Musical Mondays Week 15 The Fantasticks (1995)

[Cam Bert 8145]

I'm looking at the list of the movies of 1995. Here's some suggestions just looking at the box office and awards though...

 

my first thought is Val Kilmer.

Stop drilling, you've hit oil!

[EvRobert 1684]

Stop drilling, you've hit oil!

 

It would have been a totally different interpretation but man it would be glorious.

[tomspanks 9039]

I'm looking at the list of the movies of 1995. Here's some suggestions just looking at the box office and awards though...

 

Jim Carrey

LOL

[Cameron H. 23786]

I liked El Gallo just fine. More than Kaaaaaaaaaaahn!

 

In fact, after seeing both versions, I kind of prefer everyone in this. I also preferred Joey Joe being a stinky pig farmer rather than a college student and that Movie Luisa was a little more teenage girl and a little less fainting goat.

[Cakebug Tranch 6873]

I liked El Gallo just fine. More than Kaaaaaaaaaaahn!

 

In fact, after seeing both versions, I kind of prefer everyone in this. I also preferred Joey Joe being a stinky pig farmer rather than a college student and that Movie Luisa was a little more teenage girl and a little less fainting goat.

[tomspanks 9039]

I liked El Gallo just fine. More than Kaaaaaaaaaaahn!

 

In fact, after seeing both versions, I kind of prefer everyone in this. I also preferred Joey Joe being a stinky pig farmer rather than a college student and that Movie Luisa was a little more teenage girl and a little less fainting goat.

 

Everything this guys said except the complete opposite.

[Cameron H. 23786]

Matt: (shouting over the wall) "Juliet! Juliet!"

 

Luisa:

 

 

 

[EvRobert 1684]

On a personal note, if anyone is in the Hapeville, GA area this month, one of my plays will be performed by Academy Theatre.

 

Back to the subject on hand,

 

There was an article on the On Stage blog last week about the University of Wyoming producing this show and several Native American students walking out when Mortimer came on stage and accused the theater of red-face. Is this a fair criticism or not?

[FisterRoboto 7499]

I always thought he was too much of a wimp. El Gallo in my mind is supposed to be Spanish, but I guess the idea of him being English and playing this rogue makes some sense. Jonathon Morris, who plays him in the movie, played El Gallo in the England run of the show, which I guess is why he was cast. But I think they could have done better. Antonio Banderas!

He just didn't strike me as devious enough. I like the suggestions of Kilmer or Denzel.

 

But I was looking through an E! slideshow of the big stars of 1995, and I think I know who would have nailed it. This person didn't start acting until about 5 years later, but let's say the film was released the same year it was produced. Then I would have loved to see....

 

 

 

 

This may sound like a joke, but I am 100% serious.

 

 

[Cakebug Tranch 6873]

On a personal note, if anyone is in the Hapeville, GA area this month, one of my plays will be performed by Academy Theatre.

 

Back to the subject on hand,

 

There was an article on the On Stage blog last week about the University of Wyoming producing this show and several Native American students walking out when Mortimer came on stage and accused the theater of red-face. Is this a fair criticism or not?

 

Well, on a purely subjective level, absolutely it's a fair criticism. A white man in redface is no less offensive than a white man in blackface. If this is something that offended those students, then it should be taken seriously. Mortimer's costume is nearly never referenced and he doesn't (I don't think) carry out stereotypical gestures that might be offensive. Maybe in Wyoming the actor was doing something more specific that was offensive?

 

In any case, it's an example of a relic of its time, written in 1959, this wasn't something that was seen as offensive as it is today. You could very easily cut the Indian costume from Mortimer and he'd work in just the same way. If Mortimer had been in blackface in the 50's, we wouldn't tolerate it today, so the redface is skirting a very fine line. It's not integral to the play (even if it was it wouldn't save it) so I'd suggest this isn't a difficult decision to make.

 

Much in the way Jones and Schmidt rewrote the very good 'It Depends on What You Pay' because of the dozens of uses of the word 'rape', I'd suggest this would be something worth passing into mothballs.

[Cakebug Tranch 6873]

 

 

 

This may sound like a joke, but I am 100% serious.

 

 

 

Really interesting pick. Vocally, absolutely, and the story would change in good ways with her in there. I remember her not having much stage presence when she played God in 'Dogma' though. I'm not sure she'd nail the character's (admittedly very broad) nuance.

[tomspanks 9039]

On a personal note, if anyone is in the Hapeville, GA area this month, one of my plays will be performed by Academy Theatre.

 

Congrats! What's it about?

[Cameron H. 23786]

 

 

Congrats! What's it about?

 

Yes! Congratulations, EvRoberts! I actually live in the Atlanta area, but I won't be able to make it this month (Julys are a busy time of year for me). Please let me know if any of your plays come back this way in the future!

[EvRobert 1684]

 

Congrats! What's it about?

 

It's an adaption of Ambrose Bierce's Moonlit Road titled "Moonlit". I changed the gender of the lead to a female and set it in modern times, with flashbacks to the 1990s. Instead of a wealthy landowner or plantion owner, I changed it to a televangelist.

 

RE: Mortimer in redface, my argument that it isn't is because the show isn't casting a white person as a Native American nor are they saying he is (in the stage show the stage descriptions have him wearing a featherd headband that Henry plucks a feather from). He is described as speaking in a cockney accent. I have viewed it as an argument against red face (or the like) because these are characters that aren't supposed to be emulated. I'm not saying the students argument isn't valid, but I think they should have stayed to see the show instead of immediately walking out though.

 

Alanis as El Gallo? I kind of love it. I have some very distinct ideas about how I would direct a stage adaptation of The Fantasticks, and I never would have considered a female in the role (and I wanted to cast an African-American as Elle in Legally Blonde) but I kind of love it.

[EvRobert 1684]

Yes! Congratulations, EvRoberts! I actually live in the Atlanta area, but I won't be able to make it this month (Julys are a busy time of year for me). Please let me know if any of your plays come back this way in the future!

 

Oh trust me I know. That's why I'm not going LOL I'm planning a trip to North Carolina in September, so it was either Georgia in July or NC in September.

 

This is actually my second play being done n Georgia, a couple of years ago a children's play I wrote was done in Roswell, GA

[Cameron H. 23786]

EvRoberts, I just wanted to thank you for your pick! I'm glad I had a chance to see it and had the background to guide us through it. I'm not sure I would have appreciated it as much I did otherwise.

[Cakebug Tranch 6873]

Yeah, thanks EvR for bringing this to us - I've had every damn song in this show rattling around in my head all week, but that's a good thing: it's evicted High School Musical (for now).

[IMAHUGEHDTGMFAN 1837]

Trying to make time to watch this... Will report back when I do...

 

Because of a 10 hour Lockdown and power/internet outages I still have not seen "The Fantasticks" (Me, my family and friends are fine ) I'll try and see it tonight because I'm a completionist and I want to check out "Krush Groove" between now and next week

[Cakebug Tranch 6873]

Stay safe, Max!

[Cameron H. 23786]

Take care, Max!

[IMAHUGEHDTGMFAN 1837]

Stay safe, Max!

 

Take care, Max!

 

Will Do! (y)