INTERNATIONAL COMPOSERS JOIN FORCES TO COLLABORATE ON WRITING THE SCORE FOR THE FIRST STAGE MUSICAL ADAPTATION OF J R R TOLKIEN’S CLASSIC TRILOGY “THE LORD OF THE RINGS”
THE WORLD PREMIERE OF THE £8 MILLION PRODUCTION TO OPEN IN LONDON IN SPRING 2005
India’s most popular composer A R Rahman and Finland’s influential contemporary folk group Värttinä are to collaborate in composing the score for the stage version of THE LORD OF THE RINGS, which will have its World Premiere in London’s West End in Spring 2005. This coincides with the 50th anniversary of the publication of the complete J R R Tolkien trilogy, “The Fellowship of the Ring”, “The Two Towers” and “The Return of the King”.
A R Rahman has composed the soundtracks for over 50 Bollywood films, which have sold over 100 million soundtrack albums. He has also composed for television and recording artists. A R Rahman is best known in the West for writing the music for “Bombay Dreams”, currently playing to sell-out business in London, and opening on Broadway in Spring 2004.
Värttinä, fronted by three female singers and supported by six acoustic musicians, are now celebrating their 20th year and the release of their 10th album. Since 1990, they have toured internationally and built a reputation as one of the most inventive and uncompromising ensembles in the contemporary world music arena. The original inspiration for Tolkien’s stories and languages (such as Elvish), and for much of Värttinä’s music and lyrics, is the Kalevala, Finland’s national epic of mythological songs, poems and stories.
Producer Kevin Wallace says, “A fusion of A R Rahman’s and Värttinä’s exceptional talent and contemporary sound, rooted in the antiquity of their respective traditions, will provide Tolkien’s mythological world of Middle Earth with a pure, unique and dynamic score. At the heart of this spectacular epic is an intense story of personal and collective endeavour that grips the audience’s imagination, immersing them completely in the experience; the music of A R Rahman and Värttinä has the dramatic range to do just that. I am pleased the music of the project’s initial composers Stephen Keeling and Bernd Stromberger is also available to the production”.
THE LORD OF THE RINGS, with book and lyrics by Shaun McKenna, will be directed by Matthew Warchus and designed by Rob Howell. Christopher Nightingale is the musical supervisor.
The production of THE LORD OF THE RINGS, which will cost £8 million, is produced by Kevin Wallace and Saul Zaentz.
Sorry I’m late for your request for London Expo photos, but I’m still traveling and sightseeing in England, and am working on the photos in sets. Here are the best from the signings of day one of the London Expo – don’t know if you want them, you have so many good ones already! Will send more from the Q&A and day two after I get home – tomorrow is the travel day back to Chicago.
Wish you and the rest of the folks could have been at the two Cons in England – great experiences! And thank you so much for posting my earlier pics from C4.
Gollumsess
I’ve decided to send in a report from the London Expo as I noticed nobody really gave you a detailed account of the event just yet. So here I go…
My friend Clarissa flew in from the Isle of Man and we met up on saturday evening, to have some dinner and see a movie. Little did I know that she managed to book herself into the very same hotel as Billy Boyd, Craig Parker and virtually everyone else attending the event. So as we sat in the hotel bar, drinking wine, our eyes lit up at the sight of Masters Billy and Craig walking into the very same bar for a few drinks. As you can imagine we desperately wanted to talk to them so up we got and walked over to the bar and stood ourselves next to them. We ordered more drinks but decided not to bother the guys. After all, they’ve just spent the entire day talking to fans and deserved a break.
They did notice us, however, and even remembered my friend who met them earlier that day. We received a few smiles and stayed in the bar until they left. The very next morning I arrived at the hotel to have breakfast with my friend and we managed to get a table opposite Billy and Craig. They recognized us again and smiled at us. We were trying not to stare at them and let them get on with their breakfast. They kept glancing in our direction and even turned after us when we were leaving!
We made our way to the exhibition centre which is located roughly five minutes from the hotel. There we joined the queue for Craig and Billy and patiently waited for them to arrive. The Expo was not as packet as I expected it to be. Now and then a Dalek whizzed past us, greeting us in a mechanical voice and noting that ‘If this is the queue for the Elf and the Hobbit then why are there so many Orcs?’. That made us all laugh. At roughly 11am, our heroes finally arrived and sat down at their little tables. They seemed cheerful and happy.
