Otteita Suomen Kansallismusikaalin leikekirjasta

Toim. huom. Otteet on muokattu 2020-luvun suomen kielelle, jotta tämän blogin lukijoiden olisi mahdollisimman helppoa ymmärtää niiden sisältöä. Myös tekstien muotoilua ja muita konventioita on muokattu 2020-luvun tyylin mukaiseksi lukemisen helpottamiseksi.

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TIEDOTE
Julkaisuvapaa 25.1.2112

Suomen Kansallismusikaalin avajaisohjelmisto "ajankohtaisempi kuin koskaan"

Suomen Kansallismusikaalin avajaisia juhlitaan TOVE!-uutuusmusikaalin kantaesityksen merkeissä. Avajaiskevään ohjelmistoon kuuluu myös klassikkomusikaaleja sekä Suomesta että ulkomailta.

Suomen Kansallismusikaalin Töölönlahden rannalle noussut talo vihitään käyttöön torstaina 28.1. TOVE!-musikaalin sävelin. Kyseessä on Diana Lipon tilaustyönä Kansallismusikaalille säveltämä ja sanoittama teos, joka päivittää legendaarisen kuvataiteilija-kirjailija Tove Janssonin elämäntarinan 2110-luvulle.

"En ollut uskoa korviani, kun kuulin, että Tove Janssonista ei vielä ole tehty omaa musikaalia, ja päätin heti, että tilanne on korjattava! Kuka olisi kiehtovampi keskushenkilö Suomen Kansallismusikaalin avajaisteokselle kuin tämä kaksi Suurin suomalainen -äänestystä voittanut taiteilija?" Kansallismusikaalin taiteellinen johtaja Eevi Soini-Soininen kommentoi.

TOVE!-musikaalin rinnalla avajaiskuukauden ohjelmistossa vuorottelee kotimainen klassikkomusikaali Tom of Finland, joka kertoo TOVE!-musikaalin tapaan Suomen taiteen 2. kultakaudella toimineen ikonisen kuvataiteijan tarinan. Teos saa ensi-iltansa torstaina 4.2.

2010-luvulla kantaesitetty Tom of Finland painui esityskautensa jälkeen unholaan useiksi vuosikymmeniksi, kunnes se palasi suomalaisen musikaaliyleisön tietoisuuteen Taideyliopiston Teatterikorkeakoulun musikaalilinjan tulkintana 2060-luvun puolivälissä. 2010-luvun nostalgiaa tihkunut opiskelijatuotanto valloitti katsojien sydämet ja teos juurtui nopeasti osaksi maamme ammattilais- ja harrastajanäyttämöiden rakastetuinta vakio-ohjelmistoa. Kansallismusikaalin uusi tulkinta yhdistää historiallisia elementtejä 2110-luvun estetiikkaan.

"Pian sata vuotta täyttävä musikaali tarjoaa arvokkaan näkökulman suomalaisen sateenkaariyhteisön historiaan, mutta samalla se on yhä edelleen ajankohtaisempi kuin koskaan", teoksen ohjaajana toimiva Soini-Soininen toteaa.

Loppukevään ohjelmistossa rakastettuja suursuosikkeja

Avajaiskevään ohjelmistossa nähdään myös useita kansainvälisiä klassikkomusikaaleja.

To 25.2. saa ensi-iltansa suurmusikaali The Revenge of the Baritones, joka nostaa esille Kansallismusikaalin hurmaavan baritoniensemblen. Lontoon West Endissä 2050-luvulla kantaesitetyn teoksen syntyhistoriaan liittyy kiehtova Suomi-yhteys, josta voi kuunnella lisää Kansallismusikaalin podcastin jaksosta "Maailmanmusikaalien suomalaiset taustat".

To 17.3. ensi-iltaan tulee rakastettu klassikkomusikaali Viulunsoittaja katolla, joka on pitänyt hallussaan suomalaisen musikaalihistorian esitetyimmän ulkomaisen musikaalin paikkaa jo miltei 150 vuoden ajan. Kansallismusikaalin uusi ohjaus toteutetaan perinteitä ja teoksen pitkää esityshistoriaa kunnioittaen.

Kevään viimeinen ensi-ilta on säveltäjämestari Frank Wildhornin viimeiseksi teokseksi jäänyt, Suomessa ennennäkemätön Broadway-klassikko RMS Titanic, joka saa ensi-iltansa kuuluisan laivan uppoamisen 200-vuotispäivänä pe 15.4. Historiasta ja aikansa suosituimpiin kuuluneesta elokuvasta inspiraationsa ammentavan, koskettavan rakkaustarinan kertovan musikaalin tapahtumat on Kansallismusikaalin tulkinnassa sijoitettu epäonniselle MarsShuttle 245 -avaruusalukselle.

"Suomen Kansallismusikaalin tavoitteena on välittää suomalaisille musikaalien hurmaa ja samalla laajentaa niihin liittyvää yleissivistystä. Saavutamme tavoitteemme parhaiten kiinnittämällä huomiota ohjelmistomme monipuolisuuteen. Lupaan, että kevään esityskalenterista löytyy mielestä katsottavaa sekä pitkän linjan musikaalien ystäville että vasta musikaaliharrastustaan aloitteleville katsojille", taiteellinen johtaja Eevi Soini-Soininen sanoo.

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Suomen Kansallismusikaali on Suomen kansallinen musikaalinäyttämö ja maan ainoa pelkästään musikaaleihin keskittyvä taidelaitos. Suomen Kansallismusikaalin talossa (sijaitsee entisen Finlandia-talon paikalla) on kolme näyttämöä ja EyeLense Liv& -esitystila, joissa nähdään vuosittain 10–12 ensi-iltaa ja useita vierailevia teoksia.

