Thanks, SM2. I really thought the rules had been changed in the past couple of years and that the eligible song had to be within the body of the film, but I guess I was wrong.
Brick, that's exactly why some people need to get over the changes from stage to film because film is a different monster all around and if INTO THE WOODS was uber-faithful to the stage show, it would feel stagebound and slow. Marshall, if I remember correctly, wanted "Class" in CHICAGO but when he realized that it slowed down the film, he had to cut it; which according to him was "painful", but it had to be done to keep the flow of the film going.
Now some changes like the ones in HAIR are quite needed in order to work for film, but if you change too much of what was the tone of the piece and making something way too different, would not only be wrong for film, but it misses the point of what made the stage show great like NINE. It's good to hear that Streep's singing will be so much better than Daniel Day-Lewis' singing in NINE, he was way too MISCAST in that one.
I'm also glad to hear they're still tinkering with the pacing and trying to make the film as good as possible, even with the advance buzz being very positive from screenings.
"Jaws is the Citizen Kane of movies."
blocked: logan2, Diamonds3, Hamilton22
Marshall, if I remember correctly, wanted "Class" in CHICAGO but when he realized that it slowed down the film, he had to cut it; which according to him was "painful", but it had to be done to keep the flow of the film going.
No, he says on the DVD commentary that it was because it didn't fit with the "from Roxie's POV" concept. Same reason why he hated to cut "When Velma Takes the Stand" although there's a chapter titled that when Velma becomes a witness for the prosecution in the film.
Salve, Regina, Mater misericordiae
Vita, dulcedo, et spes nostra
Salve, Salve Regina
Ad te clamamus exsules filii Eva
Ad te suspiramus, gementes et flentes
O clemens O pia
skylight2, thanks for that article! I'm not one for absolutes (though I will say I enjoy Streep in many things) so I look forward to reading that. Cherry Jones was certainly a better Sister Aloysius, in my opinion.
Thanks StageManager2 and Phyllis for the correction those songs did go against the "Roxie's POV concept" and had to be cut and not to mention "Me and My Baby" as well.
Sondheim did not not like the song. It was still in as of a week and a half ago. The song is about Rapunzel leaving, but they're not going to change the overall direction at this point.
Musical Master, "Me and My Baby" would've worked perfectly. All the remaining songs well with the "Roxie's POV" format, except for "Mr. Cellophane." The movie tries to justify it by showing Roxie looking at Amos looking all forlorn, as the paddy wagon drives away from the hospital. Her POV of Amos is the last thing we see before "Mr. Cellophane" commences. I've always felt they should've kept "Me and My Baby" and dropped "Mr. Cellophane," because the former is actually from Roxie's POV and covers all the hoopla (i.e. Billy bribing the doctor to lie about Roxie's pregnancy and Amos trying to get noticed by shouting "I'm the father! That's my kid"), but I guess they wanted to keep Amos' one and only song, because the principal characters -- Velma, Roxie, Billy, Mama -- all get at least one big number. Granted, the song is pivotal on stage and humanizes Amos, who up to that point has only been seen as a bumbling cuckold, but it just doesn't work with the format of the film.
Salve, Regina, Mater misericordiae
Vita, dulcedo, et spes nostra
Salve, Salve Regina
Ad te clamamus exsules filii Eva
Ad te suspiramus, gementes et flentes
O clemens O pia
To quote the witch herself, "Who cares?!!! The cow is gone! Get it back!"
In addition to pacing, there's balance to consider. If the overall narrative focuses too long on the witch losing Rapunzel, then you lose sight of the main plot about a baker and his wife doing everything they can to have a kid. Subplots are fine and important, but not when they eclipse the main story. Then everything is weakened and often muddled. (aka, what is this really about?)
"Jaws is the Citizen Kane of movies."
blocked: logan2, Diamonds3, Hamilton22
I hate do disagree about this StageManager2, but I don't miss "Me and My Baby". Sure it could've fit the "Roxie's POV" thing but I think they did cut the song for a good reason, now what that reason is I'm not sure but cutting "Mr. Cellophane" would've been criminal to me because John C. Reilly's talent would've been wasted and it's one of the better songs of CHICAGO.
But with that said, Rob Marshall wants INTO THE WOODS to be a good movie, at least better than his last hot mess of a movie. I guess the thing we can all agree on is that we can't wait for the movie this Christmas.
^I agree, out of the songs cut from the film, I wished "My Own Best Friend" stayed, it's a really good song and Rob Marshall and Bill Condon could've justified it like "Mr. Cellophane".
Marshall says he "promises" everyone's favorite moments will be in the film. One of my friends, who has directed the show, loves "No More" and the Mysterious Man and points out that if they are indeed cut from the film, then his promise is already broken.
Now some changes like the ones in HAIR are quite needed in order to work for film, but if you change too much of what was the tone of the piece and making something way too different, would not only be wrong for film, but it misses the point of what made the stage show great...
Except that's what the film of Hair did, in a nutshell. It changed too much of what was the tone of the piece, made something way too different, and missed the point of what made the stage show great. Can you say flawed argument?