Spelling Bee love!- Page 21

[Jud Faginsky]

Posted: 3/19/06 at 1:59am

Hey liotte,
You were the 500th post on this board. Very appropriate!
I was wondering if any of the rest of you were parents. The I Love You Song touches me from the parent standpoint too. The love I have for my kids is well captured by Olive's parents in that song - although granted, they aren't the most attentive of parents. But the lyrics and music really capture the feelings of pride in your kids - i.e. 'We always knew you were a winner'- and how great it is to be a parent. I'm sorry I haven't heard the song enough to remember any more of the lyrics. The song is always in the top ten rated songs of BWW radio.

[liotte]

Posted: 3/19/06 at 7:07am

Actually Jud, I think you were the 500th, it's ok though!

I don't have children, but I work with them, and have seen plenty of kids whose parents are neglectful and the kids are so starved for attention.

It was great for my group of teens to go see this show, because everyone can relate to one or all of the characters (spellers) in some way or another. We all knew someone in school who was an Olive, Barfee, Coneybear, etc.

[Creative Lunatic]

Posted: 3/19/06 at 8:21am

Jud,
I am always reduced to tears during the "I Love you Song". You bring up an interesting point about the lyrics conveying the pride a parent has in a child. For me, however, I always respond to it from within the context of Olive's story.
The parent's words are fanciful,,highly unlikely..chimerical.
Olvie is starved for nurturing, so I hear the parents' words as shallow.
Yet, what makes a show tune successful is that it has legs, and can stand up on it's own outside the framework of the show.
You are so right, under those circumstances, the lyrics do capture parental love and pride.
And Liotte--you should feel pride for beginning this thread. Happy 500th to all who have continued to share their love and admiration for all things Spelling Bee .

[Bug715]

Posted: 3/19/06 at 8:40am

I too saw the part they did on the Tony Awards and decided I wanted to see it. I saw it was comming to Chicago but I am already flying up to see Rent. This morning they announced what shows are comming to Louisville next season and The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee will be here in Feb.

[Creative Lunatic]

Posted: 3/19/06 at 9:02am

Hey Bug,
Welcome to The Love...We will patiently await your next Feb. Louisville review----How exciting! (That's channeling Miss Rhona's words)

[spellingbee_ROCKS007]

Posted: 3/19/06 at 1:24pm

ooo...ill most likely go when it plays in Atlanta or Baltimore.or both!

[liotte]

Posted: 3/19/06 at 5:17pm

Tonight will be the first Sunday night in about 10 weeks that I haven't gone to the show. I'm just too tired. I feel a little lost.

[Creative Lunatic]

Posted: 3/19/06 at 5:45pm

Liotte,
Even the actors take an occasional Sunday night off.
Get some rest! You can come back to spell another day....

[liotte]

Posted: 3/19/06 at 5:51pm

I KNOW!! :)

I'll be back to the show shortly. Prob by Thurs :)

[Creative Lunatic]

Posted: 3/19/06 at 5:59pm

Thanks for The Barfeeism. It made me smile!

[liotte]

Posted: 3/19/06 at 6:58pm

I try :)

[Jud Faginsky]

Posted: 3/19/06 at 11:12pm

Thanks CL. You're right, the song works on a totally different level outside of the show. Since I've only seen the show once, but heard The I Love You Song about ten times on BWW radio, I'm probably responding more to the parental love. But the fantasy aspect of the parents love, or fake aspect, or whatever, is really what the song is about in the show. Wonderful song.

Welcome to all the recent posters here. Actually, I'm kind of a recent poster too, and I felt very welcomed when I joined. Is this the longest running board - that gets the most consistent repeat postings? It deserves to be.

liotte, have you ever asked Lisa Howard how she sees the character of Olive's mom? Is she playing depressed, or clueless, or proud parent that doesn't have her act together, or selfish parent that can't seem to find any time for her kid but needs to advertise her pride. Just wondering.

[JudasIscariot]

Posted: 3/19/06 at 11:16pm

I'll be seeing Spelling Bee when it comes to the Hippodrome in Baltimore, MD. Yay!

[Jud Faginsky]

Posted: 3/19/06 at 11:20pm

Welcome, Judas. You are going to love it! We'll be expecting a review. When?

[JudasIscariot]

Posted: 3/19/06 at 11:23pm

Not sure when yet, I haven't bought my season tickets yet. I have time, because the tickets don't go on sale for a few months.

