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esteliel · 5 years

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Les Mis - The Staged Concert

Review time!

In case you're going to sit in the grand circle, don't worry - the strange construction of lighting rigs rises up as soon as the music starts, and from the second row side seat I had a good view of basically the entire stage.

I went with a cheap seat since I'm not a fan of Boe & Ball, and, well. Alfie Boe is exactly as he was when I last saw him in the role on Broadway, meaning that he sings it BEAUTIFULLY - truly, technically his Bring Him Home is to die for! - but he's just not much of an actor and I think it's that lack of expression that makes him come across as lowkey pissed off during the entire show. I was wondering if the concert staging would help, because that is basically how he's always sung his big numbers even on Broadway - as if he weren't acting in a show, but singing Who Am I or Bring Him Home contextless in a concert setting. I think it does help a little - thanks to all the cuts/lack of staging, he doesn't get to have aggressive interactions with Cosette, for example - but since everyone else does act, I still really feel the lack of it from him; the artfulness of his singing just stands out a lot more to me. YMMV, of course; his Bring Him Home is so otherworldly beautiful that I'm sure just about every reviewer will give him 5 stars, but I just need more of an emotional presence in addition to the singing to connect with it.

Michael Ball as Javert - oh dear. In basically 90% of his scenes, he's a somewhat hammy, nice Uncle Ball who has decided to dress up as Javert. His Stars wasn't bad, I thought - it was the only time I felt any sort of determination coming from him. Which, given that this is JAVERT he's playing, umm...

His Suicide wasn't terrible either, but again there wasn't much of an emotional connection. I never once had that sensation of being drawn into this emotional maelstrom of despair alongside him - I was just watching Michael Ball pretending to be Javert, instead of watching Javert, if that makes sense.

For those who care about costume details, Ballvert has a ponytail, and he comes out for the sewer scene with his hair loose and a gun in his hand which he points at Valjean. I always like stagings where Javert gets to threaten Valjean with a gun in the sewers but there was just so little emotional turmoil involved here that it didn't do much for me. :(

Furthermore, his recitative parts (and actually large parts of this production) are sung SO SLOWLY that it felt incredibly strange to me. Especially because there are so many cuts of scenes that are vital for the plot/the atmosphere, and yet the songs are slowed down so much that I feel like 30 minutes out of the 2:30 runtime is thanks to the slowness. I wonder, did they slow it down intentionally, or is it because the concert version score is from before they sped up the production...?

Carrie's Fantine left me cold. I was sad about that; her Eponine never did much for me, but surprisingly I REALLY enjoyed her in Heathers. Her Fantine was just... barely there. She was more Carrie on stage than Fantine, which was always how I felt about her Eponine as well. And she couldn't even make the most of her one big moment with I Dreamed A Dream; I don't know, she just seemed quite weak in the lower parts of her song.

Matt Lucas as Thénardier does the same stupid adlibbing that I hate so much about Thénardiers. With the slapstick humor for the Thénardiers that Cammack productions go for I'm usually at least mildly entertained the first time I see someone in the role, and it's only when you see them do the exact same stupid slapstick routine again and again and again that I really start to hate them, but Matt Lucas annoyed me right from the start. The audience LOVED HIM though, he got HUGE applause for basically everything he did and played with the audience, asking for more applause, telling them to stop it, but I really didn't enjoy him at all. And with the concert staging, you can't even focus on the antics of the ensemble during Master of the House, sigh.

Shan Ako as Eponine: her On My Own was lovely, she sang it very well - but I think her character was the one most affected by the concert cuts because I don't think she even gets to do more than just On My Own and then dying in Marius' arms (plus her bit in A Heart Full of Love). There's no young Eponine in the show at all, so we first see her show up in Paris, and I wonder, if I didn't know Les Mis so very well, what I would have made of her as a character?

And the thing is, one of the reasons I love Rob Houchen so much is that he usually has a lot of chemistry with everyone he interacts with, but since in this staged concert version, she has to die standing up while hugged by him, I really didn't get as much emotion out of that scene as even mediocre Eponines can do. Which is a shame, because after her On My Own I really believe she could do a lot more with the show, if the cuts/the concert staging didn't take away most opportunities to do so.

