Last night we saw
The Lord of Rings on stage. I will confess that, when this production was first announced, I was dismayed. Even Peter Jackson couldn't consolidate all of the events of Middle Earth into
three epic films with massive special effects, how could the producers meld it into a single stage production?
Well, the answer is: they can't. In order to fit Tolkien's epic trilogy into 3 1/2 hours, the creators have slashed plot and backstory to the extent it will be largely incomprehensible to anyone not familiar with the story. The truncated results lacks nearly all of the emotional power of either the source material or the Jackson films. Which is unfortunate, because despite the drastic editing, I realized as I watched that it didn't have to be so mundane. In many ways LOTR cries out to be set to music. Effective musical theatre takes the key moments of a story and enhances their impact by adding music. Throughout the evening, I saw countless opportunities to do exactly that. Unfortunately, the music in LOTR rarely takes its audience to the next level, often merely framing a scene that remains firmly rooted to the earth when it should soar.
The problem seems rooted in the producers' inability to decide how or when to use music to good effect. At times, it seemed as if they had just chosen to set Tolkien's songs to music, a decision that would have good effects in a less-edited version, or use music as background to the dramatic action. The problem with the music as scoring is that there is no true depth to the script, and the creators seem to be relying on the music to create depth and emotion without any underpinnings to support it. At others, songs seemed rooted in musical theatre tradition, for example, a "rousing" dance numbe in the Prancing Pony. Unfortuately, with one major exception, neither approach satisfied and opportunities to use music to its best effect were wasted.
The best example I can offer comes in the first act, at The Council at Rivendell. This whole scene cries out to be sung, with debate ringing through musical counterpoint until Frodo's words "I will take the ring to Mordor. Though I do not know the way."--spoken, of course-- result in each member of the Fellowship joining the journey in song to a glorious finish. Instead, the scene is largely spoken over dramatic music and remains flat and uninspiring.
The one moment in the show that actually has any emotional connection is Frodo's and Sam's song in the heart of Mordor "Now and For Always". The song, reminiscing about the Shire frames not only Frodo and Sam's bond, it links to Gollum as he struggles with the memory of Smeagol and his inner conflict. It is a lovely example of what could have been.
The visuals are stunning, but the weakness of the production kept me overly aware of the technology behind it. I never found myself swept away. In fact, the elaborate hydraulic stage pieces had me frequently worrying about the actors, while the revolving stage and lights made me slightly nauseous at times. The only effect that I found truly effective were the Black Riders, a combination of puppetry and stiltwork that worked brilliantly.
With a few exceptions, the acting was merely so-so. Michael Therrault as Gollum absolutely nailed his performance, creating a Gollum that was creepy, funny and pathetic all at the same time. He effectively erased any comparision to Andy Serkis's computer generated characterization and made the character his own. The weakest performance, by far, came from Brent Carver as Gandalf. His high-pitched voice and meandering line readings made Gandalf seem more like a doddering old fool than a wizard of hidden power and strength. I commented to my friend that, I never expected to see a version of LOTR where I was
unhappy to see Gandalf's return.
Other things I liked: most of the second act, the Orcs with their springy shoes, the Ents, Saruman and the inclusion of Galadriel's gifts. Other failures included a Space Diva-styled Galadriel, a pathetic Mount Doom sequence, a hastily inserted (and never explained) Eowyn and the Scouring of the Shire.
I went with lowered expectations, but even so, I was disappointed.
