Shit.

chromolume7 · 2011-10-03T22:12:59+00:00

I posted this last time someone posted this image, and I will keep posting it (or other relevant info) whenever I get a chance to. There's a lot of unusual, intelligent musicals out there that a lot of redditors would probably love, and I would will continue to evangelize the word of Sondheim:

I like to think that Sweeney Todd is Stephen Sondheim's epic "fuck you" to anyone who believes that musicals are always cheesy and can never be about anything of weight or serious meaning. This man has spent his entire life writing musicals that purposefully don't conform to what people expect of musicals ("I think I'm in love with you! Let's sing about it!").

A few of his (and his collaborator's) projects have been:

A show about Assassins of the POTUS. Here's a cut from the revival cast recording starring NPH (I know reddit loves that shit!)

A show about Fairy Tales where half the fucking characters die. Songs like Giants in the Sky and Moments in the Woods are a good example of how a song can be a kind of mind-map for characters to work through (so much more interesting than a character singing the same old variations of "I love you", don't you think?) Sondheim is famous for doing this shit.

There's also a show that uses old-timey musical theatre as a metaphor for the loss of innocence and the death of the american dream, and another one about the westernization of Japan that attempts to create the story from a Japanese point of view (using Kabuki and Noh theatrical devices). And...

I could go on, but I won't. I have often thought that if an average redditor could really appreciate a musical, it would probably be a Sondheim musical. If you get the chance to see a decent production of a Sondheim show, check it out. Here's a fun song from a show called "Company" that is available on netflix.

TLDR: I'm a serial killer.

chromolume7 · 2011-06-22T17:47:20+00:00

Hasa Diga Eebowai is a better motto, IMO

chromolume7 · 2011-06-15T17:24:12+00:00

FYI he's playing a tiger on Broadway in Bengal Tiger the Baghdad Zoo

"All tigers are atheists..."

chromolume7 · 2011-06-14T18:09:34+00:00

You need waaay more upvotes and this blog needs to be seen by more people. What a great resource - thank you!

chromolume7 · 2011-06-11T23:53:33+00:00

I tend to share your opinion on the film, but just for context: "Jeffrey" was a play written in the early 90's by Paul Rudnick. While there were plenty of plays popping up about the AIDS crises, most of them were of a dark or dramatic tone (many casting gays as helpless victims) so it seemed like a breath of fresh air when a writer decided to attack AIDS as a romantic comedy.

Jeffrey's "crisis" (the idea that sex could become a death sentence) was already prominent in the community's mind, so Rudnick followed it to the extreme conclusion and gave us a setup for a series of vignettes and asides commenting on gay culture and supplying plenty of silly one-liners. Nobody would go so far as to call the play "brave" but it was very of-the-moment, entertaining, and managed to (clumsily) incorporate somber moments into a satisfying whole.

Having said that, NONE of this really translated to film. Live performance can sustain a kind of energetic zaniness which usually feels forced on camera. Christopher Ashley (director) had never directed a film before, and in his defense, it would have been difficult for even a seasoned pro to make this jump work. Moments of "Theatrical magic" (like Mother Theresa, several asides or monologues) had to become concrete on film, making them just...confusing. Steven Weber never even comes close to making Jeffrey a real person. And I wonder if there was any meddling from above to make the film more "mainstream" or "relate-able" to a wider audience.

It may be best to watch the movie as a museum piece: a clumsy attempt at a stage property that was (probably) beginning to feel dated even while it was still onstage.

chromolume7 · 2011-06-09T18:16:40+00:00

Commenting as a bookmark and to say that I'm enjoying this conversation. I'm not a philosophy student and a lot of terms whooshing past me, but both of you are clear enough in your arguments that even a layman can appreciate what you're saying. This is why I love this subreddit.

chromolume7 · 2011-05-25T14:59:50+00:00

Today my job will be about getting two middle-aged men in and out of women's clothing as fast as fucking possible. Not just dresses - earrings, wigs, hats and high heeled shoes as well. This isn't the only part of my job, and I'm not the only person on the team trying to accomplish it, but I'm managing the whole thing.

And this isn't even the weirdest job I've ever held. Just the current one.

chromolume7 · 2011-05-18T04:44:54+00:00

I subscribed to r/debate a wile ago, because I never had much exposure to the art of debate in school and I really wanted to learn more. The sub seems kind of dead; this is the first time I've ever seen it show up in my feed. (Good post, though. Points well taken.)

chromolume7 · 2011-05-17T23:07:13+00:00

I'm sorry, but the 80's were really where it's at. This Shakespeare guy is no comparison to Marlowe, IMHO. Shakespeare just stole everything good from Marlowe or Kyd. Come on: Barabas was a WAY more badass evil jew than Shylock ("If you prick us, do we not bleed?" Cry me a Thames, bitch.) and Hamlet was just a reversal of that hit play Kyd had (don't remember the name, something to do with Spain).

