Theater and Performing Arts

Beginning with this year, I've started discovering and attending shows and performances more frequently.
I would previously hold off from these events due to the price tag and travel involved.
However, the area I live in now is between 3 major cities that often get visits from famous shows and performers.
While the price certainly hasn't changed, my outlook on their potential value to myself certainly has.

Some of the recent shows and performances I've been to see are:

Celtic Woman: Songs from the Heart


A musical performance by a group of Irish women and their supporting cast.
The songs sung were among well known musical pieces as well as material of their own.
Each singer had a heavenly voice and truly sung from the bottom of their heart.
They have music albums as well as videos of their performances on Youtube.

Video example: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_45W-Lq7ftw
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Cirque Du Soleil: Alegria


An extravaganza of the acrobatic arts put on by the traveling circus: Cirque Du Soleil (French for Circus of the Sun).
They host many different shows, counting well over 10. This one, Alegria, is set to a darker theme and tone.
The characters emote themselves with their bodies rather than their faces, which remain static through the performance.
Masked characters march around in synchronization setting up various performances for the face painted acrobats.
Acts include contortion, fire-knife dancing, Russian bars, manipulation of ribbons and hoops, and much more besides.
The clowns between each performance act as a crowd refresher, keeping a healthy mix of amazement and laughter.

Video example: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fllDB3FK ... re=related
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Have Anything to Share?

I bring this here to ask you for your own experiences with shows, performances and concerts.
Can you provide an explanation of the experience and your reactions to it?
Perhaps some of those shows will tour close to me or someone else.
Recommendations can help us all discover something worth seeing and remembering for life.

Thank you for your time =)!

All I can say is that Carol of the bells played by Celtic women is AWSOME.
I'm not a big fan of live shows and such. I just don't go out that much.

If you ever get a chance to watch 'Joseph and his technicolour coat', watch it. I've seen it many times, some professional, some not, and they're all been amazing. It has an amazing number of songs, and they support a lot of different genres as well. It is a musical, so I'm not all sure if it belongs here, but I strongly suggest watching it.

The real name is actually much longer:
Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat.

I'm afraid from where I currently live, it isn't possible to find a showing.
The show tours rather exclusively around Europe, and the UK particularly.
I may have to find a way to watch it online though, acting on your strong recommendation.

Also, musicals are fine in this thread =)!

Wow, well, being English I guess that explains why I've seen it so many times.

Ooh, my mom asked me to go see Celtic Woman with her, but I ended up declining due to clashes with other previous obligations.

Anyways,

I have to admit that I've never actually been to an "official" theater performance, but seeing as how most of my friends are involved in the cultural arts department at school, I've been to two musicals, worked on stage crew for one, and attended a theater improv.

The first musical I ever went to was Cinderella, and it was the standard story that everyone already knows. It was a great play though! The music was pretty awesome, our actors did an amazing job. :3

I attended an improv/skit this past fall about great women in American history. It was certainly an experience. The actors/actresses are wearing simple costumes and there are no props- just an empty stage and you have to visualize the objects being there without actually seeing them. I'd suggest going to one if you ever have the chance.

Recently I was the technical designer for a play called Godspell. I didn't actually get the chance to watch the performance (I was out of town due to a family emergency), but as soon as we have the viewing party or I can borrow the DVD from the choral director, I'll give a review for it. I heard from my friends that it was great and really emotional at the end, so I'm pretty eager to see it.
If you'd like to read about the plot: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Godspell

This weekend I went to a performance of The Phantom of the Opera. That, so far, has been my favorite musical. I don't know how much of a synopsis to give you without ruining it, so I'll give you the link to it and you can read however much you like.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Phanto ... 86_musical)
If you read a synopsis of the original novel, Le Fantôme de l'Opéra (which has been translated into an English version as well), it is slightly different than the 1986 musical (which is the one that I saw).


All in all, I would recommend attending an improv and The Phantom of the Opera if you ever get a chance. :3

Theater and Performing Arts? This thread is relevant to my interests!

I'm about to graduate from CU-Denver with a theater degree. I interned at an AWESOME improv theater this past semester and will be working Stage Crew for this year's Utah Shakespeare Festival.

I quite love musicals, and concerts too, though it's a rather expensive hobby. Unless you want to find a good community theater, good ones do exist and you can get in for the same price as a movie.

I don't think I've seen a professional musical (Either on tour or local professional theaters by license) I didn't like... Am I lucky? I haven't been in a while but one of my favorite theaters is the New London Barn Playhouse.

