LORD OF THE RINGS- MUSICAL

[rajasaranam]

Isnt It time to start off a thread for this musical as its scheduled to release soon :huh:
I found some promising reviews about the whole musical. While I would love to read more about the music and also listen to it. The intro theme in the lotr site was awesome. Cant wait to listen to this musical...
http://www.lotr.com/intro.html
http://www.electricpenguin.com/blatherings/archives/003685.html

[rashid2raj]

Isnt It time to start off a thread for this musical as its scheduled to release soon :huh:

YES, it was :D Any release date?? btw. nice to see an Ilayaraja Fan making this tread :thumbsup:

[rajasaranam]

YES, it was :D Any release date?? btw. nice to see an Ilayaraja Fan making this tread :thumbsup:
March 23rd is the official release date I believe.
AND I havent hesistated in appreaciating ARR when his music is good/extraordinary. I have already started a thread on Theme music of BOSE. Find it in the archives :)
BTW for the friends who are not able to access the LOTR site here is the recorded version of intro music. Its High Voltage music with much power in it. creates goose pimples all over and gives a glimpse of middle earth. Wish this kind of music comes out for the intro scene of Rajini in Shivaji :thumbsup:
http://files.filefront.com/LOTR_Intro_Musicmp3/;4831832;;/fileinfo.html

[rashid2raj]

YES, it was :D Any release date?? btw. nice to see an Ilayaraja Fan making this tread :thumbsup:
March 23rd is the official release date I believe.
AND I havent hesistated in appreaciating ARR when his music is good/extraordinary. I have already started a thread on Theme music of BOSE. Find it in the archives :)
BTW for the friends who are not able to access the LOTR site here is the recorded version of intro music. Its High Voltage music with much power in it. creates goose pimples all over and gives a glimpse of middle earth. Wish this kind of music comes out for the intro scene of Rajini in Shivaji :thumbsup:
http://files.filefront.com/LOTR_Intro_Musicmp3/;4831832;;/fileinfo.html

Nice to hear, Rajasaranam.. Woow, some 20 days left!! :)

[Scale]

This is what I have posted few days b4 about TLOR preview from ARR YG/ Thanks RS for opening this thread :clap: :clap:


pasangala,

why no talk of Lord the The Rings musical? Tha show has opened in Toronto. I hope to see it as soon as the wretched weather warms up.
http://www.lotr.com/intro.html ....later

......later


parthavudane (neengale) unga ponnana kaiyala oru threadaye open pannidunga.

http://launch.groups.yahoo.com/group/arrahmanfans/message/61301

http://launch.groups.yahoo.com/group/arrahmanfans/message/61343

Official relase of the tracksa pathi konjam soneenghana thevalam. March?

[Scale]

More on reviews,

http://launch.groups.yahoo.com/group/arrahmanfans/message/62962

http://launch.groups.yahoo.com/group/arrahmanfans/message/62964

http://launch.groups.yahoo.com/group/arrahmanfans/message/62965

http://launch.groups.yahoo.com/group/arrahmanfans/message/62966

[Scale]

[tscii:29ee715641]An Excellent write-up on A R Rahman "Mozart of Madras" on THE LORD OF THE RINGS (http://www.lotr.com/content/html/creatives-ar_rahman.html) Caste & Creatives. Thanks to Mr. Vijay Iyer, the author(ARR YG, a close associate of ARR) :thumbsup: :clap: :clap:

A R Rahman An insight]- Vijay Iyer

A R Rahman is the man who has redefined contemporary Indian music, is the pride of the nation and a role model for millions around the world. In a country where film music is the most popular form of music, Rahman is truly the emperor. A R Rahman, hailed by Time Magazine as the ‘Mozart of Madras’ is one of the most successful artiste of all times and according to a BBC estimate has sold more than 100 million albums of his works comprising of music from more than 50 movies.

Rahman was born in a musically affluent family and he started playing the piano at a very young age. His father, R K Shekhar was a composer, arranger and conductor for Malayalam movies. Unfortunately, his father died when he was only 9 and the family started renting out musical equipment to make ends meet.

