aradia22
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I probably should see Gentleman's Guide because everyone likes it but I know I won't. Well, I might like it but I won't love it. I'm angling to see Violet and Lady Day instead. I like opera when it's done right. I watched Cosi Fan Tutte (fun because of the panto/broad comedy vibe) and La Cenerentola (not a great Cinderella adaptation with everybody marking in like the first 1/3 or 1/2 which was not cool) as part of the Met Live in HD program. But I've never really been one for operettas. I still need to get around to Pirates of Penzance.
I actually have a soft spot for some of the Brandy version, despite my impatience with her (she breathes in the middle of words!).
This made me laugh so hard. I'm still laughing in the middle of typing this.
The Prince at NY City Opera would have been either George Dvorsky (who I think is an outstanding singer, so I hope he's not the one you saw) or Christopher Sieber, depending on the year.
Hmn. I was pretty young so this might have been a long time ago. I think I would have recognized Sieber. Also, I think he's attractive so it probably wasn't him.
I forgot to add that I went to a Lyrics and Lyricists concert at the 92Y (yay for being under 35 and getting discounted tickets) with Rebecca Luker, Jonathan Groff, Philippa Soo, Mandy Gonzalez, and another actor with a beautiful voice whose name I can't for the life of me remember. It was an all R&H concert (my favorite composer/lyricist team by the way) and when they got to the Cinderella portion I teared up. I love the waltz but it was Do I Love You Because You're Beautiful that really got to me.
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No problem. Here you go, Julia. http://forums.previously.tv/topic/9659-theatre-talk-in-our-own-little-corner/
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And aradia, very appropriate that your theatre thread here references a television musical.
Ha! I didn't even think about that. I love R&H's Cinderella. I don't have a good answer now but I always used to tell people that was my favorite musical when I was asked.
I've only seen the Julie Andrews version one once (I think it was on PBS). Obviously Julie was fantastic but I don't remember thinking much of the rest of the production.
I used to watch the Brandy/Whitney Houston version all the time. Looking back on it, it wasn't that great but at least they had some theatre talent in Paolo (the Prince), Jason Alexander, and Bernadette Peters. I think the redheaded stepsister might also be a theatre person because she showed up on Smash. Anyway, that movie will always hold a special place in my heart because it introduced me to the score. And I know the dialogue is kind of sappy in parts but I adore Cinderella's conversation with the prince at the ball. This musical doesn't get enough credit for developing their relationship.
I saw the production at Madison Square Garden. I don't know which actors were playing the leads but Eartha Kitt was in it in full Catwoman/Yzma growly mode. I was young so I don't remember much.
I also saw a production at Lincoln Center. I can't remember much but my mom spent most of the time complaining that the prince was unattractive and he couldn't sing very well.
A few years ago I was in the Philippines on vacation and visiting family and I found out that Lea Salonga was doing the show and we were able to get last minute tickets. Oh my God, I was so thrilled. There was no kind of stage door but it's cool because I think I might have passed out at meeting Jasmine/Mulan/Kim/Eponine in person. I don't think she was really giving it her all and the rest of the production was a bit meh but I still enjoyed it. I thought the prince was pretty good. I have the cast album.
OK, after Frozen I'm in love with Santino Fontana's voice but I couldn't bring myself to see the show with him and Laura Osnes. First, Laura already burned me by not being Kelli O'Hara when I had third row tickets for South Pacific. She was not a good Nellie. Her voice was too weak and her build was particularly small next to Paolo Szot, making her seem very young for the part. But the big reason I couldn't see it was the changes to the book. I could rant about this on the Disney Renaissance board I made but I don't understand the preoccupation with super-developed male characters in princess properties at the expense of the female characters. Princess/fairytale adaptations are one of the few places we're usually guaranteed of having female protagonists. Stop trying to take this away from me! Also, it sounded kind of like the plot of Ella Enchanted and some direct to DVD movies. The costumes and sets looked good though.
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I mainly like the non-gang musical numbers in West Side Story... Tonight, A Boy Like That, America, I Feel Pretty, Somewhere, Maria, though I maintain that some of the lyrics are painfully stupid. I just don't like the movie. I'm waiting for them to stage a good Broadway production. Given the trend for revivals there will probably be a good one in my lifetime. I was thinking of seeing the Karen Olivo one where they translated some of the lyrics to Spanish but I didn't hear the best things about the leads so I skipped it.
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Ooo, very dishy. Are you a big theatre person, Rinaldo? I've started a new board to discuss various stage productions and musicals in general if you'd like to take a look because I feel like the movie musical discussion can start to branch into more of a theatre discussion.
