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[ChasSmith]

PAGE TWO at twenty minutes past NOON dance??

[Jrand74]

DR CHAS SMITH I have shared the photo on your Timeline, so you should be able to see it.  I am not sure how FB works, but if you end up getting ALL of my posts you can Unfriend me, no problem.  I wouldn't want you to have to wade through what I look at every day.

[elmore3003]

I just cut 1000 words out of the history of DEAREST ENEMY and I need to cut another 750-1000. Oy! I have to do the same to the essay on the restoration. Already I'm losing information I know will bite my butt later. I am keeping copies of the original full-length drafts, in case anyone cares.

[Jane]

From DR Laura:

The most exciting part about Carlsbad Cavern was the bats flying out at night!

Sadly we were too early for the bats.

[Jane]

From DR George:

The men's final show tonight was great!  It was sold out!  Actually, we added eight, count 'em, EIGHT seats because of all the demand.  The grandfather of one of the actors got there just a bit too late and had to be turned away.  He was not amused.  The show itself was their best performance.  A great time was had by all! 

That's great.

[Jane]

And DR JANE what a great photo!  Love hearing about your trip!

Thank you.

[Jane]

I forgot to mention I like the Cheescake Factory.

[ArnoldMBrockman]

And the word of the day is: NYCHTHEMERON!

And The Song Of The Day And Night Is:  NIGHT AND DAY

[bk]

I'm up - wanted to sleep a bit later but alas, no.

[bk]

I should think any play using existing songs has to clear those songs and make the royalty deal with the publisher - there should be no constraints on their use.

[elmore3003]

And I've decided to pass up the MAHAGONNY: too much bad blood these days and i have no wish to see former friends.

[John G.]

I'm up from a nice nap. First load of laundry in the washing machine. And I've started the Ross Hunter version of "Lost Horizon" for the afternoon viewing. I don't think I've ever seen this all the way through.

[Jane]

DR John G please let me know what you think of the film.

[FJL]

I just cut 1000 words out of the history of DEAREST ENEMY and I need to cut another 750-1000. Oy! I have to do the same to the essay on the restoration. Already I'm losing information I know will bite my butt later. I am keeping copies of the original full-length drafts, in case anyone cares.

Can't the longer more detailed version be available online?

[FJL]

I'm up from a nice nap. First load of laundry in the washing machine. And I've started the Ross Hunter version of "Lost Horizon" for the afternoon viewing. I don't think I've ever seen this all the way through.

I never miss a Larry Kramer - Liv Ullmann musical.

[FJL]

I should think any play using existing songs has to clear those songs and make the royalty deal with the publisher - there should be no constraints on their use.

BK, could they have say over the content of the play as a condition of letting the dramatist use the songs?

[Doug R]

I finally got round to watching LILITH on Blu-ray. I can't believe it's only 114 minutes. It seemed more like 114 hours 

[Ginny]

Sunday afternoon greetings!  We are home from a dreary trip to Lima.  I think the sun is finally trying to come out, which will be very welcome.

[Ginny]

And thinking about MR BK's brushes with folks from the past mentioned in the notes this weekend....

I also had a couple of way-back moments yesterday.  For the luncheon at country club #1, I picked up my (and DR Elmore's) friend Loyce.  We had a great time catching up.  During the dinner at country club #2, I was looking at the names of the committee members in the printed program and discovered that one of them was a woman who had been a student worker in the library where I began my career.  She was stunned when I introduced myself.  We reminisced about when I encouraged her to audition for STAR-SPANGLED GIRL and she got the title role.  We probably hadn't seen one another since 1976 and she's already friended me on Facebook.

[bk]

Did a three-mile jog and shall now begin liner notes for our next release.  In the meantime, a strange review from Playbill for A Time for Singing - strange, but it has resulted in a nice stream of sales.

http://www.playbill.com/news/article/177338-ON-THE-RECORD-A-Time-for-Singing-Bravo-Giovanni-and-Lady-in-the-Dark-

[Ron Pulliam]

It's been a few years since I saw the film "Words and Music" where Mickey rooney played Hart, but wasn;t the 'insurmountable all-consuming problem" attributed to Hart in that film which haunted the charcater in Mickey Rooney's role -  so much stated in that film''s screenplay as the fact that he was short?  (or was is just the failed romance with the Betty Garrett character?)

I don't recall Hart's height as being an issue of any kind in the screenplay of "Words and Music".  He was consumed with unrequited love for Betty Garrett and her final rebuff of him sent him into his alcohol-induced decline in that film.

[bk]

Have written half the liner notes and shall now go get something to eat, then watch something, then finish liner notes.

[John G.]

Well, FJL, here it is, since you asked:

I found most of the movie a mess, but I couldn't stop watching it and I was emotionally engaged in the story. But Frank Capra it ain't.

