AudioMedia - July 2008 - (Page 64)

07|08 AMSR FAME Le Musical JONATHAN MILLER jets into Gai Paris to catch the tail end of Fame – Le Musical’s sell-out, three-month run at the Théâtre Comédia where, by ‘bonne chance’ or grand design, French digital console manufacturer Innovason played a leading role in the technical proceedings. heatre is not about the scenery or the special effects. It’s about lifting the spirit of man, and musical theatre should be about lifting it even higher.” So stated David De Silva, Producer of Alan Parker’s Oscar-winning  movie musical Fame, following four New york High School for the Performing Arts students in their respective quests for fame from audition to graduation. Despite the success of Fame on both the big and small screens – with audiences around the world religiously tuning into its six-season namesake television series spin-off between  and  (that even sent the accompanying Kids From Fame album scurrying to the top of the UK Albums Chart in ) – De Silva’s heart was evidently on the stage that Fame sought to so convincingly portray, for he subsequently spent eight years completing a completely new version of the project in collaboration with composer Steve Margoshes and lyricist Jacques levy. “When I conceived and produced the motion picture Fame, I always imagined that it would be the ultimate reality-based musical,” claimed De Silva. “There’s a logical reason for the kids to be performing, because it’s a part of their daily lives. They don’t just burst into song out of the blue. My first goal was to create a show that would be relevant and timeless as a musical. Fame – The Musical is a blueprint for the ultimate ensemble production. It has a chorus of anywhere from eight to , and it allows for flexibility in staging, based on the talent available. It makes stars; it doesn’t need stars to make it happen.” yet the carefully created production’s own rising road to fame would be a long and winding one; Fame – The Musical made its regional theatre debut at Miami’s Coconut Grove in Florida in 1988, before breaking box office records at the Walnut Street Theatre in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, one year later. Despite its pedigree, De Silva’s beloved musical didn’t receive a worldwide release “T until January 1993 when MTI (Music Theater International) in New york – publishers of plays like Annie, and West Side Story – gave it its European premiere in Stockholm, where it ran for four years. “I saw it four times and cried at every performance,” De Silva gushed. “I didn’t understand a word of it, because it’s in Swedish, but I didn’t have to; dance and music are a universal form of communication.” Indeed they are; for similarly large-scale – if not necessarily quite so long running – productions of Fame – The Musical have now been produced in 26 countries, including Australia, Denmark, Japan, Korea, Norway, Switzerland, South Africa, Germany, Italy, Finland, Estonia, and the Czech Republic. The French-translated Fame – Le Musical represents its latest adaptation, opening on March 28, 2008, in Paris’ historic 994-seat Théâtre Comédia on the right bank of the River Seine, to rave reviews from the likes of Le Monde: “If you’re looking for a good dose of youth and happiness, the first French version of the American musical Fame is where you’ll find it. Charming, and full of good vibrations, the show is filled with pure happiness – a feat in itself, and Ned Grudjic, the young Director, has made it ‘Frenchy’ – perfect at the Théâtre Comédia. Fame works because it is ageless. First love, first success, apprehension we’ve all been through it in one way or another. Is it naïve? Outdated? Romantic? Probably, and so what? Gently moralising, Fame has the colour of true values; those we find in hard work, self-knowledge, and sincerity, putting the art of theatre back in the front stalls along with illustrious authors such as Shakespeare, Chekhov, and Tennessee Williams. A great show a pleasure to watch and hear.” What was heard by that suitably impressed reviewer was largely – and fittingly – down to two consoles from Vive La Fame! > 64 AUDIO MEDIA JUly 2008

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of AudioMedia - July 2008

AudioMedia - July 2008 Contents Recording Post Broadcast What's Up UK Geofocus: France For the Record Special Report: Develop Preview SE Electronics 4400 Sennheiser MKH800 Twin Tubetech Club Final Cut: Wanted Smart AV Tango Doctor Who Made in America DSP Roundup Product Sampler: Summer Hits Edirol R44 Video Guide AMSR Fame - Le Musical Waves MaxxBCL Yamaha AD8HR Special Supplement

AudioMedia - July 2008

For optimal viewing of this digital publication, please enable JavaScript and then refresh the page. If you would like to try to load the digital publication without using Flash Player detection, please click here.