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Take Dollhouse. Sure it's a shame we didn't get to see certain things unfold, but there was so much they screwed up, I couldn't totally blame the network for yanking it.
Agreed. Dollhouse was a mess. Victor and Sierra were fantastic. Alan Tudyk and some of the other supporting players had their moments. But Eliza was a dud (even if she was supposed to be a blank slate she couldn't even "Keanu" it properly) and the plot was so convoluted I didn't feel like they had something to say or a clear idea about the mythology of their world. It was the first Joss Whedon show I tried (Dr. Horrible aside) and I watched all of it hoping it would somehow morph into the kind of show that has inspired so much fan fervor (like Buffy, Firefly, Angel, etc.). They put me out of my misery by cancelling that show. But I will always be grateful to Dollhouse for turning me on to The Bird and the Bee who are one of my favorite acts now.
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Just a heads up, guys. I've also created a Theatre board for non-movie musicals. So if you'd like to discuss stage shows or just these musicals in general, that conversation should probably go over there. We can discuss every version of Gypsy (Rosalind Russell, Patti Lupone, Bette Midler, Bernadette Peters)! Or you know, not.
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Has anyone seen anything good this Broadway season or are you anticipating any new shows? What are your favorite places to learn about theatre and theatre news? Personally, I prefer Broadway.com (and their youtube channel) to playbill. For me the best non-news channels to follow are FamousinNY and Seth Rudetsky/his Playbill Obsessed videos if you want to indulge your inner theatre geek.
As for shows, I saw After Midnight earlier this month which is sadly shuttering soon. The cast was very talented and I think they did their best with a musical revue which is never going to have the impact of a narrative show. Some of the costumes were lackluster in the first half but as the show went on I think there was some beautiful work from Isabel Toledo on that stage.
I also saw the current run of Much Ado About Nothing at the Delacorte as part of Shakespeare in the Park. It was spectacular. I think some of the performers could have been better but Hamish Linklater and Lily Rabe were fabulous. Honest, masterful, and just crackling with energy.
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I also love Oklahoma and still hope for another film version or Broadway revival with Hugh. Jackman as lead.
Unpopular opinion, I'm not a big fan of Hugh Jackman as a musical leading man. I think he's a great romantic lead. I have seen Someone Like You more times than is healthy. I watched his Inside the Actors Studio. I think he seems like a great guy (aside from his love of Blurred Lines). But Australia made me question his acting ability. And I just hate the man's vowels. It's particularly bad on his recording of Beauty and the Beast where he plays Gaston and he's gotten better since then but his vowels still annoy me. I'm a theatre snob. I don't care how handsome or charming the man is, if he can't sing it the way he's supposed to sing it then that's that.
I just saw Jersey Girls yesterday and I was very disappointed. It could've been such a great movie, but it never quite found it's footing to the extent that when I was supposed to really feel for Frankie, I just didn't. I had no emotional connection at all (except the enjoyment of the musical numbers). He has such a life story, too! I really expected more from an award winning director doing a movie version of a Tony award winning musical.
Yeah, I haven't heard the best things. I was worried when I heard Clint Eastwood was attached and saw those gloomy looking trailers. It seemed like a sadder version of That Thing You Do but with mob connections and violence. I'm still going to see it because I missed JLY on Broadway and I love the OBC album but I might end up waiting for it to show up on Netflix.
Here's a question. How do you all define musicals? Are you musical purists where only Broadway adaptations or Broadway style musicals count (i.e. the music helps tell the story and the music is almost always composed specifically for the show/movie) or are you open to other definitions of movie musicals? For example, That Thing You Do and The Sapphires (and really most musical biopics) feature performers who periodically sing throughout the film but the music does not have the same storytelling functions of expressing what characters are thinking and feeling. What about musical revues in the style of Easter Parade where a simple plot has been developed to hang a bunch of pre-existing songs upon? Does a movie need a certain number of songs to qualify as a musical?
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But my favorite pairing for Gene Kelly is Rita Hayworth; when the two of them plus Phil Silvers get going in their trio in Cover Girl, it's just a joyous few minutes.
I really need to rewatch Cover Girl. I'm planning to eventually review all of these movies on my blog. I think I'd probably find a lot of the sequences self indulgent on a repeat viewing and I don't think there's ever going to be a time when I don't find the fashion show or Ziegfeld Follies style posing sequences (like when they do all the magazine covers) boring but I remember enjoying that movie. And Long Ago and Far Away is such a dreamy song. I love the Jo Stafford version. I think height helps with Judy and Gene. Their physiques are well-matched which is important for dancers.