Live-liput kaikkiin kevään 2112 esityksiin ovat myynnissä Ticketmaster-palvelussa. Lisäksi EU-maiden kansalaisille on tarjolla EyeLense-lisenssejä kauden ensi-iltoihin, ks. eyelense/finnishnationalmusical

Lisätiedot ja haastattelupyynnöt: Suomen Kansallismusikaalin tiedottaja Nikodeema Korhonen, Telewarp-yhteys ¤nikodeema.kansallismusikaali tai 293 583 46½

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(Ote teoksesta "Suomen Kansallismusikaali 50 vuotta", julkaistu v. 2162, toimittanut Marha Juutinrauma)

Six-musikaali (säv. ja san. Toby Marlow ja Lucy Moss) sai ensi-iltansa Suomen Kansallismusikaalissa syksyllä 2116. Se avasi esityssarjan, jonka tarkoitus oli esitellä suomalaiselle yleisölle musikaaligenren kehitykseen voimakkaimmin vaikuttaneita teoksia niiden alkuperäisessä muodossa. Ohjauksessa oli pyritty rekonstruoimaan teoksen alkuperäinen ylöspano mahdollisimman tarkasti käyttäen hyödyksi vuonna 2024 julkaistua proshot-tallennetta Lontoon-kantaesityksestä. Teoksen visuaaliset elementit toteutettiin 2000-luvun alun tekniikoilla ja myös äänisuunnittelussa hyödynnettiin aikakauden estetiikkaa.

Kansallismusikaalin johto elätteli suuria toiveita esityssarjan suhteen, ehkäpä avajaiskauden perinnetietoisen Viulunsoittaja katolla -ohjauksen menestyksen rohkaisemana. Pettymys oli ymmärrettävästi suuri, kun huomattiin, miten viileän vastaanoton sadan vuoden takaisia teatterin tyylikeinoja toisintava Six-ohjaus sai osakseen. Musiikin, lyriikan ja dialogin viittaukset varhaisen 2000-luvun popkulttuuriin olivat 2110-luvun yleisölle pitkälti käsittämättömiä, ja kuningatarten puvustus näyttäytyi kirkkaisiin väreihin ja rohkeisiin muotoihin tottuneille katsojille perin tylsänä ja arkisena. Vaikka musikaalin oheismateriaalissa pyrittiinkin avaamaan Beyoncén, Britney Spearsin ja muiden Marlow'ta ja Mossia inspiroineiden vuosituhannen vaihteen artistien merkitystä oman aikakautensa kulttuurissa ja yhteiskunnassa, koki yleisö muutamia musiikki- ja musikaalihistorian harrastajia lukuun ottamatta ohjauksen liian vaikeaselkoiseksi ja kuivakkaaksi. Lopulta Six-musikaalia esitettiin Kansallismusikaalissa rekonstruoidussa muodossaan vain 16 kertaa, ja ajatus historiallisia merkkimusikaaleja täysin alkuperäisessä muodossaan toisintavasta esityssarjasta hylättiin.

Vuonna 2124 Suomen Kansallismusikaali toi ensi-iltaan uuden Six-ohjauksen. Teosta pyrittiin uutta tuotantoa varten uudistamaan ja paikallistamaan niin, että moderni suomalainen musikaaliyleisö saattoi paremmin samaistua näkemäänsä: lyriikan ja dialogin sisältämät viittaukset ja slangisanat päivitettiin 2120-luvulle, ja 1500-luvun Tudor-kuningatarten sijaan tarina kertoi edellisen vuosisadan suomalaisista naispääministereistä alkaen v. 2019 valtaan nousseesta Sanna Marinista (alkuperäisteoksessa Katariina Aragonialainen). Kansallismusikaalin johdon helpotukseksi uustulkinta otettiin lämmöllä vastaan. Ohjaus sai loistavat arvostelut ja pysyi Kansallismusikaalin ohjelmistossa yli vuosikymmenen ajan.

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Suomen Sanomat 28.10.2127
Kulttuuri | Musikaaliarvostelu

Kansallismusikaalin uudelleenlämmitetyn RMS Titanicin ikä alkaa näkyä – mauttomuuden taso pysynyt ennallaan

Marko-Marius Lahtisen tökerö ohjaus sotkee kahden vuosisadan takaisen valtamerionnettomuuden ja fiktiivisen rakkaustarinan lähihistorian suurimpaan avaruustragediaan.

Elokuva- ja musikaalihistorian harrastajat tuntevat hyvin RMS Titanic -musikaalin sotkuisen syntytarinan: vuosituhannen vaihteen tunnetuimpiin elokuvaohjaajiin kuulunut James Cameron sekoitti asiansa pahasti 2030-luvulla Avatar 8 -elokuvaan liittyneen kohun jälkimainingeissa, eikä hänelle jäänyt maineensa ja taloutensa pelastamiseksi muuta vaihtoehtoa kuin myydä aikaisemman hittielokuvansa Titanicin esitysoikeudet Broadwayn musikaalituottajille.

Musikaalin ensi-ilta venyi useiden vaikeuksien ja skandaalien johdosta pitkälle 2050-luvun puolelle. Broadway-historian kalleimman musikaalituotannon ennätyksen rikkonut teos ei tuottanut voittoa koko 23-vuotisen esityskautensa aikana, mutta sen säveltäjä Frank Wildhorn palkittiin teoksesta postuumisti parhaan musikaalisävellyksen Tony-palkinnolla. Musikaalin maailmanlaajuinen fanikunta on pysynyt uskollisena suosikkiteokselleen vuosikymmenestä toiseen.

Ikävä kyllä Suomen Kansallismusikaalin ohjelmistoon palannut RMS Titanic -tulkinta tekee sekavuudellaan ja mauttomuudellaan kunniaa musikaalin epämääräiselle syntyhistorialle.

