What is the general feeling about the musical "Oliver!"? I know some people dislike that the "dark" aspects were taken out, but IMO there is still some darkness to it. (Nancy and Sykes, anyone?). And I know that it would be neigh impossible to put the entire novel onstage, but the book (script) was sketchy at best, unless that's by design. I don't know the production history. That's the only thing I didn't care for. It's a wonderful score.
BTW, I read somewhere once that Julie Andrews was considered for Nancy in the movie. Was that true?
Personally, I love it and would kill for a revival.
"You travel alone because other people are only there to remind you how much that hook hurts that we all bit down on. Wait for that one day we can bite free and get back out there in space where we belong, sail back over water, over skies, into space, the hook finally out of our mouths and we wander back out there in space spawning to other planets never to return hurrah to earth and we'll look back and can't even see these lives here anymore. Only the taste of blood to remind us we ever existed. The earth is small. We're gone. We're dead. We're safe."
-John Guare, Landscape of the Body
Bad. Oliver is the title character, and his first line of substance is like a half hour in. And he doesn't DO anything. I know that's not his fault, he's a Dickens character, but that doesn't work onstage.
Compared to what? I'd say very good show, though I've always wondered why Oliver always speaks with such an uppercrust accent when he's spent his entire life in the workhouse.
Updated On: 5/23/07 at 10:07 PM
"I love the novel.. but I hate the music in the musical..."
Really? For me, the score is the only redeeming quality of the show. I've stated before I think it's an overlong show with too many songs (does Bill Sykes really need a 2 and a half minute number about how people are afraid of him?), but many good ones nonetheless. The movie's wonderful, I feel, and a complete improvement of the show. If they ever do a revival of Oliver! I hope they find some middleground between the two. Characters were more developed, story lines actually had a beginning middle and an end, and many of the unneeded songs were cut.
"Sing the words, Patti!!!!" Stephen Sondheim to Patti LuPone.
This show is massive here in the UK (kind a like Blood Brothers big with equally bad revivals and tours) and i have never understood why(blood brothers to)
Namo i love u but we get it already....you don't like Madonna
I don't understand Blood Brothers appeal. It has three good melodies. That are repeated over, and over, and over, and over. I can't think of Marilyn Monroe now without remembering "He treats his ills/With daily pills/Just like Marilyn Monroe/His mind's gone dancing/It's gone dancing..." Ugh, horrible show.
"Sing the words, Patti!!!!" Stephen Sondheim to Patti LuPone.
After playing Dodger for over 50 performances when I was a kid, I can honestly say I HATE HATE HATE this show! HAHA! I still think it is too dark, slow-moving, and generally boring to watch on stage. Aside from the musical numbers "Food Glorious Food" and "Consider Yourself" - which both occur fairly early in the show, I could not stand most of the rest of the score. It was slow and tedious until "Oom Pah Pah" at the start of Act 2, most of which is filled with Reprises! The First Act of the show featuring THE BOYS is FAR more tolerable than the adult drama of Act 2!
The movie, however has a better pace, but is still very dark and slow moving. It did win 6 Major Academy Awards though, compared to only 3 Minor Tonys for the stage production.
To each his own, eh?
"To love another person is to see the face of God!"
DARK = lack of proper LIGHTING in my post....not referencing a GLOOMY or DISMAL mood! Sorry if that wasn't clear.
I've never seen a production where you could actually see the characters or scenery because of over-eager lighting designers to showcase their "mood lighting" skills. I prefer a much better lit show I guess.
"To love another person is to see the face of God!"
This was already revived on Broadway in 1984 with Patti Lupone and Ron Moody (the film's Fagin). It flopped. Even Patti got bad reviews. That's not to say a good production couldnt sell to today's audiences.
I adore the show, the film, and I think it's a great score.
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