August 25, 2013

The musical begins with a human chess board; women and men dressed in black or white. These are the dancers who are present in most scenes. While the game of chess is played there is a voice over of William T. Spears asking people not to take photos or use mobile phones, etc. during the performance.

A large covered object is wheeled out and then people in cloaks and masks appear, Ciel speaks. A man speaks about the evening to the crowd before … read the rest.

The musical begins with a human chess board; women and men dressed in black or white. These are the dancers who are present in most scenes. While the game of chess is played there is a voice over of William T. Spears asking people not to take photos or use mobile phones, etc. during the performance.

A large covered object is wheeled out and then people in cloaks and masks appear, Ciel speaks. A man speaks about the evening to the crowd before revealing the sacrificial lamb, Ciel, in the cage. Sebastian's voice interrupts and he appears on the third upper level of the stage wearing a cape and begins singing the first song- Keiyaku . While singing and descending the stairs he pulls off something similar to fight that is part of the choreography. While dancing he is killing the humans as he goes. Eventually the cage is covered again and once Sebastian reaches the bottom of the stage he walks towards the front of the stage with his cape extended at arms length on both sides. As he moves we see Ciel clutching his rags behind him, the brand is on his back. The scene resembles a recent flashback in the manga to that time of the making of the contract, as Sebastian stands behind Ciel and places his right arm around the boy's shoulders. They talk briefly (same deal as the manga/anime about the contract) and then Sebastian takes off his glove revealing the contract symbol and a giant curtain/banner falls from the ceiling of the contract symbol.

The next scene is in the Phantomhive mansion, a lovely chandelier comes down in to sight, similar to the ones Yana drew on the musical's promotional art. Sebastian helps Ciel who is sitting on a bed get dressed and asks what he would like for breakfast. Ciel requests the paper and focuses on a particular mystery story about women being killed. The servants interrupt, trying to kill/catch a mouse with Bard's large bazooka. While trying to protect Ciel they seem to cause more trouble for him then Sebastian snatches the mouse and throws it in a way like he is playing baseball. The servants praise Sebastian who just scolds them, as they get back to their work Mey Rin passes on a letter to Sebastian. A letter from Her Majesty about the recent murders.

Next the four main Grim Reapers appear on the top level of the stage- Ronald, William, Eric and Alan. Each has their death scythe and they appear that they are just returning from work. The other Grim Reaper that run around frantically to prepare the office greet them before taking their scythes and handing them paperwork. Grell appears seeking attention but is ignored. William leads the group in to the next song- Shinigami Haken Kyoukai(Grim Reaper dispatch department). Some of the lyrics include the Grim Reaper list of rules. After the song ends William sends Alan on the case (regarding the missing souls) despite it previously being Grell's case. Eric offers to be his back up, Alan seems like he doesn't want back up and we later find out why, he is actually really good friends with Eric but he has an illness that is basically interfering with his work as a Grim Reaper. He probably wants to look strong in front of his peers, hence the not wanting backup. Grell is upset that the others are assigned to his case as it now involves Sebastian. He rushes off ignoring William when Alan and Eric and leaves also. Ronald and William closes the scene discussing Eric and Alan's close relationship.

We find ourselves in London now and a group of people surround a crime scene. Aberline is wandering around when a reporter repeatedly seeks his attention, the man asks if he is from Scotland Yard. Abberline is angered when the man (Sharp Hanks) calls him "Underline" but the two eventually become friends when Hanks calls him "ago no line", they have things in common like their small facial hair/chins, Hanks was also always told that his chin looks like an ass. They become the duo "Abberline Sharp/ago no line Sharp" which is the ongoing joke about their chins because their names together like that are a pun in Japanese. Ciel and Sebastian arrive and Ciel repeatedly tries to get Aberline's attention but he is too busy playing with Sharp's facial hair. Eventually he realizes it is Ciel and they talk about the case a bit. When Abberline begins introducing Ciel, Hanks launches into a giant spiel noting every detail about Ciel, his job as the Queen's watchdog and even what he preferred for breakfast. Sebastian makes a correction and Abberline tells Sharp to write it down in his notebook. While Abberline and Sharp carry on they fail to realize that Ciel and Sebastian have already left but zoom off like aeroplanes happily together after hugging/bowing and doing random poses.

Ciel and Sebastian appear on the second level and discuss visiting Undertaker. Sebastian jokes around, he strikes a pose while calling out "Abberline Sharp (ago no line Sharp)" after saying that his chin is sharper. Some coffins are wheeled out on the lower floor. Ciel calls to Undertaker who emerges from a coffin. When seeking information Ciel orders Sebastian to make Undertaker laugh, he crouches a bit with his legs spread and shoves his hands down in between looking really proud of himself. It might have been some sort of Kamen Rider or Super Sentai henshin pose. Undertaker didn't find it funny anyway much to Sebastian's disappointment. Undertaker mentions wanting some love and Ciel orders Sebastian to somehow give it to him. Sebastian asks for the music to start and it does. Some dancers carrying large feathers appear and wave them around him. Sebastian has a little microphone and performs to Undertaker, he is typically seductive. I didn't really notice it until my friend pointed it out but Yuya is singing this one mostly in Osaka-ben. Undertaker crawls around longingly on the floor while Sebastian sings and gets mixed up in the feathers. He enjoys it a lot and gives up some information at the end. He mentions that someone involved in the murders is not a human.

