The Drowsy Chaperone
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URL: http://www.communitytheater.org/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=1885
Printed Date: 5/19/24 at 9:27am
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Topic: The Drowsy Chaperone
Posted By: slicksister
Subject: The Drowsy Chaperone
Date Posted: 6/13/06 at 11:22pm
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Did anybody watch the Tony's on Sunday night? I thought they were great. I had never heard of The Drowsy Chaperone before - not that I profess to be "up" on those thypes of things - but I thought hte song they did from it was FAB. And what little I was able to read on another site about he plot looks like a great idea. I want to see if the soundtrack is available. I have DVR so I watched it several times and I'm already blocking that one song in my head for our stage when the show becomes available. LOL! Once a director always a director!! Loved seeing Harry Connick Jr. in The Pajama Game, too. SIGH ------------- The Main Thing is to Keep the Main Thing the Main Thing |
Replies:
Posted By: Gaafa
Date Posted: 6/13/06 at 11:58pm
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"Hey there" [Hey there] "You with the stars in your eyes!" [You... with the stars......in your eyes!} Watch out your techies are showing!  ------------- Joe Western Gondawandaland turn right @ Perth. Hear the light & see the sound. Toi Toi Toi Chookas {{"chook [chicken] it is"} May you always play to a full house} |
Posted By: 75director
Date Posted: 6/14/06 at 11:55am
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I belive the soundtrack for "Drowsey Chaperone" came out last week. It wasn't supposed to be released until the end of the month, but the Tony buzz made them move the release date up. Yup and just did a quick check on Amazon and the soundtrack is now available. |
Posted By: slicksister
Date Posted: 6/14/06 at 10:40pm
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Yay! I ordered my copy. They were playing songs from Drowsy on Sirius today, too. And Harry Connik Jr. DOES make me have stars in my eyes. Double SIGH... ------------- The Main Thing is to Keep the Main Thing the Main Thing |
Posted By: tristanrobin
Date Posted: 6/15/06 at 7:56am
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LOL LOL
am I the only one who thought Harry was terrible singing The Pajama Game songs? LOL He rewrote every melody line and didn't sing one note of the songs as written LOL. He sounded like an American Idol crooner- wannabe to me. I usually like Mr. Connick - but not this time. HOWEVER. Kelli O'Hara was as adorable as she was in "Light in the Piazza." If you haven't seen "Light in the Piazza" - a glorious old-time style musical with gorgeous music and voices, and really terrific sets and costumes - it's going to be shown on PBS tonight (June 15). It's on at 9pm here - but check your local listings. It's a delightful, innocent and uplifting play. |
Posted By: Playwright
Date Posted: 6/15/06 at 8:11am
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I wish I had seen the show. I had a rehearsal for my play. And I forgot to set to my DVR to tape the show! Darn!!! Even though I'm in Canada and have yet to make it to see a show on Broadway, I love watching the Tony's. It may sound maudlin, but the part of the show that gets to me the most is when they do the 'In Memorium' piece. Sad to see who we have lost. Their stars are shining in heaven now.
Sondra |
Posted By: slicksister
Date Posted: 6/15/06 at 11:40am
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tristanrobin - it's a girl thing with ole Harry. He could quack like a duck and I'd still love "seeing" him. SIGH again... ------------- The Main Thing is to Keep the Main Thing the Main Thing |
Posted By: tristanrobin
Date Posted: 6/15/06 at 1:10pm
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LOL - okay. As long as the sighing is out of sex appeal and not singing
those songs. LOL |
Posted By: castMe
Date Posted: 6/15/06 at 5:26pm
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tristan...why do all of these revivals feel the need to re-write the
music? They did it for Guys and Dolls, and Chicago and apparently
for the Pajama Game, too? Now, don't get me wrong, I actually
prefer the updated Guys and Dolls score to the original, but why did
they have to fool with Chicago? You can't even chose which
version to do. French or MTI or whoever send along the most
recent version. We did Peter Pan last year and fortunately our
Peter had a copy of the Mary Martin score which we filtered into the
Sandy Dennis version which is what was sent. (by the way, that score is funny to look at as Peter is sometimes refered to as "Peter" and sometimes as "Mary".) I auditioned for Chicago last night and some of the songs are now barely recognizable. Why fiddle with Kander and Ebb for crying out loud. And are audiences disappointed or annoyed when the music is not what they remember? What sayeth the forum? ------------- Investigate. Imagine. Choose. |
Posted By: tristanrobin
Date Posted: 6/15/06 at 7:48pm
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castMe, you've got a great question. I have no idea...I suppose they feel
they need to make it 'new' and 'current' and 'modern' - though why they would think such a thing about a vintage show is beyond me. The one thing I always notice in the revivals is that they uptemp EVERYTHING - even the slowest of ballads are played moderato. You're right - sometimes it's an improvement - I like the new orchestrations for "Guys and Dolls," "How to Succeed," "Gypsy," and "Annie Get Your Gun," - and I love the new "Sweeney Todd" score. But, "Chicago" hardly needs updating. Usually they don't actually rewrite this stuff - they just give it all new orchestrations. The problem with "Pajama Game" IMO is that Mr. Connick is a jazz singer and improvs all OVER the melody line. Too many notes sung down a third and then modulated for my taste. By the way - LOL LOL LOL - surely Sandy Dennis was never in "Peter Pan" - that just doesn't sound right to me LOL. |
Posted By: castMe
Date Posted: 6/15/06 at 9:48pm
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You're right, tristan, I had my hook in my eye when I typed that, I
meant Cathy Rigby. Also Mia Farrow, but I was thinking of Rigby. Maybe I had my hook in Sandy Dennis' eye. ------------- Investigate. Imagine. Choose. |
Posted By: tristanrobin
Date Posted: 6/16/06 at 8:08am
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whew.
