“Green Day’s American Idiot,” the groundbreaking Broadway musical ended May 18 at the Hollywood Pantages Theatre. The hit musical tells the story of three lifelong friends and the life choices they make along the way. The show, based on Green Day’s Grammy Award-Wining multi-platinum album, features such hits as “Boulevard of Broken Dreams,” “21 Guns” and “Wake Me Up When September Ends.”
“Green Day’s American Idiot,” the groundbreaking Broadway musical ended May 18 at the Hollywood Pantages Theatre. The hit musical tells the story of three lifelong friends and the life choices they make along the way. The show, based on Green Day’s Grammy Award-Wining multi-platinum album, features such hits as “Boulevard of Broken Dreams,” “21 Guns” and “Wake Me Up When September Ends.”
“American Idiot” has a running time of 1 hour and 35 minutes with no intermission. For tickets and information visit the Pantages Theatre official website: www.HollywoodPantages.com or call 1-800-982-2787.
“Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dream Coat” is next on the agenda, June 3 to June 22, followed by “Ghost, the Musical,” June 27 to July 13.
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“The Invisible Woman,” now on DVD from Sony Pictures Classics, is based on the book of the same name by Claire Tomalin which details the deep friendship and passion that Dickens shared with a young actress named Ellen Turnan (Felicity Jones). The gifted British actor Ralph Finnes ( “Schindler’s List,“ The Grand Budapest Hotel”) directed the film and also stars as author Charles Dickens.
Dickens, considered one of the greatest novelists and writers in the English speaking world, wrote 15 novels that include the perennial holiday classic “A Christmas Carol” as well as “A Tale of Two Cities,” “Oliver Twist,” “David Copperfield,” “Little Dorrit,” “Great Expectations” and “Bleak House.”
His works were so popular in his lifetime that the illiterate poor joined in groups to hire someone to read Dickens’ tales to them aloud since Dickens’ stories first appeared in serialized form before they were published in full novel form. This technique was something like books on tape today and brought the author‘s words to the masses.
Dickens was not only a beloved writer in England, Scotland and Wales, but in the U.S.A and Australia as well and he read aloud from his works on countless tours which added to his considerable fortune. He was born in 1812, died in 1870 at the age of 58 and he and his wife Catherine Thomson Hogarth had ten children, but the screenplay by Abi Morgan only deals with Dickens later years, focusing on his relationship with the young actress Ellen Turnan.
As the film begins we meet Nellie, as she was affectionately called, who is working with a group of young performers who are about to present a play. The little lion in the piece is played by her son. She seems troubled and distracted, a fact that is noticed by a clergy man at the rehearsal, who offers to counsel her if she would like.
We then switch from the present to the not so distant past when Ellen first meets Dickens in 1875. He has hired additional actresses to appear in the play “Frozen Deep” which his protégé and friend Wilke Collins has written.
Dickens, who enjoyed acting, will be appearing in the play as well. It is said that Dickens became smitten by the lovely young woman at this time and his feelings for her lasted until his death.
Ellen’s mother(Kristen Scott Thomas), an actress who appeared in plays with her daughters, soon becomes concerned about their possible attraction since this is Victorian England and divorce is not permitted, particularly in the case of anyone as prominent as Charles Dickens.
The book, and screenplay, deal with the relationship but history cannot prove if their passion developed further since Dickens did everything possible to protect Ellen. He denies it in the press, which is brought out in the film, and all to prevent any further speculation, he burns all of his correspondence, retaining only letters pertaining to his business dealings.
In the film, Finnes captures the charm and wit of Dickens who was like a literary rock star in his day. People read his novels, short stories and essays voraciously and flocked to his appearances. In the film, as in life, we also see how devoted Dickens was to the cause of the poor as he raises money by lecturing and performing on their behalf.
The look and style of the film takes us back in time to the mid 1800s and gives us a chance to see Dickens’ life and times come to life on screen. In fact, after screening “The Invisible Woman,” my husband and I decided to find out more about Dickens’ personal life by going to Google to learn more.
The film, while slow moving and at times introspective, sheds light on the life of a great writer whose works revealed the plight of the poor and helped bring about needed social changes.
“The Invisible Woman,” from Sony Pictures Classics, is rated R.
