Non-replica Productions for Jellicle Cats

I apologise in advance for this entry jumping from one subject to another with seemingly no logic at all. It made sense in my head when I begun writing, I swear.

Cats is a very special musical for me for a simple reason.
Seeing the Finnish version of Cats marks the moment I became a musical fan.

It was the autumn of 2008. For whatever reason my mother had taken up telling me repeatedly that "a person your age should see some theatre at the long last, Siiri!" Finally, driving to Lahti to visit some relatives, a theatre poster caught my eye. Soon enough I found myself in Lahden kaupunginteatteri's auditorium to see one of the most popular musicals in the world.
For those three hours, my first three hours in a real theatre auditorium seeing a real musical... I wasn't sitting in my seat like so many others in the audience. I was flying.

The energy. The costume designs. The music. The talented performers.
I had never seen anything like that before.

I remember the day after seeing the show rather well. It was Thursday, and I was doing a couple weeks' internship in my home town's library. I recall standing in between two shelves, shoving books into their places with empty eyes and silently repeating "I will never see that thing again... I will never see that thing again..." All heartbroken.
I don't know how long it took for me to understand that nothing's stopping me from seeing the show again if I'd want to... But no more than a month, since in four weeks' time I was back in the auditorium, filled with fangirlish excitement. I was ready to fly again.
The show didn't fail to amaze me the second time around, either. If anything, the second time made me love it even more. Too bad the production closed about two weeks after that. I remember being enraged, reading some internet commenter boasting having seen the show eight times so far. So not fair!
I got a couple of cast recordings and the DVD and spent all my free time with them for two of months or so.

Maybe not surprisingly, I don't love Cats all that much anymore. I think the whole premise is actually quite insane - a cast of people playing cats, how did that even happen? - and a lot of the songs sound like pure filler to me. But back then, Cats was the best thing I could think of. And, interestingly enough, the first show I ever loved also taught me how harsh musical fans can be towards the slightest modifications of their favourite shows.
I visited some musical forum where Cats was being discussed soon after seeing the show. I noticed the board had a topic about the Finnish production, and froliced there with glee. What would I find? Other fans of the production? Or foreigners praising the production's originality, perhaps?
As if.

What I still like about Cats is how versatile it is. You have these characters who only have one set charasteristic - everything else is up to the cast and crew to figure out. You can have imaginative costumes, all sorts of relationships between the characters, new choreography...
So, surprisingly to me, the whole topic was filled with complaints. Apparently, the Finnish production didn't do anything right. After two minutes of studying the international musical community's response to my favourite thing in the world, I was ready to cry. They said the costumes - the beautiful, fun, imaginative costumes that to my mind had the perfect balance between cat-like and fantasy-like - were horrible. They said the look of the show in general was horrendous. They said the production was wrong to mess with a classic, these changes did nothing but made it a million times worse.
I've a feeling hardly any of the forum members had actually seen the show live since most comments centered around the show looking wrong. But maybe it's for the better they didn't. If the costume design looking non-traditional was enough to send them into full-blown rage, I've a feeling finding out Munkustrap's special sweetheart was Rumpelteazer instead of Demeter would've done their head in. Not to mention Jennyanydots was played by a man.
I, of course, took the criticism personally and shut the computer with tears in my eyes. How dare they! They haven't seen it, they don't know anything!

Later on, I've learned this is not an uncommon occurance with musical discussions.
Almost every time a Finnish non-replica production has made its way to the consciousness of the international musical fandom, it has also attracted some bashing. And, considering every single production in Finland is at least somewhat non-replica... There's a lot to bash.

Let's take the recent production of Wicked in Helsingin kaupunginteatteri, for example. It was the first non-replica Wicked ever produced. While many fans seemed to like the new look, accusations about the production just being a beyond horrible cheap copy also ran rampant, usually from people who had only seen the Youtube trailer. Same deal with Tanz der Vampire. Interestingly enough, "this is too different from the original" seems to be a common comment in these cases.
I can't understand what's up with that.
Why do these people who will probably never see the shows in question feel the need of badmouthing them? You'd think it's not their problem - so what if there's a weird production of their favourite show in some northern corner of the world? No one's forcing them to come and see it! But no, there's always someone out there complaining about the new version destroying the beauty of the original. Even if the original is, completely unaffected by the scandalous Nordic take, still playing in seven different locations around the globe.

