(no subject)
Feb. 26th, 2004 09:35 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
jaalaHaven't updated in a while, have I? (Well actually, I have, but it was several private entries.) I had an okay Reading Week though far too much of it was spent in uncomfortable train seats or waiting for the bus at Finch terminal in the wee hours of the morning. I've got a shiny new First Aid and CPR certificate. (Go, me!) I've also got a shiny new bite plate. (A very good thing.)
* * *
I saw The Producers in Toronto and had a great time, of course. Those were great seats, I shan't see the like soon again. I agree with most of what this person says about it. Like him, I wish I didn't know the film so well because I knew many of the jokes in advance; in addition, I wish I didn't know the score so well. (I stopped listening to the CD for months in the hope that I'd forget some of it. It didn't really work.) Michael Therriault was absolutely adorable, of course--that voice! that hair! that dancing! Juan Chioran was fabulous, of course--stole every scene he was in. One thing I did not quite expect: Paul O'Sullivan is fantastic! I mean, I was expecting him to be good... but he was terrific. (And I like the "score's worst number") Mum[2], who doesn't even know who he is, commented, "That guy's got a great voice!" He had a stronger voice than Sean Cullen, but then again he only has to sing a couple numbers (see below).
Sean Cullen was pretty darn good, I thought, and though I tried not to I was looking at his performance pretty critically. I do wish he'd mug a bit less (nothing Zero Mostel wouldn't stoop to though, not that his performance was obviously Mostel-inspired) but he shows real acting, singing, and dance ability. His singing seemed a bit subdued, sometimes overwhelmed by the orchestra and even slightly hoarse at one point, which worried me. I've heard this guy blast the living daylights out of an audience. I sincerely hope this doesn't mean the schedule is hurting him and is merely because his saves his voice slightly during matinees. "Betrayed" was all guns blazing though! (I especially liked his voice for "a Rabbi without a shul.") I appreciated a couple touches of Cullen-esque comedy that I suspect were improvised at some point and kept in the show[1].
My only complaints: (1) Mum was in a huge rush afterwards, so I didn't get to hang around afterwards in the hopes of snagging an autograph from a favourite Canadian actor or comedian. (She was late for a Pathfinder meeting.) Come to think of, however, they probably make a special effort to hide from fans after matinee performances. I wish I'd seen an evening performance, but I can't afford it. (2) The New York accents were performed quite competently and weren't too thick, but it was really weird hearing this completely Canadian cast speaking like that.
[1] I know they weren't improvised that day because my sister said she saw them too in December.
[2] Dad had a last minute "business emergency" and couldn't come with me to the show.
* * *
So, yeah... wow, I wrote a lot more about The Producers than I intended. Other highlights of the week included a brief cross-country ski with Mum, my first time seeing Eddie From Ohio (a very fun live show) and a brief reunion with some Fruheads (at Hugh's Room), a fascinating performance of the play Copenhagen, and a couple ballets (Alice and Serenade) at the National Ballet of Canada. All this sitting in theatres was not good for my back! Much to my dismay, I was unable to wake up in time for a long-ish expedition to a groomed cross-country trail. I was rather disappointed by Alice, I'm afraid (even though were got to see plenty of our good friend with the unruly hair[3]). It irks me when a choreographer chooses such perfect music and proceeds to ignore so many good musical cues.
[3] Now tamed, unfortunately. It makes him much more difficult to spot at performances.
* * *
This week has been hell so far: mid-term exams, tests, essays, etc. I always realize afterwards that I really should have done some reading during Reading Week. I should have practiced too, but that's impossible with my Dad's work arrangements. On the good side, one of the my tests was postponed by a couple days. And though I really should have been sleeping or cramming instead, I stopped into the alternative record store to dig through some of the comedy LPs; I found four Goon Show records! And I saw a cute couple on the bus behaving sickeningly (but not too sickeningly) in love[4].
