Note 12: Shrek the musical

Shrek the Musical is a musical with music by Jeanine Tesori and book and lyrics by David Lindsay-Abaire. It is based on the 2001 DreamWorks film Shrek and William Steig's 1990 book Shrek!. Shrek the Musical gives us the back story for characters we thought we knew, such as Shrek, Princess Fiona, and even evil Lord Farquaad. So the stage version gives you all you liked about the movie plus more about the characters while keeping the irreverent humor that spices up the plot.

In case you were the one person who hasn’t seen the movie, the story, in brief: To reclaim his swamp from squatting, displaced fairy creatures, the ogre Shrek must rescue the dragon-guarded Princess Fiona and deliver her to Lord Farquaad, who must marry a princess to become a king and make his land of Dulac into a real kingdom. Kids will love Shrek, but before the curtain, parents might want to explain the Dragon, which is a combination of a really big puppet and eight singers who give the character its voice, sort of like a Greek chorus.

The music, with its blues and gospel influences, takes a very different direction from the movie, which featured little original music, relying instead on new and old popular songs. I especially like the singer Sutton Foster as Princess Fiona. I have been in love with Foster’s voice and dancing since Thoroughly Modern Millie, for which she won a Tony. The Drowsy Chaperone introduced us to her great comedic skills, but Shrek gives that talent free rein. Morning Person is one of my favorite song of the play, which is sang by Foster.

An interesting fact of the play is that Christian Marriner used to be 6 feet tall. He could stare into the eyes of most people he met, often looking down to do so. Nowadays, he stands about 3 feet 6 inches, and he looks up at almost everybody. Luckily, that’s just while he’s on stage in Shrek the Musical playing the officious Lord Farquaad, who is happiest when he’s cutting fairy tale figures down to size.

With a terrific score of 19 all-new songs, more than a dozen hilarious supporting characters,e.g.Pinocchio,Sugar Plum Fairy & Gingy,Three Little Pigs,Big Bad Wolf,Wicked Witch and Mama Bear,etc., big laughs, great dancing, and breathtaking scenery, Shrek the Musical is part romance, part twisted fairy tale, and all irreverent fun for everyone! This is really a highly recommended show, for it is shrektacular! I can't help smiling when watching it, and guess what, actually you can find the whole play on youtube!

Note 11: A Chorus Line

     Even though TV has bombarded the show business with backstage dramas about the anguish of auditions, A Chorus Line as a musical which centered on seventeen Broadway dancers auditioning for spots on a chorus line keeps standing straight and strongly. The musical is set on the bare stage of a Broadway theater during an audition for a musical. A Chorus Line provides a glimpse into the personalities of the performers and the choreographer as they describe the events that have shaped their lives and their decisions to become dancers.

Following several workshops and an Off-Broadway production, A Chorus Line opened on Broadway on July 25, 1975, directed and choreographed by Buffalo native Michael Bennett. An unprecedented box office and critical hit, the musical received 12 Tony Award nominations and won 9 of them, in addition to the 1976 Pulitzer Prize for Drama. Moreover, the original Broadway production ran for 6,137 performances, becoming the longest-running production in Broadway history until surpassed by Cats in 1997, and the longest-running Broadway musical originally produced in the US, until surpassed in 2011 by Chicago.

As the director whittles a group of auditioning hopefuls down to a final eight, we hear the dancers' confessions: we learn about their broken homes, aspirations to stardom, fear of failure and, in the touching case of a Puerto Rican guy, his shame at being found by his parents dancing in a drag revue. But in the famous final number, One, we rejoice at seeing the dancers perform in glorious unison. Being a chorus singer for almost entire of my lifetime, the musical reminds me that no matter however much we may resent it, we still choke with emotion at the sight of a group of raw RAF servicemen being transformed into a perfectly drilled ensemble. This show also triggered me to ask questions to myself, ’why do I sing? Why do I dance? Why do I enjoy on stage?’ I think the answers are not as difficult as I once concerned, it is the genuine passion I feel from the music that makes me keep singing, just like the thrill you can find in A Chorus Line.

Note 10:Singin' in the Rain

You may know the classic movie ‘Singin' in the Rain’, but you may not know there is also a musical version with lyrics by Arthur Freed, and music by Nacio Herb Brown. The show opened on 15th February 2012, and is adapted from the 1952 movie of the same name, which itself looks back to 1927– two years before the Wall Street Crash, when flappers, film stars and aviators were partying like there was no hangover tomorrow.

