5,142 posts
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Post by TallPaul on May 4, 2020 16:12:23 GMT
I blame Alan Ayckbourn. Knowing that words aren't his forte, ALW should have had the sense to collaborate with someone who had been moderately success in that area, rather than going with an unknown. 😉
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2,743 posts
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Post by n1david on May 4, 2020 16:57:25 GMT
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Post by oxfordsimon on May 4, 2020 18:07:59 GMT
By Jeeves is one of my favourites - I saw it London and have enjoyed the DVD in the past.
Yes, it is a slight show - but it is immense fun and doesn't take itself seriously.
If you like Jeeves and Wooster, that helps - but you don't need to know anything about the stories to enjoy the show.
It is a charming, chamber piece that should be done more.
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609 posts
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Post by chernjam on May 4, 2020 19:13:21 GMT
Interesting that in 2001, weeks after 9/11, the first musical to open on Broadway after the terrorist attacks was By Jeeves.
I had the pleasure of seeing it, in what turned out to be a very limited run - and it really was a fun night out - very light, funny (even for those of us who aren't necessarily into British humor) and for that time period, a welcome distraction. Hopefully it will prove the same now. I hadn't seen the video which featured the same cast that starred on Broadway (I don't think it was ever released here) - but have the CD (hows this for bizarre, I have 3 recordings of By Jeeves, the workshop that was recorded, the original London cast and the video - and yet we only have one Aspects of Love recording... but I digress)
My one sadness is that ALW tweaked with it again between the Video recording and Broadway and re-wrote the opening with a very catchy "Never Fear" that replaced "Wooster will entertain you." I at one time had a MP3 of it that someone kindly had shared, but that was a few hard drives ago. Shame - can still hum that tune in my head.
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609 posts
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Post by chernjam on May 5, 2020 5:32:35 GMT
Kind of shocked that of all the music that ALW has recycled - that this one has never been heard again since the original Jeeves - really a beautiful tune:
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609 posts
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Post by chernjam on May 5, 2020 5:45:23 GMT
OK - now my A.D.D. and being locked in quarantine has me losing my mind.
I figured out where the tune for "Never Fear" was from - It's a recycle of the song from "The Likes of Us" - "You won't care about him anymore" - really an awesome tune (in the overture you hear it to great effect as well):
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632 posts
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Post by ncbears on May 8, 2020 18:52:30 GMT
So, is By Jeeves worth the time to watch - asking for an American family.....
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609 posts
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Post by chernjam on May 9, 2020 0:17:45 GMT
So, is By Jeeves worth the time to watch - asking for an American family..... I'm not a huge British comedy fan or even a fan of Jeeves books - but when I saw it live, I found it highly enjoyable. Completely different for ALW fans - and as a fellow American after more than enough rough news, a welcome diversion |
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4,961 posts
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Post by Someone in a tree on May 9, 2020 5:26:11 GMT
By Jeeves - I struggled with the idea of a naff show pretending to be a naff show that's meant to be good and so gave up after 40 minutes.
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8,103 posts
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Post by alece10 on May 9, 2020 6:33:07 GMT
By Jeeves - I struggled with the idea of a naff show pretending to be a naff show that's meant to be good and so gave up after 40 minutes. You lasted 20 minutes more than me. Ended up watching a documentary on Netflix about a Jewish couple who owned a gay porn shop in LA which was far more interesting. |
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Post by Deleted on May 9, 2020 7:16:24 GMT
I loved the CD when it came out in 1996 and think it has some really lovely simply catchy melodies.
Remember when the DVD came out, lasted about 20 mins before getting bored (very unusual as I love ALW; but the spoken sections were way too long for me).
Anyway, fast forward 20 odd years and watched it all the way through for the first time last night. Really rather enjoyed it. Simple, silly, light hearted and just generally good fun I thought. I still think it is more of a play with songs though. Must easily be the ALW musical with the longest spoken sections.
That said, I do think it was an odd choice for this YouTube season. This is something of a niche piece which probably only mega ALW fans will be interested in. Especially as the GBP have come to expect the crowd pleasers on Friday evening.
Does anyone know if the plot concept was the same in the original Jeeves in the 70s, or completely different?
So, finally the 90s Cats next week!?
