Evening out...
I haven't posted lately because the only thing to post about is Lack of Baby, and I don't want to bore everyone with my whining. My mother went home yesterday and I have cried my tears over that; there is nothing else to do now but wait, as I have tried every natural induction method known to man without success. (Except castor oil. I have been warned off that one too many times).
So instead I will comment on going to see a local high school production of Beauty and the Beast last night, tickets courtesy of my mom (thanks, mom); a final night out for myself and Mr. RB before our evenings are taken up with pacing a newborn around the house.
I saw Beauty and the Beast in its off-Broadway tour when it came to Denver, so any comparison with a high school production is unfair, but I have to say I was very impressed with the show. I'd give a tooth to have had the drama budget and talent this school had back when I was in school. Their sets were fantastic, and their costumes were professional rentals. The kids did very well, and the girl playing Belle definitely has a future. Watching the show made me muse on a few things about theater.
First of all, I think every stage actor should be required to take dance, whether they ever plan to be in a dancing role or not (although in a musical it is pretty much a given that everyone will be dancing at some point). Stage acting requires big, theatrical movement, and the best stage actors choreograph every move down to the fingertips, but this does not come naturally to everyone and in fact feels ridiculous until you get used to it. Most young actors move too much; they flail and fidget and fiddle around where they should be deliberate and measured. I saw a lot of fiddling last night from everyone but the castle objects, whose restrictive costumes were actually a boon in that they prevented the actors from making any but the largest, most animated moves. Lumiere in particular had it down.
Secondly, my gosh, it must suck to be part of a drama department in which the teacher's son is in high school, because it is a given that said son will be drafted for every lead role, regardless of whether it fits him or not. And lest you think you might get a chance once the son graduates, think again, because Dad will bring him back as an "alumnus performer" for a role as yummy as Beast. The director made vague references to being "disciplined" in his notes; I wonder if it was because of the way he keeps casting his own kids as leads, even after they are supposed to be ineligible.
Beast was okay. Just okay. The kid was a decent actor and a good singer and he had the right voice. But...he was little. You just can't be menacing when you are a head shorter than every object in the castle. He was only slightly taller than Belle and he was dwarf-like next to Gaston, which made their fight scene look absolutely ridiculous. Not only was he short, he was slim. They could have counteracted this with some massive costuming, but, for whatever reason, didn't. Although he emoted well vocally, he had no concept of the physical, feral nature of the Beast's performance; there was never a sensation of a man trapped in the body of an animal. He never took on the hulking, "I'm-more-comfortable-on-all-fours" poses of the original; in fact he stood up so straight the whole time Mr. RB guessed it was probably because of his self-consciousness about his height. Anyway, the upshot was that he was possibly the weakest element in the whole production, which is not something you want in a title character. Let's hope the school cracks down on the rules about only allowing actual students in the plays rather than letting the director pimp his own kids to kingdom come.
Still, one of my favorite musicals, done well, and a nice evening out. Maybe it was the break I needed.
So instead I will comment on going to see a local high school production of Beauty and the Beast last night, tickets courtesy of my mom (thanks, mom); a final night out for myself and Mr. RB before our evenings are taken up with pacing a newborn around the house.
I saw Beauty and the Beast in its off-Broadway tour when it came to Denver, so any comparison with a high school production is unfair, but I have to say I was very impressed with the show. I'd give a tooth to have had the drama budget and talent this school had back when I was in school. Their sets were fantastic, and their costumes were professional rentals. The kids did very well, and the girl playing Belle definitely has a future. Watching the show made me muse on a few things about theater.
First of all, I think every stage actor should be required to take dance, whether they ever plan to be in a dancing role or not (although in a musical it is pretty much a given that everyone will be dancing at some point). Stage acting requires big, theatrical movement, and the best stage actors choreograph every move down to the fingertips, but this does not come naturally to everyone and in fact feels ridiculous until you get used to it. Most young actors move too much; they flail and fidget and fiddle around where they should be deliberate and measured. I saw a lot of fiddling last night from everyone but the castle objects, whose restrictive costumes were actually a boon in that they prevented the actors from making any but the largest, most animated moves. Lumiere in particular had it down.
Secondly, my gosh, it must suck to be part of a drama department in which the teacher's son is in high school, because it is a given that said son will be drafted for every lead role, regardless of whether it fits him or not. And lest you think you might get a chance once the son graduates, think again, because Dad will bring him back as an "alumnus performer" for a role as yummy as Beast. The director made vague references to being "disciplined" in his notes; I wonder if it was because of the way he keeps casting his own kids as leads, even after they are supposed to be ineligible.
Beast was okay. Just okay. The kid was a decent actor and a good singer and he had the right voice. But...he was little. You just can't be menacing when you are a head shorter than every object in the castle. He was only slightly taller than Belle and he was dwarf-like next to Gaston, which made their fight scene look absolutely ridiculous. Not only was he short, he was slim. They could have counteracted this with some massive costuming, but, for whatever reason, didn't. Although he emoted well vocally, he had no concept of the physical, feral nature of the Beast's performance; there was never a sensation of a man trapped in the body of an animal. He never took on the hulking, "I'm-more-comfortable-on-all-fours" poses of the original; in fact he stood up so straight the whole time Mr. RB guessed it was probably because of his self-consciousness about his height. Anyway, the upshot was that he was possibly the weakest element in the whole production, which is not something you want in a title character. Let's hope the school cracks down on the rules about only allowing actual students in the plays rather than letting the director pimp his own kids to kingdom come.
Still, one of my favorite musicals, done well, and a nice evening out. Maybe it was the break I needed.