Time Are Hard For Dreamers rightfully was placed in the second act as Amelie doesn't have a strong 'I want' yet. She is in stasis. Unlike the Disney princesses, she only has her want song when she recognizes and realizes who she is. It was a brilliant (and audacious) move to place it in the second act!
Quick note: it’s not about passport photos, it’s about solving the mystery of why someone would take tons of pictures in a photo booth just to tear them apart (What’s the use in trying to hide or in tearing yourself in two?). From what I know, the London production follows the source material (very cute movie, would recommend) much more closely. Also, it seemed like there were some songs missing? Namely Post Mortem, Thin Air, and the Halfway Reprise. (I love Think Air so much, and the Halfway reprise is beautiful) In any case, watching your review/reaction is absolutely delightful!
I had been looking forward to this updated version for so long and listening to it reminds me of how it feels to be in love. Every turn of the moment is bursting with joy, melancholy, surprise... the orchestrations! As you pointed out, this is how you tell a textured story with music! My thoughts about Times Are Hard for Dreamers in Act 2: I actually never liked this song in the Broadway production. As a fan of the original film, I just could not bring myself to buy that the quiet, introverted Amelie would introduce herself to the audience with such a belty, pop style ballad, nor did I believe that Amelie at the beginning of her journey would be this articulate about her feelings and would make such observations of the people around her. It's a tradition that musical protagonists sing their "I Want" song early in the first act, but I don't think Amelie earned it yet, especially when her entire journey is about her slowly realizing her yearnings and eventually coming to take action about it. Now here's why I think the reinvented version of this song works gorgeously in the UK production. At this point in the show, Amelie has been helping others for quite some time now and thinks she has found her purpose in life... or so she thinks. So she's singing this lighthearted ballad, where she declares she has found her purpose in life. Times are hard for dreamers, but it won't be hard for her, because all she has to do is look forward to the next person she'll encounter, and help them, and make them happy. But we know that's not entirely true-Nino, the one person who genuinely has an interest for her for who she is, she cannot get through to, and she is in blissful denial of it. The "I Want" song is a façade because she is not acknowledging what she truly wants, and this is something that cannot be conveyed if the song comes in Act 1. So then it should be no surprise that from this point on, the rest of the show sees her struggling to resolve Nino's arc, eventually confronting her real issues in Stay.
I would like to add that it was also a smart move to have it play after "Sister's Pickle", where she frets over ending her meets with Nino by returning his book at the sex shop he works at, dressed as nun no less, there and then, and she sings "Now it's me, just me against the door. This isn't what I thought, although I think I want some more. But, not right now.", using the exact same melody frame that appears in "Times are Hard"("... go from here. Just me behind thе door. It isn't what I have, it's only what I have in store, that matters now."). Having the melody were she sings of her conflicting anxiety be sung now as a self confirmation of what she THINKS she has now highlights the same point you were trying to make. Also, I REALLY did not like the American version of the show AT ALL. It was just WAY too detached from what made the film so significant, by stripping away the French atmosphere of the scenery and score(side note, I read once that the film's composer Yann Tiersen was originally tied to work on the score for the musical, but that never came to fruition I guess) but keeping the "whimsy and magic" while over sugarcoating it with a mix dry small pop and "Disney-esque" sound that just sounded dull and bland to me(in fact, I continuously felt that "Thin Air" for instance, sounded like Jason Robert Brown lite in the Broadway recording, especially with Adam Chanler-Berat's performance as Nino coming off as more like another Jamie from The Last Five Years), while the character work left the main singers with nothing much to do but to over-flex their musical pipes and leave little room for acting inflections I personally find necessary to establish the personalities of these characters as much as their emotions(I don't mean ANY of that to demean Adam, Philipa Soo, or Samantha Barks, but for me, understanding and acting the character's lines out is AS important as singing prowess for