Happy Birthday, Sherlock Holmes!

So, it looks like someone has a birthday today! Hamlette is celebrating at The Edge of the Precipice, and she graciously invited the rest of the Blogiverse to join in – thank you for hosting, Hamlette, I love your blog parties in case you didn't know! As it happens, I've been preparing a couple of Holmes related blog posts myself, so somewhere during this week you might expect a couple of Sir Arhur Conan Doyle book reviews, my opinions on the Guy Ritchie films, The Hound of the Baskervilles screen adaptations across the ages, and a couple of words... or a lot more than that... about BBC's Sherlock and CBS's Elementary. But first in order are Hamlette's party questions.


1. When and how did you first encounter Sherlock Holmes?

Sherlock Holmes is such an iconic character that I think everyone has some sort of an image of him, even if they don't intentionally seek him out. I was like this for the first 23 years of my life. I think I can call myself one of the "Cumberbatch generation" Sherlockians because, quite honestly, it wasn't till I got excited about Sherlock last March that I had any interest in Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's works. Before Sherlock, I think the only thing even close to Sherlock Holmes that I had ever consumed was Disney's The Great Mouse Detective – I still love that film, by the way.

2. Please share a fact or two about yourself related to Holmes. (You've read the whole canon, you've been to Baker Street, you're an official BSI member, etc.)

The aforementioned fact that my first Sherlock Holmes was the modernized one might already be  shocking enough for an old-school Sherlockian... Alright, I'm still going to add that Holmes' fixed association with the deer-stalker hat annoys the heck out of me. Only few months ago I read a (supposedly prestigious) film critic who went on about how Sherlock Holmes ain't a true Sherlock Holmes without that damned hat.

3. What are three of your favourite Holmes adventures?

I've only read the books in publishing order till The Hound of the Baskervilles, but I do have a couple of very strong favorites. The top three would be The Adventure of the Copper Beeches, The Final Problem and The Adventure of the Musgrave Ritual. 

4. What draws you to the Sherlock Holmes stories?

Initially, I wanted to see exactly how Sherlock compared with its source material and why the writers had felt like this character and his adventures would work particularly well in a modern setting. Then, I found out that the stories were hugely entertaining, especially regarding the main character himself. I love all of his snarky lines.

5. If you were going to give Sherlock Holmes a birthday present, what would it be?

I would give him a top hat because I'm obsessed with them myself. It's also much more fitting for a Victorian London gentleman than... you know, that hat.

6. If you could climb into a Holmes story and replace any one character for a day, who would you like to be? 

I would want to be one of the Baker Street Irregulars. I would totally be in for one day on the grimier side of London, and I'd get to do seemingly random but very important stuff for Holmes, like dig for newspapers and tail people.

7. Please share some of your favorite Holmes-related quotes. 

"-- I naturally gravitated to London, that great cesspool into which all the loungers and idlers of the Empire are irresistibly drained." (Doctor Watson in A Study in Scarlet)

"The chief proof of man's real greatness lies in his perception of his own smallness." (Sherlock Holmes in The Sign of Four)

"We solve crimes, I blog about it, and he forgets his pants. I wouldn't hold out too much hope." (John in BBC's A Scandal in Belgravia)


My Holmesy blog posts:

The Hound of the Baskervilles

Sherlock: Chronicles by Steve Tribe

My Top 10 in the Adventures and Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes

5+1 screen adaptations of The Hound of the Baskervilles

A Tolkien Blog Party of Special Magnificence – 2014

What a joy it was to find out that Hamlette is once again hosting A Tolkien Blog Party of Special Magnificence at her blog, The Edge of the Precipice! I've been in such a lovely Tolkien-iverse in my mind all day, and decided to re-read The Children of Húrin to mark the occasion, so you can expect a review somewhere during this week. I adore that book, let me just say that now. But before I get there, let's fill out the nice tag that Hamlette has made for her blog party.

1. Who introduced you to Tolkien's stories?

I got interested in Tolkien all on my own – though there's no doubt that the massive Tolkien hype of the day (the Return of the King film had just come out) had much to do with the reason why I got intrigued in the first place.

