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| re: Happy Talk racist? | |
| Posted by: Pokernight 06:27 pm EST 02/20/19 | |
| In reply to: re: Happy Talk racist? - Michael_Portantiere 02:21 pm EST 02/20/19 | |
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| It was done slowly, hauntingly, and hypnotically as if a spell was being cast...….instead of the usual bouncy renditions | |
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| re: Happy Talk racist? | |
| Posted by: Michael_Portantiere 12:36 pm EST 02/21/19 | |
| In reply to: re: Happy Talk racist? - Pokernight 06:27 pm EST 02/20/19 | |
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| Hmm, I just re-watched the video of the Lincoln Center SOUTH PACIFIC, and with all due respect, I think your memory is unclear, because I wouldn't describe the performance of "Happy Talk" as slow, haunting, or hypnotic. The tempo sounds pretty much the same as what we're used to from the many recordings of the song, including the original cast album, and the film version. Still quite bouncy. The big difference I see in the interpretation is that Cable looks quite troubled throughout -- as if he is already thinking he has to tell Liat and Mary that he can't marry Liat -- and also, I think Loretta Ables Sayre plays the song as more aggressive and even a little desperate, far less light-hearted than the way it's played in the film. | |
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| re: Happy Talk racist? | |
| Last Edit: mikem 06:46 pm EST 02/20/19 | |
| Posted by: mikem 06:39 pm EST 02/20/19 | |
| In reply to: re: Happy Talk racist? - Pokernight 06:27 pm EST 02/20/19 | |
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| I have never seen any other production of South Pacific, but one thing that I was surprised by was that the primary emotion in "Happy Talk" was desperation. Bloody Mary must sell her vision to Cable, and as you say, there's nothing really "happy" about her "Happy Talk." For all the reasons stated by others in this thread, I'm not thrilled that Bloody Mary sings this song with a generic "exotic" accent rather than one that is likely to be accurate, but that's a reflection of the period when it was written. Part of the reason why it doesn't bother me is because Bloody Mary is singing the song as a salesperson, selling the fantasy to the white guy. And throughout the show, she's selling and deal-making, and part of her sales persona is being the "exotic" native. I'm not saying it's conscious on her part, but being the "exotic" native probably makes her seem more naive and less threatening to the men. It probably helps her get better deals. If she were singing the song to her friends at home, it might bother me more, but here, the "exotic" accent and broken grammar is just part of her sales uniform with the sailors. |
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