Young Rahman then joined noted composer Ilayaraja’s troupe as a keyboardist. After working with several renowned composers like Ilayaraja, Vishwanathan-Ramamurthy, Zakir Husain and L Shankar he set out on his own to compose jingles and the scores for popular Indian television features. During this period, he also obtained a degree in western classical music from the Trinity College of Music, London and set up his own in house studio called Panchathan Record- Inn at Chennai which is arguably Asia’s most
sophisticated and hi-tech studio.

In 1991, noted film maker Mani Ratnam offered Rahman a movie ‘Roja’ which was a run-away success and brought nation wide fame and acclaim to the composer. The movie also led Rahman to receive the Indian National Award for the best music composer, the first time ever by a debutant. Since then, Rahman has gone on to win the Indian National Award 3 more times (for ‘Minsaara Kannavu’, ‘Lagaan’ and ‘Kannathil Muthamittal’), the most ever by any music composer.

More recently, Time Magazine rated the soundtrack of ‘Roja’ in the top ten in their compilation of the all time 100 best movie soundtracks of the world.
The ‘Bombay Theme’ from the movie ‘Bombay’ features on most international Lounge Series compilations like Café Del Mar etc even today 10 years after its release.

Apart from this, Rahman has won 17 Filmfare awards (the Indian equivalent of the Oscars), 3 MTV awards, 4 IIFA awards, 6 TamilNadu State awards, 6 Zee awards, 4 screen awards and lots more. He has also been conferred the prestigious ‘Padmashree’ award by the Government of India in the year 2000 for outstanding contribution to the Indian film industry.

Rahman is widely considered as the man who single handedly revived public interest in Indian film music in the nineties.

Rahman followed up ‘Roja’ with ‘Gentleman’, ‘Thiruda Thiruda’, ‘Kaadhalan’, ‘Bombay’ and ‘Minssara Kannavu’ all of which were huge chartbusters and were dubbed in Hindi as well. Other hits in Tamil include ‘Alaipayuthey’, ‘Kandukondein Kandukondein’, ‘Jeans’, ‘Mudalvan’, ‘Kannathil Muthamittal’, ‘Boys’ etc. His foray into Hindi movies started off with a big bang with ‘Rangeela’ followed by ‘Dil Se’, ‘Taal’, ‘1947/Earth’, ‘Pukar’, ‘Lagaan’ , ‘Zubeida’, ‘Meenaxi’, ‘The Legend of Bhagat Singh’, ‘Yuva’, ‘Tehzeeb’ amongst others all of which had huge album sales.
His more recent releases include, ‘Swades’, ‘Ah-Aah’, ‘Bose: The forgotten hero’, ‘The Rising’, ‘Water’ and ‘Rang De Basanti’ all of which have been critically acclaimed and well received.

In 1997, to commemorate 50 years of Indian independence, Sony Music signed up Rahman as its first artiste in South Asia. The result was ‘Vande Matram’, an album that instantly made the Indian youth related to it and it rekindled the spirit of patriotism. Being Indian was fashionable amongst the youth again.

In 2001, Andrew Lloyd Webber, the well known composer of musicals like ‘Phantom of the Opera’, ‘Cats’, ‘Jesus Christ Superstar’ etc invited Rahman to compose for the musical, ‘Bombay Dreams’, the first time he would produce a musical he would not compose for. Bombay Dreams opened to packed houses at London’s West end. The show had an unprecedented run for 2 years and later premiered at NewYork’s Broadway.

Rahman also composed the score for a Chinese film, ‘Warriors of Heaven and Earth’ in 2003 and a piece for the award winning violinist/musician Vannesa Mae called ‘Raga’s Dance.’ He was also invited by the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra to conduct an orchestral rendition of his film scores in the same year.

Besides this, Rahman is also involved in other charitable causes. In 2004, he was appointed as the Global Ambassador of the Stop T B Partnership, a project by the World Health Organistation. He also supports charities like Save the Children, India and does his bit to alleviate human suffering. His concert in memory of the Tsunami victims of 2004 and a collabaration with leading musicians for a single ‘Let’s make it better’ is a case in point.