any musical theatre song(see Carolee Carmello in Parade, Drew Sarich in Disney's Der Glockner Von Notre Dame(1999 German stage adaptation of Disney's The Hunchback of Notre Dame), Bernadette Peters in the roles she originated in shows Stephen Sondheim, Donna Murphy in Passion(also Sondheim), and Ben Platt in Dear Evan Hansen as examples of what I mean).). Overall, I can guess why the original film's director Jean-Pierre Jeunet HATED the Broadway show(since he doesn't like musicals in general, let alone Broadway), calming that he only gave the rights in hopes that the money for the show would raise funds for children's charity "Mécénat Chirurgie Cardiaque"(aimed to provide surgeries for children with heart conditions) that he's trying to keep alive. This new revival however, from what I can glean from the trailers, and perceive of the cast recording, is more rooted in the nature and storytelling of the film, which I feel strengthens the times it changes from the movie, and the music has now retained the cosmopolitan French sound of the movie due to these new orchestrations, the set itself now firmly placed in the realistic rustic French Metropolitan station(which I favor more than the "childlike" white bridge coloring book like set of the Broadway show), and best of all, the characters are now more established for the actors to sink their teeth(and voice boxes) into, allowing for the acting while singing edge I was hoping to get from the songs before. Audery Brisson is PERFECT as Amelie, as she really dives deep into the internal sense of alienation from the way she Amelie was raised as a kid, from which her childlike way of doing things sprouts from, and really brings Amelie out as a fully realized person without doing a carbon copy of Audery Tautou's performance in the movie(which I find funny, since both Brisson and Tautou share the same name, and also share some sense of French with them(Tautou is firmly from France, while Brisson is French Canadian)). Though I have not seen a full clip of either of them(nor of the whole show actually. I’m just going off of the cast recording), Danny Mac and Chris Jared seem to also do really well with establishing Nino's own sense of childlike imaginativeness and introverted sensibilities that somehow simultaneously contrasts and matches with Amelie's, especially with how Nino's range has been changed from another belting tenor to a primarily Baritone/Bass role(czcams.com/video/p3RwmIzaeFs/video.html), and I think that makes him stand out more in his peculiarness, and his passion expressed in "Thin Air"(which has also lowered the key from B major to G major, with a far more inventive and enveloping arrangement, the Ensemble also participating as a chorus, and faster tempo that I find more exciting and engaging(as well as a bit more original) than the Broadway version: czcams.com/video/X0A_UvW_wzs/video.html ) more meaningful than I felt with Adam's flashy and "perfect(in that it's so good vocally, it doesn't feel human acting wise)" take on Broadway. As you can tell, I LOVE this version to be THE definitive version of the show, I hope everything about it(the script, the orchestrations, etc.) is licensed to Concord Theatricals with the original version if need be, and I DIE Happily to see this production(with Audery especially) tour here in the U.S. when this pandemic is finally under control. I'm also curious to hear what Jean-Pierre Jeunet thinks of this version too, should he make himself watch it again that is. Sorry about that mouthful, but I couldn't help but express how happy I feel that this soundtrack now exists and I don't have to worry too much about possibly doing my own stage adaptation of Amelie now! 😅
Also, your EXACT point is precisely what the creators were thinking when they made this change, according to the description about the production in the CD Booklet, "On The Road to Amelie". concordtheatricals.app.box.com/s/14xyd1p5zx1b9d18tbvi3dhmwbfjugj8 "Restoring an opening number("Flight of the Blue Fly") from one of our out-of-town try-outs where all of the characters are introduced along with the central trope that everyone is connected in ways that they do not necessarily perceive or understand, we also moved Amélie’s song, “Times Are Hard For Dreamers,” to a position in Act Two right after Amélie’s consciousness about love and the possibility of human connection has caught fire. This was in order to fully dramatize the change from an isolated and inquisitive but fearful young woman who arrives in Paris five years earlier to someone with full potential for living." - Craig Lucas, Daniel Messé, and Nathan Tysen
The London production really shows what can be done when you take time to assess the first run and deeply understand what your show is about and then put that together. PS thanks for the review.