My favorite musical is, surely, Cats (I'm surprised no one has brought it up). I've seen three productions now and I'm absolutely in love. Prior to seeing it, tell me I would love an all-song all-dance musical I would call you crazy. I think, perhaps, the reason it's so broadly adored is because there's nothing else like it that's offered, it's so innovative... One of those things that no matter what you like, one will find something in it to like. And moreso, many of the innovations can't easily work in any other fashion. Take the fact that Cats blatantly breaks the fourth wall. It's being performed for a human audience and they know it, it's a special event, never-before-seen glimpse into the life of this tribe of, er, housecats... It's setting allows it to do something that other shows can't. But absolutely my favorite single part is the performance done without scene breaks: This means you can create one of the most visually impressive sets I've ever seen, to the point where no curtain or blackouts (for scene changes) are used, just throw dramatic lighting on the thing pre-show; I think any attempt to cover that work of art would deface it.

My other favorites I would say is Jekyll and Hyde, and How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying.

The rest of my family says they love Wicked. But as someone who actually read the Oz novels, it's complete Oz-heresy (I'm not sure of the book is any different). That said, if you take it as non-canon, its production is rather good.

Okay, I saw 'Ghost' the musical live in Manchester...

I don't care how much it costs (about £30 for me), anybody who get's a chance to see this must see it. It is incredible. I mean, so funny. The music is great. The acting is outstanding. The special effects are simply amazing (which I presume they'll be able to recreate anywhere). Honestly, it's simply amazing.

That musical actually started as a movie [/random fact for you]. I've seen it about five times (it's my dad's favorite movie), and I agree that it, whether it be the musical or movie, is amazing. =D Definitely try to see the movie if you can. :3

Oddly enough, it's one of my dad's favorite movies as well! My new step-dad's trying to get me the movie to see now as well! I'm looking forward to seeing it. Apparently being dragged to the depth of Hell looks incredible in the movie. I know it looked simply outstanding in the live musical! Probably one of my fav' parts.

And, a little trivia about what I saw. Apparently it took 2 months to set up the stage.

It looks pretty cool in the movie. I could describe it, but I don't want to ruin it for you!

I'll be actually seeing Godspell soon enough; we're currently trying to organize the viewing party around the cast's and crew's usually busy schedules and not to mention exam week/end-of-the-year madness. But if nothing happens via the school, I found out that my best friend bought a DVD of the performance from the choral director. So there's always that fall-back plan! ;P

For writer/director/producer Andrew Adamson, tying a love knot around some of the best elements of seven Cirque du Soleil live shows that play in Las Vegas was a journey into magical realism. Executive producer Cary Granat and Reel FX Inc. had been discussing the possibility of collaborating with Cirque du Soleil on a project for quite awhile when he approached Adamson about the idea of crafting and directing a Cirque-based feature film. Granat is the former CEO of Walden Media, which collaborated with Adamson on the first two films of C.S. Lewis' beloved The Chronicles of Narnia series. Adamson is also a producer on the third film, The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader.

"We had to find a natural, cinematic way into the world of Cirque du Soleil," says Adamson. "I started thinking about the way Cirque du Soleil live shows work. There is a very dreamlike quality about them. A thin thread of narrative that weaves in and out of each but allows these acts to exist within the worlds that are created. I thought this movie could do the same thing. I could find a narrative that threads these completely different shows together.





"I came to the idea of these two people who meet in a real-world circus. She's a young girl looking to escape her life. She sees this aerialist and instantly falls in love with him, but when their eyes meet he slips and falls. He drops right through the circus ring into another world and drags her with him. They spend the rest of the film looking for each other in these worlds that exist in a limbo state, kind of a space between life and death, a world between worlds. Ultimately they come together in a dream fulfilling aerial ballet. An act that hangs in the balance between beauty and danger."

Like the live shows, the film eschews dialogue, using music and the marvelous expressions of the performers to move the narrative forward. But it was never the filmmakers' intention to simply capture the live shows. "What I wanted to do" says Adamson, "is take the audience to see these shows in a way that they hadn't seen them before, to get the camera in close and give a different perspective of what these artists do and show that perspective in high speed, slow motion 3D."

Executive producer Cameron, whose company CAMERON | PACE Group shot the film with his FUSION 3D camera system, says the film feels "as if you strayed into a circus in a dream. From the beginning Andrew had a fairly clear vision of what he wanted to do and it continued to evolve. As a producer, I kind of acted as his sounding board. The goal was to really celebrate the physical artistry of everything Cirque du Soleil is about, the design, the beauty and grace of those performances.





"Andrew had to walk a fine line working with such diverse elements from these shows. It was never meant to be about effects but to showcase the raw, pure physical human talent and their amazing ability. While it starts in this sort of run down circus, it plays out as discovery of this other dimensional circus world they fall into, but it is still very much a circus. There are wires, harnesses and you see it all, no effects hiding it. In seeing it, you experience the ingenuity of staging, costume design, the strength and agility of their talent that seem so effortless, so fluid. But the preparation and work that goes into it is anything but effortless. What you see is pure Cirque du Soleil."

