West End : Phantom of the Opera

At the entrance.
Phantom of the Opera poster behind me

I simply had to watch a classic.  Phantom of the Opera it should be.  John Salvador, a colleague from the US, strongly suggested I should - he specifically mentioned that it was "interesting how they did the chandelier".  With that kind of prodding, I didn't have much willpower to resist the temptation.  Together with Jo (the only one who wanted to watch Phantom as well),  I rushed to the theatre after the Monday session.

Watching Phantom was one of the highlights of my London trip. Wow! Phenomenal!

At the start, the set looked gloomy, cramped and cluttered... Remember the play started with the auction?  I understood later - it was necessary because there were quite a number of changes in the setting, a stage and backstage, elevations and stairs and grand staircases, sailing the "underground river" to reach the Phantom's lair.  It all worked quite well somehow.  The costumes were grand.  Christine was pretty (she should be, that's why Raoul and the Phantom were both smitten with her),  and her voice sounded pure and heavenly.  (Still, no comparison to the original soundtrack with Sarah Brightman and Michael Crawford.)

Her Majesty's Theatre

Angel of Music and Phantom of the Opera were my favorite songs in the soundtrack.  Christine and her friend Meg  beautifully sang Think of Me... As soon as I heard the Phantom's echoing voice saying "I am your angel of music"...I got the goosebumps. 

When the Phantom took Christine on a boat to his lair, singing the Phantom of the Opera, I sang along quietly, gripped Jo's arm and felt like I was on a high.  As they sailed on the "river", with the glimmering lights and the fog, lampposts started rising as the boat passed along, I felt "Wow"! The music, the moment, the setting.  Just perfect... It was dreamlike - I never thought I'd have the opportunity to watch it in West End!  

I must confess I felt sleepy when Act 2 started (still jetlagged, I couldn't help taking a quick nap, almost sacrilegious isn't it?).  As the rest of the story unfolded, I was again mesmerized. The Phantom's singing and acting was just so captivating.  I could feel his emotions, his love, his anguish, his pain. I was sooo into the moment.  His voice was phenomenal and quite powerful.  Deservedly, he had the longest standing ovation.

I really hope I will have the opportunity to watch it again.

West End : Rock of Ages

I love music.  Lately, I've been listening a lot to old songs, mostly remake from Glee, and the 80s.  Since we knew we'd be going to London, Jo and I planned to watch a play - I recommended Rock of Ages on the day of our arrival. Rock of Ages features many songs from the 80s. AlsO, we didn't have much choices, not many plays were showing on a Sunday night.

RoA was a cheesy love story, pretty funny and high-energy,  it was quite entertaining (though I had to bear the bad words and the very suggestive dancing). The love story between Drew and Sherrie made me feel romantic. The acting was good, and everyone in the cast had a beautiful, powerful voice, especially the Stacey Jaax character. (I would not say the same thing about Mamma Mia which we also watched. Really.)

It was off to a slow start, I didn't feel connected right away, until Sherrie sang More Than Words.  Set in Sunset Strip, the story revolved around Drew and Sherrie, young lads pursuing their dreams in the big city -he to be a rock star and her to be an actress.  None of those dreams materialized, but they found love in each other - I Wanna Know What Love Is, Waiting for a Girl Like You, The Search Is Over, you get the picture of the level of cheesiness.  

(A parallel story is how a father-son property developer planned to tear down Sunset Strip, convincing the mayor to abandon the sex, drugs, rock lifestyle. There were protests against it,  hence the singing of We Built This City, another '80s favorite.  In the end, Sunset Strip remained.) 

Lonny Barnett, the narrator, ended the play saying that on The Strip, sometimes the dreams with which you enter are not always the dreams with which you leave, but they still rock.  A quotable quote, dont you think?  The Don't Stop Believin' finale brought the house down! 

For those who loved the songs from the 80s,  I recommend the play.

A Grand Start to My London Trip

It's my first trip to the UK and, as always, I'm giddy with excitement. 

London is bustling, modern yet still had that old world chic, it's interestingly diverse, very cosmopolitan.  Rome was charming but it felt old and decaying inspite of the grandeur;  it's definitely past its heyday.  Barcelona has that modern vibe and old world charm as well,  but London just felt more sophisticated and urbane.  I love it.

Everytime I go to a new city,  I love to simply walk around and feel the place as soon as I arrive.  We landed at 6am, with barely a wink during the long, uncomfortable flight;  my colleagues and I just dropped off our bags at the hotel, then hit the road.  Breakfast would be at Hyde Park, at 350 acres one of the largest parks in London and one of the four Royal Parks.  It is a 20-minute walk from the hotel.  I was told the cafe will be along the Serpentine lake.  How cool is that?!!

Equestrienne in Hyde Park

On the way, I started soaking in the sights around me -- the posh apartments with flowers on the window sill, the beautiful architecture of the Museum of Natural History, the Royal Albert Hall.  Hyde Park is indeed big;  it  the very green park teeming with joggers, bikers and even elegantly-dressed  equestrienne.  In true English fashion, the weather was fickle with the sun and a light drizzle alternating while we walked,  it was also quite cold.  It felt strange - summer but we were all bundled up, for me summer means shorts and halter tops!



Lido cafe

After what seemed like a circuitous route inside the park,  we reached Lido cafe.  What a lovely place!  My spirits quickly soared.  We chose to sit outside, where we could watch the ducks on the lake.  (There was ongoing construction across the lake, most likely related to the upcoming Olympics. The triathlon will be held in Hyde Park.)  As we chatted and shared food,  the clouds parted and the sun shone. 


Serpentine lake behind me

What a grand start to my London trip.