Broadway

A NIGHT OF LES MISERABLES

September 12, 2016 by Little Miss Honey 333 Comments

I have always loved Musicals. I grew up with my mom, introducing me & my siblings to The Orphan Annie, Sound of Music, The King & I, etc. I grew up in the time when Lea Salonga was chosen as the lead role of Kim in the Broadway Musical, Miss Saigon. Every little girl like me wants to be like her when they grow up. I knew all the songs in that play. Lea Salonga was my ultimate idol! If I wasn’t going to be doctor, I wanted to be a Broadway performer. In school, I got lead roles in plays and solos in concerts. I am just in love with musical plays and their songs. I longed to watched a musical play ever since. I eventually did get to watch my first Broadway show 3 years ago with my sister. I also wanted to bring J to a musical play too. I want to share with him the magical experience of attending a Broadway musical. It is like introducing my first love to my last love. J is also a stage performer himself so he is familiar of what happens during and behind the shows. He used to be a recognised cultural dancer in his college. He even got an award for his contribution of his talent when he graduated (proud wife, right here.) So, on one of our date night, I though it would be nice to add in a night of Broadway Musical after our dinner. After our Italian dinner at Supply & Demand, we went to Esplanade Theater with our tickets on our hands to watch Les Miserables.

It is crucial not be late in watching plays because you can only come in the theater in a particular time or else you will disturb the performers if you go in & out. So make sure you take care of business before entering the theatre. Also don’t forget to turn off your phones. We were lucky that we secured great seats for the show, We were so near, we can see them sweat and spit (yes, we saw that too!).

I was disappointed to know that Rachelle Ann Go is not part of the play but either ways, the show was amazing and the cast was superb.

The actor, Simon Gleeson who played the lead role of Jean Valjean gave a very stellar performance. He gave a convincing portrayal of the hero of the play. The role of Fantine which was also played by Pinay singer, Rachelle Ann Go, was played by the angelic Patrice Tipoki. Her rendition of the I Dream A Dream was heart-wrenching. My favorites were the funny Thenardier and Madame Thenardier. I also love the actors who played Jean Valjean’s archenemy, Javert and the hopeless in-love, Eponine. Kerrie Anne Greenland who played Eponine gave a beautiful effortless rendition of the all-time favorite, On My Own. I was not really into the actors who played Cosette and Marius.

During the recess of the play, we got to go out and shake our legs. We saw the beautiful costumes of the performers displayed outside. My hubby got to enjoy a beer.

We got back to finish the rest of the spectacular play. The production designs were ingenious and costumes designs were lovely.

It was a beautiful night to remember of stories of success, perseverance & forgiveness and songs of different types of love- unrequited love, romantic love, of friends, of father & daughter, of mother & daughter, of country.

Tickets from Sistic

MOVIE REVIEW: THE LAST FIVE YEARS

March 11, 2015 by Little Miss Honey 331 Comments

Marriage is a work in progess. It is not for the weak-hearted or for the lazy ones. It is best to navigate the complicated webs of a marriage life with skills learned overtime, patience and humility.”

taken from www.efilmsworld.com

The Last Five Years is a film inspired by the Broadway musical of the same name. It is a story of a couple, Jamie (played by stage actor, Jeremy Jordan) and Cathy (played by current It girl, Anna Kendrick). It tells the tale of this two young lovers from the start of their giddy passionate love story, their marriage, how their career progress (or lack of it) through the years and sadly, the demise of their marriage. I love musicals which what attracted me to this movie. Anna Kendrick lend her singing voice again (Like she did in Pitch Perfect , Into The Woods and the recent Oscars award show opening number with Neil Patrick Harris). I understand why she was chosen for the role. She has a great Broadway musical voice and she is currently one of Hollywood’s favorite leading lady. But I feel she lacks the charm and sassiness to play Cathy that it was easy to side with Jamie’s story. Jeremy Jordan is more known on stage. He was the lead act in the Broadway show Newsies and Bonnie & Clyde. I believe he was the real star in the movie. He shines and he captivated the audiences. He was charming and likeable.

The movie starts with Cathy singing a song of resentment and sadness entitled “Still Hurting”. It tells the audience that something is ending, a relationship is ending. Then in the next scene, Jamie entered professing his love and fascination for Cathy. It was flash back of how their love story started. Both of them in bed, all moony-eyes, hopeful, excited and feverish in-love. Then you see how they gradually progress and struggled in their chosen career, Jamie as a writer while Cathy as a stage actress. As Jamie got a big break and on his way to become a hotshot writer, Cathy was struggling on her path as a successful stage actress. But earlier on, even with Cathy’s discomfort with her husband’s new found fame, you can still see how much she admires him when she sang “A Part Of That”. And one of my favorite scene in the movie is when Jamie sang the song “The Schmuel Song” which he said is the storyline of his next story and later told Cathy, it is his way of telling her that he will support her in all the endeavors she undertakes and that he believes in her.

