Review: Niin kuin taivaassa
Like in heaven: HKT’s grand musical goes deep and finds happiness
The warm-hearted As in Heaven originally debuted as a film almost twenty years ago. Now the Helsinki City Theatre will see a touching musical version of the film. The main theme of the story is that there is strength in community.
Last year, the Helsinki City Theatre’s musical My Day as a Groundhog was one of the highlights of the difficult coronavirus autumn, at least for me. This year’s venture, As in Heaven, is not a joyful comedy in the same way, as it deals with big and dark themes from intimate partner violence to death. However, there is also a strong sense of joy: love, friendship and community – no one is left out, and everyone is valued and welcome as they are.
Background: My Day as a Groundhog continues the series of wonderful musicals at the Helsinki City Theatre
Despite the external differences, the two musicals are also united by the protagonist’s journey of discovery into himself and the discovery of inner peace and genuine happiness. And even though As in Heaven moves and touches, there is a musical exuberance in this as well, as the celebrating choir members get going!
At the beginning of the musical, the main character, Daniel, is a small and bullied boy who is forced to move away from his home village with his mother because of bullying. Daniel grows up to be a master violinist, but the death of his mother leaves him alone. However, his career continues to rise, and soon he will be a popular conductor, Daniel Daréus, who has taken a new surname, and whose calendar will be full for the next eight years.
However, after a seizure, it turns out that the heart cannot handle a busy career. With his new name, Daniel returns to his childhood village with the intention of spending a peaceful quiet life. However, he is unable to stay away from music when the enthusiastic village community asks him to lead the church choir.
The top conductor will notice that coffee is also important.
Daniel, a lone wolf, has to get used to a warm sense of community, where a coffee break that maintains sociability is at least as important as goal-oriented training. However, not everyone looks favorably on the new choir director. In a small village community – as in the world in general – there are also those who feel that change is a threat and a shaker of their own position.
Director and choreographer, artistic director of Lilla Teatern Jakob Höglund did a good job in the musical Once a year ago and now uses the same strengths in a larger arena.
Once captivates even the dead end – Lilla Teatern’s musical brings light to the autumn
The acting is captivating. Tuukka Leppänen, who plays Daniel, is remembered, like Höglund, from last autumn’s musical Once. Oona Airola, who has won the Jussi Awards for her film roles (The Smiling Man, My Land), plays the brisk and warm-hearted Lena who runs a village shop and is the heart of the community. The entire ensemble works smoothly under the direction of Puntti Valtonen and Sinikka Sokka, and the child actors, especially violinist Miska Lundberg, deserve a special mention.
Sven Haraldsson’s moving set design is fantastic. The large, movable pipes can sometimes be bent into a door, sometimes into a church pew. Samu-Jussi Koski, known from Marimekko and Samuji, has made his first big theatre costume a strong show. Especially the simple colors of certain crowd scenes work excellently and speak their own language from the protagonist’s black anxiety to liberating white.
William Iles’ lighting design makes effective use of shadow figures.
Coronavirus restrictions and the mask requirement are strictly followed at the theatre. Every other row is empty and there are three empty seats between the spectators. The rows are also emptied in an organized manner, so there will be no congestion.