There’s no point on beating around the bush, so I will get all of the superlative-laden puns out of the way. Rider Spoke, the new work of environmental interactive theatre by video-game influenced company Blast Theory, is a bomb. A total dud. It fizzles out the minute you leave the Barbican, and only becomes entertaining because what it entails is entertaining outside of the event. In short, you can reconstruct Rider Spoke for free, and with far fewer privacy concerns.
For the uninformed, Rider Spoke involves leaving the Barbican on a bicycle with a wi-fi enabled portable media player and recorder in exchange for a hard copy of the participant’s credit card details. Bicycle-challenged attendees can rent a bike or, if they are incapable of riding, go by foot after receiving nasty looks from the company. The participant wanders around as much of London as they can get to, and the machine asks the rider questions of an open and increasingly personal nature at 8-12 minute intervals. Questions start with “What’s your name and where are you?” and continue to “Tell us about a party where you were an outsider” and “Make us a promise of some sort.” Once faced with a question, the rider must find a “hiding place” to record their answer.
After the box has your data, participants can pull up an answer to each others’ answers, based on the three nearest recorders. This is repeated for 45 minutes, when the players are given their final question and orders to return in the next 15 minutes. Upon returning to the Barbican, the recordings are uploaded to Blast Theory’s archives and passed on to a professor at the University of Nottingham for research while the user’s financial paperwork is returned. In other words, participants are paying to be test subjects while putting their financial data at risk.
While there is some joy in the voyeuristic aspects of the event, participants are basically paying to do something they can do just as easily without having to pay £5-10 - getting lost in the middle of London. Should someone wish to add a touchy-feely aspect, they can call random friends and leave comments on their voicemail. The result is similar, and calling ones’ voicemail would take significantly less time than waiting for the Blast Theory boxes to download updates (something which brings the evening to a halt for up to five minutes every time a question gets answered). As someone who enjoys wandering the city on his own, Rider Spoke felt like a waste of money and an evening - the evening’s screening of Ratatouille (playing at the Barbican cinema) would almost certainly have been a more engaging and intellectual experience.
Where: Barbican, lower level
When: Nightly 5PM-9PM, departures every 15 min.
Cost: £5 if you bring a bike, £10 if you need a rental. Rental includes helmet and reflector strap.
Concessions: None.
-----------------
RZ unofficial “worth paying”: Nothing. Avoid this unless you’re required to go for class or work like the RZ was.
RZ other notes: Not kidding about the nasty looks issue above - the Blast Theory people looked at me like I’d sprouted a second head when I said I had to go for class but couldn’t ride a bike. The wifi boxes also lack any sort of GPS, so unless you know the area (defeats the purpose of wandering and getting lost), you’re stuck relying upon a bike path map to find your way back - not easy when it’s dark and you’re on fairly deserted streets. The RZ wound up getting quite lost (rather enjoyable) and needing to take the tube back (not so enjoyable) to avoid getting his credit card unfairly dinged for holding the box too long. And no, he didn’t get a £5 refund against being forced to buy a rental ticket.
Saturday, 13 October 2007
REVIEW: "Transport Exceptionnels"
(I saw this a week ago at the Dance Umbrella, and decided to submit my review of Hairspray instead.)
Sometimes, even the Fringe can upstage the West End in terms of pure spectacle. Most recently, Compagnie Beau Geste began their Saturday Evening performance of Transports Exceptionnels (Exceptional Transport) by driving a digger through an unsuspecting wedding party's photo session in order to approach the open stage at Jubilee Gardens. What followed was a stunning, albeit obtuse work combining modern dance, classical music, and a massive carbon footprint.
Performed by Philippe Priasso and William Defresne (who drove the aforementioned digger), and choreographed in the round by Dominique Boivin, Transports Exceptionnels takes a look at man and machine, their interactions, and the way in which we personify the tools of our everyday lives. Staged across three pieces of music, the dance begins with Mr. Priasso tentatively approaching the digger, and spends the next half hour dodging, riding, and climbing the great machine with curiosity, trepidation, and affection as dancer and device unite, separate, and struggle against each other.
According to the choreographer's notes in the programme, the piece “relive[s] those childhood moments where proportions take on another dimension, and where the street becomes a playground.” Indeed, while the piece and characters are open to interpretation, there is much to be said about the area surrounding Jubilee Gardens as a playground of street performance, with drummers, mimes, etc. reaching out for tourist coins and attracting an audience which, undoubtedly, got stolen away by the imposing vehicle a few metres away. Surprisingly, the audience included some young schoolboys, undoubtedly drawn in by what must have seemed to an outsider to be construction machinery on crack – a whirling dervish of a digger chasing yet embracing a silent older man. Sadly, these lads did not find the piece as engaging as the rest of the audience, and left after about ten minutes.
