The Lord of the Rings Musical - My review

[truehobbit]

*is knocked over by the hugs*



Voronwë and Prim back


(ETA: so much for the 'back-on-topicness' )

[Primula Baggins]

So . . .

How 'bout that musical, eh?

Actually, seriously—are there any rumors on the DVD front? I really would love to see this, but the chances of ever getting myself to a city where it's playing are slim.

[truehobbit]

Ooooh, if there were a DVD of the London performance I'd get it straight away!

There's a CD with the songs, but the hobbits' song from it (it's on You Tube) IMO lacks the life it had in the live-performenace. So, I'm debating with myself whether it's worthwhile getting it, as I have the memory of the live-performance still.

There's rumours of plans of bringing a German version of it to my city (Cologne).
Just, you know, sayin'...

[anthriel]

HOBBY!!! <knocks over Prim and her china cabinet on the way to a hug>


Sorry for the interruption in the thread. But I see HOBBY!!!

[Primula Baggins]

<knocks over Anthy, just because>

[Frelga]

* throws cushions at everyone *

[Primula Baggins]

I really do hope the DVD comes out, because I can't pronounce "Köln" any more.

[Rowanberry]

I've heard about a possibly upcoming German production, just not where it's going to be... *looking for an excuse to get to visit Hobby*

I believe either the Helsinki City Theatre or the Lahti City Theatre might take it up at some point, they've staged several big musicals over the years.

[truehobbit]

ANTHY! *saaaaaaamoooooooOOOOOOOOOOoooooooch*



Tsktsktsk, look at the disorder in this thread!

I really do hope the DVD comes out, because I can't pronounce "Köln" any more.

It'll come back to you. It's like riding a bike.

Hehe, Rowan, yep, musical-moot!
If they go to Finland, that would be a great focus for a moot there, too.
(Though I was surprised how many people in London were adamant about not seeing it.)
If they played it in Finland, would it be translated to Finnish?


And I'm still curious to know how the Vinyamars got their pic.
In the theatre, they wouldn't even let people take a picture of the empty stage.

[Alatar]

Well, Hobby, in the 17 years I've been doing Musicals I've got to know a lot of people, and a lot of those people know people. For example, my leading lady in Sweeney Todd understudied and played Fantine in Les Miserables. A guy who played opposite me in a Pantomime just left an understudy role in Phantom of the Opera for a role in We Will Rock You. Other people I did shows with had roles in The Producers, Blood Brothers, Dirty Dancing, Joseph and other shows.

However, I didn't know anyone in Lord of the Rings. But there was a girl from Tralee in the cast and our Producer put me in touch with her so she organised a backstage tour for me and the rest of the Vinyamars.

Good to see you by the way.

[truehobbit]

That's Teh Awesome, Alatar!11

What other sort of backstage things did you see? (Or are you sworn to secrecy? )

(I've just gone through the past pages of this thread, to see if you'd talked about it before, and saw the post with the pics - very nice!
But there's no report to go with them. )

[Alatar]

Ooh, so much...

First, did you know there was three soundproof rooms backstage? The full orchestra aren't in the pit. The percussion section is in a soundproofed room, as is the Brass section, and there's another room for the offstage vocalists, all cue'd by live camera to the conductor. Everything you hear is played live, but in 4 different locations!

Also, the "Wardrobe city" which is directly behind the stage is 3 stories high. Conor got to try on Gimli's helmet. We also saw the standard Sting and the light-up version.

You know when the Balrog comes out and all the wind and black "cinders" blows out? Well thats two HUGE fans. I mean about 10 feet tall. About 6 crew on each to hold them when they're blowing.

What else? Shelob and the Black riders are massive and look even cooler up close. Oh, and Arwen's wig is magnificent. It's like something for film, not stage work.

I also saw the rig for Bilbo's disappearance. Very impressive, and cleverer than I thought!

Except of course, all this should be in Past Tense. But I refuse to accept that.

[truehobbit]

First, did you know there was three soundproof rooms backstage? The full orchestra aren't in the pit. The percussion section is in a soundproofed room, as is the Brass section, and there's another room for the offstage vocalists, all cue'd by live camera to the conductor. Everything you hear is played live, but in 4 different locations!

Ooooh, that solves a puzzle!

Initially, I was thinking the background music was all canned, but the first time I saw it, we were sitting pretty high up, and I could see the conductor.
I only first noticed him after a while. He was conducting all the time, except there seemed to be nobody there to conduct - there only seemed to be a handful of people in the pit.
So I was wondering about that. Yes, I thought he probabaly conducts via a monitor, but I still had trouble to believe my eyes, i.e. that it was all live music.
It would have been a lot cheaper to play a recording, and I can imagine no one would have noticed, but it was of course a lot more impressive that way and earned them a lot of respect from me for the achievement.

And "wow" to all the rest!

Except of course, all this should be in Past Tense. But I refuse to accept that.

*sigh* Yes.

[Crucifer]

I'm debating with myself whether it's worthwhile getting it [the CD-Cruc]

It is. Galadriel's songs, in particular, are absolutely fantastic, and the Hobbit's song, while certainly not as emotionally effective as the live version, still brings tears to my eyes.