Our time came and we went to see Craig. We told him we saw him in the bar last nite and he replied they had only stayed for a bit ‘coz they were very tired. He asked us how long we stayed and I told him that I had missed my last train and all that. Then he asked me if I knew what time the first DLR (dockland’s light railway) left and I replied that I didn’t know but that I knew they run till 1am. He then told me to make sure I don’t miss my last train today then. We got our signatures and then asked to take a group photo. Craig sat down on the table for us and hugged us both and posed for photos, aww. He was really nice and bubbly! Oh and I’m happy to inform that he wears white underwear O.o.
Then we moved onto Billy Boyd and had much more to say to him, lol. It was clear he recognized us but didn’t say anything. I asked him if he had enjoyed his breakfast and my friend added ‘Did you have a second breakfast, too?’. ‘Yeah, I had a bowl of cereal later, actually!’ replied Billy. ‘Oh, that’s very hobbity of you!’ says I. Yes, I invented a new word: hobbity. O.o lol. Then we kindly asked him to write ‘It comes in pints!’ on our photos. He did so happily. I told him I needed a new autograph from him ‘coz the one I got last time got kinda smudged. ‘Oh I’m sorry!’ he said, as if it was his fault. ‘Oh it’s okay!’ says
I, leaving him thinking it WAS his fault. Lmao.
Then I told him I had met Dom two weeks earlier. ‘How was he?’ asked Billy. ‘He was really nice!’ said I. ‘Oh really? Was he behaving? He usually doesn’t!’ asked Billy all smug like. I assured him Dom had been nice.
They had shown the Master and Commander trailer on the plasma screen before we got to Billy and we noticed he kept peeking to look. I was like ‘You’re not in it, you know!’ He’s like ‘Really??’, saying that he’d not seen it yet. I informed him that I watched it a few times and did not get a glimpse of him and that it was evil! I can’t remember what he said but it was something like ‘Okay, that’s it!’, I think. Then we took a group photo and happily scuttered off.
There was so much room to take photos, it was incredible! Absolutely nothing like Collectormania, so much better! Everyone was allowed to have a personal experience, you could take your time with the guys, there was no ridiculous queuing system and you could even come back for a random hug. I think the people who organize the Collectormania events should visit the London Expo and take notes next time.
At some point in the afternoon it was announced they’d do a talk even though they were not supposed to ‘coz they did one the day before. We were the first ones to arrange ourselves in front of the podium and waited for them. Then they came up and it was hilarious. Craig is so funny. They kept joking about everything. Someone asked Billy what was his fav moment in ROTK and that he should talk about it in detail. He laughed and said that he can tell us absolutely nothing and Craig joked that New Line Cinema had arranged for snipers to hide up near the ceiling and they’d get shot if they said something they should not. He then did a good imitation of being shot and threw himself onto the floor. That left everyone in stitches and Billy called him ‘The King of the Deathscene’.
Craig then got asked to explain why it was that he was reluctant to hug Aragorn upon arrival at Helm’s Deep. Craig went on to explain how Aragorn never really changed his clothes for months and that he was sweaty and all that. So it is now official that Haldir did not want to hug Aragorn because he was smelly!
Another question addressed to Craig was regarding his archery and if it was difficult to learn. Craig then revealed a grave secret, all the time hiding behind Billy. Apparently those arrows that Orlando was shooting so quickly and masterfully at Amon Hen were not real arrows. They were added later digitally. So it was all a cheat!!!! Craig was also asked why it was that all the elves at Helm’s Deep were killed off and not many of the humans. He said he thought it was coz they were all prissy and poofy and therefore had to die. Someone asked Billy the obvious question if he still keeps in touch with some of the other guys to which he replied that he had seen Orli and Dom recently. As if we all didn’t know that. Of course they keep in touch!
I managed to ask him whether he is coming to the London premiere of ROTK and he said that yes, they are coming coz they feel that after all the world premieres they should attend the one in their home country and that last year they were suprised at how big it was and that the reception was bigger than at any of the others (which is true, really).
We also learned that Craig Parker is a big fan of the Daleks (for those who don’t know, the Daleks are evil aliens from the sci-fi tv series Doctor Who and ride around in something resembling tins). An argument ensued between Craig Parker and a Dalek, the Dalek extended and thrust its plunger-like arm out at Craig to which Craig replied “I can do that too”. The Dalek quipped, “I’ll show you mine, if you show me yours.” It soon descended into a battle of taunts flying between Craig and the Dalek, to the amusement of both Billy Boyd and the audience.
