Kim Yu-na unveils new programs

[gsk8]

Prob old news but thought I share regardless:

The Korea Herald -- Figure skating star Kim Yu-na will skate to a film score and a compilation of tunes from a popular musical in the upcoming season, her agency said Monday.

 

[deedee1]

Thank you. So, Yu-Na's programs will be 'The Kiss of the Vampire' as SP and 'Les Miserables' as LP for the upcoming season!
Sounds cool.
Am really really looking forward to it! :yay:

 

[emma]

Thanks for this link and info, I didn't notice or read this earlier - sounds like interesting choices. Do we know when her first comp will be? Is Oppergard still her coach?

 

[Serious Business]

Kiss of the Vampire promises to be a vampy and campy program. I love it. Instrumental versions of Les Mis songs, though, is an abominable idea.

 

[Olympia]

I don't know; Les Mis might orchestrate very well, though I would prefer Chess. I am not familiar with Kiss of the Vampire. She looks so good in black that I'm sure her costume will be gorgeous.

 

[skateluvr]

So many have done Les Mis I'd like to see Yuna with something less used. I think it might be orchestrated well though I surely prefer it as a score with words. Has she skated to Phantom? That I can see. I have never heard Kiss of the Vampire either. Off to youtube....

 

[anthologyz]

I don't know; Les Mis might orchestrate very well, though I would prefer Chess. I am not familiar with Kiss of the Vampire. She looks so good in black that I'm sure her costume will be gorgeous.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5apE_J4WBtc here's the opening theme from kiss of the vampire!

 

[Olympia]

Thanks!

 

[Serious Business]

I don't know; Les Mis might orchestrate very well, though I would prefer Chess.

My problem with instrumental Les Mis is that it's a very human story, possibly more so than any other musical/opera. It needs the human voice to be properly expressed. Other musical instruments just aren't enough.

And yeah, I'm with skateluvr on how overused Les Mis is, as well. This season, Jeremy Abbott will be using "Bring Him Home" for his FS. And I'm sure we'll be inundated with Les Mis programs once the movie comes out. We've seen Yuna skate to tragic musicals before. This is becoming formulaic.

That said, her SP choice more than makes up for it. If Wilson and Yuna come up with a good program for Kiss of the Vampire (and they probably will), I expect to see lots of other skaters use that music down the road.

 

[OS]

So many have done Les Mis I'd like to see Yuna with something less used. I think it might be orchestrated well though I surely prefer it as a score with words. Has she skated to Phantom? That I can see. I have never heard Kiss of the Vampire either. Off to youtube....

I am always in the mind it is not what you choose but what you do with it that matters the most.

Given there had been so many version of Les Mis as you claimed, can you name one definitive version that left an impression?

For all the greatest classics interpreted on ice, which is the definitive Romeo and Juliet? The definitive Carmen? The definitive Tango? The definitive Chopin? The definitive Phantom? The definitive Bolero? The definitive Gershwin? The definitive Swan lake etc. There're always room for more with great classics and especially as something as rich and broad as Les Mis which you can't categorize as one thing since it has almost 50 songs, runs over 3.5 hours. It covers a broad spectrum of characters, interweave their story, aspirations, explore different philosophical themes, outlines political and social change that are far rich and complex to be condensed into one single skating performance. There could be a whole skating show revolve around Les Mis with 20 skaters each doing their own thread, and it still won't be enough to convey the rich tapestry evolved around Victor Hugo's great novel.

It might be easier just to follow a particular theme in Les Mis, a song, a story, a chapter, but the epic scale certainly left alot of rooms to explore and interprete. I have seen the show at London west end 5 or 6 times and each time I came away with different feeling and appreciation of the musical and its epic ambition. I am curious to see how they get on and the creative decisions to come up with it.

 

[janetfan]

Kiss of the Vampire promises to be a vampy and campy program. .

I think this will be great fun and one of the most talked about programs of the season.

I am almost surprised they didn't save it for Sochi ...... and can already hear some saying, "how will Yuna and Wilson ever top this."



Just for kicks here is the trailer:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N4OJDSFaiY0&feature=related

Are we all assuming Yuna will play a vampire? She could also play the vampire's prey and end the program with a "transformation."

 

[blue dog]

I don't know; Les Mis might orchestrate very well, though I would prefer Chess. I am not familiar with Kiss of the Vampire. She looks so good in black that I'm sure her costume will be gorgeous.

Chess could've been great. However, the last Chess program I remember was the passionless:

http://youtu.be/81C9_sV23Wc

 

[Tonichelle]

Johnny Weir skated to the music after them, didn't he?

 

[OS]

For Les Mis fans, this is pure gold worth revisiting.

Here's the full 25th Anniversary celebration of Les Mis at London O2 in Full HD. I have forwarded towards to the grand finale which was truly special in every sense of the word.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=prY6ksvkrIY&t=2h15m26s

Although I prefer the 10th anniversary cast, but this grand finale truly tops them all. Just want to say Alfie (formal car mechanic) is a total superstar and Michael Ball remains the best Marius ever.

