The Amazing Technicolor Musicals

[janetcatbird]

This past weekend I watched the "American Masters" episode about Gene Kelly on PBS. Wow--lots of great clips sent me scurrying to the TCM schedule. I love watching dance numbers, probably because I have no skills my own self. And he was amazing. (Thing is, I really don't get that whipped up about the title song from "Singin' In The Rain". It's the other stuff that leaves me stunned.) So, yeah, I now have about 17 films added to my must-watch wish list.


--Catbird

[NikkiGreen]

I purchased the DVD version of "Singin' in the Rain" long before I even had a DVD player! ;D

Movie Central showed "RENT" last week. I thought that it was amazing. The title track was going through my head earlier today.

[janetcatbird]

On An Island With You--Esther Williams flick which also has Peter Lawford, Jimmy Durante, Cyd Charisse and Ricardo Montalban. Not a great film, but Ricardo Montalban and Cyd Charisse had some neat dances together. (I mean, Khan wasn't Gene Kelly but he could hold his own.) Lots of the Latin-type pauses, and a lot of twirling/arms interlocking that they had to twist themselves out of. Quite fun to watch, although I ignored the water segments. And Peter Lawford is just a little too Ashley Wilkes for my taste.

ETA: Damn Yankees I watched it for a paper in my Culture of Baseball class. Have to admit I was disappointed in the story and the music. But there were a couple fun moments (despite my family rolling their eyes and moaning, but they did respond to "Marvin! Edith!"), and I was quite impressed with Gwen Verdon. Mama had only seen her as Magnum's mother so I think she got a kick out of seeing her real work. Plus, watching her and Fosse together for "Who's Got the Pain in the Mambo?" was just--wow.

--Catbird

[untitled]

I can enjoy a musical - but I like to mush my brain on them but I hate those Opera Musicals (not sure what their called) the ones where they sing all of the diologue. Gota thing for Julie Andrew flicks, the majority of my (tiny) musical collection consists of her flicks.

The Fayevorites...

1. "The Sound of Music" is my fayevorite flick of all time, been obsessed with it twice and own 6 copies. Never understood why they show it near Christmas time in the U.S. Oh yeah...and I kind of started fanfiction for this fandom.
2. "Victor/Victoria on Broadway" - Love gender bender flicks! And the play is ten times better than the film.
3. "Chicago" - I'd rate this 4 stars. Dislike Zellweigger very much though.

[janetcatbird]

1776, based on the Broadway stage musical about the buildup to the Declaration of Independance. I was curious and it was on TCM Monday night as part of their "Congress" theme*.

Some great moments and quotes, and my understanding is it's pretty accurate. Howard Da Silva was just terrific as Ben Franklin, but most of the cast was quite good as well. (It is a male-dominated piece, the only women were Abigail Adams in fantasy/letter sequences, and Martha Jefferson as a moony swoony newlywed.)

However, the whole "American History musical" smacks of Schoolhouse Rock for grown-ups. The music is hit and miss, a couple of hummable tunes ("But Mr. Adams", "He Plays the Violin") but they generally come across as awkward recitative. However, "Momma Look Sharp" (the reflections of a dying soldier as sung by a surviving friend) is very moving. "Molasses to Rum" (the slavery trade song, sung by a rep from South Carolina) is ominous and powerfully disturbing, if terribly awkward for a musical.

--Catbird

* How sad is it that during the "Coming Up" ads, when it came to Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, the voiceover said "Jimmy Stewart treats his congressional pages with the utmost decency and absolute morality." Aaaaack!! No, no no, wrong!!

[Patcat]

1776 gets a lot of things right. Thomas Jefferson went home to Virginia to write the Declaration of Independence, but everything else is mostly true. Much of the show is based on John and Abigail Adams' correspondence.

Patcat

[untitled]

anybody see anything of Mandy Patinkin's? I've only seen him in "Dead Like Me" (which by the way is a kick ass show that never should have been cancled) but haven't seen any of his musicals?

