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Author Topic: ALL THE NEWS THAT'S FIT TO PRINT  (Read 43867 times)

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bk

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ALL THE NEWS THAT'S FIT TO PRINT
« on: April 07, 2004, 11:38:24 PM »

Well, you've read the notes, you know what is fit and not fit, you know what you've read and therefore you are ready to post about what you've read so what in tarnation are you waiting for?  Let's get some postin' goin' on, shall we?
« Last Edit: April 09, 2004, 12:02:07 AM by bk »
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bk

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Re:ALL THE NEWS THAT'S FIT TO PRINT
« Reply #1 on: April 07, 2004, 11:39:12 PM »

Oops (spoo), I clicked post by mistake.  Oh, well, ignore this until midnight.
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bk

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Re:ALL THE NEWS THAT'S FIT TO PRINT
« Reply #2 on: April 08, 2004, 12:03:43 AM »

Now we're right.  Notes are up and all is well with the world.
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S. Woody White

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Re:ALL THE NEWS THAT'S FIT TO PRINT
« Reply #3 on: April 08, 2004, 12:38:17 AM »

A hangover from yesterday's notes (damn cheap wine):

DR Jose: Being able to throw the letters in any order in the middle of a word and still have it understood might work in most cases, but what happens when the word is quite long?  Like "antidisestablishmentarianism"?

Just making sure the letters are all in there would be trying enough!

(We could say it backwards, "dociousaliexpeisticfragicalirupus," but that would be going too far, don't you think?)
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Jed

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Re:ALL THE NEWS THAT'S FIT TO PRINT
« Reply #4 on: April 08, 2004, 12:43:25 AM »

Indubitably.
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Michael

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Re:ALL THE NEWS THAT'S FIT TO PRINT
« Reply #5 on: April 08, 2004, 04:17:52 AM »

Worst Musical:

Lost Horizon although there a few spngs that I actually like. Thankfully the versions I have seen over the years have excise the majority of the musical numbers.

Brigadoon for me is a bore. They filmed it all on soundstages which for me doesn't work. By the time I first saw it when I was about 16 or so the artificality was apparent and I walked out on it. Also they basically excised the character of Meg because of the Hayes office.

I love the Marx Brothers movies but with the exception of a couple of songs the are painful to watch and listen to.


Some of the infamous disaters I would have loved to have seen Song of Norway, From Justin To Kelly. And then there was I Do Anything that had its 8 songs excised entirely from the film.
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Michael

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Re:ALL THE NEWS THAT'S FIT TO PRINT
« Reply #6 on: April 08, 2004, 04:21:49 AM »

And I am also reminded that I once watch the French dubbed version of How to Succeed in Business.... on TV (in Montreal) and all the musicals numbers were cut out. They jumped from the moment before the song to the moment afterwards.

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elmore3003

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Re:ALL THE NEWS THAT'S FIT TO PRINT
« Reply #7 on: April 08, 2004, 04:59:52 AM »

Good morning, all.  I got my new VCR yesterday, so my equilibrium has been somewhat restored.  I never could remove the dreadful MERRY WIDOW from the recorder, however, but I did get most of "Johnny One Note" finished to complete the first half of this Mickey-Judy show.  One problem I have with the arrangement is that it changes key after the minor section ("Cats and dogs . . .") and goes up a half step, which seems to me to negate the title of the song:  if Johnny's only note is A (key of D) or B-flat (key of E-flat), then doesn't changing the key and therefore Johnny's pitch, make the song "Johnny Two Notes"?   It's these things arrangers pull that drive me mad.  But all in all, a good week.

Worst Film Musicals:

1.  MAN OF LA MANCHA: awful musical arrangements, awful concept.
2.  LOST HORIZON:  it was like watching a major disaster, and you couldn't look away.
3.  BRIGADOON:  love the show and hate almost everything about this movie (except for Gene Kelly), from Irene Scharaff's faux 18th Century dresses with their strange collars to the truncated score to the overall fake look of the film.  One of the points of a fantasy about the past is that the past should have real detail (the two New Yorkers don't know they're out of synch) and this town of Brigadoon is a bad theme park.
4.  ON THE TOWN:  I was never a Jules Munshin fan, so there's strike one, cutting most of the Bernstein score is strike two, and the lush scoring of the acerbic Bernstein remaining is strike three.  I'm out.
5.  HELLO DOLLY!:  La Streisand is too young and so miscast, the film is so overblown, and Irene Scharaff makes sure the other ladies' costumes keep Streisand looking better than Irene and Minnie.  My favorite number is the title song only because at that point Streisand in gold. with the men all in waiters' mufti, suddenly provides a design concept for a musical number lacking throughout the remainder of the film.  

