Connect with us

Entertainment

A Golden start for the Royal Opera season – Das Rheingold review | Theatre | Entertainment

CHANNEL TODAY BROADCASTING CORPORATION

Published

on


The Australian opera director Barrie Kosky is impressively creative, sometimes outrageously so. His productions have often aroused controversy but they are unfailingly interesting and full of ideas.

Earlier this year at Glyndebourne, his version of Poulenc’s Dialogues Des Carmélites was stunningly effective in its simplicity and veracity but taking on Wagner’s Ring Cycle is a far more complex challenge.

The total playing time of the four operas in the cycle is around 15 hours and Kosky will be directing all of them over the next few years at the Royal Opera House. To judge by the first, the audience are in for a sustained treat.

After seeing a new operatic production, I ask myself three questions: What was the director trying to do? How well did he succeed? and, perhaps most important of all, Is this what he should have been trying to do anyway? As my five-star rating may suggest, my answers to all these are very positive.

In writing both the music and libretto of the Ring Cycle, Wagner took complete control of composing a 19th century version of an ancient Norse saga, much as Tolkien was to do in the following century.

Das Rheingold is the first and shortest opera, lasting some two-and-a-half hours without an interval, acting as an introduction to the other three, which last some four or five hours each. Kosky’s approach has been to change it subtly into a timeless myth, incorporating some striking modern sensibilities into the magic of an ancient world.

The story has everything: a wicked dwarf, Alberich, who turns his lust for the Rhine maidens into a desire for the magical gold they are guarding, a leader of the Gods, Wotan, who refuses to honour the terms of a contract with the giants who built his palace, a god of mischief, Loge, who comes up with a plan to trick the dwarf, and a cursed ring which brings both power and disaster to its wearer.

Kosky also introduces something that rectifies the only weakness in Wagner’s story. In the original opera, the Earth goddess Erda, creator of all things, appears only at the end to sort out the mess Wotan has got himself into, but in Kosky’s new version, she appears even before the overture, old and naked, making her way laboriously across the stage where she remains present for most of the opera.

Whether one sees this as evoking an ancient creation myth of a power transcending even that of the Gods or a hint towards the far more modern concern about what we are doing to our planet, this is hugely effective. I am generally wary of directors who try to add their own agenda to the plots of operas, but this one is not overdone and really works.

A further gesture towards the timelessness of the story is produced by the way the cast embrace today’s standards in both their characters and costumes.

Loge, brilliantly and energetically played by American tenor Sean Panikkar, prances around in a suit as a very modern mischief-maker, while Wotan (Christopher Maltman) and Alberich (Christopher Purves) seethe ambition and power in a convincingly modern way.

The entire cast are hugely impressive, with Panikkar and the octogenarian Rose Knox-Peebles, who played Erda, deservedly getting most applause at the end, but the greatest triumph of all was the Royal Opera House Orchestra superbly conducted by Antonio Pappano.

From the growling bass notes of the opening to the magnificent celebrations of the building of Valhalla at the end, Wagner’s ambition is fully realised to tell the story as much through music as action.

With powerful, seamless music from start to finish, never allowing the audience to interrupt the action with applause, the effect is magnificently gripping. Most unusually, Pappano and the entire orchestra deservedly appeared on the stage at the end to receive the audience’s heartfelt applause.

Tickets: roh.org.uk or 020 7304 4000 (various dates until 29 September) Das Rheingold will be shown from the ROH in cinemas on 20 September. For details, see roh.org.uk/cinema



Source link

Entertainment

Hidden gem zombie film just like Shaun of the Dead now streaming free | Films | Entertainment

CHANNEL TODAY BROADCASTING CORPORATION

Published

on


An under-the-radar zombie flick, which has been compared to Shaun of the Dead, is now streaming for free on Channel 4’s platform.

Little Monsters debuted at the Sundance Film Festival in 2019, presenting movie buffs with a concoction of laughs, scares, and romance through its brisk 90 minutes.

The film’s synopsis teases: “Dave, a washed-up musician recovering from a bad break-up, is attracted to his nephew’s teacher, Miss Audrey Caroline. However, his plans to woo her are interrupted by a sudden invasion of zombies.”

Caught in the outbreak during a field trip, the grown-ups join forces to shield Miss Audrey’s pupils, and build an unexpected romance connection amidst the chaos.

It was penned and directed by Aussie cinematic talent Abe Forsythe, who is gearing up to helm a film in the popular RoboCop franchise, reports Surrey Live.

Oscar laureate Lupita Nyong’o dazzles as the plucky Miss Caroline, alongside Alexander England (Gods of Egypt), stealing scenes as the smitten Dave.

While Nyong’o might be in the spotlight for headlining smashes like Marvel’s Black Panther, her sterling performance in this 2019 gem may have slipped past audiences.

