Stormskärs Maja

Please note: Åbo Svenska Teater invited me to see a preview performance of Stormskärs Maja for free.

Let's put it this way: Kristina från Duvemåla is Stormskärs Maja on steroids.

Or does the following sound familiar (warning: spoilers)? A woman marries a man in rural 19th century Northern Europe. The couple moves away from their community and starts a new life together, turning the wilderness into their home and welcoming new children into their family. Their life is filled with hardships: there's a fire on their homestead and one of their children dies in a tragic accident. Even so, the couple stays deeply in love with each other for years and years... until one of them, at a too early age, passes away.

Believe it or not, but I am not describing Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus's epic musical Kristina. Myrskyluodon Maija (Finnish title) or Stormskärs Maja (Swedish title) is a popular Finnish musical. First premiered in 1991, it's composed by Matti Puurtinen and written by Jussi Helminen, based on Anni Blomqvist's series of novels. The musical tells a story of an Ålandish woman's life in time gone by.

What is wrong with us Nordics? Why do we enjoy tear-drenched musicals like this so much? Kristina draws big crowds in Stockholm right now, while in Finland Stormskärs Maja or Myrskyluodon Maija currently plays in two different theatres.

Though, to be fair, I have no right to criticise anyone about enjoying aforementioned pieces. I'm a huge Kristina fan, and I also had a lovely time watching Åbo Svenska Teater's new production of the beloved Finnish musical, now performed in Finland's second official language Swedish for the first time.

Thanks to Andersson's massive showtunes, Kristina's tragedies feel larger than life. Maja is more down-to-earth. Puurtinen's music is beautiful and light (listen to a sample: Maija and Janne's Wedding Waltz – not from the ÅST production). Though the story is in parts tragic, the musical is not heavy to watch.

Maja doesn't only share themes with Kristina. The two musicals also share the same problem. Both try to fit a thousand pages of narrative, a person's whole life, into two acts. Maja's arranged marriage turns into a love match before the leading couple's first duet is over. In ÅST, the musical's end feels especially rushed, packing decades of life into few short sentences. Yet during some earlier scenes, the tension is so slow the show feels quite boring.

What lifts ÅST's Maja above the source material's uneven pace is the unique way director Jakob Höglund brings the musical onstage. There are virtually no sets. The nature that surrounds Maja and her husband Janne's home on a remote island is brought to live via traditional theatre tricks – but all the magic that is usually hidden behind the scenes happens onstage, before the audience's eyes.

The ensemble portray both people and nature. They shake thin pieces of sheet metal for thunderstorm sounds and carries smoke machines around the stage for autumn mist. Real elements also enter the stage, fire and water are both used to an impressive effect. With adults playing newborn babies and the band moving around onstage, it's impossible to forget you're sitting in a theatre, watching a fictional story.

At the same time, the style is both distancing and enchanting. It leaves a lot of room for the imagination. A production like this could never work in a big theatre that seats a thousand, but it suits Finland's oldest theatre's intimate and beautiful 19th century stage perfectly.

Emma Klingenberg delivers a strong performance as Maja. She portrays a woman who doesn't let the misfortunes of life crush her spirit, and sings beautifully, too. Elmer Bäck as Maja's husband Janne feels more distant. His performance is nice to watch, but there's a bit too much rustic Prince Charming in the character for him to feel like a real, three-dimensional person.

Out of the ensemble, I want to give a shoutout to one of my all-time favourite actors, Anna Victoria Eriksson. She shines in her roles, whether playing Maja's older sister or one of her children. And what a voice. Listening to her, whether she's singing solos or a part of an ensemble, I'm always amazed.

In time for Finland's 100th birthday in 2017, Helsingin kaupunginteatteri will premiere a brand-new musical adaptation of Blomqvist's Maja novels. So Sweden, top that! You have one Kristina, but soon, we'll have two Majas.

Looking forward to that, I think this one is also worth seeing. The source material is far from perfect, but ÅST's deliberately stripped-down production is a fascinating theatrical experience.

Photos by Pette Rissanen.

