Thanks for the response

[danhattan]

Posted: 2/21/07 at 8:51am

I was just reading a Legally Blonde thread when a question was raised...

TechEverlasting posted...

"Good Boy" was replaced by "Ireland." This brings up something I've been wondering about. From what I've heard the Ireland number is hilarious (including a line that goes something like "and we'll dance without moving our arms") and there's also a Riverdance parody elsewhere in the show. Has this material been part of the show throughout its development? If not, does anyone think it's been put in there deliberately to poke fun at "The Pirate Queen"? My guess is that NY audiences will assume this is a spoof on Pirate Queen. Even if it wasn't planned, I think it's a hysterical coincidence.

I have never heard of a Broadway show spoofing or making fun of another show that hasn't even opened. Weither it's cute/funny/light hearted or not...Has anyone heard of another show doing something like this?

*edited in response to latter posts. Thanks for the discussion.
Updated On: 2/21/07 at 08:51 AM

[folkyboy]

Posted: 2/21/07 at 8:51am

why didn't you just bump up that thread instead of making this one?

[danhattan]

Posted: 2/21/07 at 8:54am

Because I don't think everybody reads the Legally Blonde appreciation thread. To me this is a question for everyone on the boards and I think people should know about it.

[Craig]

Posted: 2/21/07 at 9:01am

...or it could just be a coincidence. Making riverdance jokes is hardly new material. And I'm not sure what Jerry's lineage is - but Larry O'Keefe definitely (who wrote the music to Legally Blonde with his wife, Nell Benjamin) definitely has Irish blood.

[Mamie]

Posted: 2/21/07 at 9:06am

Pirate Queen's getting a lot of coverage and I think it's smart of Jerry to use it in his show. Making fun of another show - opened or not - is no insult. It's a back handed compliment!

[husk_charmer]

Posted: 2/21/07 at 9:08am

Ah, one more reason for me to hate this show! Actually, this probably really is a total coincidence, as Mitchell seems to have more class than that (I could be wrong, he may just present himself better). But technically, it's not making fun of a show that hasn't opened. "Pirate Queen" did it's out of town previews in October, is already in rehearsal and opens a month or so before "Legally Blonde." By that point, it's making fun of an existing show, much like "Spamalot" jabs "Fiddler," or "Wicked" does "Evita," or "Urinetown" does most musicals.

[FriedmanFan]

Posted: 2/21/07 at 9:11am

I recently saw LEGALLY BLONDE and I wondered the same thing when the IRELAND reprise came. The first time Paulette sings Ireland, I thought it was a funny coincidence that there are two shows coming out this year that feature Ireland. But then when the Riverdance/Lord of The Dance choreo came in during the reprise I knew what they we're really poking fun at. The number is cute and got some big laughs but you have to wonder if the cheap joke is worth it. The creative team had to know what they were doing. Even if it was unintentional I would imagine they would have realized by now that comparisons would be made. Will random New York audiences make the connection? I don't think so. I think the shows will draw completely different audiences. Do I think it's "beyond tacky"? Omigod... totally!

[Rathnait62]

Posted: 2/21/07 at 9:17am

So let me get this straight - a comedy is no longer allowed to be satirical? Is that what we're saying?

[BwayDreams]

Posted: 2/21/07 at 9:31am

Satirical comedies are the best comedies in my opinion. It would be different if Legally Blonde was full of satire. Spamalot and Urinetown are musicals based on spoof and satire. Legally Blonde is trying to be a sincere musical about a valley girl blonde who fights stereotypes and finds her true worth. If you ask the cast of THE PIRATE QUEEN I am sure they don't appreciate the jab. It's not a big deal but it seems like a low blow.

[Rathnait62]

Posted: 2/21/07 at 9:32am

Wait'll they see FORBIDDEN BROADWAY.

Heads are gonna roll!!!

[AuditioningWaitress]

Posted: 2/21/07 at 9:35am

I totally agree with you Rath! Also, when did Riverdance suddenly morph into The Pirate Queen. Did I miss something?

I feel like danhattan has suddenly turned into the Bush administration.


Edited for spelling
Updated On: 2/21/07 at 09:35 AM

[ShowtuneRick]

Posted: 2/21/07 at 9:36am

This is just my personal opinion and I realize I may get killed here but I think Jerry Mitchell is extremely overrated. I've wondered for a long time how he gets work. He must be one hell of a talker when pitching his ideas to producers. The only thing I enjoyed of his was the basketball sequence in The Full Monty. There were a couple of nice moments in Never Gonna Dance and from what I understand Noah Racey came up with most of that material. His Tony award win for the La Cage Aux Folles revival seemed like a win by default kind of thing. I personally felt let down by the choreo. in that production. I'm sure he is a nice man. I realize he does a lot of work to raise money for BC/EFA and I'm sure he is a wonderful person. This is just my opinion on the the shows I've seen of his on broadway. No rotten tomatoes please!

