Musical Monday Week 29 Love’s Labour’s Lost

[Cameron H. 23786]

This goes to how I felt that everybody was at different levels of energy. I admire him for going so broad and it is suiting for his character to be that broad but he went above and beyond. Maybe if we got to see more of him instead of him being relegated to the newsreels it would have had a better pay off.

 

Well, like you said, he's written to be broad. If he didn't go that big, I'm almost positive the joke wouldn't land. It's the same reason Lane plays Costars so zany. The question you have to ask yourself is: "Does a contemporary audience understand Shakespearean language well enough that they'll 'get it' if it's played straight - or even less broad?

 

Don Armado is definitely a Shakespearean character type, and even in live performances, I've seen those characters played ridiculously broad. For example, my college did a performance of The Tempest where the actor playing - I want to say Trinculo (although it might have been Stefano) - played him as Will Ferrall doing Harry Carey.

[Cameron H. 23786]

Normally I like to do the math but what do you figure the odds are that four men meet four women and then each one of them falls instantly in love with the same member of the opposite sex that has also fallen instantly in love with them and none of their choices overlap? If I was one of these people I would buy a lotto ticket.

 

To be fair, all but the King and Princess had already met before ("Did not I dance with you in Brabent once?")

[Cam Bert 8145]

Well, like you said, he's written to be broad. If he didn't go that big, I'm almost positive the joke wouldn't land. It's the same reason Lane plays Costars so zany. The question you have to ask yourself is: "Does a contemporary audience understand Shakespearean language well enough that they'll 'get it' if it's played straight - or even less broad?

 

Don Armado is definitely a Shakespearean character type, and even in live performances, I've seen those characters played ridiculously broad. For example, my college did a performance of The Tempest where the actor playing - I want to say Trinculo (although it might have been Stefano) - played him as Will Ferrall doing Harry Carey.

The whole thing just makes me more curious about his character. As I said it seems he's there to get the story going at the start but the rest of his story is then played out only in the newsreels so he just comes in like a hurricane and leaves. Does his character in the actual play provide anything else to the story after the initial letter mix up or does he just continue to serve as comic relief?

[Cam Bert 8145]

To be fair, all but the King and Princess had already met before ("Did not I dance with you in Brabent once?")

So that's not the Shakespearean equivalent of "Do you come here often?"

[Cameron H. 23786]

The whole thing just makes me more curious about his character. As I said it seems he's there to get the story going at the start but the rest of his story is then played out only in the newsreels so he just comes in like a hurricane and leaves. Does his character in the actual play provide anything else to the story after the initial letter mix up or does he just continue to serve as comic relief?

 

Pretty much comic relief.

 

After the mix-up, he, Sir Nathaniel, Holofrenes, Costard, and I want to say, Moth, put on a play about the Nine Worthies. This would be during the "No Business Like Show Business" scene as it's at the end of the play that the Princess finds out about her father. Basically, the play sucks ass and everyone heckles them, until finally, Costard and Don Armado nearly get into a fight when Costard outs Armado for impregnating Jaquenetta. That's when the Princess learns of her father.

 

Also, I just wanted to say regarding your earlier post about falling in love so easily, I would argue that they're not necessarily "in love." The Princess tells Ferdinand that they thought the men were just fucking with them so they were just playing along.

 

PRINCESS

We have received your letters full of love;

Your favours, the ambassadors of love;

And, in our maiden council, rated them

At courtship, pleasant jest and courtesy,

As bombast and as lining to the time:

But more devout than this in our respects

Have we not been; and therefore met your loves

In their own fashion, like a merriment.

 

This is why they all have requests for the men at the end. After everything that's happened, they need to know their affection is sincere. So, I wouldn't say "in love" so much as "in deep like."

[Cameron H. 23786]

So that's not the Shakespearean equivalent of "Do you come here often?"

 

Totally.

[Cam Bert 8145]

Seeing as it seems not everyone got a chance to watch this movie how about a question inspired by this movie.

 

What is your favourite retelling or modernized version of a Shakespeare play?

