Phantom of The Opera 25th Anniversary - Royal Albert Hall

Monday, July 02, 2012 by Audrey
Where do I even begin? I'd been a fan of the Phantom of The Opera musical after watching the movie version back in 2004. Yes, I know quite a lot of die hard 'phans' did not enjoy it after having experienced the awesome stage production...but since I've not had the chance to catch it on stage, the movie version was the next best thing that I could catch and I had fallen in love with the whole story. I could definitely identify with the Phantom's yearning for love that is not reciprocated...but that's just me.

From then on, I'd had the privilege of watching Ramin Karimloo (who played the Phantom in "Love Never Dies" when it opened in the UK) last year at the "West End Stars in Concert" show in KL. His performance on the spectacular song "Till I Hear You Sing" just gave me goosebumps and made me ache to go and catch the musical! But, as my luck would have it, I didn't get the chance, and "Love Never Dies" didn't last long enough for me to get over there =( But I still remain a big fan of Ramin and even managed to watch him on the DVD of Les Misérables (my review here)! Recently, I've read that there is a DVD on the Phantom of The Opera for its 25th anniversary celebration, and they've cast Ramin and Sierra Boggess to play the Phantom and Christine respectively. Instantly, I thought...OMG! MUST. GO. GET. DVD! So now, here I am...having watched this a couple of times now, and still wanting to watch it again! I knew this I had to blog about coz I always can't contain myself whenever I watch something so awesome!

Unlike Les Mis' 25th anniversary which they did in concert form, they staged the performance of The Phantom of The Opera! Even so, they didn't use full stage sets...some props and projected images on the stage were used instead in the scenes, but it did not detract from the splendor of it all. For me, who had not seen the full production before, this was still AMAZING! The clever use of the images to portray the mirror, or backdrops of the scenes made it quite believable. One of the coolest ones was when the Phantom asks Christine to look in the mirror (in "Angel of Music"), and when she does, there is a camera (I suspect) that records her and the footage was projected on to the panel, along with a projection of the Phantom's face on it to show he is 'there, inside'. Same was used at the end of "Think of Me", when Christine turns away from the audience and turns toward the panels which projected footage of the audience applauding.

The scene in the Phantom's lair...how gorgeous is that?

I've read that this performance (when filmed) was also broadcast in cinemas worldwide simultaneously....not too sure how much was edited in the DVD, but I find it quite cool still. Viewers watching the DVD sure had the 'best seats' of the place. The cameras moved seamlessly to showcase not only the whole stage, but also close ups on the actors as the story moves along. And it was definitely mesmerizing to say the least!

The Phantom and Christine in "Music of The Night"

It was my first time watching Sierra Boggess perform, and I have to say she plays an excellent Christine! Not that I've got anybody else to compare to (except maybe Emmy Rossum from the movie, but I guess that doesn't really count right?), but I've heard her voice on the "Love Never Dies" soundtrack, and to put a face to the voice with her great acting was so cool. She really nailed it playing the young Christine who is hypnotized by the Phantom, falls in love Raoul, and torn between the two men who loved her so deeply. Let's not mention also her great voice...I'm no vocalist, but her soprano voice was amazing and not as irritating as some others I've heard. Makes me so want to watch her in "Love Never Dies" just to see the continuation of the story...but the DVD for that features an Australian cast, so I guess no chance of that =( Will post up my views on "Love Never Dies" soon too! *grins*

Hadley Fraser as Raoul...swoon!

Another actor I'm very surprised to see is Hadley Fraser, who played Raoul. I never really root for Raoul...partly because I find that his character is a little wimpy in the movie, and in "Love Never Dies", he was like this arrogant, snobbish alcoholic which gave me like a  'Huh?' reaction. Hadley's portrayal of Raoul though, totally made sense (and I think gave the story a better continuation between the two musicals). Since the Vimconte de Chagny is a very young aristocrat back in the day, I suppose he was a spoiled brat growing up and used to getting whatever he wants (since he had the money to do it). Hadley plays this out to the T, and it was quite a nice twist on Raoul....while being arrogant and snobbish, he still manages to make you kind of root for him a little. And it also helps that Hadley is such a looker...with his chiseled face and gorgeous eyes, one can see why Christine falls for the 'insolent, fool of fashion boy'..as how the Phantom puts it! *wink* I LOVED his voice too...so rich and deep! And I also thought he looked VERY familiar...a little bit of Googling and I found out he was also in Les Mis with Ramin in the 25th anniversary DVD! He played Grantaire...Enjolras' good friend =) And they are both good friends too off stage...so cool!

