Finnish Musicals: Surprising Successes

The Life and Times of Musical Theatre in Finland, part 4/4. Read this part in Finnish here.

Oftentimes, a success is a surprise. The musicals near and dear to Finnish theatre fans’ hearts aren’t always staged on the biggest stages in Helsinki. And sometimes, people even travel to Finland just to see a musical!

“At first, people were frightened. You can’t show transvestites here, we’ll be tarred and feathered and sent to the nearest train station”, director Olli-Matti Oinonen reminisces. He directed the first Finnish production of Rocky Horror Show.

“But soon, everyone realized we had a treasure of a musical in our hands.”

The queen of all cult musicals, Rocky Horror Show, first seduced Finnish audiences in Seinäjoen kaupunginteatteri in the spring of 1995. Seinäjoki is a middle-sized Finnish town on the western side of the country, in the middle of what’s sometimes called the Finnish Bible belt.

Rocky Horror Show was indeed seen as a risk for the town’s theatre. It turned out taking the risk was worth it.

“The audience loved the show. I didn’t hear a single negative word. The reaction showed there’s an accepting atmosphere in the region”, Oinonen says.

Rocky Horror Show has been raising audiences’ eyebrows ever since premiering in London in 1973. The science fiction musical features a bunch of aliens from the distant planet of Transsexual and a goodie-two-shoes earthling couple that stumbles across the aliens’ castle on a dark and stormy night. The aliens’ wild ways soon cause tension in between the young couple.

The show isn’t best known for its story, but for the way the audience takes part in the action. When watching Rocky Horror Show, you’re allowed to yell comment at the actors, throw toilet paper onstage, blow a whistle, wear a funny hat...

In Seinäjoki, the audience was encouraged to take part in the fun by a special theatrical cheerleading squad.

“The squad was the motor that kept the show running. The script has its flimsy parts. With the squad yelling commentary, the show stayed alive and interactive”, Oinonen describes.

”The best part was how the squad evolved during the run of the show. They adlibbed new comments that were sometimes written down and brought back during subsequent performances.”

Rocky Horror Show's Seinäjoki cast recording is nowadays a collectible.

Sold-out Performances and Recordings

Rocky Horror Show was a hit with the audiences. After theatre critic Jukka Kajava praised the show in Finland’s biggest newspaper Helsingin Sanomat, multiple performances sold out in no time.

The production even got its own cast recording.

Rocky Horror Show’s songs have been recorded dozens of times all around the world. But in Finland, recording a foreign musical is really uncommon. Today, the Seinäjoki Rocky Horror CD is a rare collector’s item.

“Ten years ago, a New York based magazine called the CD one of the best Rocky Horror recordings ever”, Oinonen mentions.

Finland’s first Rocky Horror Show ran for two and a half years. It would’ve sold even more tickets if the run could have been continued on weekends only, but the repertoire theatre’s other plays had to be fitted in the performance schedule too. Rocky had to give way to other shows.

After the Seinäjoki production, Rocky Horror has also been performed in Turku, in Finland’s both official languages. Åbo Svenska Teater produced the world’s first Swedish-speaking production of the cult classic in 2002, and the Finnish-speaking Turun kaupunginteatteri brought the show back in 2013. Fans saw the show again, but both Turku productions closed faster than the Seinäjoki original.

“We were foolhardy and had a really good team spirit with the whole cast and crew”, Oinonen muses over the Seinäjoki success.

A scene from the latest Finnish Rocky Horror Show,
Turun kaupunginteatteri's 2013 production. Photo: Otto-Ville Väätäinen.

The Fearless Vampire Killers

Seinäjoen kaupunginteatteri has been the stage for many Finnish premieres of well-known international musicals, such as Aspects of Love and Titanic.

The latest musical imported to Seinäjoki was Tanz der Vampire, one of the most popular European musicals. The Finnish production used the German script but borrowed its name, Dance of the Vampires, from the flopped Broadway production. Fans soon translated the title to Finnish and called the show Vampyyrien tanssi.

Vampyyrien tanssi premiered in Seinäjoki in the autumn of 2011. The musical was again directed by Olli-Matti Oinonen.

“Seinäjoen kaupunginteatteri was looking for a rock musical. I had already suggested Tanz der Vampire for a couple of Finnish theatres, but they had only laughed at the idea and claimed that no one’ll want to see a musical like that. I felt that Seinäjoki would be the right town for this show. Tanz served as a sort of a sequel for Rocky, after all. In Rocky we travelled to Transsexual, in Tanz to Transylvania.”

Tanz der Vampire is based on Roman Polanski’s movie The Fearless Vampire Killers. The story parodies vampire films. A vampire count seduces a country girl, and a vampire hunter professor and his lovestruck assistant try to save her.

The story is told through Jim Steinman’s music. Some of the tunes are familiar from Meat Loaf’s and Bonnie Tyler’s albums.

