Today we got to visit the Tower of London and I tagged along on a beefeater tour… still not sure if I needed to pay for that or not… In any case, I was very impressed with the tour, especially since our guide was able to give much information that was left out of the various plaques around the fortress. I think this was to make sure that the crowds kept moving through the exhibits. Shawn wasn’t kidding when he said that the crown jewels get crowded! There was about a forty-minute line to access them by the time I got out. Also, check out the suits of armor that were on display. The small one was likely designed for a five-year-old.
Jane Gray was the most interesting and tragic figure I learned about. Nine days after she was coronated, her sister Mary took power from her and imprisoned the teenage queen. The Catholics were popular at the time. Apparently, the forces keeping her at the Tower of London forced her to watch the execution of her husband on the green below from the window above. She was subsequently convicted of treason and executed.
I also saw two musicals: Frozen and the Phantom of the Opera. I didn’t really expect either to be as excellent as they were. Frozen definitely had the largest budget for any show I’d ever seen. At intermission, they sold programmes for six pounds and brochures for ten. I bought a programme which was filled with a bunch of information about the production and cast. It made me wonder what was in the more expensive brochure. However, you could tell how large the budget was for this show because multiple companies produced the costumes alone. There was a moment during “Let it Go” where Elsa’s dress transforms seemingly instantaneously, meant to be magic. From my seats in the upper rows, it was impossible to tell how it could’ve been anything else. Callie explained to me how it works though. Samantha Barks’ costume had a seam down the middle connected by two electromagnets. At a music cue, they change the electromagnetic force and the outer dress gets sucked into the stage in less than a second. Applause, in the middle of a song, during a matinee too. There were many more impressive technical bits during the show, but that one stood out. I’m sure it’ll be in costuming textbooks in the next decade.
I really enjoyed Phantom as well. This show definitely had the most skilled cast I’ve ever seen. I’ve heard the music many times before, but I was deeply effected when they raised the chandelier at the beginning and played the Overture. I also didn’t expect there to be as much explosion and pyrotechnics as there were. I knew the vague plot of the show, but had never read the book or seen the movie. I don’t want to spoil too much for those who want to still see it, but the music and action are enough to give you chills, easily. I was also greatly impressed with Lucy St. Louis’ voice. I believe you need over three octaves to play Christine professionally and St. Louis did it with great power and use of breath.
After seeing a straight play and two musicals, I’m beginning to understand better how to pick my seats. You benefit more from closer seats for plays because you can see the details of the acting better. However, you can afford to have more distant seats for musicals because you’ll get a better view of their overall choreography. Musicals can have a lot going on onstage at once, so it can help to have a wider view, especially if that means you get cheaper seats.
Theatre in London U of A 