Walter Lang's Coney Island manages to weave two overused plots into one fun musical that has more twists and dips than a ride on the famed Cyclone. It's basically Pygmalion meets the old movie trope 'boy meets girl / boy loses girl because her rising stardom hurts boy's ego / love conquers ego as boy reunites with girl'. This hybrid is essentially a rehash of Alexander's Ragtime Band (and scores of other movies), set in turn-of-the-century New York. Throw in an on-going Ziegfeldian rivalry between two old showmen partners that morphs into a love triangle, and you've got this 1943 musical. Despite its recycled plot, Coney Island manages to dust off these old standards, with the help of a strong cast and an Oscar nominated soundtrack, to give it a new sparkle. All this in magnificent, magical Technicolor!
Betty Grable herself seems to be an amalgamation of other cinematic beauties; she sort of reminds me of a blonde Rita Hayworth, and her mien seems to have just a touch of the winsomeness of Marilyn Monroe. Apparently, most of Grable's fans spent their time admiring her legs, which were famously insured by Lloyd's of London. However, I set my sights on the architectural wonder of her hairdo. I feared the entire thing would topple over in some of her more animated dance routines! The cast also included Cesar Romero (years before he became a quizzical Batman villain) and George Montgomery as his adversary and the winner of Grable's heart. Phil Silvers is the comedic support who steals every scene!
The movie starts out in the wonderful chaos of Coney Island when Eddie Johnson (Montgomery) pays Joe Rocco (Romero) a visit at his popular nightspot along the midway. They had been boyhood chums and rivals whose long relationship was marked with schemes of trying to cheat each other out of business opportunities, power, and money. Eddie has tracked his ex-partner down at Coney Island to get what he felt was his due, but Joe doesn't see it that way. Through another bit of trickery, Eddie manages to blackmail his way into a job at the club where he gets to oversee the nightly entertainment, namely Kate Farley (Grable), the star of the nightclub's burlesque act (and Joe's girl). Eddie sees Kate as star material and complains about her garish costumes and titillating dance numbers. He begins to mold her into a high class act by training her to be more of a chanteuse than a screecher and polishing her appearance. At first, Kate resists the modifications that her new boss imposes on her, but soon the audience goes wild for her new act and fame goes to her head. As soon as she learns to trust his instinct, Kate and Eddie find themselves falling in love. Meanwhile, Joe decides that he doesn't care that he's raking in the money because he's losing his girl. Joe concocts a new plan to break up their burgeoning love affair. He succeeds at splitting Kate and Eddie up, but Kate soon learns about the men's competitive relationship and chooses the man she truly loves.
While Coney Island may not be the most familiar musical, you might recognize some of the standard songs, including 'Beautiful Coney Island,' 'Cuddle Up A Little Closer' (courtesy of navydoctrinidad), and 'Pretty Baby.' 'There's Danger In A Dance' was, for me, the highlight of the entire movie. Betty Grable completists take note: she also starred in this movie's 1950 remake, Wabash Avenue.
Watch Coney Island's trailer (courtesy of captbijou).
More information and pictures at Dr. Macro. See also: Betty Grable: The Girl With The Million Dollar Legs.
Saturday, February 19, 2011
Sunday, June 20, 2010
Can't Help Singing (1944)
As I'm sure many fans of classic movie musicals are aware, TCM is one of the best resources out there for some of the rarer gems of the musical world. Just last month, I happened upon a Deanna Durbin musical on the channel. Now, I had never seen anything related to Deanna Durbin except for the segments she shared with Judy Garland in that movie about musicals, That's Entertainment. The documentary didn't have much to say on her contribution to musicals except for the the fact that she started around the same time as Judy, and Judy was the one who made it big. So, when TCM dug up an old Deanna Durbin title called Can't Help Singing.. well, I couldn't help tuning in!
Boy, was I happy I did! Can't Help Singing is a surprisingly delightful musical from 1944 starring Deanna Durbin and Robert Paige with music by Jerome Kern. It's essentially the basic premise of It Happened One Night reimagined as a musical about pioneers heading west during the gold rush. Deanna Durbin plays the headstrong daughter of an east coast politician who is determined to marry her sweetheart, a lieutenant, of whom her father disapproves. Durbin runs away to join her fiancé out west, but, despite her attempts to get there as quickly as possible, she meets with many obstacles. Like Claudette Colbert's would-be bride in It Happened One Night, Deanna Durbin is also blessed with the twin virtues of naivete and stubbornness. She meets Robert Paige, a grifter and card shark (and, well, the Gable of this picture), in Kansas after she's swindled out of her money and her broken-down transportation. Paige takes her under his wing as they travel together out to the magical, mythical land of California, but they predictably fall in love along the way.
Durbin's father races after her, and, when he finally manages to meet up with them, he approves of the criminal card shark who has been traveling with his daughter unchaperoned. (Unlike It Happened One Night, there was no good reason for her father to dislike her first fiancé). However, after they reach California, Durbin almost loses her new beau when he learns that she had been hiding the fact that she was going out west to marry another man, but in true musical fashion, everything wraps up with a grand reprise of the title song and any hard feelings are tossed away with a wardrobe change.
Musically, this was an absolute delight! Fresh-faced Deanna Durbin had a sweet Shirley Jones appeal, and her classically trained operatic voice is one of the best kept secrets of the movie musical world. Robert Paige's character was in the same mold as the Gordon MacRaesque 'strapping young man', but while he was enjoyable, he certainly didn't live up to MacRae. This musical is sure to be a hit for anyone who loves Oklahoma! and Seven Brides For Seven Brothers.
There were two major song highlights: The title song, 'Can't Help Singing,' is still in my head over a month after I watched the movie. And, let me tell you, she sure couldn't help singing! She sang the same song the entire time she traveled out west! Amazingly, no one ever told her to stop singing. No one ever asked why she couldn't help singing. No one ever asked her to sing something else. Still, the title song is a catchy tune, and with her lovely voice, I guess it's not too hard to believe that no one bothered to tell her to stop.
My favorite number, though, was 'Californ-I-Ay', an ode California that instantly reminded me of the song Oklahoma!. The song itself was great, but what you need to see are the comically GIGANTIC vegetables that accompany this song. Yup, forget the gold, there are plums the size of boulders in California, which makes corn being as high as elephants' eyes seem a little less impressive, I think.
Here's an interesting bit of trivia from the ever insightful Robert Osborne, god of TCM: the two stowaway swindlers who end up traveling with Durbin and Paige were originally sleighted to be played by Abbott and Costello. The famous comedy duo pulled out of the picture over billing or salaries, but the characters were left in despite the fact that the replacements seemed a little out of place.
And, now for the videos! The embedded video above should be a medley of three songs from the finale: Californ-I-Ay, More and More, and Can't Help Singing (reprise). However, it looks like you may be able to watch Can't Help Singing in its entirety on YouTube! Here are the links, as far as I've pieced them together: part one, part two, part three, part four, part five, part six, part seven, part eight, part nine (?), part ten, and the finale. Videos are courtesy of ddurbinfan, and I wholeheartedly recommend their entire selection of videos.
Boy, was I happy I did! Can't Help Singing is a surprisingly delightful musical from 1944 starring Deanna Durbin and Robert Paige with music by Jerome Kern. It's essentially the basic premise of It Happened One Night reimagined as a musical about pioneers heading west during the gold rush. Deanna Durbin plays the headstrong daughter of an east coast politician who is determined to marry her sweetheart, a lieutenant, of whom her father disapproves. Durbin runs away to join her fiancé out west, but, despite her attempts to get there as quickly as possible, she meets with many obstacles. Like Claudette Colbert's would-be bride in It Happened One Night, Deanna Durbin is also blessed with the twin virtues of naivete and stubbornness. She meets Robert Paige, a grifter and card shark (and, well, the Gable of this picture), in Kansas after she's swindled out of her money and her broken-down transportation. Paige takes her under his wing as they travel together out to the magical, mythical land of California, but they predictably fall in love along the way.
Durbin's father races after her, and, when he finally manages to meet up with them, he approves of the criminal card shark who has been traveling with his daughter unchaperoned. (Unlike It Happened One Night, there was no good reason for her father to dislike her first fiancé). However, after they reach California, Durbin almost loses her new beau when he learns that she had been hiding the fact that she was going out west to marry another man, but in true musical fashion, everything wraps up with a grand reprise of the title song and any hard feelings are tossed away with a wardrobe change.
Musically, this was an absolute delight! Fresh-faced Deanna Durbin had a sweet Shirley Jones appeal, and her classically trained operatic voice is one of the best kept secrets of the movie musical world. Robert Paige's character was in the same mold as the Gordon MacRaesque 'strapping young man', but while he was enjoyable, he certainly didn't live up to MacRae. This musical is sure to be a hit for anyone who loves Oklahoma! and Seven Brides For Seven Brothers.
There were two major song highlights: The title song, 'Can't Help Singing,' is still in my head over a month after I watched the movie. And, let me tell you, she sure couldn't help singing! She sang the same song the entire time she traveled out west! Amazingly, no one ever told her to stop singing. No one ever asked why she couldn't help singing. No one ever asked her to sing something else. Still, the title song is a catchy tune, and with her lovely voice, I guess it's not too hard to believe that no one bothered to tell her to stop.
