Broadway, baby!

First things first: I hate New York City. Absolutely hate it. It's only redeeming quality, in my opinion, is the Theatre available (and the American Girl store).

When I found out that I would be stuck in NYC for five days, my mission became this: spend as much of this time as possible inside a theatre, and to avoid the subway at all costs.

Mission accomplished!

Between Monday and Thursday, I fit in five shows. Wednesday was a two show day for me, and both shows I saw on my own (this was my first time seeing shows by myself; I'd gone with a friend before, but never totally on my own).

Mamma Mia

Monday night's show was Mamma Mia. I hadn't seen it for years, but the soundtrack is one of my favourites (I'm neutral when it comes to the movie - don't love it, don't hate it). It was a last minute decision to see this, but we got decent seats. The seats were about the only decent thing about it.

I'm not sure if they were having microphone issues, or just had a terrible team of sound people, but the audio was all over the place. The live singing (aside from Donna, who was overwhelmingly loud) was often overshadowed by the instrumental and the multiple voice recordings. I could hear the backing music more than I could hear the singers. From what I could hear, everyone sounded fine vocally (aside from Sophie's terrible enunciation during Honey Honey), but the major problem was just that - I couldn't hear them!. It was still entertaining, but some definite adjustments need to be made to this show for it to last much longer. I find it very hard to believe that this show has lasted as long as it has with this weak a performance. 

The Book of Mormon

The Book of Mormon, which I saw the Tuesday Evening performance of, is a much touted new production, winner of 9 Tony awards. It focuses on two Mormon missionaries, competent Elder Price and overweight, clumsy Elder Cunningham, on their mission trip to Uganda. It’s a satire musical comedy; it makes fun of just about every topic it touches on, including Religion, Ugandan Warlords, Poverty, and Aids. It’s definitely not a show for the politically correct or religiously inclined; the lyrics are disgusting, the visuals are almost as bad, but all in all, The Book of Mormon is hysterically funny show that is well worth seeing.

The Phantom of the Opera

Wednesday was my marathon show day. I spent most of my waking time inside a theatre. The Phantom of the Opera is one of my most favourite shows, and this matinee marked my fourth time seeing it, and first on Broadway. I’ve never seen a Phantom so brilliant as Hugh Panaro; he made the Phantom into a demonic, sarcastic character that I adored (which sounds incredibly disturbing, but I swear I'm not going to go fall in love with a real-life violent psychopath). Canadian Samantha Hill played a child-like and naive Christine; while not as strong as other Christines I have seen, and not portraying Christine as I normally prefer, she did a wonderful job all in all. This production, as opposed to the London Phantom, appears to have been kept fresher with dialogue changes and new blocking additions (which, oddly enough, I noticed when I saw Phantom again in London a month after seeing it on Broadway). The one thing I don't like about Broadway Phantom is it's apparent lack of Stage Door - I would dearly loved to have met Samantha Hill, but after circling around the theatre four times, no Stage Door was to be found, and I gave up and headed to grab dinner before my next show. 

Wicked

Wednesday Evening was dedicated to Wicked, another of my favourite show. This performance marked my sixth time seeing it (having seen it in Toronto four times, and once on Broadway). To say the show was brilliant would be an understatement. I had previously seen some of the most well known performers in this show, but I had never been very emotionally attached to the show. Well, I can’t say that anymore. Tiffany Haas (standby) and Wilemijn Verkaik’s portrayals of G(a)linda and Elphaba, two unlikely friends, brought me to tears by the end (this is the first time I’ve ever cried during live theatre, mind). Haas was funny when required, but morphed into the more serious, contemplative Glinda as the show progressed. Verkaik captured Elphaba’s nature better than I’ve ever seen it done before (I wasn’t crazy about her tone, but English is not her first language so I’ll forgive her. Fun Fact: Broadway marks the third language in which Verkaik has played Elphaba!). I also have to mention Catherine Charlebois as Nessarose; finally, a Nessa with some dimension! The major highlight for me, however, was... wait for it... I met G(a)linda! Ok, I met Tiffany Haas, and she wasn’t in costume or anything, but still, that’s one thing I can cross off my bucket list. I was also lucky enough to meet F. Michael Haynie (Boq) and Catherine Charlebois as well. All in all, Wednesday was a very good day!

Matilda

The final show of the trip was Matilda. It hadn’t been playing for long at the time, and was still in previews when I saw it. Matilda was hugely successful in London, winning multiple Oliviers (including Best Actress for the four girls who alternated as Matilda). It’s profiled as a children’s show, but 17-year-old me found it vastly enjoyable (a highlight for me being Bertie Carvel aka Ms Truchbull’s Ribbon routine). The lyrics, when sung by children, were a little hard to understand, and our Matilda (Milly Shapiro) wasn’t a particularly adept actress. However, the visual effects, stunning set, and entertaining adult cast members (special mention to Lesli Margherita as Mrs Wormwood; I saw her as Inez in Zorro the Musical years ago, and she’s just wondeful) made the show a worthwhile visit.

Wicked (Thursday April 25th, 2013)

WICKED

      On the night of Thursday, April 25th, I found myself seated in the Victoria Apollo Theatre in London, eyeing the glowing map of Oz and waiting with bated breath for the first notes to soar and the first monkeys to make their appearance on the stage. This production of Wicked was directed by Joe Mantello, and the music and lyrics were written by Stephen Schwartz (the original book was written by Winnie Holzman). This production starred Gina Beck, Louise Dearman, and Ben Freeman. 

Wicked is the untold story of the Witches of Oz. Anyone who has seen or read The Wizard of Oz knows of Glinda the Good Witch, and the green Wicked Witch of the West. Wicked delves into the early lives of these characters in a prolonged flashback. We learn that spoiled, popular Galinda (Beck) - as she was once known - and moody, distant Elphaba (Dearman) (who would become the Wicked Witch of the West) become unlikely roommates, and later, the best of friends, at Shiz University in Oz. Elphaba, green and unloved by her father, is noticed by the Head Shiztress, Madame Morrible (Harriet Thorpe), when she exhibits magical powers while trying to keep her disabled sister Nessarose (Katie Rowley Jones) with her. Both girls become enamored with newcomer (and airhead) Fiyero (Freeman), who falls for Galinda’s perkiness, although he is intrigued by  Elphaba’s character. The girls’ world falls apart when, on a trip to the Emerald City to meet the Wizard of Oz (Keith Bartlett), they discover that he is not a real wizard, and only wants to use Elphaba’s powers to tighten his tyrannical grasp on Oz. Elphaba steals the Wizard’s spell book, the Grimmerie, and takes to the sky, stating that “nobody in all of Oz, no Wizard that there is or was, is ever going to bring [her] down!” And thus, Glinda and Elphaba are thrust into their places in life, and become Glinda the Good and the Wicked Witch of the West, respectively. 