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Post by the_f_g_p on May 9, 2020 7:37:06 GMT
I loved the CD when it came out in 1996 and think it has some really lovely simply catchy melodies. Remember when the DVD came out, lasted about 20 mins before getting bored (very unusual as I love ALW; but the spoken sections were way too long for me). Anyway, fast forward 20 odd years and watched it all the way through for the first time last night. Really rather enjoyed it. Simple, silly, light hearted and just generally good fun I thought. I still think it is more of a play with songs though. Must easily be the ALW musical with the longest spoken sections. That said, I do think it was an odd choice for this YouTube season. This is something of a niche piece which probably only mega ALW fans will be interested in. Especially as the GBP have come to expect the crowd pleasers on Friday evening. Does anyone know if the plot concept was the same in the original Jeeves in the 70s, or completely different? So, finally the 90s Cats next week!? After a rather unknown piece was broadcast this weekend, I still hope for the big final BANG next weekend: something like Unmasked from the Other Palace or from the Papermill Playhouse ... ... or at least "Song & Dance" with Sarah Brightman. I have a VHS that I could burn to DVD, but many fans would surely be happy. |
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Post by Deleted on May 9, 2020 7:42:09 GMT
I would LOVE for it to be Unmasked, but sure they will keep that under wraps pending future productions.
I watched Song and Dance recently in fact but quality wasn't great - so would love to see a 'cleaned up' version of that too.
Am sure will be Cats though - other than that concert in China, it is the only DVD release that hasn't been on yet (not including feature films of course).
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3,306 posts
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Post by david on May 9, 2020 7:59:26 GMT
Having watched By Jeeves last night (I came to this ALW piece not having listened to the score previously), whilst for me having some catchy songs, overall, I just felt that someone needed to get a big marker pen to the book and cut out some of the dialogue. It took too long to get to the next number and not a particular piece of musical theatre that I would probably go and watch again unless there had been some serious editing done to the piece.
As for the next ALW Friday night YT offering, I'd agree that surely CATS is next up unless ALW is going to pull a blinder and give us something brand new from his archive which I'd rather prefer rather than seeing CATS which is always doing the rounds on TV.
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Post by theoracle on May 9, 2020 14:33:14 GMT
Although not my favourite ALW piece, I still managed to find this very charming and thought the second act was far stronger than the first. I'm not sure how international audiences would react to this as it very much is a British 70s comedy with all the slapstick and riddled with British humour. Still, the melodies are definitely there and I found Half A Moment strangely endearing. It does feel like a play with music rather than a musical however. It's strange to see an ALW musical with so much talking.
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3,333 posts
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Post by Dr Tom on May 9, 2020 14:39:50 GMT
I didn't mind it. Definitely a play with music rather than a musical. Strange to see an ALW production filmed in a studio with an audience of extras.
It might work in a UK revival in the Union Theatre or a similar fringe venue, so long as they could find a Jeeves with suitable gravitas. I'm sure they could get the score down to one piano (and a banjo) without too much effort, or make this actor-musician.
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1,481 posts
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Post by steve10086 on May 9, 2020 14:54:25 GMT
“ Announcing the news in a recorded video message, the composer said: Universal has come up with the idea of a whole series called The Shows Must Go On which is about musicals going from stage to screen and they're going to show one of mine every Friday for the next few weeks.”
I’ve highlighted the key words.
They are as likely to release an archive recording of Sunset Boulevard as they are the long rumoured ALW/Sarah Brightman sex tape.
They have one video left in the bag, and will be “letting it out of the bag” next week.
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4,021 posts
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Post by Dawnstar on May 9, 2020 15:13:49 GMT
I gave up after half an hour. I assume the leading man is American & I couldn't take his wildly varying attempts at RP any longer. I thought I'd like this as I like Wodehouse & I like quite a lot of ALW but it just seemed like a less amusing version of Perfect Nonsense and, at least for the first half-hour, is very similar. Yes, I know By Jeeves is a much older show, before anyone says anything, but I saw Perfect Nonsense first when it was in the West End a few years ago & saw it again touring in February so from my point of view this was like watching a less amusing copy.
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345 posts
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Post by johartuk on May 9, 2020 15:49:30 GMT
It reminded me of the 'Play That Goes Wrong' shows, except TPTGW go all out with the comedy and are far funnier. This felt like it wanted to go down that route, but wasn't quite confident enough to do it. That said, I thought it was a pleasant way to spend a couple of hours and I did like the music.
I thought Martin Jarvis was good as Jeeves, but I thought the Bertie Wooster could have done with more energy and sharper comic delivery. Jeeves and Wooster are supposed to bounce off each other, but I didn't feel it completely worked here.
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609 posts
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Post by chernjam on May 9, 2020 20:20:48 GMT
Last night was the first time I got to see the filmed version of what was basically the cast that played on Broadway. ALW wasn't kidding when he said it was slow starting. The whole opening with the minister and the chair bit I was losing my mind.