Adamson drew inspiration from such classics as Walt Disney's Fantasia, Lewis Carroll's Alice in Wonderland, Peter Tchaikovsky's Swan Lake ballet and his own personal experiences from watching a traveling circus show in Mexico in 2000.

"It was a Fred Flintstone themed travelling circus. I remember the ringleader had a lot of years on him, the lion had no teeth and one of the trapeze artists was a large woman wearing a star-spangled bikini. It was almost an empty house and had definitely seen better days," he recalls. "But there was this sort of sad yet beautiful element to it bittersweet one of my favorite emotions. That was in the back of my mind. So I set the opening of this film in a circus that was connected to no time or place. I really wanted it to feel like a traveling neighborhood circus that could be anywhere."

At first Adamson wanted to use actors in the key roles, "but I also knew that I wanted to end with some kind of beautiful romantic straps aerial act."





"To teach a normal person to do (aerial) straps, to perform at this level takes years," says executive producer Jacques Méthé of Cirque du Soleil. "The way to go was to take Cirque du Soleil performers and teach them to play the part. At the end of this film, they are both flying in each others' arms. They need the skills and training of a real Cirque du Soleil performer. Igor and Erica have worked on several of our shows for years. They are not only wonderful acrobats, but because of their Cirque du Soleil training, they have learned to become characters. In any Cirque du Soleil show, everybody is a character and plays some part. So we knew these two had the acting skills because of their years with Cirque du Soleil."

Erica Kathleen Linz was 19 when she joined Cirque du Soleil shortly after graduating from high school. "I grew up as a gymnast and a singer, which led to theater, so I have flip-flopped between acting and acrobatic roles, and recently I've been doing an aerial straps duet which fits into this whole theme," Linz says. Landing the film role gave her an opportunity within Cirque du Soleil that she had never known before. "There's never really been an opportunity for anybody to kind of float through the shows, participate in what they do every night and get a feel for each show's culture. Every show is sort of like its own family, has its own vibe, its own set of nationalities and sense of humor. Personally, it's been unbelievable for me."

Although she and co-star Igor Zaripov have performed in the show KÀ, neither performed a duet together before Cirque du Soleil Worlds Away. Zaripov, who joined Cirque du Soleil in 2002, grew up in a Russian circus family that had been in the business for more than a century. He has been an aerial acts acrobat from his first stage appearance at 11 for the Moscow Circus. He traveled with other circuses around the world honing his skills. When he joined Cirque du Soleil, he performed in KÀ for five years as the Firefly boy and in Cirque du Soleil's adult-themed Zumanity for several years. "I had never worked closely with Erica before but we had to get into it really quick (the first time for the love scene of the final act) and it was really nice," he says.

What they do, although an outgrowth of KÀ, was created specifically for the film -- a romantic aerial straps ballet which captures the ascendancy of love. "What you see is how these two learn to trust each other so completely. Her life is literally in his hands an act of total surrender," notes Cameron. "The acting is inferred by the physicality of the moment. And the grace with which it is done is simply beautiful."


Cirque Du Soleil: Worlds Away was released December 21 of 2012 in the EUA. Here's the movie trailer:

Cirque Du Soleil: Worlds Away 3D Official Trailer

I actually had had plans to go see that in the movie theaters, but decided against it. I mean, I work in theater and musical productions myself, and I felt like seeing it on a screen instead of live would have just ruined the experience without the "feel" of the theater. Part of the excitement with going to see productions like that is ordering the tickets, making the drive to somewhere you normally don't do, and just the whole environment in general.

If I can find the DVD in Redbox however, I might consider watching it then.

(You know, we have a theater and performing arts thread. It just hasn't been used in in like two years. I'll go revive it.)

Oh hey look it's this thread.

I saw the 2010 movie version of Burlesque a few weeks ago. Sooooo good. I'm going to refrain posting a summary because it's just a tiny little bit of a content rating stretch, but I definitely recommend it.

Our school musical production for this year is Beauty and the Beast! I believe the show is around the end of March, and I can't wait to see it.

I've been dragged by a friend into being in the gospel choir for a production of Godspell. Just a local theatre group is hosting it, but we are all having a blast rehearsing together.

My school is doing Grease.

And a friend of mine managed to convince me to try out since there was a lack of men at the interest meeting. I didn't get any actual part, so I don't know what I'm going to do.

My school did Godspell my sophomore year. I never got to see it though, because I was out of town for family reasons.


My school did Grease last year!! :3
Ensemble? Can you sing?

I'm not sure of my singing talents. I really surprised myself at the audition with how good I sounded, but what matters is impressing the director.

My friends all said I did a really good job, but I've always thought I had a lousy singing voice until about a year ago. I know it isn't lousy, but I don't know if it's actually good. I think the main reason I didn't get any part is because I forgot the song I was going to sing at first, and had to sing another right off of the top of my head. That and I told the director I haven't been in a play since the 6th grade.

