A New Kind of Musical!

I really never saw this kind of musical in my life; it was my first French musical named Notre Dame de Paris. It is based on the musical The Hunchback of Notre Dame by Victor Hugo. Singing and dancing, not dialogue composes the French production; it is amazing and very new to me.

Notre Dame de Paris Commercial

Belle, Notre Dame de Paris

Richard Cocciante composed and Luc Plamandon lyricized and directed it based on the book by Victor Hugo. Garou starred as Quasimodo, Helene Segara as Esmeralda, Daniel Lavoie as Frollo, Patrick Fiori as Phoebus, and Bruno Pelletier as Gringoire.

Instead of telling the brief summary in this article, I will just mention the differences because everyone knows the story. It differs from the animation of The Hunchback of Notre Dame and is based on the original book and Anthony Quinn’s movie. I think that the visualization of the production and other little things are sadder than the book. First, the expressions of actors and actresses are more realistic than the explanation of the book. Second, I did not see many appearance of the character of Fleur de Lys in the book. Third, Esmeralda did not die by a lasso, but by an arrow. Fourth, as for the knife case that happened to the innkeeper, Phoebus and Frollo did not talk at all and Gringoire did not narrate at that part. Fifth, Phoebus did not address the execution content of Esmeralda that day. Sixth, which is the main difference, Quasimodo and Esmeralda met inside the cathedral and met for the second time very shortly. And seventh, Clopin does not appear many times in the movie and book, but he does in the production.

I did not see any ancient style of French music in the production. It was very modernized. I did not see an orchestra, whether old western or modern, but only the musical actors and actresses. Also, the costumes were modernized, too. It looked very comfortable and not tight. Why did Richard Cocciante and Fred Sathal compose and design their work like that? I guess they wanted to show something different about The Hunchback of Notre Dame. Let’s come and take a look at the modernized difference in the theater.

A Modern Romeo & Juliet?

Now, presenting the famous Shakespeare’s Romeo & Juliet produced in French called Romeo et Juliette. This one, of course, has modernization but with little differences from the book. Let’s go see the difference below.

Romeo et Juliette Commercial

Verone, Romeo et Juliette

Gerard Presguvic composed it and Joy Esther starred as Juliet Capulet, Damien Sargue as Romeo Montague, Cyril Niccolai as Benvolio, William St-Val as Tybalt, John Eyzen as Mercutio, Stephanie Rodrigue as Lady Capulet, and Arie, Brigitte Venditti as Lady Montague.

This time, I will mention the differences, especially about the modernization of music and costume. They both are modernized as much as Notre Dame de Paris. Since the themes are hatred, love, friendship, and protection, the music and lyrics are pretty much leaned toward these ideas. Slowness for love, darkness for hate, brightness for friendship, and warmth for protection express feeling in the production. Two extreme colors compose the color scheme for the costumes; dark red for Capulet and dark blue for Montague. I see that the textures that are used for them are clean and nice fabrics. I believe that the strong darkness of each color symbolizes some kind of human’s spiritual power. One thing of interest at the party on the land was the unison of color of both sides, which was strong white. Both sides dressed up into white. Perhaps it meant to tell the audience about the future unification of the two households as both Romeo and Juliet die in a chapel together. I hope so, then, if I am right.

I know why there are some differences between stage and videotapes. It is because they have their own stylish patterns and methods. Such is the case with Notre Dame de Paris and Romeo et Juliette and other musicals from Broadway, West End, and national and international productions that are converted from movies into the stage. Now it’s time to enjoy the upcoming performance in the concert hall.

A MONSTER! A HYPOCRITE! WHO IS HE?

In 1889, for more than a month and less than two, an invisible horror covers the entire city of London by a good and ingenious man who succeeded in dividing good and evil from human psychology. Citizens do not get to realize it until the first murder happens. There is nowhere to escape, no time to avoid it, and no luck for them. Good Dr. Jekyll is criminalized but was not targeted by the evil as Mr. Hyde was. The production of Jekyll and Hyde will tell more about its story in the progression of the performance.

"Jekyll & Hyde Commercial

This is the Moment, Jekyll & Hyde

It was composed by Frank Wildhorn, based on the book of The Strange Case of Dr. Henry Jekyll and Mr. Edward Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson, and led by Robert Cuccioli, Anthony Warlow, and David Hasselhoff as Jekyll and Hyde, Carolee Carmello as Emma, and Linda Eder and Coleen Sexton as Lucy. You may wonder why there are so many stars. It is because there are two main actors, the side reverses and the light supports them; the good side with normal and bright yellow color and bad side with black, dark red and bluish colors. In sometime of the production, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde confront each other to take over the self and body.