2. How old were you when you first ventured into Middle-Earth?

Like I said, all the LOTR films had been made when I started reading the book, so it must have been somewhere in 2004... which means I was thirteen years old. Funny, I was quite sure that I'd been a couple of years younger than that, but it must be thirteen.

3. Did you read the books first, or see the movie versions first?

I definitely read The Lord of the Rings before seeing any of the films. Possibly, I saw the films before I read The Hobbit or any other Middle-Earth related books.

4. A dragon or a balrog – which would you rather fight?

What a scary choice to make! I would go with the dragon, because they have exactly one redeeming feature compared to balrogs – they don't live deep underneath creepy mountain passageways. So with a dragon, there would be a smaller chance that I'd end up fighting somewhere pitch-black underground. Oh, and the dragon might even have the voice of Benedict Cumberbatch. One can always hope.

5. Who are three of your favourite characters? (Feel free to elaborate on why)

No matter how hard I think about this, I'll have to go with the same three characters that I named in last year's Tolkien blog party. I'll try to elaborate differently this time!

Number 1: Bilbo Baggins. I remember so well how I became an adamant Bilbo fan during the very first pages of The Lord of the Rings at my very first read, (apparently at the age of thirteen, seriously, how can it have been so late in my life?). Something about his character, his personality and what the other hobbits said about him (mainly how odd he was) just instantly clicked with me. In addition, the last two years for me have been very much about re-establishing my personal goals and coming to terms with the strengths and flaws about my personality, and I've found even more respect for Bilbo as an immensely inspirational character. I also think it's quite an accomplishment that he goes on quite cheerfully about his life and outlandish contacts "outsiders" despite what practically everyone in Hobbiton says about him. Bilbo just is the most awesome hobbit in my mind, and always will be. 

Number 2: Aragorn. Two of my very favourite passages in the book are Aragorn's first appearance (as Strider) at the Prancing Pony, and the first pages of The Two Towers when he's tracking down the Uruk-hai. He knows a lot of stuff about all sorts of lore, is just the man you want when a fight breaks out, and has wonderful understanding and compassion to people and races that are very different than him. Despite all this wonderfulness, I've never felt that his character is too perfect. 

Number 3: Éowyn. The Lord of the Rings is even more male-centric than Shakespeare's plays, which is saying something, but at least there's Éowyn. She carries a great mental burden all her life feeling like she can't rise up to her aspirations because she is a woman but never hesitates to show her loyalty to others. I respect her characterization more each time I re-read The Lord of the Rings. (But I still don't like Miranda Otto's portrayal of her, sadly.)

6. Have you ever dressed up like a Tolkien character?

I haven't, but now that I think of it, that would be so much fun. There would be so many great costumes to choose from...

7. If someone asks you to go on an adventure, how do you respond?

"Heck yes! Can you give me ten minutes to pack?"

8. Have you read any of the "history of Middle-Earth" books?

I haven't, but I saw them on the library's shelves just this week and was sorely tempted to borrow some. However, I already have so much to read right now and Middle-Earth is the kind of thing you really want to give your full attention.

9. Would you rather drink a bowl of Ent Draught or a glass of Old Winyards?

I don't drink anything with alcohol, so it would be Ent Draught. I would probably love it, it sounds so fresh and vitalizing. But then again, I wouldn't necessarily want the side-effect of growing taller... Yes, I'm saying that even though I'm no more than 155 cm tall. I like my size!

10. List up to ten of your favourite lines/quotes from the books or movies.

"All that is gold does not glitter,
Not all those who wander are lost;
The old that is strong does not wither,
Deep roots are not reached by the frost."

“I wish it need not have happened in my time," said Frodo.
"So do I," said Gandalf, "and so do all who live to see such times. But that is not for them to decide. All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given us.” 

“Faithless is he that says farewell when the road darkens.” 

“Deserves it! I daresay he does. Many that live deserve death. And some that die deserve life. Can you give it to them? Then do not be too eager to deal out death in judgement. For even the very wise cannot see all ends.” 

“If more of us valued food and cheer and song above hoarded gold, it would be a merrier world.” 

“It's a dangerous business, Frodo, going out your door. You step onto the road, and if you don't keep your feet, there's no knowing where you might be swept off to.” 

