Classical Music, Poetry and stuff

[Miss Aeryn]

Well when you come to London you can bathe in the reflected glory - but sitting alone in a room with me.

With a offer like that how could a girl refuse?

[Prospero]

I have a sneaking feeling that, just perhaps, you do find this offer resistible Miss Aeryn. But c'mon now - you know it would improve antipodean relations no end. I'll make you a nice cup of tea.

[Miss Aeryn]

but what kind of tea?

:P

[Stavros]

but what kind of tea?

Miss Aeryn, read or see The Tempest and then join the dots: Prospero..Tea...

[Stavros]

RobertLouis -it was Burgess himself who had the idea of scoring A Clockwork Orange for the stage. I doubt Lord Lloyd-Webber could make anything musically valid from it -for what its worth I went to the 3rd performance of Evita! in London whenever that was -Harold Prince, who staged West Side Story with Jerome Robbins, produced a great show. Shame about the music.

[Prospero]

No-one has ever doubted that the Lloyd Webber stagings are a grand spectacle. Surely not enough. Did Guys and Dolls, Kiss Me Kate or My Fair Lady need grand stagings? They'd stand-up to a concert performance. And as you say Stavros - shame about the music. he sually manages one "memorable' song a how - memorable in that you can remember the tunes (and he seems to remember them too - and use melodies by other composers)

[Stavros]

I am ambivalent on musicals -I was fortunate to have parents who were sufficiently interested in culture to get me to the theatre, ballet and opera by the time I was 11 years old. I was also taken to see Oliver! when I was I think 11 or 12 an age when I think its easy to impress -but it was a great show with some great songs, and still is -I was appalled on the one occasion I saw the BBC tv auditions with that semi-incoherent idiot on a throne gushing You could be Nancy!
I was also taken to see the film of South Pacific in the days when there was a live band before the film started -the film was controversial because of the mixed-race relationship that develops, but the songs are excellent, and I watched the film on tv last year I think it was, with a lot of pleasure. On the other hand, My Fair Lady, Mary Poppins, Sound of Music, do nothing for me. The King and I is a mixed bag, I was dragged to see it because my mother liked Yul Bryner; but Happy Talk is a wonderful song. I am unable to connect with Sondheim even though I appreciate his role in keeping the musical alive as a genre. Finally, and I dont want to sound like a London taxi driver, but aren't there just too many musicals on in the West End?

[Miss Aeryn]

but what kind of tea?

Miss Aeryn, read or see The Tempest and then join the dots: Prospero..Tea...

good to see that went straight over my head like a F-111 on afterburn sigh.

I see said the blind man

[robertlouis]

I am ambivalent on musicals -I was fortunate to have parents who were sufficiently interested in culture to get me to the theatre, ballet and opera by the time I was 11 years old. I was also taken to see Oliver! when I was I think 11 or 12 an age when I think its easy to impress -but it was a great show with some great songs, and still is -I was appalled on the one occasion I saw the BBC tv auditions with that semi-incoherent idiot on a throne gushing You could be Nancy!
I was also taken to see the film of South Pacific in the days when there was a live band before the film started -the film was controversial because of the mixed-race relationship that develops, but the songs are excellent, and I watched the film on tv last year I think it was, with a lot of pleasure. On the other hand, My Fair Lady, Mary Poppins, Sound of Music, do nothing for me. The King and I is a mixed bag, I was dragged to see it because my mother liked Yul Bryner; but Happy Talk is a wonderful song. I am unable to connect with Sondheim even though I appreciate his role in keeping the musical alive as a genre. Finally, and I dont want to sound like a London taxi driver, but aren't there just too many musicals on in the West End?

I'm ambivalent too, Stavros, although I have a hankering for those with a strong story, and if it's dark and controversial like Carousel, all the better. In addition to my early introduction to oratorio by two very musical parents, I also met a lot of Rogers and Hammerstein/Hart, Lerner and Loewe etc musicals through their involvement in amateur theatricals. Because of that, Oklahoma still has a special thrill for me, as does West Side Story - Sondheim's first book to Bernstein's music, I think.

My goddaughter has done quite a few west-end productions in the chorus, usually the more esoteric ones, like the frankly amazing adaptation of Wedekind's Spring Awakening, Rent etc. I'd rather risk one of those than see yet another revival, anything by Andrew Feckin' Lloyd Feckin' Webber makes me nauseous, and the various concoctions built around pop songs like Mama Mia, Queen etc make me want to kill someone, they are so awful in every possible way.

So yes, far too many musicals in the West End, but Kate is taking me to see her in Parade at the Southwark Playhouse in two weeks, and I'm sure to enjoy it.

[Miss Aeryn]

My goddaughter has done quite a few west-end productions in the chorus, usually the more esoteric ones, like the frankly amazing adaptation of Wedekind's Spring Awakening, Rent etc. I'd rather risk one of those than see yet another revival, anything by Andrew Feckin' Lloyd Feckin' Webber makes me nauseous, and the various concoctions built around pop songs like Mama Mia, Queen etc make me want to kill someone, they are so awful in every possible way.

LOL well awful they might be but at least they are keeping the theatre alive, wouldn't you agree? They may well be the equivalent of fast food, but the good thing is that a fair number of people are introduced to the theatre world via fast food and once they get tired of the cardboard munching they move on to something more hearty and nutritious for the soul

Well that's the theory anyhow lmao!!

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