Thomas Kail, For Some Reason, Is Remaking FIDDLER ON THE ROOF- Page 2

[Broadway Bob*]

Posted: 5/28/20 at 6:25pm

MichelleCraig said: "Globefan wrote: I think he could do it right

I can't imagine improving upon Norman Jewison's movie adaptation. Curious as to what Globefanfelt was done wrong in the 1971version..."

I love the film, but they took out a LOT of the humor in the earlier part of the story which took away some of the feeling of devastation in the second part. The beautiful emotional roller coaster effect, I call it, that is so artfully written into the stage version.

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 5/28/20 at 6:43pm

gypsy101 said: "...also the original film is an overlong snoozefest"

I’m pretty much 200% sure you just committed an anti-Semitic hate crime by saying that. My ancestors are rolling in their graves.

 

[Call_me_jorge]

Posted: 5/28/20 at 6:45pm

BwayLB said: "I have not seen Fiddler on the Roof before but I’m intrigued by Kail directing this since In the Heights was a Latino Fiddler on the Roof. Makes sense to me"

Wait... WHAT? Thank you for this revelation

[JBroadway]

Posted: 5/28/20 at 6:48pm

Fiddler is one of my all-time favorite musicals. I like the movie a lot, and I agree that it would be difficult to improve upon it. But as someone earlier in the thread said, re-makes aren't all about being better than the original - it's about providing an alternate artistic take on the material, and shedding some new light on it in some way. I doubt that the artists behind this project just woke up one morning and decided the world needed another Fiddler movie just for the hell of it. I'm sure they have some artistic reason for feeling like it's a worthwhile project. Unless it's just a cash-grab, like all the recent Disney remakes, but a Fiddler remake doesn't exactly strike me as easy money. 

Time will tell whether their artistic take on the material will be distinctive enough and/or good enough to make it feel worthwhile for audiences. But I'm willing to reserve judgement until I see it...if it ever actually happens, that is. 

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 5/28/20 at 6:50pm

BwayLB said: "I have not seen Fiddler on the Roof before but I’m intrigued by Kail directing this since In the Heights was a Latino Fiddler on the Roof. Makes sense to me"


OK I’m gonna need you to really break this one down for me and please explain it like I’m a five year old. 

[JBroadway]

Posted: 5/28/20 at 6:59pm

Jordan Catalano said: "OK I’m gonna need you to really break this one down for me and please explain it like I’m a five year old."

 

Lin-Manuel has said before that he was partially inspired by Fiddler. I remember him telling a story in some interview about how Bock (or Harnick, can't remember) came to see the show and complimented him on it, and Lin-Manuel said something like "I'm glad you liked it, because I got a lot of it from you" (I'm paraphrasing). Both shows are about marginalized communities who end up splitting up (in some form or another) at the end. Both shows feature a protagonist who is also a narrator, and introduced all the members of the community in the opening number. There are probably more similarities that aren't coming to mind immediately. 

I wish I had a link for you - it was so long ago, I don't remember where or when I heard Miranda talk about this. 

[Highland Guy]

Posted: 5/28/20 at 7:24pm

This is happy news.  In today's world, we need all the happy news we can get.

 

[Sutton Ross]

Posted: 5/28/20 at 7:30pm

There were always parallels between Fiddler and Heights, makes sense to me.

[Tag]

Posted: 5/28/20 at 7:35pm

The more I think about it, the more I'm wondering if this will be some rebooted/updated modern spin with a diverse cast (as terrible as that sounds).  What other reason would there be to remake this film?

[uncageg]

Posted: 5/28/20 at 7:38pm

Any thoughts on who will be the choreographer?

[JBroadway]

Posted: 5/28/20 at 7:46pm

uncageg said: "Any thoughtson who will be the choreographer?"

I'd love to see Hofesh Schechter return to it. His choreography was by far my favorite aspect of the recent Broadway revival. 

But it'll probably be Blankenbuehler, lol

[BwayLB]

Posted: 5/28/20 at 8:08pm

Sutton Ross said: "There were always parallels between Fiddler and Heights, makes sense to me. "

Exactly my point! I can relate to In the Heights because of my half Latino background. I never saw Fiddler before because I’m not Jew even though I have a cousin who is.

[DramaTeach]

Posted: 5/28/20 at 8:11pm

I agree that the choreography in the most recent revival was gorgeous. I also second whoever suggested Mandy Patinkin. Based on the quarantine home videos that he posts of himself and his Golde eating matzah, he's basically already prepping for the role.

I sincerely hope that this is not a modern or multicultural version of the story. The story is about one group of people, and the plot is universal enough that all can relate to it no matter their background. And it shouldn't be modern, Yes, there's still prejudice, but again, this is something we can connect on our own. It doesn't need to be spelled out for us. I'm cautiously optimistic about the future of this.

[Jarethan]

Posted: 5/28/20 at 8:54pm

Call_me_jorge said: "CATSNYrevival said: "Good luck finding aTevye."

Just plop Ben platt in as Motel it’ll probably sell."

I have to admit that I immediately thought that Ben Platt would probably be cast as Motel.

[Jarethan]

Posted: 5/28/20 at 9:01pm

ggersten said: "I dont think people were asking fir a new West Side Story film, but we are getting one."

At least with WSS -- at least as advertised -- Spielberg is saying that he is going for a more realistic approach.  Only time will tell.  I admit to being probably one of the only people who has never liked the movie version of WSS (I first saw it in 1962, and have seen it at least once every decade since then).  I hated all the artificial sets, and just can't get into the stylized Jets and Sharks.  I have the same issue with the show, but not as badly, because I don't need the stage version to be realistic.  That is one of the benefits of theatre.