WILDHORNIN TEOKSET OVAT nousseet muutaman viime vuosikymmenen aikana Suomessa huomattavasti suurempaan suosioon kuin ne olivat säveltäjämestarin omana elinaikana. Wildhorn-into näkyy myös Kansallismusikaalin ohjelmistovalinnoissa. 2020-luvun alun koronapandemiaan sijoitettu Jekyll & Hyde on Kansallismusikaalilta erityisen onnistunut Wildhorn-tulkinta, mutta samaa ei voi sanoa vuoden 2112 avajaisohjelmistosta lämmitetystä RMS Titanic -ohjauksesta.

Ohjaaja Marko-Marius Lahtisen tökerössä käsittelyssä yli 200 vuotta sitten seilanneelle valtameriristeilijälle sijoittuva tarina on siirretty tapahtumaan surullisenkuuluisalle MarsShuttle 245 -avaruusalukselle. Vuonna 2087 tuhoutuneen aluksen kohtalo nostaa edelleen monien katsojien mieleen surullisia muistoja. Lahtisen valintaa sekoittaa musikaalin imelä rakkaustarina lähihistorian suurimpaan avaruusonnettomuuteen onkin kritisoitu voimakkaasti jo ohjauksen edellisillä esityskausilla.

Kritiikki ei ole estänyt Suomen kansallismusikaalia palauttamasta ohjausta ohjelmistoonsa nyt jo neljättä kertaa. Lahtisen ohjauksen lukemattomat kliseet, kömpelyydet ja epäloogisuudet eivät nekään tunnu pitävän maksavaa yleisöä poissa.

ESITYKSEN PARASTA ANTIA ovat nuorten musikaalinäyttelijöiden Ristiina Valajärven ja Jää Asanten roolityöt musikaalin lemmenparin Jackin ja Rosen rooleissa. Kaksikossa on raikkautta ja häikäilemätöntä teini-ikäistä energiaa, jollaista Kansallismusikaalin päänäyttämöllä ei ole totuttu näkemään.

Myös Rosen mustasukkaisen kihlatun Calin roolissa nähtävä Orava Susitaipale tekee vahvaa työtä. Hänen tulkintansa Calin itsemurha-aariasta on kolmannen näytöksen huippuhetki – siitä huolimatta, että Lahtisen ohjaus jostain käsittämättömästä syystä sijoittaa kohtauksen avaruusaluksen samaan aikaan ilmiliekeissä roihuavaan ja vettä tulvivaan ilmalukkoon.

Kansallismusikaalin ensemble tulkitsee pienemmät roolit totutulla varmuudella. Huomion varastaa etenkin lyhyissä koomisissa kohtauksissa aluksen juoppoa leipuria esittävä Jama Dahir.

VIELÄ 15 VUOTTA sitten Kansallismusikaalin RMS Titanic edusti tekoälytehosteisen holovirtaesitysteknologian terävintä kärkeä. Ala on kuitenkin kehittynyt nopeasti, joten naftaliinista kaivettu ja päivittämättä jätetty Kristo Veistaron suunnittelema audiovisuaalinen maailma tuntuu ajastaan jääneeltä.

Kari-Kaisa Matsudan suunnittelema periodipuvustus on vanhentunut arvokkaammin, vaikka sen erikoinen ratkaisu yhdistää fotorealistisella 2080-luvun avaruusaluksella oleilevien matkustajien vaatetukseen 1910-luvun muodin yksityiskohtia ei vieläkään tunnu täysin luontevalta. Myös Ainotar Koivun koreografia on enimmäkseen säilyttänyt teränsä.

Frank Wildhornin klassinen musikaalimusiikki soi kapellimestari Daniela Olssonin johtamana kauniimmin kuin koskaan. Jos katsoja sulkee silmänsä mammuttimusikaalin koko kolmen ja puolen tunnin keston ajaksi ja tukkii myös korvansa dialogikohtausten aikana, on ikimuistoinen musikaalielämys taattu.

Helmi Niska

Musical Fan Art and Me

A while ago, a friend and fellow blogger Pieta wrote a fascinating text (Finnish only) about musical fan art that really got me thinking. I'm a musical fanartist but I haven't ever really discussed the topic in this blog. Maybe it's about time!

One of my first pieces of musical fanart.
Cats in Lahden kaupunginteatteri. 2008.
Based on the production's poster.

My relationship with art is just like anyone else's who enjoys drawing: I've been drawing as long as I can remember. It's something I cannot not do. Attending art lessons, sketching my favourite movie and anime characters, always drawing in my sketchbook in school...

I have never aspired to become a "real" artist. First and foremost, drawing is a way for me to relax and to have fun. I've always enjoyed drawing fictional characters I like, so once I got into musical theatre, it was only natural I started sketching the characters I saw onstage.

Les Misérables. 2010.

Over my eight years as a musical fan so far, I've created hundreds and hundreds of pieces of musical fanart. Traditional, digital, drawings, paintings, quick sketches, comics, detailed drawings... My fanart archive has it all.

When a musical catches my attention, I enjoy reliving it via fanart. Often, drawings help me to process the experience. Many times, I feel I'm not really done with an interesting show if I haven't drawn a single sketch based on it. It's like the show keeps nagging at my brain until I put it down on paper, as a quick sketch or two at least.

Or as a character lineup. Les Misérables, Åbo Svenska Teater. 2010.

 

Les Misérables, Åbo Svenska Teater. 2012.
Based on a promotional image for the production.

Of course, seeing dozens of shows every year, there is no time to draw something based on all of them. Instead, I tend to focus on one favourite at a time.

For many many years, that number one favourite used to be Les Misérables. Les Mis has everything: period costumes, blood and action, fascinating relationships, serious characters to make fun of. Zombies? Laser? Cats? There are Les Mis drawings in my archives that feature it all.

Last page of a fancomic – Jean Valjean and Javert
enjoying a nice cup of tea. 2011.

The Hero of the Republic – Laser Enjolras. 2013.

Three Enjolrati about to overthrow a government. 2013.
This is one of my personal favourite drawings.