Tanz der Vampire is a big hit in Central Europe, for example in Germany and Hungary. Most of the Central European productions are replicas of the original Austrian version. The Seinäjoki production, however, was an all-new version.

“Even though I say it myself, ours was the best”, Oinonen laughs.

“It had the best cast and crew I have ever worked with. The team spirit was incredible, and we overcame all obstacles together.”

Vampire count (Jyri Lahtinen) leads the lovely Sarah (Raili Raitala)
to the dance floor. Photo: Ari Ijäs.

A Ticket to Seinäjoki

News about Vampyyrien tanssi quickly reached the fans of the musical. During the musicals’ time in the theatre’s repertoire, Seinäjoki saw visitors from all over Finland and even farther away.

Kim Holte traveled to Finland from northern Norway. Micha Salet flew from Amsterdam. Holte saw the Finnish vampires dance twice, while Salet first saw the show two times and later returned for the last two performances.

“When I first heard about the production, I was skeptical about how it would turn out. I didn't plan on going. But after seeing promotional videos, reading great reviews and slowly realising that Finland wasn't that far away, it just happened”, Holte tells.

In Central Europe, Tanz der Vampire is performed in big theatres, and the runs continue for years. Even so, the smaller Finnish version was to international fans’ tastes.

“There were a few directional choices I really liked that I wish they would implement in the other productions. There's an obvious difference in budget for the Finnish show and most of the other versions, but it didn’t make the Finnish show worse, just different”, Salet says.

“The directing stays much the same in other European productions. It's not very imaginative or interesting to watch actors from four different productions do the exact same movements onstage. So Tanssi was new and exciting. I still regret not booking a third show”, Holte adds.

Before Vampyyrien tanssi’s last performances, people queued for return tickets. Despite the success and the sold-out seats, the musical only ran from September to March. Regardless of the short run, the musical still brings fans and vampires together. Cast members have performed the musical’s songs in concerts, and the fans still meet each other every Halloween.

“It says something that I come back every year to meet up with my friends and reminisce about the show”, Salet says.

“We meet up with the musical’s cast every summer. I believe that’ll continue for years to come”, director Oinonen tells in turn.

Vampire hunter Alfred (Ville Salonen) gets a scary hug from
viscount Herbert (Jouko Enkelnotko). Photo: Ari Ijäs.

Emigrants in Helsinki

The men of ABBA, Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus, are the composer and lyricist behind Sweden’s most popular musical Kristina från Duvemåla.

The musical premiered in Malmö, southern Sweden, in 1995. The production ran for years, and it was seen by over a million Swedes – almost one eight of Sweden’s whole population at the time.

Finland is the first foreign country to bring a fully staged production of the Swedish hit onstage. Kristina opened Svenska Teatern’s newly renovated building in early 2012. Swedes were quick to travel to Helsinki to see their favourite musical again.

“Out of the hundred thousand audience members, about a fourth were Swedish”, theatre manager Johan Storgård tells.

“Another fourth were Finnish-speaking Finns who had never visited the Swedish-speaking Svenska Teatern before.”

Kristina från Duvemåla is a big musical epic. One performance lasts for three and a half hours. The original cast recording is split on three CDs and features 39 songs. Based on Vilhelm Moberg’s four-part novel series The Emigrants, it tells story about a group of Swedes who immigrate to the US in the middle of the 19th century.

During each three-hour performance, the musical features both moments of joy and plenty of sorrow and death.

Outside the Nordic countries, Kristina’s story hasn’t become a hit. There have been Kristina concerts in both New York and London, but no onstage productions.

“In the UK and the US, theatre producers are worried that the musical is a little bit dark. It’s a love story in between Kristina and her husband, but it has a really tragic ending. The audience cries for two and a half hours out of the three-and-a-half hour performance”, theatre manager Storgård describes.

“A story like that suits the Nordic state of mind better than for example Central European or British mentalities.”

One of the musical's rare happy moments.
Photo: Cata Portin.

Return Ticket to Duvemåla

Despite its sorrowful story, Kristina från Duvemåla has fans all over the world. Thanks to composer Andersson and lyricist Ulvaeus’s fame, countless ABBA fans are familiar with the musical.

Svenska Teatern’s production was in the news all over Europe. The theatre prepared for international visitors by subtitling the show in English.

“There were lots of Germans in the audience, and we even had visitors from Australia, America, Japan...” Storgård lists.

At the very moment, ABBA draws audiences to Svenska Teatern again. This time, Mamma Mia!, the jukebox musical featuring ABBA’s biggest hits, is playing in the theatre.

Unlike Kristina, Mamma Mia! is a hit all over the globe. Svenska Teatern’s version has also been received with enthusiasm. Tickets for autumn 2015 were sold a year in advance.

Kristina, then, has returned home.

