Beth Winter

I got tagged by demoneyeskyo87 :) Not tagging anyone, but free for the taking.

( Random questions )

After five days of twice-daily IVs, my dearest Tonio's results are much improved. And so is he - annoyed about the cannula, surely, but shiny and happy and jumping and eating ♥ His vet says it's going very well, and while there will be twice daily IVs for another week, I'd do them for months if it meant I can keep his furry self this happy. I know it's a serious, lifetime condition, but one day, one week at a time - he's only six years old :)

(And I think I owe Tomomin a four-page letter full of "OMG your fanclub mail saved my sanity", only then she'll think I'm really insane...)

In other news, here's the Phantom and Rock Phantom on Youtube - sound only, but you can see why I was so happy with my Phantom, the first Phantom I ever saw live, mesmerising 1300 people with a single note :D

I've been getting home at about 7-8PM each day, but I'm literally too tired to write. There is so much to see here that it occupies all of my brain. What little is left is taken up with the images of the cloaked cavaliers that should be striding about the place. I didn't think it was possible for there to be so much history in one place, not preserved this way, one upon another. I remain in love with Italian museums and their habit of just shoving interesting things in a room. "Is that-!!!" is a running theme, from Caravaggio to Leonardo to random Dali and Van Gogh and Tintoretto and Rafael O.o

Oh gods, Rafael. I remain in utter awe and admiration ♥ He's the only painter to reduce me to this state, where I can just sit and stare happily, melting into a puddle.

I am also taking way too many photos. Especially of angels. There are angels everywhere.

( This example in Santa Maria del Popolo is the current favourite )
Tomorrow, I hope to improve the count of people-in-my-icons-whom-I-have-seen-live by one *points up* Then Trastevere, then on Monday frantic running around filling in the sightseeing gaps, and by Tuesday evening I should be home.

Two days and a lot of chatter to dunkle_feuer later, I'm ready to put my thoughts in order. Which does not change the fact that the show was On Crack.

( The show where everything happened at once )

( And yes, I finally got to see Jan Ammann as Krolock )

Now, off to catch that git and yet another git in concert. Wish me luck with not melting outright!

To start off, I'm not terribly picky. Optional details are optional, and I'll be happy with just about any story featuring my indicated fandoms and characters. I've tried to divide the request descriptions into my take on the fandom, my firm squicks (often based on somewhat rambling explanations), and very optional story ideas in case you're the sort of person who likes prompts; I've also tried to vary these prompts from single-word to detailed. Length, plottiness, level of detail, type of narration and rating - it's all up to you.

( General request )

( Elisabeth, Death )

( RPF - Takarazuka Revue, Nagina Ruumi and Sena Jun )
( Babylon 5, Susan Ivanova )

( Fairy tales, Cinderella )

I hope this suffices while not overwhelming, but should you want to know more, you can ask fyrie to relay your questions :)

1,669 words, and my old writing pace of two hours per installment, despite chatting to fyrie in the meantime = not bad :)

Now, if it only were better words...

Since the Gdynia musical theatre obligingly rotates their shows every week or so, I ended up catching Fiddler on the Roof.

It was my first time seeing it live, and I was rather ticked off that a Certain Someone was supposed to be playing Perchik, but ended up being a random ensemble member instead, at the last moment - to the point where the ushers were all "What? He's supposed to be on as Perchik tonight!" and the night's cast list had him as well. I suspect a sudden sore throat, because he was inaudible as well, where he usually drowns everyone out. Still, I got to see him prancing about in amusing ways :)

My two other quiet favourites from this theatre's stable cast were in it as well, Bernaciak playing the Rabbi's son (flaming prancing gay, which I've come to expect from him...) and Michalski as Fiedya - dammit, the guy has a show-stopping voice ♥ I saw him as Beast a year ago, but he's been working on it since.

The show was good - good staging, great sets (simple black shapes with projections of Chagal paintings) and very nice choreography. There was also an energetic vibe in the ensemble, and I had great fun people-watching. The mute Fiddler in particular was used in ways that reminded me a lot of Mozart. And the accents! I know all those accents both from movies and from real life, and it was all authentic Jewish and Russian accents. So much love for the voice coaches.

My problem with it is that the musical isn't particularly good. It's all a one-man show revolving around Tevye, with other characters barely sketched. The music's brilliant, but it doesn't always fit the action - the most striking example is the celebratory L'Chaim (IMHO the best song in the show along with Sunrise, Sunset) being the celebration of an engagement that gets tossed aside the next day. I think I'm spoiled for good musicals, but dear heavens, this book could use a rewrite.

(This staging did attempt to lead the emotional arc a bit more, but it was haphazard. I wasn't particularly fond of the way they dressed the Fiddler in an Auschwitz striped outfit at the end.)

Still, a good show, and a good cast :) And my machine didn't give out for once, which is a joy - I'm not fond of the cast recordings available for it, and the voices and music were stellar. Good times.

Bonus: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8OZLoyY8PiQ - second section of L'Chaim. The guy who defies human lungs at 0:55 would be Michalski.

I wouldn't be myself if I didn't get to a musical or three on a holiday in a city that has them. This time it's Gdynia and My Fair Lady. Very fun and light-hearted fare.

( Also, why isn't this a Takarazuka musical yet? )

So, my favourite joke about a certain Herbert von Krolock is that he could sing Phantom of the Opera as a duet with himself, ending included.

This is him doing The Song That Goes Like This, both sides of it:

( Read more... )

No words.

Because I was shopping until 1AM yesterday and am currently falling over ~_~

( Takarazuka survey )