Dr. Jekyll Returns

Please note: Jyväskylän kaupunginteatteri invited me to see the premiere of Jekyll & Hyde for free. The invitation was a thank-you for writing an article about the musical's history for the programme. When you go see the show, don't forget to buy one or three.

Before I delve into Jyväskylän kaupunginteatteri's new production of Jekyll & Hyde, I need to make a disclaimer. I've made it before, but it bears repeating.

I do not think Jekyll & Hyde, composed by Frank Wildhorn with a book by Leslie Bricusse and Steve Cuden, is a good musical. And yet, if you've read my blog for a while, you know I also call Jekyll & Hyde one of my top three favourite musicals of all times.

That is solely because of Turun kaupunginteatteri's 2013–14 production, directed by Tuomas Parkkinen. That production did the impossible: it turned a terrible script into a magical experience that has haunted and inspired me ever since. It wasn't by any means perfect, but somehow, the elements clicked together so well that the whole was ten times more than the sum of its parts. With tweaks and additions to the script, with unique directional choices and top-notch casting, and with help from gorgeous visuals, Parkkinen was able to lift the production way, way above the mediocre source material.

After seeing the Turku production, I've been watching bootlegs to find another Jekyll & Hyde I'd really enjoy. So far, no such luck. The productions I've watched are laden with directional clichés and tacky performances – and yet, I keep watching. I know there is potential. I want to see the show saved again. It's a true love-hate relationship with a strong obsessive streak.

This autumn in Finland, the miracle almost happens again. Jyväskylän kaupunginteatteri's Jekyll & Hyde avoids many of the clichés and does many things right. And yet, it is no more than a good production of a lacking musical.

Let's again start with the bad things.

Jyväskylän kaupunginteatteri's Jekyll & Hyde is imbalanced. The first act is moves at a good pace, it's filled with interesting details and fun to watch. The second act falls quite flat. After the intermission, the show suddenly feels slow, boring and laughably melodramatic, even for the gothic horror genre.

I was especially disappointed with the scene that culminates the second act, Jekyll and Hyde's duet Confrontation.

A duet in between two sides of the same man, it's a hard scene to get exactly right – but it's as if this production didn't even try. Common tricks for distinguishing whether it's Jekyll or Hyde singing include changing the lights or the actor varying his posture or even flipping his hair back and forth... Here, none of that. I suppose leading man Henri Halkola did his best, but even so, I really had a hard time telling which one was supposed to be singing.

Actually, Confrontation was not the only time I had difficulties telling the titular characters apart. Maybe director Anssi Valtonen was trying to make a point, underlining the two-sides-of-the-same-coin aspect of the characters – but I believe a more clear distinction would work better onstage.

Then the good things.

Saara Jokiaho and Maria Lund as Jekyll and Hyde's respective girlfriends, the upper-class Emma and prostitute Lucy, add as much personality and thought into their underwritten characters as humanly possible. The female leads are in a perfect balance, both shining but neither overshadowing the other. One of the finest Emma and Lucy duos I've had the fortune of watching.

I also really enjoyed Hannu Lintukoski's Utterson. In international productions, Jekyll's friend and lawyer is too often portrayed as a living, breathing piece of scenery Jekyll can open his heart to. Luckily not here! Lintukoski's performance is a good mix of comic relief and old-fashioned gentleman, calm manners and heartrending worry for his friend. Loyal to the very end, everyone would be lucky to have a friend like him.

The show looks lovely. Marjatta Kuivasto's sets and Merja Levo's costumes create a pretty, steampunk-inspired world for the characters to explore. I especially like Emma's bright turquoise costume and pilot glasses perched on top of her hat. The often overshadowed character makes a visual impression from the first moment. Just by looking at her, you can tell she spends her free nights cruising the streets of London in her state-of-the-art steam-powered car!

The direction emphasises some aspects that usually get overshadowed. I especially liked Hyde and Lucy's relationship... though I wonder if like is the right word to use. I mean to say I was both terrified and fascinated. Hyde's calm abuse is scary to watch. I also applaud Halkola's efforts at painting Jekyll as a three-dimensional character, with both good and bad qualities, though his hands are somewhat tied by the script's Henry Jekyll is a perfect saint point of view.

