HBO Signatures is showing "Pirates of Penzance" right now

[beacon1]

Posted: 7/2/06 at 12:54pm

I forgot what a fun movie this is.

Kevin Kline & Angela Lansbury--FABULOUS!

I so wish I could have seen the stage production in NY with Kevin.

[DramaDork925]

Posted: 7/2/06 at 3:02pm

I love this movie... even though when I was in it it was nothing short of awful.

[Gothampc]

Posted: 7/2/06 at 3:10pm

"I so wish I could have seen the stage production in NY with Kevin."

The original Shakespeare in the Park performance is on DVD with Patricia Routledge as Ruth. While the quality of the film isn't the best, it's still interesting to watch.

Pirates in the park

Updated On: 7/2/06 at 03:10 PM

[beacon1]

Posted: 7/2/06 at 3:15pm

OMIGOSH.

Thanks! I never realized that.

I love Kevin Kline's portrayal of the Pirate King. He said he played it is an Errol Flynn...who was off a beat. It cracked me up!

[JerseyGirl2]

Posted: 7/2/06 at 4:48pm

I want to marry Kevin Cline.

And WHO let Linda Ronstadt be in a movie?? Wow, she is not an actress.

[ShbrtAlley44]

Posted: 7/2/06 at 5:13pm

She's even more amusing in the other video. She obviously is having difficulty from the start - during her run of trills in "Poor Wand'ring One," she actually rolls her eyes and clutches her stomach as if to say "Hoo boy!" She then does not sing the high note at the end of the song; instead she takes it down. She cracks countless times and I have taken to laughing out loud every time she switches into her HUGE chest voice.

Kevin Kline and Rex Smith are great, and I adore Patricia Routledge. And of course Tony Azito and Alix Korey.

[Gothampc]

Posted: 7/2/06 at 7:48pm

"She obviously is having difficulty from the start"

And Forbidden Broadway added it to their show:

Poor Country Star
Can't sing above a high C

Try every night
Poor Country Star

[blueroses]

Posted: 7/2/06 at 8:04pm

Aw. I've never seen the movie. I'm surprised to hear that about her singing, though! I should rent it to check it out. Wasn't she nominated for a Tony for her Broadway portrayal? Did anyone here happen to see her in that? If so, what did you think? Linda is my favorite female vocalist. I think she has the most gorgeous voice on the planet.

[MrMidwest]

Posted: 8/22/06 at 8:15pm

It's on one of the HBOs again right now.

[Rathnait62]

Posted: 8/22/06 at 8:17pm

Worst performance Lansbury has ever given. Stiff, muggy, not a true moment. I couldn't believe it was her. And once I saw the DVD of the '94 Queensland production with Toni Lamond's dimensional and dynamic Ruth, I realized even further just how subpar Lansbury's was.

And Ronstadt was terrible - amateurish singing (and I am a huge fan of her work in every other genre she's attempted) and really awful acting.

Updated On: 8/22/06 at 08:17 PM

[Elphaba]

Posted: 8/22/06 at 8:17pm

I loved her in it......and I own and love the video!

[MrMidwest]

Posted: 8/22/06 at 8:22pm

I haven't seen the stage video, but I think Linda does a pretty good job in the movie. She's not really an actress, but with those big brown eyes of hers, she's still captivating.

[jasonf]

Posted: 8/22/06 at 8:36pm

I love that movie.

I have the Australian version that was just released home from Netflix now. I watched the first act last night and it's VERY -- different. I'm enjoying it, but some of the choices are rather interesting.

I've never heard of Jon English before - the Pirate King - though apparently everyone in the audience had. I hope he's an actor/comedian who we in America don't know and not some Australian singer because he's BARELY passable as a singer (though he IS pretty funny).

I'm not used to a rock beat behind "Climbing Over Rocky Mountains..."