In terms of Ms. Boivin's story, the work grants the viewer a fleeting sense of emotion, limited by audience visibility – Mr. Priasso frequently had his back turned to where I was standing, making it difficult to see facial expressions. From my perspective, the piece showed how we grant personalities and form attachments to the machines we use, with Mr. Priasso treating his digger much like a new (and increasingly beloved) pet. The two embrace, fight, play together, and protect one another before the ultimate separation at the end of the work. In a post-performance conversation, some of my fellow audience members had entirely different interpretations - the work is vague enough that it is up to the viewer to take what they feel is appropriate. This is theatre for intellectuals and spectacle enthusiasts, and those who fall in between will likely be quickly bored.
Regarding the dancers, Mr. Priasso is spry and in full control, despite his age, dodging the great bucket from the ground at one moment while hanging by his legs the next. However, the true star is Mr. Defresne, who piloted an imposing piece of equipment into a sympathetic and approachable character while successfully managing to not cause a fatal accident for his partner. The daunting task of rehearsing this piece must have been most stressful, but the payoff is evident.
Other than the view problems caused by the digger, two negative issues lurk in the deepest shadows of this piece. First, the environmental impact of running a commercial digger for 30 min. may strike some as distastefully wasteful, and may find themselves challenged to see the artistic merit of the piece. Second, the digger's rental company was clearly marked in multiple places, giving cynics in the crowd a view that perhaps the entire dance was merely a 30 minute advertisement for DIY extremists. These are minor quibbles, though, and patrons seeking a thought-provoking piece could have done far worse with the mimes by the tube.
Where: Jubilee Gardens as part of Dance Umbrella
When: Closed
Cost: Free
----------------
RZ unofficial "worth paying": It was free, so there was value for money by default. Had they passed the hat, the RZ would have thrown in a £2 coin, but held back from the bills. He would not have paid £10-15 for this event as a standalone, but perhaps if paired with a few other events and turned into an evening.
RZ other notes: The Dance Umbrella is a month-long festival of contemporary dance from around the world, and is running for three more weeks. Some events are free, others go up to £20/ticket. If you go for this sort of thing, hit it up. The RZ, however, has an increasingly packed schedule and will have to pass.
Sometimes, even the Fringe can upstage the West End in terms of pure spectacle. Most recently, Compagnie Beau Geste began their Saturday Evening performance of Transports Exceptionnels (Exceptional Transport) by driving a digger through an unsuspecting wedding party's photo session in order to approach the open stage at Jubilee Gardens. What followed was a stunning, albeit obtuse work combining modern dance, classical music, and a massive carbon footprint.
Performed by Philippe Priasso and William Defresne (who drove the aforementioned digger), and choreographed in the round by Dominique Boivin, Transports Exceptionnels takes a look at man and machine, their interactions, and the way in which we personify the tools of our everyday lives. Staged across three pieces of music, the dance begins with Mr. Priasso tentatively approaching the digger, and spends the next half hour dodging, riding, and climbing the great machine with curiosity, trepidation, and affection as dancer and device unite, separate, and struggle against each other.
According to the choreographer's notes in the programme, the piece “relive[s] those childhood moments where proportions take on another dimension, and where the street becomes a playground.” Indeed, while the piece and characters are open to interpretation, there is much to be said about the area surrounding Jubilee Gardens as a playground of street performance, with drummers, mimes, etc. reaching out for tourist coins and attracting an audience which, undoubtedly, got stolen away by the imposing vehicle a few metres away. Surprisingly, the audience included some young schoolboys, undoubtedly drawn in by what must have seemed to an outsider to be construction machinery on crack – a whirling dervish of a digger chasing yet embracing a silent older man. Sadly, these lads did not find the piece as engaging as the rest of the audience, and left after about ten minutes.
In terms of Ms. Boivin's story, the work grants the viewer a fleeting sense of emotion, limited by audience visibility – Mr. Priasso frequently had his back turned to where I was standing, making it difficult to see facial expressions. From my perspective, the piece showed how we grant personalities and form attachments to the machines we use, with Mr. Priasso treating his digger much like a new (and increasingly beloved) pet. The two embrace, fight, play together, and protect one another before the ultimate separation at the end of the work. In a post-performance conversation, some of my fellow audience members had entirely different interpretations - the work is vague enough that it is up to the viewer to take what they feel is appropriate. This is theatre for intellectuals and spectacle enthusiasts, and those who fall in between will likely be quickly bored.
Regarding the dancers, Mr. Priasso is spry and in full control, despite his age, dodging the great bucket from the ground at one moment while hanging by his legs the next. However, the true star is Mr. Defresne, who piloted an imposing piece of equipment into a sympathetic and approachable character while successfully managing to not cause a fatal accident for his partner. The daunting task of rehearsing this piece must have been most stressful, but the payoff is evident.
