Topic: THE LATE SHOW (Read 28506 times)

bk · « **on:** May 22, 2004, 01:12:34 AM »

Well, you've read the notes, hopefully the notes were coherent as I could barely keep my eyes open whilst writing them, and hopefully you will now post to beat the band. We must always beat the band - they like it, you know.

bk · « **Reply #1 on:** May 22, 2004, 01:17:31 AM »

Thank you all for your beautiful postings - you really kept the home fries burning!

Noel · « **Reply #2 on:** May 22, 2004, 01:25:32 AM »

I wanted to thank Jose for his fine thoughts yesterday. Of course, I'm more outraged by IATSE than the musicians - but, of course, if that IF is true, it's the latter who can change the sound of a show.

I'm not seeing the notes yet.

But I think I'm the first post.

Jrand74 · « **Reply #3 on:** May 22, 2004, 02:25:26 AM »

I never thought I would hear a lovelier version of "The Beeze and I" than that of Miss Jeannette MacDonald, until I heard Miss Caterina Valente sing it. I remember THE ENTERTAINERS well, and in fact I think that is the television show that caused Miss Carol Burnett to drop out of FADE OUT FADE IN and we all know how that turned out. And wasn't Mr BK singing "The Beeze and I" earlier this year? What a difference a consonant makes!

I saw "Trembling Before G-d" and it was thought provoking. So many documentaries teach us things about lives and experiences we know nothing about. All of the documentaries we talked about last week showed me how much catching up I have to do.

I am glad you had a good time at TMM, Mr BK. I hope to see it when it comes to Indy early next year, because it is one of my favorite movies, and I like the Cast CD. I am only sorry Miss Julianna will not be in it then. After reading her journal, I feel as though I know her!

As to the young people embracing a musical....I don't have an answer, but I have an idea.

It is comforting and empowering to be part of a larger group. We are all searching for an indentity, and if we are not sure of ourselves (and teens are even less sure of themselves than we insecure adults are) how wonderful to identify as part of a larger group. And if we are indentified with something successful, then perhaps some of that success will rub off on us. We can be indentified with a show, a performer, or even a composer. And we can be indentified with all that goes along with that person or thing. I think it is a desire to belong - to be indentified with something outside themselves - and TMM is as good a choice as anything. And because TMM is accepted....then I can be accepted, too, no matter how strange or lonely or different the rest of my life is.

Or maybe they are hot for someone else who likes the show.

Are there any other song titles that would be different with a missing or changed consonant?

I submit:

"Hernando's Bideway" and "Petting to Know You."

Jrand74 · « **Reply #4 on:** May 22, 2004, 04:17:27 AM »

MATTH why are we up so early?

Matt H. · « **Reply #5 on:** May 22, 2004, 04:21:39 AM »

I don't see the new notes either, but I'll write a post anyway.

I, too, am not the least religious but I found TREMBLING BEFORE G-D a harrowing experience, and while my heart went out to so many who were undoubtedly suffering trying to validate their inner feelings of sexuality with their feelings of spirituality. I am thankful I have no such struggles. When one is secure with the knowledge that he was born a certain way through no fault of his own or anyone around him, there doesn't seem to be much to ponder in those regards. I feel really sorry for those whose beliefs aren't so easily managed.

Matt H. · « **Reply #6 on:** May 22, 2004, 04:26:29 AM »

I'm in 1961 now in the Noel Coward Diaries, and he's busy writing SAIL AWAY with Elaine Stritch in mind for Mimi. Funny how as he was writing the iritial treatment of it, he wanted Rosalind Russell, and when she declined due to film commitments, he began persuing Kay Thompson who loved the material but had a phobia about appearing on Broadway. Elaine Stritch was an afterthought, and he was bothered when he found out she was in therapy. After pages and pages of detailing his uncomfortable dealings with Vivien Leigh who at this stage of her career was battling mental depressions and breakdowns almost monthly (they were old, dear friends), it was obvious he didn't want a leading lady he was going to have to coddle or gingerly handle to get a performance out of her. Can't wait to read more about the development of the play and its road rewrite which altered what he was so satisfied with so thoroughly.

Matt H. · « **Reply #7 on:** May 22, 2004, 04:28:28 AM »

I only could sleep 6 hours in my muggy, humidity-ridden house. It's cooler outside than inside, so I have all the doors and windows flung open with funs running on high like mad.

Matt H. · « **Reply #8 on:** May 22, 2004, 04:30:09 AM »

I remember what a shock the failure of THE ENTERTAINERS was for all concerned and especially for CBS who were sure they had a winner.