The agonized face of the Phantom...how the heck Ramin still manages to look handsome in all that makeup I have no idea!

Of course, this review would not be complete without me gushing about Ramin's performance! *grins* While I've quite enjoyed Gerard Butler's turn as the Phantom in the movie (he makes a great Don Juan! =P), I have to say Ramin's portrayal really embodies the tortured genius and artist but also evil in certain ways that is the Phantom. One can really see it with his little gestures; his ever twitching fingers (a 'habit' of his Phantom, or maybe it's like his clicks?), his cringe and turning away when Christine looks at or wants to touch him, the maniacal laugh when he killed, his shaking hands before Christine grabbed his during "Past The Point of No Return", the tears he shed when he knows Christine doesn't love him the way he loves her...I could go on and on. I've watched this twice so far, and he has never failed to bring me to tears each time. 

My favorite scene was the final Lair...the trio singing together when the Phantom makes Christine choose between him and Raoul is just amazing to watch, and when Christine makes her choice...the look in  his eyes when she kissed him! So heartbreaking towards the end....*sigh* It's hard to write down how I felt when I watch it. I guess one has to watch it to see what was it that makes Ramin such a formidable Phantom. Yes...every one has their favorite Phantom actor. For me, it's Ramin....LOVE LOVE his voice (such emotion! Even without watching him, you can just hear it when he sings...but couple that with his acting, OMG)! It's really great that I could catch his performances on DVDs coz I don't know when I'll be able to catch him in the West End. Now after the DVDs, I'm even more determined to go to the West End and watch him live!

When the last note had been sung, there were a few more surprises. Andrew Lloyd Webber came out on stage and gave a little speech. What's an anniversary celebration without bringing the original cast out on stage too right? Like in Les Mis, the surviving cast took their bows to a rousing and rapturous applause by the audience. Even the original Phantom, Michael Crawford, and the original Christine, Sarah Brightman made an appearance! 

When Sir Andrew said that Sarah had agreed to sing for the audience, I was so hoping that Michael Crawford would sing too....I've heard about how great he was, but never gotten to watch him (Thanks to the Internet though, Youtube is awesome! I didn't manage to watch whole performances, but whatever songs he sang was so cool! He didn't have the deep voice that I've always associated the Phantom with, but his emotion was so clear in whatever he sings). But too bad, he didn't sing...instead, there were 4 other leading men (who I assumed also played the Phantom before) who accompanied Sarah in the number; namely Colm Wilkinson (OMG! I LOVED him in the Les Mis' finale...that voice!), John Owen-Jones (also another great voice! I hear he plays the current Phantom now), Anthony Warlow and Peter Jöback. Later, Ramin joined in too...and it was great! 

I've not really heard Sarah Brightman sing before, but I kinda felt that her voice was a little....off in the sense that it didn't have the power like Sierra injected into the number =/ And that kinda threw me off a bit seeing how the songs that Christine sang were especially written FOR Sarah at the time. Weird, I know but I guess not everyone is on their game all the time right? It was still a great performance though, and I can't rave about it more without being too teenybopper (which at this point, I kind of am! LOL!). Now, to be a complete adult and start saving to go and watch a West End production live...hopefully I could catch either Ramin Karimloo, Colm Wilkinson, John Owen-Jones or Hadley Fraser. You know what would be the best scenario? All of them together in one production! O.O" Now THAT would be epic *grins*



Credits for DVD stills: Glasgow Theatre Blog & The Ugly Bug Ball
Labels: 0 comments

Stephen Rahman Hughes in Seduction Club

Friday, June 29, 2012 by Audrey
I know, I know...I update for a bit, and then silence for like a few months! Sorry about that...been quite busy with work and stuff, but I just HAD to post this up ASAP coz I'm still feeling 'giddy' after a great night out with my sister yesterday. We went to watch Stephen Rahman-Hughes perform at Seduction Club in KL! Found out about it on his official FB page and also in his radio interview a few days ago, so we went and got tickets to the show *grins*

We reached rather early (around 8.30pm...the show was scheduled to start at 9pm), and I thought we could get good seats seeing that it's a 'free seating' event. But when we got there, I see so many 'Reserved' signs around the best tables (near the stage) that I got slightly miffed. How is it that one can reserve seats at a free seating performance??! When I called to ask about the tickets, the guy on the phone said that I had to come and buy the tickets myself...let alone being able to reserve tables. Pfft...not cool!