My favorite number, though, was 'Californ-I-Ay', an ode California that instantly reminded me of the song Oklahoma!. The song itself was great, but what you need to see are the comically GIGANTIC vegetables that accompany this song. Yup, forget the gold, there are plums the size of boulders in California, which makes corn being as high as elephants' eyes seem a little less impressive, I think.
Here's an interesting bit of trivia from the ever insightful Robert Osborne, god of TCM: the two stowaway swindlers who end up traveling with Durbin and Paige were originally sleighted to be played by Abbott and Costello. The famous comedy duo pulled out of the picture over billing or salaries, but the characters were left in despite the fact that the replacements seemed a little out of place.
And, now for the videos! The embedded video above should be a medley of three songs from the finale: Californ-I-Ay, More and More, and Can't Help Singing (reprise). However, it looks like you may be able to watch Can't Help Singing in its entirety on YouTube! Here are the links, as far as I've pieced them together: part one, part two, part three, part four, part five, part six, part seven, part eight, part nine (?), part ten, and the finale. Videos are courtesy of ddurbinfan, and I wholeheartedly recommend their entire selection of videos.
Wednesday, May 26, 2010
Carousel (1956)
Think of a few of your favorite musicals. Consider what makes those musicals special to you. Do they have clever lyrics and zippy melodies? Are you entranced by the bright and glamourous costumes: the billowing skirts, gorgeous gowns, and dapper tuxedos? Is it the hopeless romanticism? The thrilling flights of fancy? The dancing spectacles? Do you like your musicals footloose and fancy free? It can't be any coincidence that musicals have been, historically, one of the most popular genres of cinema during troubled times. How, then, does that explain for the relative popularity of the single most maudlin musical ever made: Carousel?
Before my recent reassessment of Carousel, I hadn't seen it in twenty years. I remember that I had not been too impressed by it, but I couldn't remember much else. Carousel is a Rogers and Hammerstein musical that was released in 1956, a year after one of their most popular musicals, Oklahoma! And, in fact, it boasts the same amiable stars, Gordon MacCrae and Shirley Jones. How could that go wrong?
Unbelievably, it starts out bad, and it just gets worse. A popular carousel barker, Billy Bigelow (MacCrae), meets a naif named Julie (Jones). Billy has a reputation as a ladies' man. It was said that he had promised many girls he would marry them, and then, after he gets some of their money, he disappears. After the fair closes for the evening, Billy meets Julie in a nearby park. Both Billy and Julie are fired because their meeting was forbidden by both of their employers.
The two confirm that they're not in love with each other through song ('If I Loved You') which, of course, inevitably leads to their immediate marriage. However, Billy soon discovers that he isn't happy being married. He has trouble finding steady employment, and he and Julie live off of Julie's Cousin Nettie. Billy knows that everyone considers him a no-good bum, but he is too proud to take jobs when they're offered to him. Julie is very much the image of the meek wife, and, allegedly, Billy takes his frustration out on Julie by beating her. Plotwise, Carousel is already treading some murky waters. Right before the big bacchanalia that is the Clam Bake, Mrs. Mullins (Billy's former boss and owner of the titular carousel) comes to the wharf, looking much like a madam from a burlesque house, making eyes at Billy and offering him his job back. He nearly relents and leaves Julie, but Julie has a perfectly-timed bombshell of her own: she's going to have a baby! All of a sudden the impetuous, pig-headed Billy is the perfect husband, and he goes off to the beach to explore his newfound feelings of paternalistic pride through booming song ('Soliloquy').
Julie's pregnancy cements their failing marriage once and for all, but one problem remains: they still have no money. In the end, Billy seems convinced that they might have a girl and that he'll need a lot more money to take care of her. Instead of getting a job or figuring out some kind of achievable means of saving money over the next nine months, he goes off with one of his ne'er-do-well buddies to rob someone at knife-point. Unfortunately, Billy and his genius friend choose someone who fights back, and Billy ends up stabbing himself with his own knife while he's trying to make a get-away. And he dies. And everyone sings 'You'll Never Walk Alone'.
The action of the movie is technically a flashback. When the movie opens, Billy is up in heaven polishing stars when he is told that his wife and daughter are having problems without him. He tells his story in order to be granted a short visit. At the end of the film, he returns to earth, watches his daughter frolic on the beach (in a Twyla Tharp-choreographed ballet called the 'Starlight Carnival'), and watches her graduate from high school. There's also a creepy scene where Billy actually meets his daughter, Louise, and he hits her. Louise asks her mother if it's possible for someone to hit you and for you not to feel anything, and Julie gets this dreamy, faraway look in her eyes, and says yes. Ick.
Plotwise, Carousel is a real clunker. Musically, it is, perhaps, unfair to compare this to the far superior Oklahoma!, but I can't help it. The songs were very well sung (I certainly would never say that Gordon MacCrae and Shirley Jones can't sing!), but the tunes are unmemorable. I suppose the three big numbers were: 'If I Loved You,' 'June Is Bustin' Out All Over,' and the sappy 'You'll Never Walk Alone'.
Perhaps my greatest complaint is that the characters aren't fleshed out very well, so it's difficult to really feel anything towards them. I'm fairly certain that this movie is meant to be a tearjerker, and while I usually comply wholeheartedly, this movie leaves me cold. I don't know if it's because of Billy's brutishness or just the general lack of character depth. After all, what could be more tragic than a nice young woman being married to an unlikeable brute who dies while she's pregnant, leaving her to raise their daughter on her own? I generally forgive more likeable, fun musicals for being short on characterization and plot, but since this was such a downer, I don't feel that there was proper closure to the story. I'm happy that I gave it a second chance, but I don't think I'll ever need to see this one again. Perhaps the most positive aspect of watching Carousel was being reminded of what a fine voice Gordon MacCrae had. Why couldn't his character be a little less miserable?
(YouTube video links are courtesy of cendrillon325 and Anjaxo)
Before my recent reassessment of Carousel, I hadn't seen it in twenty years. I remember that I had not been too impressed by it, but I couldn't remember much else. Carousel is a Rogers and Hammerstein musical that was released in 1956, a year after one of their most popular musicals, Oklahoma! And, in fact, it boasts the same amiable stars, Gordon MacCrae and Shirley Jones. How could that go wrong?
Unbelievably, it starts out bad, and it just gets worse. A popular carousel barker, Billy Bigelow (MacCrae), meets a naif named Julie (Jones). Billy has a reputation as a ladies' man. It was said that he had promised many girls he would marry them, and then, after he gets some of their money, he disappears. After the fair closes for the evening, Billy meets Julie in a nearby park. Both Billy and Julie are fired because their meeting was forbidden by both of their employers.
The two confirm that they're not in love with each other through song ('If I Loved You') which, of course, inevitably leads to their immediate marriage. However, Billy soon discovers that he isn't happy being married. He has trouble finding steady employment, and he and Julie live off of Julie's Cousin Nettie. Billy knows that everyone considers him a no-good bum, but he is too proud to take jobs when they're offered to him. Julie is very much the image of the meek wife, and, allegedly, Billy takes his frustration out on Julie by beating her. Plotwise, Carousel is already treading some murky waters. Right before the big bacchanalia that is the Clam Bake, Mrs. Mullins (Billy's former boss and owner of the titular carousel) comes to the wharf, looking much like a madam from a burlesque house, making eyes at Billy and offering him his job back. He nearly relents and leaves Julie, but Julie has a perfectly-timed bombshell of her own: she's going to have a baby! All of a sudden the impetuous, pig-headed Billy is the perfect husband, and he goes off to the beach to explore his newfound feelings of paternalistic pride through booming song ('Soliloquy').
Julie's pregnancy cements their failing marriage once and for all, but one problem remains: they still have no money. In the end, Billy seems convinced that they might have a girl and that he'll need a lot more money to take care of her. Instead of getting a job or figuring out some kind of achievable means of saving money over the next nine months, he goes off with one of his ne'er-do-well buddies to rob someone at knife-point. Unfortunately, Billy and his genius friend choose someone who fights back, and Billy ends up stabbing himself with his own knife while he's trying to make a get-away. And he dies. And everyone sings 'You'll Never Walk Alone'.
The action of the movie is technically a flashback. When the movie opens, Billy is up in heaven polishing stars when he is told that his wife and daughter are having problems without him. He tells his story in order to be granted a short visit. At the end of the film, he returns to earth, watches his daughter frolic on the beach (in a Twyla Tharp-choreographed ballet called the 'Starlight Carnival'), and watches her graduate from high school. There's also a creepy scene where Billy actually meets his daughter, Louise, and he hits her. Louise asks her mother if it's possible for someone to hit you and for you not to feel anything, and Julie gets this dreamy, faraway look in her eyes, and says yes. Ick.
Plotwise, Carousel is a real clunker. Musically, it is, perhaps, unfair to compare this to the far superior Oklahoma!, but I can't help it. The songs were very well sung (I certainly would never say that Gordon MacCrae and Shirley Jones can't sing!), but the tunes are unmemorable. I suppose the three big numbers were: 'If I Loved You,' 'June Is Bustin' Out All Over,' and the sappy 'You'll Never Walk Alone'.
