Category: Theaters

Starlight Express Roller Skates Musical Theatre
by David Burgess on 0

Starlight Express Roller Skates Musical Theatre

the first musical ever to be staged on roller skates

Starlight Express has to be one of my most favourite musical theatre shows. I first saw Starlight Express in London in the 1980s and have seen it a couple of times. The most striking aspect of this musical theatre production is that it is set, as many people know, with characters (who play railway engines and rolling stock) on roller skates. The actors speed their way around the stage and the audience in a dramatic and lively production that is supported with some great tunes. It was originated by impresario and composer Andrew Lloyd Webber and lyricist Richard Stilgoe

The story is based on the dream of child in which his toy train set comes to life. It is essentially a love story with Cinderella like overtones. Originally Andrew LLoyd Webber wanted to do a version of the children’s stories of Thomas The Tank Engine by Rev. W. Awdry, however that never happened. I really like the main theme song Starlight Express, although my favourite song is There’s Me sung by the character C.B. When I took my young sons to see it they really liked the dramatic image and character Elektra the electric train.

The original show ran on the London’s West end for 7461 performances and it has been performed on Broadway too. The production has evolved over the years with songs being added and dropped. 1992 saw the launch of The New Starlight Express which cut 12 original songs added five. One the ‘losses’ was my favourite song and also the characters C.B and Belle. By 2008 the show was very different from the original. For fans of all versions there is the excellent Theatre Musical.com Starlight Express section.

Starlight Express

Starlight Express

 

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Steve Wannall’s Survival Guide to Being a Renaissance Festival Performer
by David Burgess on 0

Steve Wannall’s Survival Guide to Being a Renaissance Festival Performer

Why Perform at a Renaissance Festival?

Over the past couple of decades, the phenomenon that is the renaissance festival has been rapidly growing in popularity. From single weekend tent events, to giant villages filled with permanent structures, “renfaires” seem to be popping up all over. Still, this form of entertainment maintains a very unique quality…and it requires an equally unique type of entertainer. More and more actors, magicians, jugglers, mimes, and special entertainment performers of all kinds find themselves drawn to the nearest festival to find work. If you fit into this category (or even if you want to try to break into the business), then read on! You’ve come to the right place!

Stage vs. Street: What Kind of Performer to Be

The first thing to understand about performing for a renfaire, is that there are several ways to do it. The most common is to become a “strolling character.” Strolling characters are usually a collection of simple villagers or high class royalty who roam the festival at will and interact with the patrons in character. Sometimes these characters will represent actual historic figures like Henry VIII, or Queen Elizabeth, but often they are fictional period characters who are there to provide the appropriate atmosphere.

Strolling characters are typically hired through a normal audition process, and they become the workhorses of any given renfaire. They typically work the hardest of any of the performers, and usually get paid the least (depending on the character or amount of responsibility). Despite this fact, many performers find the job very rewarding. Aside from the physical demand, a strolling character is always “on.” In other words, they must remain in character for the entire time they are on the job. Because of this, they usually undergo a very specific rehearsal process, in which they must learn to speak with the appropriate accent and period language, as well as becoming versed in period mannerisms and greetings.

A strolling character must be prepared to know everything of historical significance pertaining to their character. A village worker must know what kinds of tools might be at their disposal, as well as period terms associated with their job. The village mayor, or sheriff must know a thing or two about renaissance politics. Of course, anyone portraying an actual historic figure must know everything about their character inside and out. Being so immersed in a role can be a fun challenge for an actor, but it can also prove hard to “turn off” at the end of the day. Just remember the phrase: “the beer is in the pickup truck” when trying to get rid of an accent you have been using all day long (although, by using this method you run the risk of simply replacing one accent with another).

Depending on the festival, strolling characters will often need to learn scripted material created to build specific interactions between characters. Sometimes, there is a plot line that is followed throughout the course of a day which may involve making appearances at certain locations, or even being in a staged play.

Some festivals will cast other plays and street performers out of their already existing cast of “strollers.” This may provide opportunities for additional income, but it also might mean more of a physical demand. Needless to say, there is a lot to take into consideration before becoming a strolling character.

The second type of renfaire performer is the stage act. These are the headline entertainers with already existing, pre-rehearsed, and pre-packaged shows which they perform on stage, or in the street at regular intervals. Performers in this group include jugglers and magicians, sword-swallowers and acrobats, singers and dancers, and a myriad of other entertainers with special skills. Being a stage act can be a very different experience from being a strolling character, but it has its own set of pros and cons.

On the plus side, stage acts typically make a lot more money for a lot less work. Instead of being in character for a whole day of walking around, stage acts usually perform intermittently in fixed locations for only short periods of time (typically anywhere from 20-45 minutes). While some stage acts find themselves performing a large number of shows, occasionally at different locations, there is usually plenty of down time for breaks. Depending on the success of the show, stage acts may even enjoy a slight feeling of celebrity from developing a fan base. While a stage act at a renfaire does have to make some concessions for the period (it doesn’t make much sense for a magician to be doing tricks with lasers and buzz saws), they usually have a bit more leniency as far as what they can get away with. It is not at all unusual for a special events entertainer used to performing in bars and clubs to perform a slightly “tweaked” version of their normal “non-renaissance” show.

On the negative side…getting a job as a stage act at a festival means building and rehearsing a whole show entirely on your own…and then convincing an entertainment director or festival owner to buy it. This means putting together a good pitch and some promotional material, or at least some decent video footage of your act. The bad news here, is that it is a highly competitive market, with many different acts all vying for the same venues. In order to land a job at the best faires, a stage act either needs to be singularly unique, or VERY high quality. Building a show that fits with the theme very often means having a special skill or talent (such as juggling), although a good performer will find that just a little bit of creativity can go a long way.

Stage acts will also find that certain festivals are what we call “hat faires.” These are festivals where an act’s base pay will be lower (or even non-existent) because they are allowed to “pass the hat” during their performances. Busking for your pay may be appropriate to a renaissance setting, but it also means not having as steady of an income. There will be days when there are huge crowds who love you and are willing to throw all kinds of cash your way…and then there will be days when the crowds are small and strapped for cash after paying for their admission to the festival, souvenirs for the kids, and food for the whole family.

Stage acts are also responsible for supplying their own props and period costumes…which can get kind of expensive. In some cases, a stage act might manage to get the festival’s resident costumer to outfit them, but having something already put together to sell to a renfaire is always preferable.

An important skill for a stage act to have, is that of contract negotiation. Before accepting any renfaire job, it is a good idea to know any up-front expenses, and exactly how much money you will need in order to make the job worth it.

Be Prepared for the 16th Century!

Health and hygiene for outdoor performing

As a veteran renfaire performer, I have accumulated a good deal of experience acting in an outdoor setting. I have also witnessed the culture shock of many an entertainer performing in the rain or blinding sunlight for the first time. Needless to say, it takes a very different skill-set than acting in a darkened theater or nightclub. A lot of the following advice may seem obvious…but for anyone preparing to don the garb in the near future…this bears repeating.

1. Wear comfortable footwear.

Okay, I know it seems like there isn’t much choice in the matter. Period shoes are period shoes, and most of them aren’t made with comfort in mind. Still, if your feet are getting punished, your whole body will suffer. Luckily, this isn’t too hard to fix. There are many brands of new boots and shoes that are made in a renaissance-passable style, and if you are willing to spend some money, every faire has their own cobbler shops that make very high quality boots, moccasins, etc. specifically for use at festivals (I also recommend shopping online for the best deals). In a pinch, get yourself a good insert with arch support. You won’t regret it.

2. Cover your noggin!

16th century hats, hoods, and snoods are not only stylish and period appropriate, they can save you a lot of grief. True, some of them don’t do much more than look pretty (or even pretty stupid), but they can keep you dry in the rain, and shield your eyes from the sun. For a nifty trick…you can even conceal a small watch inside of a hat. That way, if you get asked for the time (and you will), you need only lift off your hat, use it to shield your eyes as you pretend to gaze in the direction of the sun, and then boldly pronounce the time of day.

3. Wear sunscreen.

Duh.