Nasty fandom infighting and finding new favourite shows has made Les Mis take a backseat in my brain for a while. I still return to it every now and then, but for the past two years, I've been especially fascinated by another show – the first Finnish production of Jekyll & Hyde in Turun kaupunginteatteri.

For reasons I cannot really explain (though I have tried), the show hit me like a ton of bricks. It invited me into its world and hasn't let me out ever since. The production's run ended two years ago, so I cannot see the show I fell in love with anymore. But via fanart, I can still travel back to Jekyll and Hyde's London.

Hyde feeling alive. 2014.
Based on Robert Seger's gorgeous photo.

Jekyll, Utterson and Sir Danvers Carew's port wine. 2014.
Another personal favourite.

Edward Hyde. 2015.

Lucy and Utterson. 2016.

Sometimes, it's fun to replicate production photos. But usually, my fanart isn't about repeating what I see onstage.

Whether it's changing character designs (if I think a character should have a new costume – or different hairline, nose or whatever than the actor portraying them onstage – in my drawings, it's within my power to make those changes) or coming up with new scenes for my favourite characters... I'm trying to put my own spin on the show in question, not to make a carbon copy of anything.

Glinda and Elphaba from Wicked. 2013.

Fanart gives me a way to explore the stories and characters further, to portray them in my own way. I suppose many fanfiction writers feel similarly about their texts. I think in many ways, it's the same thing, we just work with different media. We fans cannot alter the musical productions we see nor stage our own, but we can put our own interpretations and feelings on paper.

Fantine. 2013.

This is not to say all of my drawings are deep explorations of something. Some are to capture and share onstage moments that would otherwise be lost forever. And many of them are just for fun. I love making people smile and laugh with my drawings.

Some years ago, I often drew pictures that showed characters from different musicals getting together to have a party. One of my all-time favourite subjects is to show a character doing some silly thing that would never happen onstage. The more serious the character, the better!

A musical pyjama party. 2010.

Enjolras in a hurry. 2014.

And sometimes it's just very relaxing to sketch your favourite characters and forget everything that stresses you out for a while. First and foremost, I draw for myself. For my own amusement and artistic growth.

Some characters simply have a design that's fun to draw.
Judas, Åbo Svenska Teater's Jesus Christ Superstar. 2015.

Or Professor Abronsius.
Helsingin kaupunginteatteri's Tanz der Vampire. 2016.

Even so, it's nice to show others what I have created. I'm sure you've noticed that if you follow any of my social media accounts... Fanart can be a way of sharing an especially inspiring theatrical performance with others.

Father and daughter Carew.
Jyväskylän kaupunginteatteri's Jekyll & Hyde. 2015.

And of course it's nice when my art gets noticed. If I'm feeling especially confident about some sketch, I may tag the theatre or actor who inspired it – and I always feel a little freaked out doing that. I want to show them that they made an impression on me and inspired me to draw, but at the same time... What if they don't like my drawing! A like or a comment from the person tagged can be a nice ego booster.

Some other drawings are, first and foremost, meant for my fellow fans. Sometimes, it's nice turning shared interpretations, fan theories or fandom inside jokes into drawings. Nothing better than making a fellow fan happy, or emotional.

Seinäjoen kaupunginteatteri's Count von Krolock meets
Helsingin kaupunginteatteri's Count von Krolock. 2015. 

But even so, I would keep drawing musical fanart even if my sketches never got any likes. It's such an important way for me to process and relive the musicals I have seen.

Sarah's daydream. Loosely based on Helsingin kaupunginteatteri's
production of Tanz der Vampire. 2016.

It's not possible to draw fanart based on all shows I like. But when it comes to the most memorable experiences, the shows that really touch me, I think I will always keep a sketchpad on hand. It's one of my favourite feelings, a piece of theatre inspiring me to create something of my own.

My latest finished piece of fanart.
Utterson and Jekyll, Turun kaupunginteatteri's Jekyll & Hyde. 2016.

Miserable in Denmark

I've now seen three productions of Les Misérables directed by Georg Malvius: Åbo Svenska Teater and Tampereen Teatteri here in Finland, and, last weekend, Aarhus Teater in Denmark.

I loudly dissed Tampereen Teatteri when they announced they would stage a replica of the ÅST production. So when a new replica of the recent Finnish Les Mis productions pops up in Denmark – naturally I'll travel a thousand kilometers to see it. Don't bother asking. I can't really explain how I came to this decision.

Aarhus Les Mis is, of course, essentially the same thing we've seen twice in Finland. Same sets and costumes and general direction (though I have to mention it felt less of a copy of the Finnish shows than the TT production feels of the ÅST production. Both TT and Aarhus replicate a lot of ÅST's blocking, but I felt the Danish production gives the actors more freedom when it comes to movement) – I don't think I have much to say about the production as a whole anymore.

So let's try a slightly different approach to reviewing this time.

Jean Valjean: Stig Rossen

Javert: Peter Jorde

Fantine: Christina Elisabeth Mørkøre

Thénardier: Anders Bircow

Mme Thénardier: Jenny Asterius Persson

Marius: Thomas Høj

Cosette: Isabel Schwartzbach

Éponine: Mercedesz Csampai

Enjolras: Christoffer Brodersen 

Overall, I'm glad I traveled to see this one.

Especially for Javert.

Audience Participation

I saw Rocky Horror Show at Turun kaupunginteatteri yesterday. I don't have much to say about it. I went there because I live close to the theatre. When an opportunity to see a new musical next door presents itself, I tend to take it. But going in already, I was quite sure I wouldn't much enjoy the show. I was right. Not a new favourite.

Rocky Horror Show is, as most musical fans know, famous for its audience participation. The production I just saw puts plenty of emphasis on that. The story makes no sense, and while the music is catchy, the most exciting part of the show is getting to take part in it. You can throw things onstage and shout at the characters. There's a sort of a script for the audience to follow, when to throw and what to shout. In Turun kaupunginteatteri, a participation guide can be found in the souvenir programme, and they even have video screens with instructions around the stage.

