Best of 2016

So, 2016. Worst year ever? Or maybe not so terrible after all? I don't know – but this way or that, thank goodness for live theatre.

For me personally, 2016 has been busy and exciting. I graduated and started working as a full-time communications coordinator in a theatre. The work's been both hard and challenging, fun and rewarding. I've still a lot to learn, but there have been moments when everything's felt just right. So whatever the future will bring, I hope I'll get to keep on learning and working in the field that's so close to my heart.

I've also seen plenty of shows this year, both good and otherwise. I like to focus on the good stuff, so to celebrate the end of 2016, here's a short list of the most memorable musical performances of the year. In no particular order, but saving the best for the last.

Jekyll & Hyde, Det Ny Teater, Denmark

 

Photo by Miklos Szabo

This was no perfect production, but it was an intriguing one that has haunted me for the better part of the year.

Implying Emma struggles with mental illness and giving Spider more time onstage were interesting decisions on their own, but the dark and disturbing tone of the whole production is even better. Instead of stumbling on the awkward parts of the musical's script, the Danish creative team managed to create a wonderful, creepy atmosphere with a strong focus on the duality and responsibility of man.

Deep stuff for Frank Wildhorn's Jekyll & Hyde the Musical, that's what I'm saying.

Last performance of Jekyll & Hyde in Jyväskylän kaupunginteatteri, Finland

 

Photo by Jiri Halttunen

This one's sort of cheating, since the production premiered in 2015 already. But the last performance in May 2016 was truely something special.

I don't know if it's a thing in other countries, but in Finland, it's something of a tradition that during the last performance of a theatrical production, actors play little pranks on each other. And let me tell you, I've never seen as thorough and as entertaining pranking as during this performance! Highlights included Jekyll impromptu singing and dancing his way into the Red Rat and all the Red Rat dancers taking turns in harassing Utterson during the scene that followed.

I don't know what the audience in general thought of the mayhem, but for us J&H fans gathered in the first rows of the auditorium, it was a hilarious treat. A perfect ending for a fun production.

Les Misérables, Wermland Opera, Sweden

 

Photo by Mats Bäcker

I travelled to Sweden twice for this (the link above is to my first review, read about the second time here).

I've seen Les Mis 30 times soon, but watching this production for the first time, I was so immersed in the story it really felt like I didn't know what's going to happen next. The production is not without its problems, but the way it treats Jean Valjean – as the main character of the story instead of a person around whom dramatic things keep happening... It sounds so simple, it's almost shocking how refreshing seeing that felt!

Klokkeren fra Notre Dame, Fredericia Teater, Denmark

 

Photo by Søren Malmose

I think I've said it all in my review. I waited for five years to see Disney's The Hunchback of Notre Dame the Musical live. I could have waited for fifteen and been completely satisfied. I'm grateful for the opportunity to watch this musical as a part of the premiere audience. Nothing can compare, and I doubt I'll ever experience anything else quite like this.

I know extreme enthusiasm, like mine, can be a bit scary. Maybe you think that if you saw the show, your experience could never live up to what I've described in my review. And maybe it won't! But even so, I cannot but encourage everyone who can make it to Copenhagen next summer to purchase a ticket now, while they're still available, to see it for yourself. Whether you're a fan or a professional, an artist or an enthusiast, it'll be a performance to remember.

Book your ticket, I'll book mine, and we'll see each other in Copenhagen next summer.

Related posts: Best of 2015, Upcoming in 2017
Bubbling under: Rock of Ages (it's currently playing in the theatre I work at. I doubt I would have seen the 80s rock jukebox show six times if I had had to pay full price, but as it is... It's all empty calories, nice sights and sounds with no substance whatsoever, but I have to be honest and admit I've enjoyed it immensely), Vampyyrien tanssi (I'm afraid I grew tired of the new Finnish production of Tanz der Vampire faster than I thought I might – but it was very entertaining, with the most enthusiastic Finnish musical fandom I've seen in years. It introduced me to new friends and let me have fun with old ones, and for that reason alone, it has a place in my heart)

Greifswald II: The Beginning

Remember the blog entry I posted last summer, about the worst musical trip ever?

You know, that time I and my friends Ida and Rami and left for Greifswald, Germany to see Chris Murray in Jekyll & Hyde, and were met with an endless onslaught of awful? The bus was late with its septic tank overflowing, the traffic jammed due to an accident and the asphalt melting due to hot weather – and finally, the outdoor performance of Jekyll & Hyde we had travelled 1300 kilometers to see was cancelled due to a thunderstorm.

We swore our feet would never touch the ground of Greifswald again.

Guess who are going back.

The place of our nightmares.

Last summer, after our unfortunate trip and after us leaving them some rather sour feedback, the personnel of Theater Vorpommern contacted us. To make up for our disastrous journey, they offered us tickets to any upcoming performance of Jekyll & Hyde, and a hotel room for the night on top of that.

We howled with laughter but didn't delete the message.

At first, we sneered. As if! But as the fall approached and started turning into winter, we started thinking. Thinking and talking. What if... We travelled just so we could see Chris Murray play Jekyll and Hyde, and our curiosity about his performance is of course not yet satisfied. What's more, we've grown curious about the whole production, about everything we missed. What if it's great? What if it's terrible? We don't know, but we might, if we just... But most importantly, it's started to feel like The Greifswald Story is not yet quite complete. We're still on intermission and have to decide whether to walk out or to go back and watch the second act.

Last week, we sent a message to Theater Vorpommern and let them know that yes, we would like to come back. March 11th 2017.

It absolutely does not feel real.

It's either going to be perfectly magnificent or the theatre is going to burst into flames and collapse on us mid-performance.

In either case, someone's going to die. Photo: Vincent Leifer

I feel this is like a real-life sequel to a weird movie. A sequel where the plot is similar but the stakes are higher. A sequel with the same actors and the same settings but, I'm wishing with all my might, a completely different outcome.

Greifswald II: The Experience, The Adventure. The Revenge.

I will keep you posted.

Unohdetut nuoret naiset

Kirjailija, opettaja Tommi Kinnunen kirjoitti pari viikkoa sitten mainion kolumnin. Tekstissään Kinnunen peräänkuuluttaa nuorille suunnattuja teatteriesityksiä, joiden pääpaino ei ole opettavaisessa tarinassa. "Esimerkkien perusteella koululaisnäytännöt pohjautuvat enemmän tai vähemmän kuvitteelliseen käsitykseen siitä, millaista teini-ikä on", Kinnunen tykittää. Olen itse kirjoittanut samasta aiheesta, enkä voisi olla vahvemmin samaa mieltä.

Kinnusen kolumnin lukeminen palautti mieleeni erään ajatuksen, jota olen pohdiskellut jo pitempään. Jos nuorison toiveita keskimäärin ymmärretään teattereissa huonosti, on tietty osa nuorista unohtunut ohjelmistosuunnittelussa aivan kokonaan.

Miksi missään ei esitetä teinitytöille suunnattua teatteria?


Ainakin omasta näkökulmastani ja kokemuksestani vaikuttaa siltä, että silloin harvoin kun nuorille tehdään muuta kuin itsemurhaan kulminoituvia kiusaamissaagoja, seikkailevat esitysten sankareina yleensä pojat.

En toki väitä, etteikö kuka tahansa voisi samaistua poikien tarinoihin. Ymmärrän myös, että nimenomaan pojille suunnatuilla esityksillä on arvokas tavoite – on tärkeää haastaa ennakkoluuloja, joiden mukaan kaikenlaisia taideharrastuksia pidetään yhä tyttöjen puuhana. Teatteri on kaikille.

Mutta silti kysyn: mikä teatteri uskaltaisi tuottaa ensisijaisesti teinitytöille suunnatun näytelmän?

