Threaded Order Chronological Order
| re: Oklahoma Jewish | |
| Posted by: aleck 05:21 pm EDT 08/31/19 | |
| In reply to: re: Oklahoma Jewish - AlanScott 04:29 pm EDT 08/31/19 | |
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| I had a friend who attended the opening night of the original production because her mother was the vocal coach for Alfred Drake and Celeste Holm. While she sometimes spoke about how thrilling that opening night was, we never got around to talking about this point of whether the audience perceived the peddler as Jewish or not. (Sadly, she is no longer with us.) I think that audiences come in with some knowledge and preconceptions of these things -- especially then -- and react accordingly. I don't think it was an accident that someone so well-known from the Yiddish theatre was cast in that part. It had to be part of the texture of the production. But, then, the original "Billy" (or Liliom) in Liliom was Joseph Schildkraut, who, too, was known as a Jewish actor. What dynamic did that bring to the production for the audience of the time? Audiences DO make judgments based on these things. Even today. |
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| Italian Americans in Oklahoma! | |
| Posted by: BruceinIthaca 06:48 pm EDT 08/31/19 | |
| In reply to: re: Oklahoma Jewish - aleck 05:21 pm EDT 08/31/19 | |
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| When we did it in high school, our Ali Hakim was Italian American--a guy by the name of Dan Castellaneta. And our Laurey was also Italian American--she went by the name Mary Mastrantonio (she added the Elizabeth, her middle name, when she started performing professionally). Our Dream Laurey was Greek American, with the lovely name Helene Alexopoulos (I doubt many high schools had a Dream Laurey who was studying with Maria Tallchief and would go on to be a soloist with the New York City Ballet). I, alas, was only in the chorus (though I had a name--"Chalmers"--and played the fiddle break for the dance in "The Farmer and the Bowman"). I did get to pair up briefly for the walk-on for the "Many a New Day," escorting another chorus member on for her to serve as back-up--her name was Kathy Griffin. She had fiery red hair and a tongue to match. Wonder what ever happened to any of these folk? Yes, it was a suburban public high school--west of Chicago--back when towns were willing to pay school taxes to support the arts! |
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| Quite a cast! | |
| Posted by: stevemr 08:15 pm EDT 08/31/19 | |
| In reply to: Italian Americans in Oklahoma! - BruceinIthaca 06:48 pm EDT 08/31/19 | |
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| That has to have been one of the most "star-studded" high school productions ever in a public, non-arts centered school. | |
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