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Rakyat Post
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Rakyat Post
[Watch] When Cinema Meets Symphony: Why The Godfather Still Commands Respect
Subscribe to our FREE In the world of film-to-concert adaptations, some movies whisper and others roar. According to Gerard Salonga, who will conduct the Malaysian Philharmonic Orchestra for The Godfather Live at Dewan Filharmonik PETRONAS (DFP) this June, Francis Ford Coppola's 1972 masterpiece definitely belongs in the latter category. 'Art is seasonless, timeless,' Salonga told TRP, drawing parallels that span centuries and galaxies. Look at Star Wars from the 1970s—it's still incredibly popular among youngsters today. Beethoven's notes are 300 years old, and they still move people. The same can be said for any ideology or philosophy—if it's good, it will remain popular across generations.' The film, which may be over 50 years old, still retains its cultural impact undiminished. Salonga points to one of cinema's most famous moments of protest: 'Marlon Brando won the Oscar and rejected it. Art doesn't age—it evolves, it provokes, it endures.' The Score That Made History This enduring power is evident in the film's continued recognition. The Godfather was named the greatest film ever made by Empire magazine in 2008, a distinction also awarded by Entertainment Weekly and Metacritic. It came second in Sight & Sound's prestigious 2002 list and Time Out's 2003 readers' poll, and currently sits at number two on IMDb's all-time rankings. The film's immortality isn't just about Coppola's direction or Brando's performance—it's deeply rooted in Nino Rota's iconic score. The Italian composer, who achieved international acclaim in the 1950s and '60s for his work with Federico Fellini (La Dolce Vita, 8½) and Luchino Visconti (The Leopard, White Nights), created what the 'There is little film music as instantly recognisable as Nino Rota's opening music played on trumpet,' says Justin Freer, the CineConcerts founder and producer behind The Godfather Live. That haunting main theme, with its blend of traditional Italian folk music and jazz elements, takes on an entirely different quality when experienced live. The Art of Orchestral Restraint This enduring power shapes how Salonga approaches different film concerts. Unlike the interactive energy of a Harry Potter screening—where audiences gleefully shout out their Hogwarts houses—The Godfather demands a different kind of respect. 'Some film concerts don't require the conductor to say anything, but with Harry Potter, yes, it's fun to let the audience express themselves,' he explains. But The Godfather is an intense kind of film. The appropriateness of a conductor speaking to the audience depends on the material's appropriateness. The MPO has mastered this delicate balance over the years. Since their first film concert with Psycho in 2010, they've presented everything from Casablanca (2015) and Raiders of the Lost Ark (2019) to recent successes like Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (2024) and the upcoming La La Land in Concert (2025). Each requires its own approach, its own level of audience engagement. Beyond the Usual Orchestra What makes this particular concert special goes beyond the film's gravitas. Salonga reveals that the orchestra will feature instruments rarely heard in traditional symphonic settings. We'll have mandolin and accordion in The Godfather orchestra, which don't always appear in orchestras. These additions aren't mere novelties—they're essential to capturing Rota's authentic Italian flavour. It's this attention to detail that transforms a simple movie screening into something approaching a religious experience for cinema lovers. Salonga sits alone in the magnificent DFP, surrounded by the venue's distinctive warm wood panelling and tiered red seating. The conductor prepares for The Godfather Live, where he'll lead the MPO in bringing Nino Rota's iconic score to life beneath the hall's soaring acoustic ceiling. (Pix: Fernando Fong) A Global Vision Salonga's vision extends far beyond Hollywood classics. He mentions recent successes, such as Bollywood films performed at London's Royal Albert Hall, and hints at untapped potential. There's a famous Chinese-language film we're hoping we can do here. P. Ramlee movies too, perhaps—hopefully that's something we can take off. The idea of hearing Tan Sri P. Ramlee's beloved compositions performed by a full orchestra while watching classics like Bujang Lapok or Do Re Mi on the big screen suggests an exciting future for Malaysian cinema-orchestra collaborations. This global approach reflects CineConcerts' extensive reach—the company will engage over 4.8 million people worldwide in more than 3,000 performances across 48 countries through 2025, working with prestigious orchestras such as the Chicago Symphony and the London Philharmonic. Perfect for the Godfather Faithful For those who know every line of Vito Corleone's wisdom, who can quote Sonny's temper tantrums, and who still get chills during the baptism sequence, this cinema-orchestra experience offers something unprecedented: the chance to experience a familiar masterpiece through entirely new senses. The format is perfect for Godfather devotees—the complete film shown in high definition while the live orchestra breathes new life into every musical moment, from that haunting trumpet theme to the subtle jazz undertones that underscore the family's moral complexity. As Freer puts it: 'The marriage of these two masterpieces on stage live at DFP will be a visual and aural treat like nothing else.' Some art transcends its original medium. The Godfather Live isn't just a concert or a movie screening—it's proof that when something is crafted with enough care and truth, it becomes immortal. The Godfather Live performs at DFP on 14 June at 8:00 PM. Tickets range from RM298 to RM648, available at Share your thoughts with us via TRP's . Get more stories like this to your inbox by signing up for our newsletter.
