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Post by karloscar on Oct 4, 2018 22:08:04 GMT
The Streisand finale of With One More Look At You/ Watch Closely Now was quite thrilling in the cinema back in the seventies.
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886 posts
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Company
Oct 3, 2018 8:45:49 GMT
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Post by karloscar on Oct 3, 2018 8:45:49 GMT
I've just had the pleasure of revisiting Burt Lancaster in The Swimmer, and came to the conclusion that this has strong similarities to Company in the device of a central character dipping, literally, in and out of a gamut of other people's lives, all who claim that he is so close and essential to them, but heck, there's little real connection. But then the device of the outsider being used to expose snapshots of other people's life is a familiar narrative trick. The Swimmer would actually make for a great stage piece. With Patti Lupone in the Joan Rivers role? Might be fun. Hugh Jackman in the Burt Lancaster part, a score by Jason Robert Brown, or David Yazbeck and a full size swimming pool on stage! Hit!
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886 posts
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Company
Oct 3, 2018 8:38:29 GMT
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Post by karloscar on Oct 3, 2018 8:38:29 GMT
Having said that, Peter is married to Susan and therefore surely straight? Or is she divorcing him or he her because they've realised something? Read more: theatreboard.co.uk/thread/1950/company?page=50#ixzz5SqyRwtZqNot sure how the current production handles this, but Peter and Susan's "friendly divorce" always seemed to be about him being able to sleep around, and his envy for those not trapped by convention, so he's probably more opportunistic than actually gay. His pass at Bobby is awkward and doomed to fail, but in the Donmar version they did hint that Bobby might have had same sex encounters in the past. It all sounds rather dated in a modern setting,and of course irrelevant with a female Bobbie, unless Susan and Peter swap parts, which presents new problems....
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886 posts
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Company
Oct 2, 2018 8:19:29 GMT
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Post by karloscar on Oct 2, 2018 8:19:29 GMT
I think critics got over non-linear structure a long long time ago. Sondheim or maybe Hal Prince said they were less worried about Company playing London in 1972 because Pinter and co had prepared audiences in the UK for such things, far more than on Broadway at the time.
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Post by karloscar on Oct 1, 2018 9:20:15 GMT
Unless they've totally rewritten the character you wouldn't want Andy/April in charge of your luggage never mind flying the plane or we'd all end up like that butterfly in story.
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886 posts
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Post by karloscar on Sept 30, 2018 22:43:33 GMT
Or the judges marks are a bit more realistic this year than last. The standard is pretty much the same, though i spotted the winner in week one last year, and nobody looks like winner so far. The music has got really dull and repetitive, when it's suitable at all. Whole thing needs a new producer to kick it up the butt.
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886 posts
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Post by karloscar on Sept 30, 2018 9:26:42 GMT
I prefer Tess to Claudia
Welcome to the board Vernon, you're fooling nobody.
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886 posts
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Post by karloscar on Sept 29, 2018 23:15:14 GMT
Well she's never been either funny or natural, no matter how hard she tries. And she'd have her hand politely but meaningfully slapped away if she attempted to paw me after I'd sweated my ass off on the dance floor. Would be brilliant telly if one of the celebs turned on her.
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886 posts
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Post by karloscar on Sept 29, 2018 19:42:56 GMT
Not even worth keeping Susanna in for comedy value, so hopefully she goes first.
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886 posts
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Post by karloscar on Sept 28, 2018 17:23:06 GMT
Don't Lie To Me is one of the most interesting songs she's recorded in decades. Not sure I could take a whole album of Babs Protests Too Much though. At least she's back with some original material.
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Cher
Sept 28, 2018 13:51:53 GMT
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Post by karloscar on Sept 28, 2018 13:51:53 GMT
Most of the arrangements and production are pretty predictable. The Chiquitita cover is the most different from the original with that Spanish guitar sound, and a less stompy chorus. Then she ruined it by having the piano outro from the original, which doesn't fit this arrangement one bit. There's nothing too offensive in her covers album but with a bit of imagination it could've been so much better. I know the Abba harmonies will never be bettered, but at least try to do something different with the backing vocals rather than just ripping them off. Disappointed
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886 posts
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Post by karloscar on Sept 27, 2018 13:38:01 GMT
Maybe Karen Walker is the offspring of Joanne rather than the other way round. And Suzanne Pleshette who played Karen's mother would've been been a terrific Joanne in her day.
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886 posts
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Post by karloscar on Sept 24, 2018 19:16:09 GMT
Joe's first dance last year was the jive....Joe's first dance this year also the jive. History repeating???
