Review: Kapteeninkadun tyttö
THE GIRL ON KAPTEENINKATU musical will hit the cheerfulness and happiness meter to its peak this autumn season on the Arena stage of the Helsinki City Theatre.
The premiere of Esa Nieminen’s and Jari Salonen’s premiere took place on 30.8.2012, and it must be said that after the performance, an unusually large number of happy and cheerful people left the theatre on an early autumn evening on Hämeentie.
It’s really rare in our melancholic circumstances to see such a sweet and innocent musical, and when you watch it, you can physically feel how the energy and joy batteries in yourself are filled while watching the performance.
The musical KAPTEENINKATUN TYTTÖ has been created by MILKO LEHTO.
Lehto is one of those directors that I like, and whose works, at least for the City Theatre, have stayed in my mind as positive and intelligent works.
Without searching, I am reminded of “On the Way to Porkkala”, “The Eight Chosen”, “Belyakov’s Winter”, and “The Sun and Me”.
Milko Lehto has a sympathetic ability to direct soulfully, touchingly and eloquently, and he manages to get the most out of his subject matter in a way that gives the viewer a memorable experience.
Like this time.
JARI SALONEN’s script is very simple in structure. It shows once again that an experience that has a positive impact on the human mind does not have to be complex and profound to be joyful!
THE GIRL ON KAPTEENINKATU is a story of friendship, love, family and the desire to make music and sing in a world when everything was not as ruined, brutal and tearing as it is now.
It is the 80s and it is also reflected in the musical’s structures, disguise and atmosphere. With a couple of exceptions, you could imagine living the 80s again.
Only a couple of things break the intact atmosphere: the “just like this” refrain, which was repeated in the early 2000s until boredom, was not part of the colloquial language at the time, (in the play, it is implanted in “Laura Paananen’s” repetitions.) and I don’t think the words “arskat” when talking about sunglasses were in use at that time…. But it is nihilistic clinging on my part to interfere in small things that are irrelevant in themselves!
Especially since I really experienced a delightful moment when I watched this sweet musical, which left nothing in my teeth, but there is enough smile on my face for several days!
ESA NIEMINEN’S music is as modest and megalomaniac as he himself seems to be in terms of human quality. The music of the calm and gentle Nieminen is wonderfully narrative and uncomplicated, as well as relaxed, and communicates good and happy feelings straight from ear to soul.
It is also not common (unfortunately) for a performing artist to also be able to sing. The KAPTEENINKATU GIRL musical also includes all three so-called The main performers know how to do it and I consider it a lottery win for the viewer.
MIRKKA (Sara Welling) is a downright sweet young woman from the 80s and her singing skills are quite top-notch.
She adapts to her role both as a person and as a singer very well professionally, and is also entertaining and sympathetic.
The same can be said of the two male artists in the main trio: PENA (Kari Hevossaari) and MAKE (Tommi Rantamäki) perform their roles with tremendous skill so that there is nothing to criticize even when digging.
The musical’s cavalcade of characters is funny and put together with small skilful strokes. Each character feels thoughtful and significant, and there is no loose empty space left in between in the performance. And to my great joy, they can also sing!
Sanna Saarijärvi, Matti Rasila, Hannes Suominen, Marjut Toivanen, Pertti Koivula, Helena Haaranen, Sari Haapamäki, Anne Naukkarinen and Elena Lähde bring us a caveman, a waiter on roller skates, a Japanese interpreter, a secretary, a priest, parishioners, dancing girls, musicians, backing singers and many other types of people for entertainment for those of us who sit in the stands and get to enjoy.
Small is big, you could say quite aptly when talking about this musical KAPTEENINKATU GIRL. It may be that in 50 years, no one will remember this work anymore, but I would promise that many who have watched this will not immediately forget the happy positive feeling that the performance gives, which almost certainly remains with almost everyone after seeing it.
I can recommend this to everyone while sending a long and weighty thank you to all the creators who contributed to this performance!
The idle laughter and fake cheerfulness associated with the forced humor performance is a completely different story and it is just soul-devouring and very boringly tiring.
THE GIRL ON KAPTEENINKATU doesn’t fall for that, but there is something “genuine” that rarely happens to happen anymore. A bit like wild strawberry, or something else absolutely original.
All in all, a happy thing.
THANK YOU!