Threaded Order Chronological Order
| Seeing Report that Christopher Plummer has died | |
| Posted by: comedywest 01:08 pm EST 02/05/21 | |
|
|
|
| Christopher Plummer dies at age 91 Ryan Parker, Reporter On stage, I only saw him in Othello, in which he was amazing. |
|
| reply to this message |
| re: Seeing Report that Christopher Plummer has died | |
| Posted by: WWriter 06:27 pm EST 02/05/21 | |
| In reply to: Seeing Report that Christopher Plummer has died - comedywest 01:08 pm EST 02/05/21 | |
|
|
|
| How nice to see a discussion on Plummer that mostly ignores Sound of Music. I saw him in the musical Cyrano. I accept everyone's reservations about the show, but I loved it. He was wonderful, as was Leigh Berry. I also saw him in The Good Doctor, in which he gave a sloppy, careless performance. Very disappointing. But, oh, Cyrano! |
|
| reply to this message |
| re: Seeing Report that Christopher Plummer has died | |
| Posted by: AlanScott 12:53 am EST 02/07/21 | |
| In reply to: re: Seeing Report that Christopher Plummer has died - WWriter 06:27 pm EST 02/05/21 | |
|
|
|
| He was terrific in The Good Doctor at the closing performance. Sorry to hear that he wasn't always. | |
| reply to this message | reply to first message |
| re: Seeing Report that Christopher Plummer has died | |
| Posted by: StageLover 07:26 pm EST 02/12/21 | |
| In reply to: re: Seeing Report that Christopher Plummer has died - AlanScott 12:53 am EST 02/07/21 | |
|
|
|
| I also thought he was very good in it. But as a lad, I collected autographs at the stage door, and after a Sat. mat. of TGD, CP pushed right by me and ignored my request. The only other tine that happened was after MOON FOR THE MISBEGOTTEN, when CP's future OLD TIMES co-star Jason Robards did the same thing. Knowing what I do about both great actors, they were probably on their way to a much-needed post-show drink and were not going to be stopped. I still loved them both...and I can see why Neil Simon fell for the gorgeous Marsha Mason from that show. So did I. |
|
| reply to this message | reply to first message |
| re: Seeing Report that Christopher Plummer has died | |
| Posted by: WaymanWong 02:59 am EST 02/07/21 | |
| In reply to: re: Seeing Report that Christopher Plummer has died - AlanScott 12:53 am EST 02/07/21 | |
|
|
|
| I've never seen any production of ''The Good Doctor,'' but I've always been curious about this ''comedy with music.'' Peter Link is credited with the music and Neil Simon with the lyrics, so are there actual songs? Have they ever been recorded? I see that the 1974 Tonys nominated ''The Good Doctor'' for Best Original Score (and passed over the songs to ''Cyrano''). And the 1973 Tonys nominated Link's incidental music to ''Much Ado About Nothing'' (over Jule Styne & Bob Merrill's ''Sugar''). It looks like Link's ''Much Ado'' nomination might've been the first time a play made it into the Best Score category. |
|
| reply to this message | reply to first message |
| re: Seeing Report that Christopher Plummer has died | |
| Posted by: AlanScott 11:28 am EST 02/08/21 | |
| In reply to: re: Seeing Report that Christopher Plummer has died - WaymanWong 02:59 am EST 02/07/21 | |
|
|
|
| On Broadway, there was one song in The Good Doctor. There seems to have been at least one more when it opened out of town. On Broadway, the play was preceded by a 20-minute concert of music by Peter Link, and there must have been some incidental music. It was so long ago and I can't remember. I think you're probably right that Link's Much Ado score was the first time that an incidental music score was nominated, but of course there are songs in Much Ado and other music called for, plus Link composed additional music, which I think was pretty much all there in the television production. I can't remember if the television production of The Good Doctor includes much or even any of the music, although I think it must include at least the song. |