Plus side: Sally Kellerman and Bobby Van (the two people who had been in musicals before, go figure).

The worst: The homogenized voices and overblown orchestrations that robbed any character of much of Bacharach's music, the dreadful Hermes Pan choreography (redundant, I know), the cheesy sets and costumes that haven't aged well (were those skorts that the male dancers were wearing in their big number? And did Ross Hunter personally oil them down between takes?)

I have a reserve at the library on the Capra version. I'm looking forward to seeing it even more.

[Jrand74]

Frank Capra's Lost Horizon is one of my favorite movies ever....

[FJL]

It's been a few years since I saw the film "Words and Music" where Mickey rooney played Hart, but wasn;t the 'insurmountable all-consuming problem" attributed to Hart in that film which haunted the charcater in Mickey Rooney's role -  so much stated in that film''s screenplay as the fact that he was short?  (or was is just the failed romance with the Betty Garrett character?)

I don't recall Hart's height as being an issue of any kind in the screenplay of "Words and Music".  He was consumed with unrequited love for Betty Garrett and her final rebuff of him sent him into his alcohol-induced decline in that film.

Thanks for clarifying that, Ron

[FJL]

Well, FJL, here it is, since you asked:

I found most of the movie a mess, but I couldn't stop watching it and I was emotionally engaged in the story. But Frank Capra it ain't.

Plus side: Sally Kellerman and Bobby Van (the two people who had been in musicals before, go figure).

The worst: The homogenized voices and overblown orchestrations that robbed any character of much of Bacharach's music, the dreadful Hermes Pan choreography (redundant, I know), the cheesy sets and costumes that haven't aged well (were those skorts that the male dancers were wearing in their big number? And did Ross Hunter personally oil them down between takes?)

I have a reserve at the library on the Capra version. I'm looking forward to seeing it even more.

One thing I've sensed is that Larry Kramer - for the screenplay itself - has nothing to be embarrassed about.  And certainly as songs, the Bacharach and David numbers seem to have quite a few fans.   

Maybe one that could have a nice following with a stage XANADU-type treatment??  if everyone (Kramer, Bacharach, and David's heirs) had a sense of humor about it, maybe?

[Druxy]

Did a three-mile jog and shall now begin liner notes for our next release.  In the meantime, a strange review from Playbill for A Time for Singing - strange, but it has resulted in a nice stream of sales.

http://www.playbill.com/news/article/177338-ON-THE-RECORD-A-Time-for-Singing-Bravo-Giovanni-and-Lady-in-the-Dark-

I certainly enjoyed the score for A TIME FOR SINGING.  On the other hand, based on what I know about the book (e.g. the change in narrator from what was in the movie), I would probably have not liked the play as much had I actually seen it.

[John G.]

Well, FJL, here it is, since you asked:

I found most of the movie a mess, but I couldn't stop watching it and I was emotionally engaged in the story. But Frank Capra it ain't.

Plus side: Sally Kellerman and Bobby Van (the two people who had been in musicals before, go figure).

The worst: The homogenized voices and overblown orchestrations that robbed any character of much of Bacharach's music, the dreadful Hermes Pan choreography (redundant, I know), the cheesy sets and costumes that haven't aged well (were those skorts that the male dancers were wearing in their big number? And did Ross Hunter personally oil them down between takes?)

I have a reserve at the library on the Capra version. I'm looking forward to seeing it even more.

One thing I've sensed is that Larry Kramer - for the screenplay itself - has nothing to be embarrassed about.  And certainly as songs, the Bacharach and David numbers seem to have quite a few fans.   

Maybe one that could have a nice following with a stage XANADU-type treatment??  if everyone (Kramer, Bacharach, and David's heirs) had a sense of humor about it, maybe?

It has its good parts, but they don't add up. In watching the supplementary material, it seems that Hunter had envisioned something more along the lines of a movie with music more than a movie musical. That may explain why there's little music in the first or last half hour.

I don't think it would work on stage any more than any of the other attempts at a musical version of it because it's not comedic enough. Spoofing the story would probably be too heavy handed and get old too quickly.

[Jane]

And thinking about MR BK's brushes with folks from the past mentioned in the notes this weekend....

I also had a couple of way-back moments yesterday.  For the luncheon at country club #1, I picked up my (and DR Elmore's) friend Loyce.  We had a great time catching up.  During the dinner at country club #2, I was looking at the names of the committee members in the printed program and discovered that one of them was a woman who had been a student worker in the library where I began my career.  She was stunned when I introduced myself.  We reminisced about when I encouraged her to audition for STAR-SPANGLED GIRL and she got the title role.  We probably hadn't seen one another since 1976 and she's already friended me on Facebook.

Nice story

[TCB]

Where the Hell heck is everyone today?  Did BK close down the site when I wasn't looking?