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I just finished Summer Stock. The second half drags a little as the musical they're putting on isn't great and almost all the songs aren't plot motivated (in contrast to the first half) but Gene has more chemistry with Judy than he had with any of his other leading ladies (that I've seen).
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I know that the stage version of Kiss Me, Kate is a lot edgier and dirtier than the movie version but movie musicals in the 40s and 50s were rather... sexless in a lot of ways.
I still need to watch that movie. Kiss Me Kate and Show Boat are the two big Howard Keel movies on my list. I like him in Seven Brides but his acting is awful in Annie Get Your Gun (though that might be having to play off Betty Grable mugging like an idiot). It's not strictly a movie musical but have you seen the Kiss Me Kate with Rachel York and Brent Barrett? I love that one.
And oh my God, people who don't like West Side Story, where have you been all my life?
The second ballet with Cyd Charisse in Singin' in the Rain is so unnecessary and the first time I watched An American in Paris, I went to take a shower when the end dance sequence started and finished my shower, and the dance sequence had about 5 minutes to go.
I guess I probably shouldn't ask how you feel about Brigadoon. Again, terrible dubbing. No chemistry with his romantic lead. And you know, I don't like the choreography. It's a lot of running and lifts.
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I watched Summer Stock for the first time today. It was perhaps a little overly long and Judy sang a bit too loudly in parts while Gene could have stood to sing a little more loudly but overall, I really enjoyed it. I was worried at first like, is this whole movie going to be singing about tractors and farming but once Gene showed up the movie really kicked in. In the first 30 minutes I was nervous that everyone was going to be an asshole other than Judy but tension also went away when they bought her a new tractor. The real positives for me are that now I can genuinely say I like a Judy Garland movie that isn't In the Good Old Summertime (to review, I've also seen Meet Me in St. Louis, The Harvey Girls, and Easter Parade recently and had mixed thoughts) and I can finally say that there is a movie where Gene Kelly has real chemistry with his romantic lead. They're well-paired as dance partners and as scene partners. Phil Silvers grates though. There's part of me that wonders if I should be offended, like, is he the 50's version of a "wigger"?
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I love Seven Brides for Seven Brothers. I don't care how relentlessly un-PC it is. I don't care how many quilts those girls turn into dresses. Michael Kidd's choreography in that is great stuff that totally fits the setting. I love how the brothers interact with each other and their girls. When Caleb's all "To the ends of the Earth..." when he meets his girl and she basically has an orgasm right there, I giggle with delight. Tommy Rall is sex on fire in that movie (well, in any movie he's in, really.) I love it. Sure, Adam's a douche and maybe he and Millie make up a little TOO easy but he liked her sass from the start so I imagine their married life involved her throwing lots of things at his head and him sleeping in the barn a lot before he sucked it up and apologized.
I love Seven Brides for Seven Brothers. I'm a feminist. I feel like people who get offended by the movie are willfully ignoring the actual musical. The whole thing is about teaching Adam a lesson. Also, the dancing is just fabulous.
I like Victor/Victoria but having rewatched the movie fairly recently, it hits a definite slow spot in the middle and it gets a little hard to get through that without fast forwarding. It has a brilliant cast though.
I adore Annie. I haven't watched it in years though and I mainly remember the first half of the movie. Again, amazing cast. Carol Burnett makes that movie.
The movie version of the Broadway musical is pure bubblegum and it's fine for being that. It's all bubblegum camp.
I saw the musical on Broadway... albeit awhile into the run after Marisa had already left. I think it had a bit more edge on stage. It felt more inflated, satirical while what I've seen of the movie feels like they're playing it straight.
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Of the more recent musicals, I really loved Hairspray and Moulin Rouge. I will watch those anytime I catch them on tv.
I couldn't watch that movie when it came out because I saw the cast and just thought "You're ruining it! Stop ruining everything!" What is this shiny, happy nonsense? But I think I might prefer Nikki Blonsky's version of I Can Hear the Bells to Marisa's. It's more straight sung than character singing and it's more pleasant to listen to. I may have to give the movie a shot but I feel like I'll still be annoyed at Travolta, Michelle Pfeiffer, etc.
Here's how I watch West Side Story: Up until right before the 'rumble' -- sometimes skipping over Tony and Maria, sometimes dealing with them, depending on my mood. Skip the rumble where everyone dies, watch 'Cool' don't watch anything else. The gang dancing is ridiculous but I love it. I don't know why, I just do. But Romeo and Juliet is a story I loathe. I hated it in high school and it's never improved. And I freaking love Shakespeare. Romeo and Juliet were teenaged wanks and I have no time for them.
