The CHAPLIN musical- Page 4
The CHAPLIN musical
ZiggyCringe
Leading Actor Joined: 5/16/05
#75Whaaat?
Posted: 8/22/12 at 9:24pm
"A big misstep in Chaplin that illuminates the difference is that the act one finale centers on a Chaplin look-a-like contest. The entire cast is dressed up like Chaplin (much like all the Alices in Wonderland, though this isn't campy/in poor taste)."
Exactly. That first act finale was bizarre, to say the least. It totally should have been NcClure, selling Chaplin, and what we got was a ton of chorus members in makeup, to absolutely no effect. A look-a-like contest? Really?
#76Whaaat?
Posted: 8/22/12 at 9:57pmCurtainPullDowner- I wouldn't say McClure's not making an impression. I thought he was terrific- it's the role that's not making an impression. He doesn't have the songs, routines etc to make this an indisputable tour de force.
Marie: Don't be in such a hurry about that pretty little chippy in Frisco.
Tony: Eh, she's a no chip!
After Eight
Broadway Legend Joined: 6/5/09
#78Whaaat?
Posted: 8/22/12 at 10:04pm
I've seen a production of Funny Girl, but I wasn't alive for the original. The book needs forgiving. It's not the worst book ever, but it's not a very good one either. If it didn't have such a strong score to buoy the show I don't think it would have survived.
Marie: Don't be in such a hurry about that pretty little chippy in Frisco.
Tony: Eh, she's a no chip!
Updated On: 8/22/12 at 10:04 PM
#79Whaaat?
Posted: 8/22/12 at 10:14pm
leefowler- Mary Martin had dropped out of the project before a note of the score was written. As I understand Bancroft was then approached and a few of the songs were written. She didn't think she could handle them and didn't get along with Merrill so she bowed out.
With Streisand the show had two out of town tryouts in Boston and Philly. The score was continually tweaked and it came out fitting Streisand like a glove. This was a star vehicle designed for her.
It's not just bio-musicals that can be star vehicles of course. Something like "Happy Hunting" was created to show off Merman.
Marie: Don't be in such a hurry about that pretty little chippy in Frisco.
Tony: Eh, she's a no chip!
After Eight
Broadway Legend Joined: 6/5/09
#80Whaaat?
Posted: 8/22/12 at 10:19pm
"We can forgive the book of Funny Girl because the score and Streisand's performance are so wonderful"
Ha, ha, ha.
First you say the score and Streisand made up for the book.
Now you say you saw a production of the show, presumably without Streisand, and suddenly it's just the score that saves the show, and caused it to be revived.
You change your tune awfully soon. As soon as it suits you, I guess.
The point is, the book is not the greatest of all time, but it's good enough, and that's good enough.
Phyllis Rogers Stone
Broadway Legend Joined: 9/16/07
#82Whaaat?
Posted: 8/22/12 at 10:28pm
Let me clarify After Eight. I do believe it was the combination of score and Streisand that made the show so successful and lets us now look past the weak book.
I mentioned the other production I saw to show you that I wasn't making assumptions that it's a bad book because that's what we're told. I have actually heard the book. I never said the actress playing Fanny in the production I saw was any good! It was a community theater production and she couldn't handle the score. (They actually had to cancel performances because she blew her voice out.)
Marie: Don't be in such a hurry about that pretty little chippy in Frisco.
Tony: Eh, she's a no chip!
Ed_Mottershead
Broadway Legend Joined: 10/20/05
#83Whaaat?
Posted: 8/22/12 at 10:37pmI'm surpirsed no one has mentinoed Hugh jackman in The Boy from Oz. GREAT performance (one of the greatest I've ever seen) in, at best, mediocre material. BTW, I saw Streisand in FG and she was fabulous - IMO, much better than in the movie and the score has some real gems in it. I recently re-bought the CD (remember those?) and still love it -- the songs are terrific (Streisand's)but the rest of the show is, well, so-so.
BroadwayEd
After Eight
Broadway Legend Joined: 6/5/09
#84Whaaat?
Posted: 8/22/12 at 10:44pmYou're missing the point. Of course Streisand contributed to the show's success. She was fantastic. But it continued to run after she left. So that means if the book was as bad as you say, then it had to be solely the score that accorded it continued success. I do not believe this is so. It wasn't so in 1964 and it wasn't so at the Papermill Playhouse revival a couple of years back. The book played just fine.
#85Whaaat?
Posted: 8/22/12 at 10:50pm
I always wondered if they wanted Funny Girl to be a sort of follow-up (ie another bio-musical) to Gypsy. I don't kow if Laurents was ever asked, but I know Sondheim was asked to do lyrics at one time, and Jerome Robbins to direct (in the end I believe he only had time to do some doctoring). I love the score (yes, even the non Streisand songs that were largely dropped from the movie), but I think the script for the movie is an improvement on a fairly mediocre (but perfectly serviceable) book. I do think Whizzer's point holds--many of those songs were written to suit Streisand, so even without her she is somewhat responsible for the sound of the finished score (somewhat...)
Ed, Boy From Oz was mentioned, but it's a good example.