Gina Beck (Glinda) and Louise Dearman (Elphaba)

The show was, altogether, the best production of Wicked I have ever seen (and that is saying something, as this was my seventh time seeing it). Wicked has always been my favourite show; in my opinion, it has something for everyone to relate to in it. That’s the reason I can keep coming back to this show; there’s always some new aspect of a character you’ll find with every time you see the show. The script of Wicked is brilliant; the story is told through Glinda’s extended flashback, but she is not narrating the flashbacks, so you don’t get the sense that it is as much of a flashback. It feels more real, which makes the emotions more real. The performance, as well, was wonderful. Each actor was so absolutely in character that, when I saw them after the show, I had trouble remembering that they were people, not characters (it didn’t help that Louise Dearman still had green in her hair). There were no moments while watching this that I doubted what was happening, be it a character’s reaction to a situation, or a situation itself. Everything was utterly believable; a combination of a brilliant script and wonderful performers. Wicked has many serious, dark, and dramatic moments (such as Elphaba’s flight from Oz “Defying Gravity”, her attempt to save Fiyero “No Good Deed”, and the show’s opening song “No One Mourns The Wicked”), and these dark moments are complemented by the occasional burst of humour (Glinda and Elphaba’s fight in the cornfield, Elphaba’s “Well, we can’t all come and go by bubble” line, and Galinda’s song “Popular”). These comedic moments don’t detract from the serious moments at all, another nod towards the brilliance of the script. 

Katie Rowley Jones as Nessarose

Two director’s choices I would like to evaluate are the “Britishizing” of some of the lines, and the blocking during “The Wicked Witch of the East”. Having seen the show so recently on Broadway (and having the ‘North American way’ memorized anyway) made the subtle line changes very noticeable to me. The ones I remember best is the changing of “seminar” to “tutorial” when it came to Madame Morrible’s Sorcery classes. Having so recently been hearing these terms due to impending university decisions, this particularly caught my attention. It was very clever, and while I didn’t think it was entirely necessary, the “Britishisms” did not detract from the performance at all. During “The Wicked Witch of the East” (which is, incidentally, one of my favourite songs, although you won’t find it on the show’s soundtrack), there is a line where Nessarose sings “alone and loveless here, just the girl in the mirror. Just her and me: the Wicked Witch of the East!” During this part, Nessarose turned to the mirror for a brief moment, but faced the audience for the majority of the line. I think this part of the song would have been more powerful if Nessarose had turned towards the mirror at “just the girl in the mirror” and remained staring at her reflection until turning quickly to face the audience at “me”, then singing “The Wicked Witch of the East” to the audience. I think this would have communicated Nessarose’s pain more clearly. The other possibility is that the director could have made the brief glance of the mirror look more like it was brief because she didn’t want to see herself all alone, instead of because she was talking about a mirror, so decided to look at a mirror for a split second. Another Director’s choice I feel worth mentioning is that in this production of Wicked, the acting and character expression came before the singing. That’s not to say that the performers didn’t sound absolutely stunning; they did. It was just that, in all songs save “Popular” and “No Good Deed”, there’s usually very little actual acting. Most of the time, they’re singing, then after the notes are hit, the acting resumes. Or they’re acting and singing, but it’s the same every single time, which gets a bit boring after a while. In this production, I saw more depth in the characters I know so well. I see this as being a director’s decisions because all of the actors were doing this, not just one or two. All in all, I think the director did an excellent job.

Louise Dearman as Elphaba

Two actors that caught my attention were Gina Beck (G(a)linda) and Louise Dearman (Elphaba). They did not catch my attention just because they were the main characters; they caught my attention because both did the most excellent job of playing these characters that I have ever seen. Louise Dearman stood out from past Elphabas because she captured Elphaba’s more vulnerable side. During “I’m Not That Girl”, you could see sadness, instead of the typical bitterness that most Elphabas project. Her movement on stage mirrored the character’s subtle change; it went from abrupt stamping around, to more flowing motion as the character matured. I found it a little distracting that Louise was a good two-to-three inches (at least) shorter than Gina (I’m so used to G(a)linda being small and cute, and for Elphaba being taller and more willowy) but after the initial shock, this didn’t bother me too much. Despite her small size, Louise has a massive stage presence (although the greenness helped a little), which is perfect for Elphaba. Gina Beck was the most fabulous G(a)linda I had ever seen. G(a)linda is my favourite character, and has always been since I first saw the show. Gina, like Louise, captured aspects of the character that I’d never seen before. In my opinion, she is the living embodiment of G(a)linda; she portrayed the character so perfectly that I was left completely speechless by the interval, and even more so by the end of the show. There was one moment that stood out in particular for me; during the opening song “No One Mourns The Wicked”, Glinda is usually smiling and happy along with the crowd. But Gina’s Glinda, when the excited crowd wasn’t looking at her, looked sad and unhappy, and looked as though she was trying to suppress her emotions and not succeeding entirely. This was so subtle, and would have made no sense to someone who didn’t know how the show ended, but it had me crying barely five minutes into the show. From this moment on, I couldn’t take my eyes of Gina. She was the first G(a)linda I had ever seen to fully capture the Galinda to Glinda transformation. Most actors nail the frivolous, spoiled Galinda, but fall short of the more mature, world-weary Glinda. Gina nailed this aspect, showing all of the emotions that I knew Glinda had bottled up inside of her, but that I had never seen onstage before. I cannot praise Gina Beck’s performance enough; in my opinion, she will forever be the most wonderful G(a)linda to ever grace the stage. 

