Threaded Order Chronological Order
| re: Merrily on 11/25 | |
| Posted by: EvFoDr 01:28 pm EST 11/27/22 | |
| In reply to: re: Merrily on 11/25 - lowwriter 12:43 am EST 11/27/22 | |
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| I think this problem is baked into the show, and always wondered if it was intentional. I don't think specific "rules" always need to be followed, but sometimes a thing should be done because it makes sense, or its abscence doesn't make sense. By this I mean, how odd to have a musical where the leading character does not have a song setting up his character, his wants, his point of view. In fact has no solos (which they tried to fix by adding Growing Up, but in its original incarnation, no). I think even the temporary assigning of Not a Day Goes By to Frank was driven by necessity since the orignal Beth couldn't handle the vocal requirements. And even if he was supposed to really sing this song it comes too late in the show to let the audience know what he's about. Meanwhile, Charlie gets a dynamic, character defining, shop-stopping first number and Mary gets a a more somber and rueful one, yet powerful nonetheless. And then Charlie gets Good Thing Going in Act Two. While on the surface just a song from a show-wtihin-a-show, it's really a subtextual exploration of where the audience knows his relationship with Frank ends up. It's really no wonder some might see Frank's role as inferior to Charlie's. |
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| re: Merrily on 11/25 | |
| Posted by: Chazwaza 06:22 pm EST 11/27/22 | |
| In reply to: re: Merrily on 11/25 - EvFoDr 01:28 pm EST 11/27/22 | |
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| In my memory of reading about it, Frank was given "Not a Day Goes By" largely for the reason you're giving about how strange it for him not to have a song that expresses his POV or his desires. Hal understood this, and that no matter how clever it is to give it to Beth and how for a retroactive emotional impact (the idea of her singing back to him his vows which we don't hear until mid act 2 -- though I think it's just as good to think of it as Frank still having the same ideas, and being haunted by how he messed up the marriage -- either way, yes, if you wrote the musical normally and not in reverse, it might work beautifully for Beth to sing this... it just doesn't in reverse.), we don't know her yet and it just won't work, whereas the show needs the audience to hear from Frank. I think the show is stronger when NADGB is sung by Frank. |
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| re: Merrily on 11/25 | |
| Posted by: Chromolume 11:09 pm EST 11/27/22 | |
| In reply to: re: Merrily on 11/25 - Chazwaza 06:22 pm EST 11/27/22 | |
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| Actually, even though I think it wouldn't have worked in terms of pacing, I wish the song could have been done with two refrains back to back - first his, then hers. THAT would have made an impact, with her angry lyric an immediate response to his loving lyric. But it might have felt like too overlong a ballad for the moment. | |
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