Trivial Pursuit #23

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Trivial Pursuit #23

Posted: 11/14/04 at 11:01am

Rodgers & Hart's THE BOYS FROM SYRACUSE was based on a play by William Shakespeare.

Please tell us which one.

GOOD LUCK, everyone!!! :)

"I say YOU'RE the CUTEST one. No, I say YOU'RE the CUTEST One. And we go on like that from dawn to three."

re: Trivial Pursuit #23

Posted: 11/14/04 at 11:03am

The Comedy of Errors by William Shakespeare

" ...the happiness in the tune convinces me that I'm not afraid."

re: Trivial Pursuit #23

Posted: 11/14/04 at 11:06am

You are CORRECT, Glebb!

You truly are a TRIVIA MASTER!!!

Now for your bonus points: What lovely romanic ballad was first sung in THE BOYS FROM SYRACUSE?

"I say YOU'RE the CUTEST one. No, I say YOU'RE the CUTEST One. And we go on like that from dawn to three."

re: Trivial Pursuit #23

Posted: 11/14/04 at 11:06am

Rosencranz and Guildenstern Are Dead

re: Trivial Pursuit #23

Posted: 11/14/04 at 11:09am

Boy, did I misunderstand the question! More coffee, please.

re: Trivial Pursuit #23

Posted: 11/14/04 at 11:10am

Please feel free to answer the bonus question my fellow BWW.COM members. I only knew the answer to the trivia question because I know someone in the recent revival.

" ...the happiness in the tune convinces me that I'm not afraid."

Well, lc, technically Rosencratz and Guilderstern Are Dead is NOT a play by Shakespeare.

John Wood's play is crafted about the two title characters and some scenes in HAMLET--but Wood is most definitely credited as having written the play.

I appreciate you playing the game, though! :)

"I say YOU'RE the CUTEST one. No, I say YOU'RE the CUTEST One. And we go on like that from dawn to three."

re: Trivial Pursuit #23

Posted: 11/14/04 at 11:13am

Hint #1: The word 'love' appears TWICE in the song title.

"I say YOU'RE the CUTEST one. No, I say YOU'RE the CUTEST One. And we go on like that from dawn to three."

re: Trivial Pursuit #23

Posted: 11/14/04 at 11:15am

"Falling in Love With Love"

#10

re: Trivial Pursuit #23

Posted: 11/14/04 at 11:16am

It's funny how the mind works when you're not fully alert. I made a leap that you were asking for other shows based on Shakespeare plays. How's that for twisted? Kudos to Glebb!

lc

#11

re: Trivial Pursuit #23

Posted: 11/14/04 at 11:16am

"Falling In Love With Love"

And it's Tom Stoppard's Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead.

How about a shout out for the OTHER Broadway musical based on The Comedy of Errors?

"Gif me the cobra jool!"

#12

re: Trivial Pursuit #23

Posted: 11/14/04 at 11:19am

"Falling in Love With Love"

Falling in Love with Love is falling for make-believe!
Falling in Love with Love is playing the fool!
Caring too much is such a juvenile fancy!
Learning to trust is just for children in school.
I fell in Love with Love one night when the moon was full
I was unwise with eyeslink to a non-NIEHS site unable to see!
I fell in Love with Love with love ever-lasting.
But Love fell out, with me!!

Falling in Love with Love is falling for make-believe!
Falling in Love with Love is playing the fool!
Caring too much is such a juvenile fancy!
Learning to trust is just for children in school.

I fell in Love with Love one night when the moon was full
I was unwise with eyes unable to see!
I fell in Love with Love, Love ever-lasting!
But love fell out, with me!

Yes, DGrant, you are ALSO Correct!

So, Glebb and DGrant--I have TWO prizes for you this morning! :)

One is a bus ticket to Syracuse, New York.

The other is a Concorde flight to Syracuse, Greece.

Who wants which prize?

"I say YOU'RE the CUTEST one. No, I say YOU'RE the CUTEST One. And we go on like that from dawn to three."

#13

re: Trivial Pursuit #23

Posted: 11/14/04 at 11:21am

I'll take the New York ticket, and then catch the train into Manhattan, thanks

Magruder - you can't leave us hanging like that!

#14

re: Trivial Pursuit #23

Posted: 11/14/04 at 11:24am

I'm sure someone will mention it.

"Gif me the cobra jool!"

#15

re: Trivial Pursuit #23

Posted: 11/14/04 at 11:24am

Wait, I thought FALLING IN LOVE WITH LOVE was from CINDERELLA!

JOKE!

" ...the happiness in the tune convinces me that I'm not afraid."

#16

re: Trivial Pursuit #23

Posted: 11/14/04 at 11:24am

GOOD DEAL, DG!

I guess Glebb is on his way to Greece!

Have a GREAT rest of your weekend, everybody!!! :)

"I say YOU'RE the CUTEST one. No, I say YOU'RE the CUTEST One. And we go on like that from dawn to three."