Turun kaupunginteatteri has been saying Rocky Horror is famous for it's "genuine audience interaction", but I'm unsure if it could be called that – the audience is, after all, following a script too. But genuine or not, the interaction is crucial for the show. I don't think it could survive without the audience doing their part. I guess most people don't buy their tickets to see a piece of theatre, they go in for an experience.

Finns are known as a shy people, but last night at least, the audience played along and even seemed to be having some fun doing so. Not me, though. I doubt I'll ever be a Rocky Horror person. While I think it's a fun opportunity for outgoing people that the audience has their own part to play, I don't feel comfortable with shouting obscenities and throwing things in theatre myself. I prefer sitting quietly and observing the events. Trying to start standing ovations every now and then is quite enough excitement for me.

But what if this isn't a matter of shyness, after all, but of practice?

Maybe even I could get into a proper audience participation mood if I got to try it out during musicals I know and love first? I'm proposing that we don't let the casts of famous shows have all the fun by themselves anymore. Here are audience participation directions for three popular musicals. Share them with your fellow audience members, too!

Les Misérables:

• Whenever Jean Valjean’s name is mentioned, shout “bread!”
• When Javert is mentioned, shout “law!”
• Greet Enjolras by loudly yelling “Enjolr-ASS!” every time he appears onstage.
• Take your own yellow ticket of leave with you. Follow Valjean’s example and tear it in a dramatic manner.
• Take some glittering confetti with you to throw in the air during Stars.
• When Javert appears onstage in his undercover outfit, you can go undercover too: put on your cap. Feel free to look shifty and suspicious.
• Shout “kiss already!” every time there’s a long glance in between Jean Valjean and Javert.
• During the Wedding, blow soap bubbles to celebrate the happy couple.

Sweeney Todd

• Every time Anthony appears onstage, shout "stalker!"
• Whenever Mrs. Lovett is baking or pies are mentioned, throw a bit of flour in the air.
• During My Friends, slowly raise your own safety razor or ladyshaver.
• When flowers are mentioned in Wait, feel free to throw some onstage. Not restricted to daisies and gillyflowers, but no cactuses, please.
• During the beginning of A Little Priest, shout "get it!?" after Mrs. Lovett's every line. Boo until Sweeney finally gets it.
• Uh-oh, it's raining blood! Cover your head with your favourite penny dreadful.
• Mrs. Lovett is dreaming about a life by the sea. Show your support by wearing your sunglasses.
• Shout "Benjamin Barker!" together with Sweeney. The more dramatic, the better.

Fiddler on the Roof

• Blow your party horn constantly until If I Were a Rich Man finally, finally stops playing in your head.

Photo by Robert Seger.

Rent Scenarios

This post will be a bit different from my usual reviews and complaints. If you're not interested in Rent and what-if scenarios, skip this one! This is just my little analysis on some aspects of the show. Will contain spoilers.

Ever since I saw Rent in Alexander Theatre two weeks ago, I've been wondering: what's wrong with Rent's plot, actually? I like many shows that lack something when it comes to the story, shows that have a silly plot, shows that hardly have a plot at all. Why does Rent, with its story about love, annoy me so much?

Well, something about the naivete of the whole thing bugs me. As I've mentioned previously, I think the show gets better if the production kills Mimi in the end. I've had the luck of seeing a production that made that choice once, and it improved the whole thing. The no day but today message – that's usually chanted for two hours straight but doesn't really mean anything since returning from the dead is apparently possible – gained an actual meaning for once.

But I guess that's not all that could be fixed.
I wonder if Rent would be better if either Roger or Collins didn't have HIV/AIDS.

Petrus Kähkönen as Roger in Suomen Musiikkiteatteriensemble's production.

Let's discuss Roger first.
He has a song – one of the best musical songs of all times, if you ask me – about how the disease has destroyed his dreams. He has a scenes with other characters where they discuss his illness. He takes his medicine, he has that little moment when he sings along the Life Support group...
But still, not once have I felt he's really suffering from something severe and incurable.

Maybe this has to do with people responsible for the productions I've seen. Maybe they didn't know how to make it work. But a part of it, I think, lies within the script. It never shows him suffering. It's Mimi who's getting pale and thin, Roger's still healthy. Even though that's completely possible when it comes to real HIV-posive people, it's not very effective in a story.
The song Another Day is problematic. What does Roger mean by it? I'm under the impression that Roger pushes Mimi away because of his HIV, since he doesn't know she has it too. Maybe he's afraid of relationships and doesn't want that Mimi destroys him inside like April did. But he also doesn't want Mimi to get the disease, he doesn't want that Mimi breaks her heart when he dies. Or that's how I see it.
So, how does an another day fit to this? With an incurable disease, there won't be a day when those things aren't relevant anymore. Is Roger lying to himself and trying to assure himself that his nightmare will end one day? Or is this just bad thinking on the composer's part?

One thing would be changing the plot so Roger's disease is more visible. But what would happen if he didn't have it at all?

It'd add a whole new layer of problems to the plot, which could be interesting. How could Roger and Mimi be together if only one of them had a sexually transmitted, fatal disease? It's a difficult scenario, but it could add some realism to the show.
It should be noted Mimi already doesn't care. In her song Out Tonight, she tries to seduce Roger, unaware of him having the disease too. The show doesn't bluntly state Mimi's goal is to sleep with Roger, but one could pretty easily interpret the scene like that. What's more, dating an HIV-positive person course doesn't mean you'll automatically become HIV-positive yourself. Copypasting from fda.gov: Condoms are not 100% safe, but if used properly, will reduce the risk of sexually transmitted diseases, including AIDS. The audience knows this, and maybe the characters also do: Benny isn't HIV-positive (or at least it's not mentioned) but the show still implies he and Mimi have been together. It's almost as if the show doesn't care either...
If Roger didn't have the illness, it'd add an element of but-what-if-he-gets-it-too to his relationship with Mimi – would that make it unrealistic? Or more interesting?

