It's Panto Season! (And Ross Petty Tackles The Little Mermaid. On Roller Skates.)

It's Panto season! While this time of year is usually awash with Cinderellas, Snow Whites, Jacks, Sleeping Beauties and Puss in Boots among other tales (tails?), this sea-son Canadian Panto-vet, Ross Petty, is tackling The Little Mermaid (sea-son: their pun, not mine).

Niagara Falls, roller skates, Canada's mythical lake creature and drag... it's all in there. Yup - definitely a panto! I can't embed the video but you can get a short preview of the (wacky) stage show HERE.

What is Pantomime? Here's a brief summary, which should also give you an idea of what Petty's Little Mermaid is like:

Pantomime is a curious entertainment - a form of ritual theatre staged around the winter solstice. Originally silent (a form of mime), it is now anything but, with extensive vocalisation from both the performers and the audience.
The stories are generally well-known (drawn from popular folk-tales and similar sources), populated with stock characters, including a principal boy, generally played by a young lady with shapely legs, the heroine, also played by a young lady (which gives an added edge to the inevitable romance) and a dame, played by a man as a comic exaggeration of a middle-aged lady. Scripts change from year to year, but generally contain four strands of humour: visual, topical, corny and, occasionally, downright rude. In the UK this is considered to be family entertainment.

While the US has more musicals and obviously G-rated family friendly stage plays touring at this time of year, it's usually the British (and their friends) that take the turn into Panto territory. With the emphasis on irreverence and layered (but still family friendly) fun, it's easy to see why it became a strong tradition back during the dark, cold and (sometimes too long) Winters of the Northern Hemisphere.

There's nothing like a belly laugh to take away your Winter blues!

As for how Mr. Petty "panto'd" The Little Mermaid... I'm just going to put the blurb here:

For over 18 years, Ross Petty has created one of the longest-standing theatrical traditions in Ontario with his annual holiday pantomime, a truly unique creation that brings Canadian stars together on stage for a remarkable run of theatrical fun. Ross Petty Productions has Toronto awash with excitement to catch The Little Mermaid, a must-sea this holiday season! 

Petty and his team mark their first-ever foray into the fishy fairy tale, and in true Petty fashion, anyFIN goes! Chilina Kennedystars as the Little Mermaid. With an aquatic collection of friends by her side, the title character’s quest for true love and happiness is aided by Dan Chameroy’s sea-lacious Dame Plumbum, returning to the Elgin stage with his perennial persona as the Little Mermaid’s aunt. Starring opposite Kennedy as the handsome Prince, and the buoy of her dreams, is actor and Canadian Idol Season 1 finalist, Marc Devigne, Second City funnyman Reid Janisse, who also penned the O-FISH-AL script .One radiant redhead by the name of Jordan Clark, winner of So You Think You Can Dance Canada Season 4,  while fan-favourite Eddie Glen returns as Petty’s reluctant sidekick. Petty himself is trading in his 
spanks for scales to tackle the role of Ogopogo, the evil serpent sea wizard.   

 

The Little Mermaid plays at the Elgin Theatre, 189 Yonge Street, Toronto from November 22, 2013 (opens November 28) to January 4, 2014. Tickets can be purchased online atwww.rosspetty.com by phone at 1.855.599.9090 or in person at the Elgin Theatre Box Office.

"The Silver Chair" Movie Snags "Life of Pi" Screen Writer

They're definitely going ahead with the fourth Narnia film, The Silver Chair and, as of Thursday (yesterday) they've just signed a writer to the project. This time the screenplay will be written by the Oscar nominated Life of Pi and Finding Neverland wordsmith, David Magee.




From Variety:

 

“I have always loved ‘The Chronicles of Narnia’ and I endlessly imagined myself finding my own passage into Narnia someday,” he said. “All these years later, I’m getting to fulfill that wish just a little bit by writing the film adaptation of ‘The Silver Chair’ and could not be more excited about it.” (Magee)

 


From HarperCollins Narnia Page:

Douglas Gresham, stepson of C.S. Lewis stated, “I have a great deal of respect for Mark Gordon’s work and am confident that together we can bring the beauty and magical delight that Narnia engenders in the hearts of those who read the books to the screen in ‘The Silver Chair.’ I am very much looking forward to diving once more into Narnia, this time with Mark Gordon and his team.”

