D23 News: Live Action "Beauty and the Beast" Update

"Love Blooms in Winter" - Beauty and the Beast
by Heather Theurer

The image above doesn't strictly have anything to do with the upcoming movie, or the movie news, BUT it is a fairly new print, created this year, inspired by Disney's Beauty and the Beast, by the amazing oil painter Heather Theurer.  She does the most incredible interpretations of Disney characters I my have ever seen (we have a few of her other paintings you can see HERE). The reason I love these so much is not just because of the gorgeous and classical technique, but that they send you right back to the original stories. How perfect is that? It's one of the reasons I couldn't resist showing you full since since it almost fits in the blog. (!)

Anyway - onto the news most people want to learn, an update on the live action version of Disney's Beauty and the Beast:

Unfortunately, there really isn't much to see (image wise on the web) and the information is more gleanings and teasers than anything else, possibly because principal filming isn't quite done yet, and this is a movie that even then will need a LOT of CGI and special effects to pull off that "Disney magic". However, here's the little we have to share:

Fans of Emma Watson and the Disney Classic, “Beauty and the Beast”, will be delighted to learn that the first look of the movie has been revealed.  (Edit FTNH: Unfortunately, it doesn't look like the rest of us will get to see what D23 attendees did anytime soon but I'm sure we'll be getting a poster teaser at least in the near future.) At Disney’s D3 held on August 15, fans received a sneak-preview of Watson leaving her mark as the book-lover, Belle, on-screen. As reported by MTV, the clip from the movie showed Belle gracefully walking down the stairs in her trademark yellow gown. (source: HERE)

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Though nearly done filming, there wasn't any complete footage shown from this one -- save for a shot of Emma Watson as Belle in her now infamous gold dress, coming down the stairs to dance with the Beast. Let us just say that she looked GORGEOUS and seeing that moment brought to life brings chills.

In some behind-the-scenes footage shown, we got a look at the village set, which looks almost exactly like it did in the animated film. Belle is seen in her blue and white dress as well, while Gaston (Luke Evans) can be seen singing and dancing around a bar in his famous red costume and long ponytail. Sorry, nothing with the Beast in it just yet.

The crowd was told that the final film will include two new songs from Alan Menken.

"Beauty and the Beast" won't roar into theaters until 2017. (source: HERE)

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BWW message board poster jacobsnchz14 shared:

I'm here at the expo and everything I've seen from BATB looks stunning, including Emma in the dress. They also showed the title treatment artwork which reminds me of Into The Woods' mixed with the original one with the Beauty in nice type with an eroded Beast. The crowds went wild for it. The set, visuals, costumes, etc. were beautiful. No footage of the objects or the beast.Can't wait for everyone to see the footage we saw! Plus, we were treated to a video of Luke Evans and Josh Gad singing a few bars of "Gaston". (source: HERE)

There is also part of the video message from Emma Watson to D23 fans, which you can see HERE. Unfortunately, the video finished before we get a look at anything we really want to see...

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Art shown at D23
with prints available for purchase

Cyclops Print Works Print #8: She Really is a Funny Girl by Mark Englert
Size: 12”x36”
Technique: Serigraph | 9 Colors
Edition size: Limited Edition of 275
Features: Hand-Numbered | Varnish Finish |Authenticity Seal
Price: $60
Printed by: Eclipse Workshop
Officially Licensed by Disney

FULL DESCRIPTION (of the sizzle reel) by (D23 attendee) ahundredteas:

Belle in the forest

• Quick shot of Belle in the forest before she ends up at the Beast’s castle
• It’s dark and blue (reminded me a lot of “Into the Woods”) and you can see snow on the ground.

• Belle is in a cloak so we can’t see what her outfit is. I’m 95% sure that the cloak is navy blue but with how blue the shot was I can’t be 100% sure.
• She looks FREAKED OUT but not hysterical.

Belle on the stairs in the Iconic Yellow Dress

• Quick shot of Belle stepping down the stairs.
• Staircase is gold and whimsical, very similar to Cinderella’s carriage from the latest “Cinderella” movie.