Perhaps my greatest complaint is that the characters aren't fleshed out very well, so it's difficult to really feel anything towards them. I'm fairly certain that this movie is meant to be a tearjerker, and while I usually comply wholeheartedly, this movie leaves me cold. I don't know if it's because of Billy's brutishness or just the general lack of character depth. After all, what could be more tragic than a nice young woman being married to an unlikeable brute who dies while she's pregnant, leaving her to raise their daughter on her own? I generally forgive more likeable, fun musicals for being short on characterization and plot, but since this was such a downer, I don't feel that there was proper closure to the story. I'm happy that I gave it a second chance, but I don't think I'll ever need to see this one again. Perhaps the most positive aspect of watching Carousel was being reminded of what a fine voice Gordon MacCrae had. Why couldn't his character be a little less miserable?
(YouTube video links are courtesy of cendrillon325 and Anjaxo)
Sunday, February 28, 2010
The Great Ziegfeld (1936)
The Great Ziegfeld, starring William Powell as Florenz Ziegfeld, Jr., is a magnificent biopic detailing the life and loves of the innovative showman. The lush tale opens at the 1893 World's Fair in Chicago, where Ziegfeld shows off his latest attraction, Sandow the Strongman. Ziegfeld and his lifelong competitor, Jack Billings (Frank Morgan), vie for audience attention with the wily Ziegfeld finally winning out and setting a precedent for all their future competitions. Ziegfeld's story is one of overcoming obstacles to create some of the most spectacular, over-the-top stage shows ever. No matter whether the hitch was attracting an enthusiastic audience, scrounging up financial backers when he was completely broke, or discovering the right stars for his shows, the determined and charming Ziegfeld always seemed to be successful in the end.
Ziegfeld leaves the sideshow of Chicago for the Great White Way. He starts to make a name for himself among the vaudeville and burlesque shows of New York City through his work with some of the most popular acts of the day, including Eddie Cantor, Will Rogers, and Fanny Brice (who appeared in the movie). And, of course, a neverending bevy of showgirls. Ziegfeld establishes his signature spectacular stage shows with the introduction of French singer Anna Held (Luise Rainer), whom he steals right out from under Jack Billings' nose. Soon he has the pretty French coquette under contract and under his spell. They marry, and he begins a string of Broadway hits with his new bride in a starring role. Ziegfeld's popularity peaks with the Ziegfeld Follies, featuring song and dance numbers that glorify beautiful women. Many of his spectacular song and dance revues are recreated for the movie, and they are truly a feast for the senses. The sets shimmer and spin like runway models. The costumes sparkle in a fantastic sea of gossamer skirts, sequins, glitter, and feathers. The symphonic pitter-patter of (seemingly) hundreds of tap dancing girls is absolutely spine-tingling. Each number is more extravagant than the last. It seems as if everything he touches turns to gold.
While his Broadway hits keep his name in lights for many years, Ziegfeld always seems to have financial issues. The more lavish his stage shows become, the more money he has to borrow from his lenders. His old competitor, Jack Billings, often ends up finding him backers and money. Ziegfeld also experiences some unexpected flops as Hollywood's influence begins to eclipse that of Broadway. In his personal life, his appreciation of pretty girls eventually dooms his marriage, but Ziegfeld's divorce from Anna Held facilitates his next marriage to Billie Burke (Myrna Loy). Perhaps it's my excitement at seeing one of my favorite cinematic duos together again, but Billie Burke seems like the love of Ziegfeld's life. Personally, I found the dramatic aspects of the movie really picked up once Loy entered the scene and Rainer wasn't on the screen so much. Ziegfeld's story has a relatively happy ending, as he is happily married with a child and has some late-career success back on Broadway, including a show about the circus that is reminiscent of his sideshow beginnings in Chicago.
Although I generally enjoyed the movie, I was surprised to discover that it won the Academy Award for Best Picture, and Luise Rainer won best Best Actress for her portrayal of Anna Held. I suppose I thought the overlong movie was good but not quite that good! The film was directed by Robert Z. Leonard and produced by Hunt Stromberg for M-G-M. The scriptwriter (William Anthony McGuire), the set designer (John Harkrider), and the choreographer (Seymour Felix) for the movie had all worked previously for Ziegfeld. There's a lot more information on the movie at Wikipedia.
Unfortunately, there aren't a lot of clips from the film online. My two favorite numbers from the movie were 'You've Never Looked So Beautiful Before,' which is like a fashion magazine come to life and the Ziegfeld Follies showstopper, 'A Pretty Girl Is Like A Melody,' which I managed to find on the website, Dailymotion. It's like a gigantic rotating wedding cake! That's Entertainment shows about half of the number, but you have to watch the movie (or head over to Dailymotion) for the full clip.
Ziegfeld leaves the sideshow of Chicago for the Great White Way. He starts to make a name for himself among the vaudeville and burlesque shows of New York City through his work with some of the most popular acts of the day, including Eddie Cantor, Will Rogers, and Fanny Brice (who appeared in the movie). And, of course, a neverending bevy of showgirls. Ziegfeld establishes his signature spectacular stage shows with the introduction of French singer Anna Held (Luise Rainer), whom he steals right out from under Jack Billings' nose. Soon he has the pretty French coquette under contract and under his spell. They marry, and he begins a string of Broadway hits with his new bride in a starring role. Ziegfeld's popularity peaks with the Ziegfeld Follies, featuring song and dance numbers that glorify beautiful women. Many of his spectacular song and dance revues are recreated for the movie, and they are truly a feast for the senses. The sets shimmer and spin like runway models. The costumes sparkle in a fantastic sea of gossamer skirts, sequins, glitter, and feathers. The symphonic pitter-patter of (seemingly) hundreds of tap dancing girls is absolutely spine-tingling. Each number is more extravagant than the last. It seems as if everything he touches turns to gold.
While his Broadway hits keep his name in lights for many years, Ziegfeld always seems to have financial issues. The more lavish his stage shows become, the more money he has to borrow from his lenders. His old competitor, Jack Billings, often ends up finding him backers and money. Ziegfeld also experiences some unexpected flops as Hollywood's influence begins to eclipse that of Broadway. In his personal life, his appreciation of pretty girls eventually dooms his marriage, but Ziegfeld's divorce from Anna Held facilitates his next marriage to Billie Burke (Myrna Loy). Perhaps it's my excitement at seeing one of my favorite cinematic duos together again, but Billie Burke seems like the love of Ziegfeld's life. Personally, I found the dramatic aspects of the movie really picked up once Loy entered the scene and Rainer wasn't on the screen so much. Ziegfeld's story has a relatively happy ending, as he is happily married with a child and has some late-career success back on Broadway, including a show about the circus that is reminiscent of his sideshow beginnings in Chicago.
Although I generally enjoyed the movie, I was surprised to discover that it won the Academy Award for Best Picture, and Luise Rainer won best Best Actress for her portrayal of Anna Held. I suppose I thought the overlong movie was good but not quite that good! The film was directed by Robert Z. Leonard and produced by Hunt Stromberg for M-G-M. The scriptwriter (William Anthony McGuire), the set designer (John Harkrider), and the choreographer (Seymour Felix) for the movie had all worked previously for Ziegfeld. There's a lot more information on the movie at Wikipedia.
Unfortunately, there aren't a lot of clips from the film online. My two favorite numbers from the movie were 'You've Never Looked So Beautiful Before,' which is like a fashion magazine come to life and the Ziegfeld Follies showstopper, 'A Pretty Girl Is Like A Melody,' which I managed to find on the website, Dailymotion. It's like a gigantic rotating wedding cake! That's Entertainment shows about half of the number, but you have to watch the movie (or head over to Dailymotion) for the full clip.
Wednesday, February 10, 2010
Patti Lupone & Mandy Patinkin (2010)
This past weekend I saw "An Evening with Patti Lupone and Mandy Patinkin" at Proctors Theater in Schenectady. I was overjoyed when I saw this program on the schedule and bought tickets months ago. Finally the day arrived! The weather cooperated and I wasn't even sick (almost everyone I work with had a stomach bug).
The first disappointment came when we found our seats. They were close to the stage (row H) and had a good view although they were off to the side. The problem was that they were narrower than the seats in the center section! By about three inches! My husband took the aisle seat (his reward for being dragged there) while I was squashed between him and the woman next to me, who apparently felt she didn't have to limit herself to just her seat, but could lean into my space as well.
The program contained the full song list, and I was happy to see a large dose of Rodgers and Hammerstein in the form of a South Pacific medley (great - my favorite!) and a Carousel medley (actually my least favorite R & H musical) tempered by a generous helping of Sondheim (which I like even less than Carousel). There were some other random songs, too, including two of my favorites, Frank Loesser's "Baby It's Cold Outside" and Irving Berlin's "You're Just in Love." I was sorry to see that "I'd be Surprisingly Good for You" from Evita was not on the list. Although this was not a Lupone/Patinkin duet in Evita, I had hoped they would sing it.
Then the show started and the disappointment continued. I wanted to love the show. Maybe my expectations were too high. Evita was 30 years ago, after all. Anyway, the set was simple and there was a pianist and a bass player. Patti and Mandy were dressed in simple black costumes (Patti in pants for the first set and then a dress). There was no introduction or any dialogue directed at the audience. In fact, it was really more of a play than a concert with all the songs connected.