Minulla on jo tarjota näytelmälle aihekin, tai oikeastaan monta. Minkä tahansa kirjaston nuortenosastolta löytyy nimittäin hyllymetreittäin vaihtoehtoja.

Teinitytöille suunnattu kirjallisuus on ollut vuosikymmenestä toiseen täynnä kiinnostavia, persoonallisia ja särmikkäitä nuoria naisia. Itselleni (ikä: 23) rakkaita olivat muun muassa Vihervaaran Anna, poikatyttö Tiina, punkkari-Sara ja prinsessa Mia, ja nykyteineillä on varmasti omat suosikkihahmonsa. Tyttökirjoja luetaan ja rakastetaan vuodesta toiseen. Eikö niiden sankarittarien tarinoita voisi siis kertoa myös teatterin lavalla?

Seuraa karkea yleistys ja silkkaan mutuun pohjautuvaa spekulaatiota. Suurin osa suomalaisten teatterien johtajista on miehiä. Veikkaan, että moni heistä ei välitä tai edes tiedä tyttökirjaperinteen olemassaolosta – saati että pysähtyisi pohtimaan, olisiko tytöille suunnatussa kirjallisuudessa ainesta peräti näytelmäksi. Miehille sana nuortenkirja voi tarkoittaa aivan eri teoksia kuin naisille.

Onneksi tietoa nuorten naisten lukutottumuksista on saatavilla muillekin kuin Uudenkuun Emilian kanssa varttuneille runotytöille. Kirjastonhoitajilla ja äidinkielenopettajilla olisi varmasti antaa osviittaa siihen, mikä tyttöihin juuri nyt kolahtaa. Teinitytöiltä itseltään voisi pyytää neuvoja vaikkapa nettikyselyn muodossa.

Itse koin tyttökirjojen lukemisen kovin yksinäiseksi puuhaksi. Tosielämän ystävätyttöni eivät jakaneet rakkauttani kirjojen sankarittariin. Aivan varmasti koulussani olisi ollut muitakin tyttökirjojen ystäviä, mutta koska lukuharrastuksesta ei huudeltu, emme koskaan törmänneet toisiimme. Tyydyin nauttimaan suosikkikirjojeni tarinoista yksin.

Kuvitelkaapa siis, millainen kokemus kaltaisilleni, lukuharrastuksessaan yksinäisille tytöille (ja totta kai siinä samalla myös muita ikäkausia ja sukupuolia edustaville, samanhenkisille haaveilijoille ja sukulaissieluille) olisi tulla teatteriin ja kokea yhdessä elävä, hengittävä versio jostakin suosikkikirjastaan.

Paljon puhutaan siitä, että keski-ikäiset ja sitä vanhemmat naiset pitävät ahkerina kulttuurinkuluttajina suomalaiset teatterit pystyssä. Tämän päivän teinitytöt ovat joku päivä niitä keski-ikäisiä. Tulevaisuuden katsomot eivät täyty, jollei nykytyttöjä saada koukkuun. Siinäkin valossa olisi hienoa nähdä nimenomaan teinitytöille suunnattu esitys. Jonkin suosikkikirjan pohjalta – tai ehkäpä joku nykyhetken suosituimmista tytöille kirjoittavista nuortenkirjailijoista voitaisiin jopa pyytää kirjoittamaan tarkoitukseen sopiva uusi näytelmä?


Tytöt on unohdettu myös toisella tavalla. Uskoakseni aivan yhtä tärkeää kuin nostaa esille nuorten naisten tarinoita olisi myös kertoa meille nuorille (ja totta kai vanhemmillekin) naisille tarinoita vanhoista naisista.

Naisten puutteellisesta edustuksesta teatterilavoilla on puhuttu paljon. Tilanne ei tietenkään ole sama kaikissa teattereissa ja kehitys kehittyy koko ajan, mutta jälleen karkeasti yleistäen voidaan todeta, että vanhojen naisten tarinat ovat yhä paitsiossa teatterien ohjelmistoissa.

Itse ajattelen, että keski-ikäisten ja sitä vanhempien naisten tuominen päärooliin entistä useammin on tärkeää myös nuoren naisen näkökulmasta. Meidän itsetunnollemme tekisi hyvää nähdä lavalla esimerkkejä kaikenlaisista tavoista olla nainen. Ei vain vaimo, äiti ja isoäiti, vaan myös sankari ja tavis, hajottaja ja hallitsija, pyhimys ja pahis. Jo rautakautisissa legendoissa voimakas naisjohtaja herätti Kalevan pojissa pelkoa ja kunnioitusta. Tuokaa hänen sisarensa teatterilavoille!

Fiktiiviset naishahmot voivat olla meille nuorille naisille aivan yhtä tärkeitä esikuvia kuin tosielämän naiset. Vanhojen naisten puuttuminen kuvitteellisista tarinoista lähettää nuorille naisille vaivihkaisen viestin, että naisen elämä päättyy ennen viittäkymmentä ikävuotta, että hän keski-iän ylitettyään muuttuu näkymättömäksi. Aika kamala tulevaisuudenkuva.

Kaikista taiteenlajeista juuri teatterin toivoisi tarttuvan tähän ongelmakohtaan ja korjaavan sen. Jos rooleja vanhoille naisille ei ole, voidaan niitä onneksi kirjoittaa lisää – tai miksipä nainen ei voisi myös astua minkä hyvänsä klassisen mieshahmon saappaisiin ja tehdä roolista omansa.


Toistan loppuun sen, mitä olen aikaisemminkin sanonut: jos nykynuoria ei saada innostumaan teatterista, saa moni talo lyödä lähivuosikymmeninä lapun luukulle. 

Samalla kun pidätte tämän mielessä, otattehan nuoret naiset huomioon.

Les Misérables in Wermland Opera: Addendum

Last weekend, it was time for the year's second musical trip to Sweden!

Also time for the year's second trip to see Les Misérables in Wermland Opera in Karlstad, since I have a bit of a fixation like that.

I saw Wermland Opera's Les Mis first time this July. It filled me with the special glee only a fantastic production of this musical can inspire. Afterwards, I wondered if it's maybe the very best production of Les Misérables I've ever seen.

Having now seen it for the second time, let's take a short look at the experience. How did the production hold up?

Best things first.

In my original review, I said the following about Christer Nerfont's Jean Valjean:

"In short, I have never seen this thoroughly thought-out, three-dimensional, human portrayal of Jean Valjean's character. This is the first time the character has felt truely relatable to me."

Having seen the show for the second time, that is more true than ever. Nerfont's Jean Valjean is everything I could hope for the character to be.

Les Misérables is based on a 19th century novel with 19th century storytelling and Big Emotions – our hero essentially dies of a broken heart. It's no wonder Jean Valjean often feels a bit unrealistic and distant. Nerfont's Valjean, though, is none of that. He is a real person through and through, every action justified, every detail thought out (seriously, pay attention to his hands whenever he is trying to keep his calm while confronted by Javert). I couldn't bear to take my eyes off him whenever he was onstage, afraid I would miss some interesting nuance if I did!

I'm also glad I went for the second round since it gave me a chance to properly appreciate Cecilie Nerfont Thorgersen as Fantine.

I think I have found my dream Fantine. Nerfont Thorgersen's take is very angry and not fragile at all. This is a woman who has been let down by everybody, but even so, she refuses to break and keeps on fighting. The most important of all, she is a mother who loves her daughter with every fibre of her being. She doesn't feel regretful at all – it's all been for Cosette, so what would there be to regret? Nerfont Thorgersen's I Dreamed a Dream is especially impressive. It's such a journey through emotions, from hurt to longing and anger, I completely forgot how overdone the song is. I just listened and felt for the character.

Photo source: Facebook

In the role of Javert, we saw understudy John Alexander Eriksson. I liked him better than principal Philip Jalmelid. Jalmelid's out-of-this-world gorgeous singing remains unparalleled (though Eriksson's great!), but acting-wise, I prefer Eriksson's calmer, more stoic approach.

