My local PBS station reran this this afternoon, thank og – I somehow managed to miss the first broadcast back around Thanksgiving.
What a delight! None of the prissy, sanitized nonsense of the Hollywood version, which I’ve never warmed to. The staging of “Many a Fine Day” was wonderful; the dream ballet didn’t totally turn me off; and Hugh Jackman … swoon
I’m thinking seriously of getting the video.
Has anyone else seen this? What did you think?
I saw it, and liked it a lot. It got an outstanding review in the LA Times when it began its PBS run.
Gotta give it to Hugh, he’s damned versatile.
Liked it muchly.
Thought Laurie’s overalls were a silly costume choice–I know what they were trying to do, but no woman would have worn overalls in 1900, even on a farm. And Aunt Eller made me miss Charlotte Greenwood.
But I do likes me some Hugh Jackman . . .
I would love to see it. Anyone know if it will air again?
I would love to see it. Anyone know if it will air again?
RitzyRae – It was a Great Performances production. Having done the first, evening airing back before Thanksgiving, I think it’s now up to the individual station if or when they want to air it.
It is available on video/DVD – probably Blockbuster won’t carry it, but your local indie store might.
My Borders stocks it, so it seems to be somewhat mainstream.
Morelin – I was thinking more of rental availability.
I thought Hugh sang marvelously, but his Western accent was laughably bad.
Oh, if only he were! RRORRW
Yep, that goes on my “To Buy” list. I like that, unlike the 1955 movie, this production didn’t cut the more lascivious lyrics from some of the songs. One thing that shocked me was that the actress who played Aunt Eller was the suicidal young roommate in “Educating Rita”. EEP, but the years have gone by! (Let us hope that was an outstanding makeup job!)
I saw this production in London before it was filmed. It was fantastic.
Maureen Lipman, who played Aunt Eller, is very well known in Britain for television work. Probably best known these days for playing interfering Jewish matriarchs. She’s appeared in a lot of plays by Jack Rosenthal, her husband I think. (He wrote the screenplay for Yentl, but you shouldn’t hold that against him.)
Alex.
For fans of Jackman who only know him as Curly and his affable movie roles, see if you can dig up Erskineville Kings. It’s a very small, cheap Australian production although Jackman still says it’s the best script he has ever been offered. The film really is about his character’s brother but Jackman steals the movie with the quietest, most under-played menace. You won’t like him in this one but you will see why his career is blossoming.
I saw the same production on B’way. Mr. Jackman wasn’t in it at the time but the guy who played Judd Fry is fantastic. (he is in the PBS broadcast as well)
Laurie was a bit annoying to me but the rest of the cast was great. On the PBS special IIRC they had an odd choice for the Peddler Man or the guy didn’t play the PM as Arabic at all.
But the dream ballet was cool with all the chicks in their saloon girls costumes. When I saw the show live I noticed of course that in the dream all the costumes were black and white. (shades of grey) But the underpants on the saloon girls all had a color. Red, yellow, blue. I looked at the publicty shots outside the theatre and they had colors there as well. I was going to discuss this with my theatre going companions but there is no way to bring up how you noticed the saloon girls underpants to your wife and mother-in-law.