Phantom of the Opera Will Be Longest Running Musical in China

[millie_dillmount]

Posted: 8/23/04 at 1:06am

http://www.playbill.com/news/article/87995.html

And at ONLY 97 performances...

I wonder if it will be translated into Chinese, that would be funny.

Updated On: 8/23/04 at 01:06 AM

[BlueWizard]

Posted: 8/23/04 at 1:10am

Doesn't matter, Les Miserables' time in China will truly be seen as the most historic. With the chilling parallels between the barricades and the Tienmann Square massacre, I was surprised they let the show play in China at all. But from what I read, it left an indelible mark on its audience.

[Musetta1957]

Posted: 8/23/04 at 1:30am

"I wonder if it will be translated into Chinese, that would be funny."

I certainly hope you weren't one of those lame-o morons in elementary school who would make "ching chong" noises to the Asian kids because the language amused you.

[millie_dillmount]

Posted: 8/23/04 at 1:47am

No, I wasn't. But it would be interesting to see some of those songs translated. I think at first I would find it a bit funny, because I am so used to hearing the songs in English. But if it something I listened to often, I'd get over it.

[POLisPOL]

Posted: 8/23/04 at 2:02am

millie, I know some songs of les miserables in spanish...
can you figure which one is this?

"Soñé con ser otra mujer
En la esperanza de otra vida
Como en un nuevo amanecer
Soñé que Dios perdonaría
Cuando era joven, no vi el mal
Sueños de amores van y vienen"

[millie_dillmount]

Posted: 8/23/04 at 2:15am

No...not too familiar with Les Mis lyrics, and I am tired, and too lazy to look it up. Going to bed soon. But I was able to translate some of it, then got even lazier and used freetranslation.com even though they're not accurate. Here's what I got:

"I dreamed with being another woman
In the hope of another life
As in a new one to wake up
I Dreamed that God would forgive
When was youth, I did not see loves
Dreams evil go and come"

[POLisPOL]

Posted: 8/23/04 at 2:18am

Great!
that was I dreamed a dream

[millie_dillmount]

Posted: 8/23/04 at 2:35am

Lol, I should have known with "I dreamed..."

[Musetta1957]

Posted: 8/23/04 at 2:37am

"millie, I know some songs of les miserables in spanish... "

Those are the Madrid lyrics, right? Do you know the Mexico City ones? I heard they retranslated it because the Madrid one was so bad.

[POLisPOL]

Posted: 8/23/04 at 2:37am

I just found the complete lyrics for the spanish version of les miserables here:
http://es.geocities.com/agategs/soundtracks/lesmis-es.htm

this could be fun to translate to your new post in the off-topic board...

Posted: 8/23/04 at 2:45am

As for translations...I think I heard somewhere that it will be in English. But it would be cool to have it translated into Chinese. That means another international recording for me to own! Besides, POTO has already been translated in Japanese and Korean, so it wouldn't be too difficult to do it in Chinese. Surprisingly, POTO sounds really good in any language. :)

~Rosalynn

[CATSNYrevival]

Posted: 8/23/04 at 3:01am

I have Phantom in Japanese and Spanish and I love listening to them. The Spanish one I can even sing along to, because I did take three years of Spanish, so I know a little bit of what's going on. lol. Plus I have all the lyrics memorized in English, so I know exactly what they're saying. I sing along in Spanish, in fact I have a lot memorized in Spanish as well....

[Musetta1957]

Posted: 8/23/04 at 3:04am

"Plus I have all the lyrics memorized in English, so I know exactly what they're saying"

It's not always exact.

I have Phantom in German and Dutch, and at the end of the title song, he certainly is not saying, "Sing, my angel of music!"

He's saying, "Sing, my angel, my muse!"

Close enough, but not exact. Updated On: 8/23/04 at 03:04 AM

[CATSNYrevival]

Posted: 8/23/04 at 3:16am

Well, I know that. My biggest problem is that for the CD I have "Prima Donna" is something like "cantar Prima Donna, cantar." Which is "Sing Primma Donna, sing." it looses the whole "Once more" concept, and how they want her to sing again. Instead the song just ends with "Cantar!!!!!" and it really, I think, looses it's meaning.

[Broadway Matt]

Posted: 8/23/04 at 4:58am

I don't speak any Japanese but based on the parts of the Japanese Red Recording that my friend translated for me, it's an exceptionally rough translation. I can't give any examples but I remember a lot of the song content being replaced by odd metaphors and symbolism that must be a cultural thing. Also Valjean's number is not 24601 in Japanese, it's 24653. My best guess as to why is that the word for the number 3 rhymes with the word "Valjean". Anyone know?

[BlueWizard]

Posted: 8/23/04 at 12:31pm

I really want to get myself one of the Japanese recordings, as well as the France 1991 album. Does anyone know if they're still available, and where I can order them?

[kissmycookie]

Posted: 8/23/04 at 12:33pm

three in Japanese = san, which rhymes with Valjean....

[Musetta1957]

Posted: 8/23/04 at 1:30pm

"I really want to get myself one of the Japanese recordings, as well as the France 1991 album. Does anyone know if they're still available, and where I can order them?"

Amazon.fr and eBay.

[millie_dillmount]

Posted: 8/23/04 at 1:38pm

Back into English (from Spanish), On My Own translates:

Again alone by the street I go wandering without a course
Without seeing neither a known face, neither a house, neither a friend
Arrived the darkness, I believe that he is here at times
I walk alone in the night while all sleep
Thinking in it happy I feel in it me full the thought
Rests the city, and I begin to live

Alone I, I intend that I carry it in me
AND withhe road to the dawn
Still without him its arms surround me
If I feel that I lose me he shows me the road Al to rain, the streets are silver AND the light is mist on the
river
In the night the moon illuminates
Your face with mine to be you united always
But I know that is my imagination
That with me am speaking and not with him AND although I know that neverit will love me even so him I will not forget I want Him, and al to finish the night
He goes, and the river is only a river
Without him, my world is as always
The trees without leaves and I alone among the people want Him, but I know that each day
My life is illusion loss
Without me, he will continue his life
With the happiness that I dreamed to live with him
I want Him, him I want,
I love him, but in my solitude

[POLisPOL]

Posted: 8/23/04 at 1:43pm

Living in spain I have a lot of musical adaptations (rent, les miserables, my fair lady, no way to treat a lady, phantom of the opera...) and are not translations, are adaptations. Many things changes from the original...
That's why I don't use to like the adaptations...

[WiCkEDrOcKS]

Posted: 8/23/04 at 2:21pm

It will also become the longest running show on Broadway. :)

[bronxboundexpress]

Posted: 8/23/04 at 5:02pm

next year

[Plum]

Posted: 8/23/04 at 5:33pm

It amuses me to no end that my parents watched Les Miserables in Hebrew.

[BlueWizard]

Posted: 8/23/04 at 5:58pm

That's not too weird. Imagine Les Miz in Yiddish.