Musical Mondays Week 43 Piya Behrupiya

[Cameron H. 23786]

...Totally forgot it was Monday!

 

We watched:

 

[Cameron H. 23786]

Here’s the thing...

 

I thought it was an admirable attempt, but ultimately, Pita really didn’t work for me. It’s biggest crime, for me, is it was really pretty boring. I liked the costumes and I thought the actors were charming, but it was missing a spark that made it resonate on either a comedic or emotional level.

 

That being said, the troupe looked like they were having an absolute blast and that was nice.

[Cinco DeNio 5290]

Here’s the thing...

 

I thought it was an admirable attempt, but ultimately, Pita really didn’t work for me. It’s biggest crime, for me, is it was really pretty boring. I liked the costumes and I thought the actors were charming, but it was missing a spark that made it resonate on either a comedic or emotional level.

 

That being said, the troupe looked like they were having an absolute blast and that was nice.

At the risk of shutting down the discussion I agree completely. I shut it off at the intermission and considered not watching the rest. I did pick it up another day and am glad I did but it just lost a lot in translation. It appeared to be a big hit in India when performed live but it definitely is India-focused. However I loved the moment in the first half when "Cesario" rubbed off her mustache in private. That was very touching. I also enjoyed the fool occasionally but the rest was too broad and played for laughs even when the scene itself had no laughs. (I assume, anyway. I haven't read the play.)

 

Apologies to all but thank you for giving it a shot. I will screen the selections next time.

[grudlian. 4725]

This is the type of show that is probably way better seeing live instead of taped. I expect it just loses something in the translation to a television screen.

 

I also am not a big fan of very broad comedic acting which is basically all the comedy this has. It wasn't just big, overacting faces but they'd punctuate it with sound effects. That was just too much for me. But, that made the moment went Viola does of her mustache that much more affecting. I thought she was great in that scene.

 

EDIT: looks like Cinco said exactly what I said w I was going my comment. So, I agree completely.

[Cinco DeNio 5290]

The good news is this was a special filmed event to preserve a stage production. The costumes were much more elaborate than the stage show's. (Pictures below.) It's obvious the cast is playing to the cameras instead of the audience and that reduced some of the enjoyment for me. However the cast had performed this over 100 times on the stage so they were well familiar with every move and gesture yet still appeared like a lot of things were surprises. I have to give them major props for that.

 

 

 

 

[tomspanks 9039]

I agree with the posts above. Liked the colorful costume and the enthusiastic cast, but overall maybe something got lost in translation, because I couldn't get into it. Perhaps it's something you have to see live on stage? Sorry, Cinco, I couldn't make it all the way through.

 

Also, I thought it was cool that the everyone in the cast was on stage on the raised platform when they weren't in a scene. I liked that there was a harmonium on stage, but I ended up missing the big brassy sound we're used to from Bollywood music.

[Cinco DeNio 5290]

What was the point of "Andrew"? I assume there is some pay off in Twelfth Night but I didn't see him end up better off in Piya.

[tomspanks 9039]

...Totally forgot it was Monday!

 

We watched:

 

 

Also, did anybody else think the lead was Amy Sedaris at first?

[Cinco DeNio 5290]

Wikipedia to the rescue as to the title (and would have warned what I was considering picking). I thought "rupiya" was some take on rupee but not so.

 

 

A behrupiya or bahrupiya (Hindustani: बहरूपिया or بہروپیا) is an impressionist in the traditional performing arts of India, Pakistan, Nepal and Bangladesh.^[1] Once popular and widespread, the art form is now in decline with most practitioners living in poverty.^[2] It was once common for behrupiyas to make a dramatic entrance at wedding or other festivities dressed as a policeman, priest, or other figure and create a commotion.^[2] The social norm surrounding these appearances was that the behrupiya usually collected no money if he was detected as an impersonator. However, if he was able to successfully convince his audience of his fake identity, he would then reveal it and be awarded a baksheesh for having entertained the group.

Due to their expertise with disguise and impersonation, good behrupiyas were recruited as spies by medieval Indian kings.^[3]

[Cinco DeNio 5290]

I agree with the posts above. Liked the colorful costume and the enthusiastic cast, but overall maybe something got lost in translation, because I couldn't get into it. Perhaps it's something you have to see live on stage? Sorry, Cinco, I couldn't make it all the way through.

 

Also, I thought it was cool that the everyone in the cast was on stage on the raised platform when they weren't in a scene. I liked that there was a harmonium on stage, but I ended up missing the big brassy sound we're used to from Bollywood music.

I missed the big Bollywood dances. I saw the first one and thought it would continue like that. Also I learned a new word today: "harmonium".

[Cinco DeNio 5290]

A lot of reviews I've read of the stage play mentioned the 1st half drags. People enjoyed the 2nd half so much I thought sure there was a laugh track until I saw audience members moving around. (There still could have been a laugh track though.)

[Cameron H. 23786]

What was the point of "Andrew"? I assume there is some pay off in Twelfth Night but I didn't see him end up better off in Piya.

 

Andrew Aguecheek (read: sick face) is really just another suitor for Olivia. He just adds an additional wrench in the works since she’s already being pursued by Orsino, Malvolio, and (sort of) Cesario.

 

He doesn’t really “learn” or “grow” or anything and is there primarily for comedic relief and for Sebastian to beat him up.

 

If you haven’t already, you should all check out the 1996 version of Twelfth Night. I’d almost consider it a Musical in its own right.

 

ETA: “ague” honestly has more to do with shivering so it’s probably more of a comment on his cowardice - or both. Either way, I like Andrew Sickface.

[Cameron H. 23786]

I will screen the selections next time.