[Jud Faginsky]

Posted: 3/19/06 at 11:29pm

Well that's great. It is such a wonderful show. I know you will really appreciate it.

[JudasIscariot]

Posted: 3/19/06 at 11:39pm

The only songs I've heard are Pandemonium and I Speak Six Languages. I do really like them both though.

[Jud Faginsky]

Posted: 3/20/06 at 12:55am

If you listen to BWW radio a lot, your bound to hear The I Love You Song, because it is always on the most requested list. That's the song I'm most familiar with. I will get the soundtrack one of these days.

[Creative Lunatic]

Posted: 3/20/06 at 7:33am

Jud,
Even though you addressed question to Liotte--I wanted to respond regarding Olive's mom's state of mind during the I Love You song.. It's a great question.
Since the segment is Olive's fantasy and the recreation of what she wishes her family dynamic to be---I would think that Lisa Howard as the mother sings with great conviction.
If you listen carefully, to the lyrics--the dad says..and maybe it's true----so rich...
Jud--you must be a great teacher--you throw out thought provoking questions..

[liotte]

Posted: 3/20/06 at 11:31am

I will ask Lisa next time I see the show. It's interesting to watch Lisa and Derrick during this song when Olive says, "I think he takes out on me what he wants to take out on you", Lisa looks over at him with a kind of shocked, sad look, and he just looks down at the ground. Also, when Celia goes over to the bench and sits down, holding onto her mom's leg, and her mom just rubs her hair and smiles down on her, I feel like it is a look of regret, that she is sad that she is not part of her daughter's life and wishes she could be.
And at the end of the song, when they all just sing "I Love You" a few times at the front microphone, the mom and dad are looking at each other, rather than at Olive. Yet they still push her to the microphone for the spelling of chimerical, wanting her to succeed, maybe so she will be more successful at life than they are- living vicariously through her.
Just some random thoughts.

[Jud Faginsky]

Posted: 3/20/06 at 5:32pm

Thanks, CL. I appreciate that.
This is a really interesting discussion. Both of your comments bring up another question. CL mentioned that The I Love You Song is a fantasy, made up in Olive's head. Yet several of the other characters seem to be recreating flashbacks, not fantasies, when they are up at the mike. Remember, I've only seen the show once, but doesn't Logainne recreate a scene with both of her dads. I took that as a flashback, not a fantasy. And it seems this happens with a few of the other characters too. Arghh, I can't remember, I obviously need to see the show again. I feel at such a loss to you who have seen the show multiple times. So anyway, is Olive recreating a flashback, or is it just her fantasy of her life as she wishes it was: with parents who love each other, love her, and pay attention to what she is doing?

[liotte]

Posted: 3/20/06 at 5:53pm

I think it is a fantasy, as it starts with a definition of "chimerical", meaning unreal, visionary, fanciful, highly unrealistic. The background opens to show the taj majal which is unreal, and I think the song is just a fantasy portrayal of Olive's world which may in fact, include realistic aspects about her life.
But you are right Jud, there are flashbacks from the other characters- Leaf getting the phone call when he is told he will be in the Bee, Logainne studying the word cystitis with her dads, Barfee and the peanut allergy at last year's bee.

[Jud Faginsky]

Posted: 3/20/06 at 6:00pm

Ok, that makes sense. I thought I remembered a lot of flashbacks, but it does seem as if Olive's is a fantasy. Are there any other Olive moments in the show where she has a flashback?

[liotte]

Posted: 3/20/06 at 6:07pm

Nope, just that one. In her first song (My friend the dictionary), she sings about saving a chair for her parents, and how the dictionary is better than the friends she has made (or lack there of) in school. She is elated at the end (during Second) when she says "Mama, I made a friend"- "We are equals, where neither condescend" which also offer some insight into her world and her interactions with others.

[LilDiva05]

Posted: 3/20/06 at 6:16pm

Liotte, I missed you at Bee last night! I was hoping to see you!

I wound up winning lotto there Sat evening, Sun matinee, AND Sun evening, so I sat through it 3 times in a row...'twas VERY fun! I'm up to 6 times now, and may be seeing it again tomorrow night (I just can't get enough of the show!!!)

Just a little note: NEVER give Josh Gad a sharpie marker without covering up your arms first...he wrote all over me! Not like I minded, but it DOES say "I <3 Chrissy, Josh Gad" Todd said "Honey, you're gunna need a loofa to get that $hI+ off."


Oh godddddd Bee, I love it!!!

=)