I've established a Youtube channel in conjunction to this blog to create a headquarters to store the captioned videos that pertain to Broadway musicals.
There are quite a few fans out there that have started captioning their videos and I'm collecting them to archive on the Youtube channel for all to enjoy (and to make it easier to find!)
Here is a captioned video of the song "Popular" from WICKED, from a pro shot of the show with Idina Menzel and Kristin Chenoweth as Elphaba and Galinda, respectively.
Please click on the link to view the video (and don't forget to turn the captions on!)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kY2_HAAoqqA
The link to the channel has been added to the "Captioned Broadway Media" list on the right.
Thursday, May 28, 2009
Friday, May 22, 2009
The Phantom of the Opera is there inside my mind...
The Phantom of the Opera. One of my favorite musicals. Also the longest I've ever waited to see a show - 20 years. Finally, I saw the touring company perform during its stop in the Twin Cities.
Why so long? Well, until I moved to the Twin Cities area, I didn't see any professionally interpreted touring Broadway shows., let alone Phantom. I grew up hearing the stories of Phantom and how my parents saw the show when it was in Chicago and fell in love with it (they’d give me a play-by-play of the chandelier’s pivotal role in the show). Me? I was too young the first time - but I do recall my neighbor playing the cast recording (on tapes, not CD, mind you) and settling me on the base speakers to feel the vibrations. That was my first exposure to the world of musical theater - feeling the haunting chords through my fingers as I'd watch my neighbors painstakingly trying to deliver the lyrics with the gusto of Michael Crawford and Sarah Brightman as if they knew sign language.
“DUNNNN! DundundunDUNNN!” (That is a play-by-play of how the organ sounds). My father even devised a homemade sign to use for the well-known chords to the organ sections, matching the tempo and pitch duration exactly. (If nothing else, he’ll do the organ parts while Mom interpreted everything else).
Phantom - the only musical (other than the video-based The Blues Brothers) that my Dad saw and actually enjoyed. Both parents hated CATS and Les Miserables was just too long for Mom. But Phantom - they both found a show that they both could enjoy (and for Dad to be able to tolerate it as dinner music… only Phantom made the cut. No Wicked. Especially NOT Rent. No sappy syrupy songs from The Sound of Music. Only Phantom (and the Blues Brothers) were allowed under the musical classification.
So, armed with the libretto partially memorized and read the book as well as the many versions of the films (with the 1925 one starring Lon Chaney, a CODA as my favorite), I set out to see Phantom with high expectations (who wouldn't? ) I was especially looking forward to the much-fabled chandelier (as I'm a sucker for the spectacles designed for the latest Broadway megamusical - like Phantom).
Especially looking forward to the translations for the following songs: "Angel of Music", "Prima Donna', "The Phantom of the Opera" (with the trademark organ refrain listed above), "Music of the Night", "Masquerade" (how would the interpreters do that one? Could they even understand ALL the lyrics?) and "Point of No Return", I contemplated ways the interpreters could have signed specific lines from those songs.
So I saw the show - twice. Once with the interpreters, and again with just the libretto and a flashlight in hand. (Why twice? I missed out on half of the spectacles - the fire, the candelabras, the chandelier on its point of triumph, etc since I was busy watching the interpreters and mentally reviewing their sign choices). With this show, it's even impossible to catch every last lyric or see all the details in the scenery, so multiple viewings is required - not only for the Deaf patron, but for everyone else, including the hearing population. (Mom confessed to me that the first time she saw it, she couldn't understand half of the lyrics, especially during "Masquerade!").
Phantom A - Sunday matinee performance with interpreters.
What really tipped me off that the show was going to be excellent was the way the interpreters decided to break away from 'funeral/interpreter black' and go in the direction of 'acting interpreters' and don costumes. (Note to interpreters: Do it - it really does enhance the performance and makes you fit in more with the company instead of being singled out as 'unique' - not that there's anything wrong with being unique... but sometimes, you just want to look the part. )
Terp Guy had on an old-time tux (with the coattails to prove it), looking like a cross of Raoul and the Phantom. Terp Lady had on an old-time dress (borrowed from Go Vintage in Saint Paul) of a flowy purpley shiney material (it did not reflect the light, much to my surprise). Together, they looked like cast members who wandered into the interpreting area - cast members who happened to sign. (Of course, I took a picture...)
I was glad that they used the trademark sign for 'Phantom' (mask covering the right side of the face - important to convey the right (right) side of the face - adopting from the age-old name sign for the character. (I've seen interpreters mistakenly use "pirate", covering only the eye whereas they should be covering the right side of the face as if the white mask was there instead of their hand).
Would they use the sign for the organ refrain, "DUNNNN!dundundunDUNNNN!? Yes - though it didn't match the tempo correctly or pitch longevity (it ended up being DUNdundundundun).
Loved the translation for "you alone can make my song take flight..." (organ music, insert voice, crossed-arms as organ top blow off/separate, hands flutter away into the darkness... can't remember the exact gloss of the line).
