Topic: THE IRONY DEPARTMENT (Read 28314 times)

elmore3003 · « **Reply #90 on:** July 12, 2005, 11:48:17 AM »

Quote from: JoseSPiano on July 12, 2005, 11:31:43 AM

Good Afternoon!

...Just popping in while they're reading some people. -There's wireless here in the theatre building!

So far, so good. More or less. However...

It's amazing how some actors sing the same songs... and make the same mistakes - notes and otherwise - year after year after year...

$:-\$

DRJose, are you going to go to the National Archive for a 1903 BABES IN TOYLAND program for moi?

Stuart · « **Reply #91 on:** July 12, 2005, 11:49:37 AM »

Quote from: Rodzinski on July 12, 2005, 11:03:30 AM

Michel Legrand's A MATTER OF INNOCENCE soundtrack featuring Matt Monro is currently available for download here, I just discovered.

http://www.spacedebris.blogspot.com/

I always really liked Matt Monro's voice, and was always surprised he didn't have more of a career in the States. I own none of his albums, but when WNEW-AM (before it got Disney-fied) would play his stuff, I always thought that I should pick up something of his. But never did.

JoseSPiano · « **Reply #92 on:** July 12, 2005, 11:50:51 AM »

Yet another break since we're running ahead of schedule...

Happy Birthday, DR Cillaliz!!

JoseSPiano · « **Reply #93 on:** July 12, 2005, 11:54:06 AM »

Quote from: elmore3003 on July 12, 2005, 11:48:17 AM

DRJose, are you going to go to the National Archive for a 1903 BABES IN TOYLAND program for moi?

I stopped by there on the way in... And the kind lady who helped me could not help me. The collection is currently in transit(ion) to some new storage space at the University of Maryland - along with the DC Theatre Video Archives. So... She gave me a name of someone else to check with, and I'll see how that lead pans out. However...

If you give a call to DC's Martin Luther King, Jr., Library branch, they may have a copy of the program there in their music/arts archives.

JoseSPiano · « **Reply #94 on:** July 12, 2005, 11:55:51 AM »

DR Jrand - Now tell us what you really think of Maltby & Shire.

JoseSPiano · « **Reply #95 on:** July 12, 2005, 11:56:09 AM »

OK - Back to auditions...

Laters...

MBarnum · « **Reply #96 on:** July 12, 2005, 12:08:50 PM »

That is right DR TPunk, Kevin Hagen passed away Saturday in Grants Pass, Oregon, just up I-5 a few miles from where DR Jane and DH Keith live, in fact.

My mother's friend saw Mr. Hagen at her doctors office a few weeks back and said he looked pretty bad...evidently he moved back to Oregon after he retired (he spent much of his youth here).

Jrand74 · « **Reply #97 on:** July 12, 2005, 12:14:29 PM »

Mr Kevin Hagen was also one of the stars of BRACKEN'S WORLD which featured Miss Eleanor Parker for one season....

Jrand74 · « **Reply #98 on:** July 12, 2005, 12:15:03 PM »

Quote from: JoseSPiano on July 12, 2005, 11:56:09 AM

OK - Back to auditions...

Laters...

Are there any songs you are tired of hearing yet, DRJOSE? Are there any NEW selections this year?

bk · « **Reply #99 on:** July 12, 2005, 12:19:12 PM »

Dated Ralph Burns orchestrations. Whoever said that should be run out of town on a rail - how stupid can you get. While there may be orchestrations that sound dated, Burns' Sweet Charity would not be one of them. It's brilliant.

Rodzinski, what a great find - I was almost gonna go find the LP to transfer. It's a bit scratchy, that download, but how easy that is to just stick the whole thing in iTunes and burn a CD. Any other places for soundtracks that aren't on CD?

Jrand74 · « **Reply #100 on:** July 12, 2005, 12:23:44 PM »

Yes the internet is a wonderful place for discovery.

Jrand74 · « **Reply #101 on:** July 12, 2005, 12:24:01 PM »

It is very rainy here and more rain and thunderstorms predicted for the next four days.