The Star
02-06-2025
- Entertainment
- The Star
‘The Godfather Live' concert in KL promises visual, aural feast
GROWING up, Gerard Salonga saw his father's admiration for The Godfather, a novel that chronicles a fictional crime family in New York City. But, it was not until his teenage years, when he watched the iconic film adaptation of the book, that he truly connected with the story. Now serving as resident conductor with Malaysian Philharmonic Orchestra (MPO), Salonga is thrilled to bring The Godfather Live concert to our shores. With the movie projected on a big screen, the MPO will perform the score live at Dewan Filharmonik Petronas (DFP) in Kuala Lumpur. In an interview at the venue, Salonga shared his vision and preparations for the concert which will be held at 8pm on June 14. Salonga says music is the unseen character which keeps the audience engaged. — AZLINA ABDULLAH/The Star 'I've done lots of film concerts and my approach has always been the same – to understand how the music fleshes out the characters. 'Music is the unseen character which keeps the audience engaged and drives their emotions,' he added. Salonga said many MPO musicians were thrilled upon learning about The Godfather-themed concert. 'Some messaged me to ask when they would be able to get the score to start practising. 'Some works of art transcend time; they remain relevant forever. 'The Godfather delves into issues like power and abuse, which are relevant even today.' he added. Salonga, who recently conducted MPO's La La Land in concert, said film concerts could connect newer fans with classic movies. Likewise, he said such concerts could also introduce orchestral music to wider audiences. Conductor and producer Justin Freer, in a statement, promised an exhilarating evening. 'There is not much film music as instantly recognisable as Nino Rota's work in The Godfather. 'And, there are only a handful of films as masterfully made. 'The marriage of these two masterpieces live at DFP will be a visual and aural feast,' he said. Tickets are priced between RM298 to RM648, and available at or DFP Box Office. Tickets are inclusive of light refreshments. For details, call 03-2331 7007.
Chicago Tribune
09-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Chicago Tribune
Review: ‘Sondheim's Old Friends' on Broadway is a don't-miss chance to revisit his music
NEW YORK — Does Broadway need another Stephen Sondheim revue? Sure, if performed by his old friends. Given the late Sondheim's godlike status among musical theater fans, it's hardly surprising that there are several revues of his work, going back nearly half a century. Ned Sherrin's 'Side by Side,' created in 1976, was the first to discover that the songs in these complex musicals could be enjoyed by audiences out of context. Believe it or not, that was a revelation in 1976. In 1980, 'Marry Me a Little' focused on songs that were cut from Sondheim musicals. 'Putting it Together' in 1990 focused on his process. And in 2010, 'Sondheim on Sondheim,' to my mind the most revealing, used pre-recorded interview footage to explore the great man's work through a biographical lens. So what does 'Sondheim's Old Friends,' as produced by the British impresario Cameron Mackintosh and staged by the Manhattan Theatre Club, add to the decade-long Sondheim party? Simple, really. It's all about the guests. Look, there's Bernadette Peters, now 77, performing 'Losing My Mind,' while proving that could not be further from the truth. There's Bonnie Langford, a British familiar face for most of Sondheim's career, zestfully declaring 'I'm Still Here,' a fine thing. There's Lea Salonga, a star since Mackintosh put her in 'Miss Saigon' in 1989, exploring 'Somewhere' from 'West Side Story.' And Beth Leavel, who clearly has known plenty of ladies who lunch in her long career, taking their ilk down with relish. That's just a taste, really. As revues go, 'Old Friends' is atypically substantial. As directed and choreographed by Matthew Bourne, no less, the two-act show clocks in at some 2 hours and 45 minutes, instead of the usual 90 minutes. With that kind of running time — nirvana for us addicts, perhaps a heavy lift for those dragged to the show by a partner — there is time aplenty to explore some 40 numbers. The company has 19 listed performers, although it's clear that Peters and Salonga are the stars. The orchestra numbers some 14 pieces. And although Matt Kinley has designed a unit set, not so different at first from what you would expect, the environment of shows like 'Sweeney Todd' and 'West Side Story' does