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Post by jo on Dec 31, 2021 4:51:04 GMT -5
Btw, Ted Chapin was introduced to the audience by Hugh at one of the shows at Madison Square Garden during Hugh's music tour (#tmtmts).
It must have also been him who suggested that Hugh sing the Billy Bigelow part at the Carnegie Hall concert to mark the
Rodgers centennary (2002)
A related comment ( my response to Hugh's tweet singing "The Surrey..." in the CBS Jan 2,2022 interview)
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Post by jo on Jan 1, 2022 12:29:28 GMT -5
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Post by jo on Jan 20, 2022 12:09:38 GMT -5
In case you missed it...or you just want to see it again...and again  |
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Post by jo on Apr 18, 2022 5:19:06 GMT -5
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Post by jo on Jul 20, 2022 19:29:02 GMT -5
He must be referring to the transfer of the Fish Oklahoma! to London?
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Post by mamaleh on Oct 22, 2022 8:56:54 GMT -5
I’m reading SHY, a fascinating and often eyebrow-raising memoir by the late Mary Rodgers, the daughter of Richard Rodgers. It was published posthumously (she died in 2014) with many interesting and informative footnotes by NY Times theater critic Jesse Green. Ms. Rodgers wrote not only musicals such as ONCE UPON A MATTRESS but also the original novel Freaky Friday, which became a huge young adult hit and was made into successful movies several times. Anyway, as I got toward the end of the book, on page 429 I came across her reminiscence about seeing Trevor Nunn’s OKLAHOMA! in London. She wrote as follows:
“It starred Hugh Jackman, who was so stunning. I don’t remember anything else about it. Have you ever been at a piano recital and when some kids play you’re dying all the way through, but then that one kid plays and you sit back and don’t worry? Hugh was that kid. I’ve never seen him not infusing an audience with confidence and joy.… Unfortunately bringing it to Broadway was a nightmare....When Equity said no [about bringing over the British cast], the production lost momentum....Without Hugh, the production wasn’t the hit it should have been.”
Right on! Very perceptive lady, wasn’t she?
Ellen
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Post by jo on Oct 22, 2022 9:06:33 GMT -5
I can attest to that Although I did not remember his name ( no pLaybills in London then, only souvenir programs for sale) -- I distinctly being impressed by that lead actor with a commanding stage presence and a powerful legit stage voice. That was 1999 for me - on a business trip to London, although I was a frequent visitor to London then and had seen many shows there. I did wait for him to return to the West End ( the actor from Oklahoma!) but he disappeared. It seems he went further westward -- to Hollywood Jo |
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Post by jo on Oct 22, 2022 9:13:34 GMT -5
I do enjoy reading Maureen Lipman's shared memories with this co-star:
*how she had offered him at their place a stay for the night so he could rush to the nearby airport (Stansted?) at dawn... and how she, her Mum, and her daughter were all made up at 4:30 am to see him off.
*how she asked Hugh to walk down the "runway" and offered his body for GBP 2000 for the sake of a charity auction.
*how they were all impressed when the "sweet-faced" Aussie showed up for the first day of rehearsals.
*how American Equity turned down the offer of Trevor Nunn to bring over the original cast for a short run but was turned down. Maureen said it was because it would deprive American actors who could be cast for opening night to get Tony honors, per American Equity. It was Patrick Wilson who was cast as Curly, who even with his beautiful singing voice, did not impress as Hugh Jackman in the role. Only Josefina Gabriel and American Shuler Hensley were able to tranfer with their roles.
