Topic: IF I KNEW YOU WERE COMING I'D HAVE BAKED A TAPE (Read 34175 times)

Jrand74 · « **Reply #120 on:** July 28, 2005, 12:54:25 PM »

Well off to rehearsal. Lovely weather here, too. In the 70's during the day and in the 50's at night! Hope this weather holds through our run, that would be GREAT!

Matt H. · « **Reply #121 on:** July 28, 2005, 01:10:54 PM »

I know getting accurate running times for films is a very difficult thing, and he's written about it extensively in the forewards to various editions of his book. I applaud him for trying even if there are errors from time to time. No one is infallible.

Matt H. · « **Reply #122 on:** July 28, 2005, 01:18:59 PM »

Quote from: Rodzinski on July 28, 2005, 09:47:16 AM

Maltin refuses to acknowledge the existence of THE BOATNIKS.

And, I watched the end of a pre-code movie on Fox the other night called BORN TO BE BAD, which only featured Cary Grant and Loretta Young. Not even in Maltin's book.

I can't believe I am here defending Leonard Maltin whom I have frequently disagreed with in the past.

However, over the years, Maltin has had to delete listings from his latest book to make way for more recent movie listings because the paperback simply cannot get any larger than it presently is. It can't be printed and bound any larger. So, I suspect the movies in question might have been in the book years ago but were edited out as newer films were added.

The plans are now for him to do two volumes of the book - one for classics from the late 19th century onward, and then a second volume with more recent films which can then change sizes as the years pass. The first classic volume will be set in stone and not be reprinted each year with new listings. I'm not sure when the cutoff date for listings in it will be. Perhaps 1950? Then, many of those early talkies, silents, and lesser known and shown features can come back into print.

Matt H. · « **Reply #123 on:** July 28, 2005, 01:26:20 PM »

Enjoyed watching CALL NORTHSIDE 777 this afternoon. The transfer is good but not great. There was some speckling and occasional print damage in a spot or two, but in the main it was sharp with excellent contrast.

The thing that struck me most was how decisively James Stewart is trying to be hardboiled and abrasive. No trace of the aw-shucks Stewart in this performance.

Matt H. · « **Reply #124 on:** July 28, 2005, 01:31:35 PM »

As for tonight's choice, I'm looking at the old Gene Wilder comedy THE WOMAN IN RED.

elmore3003 · « **Reply #125 on:** July 28, 2005, 01:32:52 PM »

Quote from: JoseSPiano on July 28, 2005, 12:14:41 PM

-Oh...

DR elmore - Thanks for the "hall pass".

DRJose, you're more than welcome. I actually spent most of my morning cleaning up all the DOTD materials: filing them, rescoring the curtain calls (!), cleaning up my desk and work area. Now I feel much more organized and orderly. I'll be at the recording office with Tom tomorrow if you want to come down to 14th Street. Tomorrow night I've got a dinner date with some friends from out of town.

Matt H. · « **Reply #126 on:** July 28, 2005, 01:32:55 PM »

And then there is disc 2 of THE MARY TYLER MOORE SHOW. Looking forward to another disc of hilarity.

Matt H. · « **Reply #127 on:** July 28, 2005, 01:33:52 PM »

DR Ron, have you started watching your MTM DVDs yet?

Matt H. · « **Reply #128 on:** July 28, 2005, 01:35:39 PM »

Weather report:

It's 92 here which is still hot but much less hot and humid than the last three days. Hopefully, this is the beginning of a cool down period for us.

Matthew · « **Reply #129 on:** July 28, 2005, 01:46:33 PM »

Quote from: Ron Pulliam on July 28, 2005, 12:50:50 PM

And the universe waits with bated breath....

Seriously, though, why would you do that? And what hype are your referring to? I haven't been subjected to any heaping helpings of hype over any Broadway musical in recent memory.

I can appreciate someone disliking a particular show, but you seem to have a vendetta against it.

Wanna lie on my couch and discuss it???

Ok... fine... maybe it's a great show for some people and maybe it plays to almost sold-out crowds everynight, and yes - maybe I have a vendetta against it - it's very hard to put my feelings into words, I guess. Every girl out there with musical theatre ambition wants to be Kristin Chenowith or Idina Menzel and as a musical theatre director, I hear so many bad renditions of the songs from "Wicked" in auditions - mostly bad renditions. Although, I can say the same about songs from "Rent" and "Les Mis" at auditions when they first came out.