“May it be a light to you in dark places, when all other lights go out.” 

“How do you pick up the threads of an old life? How do you go on, when in your heart, you begin to understand, there is no going back? There are some things that time cannot mend. Some hurts that go too deep...that have taken hold.” 

“Where did you go to, if I may ask?' said Thorin to Gandalf as they rode along.
To look ahead,' said he.
And what brought you back in the nick of time?'
Looking behind,' said he.” 

"But no living man am I! You look upon a woman."

Celebrate Musicals Week: Miss Saigon Trivia Quiz!

I love quizzes, so I decided to make one where you can test your knowledge of Miss Saigon! I'll be posting the right answers on Saturday, when Celebrate Musicals Week comes to an end. Till then, you can send your answers through this post's comments! Well, of course I can't stop you from keeping your answers to yourself, but all bloggers love to see comments on their posts! And on Saturday, the one who reached the highest score will get... An honorary mention and eternal glory. (I'm sorry, were you expecting to get tickets to the show?) There won't be much point in quizzing if you all go and Google the answers, so please play nice :) However, checking out my previous Miss Saigon posts for possible hints is by all means allowed!

Now go and have fun with the quiz little dears – I will go "engineer"...

1. Where did Claude-Michel Schönberg get the inspiration to create Miss Saigon?
a) He met an old Vietnamese woman who shared her memories of the Vietnam War.
b) He saw a picture of a Vietnamese mother leaving her child with an American GI.
c) He made a trip to Ho Chi Minh City.

2. Which opera is Miss Saigon based on?
a) La Bohème
b) Carmen
c) Madame Butterfly

3. Which character sings If You Want To Die In Bed?
a) the Engineer
b) John
c) Kim

4. In which West End theatre did Miss Saigon originally play?
a) Theatre Royal, Drury Lane
b) Prince Edward Theatre
c) Apollo Theatre

5. The Last Night of the World is
a) a solo
b) a duet
c) an ensemble number

6. In 2014 when Miss Saigon returns to London, how many years will it have been since its first opening?
a) 15 years
b) 20 years
c) 25 years

7. Lea Salonga first auditioned for Miss Saigon in
a) Los Angeles
b) London
c) Manila

8. Monique Wilson was an understudy for Kim and also played the role of the bar girl
a) Mimi
b) Gigi
c) Yvette

9. What is the name of Kim's cousin whom she was supposed to marry?
a) Tam
b) Thuy
c) Tranh

10. What locations does Miss Saigon take place in?
a) Saigon/Ho Chi Minh City and Bangkok
b) Bankok and Singapore
c) Saigon/Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi

11. How many characters die on stage in Miss Saigon?
a) One
b) Two
c) Four

12. There is a song in Miss Saigon called The Morning of the...
a) Phoenix
b) Battle
c) Dragon

13. Who was elected Miss Saigon at the Engineer's night club?
a) Gigi
b) Yvonne
c) Kim

14. What is the Engineer's night club at the beginning of Miss Saigon called?
a) American Dream
b) Dreamland
c) Saigon Ladies

15. The Engineer is half Vietnamese and half...
a) Dutch
b) American
c) French

16. Fill in the lyrics: "Vietnam, hey look I mean you no offence. But why..."
a) does everything make sense
b) does nothing here make sense
c) does no-one here have sense

17. The lyrics from the previous question are from
a) Why God Why?
b) The Heat Is On In Saigon
c) Now That I've Seen Her

18. What is Chris' vocal range?
a) tenor
b) baritenor
c) baritone

19. In the new production there will be a song called Maybe, sung by
a) Ellen
b) Chris
c) Kim

20. Which of these can be seen on stage in Miss Saigon?
a) a train
b) a truck
c) a helicopter

Celebrate Musicals Week: My Top 10 Songs From Miss Saigon

Miss Saigon is full of wonderful music and moving lyrics, but on today's post I will share my absolute favourite songs and try to explain why I like them so much. I didn't put them in order of preference because it would be impossible for me to rank them – they are listed in the order where they appear in the show. Please remember what I said about the questionable language in the Miss Saigon lyrics!