Rahman’s popularity can be judged from the fact that he has had three world tours of his concerts in the last 6 years and has performed to packed audiences almost everywhere including Australia, Singapore, Malaysia, India, Dubai, UK, Canada and the USA.

And this is what some of the leading filmmakers and artistes who have worked with Rahman have to say about him:

Andrew Lloyd Webber (Producer/Composer): “In Rahman I met someone who I believe could carry the torch of musical theatre into a new dimension.”

Daily Mail: “Once you enter the spirit, the show, cannily produced by Andrew Lloyd Webber, is a delight. And it brings to a mainstream audience the astounding musical talent of AR Rahman, the 36-year-old "Asian Mozart" from Madras who has sold more records than Madonna and Britney Spears combined.”

Time: “The billboard outside the Broadway Theatre reads, A R RAHMAN'S BOMBAY DREAMS. That name may mean little to musical-theater devotees, but in the rest of the world it's golden. Like Gershwin or Lennon-McCartney, the name stands for melody, quality, energy, instant hummability--a sound both personal and universal, devouring many older forms and transforming them into something gorgeously new.”

Zakir Hussain (Renowned Tabla Player & World Musician): “He worked with me when he was barely 19 but had already mastered many different styles of music. Even after his work was done, he would stay in the studio sitting through other musican’s pieces, eyes and ears tuned in, constantly imbibing. This reminds me of R D Burman. These guys make it possible to bring in all elements of world music.”

Gulzar (Lyricist and filmmaker): “He is a milestone in film music. He has single handedly changed the sound of music in the movies. He has broken the mukhda-antara-mukhda scheme of composition and replaced the traditional patterns of tuning.”

Ranjit Barot (Composer/Arranger): “The man is a whiz cos he eats, breathes and sleeps music. He has revolutionized the film music.”

Subhash Ghai (filmmaker): “Rahman is the biggest representative of Indian music. He is an example for future generations. He is the best fusion of art and science in music.”

RamGopal Varma (filmmaker): “Its always a challenge to picturise songs set to Rahman’s music.”

Pravin Mani (Composer/Arranger): “He gives a lot of freedom to his technicians and all those involved with him, while working and is extraordinarily creative.”

Shankar-Ehsan-Loy (Composers): “Rahman is a great musician and a great human being. His music is fresh and honest. That’s very important, writing something from his heart.”

Asha Bhonsle (Playback Singer): “Rahman understands the youth of today. He has brought a freshness, a new sound to film music. Hes always doing something new and different which is very inspiring for a playback singer.”

But the man himself remains unperturbed by all the praise and acclaim he receives. Says Rahman, "I wanted to go beyond the restrictions of language, religion and caste and music is really the only thing that allows you to do that. Besides, all the inspiration and all the good things to me come from God”

Way to go :thumbsup:
:clap: :clap: :clap: :clap: :clap: :clap: :clap: :clap: :clap: :clap: :clap: :clap: :clap: :clap: :clap: :clap: :clap: :clap: :clap: :clap: :clap: :clap: :clap: :clap: :clap: :clap: :clap: :clap: :clap: :clap: :clap: :clap: [/tscii:29ee715641]

[rayan36]

An Indian Mozart indeed :wink: :wink: :wink: any updates of the release :wink: :wink: :wink:

[MADDY]

http://in.rediff.com/movies/2006/mar/24rings.htm


Lord of the rings musical has released

" with advance bookings already having generated an estimated $16m".....very proud moment for us... :D

[Salmon]

Yesterday, LOTR stage musical has opened to positive reviews in Toronto. Its expected in London by the end of 2006.

:P :clap:

[Scale]

Any more updates on music specifically?

[lancelot]

Middle Earth musical divides critics

By Jennifer Kwan Fri Mar
24, 2:42 PM ET

TORONTO (Reuters) - The "Lord of the Rings" musical, touted as the most expensive stage production yet, met mixed reviews on Friday as critics applauded its leaping orcs and menacing dark riders, but got lost in the tangled plots of Middle Earth.