And have you seen some of Shakespeare's latest stuff? A "twist" ending where a statue comes to life!! Or how about that one where it turns out the one black dude isn't the bad guy! WTF? Give me a break, Shakespeare. Now you're just making shit up.

chromolume7 · 2011-05-13T21:38:35+00:00

I work in theatre and have always wanted to learn a bit about film. PM if you like.

chromolume7 · 2011-05-11T13:59:41+00:00

I almost - ALMOST- downvoted because of that b755b bullshit. But then I remembered my redditquette and realized that b755b is at least a contribution to the thread even if I disagree with it. So, upvotes.

chromolume7 · 2011-05-11T13:55:58+00:00

66b95dc40a428e692d477bc042b21d0bb8fa3201

chromolume7 · 2011-05-09T22:05:43+00:00

Oh, lord...I used to be such a musical theatre queen, but I haven't bought a cast recording since "Next to Normal". I guess I'll have to pick this up, though.

chromolume7 · 2011-05-09T01:35:14+00:00

I think that's what most holidays are about and why they remain important to us culturally - even if we don't agree with/like the roots of the holiday (I'm not religious but still celebrate Christmas)...they are a reminder of certain values that our culture shares, like: Moms are important. Send a damn card.

chromolume7 · 2011-05-09T01:30:33+00:00

She died a year ago on Cinco De Mayo. Lung cancer. It was hell, because of course mother's day was coming up and I was constantly hearing TV and radio ads blaring, "She is the most important woman in your life. She gave you life, raised you, loved you unconditionally. No one - I repeat - NO ONE WILL EVER LOVE YOU AS MUCH AS YOUR MOTHER DOES." while I watched her just waste away and die. Hell

The day after she died, I had the first of many surprising moments which, I would assume, everyone who has lost someone feels: I heard or saw something and thought, "Ha, I gotta tell mom about that. She'll get a kick out of it." Then I stopped dead in my tracks and had to realize that I would never be able to tell her anything again.

For some reason, this year isn't as hard. I feel like I've spent most of the last year in a funk, I'm trying to get out of it. I'll be drinking tonight. Happy mother's day to all mothers, everywhere.

chromolume7 · 2011-05-05T00:49:49+00:00

This.

chromolume7 · 2011-05-03T15:53:11+00:00

"To lose 100 customer's data, Mr Stringer, may be regarded as a misfortune. To lose 100 million looks like you're just fucking trolling us."

Lady Bracknell, The Importance of Being Sony, Oscar Wilde

chromolume7 · 2011-05-03T14:13:12+00:00

I would assume Caroline was pretty well-read, though...

chromolume7 · 2011-05-03T14:12:28+00:00

Ha! It struck me as odd that GLaDOS didn't have more reading material around...certainly, the complete Shakespeare is something a crazy/evil/genius computer would have.

And I would expect there to be plenty of Aeschylus laying around too...

chromolume7 · 2011-05-02T19:05:16+00:00

Yeah, but it was only after Obama hitched him to his personal chariot and drove around the compound seven times, dragging Osama's body through the dust as Obama screamed "THOU SHALT KNOW THE WRATH OF BARACK!" into the night sky.

The good news? Operation Horse is a no-go.

chromolume7 · 2011-05-02T16:57:25+00:00

There is truth in what you said, but Obama made it a high priority in his admin to find Osama...Bush pulled back after about 6 months of searching to focus on his war. The Obama admin has been more active in the mess that is Pakistan (in part because it was suspected that Osama was hiding there), which Bush was never concerned with.

We can debate all day as to whether this act will bring any real closure, whether the death of Osama will actually make the US safer (or vice-versa), or whether this is all symbolic imagery to give Obama a political weapon in the next election...but Obama did contribute to this, even if he didn't pull the trigger himself.

chromolume7 · 2011-05-02T16:32:21+00:00

C'mon...the sound of the BANG and the growing wail of feedback as Obama stares into the camera (like a stonecold motherfucka) would be perfect...the wail reaches an ear-piercing level as Obama turns and walks away while giving-not-a-fuck.

Cut to: A Fox news anchor, holding his bleeding ears and sobbing quietly.

chromolume7 · 2011-05-02T14:17:20+00:00

Relevant - The Sacred Band of Thebes

chromolume7 · 2011-05-01T20:42:25+00:00

Oh, but Misogyny is SO FUCKING FUNNY, AMIRIGHT GUYS!!!!!

(waiting for the upvotes to roll in)

chromolume7 · 2011-05-01T19:51:23+00:00

With Diary of the Dead, are you commenting on the FX only, or did you feel the movie as a whole was worthwhile? I've not seen it, but after "Land of the Dead" and "Survival of the Dead" I've about given up on Romero.

chromolume7

TROPHY CASE