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tolktolk
Menegroth
Jun 23 2012, 10:34am
Post #1 of 61
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The cast onstage in Wellington
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The cast have just been onstage at Ian McKellen's fundraising show in the Opera House in Wellington, have collected money from the audience and signed autographs for Christchurch.
http://twitter.com/andrew_w_burns/status/216472646592892930/photo/1
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DanielLB
Elvenhome
Jun 23 2012, 10:41am
Post #2 of 61
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Then I would've guessed it's just a stage of people.
Hardly recognise any of them! Connolly's hair gives it a way though 
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Moahunter
Nargothrond
Jun 23 2012, 11:35am
Post #3 of 61
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Some of us were.
If Sir Ian ever looks for another career it will be as a standup comedian.
He is a great performer.
He produced his much read p/back copy of LoTR then held The Hobbit alongside it.
Brandishing LoTR he said "Three films" then with TH he said, quizically, "Two films?".
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tolktolk
Menegroth
Jun 23 2012, 4:00pm
Post #4 of 61
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Were you Moet or maybe Chandon??
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9fznfX4947A&feature=youtu.be
It looks like a brilliant evening!
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Lissuin
Doriath
Jun 23 2012, 8:26pm
Post #7 of 61
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It was a thrill to see them all on stage together.
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We had spotted a couple of cast members in the lobby before the show and said, "How nice that they're here to support Sir Ian." When they all came up on stage, the audience was stunned, I think. Then, big applause.
Afterwards, the entire cast and Sir Ian spent at least an hour out in the lobby signing autographs, posing for photos and chatting with fans. There were lots of $5 donations for the Isaac Theatre Royal for each photo and autograph. http://www.eventfinder.co.nz/...stage-in-new-zealand. They all seemed very relaxed and happy to be hanging out together and mingling with the crowd, each with his collections bucket. Richard Armitage, Martin Freeman and Billy Connelly had lines of fans going inside the auditorium, smiling the whole time, entertaining in their individual styles - in Billy's case with his characteristic colorful language.
I doubt that you could have found anywhere else such a relaxed, open atmosphere with a large group of actors interacting with fans. Every one of them seemed genuinely pleased to be there helping the fund-raising effort. Sir Ian had said it was going to be a party, and it was.
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Shelob'sAppetite
Doriath
Jun 23 2012, 9:03pm
Post #8 of 61
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Armitage says he grew his own beard after block 1
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And it looks like that's it!
Not a bad beard, IMO.
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Shelob'sAppetite
Doriath
Jun 23 2012, 9:09pm
Post #9 of 61
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What a great wit and overall fantastic person Sir Ian McKellen is.
Couldn't have asked for someone more deserving of the iconic role of Gandalf!
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Lissuin
Doriath
Jun 23 2012, 10:11pm
Post #10 of 61
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Since there's already a thread about last night here, I'll add something about the performance itself. There aren't any on-line news reports yet this Sunday morning to share, but I'll add links if any appear. And there was a great report by Ataahua on the first show here: http://newboards.theonering.net/...;;page=unread#unread
What an entertainer! Ian McKellen owned the stage. As Moahunter commented, he could have a career in standup comedy. The show followed the same format as other performances, beginning with a recitation of the Balrog scene from "The Hobbit". Totally thrilling to watch him act and hear him say, "You...shall not...pass!" That voice!
Some questions from the audience.
About meeting Nelson Mandela: McKellen had gone to South Africa to support a group campaigning to have equal rights for homosexuals specified in the new constitution. Mandela, just out of prison, appeared frail and had lost the vision in one eye from being forced to mine lime for 27 years. He said that, of course, there should be full rights for homosexuals in the constitution; that's what they had been working towards for everyone in South Africa.
About Ava Gardner: The most beautiful, wonderful woman! Amazing actress!
Advice to young actors: Act! Whenever and where ever you can!
He retold the story (see Atuaaha above) about getting stage fright and how Judi Dench rescued the moment.
Godot:
They assumed Vladimir and Estragon had been actors and in a performing partnership for years before this disaster befalls them. The set was meant to be the interior of a destroyed theatre. When he revisited the Isaac James Royal Theater after the earthquake, the sets were still up and eerily poignant.
Lots of stories with lots of exclamation marks! That's who he is. Delightful!
