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Post by nedandres on Jan 25, 2018 23:24:36 GMT -5
Just read about casting call for “West Side Story” remake. All I can say is UGH! Steven Spielberg wants to make it more inclusive. Still, I can’t imagine its being an improvement over the Oscar winning film made in the pre-Twin Towers NYC during the época in which it took place. Really in shock here. If they redo “The Waltons,” I will find a hole to hide in.
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Post by JeriJet on Jan 25, 2018 23:57:17 GMT -5
Just read about casting call for “West Side Story” remake. All I can say is UGH! Steven Spielberg wants to make it more inclusive. Still, I can’t imagine its being an improvement over the Oscar winning film made in the pre-Twin Towers NYC during the época in which it took place. Really in shock here. If they redo “The Waltons,” I will find a hole to hide in. Don't think I ever saw the film, but did see it on Broadway.... and, no, I wouldn't want a remake done -- on either West Side Story or The Waltons !!
"More inclusive" ?? -- politically correct ?? -- Heaven forbid Puerto Ricans are prominent in any new endeavor !!
I'm convinced that all the "waves" in today's air are killing creativity, not to mention all the time people spend (make that waste) on various cordless gizmos.... it takes quiet time, solitude, lengthy ponderings to come up with something new !! -- and, who does that anymore ??!!
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Post by nedandres on Jan 26, 2018 6:55:58 GMT -5
Not sure about using people from Puerto Rico per se, but Maria, Bernardo and Anita must be Spanish speakers. That’s what Arthur Laurents did with the latest Bway revival and had Lin Manuel Miranda translate the lyrics to Spanish for many songs, but it wasn’t an improvement and they went back to the original English lyrics halfway through the run. Maria was played by a woman from Argentina which probably did not sit well with people from PR. Agreed about the lack of creativity. All we seem to see are revivals and remakes of TV series.🙁
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Post by nedandres on Jan 26, 2018 6:59:45 GMT -5
I am fine with casting Latinos in Latino roles, but why redo a good thing that won Best Picture! Did you see the original cast with Carol Lawrence and Chita Rivera?
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Post by JeriJet on Jan 26, 2018 10:36:42 GMT -5
Not sure about using people from Puerto Rico per se, but Maria, Bernardo and Anita must be Spanish speakers. That’s what Arthur Laurents did with the latest Bway revival and had Lin Manuel Miranda translate the lyrics to Spanish for many songs, but it wasn’t an improvement and they went back to the original English lyrics halfway through the run. Maria was played by a woman from Argentina which probably did not sit well with people from PR. Agreed about the lack of creativity. All we seem to see are revivals and remakes of TV series.🙁 I was being facetious....
Would love to have Spielberg tell us what he meant by "more inclusive"....
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Post by JeriJet on Jan 26, 2018 10:38:59 GMT -5
I am fine with casting Latinos in Latino roles, but why redo a good thing that won Best Picture! Did you see the original cast with Carol Lawrence and Chita Rivera? Yes. One of my earliest shows.... starting to lose memory of those days !! Don't want to Google, and my trunk of playbills is out in the garage, in the back somewhere !!
Edit -- thinking some more: For years, I've thought The Sound of Music was my first musical -- but maybe that was my first school field trip to a Broadway musical.... now I seem to remember my parents taking older sister and me to West Side Story as my first musical ! Drat.
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Post by nedandres on Jan 26, 2018 11:30:45 GMT -5
Not sure of Spielberg’s reasoning but money has to figure in on the motives. Originally Anglo actors were used because there was not a treasure trove of Latino performers at the time. Same happened with original “The King and I.”
As for a Waltons remake, it was bad enough that they remade John-Boy, but Lorimar also brought in Donna Reed to cover Miss Ellie on “Dallas.” All about ratings and dollars! Creativity and integrity often take a back seat if at all....
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Post by JeriJet on Jan 26, 2018 12:32:27 GMT -5
Clearing my head about musicals -- on to Drama....
My first was The Miracle Worker -- original cast, Bancroft and Duke.
Class field trip, and remember it was wintertime -- because we were wearing winter coats. Interestingly, the house lights did not dim slowly, but went dark quickly.... a loud scream.... and two school chums directly behind me (Pete Munks and Gene Maier--in case they see this posting!!} threw their coats over my head !!! ... so, I screamed, too !!!
There was absolutely nothing to dislike about this show -- script, acting, direction, stage set, on and on.... Not to forget, incredible source material.
Cannot imagine a better first drama, or better drama under any circumstances.
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Post by nedandres on Jan 26, 2018 12:46:01 GMT -5
Wow Jeri. I am in awe. So glad we have that preserved in the movie, in a way. And that was also redone with Duke as Sullivan and Melissa Gilbert as Helen. Even that seemed unnecessary other than the transfer to color.
