![\"Phillipa](\"http:\/\/itsnotaboutme.tv\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/07AmelieLA0208r1.jpg\")
<\/a>Phillipa Soo as Am\u00e9lie. Photo by Joan Marcus, as is the big one at the top of the page.<\/p><\/div>\n
On opening night, after the curtain fell, no one seemed to want to leave the theatre! Everyone was milling-around the lobby and front doors. I\u2019ve never seen so many audience members want to hang around that long after a show ends! I\u2019m sure some of the lingering may have been to use the photo booth, (which I\u2019ll explain later,) or take holiday pictures by the gorgeously-decorated giant Christmas tree, but I have a feeling that most of the amity had to do with the upbeat nature of Amelie<\/em> itself.<\/p>\n This new musical is having its pre-Broadway run at downtown LA\u2019s Ahmanson Theatre, and the place was abuzz with excitement from the get-go. I appreciate having a show in Los Angeles before it goes to Broadway. For some reason, it makes me feel happy for my city to be somewhat powerful in the theatre category. (Is that a tad nutty of me? Or do some of you look at that situation the same way?)<\/p>\n Phillipa Soo and Adam Chanler-Berat. Photo by Joan Marcus.<\/p><\/div>\n In case you haven\u2019t heard about it yet, the musical is based on the 2001 hit French film, Amelie<\/em>. (Duh.) I, surprisingly, had never seen it, although I erroneously thought that I had.\u00a0 (I confused it with another of star Audrey Tatou\u2019s movies,\u00a0A Very Long Engagement<\/em>, which I loved.\u00a0 But, I\u2019m happy to say, Amelie<\/em> is much cheerier than that one.)\u00a0 I think that seeing the flick beforehand would have helped a bit, but it\u2019s definitely not a necessity.\u00a0 (Actually, this<\/em> version whetted my appetite to explore the film<\/em>. As my friend and I left the theatre, we both said, \u201cNow I want to see the movie!\u201d I looked for it all week-end.)<\/p>\n Adam Chanler-Berat and Phillipa Soo. Photo by Joan Marcus.<\/p><\/div>\n To me, Amelie, A New Musical<\/em> is a sweet story of a girl who does good for others, rather than a tale that\u2019s going anywhere in particular.\u00a0 There is a love story, of course, (after all, it\u2019s French<\/em>!,) but the other bits don\u2019t seem to lead up to it; rather, they all feel like separate little vignettes of one girl\u2019s life. That doesn\u2019t bother me in the least, though; you know I love a non-painful story, and that this is.<\/p>\n The staging is very creative, and the entire production is quite charming. It\u2019s entertaining and amusing, as well. I found myself chuckling throughout. When you see it for yourself, don’t look away for even one second, or you\u2019ll miss some clever little nuance.<\/p>\n The cast of Amelie, minus the two Amelies! Photo by Joan Marcus.<\/p><\/div>\n Amelie<\/em> is one of those almost-constant-singing musicals, rather than one featuring mainly dialogue, with the occasional ditty.\u00a0 It\u2019s also not a traditional \u201cbig production numbers\u201d musical.\u00a0 There is no ensemble of singers and dancers; rather, it\u2019s a cast of only a baker\u2019s dozen, with about half of the actors playing multiple small roles.<\/p>\n While there may not be any particularly memorable tunes, I was bopping in my seat the whole time, so I must have enjoyed the music.\u00a0 I didn\u2019t go wild for any of the voices, but I recognized the merit of them all. \u00a0Every cast member can definitely sing, and, with the whimsy<\/em> of the entire presentation being the main focus, I really didn\u2019t need them to wow me with their vocals. I was just thrilled that I could understand almost every lyric they sang!<\/p>\n The inventive touches in the show are fabulous.\u00a0 Several of them come in the early parts, when Amelie is just a girl.\u00a0 So, it starts-off well. It did lose me a wee bit along the way, but not enough for my interest to wane. The holding of my attention was due, in part, to the beautiful visuals, that begin right away. Scenic and costume designer David Zinn\u2019s easily-moved, simple-yet-spot-on sets are my exact kind of colorful.<\/p>\n Phillipa Soo and Savvy Crawford. (Yes, they do appear together on-stage a couple of times in the show.) Photo by Joan Marcus.<\/p><\/div>\n The cartoonish (in a great way) look of the show is also seen in the very diverse, physically-interesting actors. Kudos to the creative casting, which I\u2019m sure was a very conscious choice on the part of the producers. And each one of them is uber-accomplished–I\u2019ve rarely seen a cast with so many credits, including for young Savvy Crawford, who plays Amelie as a child, and is excellent. (And<\/em> she possesses the best Broadway name since Sutton Foster!)<\/p>\n Phillipa Soo, as the grown-up Amelie, is perfect for the role.\u00a0 The make-up and hair people made her look a lot like Audrey Tatou in the film, at least from far-away. And that girl can sure carry a show, (which she did not have to do in Broadway\u2019s Hamilton<\/em>.) Amelie<\/em> is just under two hours, with no intermission, so Phillipa is on stage for almost an hour and a half straight!!! And singing and running around almost that entire time! Very impressive. [Note: Phillipa is practically the whole show, so why is she listed just amongst the rest of the players in the program? Crazy billing!]<\/p>\n Jeanine Anderson and Karen Salkin in front of the gorgeous Christmas tree in the Ahmanson Theatre lobby. Photo by a kind stranger.<\/p><\/div>\n Okay, as promised earlier, the photo booth story. As we entered the lobby, we noticed a long line of patrons waiting to use a photo booth. We could not figure-out why it was there; they\u2019re often part of the activities at the many parties<\/em> I attend, but I had never seen one at the Ahmanson before. I usually spot people taking pictures of themselves with a poster<\/em> of the show they\u2019re attending that night, but that\u2019s it. As Amelie<\/em> went on, a prop photo booth appeared on stage, and it turned-out to be a major part of the story. So a light bulb went on over my head; I finally understood the one in the lobby. I decided that I must use it, as well, on the way out, but the line then was just as long as the one before it began! (And pictures by the tree were even more appealing to my pal and me, so that\u2019s what we did.)<\/p>\n The auxiliary festivities, (before or after the performance, in the lobby, or on the beautifully lit-up grounds of the Music Center,) only add to the fun of the main attraction–Amelie, A New Musica<\/em>l. I\u2019m sure it will be equally good to see anytime on Broadway, but we Angelenos are lucky to have it here as a holiday entertainment. So, don\u2019t miss this wonderful opportunity!<\/p>\n Amelie, A New Musical<\/em> running through January 15, 2017 (the day after my birthday!)<\/strong> AMELIE, A NEW MUSICAL I think that by now you all know that I love seeing a happy show. And that\u2019s exactly what Amelie, A New Musical is! (But here\u2019s a conundrum–what will they call it after it\u2019s been around for a while?) On opening night, after the curtain fell, no one seemed to want<\/p>\n<\/a><\/a><\/a><\/a><\/a>
\n Ahmanson Theatre \u00a0135 N. Grand Avenue \u00a0213-972-4400\u00a0www.centertheatregroup.org<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"