Gina Beck as Glinda

The technical aspects of Wicked were, as usual, flawless. The sets are reasonably simple; usually just a nicely lit background, sometimes with a simple prop or two. This is particularly effective because the characters are doing the communication, as opposed to using props or fancy scenery to show what is going on. The most elaborate set pieces are the Wizard’s giant mask and the Yellow Brick Road set piece, both key because of their significance to the original Wizard of Oz story. The lighting was used to effectively communicate a change in weather or in the mood of the scene. Something I found interesting is that Elphaba’s spotlight is green, not white, to, of course, enhance her greenness and difference from the normal-coloured people. The costumes were those that I know and love; Elphaba is in the same dress for most of the second act, and that dress is just stunning. It glows and shimmers and sparkles; darkly luminescent in every light. G(a)linda’s costumes are more varied, but all are brightly coloured (usually blue, pink, or yellow) and many are also quite sparkly. G(a)linda also has the most wig changes, whereas Elphaba’s hairstyle only changes three times, which is in line with the character’s personal preferences. The big, exuberant ensemble costumes for the Emerald City could easily be obnoxious, but they all blend together beautifully, and communicate the exuberance and outlandishness of The Emerald City without overwhelming the actors or their performances. Some characters are very simply made up, such as G(a)linda, The Wizard, Nessarose, and the Ensemble, but others, like Doctor Dillamond, Chistery, and of course Elphaba are much more sophisticated and complicated. Elphaba is, of course, bright green. In the first act, she is a softer, more delicate green, and in the second act, when Elphaba is now known to be Wicked, the green darkens, and there is more shading in her cheeks and eyes, as well as black lipstick. I think this is an excellent choice; as it aids the actor in communicating the change in Elphaba’s personality. Her personality darkens as the makeup darkens. As well, the green is what has always differentiated her in the past, so the lighter green in the first act looks as though she’s trying to hide it a little, whereas in the second act, she has fully embraced the greenness. 

Gina Beck as Galinda (This is also what I looked
like skipping out of the theatre)

The audience was not as enthusiastic as I would have expected; I thought it was brilliant. Perhaps this is because some of the brilliance was so subtle that only someone who had seen the show multiple times would catch it, or perhaps they just didn’t enjoy the story as much as I did. I personally would highly recommend Wicked. In London or on Broadway, it’s a fantastic show that cannot be missed. I look forward to seeing this show another seven times.

Les Miserables: Concert vs. West End

Les Miserables

25th Anniversary Concert vs. West End Stage Show

The Actors

A selection of a few actors/characters that caught my attention. **Edit: May 5th 2013**I have added the names of the actors I saw in my second Les Mis jaunt**

Valjean: Alfie Boe=Geronimo Rauch

Frankly, I'm not a huge Valjean. I find the character quite dry and predictable. Both had strong voices, and I liked them both for different reasons. I though Geronimo's acting was better, but his accent at the beginning got on my nerves.

Javert: Norm Lewis<Tam Mutu

Tam Mutu is epic. Norm Lewis made me want Javert to get off the stage, fast. He didn't put any feeling into the songs; he was just standing there singing. It was boring. Tam, on the other hand, made me pity Javert. Tam's Javert's Suicide rendered me speechless and brought me to tears. I don't think any other Javert will be able to match Tam's amazing performance. 

Fantine: Lea Salonga<Sierra Boggess<Celinde Schoenmaker

In this case, I'm a little biased. I absolutely adore Sierra Boggess; she is such a versatile actress/singer, and her performances are emotionally excellent; they don't feel like an act. I found Lea's Fantine to be a little too glowery for my liking; all she did was look upset. I think Lea's voice was better for Fantine; Sierra struggled a little with the low notes. But I much preferred Sierra's overall portrayal of Fantine. Plus her voice is just divine. 

Enjolras: Ramin Karimloo>Liam Tamne<Samuel Edwards

This was another case where I am a little biased. Ramin is epic. Liam bored me. There was no fire, no passion. Nothing about Liam's Enjolras inspired rebellion. In my mind, Enjolras has to make you want to follow him, even if you're in the audience. I didn't get that with Liam. Ramin, on the other hand, I would have done anything for his Enjolras. 

Eponine: Samantha Barks=Helen Owen<Sarah O'Connor

I thought no one could even come close to Samantha's Eponine. So I walked into the show pitying Helen Owen. Boy was I wrong. There are days when I remember Samantha's performance and like her better, and days when I remember Helen's and prefer her. But they're both absolutely phenomenal actresses and singers (I would love for someone to explain to me why Helen is only the understudy), and I adore both of their performances. 

Cosette: Katie Hall=Samantha Dorsey

This is another tough one. Cosette is a difficult character to bring some dimension to, and it's even harder when you have to stand in front of a microphone and can't move around a lot. So I found Katie's Cosette extremely dry and uninteresting, although she clearly tried very hard to make her more interesting. I would've loved to her on stage, as opposed to a concert. Samantha, on the other hand, brought a little more dimension to Cosette, which I loved, but her voice was somewhat weak. She hit every not, but there was no strength or confidence behind it. I couldn't even hear her during the end of One Day More. So, I prefer Katie's voice, but Samantha's performance. 

Marius: Nick Jonas<Craig Mather>Jamie Ward

This is an easy one. Nick Jonas, while he did a good job, was in over his head. Surrounded by such amazing voices, his seemed quite weak. He also did nothing to make me like Marius. I kept hoping Marius would die at the barricade. Craig Mather, on the other hand, was astounding. I absolutely bawled during A Little Fall of Rain, and I was even tearing up during Empty Chairs. He made me like and care about Marius (although I'll never forgive him for picking Cosette). 

Bishop of Digne: Earl Carpenter>Adam Linstead

Adam Linstead had an awful wig on. He also played Grantaire in the very same performance. Enough said. 

Young Cosette: Mia Jenkins<Isabelle Allen=Samantha or Sarah Something

This was tough; neither of them really had noteworthy voices. Both were nice, but nothing special. What made me prefer Isabelle was the acting. Isabelle acted, and reacted. Mia just kind of stood there looking either scared or nervous... not sure which. Both were cute as a button though!