Anyways, we got ourselves an unreserved table...still relatively near I guess, but we were facing the SIDE of the stage instead of the front. And here is where I got miffed also...in this kind of setting, surely not many people (if any!) will be dancing on the 'dance floor'. Why not just move the tables there so we can get a better view of the performance? Seriously...bad bad management on the tables! The result of it was when Stephen performed, there was this HUGE empty space on the floor, and we were all just sitting on the sides watching and listening -___-" He did encourage people to go to the dance floor and boogey, but suffice to say no one took him up on the offer. LOL!

Okay, complaints aside....the show was great! Stephen arrived quite late (around 10pm!!), but he apologized and said that he just flew in from the UK...and I guess his plane got delayed of some sorts. Still, he jumped into his set of songs with great enthusiasm and panache...looking great also in a black jacket, pants and t-shirt. He started with some songs from the album, and then mixed some other popular songs in between. Some songs (that I could remember...I'll need to check my videos for the songs that I've managed to record) were like 'Who You Are' by Jessie J, 'Halo' by Beyonce, 'Set Fire To The Rain' by Adele, and even 'Somebody That I Used To Know' by Gotye!

Stephen performing....*grins*


There were also some older songs that he sung, which he also jokingly said were for people WAY older than him...and he's only 26 years old. LOL! Well, he certainly doesn't look 26, but he doesn't look his age either...I so wish I had his good genes. *wishful thinking* Swooning aside, I did notice that I rather enjoyed his performances with slower songs than the club-y, pop songs that he did. I don't know...I guess I am too used to listening to him belt out slow, big songs that show his range rather than the pop-py songs that don't really do his voice much justice. =/ Also, I find it hard to hear him while he's singing the fast songs...bad sound system maybe, or maybe he was feeling just a wee bit tired that he didn't really enunciate? Not too sure, but it was still good to be able to watch him perform...albeit in a very small, quite intimate (but smoky) club setting. He mentioned before in between songs that he used to do gigs in clubs and bars before his musical theatre career took off, and it was good for him to come back and do something like this again, so I guess it's a walk down memory lane for him =)

After a few more songs (notably, my two favorite songs, 'Bertemu Di Syurga' and 'Ku Lepas' BACK TO BACK! YAYY!), he ended his performance and then the DJ mentioned that we could go to the VIP area to a meet and greet session with him! Seeing that there were not many people around, my sister and I just kinda jumped and walked hastily there to queue up...LOL! I brought along a copy of my CD just in case if there was an autograph session, and I'm so glad I did! Anyways, there were a few more people in front of us, so we just waited patiently for our turn....

When it was our turn, it was quite a cool (and surreal) experience...for me at least. Stephen was smiling and shaking our hands, asking our names, thanking us for coming and generally being so sweet and nice! Okay, I guess all of the artistes I've ever got to meet are really nice...it's their job right? Still, it's great to be able to talk with him a little and not being pushed about like other meet and greet sessions. I asked him if he could sign my album leaflet for me, and he did! After which, I asked if I could take a photo with him, and he said 'Yes, snap away!' which was so cool =) I didn't of course, but I did ask if one of the photographers could help us take a photo with him with my camera, and he did. He took two photos, but because my camera's flash was off, and the lighting wasn't too good...they turned out so dark! He showed it to me, and I quickly set the flash on for him to take another photo. All the while, Stephen was really patient and never complained. 

Then we got another photo, and we all said our thank yous and got ready to leave for other fans to take photos with him. He said the nicest thing..."Hope to see you soon!" (Okay, in hindsight, I'd probably never be able to meet him again any time soon or whatever, but so far I've not had a famous person say that to me...so it was kinda nice in a way *grins*) and I was like, "Yes, I hope so too!" I asked him when will he be back in Malaysia, and he said maybe later on in the year...he might be doing a slightly bigger concert. YAYY! I told him that was great, and will definitely look forward to it before we left =) 

The photo of us together...the nicest (and brightest!) one. Gosh, I look so weird next to him...but so great to be able to take a photo with him! [/teenybopper moment]

So yup...yesterday was one of my favorite nights! It's always a pleasure being able to meet someone famous and one you admire, and to have him being so nice is always a plus (even though I get it's part of his job...but hey, he's probably really nice in person too. I just could only meet him in this kind of setting so what the heck...I'll enjoy it while it lasts). Thanks for a great performance, Stephen...it was cool to see a different side of you as a singer /performer. I needed that break from reality too =) 

My signed album...he personalized it for me too! AWWW =D


I do plan to upload my videos of the show too...so stay tuned for them! Hope I can get them uploaded fast =)
Labels: 0 comments

Stephen Rahman Hughes

Monday, January 16, 2012 by Audrey
I have been a fan of Stephen Rahman Hughes since I first saw him as Hang Tuah in Puteri Gunung Ledang - The Musical (Season 1) way back in 2006....not only because he has a handsome face, but his voice can melt any girl's heart (Yes, even mine...heh!)

