Musicals meme

[winter]

*looks at last entry* Meep. All those... serious things. To counteract it, musicals meme swiped from musicallover6.


Part I- Favourite

Favourite musical?

For all that I adore Tanz der Vampire, Elisabeth gets equal billing. I know that, technically, Elisabeth's the better musical, but Tanz is the one that reduces me to incoherent squee.

Seen it how many times?

Tanz: 21 in Warsaw, 1 in Vienna, 1 in Berlin, got tickets to 2 in Budapest and am planning Berlin once more. Plus something like 10 times on various DVDs. Elisabeth, never live, but I have about 25 DVDs of it.

Favourite song?

This changes by the minute, but right now I'm back to Wenn ich tanzen will from Elisabeth (either Vienna revival or Maki + Yamaguchi), mixed with Jigoku no Butoukai from Datenshi no Namida. Tanz-wise, Carpe Noctem original Vienna.

Least favourite song?

From Elisabeth? Any of the sections based on the same melody as Szene einer Ehe. They do encapsulate the faults of the narrative there, in that such scrolling and recaps are needed.

Favourite character?

Elisabeth - Death. Tanz - Graf von Krolock.

Favourite performer to play that role?

I'm in the bad situation of having an armload of favourite Deaths. I've liked just about everyone in that role in some aspects, but I keep coming back to the first two I saw, Máté Kamarás and Maki Ichiro, who present completely different performances, but both manage to be their characters completely. It's a hell of a shock later to see Maki off-stage, giggling and bouncing like she's prone to. Other favourites: Yuichiro Yamaguchi, Masaaki Uchino, Nao Ayaki, Saki Asaji, Stanley Burleson, Tamás Mester, Szilveszter Szabó, Felix Martin, Jesper Tydén, Uwe Kröger.

For Von Krolocks, the two firm favourites remain Steve Barton and Lukasz Dziedzic. Yamaguchi's performance also made me think a lot, even if he played a completely different character. In the category of "someone give this guy a cape and fangs already": Máté Kamarás, Jakub Wocial and Ethan Freeman.

Least favourite character?

Depends on the production, really. In Western ones, Franz-Josephs are usually hit-and-miss. In Japanese ones, the only two Elisabeths I like consistently throughout the show are Maki Ichiro and Jun Sena. It also takes a lot to make me like a Sophie.

Part II- 2nd Favourite

Second favourite musical?

Phantom of the Opera was really what got me into musicals, by virtue of sucking Mother in completely. It's schmaltz, but it's schmaltz with passion, larger than life.

Seen it how many times?

Movie, something like a dozen. Live, so far small-stage version, twice. DVDs... probably something like a dozen again.

Favourite song?

All in all, I think that'd have to be All I ask of you. All Steve's fault, of course.

Least favourite song?

Wishing you were somehow here again. So far I've heard exactly one rendition that moved me, and that was a guy singing it.

Favourite character?

Depends on who's playing Erik and Raoul ;) My allegiances switch at the drop of a call sheet.

Favourite performer to play that role?

For both of them, Steve Barton (passion and mad crazy earnestness) and Jakub Wocial (passion again, plus voice-like-an-angel, natch).

Least favourite character?

I think it's a rare musical where I don't have any special dislikes.

Part III- CDs & DVDs

Do you own many cast recordings?

*checks list* 126 ^^;;;;

Which is your favourite?

All in all, I think Elisabeth 2004 Toho Orange Cast.

Why?

Hands down my vocally favourite cast - Maki and Yamaguchi accompanied by perfect backup. Lucheni took a moment of getting used to, but once I saw him on DVD, he's just perfect.

Can you sing the whole CD word for word?

...almost. And I don't speak the language :P I can also manage a fair rendition of Letzte Tanz in Hungarian.

What musical DVDs do you have?

At last count over a hundred, and the last count was a good while ago.

Favourite DVD?

2005 Toho Elisabeth with Maki Ichiro and Masaaki Uchino, closely followed by my entire Takarazuka collection. Of the non-bootleg ones, my new acquisition Datenshi no Namida / Tarantella!, Hikaru Asami's sayonara show.

Part IV- Performers

Favourite theatre performer?

Female: Maki Ichiro. Male: Steve Barton.

Have you seen him/her perform live? If so, in what?

Since she's in Japan and taking time off to raise her kid, and he's dead, probably no chance either way. On the other hand, I managed to see Thomas Borchert, Uwe Kröger, Jan Ammann and Lukas Perman already (not to mention all but stalking our brilliant Tanz cast), and have plans for seeing Máté Kamarás this year or the next, so not all is lost.

Least favourite performer?

It might not be fair to judge by one performance, but Kevin Tarte gets a "gahNOpleaseKthx".

Funniest performer?

Joint award for Asa and Kiriyan in Ernest in Love

Best voice?

Yuichirou Yamaguchi.

Comments

[winter]

I have to say that from the original cast, I only liked Steve Barton as Raoul. It takes a good cast to bring it to life, plus the staging could use updating.

[rkold.livejournal.com]

I forgot which cast I saw, I ought to look for the playbill. I mean other than the excerpts from the Tonys. Into the Woods just happens to be one of my favorites and overall I think it is a better show. It's like I do like Wicked, but overall now think Avenue Q deserved to win the Tony for Best Musical.