Let's talk about Legs Diamond (archive)

[JH4HJ]

[buckaroo - Posted December 15, 2007 01:19 AM]

I too really love Sure Thing Baby and many others from the OCR of Legs - but I really love hearing how good Peter sounded and knowing what he put into this venture. also after seeing the show (and seeing a TV special about the making of it showing Peter in a dance studio getting the moves down) I had so much respect for Peter. He had it all with the "Up in one" type of performance and with the Rockettes but he still tried a new and very challenging new venue - and did very well.

If anyone has not listened to the OCR recently, I highly recommend it.

[JH4HJ]

[mona - Posted December 15, 2007 02:59 AM]

To my knowledge it was a "live" piano. It always appeared to me that Peter was playing it.

[JH4HJ]

[mamaleh - Posted December 15, 2007 10:50 AM]

Ouch! "Inadequate hoofing"? Peter? I wonder what crawled into Mr. Rich's posterior that day. I did not see LG onstage but I have seen Peter do his nimble thing elsewhere, and I certainly would not call him inadequate. The Times, yet. What a shame; that paper's is the one critic who "can kill" a show.

Ellen

[JH4HJ]

[Pat - Posted December 15, 2007 06:06 PM]

Frank Rich! You guys got to me with that name. Not only was he a vitriolic stage critic but now he's writing on the Op-Ed page of the Times. On politics!! No matter what your political leanings he'll get to you.

I never thought I could say this, but thank goodness for Ben Brantley, with whom I don't always agree but who seems to be a temperate soul.

Great topic and interesting postings by all of you.

Waiting for the BIG NOR'EASTER of 2007. And watching my library of Hugh films tonight.

[JH4HJ]

[JH4HJ - Posted December 20, 2007 05:24 PM]

I mentioned over on the Broadway thread having a chance to speak with Shuler Hensley after I saw Young Frankenstein. I thought you ladies might get a kick out of "the rest of the story" -- (can't swear I remember this verbatim, but you'll get the gist)

When I told Shuler I'd enjoyed the play and that it was very funny, he must have heard "something" in my tone because he said, "But...?"

So I fessed up and said that I'd enjoyed Puttin' on The Ritz (his one big number) but that I'd wanted to hear him *really* sing. He asked where I'd heard him sing before. I said I owned the DVD of the London production of Oklahoma.

"Ahhhh, with umm... err... oh, what's his name? (It was SO obvious that I was supposed to jump in with a name that I decided not to.) Oh, c'mon -- you know... that umm, err, that Hugh guy."

"Oh, yeah... *that* guy. He was good, too."

At this point I fingered the Boy From OZ pin on my lapel and Shuler gave me a big smile.

"So, you *have* seen him. The Boy From OZ, huh? Wasn't Hugh amazing?"

I said I had indeed seen it and Hugh was fantastic. I added that I'd known "the real" Peter and that *that* was something I wish everyone had seen.

Well -- Shuler went off on a whole big thing about how he *had* seen Peter Allen -- only once -- when he was touring -- and that it was the single most spectacular concert performance he'd ever seen. Really, he went on and on about what a fabulous show he put on and what a great performer he was.

I really wasn't expecting to hear anything like that. I got all misty eyed and said I was thrilled to hear that he'd seen and enjoyed one of Peter's shows.

Then he added, rather sheepishly, that he thought Hugh had done a pretty darn good job as Peter Allen in the play, which he had seen, too.

I agreed that Hugh had done a wonderful job. I said I'd enjoyed seeing "Peter" on stage again in New York so very much that I gone all the way to Australia last year to see "Peter" again.

He laughed out loud at that one. Sweet man -- Huge! -- an absolute monolith, positively adorable, ...and an admirer of Peter's.

Of course I don't think that anyone who ever had the opportunity to experience Peter Allen LIVE on stage ever walked out of the theater indifferent. He was amazing.

I envy all of you who got to see Legs on Broadway. I'm broken hearted that I missed it.

[JH4HJ]

[monicah - Posted December 21, 2007 05:02 AM]

As I continue to listen to the LEGS soundtrack with my still pretty virginal ears, it's really apparent that Peter spent a LOT of time working with a voice coach to be able to deliver the songs pitch perfect and with the appropriate phrasing, intonation, volume and emotion.
I still can't get over "All I Wanted Was the Dream".
God bless the Rufus Wainwrights of the world who are trying to shake it up, but we really will never see the likes of Peter again. And bravo to Hugh Jackman who had to live Peter's life for all that time (in spite of the fact that Hugh has such a traditional musical voice." Living as Peter most of the time had to be a fascinating experience.

