Thursday, September 15, 2011

"Fur. It's what's for dinner."

Not that I deliberately set out to eat fur, but in a two-cat apartment, it's inevitable. Not to mention when Sesame settles herself onto my lap, purring her loudest, and then whips her tail across my face just as I'm leaning forward to pet her…

I should explain yesterday's hypothetical a bit more. I am not the theater director in question, and the casting has already been done. The only reason I was asking was to find out if I was the only one wondering about the decision.

That decision was to cast the more experienced girl, who has the less appropriate vocal range. While I admit to a bias in favor of the less experienced girl—she is my sister, after all—I don't think it extends to thinking she could play a part when she can't.

Just to make life even more fun, the girl who has been cast in the part (the show, for those who asked, is Jekyll & Hyde, and the part is Emma, Dr. Jekyll's fiancĂ©e) is my sister's friend. She is very talented, and did a wonderful job of playing Eponine in last spring's Les Miserables, but…

Anyone who knows musical theater will know that Eponine is written for an alto, or at most a mezzo-soprano. This girl has the perfect range for Eponine. Emma, as far as I can judge by listening to the soundtrack, was written for a true soprano.

I know that none of this is my business. I no longer attend that school, I don't run the theater department, and this may be nothing but a case of my prejudices running away with me. It just bothers me, but I'm going to let it go, because I have some more interesting news.

While researching Les Miserables the other night, I found some very interesting information on Wikipedia. Apparently there is going to be a film version, to be released in 2012, starring Hugh Jackman as Jean Valjean and Russell Crowe as Inspector Javert.

Several other names were given for cast members, but no roles were attached. However…

Anne Hathaway has made her career up to this point out of playing good girls, so it seems unlikely she'll break tradition now. She would make a very charming Cosette. And who can doubt that Helena Bonham Carter will be a terrifying Madame Thenardier?

But the name that caused me, and I imagine will cause you, the most excitement was that of the actress I think will probably be playing either Fantine or Eponine. Can we or can we not imagine Emma Watson in one of those roles?

*runs away happily to her writing*

1 comment:

  1. wow that movie will be epic!!!! i love the fact that so many actors can sing! sorry your sister didn't get the part... maybe her friend just showed a lot more confidence in her singing and acting despite the range problems, from my experience (and watching my friends of whom now 3 are doing music/theatre at uni) confidence plays a big part because the more you have the more you can sell the role to the directors... nothing against your sister though im sure she's a wonderful singer and person but just had bad luck this time... is she an understudy?

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