Gone With the Wind Musical- Page 2

[Michael Bennett]

Posted: 2/22/07 at 9:01pm

The London cast recording apparently will never be released on CD because of complications with the original contracts with the record label.

[withoutlovewithoutU]

Posted: 2/22/07 at 11:26pm

I love The movie and the book and HJ, but this just doesn't seem like a good idea to me.

[cturtle]

Posted: 2/22/07 at 11:34pm

we saw the FRENCH pop musical and were highly entertained!

[Fenchurch]

Posted: 2/22/07 at 11:50pm

I think its a wonderful idea to tell it through the eyes of the slaves.

In fact, I think its the only way it could be done now.

Otherwise you can't get past most of it, it assumes too much of the tone of priveleged whiteness otherwise.

Very wise choice.

[LuPonatic]

Posted: 2/23/07 at 12:06am

I love hearing about new Musicals in the works.

Keep'em comin'!

[Michael Bennett]

Posted: 2/23/07 at 12:11am

Oh please, fenchurch - its that absurd PC mentality that has ruined pop culture in our country. GWTW is what it is. It's not about the atrocities of slavery. If they want to do that story, they should musicalize BELOVED.

[LuPonatic]

Posted: 2/23/07 at 12:13am

Along those lines, I really wish they would release "Song of the South" on DVD!

[Fenchurch]

Posted: 2/23/07 at 12:26am

Michael Bennett,

How lovely, and moving.
What I hate is people who call everything PC that they don't like.
PC is just a new-fangled euphemism for the word "Polite"

So excuse me for being polite, and applauding someone trying to make a classic work by adjusting the part of it that makes it an unjust portrayal of the American South.

Gone with the Wind is what it is, but what it is, among other things, is an extremely racist portrayal that romanticizes the American south, with its portrayals of polite darkies and house slaves, without sparing any space in such a huge tome for the discussion of field slaves that were treated like cattle rather than people.
For a valid portrayal of how field slaves were treated, I suggest you read the opening chapter of Amiri Baraka's Blues People, one of the quitessential works on the african american music.

So I applaud the writers of this new version of Gone With The Wind, and especially their inventiveness in realizing this classic in a way that is righteous and palatable, because in it's original incarnation, it about as tasteful as a revival of "Lolita, My Love"

[Michael Bennett]

Posted: 2/23/07 at 12:51am

If I want to know how slaves were actually treated, I wouldn't go to GONE WITH THE WIND. And I think its sad that people feel they can't simply dramatize a piece of literature as it appeared in 1936 because they feel they must "sanitize" it for modern audiences who "clearly" don't know better. All fiction should of course be presented only if it is historically accurate and only if it doesn't offend racial groups - unless of course its at the expense of makeing old whitey the clear bad guy. Please spare me.

Of course GWTW "romanticizes" the old south. The myth of the old south is an important part of our American pop culture. I could also go into a long historical tirade and say that while I dont think Margaret Mitchell's point in telling the story was to examine the issues of slavery, there were many plantation owners who treated their slaves well and who, in return stayed with them long after the war. Just like Mammy, Prissy and Pork. Imagine that. Im actually not too sure GWTW isn't a fairly reasonable example of the way some real slave/master relationships actually were. But I digress.

And for whatever its worth, there is no composing team assigned to this project and given the writer's inacurate facts on most of the details, I doubt the musical is going to be from the point of view of the slaves anyway. People going in to see GONE WITH THE WIND would hate it and the Margaret Mitchell estate would never approve of it. As well they shouldn't.

And P.S. LOLITA MY LOVE is a fabulous musical and deserves to be seen again - as written. I'm sorry, anybody who advocates sanitizing Nabokov should be buried at the bottom of the book ban.





Updated On: 2/23/07 at 12:51 AM

[Fenchurch]

Posted: 2/23/07 at 1:15am

Actually, I have to agree with you about Lolita, My Love. In fact, Nabokov's novel is probably the most well written book I have ever read.

However, your assertion about the relationships between master and slave being ANYTHING like Prissy, Mammy and the other house slaves at Tara is WAAAAY off the mark, and if you really think that there is any inkling of truth is those relationships then you really don't have any idea of what the experience was like.

[Michael Bennett]

Posted: 2/23/07 at 1:18am

And you do Fen because you yourself are a 180 year old former black slave. Good to know.