The Performance

Costumes: The costumes were pretty much the same in both shows. The only thing I feel the need to mention about the 25AC is Eponine's lack of blood during A Little Fall of Rain. It, along with Nick Jonas' bad acting, kind of ruined the song. Also, Fantine was dark haired (I prefer a blonde Fantine and Cosette), and in the stage show, Cosette was dark haired. Not my favourite; I like them both to be blonde. I also like Cosette and Eponine to have contrasting hair colours. I though Eponine had way too much 'pretty' makeup on in the Concert, and I wish they'd somehow whitened Valjean's hair in the Concert as well. There was no illusion of aging at all. 

Set: Obviously, the stage show was better. I did like the way the actors came on and off the stage in the Concert though. But the stage show was just amazing. The set actually extended into the audience a bit, which was awesome. The rotating stage was just epic - it was amazing. No words to describe that fantastic set. 

These are my impressions, and obviously, not everyone will agree. But enjoy the read anyway :)

Stage Door in the West End

My Experiences at Stage Door

The whole reason I wanted to go to London during my school break was the presence of some of my favourite actresses. I found out that after the show, there was this thing called 'Stage Door' where the actors came out, and you could meet them and get autographs there. So I figured I would give it a try.

I'm a very shy, quiet, socially fearful person. I always overanalyze things that I say or do, and people in general make me nervous. Famous people are no exception. 

Les Miserables

This was my first time every at Stage Door, and I was shaking rather badly with nerves and excitement. When Sierra Boggess walked out of the door, I may have lost my head a little, squealing to my dad "It's her! I can't believe it's really her!" I was standing next to a women who seemed to have done this many times, so when Sierra had signed her programs, I said, "Excuse Me, May I have your autograph?" I guess I wasn't loud enough, because she walked away to go deal with this guy who had about twenty photos, all needing to be signed for 'Stephen'. The guy didn't seem to speak English, as he was holding up little papers to ask her questions. So I went to stand next to this guy and asked again. I can't remember exactly what she said, but I said something along the lines of "You were so amazing! We came just to see you!" And she said something along the lines of "Wow". Afterwards, I had a bit of a panic attack, worried that I'd said the wrong thing, or embarrassed myself, or been too pushy, or to fan-girly. But I am glad that I went. I also got Tam Mutu's autograph; he was super nice and not scary at all. I wish I'd gotten a picture with one of them, but I was way too pent up and overtired (yes, at the same time) to think of it at the time. 

The Phantom of the Opera

This was a much less scary experience. First of all, I was one of many waiting for Anna O'Byrne at Stage Door. I talked a little to two British girls around my age who were worried they wouldn't recognize her. We didn't wait for very long, and as soon as Anna walked out, she saw us and walked straight to us. She basically started from one end, so I was third in the line. I gave her my program and asked for a picture, but I guess I was so overexcited that I forgot to say something. So I was about to walk away when I added "Thank you so much! You were fabulous!" Again, I feel like I said something wrong, or at the wrong time, but such is the life of being a socially awkward person. Most people wouldn't give it a second thought. She was so friendly though; every autograph she signed, she asked for the person's name, and made them feel like not just some random fan (or Phan?). Also, can I add that she's even more stunning in person than on stage? Seriously, what I wouldn't give to be that beautiful, and that talented...

So those are my experiences at Stage Door! I had a good time and I would definitely go to SD again (hopefully less nervous next time!). I still want to shoot myself in the head when I think about what I said and how I acted; I wish I had said the right things and that I hadn't felt so embarrassed, but such is life. I'm glad I went, and I'd do it again. 

Anna O'Byrne and I at Stage Door after Phantom!

The Phantom of the Opera (Friday, Nov. 9th, 2012)

The Phantom of the Opera

I have loved The Phantom of the Opera since I was a little girl, and saw it in London years ago. I saw it again in Toronto about five years ago, but it just wasn’t the same as London’s splendor. But on Friday, November 9th, I had the amazing experience of seeing Phantom (to use the common abbreviation) at Her Majesty’s Theatre in London. The experience was truly magical. Phantom is based on the book written by Gaston Leroux; the music for the stage performance is composed by Andrew Lloyd Webber, with lyrics by Charles Hart and Richard Stilgoe. The production I saw was directed by Harold Prince, and starred Scott Davies and Anna O’Byrne.

Phantom is the story of Christine Daae (Anna O’Byrne, alternate), a young dancer at Paris’ Opera Populaire who has been taking secret singing lessons from the Angel of Music. When the leading Soprano quits after the set collapses on her, Christine is thrust into the spotlight by the Ballet Mistress, Madame Giry (Cheryl McAvoy), who knows of Christine’s secret tutor. New theatre managers Firmin and Andre (Barry James and Gareth Snook) cast her in the leading role. That night, the Opera’s new patron Raoul, Vicomte de Chagny (Simon Thomas) see’s Christine’s performance, and remembers her from their childhood together. Raoul requests Christine’s company at dinner, and he cannot be persuaded otherwise, although Christine tells him that she cannot, as the Angel of Music is very strict. Raoul leaves to get his hat, and Christine is kidnapped by the Phantom (Scott Davies, standby), lured into his realm by his hypnotic spell. So begins Christine’s journey through fear, courage, and undying love. 

It truly is 'Brilliant'!

As an extreme fan of Phantom (a ‘Phan’, if you will), I was beyond excited to see this musical again. I had high expectations of every member of the cast, and I was not disappointed. I have always thought that Phantom was a beautiful love story, despite the murder and the terror involved. It captures the audience with the beautiful, enchanting Christine, and her complete contrast with the ever-so-terrifying Phantom. I will admit, the start was a little slow. I can see the necessity of drawing out that opening scene; it introduces some important aspects of the play, such as the Phantom’s Monkey Music Box, a poster for Hannibal (the first Opera that Christine stars in), and obviously the Chandelier. But it just felt too slow. The second act got going right off the bat though; there was never a dull moment in that act. Probably the only thing I disliked about the overall performance was the songs Notes and Prima Donna. Aside from Raoul and Carlotta, the voices in these songs were quite weak. All of the notes were being hit, but there was no power behind them. 

