I have exciting news -- I have been cast in a production of Andrew Lloyd Webber's The Phantom of the Opera! I will mainly be playing Ubaldo Piangi, and also understudying Raoul if the principal Raoul is unavailable for any performances. But there's a twist; this is no ordinary production of the show. Instead, it will be taking place on the popular online community known as Second Life.
For those who don't know, Second Life is a program that's something between a game and a social networking site, where users can create their own character avatars, chat with friends using either text or voice, and create all sorts of things from clothes and vehicles to buildings that they can either use themselves, give away, loan out, or sell to other users. A good friend of mine started a group called Ravenswood Theatricals on Second Life, and built a theater to host performances of musicals. We have been rehearsing POTO for the past few months, and we had a preview performance a couple weeks ago. Our first public performance will take place next week Wednesday and begins promptly at 6:30 PM, Second Life time (which is also 6:30 PM Pacific Time in the US).
It's really interesting to be doing the show in this format. The most unique thing about it is that our characters are all furry avatars -- virtual animals play the parts rather than virtual humans. For example, the Phantom is a lion, Christine and Raoul are two different kinds of cats, Carlotta is a parrot, and Piangi (played by yours truly) is a peacock. Due to it being virtual, we can pull off special effects that would be far too expensive or dangerous to be usable in a live performance setting. In addition, all the performers are controlling their characters from a distance, so it's a bit like a 21st-century version of puppet theatre. There have been technical difficulties to work around at rehearsals, but I think we have plans for how to deal with any potential problems that may surface. *knocks on wood*
If any of you who have accounts on Second Life (or are thinking of getting started there) are interested in seeing the show, please e-mail me at iamerik771@gmail.com with your Second Life username. Photos from the production will find their way here soon!
For more information on the production, check out this fantastic article from Metaverse Tribune. Again, here's the vital info.
What:
Debut of The Phantom of the Opera
Presented by Ravenswood Theatricals on Second Life
When:
Wednesday, November 16, 2011 at 6:30 PM, Pacific/SL Time.
Where:
Second Life; e-mail me with your SL name for location info.
And yes, I'm still working on a review of the October 22nd performance I attended at Palikū Theatre. Hopefully, I'll get that posted sometime over the long weekend. By the way, happy Veterans' Day / Remembrance Day to all who serve or have served in the military as well as their families. And have fun celebrating 11/11/11, as well!
I remain your obedient servant,
I.A.E.
