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Don Basilio
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« on: 13:08:00, 23-05-2008 » |
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I'd be interested to hear. I have tried to include a work by the best know practitioners, but I don't know Carousel at all: I have the impression it is more admired than Oklahoma or South Pacific.
If I have missed one out that you would like to vote for, mention it in a text and I will add it.
The poll will run for 12 (twelve) days, BUT you are allowed to change your vote.
The cut-off date is deliberately to exclude West Side Story and subsequent Sondheims, but if you have comments on those, do say.
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To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under heaven.
A time to weep, and a time to laugh: a time to mourn, and a time to dance
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Ron Dough
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« Reply #1 on: 13:48:29, 23-05-2008 » |
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For someone who has spent a considerable portion of his professional life in musicals, it's an ironical truth that I'm really not very taken with the genre as a whole, and I'd gladly swap The Small House of Uncle Thomas from The King and I for all the above. The one glaring omission post-1955 for me would be that of Stephen Schwartz, though not for his best known piece ( Godspell) as the lesser-known Pippin (based loosely on the life of Peppin, son of Charlemagne) and The Baker's Wife. The former is rather trammelled by a weak book, but the individual numbers are very strong indeed, both musically and lyrically, the latter, based on a film has a better book and a less showy score. If you can play American DVDs, there's a revival of the original (Bob Fosse) production of Pippin, with one of the original stars (Ben Vereen) available quite cheaply. |
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Stanley Stewart
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« Reply #2 on: 14:15:42, 23-05-2008 » |
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A clever title DB - 'musically interesting' with a pre 1955 cut-off point. Instant recommendations:
Rodgers & Hammerstein: Oklahoma! (1943)
Allegro (1947)
Rodgers & Hart Pal Joey (1950)
Kurt Weill Lady in the Dark (1940)
Street Scene (1947)
Johnny Johnson (1936)
One Touch of Venus (1943)
Knickerbocker Holiday (1938)
Love Life (1948)
Threepenny Opera (Marc Blitzstein's English language adaptation)
Lerner & Loewe Brigadoon (1948)
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Don Basilio
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« Reply #3 on: 14:32:19, 23-05-2008 » |
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I saw the movie of Pal Joey at the South Bank with Sinatra. There was only one song sung in character, rather than as onstage piece, and that was Rita Hayworth lip-synching "Bewitched, bothered and bewildered" in her negligee and subsequently in her shower. Bliss.
It was a movie with songs. A number of them from other shows. There were no duets.
Oklhahoma! was the first movie I was ever taken to, and I was grabbed. It was subsequently the first LP my parents acquired, and I was word perfect in the words of "I'm jist a girl that cain't say no" at the age of eight. I was not conscious of the meaning.
I omitted Weil for the same reason as I omitted Bernstein. They are composers who had at the time a classical reputation, and I wanted to find out how the more tin-pan alley crowd fared. (In which case I could omit Gershwin - but he was tin pan alley first, whereas the other two made a classical reputation before Broadway.)
Tell me about Allegro.
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To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under heaven.
A time to weep, and a time to laugh: a time to mourn, and a time to dance
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autoharp
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« Reply #4 on: 14:47:09, 23-05-2008 » |
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Kurt Weill
Threepenny Opera (Marc Blitzstein's English language adaptation)
Ah yes! Oh let's go bar--my! And join the ar--my! |
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oliver sudden
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« Reply #5 on: 15:35:31, 23-05-2008 » |
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"I'm jist a girl that cain't say no" I knew someone who used to do a cabaret number based on that which started "I'm jist a girl that cain't say n-!" and then ground to an abrupt halt... |
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Stanley Stewart
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« Reply #6 on: 17:22:55, 23-05-2008 » |
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R & H Allegro 1947 A brave, experimental piece which O.H. always wanted to have a second go at. Only 'Me & Juliet' (1953) offered advances in score, structure and staging that were at least 10 years ahead of their time. The surviving recordings on RCA show what could have been. The numbers which spring to mind are 'A gentleman is a dope', 'So far', 'A fellow needs a girl', 'You are never away' are fine songs, sung by the original cast Lisa Kirk and John Battles.
'Pal Joey' Alas, the film version was sanitised although it did have Sinatra as Joey- an ideal bum, an anti-hero. The last major London revival was in 1980 and I remember trolling out to the New Half Moon Theatre, Hackney, to see Sian Phillips (Vera), Denis Lawson (Joey) and Danielle Carson (Linda). A few terrific duets, DB, "Take him" when Vera & Linda practically auction Joey off; 'Plant You Now, Dig You Later', 'In Our Little Den' (Vera & Joey), 'I Could Write a Book' (Joey & Linda) and, of course, "Zip" - the imaginings of a Zip, a stripper as she does her stage routine ("I read Schopenhauer today") - now, you MUST have heard 'Elaine Stritch At Liberty' talking about her debut as Zip; understudying Ethel Merman on Broadway and making a quick out-of-town dash for this 11 o'clock number?