Although Disney produced the first two (The Lion, the Witch & the Wardrobe and Prince Caspian) and Fox handled The Dawn Treader, neither will be producing on the fourth film. Instead it will be handled by a co-op of Producers led by Mark Gordon (a company that is better recognized for their TV credits than the four films they've produced).


I'm very curious to see how they handle the marsh-wiggle, Puddleglum as I was fascinated with the characters as a kid. The BBC series had Tom Baker in the role but I'm afraid my impressionable child-self could never see him as anything other than Doctor Who (the fourth Doctor, with the crazy scarf). I kept expecting a police box to appear in Narnia (or "not-Narnia") at any moment!

My favorite character from this book, though, was the Lady of the Green Kirtle, or the Green-Witch or the Emerald Witch. (I saw a discussion on when witches were first thought of as being green-skinned but I can't find it at present to link to - fascinating and not as clear to pin down as you might think.) This part of the book felt extremely "fairy tale" to me, what with her being deceptively sweet at the outset only to transform into a poisonous Green Serpent, not to mention her being called the "Queen of Underland".

Concept art for Dawn Treader which originally featured The Emerald Witch

Apparently the original screenplay and concept art from Voyage of the Dawn Treader featured the Lady of the Green Kirtle (shown above) and the set up is quite lovely. From a fan:

..more art that was prepared for The Voyage of the Dawn Treader.  One piece that I absolutely love is art that was done that would have set up The Silver Chair beautifully.  It was a divergent part of the story that was in an earlier screenplay for Dawn Treader in which the Lady of the Green Kirtle (aka Emerald Witch) appears.  It kind of cements the concept that the Green Mist was an extension of her / foreshadowing her as a greater problem.

I always found her somewhat mysterious and appreciated her attacks on all the senses (sight - beauty, smell - sweet powder thrown onto the fire, hearing - a lilting mandolin that made people drowsy when she played on it, not to mention her subtle yet effective brainwashing). She was an Enchantress who, though powerful and could resort to frightening means, lured her victims in through pleasure and altering their reality, much like the faery of the Unseelie Court legends and reminded me very much of the Faerie Queen of Tam Lin. SO much could be done with this character! I hope Magee recognizes this and writes something juicy accordingly.

You can keep up to date on what's happening with the movie via the Facebook page HERE.

Julia Griffin's "The Snow Queen" Heading To Print (Kickstarter)

Do you remember this lovely art post with Julia Griffin's amazing illustrations of The Snow Queen HERE?

I've seen a hugely positive response everywhere the illustrations were posted but didn't realize she was having trouble getting it into a book! Ms. Griffin initiated a Kickstarter to help make the book a reality and there is only just over ONE DAY TO GO to be able to contribute to this (happily funded) project.

Here's her Kickstarter video, explaining what her (initial) plans were:

As the initial goal has been reached, Ms. Griffin is now making sure every backer will have the offer of a free PDF download as well as an audiobook version of the story, also to be available as a download and for "big backers" the thank you/reward is now the original artwork (that would be SO DIFFICULT to part with!).

The book will now also be printed at a slightly larger size and closer to the original artwork size as well (which equals excellent details!)

The neat thing about Kickstarters is that, not only do you get to fund projects you know are worth your investment at a ground roots level but the artists (of all kinds) go to great lengths to provide some truly lovely keepsakes and gifts for those who donate their hard earned dollars to help them. From "on record" thank you's to art cards, to a signed book to original artwork - depending on your contribution level, you will get something for your trouble as a special thank you.

I wish Ms. Griffin every success with her book!

News From "The Lunar Chronicles"

Lots of news coming from Marissa Meyer's The Lunar Chronicles this Monday. So much, in fact, it even got dubbed #CYBORGMONDAY.

First, for those who are having trouble waiting for the third installment of Ms. Meyer's sci-fi fairy tale series, Cress, (based on Rapunzel) you'll be happy to know that the first FIVE chapters of Cress are now available for reading (or download in the US only) for free HERE.

There's also a new book trailer for Cress HERE.

Possibly the most exciting news, though, (for me at least) is news of a just released preview/teaser of a new companion short story for The Lunar Chronicles. It's based on yet another fairy tale and is, apparently, the most requested tale Ms. Meyer gets asked to consider retelling. The story is titled The Little Android and is based on.. you guessed it: The Little Mermaid. 

