It seems common sense and artistic vision rarely come into play when Hollywood decides to remake a classic (or even for that matter, lesser films that shouldn’t have been done the first time). Every year someone is churning out pale carbon copies or “revisionist” remakes of films left best alone (it seems to be mostly horror, but look out world, here comes Zac Efron in Footloose…seriously).
The producers of the proposed Rosemary’s Baby remake are displaying unusual intelligence and honesty in announcing the cancellation of their project. The original, directed by Roman Polanski and starring Mia Farrow (with an incredibly unsettling Oscar-winning supporting performance from Ruth Gordon), still manages to get the job done, 40 years later. This was reported from IMDb.com this afternoon:
The movie producers behind a planned remake of 1968 horror classic Rosemary’s Baby have dropped plans for a new film.
Brad Fuller and Andrew Form have been working on a way to bring the tale, based on the 1967 novel by Ira Levin, back to the big screen.
But the pair has been forced to admit they haven’t been able to conceive a fresh angle which would make a new version credible.
Form tells Collider.com, “We went down that road and we even talked to the best writers in town and it feels like it might not be do-able. We couldn’t come up with something where it felt like it was relevant and we could add something to it other than what it was, so we’re now not going to be doing that film.”
Amusing factoid from my live feed: A reader from Bat Yam, Tel Aviv arrived on my blogpost “1600 Pennsylvania Avenue – a synopsis of sorts” from google.co.il by searching for “Duet for One First Lady of the land lyrics.” It was so random and amusing I felt I just had to share. It’s nice to see that people from around the world are dropping by for a visit. And for such entertaining reasons!
I may not be her biggest fan (except when she’s appearing as Lucille 2 on my beloved Arrested Development), but there is no denying the impact her return to Broadway at the Palace is having on NY theatre audiences. Here is the Tony performance of the infectious “City Lights” from her Tony-winning turn in The Act. For those of you that do love her so, this is for you. Enjoy.
Okay, so that probably goes down as the worst blog title I’ve yet to post. Sue me. But anyway, there was a brief piece in Variety about Oscar-winner Emma Thompson in Variety talking about her current and upcoming projects. First up, she’s got a movie out called Last Chance Harvey in which she stars opposite Dustin Hoffman (earning a Golden Globe nomination in the process). But for those theatre fans out there, she is currently starting work on the screenplay for a remake of My Fair Lady for which they’ve apparently already signed Keira Knightley (blurgh) to play Eliza Doolittle. However, Thompson’s first choice to play Henry Higgins is none other than her old Cambridge classmate Hugh Laurie, who turned in a delightfully understatedly droll supporting turn as Mr. Palmer in Thompson’s exceptional adaptation of Sense and Sensibility. His casting would at least makes this (unnecessary) remake interesting. Seriously, though folks, there should be a full-scale revival of the musical with Kelli O’Hara before any film is brought to theatres. Just my $.02. Your thoughts folks?
The article also states that Thompson is poised to film a sequel to her successful Nanny McPhee, a witty adaptation of Christiana Brand’s Nurse Matilda books (again written by Thompson – is there anything this woman cannot do?) If you haven’t seen this film, get thee to a video store. It draws immediate comparisons to Mary Poppins, but provides an enjoyably fresh take on British children’s literature. Plus, it’s got fantastic supporting turns from Colin Firth, Celia Imrie, Imelda Staunton and Miss Angela Lansbury as Aunt Adelaide, sporting a false nose and finding herself thrust into the middle of chaos during a nuptual food fight gone horribly wrong.
And though Sarah is poised to respectfully disagree with me here, I would really love to see her play Desiree Armfeldt in a revival of A Little Night Music (with Lansbury as Madame Armfeldt, perhaps?)
Here’s Harold Lang performing “Happy Hunting Horn” with featured dancer Norma Thornton and the dance ensemble on the Ed Sullivan Show during the 1952 Broadway revival (which was supervised by Robert Alton, recreating his original choreography).
And for a real treat, here are a few seconds of silent 16mm footage (in color, no less) of originator Gene Kelly as Joey during the original 1940-41 Broadway run.
We are expecting a major winter storm here in the NY area tomorrow and Christmas is only one week away. This year the season itself seems to be flying away so rapidly that I can hardly believe it. It’s been a dicey holiday season given the times in which we live. People are worrying about employment, the economy, our, well, everything. Anyway, for the first time in a long time I have been swept up in the season so I thought I’d give a very brief list of some of the my personal favorite musical theatre-related Christmas songs. If there’s anything you think I’ve overlooked, feel free to comment (and no, “I Don’t Remember Christmas” from Starting Here, Starting Now does not count).
