When a Classic Musical is Revived, Do You Think It Should Be Done EXACTLY as Original or Rethought?- Page 2
When a Classic Musical is Revived, Do You Think It Should Be Done EXACTLY as Original or Rethought?
#25re: When a Classic Musical is Revived, Do You Think It Should Be Done EXACT
Posted: 10/11/04 at 5:02pmInterpret. Fine. Interpret all you want. But I find changing or editing the words and music of an author without his/her approval to be disrespectful.
MargoChanning
Broadway Legend Joined: 4/5/04
#26re: When a Classic Musical is Revived, Do You Think It Should Be Done EXACT
Posted: 10/11/04 at 5:58pm
As others have pointed out, because sensibilities of audiences change over time, sometimes it's necessary to make certain alterations to the original material -- sometime the text, sometimes the staging -- in order for "play" to a contemporary audience. There are things in shows that were acceptable 50, 60, 70 years ago that simply wouldn't fly today.
I'm reminded of the original film version of SHOWBOAT from 1936 starring Irene Dunne, Paul Robeson and Allan Jones. There is scene in which Dunne does the reprise of "Can't Help Lovin' Man" in blackface and performs a dance that looks like something straight out of a minstrel show -- to the delight of Queenie and the other black characters, amazingly). I'm not sure whether such a scene appeared in the original 1927 stage version, but clearly, what was perhaps a fun and entertaining scene to 1936 audiences would be wholly unacceptable today (and serve to distort a contemporary audience's view of Dunne's character Magnolia). Suffice to say, no contemporary director of a revival of Showboat would put his Magnolia in blackface.
There's also the fact that the original lyric to "Ol' Man River" began:
"n*s all work on the Mississippi/
n*s all work while the white folks play"
Obviously, the song hasn't been performed with that lyric for VERY VERY long time (Robeson himself changed them whenever he performed the song in concert), but that's what's in the original sheet music. Oscar Hammerstein later changed it to "darkies all work...." and then finally to:
"Dere's an ol' man called de Mississippi;
Dat's de ol' man dat I'd like to be!"
Times change, sensibilities change. I think Hammerstein realized that to keep the lyric as originally written could undermine the overall message of the show he had written. Even in 1927, "N-----" was a very "charged" word, filled with extremely ugly and negative connotations. To have black characters singing it referring to themselves (despite whatever historical accuracy Hammerstein and Edna Ferber, author of the original novel, may have thought they were relying on, Robeson and others argued that even in the 19th century, blacks would have said "Negro," not "N-----") would have sent a contradictory message to the audience and would have been provocative in the wrong manner for the characters and the show.
Similarly, in their original versions, Finian's Rainbow's depiction of African-Americans, Annie Get Your Gun's depiction of Native Americans and Flower Drum Song's depiction of Asians, similarly, imposes problems for those who wish to revive these pieces today, which is why the estates of the original authors have okayed revisions to the books of these shows.
These changes were not just the result of some political correctness, but rather a recognition on the part of the authors that sometimes words or lyrics or the ways in which characters have been depicted can take an audience out of a piece of theatre and and destroy the illusion they fight so hard to create and sustain. Better to make a few small changes or cuts for the good of the overall piece, than leave the original potentially offending material in tact and risk undermining the entire show.
Mind you, shows are very delicate creations and radical surgery on them can also serve to undermine the piece -- for instance, Annie Get Your Gun and Flower Drum Song, I thought were harmed by extensive re-writes in their last revivals. However, there's no easy solution for some shows -- without the revisions they wouldn't have been staged again (at least not in NY), but the extensive nature of the changes, was such that they altered the overall nature of the pieces, and not for the better. They were sanitized and overly safe, with all the interesting edges smoothed out. They were like victims of particularly bad plastic surgery -- they didn't look quite human anymore.
"What a story........ everything but the bloodhounds snappin' at her rear end." -- Birdie
[http://margochanning.broadwayworld.com/]
"The Devil Be Hittin' Me" -- Whitney
Mary_Ethel
Broadway Legend Joined: 10/6/04
#27re: When a Classic Musical is Revived, Do You Think It Should Be Done EXACT
Posted: 10/11/04 at 6:22pm
Margo,
A slight addition/correction re: Opening Chorus in SHOW BOAT:
1927 Original Production - "N---- all work..."
1936 Film - "COLORED FOLK work..."
1946 Revival - "DARKIES ALL work..."
1966 Revival - Chorus was DROPPED!
Also, Irene Dunne does not sing "Can't Help Lovin' Dat Man" in blackface in 1936 Film.