rather creep on you before retreating again into the wings as the show moves on to another masterwork. Scanning the choices, you get the sense that Mackintosh wanted to focus on shows he produced himself and also the songs that people know, Sondheim being as much a populist as he was a perfectionist experimentalist. This isn't some kind of deep-cut situation or conceptual re-thinking; you get all the greatest hits from 'Comedy Tonight' to 'Sunday,' 'Send in the Clowns' (Peters, 'natch) to 'A Little Priest,' inarguably Sondheim's greatest lyric-fest, performed here by Salonga and Jacob Dickey, and from 'Everything's Coming Up Roses' (Salonga) to a spectacular multi-voiced exploration of 'Not a Day Goes By,' Sondheim's most fervent declaration that love is an existential imperative, not a choice, but not necessarily something that will bring happiness or relief from pain. Some of the takes are intentionally unexpected, such as Peters watching Salonga sing 'Children Will Listen,' one of Peters' own concert mainstays. Mostly though, the company is so large that these hefty veteran talents only get brief moments in the spotlight so they can kill it, while they can. When the company first emerges for the prologue, your first thought may be that you've never seen an older Broadway ensemble. It's quite jarring, to be frank. But you soon see that is the whole point of this enterprise. This is a Sondheim revue mostly forged by people who worked with Sondheim, especially in London. His 'Old Friends.' The world spinning only forward, it's already been more than three years since Sondheim's death. He was working with Mackintosh on this show before he died, which is not something any revue will be able to say again. But the main takeaway here is that not only is Sondheim now gone, his peers are no spring chickens, either. (Neither are some of us critics who adored his work.) And these are real 'Old Friends' on stage at the Samuel J. Friedman Theatre. Indeed, I once stood in a corner and overheard Sondheim describe an actor's performance to her almost entirely in terms of her being, and not being, Peters. The muse loomed large in the composer's head and Peters won't be working for ever. Indeed, this whole crew was mostly in the original creative kitchens; I say, catch 'em while you still can.
New York Times
09-04-2025
- Entertainment
- New York Times
Review: A Party With 17 ‘Old Friends' and 41 Sondheim Songs
Fast approaching the number of musicals Stephen Sondheim wrote is the number of revues written about him. The first, to my knowledge, was a 1973 fund-raiser held on the set of the original production of 'A Little Night Music.' It featured so many stars, speeches and songs that even truncated, even then, its recording filled two LPs. I snapped that album up and wore it out. The cover alone was fascinating, with the titles of nine of his shows spelled out in intersecting Scrabble tiles. (Something like nine more shows were to come before his death in 2021 — and one after.) Threaded through those tiles like a secret theme was Sondheim's name itself. I was younger then, a teenager, but that secret theme became part of my life's music. How then to hear a new Sondheim revue with fresh ears and fresh heart? As the latest, 'Old Friends,' says right in its name, we are already well acquainted. Whether onstage, online, in cabarets or, like 'Old Friends,' on Broadway, all such compendiums play their own game of Sondheim Scrabble. Though there are many hundreds of songs in the catalog, compilers must pick from the same limited subset of favorites, arranging them in various concatenations and outcroppings. Occasionally a 10-point rarity turns up, but most of the choices are deeply familiar to those who have followed the man's work. 'Old Friends,' which opened on Tuesday at Manhattan Theater Club's Samuel J. Friedman Theater, is in that sense a lot like its predecessors. The 41 numbers it features come from the main pool, with an emphasis on songs from 'Sweeney Todd,' 'Merrily We Roll Along,' 'Company,' 'Follies' and 'Into the Woods.' Most of them were brilliant in their original context; many remain so outside it. Some are sung spectacularly by a bigger-than-usual cast of 17, led by Bernadette Peters and Lea Salonga. Others are middling, a few are misfires. I don't mean to make light of the greatest-hits format. Even the 10,000th rendition of 'Send in the Clowns' (sung devastatingly by Peters) or the 1,000th of 'The Ladies Who Lunch' (sung ferociously by Beth Leavel) can be transporting. And if you think that Salonga's 