4. Stay cool and hydrate.

Again, duh. This one is especially important however, because at a renfaire this might not be all that easy to do. If you happen to be portraying royalty (thank the Lord that I never do), you are particularly susceptible to heatstroke, as you will probably be wearing enough upholstery to build a couch. The best thing to do is budget your time to include breaks where you can strip off layers. And for pity’s sake, stay away from the ale and drink water!

5. Carry anti-bacterial hand sanitizer.

Some festivals have full, amusement park quality bathrooms with running water. At others, you will get little more than plastic port-o-johns. In either case, you’re going to want an easy way to keep your hands clean before you start gnawing on that turkey leg or hunk-o-meat-on-a-stick. Even if your village is the kind with the nice washrooms (personally, I think the existence of “nice” ones is a myth), you may find yourself avoiding going to them for several reasons. Ladies can attest to how difficult it is to hit the privy wearing a hoop skirt and corset. And guys…take it from me…it’s no fun having to stand at a urinal next to someone who’s “a big fan!” On the same note as clean hands, I highly suggest keeping your nails trimmed. Many faires are pretty dusty, and grime can build up quick (just ask a performer at a festival without paved pathways what it’s like to blow their nose at the end of a day).

6. Know where first aid is.

Any festival that hires you will give you some kind of orientation on this subject. Take it seriously. Festivals are fun, but there are a dozen ways for a performer to get sick or injured.

7. Remember, you are not REALLY in the renaissance!

There is historical accuracy, and then there is just plain stupid. Many of the customs, fashions, and practices from centuries ago are no longer in existence for a good reason…because people DIED from them. There is nothing wrong with wearing a stylish little fox tail on your belt, which was done in the renaissance to attract plague-carrying fleas away from the body, but it is no excuse to stop bathing! And ladies, a tight corset may be attractive (and historically accurate), but use your better judgment when lacing them. There has actually been a rise of ailments that have not been seen among women for 300 years…specifically because of the new popularity of renfaires and all the corsets that women are once again wearing! When in doubt, go with your modern education over obsessively staying in character.
Best Festival Poll!

To anyone who has ever worked at, attended, or even just looked into more than one renaissance festival…here’s your chance to sound off!

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Webkinz World Studio Story
by David Burgess on 0

Webkinz World Studio Story

Webkinz Ganz Studio
After being on Webkinz World for quite a while, maybe six months, I finally discovered he Studio Movie Maker. Oh, that sounded like a lot of fun! I love writing stories and it would be so cute to have the little actors you could buy in the W Shop acting out my story.

I purchased the Webkinz Studio for 1,000 Kinzcash and bought a few actors and sets, including a Pirate, Princess, Knight, Ship background and Castle Background, along with a few other things. It cost quite a few pretty Kinzcash pennies.

I was more than a little upset when I went to make my first Webkinz Studio video. It turns out you cannot give your characters names. Even simple names that even Word Processor recognizes, such as Bob, Sally, Robert, etc. are not recognized and when the Studio does not recognize a word it will not allow that word to be used. Well, fine, they don’t want names. You can work around that by never naming anyone. Though this is sad for children, since they (and I) love naming the things we create.

Of course, curse words are not allowed to be used, and this makes complete sense. No one wants a child making stories with bad words in it.

BUT! words such as ridiculous, superfluous, beautiful, specifically, especially, harmonious, etc. are not allowed either. These are obviously not curse words, and yet they are underlined in red just as curse words are. You can see examples of this in the story below. In no world would I type “She is pretty” when “She is beautiful” is far more appropriate for the emotion (not to mention when adults are speaking they don’t usually use pretty). It seems, to me, that a child is punished for having a large vocabulary. The Webkinz Studio only wants very basic vocab. words. Oh, vocabulary isn’t an allowed word either, so maybe they don’t want vocabulary at all (har har, get it?).

Slang is also not allowed. Gonna, wanna, etc. My Word Processor recognizes these words, but Webkinz Studio doesn’t.

Only two actors are allowed in each scene. This is understandable, as it is complicated enough to have two characters for a young child.

You can only store two videos at a time. This was almost heart breaking even for me. And I’m a big girl who knows how to save her work in an offline format.

I had big ideas for a long story that involved multiple characters and could be broken into various ‘movies’ or chapters as I would use them. That I could only have two of them at any given time on the Studio makes me sad. How must a child feel when they have a third idea and must make the choice between deletion or just losing that idea?

Below is the chaptered story I had in mind. I’ll title the whole thing when I finish it and think up a title. I have fixed it up in comic panel format because it entertained me to do it that way, but the single frame panels are also available so you can see what each looked like on Webkinz Studio.

This is the first scene of my story. Our pirate is plotting to find his love… or is he only lusting after her? Pirate Black Bear is dealing with a very sinister Fairy Godmother.

I changed the title from Pirate Love to Pirate Lust to publish here. I was not allowed to, obviously, use the word Lust on Webkinz World, which I won’t complain about.

Sadly, my wicked Fairy GODmother must be called a Fairy Mother because Webkinz World does not recognize the word Godmother nor does it recognize God Mother, because God is a no-no word.

I know this is hard to read. Sorry. I couldn’t make it any bigger in comic form. You can view the single frame photos below though and the words are much easier to read. Just click the image and it will enlarge.

Our sweet Princess Chushu appears to be in love. But her love is not of the proper birth. It also doesn’t appear to be that she longs for Pirate Black Bear. How will the Pirate take this? The good Fairy Godmother will help her!

It seems all the censoring in the world (or Webkinz World) can’t stop me from finding a way to get innuendo in there. It’s tongue in cheek and can be taken in an innocent way anyway.

Again, hard to read. I’ll think that through better when I do the next set of comics. For now, both of these stories have been deleted in order to make room for the next two. Yeah, remember, I can only store two stories at a time. I feel really bad for kids who don’t know they can save these and are forced to just deleted what was, no doubt, hard work for them to create.

The max width on this Squidoo pane is 620 pixels so I’ll know to keep it that size next time.

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Top Ten Opera Villains
by David Burgess on 0

Top Ten Opera Villains

Top Ten Opera Villains

Even those of us that got most of their musical education from Bugs Bunny cartoons know that Operas have a marked tendency to end badly. But few really take the time to admire all the effort that goes into preventing the happy endings: for every soprano and every tenor singing their love duet center-stage, there is a bass-baritone lurking somewhere in the shadows just waiting to turn the music to a minor key, and the amount of plot twists required for him to suceed is simply staggering! So with this in mind, let us pay a homage to the Operatic villain. Let us sit back and count down those top en vocal virtuosoes that were just that good at being bad!

10.The Mikado

from Sullivan’s “The Mikado” (Sullivan as in “Gilbert and Sullivan”)
Timothy Spall as Richard Temple playing the Mikado in the movie Topsy Turvy While some might consider the works of Gilbert and Sullivan as Operettes, or even Musicals, their creators labeled them as “Light Opera”, and in this list we’re sticking to that. Besides, how could we leave out what is probably the most influential duo in English-speaking musical theater?
And from all their works, while HMS Pinafore might be the most iconic and Pirates of Penzance the most popular with modern audiences (with a Broadway adaptation and no less than two movies to its credit), on the long run none has enjoyed a greater sucess, with countless adaptations and enduring popularity as everything from a high school play to a grand opera, than their masterpiece “the Mikado”. And at the center of this bright and sunny black comedy -never has a story who’s main plot points are the threat of mass execution by beheading (for flirting), burying alive and something involving either “boiling oil or melted lead” been so merry and surprisingly clean- stands the ominous, gleefully, almost sarcastically evil figure of the Mikado, the Emperor of Japan. Though he only appears halfway through the second act and he really sings very little except for his own introductory aria (“A more humane Mikado…”), this tyrannic despot’s shadow looms over every single action of the characters, his subjects, from the very start of the Opera. A “peppery potentate” indeed, to quote another Gilbert and Sullivan work!