Here’s the plot for people who’s not familiar with the story. It was the roaring ’20s and silent movie stars are the biggest names in the world. Singin’ in the Rain tells the story of Don Lockwood, silent movie star who has everything a person dreams of – fame, popularity and a romance with co-star Lina Lamont. With the on-going rumors of the possibility of sound being synchronized with picture which would surely revolutionize the movie industry and change everything, the silent stars, including Don, are nervous. When it is revealed that Lina has the voice closes to nails being scratched down a blackboard, Don and his comedy sidekick, Cosmo, go in search of an alternative. On finding the beautiful yet snooty Kathy Selden, a chorus girl prone to jumping out of cakes with the voice of an angel, Don tries to convince her to dub in for his co-star diva. Unfortunately both Lina and Kathy are stubborn, leading to Don being forced to work his Hollywood star charm. Although where Kathy is concerned, both her and Don get more than they bargained for as they embark upon a whirlwind romance.

It’s possible that you don’t even know the movie’ Singin' in the Rain’, but it’s definitely impossible that you have never heard of the song’ Singin' in the Rain.’ Besides the legendary number, other classic ones includes’ Good Morning’,’ Make ‘em Laugh’, and’ Moses Supposes’ are well known to the world. What’s more, the stylish choreography and sumptuous set design brighten the whole play. Hailed by critics as the ultimate feel-good show, Singin’ in the Rain “genuinely makes you feel better about life” (Charles Spencer, The Daily Telegraph). For me, the show indeed induced a very happy calm after the storm.

Note 9: Billy Elliot the Musical

Billy Elliot the Musical is a musical based on the 2000 British film Billy Elliot. The music is by Elton John, and book and lyrics are by Lee Hall, who wrote the film's screenplay. The plot revolves around motherless Billy, who trades boxing gloves for ballet shoes. The story of his personal struggle and fulfillment are balanced against a counter-story of family and community strife caused by the UK miners' strike (1984–1985) in County Durham, in North Eastern England.

The musical premiered in London's West End in 2005 and was nominated for nine Laurence Olivier Awards, winning four including Best New Musical. The production is still running strongly, and its success led to productions in Australia, on Broadway and elsewhere. In New York, it won ten Tony Awards and ten Drama Desk Awards, including, in each case, best musical. It has also won numerous awards in Australia including a record-tying seven Helpmann Awards.

Something interesting to notice is the accent the actors speak. In UK, the accent the actors speak and sing with is a northern English accent called Geordie.  Cast members of the show spend many hours with dialect coaches learning the accent, which is thought by many to give BETM an authentic air.  It can be hard for some people to understand, however, and the accent has been toned down for audiences of the American productions.

To be honest, I know nothing about dancing and I’m seldom touched by the dance moves. But whenever I watch BETM’s clip, their dance moves always move me to tears. There is a production number called “Angry Dance“. In it, all of the pent up anger, hopelessness and frustration that Billy feels, caused both by how his family and community are being affected by the miners’ strike and by his family’s lack of support of his desire to dance, comes out in a torrent.  He expresses his feelings in the only way he knows how — by dancing.  In an extraordinary exhibition of tap and modern dance skills, this high energy, sometimes violent scene ends the first act while often leaving audiences in awe of what they’ve just seen. Frankly speaking, I don’t really recommend the musical numbers, but BETM’s dance numbers are really irresistible.

Note 8: Once the Musical

“His music needs one thing. Her.”

Yes, this is the “Once” you have in mind, believe it or not, the 2006 independent film has adapted to the musical version and been in theatre in both New York and London in 2012.I can’t be more excited when I found the news that someone was putting effort in transforming one of my favorite movie into musical! But as an afterthought, changing a musical film into a musical makes sense, since it owns the musical numbers already; all left to do is to do some choreography.

You see, I love the movie “Once.” It's pretty much perfect: the story of a love that can never happen, between a failing Dublin songwriter and a Czech immigrant, it has that Brief Encounter bittersweet ache to it. I'm an iron lady most of the time, but that movie turned me into a bunny rabbit. The film's director and writer underplay everything masterfully. The actor Glen Hansard and Markéta Irglová, who star, wrote and sang all its beautiful songs, one of which went on to win an Oscar in 2008. It stole hearts all over the world.

“Once the Musical” was nominated for 11 Tony awards in 2012, winning eight - including best musical, and best actor for star Steve Kazee. The biggest tip you need to know if you are going to see this, is that you should get to the theater at least 20 minutes early. The pre-show music is one of the best elements of the show that many people miss simply because they don't know it exists! This musical just felt more personal, in my opinion. This was a no frills, bare bones production - all the actors/actresses played their own instruments, sang their own parts, and did minimal dancing. Everyone on stage was so incredibly talented. I do enjoy huge Broadway shows like Wicked, no doubt, but I had a really great time watching” Once.” About the script, I think it loosely mirrors the movie, but definitely can stand alone, for those new to the production.  I liked the way the casts deviated from the movie enough to make it different for old fans, but stayed true enough that the essence of the film wasn't changed. But what really made it for me was the music. Plain and simple - the instruments, the actors, and the things they produced vocally and instrumentally carried the show all the way.

After watching the musical, I began to think about the music in our lives, how much it is around us, how it affects our lives or our relationships with others. I can say that every cast in this show is musician, I can see music around them the entire time, and they make the story not only about romance but the real musicians in our everyday lives.

Note 7: Matilda the Musical

Adapted from the ever-popular children’s book by Roald Dahl, Matilda the Musical has been a spectacular since it first opened to packed audiences at the theatre in London. Including original songs from comedian, Tim Minchin, Matilda the Musical is the latest masterpiece from the Royal Shakespeare Company. Based on the grisly tale by Roald Dahl, Matilda is the story of a nine year-old girl, neglected and misunderstood by her family, who discovers she has the magical power to change her destiny. Matilda the musical is one of the must-see shows for all ages, whether you were inspired reading the original book or watching the award-winning film. Packed with hilarious songs, outstanding performances and lots of laughs, never miss out on the spell-bounding story of Matilda, live at the theatre. Winner of five Best Musical awards and with five star reviews, Matilda is a must-see.

How did I find this newly produced (2010) musical, you might be curious? It just happened to pop on the suggest list of youtube, and Matilda the novel used to be my favorite book when I was around 10. After viewing the first music number, I can’t help to search as many clips as I can get from the internet. I think it is a show not just for children, but with some very clever humor makes the adults find something to laugh about.  I love what they do to the set and how they stage it. Fantastic stage set with school desks which popped up out of the floor, building block style letters hanging from the ceiling and manic dance routines. The Trunchbull is superb and the part where "she" swings the little girl around by her plaits only for her to be swung into the audiences is hilarious! I found myself crying with laughter. All the kids in the show are brilliant especially the lead Matilda. Her pitch is amazing, and she played Matilda quite rightly got an outstanding ovation. Not surprised it's won so many awards, it is indeed a funny, fun and heart-warming show.

      

 Here is my favorite song of the show, a lovely entertaining one- Nauty. The lyrics evoke resonance to me-“Like Romeo and Juliet,'Twas written in the stars before they even met. That love and fate (and a touch of stupidity).Would rob them of their hope of living happily. The endings are often a little bit gory. I wonder why they didn't just change their story. We're told we have to do what we're told, but surely. Sometimes you have to be a little bit naughty.” Matilda the musical just like what the novel had taught me when I was little, it reminds me that even if we are only one person we can do a lot. We mustn't let a little thing stop us. After all, we are the author of our own story, nobody but us are going to change the story.

Note 6: The Prince of Egypt

A little bit different today is that the musical I’m going to introduce you is an animated one-The Prince of Egypt. Rather than showing you a Broadway or West end production, the reasons I choose the animation is because that much of the animation is stunning and all of the vocal performances are good to great. And it's just much of the passion seems to be in not stepping on anyone's beliefs or interpretations, instead of in telling the story in the most compelling way possible.

Dreamworks Pictures has taken the biblical story of Exodus, put it into cartoon form, and released it on the big screen as an epic animated feature. The Prince of Egypt tells the story of Moses releasing the Jews from Egyptian slavery under the hand of the evil pharaoh Rameses. Think of The Ten Commandments with songs and an all-star cast doing the voices. The story revolves around these two close brothers, Moses and Rameses. While Rameses is groomed to take over the land, his beloved brother Moses is a carefree prankster, until he learns the true secret of his past. His secret, of course, is that he is really a Jew and as a child was floated down the river to escape mass genocide. The pharaoh Seti raised Moses as his son. Upon learning the truth of his past from a burning bush, Moses returns to Egypt with God on his side and demands that the pharaoh (now his brother Rameses) must "Let my people go." With songs written by Oscar-winner Stephen Schwartz and sung by Whitney Houston and Mariah Carey, The Prince of Egypt covers all the classic story points of the story of Moses, including the ten plagues and the parting of the Red Sea.

The film was nominated for best Original Musical or Comedy Score and won for Best Original Song at the 1999 Academy Awards for "When You Believe". The song's pop version was performed at the ceremony by Whitney Houston and Mariah Carey. The song, co-written by Stephen Schwartz, Hans Zimmer and with additional production by Babyface, was nominated for Best Original Song (in a Motion Picture) at the 1999 Golden Globes and was also nominated for Outstanding Performance of a Song for a Feature Film at the ALMA Awards. Though “When You Believe” seems to be the most representative song of the film, my favorite number is ‘”Deliver Us”. This song enchanted me as a child when i first saw the movie and to this day it still paralyzes my soul to stop and listen and float in harmony with the beautiful voices. What triggers me the most is the voice of the mother, who sings with deep sorrow and strong hope. Someone may argue about whether the story is true or not, but let’s just put it aside and enjoy the breath-taking music first.