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Post by Someone in a tree on Jun 2, 2016 11:07:25 GMT
While watching the recent Taming of Shrew at the Globe. I couldn't help thinking that Kiss me Kate is better. The whole silly Bianca subplot is reduced to one fabulous song. Tom, Dick or Harry
Plus lots of jokes that no one really understands ...
Anyone have any adaptions they prefer ?
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Post by firefingers on Jun 2, 2016 11:30:09 GMT
My Fair Lady over Pygmalion is the one that comes to mind.
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Post by Someone in a tree on Jun 2, 2016 11:38:27 GMT
My Fair Lady over Pygmalion is the one that comes to mind. Kind of agree. But I don't like the romanticised ending you get in Lady. If only they could merge the two. Cam Mack did hint at making a new film |
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Post by Deleted on Jun 2, 2016 12:03:11 GMT
Agree about Les Miserables... Phantom is far better than the book, as is Aspects of Love. And then there's Joseph. Not to mention Superstar!
(Should we start a new thread for the opposite? When the adaptation completely destroys the original. I'm Whistling Down The Wind here...)
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Post by bellboard27 on Jun 2, 2016 12:04:05 GMT
Many years ago I went to a performance of Plautus' Menaechmi and, after the interval, Shakespeare's adaptation of it - The Comedy of Errors. The latter is better, but putting the two together was an interesting experience.
Of course The Comedy of Errors was itself adapted as a musical by Rodgers and Hart as The Boys from Syracuse, but I have not seen that.
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Post by viserys on Jun 2, 2016 12:18:25 GMT
I would disagree on Les Miserables actually. Yes, the book is too long with too much philosophical waffle, but some things are so rushed in the musical, that they make very little sense. Until this very day, I never got the attempted blackmail by Thenarder with the ring at the wedding. I also like the tough Eponine of the book much more than the dippy whiny chicklet from the musical created to tug at people's heartstrings (uh oh, I can sense the firing squad getting ready for me).
My obvious choice would be West Side Story vs. Romeo & Juliet. While I get the idea of star-crossed lovers, fate and all that, I've always found the ending of R&J rather contrived, whereas the ending of WSS is truly touching.
Another idea I liked (albeit sappy) was the modern "frame" of the Aida musical adaptation. Whereas the opera ends on this really sad bum note with them both being buried alive, the musical sticks it into a frame where modern Aida and Radames kind of meet in an exhibition about ancient Egypt. The main exhibit (Amneris) springs to life and begins to tell the tale and 2.5 hrs later we're back in the museum where Aida and Radames finally meet again "across space and time" which was oddly comforting. Even if many would probably call it a sappy Hollywood ending. Maybe it's just me being so horrified by that terrible death in the opera.
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Post by Phantom of London on Jun 2, 2016 15:04:52 GMT
I like Les Miserable book, but it did go round 'Les Maisons', loved where they dedicated a whole chapter to like where the Thernadiers would go to the battlefield and rob the dead from their own or how Valjean attended the bishops (the one that set him on the path of righteous) funeral.
I haven't seen Carlo Gondoli's Servant of Two Masters, but would still stick my neck out and say One Man, Two Governors, would be an improvement?
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Post by Deleted on Jun 2, 2016 15:09:19 GMT
The only thing One Man Two Guvnors is an improvement over is being slowly run over by a steamroller.
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Post by greenice on Jun 2, 2016 15:27:30 GMT
I would disagree on Les Miserables actually. Yes, the book is too long with too much philosophical waffle, but some things are so rushed in the musical, that they make very little sense. Until this very day, I never got the attempted blackmail by Thenarder with the ring at the wedding. I also like the tough Eponine of the book much more than the dippy whiny chicklet from the musical created to tug at people's heartstrings (uh oh, I can sense the firing squad getting ready for me). I would add that Marius/Cosette makes sense in the book, in the show the love story is very quick. The Who am I sequence is probably my favourite section both versions, the book naturally enough is a lot deeper with more temptations/obstacles for jvj to overcome. |
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Post by couldileaveyou on Jun 3, 2016 23:16:12 GMT
I strongly disagree on both Hugo's Les Misérables and Shaw's Pygmalion, the original novel and play are endlessly superior to all their adaptations.
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Post by joem on Jun 4, 2016 1:01:16 GMT
You musn't confuse worth with your preferred medium.
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