There were some questionable translations - like I'd rather see an established sign for Prima Donna rather than fingerspelling it (I do understand it was done for emphasis on the line 'prima donna' but I felt that they could switch back and forth between fingerspelling once and establishing a sign phrase for it before the show).
I felt that "The Phantom of the Opera", "Music of the Night" and "Masquerade" translated well (the latter being easy since it was a list of characters and reasons to hide yourself, but at the same time, one needs to memorize that list and the speed it is delivered at).
The character development and chemistry between the two interpreters was wonderful (and it was evident as they became the characters, especially during those two well-known songs and the finale in the dungeon.) I do wonder if the performance would have been enhanced with three interpreters? It would make the character roles division better - one for Christine, one for Phantom, one for Raoul - would have made it less confusing for the non-Phantom-savvy audience members.
(I would have appreciated captioning as well... seeing the ASL translation and trying to mentally match them to the original text was exhausting - I wanted to see the signs for "help me make the music of the night..." and it was difficult to figure out the ASL equivalent since the interpreters didn't mouth much.
(That's a sticky thought - should 'terps mouth some or all of the lyrics while signing or not? Especially when the audience is a mix of both ASL and SEE users, it would have helped those who wanted to see the original lyrics as well as the interpretation).
With all that said, I felt that the 'terps for Phantom belonged in the top class of well-interpreted performances (including Rent (the tour with Anthony and Adam), My Fair Lady, The Lion King and Spring Awakening - judging from shows I have seen interpreted - those were done during the Minneapolis-St Paul stops of the touring productions).
One last thought, I still think the interpreters need to be hoisted up a bit - the block isn't high enough for those not sitting in the triangle of good view (the first row and the aisle seaters see them great, those behind have to duck around heads or strain their necks to see over heads). Instead of six inches, make it twelve inches - it could help?
I will post pictures of the 'terp crew once I get their permission to do so - stay tuned!
Phantom B - Thursday evening student rush with libretto
Knowing it would not be reasonable to find and acquire an interpreter an hour before curtain, I asked the theater for permission to use a libretto and a flashlight. Knowing from past experience (Aida), I didn't want to be mistaken for someone recording an illegal bootleg. Given permission, I still felt uneasy about wielding a flashlight - even though the ushers had been forewarned of it in advance, the audience has not. (I was told that the company was aware and said that there shouldn't be any problems - but still).
Sitting in row A, craning up my neck to see up on the stage as the deck was elevated, I could see the musicians in the pit very well (and it came in handy when I was trying to figure out which song was playing, I could easily see the sheet music and figure out which song lyrics I should be reading along with). This time, i sat on the other side of the house - which came with its perks (being able to see Phantom's reflection the mirror, better sound for "Music of the Night", close-up profiles of the actors which aided lipreading, etc).
Feeling very sneaky, I switched on the light (booklight, barely big enough to shine on two lines of text at a time) and held the libretto (small version that came with the CD) in one hand, poised and ready. I could feel someone breathing down my neck and I resisted toe temptation to look at my fellow audience members, (once I did and they sent me disapproving glances... but hey, what can I do?).
Seeing it the second time did help make sense of the lyrics and the relationships between the characters though I did wish I had taken the time to re-learn the lyrics that I'd once memorized as it would have required less flipping of pages... I could do this with Rent, but not with Phantom. (Partly because before my cochlear implants were upgraded, I couldn't bear to hear Christine's high pitches as they sounded like a fire alarm - but now they're quite manageable and coherent enough.)
What really helped was having the blocking notes in the libretto to foreshadow events about to occur - as I was forewarned about appearances of characters, movements, and any special effects about to astound the audience. Having that advantage gave me a few precious seconds to look in the right direction for the right effect at the right time.
I did notice the cast giving me curious glances from time to time and it made me feel like a theatre critique... (in ways I am one, but still...)
My favorite scene remains unchanged - it looks spectacular both ways. Which one? Well, many people have complained about it but I found "Masquerade!" very appealing, mainly for the spectacular level with the multitude of colors spinning around from the eccentric costumes the cast wore. That, and the hand-movements during the stair-dance captivated my attention as this scene was all about 'action' and less kissy-fest or crying about things one does not have.
Secondly, "Music of the Night" remains the easiest song for me to hear and recognize/decipher (and the only one where I have ALL the lyrics memorized as opposed to bits and pieces of other songs).
It remains one of my favorite shows but I still prefer the original cast as I was already accustomed to hearing them - and with the new cast, I had to break in the new voices in a short time... and that I found the CD sounding more "full" - felt the tour was lacking in orchestrations and vocals - they weren't as strong or full (or "showy"). But - the chandelier remains my favorite character of the production.
Friday, May 15, 2009
Legally Brilliant!
