#lotr the musical

[sonofarathorns]

*clears throat* *inhales deeply*

THERE’S AN INN OF OLD RENOWN…

[sewn-with-lilies-fair]

As a holiday gift, I commissioned Aoife O'Dea to sing Luthien's Lullaby from the Lay of Leithian musical.

There couldn't be a more perfect fit- Aoife, who played Arwen in Watermill Theatre's Lord of the Rings musical last year, and Luthien, Arwen's elven ancestor, using the magic of song to send us off to sleep.

Dreams, on the wings of music hover...

Voice and harp- Aoife O'Dea Original music and lyrics- Skadi English lyrics- @nereb-and-dungalef, @quixoticanarchy, and @sewn-with-lilies-fair

Lyrics under the cut.

Day fades to night, Sunset hides its light ‘til dawn’s unveiling. Stars out of sight Shine over those whose strength is close to failing.

I sing before the lord of darkness, Minstrel in the halls that echo starless. Dreams on the wings of music hover- Sleep, bow your head to peaceful slumber. Sleep…

On gentle wings Mist turns the mountains sapphire as the ocean. Like waves I sing, And from the strands of fate my verse is woven.

Over the night the moon is sailing Onward, to the shores where sleep is waiting. Dreams on the wings of music hover- Wait, bow your head to peaceful slumber. Wait…

Fine threads of rain Upon your window weave a satin curtain. Lay down your pain, And let oblivion relieve your burden.

Hear how the restless wind is sighing- Quiet, for the storm has ceased its crying. Dreams on the wings of music hover- Hush, bow your head to peaceful slumber. Hush…

[heretherebedork]

Guess what i get to see? @benkaaoi !

[caterjunes]

great news there is actually a musical of it! they did a Lot of very creative liberties with the plot but the music fucks (and makes me cry? shut up? i have a lot of frodo/sam feelings)

so we all agree that lord of the rings is a musical

[dudja]

[bookaddiction14]

Someone’s prob caught this long before me, but:

In Lord of the rings (fellowship) we see the ring leaving Gollum and bouncing and rolling down the rocks:

The ring wanted to leave Gollum and therefore did.

It’s then picked up by Bilbo unwillingly; has an ‘unexpected journey’; and stays with him.

But when Bilbo is leaving, he decides to leave the ring with Frodo. The ring however, wants to stay and keep wielding its power and influence over him.

And when, at Gandalf’s insistence, Bilbo drops the ring, it still doesn’t want to leave him:

Which is why it falls flat, no bouncing or rolling away. It thuds to the floor like a child might stomp its foot when not getting its way.

I dunno how i’ve never caught this b4, and I may just be stupid and ppl have spoken bout this b4 but i’m a nerd and can’t help but mention it unprompted.

[southfarthing]

@lotrweek day 6: songs and tales

stories we tell will cast their spell

[bookish-library]

Yesssssssss I LOVED it!

I will second the instruments, because Legolas pulling out his freaking trumpet almost made me loose my mind

Gollum was FANTASTIC, the body language he used and even the voice WHILE SINGING was astounding, also that body meld was terrifyingly cool

Puppetry????? The SPIDER????? aaaaaaaa

And GOSH that circle of everyone helping sam/frodo at the end was beautiful

Made me nearly cry multiple times

I'm losing my fucking mind

Or: I just saw Lord of the Rings the Musical at the Chicago Shakespeare Theater and my brain chemistry has irreversibly changed

I'm too genuinely scrambled at the moment from travel to make a solid post (I am multiple states away from Illinois and I hate city driving) but I cannot shake the life-changing experience that was.

SPOILERS AHEAD

(Spoiler free tldr: story is changed sometimes severely to make a sub-3hr runtime or to simplify, but the message doesn't get completely lost. Tolkien fan approved)

First issue I can see everyone having is how much the story changes because it does change a lot. Rohan and Gondor being merged is probably the most glaring. I think it works because the show is more focused on the Hobbits (specifically Frodo and Sam). Personally I can look past it. My one issue is the missing Sam monologues (mount doom is a rather swift sequence, I'd have liked to see Sam give his devotion speech and his speech about the shire while waiting to die) those would have made insane songs but alas. The ending still was a gut punch though so it's more a personal preference thing.

First thing that blew me away was the technical aspect. The lighting and set design was GORGEOUS and EVOCATIVE. There were multiple times lighting alone drew me to tears.