The 55-strong cast slipped into 500 costumes and engaged in fight scenes and acrobatics atop a 40-ton, computer-controlled stage floor featuring 17 elevators, which spun and rose amid magic and illusion.

For all the feverish activity at Toronto's Princess of Wales Theatre, the show based on J.R.R. Tolkien's epic trilogy drew only one standing ovation in more than three hours, but many in the audience called it breathtaking and spectacular.

The C$28 million ($24 million U.S.) show's technology was of little help to a "largely incomprehensible" musical version of Tolkien's masterpiece, said Ben Brantley of The New York Times, one of several out-of-town critics who flew to Toronto to see the show that is expected to move on to London and Broadway.

"Everyone and everything winds up lost in this ... adaptation of Tolkien's cult-inspiring trilogy of fantasy novels," Brantley said. "That includes plot, character and the patience of most ordinary theatergoers."

Charles McNulty of the Los Angeles Times said, "Pity the production can't be judged exclusively on its design, it would be roundly considered a hit."

But he added that despite the show's shortcomings and desperate need to be cut, "The good news for investors is that commercially the project will surely pay off.

'PARASITIC EXTRAVAGANZA'

"Riding the coattails of Peter Jackson's Oscar-winning movie trilogy with its global gross of $3 billion and counting, this kind of parasitic extravaganza has a built-in audience. Today Toronto's Princess of Wales Theatre, tomorrow London's West End, followed by the rest of the premium-ticket-buying world."

Time magazine declared the show a "definitive megamusical" while the Times of London branded it "A stirring triumph of theatrical magic." "With some fine tuning, this tale could hold its audience in total thrall," wrote the Times' Sam Marlowe.

And even the Tolkien family was impressed. "I thought it was a beautiful show and I was impressed," said Rachel Tolkien, the author's granddaughter. "Everything in the book that to me is important, or really moved me, is on the stage," she told Reuters.

Local critics were less enthused.

"'The Lord of the Rings' ... may boast of its record-breaking cost, but it still looks a lot like unfinished business," Toronto Globe and Mail critic Kamal Al-Solaylee said. "The blueprint for the adaptation, a heroic, if misguided, undertaking billed as a hybrid of drama, music and spectacle, is now in place. All it needs is an engaging storytelling approach, an emotional arc, credible performances and a more coherent musical score."

The story follows Frodo Baggins, played by James Loye, and his quest to save Middle Earth by destroying the ring of power during three acts that take the audience through the dream-like and misty Mines of Moria, Forest of Fangorn and to the final battle at Mount Doom.

The show, which is scheduled to go to London in 2007, still has a lot to prove and much will depend on the next few months, said lead producer Kevin Wallace, formerly in-house producer with Andrew Lloyd Webber's London-based The Really Useful Group.

hehe
:D

[Vysar]

Something on a sour note

http://www.tamilcinema.com/CINENEWS/Hotnews/2006/march/270306.asp

[MADDY]

how can u read tamil news magazines' review of a canadian musical show????

[lancelot]

read what i posted above...it's taken from yahoo..... they say it's not up to standerd.... but will definatly be a big hit.....
critics allways say bad stuff....same with Bombay Dreams....
am sure LOTR will go on to become a big success

hehe
:D

[Scale]

Check this,
http://www.theonering.net/perl/newsview/8/1143492066

http://www.intentblog.com/archives/2006/03/rahman_and_the.html

http://news.ft.com/cms/s/6c795ec0-bdb1-11da-a998-0000779e2340.html

[njv]

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20060323.lord24nat/BNStory/Entertainment/home



A typical example of the production's muddled thinking about music is a show-stopping (in the literal sense) song in Act 2 by Rebecca Jackson Mendoza as Galadriel. It sounds like any other power ballad in any Andrew Lloyd Webber musical. The rest of the score, by Indian composer A.R. Rahman and Finland's folk group Varttina, plays like someone has raided the world-music section at Indigo, picking up universal sounds and siren songs and hoping for the best


This one doesnt sound good.