#86Really...?
Posted: 8/23/12 at 9:31pm
I can't believe they couldnt find an actor who can play the violin.
Both times chaplin plays the violin in act 1 it's dreadful.
#87Really...?
Posted: 8/23/12 at 10:27pmYes find an actor who can pull off all of the physical characteristics of Chaplin, sing a full score, dance, do circus tricks, and play the violin perfectly. It's to bad.
RippedMan
Broadway Legend Joined: 8/14/05
#88Really...?
Posted: 8/23/12 at 11:15pmTrust me. If the show is a hit, they'll find those actors - or they will create them (like Avenue Q).
#89Chaplin
Posted: 8/24/12 at 2:32amRob did say that he's been learning these things in a "Chaplin bootcamp". The violin is really hard to master, I doubt anyone could do it in the matter of a few weeks... give him time, and I'm sure it will sound just fine. I'm just impressed that he's doing it at all!
dramamama611
Broadway Legend Joined: 12/4/07
#90Chaplin
Posted: 8/24/12 at 3:43am
Saw the preview Weds night. I liked the show, didn't love it. There is, obviously, much talent on the stage, but they just have found "it", yet. They were so many interesting, clever bits, but there is just something still waiting to be discovered -- I'll be damned if I know what that is.
I was in the last row of the orchestra (TDF tix) and the people around me loved the show. However, it did feel heavily papered, with odd bursts of applause after a few laugh lines, overly enthusiastic ovations after some songs -- none which seemed to actaually be justified.
This is the earliest I've seen a show in previews, so I really am curious about the changes that may come, because I think they can strengthen this show. Will they be able to make a hit out of it? I just don't know if there are enough people that will be interested. I did bring my 15 dd (heck, I sat through Potter Potted for her!) and while she had no idea who the hell Chaplin was (Yes, I've been remiss in her film education) she found the show interesting and did enjoy it (although she felt ITW was her favorite show of our jaunt.)
If we're not having fun, then why are we doing it?
These are DISCUSSION boards, not mutual admiration boards. Discussion only occurs when we are willing to hear what others are thinking, regardless of whether it is alignment to our own thoughts.
#91Chaplin
Posted: 8/24/12 at 8:23am
@LavieBohem: it's kinda like going to a show and seeing complex dance moves that the main character is trying to do but is failing terribly. You'd want them to do it right, wouldn't you? As an audience member I was a little bit offended because I didn't come to see a show where actors are trying to do their jobs, they better be correct and impress, and go above and beyond our expectations.
I mean, is it me or does this seem like this year's Bonnie & Clyde? Except BnC was ready and had some great performances by professionals.
#92Chaplin
Posted: 8/24/12 at 10:01amPopAria I saw performance by a true professional on Wednesday night, not just from McClure but the entire cast. I don't think that playing 16 bars of what you considered to be sub-par violin playing can hardly detract from what is obvious to everyone else on this board, Mr. McClure is clearly a star in the making. That statement is just plain ignorance on your part.
#94Chaplin
Posted: 8/24/12 at 10:43amI forgot about the bad violin playing. It is so minor though, and really if he can't do it well they should either just cut it or have him fake it and let someone in the orchestra cover the 20 seconds he is supposed to be playing the violin.
Marie: Don't be in such a hurry about that pretty little chippy in Frisco.
Tony: Eh, she's a no chip!
After Eight
Broadway Legend Joined: 6/5/09
dramamama611
Broadway Legend Joined: 12/4/07
#98Chaplin
Posted: 8/24/12 at 1:58pmI only remember 1 instance of violin playing on Weds night -- it looked pretty good to me. (Note: I am not a musician.)
If we're not having fun, then why are we doing it?
These are DISCUSSION boards, not mutual admiration boards. Discussion only occurs when we are willing to hear what others are thinking, regardless of whether it is alignment to our own thoughts.
#99Chaplin
Posted: 8/24/12 at 2:42pm
Jeremy had a song in BnC where he played the ukulele and he could actually play it.
Stars (at least my interpretation of stars) are people who are given parts to play and wow everyone to the point of receiving awards and so on...
I'm just saying I wasn't wowed. And like Whizzer said it could be cut and no one would have ever known that there was half-assed violin playing.
The lady who came out later on in the show and played the violin was incredible.
Erin Mackey comes out in the 2nd act and is perfect, I loved her. She has an incredible voice and plays a great Oona.
BESIDES THOSE 2 parts where McClure played the violin, I liked how he played Chaplin through the years and it was exciting to see him actually become "the tramp" and change his entire life around. I loved his performance throughout, especially his solo in the movie theater towards the end of act 2. The songs were great, the dancing was pretty good too and I felt like the little subtle jokes were more funny than when they actually tried to be funny (in the act I finale).
In the end I was moved and I can't wait to see what this looks like in a couple of weeks after previews. Sorry if I offended anyone I was just expressing my feelings and you can call me ignorant or whatever if you want... McClure was so well cast that I couldn't tell which were the real Chaplin videos and which were actually McClure.
Kudos to costume, makeup, and casting.
Updated On: 8/24/12 at 02:42 PM