“Last autumn, Kristina från Duvemåla premiered in Gothenburg. The new Swedish production stars all four leads from Svenska Teatern’s version and also features the same sets. We have worked together with GöteborgsOperan to return the musical to Sweden”, Storgård says.

Finnish actresses Birthe Wingren and Maria Ylipää star in Kristina's
new Swedish production. Photo: Mats Backer.

Finnish Musicals: Broadway for Finns

The Life and Times of Musical Theatre in Finland, part 3/4. Read this part in Finnish here.

Certain musicals are especially loved by younger theatregoers. Many generations of Finnish teenagers and young adults have enjoyed Broadway shows. In this part of the series, we’ll take a look at how Finnish audiences of both past and present have received hit musicals such as Hair, Rent and Wicked.

Adults don’t sing or dance on the west side of Manhattan. Or in Tampere, Finland, either.

West Side Story, the classic musical about gang wars and young love, premiered on Broadway in 1957. The groundbreaking musical showed fighting as dancing. The world West Side Story’s young characters live in is a dark one, but the musical also portrays adults’ society as distant and unfair.

The Romeo and Juliet remake arrived to Finland rather rapidly. West Side Story’s Nordic premiere took place in Tampereen Teatteri in 1963.

The production was a success and ran for three seasons. Both the audience and the critics fell in love, in Finland and elsewhere – when the production visited Vienna, the local audience applauded it for 18 minutes. In Finland, West Side Story was also quickly produced in many other theatres, including The Finnish National Opera.

“Yeah, it’s worth watching”, one of the teenagers who saw the musical in The National Opera commented (Helsingin Sanomat, 19.11.1965).

A couple of years after West Side Story, Tampere was again the Finnish capital for musicals aimed at young adults. Only two years after its 1967 Broadway premiere, in the summer of 1969, the hippie musical Hair was featured in Tampere Theatre Festival’s repertoire.

West Side Story is one of Finland's most popular Broadway musicals.
Here's how the show looked like in Lahden kaupunginteatteri in 2013.
Photo: Lauri Rotko.

Long, Beautiful Hair

Hair became a musical phenomenon.

The first theatre festival performances sold so well that more performances were scheduled and the ticket prices were raised. The production, featuring a cast of amateur actors, toured Finland for two years and also visited Sweden. The cast recording topped the charts.

Teen magazines wrote about Hair and tried to build a rivalry in between the touring production and a Swedish-speaking version that was staged in Helsinki’s Svenska Teatern at the same time. In real life, the two productions were on good terms.

The hippie musical formed bonds all over the globe, too. The Paris, San Fransisco, London and Australian productions of Hair all telegraphed their best wishes to the touring Finnish production’s premiere.

All feedback wasn’t quite as positive. The featured nudity and the musical’s general display of hippie lifestyle hurt some feelings along the way.

“What the theatre management was thinking, letting that porn theatre visit our city?” pen name “Appalled” wondered in the local newspaper Turun Sanomat when the Hair tour visited the city of Turku in late 1969.

“Please at least cancel the upcoming performances.”

The Tribe from Åbo Svenska Teater's 2012 production of Hair.
Photo: Robert Seger.

The Age of Aquarius, Continued

After the summer of ‘69, the hippie musical has had multiple new Finnish productions.

Nowadays, the show is associated with a fair amount of nostalgia. Turku, Finland’s medieval capital and nowadays the country’s 6th biggest city, was the European Capital of Culture in 2011. One of the year’s special events was a new production of Hair cast with middle-aged amateurs.

In 2012, Hair was produced professionally both in Turku’s Swedish-speaking Åbo Svenska Teater, and in Lahden kaupunginteatteri in southern Finland.

“The themes of Hair are still current”, director Maarit Pyökäri says. Pyökäri directed the show for Lahden kaupunginteatteri.

”Of course, some of the things have dated. Onstage nudity, for example, has lost its shock appeal. Other themes, however, are still as current as ever. The United States is still engaged in warfare on another continent, young people still use drugs...”

Pyökäri says that Hair isn’t an easy musical to stage. She describes the script that consists of a string of individual scenes instead of a traditional plot as chaotic, and mentions that translating the lyrics to Finnish also proved challenging. The musical’s music, then, was the reason to bring the show to Lahden kaupunginteatteri. The songs were performed on concert volume.

“Young people fell in love with the show, while their parents knew the songs by heart. The production reached all ages”, Pyökäri says.

The Lahti Tribe. Photo: Tarmo Valmela.

Arts and AIDS

Worldwide, Jonathan Larson’s Rent can be called one of the most important musicals of the 90s. After premiering in New York in 1994, international productions of the musical soon popped up all over the world, Finland included.

Adapted from Giacomo Puccini’s opera La bohème, Rent shows a year in life of a group of young artists. The setting has been changed from Paris to New York, and the tuberculosis that threatened the artists’ lives in the original opera has been updated to HIV.

Audiences, especially people in their twenties and thirties, fell in love with the musical. It ran on Broadway for 12 years and was adapted for film.