Personally, I love non-replica productions. I love the prospect of putting new spins on classics. It's not that I don't adore the original versions of the shows, I often do. But I don't see why they should always be replicated. They're the work of one director and creative team - isn't seeing what another team can do with the same piece a lot more interesting than just literally seeing the same piece over and over again? Obviously, the results aren't always pure brilliance, there are both hits and misses... But for the joy of having seen hits such as Finnish Cats, Tanz and Les Mis, I'm ready to sit through twice as many failures. I love not knowing what I'm about to see beforehand, and I also love comparing different versions...
I also like non-replica productions because they allow smaller theatres the chance to do musicals they'd never be able to do if only replica was an option, meaning a lot more people can enjoy the shows. Let's take Les Mis for example this time: if you took the huge turning barricade from the original (I've read so many comments saying "if the barricade doesn't spin, it's not Les Misérables!") and tried to fit it on Åbo Svenska Teater's stage... Yep, not going to happen. But you know what, the production is still brilliant. Of course most Finnish productions are smaller, the theatres here just don't have the resources some of the biggest West End and Broadway productions have. There's hardly point in paying millions for replica rights if you can get a non-replica version done with half of the money.

It's been a while since seeing that production of Cats. If I were to see it again today... While my nostalgia-goggles would no doubt help me enjoy it, I'd probably see all its flaws more clearly now. But still, I think Cats in Lahti was a perfect example of a non-replica treatment making the piece better - even if the international community had a bit of a problem appreciating it. I'm sure I'd fallen in love with the show even if I had been presented with the skin-tight more literal cat costumes of the original... But the imaginative approach really intrigued me and made seeing the DVD a more interesting experience, it being my first taste of how different versions you can do of the same piece of theatre.

And mom has never had to scold me again for not going to theatre often enough.

Pictures from Lahden kaupunginteatteri's press photo site.

Interview with an Enjolras

Happy new year, dear readers! And an especially happy new year to all of you who like Åbo Svenska Teater's Les Misérables, because here's a little treat for you...
An interview with Rune Sæter - ÅST's Enjolras during the 2010 and 2011 seasons and currently teaching musical theatre in Bømlo, Norway.

Let's start with a little background! Where have you studied?
"I went to Mountview Academy of Theatre Arts in London for three years (1999-2002) - the same course as Josefine Isaksson, who plays Éponine. A couple of years ago I also studied to become a teacher in drama.
Musically I'm hugely influenced by gospel, soul and jazz, although these styles are quite far from the style in Les Misérables... When it comes to musicals, I would say that rock musicals favour my natural voice."

What are the most important roles of your career so far, and which one have enjoyed doing the most? How does Enjolras situate on that list?
"Judas (Jesus Christ Superstar) is my favourite role. Musically it's almost perfect for me, and acting-wise he's a great character to portrait. I would love to do that part again.
Claude (Hair) was important to me because it was the first time I got a leading role at an influental large theatre in Norway (Det Norske Teatret in Oslo). Playing Che (Evita) at ÅST was a superb experience, and I realized how important it is to work with people with great acting abilities, like Birthe Wingren, who played Evita. It was also the first time I worked with Sören Lillkung [Javert] and Thérèse Karlsson [Fantine], people I respect highly regarding their professionalism and talent.
Enjolras has been a challenge for me. I'm a tenor, Enjolras is a baritone role. Most of his top notes are in the most sensitive part of my register, and I've struggled to sing the role at times. I consider myself a physical actor, and I must say that Les Mis can be a little static at times…
On the positive side is the fact that Enjolras must be played by someone with great presence and charisma, and I do think that I possess some of those qualities. You certainly do not learn when things come easily, so in that sense this has been a great experience for me. Also, the fact that so many people are touched by the story in Les Mis makes it motivating to play."

What are your favourite musicals, and is Les Mis one of them?
"I think Les Mis is one of the strongest musicals when it comes to the story, and the music is supporting it beautifully.
My favourite musicals at the moment are RENT, Jesus Christ Superstar (because of Judas) and Wicked. I would love to see The Book of Mormon, Avenue Q and Next to Normal, because I truly think I would love them. For me, the story and subject are important in a musical."

Who's your favourite character in Les Mis?
"I think Javert has some interesting aspects. Valjean is a demanding role, but I choose Javert."

