This from the London Evening Standard, via the AP, via my best buddy Petey :
"A London performance of the "Lord of the Rings'' musical ended abruptly with actors dressed as Hobbits, elves and dwarfs rushing to help a screaming cast member (playing a ranger) whose leg was trapped in set machinery."
The story goes on to note that this is hardly their first glitch, despite having been in previews for only a couple of weeks. During the show's first British performance :
1 : the stage's hydraulic rig completely jammed
2 : Aragorn's mic failed (though if he was droning his way through one of those interminable Elbereth/Gonorrhea songs, it might've been for the best.)
3 : finally, (and most painfully, because you try to never ever do this,) the production problems were so bad they had to drop the curtain and restart the show.
My expert analysis :
"Well, that's the problem when you use ONE RIG TO BRING THEM ALL, ONE RIG TO BIND THEM! <cymbal clash> Whoa! I'm on fire here...just call me the flame of Udun! No need to worry about the actor, though. They changed the script to call him "NOT-SO-LONG SHANKS." <slide whistle> "Hey! The set was okay, though. Didn't leave much of a stain. Guess the Blood of Numenor is all but spent..." <klaxon> So these 2 hobbits walk under a bar .. "
<preposterously large hook!>
<scattered applause>
