Re: Now that I have seen Oklahoma!...

Gosh, Mila, I'm sorry you don't respond to what is arguably the most perfect
musical ever written in the U.S.  The integration of the book, music, dance,
and lyrics is beyond praise and the story, besides its treasure of charm and
wit, has much to say about the things people in love do to sabotage
themselves and others.

But everyone can't respond to everything.  I've tried to read Joyce's
ULYSSES several times and always throw it down in disgust.  I can't get past
Joyce's pretention, pedantry, dumb puns, and lack of humor (REAL humor, I
mean, not fey literary in-jokes).

I was interested to discover Joyce's friend Virginia Woolf felt the same
way.  After reading the manuscript she wrote in a letter that it was
[quoting from memory] "too bad James spent so much time and effort on such a
pretentious failure".

"BTC/TAK on ACK" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote in message
news:[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> > [order changed] LION KING or  TITANIC or EVITA or LES MIZ
>
> (A) I may be the only person on this group [within shootin' distance of a
LK
> production, at least] that hasn't seen it. Not that I "absolutely never
> will"; but the moments I've seen on TV, ads, etc., get me to feeling a few
> "animals" may need shootin'!
> (B) I was unaware T wasn't an animated diorama! Its NY production
certainly
> was cheesy, IMHO [though I can imagine it being done more evocatively].
> (C) I think E's "diorama" moments actually worked well.
> (D) And I just don't agree with you about LM. I do think, though, that the
> more intimate feel of the theatre used for the London production worked
for
> the show, in exactly the reverse, the size of its NY theatre worked
against
> it in a REALLY HUGE way.
>
> > Too bad you missed John Raitt...
>
> But I didn't [if you mean the '65 Music Theater of Lincoln Center revival,
> that is]. I found that production waaaaay too cloying for my taste. I
recall
> thinking, at the time, that I would have liked to see the Julie and Carrie
> switch roles... and wondered if the Nettie had, perhaps, popped a tainted
> raw clam in her mouth while preparing for the bake.
>
> > And the "No" changed all that for you?
>
> Refresh my memory, please.
>
> > This presentation also missed the joy/comedy boat
>
> I, personally, don't think "the joy/comedy boat" was the primary "vehicle"
> R&H had in mind for the audience to "board" for the evening when creating
C.
>
> Mila
>
>
>
> "Steve Newport" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote in message
> news:[EMAIL PROTECTED]
>
> [EMAIL PROTECTED] (BTC/TAK on ACK) It takes a few
> years [or decades] before I forget how much OKLAHOMA! makes me feel like
> I've just seen an animated diorama at a cheesy theme park.
> -------------------------------------
> SN: Ah, my LION KING or LES MIZ or EVITA or TITANIC (American setting or
> not.)
> -------------------------------------
> The London revival [which hit B'way in '94] was about as well done a
> CAROUSEL as I'm ever likely to see
> --------------------------------------
> SN: Too bad you missed John Raitt and Howard Keel, then. I rank that
> CAROUSEL as the worst major revival I've ever seen.
> --------------------------------------
> Julie is just the latest in a line-up of victims some of us get queasy
> seeing being cruelly treated... it really "puts me off" the show's other
> strong points.)
> -------------------------------------
> SN: And the "No" changed all that for you? This presentation also missed
> the joy/comedy boat, and, as a direct result-- "put people off" the
> piece altogether.
> -------------------------------------
> Previously: [EMAIL PROTECTED] (Paul) Trying to make things realistic
> or "dark" just makes the piece seem less organic and robs it of much of
> its charm without adding anything particularly insightful. The depth is
> not in its darkness but in its joy, its high spirits, and its simple
> CHARM.
> ------------------------------------ 
> SN: Right. And (amendment: irony alert) I say we beat the shit out of
> anyone who disagrees. Not just on OKLAHOMA! but on Musical
> Comedy/Operetta (which includes OKLAHOMA! and CAROUSEL) in general.
>
>
>
> http://www.theanimalrescuesite.com
>
>