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BTW - sure you know already, but in the Movie of WSS that's John Williams playing Piano in the orchestra.
No, I didn't know that. Thanks.
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Posted: |
Jan 17, 2013 - 8:50 PM
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By: |
dan the man
(Member)
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I saw LES MISERBLES the other night. A very enjoyable movie experience, much has already been written on this board about the film, so i don't want to bore some of you people. Let me just give a mini review. What i really liked about this film is what one board member i believe mention a few weeks ago, the directer decided to film this effort as though you were watching a play on film. The scope of the photography was wide but yet so compact. Unlike many other film musicals that were plays, this film had such a vibe of closeness that was very unique indeed.Emotionally it was superb, a human story if there ever was one. Some scenes were so beautiful to look at you wished they stop the shot.Of course all tech credits were superb, the acting was top notch, the singing so raw and honest[we already have mention here why], The action scenes were incredible with such impact.As for the music. i always felt it was one of the best musicals ever made, for unlike others of it's type the songs just come together so well.. Elite in melody[which i love] and what was always the case with me, be it on Broadway, sitting in the dark listening to the double lp set or watching it now as a movie when it's over i don't know which tune i should start humming.However no matter how great a film is, nothing is perfect. Not to spoil a great film, let me say a few things that were negative.I feel the beginning took a little to long to get to the point that a non fan of this play will be comfortable with it. This both in story content and music as well. I was getting a little nervous the first half hour. I knew of course what was to come but the first timers seem to be getting a bit restless and to be honest, if i didn't know better i would have too. However when this film takes off, it takes off and of course so does the music. While i like the action scenes alot, you know with the sound these days, some of those gunshots, irritated my senses and hurt my girlfriends ears.Ok no big deal. For God's sake you felt you were right in the battle.Very effective but maybe a little too much, Plus while the camerawork was grand, there were some action scenes where the camera just moved too much and for the first time in my life watching a film. my senses actually got distorted, like a home movie, where your friend can't keep the camera still.Maybe i should have not sat so close to the screen, i always was a front seat viewer.Just one more thing, when the gentleman commited suicide at the end jumping off of the building couldn't they just have him fall into the water and not hit some cement near the water and then on the soundtrack here a sought of crack, thump.That bothered me. However i found it to be a great film and because of these few complaints i made i think i will enjoy it even more on DVD and TV in the future. However this is a fantastic WINNER. ALL WHO MADE IT SHOULD BE PROUD.
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Les Miserables has been playing in the United States for 31 days (as of yesterday, January 24). So far, the domestic gross has been $133 million. The film's production budget was $61 million. So here in the USA, after only one month, it has earned over twice what it cost to produce. And, it has yet to open overseas.
The film is a HIT!
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GODSPELL will always have a special part in my life. Not only was it a very well done musical play, but it was taking a special girl with me to see it on Broadway in the late 70's that touches a chord. DAY BY DAY's number was the highlight. Any comments on this one?
I saw the original off-Broadway GODSPELL (the cast that is on the album), in June of 1971, and loved it. The movie, however, leaves me ice cold.
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Posted: |
Jan 25, 2013 - 7:04 PM
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By: |
dan the man
(Member)
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TO MR KINSINGER-I feel it deserves to be. When i saw it, there was only 10 people in the theatre, but that was on a cold Tuesday night where the temps were below 30 and it had been at that theatre already for nearly a month. Even though it was one of the most successful plays in history we all know how these days the movie crowd is basically, more action, below 25, and don't give me this corny art stuff.However as far as this one goes, since LES MISERBLES,has been so successful worldwide, the fact here in America it has already taken back over twice it's cost and now it has the world. Your right, unless something strange happens it will be a BIG HIT. Right now it is sought of in a position like a man who is on a slot machine, already in the black with his money and has a1000 dollars of free money still to use.
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http://www.theaterhalloffame.org/events.html
My friend, Betty Buckley is inducted into the Theater Hall of Fame, tomorrow. Alas, she is in London, preparing for the London premiere of DEAR WORLD. Ellen Burstyn is accepting on her behalf.
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The 1977-78 Broadway version of Dracula wasn't about special effects, it was all about production design. The sets were spectacular!
The entire production was produced and designed by Edward Gorey.
His pen-and-ink, crosshatched, Victorian-age etchings were made into the entire settings, as if the live performers were part of a story book.
As a matter of fact, the curtain rose early, so that the audience could drink in the view of the first set. That set received a standing ovation on the night that I attended.
Sitting directly in the seats in front of me were Andy Warhol, Bianca Jagger, and her daughter, Jade. It was a night to remember, and Mr. Langella was the frosting on the cake. His performance was riveting.
YES! I LOVED every minute of it!
Yes, indeed. A most entertaining production.
Not least because Langella's performance was so stylized that it seemed almost choreographed. I remember a moment at the end of, I think, Act II, when he lays himself down on top of the heroine, presumably to drink her blood, but the way he mounted her was more indicative of the sex act. (Which produced a veritable gasp from the audience....)
In fact, more than any other performance I've ever seen, Langella seemed to have created a performance entirely reminiscent of the tradition of the "Matinee Idol," presumably a popular male star playing to his audience, giving them the kind of over-the-top performance they came to see. Such stars were commonplace in the days before TV, with such names coming to mind as, first and foremost, John Barrymore, who made a career out of it.
But Langella really seemed to be in that kind of space, and he pulled it off beautifully. He actually made the character of this bloodthirsty vampire into a romantic lead. Fascinating accomplishment. In fact, when Van Helsing was about to stab him with a wooden stake near the end, I actually heard a gasped, "Oh, no!" from a young woman, sitting several rows behind me in the Martin Beck Theatre. Langella really garnered a loyal female audience in this role, just like Matinee Idols of yore.
(BTW: was anyone else aware that the director of this piece, Dennis Rosa (?), used pieces of film music to accent the action? I can remember hearing select cues from, of all things, the soundtrack to EXODUS, and maybe a few moments from THE DIARY OF ANNE FRANK, some of them repeated in various places. Wonder if he got any rights to do that...)
However, though Langella was given the opportunity to repeat his role for the screen, the movie had none of the impact of the whole stage production, which was an entirely different kind of experience altogether!
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Well as you all probably know the GONE WITH THE WIND broadway rendition bombed out. I had the lp soundtrack and thought it had some good numbers.
To my knowledge, Harold Rome musical version of GWTW never got to Broadway. Originally created in Japanese by an American creative team for a Japanese audience, it opened in Tokyo back in the late 60's, with a released 2-lp set of the score, some of which is quite good. It then went to London, where it played a year. Then there was a production with Lesley Anne Warren in L.A. But, to my knowledge, the momentum came to a halt there.
Interestingly, a few years ago, Trevor Nunn, of LES MiZ fame, actually mounted yet another musical version of GWTW, starring Jill Paice as Scarlett, which also went nowhere. I've heard a recording of the opening night, and the score is mostly unmemorable. At least the Harold Rome score has some good songs.
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West Side Story is one of my favourite musicals to be in the Pit Orchestra for...dynamite 1st trumpet book.
BTW - sure you know already, but in the Movie of WSS that's John Williams playing Piano in the orchestra.
I remember hearing somewhere that he is also playing piano on the music tracks for SOUTH PACIFIC as well....
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Cool pics, Ray! Thanks for sharing them.
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