In short, I feel it could be more realistic and closer to the source material (Puccini's La bohème) to have Roger not have HIV. It'd add more reason to him avoiding Mimi during the course of the show. He knows she will, eventually, break his heart like April did, he's afraid he will catch the disease too... It'd make Roger's selfishness more real and his motivations clearer.

Of course, curing Roger would change his character, and that's quite problematic.
It might be I've never felt he's dying, but that's still important in the script. One Song Glory, Another Day... You'd need a new way to justify these songs. Maybe only April got the disease, and her death alone impacted him so much he became severely depressed and started shielding himself from the world? That might justify Another Day but doesn't work with One Song Glory. I don't know if I'd be okay with my favourite song being removed from the show, even if it was for the greater good...
More importantly, the show would need a new way to get Mimi and Roger together, to show their love is stronger than his fear of the disease. Might add to the naivete part of things.

Maybe the disease is too important to Roger's character to have him cured.

Jyri Numminen as Angel and Mikael Haavisto as Collins
in Suomen Musiikkiteatteriensemble's production.

But let's not forget Collins.

Collins and Angel are a bit more minor characters. Both get solos, but where One Song Glory, Out Tonight, Another Day and other Mimi and Roger songs tell about their feelings and characters, Collins's and Angel's songs are a bit more vague. We don't know as much about their lives, other than what they feel for each other. Therefore, with them, maybe it wouldn't be necessary to go too deep into the what-if-he-gets-it-too element of the thing. That's their problem, our problem is Collins's pain when he loses Angel. Besides, do we ever worry about Rodolfo from La bohème or Christian from Moulin Rouge! catching tuberculosis, even though they're very likely to?
In a nutshell, I feel Collins's disease is nothing more than a plot device to remove the problems of him and Angel getting together. He refers to having it once, and that's the end of that. Unlike Roger, curing Collins wouldn't change his character.

I think making Collins HIV-negative would make his and Angel's story even more effective. Now, when they enter each other's lives, either of them could die first. Basically, just like any other relationship, though dying is closer to them than average young couples. Making Collins healthy would mean he knows Angel will die first, and soon. Unlike Roger, who would be afraid for his own safety and his own heart, Collins would go into the relationship nevertheless. Sugary and romantic, sure, but it'd also add a heartbreaking undertone to their story from the first minute. Even though theirs is the happiest of them all in the whole show.
Seriously, why isn't this a thing?

Do you have any thoughts about these scenarios? I'm curious to hear other opinions!

Photos from Suomen Musiikkiteatteriensemble ry's production.

ÅST Les Mis: A Love Letter

Dear Åbo Svenska Teater's production of Les Misérables,

I suppose you know that you are my favourite musical production of all times.

Now that you've closed for good, I could spend ages speaking about how sad I feel, how upset I am that I'll never sit in the auditorium again, breathing in theatre smoke and feeling amazing.

But, reminiscing about all the times I've spent with you, either visiting you or just talking, writing and thinking about you, I feel something else is more important here. More than anything, more than mourning what has been taken from me now when I can't see you anymore and when memories of every single detail I'd want to remember forever are becoming fainter by each day... I need to thank you for all that you gave me.

I don't know if you know it, but you gave me lots.

Your first gift to me was letting me feel truely independent for the first time in my life.

The first time my parents let me stay overnight in another town all on my own, without even a friend to keep me company - it was because I wanted to see you. I know that sounds like a lonely, boring way to spend a weekend, going to a theatre all alone... But, to me, it wasn't. It was glorious. Still is.
But especially back then... That weekend, for the first time, I was trusted to be able to take full care of myself. For once, I could do exactly what I wanted to. I could come and go as I wished, without having to explain my actions to anyone. I could sit in the theatre foyer for an hour before the show, just breathing in and out and feeling good.

I have never enjoyed the show as much as back then. After the performance had ended I took a long walk around the city and just felt amazing. Can it be called a walk, though? My feet hardly touched ground.

Thank you for being a part of what I still hold as one of the best moments in my life.

Your second gift was showing me that sometimes the impossible happens.

I've always been a sceptical, pessimistic person. I still am. But, nowadays, I simply don't say that something will never happen anymore.

I know that what happened to me is simply one fangirl's silly dreams coming true. To some people it must seem small and insignificant. Meeting some actors, who cares? But, you see, my attitude had been quite different. Before last year, people I admired existed in their own reality and I existed in mine. I could write fanmail or adoring blog entries, but I'd never get to meet them for real, they'd never know or care about that I exist. That just was the way the things were... in my own, pessimistic mind.

Getting a message from one of you, then another message, then an invitation to meet you all, then a backstage tour, then a free ticket, then... Those were some of the most exciting, nervewracking, insane, fun weeks of my life. I still have a hard time believing that it was real, that I was the lucky fangirl to get it all. My life has been a little insane ever since that first message, in the best possible way. Especially going to the theatre... During the last few months, every new performance was a small adventure for me. Just going to the theatre and leaving wasn't an option, there was always a little something exciting in store.

And during your last week of performances you welcomed me and my friend (whose presence was nothing short of being another miracle, we'll come to this) to meet you again. I'm grateful. Even though my brain replays the moments I think I embarrassed myself somehow on a regular basis, I'm glad I got to meet you. I know I was a giggling mess, but I hope you understood how much the production means to me, anyway.

Thank you for letting me live a couple of dreams and showing me that anything can happen.

Your third gift to me is the most important one of them all. Without you, I would lead a much more lonely life.

I'm not a very social person by any means. I don't make friends that easily, I'm not friends with popular kids. I can't be open about myself easily or always say the right things at the right times...
But, through you, I've met many people. Many amazing people that I wish will stay a part of my life even now when you have closed. Running into them in the theatre, gushing about the show with them, getting messages from them, planning future adventures with them... My life is more fun now, thanks to the people you helped me to find.

