唯獨舞台﹕快樂王子音樂劇

 

看這個劇的主要原因是我超超超超超喜歡讀Oscar Wilde，而這本The Happy Prince and Other Tales由細到大更是中文英文翻睇再翻睇，所以見有這個劇目，便買飛進場。

我喜歡這齣劇的音樂，演員進出螢幕布為舞台帶來新的維度，感覺十分新鮮，而我最喜歡的就是台上一班小演員投入而真摯的演出。然而，劇團對快樂王子的interpretation卻不時令我摸不著頭腦。我嘗試以燕子為引子，說明音樂劇和原著故事的分別。讓我們先來看看王爾德筆下的燕子和蘆葦的關係。

     One night there flew over the city a little Swallow. His friends had gone away to Egypt six weeks before, but he had stayed behind, for he was in love with the most beautiful Reed. He had met her early in the spring as he was flying down the river after a big yellow moth, and had been so attracted by her slender waist that he had stopped to talk to her.

     'Shall I love you said the Swallow', who liked to come to the point at once, and the Reed made him a low bow. So he flew round and round her, touching the water with his wings, and making silver ripples. This was his courtship, and it lasted all through the summer.

     'It is a ridiculous attachment,' twittered the other Swallows, 'she has no money, and far too many relations;' and indeed the river was quite full of Reeds. Then, when the autumn came, they all flew away.

     After they had gone he felt lonely, and began to tire of his lady-love. 'She has no conversation,' he said, 'and I am afraid that she is a coquette, for she is always flirting with the wind.' And certainly, whenever the wind blew, the Reed made the most graceful curtsies. I admit that she is domestic,' he continued, 'but I love travelling, and my wife, consequently, should love travelling also.'

     'Will you come away with me?' he said finally to her; but the Reed shook her head, she was so attached to her home.

     'You have been trifling with me,' he cried, 'I am off to the Pyramids. Good-bye!' and he flew away.

蘆葦像個風情萬千的女子，時而接受燕子的傾慕，時而與風調情。燕子多情但瀟灑，他看見婀娜多姿的蘆葦便深深地愛上，殷切地圍在她身邊團團轉，不管其他人怎樣說，﹝更不管蘆葦其實有沒有愛上他﹞。但當他厭倦單戀蘆葦，受夠被她玩弄，便瀟灑地離去。而且，燕子本身喜歡飛翔，並不如劇中那隻燕子般扭拄擰擰。所以當我看見音樂劇中像傻仔一樣的蘆葦、死纏爛打的燕子，心裏就有點「點解會變成咁ga﹗﹗﹗」的感覺。

'What, is he not solid gold?' said the Swallow to himself. He was too polite to make any personal remarks out loud.

故事中，燕子像一個紳士一樣，溫文儒雅、不卑不亢。然而，音樂劇中的燕子嘈吵多言，經常跳跳紮，表情有點太豐富。故事中當燕子說到不喜歡小孩時，牠是這樣說的

'I don't think I like boys,' answered the Swallow. 'Last summer, when I was staying on the river, there were two rude boys, the miller's sons, who were always throwing stones at me. They never hit me, of course; we swallows fly far too well for that, and besides, I come of a family famous for its agility; but still, it was a mark of disrespect.'

我身手矯健，他們自然打不中我，但這對我非常不尊重。語氣驕傲而平靜。反觀音樂劇中，燕子帶點生鬼有趣而囂張地說﹕「你估我係企鵝呀？」完全體現不到燕子應有的氣質。

當快樂王子要求燕子把他的藍寶石眼睛拿下來送給窮人時，燕子低泣拒絕。

     'Dear Prince,' said the Swallow,'I cannot do that;' and he began to weep.

     'Swallow, Swallow, little Swallow,' said the Prince, 'do as I command you.'