She DOES preform a minstrel show routine in blackface -- "Gallavatin' Around"--which has been cut from many prints because it is now deemed to be quite racist.
"I say YOU'RE the CUTEST one. No, I say YOU'RE the CUTEST One. And we go on like that from dawn to three."
MargoChanning
Broadway Legend Joined: 4/5/04
#28re: When a Classic Musical is Revived, Do You Think It Should Be Done EXACT
Posted: 10/11/04 at 7:50pm
Mary-Ethel,
Thanks for the correction (I wrote that off the top of my head, while I was at work, so I couldn't double-check myself).
"What a story........ everything but the bloodhounds snappin' at her rear end." -- Birdie
[http://margochanning.broadwayworld.com/]
"The Devil Be Hittin' Me" -- Whitney
Mary_Ethel
Broadway Legend Joined: 10/6/04
#29re: When a Classic Musical is Revived, Do You Think It Should Be Done EXACT
Posted: 10/13/04 at 10:28am
One more thought about SHOW BOAT. When John McGlinn did his famous "reconstruction" SHOW BOAT CD in 1988, he preserved "N---- all work on the Missippi" because that was the ORIGINAL lyric.
Chorus of Black singers got so incensed about this EVERY ONE quit and McGlinn had to replace with WHITE singers.
"I say YOU'RE the CUTEST one. No, I say YOU'RE the CUTEST One. And we go on like that from dawn to three."
Sant
Broadway Legend Joined: 9/12/04
#30re: When a Classic Musical is Revived, Do You Think It Should Be Done EXACT
Posted: 10/13/04 at 12:18pm
Mary Ethel,
unfortunately I haven't read the book SHOW BOAT. 
I'd love to though.
Funny, when I went to see H.Price's version of the show in London I wasn't that much interested in seeing it, and I was totally blown away by it! It was simply magnificent. The actress playing Ms Julie got (well deserved!) standing ovation IN THE MIDDLE OF THE SHOW after she sung 'Bill', I have never seen anyone receive standing ovation in the middle of the show before or since!
Mary_Ethel
Broadway Legend Joined: 10/6/04
#31re: When a Classic Musical is Revived, Do You Think It Should Be Done EXACT
Posted: 10/13/04 at 2:31pm
Sant,
Perhaps because it is so identified with the tragic life of Helen Morgan (orignal Julie, she was a peniless drug attic), "Bill" is probably one of THE most famous songs written for theater.
If you ever want to laugh till the tears come, catch the MGM version of SHOW BOAT (1951) with Ava Gardner(!) singing "Bill." It stirred my emotions about as much as a box of corn flakes.
P.S. You never read SHOW BOAT by Miles Krueger? Point yourself in the direction of your local library and MARCH! :)
"I say YOU'RE the CUTEST one. No, I say YOU'RE the CUTEST One. And we go on like that from dawn to three."
Sant
Broadway Legend Joined: 9/12/04
#32re: When a Classic Musical is Revived, Do You Think It Should Be Done EXACT
Posted: 10/14/04 at 11:39am
Mary Ethel,
I saw the film a couple of years ago and was really disappointed by it! Ava Gardner was a total miscast as Julie. And somehow the whole film was a really weak (which was kind of a surprise, how CAN you make a lousy film of that great material???!) - can't be compared to the fantastic stage version.
Mary_Ethel
Broadway Legend Joined: 10/6/04
#33re: When a Classic Musical is Revived, Do You Think It Should Be Done EXACT
Posted: 10/14/04 at 11:54am
Sant,
How can you make a lousy film out of great material?
Why don't you ask the folks who the film versions of:
GYPSY
A LITTLE NIGHT MUSIC
A CHORUS LINE
CAMELOT
:)
"I say YOU'RE the CUTEST one. No, I say YOU'RE the CUTEST One. And we go on like that from dawn to three."
Sant
Broadway Legend Joined: 9/12/04
#34re: When a Classic Musical is Revived, Do You Think It Should Be Done EXACT
Posted: 10/14/04 at 1:43pm
Mary Ethel,
LOL!! :)
I'd add HELLO, DOLLY! to that list...
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