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| re: Gilbert & Sullivan | |
| Last Edit: Chromolume 11:33 pm EDT 08/29/20 | |
| Posted by: Chromolume 11:32 pm EDT 08/29/20 | |
| In reply to: re: Gilbert & Sullivan - DavidEsq 11:12 pm EDT 08/29/20 | |
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| The music is very period and much of the humor intellectual based on issues of that day. Yes. The music has occasionally been pastiched (if I can verb that word) in scores - certainly in A Gentleman's Guide, and of course the British Admiral's section of "Please Hello" in Pacific Overtures. Also the "Speed Test" number in Thoroughly Modern Millie is literally straight out of Ruddigore (as is, by the way, the idea of the ancestors' portraits coming to life as used in Me And My Girl). But a whole score with an authentic G&S feel might not work as well. And yes, some of the plots are so specific to British satire that they might not translate well to audiences who don't already know something about the shows. Patience comes to mind - would a modern audience not "into G&S" be up for a satire on the 19th century Aesthetic Movement lol? (Though I did a production a while back where the director tried a different take with the cast - knowing the Aesthetic plot would play itself, he put the emphasis on the love plot - particularly the dragoons coming back to claim their wives, to find them all madly in love with poets instead. I think it helped clarify what was actually going on.) |
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| re: Gilbert & Sullivan | |
| Posted by: DavidEsq 11:46 pm EDT 08/29/20 | |
| In reply to: re: Gilbert & Sullivan - Chromolume 11:32 pm EDT 08/29/20 | |
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| Agreed - I think you can easily find many other examples of things that were influenced by G&S (I always thought Merano from Chess - minus the Freddie section - had a G&S influence) and patter songs in general pop up all over the place. Sections of dialog such as Pooh-Bah recounting his many governmental roles or Paradox from Pirates can still work. But yes - entire shows are difficult. I actually did a production of a Star Trek themed Pinafore in NYC a while back which was a lot of fun. I'm not usually a huge fan of things like that as they always seem so forced but luckily the authors were huge G&S and Sci-Fi fans and the updated lyrics were hysterical if you knew the references. I frankly think it worked better than the original (and they even made the switched at birth plotline which is usually ridiculous because of the age gap make logical sense!) | |
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| re: Gilbert & Sullivan | |
| Posted by: StanS 03:30 pm EDT 08/31/20 | |
| In reply to: re: Gilbert & Sullivan - DavidEsq 11:46 pm EDT 08/29/20 | |
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| Was the Star Trek Pinafore for the Village Light Opera Group, by any chance? | |
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| re: Gilbert & Sullivan | |
| Posted by: DavidEsq 03:39 pm EDT 09/01/20 | |
| In reply to: re: Gilbert & Sullivan - StanS 03:30 pm EDT 08/31/20 | |
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| It was! The Captain was played by Nathan Hull who also was artistic director of Amore Opera who died unexpectedly a few weeks ago. | |
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| re: Gilbert & Sullivan | |
| Posted by: JereNYC (JereNYC@aol.com) 03:54 pm EDT 09/01/20 | |
| In reply to: re: Gilbert & Sullivan - DavidEsq 03:39 pm EDT 09/01/20 | |
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| Was that production presented down at Pace University? I think I saw that. I had some issues about the way it was adapted, but I really applaud the company for trying something different, rather than the same old traditional production that's been seen a hundred times. |
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| re: Gilbert & Sullivan | |
| Posted by: DavidEsq 05:04 pm EDT 09/01/20 | |
| In reply to: re: Gilbert & Sullivan - JereNYC 03:54 pm EDT 09/01/20 | |
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| That one was at FIT. You were in a VLOG production right? Me and My GIrl??? | |
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| re: Gilbert & Sullivan | |
| Posted by: StanS 02:52 pm EDT 09/02/20 | |
| In reply to: re: Gilbert & Sullivan - DavidEsq 05:04 pm EDT 09/01/20 | |
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| I was playing piano in the pit for that VLOG production of Me and My Girl in 2003. Great memory. Fell in love with that show then. | |
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| re: Gilbert & Sullivan | |
| Posted by: JereNYC (JereNYC@aol.com) 12:00 pm EDT 09/02/20 | |
| In reply to: re: Gilbert & Sullivan - DavidEsq 05:04 pm EDT 09/01/20 | |
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| I was in MY FAVORITE YEAR with them. | |
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| re: Gilbert & Sullivan | |
| Posted by: Snowysdad 03:31 pm EDT 08/30/20 | |
| In reply to: re: Gilbert & Sullivan - DavidEsq 11:46 pm EDT 08/29/20 | |
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| Funny, a company that I cover in St. Petersburg did exactly the same thing to Pirates. I fondly remember a child actor they favor running around in an R2D2 costume, although in what role I can't quite remember. Not being either a Star Trek or Pirates fan (the operetta, not the baseball team who play spring training in my home town) it didn't land as strongly for me as for some. | |
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| re: Gilbert & Sullivan | |
| Posted by: Chromolume 12:02 am EDT 08/30/20 | |
| In reply to: re: Gilbert & Sullivan - DavidEsq 11:46 pm EDT 08/29/20 | |
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| Yes about "Merano" - although I've always thought it odd that the lyric refers to Rodgers and Hammerstein. A most ingenious paradox? | |
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