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Post by Cia on Apr 7, 2008 12:07:22 GMT -5
Kunze & Levay's Rebecca will premiere in Helsinki City Theatre on August 28th 2008. Production site, though it's not yet very useful if you don't speak Finnish. I'm not entirely happy about this, I must admit. The cast should be good and able to sing the songs, though I don't know the actress playing Mrs Danvers, but the theatre's musical productions often lack atmosphere and spirit and I'm a bit afraid of how it will feel after I got used to the amazing Vienna production. They also tend to be a bit too minimal with their sets and some sense of style wouldn't hurt them, either. But we'll see how it turns out... The translator luckily isn't the one who did Elisabeth. I've heard Liisa Ryömä's translation of Disney's Beauty and the Beast and it was mostly decent, though some things in the most important songs made me want to bang my head onto the seat in front of me. It's a normal feeling in Finnish musicals, our language lacks useful things like words with one syllable, which makes translating a bit complicated sometimes. I've seen a musical translation (yes, only one) in which it wasn't a problem, though, so it has been proved that it's possible to get over the freaky twists of the language. In most cases they just haven't done that. </translation rant> Before you ask: No, there most certainly won't be a cast recording, they never do those. I'm so going to be in the premiere...
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Post by Fantasma da Opera on Apr 7, 2008 12:15:05 GMT -5
I hate you so...so...so much! ;D Well thank God! its not the guy from Elisabeth...though I still some the way some of the sentences sound... I just don't know about Danvers dress though...I hope they change that ;D And I think I'll be getting some souvenirs...
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Post by Valancy on Apr 7, 2008 12:16:47 GMT -5
I'm also a bit worried about how the theatre will succeed in doing something that really has atmosphere and emotion rather than just everything working outwardly. But let's hope for the best. At least it's good news that they're starting to realise the existence of European musicals in Finland! I've seen the actress playing Ich as Éponine years and years ago, and she impressed me a lot then, so she may also be good in this. And I've seen the actor playing Maxim in many things and I quite like him. I've never heard of the actress playing Danvers either, but I found out through Google that she is a real musical actress, not just an actor who can sing a bit or a singer who can act a bit (which they too often are here), so she may be good. It's maybe good news that they got a relative unknown rather than a big name who won't fit the part. She's done many musical roles, they've just been in productions I haven't happened to see, and mostly in provincial theatres that I don't know so well. So cast-wise this looks promising enough, we'll see how it goes with the theatre... Hmm, the premiere is about three days before I'm supposed to be in my new internship in France, but maybe I'll manage.
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Post by Cia on Apr 7, 2008 12:29:47 GMT -5
I've never heard of the actress playing Danvers either, but I found out through Google that she is a real musical actress, not just an actor who can sing a bit or a singer who can act a bit (which they too often are here), so she may be good. It's maybe good news that they got a relative unknown rather than a big name who won't fit the part. She's done many musical roles, they've just been in productions I haven't happened to see, and mostly in provincial theatres that I don't know so well. Sounds good... I was afraid that they'd put either of the actresses who played Evita into Rebecca and I'm relieved to see that they aren't there. Lately their casts have been a bit better, actually. Not just singers or actors but even actors who can sing. Maxim looks like Captain von Trapp. ;D
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Post by Valancy on Apr 7, 2008 12:35:15 GMT -5
Yeah, I do think that the quality of musical actors in Finland is rising. In this one there aren't even any popular singers who've suddenly decided they can act, but they're all really actors, and at least the leads are real musical actors. The last thing I've seen the Maxim in was Chauvelin in the Scarlet Pimpernel in early 2000s. He was good then and I've always liked him. He definitely sings better than Uwe, if I recall correctly. The translation still scares me a bit, because in the Beauty and the Beast she managed some rhymes which no writer above 10 years of age should allow to go anywhere except in the first draft, but on the other hand some songs were just fine, so let's hope we get her good work in Rebecca.
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Post by Fantasma da Opera on Apr 7, 2008 13:33:44 GMT -5
The last thing I've seen the Maxim in was Chauvelin in the Scarlet Pimpernel in early 2000s. He was good then and I've always liked him. He definitely sings better than Uwe, if I recall correctly. If thats true I urge you people to barricate in the Theater untill they assure they'll produce a CD! ;D I'm now curious to hear the Japanese version, but I REALLY want to hear it in Finnish. Lets see if my bank acount allows me to go to Vienna and Helsinki on the same year...I doubt it but lets try...
