tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7202906.post5757890313120197461..comments2024-02-18T19:36:43.844+11:00Comments on theatre notes: Review: Spring AwakeningAlison Croggonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08398213223487458758noreply@blogger.comBlogger12125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7202906.post-90966017404440170012007-08-30T10:01:00.000+10:002007-08-30T10:01:00.000+10:00http://www.usccb.org/movies/springawakening.shtmlT...http://www.usccb.org/movies/springawakening.shtml<BR/><BR/>The US Conference of Catholic Bishops understand the theme of the musical: that bad things happen when parents cease to fulfill their duties to their children and when humans give into and cannot repress their passions (in this musical, due to their parents inability to confront them about important issues). Seeing beyond the shocking Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7202906.post-73452529549530989182007-06-15T12:17:00.000+10:002007-06-15T12:17:00.000+10:00RMIT Union Arts did a production of Spring Awakeni...RMIT Union Arts did a production of Spring Awakening in 2005 which drew some parallels with the music and art of Kurt Cobain, Directed by Lynne Ellis.<BR/><BR/>Also Kumquat Theatre are doing a performannce piece in the Fringe called "Lulu Vs Jack The Ripper" which draws on the Wedekind text and some of the images/mythology which surround Louise Brooks, the silent film star. Should be pretty Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7202906.post-75666911147765851022007-06-14T16:21:00.000+10:002007-06-14T16:21:00.000+10:00Not all of us have read Wedekind so thanks!Current...Not all of us have read Wedekind so thanks!<BR/><BR/>Currently in the middle of Death of a Salesman. I trust you won't ruin that for me too.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7202906.post-34178564259906193802007-06-14T14:28:00.000+10:002007-06-14T14:28:00.000+10:00Hi John - I must say, what I could garner from the...Hi John - I must say, what I could garner from the Broadway website didn't make me salivate...! I was very curious. Given that Wedekind was a cabaret star etc you could imagine some kind of musical adaptation, but it didn't look like my cup of tea.<BR/><BR/>Spoilers forgiven, BenH, we'll politely assume that everone has read the plays. :)Alison Croggonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08398213223487458758noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7202906.post-66745239659287143982007-06-14T09:36:00.000+10:002007-06-14T09:36:00.000+10:00Berg's "Lulu" was in fact based on both of Wedekin...Berg's "Lulu" was in fact based on both of Wedekind's plays, "Earth Spirit" and "Pandora's Box", drastically compressed into one 3-act opera, so you see Lulu's rise from the gutter, and her fall.<BR/><BR/>As Timt points out, the opera is essentially a three-hour palindrome, dramatically and, to a large extent, musically. Each character and event in the first half has a corresponding counterpart Ben.Hhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11879705585399028153noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7202906.post-65274602296091508622007-06-14T06:43:00.000+10:002007-06-14T06:43:00.000+10:00While a musical adaptation runs in New York, which...While a musical adaptation runs in New York, which I found troubling in mostly the wrong ways, it's good to know that somebody somewhere is doing the original Wedekind play. (In fact, it was done in Dallas this spring too, by my old college.) Thanks for the report, Alison. This is, for now, my substitute for reading the play.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7202906.post-36004831221810746852007-06-11T10:52:00.000+10:002007-06-11T10:52:00.000+10:00Thanks ULUL, but the opera was actually conceived ...Thanks ULUL, but the opera was actually conceived by Berg as a musical palindrome, although an imperfect one. Right in the middle of the piece, however, there is a kind of trumpet fanfare that is perfectly symmetrical: if you play it backwards, it is <I>exactly</I> the same as it is played forwards. <BR/><BR/><A HREF="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lulu_%28opera%29#Structure" REL="nofollow">Link</ATimThttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10333303180015967125noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7202906.post-71013477287834157812007-06-11T02:53:00.000+10:002007-06-11T02:53:00.000+10:00On my to-watch list is Pabst's Pandora's Box, his ...On my to-watch list is Pabst's <I>Pandora's Box</I>, his silent adaptation of the Lulu plays starring Louise Brooks. I saw it once, years ago; and though it has nothing to do with <I>Spring Awakening</I>, it's a fine piece of work.George Hunkahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06579255517402620982noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7202906.post-24031626059544475012007-06-11T01:45:00.000+10:002007-06-11T01:45:00.000+10:00TimYou may need to look up the word palindrome.Tim<BR/><BR/>You may need to look up the word palindrome.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7202906.post-83372510067885925332007-06-10T20:11:00.000+10:002007-06-10T20:11:00.000+10:00Oh, okay, getting my German expressionist plays mi...Oh, okay, getting my German expressionist plays mixed up! <BR/><BR/>Lulu is a fascinating opera. You've got to love a musical palindrome!TimThttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10333303180015967125noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7202906.post-86206814102551171972007-06-10T19:58:00.000+10:002007-06-10T19:58:00.000+10:00I hope you like it, Tim. I think you will. Do repo...I hope you like it, Tim. I think you will. Do report back!<BR/><BR/>Lulu was from another of Wedekind's plays (he wrote a couple of Lulu plays, which he called "sex tragedies"). It's got a lot in common with this one thematically, of course. I've never seen the opera. As you no doubt know, Berg also did an opera of Buchner's Woyzeck, of which Barrie Kosky did a wonderful AO production a few yearsAlison Croggonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08398213223487458758noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7202906.post-68691723393095895252007-06-10T19:25:00.000+10:002007-06-10T19:25:00.000+10:00I'm off to see this tomorrow night. I studied Alba...I'm off to see this tomorrow night. I studied Alban Berg's Lulu at Uni - for which this was, I think, the main inspiration.TimThttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10333303180015967125noreply@blogger.com