Jo
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Post by jo on Nov 1, 2022 2:23:10 GMT -5
I found this again -- Hugh is brimming with charisma and sex appeal... and Luke sounds like a tired opera singer trying to sing musical theatre. Sorry, Luke - Hugh was at his freshest in musical theatre in Oklahoma! -- wide-eyed with enthusiasm & showing the promise that XMen producer Lauren Shuler Donner recognized as pure star appeal  She found her Wolverine  What an audition ( to be an X-Man)  Jo |
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Post by jo on Nov 1, 2022 2:38:32 GMT -5
21 years later, Hugh Jackman is still brimming with charisma and sex appeal. At the O2, during his #tmtmts concert tour in 2019, he invited the original cast to reprise the title song with him.  Okay - a little late - 3 years late... he is back as Wolverine ...announced for DEAPOOL 3 ( or whatever movie title it will eventually bear)  Life has a way of doing reprises Jo |
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Post by jo on Jan 29, 2023 21:16:14 GMT -5
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Post by jo on Feb 13, 2023 0:24:24 GMT -5
Dedicated to the Chiefs on their Super Bowl 2023 victory "Everything's Up to Date in Kansas City!" |
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Post by jo on Feb 14, 2023 22:08:36 GMT -5
Someone on Twitter asked how a musical theatre performance ( Oklahoma!) could have been instrumental in the decision to cast Hugh Jackman as Wolverine (a decision suggested by producer Lauren Shuler Donner who saw Hugh Jackman in Oklahoma!). To him it seemed like an incongruous decision. If you see the many versions of Oklahoma! on film, revivals, community theatre, school decisions, even concert stagings by the classical music BBC Proms -- you might as well be in agreement. I watched some clips from the Jackman/1998 London Oklahoma! once again -- I did realize that the major difference from this staging (especially Hugh Jackman's performance) and all the other versions -- was that Hugh Jackman was ACTING out the songs, as he sang them. Unlike many who would sing partly addressing the audience ( which takes one out of the storytelling), Hugh (and his co-stars) would act as if there were no audiences watching them ( except for the finale title song, which theatrically-speaking needed to address the audience as they sing the Ode to the state of Oklahoma!) -- they were acting with each other! Hugh Jackman, in particular, was demonstrating his fine acting skills ( comedic or dramatic) while delivering his lines or his songs. As a side note, I remember Oklahoma! composer Richard Rodgers grandson Adam Guettel saying how impressed he was with the way Jackman would segue from spoken word to singing and back to spoken word - it was very natural! His Mom, Mary Rodgers, had also said that the 1998 London Oklahoma! was the best version she had ever seen of the musical! I used to think that the film adaptation with Gordon McRae made this Rodgers&Hammerstein musical the most boring of their grand musicals works. It was because the acting was too much of "ham" acting and took the seriousness out of the theme and the background story. Ok - here is a sample of how Hugh Jackman delivered one of the most iconic songs ( my favorite Jackman interpretation in this musical) The Surrey With The Fringe on Top As luck would have it -- I actually saw this performed LIVE in 1999 in London. But I did not know who the lead was -- just someone with a commmanding stage presence & a powerful legit stage voice Jo |
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Post by jo on Mar 26, 2023 7:24:36 GMT -5
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Post by jo on Mar 30, 2023 20:41:33 GMT -5
The Smithsonian Magazine writes a background story on the playwright on whose work "Greeen Grow the Lilacs", Lynn Riggs, the musical OKLAHOMA! was based. Long and meandering feature on the author and other historical notes...and other related revivals of the show as written by Rodgers & Hammerstein. www.smithsonianmag.com/history/behind-oklahoma-lies-remarkable-story-gay-cherokee-playwright-lynn-riggs-180981895/At some point, there is mention of the London revival of OKLAHOMA! and a clip of the title song. Also, a clip of OH WHAT A BEAUTIFUL MORNIN', as sung by Gordon McRae in the film adaptation. |
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Post by jo on Apr 27, 2023 2:35:11 GMT -5
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Post by jo on May 6, 2023 18:10:37 GMT -5
Not sure what this means -- for real??
In cinemas?? Worldwide??
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Post by jo on May 6, 2023 18:18:44 GMT -5
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Post by jo on May 6, 2023 18:26:40 GMT -5
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Post by jo on May 6, 2023 18:34:21 GMT -5
From one of the sites --
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Post by jo on May 6, 2023 20:02:55 GMT -5
Can you believe this was filmed in late 1998/early 1999, while the show was in hiatus, pending transfer from the Royal National Theatre in the South Bank to the Lyceum Theatre in Covent Garden! This would be almost 25 years ago by yearend! Hugh Jackman almost 25 years younger Jo |
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Post by jo on May 6, 2023 20:08:24 GMT -5
And if you were lucky to be at the O2 in London, in one of the shows there, Hugh Jackman brings back the original cast of the Oklahoma! revival by the Royal National Theatre at his 2019 TheMan.TheMusic.TheShow music tour!
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Post by jo on May 9, 2023 11:17:25 GMT -5
Already selling tickets in the UK! Hey, Hugh will be in London in the summer, filming the movie with Deadpool at Pinewood Studios. If the UK fans are lucky, he might even show up  |
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Post by jo on May 9, 2023 11:22:29 GMT -5
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Post by jo on May 9, 2023 11:47:32 GMT -5
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