The most recent performance of his that I attended was April last year, where he performed with Ramin Karimloo and Simon Bailey for "West End Stars in Concert". SUPER amazing, and everyone was so swoon-worthy...*sighs*

Okay, back to reality a bit...LOL! SO...during that concert, Stephen sang a BM song that he says is going to be in his new album (YAYYY!) and the song is SOOO pretty! LOVED it to bits and made me anxious for his album to be out...I mean, with HIS voice and songs similar to that one which he performed, I figured it's going to be a KILLER album! 

Well, the album is FINALLY out =) A self-titled album, Stephen's album consists of 8 songs...all in Bahasa Malaysia. Bit of a dampener considering he's more British than Malaysian (even though he IS half-Malaysian!), but it's quite nice to see that he's trying his hardest to please his Malaysian fans. I couldn't find a copy until I read his fan FB page stating which stores carry his album and I got there JUST in time to get the last copy of the album at the store...hehe! So, what's my 'verdict'?

I guess I am on the fence with his album.....while I do admit that the songs do kind of cater to his range, I very much prefer him singing slow, ballad-y songs compared to uptempo or even mid-tempo songs. Unfortunately, the album cuts right in the middle with the number of slow and uptempo songs....and I'm not too sure who arranged the sequence of the songs, but there is the typical 'fast song followed by slow song' formula which is a little irksome, if you ask me.

The highlight for me is definitely the song that he sang in the concert - "Bertemu Di Syurga". For lack of a better word, it is very 'pretty'....with the piano intro, strings and big chorus, it's a lovely song that one dedicates to their loved ones =) Still, I find it a little bit 'overproduced' in the sense that there are too many things going on as the background music. I so much preferred the way they arranged the music during the concert...gives a much better flow to the song. Watch the song performed here (I recorded it with my phone, so excuse the bad quality!):




However, there are some other songs which I find grew on me with a few more listens...need I say more that they are ballads as well? =P "Hati Berbisik" is a lovely duet with Jaclyn Victor, though I have to say that Jac's voice is featured so little here! Still, the song is cool =) "Cinta Masih Ada" is another song that grows on you...it's a song about sacrifices that people make for their loved ones, and above it all, there. is. love. And my second most favourite song is "Ku Lepas". Another pretty song with a big chorus and soft ending...but I think what spoke to me most were the lyrics, where it talks about letting go for the best of both parties. =')

My only 'complaint' with this is the emo-Malay Rock song that is "Ekspresi". I don't know what it is, but I didn't like it one bit...even after a few listens. LOL! It JUST doesn't fit with Stephen's voice and I guess I am biased, but the jiwang rock thing is just....weird. I find it a bit wasteful to put this up in the album, but I guess the rocker fans might enjoy it. *shrugs* So yup, there is my two cents' worth. I like it, but I can't say I'm absolutely thrilled with this album....let's hope he comes up with another one soon where he sings material that really gel with his voice and style =)
Labels: , 0 comments

Contraband

Saturday, January 14, 2012 by Audrey

con·tra·band/ˈkäntrəˌband/

Noun:
Goods that have been imported or exported illegally.
Adjective:
Imported or exported illegally, either in defiance of a total ban or without payment of duty.

Yup, as the film title suggests it is about smuggling! Not a really unique premise, but it is a rather cool movie with some rather ingenious 'ideas' on how (really) good smugglers do their work.

Chris Farraday (Mark Wahlberg, looking quite buff here) is a smuggler-turned-legit alarm installer with a beautiful wife (Kate Beckinsale) and two cute boys. Back in the day, he was a very well-known smuggler who manages to pull off the coolest smuggles from different places. His brother-in-law wasn't that good though and botches a 'run', forcing Chris to 'go back' into smuggling for one last time before the henchmen get to his wife and kids.


