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As You Like It - National Theatre at Home Click here for tickets Shakespeare’s glorious comedy of love and change, As You Like It, with Rosalie Craig as Rosalind, Patsy Ferran as Celia and Joe Bannister as Orlando, finally makes it onto the National Theatre’s website and it’s worth waiting for. This production, directed by Polly Findlay and designed by Lizzie Clachan, got five star reviews when it premiered in November 2016, and I’m not sure why it’s taken so long to be made available online. It's not As You Like It as you know it. Modern dress, lacking the high jinks of most productions, Findlay turned down the usual light-hearted fun in favour of reexamining every character, even the smallest, and finding humour in unexpected places. Pay special attention to Carolyn Downing’s soundscape, it will take you to a Forest of Arden you’ve never seen or heard before. Why is this man depicted twice? - National Gallery Click here to watch Ayla Lepine, the Ahmanson Fellow in Art and Religion at the National Gallery brilliantly deconstructs one of the Gallery’s oldest paintings. In this short talk about Duccio’s The Healing of the Man Born Blind, she delves into the history and the religious significance of the painting, a small panel from a much larger work, and discusses the use of colour and form. La Boheme – Royal Opera House. Click here for tickets Watch the Royal Opera House’s classic 19th Century setting of Puccini’s timeless love story, La Bohème. Follow the lives of four struggling bohemians – a poet, a painter, a musician, and a philosopher living together in Paris. When Mimi (Sonya Yoncheva) arrives and wins the heart of Rodolfo (Charles Castronovo) she changes their lives forever. But, these struggling artists are soon faced with the harsh realities of life when Mimi falls tragically ill and their free-spirited, and underpaid lifestyle can’t save her. The opera blends tragedy and comedy, the soulful and the spirited, into a powerful encapsulation of the intensity of life’s experiences. A penniless poet, a young seamstress, and a lost key: Puccini’s passionate opera tells the story of a captivating romance set against the background of 19th-century Paris. The luscious score, with its soaring melodies and rich orchestration, brings to life the relationships between Rodolfo, Mimì and their friends, the painter Marcello ( Andrzej Filonczyk) and fiery Musetta (Simona Mihai). This opera is a classic for a reason, and this ROH production is as classical as it gets. Director Richard Jones staged this fresh and intelligent new production of one of the world’s most popular operas. The Orchestra of the Royal Opera House and the Royal Opera Chorus are conducted by Emmanuel Villaume. PERFORMANCES TO KNOCK YOUR SOCKS OFF Peter Pan – Mary Martin Click here to watch In 1954 the Broadway musical of J.M Barrie’s Peter Pan won Tony Awards for both its stars, the queen of Broadway, Mary Martin and her co-star, the incomparable Cyril Ritchard. The score was by Moose Charlap and Carolyn Leigh and if Charlap and Leigh weren’t a heavy-duty enough composer/lyricist team for one musical, there was additional music from Jule Styne and some more lyrics from Comden and Green. It was staged, choreographed and adapted for Broadway and TV by Jerome Robbins. The original stage production was televised by NBC in 1960, with the original cast, which also starred tiny Sondra Lee, still going strong today at 91, as Tiger Lily. Blissfully, and thanks to the indefatigable research of my friend Gerald Berkowitz, this gem is now available on YouTube and definitely not to be missed. Dream a Little Dream of Me – Mama Cass Elliot Mama Cass Elliot - Dream a Little Dream of Me (1968) - YouTube Click here to watch. And here’s another song to remind you of earlier times. This is from one of the Smothers Brothers television shows from the 60s. This is, of course, the late, great Mama Cass Elliot with one of the Smothers, probably Tommy. Does it matter which one?
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AuthorRuth Leon is a writer and critic specialising in music and theatre. Archives
March 2024
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