“When I saw Rent in New York for the second time, I hardly found my way out of the auditorium. I was crying so hard”, director Marco Bjurström tells. Bjurström directed the musical in Helsinki.

In Finland, Rent was first seen in Tampereen Teatteri in 1998. The Finnish interest towards the musical was strong before the premiere: some of Finland’s biggest theatres, such as the national Swedish-speaking scene Svenska Teatern and Helsinki’s big musical stage Helsingin kaupunginteatteri, also wanted to stage the Finnish premiere.

Despite the initial interest, there were no productions of Rent in Finland for over a decade after the 1998 production. But in the 2010s, the musical has returned on Finnish stages. It hasn’t been produced in government-supported municipal theatres, but amateurs and professional have both been staging their own, independent productions.

The latest professional Finnish Rent was produced in Helsinki in 2012. Marco Bjurström directed the musical and produced the show without financial help from outside backers. The director says he dreamed of producing the musical for years.

“As a portrait of its own time, Rent left a lasting impression on me. It tells stories of the world we really lived in during the time musical takes place”, Bjurström describes.

A scene from the Helsinki production. Photo: Lasse Lindqvist.

Taking Risks

When Tampereen Teatteri staged Rent’s Finnish premiere in 1998, a musical featuring sexual minorities, drug abuse and AIDS was seen as both a financial and an artistic risk for the theatre. It ran for one season.

The Helsinki production was also a risk for its producer. The proceeds weren’t enough to make up for the original investment.

“I understood that Rent would probably never return to the government-supported big theatres’ repertoires. Some theatre managers still think it’s too wild. So, I thought I have to take the risk and do it myself, no matter what’ll happen. Otherwise I’ll never forgive myself for not doing it!” Bjurström explains his decision to produce the show.

Bjurström says the musical, set in early 90s New York, still touches people. The Helsinki production’s audience consisted of people of all ages, from school kids to senior citizens.

“Rent tells a certain tale to those of us who have been young in the 80s and 90s. The story itself, however, has not dated in any way. It was fantastic to hear comments from the audience members. Whether they were pensioners or young students, the musical was a strong experience for all. Many got new hope, faith and power from watching it.”

A moment from Suomen Musiikkiteatteriensemble's 2011 production.
Photo: Suomen Musiikkiteatteriensemble ry.

A Journey to a Wonderful World

The fantasy musical Wicked premiered in Helsingin kaupunginteatteri in 2010, seven years after its Broadway premiere. The musical has plenty of young fans all over the world – also in Helsinki.

The story of Wicked is based on L. Frank Baum’s children’s novel The Wonderful Wizard of Oz and its classic movie adaptation. In Finland, the world of Oz isn’t nearly as well-known as in the USA.

Despite the relative obscurity of the source material, Helsingin kaupunginteatteri decided to stage the Wicked Witch of the West’s story. Theatre manager Asko Sarkola says that composer Stephen Schwartz was worried about Finns’ distant relationship with the original story.

“He often asked me if Finnish audiences know The Wizard of Oz. The musical after all features characters and plot points from the original story. I answered that not really, no, but the music is going to charm the audience in any case.”

Wicked is a story about being different, and about friendship. Riikka Kiviaho, the president of Wicked Fanclub Finland, says that knowing The Land of Oz gives Wicked’s world more depth. According to her, the show can nevertheless also be enjoyed without any prior knowledge of the story.

“Wicked’s music is so impressive, you can really feel it resonating through your body. My mouth fell open during the first song already”, Sofia Sarkava says. Sarkava, a member of Wicked Fanclub Finland, saw the show five times.

The composer’s worries were indeed lessened with time.

“In the end, Schwartz was very happy with the way Helsingin kaupunginteatteri told the story of the different girl seeking for acceptance”, Sarkola says.

A scene from Helsingin kaupunginteatteri's Wicked.
Photo: Tapio Vanhatalo.

Fanclub Still Going Strong

The witches of Oz enchanted the Finnish audience. The musical was seen by over 65 000 people, and many saw the production more than once.

“I could relate with the musical’s themes and the relationships featured in the story. My situation in life was just right for Wicked”, Riikka Kiviaho describes the musical’s charm. She saw the production 16 times.

During the production’s run, Kiviaho founded a club for the musical’s fans. Helsingin kaupunginteatteri also joined the club activities. While the musical was in the theatre’s repertoire, the club and theatre joined forces to arrange cast meetups for the fans.

“The club turned into something special. The cast and the fans interacted with each other, and the feeling was good all around”, Kiviaho says.

Wicked’s Finnish run ended over three years ago, but the musical is still important to many fans. The members of the fan club still meet each other.

“I’m maybe the most impressed by how many people have found new friends via the fan club. I didn’t expect that when I founded the club. It still makes me teary-eyed”, Kiviaho summarises her feelings.

Witches and fans. Photo: Riikka Kiviaho.

