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Symphony-orchestra mosh pits including a full version of Beethoven’s 9th (I think others have pointed out that that’s technically a polonaise not a mosh pit)
Jonathan Miller directs The Mikado (1987) I love behind-the-scenes stuff, and watching Miller direct his famous, very specific deconstruction of Gilbert-and-Sullivan is probably more entertaining to me than the actual finished show. Everyone involved appears to be a sort of beautiful cartoon even before they get into character and into costume – especially Miller himself, flailing like a scarecrow, riffing on panto and the Marx brothers, and demonstrating just how he wants things said: “Werld.”
Later I found a few clips from Miller’s version of The Beggar’s Opera (1983) – I think Roger Daltry’s singing has now ruined for me all the versions that use operatic tenors, because they just sound syrupy by comparison. Found out Daltrey went on to play the Street Singer in a 1989 film of the Threepenny Opera. From the reviews I’ve read, this isn’t much like the 1970s stage production except for the presence of Raul Julia, but hey, look at this opening. It immediately reminded me of something else, and if I had editing capabilities I’d make a fanvid matching it up with Scrooge’s intro from The Muppet Christmas Carol. Then I watched the 1930s film version and wondered if anybody’s ever done the Street Singer as a newscaster or a succession of newscasters. I’m picturing a montage of on-the-spot crews reporting from Mackie’s various crime scenes. (ETA: Here you go)
Also been listening to different versions of “I Gotta Dance to Keep from Cryin’” – originally by Smoky Robinson and the Miracles, but I prefer Jimmy James and the Vagabonds for being able to make out the lyrics, and for the energy of the live audience. Generally this song seems to work better live—here’s the front man for Mechanical People introducing their version as “a cover of a cover.” (Someone in the audience yells “Inception!”) They cite Smoky Robinson for the original, and then name-drop some bunch of teenagers from 1964 who called themselves The High Numbers. Gee, I wonder whatever happened to those guys?
(I love that this sixty-year-old footage from a basement club exists at all. I love that the Who’s career basically happened because of this footage—Kit Lambert was shooting a documentary on youth subcultures, filmed this, and then said “Never mind the documentary, I’m going to be this band’s manager!” Looking at it today they’re already recognizably themselves, though Roger is skinnier and shorter-haired than I’ve ever seen him and John holds his bass a little differently. Keith is subdued by his usual standards, but look at him – he’s absolutely aware of where the camera is at any given moment, and he’s playing to it. I love their mod audience. I can feel how hot that room probably was.)
Jonathan Miller directs The Mikado (1987) I love behind-the-scenes stuff, and watching Miller direct his famous, very specific deconstruction of Gilbert-and-Sullivan is probably more entertaining to me than the actual finished show. Everyone involved appears to be a sort of beautiful cartoon even before they get into character and into costume – especially Miller himself, flailing like a scarecrow, riffing on panto and the Marx brothers, and demonstrating just how he wants things said: “Werld.”
Later I found a few clips from Miller’s version of The Beggar’s Opera (1983) – I think Roger Daltry’s singing has now ruined for me all the versions that use operatic tenors, because they just sound syrupy by comparison. Found out Daltrey went on to play the Street Singer in a 1989 film of the Threepenny Opera. From the reviews I’ve read, this isn’t much like the 1970s stage production except for the presence of Raul Julia, but hey, look at this opening. It immediately reminded me of something else, and if I had editing capabilities I’d make a fanvid matching it up with Scrooge’s intro from The Muppet Christmas Carol. Then I watched the 1930s film version and wondered if anybody’s ever done the Street Singer as a newscaster or a succession of newscasters. I’m picturing a montage of on-the-spot crews reporting from Mackie’s various crime scenes. (ETA: Here you go)
Also been listening to different versions of “I Gotta Dance to Keep from Cryin’” – originally by Smoky Robinson and the Miracles, but I prefer Jimmy James and the Vagabonds for being able to make out the lyrics, and for the energy of the live audience. Generally this song seems to work better live—here’s the front man for Mechanical People introducing their version as “a cover of a cover.” (Someone in the audience yells “Inception!”) They cite Smoky Robinson for the original, and then name-drop some bunch of teenagers from 1964 who called themselves The High Numbers. Gee, I wonder whatever happened to those guys?