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Post by IchBinRory on Apr 7, 2008 17:39:30 GMT -5
My envy is for Finland is so great its beyond words... Can the creative team not hear the english speaking worlds cries for Rebecca! I wouldn't even mind a short stint on the west end I'll take anything. Anywho before I restart this long heated debate again lets move swiftly on. I really hope they get a CD. I'd really like to hear Rebecca in another language.
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Post by Fantasma da Opera on Apr 7, 2008 18:23:50 GMT -5
My envy is for Finland is so great its beyond words... Can the creative team not hear the english speaking worlds cries for Rebecca! I wouldn't even mind a short stint on the west end I'll take anything. Anywho before I restart this long heated debate again lets move swiftly on. I really hope they get a CD. I'd really like to hear Rebecca in another language. Well the Japanese CD of Rebecca probably will be available in May, so its already a good start....of course it will be expensive as hell...but I'm gonna get it anyway ;D Someone could start a petition for a Finnish Rebecca CD... specially someone who can speak finnish... ;D
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Post by Milady on Apr 7, 2008 19:00:43 GMT -5
Maxim looks like Captain von Trapp. ;D Yeah, I was thinking a combo of Captain von Trapp and Liam Neeson in Schindler's List... a weird combination to think of, but probably more appropriate, actually, than Uwe's more 'pretty' look. Are there other pictures somewhere on the site? The 'sex kitten' (Audrey from Little Shop, really) look of "Ich" on the front page is bothering me a bit; I'm hoping it's just a bad picture of the look. (There is nothing wrong with the way the actress looks, just the rather saucy wig/make up and strappy dress.)
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Post by Nene on Apr 7, 2008 20:05:22 GMT -5
Ok, I haven't read the thread... don't really have time to, need to write a paper... but YAY! I'll go back and read this tomorrow evening.
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Post by Cia on Apr 8, 2008 3:50:09 GMT -5
There aren't any more photos yet and the wigs and costumes are likely to change a bit from those few promo photos. Here's an online advertising magazine in which you can see the photos larger (and Ich greeting the servants).
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Post by Valancy on Apr 8, 2008 4:19:00 GMT -5
I have to say I'm rather annoyed by some parts of the introductory text that is both on the website and on the magazine. They make it sound as though this is Sylvester Levay's musical and Kunze is the lyricist he chose for his partner to do this. Of course Levay's music is equally important for their musicals as Kunze's lyrics, but Kunze is the one who plans the stories and the structure of the musical, the characterisation etc. Levay is his partner, not the other way around. Of course it's more typical in the musical world that composers have the lead and just choose a suitable lyricist, but in this case it's not so and anyone who's done their homework on the subject should know that. Yes, Ich's look is a bit strange in that picture but they often turn out better than the first promo pics so I'm not too worried yet. They may not yet be finished with the wigs and costumes so they just threw on something they thought looked approximately right.
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Post by IchBinRory on Apr 8, 2008 4:38:37 GMT -5
The picture where Ich is meeting the cast kinda looks like princess Diana to me. lol
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Post by santtu on Apr 8, 2008 15:23:21 GMT -5
I'm actually quite intrigued by this choice of a show! Instead of continuing their recent string of crowd-pleasers and bullet-proof hit-shows (they had an awful production of EVITA, followed by Disney's BEAUTY AND THE BEAST, followed by THE PRODUCERS...) they finally decided to take a chance with a bit more unknown work.
I just hope they won't give it the same kind of treatment they gave EVITA... it was that bad!
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Post by Cia on Apr 8, 2008 15:39:06 GMT -5
I'm actually quite intrigued by this choice of a show! Instead of continuing their recent string of crowd-pleasers and bullet-proof hit-shows (they had an awful production of EVITA, followed by Disney's BEAUTY AND THE BEAST, followed by THE PRODUCERS...) they finally decided to take a chance with a bit more unknown work. I just hope they won't give it the same kind of treatment they gave EVITA... it was that bad! I agree, it's nice to see something else than the usual stuff and I hope they manage to do Rebecca well because it could mean that they'll do different (and IMO better...) musicals also in the future. Evita has this far been the only musical I've seen that has really made me hope that it would just be over, I was bored to death. At least BatB was good, except the costumes and some sets.
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