"Omigod, you guys!" Hearing a passel of college-aged girls shriek and scream their way around the stage during the opening number of Legally Blonde makes one cringe in amusement. Looking over to my right, I watched the two sign language interpreters mimick the movements of the actors in their own fashion of acting... well, "blonde."
Legally Blonde - the Musical. I attended the Sunday matinee and though I had my reservations about the show (after loving the film starring Reese Witherspoon, I waasn't sure the movie would carry over seamlessly to the stage). It did take me a while to warm up to the actors portraying the characters in the successful film, and by the end I was grinning ear to ear (and thinking pink).
Yes, both dogs made their stage presences known - Bruiser (Elle's dog) and Paulette's dog Rufus that they rescued from her ex-lover.
I did note the low number of Deaf people in attendance - in fact, there were only two including myself. Hmm - looks like the theater needs to vamp up their marketing efforts towards the Deaf. Considering it was Legally Blonde, and especially an adaptation of the film, I would think that there would be more Deaf people in attendance (comparing to The Lion King or Wicked, which had packed audiences in the ASL section. Where were the (deaf) screaming teenage girls? After all, it IS Legally Blonde.
Name signs? Here they are - normal name signs, nothing special about them.
Terp A
Elle Woods - E on the chin.
Enid (the female activist) - E on the chin - I did get confused between the two, having the same name sign and the letter E... I'd suggest a different placement - E on the shoulder, or in neutral space (though that might be confused with the sign for 'emergency').
Terp B
Warner Huntington III (the boyfriend) - W in neutral space.
Emmett Forrest (the TA) - F on temple/forehead. (I do appreciate that they used his last name instead - due to the plethora of 'E' names - Elle, Enid, Emmett).
Vivienne Kensington (Warner's new love interest) - V-V from side to side on the chest.
Professor Callahan (the professor/attorney) - C on shoulder.
Paulette Buonofuonte (the hairstylist) - P on the forehead, sliding (for the hair, obviously!)
Brooke Wyndham (fitness queen) - B-queen (very fitting!)
The ASL program - very nicely designed. One side had the ASL information while the other side had the AD information. Half of it had the interpreters' biographies (with headshots - I love it when they put the headshots on the program!) The other half occupied the character's name signs and the logo for the show (Laura Bell Bundy, the original Elle, dressed in pink, holding a sign with "Legally Blonde" on it, and Bruiser on a leash).
The name signs all came with a dictionary-style picture of how to roughly sign the name sign, which I found very helpful (now I want that for myself... hmm... have to figure out what computer program they used!). Each name sign was occupied by a brief description of the character.
Memorable moments:
"Omigod, you guys!" Just seeing the interpreters reenact that motion sends me into giggles. Kudos to the other Deaf patron for mimicking them at intermission - it's considered flattery if the audience mimicks your sign choices!
"Delta Nu" ("Daughter of Delta Nu")- Rather than make up a new name sign, they borrowed the signs from the cast (though one motion, if signed wrong, does depict another meaning... be careful!). Making a triangle with the index and thumb fingers then having the right hand flip over for the 'N', one gets triangle-N to represent Delta Nu.
"Bend and Snap" (the trademark line from the film version taking place at the hairdressers' where Elle teaches the others how to bend and straighten up accordingly to attract attention). Think of a woman, bending over (with the B, thumb out) then taking both hands up to chest (I guess one could say how a dog would beg). Bend.... and snap!
"Legally Blonde". For most of the show, the interpreters used the regular "law" + "blonde". When Elle falls in despair, she uses "law" + "blonde-dumb" (the sign for 'blonde' leading into the 'knock-forehead' motion for 'dumb'. At the end, during the finale, the sign phrase changes to "law" + "brilliant/hair shine" (double meaning! I love it when a sign phrase creates multiple meanings/metaphors!) One would sign "smart" with the open 8 hand shape with a wiggle - but also meaning something shiny (in this case, her blonde hair). It works!
The songs that translated the best, in my opinion were "Omigod You Guys" (the opening number), "Blood in the Water" (Callahan sings about the rigorous studies required of Harvard students), "Chip on My Shoulder" (between Elle and Emmett).
So... the result? I enjoyed the show very much (much better than I though it would be... it's a heartwarming chick show for sure! (The equivalent of a chick flick with some catch songs that makes one blush in amusement).
The interpreters? One of them was professional, clearly comfortable with doing musicals and it showed - the passion behind the hands delivering the signs. The other one, I felt, could improve with time and experience. Her area of concern lies with developing more characterization (through hands and faces - I found it a bit challenging to determine who was signing the lines - this character or that character?) I do feel that with appropriate guidance, that interpreter can improve the 'theatrics' of performing arts interpreting. I did find myself eagerly watching one interpreter more often than the other (the one that had a firm grasp on the difference between academic and performing arts interpreting).
Overall, it was an excellent show!
Legally Blonde - the Musical. I attended the Sunday matinee and though I had my reservations about the show (after loving the film starring Reese Witherspoon, I waasn't sure the movie would carry over seamlessly to the stage). It did take me a while to warm up to the actors portraying the characters in the successful film, and by the end I was grinning ear to ear (and thinking pink).