The South Pacific medley was a bit disappointing. They actually performed an abbreviated scene with dialogue from the play and sang "A Cockeyed Optimist," "Twin Soliloquies," and "Some Enchanted Evening." The singing wasn't bad, but they definitely were not the best renditions I've heard of those songs. I think the thing I objected to most was the fact that the scene was played for laughs. Sure, there are some humorous elements there, but it's just not particularly funny. In fact, the whole show was played for laughs. And people laughed. Including the woman next to me who was braying like a donkey into my ear. It got so bad that I was eagerly anticipating the Carousel medley - there's no way to make that funny, and thankfully the braying subsided for a few minutes.
Patti sang a solo "Don't Cry For Me Argentina" before the intermission and "Everything's Coming Up Roses" after. She can still belt them out, but other songs didn't fare as well.
The "Baby It's Cold Outside" duet, which has clever lyrics, was sung so fast that it was impossible to hear it clearly. Although recording is prohibited at shows like this, I did find someone on YouTube that recorded a different performance. Here it is:
Courtesy of Squeegeebeckenheim on YouTube
Here's "You're Just in Love:"
Courtesy of Squeegeebeckenheim on YouTube
This performance is actually worse than I remember. I think I could sing it as badly as this.
The audience also contributed to the negative experience in other ways. Naturally there was the interminable rustling of candy wrappers after the intermission (Proctors allows food and drink in the theater). Also a woman in front of us began to shake violently at the start of every song. My first thought was a grand mal seizure, but no, she was just enjoying the music. Whatever happened to quietly tapping your toe? And then the guy next to me began complaining loudly at the intermission about how bad the performance was. First about how their voices were shot and then about Patti Lupone's enormous posterior. While I agreed with these statements, I wouldn't have voiced them in public during the show. But my husband just couldn't keep it to himself.
Sadly, I found myself wondering if it was worth attending this show. Was there any benefit to seeing it live? I had to conclude no. I would have enjoyed it more as an episode of "Great Performances" from the comfort of my living room. The only benefit was seeing it at all, and had a I seen the clips on YouTube first, I might have concluded it wasn't worth it at all, that it was better to just let Mandy and Patti live on as Che and Eva on my record where they still sound wonderful.
The first disappointment came when we found our seats. They were close to the stage (row H) and had a good view although they were off to the side. The problem was that they were narrower than the seats in the center section! By about three inches! My husband took the aisle seat (his reward for being dragged there) while I was squashed between him and the woman next to me, who apparently felt she didn't have to limit herself to just her seat, but could lean into my space as well.
The program contained the full song list, and I was happy to see a large dose of Rodgers and Hammerstein in the form of a South Pacific medley (great - my favorite!) and a Carousel medley (actually my least favorite R & H musical) tempered by a generous helping of Sondheim (which I like even less than Carousel). There were some other random songs, too, including two of my favorites, Frank Loesser's "Baby It's Cold Outside" and Irving Berlin's "You're Just in Love." I was sorry to see that "I'd be Surprisingly Good for You" from Evita was not on the list. Although this was not a Lupone/Patinkin duet in Evita, I had hoped they would sing it.
Then the show started and the disappointment continued. I wanted to love the show. Maybe my expectations were too high. Evita was 30 years ago, after all. Anyway, the set was simple and there was a pianist and a bass player. Patti and Mandy were dressed in simple black costumes (Patti in pants for the first set and then a dress). There was no introduction or any dialogue directed at the audience. In fact, it was really more of a play than a concert with all the songs connected.
The South Pacific medley was a bit disappointing. They actually performed an abbreviated scene with dialogue from the play and sang "A Cockeyed Optimist," "Twin Soliloquies," and "Some Enchanted Evening." The singing wasn't bad, but they definitely were not the best renditions I've heard of those songs. I think the thing I objected to most was the fact that the scene was played for laughs. Sure, there are some humorous elements there, but it's just not particularly funny. In fact, the whole show was played for laughs. And people laughed. Including the woman next to me who was braying like a donkey into my ear. It got so bad that I was eagerly anticipating the Carousel medley - there's no way to make that funny, and thankfully the braying subsided for a few minutes.
Patti sang a solo "Don't Cry For Me Argentina" before the intermission and "Everything's Coming Up Roses" after. She can still belt them out, but other songs didn't fare as well.
The "Baby It's Cold Outside" duet, which has clever lyrics, was sung so fast that it was impossible to hear it clearly. Although recording is prohibited at shows like this, I did find someone on YouTube that recorded a different performance. Here it is:
Courtesy of Squeegeebeckenheim on YouTube
Here's "You're Just in Love:"
Courtesy of Squeegeebeckenheim on YouTube
This performance is actually worse than I remember. I think I could sing it as badly as this.
The audience also contributed to the negative experience in other ways. Naturally there was the interminable rustling of candy wrappers after the intermission (Proctors allows food and drink in the theater). Also a woman in front of us began to shake violently at the start of every song. My first thought was a grand mal seizure, but no, she was just enjoying the music. Whatever happened to quietly tapping your toe? And then the guy next to me began complaining loudly at the intermission about how bad the performance was. First about how their voices were shot and then about Patti Lupone's enormous posterior. While I agreed with these statements, I wouldn't have voiced them in public during the show. But my husband just couldn't keep it to himself.
Sadly, I found myself wondering if it was worth attending this show. Was there any benefit to seeing it live? I had to conclude no. I would have enjoyed it more as an episode of "Great Performances" from the comfort of my living room. The only benefit was seeing it at all, and had a I seen the clips on YouTube first, I might have concluded it wasn't worth it at all, that it was better to just let Mandy and Patti live on as Che and Eva on my record where they still sound wonderful.
Stage Door Canteen (1943)
I recently watched 1943's star-studded Stage Door Canteen again. I've seen this movie a few times over the years, and when I found a DVD at the dollar store not long ago I decided to get it. The plot of the movie is simple: three GIs on leave in New York go the the Stage Door Canteen, a real USO club staffed by real stars and pretty young women. The GIs fall for some girls while being entertained by the likes of Benny Goodman, Xavier Cugat, Ray Bolger, Edgar Bergen, Kay Kyser, Guy Lombardo, Freddy Martin, Gypsy Rose Lee, etc., etc. There were some great songs and hot lindy hopping. Strangely, the one song that's not in this movie is "I Left my Heart at the Stage Door Canteen."
Here's Peggy Lee singing "Why Don't You Do Right" with the Benny Goodman Orchestra:
Courtesy of John1948Ten on YouTube
This isn't my favorite song from the movie. That happens to be "The Machine Gun Song" by Gracie Fields, but I don't see a clip of that (and I haven't figured out how upload something myself yet). This movie is definitely worth watching if you like big band music, swing dancing, or World War II. Pick it up from the dollar bin today!
Here's Peggy Lee singing "Why Don't You Do Right" with the Benny Goodman Orchestra:
Courtesy of John1948Ten on YouTube
This isn't my favorite song from the movie. That happens to be "The Machine Gun Song" by Gracie Fields, but I don't see a clip of that (and I haven't figured out how upload something myself yet). This movie is definitely worth watching if you like big band music, swing dancing, or World War II. Pick it up from the dollar bin today!
Enchanted (2007)
I've fallen behind in posting again, so I'll just have a few brief updates. First, I finally watched Disney's Enchanted from 2007. This worked its way to the top of the Netflix queue last month. I didn't think about it being a musical when I sat down to watch it, but being a Disney movie it does make sense. It featured songs with music by Alan Menken and lyrics by Stephen Schwartz.
This was a delightful movie, and the musical numbers were quite enjoyable. Amy Adams was lovely as Giselle. The only thing I didn't like about the movie was Patrick Dempsey. It's beyond me what's "dreamy" about him.
My favorite scene was the "Happy Working Song:"
Courtesy of DisneyEnchantedMovie on YouTube
This was a delightful movie, and the musical numbers were quite enjoyable. Amy Adams was lovely as Giselle. The only thing I didn't like about the movie was Patrick Dempsey. It's beyond me what's "dreamy" about him.
My favorite scene was the "Happy Working Song:"
Courtesy of DisneyEnchantedMovie on YouTube
Sunday, January 3, 2010
The Producers (2005)
The first musical of 2010 was the 2005 film version of Mel Brooks' The Producers. This is one instance of a movie turned Broadway show turned movie that I heartily approve of! I saw the original 1968 movie a very long time ago, and I remember actually being disappointed by it. Perhaps it was just that my expectations were so high, but aside from the "Springtime for Hitler" play within the movie, I don't remember it being terribly funny.
The new musical version is a vast improvement. Not only is it extremely amusing, but it also has great singing and dancing to boot.
I was already familiar with the songs from the original Broadway soundtrack, but seeing the production was a real treat. Most of the cast reprised their original Broadway roles, including Nathan Lane and Matthew Broderick. Some notable additions to the cast were Will Ferrell (good) and Uma Thurman (bad). In fact, I'd have to say the only thing about this movie I didn't like was Uma Thurman. I've never been a fan of hers, and this performance didn't change my opinion.
There seems to be dearth of available clips on YouTube, but here's one of "Springtime for Hitler" featuring a very Aryan John Barrowman:
Courtesy of clarityisback on YouTube
I won't say that this movie will become a classic up there with The Sound of Music (my favorite Nazi-themed musical), but it's definitely enjoyable and worth watching!
