Sinister: Lovesick on a Sunny Afternoon

[Flad at xxx.com]

Last night, In downtown MPLS, Minnesota, I saw a mini-musical based on the 
songs of Belle and Sebastian.  The actors lip-synched the words, which had 
been worked into this 50 minute play for the "Fringe Festival."  The Fringe 
Festival is a celebration of many theatre groups that get together and put on 
shows they normally wouldn't perform.  It's a big deal here for the artists, 
and when I heard there was a musical based on the songs of B&S, I had to 
check it out.  
    As soon as I found out about this mini-musical adventure I wanted to go; 
I assumed it would either be quite satisfying, or really really blah.  So I 
called up <dunn dunn> my ex-boyfriend, now (post ME) a huge B&S fan, and 
persuaded him to come along with me and another one of my friends.  We 
arrived at the theatre around 9:50, ticketless.  The show began at Ten, and 
sold out just as the doors were closing.  How grand that so many Minnesotans 
liked Belle and Sebastian enough to take this theatrical leap of faith!  I 
really had no idea before last night that there were so many fans in the 
area.  There were indie kids a-plenty, and my eyes were working overtime...I 
even ran into Mark Mallman, my local artist of choice.  We exchanged hellos 
(I know him since he's a regular at the record CD store I work at...) and I 
mentally questioned why he was there.  He had never told me he was a fan, and 
it is abundantly clear that I am. 
    Once seated, the show began with a dialogue between "Sebastian" and 
"Sasha," two best friends at a Catholic HS  The 50 minute play also 
incorporated "Jean" who later became "Belle," "Cecile Aubry," "Charlotte 
Campbell," "The Major," and multiple students at this HS   I'm not quite sure 
what went wrong with it all, or when it turned into an experience where I 
found myself hoping my $8 entrance fee was going to a good cause...but it had 
something to do with the plot.
    I loved the idea that someone adored B&S enough to write a play using the 
songs and that these same people knew the songs well enough to write lines 
such as "Belle, we're seeing other people.  At least that's what we said we 
were doing..."  One could definitely pick a true fan out of the crowd.  We 
laughed at all the lyrics used in dialogue, and it was not until my "other 
friend" turned to me and asked "why are you all laughing?" that I realized 
how truly addicted to B&S we all were...that part of the play was amusing, 
but it lost me in the storyline.
    Set in a Catholic HS, Jean was the older rebel child.  Sebastian her 
adoring best friend.  Along with Sasha, the three were quite a team.  Sasha 
loved Sebastian: tried to convinced him he was gay.  All Sebastian would 
admit to was loving Jean.  Mme Campbell and Mme Aubry, both teachers at the 
school, are in risk of losing their jobs because the Major has found out 
about their love affair.  And there was also something about a rape in the 
chalet and Mme Campbell.  It was a cheap way of getting a certain song (we 
can all guess) into the production.  Is it odd to anyone else they made 
everyone gay?  Nothing against it, by any means, but they certainly did a 
fair bunch of alluding to Isobel being gay.  In the end, Sebastian falls in 
love with Sasha, who dies while singing Fox in the Snow.  Jean is found out 
to be the product of Mme Campbell's rape, and her real name is found to be 
Belle.  The teachers blackmail the Major, saving their jobs.  Then the show 
ends with Sebastian and Belle waiting for the bus to take them away from 
town, to find new lives, as they sing Lazy Line Painter Jane for their 
finale.  And yet, this awkward production managed to get away with having a 
Major, but not singing Me and The Major.  Props to them for getting around 
it, although I am quite a fan of that number.
    I guess this was one of those experiences I was glad to be a part of, yet 
look back on and go "did that just happen?"  I fear I may have loved the idea 
of a B&S musical more than the actual thing (or at least the one I saw), but 
it proved to be entertaining and the grounds for much discussion on the ride 
home from the theatre.  
    Salutations,
        -Kelsey
P.S.  Hello to everyone I met at the Chicago B&S show in May.  I was standing 
to the right of the stage, about three "rows of people" back from the twins.  
I met many of you  and was persuaded to finally post.  So thank you for the 
push I needed, even if it took me three more months to finally do it.  I was 
the small girl in braids, you guys were the giggly ones yelling at Mick Cook. 
 <sigh>  Although rainy, that was quite a memorable night.
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