After leaving Ciel and Sebastian start singing Black and White. They are cut off when Eric and Alan appear wielding their death scythes. Sebastian tells Ciel that they are Grim Reapers and protectively leads him away. Eric concludes that he must be Sebastian. Alan attacks Sebastian but suffers an attack from his illness half way through, Eric rushes to his side. Grell has appeared off to the side, he explains Alan's illness (thorns of death). Sebastian says that the group can go back to the Phantomhive house much to Grell's excitement, he attempts to run and glomp Sebastian who neatly side steps him. Two women appear (in fact they lurk in the background throughout the musical) one sings opera style while the other dances. Alan and Eric are struggling to get Alan to the house, the dancer circles Alan who seems to want to follow her though she is unseen. It appears as though she is his illness personified.

Eventually we find Alan in a bed with Eric reading a book beside him. Alan wakes and argues with Eric that he is okay, he is clearly upset. Alan sings a song while Eric sits on the bed, he is visibly troubled by Alan's problem and looks frustrated.

Grell appears on the second level wearing women's lingerie and a rope tied around himself. He's excited to be sleeping over and of course he has plans for Sebastian. He removes his high heels and the rope before singing a seductive song that involves a bit of a pole dance, people dirty dancing (2 girls together, 2 sets of 2 guys together and a hetero pair). Grell removes the woman from the hetero pair and does a little suggestive dancing of his own before heading off and being followed by the guy who he kicks aside. When the song ends Grell bumps in to Sebastian which sends the surprised Grim Reaper to the floor. Sebastian tells Grell where he can find the bathroom but he nags Sebastian to wait. Sebastian plays along a bit and picks up the high heels. He pokes them at Grell's chest sending the Grim Reaper in to a rather amusing frenzy. He screams for Sebastian to stop and pushes him to the floor. Sebastian is surprised and Grell cowers to the side muttering about how he hasn't even shaved/waxed but Sebastian soon leads him away. The demon nods towards the rope on the floor which Grell picks up and it is wrapped around him. Sebastian hooks a high heel through the rope and drags the Grim Reaper off while not paying much attention, Grell ends up being slammed in to a pole but they keep going as the servants enter the lower level and start setting up the table for breakfast.

The servants are really enthusiastic with their guests Eric and Alan. Eventually Ciel and Sebastian arrive followed by Grell. Grell is walking like he's been beat up and looks like he has had a rough night. He mentions that he had a hot night with Sebastian who asks him to stop saying such disgusting things. The servants and Ciel are looking at Sebastian seeking an explanation but he just keeps shaking his head. Sebastian confronts Eric about being the criminal and provides a list of suspects before explaining how he narrowed it down due to the scent. Eric attacks Sebastian who is given Grell's chainsaw scythe. When Alan called him, Eric is distracted and sliced by Sebastian, everything goes dark and the projection of cinematic record appears. We see a scene of Eric killing women before returning to the action. Eric ends up leaving and Alan chases after him.

We find ourselves again on a London street while Abberline and Sharp question people. A woman waits for a friend while the suspicious person we saw earlier (as the murders were being explained in the Queen's letter scene there was a scene on the upper level of the women being knocked out by a man with a cloth covered in some drug/chemical). The man targets the women while Eric watches on from the upper level.

The next scene, two women that were drugged, both have been tied up and wear only their under garments. Druitt (who was the mysterious man) appears and starts going crazy with a whip. He asks the girls to make cute noises (bird noises) and isn't happy with what they come up with, he requests "chun chun". They finally say it nicely enough for him and he begins to sing. The song gets very Queen-like (rock n roll) when he is passed a microphone on a stick. A dancer accompanies him and the girls flutter around like birds (robins? lol) but end up back where they were at the end. Eric appears and cuts the girls loose after they beg for his help. Druitt rushes at Eric but finds the Grim Reaper's scythe at his neck. Eric begins singing a song, meanwhile Druitt plays with the girls while they attempt to escape much to his own amusement. It seems that Druitt loves the way that Eric slaughters the women, he thinks it's beautiful. Eric's reason for dealing with Druitt involves the Viscount's ability to gather a large amount of women easily. Alan arrives and confronts Eric, the two have a little fight but Alan has another attack of his illness allowing Eric the time to punch him. Alan drops to the floor as Eric and Druitt leave. Sebastian shows up behind Alan.

William and Ronald appear on the top level talking about what has been happening, on the bottom floor the servants, Ciel, Sebastian, Alan and Grell have gathered. Ciel is given another letter, this time it's an invitation to Druitt's opera. While Grell desperately tries to get a look at it Bard reads the rules, women and children only, men can come if they are accompanied by a woman. Ciel initially threw the invite on the ground but in the end he decides to go as it seems suspicious; Druitt is involved with Eric and the murder cases involve only female victims. Meanwhile Hanks and Abberline also decide to infiltrate the opera. Crystal palace is named as the location. The song that Sebastian and Ciel started earlier continues with everyone singing before the curtain falls and there is a 20 min break.

