Just reading the play scriptit is so full of awkward and rushed dialogue, inconsistencies with characters and situations
-
mikwalen — 15 years ago(August 20, 2010 06:41 AM)
I love all your comments!
It bothered me to hear that Natalie had issues with Beymer, because shes one of my favorite actresses. However, I saw a photo taken behind the scenes, and they are sitting together smiling. Id like to think that was candid and not staged for the camera.
Being in Staten Island, my shows are always in danger of being checked up on by the agency Powers That Be, who are all located in NYC. As such, we pretty much toe the line as far as sticking to the script. If we were in the Midwest, we could probably get away with making little changes. I do know of a NJ group that did WSS, and it was practically a dupe of the film, placed onstage. How they got away with THAT, I dont know. I doubt they had permission, because I called MTI (the licensing agent for WSS) and asked (begged really) permission to use the boys in AMERICA, and the rep on the phone was adamant cant do it. As I stated earlier, the one area where I didnt back down was on making little modifications to some of the references in the lines, given the venue in which we were playing.
"I was NEVER in the chorus!!!!" (Vera Charles) -
StrongRex — 15 years ago(August 20, 2010 09:56 AM)
You know, when starting a topic like this, this subject should have gotten some backlash from people who think differently about it by now. I'm surprised no one has tried to stick up for the play's original script in this conversation yet. Usually, when I bring up the play's flaws to other people that I brought up here, I get plenty of people who disagree with me. I'm surprised I haven't gotten it here yet.
-
Matt-145 — 15 years ago(August 21, 2010 08:06 AM)
I don't have an opinion for either way, so am not a dissenter, but do point out that one was a live musical in the 50s, and one a recorded motion picture. Different audiences in different places
In the 50s, musicals were happy, and people didn't die. There was also an interval of 10 to 20 minutes after the fight. Given that the tension would have been disipated by the gap (with drinks and socialising in the lobby), and the need for something to bring people back in to the story/musical and not to upset a 1950s audience too much, as a unexpected and shocking death would have, the placement of these cheerier songs seems eminently sensible to me.
The movie is a single story arc, and a continuous building of the tension and mood is much more sensible, and doesn't need the cheerier songs jarring against that.
It's just horses for courses. -
StrongRex — 15 years ago(August 24, 2010 06:54 AM)
Given that the tension would have been disipated by the gap (with drinks and socialising in the lobby), and the need for something to bring people back in to the story/musical and not to upset a 1950s audience too much, as a unexpected and shocking death would have, the placement of these cheerier songs seems eminently sensible to me.
If they really didn't want to have to do that to their audience, all they would have had to do was end Act One with the scene at Doc's, and move the bridal shop scene to the beginning of Act Two. The story for the stage musical would have been written much better that way because, like you said, it would have been more sensible for the mood and the more cheerful songs wouldn't have ruined that. -
movibuf1962 — 15 years ago(August 20, 2010 10:39 AM)
Great, fresh point of view- I didn't know such rules about not changing the original script were in place for any revival of a stage show- this is an education!! And you brought up one of my favorite changes in the film which I neglected to mention: making "America" a heated, witty, sophisticated song-and-dance debate between the guys AND the girls (instead of just the girls) may have been the best change in the entire film. The last time I saw the movie in a theatre, this number got rollicking applause from the audience at its conclusion.
What a showcase for Moreno and Chakiris!! -
StrongRex — 15 years ago(October 10, 2010 07:23 PM)
Actually, looking back on the movie, I take back what I said about "Gee, Officer Krupke" not being a happy song. When I saw the movie for the first time, and since then, it's made clear that the Jets' intention was to make fun of the authorities and joke around (plus the laughing at the end). So it REALLY has no place after the rumble at all.
Watch that and tell me it's not a happy situation. -
StrongRex — 15 years ago(October 12, 2010 08:35 AM)
Yes, but they still look like they're having fun in this scene. They're smiling, they're laughing at the jokes played in the song, and they're acting out the authority figures with improv. This is not a serious atmosphere, therefore it does not fit post-rumble.
That's why I took back what I said in my first post about it not being a happy song. -
StrongRex — 14 years ago(May 03, 2011 10:59 AM)
Exactly. If "Officer Krupke" were a completely dark, serious number, I wouldn't have minded if it were after the rumble. I don't know what the writers were thinking when they were injecting comedy into a song that took place after Riff had just died.
-
StrongRex — 12 years ago(August 05, 2013 11:38 PM)
Being in Staten Island, my shows are always in danger of being checked up on by the agency Powers That Be, who are all located in NYC. As such, we pretty much toe the line as far as sticking to the script. If we were in the Midwest, we could probably get away with making little changes. I do know of a NJ group that did WSS, and it was practically a dupe of the film, placed onstage. How they got away with THAT, I dont know. I doubt they had permission, because I called MTI (the licensing agent for WSS) and asked (begged really) permission to use the boys in AMERICA, and the rep on the phone was adamant cant do it. As I stated earlier, the one area where I didnt back down was on making little modifications to some of the references in the lines, given the venue in which we were playing.
I know that sometimes when "Cool" and "Gee, Officer Krupke" are switched in the show like they are in the movie, they don't add Ice to the script; in fact they don't make Diesel the one to sing "Cool" even though he is supposedly Ice in the play. Instead, Diesel is the one out of control and Action is still the one taking charge and he is the one telling Diesel and the rest of the Jets to "play it cool." Guys, do you not realize that this is STILL out of character for Action? Get it right, why don't you! -
Sophitia36 — 14 years ago(September 24, 2011 03:38 AM)
I completely agree with the OP.
I haven't seen the play, but every change the movie has made makes perfect sense.
The fact that Bernstein and Laurent did not agree only shows that writers are often not the best judges of the quality of what they're doing
I also heard that Tchaikovsky wasn't happy with The Nutcracker, and yet I really think it's his best work, much better than some of the very pompous stuff he's written.
I understand also that some people don't like to see their creations altered, but it's strange to think that they were unable to see how superior the new structure was. Even without having seen the play, I just feel that it would make no sense to have "I Feel Pretty" after the rumble (sheer torture as you said), or "Cool" before the rumble and "Officer Krupke" after.