The Barrow-Downs Discussion Forum - View Single Post - Lord of the Rings: The Musical (No Joke!)

Diamond18 · 04-07-2006, 09:18 PM

Staged 'Rings' gets grand praise, but not from critics

By BETH DUFF-BROWN
Associated Press
Posted: March 31, 2006

Toronto - Though theater critics were tepid in their reviews of the stage version of J.R.R. Tolkien's "The Lord of the Rings," the granddaughter of the legendary English author praised it for staying true to his classic tale.
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In town late last month for the lavish world premiere at the Princess of Wales Theatre, Rachel Tolkien said she admired the opulent sets and Finnish music and felt the 3 1/2-hour spectacle was a lovely retelling of her grandfather's Middle-earth saga.

"The set is incredible, the costumes are beautiful," said Tolkien, 35, adding that "The Hobbit" was first read to her when she was 6 years old. "Everything to me that is the most important, and the most moving in the book, they've gotten on the stage. I think it's an amazing feat to have made 'The Lord of the Rings' in three-and-a-half hours."

Tolkien, who runs an art gallery in the south of France, said she wondered if her grandfather's story, adapted by Shaun McKenna and director Matthew Warchus, would borrow from the wildly successful film trilogy by Peter Jackson.

"I was just curious to see whether the film would influence the flavor of the stage set, and I don't think it did," she said. "I think it's quite different and original."

Some critics said it was too different and original for the audience to comprehend.

The New York Times called the production "a murky, labyrinthine wood from which no one emerges with head unmuddled, eyes unblurred or eardrums unrattled."

The Toronto Star dubbed it "bored of the Rings," and Associated Press theater critic Michael Kuchwara called the production "a case of imagination overwhelmed by complexity."

Billed as the most expensive musical ever at $25 million, Toronto is pinning its hopes on the show revitalizing the city's beleaguered theater industry, which has never fully recovered from the SARS outbreak in the spring of 2003. The city lost an estimated $1 billion in tourism dollars, after 44 people died of the respiratory syndrome.

04-07-2006, 09:18 PM	#66
Diamond18 Eidolon of a Took Join Date: Sep 2002 Location: my own private fantasy world Posts: 3,460	Staged 'Rings' gets grand praise, but not from critics By BETH DUFF-BROWN Associated Press Posted: March 31, 2006 Toronto - Though theater critics were tepid in their reviews of the stage version of J.R.R. Tolkien's "The Lord of the Rings," the granddaughter of the legendary English author praised it for staying true to his classic tale. Advertisement In town late last month for the lavish world premiere at the Princess of Wales Theatre, Rachel Tolkien said she admired the opulent sets and Finnish music and felt the 3 1/2-hour spectacle was a lovely retelling of her grandfather's Middle-earth saga. "The set is incredible, the costumes are beautiful," said Tolkien, 35, adding that "The Hobbit" was first read to her when she was 6 years old. "Everything to me that is the most important, and the most moving in the book, they've gotten on the stage. I think it's an amazing feat to have made 'The Lord of the Rings' in three-and-a-half hours." Tolkien, who runs an art gallery in the south of France, said she wondered if her grandfather's story, adapted by Shaun McKenna and director Matthew Warchus, would borrow from the wildly successful film trilogy by Peter Jackson. "I was just curious to see whether the film would influence the flavor of the stage set, and I don't think it did," she said. "I think it's quite different and original." Some critics said it was too different and original for the audience to comprehend. The New York Times called the production "a murky, labyrinthine wood from which no one emerges with head unmuddled, eyes unblurred or eardrums unrattled." The Toronto Star dubbed it "bored of the Rings," and Associated Press theater critic Michael Kuchwara called the production "a case of imagination overwhelmed by complexity." Billed as the most expensive musical ever at $25 million, Toronto is pinning its hopes on the show revitalizing the city's beleaguered theater industry, which has never fully recovered from the SARS outbreak in the spring of 2003. The city lost an estimated $1 billion in tourism dollars, after 44 people died of the respiratory syndrome. __________________ All shall be rather fond of me and suffer from mild depression.