Remember those ABC TV Musicals? — Page 3

The Eartha Kitt tour used some of the songs from the film. I wish they had recorded that.

I agree. The prologue alone would have been worth it. Eartha's reading of it was slightly spooky and ominous. It was a perfect production for me. I will never forget it.

"I don't even remember how the new version opens, but I could never figure out why Opening For a Princess keeps getting cut, but not the obviously redundant Many Moons Ago, which has a pretty melody, but narrates the entire story of the show from the very start."- Mister Matt

I'm wondering if it was for a family audience if it was because of the verses that went something like "no one is having ANY...no one is getting ANY...YOUNGER! And it's been god knows how long since..." etc?
It's a stretch but as it's Disney, it's not impossible.

That was the first Broadway musical I ever saw (with Sarah Jessica Parker in it, I was 10) and I liked it so much, but when it came to the tv version, I was disappointed at how much was cut--in particular 'Very Soft Shoes'-- and with some of the casting. Though I enjoyed Carol Burnett and Denis O'hare very much.

When I was much younger I loved the Brandy version of Cinderella--have on vhs somewhere around here

Updated On: 7/23/09 at 09:37 PM

Chenoweth was fabulous in The Music Man!

I loved Chenoweth in The Music Man, but hated that awful wig they made her wear.

Cinderella is my favorite of these. Also enjoyed Annie, though I'm not a huge fan of the show itself.

I much prefer "Rogers & Hammerstein's Cinderella" over the Walt Disney animated film. Walt's version was too DARK. The stepmother was like Satin's daughter, the scene where the palace gaurds chase after Cinderella gave my nightmares, and the scene where the dress that the mice made being torn to shreds is just cruel to watch. The Rogers and Hammerstein's version is much more lighter. The stepsisters were funny and Bernadette's verison of the stepmother was mean but not EVIL. That's how those characters were in the earlier versions as well. There's also no silly sequels and stays true to the plot. What mattered was who the slipper fit not who had the other one.

Updated On: 8/25/09 at 06:52 PM

"There's also no silly sequels and stays true to the plot."

Disney is notorious for making lame sequels on some of their classic Disney movies. I actually liked Disney's version of Cinderella, but enjoyed the version with Bernadette Peters as well. Unfortunately, I have never seen the original, but I will definitely watch it at some point.

I know they have a Cinderella musical that has played around the country, but were there ever plans to bring it to Broadway? I am not familiar with the show's history.

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I love Kristin Chenoweth in Music Man... her version of "Till There Was You" is excellent (well... until Matthew Broderick comes in).

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Kristin was excellent, but I can't stand how they lowered Marian's part. I mean, it's not like she couldn't hit those notes.

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I must agree I Have loved all of them,nothing can beat the cast and music that is offered and all well (it's great memories of my childhood) and I can't wait for Peter Pan. I wish they would get back in to the hang of it, it's something I always looked forward to every year. but by far my favorite has been ANNIE and Cinderella. nothing can beat the award winning cast but I was very charmed by The Music Man and once Upon a Mattress.

they need to do Hello Dolly or The King and I and the fiddler project was dropped do to 9-11

Updated On: 8/26/09 at 01:11 AM

I still haven't seen Once Upon a Mattress. How many songs did they cut?

"they need to do Hello Dolly or The King and I and the fiddler project was dropped do to 9-11"

The King and I? Do they really need to remake the original if there was nothing really wrong with it?

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"I'd love to see them do "Little Shop of Horrors," or better yet, "Caroline, or Change.""

I think I would rather HBO tackle a film version of "Caroline, or Change". I think they would do a much better job of bringing it to life. HBO was a producer of the Broadway run and actually filmed several performances "Caroline, or Change" for a potential broadcast. Perhaps we should petition them to broadcast it.

Oh my, I thought this thread was going to be about things like "On the Flip Side" and "Evening Primrose" ... shows you how old I am!!