Favorite Bad Musical Film:  
GUYS AND DOLLS:  the sharp edge of a cartoonish "Broadway fable" is missing, I'm not crazy about the new songs, but I love this movie.



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Ben

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Re:ALL THE NEWS THAT'S FIT TO PRINT
« Reply #8 on: April 08, 2004, 05:26:10 AM »

Hmmm, my candidate for worst movie musical has been mentioned before and discussed here by its many fans but I'll go ahead and mention it again. I know I am in a minority but it's how I feel.

I think The Pirate, that Judy Garland, Gene Kelley, Vincente Minnelli fiasco, is one of the worst movie musicals I have ever sat through. I think it is without a doubt the worst score Cole Porter ever wrote Mack the Black makes me laugh. I think it's a course in itself on bad lyric writing ((the line about Caribbean or Caribbean Sea for instance). I LOVE Miss Garland. You will find no bigger defender or fan of her work. But in this sloppy mess, I think she comes off so badly and looks AWFUL. VM did such a masterful job with Judy in MMISL but then to light her that way and let her wear those dreadful costumes and sing that music. What was he thinking??? Everyone talks about Gene Kelly and how sexy he is. I don't see it. I think he's much sexier and much better in Summer Stock. My Dear Anthony loves this movie and finds Mr. Kelly the epitome of sexual energy in this movie. I watched The Pirate once with him because I remember seeing it years and years ago and disliking it. I wanted to see it again, fresh, with someone who really, really enjoys it. Well, it didn't work. I just don't get this movie. All I see is a dark, jumbled, muddled mess. No sex appeal, bad music, a silly story and less than stellar performances by two of the great movie musical legends. Oh, well. As I've stated before, that's all just my humble opinion.

I'll be back later, I hope, with an idea of a favorite bad movie musical
« Last Edit: April 08, 2004, 05:26:56 AM by Ben »
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td

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Re:ALL THE NEWS THAT'S FIT TO PRINT
« Reply #9 on: April 08, 2004, 06:10:37 AM »

TOD by td:

THE APPLE - still, it's mesmerizing.

AT LONG LAST LOVE - it's pretty bad, BUT, when seen as seen on television with less emphasis on Cybil and Burt, it almost works.

MAN OF LA MANCHA - why anyone would want the shrill soundtrack album with those ludicrous arrangements is beyond me, but, still, it's a matter of taste - I can't stand it. Ms. Loren is game, and soemtimes nails the character - more often than not with coffin nails.

CAN'T STOP THE MUSIC - where was the Bounty when Rosie really needed it?  Mickey & Judy meet The Village People; chaos ensues.  Life though, has a funny way of paying things back: recently, I got to *murder* the man who is giving Valerie Perrine her massage during the Y.M.C.A. number. (okay, so he played Christopher Marlowe in a play, and I got to murder Marlowe in Deptford).

MOULIN ROUGE! - of which I am still of two minds.  I still don't like Nicole Kidman's performance (if you can call it that) or Ewan's for that matter, but Leguiziamo, Caroline O'Connor and the others are interesting.  As a whole, I don't think it works.

YENTL - drop the songs, Babs, and you've got a movie.  drop the songs, though, and you have no reason FOR the movie.  Too long, too serious to be truly enjoyable.
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Noel

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Re:ALL THE NEWS THAT'S FIT TO PRINT
« Reply #10 on: April 08, 2004, 06:12:38 AM »

The worst movie musical I've ever witnessed is the much-lauded Moulin Rouge, a French farce that gets no laughs.  At one point, it makes fun of a Bernie Taupin lyric and then, later, we're supposed to take the reprise totally seriously.  Fatal disease as mere plot device.  Cameras not showing the full dance.  One of the greatest comedy songs ever (Diamonds Are a Girl's Best Friend) getting nary a laugh, let alone a smile.