[Patcat]

There's a wonderful DVD of SUNDAY IN THE PARK WITH GEORGE. It's a filmed version of the play, and you're not going to see anything much better than Mandy Patinkin performing Stephen Sondheim. The commentary on the disc is wonderful to, with Mr. Patinkin taking the role of the host to Bernadette Peters, Stephen Sondheim, and the director/writer James Lapine.

Mandy Patinkin can be hammy and over the top, but he totally commits to everything he does. I saw him in performance with his one man show, and he was terrific.

Patcat

[janetcatbird]

Just finished The Fantasticks, a 1995 film treatment of the classic off-Broadway musical. I havne't seen the staging of the show, just heard the music and read the libretto. So they changed a bit for the film which was, uhm, interesting.

El Gallo is not a freelance swashbuckler, he is part of a travelling carnival show, so all the "fantasy", rescue, "Round and Round" type sequences can take place in the smoke and mirrors of the tent. Different, but it had potential. Joel Grey was terrific as Luisa's father, you could see the performer in him but believable as a milquetoast father--still a good dancer. Luisa and Matt were a bit old and didn't quite feel right in the roles, but those are tricky to pull off. At least Luisa sang well, and Matt tried (bless his heart). El Gallo also wasn't too impressive as a singer, but he had the attitude right. They also changed "It Depends on What You Pay/The Rape Song" to a "Theatrical Abductions," which keeps you from squirming but it just doesn't feel right.

They had to piddle with the setting to work for film--two farms in the middle of nowhere, vaguely periodish, I'd guess thirties or so--but they still kept tongue-in-cheek. (Matt's father: "I wish people would stop singing in my cornfield!" Plus, the "Abductions" song mentioned a harp and piano which I took to be a shout-out to the stage.) Luisa especially gave off a vibe of Dorothy in Kansas, I kept looking for a little yappy dog and could not stop myself from yelling "It's a twister! It's a twister!" during a thunderstorm. Really must be one of those shows you have to see on stage, but at least this was something.

And this spring my Musical Theatre class was great. Read a script, discuss in class, listen to clips. Yay! We hit a lot of biggies, learned about the history involved, stuff like that. I for one quite enjoyed it, although I still can't stand Oklahoma! (even if my latest Daily Show monkey man did play in it on stage, sorry Aasif) and I'm not too crazy about Rent. I know, bad musicals fan, but sue me.

--Catbird

[madger]

I saw the Fantastiks at the Sullivan Theater, just before it closed. It was a small intimate theater, you were practically sitting in the actors' laps. I can't imagine how they thought they could make a movie of this, the whole point is the stripped down intimacy of the play. And there will never be a Gallo like Jerry Orbach, my Mom got to see him in it when it opened, lucky girl.

[untitled]

janetcatbird said:

Joel Grey was terrific as Luisa's father, you could see the performer in him but believable as a milquetoast father--still a good dancer.

- He's awesome! I've seen him in bits and pieces of "Cabaret", "Dancer in the Dark", Voyager and of course CI.

[LOCIfan]

janetcatbird said:

By the way, there is nothing that will drive a classical-studies major crazier than silly adaptations. Case in point, my roommate. I kept telling her about Seven Brides for Seven Brothers, and finally got her to watch the "Sobbin' Women" number. As a student of the Greeks and Romans, there was much eye-rolling and groaning, but I think she was amused. I don't know why I love that musical so much, the feminist in me should be screamingly indignant. But it's just so silly, and they don't mean harm. Good dancing, and I like the music. Howard Keel was impressive, as was Jane Powell, and I've always had a soft spot for Russ Tamblyn.

Catbird, many a doctoral film thesis has been written about Seven Brides for Seven Brothers. There are lots and lots of scholarly critiques written about that film, some of which describe it as a powerful argument in favor of the necessity of rape in modern culture (no joke!). So, you're not alone in your ambivalent feelings for this film. Lots and lots of ink has been spilled on what it's all about!