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| re: To Hugh, I leave my cape: Jackman once did a reading of 'On the Twentieth Century' | |
| Last Edit: AlanScott 11:29 pm EDT 06/18/22 | |
| Posted by: AlanScott 11:24 pm EDT 06/18/22 | |
| In reply to: re: To Hugh, I leave my cape: Jackman once did a reading of 'On the Twentieth Century' - bobby2 10:36 pm EDT 06/18/22 | |
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| The only two performances in that production that I especially liked were those from Mary Louise Wilson and Jim Walton. I did not much like even several people I almost always like. I exempt the ensemble and the porters from this. While Wilson was not as energetic as might have been ideal, and she was not 100-percent perfect on her lyrics when I saw it, she created a character I bought. And that is important even in a piece like this. I certainly believed most of the folks in the original production. They seemed like real people, even as they were giving big performances. I was not wild about Madeline Kahn, and I thought the show improved greatly with Judy Kaye, but even Kahn seemed more like a real person than the greatly talented Chenoweth did in the Roundabout production. If there was a single performance I particularly disliked, it was hers. But I blame Scott Ellis, especially as that was not only production he has directed about which I could say more or less the same things. Btw, when I heard Wilson was cast, I thought she would prove to be miscast, even though I think she is one of the greatest comic actresses of our time. When I saw her, I was happily surprised that she seemed to have found that woman, at least in a way that worked very well for me. |
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| re: To Hugh, I leave my cape: Jackman once did a reading of 'On the Twentieth Century' | |
| Posted by: portenopete 12:07 pm EDT 06/19/22 | |
| In reply to: re: To Hugh, I leave my cape: Jackman once did a reading of 'On the Twentieth Century' - AlanScott 11:24 pm EDT 06/18/22 | |
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| Hadn't read your reply before I wrote mine. Thanks for being more eloquent! As per usual :). I have loved MLW since I was a kid seeing her on One Day at a Time and other sitcoms and so glad to have seen her onstage. The relationship she and Gabriel Ebert created in 4000 Miles will always stay with me. | |
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| re: To Hugh, I leave my cape: Jackman once did a reading of 'On the Twentieth Century' | |
| Last Edit: Delvino 10:46 am EDT 06/19/22 | |
| Posted by: Delvino 10:45 am EDT 06/19/22 | |
| In reply to: re: To Hugh, I leave my cape: Jackman once did a reading of 'On the Twentieth Century' - AlanScott 11:24 pm EDT 06/18/22 | |
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| Fully agree that the show works best finding some reality in these characters, eschewing farce. Chenoweth was seemingly so ideally cast all she had to do is show up and deliver the score. But I agree: Ellis pushed her into near caricature which robbed her of an adult sexuality. There was something oddly bloodless in that staging that kept me at arm’s length. I had only seen Kaye, who may not have been the farceur that Kahn was but felt palpably human. | |
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| re: To Hugh, I leave my cape: Jackman once did a reading of 'On the Twentieth Century' | |
| Posted by: bmc 12:15 pm EDT 06/19/22 | |
| In reply to: re: To Hugh, I leave my cape: Jackman once did a reading of 'On the Twentieth Century' - Delvino 10:45 am EDT 06/19/22 | |
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| I've only the Cd to go by an Chenowith was wonderful in a more complete version of the audition number. Mr Gallagher's last number was changed to a love song for Lily; I suppose they figured that younger playgoers had forgotten Barrymore | |
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| re: To Hugh, I leave my cape: Jackman once did a reading of 'On the Twentieth Century' | |
| Last Edit: WaymanWong 02:24 pm EDT 06/19/22 | |
| Posted by: WaymanWong 02:17 pm EDT 06/19/22 | |
| In reply to: re: To Hugh, I leave my cape: Jackman once did a reading of 'On the Twentieth Century' - bmc 12:15 pm EDT 06/19/22 | |
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| Yes, in the original ''On the Twentieth Century'' (1978), Oscar's big 11 o'clock number was ''The Legacy.'' In it, John Cullum played a producer (a la John Barrymore). With lyrics by Betty Comden and Adolph Green, Oscar bid a wonderfully hammy goodbye to all his prized possessions. ''To you I leave my cape and my fedora. To you I leave my mustache wax. To you I leave an ostrich fan from Flora Dora. To you I leave my unpaid income tax. To you I leave my bust of Henry Irving. To you I leave my headache pills. To you, my set of Theodore Dreiser My portrait of the Kaiser And a ten foot stack of unpaid bills. ...'' For the 2015 revival, Adolph's daughter, Amanda Green, rewrote the song as ''Because of Her,'' and it became Oscar's love song to Lily Garland. No offense to Amanda, whose lyrics I love in ''HIgh Fidelity,'' but I prefer the original, with its period references and witty rhymes. By the way, I saw the 1979 national tour, starring Rock Hudson, and they cut ''The Legacy,'' I'm assuming, because Hudson couldn't sing it. Still, I loved its score (with music by Cy Coleman), and Judy Kaye and Imogene Coca did the tour. Plus, that silver Art Deco train set by Robin Wagner! Meantime, let's hope no one ever rewrites ''I'm Still Here'' from ''Follies'' because it has too many period references. ''Major Bowes?'' |
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| Link | John Cullum sings 'The Legacy' from 'On the Twentieth Century' |
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| re: To Hugh, I leave my cape: Jackman once did a reading of 'On the Twentieth Century' | |
| Posted by: showtunetrivia 07:43 pm EDT 06/19/22 | |
| In reply to: re: To Hugh, I leave my cape: Jackman once did a reading of 'On the Twentieth Century' - WaymanWong 02:17 pm EDT 06/19/22 | |
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| I hugely prefer the original. It’s so damn clever and funny. Laura in LA |
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