Today I'm thinking about how playing Frodo Baggins is a thankless job in much the same way Frodo actually carrying the Ring was.
Like, when people talk about performances in LOTR adaptations, they talk about Sam, they talk about Gollum, they talk about Gandalf and Galadriel. All these characters that have iconic lines and big flashy moments of greatness or bravery or twistedness that let the actor show off. Frodo doesn't have any of those. What Frodo does have is the arguably harder job of making something external that is almost entirely internal, and, in most adaptations, having the most to do, just from a time-on-stage/screen/microphone perspective. But this never seems to get acknowledged and that's always kinda weird/interesting to me. I suppose people just respond to the big heroic/heartwarming/menacing moments, and not so much to littler moments of the same kinds. In the musical, in one of the dialogue breaks in "Now And For Always", Frodo says to Sam "It's not me they'll remember, you know". And that's funny because even if Sam tries to fight that in-universe with the finishing of The Red Book, it consistently ends up being true in a meta sense.
Anyway I suppose what I'm saying is appreciate Christopher Guard, Sir Ian Holm, Elijah Wood, James Loye, James Byng, and Louis Maskell or die by my blade.
Wishing many happy returns of the day (JRRT's birthday, that is) to my Lord Of The Rings Musical Exchange giftee, @perplexingly!
From one Gollum Enjoyer to another, it's one of my favorite parts of the score under the magnifying glass. Also featuring Matthew Bugg's muscles, creeping & crawling, and ~Expressive Hand Lettering~
And now, for Movie Musical Moment Monday: The boys reunited in Rivendell! Inspired by the image under the cut, a blessed still from the Watermill production of the LotR musical.
First one is a more autumnal version of Galadriel, loosely inspired by the actress who played her in the Watermill Theatre production of LOTR Musical when we went to see it this October.
Second one is my version of Tom Bombadil and Goldberry. Inserting slavic vibes wherever I can. (Idk why but I always imagined Bombadil to be kinda short.)
gimli, as portrayed by folarin akinmade in the watermill theatre's revival of the LOTR musical from last summer.
for @the-daughter-of-a-wolf - thank you! this is a partner piece to legolas. fun fact for those who didn't get to see this production: the designs on gimli's jacket reflect those on the gates to moria.