Lily Kerhoas' Cosette is a letdown, she's just very weak throughout; both singing- and acting-wise she really paled next to Marius and Eponine. I wish we could have had Amara in this, who always had SUCH presence on stage. :/

Simon Bowman's Bishop is so lovely! His powerful voice! <3 It's so good to see an actual older Bishop on stage instead of the usual under-30 ensemble member.

And I've been so looking forward to FINALLY seeing Earl Carpenter on a stage again, and he is SO good as Bamatabois - he's clearly really having fun with the role, and he's giving 1000% acting every second he's on, but at the same time this is what makes it really frustrating because argh, to waste Earl on Bamatabois who has 2 minutes on stage? A crime. ;___;

I've already talked about how much I love Rob Houchen, but honestly, everyone knows that I'm not in this fandom for the amis, but the most joy I've felt in this production was at the start of ABC Café when Rob Houchen, Bradley Jaden and Raymond Walsh were on stage together for the first time. That combination is the true dreamcast in this production. My favourite Marius, Enjolras and Grantaire ever. And all of them were so good! <3

Raymond is such a good actor, but again due to the staging he doesn't get to do most of the small amis interaction details that always make him such a joy to watch on stage when I usually dislike most Grantaires, but he makes good use of what opportunities he gets.

Rob is lovely - pretty much the only actor I've ever seen who can imbue the bloodless role of Marius with an endearing, youthful charisma and who usually manages to have beautiful chemistry with his Cosettes. (That he doesn't really this time is the fault of the not very present Cosette, alas.)

He does have great chemistry with Enjolras and Grantaire though, and his Empty Chairs was beautiful.

There were only ever two Enjolras' in my life I have truly, deeply loved - Bradley Jaden and Wallace Smith. It's been so long since Bradley!Enjolras that I was starting to question myself - was he really that good? Was I maybe remembering wrong? Has he maybe aged out of the role now, after his year as Javert?

And then he came onto stage for the first time and I knew that I hadn't remembered wrong at all. He has this incredible stage presence and charisma that draws you in and commands the stage, and where his Javert is weirdly emotional about stars, lol, and incredibly, insanely, fiercely obsessive and emotional about Valjean, his Enjolras hits all the emotions JUST RIGHT. The litmus test for a good Enjolras for me is that he needs to have enough charisma on stage to make you want to join the revolution - there have only ever been two in my life that have pulled that off. He does it so effortlessly, it's incredible, just watching him there on stage being Enjolras with every fibre of his being.

But OMG, the orchestra is GLORIOUS! Getting to hear the score played by 24 musicians for once is such a treat! I haven't heard this show sound so well since I saw it in Austria played by the entire orchestra of Linz's opera house. <3 OMG that string section. There were violin lines and oboe parts that I never even consciously heard before, and I've seen this damn show so often.

Also stage door was CRAZY, but my favourite part of it was that despite the huge, screaming crowd no one but me recogized Claude-Michel Schönberg when he came out of the stage door ahahaha. (He then hugged Raymond Walsh so clearly he has good taste. <3)

Audio to follow later today, once I've had time to track it!

#Les Miserables #les mis concert #Alfie Boe #Michael Ball #do I need a theatre tag

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astrocenter · 4 years

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Saturn in Capricorn from 24/01/2020 in Transit – Second Article

Saturn will change from Sagittarius to Capricorn on 24/01/2020 at 7.14 AM Samvat 2076 on the Amvasya day when at that time Moon will be in Uttra Ashad ( Sun Nakshatra) in Capricorn 01.00 ( degress ).The Saturn will remain in retrograde position on 11/05/2020 and again become progressive 29/09/2020.

Sadesatti will start for the natives born with Moon sign in Saggitarius (downwards),Capricorn (Heart) and Aquarius (Head) different results of Sade satti as per the placement of Saturn in birth chart not always bad. The Sadesatti begins when Saturn enters the 12th Rashi (sign) from the person’s birth Moon-sign and ends when Saturn exits the 2nd sign from the person’s birth Moon-sign.