[Cameron H. 23786]

10 Things I Hate About You (Taming of the Shrew)

[tomspanks 9039]

I got such a kick out of Spall's Don Armado. I thought he was very effective with the short screen time he was allotted. The song he did with Moth was hilarious from T to B. It's the little things. He sings about seeing Jacquanetta's face and it's a shot of her derriere at first. When he was singing about cocaine and then this happens I almost died. What a cheeky bastard.

 

 

Oh, and he says that he's in love with a base wench? I know it doesn't mean this, but I'd like to think Shakespeare invented the term basic bitch.

[FisterRoboto 7499]

So, I watched it last night and enjoyed it, but something just felt kind of....off about it. And I think it's what y'all have already said about everyone being at different levels. I agree that Branagh stuck out REALLY badly, especially early on. I felt like the other three male leads were doing that thing that happens far too frequently in Shakespeare productions where they are just rushing to get the words out as quickly as possible and not putting any meaning behind them. Then in swoops Branagh, and he's just magnificent. I mean, maybe it's unfair because at this point, the dude has spent decades performing in various productions, so everything about him comes off far more natural than it does with others.

 

Spall was actually the other person in the movie I really enjoyed. Even though I didn't really love most of the songs (I'll get to that in a minute), I thought his version of "I Get a Kick Out of You" was one of the better numbers in the movie. He's playing so broadly and just fucking going for it in a way that I can't help but love. It's really hammy kitsch, but it's so delightful to watch.

 

The songs also felt out of place to me. I like that they tried to do something different with the play. I think it's always interesting when a production tries to inject something new (e.g., I saw a production of The Taming of the Shrew when I still lived in Ft Worth that was staged as a Western, and it was WONDERFUL). I like that they set it in the 30s, and I liked a lot of the other choices. But the songs all felt really weird and off to me. They're all songs I really like, but using songs from the Great American Song Book as music for an English play set in Spain never really gelled for me.

 

But there were a lot of things I liked a lot about it. I really liked that they put Lillard with Ejogo and Lester with Mortimer. When they first introduce to the two groups, I was like, "Oh, they're just going to put the two black people together." So I was very happy to see that they instead went with two interracial couples instead. Logically, it would make their masquerade ruse a almost impossible to pull off, but I liked how the movie just didn't even care. It was there for silly fun, and there was no reason to weigh it down with all that.

 

I also LOVED Nathan Lane. I think he is so fucking funny in this movie. He's another one that stuck out because he has so much musical theater experience. But he's so incredibly funny, and he just instinctually knows how to sell his whole performance.

 

I'm sure I have more thoughts about it, but the last thing I'll say is that I was really distracted by the fact that Ferdinand was Pollux Troy. It's not his fault. The dude has been in films for 20 years, and that's the only thing I can ever see him as. But every time he was on screen, I was like, "I hate when you call me 'bro.'"

[FisterRoboto 7499]

Seeing as it seems not everyone got a chance to watch this movie how about a question inspired by this movie.

 

What is your favourite retelling or modernized version of a Shakespeare play?

I inadvertently answered this in my last post, but I also love 10 Things I Hate About You.

[tomspanks 9039]

I also LOVED Nathan Lane. I think he is so fucking funny in this movie. He's another one that stuck out because he has so much musical theater experience. But he's so incredibly funny, and he just instinctually knows how to sell his whole performance.

 

I'm sure I have more thoughts about it, but the last thing I'll say is that I was really distracted by the fact that Ferdinand was Pollux Troy. It's not his fault. The dude has been in films for 20 years, and that's the only thing I can ever see him as. But every time he was on screen, I was like, "I hate when you call me 'bro.'"

 

I loved Nathan Lane too. The sight gags were great, but my favorite moment was when Berowne was trying to get him to do something and Costard says with attitude, "I shall know, sir, when I have done it. Pfffbt." It's these little touches that kill me.

 

For me, Alessandro Nivola will always be the dinosaur egg stealing archeology intern from Jurassic Park 3.

[Cameron H. 23786]

 

For me, Alessandro Nivola will always be the dinosaur egg stealing archeology intern from Jurassic Park 3.

