A Question for Ms. Klausner

[Sarah]

So what do you think of Kiss Me Kate?  The movie sucks, but I was always partial to the original Broadway cast recording (with Howard Keel, in fact).  I used to know all the lyrics by heart and could probably still sing along pretty respectably if I tried.

[dave from knoxville]

Emma Brockes wrote about 7BF7B in her great essay anthology, What Would Barbra Do?

Brockes wonders whether anybody on the set of the film in 1954 ever considered that the retelling of the legend of the rape of the Sabine women via a song called "Sobbin' Women" was in slightly bad taste.

She writes,

"In a sort of anthem to no-means-yes, [Howard Keel] sang of how, although the women acted 'angry' and 'annoyed,' when it came down to it they were secretly 'overjoyed.'"

Then that's the song I will try to post.

[Julie Klausner]

Looooove Kiss Me, Kate. I regret not having a Cole Porter selection on my "Top Ten," but the idea of a Top Ten was already giving me a panic attack, remember? I would swap it out with Jesus Christ Superstar if I was drunk enough. I like Anything Goes, too, but KMK is more of a complete show: Anything Goes is sort of a revue.

And the movie is certainly uneven. But ANN MILLER? Come on. That woman is basically a tiger who, at any moment, threatens to burst from the screen and dance your face to death. Her maniacal tapping in the "Too Darn Hot" number, combined with all the glove-and-fan stuff she does to make use of the film's 3-D technology is worth the investment in the DVD alone. Fosse as one of the dancers in the "Tom, Dick, or Harry" number is the other, even though he is troll-like and physically revolting.

[Sarah]

My problem is I just cannot stand Ann Miller, despite her lightning-quick feet.  But seeing Fosse dancing was certainly a plus.

Mainly, though, I just love the lyrics.  So funny and so smartly naughty.  I've been singing "I Hate Men" to disconcert irritating members of the opposite sex since I was a girl.  And "I've Come to Wive It Wealthily"?  "Always True to You"?  Of course, "Too Darn Hot"?  Gold. 

What about Fred Astaire musicals?  He was such a lovely dancer (I always preferred him to Gene Kelly, who was too robust and American for my tastes), and his voice is pleasant.  Plus lots of Cole Porter and George Gershwin.  Many sexy lady co-stars as well.  To heck with Ginger--what about Cyd Charisse?  And I loved Oscar Levant as a sidekick.  So much fun.

Oh, and what about The Pajama Game?  Damn Yankees?  Hell, I even has a soft spot for Busby Berkeley extravaganzas. 

In conclusion, musicals are fun.

[ughwhy]

NOT an Adam Guettel fan. Sitting through "Light in the Piazza" made me feel like I was dying of a yeast infection. The "spoiler" of that show is that it's all artsy-fartsy operatic, high brow falutin' and frou-frou, and then we find out that the daughter, who seems a little slow, is like that because when she was a little girl, her mom had a pony at her birthday party, and the horse kicked her in the head while the mother was on the phone. So she's retarded now, and the mom feels bad, because she was chatting to her pal Marge while a horse kicked her daughter in the face. That's the show. WHAT? I know.

You're completely right, it's a horrible premise and I couldn't understand the positive reaction (& long run) that the show got, except that maybe everyone felt guilty about not loving Victoria Clark's past roles enough and they needed to make up for it? But I really do love "Floyd Collins"--the premise there being a dude is stuck in a cave-in and he hallucinates, which maybe isn't a lot better, but I think the score is really fun. Piazza was not fun.

One of my favorite movie musicals is this total piece-together tragedy called "There's No Business Like Show Business"--Marilyn Monroe falling for Donald O'Connor? And lots and lots of Merman.

[Julie Klausner]

Love Pajama Game, Love Damn Yankees. I think of those shows as one in the same, even though they are not. If there is a third beat to them, it's Sweet Charity. Early 60's stuff...when Verdon and Fosse were beginning to take over the world.

For Monroe musicals I have to hedge all my bets on Gentlemen Prefer Blondes. Carol Channing played Lorelei Lee in the B'way production, and if you can paint a scenario more surreally horrifying than her vamping "Diamonds are a Girl's Best Friend," I welcome it.

[Dorvid Barnas]

I accept the challenge.

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[Sarah]

Carol Channing does a pretty fine job on the original cast recording of Gentlemen.  And I bet she was quite a looker back then as well.

[Shaggy 2 Grote]

Good explanation of "theater-funny," Julie, though I'd add that Todd basically answered his own question.  When, exactly did straight-up theater and live comedy become completely non-overlapping?   And how did comedy seem to get all of the performers who KNOW HOW TO BE FUCKING FUNNY?

I'm sorry, I've just had way too many experiences with actors killing perfectly good jokes because someone told them that YELLING WHILE MAKING FACES IS FUNNY!!!

Other quick thoughts: I love Julie's take on Light in the Piazza.  It reminds me of a director's comment that the lead in that play was "the best looking retarded girl ever."

Jon: have you checked out Company lately?  Ew buoy, it's like a Playboy joke page from 1961 set to music.  I love Sondheim like crazy but I left the Broadway revival of that one at halftime.

Finally, I'd add Kander & Ebb to everyone's list - I think Cabaret and Chicago still hold up pretty well.

[todd]

Good explanation of "theater-funny," Julie, though I'd add that Todd basically answered his own question.  When, exactly did straight-up theater and live comedy become completely non-overlapping?   And how did comedy seem to get all of the performers who KNOW HOW TO BE FUCKING FUNNY?

I'm sorry, I've just had way too many experiences with actors killing perfectly jokes because someone told them that YELLING WHILE MAKING FACES IS FUNNY!!!

Yea, I just feel bad saying "I hate musicals" when there may be great stuff out there that I just haven't been exposed to.

[Chris L]

Carol Channing played Lorelei Lee in the B'way production, and if you can paint a scenario more surreally horrifying than her vamping "Diamonds are a Girl's Best Friend," I welcome it.

How about Carol Channing dancing around in bra and tights in the movie Skidoo?

[Shaggy 2 Grote]

Good explanation of "theater-funny," Julie, though I'd add that Todd basically answered his own question.  When, exactly did straight-up theater and live comedy become completely non-overlapping?   And how did comedy seem to get all of the performers who KNOW HOW TO BE FUCKING FUNNY?

I'm sorry, I've just had way too many experiences with actors killing perfectly jokes because someone told them that YELLING WHILE MAKING FACES IS FUNNY!!!

Yea, I just feel bad saying "I hate musicals" when there may be great stuff out there that I just haven't been exposed to.

Well, don't feel bad.  It kills me a little inside when someone says they hate theater, not because I think everyone should like theater, but because I know exactly why they hate it - because their only experiences have probably been some crappy Broadway thing, or their friend's painfully bad and excruciatingly boring show.  In other words, it's theater's fault.

Musicals, on the other hand, even people I know who make a living in live theater hate musicals.  I think it's a taste thing.  That said, it's kind of like saying "I hate Jazz" - maybe you do, but there's always a chance that there's something you might like.  Speaking of which, Passing Strange is pretty good, though I'm not exactly objective about it.