Just a Little Torture for Your Sunday.
A clip from Russian version of "La Torture", with Marakulin and 'I'm not sure who' as playing Esmeralda. It's pirated video, but is nevertheless actually pretty high quality, and very close up - if a bit wobbly
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Really, I don't think there is a difinitive 'best version' as there are strong and weak parts about each production. Obviously, the lyrics in French sound wonderful, but the Italian production improved the staging dramatically (every version made after the Italian, including the Russian, based their staging on the Italian version, not the French), plus the Italian's changed the song order in the second act, which makes the whole thing far more powerful (another change copied by all other versions after it).
As far as casting goes, Garou and Bruno are utterly irreplacable in the French version. However, the French Esmeralda, although she has a sweet voice, acts like a wooden table. True, Esmeralda is a very simple character, but she should be incredbly young, look 'gypsy-like' and at least react believably to the things going on around her, which Helene fails to do. Thus, I definately prefer the Russian and Italian Esmeraldas over the French. As for Phoebus, I think Patrick Fiori has a fantastic voice, and is certainly the best Phoebus in terms of acting. However, he does lack the body for Phoebus, which does look a bit silly when you compare him to Bruno (who Esmeralda turns down for Phoebus? Is the girl insane?! xD). But, I definately don't like Anton Makarsky, as his performance just doesn't convey the personality of Phoebus at all. So, I think my (marginally) favourite Phoebus is the Italian, who has a voice equal to Fiori and the face and body of Apollo. Alas, Italian Phoebus certainly can't act, but you can't have everything =P
And then we have Frollo. The most complicated and interesting of all the characters, and the very reason I love the book so much. Disregarding the Italian as completely 2D, I like both Lavoie's and Marakulin's portrayls very much. However, Marakulin is definitely my favourite - his acting is simply on a higher level then Lavoie's. Frollo is a charcter who is made up of many layers (layers which tend to be crushed when the book is adapted). Lavoie's portrayl is great because he retains Frollo's layer of humanity that is so important to the character. However, Lavoie does tend to be completely cold in one scene and then utterly vunerable in another - there are no transitions or "inbetweens". With Marakulin however, you get all the sides of Frollo together (see La Tortura above :D), cold severity, cracks of vunerability, desperation, despair, love and lust - so many facets in one performance. Utterly incredible. Not to mention, Marakulin's deep baritone contains so much power, soul and emotion. In short? Lavoie is great, Marakulin is EPIC!!
... Oh, God, this comment became a total "compare and contrast" essay.
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In fact, Italians weren't the first :) In the early 2000s Theatre Mogador made its own staging of NDdP, and the Italian version was made after the Mogador version.
Well, anyway, Helene is my favourite Esmeralda, and I also adore Bada - Korean Esmeralda. Bada is really incredible. Young, gipsy-like, with incredible voice etc :))
who Esmeralda turns down for Phoebus? Is the girl insane?! xD
That's my question! She has such a great husband, why does she need this Phoebus?! LOL
As for Frollo, my opininion is that Marakulin is great and Lavoie is epic :)) And I also like Korean Frollo :)
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