“War Horse” on screen and stage

"War Horse" was a novel before it was a play

The “War Horse” story was first told in 1981 by novelist Michael Morpurgo, whose tale was adapted for the stage by Nick Safford in association with Handspring Puppet Company, which earned a special Tony Award for its “War Horse” creations.

The National Theatre of Great Britian production premiered in London in 1997 and officially opened in the U.S. last April at the Vivian Beaumont Theater in NYC’s Lincoln Center Theater — and went on to win five 2011 Tony Awards, including one for best play.

The “War Horse” movie directed by Steven Spielberg is based on a Lee Hall and Richard Curtis screenplay inspired by both book and play, was released in the U.S. just days ago, and is already being hailed as a 2011 Oscar contender.

I’ve seen both works with my college-age daughter, who shared my apprehension when learning that the story we so loved on stage was being adapted for big screen. The only saving grace for us at that point was knowing the story had made its way into the heart, and hands, of filmmaker Steven Spielberg.

Though we both enjoyed the movie, we were fonder by far of the play for several reasons. First, because the actors who performed in the live theater production did such an exceptional job of conveying each character’s depth. The play makes abundantly clear the full measure of dysfunction in Albert’s family, something that makes his loss and reunification with the “War Horse” Joey feel more precious and profound.

The scenic, lighting and sound design for “War Horse” on stage at Lincoln Theater Center was exquisite. All three designers, as well as the play’s two directors, earned Tony Awards. Despite the visual feast of “War Horse” the movie, we still favor the symbolism these designs conveyed over the literal depiction of war featured in the film.

"War Horse" was a play before it was a movie

We appreciated the fact that several elements of the play, like the bothersome duck who quacks up a storm while nipping at people’s heels, were included in the movie. The duck was funny on stage and screen, but it’s hardly fair to ask an on-screen duck to compare with a whimsical puppet creation operated by a puppeteer sporting a Scottish tam o’shanter cap.

Still, I found more humor in the screen version of “War Horse” — in which knitting needles and metal cutters get used in unexpected ways. The machismo of men is fraught with more comedy than angst in the movie, and plenty of light moments help to break up a story full of labors and loss.

Perhaps the greatest difference is found in the music. John Williams’ score for “War Horse” is no less magestic than those he’s composed for other works, but I found the simple violin and haunting vocals of “War Horse” on stage more moving — despite the fact that songmaker John Tams worked on both stage and screen versions of “War Horse.”

I remember “War Horse” on stage as a single strand of magnificent storytelling, with just a specific scene or two standing out from the rest — the glorious opening and the terrifying tank scene — so the play felt more consistent across scenes. But I’ll remember the movie for specific moments — some touching, others terrifying. The transition between farm fields and battle fields seemed more abrupt on screen, making me feel at times like I was watching two separate films.

In the end, I suppose, it’s all a matter of personal preference. Whether you tend to fancy stage or screen, the story at the heart of “War Horse” is gripping and gratifying. Get to London or NYC for the stage version if you can. It’s truly captivating, and something you’ll never forget. But see the movie, and read the book too. With each “War Horse” encounter, you’ll find something remarkable and new.

— Lynn

Note: Nominations for the 84th Annual Academy Awards will be announced on Jan. 24, 2012. I’ll be rooting for both “War Horse” and “The Adventures of Tintin.” Updated 12/28/11.

Coming up: Valley theaters bring classic literature to life

Update: The touring production of “War Horse” comes to ASU Gammage in Tempe Feb. 5-10, 2013 as part of the 2012/13 “Broadway Across America” season — click here for details. 4/15/12

Spielberg tales

I lived with my mother by the ocean for many years — first in Alaska, later in Hawaii and California’s Bay Area. She found the beach infinitely more appealing than the water itself, due in large measure to the movie that introduced us to the work of Steven Spielberg. It was “Jaws,” released in 1975.

I vividly recall the afternoon we hit the theater to see “Jaws” together — though saying we actually “saw” the film is a bit of a stretch. We spent most of the movie huddled together trying to hold back our screams. It’s one of the few things I remember actually experiencing with my mom at that age. I was on the cusp of a difficult phase and convinced she was the barrier to all my bliss.