• The yellow dress is more of a sheer fabric than the heavy material in the cartoon version. The skirt is less full. Still stunning. Top looks similar to “Once Upon A Time” Belle’s yellow dress but not as poofy.

Belle looking up

• Last shot is Belle in the yellow dress looking up at (I’m assuming) the Beast.
• She looks like she’s kneeling or in a deep curtsy.

(Source: HERE)

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And that's about all we've gleaned to date. But it is exciting. It would appear that the live action movie is going to follow the look of the animated film fairly closely from random reports here and there about the glimpses given from the "infamous gold dress" to the village and castle so that should keep Disney Beauty and the Beast fans pretty happy.

So that's about it for now, though you might be seeing an image or two floating around the internet saying "this is the first looks!" It's not. They're excellently done fan made images and we've had the main one on OUABlog before but I hadn't seen this fan made poster below, which is wonderfully creative and shows Emma Watson in more of a designer-type gown than the animated movie princess dress, which is very tasteful.

Fairy tale bonus of the day:

At D23, ABCs Once Upon A Time also did a Beauty and the Beast reveal, featuring the famous enchanted (Disney) rose in the very first episode of the upcoming season.

You can see the teaser screen grabs below:

Ask Baba Yaga: How Can I Help My Summertime Depression?

Baba Yaga's Forest by Rima Staines

I'm definitely one of those people for whom Summer is the worst time of year. I don't manage heat well, (and the 100 to 110 degree temps this last week have been a full-on physical challenge with heat-related illness - hence irregular posts sorry!), but it's isn't just being heat-sensitive that can get me down. So much sun I can find depressive (even oppressive), and, much like people who sometimes get Winter blues, I can get a Summer version, counting the days till Winter which is my most wonderful, creative and happy time of the year. I've been relieved to find out I'm not the only one but it is still difficult to know how to manage, when many people are at their most social and most motivated and you're just not up to it. What to do? Thankfully, someone else thought to ask Baba Yaga for some insight.

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

(Originally posted at The Hairpin HERE)

Yes. I need a creek. Preferably many! So if I'm not here for stretches this Summer you now know: I'm looking for a creek. (I'm not kidding.) And if I don't find a creek, at least it's not a forever state. Plus it's kind of awesome to look forward to morphing. I do love a good transformation... #fairytale101

For inspiration I've included some of the 'in progress' pics that Rima Staines shared on her blog HERE in creating this marvelous Baba Yaga's Forest backdrop for a special storytelling event with a Russian fairy tales theme in 2012. I do so adore what she and Tom Hirons are doing in their traveling 'vehicle of imagination', Hedgespoken. (The event this was created for appears to be a pre-cursor for their off-grid theater and storytelling project.)

                           
Note: If you're wondering if your feelings are due to more than just a bad day or two, know that you're not alone. There is such a thing as "Summer SAD" (Seasonal Affective Disorder) and there are things you can do to help yourself (see HERE) as well as doctors than can too. 

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.

Disney's "Gigantic" News From D23 Today!

This is just breaking as I'm typing the post and people seem more excited about this news than anything else, including any news about Frozen 2, Moana (although that's a close second and I'll bring you up to date on that shortly), Zootopia, Winnie the Pooh or Once Upon A Time.

What is this, you're wondering? 

This is Disney's long-awaited Jack and the Beanstalk project Giants, now renamed Gigantic,  and news has been announced at the currently-running annual Disney fan expo, D23, in Anaheim California.

The story initially broken by Deadline, here's the gist (emphasis in bold and underlined is mine):

Disney said today at the D23 fan expo in Anaheim that its toon studio’s next project will be Gigantic, a Spain-set take on the Jack And The Beanstalk story.  Nathan Greno, who co-directed 2010’s Tangled, will helm the Disney Animation film with Dorothy McKim (Meet The Robinsons) producing. The film will hit theaters in 2018. 

“We want to make the definitive version of Jack And The Beanstalk,” Greno said onstage at D23. 

