REVIEW From visceral dance battles to frighteningly realistic puppetry – this musical tale uniquely told through the eyes of the hobbits will leave fans agape. Varsha Anjali reviews the Lord of the Rings: A Musical Tale in Chicago ahead of its Auckland tour, revealing what Kiwis can expect from the latest Tolkien adaptation. We weren’t just part of the show.
We were part of the same journey, same tale, same world. Director Paul Hart’s brush of brilliance in Lord of the Rings: A Musical Tale , which premiered in the US on July 19 and will come to Auckland in November, was that it happened before anyone noticed. Hundreds of Tolkienists – some more committed than others with prosthetic elf ears – were still hobbling into The Yard at Chicago’s Shakespeare Theatre when a curly-haired, not-super-tall man in a waistcoat and breeches impishly invited a few nearby to a game of ring toss.
Eyeing the colourful bunting on stage, it clicked. Nobody was there to see a musical. Everybody was there to celebrate Bilbo Baggins’ birthday.
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