'Everything's Coming Up Roses' would be redundant in a season that also features Audra McDonald singing it three blocks away in 'Gypsy,' you'd be wrong. Bringing her own version of frustrated ambition to it, Salonga makes it new. Well, newish. Even when vocally and emotionally specific, the performances here are often physically generic. Revues, free to reimagine the spatial circumstances of a song, too often resort to the same blank slate of a black stage and a bright spotlight. Though directed by the British choreographer Matthew Bourne — the show began life as a one-night gala in London — 'Old Friends' has a stodgy quality that I find surprising. A couple of boxy towers, sometimes representing tenements (for 'West Side Story' selections) and sometimes castles (for 'Into the Woods') dominate Matt Kinley's set design, moving back and forth as if in a very slow chess endgame. The movement of the performers is often similar, except when it's hectic. Another cliché of the form is the exaggerated bonhomie that is meant to disguise the fact that the performers are not characters with relationships to play. They must apparently pretend to be shocked and delighted by everything their castmates are doing nearby, miming hearty laughter over the slightest high jink. Likewise, so many lyrics are encrusted with needless gesture that they come to resemble illustrated versions of Bible stories for children. That might be fine in a Jerry Herman revue — not to belittle him, but it's a different style. Sondheim's work is more complex, its pastiche of popular musical genres providing cover for its deeply psychological content. Up-tempo numbers like 'You Could Drive a Person Crazy' and 'Getting Married Today' (both from 'Company') are thus at a disadvantage when stripped of their anger. They can be sung with great proficiency, as they are here, but without real urgency they aren't funny. Still, two comedy numbers, both outliers, are terrific: 'Live Alone and Like It' from the movie 'Dick Tracy,' crooned jauntily by Jason Pennycooke, and 'The Boy From …' by Sondheim and Mary Rodgers, given a new, nutty take by Kate Jennings Grant. But in general, 'Old Friends' does much better with the explicitly darker numbers, whether offered as uprooted solos like Peters's, small scenes (the 'Agony' duet from 'Into the Woods') or generous sequences (a suite of five songs from 'Sweeney'). The anthemic 'Sunday' — the first act finale of 'Sunday in the Park With George' — may be more modestly staged than in full productions, but borrowed as the first act finale here too, it gives the same goose bumps. Helping tremendously are the 14-person orchestra playing arrangements (by Stephen Metcalfe) that, magically goosed by Mick Potter's sound design, are richer than we have any right to expect. Which brings us naturally to the show's producer, Cameron Mackintosh. One of the theater's few billionaires, he has lavished a lot on what could easily have been a small show with four stools. Peters and Salonga are part of that, of course; you can't put them in rags. The costume designer Jill Parker's spangle budget alone would have broken the bank of a typical Manhattan Theater Club presentation. It is perhaps more salient that Mackintosh and Sondheim were, as the title says, old friends. This seems to have given Mackintosh, who also 'devised' the revue, permission to indulge in a little self-puffery. In an introduction, Peters explains that its songs have mostly been drawn from shows 'our producer Cameron Mackintosh put together with Steve.' Not a small amount of the video imagery (projection design by George Reeve) underlines the connection, including a clip of Sondheim (and Andrew Lloyd Webber) singing Mackintosh's praises. Icky perhaps, but that's what everyone does. I'm doing it now: standing in front of the portrait of a hero. I'm sorry. But also grateful, because I want to tell you that there was a man who found the exact combination of five notes to describe the opportunities of a blank canvas and the specific thumping bass line to signal the unleashing of homicidal glee. A man who discovered that 'bump it' rhymes with 'trumpet,' that 'stocks' rhymes with 'Braques' and 'dollars' with 'Mahler's.' These gems had been waiting in the 12 tones of the Western scale and the million words of the English language, unobserved, until he came along with his flashlight and pickax. Any opportunity to experience how the feelings he channeled and the connections he made have mined our psyches and reshaped our world is an opportunity even old friends should take.