[bk]

Posted: 2/23/07 at 4:09am

I am a 180 year old former Black slave. Frankly, I was hoping they'd do a musical of Mandingo.

I'm always surprised when anyone takes these obvious pr fantasies seriously.

[Gelfling]

Posted: 2/23/07 at 5:01am

wew... I was scared out of my socks when I saw the news, I was afraid it was going to be the horrid Presgurvic French whatever (I still refuse to call that musicals, sorry). I am not a great fan of the movie or the book but nothing deserves that kind of threatment so good luck to them for the new musical... Jackman is not a bad choice but I doubt he'll be able to fit anything but a short run into his overworked schedule. Boy From Oz was some time ago!

[Mattbrain]

Posted: 2/23/07 at 7:26am

I would just like to go on record to say that I agree with Fenchurch's statements. This sounds like a very interesting project.

[songanddanceman2]

Posted: 2/23/07 at 8:57am

Didn't Gone With The Wind the musical do pretty well over here(in the UK) Im sure it ran for about a year at Drury Lane if im not mistaken.

I think it did make it over to the states to but closed on the road

[BroadwayDoc]

Posted: 2/23/07 at 9:01am

There was also a Tokyo production in 2001 as well.

[Piercemn]

Posted: 2/23/07 at 9:53am

This was a ghastly idea in 1970 and it's a ghastly idea now. Hugh Jackman would be a fool to take on the role of Rhett Butler.

The story of the musical Gone With the Wind has been covered rather well by Ken Mandelbaum in Not Since Carrie and by Rex Reed in People are Crazy Here.

We don't need and never did need, a musical version of the most famous movie in the world!!

[D2]

Posted: 2/23/07 at 10:06am

We don't NEED, and never did NEED a musical version of ANYTHING. But we get them, we have them, and some of them we LOVE.

Who knows with this? It all sounds a little too strange and tenuously credible at this time. If it happens, it will probably flop, but then again, it could turn around and surprise us all and actually work. You get the right creative team in there... McNally, Ahrens and Flaherty? I've said that before in other threads about this very same show.

[landryjames2]

Posted: 2/23/07 at 11:21am

"GWTW is what it is. It's not about the atrocities of slavery. If they want to do that story, they should musicalize BELOVED."

They have musicalized BELOVED. It is an opera, and will be produced by New York City Opera for the 2007-2008 season (along with Ragtime, of course). The opera is called MARGARET GARNER.

NYCO's full season will be on their website this coming Monday.
Updated On: 2/23/07 at 11:21 AM

[EponineAmneris]

Posted: 2/23/07 at 12:13pm

"Told through the eyes of the slaves.." - I just read that part. Honey, that is not the way the book is. Who wrote this article? Must be drunk or a yankee..." ---Michael Bennett

*lol* You always know just what to say.

I say leave this classic alone! The movie and the characters are iconic. And Broadway needs new ORIGINAL shows.

[galindagirl2]

Posted: 2/23/07 at 12:21pm

Hugh Jackman and Jill Paice? Don't get me wrong, I love them both..especially Jill, but I never got a "Scarlett" vibe from her at all. I think she'd be more suited for Ashley's wife...sorry, I can't remember her name.
And Mr. Jackman is just...most definitely not a Rhett...maybe an Ashley. I mean he could do Rhett, but so many other people could do it better. Do you hear me, producers?: Just because Hugh Jackman is a very talented performer, a famous movie star, and a big commercial success does not mean you should cast him in every male role in the country! Especially the ones he's not suited for!
And end rant.
If you took offense to the above, please don't hate me. I'm sick today, and my mind's a bit fuzzy.

[Mister Matt]

Posted: 2/23/07 at 12:23pm

"I say leave this classic alone! The movie and the characters are iconic. And Broadway needs new ORIGINAL shows."

LOL Like Les Miserables or Aida? Fully original shows are extremely rare historically on Broadway and successful original shows are rarer still. If Broadway is to thrive, it needs fewer, rather than more, completely original shows.

[Borstalboy]

Posted: 2/23/07 at 12:47pm

If they can keep the running time under an hour and forty-five minutes why, this just might work!

Jennifer Holliday has found her comeback vehicle!

[stonewall2]

Posted: 2/23/07 at 1:07pm

Again, as with the Jackman thread,"Ugh"!

[Mother's Younger Brother]

Posted: 2/23/07 at 1:13pm

Eh, I've heard FAR worse ideas for a musical -- most of which have actually been produced during the last few years.