How about favourite song or scene?
"Bring Him Home, a highlight, done beautifully by Alexander Lycke! One Day More also."

Have you seen other productions of Les Mis? If so, how do you think the ÅST version compares to them?
"I saw a production in Oslo a couple of years ago, and I was disappointed.
It's not easy being too critical towards your colleagues, but I do believe ÅST has succeeded finding great actors and singers for every role. ÅST's production is balanced and strong."

How do you see the character of Enjolras? What are your sources of inspiration for playing the part?
"The most important thing for me has been making him a natural leader. He must be a person the others look up to and trust. A person with vision and strength. I know that my version of Enjolras is slightly different from the one in the original book, but I truly believe he has the same backbone. Enjolras has been done in so many ways. Some make him beautiful and charming, singing him with a lyrical quality. For me, it's important to make him not so pretty and 'well sung'. He is strong, but broken. Charismatic, but also sensitive. The relation with the students is very important, without them he is nothing. He is the opposite of selfish, being the voice of the people in difficult times.
My sources of inspiration lies in the work with my fellow actors. Creating scenes by giving and receiving. You have to trust your colleagues, and what they bring to the table, of course seen in the light of the original script and book."

What have been the best moments during your time working in this production?
"The best moments are magical moments happening on stage."

Care to share any silly mistake you've done?
"Well, I've been working professionally for ten years, and for the first time it almost happened that I didn't get on stage in time. I was saved by the great Valde Wallenius who caught me wandering about in my own universe when I was supposed to get ready for a slow motion sequence in Empty Chairs at Empty Tables. Thanks, Valde!"
 
How has working in ÅST, and Finland in general, been like?
"It's been a tremendous experience, and a bit of my heart lies pounding in Finland. I like the Finnish down-to-earth working morale."
 
If you got the chance of being a part of another production of Les Mis one day, would you, and who would you like to play that time around?
"I don't see myself playing a different character, mostly because of the limitations in my physical being. If I was to choose, it would be Javert."
 
How about your non-Les Mis dream roles for the future?
"Judas with great cast members! Perhaps Angel or Tom Collins in RENT."

How do you feel like about leaving the production?
"Leaving the production is of course a little sad, but life goes on, and I couldn't have done Enjolras at ÅST for the rest of my life. I bring with me good memories."

Pictures by Nana Simelius and Robert Seger, from Åbo Svenska Teater's press photo site and the programme for Les Misérables.

Two Quick Reviews

To decelerate this blog's descent into a full-blown manifestation of my monomania, I'm going to quickly review two shows I've seen recently that aren't about miserable people in 19th century France...
Cabaret and Striking 12, everybody!


Cabaret, Lahden kaupunginteatteri

I saw Cabaret some weeks ago with my mom and her friend.
My mom is not a theatre fan, and I hardly ever can get her to see anything with me. In retrospect, I wish I'd spend my energy trying to convince her to see something else than this - this production of Cabaret will hardly cure anyone from their dislike towards musicals.

My first problems were with the source material itself.
I wasn't familiar with the show or the movie beforehand, and a part of my reason of going to see it was that I wanted to get to know this musical classic. Well, I wasn't completely disappointed - the story is, mostly, interesting and has some very touching moments.
However, I didn't thoroughly enjoy the music. There are a couple of songs that don't really make sense. They come out of nowhere, have hardly anything to do with what is happening, and disappear with no mention of them afterwards. Maybe they were originally written for the movie, which I hear is really different from the stage show, and installed into the stage script afterwards? Other than that, I found the music a little bit too repetitive for my tastes, even though there are good tunes here and there. I also wish the music brought the story forward a little more effectively. As it is, it, in my opinion, uses a little too much time reprising what the dialogue scenes have already told us.

But how about the production, then?
Well... There are good parts. I somewhat enjoyed seeing Jorma Uotinen as the Emcee, and Ritva Sorvali and Tapio Aarre-Ahtio were quite heartbreaking as the older couple. The ensemble did mostly good job with the dance scenes.
But the main couple of the story, Maija Rissanen as Sally Bowles and Jussi Puhakka as Cliff... Sadly, they're one of the couples with the least amount of chemistry I've ever seen in any piece of theatre. I just didn't see anything between the two characters. Sure, they have their love songs and arguments, but, judging by their stage presence, they could've been old class mates as well. I didn't really get the feeling the two characters much cared for each other at any point - let alone being head over heels in love!