Thinking back 19 years ago when it was on Broadway, about a month after 9/11, I remember the whole theater decked out in red white and blue bunting, the cast mixing with the audience members (in character) before the show actually started - so that vibe of it being Bertie Wooster's Banjo recital thing worked better live then it did on film... and God bless that cast, they were so in character, funny, improvisational that it worked (well it did for me, it only lasted 70 shows or so) - I remember bringing a friend who was a huge "Jeeves/Wooster" fan having had read all the books who was hysterical throughout it and loved it.
For me, seeing it live, it was a fun night - and the ALW tunes were great. The film, once I got past that opening, I did enjoy it and watched the entire thing. The ending with the Wizard of Oz costumes was bizarre.
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193 posts
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Post by groupbooker on May 10, 2020 0:43:04 GMT
I saw the original and really enjoyed it, took a group back 2 weeks later and they all enjoyed it. BUT this was very much a mess, too long in the build up with the audience and strong connections between Bertie and Jeeves. I cant remember the original being so long ago but to me this didn't seem the same show. Perhaps you need a live audience laughing to get it going?? Still some good songs with Half a Moment being the best and ALW saying in the trailer it was his favourite song.
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Post by winonaforever on May 10, 2020 6:39:47 GMT
I gave up after half an hour. I assume the leading man is American & I couldn't take his wildly varying attempts at RP any longer. I thought I'd like this as I like Wodehouse & I like quite a lot of ALW but it just seemed like a less amusing version of Perfect Nonsense and, at least for the first half-hour, is very similar. Yes, I know By Jeeves is a much older show, before anyone says anything, but I saw Perfect Nonsense first when it was in the West End a few years ago & saw it again touring in February so from my point of view this was like watching a less amusing copy. I also gave up (after about 10 minutes though) having cringed at his accent as soon as he started to speak. I couldn't stand it any longer... |
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8,103 posts
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Post by alece10 on May 10, 2020 7:23:20 GMT
I gave up after half an hour. I assume the leading man is American & I couldn't take his wildly varying attempts at RP any longer. I thought I'd like this as I like Wodehouse & I like quite a lot of ALW but it just seemed like a less amusing version of Perfect Nonsense and, at least for the first half-hour, is very similar. Yes, I know By Jeeves is a much older show, before anyone says anything, but I saw Perfect Nonsense first when it was in the West End a few years ago & saw it again touring in February so from my point of view this was like watching a less amusing copy. I also gave up (after about 10 minutes though) having cringed at his accent as soon as he started to speak. I couldn't stand it any longer... I think was one of the deciding factors.why I gave up too. The rest of the cast seemed to do ok with the British accent but the lead actors was awful. All over the place. Nearly as bad as Patti Lupones Mrs Lovitt. |
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1,481 posts
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Post by steve10086 on May 10, 2020 11:19:15 GMT
Does anyone know if the plot concept was the same in the original Jeeves in the 70s, or completely different? It wasn’t a “show within a show”, just a straight telling of the story, which contained a few similar scenes but was on the whole very different. Some songs crossed over from one version to the other serving their original purpose. Other songs have been cut or repurposed. “Wooster Will Entertain You” came from “Jeeves Is Past His Peak”, and “The Hallo Song” was originally “Eulalie” which deals with one of the biggest differences between the shows, an axed character called Sir Roderick Spode, an Oswald Mosley-ish leader of the Black Shorts. Spode’s Anthem “S.P.O.D.E.” is my favourite ALW “fanfare”. There were more songs than appear on the Jeeves cast recording, including “Literary Men” which eventually became “Unexpected Song”. |
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Post by Deleted on May 10, 2020 12:13:59 GMT
Does anyone know if the plot concept was the same in the original Jeeves in the 70s, or completely different? It wasn’t a “show within a show”, just a straight telling of the story, which contained a few similar scenes but was on the whole very different. Some songs crossed over from one version to the other serving their original purpose. Other songs have been cut or repurposed. “Wooster Will Entertain You” came from “Jeeves Is Past His Peak”, and “The Hallo Song” was originally “Eulalie” which deals with one of the biggest differences between the shows, an axed character called Sir Roderick Spode, an Oswald Mosley-ish leader of the Black Shorts. Spode’s Anthem “S.P.O.D.E.” is my favourite ALW “fanfare”. There were more songs than appear on the Jeeves cast recording, including “Literary Men” which eventually became “Unexpected Song”. Ahhh thanks for your reply Steve! It must be 30 years since I listened to the LP of the original Jeeves (borrowed it from Bristol Central library!) Anyway, that is all very interesting to me so thanks! I always think S.P.O.D.E sounds like the final song in Cats. There was a song I used to love on the original LP called Female of the Species. Lovely melody. Don't think it ever re-surfaced anywhere else?! |
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