HMS Pinafore - sunk!
Tonight at rehersal, we heard that Pinafore has been pulled.
The reason is lack of men. I don't know where our male chorus from previous productions has got to. The men have always been less than the women, but we've managed in the past. One reason that has been suggested is the director setting it in space and changing some of the words.
There do seem to be two camps when it comes to G&S. There are those who won't do it unless it is strictly traditional, forgetting that when they were written, Gilbert was always very topical and up to date. Then there are those who want to drastically change things such as cutting out whole songs.
Now, I don't mind some playing around with the format. I've been in three very different Mikados and could see Iolanthe being done with the genders reversed. What I don't like is the major tinkering with the music. I was in a production of Broadway Pirates and couldn't see why we had to pay royalties for a couple of funny key changes. We have a member who has directed a number of shows with us and I don't think she really likes G&S because she always does major changes.
In the Gondeliers for example, she set it in the 1930's, which is OK, but then she cuts out the whole chunk of singing with the blindmans buff and replaces it with 'Screen Auditions' for budding actresses. Another song in the second act was reduced to a cheerleader routine. She did the same sort of thing to the Mikado set in the 60's. She wanted to some very funny things to Princess Ida, but that fell beside the way side luckily.
We will be doing something in the week we booked the theatre, but I don't know what yet. Watch this space.
The reason is lack of men. I don't know where our male chorus from previous productions has got to. The men have always been less than the women, but we've managed in the past. One reason that has been suggested is the director setting it in space and changing some of the words.
There do seem to be two camps when it comes to G&S. There are those who won't do it unless it is strictly traditional, forgetting that when they were written, Gilbert was always very topical and up to date. Then there are those who want to drastically change things such as cutting out whole songs.
Now, I don't mind some playing around with the format. I've been in three very different Mikados and could see Iolanthe being done with the genders reversed. What I don't like is the major tinkering with the music. I was in a production of Broadway Pirates and couldn't see why we had to pay royalties for a couple of funny key changes. We have a member who has directed a number of shows with us and I don't think she really likes G&S because she always does major changes.
In the Gondeliers for example, she set it in the 1930's, which is OK, but then she cuts out the whole chunk of singing with the blindmans buff and replaces it with 'Screen Auditions' for budding actresses. Another song in the second act was reduced to a cheerleader routine. She did the same sort of thing to the Mikado set in the 60's. She wanted to some very funny things to Princess Ida, but that fell beside the way side luckily.
We will be doing something in the week we booked the theatre, but I don't know what yet. Watch this space.