So, my sabbatical from the theatre is going to last a little longer than expected. I was really looking forward to West Side Story next year - finally a good dancers' show! But....it's not happening.
I undertsnad the reasons why but am still miffed and extremely disappointed.
Instead, we get Bare. Haven't heard of it? No one has.
Modern crap.
Well, maybe not crap, afterall I don't know anything about it, other than it is WAY too similar to Rent to be done so soon.
It's set in 2000 in a Catholic boarding school and is about an altarboy who thinks he's gay and a popular guy who also may or may not be gay. They're teens, they have angst, they can't decide what the hell they want. They grate my nerves! Who cares about angst ridden teens who can't decide who they are!? I don't, and the older generation, who let's face it, make up 80% of Riverlea's audiences certainly won't either.
People in Hamilton, also want what they know, they are extremely scared of the unknown, and this show is one even I hadn't heard of!
Everyone knows I am stuck in the past, and I thought my beloved little theatre would be the one place where I could quite happilly stay in the past with classic musicals with characters I can relate to, and shows with no swearing in them. But no. Young people have taken over the theatre and I think soon, there won't be very many shows I'm interested in doing there.
I used to be one of the youngest members, now I'm about in the middle agewise.
I hate the modern world.
And I hate teens. There is only one...maybe two young Riverlea people I like. The rest are really arrogant, the-whole-world-revolves-around-me little sods.
Ok, so I will give Bare a chance, because lovely, lovely Mel has been given her first shot at directing and is awfully excited, but I know I won't like it.
I just don't relate to modern characters. I don't share their problems, or views on the world.
Laurie and Ado Annie, Eliza Doolittle, Cathy Seldon and Lena Lamont, Lois Lane and Lilli Vanessi - these are characters I can relate to!
At this point, I am just hoping that Chicago doesn't get the chop as well. Or I will be really mad!
Speaking of modern musicals; I am worried about Wicked. I recently got my hot little hands on a copy of the book which I have been dying to read since I heard that there was a book, and well....I'm hating it. (Sorry, Shambles)! I am determined to finish it, but it is nothing like the world L. Frank Baum created. Too full of sex and politics. It is not the Oz I grew up with; nor is it, I feel, the type of history Baum would have imagined for his creation. The author has really just taken the characters and setting and written his own book, which he really should not have done, and instead made up his own characters and world and gone from there.
Having freaked out the the wonderful musical, of which I saw a snippet on the Royal Variety Show last Christmas, would not be at all what I thought, I have been studying some reviews of both book and stage show, and am pleased to learn that the show has cut out a lot of the book and made it PG rated and more family friendly. Thank Oz!
Ok, will calm down now and offer some movie reviews:
Venus.
Ok, not quite calmed down yet. Why do movies have to have so much swearing???!!!!! Oh my goodness, I have had quite the crush on Peter O'Toole since I first saw Lawrence of Arabia and his stunning blue eyes....but having seen Venus, my crush is over. The constant stream of filth from his mouth has done it. Now, the majority of my friends know that I can't stand swearing and cringe every time someone uses the F word in my presence. And most of my lovely friends are good enough to hold back or apologise if one slips out in front of me, and for that I thank them.
I am so glad I didn't take Mum to see this movie! Nothing but smut. Smut and swearing. Am very disappointed, Peter. Very disappointed.
Elizabeth: The Golden Age.
I'm Catholic. Mary Queen of Scots was the rightful queen of England. Cate Blancette grates my nerves. But a very good and visually stunning film I have to say. I must make another attempt to watch the first one again. I got bored the last time. Will definately try it again.
Atonement.
Depressing film. I like happy, feel good films with a decent love story where the couple ends up together in the final scene. This was not a film I would watch again, but it was good. And it would definately be my pic of the best Oscar winner next year. And the five minute scene on the beach done in one single sweeping shot was an amazing piece of film. Tres bien.
Joshua.
Had reservations about seeing this film as I get scared extremely easily. But I do enjoy a good thriller in daylight hours, soI went along. Luckilly I wasn't the only person in the cinema this time! And thankfully, all the creepy bits that make you jump were in the trailer.
No likable characters, but was a decent watch and the little boy in the title role was brilliant.
The White Planet.
Mum and I were like a couple of schoolgirls watching this, giggling and whispering to each other incessently!
Polar Bears are SOOOOOOOO cute!
And I want an Artic Angel jellyfish as a pet. They are awesome!
Not a great film, very little narration, mostly just scenery and observing the animals, but the animals are lovely and most entertaining to watch.
And a dvd review to close.
Had dinner with the Shambles the other night, and since I let slip that I had never seen The Princess Bride, guess what we watched!
Um.....most people are going to hate me, but I wasn't overly taken with it. It was amusing and had some very good supporting characters, but I could not stand Princess Buttercup. What a whinging, moaning, whining, ungreatful, useless bratty, little tart!
And Wesley was quite an arrogant prick too.
Sorry.
But at least I can say that I have seen it now!
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4 comments:
re: Wicked. Just confirming what your reviews have said... I've read the book and seen the musical - the musical cuts out a lot of the politics and all of the sex from the book. There are still some political undertones to the show (mind you, I have a degree in politics, so I see politics everywhere), but for the most part, Wicked the musical is not about that. As for the sex, there's no nudity, no groping, and only a minor amount of fairly chaste kissing and touching on stage. It's one of the best new shows I've seen in a long time, actually.
Shame about West Side Story. That'd be a sure fire hit for Riverlea. But I think it's good that they can offer something different ... maybe risky, but good. Hamilton audiences need to get a bit more adventurous!
I don't hate you for being indifferent about The Princess Bride ... disappointed and surprised maybe.
And I'm going to be pondering for ages, trying to figure out why Buttercup and Westly came across that way to you.
I'm with you about PB. I thought it was quite funny but didn't like the girl. I thought Wesley was great though.
Very impressed with your recent film watching. I can't bring myself to come back to work on my time off at the moment, even though I would love to see heaps of films. Tomorrow night's Darjeeling should be good.
P.S. Sorry about saying f**k a lot. I'm trying really hard to curb my swearing!
Hey!
I was just reading this blog and wondered if you were serious about your comments about Bare?
In all seriousness, it's a very good musical, obligatory whingeing teenagers aside. It has the opportunity for Riverlea to, at the VERY least, portray a serious relationship regardless of the sexuality (Rent's skim over of the gays aside). And the musical establishes that Peter (the guy you think he thinks he's gay) and Jason's closeted relationship has been going on for a while, not just "they think they're gay".
Bare, in a lot of ways, is NOTHING like Rent except that they both have gays in it and the musical is one word. It explores the subleties in a gay relationship and exposes the bigotry and non-acceptances that modern society has imposed on homosexuality, to the point where being who you are is discouraged.
Riverlea is a theatre that needs to evolve to survive. In case you haven't noticed, the older generation won't be around too much too soon and that leaves Riverlea with a dilemma; either the younger generation (which is us) takes over and compells themselves to take action so that people can see us do the classic musicals as well as something edgier, or it dies with its "target audience".
As someone who enjoys being at the theatre as much as you do, I think it's sad that you are already closing your mind on what I think is a well-written, thought-provoking musical. But I will be ineterested to hear of your reaction to Bare.
That said, West Side Story would have been good. I'd have been interesting to see where Riverlea was going to get all of the singing, dancing guys!
And, by that, I mean GOOD singers and GREAT dancers who are guys.
Keep on the blog-fun and I shall see you at the theatre!
Benny
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