Theatre | Arabian Night Films

Archive for the ‘Theatre’ Category

Seen Chicago in Ambassador Theatre in New York

August 25th, 2011 |

Author: admin

Seen Chicago in Ambassador Theatre in New York

I was here in March and seen Chicago. The show was brilliant and I would definately recommend people to see it, however I am a fan of the film so I am biased! They are celebrating 10 years of broadway and have won 6 Tony Awards. The theatre is situated on 219 West 49th Street which is between Broadway & 8th Avenue. As we were staying near Times Square we just walked to the theatre and it only took us about 5 minutes. You could get easy access to this theatre by the subway station if you needed to.

The show lasted about 2 and half hours with a 15minute intermission half way through which you just had time to get to the toilet if needed after standing in a queue for ages. I went during the weekend and the theatre was packed out with impatient people trying to get in to find their seats.On the way out it was the same process with people pushing and shoving. I would not recommend the show for children as it is more for an adult audience.

Chicago is about Roxy Heart who kills her lover which gets her put in jail she then is made a celebrity by her lawyer Billy Flynn. In jail she gets hassle from Velma Kelly who wants to steal the headlines from her but in the end they team up together. Its a great story which keeps you interested the whole way through with great songs,dance and comedy. There was however very little costume changes if any or scenery changes which was abit dissapointing, but I feel the songs made up for it as they were very lively.

In the past during the depression this theare was used as a movie house, radio and television studios, as well as for some legitimate productions. This shows alot as it is very compact. The theatre was alot smaller than I thought however everything was in good condition inside. We were told we had great seats and we thought that they wernt that far back however we were at the back and got abit of a shock lol! However it didnt matter as we still seen everything clearly. The only problem was that when you were going to the toilet or was buying a drink and snacks you had to queue in small corridors which was very crushed. I would think that wheelchair users would find it very difficult to get around in this theatre.

There was a good sound system, you could hear the characters clearly and there was a great atmosphere in the theatre, it was buzzing! You were warned at the start of the show that you were not allowed to take photographs or use any recording devices during the show and seemed quite strict on this policy.

The staff were friendly and helped us to find our seats. It was all in all quite expensive (cost us 0 each) but it was worth it to see a broadway show.

Theatre of Epidaurus: A Marvel of Acoustics

August 17th, 2011 |

Author: admin

Theatre of Epidaurus: A Marvel of Acoustics

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Asclepius, son of Apollo and god of Medicine to the ancient Greeks, he was given the healing gift after his mother died at his birth. Dedicated to him the most celebrated healing center of the Classical world was built the 4th century BC near the small town of Epidaurus on Peloponnesus not that far from Athens.

“Asclepieion” was adorned with a multitude of buildings including temples, hospitals, baths, palaestra and people such far as Rome visited the sanctuary to ask the gods for remedies for their physical ailments. To find out the right cure, they spent a night in the “enkoimitiria”, a big sleeping hall with the company of crawling holy snakes. In their dreams, the god himself would advise them what they had to do to regain their health.

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The prosperity brought by the Asclepieion enabled Epidaurus to construct among others a theatre, the most famous building of the sanctuary. Music, drama the aesthetic sight and the unique environment surrounding the sanctuary considered as staidly parts of the healing process.

Fame and prosperity continued through the centuries. Even after the introduction of Christianity the sanctuary at Epidaurus was still known until the mid 5th century, although as a Christian healing center.

Luckily this theatre is one of the best conserved of its kind in the world and retains its original circular “Orchestra” in contrast to most of other theatres of the period that during the Roman times suffered extensive (or less extensive) modifications.

According to the Greek traveler, geographer, and writer of the 2nd century AD Pausanias, the theater designed by Polykleitos the Younger and built the 4th century B.C. Arranged in 55 semi-circular rows and having a similar audience capacity to the theatre at Syracusa (Syracuse) in Sicily of about 14,000 its uniqueness is not about capacity but for its exceptional acoustics.

“Teatro Greco”in Syracusa, Sicily. (Image by the author)

The unamplified spoken word from the stage reaches to all 14,000 spectators, regardless of their seating with unique clarity. How this sonic quality was achieved has been the source of academic and amateur speculation. Theories’ suggesting that prevailing winds carried sounds or masks amplified voices. Researchers of the Georgia Institute of Technology have discovered that the limestone material of the seats provide a filtering effect by suppressing low frequencies of voices (up to 500hz), such as the murmur of the crowd and the same time amplify/reflect high-frequencies (over 500hz) from the stage towards the audience.

It is still unknown whether the acoustic properties are the result of an accident or the product of advanced design. Coincidence or not, the theatre of Epidaurus ungrudgingly offers to the modern visitor unforgettable feelings. Still in use today with frequent plays and festivals the theatre resists against time and hordes of crowd. Any visitor ought to be respectful if he is interested to let next generations enjoy that marvel. Even with great delay, from now on high-heeled shoes are prohibited by law, so ladies pay attention!