However, while Jamie continues to succeed as a writer, Cathy started to become bitter and miserable. The most hurtful line that Jamie said to Cathy “I will not fail just to make you feel better“. That cuts like a knife. Then slowly, when bitterness, contempt and hatred settled in, Jaimie started to cheat, driving each other farther apart. Until they reached to a stage where both parties gave up and ended in divorce.

It made you realize maybe thats how marriages ends. When both partners are not travelling in the same path in life. One is uphill while the other is downhill. You think of Hilary Swank and Chad Lowe, Jennifer Garner and Scott Foley and Jennifer Aniston and Tate Donovan. But looking in as an observer, I realized this situation is not a lost cause. It is still salvagable. Try to remember the first days of courtship, the little sweet gestures done now & then and the hopefulness of your love for each other before. This made me realize marriage is one institution that should be heavily saturated with humility, patience and perseverance. Real love is action. Real love is a choice.

The movie could be a little depressing to watch but as a musical-lover, I liked it. I understand its appeal especially if I imagine it shown on Broadway. The songs can give you a last-song-syndrome. The movie gives you a glimpse of how marriage can disintegrate in just 5 years… Scary and sad… But it does gives married couples to ponder on and hopefully pray that it will not happen to them.

REVIEW: ANNIE THE MOVIE

January 22, 2015 by Little Miss Honey 325 Comments

take from www.paperblog.fr

I love musicals! I am fortunate that my mother have expose me and my siblings to musicals. Early on, we been watching Annie, The Sound of Music, The Kings & I, Willie Wonka & The Chocolate Factory, The Fiddler on the Roof, Chorus line. I am in love with Broadway that I have starred in some Broadway production in my school when I was younger. So, I was excited when I learned that there is a 2014 version the Annie. I would often sing the hit song “Tomorrow” to lull my baby to sleep.

The 1982 Annie movie has been a family favourite. The story is about this spunky red-head Annie, living with other girls in an orphanage under the care of a drunkard and mean Miss Hannigan. One day, she got the opportunity to be picked to spend a few days with millionaire and cold-hearted Mr. Warbucks for some publicity stunt. Annie soon charmed everyone in the household and even melted Mr. Warbucks’ cold heart. Mr. Warbucks wanted to help Annie look for her lost parents and offered a reward if they come to him. But Miss Hannigan and her accomplices staged a convincing act that her accomplices are the real parents of Annie, misleading Annie and Mr. Warlocks

The 1982 Annie was known for her curly redhead and her freckled face but 2014 Annie stayed away from the stereotyped version of Orphan Annie, instead a cool street-smart African-American Annie played by Quvenzhane Wallis. I like that they got her for the lead role. She has her own charm just like the original Annie and she didn’t overact in the role which most young actresses would do. Instead of Mr. Warbucks the millionaire, they got Jamie Foxx as Mr. Stacks the politician. He wasn’t convincing enough or adorable enough as Albert Finney as Mr. Warbucks. Albert Finney pulled off that mean-guy-but-adorable act to a tee which I think Jamie Foxx fall short. Foxx wasn’t commanding enough in the movie. One of the funny characters in the original movie is the role of Miss Hannigan. Carol Brunett was made for the role of Miss Hannigan. She was absolutely fantastic and amazing. You will love and hate her at the same time. But Cameron Diaz as Miss Hannigan was a total mess to put it mildly. I don’t know if she was trying hard to be like Carol Brunett or trying to be funny or did method-acting & drank some bourbon while filming (Sorry, Cameron!) But honestly, I was a bit embarrass to watch her act in the movie. She overacted too much, I wanted to shield my eyes from the horror. Tim Curry was also a great addition to the 1982 Annie as the cunning brother of Miss Hannigan. In the 2014 Annie, the brother of Miss Hannigan was replaced by Mr. Stacks greedy campaign manager played by Bobby Cannavale. But the only character that came close to the 1982 original was Grace, Mr. Stacks’ assistant and love interest played by Rose Byrne. She was flawless as the prim and proper but occasionally awkward Grace.

One of the reason most people love this movie is, of course, the music. Some of the songs were sang just how we all know and loved it like “Maybe“. But some songs were remixed and rearranged into a more pop-y song like “I Think I Am Going To Like It Here” which I think they should have been left alone. In the original movie, the scenes where Miss Hannigan sang “Little Girls” and the one with his brother “Easy Street” were memorable moments in the movie but in the 1982 version, those scenes where not set perfectly and the scenes were forgettable. There were also new compositions that was included in the 2014 Annie. I like the song “Opportunity” sang by Annie .

Some trivia about the movie. It is produced by Will Smith, Jada Pinkett-Smith and Jay-Z. There were rumors that the lead part will be played by Will and Jada’s daugther, Willow. And first choice to play Miss Hannigan was Sandra Bullock which I think will be great in the role. I can think that even Charlize Theron will do justice to the role.

It is sad that this version made the classic Annie musical just a typical run-of-the-mill feel-good movie. When Naj grows up, I would still introduce him to the 1982 Annie film rather than this one.