 

[skateluvr]

For Les Mis fans, this is pure gold worth revisiting.

Here's the full 25th Anniversary celebration of Les Mis at London O2 in Full HD. I have forwarded towards to the grand finale which was truly special in every sense of the word.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=prY6ksvkrIY&t=2h15m26s

ITA. the 25th was glorious, but I too prefer the 10th anniversary cast. Ruthie Henshall (I think this was her name) sings the best ever "I dreamed a dream" and there must be 100 artists on youtube doing their darndest. She was perfect, the voice, the face. No one is better in that role. And Lea Salonga was so incredible as Eponine. I agree Michael Ball remains the best Marius ever. There will never be a lead like Colm for me. He is the pivotal character off which every other in that production found the perfection he lead with. Amongst all the exquisite Jean Valjean's that have traversed the world with this musical I feel from the angels of music, he is just so moving. "Bring him home." never fails to have me clutching at my heart and tissue. I just love him.

And maybe you are right Os. It will be exciting to see what emotion Yuna brings to this peice. But having heard that clip from Kiss of the Vampire, I am genuinely excited to see Yuna return. David Wilson and a rejuvenated Yuna can knock this out of the park if she plays it for the horror and the vampiness as Sb says. Hearing the music makes me expect a great program. The problem will be (just mho) how much CoP point counting must be in it to get Yuna the scores she is used to getting. What will Yuna be like? This sp choice could be genius on Wilson's part. Sigh. Only August. Which is Yuna's first GP event?

 

[OS]

ITA. the 25th was glorious, but I too prefer the 10th anniversary cast. Ruthie Henshall (I think this was her name) sings the best ever "I dreamed a dream" and there must be 100 artists on youtube doing their darndest. She was perfect, the voice, the face. No one is better in that role. And Lea Salonga was so incredible as Eponine. I agree Michael Ball remains the best Marius ever. There will never be a lead like Colm for me. He is the pivotal character off which every other in that production found the perfection he lead with. Amongst all the exquisite Jean Valjean's that have traversed the world with this musical I feel from the angels of music, he is just so moving. "Bring him home." never fails to have me clutching at my heart and tissue. I just love him.

Ruthie Henshall is a great singer with great technique, but actually I prefer Patti Lupone's more emotional and character driven version. It felt more genuine and just scream maternal love to me and less studied.

I agree about Lee Salonga, she is a total legend as Eponine. If I recall, she sang 'On my Own' to her first Miss Saigon audition, and of course nailed it! She might not have the street urchin sass of the original cast Eponine (with London east end accent), but her Eponine's vulnerability and pure voice made her character far more captivating and sympathetic than Cosette.

I do understand what SB mean about the humanity aspect of the musical requires voices to persuade how you feel about something, but then I think Les Mis is one of the strongest melodic musical around, one that is familiar with most people. Many musicals usually rely on 2 or 3 big numbers, rest are practically fillers, and follows more or the same motif. Les Miserable has consistently able to produce distinguishable memorable big numbers to cover different characters and themes, it is a musical with a dozen number 1 hits. It has so many possibilities. The first time I watched the musical, I didn't understand a word of English, but remained haunted and devastated by it just from the music and the performances alone. A great figure skating performance should be capable of that too, though certainly handicapped in that aspect (plus all the COP tick boxes). Jeremy is doing 'Bringing Him home', can't wait, I just love his 'life is beautiful'.

 

[blue dog]

I agree about Lee Salonga, she is a total legend as Eponine. If I recall, she sang 'On my Own' to her first Miss Saigon audition, and of course nailed it! She might not have the street urchin sass of the original cast Eponine (with London east end accent), but her Eponine's vulnerability and pure voice made her character far more captivating and sympathetic than Cosette.

Slightly off-topic, but now that Lea is older (she does not look it!), the producers have cast her in the role of Fantine, which has that haunting "I Dreamed A Dream." I think it's fitting. She began her career portraying Kim, a young innocent girl forced to grow up. She was Eponine for a while, a young woman who dies for her unrequited love. Now she's Fantine, a character who has lived through what Kim and Eponine have faced.

 

[Krislite]

El Tango de Roxanne, now as an exhibition: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-y-Z_iTC3ZI

She actually executed a 3Lutz in an exhibition program--she hasn't done that in years. I also love the new dress.

ETA: A different vantage point that covers the whole rink: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PgLAFe2_Ug8

 

[Krislite]

Best quality so far: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cp_yPzjFKZY

 

[christinaskater]

Slightly off-topic, but now that Lea is older (she does not look it!), the producers have cast her in the role of Fantine, which has that haunting "I Dreamed A Dream." I think it's fitting. She began her career portraying Kim, a young innocent girl forced to grow up. She was Eponine for a while, a young woman who dies for her unrequited love. Now she's Fantine, a character who has lived through what Kim and Eponine have faced.

I love Lea Salonga! She is a legend!