But they were all so earnest!
May. 8th, 2005 11:13 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
elfsYesterday was officially my birthday, and I am feeling all 39 of my years this morning. I had to buy reading glasses this year, and weight management no longer became a matter of assuming my hyperbouncy metabolism would take care of it.
We took the kids to see a local high-school production of Beauty and the Beast, using the Broadway Disney production script. We neded up there because![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
j5nn5r's younger daughter was in the cast as "The Baker's Wife" and "Candle #2", so we decided to go.
I'm not sure what I was expecting, but it surely wasn't the kind of semi-professional stage production that they put on. The school had chosen to run this as a lesson, not in acting per se but in the brutal business of running a production: four nights a week, three weeks running, matinee's on Saturday and, oh, by the way, you still have your day jobs-- in this case, classes. That included actors, technical, stage handlers, and orchestra.
Both the sets and the costumes were magnificent and near-professional quality. The only weak spots were the portrait paintings used in the overture; they were unimpressive and flat. The costumes were lavish and quick to assemble and looked exactly right. And unlike in the movie, the castle staff evolved during the play, becoming more and more thing-like: Lumiere' had hands in act 1, but in act 2 had flames (LED-illuminated and fan-blown bits of silk in rigs covering his hands). Mrs. Potts had both arms in act 1, but in act 2 one arm became the teapot spout. And the clock, Cogsworth, was used as the cue to tell us to look for these things by complaining that he had a winder in the back now somewhere in act 1 scene 4. Very nifty.
The actress who played Belle had a good singing voice but was a little flat when speaking. The actor who played the beast, likewise. The young man who played Gaston was unwilling to let go and play a complete asshole, which was too bad because that was his job; he let Lumiere' win the day by chewing the scenery during "Be Our Guest" with his outrageous French accent. There was this little slip of a girl who played the rug who was having the best time on stage, with a grin a mile wide as she hopped and skittered about only to prostrate herself, thud!, in front of "the Master's chair" (which was also a costume occupied by a person since it, too, was enchanted according to the play, and allowed for some creepy moments when it self-propelled across the stage like some deformed Dalek). The girl who played the feather duster was obviously enjoying her role' as the sexiest thing in the room, although afterwards during the meet-the-cast segment she was just another gawky teenager. Belle's Father was unconvincing; too young, a little underskilled for the part. Mr. D'ark was played by a tall guy whose latex bald applique didn't convince me and whose voice needed work. Cogsworth was played straight and convincingly. Mrs. Potts, on the other hand, was played by someone who knew what she wanted to do, and she did it perfectly, with one heck of a good voice.
The big numbers, "Who is Belle", "Be Our Guest," "Gaston," however, were exemplary showmanship. They were big and rambunctious and fun and everyone had a good time, including the audience. For "Who is Belle" they had a bunch of little kids dressed as sheep play the flock that gathers around her when she does her solo. The production was so convincing. And the one thing I liked about the play was that the actors were so damned earnest, they were all trying their hardest to be professional. The actors interacted with each other and projected to the audience, which is how it's supposed to be; frequently with school plays its the other way around.
I was very impressed, as were Kouryou-chan and Yamaarashi-chan. Kouryou-chan became quite emotive, and both were entranced enough to sit through a three-hour production with a single intermission.
I could dis any number of things: the technicals had some sound problems, the scene changes could have been faster (but not smoother; they were hampered by a lack of hands dressed as villagers, not by indecision or awkwardness), but, y'know, these are high schoolers. I think they did much better than anyone would have expected, and I think they deserve all the accolades they can get.
We took the kids to see a local high-school production of Beauty and the Beast, using the Broadway Disney production script. We neded up there because
j5nn5r's younger daughter was in the cast as "The Baker's Wife" and "Candle #2", so we decided to go.I'm not sure what I was expecting, but it surely wasn't the kind of semi-professional stage production that they put on. The school had chosen to run this as a lesson, not in acting per se but in the brutal business of running a production: four nights a week, three weeks running, matinee's on Saturday and, oh, by the way, you still have your day jobs-- in this case, classes. That included actors, technical, stage handlers, and orchestra.