Sources used: Mikko-Olavi Seppälä & Katri Tanskanen: Suomen teatteri ja draama, Reijo Paukku: Hippimusikaali HAIR ja Tampereen Popteatterin tarina, Taloussanomat 19.9.1998: Menestys tai tappio.

Finnish Musicals: Fully Finnish

The Life and Times of Musical Theatre in Finland, part 2/4. Read this part in Finnish here.

In the second part of the series, the focus is on completely Finnish musicals. Though Finns also enjoy Broadway shows, many of our most loved musical productions have been written and composed in Finland. And did you know Finnish musicals have been imported all the way to China?

“The performance itself hits a record low”, theatre critic Toni Lehtinen described the most popular Finnish musical production ever (Turun Sanomat 9.9.2006).

Vuonna 85 – Manserock-musikaali or In the Year 1985 – “Manserock” the Musical premiered in Tampereen Työväen Teatteri in September 2006.

“Manserock” is a term for rock music with Finnish lyrics from Tampere, Finland’s biggest inland city. The Manserock genre was especially popular in the 70s and 80s, and Vuonna 85 was based on well-known hits from the era. Listen to the song the musical was named after.

Theatre critics didn’t much appreciate the show, finding faults in nearly every aspect of the production. The audience, on the other hand, absolutely loved it. The musical ran for six years and was performed for over 400 times. Almost 300 000 people saw it.

The city of Tampere has about 220 000 inhabitants, so you could call that a success! Vuonna 85 is the most popular Finnish musical production of all times, and Tampereen Työväen Teatteri states it’s without a doubt the theatre’s most successful production ever.

The musical’s plot was built around hit songs and even the characters’ names were all picked from lyrics. The story, set in the 80s, revolved around a pair of lovers who lost touch and spent a summer trying to find each other from rock festivals. When they finally met each other again, it turned out the lady had found a new love – the man’s best friend.

During its six years in the theatre’s repertoire, the Manserock musical had three different endings. At first, the woman stayed with her new love, later she left him for her summer sweetheart. In the third ending, she ditched the both and joined the army.

“Vuonna 85 was a fun show, but I believe that it also touched people. Many were surprised to find out how moving the musical was. People often denounce musicals as light and mindless entertainment, and on top of that, this one was a comedy… But many people found themselves crying during the show”, actor Jari Ahola describes.

Party like it's 1985! A scene from the Manserock musical.
Photo: Jaakko Vuorenmaa.

Finnish Fans

Vuonna 85 had lots of devoted fans. Many of them saw the musical dozens of times.

Audience members dressed up in the style of the 80s. There were fan meetups, meetings with the actors and 80s theme parties. From the theatre’s souvenir shop, audience members could buy cast recordings, karaoke DVDs and even Manserock themed board games.

“It was great to see the show having fans who enthused about their favourite characters. That’s quite rare in theatre. In a way, with this musical, you could pretend to be a rock star for a while”, Ahola, who played one of the musical’s leads, says.

“The fans dressed up as the musical’s characters, and sent us plenty of gifts. All sorts of teddy bears, clothes, perfumes and drinks – and once, I even received a pair of men’s underpants. An unused pair, though!” he laughs.

During the six years in the theatre’s repertoire, the musical was fine-tuned multiple times, resulting in revamped versions called Manserock the Musical Remix and Manserock the Golden Turbo Platinum Edition. What’s more, there were sing-along performances and a spinoff musical featuring some of the original’s characters that was performed in a nearby outdoor theatre.

The musical was also adapted for film. It was one of the most popular Finnish movies in 2013, but its success pales in comparison of the live musical’s nearly 300 000 watchers: the movie was only seen by 160 000 people.

Whistle while you work. Hard labour in the style of Vuonna 85.
Photo: Jaakko Vuorenmaa.

Manserock Returns

In December 2012, Vuonna 85 was performed for the last time.

But Tampereen Työväen Teatteri’s big success is far from forgotten. Nowadays Mauno Peppone, one of the main characters from the musical, has his own solo musical Mauno Peppone − elämä, kuolema ja comeback. The new show has been in the theatre’s repertoire from January 2014. The most enthusiastic fans have already seen the sequel dozens of times too.

In Vuonna 85, Mauno Peppone was a young machine factory worker who dreamed of being a rock star. By the end of the second act, his dream came true. The solo show takes place in the middle of the original. Mauno falls asleep after a long day at work and dreams of stardom. In the sequel, the soundtrack isn’t fully Finnish anymore – instead, the history of rock gets rewritten during the show.

“I’m incredibly grateful to have experienced a success like this. I’ve put Mauno’s shoes on on nine autumns in a row. It’s not often you get to test how a character grows during the years like this”, actor Jari Ahola says.

So far, there’s no end in sight for Mauno Peppone.

“Judging from the standing ovations, the audience seems to really like the show. Hopefully we’ll get to perform it for a long while”, Ahola wishes.

