Lord of the Rings: The Musical (No Joke!) - The Barrow-Downs Discussion Forum

davem · 05-10-2007, 11:33 PM

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main...1/nmusic11.xml

Mithalwen · 05-12-2007, 05:21 AM

It is hard to know where to start in describing an evening of sensory overload and I am finding it true that the first step is the hardest to make. I haven't been to a musical for many years (and that was the relatively straight forward "Me and my girl" so I am probably a bit out of touch with the developments technologically - though I am aware of "Miss Saigon"'s helicopter and The flying of "Chitty Chitty Bang Bang", but I was awestruck by the set and the special effects. The proscenium arch seemed to be covered in tree roots (like the musical logo) and with changing lighting this served to represent the rural idyll of the Shire, the other worldiness of Lothlorien and the more menacing environments.

Most of the stage was taken up with an incredibly versatile turntable stage that had steps that rose and fell as relentlessly as an Escher drawing and combined with some clever choreography and music helped to create a sense of journey much more effectively than in the film (FOTR particularly).

I don't get to the theatre as much as I'd like and this was a brilliant reminder of how much more engaging it is to be at a live show than sitting, gawping in a multiplex surrounded by people who can't last a couple of hours without food (what is worse the constant chomp of popcorn or the shorter strain on the ear but lingering assault on the olefactory system of the burger? A dinky bottle of champagne at the interval was sustaining and far more civilised (and compared to what they charge for soft drinks at my local cinema, not actually that extravagant!). But I digress.

Although we took our seats promptly there were already hobbits wandering around the auditorium gossiping and bickering. They were rather more like Tolkien's own descriptions and pictures of Bilbo than the film creations - fatter of tummy, curlier of hair, rosier of cheek. I am not a huge hobbit fan but I found them enchanting. One thing they weren't were "halflings" - and were not referred to as such. They were noticeably short but not half sized compared to the elves and humans. Gimli may have been shorter and had a rather squeaky voice. I think the extreme physicality of the production meant that maximising the height difference would have been impossible. The fight sequences were extremely balletic/ acrobatic and I can't imagine the extremely lanky managing them elegantly. Nevertheless the hobbits were distinct as small people.

They were also distinctly rustic - more West Country than Warwickshire - and this included Frodo, Merry and Pippin who were not noticeably higher class than Sam (thought Sam remained the Gardener). I think that was fair enough - to have class distinctions as well as the many racial one would have muddied the waters unnecessarily. However it was a bit of a shock to hear Frodo sounding like he came from Zummmerzet.

Similarly it was a surprise that the wandering elves appeared like an angelic host - however again if you have humans playing non humans you have to ring the changes somehow and I think it was fine in context .

TBC

davem · 05-12-2007, 10:10 AM

http://arts.guardian.co.uk/theatre/d...076689,00.html

Estelyn Telcontar · 06-01-2007, 08:18 AM

Can any of you give me information on where and how to order tickets for the musical - and how difficult it is to get them? I would love to catch this in London before or after Oxonmoot in September!

davem · 06-01-2007, 08:27 AM

Booking info here: http://www.lotr.com/prices.php

Be careful what seat you get - those in the front 2 rows need to watch out for blood spatter & mangled limbs:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/6707791.stm

**The Saucepan Man** · 06-01-2007, 08:34 AM

Esty, I have always found that the easiest way to book tickets for London shows is through one of the on-line booking agencies (for example, See, which is linked to in the link that davem provided). You have to pay a small surcharge, but its usually straightforward, painless and quick. You can also often click on the map of the theatre to see where the seats on offer are.

It's worth shopping around, though (I usually simply Google something like "London tickets"). Prices can vary (due to the variable booking fee) and, if one agency doesn't have tickets on the day you want, others still may.

Estelyn Telcontar · 06-01-2007, 08:45 AM

Thanks for the information! Yes, if I'm going to plan a trip well in advance, I will order tickets in advance to be sure I get them for the day I want to have them. What I haven't been able to find is a map of the theatre to see where the stalls, dress circle, upper circle, etc. are located and which is best for seeing. Those of you who have been there, what's best? I'm not going to fuss over a few pounds difference - it's usually worth it to get closer to the experience (except for the blood spatter, of course!

). I want to be able to see and hear everything.

narfforc · 06-01-2007, 11:59 AM

I must say to counter some of the negative comments this musical has received, that I found it to be fantastic. However one must approach it with an open mind remembering that this is another medium, the artwork portrayed by various artists deviates from the descriptions Tolkien gives in his work, the BBC Radio play deviated from the book, the films of both Baksi and Jackson also deviated from the book, the musical is just another interpretation. I say all this as a reader of Tolkiens works for over forty years, I am no film fan (though I enjoyed them greatly), nor am I overly fond of Everything with Lord of the Rings plastered all over it, but I pronounce judgement once I have experienced the offending articles and not by denouncing without knowledge of the said thing. I can understand peoples apprehension of something that says Musical after it, and that this can bring to bear preconceived ideas on the subject, but this is the same as Germaine Greer saying she hates The Lord of the Rings without reading it.

