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| re: Lonny Price/Santa Barbara Symphony Kismet | |
| Last Edit: WaymanWong 11:32 pm EDT 08/31/21 | |
| Posted by: WaymanWong 11:29 pm EDT 08/31/21 | |
| In reply to: Lonny Price/Santa Barbara Symphony Kismet - jsr 12:08 pm EDT 08/31/21 | |
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| When the Equity casting notice for this ''Kismet'' was posted last month, it encouraged MENASA performers to audition. (MENASA is an acronym that covers the languages and cultures of the Middle East, North Africa and South Asia.) The breakdown included a note about the ''cultural responsibility'' of reviving this nearly 70-year-old, Tony-winning musical set in Baghdad: ''KISMET takes place in a fictionalized 11th-Century Baghdad in a fantasy world of the Arabian Nights. ... This story, and all its characters, locations, and allusions, are the result of the authors' admiration of the literary heritage of the MENASA cultures. ... And further, we acknowledge our profound cultural responsibility in the re-imagination of those respected and beloved cultures that inform this fantasy.'' I'll look forward to this re-imagined ''Kismet,'' but also to the day a new musical, written by and featuring MENASA artists, makes it to Broadway. |
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| re: Lonny Price/Santa Barbara Symphony Kismet | |
| Posted by: Chromolume 11:48 pm EDT 08/31/21 | |
| In reply to: re: Lonny Price/Santa Barbara Symphony Kismet - WaymanWong 11:29 pm EDT 08/31/21 | |
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| It would actually be a great thing if they also had a director who was in the MENASA community. And no, I'm not just saying that because I'm not so hot on Price's style, though that is true - but I would be more interested to see a take on the material from someone within that culture. | |
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| re: Lonny Price/Santa Barbara Symphony Kismet | |
| Posted by: dbdbdb 11:15 am EDT 09/01/21 | |
| In reply to: re: Lonny Price/Santa Barbara Symphony Kismet - Chromolume 11:48 pm EDT 08/31/21 | |
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| Interestingly, there was 1978's Timbuktu!, which reset the action in Mali, West Africa. Directed by Geoffrey Holder and with a cast that included Melba Moore and Eartha Kitt. I still treasure the memory of Kitt's entrance line: "I'mmmmmmmmm here!" | |
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| From here to 'Timbuktu' | |
| Last Edit: WaymanWong 03:29 am EDT 09/02/21 | |
| Posted by: WaymanWong 03:25 am EDT 09/02/21 | |
| In reply to: re: Lonny Price/Santa Barbara Symphony Kismet - dbdbdb 11:15 am EDT 09/01/21 | |
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| YouTube has a few clips of ''Timbuktu,'' the African reworking of ''Kismet.'' It was festively costumed and ran for nearly 250 performances. dbdgdb, maybe this'll refresh your memory: Kitt performing ''In the Beginning, Woman,'' a new song Forrest & Wright wrote for the show. In all, ''Timbuktu'' got 4 Tony nominations, including one for Kitt, who toured with it. Has anyone ever revived this musical since then? |
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| Link | Eartha Kitt: ''In the Beginning, Woman'' from ''Timbuktu'' (on Labor Day Telethon, 1978, only days before it closed) |
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| re: From here to 'Timbuktu' | |
| Posted by: dbdbdb 10:47 am EDT 09/02/21 | |
| In reply to: From here to 'Timbuktu' - WaymanWong 03:25 am EDT 09/02/21 | |
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| Thanks! Eartha definitely made an impression. Those costumes on the guys -- !!! I saw the national tour in Boston in September 1979. She was the only one of the original principals to tour, and it had definitely become The Eartha Kitt Show. It was splashy, with that great score. But if anything the book was even sillier than Kismet's. | |
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| re: From here to 'Timbuktu' | |
| Posted by: Erik_Haagensen 11:44 am EDT 09/02/21 | |
| In reply to: re: From here to 'Timbuktu' - dbdbdb 10:47 am EDT 09/02/21 | |
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| My ex-husband was the assistant to TIMBUKTU producer and book writer Luther Davis, so I saw the show a lot. I can't, of course, be objective about it, but I have many fond memories of it, with a gorgeous physical production (richly colorful costumes from Geoffrey Holder and Tony Straiges' strikingly spare but oh so elegant set, his first Broadway gig), splendid Holder choreography (Miguel Godreau's bird dance!), and wonderful voices. Eartha Kitt was a force of nature, equal parts funny and sexy. Gilbert Price and Melba Moore were a winning pair of lovers. Ira Hawkins a decidedly hunky Hadji. A good friend of mine characterized the show as "children's theatre for adults." On opening night, I was asked by Luther to escort Gloria Swanson (who was good friends with Ms. Kitt) to the stage for a photo op after the show. Also with us was my ex, who was escorting Dolores Gray (who played Ms. Kitt's role in the MGM film) and her husband. We were to meet them in the lobby of the Mark Hellinger Theatre, then take them through an underground passage that went beneath the orchestra to the stage. As we entered the passage, Ms. Gray let out an incredible stream of profane epithets, which she applied to Ms. Kitt, following it with, "She made it a star part." Without batting an eye, her husband replied, "You could have too, if you'd only known how." My ex, Ms. Swanson, and I all pretended not to notice. Once on stage, of course, Ms. Gray was all smiles with Ms. Kitt as the cameras flashed. | |
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| re: From here to 'Timbuktu' | |
| Posted by: dbdbdb 02:55 pm EDT 09/02/21 | |
| In reply to: re: From here to 'Timbuktu' - Erik_Haagensen 11:44 am EDT 09/02/21 | |
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| That is one fabulous story! Thanks! | |
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