Friday, January 1, 2010
Up in Arms (1944)
Up in Arms is one of my absolute favorite movie musicals. This forgotten gem from 1944 features Danny Kaye and Dinah Shore (as well as my favorite 40s actor Dana Andrews). I watched an old VHS recording I had made in the 90s when it played on AMC. It's not out on DVD and I don't know if it has ever aired again. This movie was almost inaccessible, but now the whole movie is up on YouTube courtesy of Huilifoj.
Of course the movie has a feel-good, patriotic plot. Danny (Danny Kaye) is a hypochondriac who is in love with nurse Mary (Constance Dowling). But Danny is the object of nurse Virginia's (Dinah Shore) affection. Mary agrees to go on a double date with Danny, along with his friend Joe (Dana Andrews) and Virginia. Naturally Mary and Joe fall for each other. Then the men are drafted, and the nurses enlist, too. Hilarity and adventure ensue. Of course Danny realizes Virginia is really the girl for him and both couple live happily ever after.
Every number is a treat in this movie. Here are some of the best:
Theater Lobby Number (by Sylvia Fine and Max Liebman):
Courtesy of avissar on YouTube
Melody in 4-F (by Sylvia Fine and Max Liebman):
Courtesy of avissar on YouTube
Tess's Torch Song (by Harold Arlen and Ted Koehler):
The song is at 2:10. Courtesy of Huilifoj on YouTube.
Jive Number (by Sylvia Fine and Max Liebman):
Courtesy of theodorebear2009 on YouTube
Well, toast me, Melba! This hep song is all reet! I really think this musical deserves to be more widely known than it is. I think it's one of the best WWII musicals (even without Jules Munchen).
Of course the movie has a feel-good, patriotic plot. Danny (Danny Kaye) is a hypochondriac who is in love with nurse Mary (Constance Dowling). But Danny is the object of nurse Virginia's (Dinah Shore) affection. Mary agrees to go on a double date with Danny, along with his friend Joe (Dana Andrews) and Virginia. Naturally Mary and Joe fall for each other. Then the men are drafted, and the nurses enlist, too. Hilarity and adventure ensue. Of course Danny realizes Virginia is really the girl for him and both couple live happily ever after.
Every number is a treat in this movie. Here are some of the best:
Theater Lobby Number (by Sylvia Fine and Max Liebman):
Courtesy of avissar on YouTube
Melody in 4-F (by Sylvia Fine and Max Liebman):
Courtesy of avissar on YouTube
Tess's Torch Song (by Harold Arlen and Ted Koehler):
The song is at 2:10. Courtesy of Huilifoj on YouTube.
Jive Number (by Sylvia Fine and Max Liebman):
Courtesy of theodorebear2009 on YouTube
Well, toast me, Melba! This hep song is all reet! I really think this musical deserves to be more widely known than it is. I think it's one of the best WWII musicals (even without Jules Munchen).
For Me and My Gal (1942)
Last month I also watched MGM's 1942 classic For Me and My Gal starring Judy Garland and Gene Kelly. This was a nostalgic story of a vaudeville duo preceding and during World War I. Both Garland and Kelly (in his film debut) were in top form, although there was not as much dancing as I would have liked (despite being directed by Busby Berkeley). This was a more plot-driven musical than many, and some of the scenes (like Kelly deciding to injure himself to avoid the draft) were pretty weighty for a musical.
I liked the World War I-themed numbers (which must have conjured up fond memories for the audience of the last war), but the title song takes the cake:
Courtesy of spearsboy01 on YouTube
Watch the movie and I guarantee you will be wishing you could buy some war bonds!
I liked the World War I-themed numbers (which must have conjured up fond memories for the audience of the last war), but the title song takes the cake:
Courtesy of spearsboy01 on YouTube
Watch the movie and I guarantee you will be wishing you could buy some war bonds!
Hairspray (2007)
I saw the 2007 version of Hairspray last month, but I've hesitated doing a post about it for a couple reasons. First, I never saw the original 1988 John Water's movie, so I don't know how this compares. Second, I dozed off during the movie. I thought it was just for a few minutes, but now looking at YouTube, I see whole songs that are unfamiliar to me. Oh well. Maybe I'll see the next remake in 20 years.
Hairspray belongs to a growing list of musicals that started off as a movie, got turned into a Broadway show, and then back to a movie. Well, the only other musical I can think of right now that falls into that category is The Producers, but I have a feeling Legally Blonde: The Musical, Thoroughly Modern Millie, and Spamalot can't be far behind.
This was a pleasant-enough movie with some surprisingly deep themes. I liked the part I saw, but didn't find any of the songs very memorable. I actually enjoyed the sets and costumes best, especially the joke shop which I knew about from one of my favorite blogs, Secret Fun Spot.
Here is a peppy clip of a song called "Ladies' Choice" as a sample:
Courtesy of XxMusicalLyricsxX on YouTube
It features Zac Efron, who I understand is a teen heartthrob. He's no Shaun Cassidy, but he's not bad. There was one other aspect of this movie that I especially like: more movies, especially musicals, should have a short, chubby brunette as the heroine.
Hairspray belongs to a growing list of musicals that started off as a movie, got turned into a Broadway show, and then back to a movie. Well, the only other musical I can think of right now that falls into that category is The Producers, but I have a feeling Legally Blonde: The Musical, Thoroughly Modern Millie, and Spamalot can't be far behind.
This was a pleasant-enough movie with some surprisingly deep themes. I liked the part I saw, but didn't find any of the songs very memorable. I actually enjoyed the sets and costumes best, especially the joke shop which I knew about from one of my favorite blogs, Secret Fun Spot.
Here is a peppy clip of a song called "Ladies' Choice" as a sample:
Courtesy of XxMusicalLyricsxX on YouTube
It features Zac Efron, who I understand is a teen heartthrob. He's no Shaun Cassidy, but he's not bad. There was one other aspect of this movie that I especially like: more movies, especially musicals, should have a short, chubby brunette as the heroine.
Musical Catch-Up
The first year of The Sound of Musicals has drawn to a close. Although I didn't watch as many musicals as I would have liked, I certainly saw more than I would have otherwise, making this my most sucessful New Year's Resolution ever. This year's resolution is not to start another blog, although I was sorely tempted by a few ideas. But instead I'll continue this one, and today I'll catch up on three musicals I saw in 2009 but haven't posted. This makes a total of 13 musicals watched - 10 movies and 3 live - for 2009.
Sunday, December 20, 2009
Joeseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat (2009 SLOC Production)
Last weekend I was treated to another delightful production by the Schenectady Light Opera Company: Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice's Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat. Although I had heard the music from it a few times, I had never seen a production of it before. SLOC's production had a young, urban theme to it with a set of scaffolding and graffitied walls. The audience was even younger than the usual sea of gray heads I tend to seen around me. Before the show started I couldn't help noticing some rather obnoxious young people talking on their cell phones. I wasn't too happy about this, and thought they might disrupt the performance. But I convinced myself that it was important for new generations to become acquainted with musical theater. Little did I know that these young people were part of the performance! When the first notes began, the rowdy audience member ran to the stage and revealed themselves to be Joseph's eleven brothers!
Again, I was blown away by the quality of the cast. Everyone truly had an excellent voice, particularly the narrator and Joseph. Like all of the Webber/Rice musicals, it is sung throughout with no dialogue, which seems to me must be challenging for performers. The only slight flaw with the production, which was also true of The Pajama Game, was that the sound mixing was sometimes off. At times the music overwhelmed the voices. It wasn't consistent with any one singer, but affected everyone at one time or another. This was more of an issue in this production since it is all sung and must be heard to understand what's going on. Hopefully this will be alleviated when the company moves to it's new home in a larger theater next year.
Every song in the musical is enjoyable, but here are a couple I especially liked in the SLOC production. These videos are from the 1999 Great Performances production with Donny Osmond.
Joseph's Dream:
Courtesy of OfficalRUG on YouTube
They had corn in Israel then?
Potiphar:
Courtesy of OfficialRUG on YouTube
Since I enjoyed The Pajama Game so much, I volunteered to serve as an usher for future performances. So after seeing Saturday night's performance, I was lucky enough to serve as an usher for Sunday's matinee performance. This was a lot of fun, and I could see myself becoming more and more involved in SLOC (culminating with my one-woman production of South Pacific).
Again, I was blown away by the quality of the cast. Everyone truly had an excellent voice, particularly the narrator and Joseph. Like all of the Webber/Rice musicals, it is sung throughout with no dialogue, which seems to me must be challenging for performers. The only slight flaw with the production, which was also true of The Pajama Game, was that the sound mixing was sometimes off. At times the music overwhelmed the voices. It wasn't consistent with any one singer, but affected everyone at one time or another. This was more of an issue in this production since it is all sung and must be heard to understand what's going on. Hopefully this will be alleviated when the company moves to it's new home in a larger theater next year.
Every song in the musical is enjoyable, but here are a couple I especially liked in the SLOC production. These videos are from the 1999 Great Performances production with Donny Osmond.
Joseph's Dream:
Courtesy of OfficalRUG on YouTube
They had corn in Israel then?
Potiphar:
Courtesy of OfficialRUG on YouTube
Since I enjoyed The Pajama Game so much, I volunteered to serve as an usher for future performances. So after seeing Saturday night's performance, I was lucky enough to serve as an usher for Sunday's matinee performance. This was a lot of fun, and I could see myself becoming more and more involved in SLOC (culminating with my one-woman production of South Pacific).
