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This is a comments thread about Blog Post: B'WAY TO H'WOOD: TOO LATE? by Michael Barrett |
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I AM a cast-album maven and I love imagining movie versions of musicals. Just off the top of my head I believe Sondheim's PACIFIC OVERTURES (using a similar design as the film MISHIMA) and MERRILY WE ROLL ALONG would translate to film splendidly. Also - APPLAUSE, MILK AND HONEY, ON THE TWENTIETH CENTURY, DRAT! THE CAT!, NO STRINGS...many others. On the other hand, some musicals such as THE GOLDEN APPLE and CELEBRATION are too tied to their theatricality to easily imagine cinematic versions of them.
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Pal Joey - there was some talk a few years ago of a possible new film version with Hugh Jackman. Odd you say that the song ZIP is ot in the fil. It certainly is, sung by the Rita Hayworth character (dubbed by Jo ann Greer). I'll take that correction. The fact that it utterly passed out of my memory, in comparison with the cast album version, may not speak well for it. Were lyrics changed?
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Ditto as a Devotee of B'way Show Scores. Unlike many of you here, I managed to see many classic presentations in New York, from roughly 1965 onwards. (For instance, I actually SAW Barbara Harris in THE APPLE TREE, a rarity, because she was notorious for skipping performances. And I saw the original, now legendary FOLLIES, twice, and loved it both times, not to mention all the original casts of all the Sondheim shows in that period, including the ridiculous staging, by Harold Prince no less!, of MERRILY WE ROLL ALONG, as if it were taking place in a high school gym, with all the cast wearing sweat shirts with labels, indicating which characters they played.) I even saw a large number of flops, like ARI, the musical version of EXODUS, BILLY, a terrible musical adaptation of BILLY BUDD, KING OF HEARTS, a very good show which died, CELEBRATION, which was pretty esoteric and never managed to find an audience; it was also totally overshadowed by the opening of HAIR, which wowed everybody, even though I enjoyed CELEBRATION much more... , DANCE A LITTLE CLOSER, or "Close a LIttle Faster," as it only lasted one official performance. I managed to see it in previews; had lots of problems, but a glorious score, by Charles Strouse, of ANNIE fame, and the late great Alan Jay Lerner; luckily a CD of it is still available. I could go on and on. As for Mr.Jackman, it seems every other week a new movie musical project is announced for him. Frankly, if he's so intent on remakes, I wish he'd star in a remake of BRIGADOON, which is a pretty stodgy movie, and aches for some real location photography, instead of all those painted backdrops. Not to menion the American accents of all those supposed "Scotsmen!" Jackman would also be perfect as the lead in a film version of the musical TIME AND AGAIN, which I saw performed here in San Diego, at the Old Globe Theatre, back in 1996. The score is beautiful, with some wonderful songs just perfect for him, as well as a role he could really sink his proverbial teeth into. And, as a movie, they could do all the special effects which really didn't come off in the stage version. A perfect vehicle for him. Time, I'm afraid, has passed musicals by. Even when I was growing up, during the 50's, they were being overtaken by rock 'n roll in popular music. Time was when Broadway ruled popular music, and what caught on there caught on everywhere. But, it's literally been decades since a song from a Broadway show became popular. (I might even go so far as to say the last one I'm aware of was "The Impossible Dream" from MAN OF LA MANCHA. Or, maybe "Send in the Clowns," from Sondheim's A LITTLE NIGHT MUSIC, the only really popular song Sondheim has composed, in fact. But, to show how little Broadway affects popular taste, even that was 26 years ago! Other songs, like "One Night in Bangkok," immensely popular in its day, were from concept albums, released before they became staged shows on Broadway.) I attended the recent revival of SOUTH PACIFIC, which has so enthralled New York audiences, and I was struck by the fact that practically every single song is now a standard; everyone is familiar with that score. The next night, I saw the first public preview of the musical version of SHREK, which has a completely unmemorable score. From what I've seen of contemporary attempts, the music of today's shows just doesn't measure up to what past writers poured into their work. Even BILLY ELLIOTT, as beautifully staged and performed as it is, just does not have even one really memorable tune, and that score was written by Elton John, no less! So, not only has Broadway lost the hold it once had, it no longer even seems to have the quality it once had. Which is a sad state of affairs. Because, for those of you who haven't experienced it, there's nothing like a brilliant Broadway show, whose staging dazzles the eye, and whose music and performances send tingles up and down your spine. It happens. (The most recently this happened to me was watching Christine Ebersole sing the penultimate number in the musical, GRAY GARDENS, "Another Winter in a Summer Town," easily as good a song as any I've ever heard, on any recording.) So, as usual, there are moments of greatness. And it is for these that I keep going to shows and collecting their scores...
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I'm envious, John! I'm an "armchair" musicals devotee stuck in Seattle who has only seen a handful of shows on the stages here. I have found Ethan Mordden's books on musical theatre to be highly insightful.
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Not to be the young upstart who automatically thinks that everything old is awful and unimportant, but let's think outside of Rodgers & Hammerstein. The recent revival of Sondheim's COMPANY convinced me that it is still incredibly relevant, and still beautiful. Can Joe Wright make this a movie now please? Also, listen to PARADE by Jason Robert Brown. It's an epic/intimate musical with a searingly important story. Plus: gorgeous music.
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