9.Doctor Bartolo

from Rossini’s “The Barber of Seville”
John del Carlo as the ‘doc (on the right, with the grey wig), plotting with his friend Don Basilio (Christophoros Stamboglis)Doctor Bartolo is here representing the “basso buffo”, or “comic basse” school of operatic villainy. And while he doesn’t sing the most iconic aria in his opera -“Figaro, figaro, figaro…” that ring any bells? It’s from “the Barber of Seville” too, but Figaro, the titular barber sings it-, he is certainly a force to be reconed with.
To put it simply, Bartolo’s an old coot that wants to marry his teenage ward; his main gimmick is that he’s old. He spends most of his time plotting, performing slapstick comedy and singing patter songs or (parodies of the type of) songs that were cool “in his day” -take note people: this guy is gonna sing stuff that was already outdated when Operas were still being written-. Also, he never performs or even mentions anything even remotely resembling medicine.
Now in his original incarnation Bartolo is more of a buffoon than anything else, but directors nowadays tend to downplay the more farcical elements in this play, so you’ll probably see a more low-key sort of comedy -though they’ll always go for the cheap laugh of having him have a fake heart attack during one of the fast segments-. This can have adverse effects: for one thing, you might end up feeling sorry all him. When you take out the “crazy old man” jokes, he’s really just some poor guy that’s in love with a younger woman…and that gets his house wrecked continually by a protagonist that’s a bit of a jerk like that. However, when done correctly, playing him straight -or at least as straight as he can be played, this IS a comedy after all-, can make this guy come off as the meanest, nastiest but also funniest old bastard this side of the Guadalquivir.

8.Giorgio Germont

from Verdi’s “La Traviata”
Just a sweet old man looking out for his family… (Richard Lewis as Giorgio Germont)This one is another strange pick. Strange in that he’s not really evil. If anything, he’s a good guy! He’s the lead tenor Alfredo Germont’s father and when he isn’t singing touching songs about the beauties of his Mediterranean homeland (“Di Provenza il Mar i Sol”), he’s heaping blessings upon the lead soprano. So why is Giorgio Germont a villain?
Well, basically, because he causes most of the trouble in the Opera. To give a brief synopsis of the plot, the protagonist (Violetta, the titular “Traviata”), is having an illicit relationship with Alfredo. But this is ruining the Germont family’s reputation, so much that Alfredo’s sister (Giorgio’s daughter) is being threatened to have her engagement broken off. And so Giorgio does what he thinks is best for his family, and tries to break up Alfredo and Violetta. And even then, he doesn’t really plot it: he just goes to Violetta and begs her to abandon Alfredo… and not tell him why.
We don’t want to give away the ending, but this has tragic consequences for everyone involved. And all he really wanted was to take care of his daughter… not to mention that he even tries to fix things later on, but to very little avail.
So, ladies and gentlemen, our number eight is Giorgo Germont: the living, singing proof that the road to hell is paved with good intentions.

7.Nero and Poppea

from Monteverdi’s “L’Incoronazione di Poppea”
Rachel Yakkar and Eric Tappy as Poppea and Nerone (Nero) respectively… you should be able to tell which is which on your own, despite the clothesThis opera is outstandingly old, at least a good one or two hundred years older than most of the operas on this list. It was written by Claudio Monteverdi, the father of Opera (though this wasn’t his first work in the genre), but apart from old, it’s also very strange. That is, the flashy ancient Roman setting is fairly common in opera, but the theme is very unique in any medium.
Basically, “l’Incoronazione” presents the triumph of love (classic enough), but in a negative light. In this opera Love triumphs -literally: there is an allegorical prologue, and our familiar Cupid even makes a few appearances during the action-, but he triumphs over Fortune and Virtue.
Now, for anyone familiar with Roman history, Emperor Nero was a deranged psychopath that happened to ascend to the throne of the most powerful empire in the world, making him one of the most vicious, murderous despots in history. Poppea, for her part, was his concubine who, through machinations and seductiveness, managed to claim her place on the throne next to him -though later on even her charms did not spare her from his wrath.
In the opera, Nero loves Poppea. But their love leads Nero to exile the legitimate empress Ottavia, have his tutor the philosopher Seneca killed and coerce the Senate of Rome to crown Poppea empress, while Poppea for her part ruthlessly abandons her lover Ottone as well as any pretense of shame. And when this couple from hell has finished off all the decent characters in the play, after a triumphant, bombastic finale that seems to mock the usual “happy ending” motif, they sing one of the most langorous, beautiful love duets in Opera history (“Pur ti miro”). It has been said about this opera that “Never has the triumph of evil been set to such divine music”.

6.Canio

from Leoncavallo’s “Pagliacci”
Enrico Caruso as Sideshow Bob… uh… we mean CanioIt’s exactly what it looks like: the number six opera villain of all time is a killer clown. The signature role of the legendary Erico Caruso, boasting the famous aria “Vesti la Giubba”, Canio, the leader of a troupe of Commedia dell’Arte clowns, is out to seek revenge on his wife Nedda for cheating on him. His plot is to kill her on stage, before an applauding audience that will realise only too late that the murder is real and not a part of the show… a grisly story indeed. Illustrating the maddening internal strife between love and hatred as well as the strange, almost post-modern conflict between an actor and his stage persona, the character is very complex and human, but also threatening and villainous enough to easily make this list.
5.Carmen
from Bizet’s “Carmen”
Well, I’d trust her…Set in Seville, Spain, but nothing at all like the “Barber”, “Carmen” is a riveting take of passion, jealousy and revenge. And at the center of it all is the eponymous “femme fatale”, who might just as well be a villain or a heroine: José, a soldier of the guard, falls in madly in love with her, and his unbridled passion drives him to unimaginable extents, while her fickleness in toying with him ultimately leads to the breathtaking showdown where… well, we’re not going to give away the ending here, are we? But it is sufficient to say that while some people consider the finale of this opera to be a tragic and sordid crime, others would say that a certain someone gets their comeuppeance.
Plus, while for the most part Bizet is a rather obscure composer, “Carmen” probably has some of the most recognizeable melodies in operatic history, from the Overture to the “Toréador” aria (“Votre toast…”; can you get any more Spanish?), without forgetting, of course, Carmen’s famous Habanera (“l’amour est un oiseau rebelle… l’amour est enfant de Bohème”).

4.Turandot

from Puccini’s… well, “Turandot”
Turandot from an early poster…We think she wants to kill someone but is too bored to do soThis lady is very pretty; fair enough. She’s also the daughter of the Chinese Emperor; so far so good. And, in her search for a husbant, she asks every one of her suitors to answer three questions. If they can answer, she marries them; if they fail she beheads them…. wait, what?
This lead lady, whom we think might be a distant and better-looking relative of n.10, is a cruel despot, cold, ruthless and incredibly powerful with an added bonus of legendary beauty. Standing at the center of a magnificent orientalist superproduction, she is the cause of as much misery and sorrow as anyone else on this list -just ask any of the princes that tried to marry her, or the slave girl Liu, who morally should probably be the protagonist- and despite a bit of a moral turn towards the end, she rightfully takes her spot as the number four best (worst) operatic villain.

3.Don Giovanni

from Mozart’s “Don Giovanni”; wow… people with their names in Opera titles are nasty!
Ruggiero Raimondi as the Don. That face either means he wants to sleep with you or kill you. Either way, run!Don Giovanni is Italian for “Don Juan”. Yes, THE Don Juan. This heartless libertine lies, cheats, kills men, “seduces” women and gets away scott-free for the most part. Not only that, but he stands by his actions unrepentantly, and at one point even goes so far as to invite the ghost of one of his victims to a banquet. When the ghost actually shows up, things start to get truly sinister.
And, without giving away the ending, we will just say that a wish for this character to “go to hell” might be granted more literally than anyone in the audience would expect… and with good reason! Why else would he make number three on the list?