JMK · « **Reply #102 on:** July 12, 2005, 12:33:46 PM »

Quote from: JRand54 on July 12, 2005, 12:14:29 PM

Mr Kevin Hagen was also one of the stars of BRACKEN'S WORLD which featured Miss Eleanor Parker for one season....

Scary synchronicity alert: I was just talking about Bracken's World with DS Betsy yesterday. (Cue Twilight Zone theme). I still remember Peter Haskell and Madlyn Rhue. And yet I can barely remember what I did this morning.

steveg · « **Reply #103 on:** July 12, 2005, 12:34:12 PM »

Winning yesterday's trivia was certainly a surprise as I have been very errant and truant from this site for quite some time.

My favorite Maltby and Shire song is "Starting Here, Starting Now." On the eve of my wedding almost 34 years ago, I wrote the lyrics out and had my father-in-law-to-be deliver an envelope with the lyric sheet to my wife-to-be. She and I were both were very familiar with the song and I felt the lyrics were very appropriate for a then young couple about to start our lives together. My wife's matron-of-honor saw it and thought that I had written it myself - I only wish! I don't remember whether my wife straightened her out or not. Our daughter got married just last week on the 3rd, and I thought about asking the band play the song for sentiment's sake, but I didn't think too many people would recognize it. I'm somewhat sorry now that I didn't.

JoseSPiano · « **Reply #104 on:** July 12, 2005, 12:42:07 PM »

Another break for me while they're reading actors... They sing, they read, they sing, they read... you get the picture...

DR JRand - As for songs I'm sick off hearing so far... Well, since we're only hearing about five or six people an hour - it's an Equity call - I really haven't played that many songs/auditions, so...

However, in NYC right now, the word on the street is that audition sessions are sounding like the Wicked vocal selections LIVE.

$:-\$

Jrand74 · « **Reply #105 on:** July 12, 2005, 12:48:46 PM »

Oh my -

well off to a brushup rehearsal - taping session with PIPPIN in the background.

Charles Pogue · « **Reply #106 on:** July 12, 2005, 12:49:32 PM »

The great Frances Langford passed away at 92. Not only a wonderful singer, but will always be remembered as Blanche Bickerson in The Bickerson radio drama with Don Ameche. I also learned from her obit that she was married for awhile to Jon Hall.

JoseSPiano · « **Reply #107 on:** July 12, 2005, 12:51:48 PM »

As for Maltby & Shire songs...

DR Matthew - I, too, like big. And as I've mentioned on here before, that show has a special place in my heart since the original Young Josh, Patrick Levis, was a student of mine. But there are some great numbers in the show, with my favorites being "I Wanna Go Home", "Stop, Time" and "Now I Want To Know". *And I was soooo glad to hear that Mssrs. Maltby & Shire have "reverted" back to the original - at least close to it - after the horrible - imho - tour version that had NO kids!?!?!?! (except for Young Josh and his friend).

Baby is also a sentimental favorite of mine. I played for a wonderful community theatre production of it when I was 17. And it was shortly after that production when I came out (of the closet) due in no small part to the wonderful men/role models/friends I had the pleasure of working with during that time. "I Chose Right" still makes me cry.

Other M&S songs:
"I Think I May Want To Remember Today" - And, boy, do I love playing that one! Of course, if the piano sucks.... UGH!
"I Don't Remember Christmas"
"It's Never That Easy"/"I've Been Here Before"
"Father of Fathers"

JoseSPiano · « **Reply #108 on:** July 12, 2005, 12:52:53 PM »

As for Coleman and Leigh - I'll have to say DITTO for now...

Back to some more playing...

Stuart · « **Reply #109 on:** July 12, 2005, 12:59:21 PM »

Quote from: JoseSPiano on July 12, 2005, 12:51:48 PM

"I Chose Right" still makes me cry.

"It's Never That Easy"/"I've Been Here Before"

Ditto,

and

That;s the name of it!