The last question was asked and the boys said their goodbyes to the fans. Many ran after them for a last hug and were rewarded with warm words. Craig wished us a safe journey home and we left the exhibition centre smiling with content. It was a great weekend and a great Expo. We are definitely going to return next year. I would hereby like to congratulate the organizers for a job well done, helpful and kind staff and a wonderful experience.
Hope this report was somewhat helpful and not too long (sorry about that) and printable. Thank you!
A once-in-a-lifetime concert event sees Oscar-winning film composer Howard Shore conduct the NZSO in a one-off performance of ‘The Lord of The Rings: A Symphony in six parts for Orchestra, Chorus and Soloists’.
New Line Cinema, in association with CAMI and J&A Productions, have announced that the concert will take place at the Michael Fowler Centre in Wellington on November 29, and will be part of the celebrations surrounding the world premiere of the third and final Lord of the Rings film, ‘The Return of the King’.
‘Lord of the Rings Symphony’ will feature music adapted from Mr Shore’s scores from all three of Peter Jackson’s astonishing trilogy: ‘The Fellowship of the Ring’, ‘The Two Towers’ and ‘The Return of the King’.
Tickets for the concert are strictly limited and will be available through Ticketek from October 27.
My friends and I decided to go undercover on our third trip up to the LoTR table …so perhaps you’d like to see our more colourful groupshots instead of the usual poses we also had?!
Billy, Craig Parker and Jorn Benzon …Haldir’s brother Rumil 🙂 …check out his Tshirt!
Thanks as ever to the cast for their time, good humour… and patience! – we had a fantastic weekend.
TheBursar
I was at the London Expo this weekend with Billy “Pippin” Boyd and Craig “Haldir” Parker Saturday, and I asked them if there was any truth behind the rumors of continued filming AFTER RoTK is released…Billy Boyd said that he didn’t think so, as there was a wealth of material to draw on to complete the Extended Edition, and the only way that would happen was if Peter Jackson decided to film entirely NEW scenes.
Here we are, in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, reading with envy about the goings-on elsewhere: the Gathering of the Fellowship in Toronto, the Premier in Wellington, the TORN party, etc. (sigh) For those of us who cannot travel to those far away places, we have been saddened that we could not participate in those magnificent festivities. But no longer.
Ahem, (in my best Bilbo Baggins voice) I have an ANNOUNCEMENT!
Tol Andúnë, the Hawaii Chapter of the Tolkien Society, is proud to sponsor The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King Premier Party! The party will be on December 14th, from 3 PM to 6 PM at the Yum Yum Tree Restaurant in Ward Center, Honolulu Hawaii. There will be a buffet, trivia games, a costume contest, and drawings for various prizes including The One Ring as well as a raffle for a ticket to Trilogy Tuesday at the Ward Theaters. Reservations are required as seating is limited. The cost is $24 for adults and $15 for children under 10 years. Deadline for reservations is November 15th. You can download the reservation form at the website: www.tolandune.net or call 808-593-3855 for more information.
So there you have it Xo! In our small, Hobbit-like way, we will celebrate the ROTK, Hawaiian style! I sent a brief email to Erica about this (who I met in New Zealand while I was on a Red Carpet tour), but I know she is rather busy with the things going on in Wellington nowdays. Would it be possible to post this info on the TORN website? I would be ever so grateful! I know there are many other Ringers here in Hawaii, but don’t have a way to reach them otherwise. (Last I heard, the theater here had sold around 300 tickets to Trilogy Tuesday).
I would like to pass on another report of Sean Astin’s appearance as the closing speaker at the Generations United Conference in Alexandria, Virginia on Saturday. (For those who don’t know, Generations United is the only national organization that focuses solely on promoting intergenerational strategies, programs and policies.) I was invited to be one of the chaperones to a local youth group who were graciously granted permission by the GU organizers to attend Sean’s speech.
Because it was the last day of the conference, many of the attendees had already left. That meant that the closing session would be much more intimate – approximately 150 people.
The closing session opened with the Speaker briefly summarizing what had gone on during the Conference, whose main theme was grandparents who are raising their grandchildren as well as intergenerational volunteerism. Sean was standing off to the side listening intently. The Speaker introduced a local nonprofit improv acting troop comprised of adult and Baltimore inner city youth to address social issues and generational understanding. They performed two little skits, the first about a teenager who didn’t want to visit an elderly woman with AIDS for fear of catching the disease, then realizing that the older woman was lonely and had much to share. The second skit had an inner city kid spraying graffiti on a wall. A woman comes up behind and, instead of chastising him, comments favorably on his use of color and asking what he feels when he draws. He is somewhat receptive — actually, startled by her interest. She wishes him well and says goodbye, but intentionally leaves her shopping bag behind. The kid, curious, approaches the abandoned bag. As he’s looking at the contents, Sean wanders up and looks at the “wall” with the painting. He comments on how cool it is and, hey, what’s in the bag? Inside, the kid finds colorful markers, art paper, and a flyer about a youth center that encourages the arts as an outlet. The kid decides to check it out and, as he leaves, hands the spray paint can to Sean — who shrugs and promptly begins to mime spraying the wall!