[JH4HJ]

[JH4HJ - Posted December 23, 2007 12:34 PM]

Monicha, I'm thoroughly enjoying your comments as you "discover" the Legs OCR. I hope you get a chance to see the video the next time you're in NYC. Have a tissue handy for All I Wanted Was The Dream. It's a heart breaker, for sure.

[JH4HJ]

[buckaroo - Posted December 30, 2007 11:59 PM]

I agree that Peter's vioce sounded more classically trained for LEGS than at any other time in his performing life - G-d he really had a vision for LEGS and must have worked like crazy to make it happen. He made himself from a singer songwriter that had an initially folksy sound to a great leading man in a (unfortunately critically canned) Broadway show. Isn't that an inspiration?

To call his dancing anything less than wonderful is a bit strange. I saw an old TV spot on LEGs that showed Peter rehersing the dance moves. (This was much like the spot in which we saw Hugh out of Peter's costume rehersing for TBFO) In this TV spot it was obvious that Peter had a wonderful choreographer for LEGs and again was working very hard to not just move well as he always did but to show that he was a leading man on Broadway that was a triple threat - and he was. (ok not the worlds best actor but really great singer, song writer and dancer and pretty good actor by the time LEGS opened.)

All of this from someone that learned from watching video after TBFO - but Mona please tell me if I am wrong. Just IMHO....

oh yeh - and while I am procrasting on doing work from home on my lap top - and while I am appreciating all of this - I love that you (JH4HJ) spoke to Shuler after YF and told him that you wish you could hear him really sing and then to find out that he LOVED the show of Peter's that he saw. How great. Good on ya!

[JH4HJ]

(I did not ARCHIVE posts by Sara G as she was being decidedly unpleasant. I think the short quote gives you enough of an idea to get the gist of it.)

[shelovespeter - Posted December 31, 2007 09:48 AM]