(I love that this sixty-year-old footage from a basement club exists at all. I love that the Who’s career basically happened because of this footage—Kit Lambert was shooting a documentary on youth subcultures, filmed this, and then said “Never mind the documentary, I’m going to be this band’s manager!” Looking at it today they’re already recognizably themselves, though Roger is skinnier and shorter-haired than I’ve ever seen him and John holds his bass a little differently. Keith is subdued by his usual standards, but look at him – he’s absolutely aware of where the camera is at any given moment, and he’s playing to it. I love their mod audience. I can feel how hot that room probably was.)
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Date: 2023-10-02 04:23 pm (UTC)From:Having seen the Three Penny Opera on Broadway, with Alan Cummings in the lead role - I'd agree that Daltry's was most likely much better. It was a poor staging - and sometime in the early 00s I think?
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Date: 2023-10-02 05:56 pm (UTC)From:I love Alan Cumming, and that casting ought to have worked -- but quite often actors end up doing their best against poor staging decisions, etc.
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Date: 2023-10-02 10:31 pm (UTC)From:If memory serves I think Daltry may be about 5'7? (Looked it up - he's 5'6, so I had him an inch taller in my head - he has that sort of charisma or stage presence? Some people have that - they kind of overwhelm you when you see them. Davy Jones did - saw him in person for another Marketing DVD Release Party - and he was 4 foot something. Musicians and actors are tiny. So too are stages and film sets, apparently.)
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Date: 2023-10-02 10:35 pm (UTC)From:I rather love the Mikado's score - did makeup for the high school production. It's among the more clever and politically satirical of G&S's work. Miller's version was fun, if I recall. Direction and casting are very important.
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Date: 2023-10-03 03:50 am (UTC)From:I thought Daltry was taller. Maybe it was the hair!
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Date: 2023-10-03 04:43 pm (UTC)From:It's why tall or large actors look huge on screen. I look huge. The light makes you look bigger than you actually are.
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Date: 2023-10-03 04:45 pm (UTC)From:no subject
Date: 2023-10-03 10:18 pm (UTC)From:We're talking living room sets that are actually the size of a walk in closet.
But yeah, most actors are tiny. They'd come up to our waist or chest.
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Date: 2023-10-03 04:49 pm (UTC)From:no subject
Date: 2023-10-03 10:14 pm (UTC)From:no subject
Date: 2023-10-02 09:39 pm (UTC)From:Have you seen his 1966 Alice in Wonderland? It has a ridiculously good cast including other parts of Beyond the Fringe, but also takes the same kind of stripping-back approach and I really like the results.
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Date: 2023-10-02 09:55 pm (UTC)From:I have, on at least two occasions, and it’s always delightful.
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Date: 2023-10-03 05:08 pm (UTC)From:*looks it up* Damn, that's a cast. Wow.
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Date: 2023-10-03 08:26 pm (UTC)From:It's worth seeing just for them! I also like the conceit, which is no costumes, on the theory that when you're a child, adults are bizarre and confusing enough without being literally giant rabbits or what have you.
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Date: 2023-10-05 01:14 am (UTC)From:And I haven’t even seen Peter Cook or any of the big names yet.
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Date: 2023-10-05 01:28 am (UTC)From:I haven't seen it since 2010, but I remember the dreamlike sense very strongly: one of those very hot summer afternoons when time seems in suspension if not outright stopped. And that Anne-Marie Mallik looked as though she could have grown out of one of the photographs of Alice Liddell, not a blonde, bewildered, Disney Alice. I'm so glad it's on archive.org!
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Date: 2023-10-03 03:56 am (UTC)From:I haven't ever seen the whole thing but Daltry does one of my fave versions of the English-lang Mack the Knife there. My UTU comment was "The synchronized dancing is a little much, but the nasty jolly complicity is great. It's like a deranged version of Oliver." (Or the Muppets!)
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Date: 2023-10-03 12:16 pm (UTC)From:no subject
Date: 2023-10-03 04:45 pm (UTC)From:I am torn between YES!! and NOOO at the idea of a Muppet Threepenny Opera.
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Date: 2023-10-03 05:01 pm (UTC)From:no subject
Date: 2023-10-03 08:25 pm (UTC)From:He did vampirize Vincent Price that one time.
(I actually feel Kermit would be the Moritatensänger.)
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Date: 2023-10-03 08:38 pm (UTC)From:https://www.tumblr.com/mooncustafer/730192073705340928?source=share
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Date: 2023-10-03 10:10 pm (UTC)From: