"Sweeney Todd" influenced "Oh, Streetcar!"

[magruder]

Posted: 6/5/04 at 10:51am

I picked up the Simpsons Season 4 on DVD yesterday, and went right to "A Streetcar Named Marge," the classic episode where Marge stars as Blanche in a community theatre production of a musical version of "A Streetcar Named Desire". (That episode also features that wonderful parody of "The Great Escape" with a nod toward "The Birds", where Maggie stages a coup d'etat at the Ayn Rand School for Tots).

In the extras on the DVD, there is a small segment about the opening number of that musical, "New Orleans," (the one that goes "New Orleans! Home of pirates, drunks and whores. New Orleans! Tacky overpriced souvenir stores.") Apparently, the citizens of New Orleans were greatly offended by the lyrics of this number, and the show offered an official apology to the city.

Now, to bring this post on topic... What a surprise to hear the episode's writer Jeff Martin credit "No Place Like London" from "Sweeney Todd" as the influence for "New Orleans"! Much as I love the episode, the "Sweeney Todd" connection never occurred to me. Musicals references do pop up throughout the history of The Simpsons, including Season 4's wonderful "Music Man" parody, "Marge vs. the Monorail," and the "Evita" parody of recent vintage. Can anyone think of others from the show's illustrious history? (Personally, I'd love to see "Checkin' In" on Broadway!)

P.S. My other purchase yesterday was "The Day of the Locust," one of my all time faves, as I raved here several months ago. That movie features a Homer Simpson played by Donald Sutherland of a completely different stripe!

[ChrisLovesShows]

Posted: 6/5/04 at 11:11am

My favorites are the Planet of the Apes musical starring Troy MacClure (RIP Phil Hartman ) and "Who Nees a Quiky-Mart" by the Simpson and Apu.

[magruder]

Posted: 6/5/04 at 11:22am

Ah yes! "They made dad sicky-mart!" "Let's throw a bricky-mart!" What's not to love?

And while on the subject of musical references in pop culture-conscious animation, attention must be paid, too, to Marc Shaiman for the delicious parodies of "Oklahoma!" and "Les Miserables" in "South Park: Bigger, Longer and Uncut". I have never experienced as much pandemonium in a movie theatre as sitting with an audience hearing "Uncle F*cka" for the first time.

[GovernorSlaton]

Posted: 6/5/04 at 11:26am

Wow! I never realized that, even though that might be my favorite episode (besides Mr. Lisa Goes to Washington). The Mary Poppins episode has great new lyrics to the old music. "Around the house, I barely lift a finger, as a husband and father I'm sub-par, I'd rather drink a beer than win Father of the Year! I'm happy with things the way the are!"

[FindingNamo]

Posted: 6/5/04 at 11:29am

I was in a movie theater with my niece (who was in her late 20s at the time) in Southern Illinois the day the big South Park movie came out. The place was packed with SIU students. It was unbelieveable (and a little uncomfortable) when UF came on. But isn't it nice to be made uncomfortable once in a while?

It was a brilliant musical, that movie. Magruder, remember how BestOfBroadway took us to task for saying it was brilliant way back when? Oh, the genius that flies right over many people's heads!

Anyhoo, as many of you know, j'adore The Simpsons. Remember the "Be My Guest" parody Mr. Burns sang, "See My Vest?" That made me LOL like Jose on LOL gas.

I wasn't a fan of the Evita parody... I didn't think it went anywhere and that fussbudget ALWeber won't let his music be parodied so they had to use different melodies.

"Blanche, I wanna be your fella!"

"Stanley, I'm going to tell Stella!"

And who knew Ned Flanders had such a great body!

[GovernorSlaton]

Posted: 6/5/04 at 11:37am

See My Vest is Hilarious! "Like my loafers? Former gofers! It was that, or skin my chauffeurs..."

And who could forget "Senor Burns"?

[magruder]

Posted: 6/5/04 at 11:40am

I can't remember the battle with BestofBroadway over South Park, but that movie makes me deliriously happy (and this season's spot-on skewering of "The Passion of the Christ" has earned the authors even higher marks, as far as I'm concerned).

You may be right about the "Evita" parody, but I just decided to love it because of these lyrics, sung by Lisa and referencing "Rainbow High": "Don't try to brainwash me/Just Osh Kosh B'gosh me".

And though it doesn't reference any show of which I'm aware, "We Put the Spring in Springfield" is a pretty wonderful tune.

Updated On: 6/5/04 at 11:40 AM

[Menken Fan]

Posted: 6/5/04 at 11:45am

I've always enjoyed Sideshow Bob's performances. There's the one where he performed the entire score of HMS Pinafore as he abducted Bart. Recently, he tied up Bart in his bedroom, then having second thoughts, began singing "I've Grown Accustomed to His Face." When Homer knocked on the door and shouted "Turn down that original cast recording!", I lost it. Definitely a nod to theater fans.

[FindingNamo]

Posted: 6/5/04 at 11:47am

MF, just reading about that in your post made me laugh all over again.

Magruder, the OshKosh line WAS sheer genius.

[magruder]

Posted: 6/5/04 at 11:51am

Oh, and this is particularly timely.

Remember in the parody of "The Shining," where a homicidal Homer is chasing his family through the maze, until Homer is pacified by the portable television? The family gathers around peacefully, until you hear on the TV, "Live from New York! It's the Tony Awards, with your hosts, Tyne Daly and Hal Linden!" Bart screams, "Quick! Homer! Change the channel!" and Homer responds, "Can't! Arm... frozen..." and the family watches the Tonys in abject terror.

[FindingNamo]

Posted: 6/5/04 at 12:09pm

Loved that. Remember when they went to the dinner theater and Homer thought he recognized the mafia guy from another show?

"I think we saw him in Rent, or Stomp, or Clomp or some crap."

[magruder]

Posted: 6/5/04 at 12:12pm

Right! Mark Hamill in the dinner theatre version of "Guys & Dolls"! with the highlight, "Luke, Be a Jedi Tonight". (What is that great lyric..."Do it for Yoda, while we serve our guests a soda"?)

[FindingNamo]

Posted: 6/5/04 at 12:16pm

A Google search brought me to a site with Simpson's quotes that has the whole stanza:

Mark Hamill: Luke, be a Jedi tonight! Just be a Jedi tonight!

Mark Hamill & Chorus: Do it for Yoda, while we serve our guests a soda.

Mark Hamill: Uh, and do it for Chewie and the Ewoks, and all the other puppets ...

Mark Hamill & Chorus: Luke, be a Jedi tonight!

[ChrisLovesShows]

Posted: 6/5/04 at 12:21pm

OMG, the HMS Pinafore episode is a classic! "Poor little Buttercup..." with the mop for hair.

[FindingNamo]

Posted: 6/5/04 at 12:33pm

I found a British website dedicated to the musical aspects of The Simpsons, they got the OshKosh line wrong:

"But you can brainwash me,
Just hush, push, begush me,"

Reminds me of It's Alive, the live album the Ramones only released in Japan and that had phonetic spellings of the lyrics.

But the site's pretty comprehensive.



link

[FindingNamo]

Posted: 6/5/04 at 12:38pm

I had totally forgotten the parody of my beloved A Chorus Line from the fifth Halloween episode. The above link even has a sound file to hear.

A Chorus Line
Halloween Special V


All: One! chorus line of people,
Dancing till they make us stop,
Willie: Two!
All: Many dancing people,
Covered with blood, gore and glop.

Just one sniff of that fog and you're inside out,
It's worse than that flesh-eating virus you've read about.
Vital organs, they are what we're dressed in.
The family dog is eyeing Bart's intestine.
Happy Halloween!

[magruder]

Posted: 6/5/04 at 12:41pm

Forgot all about that one. Jeez! What musical have they NOT parodied?

[GovernorSlaton]

Posted: 6/5/04 at 12:47pm

OH! Remember during Behind the Laughter, when Homer was in Rent 2? He came out with this huge villain mustache, top hat, and cape (all black), and sang, "Where is the Rent? I need the RENT!" I think I missed the next few jokes because of that.

[FindingNamo]

Posted: 6/5/04 at 12:50pm

Even though I think of shows like the Halloween episodes that take us out of the "reality" of day to day life in Springfield (I know, I know) as sort of amusing sidebars, I DO think Behind the Laughter may be my favorite all time episode.

Homer: Let me make one thing clear. I THOUGHT that cop was a prostitute.

Here's another quote from that musical site:

Lisa: You like musicals don't you dad?
Homer: No, I don't, I think they're bad.
They're fake and phony and totally wrong.

[Craig]

Posted: 6/5/04 at 1:14pm

If you haven't seen The Actors Studio with the cast, you've missed probably the very best episode ever....

[FindingNamo]

Posted: 6/5/04 at 1:17pm

Here's my ultimate bragging rights. I was at the Just For Laughs Festival in Montreal two summers ago and got to see The Simpsons Live! It was most of the cast (no Julie) doing a script reading of the episode in which Homer buys a gun, The Cartridge Family.

Matt Groening was there... and I had tenth row center seats and was laughing and making eye contact with Hank Azaria. It was a life highlight.

Homer: Stupid cooling down period. If I had my gun right now I'd shoot that gun store clerk for making me wait for my gun.

[GovernorSlaton]

Posted: 6/5/04 at 1:57pm

The music clip show was very funny, and here is what I can remember from the first song:

Lisa: You like musicals, don't you Dad?
Homer: No I don't I think their bad! They're fake and phony and totally wrong...
Bart: Wake up Dad, you're singing a song!
Homer: I wouldn't, I couldn't, I hate that stuff!
Marge: Now Homer, listen, I've had enough, in our family videos, you can plainly see, you're a singing, dancing, entertainment MACHINE!

By the way, Namo, who filled in for Julie as Marge?

[FindingNamo]

Posted: 6/5/04 at 2:01pm

It was Pamely Hayden. Or Tress MacNeille. Either way, she did a fine Marge and I thought, hmmm, maybe other actors COULD voice these characters.

When somebody in the audience asked Matt G. why they killed off Maude Flanders he replied, "as a warning to the other actors."