For a couple of years, I've wanted to see a streaming special, but it was on Hulu, which I didn't subscribe to. I knew I could sign up for a month and then cancel, but there were other things I was in the midst of watching and I also wanted to wait until there were a few others things on Hulu that I wanted to watch. I finally had a few shows on my list and was caught up on other, so I signed up for Hulu for the month -- it turns out that they offer 30 days for a free trial, which is all the better. I watched the special a couple nights ago, and it was excellent. Since one can get a month free, to try the service out (or you might already subscribe), I think it's worth checking out, and probably doesn't have a title most have heard of. It’s a videotaped production of a one-man off-Broadway show called Derek Delgaudio’s In and Of Itself. I heard of it when Stephen Colbert was raving about the production on his show a while back and had Derek Delgaudio on, along with Frank Oz who directed the video version. Colbert said he and his wife were so blown away by having seen it on stage that they wanted to help get it made as a film, and are executive producers. I actually turned off the interview, though, because from the way all of them set the show up, saying how near-impossible it was to describe without giving anything away, I didn’t want to know anything more. (But that’s just me being me. I don’t read reviews beforehand because I don’t want to know anything.) Whether the show is to everyone’s taste, I don’t know, it's pretty different, but I think it would be for most people. It’s really good. If you’re interested, I'm embedding the trailer below. It sets the tone well, but doesn’t give much of anything away. If (like me) don’t want to know anything at all, though, then avoid it. Otherwise, it’s fine. The show runs about 90 minutes. By the way, now that I’ve seen the film, I tracked down Colbert’s interview with Derek Delgaudio and Frank Oz, and an earlier one with Delgaudio alone They all talked about how difficult it was to promote the show without talking about almost anything about it, including simply what it was. At one point, Colbert asks Oz how he describes the show when not being able to say much about it, to which Oz replies, “The problem with answering that is that for me to tell you my opinion of what the show is…goes against what the show is.” Colbert laughed and said, “Exactly!! That’s perfect. Well, that’s it for tonight, goodnight, folks!” So, here's the trailer. (You'll see a couple familiar faces in the small audience, there are a few more in the full film, as well.) If you're intrigued by it, just know that you're intrigued without knowing pretty much anything about it. That's a tough thing to pull off...
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Every year around this time, there are articles about which recorded version of A Christmas Carol is "the best." Usually it comes down to the films that starred either Alistair Sim or Reginald Owen. But for me, it's this one. It's not a movie, though, or a TV production. It's, of all things, an audio version that was done in 1960 for, I believe, the BBC. It's quite wonderful and as good an adaptation of the story as I've come across. It stars Sir Ralph Richardson as Scrooge, and Oscar-winner Paul Scofield as Dickens, the narrator. Casts don't get much better than that. I first heard this on radio station WFMT in Chicago which has been playing this every Christmas Eve for many decades. Eventually, I found it on audio tape. I've listened to it annually since I was a kidling. Some years I think I won't listen to it this year, but put it on for a few minutes for tradition's sake -- but after the first sentence it sucks me in. There are four reasons why, for me, this is far and away the best version. But one reason leaps out. First, the acting is as good as it gets. Scofield is crisp and emphatic as the narrator, and almost every creak of his voice draws you in to the world, and Richardson as Scrooge is a Christmas pudding joy. Second, being radio, you aren't limited by budgets to create the Dickensian world. Your imagination fills in every lush and poverty-stricken, nook and cranny -- and ghostly spirit, aided by moody sound effects and violins. Third, the adaptation sticks closely to the Dickens tale, and Scrooge comes across more a realistic, rounded-person than as a Mythic Icon. And fourth, and most of all by far, unlike any of the other version, this includes...Dickens. While the story of A Christmas Carol is beloved, it's Dickens' writing that makes it even more vibrant than the story alone is. And that's all lost in the movie versions, even down even to the legendary opening line, "Marley was dead, to begin with." Or any of the other classic narrative lines. (Like my favorite, when Scrooge first comes in contact with a ghost and was "as close to it as I am now to you, and I am standing in the spirit at your elbow.") Or the richness of Dickens setting the mood and tone and description of the gritty and ephemeral and emotional world. All that's gone in movies, good as the productions may be. But all of that is here in this radio adaptation, and Scofield's reading of it is joyously wonderful and memorable. For many, this will be A Christmas Carol unlike any other you're aware of, giving it a meaning and richness you didn't realize was there. The ending of the tale is so much more moving and joyful here, as we listen to Dickens' own words, that begin with "Scrooge was better than his word. He did it all, and infinitely more," and it soars from there, to perhaps my favorite extended passage about the new Scrooge and how good he is in the "good old world. Or any other good old world." If you have the time or inclination, do give it a listen. If only for five minutes to at least get the flavor. You might find yourself sticking around. Let it play in the background, if you have other things to do. It runs about 55 minutes. (Side note: speaking of Dickens, if you know the original cast album of Oliver!, the actor here who plays the Ghost of Christmas Present, Willoughby Goddard, was Mr. Bumble on Broadway and also in the original London production.) Normally I would post this later in the evening -- but given the various time zones across the country, I thought that I'd get it embedded earlier to give as many listeners as possible the chance to hear it on Christmas Eve. This might not play immediately, since it's a large file and may have to buffer first. But be patient, it's worth it. Ralph Richardson, left. Paul Scofield, right.