The first act has a perfect light tongue-in-the-cheek tone. The show doesn't take itself too seriously and is peppered with dashes of humor. For me, that's the best way of making a heavy melodrama like this enjoyable.

I'm glad I saw Jyväskylän kaupunginteatteri's production of Jekyll & Hyde. I will go see it again.

I can tell the creative team has thought about the story a lot, the production is clearly made with love. It's a fine take on the source material – but in the end, my problems with said source material hinder my enjoyment. The show is well worth seeing for all its good aspects and very entertaining, more entertaining than any of the international bootlegs I've watched. But it's still Jekyll & Hyde the musical.

For better and for worse.

Edited to add 2/12/2015: I'm having second thoughts. Read my addendum to this review.

Photos by Jiri Halttunen.
Keskisuomalaisen kriitikko Aino Martiskainen tylyttää tiukasti – mutta aiheesta. Mielipiteeni käsikirjoituksesta tiivistyvät täydelleen Martiskaisen arvostelussa.
Suomeksi muissa blogeissa: Melodrama and Sweet Champagne, One Night in Theatre, Varje dag är en dag för musikaler

Käännöksistä

Dear international readers: this post is about Finnish musical translations. It's inspired by a new Finnish production of A Little Night Music. Read more about that in English.

Miten ihana, miten harvinainen tunne oli istua Tampereen Työväen Teatterin Desirée – Pieni yösoitto (A Little Night Music) -ensi-illassa Juice Leskisen kääntämiä Stephen Sondheimin lyriikoita kuuntelemassa.

Musikaalihahmoilla oli toisilleen ja yleisölle paljon kerrottavaa. Laulunsanat vilisivät sisältöä, asiaa, huumoria, kaksoismerkityksiä. Katsoja sai oikein odottaa, mitä laulussa seuraavaksi sanotaan. Penkissä ei tarvinnut kärvistellä myötähäpeän kourissa eikä naureskella tahattoman kaksimielisiä sanavalintoja. Sen sijaan sanottua täytyi ajatella ja pureskella.

Fiilis oli outo. Keskimääräisen suomalaisen musikaalikäännöksen voi nimittäin päästää toisesta korvasta suoraan toisen kautta ulos juuri mitään menettämättä. Kovin usein suomennos tarjoaa oivallusten sijaan itsestäänselvyyksiä.

Esimerkki. Monet fanit riemuitsivat Kansallisoopperan erikoisesta päätöksestä jättää Oopperan kummitus -musikaali kääntämättä. Mielestäni reaktio kertoo paljon siitä, millaiseksi suomalaisten musikaalikäännösten laatu koetaan.

Toki musikaalien alkuteksteissäkin on hurjia eroja. Esimerkiksi Sondheim tai Tim Rice tarjoilevat kuuntelijalle lyyrisiä koukkuja, kun taas vaikkapa säveltäjä Frank Wildhornin Jekyll & Hyde -työpari Leslie Bricusse luottaa musiikin voimaan ja täyttää laulut latteuksilla. Mielestäni jälkimmäisen kaltaisessa tapauksessa on hyväksyttävää, jos taitava kääntäjä jopa lisää tekstiin hieman sisältöä.

Käänteinen ilmiö on kuitenkin yleisempi. Jo alkujaan löysähköt tekstit löystyvät usein suomennettaessa entisestään, ja vähäisetkin syvällisyydet muuttavat muotoa ja katoavat. Ammattikääntäjiä käytetään ikävän harvoin tehtävässä, joka kuuluisi antaa heidän käsiinsä joka kerta.

Otetaan esimerkiksi vanha inhokkini, Jukka Virtasen Les Misérables -käännös. Kääntäjä Kristiina Drewsin kanssa useita musikaaleja suomentanut Virtanen on monen mielestä lahjakas sanoittaja ja minunkin mielestäni koomisten musikaalisanoitusten konkari – esimerkiksi Virtasen Chicagossa on monta hykerryttävän hauskaa heittoa. Mutta kun samalla hupityylillä ei millään voi painaa kolme- ja puolituntisen kurjuuden ylistyslaulun lävitse. En vieläkään ymmärrä, miten kyseinen räpellys on kehdattu esittää ammattilavoilla jo kahteen kertaan.