Other than the view problems caused by the digger, two negative issues lurk in the deepest shadows of this piece. First, the environmental impact of running a commercial digger for 30 min. may strike some as distastefully wasteful, and may find themselves challenged to see the artistic merit of the piece. Second, the digger's rental company was clearly marked in multiple places, giving cynics in the crowd a view that perhaps the entire dance was merely a 30 minute advertisement for DIY extremists. These are minor quibbles, though, and patrons seeking a thought-provoking piece could have done far worse with the mimes by the tube.
Where: Jubilee Gardens as part of Dance Umbrella
When: Closed
Cost: Free
----------------
RZ unofficial "worth paying": It was free, so there was value for money by default. Had they passed the hat, the RZ would have thrown in a £2 coin, but held back from the bills. He would not have paid £10-15 for this event as a standalone, but perhaps if paired with a few other events and turned into an evening.
RZ other notes: The Dance Umbrella is a month-long festival of contemporary dance from around the world, and is running for three more weeks. Some events are free, others go up to £20/ticket. If you go for this sort of thing, hit it up. The RZ, however, has an increasingly packed schedule and will have to pass.
Tuesday, 9 October 2007
NEWS: William Baker NOT FIRED
I just received a phone call from Ewan Thomson, press manager for RENT Remixed in regards to this post over at Dress Circle, and the subsequent hubbub. Upon reading this news and seeing it spread without any form of detailed source material, I started to have my doubts. Unable to find a press release or any cite worthy information, I decided to do a bit of investigation and called the press office (whose number was thankfully in my programme). After getting bounced to a couple of people, and leaving my contact details (along with this blog's address and a note of my wonderful university), I was told that I would receive a call when Mr. Thomson got back to the office. Sure enough, I received a call around 1:30 from the man himself.
First and foremost, Mr. Thomson confirmed that no, William Baker has not been fired, has not quit, and is still working with the cast, though much of the cast's time is being spent with the assistant directors so that multiple changes can be worked on at once (ie a pair of actors can work on entrances/exits while others are with an MD or AD on new music adjustments). No performances are being canceled, and press night is still on for the 16th of October (when the RZ will hopefully be at first preview for Desperately Seeking Susan). Mr. Thomson was unsure of why a cast member would supposedly say that the director is on his way out, but repeated that it was false information.
In addition to the nature and hubbub of previews, the internet, etc. we also discussed thoughts on the show, and agreed that yes, it is in a fixable place, that things are (and should be) changing, and I was informed that Mr. Baker is taking the approach of "putting everything into the cake, and then weeding things out."
Lastly, the subject of Jay Webb's lip syncing and the use of click track in the show was covered. Mr. Webb is indeed suffering from tonsillitis, and performing on antibiotics every night as the understudies will not be rehearsed until the show is frozen. Once recovered, Mr. Webb will be singing live, but for now is performing with a fever and speaking as little as possible.
The RZ would like to thank Mr. Thomson and the Borkowski Agency for taking time to deal with the alternative press (in his words, "it's where it's at"), and for his insights into the show and its current status.
First and foremost, Mr. Thomson confirmed that no, William Baker has not been fired, has not quit, and is still working with the cast, though much of the cast's time is being spent with the assistant directors so that multiple changes can be worked on at once (ie a pair of actors can work on entrances/exits while others are with an MD or AD on new music adjustments). No performances are being canceled, and press night is still on for the 16th of October (when the RZ will hopefully be at first preview for Desperately Seeking Susan). Mr. Thomson was unsure of why a cast member would supposedly say that the director is on his way out, but repeated that it was false information.
In addition to the nature and hubbub of previews, the internet, etc. we also discussed thoughts on the show, and agreed that yes, it is in a fixable place, that things are (and should be) changing, and I was informed that Mr. Baker is taking the approach of "putting everything into the cake, and then weeding things out."
Lastly, the subject of Jay Webb's lip syncing and the use of click track in the show was covered. Mr. Webb is indeed suffering from tonsillitis, and performing on antibiotics every night as the understudies will not be rehearsed until the show is frozen. Once recovered, Mr. Webb will be singing live, but for now is performing with a fever and speaking as little as possible.
The RZ would like to thank Mr. Thomson and the Borkowski Agency for taking time to deal with the alternative press (in his words, "it's where it's at"), and for his insights into the show and its current status.
REVIEW: "The 39 Steps"
(I was going to hold this until after class, but it came in about 200 words short, so I'll have to use one of my others.)
Sometimes, all a theatregoer wants is a pleasant evening. No overwhelming amazements or atrocities, just a night of smiles and simplicity. For those occasions, The 39 Steps, currently playing at the Critereon, will undoubtedly satisfy such desires.
Based on the novel and subsequent Hitchcock movie of the same name, The 39 Steps presents a man's flirtation with espionage in 1935 after meeting an attractive young lady at a pallid West End entertainment. Our hero, Richard Hannay (played by Mr. Robert Portal), takes said lady home, she gets murdered, he gets blamed and goes up to Scotland to track down the mysterious organisation responsible.