Strikingly, the comedy is absent from Rotten Tomatoes’ user review section and boasts a mere 231 remarks on IMDb, despite starring one of Hollywood‘s biggest stars.

Upon its release, the quirky horror flick earned acclaim from an IMDb user who hailed it as the “awesomest zombie movie ever,” adding, “this is the funniest, and sweetest zombie I’ve ever seen. But don’t worry, there’s no lack of gore either! A truly original take.”

Praise also poured in elsewhere, with one viewer raving: “Wrong in so many ways but with a wicked and often hilarious sense of adult comedy – Lupita Nyong’o is an absolute delight!”

On Google, an enthused fan left a five-star review, expressing: “While it’s not your typical scary as hell horror movie and is definitely more of a horror-comedy movie, it is, along with Train To Busan (2016), one of the best zombie movies to date.”

Plus, another admirer couldn’t contain their enthusiasm, stating: “Revisited this movie recently and could not stop laughing……very funny. The child actors were great along with the adults.”

Little Monsters is available to watch on Channel 4’s streaming platform, All 4



Source link

Continue Reading

Entertainment

Tom Hanks named the songs he could not live without – and one brought him to tears

CHANNEL TODAY BROADCASTING CORPORATION

Published

on



Tom Hanks named the songs he’d take if he was ‘castaway’ to a desert island.



Source link

Continue Reading

Entertainment

Top 10 TV series on Amazon Prime right now | Films | Entertainment

CHANNEL TODAY BROADCASTING CORPORATION

Published

on


Are you a film buff or do you prefer working your way through TV series? Watching several episodes of a TV show and immersing yourself in whatever world it may be depicting can sometimes be the more attractive choice of the two, opting for short bursts of entertainment rather than settling in for a 90-120 minute movie. Whether you are a fan of an action crime series, teen romance or a reality star style-documentary, Amazon Prime has you covered.

Here are the top 10 TV series on Amzon Prime right now.

10. The Bondsman

This new action series, starring Kevin Bacon, follows a bounty hunter as he comes back from the dead. With a second chance at life, love and even a musical career, he finds his new job now has a demonic twist. Jennifer Nettles, Beth Grant, Damon Herriman, Maxwell Jenkins and Jolene Purdy star alongside Bacon.

9. Diomedes, el Cacique de La Junta

This Columbian drama series follows 10-year-old Diomedes as he shares with his father Rafael Maria the responsibility of bringing up the family. At the same time, Diomedes is working towards becoming Colombia’s most famous singer, but he soon finds himself unprepared for the price of fame.

8. Molly Mae: Behind It All

The biggest social media personality to come out of Love Island, Molly Mae has released a documentary following her life, mainly focusing on her high-profile break-up with Tommy Fury. The second part of the the series was recently released and fans clearly want the inside scoop as it sits at number eight on the list

7. Étoile

In an attempt to save their businesses, two world-renowned ballet companies in New York and Paris swap their most talented stars. From the Executive Producers of The Marvelous Mrs. This bold new series celebrates the beauty, humor and unpredictability of a life that has been devoted to the arts, both on stage and off.

6. The Divorce Insurance

This is a South Korean romance drama that follows workers at a life insurance company as they attempt to devise a groundbreaking divorce insurance product. But through the process of creating the product and trying to put a price on divorce, they learn more about themselves and love.

5. Yo soy Betty la fea

This is a Columbian telenovela from the early 2000s. It draws parrallels with Ugly Betty, which was based on a telenovela itself. Ana María Orozco stars as the main character, alongside Jorge Enrique Abello, Natalia Ramírez, Lorna Cepeda, Luis Mesa and Julián Arango.

4. The Summer I Turned Pretty

Ahead of the highly anticipated third series of The Summer I Turned Pretty, the show is having a resurgence as fans jog the memory in preparation. This teen romance follows Bella and her love triangle including brothers Conrad and Jeremiah. But which brother is she going to choose?

3. From Old Country Bumpkin to Master Swordsman

This anime series follows Beryl Gardinant who meticulously runs a fencing dojo in the countryside. But when an old pupil pays a visit Beryl is pulled into reuinions and fate has some big plans in store. The Japanese animation was directed by Akio Kazumi.

2. The Wheel of Time

This fantasy series stars Rosamund Pike, Barney Harris and Josha Stradowski and follows Moiraine, a member of the influential all-female organization called the Aes Sedai. As she embarks on a risky journey with five other people, she finds out one of them might be the reincarnation of an incredibly powerful individual.

1. Reacher

At the top spot we have Reacher, a popular action series starring Alan Ritchson. Nowon its third series, it tells the story of Jack Reacher, a veteran military police investigator, who is assimilating back into reality. Reacher travels the country as a drifter, carrying no phone and only the most essential items.



Source link

Continue Reading

Trending