War Horse Weekend

At last, the long awaited update about what I did last weekend. Let's see if I can remember.

Saturday I saw War Horse, which is playing at the Vivian Beaumont Theatre at the Lincoln Center. Had never had a reason to go to the Lincoln Center, so it was a nice two-for-one culture + famous landmark outing in the city. The Lincoln Center is pretty impressive: home to several theatres, the Metropolitan Opera, and somewhat randomly, the Juilliard School. So, there was that. One disappointing thing about the Lincoln Center, though: the complex is done up in that pre-stressed concrete cinderblock architecture that-- for some reason-- was thought to be a good aesthetic idea. It's just sad when bad taste happens.

Anyway, War Horse did not disappoint. I was curious to see how all the battle scenes were going to get translated to the stage from the screen (I had seen the movie when it came out in movie theatres last December), as in the movie they were very intense and very true-to-life. Obviously, you can't really get that kind of realism on a stage. But wow. The battle scenes on stage were just as bit as affecting as the scenes on the screen. Because of the limitations of the stage, they had to do a lot more with less. So whereas a lot of the wrenching scenes and emotion of the battles came from just the intensity of the fighting and the carnage, here the same intensity came through by really focusing on the characters, on their relationships with each other (both man and beast) and having the emotion of the entire battle come through in the emotion between the characters. That, and some well-played pyrotechnics and sound design, which made it sound like you were surrounded by canon fire.

All of the characters were very well developed, and the actors did a phenomenal job of pulling the audience into the scene, into the world on the stage, and actually caring about everyone who was up there. For it being a "war" story, there was no enemy, no hero or "right" side. The Germans were every bit as sympathetic and their stories as heart-wrenching as the British. Which I think says a lot of good things about the story generally, but also about the production, that they were able to convey the humanity of both sides, equally. And man, I never thought I would be so emotionally invested in a puppet. The puppets and their masters who were playing Joey (the main horse) and Top Form (the other, ill-fated horse-pal of Joey)did a wonderful job of conveying a real character through the movements of the puppetry. This was all the more impressive as the horse roles, unsurprisingly, were silent (minus some neighing).

What was interesting about the production in relation to the film, is that while the overall arc of the story, and each mini-story within the store, are at a macro level the same (same idea, same general resolution. They even had the goose!), the minute details (such as the exact characters, their relations to each other, minor details about what happens when) were often different than that in the movie. Which I suppose is not surprising; someone I know who had read the book also said that the movie differed from the book and the stage play (both the play and movie were based off the book, so it wasn't like the movie was based off the play or anything). So that was interesting. Overall, a fabulous production that I would recommend to anyone who likes solidly good theatre.

Here are some photos from that day, around the Lincoln Center, and the Upper West Side just generally.

As I was making my way to the Lincoln Center, I ran into an office building type area that had in and around it a bunch of sculptures. Did not see a sign or anything, so have no idea who made them. But these look like a statute of a lil dude in bronze, that sits on the bench at one of the subway stops. I'll be damned if I can't remember right now which one, though

See no evil. Hear no evil. Speak no evil. I really like these brass guys, because they are just very whimsical. And I am a fan of the whimsy

Globe near the entrance to Central Park, I want to say it is in front of a Trump tower? Anyway, was part of this larger square/roundabout area on the Upper West Side

Really intense entry gate to the west side of Central Park. They really don't make things like they used to. This apparently was dedicated to those who died in the Spanish-American war. It is apparently also a fountain. And has all of the gold plating. Man, I wish we would go back to crazy Victorian-and-Edwardian era decor. So much epic

Main view of the Lincoln Center Plaza/The Metropolitan Opera house

Awesome fountain in the plaza of the Lincoln Center

Apparently, I found Juilliard. Didn't know it was at Lincoln Center. I guess at this point I should be used to randomly finding famous things in New York

Anyway, if you are interested, here is the production information for War Horse:

Vivian Beaumont Theatre
Lincoln Center
150 West 65th Street
New York, New York

According to the website, the show scheduled to play for the next few months anyway. From the ticket schedule, it looks like it plays: Sundays at 3:00PM, Tuesdays at 7:00PM, Wednesdays at 2:00PM and 8:00PM, Thursdays and Fridays at 8:00PM, and Saturdays at 2:00PM and 8:00PM. More ticket information is available online at their website.