While the story sounds like serious fare (and indeed it originally was), Patrick Barlow's adaptation renders it with a comedic, rather than psychological touch. Relying upon the traditions of mild-mannered farce, all of the expected cliches are present, with Scottish and German accents used to obscure simple words, non-violent slapstick, silly place names, etc. While this sort of fare was commonplace and reviled by critics in the 1950s, modern audiences view it as quaint material deserving of an Olivier and a New York transfer. How appropriate, then, that it is housed in the Criterion, a beautifully traditional venue full of charm and historical curiosity, and one where the cast can indulge the rare West End occurrence of performing free without microphones.
All of the side characters (claimed as 150 by the adverts, though realistically much lower) are played by Mssrs. Jimmy Chisholm and Simon Gregor, the latter spending much of his stage time in drag. The three main female characters, played by Ms. Rachel Pickup, are all hard-boiled bombshells ready to supply us with predictable plot-advancing romance. While the cast slip in and out of their roles at ease (sometimes even mid-sentence), manipulate an overwhelming number of set dressing and props, and exude professionalism, there was a lack of excitement surrounding the performance I saw, as if everybody was merely running the lines while waiting for a new job to come along.
This isn't to say that the play is bad. It's perfectly enjoyable, and I was never bored during the evening. The jokes are wide enough to be appreciated by those with no knowledge of Hitchcock's film (though a familiarity, even reading the Wikipedia entry helps), and the pacing never falters over the 105 minute runtime, though the presence of an interval is questionable. Clearly the producers are trying to offset thankfully lower than average ticket prices (£42.50 top) with ice cream sales, and the cheerful audience members I saw were more than happy to assist. At the risk of upsetting local readers, it's all so stereotypically English: middle-class friendly, inoffensive, and capable of delivering lots of smirks, but few large laughs.
Where: Criterion Theatre
When: Open run, most nights at 8PM.
Cost: £10-£42.50
Concessions: £12 tickets for the usual groups, available 60 min. prior to curtain for same day only.
--------------
RZ unofficial "worth paying": £10. It's fun, but forgettable. Good if mum's in town and you want something safe with local flavour to take her to. Because the theatre is underground, there are an unusually large number of restricted view seats due to support pillars. Check Theatre Monkey for details.
RZ other notes: I wish I'd taken notes during this one. Normally I don't, as I find it distracts me from the show and tips my opinion towards the negative, but I couldn't recall many details while doing the writeup despite having a big grin on my face and finding the entire show thoroughly pleasant...just not impressively so. The real gem for the evening, in my opinion, was walking around the Criterion, which is a beautiful Victorian theatre with lovely lobby areas, drawings of historical men in evening dress on the walls, and restrooms with broken hand driers.
Sometimes, all a theatregoer wants is a pleasant evening. No overwhelming amazements or atrocities, just a night of smiles and simplicity. For those occasions, The 39 Steps, currently playing at the Critereon, will undoubtedly satisfy such desires.
Based on the novel and subsequent Hitchcock movie of the same name, The 39 Steps presents a man's flirtation with espionage in 1935 after meeting an attractive young lady at a pallid West End entertainment. Our hero, Richard Hannay (played by Mr. Robert Portal), takes said lady home, she gets murdered, he gets blamed and goes up to Scotland to track down the mysterious organisation responsible.
While the story sounds like serious fare (and indeed it originally was), Patrick Barlow's adaptation renders it with a comedic, rather than psychological touch. Relying upon the traditions of mild-mannered farce, all of the expected cliches are present, with Scottish and German accents used to obscure simple words, non-violent slapstick, silly place names, etc. While this sort of fare was commonplace and reviled by critics in the 1950s, modern audiences view it as quaint material deserving of an Olivier and a New York transfer. How appropriate, then, that it is housed in the Criterion, a beautifully traditional venue full of charm and historical curiosity, and one where the cast can indulge the rare West End occurrence of performing free without microphones.
All of the side characters (claimed as 150 by the adverts, though realistically much lower) are played by Mssrs. Jimmy Chisholm and Simon Gregor, the latter spending much of his stage time in drag. The three main female characters, played by Ms. Rachel Pickup, are all hard-boiled bombshells ready to supply us with predictable plot-advancing romance. While the cast slip in and out of their roles at ease (sometimes even mid-sentence), manipulate an overwhelming number of set dressing and props, and exude professionalism, there was a lack of excitement surrounding the performance I saw, as if everybody was merely running the lines while waiting for a new job to come along.