Jari Ahola as Mauno Peppone, performing with Alabama House Band.
Photo: Kari Sunnari.

Pop Musicals Take Helsinki

Sweden is another of Finland’s official languages, and about five percent of Finns speak Swedish as their native language. Therefore there are some Swedish-speaking theatres in the country. Svenska Teatern in Helsinki is especially known for their musicals.

In 1994, Svenska Teatern premiered Hype the Musical, a show aimed at young people. It was a hit. The premiere audience applauded the show for fifteen minutes and the musical’s songs were even played on the radio. Listen to one of them here.

After fifteen years, it was again time for Fenno-Swedish musical production for young theatregoers. Svenska Teatern’s brand-new PlayMe the Musical was premiered in autumn 2009.

PlayMe is a story about a boy who creates a virtual reality, and a girl who wants to become a star. The two meet each other when the girl gets lost in the virtual world and the boy has to save her.

“The story also features a media mogul. He produces talent contests in the style of American Idol. The musical’s plot interconnects online worlds, dreams of stardom and abuse”, director Maria Sid describes the story.

“We wanted to make a new pop musical. Besides Hype, there haven’t really been any in Finland”, Sid tells about PlayMe’s creation.

The production searched for new talent both onstage and outside the theatre. Ten members of the musical’s cast were found via an online talent contest. The competition continued in the theatre: during the intermission, the audience could use their cellphones to vote for their favourite performance.

“In the beginning of the second act, it turns out the media mogul doesn’t care about the vote at all. Instead, he does what he wants to. I wanted to show the audience what the truth behind television’s talent contests is”, Sid says.

A scene from PlayMe. Photo: Cata Portin.

PlayMe Goes Abroad

In the 90s, PlayMe’s predecessor Hype was performed for two years and seen by over 100 000 people. In its turn, PlayMe only ran for one season and for an audience of 40 000. But that wasn’t the end of the musical’s story. Instead of Finnish stages, the show has found new audiences abroad.

In 2012, PlayMe premiered in Theater Chemnitz in eastern Germany. The show was produced by a German crew but according Svenska Teatern’s original concept. Some of the cast was again found via online auditions.

In 2013, PlayMe left for a Chinese tour.

Director Maria Sid, choreographer Reija Wäre and light designer Joonas Tikkanen traveled to China in late 2013. They worked on a new production with performers from the South China Song and Dance Ensemble. In December 2013, PlayMe started touring the biggest Chinese cities.

“The Chinese don’t know how to produce musical theatre like this. Besides buying the rights to the musical, they wanted to employ the original creative team to work on the production”, Sid explains.

In China, the online auditions were scrapped. Besides translating the Swedish lyrics into Chinese, the text was modified to fit local tastes.

“It was the same show, but slightly edited for Chinese audiences. Chinese humor is different from Finnish, so some bits had to be rewritten. We tried our best to understand Chinese culture. That was the hardest part of this work.”

Sid says the Finnish musical fits Chinese culture well.

“Stardom and the online world have an even bigger role in China than in Finland.”

A moment from PlayMe's German production. Photo: Theater Chemnitz.

Jukebox Life Stories

The most popular Finnish musical production ever, Vuonna 85, was a jukebox musical. All of its songs already existed before the musical was written.

Even though many musicals with all-new music are staged in Finland every year, jukebox shows are especially popular all around the country. Musical plays that retell a famous artist’s life story through their hits are often produced in Finnish theatres. Dozens of Finnish stars have their own musical.

One of these stars is Rauli "Badding" Somerjoki. Somerjoki was a popular singer-songwriter who, suffering from long-time alcoholism, died as a 39-year-old. Listen to one of his best-known songs here.

Last autumn, Vaasan kaupunginteatteri premiered Badding − rokkiin ja takaisin, a musical about Somerjoki’s life.

“It’s incredible how such an ugly life can leave behind so much beauty”, theatre manager Erik Kiviniemi summarises the musical’s theme.

Vaasan kaupunginteatteri’s musical is new, but it’s not the first time Somerjoki’s tragic story has been told onstage. Another musical based on Somerjoki’s life premiered in Tampere at the same time as the Vaasa production, and there have been many different versions before these two.

During its first season in the theatre’s repertoire, Vaasa’s version has proved to be a hit. Kiviniemi believes that despite all the musical adaptations, there are still stories to tell about the popular musician’s life.

“From the very start, it was really important for us to do this seriously. We don’t do a concert that features the artist’s music and ties some silly story around it. Instead, we want to give an accurate picture of Rauli Somerjoki’s life.”

Kiviniemi says a jukebox musical is perfect for Vaasan kaupunginteatteri, a middle-sized theatre on Finland’s western coast.

“Vaasan kaupunginteatteri employs dramatic actors who also know how to sing. If you want to produce an American show, like Chicago or Shrek the Musical… Americans and Swedes are better at those. But if you want to produce a world-class show here, a musical like this is the right choice.”