The New Half Moon production transferred to the Albery (now the Noel Coward Theatre!) for a successful run. A truly great contender.
Kurt Weill wrote his American musicals aimed at the Broadway vernacular; nothing more or less.
I've been sitting in the garden trying to finish Simon Gray's 'Smoking Diaries' and the damned musicals, like Auld Lang Syne, keep coming to mind. I'd like to add;
Rodgers & Hart On Your Toes (1936) - top notch R & H. Slaughter on 10th Avenue, Small Hotel, It's Got To Be Love, 'Two a day for Keith'.
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John W
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« Reply #7 on: 21:21:09, 23-05-2008 » |
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I'm only a great fan of pre-WWII musicals so Showboat got my vote. I have many original recordings of the four popular songs from the show.
Another musical: I know four songs also from Lady, Be Good and have seen the film starring Eleanor Powell, long time ago.
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Don Basilio
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« Reply #8 on: 21:28:00, 23-05-2008 » |
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I have many original recordings of the four popular songs from the show.
Ol' Man River Cain't Help Lovin' Dat Man o' Mine Bill Only Make believe A Life Upon the Wicked Stage You are Love Gallivantin' Around All spring to mind. Which 4 did you mean? In fact the first three strike me as deeply moving, especially Cain't help lovin'. Bill is very touching. In fact the most touching words P G Wodehouse ever wrote. |
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To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under heaven.
A time to weep, and a time to laugh: a time to mourn, and a time to dance
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Morticia
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« Reply #9 on: 22:00:18, 23-05-2008 » |
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Now this could be my memory playing tricks on me but I seem to recall seeing a London production of Lady, Be Good with Lionel Blair in the cast. Late 60s? I am also desperately trying to remember the two leads in a production of On Your Toes back in the, maybe, late 70s, early 80s? A male American dancer possibly called Tim? I can see his face but the name escapes me. Gosh, could he move!
Sorry, moving off-topic.
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Ron Dough
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« Reply #10 on: 22:06:28, 23-05-2008 » |
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Tim Flavin, Mort.
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Morticia
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« Reply #11 on: 22:09:30, 23-05-2008 » |
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Ahhh, of course! Thanks for that Ron. It was bugging me.
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John W
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« Reply #12 on: 22:15:57, 23-05-2008 » |
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I have many original recordings of the four popular songs from the show.
Ol' Man River Cain't Help Lovin' Dat Man o' Mine Bill Only Make believe A Life Upon the Wicked Stage You are Love Gallivantin' Around All spring to mind. Which 4 did you mean? In fact the first three strike me as deeply moving, especially Cain't help lovin'. Bill is very touching. In fact the most touching words P G Wodehouse ever wrote. Don, I don't have any recordings of Bill. I'm saying four of the songs were popular in that many many recordings were made by dance bands, jazz bands and solo recording artistes in the 1920s-1930s. The four are Ol' Man River, Why Do I Love You?, Make Believe, and Can't Help Lovin' Dat Man.John |
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Stanley Stewart
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« Reply #13 on: 22:32:13, 23-05-2008 » |
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Yes, John W, my vote is also hovering over "Showboat" (1928) as it made a seamless transition from narrative to music and sustained the momentum; probably not seen again until "Oklahoma!" (1943. Incidentally, Tim Carter's "Oklahoma!" (2007) The Making of an American Musical is a good read.
"Showboat" - I've got off-air videos of the 1936 and 1951 film versions ready to go to DVD transfer. In 1936, Paul Robeson, brought huge stature to the role of Joe, as did Wm Warfield in 1951. Alan Jones played Gaylord Ravenal with Irene Dunne as Lavinia and this version covered Edna Ferber's marathon in full. The 1951 version, glorious technicolour, only covered half the novel, ending at the reconciliation between Gaylor (Howard Keel - what a voice!) and Lavinia (Kathryn Grayson). Ava Gardner replaced an ailing Judy Garland and played a most touching Julie. The original Broadway cast Julie, Helen Morgan, repeated her role in the 1936 version. James (Gods & Monsters) Whale directed and I think his version wins by a whisker.
"Lady Be Good" The 1941 version, long since unavailable, has just turned up in Classical Musicals from the Dream Factory DVD box set but is only compatible with Region 1, or universal DVD players. The film is quite dotty but does have the title song, Fascinating Rhythm, You'll Never Know' and The Last Time I saw Paris to keep it lively.
Opera North scored with a fine production of 'Show Boat' circa 1990.
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« Last Edit: 00:14:30, 24-05-2008 by Stanley Stewart »
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martle
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« Reply #14 on: 22:45:29, 23-05-2008 » |
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I've just voted for Carousel. Although 3-penny opera runs it an very close second. I'd go for C'sel mainly because of the unfailing quality of the music, plus a very, very tight and effective storyline.
While we're at it, how about best individual songs - I'm nominating 'When I Marry Mr. Snow', right here and now.
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Green. Always green.
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Poll
