Profile for steven carter

Any discounts for PUTNAM COUNTY SPELLING BEE at New World Stages? Thanks.

Love that this beautiful score was recorded! Does anyone know if there will also be a physical cd release? Some of us love having the physical collectible album too

Best 12-Thanks for clarifying. Of course I remember the HAIR film wasn't a popular, mainstream hit (which frustrated me, especially compared to the much sloppier GREASE film the year before), but I just wanted to highlight some of the great critical reception. It became apparent to me, when the recent Bdwy revival was done, that HAIR's lack of FINANCIAL success in '79 had somehow misled younger people into thinking it was poorly reviewed, when quite the opposite was true. 

Mr. Nowack and Best12-re: the Dolly film: The orchestrations are indeed glorious (ever notice all the top arrangers who worked on it-more arrangers than any other movie musical I can think of). That's fascinating that one of Judy's dresses is in there-I'll watch for that. I've always thought that, if Judy had been in better shape in '68-69, she would have made an astonishing Dolly. Her warmth and humor would fit the role like a glove. Jerry Herman has said many times, and in many places, that his most inspired songwriting came when he would imagine hearing Judy's voice in his head. And when I see all the talents associated with Judy who worked on the DOLLY film (Roger Edens, Gene, etc...) it just would have been lovely to see her. I enjoy's Barbra's performance, but Judy would have fit the part age-wise better, the age issue being one of the major knocks on the film (if Dolly's returning to the Harmonia Gardens at age 25, was she 14 when she used to attend with Ephram? 

And yes, I do recall some of the push-back over the "Best Picture" nomination, but that wasn't just DOLLY alone. The same thing happened after DOCTOR DOOLITTLE's nomination. Plus, remember MIDNIGHT COWBOY had been nominated, and suddenly any film that didn't have bjs in a seedy 42nd St. balcony was suddenly not relevant or real art. It was wrong for voters to let Fox wine & dine their way into nominations, but equally wrong to assume that anything X-rated like COWBOY, or Dennis Hopper made while stoned (remember the attempts to hail LAST MOVIE?), was the ONLY way to make real art.

Mr N: re MR. CHIPS-do you know anything about the improved, extended soundtrack recording that was released? I only came across it in Paris once, and I didn't have the francs to buy it. I assume it was available online at time of release, but didn't hear a peep about it being released. Are there other songs we don't know? As you probably know, the Palace was turned back into a movie theatre  (after the runs of "Sweet Charity", "Judy at Home at the Palace", "Henry Sweet Henry"?format=auto&width=600 and all that publicity about the Palace being  "legit" only....for the run of the CHIPS film. I didn't get there (I was a kid, and my folks weren't interested), but I'm told by one who went that there were truly seas of empty seats. As people in this thread have pointed out, the general public equated roadshow musicals with "family" entertainment only. And an adult love story like CHIPS ("You and I" is truly a gorgeous ballad, Petula is radiant, O'Toole's acting is great, and several of the boys are charming) was not what they were looking for. Likewise with CHARITY. Though it received a "G" rating (funny, when you think of the tone of the film), it's clearly for adults, not children.

As I said yesterday, one can bitch (as people do) about this or that on any of the productions in question, but my god, I am so glad they were made. They do represent craft and the art form in a way not often seen onscreen. And though a few of these so called  over-produced, etc... (blah, blah-like you'd really prefer them done as on-the-cheap, knockoff productions???) musicals truly had a small audience, most found quite respectable popularity. It was the extremely high costs that made some not able to show profit (at the time of the original run, anyway. TV sales, cable, home video, etc... have made most, if not all, profitable down the line. In chasing the kind of dollars that WEST SIDE STORY, FAIR LADY, and SOUND OF MUSIC made, the studios let costs get out of control (like paying Christopher Plummer his complete star salary for DOCTOR DOOLITTLE, and dumping him when Rex Harrison decided to do it after all), but the costs should really only matter to the accountants. The WORK is what matters to me 

Thanks for all your perceptions.

Thanks for kind words, CarlosAlberto, will do. There are SO many interesting people that post here-just look at all the knowledge and affection in this thread.Mr. Nowack, Best 12 bars, Yourself..... posting rare film footage, videos that some of us would have missed, original production stills, plus just the good conversation that good company brings. A toast to you all, bringing warmth and color to a dreary February night! 

Hey "Best 12 Bars": I always enjoy your posts, though I rarely comment. I appreciate you knowledge and obvious affection for so much of the good work that has been done.