Mithalwen · 06-09-2007, 09:32 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Estelyn Telcontar

Those of you who have been there, what's best? I'm not going to fuss over a few pounds difference - it's usually worth it to get closer to the experience (except for the blood spatter, of course!

). I want to be able to see and hear everything.

I sat in the stalls and so we had hobbits wandering around at the beginning catching fireflies and orcs rushing around later on - youreally are in the thick of it down there. Our tickets were £50 per skull but sinceI wasn't paying I don't know if that was less because it was preview or more becasue it was first night. I was in the centre of the centre bloc of stalls seats. I'll check the ticket if that would help.

You certainly get the full impact of the SEF at that level - the balrog was incredible - far scarier than the film - you literally feel the heat ! - but it is not a huge theatre and I know Kath who was higher up still enjoyed it - and also couldn't tell how they made Frodo disappear. And it is not a barn of a theatre. Much more intimate than I expected.

I think they have lost half an hour and Eowyn from the TOronto show.

Rohan and Gondor and Theoden and Denethor are amalgamated in to the Lands of Men and its Steward. Yes I know some of you might have spat your coffee at that and I know it is against what Tolkien wanted for a film but it does make sense - otherwise youahve two threatened lands with rulers under a malign influence who have just lost their sons at the moment of appearance - and in a 3hr production something has to give. I cetainly found this condensing more respectful and true to the spirit than some of Jackson's changes.

And there is much that the musical has retained that the film lost... Gildor (for some reason female and called Elranien (wandering elf), Glorfindel - also a girl and horseless (the Black riders wer amazing but htere is a limit

), the scouring of the Shire. Even Bomabadil gets a mention.
The only thing I found slightly bizarre and would change is the fact that the Elves seem to use sign language when talking to mortals as if they are incapable of understanding speech but I guess youdid have to make the elves "different" - while like enough for the Aragorn / Arwen thing to work. I would also have given Elrond's costume less "bling" - but again when you consider some of what they made poor darling Hugo wear in the films ....

I liked the fact that Legolas was far less of a pretty boy (and dark haired!), Boromir sounded extremely Scottish and his horn was very impressive. I also liked how they used things that we know happened but didn't see in the books to make sense of the hobbits surviving to rivendell against the odds (the activity of the Rangers of the North and Gildor alerting the wandering companies).

While they didn't use any of Tolkien's poems the songs were clearly inspired by them - the road going on noticably. I also think they handled the balance between light and dark very well, and though the scary bits were scary they were either followed by and interval (Balrog) or a lighter moment. For this reason, I would have thought it would be an excellent thing to take children too if you wanted them to get a taste of the power of a live show. Not very tiny ones and maybe to a matinee but I would reckon it far less potentially disturbing than the films.

Finally I must mention Gollum. Deagol swims down on to grasp the ring and gollum climbs down a cliff face head first - it is stunning.

..I really want to go again.

PS I found out that my actor cousin auditioned for Frodo in Toronto but was too tall....

05-10-2007, 11:33 PM	#1
davem Illustrious Ulair Join Date: Aug 2002 Location: In the home of lost causes, and forsaken beliefs, and unpopular names,and impossible loyalties Posts: 4,240	http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main...1/nmusic11.xml __________________ “Everything was an object. If you killed a dwarf you could use it as a weapon – it was no different to other large heavy objects."

05-12-2007, 05:21 AM	#2
Mithalwen Pilgrim Soul Join Date: May 2004 Location: watching the wonga-wonga birds circle... Posts: 9,461	Kath are you sure you want to read this now? It is hard to know where to start in describing an evening of sensory overload and I am finding it true that the first step is the hardest to make. I haven't been to a musical for many years (and that was the relatively straight forward "Me and my girl" so I am probably a bit out of touch with the developments technologically - though I am aware of "Miss Saigon"'s helicopter and The flying of "Chitty Chitty Bang Bang", but I was awestruck by the set and the special effects. The proscenium arch seemed to be covered in tree roots (like the musical logo) and with changing lighting this served to represent the rural idyll of the Shire, the other worldiness of Lothlorien and the more menacing environments. Most of the stage was taken up with an incredibly versatile turntable stage that had steps that rose and fell as relentlessly as an Escher drawing and combined with some clever choreography and music helped to create a sense of journey much more effectively than in the film (FOTR particularly). I don't get to the theatre as much as I'd like and this was a brilliant reminder of how much more engaging it is to be at a live show than sitting, gawping in a multiplex surrounded by people who can't last a couple of hours without food (what is worse the constant chomp of popcorn or the shorter strain on the ear but lingering assault on the olefactory system of the burger? A dinky bottle of champagne at the interval was sustaining and far more civilised (and compared to what they charge for soft drinks at my local cinema, not actually that extravagant!). But I digress. Although we took our seats promptly there were already hobbits wandering around the auditorium gossiping and bickering. They were rather more like Tolkien's own descriptions and pictures of Bilbo than the film creations - fatter of tummy, curlier of hair, rosier of cheek. I am not a huge hobbit fan but I found them enchanting. One thing they weren't were "halflings" - and were not referred to as such. They were noticeably short but not half sized compared to the elves and humans. Gimli may have been shorter and had a rather squeaky voice. I think the extreme physicality of the production meant that maximising the height difference would have been impossible. The fight sequences were extremely balletic/ acrobatic and I can't imagine the extremely lanky managing them elegantly. Nevertheless the hobbits were distinct as small people. They were also distinctly rustic - more West Country than Warwickshire - and this included Frodo, Merry and Pippin who were not noticeably higher class than Sam (thought Sam remained the Gardener). I think that was fair enough - to have class distinctions as well as the many racial one would have muddied the waters unnecessarily. However it was a bit of a shock to hear Frodo sounding like he came from Zummmerzet. Similarly it was a surprise that the wandering elves appeared like an angelic host - however again if you have humans playing non humans you have to ring the changes somehow and I think it was fine in context . TBC __________________ “But Finrod walks with Finarfin his father beneath the trees in Eldamar.” Christopher Tolkien, Requiescat in pace Last edited by Mithalwen; 05-12-2007 at 05:27 AM.

05-12-2007, 10:10 AM	#3
davem Illustrious Ulair Join Date: Aug 2002 Location: In the home of lost causes, and forsaken beliefs, and unpopular names,and impossible loyalties Posts: 4,240	http://arts.guardian.co.uk/theatre/d...076689,00.html __________________ “Everything was an object. If you killed a dwarf you could use it as a weapon – it was no different to other large heavy objects."

06-01-2007, 08:18 AM	#4
Estelyn Telcontar Princess of Skwerlz Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: where the Sea is eastwards (WtR: 6060 miles) Posts: 7,500	Can any of you give me information on where and how to order tickets for the musical - and how difficult it is to get them? I would love to catch this in London before or after Oxonmoot in September! __________________ 'Mercy!' cried Gandalf. 'If the giving of information is to be the cure of your inquisitiveness, I shall spend all the rest of my days in answering you. What more do you want to know?' 'The whole history of Middle-earth...'

06-01-2007, 08:27 AM	#5
davem Illustrious Ulair Join Date: Aug 2002 Location: In the home of lost causes, and forsaken beliefs, and unpopular names,and impossible loyalties Posts: 4,240	Booking info here: http://www.lotr.com/prices.php Be careful what seat you get - those in the front 2 rows need to watch out for blood spatter & mangled limbs: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/6707791.stm __________________ “Everything was an object. If you killed a dwarf you could use it as a weapon – it was no different to other large heavy objects."

06-01-2007, 08:34 AM	#6
The Saucepan Man Corpus Cacophonous Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: A green and pleasant land Posts: 8,390	Esty, I have always found that the easiest way to book tickets for London shows is through one of the on-line booking agencies (for example, See, which is linked to in the link that davem provided). You have to pay a small surcharge, but its usually straightforward, painless and quick. You can also often click on the map of the theatre to see where the seats on offer are. It's worth shopping around, though (I usually simply Google something like "London tickets"). Prices can vary (due to the variable booking fee) and, if one agency doesn't have tickets on the day you want, others still may. __________________ Do you mind? I'm busy doing the fishstick. It's a very delicate state of mind!

06-01-2007, 08:45 AM	#7
Estelyn Telcontar Princess of Skwerlz Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: where the Sea is eastwards (WtR: 6060 miles) Posts: 7,500	Thanks for the information! Yes, if I'm going to plan a trip well in advance, I will order tickets in advance to be sure I get them for the day I want to have them. What I haven't been able to find is a map of the theatre to see where the stalls, dress circle, upper circle, etc. are located and which is best for seeing. Those of you who have been there, what's best? I'm not going to fuss over a few pounds difference - it's usually worth it to get closer to the experience (except for the blood spatter, of course! ). I want to be able to see and hear everything. __________________ 'Mercy!' cried Gandalf. 'If the giving of information is to be the cure of your inquisitiveness, I shall spend all the rest of my days in answering you. What more do you want to know?' 'The whole history of Middle-earth...'

06-01-2007, 11:59 AM	#8
narfforc Ghost Prince of Cardolan Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Muddy-earth Posts: 1,297	Deviants.... I must say to counter some of the negative comments this musical has received, that I found it to be fantastic. However one must approach it with an open mind remembering that this is another medium, the artwork portrayed by various artists deviates from the descriptions Tolkien gives in his work, the BBC Radio play deviated from the book, the films of both Baksi and Jackson also deviated from the book, the musical is just another interpretation. I say all this as a reader of Tolkiens works for over forty years, I am no film fan (though I enjoyed them greatly), nor am I overly fond of Everything with Lord of the Rings plastered all over it, but I pronounce judgement once I have experienced the offending articles and not by denouncing without knowledge of the said thing. I can understand peoples apprehension of something that says Musical after it, and that this can bring to bear preconceived ideas on the subject, but this is the same as Germaine Greer saying she hates The Lord of the Rings without reading it. __________________ [B]THE LORD OF THE GRINS:THE ONE PARODY....A PARODY BETTER THAN THE RINGS OF POWER.