I lost my mother to cancer more than a decade ago, but plenty of things still call her to mind. Even the 1982 Spielberg film titled “E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial.” I remember her watching “E.T.” often once it was released on video tape, and getting especially teary-eyed during the “phone home” scene — perhaps because her only child was off at college and readying to wed when the movie first opened.

Among films directed by Spielberg, my own early favorites include “Close Encounters of the Third Kind”– released in 1977. My three children enjoyed a “close encounter” of sorts with Spielberg and his family one day after we watched them pile out of a minivan and file up the pathway to a neighbor’s front door.

Apparently the little gingerbread-like house we once owned on a quiet Arcadia street was right across from the home Spielberg lived in while attending Arcadia High School. When our children simply couldn’t contain their excitement, James walked them dutifully across the street to say hello to the man whose movies they found simply enchanting.

Millions of us grew up with Spielberg’s own unique spin on storytelling, from “Raiders of the Lost Ark” (1981) to “Jurassic Park” (1993) — and beyond. Another generation can now do the same, thanks to two films being released in late December.

“The Adventures of Tintin,” based on a beloved comic strip by a Belgian who used the pen name Hergé, is directed by Spielberg — and opens in American movie theaters on Dec. 21. It’s a bit of history meets mystery featuring “Billy Elliot” actor Jamie Bell as “the young reporter whose love of a good story thrusts him into a world of high adventure.”

“War Horse,” a Spielberg-directed film scheduled to open in the U.S. on Dec. 25, is a love story of sorts — between a boy and a beloved horse sent with soldiers into battle during World War I. It’s based on the children’s book by Michael Morpurgo and the 2011 Tony Award winner for best play.

I saw “War Horse” performed earlier this year at Lincoln Center, with my youngest daughter Lizabeth. We held each other and got teary-eyed throughout, moved by the power and beauty of the story we’re now eager to enjoy together on the big screen.

Lizabeth is a freshman studying acting at Pace University in New York City, living on a dedicated “film floor” inside one of the school’s dorms — where students routinely gather to watch and discuss a diverse selection of films. She’ll get to attend tapings of the Bravo television series “Inside the Actors Studio” featuring James Lipton.

The show — which features interviews with famous folks from the crafts of theater, television and film — is taped at Pace University, home to the Actors Studio Drama School (which offers the M.F.A. in acting, directing and playwriting).

Still, I know nothing will ever match Lizabeth’s excitement at running across the street in bare feet to meet the Mr. Spielberg she considers not only a legendary filmmaker, but also — quite simply — a very gracious man.

— Lynn

Note: Click here to learn more about “The Adventures of Tintin” and here to learn more about “War Horse.” To enjoy a Michael Cieply piece titled “What Makes Spielberg Jump?” from The New York Times, click here.

Coming up: Mask-maker musings, Tales from a fourth world, A leaf of faith?

“War Horse” at Lincoln Center

War Horse is currently playing at the Vivian Beaumont Theater at Lincoln Center in NYC

I went into “War Horse” knowing only that it had won five 2011 Tony Awards, including “best play” — and that it featured lifesize horse puppets so spectacular that their creators, the Handspring Puppet Company of Cape Town, South Africa, received a special Tony Award for their work.

I knew it was a majestic tale of horses taken into war, but I knew nothing more. Turns out it’s also the story of a family’s dire financial woes, a father’s battle with alcohol and pride, a mother’s tough but tender heart and a young boy’s struggle to right the wrongs of everyone around him.

The opening scene of “War Horse” is breathtaking — as is much of the action that follows. Throughout the play, a young woman sings with haunting beauty, often accompanied by lone fiddle and accordian players.

Crowds begin to gather for the June 30, 2011 performance of War Horse at Lincoln Center

What looks like a torn piece of ivory linen paper with charred edges hangs where there should be a sky. Sepia-tone images and words are sometimes projected onto it, often revealing the date and country as the story moves from Great Britain to battles beyond.

A rendering of artwork used in War Horse scenic design

Long, flexible poles are swung in a circular motion over audience members seated near the stage. Bird puppets are suspended from them. Soon a plump goose puppet at the end of a long rod is pushed around the stage by a puppeteer donning a knit cap with a ball on top. Scavenger birds appear in later scenes as war casualties mount.

