to motivate students to push pass their limits toward success. The controversial Oscar nominated film Whiplash confronts “tough love” or just tough teaching techniques as means of accomplishing greatness. The movie revolves around a freshman drum student Andrew Neiman (played by Miles Teller) who is recruited into the top studio jazz band at the fictional, elite Shaffer Conservatory. Arrogant and self-assured of his talents, Andrew encounters his match: the cold-hearted, rude, and impossible to please Terrance Fletcher (played by J.K. Simmons). Fletcher does not only expect great things from all of his young charges, but craves perfection. His intense tactics and unattainable expectations quickly begin to consume Andrew’s world. Andrew’s determination and unhuman drive turns into an unhealthy obsession with his drumming. He slowly relinquishes aspects of a normal, teenage boy’s life from friendship to romance to family in order to focus on his music career. In honor of LGBT month, The Great White Ways hails its support with rainbow colored Playbills. No musical best represents the inner struggles of love and identity for the LGBT community than Hedwig and the Angry Inch. This 2014 Tony Award winning revival of the John Cameron Mitchell musical revolves around a genderqueer German singer Hedwig who challenges all that we know about masculinity and femininity. Through an electrifying pop-rock score, the audience is taken on a reflective journey across the landscape of Hedwig’s life. We are immersed into her romances, her ecstasy, her sadness, her disappointment, and most importantly, her growing sense of self-acceptance.
Hedwig can best be described as part rock concert and part character sketch. The show is built around the premise of Hedwig’s one-night-only performance with the viewers as her audience. The stage is set with a talented onstage rock band and colorful disco and strobe lights illuminate every number. Hedwig breaks the fourth wall by addressing the audience, encouraging its reactions, and even interacting directly with those in the front rows. Throughout a full set list of songs, the audience gradually learns Hedwig’s somewhat heart wrenching story. One probably thinks it most disdainful to make light of a crime such as murder. However, when eight outrageous and colorful characters die in succession at the most astonishing speed, one might see a bit of mockery to be made. Especially when the culprit behind the assassinations is a social-climbing young man eager to become duke of a noble family, from which his late mother has been previously disinherited. The ridiculous, yet ingenious plot makes for a great comedy and moreover, a best-selling musical. A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder, winner of last year’s Tony Award for Best Musical, is a rowdy and cheeky good time that makes good use of traditional British humor and slapstick comedy. The show takes place in the early 1900s and revolves around Montague “Monty” Navarro, a middle-class young man who abrupt learns upon his mother’s death that he is a possible heir to the D’Ysquith earldom. Hoping to win over his hoity-toity upper-class love interest Sibella, Monty plots to regain recognition in the D’Ysquith family. In his quest to retrieve power, he brilliantly plans to eliminate all heirs to the earldom ahead of him in the lineup. Mind you, the list is a good eight person long! Paris is aptly nicknamed the city of love and its elegance, haute couture, and respectability has been captured in the fantasies of Hollywood and the Great White Way. A romanticized vision of the French capitol sitting on the banks of the Seine is the perfect backdrop for dramatic stories and escapades of amour. Recently, two classic films set in Paris take to the theaters of the Big Apple: An American in Paris and Gigi. Both are immortalized for their portrayals and interactions with the city of lights. While An American in Paris is currently one of the best-selling musicals of the year and also the frontrunner for the Tony Awards this weekend, Gigi remains a mere revival in the shadows of a squeaky clean brand new show. Lerner and Loewe’s Gigi tells the coming-of-age story of a curious, free-spirited Parisian girl who transforms into the object of affection of an old friend. The show has not been seen on Broadway since its original production in 1973 and is most popularly remembered by its film adaption starring Leslie Caron in the title role. The newly envisioned revival features former High School Musical sweetheart Vanessa Hudgens as the naïve, vivacious Gigi. While, the production has a glimmer of charisma and charm brought on by the energetic cast, the powerful score, and the gorgeous high-class costumes, it lacks the oomph to propel it to be a notable competitor against its next-door Parisian neighbor.
