《真爱不死》：物是人非情未了 The 1)Phantom Never Dies
一个舞台,两段情,三个人,这就是构成《歌剧魅影》的基本元素。多年之后,《歌剧魅影》的续集《真爱不死》带着神秘的面纱回到我们的视线,还是这个展现爱恨情仇的舞台,但是那些曾经的才子歌姬已不复《歌剧魅影》的纯真与无邪,更没有了“爱,就是放手”这样的潇洒与豁达。因为《真爱不死》里面没有了天使与传说,黑与白之间亦因为角色的成长而划出了一片灰色的无光区域。在这里,有暧昧情愫,有秘密情事,有情与欲的纠葛,剪不断,理还乱。
我想起大学时期与室友一同看《歌剧魅影》的那个下午,当时是炎炎夏日,但我却感到阵阵寒意。在那个充满诡秘气氛的剧院,“魅影”用生命谱写了一段恋曲。他用情极深,但同时他的爱也令人窒息,无处可逃。我第一次体会到何为“爱比死更冷”。 ——mac
文字难度：★★★☆
To think that all this time that poor, old, half-faced composer hasn’t been dead at all, just 2)stewing in his lust for greater glory. Being the title character of The Phantom of the Opera, the most successful musical of all time, wasn’t enough for him. He was determined to return—with different material and a 3)rejuvenated body—to the scene of his first triumph. So now he’s back, first in the 4)West End, later in different areas of the whole world.
Even for someone who has seen The Phantom of the Opera 852 times and regards any 5)sequel as equivalent to painting a moustache on the Mona Lisa, Love Never Dies is still wonderful. No masterpiece has been 6)besmirched. But there is a crucial difference between the two shows. The hero of Phantom was a 7)crazed character, prepared to murder and send 8)chandeliers crashing to further the career of his beloved Christine. In Love Never Dies, set ten years later, he has become “Mr. Y”, the mysterious owner of a Coney Island 9)pleasure ground who lures Christine back for a well-paid 10)gig. Romantic obsession may be common to both shows, but whereas one may feel sympathy for a 11)doomed outsider, it is hard to feel much for an 12)omnipotent13)impresario.
The original musical 14)agonized over the possibility of unconditional love in a relationship of beauty-and-the-beast 15)opposites and mutual professional inspiration. In Love Never Dies, the professional inspiration is still here. For Christine, having discovered her employer’s true identity, the big question is “to sing or not to sing?” The result is a 16)foregone conclusion. Admittedly Christine’s debt-ridden husband, Raoul, is tempted by the Phantom’s 17)taunting offer of an even bigger fee to take the family back to Paris; but Raoul is too much of a 18)cipher to count. And, although Christine’s arrival angers Meg Giry, who had previously been Mr Y’s leading showgirl, 19)moody Meg’s revenge comes 20)late in the day.
One of the show’s most effective tricks is to introduce an innocent child into the proceedings, for as Gustave wanders helplessly through the adult action he seems terrifyingly vulnerable to the 21)whirling passions and dangerous mechanical 22)curiosities that surround him. It may be little more than classy 23)house of horrors stuff, but when the child goes missing, one fears terribly for his well-being.