The Movie In My Mind
This song takes place near the beginning of the show at the Dreamland club. Gigi, one of the bar girls, starts to sing about her impossible dream of escaping Vietnam and living the American Dream. Kim joins in, making it a wonderful female duet where Gigi's deep, dark voice contrasts with Kim's bright, youthful one. Female duets are much rarer in musical theatre than the traditional male-female ones, and I tend to like them as a rule.

Why God Why?
Chris has just realized he's in love with Kim and boy does he sing a beautiful song about his overpowering feelings! I chose to present a video with Gareth Gates singing, because I did mention how much I would love him to play Chris' part! I think his voice was made to sing this song. Blogger wouldn't let me put the video in like I did with the other songs, but I'll give you a link:

Why God Why? sung by Gareth Gates

This Money Is Yours
Chris asks Kim to tell him more about herself. While it's terrible to hear what happened to Kim's parents, I like this song because Lea Salonga delivers it with such deep emotion and maturity of voice that it's impossible to believe she is just 17 years old here.

Sun and Moon
This is Kim and Chris' first love duet (yes, they have two of those). I love the imagery in the lyrics, how it compares Kim and Chris' unlikely romance to the sun and the moon meeting in the sky.

Dju Vui Vai
I've cried at every real wedding I've attended, and I'm pretty sure I'm going to cry when I get to see this performance on stage. The girls' chorus is like from another world, and the atmosphere of hope and promise really reaches your heart, which is much more important than having an authority figure to make the marriage official.

The Last Night of the World
Chris and Kim sing another duet after their unofficial wedding, and this is my favourite out of the two. The arrangements for the two voices are wonderful and the melody is so memorable it's constantly playing in head.

The Morning of the Dragon
One of the many ensemble numbers in this musical which correspond to the word EPIC. The Viet-Cong takes over in determined song. The harmonica is quite interesting here, but I actually think it sounds good.

You Will Not Touch Him/Thuy's Death/This Is The Hour
These three are always grouped a little differently depending on which album they're in – sometimes This Is The Hour is a separate track, sometimes it's put together with Thuy's Death and isn't mentioned by name at all. Anyway, they happen one right after the other, I think they're all great and clumping them all together means I've got more room in my Top 10 list, so they're going to be one item in this list. The story gets to one of its highest points here when Kim shows that she really will do anything to protect her little boy when Thuy comes back and threatens him. After this comes This Is The Hour, another ensemble number that sends shivers down my spine every time I hear it, and features what I think are honestly the best harmonies in the universe of musical theatre. Yes, I'm really going to make such a huge statement!

Bui-Doi
The ensemble sings again, led by John. John has become such a different person than what he was in Act I – in a positive sense! Once again, I love the melody and the harmonies...

Now That I've Seen Her
This is Ellen's solo which will no longer be heard in the revival. Ellen gets a lot of dirty looks from fans because of how they interpret these lyrics, but like I stated in my earlier post, I can't see what there is to hate about her. She has to go through a lot emotionally, suddenly hearing that her husband basically has another family in Vietnam!

Celebrate Musicals Week: Tagged!

Time to start off Miss Dashwood's Celebrate Musicals Week – or, in my case, Miss Saigon Week! I'm really excited about this week, because I obviously love musicals a lot and I got to pick a really great musical to write about. So I would like to thank Miss Dashwood for hosting this blog party, and for providing the tag for this post. I will respect her wish of keeping the content of all my Miss Saigon related posts family-friendly. Please read the following about the content of Miss Saigon before proceeding:

Miss Saigon is by no means a light and fun play, I have to say. For those of you who don't know the plot I'll be giving a short synopsis in a minute, but first let's give the warnings of any content that some readers may find inappropriate. My language, as always in my blog, will be clean and I will not use any swear words or offensive language, but the lyrics and the plot of Miss Saigon include some very unpleasant words and references, including: extremely derogatory references to women, swear words, some negative language about Asians (though it's nowhere near the ugliest I have heard), prostitution, two deaths by gunshot and general things to do with war. I hope I remembered everything noteworthy.

And now let's move on to Miss Dashwood's tag, there are some nice questions to answer!