Yes, both dogs made their stage presences known - Bruiser (Elle's dog) and Paulette's dog Rufus that they rescued from her ex-lover.
I did note the low number of Deaf people in attendance - in fact, there were only two including myself. Hmm - looks like the theater needs to vamp up their marketing efforts towards the Deaf. Considering it was Legally Blonde, and especially an adaptation of the film, I would think that there would be more Deaf people in attendance (comparing to The Lion King or Wicked, which had packed audiences in the ASL section. Where were the (deaf) screaming teenage girls? After all, it IS Legally Blonde.
Name signs? Here they are - normal name signs, nothing special about them.
Terp A
Elle Woods - E on the chin.
Enid (the female activist) - E on the chin - I did get confused between the two, having the same name sign and the letter E... I'd suggest a different placement - E on the shoulder, or in neutral space (though that might be confused with the sign for 'emergency').
Terp B
Warner Huntington III (the boyfriend) - W in neutral space.
Emmett Forrest (the TA) - F on temple/forehead. (I do appreciate that they used his last name instead - due to the plethora of 'E' names - Elle, Enid, Emmett).
Vivienne Kensington (Warner's new love interest) - V-V from side to side on the chest.
Professor Callahan (the professor/attorney) - C on shoulder.
Paulette Buonofuonte (the hairstylist) - P on the forehead, sliding (for the hair, obviously!)
Brooke Wyndham (fitness queen) - B-queen (very fitting!)
The ASL program - very nicely designed. One side had the ASL information while the other side had the AD information. Half of it had the interpreters' biographies (with headshots - I love it when they put the headshots on the program!) The other half occupied the character's name signs and the logo for the show (Laura Bell Bundy, the original Elle, dressed in pink, holding a sign with "Legally Blonde" on it, and Bruiser on a leash).
The name signs all came with a dictionary-style picture of how to roughly sign the name sign, which I found very helpful (now I want that for myself... hmm... have to figure out what computer program they used!). Each name sign was occupied by a brief description of the character.
Memorable moments:
"Omigod, you guys!" Just seeing the interpreters reenact that motion sends me into giggles. Kudos to the other Deaf patron for mimicking them at intermission - it's considered flattery if the audience mimicks your sign choices!
"Delta Nu" ("Daughter of Delta Nu")- Rather than make up a new name sign, they borrowed the signs from the cast (though one motion, if signed wrong, does depict another meaning... be careful!). Making a triangle with the index and thumb fingers then having the right hand flip over for the 'N', one gets triangle-N to represent Delta Nu.
"Bend and Snap" (the trademark line from the film version taking place at the hairdressers' where Elle teaches the others how to bend and straighten up accordingly to attract attention). Think of a woman, bending over (with the B, thumb out) then taking both hands up to chest (I guess one could say how a dog would beg). Bend.... and snap!
"Legally Blonde". For most of the show, the interpreters used the regular "law" + "blonde". When Elle falls in despair, she uses "law" + "blonde-dumb" (the sign for 'blonde' leading into the 'knock-forehead' motion for 'dumb'. At the end, during the finale, the sign phrase changes to "law" + "brilliant/hair shine" (double meaning! I love it when a sign phrase creates multiple meanings/metaphors!) One would sign "smart" with the open 8 hand shape with a wiggle - but also meaning something shiny (in this case, her blonde hair). It works!
The songs that translated the best, in my opinion were "Omigod You Guys" (the opening number), "Blood in the Water" (Callahan sings about the rigorous studies required of Harvard students), "Chip on My Shoulder" (between Elle and Emmett).
So... the result? I enjoyed the show very much (much better than I though it would be... it's a heartwarming chick show for sure! (The equivalent of a chick flick with some catch songs that makes one blush in amusement).
The interpreters? One of them was professional, clearly comfortable with doing musicals and it showed - the passion behind the hands delivering the signs. The other one, I felt, could improve with time and experience. Her area of concern lies with developing more characterization (through hands and faces - I found it a bit challenging to determine who was signing the lines - this character or that character?) I do feel that with appropriate guidance, that interpreter can improve the 'theatrics' of performing arts interpreting. I did find myself eagerly watching one interpreter more often than the other (the one that had a firm grasp on the difference between academic and performing arts interpreting).
Overall, it was an excellent show!
Next: The Phantom of the Opera
Wednesday, May 13, 2009
Official Announcement
Got the Rent e-newsletter and an item of interest popped up:
"RENT: THE BROADWAY TOUR is proud to announce that all videos posted on the show’s official YouTube Channel now have Closed Captions for fans who are Deaf or hard of hearing. To turn on the captions feature when watching a video, place your mouse on the lower right-hand triangle in the video and click on the “CC” logo."
Way to go!