A scene from Badding − rokkiin ja takaisin, with the titular character
(played by Oiva Nuojua) on the right. Photo: Jyrki Tervo.

Source used: Satu Räty-Tuominen: Vuonna 85 Manserock -musikaalin lyhyt oppimäärä eli menestystekijät ilmiön takana.

Finnish Musicals: Fiddlers, Logs, and Sounds of Music

The Life and Times of Musical Theatre in Finland, part 1/4. Read this part in Finnish here.

In the first part of the series, we'll take a look at Finland's favourite musicals of all times. The list of favourites is international, but the number one spot is held by an all-Finnish classic...

On Friday the 13th, 1899, musical history was made in The Finnish National Theatre. It’s a small wonder, though, that the show in question featured music at all. The songs had been written only a couple of weeks before, and the script had been revised all the way to the premiere. The writers didn’t believe their piece would be much of a success.

Against all expectations, the all-Finnish musical comedy Tukkijoella was a huge hit. During its first season in the theatre’s repertoire, it was performed dozens of times for full houses. Even the usually restrained premiere audience laughed out loud.

Written by Teuvo Pakkala and composed by Oskar Merikanto, both well-known Finnish artists, Tukkijoella has been produced in Finnish professional theatres more often than any other musical. It has been seen by more people than any other Finnish play. Since its premiere in 1899, it’s been revised in theatres all around the country over 130 times – and that number only includes fully professional productions!

A scene from The Finnish National Theatre's early 20th century
production of Tukkijoella. Photo from the theatre's archive.

The Number One Favourite

The show’s title, Tukkijoella, loosely translates as “We’re Log Driving”. In the main storyline, the daughter of a respected family is courted by the mischievous leader of a group of log drivers. The girl’s father is furious, until it turns out the log driver is actually a wealthy farm-owner. The father then gives the couple his blessing and the lovers get their happily-ever-after. In the subplots, a villainous servant of the crown is defeated and the other log drivers also find romance.

“It’s a fine portrayal of the Finnish way of living, both the way it used to be and the way it still is. Friendship in between men is also an important theme of the piece”, director Pentti Kotkaniemi describes the story. Kotkaniemi directed Tukkijoella for Turun kaupunginteatteri in 2008.

Tukkijoella is such a popular show that it has been adapted for film three times. The musical play was turned into a silent movie in 1928. The silent film was followed by two all-singing-all-dancing versions, released in 1937 and in 1951.

The number of film adaptations pales in comparison to the number of times Tukkijoella has been performed live in Finnish theatres. It’s been a hit on both professional and amateur stages all over the country. New amateur productions still premiere every year. Tukkijoella has even returned to the repertoire of The Finnish National Theatre – half a dozen times, most lately in the 70s.

Tukkijoella has been seen as a guaranteed success for any theatre. Critics have thought the piece’s humor and energy, its charming characters and, nowadays, the audience’s nostalgia and appreciation for camp are keys to the show’s success.

Tukkijoella is a comedy, but it can also have serious undertones. Tampereen Työväen Teatteri’s 1971 production added a new undercurrent about nature conservation into the story. The politic movements of the 70s also influenced the way Finnish audience interpreted certain aspects of the story.

This revised version of Tukkijoella turned out to be a massive hit.

The performances ran for eight years, and the play returned to the theatre’s repertoire in the 80s. The original production and the revival combined, Tampereen Työväen Teatteri’s Tukkijoella was seen by almost 250 000 people. It’s a number only a small handful of Finnish theatrical productions have ever been able to reach. The production also visited Stockholm and went on a short tour of the United States – complete with a performance on Broadway.

A scene from Turun kaupunginteatteri's 2006 production.
Photo: Robert Seger.

Return of the Log Drivers

The latest professional production of Tukkijoella premiered in Turun kaupunginteatteri in 2008.

“Directing this play was on my ‘To Do’ list ever since I saw Tampereen Työväen Teatteri’s production in the 70s”, director Pentti Kotkaniemi says.

In Turun kaupunginteatteri, the 19th century play was brought a bit closer to the present. The log drivers wore modern jackets and worked with chainsaws. Kotkaniemi says that regardless of the visual changes, the production wasn’t a modern version of the story.

“We decided to abandon the museum-like late 19th century style right from the start. But since the dialogue and the story are over a hundred years old, there’s no way of fully modernising the play without touching the script.”

Turun kaupunginteatteri’s production of Tukkijoella was seen by almost 18 000 people. But after the derniere, there has been a log jam on the river. No professional theatre has produced Finland’s most popular musical in over six years.

Despite this break in performances, Kotkaniemi believes that there’s still room for the classic in theatres’ repertoires.

“I would indeed be interested in directing the play a second time. I’ve suggested revising it to a certain theatre – and who knows, maybe the project will take flight one day.”

