About musical

[Esmerelda77]

Well hello. I'm new. I saw the thing about "The one ring" the musical. I think that is a great idea! I really do hope that one day it will be performed somewhere! Hey maybe one day if you cross your fingers maybe it will win a tony! After reading all the books i was wondering if when the whole script will be done? I like the lyrics for the songs. It seems to capture it all. I hope one day where I live if they do casting calls for this musical I'm so going to do it? So whoever created the play I got a question: When did you decide to come up with this idea on making a play abou the books? I just find this all fasinating

Sincerely ,
Kate

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"Sometimes the smallest things can become your biggest of problems".

[hama]

Esmerelda,

Welcome to Tolkien Trail and The One Ring. I am glad you like the lyrics. I think it is important that the musical numbers evoke the feel of Tolkien's world and they will be vital in giving the audience a sense of the characters in the little time allowed.

The script is in fact finished. Well finished is probably not the right word. I have finished 5 drafts although I continue to tinker with things here and there. My guess is that it will go through further revisions when and if it goes into production. I have been somewhat remiss in forwarding additional scenes to Ben, the webmaster here at Tolkien Trail. Perhaps your post will inspire me to send along a couple of more scenes. Have you read the first four that are up on the site?

As for when I got the idea of adapting LotR, I first started writing lyrics for the show in 1997 and completed the first draft in June of 1999. That script was completely rewritten after the first staged reading of the script in August 1999. My original idea for the show was to present it as a "pop opera" ala Les Miserables. However, I decided that there was too much information to get across and the show was just way too long. That script was jettisoned and I re-wrote the show as a conventional book musical. I did re-work a lot of the original recicitiva into prose form for the new script and cut the script down to 16 scenes and 125 pages from 25 scenes and 248 pages.

Once again welcome to Tolkien Trail....I hope you have taken the time to visit the rest of the site. It is a marvelous place.

[Esmerelda77]

Well hama thank you for writing back. I was wondering about that. Well I read the spricts, there great. There better than what I usually expect of movies becoming broadway. My first throught when I first read was "Oh this is going to be just another bad adaptation of the movie", but it wasn't. I think wouldn't it be hard to get all the battle scenes in this play? And one more question if you get this play off the ground, and if you get to the states are you going to do any casting calls?


Sincerely,
Katie

PS: love the site!!!

[hama]

LOL...well it may turn out that The One Ring is a bad adaptation of the books (though I hope not) but it won't be a bad adaptation of the movie as I wrote it long before the movie came out...In fact I started it long before I even knew the movies were coming out.

I have to a certain extent written around the battle scenes...much of it happens off stage. However I have been toying witht he idea of filming the battle scenes, at least as background and projecting them on scrims on stage. The script is very focused on the personal relationships in the story and less on the epic granduer. That is partly out of necessity and partly out of design. I find that part of the story more interesting.

Yes...there will be casting calls in the US.

BTW I am e-mailing Ben Act One Scene Five. Be on the look out for it.

Brad

[Esmerelda77]

Hey hama thanks for the reply. Again I'm exicted about the boradway. Since you are having your casting calls in the US? Where might they be? And if so what certain thing are you going to be looking for? Not to be weird or anything but I do lots of acting myself (and boradways of course) I was wondering if the casting call is close is their a certain age group you have to be to be in this play? Sorry about asking all these questions. I'm was just wondering.

Sincerely,
Katie

[Agburanar]

Hi again. Anymore scenes coming out? Sorry there hasn't been much in the way of desings coming at the moment, I've been busy making props for a touring company and working on my A-levels (guess which came first!). As soon as I get my set for the local panto finished I'll start working on some more ideas. Cheers!

[hama]

Yes there are more scenes or at least one long scene on it's way. I recently sent I.V. to Ben and hopefully he will have it up on the site as soon as his schedule allows. I have also been inspired by you to put pen to paper and have one or two set designs for you to look at/laugh at/rip apart....I will try to get them scanned and e-mail them to you.

[Esmerelda77]

I know it's been a little while since I posted on here. It's great posting again :)

[hama]

Esmerelda,

I am certainly glad you are a fan of the show and of Broadway. If the show origninates in the states, I can only guess that auditions will be in New York and probably at Actor's Equity as it will be a union show.

However, having spent a number of years as a non equity actor, I intend to insist that we have at least one open call for actors who are not members of the union (although they would have to join A.E.A if they were cast).

My guess is that at best auditions for even a workshop production are at least a year away. But look at the bright side, if you do get a chance to audition you'll have an advantage...you will have already read the script.

[Esmerelda77]

I'm back! I know it's been a while again. Hama thank you sooooooo much to replying again. I've gotton crazy with my life so I'm back to claim it back! Well I'm glad you told me where might the auditions might be. I hope (if I can convince my parents) to let me go to NY and audition! As I been saying like a crazy manic I will do ANYTHING to be in this show no matter what! I just hope to get it and if I do I'll work hard and try to do the best I can. I got experience so I hope my experience will be good for this play and for this audition.

~ Emerelda Underhill :)