New York Times
16-02-2025
- Entertainment
- New York Times
Lea Salonga Is Never Getting Tired of Sondheim
Nobody doubted that Lea Salonga could sing. She had won a Tony Award at the age of 20 for her breakout role as the besotted Vietnamese teen Kim in 'Miss Saigon,' and sung her heart out as Éponine, and later Fantine, in Broadway productions of 'Les Misérables.' She provided the crystalline vocals of not one but two Disney princesses: the warrior heroine of 1998's 'Mulan' and the magic carpet-riding Princess Jasmine in 1992's 'Aladdin.' But could the singer handle Sondheim — a composer heralded for creating some of the most challenging, idiosyncratic work seen on the American stage — on Broadway? Could she inhabit a character like Momma Rose, the monstrous, pathologically ambitious stage mother from 'Gypsy'? Or Mrs. Lovett from 'Sweeney Todd,' the butcher/baker who breaks down the marketing challenges of hawking pies filled with human meat, in a Cockney accent, no less? 'Some of it's hard,' Salonga admitted. But she is doing all that and more in 'Stephen Sondheim's Old Friends,' currently playing at the Ahmanson Theater here in Los Angeles after a 16-week run in London's West End. Scheduled to begin previews on Broadway at the Samuel J. Friedman Theater next month, the show features more than three dozen songs from some of Sondheim's biggest musicals, including 'West Side Story,' 'Gypsy,' 'A Little Night Music' and 'Into the Woods.' The tribute revue also stars Bernadette Peters, who, no stranger to Sondheim, put her own indelible stamp on the character of Momma Rose in 2003. Salonga, Peters said, 'has one of the great Broadway voices, and she just brings down the house.' For Salonga, 'I'm getting the chance to sing some of the most incredible lyrics ever written. I'm getting to dip, not just a toe, but my entire body, into this incredible work.' 'Nobody was surprised how terrific she was as a performer,' said the show's producer Cameron Mackintosh, who also cast Salonga in 'Miss Saigon' and 'Les Misérables.' 'The real surprise was how funny she is,' he continued. 'There weren't that many laughs in 'Miss Saigon' or 'Les Miz,' obviously, so I didn't know that side of her.' The show marks Salonga's return to the Center Theater Group in L.A., where she last appeared in David Henry Hwang's 2001 revival of the Rodgers and Hammerstein musical 'Flower Drum Song.' In many ways, that show was a leap of faith for her. The 1958 original hadn't aged particularly well, with its mail-order brides and a musical tribute to diversity titled 'Chop Suey.' And by that time in her career, Salonga could be choosy. 'There was no one, particularly at that time period, who had achieved the combination of artistic and commercial success on Broadway that Lea had,' Hwang said. 'We were really lucky to get her.' Salonga's career has been like that: a combination of breakout performances (the first Asian Éponine and Fantine on Broadway) and leaps of faith, like 'Flower Drum Song' and her recent role in 'Here Lies Love,' which recast the tale of Imelda Marcos as a disco musical. 'I never thought I'd see that story on Broadway,' Salonga said. In the process, she's opened doors for others in the theater, as both an advocate, speaking out against racial discrimination in Hollywood and on Broadway, and as an example. 'She's obviously been a big voice for diversity in casting from the very beginning,' said Matthew Bourne, the Tony-winning director of 'Old Friends.' 'But she's also been an icon and inspiration for so many of the younger members of our cast.' On a recent morning, Salonga was in a restaurant overlooking the Ahmanson Theater, talking about some of her earliest days as a child star in her native Philippines, her breakout roles on Broadway, and her reunion with Mackintosh for 'Old Friends.' 'Quite a few of us had done 'Les Miz' for him,' Salonga recalled. 'So I think he just wanted the show to be populated with people he knew, and that he knew would be good.' Salonga first met Mackintosh in 1988, and was chosen to play Kim in the West End production of 'Miss Saigon' after an extensive talent search. 'Cameron likes to think he discovered her,' Bourne said with a laugh. 'And in many ways, he did.' But Salonga was already a star in the Philippines by the time Cameron came calling, having appeared in 'The King and I' at 7 and as the star of 'Annie' at 9. Concerned about whether Salonga, then 17, would be able to handle the pressure of singing in venues like London's 2,000-seat Drury Lane Theater, Cameron asked her what sorts of crowds she had played for. Three weeks earlier, she told him, she had opened for Stevie Wonder. 