|
| reply to this message | reply to first message |
| re: Seeing Report that Christopher Plummer has died | |
| Last Edit: WaymanWong 12:46 am EST 02/06/21 | |
| Posted by: WaymanWong 12:27 am EST 02/06/21 | |
| In reply to: re: Seeing Report that Christopher Plummer has died - WWriter 06:27 pm EST 02/05/21 | |
|
|
|
| I never saw ''Cyrano.'' I just knew Plummer and Beery were the show's only Tony nominees, and that Plummer won Best Actor in a Musical. I didn't realize it ran for only 5 previews and 49 performances. And was directed and choreographed by Michael Kidd. Was it largely panned? . That '73-74 season looked slim; there were only 3 nominees for Best Musical (''Raisin,'' ''Over Here!'' and ''Seesaw'') and only 3 nominees for Best Book (''Candide,'' ''Raisin'' and ''Seesaw''). But the Tony nominators didn't even give the 4th slot to ''Cyrano'' just to fill out those categories. I've now listened to the cast album, and only one exquisite song caught my ear: ''You Have Made Me Love,'' beautifully sung by Beery. I just realized I first heard this tune years ago in ''Broadway Jukebox,'' Ed Linderman's fun revue of forgotten songs from Broadway flops. (Has anyone else seen ''Cyrano: The Musical'' (1993) and the Off-Broadway musical ''Cyrano'' (2019), starring Peter Dinklage, too?) |
|
| Link | 'You Have Made Me Love,'' sung by Leigh Beery, from ''Cyrano'' (1973) |
| reply to this message | reply to first message | |
| re: Seeing Report that Christopher Plummer has died | |
| Posted by: dbdbdb 12:52 pm EST 02/06/21 | |
| In reply to: re: Seeing Report that Christopher Plummer has died - WaymanWong 12:27 am EST 02/06/21 | |
|
|
|
| The 1993 Cyrano was a loud, stentorian pop opera of no particular interest. The creative team was Dutch and the English lyrics, by Sheldon Harnick, had some unfortunate aspects. One favorite, sung by the good sisters at the convent to which Roxanne retires, was, "Cyrano is lots of fun/Lots of fun for every nun." The 2019 Cyrano was a depressing exercise that stripped the material of its melodrama and romance. Peter Dinklage played it without an enlarged nose; also cut was the speech in which Cyrano comes up with dozens of witty synonyms for that particular organ. At first, I thought the show might make something of the actor's dwarfism, but it didn't. In truth, Dinklage is a pretty good-looking guy and it was hard to see why he couldn't make a play for Roxanne. Her character was reduced to nothing as well, thanks to the loss of scenes like the one in which Roxanne and Ragueneau the baker storm the battlefield bearing provisions for Cyrano, Christian, and their fellow soldiers. The score is best described as morose. It was Ken Mandelbaum who made the very good point that the text of Cyrano is so lush and grand that adding music to it constitutes an unnecessary gilding of the lily. |
|
| reply to this message | reply to first message |
| Harnick's credit on CYRANO was for "additional lyrics." | |
| Last Edit: Seth Christenfeld 11:55 am EST 02/08/21 | |
| Posted by: Seth Christenfeld (tabula-rasa@verizon.net) 11:54 am EST 02/08/21 | |
| In reply to: re: Seeing Report that Christopher Plummer has died - dbdbdb 12:52 pm EST 02/06/21 | |
|
|
|
| The bulk of the English translation was by Peter Reeves, a minor British actor-turned-writer whose other major credit is having written "Engine of Love" with ALW--the song that ended up growing into Starlight Express. Seth, who remembers this garbage but can't remember a word of high school French |
|
| reply to this message | reply to first message |
| re: Seeing Report that Christopher Plummer has died | |