What does that mean? It means we're getting a legitimate sci-fi retelling of The Little Mermaid by an author who's proven she knows both her craft and her fairy tales. I can't wait to read the whole story. Hopefully it will be released via Tor.com like Ms. Meyer's other short stories, complete with some new and gorgeous artwork to boot (Ha! Punny. Cinderella, boot... sorry. Couldn't resist.) They'll be releasing the whole story when Cress reaches a pre-order goal set by the publisher but for now you can read a teaser HERE.

There is an extra  - and Cress exclusive - incentive to pre-order when you do it through HERE and you can keep abreast of more news, and lots of pics and fan art, care of the new Tumblr HERE.

Bring on those release dates!

Breaking News: Gans' "La Belle et la Bete" Trailer Released This Morning

Released exclusively to Premiere Magazine France first this morning, and now spreading like wildfire through the web, we can now see the seriously gorgeous trailer for Christophe Gans' newest movie La Belle et la Bete (full screen recommended!):

And here's Premiere's write-up below the trailer (auto-translated from French & kept intact as our power is about to go out for a few hours here!) with some added screencaps I quickly made this morning:

"Monsters movie should be beautiful creatures" stated Christophe Gans comment out the first pictures of Beauty and the Beast exclusively unveiled in the pages of First - and kept secret his vision of the Beast.  

The first trailer and it lets see the creature suggests that the filmmaker was keen to put this statement into practice.Worked in computer graphics from the expressions of Vincent Cassel , facial animation of the Beast was one of the main technical challenges of film Christophe Gans and seems to have been beautifully statement. Another splendor of these raw images, scenery, grand, first announced an aesthetic gem through visions and magical interpretation of Gans away from the confined atmosphere of Cocteau's film. 

We also know that the director of the  Brotherhood of the Wolf wanted to return to the original tale of Madame de Villeneuve, which gives greater emphasis to the context - the social status of a family - and therefore the father, played by André Dussollier, as well as 'behind the transformation of prince beast tracks barely sketched in versions of Cocteau and Disney. And in fact, the trailer highlights the father figure and shows Vincent Cassel without the mask monster, opening the field to explore the story of the lesser known public areas. 

The voiceover narration and the "Once Upon a Time" still remember we are on familiar ground and the film is all public wants. And the sequence of scenes where we see  Léa Seydoux move from fear to attraction emphasize especially that it is primarily a love story.Beauty and the Beast  will be in theaters February 12, 2014.

Wow. All the iconic scenes from the story appear to be present (I do love the reflection and Belle grabbing the knife!) and I can already see more of Villeneuve's story in there than we usually would, though with Gans' sensibilities and preference of course.

It's obviously family friendly (I'm not quite sure what I think of the little CG creature yet) and is very unlikely to have the raw sexual energy of Premiere Magazine's photoshoot with the two stars (see below) but it does seem as if it will stand among the best  - and most beautiful - Beauty and the Beast films to date.

I can't wait to see this!

Note: There appear to be some formatting issues today but since I'm about to go offline, I'm not going to keep trying to fix it.

Fairy tale bonus of the day:

Premiere Magazine also had a special photoshoot with Léa Seydoux and Vincent Cassel regarding their new film and the resulting images look a lot more Angela Carter than Cocteau!

Here they are:

Stunning Concept & Promo Images of Gans' "La Belle et la Bete" by François Baranger

Concept-art for "Beauty and the Beast".
This is the first version of the Beast's castle. It has evolved later on,  but this painting was also used for the the Christmas catalog of the "Galeries Lafayette".

*flail, fumble, speechless, gathers self...* Ahem. Wow. I really don't have much to say about these recently released concept and promo images except for "ooh-shiny!" and "g-gah-gorgeous!"

Promo image for "Beauty and the Beast".
Used in  the Christmas catalog of the "Galeries Lafayette" (a famous department store in Paris).

François Baranger is a freelance illustrator and concept artist who has been working with Christophe Gans both in development and now in promotion of the French Beauty & the Beast film, premiering in theaters in France around Valentines Day.