2.The Queen of the Night

from Mozart’s “the Magic Flute”
Diana Damrau (as the Queen of the Night) upon hearing she didn’t make number one… someone is very, very dead!You can’t go wrong with a name like this! In addition to one of the most impressively difficult and recognisable arias in operatic history (“Der Hölle Rach”), this woman has everything a high-fantasy villain like her should have: evil minions, awesome magic powers -even though she uses them in a way that’s so plot-convenient it would be egregious if we didn’t have Mozart’s music to distract us from it- and some of the best costuming and special effects an Opera star could wish for… and that’s saying a lot.
And if it is questionable whether she’s even a villain -she does really, really want to have this one guy dead, but she is also originally presented as a good guy, and her minions save the lead tenor’s life before arming him to go on a quest to save the Princess (the Queen’s daughter). Whether you should take the Opera’s word that she’s actually evil or conclude that she’s just a poor old widow who had her daughter and the guy she sent to rescue her abducted and brainwashed into double crossing her by a cult of wannabe freemasons is anyone’s guess, but all that just makes the Queen of the Night an even more compelling antagonist and interesting character
And what she lacks in the outright detestability of some of the other contestants she makes up for in good old fashioned villainous style!

1.The Duke of Mantua

from Verdi’s “Rigoletto”
Luciano Pavarotti as the Duke… what a jerk! (the Duke, not Pavarotti… Pavarotti’s awesome)See that grin? That’s the grin that says “I’m gonna sleep with your daughter and kill you if you say anything, and you can’t do one thing about it because I’m the Duke!”. This guy is so evil that they had to have the libretto re-written: in the original play on which the opera was based, he was a King, but they had to make him a Duke because it was considered disrespectuful to portray the king as suck a jerk!
The Duke of Mantua (no name given) is a philanderer that goes around holding wild parties and “seducing” his subjects’ wives -he has a wife himself too, but she barely appears-, while he also makes a hobby out of publicly mocking the cuckolds. The opera’s plot thickens when the angelic daughter of Rigoletto, the Duke’s jester falls in love with the Duke (go figure…). Nothing good can come of this, and by the end of the opera you’ll be wishing someone shoots this guy really bad.
The Duke, then, is something of an antithesis for number one on this list: he’s the lead tenor, he’s the main love interest and (by the way) he has one of the most famous arias in opera history (“La Donna e Mobile”)… but he is definitely, definitely villain material!

Honorable Mention: der Erlkoning

from Schubert’s “Der Erlkonig”
The big white ghost… yeah… he’s evilOk, ok, so “Der Erlkonig” isn’t even an Opera. Heck, it’s not even a musical! It’s basically just a lieder, which is classical music lingo for “German Art Song”; the whole thing only lasts about five minutes, and there’s just one singer and one piano involved; considering the huge budgets some of the other productions on this list require, that’s pretty impressive.
The title character, the “Elven King” -or “Alder King”, but that’s not nearly as threatening- is a ghost from the times when elves were actually evil spirits, and their “mysterious trickster” demeanor was the “carry off your kid in the middle of the night” kind of trick. And this is exactly what this creep, who’s set his mind of carrying off some kid who’s riding through the forest with his father in the middle of the night, is up to. What he wants to do to the kid exactly isn’t made clear, but for the sake of keeping this article appropriate, we’ll assume that when he’s talking about how pretty the boy is, he just wants to eat him. Add to that that only the boy can see him, and top it all off with Schubert’s music, and… yeah.

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Shakespeare’s Macbeth – A Scene By Scene Synopsis (Act 4)
by David Burgess on 0

Shakespeare’s Macbeth – A Scene By Scene Synopsis (Act 4)

acbeth – Synopsis (Act 4 Scene 1)

On the heath, the witches mix their horrible brew, chanting and dancing around the cauldron. Hecat appears briefly to check their sinister work before Macbeth arrives.
Macbeth demands that the witches answer whatever he may ask, despite the consequences.
The first witch asks if he would rather hear the higher powers of darkness, and, throwing caution to the wind, Macbeth agrees.

The first apparition, an armed head, warns Macbeth to beware Macduff. The second apparition, a bloody child, tells Macbeth to be ruthless and fearless, for no man born of woman shall ever harm him. The third apparition, a crowned child carrying a tree, tells Macbeth that he shall never be vanquished until Birnam Wood comes to Dunsinane Hill.

Macbeth accepts the visions without question: the witches’ earlier prophecies were truthful enough, so why doubt these oracles? Macbeth feels secure with all theses supernatural assurances about his own invincibility, but he still burns to know whether Banquo’s line will inherit the throne.
The witches are reluctant, but Macbeth insists, and they call forth a line of kings, the last with a mirror to reflect Banquo’s dynasty down the ages. Macbeth is beside himself with rage.
The witches vanish and Lenox, who hasn’t yet joined the exiles, brings Macbeth news of Macduff’s flight to England.
Macbeth has just been warned to beware Macduff, but he is now beyond his reach. Furious, Macbeth resolves to slaughter all Macduff’s kin. And in future he will act more swiftly, in case other traitors escape. The iron fist of tyrrany is closing on the land.

Macbeth Synopsis – Act 4 Scene 2

In Macduff’s castle, his wife, left alone with her children, is bewildered at her husband’s unexplained flight. She feels he has abandoned his family out of fear – a treacherous act. Her relative, Ross, tries to soothe her. After he has left, Lady Macduff laments her son’s fatherless state. A messenger bursts in and begs her to flee the castle with her children. Confused, she hesitates, and the murderers enter. Lady Macduff’s small son stands up to the villains, and as he is stabbed to death he cries to his mother to flee. There is no escape, her family and entire household are butchered.

Macbeth Synopsis – Act 4 Scene 3

Macduff, unaware of the tragedy, meets Duncan’s son Malcolm at the English court. Macduff urges him to challenge Macbeth, for the sake of Scotland, groaning under his rule. But Malcolm has learnt from his father’s to ready trust in men, and he suspects Macduff of being Macbeth’s spy. To test Macduff, Malcolm pretends that he has Macbeth’s vices, and more. At first Macduff argues that any king is better than Macbeth, but as the list of unkingly vices grows, Macduff is horrified. The man is not fit to live, let alone rule! All hope for Scotland is dead, he prepares to leave. A spy of Macbeths would have pretended to stick by Malcolm whatever his vices, but Macduff’s genuine concern for Scotland is now beyond doubt. Malcolm throws off his evil disguise, and shares his battle plans with Macduff: his uncle Siward, Earl of Northumberland, is to join him with ten thousand men.
Macduff is digesting this sudden change in Malcolm’s character when Ross enters unexpectedly. He brings the latest news of Scotlands woes, but hedges when Macduff asks after his family. At last he blurts out the terrible news. Macduff is beside himself with grief, remorse and a burning desire for vengeance.

Macbeth Synopsis – The Other Acts

More Macbeth Essays and Articles

Lady Macbeth – A Fiend Or A Caring Wife?
Is Lady Macbeth really an evil fiend-like queen? Selfish, bullying and cruel? Or is Lady Macbeth simply ambitious for a husband whom she loves, …

Was Macbeth A Villain Or A Victim?
If you have seen Macbeth performed on stage several times you will realise that no two Macbeths are ever played in quite the same way….

Macbeth Themes – Ambition and Power
The theme of ambition in Macbeth is linked to that of good and evil. Like many other passions and impulses, ambition can be both foul and fair…..

Macbeth Themes – Relationships
Firstly, there is the relationship between husband and wife, seen in the marriage of Macbeth and Lady Macbeth, and of Macduff and Lady Macduff……

Macbeth Themes – Good and Evil
The theme of good versus evil is at the heart of Macbeth. The witches set the tone at the very beginning: fair is foul and foul is fair. Good and evil exist …

My Favourite Shakespeare Play, Macbeth
I first came across the story of Macbeth at school when reading Shakespeare, and his play Macbeth in particular, was a chore that had to be faced!…

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Making a Puppet Stage
by David Burgess on 0

Making a Puppet Stage

How to Build a Puppet Theater Out of a Cardboard Box

How do you make a puppet theater that is inexpensive and simple to make and use?
It’s quite easy to craft a simple stage in which your puppets can perform. All you need is a large cardboard box or appliance box, utility knife, paint, glue,and fabric.
Children will need the supervision of an adult for this project.

