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| re: Also, so much for '1491,' Meredith Willson's musical about Columbus, being rediscovered | |
| Last Edit: BroadwayTonyJ 10:50 pm EDT 06/27/20 | |
| Posted by: BroadwayTonyJ 10:38 pm EDT 06/27/20 | |
| In reply to: Also, so much for '1491,' Meredith Willson's musical about Columbus, being rediscovered - WaymanWong 03:08 pm EDT 06/27/20 | |
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| I recall John Cullum stating in an interview many years ago that his character in 1491 had to sing a lot of patter songs that were pretty bad and did not suggest the period that the show was set in. BTW there is a musical in which Christopher Columbus is a character. It's the 1945 film musical Where Do We Go from Here? with a very good score by Kurt Weill and Ira Gershwin. Columbus has a lengthy musical number titled (appropriately) "Columbus (The Nina, the Pinta, the Santa Maria)". The song has been described as a mock-opera bouffe, which set the perfect tone for a scene taking place in the 15th century. |
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| Columbus as Harold Hill? Ya got trouble! | |
| Posted by: WaymanWong 12:27 pm EDT 06/28/20 | |
| In reply to: re: Also, so much for '1491,' Meredith Willson's musical about Columbus, being rediscovered - BroadwayTonyJ 10:38 pm EDT 06/27/20 | |
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| According to the 2000 book ''Meredith Willson: The Unsinkable Music Man'' (by John C. Skipper): ''Willson said his research on Columbus found him to be energetic, enthusiastic, talkative and inventive - much like Professor Harold Hill.'' For any ''1491'' collectors, there's a demo for sale at Footlight and an original theater program at Amazon (going for $99.99)! |
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| re: Columbus as Harold Hill? Ya got trouble! | |
| Posted by: BroadwayTonyJ 11:41 am EDT 06/29/20 | |
| In reply to: Columbus as Harold Hill? Ya got trouble! - WaymanWong 12:27 pm EDT 06/28/20 | |
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| It wasn't a bad idea to make Columbus energetic, enthusiastic, talkative, and inventive, but Willson failed to come up with a musical style that evoked the period and made his lead character believable instead of ridiculous. According to Mandlebaum in Not Since Carrie, "rhythm numbers in Willson's 'speak song' style from The Music Man" did not work for a story set in 15th century Spain. However, Weill and Gershwin's comic opera inventiveness in Where Do We Go from Here? succeeded beautifully. Their Columbus number can be viewed on YouTube. |
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