Virtasen Kurjissa barrikadilla koetaan yllättäviä eroottisia hetkiä.

Tämä ei ole yksittäistapaus. Tuntuu, että tyylitaju on suomalaisella musikaalikäännöskentällä keskimäärin kadoksissa.

Ja kun tällaista puuroa syötetään yleisölle tarpeeksi paljon, ei enää osata vaatia parempaa. Aamulehden kriitikko Anne Välinoro ampuu täyslaidallisen Juicen Desirée-käännöstä suomiessaan:

Joku tässä kuitenkin nyt tyylillisesti mättää. Väitän, että vika on pitkälti Juicen käännöksen ja sanoituksen. Välillä repliikit on lastattu umpitäyteen, välillä asiat sanotaan töksäyttäen ja alapäävireisiä mauttomuuksiakaan kaihtamatta. (Aamulehti)

Uskomatonta puhetta.

Desirée-käännöksessään englannin kielen kääntämistä opiskellut Juice yrittää esittää suomeksi Stephen Sondheimin polveilevat, monimielisyyksiä pursuavat alkuperäislyriikat. Tietenkään joka säe ei ole täydellinen. Paljon jää suomeksi sanomatta ja moni ajatus muuttuu matkan varrella – mutta Juice tekee silti todella hienoa työtä taidokkaista sanoituksistaan tunnetun Sondheimin tekstiä suomeksi tulkitessaan.

Väittääkö Välinoro siis tosissaan, että Juicen olisi pitänyt meitä yksinkertaisia suomalaisia varten yksinkertaistaa ja sensuroida alkutekstin sisältöä?

Ei puhenäytelmäänkään mennä tuijottamaan näyttelijöitä lasittunein silmin vuorosanoista välittämättä ja toivota sitten lopuksi, että hahmoilla olisi ollut vähemmän sanottavaa. Ihmeellistä, että tällaista tyhmistämistä suorastaan kaivataan musikaaleilta.

Minä väitän, että tässä maassa ollaan yksinkertaisesti kriitikosta rivikatsojaan niin tottuneita kelvottomiin ja kädenlämpöisiin käännöksiin, että hyvän käännöksen kuunteleminen tuntuu työltä. Kas kun sitä pitää todella kuunnella. Keskittyä ja ajatella. Hyvin käännetty musikaali ei ole pelkkää musiikki-ilottelua, vaan kappaleiden sanoista voi – hyvänen aika sentään – paljastua syvällisiä ajatuksia! Tämä on niin harvinaista, että se hämmentää jopa ammattiarvostelijan.

Haluaisin siis esittää kaikille suomalaisille teattereille pyynnön: panostakaa musikaalikäännöksiin.

Osaavien tekijöiden puutteesta ei ole kyse. Juice on poistunut keskuudestamme, mutta taitavia kääntäjiä löytyy maastamme kyllä. Itse haluaisin nostaa hattuani Seinäjoen kaupunginteatterissa esitetyn Vampyyrien tanssi -musikaalin kääntäneelle Marika Hakolalle. Hakolan upeaa käännöstä kuunnellessani unohdin täysin, ettei musikaalia ollut alun alkujaan kirjoitettu suomeksi.

Hyvä käännös ei ole ylimääräinen menoerä vaan tärkeä tapa tehdä alkuperäisteokselle oikeutta suomalaisen yleisön korvissa.

Panostakaa siihen.

Loppukaneetti: myönnän, että aina en välitä tekstistä. Juuri viime kuussa Rocky-musikaali tärähti suoraan sydämeen ilman yhtäkään ymmärrettyä lyriikkaa. Olkoon tämä säännön vahvistava poikkeus – ja jos Rocky joskus tuodaan Suomeen, se on paras kääntää tavattoman huolellisesti, jotta minäkin viimein ymmärrän!

Night Music

Please note: Tampereen Työväen Teatteri invited me to see the premiere of this production for free.

A Little Night Music – or, in Finnish, Desirée – Pieni yösoitto – is a hard musical to summarise. I think the best way to go is a chart. I already used this in my preview post of Tampereen Työväen Teatteri's new production of the show, but I shall recap here.