1.  What musical did you pick to "spotlight" this week and why?

I chose Miss Saigon by Boublil and Schönberg because I fell in love with most of its songs the minute I heard them (they are just as brilliantly composed as the score of Les Misérables!) and the story is extremely beautiful and tragic. I also liked the idea of spotlighting a musical that is currently under much discussion because Miss Saigon is returning to the West End and it's been very exciting hearing all the news regarding the new production!

Just in case there are readers who don't know the story of Miss Saigon, here's a short plot synopsis: Chris is an American GI who fights in the Vietnam War, and Kim is a young Vietnamese woman whose family was killed in an attack. The two meet at a night club where Kim works as a bar girl and a prostitute. The owner of the night club is the Engineer, a slimy character who only wants to get an American visa so he can move there and live "the American Dream". Chris and Kim instantly fall in love and Chris promises to take her with him to America, but then the Fall of Saigon happens. The Viet-Cong invade Saigon and all the American soldiers, including Chris, are evacuated while Kim is left behind.

Three years later, Kim is raising her and Chris' son Tam, while Chris has got married in America in an effort to get over his grief. The Engineer thinks up a plan to get into America – he thinks he will get the visa if he pretends to be the uncle of Kim's half-American child. Kim, Tam and the Engineer travel to Bangkok, where Chris also arrives with his wife Ellen after receiving news that Kim is alive and has had his son. Kim wants to send Tam to America with his father, but Chris and especially Ellen think it's a better idea if they support Kim and Tam financially in Bangkok. Kim is so desperate for her son to have a better life in America that she shoots herself. 

2.  How did you discover the musical you picked (hereinafter referred to as "your musical")?

I first got obsessed with Les Misérables and then found out that Alain Boublil and Claude-Michel Schönberg had made other musicals too. I found the Original London Cast recording and fell in love.

3.  If you had to pick three favorite songs from your musical, which ones would they be?

Oh dear, only three songs from a score where at least every other song is my favourite? Okay, I'll try...

• The Last Night of the World, a beautiful love duet by Kim and Chris
• This Is The Hour, a stunning ensemble number, the harmonies give me chills every time
• The Movie In My Mind, a duet by Kim and Gigi, another bar girl

I'll be discussing more of my favourite songs somewhere during the week...

4.  What's your least favorite song from your musical?

I don't think any of the songs are bad, but the one I definitely like the least is The American Dream, sung by the Engineer near the end of the show. He sings about how he's going to make a fortune in America, which he basically said already somewhere earlier. The way he talks about his mother and father's professions is really quite disgusting and the composition isn't as memorable as in the other songs. 

5.  Who are your favorite characters (choose up to three)?

Kim, because she is such a well-developed character and has so many great songs. It's probably one of the hardest musical roles to cast – the original London production's auditions went on for a long time before Lea Salonga was found, and even now they're still looking for a Kim for the London revival.

Gigi, because she's an interesting character too even though she doesn't have much stage time. First she appears to be completely hardened by life, teasing Kim with the other girls. Then she starts singing The Movie In My Mind and reveals the hope she still has in her heart even though she knows it's foolish.

Ellen, because she is in such a difficult position regarding Chris and Kim. It would be easy to hate her for "taking Chris away" from Kim, but I can't because Ellen suffers from the situation too. I think her solo Now That I've Seen Her is great. It has been replaced by a new song Maybe, and I can't wait to see if I can like that song too.

6.  Which versions of your musical have you seen/listened to, and which is your favorite?

Unfortunately I haven't seen Miss Saigon on stage at all yet. There was a production in Finland in 2004, but I wasn't such a musical freak back then so I didn't know anything about it. Only two cast recordings exist: the Original London Cast recording and the Complete Symphonic Recording. I like the first one better, because Lea Salonga and Simon Bowman are so amazing as Kim and Chris.

7.   Is this your favorite musical of all time?  If not, what is?

It's definitely in my Top Ten list, but not the ultimate favourite. That is... Les Misérables!

8.   Which cast album/musical soundtrack in your collection do you listen to the most?

I haven't really kept track of that... Lately, I've been listening to the Miss Saigon OLC a lot to get inspired for this blog party. The Les Mis 25th Anniversary Tour recording is definitely one of my favourite cast recordings which I listen to a lot. 