On Sunday, I had a bit of a calmer day. I decided it would be a nice day to do something chill... so I went to Chelsea Piers (which is also rumored to be a hangout of sorts for NYC-based celebs; alas, I did not see any) to go ice skating, which I don't think I had done since around Christmas of my senior year in college (mostly due to my screwed up toes...the last time I went I could only go for like 15 minutes before my feet were dying). But, now my feet are fixed, so I can enjoy it again! And it was a very nice way to spend an afternoon. It's calming, fun (and you get to listen to music), and apparently a pretty decent workout. I didn't realize it because it was cold on the ice, but I was actually breaking a sweat. I skated for about an hour; unfortunately the skate shoes were chaffing a lil on my ankles, so after the hour I decided to stop before it became a full-on blister. I was surprised how quickly skating came back to me. When I was really little, I used to take skating lessons, and actually was getting fairly decent (just starting jumps), but then I broke some bones (not from skating, but still) which took me out of lessons and I just never went back. I wish I had though. I think I might try to look into taking lessons when I get back to Chicago; it would be a good way to get some much-needed exercise, and a nice way to take myself away from all my law-related stuff, and actually have a life outside of school.

More information on Chelsea Piers (which is a massive sports complex with many different things going on in it) can be found here.

So that was pretty much that weekend. Finally got around to updating! Huzzah!

The Phantom of Broadway

First. How is it almost Friday? What the hell? I only have a week more of work left. Damn. They ain't kidding about time and flying.

On Monday evening (it's been the kind of week where I am writing about something that happened on Monday, on Thursday) I fulfilled a lifelong goal of mine: see The Phantom of the Opera on Broadway. For a little context: The Phantom of the Opera was the musical that introduced me to musicals. My parents used to play the original Broadway recording in our house fairly frequently (apparently it is also my mom's favorite musical, which I only just found out. But that would explain the year my parents went as Christine and the Phantom for Halloween. And the lots of playing of the soundtrack. But I digress), and even as a very young child (like 5 or 6), I would dress up in blankets and dance (more like flail) around to the titular song. While I was growing up, my parents would periodically take me to see professional productions of the show when it would be playing in San Francisco. For a long time it was my favorite musical, and even though that has been replaced by Les Miserables (as evidenced by the obscene number of different versions of the soundtrack that currently exist on my iPod, including the obscure "concept" soundtrack done entirely in French), it still holds a special place for me as a show. I remember that when the movie version came out while I was in high school, I was legitimately obsessed with it for a year. Kind of like the way people are obsessed with Harry Potter or (shudder) Twilight. Actually, fittingly at least from a personal standpoint, the guy who was playing the Phantom in this production, Hugh Parano, made is big Broadway break as Marius in the original Broadway production of Les Miserables. Connection! (in an isolating age...)

Anyway, since in addition to my personal love of the show, it is also basically a New York City institution (it's been running for 25+ years now), I felt that I could not not take up the opportunity to see it. My real dream would be to see the original production with Sarah Brightman and Michael Crawford; since they stopped being part of the cast back when I was in elementary school, however, that was never going to happen. But seeing it on Broadway is a must. I never do this otherwise, but I even splurged $10 for one of those glossy program things.

I was surprised that for a Monday evening show, the line was already long and queued up at 7:20PM for an 8:00PM curtain. This is sort of what everything looked like as I waited to get in:

