Seeing the Lion King and meeting Adam Beach

Sorry it's been a while since I've posted, what can I can say I have been out enjoying the beautiful weather getting tanned. First let me get this off my chest, I can't believe the guy I couldn't stand as the Genie in Aladdin has now won a Tony, ugh! Also from what I've seen on the Tony's I need to go see Neil Patrick Harris in Hedwig and the Angry Inch, like yesterday. His Tony performance was AMAZING! (Ramin Karimloo may have lost fair and square as much as I was blown away by his performance as Jean Val Jean back in January)

That being said, I am now cautiously optimistic Disney musicals again after seeing the Lion King on June 7. They had me from the giraffe costumes. (Not that I am biased because I love giraffes or anything) They stayed true to the movie which is important to me  -I watched it the day after- although I was a little worried in the beginning of act two that they were going to have this sub plot of Scar pursuing a grown up Nala, fortunately that wasn't the case. I ended up watching the movie the next day. Sadly it seems I have lost my Lion King soundtrack, I've got the case but not the CD. I think it is a good thing the music wasn't fresh in my head, I think that may have detracted from my enjoyment of Chicago because I had pre-watched the movie etc.

I was in the upper balcony of the no longer to be torn down Princess of Wales Theatre (YAY!) so I didn't get to see any costume detail up close. It was especially neat to see how the animals were done because I had gone to a zoo the week before and had seen Lion's and giraffe's up close. Anyway I bought a souvenir programme and couldn't believe all the intricate beading and shell-work.  The ingenuity and the amount of work that went to everything was really impressive. There probably close to 150 costumes. I loved how the person wearing the giraffe costume was using stilts for their hands and feet and their head became the base of the giraffes neck.I still think the hyenas were well done and captured the hunched heads just like the cartoon.

The staging itself was phenomenal.  The elephant grave yard scene I think would have been scary if I were a kid. The way they handled the stampede scene was pretty cool. I don't even want to think about all the time that went into making the wildebeest costumes. Julie Taymor is a genius.

The cast was uber talented too. I though the guy who played Scar was fantabulous. The delivery of Scar's snarky comments was spot on just like in the movie. He was deliciously evil. He's my favourite.

Either way after seeing Lion King I am willing to see another Disney musical. Right now they are batting 50/50 that I'll like it. I am not overly familiar with Newsies, so I wonder what I would think of that show... it is coming next year maybe I'll go.

June 19 marked 10 years since my Aunt Mel passed it is hard to believe it's been that long. So there was something I wanted to do when I saw Lion King, we have a picture of her in front of the Princess of Wales Theatre when she took her son to see Lion King, so I got my friends to take one of me. I guess it was my way of trying to feel close to her some how, that probably doesn't make much sense.  I kinda wish I had remembered to pick the same spot, but the spirit is there.Here are the pics, Mel on the left and me on the right.

 

 A couple weeks after Lion King I got to meet actor Adam Beach, a fellow aboriginal.There was a screening of one of his movies for National Aboriginal Day. It is a sad state of affairs that there aren't more prominent aboriginal actors out there, case in point I can't even name one prominent female native actor, Adam is one of the biggest. You would probably know him from the TV shows Arctic Air or Law and Order:SVU or the films Windtalkers and Smoke Signals. I didn't even find out about the screening until the morning of, definitely how I expected my day to turn out when I woke up! 

The movie that was screen was an indie pic, with themes still relevant to aboriginal society today. There were 5 members of the cast there as well, which was neat, four of them signed my little flyer for the movie, and Adam signed my newly purchased copy of Smoke Signals. The Q&A after was really interesting. I found out all about Adam trying to bring the full movie theatre experience to remote reservations with pop up theatres. Also he is starting a film institute in Winnipeg. He's all around just a really cool guy, a little goofy and funny, not to mention easy on the eyes.. sigh. total crush. His mannerisms and speech remind me of my aboriginal relatives, a total 'nish not a Hollywood hotshot and I respect him all the more for it. His answer to the last Q&A question was "Yes, I'm single" even though that wasn't remotely what the question was. I will leave you with a pic of Adam and I.

Do you hear the people sing?