I wish I were brave enough to get into singing when I was little. I think I would've enjoyed musical theater and stuff.

This is my first time being in a musical production. Choirs and concerts are where I've been basically since I've started singing. I am such a klutz with the small bit of choreography that we're given. We're just in the background, a few sways here and there, clapping along... and I fail sooooo much right now. I get off-beat, off-step. I get the feeling that I'll stick out like a sore thumb, but I am just having so much fun. X3

Just think of the rhythm in the same sense as with the music. It's the exact same beat that you're sticking to. Maybe try looking at it that way.

I was the very same way when we learned drill for marching band. Counting (or keeping rhythm) isn't exactly something that can be taught; it's one of those things that once it "clicks," you'll be fine. Just keep trying! It'll come to you soon enough!

So, does anyone know that it's apparently taboo to say "MacBeth" in a theatre? Cuz... No one told me. X3

It is dang intimidating being in the big theatre we're in. It's so spacious and grandiose. I never would've thought I'd be on its stage.

Kinda like saying "good luck" on opening night?

Kinda like 1000x worse

My best friend, who is in theater herself, confirmed this. I never knew that!
Here we go: http://www.steppenwolf.org/watchlisten/ ... aspx?id=23

MacBeth was an excellent play, which we finally read in English this year.

Yea. It has to be one, if not the favourite Shakespearean play of mine. I'm sure you can also guess which HousePets! arc is my favourite. X3

I texted my mom right after I learned that and she gave me the line "Angels and ministers of grace defend us!” to say outside, and I did and nothing bad happened. Curse averted! :3

So my school (that's only been open for five years) got Superior (the highest ranking) at its MPA chorus concert for its fourth year in a row! The majority of my friends perform in it every year, and I'm so proud of them!

Do you guys have a favorite play or playwright.

My favourite plays to read are The Zoo Story, Glass Menagerie and Harvey

I wish I could remember his name but he's performed a couple of shows called Slapdash Galaxy and Swamp Juice. He incorporates shadow puppets and random junk into an hour of pure genius.

I'm not really familiar with a lot of non-musical plays but I really enjoyed Les Miserables.

I hate Les Miserables. I'm sure to some people, it's an excellent musical with a fantastic, heart-wrenching story line, but I just can't get behind the plot. My best friend loves Les Miserables, she read the book and watched local performances and even went to Chicago to go see them perform last year, but when the movie came out this past Christmas, I would not go see it. I've watched part of televised performances with her and even listened to her twenty-minute spiels about the plot, and nope, just nope. I just can't get behind it.

The Phantom of the Opera, on the other hand, is my favorite theater/musical performance. Oh Christine, how you are pined after by a dark musician who holds your heart and another young man who first taught you about love as a teenager. One who excites your heart with dark, unyielding, undeniable passion, and another who gives your soul the security of an emotionally-balanced, stable forever. Aaaaaangst.

What's wrong with the plot?

I just don't like it. To me, it's dull and boring. But I know that there are a lot of other people that absolutely love it. It's just my matter of preference.

To each their own. I'm sure some would be appalled when I say I haven't even read Les Miserables. I've just never got the opportunity to. :3

On a side note, we got the review people coming in today for Godspell, and opening night's tomorrow. I hope we can get these microphone glitches we're having sorted out with quickly tonight...

The book is notoriously tedious. The musical/opera is what I've seen, and I really like it.

I guess it can fit here: I watched Black Swan the other night! Theater meets psychological horror and whatnot. It was so creepy, but definitely worth a casual watching.

My iPod was on shuffle on the drive home from Tennessee and as ABBA came on, it occurred to me that I still haven't seen Mamma Mia! yet. Jeez, the most recent film adaptation came out five years ago and I haven't even bothered to try and rent it.
I guess I should make an effort to borrow it from a friend, then forget to follow through with it, and watch it six months later. That sounds accurate with my movie-watching timeline.

I'm reviving this thread to say that if anyone ever gets a chance to go see a musical called Spring Awakening, GO FOR IT! It's now my second favorite, right behind Phantom of the Opera. I saw it at my college's community theater and it was awesome! It's like Grease meets Romeo and Juliet.

Arcadia is pretty good too, if you're into academic humor. The ending is beautiful and so sad.

I didn't get to see The Game's Afoot (it's a Sherlock Holmes play!) because it was a total sell-out for the three weeks it was open. It was that good apparently!

And I am definitely trying to see Chicago, as it's being released in our theater right around my birthday. :3

My school built a theatre a few years ago, they have only done some amateur stuff and have some speakers and comedians come in (like Jesse Jackson, if your from the states and know who that is) but it's pretty good... Or at least would be if they didn't decide to knock down the whole thing to sell the land. Not been to any major productions but does anyone have any recommendations?