'The Singing Bones' World Premiere in Los Angeles Tomorrow! (Dec 8, 2016)

Have you read the short story "Bones" by Francesca Lia Block from "The Rose and the Beast - Fairy Tales Retold"?

It's a Bluebeard story... with a difference. (Anyone familiar with Block's writing will know exactly what I mean.)

Award winning indie fairy tale film film director, Danishka Esterhazy, has been working with Block on a project to bring her story to life. Now, thanks to some wonderful support via crowd funding and an amazing collection of film talent, behind the camera and in front, Esterhazy is presenting the World Premiere of the short film Thursday, December 8th, 2016, tomorrow night as of this writing and TONIGHT for many readers seeing this post for the first time.

We are happy to announce our WORLD PREMIERE at the Culver City Film Festival in Los Angeles. Thursday December 8th at 1pm. Tickets are available HERE. (FTNH: $10-$50)

Production still from The Singing Bones - Red Czarina

Block posted a brief, but illuminating announcement when the first image from the film was released. We're including most of it here, as it will give you insights into the story, the film, why this is one to keep an eye out for, and, if you're in LA, worth giving up your Thursday night to go check it out, if it's at all possible.

I wrote the story "Bones" as part of my collection of fairy tale retellings, The Rose And The Beast.  It is an emotional story for me  because the nameless main character represents the sense of loss, isolation, and loneliness, and the self-destructive tendencies, of my late teens and early twenties.   When Danishka Esterhazy shot her adaptation The Singing Bones in Oakland this last weekend, I was transported forward into the world of her fairy tale and backward into my past.  As I sat behind Katie Polley, while Michael Klinger seduced her with blue cake, blue drinks and his blue gaze, tears filled my eyes. Katie's stunning, fine-tuned acting skills and the fascinating way I was situated made me feel I was reliving my painful past through her, facing my seductive self-destruction embodied by a gorgeous, charming and intelligent young actor playing a Bluebeard-like character. 

The cathartic aspect of theater is something I've never been so fully aware of. 

This is one reason I want to work in film. Perhaps nothing is more powerful.

(Doesn't that make you want to go to the theater or get involved in creating and supporting a film of a story you love as well? Us too. If you're serious about film, we know some worthy indie filmmakers, Esterhazy and her company Red Czarina included, who could use your help.)

Award winning, indie filmmaker, Danishka Esterhazy

Block also interviewed Esterhazy about her love of fairy tales and aspects of creating this new film. From Block's blog:

FLB: We share an interest in dark retellings of classic fairy tales. What do these tales mean to you? You’ve based work on Hansel and Gretel, Red Riding Hood and The Snow Queen (as well as Bluebeard in The Singing Bones). What do these specific tales represent for you? What other tales are important in your  life? Who introduced you to these stories? 

DE: My mother read fairy tales to me and encouraged me to be an avid reader. So I have her to thank. She has always liked ghost stories, too, so I grew up hearing a lot of fabulous scary tales. But what I love about retelling fables is the power of layered meaning that becomes possible when a story is ancient and well-known. The audience is already familiar with the characters, with the plot, so you have a shorthand for communicating ideas. You can draw attention to important themes in a powerful way. And I love to take a story where the moral is all about a woman's need to conform - to turn that upside down - and make it about empowerment.

You can read the whole interview HERE.

If you are one of the lucky ones to attend the premiere, let us know! We'd love to hear about it and what you thought. (We are predicting all good things!)

Whoa. We Are Definitely NOT In Kansas Anymore.

Just watch the trailer.

Got our attention!

Yes - this is the 'un-cancelled' series we posted on back in April 2015! Shades of GOT*? Maybe. More on this later. For now just... digest.

Official Synopsis NBC:

In the blink of a tornado's eye, 20-year-old Dorothy Gale and a K9 police dog are swept into a world far removed from our own - a mystical land of competing realms, lethal warriors, dark magic and a bloody battle for supremacy. Starring Vincent D'Onofrio (Daredevil, Jurassic World) as the guileful Wizard and directed by the visionary Tarsem Singh across three European countries, this is Oz completely reimagined - a place where familiar characters show up in fresh, unexpected ways, and where an unsuspecting young woman holds the fate of kingdoms in her hands. And as Dorothy navigates this dangerous world and uncovers her true destiny, we'll see there's no place like... Oz.

*Game Of Thrones 

Review: Ballet Austin's "Belle Redux: A Tale of Beauty & the Beast"

Belle Redux: A Tale of Beauty & the Beast
Ballet Austin

Review by Tahlia Merrill (Timeless Tales Magazine)

What could be a more appropriate way to spend Valentine's weekend than attending a fairy tale themed ballet? Belle Redux is only playing in Austin for three days and I had the privilege of enjoying opening night. 