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886 posts
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Bodyguard
Sept 24, 2018 10:13:22 GMT
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Post by karloscar on Sept 24, 2018 10:13:22 GMT
Well season 2 will need a new leading man. If David Budd has regained his family and his sanity, he'll never go near the rest of those characters ever again.....Unless....
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886 posts
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Company
Sept 22, 2018 23:45:01 GMT
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Post by karloscar on Sept 22, 2018 23:45:01 GMT
Some of tempi seemed very relaxed compared to versions I know from the past. The only one that felt the same was Side by Side by Side. Read more: theatreboard.co.uk/thread/1950/company?page=40#ixzz5RsRddwQONone of the tempi will be fixed yet. Sitzprobe is the first chance for cast and orchestra to play together, so no surprise if things are a bit tentative. It will find it's own energy once they are in the theatre.
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Post by karloscar on Sept 20, 2018 22:31:21 GMT
"What a dump!"
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Post by karloscar on Sept 18, 2018 1:42:56 GMT
Dame Angela says she's only in it briefly as the balloon lady but she sings (part of?) the final song of the film.
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Post by karloscar on Sept 14, 2018 11:30:13 GMT
Well there's no guarantee that any advice offered will be followed. And Sondheim himself would always advocate finding your own voice rather than try to replicate anyone else's style. The complaint for many years was that "Everybody wants to be Sondheim...", and there were a lot of second rate imitations, but things have progressed somewhat since then.
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Post by karloscar on Sept 13, 2018 22:20:50 GMT
She was quite unique, amazingly versatile and in an earlier age would have been a huge star. So glad I got to see her in Kiss Me Kate and Ragtime. So sad we can never go back to before and hear her once more.
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Post by karloscar on Sept 13, 2018 17:14:46 GMT
He's offered a lot of help and encouragement over the years to Adam Guettel, Jason Robert Brown, Lin Manuel Miranda and Jonathan Larson before he died.
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Post by karloscar on Sept 11, 2018 9:06:34 GMT
A writer who resorts to insulting people who make a valid point about a piece they publish is clearly not much of a writer. Alison Bechdel ( you even mis-spell her name !) did not write the musical, and you give her credit for things she did not create. As a "writer" I'd expect you would want to be given credit for your work. Yours "condescending Tw*t"
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Post by karloscar on Sept 11, 2018 8:35:48 GMT
Oooh touchy! Just think that credit should be given to writers when it's due. That's not nitpicking. It's like saying Chris Bond wrote Sweeney Todd and Hugh Wheeler and Sondheim were mere bystanders.
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Post by karloscar on Sept 10, 2018 22:26:09 GMT
I really enjoyed reading your article, and while I agree with most of what you say, I'd add that Fun Home the musical is very different from the novel, and you need to credit Jeanine Tesori and especially Lisa Kron for what they achieved. Alison didn't write Ring of Keys or Days and Days or Telephone Wire. Her book inspired them, but there's a huge leap from the page to the stage giving voice to these characters and Lisa Kron deserves credit for that.
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886 posts
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Bodyguard
Sept 10, 2018 8:30:31 GMT
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Post by karloscar on Sept 10, 2018 8:30:31 GMT
Is Dame Keeley really gone though? Or is it all ploy to expose those who are out to get her?
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Post by karloscar on Sept 9, 2018 16:49:27 GMT
Anton is looking increasingly out of place amongst the male pros. And it’s not an age thing, it’s the whole persona and that whenever there’s a joke to be played they shove him into it. Like coming down straddling the mirror ball throwing glitter about last night. He does it very well and probably enjoys it. But it does mean he gets landed with a certain type of partner and as such doesn’t get taken seriously which is a shame if what’s said above about him being the only remaining ballroom expert us true. I’d take him off the dance team, ditch Zoe Ball from it Takes Two because she’s well past her sell by date in that role, and give Anton her job. He’d be brilliant. He’s funny (she isn’t) he can dance (she can’t) and he could have a proper rapport with the contestants through his understanding of what they’re trying to achieve. Then we can promote lovely ginger to the male pro line up. It’s a no brainer. Or if they insist on keeping him on the pro dance team, give him a proper partner and not the latest sack of spuds. The obvious job for Anton is Brucie's. Ditch the talent black hole that is Tess Daly. (How did she get so far on SO little?)She can't even read the autocue never mind deliver a joke, and the costume dept obviously loathe her, given the hideous frocks she's given. The only thing on Strictly with less vitality is Shirley's forehead. It'll ñever happen of course, but....
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