Transforming a box into a puppet stage

Table top puppet stage in processIt’s easy and inexpensive to build a puppet stage. This one was made out of a large cardboard computer box. It folds up and it’s light and easy to carry. This one was designed to sit on a table. If you want a taller, free-standing one, use an appliance box. Refrigerator boxes make wonderful puppet stages.
Just cut out the top, the bottom and the back of the box, leaving the front section and two sides. If you don’t need a stage that folds up, leave the bottom in as it will add stability. If you need to cut the bottom out so it will fold, you can glue wood strips or molding on for stability and weight so the stage won’t fall over easily.
Cut a square or rectangular opening in the front of the box, closer to the top of the stage than the bottom. Add a prop shelf if you like. Attach a fabric backdrop curtain about ten inches behind the front of the stage opening.
Make two small holes in the upper part of the stage and fit a dowel rod through the holes, like a curtain rod.
Make sure the curtain fabric is lightweight so you can see through it as you sit behind it. You will need to be able to see what the puppets are doing. If desired, you can put a clip-on reading light on the top of the stage. This makes your little actors more visible and makes it difficult for the audience to see the puppeteer.
Decorate your stage with paint or fabric.

Hint: Tacky glue, available at craft stores, is the best kind of glue for a project such as this. It adheres well to fabric and is very strong.

Have a great show!

Make a Cardboard Puppet Theater
Tom Knight gives excellent instructions for building a puppet theater out of a cardboard box.

Cute Puppet Theater

If you go to Google Images, you can find hundreds of ideas for puppet stages. Just enter “puppet theaters” or “puppet stages”
Here is a lovely example of a beautifully decorated home made puppet theater.
Many of the images come from websites with directions for building the stage.

Photo from Google Images

Puppet StagesYou Can Buy

If you don’t have the time or inclination to build a stage, you can buy one!

Build a Puppet Theater
Books on making Puppet Theaters and other cardboard projects that may be adapted for stages or theaters. A castle, for example, makes a great stage for fairy tales.

Decorate Your Puppet Stage with Wall Decals
You can add some decorations to your puppet theater – not too many so that it distracts from the action, but just enough to make it interesting.

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Jean Valjean from Les Miserables
by David Burgess on 0

Jean Valjean from Les Miserables

Prisoner 24601, Trying to Outrun the Past

Jean Valjean, central character of Les Miserables, has been played by a host of great actors on stage and screen. Hugh Jackman is the Valjean of the new Les Mis movie musical. Jackman is a talented singer and stage performer who seems perfectly cast, but he follows in a line of great footsteps from previous Jean Valjean actors and singers. Meet here just some of the famous faces and voices who have starred as the former convict trying to be a good man in an unforgiving world.

Also discover the story of this man who raised himself up only to find others trying to drag him back down to the misery of life as a convict without hope.

Image credit: Portrait of Yvan Tourgueniev via Wikimedia Commons. Chosen for a resemblance to descriptions of Jean Valjean in his older years.

Who Was Jean Valjean?

Peasant, Convict, Mayor, Father
Jean Valjean Book Illustration (AllPosters.com)

Jean Valjean has many identities. The 3 volumes (or books) of the novel Les Misérables, written by Victor Hugo, follow his life from where he takes it up in middle age on being released as a convict up until his final days as an old man.

Valjean’s story is a sad one, but ultimately is a story of hope. He was born into poverty and describes himself in his early years as stupid and ignorant, though his later achievements show this to be a product of his background and not any lack of ability. Driven to theft by the hunger and suffering of his sister and her children, he was arrested and sent to the galleys as a convict. This was a brutal life, each day being a day of forced labor, chained to other convicts. His only thought was one of escape, and each time he attempted escape and was recaptured his sentence was extended.

So it was that Jean Valjean lost all of his youth and what could have been the most productive days of his life as a convict, engaged in mindless and back-breaking work. When he was finally released he was already a middle-aged man who bore the stigma of having been a ‘dangerous’ criminal for so many years. Only by running from the law and changing his identity could he have a chance to make his way in the world.

Religion is a strong theme in Hugo’s novel, and it was the mercy of a bishop that set Valjean on a new path of serving his God through good works and moral conduct.

Valjean worked hard, taking every opportunity to study and learn, and treated all he met with kindness and fairness. A natural businessman, he found great success which he used to make his town profitable, and reluctantly became Mayor. But Valjean’s success was short-lived, because on the tail of this reformed convict was a prison guard turned police inspector, who had resolved to capture the man who had evaded the law.

Jean Valjean, Illustration from Victor Hugo’s Les Misérables available from AllPosters.com.

Valjean, Javert, Fantine and Cosette

The Man Who Hunted Him Down, The Women He Wanted to Protect

The pursuit of Jean Valjean by Inspector Javert has captured the public’s imagination since Hugo first published his epic tale in 1862. The story creates a hero of a villain as Valjean overcomes his past and struggles to do what is morally right. And in Javert the man of law becomes an anti-hero, relentless in his determination to bring Valjean down.

Interwoven into their story is that of Fantine, a ‘fallen woman’, and her orphaned daughter Cosette. Via this tragic woman and the care of her neglected child, Valjean learns to love and even has a chance to take on the role of a father, making up for the family he never had.

However, Valjean finds that being a good man and taking care of the child he loves as his own means living a life on the run from the law.

Les Miserables on Stage and Screen

A Timeless Tale of Struggle and Redemption
Jordan Bennett as Valjean (Convict)

The story of Jean Valjean has been told many times in many ways. The first Les Misérables movie was made in 1909 and since then there have been many adaptations of the novel for theater and film.

It is the global success of the stage musical version of Les Misérables that has contributed most to the popularity of this story. Created by the now legendary French composer and lyricist duo, Schönberg and Boublil, ‘Les Miz’ made its debut in London in 1985 and has gone on to make musical theater history around the world. Jean Valjean is barely off the stage throughout the stage production, which is sung-through, meaning there is no pause in the singing for spoken lines. He therefore sings frequently in duets and counterpoint with other characters. His own famous song from the show is the emotional Bring Him Home. These challenges for both voice and acting make it one of modern-day musical theater’s greatest roles.

Les Misérables has not been neglected on the big screen either, and the coveted role of Valjean has been played by some of our most talented actors. For the first time in 2012/13 the movie and the musical meet as Hugh Jackman performs as Valjean in the first full movie version of Les Mis.

Image credit: Jordan Bennett as Jean Valjean. This image released into Public Domain by the actor via Wikimedia Commons.

Colm Wilkinson as Prisoner 24601

The Original Les Miserables Cast’s Jean Valjean
Colm Wilkinson on the cover of his album

Colm Wilkinson already had a singing career in his native Ireland before he created the stage musical role of Jean Valjean. In fact, some may remember him as Ireland’s entry to the 1978 Eurovision Song Contest. Colm earned his country a respectable 5th place in the contest, which is known for political voting. Fellow original Les Mis cast members Frances Ruffelle and Michael Ball have also separately performed at Eurovision, representing the UK.

Colm had already released his own album and assisted Andrew Lloyd Webber in the creation of the Phantom in the early stages of The Phantom of the Opera by the time he was cast as Valjean in the original London cast of Les Misérables. Wilkinson also opened Les Mis on Broadway after a casting struggle with Equity. He is held in high regard by many Les Mis fans as not only the first but the greatest Valjean. Colm turned 41 in the debut year of Les Misérables, making him a good fit for the middle-aged Valjean, and set the standard not only for the voice but also for the appearance of future Valjeans.

Colm Wilkinson followed his Les Mis role with the Phantom in the original Canadian cast of The Phantom Of The Opera, with Rebecca Caine (the original Cosette in Les Miserables) as Christine.

He resumed his role of Valjean in the legendary 10th Anniversary Dream Cast Concert of Les Miserables at London’s Royal Albert Hall and formed part of The Valjean Quartet of four of the greatest Jean Valjean performers singing Bring Him Home as part of the Les Miserables 25th Anniversary Concert celebration.

Colm Wilkinson has a cameo as the Bishop of Digne in the Les Misérables movie. He has a Christmas Concert tour in Canada at the end of 2012 and also can sometimes be seen on tour in his homeland of Ireland. His most recent screen appearance was as Lord Thomas Darcy in The Tudors.