Truth to tell, I love movie musicals so much, it's hard to think of a bad one.  Two "disappointments" that have certain fascinations come to mind.  The original 1930 vintage Good News had too much book, too little singing.  One of my favorite shows, Top Banana, was made into a movie with virtually all its songs cut.  And yet it filmed the original stars (Phil Silvers, Rose Marie) and I was intrigued by the way a run-of-the-mill book played back then.  Oddities, both, not "worsts"

Musicals related question:
I'm interested in examples of movies with characters who are based on Betty Comden and Adolph Green - a platonic couple who write together.  I think The Bandwagon's one.  Others?
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Ben

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Re:ALL THE NEWS THAT'S FIT TO PRINT
« Reply #11 on: April 08, 2004, 06:28:19 AM »

Ah, yes, Can't Stop the Music or I remember it (did Mad Magazine do this title takeoff or am I remembering something else?) You Can't Stop the Mucus (blecch). I remember this came out around the same time as Cruising (the Al Pacino as leather queen movie) and while Cruising got protests and anger, all Nancy Walker (director of Music) got was bad reviews. A musical telling the story of the Village People and treating them as "straight" Again, what where they thinking???

I do enjoy the film version of Sweet Charity. Don't know why, but I always enjoy it when I see it.
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William E. Lurie

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Re:ALL THE NEWS THAT'S FIT TO PRINT
« Reply #12 on: April 08, 2004, 06:35:01 AM »

Mark Your Calendars for December 7
Besides being Pearl Harbor Day, that's the date the Eisner Studios will be releasing a new deluxe DVD of MARY POPPINS.  One extra that will make it a must have is a new scene with Sherman music and a mixture of live action and animation featuring newly filmed material with Julie Andrews and Dick Van Dyke!

* * * * *

Worst musicals ever made: Anything with Nelson Eddy

Worst musical film based on a Broadway musical: A CHORUS LINE

Musical that's so bad it's entertaining: CAN'T STOP THE MUSIC
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Jennifer

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Re:ALL THE NEWS THAT'S FIT TO PRINT
« Reply #13 on: April 08, 2004, 06:41:44 AM »

Re: DR Jose's post where he said you could read any words as long as the first and the last letter were in the right place.

I think like DR Ben said, that would work only for smaller words, and I think also just for more familiar words.  But it was very cool.
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Jennifer

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Re:ALL THE NEWS THAT'S FIT TO PRINT
« Reply #14 on: April 08, 2004, 06:46:36 AM »

Re: last night's American Idol

First before I forget, I believe next week's theme is movies.

I LOVED how the separated the kids into three groups of three.

It was quite easy to predict.  I knew that whatever group George was in was the highest vote getters.  Although I was hoping they were going to say group B (John, Jon Peter, and Fantasia) were the high vote getters (just to see everyone's reaction).

I think it is very interesting that Jennifer Hudson and LaToya (in group C with George), went from the bottom three last week, to the top three this week.

I was quite certain that whatever group Camile was in (group A with Jasmine and Diana) would be the lowest vote getters.

But it is interesting that JPL and John Stevens can seemingly do no wrong.  

The thing that suprises me the most is how Jasmine has fallen from grace.  The very first week the judges said she was the best.  And the message boards were filled with "we love Jasmine".  And now she's been in the bottom 3 twice I believe.

I was also happy I won't have to listen to Camile sing again.  But again I thought Simon was a bit hard on her.  The poor girl looked like she was going to start crying.  And I don't think he needed to make the comments he did.
« Last Edit: April 08, 2004, 06:51:30 AM by Jennifer »
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td

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Re:ALL THE NEWS THAT'S FIT TO PRINT
« Reply #15 on: April 08, 2004, 06:54:39 AM »

I had made a conscious effort to forget all about A CHORUS LINE. Spoo!

Drat and double drat!