Rodzinski · « **Reply #110 on:** July 12, 2005, 12:59:38 PM »

http://www.basichip.com/digitalgold/digitalgold.htm

I think I've mentioned that one before. This guy packages a lot of obscure TV/movie soundtracks on DVD with cover art included and sends it to you for $12 per dvd.

There are other free downloads to be had. But you gotta happen across them because people tend not to leave them up long.

Matt H. · « **Reply #111 on:** July 12, 2005, 01:07:08 PM »

Had a wonderful time this afternoon watching more MONK episodes from Season 2. Just finished the one with Monk playing a roughneck with a Southern accent. It's laugh-out-loud funny. Tony Shahloub is superb in this part. I'm hoping he cops another Emmy nomination on Thursday morning when the Emmy nominations are announced.

Matt H. · « **Reply #112 on:** July 12, 2005, 01:08:11 PM »

I had to interrupt my MONK viewing for a few minutes to drive an insurance premium to the post office. It's due on Friday. [gulp]

Matt H. · « **Reply #113 on:** July 12, 2005, 01:09:36 PM »

I've never been big into 'big,' but I need to take the script that was published in one of Max Preeo's old SHOW MUSIC magazines and play the cast recording along with it.

Is the script there the revised one that the national tour used, or is it the Broadway version? Does anyone know?

Ron Pulliam · « **Reply #114 on:** July 12, 2005, 01:11:13 PM »

My favorite Shire/Maltby song: "Only When I Laugh"

Matt H. · « **Reply #115 on:** July 12, 2005, 01:11:33 PM »

And I still haven't gotten around to Sunday night's SIX FEET UNDER episode. I should be able to watch it tonight since I don't have anything else I want to watch, at least until 10 p.m. (when both RESCUE ME and DR Ron's favorite show EMPIRE come on).

JoseSPiano · « **Reply #116 on:** July 12, 2005, 01:28:33 PM »

More people reading...

Well... After the couple of people we've had so far today, I was hoping that I could say that the DC talent pool - music theatre-wise - has gotten better over the years... Ah, well...

JoseSPiano · « **Reply #117 on:** July 12, 2005, 01:31:13 PM »

Quote from: Matt H. on July 12, 2005, 01:09:36 PM

I've never been big into 'big,' but I need to take the script that was published in one of Max Preeo's old SHOW MUSIC magazines and play the cast recording along with it.

Is the script there the revised one that the national tour used, or is it the Broadway version? Does anyone know?

I think the version of big in Show Music was closer to the original Broadway version than the tour.

There was also that behind the scenes book, "Making it big", that was published. A nice read.

JoseSPiano · « **Reply #118 on:** July 12, 2005, 01:37:03 PM »

The one song in big that I did not like - at least in the licensed version (at the time) that I did - is "Say Good Morning To Mom". Yes, it would have been nice to give Mrs. Baskin a solo in Act One, but it's really not that great a song. It was reinstated in the tour mainly to give the Mom more to do - and since they cut most of the kids for the tour they needed more "filler". I actually talked with Barbara Walsh about the whole process of the song being cut during previews/tryout. After being promised time and again by Mike Ockrent that the song would stay, she showed up one day, and when they listed the new cuts and edits, her act one song was one of the casualties. Needless to say, she was heartbroken, but at least she got "Stop, Time".

-Oh, the other number from the tour version which I did not like at all was "My Secretary's In Love". I much prefer the number that was in that spot originally, "Here We Go Again".

-Oh, and then there was the duet, "Big Boys", between Young Josh and his sidekick. We ended up cutting it.

I guess I didn't like any of the songs that were reinstated (from the Detroit tryout) for the tour.

Matt H. · « **Reply #119 on:** July 12, 2005, 01:37:50 PM »

Yes, I remember that book about the making of 'big.' I've always thought it would be interesting to read. Oftentimes the road to producing a flop is more interesting than a hit, especially since when it's obvious things aren't working, the personnel involved put their whole hearts and souls into it, and the aftermath is usually pretty devastating to read.

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Author Topic: THE IRONY DEPARTMENT (Read 28314 times)

MBarnum