Eriksson is a very young Javert. Discussing the matter, me and my friends came to the conclusion it actually adds to the character. Maybe the Javert we see in the musical's prologue is an insecure young man who hides his self-doubts behind a harsh facade – and takes the hardships that come his way too personally, dwelling upon his mistakes until they turn into obsessions. By the time Javert and Valjean meet on the barricade, it's just been way too long for Javert to let go anymore. Eriksson does a great job highlighting the character's black-and-white worldview in Stars, making even a hardened Les Mis fan like me to stop and really listen to the lyrics for once!

It's a shame, however, that in James Grieve's direction, Javert is quite simply the villain of the piece. While Javert and Jean Valjean's scenes together are wonderfully intensive, our antagonist is still presented as a baddie who dies a horrible dark death all alone, and yet, is not worthy an absolution. I understand where that interpretation is coming from, but personally, I prefer a take with more shades of gray.

Watching the show for the second time highlighted the problems I have with the direction, but on the flip side, the good parts shone even brighter. The story flows forward with a flawless pace, the sets and lights are gorgeous, the orchestra is lush and the vocal performances top-notch. Many of the characterisations – the Thénardiers, Gavroche, Marius – are spot-on. Overall, the production is very refreshing to watch.

So, my sentence? Not quite as good the second time as it was the first, since the special magic of not knowing what you're going to get is gone... But let's be real here. The return trip would have been worth it for Jean Valjean alone. The rest is bonus goodness on top of that.

Les Mis is playing in Karlstad until April 2017. Catch it while you can!

Photos by Mats Bäcker.

Klokkeren fra Notre Dame

Please note: Fredericia Teater invited me to see their production of The Hunchback of Notre Dame for free.

I waited for five years to see Disney's The Hunchback of Notre Dame the musical.

Having now seen Klokkeren fra Notre Dame in Fredericia Teater, Denmark... I could have waited for 15 years and still have been completely satisfied.

Let me tell you.

The Hunchback

Disney's The Hunchback of Notre Dame the animated movie premiered in 1996. It's based on Victor Hugo's very dark novel featuring a hunchbacked bell-ringer, a beautiful Romani girl, and an obsessive archdeacon. A story set in medieval Paris that centers around prejudice, religion, lust and death – an odd choice for a family picture, to say the least.

While the movie is by far Disney's most daring animated feature, it's still a weird collision of darkness and Mickey Mouse. On one hand, you have a powerful villain song detailing the antagonist's burning yet forbidden lust for a woman. On the other hand, comedic singing gargoyles.

The Hunchback of Notre Dame the musical is what the movie could have been, had they dared to go all the way. It's dark, it's upsetting, it's so close to the novel I'm sure Victor Hugo himself would approve. What's more, it's incredibly massive. The music (composed by Alan Menken with lyrics by Stephen Schwartz), the emotions, the story... It's such a rollercoaster of everything that it makes Les Misérables look rather bland in comparison.

In other words, it's got everything I love in musical theatre.

The Hunchback of Notre Dame the musical first premiered in Berlin in 1999. Finding out about Der Glöckner von Notre Dame five years ago and listening to its cast recording, I fell in love right away. At the same time, was sure I would never see the musical live – certainly Disney wouldn't bring it back, with more family-friendly productions like The Beauty and the Beast and Mary Poppins making bank on Broadway and all around the world.

Little did I know. The musical went through a handful of revisions and was premiered in La Jolla Playhouse in California in 2014. And on October 14th 2016, the revised Hunchback had its European premiere in Fredericia Teater.

I have never been luckier to be a part of an audience.

The Experience

This was no ordinary theatrical experience, so this is not going to be an ordinary review either. I was so overwhelmed and amazed by every single thing, from the performances to the stage tech, that there is no use trying to be the least bit analytical or objective about it.

Instead, I'll list the things that left the biggest impression on me, and try to tell you how the performance made me feel.

The music.

Alan Menken's music is massive and absolutely breathtaking. One of the best musical scores ever composed, especially if you're like me and enjoy huge and dramatic. In Fredericia Teater, every bit from ballads to booming ensemble numbers, every Latin chorus and solo line, is sung and played to perfection.

The sound mixing is flawless. On Friday, it felt like I was like being enveloped by music instead of barely listening to it.

It didn't matter a thing that I'm Finnish and the show was in Danish. Knowing the novel, the movie, the cast recording and some Swedish, I understood about 20% of the dialogue... and 100% of the emotions.

It actually feels nice, that there are still things for me to understand here, dialogue that I couldn't yet grasp that contains more insight into the story and the characters. You see – I feel like this premiere was just the beginning of a long relationship with a new favourite musical, a musical I will in time see in many different languages and learn to know by heart.

I can't wait.

The performances.

I would love to say something informative and profound about the actors performing in this fantastic show, but right now, I can't. As far as I'm concerned, they are all absolutely perfect for their roles – and while little moments I loved keep coming back to me, I'm still too awestruck by everything to really analyze what I enjoyed. I truely wish I could say more, but as of now, there are no words.

Maybe I can come back to this after I've seen the musical the second time in summer 2017.

The scenography.

First of all: I have never seen digital scenography like this.

With screens surrounding the first six rows of seats from three directions, the digital imagery by Jacob Bønsdorff Eriksen and Thomas Agerholm takes us inside the Notre-Dame Cathedral and on the streets, squares and rooftops of medieval Paris. The 3D animation of moving up and down in between the floors of the church was so impressive the whole audience applauded.

The production is an intriguing mix of digital and traditional, combining the animation with simple yet gorgeous wooden sets. One fantastic idea is how a part of the audience sits onstage in movable pews wearing cloaks, acting as spectators and congregation members. This way, by moving the audience to the right spot, it looks like the already big ensemble suddenly doubles in size.

What's more, the floor itself shakes with the events. I'm not exaggerating when I say that. They have literally installed some technology in the theatre that makes the floor shake.

And the best part? Watching all of this, it didn't felt like I'm surrounded by impressive theatrical gimmicks. It felt like I'm surrounded by the story, that I'm being a part of what the characters are going through. Of course everything around me is lit by digital fire and shaking – that's what the character is feeling. It's only natural that the audience sees and feels it too.

If there is something better in the world than live theatre, please, do tell.

The audience.

This premiere wasn't watching a group of actors acting out something for an audience, not even an audience really enjoying a performance. This was performers and audience existing in a symbiosis, sharing and amplifying the same experience. I have never been a part of a theatre audience as genuinely excited and enthusiastic as this one – and I've been a very active theatre fan for eight years now.

The moments after Hellfire, the big showstopper near the end of the first act... The best two minutes I have ever experienced in theatre. First, almost falling into a trance for a moment watching Mads M. Nielsen's so-good-it-transcends-words performance, snapping out of it to understand how gorgeous, absolutely gorgeous the music and the scenography is and how it feels like you're completely surrounded by it, enveloped by what's happening. Then the song ending and all of us in the audience exploding, screaming, stomping our feet. Heaven knows how long we would have gone on had they not continued – with a fantastic, drawn-out comedic scene that made the audience's overcharged emotions spill out in near-hysterical giggles.

Moments like that, a room full of total strangers experiencing the same story and feeling it together, reacting and sharing our feelings with each other... The world is cruel, the world is ugly / But there are times and there are people / When the world is not.

For me, experiences like this make life worth living.

The Conclusion

It sounds like such a cliché, saying something is the best you have ever seen.

The thing is, sometimes that statement is true.

By the intermission, I felt like climbing on walls, ripping my skin off and strangling someone – all out of sheer excitement. Heart beating twice its usual rate, hands shaking, running out of breath. Jumping up the second the show was over, clapping my hands until they hurt. Waking up at 4:12AM the following morning, completely awake with heart pounding in my chest, all because of what I had experienced the night before.