the idea of Ms. Dennis stammering and hemming and hawing through "Peter Pan" was a little scary 
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Posted By: castMe
Date Posted: 6/16/06 at 2:52pm
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but she'd make a great Smee.
------------- Investigate. Imagine. Choose. |
Posted By: POB14
Date Posted: 6/19/06 at 10:53am
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Sandy Duncan was in it at one time. Maybe we could do an all-Sandy version of Pan. Pan = Sandy Duncan Smee = Sandy Dennis Hook = Gary Sandy (from WKRP, remember him?) Wendy = Sandi Patti Princess Tiger Lily = Sandie Caine (a porn star, or so I'm told Nana = Sandy the dog from Annie. I just hope the porn star wouldn't be offended by being asked to work with someone associated with Annie. ------------- POB Old Bugger, Curmudgeon, and Antisocial B**tard |
Posted By: POB14
Date Posted: 6/19/06 at 10:58am
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I think the H2$ revival score is fine (and I love the acronym!) -- their "Brotherhood" is particularly good -- but I will never forgive them for cutting Cinderella Darling. ------------- POB Old Bugger, Curmudgeon, and Antisocial B**tard |
Posted By: tristanrobin
Date Posted: 6/19/06 at 11:45am
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I agree - I don't know why they cut it. Granted, it's a rather anachronistic
goal (to 'get ahead' by marrying your boss), but they kept the play in the original period, so it would have worked just fine as a period attitude. Maybe it was for time - not only are shows shorter now as a rule than they used to be - but they extended the dances for both Brotherhood and Coffee Break and Secretary, so they might have just done it for time. But I think it was the anti-feminist angle of the song. It's a shame - because the melody is interesting and the lyrics are some of the best in the show. |
Posted By: Gaafa
Date Posted: 6/20/06 at 5:27am
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I have finally realised who Harry Konnick Jr is! - caught him on a
Foxtel replay of the BBC America ?Ground Force? show. When he
invited the team, after doing a garden for someone, to take part on his
float in New Orleans for the Mardi Gras. So he is that bloke, that plonks on the Joanna & sings & can possibly whistle as well? he is certainly multi talented?  ------------- Joe Western Gondawandaland turn right @ Perth. Hear the light & see the sound. Toi Toi Toi Chookas {{"chook [chicken] it is"} May you always play to a full house} |
Posted By: tristanrobin
Date Posted: 6/20/06 at 7:35pm
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I didn't know that he was involved on "Ground Force" - but he's quite well-
known. He's been a big-band style crooner for quite some time - and, of course, on "Will and Grace" he was Grace's boyfriend-and-then-husband for several seasons. He also played Lt.Cable in the Glenn Close tv production of "South Pacific." |
Posted By: Gaafa
Date Posted: 6/20/06 at 8:56pm
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He wasn?t actually involved as such, only for a 5 minute grab at the
end. When he invited Charlie, Tommy, Kirsty & Willy. To dress up
& ride on his float for the parade, during the credits! I can possibly see why Slickster might swoon! I now remember seeing Harry a couple of times on the tube, but Charlie is more my cuppa tea! Even though she is now wears a bra for the BBC America series?  ------------- Joe Western Gondawandaland turn right @ Perth. Hear the light & see the sound. Toi Toi Toi Chookas {{"chook [chicken] it is"} May you always play to a full house} |