At this point, they remain the only Broadway musical that does captioning. DisneyOnBroadway is now in 'consideration' of adding captioning to theirs - so do message them and ask for captioning! We want to see those video clips of songs from The Lion King, The Little Mermaid, Mary Poppins (and older closed shows), don't we? The more interest in captioning, the faster they'll add captioning - so head over to YouTube.com and find their channel (DisneyOnBroadway) and ask!
"Omigod, you guys!" Review of Legally Blonde at the Ordway Center for the Performing Arts will appear in the next blog update with my reflections of the ASL interpreters - keep an eye out for it!
"RENT: THE BROADWAY TOUR is proud to announce that all videos posted on the show’s official YouTube Channel now have Closed Captions for fans who are Deaf or hard of hearing. To turn on the captions feature when watching a video, place your mouse on the lower right-hand triangle in the video and click on the “CC” logo."
Way to go!
At this point, they remain the only Broadway musical that does captioning. DisneyOnBroadway is now in 'consideration' of adding captioning to theirs - so do message them and ask for captioning! We want to see those video clips of songs from The Lion King, The Little Mermaid, Mary Poppins (and older closed shows), don't we? The more interest in captioning, the faster they'll add captioning - so head over to YouTube.com and find their channel (DisneyOnBroadway) and ask!
"Omigod, you guys!" Review of Legally Blonde at the Ordway Center for the Performing Arts will appear in the next blog update with my reflections of the ASL interpreters - keep an eye out for it!
Thursday, May 7, 2009
A Performer with a Mic-Pack ala Broadway? Nope, it's an old-school FM system!
Some people do straight theater. Others prefer Shakespeare. Me? I go straight for the musical theater stuff. Give me Rodgers and Hammerstein. Lerner and Loewe. Cole Porter's my man. Ebb and Kander? Sure! Andrew Lloyd Webber? Right-on! Let's not forget Sondheim, Schwartz, the Gershwins too. Jonathan Larson. Sherman and Sherman. Anyone who's ever penned a song for the American musical is right up my alley.
*cue conductor*
Give my regards to Broadway
Remember me to Herald Square
Tell all the gang at Forty-Second Street
That I will soon be there
Whisper of how I'm yearning
To mingle with the old-time throng
Give my regards to Broadway
And say that I'll be there e're long...
I'm not laughing and neither should you.
I'm a performer. I perform musicals. I even interpret musicals when the time is right. I'm Deaf and use ASL. I'm a bilateral CI recipient (Nucleus Freedom on one side, Nucleus 24 Contour with Freedom processor on the other, have been since 1991 and 2008).
It's tricky. Directly connected to an iPod (an iPod Classic with video of course!) and my cochlear implants, I'm able to hear the music and with time and effort, understand the lyrics.
But when I'm on stage, I can't be directly hooked to an iPod - the audience needs to hear the music too! So, what to do?
Many times I've done it au naturel (meaning using only my cochlear implant(s)... it works fine for classic old school musicals like Annie, The Wizard of Oz, The Sound of Music, Bye Bye Birdie, etc... where the orchestration doesn't drown out the vocals.
But for more contemporary stuff like Sondheim, Wicked, Rent, Phantom of the Opera, it arises some problems. Oftentimes the orchestration is complex and tends to compete with the vocals.
So, after struggles and countless methods - I've found a system that works for me. The FM system. Yes, old-school. Figured it out via an emergency!
What happened?
I did "Defying Gravity" (from Wicked) for a performance for a college class. I do great when plugged into an iPod but once I take that away and use speakers instead, my intelligibility goes down. WAY down. Being hooked up to the speakers does cause problems - there are no extension cords for the PACs (Personal Audio Cables).
So, an emergency request to Disability Services placed an old-school FM system in my hands. The old two block-sets. One to clip on my belt, the other to set near the microphone.
The set up? Hooked to my CIs by the PACs, I masqueraded my FM receiver as a mic-pack (just like the actors on Broadway wear - so I fit in!). The PACs snaked down my back under my shirt (to keep them out of the way of my signing hands and to make them more discreet.) They were taped to the back of my neck using that tape from the First-Aid kit (leaving some slack for neck-turning). Just like those B'way performers wear their head-mics with the cable snaking down their neck.
The transmitter was set near my iPod speakers (the mic itself was taped to the iPod in its docker without touching the speakers. Only an inch or so - if they touched, it would produce static noises intermittenly. So, be sure to set it far enough that it doesn't touch but not too far away that it picks up other sounds rather than the music. )
Tried the neck loop with T-mics... didn't work since I moved around too much and the neck loop kept shifting positions - so back to the PACs which allowed motion and would not interfere with sound quality/delivery.
Now, CRANK IT UP! No matter where you stand on the stage (as long as it's in range of the FM transmitter), sound is delievered to your ears. (The hearing students reacted at first, hearing Idina Menzel belting "Defying Gravity" in the arena theater with me signing along but they soon bought it and reveled in a fresh perspective of the showstopping number. (Used a rehearsal block in lieu of a cherry picker (hydraulic arm to those that want to go technical).