Our first glimpse of a horse puppet comes when a young version of “Joey” — and his three puppeteers  — take the stage. The foal is being auctioned off, and a poor farmer beats the town bigwig with an outrageous bid. They get the foal, but risk losing their home. The mother puts her teenage son in charge of the horse, hoping the animal will earn its keep pulling the family plough.

Soon the horse is grown, and a larger puppet becomes “Joey.” It’s clear that the horse is a hunter with finely tuned instincts and strength to match his beauty. Still, the father bets the bigwig he can teach the horse to plough the fields, and wins from him the price of the horse when his son makes it happen. He’s promised his son that if the horse wins the bet, “Joey” is his to keep forever.

When World War I brings the call for soldiers and the horses they’ll need to ride into battle, the father can’t resist an offer to sell his son’s beloved “Joey” for a large sum of sorely needed cash. He breaks his promise to his son, who is still too young to enlist and accompany his horse into war.

The rest of the play recounts the young man’s attempts to find and save his “Joey,” raising questions along the way about whether man or animal is really the “beast” — and showing with remarkable realism the impact that new technologies like machine guns had on more traditional means of combat.

One of several Rae Smith drawings for War Horse on exhibit inside the Lincoln Center Vivian Beaumont Theater

“War Horse” is a sensitive look at the horrors of war. It considers the ways we betray or stay loyal to ourselves and to others, leaving room for love and hope (and the light-hearted comedy of a noisy goose) to shine through.

Walking with my daughter Lizabeth after the show, I wondered how any other work of theater could ever hold such power and grace. Works like “War Horse” are precious and rare.

If you can’t see the play, you can still embrace the story by reading the Michael Morpurgo novel that inspired it. He’s written more than 100 children’s books, including several dealing with animals and war.

Lizabeth came home with a T-shirt from the War Horse souvenir stand at the Vivian Beaumont Theater

And you can see Steven Spielberg’s “War Horse” film when it’s released later this year. In the meantime, read the “Lincoln Center Theater Review” online to enjoy a collection of articles related to the play.

You’ll discover a bit about the people who brought the play, which debuted several years ago in London, to life — including a man who turned to horses when his own father became abusive.

You’ll find fascinating horse lore, learn about the evolution of warfare and read about the reaction of a modern-day soldier to finding a furry little puppy in the field.

“War Horse” is an unforgettable tale of love and loss. I’m so grateful to have witnessed it.

— Lynn

Note: “War Horse” is a production of the National Theatre of Great Britain. It was adapted for the stage by Nick Stafford. It opened at the Vivian Beaumont Theater on April 15, 2011.

Coming up: Images from the 9/11 Memorial Preview Center in NYC

Update: Click here to read a beautiful essay composed by writer Michael Morpurgo as a reflection on the recent tragedy in Norway.

Remembering New York

There’s an image that I work hard to keep alive, just as I’m learning to let so many other memories go. It’s the image of watching my daughter Jennifer, dressed in peach and lavender tulle, dancing the role of “Bon Bon” in a Ballet Arizona performance of “The Nutcracker” many years ago, before Ib Andersen unveiled his own choreography for the classic work.

Jennifer loves these typewriters and card catalog drawers at Poets House

I thought of Jennifer Thursday when I happened upon the Poets House on River Terrace in Battery Park City, because their children’s area had all sorts of folk art, stuffed animals and other things she’d truly enjoy — even pint-sized manual typewriters and old-fashioned school desks with chairs attached.

Poets House in NYC invites children to read to these stuffed animals

But it’s the desk of a gentleman who works there that really caught my eye. I snapped oodles of pictures, eager to show them to Jennifer when I got back to Phoenix. It was a creamy shade of green Jennifer would simply call “retro” — and it was covered in large magnetic words like “family” and “imagine.”

I wanted to bring this desk home for Jennifer's dorm room

I was struck by how many of the words reminded me of New York — especially the word “different.” There’s an amazing diversity of people and experiences in the city, and I adore it.

Ferry station along the Hudson River near Poets House in NYC

After my time at the Poets House, and my stroll along the Hudson River that followed, I felt like running away from home — never leaving this city that feels such a rare blend of comfortable and thrilling.

Visitors to Lincoln Center enjoy several sculptures throughout the plaza

Thursday night I went with Lizabeth to Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts, where we saw “War Horse” — this year’s Tony Award winner for best play. While strolling between various venues within the center, we happened upon one of the “Pop-up Pianos” that Sing for Hope places around the city for a brief bit of time each year. Each piano is painted with a different motif, and members of the public are encouraged to play them.

