Boris writes: I just wanted to tell you that there is a new Tolkien Musical being done in Hamburg. It is called a “world premiere” apparently scheduled for February 2008 in a big theatre (3000 seats), with a big symphony orchestra (90 piece), three choirs and over 100 actors. And the photos look nice! The website is here. Unfortunately there is no english version yet!
Category: Original TORn
TORN Staffer Ostadan writes: The Esperanto translation of The Lord of the Rings (translated by William Auld) has been out of print for several years. I was recently pleased to learn that it will be reprinted this year, with some material not translated for the first edition (but, alas, still lacking the Appendices). You can get a taste of the translation at here; the site includes the Riddles in the Dark chapter from The Hobbit (Enigmoj en la Mallumo) which was reprinted in 2005, and two chapters (so far) from Lord of the Rings (La Ombro de la pasinteco, and La Spegulo de Galadriela), with four more to come over the next few weeks; one translated chapter from each of the six books of LotR will appear on the site. Since people have the original English at their fingertips (if not actually memorized), these translated excerpts may prove interesting as a curiosity even to those who cannot easily read Esperanto.
Nothing like adding to the rumor mill, but here goes! An article at The Golf Channel.com is suggesting that Tiger Woods, world renowned Golf God and recent father, may have named his daughter after everyone’s favorite hero: Samwise Gamgee. Is it possible that the world’s most successful athlete could be a huge LOTR fan? Could be be so engrossed into Tolkien fandom to actually name his firstborn daughter after Sam? We hope so – welcome to the club Tiger! [Read On…]


Iggy Pop has backed Elijah Wood’s credentials to play him in an upcoming biopic on the rock legend. Rumors about a movie following the life and times of the Stooges icon have been rife for some months, with the Lord Of The Rings star tipped to play the lead role. However, Iggy has revealed there are no concrete plans for the film, days after the Stooges played an acclaimed Saturday evening slot at Britain’s Glastonbury Festival. [More]
GJOGV, Faeroe Islands (AP) — It’s just after 9 p.m. when the magic begins. The late-setting sun breaks through purple rain clouds to drape the rugged island of Eysturoy in a golden shimmer. A perfect rainbow arches over the Slaettaratindur mountain. Offshore, a wild ocean launches ferocious swells against the Giant and the Witch, two spectacular rock pillars that protrude from the surf like craggy teeth. All that’s missing from the storybook setting is a band of orchs or goblins crawling out from behind a rock, or a pipe-smoking hobbit emerging from one of the turf-roofed houses. The Lord of the Rings analogy is never far away in the Faeroe Islands, a barren and wind-swept archipelago whose volcanic peaks shoot out of the Atlantic Ocean halfway between Iceland and Norway. Local legend even claims the ring of power is hidden here. [More]