Amelie has such strange ideas of interacting with people because of how she was isolated in childhood. I kinda isolated myself when I was a kid, so this musical is so relatable for me.
I love this cast recording so so much!!! I’m watching this after just booking tickets to see it for it’s 2021 West End transfer!!!! I’ve wanted to see it for so long and I can’t wait!!
Just saw this video but I love your reaction! I love the arrangements of the UK musical, I just feel like they match the vibe of the original movie much better!
Thank you so much for your analysis and thoughts on the UK recording of the show. Amelie has such a special place in my heart and I'm happy to hear that other people are loving it as well. :)
I’ve just rewatched this video after seeing Amelie this week at The Coliseum. Firstly, wow!!! What an incredible show. I was not prepared to be blown away quite so much. So I returned to this video and really appreciated the joy you express. I feel it too. Thanks Mickey Jo.
"Or I could stay right here, and shake this habit off" during 'Sister's Pickle' is such a gem of a line for the dual meaning of her being dressed as a nun and/or her reserved nature.
I think the obcr of "Once" was recorded the same way. And i must say this actor-musician type musical is my favorite kind of show ❤️ when done right it just adds a whole layer of "wow factor" to the production, more than pyrotechnics ever could
I love this show so much and it makes me so incredibly happy to see other people enjoying it how I enjoy it. Literally made me cry just to see you understand the show the way I feel I understand it.
Time Are Hard For Dreamers rightfully was placed in the second act as Amelie doesn't have a strong 'I want' yet. She is in stasis. Unlike the Disney princesses, she only has her want song when she recognizes and realizes who she is. It was a brilliant (and audacious) move to place it in the second act!
Quick note: it’s not about passport photos, it’s about solving the mystery of why someone would take tons of pictures in a photo booth just to tear them apart (What’s the use in trying to hide or in tearing yourself in two?). From what I know, the London production follows the source material (very cute movie, would recommend) much more closely.
Also, it seemed like there were some songs missing? Namely Post Mortem, Thin Air, and the Halfway Reprise. (I love Think Air so much, and the Halfway reprise is beautiful)
In any case, watching your review/reaction is absolutely delightful!
I had been looking forward to this updated version for so long and listening to it reminds me of how it feels to be in love. Every turn of the moment is bursting with joy, melancholy, surprise... the orchestrations! As you pointed out, this is how you tell a textured story with music!
My thoughts about Times Are Hard for Dreamers in Act 2: I actually never liked this song in the Broadway production. As a fan of the original film, I just could not bring myself to buy that the quiet, introverted Amelie would introduce herself to the audience with such a belty, pop style ballad, nor did I believe that Amelie at the beginning of her journey would be this articulate about her feelings and would make such observations of the people around her. It's a tradition that musical protagonists sing their "I Want" song early in the first act, but I don't think Amelie earned it yet, especially when her entire journey is about her slowly realizing her yearnings and eventually coming to take action about it.
Now here's why I think the reinvented version of this song works gorgeously in the UK production. At this point in the show, Amelie has been helping others for quite some time now and thinks she has found her purpose in life... or so she thinks. So she's singing this lighthearted ballad, where she declares she has found her purpose in life. Times are hard for dreamers, but it won't be hard for her, because all she has to do is look forward to the next person she'll encounter, and help them, and make them happy. But we know that's not entirely true-Nino, the one person who genuinely has an interest for her for who she is, she cannot get through to, and she is in blissful denial of it. The "I Want" song is a façade because she is not acknowledging what she truly wants, and this is something that cannot be conveyed if the song comes in Act 1. So then it should be no surprise that from this point on, the rest of the show sees her struggling to resolve Nino's arc, eventually confronting her real issues in Stay.
Sorry, I wrote my version of your diffidence of placing her I Want song before reading your similar one.