Saturday, November 21, 2009
Anchors Aweigh (1945)
This past week I watched MGM's 1945 classic Anchors Aweigh featuring Gene Kelly, Frank Sinatra and Kathryn Grayson. I know I saw this one a long, long time ago, but I had only a dim recollection of not liking it for some reason. This seemed unlikely, since I like Gene Kelly and Frank Sinatra, and many World War II musicals are among my favorites. So it seemed appropriate to give this another try. I still didn't like it.
Joe (Kelly) and Clarence (Sinatra) are two sailors on a 4 day leave. They are coerced into helping little Dean Stockwell return home after he runs away to join the Navy. They meet his beautiful Aunt Susie, an aspiring singer, played by Kathryn Grayson, and Clarence falls for her. Joe tells her they will get her an audition with Jose Iturbi so she will go out with Clarence. They then try to meet Iturbi and set up an audition. In the meantime, Joe and Susie fall for each other and Clarence realizes he's better suited to a sassy waitress from Brooklyn. By chance Susie meets Iturbi, who does give her an audition everything works out in the end.
This two and a half hour musical doesn't contain any memorable songs, isn't very funny, and doesn't even have a lot of good dancing in it. Of course it contains the famous dance with animated Jerry Mouse. Although I know this was very impressive for the time, I didn't particularly like it. I much preferred the Mexican Hat Dance Scene:
Courtesy of SpaceComics on YouTube
This movie did have a few bright spots, though. First was seeing Gene Kelly in his skivvies. Second was Joe and Clarence convincing another suitor that Susie is very friendly with the entire US Navy. And third was Clarence mistaking Jose Iturbi for a piano tuner.
This isn't a bad movie, but if you want to see Kelly and Sinatra as sailors on leave, watch On the Town instead.
Joe (Kelly) and Clarence (Sinatra) are two sailors on a 4 day leave. They are coerced into helping little Dean Stockwell return home after he runs away to join the Navy. They meet his beautiful Aunt Susie, an aspiring singer, played by Kathryn Grayson, and Clarence falls for her. Joe tells her they will get her an audition with Jose Iturbi so she will go out with Clarence. They then try to meet Iturbi and set up an audition. In the meantime, Joe and Susie fall for each other and Clarence realizes he's better suited to a sassy waitress from Brooklyn. By chance Susie meets Iturbi, who does give her an audition everything works out in the end.
This two and a half hour musical doesn't contain any memorable songs, isn't very funny, and doesn't even have a lot of good dancing in it. Of course it contains the famous dance with animated Jerry Mouse. Although I know this was very impressive for the time, I didn't particularly like it. I much preferred the Mexican Hat Dance Scene:
Courtesy of SpaceComics on YouTube
This movie did have a few bright spots, though. First was seeing Gene Kelly in his skivvies. Second was Joe and Clarence convincing another suitor that Susie is very friendly with the entire US Navy. And third was Clarence mistaking Jose Iturbi for a piano tuner.
This isn't a bad movie, but if you want to see Kelly and Sinatra as sailors on leave, watch On the Town instead.
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
The Pajama Game (2009 SLOC Production)
This past weekend I had the pleasure of seeing a performance of The Pajama Game by the Schenectady Light Opera Company. SLOC is devoted to producing four musicals a year. Regrettably, I’ve only seen one previous performance there: the 2000 production of Little Me. This was truly excellent, and I’m not really sure why I haven’t been back in nine years. I’m very sorry to have missed some of their past productions like Anything Goes and Thoroughly Modern Millie (even without “The Tapioca”), but I don’t feel too bad about missing Assassins and The Full Monty. Still, I have to give them credit for branching out from the old favorites.
When I saw that The Pajama Game was on the roster, I decided to get tickets. Although I had enjoyed Little Me, I arrived at The Pajama Game with some trepidation. The previous weekend I saw a local dramatic production, and it was less than stellar. I won’t say what it was, but let’s just say that last night I dreamt I went to Schenectady – and it was a nightmare. Thankfully, The Pajama Game left me with only pleasant dreams.
The Pajama Game (music and Lyrics by Richard Adler and Jerry Ross; book by George Abbott & Richard Bissell) features some well-known songs like "Hey There," "Steam Heat," and "Hernando's Hideaway." I missed the recent Broadway revival with Harry Connick Jr., but I have seen the 1957 Doris Day/John Raitt movie version.
The SLOC version was delightful. Initially I was concerned about the casting of the leads. The Sid Sorokin character seemed to be much younger than the Babe Williams character (although the actors may have been about the same age). Any doubts that I had evaporated when I heard Josh Gray, playing Sid Sorokin, sing. He has a beautiful voice, and I hope he will be in future productions (I'm thinking Joe Cable. They haven't done South Pacific since 1967). Natalie Bain as Babe was also excellent. The supporting cast was also stellar, in particular Kevin X. McNamara as Hines.
The only slight flaws in the production were technical; sometimes the sound mixing wasn't quite right. Other than that, I was blown away by the quality of the performers. Since I can't share this performance, I'll share some of my favorite songs from other productions.
Here's the 2006 Broadway Revival cast performing "There Once was a Man" and "Hernando's Hideaway":
Courtesy of sftMusicals on YouTube.
Here is the great version of "Steam Heat" from the movie:
Courtesy of MarcosCohen on YouTube
Since The Pajama Game was so enjoyable, I'm planning on seeing their next production, Joseph and the Amazing Techicolor Dreamcoat in December.
When I saw that The Pajama Game was on the roster, I decided to get tickets. Although I had enjoyed Little Me, I arrived at The Pajama Game with some trepidation. The previous weekend I saw a local dramatic production, and it was less than stellar. I won’t say what it was, but let’s just say that last night I dreamt I went to Schenectady – and it was a nightmare. Thankfully, The Pajama Game left me with only pleasant dreams.
The Pajama Game (music and Lyrics by Richard Adler and Jerry Ross; book by George Abbott & Richard Bissell) features some well-known songs like "Hey There," "Steam Heat," and "Hernando's Hideaway." I missed the recent Broadway revival with Harry Connick Jr., but I have seen the 1957 Doris Day/John Raitt movie version.
The SLOC version was delightful. Initially I was concerned about the casting of the leads. The Sid Sorokin character seemed to be much younger than the Babe Williams character (although the actors may have been about the same age). Any doubts that I had evaporated when I heard Josh Gray, playing Sid Sorokin, sing. He has a beautiful voice, and I hope he will be in future productions (I'm thinking Joe Cable. They haven't done South Pacific since 1967). Natalie Bain as Babe was also excellent. The supporting cast was also stellar, in particular Kevin X. McNamara as Hines.
The only slight flaws in the production were technical; sometimes the sound mixing wasn't quite right. Other than that, I was blown away by the quality of the performers. Since I can't share this performance, I'll share some of my favorite songs from other productions.
Here's the 2006 Broadway Revival cast performing "There Once was a Man" and "Hernando's Hideaway":
Courtesy of sftMusicals on YouTube.
Here is the great version of "Steam Heat" from the movie:
Courtesy of MarcosCohen on YouTube
Since The Pajama Game was so enjoyable, I'm planning on seeing their next production, Joseph and the Amazing Techicolor Dreamcoat in December.
Saturday, July 4, 2009
Evita (1996)
I tend to prefer older musicals, probably because that's what I grew up hearing. Anything written after 1970 seems "new" to me, and you won't find Les Miserables, Sunday in the Park with George, or Legally Blonde: The Musical among my collection of recordings. Perhaps the only exception is the one modern musical I did listen to growing up: Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice's Evita. My father had a tape of the 1979 Broadway recording of Evita starring Patti Lupone and Mandy Patinkin (and Bob Gunton as Juan Peron), and I listened to it often enough to know all the words by heart.
I was very excited to hear about a movie version being made in the 1990s. However, when the casting of Madonna as Eva Peron was announced, I was appalled (as was much of Argentina). I didn't like Madonna's music in the '80s and didn't think she was up to the part (although I now realize her music is far superior to that of Britney Spears and the like). So it was with trepidation that I entered the theater in 1996 to watch the film version of Evita. Let me say I was extremely impressed with Madonna's performance and especially taken with Antonio Banderas as Che.
Fast-forward 13 years to 2009. After seeing Antonio Banderas in the dance film Take the Lead, I put Evita on the Netflix queue and it finally made its way to the top last week. I was interested in seeing how the movie has held up and if I still enjoyed it as much as the first time. And the answer is: Yes! A qualified yes!
Although Madonna was actually five years older than Eva Peron was when she died in 1952, she still was convincing, even as as a young Eva going to the big city for the first time:
Courtesy of Resylan on YouTube.
As good as Madonna was, Antonio Banderas was even better. As much as I like Mandy Patinkin, I think I actually prefer Antonio Banderas' performance. It's hard to pick out one song, since Che is integral to almost every scene, but I think "Oh What a Circus is best":
Courtesy of Resylan on YouTube.
My favorite song of the musical is actually "I'd be Surprisingly Good for You". This is one case where I definitely prefer the Broadway version, but this one featuring Madonna and Jonathan Pryce as Juan Peron is still very good:
Courtesy of mjovic87 on YouTube.