quote:
Originally posted by Sara G:
I disagree LEGS DIAMOND is one of the biggest flops of all time. I never saw it but I listened to the cast album. Some of the songs were good but not all of them were. There were many, many problems with the show. The part of Legs' wife played by Christine Andreas was cut and the original choreographer went to court before succumbing to AIDS in 1990. The only way it lives on is through the songs, five of which were in TBFO. If they do a movie of TBFO Peter might be better off singing "All I Ever Wanted Was the Dream" since it was his dream but it never came true!
~~~~~~

Just one of your posts...Although I'm tempted to quote the others as well...

I've been gone from this message board for a long time...but Sarah G? Well, now that I'm here I MUST respond to you and your posts. Yeah, here I am stirring up trouble, but now that I finally got a chance to read, my blood is boiling.

Sarah G...I don't know who you are and I don't care to. Did you ever actually SEE "Legs Diamond" Did you ever really sit down and LISTEN to the OCR...song by song, note by note and word by word. Yes? OK, then you are entitled to your opinion. NO? Well if that's the case then I'd suggest you become more familiar with the subject matter before you make such comments as you have about "Legs" and "Reviews".

Was "Legs" the greatest Broadway show of all time? Of course not. Was it trashed by the critics? Most...but not all. There was one glowing review in particular -- I'll see if I can dig it up and post it here for you to read.

Good, bad or in-between...the critics had it out for Peter because he DARED to open ON Broadway, instead of starting off-Broadway. They made up their minds before even seeing the show. It never got a chance to work out the kinks as other shows have done INCLUDING TBFO. (Which I'm sure no one here would argue was brilliant -- but did the critics originally think so? I think not.)

OK...I won't go on and on although I'd like to...but in closing I will say this. The OCR is freakin' brilliant! Every single song...all written by Peter ALONE. No musical or lyrical collaborations there -- it was all Peter and he was a genius -- and the most under rated songwriter and performer of all time.

Now you can all hate me for starting trouble --for showing up just to stir up the broth -- but I will defend that man on every count and every turn. He doesn't deserve to be dissected, especially by someone who has no idea what they are talking about.

And to all my old friends here...I miss you. If you still want me back after this rant, just let me know and I think I'll pop in from time to time.

Love, Ret

[JH4HJ]

[buckaroo - Posted December 31, 2007 10:57 AM]

We still want you back Ret - anytime and always.

Now - most of us want to defend Peter but have laid low...I for one just because I felt I needn't defend him around friends and fans who knew. I do believe that it is odd for anyone to come to this part of the forum (meant to lovingly discuss Peter Allen) and to be so negative or strangely oblique - but I try to ignore. That is what I tell my children to do when they are trying to get my attention by tauting each other.

Not that there is anything wrong in getting hot blooded - it is good for ya, mate - to occasionally get hot under the collar - makes me somehow wonder if you have some Greco-Roman or Italian blood in you somewhere!!!

Diane

[JH4HJ]

[JH4HJ - Posted December 31, 2007 11:06 AM]

quote:
And to all my old friends here...I miss you. If you still want me back after this rant, just let me know and I think I'll pop in from time to time.


Nice to "see" you again, Tiger. You go get 'em!

Diane -- Thanks for the wise words, Mom. Good advice.

Darling... just darling. Sigh.

[JH4HJ]

[buckaroo - Posted December 31, 2007 03:47 PM]

oh - this picture just takes my breathe away. How come men get more handsome with age and us women do not percieve ourselves as also getting more beautiful with age. I can not imagine another picture of Peter with him looking more like the confident leading man. Beautiful.

(Of course Peter was never hard on the eyes - I am just saying...)

[JH4HJ]

[mamaleh - Posted December 31, 2007 06:34 PM]

Ret, I play the LEGS OCR regularly. It's witty, melodic, heartfelt, funny, and even endearing, especially in that early number when Peter tries to deliver a few words in a Yiddish cadence--it's totally off but it warms the heart every time.

Unfortunately, I also missed the show at the Mark Hellinger. That was when my kids were little, and we had no babysitters, so we never went out. Don't you wish you could go back in time to do and see things you missed? I surely do.

Happy New Year, Ret and everyone--Please stay on the forum, Ret. You are indeed the resident Peter expert, and we'd be the poorer for your absence.

[JH4HJ]

[buckaroo - Posted December 31, 2007 07:36 PM]

I had to come back to look at that picture again - look at his hand around the (Hotsy-Totsy) girl's waist - he had such large lovely hands - I am sure that this is part of his ease with the piano. As I may have said before, I tired to play some of his songs and just did not have the finger spread to do many of the chords justice.

Good to see others egging you on, Ret!

[JH4HJ]

[JH4HJ]

[buckaroo - Posted January 16, 2008 12:34 AM]

JH4HJ - are these great pictures from the program? Have I seen them all before? I do not remember the one with Peter in the maroon jacket and hat (darn - he typically would sweat while singing and playing piano - I don't know how he did the dancing and singing in costumne with out sweating the hat right off!)

Also - the more I think of the audacity - it was unusual to open in town in those days - and he did it. Then no one had that many costumes for one show or a set that bid - but he did. No one went from caberet to Broadway Musical lead - but he did. I had realized each of those as audacities for which the critics would hang him. But tell me - has there ever been a songwriter who wrote a musical with the intent to star in it and then produced and starred in that musical? Really - EVER? He was audacious. I think that is my new Peter adjective - audacious.

[JH4HJ]

[JH4HJ - Posted January 31, 2008 12:23 PM]

quote:
I think that is my new Peter adjective - audacious.


Yup, that suits him well.

The photos are from the booklet in the CD, I just enlarged them on the scanner -- hence the somewhat "grainy" effect, and the dust on his black jacket. Maybe I should clean the scanner?

Mamaleh posted this in the Broadway section --

quote:
Earlier in the day I finally got up to the Lincoln Center library archives and saw LEGS DIAMOND. I enjoyed it, even on scratchy tape, much more than THE LITTLE MERMAID. Maybe Peter's acting was a little wooden in spots, but he was so good in the musical/dance segments, that more than compensated. Boy, oh boy, he was having the time of his life in those numbers, and it showed. His taxi dance number in particular was phenomenal; he just lit up that monitor. You could tell he was having so much fun, it was infectious. Hard to believe he'd be around for only 3-1/2 years following that dynamic, energetic performance thankfully captured on tape.

[JH4HJ]

RE: a comment by Sara G about Legs ending Peter's career --

[tenterfieldfan - Posted February 05, 2008 09:35 PM]

Legs did not ruin his career. His illness, ended his career and life. Peter was always able to bounce back.. and he did after Legs. He went back on the concert circuit, and was well recieved as always. Peter took risks, and wanted to Legs. It was his passion project. He had to do it. I for one am happy that he did. He wrote some amazing music for that show. Not every project is going to be successful. Many performers have had less than stellar movies, plays etc. and still come back. Had AIDS not taken him, Peter would still be out there climbing on top of his piano for Rio. After Legs, he was back selling out concert halls and showrooms around the world. Sara, you've made your point about Legs.. but I'd venture to say that many people on this forum would disagree and are happy that he did the show.

[JH4HJ]

[JH4HJ - Posted March 24, 2008 10:04 PM]

I'd forgotten that there are even more photos in the album than in the little CD booklet. I couldn't scan the whole thing at once, but you'll get the idea. If anyone has the souvenir program from the show -- I, for one, would love to see more photos.





Love the "Now You See Me, Now You Don't" costume.

[JH4HJ]

[mona - Posted March 29, 2008 04:26 PM]

Here are my pictures of the photographs that were displayed outside the Mark Hellinger. I enlarged the images so you’d be able to see them better, but in doing so some of the pictures lost their clarity.

[JH4HJ]

[JH4HJ - Posted September 01, 2008 11:17 AM]

I've been enjoying Legs again, and again, over the long weekend.



I was wondering if anyone knows who played Jack's brother. Mona, you're good at this... was that character cut during previews? Did any of Peter's songs disappear with him?

Does anyone know if songs that were meant for Legs, and got cut from the production, eventually wound up on one of Peter's albums, and I'm just unaware of the connection?

Cold and rainy here today -- we're gonna have to BBQ in fleece and longjohns instead of shorts and tank tops. Oh well, at least it's not snowing... yet. Great excuse (as if I needed one!) to pop in a DVD of Peter, or Hugh... hmmm, today might call for a double header.

[JH4HJ]

[JH4HJ - Posted September 02, 2008 07:34 PM]

Has anyone ever recorded Ain't I Somethin'? (Peter's version of a "Jailhouse Rock" style bit -- which was cut, along with a few early scenes, from Legs )-- sounds like it could have been a wonderful number.

... oh, just 'cause I *love* this photo --

[JH4HJ]

[mona - Posted September 02, 2008 07:43 PM]

Bob Stillman was cast as Legs’ brother. Here he is with Peter in a picture taken 8/87 in NYC. The occasion was the presentation of the City’s Certificate of Appreciation. The award was presented to Peter by Mayor Koch.



Yes, Legs’ brother was bid a fond farewell during previews. Early during previews. It may even have been after the first night. I didn’t go to the first preview, but I was told the show was extremely long. The first time I saw the show was probably sometime in the range of the 3rd – 5th preview. By that time both Bob Stillman and Christine Andreas had been cut. Christine played Legs’ wife. She sang Come Save Me, so her departure resulted in the loss of that song. (Of course, that song was recorded on the Carnegie Hall album.) There was an absolutely gorgeous song that I heard Bob Stillman sing once. It had the word “gentlemen” in the title. The song was written for Legs Diamond, but I don’t know if it actually made it into the show for even the first performance. I heard Bob sing it at a club. Just a phrase from a song called Ain’t I Something was sung by Peter/Legs during the New Year’s Eve scene.

There were probably other songs written for the show. (I never even knew about Jailhouse Rock.) I’m not aware that any of them were recorded.

[JH4HJ]

[JH4HJ - Posted September 02, 2008 07:47 PM]

He's gorgeous! Thanks.

I realize the show was a bit long, but the "back story" really helped it (and Legs' character) make more sense.

I was likening Ain't I Somethin' to the Presley tune. Peter's version of a Jailhouse Rock type scene. Sorry I made that confusing.

[JH4HJ]

[JH4HJ - Posted December 22, 2008 01:09 PM]

For those of you who might have missed it, there's a brief discussion in the HJ section about some recent comments made by Harvey Fierstein about Legs Diamond.

As if this hasn't been said enough, I think it was a good show that just wasn't given a chance. Peter did a wonderful job, and wrote some *fabulous* songs for it. Thankfully, many of them were included in TBFO.

ASIDE:
[mamaleh - Posted December 20, 2008 11:21 AM]

Did anyone see THEATER TALK last night on PBS? Harvey Fierstein was on, mostly talking about returning to HAIRSPRAY for its final weeks but also mentioning Hugh as well as Peter.

He said that he's been trying to get the rights to musicalize the classic play HARVEY, about the always-inebriated but likable Ellwood P. Dowd, whose family thinks he's "pixillated" because he insists his six-foot white rabbit friend Harvey is real. But, he said, someone else holds the rights and wants "a Hollywood star like Hugh Jackman." Riedel made a scoffing sound (what a creep!), but Harvey stepped in with, "If Hugh does it shirtless, I'll buy a ticket. I'll even appear as Harvey at the curtain call." Funny. Well, we all know Harvey has a crush on Hugh. At least he has good taste.

Harvey (the man, not the rabbit, LOL) also reminisced about LEGS DIAMOND, of which he was the librettist. He said everyone knew "the show was not working." Nonetheless, they persevered. Larry Kert was Peter Allen's standby, and Harvey wanted to see him rehearse. He said, "Suddenly the show worked--and we all realized it was Peter," implying that his performance was the problem. I was sorry to hear that; I'd seen the video of the show at the Lincoln Center performing arts library and thought Peter highly entertaining. Ah, well.

Harvey further mentioned that he was glad Peter's songs lived on in TBFO, which he called "a big hit." That's certainly how it finished up. Interesting anecdotes.