[Jovie24]

Posted: 2/21/07 at 9:39am

I think it has NOTHING to do with The Pirate Queen at all. I think it is a major spoof on RIVERDANCE not PQ. Also, it is a spoof on it'self of Paulette following in love with an Irish guy and we all know that we associate with Ireland and RIVERDANCE...just because them made themselves so famous for it. Again, I do not not think it was beacuse of PQ just a coincidence.

[tazber]

Posted: 2/21/07 at 9:40am

At this point, the Pirate Queen is a non-entity. I SERIOUSLY doubt that Legally Blonde was making fun at their expense.
Riverdance, Lord of the Dance, and all the other Irish jig shows are more likely than not the ones being spoofed.
Even if it was PQ being spoofed, I would hardly call it an attack anyway. It's just a "bit" in the show.

[danhattan]

Posted: 2/21/07 at 9:44am

Good points guys.

Craig- You're right. Making fun of Riverdance is certainly NOT new material. It's OLD and has been beaten like a dead horse. I expect more creativity from such a promising talent as Jerry Mitchell. Larry O'Keefe might be Irish. It would explain the randomness of the song Ireland. Good point there.

Husk Charmer- I hadn't really taken into account SPAMALOT and URINETOWN. Thanks for bringing that point up.

Mamie- Let's hope your right about it being a back handed compliment. I like your thinking.

Like I've said before...I hope both shows do well. It just seems that for some reason people are pitting them against each other, as if there isn't room on Broadway for both.



Updated On: 2/21/07 at 09:44 AM

[Julian2]

Posted: 2/21/07 at 9:49am

Well, there's room on Broadway, but is there room in the Best Musical nominations. That's why I think it seems they're being pitted against each other, a lot of people feel they're competeting for that fourth slot. Also with LoveMusik, which is another animal entirely.

PS. Has anyone notices that the vowels and consenents in LoveMusik alternate? Don't ask me why I noticed, or why I'm bringing it up, just are.

[BroadwayDoc]

Posted: 2/21/07 at 9:50am

So, you basically started a post condemning Jerry Mitchell ("Shame on Jerry Mitchell") and now all of a sudden you have "flip-flopped" on your original post.

I agree, you are like the Bush Administration.

[danhattan]

Posted: 2/21/07 at 10:01am

Never thought I'd ever be compared to George Bush. The implications alone led me to edit the topic of this thread. lol I don't mean to "attack" Jerry Mitchell. And I haven't flip flopped on my opinion. I just think people are making good points and I appreciate their imput. If I WAS George Bush however I would send the Pirate Queen fans over to San Francisco to smoke Jerry Mitchell out of his cave. I'd lead a big war over something that could never be proven and after everybody gave me their opinions I'd still go in and send more troops! Err... I mean fans.
Updated On: 2/21/07 at 10:01 AM

[thevolleyballer]

Posted: 2/21/07 at 10:06am

"At this point, the Pirate Queen is a non-entity. I SERIOUSLY doubt that Legally Blonde was making fun at their expense."

I completely agree with you, tazber. To most people who aren't in the Broadway circuit (which is 99% of the population), The Pirate Queen is absolutely nothing. Heck, even to me, I could care less about the show. I highly, highly doubt there's anything going on here about other Broadway shows; otherwise, you can be sure there'd have been some joke about how tacky it is to have a grey garden.

[Hanna from Hamburg]

Posted: 2/21/07 at 12:32pm

Well, I also think that any resemblance to PQ is NOT the main reason for the choreography. It would be pretty foolish to create an entire section of the show that pokes fun of a show that may not even succeed. Won't it look stupid to have a joke that makes no sense because it has no frame of reference? Also, if they tour Legally Blonde (and you know they want to), they will be depending on the local audience to also be in the know about PQ. I'd suspect that at least 75% of the world knows what Riverdance is. I'd be surprised if .7% of the world knows what PQ is. Spamalot can poke fun of Phantom because EVERYONE knows tons about it. If Phantom closed today and Spamalot continued, the joke would still be funny.

[WellIfYouInsist]

Posted: 2/21/07 at 4:12pm

I thought John Kerry was the flip-flopper?

[Popular]

Posted: 2/21/07 at 4:36pm

danhattan - Don't overanalyze it too much, my friend :)

[TechEverlasting]

Posted: 2/21/07 at 8:16pm

First of all, I do enjoy seeing my posts quoted, so thanks to Danhattan.

I think "Ireland" is a cute little character number, and from what I've heard the "Lord of the Dance" segment is also a lot of fun. I was curious to know if this had been part of the show from the early workshops, but the fact that it wasn't doesn't establish anything.

No matter what, I still think this is harmless fun. If anything it's more like a product placement than an insult, and could just as easily be viewed as a plug for Pirate Queen. Does the San Francisco LB Playbill say anything like "Promotional consideration provided by Moya Doherty and John McColgan"?

Edit: Shame on me for my avatar though.

Updated On: 2/21/07 at 08:16 PM

[thevolleyballer]

Posted: 2/21/07 at 9:05pm

"The Pirate Queen" is all Irish dancing, but is all Irish dancing "The Pirate Queen?"

Oooooooh.

[WellIfYouInsist]

Posted: 2/21/07 at 9:34pm

Tech - diggin' the av.