Another concept for "Beauty and the Beast" by Christophe Gans.
It depicts the brambles forest surrounding the beast domain, when Beauty and one of his brothers try to find the hidden path.
That concept is also used for the cover of "Galeries Lafayette" christmas catalog (a famous department store in Paris).

Clearly, I have to hunt down a copy of this Galeries Lafayette Christmas catalog! Also quite clearly, my usual commentary is a little lacking so Ima just leave these here for you to drool over and stop typing... 'k? (You're welcome.)

Here is the first concept for Beauty and the Beast I'm allowed to show. It depicts the dining room, which has already seen on the pictures given to the press. I was in charge of the visual development of this movie over a year, and I can say that it was a great moment for me. Christophe Gans is a director fully aware of the importance of a good preproduction, and he trusts the artists. So, once again, it was a real pleasure to work with him. :)

One last note:

I found the following comment from the artist in the "small print" at one of his websites:

In the next weeks (months?), I'll post more pictures, depending the teasers/trailers, and the rest at the release of the movie (february 2014).

*squee!* Gives me hope for an art of book to come...

(and I don't care if it IS only available in French. I'll tag and bag a copy of my own!)

In the meantime, you can find more of Mr. Baranger's work HERE.

As You Wished: "The Princess Bride" Heads To Broadway, Cary Elwes Is Writing A Princess Bride (Movie) Tales Memoir & More

Since we all fell in love with the 1987 film of The Princess Bride, no one has been able to top the production or add any (large) incarnation or adaptation to the "franchise", despite best efforts. First there was the novel, then the movie but then nothing Princess-Bride related has stuck past early development (beyond comic books, trading cards, new covers and various one-off art works and cosplay). Until now.

I've gone to write a post on this a couple of times but each time I do there's more Princess Bride news to add (must be Princess Bride season). I can't wait any longer - I must share!

Here's the (very happy and enthusiastic) announcement, care of broadway.com, with additional statements from Disney Theatricals Productions Producer, Tom Schumacher, and the original novel writer William Goldman:

Get out your swords, because Inigo Montoya, Westley, Buttercup and Vizzini could be heading to Broadway! Disney Theatrical Productions is readying a stage adaptation of the beloved 1973 novel and 1987 film, The Princess Bride. No casting, creative team, dates or theater have been announced, but we’ve got our fingers crossed (all six of them) that the show will premiere on the Great White Way soon. 

“The Princess Bride has proven to be an enduring delight and a beloved favorite to multiple generations,” said Thomas Schumacher, president and producer of Disney Theatrical Productions, in a statement. “What William Goldman created is first and foremost a celebration of storytelling; what better place to spin that tale than on the stage?” 

“I am thrilled that the next chapter in the life of The Princess Bride will unfold on the stage,” said author William Goldman. “With [Walt Disney Studios chairman] Alan Horn, Thomas Schumacher and his team at Disney Theatrical Productions leading the way, Buttercup, Westley and all of Florin are in the best of hands.”

No word yet on whether it will be a musical or a straight (but very funny) play, or who the creative team will be. From all I've read, it's looking less likely it will be a musical, though all the online media are busy speculating and wishing on a list of songs that "must" be included (please do NOT turn "My Name Is Inigo Montoya, You Killed My Father, Prepare To Die", into a song!). All we know is that a composer who has been working on a musical adaptation of Princess Bride on and off since 2005, recently announced he is no longer attached to any Princess Bride project, apparently due to creative differences with author William Goldman. (He did say, however, that he's keeping his work in a drawer for using in a some other fairy tale project, should that possibility ever raise its head)

Here's a video of the announcement, with some fun clips included - new and old - as well:

In a suitably timely manner, Houghton Mifflen Harcourt has released a very special, newly illustrated edition, with 50 beautiful images by artist Michael Manomivibul (see the cover at left and the illustration below). There are two (lovely and lengthy) introductions included in the book - one for the 30th edition and the one from the 25th edition, which give a lot of background on the development of the movie in particular and in this edition, Goldman's additional short story, Buttercup's Baby ,is also included. (You can read a lot of the introduction in the "look inside" preview at amazon.com).

And there's more news too: Cary Elwes is writing a memoir, all about his fond memories from his involvement in The Princess Bride movie. From StarTribune:

The actor has a deal with Touchstone, an imprint of Simon & Schuster, for a memoir about the beloved fairy tale. The book is called "As You Wish: Tales from the Princess Bride." Touchstone announced Friday that it has scheduled publication for the fall of 2014. 