Outside the Majestic Theatre, where the show plays. With Signage

The show was very well done. The singing was top-notch, and I think that the guy playing the Phantom, really pulled off the emotion of the well. And he kind of sounded like Crawford, actually. The lady playing Christine had a ridiculously strong voice. I don't recall hearing one botched note. The set was also very well done, although the show pretty much looks exactly as it did when it first opened in the 1980s. In fact, I think most of the production side-- set, costumes, blocking, etc.-- are pretty much the same, or at least very similar, to that used in the original production. But, considering people have an expectation as to what "the Phantom" on Broadway is, I suppose that is not very surprising. The one thing I was slightly disappointed about, though, was the chandelier crash: it was kind of weak. I know, I know, 1980s technology. But you think they could update the technology at least once in 25 years, without detracting from the "vision." The crashes in productions I have seen in San Francisco, were a lot more epic (or at least a lot more drawn out-- in those productions, the chandelier literally hung over the audience then crashed onstage; here, the chandelier was barely over the orchestra, and crashed pretty much straight down). You know where they didn't skimp on the technology? Pyrotechnics. Holy crap dude. On a couple of occasions I had to actually shut my eyes, lest I burn my retina.

The other geekishly cool thing about this production for me, was the fact that the guy playing Raoul (aka loverboy) is a native of Los Gatos, California-- basically my hometown. The cutesy downtown is literally ten minutes from my house, and I have spent a lot of time there over the years. I don't know about other people, but I always find it cool when people from "the old country" aka the Bay Area pop up in the most unexpected places, particularly high-profile unexpected places. I thought it was cool that there is a very good chance that he went to Los Gatos High School, a place I have been to on a number of occasions and can picture in my mind. Even though Raoul is not my favorite character (I am and have always been solidly Team Phantom), I did think having this kind of connection was pretty awesome. Almost as awesome as the time my boyfriend and I went to see a national tour of South Pacific only to see a guy who had been in my boyfriend's college acting class for three years, actin' it up like a boss in a not-ensemble or minute role. For five minutes, I actually considered going around back to meet the actors after the show (apparently you can do this), and use this random coincidence to establish rapport. But I didn't. Instead, I took pictures of the outside.

Illuminated signage of the Phantom's trademark mask

Less epic illuminated signage of the Phantom's trademark mask

You know what wasn't cool about the production? The goddamn audience members. In all my years of going to all levels of theatre-- professional, regional, college, high school, community, children's-- I have never witnessed more appalling and disrespectful behavior. People all around me were talking, whispering, popping--not just chewing, popping-- their gum, flashing their little cell phone lights, crinkling wrappers or jostling idk, Tic-Tacs, throughout the entire show. It really took way from the experience and an ability to "be in" the show, and was supremely annoying because I had waited so long to see this on Broadway. I won't say it "ruined" my experience, but it made it significantly less enjoyable than it otherwise could have been. And it was just blatantly rude. Seriously, are people these days raised in barns? Do they have no respect, not just for their fellow audience members, but for the actors performing onstage? In a word, I was pissed. I did end up angrily "shushing" people a couple times, and shooting a few dirty looks when they *still* insisted on acting like assholes, but on this one I maintain that I was thoroughly in the right. Is it really so hard for people to just be considerate? Honestly, my boyfriend's kid sister, who is nine, displays a hell of a lot more common sense, respect and maturity when she goes to a production, than half the people seated around me. It's just sad. I am seeing War Horse on Saturday; one can only hope that the audience will display more basic decorum than these people did. I implore you all who are reading this: please, when you go to a theatre production (or a movie, or a comedy routine, or whatever),please, please show a little common decency and make as little noise as humanly possible. And if you really must do something noisy or distracting (like answer an important call or text), please momentarily step outside the auditorium. People will thank you and be eternally grateful for it. Alright, rant over.

Anyway, in honor of my having completed my goal of seeing Phantom on Broadway, I give you a YouTube clip of the titular and most famous song from the show:

Music video from 1980s featuring Sarah Brightman as Christine and Steve Harley as the Phantom. Apologies for the poor quality. Interestingly, if you listen carefully, the words in this are slightly different than those in the actual musical

For those of you interested in seeing the show (and I highly recommend it), it plays at:

The Majestic Theatre
245 West 44th Street
New York, New York

Typically, 8:00PM performances are on Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday. 2:00PM matinee performances occur on Wednesdays and Saturdays. On Tuesdays, performances are at 7:00PM. There are no Sunday performances. But do check the schedule before purchasing your tickets.

More information regarding the show and tickets can be found at the official website or at the Broadway website. Discount tickets can also be found at Broadway box.