Show business must be the most unpredictable business ever.

Jrand74 · « **Reply #9 on:** May 22, 2004, 04:31:23 AM »

Oh DRMATTH after reading your description of the Noel Coward Diaries I ordered them last week and hopefully I will get them today or tomorrow.

I could read the notes today!

Jrand74 · « **Reply #10 on:** May 22, 2004, 04:38:55 AM »

Jason what Tony column were you talking about yesterday?

elmore3003 · « **Reply #11 on:** May 22, 2004, 05:01:23 AM »

I see this morning that a $200,000 film entitled TARNATION is a huge success in Cannes. Hopefully, this may provide an answer to "where in-"!

Much as I admire the late great Margaret Mead, I never came of age in Samoa or anywhere else I can think of, and I can offer no insights into the TOD. Since I am not a great fan of the musical THOROUGHLY MODERN MILLIE, which I found inferior to a stylish but disorganized film, I can only hope that if this trend continues to revisit a show many times that their tastes improve.

Matt H. · « **Reply #12 on:** May 22, 2004, 05:18:07 AM »

I finally got today's notes to show up hitting the refresh button. I kept getting the Leslie Parrish notes (who also makes a cameo appearance in today's notes).

At any rate, I have no answer for the topic of the day, but it is definitely a trend that I first noticed with THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA.

When I first got the internet/World Wide Web, I used to participate in the Playbill chat room, and all the teenagers there wanted to talk about was THE PHANTOM. They had no knowledge of the great Broadway past, and when I'd bring up wonderful shows of the decades prior to PHANTOM, I'd be met with stony silence. Years later at another theater site, it was all RENT, all the time. As I wasn't a fan of either PHANTOM or RENT, my conversations were one sided. Occasionally I'd find a kindred spirit who knew something more than Andrew Lloyd Webber and we'd carry on almost to ourselves, but finally I just stopped going to those sites. They weren't very edifying.

Matt H. · « **Reply #13 on:** May 22, 2004, 06:01:54 AM »

Best DVD news I've read this morning while scouring the internet:

Coming from Paramount on 8/31 - COME BACK LITTLE SHEBA.

Coming the next week (9/7) - MURDER ON THE ORIENT EXPRESS.

I couldn't be more thrilled especially about ORIENT EXPRESS.

Jay · « **Reply #14 on:** May 22, 2004, 06:36:00 AM »

A comment re one of my posts last night:

It's "The Breeze and I." Not "The Wind and I."

And do I feel foolish!

Jay · « **Reply #15 on:** May 22, 2004, 06:37:29 AM »

And yes, Dear Reader Panni, I did see Trembling Before G-d, and was quite moved by it. In fact, I am proud to say that my synagogue provided some financial support to the filmmaker and is acknowledged in the credits.

Jay · « **Reply #16 on:** May 22, 2004, 06:42:41 AM »

On the topic o' the day:

I've said this before: whether or not Millie, Rent, Phantom or Mamma Mia! are to your taste, if they pull in the young crowd (repeatedly or not), I say hooray!

Those young audience members are experiencing the magic of live performance. And if they get into the habit of attending live performance when they are young, then they become the mature audience members at live performance tomorrow.

Who's going to quibble with that?

Panni · « **Reply #17 on:** May 22, 2004, 06:44:07 AM »

Good Morning! TOD... I have no idea why teenagers have embraced musicals (BTW - I really liked JR's theory). In fact, I didn't realize they had, as I haven't seen many musicals in the last few years. But, no matter how over-eager or obnoxiously vociferous they are, I'm glad they're there. It's important to get younger people back to the theater. And with prices the way they are, it's a small miracle they're in the audience at all! (It's a small miracle ANYBODY'S in the audience.)

Panni · « **Reply #18 on:** May 22, 2004, 06:48:58 AM »

Looks like Jay and I were posting basically the same thought at the same time.

Elmore - Re the movie TARNATION, there was a diary from Cannes of the young director/writer in yesterday's LA Times and it was excellent. 6 months ago he's a waiter and suddenly he's getting a standing O at Cannes! The film sounds good - I want to see it.

Danise · « **Reply #19 on:** May 22, 2004, 07:24:17 AM »

Morning all!

Sorry I didn't make it back to post again last night. I have a very, very, very, very busy day and today isn't going to be any easier.

I didn't count on the new cell phone causing so much trouble in that I had already given my old cell phone number to a people and I had to send out e-mails and notices about the new number!

