Well, dear readers, it’s the weekend once again, specifically Saturday and specifically she of the Evil Eye will be here soon so I must specifically write these here notes faster than a speeding bullet. I must make them more powerful than a locomotive. I must make them able to leap tall buildings in a single bound. What am I, Superman all of a sudden? Yesterday, I caught up on my writing (yes, Virginia, once again “up” was on my writing – I had to whup “up” to a frazzle), and I believe, other than writing a mere page today, I can take the rest of the weekend off; unless inspiration strikes me. What I ever did to inspiration that I deserve striking I have no clew. I also got a lovely item in the mail yesterday, a little purchase which winged its way from a little bookstore in Paris, France – a first edition of Les Dimanches de Ville d’Avray. I’ve always wanted a first edition of this book, even though I don’t understand much French (and the book has never been translated), because I love to have books that have been turned into favorite movies of mine. This particular book, whose title translates roughly to Sundays in the Ville d’Avray, was made into a wonderful motion picture entertainment entitled Sundays and Cybele. I also recently got a rare edition of Les Yeux Sans Visage (Eyes without a Face), also from France. I did several errands and then I just relaxed and watched some DVDs in the evening.
But first, I must tell you my thoughts on Broadway: The American Musical. I watched all six episodes and most of the supplements. Let me preface my comments by saying that anything that teaches anyone anything about musical theater is fine by me. However, this program did not do it for me. I thought it was poorly put together (I don’t mean in terms of slickness – slick it was), poorly conceived, with absolutely no point of view. That, to me, is the deadliest type of non-fiction programming. I don’t know who the director of this show is, but a cursory glance at his handful of credits shows nothing that would lead you to believe he has any special interest in the musical theater. But if he’s going to have the temerity to take a “A film by” possessory credit, he damn well better have a point of view or some style or something. This show just ambles along, herky-jerky, from one subject to another. Sure, there are some marvelous clips along the way, but it’s not enough. In the first three episodes, the director has filmed “recreations” and inserted them all over the place – so, alongside the archival clips we get these “Chicago”-like (in other words, Fosse-like shots of dancers and theater interiors) which are totally meaningless. I understand the lack of clips available for the early years, but there are plenty of stills to be found. I also hated the use of the clips from movie versions of shows. Again, I understand why on the earlier stuff, but not on things like The Music Man or West Side Story. I just didn’t understand the form of it – why spend so much time on Bert Williams (endless) and ignore so many other things of that era? In the final two volumes, it’s mostly just Sondheim and Disney, along with Cameron Mackintosh. There are so many glaring omissions, it’s simply unforgivable. Certain people are allowed to go on ad nauseum, while other major contributors to musical theater and their shows go completely unmentioned (some of them are mentioned in the extras – the bits that didn’t get used). I totally understand the time constraint – approximately fifty-three minutes per episode, but I come from this world and the one thing you learn quickly is how to maximize sound bites and make things concise, so you can squeeze in as much as possible. I mean, how can you have Tommy Tune interviewed many times throughout the episodes and never, not once, mention a Tommy Tune-directed or performed show? I’m sorry, that’s just stupid. How can you dismiss a show like Gypsy in one line when it is one of the greatest, most beloved and most-revived shows in the history of the musical theater? How do you not mention Annie and Dreamgirls, two huge hits of the seventies? How can you not once mention the likes of Jule Styne or Cy Coleman and heaven-know-how-many-other wonderful and well-known artistes of the musical theater? And there is nothing, not one single thing, that is actually critical – everything’s coming up roses in this show, including the corporatization of Broadway. That’s just a wonderful thing, according to this program. It’s a six hour puff piece and I found it a bloody bore. There are many interesting things in the extras – good anecdotes from various people. But the occasional time when you can hear the director asking questions it was clear, to me at least, he wasn’t asking the right questions. There were so many more people they could have interviewed, but instead we’ve got to watch ten or more minutes devoted entirely to Wicked. Wicked, good though it may be, is not the history of the musical theater, nor the history of this decade even. This is a show that could have been wonderful had it had people who had thought it out better. There’s obviously no way to do a definitive show, but you can at least do one that’s not syrupy and simple-minded. I understand that they were trying to appeal to the masses, but when you try to appeal to a mass of anything you get pablum. The show looks and sounds fine, and despite my strong criticisms of it, I’d still recommend it to anyone with a passing interest in musicals. I haven’t seen Broadway, The Golden Age, but I understand its filmmaker does have a point of view and a real passion and real knowledge for what he’s doing, which, I’m sorry to say, seems to be more than the filmmaker of Broadway: The American Musical has. Real passion and real knowledge: It makes all the difference in the world.
These are short notes? That’s the longest fershluganah paragraph I’ve ever seen. Well, why don’t we all click on the Unseemly Button below because I’ve got to finish these notes faster than a speeding bullet, don’t you know.
Have I mentioned that she of the Evil Eye is coming over and I must complete these here notes faster than a speeding bullet? Yesterday, I also picked up more Jerry Lewis DVDs (I’m only lacking three now), and as soon as I get through a couple I’ll offer my thoughts on the matter.
Don’t forget, Donald will have a brand new radio show up for you tomorrow, so be sure to check it out.
Well, dear readers, I must take the day, I must do the things I do, I must go hither and thither and perhaps, oh, yes, perhaps, even yon. I must see if I can find a dinner companion for this evening, for I have it in my head that a nice dinner is in order. I shall let you know what transpires. Today’s topic of discussion: If you were asked to pick your ten favorite musicals (not necessarily the best musicals, just your faves), and your ten favorite musical theater composer/lyricists (not necessarily the best, just your faves) what and who would they be? And then tell us who, in your opinion (IYO, in Internet lingo), is the most overrated composer/lyricist, and what, IYO, is the single most overrated musical? Let’s have loads of lovely postings, shall we, as I hie myself out of here faster than a speeding bullet.