This isn't to say that the play is bad. It's perfectly enjoyable, and I was never bored during the evening. The jokes are wide enough to be appreciated by those with no knowledge of Hitchcock's film (though a familiarity, even reading the Wikipedia entry helps), and the pacing never falters over the 105 minute runtime, though the presence of an interval is questionable. Clearly the producers are trying to offset thankfully lower than average ticket prices (£42.50 top) with ice cream sales, and the cheerful audience members I saw were more than happy to assist. At the risk of upsetting local readers, it's all so stereotypically English: middle-class friendly, inoffensive, and capable of delivering lots of smirks, but few large laughs.
Where: Criterion Theatre
When: Open run, most nights at 8PM.
Cost: £10-£42.50
Concessions: £12 tickets for the usual groups, available 60 min. prior to curtain for same day only.
--------------
RZ unofficial "worth paying": £10. It's fun, but forgettable. Good if mum's in town and you want something safe with local flavour to take her to. Because the theatre is underground, there are an unusually large number of restricted view seats due to support pillars. Check Theatre Monkey for details.
RZ other notes: I wish I'd taken notes during this one. Normally I don't, as I find it distracts me from the show and tips my opinion towards the negative, but I couldn't recall many details while doing the writeup despite having a big grin on my face and finding the entire show thoroughly pleasant...just not impressively so. The real gem for the evening, in my opinion, was walking around the Criterion, which is a beautiful Victorian theatre with lovely lobby areas, drawings of historical men in evening dress on the walls, and restrooms with broken hand driers.
Sunday, 7 October 2007
UPDATE: Week of 7 Oct...
(This is a feature which may or may not continue, based on reader feedback. Let me know if I should keep it up.)
For the curious, here's what has been going on for the past few days, and a look at possible upcoming articles.
First and foremost, comments work now. When I first set up the blog, I forgot to turn them on. My apologies for that.
I had the opportunity to visit the Dance Umbrella on Saturday, and saw a piece involving a man and his construction vehicle. It was an assigned viewing for class, so the review is on hold until I decide if I'm submitting it for credit or not. I'm planning to hit the West End twice this week as well, and may submit a review for one of those productions instead. Expect posts either late Thursday or early Friday.
Rumour is spreading across the message boards that while the creative team are pleased with the reaction RENT:Remixed has been getting, changes ARE being worked on, though I have my doubts that the wildest rumours about a show doctor being called in are true. It's going to be a hell of a lot of fun to see what the critics have to say about this production. Internet buzz has been mixed, with the majority of views landing on the negative side, though most parties on both sides agree that further work is needed. The two scenes most targeted by the posters so far are "Out Tonight" and (almost universally) "What You Own", which both suffered from radical changes in tempo and staging to ill effect. Ironically enough, more discussion is occurring on American boards such as Broadway World and Compulsive Bowlers rather than the domestic alternatives (unless I'm missing links to a big source...could a long time local post if the sidebar is missing anything?).
Rumours are also starting to circulate that a cast album for this new RENT is in the works for Christmas time. IMHO, the more important release is next month's release of PS Classic's new CD Jonathan Sings Larson, which will be comprised of demo recordings from Superbia, tick...tick...BOOM, and RENT along with a pair of isolated one-off tracks as well as a DVD featuring Larson performing four songs from ttB in 1991. I've got an Amazon gift certificate burning a hole in my pocket, so expect this one to be reviewed as soon as it gets to me here in the UK.
Early buzz is already starting for next year's transfer of Aussie hit Priscilla, Queen of the Desert, and which show will have to clear out, as the producers have a deal with RUG for a space. While I think the show will be campy fun, Priscilla won't do anything to help the West End escape its reputation for low end imports and bland film/jukebox adaptations. That said, neither will the rumoured transfer of Xanadu, a show I loved in NYC.
In terms of straight plays, Shadowlands has just started previews, and the new production of Glengarry Glenn Ross starring Jonathan Pryce is approaching its press night. Ideally I'll be getting to both, though they're on limited runs, so best to get while the getting's good.
Ending where we started, it appears that the hardest ticket to get this fall greets us from the Fringe, with Punchdrunk's new production The Masque of the Red Death being sold out until after Christmas (with tickets going fast), making this (soon to be) two sold-out extensions. According to staff at Battersea Arts Centre, the only way to see this interactive Poe-inspired mystery is to queue up for return tickets 60 min. prior to curtain. The RZ may attempt to snag a ticket for the final days, but is battling the start of Winter term for scheduling.
For the curious, here's what has been going on for the past few days, and a look at possible upcoming articles.
First and foremost, comments work now. When I first set up the blog, I forgot to turn them on. My apologies for that.
I had the opportunity to visit the Dance Umbrella on Saturday, and saw a piece involving a man and his construction vehicle. It was an assigned viewing for class, so the review is on hold until I decide if I'm submitting it for credit or not. I'm planning to hit the West End twice this week as well, and may submit a review for one of those productions instead. Expect posts either late Thursday or early Friday.