Of course, the danger will come as science experiment cannot escape error. Once it happened, it cannot go back to normality. Whatever and whenever he had done, Dr. Jekyll had chosen the way he cannot return; he changed into evil Mr. Edward Hyde. Several murders had continued by him and the entire city of London fears it so much. Of course, good Dr. Henry Jekyll knows what he had done or Mr. Hyde did. The rumor spreads out and the entire city of London was in horror because there are eight murders happened in short amount of times. He has to save Lucy before another murder happens, but he came too late. In the middle of the wedding, Mr. Hyde appears and commits another murder. Emma knows that it’s him and tries to help Dr. Henry Jekyll to find himself. Now, time has come for him to die happily under the two calm and warm hands of Emma.

The themes of this production are; there are people who are strong-willed and evil, some who are weak and good, and some who are weak yet strong-willed. Such human characteristics cannot be controlled. The answer of how they can be controllable is in the production. Please, come and watch!

Don’t Cry For Me, Argentina!

I know you have heard of Eva Peron, or Eva Duarte and Evita, through radio and television. She became a First Lady of Argentina and when she married President Juan Peron. Although she did not live long, Evita donated great amounts of money and helped poor people. She welcomes you to come into this world of Musical Evita!

Evita Commercial

High Flying Adored, Evita

Andrew Lloyd Webber composed and Tim Rice lyricized it. Judy McLane and Mandy Patinkin led as Eva Peron and Ernesto Guevara de la Serna, or Che Guevara.

Eva Peron was the real first lady to donate tons of money and destroy the system of nobility. Her original position, a commoner, had uploaded her anger and revengeful feelings toward the noble people. She used her position to help and give a voice to the poor people of Argentina. In other words, it caused a huge scale of revolution toward the nobles. Despite Eva Duarte had not controlled Argentina, the government could handle the balance of society in a real way when time and better systemized space of Argentina came about. Eva contemplated that what if she had lived in the common world for the rest of her life, then Argentina would not get worse. Eventually, Peron had left a great amount of debt and works to cover up before an invasion or another revolution. Now, I see a better Argentina. It’s improved. When Eva Peron got cancer and died in her thirties, the entire Argentina cried and rang the land and gathered around the funeral to the cathedral.

Those who suffer because of too much pressure, do you want to revolve where you live or leave it the way it is? So as I would leave it the way it is because I am not a ruler. After the death of Eva Peron, classmen had worried that what if the tale of her happens again, they had sent the mummified corpse to Italy to be embalmed. Maybe, I believe that Italy may be another and better world for her, not Argentina, or the life after death. Please, let’s take a look at how Eva Peron had died through the performance.

Single Women, Watch This Musical!

A single woman or a female college student probably wants to experience this musical more than males. Life is very wonderful for them. One musical production named Tell Me On A Sunday tells that all women are queens and first ladies of the world. Denise, a free and beautiful lady, will welcome you to that world.

Tell Me On A Sunday

Composed by Andrew Lloyd Webber, lyricized by Don Black, a single actress Denise van Outen leads the performance as herself. So many people can relate to this musical because so many women like her exist today.

A lady named Denise van Outen, who breaks up with her boyfriend and feels depressed, narrates the story. She gets up and spontaneously goes to New York City. She dates some men but does not really like any of them and prefers to be single. With the emptiness, she returns to her apartment and sees what her mom sent to her; a childhood video. She thinks,‘It’s okay. I can get over this. ‘Then, she realizes that she loves to live and can enjoy her life so freely just like other women. She can go anywhere and do anything. In the past, no women would have dared to move and go on their own without men’s permission like she does. There had been no guarantee of rights and social status to them at all. And now, freedom or liberation of social discrimination against women of today does not exist as those of the past. But because of some similarities, she does have hysteria and fatigue like other women. Denise just imagines and thinks about the current situation she has. That makes up the entire story.

Like the movie of Sex and The City, Denise acts like the character of Sarah Jessica Parker in the movie; she behaves very freely, just as much as her. What a free woman she is! They can buy and do anything they want without husbands. Recently, liberal change for the feminism resulted in divorce between old couples and young couples, I believe. However, I can live happily ever after, too until I really got engaged to a lovely man. There is nothing bad about marriage, but women can choose to be single and happy as well.