Both the sets and the costumes were magnificent and near-professional quality. The only weak spots were the portrait paintings used in the overture; they were unimpressive and flat. The costumes were lavish and quick to assemble and looked exactly right. And unlike in the movie, the castle staff evolved during the play, becoming more and more thing-like: Lumiere' had hands in act 1, but in act 2 had flames (LED-illuminated and fan-blown bits of silk in rigs covering his hands). Mrs. Potts had both arms in act 1, but in act 2 one arm became the teapot spout. And the clock, Cogsworth, was used as the cue to tell us to look for these things by complaining that he had a winder in the back now somewhere in act 1 scene 4. Very nifty.
The actress who played Belle had a good singing voice but was a little flat when speaking. The actor who played the beast, likewise. The young man who played Gaston was unwilling to let go and play a complete asshole, which was too bad because that was his job; he let Lumiere' win the day by chewing the scenery during "Be Our Guest" with his outrageous French accent. There was this little slip of a girl who played the rug who was having the best time on stage, with a grin a mile wide as she hopped and skittered about only to prostrate herself, thud!, in front of "the Master's chair" (which was also a costume occupied by a person since it, too, was enchanted according to the play, and allowed for some creepy moments when it self-propelled across the stage like some deformed Dalek). The girl who played the feather duster was obviously enjoying her role' as the sexiest thing in the room, although afterwards during the meet-the-cast segment she was just another gawky teenager. Belle's Father was unconvincing; too young, a little underskilled for the part. Mr. D'ark was played by a tall guy whose latex bald applique didn't convince me and whose voice needed work. Cogsworth was played straight and convincingly. Mrs. Potts, on the other hand, was played by someone who knew what she wanted to do, and she did it perfectly, with one heck of a good voice.
The big numbers, "Who is Belle", "Be Our Guest," "Gaston," however, were exemplary showmanship. They were big and rambunctious and fun and everyone had a good time, including the audience. For "Who is Belle" they had a bunch of little kids dressed as sheep play the flock that gathers around her when she does her solo. The production was so convincing. And the one thing I liked about the play was that the actors were so damned earnest, they were all trying their hardest to be professional. The actors interacted with each other and projected to the audience, which is how it's supposed to be; frequently with school plays its the other way around.
I was very impressed, as were Kouryou-chan and Yamaarashi-chan. Kouryou-chan became quite emotive, and both were entranced enough to sit through a three-hour production with a single intermission.
I could dis any number of things: the technicals had some sound problems, the scene changes could have been faster (but not smoother; they were hampered by a lack of hands dressed as villagers, not by indecision or awkwardness), but, y'know, these are high schoolers. I think they did much better than anyone would have expected, and I think they deserve all the accolades they can get.
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no subject
Date: 2005-05-09 04:20 pm (UTC)As for the birthday stuff, my own birthday was two days ago, and I am feeling 42. Many happy returns, Elf. :)
no subject
Date: 2005-05-09 05:13 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2005-05-09 05:13 pm (UTC)Many happy returns, Elf
Date: 2005-05-09 05:29 pm (UTC)I was involved in a belly dance production at the end of April with two teenage troupes, a giggle of 5 year old "genies", an adult troupe and three soloists. I've been performing for more than a dozen years and have to say that those teenagers were the most comfortable performers I have ever seen. None of them seemed to have stage fright (unlike myself) and they all had a blast on stage, dancing and cheering their friends on (when they weren't dancing). Funny, I don't remember being that comfortable in front of people (and I was in Drama Club) -- what are they feeding the kids nowadays? (-:
Happy Birthday
Date: 2005-05-22 12:13 am (UTC)Be Well and Best Wishes.