9.   What is your favorite costume from your musical?

Actually, Miss Saigon isn't filled with lovely costumes like The Phantom of the Opera, My Fair Lady and such. Most of the men wear army uniforms and most of the women wear, well, skimpy clothes. Kim wears something tattered and unattrctive most of the time. However, there is one scene where she gets to dress up nicely – the wedding scene. I couldn't find a better picture of it, but here you can see Kim, kneeling in that white dress:

10.  If you could change anything about your musical, what would you change?

I would want to make it clearer that Chris was just as devastated about being parted from his beloved as Kim was, and that he only married Ellen after losing all hope of being reunited with Kim. Chris gets a lot of hate from fans because people think he married Ellen without looking back and forgot all about Kim. I think it would be good for him to have a proper solo in the second act, either right after he finds out he has a son, or when he has arrived in Bangkok. He could sing about what his life was like after he left Kim behind, and what led to his marriage with Ellen. 

11.  Which role(s) would you most like to play in any musical, if you had the opportunity to do so on stage?

I think Éponine is my number one dream role in a musical! She has great songs and gets to die on stage after singing a touching duet with Marius, and then gets carried off by singing young men. Not bad at all! And I really like that hat she wears.

Another great role to play would be Eliza Doolittle. She's such a funny character, and quite demanding too as you'd have to portray both the Cockney-speaking flower seller and the "fair lady" she becomes. I love all the four solo songs she has!

I've been planning a separate "My Dream Roles In Musicals" post so I won't go on about this forever, but other great roles to play would be Maureen Johnson in RENT, Nancy in Oliver! and Ilse in Spring Awakening. Just to name a few...

12.  If you could choose one performer to play any part in your musical, who would you choose and which part would you have them play?

I really have just one wish about the upcoming West End revival: Please, please, please have Gareth Gates play Chris! I absolutely adored his voice as Marius on the Les Mis 25th Anniversary Tour recording, and I think he could express Chris perfectly! He's even sung Chris' solo Why God Why!

13.  Do you consider yourself a musical theatre fan in general or do you just like a few musicals?

Musical theatre as a form of art is pure awesomeness! Alright there's bound to be some musicals that I don't like that much, but not very many!

14.  Are you tired of the word "musical" yet?

No I'm not, and I never will be!


15.  Turn your music playing device on shuffle (or utilize Pandora if you don't have one) and tell us the names of the first three show tunes that come up-- no cheating!  How do these rank on your favorites/most-listened-to list?

• The Bitch Of Living from Spring Awakening – I listen to Spring Awakening from time to time. It's not one of my absolute favourite musicals but there are some things I really like about it. This song is angsty in a really funny kind of way... Or maybe it's just my weird sense of humour.
• Any Dream Will Do from Joseph and the Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat – It's an OK song, nice and mellow. Again, this isn't on my favourite musicals list, I think it's weird though kind of fun too.
• Sympathy, Tenderness from Jekyll & Hyde – I discovered this musical quite recently, haven't listened to the cast recording enough yet to really give my proper opinion about the songs. This one does have an interesting, eerie atmosphere.

So the blog party has begun... Have a great week with musicals everyone!

A Tolkien Blog Party of Special Magnificence

So it's not just a Celebrate Musicals Week now – it's also a Tolkien Blog Party Week, hosted at The Edge of the Precipice! It's going to be a busy week with both of these parties going on, but it's sure to be a lot of fun too. And I was quite embarrassed to notice that the 22nd was in fact a Sunday, not a Monday like I thought, so that's why I'm late for this. So typical of me. But let's get on with the Tolkien celebration now and answer these questions by Hamlette! Late happy birthday to Bilbo and Frodo!

1.  Have you read The Lord of the Rings or The Hobbit? If so, how many times?

Of course, both! How many times, though? I remember reading The Lord of the Rings three times in Finnish before I switched into the English version, and in the last couple of years I've had the habit of reading it every summer. The same goes with The Hobbit. 