Two choices that the director made that I would like to evaluate are the Blocking, and use of a stand-in Christine and Phantom during the title song. Oftentimes, I found that the Phantom had his back - or rather, his behind - to the audience, a view which was not particularly interesting nor helpful. A slight turn towards the audience would have been much more effective than a complete backside-view. As well, during one of the early scenes, when the rehearsal for Hannibal is occurring, Christine is ‘dancing’ front and centre, attempting to follow instruction from Meg. While I understand that Anna O’Byrne is not a ballet dancer (she did go up en pointe a few times, though) I think it would have been more effective to put her in non-pointe shoes, and have her dancing simple choreography in the back. There is no reason why she would still be in the ballet chorus if she was such a terrible dancer, so making use of the fact that the actress playing Christine was not a trained dancer wasn’t helpful. Perhaps, when Meg’s skillful dancing was mentioned by Andre and Firmin, they could also have mentioned Christine’s lack of ability, to which Madame Giry might have replied, “Well, I have been allowing her to miss rehearsal due to other commitments,” meaning, her singing lessons with the Phantom. Or Christine could have been put in the back, left unnoticed until it was her time to sing. I think this would have added to the idea that she is ‘just a chorus girl,’ not a leading soprano, as someone (I cannot remember precisely who) mentions. During the title song, ‘Phantom’ and ‘Christine’ walk across the stage and down a staircase in the stage, then almost immediately appear on a bridge above the stage. This is meant to convey the fact that the Phantom is taking her below the opera house, but I am always distracted by the fact that the Christine is so clearly a stand-in. It’s easier for the Phantom; they just need a replicate mask, and someone who is roughly the same height and weight as the Phantom. But for Christine, the wig was slightly longer, and she kept her face ever-so-artfully turned away from the audience. All I could think about was how annoying this was. I would not suggest changing this; I like the overall effect, and it would be impossible to get the actors from below the stage to the bridge at the top in a matter of seconds. It is just a personal pet-peeve of mine. I would love to see it tried differently, but I’m not entirely sure how that would work. But this is one area of the play where I would like to see a bit more of the director’s influence (in general, in this musical, I like everything to stay the same), as opposed to just his choice to keep it this way.

Anna O'Byrne as Christine Daae

The main actor that caught my attention was Anna O’Byrne, who played Christine. I first saw Anna on Youtube, in the Australian Production of Phantom’s sequel, Love Never Dies, where Anna played an older, more mature Christine, reuniting with the Phantom for the first time in a decade. When I found out she was playing Christine in London, I had to see her. I found out exactly which dates she was performing on (being the alternate Christine, she performs only Mondays, Fridays, and whenever Sofia Escobar, the regular Christine, is away), and even found out that I could go to Stage Door after the show and get her autograph (Twitter is a magical invention). I expected much from her; nothing less than what I saw and loved in Love Never Dies. Anna did not disappoint. She was utter perfection; her voice, her acting, her overall performance. Everything was perfect. Wishing You Were Somehow Here Again is my favourite song in the musical, and she sang it beautifully. The acting didn’t feel like acting; every step flowed, and nothing seemed over calculated or unnatural. I found it a little awkward that she was taller than most everyone in the cast (including the Phantom), but after the first few scenes, I didn’t even notice it. Anna is trained in Classical Voice, and has performed Opera previously, and I think this showed in her performance. Her voice was flawless; there was never a moment where you were worried that it might falter. I think this is important for Christine; it is hard to pay attention to the overall performance when the voice isn’t quite there. There are such amazing former Christines like Sierra Boggess and Gina Beck who’s acting is completely there, but the voice is a little off, which I find somewhat unsettling. Every person who plays Christine is talented, but Anna O’Byrne took it to the next level. She wasn’t an overly emotional Christine, which I’m not a fan of, or a ‘deer in the headlights’ Christine, like the original Christine Sarah Brightman. She captured the essence of Christine; a girl who is timid and afraid, but also exceptionally loving and brave.  A girl who can see the beauty behind a hideous face. The only word I can think of to describe Anna O’Byrne’s performance is flawless. 

Scott Davies as The Phantom

The second actor that I would like to comment on is Scott Davies, who played The Phantom. I had been expecting Marcus Lovett, who has had fairly negative reviews (at least, that I have read). Until the end of the show, I had no idea that it was, in fact, Scott Davies. So I had a bit of a bias; I was looking for flaws more closely in him because I expected them (under the assumption that he was Marcus Lovett). So I was pleasantly surprised at how good he was. There were moments I disliked, though. Perhaps it was microphone troubles, but half of the time, I could not hear him over the music, or over Christine. There was also a fair amount of over-acting, which I did not appreciate. When Christine came back to the lair to return the ring, he went from weepy to instantly over-excited, and it just felt false. I’m not sure if this was intentional or not, but he also seemed way too breathy. It worked out fine during certain moments, such as the reprise of All I Ask of You at the end of the first act, right before the Phantom brings down the chandelier. Agitation and heavy breathing go together. But most of the time, it just seemed out of place. I also found the Phantom lacking in character and personality. Usually, they’re mysterious, passionate, or downright insane. Scott Davies’ Phantom was kind of an awkward jumble of the three, which I found to take away from the Phantom’s personality. I have to give Scott a little credit though; I am comparing him to such amazing Phantoms as Ramin Karimloo and John Owen Jones, who’s performances are legendary.