It didn’t get a great deal of promotion – in fact, it pretty much slipped between the cracks, and I only caught it on its repeat. But a couple weeks ago, Great Performances on PBS had a sequel to the documentary they did 18 years ago, Broadway: the Golden Age. This one is called Broadway: Beyond the Golden Age.
It’s absolutely great, arguably better than the first one. It’s a bit different– the first was largely an overview of the entire period. This is more focused on several shows, but it gives a sense of the era. And I don’t want to say why it’s so wonderful, since it’s full of surprises -- some of them small but lovely, some huge, some for the people who appear on camera. I’ll only mention one: Robert Redford, who talks with such warmth and affection about the early days of his career on Broadway. Also, the opening 5-10 minutes of the documentary are thrilling, as actors talk about what it’s like preparing for the curtain to go up, beautifully, rivetingly edited. But it’s not like that’s the high point of the production and downhill from there. It’s all terrific. And sequences and moments are so great of a joyous, distant era, and include some rare, never-before-seen footage. By the way, after watching it I found out through a friend who knows one of the producers why this appeared to be a bit different from the first documentary. That’s because this was only 98 minutes or so, but the full documentary was 150 minutes. They cut out a third of the film to fit in the PBS timeslot with Pledge Breaks. There’s almost another hour of material left! And yet it was still tremendous. On the positive end, I’m told that the company is looking for outlets. Both films were directed by Rick McKay. Sadly, he passed away three years ago before this second production was completed. However, the production team and editor were finally able to finish it. A couple of friends got to know him well in the last 15 years or so of his life, though a sort of family connection, and spoke highly of him. Hopefully you’ve had a chance to see it, or will be able to catch it on a repeat on one of the various PBS channels, or On Demand. But it’s also on the PBS Passport website for PBS subscribers. This is the direct link here. However, good news! It appears that I can embed the show on my website – I just tested it, and that seems to be the case. Just know that the video expires in about two weeks, on September 11. If you can make it full screen, do so. It’s great. And one of those things I feel comfortable saying, “Trust me.” Neil Patrick Harris had a streak where he hosted the Tony Awards with a trifecta of three great opening numbers. The best by far -- what I think was the best opening number in any awards show history that got a full 65-second standing and roaring ovation -- came in 2013. But had a really wonderful one the year before (which was the second one in the great streak) I've posted this 2012 opening previously, but since it tends to get overlooked by the spectacle the next year, I though I should revisit it. It's awfully good as far as opening numbers go, all on its own. By the way, late in the number about the 6:40 mark he does a long run-on lyric that begins with "We know that life is brief and brutal". It's largely the same rhythm, cadence and music as one he did the following year (about Annie and her orphans coming up to your knees and Chuck E. Cheese) so I suspect similar people were in involved. All that aside, here there is the Tony Awards opening number from 2012. I was about to post the 2013 number, as well, since I referenced it, but then realized I didn't want to repeat the problem of letting this great 2012 number get lost in comparison. If you want to see it, go to YouTube and just search for Tony 2013. I have on my list of videos to search for a small handful of true treasures on my wish list. This is one of those, near the top. In fact, I've wanted to see it again ever since it aired on CBS television over 50 years ago, back on April, 1967. As readers of these pages know, I'm a huge fan of Michael Flanders and Donald Swann. They're a couple of British songwriters who had a hugely successful revue, At the Drop of a Hat, that played in London for a long time and then had a long run on Broadway. It was a collection of very funny, occasionally touching, odd, whimsical songs with lyrics by Flanders and music by Swann, tied together by wonderfully witty and erudite narration that was written and performed by Flanders, who also sang lead on most of the songs. At the heart of all this were deeply offbeat songs on all manner of subject, most famously some about animals and plants, and a long monologue that had something to do with a hat. Then, in the mid-60s, they did another show -- At the Drop of Another Hat. And it had similar success in London and on Broadway. With one added twist: a one-hour version of the show was recorded live for CBS. And this is that performance. O huzzah! There were two reasons I've looked so hard and hoped so much to find this broadcast. The first is because my recollection is that it was so wonderful. (And watching it again, that recollection holds true.) The other is because Flanders did not like television and did not want to appear on it much, and so there is very little video of the two of them performing, just their various albums. The few videos of them