The puppetry is immaculate. The nazgul chase is singularly some of the most beautiful choreo I've seen and I'm a slut for puppetry

The cast play all of the instruments live on stage, sometimes while doing choreography (nothing will prepare you to see Legolas holding a fucking trumpet or Boromir strapped into a goddamn accordion)

The costuming is more accurate to the original editions' illustrations which I found endlessly charming. One difference is, for safety (probably OSHA), all the hobbits (and Gollum) wear Sandals. This is never discussed. I love that.

BOROMIR IS KILLED BY HIS OWN SWORD WHICH I CANNOT EXPRESS HOW PERFECT THAT IS NARRATIVELY

GOLLUM PLAYED BY TONY BOZZUTO IS NEARLY INDISTINGUISHABLE FROM ANDY SERKIS

(I am not joking about this. Somehow he has mastered Andy's physicality and voice work. It truly was a sight to behold.)

Saruman/Elrond's actor (dressed as a hobbit) was hanging out in our section during preshow and was having a grand old time.

Bilbo and Frodo were in the main audience bothering people. Frodo was playing a stick and ring game and got absolutely shown up by some 10 year old he invited to play.

The Entmoot took literally 2 minutes (the way I had to stop from HOWLING at that)

I was SOBBING at the end, like actually.

Somehow this production managed to keenly make me feel the ending of Frodo leaving for the Grey Havens more than the movies did. The Irony of Frodo leaving being both a hopeful prayer that there is a place where people bound with trauma and wounds too deep to heal can live in peace without pain and also a grim acceptance that sometimes people cannot recover was STARK

Frodo and Sam really push the narrative of this show up until the end and it hits HARD. God bless this cast with steady work, they all deserve it.

[parisoonic]

i've been posting tf2 art for a whole year! waugh, how did that happen!? really enjoyed playin and drawing this silly game for a year :)) some wee sketches that took 3-5 mins each

[emilyych]

“That’d be Ori’s hand. He could write quite well and speedily.” -Gimli

or, the final words of Khazad-Dûm

[reallyhardy]

happy opening to the lord of the rings: a musical tale at the chicago shakespeare theatre!

[sonofarathorns]

i saw lotr: a musical tale last night and i’m never EVER going to shut up about it.

i’m having a hard time putting my feelings into words, but i will try.

when i tell you i have wanted to see this musical since i was 11…i mean it. i’m 27 now. i listen to it so often, my 5 year old knows all the words. (she wanted to go really bad, but i said no, because she’s 5.)

i got to play a ring toss game with frodo baggins and will never ever EVER shut up about it 😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭

we had the best seats in the house because the actors use the walkways RIGHT in front of my row!

i got a poster, and i got pictures with almost everyone and got my playbill signed by nearly everyone. tons of people complimented my costume.

there were lotr themed drinks and i tried all of them!

and then…the icing on the cake: afterwards we went to a tavern beside my hotel (it was giving green dragon vibes), and some of the cast were there, and we talked to them and drank with them for hours 😩🥰😭🙈

the musical itself was incredible, excellent, 100/10. i could go on and on forever about the talent. i laughed, i almost cried, but i didn’t because i was too excited, but i was very moved. i was smiling like an idiot the whole time. this is a new core memory for me. ❤️

if anyone has any questions about the musical or my experience please come talk to me because it’s all i’ll be thinking about for…a while 😅

[perplexingly]

A Secret Santa gift for the-daughter-of-a-wolf for the exchange organized on the Watermill Theatre musical discord fan server. It’s Legolas and Gimli visiting the northern forests and the Glittering Caves like they promised each other

[coopsgirl]

This is so cute 😍

whatsonstage on Instagram, 31 August 2023:

We took a trip to the Shire! 💍

[serendipitouslyyyyyy]

listen. in theory, i know that the hobbit was published in the 1930s and lotr was published in the 1950s, but conceptually, that's never fully sunk in. people were talking about bilbo baggins while world war ii bombs were flying overhead. discussing their favorite characters merry and pippin alongside the news of the brand new polio vaccine. making jokes about mordor between fireside chats. like that's absolutely crazy to me. unreal

[reallyhardydraws]

legolas, as portrayed by yazdan qafouri in the watermill theatre's revival of the LOTR musical from last summer.

still obsessed with it, and very much enamoured with this south asian inspired look for legolas in his red kurta and sash. love love love it.

[commissions open!] 🧝‍♂️🏹🍃