Casualty – the Musical

The Arbroath Herald reviews the recent amateur production of Gordon & Caird's Jane Eyre. The Musical in Arbroath, Angus, Scotland:
Picture: Members of the cast of 'Jane Eyre' pictured in the Webster Memorial Theatre. (Source)

WHAT superb singing the audiences were treated to in the Webster Memorial Theatre at the recent Angus Musical Youth Theatre production of 'Jane Eyre – a Musical Drama!'
I would travel many a country mile to hear the principals, Angela Branney and Matthew Tomlinson, both of whom have the most fantastic control over their voices, not to mention good looks and charisma.
And the highest praise must also go to the rest of the cast, principals or ensemble, not only for their singing, but for always being in the right place at the right time.
Charlotte Bronte's story, let us be honest, is not the most cheerful, particularly in the first few scenes, where cruelty and misfortune assail her at every turn. Having said that, there are many people who like that sort of thing; if there weren't, there would be no audience for the BBC TV programme, 'Casualty'.
But it would be grossly unfair to categorise the script as 'Casualty – the Musical'. Things brighten up as the evening progresses, and, by the end of the first half, Jane is firmly ensconced as governess for the daughter of a man with many secrets – Mr Rochester.
Will there be a happy ending for the couple? Yes … and no.
The production was highly professional, as were the effects. The lighting was excellent, particularly when the tree was struck by lightning, and the special effects when the house caught fire were excellent.
The finale was also well-received by the audience, although there were some who felt that it would have been welcome about half an hour earlier.
But I emphasise that the cast was in brilliant form, and I look forward greatly to the next production by Angus Musical Youth Theatre, the lively and sparkling 'West Side Story', in September, 2009.
The script was by John Caird, and lyrics and music by Paul Gordon.
Danny Webster was the show's producer, and the musical director was Richard Allan. (GWC)

The Arizona Republic and other regional papers' Christmas gift recommendation is the Studio One Anthology DVD which includes Wuthering Heights 1950:

"Studio One Anthology" (Koch Vision, 1949-55, $99.98) This groundbreaking series presented live dramas each week on CBS. The 6-disc contains 17 of those shows taken from kinescope recordings. The quality is amazingly good. Among the performers are Jack Lemmon, Charlton Heston, Lee Remick, Art Carney, Eva Marie Saint and Leslie Nielsen. Some of the productions are "1984," "Twelve Angry Men," "Julius Caesar" and "Wuthering Heights." A great DVD release of an important piece of television history. (Doug Nye)

The Courier Mail traces a profile of the Australian writer Miles Franklin who apparently

After the publication of My Brilliant Career in 1901, Franklin was compared in the Glasgow Herald with the Brontes. (Christopher Bantick)

Las Vegas Review-Journal introduces Catherine Hardwicke's Twilight film like this:

This adaptation of Stephenie Meyer's best-selling tale of the ultimate star-crossed romance (OK, except maybe for "Romeo and Juliet" "Wuthering Heights" and ...) emerges as a fanciful, if fitfully engaging, amalgam of teen angst and vampire lore, as high school junior Bella Swan (appealingly direct Kristen Stewart) falls under the spell of dreamy biology lab partner Edward Cullen (brooding Robert Pattinson) -- who's been undead since the Spanish flu epidemic of 1917. "Thirteen" director Catherine Hardwicke's affinity for everyday teen traumas keep the movie grounded in emotional reality, even during its most far-fetched flights of fantasy. (Carol Cling)

On the blogosphere, Jackets & Covers reviews Wuthering Heights

Categories: Jane Eyre, Movies-DVD-TV, References, Theatre, Wuthering Heights