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Post by nedandres on Jan 26, 2018 12:47:29 GMT -5
Helen Keller continues to inspire today unlike some of the dorks today’s youth look up to!
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Post by JeriJet on Jan 26, 2018 13:25:23 GMT -5
Wow Jeri. I am in awe. So glad we have that preserved in the movie, in a way. And that was also redone with Duke as Sullivan and Melissa Gilbert as Helen. Even that seemed unnecessary other than the transfer to color. I hadn't expected to enjoy the movie -- but I did !! ... and, fun to see Duke "evolve" into Annie. Gilbert was quite good, but not quite as good as Duke's Helen, I don't think....
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Post by JeriJet on Jan 26, 2018 14:36:06 GMT -5
Well, tomboy for Maria works well for me. Closer to the real Maria. Did you read her books? A real “piece of work” which helped her survive everything they went through that is NOT in the musical! Liesl’s beau Rolf sang the other half of “Sixteen.” Would have loved to sing that or the Captain’s songs. Both sang terribly flat, and that is painful to anyone who is even slightly musical. Okay, here is a question. What is one connection between “Music” and “The Waltons”? 7 kids ? -- off the top of my head.... will ponder some more.
Ahhhh -- Rolf, of course !! Brain freeze AGAIN... I should really think a bit before typing merrily along.
Okay -- this is terrible -- think I did read her book(s), but really not sure !! ... Because my family spent so much time in Vermont's Northeast Kingdom, and always visited Stowe further west (this was before it all became so touristy), Maria became even more special to me... (the Von Trapp house was still their family residence back then) And, seems to me that the real Maria said she much preferred Mary Martin's performance over Julie Andrews...
BTW, on the way from Lake Willoughby to Stowe, the route goes through a Notch (whose name escapes me at the moment) and we had a favorite restaurant there which we hit for dinner on the way home.... It was called "Zack's on the Rocks" -- a rather small French Normandy house, with a gay chef from Chicago and his much older wife (female) !! ... no liquor license but packed all the time -- they had "pit" seating in front of a huge fireplace, where you could wait (while sipping any booze you may have brought)... Dad actually purchased one of those leather carriers which hold 2 full-sized bottles for these occasions.... Almost forgot -- it was painted pink with purple trim....
I know this sounds like something that would never interest me/my family, nor you, but it was absolutely delightful !! -- including the food.
Phooey -- just Googled the restaurant -- still pretty much the same and very popular (but now white stucco), except that the owner/chef Zack died in 2011....
Have been wanting to plan one more trip up to Vermont's Northeast Kingdom, and that's yet another thing I must scratch off my list of things to do while there.... among quite a few people/places now gone... I waited too long.
At least, Lake Willoughby and its two note-worthy mountains will still be there, even if the touristy skiers have spoiled them a bit.
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Post by nedandres on Jan 26, 2018 21:55:18 GMT -5
Well at that point Gilbert was still a child actor and she was rather good. Later on her acting just did not convince me and then she moved to Michigan and ran for Congress and dropped out of the race. Granted, I was a “Little House” and all, but she never attained the greatness of Bancroft or Duke. She played Ma in a tour of “Little House on the Prairie The Musical,” but it never made it to Bway.
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Post by nedandres on Jan 26, 2018 21:57:22 GMT -5
I have been to Vermont en route to Maine but did not really stop and see the sites alas!🙁
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Post by JeriJet on Jan 29, 2018 11:28:45 GMT -5
I have been to Vermont en route to Maine but did not really stop and see the sites alas!🙁 A favorite tv true-crime show is "Northwest Law" (about Maine State Troopers).... For years and years I had wanted to visit Maine, assuming I would love it.... had been in Kennebunk briefly a couple of times, visiting the Bushes, but finally had the opportunity the summer of 2008 (I think) to "explore", helping friends establish a retirement home outside Bath (southern Maine, on the coast) ...
It may have been the specific area(s), but I was quite disappointed that I did not experience crashing waves along rocky shores... it appeared that much of the coastline had small islands offshore which broke up the waves almost to non-existence !! And, it was extremely humid, with zillions of tiny black flying insects (gnats?)... the one thing I loved was the easy availability of lobster treats !! -- never had so much lobster in my life, in all forms -- food trucks selling lobster rolls, even the large "truck stops" on the highway offered lobster...
I wish I'd been able to visit other parts of Maine... sure I'd love it ! In another life, I would have gone camping in Acadia National Park....
Man, I'm tired of having to say "I think" so often.... because it appears that my memory is shot !!
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