LOG IN / REGISTER




re: One difference from Once and Future King that no one is mentioning
Last Edit: Delvino 09:51 am EST 12/07/22
Posted by: Delvino 09:47 am EST 12/07/22
In reply to: re: One difference from Once and Future King that no one is mentioning - AlanScott 01:21 am EST 12/07/22

This fascinating discussion brings up the central challenge in any new iteration of the musical story: its plot proper sits almost entirely atop a tale of adultery, in emotion if not actual deed (Logan's sweaty assignations aside). For a story ever ripe for allegorical use -- Kennedy White House iconic -- the slice dramatized on stage is on the thin side. Most songs serve the romance more than Arthurian legend. Stripped down productions in recent years -- at least two used about 10 actors -- toss the pageantry and seize the triangle and its implications. So making Lancelot more complex should only benefit material that reduces him to ego and romantic betrayal.

But -- okay, minority opinion -- the person who gets lost -- and it's my belief the reason the show wasn't more admired -- is Arthur. Forced to grapple with an emotionally unfaithful wife, he is presented with a recognizable crisis. Yet watching The Crown, I realize that as a culture we're interested in bigger issues among royals, what duty and leadership mean. I love the musical, but when Arthur's biggest sung rumination ends up "How to Handle a Woman," we arguably miss nuance about ruling, burgeoning democratic ideas. They surface, but don't land in the score, a problem in a musical wherein the biggest ideas deserve to be sung. (I said it's a minority opinion).
reply

Previous: re: One difference from Once and Future King that no one is mentioning - AlanScott 01:21 am EST 12/07/22
Next: re: One difference from Once and Future King that no one is mentioning - AlanScott 05:05 pm EST 12/07/22
Thread:

Privacy Policy


Time to render: 0.022523 seconds.