6 page article on the Legend of Arthur Laurents... — Page 2

Just odd to me that he'd want all of this to come out BEFORE the revival opens. There's nothing flattering about him as a human at all. How can this and other recent accounts NOT tarnish any critics review ?

First, let me say that although I do like the film and think that Spigelgass' script is superior to Laurent's stage play, I do not believe that the screenplay is perfect; it has its own set of problems such as the unnecessary voiceover and reading June's letter out loud. In fact I agree with all of the criticisms you mentioned. Regardless, I feel the screenplay is still an improvement on the original play because it more accurately portrays the relationship between mother and daughters that is the core of the story. The best way that I can say it is that I find the screenplay more "dramatic" and the stage play more "comedic". But I firmly believe that Spigelgass' script should not be used as a blueprint if GYPSY were to be remade as a film. However, the flaws I mentioned in Laurent’s' book would still have to be addressed for a successful transition to film, something the Bette Midler TV version also did not do very well. I think we all agree that GYPSY's fantastic score deserves the best and most realistic rendering of the story possible and so far neither the stage nor either of the films have done this enough to match the superb score.

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Updated On: 3/16/09 at 06:38 PM

This is the first I have heard of the "Ghost" story, He has stated before that they discussed a Spanish translation.
Maybe he was talking to the Ghost?
It's a rather unflattering article but it goes along with the theory that He wants to be a Legend and He wants to be the Star of the Show, finally!
The comparisions to Mama Rose are interesting in that His two Babies, WEST SIDE STORY and GYPSY, both became more famous, as did Gypsy and eventually June than Mama.

Arthur is incapable of self-censorship.

The moment he hears that little voice in his brain saying, "Uh-oh, Arthur! Better not say that! You'll only regret it..." is the moment he says, "F**k you all! What I speak is the TRUTH! If you can't take the truth, it's YOUR problem not mine!"

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^ *Tourette's

It's a psychological condition vaguely related to Tourette's, but Tourette's is a neurological disorder.

Arthur's is clearly a psychological condition that combines grandiosity with lack of impulse control, classified in the DSM-IV as number 312.34: "Intermittent Explosive Disorder" or "Episodic Dyscontrol Syndrome."

What makes Arthur's bad behavior sociopathic (but not psychopathic) is that Arthur NEVER expresses any genuine regret or guilt. Whatever he ends up saying in his Intermittent Explosion, he stands behind, whether it was appropriate or not, whether it was even TRUE or not. In fact, the less true it is, the more insistent he is that it IS true: "It MUST be true...because I was the one who thought it."

Arthur will never admit he's wrong. On the rare occasions he changes his mind publicly--such as reversing his decision that Patti LuPone would NEVER play Rose In New York--he makes the change in decision WHOLLY about himself: "Yes, Patti can play the part in New York--but only if I direct her MYSELF. Because without my direction, she'd be a failure!"

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Just an educated observer.

"Taught by experts," as Peter Allen used to sing.

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Updated On: 3/17/09 at 01:13 AM

His plays are seldom staged anymore and none of the movies he wrote are major films that are studied. His fate is to be forever linked to Robbins, Bernstein and Sondheim.

When he finally dies, will the lights be dimmed on Broadway?

I had a dream last night. No cows came up to my bed, but I did dream I was in a theater, just before West Side Story was to begin.

The lights dimmed, and Gerald Freedman and Debbie Allen came out in front of the curtain and apologized to the audience, but that they had just been brought in to correct the damage the current director had done to the revival.

I wish there were more, but like a lot of my dreams, it then veered in a different direction. I'm an ADD dreamer.

Too bad there WASN'T a cow in your dream, Phil.

She could have had said, "Arthur--move over!"

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I thought that the "Robbins backing off the stage into the orchestra pit as the entire cast watched" story happened during "Fiddler"...

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