When we come back the lights are out and we hear the familiar corset scene taking place only this time it gets pushed a little further. Grell's voice appears amongst the others and the lights come on to reveal him wearing a black and red dress. He criticizes Ciel's dress and jumps from the platform. Bard, Finny and Mey Rin are a little shocked, Bard is having the most trouble dealing. Sebastian says that he will pair with Ciel and Grell can pair with Alan. Alan ends that possibility by running out in a dress. He has decided that he should disguise himself in order to find Eric easier as he would be easily recognized by his friend if he weren't in a disguise. Grell doesn't approve and tries to rip the dress from him. The servants are told that they too can come to the opera which causes a lot of excitement.

Before the opera begins we meet Aberline who is also wearing a dress, he is joined by Hanks who too has put on a dress. Druitt introduces the opera which begins with an amazing singer and a hunched over man in a creepy mask beside her. Everyone is enjoying the opera while Alan searches for Eric. When the opera singer stops singing everyone is confused but the hunchback man winds her up from the back like a doll and she starts singing again. Alan spots Eric and the next time the opera singer stops singing the servants happily count the number of winds but nothing happens. Suddenly a kind of gas is leaked in and there are loud noises so everyone is in chaos trying to escape. The hunchback man picks up his doll and carries her away. Ronald and William show up and a huge group fight breaks out while the opera singer sings from the second level. The lawnmower in action was quite fun to watch as was the brief fight between William and Sebastian. Ronald is called off by William eventually, Eric has captured Ciel and leaves with his scythe at the his neck. Sebastian goes to free Ciel while Alan goes after Eric.

Eric is seen running and Alan appears on the upper level (no longer in a dress), he confronts Eric about the murders. Eric was killing women on behalf of Alan, there is a legend that if you collect the spirit power of 1000 pure souls then you can possibly heal the illness Alan has. Alan seems to forgive Eric quite easily when he tells him that it was on his behalf. They decide to run away together and leave their glasses behind signifying their resignation as Grim Reapers.

Next we see Sebastian approaching Ciel who is tied up. Sebastian is wearing glasses (like when he wears the tutor outfit) and really enjoys mocking Ciel who shuffles forward on the floor. Yana Toboso wrote the scene which made it more interesting for me personally. Sebastian claims that he is too kind to Ciel and wonders if he should punish him like the governess used to or if he should spank him, at this point he puts Ciel over his lap and raises a hand. After Ciel barks like a dog and mews like a cat he has had enough of Sebastian's joking around and orders the demon to free him.
While Alan and Eric are running Alan suffers another attack but tells Eric he is okay. Sebastian appears and sings another song, meanwhile cloaked people arrive and attack Eric who tries to escape them (I'm not sure who they are meant to be but they seem to be a personified representation of Eric's guilt/crimes catching up with him, or maybe the angry souls of all the people he has killed, like I said, I'm not sure). Eric fights the cloaked figures off before Sebastian sends them away, Ciel shows up in his regular clothes. Eric targets Ciel but Alan steps in front (Alan had previously called out reminding Eric that he promised not to kill anyone else), he is cut by Eric's death scythe and the cinematic record starts again.
There is a flashback with Eric and Alan from the time when Alan was still a new Grim Reaper and Eric was his senior. The dialogue between the two is really, really friendly, they act more like lovers than friends (Sebastian and others comment on their relationship throughout the musical) though we are always presented with the word friendship. They sing a song together and then things return to the time that Alan was cut. Now that Eric's mission is pointless he breaks down and mourns his friend. Eric had decided to give every up to try and cure Alan and now it was all for nothing. Sebastian finishes Eric off with Alan's death scythe (after asking Eric if he thinks he should as maybe he doesn't want Alan's scythe tainted with his dirty soul). Eric's body falls to rest on Alan's, fake snow starts pouring from the sky, it's said to be the souls of the people that Eric killed/collected being released, they shine like snow hence the most beautiful death in the world.

In the end we see Abberline talking with Undertaker, Aberline and Hanks talking and William discussing things with Ronald. Ronald wonders if not, then, why didn't the demon take any of the souls escaping Eric. William tells him that he will have the child's soul.

Finally we are back at the Phantomhive house. The servants welcome Sebastian and Ciel home. Ciel falls asleep in his chair while drinking tea and Sebastian sings Hallucination. He picks up Ciel and carries him to the front of the stage. The demonic music we heard at the start returns and everything gets darker. Sebastian talks while Ciel sleeps in his arms, Yana wrote these lines also and they're typically Sebastian. Sebastian says that he doesn't need 1000 souls, there is just one that he wants/needs, and that is his young masters. It all ends with Sebastian's famous line "akumade shitsuji desu kara"; the large banner with the contract symbol falls from the roof again.

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