Lots of South Pacific Comments, typed during the commercial breaks.

In My Humble Opinion
1

This is purely stream of conciousness stuff. I’m not compiling it into a coherent review. Just random thoughts as I watch, typed during the commercial breaks.

I’ve heard they cut “Happy Talk”. The spinless PC worms! It’s a legitimate pidgin (sp) dialect. Or an honest attempt. And a damn good song. Oh well…

They opened with “Nothin’ Like a Dame”? Weird. But it works. I kind of like it. Sets the mood. Whoever’s playing Luther is having fun with the role. They got a good Stewpot.

::Shakes Head:: Jeez, Glenn, LIGHTEN UP “Cockeyed Optimist” should be sung lightly with a vaguely self-depricating “I know it’s silly, but I’m still not changing” tone. You sounded like you were doing Norma Desmond. Your voice is beautiful but relax. Smile! With the intensity you put into the song, DeBecque should be backing away thinking “Don’t make eye contact.”

DeBecque shows promise: let’s see if he can sing. And will they leave in “My Girl Back Home”? I hope so. Another favorite.

Hey, Isn’t Luther played by the guy from Murphy Brown?

Whoever’s playing Bloody Mary is great! Talk about having fun with the role. Coreography is great too! I enjoyed the “Bloody Mary” song.

This may also be the best “Bali High” I’ve ever heard, and I have half a dozen casts. I love the fact that rather than go with the stereotypical plummy-voiced Rodgers and Hammerstein diva in this role, they chose a woman with a lighter, more conversational voice. I really hope that my info was wrong about “Happy Talk”. She deserves another song.

It’s weird seeing this song done without eye-bleed mega-ultra-hyper-color or whatever weird process they used on the '50’s film.

I like ABC’s '60’s style film threading through dots animation that they’re playing before the commercial breaks. It’s nostalgic.

So far, so good. (I want “My Girl Back Home” dammit)

Twin Soliquies: OK, but, not spectacular. It felt like both were going through the motions.

Some Enchanted Evening: As above. I’ve never been fond of the song, and this was an…ok…rendition. I’m not thrilled, but it wasn’t bad.

Younger than Springtime: th’ hell? This is a '50’s musical: one doesn’t f*ck at first sight in a '50s musical. If one is truly overwhelmed with passion, one dances. On the other hand, he’s got a great voice.

Wash That Man Right Outta My Hair and Wonderful Guy: MUCH better! Especially “Wonderful Guy”. Light, fun, well done! (And boy did Close look like Mary Martin in “Wash that Man”

“Carefully Taught” was good, but I miss that it wasn’t a duet with DeBeque. I also think that whoever’s playing Cable would make one hell of a Sky Masterson.

I never cared all that much for “This Nearly Was Mine”, which was…OK again. I’m coming to the conclusion that this DeBeque is too lightweight, somehow. He’s good, and his acting’s excellent, but his singing voice simply doesn’t have the darker undercurrent that the original did.

Honey Bun is jarringly out of place, given the context of the story. It adds a weird, light note at the wrong point in the story. Coming after “Happy Talk” and before “Carefully Talk” made some sense. Coming after “Carefully Taught” and “This Nearly Was Mine” is annoying. You’ve got a dark mood going, DeBeque is going to commit suicide by adventure and they break the mood by having a happy little transvestite song? Bad placement. Actually, I’ve never understood the point of this song within the musical. I’d much rather they cut this altogether and put “Happy Talk” back.

The ending was very well done until the very, very end. A handhold and a “Let’s just be friends” smile? Bull. She falls into his arms and they kiss. Any other ending is just silly. It’s a musical. There are conventions to the genre. A handshake ain’t it.

Is the ending a cop-out? Not R&H’s fault, but would Cable have had the guts to face societal disapproval and marry whatshername? It might have been more satisfying to let him live and force the choice.

I don’t like the modern gimmick of having more commercials towards the end of a movie. Ruins the flow. And what’s with the annoying ABC watermark? I know what network I’m watching.

Checking Amazon, it seems that they did record “My Girl Back Home” and cut it. Why?!

Of R&H’s 5 major musicals, this to me is one of the bottom two (along with The Sound of Music). But having seen this rendition, I may move it up a notch to above Carousel (but still below Oklahoma! and The King and I).

(For extra credit, R&H did four other musicals. Name them without looking them up)

Fenris

2

Allegro, Me & Juliet

Let me think a little and I’ll be back with the other two.

3

Cinerella

But that was TV. Is that one you were thinking of?