Friday's Klokkeren fra Notre Dame premiere is the best musical performance I have seen in my life.

The Rating

🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥

11 flames of hellfire out of 10

Photos by Søren Malmose.
Performances in Fredericia in fall 2016 and in Copenhagen in summer 2017. Book your tickets now.
Also read: another review in English at dlp-photos.com

Ansa

Huom. Sain bloggarina ilmaisen lipun musikaaliin.

On ikävä fiilis tuntea itsensä tyhmäksi katsoessaan suomalaisen kaupunginteatterin musikaalia. Luulla kerran toisensa jälkeen saavansa otteen hahmoista, tarinasta ja teoksen symboliikasta, kunnes jutun juju taas lipsahtaa käsistä ja ajatus sekoaa.

Jyväskylän kaupunginteatterin Ansa jättää hämmentyneen olon, huonolla tavalla.

Sirkku Peltolan kirjoittaman musikaalin tarinassa seurataan myslipatukkatehtaalla työskentelevää Ansaa (Tarja Matilainen), jota musikaalin alaotsikko kuvaa "liian hyväksi ihmiseksi". Muiden onkin helppo polkea auttavaista Ansaa – kunnes patukkatehtaalle saapuu duracellpupumainen konsultti (Sauli Suonpää), joka kouluttaa tiimiin uutta tehoa ja pöllyttää samalla Ansan ajatusmaailman aivan uuteen uskoon. Vaan kuinka käykään, kun globalisaation tuulet puhaltavat tehdashalliin?

Kaiken kaikkiaan musikaali on hyvin roolitettu. Matilaisen Ansassa on herkkyyttä, voimaa ja karmivaa hurahdusta. Eniten potkua runsaan hahmogallerian tyypeistä on Saara Jokiahon esittämässä Tuulikissa, miestään pettävässä perheenäidissä, joka tekee tiliä omien valintojensa kanssa vaikuttavassa Onni ja muita tekosyitä -kappaleessa.

Iiro Rantalan musiikki ja Heikki Salon sanat ovat kaunista kuultavaa ja Lassi Hirven johtaman bändin soitossa on svengiä, vaikka teatterisalin akustiikka laulua mukiloikin. En kuitenkaan ole musikaalin tarinankuljetuksen viideksi minuutiksi paikalleen pysäyttävien laulukohtausten fani, olivatpa kappaleet miten hienoja hyvänsä. Kun melkein kaikki laulut sijoittuvat fantasiamaailmaan, ajatuksella on niiden aikana liikaa aikaa harhailla.

Ansa putoaa omituiseen paikkaan perinteisen juonellisen tarinan ja konseptimusikaalin (musikaali, jossa teoksen teema on yhtenäistä juonta tärkeämpi – esimerkiksi käy vaikkapa Hair) välimaastoon. Juoni ja hahmot eivät ole realistisia, mutteivät toisaalta myöskään aivan tarpeeksi abstrakteja tai parodisia tullakseen tulkituiksi silkkoina symboleina. Juuri mikään ei tunnu todelliselta, kokonaisuus on erittäin vieraannuttava.

Kaiken kaikkiaan Ansa-musikaali, olkoonkin että se on vasta yhdeksän vuotta vanha (ensi-ilta Tampereen Työväen Teatterissa vuonna 2007 nimellä Patukkaooppera) ja että käsikirjoitusta on päivitetty, ei tunnu aivan tältä päivältä. Vaikka globalisaatio vie varmasti työpaikkoja Suomesta tulevaisuudessakin, tuntuu, että patukkatehtaan tarina on jo kuultu. Musikaali ei enää tuo aiheeseen merkittäviä uusia avauksia.

Raikkaampaa työelämän pilkkaa ja kritiikkiä tarjoaa vaikkapa Sami Keski-Vähälän ja Esa Leskisen Gogol-päivitys Päällystakki (kantaesitys Ryhmäteatterissa vuonna 2009), jossa nykypäivää leimaa pätkätyöläisyys. Myös nuorten syrjäytyminen ja toisaalta liikakoulutus suosituille aloille olisi tällä hetkellä kritiikin kohteena konsulttien huiputuksia ja duunarien massapotkuja kiinnostavampi.

Kaiken tämän antaisin helposti anteeksi, jos saisin musikaalista jotain irti (eihän Ranskan vuoden 1832 kansannousukaan ole hetkeen ollut ajankohtainen, mutta musikaali on silti hyvä), vaan kun en saa. Ansa herättää paljon kysymyksiä, muttei anna katsojalleen tarpeeksi mielekkäiden vastausten muodostamiseen.

Tuntuu, että minun pitäisi saada tästä roppakaupalla ajatuksen aihetta, nauttia satiirista ja taputtaa musikaalifantasian ja arkirealismin väliselle kontrastille. Toisin käy. En saa teoksesta minkäänlaista otetta.

Tulipahan käytyä.

Kuvat: Jiri Halttunen
Muissa blogeissa: Jälkisoitto, Teatterikärpäsen puraisuja

Pants Off!

Please note: Lahden kaupunginteatteri offered me a free ticket to see their production of The Full Monty.

I and the Finnish population at large have rather different tastes in musicals.

The higher a show is on the list of Finland’s most-produced foreign musicals (more about that list here), the likelier is that I’ll dislike it. Fiddler on the Roof? Ugh. Sound of Music? Bleh. My Fair Lady? Nah. Just not for me.

So naturally, I was suspicious of The Full Monty. It’s one of Finland’s most-produced musicals of the last decade, maybe even the most produced. A silly show about men stripping. That just cannot be worth watching.

Or?

The Full Monty is a Broadway musical based on the 1997 movie, a comedy about six unemployed men forming a striptease act. The movie was a hit, but the musical only had modest success on Broadway – running from 2000 to 2002 – and an even shorter nine-month-run in the West End in 2002.

In Finland, The Full Monty had its premiere in 2002, titled Housut pois (”Pants Off”). Then another professional production in 2008. Two in 2010. 2012. 2013. Two in 2015. 2016. On top of that, countless amateur productions around the country. It’s a wonder, really, that I’ve managed to avoid it this long!

Last weekend, I saw my first production of the musical in Lahden kaupunginteatteri.

I’m not familiar with the movie, and in my experience, the musical has a light and brainless imago attached to it: they’re blue-collar guys who do amateur striptease, ha-ha. I was glad to find out that’s not everything there is to this. The musical actually discusses multiple serious issues including homophobia, body image, unemployment and a father’s right to see his child.

It also surprised me how three-dimensional the main character Jerry Lukowski is. Played by a longtime personal favourite actor, Tuukka Leppänen... Oh me, oh my.

Jerry is the driving force behind the central striptease act. He is motivated to put up the show because he needs to earn money fast or his ex-wife will sue him over unpaid child support payment, and also because the town’s women are excited about a visiting Chippendales show. Jerry is jealous and convinced the touring male dancers are all gay. So, he reasons, wouldn’t it be way better if the ladies could see real heterosexual men strip?

In short, our hero is a jerk. Homophobic and chauvinist with a side of anger management issues. Despite that, though, you can't help rooting for him. He loves his son, is resourceful and driven. You wish him to succeed. Above all, you hope he will learn some important lessons along the way.

And the way Leppänen portrays his character... I haven’t seen this – how to even describe it – genuine and real, true-to-life musical character in ages.

Musical characters are by nature larger than life. They deal with huge emotions and, when words aren’t enough, resort to singing and dancing. Musical theatre is a very unrealistic medium, so it’s hard to forget the people onstage are acting, even if they’re absolutely brilliant.

Not the case with Leppänen’s performance. It’s not often you encounter a musical character this natural, this real. A 3D real-life person, a complex mix of positive and negative qualities. The performance isn't tearjerkingly touching, or mindbendingly awesome. It's just human, through and through – and as such, thoroughly impressive.