(Edit FTNH: Inserting official description below, rather than the paraphrased version) The director said: 

Set in Spain during the Age of Exploration, Disney’s “Gigantic” follows adventure-seeker Jack as he discovers a world of giants hidden within the clouds. He hatches a grand plan with Inma, a 60-foot-tall, 11-year-old girl, and agrees to help her find her way home. But he doesn’t account for her super-sized personality—and who knew giants were so down to earth? 

And it’s not just one Big Person at the top of the beanstalk but an entire world of giants from lots of different cultures, he said. The bad guys are the Storm Giants.

The premise isn't exactly new, though it will be interesting to see a grown-man Jack and giant child pair up. There's been more than one adaptation of the fairy tale that has multiple giants in the clouds. The 'set in Spain' part has sort of been done too, but still, this is the Disney version and soon people will have trouble remembering that. Let me rephrase that: this is the Disney FEATURE-LENGTH version. This will actually be the Disney company's FIFTH adaptation of the English fairy tale, including the animated versions in 19922, and the next in 1947, the Once Upon A Time version (in which Jack was Jaqueline and not-so good-of-heart) and the recent Disney movie version of Into the Woods, directed by Rob Marshall.

Did we mention that the music is being written by the duo who created Frozen's wildly successful soundtrack? They're far enough along in the process that they played (and sang) one of the songs at the D23 presentation - after Jack meets the giant girl Inma. Apparently it was "aw-dorable!" Being that the giant is 11 years old, we shouldn't be treated to any teenage angst songs like the infamous Frozen ballad, but there's a lot of warning about getting tugs on the heartstrings and the need to bring tissues so you never know.

And here's additional tidbits reported from various places.

CinemaBlend:

To add some cultural flare to film, it is actually set in Spain during the Age of Exploration, so expect Jack to be something of a Christopher Columbus of the skies. 
In addition to the officially released news, our own Eric Eisenberg is reporting from D23, and from what info he's gathered there, it sounds like Gigantic will include entire societies of different sorts of giants, including Storm Giants, who will act as the villains of the story, and will be twice as big as the girl Jack makes friends with. The character of Jack will be a grown man, as opposed to the youth that he is often portrayed as, which will be important to the interaction between Jack and Inma as the film will focus on the relationship between the adult, yet small human, and the young, yet huge, giant.

From InsideTheMagic:

As the announcement was made, a giant green beanstalk emerged on the D23 Expo 2015 show floor in the Walt Disney Animation Studios pavilion, surrounded by sound effects of a cow mooing and a giant grumbling. Artwork was (also) shown during the presentation. (Edit FTNH: I've inserted the main pics throughout this post.)

The definitive version, hey? I just can't imagine that, even if they do include the famous "Fee Fi Fo Fum" line. 

Dreamworks did an impressive homage to the fairy tale in their Puss In Boots film, but it wasn't the main image of the movie, so tends to be forgotten (worth a look if you haven't seen it - the whole film was far better in the use of fairy tales than I expected, for many reasons).

Oh and check out the cow in the clip below of the giant beanstalk 'prop' that appeared during the presentation, as well as a good look at the storybook Spanish village as well:

But no matter how this pans out, I'm excited to see this classically boys' fairy tale come into the Disney feature length canon and am curious to see what they do with the tale. More than that, though, I'm curious to see how people then re-discover and discuss Jack and the Beanstalk, which, if you read this blog, you'll know is one of my favorites. (Plus, my son's name  - yes my love of fairy tales had a BIG influence on his name choice - is going to have a whole Disney styling he can call his own! Sort of... Yes I am particularly biased in being excited about Jack and the Beanstalk things and there's no way it's going to be like Jack the Giant Slayer that, um, 'happened' a couple of years ago. At least some of those beanstalk posters were seriously awesome, [especially THIS one] even if the movie was... not.)

