Music
Christopher Lee Continues To Be Epic… This Time Musically
In case you missed the news, Hammer Films mainstay, Sir Christopher Lee is deep in the throes of creating an epic Metal concept album based on the life of Charlemagne. You know Lee as playing Dracula in a host of Hammer Horror Films, Lord Summerisle in The Wicker Man and as Saruman in the Lord of The Rings Trilogy. What you may have been unaware of is the fact that Lee is a descendant of Charlemagne who is best revered as the founding father of both the French and German monarchies. And you may have also been unaware that Lee is a classically trained singer who loves epic Metal.
Lee’s voice has been exlated before. Let us not forget his work for The Wicker Man soundtrack (it should be mentioned that in 2010, the film The Wicker Tree, will be released. Lee reprises his role as Lord Summerisle in Robin Hardy’s remaining of his own 1973 film). He also has released a solo album (2006’s Revelation), and appeared on albums with Italian symphonic Metal band Rhapsody. It’s been a natural progression for Lee. The album “Charlemagne: By The Sword and the Cross” has a slated release date for the Ides of March (March 15,2010).
AMC has announced that The Vampire Lestat: One Night Only LIVE, the standing-room-only performance celebrating AMC’s premiere of its newly-released The Vampire Lestat at New York City’s iconic Beacon Theatre last month, will debut on streaming.
The Vampire Lestat: One Night Only LIVE begins streaming on AMC+ on August 23.
Ahead of its streaming premiere, fans can preview the concert event, featuring original songs from series composer Daniel Hart and performed by Sam Reid, in Hall H at Comic Con International on July 24.
Our own Daniel Kurland attended the special event, highlighting how electric the Immortal Vampire is on stage: “It’s clear in this season of television that Reid was born to be a rock star, but it’s surreal to see him effortlessly command the stage — and the audience — at every step of the concert. He recites Shakespeare monologues and bitches out Armand between songs, all while the audience screams in support. For the duration of this concert, Reid is Lestat, and he’s given thousands of fans a memory that’s as immortal as any vampire.”
Based on Anne Rice‘s The Vampire Chronicles book series, The Vampire Lestat is the rock and roll-centric third season of AMC’s “Interview with the Vampire” created by showrunner Rolin Jones.
The Vampire Lestat goes on an electric multi-city tour while being haunted by “muses” from his wild and rebellious past. As his band’s popularity and star power rises, so does Lestat’s influence over vampires and humans alike, leaving others to contend with Lestat’s power in the face of the Great Conversion, an unnatural surge in the vampire population.
Jacob Anderson, Assad Zaman, Eric Bogosian, Delainey Hayles and Jennifer Ehle star with Reid. Executive producers include Jones, Mark Johnson, Hannah Moscovitch, the late Anne Rice, and her son Christopher Rice.
The series finale airs this Sunday, July 19, on AMC and AMC+.