Colm Returns to Les Miserables

Wilkinson as the Bishop of Digne in the Les Mis Movie

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yhpwV4cwB4o

Alfie Boe as Jean Valjean

The 25th Anniversary Concert Valjean
Alfie Boe on his album cover Love Was a Dream

British performer Alfie Boe brought a new interpretation of Jean Valjean to us when he starred in the Les Miserables 25th Anniversary Concert. It seems Boe can hardly be mentioned without referring to the fact that this talented singer was set for a career as a car mechanic. Fortunately for us, Boe auditioned for opera, going on to make a name for himself, and his versatile talent led to his selection as Valjean both in the 25th Anniversary O2 Concert in London and on the West End stage.

Alfie is one of the four Valjeans in The Valjean Quartet as they sing Bring Him Home. He has released a number of successful albums and in 2012/13 is touring the UK in concert.
Learn More About Alfie Boe
A Popular New Jean Valjean

Other Popular West End and Broadway Performers as Valjean

A Small Selection of Musical Theatre Talent

Everyone has a favorite Valjean and if you had a room full of Les Miz fans you would find that though some names would come up again and again, it would be impossible to agree on the ‘best’ Jean Valjean performer. I can’t begin to do justice to all the men who have played the central character of Les Miserables in London’s West End or on Broadway in New York, still less the international and touring productions. The below are just a few of the highly-rated Valjeans you may have heard of or been lucky enough to see in live performances.

John Owen-Jones has made one of the more recent appearances as Jean Valjean but the performer first appeared in the role when he was just 26. Owen-Jones took on the role for the Les Misérables 25th Anniversary Tour and appeared as Valjean both in London and on Broadway. He has also starred as the Phantom in The Phantom of the Opera and in 2012 is touring in this role. He was one of the four performers in The Valjean Quartet. Follow John Owen-Jones on Twitter.

Simon Bowman became part of musical theater history when he created the role of Chris (with Lea Salonga as Kim) in the original cast of Miss Saigon. His other West End roles have included Raoul in The Phantom of the Opera and he has been both Marius and Valjean in Les Mis in London. He joined Owen-Jones, Wilkinson and Boe in The Valjean Quartet.

Randal Keith impressed audiences with his Valjean when he toured in the role in the US, and performed on Broadway, plus in China and Korea. He was the final Valjean in the show’s Broadway run. Keith has also starred in The Phantom of the Opera in the States and has performed a number of other musical theater roles.

J. Mark McVey has been another popular Jean Valjean in the USA, winning a Helen Hayes award for his touring performance and playing the role on Broadway and in the Hollywood Bowl Les Miserables concert. Recently, fans have been again enjoying Mark’s performance in the US 25th Anniversary Les Misérables tour. Mark has released 2 CDs to date. Follow J. Mark McVey on Twitter

Back in London, Ramin Karimloo has been treating the West End to his Valjean before going on a tour of his own in 2012. Ramin, who is of Iranian descent, is one of the youngest Valjeans. He has also starred as the Phantom both in the original production and creating the role in Love Never Dies. He was Enjolras in the 25th Anniversary Les Miserables Concert and played the father of Christine Daaé in the 2004 movie version of The Phantom of the Opera. Ramin starred in The Phantom of the Opera at the Royal Albert Hall in 2011. Follow Ramin Karimloo on Twitter.

Jean-Paul Belmondo

A 1995 Variation on the Les Miserables Story
Jean Paul Belmondo (AllPosters.com)

Not an adaptation that stays true to the novel, but an interesting twist on the original tale. In this version from 1995, Jean-Paul Belmondo plays 3 men. One of these is Jean Valjean himself, one a father with a story that has tragic parallels with that of Valjean, and the third man is his son who aids Jewish refugees at the time of the persecution of the Jews during the Second World War.

Belmondo is a French screen legend, with the majority of his film work dating from the 1960s and 1970s. He is known both as a comedy actor and an action hero (famously doing all of his own stunts).

Liam Neeson

Les Misérables Movie 1998
Liam Neeson (AllPosters.com)

Liam Neeson headed a cast of stars in a film adaptation of the Les Misérables novel. Neeson’s Valjean was pursued by Geoffrey Rush as Javert, and he tended to Uma Thurman as the dying Fantine, later taking on care of her daughter Cosette played (as a teen) by Claire Danes.

Neeson stayed true to the novel with a morose and physically imposing Valjean who towered over Cosette and was more than a match for Javert (Neeson is 6′ 4″). However, he shared some tender moments with his Fantine that gave the impression that these two could under different circumstances been happy together.

Liam Neeson is of course a much-loved actor known for roles in popular movies such as Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace and The Dark Knight Rises as well as playing national figures such as Rob Roy and Michael Collins. He is also the voice of Aslan in The Chronicles of Narnia and one of his most acclaimed roles was as Oskar Schindler in Schindler’s List.

Trailer for 1998 Les Mis Movie

Neeson vs. Rush… It Doesn’t Get Much Better!
I admit, I can’t wait to see Jackman and Crowe, but Liam Neeson and Geoffrey Rush were also dream casting in this non-sung version of Les Miserables.

Gerard Depardieu

Les Misérables Mini-Series 2000
Gérard Depardieu (DVD Collection: Amazon.com)

Leading French actor Gérard Depardieu became Jean Valjean in a TV mini-series in the year 2000. He was joined by John Malkovich as Javert, with Charlotte Gainsbourg as Fantine.

Depardieu is well-known beyond France for his roles in Hollywood movies such as Green Card and The Man in the Iron Mask, and has a prolific career in French-language cinema ranging from Jean De Florette and Cyrano de Bergerac to Obélix in the various Asterix and Obelix movies.

Recent projects include Ang Lee’s Life of Pi.

Les Miserables Movie in 2000

Depardieu and Malkovich
This looks like a stunning adaptation of the novel. As a bonus for Eponine fans, her part hasn’t been cut from this particular version.

Hugh Jackman

Jackman Takes the Stage Valjean to the Big Screen
Hugh Jackman (AllPosters.com)

Hugh Jackman’s performance as Jean Valjean in the Les Misérables movie musical has been eagerly anticipated. Jackman is a popular actor both in Hollywood blockbusters such as the X-Men Trilogy and also in musical theater.

It’s hard to imagine better casting, as the star brings experience of both stage and screen to his Valjean. Jackman has already proven that he has the voice to perform nightly on Broadway in a one-man show, the charisma to host the Academy Awards, and the versatility as an actor to be a box-office favorite in a variety of movies. He also has the tall stature of Valjean and, for what it’s worth, is about the right age for Jean at the earlier stages of the movie.

Jackman can be seen starring as cowboy Curly in the musical revival of Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Oklahoma!, in which one of his co-stars was original Les Mis London cast member Peter Polycarpou. He is expected to follow Les Miserables with the role of the great entertainer P.T. Barnum in The Greatest Showman on Earth and will also making another appearance as Wolverine in The Wolverine.

Photo of Hugh Jackman available from AllPosters.com.
Hugh in Valjean Costume
Jackman’s video from the set of Les Mis

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Into the Woods Musical
by David Burgess on 0

Into the Woods Musical

Go Into the Woods with This Sondheim Musical

Into the Woods is a Tony Award-winning musical with music and lyrics from Stephen Sondheim and written and directed by James Lapine.

Sondheim’s elaborate musical score is the background for the story that intertwines the original Grimm fairy tales of Cinderella, Jack and the Magic Beanstalk, Little Red Ridinghood and Rapunzel as we follow these characters in search of their wishes.

What they discover in the woods is an important life lesson—the consequences of those wishes—and perhaps that they might have been better off not wishing them in the first place.

Take a trip with me into the woods and discover this unique musical.

Image from Into the Woods Cover, music available to download on Amazon.

Discovering Into the Woods

We discovered Into the Woods, when it was presented as one of the play options for my daughters childrens’ theater group to perform for the summer.

I knew the story involved darker fairy tales, so looked at the plot summary on Wikipedia before letting my daughters watch the DVD of the American Playhouse production. One thing that was clear is that the stories were based on the original Brothers Grimm tales with more more blood, mayhem, deception, killings and scary creatures.

After becoming familiar with the musical my daughters discovered reading the Once Upon a Time Book that some of the text from the Into the Woods play has been taken directly from the original Brothers Grimm Tales.