I think it's a little small. I can't read it without my reading glasses (don't know why I didn't notice that when I bought the thing) but I had a hard time getting some (not all of) my information programed into it.

I went with a different pay as you go carrier--I was with Trakphone but now I'm with Virgin Moble. It's supost to be cheeper. .25 a minute for the first ten minutes of the day then .10 for every minute of the day thereafter.

It doesn't matter where I call in the US. The only thing I have to remember is that when I am out of the 813 area, I have to dial the area code for where ever I am first. Other than that, there are no roaming codes to remember.

It has a bunch of fancy features but I bet I won't use half of them. Text messaging, voice activated calling and voice mail to name a few.

We'll give it a try this week but if I don't like it, I'm going to take it back.

I wanted to say yesterday about the topic of the day--My heart belongs to my daddy. Yes, I am a daddys girl. I can honestly say that as much as I like Michael Aday/Ball/Crawford, I don't "love" them" in the true sense of "love". I guess "
lust" is more like it!

I was up until midnight last night trying to get everything done but I didn't. Sigh. Even so I couldn't sleep and have been up since 7 still working on everything. I have to go finish packing and get ready to go see Le Miz.

If I don't get the chance to come back one last time (I'll be up at 2:30 AM and the car picks me up at 4:10 AM) I just want to say, to be good and happy and safe until I come back. I hope the Milford has a computer station in it like the Best Western did. That worked GREAT!

It was 10 minutes of internet time for a dollar so I would put $2.00 in and had just enough time to check my e-mails and to make small posts on my two favorite boards. I'm sure NYC will have something like that. Maybe more than a dollar, however! LOL!

Elmore--I gave the new cell phone number to Jane. She will pass it along to you and anyone else who needs/wants it. Well, let me rephrase that, not just ANYBODY but I trust her judgement to not give to felons, rapests, etc. LOL!

New York City, here I come!

MBarnum · « **Reply #20 on:** May 22, 2004, 07:52:17 AM »

Have fun Danise!!!!

For me I am headed to the big city of Seattle. Would you believe that I have never been there before?! Well it is true.

My buddies Terry and Mark and I are going up there and spending the night. I no not what we are going to do up there...knowing those two it will involve searching for hunky men...in fact I think Mark already has a date lined up! Well, hopefully I will get to see more of Seattle then just a smokey bar! Anyway, it should be fun! See you all on Sunday!

Jay · « **Reply #21 on:** May 22, 2004, 08:10:29 AM »

Quote from: MBarnum on May 22, 2004, 07:52:17 AM

Have fun Danise!!!!

For me I am headed to the big city of Seattle. Would you believe that I have never been there before?! Well it is true.

My buddies Terry and Mark and I are going up there and spending the night. I no not what we are going to do up there...knowing those two it will involve searching for hunky men...in fact I think Mark already has a date lined up! Well, hopefully I will get to see more of Seattle then just a smokey bar! Anyway, it should be fun! See you all on Sunday!

Go to the new central library, Dear Reader MBarnum! It was designed by Rem Koolhaas and the photographs indicate it is a gorgeous building, inside and out. Critics have already called it a stunning new architectural landmark in our world.

(I believe the official public grand opening is not until tomorrow, but with your good looks and charm, I have every confidence you'll be able to get in today.)

Noel · « **Reply #22 on:** May 22, 2004, 08:48:12 AM »

DR Danise, on THE block of 42nd Street (between Seventh and Eighth) there is a huge internet cafe called Easy Everything. It's near Madame Tussaud's and has a big orange sign.
If the Milford Plaza doesn't have that sort of internet hookup, this place is very near by.
There's a quieter, more expensive internet cafe on 49th between Broadway and Eighth, not as brightly lit

William E. Lurie · « **Reply #23 on:** May 22, 2004, 08:48:20 AM »

THE ENTERTAINERS was the show that Carol Burnett left FADE OUT, FADE IN for, causing all those lawsuits.

Regarding teenagers and musicals... the "pop" music of today is so bad that some of them prefer good show music, and rather than take a chance on a show they don't know much about they find a show they like and see it over and over again. This goes at least as far back as GODSPELL. When I was working at Studio Arena Theatre in Buffalo in the mid-70s we did GODSPELL and we got ticket reservations from all over the country. These were from people in their mid to late teens who travelled all over the country to see different productions of the show.