Overall the production was excellent and costumes were also spectacular. One can almost understand how this young woman rose from poverty to become the beloved first lady of Argentina. Although the musical doesn't sugarcoat the reality that the Perons were fascists, it hard not to empathize with Eva and even shed a tear when she sings her last notes.
I was very excited to hear about a movie version being made in the 1990s. However, when the casting of Madonna as Eva Peron was announced, I was appalled (as was much of Argentina). I didn't like Madonna's music in the '80s and didn't think she was up to the part (although I now realize her music is far superior to that of Britney Spears and the like). So it was with trepidation that I entered the theater in 1996 to watch the film version of Evita. Let me say I was extremely impressed with Madonna's performance and especially taken with Antonio Banderas as Che.
Fast-forward 13 years to 2009. After seeing Antonio Banderas in the dance film Take the Lead, I put Evita on the Netflix queue and it finally made its way to the top last week. I was interested in seeing how the movie has held up and if I still enjoyed it as much as the first time. And the answer is: Yes! A qualified yes!
Although Madonna was actually five years older than Eva Peron was when she died in 1952, she still was convincing, even as as a young Eva going to the big city for the first time:
Courtesy of Resylan on YouTube.
As good as Madonna was, Antonio Banderas was even better. As much as I like Mandy Patinkin, I think I actually prefer Antonio Banderas' performance. It's hard to pick out one song, since Che is integral to almost every scene, but I think "Oh What a Circus is best":
Courtesy of Resylan on YouTube.
My favorite song of the musical is actually "I'd be Surprisingly Good for You". This is one case where I definitely prefer the Broadway version, but this one featuring Madonna and Jonathan Pryce as Juan Peron is still very good:
Courtesy of mjovic87 on YouTube.
Overall the production was excellent and costumes were also spectacular. One can almost understand how this young woman rose from poverty to become the beloved first lady of Argentina. Although the musical doesn't sugarcoat the reality that the Perons were fascists, it hard not to empathize with Eva and even shed a tear when she sings her last notes.
Saturday, May 2, 2009
South Pacific (2009 Lincoln Center Production)
The one thing better than watching a musical on film is seeing a live performance. And that's even better when it's a performance of the first Broadway revival your favorite musical.
When the first official Broadway revival of Rodgers and Hammerstein's South Pacific opened at Lincoln Center (in the Vivian Beaumont Theater) in March of 2008, I didn't even consider going to see it. First, because tickets were very hard to come by, and second, because I figured I would be disappointed by it in some way. Since I have seen at least four other productions and the movie countless times and know every word of the dialogue and songs by heart, I was sure I would find some fault in this production. Perhaps it would be nothing special, or worse, try to change or modernize the story like the dreadful TV version with Glenn Close or the revival of Flower Drum Song a few years back.
When the Lincoln Center production won the 2008 Tony award for best revival and the original limited run was extended, making tickets a possibility, it struck me that I had to see this production. In fact, it literally came to me in a dream. I found that a few local bus companies were offering day trips to see a matinee. However, by this time the original cast had changed with Paulo Szot, who won the 2008 Tony for best actor, being replaced temporarily. By April 2009 he had returned, but female lead Kelli O'Hara left on maternity leave. Not wanting to wait any longer in case they never played the parts together again, I decided to see the show this past Wednesday, April 29, 2009. The original production of South Pacific opened 60 years ago in April 1949.
This production was spectacular. Paulo Szot was phenomenal as Emile de Becque. His voice is beautiful, even better than the original Ezio Pinza in my opinion. Also, it did not hurt that he is extremely handsome. The role of Nellie was played by Laura Osnes. I had never heard of her, but she starred in Grease on Broadway, apparently winning the part in one of those reality TV shows. She was delightful, and at only 24 (10 years younger than Kelli O'Hara), is about the same age as the character is supposed to be. The supporting cast was also excellent. Danny Burstein and Loretta Ables Sayre, both nominated for Tonys, were wonderful as Luther Billis and Bloody Mary. Andrew Samonsky as Joe Cable was the the only casting I was not completely happy with. Although he looked right for the part, and his singing voice is beautiful, he spoke in a strange stilted manner. I don't know if this was meant to convey that he was a haughty, Princeton-educated blue blood, but he didn't sound like someone who came from Philadelphia high society to me. Liat was played by the lovely Li Jun Li.
Here's a clip from the 2008 Tony Awards (it's good for a taste, but doesn't do it justice - the songs seem too fast):
Courtesy of LincolnCenterTheater on YouTube
Here's Loretta Ables Sayre singing Bali Ha'i:
Courtesy of LincolnCenterTheater on YouTube
The sets and costumes were also wonderful. I especially liked the Thanksgiving Follies costumes made out of Life magazines! I do have a few tiny criticisms that most people would not pick up on. Lt. Cable is shown wearing aviator's wings, but but he is not a pilot. Lt. Buzz Adams (a major character in the book Tales of the South Pacific, but minor in the musical) is dressed as a Marine Corps pilot, but he was in the Navy. The life-size plane that was on stage for some of the musical numbers does not resemble any plane used by the US - it actually looks more like a Japanese Zero! Also, at one point three Seabees were dancing on the wing - you actually are not supposed to step on the wing.
All in all, this production surpassed my expectations and definitely deserved the Tony award. Now I need to buy the album for my collection of South Pacific recordings.
The Schenectady connection: thankfully there is no mention of Schenectady in South Pacific, but I did see it surrounded by people from Schenectady. It turns out Nellie was not the only "hick from the sticks."
When the first official Broadway revival of Rodgers and Hammerstein's South Pacific opened at Lincoln Center (in the Vivian Beaumont Theater) in March of 2008, I didn't even consider going to see it. First, because tickets were very hard to come by, and second, because I figured I would be disappointed by it in some way. Since I have seen at least four other productions and the movie countless times and know every word of the dialogue and songs by heart, I was sure I would find some fault in this production. Perhaps it would be nothing special, or worse, try to change or modernize the story like the dreadful TV version with Glenn Close or the revival of Flower Drum Song a few years back.
When the Lincoln Center production won the 2008 Tony award for best revival and the original limited run was extended, making tickets a possibility, it struck me that I had to see this production. In fact, it literally came to me in a dream. I found that a few local bus companies were offering day trips to see a matinee. However, by this time the original cast had changed with Paulo Szot, who won the 2008 Tony for best actor, being replaced temporarily. By April 2009 he had returned, but female lead Kelli O'Hara left on maternity leave. Not wanting to wait any longer in case they never played the parts together again, I decided to see the show this past Wednesday, April 29, 2009. The original production of South Pacific opened 60 years ago in April 1949.
This production was spectacular. Paulo Szot was phenomenal as Emile de Becque. His voice is beautiful, even better than the original Ezio Pinza in my opinion. Also, it did not hurt that he is extremely handsome. The role of Nellie was played by Laura Osnes. I had never heard of her, but she starred in Grease on Broadway, apparently winning the part in one of those reality TV shows. She was delightful, and at only 24 (10 years younger than Kelli O'Hara), is about the same age as the character is supposed to be. The supporting cast was also excellent. Danny Burstein and Loretta Ables Sayre, both nominated for Tonys, were wonderful as Luther Billis and Bloody Mary. Andrew Samonsky as Joe Cable was the the only casting I was not completely happy with. Although he looked right for the part, and his singing voice is beautiful, he spoke in a strange stilted manner. I don't know if this was meant to convey that he was a haughty, Princeton-educated blue blood, but he didn't sound like someone who came from Philadelphia high society to me. Liat was played by the lovely Li Jun Li.
Here's a clip from the 2008 Tony Awards (it's good for a taste, but doesn't do it justice - the songs seem too fast):
Courtesy of LincolnCenterTheater on YouTube
Here's Loretta Ables Sayre singing Bali Ha'i:
Courtesy of LincolnCenterTheater on YouTube
The sets and costumes were also wonderful. I especially liked the Thanksgiving Follies costumes made out of Life magazines! I do have a few tiny criticisms that most people would not pick up on. Lt. Cable is shown wearing aviator's wings, but but he is not a pilot. Lt. Buzz Adams (a major character in the book Tales of the South Pacific, but minor in the musical) is dressed as a Marine Corps pilot, but he was in the Navy. The life-size plane that was on stage for some of the musical numbers does not resemble any plane used by the US - it actually looks more like a Japanese Zero! Also, at one point three Seabees were dancing on the wing - you actually are not supposed to step on the wing.
All in all, this production surpassed my expectations and definitely deserved the Tony award. Now I need to buy the album for my collection of South Pacific recordings.
The Schenectady connection: thankfully there is no mention of Schenectady in South Pacific, but I did see it surrounded by people from Schenectady. It turns out Nellie was not the only "hick from the sticks."
Wednesday, April 8, 2009
Man of La Mancha (1972)
It seems New Year's resolutions are meant to be broken, even ones as foolproof as spending more time in front of the TV. I guess next year I'll resolve to exercise less and eat more, too.
Anyway, after a month-long hiatus, I watched another musical: 1972's Man of La Mancha by Mitch Leigh and Joe Darion. Although I grew up listening to my parent's record of the original Broadway cast, I don't count this one among my special favorites. I don't think I was even aware there was a movie version until I saw it as choice for instant viewing on Netflix. Not having tried the instant download feature before and knowing this was definitely one my husband would not want to watch, I decided to watch it from the discomfort of my own desk. I was pleased with the instant download, but the movie itself was a bit drab. In fact, it was brown. Everything was brown. There was no other colors save for some black and white. I guess that wasn't out of place for the early 70s, but they could have at least used some avocado green or harvest gold.