“Twelve Days to Christmas” – She Loves Me. This song is a brilliant summation of Christmas in retail – from the perspectives of both the employees and consumers. The advancement of the plot from December 13 through the evening of the 24th is your typical Bock & Harnick – charm, wit and (very importantly) plot and character development. The song starts in a leisurely tempo, with book scenes interspliced showing how the two lead characters are growing fond of each other, but each time we go back to the song the tempo picks up pace until it becomes a full out patter verse complete with malapropisms on Christmas Eve. It’s a beautiful way to build the show to its inevitable and breathtakingly simple finale between Amalia and Georg. (And if you recall, I listen to the cast album every Christmas Eve).
“Pine Cones and Holly Berries” – Here’s Love. This musical adaptation of Miracle on 34th Street opened in late 1963 to less than stellar critical response in spite of a cast that included Janis Paige, Craig Stevens and Laurence Naismith (others included Fred Gwynne, Baayork Lee and Michael Bennett). Written and composed by Meredith Willson, the show wasn’t his best effort, but did feature a showstopping opening – a march overture that segued into an onstage recreation of the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. Willson incorporated his already popular “It’s Beginning to Look Like Christmas,” but he turned it into a quodlibet by adding this song as a counterpoint. (Interesting note: many people know that “Seventy-Six Trombones” and “Goodnight My Somone” were written to complement each other, but did you know that a contrapuntal reprise of “My White Knight” and “The Sadder-But-Wiser-Girl” was originally written for the scene prior to Harold’s arrest?) Apparently, this is a favorite Christmas number for the Osmonds.
“We Need a Little Christmas” – Mame. Nothing like the world’s favorite aunt declaring an early holiday in order to raise everyone’s spirits. However, given our current economic state, the song is as timely as ever. But it is a sheer joy to see and hear; especially as delivered on the original cast album by Angela Lansbury, Jane Connell, Sab Shimino and Frankie Michaels, which remains the definitive recording of this ever-popular holiday favorite. Here is a clip of the replacement cast led by Jane Morgan (Helen Gallagher is Gooch!!) performing the original staging on the Ed Sullivan Show.
Here’s the real thing:
“Who Says There Ain’t No Santa Claus?” – Flahooley An utterly enchanting little Christmas song from this flop score by Sammy Fain and Yip Harbourg. Jerome Courtland and the effervsescent Barbara Cook in her Broadway debut lead this gem.
“Be a Santa” – Subways Are For Sleeping. Note how many of these Christmas songs have many of our best Jewish composers behind them. Irving Berlin led the way with “White Christmas,” “Happy Holiday”. We also have Sammy Fain and Jerry Herman represented here. Now it’s Jule Styne; with his steady collaborators Comden & Green. The show is most famous now for David Merrick’s publicity stunt and for Phyllis Newman’s Tony-winning tour de force as Miss Martha Vail (particularly in that ‘musical dramatic playlet written and directed by huhself’, “I Was a Shoo-In”). Sydney Chaplin leads this company number (once again we have Michael Kidd staging) in which Salvation Army Santa Claus’ dancing up a storm.
And of course, that perennial favorite from Promises Promises. “Turkey Lurkey Time” I know I posted this video last year, but hell, it’s Christmas and to steal from my friends at [title of show], this is something you want to enjoy 24-7.
“I talked to Jeremy on the phone, and he told me that he discovered that he had a very high level of mercury,” Mamet said. “So my understanding is that he is leaving show business to pursue a career as a thermometer.”
-David Mamet, on Jeremy Piven’s abrupt departure from Speed the Plow due to illness “attributable to a high mercury account. (Seriously, kids).
When Grey Gardens opened at the Walter Kerr Theatre in 2006, it established itself as the only Broadway show ever based on a documentary. Winning Tony awards for its stars Christine Ebersole and Mary Louise Wilson, the musical had a 306 performance run before it closed prematurely due to much-publicized poor producing. Thankfully, Albert Maysles, who created the original documentary about Big Edith and Little Edie Beale, brought his video camera around to document the gestation of the musical through its Broadway opening in a new film called Grey Gardens: From East Hampton to Broadway. This documentary is set to air on PBS as a part of its “Independent Lens” series next week. For those of us in NY with Channel 13, it airs on Tuesday, December 23 at 10PM. The channel 21 airings on WLIW will be on Wednesday, December 24 @ 9AM, 3PM and 8:PM and Thursday, December 25 @ 1AM. For those of you around the rest of the country, be sure and check your local listings at the PBS website.
I then mentioned to Tyne that since the musical Gypsy is constantly revived, we should probably assume that it will come back again in a few years and, by the law of averages, someone sitting in the audience will probably be playing Mama Rose. Any tips? She turned out, glared and advised, “She is not a monster!” and stormed off. She’s still got it.
– Seth Rudetsky recapping his onstage conversation with Tony-winner Tyne Daly at the 20th anniversary of the “Gypsy of the Year” competition in his latest “Onstage & Backstage” column