Arts Movie Reviews
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Alice At The Palace is a Gem!
Outstanding
Honest and powerful.
the sound is glorious!
Deceptive Packaging!But here's the kicker: it ISN'T! The video case for the DVD SHOWS a different staging, but the actual video is of exactly the same staging featured on the VHS version, and recorded (in a slightly better performance) on the double-CD set released by Deutche Grammophon.
This is REALLY irritating. I was expecting a different staging, since i've already heard this one, and seen it as well. The whole point was to see a DIFFERENT one, and that's what the packaging implies is recorded on the enclosed DVD.
I don't know why they took the poorly-taped 1987 performance, and put it on a DVD with all these photos from an entirely different production (with even different actors, it appears) but that would be called fraud in almost any context. Having just watched this DVD production, i'm going to contact the company and demand an explanation.
You've been warned.
First rate!One minor caveat, already noted by another reviewer: the images on the box have nothing to do with what's inside! They look like they were taken from a Disney version!
+Perfect execution of a perfect opera
The next set is Stress Relief Yoga for Beginners, led by Suzanne Deason. This 20-minute practice, during a sunset on the beach at Maui, will help relax your mind and muscles--especially those of the neck, shoulders, and lower back, where tension accumulates--and let stress drift away. The yoga practice includes 4 minutes of gentle stretch, a 13-minute stress-relief workout that increases circulation and flexibility, and 3 minutes of deep relaxation to leave you calmed and balanced.
The final workout is P.M. Yoga for Beginners, filmed at Death Valley and led by Patricia Walden. This 20-minute evening routine is designed to quiet the mind after the stress of the day and to help you make the transition from active to quiet. She uses a combination of a centering series, standing poses, forward bends, and restorative poses to help you ease into night. These workouts are perfect for the harried and the beginner, and you will need some props (a yoga strap, a brick, a mat, and some firm blankets).
The DVD format is ideal for a workout program--the chapter search makes it easy to skip the introduction and jump right into the body work. Or if you're short on time and just need to relax, you can move directly to the meditations. An extra feature, "Learning the Basics," has pictures of every pose with written instructions on how to do them, which is just the thing for beginners who feel befuddled when told to do a cow-face pose or gate pose. A section on props explains how to use straps, bricks, and mats in order to modify more difficult poses for less limber bodies. Finally, the interviews with Suzanne Deason, Patricia Walden, and Rodney Yee round out the DVD, making for a full program. This is the ultimate introduction to yoga; it's a workout regimen that's easy to incorporate into your daily life and fun enough to convince you to stick with it. --Jenny Brown
a great start to yoga practice - props helpfulEven when I've fallen off the yoga path for several weeks, I can get right back into it with the PM workout, without much pain or grief. I don't even sit facing the screen anymore-- it's easy to internalize the sequence of postures. It's great as an occasional stress release or as a nightly routine, and props are not essential, in my opinion.
The AM workout is fast-paced, and you will want to watch it at least once before attempting to do the workout, (most workout tapes say this on the label, but this time they really mean it!) but once you catch on, it gets you energized to start the day. I enjoy the faster-paced moves, but it's definitely up to you to choose the style that fits you best.
The triple set on one DVD is also a good value for the price, but the biggest drawback of this product is that two out of three workouts on this disc do require props to complete, at least for most beginners. I was fairly flexible going in, but large sections of the AM and stress relief workout are nearly impossible without a strap in particular.
I love Rodney
Excellent intro or supplementThe movements are largely stretches, with none of the "huffing and puffing" that more intense yoga can require. The teachers are very responsible about showing alternate poses when needed. The standing poses helped me with my initial balance so that I was able to sustain more challenging poses in my studio classes.
The production values are very good, and the audio quality is great. Many yoga teachers encourage the use of home yoga videos and DVDs, but recommend listening to them more than watching them (after you're familiar with the sequence, of course); with audio instructions only, you're more likely to focus on your own body rather than trying to mimic the "perfect" teachers. This DVD has great sound quality and instruction, and I'm able to turn away from the TV and listen only.
I recommend this DVD for yoga beginners, and for yoga intermediates looking for a light 20-minute program on days they can't attend longer classes.
Perhaps the worst opera I have ever seen
Gripping Musical Drama
Intriguing great OperaThe singers act like real actors and actresses, not as heavy bodies slowly moving on the stage. The way the story is rendered in a single, simple room is really amazing.
After few minutes, you can feel like being part of the Alcina spell. You become part of Alcina's magic island.
I watched the same edition at the San Francisco Opera and I really enjoy watching the DVD over and over.
If you think opera must be only extremely serious and boring, then don't buy this DVD (and ask yourself why the opera was a so popular at that time...)
Alice at the Palace appeared on TV in 1982, and at that time my family had a Beta tape recorder, so Alice was immortalized on tape. At some point the last 10 minutes were recorded over and it was transferred from Beta to VHS. Ever since it aired, my family has been on a quest to obtain a copy of the full musical...and at times I was desperate enough to go searching for just the transcript to read and relive it.
Alice at the Palace is low on grand theatrical gimmicks and high on incredible talent, songs, acting, and humor. It's a delight for both adults and children. I give it two thumbs up and five stars out of five for sheer entertainment. You'll be singing the songs for years afterwards....my family did.
And for anyone who says, "Meryl Streep? In a musical? Singing??!" I say, "Just wait..."