Take this combination of characters, enclose them in a country manor for a weekend, and see what happens.

A Stephen Sondheim musical based on Ingmar Bergman's movie Smiles of a Summer Night, A Little Night Music is sort of a romantic musical farce with a cutting edge – whipped cream mixed with razorblades, it has been described. The characters are all looking for love, and everyone feels trapped in their own way. Finally, the tensions unravel during a midsummer night.

I'm not a big Sondheim buff, but A Little Night Music is actually one of my all-time favourite musicals. I'm glad to see it return to Finland.

And as always with favourite things, let's discuss the bad things first.

My biggest problem with Tampereen Työväen Teatteri's production is the characterisation of Anne Egerman. Anne is middle-aged Fredrik Egerman's 19-year-old wife. The bubbly young woman charms the whole Egerman household: Henrik, Fredrik's son from a previous marriage, is also head over heels in love with her.

Anne is written as childish and immature, but sadly, Miika Muranen's direction turns her into a brat. Anna-Elisa Hannula is lovely whenever she has a somber moment, but those are few and far in between. For the most part, she is no more than an annoying kid. I really don't get what the Egerman men see in her.

In general, Muranen's direction underlines certain jokes and parts of the script too heavily. During some scenes, it felt like the director didn't quite trust the text. A shame, since Juice Leskinen's Finnish translation of Hugh Wheeler's book and Stephen Sondheim's lyrics is a fine one and could certainly get the point across without any extra action.

In the premiere, the first half of the first act still felt a little clumsy, I guess simply because of opening night nerves. The further the show progressed, the better it got. Things were underlined less, the pace got faster.

By the end of the first act, I was laughing out loud, and by the end of the second one, wiping tears. During the second act, I don't think I stopped to mentally nitpick once. I just watched and enjoyed.

The cast is a perfect fit. Sparks fly in between the leading couple, Veeti Kallio's Fredrik and Petra Karjalainen's Desirée, and the secondary couples deliver too. Not to mention the choir, commenting on the follies of the idle upper class leads with a beautiful mix of voices.

Once again, my favourite actor Severi Saarinen is fantastic in his role, this time as the timid and inhibited priest-to-be Henrik. I believe he could act whichever part and I would be completely invested – of course he turns Henrik, a character I didn't much care for before, into one I cannot tear my eyes off of. Exactly what I expected would happen, really.

Another true highlight is Tuire Salenius's Madame Armfeldt. The character doesn't have plenty of time onstage, but Salenius makes every second count, timing her jokes perfectly. Love her!

Visually, the production is stunning. I was amazed from the very first minute. Tarja Lapintie's costumes with their delicious candy colours, Eero Auvinen's beautiful lights and Hannu Lindholm's grand sets bring a bright dash of midsummer magic into the darkening autumn.

I applaud Tampereen Työväen Teatteri for choosing A Little Night Music as their big musical for the autumn of 2015. It's clever, funny, touching, brilliant, and – apart from a couple of nitpicks – beautifully executed.

I've a feeling I'm going to watch the musical several times more. And if you happen to be visiting Tampere this autumn, I recommend you'll take a look too.

Photos by Kari Sunnari.
Lisää Juicen käännöksestä suomeksi.
Lue myös Katrin, Lauran ja Tallen arvostelut.

The Hoodie Story

Being a musical fan for over six years, you're bound to amass some souvenirs. That's what has happened to me, at least: slowly but surely, my apartment has turned into a musical shrine.

I have folders full of souvenir programmes and shelves stuffed with cast recordings. My walls are covered with theatre posters. Once, I even commissioned handmade little dolls of my favourite musical characters – Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Utterson from the first Finnish production of Jekyll & Hyde – from a talented online friend.

Precious, are they not?

However. These are all nice things to own, fun stuff to decorate my apartment with, but no more than that (maybe apart from the dolls, I think I would save them if the house was on fire). The most important thing in theatre is of course the experience itself. The performaces, the music, the stories told onstage... Everything else is extra. If I had to choose, I'd much rather spend my money on a new theatre ticket than any trinket from a souvenir stand.

