A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum film on DVD

Eek, a week since my last entry. Sorry, a combination of work obligations and internet connectivity issues have hog-tied me. So it's a good thing I had a farcical romp like A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum to entertain me.

I didn't realize this had music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim. For some reason I thought he did the lyrics only, like he had for Gypsy and West Side Story. But no, he did both for this show. Was this Sondheim's first Broadway score? If so, "Comedy Tonight" is a home-run. The rest of the score is probably greatly compromised from stage to film and doesn't really hold its own.

The clowning does hold its own for me, even if the very 1960s filming techniques seem a bit dated now. Zero Mostel and Jack Gifford reprise their roles from the stage version, which premiered in 1962. Phil Silvers is added to the film along with Buster Keaton, to create a whos-who of top-notch clowns. Bland-ola Michael Crawford is the young lover, Hero. He has the skinniest legs ever, and should never were a toga again. Fortunately, the primary song for Hero "Lovely" is better suited to Crawford's voice than what he was asked to sing in the film version of Hello Dolly.

About ten years ago, this show was remounted with Nathan Lane in the Zero Mostel role. I can imagine the antics being much funnier on stage than on screen, which tends to flatten the action for me sometimes. Mr. Lane was later replaced by Whoopi Goldberg. Did she play the character as a man or a woman? The sex-capades of the romp would change dramatically, depending on that answer.

A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum
Music and Lyrics by Stephen Sondheim
Book by Burt Shevelove and Larry Gelbart
Film directed by Richard Lester
Released in 1966
Cast: Michael Crawford, Zero Mostel, Jack Gifford, Phil Silvers, Buster Keaton, Annette Andre

Hello, Dolly! film on DVD

There is a bit of lore in my family. Before my parents were parents, they would occassionally go to downtown Detroit to see a Broadway touring show. In late 1963 they went down to the Fisher Theatre to see a new show before it opened on Broadway. They left the theater after the performance liking the show very much but thinking the woman who played the lead was very odd and would never have any kind of career. That woman was Carol Channing and that show was Hello, Dolly! So, I come from a line of opinionated people who are often wrong.

That said, I really dislike the film version of this very likable show. While I am usually the last person to blame an actor, I really do think this film is mostly badly cast. The men in particular are not much fun to listen to when they are singing. Yes, even Michael Crawford who will go on to have a much lauded career. I think the songs don't suit his singing voice. And Walter Matthau. Don't get me started.

But, this is a great show for the chorus, with many lively group numbers. And with Gene Kelly as the director of this film, you know that dance will play an important part. That's good to see. And the outdoor locations are spectacular--clearly no expense was sparred in recreating 19th Century New York and Yonkers.

Hello, Dolly!
Music and Lyrics by Jerry Herman
Book by Michael Stewart
1969 film directed by Gene Kelly
Cast: Barbra Streisand, Walter Matthau, Michael Crawford, Tommy Tune, Marianne McAndrew, Joyce Ames, Danny Lockin, Louis Armstrong, EJ Peaker

Barnum DVD of 1986 London Cast

How I have never seen this musical before? Barnum is right up my alley! Bold, loud, brassy, but still keeping the show-off tricks in service of the story. Or at least within the world of the story.

Well, my Netflix account has caught up with my musical thinking by getting to the queue of 70 musical films I added to my list at the beginning of this week.

I knew little about Barnum before. I'd heard the song "The Colors of My Life", but that was about it. I'm very glad I sawing this taping of a staged production, rather than just listening to the cast album; the music is infectious, but I think it would have been lost on me without hearing it in context of the production. This is one of those productions you hear war-stories about from performers who twist ankles, sprain wrists, count bruises, etc. I wonder how long it played.

I was skeptical about Michael Crawford in the title role, but he completely won me over--every bit the showman the role called for, and very daring in this athletic production. I loved the Humbug patter song of the second act. The Broadway database says Crawford was born in 1942, that would make him 44 when this production was filmed--impressive at any age. Hard to imagine it was before he was a household name with Phantom of the Opera, which would come next for him.

It's not a cast of singers. How could it be with all the acrobatics required? But then most of the music doesn't require a lot of vocal acrobatics--except the Jenny Lind role, and even that is not particularly coloratura. But since I saw the physical requirements of this show, I'm completely forgiving of some of the singing. A good lesson for me to remember--musical theater is sometimes more about the theater than the music.

Barnum
Music by Cy Coleman
Lyrics by Michael Stewart
Book by Mark Bramble
DVD of 1986 London Cast
Produced by Water Bearer Films
Available through Netflix
Cast: Michael Crawford, Eileen Battye, Michael Heath, Christina Collier, Sharon Benson, Paul Miller