I may be in the minority here, but I think the movie has not aged well.  IMO the Fiddler movie is timeless. 

[Jarethan]

Posted: 5/28/20 at 9:07pm

DramaTeach said: "I agree that the choreography in the most recent revival was gorgeous. I also second whoever suggested Mandy Patinkin. Based on the quarantine home videos that he posts of himself and his Golde eating matzah, he's basically already prepping for the role.

I sincerely hope that this is not a modern or multicultural version of the story. The story is about one group of people, and the plot is universal enough that all can relate to it no matter their background. And it shouldn't be modern, Yes, there's still prejudice, but again, this is something we can connect on our own. It doesn't need to be spelled out for us. I'm cautiously optimistic about the future of this."

Film has to be more realistic than stage productions.  That is why, in the final analysis, Babs never made Gypsy and Glenn is never going to make Sunset.  IMO Patinkin is 2 decades too old for the role; I will be shocked if he is chosen, despite being incredibly talented.  Also, I think he is already committed to the revival of The Great Comet that is planned for 2022.

[Musical Master]

Posted: 5/28/20 at 9:10pm

This could work, I liked what the director and writer did with Fosse/Verdon and while I think the original Fiddler on The Roof film is near perfect, I wouldn't mind another film version of the musical. Also in response, I think it wasn't so much "realism" that Spielberg is going for but rather a better authentic representation to the Puerto Rican characters and with the YT footage of the film's shoot, it's telling me that with Justin Peck's choreography the idea of realism is thrown out the window.

But as Jarethan said, only time will tell. Also I stan for Mandy Patinkin as Tevye and Hofesh Shechter to do the choreography.

[HogansHero]

Posted: 5/28/20 at 9:11pm

I will never live long enough to understand why so many people here get so exercised about new versions of old things. What is the threat? What is the fear? If you don't like it, you don't like it. If you are SURE you won't like it, stay home. Artists create and their audiences either like what they create or don't. Sit back and think about what some of you are saying. Oh! the horror!

[Jarethan]

Posted: 5/28/20 at 9:20pm

HogansHero said: "I will never live long enough to understand why so many people here get so exercised about new versions of old things. What is the threat? What is the fear? If you don't like it, you don't like it. If you are SURE you won't like it, stay home. Artists create and their audiences either like what they create or don't. Sit back and think about what some of you are saying. Oh! the horror!"

I for one am not exorcised.  I just think there may are other properties that might benefit more from being remade, since the original film is near perfect.  It is not iike we get several major musicals a year.  Unless I am mistaken, I assume we are averaging 1 or maybe 1.5 a year.  Given that scarcity, I would just prefer a property which ended up being a lousy film the first time around.  So, I would prefer a remake of A Little Night Music or Mame or even Oklahoma (more like the Fish version) to a remake of Fiddler.  Pure numbers.  I'll bet a lot of the other people questioning this are of the same point of view.

And, as I said, I will be there with my admission money when the movie is released.  

Updated On: 5/28/20 at 09:20 PM

[HogansHero]

Posted: 5/28/20 at 9:25pm

I understand your preference, but that comes down to someone with the necessary heft wanting to do something else (obviously Tommy wants to do this) and someone else wanting to pay for it. My issue is not the preference but the dire outrage. Kail has earned the right to do this, just as Spielberg had/has with WSS, etc etc (and Ivo has too etc etc 

[Sally Durant Plummer]

Posted: 5/28/20 at 9:39pm

Adding on to what Hogan said, the cream rises to the top. Anyone remember the Jessica Lange film of Streetcar? The BBC film of Suddenly, Last Summer? Luckily, Vivian Leigh and Elizabeth Taylor's brilliant performances in the original version of each respective film are readily available, and often re-broadcast on cable. And each film only shines better when compared with any successor. Although it is surely blasphemous to say now, I'm sure Natalie Wood's Maria will be in my head when seeing the new West Side Story! (And how will they make the dancing more "realistic"? )

To play devil's advocate, I understand being so uninterested that you are annoyed that news on the new films will eat up precious oxygen - particularly on these boards. Personally, I haven't been totally impressed with a major motion picture film since Chicago. Even the better attempts (Into the Woods) leave much to be desired. The film aesthetic of the 50s - 70s really were the most beneficial to musical & play adaptation.

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 5/28/20 at 9:55pm

For me, I almost never really “care” about remakes. I don’t really care that this one is being remade, either. But I am is confused, because there are SO. MANY. musicals that have either never had a film made or have had bad films made, that deciding to redo one of the actual best musical motion pictures of all time is - confusing.

[degrassifan]

Posted: 5/28/20 at 10:17pm

I wouldn't call this a remake. It's a new movie adaptation of the Broadway musical. There can be multiple versions of the same story, just like there are multiple film adaptations of Little Women and Emma, and multiple revivals of Gypsy. Just because there's already a successful West Side Story or Fiddler on the Roof movie adaptation does not mean there can't be more. Hollywood tells the same stories because they are successful and can turn a profit. Sure they can take risks, but taking risks sometimes does not equal rewards. I wouldn't be surprised if there's a new Annie movie down the line or even another adaptation of Pride and Prejudice. 

[Tag]

Posted: 5/28/20 at 10:22pm

Shira Haas & Amit Rahav for Motel & Tzeitel, right?

[Globefan]

Posted: 5/28/20 at 10:45pm

I mean that I feel he can do a great film adaptation, but I think Show Boat would be a better use of his talents. 

Updated On: 5/28/20 at 10:45 PM