Except for the Rocky hoodie.

I went to see Rocky the musical with no high expectations, looking forward an entertaining performance and nothing more. Killing time in the theatre's foyer before the performance, I took a look at the souvenir stand. Overpriced t-shirts and silly keychains shaped like boxing gloves. Who needs any of this! Nothing here for me.

After the show, I was too excited to think about anything as mundane as purchasing merchandise. The show had blown my mind. I was bursting with joy and excitement and also happy about getting to stagedoor the stars – something a Finnish theatre fan doesn't often get to do.

But rushing happily towards the stagedoor, something displayed in the souvenir stand caught my eye. A black hoodie, with the musical's logo printed on the back in a different shade of black. Quite stylish for a souvenir... and at 40 €, worth a ticket to a Finnish musical performace. Quickly, I told myself I had been spending more than enough money during the trip already, and besides, I have a closet full of hoodies back home. Then I left the theatre for the stagedoor.

Getting to meet the show's leading actor Drew Sarich cleared the hoodie out of my mind for the night. But in the morning, I remembered it.

During the next two days, me and my travelling companion Lida walked in parks, went to The International Maritime Museum, watched the Hamburg Pride parade and visited the huge fairground Hamburger Dom. All this time, the hoodie haunted my mind. Hardly an hour passed without me thinking about it, no matter where we went or what we did.

Watching this sunset from our hotel room
window could not distract me.

In less than 24 hours, the piece of clothing turned into a burning obsession.

I tried the money approach. I told myself I would regret it. I could buy a musical ticket with that money back home. Or two perfectly fine new hoodies from some clothing chain. I reminded myself my credit card balance was in the red already.

I tried the fashion sense approach. Who wants to wear a black hoodie when all the colours of the rainbow exist! Besides, the letters on the back will fade away, probably in the first wash.

I even tried talking sense to my suddenly obsessed brain. Would I really want to walk around advertsing, of all things, Rocky the Musical? Boxing, sports movies? Totally not my things. It would just attract weird looks.

No use.

After a day, I thought about the hoodie four times more often than I thought about the musical itself.

After a day and a half, I cracked.

I told my friend Lida – using, angered at my own lack of self-control, rather more colourful language than I usually do – that I was going to take the underground to the theatre. The Sunday matinee had just started, so the souvenir stand should be open, during intermission at least. If I had to, I would sit on the steps outside the theatre until the show was over. I would not return without a Rocky hoodie.

I went to the theatre.

The following discussion in between me and the theatre's doorkeeper, an older gentleman, ensued:

Me: “I saw this show two days ago and I’ve been thinking about it ever since. So I would really want to buy something to remember it by. Does the souvenir stand open soon?”
Him: “Have you been having nightmares?”
Me: “What? No! I meant that I loved the show.”
Him: “Are you serious? This show is trash."

A moment's pause.

Him: "But the souvenir stand does open in twenty minutes."

I have never regretted a purchase less.
 
P.S. Listen to my favourite song from Rocky the Musical.

Autumn Musicals

Hello in English again! Who's seen plenty of outdoor theatre this summer? I sure have. My summer theatre tour encompassed eight outdoor productions, and honestly, that's quite enough for me... Summer's all nice and good, but having had my toes frozen and my skin burned while watching outdoor shows, I think it's about time for some indoor culture again.

Tradition dictates that my summer theatre season is over when Helsingin kaupunginteatteri invites me to their autumn season opening gala. Luckily, that happened last Monday. This year, the event focused on the theatre's upcoming production of Billy Elliot.

The Stars Look Down

I have seen Billy Elliot once, in West End some six years ago. I like the story and had a nice enough time, but I'm not a fan. In general, Elton John's music is not to my liking. I'm looking forward to seeing what Helsingin kaupunginteatteri does with the material, and based on the sneak peeks we saw in the theatre's season opening gala, I might enjoy the show better here than in London. Still, I doubt I'll fall in love with the musical. But we'll see!

What am I really looking forward to seeing in the autumn of 2015, then?

Jekyll & Hyde... or Emma & Lucy!