Not to say Leppänen’s Jerry is the only point of interest. The musical is actually full of pretty interesting guys. The rest of the leading six don’t have quite as many songs to sing, but they’re still all three-dimensional and sympathetic, both the way they’re written and the way this production portrays them.

It’s a shame that the women of the musical, then, are shallow creatures. They like to shop and watch handsome men dance, love their husbands, and that’s all we ever get to know about them.

Of course this story is first and foremost about men’s struggles. And sure, women’s place in society is touched upon – most of the ladies we encounter in the show are employed, unlike their husbands. But even so, it doesn’t seem quite right that the only strong female character in the whole show is the striptease act’s pianist Jeanette (in Lahti, played by the charismatic Satu Säävälä).

So. I guess The Full Monty joins Rocky on my list of overly masculine musicals that took me by surprise.

I’m of course not as in love with The Full Monty as I am with Rocky (and not only because it’s impossible for me to be as in love with anything as I am with Rocky). The Full Monty’s music, composed by David Yazbek, is good but not especially memorable, even though Lahden kaupunginteatteri’s orchestra plays it to perfection. The story and the mood of the show, while sympathetic and nice, are not especially earthshattering either.

And yet, at the very same time, this is one of those rare performances that leave a physical happy little flutter in my stomach.

Pants... I mean, hats off!

Photos by Aki Loponen and Tarmo Valmela.
Other reviews (in Finnish): Teatterikärpäsen puraisuja, Teatterinna

Shrektacle, Shreplicated

Please note: Helsingin kaupunginteatteri offered me a free ticket to see their production of Shrek.

First things first: did you know Shrek, the 2001 Dreamworks animated hit with three sequels, is based on a book?

I sure didn't, but that's true! Shrek was originally written and illustrated by British author William Steig in 1990. The book tells the story of an ugly ogre who meets an even uglier princess and falls madly in love. There is no short-statured lord evicting fairytale creatures out of his kingdom, and the donkey doesn't talk much, but the basic framework of the story we know and love is all there. Who knew!

I learned this tidbit in the souvenir programme for Helsingin kaupunginteatteri's new production Shrek the Musical. So, let's now try to ignore how this fact has turned my world upside down and instead take a look at the show itself...

Shrek the Musical premiered on Broadway in 2008. Written by David Lindsay-Abaire, I think it's a nice adaptation of the movie. It has all the jokes and scenes you remember from the film, but at the same time, it gives the characters new depth. Lord Farquaard's backstory is funny, and acceptance is always a good theme for a family show.

I think the musical's biggest problem is actually the original movie's amazing, effective soundtrack.

I mean ridiculously, absolutely ridiculously effective. The film's use of the song Hallelujah has ruined the Leonard Cohen classic and all its covers for me for good – ever since seeing the movie as a 9-year-old, Shrek has been the first thing I think of when hearing it, and I guess that's how it will be for the rest of my life. And I haven't even watched the movie since I turned 12.

I'm not saying they should've made it a jukebox musical, but it's a bit of a problem that none of Jeanine Tesori's songs are half as catchy as the tunes featured on the movie's soundtrack. The music is easy to listen to and easier to forget.

The musical's pacing is also uneven. The first act moves in fast forward, but when the second act starts, it turns out 80% of the plot has already been told and we enter the Ballad Zone. Luckily, after half an hour of stalling, the pace picks up again. In the end, if nothing groundbreaking, it's still a neat enough show.

And now, Shrek has arrived to Helsinki.

Helsingin kaupunginteatteri's take is not the first Finnish production of Shrek. Jyväskylän kaupunginteatteri called dibs in 2013. 22 000 audience members and three years later, the musical comes to the Finnish capital – again helmed by director Kari Arffman and featuring the very same dragon.

It's a mixed bag.

The characters are all charming. I had the luck of seeing understudy Raili Raitala in the role of Princess Fiona. If you didn't know better, you'd think you're watching the principal perform! Raitala is funny and brash with all the qualities a demure princess should not display... In other words, a perfect Fiona. Matti Leino's bubbly and all-around loveable Donkey is another favourite.

Petrus Kähkönen's Shrek is also a likeable creature, but amongst the other colourful characters, the titular ogre feels almost mundane. It's by no means Kähkönen's fault. It's just that when compared to his eccentric princess and his energetic sidekick, our hero, who mostly just wants to be treated with respect and then be left alone, is not all that enthralling. (Fun fact, though: Raitala and Kähkönen played Alfred and Sarah in a recent Finnish production of Tanz der Vampire. It was fun watching them play such a different sort of couple this time!)

Finally, thumbs up to Antti Timonen for walking, running and even dancing on his knees whole night long as the short and evil Lord Farquaard. His deliriously happy run to get the wedding preparations started was the highlight of the whole night for me!

So far, so good – but where I think the production stumbles is the stagecraft. It tries to be a replica of the big and expensive Broadway original and a much smaller production at the same time.

Helsingin kaupunginteatteri's big stage is currently under renovation. The replacement stage for musical productions, Peacock Theatre, has no space to store sets and minimal stage technology. So, instead of big setpieces and special effects, we get 2D sets, designed by Samuli Halla, and a rather puny dragon (the doll itself is neat, but the dragon's second appearance in the musical's climax... Quite underwhelming).

Taken a bit further and completely divorcing it from the movie, the flat approach could have given the show a nice illustrated storybook look. But as it is, it occupies a weird middle ground in between intentionally naïve and cheap-looking. Combined with costume design straight from Broadway... The combo doesn't quite work for me. It needs more oomph.

I's admirably ambitious for Helsingin kaupunginteatteri to produce Shrek on such a difficult stage. Ultimately, however, I don't know if it's a very good decision to cram a big fantasy musical in such a small space. I believe this fairytale world would have worked much better if the theatre had waited for a bit and produced it on their big stage.

So. The current Helsinki Shrek is an odd combination: a carbon copy of Broadway the original when it comes to costumes, a pocket-sized version when it comes to sets. But would it have been quite perfect if done big, either?

I have railed against replica productions before. I will rail against them again. If you ask me, replicas should never be made. Especially not if the original production is available on DVD and digital download, as is the case with the Broadway production of Shrek.

In a show like this, just a touch of local flavour could do wonders.

Shrek features a group of fairytale creatures who, in this replica form, all look decidedly American. There is, for example, an elf... which I only realised when the character introduced itself as one, since the elves of Finnish tradition do not look like that at all. Maybe Dreamworks Theatricals won't allow any changes, but I think it would be so much more fun if each creative team around the world could give at least the fairytale characters their own designs, drawing inspiration from the traditional stories of their respective countries.

Though actually, there is one local nod in the Finnish production: Mikko Paloniemi portrays Karlsson-on-the-Roof, an Astrid Lindgren character that's also well known in Finland. The 2013 Swedish production seems to have featured Nils Holgersson. Wonder if every production is allowed one local character?

I understand that in a musical based on an animated movie, making the world and characters look recognisable is important. At the same time, I find that approach very limiting. Luckily other projects have chosen a different route: the new musical based on the movie Anastasia shows us it's quite possible to base a musical on an animated feature and still have an unique look.

In short: in its replica form, Shrek a pretty nice musical – but how much more interesting it could be if creative teams all around the world were given free hands!

To finish off, I combined a little Youtube playlist of international Shrek the Musical trailers, starting from Helsinki. Take a look and try to spot the differences:

I wonder if it's a mandatory Dreamworks requirement to use the song I'm a Believer

 (the only song from the movie featured in the stage musical) in all promotional material?

Photos by Tapio Vanhatalo.

More reviews (in Finnish): Jälkisoitto, Lukupino, Paljon melua teatterista, Teatterikärpäsen puraisuja, Varje dag är en dag för musikaler

Treasure Island

Please note: Svenska Teatern invited me to see a performance of Skattkammarön for free.

