Sunday, January 1, 2012

Happy Birthday, Calendar

It's crazy to think that around this time last year, it wasn't actually New Years Day for me since I was in Paris Craaaazzzzeeeee.

The final bow from the cast of Zed.
Yesterday I was feeling very nostalgic since it was the final performance of Cirque du Soleil's Zed. I was fortunate enough to see the show in 2009 with my parents and Rhed, and it ranks among the best theatrical experiences of my life. It has my favourite music in the world, the most stunning costumes I've ever seen and the best mise-en-scène in a Cirque du Soleil production since Franco Dragone's departure from the company. Well, it's the best show they've made since Dragone left the company, and it's a real shame (a crime?) that garbage like Ovo still runs and draws a larger audience than this gem which was hidden in Japan.

Originally slated for a 10 year run at Tokyo Disneyland, Zed wrapped up after 3 and a half years. The show had played to over one million visitors since its opening in 2008, but due to poor marketing by Disney's OrientalLand the show was bleeding money and most of Japan didn't even know it was there. Regrettable, but since Cirque wasn't doing marketing it was out of their control. 

My thoughts and best wishes to the cast, crew and creators of Zed. Goodbye to a wonderful, beautiful and magical piece which was dubbed a 'living poem'.

The greatest costume of all time.
I spent New Years Eve at Maddy's house. While I spun around on the computer chair listening to Jorane and Maddy played Skyrim, before Luke and Kim came in to watch Psycho with us. Unfortunately I'd read the plot somewhere around 2 years ago so I knew what happened, but it was still a thrill to see the movie finally. I really liked it. It was really smartly shoot and very sophisticated for a such a low budget movie. I loved the music (also I'm informed that it's just a huge rip off Shostakovich's work) and I loved the use of the graphic and violent motif which only appeared at the start and managed to stick around long enough for us to recognise that danger was coming. The acting was really great and there was only one scene where I had to chuckle unintentionally. Really original and I had a great time watching it, although it annoyingly finished at 12:02am or something, so the entire reveal of who did what and what the twist was was totally interrupted by our 'Happy New Year' wishes, and outside people were screaming and letting off fireworks.

2012 is going to be a really good year. I will make sure of that. My goals are to write the best score possible for Vena Cava's Atrium (providing they accept my application) and to get a GPA of 6. Both of which will happen. Happy Birthday, Calender! Here's to another year.

No comments:

Post a Comment