Rumour is spreading across the message boards that while the creative team are pleased with the reaction RENT:Remixed has been getting, changes ARE being worked on, though I have my doubts that the wildest rumours about a show doctor being called in are true. It's going to be a hell of a lot of fun to see what the critics have to say about this production. Internet buzz has been mixed, with the majority of views landing on the negative side, though most parties on both sides agree that further work is needed. The two scenes most targeted by the posters so far are "Out Tonight" and (almost universally) "What You Own", which both suffered from radical changes in tempo and staging to ill effect. Ironically enough, more discussion is occurring on American boards such as Broadway World and Compulsive Bowlers rather than the domestic alternatives (unless I'm missing links to a big source...could a long time local post if the sidebar is missing anything?).
Rumours are also starting to circulate that a cast album for this new RENT is in the works for Christmas time. IMHO, the more important release is next month's release of PS Classic's new CD Jonathan Sings Larson, which will be comprised of demo recordings from Superbia, tick...tick...BOOM, and RENT along with a pair of isolated one-off tracks as well as a DVD featuring Larson performing four songs from ttB in 1991. I've got an Amazon gift certificate burning a hole in my pocket, so expect this one to be reviewed as soon as it gets to me here in the UK.
Early buzz is already starting for next year's transfer of Aussie hit Priscilla, Queen of the Desert, and which show will have to clear out, as the producers have a deal with RUG for a space. While I think the show will be campy fun, Priscilla won't do anything to help the West End escape its reputation for low end imports and bland film/jukebox adaptations. That said, neither will the rumoured transfer of Xanadu, a show I loved in NYC.
In terms of straight plays, Shadowlands has just started previews, and the new production of Glengarry Glenn Ross starring Jonathan Pryce is approaching its press night. Ideally I'll be getting to both, though they're on limited runs, so best to get while the getting's good.
Ending where we started, it appears that the hardest ticket to get this fall greets us from the Fringe, with Punchdrunk's new production The Masque of the Red Death being sold out until after Christmas (with tickets going fast), making this (soon to be) two sold-out extensions. According to staff at Battersea Arts Centre, the only way to see this interactive Poe-inspired mystery is to queue up for return tickets 60 min. prior to curtain. The RZ may attempt to snag a ticket for the final days, but is battling the start of Winter term for scheduling.
Thursday, 4 October 2007
THOUGHTS: RENT Remixed (First Preview)
I know that I should be posting a proper review of this, given the nature of the site, but I can't do it. Besides the fact that it's considered bad form to review a preview (and a first preview at that), I left the Duke of York's feeling conflicted and almost speechless by what I saw. Some of the new material works well, some would have worked well, and some just failed miserably. I started this list of change and quick opinions as a message board post, but thought I'd expand on and continue it here rather than posting a full review. I have another ticket for the 18th, and will post a proper review then as two weeks is enough time to settle in.
Without further ado, things that stood out, with some spoilers:
-Angel is no longer a drag queen, but rather a new member of Right Said Fred.
-Some of the drag queen text has been removed, but a lot of the he/she stuff is still there and doesn't work in the new context.
-The voice mails are spoken, not sung, and all prerecorded. One is by Kylie.
-The answering machine no longer says “Speeeeeaaaaak.”
-A few numbers retain their original orchestrations, or something close.
-Sometimes, “remixed” just means taking out the guitar.
-The original RENT band has five members. The RENT Remixed band has four members and a computer running virtual orchestra software.
-Today 4 U? All click track.
-Another Day is well orchestrated, but the staging is poor.
-Out Tonight is well staged, but the orchestrations are poor, and come straight from the infamous Jazz edition album of the show. I miss the slam on the electric guitar after Life Support.
-Act One ends with Christmas Bells. Act Two has Over The Moon/La Vie Boheme/I Should Tell You.
-Seasons of Love is used for an encore, though a verse comes through here and there throughout the score, sometimes less than five minutes from the prior use.
-Lots of small dialogue changes, a few voice mails and plot bits have been restructured, but references haven't been edited.
-Due to the edits, it's hard to tell where the cast screwed up lines vs. edits.
-Because they focused the adverts on a celebrity as Maureen, Over The Moon is 10 minutes long including a dance segment.
-Part of the La Vie Boheme hand dance made it in.
-What You Own made me want to cry, and not because I was moved. Rather, it's been redone as a slow, angsty emo solo for Mark.
-Contact. I'd like to hear the lyrics, please. Lots of coloured strobes and fetish costumes and house shaking bass.
-RENT. Needs energy, has none.
-Mark likes taking his shirt off, and is directed to sing the beginning of LVB in a totally OTT manner.
-Vocal arrangements? Generally excellent. Not just saying that because I met the guy.
-Without You's orchestration was heavily influenced by the Swedish cast recording.
-Costumes. Not going there.
-The lyrics and orchestrations fight with each other. A lot.
-Goodbye Love's orchestration fails to live up to the emotion of the song.
