The Lovers
Nov. 6th, 2022 10:53 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
meteordustAHHHHH!!! I have not been this in love with a musical in ages.
The Lovers is a new Australian musical written and composed by Laura Murphy, which she describes as "a pop-infused reimagining of Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream". This production was performed by Bell Shakespeare at the Sydney Opera House. I've enjoyed their plays many times before, but as far as I know, this is the first time they've ever done a musical. I wasn't sure what to expect.
It was two hours of magic.
- So this adaptation has a pared down version of the plot, where it focuses on the four lovers (Hermia, Lysander, Helena, and Demetrius) and the meddling fairies (Oberon and Puck). No Titania, no Mechanicals, and just brief appearances by Theseus and Egeus.
- The dialogue is an abridged version of the original Shakespearean text, punctuated by original songs to convey the emotional moments and to propel the narrative along.
- The songs are absolute bangers. Mostly pop, but also with elements of rock, hip-hop, and rap. (And can I say how much I love it when musical performers let their Australian accents shine through?)
- The cast is supremely talented. Fantastic vocal ability and brilliant comic timing. (The teddy bear scene was one of the funniest things I've ever seen.) They were all so, so good to watch.
- Everything else was awesome too: the costumes (the fusion of olden days and modern fashion! the everchanging layers! Oberon's magnificent headwear!) and the staging (the many uses of a giant love heart).
- I don't really know if any of this is adequate to describe how it made me feel. The funny parts were so funny, the emotional parts were so emotional, and it had such incredible and exuberant energy. It got a standing ovation.
I still owe reviews on other recent stuff I've seen - the new Australian musical Fangirls and the new Australian play The Demon. Both of them are worthwhile works that tackle ambitious and complex issues, and I have complicated feelings about how well they achieved it. But The Lovers - that was just pure joy from beginning to end.
I want a cast recording I can put on replay. I want a proshot of the stage production. I want a national tour and international productions all over the place.
If you can see it, go and see it.
Just listen to these two songs:
Down to Love and The Magic Touch
(Stellar Perry as Oberon and and Monique Sallé as Puck)
Chasing My Tail
(Natalie Abbott as Helena)
The Lovers is a new Australian musical written and composed by Laura Murphy, which she describes as "a pop-infused reimagining of Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream". This production was performed by Bell Shakespeare at the Sydney Opera House. I've enjoyed their plays many times before, but as far as I know, this is the first time they've ever done a musical. I wasn't sure what to expect.
It was two hours of magic.
- So this adaptation has a pared down version of the plot, where it focuses on the four lovers (Hermia, Lysander, Helena, and Demetrius) and the meddling fairies (Oberon and Puck). No Titania, no Mechanicals, and just brief appearances by Theseus and Egeus.
- The dialogue is an abridged version of the original Shakespearean text, punctuated by original songs to convey the emotional moments and to propel the narrative along.
- The songs are absolute bangers. Mostly pop, but also with elements of rock, hip-hop, and rap. (And can I say how much I love it when musical performers let their Australian accents shine through?)
- The cast is supremely talented. Fantastic vocal ability and brilliant comic timing. (The teddy bear scene was one of the funniest things I've ever seen.) They were all so, so good to watch.
- Everything else was awesome too: the costumes (the fusion of olden days and modern fashion! the everchanging layers! Oberon's magnificent headwear!) and the staging (the many uses of a giant love heart).
- I don't really know if any of this is adequate to describe how it made me feel. The funny parts were so funny, the emotional parts were so emotional, and it had such incredible and exuberant energy. It got a standing ovation.
I still owe reviews on other recent stuff I've seen - the new Australian musical Fangirls and the new Australian play The Demon. Both of them are worthwhile works that tackle ambitious and complex issues, and I have complicated feelings about how well they achieved it. But The Lovers - that was just pure joy from beginning to end.
I want a cast recording I can put on replay. I want a proshot of the stage production. I want a national tour and international productions all over the place.
If you can see it, go and see it.
Just listen to these two songs:
Down to Love and The Magic Touch
(Stellar Perry as Oberon and and Monique Sallé as Puck)
Chasing My Tail
(Natalie Abbott as Helena)
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Date: 2022-11-06 05:02 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2022-11-12 11:22 am (UTC)