Cervantes and his faithful servant become prisoners of the Spanish Inquisition (they weren't expecting that). While awaiting their fate in the dungeon, Cervantes tells the other prisoners of his story: Don Quixote de La Mancha, which is acted out with the help of the prisoners. Peter O'Toole plays Cervantes/Don Quixote, James Coco plays Sancho Panza, and Sophia Loren plays Aldonza/Dulcinea. Apparently Peter O'Toole had a voice double, while Sophia Loren did her own singing. I think it would have worked out better the other way around.
Of course the most well-known and memorable song of the movie is considered to be "The Impossible Dream." But this isn't my favorite song. Perhaps inexplicably, my favorite song has always been "I'm Only Thinking of Him." In this song, Don Quixote's niece and housekeeper share their "concerns" about his well-being with their priest. The song is a bit different (and better) in the stage version, but here is the movie version (courtesy of junikid on YouTube):
Unfortunately, I have had this song in my head for 24 hours straight now. Woe-o, Woe-o.
The Schenectady Connection: Since several other movie musicals have mentioned Schenectady, I was expecting a mention in this one, too, but no luck. However, I did see Man of La Mancha at Proctor's Theater in Schenectady a few years back (actually 10 years ago - that can't be right!). And the role of Cervantes/Don Quixote was played by Broadway legend Robert Goulet.
Anyway, after a month-long hiatus, I watched another musical: 1972's Man of La Mancha by Mitch Leigh and Joe Darion. Although I grew up listening to my parent's record of the original Broadway cast, I don't count this one among my special favorites. I don't think I was even aware there was a movie version until I saw it as choice for instant viewing on Netflix. Not having tried the instant download feature before and knowing this was definitely one my husband would not want to watch, I decided to watch it from the discomfort of my own desk. I was pleased with the instant download, but the movie itself was a bit drab. In fact, it was brown. Everything was brown. There was no other colors save for some black and white. I guess that wasn't out of place for the early 70s, but they could have at least used some avocado green or harvest gold.
Cervantes and his faithful servant become prisoners of the Spanish Inquisition (they weren't expecting that). While awaiting their fate in the dungeon, Cervantes tells the other prisoners of his story: Don Quixote de La Mancha, which is acted out with the help of the prisoners. Peter O'Toole plays Cervantes/Don Quixote, James Coco plays Sancho Panza, and Sophia Loren plays Aldonza/Dulcinea. Apparently Peter O'Toole had a voice double, while Sophia Loren did her own singing. I think it would have worked out better the other way around.
Of course the most well-known and memorable song of the movie is considered to be "The Impossible Dream." But this isn't my favorite song. Perhaps inexplicably, my favorite song has always been "I'm Only Thinking of Him." In this song, Don Quixote's niece and housekeeper share their "concerns" about his well-being with their priest. The song is a bit different (and better) in the stage version, but here is the movie version (courtesy of junikid on YouTube):
Unfortunately, I have had this song in my head for 24 hours straight now. Woe-o, Woe-o.
The Schenectady Connection: Since several other movie musicals have mentioned Schenectady, I was expecting a mention in this one, too, but no luck. However, I did see Man of La Mancha at Proctor's Theater in Schenectady a few years back (actually 10 years ago - that can't be right!). And the role of Cervantes/Don Quixote was played by Broadway legend Robert Goulet.
Saturday, February 7, 2009
Flying Down to Rio - 1933
Since, I enjoyed Carefree so much, I decided to watch Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers' first pairing: RKO's 1933 film Flying Down to Rio. In fact, this movie was Fred Astaire's screen debut, although Ginger had many previous film credits to her name. Fred and Ginger were not the stars of this film, though. The action focused on a love triangle between beautiful Dolores del Rio and her Brazilian fiance (Raul Roulien) and an American bandleader/aviator (Gene Raymond). Fred and Ginger provided some lively singing and dancing in the context of the plot.
The movie features two big production numbers. "The Carioca" is Fred and Ginger's first dance together:
Courtesy of RetroArcaicoRex on YouTube.
The big finale features girls "dancing" on the wings of airplanes:
Courtesy of AnnaMayWongSociety on YouTube.
Both of these productions, and the whole movie, are beautiful, glamorous, and even humorous. This was one movie I really wish could have been in color. Although it was spectacular in black and white, I can only imagine how gorgeous the 1930s costumes would have been in color. This must have been a welcome distraction for the nation at the height of the Great Depression.
Astonishingly, this movie, like It's Always Fair Weather, made mention of Schenectady! A Brazilian bandleader told the American band he had played in Ska-neck-teddy!
This DVD, like the one for Carefree, also included some bonuses: a Three Stooges short and a Warner Bros. Merrie Melodies cartoon, "I Like Mountain Music" from 1933 :
Courtesy of ErgoB on YouTube.
I enjoyed this cartoon because it featured characters from magazines in a drugstore coming to life (but be forewarned - it also has the obligatory offensive racial stereotypes).
The movie features two big production numbers. "The Carioca" is Fred and Ginger's first dance together:
Courtesy of RetroArcaicoRex on YouTube.
The big finale features girls "dancing" on the wings of airplanes:
Courtesy of AnnaMayWongSociety on YouTube.
Both of these productions, and the whole movie, are beautiful, glamorous, and even humorous. This was one movie I really wish could have been in color. Although it was spectacular in black and white, I can only imagine how gorgeous the 1930s costumes would have been in color. This must have been a welcome distraction for the nation at the height of the Great Depression.
Astonishingly, this movie, like It's Always Fair Weather, made mention of Schenectady! A Brazilian bandleader told the American band he had played in Ska-neck-teddy!
This DVD, like the one for Carefree, also included some bonuses: a Three Stooges short and a Warner Bros. Merrie Melodies cartoon, "I Like Mountain Music" from 1933 :
Courtesy of ErgoB on YouTube.
I enjoyed this cartoon because it featured characters from magazines in a drugstore coming to life (but be forewarned - it also has the obligatory offensive racial stereotypes).
Sunday, February 1, 2009
Carefree (1938)
I've gotten a bit behind with posting, but the last musical I watched was RKO's 1938 offering Carefree. I was perusing the library's large collection of musicals on DVD and this one was the first I picked up. When I saw that the cover exclaimed "See them do 'The Yam'" I was hooked! I have to admit I haven't seen many of the Astaire-Rogers musicals, but this seemed like a good place to start.
Although this musical only had four numbers and there wasn't much bursting into song, two criticisms I had about In the Good Old Summertime, I loved this movie. Of course the dancing was great and the Astaire-Rogers chemistry was fun to watch (if only his head wasn't shaped so strangely...). Fred plays a psychiatrist who agrees to analyze his friend's girlfriend (Ginger) who doesn't want to get married. Of course, Ginger falls in love with Fred instead. The friend is played by Ralph Bellamy. It was interesting for me to see him as a young man as I've only seen him playing FDR in the Winds of War and War and Remembrance miniseries.
The Irving Berlin score was thoroughly enjoyable. "The Yam" did live up to expectations. In fact, I don't understand why it hasn't become a classic like "White Christmas" and "God Bless America." There seem to be some copyright issues with posting the songs from the movie on-line, but I've found a nice performance by Clodagh Rodgers from a BBC special:
Courtesy of schwint on YouTube.
Any yam today?
The DVD featured a number of bonuses including a fantastic Warner Bros. cartoon, "September in the Rain." (Please note that this contains racial stereotypes prevalent in the 1930s/40s that would be considered offensive today - please don't watch if you think you might be offended.)
Courtesy of grannyfone1 on YouTube.
The DVD also included a short from a 1941 called "Public Jitterbug No. 1" with Betty Hutton. Oddly, there was no jitterbugging at all.
Although this musical only had four numbers and there wasn't much bursting into song, two criticisms I had about In the Good Old Summertime, I loved this movie. Of course the dancing was great and the Astaire-Rogers chemistry was fun to watch (if only his head wasn't shaped so strangely...). Fred plays a psychiatrist who agrees to analyze his friend's girlfriend (Ginger) who doesn't want to get married. Of course, Ginger falls in love with Fred instead. The friend is played by Ralph Bellamy. It was interesting for me to see him as a young man as I've only seen him playing FDR in the Winds of War and War and Remembrance miniseries.
The Irving Berlin score was thoroughly enjoyable. "The Yam" did live up to expectations. In fact, I don't understand why it hasn't become a classic like "White Christmas" and "God Bless America." There seem to be some copyright issues with posting the songs from the movie on-line, but I've found a nice performance by Clodagh Rodgers from a BBC special:
Courtesy of schwint on YouTube.
Any yam today?
The DVD featured a number of bonuses including a fantastic Warner Bros. cartoon, "September in the Rain." (Please note that this contains racial stereotypes prevalent in the 1930s/40s that would be considered offensive today - please don't watch if you think you might be offended.)
Courtesy of grannyfone1 on YouTube.
The DVD also included a short from a 1941 called "Public Jitterbug No. 1" with Betty Hutton. Oddly, there was no jitterbugging at all.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)