'Brokeback! The Musical!'

[Wayman_Wong]

Posted: 1/10/06 at 12:27pm

Last month in my 'Leading Men' column at Playbill.com, I asked: If 'Brokeback Mountain' became a Broadway musical, which two 'Leading Men' oughta star in it? If you'd like to see a sampling of the casting suggestions we got, click on this:

(Scroll down to the item: A musical 'Mountain' with anticipation)
Playbill.com: A musical 'Mountain' with anticipation

[Borstalboy]

Posted: 1/10/06 at 12:33pm

Gotta dream, boy!
Gotta song!
Paint your rectum
And come along!

[Wayman_Wong]

Posted: 1/10/06 at 1:35pm

P.S. If you've got other pairings of Broadway guys for 'Brokeback,' besides the ones in our column, let's hear 'em.

[moulin724rouge]

Posted: 1/11/06 at 1:02am

patrick wilson would have to be in it...

[ShbrtAlley44]

Posted: 1/11/06 at 1:06am

That goes without saying. I find this entire concept hilarious.

PATRICK AND CHEYENNE!

[iliketheater]

Posted: 1/11/06 at 1:10am

hah! i love it!

[Tirso de Molina]

Posted: 1/11/06 at 1:20am

Moving on to the rest of the casting, I'd love to see Chenoweth cast against type as Alma. Of course, she'd bring down the house nightly with her big second act ballad, "You never brought us home no fish, Ennis."

[jczelyph]

Posted: 1/11/06 at 1:23am

Hahahahahaha. 'You never brought us home no fish Ennis' - absolutely classic.

[TennesseeTwang]

Posted: 1/11/06 at 1:34am

I'd like to see Ioan Gruffud play Jack and Kevin McKidd play Ennis. Of course, neither is American. But both sing exceptionally well and both can do convincing American accents.

[Footlooser]

Posted: 1/11/06 at 3:06am

Jack: Michael Arden
Ennis: Matthew Morrison

[orangeskittles]

Posted: 1/11/06 at 3:14am

I liked the Michael Arden and Max von Essen suggestion in the article, but I feel like both of them singing together would be almost too much to handle.

[luvtheEmcee]

Posted: 1/11/06 at 8:58am

The pair, whoever it might be, SHOULD be too much too handle.

I suppose anyone can take their fair guess at my picks. *embarassed shuffle* And after seeing the movie, I still think they'd fit very well for the parts.

Updated On: 1/11/06 at 08:58 AM

[idinarocksmysocks!510]

Posted: 1/11/06 at 10:07am

haha i love the suggestion!

[Rathnait62]

Posted: 1/11/06 at 10:15am

Hey, I started a thread weeks ago.

I'll see you in court, Wayman Wong!!

[best12bars]

Posted: 1/11/06 at 10:30am

I'm Miss Rath's attorney for this case. The proper papers have been filed, and you'll be hearing from us soon.




...Hey, how about "Brokahomo!" as a title?

Updated On: 1/11/06 at 10:30 AM

[best12bars]

Posted: 1/11/06 at 10:58am

No, wait...

A better scenario: The boys meet at this tap dancing camp up in the mountains of Wyoming... and it's called "Hoofers and Heifers!"... or maybe even "Pullback Mountain!"

(Okay, there, I'm done.)

[BwayBaby18]

Posted: 1/11/06 at 11:02am

how about Bareback Mountain the Musical?

[Tirso de Molina]

Posted: 1/11/06 at 2:55pm

I do love this thread, but I have to admit that actually turning this story/film into a musical sounds almost untenable: the problem would be that an essential aspect of so many of the characters is their inability to articulate, understand, or accept their feelings. These characters are people largely without access to expressive language, and as a consequence without access to many of the ideas that expressive language can convey. And a musical about inarticulate people is a contradiction in terms. Jack is more of a dreamer, and I could maybe see creating songs for his character -- but Ennis?! His entire tragedy derives the fact that he bottles up his feelings and refuses, or is unable, to put them into words; Heath Ledger's delivery of his dialogue captures this repression/oppression perfectly. To have Ennis able to sing about his feelings would undermine the most essential aspects of his character and the story itself.

On the lighter side, I'm thinking Elaine Stritch should have first dibs on the Randy Quaid character!

[Wayman_Wong]

Posted: 1/11/06 at 3:23pm

Hey, Rathnait62, when did you post your 'Brokeback' thread? I just did a search on this site and all I can find is a thread called 'Brokeback' sequel on Dec. 29. I posted my previous 'Leading Men' column, asking for 'Brokeback' casting suggestions, on Dec. 5. Anyway, I never saw your thread, but I guess it just proves one thing: Great minds think alike. Or to quote the movie: 'Ain't no reins on this!'

[zelda]

Posted: 1/11/06 at 3:53pm

first. i have to say..in case the moderator is reading...you kicked off this topic that my friend listed ..then said your relisted and never did. so he doesnt come here anymore...sucks..he was very very smart

however...brokeback could be a tremedous musical. the hands it should lie in would be that of Mr. Guettel. he would be able to manage the silence and the pain and encompass the moments of joy.

[Jwaa]

Posted: 1/11/06 at 4:08pm

This should not be a musical....

the idea is that they are too ashamed and confused and unexplainably torn up by the whole thing...

it couldnt be vocalised and just shouldnt be....
(sorry the film it me real heavy, still havent gotten over it)

I think that it could be made into a matthew bourne ballet, his most incredible emotional ballet yet...but thats just me.

x

[Wayman_Wong]

Posted: 1/11/06 at 4:11pm

Zelda, is your posting directed at Rathnait62? Otherwise, I'm not sure what you mean. Thanks in advance for clarifying things.

[Alex LaVelle]

Posted: 1/11/06 at 4:12pm

Personally, I enjoyed Nathan Lane's rendition of Brokeback: The Musical on Letterman a couple of weeks ago.

"There's a couple of guys on the meadow!
There's a couple of guys on the meadow!"

[best12bars]

Posted: 1/11/06 at 4:13pm

Tirso de Molina --- That was wonderfully put! And I agree with what you said.

No, this shouldn't be a musical at all. Perish the thought... unless JERRY HERMAN writes the score!!!!

[FindingNamo]

Posted: 1/11/06 at 4:16pm

I do not feel that this thread treats BM with the reverence that even the biggest naysayers must agree by now it has earned.