Musicals

[KSlater]

I love that Pufnstuf movie -- it is horrid, but when I was a kid, I loved it. I didn't realize until I was much older that most of the cast was probably stoned out of their minds when they made it. LOL! I thought the talking flute was kinda creepy.

Have you seen the 1973 version of "Lost Horizon"? It's so bad that it's funny.

[EricMontreal22]

I actually do like the Bacharach/David songs for Lost Horizon but the movie is INFAMOUSLY awful (it actually led to David and Bacharach breaking up as songwriting partners lol).

[EricMontreal22]

HAH I've tried to get some friends into them with no luck... I envy you seeing Cherbourg on the big screen, and with Agnes Varda there! (A great filmaker in her own right)

i *really* recommend Donkey Skin--it's quite an adult and strange film but has a lot to recommend it (and has the male lead from Rochefort as well as Deneuve). It's easy to find on DVD with Eng subtitles too thanks to a release a few years back.

[KSlater]

I didn't know about the breakup of the songwriting team.

I saw it when I was little. One of the images burned in my memory is Sally Kellerman doing this crazy shimmy dance -- at least, I think it was her -- awful! And George Kennedy - oh my, I can't even describe my feelings on him in that movie. I think I was traumatized.

[EricMontreal22]

[DRW50]

Don't you wish we'd heard Patty's version instead? It's one of a kind...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FzL4m20rJ44

[alphanguy74]

Eric, not Valley Of the Dolls, BEYOND The Valley Of The Dolls.... the Russ Meyer picture starring Dolly Read, screenplay written by Roger Ebert! It's a trash classic, look at those clips, some good music, there were also some tracks by Strawberry Alarm Clock on the soundtrack.

[KSlater]

LMAO! You're making me relive a childhood trauma.

Oh my. Not only is that number tragic, but Olivia Hussey's outfit -- ugh ugh ugh.

[alphanguy74]

Now HERE is another one of my favorites of all time, this is a SCREAM!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YiGY_loRoTU&feature=related

[DRW50]

Thoroughly Modern Miller is a very underrated musical. It has a lot of good numbers. I loved the one with Mary Tyler Moore and Julie Andrews dancing in the elevator. And Julie Andrews singing about her gorgeous boss.

Bedknobs and Broomsticks is also underrated. There are some beautiful numbers in there, like "The Age of Not Believing", and others which stay in your head, like that, "Egelentine, your lot and my lot have got to combine" number. And Portobello Road. Dreams where the riches of ages are sold!

[EricMontreal22]

HAHAH I knowBeyond the Valley of the Dolls--I just misread

I LOVE Thoroughly Modern Millie though the recent stage version improved some things (the movie goes on a bit long). Bedknobs and Broomsticks is great, I think the reason it's unfairly underated is cuz it essentially is Mary Poppins 2--and just isn't quite as good (the property was even bought back in the 60s when Walt was having trouble getting the Mary Poppins rights, he told songwriters SHerman Bros they could prob use many of their songs in B& Of course it doesn't help that for years you could only see an abridged version of it.

[Chris B]

Okay I've realized that my love for musicals is an extension of my love for classic film. BTW, from reading this thread I realized I have seen Beyond the Valley of the Dolls (one of my all-time faves), the Grease films (I actually prefer the second for the darker tone) and The Wiz. I just finished watching Bye Bye Birdie, my first musical in a string to come. I thought it was delightful and a nice way to jump into musicals. The comedy is very broad so the musical numbers fit right in. Uncle Arthur was just delightful as Ann Margaret's father. The one shock was that Janet Leigh and Dick Van Dyke weren't as central to the film as I expected. It was pretty much an Ann Margaret vehicle, but I never even knew she was in it. Now I want to see the 1995 remake, but since it was a tv-movie I'm not sure if it's on DVD. I'll have to look.

Next Musical: South Pacific

In the Queue: Sweet Charity, The Sound of Music, West Side Story, Carousel and I want to try something with Leslie Caron.

I've seen Kylie's part, but could never stomach the full film. The best thing I got from it was Rufus Wainwright's brilliant Complainte de la Butte from the soundtrack.

Yeah I'm going to start out with the movies so I can get used to it, then see what's playing at the Majestic. They have The Lion King all December, then The 39 Steps in February and South Pacific in March.

[EricMontreal22]

I think Bye Bye Birdie kinda sucks--but the stage version wasn't much better (witness clips of the current flop Broadway revival with John Stamos trying his best to be DIck Van Dyke). Dick was in the original stage version but he was all that was kept and it was made into more of an Ann MArgaret vehicle (they added the title song for her). The TV movie version is interesting, and certainly the authors of the musical (the composer went on to have a hit with Annie) prefer it but it's not much better IMHO and is like 3 hours--way too long for such slight material. But I'm a musical theatre snob so take all this with a grain fo salt (That said, while I'm no Grease fan, I prefer 2 as well though more for sheer camp than any "darker vibe;) ")

Still I think you have a good selection of upcoming musicals, at least from the classic genre. Sweet Charity is a fave of mine (both Emma Bunton and Beyonce, with Get Me Bodied, ripped off the brilliant Fosse Rich Man's Frug number for their videos) though it kinda bridges the old classics with the more modern ones (it also uses dance in its own way almost as brilliantly as West Side Story does to tell its story, something that's harder to do in film than on stage. Sondheim who wrote the lyrics for West Side Story,his first musical, even said what was sogroundbreaking about it was how it toldits story through music and dance).. But I'll be interested to hear what you think of them all.