I might take your advice one day and report back. I know they'd never do it because it's a "classic" but West Side Story is one of those movie musicals I wouldn't mind seeing remade... you know with ethnically/racially appropriate casting and people who can actually sing their parts. I actually really like Romeo and Juliet. I was just "meh" on it for a while but then I took a Shakespeare course in college where I read a good edition of the play. The trick is enjoying that they're teenaged wanks and not taking the romance at face value.
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I agree that they will give someone a chance, the problem for me is it seems that they greenlight these projects that they're not really so keen on the concept to begin with. So they tinker with it to make it more what they think will be popular, but usually just bastardizes the show to a certain extent.
Well, Fox gave me Glee and Kevin Reilly (before he was fired) did believe in The Mindy Project and Brooklyn Nine-Nine.
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I saw Nine on tv not too long ago. It was a pretty bad and Daniel Day Lewis was miscast. Marion Cotillard gave a good performance though.
I've never seen Nine performed on stage. I've only listened to the cast recording. I think Nicole Kidman's performance felt very weak, especially compared to Laura Benanti. Penelope Cruz was no Jane Krakowski but I liked her performance. I thought Daniel Day Lewis brought good energy and 'ACTING'. I may have found it unintentionally funny. Some of the staging was weird and I didn't feel much for any of the characters. Kate Hudson wasn't good exactly but not a trainwreck either. I don't know. I've seen worse.
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It's hard to go from Patti Lupone and Michael Cerveris to Helena Bonham Carter and Johnny Depp. I still need more time before I'm ready to tackle Sweeney Todd.
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We can build this thread together and make it anything we want it to be. You'll forgive me for not having seen all the movie musicals ever made. I've only been alive for so long. I think my favorites are generally the newer ones because to me, their flaws feel more minor. I used to watch Chicago and Moulin Rouge a lot when they first came out. I think I watched Chicago on repeat like three times in the same day. It was bad. I had to stop when I could quote all the lines. Though to be fair, at the time I also only had one DVD. I love The King and I (yes, I know Deborah Kerr was dubbed but it was a good dub) and Grease as well. Little Shop of Horrors has to be one of the best movie musical adaptations. I don't know why it isn't rated higher on people's lists. Oh, and of course I love The Sound of Music.
Controversial opinions: I don't like West Side Story at all. The music is lovely (though some of the Sondheim lyrics are painfully basic) but I can't watch that movie. A large part of it is the dubbing but it's also the weird grease they rubbed on their faces and the gang dancing. I can't.
Singin' in the Rain is not so hot. The movie hangs on the romance and Gene Kelly and Debbie Reynolds don't have much chemistry. There are some great musical numbers, sure. But as a cohesive movie? Overrated.
An American in Paris? Also not so hot. Again, Gene Kelly has very little chemistry with Leslie Carron not to mention the creepy age difference the creepy plotline (with alternate love interests) and the endless last dance sequence.
Meet Me in St. Louis. Nope, not a good movie. It produced two great performances (The Trolley Song and Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas) but I could throw out the rest of the movie. It tries to encompass too much time and ends up telling a very thin, disjointed story where you don't care about any of the characters or their conflicts. Also, my God is it slow in parts.
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Old. New. Originals. Broadway musical adaptations. Everything is fair game. I was inspired to start this thread while browsing Broadway.com. http://www.broadway.com/buzz/176472/oh-what-a-so-so-weekend-jersey-boys-movie-not-a-chart-topper/
The Oscar-winning success of Rob Marshall’s 2002 adaptation of Chicago kicked off a movie musical revival, but no film has been able to match its box office take. Below is a list of the Broadway-to-Hollywood musicals that have been released since and their final box office takes, from best to The Producers.1. Chicago - $170.6 million (2002)
2. Les Miserables - $148.8 million (2012)
3. Mamma Mia! - $144.1 million (2008)
4. Hairspray - $118.8 million (2007)
5. Dreamgirls - $103.3 million (2006)
6. Sweeney Todd - $52.8 million (2007)
7. The Phantom of the Opera - $51.2 million (2004)
8. Rock of Ages - $38.5 million (2012)
9. Rent - $29 million (2005)
10. Nine - $19.6 million (2009)
11. The Producers - $19.3 million (2005)As you can see, we're not exactly in the heyday of the musical anymore, though I would argue that a lot of these adaptations didn't make a crazy amount of money because they weren't very good. Maybe if they tried hiring Broadway performers and not just actors who can kind of sort of sing. Though with the success of Les Miz (still can't bring myself to watch it) and Mamma Mia (still mad at myself for watching it on HBO) it doesn't seem like that'll change anytime soon. And I did like Phantom because Patrick Wilson and also because it was my first and only experience of Phantom and Rent for the same reason and also because they did cast a lot of the OBC and ain't nothing wrong with Jesse L. Martin and Idina Menzel. Nine wasn't atrocious but... yeah. Maybe start by trying to make the best musical possible and then you can complain about the box office. Though again, Mamma Mia. (And by the way, I enjoyed Mamma Mia on Broadway. But that movie... *shudders*)
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Hi guys,
Look, I have no idea if theatre stuff is popular enough on previously to deserve it's own board but real theatre forums scare me and I don't like to use my facebook for everything so here goes. Let's chat about theatre talent, current shows, old favorites. Let's figure it out together. The only thing that will be exempt is movie musicals as I'm making a separate thread over in Movies.