Rob Reiner, who directed "The Princess Bride," is contributing a foreword. The book, to be co-written by Joe Layden, also will include interviews with Billy Crystal, Robin Wright and other cast members from the 1987 production.

I'm actually looking forward to Elwes' book. Since we never really got a real "movie book" for The Princess Bride, this should be a fun addition to the library (I really hope there are pictures!).

So: lots of Princess Bride news! With all this news, I expect to see an explosion of Princess Bride fan art in the immediate future as well (yes please!). Regarding PB's journey to Broadway in particular, you can sign up HERE to be notified of any official news as it develops.

Magic At Home & The Return Of Your Regularly Scheduled Fairy Tale Programs (And Daily News)

Once Upon A Time  Fan Art by Carllton

I've had the most lovely and unexpected week! Not only did I have my "Wonder Kinder" home with me all week but my best friend - who I hadn't seen in nearly a decade - flew in from Australia  at the last minute to spend Thanksgiving and a few days with us!! Sometimes the best magic is very close to home.

I'm thankful for my family and a very special friend, for whom much time passing between visits means only strengthening our friendship. (I know there's a tale like that somewhere but I'm too tired to hunt it down right this second.)

Now that we are all returning to our regularly scheduled juggling, not only are the fairy tale series shows back on again (yay!) but I should be able to get back to daily fairy tale news reporting (barring any monsoons of madness).

See you tomorrow!

(NBC) Grimm Cookies - Design for Shirt Woot design contest by InfinityWave

Ask Baba Yaga: There's Got to Be a Way to Exist Without Constantly Inflating and Deflating My Ego

Baba Yaga by Gennady Spirin

Baba Yaga's oracle is back! And she brings with her some much awaited advice...

Have you ever had a surge of pride (or just confidence), then felt guilty for thinking too highly of yourself? Me too. All. The. Time. So this advice is for me. And many of you too. :)

This week's question and answer (via poet and oracle Taisia Kitaiskaia* of The Hairpin):

(Originally posted at The Hairpin HERE)

While there are a few interesting responses from people regarding just how they cope with this (including pretending to be a honey badger, which... might actually be fun) here are my favorite responses to date:

• Anyone who refers to feet as "feets" is OK in my book. Let's hang out, Baba, and drink tea and discuss things. (I'm Right On Top Of That, Rose)
• BABA you've come back just when I needed you. "HEART" (PomoFrannyGlass)
• Baba killed it once again!! This series is the tops, and when it comes out in a beautifully illustrated book, I will be in line for a copy. ETA: I read the headline and thought, "Yes! Baba please tell me. And I was not disappointed." (adorable-eggplant)

The 'Other' things.. with a capital 'O'... *delicious shudder* Yes - there does seem to be a lot of Other inside..! I guess I should make friends with them. And the rabbits. (Easier said than done but she's completely right about needing to do so!)

What do you think of Baba Yaga's advice?

Want to ask Baba Yaga a question of your own?

You can!

There's now an email address where you can send your questions

directly to Baba Yaga herself.

AskBabaYaga AT gmail DOT com

To encourage Baba Yaga to continue imparting her no-bones-about-it wisdom (ok, there may be some gristle in there... bones too), I suggest we not to leave her box empty... 

Thank you Baba Yaga (& Taisia).

* Taisia Kitaiskaia is a poet, writer, and Michener Center for Writers fellow. Born in Russia and raised in America, she's had her poems and translations published in Narrative Magazine, Poetry International, and others.

The Boxtrolls Get A 2nd Trailer (& We Get A Peek Behind the Scenes)

This very different Jungle Book-like story (based on the best selling children's book Here Be Monsters) looks adorable. Still! (I was already won over by the first trailer released earlier in the year. This just confirms it.)

A second trailer was released on Wednesday and completely confirms the awww-factor.

It opens with behind-the-scenes clips of the delicate and lengthy stop-motion filming and ends up with finished animation, complete with seriously a seriously cute kid-character who's dressed in a box like his carers/family.

Enjoy: 

Laika animation studio's The Boxrolls is scheduled for theatrical release on September 26th, 2014.