One I forgot, but I think you might like is Gypsy, the Sondheim/Styne musical that was created as a showcase for Ethel Merman in 1959. There's a movie version from the 60s starring Natalie Wood and Roz Russell and although I love Roz Russell it's a bad movie--it just never comes alive. But the creators all got together to make a tv movie version in 1993 starring Bette Midler that is *brilliant*--very faithful to the play and great. It's on DVD and I really recommend it.

ANother since you like classic movies is the only musical Brando did(!) Guys and Dolls. He's pretty miscast and it still works better on stage but it's a good movie version, and keeps the great athletic male dancing of Michael Kidd fromthe stage version. Kidd's movie musical Seven Brides for Seven Brothers is also classic.

As for Leslie Caron, her two best are An Amercan in Paris (Gene Kelly's best film IMHO, even more ambitious than Singing in the Rain with a 20 minute dance piece and great Gershwin songs) and oneof my all time faves, Gigi directed by Vincent Mineli, with a gorgeous Louis Jordan. It was created by MGM when My Fair Lady became a massive hit on broadway but MGM couldn't get the movie rights, so they got the writers of MFLady, Lerner and Lowe to write Gigi for them expressly for a movie (I think it's better than the movie they eventually made of Lady though many wouldn't agree I admit).

Where do you live? The stage Lion King is impressivelargely for its staging but might not really be your thing, but the revival of South Pacific touring that you say is coming is basically considered the best staging of South Pacific ever--most critics think even better than its original production (and doesn't have those ridiculous colour filters the movie has LOL).

[Chris B]

Maybe darker was the wrong word for Grease 2. I just felt it had more sensuality and felt like a movie of the 80s. I mean you're going from Olivia Newton John (and originally they wanted Marie Bloody Osmond!) to Michelle Phiffer. Some people just bring the sexy with them. The first one had it's moments but was kinda sugary-sweet. I could see them remaking it with Hilary Duff and Zac Efron and me wanting to kill myself if I ever had to see it. Interviews with John Stamos is what put Bye Bye Birdie in my head. I've never liked him so I probably wouldn't want to see that. I still maintain my love for the original film though. I tend to like such depressing films so it was nice to just laugh and enjoy something fun. It made my little gay heart skip a beat several times. I think it'll lead me to checking out those Elvis/Shelley Fabares musicals. I loved her on Coach btw.

Also due to my extreme Knots Landing love I plan on looking for How To Succeed In Business Without Trying (I *think* that is the name). She's done a lot of stage work (same with Joan Van Ark and Julie Harris) that I unfortunately have never seen.

I'll look for this one first then. There were a lot of good tv movies and mini-series and it makes me sad to see it's so dead now. It would be a great way to get some of these musicals made. Like you, I'd love to see Promises, Promises in some format. I only know that music from Dionne Warwick and it's some of my favorite Bacharach/David work. I can't imagine those songs sung on stage every night though!

My god! That 20 minute dance number sounds great! I love the dancing in these films. Especially from the men. So sexy to see a man dancing and singing. Especially when they physically aren't the type you'd expect to see doing that. On a shameful note...I only know Leslie Caron from Falcon Crest. She was so delightfully bizarre on that show like so many of the old Hollywood guest stars.

I live in San Antonio, Texas. It's one of the biggest cities in Texas along with Austin, Dallas and Houston. In recent years it's just been growing and growing, but the Majestic has been one of the main attractions from as long as I can remember. Whenever these touring productions come it's a big deal and well promoted. Wicked it the most recent one I recall coming and people went nuts. I just know The Lion King won't be for me so I'll pass, but the other two sound good. Especially South Pacific which I'm excited to watch.

Right now I'm swearing off all other films so I can just focus on musicals. I was halfway through a James Bond marathon and about to start the North and South saga, but those must wait.

[EricMontreal22]

WellI definitely enjoy reading what you see and what you think.

Actually the TV adapation of works liekGypsy led to the revival of big screen musicals--the producers of Gypsy (Craig Zadan was one) went on to produce Chicago and it was greenlit partly because the tv airings had done much better than expected (Gypsy in particular was a huge hit--I vaguely remember seeing Bob Mackie on some talk show discussing his costumes for the strippers).

Promises Promises is getting a big Broadway revival this Spring staring (I think sadly miscast but...) umm the guy whoplays Jack in Will and Grace and a way too old Kristen Chenowith. Still it's about time it gets revived--I LOVE the original cast album. As a big dance fan, one thing I appreciate about the original production is it made a huge star of its young choreographer, Michael Bennett who went on to create Chorus Line and Dreamgirls (and become massively rich from them before dieing way too young of AIDS). For a while Michael Bennett and Bob FOsse were the two big director/choreographers who mattered in New York. This was the hysterical, wonderful 60s dance ending of Act I of PP, Turkey Lurkey Time a number that in the story of the musical was meant to be hastily written for a Christmas office party, and performed by the three secretaries. It's ridiculous fun and I love it:

(apparantly after doing the number every night the main girls would run backstage and vomit into big buckets laid out for them, they found it so exhausting lol) the number is beloved by musical theatre fags like me--you can find many youtube clips of people recreating it lol

I also love Michele Lee and she's wonderful in How to Succeed in Business (it's by the writers of Guys and Dolls and the movie kept most of the Broadway cast and Fosse's funny dances and is worth seeing). Here she is singing two songs from a flop I love that she stared in in 1974, by the Sweet CHarity composers--Seesaw.

and