Another sculpture found in the plaza near the Vivian Beaumont Theater at Lincoln Center

Soon after we spotted the piano in an open courtyard where nearly a hundred people sat on long concrete benches or metal chairs at bistro tables, two men who appeared to be college-age played — one right after the other. Each played an elaborate, lengthy piece and we suspected, because The Juilliard School is located within eyeshot of the plaza, that they were accomplished music students.

A Pop-up Piano from Sing for Hope placed in a plaza at Lincoln Center

Lizabeth was eager to play the piano when it first caught her eye, but hesitated after hearing the two gentlemen play — fearing she’d spent too much time away from piano to sound nearly that polished. I held back so she could choose whether or not to brave the piano bench, but shared that hearing her play might inspire younger, beginning students to give it a go.

View of The Juilliard School from the Vivian Beaumont Theater

Soon she was playing pieces like “Peer Gynt” from memory and trying selections from piano books left atop the instrument. She told her dad when we got home Friday night that she didn’t play as well as the others, but I told her it wasn’t about the performance. It was about courage, and she has it.

View inside the Vivian Beaumont Theater at Lincoln Center

Like Jennifer’s performance in “The Nutcracker,” Lizabeth’s performance in that majestic plaza will stay with me for a lifetime — a fact that gave me comfort when it appeared my NYC photos had been lost. Still, I think sometimes that the moments we can’t preserve are the ones we remember best.

— Lynn

Coming up: Remembering 9/11

NYC: Fun finds

Pop up piano from Sing for Hope sitting in an NYC park

I came to NYC with a list of places I hoped to experience, but because we’re doing most of the city by foot and subway, I’m stumbling on all sorts of unexpected treasures.

While eating Italian fare on a Greenwich Village sidestreet one day, we saw a local television report a man dubbed the “Crazy Piano Guy,” whose been performing random acts of music on NYC streets since 2003. He’s careful to note in his bio that he’s not actually “crazy” but apparently he’s elevated the slur to a savvy exercise in branding.

That got me searching for New York street music, and soon I discovered an organization called “Sing for Hope,” which has pianos and players fanned out across the city through July 2 — when they’ll present a free concert in an atrium at Lincoln Center. Lizabeth played one we found in a Lincoln Center plaza while we were there to see “War Horse” Thursday night, so I suppose now I can brag about her “playing Lincoln Center.”

I found this farmers market fare while searching for the WTC Tribute Center

I took the subway to and from the Eugene O’Neill Theater Wednesday night for “The Book of Mormon” and ended up a bit off the beaten path while trying to make my way back to the hotel. The subway I can master, but the streets I have yet to memorize. There are more than a few of them here.

I found this Hudson River ferry stop after exploring Poets House

But getting lost has its own rewards — like discovering a pair of pianos in a park where two lovers sat on a nearby bench. The pianos were retired for the evening, and covered in tarps. A middle-aged man walking through the park with his wife gleefully approach one of the instruments, but his wife insisted they move along instead of pausing to play. My heart sank.

I got a little gleeful myself with this next find — the Poets House near the Battery Park City Library I happened upon during a futile attempt to visit the World Trade Center Tribute Center. I visited the library too, which was alive with color and children and conversation. Soon I was strolling a riverwalk realizing that the vibrancy and life in NYC is the greatest tribute to those who lost their lives here on 9/11.

Liberty Community Garden

I never reached the tribute center near Church and Liberty streets because I wasn’t clever enough to navigate all the construction detours, but I did luck upon the “Liberty Community Garden,” another oasis in this city of 8 million. It’s bordered on one side by a giant financial center and a simple outdoor basketball court on the other. I also explored the World Financial Center “Green Market.”

I encounted a bit of street art called “Tiles for America” while walking around Greenwich Village with Lizabeth Tuesday afternoon. It’s a chain link fence strewn with tattered tiles painted in remembrance of 9/11. There’s nothing fun about recalling that dreadful day, but I was delighted to find this art — one of many collections inspired by loss, heroism, love and hope.

