Of Revolutions, Stage Productions, and Classics

I may as well dub this particular post my "Arts Fan-girl" post. Though I'm far from being a theatre geek, or an expert on classical books, I've developed a love for all things dramatic, romantic, and classical. I owe this new love of the arts to my two-semester British Literature class that I took last year in school, and my mother's encouragement to get my nose out of magic and dragon books and into something that would, and I quote, "stretch" my mind.

"The Count of Monte Cristo" was my first official step in that direction, and I haven't gone back since. Since then I've really gotten into the classics of poetry- Whitman, Frost, Poe, Hughes, Wordsworth- and the like. I've also developed a taste for reading scripts; you can't go wrong with Shakespeare.

Up until now I had held little to no interest in theatre arts. Sure, I liked the idea of "going to the opera" or watching people run around in wigs; their faces oozing with stage makeup. But lets face it- local high school productions are a far cry from Broadway. However, last summer my friends and I made a point of getting out and "broadening our horizons" by attending some of the local high school's plays. We saw "Little Shop of Horrors" (twice), "Cats", "The Wizard of Oz", and "Hercules"- all of which were fairly well done, considering they were put on by amateurs.

Today, though, one of my friends took me to see the latest screen rendition of Les Miserables. I was hesitant at first, thinking that the movie would be a little cheesy because of all the well-known actors, but was pleasantly surprised in the end and actually found myself holding back tears at several parts. (My friend was in the seat beside me crying her eyes out; she's a die-hard Les Mis fan.) As a thank-you, I promised to have her over sometime to see The Phantom of the Opera (with Gerard Butler and Emmy Rossum).

Now, I realize that real theatre buffs would probably scoff at these silver screen "imitations"; but I find them to hold a certain charm of their own. I suppose I'm a little spoiled in that I prefer the special effects and scenery that a movie has to offer as opposed to a theatre production's limited props. I mean, really, the destruction and poverty of the French Revolution can only be shown to a certain level on an actual stage; in a movie you can go wild. But let me put your nerves to rest by saying that watching each of these movies has inspired me to add "The Phantom of the Opera" and "Les Miserables" to my list of must-reads. I've also fallen head-over-heals for the music featured in each of these productions. (Eponine's "On My Own" has been swirling around in my head ever since I got home.)

So- if you're a die-hard "Arts" fan and have some wisdom you'd like to impart, leave a comment! I'd love to hear from you. Also, if you know of another excellent Broadway production or "silver screen atrocity" that's worth watching, let me know. You're helping me climb out from under my self-imposed rock!