#17

re: Trivial Pursuit #23

Posted: 11/14/04 at 11:27am

Macgruder,

Do you mean the off-Broadway "Bomb-itty of Errors?"

lc

#18

re: Trivial Pursuit #23

Posted: 11/14/04 at 11:28am

The second musical based on THE COMEDY OF ERRORS is OH, BROTHER!--the story was transfered from Greece to the Middle East.

"I say YOU'RE the CUTEST one. No, I say YOU'RE the CUTEST One. And we go on like that from dawn to three."

#19

re: Trivial Pursuit #23

Posted: 11/14/04 at 11:35am

While OH, BROTHER! is not a score to rival THE BOYS FROM SYRACUSE, it's generally excellent. Also, the cast recording features three songs cut in Washington ("Revolution!" "I'm Coming Unwrapped" and "It's a Man's World") that when removed, make the score sound even stronger (though "I'm Coming Unwrapped" is a really good song). The show featured an excellent cast, including David Carroll, Harry Groener, Judy Kaye, Bruce Adler, Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio, Joe Morton and Larry Marshall, but it only played for a total of 3 or 4 performances at the ANTA (nee Virginia Theatre). The deep dark secret about OH, BROTHER! vs. THE BOYS FROM SYRACUSE: OH, BROTHER! is much funnier.

"Gif me the cobra jool!"

Updated On: 11/14/04 at 11:35 AM

#20

re: Trivial Pursuit #23

Posted: 11/14/04 at 11:51am

Well, I'm not so sure about OH, BROTHER being "much funnier" than THE BOYS FROM SYRACUSE.

OH, BROTHER'S humor is VERY topical (The OPEC crisis on the Persian Gulf during the 1980s)-- and just like many other very topical shows, I think the humor would across as dated today.

On the other hand, THE BOYS FROM SYRACUSE derives its humor from the situation (mistaken identities, etc.) so the humor seems as fresh today as it did in 1937.

There are a FEW topical moments in the THE BOYS FROM SYRACUSE (such as the trio performing "Sing For Your Supper" in the style of the Benson Sisters) but not enough to make its story and humour totally unpalatable for today's audiences.

BTW, Magruder, thanks for the Tom Stoppard nudge. I'm a HUGE Stoppard fan, don't know why, I was focusing on John Wood this morning. . . :)

"I say YOU'RE the CUTEST one. No, I say YOU'RE the CUTEST One. And we go on like that from dawn to three."

#21

re: Trivial Pursuit #23

Posted: 11/14/04 at 11:53am

Trust me, I've sat through several Boys from Syracuses, using the original book or a version thereof. Great songs, no laughs.

"Gif me the cobra jool!"

#22

re: Trivial Pursuit #23

Posted: 11/14/04 at 11:56am

And as for topicality, Oh, Brother's book was revised by the late Donald Driver's son a few years ago. Apart from leaving the lyrics to "OPEC Maiden" alone, it removed some of the period topical references, and the show plays delightfully well.

"Gif me the cobra jool!"

#23

re: Trivial Pursuit #23

Posted: 11/14/04 at 12:03pm

Hmmm...

I have never seen a stage version of THE BOYS FROM SYRACUSE; however--

1) I have seen the 1940 film version which follows the original stage version very closely and thought it was QUITE funny;

and

2) Many of the SONGS in THE BOYS FROM SYRACUSE I find to be VERY witty and make me laugh: "Dear Old Syracuse," "He and She," "What Can You Do With a Man?", "Oh, Diogenes!", etc.

"I say YOU'RE the CUTEST one. No, I say YOU'RE the CUTEST One. And we go on like that from dawn to three."

#24

re: Trivial Pursuit #23

Posted: 11/14/04 at 2:18pm

I was just mulling over the subject of topicality. It occurs to me that Boys from Syracuse suffers from one very dated reference in particular: its title. The title was a joke at the expense of the Shubert Brothers, who were referred to as "the Boys from Syracuse", though no one could expect to get that these days. It's certainly as dated a reference as OPEC in Oh, Brother!

"Gif me the cobra jool!"

#25

re: Trivial Pursuit #23

Posted: 11/14/04 at 3:04pm

Fascinating point, Magruder--I did NOT know that about the title!

But as the title has a DOUBLE meaning--it also refers to the leading characters who are from Syracuse, Greece, I'm not quite convinced that the title alone turns THE BOYS FROM SYRACUSE into a "topical" show.

On the other hand, OH, BROTHER! (at least in its original incarnation) contains a story all about the OPEC crisis--that is the MAIN thrust of the entire production.

Therefore, I would have to say, at least in their original runs on Broadway, OH, BROTHER! was by far the more topical show.

"I say YOU'RE the CUTEST one. No, I say YOU'RE the CUTEST One. And we go on like that from dawn to three."

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