Detail of the Tiles for America street exhibit in NYC

I’m eager to experience another fun find, just now in the making, next time I’m in NYC. It’s an art exhibition featuring photos of children from around the globe, and it’s coming to “Park51 Community Center” — a site known to some as “the mosque at Ground Zero.” If you like the project, you can support it via “Kickstarter.” I found this gem by playing with my smart phone as Lizabeth was in a college meeting.

I may have to settle for virtual NYC experiences during our final day in the city. My feet feel pushed to the limit and I’m too thrifty to pop for cab fare. When Jennifer and I visited San Francisco together several years ago, we walked far too many miles through city streets and Golden Gate Park. She ended up needing foot and ankle surgery, and I’d like to avoid a similar fate.

It is possible, I suppose, to have too much fun.

— Lynn

Note: Many of my most cherished photos appear to be lost because of memory card problems, but if my hubby/tech man gets the kinks out I’ll be updating this post with more pictures over the weekend.

Coming up: Musings on “The Book of Mormon”

In good company

The musical Company comes to six Arizona movie theaters this month

I wasn’t in New York City during April of this year. But neither, I suspect, were most of you — so I’m in good company. Turns out we all missed an April 7-9 run of the concert version of the musical “Company,” performed with the New York Philharmonic in the Lincoln Center’s Avery Fisher Hall.

But a special performance of the concert was recorded live, and it’s headed to select movie theaters starting June 15 thanks to a Screenvision, New York Philharmonic, Ellen M. Krass Productions partnership. Six Arizona theaters will be showing the concert at 7:30pm on Wed, June 15.

Screenvision lists them as Gateway 12 Imax in Mesa, Chandler Fashion 20, Arrowhead Fountains 18 in Peoria, Scottsdale 14 in Phoenix, Tucson Spectrum 18 and Surprise Pointe 14. Tickets are available online at www.screenvision.com.

Fond as I am of experiencing musical theater on stage, I’ve found that seeing it on the big screen makes for a mighty fine alternative. We’ve seen “Rent” and “Memphis” this way, and the 25th anniversary “Les Miserables” concert too.

I remember marveling at the mom and daughter who shared a blanket while watching the “Les Miserables” concert together at a Mesa movie theater. Something tells me fuzzy blankets and popcorn aren’t embraced quite that readily on the “Great White Way.”

Though “Company” isn’t anywhere near the top of Lizabeth’s “all time favorite musicals” list, I hope she’ll tag along to see it with me. “Company” opened on Broadway in 1970, and was nominated in 1971 for 14 musicals (a record at the time). It won six — including best musical.

It’s one of composer-lyricist Stephen Sondheim’s earliest full-scale musicals. There are 15 of them (so far) — including “Follies,” “A Little Night Music,” “Sweeney Todd” and “Into the Woods.” Sondheim wrote lyrics for “West Side Story” and “Gypsy.”

Major songs in “Company” include “You Could Drive a Person Crazy,” “Another Hundred People” and “Being Alive.” The 2006 Broadway revival of “Company” won the 2007 Tony Award® for “Best Revival of a Musical.” It was taped for the PBS “Great Performances” series, a little gem you can now enjoy on DVD.

The staged concert production of “Company” that’s headed to movie theaters features all sorts of “television and stage heavyweights.” Think Stephen Colbert and Neil Patrick Harris, Patti LuPone and Katie Finneran — and plenty more. Click here to enjoy rehearsal photos and here to read a related article from The New York Times.

Those of you who’ve yet to experience the joys of eating, drinking and breathing musical theater might feel ill equipped to recount the premise of “Company.” But it’s easy to follow. Think five couples and a bachelor friend living in NYC. And read Stephen Sondheim’s “Finishing the Hat” if you want to delve deeper.

You can click here for a bit of background from PBS, and here for a delightfully brief but comprehensive look at “Company” (and Sondheim) from New York Philharmonic program notes.

The April 2011 “Company” concert played to a full house that’s much larger than your average movie theater. So don’t delay in getting tickets to enjoy this classic work of musical theater. Feel free to bring your blanket along. Something tells me you’ll be in good company.

— Lynn

Note: This post is part of a “Countdown to the Tony Awards®” series that will run through Sun, June 12, when the 2011 Tony Awards® will be broadcast on CBS.

Coming up: Touring productions of Tony Award® winning shows coming to Arizona during the 2011/12 season