Yesterday we discussed MERRILY WE ROLL along a show which I am in the minority liking. The production I saw last night was the first time I've seen the "final revised" version (the one done at the York and recorded by BK), and I enjoyed it a lot. The main difference I noticed was the expansion of the part of Gussie which, I assume, was done because Michelle Pawk played the role at the York. There were a lot of lines/jokes that were not up to what Furth wrote fof COMPANY, but all in all it is far better Sondheim than PASSIONS and a couple of the other later shows. The production was good but left something to be desired. They had a great Mary, a good Franklin and a Charley I didn't care for. Also the director had a couple of the chorus boys play obviously gay throughout and it got annoying to see the posturizing. The set was functional but ugly; the costumes good and in period. I also discovered one error; in the 1963 scene there was a mention of Beth's family watching the Tonys® on their Sony in Houston. The Tonys® were not televised nationally until 1967.

Jane · « **Reply #24 on:** May 22, 2004, 08:57:08 AM »

Elmore, I sent you Danise’s cell phone number. Is there another DR in the area who wants her number? If so, post or email me.

JoseSPiano · « **Reply #25 on:** May 22, 2004, 08:57:29 AM »

Good Morning!

Topic of the Day: I've been trying to figure this out ever since Phantom of the Opera and Les Miserables becames "sensations". I mean it practically borders on obsession - and in some cases it is. I even used to teach a class that had a group of Crazy For You groupies. They would train up to New York at least once a month, go see the show, go "hang out" with the cast at the stage door afterwards (they were apparently on a first name basis with Jodie Benson and Michelle Pawk after a few times - ??). But at least it was Gershwin, so... but still... they're whole "obssession" kind of made me worry.

And working with college age kids the past few years... It's always "JRB!!!" "JRB!!!!". And, strangely enough, most of them are only familiar with The Last Five Years. They do know that Mr. Brown wrote other shows, but The Last Five Years is "da bomb". I guess the whole relationship thing is what they glom onto.

And now a similar thing is happening with Wicked. They just LOVE this score. And then when I ask them, "Have you ever listened to Godspell, Pippin, or Children of Eden?" -they usually just give me a blank stare. However, some of them are also COE fans too, so....

OK - I don't think I'm making any sense right now since I can't make any real sense of the whole thing, so...

OH, and for those keeping score as it were, I had a nice date last night. Just nice. Comme çi, comme ça.

DR Danise - Safe and Happy Travel Vibes. Have a wonderful time!!! *And there's a few cyber cafes in the Times Square area. I really like the one on 42nd next to the New Amsterdam Theatre. It's big, busy, but very reasonable, and I've never had to wait that long for a computer. There's also one on 44th or 45th between Broadway and 8th that usually offers a "coffe and minutes" or "danish and minutes" special. -Sorry I can't remember names right now.

DR MBarnum - Have a great time in Seattle. We want pics!!! Well, I want pics, so...

Time for me to get ready for the show. We're having our "Rally in the Alley" today. Basically a cookout between shows. Should be fun, although since the temp is supposed to be way up today... I may just end up retreating back across to the street to the French Bistro for some frites and A/C.

Laters...

Jane · « **Reply #26 on:** May 22, 2004, 09:01:00 AM »

We watched THE CISCO KID last night and felt rather cheated. At the end of the show Poncho told his joke, Cisco laughed, Poncho laughed. They both laughed-AND the show was over. That was it, nothing else.

Of course we sat there filling in the missing lines, over and over.

William E. Lurie · « **Reply #27 on:** May 22, 2004, 09:01:31 AM »

AVENUE Q fans...

Check out www.avenueq.com to hear "Rod's Dilemma" a new song that the cast is performing at various functions around town to convince voter to vote for AVENUE Q for the Tonys® and other awards. I don't know if they added it to the show or not.

JoseSPiano · « **Reply #28 on:** May 22, 2004, 09:01:46 AM »

DR Danise - Please refer to DR Noel's posts regarding the internet cafes - if you haven't already. Thanks, Noel, for filling in my blanks.

Danise · « **Reply #29 on:** May 22, 2004, 09:18:48 AM »

Thank you all for the good wishes and the good vibes. I'm sure they played a part in allowing me to recover enough to take my trip.

Thank you for the Cyber Cafe advise. I'll download it to my PDA so I won't forget it. You know I did recheck all of the good advise you guys gave me when I was on the plane to Utah.

I'm off to see Le Miz now.

Can you say: Whirlwind? Can you say: Duh!

I told Jane I'd better not see a website with: For a good time call Danise. Here is her cell phone number, when I get back. LOL!

Take care all!

News:

Author Topic: THE LATE SHOW (Read 28506 times)

MBarnum