But I think I can sum it up - I don't like the show, I didn't like it in San Francisco in 2003, and I'm not a fan of the music. I realize this is a Stephen Schwartz "friendly" forum, so I won't say anymore about the score - but it just goes to show, you take a story like "Wicked" or even "The Phantom of the Opera" - make the physical production something great to look at, add some smoke, flying monkeys, a grand entrance for one of the leads and a hydrolic lift for the end of Act One, and BINGO, people want to see the show. (not to mention the references to everyone's favorite story "The Wizard of Oz")

And I'll end by eating some crow and saying publiclly (among friends) that I've seen "Phantom of the Opera" 11 times, and my favorite part is the exploding chandelier, the end of Act One and the very end when the Phantom dissapears. See... it grabbed me with that show, just not with "Wicked".

Matt H. · « **Reply #130 on:** July 28, 2005, 02:02:22 PM »

For me, the effects in WICKED were impressive but not what made the show memorable to me. I got involved with Elphaba's story and just followed her quest for justice with eagerness. I thought the score worked amazingly well with the story, and there were surprises galore for me.

I didn't care one whit about ANY of the characters in THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA. In that show, the production values are just about all it had going for it in my eyes.

Matt H. · « **Reply #131 on:** July 28, 2005, 02:21:24 PM »

Headed down now for the daily cleaning chores, some reading, and then the evening's entertainment. I was going to watch THE WOMAN IN RED, but reading a review of CALL NORTHSIDE 777 reminded me there is a commentary track on the DVD that gives the "real" story about police corruption that had to be whitewashed for the movie to be made. That should be interesting to listen to.

Jed · « **Reply #132 on:** July 28, 2005, 02:21:25 PM »

Quote from: Matt H. on July 28, 2005, 02:02:22 PM

For me, the effects in WICKED were impressive but not what made the show memorable to me. I got involved with Elphaba's story and just followed her quest for justice with eagerness. I thought the score worked amazingly well with the story, and there were surprises galore for me.

I didn't care one whit about ANY of the characters in THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA. In that show, the production values are just about all it had going for it in my eyes.

Agreed on Phantom... I'll have to hold off on any Wicked thoughts until it hits Seattle in September '06. My hunch is I'll put it in the "definitely enjoyable, but nothing all that special" category, but we shall see.

TPunk · « **Reply #133 on:** July 28, 2005, 02:23:03 PM »

Okay, if we're talking about Wicked I have to weigh in.

Overall, I love the show. I saw it twice on Broadway and I paid for my tickets both times. (I almost never pay for tickets) (okay, that sounded snotty) Anywho, I bought tickets.

I just think it is a fabulous show for actresses, with good character development and I love the duets between the female leads. I do however find some of the music disappointing- there are songs that I skip each time I listen to the cast recording. But I love Idina's singing and I really enjoyed her performance.

That being said, I would NEVER sing the songs for an audition. The only time they are sung is in the safe haven of my shower.

elmore3003 · « **Reply #134 on:** July 28, 2005, 02:34:34 PM »

Quote from: Matthew on July 28, 2005, 01:46:33 PM

But I think I can sum it up - I don't like the show, I didn't like it in San Francisco in 2003, and I'm not a fan of the music. I realize this is a Stephen Schwartz "friendly" forum, so I won't say anymore about the score - but it just goes to show, you take a story like "Wicked" or even "The Phantom of the Opera" - make the physical production something great to look at, add some smoke, flying monkeys, a grand entrance for one of the leads and a hydrolic lift for the end of Act One, and BINGO, people want to see the show. (not to mention the references to everyone's favorite story "The Wizard of Oz")

My only comment about WICKED is that is a deft abridgement of a wonderfully dark novel and it is not Schwartz's best score by any means. On the other hand, I think PHANTOM OF THE OPERA is a shallow adaptation of a rather shallow potboiler that works because Leroux luckily pushed all the right buttons from Beauty and the Beast to the Prince and the Showgirl, with a bit of E.T.A. hoffmann. I think it's Andrew Lloyd Webber's attempt to write classical music for folk who don't know classical music, but he proves once again he doesn't know what to do with a good tune once he writes it or borrows it.

Ron Pulliam · « **Reply #135 on:** July 28, 2005, 03:05:49 PM »

Now...isn't anyone going to bring up "Annie"?

How many young girls have auditioned by singing "Tomorrow"?

Anyone remember little theater/community theater/high school/college drama auditions in the 1960s?

"Moon River" and "Summertime"!!!

For a while there, I thought I'd throw up if I ever heard either again.

Fortunately, some really nice versions crossed my path and kept me from hating them to this day.

Ron Pulliam · « **Reply #136 on:** July 28, 2005, 03:09:11 PM »

FTR (For the Record, in HHW.com lingo):

I wouldn't call this a "Wicked"-friendly forum, but it is also not a "Wicked"-hating forum, either.

