Jane Eyre as a Chamber Musical

[husk_charmer]

Posted: 8/18/07 at 7:37am

Posted today. Any one else like the sound of it?

Side note, I'd love for them to change the ending like Jasper Fforde did in his book "The Eyre Affair."

(POSSIBLE SPOILER: Basically Rochester ends up blinded and maimed, his wife falls from the roof, the house burns to the ground, but he and Jane a reunited and married in the end)

Posted: 8/18/07 at 7:50am

Having seen both the Broadway version and the Theatreworks regional premiere, I definitely agree that the material was overshadowd on by the (admittedly breathtaking) scenic design. A lot of the stage pictures that made the original production so memorable for me were lost when they were recreated in the regional version.

Interesting comment Gordon made about wanting to rewrite it so it does away with the "spirit ensemble" narrative. I liked their use as a narrative device, though moreso with Marla Schaffel as Jane than the regional Jane.

[me2]

Posted: 8/18/07 at 12:25pm

I'm a big fan of this show and say leave it be. This isn't really being done for the benefit of the piece but to make it more financially feasible for regional theatres. There's a BIG difference.
Broadway Blog: The Mic Debate (Back to Before?)

[B3TA07]

Posted: 8/18/07 at 2:57pm

What the hell are y'all talking about, and what does that blog have to do with it?

[goofy108]

Posted: 8/18/07 at 3:05pm

links are your friend.

[neddyfrank2]

Posted: 8/18/07 at 4:07pm

Because he posts a link to his blog in every post he makes.

[SporkGoddess]

Posted: 8/18/07 at 4:40pm

husk_charmer: Umm, how is that changing the ending? That's what happens in the book.

[husk_charmer]

Posted: 8/18/07 at 8:06pm

Spork Goddess:
Tee-Hee...glad someone caught that.

[Caroline-Q-or-TBoo]

Posted: 8/18/07 at 11:20pm

husk charmer: I LOVE THOSE BOOKS!!!!

have you read the new one? it just came out!

[AnnaK<3LMIP]

Posted: 8/19/07 at 1:33am

Jane Eyre continues to give me nightmares. It was not a good choice to read it at a young age. And then read it again because it's so sadistically (sp?) addicting.

Love the show.

[me2]

Posted: 8/20/07 at 12:19pm

Sorry for the confusion. I always link to my blog. I won't do it now because I don't want to be confusing.

By the way, I just started SHIRLEY by Bronte. Not far enough into it to say too much, but I loved JANE EYRE.

[DrMark]

Posted: 8/20/07 at 4:49pm

I was a little disappointed to hear that they were reworking it at first. I loved the original Broadway production. Marla was absolutely amazing. I was also blown away by the staging and lighting. It was unlike anything I'd seen before or since. Not only did they use a multi-part turntable, but the lighting rig rotated as well. Set pieces flew in and spun with the table below. Very slick. But I digress. I suppose a cut down version might be nice because it would give more people the opportunity to see this show. I love the music and still listen to the CD.

[NCSAcat]

Posted: 8/21/07 at 12:22am

I was in the first High School production of Jane Eyre (I know, insane for a high school, right) and that was just after it was released by MTI. We used a relatively simple set design that relied heavliy on lighting as well as the male chorus to create the MANY locales of the play. It worked rather well in my opinion, and as I remember, we even used the full orchestration. If a high school can do it, I say a regional theatre can do it. I love the way the show reads in the current version, and I only hope that it isn't turned into an intermissionless mess. But Paul Gordon is a smart man.
I am glad the peice is getting attetion again.