'At which point I said to myself, 'Cameron, shut up,'' Mackintosh recalled. 'Miss Saigon' went on to become one of the world's most popular musicals, playing for 10 years in London and securing Salonga a Laurence Olivier Award for best actress in a musical. But when the show was slated to come to Broadway in 1991, it ignited a firestorm for its yellowface casting of the Welsh actor Jonathan Pryce in the role of the Engineer. Salonga also came under fire from the Actors' Equity Association, which felt that the part of Kim should go to an Asian American. In the end, Salonga and Pryce were brought over for the Broadway run, both winning Tonys in the process. Salonga became the first Asian actress to win the award. 'I was on cloud nine that night,' she said. 'And after Jonathan Pryce's casting, which definitely was controversial, every single actor that got to play that role was of Asian descent,' she continued. 'So that was a big victory for Asian actors.' One of the most vocal protesters against the yellowface casting in 'Miss Saigon' was Hwang, who even wrote a play about it, 'Yellow Face,' which opened at the Mark Taper Forum in 2007 and played on Broadway last fall. When Hwang asked Salonga to star in his revival of 'Flower Drum Song' in 2012, it was with that history in mind. 'We've talked about it,' he said. 'But she was a very young actress who blew the part away both in London and the U.S. And none of my objections to 'Saigon' and the casting of Jonathan Pryce had a lot to do with Pryce personally, and certainly not Lea, so there wasn't much to talk about.' 'One of the good things we did talk about was how 'Miss Saigon' created a cohort of performers of Asian ancestry who got experience on Broadway and learned how to command a Broadway stage,' he added. 'A huge number of actors who we ended up casting in 'Flower Drum Song,' including Lea, had cut their teeth there.' A decade later, in 2021, Salonga teamed up with Hwang again for #StopAsianHate, an online movement that arose in response to an upswell of anti-Asian hate crimes during the pandemic. 'I remember seeing the news about a Filipino lady who was attacked in front of an apartment building in Manhattan, and the doorman didn't even try to help her,' she said. 'So I thought it was important for me, for all of us, to speak out when one of us is attacked.' In 2023, the Broadway production of 'Here Lies Love' offered Salonga the chance to tell a story close to her heart: the rise and fall of Imelda Marcos and the beginnings of the People Power Revolution in the Philippines. The show also marked the first time Salonga got to play a Filipino on Broadway, headlining an all-Filipino cast. 'I've played Vietnamese, Japanese, Chinese, French twice,' she said. 'Never Filipino. Our stories never made it to Broadway until then.' Later that year, Mackintosh called upon Salonga to co-star in the West End production of 'Old Friends.' 'There was only a handful of people I thought could possibly co-star with Bernadette,' he said. 'Steve writes about the human condition,' Peters said. 'So you have to get to the heart of it all. But if you follow the map of what he writes, because he really has thought out everything so well, it's all there.' Among Salonga's concerns: doing justice to Mrs. Lovett's Cockney accent in front of a house full of Londoners. She had performed the role of the serial killer's accomplice and romantic partner in productions of 'Sweeney Todd' in Manila and Singapore in 2019, but Drury Lane was something else. 'In London, I did not give myself any breathing room,' she said. 'I needed to make sure I nailed it every day.' 'I'm a Londoner, and actually a real Cockney as well,' Bourne, the director, said. 'And her accent is very good, and gets better and better. But that's Lea, though. She gets better and better at everything she does.' After her run in Los Angeles and New York, Salonga will return to the Philippine musical stage for the first time in six years to do, yes, more Sondheim, starring as the Witch in 'Into the Woods,' a role she played there three decades ago. 'I'm getting to do all kinds of Sondheim now,' she said. 'If I could just do Sondheim until the day I die, I'd be happy.' 'The goal isn't to be 100 percent perfect at everything you do,' she continued. 'That's not it at all. It's to be a good human, to be a responsible, disciplined, excellent performer. That's a reputation I like to think I have. And I'd like to keep it that way! That I'm someone you can rely on to put on a good show.'