BUT - when you are an ASL actor using a voice double (this is especially important for musicals), give the transmitter to the voicer and they can couple it to their mic pack. That way, I'll pick up everything my voice-double says/sing, thus keeping me on track with her/him. Synchronization is key here.
Now to convince my VR counselor to agree that the Phonak Freedom boots are revelant enough to be put on my plan to eliminate the old-school system (though I like making it look like I have a mic pack, same as every one else!)
Any other suggestions out there? My biggest problem is that the vocals are oftentimes washed out by the music - so anything that boosts the vocals will be beneficial! (Yes, I did try the equalizer program for music but it didn't help...) Let's hear the other solutions out there!
...Give my regards to Broadway
and say that I'll be e're long!
*cue conductor*
Give my regards to Broadway
Remember me to Herald Square
Tell all the gang at Forty-Second Street
That I will soon be there
Whisper of how I'm yearning
To mingle with the old-time throng
Give my regards to Broadway
And say that I'll be there e're long...
I'm not laughing and neither should you.
I'm a performer. I perform musicals. I even interpret musicals when the time is right. I'm Deaf and use ASL. I'm a bilateral CI recipient (Nucleus Freedom on one side, Nucleus 24 Contour with Freedom processor on the other, have been since 1991 and 2008).
It's tricky. Directly connected to an iPod (an iPod Classic with video of course!) and my cochlear implants, I'm able to hear the music and with time and effort, understand the lyrics.
But when I'm on stage, I can't be directly hooked to an iPod - the audience needs to hear the music too! So, what to do?
Many times I've done it au naturel (meaning using only my cochlear implant(s)... it works fine for classic old school musicals like Annie, The Wizard of Oz, The Sound of Music, Bye Bye Birdie, etc... where the orchestration doesn't drown out the vocals.
But for more contemporary stuff like Sondheim, Wicked, Rent, Phantom of the Opera, it arises some problems. Oftentimes the orchestration is complex and tends to compete with the vocals.
So, after struggles and countless methods - I've found a system that works for me. The FM system. Yes, old-school. Figured it out via an emergency!
What happened?
I did "Defying Gravity" (from Wicked) for a performance for a college class. I do great when plugged into an iPod but once I take that away and use speakers instead, my intelligibility goes down. WAY down. Being hooked up to the speakers does cause problems - there are no extension cords for the PACs (Personal Audio Cables).
So, an emergency request to Disability Services placed an old-school FM system in my hands. The old two block-sets. One to clip on my belt, the other to set near the microphone.
The set up? Hooked to my CIs by the PACs, I masqueraded my FM receiver as a mic-pack (just like the actors on Broadway wear - so I fit in!). The PACs snaked down my back under my shirt (to keep them out of the way of my signing hands and to make them more discreet.) They were taped to the back of my neck using that tape from the First-Aid kit (leaving some slack for neck-turning). Just like those B'way performers wear their head-mics with the cable snaking down their neck.
The transmitter was set near my iPod speakers (the mic itself was taped to the iPod in its docker without touching the speakers. Only an inch or so - if they touched, it would produce static noises intermittenly. So, be sure to set it far enough that it doesn't touch but not too far away that it picks up other sounds rather than the music. )
Tried the neck loop with T-mics... didn't work since I moved around too much and the neck loop kept shifting positions - so back to the PACs which allowed motion and would not interfere with sound quality/delivery.
Now, CRANK IT UP! No matter where you stand on the stage (as long as it's in range of the FM transmitter), sound is delievered to your ears. (The hearing students reacted at first, hearing Idina Menzel belting "Defying Gravity" in the arena theater with me signing along but they soon bought it and reveled in a fresh perspective of the showstopping number. (Used a rehearsal block in lieu of a cherry picker (hydraulic arm to those that want to go technical).
BUT - when you are an ASL actor using a voice double (this is especially important for musicals), give the transmitter to the voicer and they can couple it to their mic pack. That way, I'll pick up everything my voice-double says/sing, thus keeping me on track with her/him. Synchronization is key here.
Now to convince my VR counselor to agree that the Phonak Freedom boots are revelant enough to be put on my plan to eliminate the old-school system (though I like making it look like I have a mic pack, same as every one else!)
Any other suggestions out there? My biggest problem is that the vocals are oftentimes washed out by the music - so anything that boosts the vocals will be beneficial! (Yes, I did try the equalizer program for music but it didn't help...) Let's hear the other solutions out there!
...Give my regards to Broadway
and say that I'll be e're long!
Saturday, May 2, 2009
Artistic Direction or Censorship? You Choose.
I've pondered on and about regarding the subject of artistic direction (or others might coin the term 'censorship' instead) when it comes to interpreting for the performing arts industry.
I'm not talking about just your run-of-the-mill occasional 'potty mouth language' but rather, 'to interpret this section or not to interpret this section'? Below are several examples I've observed in performing arts interpreting.