I saw Les Miserables yesterday with my friend Verena. To be honest I was planning on seeing it, because I am not a huge fan of the show. After all  the rave reviews and gushing Facebook statues I had to see what all fuss was about, so I broke down and bought a ticket.

I remember the first time I heard music from Les Mis, someone singing along to the Castle on the Cloud for in an audition a talent show when I was in grade 7 or 8. Previously  I was interested in seeing it, so I had rented the1998 film starring Liam Neeson and Geoffrey Rush thinking it was the musical, not realizing it was an straight book adaption.  Whoops, now I know that musical adaptations get A LOT of fanfare, so I don't know how I made that mistake! I finally saw it when the 25th Anniversary Special aired on PBS in 2011 or 2012 and was underwhelmed by the 25th Anniversary special. I wonder if that had anything to do with the fact a Jonas brother was playing Marius?;O) I still decided to give the movie with Hugh Jackman a chance.

With the movie I thought Hugh Jackman was great, and Helena Bonham Carter was fab as Mme Thenardier. I think that Amanda Seyfried (Who I adore) has too much vibration in her voice, I noticed it in Mamma Mia when she sings high notes. Again I didn't fall in love with Les Mis, but I liked the music, some of it is really catchy.(The title of my post is taking from song lyrics from the show for those not familiar)  Here is a pic of  me with Hugh Jackman in the background at the Princess of Wales stage door in 2011)





The production sucked me in with the first number Look Down. The ensemble was really strong, I had no issue with their numbers. This production definitely made me more of a fan, there is nothing like live theatre. I still wouldn't say it was one of my favourite shows, but I have a new appreciation for it. I would probably even see another production sometime.

When you start working on shows from the production side, you see other shows through from a conceptual lens. I think you catch mistakes more easily, either that or I have an eye for details, like one the street lights not being turned on etc. One of the characters goes off a bridge in to the Seine and I was expecting to see a trap door, and was surprised to see the bridge split apart and the projection screen behind served as the water. I thought it was interesting how they did it.I definitely wouldn't want to design the whole show on my own for costumes at this point anyway there are SO many!

One thing I am finding consistent with all the versions I haven't been bowled over by ANY of the females playing the leads with the exception of Madame Thenardier. In this production Fantine and Cosette were unremarkable, there vocals were far from stand out. Fantine's acting was fine, Cosette was a little much for me.  In the film I thought Anne Hathaway was okay her vocals in the finale were great. I wonder if it is because Idina Menzel and Lea Michele did such a great version of I Dreamed a dream on Glee that for me all pales in comparison? Plus Lea didn't that beautiful snippet of On My Own in Glee's pilot. (I have seen both Idina and Lea perform live by the way)

I was really looking forward to Canadian Idol Winner Melissa O'Neil's rendition of On My Own. I was disappointed. The pace of the song was really sped up, so it wasn't the melancholy ballad I am familiar with. I don't know if because it was sped up or because she was trying to sound emotional and not make it pretty a la Anne Hathaway but it sounded rough in a few places, and I was cringing in places. (Before I get crucified, yes I realize Anne plays Fantine not Eponine in the film and doesn't sing that song, but that was the technique she brought to her singing, in an interview she felt it was inauthentic if she tried to sound pretty) I thought Melissa's acting was great though. No complaints there. I had met Melissa back in 2008 when she was featured in Dirty Dancing. Here's a pic.

 

I have to admit I was truly blown away by Ramin Karimloo who was playing the lead Jean Val Jean. His vocals are incredible.He truly was the star of the show. He will be playing the lead in Broadway this spring I wonder if he can be nominated for a best actor Tony because it is a revival production not sure of the rules on that. He has my vote if he does get nominated. Ramin has also played Phantom in Phantom of the Opera, it is rather interesting that often actors who play Phantom also play Jean Val Jean. I may be a little pic of  Ramin fangirl now. He alone was worth going to see even if I didn't

I went to the stagedoor which is the same place I met Hugh. (My photographer Verena needs some practice ;O), it didn't go well) It is a really goofy pic .He was polite but you could sense Ramin was kind of a hurry, I don't blame him for not wanting to be out in the frigid whether. I will leave you with the pic of us.