 

I really don't think you need to. I never watch my picks first. I think part of the fun is the discovery.

[Quasar Sniffer 4174]

Yeah, I have to concur with everyone. I found this really difficult to get into, even as someone who did a lot of... experimental interpretations of Shakespeare in my youth (including 4th-wall-breaking stuff). I was just never invested in anything that was going on. Sure, a lot of Shakespeare comedies, or even the tragedies, take these very stark breaks for "comic relief" and you get some very broad comedic bits, but you can trudge your way through those if need be, or even enjoy them if the performance is done well enough. Here, it seemed like the whole play was played for Benny Hill-level humor, complete with sound effects, just with 30-second songs mixed in.

 

I do, however, commend Cinco DeNio for the adventurous pick. If it wasn't for such risk-taking, we would never have watched films like The Lure (a Polish mermaid musical horror movie!). Hell, it's just as much a shot in the dark when I pick something like Top Hat to discover with all my Internet Buddies!

[Cinco DeNio 5290]

Yeah, I have to concur with everyone. I found this really difficult to get into, even as someone who did a lot of... experimental interpretations of Shakespeare in my youth (including 4th-wall-breaking stuff). I was just never invested in anything that was going on. Sure, a lot of Shakespeare comedies, or even the tragedies, take these very stark breaks for "comic relief" and you get some very broad comedic bits, but you can trudge your way through those if need be, or even enjoy them if the performance is done well enough. Here, it seemed like the whole play was played for Benny Hill-level humor, complete with sound effects, just with 30-second songs mixed in.

 

I do, however, commend Cinco DeNio for the adventurous pick. If it wasn't for such risk-taking, we would never have watched films like The Lure (a Polish mermaid musical horror movie!). Hell, it's just as much a shot in the dark when I pick something like Top Hat to discover with all my Internet Buddies!

Thank you but I didn't think I was being adventurous at the time. However, SyFy.com agrees with you about The Lure. Their article is titled The Lure is the Citizen Kane of feminist killer mermaid synth-pop musicals.

[Cinco DeNio 5290]

Cam Bert, now is the perfect time to regale us with your Twelfth Night stories. Otherwise I will have to profess my admiration and enjoyment of Shakespeare in Love.

[SaraK 1980]

I started this movie, got panicky that my subtitles weren't working (for some reason they were delayed like five minutes into the movie) and then only lasted a little while into it. Sorry Cinco! I wanted to watch it, but I was so spacey I couldn't concentrate on it. I was going to try again tonight, but it sounds like I probably can skip it.

[Cinco DeNio 5290]

I started this movie, got panicky that my subtitles weren't working (for some reason they were delayed like five minutes into the movie) and then only lasted a little while into it. Sorry Cinco! I wanted to watch it, but I was so spacey I couldn't concentrate on it. I was going to try again tonight, but it sounds like I probably can skip it.

No worries! Yes, you can skip it. I appreciate everyone's giving it a shot but my feelings are in no ways hurt if you shut it off. I did the same thing halfway in.

[Cinco DeNio 5290]

I started this movie, got panicky that my subtitles weren't working (for some reason they were delayed like five minutes into the movie) and then only lasted a little while into it. Sorry Cinco! I wanted to watch it, but I was so spacey I couldn't concentrate on it. I was going to try again tonight, but it sounds like I probably can skip it.

We can talk about Blues Brothers 2000 for the rest of the week to prep for Friday's episode. :-)

[Cameron H. 23786]

We can talk about Blues Brothers 2000 for the rest of the week to prep for Friday's episode. :-)

 

I don't have much to say about that either

[SaraK 1980]

We can talk about Blues Brothers 2000 for the rest of the week to prep for Friday's episode. :-)

 

Ugh I'm dreading that movie. I can't bring myself to watch it, but I guess I have time tonight now

[Quasar Sniffer 4174]

I'm halfway through Blues Brothers 2000 and I... don't hate it? It's not good, certainly, and it's definitely not made in the spirit of the first one, but I think I just really like Dan Aykroyd. That's part of why I found Nothing But Trouble so disturbing; it's like watching your good friend puke and then eat his own vomit.

 

I might talk more about this in the show thread, but as much as I like Eddie Murphy, he was always just too cool for me to connect with him on a personal level. Like, he was the handsome, funny guy who everybody liked, which is an experience I just can't relate to. Does that make sense? Aykroyd was always the Weird Nerd in the background with the insane ideas about ghosts, so the fact that he became a movie star from 1980-1986 or so, I found edifying.

[Cinco DeNio 5290]

 

I don't have much to say about that either

[EvRobert 1684]

oh thank god!

 

I tried watching this but than the dance I was DJing last Saturday paid me to go into overtime, I'm going on vacation next week to North Carolina and just bring myself to finish this and when I did I was just left kind of...not cold but just didn't feel that they did enough with the material, either to make it more daring, more subversive or anything.

 

Also the 96 version of 12th Night (that's the version with Helena Bonham and Ben Kingsley right?) is brilliant.

[Cameron H. 23786]

oh thank god!

 

I tried watching this but than the dance I was DJing last Saturday paid me to go into overtime, I'm going on vacation next week to North Carolina and just bring myself to finish this and when I did I was just left kind of...not cold but just didn't feel that they did enough with the material, either to make it more daring, more subversive or anything.

 

Also the 96 version of 12th Night (that's the version with Helena Bonham and Ben Kingsley right?) is brilliant.

 

Yeah, I watched the ‘96 version just before watching this. And I can tell you, the contrast between the two didn’t do Piya any favors.

 

And I agree with you about it not being daring, aside from the Looney Toons sound effects, it was like a Cliff’s Notes version of the play.