Theatrical Musings

Hello, everyone. Today I'm going to talk about a special form of entertainment that is almost a
fandom of its own: theater. In the world of theater, or theatre as purists call it, there are numerous stories waiting. I'm going to attempt to give you a bit of an idea of how amazing this special type of fandom really is.

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  I was thirteen when I saw my first theatrical production: the musical Wizard of Oz. My little thirteen-year-old mind was blown at the splendor of it all. It was a youth theater production, and I was so caught up in the magic that is theater that I didn't even notice one error--thought there were probably a few. That's the thing though. Theater is such a different form of entertainment. Instead of watching a screen, you can experience all the emotions, all the wonder, from a few feet away. In that moment, I declared, "Theater is better than movies!" I haven't changed my mind yet. Although I love my flicks, there is nothing to compare with that hush of anticipation that stirs over a crowd of theater goers as the lights dim and the overture begins. The curtains open and the spotlight centers on a performer or the lights go up over an ensemble. Let's just say theater is a giant hook and it caught me. After that first show, I skipped my way right over to the Yellow Brick Road and joined up in a theater group.

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   Theater has been around for a lot longer than I have. I'm pretty certain it was one of the oldest forms of entertainment, going back a couple thousand years. The Greeks way-back-when employed comedy, tragedy, and "satyr play." The tragedies were dance dramas, comedies were probably similar to what we have now, and satyr plays were an ancient Greek form of tragicomedies and were generally
pretty... ahem... scandalous. Greek theater introduced us to the famed sad and happy masks. But the tradition continued. Every nation had their form of theater. If you think about jesters, jokers, and bards of old Europe, they often acted out all kinds of theater like tales.

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Well, not that kind of Joker. 

  Then there was Shakespeare, Operas, Gilbert and Sullivan, and well... the rest is history. If you haven't exposed yourself to the joys of live theater yet, you need to do so ASAP. Though this post has read as a bit of a mini-history lesson so far, I just wanted to warn you before some of my posts onslaught you with theatrical goodness. 

  

 

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   If you can't find a local theater nearby to see some live theater, some shows have been filmed (which is awesome, if not quite the same.) There are also some decent musical films out there. If you've never been exposed to much, or you have, whatever, I recommend starting with something like The Phantom of the Opera, a popular rock opera. (Yep, musicals are divided into different categories.) I'm not talking about the movie version they made several years ago either. Please don't watch that one. Instead watch this one, the filmed performance of the musical... The Phantom of the Opera at the Royal Albert Hall. 

            

   I wanted to share a specific scene with you guys but couldn't find it sadly. Let's just say this is one of those things that will give you so many emotions. It's been one of my favorite musicals ever since I watched this version the first time. If Ramin Karimloo's buttery voice (featured in the video) doesn't hook you in, perhaps the stunning visuals and heart rending story line will. Because us fangirls always seem to love the things that are the most painful.

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   So there you go. Watch the musical, tell me your feels, and we can share a nice cup of teary tea. Or, ya know, I could just rewatch it alone. That's cool. But this post isn't about Phantom (I'll probably blather on about that another time), it's about theater. So I hope I've convinced you to try some out. If you haven't already.

 What is your experience with theater?