 

 

[FisterRoboto 7499]

The fact that y'all have seen JP3 enough for any character to stand out that much to you is....disheartening.

[EvRobert 1684]

The fact that y'all have seen JP3 enough for any character to stand out that much to you is....disheartening.

 

I've seen JP3 more then any of the other movies with the exception of the original Jurrasic Park.

 

As for my favorite "modern" adaption, on the tragedy side I really like "O" and on the comedy side, probably "She's The Man" (I LOVE Twelfth Night)

[Cameron H. 23786]

The fact that y'all have seen JP3 enough for any character to stand out that much to you is....disheartening.

 

I like movies with dinosaurs. I take what I can get. Besides, it’s much better than LW. It’s just a survival movie. LW is just a flaming bad of nonsense.

[FisterRoboto 7499]

I like movies with dinosaurs. I take what I can get. Besides, it’s much better than LW. It’s just a survival movie. LW is just a flaming bad of nonsense.

I'm just giving y'all a hard time

 

I've really only seen it once. The only one I'll really rewatch is the first one (consequently, it's also the only one I own).

[SaraK 1980]

I haven't had a chance to see this movie yet (crazy extended weekend with out of town family and weirdly busy week), but I wanted to answer that 10 Things I Hate About You is one of my favorite based on Shakespeare movies, though Lion King is pretty good too. As for based on classic literature in general, I go Clueless (Emma)

 

Also, I just saw Jurassic Park for the first time like two years ago when a movie theater near me did it as one of their 'Classic Screenings'. I was easily freaked out as a child, so my parents didn't let me watch anything remotely scary. Too many nightmares.

[Cameron H. 23786]

 

Also, I just saw Jurassic Park for the first time like two years ago when a movie theater near me did it as one of their 'Classic Screenings'. I was easily freaked out as a child, so my parents didn't let me watch anything remotely scary. Too many nightmares.

 

How’d you fare as an adult?

[SaraK 1980]

How’d you fare as an adult?

 

Not as scary as I imagined. Loved that Jeff Goldblum. Movies with scary ghosts however, still give me nightmares.

[Cinco DeNio 5290]

Also, if any of you jokers HAVEN’T seen Branagh’s Much Ado About Nothing you really need to fix that.

Between this and Bride & Prejudice, I'm working through the Bollywood version of Twelfth Night first.

 

[FisterRoboto 7499]

Between this and Bride & Prejudice, I'm working through the Bollywood version of Twelfth Night first.

 

 

That movie has been sitting in my queue for a bit, but I haven't watched it yet because I keep hoping someone will pick it for MM...

[The_Triple_Lindy 2482]

What is your favourite retelling or modernized version of a Shakespeare play?

Kurosawa's Ran is basically King Lear and it's amazing. Also, if you've never seen 1995's Richard III with Ian McKellan, you owe it to yourself because it is completely bonkers -- McKellan gives the "Winter of our discontent" line while taking a piss and the "My kingdom for a horse" line while driving a tank.

 

Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton's Taming of the Shrew is one I have a soft spot for, but I could watch anything with Elizabeth Taylor.

 

There's also a documentary called Finding Richard about a Central Park production of Richard III starring Al Pacino that's pretty good.

[Cameron H. 23786]

 

Kurosawa's Ran is basically King Lear and it's amazing. Also, if you've never seen 1995's Richard III with Ian McKellan, you owe it to yourself because it is completely bonkers -- McKellan gives the "Winter of our discontent" line while taking a piss and the "My kingdom for a horse" line while driving a tank.

 

Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton's Taming of the Shrew is one I have a soft spot for, but I could watch anything with Elizabeth Taylor.

 

There's also a documentary called Finding Richard about a Central Park production of Richard III starring Al Pacino that's pretty good.

 

Ran is $7.99 on iTunes right now. I’ve been eyeballing it for awhile now.

[Cinco DeNio 5290]

Ran is $7.99 on iTunes right now. I’ve been eyeballing it for awhile now.

And I Ran...