The full orchestra aren't in the pit.

That explains a lot. I was wondering if they'd recorded it and were simply performing to a recording, but sincerely doubted they'd do such a thing. When I went first, I had a perfect view of where I expected the orchestra to be, but there was a serious lack of things like drums and so on. I was like

If they'd done it with canned music, my opinion of them would have plumetted.

[Rowanberry]

If they played it in Finland, would it be translated to Finnish?

Yes, for a Finnish production, it would. The translator of Tolkien's books is still alive and working, though, and I think they might ask her for the job.

There are and have been tour performances of a few big musicals, e.g. Grease and Mamma Mia, in the original language; they have mostly been performed on a big ice hockey arena, and I believe that the LOTR could also be staged there if they made an European tour.

[MithLuin]

It was difficult for me to be puristy about Les Mis, because I knew nothing about it (never having read the book), and my sister arranged for her and I to see it on Broadway. So, I got a quick run-down from her of what was going on and that was that.

I know what Stars is about - I just have never much liked it.

I do love Javert's confrontation with Valjean (forget what it's called now), and basically any song with Valjean

Hobby - we abreviate it to LotR all the time. It's just as official as Les Mis, I'm afraid .

[Alatar]

Its called the Confrontation Mith.

[JAVERT]
Valjean, at last,
We see each other plain
`M'sieur le Mayor,'
You'll wear a different chain!

[VALJEAN]
Before you say another word, Javert
Before you chain me up like a slave again
Listen to me! There is something I must do.
This woman leaves behind a suffering child.
There is none but me who can intercede,
In Mercy's name, three days are all I need.
Then I'll return, I pledge my word.
Then I'll return...

[JAVERT]
You must think me mad!
I've hunted you across the years
A man like you can never change
A man such as you.

[VALJEAN (in counterpoint)]
Believe of me what you will
There is a duty that I'm sworn to do
You know nothing of my life
All I did was steal some bread
You know nothing of the world
You would sooner see me dead
But not before I see this justice
done
I am warning you Javert
I'm a stronger man by far
There is power in me yet
My race is not yet run
I am warning you Javert
There is nothing I won't dare
If I have to kill you here
I'll do what must be done!

[JAVERT (in counterpoint)]
Men like me can never change
Men like you can never change
No,
24601
My duty's to the law - you have no
Rights
Come with me 24601
Now the wheel has turned around
Jean Valjean is nothing now
Dare you talk to me of crime
And the price you had to pay
Every man is born in sin
Every man must choose his way
You know nothing of Javert
I was born inside a jail
I was born with scum like you
I am from the gutter too!

[Valjean breaks a chair and threatens Javert with the broken piece. Turns to Fantine]

[VALJEAN]
[to Fantine] And this I swear to you tonight

[JAVERT]
[to Valjean] There is no place for you to hide

[VALJEAN]
Your child will live within my care

[JAVERT]
Wherever you may hide away

[VALJEAN]
And I will raise her to the light.

[VALJEAN AND JAVERT]
I swear to you, I will be there!

[Erunáme]

First, did you know there was three soundproof rooms backstage? The full orchestra aren't in the pit. The percussion section is in a soundproofed room, as is the Brass section, and there's another room for the offstage vocalists, all cue'd by live camera to the conductor. Everything you hear is played live, but in 4 different locations!

What was the reasoning for this? Why would they choose to make the music sound like it was prerecorded? I thought it was until I accidentally spotted the conductor's arms (we were in the stalls). I can't understand why they would willingly make the music sound worse.

[Alatar]

Well. I certainly didn't think it sounded pre-recorded. I've been to a lot of west end shows and the music didn't sound any less "live" at LotR than any other.

Of course, YMMV.

[truehobbit]

I'm debating with myself whether it's worthwhile getting it [the CD-Cruc]

It is. Galadriel's songs, in particular, are absolutely fantastic, and the Hobbit's song, while certainly not as emotionally effective as the live version, still brings tears to my eyes.

Thanks, Crucifer, that sounds good!


I didn't think it sounded 'recorded' in a sense of sounding not as good as it could have been. It was just because hearing background music so often (i.e. music most people probably didn't really become aware of was there) and not seeing anyone performing it, it seemed logical to me it was recorded, because you get it all the time in plays these days, and it seemed to make sense economically you wouldn't afford such an enormous effort and cost for playing it live and never show you had it.
I'm really pleased I noticed the conductor at work, but think it's a pity they didn't make this more obvious to the audience, maybe by letting the musicians take a bow at the end.


Rowan, with the complicated stage and everything, I think it couldn't tour for just single performances (or just in a non-stage version, just performing the music), it would have to be established somewhere for long enough to make all the construction worthwhile, I think.

Hobby - we abreviate it to LotR all the time. It's just as official as Les Mis, I'm afraid

Mith, but LOTR is just the sequence of initial letters, for convenience of typing. If you called it LM, or 'Miserables', I'd have no problem with it. But "Les Mis" just sounds insupportably daft, IMO, and seems to have "I-have-no-clue-about-the-origins-of-this" written all over it, hence my comparing it to abbreviating LOTR to something like "Lordy" (instead of LOTR).
Sorry about that.