A tender moment from Tampereen Työväen Teatteri's 2012
production of Countess Maritza. Photo: Jonne Renvall.

Finnish Favourites

Even though Finns’ number one favourite musical is a completely domestic work, Finnish audiences are also captivated by imported pieces. Maybe surprisingly, the list of Finland’s most often performed musical plays is not dominated by Broadway musicals but Hungarian operettas.

Die Csárdásfürstin or The Gypsy Princess, Victoria and Her Hussar and Die lustige Witwe or The Merry Widow are all featured on the list of the musical plays most often produced in Finland. Hungarian operettas were especially popular in the beginning of the 20th century. They formed the backbone of many theatres’ repertoires. Nowadays, operetta isn’t seen on Finnish stages nearly as often, though new productions of old favourites still pop up every now and then.

Certain Broadway musicals have also been very successful in Finland. Unlike operettas, their success continues to this day.

Fiddler on the Roof is Finland’s most popular American musical. The story about Jews being evicted from their village by the Russian Tsar has been produced professionally 48 times.

Both the first Finnish Fiddler and the latest production of the classic were seen in Helsingin kaupunginteatteri. This theatre in the Finnish capital is the home to the country’s biggest musical productions.

The original Finnish production of Fiddler on the Roof ran from 1966 to 1971. Over 319 000 people watched the musical. It’s the biggest audience any Finnish theatrical production has ever gathered. The 2012 revival ran for one season only, but the musical is still loved by theatregoers. The new production, with 71 000 spectators, was the most popular play of the 2012–13 Finnish theatrical season.

A scene from Helsingin kaupunginteatteri's 1966 production of
Fiddler on the Roof. Photo from the theatre's archive.

Classic with a Current Theme

“The story of Fiddler on the Roof has not aged at all. Emigration is a universal theme”, Helsingin kaupunginteatteri’s manager Asko Sarkola says.

Sarkola tells the cast and crew available influenced Helsingin kaupunginteatteri’s decision to bring the classic back in 2012.

“Director Hans Berntsson’s family emigrated from Russia to Finland, and later from Finland to Sweden. Therefore Berntsson has a personal connection to Fiddler’s story. After finding the director, I called Esko Roine [one of Finland’s best-known and most prolific actors, has played many musical roles in Helsingin kaupunginteatteri] and asked him if he had ever considered playing Tevye. Roine told me that yes, the thought had crossed his mind.”

In the 60s, a part of Fiddler’s popularity could be explained by how people could identify with the story. The evicted villagers reminded the Finnish public of the evacuation of Eastern Finland after losing land to Russia after World War II. In the 60s, many Finns also moved to Sweden in search of employment.

The 2012 version didn’t even try to live up to the huge success of the first production. Sarkola says a success like that is always a surprise.

“The 2012 Fiddler on the Roof was as popular as our other musicals around the same time. It reached our audience goal. Big successes are always matters of chance – and in a way, they’re miracles, too. In a hit like the original Fiddler, a piece of theatre and the way the nation feels at the moment have to meet.”

The new sewing machine still amazed the villagers in 2012.
Photo: Tapio Vanhatalo.

Trapp Family Singers Claim New Land

The list of Finland’s most popular foreign musicals is continued by The Threepenny Opera, Cabaret, My Fair Lady and The Sound of Music. New productions of these classics have lately premiered in professional theatres both big and small all around the country.

This season, the love story of an aspiring nun and a militant captain takes the stage in Eastern Finland, in Kuopion kaupunginteatteri. The theatre’s manager Pekka Laasonen says the evergreen favourite was chosen for the repertoire to celebrate the theatre’s newly renovated building.

“Our theatre was under renovation for two years. We decided the new season should start with a big musical on the big stage.”

Laasonen says the theatre considered dozens of Finnish, English, American and Central European musicals. They decided to go with the classic when they learned a surprising fact about it.

“It turned out The Sound of Music had never before been performed in Kuopio before. We made the decision rather quickly after finding that out.”

Laasonen says the beloved piece was also chosen because it’s suitable for all ages, even children. What’s more, collaborating with the town’s orchestra gives the classic new energy.

“The musical’s right holders were really glad to hear our Sound of Music features such a big orchestra. There are over 20 musicians involved with the production. It’s almost as big an orchestra as the one the music was originally written for. It’s rare to perform this piece with so many musicians today – rare not only in Finland, but all over the world.”

Order! A scene from Kuopion kaupunginteatteri's production of
The Sound of Music. Photo: Ari Ijäs.

Sources used: Ilona database, Kansaa teatterissa – Helsingin kaupunginteatterin historia by Pirkko Koski & Misa Palander, Näyttämöllä – teatterihistoriaa Suomesta by Pentti Paavolainen & Aino Kukkonen, Tasavallan toinen teatteri – Tampereen Työväen Teatteri 1964–2001 by Panu Rajala.