Saturn complete its circle of 12 signs in 30 years means 2.5 years in one house. The three houses of Sadesatti is completed in 7.5 years

Everyone goes through Sadesatti at least twice, or thrice in whole life Sadesatti is always not bad. The persons those who are hard working , laborious ,honest ,pious and living Satvik life the Sadesatti period is not bad for them.

The foreign travel and foreign settlement is mostly in the period of Sadesatti.

In the period of Sadesatti the native mostly settle in USA and Canada. When Saturn is exalted in 12th house

It is the account settlement period of bad and good deeds of the person performed during the last Sade satti and new Sadesatti as starts after 30 years-karmas theory.

In Sadesatti period Saturn may put you under financial and personal stress, create frequent obstacles, troubles and problems in economic front and family front and stop you from achieving success. Saturn (Shani) takes around 30 years to complete one revolution of the zodiac. It stays in each sign for around 2.5 years.

Sadesatti for Sagittarius :- The Sade satti will in third phase.The Sadesatti on declining.

The person may not be able to enjoy material comforts and authorities in the third phase of Sadesatti. His expenses would be high or increase in expenses due to function and celebrations. Expenditure high may be due to religious functions as the Payya of Shani is Rajat

His routine expenditure more than his earnings. He may face various health problems in his life in this duration. Ideological differences may occur between him and his children. The person who is going through the third phase of Sadesatti should not involve in the conflicts and combats.

But in the last phase of Sadesatti it gives benefic results if the native has been pious, honest and hard working means satvik life. Native get respect from Rajya, business on rising trend, increase in comforts, manglik tasks or auspicious functions in home, increase in influence and money flow.

There might be some issues related to personal life. With a lot of struggle you will be able to achieve a sustainable source of income. There might be a sudden addition to the family.

Sadesatti for Capricorn:- The sade satti will be in second phase. The native may face various obstacles in his business matters and family issues in the second phase of Sadesatti. He may not have good relations with his friends and relatives and they may create problems for him.

The difference of opinion or divergent views with nearby may be due to Gold payya of Saturn. He may go on a long traveling and may live far from his family. He may suffer from various health diseases and financial problems.

His friends may not assist him in the need. He may get disappointed because of facing obstacles to fulfill the plans. His efforts would increase in this period.Feuds in family, excess expenditure, opposition from others.

There might be a sudden decline in progressive work. Avoid conflict with younger siblings and friends. Work will be stalled due to laziness. Hard work and more efforts will give you success.

Lord Shiva upasana will give relief from problems.

Sadesatti for Aquarius:-The sade satti will be in first phase.The Pratham Charan (first phase) of Shani Mahadasa can influence the economic status of a person. His outgo would be high than his income. He might go through many impediments and troubles to meet his goals. He may not be able to start his new projects due to financial problems in this duration. He may suffer from insomnia and may face different health related problems. His plans for the foreign tour get ruined during first phase of Saddesati. This duration is inauspicious for the grandmother of a person. He may face many obstacles in his married life and may not reap much fruits according to his hard work. In short, tensions would increase in his life in this duration; therefore, he should be careful. Loss in business and fear of authorities.

Take care of health from blood related or body pain. Lot of struggle and severe health problems may be due to Iron Payya.

The There might be hindrances in progressive work so think before you work. There will be a rise in your expenses and you might face monetary crisis. There might be health issues. You need to concentrate on your health, you might have to deal with joint pains. Travelling to distant places is possible.

Saturn in Capricorn and Aquarius - (Shanni Chakram):-When Saturn is in Capricorn or Aquarius loss of food grains

Ann ka sukal kare

Remedies for Sade satti and Shani dhayya:-

1. Recite Shani Beej Mantras three malas daily total 23000 “OM PRAM PAREEM PAROUM SAH SHANECHARAY NAMAH”

In the night before sleeping wrap your head and face with black wollen shawl and recite mantra given above 3 or 19 times.

2. Read Sunder Kanth and recite Hanuman Chalisa daily.

3. On Shani Amavasya perform Shani Upasana.

4. Avoid speaking lie-speak truth and avoid non-vegetarian and drinks. Avoid extra marital relations.

5. Donate black things, black til, mustard oil and Black Dal. Serve Poor and Physical handicapped people and destitute.

6. Take coconut dry without water on Saturday. Cut its mouth and fill it with dry fruit and shakkar ( Gud) - jaggery. Bury the coconut in the roots of Peepal tree after 3.00 PM facing towards west

7. Take 100 grams joan+ 100 grams urd ki dal+ 100 grams black til+ one coconut with full of water+ black cloth. Take these items in black cloth and rotate upon the head 7 times before bath on Saturday and cast in running water in day time.