2.  Have you seen any movies based on them?

I've seen all the Jackson movies made so far (including the first part of The Hobbit) and even the Ralph Bakshi animated version which was a rather interesting experience.
3.  Who first introduced you to Middle Earth?

Nobody really – I just got interested in the books after hearing everyone talk about them, and the Jackson movies (all three of which had come out by then but which I hadn't seen).


4.  Who are your three favorite characters?  (Feel free to elaborate on whys.)

Bilbo is my absolute favourite of them all. Do I really have to tell you why he's so awesome? I just relate so much to his desire to see the wider world, and how he just doesn't care that everyone in Hobbiton thinks he's nuts!

Aragorn has got to be the second favourite. His first appearance is one of my most-anticipated moments in the book as well as the film Fellowship of the Ring.

I like Éowyn in the books, especially after the battle of Minas Tirith, but not in the movies unfortunately – Miranda Otto's Éowyn cries too much!


5.  What's your favorite Middle Earth location?

King Thranduil's court in Mirkwood.


6.  If you could belong to one of the races of Free Folk (Men, Elves, Dwarves, Hobbits, Ents), which would you choose?

This is going to be such a predictable answer but I'd pick Elves. They speak beautiful languages and I like all their locations, such as Rivendell and Mirkwood. They ride their horses bareback which I like to do as well.


7.  Would you rather eat lembas or taters?

I'm not big on eating bread but lembas isn't just any bread... So I'd pick that.


8.  If you lived in Middle Earth, what weapon would you prefer wielding?

I think it would be better if I didn't use any weapon at all, I have such a terrible aim! I could borrow the hobbits' idea and use a frying pan.


9.  What draws you to Tolkien's stories?  (The characters, the quests, the themes, the worlds, etc.)

I can read The Lord of the Rings again and again because it's such a huge story that I find something new to think about each time. I just love how detailed and complete Middle-Earth is.


10. List up to five of your favorite lines/quotes from the books or movies.

“In a hole in the ground there lived a hobbit.” 

“Do you wish me a good morning, or mean that it is a good morning whether I want it or not; or that you feel good this morning; or that it is a morning to be good on?” 

“It's a dangerous business, Frodo, going out your door. You step onto the road, and if you don't keep your feet, there's no knowing where you might be swept off to.” 

“And now leave me in peace for a bit! I don't want to answer a string of questions while I am eating. I want to think!"
"Good Heavens!" said Pippin. "At breakfast?” 

"Nine companions. So be it. You shall be the Fellowship of the Ring."

"Great! Where are we going?"

Announcements!! Celebrate Musicals Week & Six Months Anniversary!

Today, I'll go off-topic from what I usually blog about to make some important announcements. Read on so you'll know what will be happening in Music & My Mind!

Item one (à la Julie Andrews' Mary Poppins): I will be participating in the Celebrate Musicals Week blog party, hosted by Miss Dashwood. You can use the link or the blog button in the sidebar to see all the details, but basically it means that from September 23rd to 28th I'll be devoting my blog to one musical, which will be... Miss Saigon! Because it is one of the most beautiful stories ever, has some amazing songs and it's coming back to the West End next year! I can't review a stage version or a movie version because the first I didn't get to see on its first West End run, and the second doesn't exist yet. I haven't quite decided what my Miss Saigon posts will be, but it's safe to say I'll be sharing my favourite songs and some videos, and Ms Lea Salonga simply has to be mentioned where Miss Saigon is concerned.

Item two: The six months anniversary of Music & My Mind is approaching! The fact that the number of page views has increased by a thousand at an astonishing speed has convinced me that some people in the world actually read this blog, so I want to celebrate in a way that you readers can participate! And better yet, you'll be able to help me improve my blog, because I'm going to ask you really nicely to make a review of it. However, you don't have to start worrying about that just now. The six months anniversary takes place on the 15th of October (I'm counting from the day I published my first post, about Nicholas Nickleby) so somewhere about a week in advance, I'll be making another post and giving you some review questions to answer. I hope you'll take the tiny little trouble of completing the review, it would mean really much to me to know how readers feel about Music & My Mind. And remember, even if you've never ever written a comment here before, you are still more than welcome to review!

Bye for now! I'm off to prepare my Miss Saigon posts...