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| re: Sondheim's Broadway career | |
| Posted by: Michael_Portantiere 11:57 am EDT 04/10/21 | |
| In reply to: re: Sondheim's Broadway career - peter3053 04:15 am EDT 04/10/21 | |
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| I loved your analysis. I would only argue that a major flaw of the book of MERRILY, and maybe even some of the score (at least one song of it, anyway), is that Charley's constant wheedling and condemnation of Frank for "selling out" is laid on way too thick and is sometimes presented in a way that makes Charley seem irrational-- as in that weird moment when he freaks out after hearing that Frank has worked out a deal for a film version of a musical that Charley and Frank wrote together. This sends Charley off the deep end, because work on that film will prevent work on the other, passion-project musical that the team has been planning to complete for years. Yes, I would say it makes some sense for Charley to be upset about the film for that reason, at least to a certain degree, but.....come on! He's still going to get a MOVIE VERSION of a musical that he co-wrote. So I would say his reaction is a bit much, to put it mildly. | |
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| re: Sondheim's Broadway career | |
| Posted by: peter3053 05:30 pm EDT 04/10/21 | |
| In reply to: re: Sondheim's Broadway career - Michael_Portantiere 11:57 am EDT 04/10/21 | |
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| I see your point, but I wonder if it is not more of a case of the straw that broke the camel's back - a build up of disappointments and broken promises from Frank. Often in relationships, little things become a catalyst and cause a blow-up which may seem out of proportion to the passerby, but really indicate a subterranean pressure in the friendship that has built over a long time before the eruption? And Mary is always trying to paper over the cracks, because she likens their togetherness to the ideal world she envisioned way back on the rooftop - and of course, Charley , being more naturally compassionate than Frank, withdraws his anger too often, for her sake. The complications of long-term relationship festering? So I wonder if the issue is not the movie deal itself, but that as a sign to Charley of a whole pattern he has resented for years? One other interesting thing, for me, is that, in youth, Frank has the magnetism of an idealist, but not the integrity of the authentic idealist. Charley and Mary lack the surface charm, but each in their own way have more authenticity about what they hold to be important. Charley's anger helps him survive and remain true to his beliefs; Mary can't be angry without condemning her own illusion of Frank, and so sinks into alcoholism. |
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