Happy World Theatre Day!!!
Actually, that was yesterday, but I wasn't able to see a live performance until this evening, so I'm celebrating it over a 32-hour span.
(smile!)
I began at the cinema, of all places, with me unaware that I had done so until after the credits had rolled.
The movie was "Forbidden Fruits", seen at the AMC, with only one other person at that 1:35 PM matinee, but she seemed to be laughing in all the same places I did.
Very nice, as I know my sense of humor can be a bit different!
Anyway, after the movie, I spoke to the other viewer and found out why she was there at this "Valley Girls gone bad" horror-comedy.
She was best friends, since college days 16 years ago, with the playwright whose work was the basis of the movie... say what?!
Yep, that's right!
Lily Houghton's play, "Of the woman came the beginning of sin, and through her we all die', was first performed in 2019.
Last year, the play was deemed worthy of life as a movie, with that script co-written by Lily Houghton and Meredith Alloway, following closely the narrative of the play, but with fruits, not flowers, and set in a mall, not a single store.
How very cool that, at the end, one of the characters wore a cropped t-shirt with the play's name emblazoned upon it!
Nice way to pay homage to the play!
(smile!)
That gave me the impetus to look at other movies for their theatre.
So, when I got home, I watched "Wonka" again!
Comcast gave me a $1 Movie Night reward on Thursday and that's the movie I chose!
So, when I say "again", I'm referring to that night, not to the time three years ago when I first saw it.
Heck, I've seen this musical so many times since then!!!
However, I was incorrect in thinking that it had ever been on the stage.
No, this was an original story, serving as the origin of the character portrayed by Gene Wilder in "Willy Wonka & The Chocolate Factory" in 1971.
That earlier movie was based on the book by Roald Dahl... but was never performed on stage, either.
That's not to say that stage adaptations were never done... but that didn't transpire until this century.
Now, there are children's musicals, an opera, and even a musical that's appeared on The Went End in London!
Maybe I'll get to see one of those someday - but certainly not within my stated 32-hour timeframe allocated for celebrating World Theatre Day.
Next!
(smile!)
Peacock to my rescue!
It offered "Les Miserables", the 2012 musical film with Russell Crowe and Hugh Jackman in the lead roles!
And what should I determine as I watched?
It's an opera!!!
How to tell the difference?
In an opera, every line, by every character, is sung, with no spoken parts.
Ta dah!!!
It's based on the 1980 'sung-through' stage musical, "Les Miserables", which is based on the 1862 book written by Victor Hugo.
Although the movie is technically not a filmed version of a live play, it does use the same musical score as the stage musical did.
The difference is the dramatic license taken with the setting of those songs in elaborate constructions that would be impossible for a staged show.
However, as the film follows the stage production and utilizes the same lyrics in the same songs, I'm regarding it as a legitimate creation to include in my celebration!
Yes, yes, I am!!!
(smile!)
I had hoped to see the Savannah Children's Theatre's production of "Evita" yesterday, but the Friday Fiesta ran too long... so I went tonight!
I even bought my ticket last night, to make sure to have a seat.
See, this was held in their brand-new Black Box space at the Starcastle.
Most such spaces hold 50 to 100 seats, so I didn't want to miss the show!
Fortunately, this Black Box can seat about 250.
Surprisingly, this is actually an opera, though it's called a 'sung-through musical', which is a bit off as Hanna Richmond, who plays 'Eva Peron', clearly has several arias during the show!!!
She is on-stage almost nonstop, along with the narrator, 'Che', performed absolutely perfectly by Desmond Chaney.
Austin Bradley was there as 'Peron', and Trey Wilner as 'Magaldi', but they truly don't have many lines as those characters.
Austin does have an incredible courting dance with Hanna, who also dances with 'Magaldi' and 'Che'... but that dance with Austin is beautifully done!
Honestly, I was so impressed with the stage story that I wanted to know more about that Argentinian woman, the real Eva Peron.
What did I learn?
She moved to Buenos Aires as a 15-year-old determined to be famous, hence her affair with the entertainer, followed by future affairs with men who could advance her to where she wanted to be, a position of prominence.
She attained that by the age of 26 with Juan Peron, just a Colonel at the time, but encouraged him to further his career to become President of Argentina.
Then she died of cervical cancer in 1952, at 33 years old.
Incredible!
So, was this play based on a book of her life?
Actually, it originated first as a concept album, of all things!
That was in 1976, and Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice used that tactic, already proven successful for their show, "Jesus Christ Superstar", six years earlier.
How amazing!!!
I've truly enjoyed looking at the history of these works.
I'll have to do a bit more of that in the future!
(smile!)
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