-Take Me or Leave Me sounds good, but works as a Gwen Stefani or Kylie video, not as a song in a cohesive piece of theatre.
-The set is three floor to ceiling white flats painted like brick with a white raked platform and a catwalk with exits on stage L/R that is bisected by a stairway. The walls are lit from below by rows of footlight sconces. It's simple and effective.
-Mimi has dancers with giant feathery fans in Without You. It makes no sense.
-Flying beds and Christmas trees. Just saying.
-Adding an extra drum machine line does not count as a proper re-orchestration. Just saying.
-Mark, Mimi, Angel, and a couple of the ensemble had UK accents. Everyone else went American.
-The big thing about mentioning new AIDS treatments? Replace “AZT” with “NDT”. Impressive, huh?
-"Remixed" means "soulless and no emotion."
-The show got a standing ovation from a large percentage of the crowd, but it was by no means the whole house.
As I said above, proper review in two weeks when the shock of seeing a different staging has worn off and I can look more clearly at the production.
Without further ado, things that stood out, with some spoilers:
-Angel is no longer a drag queen, but rather a new member of Right Said Fred.
-Some of the drag queen text has been removed, but a lot of the he/she stuff is still there and doesn't work in the new context.
-The voice mails are spoken, not sung, and all prerecorded. One is by Kylie.
-The answering machine no longer says “Speeeeeaaaaak.”
-A few numbers retain their original orchestrations, or something close.
-Sometimes, “remixed” just means taking out the guitar.
-The original RENT band has five members. The RENT Remixed band has four members and a computer running virtual orchestra software.
-Today 4 U? All click track.
-Another Day is well orchestrated, but the staging is poor.
-Out Tonight is well staged, but the orchestrations are poor, and come straight from the infamous Jazz edition album of the show. I miss the slam on the electric guitar after Life Support.
-Act One ends with Christmas Bells. Act Two has Over The Moon/La Vie Boheme/I Should Tell You.
-Seasons of Love is used for an encore, though a verse comes through here and there throughout the score, sometimes less than five minutes from the prior use.
-Lots of small dialogue changes, a few voice mails and plot bits have been restructured, but references haven't been edited.
-Due to the edits, it's hard to tell where the cast screwed up lines vs. edits.
-Because they focused the adverts on a celebrity as Maureen, Over The Moon is 10 minutes long including a dance segment.
-Part of the La Vie Boheme hand dance made it in.
-What You Own made me want to cry, and not because I was moved. Rather, it's been redone as a slow, angsty emo solo for Mark.
-Contact. I'd like to hear the lyrics, please. Lots of coloured strobes and fetish costumes and house shaking bass.
-RENT. Needs energy, has none.
-Mark likes taking his shirt off, and is directed to sing the beginning of LVB in a totally OTT manner.
-Vocal arrangements? Generally excellent. Not just saying that because I met the guy.
-Without You's orchestration was heavily influenced by the Swedish cast recording.
-Costumes. Not going there.
-The lyrics and orchestrations fight with each other. A lot.
-Goodbye Love's orchestration fails to live up to the emotion of the song.
-Take Me or Leave Me sounds good, but works as a Gwen Stefani or Kylie video, not as a song in a cohesive piece of theatre.
-The set is three floor to ceiling white flats painted like brick with a white raked platform and a catwalk with exits on stage L/R that is bisected by a stairway. The walls are lit from below by rows of footlight sconces. It's simple and effective.
-Mimi has dancers with giant feathery fans in Without You. It makes no sense.
-Flying beds and Christmas trees. Just saying.
-Adding an extra drum machine line does not count as a proper re-orchestration. Just saying.
-Mark, Mimi, Angel, and a couple of the ensemble had UK accents. Everyone else went American.
-The big thing about mentioning new AIDS treatments? Replace “AZT” with “NDT”. Impressive, huh?
-"Remixed" means "soulless and no emotion."
-The show got a standing ovation from a large percentage of the crowd, but it was by no means the whole house.
As I said above, proper review in two weeks when the shock of seeing a different staging has worn off and I can look more clearly at the production.
Wednesday, 3 October 2007
REVIEW: "We Will Rock You"
For those who have escaped the show's presence (most of the US), We Will Rock You (WWRY) uses Queen's song catalogue to tell the story of a dystopian future where all music is created by computer and published by a single corporation and owning instruments or thinking independently is outlawed. Two teenagers find themselves on the outside, meet up with other rebels, and awaken the planet's youth through rock music. While the plot has the makings of engaging sci-fi, Ben Elton's script and direction reduce the storyline to sound bites so that the cast can get to the next song(aka the reason people are paying for tickets). Some of the numbers work well, some don't, many have changed lyrics which help greatly. A handful of the jokes and references are updated with each new cast in an attempt to stay fresh, again to varying effect.