Ladies who are approaching your twenty soon, I think that is it good for you to come over here and watch this performance. See how wonderful single life can be!

For Freedom in Ireland!

Once you enjoyed truth and youth, once you fought with friends, once you said goodbye to your friends, once you harmed your friends, and once you killed one of your friends and did not care about death in the irresistible and uncontrollable world of Ireland. Enjoy the great split between two men for righteousness in the production of The Beautiful Game.

This, like many great musicals, Andrew Lloyd Webber composed and Tim Rice lyricized it. Each character showed powerful and conflicted personality, which created tension and excitement in the musical.

British controlled Ireland provides the setting. Unbelievably, an evil and patriotic friend named Thomas betrayed his naïve and stupid friend named John. They all simply started fighting with a little topic about nationality, first. Before the everlasting split of friendship, all nine friends of a soccer team in Belfast, Northern Island acted so kind to each other. But one felt differently and a little left out because he thinks that only pure Irish can survive and live on this land. It interfered greatly to the progressive dreams and career of the team. Being so, the three people started to fight. One died in a real murder by three British gangsters. Then two couples married. The Irish progressed to make the IRA, Irish Republic Association. Thomas was one of the members and he needed someone to cover up his criminal reputation to save Ireland and it was John. So, he goes to jail forcefully instead of continuing a career in soccer. As time came for his release, the more miserable thing waiting for him was his death.

It is very unbelievable and unimaginable musical about betrayal, no return, and loss of a precious treasure. Long and nervous hesitation pervades the musical, like the case in movies and television, especially in scary movies. No one wants to lose his or her precious treasure. Let’s learn about the method of this caution through the performance.

A Lovely Musical and A Wonderful Wedding Ceremony

People start to give their attention to Mamma Mia, a world popular musical with songs by Abba, opening in Winter Garden Theater until September. This newly invented musical uses a popular rock group’s songs.

Mamma Mia Commercial

Dancing Queen, Mamma Mia, in Korean. The lyric is the same.

The story goes like this. Three possible dads who dated one mom twenty years ago, one twenty year old daughter who does not know who her father is until the wedding day, one lovely fiancé, two aunties and friends, lodgers, and a father make up the characters in the production. It is a strange coincidence for a daughter to find her real dad, who disappeared for twenty years, and now has to walk the down the aisle with her on the wedding day. Think for a moment that a person who you love left you for another love and came back after twenty years. It is an unbelievable story.

And so, all of the main characters except friends, lodgers, and a father find out new facts and face struggles. Among them, six kinds of love stories come out. Three in the past and the rest of them in the present; the love between Sophie and Sky, Donna and Sophie, Donna and Harry, Donna and Sam, Donna and Bill, Pepper and Tanya, and Rosie and Bill compose the storyline of the musical. The struggles between Donna and Sophie, Donna and Sam, Sophie, and Sky, and just Sophie herself compose the conflicts in the story.

To our great surprise, the performers repeat the songs of ‘Mamma Mia’ and ‘Dancing Queen’ twice; once during the run and once for the encore. The other songs are just less familiar than those two. How much fun are these to listen to? In an S.O.S situation, they sing ‘S.O.S’ song and in a grateful situation, they sing the song ‘Thank You for the Music’. If they need love, they beg for love with songs.

Powerful and enjoyable lighting with rainbow colors and mostly sky blue, white, and blue create a good setting of a Greek island. Strong, active dance of ensembles make the cool points of the dancing, much like a disco. With the disco mood, the tempo of fast dance movements and foot of performers is hard to be followed.

With the reasons above, you will not regret watching this production in the Winter Garden Theater!

How long will this misery last? How can this be for Koreans?

If world people take a look at the history of the Chosun Period, Japan very cruelly went fox hunting in Korea. The fox was the last queen of the Chosun Period. But why was the world so inattentive at this moment? It was because they wanted to share benefits with Japan. I want to tell my feelings about the story of the Korean musical named The Last Empress.

The commercial will be added soon…

Rise People of Chosun, The Last Empress

It starts in 1866 when Japan progressed to take benefits from Korea and China during what is now known as Japanese Imperialism. Koreans experienced horror; weak and powerless rulers had to fight against strong empirical powers. In spite of a smart royal family, they could not help the country. And so, Japan takes power and resources only for the Japanese. After a ninja assassinated the smart queen, Emperor Kojong despairs but had to be attentive about reparations. He sent out letters but was ignored completely.