OK. I will admit this one thing: this movie is going to come complete with a ton of beanstalk products I am going to NEED (yes NEED I tell you!) and I am starting to save this very minute..! A giant beanstalk, along with a red hood, is one of the universal symbols for all things fairy tale. I don't care that it's been done to death, is well known etc etc. The sight of a giant beanstalk always sends me to a happy place. Expect more greenery in the Once Upon A Blog offices the moment merchandising and dollars collide.

So what do you think about all this? (Beanstalk product awesomeness or not?)

"The Northlore Series: Volume One - Folklore" - Review by Leena Naidoo

"The Northlore Series: Volume One - Folklore" 

Stories edited by MJ Kobernus, Poetry edited by Katie Metcalfe

Review by Leena Naidoo

Editor's Note: I wasn't quite sure what to expect when Once Upon A Blog was offered a review copy of this book, but I have to say I found this anthology of short stories and poetry to be right up my alley and very much worth my time. I'll leave it to Leena to give you the lowdown, but suffice it to say, I personally recommend this book for people interested in Nordic folklore and fairy tales and will be on the lookout for upcoming books in the series. (Stay tuned for opportunities to contribute to upcoming volumes!)

Jacket description: 

Volume One of the Northlore Series is a modern collection of Scandinavian Folktales, told in new and often surprising ways. With humour, drama and and more than a little tension, you will be drawn into a world of Trolls and Huldr, Elves and Mara. We live in a world full of hidden creatures, if you have the eye to see them. And if you don't, the wonderful illustrations contained in the book should help! The book itself has mystical significance as 33 is a magic number. Is it a coincidence that there are 33 inspired contributions? Well, yes, actually, it probably is. Welcome to the Northlore series. Poetry and prose inspired by Scandinavian Folklore. In turns funny, horrifying, sexy and sad, what you seek is within. Warning! Do NOT feed the animals.

Mention Scandinavian folklore and I think of snow, Vikings, trolls, magic, and Norse gods. They have a distinct sense of humor, a certain amount of gore, and offer a glimpse into the human condition. Northlore, an unusual anthology of short stories and poems, delivers on all these points—except for the gods. Don't expect dragons, trips to Valhalla, or rescues of those under enchantment or stolen by elves. Instead, you might find the reason Grandma warned you about that, or why Mother might have acted so. Or the possible fate of an ill-informed tourist…

Here are just a few highlights of this collection:

Hold the Door, by Sarah Lyn Eaton, makes for an excellent beginning. With a strong voice, we are introduced to images of the terrors and cold of the Northern darkness, and the magic just beyond the threshold. Here we learn of the practicalities of Norse winters, where safety, food and warmth come first. It's a wonderful story of a new shield maiden's bravery when facing a magical adversary. 

There are selkies too. A slightly twisted modern version in Between Two Worlds, by Claire Casey, was, without a doubt, one of my favorites. Set in modern day Kirkwall, Orkney; it reminded me of my visit there. Though I didn't see any selkies myself, it's easy to believe that, had I met one, I too could have stolen its coat and accepted the consequences... 

Gustave Trolle — a strange, satisfying tale of a cursed man — was one I did not expect to enjoy, but ended up finding extremely intriguing. At first, it seems a bit of history about a Bishop. It grows into a modern urban fantasy and ends in what may one day be a fable. I would never have considered a troll in this way before, and will now have to redefine my concept of them.

Haute Cuisine, by Gregg Chamberlain, is a delightful tale of a three-headed troll. It's a bit of silliness best read over a glass of pre-dinner wine, or told with a twinkle in your eye. 

A northern collection would be incomplete without the dark and horrifying. Northlore's most terrifying story features draugrs — vengeful, almost indestructible undead — perhaps the forerunners of modern zombies. Although other nightmarish creatures are plentiful, they are well balanced by the light-hearted. Enter modern Huldufolk (hidden folk of Iceland), with their bewitchment and elfish ways, all seeming dependent on us humans for love and understanding. Other stories read like X-Files, with ancient creatures meeting modern spelunkers, fabled beings mating with city journos; and things that go bump in city-central apartments.