Case study: Wicked
During the "One Short Day" segment (One short day... in the emerald city... one short day.. full of so much to do... ev'ryway that you look in this city...) where the two girls (Elphaba and Galinda) go to visit the Emerald City, they watch a performance taking place. During this mini-show, three Humpty-Dumpty style characters take their place on stage and do a little silly dance with their heads spinning around. The denizens of the Emerald City make up the audience watching this show.
Now, during this section, those eggsy characters (the Wizomania Chorus) are singing the following (but it is not noticeable as they are singing from inside those eggs-bodies):
Who's the mage
Whose major itinerary
Is making all Oz merrier?
Who's the sage
Who's sagely sailed in to save our posteriors?
Whose enthuse for hot air ballooning
Has all of Oz honeymooning?
Woo - oo -oo
Wizn't he wonderful?
(Our wonderful Wizard!)
Looking to the side to see how the interpreters would sign this section, especially with its verbose language - I was appalled to see no hands moving. Thinking I was hearing things, I looked back towards the Chorus and yes, they were singing.
Later, when I asked the interpreters why they didn't interpret this section - their reply was that the Deaf audience would not hear them singing inside those costumes and that the information wasn't important enough to warrant a translation. It was more important to watch the Chorus spinning around on stage rather to sing about how wonderful their resident wizard was. Only those who knew (or had the lyrics memorized) or could even understand them would know they were singing. Artistic Direction - the interpreters decided not to interpret this section.
Case study: Avenue Q
An interpreter from out of state contacted me via Facebook to query regarding sign choices - here was their question:
"What I was looking at are the sign choices. Naturally fingerspelling in the theatre is avoided as much as possible. In Ave Q there is a song about being "Gay" we are planning on using the sign for gay. Since the play is a pun on all of the taboo things people avoid talking about in life, but Ave Q bluntly puts it out there... I was thinking when he said "Queer" during the song it would be ok to add the older sign across the top of the head for gay. Normally I would not use that sign interpreting, but there is nothing "normal" about Ave Q haha."
My reply was:
"As a Broadway fanatic, I agree with your sign choice - especially with this musical. The whole point of this musical was to take everything and throw it into our faces - so 'politically incorrect' is the way to go (I would consider the show a failure if it didn't offend someone in some way... it's supposed to be laughed at - not taken seriously. But of course, we will have someone who will take offense...
So, yes, go ahead and do that (it fits perfectly with the lyrics) That would be the one I would want to see (I don't like it when the 'terp decides to censor the signs - if the original lyrics aren't being censored, then the terps should 'when in Rome, do as the Romans do".)
Break a finger!"
Basically - when is it okay to use a specific sign and when is it not okay to use that politically incorrect sign? Who calls the stakes? My thoughts = if it's in the original script/libretto, then it's fair game for the interpreters to sign. If the intention was to be politically incorrect, the by all means go ahead with the older sign. It depends on the character and their language/personality - if they use it, then the interpreter should sign as if it were the characters' thoughts, not their own.
Case Study: Rent
If the interpreter has any personal considerations, they should refrain from interpreting materials that they are not comfortable with. If that such interpreter isn't comfortable with using swear words, then they should probably refrain from interpreting Rent. (One set of interpreters I've observed for this show cut out all the F-bombs and any risque language... which killed the show for me. If it's part of the show - leave it in. Let the audience make the decision whether or not to look at the interpreter or to censor for themselves.
Case Study: Misc shows that involve music
I did have an interpreter who refused to interpret the musical scenes... what is the point of seeing a musical if the interpreter conveniently cuts out all the song-and-dance numbers, leaving the 'book' of the show? It's like if someone turned the microphones off every time someone opens their mouth to sing. Just because we're deaf doesn't mean we cannot enjoy the finer points of music!
Other times, there are times where the interpreter cannot hear/understand the music and might not make an attempt to interpret the song lyrics. What to do during those incidents? For me, I had a handful of papers with the lyrics printed and I was able to find the corresponding one and share it with the interpreter (who politely refused, much to my surprise). Some interpreters do appreciate feedback from the audience (or help when it is offered). Others, if they cannot sign the song, they put their hands down. (One case in question, I was able to hear/understand the lyrics just fine and interpreted the song for the interpreter - feeding them the signs for the lyrics until she could get back on her feet to take over.)
With that said, what's the biggest difference between performing the show and interpreting the show? The truth - there's quite a bit of overlap - the line itself is more of a gray area between the two. For me, the biggest difference is that actors are allowed to move around, dress themselves in elaborate (or not so elaborate) costumes and dance about. Interpreters, on the other hand (pun unintended) stay in their little corner (when not shadowing actors onstage). Where do they overlap? Projection, characterization, sense of rhythm...
What are your thoughts regarding 'artistic direction' (or censorship) from interpreters in the performing arts industry?