I would like to add that it was also a smart move to have it play after "Sister's Pickle", where she frets over ending her meets with Nino by returning his book at the sex shop he works at, dressed as nun no less, there and then, and she sings "Now it's me, just me against the door. This isn't what I thought, although I think I want some more. But, not right now.", using the exact same melody frame that appears in "Times are Hard"("... go from here. Just me behind thе door. It isn't what I have, it's only what I have in store, that matters now.").
Having the melody were she sings of her conflicting anxiety be sung now as a self confirmation of what she THINKS she has now highlights the same point you were trying to make.
Also, I REALLY did not like the American version of the show AT ALL. It was just WAY too detached from what made the film so significant, by stripping away the French atmosphere of the scenery and score(side note, I read once that the film's composer Yann Tiersen was originally tied to work on the score for the musical, but that never came to fruition I guess) but keeping the "whimsy and magic" while over sugarcoating it with a mix dry small pop and "Disney-esque" sound that just sounded dull and bland to me(in fact, I continuously felt that "Thin Air" for instance, sounded like Jason Robert Brown lite in the Broadway recording, especially with Adam Chanler-Berat's performance as Nino coming off as more like another Jamie from The Last Five Years), while the character work left the main singers with nothing much to do but to over-flex their musical pipes and leave little room for acting inflections I personally find necessary to establish the personalities of these characters as much as their emotions(I don't mean ANY of that to demean Adam, Philipa Soo, or Samantha Barks, but for me, understanding and acting the character's lines out is AS important as singing prowess for any musical theatre song(see Carolee Carmello in Parade, Drew Sarich in Disney's Der Glockner Von Notre Dame(1999 German stage adaptation of Disney's The Hunchback of Notre Dame), Bernadette Peters in the roles she originated in shows Stephen Sondheim, Donna Murphy in Passion(also Sondheim), and Ben Platt in Dear Evan Hansen as examples of what I mean).).
Overall, I can guess why the original film's director Jean-Pierre Jeunet HATED the Broadway show(since he doesn't like musicals in general, let alone Broadway), calming that he only gave the rights in hopes that the money for the show would raise funds for children's charity "Mécénat Chirurgie Cardiaque"(aimed to provide surgeries for children with heart conditions) that he's trying to keep alive.
This new revival however, from what I can glean from the trailers, and perceive of the cast recording, is more rooted in the nature and storytelling of the film, which I feel strengthens the times it changes from the movie, and the music has now retained the cosmopolitan French sound of the movie due to these new orchestrations, the set itself now firmly placed in the realistic rustic French Metropolitan station(which I favor more than the "childlike" white bridge coloring book like set of the Broadway show), and best of all, the characters are now more established for the actors to sink their teeth(and voice boxes) into, allowing for the acting while singing edge I was hoping to get from the songs before.
Audery Brisson is PERFECT as Amelie, as she really dives deep into the internal sense of alienation from the way she Amelie was raised as a kid, from which her childlike way of doing things sprouts from, and really brings Amelie out as a fully realized person without doing a carbon copy of Audery Tautou's performance in the movie(which I find funny, since both Brisson and Tautou share the same name, and also share some sense of French with them(Tautou is firmly from France, while Brisson is French Canadian)).
Though I have not seen a full clip of either of them(nor of the whole show actually. I’m just going off of the cast recording), Danny Mac and Chris Jared seem to also do really well with establishing Nino's own sense of childlike imaginativeness and introverted sensibilities that somehow simultaneously contrasts and matches with Amelie's, especially with how Nino's range has been changed from another belting tenor to a primarily Baritone/Bass role(czcams.com/video/p3RwmIzaeFs/video.html), and I think that makes him stand out more in his peculiarness, and his passion expressed in "Thin Air"(which has also lowered the key from B major to G major, with a far more inventive and enveloping arrangement, the Ensemble also participating as a chorus, and faster tempo that I find more exciting and engaging(as well as a bit more original) than the Broadway version: czcams.com/video/X0A_UvW_wzs/video.html ) more meaningful than I felt with Adam's flashy and "perfect(in that it's so good vocally, it doesn't feel human acting wise)" take on Broadway.
