Not that I think this is a good idea, but having watched it again over the weekend I can see it working as a jukebox musical. And leaving that aside, the movie really does have an excellent Elmer Bernstein score. But no, this is not a good idea.
I'm currently recovering from big icky surgery (doing fine, thanks) and there aren't enough Percocets in the world for this to make sense to me. Yeesh.
Casey Nicholaw is an old friend of my wife's family* so I'll root for this to be successful, but no, this is the worst idea since the Germans bombed Pearl Harbor.
*Last year when he won the Tony for directing "Book of Mormon" he thanked "everyone [he's] ever met." I turned to my wife and said "You were just thanked at the Tony Awards!"
Look, I'm not saying The Battle Of Larry's Conscience isn't a great second act number (I'm imagining something like "Betrayed" in The Producers), but this cannot happen even if it were to close with the kind of in-the-aisles-splendor with which The Lion King opened.
Just yesterday I read a little bit of an interview with Dan Akyroyd regarding the anniversary of Belushi's death. He said that if John were alive today, he'd be directing on Broadway. Perhaps he'll be resurrected to live out his dream.
I guess I don't understand what separates a story that would make a good musical from a story that wouldn't. Not that I think this would make a great musical, because I don't have any idea. But from a bunch of people who love musicals about Mormon missions, about the French and American revolutions, about gangs (both high school and after), about whatever it is that Oklahoma is about -- what is it about Animal House that makes you go, "yuck"?
I think the key is that the characters have to be the sort who you can picture bursting into song to express their feelings/wants--as an example, Legally Blonde is one you can see working (and did), whereas The Vampire Lestat is one that not-so-much (and failed miserably).
You are not likely to convince me that our founding fathers or starving French peasants (the characters in two musicals recently discussed fawningly on this blog) are the sort that one can picture bursting into song, much less assassins, murderous barbers, Prohibition-era gangsters, or violently racist teen knife gangs. Meanwhile, if you made a word cloud of the names of people mentioned as likely to burst into song, "Tom Hulce" is there in 96-point font.
As for author participation, Adam, would you feel differently if Harold Ramis were involved?
But some of the set pieces could be amusing: Otter's Playboy Pad in his room and the idea of the mayhem of the town parade with Pirate Blutarsky flying over the audience yelling "No Quarter" and maybe driving a Caddy up through the audience to the exits.
Not that I think this is a good idea, but having watched it again over the weekend I can see it working as a jukebox musical. And leaving that aside, the movie really does have an excellent Elmer Bernstein score. But no, this is not a good idea.
ReplyDeleteMy only reaction to this idea, ROAD TRIP!!!
ReplyDeleteBTW, Belushi passed away 30 years ago yesterday.
ReplyDeleteI'm currently recovering from big icky surgery (doing fine, thanks) and there aren't enough Percocets in the world for this to make sense to me. Yeesh.
ReplyDeleteI really like BNL, but no. Please no?
ReplyDeleteIt kinda makes me feel like Blutarsky does when he heard the guy singing about a giving his love a cherry that had no stone.
ReplyDelete"Sorry."
ReplyDeleteCasey Nicholaw is an old friend of my wife's family* so I'll root for this to be successful, but no, this is the worst idea since the Germans bombed Pearl Harbor.
ReplyDelete*Last year when he won the Tony for directing "Book of Mormon" he thanked "everyone [he's] ever met." I turned to my wife and said "You were just thanked at the Tony Awards!"
Guarantee that one review of the show will lead with "Boy, this is great."
ReplyDeleteHope you get better soon!
ReplyDeleteAre they going to offer tarps like at a Gallagher show for the food fight scene?
ReplyDeleteLook, I'm not saying The Battle Of Larry's Conscience isn't a great second act number (I'm imagining something like "Betrayed" in The Producers), but this cannot happen even if it were to close with the kind of in-the-aisles-splendor with which The Lion King opened.
ReplyDeleteAdam...that one-sentence post made me laugh.
ReplyDeleteJust yesterday I read a little bit of an interview with Dan Akyroyd regarding the anniversary of Belushi's death. He said that if John were alive today, he'd be directing on Broadway. Perhaps he'll be resurrected to live out his dream.
As long as they stay as far away as possible from the FARKING HORRID Stephen Bishop closing credits song, I'll give it a "maybe".
ReplyDelete--bd
Thanks, Jenn...and everyone else!
ReplyDeleteGood thing Julie Taymor isn't involved. Imagine the injury risk with all those marbles.
ReplyDeletebd - not even if they went with the "Nobody ever went to class / Then we saw Donald Sutherland's ass" variant?
ReplyDelete-Jake M.
I guess I don't understand what separates a story that would make a good musical from a story that wouldn't. Not that I think this would make a great musical, because I don't have any idea. But from a bunch of people who love musicals about Mormon missions, about the French and American revolutions, about gangs (both high school and after), about whatever it is that Oklahoma is about -- what is it about Animal House that makes you go, "yuck"?
ReplyDelete"Its' been one week since Fern Liebowitz died in a kiln explosion..."
ReplyDeleteThe sanctity of the original work, and I guess I don't feel the same way about Victor Hugo's novel (since I never read it).
ReplyDeleteRomeo and Juliet? Monty Python's The Holy Grail? The Producers?
ReplyDeleteIn two of those three cases, the original authors were involved in the adaptation.
ReplyDeleteI think the key is that the characters have to be the sort who you can picture bursting into song to express their feelings/wants--as an example, Legally Blonde is one you can see working (and did), whereas The Vampire Lestat is one that not-so-much (and failed miserably).
ReplyDelete"do you mind if we dance with your dates?"
ReplyDeleteYou are not likely to convince me that our founding fathers or starving French peasants (the characters in two musicals recently discussed fawningly on this blog) are the sort that one can picture bursting into song, much less assassins, murderous barbers, Prohibition-era gangsters, or violently racist teen knife gangs. Meanwhile, if you made a word cloud of the names of people mentioned as likely to burst into song, "Tom Hulce" is there in 96-point font.
ReplyDeleteAs for author participation, Adam, would you feel differently if Harold Ramis were involved?
Isn't it Fawn Liebowitz? Or have I been hearing it wrong all these years?
ReplyDeleteOverall, a bad idea.
ReplyDeleteBut some of the set pieces could be amusing: Otter's Playboy Pad in his room and the idea of the mayhem of the town parade with Pirate Blutarsky flying over the audience yelling "No Quarter" and maybe driving a Caddy up through the audience to the exits.
Something along the lines of Gospel At Colonus -- where the student body is a chorus, and Otis Day and the Knights are on stage shadowing the action.
ReplyDeleteI would feel differently if Ramis were involved.
ReplyDeleteMy objections to paying rent can only be expressed in song.
ReplyDelete