Some of the things she discovered were Cinderella’s stepsisters getting their toe and heel cut off to fit into the shoe, Rapunzel’s Prince gets blinded falling from her tower and Little Red Ridinghood and Granny getting swallowed by the wolf and then cut out by the huntsman.

I got them the Once Upon a Time book because we are also fans of the ABC show Once Upon a Time show, a television show based on the Brothers Grimm tales.

Into the Woods Jr. Book

Into the Woods – Darker Tales

The Broadway musical uses several of the Brothers Grimm’s real fairy tales, the tales that are much more graphic, violent and often gruesome than the Disney version’s we’ve grown up with and intersperses these stories with a new story about a Baker and his Wife and what they go through to start a family.

The Amazon review for the American Playhouse DVD version describes Into the Woods as:

Fractured fairy tales of a darker hue provide the remarkable context for Into the Woods, which deconstructs the Brothers Grimm by way of Rod Serling.

Another reviewer wrote this about the Into the Woods soundtrack, “It is a marvelous deconstruction of fairy tales and how the wishing and the getting is what really important, not obtaining it.”

In these fractured fairy tales, Sondheim and Lupine weave many cleaver story twists, metaphors and meanings into this grown-up fairy tale that will leave you thinking about the importance of the journey, living in the moment and what goes into living happily ever after.

NOTE: Parents may want to familiarize themselves with the story plot, twists, death, deception, adultry and mayhem before deciding to let their children watch the play.

Disney Goes Into the Woods

Disney is aiming for a Christmas Day premiere of its version of the Tony Award Winning Musical. Johnny Depp and Meryl Streep were the first two actors confirmed for this new version of Sondheim’s play.

Depp is set to play the Wolf with an unknown Little Red Riding Hood and Streep, the Witch who is involved in stirring up a lot of mischief for the Baker (James Corden) and his Wife (Emily Blunt) and also plays a major role with Rapunzel (unknown). Tracey Ullman is in talks to play Jack and the Beanstalks Mother (she should be great!) and Daniel Huttlestone as Jack.

Other actors linked to this new version include Jake Gyllenhaal and Chris Pine as the two handsome princes for Rapunzel and Cinderella (Anna Kendrick). Christine Baranski plays Cinderella’s step mother.

It is going to be very interesting to follow the making of this film and then see Disney’s take on the real Grimm Brother fairy tales, rather than the cleaner versions we’ve seen for years.

Cast for Into the Woods

These are the people, so far, who have been linked to the Disney version of Into the Woods:

1. The Baker – James Corden
2. The Baker’s Wife – Emily Blunt
3. Jack in the Beanstalk – Daniel Huttlestone
4. Jack’s Mother – Tracey Ullman
5. Cinderella – Anna Kendrick
6. Cindrella’s Step Mother – Christine Baranski
7. The Princes – Chris Pine (Cinderella’s) and Jake Gyllenhaal (Rapunzel’s)
8. The Wolf – Johnny Depp
9. The Witch – Meryl Streep

More on the Disney Version of Into the Woods

Articles about the latest revival of Into the Woods for Disney, as we discover the different cast members.

Johnny Depp in Into The Woods: A Dream Come True, But He Worries About His Singing | E! Online
Johnny Depp can’t wait to play The Wolf in the movie adaptation of Stephen Sondheim’s Tony award winning musical Into the Woods.
Anna Kendrick & ‘Into The Woods’: Actress In Talks For Cinderella Role
Let’s hope the glass slipper fits — Anna Kendrick may be taking on the role of Cinderella. The 27-year-old actress is reportedly in talks to join the upcoming adaptation of “Into the Woods,” led by director Rob Marshall (“Chicago”).
“Into the Woods” Film Eyes “Les Miserables” Star to Play Jack – Playbill.com
Young actor Daniel Huttlestone, who starred as Gavroche in Tom Hooper’s film of “Les Misérables,” is in talks to join the cast of the “Into the Woods” film, Deadline.com reports.
Tracey Ullman in Talks to Join Disney’s ‘Into the Woods’ (Exclusive)
Meryl Streep, Johnny Depp, and Chris Pine are among those playing classic fairy tale characters in the adaptation of the Broadway musical.
Disney’s Starry Into the Woods Film Sets Christmas 2014 Release – Playbill.com
The film adaptation of Into the Woods, the dark, Tony Award-winning fairytale musical by Stephen Sondheim and James Lapine, will be released in theatres Dec. 25, 2014, Walt Disney Pictures announced June 13.
Disney Release Dates: ‘Into the Woods’
Disney has announced release schedule updates, which includes a date for the ‘Into the Woods’ musical movie and a new title for ‘The Muppets’ sequel.

Into the Woods Synopsis

Available from Amazon Into the Woods musical intertwines the original Grimm fairy tales of Cinderella, Jack and the Magic Beanstalk, Little Red Ridinghood and Rapunzel with the story of a Baker and his wife who want a child.

Through the 3 hour + musical we follow Cinderella, Little Red Ridinghood, Jack, Rapunzel and several Princes along with the Baker and his Wife on the paths that they take searching for their Happily Ever After. What they all discover, venturing into the woods, is that life may not always go the way we wished for or turn out to be quite so happy.

The first act is more lighthearted and focuses on the wishes made by Cinderella, Jack, Little Red Riding Hood and the Baker and his Wife as they all venture into the woods in search of their wishes.

Much of the first act is spent watching the Baker and his Wife go in search of “the cow as white as milk, the cape as red as blood, the hair as yellow as corn, and the slipper as pure as gold” to make a magic potion that will help them have a child. The first act ends after everyone’s wishes have come true. This is the act that is adapted into the Into the Woods Jr. version for Childrens’ Theaters.

The second act soon becomes darker and much more somber. Some recommendations are that the second act may be too heavy for younger children (under six). In this act we take a look at what happens to our original characters now that they are living their “happily ever after.” Cinderella, Jack and the Baker and his Wife are still wishing and enter into the woods again in search of what they are missing. The second act includes more mayhem, treachery, adultery and several deaths, but it also features many of the show stopping musical songs including “No More,” “No One Is Alone,” and “Children Will Listen.”

My daughters were more disturbed by the Princes wishing for new Princesses (after they’d already gotten their first ones) than the deaths and mayhem, but the Princes’ wandering eyes became a good teachable lesson about the boys and men they may date in the future.

Into the Woods – Video Clip

This clip from the 1988 Tony Awards features Joanna Gleason, Chip Zien, Phylicia Rashad with the rest of the original cast of the Broadway production.

Music from Into the Woods

The song most recognized from Into the Woods is probably “Children Will Listen” which was made popular by Bernadette Peters. The song has also been recorded by Betty Buckley, Barbara Streisand and Mandy Patinkin.

Other recognizable songs from the play are “Last Midnight,” “No One Is Alone,” and “No More.”

There are several different versions of the music from Into the Wood available for listening. The original Broadway Cast that features Bernadette Peters and Joanna Gleason was the one that we listened to first after watching the DVD.

There is also the London Cast version from 1991 and the Broadway revival of 2002 that featured Vanessa Williams as the witch.

Once we heard that my daughters’ theater group would be doing Into the Woods as a summer production we started listening to the music. Initially listening to the rather complicated arrangements of different voices singing over each other at the same time was a bit challenging, but it wasn’t too long before my daughters’ both had the music down and were singing right along. The music gets stuck in your head.

Into the Woods London Cast Soundtrack available on Amazon.

Into the Woods Musical Numbers

The musical numbers from Into the Woods on the original Broadway Cast Recording include:
  • 1. Into the Woods (Prologue)
  • 2. Cinderella at the Grave
  • 3. Hello, Little Girl
  • 4.I Guess This Is Goodbye / Maybe They’re Magic
  • 5. I Know Things Now
  • 6 A Very Nice Prince / First Midnight / Giants in the Sky
  • 7. Agony
  • 8. It Takes Two
  • 9. Stay With Me
  • 10. On the Steps of the Palace
  • 11. Ever After
  • 12. Act II Prologue: So Happy
  • 13. Agony (Reprise)
  • 14. Lament
  • 15. Any Moment / Moments in the Woods
  • 16. Your Fault / Last Midnight
  • 17. No More
  • 18. No One Is Alone
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Gaston Costume
by David Burgess on 0

Gaston Costume

Make, Buy or Build a Gaston Costume for Beauty and the Beast

Are you playing Gaston in an upcoming production of Disney’s Beauty and the Beast? If you’re looking for a stage costume for Gaston or even a Halloween costume or party costume, this article will tell you all you need to know about making, buying or renting a Gaston Costume for Beauty and the Beast. Headwear, vests, boot toppers and more will all be explained and highlighted.