As you can tell, I LOVE this version to be THE definitive version of the show, I hope everything about it(the script, the orchestrations, etc.) is licensed to Concord Theatricals with the original version if need be, and I DIE Happily to see this production(with Audery especially) tour here in the U.S. when this pandemic is finally under control.
I'm also curious to hear what Jean-Pierre Jeunet thinks of this version too, should he make himself watch it again that is.
Sorry about that mouthful, but I couldn't help but express how happy I feel that this soundtrack now exists and I don't have to worry too much about possibly doing my own stage adaptation of Amelie now! 😅
Also, your EXACT point is precisely what the creators were thinking when they made this change, according to the description about the production in the CD Booklet, "On The Road to Amelie".
concordtheatricals.app.box.com/s/14xyd1p5zx1b9d18tbvi3dhmwbfjugj8
"Restoring an opening number("Flight of the Blue Fly") from one of our out-of-town try-outs where all of the characters are introduced along with the central trope that everyone is connected in ways that they do not necessarily perceive or understand, we also moved Amélie’s song, “Times Are Hard For Dreamers,” to a position in Act Two right after Amélie’s consciousness about love and the possibility of human connection has caught fire. This was in order to fully dramatize the change from an isolated and inquisitive but fearful young woman who arrives in Paris five years earlier to someone with full potential for living."
- Craig Lucas, Daniel Messé, and Nathan Tysen
The London production really shows what can be done when you take time to assess the first run and deeply understand what your show is about and then put that together. PS thanks for the review.
I'm happy that I'm not alone in my reaction to the acapella harmonies in the UK Recording. I really loved this video💕
Amelie has such strange ideas of interacting with people because of how she was isolated in childhood. I kinda isolated myself when I was a kid, so this musical is so relatable for me.
I love this cast recording so so much!!!
I’m watching this after just booking tickets to see it for it’s 2021 West End transfer!!!! I’ve wanted to see it for so long and I can’t wait!!
Just saw this video but I love your reaction! I love the arrangements of the UK musical, I just feel like they match the vibe of the original movie much better!
I LOVE halfway in this version! The Broadway version is fine, but this one stabs me in the heart
Thank you so much for your analysis and thoughts on the UK recording of the show. Amelie has such a special place in my heart and I'm happy to hear that other people are loving it as well. :)
When the booth goes bright with the lightening and staging is amazing 😉 I love this musical, the broadway is so Americanised
I’ve just rewatched this video after seeing Amelie this week at The Coliseum. Firstly, wow!!! What an incredible show. I was not prepared to be blown away quite so much. So I returned to this video and really appreciated the joy you express. I feel it too. Thanks Mickey Jo.
I love the London Cast version so much!!!!
"Or I could stay right here, and shake this habit off" during 'Sister's Pickle' is such a gem of a line for the dual meaning of her being dressed as a nun and/or her reserved nature.
I think the obcr of "Once" was recorded the same way. And i must say this actor-musician type musical is my favorite kind of show ❤️ when done right it just adds a whole layer of "wow factor" to the production, more than pyrotechnics ever could
I love this show so much and it makes me so incredibly happy to see other people enjoying it how I enjoy it. Literally made me cry just to see you understand the show the way I feel I understand it.
Terrific review. Thanks, I really love your enthusiasm for the music.
The frantic way you said "Just waltz everything!" made me literaly laugh out loud.
LOVE THIS!!
My school is doing this musical with a mix of the London cast songs and broadway (mostly London cast which I like way better anyway) 🤩
I agree with 90% of your opinions (and I wrote the show). Subscribed!
I’m sure it’s supposed to be melon slices but it got massively changed somewhere