要知道那个半张脸被毁掉的,又穷又老的作曲家至今仍气数未尽,他只是一直备受煎熬,渴求着更高的荣耀。虽然他贵为《歌剧魅影》的男一号,而该剧也是至今最为成功的音乐剧,但是他还不满足。所以他决定重出江湖,带着不一样的素材,容光焕发地再次踏上他首站告捷的舞台。现在他重回人们视线了,先是在西区剧院登台亮相,然后在世界各地巡回演出。
对于那些已经看过《歌剧魅影》825遍,认为所有续集都是狗尾续貂——像为蒙娜丽莎画上胡子一样——的人来说,《歌剧魅影》的续集《真爱不死》依然精彩绝伦,没有玷污《歌剧魅影》这部大作。但是这两部戏剧有着一个重要的不同之处。《歌剧魅影》的男主角是一个疯子,为了使其挚爱克莉斯汀的演艺事业走得更远,他随时准备好要杀人,还使吊灯砸下来;而在《真爱不死》中,其设定是发生在《歌剧魅影》故事的十年后,“魅影”成为了“Y先生”——科尼岛娱乐场的神秘主人,他以高薪引诱克莉斯汀回来作短期表演。这两部戏剧都充满了浪漫迷情,对于一个在《歌剧魅影》里命途多舛的异类,观众也许会心生怜悯,然而“魅影”在《真爱不死》里成了无所不能的剧团经理,观众很难对其燃起同情之心。
《歌剧魅影》着力刻画的是痛苦挣扎——美女与“野兽”这样大不同的人物在事业上相互扶持,而他们之间的感情是否存在无条件的爱。续集中,“魅影”与克莉斯汀之间在事业上相互激发的灵感火花仍未消失。当克莉斯汀发现这雇主的真正身份之后,大问题来了,“唱还是不唱?”答案无甚悬念。克莉斯汀的丈夫劳尔负债累累,面对“魅影”带着嘲讽意味的高价利诱,让他举家返回巴黎,诚然,他心动了;然而劳尔只是个微不足道的人物。虽然克莉斯汀的到来激怒了梅格·吉里——她之前一直是“Y先生”歌舞团里的头号爱将——满腔愤恨的梅格誓要报复,但有关其复仇的部分已非全剧的重点。
续集的最大亮点之一就是引入了一个天真无邪的小孩古斯塔夫。当古斯塔夫无助地在以成人的行为方式为标准的世界徘徊,在令人眩晕的激情和各种危险又新奇的器械的包围之下,他是多么的脆弱。可以说,这无异于奢华版的“鬼屋历险”之流,但当这孩子失踪了,着实让观众揪心,不免担心他的安危(编者注:《真爱不死》一剧充满诡异的气氛以及哥特式的幻想,让人觉得它是“鬼屋历险”似的奇幻秀,然而,观众即使知道该剧的风格如此,仍然会为剧中古斯塔夫这个角色的安危而感到担心)。
What one cannot doubt is the technical excellence of Jack O’Brien’s 24)seamlessly fluent, 25)sumptuous production, as well as the 26)splendor of the orchestra which pours forth Lloyd Webber’s dark-hued, yearning melodies as if life depended on them. Special praise should go to the lyrical lavishness of Bob Crowley and Jon Driscoll’s designs, with their 27)gilt interiors where the 28)vegetation-imitating 29)contours and giant peacock-30)plumage of 31)Art Nouveau run 32)rampant, and their ghostly external locations where a brilliantly deployed combination of flowing projection (33)timed to perfection with emotional and rhythmic shifts in the music) and 34)solidly presented stage-effects create a 35)dizzying Coney Island of the mind. Jack O’Brien’s production seems entirely 36)in tune with Lloyd Webber’s vision, conjuring a world of bright electric lights and dark shadows, fastened37)hedonism and hearts that have turned corrupted with jealousy and hatred.
As for the singers, they give a five-star performance. Ramin Karimloo and Sierra Boggess sing wonderfully as the Phantom and Christine, with a real spark between them. Looking gorgeous in a range of stylish period-outfits, Sierra Boggess’s Christine boasts a voice that can 38)purr quietly and then 39)knock you dead with her 40)towering 41)rendition of the climactic title number. And Karimloo 42)deftly combines danger and vulnerability throughout. Meanwhile, Joseph Millson memorably captures the self-destructive Raoul.
After watching the show I couldn’t help but wonder whether it can be a hit. There is no doubt that Love Never Dies seems like a 43)relic of another age. In the midst of a recession, will audiences spend on two-and-a-half hours of dark Gothic imaginings and 44)seething passion?
What I have no doubt about whatsoever is that this is Lloyd’s finest show since the original Phantom, with a45)score blessed by 46)superbly 47)haunting melodies and a yearning romanticism that48)sent shivers racing down my spine.
The show may be seen too strange and too dark to become a massively popular hit, but I suspect its creepy allure will linger 49)potently in the memory when 50)frothier shows have been long forgotten.
