The Malaysian Insider :: Showbiz
The Malaysian Insider :: Showbiz |
| Opera star Domingo lauded in London as one of a kind Posted: 28 Oct 2011 06:53 AM PDT  Placido Domingo bows during the curtain call of Placido Domingo Celebration at the Royal Opera House after a special performance to celebrate his 40th anniversary with the Royal Opera in London on October 27, 2011. ― Reuters pic Yet amid the celebrations for the 70-year-old's distinguished career, there came warnings that his like may not be seen again in a time when finding the "next big thing" could deny singers the time to develop into genuine greats. For one, unlike many other members of the opera royalty, Domingo does not do hissy fits, tantrums and last-minute cancellations. Instead, it seems, the man with the golden voice and acting abilities appears to be loved just as much for his professionalism and generosity on and off stage. "You'll never hear anyone in the industry say a bad word about him," said veteran opera photographer Rob Moore, who was at Covent Garden in 1971 when Domingo made his debut there. The sellout crowd paying up to 225 pounds a seat saw Domingo perform the final acts of three of his favourite Verdi operas. In "Otello," he sang the title role written for a tenor, the register that made him one of the most famous singers of his generation with Luciano Pavarotti and Jose Carreras. Domingo recently switched to baritone, and performed the title roles in the closing scenes of "Rigoletto" and "Simon Boccanegra." Adrian Hamilton of the Independent newspaper said in his four-star review that Domingo "may have lost the full throat of youth," but argued his dramatic powers were at their height. "No-one dies like Placido Domingo," he wrote of his on-stage demise in Simon Boccanegra. "They don't make them like that any more," he added. "And more's the pity. Domingo belongs to Grand Opera in a way that few male singers do today. He's also a real trouper in a way that virtually none are." "Impatience" threatens future Antonio Pappano, music director at the Royal Opera House, who conducted Domingo, said the experience was less nerve-racking than some might expect. "It's incredibly comforting because ... in his voice there's history and there's time," he said backstage after the performance. But he also voiced concerns that future Domingos may not be given space to develop. "We live in a world where everybody is, you know, 'the next young thing' and 'the next prodigy' and the 'next superstar kid', and now you see what a real career is about. It's built over time. "There's a great impatience in careers. If you've got a beautiful lyrical voice, your voice can grow over time, but if you push it too soon into heavier roles this takes a toll on the voice. We've seen it happen over and over and over again." Don't clap too much For Domingo, the Royal Opera House was in some ways "unbeatable," not least because audiences did not applaud for too long. "This house has always been enormous, I mean the warmth of the public, the company like a family," he told Reuters and London's Evening Standard in a backstage interview. Still dressed in the long gowns of his Simon Boccanegra costume and surrounded by fans and colleagues, he added: "I think the public in London is amazing because you know in some theatres maybe you have anything between half and hour and 40 minutes of curtain calls. "In London I think what's so absolutely amazing is the way they react and they kind of respect the artist ... 10 minutes of London applause, it is equivalent of any other house's half an hour or 40 minutes because it's really like an explosion." Sharing the stage with Domingo at the concert were four Covent Garden debutants, underlining the singer's engagement with discovering new talent. "This is my big thing, to be able to create new artists with my competition and with my young artist programs," Domingo said, speaking in English. "It's really the future when you see these people." Asked whether he was optimistic about opera's future, he replied: "I believe opera is forever, as long as there is sensibility in people." And addressing the economic crisis that has put the notoriously expensive art form out of the reach of many fans, he said: "Always there have been crises and this is of course one of the most difficult times. "I think it's possible to encourage people to work more with co-productions and sometimes you have to cut a little bit the repertoire and the performances, but it is going to be back." ― Reuters Full content generated by Get Full RSS. |
| Justin Timberlake goes rogue for ‘In Time’ Posted: 28 Oct 2011 06:45 AM PDT  Cast member Justin Timberlake poses at the premiere of ''In Time'' at the Regency Village Theatre in Westwood, California on October 20, 2011. ― Reuters pic Timberlake takes the lead role in the sci-fi, action thriller in which director Andrew Niccol takes audiences into a world where time has become the monetary currency. "I found it (the movie) to be very provocative and it made me ask a lot of questions about myself, some of it which I still haven't come up with the answers for, but I like when a movie does that," "The Social Network" actor told Reuters. In a world where everyone stops physically ageing at 25, Timberlake's character, Will Salas, often finds himself with just 24 hours to live, in which he must find ways to earn time in order to prolong his life. "I admired Will, I hope I would fight back the way he does," said Timberlake. "I've never gotten to play a character that I wanted to be like, I don't think, so I was eager to run in his shoes." The 30-year-old "Sexyback" singer has been in the public eye since childhood as lead singer of boy-band juggernaut N*Sync in the 1990s, before shedding his child-star image to become a Grammy-winning solo artist and Hollywood heartthrob. Yet, he doesn't see himself as all that different than the kid who was born in Memphis, Tennessee. "I think I've always looked at myself as an ordinary guy who gets to be in extraordinary situations," said the actor. "Extraordinary" is an understatement. He has conquered pop music, moved into fashion and is doing his best to become a Hollywood movie star. He's doing a good job of it, too. Timberlake has managed his ascendancy carefully, working in supporting roles in high-profile, low-budget movies like "Alpha Dog," voicing a role in animated "Shrek the Third," then breaking through in a key role in last year's award-winning "The Social Network." This year, he starred in comedy "Bad Teacher" and alongside Mila Kunis in romance "Friends With Benefits." Timberlake is now setting his sights on being an action hero with "In Time." Fighting time, saving world The world of "In Time" sees 'time' bartered for goods and services. Time can be given, received and stolen just by people locking arms with each other. When Timberlake's character, Will, is given a windfall of 'time' from a wealthy person, he finds himself fighting against social boundaries and injustice in a city where inhabitants are segregated by time zones according to their level of wealth. "The concept is pretty extreme and it's hard to take that idea and actually ground it to a point where you can actually do it and make it relevant to our society," said "Mamma Mia" actress Amanda Seyfried, who plays his love interest Sylvia. The film has been compared to 1997's "Gattaca," which Niccol directed and 1998's "The Truman Show," which Niccol produced, both films presenting a future world that doesn't veer too far from present day. "Andrew has this ability to toss you into another world, but in a world where you see the metaphors of what's happening today and right now," said Timberlake. The film's themes of wealth inequality may resonate with some present day audiences, and Timberlake found it "serendipitous" that the release of "In Time" coincided with the Occupy Wall Street protests taking place across the US. "I would put Will in the 99 percentile that are protesting Wall Street and Occupy LA," said the actor, adding that the film also addressed the multi-billion dollar beauty industry. The film has received mixed reviews ahead of its release. Variety's Peter DeBruge found that it took advantage of Timberlake's action-hero potential, but the director was "incredibly surface-oriented" in addressing the themes. The Hollywood Reporter's Todd McCarthy said Timberlake "capably carries the film but a glint of true rebelliousness, of a slightly unhinged element in his character's makeup, could have nudged the performance to another level." ― Reuters Full content generated by Get Full RSS. |
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