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Ben

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Re:ALL THE NEWS THAT'S FIT TO PRINT
« Reply #16 on: April 08, 2004, 06:54:59 AM »

How could I forget A Chorus Line? I remember sitting in the theatre and at one point, for some unknown reason, we find out Zach's address which was something like Lucy and Ricky's address in that it didn't exist but I remember it was someplace on 12th Avenue in Manhattan. I was still in Minneapolis at the time but familiar enough with NY to know that 12th Avenue was basically the West Side Highway and I laughed and laughed at that point. I also laughed at how bad that movie turned out.
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Stuart

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Re:ALL THE NEWS THAT'S FIT TO PRINT
« Reply #18 on: April 08, 2004, 07:16:36 AM »

I have to say I was a little surprised that it took until Post #12 to get to A CHORUS LINE.  It's just horrible!

As is YOU CAN'T STOP THE MUSIC, but this one goes on the guilty pleasures list...must have seen it 3 or 4 times in the theatres when it first came out.  Just too much fun!  And a Greenwich Village that doesn't exist anymore.  On so many levels......
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Stuart

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Re:ALL THE NEWS THAT'S FIT TO PRINT
« Reply #19 on: April 08, 2004, 07:50:53 AM »

Can I ask a question of all of you VOTD soundtrack mavens from yesterday?

I know Margaret Whiting dubbed the fabulous "I'll Plant My Own Tree" for the ST, and someone (I forget who) dubbed Miss Duke's songs.  But tell me, please, who covered the title song for the album.  Is it, as I have long suspected, none other than Miss Dory Previn?
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Stuart

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Re:ALL THE NEWS THAT'S FIT TO PRINT
« Reply #20 on: April 08, 2004, 07:51:54 AM »

I am also surprised that neither MAME nor NIGHT MUSIC have come up as worst movie musicals yet......
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JoseSPiano

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Re:ALL THE NEWS THAT'S FIT TO PRINT
« Reply #21 on: April 08, 2004, 08:01:06 AM »

Good Morning!

Worst Movie Musical: Yes, the "adaptation" of A Chorus Line.

What's even worse, however, are actor/singer/dancers who come into auditions singing either "Surprise" or "I Am A Dancer/Let Me Dance For You".... UGH!!!  My eyebrows always begin to raise when they're put in front of me.  I recently had a very unfortunate run-in with "Surprise"... Not only is it a bad song, imho, but the actor/singer(?) was also bad.  In many ways.  UGH!

Well, matinee in two hours!  Later gators...
« Last Edit: April 08, 2004, 08:02:22 AM by JoseSPiano »
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Matt H.

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Re:ALL THE NEWS THAT'S FIT TO PRINT
« Reply #22 on: April 08, 2004, 08:07:21 AM »

Guilty pleasure bad musical is AT LONG LAST LOVE. I despise Burt Reynolds in this movie - he can't dance a step and the singing is adequate. But as I written before about it, the thing I love is that they do entire versions of the songs. I think it's stupendous that each of the four main characters gets a verse of the title song. One rarely gets to hear all the marvelous lyrics to Porter's songs, and here we get them. I wish the leads had been better, but Madeline Kahn, John Hillerman, and Eileen Brennan make all their moments count. It was a terrible idea to record the songs live. People who aren't primarily singers come off sounding really awful, and even the good singers like Kahn can't be heard and their best.

I taped the movie off the Fox Movie Channel some months ago, and will probably do a DVD of it the next time it comes around.

I LOATHE Ross Hunter's LOST HORIZON. Can't stand any of the songs, and though people like Peter Finch try really hard to make it into something, it's ghastly from the word go.

I, too, would like to see SONG OF NORWAY one day. I've read about how awful it is, but I'd like to see for myself.

Boy, we've got some BIG splits among us with this topic. I love THE PIRATE, and I think Gene Kelly is at his sexiest. No, the score is only a hair above mediocre, but it's serviceable, and I think it's ravishing to look at and a good deal of fun. But different strokes, I guess.

I've never thought MAN OF LA MANCHA was as terrible as others do either. Frankly, I prefer it to CAMELOT. A CHORUS LINE, of course, has to rank as the WORST botched stage-to-film musical.