What would you do if you had twenty-four hours in New York City? I can bet you probably would not search high and low for a pretty face you saw on a Subway advertisement. Yet, in On the Town that is what three young sailors choose to do with their one day in the Big Apple. (Well, that isn’t all they do, but the gist of it.) Most are familiar with the iconic musical film adaption of the 1940s, starring classic Hollywood names like Frank Sinatra, Gene Kelly, and Ann Miller. If you are not, you still probably have heard the city’s anthem “New York, New York,” which taught us that the Bronx is up and the Battery’s down. This year, On the Town returns to Broadway in a flashy new production filled with a colorful cast of characters, show-stopping dance routines, and laugh-out-loud comedy. Though lacking some of the same toe-tapping charm and charisma of the original film, the show is still an entertaining escapade around the dynamic and bustling titular city. As a self-proclaimed musical theater fanatic, I have been in love with the new trend of transforming classic stage musicals into film adaptions. As a child, I grew up watching mostly musical films from the Disney animated musicals to the MGM classics like Meet Me in St. Louis, The Wizard of Oz, and Singin’ in the Rain. Before I could even read, I knew the entire script to The Sound of Music just from constantly replaying the VHS cassette tape we had at home. However, being such a big theater nerd has also made me extremely critical of the new musical films that have graced the big screen. I have found that some adaptions of beloved musicals breathe new life to these beautiful pieces, while others have failed to meet my admittedly lofty expectations. I do want to preface this by saying that it is a challenge to take a stage show and reproduce it in a completely new medium. For one thing, breaking out in song and dance on stage is more acceptable than out of the blue singing on the streets of NYC or in the middle of the woods. Nevertheless, when done tastefully, a musical on film is a breathtaking combination of story and music. The camera definitely captures a new dimension that live performance cannot. The Last Five Years is one of the newest film adaptions to make its debut in Hollywood and definitely one that does a exceptional job of capturing the dynamics of a turbulent, though passionate romantic relationship as well as the preserving the beauty of the music that drives the entire film. Released appropriately on Valentine’s Day weekend, this Jason Robert Brown musical is a moving love story about a struggling actress (played by Anna Kendrick) and a successful, ambitious young writer (Jeremy Jordan). J.M. Barrie’s Peter Pan is a beloved classic that speaks to the childhood nostalgia within all of us. In the midst of the stress and pressure of our adult lives, we all long to avoid the inevitability of growing up. Peter Pan is not only a tale of an eternal child, but a character that continues to capture our imagination even after we have all grown up. Regardless of how we were introduced to this rambunctious, cheeky little boy (perhaps the Disney cartoon or the 2003 live action remake), Peter Pan is universally known across cultures and languages. His adventures through Neverland with the Darling children have prompted many adaptions, including NBC’s latest, reimagined production of the 1954 musical. Nevertheless, despite the evident effort to bring the story to a brand new audience and the next generation, this production lacks the magic, humor, and inspiration needed to allow Peter Pan to actually take flight. This highly anticipated live-recorded musical is the second production to be made by NBC. Last year’s showing of The Sound of Music, starring country-singer Carrie Underwood and True Blood’s Stephen Moyer, garnered a large viewership. In an attempt to recreate its success, NBC chose another lively, family-friendly musical Peter Pan and casted HBO Girls’ star Allison Williams in the title-role and old-pro Christopher Walken as the notorious Captain Hook. To boost the merit of the production, NBC also called in many musical-theater and Broadway stars, including Kelli O’Hara and Christian Borle (who also made an appearance in last year’s The Sound of Music). Yet, despite relying on the tried-and-true formula that spawned success the previous year, Peter Pan did not gain the attention NBC had hoped. Viewership dropped significantly and reviews (including the one I am about to provide) were mostly sour. |
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