War Horse

Banner beneath the theater's portico

On Sunday, a friend and I made the drive to Los Angeles to see the stage version of War Horse at the Ahmanson Theater.

I knew I would like it, but I didn't know how much I'd like it.  It was really terrific.  I'll admit that it started out a bit slow, and I was feeling a bit nervous as I was the one who talked Janet into going with me.  I didn't want her to feel as though her money had been wasted.

I shouldn't have worried, within no time, adult Joey bust out of the blackness to a rousing applause from the audience.  From that moment on, I was literally captivated by the show.

If you've already seen it, you already know how effective the simple set and special effects were.  The simplicity of the stage literally set my imagination on fire.  The main backdrop is a torn piece of parchment paper. What they were able to do with that one shred of paper was amazing.  If you haven't yet seen War Horse, I don't want to spoil it for you.  

Both Janet and I were in awe of the horses.  They were so life-like that when they froze with the rest of the performers, I wondered at how they were able to keep the horses so still.  There were some very dark moments with the horses that were a bit creepy: the way the horses died, the carcasses left to rot, and the ghost horses who have not yet left this world, but who are very nearly gone.

If you do go and see the stage performance and you've read the book or seen the movie, ditch those images and enjoy this adaptation of the story. No, it doesn't follow the book exactly, but that's okay.  Enjoy the interpretation that this playwright chose to present.

To see some really interesting footage of Joey, visit this link.  Be sure to watch the Adaptation link.  The most interesting link can be found here. It's a great video showing how the puppets are built.  Fascinating ...

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Me and Janet (right) in front of the theater.

We went to a matinee showing, so there was plenty of daylight to admire the views from the theater's plaza.  Click to enlarge images.