I wouldn't suggest seeing this from the few first rows, which is the mistake we did. First of all, the choreography can be quite risqué at times, so I can see some would feel awkward, being too close... But, for me, the problem was that it was hard appreciating the choreography as a whole, almost sitting onstage myself. I suppose from the middle of the auditorium you'd get a better picture of what's happening. I, thanks to my seat, failed to see the big picture.
The staging is mostly nice, but I got the feeling the stage was unnecessarily big. A big part of it was hardly utilized at all. For the final scene the huge, empty stage made a great, haunting impact, though!

In a nutshell, not a production I'd really recommend. It has some good parts, but it fails to reach the piece's - even though a little flawed in itself - full potential.

Striking 12, Helsingin kaupunginteatteri

It's actually surprisingly hard to describe Striking 12. It's one of the most unconventional musicals I've seen.
It's great.
I mean, how many times shows you've seen have begun with the actors and the audience singing Happy Birthday together to a member of the cast?

Striking 12 is a show with many layers.
The first layer is that there are three people - Samuel Harjanne, Petrus Kähkönen and Veera Railio - who are doing a show. They're singing, playing instruments, joking with each other, talking to the audience... The second layer is them, during their show, acting a story of a man who doesn't like the winter holiday season and is spending New Year's Eve alone. The third level is that the man starts reading The Little Match Girl, and then the events of that story are acted out for the audience, too.
It's a quite confusing thing to explain but, seeing it, it makes sense, and it's fun to follow the layers changing.
The show is both funny and touching, with a big amount of laugh-out loud moments but also a sweet message. The music is great all the way through. Especially the fact that the keyboards and drums are accompanied with a less traditional instrument, an electric violin, makes the show sound very interesting. Wonder if it's too late to ask Santa for the original cast recording?
Props for the translation, by the way! Given that every other Finnish musical translation seems to be a little cringe-worthy at some point, this one by Jukka Virtanen and Kristiina Drews felt surprisingly flowing, somehow. Really, good job.

It's not just the piece that's great, though. Each of the three performers does an amazing job, I really couldn't pick a favourite here even if I tried!
I admit I shot the biggest amount of I'm-judging-you type stares at Harjanne's general direction because he'll be playing Enjolras in ÅST for the show's final four weeks next winter (ha-ha! I could make this about Les Misérables after all!) - but, after seeing this show, I think us Les Mis fans don't have to worry about the casting change.

In short, one of the most enjoyable musicals I've seen this year (even though I can't say the holiday-positive theme of the piece would have cured me of my mild dislike towards Christmas). The auditorium was sadly empty yesterday, this'd deserve a person sitting in every seat. If you live anywhere near Helsinki, don't hesitate but go see this now, while you still can!

Cabaret photos: taken by Tarmo Valmela.
Striking 12 photos: taken by Ville Akseli Juurikkala.
Just for the record: when I saw Les Mis in London this summer, it begun with the second balcony belting Happy Birthday to some lucky fellow called John. I've never sung for an actor before, though!

What Have They Done?

 The person pictured has nothing to do with the upcoming review.

Last spring I received a fun invitation from my friend Sara and her mother Hilkka. Would I like to come along on a short trip - a quick flight to Malmö to see Malmö Opera's brand-new non-replica version of Les Misérables? Being the die-hard Mizzie I am, deciding whether to accept the offer took me no longer than belting out "24601"...
Yesterday it was finally the time to fly to Sweden to check out what our dear neighbours can do with the world's most popular musical.

I had read one review by a fellow Mizzie beforehand. I tried to keep everything said there out of my mind, but I'm afraid some of the thoughts were in the back of my head.
More importantly, as I'm certain everyone who's met me knows, my love for Åbo Svenska Teater's production of Les Mis knows no borders. The Malmö production even being in the same language than ÅST's Les Mis... It felt a bit like I was going to see an ice hockey game - the other team might be good, but my team has to be better. Silly, I know!

Despite all this, I'll try my best to remain as objective as I possibly can and avoid unnecessary comparisons to other productions.

First of all, keep in mind that Malmö's Les Mis is a true non-replica version. There's a lot of symbolism, the costumes and sets have been separated from the 19th century setting... I'll talk about this more later, just keep it in mind while reading.

