Re: The Wizard of Oz

[EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote in message news:<[EMAIL PROTECTED]>...
> On 22 Nov 2003 03:09:54 -0800, [EMAIL PROTECTED] (Cori)
> wrote:
> /snip/
> 
> >For you Narnia fans out there: does anyone find the illustrations of
> >the mice helping the Cowardly Lion, and the flying monkeys tying him
> >up, more than a bit Aslanish?
> 
> 
> Check the copyright dates? More likely Oz inspired Lewis. Of course the
> basic idea of mice freeing a lion is from Aesop or somewhere.
> 
> 
> Rosemary --
> http://www.rosemarylake.com
> fairy tales online

That's what I meant, although I forgot the early classical origins. 
Perhaps I was too busy pondering Tin Man's resemblance to a knight in
armor or a "Star Wars" robot.  If the Oz books were available in
England within a few years of their publication, C. S. Lewis could
easily have read them as a child.
Our Sunday matinee got really interesting.  It being the end of a
holiday weekend, a lot of peoples' family members from out of town
were there.  Having got practiced up and...whatever...out of our
systems, we were as near perfect overall as we've ever been.  A few
individual scenes have been known to go better, but there were very
few mistakes, fewer still noticable to the audience, and some of those
made it funnier--very few real flubs, and none of those really threw
things.  Act 1 sailed along amazingly.  Not only did I never play so
well on every song, the whole orchestra sounded better than ever!  I
was so happy.  The real hilarity came at the beginning of Act 2. 
Since I am both playing in the orchestra and handling sound effects, I
am kept jumping.  Usually I have just barely time to play the last of
the Entr'Acte, put that stuff aside, and put the doorbell effect into
place by the time Tin Man says, "Ring the bell, Scarecrow.  Let them
know we're here."  (Have you ever understood why there is a ringing
sound if the bell was supposed to be out of order?  But in the movie
there is one, and anyhow, this effect, done on a keyboard, is
odd-sounding enough that it *might* be out of order.)  A few times I
wasn't even quick enough to look up to make sure my "Ding-Dong" was in
time with the Scarecrow's pulls, just dived on it.  Tom, who plays the
guard, is very quick, and usually is already jumping out yelling, "Who
rang that bell?" before I've finished the "Dong" of the "Ding-Dong." 
So this time, "Ding-Dong"...nothing.  Tin Man says, "Maybe they didn't
hear you.  Ring again, Scarecrow."  "Ding-Dong."  Nothing.  Scarecrow
says, "They must be on a coffee break."  Some of the audience thinks
he said a potty break and start cracking up.  "Ding-Dong."  Lion says,
"They must be on an ESPRESSO break!"  Scarecrow and I are drawing the
"Ding-Dongs" out as long as possible to stall.  Then Scarecrow decides
to really let the bell rope have it and yanks on it, so I make the
keyboard go, "Diiiinnnng-Doooonnng," to go with how the bell rope is
shaking.  Maybe you had to be there, but it was a TOTAL crackup.  Then
the guard arrives, all red and sweating, puffing and panting out of
breath, "Who rang that bell?"  "We did!"  The guard gasps, "They make
those halls so LONG!"  Someone remarked afterwards, "Nice cover at the
beginning of Act 2," and as it turned out not everyone in the audience
realized it wasn't supposed to be that way!  Tom was quite red-faced
about it, but I said I never had so much fun.  Usually I barely have
time to ring the bell once, and Sunday I rang it practically more
times than all the other times put together!  As it turns out, since
we have no backstage to speak of (most of the people are in two other
buildings and even a tent!) Tom was playing Scrabble with the younger
kids (who were royally beating him).  The speakers weren't on and they
were unaware Act 2 had even started till some messenger burst in
yelling, "Tom!  You're on!"  The rest of it went, I would say, quite
well and we were pretty ecstatic over it.  I think the only problem we
have is wondering how we will ever top this.  (Not so much in other
performances, but in subsequent productions.)