Saturday, December 21, 2024 |
|
| Hello! And welcome back to this festive edition of the IndyArts newsletter. I won't waffle on for too long this week; I'm sure you've all got mistletoe to hang, presents to wrap, or, if you're anything like me, professional deadlines yet to hit. But it'd be remiss of me not to mention some of the pieces we've run this past week.
Firstly, I loved this piece by Adam White on the tragedy of Margot Kidder, the actor best known for Superman. I was re-watching Black Christmas the other day (which, incidentally, just turned 50), and Kidder really is quite something in it. |
|
| 'I've done all sorts of things, but you just haven't seen them because they're often very bad and shown at four in the morning': Margot Kidder in 1978 | |
| Don't forget to complete your registration | We've noticed that you still have not completed your registration to The Independent. Registration is a free and easy way to support our journalism. It allows us to better understand our readers and tailor your experience. | By registering, you'll also gain access to a range of exclusive benefits, including: | - Limited access to Premium articles
- Access to The Independent app
- Access to more than 20 newsletters
- Commenting on independent.co.uk
| |
| This new production of the late-era Stephen Sondheim-John Weidman musical Road Show is a delight to behold. Tracing the loosely fictionalised story of two brothers, idealistic architect Addison (Oliver Sidney) and opportunistic conman Wilson Mizner (Reece Richardson), the comic play is clever, funny, deceptively substantial and, despite its reputation as a "minor" Sondheim effort, incredibly sophisticated in its lyrics. The production here does it justice, with Richardson's snappy charisma making The Gatehouse's intimate revival really sing. | Louis Chilton | Senior culture writer | |
| If Superman made us believe a man can fly, then Better Man makes us believe a CGI chimp can convincingly convey the agony and ecstasy of pop star Robbie Williams. Initially, it reads as little more than a self-deprecating joke – when The Greatest Showman director Michael Gracey first spoke to Williams about putting his life up on screen, the latter remarked that he'd always seen himself as a kind of "performing monkey". But it works. Not despite the gimmick, but because of it. | Clarisse Loughrey | Chief film critic | |
| While other theatres across London are pulling their pantos up on stage, Hampstead remains resolute in its ongoing mission to revive some of the lesser-known Tom Stoppard plays. No dames and innuendoes here. No, instead we get a three-hour dreamlike reflection on Latin love poetry, via the life of scholar and poet AE Housman. Starting with the death of Housman, met by the mythical ferryman on the shores of the river Styx, with a couple of puns about boating terminology, The Invention of Love spins out plotlessly from there. It cues up speech after speech, difficult to follow, showily clever, taking in aestheticism, manuscript transmission, Oxford in the late 19th century, the origins of the legislation that led to Oscar Wilde's imprisonment, beastliness, buggery, and much, much, much more. Merry Christmas everyone. | Tim Bano | Theatre critic | |
| First devised by Kate Bond and Morgan Lloyd 20 years ago after they met as art students in Brighton, this boundary-pushing performance piece has only been staged a handful of times since then, scooping both the Evening Standard Award for Outstanding Newcomer and the Oxford Samuel Beckett Theatre Trust Award in 2010. Now, it's back after an eight-year hiatus, set in a disused building in a secret West End location and sold out for the entirety of its run from the end of November to the end of January 2025. | Helen Coffey | Senior features writer | |
| 'The music of "The Lion King" is rooted in African rhythm and harmonies, but I felt like there was a lot of space to play and break new ground' (Getty) | |
| The 'Hamilton' creator and 'Moana' and 'Encanto' songwriter had the daunting task of crafting a successor to Elton John's beloved 'Lion King' soundtrack. He talks to Kevin E G Perry about the lure of working with Barry Jenkins, endangered Disney ballads and why he doesn't care about winning an EGOT |
|
| A scene from 'Mufasa' (Disney | |
| Read an extract from our Saturday Interview below… | Miranda, of course, knows a thing or two about creating cultural phenomenons himself. The 44-year-old New Yorker made his Broadway debut in 2008 with his Tony Award-winning musical In the Heights. A few years later came Hamilton, the hip-hop-inspired historical musical about one of the founding fathers of the US that became a bona fide pop culture juggernaut. It's been a fixture on Broadway since it debuted in 2015, and in London's West End since 2017. Given his track record, Miranda didn't feel the need to seek counsel from his predecessors John or Rice. "I've spoken to them about other stuff. This hasn't come up," he demurs. "He's been very busy," he adds of Elton. "He's got Devil Wears Prada and Tammy Faye." The former, a musical based on the 2006 fashion comedy, began its run in the West End in October. The latter, about the life of evangelist Tammy Faye Bakker, opened on Broadway in November, although it has since announced its closure. "We've almost switched," says Miranda. "He's like the Broadway baby right now and I'm writing this movie music." Read the full interview here | |
| Take a look at our subscriber-exclusive newsletters | As a subscriber, you'll also enjoy unlimited access to Premium analysis and opinion along with ad-free reading, the daily edition newspaper, and more exclusive newsletters. | | | | Written by Victoria Harper, Assistant Premium Editor | |
| | The Weekend Edit | Sundays | Written by Victoria Harper, Assistant Premium Editor | |
| A weekly round up of the best features, columns and reviews | | The Weekend Edit | Sundays | Highlights of the week, carefully curated by our Premium team | |
| Join the conversation or follow us | |
| Download the free Independent app |
|
| Please do not reply directly to this email You are currently registered to receive The Independent's IndyArts newsletter. To unsubscribe from The Independent's IndyArts newsletter, or to manage your email preferences please click here. This e-mail was sent by Independent Digital News and Media Ltd, 14-18 Finsbury Square, London EC2A 1AH. Registered in England and Wales with company number 07320345 Read our privacy policy and cookie policy |
|
| |
0 comentários:
Postar um comentário