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| "Be A Lion" Lyrics from THE WIZ | |
| Posted by: pecansforall 10:47 pm EDT 05/30/23 | |
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| Why do most actresses pronounce the word lightning as "lightening" when singing Be a Lion from THE WIZ? (Even Stephanie Mills sings "lightening" on the OCR. And then a mighty roar Will start the sky to cryin' But not even lightning Will be frightening, my lion Lightening is a whole other thing, no? |
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| Why does every Elphaba defy Gravi-dee? (nm) | |
| Posted by: Hair 10:01 am EDT 06/01/23 | |
| In reply to: "Be A Lion" Lyrics from THE WIZ - pecansforall 10:47 pm EDT 05/30/23 | |
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| re: Why does every Elphaba defy Gravi-dee? (nm) | |
| Posted by: MockingbirdGirl 10:22 am EDT 06/01/23 | |
| In reply to: Why does every Elphaba defy Gravi-dee? (nm) - Hair 10:01 am EDT 06/01/23 | |
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| For the same reason Americans often say "Wimbleton" rather than "Wimbledon" and "liddle" rather than "little." It's called intervocalic alveolar flapping. | |
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| re: Why does every Elphaba defy Gravi-dee? (nm) | |
| Last Edit: Chromolume 10:52 am EDT 06/01/23 | |
| Posted by: Chromolume 10:48 am EDT 06/01/23 | |
| In reply to: re: Why does every Elphaba defy Gravi-dee? (nm) - MockingbirdGirl 10:22 am EDT 06/01/23 | |
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| IMO, "graviTy" would sound too formal. Perhaps right if the character were a science professor - but even then... And indeed, the vast majority of us do say the word with a d, not a t. It's a very normal, conversational, informal pronunciation, and to the point, we all understand the word even so. Anyone for "prima facie" lol? |
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| re: "Be A Lion" Lyrics from THE WIZ | |
| Posted by: theatreguy40 02:40 pm EDT 05/31/23 | |
| In reply to: "Be A Lion" Lyrics from THE WIZ - pecansforall 10:47 pm EDT 05/30/23 | |
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| I'm sure it's to set up the next rhyme "Frigh-ten -ing". Bad lyric writing (unless your E.Y. Harburg -- who often did that sort of thing INTENTIONALLY to have "fun" with the rhyme scheme) |
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| re: "Be A Lion" Lyrics from THE WIZ | |
| Posted by: Chromolume 12:58 am EDT 06/01/23 | |
| In reply to: re: "Be A Lion" Lyrics from THE WIZ - theatreguy40 02:40 pm EDT 05/31/23 | |
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| So, if Harburg did it intentionally, how are you so sure that Smalls didn't? What automatically makes it bad lyric writing for Smalls but not for Harburg? | |
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| Dorothy in Baum's books | |
| Last Edit: Maguire75 09:41 am EDT 05/31/23 | |
| Posted by: Maguire75 09:39 am EDT 05/31/23 | |
| In reply to: "Be A Lion" Lyrics from THE WIZ - pecansforall 10:47 pm EDT 05/30/23 | |
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| As others have pointed out, its likely to match the 3 syllable rhythm of "frightening" -- However, if one wants to try to find some deeper reason, Baum writes the character of Dorothy in the Oz books with a colloquial dialect. She says words like 'com'forble' and 'poss'bly and 'fright-ten'd.' I doubt Charlie Smalls scrutinized Baum's books when creating this lyric, but it would not be out of place, the way she is originally written, to say 'lighten-ing' | |
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| re: Dorothy in Baum's books | |
| Posted by: Chromolume 11:03 am EDT 05/31/23 | |
| In reply to: Dorothy in Baum's books - Maguire75 09:39 am EDT 05/31/23 | |
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| I doubt Charlie Smalls scrutinized Baum's books when creating this lyric But it is clear that Smalls and Brown went back to the source, because there are elements in the show, such as the inclusion of the Kalidahs, that are in the book but not the iconic Wizard Of Oz movie. But then also - the original Arlen/Harburg songs are also full of whimsical "made up" rhymes, so such a thing is certainly not unheard of in the land of Oz lol. |
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| Speaking of Charlie Smalls ... | |
| Posted by: WaymanWong 04:22 pm EDT 05/31/23 | |
| In reply to: re: Dorothy in Baum's books - Chromolume 11:03 am EDT 05/31/23 | |
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| Smalls made history as the first African-American to win the Tony for Best Score, but I wonder why he was a no-show at the 1975 Tony Awards. I believe Geoffrey Holder (director) and George Faison (choreographer) also had historic first African-American wins in their categories, too. (Further down this board, I also wonder why Stephanie Mills missed out on a Tony nomination for ''The Wiz.'' Scroll below for that.) |
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| re: Speaking of Charlie Smalls ... | |
| Posted by: Maguire75 11:07 am EDT 06/01/23 | |
| In reply to: Speaking of Charlie Smalls ... - WaymanWong 04:22 pm EDT 05/31/23 | |
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| In his acceptance speech, producer Ken Harper mentions that Charlie Smalls is home that evening with a cold. | |
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| re: Speaking of Charlie Smalls ... | |
| Last Edit: WaymanWong 02:12 am EDT 06/02/23 | |
| Posted by: WaymanWong 02:10 am EDT 06/02/23 | |
| In reply to: re: Speaking of Charlie Smalls ... - Maguire75 11:07 am EDT 06/01/23 | |
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| Thanks. In watching the video of the 1975 Tonys, Elliott Gould was the presenter of Best Score, and no one told him either. When Smalls didn't show up onstage, Gould was baffled and just walked off, without saying a word. Not even the perfunctory ''I guess he couldn't make it, but I'll be glad to accept it for him (or see that he gets it). And if the producer knew Smalls had a cold and wouldn't appear, why didn't he go onstage to say something on Smalls' behalf? At any rate, what a shame. And what a shame Smalls never wrote another Broadway musical. |
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| re: "Be A Lion" Lyrics from THE WIZ | |
| Posted by: Chromolume 11:28 pm EDT 05/30/23 | |
| In reply to: "Be A Lion" Lyrics from THE WIZ - pecansforall 10:47 pm EDT 05/30/23 | |
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| The music itself sets the word with 3 syllables (3 pitches), to bring out the rhyme. They're singing what's written. | |
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| re: "Be A Lion" Lyrics from THE WIZ | |
| Posted by: pecansforall 09:22 am EDT 05/31/23 | |
| In reply to: re: "Be A Lion" Lyrics from THE WIZ - Chromolume 11:28 pm EDT 05/30/23 | |
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| But lightening is a whole other word that has a completely different meaning. | |
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| re: "Be A Lion" Lyrics from THE WIZ | |
| Last Edit: MockingbirdGirl 09:37 am EDT 05/31/23 | |
| Posted by: MockingbirdGirl 09:34 am EDT 05/31/23 | |
| In reply to: re: "Be A Lion" Lyrics from THE WIZ - pecansforall 09:22 am EDT 05/31/23 | |
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| Etymologically they are the same. And "lightening" can also mean to give out flashes of lightning. When you heard it in context, were you confused? |
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| re: "Be A Lion" Lyrics from THE WIZ | |
| Posted by: MockingbirdGirl 10:53 pm EDT 05/30/23 | |
| In reply to: "Be A Lion" Lyrics from THE WIZ - pecansforall 10:47 pm EDT 05/30/23 | |
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| To match the number of syllables in "frightening," surely. | |
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