Parmod Kumar-Ex AGM Punjab National Bank

PK Astrocenter-Rajpura

A Banker turned Astrologer. I research and practice Astrology, Numerology, Palmistry and face readings (Psychic)-Parmod Kumar Known as PK Astrocenter.

For astrological remedies please email at [email protected] or post your query at http://pkastrocenter.com/horoscopeanalysis.You may join with me face book parmod kumar, Group Pk Astrocenter

Whatsapp/Viber 919953968188 and 7009270427- Emergency call 09988395578 Skype :-parmod kumar

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jonathanbelloblog · 6 years

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First Drive: 2019 Honda Pilot

The 2019 Honda Pilot is a vehicle that epitomizes what’s become known as the mid-cycle refresh. An automaker launches a new-generation model to great fanfare and builds it for roughly three years. Then it tarts it up some before selling it for another three or so. Hence, we have the “new” 2019 Pilot. It doesn’t matter if it needs to be changed; it must be changed, because without change, apparently, we wither and die. (Or at the very least a bunch of people would be out of work.)

Sure, some of the updates to the refreshed Honda Pilot are welcome, like the upgraded stereo (the volume knob returns!) and improvements to its optional 9-speed transmission. And the addition of standard equipment like the Honda Sensing safety suite is to be applauded. But did Honda really need to futz with the Pilot’s front- and rear-end styling and a few interior trim bits? Not so much. Really, these are all changes that could have easily been added here and there, but then there wouldn’t be “new” one to market to customers, would there?

As you can probably guess by now, our drive of the 2019 Pilot wasn’t so much a revelation as it was a recitation of what the Pilot already does well. What is that you ask? For one thing, it seats seven (or eight) people in reasonable comfort. That’s no minor feat: To fit that many adult humans into a vehicle without torturing them, you generally need one of those Expedition-sized family trucksters. But the Pilot is one of only a handful of crossovers with a third-row capable pulling it off. (Bonus: There’s still adequate cargo room with the third-row seat in place.)

The Pilot also drives pretty well under the right conditions. It has a light-on-its-feet feel that’s become a Honda trademark, which is all the more impressive given that we’re talking about a two-ton crossover. Honda has also done a great job dialing in the Pilot’s steering feel without overboosting it or eliminating on-center feedback. Dive into the curves at speeds that will make the kids throw up, and the Pilot’s body simply refuses to lean. It’s as if it built the damn thing with a cement foundation.

For the record though, I think Honda cheated some by having us pilot the Pilot on some of Southern California’s smoother roadways. The first time I drove the 2016 Pilot—when this generation really was all-new—it was on the well-paved roads of Kentucky, and I was impressed. But the second time I drove it was on the choppy pavement of New York City’s suburbs, and even the smallest potholes unsettled it. We had a thousand-mile road trip on the frost-heaved roads of upstate New York ahead of us, and my wife was not thrilled: “I thought you said this thing would be comfortable!” I still shudder at the memory of her withering glare.

Will the 2019 Pilot exhibit the same rough ride quality over bad roads that I encountered? The chief engineer told us that other than improved brakes, there are no serious changes to the chassis, so we imagine it will. Still, we’d have to dispatch one to Todd Lassa or Jamie Kitman, our men in Detroit and New York respectively, to find out for sure.

One thing that did (sort of) impress me is how well the 9-speed automatic performed. After taking some criticism for its operation, Honda says it made extensive hardware and software changes to the transmission for the 2019 Pilot, and routine driving is greatly improved. Nine-speed Pilots now accelerate smoothly from a stop, and part-throttle power demands are met with a crisp downshift.

Still, it isn’t perfect. Stomping the throttle on the highway often led to lazy feeling, two-step downshifts. And we experienced some hesitation when we floored the go pedal from a dead stop (especially when auto stop/start was engaged). It is worth noting that the ZF sourced 9-speed, which is only available for the top trim Pilot Elite (other trims continue to employ the Honda-built 6-speed auto), is the only transmission Honda has ever outsourced; usually it designs its own. Lesson learned, maybe?