First of all, Jyväskylän kaupunginteatteri's production of Jekyll & Hyde. Of course. After the huge impression the first Finnish production of said musical left, I am beyond curious to see what another theatre can do with it. Based on promotional photos so far, the steampunk-ish visuals look great. I have my worries about the script, but even so, I am counting days to the premiere.

Secondly, Desirée or A Little Night Music in Tampereen Työväen Teatteri. You can read more about my thoughts in my previous post from February. In short: a good musical performed by a promising cast directed by someone whose previous works I've enjoyed. In all likelihood, something to enjoy.

The Phantom of the National Opera

Thirdly, Finnish National Opera's The Phantom of the Opera. The world's favourite musical finally arrives to my country, how could I not be curious about it! Well, the production has some aspects I'm not excited about, like keeping the libretto in English though a vast majority of the cast speak Finnish. I'm also not a fan of some of director Tiina Puumalainen's previous musical productions. But on the other hand – it'll be a brand-new production of a musical whose original production and countless replicas I'm, to be honest, completely fed up with. I'm excited to see which aspects of the familiar story the Finnish production decides to focus on.

Bonus mention to Tampereen Teatteri's upcoming production of Sugar. Some Like It Hot is one of my favourite movies. I know nothing about the musical, so I'm both curious about it and certain I won't like the stage show as much as I like the film...

I will also try to fit some all-Finnish musicals into my autumn schedule. Åbo Svenska Teater and Lahden kaupunginteatteri are both staging their own versions of Myrskyluodon Maija, a Finnish musical set in mid-19th century Åland Islands. It's always interesting to compare how two theatres handle the same material. These two theatres especially – they already produced two completely different productions of Hair at the same time in 2012.

Lahden kaupunginteatteri's Myrskyluodon Maija

Finally, one more reason I both look forward and dread seeing Billy Elliot.

I don't often cry in theatre. Music especially doesn't make me cry. Sometimes I tear up if a story touches me, but only a small handful of songs have ever managed to squeeze tears out of me.

One of those is Billy Elliot's The Letter. Billy's dance teacher Mrs. Wilkinson reads a letter Billy's mother wrote to her son before her death. I don't relate to the song, I don't identify with Billy as a character, I don't even especially like the tune – but something here completely breaks me. In West End, I couldn't see the stage from my tears. The kids sitting next to me turned to look at my uncontrolled display of emotion instead of watching the actors. I have cried listening to this on online musical radio. Heaven knows how I managed to film the scene without crying, but watching it, I cannot get past the point where Billy starts singing without tearing up.

Please don't laugh at me if I turn into a human waterfall when seeing Billy Elliot live.

Photos by Jiri Halttunen / Marjo Vihavainen (Jyväskylän kaupunginteatteri), Perttu Saksa (Finnish National Opera), Johannes Wilenius (Lahden kaupunginteatteri). As always, hover over the photos for info.

Kesäteatterikesä: Päätös

Elämäni toinen kesäteatterikesä on nyt takanapäin.

Monille kesäteatteri on automaattinen kesäperinne. Itse kuulun eri leiriin. Ennen Kesäteatterikesä 2014 -tempaustani olin nähnyt vain neljä kesäteatteriesitystä: musikaalin, kaksi koko perheelle suunnattua seikkailua ja Molièren klassikkotekstin. Nyt, kahden kesän aktiivisen kesäteatterikruisailun jälkeen, näkemieni teosten määrä lasketaan kymmenissä. Olen ihastunut, vihastunut ja vilustunut kesäisissä katsomoissa.

Mitä jäi käteen?

Ensimmäinen kesäteatterikierrokseni syntyi puolivahingossa – myönnettäköön ruma totuus tässä kaikkien edessä, halusta nähdä Matti ja Teppo -musikaali maksamatta siitä.

Toisessa vaakakupissa painoi musikaalissa esiintynyt lempinäyttelijäni, toisessa vastentahtoisuus maksaa pääsystä kaikkien aikojen typerimpään kesäteatterihölmöilyyn. Ilmainen lehdistölippu tuntui hyvältä kompromissilta, mutta miten ihmeessä perustella iskelmämusikaalin arvosteleminen blogissani... Siinäpä jalot ja ylevät lähtökohtani! Kieroilun ympärille kehittyi sentään äkkiä kunnianhimoisempi tavoite, kesäkierros itselleni vieraan lajityypin maailmassa.

