nypost.com: It’s one of the most stunning theatrical images in years. In an otherwise pitch-black theater, two giant eyes blink open and float to the front of the deep stage to reveal they belong to a humongous, fuzzy bear. Or is it a penguin? Or Pikachu?
At this point, I don’t know whose eyes are wider — ours or Totoro’s.
6 comments:
I am quite excited about this production. I adore the medium of animation and how it is not necessarily constrained to metaphysical reality. I am hopefully optimistic that this production will be exciting in its own way. I also think it will be quite interesting how this show will adapt the rich and vibrant medium of animation and translate it to stage. Animation, especially ghibli films, have a lot of freedom to play with artistic style and smooth magical elements. This does seem like something that may be hard to translate to stage since the artistic elements are not grounded in reality but in a hyper reality in where the medium on animation lies. For example, the big and sharp angled hair in the film may be hard to pull of casually onstage. The magical elements, like flying, onstage require wires and other heavy equipment. These elements of which is not seen in the film.
It is so exciting to hear that My Neighbor Totoro has been adapted to the stage. I love Hayao Miyazaki and anime in general, so I would really love to see this show one day. I know it’s not just me, too. There is a huge anime fanbase in America and the UK. And even bigger than that is the Miyazaki and Studio Ghibli fanbase. They have such an interesting take on children's movies. Like the article mentions, rather than there being a traditional villain or antagonist, the main conflict is the sickness of their mother. This presents a much more real situation to kids, one that many of them have or will deal with, For kids to be able to see this on stage makes it all so much more exciting. I love the idea of the house rotating to reveal all of the rooms inside. I also love the choice to use puppets. This kind of innovation and imagination is what I would expect from a live adaption of a Ghibli film.
Generally speaking, I am quite sick to my eyeballs of adaptations, but I will make an exception for Studio Ghibli. I will always make an exception for Studio Ghibli. I mean, oh god, hell yeah, Studio Ghibli on the freakin' stage. I saw photos recently of the Studio Ghibli amusement park, one of which is Yubaba from Spirited Away at her desk, jewels and gold and books scattered around her, papers and contracts suspended in the air as though in flight. It looks absolutely phenomenal. I can only imagine what the creators will come up with for a theatrical adaptation. I also think this will be a great engagement for all ages, from little kids, to teens, to young adults, to parents, to elders. Studio Ghibli has such universal and accessible stories that they're enjoyable for everyone. I cannot wait to see this show if I ever get the opportunity, and I sure hope I get the opportunity.
First of all, the production looks beautiful. The color scheme and style is so reminiscent of the movie itself. This is a movie I really like, and I’m really crossing my fingers that this production does make it to Broadway. The use of puppetry is so intricate and interesting, and I’d love to see how Totoro and the Cat bus are represented. I also really appreciate how the pit is built into the set, incorporating it into the world seamlessly. Another aspect of the production that I really enjoy is that the music from Joe Hisaishi has made it to the production - I have the soundtracks from a variety of the Studio Ghibli movies he has scored in a playlist that I listen to very frequently. (the Howl’s Moving Castle soundtrack specifically) Overall, this just really seems like a cool production and I hope I get to see it someday.
I would love to see My Neighbor Totoro come to the US, even if it doesn’t come to Broadway. It seems like quite a fantastical show, and would be quite different from the other shows currently running or expected to come to Broadway in the Spring. While I’m not a big fan of puppets (they freak me out), seeing the Hayao Miyazaki’s creations come to life would be worth it. I mean, I would love to see the black soot sprites as puppets. They’re some of my favorite creatures from Hayao Miyazaki’s works. And while the show isn’t completely light-hearted, it doesn’t seem to be too dark. I know for me some levity in the things I’m watching can be nice. It is definitely a production that I would go out of my way to see, though London is a bit far at the moment. I hope it comes to the US soon.
“My Neighbor Totoro” was easily one of my favorite movies growing up, and holds such a special place in my heart. I’m going to be honest, I was skeptical about the show when I heard they were bringing it to the stage. How do you capture a story like that (with the cat bus and Totoro and the other spirits)? But, this article paints a great picture of the work the entire team has done. Also, I am so glad that they didn’t try to dramatize the story to have a bigger villain or scarier plot points. The story is relatable, wonderful, and beautiful. The relationships between the characters are real. We don’t need crazy events in every show. I’m sure they point a whole lot of work into this show, and I’m so happy to hear how well it’s doing. What I would give to go see this show… I know they think it might go to West End and then Broadway, so maybe I will have the opportunity to see it at some point in the future.
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