The new cast are young, vibrant actors who rock through the score, but frequently end up flat on the acting, as if Elton is relying upon his stage managers to train replacements from original director Chris Renshaw's notes. All of the ensemble and secondary youths (Bohemians) are given just enough lines to stand out and be forgotten, but give it their all regardless. New Scaramouche Sabrina Aloveche delivers a solid performance, but fails to stand out against her predecessors. Returning cast members Alex Bourne (Khasoggi) and Mazz Murray (Killer Queen) ham it up as the piece's villains, but Bourne has trouble being heard in his musical numbers and Murray lacks the truly vicious streak needed to come off as threatening. Headlining the show as Galileo Figaro, understudy John Boyden sings the role well, but comes off with boyish charm instead of rocker rebellion. I suspect that much of his perceived weakness is genuine, and that he will grow stronger in his tenure.
That said, the true stars of WWRY are its score, band, and visual designs. The house band, hidden in the wings, plays the songs as real rock. While this method brings the sound and feel of Queen to the stage, it does so at the detriment of the lyrics, which become hard to discern, primarily during ensemble numbers. Production designer Willie Williams manages to flood his stage with set pieces, video screens, and lights of all sorts, truly bringing the “mega” back to “megamusical” in all the best ways. In this reviewer's opinion, the technical eye candy alone justifies the cost of a ticket.
Overall, WWRY is a fun night out and worth seeing once for the visuals, but otherwise best left for the tourists.
Where: Dominion Theatre
When: Open Run. Check listings for times.
Cost: £27.50-£60
Concessions: £20 student tickets, best left when the BO opens; £13.50 SRO when otherwise sold out
----
RZ unofficial “worth paying”: £15 for the tech and a few good moments. The show is fun, but not good enough to command its asking price for the stalls, though it does move quickly and is never boring. Add £5-10 depending on how much of a Queen fan you are. Chances are you'll either hit student price or TKTS rates.
RZ other notes: I saw this as much to go to the Dominion as to see the show itself. For those who don't know, Bill Hicks recorded his Revelations special at the Dominion, and much of the backstage tech was built in for Dave Clark's Time in 1986 (which has its own Queen/Freddie Mercury links). If you see WWRY, look up by the boxes for two gorgeous stained glass windows surrounding a pair of organs, one on either side. Lastly, for a show about the evils of corporate society, they sure were pushing ice cream during the interval and show merchandise after. Perhaps this is why they cut all the bits about “playing for the kids” over the years...
The new cast are young, vibrant actors who rock through the score, but frequently end up flat on the acting, as if Elton is relying upon his stage managers to train replacements from original director Chris Renshaw's notes. All of the ensemble and secondary youths (Bohemians) are given just enough lines to stand out and be forgotten, but give it their all regardless. New Scaramouche Sabrina Aloveche delivers a solid performance, but fails to stand out against her predecessors. Returning cast members Alex Bourne (Khasoggi) and Mazz Murray (Killer Queen) ham it up as the piece's villains, but Bourne has trouble being heard in his musical numbers and Murray lacks the truly vicious streak needed to come off as threatening. Headlining the show as Galileo Figaro, understudy John Boyden sings the role well, but comes off with boyish charm instead of rocker rebellion. I suspect that much of his perceived weakness is genuine, and that he will grow stronger in his tenure.
That said, the true stars of WWRY are its score, band, and visual designs. The house band, hidden in the wings, plays the songs as real rock. While this method brings the sound and feel of Queen to the stage, it does so at the detriment of the lyrics, which become hard to discern, primarily during ensemble numbers. Production designer Willie Williams manages to flood his stage with set pieces, video screens, and lights of all sorts, truly bringing the “mega” back to “megamusical” in all the best ways. In this reviewer's opinion, the technical eye candy alone justifies the cost of a ticket.
Overall, WWRY is a fun night out and worth seeing once for the visuals, but otherwise best left for the tourists.
Where: Dominion Theatre
When: Open Run. Check listings for times.
Cost: £27.50-£60
Concessions: £20 student tickets, best left when the BO opens; £13.50 SRO when otherwise sold out
----
RZ unofficial “worth paying”: £15 for the tech and a few good moments. The show is fun, but not good enough to command its asking price for the stalls, though it does move quickly and is never boring. Add £5-10 depending on how much of a Queen fan you are. Chances are you'll either hit student price or TKTS rates.
RZ other notes: I saw this as much to go to the Dominion as to see the show itself. For those who don't know, Bill Hicks recorded his Revelations special at the Dominion, and much of the backstage tech was built in for Dave Clark's Time in 1986 (which has its own Queen/Freddie Mercury links). If you see WWRY, look up by the boxes for two gorgeous stained glass windows surrounding a pair of organs, one on either side. Lastly, for a show about the evils of corporate society, they sure were pushing ice cream during the interval and show merchandise after. Perhaps this is why they cut all the bits about “playing for the kids” over the years...
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