This is no Swan Lake, though. With narry a tutu or pointe shoe in sight, Belle Redux firmly establishes itself as a contemporary interpretation of Beauty and the Beast. The show, advertised as "multimedia", incorporates digital screens into the set to enhance the experience. Sometimes the screens clarify the location, such as a projected chandelier silhouette that lets the audience know they are viewing the Beast's mansion. Other times, they assist the plot, such as the pulsing red bar that appears on stage when the Beast (portrayed by Ed Carr) is first cursed (his Beast form is represented by a red stripe that runs from head to navel). The single set piece--a foil covered structure--is transformed from nondescript backdrop to ominous castle by shifting the lighting. 

While the style is contemporary, that does not mean Redux is a modernization. The set and costumes are designed as abstract symbols rather than fitting any specific time period. The music too blends the clear tones of classical strings with the gritty reverb of electric guitar. 

Because the show sticks to a fairly monochromatic color scheme, I found myself drawing connections between the characters' costumes and their good/evil alignment. It seemed simple at first: Belle's sisters dress in black leotards to show that they are wicked. Belle (danced by Michelle Thompson) wears a fluttery green dress to show her fresh innocence. The father wears black and white plaid to show that his loyalties are divided--while he loves Belle, he is still controlled by his evil daughters. Since The Rose represents the curse, the ballerina playing The Rose is dressed in a spiky black tutu and a crown of red roses. The Beast wears black leather pants with a white waistband, so that means he's evil, but there's still a little good in him. 

It's not always that simple, of course. In the first scene, both good and evil are portrayed wearing white, as is the pre-beast prince. Here's the description of the prologue from the program:

"In a beautiful place, a young boy lives. He is surrounded by roses and a life filled with things that are good. As he grows, the goodness surrounding him is subsumed by evil. As the boy matures, he resists the evil, but it cruelly marks him."

Notice that, in this version, the Beast doesn't start out as a haughty prince who rejects an ugly woman. This isn't a story about the Beast's redemption, it's about Belle's ability to see his true self. In the end, Belle finds herself in a room full of mirrors where she encounters versions of her family members, now carrying the same red mark as the Beast. Eventually, she sees a reflection of herself with the same red mark. It is only then that she sees both the Beast and the Prince at the same time. 

Now, because dance is such an abstract medium, it can be tough to pull out definitive messages. But my interpretation of the action is that when when Belle finally kisses the Prince, it shows that she has learned to love the inner good of the Beast. Everyone has imperfections, including Belle, but only the Beast has them displayed for everyone to see. 

Most surprisingly, instead of her kiss permanently bringing back the handsome Prince, the final scene is a romantic dance between Belle and the Beast--still bearing his red mark. In Redux, love isn't about changing a person, but loving them, scars and all. 

_________________________________________________________________________________

Tahlia Merrill is Editor of Timeless Tales Magazine, and an official partner of Once Upon A Blog.

Production: Belle Redux: A Tale of Beauty & the Beast by Ballet Austin - A 3M Innovation Commission
Performance Date: February 13th, 2015
Cast: Michelle Thompson dances Belle and Ed Carr portrays the Beast.
Photos by: Tony Spielberg (courtesy of Ballet Austin)

Once upon a time... A forbidden garden, a mysterious castle...  A beauty. A beast. A ballet. Inspired by the 1946 Jean Cocteau film and featuring an original score by Graham Reynolds. Commissioned by 3M.  FEBRUARY 13-15 at The Long Center.

More information can be found about Ballet Austin's commissioned production by 3M Innovation at the website HERE, while showings and tickets information can be found HERE (Sunday tickets are still available!).

You can see our previous post on Belle Redux and the unique approach to the production and retelling of the fairy tale, including costume and set design, HERE.

Disclosure: Complimentary tickets were provided in exchange for an honest review.

Bourne's Gothic Beauty (Consider Me Bitten & Smitten!)

Note: I've been wanting to blog properly on Matthew Bourne's Sleeping Beauty: A Gothic Romance for months now, rather than just mention it on Facebook or in passing here, but have felt so overwhelmed by all I wanted to share and say I've never finished my various drafts. Yesterday, however, I finally got to see the show in person and if I don't - at the very least - tell you how truly wonderful this is, I'll never forgive myself! So here goes...