     So the Swallow plucked out the Prince's eye, and flew away to the student's garret.

weep這個字，帶領我們想像一隻小燕子一邊說「親愛的王子，我不能這樣做」，一邊用牠的羽翼輕輕拭去眼窩的淚。場面寧靜，亦見出燕子堅強的性格和修為。牠絕對不是一隻會不顧儀態大哭大鬧的燕子。﹝正如快樂王子也不是一個會哭得這麼淒厲的王子。﹞

我不知道，可能劇團認為把童話搬上舞台需要額外注入很多能量來捉住觀眾的注意力，所以有這種演繹，但這很破壞王爾德本來所營造的美感。同時，劇團亦取走了一些王爾德本來寫進去的重要元素。例如每次快樂王子請求燕子幫忙或請求牠再留低多陪他一晚，他都會這樣稱呼牠﹕「燕子，燕子，小小的燕子」。這種如音樂旋律的重覆，我認為不能夠隨便刪減，刪減了就會令對白失去它們原有的詩意。


可能有人會覺得，哎呀成場係度「親愛的王子」「小小的燕子」，今時今日的觀眾受唔住咁肉麻ga la。唔，可能真是咁樣，有些人喜歡搞笑輕鬆的方式演繹，我則比較喜歡對原著有堅持和尊重的演出。

Why I love Frozen the movie

I'm one of those girls who still watch Disney movies at 23 ok don't judge me :\

But before anything, Frozen is definitely a movie that mature grown-up ladies would love. I mean, look at Elsa and Anna's hairstyles, makeup and costumes. And if you type "frozen" and "tutorial" on the youtube search bar, you'll see how girls from all over the world are trying to recreate their elegant sweet looks.

 

This is a Disney princess adventure I won't lie. It has its "true love will win at the end" side. But there are still surprises in its plot that make it less Snow White like.

(If you havent watched and you plan to do so I'd advice you not to scroll down :P)

The first thing is Prince Hans. Most of the princesses I knew fall in love with their princes at first sight, and then they'll go through some adventures, and at the end they'll live happy ever after. Well, this Hans first comes out like all other princes I have seen before, looking at Anna with those loving eyes and his gentle smile, but later he turns out to be a power-hungry prince who wants to marry Anna just because he can then later climb to the throne of Arendelle. He makes it clear that it's because Anna wants accompany so bad it becomes easy for him to get near.

He doesnt even bother to save her when she nearly dies. For the first time in forever we can see that love at first sight doesnt have to be true love (I espeically love how Kristoff challenges Anna engaging someone whom she just met for one evening, that's so not Disney), and a prince can be real realistic when it comes to the throne matter.

The second thing is Elsa's personality. Most main characters we know are either perfect brave generous clever heros and heroins who fight their own way out or prudent kind good good girls who unfortunately got caste magic spells by wicked witches or wizards and therefore await the heros to come and save. I have to say Elsa has become a few of my favourite Disney characters particularly because of her fragile (and thus realistic) personality.

She is kind-hearted, beyond doubt, you can tell it by how she refuses to hurt anybody even when Hans' people go to catch her. But at the same time, she is not strong and she is afraid. She goes away from her country not because she is captured by any dragon or what but just because she wants to be free from her fear. You can read her struggles from her song Let It Go.

The ending is a twist too. Anna and Kristoff have been running all the way back to Arendelle so that Anna can get kissed by Hans, whom she thinks is her true love. But it turns out that Hans is a villain. So Anna thinks maybe Kristoff can help, so she runs to him. But at the very end, the true love is the sisterhood between Elsa and Anna, and that saves her life. I mean, unlike those traditional princesses who got kissed and saved by some unknown princes from far away or whom she has just known in the ball, this true love between sisters is way more convincing and valuable. 

It kind of reminds girls from all over the globe that apart from looking forward to some dream-coming-true boys with whom you got to spend a great deal of time and effort to build true love and meanwhile you may have your heart broken, your siblings around you are always loving and reliable companions that you should treasure.

I've been looping the songs in the soundtrack since I watched the movie, and this keeps me constantly in the Frozen mood.

 

Do you want to build a snowman is one of the favourite for some reasons. It echoes how a girl becomes increasingly disappointed over the years. At the end she becomes very lonely and desperate and gives up trying.

 

Both versions of Let It Go are my personal favourite. It tells Elsa's feelings when she finally has had enough of hiding her talents and fear of hurting people and as she runs away to the mountains she feels relieved. Among all of the unsung tracks, I love the melody of Vuelie the most.

I have to say one more thing before ending this entry. I particularly love this fat lady that appears in the coronation ball scene. She's so beautiful and eye-catching. Yes fat people exist and they dress up and they go to balls and that's totally alright. Thank you for including her in this ceremony!