Technically, I thought the show was fantastic. Based on where I was sitting, I could not see the chandelier once it was in place, but I certainly saw it go down. Since Her Majesty’s Theatre has hosted this show for so long, the Chandelier crash is much more effective and realistic than it was in the Toronto performance. The costumes were marvelous; all the classic, known and loved costumes were brilliantly crafted and worked perfectly with the scenes they were in. I love that most of the costume designs have barely changed in the last 26 years of the production. I strongly disliked the costumes in the 2004 movie, so I am especially appreciative that they stuck with the original costumes in the stage show. Changing them would just feel wrong, especially to those of us who are totally devoted to Phantom. The only costume issue that I had was during the practice of the Phantom’s Opera, Don Juan Triumphant. Christine was wearing a beautiful blue dress... and a cloak and scarf. Indoors. During a rehearsal. Now, this is the well-known and beloved costume for Wishing You Were Somewhere Here Again, which immediately followed the rehearsal scene, so I can understand why she wore it. But I felt that the cloak could have been quickly put on afterwards, as it was just too strange to see it being worn during a rehearsal (especially with the hood partway up). The makeup, too, was quite good. Most of the performers came out of Stage Door with their makeup still on, so you could see just how detailed and perfect that it was. From the audience, it wasn’t obvious that so much makeup was being worn (except for Carlotta and the Phantom), which I like. Too much makeup detracts from the overall effect. When the makeup overpowers everything else... it just doesn’t look right to me. I thought the Phantom’s makeup looked a little sloppy and overdone, though, making it seem more unrealistic. I would be interested to see if the regular Phantom’s makeup is any more subtle or accurate. Wigs are also a major part of this play; almost everyone wears one. The only comment I have on this aspect is that I though Christine changed her wig after the first act; it was shorter and very curly in the first act, and longer and softer in the second (in fact, I think they may have re-curled the ‘second’ wig between scenes; it looked very limp at one point, but later looked much nicer). But it turns out that the curls just fell drastically between the two acts (thank you Anna O’Byrne for letting me know!) which, based on how hot the theatre was, makes sense. The lighting was not too elaborate, which was nice. I liked how during Raoul’s part in Think of Me, Christine was facing the back of the stage, with a single spotlight coming from the left side of the ceiling. It provided a beautiful illumination and shadow, and made it look like she really was performing an opera. I think this is a good decision, as opposed to her just continuing to mime a song with regular lights, or just plain blackness. In general, the lighting was fairly simple, but the flashing lights of the Chandelier were enthralling, if a little headache inducing after a while. While I have a little trouble tolerating the two minutes of strobe lights, I see the important and the effect that it has, so I am not going to complain. In general, though, the lighting is relatively simple. Possibly my favourite technical aspect of the show was the mirror in Angel of Music. Another of my favourite songs, I have seen (via Youtube, mostly) the mirror done many different ways (including a massive screen about five times the height of the actress playing Christine). I would love to get behind the scenes and see how the mirror works; we can see the reflection of Christine in the mirror, but then some sort of backlight turns on (or off?) and we can see the Phantom in the mirror. Then a screen pulls back, revealing the Phantom, who takes Christine’s hand and pulls her into the mirror. The screen closes, and the mirror is back to its original look. The whole effect is absolutely entrancing. As for the world-famous boat, used during the title scene: it’s looked essentially the same every time I’ve seen it, so it doesn’t particularly interest me. The only thing I did notice was the boat seemed a little more jerky than I expected.

Anna O'Byrne's Autograph

The interesting part of this performance was that I didn’t see either of the regular stars. Scott Davies is a standby, and was on due to regular Marcus Lovett’s injury, and Anna O’Byrne only performs two nights a week. Another thing I found out at Stage Door was that these two had never performed together, which completely explains some of the slightly awkward moments (for example, when the Phantom goes to strike Raoul, Christine usually blocks him sharply. In this case, the block was a little sluggish and the timing was slightly off). I noticed that many people in the audience seemed bored; there were people talking loudly and texting on their cell phones. The same was happening at every show that I went to while in London, and I found this shocking. Do people not respect the actors anymore? Do they just not care? It was also quite hot, which made it a little hard to focus. But the applause was enthusiastic enough at the end, although there was no standing ovation, as I was expecting. I would highly recommend Phantom of the Opera in London. Just make sure you go on a Monday or Friday night, so you will have the privilege of seeing the fantastic Anna O’Byrne as Christine Daae. A visit to Stage Door is also highly recommended; the cast is very kind and friendly, and happy to sign autographs and take photos. Phantom is a brilliant show, and it is well worth the seven hour flight from Toronto to see it.

Les Miserables (Thursday, Nov. 8th, 2012)

Les Miserables

I had seen the 10th Anniversary Concert. I had seen the 25th Anniversary Concert. I am partway through the 1200 page book that it was based on. But I had never actually seen the stage production.  Upon learning that Sierra Boggess, one of my all-time favourite Christine Daae’s (she starred in the original  London production of Love Never Dies, the 25th Anniversary performance of The Phantom of the Opera, and will reprise this role in Broadway’s 25th Anniversary of Phantom), was playing Fantine until January 2013, I begged and begged my parents to see it before January, and ultimately, was successful. On the evening of Thursday, November 8th, after enduring an 7 hour overnight flight from Toronto, and spending the afternoon napping, the curtains rose and the music swelled at Queen’s Theatre in London. Les Miserables is based on the book o the same name written by Victor Hugo, and the on-stage adaptation is written by Claude-Michel Schonberg and Alain Boublil, with lyrics by Herbert Kretzmer. This production was directed by Trevor Nunn, and starred Geronimo Rauch, Tam Mutu, and Sierra Boggess.

Les Miserables, or Les Mis, as it is more fondly known, tells the story of Frenchman Jean Valjean (Geronimo Raunch), who, at the beginning of the show, has just been released on Parole by Inspector Javert (Tam Mutu) after serving nineteen years on the ‘Chain Gang’ (a group of prisoners chained together to do physically challenging labour). Valjean is given a yellow ticket of leave, which identifies him to all as a former convict, and a dangerous man. Because of this, Valjean faces discrimination and mockery, not being paid for work and beaten up for complaining. Valjean, full of hate, eventually steals a silver set from the elderly Bishop of Digne (Adam Linstead), who took Valjean in for the night because no inn would have him. Valjean is caught, but the Bishop claims that he gave Valjean the silver voluntarily, and then gives him the candlesticks he left behind, urging Valjean to use this to start a new life. Valjean takes these words to heart, and destroys his yellow ticket, vowing to start anew. Eight years later, Valjean is posing as mayor of Monreuil-sur-mer and wealthy factory owner Monsieur Madeleine. One of Valjean’s factory workers, Fantine (Sierra Boggess), is found to have an illegitimate child, and the women of the factory order her dismissal. Fantine begs for Valjean to save her job, but he leaves the decision to the factory overseer (who’s advances Fantine has been resisting), who immediately dismisses her without pay. Desperate for money to pay for her child, Cosette (Isabelle Allen), Fantine turns to prostitution. This, ultimately, leads to her illness and arrest. Valjean steps in, saving her from Javert’s merciless and law-abiding ways. Fantine dies in hospital, and Valjean promises to find Cosette and look after her. Javert, who has discovered ‘Monsieur Madeleine’s’ true identity, confronts Valjean at Fantine’s bedside. A fight ensues, and Valjean escapes. Young Cosette, unloved and abused by the Thenardiers (Cameron Blakely and Linzi Hateley) is adopted by Valjean, and taken with him to Paris. Nine years later, Valjean and Cosette (Samantha Dorsey) are living in Paris, and both become caught up in the Student’s Rebellion of 1832.