A very special event (for me) just happened this past weekend: I just took my son to his first ballet! And it couldn't have been better (OK, maybe just slightly - but I'll get to that in a bit). When I heard word of Matthew Bourne's Sleeping Beauty: A Gothic Romance and read a little on his approach to both story and staging, I knew, if I got the chance, I would do my best to go see it and take my family. It turned out to be a great idea. The production and performance all lived up to all the rave reviews I'd read and was worth every cent. There were even multiple homages to the original Sleeping Beauty ballet if you knew what to look for (which couldn't have made this balletomane happier).

The following trailer was created for the specially filmed cinema presentations in Australia this year (sadly, it appears New Directions couldn't make it Downunder on their tour during 2013). Have a peek at the gorgeous! (By the way, if this came to cinemas here, I'd TOTALLY buy tickets to see that too):

✒ ✒  ✒ (click the "Read more" link below this line for lots more magical pics & my review) ✒ ✒ ✒  ✒ 

New Red Riding Hood Portrait by Soey Milk for "Fiction" Contemporary Exhibition

  "If you’re an avid reader, you know that the best literary characters seldom stay on the page, but rather climb out and wander around, manifesting themselves in whatever medium they can insinuate themselves into." (Emily Temple for Flavorwire on the new Fiction exhibit)

Modern Eden Gallery in San Francisco have a new exhibition by contemporary artists, envisioning famous literary characters in new ways. I was very glad to see Red Riding Hood among them. Even more interesting is the title the artist (Soey Milk) gave the portrait: Night Flow. As far as I can find, Ms. Milk hasn't made any comments on why she chose to portray Red this way or the reason it's titled the way it is, but perhaps that's for the better, so we can bring our own thought and stories to it.

Night Flow by Soey Milk

Other literary portraits that may be of interest to fairy tale people are Marcovaldo (Italo Calvino), Alice (Lewis Carroll), Wendy Darling (J.M. Barrie), Miss Havisham (Dickens), Morgaine (Marion Zimmer Bradley) and Coraline (Neil Gaiman) - all pictured below (click on exhibit link below to see larger) - as well as characters from The Tell Tale Heart, Moby Dick, Brida and Siddhartha.

You can see them in more detail and read a brief artist bio for each painting for a limited time at the Modern Eden Gallery.

  

Fairy Tale Review White Issue now Available

EDITED FOR CORRECTIONS ON 6-25-09 (at 7:30pm) - Additional text are in italics and colored red. (Thank you Kate!)

This literary publication was solely founded and edited by Kate Bernheimer, a writer and fairy tale scholar well known to those who study fairy tales. [She edited the wonderful book "Mirror, Mirror on the Wall: Women Writers Explore Their Favorite Fairy Tales", and has written a number of fairy tale based novels.]

From the website:

Fairy Tale Review is an annual literary journal devoted to contemporary fairy tales. The journal hopes to provide an elegant and innovative venue for both established and emerging authors of poetry and prose. Fairy Tale Review is not devoted to any particular school of writing, but rather to fairy tales as an inspiring art form.

A summary of the contributing authors for this issue and some previews are here. There is also a CD of the white issue being made with lots of music contributions as part of the presentation.

Previous issues - blue, green and violet - in addition to being available through their website and through the co-publisher, University of Alabama Press, are now available to buy through Amazon.com (please note the journal is housed independently and has no other affiliation with the University)

For more insider information check out the Fairy Tale Review blog.

"Fairy Tale Bits & Bytes" - New Fairy Tale Theater Production

From aikenstandard.com:

A computer virus attacks the Big Bad Wolf and Goldilocks tonight in a duel battling for the fate of beloved tales.

The Aiken Community Playhouse Youth Wing will perform a presentation of Garden Theater "Fairy Tale Bits & Bytes" on June 23, 3009, at the Aiken County Public Library in downtown Aiken at 7 p.m.

" 'Fairy Tale Bits & Bytes' is a comedic tale of an evil computer virus who sets out to jumble up - and ultimately destroy - the characters from best loved fairy tales, nursery rhymes and fables. It stars a cast of 19 young actors, most with little or no stage experience; it's a real growth opportunity for many of these young people," said director Tony Baughman. "I sought to cast actors who didn't have much theater experience to offer an opportunity for them to grow confidence, self assurance and theater skills. They are really coming into their own."

Sounds like a fun family production. Break a leg everyone!

Read the rest of the story here.

PLEASE NOTE: The image has nothing to do with the play, except that they both have fairy tale characters dealing with modern scenarios. The books aren't quite as 'family friendly' as the play will be! Here's a little info about the book:

"Sela Mathers is the main character of Grimm Fairy Tales and the essential thread that ties each issue together. She is a beautiful and mysterious professor with the unique ability to transport those she chooses into the fairy tale world in order to teach lessons in morality."

-Grimm Fairy Tales Hardcover volume 1 & 2