VAMPIRES AND IN OUTER SPACE WITH MOZART


The curtain
Swanie had opted for a musical as a birthday present which I was quite happy about but somewhat worried. All that was good had finished. French adaption of English or American musicals, is in my book, disastrous. The only thing I found and the critics were uncommonly good (that made me suspicious) was "Le Bal des Vampires" and I don't need to translate that! I booked, but we didn't know until the curtain call that this was the 100th performance. That says it all, doesn't it? The setting, sets, cast, costumes, direction were in the top class of musicals. I don't know if Swan dreamt of Vampires - I did! Have a look at this.....

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qsTmX4ep3y4

I woke up with a jump but my neck was not dripping with blood, so I was intact. This afternoon I was to see the final performance of an opera. "Il re pastore" of Mozart. I am NOT an opera lover but the posters around Paris had intrigued me. Somehow it looked modern. Modern? Although set in a country called Sidon in Lebanon in an undefined period, the production placed us in outer space with rockets in flight from one planet to the next. Far fetched? Madness? It couldn't have been better in my book. I'm sure the music was - was what? Pretty? It didn't matter. The costumes, 3D settings, backdrops of another space kept me enchanted for the whole performance (well a little glass of wine at interval and a wander to listen to the spectators remarks). As it was the final performance the audience went wild and for a final, up on stage the chef d'orchestre  conducted the orchestra  and the audience who knew the song, along with the cast belted out whatever it was. What an experience and here you can enjoy it for a moment......

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2kGciGz6w4g

The Curtain

Curtain call

Curtain call

Now if the French are updating their productions, you may see me at the Opera or a musical comedy.....

Commentaires

Lo a dit…
We had hesitated about the Mozart (the trailer available on-line didn't do it justice!) and decided not to go in the end but the extracts look great. I wish we had now. As for the "Bal des Vampires" we had no intention of going because like you, we are not very keen on French musicals but once again the extracts look interesting. Oh well, another time with you maybe?
3/2/15 19:08
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