| Posted by: FAIRBOY 09:30 pm EST 02/05/21 | |
| In reply to: re: Seeing Report that Christopher Plummer has died - WWriter 06:27 pm EST 02/05/21 | |
|
|
|
| Leigh is magnificent on the CD of Cyrano. Shortly after Cyrano, she played Maria in WSS at the Pittsburgh CLO. Lenora Nemetz was Anita but she sustained an injury on opening night and IIRC missed a few performances thereafter. |
|
| reply to this message | reply to first message |
| re: Seeing Report that Christopher Plummer has died | |
| Posted by: singleticket 03:19 pm EST 02/05/21 | |
| In reply to: Seeing Report that Christopher Plummer has died - comedywest 01:08 pm EST 02/05/21 | |
|
|
|
| What a pro he was. I drove up to Ontario in 2008 to see both him and Brian Dennehy. Glad I did it. | |
| reply to this message | reply to first message |
| re: Seeing Report that Christopher Plummer has died | |
| Posted by: JLagow (JLagow@aol.com) 01:47 pm EST 02/05/21 | |
| In reply to: Seeing Report that Christopher Plummer has died - comedywest 01:08 pm EST 02/05/21 | |
|
|
|
| I loved him in The Sound of Music, Beginners (for which he deservedly won an Oscar), and Barrymore. I wish I had seen him in Cyrano (flop though it was, his performance was said to be brilliant). May he RIP |
|
| reply to this message | reply to first message |
| re: Seeing Report that Christopher Plummer has died | |
| Posted by: Snowgrace 02:38 pm EST 02/05/21 | |
| In reply to: re: Seeing Report that Christopher Plummer has died - JLagow 01:47 pm EST 02/05/21 | |
|
|
|
| Crushed....crushed also that it had to be due to a fall, as he was such a vital man. Adored him from the age of 7 when I dragged every relative to repeated showings of a re-release of THE SOUND OF MUSIC, having fallen in love with him instantly. May he continue to shine always. | |
| reply to this message | reply to first message |
| Variety confirms. | |
| Posted by: Seth Christenfeld (tabula-rasa@verizon.net) 01:20 pm EST 02/05/21 | |
| In reply to: Seeing Report that Christopher Plummer has died - comedywest 01:08 pm EST 02/05/21 | |
|
|
|
| Alas, but 91 is a pretty good run. Seth, who saw his Lear |
|
| Link | Variety Obit |
| reply to this message | reply to first message | |
| re: Variety confirms. | |
| Posted by: NewtonUK 01:29 pm EST 02/05/21 | |
| In reply to: Variety confirms. - Seth Christenfeld 01:20 pm EST 02/05/21 | |
|
|
|
| My two Best Plummer memories - seeing him as Iago opposite James Earl Jones in OTHELLO, and as Cyrano (in the play AND the rather unfortunate musical!) | |
| reply to this message | reply to first message |
| re: Variety confirms. Also, another Tony for my friend's play BARRYMORE.... | |
| Posted by: Sullivan 12:39 pm EST 02/06/21 | |
| In reply to: re: Variety confirms. - NewtonUK 01:29 pm EST 02/05/21 | |
|
|
|
| Stepping into the shoes of John Gielgud and Ralph Richardson, Plummer worked with Robards in the 1994 Broadway revival of “No Man’s Land” and then two years later scored one of his biggest stage triumphs in “Barrymore,” for which he received a Tony for leading actor in a play. Glad I saw him in this one person show. I will never forget that entire production. Wish it were filmed. A great actor! | |
| reply to this message | reply to first message |
| re: Variety confirms. Also, another Tony for my friend's play BARRYMORE.... | |
| Posted by: PlayWiz 01:35 pm EST 02/06/21 | |
| In reply to: re: Variety confirms. Also, another Tony for my friend's play BARRYMORE.... - Sullivan 12:39 pm EST 02/06/21 | |
|
|
|
| I think "Barrymore" had another actor, at least off-stage, in addition to Plummer. I remember some guy with a very nasal, funny kind of voice talking to him at some points. Plummer was wonderful. RIP. | |
| reply to this message | reply to first message |