I also want to thank you for the amazing times I've had with you and my old friends. I bet some of them are tired of my constant talking about you... But coming to see you with them has been a lot of fun, too. I can't help grinning when I think about those days!

Above all, however, I'm grateful for the two people that I can call some of the best friends I have ever known.

Even though I first met them both through some other matter than you... I can't know if we would ever have crossed the line from acquaintances to true friends without you. It could be - but as it is, you were maybe the most important thing for us to talk about when becoming friends.

You're so woven into my relationship with these people that I can't even think about them without thinking about you. First, I only knew them through the internet, but even back then, we had some amazing times. The nights coming back from the theatre and telling everything about the day's performance to them in great detail... Sharing every single new production photo we could find with each other... Calling them to an emergency chat meeting when we got messages from you, when I met with you all, when one of our favourites was leaving... Discussing, speculating, fangirling.
Even meeting them for the first time was all about you. The one I met first... I met her for the first time when we went to see you together. We had been looking forward to it for months and months, and you didn't disappoint - we had a magical day, a day to cherish in memories forever. The other... After giving up, lack of faith, insane plans and waiting for months and months, she flew from America to see you... and to meet me, along the way. We visited you together and had a magical week, a week we will always remember.

There usually aren't too many people in your life that you know you can tell everything to. With your help, I have found two more of them. That alone is a reason to be eternally grateful.

Thank you for them.

Your last gift, though still noteworthy, was giving me - along with every other person who ever saw you - an amazing version of my favourite musical. The most amazing I've ever encountered.

You were very close to being perfect. Your few little flaws were easily forgiven on the grounds that, as a whole, you always left me feeling ecstatic when I left the theatre. No other piece of theatre has ever made me feel that good, lifted me that far off the ground. You deserved every single clap, scream and standing ovation the audiences gave you - and, judging by how much I saw those happening, I'm sure I wasn't the only one who thought you were brilliant.

After you, seeing Les Misérables will never feel the same.

Thank you for those thirteen beautiful performances you gave me.

I hope you can see how much you are being missed.

With all my love and then some more,
Siiri

My Day at the Theatre

 
Click the picture to actually see something.

This is a one hundred percent honest account of what went down when I last went to the theatre, to see Tanz der Vampire in Seinäjoki again.

Most of this applies to every time I see shows. I usually wear Converse All Stars for long walks and the moments the need to run arises, and I have drag all sorts of stuff, from school books to packed lunches, along in my backbag so the hours in train will be bearable. Maybe going to theatre is a glamorous, special moment for some people - to me, it's special for sure, but in a way similar to extreme sports.
Theatres, why are you so far away from me?

The watermark is referring to my deviantART gallery, by the way. Like musicals, drawing is a dear hobby of mine - so of course some of my drawings are theatre-related. Check the link out if interested!

The Son of the Phantom

Usually I'm not one to write long rants about movies, books or musicals I don't like.
I don't see any reason spending that much time with something you hate - the world is full of things you can enjoy instead!
But a little article by Jussi Tossavainen in yesterday's Helsingin Sanomat was a little too much for me.

It's a part of "Personal - A culture journalist who has seen all gets emotional" series, so it's not a real critique. But anyway... Some of what Tossavainen says about the sequel of The Phantom of the Opera, Love Never Dies, seems ridiculous to me.

In the text Tossavainen tells how much he liked the show.
"Judging by the shivers the show gave me it's almost perfect", he says. "Melodies start playing in your head right away. -- I almost cried when Sierra Boggess, playing Christine, finally sang the aria The Phantom wrote for her, Love Never Dies. -- I'm looking forward seeing if in the next ten years sir Andrew will make another sequel - titled The Son of the Phantom of the Opera, of course. I hope so!"
So far so good. I've listened to Love Never Dies, and while I think some songs are pretty but in its entirety it's nothing spectacular - not to mention the silly plot - I'm okay with someone else liking it. And I haven't seen it live, which of course might make it better.

But then comes this.
"In Britain musicals are taken more seriously than in Finland. It's still a little bit amusing that the fans of the original The Phantom of the Opera have got furious about the sequel, even though even the composer is the same. They think Christine and Raoul should've lived happily ever after. -- I'm not such a puritan myself. Vice versa: sixty years old, sir Andrew might have created the most gorgeous musical of his career."

I'd like to disagree here.
Firstly, I think that even though there might be better things to do than tell everybody how you hate Love Never Dies, the fans have every right to get mad.
You see, I like to imagine the creation of the show's plot went as follows...


Sir Andrew Lloyd Webber has invited some fans of the original Phantom to his office. The fans sit a little nervously in armchairs, watching the man who has composed their favourite musical shyly.

"We're going to have a little chat today", sir Andrew tells them. "I'd like to hear your thoughts of the first Phantom so I can make the best possible sequel. Let's start: what do you think of the character of The Phantom? What do you like about him?"

"Well", starts a short blonde girl, "I love how mysterious he is. I mean, he's the opera ghost, sends the mysterious notes and drops the chandelier! He's, like, dangerous but interesting at the same time!"
"In my opinion it's really interesting how there's two sides to him: on another side, he's this mysterious, seductive and sometimes even bloodthirsty being, really ghost-like. But on the other side he's just a human, and very unsure about himself. He's not very sociable, always alone", muses a boy with curly brown hair. "He has exaggerated the deformity thing, if you see what I mean - I believe he's the one who's most horrified of his face."

"Mysterious... Dangerous... Bloodthirsty... Unsure about himself... Unsociable..." mutters sir Andrew. "Thank you so much! Now, what do you think about Raoul?"
"I think he's not as sexy as The Phantom", giggles a red-haired girl with freckles.
"Well, yeah", says the blonde. "But I think he's quite nice. He's very charming, and most importantly, he's brave. He's ready to save Christine from The Phantom even if it means he'll kill him."
"It's cute how he's so in love with Christine", says a little dark-eyed girl in a quiet voice.