How to Take Measurements

Great costumes start with accurate measurements!
Before you get started, check out this lens on taking proper body measurements. (Right click to open in a new window and easily keep your place here at your costuming article!)

Gaston Hat

In the show, it’s rare to see Gaston costumed with headwear or hats. If your director insists that Gaston wear a hat in the show, he could most likely wear a tricorn hat, perhaps in the mob scenes. You could go with a fancier hat or you could do a leather look tricorn hat (like a pirate style hat) to show his rugged outdoorsiness.

Other Beauty and the Beast Costumes

Check out the rest of the show here!
This lens is a lens branched off of a larger article I wrote called “Costumes for Beauty and the Beast on a Budget”. There’s info there on how to decide whether to buy rent or build your costumes and links to all the other Beauty and the Beast costuming lenses I have.

Gaston’s Costume Pieces

Pants, Shirt and Vest
Gaston is really one of the easiest characters to costume in Beauty and the Beast. My favorite costume supplier for his pieces is Alexanders costumes, and they are available through Amazon. The long renaissance lace up vest for men that they have is a great quality and will definately last through all your performances, I’d say the same of their renaissance shirts. When I worked at a rental shop, we’d purchase these items and they held up for a rental business just great. The look is also spot on.

The pants should be a black stretchy pant (stirrups stay on the best) with boot toppers over the top.

Movies Set in this Time Period

From Amazon
Sometimes a great way to get some additional research in on a time period or a character is to watch some movies. You can get some great visuals on what period costumes look like. Plus, it’s fun!

Gaston on Broadway

Hugh Jackman in Disney’s Beauty and the Beast as Gaston

Gaston’s Boots

Again, a simple solution for this costume is available. I really recommend boot toppers for Gaston. You can choose how tall the boots are, but I’d recommend a wide cuff on the top of the boot toppers. Not sure what a “boot topper” is? It’s the boot without the sole, worn over a shoe of the same color. This is a great option because you can reuse the costume piece again with another actor even if their shoe size is different. It also keeps the price way down because you’re only paying for the “topper” and not the sole etc. Love these. Again, I prefer Alexanders brands.

Gaston Accessories

The only accessory I think is really great to add a little flair to a Gaston costume is some arm gauntlets. These can be made with some imitation leather, or you can purchase some lace up versions online. The gauntlets are worn over the base of the sleeve like a leather cuff. They look sort of tough and balance out the look.

Thinking of Renting?

Here’s some advice before you sign the papers
If you’ve read through this lens and you’re thinking maybe you’d rather rent a costume instead of making one or buying one online. That’s cool. Here’s some information I wrote on questions to ask before renting theatrical costumes. I worked for nine years as a costume rental shop manager for a shop that specialized in theatrical show costumes.

I’m also including a link to a lens I wrote with links to theatrical costume rental shops across the country. You can vote them up or down if you’ve used one or more of them, and also leave comments about the service, quality and selection.

Gaston Hair

Gaston traditionally is seen with dark hair in a pony tail. Because the movie is so popular, usually many directors don’t deviate from the look in the movie, even down to the hair. A dark brown or black deluxe men’s colonial wig (usually from Lacey wigs) does the job quite well. Here are a couple of options. The use of a wig is always more complicated than wearing your own hair, but it’s a good option to complete the look folks are expecting if they’re familiar with the cartoon.

Washing and Caring for Costume Wigs

If you choose to use a wig, check out this article!
Here’s a detailed lens about washing and caring for costume quality wigs. If you’re using costume wigs in your theatrical production, you’ll want to check it out!

 

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Fun at the Drive-In Theater
by David Burgess on 0

Fun at the Drive-In Theater

The Classic Drive-In Movie Theater

Enjoy the nostalgia of a drive-in movie theater. Do you remember those days?

Maybe you have heard your parents or grandparents talking about how they would go to an outdoor theater. Here the latest featured movies would be on a giant outdoor screen that stood larger then life in front of many carloads of families. Double features were the norm. Although at times one could see a triple movie feature.

Back in time as late as the 1970’s, it was common to see two and sometimes three movies in even the walk-in movie theaters.

Present time, there is one movie for the walk-in theaters for one large price, though up to a few dollars cheaper if you go to the matinee show. However, if you happen to live close enough to go to an outdoor drive-in theater (yes, they still exist), then you can see two movies for the price of one matinee ticket.

Theatre or Theater

The first drive-in opened in New Jersey on June 6, 1933. The American name is theater. Though many drive-ins located in America have theatre within the name.

Drive-in Theaters: A History from Their Inception in 1933 [Paperback]

Learn the history
Drive-in Theaters: A History from Their Inception in 1933 Available in paperback, hardcover and Kindle Edition.

Look inside before you buy. Many books on Amazon have this option. It gives the customer the chance to see what is in store in a particular book before they decide to purchase it.
Along with history of the drive-in theater are historical photos that you will enjoy to look at as much as read the book!

Do you know the history of the drive-in theater?

This book will enlighten you with how Richard M. Hollingshead, Jr. came up with the idea of an outdoor movie. How he started this with test in his home driveway with a 1928 Kodak projector.

This is not a picture book with light information. This is for the research enthusiasts. It goes deep into the history of the outdoor theater. The book takes you through the golden years and the decline to near extinction of this entertainment pastime of a great movie watching experience.

Drive-In Theater Poster

Our Hometown Theater History

In our hometown we had two outdoor movie theaters until the early 1980’s. One being on the west side and the other one on the east side of town. But then the times had changed and the theaters closed down to make room for apartment buildings.

This is the common scenario across America. The outdoor drive-in theaters were disappearing. It looked as though this would soon be a thing of the past. This is something that you would tell your grand kids about, “When I was your age, we would load up the car with snacks and blankets. See not one, but two movies outdoors. It was a lot of fun.” And if the grand kids are teenagers, you may not want to mention in detail all of the fun that you had at the drive-in.

There is a smaller percentage of drive-in theaters presently then back in the good o’ days. Though many places are revitalizing this historical treasure and bringing back the outdoor theaters.

As for where I live, we have three outdoors, with the furthest being in Door County at 1 1/2 hours away. To the closest, at a little more then a half hour drive.

Two of the three allow you to bring in your own food and beverages. However they encourage you to order from their snack bar. We do bring our own snacks but we usually end up ordering nachos and sometimes a pizza.

Drive-In Movie Theater Wall Art Snack Metal Signs

Best part of the movie

Often the best part of the movie is the old time commercials for the snack counter. It would be so disappointing if these weren’t shown before the movie.

At the same time it is a bit eerie thinking that the food and beverages are alive with hands, feet and faces.

Things to Bring to the Drive-in Theater

Besides yourself and children

What I love about going to the drive-in is that all the family is included. Even our dog Buddy. For the price of an afternoon matinee, you can watch two movies at the outdoor. We find it fun sitting outdoors getting fresh air and wrapped up in blankets, while watching a great movie.

Note: Links are included to take you to the items you will need.

Bring the dog along. Be sure to bring the leash, water and a dog blanket.
Outdoor folding chairs
If planning on laying on the ground. Be sure to have an outdoor blanket that is water resistant.
Sitting in your folding chair, you will want a nice warm fleece blanket to wrap up with. The temperatures do drop and the night can get cold.
Bring a cooler for those beverages and snacks that need to stay cold.
Make sure to have mosquito repellent. You may be there to enjoy the movies. But the mosquitoes are there to enjoy you.
A rechargeable portable radio is good to have if there is no movie speakers. Some theaters have them and some do not. Plus if you plan on sitting outside, a portable radio is ideal to have.

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