| re: Variety confirms. Also, another Tony for my friend's play BARRYMORE.... | |
| Posted by: Singapore/Fling 02:38 pm EST 02/06/21 | |
| In reply to: re: Variety confirms. Also, another Tony for my friend's play BARRYMORE.... - PlayWiz 01:35 pm EST 02/06/21 | |
|
|
|
| It was indeed a two-hander, with Michael Mastro on the God mic (a role that was understudied by the production's stage manager). But Barrymore was alone onstage, which gave the illusion of a one-person show. | |
| reply to this message | reply to first message |
| re: Variety confirms. Also, another Tony for my friend's play BARRYMORE.... | |
| Posted by: larry13 12:54 pm EST 02/06/21 | |
| In reply to: re: Variety confirms. Also, another Tony for my friend's play BARRYMORE.... - Sullivan 12:39 pm EST 02/06/21 | |
|
|
|
| It WAS filmed. Many years later, on stages in Toronto. Some critics didn't think it worked well as film. | |
| reply to this message | reply to first message |
| Damn! | |
| Posted by: showtunetrivia 01:57 pm EST 02/05/21 | |
| In reply to: re: Variety confirms. - NewtonUK 01:29 pm EST 02/05/21 | |
|
|
|
| One of my favorites. Saw his Lear (which brought out the comedy in that great tragedy) and his one-man show, A WORD OR TWO, about his life and his lifelong love of books. Wish I’d seen BARRYMORE live; I’m grateful for the film of his stage show. Laura |
|
| reply to this message | reply to first message |
| re: Damn! | |
| Posted by: BroadwayTonyJ 02:20 pm EST 02/05/21 | |
| In reply to: Damn! - showtunetrivia 01:57 pm EST 02/05/21 | |
|
|
|
| I caught his performance as Henry Drummond in Inherit the Wind back in 2007. I only know his Cyrano from the OBC recording, which is excellent, a very underrated score. | |
| reply to this message | reply to first message |
| re: Damn! | |
| Posted by: Pokernight 02:32 pm EST 02/05/21 | |
| In reply to: re: Damn! - BroadwayTonyJ 02:20 pm EST 02/05/21 | |
|
|
|
| I"m so sorry to see him go. I first saw him on Broadway in JB and recall his ruthless studio head in "Inside Daisy Clover" as spot-on hateful. I tried to see everything he was in ......we had the same birthday. | |
| reply to this message | reply to first message |
| Watch this | |
| Posted by: garyd 02:52 pm EST 02/05/21 | |
| In reply to: re: Damn! - Pokernight 02:32 pm EST 02/05/21 | |
|
|
|
| from a documentary | |
| Link | https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9F7j2NOZ79Q |
| reply to this message | reply to first message | |
| re: Watch this | |
| Posted by: TheOtherOne 07:26 pm EST 02/05/21 | |
| In reply to: Watch this - garyd 02:52 pm EST 02/05/21 | |
|
|
|
| Thank you for posting. What a shame he never starred in a major production of Long Day’s Journey Into Night. He would have been a Tyrone for the ages. | |
| reply to this message | reply to first message |
| “Hamlet at Elsinore” (1964):The complete broadcast. | |
| Posted by: kieran 11:03 pm EST 02/05/21 | |
| In reply to: re: Watch this - TheOtherOne 07:26 pm EST 02/05/21 | |
|
|
|
| nj | |
| Link | “Hamlet at Elsinore” |
| reply to this message | reply to first message | |
| re: “Hamlet at Elsinore” (1964):The complete broadcast. | |
| Posted by: lordofspeech 06:29 pm EST 02/06/21 | |
| In reply to: “Hamlet at Elsinore” (1964):The complete broadcast. - kieran 11:03 pm EST 02/05/21 | |
|
|
|
| Thank you. What a beautiful, noble, vulnerable, virile Hamlet. And what treats in the cast. Donald Sutherland as Fortinbras. And Robert Shaw as the uncle King. But...most surprising of all...a young Michael Caine of unearthly beauty as Horatio, with impeccable, magnificent speech (was that odd low-class accent with which he became identified merely an affect?) And Elsinore itself. A splendid, spare production. Bravo. |
|
| reply to this message | reply to first message |
Time to render: 0.085889 seconds.