Review: Katri Helena
The musical’s Katri Helena is a strong-willed woman
It doesn’t immediately come to mind whether there has been a musical made before about an artist who is still fully pursuing his career. In any case, it is rare.
Ilpo Tuomarila has written a musical about Katri Helena based on newspaper clippings, who has always been careful not to make sure that her private life is not torn apart in public. So what is lived and spoken on stage should not be taken for granted. Or is it?
The plot of the musical is carried all the way from the singer’s childhood. Already in the remote village of Tohmajärvi, the decision to become an artist is made. The mother encourages and the father pampers.
The rest is history known to everyone since Puhelinlankat . Tuomarila’s text colours the pages of history through, among other things, the record company and the headline-grabbing journalists.
The songs made famous by Katri Helena have also been used as a basis for dialogue, and they are performed by important people along the way. Familiar tunes also make the audience move, even when the plot doesn’t really want to move.
Director Tiina Brännare has woven a choreography into the whole, which works as a kind of choir commenting on everything.
Katariina Kirjavainen’s set design moves easily and visually interesting between the stubble field and the world’s stages.
Auditorium cries – the main character doesn’t
Although fate throws many obstacles and sorrows on the artist’s journey, they do not defeat the strong-willed woman. Katri on stage doesn’t shed many tears. The star played by Sanna Majuri is even tough at times. Tears raised by the tragic fractures flow from the side of the stands.
At first, the events roll out thinly and the comedy is brought in very emphatic ways; Drunks grumble, the record company is jerks, journalists are spinelessly rude with their tricks.
Katri’s career progresses in the 1960s like a steam locomotive. Relationships with men hang on the sidelines, and the journalists led by Sari Siikander are on the prowl at every turn.
Her mother remains Katri’s airbag throughout the line. Sinikka Sokka is a warm mother and sings emotionally beautifully.
The 1970s are lived in Marimekko-like family patterns. The relationship with Timo Kalaoja (Sami Hokkanen) is described gently.
Timpa’s death and his funeral bring the first half to a close. Katri’s falling voice tries to sing the song “Katson autiota hiekkarantaa “, and the audience is completely silent.
The second half begins in the 1990s in a completely different mood with the wings of the song Tule luo . On the ladder is the mischievous professor Panu Rajala. Kari Arffman’s superbly played character licks with his body language and woos with his soft sighs. The audience bursts into resounding laughter.
The relationship between the publicity-seeking man who cultivates his quotes and the popular favorite is discussed for quite a long time. It offers a lot of laughter seeds, but it cuts off an unreasonable piece of the whole.
In the end, the artist, who has matured a long career, just wants to bring moments of pleasure to his listeners, to give his all on stage.
All in all, you can’t help but like the musical, as it has so many good musical interpretations and enjoyable visual elements. In the words of Vexi Salmi , “the musical is the story of the baby boomers” – and as such, it deserves its place.