Algiers no Otoko: (A lot of) Impressions
This is in no way an objective review, neither is it a summary of any sort. It is instead pure, nonsensical, disjointed, rambling fangirling. It is also stock full of SPOILERS. You've been warned.
The set and the costumes in Algiers, as in the place not the play, were simple but effective. Put up some oriental looking house sets with french café menue blackboards in front, dress some people in long, flowing robes and some others in jackets and dresses that reminded me a lot of Westside Story, and the audience's brain fills in all the rest of the interesting cultural clash and the sandy, middle-east background.
Chinami Karan was terribly cute as Kiriyan's boy-that-follows-the-boss-around-everywhere, and her acting was terribly convincing. I really wanted to give her a hug in one of the later scenes.
Masaki did an awesome job of playing a dislikable character. I seriously kind of hated Jacques from the very start, he was SUCH an arrogant, violent bastard. Now that is a guy who got his deserved come-uppance.
Kiriyan and Marimo got an ADORABLE, playful duet during the Algiers scenes.
It actually becomes painfully ironic later on, but at the time it's performed, the audience can still enjoy it for what it is.
I can't remember much of the scene where Kiriyan tries to steal kumichou's wallet, probably because I was preoccupied with the head of the lady sitting in front of me that was completely blocking my view of Kiriyan, but kumichou totally handed Kiriyan's ass to her.
The scene when Julien finds employment was HILARIOUS in an extremely awkward way.
A whole lot of the singing and dancing going on in Paris was completely redundant to the plot, but the numbers were pretty and fun, so who cares.
Marimo looked DELICIOUS in her club dancer outfit.
Sadly, Morie's character didn't leave much of an impression on me. You got the feeling that she was trying to be a real friend to Kiriyan, only Kiriyan was much too preoccupied by the three women in his life and that asshole he once more or less considered his buddy, to really pay attention to her. As a consequence, the audience didn't pay much attention to her character either.
Oh Magee, flirting shamelessly with older ladies and then trying to get your hands on their money, you slimeball. <3 SHE definitely left an impression. She got virtually nothing to sing, though, INCLUDING the revue, which is a terrible shame. :(
The size of the hints Kuni Natsuki was dropping around Kiriyan to marry her niece and make her happy was big enough to bury an elephant under.
The lid of the piano in Annabelle's room seriously needs to be painted. It looks like they have a shitload of props piled up on it when it's in storage, there's blank spots and scratches everywhere. Not that that's related to the play, I just noticed.
Thankfully, Annabelle was a non-whiny blind who could actually navigate her surroundings quite well on her own a lot of the time. I was a little apprehensive after wanting to bitchslap Kai from Shangri-La every time I watch the video.
Mirio as Henry was beautiful in her silent, unrequited love. And yes, I'm completely aware that my bias shows. Pfff.
At one point, when Julien is wooing Annabelle, he gets SERIOUSLY touchy-feely. OMG that was hot. The men from Algiers know how to sweep women off their feet. ... Well, except Jacques, who's the kind of guy you don't want to be alone with.
And then Elisabeth becomes jealous and confesses to Julien, and he SMIRKS BEHIND HER BACK and goes along with it, and omg I wanted to slap him so bad in that moment, but that smirk was kind of awesome.
And then Annabelle and Henry have the most heart breaking scene of the play hands down.
Mirio (who looks really good in her suit btw) has a terribly sad, beautiful ginkyo solo, and then Masaki (who wore hot clothes all the time but her hair in the Paris scenes was seriously not my cup of tea) has an evil solo pretty much RIGHT after, which I really liked the arrangement of. I wonder if they couldn't have spaced that a little better. The Masaki solo seemed kind of out of place and shoved in, even though it was a fun number. I wonder if it is a new addition, or if they moved it around.
Kiriyan's and Marimo's scene after Sabine kills Jacques is all kinds of awesome. Such desperation, such love, such panic, such guilt, all at the same time. Just awesome. <3 Also, I LOVED Marimo's dress in that scene.
And then Henry shoots Julien and Julien goes down and Sabine has time to cry over Julien's body for MAYBE 10 seconds before the curtain goes down. I knew the play was going to end with Julien's death, but BOY, that was sudden and over extremely quickly.