I'm not talking about just your run-of-the-mill occasional 'potty mouth language' but rather, 'to interpret this section or not to interpret this section'? Below are several examples I've observed in performing arts interpreting.
Case study: Wicked
During the "One Short Day" segment (One short day... in the emerald city... one short day.. full of so much to do... ev'ryway that you look in this city...) where the two girls (Elphaba and Galinda) go to visit the Emerald City, they watch a performance taking place. During this mini-show, three Humpty-Dumpty style characters take their place on stage and do a little silly dance with their heads spinning around. The denizens of the Emerald City make up the audience watching this show.
Now, during this section, those eggsy characters (the Wizomania Chorus) are singing the following (but it is not noticeable as they are singing from inside those eggs-bodies):
Who's the mage
Whose major itinerary
Is making all Oz merrier?
Who's the sage
Who's sagely sailed in to save our posteriors?
Whose enthuse for hot air ballooning
Has all of Oz honeymooning?
Woo - oo -oo
Wizn't he wonderful?
(Our wonderful Wizard!)
Looking to the side to see how the interpreters would sign this section, especially with its verbose language - I was appalled to see no hands moving. Thinking I was hearing things, I looked back towards the Chorus and yes, they were singing.
Later, when I asked the interpreters why they didn't interpret this section - their reply was that the Deaf audience would not hear them singing inside those costumes and that the information wasn't important enough to warrant a translation. It was more important to watch the Chorus spinning around on stage rather to sing about how wonderful their resident wizard was. Only those who knew (or had the lyrics memorized) or could even understand them would know they were singing. Artistic Direction - the interpreters decided not to interpret this section.
Case study: Avenue Q
An interpreter from out of state contacted me via Facebook to query regarding sign choices - here was their question:
"What I was looking at are the sign choices. Naturally fingerspelling in the theatre is avoided as much as possible. In Ave Q there is a song about being "Gay" we are planning on using the sign for gay. Since the play is a pun on all of the taboo things people avoid talking about in life, but Ave Q bluntly puts it out there... I was thinking when he said "Queer" during the song it would be ok to add the older sign across the top of the head for gay. Normally I would not use that sign interpreting, but there is nothing "normal" about Ave Q haha."
My reply was:
"As a Broadway fanatic, I agree with your sign choice - especially with this musical. The whole point of this musical was to take everything and throw it into our faces - so 'politically incorrect' is the way to go (I would consider the show a failure if it didn't offend someone in some way... it's supposed to be laughed at - not taken seriously. But of course, we will have someone who will take offense...
So, yes, go ahead and do that (it fits perfectly with the lyrics) That would be the one I would want to see (I don't like it when the 'terp decides to censor the signs - if the original lyrics aren't being censored, then the terps should 'when in Rome, do as the Romans do".)
Break a finger!"
Basically - when is it okay to use a specific sign and when is it not okay to use that politically incorrect sign? Who calls the stakes? My thoughts = if it's in the original script/libretto, then it's fair game for the interpreters to sign. If the intention was to be politically incorrect, the by all means go ahead with the older sign. It depends on the character and their language/personality - if they use it, then the interpreter should sign as if it were the characters' thoughts, not their own.
Case Study: Rent
If the interpreter has any personal considerations, they should refrain from interpreting materials that they are not comfortable with. If that such interpreter isn't comfortable with using swear words, then they should probably refrain from interpreting Rent. (One set of interpreters I've observed for this show cut out all the F-bombs and any risque language... which killed the show for me. If it's part of the show - leave it in. Let the audience make the decision whether or not to look at the interpreter or to censor for themselves.
Case Study: Misc shows that involve music
I did have an interpreter who refused to interpret the musical scenes... what is the point of seeing a musical if the interpreter conveniently cuts out all the song-and-dance numbers, leaving the 'book' of the show? It's like if someone turned the microphones off every time someone opens their mouth to sing. Just because we're deaf doesn't mean we cannot enjoy the finer points of music!
Other times, there are times where the interpreter cannot hear/understand the music and might not make an attempt to interpret the song lyrics. What to do during those incidents? For me, I had a handful of papers with the lyrics printed and I was able to find the corresponding one and share it with the interpreter (who politely refused, much to my surprise). Some interpreters do appreciate feedback from the audience (or help when it is offered). Others, if they cannot sign the song, they put their hands down. (One case in question, I was able to hear/understand the lyrics just fine and interpreted the song for the interpreter - feeding them the signs for the lyrics until she could get back on her feet to take over.)
With that said, what's the biggest difference between performing the show and interpreting the show? The truth - there's quite a bit of overlap - the line itself is more of a gray area between the two. For me, the biggest difference is that actors are allowed to move around, dress themselves in elaborate (or not so elaborate) costumes and dance about. Interpreters, on the other hand (pun unintended) stay in their little corner (when not shadowing actors onstage). Where do they overlap? Projection, characterization, sense of rhythm...
What are your thoughts regarding 'artistic direction' (or censorship) from interpreters in the performing arts industry?
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