In addition to short tales, this anthology contains poetry, some of it haunting, like Fossegrim. Others, like Mara, My Love, draw more from fairy tales or the Otherworld — trolls, witches, nightmares, magic, ancestry — they are all there.

Even with the sometimes unusual editing (due to some of the authors being non-native English speakers), I found Northlore well-written with a diverse range of voices and talented storytellers. I will happily add this anthology to my ever-growing collection of fairy tales from around the world. There are a few gems I'd like to revisit from time to time, and I like the way the traditional is married with the modern.

Recommended to: Fans of The X-Files, those curious about modern Nordic (especially Icelandic) fairy tales, and those looking for alternatives to Grimm and Perrault.

Disclosure: A complimentary copy of the book was sent to the reviewer in exchange for an honest review.

Leena Naidoo lives in South Africa and has loved fairy tales ever since her mum used to tell her old Scottish stories. Her own stories draw on Gaelic and Scandinavian tales and can be found under her pen name, Anushka Haakonson, at  www.smashwords.com/profile/view/AnushkaHaakonson . Her all time favorite fairytale is East of the Sun, West of the Moon, which she fell in love with when she read Dianna Wynne Jones' Fire and Hemlock. Her is blog is called Inbetweener https://leennanaidoo.wordpress.com.

Back To School With Knights & Trolls

“Lena och riddaren dansa” / “ Lena dances with the knight ” Signed John Bauer and dated 1915.
Watercolour, heightening white, indian ink and pencil on paper.

It's been a little busy in our barracks! Back to school (first day yesterday) has turned out to be a busy, busy time here (!) so I apologize for missing a couple of days of news but we're working on rescheduling things so I can have dedicated fairy tale news time every day again. For the moment, enjoy some lovely artwork by one of my favorite artists: John Bauer. (Click to view at the wonderfully large size!)

The above illustration was created for W.E. Björk’s fairy tale 'Guldnycklama' In "Blan tomtar och troll" ("Among gnomes and trolls"), in 1915.

Oh yes - and it turns out my little guy does go to school with some interesting creatures!

DEADLINE EXTENDED! Timeless Tales Magazine Cover Contest (with Publishing & Cash Prize!)

A very cool opportunity and announcement from Tahlia at Timeless Tales Magazine!

We're hosting a cover contest! 

Here are the details, in case you missed them in the first announcement: 

The Prize: $40 to the contest winner and the possibility of future paid gigs in the future. Your cover will be featured on our Baba Yaga issue and credit will be given inside the issue to your work, including a link to your portfolio/website. 

The work of Five Favorite Runners-Up will be chosen to be featured in a blog post when our cover is revealed.   

The contest will be judged solely by me (Tahlia) and is completely based on my opinions and vision for the magazine.  

Submissions announcement image only - you do not need to reference these visuals in any way!

THE RULES: 

• WHEN: From Now Until August 15th 2015, 12am CST -- winner announced before the end of August 16th, 2015 (CST) 

• WHERE: Email all submissions to timelesstalesmagazine@gmail.com with the words "Baba Yaga Cover Contest" in the subject line. 

• FORMAT: PNG preferred, but will also accept high quality JPGs. Please label the file with your name. 

• SIZE: Either 940 x 900 or 816 x 1056

Elements it must include:

1. The title "Timeless Tales Magazine". Would ideally like it to use our official logo's font, but will consider different fonts. See this Dropbox link for PNG files of our title:https://www.dropbox.com/sh/hg3ve42d9cxzsza/AAAwihto9ob4HrbSfVJdWbEKa?dl=0 

2. The words "Baba Yaga" somewhere. 

3. The words "Issue #5" somewhere.  

4. A graphic that vividly represents our theme, Baba Yaga. This could be your interpretation of Baba Yaga herself or it could be her infamous house, her mortar/pestle, or anything else you feel captures an aspect of those tales. 

5. Your bio in the body of the email that we can use if you win. If you want to include a few lines about your process coming up with the cover design, feel free. 

