Probability of a PIPPIN movie musical, post-WICKED success?- Page 3

[EricMontreal22]

Posted: 12/4/24 at 5:19pm

joevitus said: " Only Leslie Denniston is kinda weak. There's nothing technically wrong with her, but I think back to the dispute Schwartz had with Fosse over casting Jill Clayburgh. "

 

You already mentioned this, but at least in the full version we get I Guess I'll Miss the Man.  Out of the myriad cuts, many of them just small bits within a number, that Sheehan made for the Pippin release, that one is truly the most baffling to me as it marks such an important turn for Catherine's character and for the musical itself.  Sheesh.

 

[Jarethan]

Posted: 12/4/24 at 8:05pm

I think The Baker's Wife and Pippin are both terrible ideas for a movie musical.  The Baker's Wife was a problem on stage because there is so little to it.  Some really terrific music, but no real plot.  I saw it in London and can't say that I enjoyed it very much, despite loving the score...it was just sluggish.

Re Pippin, it was always as light as a bubble.  While the score is enjoyable, it still has a lot of filler.  In 1973 it benefited from Fosse's direction and the first TV ad that was actually really good.  Ultimately, there was a lot of 'stage magic' that made it a hit; but it is so light and episodic.  I just don't think would lend itself to being a real movie...maybe it could be approached like the show within a show in Kiss Me Kate.  Create a movie about the creation of the Pippin musical, and have highlights from the show built into the structure of the movie.

The musical I would love to see as a film will never be filmed because the show was a mega-flop is Rags.  I know that Schwartz only wrote the lyrics; the score was written by Charles Strouse, who had some big hits, e.g., Birdie, Annie, and a lot of flops, many of which he provided really good music for, e.g., Superman, All American, Rags.  I listen to the cast recording for Rags occasionally, because I love the score.  I think there is a really good story somewhere in that original musical, which was criticized for being too ambitious, i.e., trying to tell too many stories.  It'll never happen, but I can dream.

[EricMontreal22]

Posted: 12/4/24 at 9:51pm

Jarethan, what do you think of the revised version of Rags? 

I think it actually has some of Schwartz' best work (I am a Schwartz fan--as I've made clear--but sometimes I feel like he works on his lyrics, and does better overall lyrical work, when writing to the music of other composers...  Well, Strouse and Menken anyway.)