Easter Parade

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Easter Parade

Posted: 4/5/05 at 11:27am

I wish they would adapt this to the stage. It's my fave Fred Astaire movie and I would love to see it done. Irving Berlin rocks like a boulder!

"Have a child for warmth and a baker for bread and a prince for... whatever!"

re: Easter Parade

Posted: 4/5/05 at 11:35am

When I saw the title I thought this thread was about a Broadway Easter Parade...I'd love to go to that :)

re: Easter Parade

Posted: 4/5/05 at 11:38am

It would need to be done really well, although I'd probably be suspect of how good it was considering how terrible Singin' In The Rain and Meet Me In St. Louis were on the stage.

The truly beautiful should be lawfully restricted from wearing clothing; and the truly butt-ugly should be lawfully mandated from going naked.

They did at least two workshops. The main one (perhaps both?) starred Tommy Tune and Sandy Duncan.

I always thought Duncan seemed too old for the Garland role, talented though she is, even at the time of the workshop (early to mid 90s). And whatever one thinks of Tune, perhaps he's not Astaire. Of course, who is? But it's such a winning movie -- not a bad song, and a wonderful MY FAIR LADY-like plot (pre FAIR LADY, but of course, post PYGMALION).

You need two triple threats, with some age between them. Plus the Lawford role, plus the Anne Miller part. And Ziegfeld sequences--an expensive proposition. Not

"I'm a comedian, but in my spare time, things bother me." Garry Shandling

Updated On: 4/5/05 at 01:14 PM

it's been tried

Posted: 4/5/05 at 1:30pm

It IS a good score, although I'm not sure how I feel about "A Fella With an Umbrella" and "Snooky Ookums".

"Gif me the cobra jool!"

it's been tried

Posted: 4/5/05 at 1:44pm

Aw I love the umbrella song!
Did you know that Fred Astaire hated...and I mean hated doing 'Couple of Swells' he thought it was so stupid! You certainly can't tell in the movie, he seemed to enjoy it! lol!

"Have a child for warmth and a baker for bread and a prince for... whatever!"

it's been tried

Posted: 4/5/05 at 1:51pm

But you said nothing about "Snooky Ookums"!

It so interesting to imagine what Easter Parade would be like had Gene Kelly not broken his ankle prior to the start of filming. Fred Astaire is wonderful throughout the movie, of course, but there's not a lot of heat between him and Garland.

"Gif me the cobra jool!"

it's been tried

Posted: 4/5/05 at 2:23pm

EASTER PARADE is remembered as a great M-g-M musical because of the songs and the performances. Seeing it on TV this past Easter I was reminded again that it has very little plot and most of the songs are not at all related to the plot but merely "on-stage" numbers. Great for entertainment. Lousy for plot and character development.

Cast albums are NOT "soundtracks."
Live theatre does not use a "soundtrack." If it did, it wouldn't be live theatre!

I host a weekly one-hour radio program featuring cast album selections as well as songs by cabaret, jazz and theatre artists. The program, FRONT ROW CENTRE is heard Sundays 9 to 10 am and also Saturdays from 8 to 9 am (eastern times) on www.proudfm.com

it's been tried

Posted: 4/5/05 at 4:44pm

yeah...snooky ookums isn't great but in the move they only sing it for a bit so it's cool. The only song I really hate isThe Girl on the Magazine Cover or whatever, I think it's retarded but maybe it would be cooler on stage.
"it has very little plot and most of the songs are not at all related to the plot but merely "on-stage" numbers" lots of sucessful musicals are like this that we just tend to ignore and enjoy it anyway, like 42nd St. lousy plot but good numbers so I see what you mean.
I don't think the plot is bad, it's cute but not the best. But I think the romance craziness b/w the 4 ppl is pretty funny and at times sweet how it all ends up.

"Have a child for warmth and a baker for bread and a prince for... whatever!"

#10

it's been tried

Posted: 4/5/05 at 5:29pm

there is a wonderful thread on the DVD of the movie on the Off-Topic board, called JUDY GARLAND'S EASTER PARADE. It contains some posts about the stage adaptation of the piece...which also had in its chorus one Noah Racey...

Will: They don't give out awards for helping people be gay... unless you count the Tonys. "I guarantee that we'll have tough times. I guarantee that at some point one or both of us will want to get out. But I also guarantee that if I don't ask you to be mine, I'll regret it for the rest of my life..."

#11

it's been tried

Posted: 4/5/05 at 6:04pm

Frontrow is right. The show has few if any 'book' songs that further the plot or reveal character. Even Astaire's brilliant opener is just about being in a toy store. So the book would have to be airtight, full of humor, romance, and character.

Perhaps this was the problem with the workshops starring Tune and Duncan. Once these folk stop singing, we might be more aware we're not watching Judy and Fred.

"I'm a comedian, but in my spare time, things bother me." Garry Shandling

#12

it's been tried

Posted: 4/5/05 at 6:52pm

I'd just like to add that Ann Miller singing "Shakin' the Blues Away" gives me chills every time. And, of course, I'm a HUGE HUGE Garland fan. Great movie.

#13

it's been tried

Posted: 4/5/05 at 8:04pm

There was talk, years ago, of Tommy Tune working on a stage version. Nothing ever came of that & he no longers directs ( I know not why)

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