We likes what we likes, and we don't like what we doesn't. II thought "Wicked" was wonderful in the two performances I saw at the Curran Theater. I went in with no expectations and left thrilled, elated and pleasantly electrified. It was a terrific experience.

I was much more moved and responsive to Baz Luhrmann's "La Boheme," but they are quite different forms of musical theater.

Ron Pulliam · « **Reply #137 on:** July 28, 2005, 03:14:13 PM »

Quote from: Matt H. on July 28, 2005, 01:33:52 PM

DR Ron, have you started watching your MTM DVDs yet?

No. It's at the bottom of a LONG list of to-be-watched DVDs.

Tomovoz · « **Reply #138 on:** July 28, 2005, 03:16:33 PM »

Horses for courses Matthew. I enjoyed seeing both Phantom and Sunset but they left me with nothing. Entertainment for the moment. I've not seen "Wicked" but I do enjoy listening to the Cast Recording and I found the changes to the book (of which I was and am a fan) interesting and more than acceptable.

More horses and courses: It's all value judgements. I can not see how anyone enjoys "Blood Brothers" and you know my views on WiW and Beautiful Game. On the other hand I have enjoyed quite a few productions of Lis Mis, Enjoyed Miss Saigon and would have loved to have seen Martin Guerre. IMHO Saigon didn't need the helicopter and it seems to be what the nay sayers think the show is about.

Of course I think there are only three people at HHW who love "Passion" and a few who would not spend their Sundays in the Park with George.

I guess it makes the site all the more interesting.

Matthew · « **Reply #139 on:** July 28, 2005, 03:22:31 PM »

I always appreciate the chance to vent here at HHW and look forward to hearing all sides to an arguement. Thanks for the opportunity.

Tomovoz · « **Reply #140 on:** July 28, 2005, 03:39:26 PM »

At least we're always amongst friends here Matthew.

Jason · « **Reply #141 on:** July 28, 2005, 03:55:23 PM »

Alright, folks...I'm off to my sleep study. Send your good vibes my way - I really don't want to do this tonight!

Ron Pulliam · « **Reply #142 on:** July 28, 2005, 03:56:06 PM »

Quote from: Tomovoz on July 28, 2005, 03:39:26 PM

At least we're always amongst friends here Matthew.

Quite!

If I wanted to torture DR TomovOz, I'd tie him to a chair and force him to watch "Steel Magnolias" for three solid days.

If I wanted to torture DR Danise, I'd tier her to a chair and force her to watch "Phantom of the Opera" for three solid days.

If you wanted to torture me....well, that's for ME to know!

Ron Pulliam · « **Reply #143 on:** July 28, 2005, 03:58:01 PM »

Now where in the world did DR François get to?

Tomovoz · « **Reply #144 on:** July 28, 2005, 03:58:26 PM »

DR François has a story to tell!!

TPunk · « **Reply #145 on:** July 28, 2005, 04:03:52 PM »

Quote from: Ron Pulliam on July 28, 2005, 03:05:49 PM

Now...isn't anyone going to bring up "Annie"?

How many young girls have auditioned by singing "Tomorrow"?

My very first audition at the age of 5 was with Tomorrow....along with about three dozen other little girls.

Ron Pulliam · « **Reply #146 on:** July 28, 2005, 04:18:57 PM »

Quote from: Tomovoz on July 28, 2005, 03:58:26 PM

DR François has a story to tell!!

Will he tell it here, or is there a book in the making?

Ron Pulliam · « **Reply #147 on:** July 28, 2005, 04:31:44 PM »

Quote from: TPunk on July 28, 2005, 04:03:52 PM

My very first audition at the age of 5 was with Tomorrow....along with about three dozen other little girls.

I'll bet you were cute, too!

But 36 other little girls, all singing "Tomorrow"....that POOR, POOR director!

Jed · « **Reply #148 on:** July 28, 2005, 04:46:39 PM »

Quote from: Ron Pulliam on July 28, 2005, 04:31:44 PM

I'll bet you were cute, too!

But 36 other little girls, all singing "Tomorrow"....that POOR, POOR director!

Yes, poor director, but I'd rather hear three dozen little girls audition with a song meant to be sung by a little girl than "attempt" whatever the less-well-suited flavor of the month may be. If they can pull it off, fine... but I wouldn't hold my breath.

Jed · « **Reply #149 on:** July 28, 2005, 04:54:40 PM »

The very thought of a string of 9-year-old girls trying to audition with "The Wizard and I"... my skin is crawling, I tell ya!

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Author Topic: IF I KNEW YOU WERE COMING I'D HAVE BAKED A TAPE (Read 34175 times)