6. Optionally, I've included TT's Hourglass logo in the dropbox graphics (See item #1). I've never found a way to incorporate it into a cover, but if you want to try using it, feel free to give it a try. 

IMPORTANT: Please avoid classic storybook styles.  

We are aiming for a style that looks like a modern magazine cover (or vintage/retro at the oldest).

For example, you notice that our 12 Dancing Princesses doesn't look fairytale-ish because we want to prepare our readers for a variety of genres, from sci-fi to westerns, in our magazine. 

Look at our other covers for inspiration HERE. 

Don't forget to check out the mini-covers we create for each story, too (click on each issue to view the mini-covers for each)! 

Please only use graphics you legally have a right to use. 

Please, please, please don't put me in the awful position of getting a nasty email from a photographer/artist saying we're using their image without asking permission.  

Have fun, be creative and think outside the usual boxes!  

You're always welcome to email me (Tahlia) questions at timelesstalesmagazine@gmail.com, if you want to run a risky idea by me before creating it. 

Here's the countdown to the NEW DEADLINE!

Have fun and good luck!

Tahlia Merrill Kirk

Editor of Timeless Tales Magazine

www.timelesstalesmagazine.com

Animated Musical Comedy "Charming" Gets Pop Divas (x4) to Voice Their Princesses

Apparently the new trend is focusing on Prince Charming.

No, I'm not repeating news - this is NOT about the Disney live-action "Charming". This is a new and different project: an animated musical comedy, also titled "Charming",  coming from 3QU Media.

From Playbill and iAfrica:

Avril Lavigne and Ashley Tisdale and G.E.M. will join Demi Lovato in voicing fairy-tale heroines for the animated musical comedy Charming.
...In the film, Lavigne will voice Snow White, Tisdale will play Cinderella and (Chinese pop-star) G.E.M. Sleeping Beauty. Lovato will play the female lead, Lenore.
...In the film, a cursed Prince Philip Charming must find his true love before his 21st birthday or risk losing all claim to the throne.
The film is produced by John H. Williams who was behind Shrek, and will be written and directed by Ross Venokur.
Charming is set to be released next year.

No word on who Charming will be voiced by yet but 'next year' is ridiculously soon. 

I'm also just confused by this news. Where is all this 'charming' business coming from? Even OUAT will be focusing on Charming and King Arthur as the other story-draw in the Dark Swan season, complete with buddy stories and 'a different kind of 'bromance' being teased by the Producers. Between Charmings and Arthurs there's a definite bizarre trend happening. While I'm a fan of great stories for boys coming back into fantasy, (especially after all the princess culture' we've been drowning in), I'm not sure I like it.

Thoughts? 

Concept art for 3QU Media's "Charming"

Disney's "Descendants" Is Not Done - Next Up: The Animated Series

Someone decided waaay before Descendants aired that this was going to be a huge hit. How do I know? Because they went ahead a spent a tidy chunk of change on getting a short-form series animated, and it's set to air very soon - in September.

From the Press Examiner:

The official word: “Descendants Wicked World“, an animated short-form series set in the Auradon and Isle of the Lost worlds of Disney’s hit movie “Descendants“, is set to premiere FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 18 on Disney Channel and its digital platforms, including WATCH Disney Channel.

Here's the teaser trailer:

 I know they were trying to draw in the tweens and teens with the live action, which is why they went in that direction first, but with the doll line for Descendants already out (I told you someone was banking on this being a hit) and this approach as an Ever After High-type rival, they look to be settling on the pre-teen demographic, which explains to me why they have the wardrobes they do (ie they look fine on dolls - real people, not-so-much). Actually. for pre-teens, the animated series looks just fine and on target (am I seeing traces of the Sophia approach in there? Anyway, girls who like Sophia, should graduate to this short series just fine.)

Oh and if you're an adult and want to catch up and have a little of fun at the same time, it's been suggested that you engage in one of the many suggested drinking games while watching the recently aired Disney Channel movie. (Seriously: google "drinking game" and "Disney's Descendants". There are a TON of suggestions as to how to go about this!) From the looks of it, it appears to be a very fun way to get up to speed!