I have so many things to say about the subject of this review that I figured I might as well start with a tangential confession.

I do not enjoy reading Robert Louis Stevenson's work.

Jekyll and Hyde and Treasure Island are both fascinating stories full of really interesting characters. But were it not for theatrical adaptations... Last time I read Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde took me two weeks (it has 106 pages) and I have still to finish Treasure Island (started last summer). No matter how much I love the characters, there is something in Stevenson's style of writing that really, really does not work for me.

That being said, let's now sail away to Treasure Island. Svenska Teatern's new play Skattkammarön is, for me, as good as they come.

I saw the play this Monday, in a half-empty auditorium with only a handful of other people. It's a shame (everybody should see this), but it lent the performance a very eerie athmosphere. The whole evening felt quite out of this world.

At the same time, everything felt perfect to me.

In the beginning of Skattkammarön, we meet young Jim Hawkins who lives in a small seaside inn with her grandmother. Their life takes an exciting turn when a sailor with a mysterious chest comes to stay at the inn. Once the sailor passes away and Jim finds a treasure map in his belongings, it's time for a big adventure. The local squire hires a crew and they sail away to southern seas, Jim befriends a peg-legged sailor called Long John Silver, the sun is shining and there's not a pirate in sight. Or..?

This version of Treasure Island is dramatised by British dramaturgist Bryony Lavery and had its premiere in the Royal National Theatre in London in 2014. The play is rather different from Stevenson's original story. Most strikingly, our hero Jim is portrayed as a young girl. Stevenson didn't have much regard for women, so I really appreciate this change. There is also another, maybe harder to swallow surprise in store for the fans of the book, but no more about that in this review!

The story has many funny moments, but at heart, oh boy is this a dark tale. Human life has no worth when there's treasure on the table. When put in the right (wrong?) circumstances, everybody can become a traitor, a murderer, a pirate.

I appreciate the grey shades and the questions about morality this play raises. The most thoughtful moments pass quickly to make way for further action – but maybe that's for the best. This way, when the most difficult questions are not answered, they keep haunting you for longer and force you to think for yourself.

Not bad for a pirate story.

Svenska Teatern's production is directed by Paul Garrington, who has among his other credits directed countless replica productions of Phyllida Lloyd's original production of Mamma Mia! all around the world, including Helsinki. I sure like Mamma Mia!, but I'm glad to see Garrington's own style and vision in Skattkammarön. Treasure Island's world is, at the same time, dark, inviting, scary and fascinating.

The production is staged mostly in muted colours, with bright pirate jackets and parrots popping out here and there. Erik Salvesen's sets and Hanne Horte's costumes are both lovely to look at, but I am especially impressed by the lights. Light designer Tom Kumlin creates many incredibly beautiful scenes, be it light shining through an inn's window or stars in a tropical night sky.

I also want to applaud Andreas Lönnquist and Hanna Mikander's sound design. Sounds of waves lapping on the ship's sides and tropical insects flying around surround the audience and transport us right in the middle of the events. The sound mixing during the songs is also strikingly well done.

The casting is spot-on. It's hard picking favourites when you like everybody, but I could mention Misa Lommi's energetic portrayal of Jim Hawkins. When adults don't get the job done, it's better to take matters into your own hands! Niklas Åkerfelt as Long John Silver is just as charming as you'd wish him to be.

I didn't except it, but this play touched me deep. It felt very genuine through and through. It's a sweeping adventure, but at the same time grounded enough for you to see the characters as real people.

Skattkammarön features every single pirate cliché in the book (a parrot on the shoulder, a peg-legged pirate, the black spot, fifteen men on the dead man's chest... all Stevenson's additions to the pirate lore!) but it doesn't exaggerate them. It's all simply a part of the world these people inhabit, very straightforwardly and naturally so.

I can't really find words for what happened in Svenska Teatern on Monday, why this hit me as hard as I did. I couldn't stop my tears during the scene where Jim and Long John Silver stargaze on Hispaniola's deck. One of those moments when everything feels just right.

Shows like this are why I love theatre.

See you on Treasure Island.

Photos by Cata Portin.

P.S. The play is in Swedish but you can request for English, Finnish and Swedish subtitles at the box office, or download them in your phone in advance. Wondering why we have Swedish theatre in Finland? Swedish is Finland's other official language. About 5 % of Finns have Swedish as their native language.
P.P.S. If you really want to hear about that spoiler, the other big thing they changed about Stevenson's original story... Spoilers written in white text in the following space. You've been warned! Why, oh why did they have to kill off Long John Silver?! I kept waiting for him to somehow magically come back to live. He charmed me just like he charmed Jim, my heart was and still is a little broken... LET HIM LIVE!!

Cabarets

Please note: Tampereen Työväen Teatteri invited me to see their production of Cabaret for free.

Let me tell you about one of the theatrical performances that has impressed me the most.

Ensemble from Malmö Stadteater's and Malmö Opera's Cabaret. Photo: Markus Gårder.

The musical Cabaret doesn't need much of an introduction. I'm sure every musical fan knows this show, a disturbing tale set in the 1930s Berlin, written by John Kander and Fred Ebb and celebrating its 50th birthday this year.

Cabaret has been staged in many, many different ways. In the 2014 Swedish production of the musical, produced by Malmö Stadteater and Malmö Opera and directed by Hugo Hansén, we met a very brash and desperate Sally Bowles, a very young and obviously homosexual Cliff Bradshaw and a very imposing, creepy, out-of-this-world MC. The action was set simultaneously in the 1930s and in a modern day voguing house. The world portrayed onstage was fast, feverish, cruel, and very clearly on its way towards complete destruction.

I wrote a short review about the production right after seeing it, but as is often the case, I didn't understand the full impact of the performance immediately. It's only when something keeps haunting you for a long time that you feel the full impact. It's been two and a half years now, but I still keep returning to the Malmö Cabaret in my memories.

I saw the production because Lindy Larsson's MC intrigued me, and that's the image that comes back to me most often, too; a tall, imposing, scary yet gorgeous creature quite out of this world.

But it's not just Larsson's performance that I have fond memories of.

Before watching the show, I didn't know anything about vogue style dancing or ball culture – but that's a part of what made the production so interesting to me. It was a journey to not one but two unfamiliar realities. It worked on many levels: the voguing inspired choreography suited the cabaret setting well, introducing distinctly modern elements to the story made it feel more relatable and therefore way scarier, and, as a whole, the combination of historical and modern made for a very fresh and unsettling experience.

It was not easy to watch, but I don't think Cabaret is meant to be.

The Malmö Cabaret was by no means a perfect production (the way they finished with a two-minute-long scene of interpretive dancing meeting senseless violence left a weird aftertaste), but it was a fresh, eye-opening, fascinating one.

Happily, the production team uploaded some songs on Youtube. They're all great, but here are two of my favourites:

Meine Damen und Herren, mesdames et messieurs, hyvät naiset ja herrat!

The most haunting orchestration of Kickline you're ever going to hear.

I had seen a disappointing production of Cabaret before watching the show in Sweden, a production that made me think Cabaret is not a musical for me at all. But since returning home from Malmö, Cabaret has sneakily become one of my favourite musicals. It has so many of the elements that fascinate me: a historical setting, an enigmatic narrator, strong feelings, and a very unhappy ending.

I'm thinking about Cabaret today because last week, I saw a new Finnish production of the musical in Tampereen Työväen Teatteri, on one of the country's biggest stages.

Ensemble from Tampereen Työväen Teatteri's Cabaret. Photo: Teppo Järvinen.

The production had a fantastic cast, a great look, a good sound... In short, all the elements of a fantastic show. Still, watching the premiere, I didn't feel much. Director Tiina Puumalainen (who is, by the way, going to direct The Phantom of the Opera in Sweden's Göteborgsoperan next year) had chosen a glitz-and-glamour approach with big sets and a large ensemble of dancers in lacy pants, beautiful but rather empty on the inside.