The engine to which both transmissions are strapped is a carryover—Honda’s well-worn 3.5 liter V-6. Horsepower is 280, unchanged since 2016. It’s adequate, to be sure, but with a horsepower race going on elsewhere in the industry, it may have been a mistake for Honda not to rework it in order to give it some more grunt.

Besides the updated transmission, Honda was eager to shine more light on the the torque-vectoring ability of the Pilot’s all-wheel-drive system, so it set up an off-road course that involved lots of body-bending, wheel-lifting dips and ruts. It was an impressive display. The Pilot was steady on its feet and did a good job distributing power where needed, even with one paw hanging in the air. Yes, we know, few Pilot owners will be doing any serious off-roading. But it’s very likely they’ll be driving their Pilots in snow and rain, and that same ability to find grip and avoid slip will serve the Pilot driver well when Mother Nature gets a bug up her caboose.

In case you didn’t already know, the Honda Pilot will also tow: 3,500 lb out of the box and 5,000 lb with the addition of a transmission cooler, and yes, Honda wanted us to experience that, too. So it set up a Civic race car on an aluminum trailer for a Pilot to tow, a combination it said weighed about 3,900 lb. I’m something of a trailering snob, critical of even the slightest sign of instability. But I was truly impressed with how well the Pilot handled the load; power, stability, and braking were as good as advertised.

Inside, the interior has been revamped with a new (and slightly less sensible to us) gauge cluster and—Heaven be praised!—a new stereo with a real-live volume knob. (Honda took some flak from customers and the press when it went without volume knobs on some of its recent models, and has been rolling them back out.) Other than that, changes to the dash are minimal. The easy-to-use climate controls, big cup holders, and center console storage cubby large enough to hide a toddler all remain.

More importantly, Honda has made its HondaSensing safety suite—collision warning with automatic braking, road- and lane-departure assistance, adaptive cruise control, and automatic high beams—standard on all Pilots. Hopefully other manufacturers will follow Honda’s lead and make these important safety features standard on lower-priced models.

All Pilot trim levels get a smattering of new equipment. Among the bits and bobs you’ll find in different models: Cabin Control, which lets back-seaters use their smartphone as a remote for the rear-seat entertainment system; CabinTalk, one of those voice-of-God features that lets the folks in front be heard in the back; a hands-free power tailgate; and a wireless charging pad.

Did the Pilot need any major revamping? The only real issues we’ve experienced since the present generation’s debut has been its rough road ride quality, which Honda didn’t address, and the mixed bag that is the 9-speed transmission. Other than that, it’s been well equipped to take on the competition for several years now. But that competition is tough and getting tougher all the time: The good-to-drive Volkswagen Atlas, uber-roomy Chevrolet Traverse, upscale Mazda CX-9, competent Ford Explorer, and promising new Subaru Ascent are all impressive rivals for the Pilot to face down. So maybe a “new” Pilot isn’t such a bad thing, after all.

Ultimately, your choice may come down to locale. If you live in an area where the roads are messy (hello, Michigan) the Honda may prove to be too much of a rough rider. Still, its combination of a roomy interior, mostly-usable third-row seat, and a reputation for epic reliability make it an appealing choice. Not very terribly exciting, but definitely appealing.

2019 Honda Pilot Elite AWD Specifications

ON SALE Now PRICE $49,015 (base/as-tested) ENGINE 3.5L SOHC 24-valve V-6/280 hp @ 6,000 rpm, 262 lb-ft @ 4,700 rpm TRANSMISSION 9-speed automatic LAYOUT 4-door, 7/8-passenger, front-engine, AWD SUV EPA MILEAGE 19/26 mpg (city/hwy) L x W x H 196.5 x 78.6 x 70.6 in WHEELBASE 111.0 in WEIGHT 4,319 lb 0-60 MPH 6.5 sec (est) TOP SPEED 110 mph (est)

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jesusvasser · 6 years

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First Drive: 2019 Honda Pilot

2019 Honda Pilot Elite AWD Specifications

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