The Flop Musical PLATINUM!

[sondheimboy2]

Posted: 10/16/10 at 12:51pm

I was surfing around on youtube (the greatest time-waster since the invention of masturbation) looking for production numbers from flop musicals and I found this!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vYoKm_mDDbo

My God, imagine doing this on your opening night! And they all look so young and/or alive! (And while everyone talks about how they wish they would release all the Broadway numbers from the Ed Sullivan show on DVD, I wish they would do it for the Merv Griffin show and the Mike Douglas shows, too! Especially Mike Douglas, since he was out of Philadelphia, his show would get numbers from shows trying out there!)

This was the song that I was looking for:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I3B3Huvk4cs&playnext=1&videos=e6m75TjxNp4&feature=mfu_in_order
I heard somewhere that Kander and Ebb were rumored to have ghostwritten this one. Anyone know anything about that?

[uncageg]

Posted: 10/16/10 at 12:58pm

I saw "Platinum" twice during its out of town tryout in Philadelphia. I have mentioned before that Chita Rivera knocked me down in the lobby on opening night.

[TimesSquareRegular]

Posted: 10/16/10 at 7:02pm

Saw this, and the only thing I remember is Alexis Smith's leather pants.

[morosco]

Posted: 10/16/10 at 8:02pm

I heard somewhere that Kander and Ebb were rumored to have ghostwritten this one. Anyone know anything about that?

It does sound like Kander and Ebb.

[once a month]

Posted: 10/16/10 at 10:38pm

I still have the Playbill...

[muscle23ftl]

Posted: 10/17/10 at 2:48am

I absolutely loved it at the Fringe Festival.

[Taryn]

Posted: 10/17/10 at 2:51am

I thought it was an absolute bore at the Fringe Festival

[muscle23ftl]

Posted: 10/17/10 at 3:58am

Well, glad to hear your different point of view. I was bored last night at Scottsboro Boys.

[After Eight]

Posted: 10/17/10 at 7:07am

I didn't like it either on Broadway or at the Fringe Festival. The basic problem was one of credibility. How many over-the-hill movie stars have become rock singers? There were a few good songs, though, and Alexis Smith was classy, as always.

[fanof many]

Posted: 10/17/10 at 9:24am

"youtube (the greatest time-waster since the invention of masturbation)"

LMAO

[Mr Roxy]

Posted: 10/17/10 at 1:01pm

You tube is in a 3 way tie with facebook and twitter

I saw it and still have the Playbill as well.

Updated On: 10/17/10 at 01:01 PM

[broadwaydanwi]

Posted: 10/17/10 at 1:09pm

This clip is amazing! It's better than those clips from Ed Sullivan's show, which were sadly removed from almost every site on the internet. Merv is trying hard to promote the show, and Alexis is in good spirits. But I'm puzzled by Merman. She seems to avoid participating in the conversation. Maybe she didn't like PLATINUM!

[sondheimboy2]

Posted: 10/17/10 at 6:12pm

I think that at that point of her life, Ethel was what we could call...."bitter"

[uncageg]

Posted: 10/17/10 at 6:23pm

I think my Playbill is still back home with my stuff in the basement.

[Phyllis Rogers Stone]

Posted: 10/18/10 at 9:39am

I know it's a steaming pile of crap, but I love this show and score.

[WithoutATrace]

Posted: 10/18/10 at 12:11pm

That clip was incredible. Thank you for posting. I adore PLATINUM and own both the playbill and the window card (and Lisa Mordente has signed them both).

[Brick]

Posted: 10/18/10 at 12:25pm

Oh yeah, that's a Kander and Ebb tune...

[Reginald Tresilian]

Posted: 10/18/10 at 12:34pm

Did Ethel Merman own just the one dress? I don't think I've ever seen her in anything else.

[doodlenyc]

Posted: 10/18/10 at 12:54pm

Lisa Mordente looks like Wendy Jo Sperber in that Merv clip.

[doodlenyc]

Posted: 10/18/10 at 12:56pm

And Richard Cox was on Designing Women as Quinton's teacher and her potential suitor.

[robinycus2]

Posted: 10/18/10 at 1:06pm

I like Alexis Smith's song... but the song they sang on Merv Griffin was horrid. I doubt that sold very many tickets.

Updated On: 10/18/10 at 01:06 PM

[After Eight]

Posted: 10/19/10 at 7:09pm

"I like Alexis Smith's song... but the song they sang on Merv Griffin was horrid. I doubt that sold very many tickets."

Frankly, it seems that nothing sold very many tickets. I liked that song, though, and some others, too.


As for "Nothing But," the orchestral music played near the end of the song sounds very much like the conterpoint melody in "You Are Woman, I Am Man" from "Funny Girl."

[morosco]

Posted: 10/19/10 at 7:36pm

What the hell with Shelly Winters? Out of nowhere she starts talking about some Elvis movie she's going to be in. And Ethel going on about discos being too loud. It;s like an all skate.

[amoni]

Posted: 10/20/10 at 8:45am

That's why it was called a TALK show. Guests came on for an hour and talked, about all and everything. They didn't come out for seven minutes and sell their latest movie or book and off they go. Mike Douglas would have a guest co-host for an entire week. Those days are gone, now shows are aimed at the ADD generation.

[Mister Matt]

Posted: 10/20/10 at 12:17pm

And Bob Mackie looks so freakin' adorable in that Merv Griffin clip.