"Charming, brave, cutely in love", sir Andrew says while writing the adjectives into his notebook. "How about Christine, then?"
"I find it especially interesting how she projects something of her late father to The Phantom", the tall boy says before anyone else has the time to open their mouth. "And I think in the end she makes the right choice - after all, The Phantom is pretty much a madman."
"And in the end, Christine loves Raoul just as much as he loves her, I think", adds the blonde.
"Makes the right choice, in love, right. How about the side characters? Meg, for example?"
"She seems like a pretty simple, innocent girl. I guess Christine is her best friend and really important to her. But she's not a good singer!" the red-haired girl laughs.
"Innocent. Bad singer. Thank you so much for this, everybody! You've no idea how helpful you have been!"

When the fans leave the office, sir Andrew takes a look at the adjectives in his notebook.
"We need to find some opposites", he mutters. "Let's see... 'Dangerous', what's the opposite of that? Someone who tries to save people, I guess. 'Unsociable' is easy, the opposite is someone who is talkative and likes to have people around him. That also removes 'mysterious'..."
Sir Andrew makes a few notes and turns page.
"Well, Raoul then... 'Charming?' I think drunk people aren't charming, or wife beaters... So that's it for him. Christine... 'Makes the right choice?' Well, let's just assume her choice wasn't right after all. Meg? 'Innocent?' Hmm, how about a strip-tease artist, that's quite the opposite..."

After finishing with the notes sir Andrew takes a pile of printed fanfics from his drawer and tacks them on his noticeboard. Then he takes out three darts.
"Now, let's decide the rest of the plot", he mutters and throws the darts.
The first dart has pierced a fanfic where Meg loves the Phantom but he doesn't answer to her feelings. Another points at a story where Christine has a son with the Phantom. "These are so great", sir Andrew thinks. "How in the world I didn't think about this myself!"
The third dart has put a hole through a postcard from New York's Coney Island forgotten on the noticeboard.
"And we have the location", sir Andrew laughs. "This'll make a great show!"


In other words, I think Love Never Dies is like spitting in the face of the original's fans. It's like saying "I know what you liked about the original, and now I'm going to destroy all that!"
On top of that, the show is packed with plotholes, beginning from the time of the events. The original takes place in 1881 and the sequel in 1907 - or as Lloyd Webber put it, "roughly ten years after the end of the original."

The other thing I can't agree with or understand in Tossavainen's review is how he thinks this is Lloyd Webber's best musical.
I'm not an expert in his musicals, I haven't seen even a half of them. But Tossavainen's text makes me wonder if he's seen any... Out of the ones I've seen or heard I'd rank the original Phantom, Jesus Christ Superstar and even Cats higher than Love Never Dies.
I don't think Love Never Dies, as a score, is really bad. But I think it's mostly forgettable, and a lot more so than the other Lloyd Webber musicals I've seen. Till I Hear You Sing is beautiful, but in my opinion the title song, instead of being a tearjerker, is quite a letdown. Many of the other songs are boring and on the whole the show lacks the power and the feeling the first part has. I'd listen to the original rather than Love Never Dies, any day of the week.

I hear changes will be made to Love Never Dies. I hope they will improve the show.
And I hope Andrew Lloyd Webber decides to use his time and talent to create an original musical that respects the watchers instead of composing The Son of the Phantom of the Opera...

Happy Birthday My Olde Friend

I wrote this for my deviantART journal, but I think it's nice enough to get its place in this blog, too. It's a little birthday speech to a friend of mine.


My dear friend,

I congratulate you!
A quarter of a century! Sure, to some that's yet nothing special. But in my opinion being of your kind and having the energy to keep going on with no need to rest for 25 years is worthy an applause!

I remember the night when we met, over a year and a half ago.
It was almost by accident on that Thursday in the middle of the darkest winter, after a pretty dark day. When coming to meet you I didn't have especially high hopes. Still you did your best to cheer me up - the best way you could with your deep, even depressing thoughts.
I'm not saying I didn't appreciate the effort. I thought you were interesting, even a bit awesome. But after returning home I forgot you. Your rival in his dark cape and half-mask had stolen my heart just a couple of days before, and I'm afraid I wasn't ready for a new friend like you in the middle of that haze. But you're patient. You knew I would call for you when the moment was right.

And the next spring I finally remembered my brief meeting with you.
I contacted you to hear from you again. Soon I couldn't understand how I could have forgotten you for the previous months! Now, when I really got to know you, I truely saw how special you were. I could listen to you for hours without getting bored. You were so different from the others I knew - so dark and thoughtful but not without that glimmer of humor and hope.

Soon I started introducing you to my friends.
Having so much fun in your company I believed my friends would also have a great time with you. Unfortunately it didn't always work: I talked about you to them - a lot! - but the response wasn't always that enthusiastic. However, some did meet you, and a couple of them even enjoyed their time with you.
Still, and I'm afraid this is still true today, none of my friends could see exactly what I saw in you or understand what made you so important an acquaintance to me.

My friend!
You have inspired me countless times and been there for me when I've been happy or on the verge of tears. Yet I wonder... How can we be such good friends with such huge differences in our personalities and thoughts? Sometimes it feels to me you've hardly in touch with the real life, with your pathos and idealization! I've even felt I'll never be able to understand all of your thoughts. But then again, maybe that little bit of mystery is what makes you so interesting - not just to me, but also to your countless other friends.

So, in conclusion, let us raise our glasses in honour of our friend's 25th birthday.
I'm looking forward to our next meeting and I'm certain you will continue to inspire me in the future.
I wish the next 25 years of your life will be filled with as much prizes, recognition, happiness and excitement as the first 25 have been!

Happy birthday to the musical Les Misérables.


I wish I've the time to write something about the Swedish-Finnish Les Misérables production one day soon.