Narnia: The Musical
Mar. 28th, 2011 15:29![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
starladyNarnia - The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. Book by Jules Tasca, music by Thomas Tierney, lyrics by Ed Drachman. Dir. Jon Tracy.
So I went withepershand to see this musical put on at the Berkeley Playhouse because we got the best Groupon ever and, well, it was awesome.
I think the most interesting choice the musical made was doubling Professor Kirke and Aslan, and Mrs. Macready and the Witch. It's a necessary dramaturgical choice, but it also gives the entire affair a rather Wizard of Oz feel--though of course Dorothy and the Gales eventually emigrated to Oz permanently, while the Pevensies were never allowed to do so. It worked well with the fact that adult actors were never brought onstage to double the adult Pevensies at the end of the Golden Age. We also discovered an artificial textual crux, about which there shall be a poll anon. And there was a random White Stag flitting about with bells and glitter! And Father Christmas looked like a bishop!
It's interesting, now that I'm sitting here rewatching the movie, to note just where this musical followed the movie's lead (in particular, on Susan and Susan's reaction to Narnia, right down to the appearance of the actress who played her here in Berkeley), and where it diverged. The musical drew Edmund's arc out more, and also Peter was a dork! He wore glasses! I never would have thought of Peter wearing glasses, but by the end I totally bought his transformation into Sir Peter and then into the High King. The musical also dramatized (in song, even) Edmund's conversation with Aslan at the Stone Table, but it played down, oddly, the miraculous elements of Aslan's resurrection. The Witch also looked like a semi-recovered flapper, and we were unimpressed with the bonus sexism! of her sexy reindeer and of Mrs. Beaver being a harridan (the Beavers in general are played as sort of broad Cockney types), as well as a musical number about the Witch getting (I kid you not) "hot and bothered" over Aslan's return. But! There was a happy song about torture and a snappy number about the Deep Magic since before the dawn of Time, as well as an actually really cool song about Cair Paravel, and in general, it was pretty great.
Finally, some Narnia recs:
snacky has remixed some a softer world comics with the Narnia movies, here and here. They are all pretty great.
Vids
Keep Your Eyes Open, bydiarmi (Lucy-centric) and
Weapon, by![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
obsessive24 (Edmund-centric)
Final footnote: How did I not know aboutnarnia until yesterday? DW circle, you are all fired! Fired!
So I went with
epershand to see this musical put on at the Berkeley Playhouse because we got the best Groupon ever and, well, it was awesome. I think the most interesting choice the musical made was doubling Professor Kirke and Aslan, and Mrs. Macready and the Witch. It's a necessary dramaturgical choice, but it also gives the entire affair a rather Wizard of Oz feel--though of course Dorothy and the Gales eventually emigrated to Oz permanently, while the Pevensies were never allowed to do so. It worked well with the fact that adult actors were never brought onstage to double the adult Pevensies at the end of the Golden Age. We also discovered an artificial textual crux, about which there shall be a poll anon. And there was a random White Stag flitting about with bells and glitter! And Father Christmas looked like a bishop!
It's interesting, now that I'm sitting here rewatching the movie, to note just where this musical followed the movie's lead (in particular, on Susan and Susan's reaction to Narnia, right down to the appearance of the actress who played her here in Berkeley), and where it diverged. The musical drew Edmund's arc out more, and also Peter was a dork! He wore glasses! I never would have thought of Peter wearing glasses, but by the end I totally bought his transformation into Sir Peter and then into the High King. The musical also dramatized (in song, even) Edmund's conversation with Aslan at the Stone Table, but it played down, oddly, the miraculous elements of Aslan's resurrection. The Witch also looked like a semi-recovered flapper, and we were unimpressed with the bonus sexism! of her sexy reindeer and of Mrs. Beaver being a harridan (the Beavers in general are played as sort of broad Cockney types), as well as a musical number about the Witch getting (I kid you not) "hot and bothered" over Aslan's return. But! There was a happy song about torture and a snappy number about the Deep Magic since before the dawn of Time, as well as an actually really cool song about Cair Paravel, and in general, it was pretty great.
Poll #6423 A textual crux of great import!
Open to: Registered Users, detailed results viewable to: All, participants: 31
The Captain of the Witch's Guard is named...
View Answers
Maugrim
14 (45.2%)
Fenris Ulf
12 (38.7%)
I don't know that off the top of my head...
2 (6.5%)
He's a wolf no matter what he's called.
7 (22.6%)
This Narnia obsession has gone way too far.
3 (9.7%)
Ticky box learned to always clean your sword from that scene.
15 (48.4%)
Ticky box believes in the prophecy of the four thrones.
4 (12.9%)
Ticky box believes in Aslan.
7 (22.6%)
Finally, some Narnia recs:
snacky has remixed some a softer world comics with the Narnia movies, here and here. They are all pretty great.Vids
Keep Your Eyes Open, by
diarmi (Lucy-centric) andWeapon, by
obsessive24 (Edmund-centric)Final footnote: How did I not know about
narnia until yesterday? DW circle, you are all fired! Fired!
(no subject)
Date: 2011-03-29 11:27 (UTC)*g* I used to tell people my degree's in academic theatre, and they'd say, "What does that mean?", so I'd say, "Playwriting, directing, dramaturgy--" and watch their faces go blank. ^^;