After intermission, he enacted scenes from several of Shakespeare's plays, which he ticked off a list as the audience called out the titles of all 37 of them. His Romeo was wonderful - and his Juliet was just as good. He reminded us that all the female roles had been played by males in Elizabethan times, and that, conspiracy theories aside, WS had had ample opportunity as a youth to be inspired to write plays by seeing travelling actors perform frequently in Stratford, as his father was responsible for bringing them there on tour. There were several scenes involving old age and death, which Shakespeare and McKellen do so movingly.
He likened the collaboration of film script writers to the Elizabethan practice of playwrights collaborating on scripts, and played a scene from "Sir Thomas More", which he said was dialogue written in Shakespeare's own hand.
The lights and curtain came down, and when he returned, Sir Ian invited The Hobbit cast members up on stage, and the rest you know from the (totally illegal - HA!) video above. I'm so glad that video was made so you can all share some of the fun. I think that is William Kircher's leg and arm waving above all the dead bodies on stage. The cast members seemed to be as surprised and amused by their roles as the audience members who joined them. With party streamers shooting through the air and the sound of laughter and applause, the evening ended with a thank you from one of the greatest performers in the English language.
Thank you, too, Sir Ian!
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DarkJackal
Nargothrond
Jun 23 2012, 10:37pm
Post #11 of 61
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My envy knows no bounds today, and I share it with you and all of Wellington!  I totally agree, that was likely a once in a lifetime opportunity to be there with all those Hobbit folk in a perfect setting where they are all probably very comfortable!
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Lusitano
Dor-Lomin
Jun 23 2012, 10:43pm
Post #12 of 61
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You can spot a teenage girl getting anautograph from the 2 hot dwarves at the end...already paying off
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DanielLB
Elvenhome
Jun 23 2012, 10:57pm
Post #13 of 61
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Sorry, I'm going to show my ignorance here
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Was it his last show, and therefore the reason why everyone else was there?
I'm very jealous. What a thing to see!
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Lissuin
Doriath
Jun 23 2012, 11:06pm
Post #14 of 61
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Yes, this was the last performance.
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It will be interesting to find out now how much was raised for the theatre restoration project. All ticket fees ($50), program sales ($10), and autograph signings($5) go directly to the fund. The other theatres and sponsors paid for the costs.
And he thanked the cast for coming on their day off.
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Starling
Gondolin
Jun 23 2012, 11:43pm
Post #15 of 61
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$60 for our tickets. 
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Lissuin
Doriath
Jun 23 2012, 11:49pm
Post #16 of 61
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It'd be interesting to find out why the difference.
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Starling
Gondolin
Jun 23 2012, 11:58pm
Post #17 of 61
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(which I went to) was put on after the first one sold out. The first show cost $50 per ticket. The second show was held at the new Court Theatre, and I think the extra $10 was something to do with that - possibly a donation to them.
I did say 'ouch', and it does seem somewhat ironic to pay more here, but it was worth it to experience the show in what Sir Ian described as 'the newest theatre in the world'.
It was great to watch the video of that last scene in the show. I was on stage for that, and we really couldn't hear what Sir Ian was saying in the scene, or see any of his gestures, busy and dedicated as we were to playing dead. 
Gloucester St in Christchurch has recently reopened, so you can actually look at the Theatre Royal now. It is reassuring to see at least one of our precious heritage buildings still standing. I think I will always associate it with a certain generous and lovely gentleman now.
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Lissuin
Doriath
Jun 24 2012, 2:45am
Post #18 of 61
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Moahunter reminded me that there is one in Carterton over the hills in Wairarapa today. it is sold out.
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rings7
Nargothrond
Jun 24 2012, 5:51am
Post #19 of 61
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I had to look at the pic first to see who was there
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from the cast and i see it's almost everyone! I didn't notice Martin Freeman and so many others until the second time i saw it.
I gotta say i felt nostalgic when watching the video. See them all together and thinking filming is almost over.
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marillaraina
Nargothrond
Jun 24 2012, 1:27pm
Post #23 of 61
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The cast have just been onstage at Ian McKellen's fundraising show in the Opera House in Wellington, have collected money from the audience and signed autographs for Christchurch.
http://twitter.com/andrew_w_burns/status/216472646592892930/photo/1
I see Thorin, Kili, Fili and Thranduil standing in the back. :) OK Richard, Aiden, Dean and Lee. Aiden's hair is growing out.
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Carne
Dor-Lomin
Jun 24 2012, 1:37pm
Post #24 of 61
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I can tell who everyone else is, but one of them looks like Ryan Gage. Not entirely sure as I've never seen him with facial hair.
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namarie
Nargothrond
Jun 24 2012, 2:33pm
Post #25 of 61
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but I'm not 100% sure.
There is always hope
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