Mark Wahlberg does quite a good job as the tough, previously-a-smuggler guy who dotes on his family a lot. He makes it quite believable that his character is a very street smart guy who has turned over a new leaf. Can't say the same thing about Kate Beckinsale though, as I feel the film makers are just using her famous name to pull in audiences. Her character is a little pointless as all she does is just be pretty or get beaten up by thugs to threaten Chris. A little sad, coz she is quite a good actress. 

While the story is nothing much to shout about (It does start off rather slow as the characters are introduced), the action pretty much makes up for it...especially when Chris puts his plans into action. There are quite a few cool ideas on how to hide stuff in a confined space...though I'm not too sure if they have been actually used before, but cool ideas nonetheless. Think 'Prison Break' cool, except that they use those ideas for smuggling! And while there are some parts where it feels a little TOO easy for the characters to get to where they are, it is still rather interesting as the pace picks up exponentially towards the end. There are car chases, explosions, shootings, the works! My favorite scene would probably be the last few minutes of the film, where they really bring a new perspective to the term 'a sea full of money'! Watch it and you'll get what I mean. *grins*

All in all, it is quite a clever little movie....though not a big blockbuster like the big titles coming out this summer, it does deliver enough wit, action, and humor to keep your attention until the very end. Not bad to start off a new year *wink* 
Labels: 0 comments

Khuntai Restaurant

Wednesday, January 11, 2012 by Audrey
Khuntai Restaurant had been around for quite some time now....if memory serves me right, the last time I've been there was a few years ago. Alas, no photos of the food I had then. This time around, the family mentioned that they would like to go back again to sample their famous tom yum. And they did not disappoint *grins* 

Getting to the restaurant is rather easy as it is located just off Jalan Gasing. I went Googling to look for a map, and it turns out they have their own website! Check it out here. They open everyday, so no qualms about whether they will be closed should you head there for dinner *wink* On to the food, shall we?

 Appetizer! This is called Miaeng Kam (I hope I spelled it right!) The little bowls contain condiments like dried prawns, slivers of roasted coconut, peanuts, ginger, lime and cili padi. Small portions are placed onto a leaf, drizzled with the sauce above, wrapped and enjoyed. The last time I had this, I didn't really know how to appreciate the taste of this dish. This time around though, I find I rather enjoy it...the combination is quirky but unique and tasty; It's a little sour, sweet and savory, but also has a little 'green' taste from the leaf...combined with the crunch of the peanuts and dried prawns, it's definitely something one should try at least once =) 


 We ordered the pandan chicken too...chunks of chicken marinated, wrapped in pandan leaves and subsequently fried. It wasn't as fragrant as I expected, but the meat was juicy and tender. A so-so experience with this, but non-spicy lovers might enjoy this.


 Next, came their famous tom yum...there are quite a few variations at Khuntai. This was the 'normal' tom yum, but they also have something called 'white tom yum' where the soup is clear and not red like this one here. We had the seafood, and it was splendid. I find it a wee bit too spicy, but I'm the one who can't take much spicy food compared with my family. They all said it was just the right combination of spicy and sourness. The broth was also rather thick and full of flavor, which is hard to find in a lot of restaurants these days. The seafood portion also is not bad...this pot served all 5 of us fine =)


Another dish that we ordered was this minced chicken dish. I can't recall the exact name of this, but I initially thought this dish was minced chicken cooked with some fragrant basil leaves. Unfortunately, it wasn't...this was just minced chicken with some red and spring onions. The taste was not bad, but it wasn't exactly what we thought it was. Still, it was a good dish to 'counter' the spiciness of the chillies and tom yum. 


Khuntai is also quite famous with their BBQ seafood, but we didn't manage to try that. Instead, we ordered their BBQ cockles....it was so good that my parents ordered another plate of these after we finished it. The cockles used are really huge ones compared to the usual kind that we find at hawker stalls selling boiled cockles. These are then served with two different chili sauces which go very well together. My only 'complaint' is that the cockles were roasted a little too long, making them dry and chewy. If they could cook it just a little less, I think it would be perfect....oh well, one can't please everybody at the same time I guess. It IS still an enjoyable dish though...I see almost every table will order this dish, so it's testament to how good it was *grins* 

So yup, it was a good 'makan' session with the family that day =) Price-wise, it wasn't too bad...all of the above with another plate of vegetables, a big pot of rice and a pot of jasmine tea amounts to about RM98 for 5 people. Not bad...not bad at all.
Labels: 0 comments
Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)