Tam Mutu's Autograph

Sierra Boggess' Autograph

I have to admit, as soon as the music started and the lights went down, I started crying. I was so beyond excited to see Les Mis, I could barely contain myself. I was even jumping up and down in my seat during dinner, anxious to make sure we were at the theatre in plenty of time. When Sierra Boggess came on stage for the first time, I started crying again, because I couldn’t believe how lucky I was to be seeing her perform live. Although I hadn’t seen the full show before, I knew the music and the characters relatively well, and had heard rave reviews about all of the actors. So my expectations were high. Not high enough, apparently. The show was beyond amazing. I cried at least twice more (for legitimate reasons, I promise!), and completely lost myself in the show. For me, the mark of an excellent musical is when you don’t feel like you’re in the audience, watching the action unfold in front of you. It’s when you feel like you’re living what the characters are feeling. You cry for them, you feel their triumphs and their losses. Even though you know what happens in the end, you’re on the edge of your seat, anxious for what will happen next to these characters that you feel so strongly about. This is exactly what happened while watching Les Mis. It wasn’t until the end of the intermission that I remembered that I was watching a musical, and as soon as the fifteen minutes were up, I was right back in the performance. Fantine and Eponine’s respective deaths and the students’ deaths at the barricade had me in tears, the Thenardier’s wry humour made me laugh at times when I thought the show couldn’t be any more depressing, and Javert and Valjean’s confrontations had me hanging on the edge of my seat. Les Miserables was excellent. A veritable emotional roller coaster, but undoubtedly excellent.

Some choices that the director made that I would like to comment on are related to costuming and blocking. During Valjean’s Death, Fantine, and later Eponine, appear as spirits to escort Valjean to heaven. Eponine is dressed exactly as she was during On My Own. No blood, no injuries. Fantine is wearing the white hospital dress, with her hair shorn off. I’m not entirely sure why I disliked this decision. I would have preferred to see Fantine with her hair back. I guess it’s the idea that, when you’re dead, you should be at your finest. The hospital gown didn’t really bother me; it comes up in the song Castle on a Cloud, so I feel that it’s important that Fantine stay in that white dress. But I found the short hair rather depressing; it was too reminiscent of Fantine’s time as a prostitute and death. Eponine’s appearance was totally normal; she looked as she did before she got shot. So in my mind, Fantine should have looked as she did before her world came tumbling down after she lost her job. I wasn’t particularly fond of the blocking of Valjean and Javert’s confrontation at Fantine’s bedside. I found it much too violent and physically confrontational. One of my favourite lines in the entire musical was completely lost in the fighting, and this very much disappointed me. Javert’s “I am from the gutter too” is one of the most powerful lines in the entire musical and, although it’s completely contradictory to Javert’s idea that men cannot change, I find it extremely important. I wouldn’t have minded the physical violence in the scene so much if that line had not been lost within it.  The other way this line could have been more in the forefront, without diminishing the confrontational aspects, would be if Valjean lowered his volume a little, giving Javert’s line the chance to ring out a little more. In terms of director’s decisions, I also didn’t like that Fantine drank some sort of alcohol before going off with her first customer in Lovely Ladies. In my mind, she’s so desperate, that she doesn’t need alcohol to convince her to do anything. She also seemed to be acting a little drunk later, which I thought was just wrong for Fantine. I always thought of Fantine as still having some dignity about her, despite the fact that by the end of her life, she’s at the absolute bottom of a hole. She’s tired, she’s sick, she’s desperate... but not drunk. Perhaps the ‘drunken behaviour’ was meant to be more delirium from illness, but based on the fact that she drank something during Lovely Ladies, it didn’t come off that way.