毫无疑问,该剧的舞台技术非常优秀,导演杰克·奥布里安的制作纯熟流畅、华丽夺目,简直是天衣无缝;而交响乐团的演奏也同样精彩震撼,乐团把劳伊德·韦伯创作的那深沉晦涩而充满怀思寄望的曲子完美地演奏出来,仿佛给戏剧注入了生命。而鲍勃·克劳利和乔恩·德里斯科尔的富有情调的奢华设计尤为值得一赞,他们大量地运用新艺术派装饰艺术中的仿植物轮廓的道具和巨型孔雀毛,把室内装饰得金碧辉煌,而在阴森恐怖的室外场景上,他们则结合使用了流动画面投影(随着音乐的节奏和其表达的情感的改变而进行同步变换,时间上配合得完美至极)和立体的舞台效果,创造了一个让人眼花缭乱的虚幻科尼岛。实际上,杰克·奥布里安塑造了一个耀眼灯火与重重黑影交织的世界,表现了根深蒂固的享乐主义以及被嫉恨玷污的心灵,而这一切与劳埃德·韦伯的所思所想完全合拍。
在演唱方面,演员们的表现更可谓是“五星级”的。扮演“魅影”的莱 明·卡莱姆罗和扮演克莉斯汀的席亚 拉·波姬丝都唱功了得,两人之间擦出了真正的火花。席亚拉·波姬丝扮演的克莉斯汀穿着那个时代的时髦衣服,看上去美丽动人,她毫不吝啬地秀出自己的歌 喉——低吟时如汩汩流水般轻柔,而演唱至标题曲目之时又激昂澎湃,令人赞叹至极。卡莱姆罗则由始至终灵巧地把险恶与脆弱这两种特质糅合得恰到好处。同时,约瑟夫·密尔森把自甘堕落的劳尔演绎得恰到好处,给人留下了深刻的印象。
看完《真爱不死》之后,我不禁要怀疑该剧是否会大热。《真爱不死》无疑看似另一个年代留下的瑰宝。在当今这个经济萧条的年代,观众是否愿意花上两个半小时来欣赏晦暗的哥特式幻想和炽热的激情?
我可以肯定的是,《真爱不死》是继《歌剧魅影》之后,劳埃 德·韦伯最优秀的戏剧,其配乐充满美妙难忘的旋律和让人情迷思牵的浪漫色彩,这直让我身心震颤。
这部戏剧可能被视为过于诡异和幽深,难以为大众所追捧,但是我猜当那些肤浅的戏剧被人们抛诸脑后之时,该剧的奇诡魅力将仍然萦绕在人们心头,久久不能褪去。
《歌剧魅影》剧情简介
故事发生在十九世纪的法国巴黎歌剧院。传说在歌剧院的地窖里住着一位遭毁容的天才音乐作曲家，他多年来神出鬼没，被众人称为“魅影”。他经常以鬼魅之姿制造纷乱，干涉剧院方对主角人选和戏码的安排。无意间， “魅影”爱上了剧院里年轻有才的女歌手克莉斯汀，因此他不遗余力地启发与教导克莉斯汀，将她打造成优秀的女歌手。渐渐地， “魅影”对克莉斯汀的爱转变为强烈的占有欲，对其事业和生活都百般干涉。
克莉斯汀对“魅影”的启发与教导心存感激，但她爱的却是剧院年轻的投资人劳尔，两人相互倾慕，并秘密订婚。 “魅影”对此大为震怒，并发誓要除去劳尔。 “魅影”不断制造事端，但都不能拆散这对爱侣。最后，他伤心欲绝，悄然离去，只留下一张似笑非笑的凄然面具…
安德鲁·劳埃德·韦伯 他才是真正的“魅影”
安德鲁·劳埃德·韦伯，1948年3月生于英国，是一位非常成功的音乐剧作曲家。他为百老汇和伦敦西区剧院创作了大量的作品，获得了众多的荣誉，其中包括托尼奖、奥斯卡金像奖等。
韦伯的成功之处在于，一方面将摇滚、爵士等现代流行音乐的元素奇妙地融入古典歌剧当中，而另一方面又保留了大量优美抒情的长调唱腔，从而使其作品能够具有轻快欢乐的节奏又不失激情的曲风乐韵。
韦伯为多部经典的音乐剧编曲，其中《艾薇塔》 （即《贝隆夫人》）中的Don't Cry for Me, Argentina， 《猫》中的Memory， 《歌剧魅影》中的The Music of the Night和The Phantom of the Opera最为人所熟知。而这些歌曲深受乐评界的好评和乐迷的喜爱。
而他的私生活亦与歌剧密切相关。他的第二任妻子是英国著名的女高音歌手莎拉·布莱曼，其在歌剧演唱方面也建树颇丰，两人于1984年结婚。因受到布莱曼歌声的启发，他于1986年创作出音乐剧（（歌剧魅影》。二人于1990年离婚，但离婚后仍保持着朋友与合作伙伴的关系。