I'm checking into the local sleep clinic in just a few minutes, to be studied until tomorrow afternoon. In other news: Sarah Harmer and the Arrogant Worms are both coming to Kingston!
[4] They were both female. It was nice that this got almost no notice from the crowd.
I saw The Producers in Toronto and had a great time, of course. Those were great seats, I shan't see the like soon again. I agree with most of what this person says about it. Like him, I wish I didn't know the film so well because I knew many of the jokes in advance; in addition, I wish I didn't know the score so well. (I stopped listening to the CD for months in the hope that I'd forget some of it. It didn't really work.) Michael Therriault was absolutely adorable, of course--that voice! that hair! that dancing! Juan Chioran was fabulous, of course--stole every scene he was in. One thing I did not quite expect: Paul O'Sullivan is fantastic! I mean, I was expecting him to be good... but he was terrific. (And I like the "score's worst number") Mum[2], who doesn't even know who he is, commented, "That guy's got a great voice!" He had a stronger voice than Sean Cullen, but then again he only has to sing a couple numbers (see below).
Sean Cullen was pretty darn good, I thought, and though I tried not to I was looking at his performance pretty critically. I do wish he'd mug a bit less (nothing Zero Mostel wouldn't stoop to though, not that his performance was obviously Mostel-inspired) but he shows real acting, singing, and dance ability. His singing seemed a bit subdued, sometimes overwhelmed by the orchestra and even slightly hoarse at one point, which worried me. I've heard this guy blast the living daylights out of an audience. I sincerely hope this doesn't mean the schedule is hurting him and is merely because his saves his voice slightly during matinees. "Betrayed" was all guns blazing though! (I especially liked his voice for "a Rabbi without a shul.") I appreciated a couple touches of Cullen-esque comedy that I suspect were improvised at some point and kept in the show[1].
My only complaints: (1) Mum was in a huge rush afterwards, so I didn't get to hang around afterwards in the hopes of snagging an autograph from a favourite Canadian actor or comedian. (She was late for a Pathfinder meeting.) Come to think of, however, they probably make a special effort to hide from fans after matinee performances. I wish I'd seen an evening performance, but I can't afford it. (2) The New York accents were performed quite competently and weren't too thick, but it was really weird hearing this completely Canadian cast speaking like that.
[1] I know they weren't improvised that day because my sister said she saw them too in December.
[2] Dad had a last minute "business emergency" and couldn't come with me to the show.
So, yeah... wow, I wrote a lot more about The Producers than I intended. Other highlights of the week included a brief cross-country ski with Mum, my first time seeing Eddie From Ohio (a very fun live show) and a brief reunion with some Fruheads (at Hugh's Room), a fascinating performance of the play Copenhagen, and a couple ballets (Alice and Serenade) at the National Ballet of Canada. All this sitting in theatres was not good for my back! Much to my dismay, I was unable to wake up in time for a long-ish expedition to a groomed cross-country trail. I was rather disappointed by Alice, I'm afraid (even though were got to see plenty of our good friend with the unruly hair[3]). It irks me when a choreographer chooses such perfect music and proceeds to ignore so many good musical cues.
[3] Now tamed, unfortunately. It makes him much more difficult to spot at performances.
* * *
This week has been hell so far: mid-term exams, tests, essays, etc. I always realize afterwards that I really should have done some reading during Reading Week. I should have practiced too, but that's impossible with my Dad's work arrangements. On the good side, one of the my tests was postponed by a couple days. And though I really should have been sleeping or cramming instead, I stopped into the alternative record store to dig through some of the comedy LPs; I found four Goon Show records! And I saw a cute couple on the bus behaving sickeningly (but not too sickeningly) in love[4].
I'm checking into the local sleep clinic in just a few minutes, to be studied until tomorrow afternoon. In other news: Sarah Harmer and the Arrogant Worms are both coming to Kingston!
[4] They were both female. It was nice that this got almost no notice from the crowd.