Sean was finally introduced to the audience amid much applause as he took the podium. He was very snappily dressed in a suit that he bought at Brooks Brothers. A little story went with that, about how his father had said that since he was about to meet the President to be sworn into the President’s Council on Service and Civic Participation, he should really get himself a nice suit. So Sean, an avowed Democrat, mimed walking somewhat sheepishly into Brooks Brothers and essentially asking them for a suit that would make him look like a Republican! (At which point, he stepped out from behind the podium to briefly model the suit.)
Sean discussed how he had came to be a member of the President’s council. He had been asked to attend a memorial service at the Pentagon on the first anniversary of the 9/11 attacks and was approached by a member of the President’s staff who wanted to know how an actor had come to be at such solemn proceedings. As you may know, Sean has been a civilian liaison with the US Army for many years and explained that a friend at the Pentagon had invited him since he would be in town for a memorial event on the National Mall later that day. The woman then asked Sean if he’d be interested in a new Council promoting volunteerism that the President was organizing. Sean was definitely interested, but warned that he was a Democrat. The representative assured him that it was alright, since the Council was nonpartisan.
Sean talked about how hard it is to balance family life with his hectic schedule of work, projects, and other business that has kept him running non-stop. He spoke often of his father John Astin, with the greatest respect, and how much he admires how incredibly busy and active his father is at 73. He also discussed the difficulties and joys of his relationship with his wife’s grandfather, who passed away a few months ago. In that context, Sean said something I’ve not heard before but found truly moving. In discussing the value of older people to the young, he said that “When an old person dies, it’s like a library burns down.” How true!
There was a short Q&A period after Sean’s speech. One question asked of Sean was how he felt about tapping into the potential of fans to contribute to charitable causes and/or volunteerism. (I’m paraphrasing. The actual question was far more eloquent and well thought out than that simple statement.) Sean replied that he was very interested in how fans could turn their enthusiasm and energy to good works and volunteerism, but wasn’t exactly certain how that could be attained.
The next question wasn’t actually a question. It was a challenge from a senior citizen in the audience for Sean to make a movie like “Rain Man,” which raised public awareness about autism, but instead depicting the many facets and difficulties of grandparents raising grandchildren. “You want me to make the definitive movie?” he asked. “Will you buy a ticket?”
Throughout his speech, Sean was relaxed, sincere, passionate and quite obviously speaking from his heart rather than from a written page. It was more of a comfortable talk than a prepared speech. Afterward, GU gifted Sean with a beautiful black and white photo of a pair of hands, one old and the other very young, depicting intergenerational cooperation.
To my surprise and delight, the GU folks and Sean graciously set up a receiving line after the closing session where anyone who was interested could say hello, get an autograph or have their picture taken with Sean. It was an unexpected gesture and very appreciated! Needless to say, the teenagers we were chaperoning (all LOTR fans) were thrilled! None of them had met a celebrity before and all of them loved Sean as Sam. Each of them got to spend a few minutes one on one with Sean and have their picture taken with him. Unanimously, they were very impressed with how friendly, sincere, and approachable he was. As has been said before (and it’s true!), they all marveled at how Sean made them feel as if he were listening and truly interested; as if they were the only person in the room at that moment.
When it was my turn to say hello, I told Sean that I just wanted to say thank you for inspiring so many people to volunteer and support charities. Whether as Mikey or Rudy or Sam, he has inspired so many people with his values and his good works. He felt that there were probably more fans than he could imagine who were donating their time to charities because of him. He then thanked me for my thank you (*g*) and for being an active volunteer myself. “Keep up the good work,” he said in parting, then added, “We both will!”
I am eternally grateful to the GU organizers for being so gracious in allowing four chaperones and 8 teenagers to attend the closing session of their conference. I am especially grateful to Rev. Rachel Wangen-Hoch for inviting me to be one of the group’s chaperones. And most of all, many many thanks to Sean Astin for his generosity of spirit, inspiration, and his passion to help others.
