Review: Kapteeninkadun tyttö
Music takes you along Kapteeninkatu
After all, even domestic musicals are born when you have the courage! In the autumn programme of the Helsinki City Theatre, “Fiddler” will have a girl from Kapteeninkatu as her little sister. Both temporally and locally, the starting terrains of the stories are far from each other, but of course there is always some similarity between those who belong to the same family/genre. The same beauty spots, for example: the charming theme of youth and love, and trust in a sincere melody.
The creation of Esa Nieminen and Jari Salonen dresses the Arena stage well. It’s an interesting mix of yesterday’s feeling, i.e. the beginning of the 80s, but also today’s pulse. There are probably many stories about star makers, but the girl from Kapteeninkatu puts one of them under the magnifying glass. A lot is already known about the music business in today’s faster-than-arrow flow of information, and the musical does not reveal anything particularly new about it. But when it describes the rough action through the eyes of a young girl and her band, it reveals something universal. In the field of music as well as in the arts and entertainment sector more broadly, a novice can feel like a yo-yo. You have to go into the game – or have you – on the terms of the game. There are plenty of profiteers and there are few who really care.
However, through the strongly goal-oriented singer Mirka, the musical work encourages young people to use their talents, to believe in them and in themselves. It is a great endeavour and is proven like the best theorem in Milko Lehto’s fresh direction. Would this have been successful even if we hadn’t applied for additional themes, such as gospel ecstasy and rainbow flags on the “barricades”? Probably it would be, but on the other hand, they make the music more spacious and, admittedly, also delicious parts of the narrative. Risk management is sometimes a double-barreled thing.
See you as Mirkka Sara Welling, an actress who has recently graduated from the Theatre Academy, has just the right amount of enthusiasm, expressiveness and, above all, a surprising readiness for musical expression. Of the boys in the empty pocket band, Pena/Kari Hevossaari is believable as a hothead who tries to hide his obvious love for Mirkka, and Make/Tommi Rantamäki brilliantly takes care of the “spokesman” in the duties of the home psychologist of the work community.
Em. The trio but also the whole team sings well, the interpretation is memorable throughout the field, from pop to rock, from blues swing to emotionally powerful washable schlock. It’s a miracle if many of the songs don’t live on off stage as well. At the heart of the production and providing great support to the soloists, the orchestra consisting of experts in the field would have been nice to see in the arena throughout the performance.
Ville Sormunen’s choreography draws on the material offered without hesitation and finely. It is in ecstasy in a scene suggesting spiritual fervor. But anyway, the casually snappy group is about to take off when it is encouraged in the right way.
And Sanna Saarijärvi is also out of the country, who literally throws herself into the role of the villain, the manager, with all her energy. Pertti Koivula has style and persuasiveness as a producer. Marjut Toivanen has been given a somewhat thankless role as Mirka’s believer, a disappointed mother in her life, but she also skillfully embodies the change that takes place in the character little by little. Toivanen has a personal singing voice and exceptional sensitivity as an interpreter.
Matti Rasila and Hannes Suominen, on the other hand, make hilarious caricatures as Henkka and Veke, the men in charge of the recording.
Arena agrees to a lively and flexible stage image, thanks to Katariina Kirjavainen.
From there, it is good to send such touching melodies to the world as Be it so, Tomorrow I will leave you, What kind of song will I be.
Many people also swear by Vaakamambo, and everyone is convinced that the people want Rock. How the ponytail girl said when she left the theater: “Time is cool. Was it a sustakii?”