I couldn't help returning to Sweden in my mind. And compared to the Malmö production, the new Finnish show felt way too safe, way too feel-good, way too boring. (Read my review in Finnish.)

I'm not saying Cabaret can't be done well in multiple ways. It can be modernised, it can be staged as a traditional period piece, it can be done really big or with a small ensemble. In theory, I'm open for all sorts of interpretations of this classic. Yet, memories of the Swedish production coming back to me every five minutes when watching the Finnish show made me wonder... Am I being so open-minded after all, or am I letting a past favourite define what I think about new versions?

Whatever the case, I'm sorry to say felt hardly anything watching the new Finnish Cabaret. Other reviewers have praised it. I'm almost sorry I cannot see what they are seeing, since it would have loved to feel really excited to about this.

But I guess that's, once again, a part of the magic of live theatre. Unlike movies, you get countless interpretations of the same story. If you don't like this version or that, there might be another production coming up soon that's just right for you.

And with that, onwards to the new theatrical season. I feel way more alive now that it's getting colder... and I have a new musical to look forward to every week!

P.S. I wonder if it's necessary for the MC to always be played by a man. In Malmö, actress Laila Adéle understudied the role – and while Lindy Larsson's MC haunts me to this day, I would have been very excited to see her, too. The MC is often portrayed as sexually ambiguous and experimenting with gender expression, so I see no reason why people of any gender couldn't perform the role. Casting a woman as the principal MC would give the musical an interesting new twist!

Se oli maailmanlopun aikaa?

Dear international readers: I also wrote about Cabaret in English. Read my thoughts!
Huom. Sain bloggarina ilmaisen kutsun musikaalin ensi-iltaan.

Tampereen Työväen Teatterin uusi Cabaret on kaunis katsoa ja kuunnella, virheettömästi roolitettu ja taidolla esitetty.

Mutta.

John Kanderin ja Fred Ebbin musikaali Cabaret täyttää tänä vuonna 50 vuotta. Kirjailija Christopher Isherwoodiin omaelämäkerrallisiin tarinoihin perustuvassa musikaalissa eletään 1930-luvun alun Berliinissä. Amerikkalainen kirjailija Cliff kohtaa kabareelaulajatar-Sallyn, juutalainen hedelmäkauppias Herr Schultz kohtaa kristityn asuntolapitäjän Fräulein Schneiderin, ja Seremoniamestarin isännöimällä Kit Kat Clubilla todella juhlitaan kuin viimeistä päivää.

Hiljalleen Cabaret on hiipinyt suosikikseni suomalaisesta Broadway-suosikkien kaanonista (Viulunsoittaja katolla, My Fair Lady, Sound of Music...) ja oikeastaan yhdeksi suosikkimusikaaleistani ylipäätään. Käydään siis ensin läpi Tampereen Työväen Teatterin uutuustuotannon hyvät puolet.

Musikaalin roolitus on tasavahva, täynnä hyviä valintoja. Itseäni kosketti erityisesti Jaana Oraviston ja Auvo Vihron rauhallisen aidosti tulkitsema, erilaisista uskonnollisista taustoista tuleva pariskunta. Vaan on Emmi Kaislakarin Sally Bowleskin hyvä, kaikessa vimmassaan ja ilossaan, kivussaan ja epävarmuudessaan.

Teppo Järvisen lavastus on valtavan kaunis ja muodostaa Juha Haapasalon suunnittelemien valojen kanssa näyttävän maailman. Puvustuksen puolella hieman ihmettelen Järvisen Sally Bowlesille suunnittelemia arkivaatteita – miksi pinkkitukkainen sähikäinen pukeutuu ruskean sävyihin? – mutta Seremoniamestarin johtama ensemble on vaikuttava näky korseteissaan ja hepeneissään.

Erityinen hatunnosto vielä C-Stone All Stars -orkesterille. Kahdeksan hengen bändi tuo musiikkiin eloa ja tarpeeksi paljon omaa otetta ilahduttamaan musiikkia puolelta tusinalta levytykseltä väsymykseen asti kuunnellutta fania. Etenkin kapellimestari Pekka Siistosen pianonsoitossa on vauhtia ja potkua.

Mielestäni TTT:n Cabaret'ssa on oikeastaan vain yksi iso ongelma: ohjaus.

En yleisesti ottaen ole Tiina Puumalaisen ohjausten fani. Kaikkia Puumalaiselta näkemiäni musikaaleja vaivaa sama ongelma. Kohtaukset liittyvät toisiinsa vain hatarasti, suuri tarinan kaari tuntuu olevan kerrasta toiseen kateissa.

Aina Puumalaisen teosten hajanaisuus ei ole haitannut (Evita esimerkiksi on paperillakin kollaasimainen kokoelma kohtauksia, joten fragmentaarisuus ei lavalla juuri pistänyt silmään), mutta Cabaret'ssa kohtausten irrallisuus alleviivaa tekstin heikkouksia.

Kun katsojan jo synopsista lukiessa on vaikea ymmärtää, miten muutamat Seremoniamestarin kappaleista liittyvät jutun juoneen, kaipaisi ohjaukselta jämäkämpää otetta ja tukevampia aasinsiltoja. Nyt Kit Kat Clubin tanssikohtaukset, vaikka Osku Heiskasen koreografia komealta näyttääkin, pysäyttävät toiminnan monta kertaa täysin paikoilleen. Hahmot tuntuvat olevan tarinassa eksyksissä.

Minua vaivaa myös se, miten pintapuolisesti tarinan synkkiä puolia Tampereella käsitellään. Natsiteema on kyllä läsnä hakaristikoreografiassa ja liekehtivissä SS-kirjaimissa, mutta tilanne ei missään vaiheessa tunnu katsomoon asti uhkaavalta. Monissa tuotannoissa musikaalin viimeinen kohtaus viittaa yhtään kaunistelematta keskitysleireihin ja kaasukammiohin, ihmiskunnan kaikista kauheimpiin tekoihin. Siihen verrattuna lavalle putoava lentokone, vaikka komealta näyttääkin, on kovin kesy ratkaisu.

Myös Puumalaisen valinta tehdä Kit Kat Clubista yläluokkaa huvittava haavemaailma, jossa juhlavieras todella pääsee todellisuutta pakoon, vie mielestäni pontta tarinan vakavalta aiheelta. Omasta mielestäni kiinnostavampi ja loogisempi tulkinta on useimmissa tuotannoissa nähty epämääräinen kapakka. Uskoakseni tässä kabareessa ei loppujen lopuksi ole tarkoitus viihtyä.

Toisaalta nostan peukut pystyyn, että dialogissa mainitaan Cliffin miessuhteet. Vihjaukset lisättiin musikaalin käsikirjoitukseen Broadwaylla jo 1980-luvulla, mutta aikaisemmin Suomessa näkemissäni tuotannoissa aihetta ei ole käsitelty. Cliffin seksuaalisuuden nostaminen esille tuo kiinnostavaa särmää Cliffin ja Sallyn väliseen suhteeseen.

Kaiken kaikkiaan ohjaus tuntuu kuitenkin aivan liian nähdyltä ja tylsältä. Juuri nyt olisi mahdollista tehdä vaikka mitä viittauksia nykypäivän populisteihin, mutta tarina jää menneisyyteen. Natsien uhka ei tunnu uhkaavalta, tunteen palo ei korvenna, Seremoniamestarin hahmon merkityskin jää hämäräksi. Mikään ei tunnu oikeasti pahalta, tai oikeastaan juuri miltään.