I'll go through the actors first and then say a couple of words about the production. I'll start with my most negative remarks and work my way towards the highlights of the evening.

Sadly, the performance I liked the least was the star of the show himself, Dan Ekborg as Jean Valjean. His Valjean felt, to me, very unpleasant.
I won't try to claim his singing wasn't acceptable - the tone of his voice wasn't to my tastes, but he hit the notes well enough. The problems had to do with his acting. At first, his Valjean-is-a-criminal-hardened-by-the-prison approach intrigued me... But as the show progressed and I couldn't see the better person surfacing in him, I lost my good mood.

Ekborg explains his take of the character in an interview in the show's programme. He doesn't see Jean Valjean becoming fully good, and he for example thinks Valjean himself benefits the most, becoming the owner of the factory (or, as Ekborg puts it, a place of slavery). Apparently, this Valjean is not one to give money to the poor... His lack of charity is also visible in the performance - I don't think I've ever seen Valjean being quite so cold towards Fantine or treating Cosette like a responsibility like that... While the unique approach is, most certainly, very interesting, I'm afraid it'd be better left in the hands of some other actor than Ekborg. This performance just felt unpleasant to me.

Another character that really didn't grow on me was Enjolras. I'm not one to demand complete accuracy to Victor Hugo's novel (even though I do think it'd be nice!), and at first I thought Anders Gjønnes's Enjolras was simply a prime example of Umm?jolras - until he really lost it by the second act. The unremarkable but also unannoying waving the flag was replaced by pacing around, shouting orders and pacing and shouting some more. And you're supposed to believe these students are following this nervous wreck to their deaths?
As I said, I don't demand Brick-accuracy. I only want my Enjolrati to be strong leaders. But when you fail that...

Notable inhabitants of Hohumville were Cosette, Marius and Thénardier.

Apart from perhaps the most powerful rendition of Empty Chairs at Empty Tables I have ever heard, Philip Jalmelid's Marius was rather uninteresting. There just wasn't too much character development or interesting detail to see there. Same goes with Cosette, Mathilda Ahnell - a pretty voice, but acting-wise she blended nicely to the sets. Sadly, even the chemistry in between Marius and Cosette was quite lacking. I mean, shaking hands? Really..? Their scenes didn't make me smile much, as they often do with other productions.

I've complained before that in ÅST Marius and Éponine have too much chemistry. In Malmö it went to the other extreme. Ida Högberg's Éponine was quite good, her On My Own excellent - and her interaction with Marius next to nonexistant. Marius holding her while he dies and speaking loving words to her to her was stretching it since they hardly seemed friends before that.

Thénardier, portrayed by Peter Harryson, can be summed up shortly: boring. I really disliked Matt Lucas as Thénardier because he only played the part for laughs... But he, at the very least, played it for something. Harryson wasn't funny, or vile, or anything really. He mostly just stood there and sung. Madame Thénardier, Evamaria Björk, then again, did a good job with the part and was way more energetic than the master of the house himself - she even helped him rob bodies in the sewers.

Karolin Funke as Fantine wasn't bad either. She sung I Dreamed a Dream quite nicely... But the direction of the production made it difficult to see the suffering woman in her. When it came to the point where Fantine starts selling herself, she didn't as much as open one button of her blouse. You couldn't see her descent having any physical effects on her, apart from losing her hair - and that made the character a lot less impactful.

The first true rays of sunshine is this cloud of mediocre were the child actors, Beata Ljunggren as little Cosette and Ivar Lodén Håkansson as Gavroche. The both sung excellently and acted with more energy than some of their grown-up co-stars... Kudos to them!

Sadly, I can't find any pictures of Grantaire.

To me, the second-biggest highlight of the whole performance was Glenn Daniel Nilsson as Grantaire. I was really interested in seeing his version of the character since he was Marius in ÅST last season and I really admired his performance in that role. I have to admit whenever he was onstage - as the foreman, sailor #1, second drunk from the left in Master of the House... My eyes were fixed on him.