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I don't think it would be crazy to assume that he would know the basics of something like wound care and stitches given his experience in Africa.
Yeah, but we don't know how badly he was stabbed. I forget if Remi was in college or medical school but I think we can assume based on the cocaine and rehab that most of what he learned was learned in Africa. I don't know, I think it's stretching believability to say that he had the tools and knowledge to deal with anything more serious than a flesh wound. It just seemed like the writers went, who do we know who has any kind of medical knowledge at all?
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Kromm: Yeah, it's the one with Cat Deeley. It's the best hulu series I've watched so far though most TV critics were very harsh. I think it's funny and has potential and Tyler plays sweet idiot really well in contrast to the lovable jerk he played on Reaper. I was going to petition for a board but I'm not creative enough to think of titles. Oh, but fair warning, you're really going to hate Cat Deeley. By the end of the season 1, there is no way she's not going to infuriate you.
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Ah (expletive) I was trying to figure out how you all saw the episode and realized that this airs on Monday and I forgot to program the new DVR. It looks like the next airing is 2:00 am on Friday so I'll be back after then.
What I'll say for now is that watching a lot of old movies makes me wish wearing hats on an everyday basis was still in fashion. Most of the time when I'm wearing a hat I feel like an idiot. Even if it's winter and I'm trying to stay warm or summer and I'm protecting my scalp and face from the sun.
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Theatre Talk: In Our Own Little Corner
in Everything Else
In a good way or a bad way? When I auditioned with a Cinderella song for a musical in high school one of the adults in charge told me that he loved Lesley Ann Warren in that movie. I didn't get the part (because I didn't get any parts in high school) but that's a conversation for another day.
I didn't catch it on TV. At the time I wasn't into Brian Stokes Mitchell (I mean, honestly, I'm still not... mainly because I haven't gotten around to looking up his cast albums yet though he was pretty good in his minor role in Much Ado About Nothing) and I saw Alec Baldwin and was like, nope, not for me. I have it on my iPod. What I really wish I had seen Reba in was Annie Get Your Gun. So mad there aren't recordings! I listened to some bootlegs but they were very scratchy. On the one hand, I believe it's important to see theatre live but on the other hand, in this day and age I believe we should record everything and I should be able to watch videos of every single actress who has played Elphaba.
I like Falling Slowly (the original) but I have no desire to see the musical. I listened to their Tony performance and I've heard clips here and there and it just sounds so off and horrible to my ears. I think it's both the singing and the music. There's something discordant and chaotic about it. And I do like folk music. Because Spotify hates me I keep getting the commercials about how Once is the best musical ever.
I made a joke about it on another thread (I think Movie Musicals) but I really do love the score for Gypsy. Aside from R&H musicals (and even then it's stiff competition) I think it has my favorite overall score for a musical. The music just puts me in the best mood and I can get swept up in the emotion of the musical just by hearing the orchestrations. I know this because I went to see Andrew Rannells and Stephanie J. Block in concert at Carnegie Hall this year and I was tearing up when the orchestra started playing Gypsy. Though, to be honest, the orchestra was kind of half-assing it. Oh, I can tell. Don't think I can't tell, orchestra. I have seen the Rosalind Russell movie, obviously. I also watched the Bette Midler version which plays on Ovation from time to time if you haven't seen it. I also went to see Bernadette Peters do it on Broadway though I have no memory of anything except the "You Gotta Have a Gimmick" number. I wish I'd see Patti Lupone and Laura Benanti (big Laura fan. I watched The Playboy Club and Go On just because I heard she'd be in them. I wish I could have afforded to see her in The Most Happy Fella at NY City Center Encores) but I think the clip of them doing the big confrontation scene is still up on youtube and I have the cast album for that on my iPod. Gypsy is one of those weird shows that I don't think there's ever going to be a "perfect" version of.