on TV tend to be snippets that came from this broadcast. So, having the whole thing, not snippets, is a total joy. I've posted the very few videos of them I can find, but it's very few. So, I've also been more limited to songs from their albums. In large part probably because there is almost no video material of them, Flanders & Swann aren't especially known, particularly in the U.S. But their two shows and the albums that came from them (and other albums) have kept their names alive. And a few of their songs, notably "Madeira, M'Dear" have been recorded by others. Happily, they perform that here. Michael Flanders is wonderful -- smart, funny, lowkey, whimsical, elegant, eloquent, witty and down-to-earth, a pretty good combination. He effortlessly wheels around stage in his wheelchair, the result of polio, so much so that it just seems natural. Swann is an accomplished pianist, with a classical background, and is generally low-key here, expect for having a wonderful laugh that echoes throughout the evening, an impressive feat given that he likely heard these jokes many hundreds of time. But he has a persona that, as quiet, owlish and professorial as he appears, seems like there is a crazy man buried underneath wanting to break out. What stands out in this production is not only how erudite Flanders & Swann were, but also how much they respected their audience to understand (or at least accept) their references. And what stands out, too, is that this was a time when television would put on such a smart, funny, different kind of TV broadcast as this. Oddly, they begin the evening with two songs with new lyrics written to existing (and familiar) tunes. Lest this give the wrong impression initially, this is very uncommon from them. Though they did write a few such songs over the years, the vast bulk of their work was completely original. Worth noting is that among his many credentials, Donald Swann also wrote a sort of song-cycle of music to the poems of J.R.R. Tolkien in The Lord of the Rings. In fact, he even sings one of those songs in this production, and what stands out is that he has to explain to the audience what The Lord of the Rings is. Also, Michael Flanders appeared in one movie. It was released in 1971 as The Raging Moon, but is also known as Long Ago, Tomorrow, The film was reasonably well-regarded (it has a 6.9 rating on iMDB), and starred Malcolm McDowell and Nanette Newman (the female lead in the wonderful The Wrong Box, written by Larry Gelbart and Burt Shevelove), along with Georgia Brown, who created the role of 'Nancy' in Oliver! on both the West End and Broadway. And it was directed by Brian Forbes, whose strong credits include The Stepford Wives, The Madwoman of Chaillot, King Rat, Seance on a Wet Afternoon, and the aforementioned The Wrong Box. I didn't see the movie at the time of its initial run, and haven't been able to track it down since. I haven't seen it scheduled on Turner Classic Movies (though it's in their database), and there isn't a DVD or streaming version available yet on either Netflix or Amazon Prime. But I live in hope. Hey, I lived in hope that this TV broadcast of At The Drop of Another Hat would show up one day. And finally, at long last, it did...! Know that this is only a smattering of Flanders & Swann. This broadcast alone is only about a half, probably even less of At the Drop of Another Hat. There's also their earlier show. And several albums. But though it's not a "best of evening," best of all it finally gives a view of who they are and what they did. Ignore the title below -- this isn't "the only" video of Flanders & Swann. But it's close to that. And most videos of them come from this. What it most definitively is is the longest, most complete video of them. And for that, it is an absolute treasure. This past Saturday, the first "show" on Broadway opened since the pandemic. It was only a 40-minute production, and the audience was extremely limited, socially distanced and required to wear masks -- comprised mostly of staffers from the Actors Fund and Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS. It was a matinee, directed by Tony-winner Jerry Zaks, and featured Tony-winners Nathan Lane and Savion Glover, who each had solo performances in their halves of the evening. Only three minutes of each are available, but it's worth it. Lane performed a new monologue written by playwright Paul Rudnick. It's the story of a theater-obsessed man self-isolating in his small apartment, as he talks about what he says are his encounters with Hugh Jackman and others. It's not only very funny, but Nathan Lane is a total joy, and I’ve love to see the whole thing and hope it either gets released (perhaps as a fund-raiser) or that Paul Rudnick can expand it to a full evening, or at least a regular one-act that can be paired with something else.. Savion Glover's piece is very enjoyable, though from just these two clips -- admittedly not a fair comparison -- Lane's is the standout for my taste. In his work, Glover uses tap dance to "reflect on his life in the theater, while exploring what Broadway is, was, and will be." |
AuthorRobert J. Elisberg is a political commentator, screenwriter, novelist, tech writer and also some other things that I just tend to keep forgetting. Feedspot Badge of Honor
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