But to Grantaire! As you may know, I have a soft spot for Enjolras/Grantaire interaction, and the production closest to my heart is lacking in that aspect. So, I was curious to see if anything was different here - and luckily Nilsson didn't disappoint. His Grantaire truely only had eyes for Enjolras. The director or the actor apparently agreed with what many of the fans already think about this character!
The Enjolras & Grantaire fan part of the audience - namely, me? - was rewarded, apart from Grantaire's obvious adoration, with a moment during Drink With Me: Grantaire grasped Enjolras's arm and pleaded him to "drick med mig", only to be pushed aside. Other than that, Grantaire refused to fight, drank a lot and was a loving big brother to Gavroche. He even caught the smallest revolutionary when he fell to his death - and died himself with Gavroche's body still in his arms. Definitely touching.

But the true star of the night, the performance deserving a standing ovation, was Fred Johanson's Javert. Sören, Earl, make way, my list of best Javerts ever just got longer! If Ekborg's interview showcases a very unique understanding of the character, Johanson's quotes tell that he's truely done his homework and studied Victor Hugo's novel. His Javert was the most book-accurate one I remember seeing.

Johanson's voice was a pleasure to listen to, deep and gorgeous. His Stars was a treat, and his Suicide is one of the few times I remember seeing the scene applauded - perfectly deservedly. I've never seen the broken man Javert becomes more clearly than last night.
If the Thénardiers weren't quite on the same level, this Valjean/Javert pair was even more uneven. If only Johanson's Javert could be seen with a better Jean Valjean... The combination would be mind-blowingly good!
From the Brick-accurate little smiles every now and then to the gorgeous low notes, I enjoyed every single second of Johanson's Javert. When he and Glenn Daniel Nilsson were onstage at the same time during the barricade scenes, I really didn't know who to watch!

Sadly, that wasn't enough to truely save the production. I left the theatre with an unpleasant feeling I've never associated with Les Mis before. It wasn't all the actors' fault - I think the production itself, directed by Ronny Danielsson, stopped the watcher from getting too deep into the events and from feeling too much for the characters with all its modern staging choices.

The most notable thing in this production, of course, was the non-period-accurate setting. The best way I can describe the production's general mood and look might be "Tim Burton's Les Misérables"... Visually, the show was very grand, and the colour scheme and dystopistic mood reminded me a bit of Burton's 2007 film Sweeney Todd. The colours were cold and dark, not really inviting even during the happiest of moments. The stage was huge - and, sadly, I got the feeling it had been a hard task, trying to find a way to really fill it somehow...
I'm unsure why the production was done like this. Why not period-accurate? Why cold, dark, uninviting? I can't answer, but got the feeling the answer may be closer to the lines of "let's do a modern Les Mis because, hey, modern! That's, like, a new idea, right?" than "I have a vision I want to show to the audience and I can only do it through a modern setting of this period piece"...

I loved Mikki Kunttu's lights, they were some of the best I've ever seen. The lighting was beautiful and used really cleverly at some points, for example the shade of the whole scene changing completely faster than you can blink your eye when a character died...
I also liked Annsofi Nyberg's costuming. Mostly, it looked great. I think that the biggest problem was putting all the students in similar outfits, tricoloured pants and red jackets. When Enjolras didn't really separate from the crowd acting-wise, everybody looking like him surely didn't help making him a recognisable figure... But other than that, the costumes were nice to look at.

The action scenes, The Runaway Cart and then the barricade, were a bit of a mess. The abstractness of the barricade made portraying shooting and fighting hard, and as a whole the production trusted the power of light, smoke and noise way too much, with the actors hardly bothering moving around the stage in action scenes. Some other confusing barricade-related bits were the students dying twice - rather awkward, jumping from the barricade to downstage like that! - and the burning French flag seen in Final Battle. Someone clearly missed the point, putting that there. The both sides of the battle fight for France, so who set the flag on fire? If only they had used the red revolutionary flag, then the idea might've worked!

The Finale had both good and bad moments. Only Fantine showed up to welcome Jean Valjean to heaven. This doesn't have to be a problem, since the necessity of Éponine's part can be debated - but since we still heard Éponine's voice but only saw Fantine, the effect was confusing. The good part was that Javert also had a part in the Do You Hear The People Sing reprise. Here in Nordic countries, our theatres understand where his character belongs! The Malmö Finale's end was quite perfect actually, because, unlike in ÅST, the Thénardiers weren't nowhere to be seen.