Ask Baba Yaga: What Happened To My Nightmares?

Baba Yaga the Goddess of Death by Solongo Mellecker

It's weird the things people miss, isn't it? Sometimes even bad things have a odd sort of comfort because you know yourself in that context, it's familiar, but moving beyond needing those things to define you, should be a goal, shouldn't it? But after that, who are you then?

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

(Originally posted at The Hairpin HERE)

You have to admit, shadows are intriguing, aren't they? So weird that an absence of them causes you to enjoy the 'light' less!

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.

Lyngo's "Puss In Boots" Betrays It's Commedia dell'Arte Roots (And It's Awesome!) + A Chance To Get A Children's Ticket On Us!

This is the perfect context for the phrase "theater toys", because play is a large part of how Lyngo Theater tells their stories in their Children's Theater productions. In the currently running production Puss In Boots, The Master Cat is clearly a master of this medium. It's a wonderfully inventive, one-man show (with music and prop support) yet rooted strongly in traditional street theater and puppetry.

Take a look at the promo video below and you'll see what I mean:

Turns out, Lyngo IS related to the Commedia dell'Arte tradition! In fact, the whole company has strong Italian connections and manages to elevate Children's Theater without compromising on theatrical and storytelling quality.

If you've seen as much Children's Theater as I have, especially very young children's theater, you'll know it's quite a feat to manage this. So often Children's Theater has to manage on minimal budgets, unskilled volunteers and hand-me-down 'everythings', until what started out as an excellent idea tends to get watered down till it becomes the seriously poor cousin of 'real theater' and isn't given the respect it deserves for being many children's first introduction to live performing arts.
        
There has definitely been a change in this trend recently. I've seen some incredible productions begin to get attention here and there, especially if they're very innovative with their medium, and Lyngo is definitely part of this new generation of excellent theater you should take children to.

Here's a little bit about Lyngo, from their publicity page:

LYNGO is a UK based children’s theatre company with strong Italian connections. Our shows have delighted children and adults for over 10 years with their unique mix of fun and beautiful imagery, working magically together to reveal the vivid poetic realm that is at the heart of our work.Our trademark features are a singular visual flair, an inventive use of props -beautifully designed and hand-made ‘theatre toys’- and an interactive and genuine approach to play, no matter the age of our audience. Lyngo has currently on offer a repertoire of end-on shows for older children (3-10 years) and in-the-round interactive shows for a very young audience (1-5 years) “Lyngo knows the score when it comes to producing theatre for the very young. “ The Stage

And a little about Patrick Lynch, whom you see in the video above:

WRITER, ACTOR AND ARTISTIC DIRECTOR  Patrick Lynch has specialised in children’s theatre since 2003, after a wide-ranging career in theatre, television and film and academia. He studied psychology at Glasgow University and then dramatherapy and worked for many years with special-needs groups. He has worked extensively in Europe in theatre-forms like Commedia dell’Arte and clowning. In the UK he has acted and directed for companies like Oily Cart and been a workshop and project leader for many organisatons. Since 2006 he has been presenting television programmes for the BBC on their channel Cbeebies.

Lyngo theater is currently performing Puss In Boots around the UK and will be for the rest of the year, at least until December - aka panto season. (I dearly wish they were touring internationally!)
            

Check the Touring Schedule tab HERE for the specifics, and please let us know if you go! 

In fact...

- newsflash...newsflash... ANNOUNCEMENT!... newsflash... newsflash -
If you are in the UK and would like to go I will pay for one children's ticket in return for a short* review, that includes a one-line (or half-line!) quote from the child you take with you, on what they thought of the show. I'm offering one ticket only, so first come, first serve. Just email me at fairytalenews AT gmail DOT com with your name, the name and age of the child you are taking (to put the ticket in their name) and when and where you want to go. We'll set up a reserved ticket at the box office for you.

* 'short' means, literally, just a few lines, unless you feel like writing more (which we would also love), in which case I would just ask you keep it under 500 words. Ish.