I Got Rhythm!

[jo]

Probably one of the most joyous moments in BACK ON BROADWAY must have been partly inspired by this scene from AN AMERICAN IN PARIS, with Gene Kelly!

www.youtube.com/watch?v=LvglHa_P9BA

Simply superb dancing!

Hey, how loud did you shout out " I got!!"



Jo

[mamaleh]

Pretty loudly.

Ellen

[jo]

Clips from the actual show are practically impossible to come by -- but in this rehearsal video for the New York media, Hugh starts the I GOT RHYTHM schtick at around 7'00".


www.youtube.com/watch?v=MMvG31fHWFw

In comparison to Gene ( who is the epitome of dancing like Fred Astaire), Gene Kelly's dancing is so fluid and rhythmic one would think he never walks, only dances . Hugh is more playful and more athletic with his dancing, as if he were a kid caught playing ( dancing) in the rain. But Hugh has the fuller voice and his charisma is very natural!

Jo

[jo]

Ellen,

How many times did you shout " I got!!" from San Francisco to Toronto to New York City smiley-happy036


Jo

[jo]

Nothing can be more exhuberant and engaging than an actual performance!

He's got rhythm

At 5'25", among the movie musicals tribute!



www.youtube.com/watch?v=WMbGj3VblFA

[mamaleh]

Jo, as you know, there was no "I Got" in San Francisco, as the movie musical medley hadn't yet been revised from "Jailhouse Rock - Can You Feel the Love Tonight," etc., to the one that. beginning with Toronto, was more heavily flavored with Kelly- and Astaire-related numbers. In the early days of both the Toronto and New York engagements, if he recognized someone up front, he would call on that person by name to shout out the "I Got." I was thusly called upon at least once in Toronto and once in New York--the latter at the second preview performance, which was the matinee on Oct. 26. What fun! But when he pointed at some random person, often that person didn't respond adequately, throwing the song off-kilter. So after a short time, as you remember, he just called out sections of the house to respond in unison: orchestra, left side, right side, etc. I agree that was the safer route!

Thanks for posting the longer version of that rehearsal. What wonderful memories.

Ellen

[jo]

I forgot LA (One Night Only) last October 2013 --

That was Hollywoodland, which invented the Gene Kelly version



Although I understand the Gerswhin jazz standard was earlier performed by Ethel Merman and Judy Garland!

www.youtube.com/watch?v=v4hI-xhGZug

www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nd3951gwrhg


And even by Barbra S in 1973 --

www.youtube.com/watch?v=n5kuwZ449lc

Jo

[jo]

Not sure if this is the right thread, but there was something in a past Michael Riedel article which talked about Hugh's new Broadway plans after THE RIVER which I probably forgot that I ever read ... or my eyes just glossed over the section  

nypost.com/2015/02/05/hugh-jackman-reveals-his-next-broadway-plans/

A chorus boy in the show had a dance solo that ended in a split. As a prank at the final matinee Jackman thought he’d tap the guy on shoulder, tell him to “sit this one out, mate,” and do the split himself. He told Carlyle about his idea early in the run of the show.

“Fine,” said Carlyle. “Then you’ll need to rehearse with me for three months.”

“Warren got me to a level of I didn’t think possible,” says Jackman. “And I’ll never forget the look on the guy’s face when I did his split. I want to do that eight times a week in a show.”

Jackman’s worked out a nice Broadway schedule. He does a light show one year, then comes back a couple of years later with a serious play like “The River” or “A Steady Rain” to show off his acting skills.

There is no pigeonholing this guy...

Anybody see that particular performance?

Also, he never did that for BROADWAY TO OZ.

I wonder if his plans for the return to Broadway have changed ( Kind of show? When? How long?). THE GREATEST SHOWMAN ON EARTH is due for release on Christmas Day 2017 -- would he want to do a musical show on Broadway after that?


Jo

[ruby]

May 8, 2016 19:19:32 GMT -5 jo said:

Not sure if this is the right thread, but there was something in a past Michael Riedel article which talked about Hugh's new Broadway plans after THE RIVER which I probably forgot that I ever read ... or my eyes just glossed over the section  

nypost.com/2015/02/05/hugh-jackman-reveals-his-next-broadway-plans/

A chorus boy in the show had a dance solo that ended in a split. As a prank at the final matinee Jackman thought he’d tap the guy on shoulder, tell him to “sit this one out, mate,” and do the split himself. He told Carlyle about his idea early in the run of the show.

“Fine,” said Carlyle. “Then you’ll need to rehearse with me for three months.”

“Warren got me to a level of I didn’t think possible,” says Jackman. “And I’ll never forget the look on the guy’s face when I did his split. I want to do that eight times a week in a show.”

Jackman’s worked out a nice Broadway schedule. He does a light show one year, then comes back a couple of years later with a serious play like “The River” or “A Steady Rain” to show off his acting skills.

There is no pigeonholing this guy...

Anybody see that particular performance?

Also, he never did that for BROADWAY TO OZ.


Jo

The performance with Hugh's extra dance move sounds like it was during Oklahoma. Not sure if you're suggesting it was during his one man show?

[jo]

You're right - he did that for OKLAHOMA!... I should have remembered that pranks during the last matinee performance when a show is about to close is a tradition at the West End

Isn't that called corpsing? Where other performers try to distract the performer on stage with pranks?

Didn't Deb also appear briefly in the wings to tease Hugh, by appearing in Maureen Lipmann's Aunt Eller costume and carrying a rolling pin ?

I guess the comments by Michael Riedel confused me -- I thought he was referring to BoB

Hmm...can Hugh still do that ? He is still physically agile for action movies and difficult fight scenes are fully choreographed, too.


Jo