Minä haluan nähdä Cabaret'n, jossa on painavaa sanomaa ja todellista, kaoottista, ahdistavaa maailmanlopun meininkiä. Joku toinen haluaa nähdä Cabaret'n, jossa tytöt ovat kauniita ja jopa orkesteri on kaunis, on laulua ja tanssia ja näyttäviä kohtauksia. Toinen meistä poistuu TTT:n katsomosta täysin tyytyväisenä. En lopulta voi puhua kuin omasta puolestani, kun väitän, että ensiksi mainittu vaihtoehto olisi kuitenkin se parempi.

Luulenpa, että Tampereen Työväen Teatterin tulkinta toimii parhaiten ensikertalaisille. Seurueessani muisteltiin väliajalla Heikki Kinnusen painajaisiin asti tullutta Seremoniamestaria Tampereen Teatterin vuoden 2008 tuotannosta. Omaan mieleeni palasi Malmössä näkemäni Lindy Larssonin karmivanupea tulkinta samasta roolista (lisää tästä englanniksi). Myös keväällä Rauman kaupunginteatterin intiimillä näyttämöllä näkemäni pienen kokoluokan tuotanto raapaisi syvemmältä.

Harmittaa vähän, etten osaa pitää tästä Cabaret'sta sen enempää. Vaan kun ei kolise, ei kolise. Musikaalisyksy todetaan kuitenkin täten avatuksi. Nyt suunta kohti uutta ja ihmeellistä!

Kuvat: Teppo Järvinen
Lue myös Katrin ja Lauran arvostelut!

Benny, Björn and I

I just realised something. I have a post highlighting my number one love-to-hate musical composer, but haven't ever really written about my real favourite musical composer/lyricist duo.

Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus.

You might have heard of them. Of the ABBA fame, you know.

I've been a fan of ABBA pretty much ever since I can remember, and the world tour of Mamma Mia! that stopped in Helsinki in 2008 was my first ever live musical. Indeed, I think I will always have a soft spot for Mamma Mia!, the mother of all jukebox musicals... But Andersson and Ulvaeus have also written three musicals from scratch. Two of those shows are especially important to me – and the very reason I adore Andersson and Ulvaeus so much.

So in this post, I'm going to shamelessly fangirl them!

Kristina från Duvemåla, Svenska Teatern, 2012–2013. Photo by Cata Portin.

If I had to pick a single favourite musical score, I think I would go for Kristina från Duvemåla, music by Andersson and lyrics by Ulvaeus.

Based on Swedish author Vilhelm Moberg's The Emigrants novels, Kristina från Duvemåla (premiered in Malmö, Sweden, in 1995) tells the story of a 19th century Swedish woman moving to America with her husband and children. Written out like that, it sounds a bit mundane, a realistic and down-to-earth story. But listening to it... Kristina is a musical symphony that soars to great heights, from joy to the deepest sorrow.

Sailing to America knowing she's never going to see home again, titular character Kristina faces many experiences and feelings I cannot personally relate to. But the music – more so than any other musical score – makes me understand. It's all there, Kristina's feelings and hopes, her fears and her decisions.

Gosh. I love this musical.

Maria Ylipää performs Du måste finnas

I enjoy every second of Kristina från Duvemåla, but there is one song I appreciate in particular. No piece of music has ever hit me like hearing Du måste finnas for the first time did.

In her big solo, devoutly religious Kristina faces a newfound, scary doubt: could it be that God doesn't exist? Sitting in Svenska Teatern in 2012, listening to Maria Ylipää's performance, I found out I had misplaced my tissues – so soon enough, I had to attempt drying the rivers running down my face with my sweater. I think I was sobbing out loud a bit. I cannot put what I felt into words. Every chord in the song struck a chord with me.

Du måste finnas highlights the enormity of an ordinary person's most private feelings. Each of us contains multitudes, and here, we get to see inside one woman's mind. Kristina expresses feelings she has never shared with anyone, apart from the god she is no longer certain exists. To say it's a powerful song is an understatement.

However, when you look at the musical as a whole, Du måste finnas is detached from the big arc of the story (that is the case with the corresponding scene in Moberg's original novel, too. Following the books to a tee, the musical inherits all of their problems). There is hardly any leadup, and afterwards, Kristina's faith is never discussed again. If anything, she seems to revert to the firm believer she was beforehand. So maybe we are supposed to infer she got an answer to her plea?

Indeed, Kristina från Duvemåla is not a perfect musical. Lasting for almost four hours, it's an overbloated spectacle. If (when?) it's staged again, I think it would be for the better to cut out 30 minutes and give it a brand-new direction.

But as a cast recording, as a piece of music, as a symphony, I wouldn't cut a minute.

A trailer for GöteborgsOperan's 2012–2013 production of Chess på svenska

Chess, Andersson and Ulvaeus' first musical from 1984, is very different from Kristina. It's a story about a Cold War era chess tournament, with an American and a Soviet grandmaster competing for the world championship – and for the affections of a certain woman.

With book and lyrics by Tim Rice, Chess has undergone many transformations: never quite finding a perfect mix, different productions feature different songs, different subplots and even different endings.

I have a less passionate relationship with Chess than I do with Kristina. I have never seen it live, and on paper, the plot doesn't really excite me. I'm sure seeing a live production of Chess would help me get a firmer grasp of the story, but while looking forward to that, I don't think I will be drawing fanart of Chess characters anytime soon.

But then there's that one thing again: the music. Ranging from classic symphonic musical sound to 80s pop... I love it all.

Chess has been recorded multiple times, in many languages. The Swedish Chess på svenska from 2002 is one of my top five musical cast recordings of all time. The score, the singers, the orchestra, the orchestrations, the sound quality of the recording... As a piece of music and as an album, it's absolutely perfect. I can listen to it time and time again, multiple times in a row, and the music floors me every time. Every song is a beautiful part of a gorgeous whole.

The Arbiter from GöteborgsOperan's production of Chess på svenska, with identical twins Henrik and  
Magnus Rongedal playing the character together. Maybe my favourite take of the song out there!

When it comes to dramaturgy, Chess and Kristina från Duvemåla both have their fair share of problems. But the way I enjoy them... For me, they're as much symphonies as they are pieces of theatre. Maybe more so. What does it matter that the plots are little clunky when the music flows forward with such beauty, beauty I have yet to find in any other musical?

There is plenty of good music out there, great music, songs I enjoy. Musicals and other genres. But nothing, nothing stops me on my tracks like these two musicals do.

Listen to Chess and Kristina on Spotify:

Chess på svenska – My favourite. I recommend listening to this even if you don't speak a word of Swedish. The music has it all.

Chess original cast recording – If you want to familiarise yourself with the original, English-speaking edition of the show. Rather more... 80s than the Swedish one.

Chess highlights – This short album from 2012 features a mostly Nordic cast (Maria Lucia, Jonas Malmsjö, Philip Jalmelid, Signe Kærup Hjort and Robbie Scotcher), English lyrics and enjoyable interpretations of the nine songs included.

Kristina från Duvemåla – The original, nearly three-hour long Swedish cast recording. What can I say. For me, it's perfect.

Kristina at Carnegie Hall – If you are not familiar with the show, I warmly recommend this English concert recording, complete with narration. It gives a good overview of the plot and the songs.

P.S. I have had a literal close encounter with my idols. In the last performance of Kristina från Duvemåla in Svenska Teatern in 2013, me and my friend sat two or three rows behind Benny Andersson himself – and then, after the show, I almost crashed into Björn Ulvaeus on my way downstairs. Huh! Maybe some braver soul would have approached for an autograph, but for shy little me, the fact I got to experience the incredible musical with the creators themselves joining us in the audience is quite enough to still make me smile.

P.P.S. A note on the other Andersson/Ulvaeus musical, Hjälp sökes (2013): I have listened to it once and didn't really feel it – but I'm waiting for the right moment to give it a second chance. I'm sure there's more for me to explore there than what met the ear during the first listen.