[rayan36]

where can we get the songs

[rayan36]

[tscii:74cce22dc2]UK Hobbits Confirmed at Lord of the Rings Launch

James Loye and Peter Howe will recreate their starring roles as Hobbit heroes Frodo Baggins and Samwise Gamgee when the stage adaptation of JRR Tolkien’s trilogy The Lord of the Rings receives its European premiere at the West End’s Theatre Royal Drury Lane on 19 June 2007 (previews from 9 May).
The pair performed extracts from the £12.5 million musical at a launch event at the theatre this afternoon. Following a short delay due to a technical fault with a projector, 500 invited industry guests viewed a film comprising scenes from the world premiere Canadian production and interviews with the creative team – Matthew Warchus (director), Shaun McKenna (book), AR Rahman, Värttinä and Christopher Nightingale (music), Peter Darling (choreography) and Rob Howell (set and costumes).

Warchus and producer Kevin Wallace then addressed the audience and introduced the three live concert numbers: the Hobbit song “Now and for Always” performed by Loye and Howe; “The Song of the Traveller”, an Elvish song sung by Rosalie Craig; and “A Elbereth” (The Fellowship Song), performed by Loye, Howe and Craig with a 25-strong choir. Attendees also got a close-up glimpse of some of the production’s spectacular design care of a Ringwraith with his black stallion on stilts.

As part of the film detailing the creative process, Warchus recalled asking himself: why do The Lord of the Rings on stage after Tolkien’s “fantastic” books and Peter Jackson’s “amazing” films? He concluded that, while the books provided you with an interior view of Middle Earth via your own imagination and the films let you experience it “as though through a giant window”, with theatre “you can take the audience and lead them into Middle Earth so that they are physically present”. As a result, he views the stage version as an “exciting addition to the other two formats”.

Speaking to the audience later, Warchus admitted that, before he came on board the project in November 2003, he had not been a Tolkien fan. However, today he likened the stage version of The Lord of the Rings – which combines epic storytelling with music, physical theatre and high-tech designs – as Shakespeare’s Henry V and A Midsummer Night’s Dream in one story along with elements of Peter Pan, Les Miserables and The Lion King. “Everything about it is everything I love about theatre,” which is why, Warchus explained, it became an “unturndownable” and, indeed, “life-changing” experience for him and other members of the team.
Kevin Wallace has been developing The Lord of the Rings since 2001. He initially intended to present it first in the West End in spring 2005, but the premiere was delayed and the location switched to Toronto once it became apparent that their original chosen venue, the Dominion Theatre, wouldn’t be available for some time due to the ongoing success of We Will Rock You.

Twenty-six minutes have been trimmed from what’s now being called the Canadian “development” version of the musical. Now running at three hours, The Lord of the Rings is, Wallace declared, “finally coming home…. It is ready to take its place in Drury Lane. It is ready to take its place in London. It is ready to take its place in the greatest city for theatre in the world.” Casting for the rest of the 50-strong London cast of begins on Monday (11 September 2006).
[/tscii:74cce22dc2]

[rayan36]

TAPA - Toronto Alliance for the Performing Arts - Doras Awards

Our 'MADRAS MOZART' nominated for LOTR for Outstanding Musical Direction

http://tapa.ca/doras/nominees

[rayan36]

http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendid=111377833

[ajaybaskar]

http://www.youtube.com/profile?user=lotrtoronto

[Ramakrishna]

Guys de premiere of LOTR was covered in both Cnn-ibn and Times now,ARR talks abt his xperince..
it looked wonderful...
http://www.zshare.net/audio/23593958aae16a/ -Cnn-ibn
http://www.zshare.net/audio/23593585b03cf3/ -Times now

[ajaybaskar]

London on The Lord of The Rings and Rahman

By Behindwoods News Bureau.

June 22, 2007

He is involved in the most expensive movie ever in India; he is also involved in the most expensive theater production ever in the world. More than 100 million copies of his albums have been sold around the world. He has worked with Andrew Lloyd Webber and many other big names.



A British newspaper hailed him as the 'Mozart of Madras'. Those of you who are still wondering as to whom we have been describing in these few lines (you must be a very rare breed) better keep your ignorance to yourselves. We are talking about none other than Musical Wizard A.R.Rahman.