4

While I’m still thinking of #4 (no, I’m not looking anything up, though the answers are literally in arm’s reach of where I sit) it should be noted that R&H worked on a benefit show musical together in the 1920’s before R teamed up with Hart. I don’t suppose that show is not one that you included in your list, right?

5

Akk. I meant Cinderella.

6

I think #4 was Pipe Dream!

Gonna check the books now to see if I got 'em all. What do I win if I nailed it???

7

Okay, not bad I see.

I got three of the four STAGE musicals that Fenris had in mind (Me & Juliet, Pipe Dream and Allegro); I won’t spoil the thread by naming the one I missed.

BUT… I think that Cinderella should qualify as a legit answer since the OP did not specify stage shows only. (In which case you could say I nailed it.)

BUT… if you do accept non-stage musicals, that opens the question up to yet another R&H work. (Hint: it was a film).

For the record, R&H collaborated on 3 songs for the benefit show “Up Stage and Down” in 1919 (not the 20’s, as I thought), a year before R&Hart’s first show. I think if I had gotten that show by name I should have been given DOUBLE extra credit.

Anyhow, I await my grade.

8

Let’s not forget “State Fair,” which started out on screen and has jumped to the stage in recent years.

9

Actually, if I’m being honest, I must hang my head in shame and admit I forgot about Cinderella and State Fair.

So there’s still one musical left from the four I was thinking about.

BTW, stuyguy, I’ll give you an A+ (you’d have gotten an A, but stumping me gets you the +): I’d never heard of “Up Stage and Down” before.

Fenris

10

just FYI, my dear Fenris…

  1. yes, Luther is Robert Pastorelli, and he played Eldon on Murphy Brown

  2. Joe Cable was played by Harry Connick, Jr. and he is gorgeous! I agree that it would have been nice to see how he dealt with societal pressures, I must admit this is the first time I have ever seen South Pacific and I nearly fell out of my chair when he was killed!

11

And, if I’m very honest with myself, if they’d changed the classic ending and didn’t kill him, I’d have been screaming about it. :slight_smile: I still think it would make an interesting story.

I’ll also stand by my comment that I really, REALLY want to see Connick do Guys and Dolls as Sky Masterson. He’d be perfect

Fenris

12

Aha, the remaining show you mentioned is Flower Drum Song. Dated, in more ways than one, but some good songs.

Missed the show last night…maybe it’ll be on again. My son, a musicals freak, tried to tape it but discovered he hadn’t rewound the tape to zero…so it stopped somewhere in the first forty-five minutes. Ah well. South Pacific is not my favorite musical, but it is definitely my favorite of the R&H output.

13

He’s Harry Connick, Jr. He’d be perfect anywhere. :slight_smile:

Late, late, Sunday night I saw a show about the making of South Pacific. Did you know Connick sang “Carefully Taught” live? He had recorded it previously, but wasn;t happy with it so he tried it again as they filmed. His voice is like velvet.

14

I’d never even thought of it… but yes. He would.

It needs to be done

15

I haven’t seen South Pacific yet. I had class on Monday night and taped it, but haven’t yet watched it. However, I’ve gotta say that Harry Connick Jr. as Skye Masterson in Guys and Dolls is a definate good idea. Who do we have to kill to make it happen?

Oh, and I think Jason Alexander would make a pretty cute Nathan Detroit.

16

Jason Alexander’s singing voice is too good to dump him in the essentially non-singing part of Nathan. However, picture Jason Alexander as…

Nicely-Nicely Johnson

Remember, Nathan only has one or two songs: “Adlede” (if it’s included…it was written for the movie to give Frankie something to sing) and “Sue Me” (Nathan shouldn’t be in “Good Old Reliable…” or “Guys and Dolls”, apparently Ol’ Blue Eyes threw a tantrum), Nicely-Nicely has 3 or 4 numbers, which are almost all the show-stoppers (“Good Old Reliable…”, “Guys and Dolls…”, “Fugue for Tinhorns”, and “Sit Down, You’re Rocking the Boat”.)

So, if we give Nicely’s role to Jason Alexander, how 'bout giving Jerry Seinfeld Nathan’s role? “Sue Me” doesn’t take a whole lot of vocal skill and I can see him in the part.

But who do we get for Miss Adelede? We need a female comic with a good voice who knows how not to overdo things.

Fenris

17

This sounds like the beginning of a new thread, so I’ll go ahead and start it. Meanwhile:

As Nathan, how about Nathan Lane? He’s done the role on Broadway and sounds GREAT on the soundtrack.

(Continued in new thread: "Which musicals should be remade, and with whom?)