BK, I believe I COULD GO ON SINGING is in the 2.35:1 aspect ratio. At least, my laserdisc is, and it IS a Panavision movie. If the new DVD is 1.85:1, then it has been reframed, and that will NOT make me happy.
« Last Edit: April 08, 2004, 08:11:17 AM by Matt H. »
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Matt H.

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Re:ALL THE NEWS THAT'S FIT TO PRINT
« Reply #23 on: April 08, 2004, 08:24:07 AM »

DR RLP, about your comment last night that Fantasia was easily the top vote getter in Group B, I'm not so sure. More than thirty minutes into voting, her line was not busy and John Stevens' was. I'm actually thinking he was at the top of that group. Neither Fantasia's nor Jon Peter's lines were busy at all. Of course, with Jon Peter being a Mormon, he may have a greater block of West Coast/Western voters.

I was gratified to see the three people I thought sang the best this week actually got the top three number of votes: LaToya, George, and Jennifer.
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Ron Pulliam

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Re:ALL THE NEWS THAT'S FIT TO PRINT
« Reply #24 on: April 08, 2004, 08:25:34 AM »

I love musicals, period!

I don't buy into the notion that a movie has to be true to its Broadway roots.  Most Broadway shows can use some improvement.  Almost all need to be changed for film.  When they're not changed, they sort of just sit there looking important but generating little excitement (like "My Fair Lady").

Things have gone too far astray, however.   Major disappointments have occurred, like "A Little Night Music" and "A Chorus Line."  

I love movies and I love theater and I love music.  


DR Noel:  I have heard the rumors that there was an audience that just sat there staring at the screen during a showing of "Moulin Rouge."  

I thought it was merely an urban legend.

When I saw it, folks were having a blast and smiling and laughing all through the film.  I love it for its explosive energy and irreverence.  It blows away stereotypes of what to expect, IMO.  But I concede it's a love it or HATE IT film, and I'm always shocked when I learn that people who love music/musicals/theater hated it.  But they are out there in force.

:D
« Last Edit: April 08, 2004, 09:26:40 AM by RLP »
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Jane

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Re:ALL THE NEWS THAT'S FIT TO PRINT
« Reply #25 on: April 08, 2004, 08:39:53 AM »

JoseSPiano the "power of the mind" was interesting.

Penny O is leaving now-must say goodbye then take Echo for a short walk.
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Matt H.

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Re:ALL THE NEWS THAT'S FIT TO PRINT
« Reply #26 on: April 08, 2004, 09:07:24 AM »

BTW, next week on IDOL, the theme is movie songs.
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Ron Pulliam

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Re:ALL THE NEWS THAT'S FIT TO PRINT
« Reply #27 on: April 08, 2004, 09:32:02 AM »

DR RLP, about your comment last night that Fantasia was easily the top vote getter in Group B, I'm not so sure. More than thirty minutes into voting, her line was not busy and John Stevens' was. I'm actually thinking he was at the top of that group. Neither Fantasia's nor Jon Peter's lines were busy at all. Of course, with Jon Peter being a Mormon, he may have a greater block of West Coast/Western voters.I was gratified to see the three people I thought sang the best this week actually got the top three number of votes: LaToya, George, and Jennifer.

DR MattH, I am not at all convinced that calling every line is the "indicator" you make it out to be.  I had all sorts of trouble getting through on Fantasia's line, yet had no difficulty at all calling for LaToya and Jennifer.  Rang first time and answered.  

JPL took several tries before I got answered.

I don't call the lines of folks I think ought to go....hence John Stephens got NO vote from me, thank goodness!

I did call and vote for Jasmine.  Got through first time on her line, too.  
« Last Edit: April 08, 2004, 09:33:26 AM by RLP »
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Jennifer

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Re:ALL THE NEWS THAT'S FIT TO PRINT
« Reply #28 on: April 08, 2004, 09:35:02 AM »

Hey we are almost on page two!
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bk

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Re:ALL THE NEWS THAT'S FIT TO PRINT
« Reply #29 on: April 08, 2004, 09:49:05 AM »

MattH, I didn't say Singing was in 1:85, I said Man of La Mancha is - which is correct.  Singing is in 2:35 and will be presented that way on the DVD.
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