The show was heavily choreographed. The effect varied from stunning to awkward. Even though some scenes looked good, I missed the standard blocking a bit - with a tight coreography, there's no room for inprovised background action in ensemble scenes!

Finally, the orchestra. Personally, I'm a fan of the new orchestrations à la Live! 2010 or Dutch 2008, so this version, sounding more traditional with synthetizers and such, wasn't exactly to my tastes. The music still sounded great though, grander that I've heard it played before, with a big orchestra conducted by Mats Rondin.

I know I may appear overly negative here. After all, everybody sung well, and there clearly was a lot of effort put into the show. The part of my company who hadn't seen Les Mis before said she enjoyed the show, and I'm sure the production will find its fans. This has just been the two cents of an overly invested Mizzie who, for the first time, left a theatre after seeing Les Mis without smiling.
Maybe this is just boredom, seeing the ÅST production so often lately... I'll see it again in four days. If it turns out then I'm tired of it too, I shall update this entry to give Malmö an absolution.

Picture credits: the first photo is mine, the one with Cosette, Marius and Éponine as well as the one with Glenn Daniel Nilsson are from the production's programme, the rest are by Malin Arnesson from Malmö Opera's press photo page.

Guess what!

Åbo Svenska Teater's Les Misérables continues next winter, for a month at least.

To honor that extraordinary piece of news, enjoy this fine old-timey photograph of me with the aforementioned production's cast:

Real story about the pictured event to follow later.
I just had to get the happy news out of my system before even trying to fall asleep tonight.

Fact File

Voikkuinen was sneaky enough to tag me with one of these eight facts things!

The rules:
1. Thank the person who gave you this tag - thaaaaaank youuuuu Voikkuinen!
2. Pass the tag to eight bloggers - you know what, I don't think so. I'm afraid I don't read too many blogs whose writers would care about this challenge.
3. Tell them about this tag - yeah.
4. Tell eight random things about yourself - now this is the fun part!


Okay! Go! Eight random MUSICAL things about Siiri - I want to have some order here, this is a musical blog after all!

1. If I were to work in a theatre - and I wish I will, one day - I think I'd rather work offstage than onstage.
I briefly wanted to be an actress when I was a kid, but that dream soon went the same way as my previous dreams of being a runner in the Olympics and selling yarn in a yarn shop. Though I admit I suffer from the feeling I bet every other musical fan recognises - that my life won't be really complete before I get to be a part the One Day More march in Les Mis.

2. Grease was the first musical I ever liked.
I was ten or eleven years old when I first saw it. My mother screamed to me that there's something fun on TV and I ran upstairs. She started taping the film from the point when Danny and Sandy meet each other again in the school sports event, and the first tape ran out of space in the middle - so I had about 5/6 of Grease on two separate VHS's (remember those wacky things?). I loved it beyond belief and could watch it twice the same day without getting bored in the least. Grease was also my first musical CD and the first DVD I owned.

3. Being such a huge musical fan as I am, I have an oddly small number of favourite actors and actresses.
I blame the fact that I've been an obsessive musical freak for less than three years. A year plus some being the runtime of an average Finnish musical, I haven't seen too many actors in more than one role so far. I don't want to name favourites based on one performance only.

4. Les Misérables is my favourite musical, I love it to bits and still cringe every time I have to watch through the horror of Gavroche dying, but it has made me cry only twice.
First time was by the end of the first time I ever saw the show, in West End. The reprise of Do You Hear the People Sing was too beautiful to hear - and not to cry! The second time was this summer in West End when the Overture begun. I don't know what hit me, but I started sobbing pretty grandiosely. I calmed down pretty quickly, though.

5. The Book of Mormon is the musical I'd most love to see at the moment.
Other ones I'd love to see live but haven't had the chance to, yet, are Notre Dame de Paris, Elisabeth, Sweeney Todd, Hairspray, Avenue Q and The Hunchback of Notre Dame (so many good musicals about this story, yet none to be seen by me!). Among others.

6. I've 55 musical cast recordings in my collection.
They're of 30 different shows and feature seven different languages. Ironically enough, one of these languages is not Finnish, and German - which I don't speak at all - is the most popular language in my collection right after English. My biggest number of CDs per show owned is, of course, Les Misérables, with eleven cast recordings and counting. My iTunes has 2,5 days of showtunes.

