Threaded Order Chronological Order
| re: They cut “It’s You”?! | |
| Posted by: larry13 06:12 pm EST 01/12/22 | |
| In reply to: re: They cut “It’s You”?! - BigM 03:41 pm EST 01/12/22 | |
|
|
|
| I'll leave MUSIC MAN for others to comment further about, if they wish. "Class" is top drawer Kander & Ebb. No question that's a very full drawer. But there's no good reason to cut a great song, even if you deem it somehow "another minor number." | |
| reply to this message |
| re: They cut “It’s You”?! | |
| Posted by: JereNYC (JereNYC@aol.com) 10:02 am EST 01/13/22 | |
| In reply to: re: They cut “It’s You”?! - larry13 06:12 pm EST 01/12/22 | |
|
|
|
| In this particular case, they had a very good reason for cutting the song, which was that most of the songs in the film take place in Roxie's mind...and they couldn't find any way that she might have envisioned this song happening. That reasoning makes sense to me and, as much as I love the song, I completely understand cutting it. | |
| reply to this message |
| cutting songs for movies | |
| Last Edit: Chazwaza 03:09 pm EST 01/13/22 | |
| Posted by: Chazwaza 03:06 pm EST 01/13/22 | |
| In reply to: re: They cut “It’s You”?! - JereNYC 10:02 am EST 01/13/22 | |
|
|
|
| "Class", as sad as I was to see it gone and not part of the Chicago experience (beyond liking the song and the duet for those two character, I loved the quite wry 3 minutes it took to comment on itself, a nice break from the rest of the show, with a fun irony of who is doing the commenting) ... it's one of the few songs cut from the movie version that I cannot argue with because of the movie's concept. Unlike, say, "Momma I'm a Big Girl Now" which I still think was a mistake to cut from Hairspray, and a number that would have been particularly fun to have shot in a 60s movie style. I've heard the director explaining why he thought it had to be cut and I still don't agree. And 1/3 of the score of Sweeney Todd. I've also heard Burton's reasoning and I think he was wrong. Cutting "No More" from Into the Woods, which I think is inexcusable. There are countless examples of songs cut that weakened the musical as a movie... but "Class" isn't arguable. I think it's fortunate that no other song in the score fell victim to not fitting into the concept for the movie. The more I think about the concept though, the more I wonder if it actually sabotages the actual point of it being a vaudeville - using the vaudeville format as a metaphor and commentary on the criminal justice system and the media, rather than clearly telling us that they're all done as vaudeville numbers because Roxy wants to be a star in vaudeville. It still comments on the obsession with fame and attention, etc... but in some ways I'd argue it actually defangs the show and misunderstands it. Hopefully the dialogue and lyrics for "Razzle Dazzle" eventually bring the movie audience to draw the same conclusion that the broadway audiences hopefully drew. |
|
| reply to this message | reply to first message |
| re: They cut “It’s You”?! | |
| Posted by: BigM 08:04 pm EST 01/12/22 | |
| In reply to: re: They cut “It’s You”?! - larry13 06:12 pm EST 01/12/22 | |
|
|
|
| It's a minor number because it doesn't advance the story and doesn't illuminate the inner lives of major characters. In Chicago, originally a Bob Fosse musical in which dance played a major part, Class was a sit down number with no dancing at all. The song has a couple of good jokes, but I strongly disagree with labeling it a great song. And yes, even good numbers are cut from musicals all the time, often because they slow the pace and prove to be distractions from the plot. | |
| reply to this message | reply to first message |
Time to render: 0.015294 seconds.