Sierra Boggess as Fantine

Three actors that caught my attention the most (honestly, I could write about everyone in this cast) are Sierra Boggess (Fantine), Tam Mutu (Javert), and Helen Owen (Eponine, understudy). Sierra Boggess was the original reason that I wanted to come to London to see Les Mis. I was quite interested in her performance of this role; Fantine’s part is for a Mezzo-Soprano, and Sierra Boggess is a Soprano (and a good one at that, given that she played Christine Daae without Opera training). This was clear when she sang the lower notes in I Dreamed a Dream; the notes themselves were perfect, but it looked like it was taking a lot out of her to hit them perfectly (she appeared to go a little cross-eyed with effort at the very lowest notes). But Sierra brought an extraordinary fragility to Fantine that I hadn’t thought was possible. She was soft-spoken (or rather, soft-sung), but still perfectly clear, and loud enough to hear easily. In every word she sung there was emotion; no word was sung without meaning and feeling. This brought a character I thought I knew relatively well to life in a completely new way. I can’t fully describe how surreal an experience it was to see this interpretation of Fantine; it was perfect beyond words. Even though I disliked some of the blocking and character development, I never doubted the character as a whole. I was particularly impressed during Valjean and Javert’s confrontation, where Fantine is dead, being pushed around and fallen on by both Valjean and Javert. It is very hard to convincingly play dead through all of the action, and I commend her for doing such an amazing job. I also loved during Fantine’s Death, the words and voice were weak (intentionally; Fantine is dying, after all) but the emotions were so powerful. Then, during Valjean’s Death, when Cosette and Marius rush in and Fantine steps back, the emotions on her face were so real (as opposed to just standing there and smiling); I just can’t accurately describe it. Originally, I was going to choose Craig Mather (Marius) as an actor that I wanted to comment on (anyone who can make me not hate Marius’ character has done a good job at their role). But then Tam Mutu was so friendly at Stage Door, and he also made me feel bad for Javert, so I had to choose him instead. I’ve never liked Javert as a character; he always shows up at the most inconvenient moments, and attempting to tear apart people’s lives. But this time, I actually felt sympathy for Javert. Tam Mutu made him so real, and made his emotions and his reasoning behind his aims so clear that I couldn’t not feel bad for Javert. I found myself irritated with Valjean instead; “why can’t you just be a nice, law abiding citizen and turn yourself in, and give poor Javert a break?” As well, Tam Mutu’s rendition of Stars was the first one that I’ve ever heard that had actual emotion. Usually, it’s just some guy standing there holding a big stick, singing. As well, I have to admire anyone who can sing while standing on a very narrow edge, while clutching only a slim bar for support. The part where he ‘jumped’ off the bridge was done so skillfully; he ended up standing on his toes and leaning back for a good two minutes, which is so incredibly hard to do while still holding the final note. I have nothing but praise for his performance. Finally, I’d like to comment on Helen Owen, who is the understudy for Eponine, and was performing while Danielle Hope, the regular Eponine, was on vacation. I’d seen videos of Danielle Hope singing On My Own, and was unimpressed. By all reports, she was a mediocre singer but an excellent actress. So, figuring that the understudy couldn’t be better than the regular, I didn’t expect much. I was so wrong. Helen Owen absolutely blew me away; there was no doubt that she could sing brilliantly, and act the part as well. Eponine is my favourite character in Les Miserables, and I am a huge fan of perhaps the most famous Eponine, Samantha Barks (who will play Eponine in the 2012 movie). Because I am familiar with such a well-rounded Eponine (powerful singer and amazing actress), I originally pitied anyone else playing Eponine, thinking that they couldn’t possibly match Samantha Barks. Again, I was wrong. Helen Owen is now tied for my all-time favourite Eponine. Vocally, she was excellent. Acting wise, perfect. There wasn’t a moment where you doubted the character. And behind the rough exterior, you could see the genuinely kind, caring, and brave person that Eponine is. I know a lot of people dislike this kind of portrayal of Eponine; they prefer to see someone portray her closer to the books description (where her only redeeming quality is her love for Marius). But Eponine needs to be likeable; the audience needs to care when she dies, and why she dies. Helen Owen captured the characteristics of Eponine that I love, without sacrificing the vocal abilities. I know that Helen Owen is a Soprano (she has played Cosette before, so she has to be), but unlike Sierra Boggess, she didn’t have any problems with the lower notes (although there was nothing in On My Own or A Little Fall of Rain as low as the lowest notes in I Dreamed a Dream). Everything looked effortless, making it easier to focus on the character and her story, as opposed to whether the voice sounded right or not. I am especially glad she has a powerful voice because, in One Day More, she has some of the most tear-jerking moments, and her voice needs to rise above everyone else’s. And it did. Sierra Boggess, Tam Mutu, and Helen Owen all delivered admirable performances, as close to perfect as I think it is possible to get, and have set the bar very high for any future performances of Les Miserables that I see. 

Tam Mutu as Javert

The technical aspects of this show were amazing. My favourite part was the rotating stage, which was such a cool effect, especially when Valjean was singing “Here I stand at the turning of the years,” while walking on a turning platform. I just thought that was funny. I also liked how this turning stage showed the passage of time and distance; instead of just having the actors walk around in circles, or on and off stage repeatedly, they walked forwards and backwards and sideways, and the set was constantly changing. It made it seem much more realistic. The turning stage also had a trap door in it (constructed to look like a sewer grate), which was used for a few different scenes. I liked that it didn’t always have to be there, just waiting to be tripped over. It was only a part of the set when it was needed in the scene. I thought the way the barricade was done was very clever; it was in two parts, and one came down from each side of the stage. Because it was on a rotating stage, the barricade could be turned around to the other side, where you could see the dead French soldiers and, at the end, dead Enjolras, draped over a bright red flag. It was also quite cleverly designed; there were conveniently placed footholds and platforms for the student revolutionaries to stand on (or be dead on; many of them were hanging off the side of the barricade, and using footholds to not crash headfirst onto the stage). The only issue I had with the barricade is that it shook rather badly whenever someone moved on it. I didn’t notice this until it was rotated around to show Enjolras’ body, and although the stage was no longer moving, the barricade was shaking inexplicably. I figured out a few moments later, when the barricade turned back around, that the shaking had been all the dead people climbing down from the other side. I think this partially ruined the effect of Enjolras’ body; it’s such a poignant scene, seeing this powerful and confident student lying dead, with blood dripping down his face, on top of the flag of the cause he so believed in. The shaking threw it off; perhaps the barricade should be secured down a little more to prevent the shaking, or the actors should move more carefully. Costuming , hair, and makeup weren’t anything particularly unexpected; everything looked as I had seen it in the 10th and 25th Anniversary Concerts. As with Phantom, I like the traditional costumes that haven’t changed in years. From Enjolras’ red and gold vest, to Eponine’s cap, to Madame Thenardier’s wild red hair, everything looked just right. The only thing is that I think Cosette should have been blonde. Her mother, Fantine, was blonde. Young Cosette was blonde. Then older Cosette has dark brown hair. I also like it when Eponine and Cosette’s hair colours contrast, as a representation of their completely opposite personalities and situations. Having them both be dark-haired just didn’t work for me. 

I had the misfortune of sitting one over from someone who seemed unable to ignore her phone for more than three minutes; when she was texting during On My Own, I almost threw a program at her. But in general, the audience response was very positive. The standing ovation started early; everyone was on their feet by the time Enjolras and Gavroche took their bows. It was completely well deserved; while some people in the cast were weaker than others (Liam Tamne as Enjolras and Samantha Dorsey as Cosette, specifically. One didn’t seem to care, and the other had a slightly weak voice, although she hit every note beautifully), everyone did an excellent job bringing the musical to life. If I was given the opportunity to see this again, even if it required another seven hour flight overnight, I would be on that plane right away, and smile all the way. It was a three hour show, and by all rights I should have been fast asleep by the end of it, but I got so caught up in the show that it felt like it was over after five minutes. Les Miserables was incredible, and I would highly recommend it to anyone, whether they like musicals or not, or whether they like exceptionally long shows or not. This is a must see.