7. I've seen musicals live 45 times.
I've seen 25 different shows live. The show I've seen the most times is, of coure, Les Misérables, with nine times and counting, two productions seen (by the end of this year, the estimated numbers are 12 times and three different productions). Out of all the musicals I've seen, the first was Mamma Mia!'s world tour when it stopped at Helsinki, and the latest was Les Misérables, in Åbo Svenska Teater yesterday evening.

8. To me, sungthrough musicals are the best musicals.

Crowning Moments of Awesome

I think I should stop calling this thing a musical blog altogether and instead call it a blog about all things Les Mis... But I'm on a roll now! To balance out all the negativity in the previous entry, let me present you with some of my favourite things about Åbo Svenska Teater's Les Misérables, in no particular order. I guess my goal is that if someone, sometime in the future, for whatever reason, wants to stage an exact replica of the ÅST Les Mis, they don't have to go digging around the theatre's archives for the director's notes or rehearsal videos... My blog will tell them everything they need to know.
Some Superfluous Opinions - because I know reading me ramble is a bit more interesting than watching grass grow!

Marius
In this list, too? Yes!
No matter if he's played by Glenn Daniel Nilsson or Tomi Metsäketo, ÅST's Marius is the most adorable, dorky thing I've ever seen in the role (meaning that in a positive way, so Nick Jonas haters may hold their peace)! Even with him hugging Éponine all the time, which I mentioned in the previous post... I just love him.
Adorable awkwardness is not everything there is to Marius here, though. I love his more serious moments just as much as the adorkable courting Cosette scenes. From falling from a tree into Cosette's garden (never gets old!) to the way he shakes a fellow revolutionary's hand off his shoulders after Éponine has died... I love this version of Marius the best out of all the ones I've seen.

Javert's Suicide & Javert in the Finale
I guess I've mentioned how much I adore the decision of including Javert in the Finale for about seventeen times already, so I don't really need to go into much detail... Let's just say, one time more, that for once my favourite character gets the ending he deserves.
What I haven't talked about so much, yet (I think?), is the staging of Javert's Suicide. I do like the traditional West End version, but the very end... The actor rolling around the stage like a dying fly really takes something away from the drama of the moment. Luckily that's not the case here. Instead, Javert falls backwards from a bridge and disappears. Boom, gone. Not a moment of awkward dying on the stage floor - and thank goodness for that. The impact is much stronger this way.

The ABC Café
Where do I even begin with this?
The ABC Café is filled with brilliance. I don't try to claim the original staging isn't interesting, energetic and all that, but this... From the blood oath Les Amis take for the revolution to the mock fight Marius and Grantaire have after the latter has teased the former about Cosette... The less-than-gentle way Enjolras puts a stop to the aforementioned fight... The energy.
I'm especially fond of the mock fight. I admit I don't remember, clearly, the details of that moment in the original, but I think I can still say I prefer this treatment. It's such a fun, nice moment this group of friends share - only to be interrupted by a higher call. Maybe my number one favourite moment of the whole show, if it's possible to pin one down.

The Staging of the Barricade + the Aftermath of the Barricade
Simply the fact that the barricade has both sides has charmed me ever since the first time I saw this production.
In the original, we don't see who the barricade boys are fighting against. We hear a disembodied voice calling them names every now and then, and then some lights to signify the gunfire. The revolutionaries die as heroes, the opposing side staying faceless, emotionless, monstrous.
But here? We see the National Guard shooting the revolutionaries. And guess what? They're just as young, just as cute as the barricade boys. And they die, too. They, too, are fighting for what they believe to be right, and dying for their cause. I love the staging because it shows us all this and makes us think. The barricade boys aren't heroic martyrs anymore, and the whole second act seems much more realistic.
Also, after the barricade has fallen, the bodies of both sides stay onstage for a surprisingly long time: all the way from The Final Battle to Turning. Thénardier robs them during his song. Then the ensemble ladies, giving a purpose for their usually very tedious number at long last, carefully take them all, both National Guard and Les Amis, away and clear the barricade.

Gorgeous choices.

Bubbling under:
- Cosette (has a personality, pretty dress instead of the original lampshade)
- Valjean and little Cosette moments (adorablemeter hits 100%)
- the Thénardiers (not a moment of Matt Lucas-like over-the-top comedy here!)

Photo by Nana Simelius.