Tämän vuoden kesäteatterikesä on pohjimmiltaan koulutyö. Opiskelen journalismia, ja opintosuunnitelmaani on sisällytetty mahdollisuus omien projektien toteuttamiseen. Sain tilaisuuden tehdä teatteriblogini kesäsarjasta projektin. Toivottavasti sarja on ollut mukavaa luettavaa. Itse olen ainakin matkan varrella oppinut muutamia asioita sekä teatterista että siitä kirjoittamisesta.

Olen havainnut esimerkiksi seuraavaa: kesäteatteria on kahta lajia. On esityksiä, jotka voisivat pyöriä myös sisällä, ja esityksiä, jotka ovat leimallisesti kesäteatteria ja vaativat näyttämökseen ulkotilan. Yleisesti ottaen jälkimmäinen kategoria ei ole makuuni. Nostalgiassa rypevät maalaiskomediat ja laimeat farssit eivät ole minua varten.

En tietenkään tarkoita sanoa, että kaikki kesäteatteri on huonoa. Kesäteatterikierrokseni ovat tutustuttaneet minut muutamiin todellisiin helmiin.

Tänä vuonna ihastuin erityisesti Turun Kesäteatterin Aarresaareen. Kesäseikkailuni aloittanut Samppalinnan Kesäteatterin Matti ja Teppo -musikaali puolestaan osoittautui viime kesän parhaaksi elämykseksi. Voin ylpeänä kertoa kustantaneeni itseni katsomoon toisenkin kerran, ja olen tänä kesänä muistellut esitystä lämmöllä. Matti ja Teppo oli lajityypin parodiana vieläpä nimenomaan vierastamaani, vain ulkotiloihin sopivaa kesäteatteria.

Mutta keskimäärin niin kutsuttu perinteinen kesäteatteri ei ole minua varten. Jos saan valita, en halua katsoa sketsikimaraa, en jukebox-musikaalia, en vanhempieni sukupolvelle suunnattua nostalgiapurkausta. Monet näkemäni esitykset ovat kyllä olleet mukavia ja viihdyttäviä, mutta silti kovin nopeasti unohtuvaa lajia.

Vähän kuin avaisi television vain katsoakseen aikansa kuluksi jotakin. Ajattelen useita kesäteatteriesityksiä välinpitämättömyydellä, jollaisella en koskaan muistele esimerkiksi talvisia musikaalikokemuksiani. Huonokin musikaali jättää minuun jäljen. Kädenlämpöinen kesäteatteri haihtuu iholtani ja katoaa.

En väitä edustavani ainoaa oikeaa mielipidettä. Niin sanotulla perinteisellä kesäteatterilla on ystävänsä, minkä katsojaluvut todistavat. Mutta väitän edustavani ikäisteni keskuudessa kohtuullisen yleisiä tunnelmia. Päätelköön kukin kesäteatterin tulevaisuudesta tämän pohjalta mitä päättelee – omat päätelmäni esitin jo viime vuonna.

Välillä on hyvä astua mukavuusalueensa ulkopuolelle, niin katsojana kuin bloggarinakin. En kuitenkaan halua täysin kyllästyttää itseäni suomalaiseen kesäkulttuuriin. Ensi kesänä aion siis poimia rusinat pullasta ja katsoa kaiken saavutettavissa olevan ammattikesäteatterin sijaan vain esitykset, jotka todella haluan nähdä. Muu saa jäädä.

Ja tulevia kesiä odotellessa sukellan jännittävään musikaalisyksyyn. Kummituksen luola, rouva Armfeldtin kartano ja tohtori Jekyllin laboratorio, täältä tullaan...

Lue kaikki oppituntini suomalaisesta (ja vähän ruotsalaisestakin) kesäteatterista:

Kesäteatterikesä 2014
Kesäteatterikesä 2015

Hatunnosto Pilkkuun asti -blogin Isalle bingoinspiraatiosta!