Dance Romanesque will come tomorrow. Have to go to bed now, it's nearly five in the morning.
The set and the costumes in Algiers, as in the place not the play, were simple but effective. Put up some oriental looking house sets with french café menue blackboards in front, dress some people in long, flowing robes and some others in jackets and dresses that reminded me a lot of Westside Story, and the audience's brain fills in all the rest of the interesting cultural clash and the sandy, middle-east background.
Chinami Karan was terribly cute as Kiriyan's boy-that-follows-the-boss-around-everywhere, and her acting was terribly convincing. I really wanted to give her a hug in one of the later scenes.
Masaki did an awesome job of playing a dislikable character. I seriously kind of hated Jacques from the very start, he was SUCH an arrogant, violent bastard. Now that is a guy who got his deserved come-uppance.
Kiriyan and Marimo got an ADORABLE, playful duet during the Algiers scenes.
It actually becomes painfully ironic later on, but at the time it's performed, the audience can still enjoy it for what it is.
I can't remember much of the scene where Kiriyan tries to steal kumichou's wallet, probably because I was preoccupied with the head of the lady sitting in front of me that was completely blocking my view of Kiriyan, but kumichou totally handed Kiriyan's ass to her.
The scene when Julien finds employment was HILARIOUS in an extremely awkward way.
A whole lot of the singing and dancing going on in Paris was completely redundant to the plot, but the numbers were pretty and fun, so who cares.
Marimo looked DELICIOUS in her club dancer outfit.
Sadly, Morie's character didn't leave much of an impression on me. You got the feeling that she was trying to be a real friend to Kiriyan, only Kiriyan was much too preoccupied by the three women in his life and that asshole he once more or less considered his buddy, to really pay attention to her. As a consequence, the audience didn't pay much attention to her character either.
Oh Magee, flirting shamelessly with older ladies and then trying to get your hands on their money, you slimeball. <3 SHE definitely left an impression. She got virtually nothing to sing, though, INCLUDING the revue, which is a terrible shame. :(
The size of the hints Kuni Natsuki was dropping around Kiriyan to marry her niece and make her happy was big enough to bury an elephant under.
The lid of the piano in Annabelle's room seriously needs to be painted. It looks like they have a shitload of props piled up on it when it's in storage, there's blank spots and scratches everywhere. Not that that's related to the play, I just noticed.
Thankfully, Annabelle was a non-whiny blind who could actually navigate her surroundings quite well on her own a lot of the time. I was a little apprehensive after wanting to bitchslap Kai from Shangri-La every time I watch the video.
Mirio as Henry was beautiful in her silent, unrequited love. And yes, I'm completely aware that my bias shows. Pfff.
At one point, when Julien is wooing Annabelle, he gets SERIOUSLY touchy-feely. OMG that was hot. The men from Algiers know how to sweep women off their feet. ... Well, except Jacques, who's the kind of guy you don't want to be alone with.
And then Elisabeth becomes jealous and confesses to Julien, and he SMIRKS BEHIND HER BACK and goes along with it, and omg I wanted to slap him so bad in that moment, but that smirk was kind of awesome.
And then Annabelle and Henry have the most heart breaking scene of the play hands down.
Mirio (who looks really good in her suit btw) has a terribly sad, beautiful ginkyo solo, and then Masaki (who wore hot clothes all the time but her hair in the Paris scenes was seriously not my cup of tea) has an evil solo pretty much RIGHT after, which I really liked the arrangement of. I wonder if they couldn't have spaced that a little better. The Masaki solo seemed kind of out of place and shoved in, even though it was a fun number. I wonder if it is a new addition, or if they moved it around.
Kiriyan's and Marimo's scene after Sabine kills Jacques is all kinds of awesome. Such desperation, such love, such panic, such guilt, all at the same time. Just awesome. <3 Also, I LOVED Marimo's dress in that scene.
And then Henry shoots Julien and Julien goes down and Sabine has time to cry over Julien's body for MAYBE 10 seconds before the curtain goes down. I knew the play was going to end with Julien's death, but BOY, that was sudden and over extremely quickly.
Dance Romanesque will come tomorrow. Have to go to bed now, it's nearly five in the morning.