LotR - the musical

[finarvyn]

I decided to post here, as it's an "artsy" sort of topic, but mods can move it elsewhere if they feel like there is a better place for the topic.

One of my sons discovered that there is a Lord of the Rings musical. It's hitting Chicago for a month or so and my family (wife, sister, daughter, two sons, me) is all going today. I have no idea whether this will be a good event or not, but it got decent reviews from the Chicago Tribune newspaper and so I am hopeful.

Website (link below) says this:

Journey to the magical realms of Middle-earth as J.R.R. Tolkien’s trilogy of books are brought to the stage in a US premiere musical. As the Hobbits celebrate Bilbo Baggins’ eleventy-first birthday in the Shire, he gifts his nephew Frodo his most precious belonging—a gold ring. This fateful moment launches Frodo on a legendary and perilous quest across Middle-earth to the darkest realms of Mordor, to vanquish evil with his loyal Fellowship. This theatrical event celebrates the magical world of Middle-earth, making for an unforgettable experience for longtime fans and newcomers alike.

I will report back later on.

The Lord of the Rings

Journey to the magical realms of Middle-earth as J.R.R. Tolkien’s trilogy of books are brought to the stage in a musical US premiere.

www.chicagoshakes.com

 

[finarvyn]

I can now report back that the whole family loved the show!

Daughter was a little confused, but she hasn't read the books (!) and it's been a while since she saw the movies. The orcs, for example, didn't look much like orcs and it wasn't until their second appearance, when some character said something like, "look out, orcs!" that she figured out who they were. (A little exaggeration -- the dialogue wasn't as cheezy as my post would indicate.)

Son #2 was disappointed with the set design, but he has a background in that kind of thing. There are some platforms where they rise and you could see the hydraulics and he said that a simple sheet would have hidden that and he felt that the sets "took him out" of the feel of the show a little. I didn't have that issue.

Quite a few musical numbers and it was clear that their costumes were designed NOT to look like they just ripped off the designs of the movies. They clearly had to cut some corners to make the whole thing fit into roughly 3 hours (not many orc battles, for example, and we didn't see much of Treebeard even though we got to hear his voice) but overall a great production, IMO.

Sort of expensive, especially with city parking, but I would go again if I had a chance.

 

[Server Room Gremlin]

Were the songs the same as this one, or was it something new?

The Lord of the Rings stage musical (2006-2007)

There was a stage musical of the Lord of the Rings in the mid 2000s. I haven't seen it, and no official full-length recordings exist of it. However, the entire soundtrack is available online, and I have listened to the songs and looked up the lyrics. Some low-quality bootleg recordings of parts...

thetolkien.forum

 

[Starbrow]

I can now report back that the whole family loved the show!

Daughter was a little confused, but she hasn't read the books (!) and it's been a while since she saw the movies. The orcs, for example, didn't look much like orcs and it wasn't until their second appearance, when some character said something like, "look out, orcs!" that she figured out who they were. (A little exaggeration -- the dialogue wasn't as cheezy as my post would indicate.)

Son #2 was disappointed with the set design, but he has a background in that kind of thing. There are some platforms where they rise and you could see the hydraulics and he said that a simple sheet would have hidden that and he felt that the sets "took him out" of the feel of the show a little. I didn't have that issue.

Quite a few musical numbers and it was clear that their costumes were designed NOT to look like they just ripped off the designs of the movies. They clearly had to cut some corners to make the whole thing fit into roughly 3 hours (not many orc battles, for example, and we didn't see much of Treebeard even though we got to hear his voice) but overall a great production, IMO.

Sort of expensive, especially with city parking, but I would go again if I had a chance.

I'm glad to hear you enjoyed it. My son and I are going in a couple of weeks.

 

[finarvyn]

Were the songs the same as this one, or was it something new?

The Lord of the Rings stage musical (2006-2007)

There was a stage musical of the Lord of the Rings in the mid 2000s. I haven't seen it, and no official full-length recordings exist of it. However, the entire soundtrack is available online, and I have listened to the songs and looked up the lyrics. Some low-quality bootleg recordings of parts...

thetolkien.forum

Seemed different to me, but I'm no expert on this stuff. Son-in-law said that he thought it originated in London, but the costuming and songs seemed different than what I see on those video clips. Of course both would be the same basic storyline, so there are bound to be similarities.

 

[Elthir]

I saw it. Well, a version of it.

visual spoiler alert: Frodo in Lothlórien

Watch it Elthir: one more "cat joke" before August 20th, 2024, and you're
banned!

 

[Squint-eyed Southerner]

 

[Starbrow]

My son and I saw this last night and really enjoyed it. I agree with Finarvyn's comments on the show.

Gollum was great! The way he moved and talked was spot on. It was similar to the way Andy Serkis played him, but that is just fine.
To me the show seemed much closer to Tolkien's Middle Earth than the movies were.
I enjoyed the choreography and melodies, but the lyrics were hard to hear.
Obviously, much of the books had to be omitted in a show of less than 3 hours, but most of it made sense. At least, Tom Bombadil was name checked at the end. They also included the Scouring of the Shire, which was good.