Lee Mon Yeol, Kim Hee Gap, and Yang In Ja, and the actors described the situation well. Passion, patriotism, terror, misery, desire, and unawareness about the future are the top conceptual themes of all the songs. Overture about the misery of the last queen sounds destitute and warlike and it makes you sad. Also, power fights, rulers who married at the wrong age at the wrong time and grownup rulers happy at the imports of new western inventions constitute the themes of the other songs. After the Koreans lost the fight, the last long that desperately called to the Korean people to rise up and hungrily open a new age really relieved and inspired me.

Those who feel sympathetic about this story, I am sure that they will come and watch this if this production visits the city. Most of the songs are not familiar but the story is. I hope all of the world people enjoy this and appreciate it. We still can spread the story around through international tours. This production opens in Broadway, London, LA, many regions in South Korea, and Toronto.

A Great Impact in Vietnam War; A Love or Misery?

Although it makes you unhappy to hear a story of war, you must know about how your ancestors were murdered. Foreign powers committed murders unjustly and just did not care about the deaths they caused. But a certain couple had a different attitude about this. Who are they? The musical Miss Saigon will tell about their story.

Miss Saigon Commercial

  Sun and Moon, Miss Saigon

If I tell the production history briefly, Claude Michel Schonberg, Sir Cameron Mackintosh, Alain Boubil composed, produced, and lyricized this musical and it became one of the Great Four Musicals of all time. Also, the famous Lea Salong took the leading role of Kim in the first 1990 production.

The story runs this way. A main character wanders in a crossroad in her life whether to stay in communist Vietnam with her evil fiancé or move to a liberal democracy where she can live happily ever after with her other love; it is between the Vietcong or the American. Both men fight for her and one dies. After that, the City of Saigon began to split so the remaining GIs had to go back home and they cannot take all of Vietnamese with them including Kim, the main character. Kim waits for her love with her son, Tam. But shockingly, Chris married Ellen when he returned to the US without Kim. Kim had no choice but to commit suicide for Tam.

Vietnamese folk melodies make up the overture, finale, “Sun and Moon”, and “Dju Vay Vai” and western styles make up the rest of songs because the orchestra has both Western and Vietnamese folk instruments. How amazing it is that both can be synthesized and create great music with various themes very magically? As for with that reason, various themes and expressions are based on the moods of curiosity, gloom, joy, love, evil, shock, desperation, and obsession through the music.

Is this making you want to watch this production one day? It will be good to know the history of the Vietnam War and feel the pain of a nation.

Kids Under Eighteen, Don’t Come to Nederland Theater

Recently, an inappropriate musical named Rent opened in Nederland Theater. It was produced by Jonathan Larson who died from a rare disease. Why don’t you come and find out why this production needs parental control?

[kml_flashembed movie="http://www .youtube.com/v/A7Upsb6DBBc" width="425" height="350" wmode="transparent" /]Rent Commercial

[kml_flashembed movie="http://www.youtube.com/v/yPayGjwzh8Q" width="425" height="350" wmode="transparent" /] Seasons of Love, the reality of performance

This production overflows with social issues: homosexuality, HIV and AIDS, body exposure, drugs, and many other problems. Actions and props show the story of everything just mentioned, but the lyrics of ‘Another Day’ describe the drug situation.  Adults have to prevent children under eighteen from watching the production. Parents can mention about the problems just mentioned verbally instead of visually.

Melodious music expresses all of the social issues and emotions they cause. ‘Rent’, ‘Another Day’ and ‘Seasons of Love’ are the best-known songs. How lovely to hear about it through these songs! Opening song ‘Rent’ tells how sufferer of HIV and AIDs live so poorly, miserably, and hopelessly. In the beginning, they show high and slow resistance against diseases, but it eventually vanishes and they die. The songs of ‘Another Day’ and ‘Seasons of Love’ show this through their lyrics. HIV and AIDs patients always live that way and lose people and become weaker.

Famous Adam Pascal, Daphne Vega, Anthony Rapp, and Idina Menzel all played in first period of leading role. Adam Pascal from Aida, Anthony Rapp from the production, Idina Menzel from the Musical Wicked, and Daphne Vega from Les Miserables came together to make this Pulitzer Prize winning production. Now, don’t you think that you have to come to watch this great production?

I believe that people need to know about the various miseries suffered by other people. Patients with HIV and AIDs did not mean to be like this. It is nature’s fault. Help them get through their problems by donating money after the show. I think that it is good and lovely to come and watch this show and learn about a painful social issue through music. Let’s enjoy this impression, too, for one minute in Nederland Theater.