This must be the best phase of Rahman's career to date; we believe that even better days are ahead. The icing on the cake has been the London premiere of The Lord of the Rings musical. Rahman was accorded a red carpet welcome at the event. After the premiere it was the time for some of the most celebrated theater critics of the worlds to have their say. Well, you can say that the mandate was fractured with reviews ranging from highly appreciative to dismissive. But everyone was unanimous in their view that the music (composed by Rahman of course) was brilliant, blending seamlessly into the narrative without hanging loosely like a fractured appendage. Such reviews from one of the most educated and experienced audience certainly elevates Rahman to the level of one of the top musicians of the world (or was he already there much earlier).

Andrew Lloyd Webber who has earlier worked with Rahman for the Bombay Dreams musical too showered praise on the show. So Rahman is certainly on top of the world at the moment.

[abbydoss1969]

[tscii:f30af5a4e9]LOTR gets mixed reviews:

Updated: 9:37 a.m. ET June 20, 2007
LONDON - “The Lord of the Rings” musical, the most expensive production in West End history, opened to mixed reviews, with some critics praising it as brilliant and others calling it corny and “a thumping great flop.”

The stage adaptation of J.R.R. Tolkien’s fantasy saga officially opened Tuesday night at London’s Theatre Royal, with actors dressed as hobbits, elves and dwarfs, and pyrotechnics, special effects and a revolving stage aimed at recreating Middle Earth.

The $25 million show based on Tolkien’s literary trilogy about a Hobbit named Frodo and his quest to rid Middle Earth of evil, has been trimmed and reworked since its Toronto premiere, which also earned mixed reviews.



The Toronto Star had renamed it “Bored of the Rings,” while Variety called it “a saga of short people burdened by power jewelry.” But the London show won praise from some.

The Times called director Matthew Warchus’ West End production a “wonder” and “a brave, stirring, epic piece of popular theater” complete with “charm, wit and jaw-dropping theatrical brio.”

The Guardian said, “If Tolkien’s trilogy is to be a stage spectacle, I don’t see how it could be better done.” It also praised the acting of Malcolm Storry as Gandalf, Brian Protheroe as Saruman and Andrew Jarvis as Elrond, “whose kingly voice resonates like thunder.”

Judi Dench, who attended the premiere with other celebrities such as Andrew Lloyd Webber and Kevin Spacey, said: “For anyone who is a Tolkien fan, it is just a terrific treat. I have never seen the films, but I am a great fan of Tolkien’s writing. It has wonderful choreography and the cast worked so hard.”

But some critics didn’t like the three-hour musical by producer Kevin Wallace.

The Financial Times said: “As for Finnish folk group Varttina’s score, even with two makeovers by (Bollywood composer) A.R. Rahman and now (musical supervisor) Christopher Nightingale, it cannot muster a single memorable tune.”

Charles Spencer of The Daily Telegraph said that Michael Therriault’s “charismatic and creepy” performance as Gollum was admirable, along with performances by Frodo and Sam. But his 14-year-old son hated the show, even though he’s an avid fan of Peter Jackson, director of the Oscar-winning films.

“Its run, I fear, will be nasty, brutish and short,” Spencer concluded.

The Independent called it an “inadequate Tolkien adaptation,” and said the storytelling is rushed.

Using the headline “Flawed of the Rings,” The Sun said the show’s melodies were “tune-free” and the lyrics were “swamped” by the massive band.

“Overblown, over-orchestrated and now over here,” its critic said.

But the paper praised Michael Therriault’s “potentially award-winning” performance as a “wheedling, whining, slithery Gollum,” Peter Howe’s Sam, Frodo’s friend, and the costumes, sets and the “sprightly choreography.”

The Independent also praised Therriault as a “stand-out performer.”

The Daily Mail praised the “multifarious” set changes and the “exuberant” dancing.

But it also said: “British adults will find it difficult to suppress open laughter at this show’s Portentous Moments. Corny is hardly the word. There’s more corn here than in Kansas.”

© 2007 The Associated Press.










[/tscii:f30af5a4e9]