show within a show
I'm watching my usual West Wing back-to-back eps on Bravo this morning. It's coming up to my favorite love/hate part of the series, where Bartlet has to order the hit on a terrorist who has diplomatic immunity and it's countered by the show they're going to see, a Royal Shakespeare Company version of "The Wars of the Roses." Cap on this the fact that I hateHATEhate Amy and wish she'd died at Rosslyn or something (Josh! Shove her in front of the bullet!) And CJ has a secret service agent guarding her due to death threats. All these plotlines collide in a train wreck of angst.
The thing is that the snatches of play that you see are brilliant. It was taken from an actual RSC production and has a definite "Les Mis" feel to it. In fact the one segment you see most of is a very "Do You Hear The People Sing?" moment. It reminds me of the only reason I bought that horrible kids movie "A Simple Wish" which was the Les Mis-y "A Tale Of Two Cities" clips that were shown, since the main character's father was trying out for the Sydney Carton role. Those ten minutes were worth the 90 minutes of otherwise misery, especially when you look over the shoulder of one of the playgoers and see the program book and if you know the book of ATOTC the song titles alone will make you smile.
Thing is, I would pay to see "Wars of the Roses" and the "Two Cities" musical. Note that this was before there actually WAS a "Two Cities" musical and honestly, the fake on in the middle of a Martin Short movie is vastly superior to the crap clips I've seen of the one actually produced.
here's the problem: the rest of the ep does some crappy things to two really cool characters. Painful things. Horrifying things. Senseless thrown-under-the-bus things. It's a Pagliacci moment of, well, epic proportions.
I'm feeling guilty because I want to enjoy my ten minutes of fake-real-fake RSC production. But I can't sit through watching a really cool guy get senselessly killed in between those bits. Again. So I'm writing this instead and cringing, and I've got the TV on mute till the play stuff begins.
And then to pour salt on the thing and set it on fire with napalm, they set the whole death montage to that song "Hallelujah." You know, the one they used in Shreck. Oh and Watchmen. And about 60,000 other movies since. Which has dulled the impact of this one, but only a little.
Is it so much to ask to get Aaron Sorkin, and RSC, to produce a full version of "Wars of the Roses"? Really? So I don't have to watch the dude die again? Please?
N.B. this from a WW ep guide, the story behind the "Wars of the Roses" segments:
What was the music that the Shakespeare company was singing at the end in "Posse Comitatus"? Mel Kirby tells us "the song sung by the supposed Shakespeare Company at the end of the segment of the 'Wars of the Roses' being watched on Broadway by Pres. Bartlett is called 'Patriotic Chorus' by Stephen Oliver. It was originally composed as the Finale of the mock-Victorian revisionist 'Romeo and Juliet' which closes Part One of the 9 hour-long, 1983 Royal Shakespeare Company production of Dickens 'The Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickelby' which was an actual hit in London's West End and on Broadway in the early 80's. One would assume that the RSC and 'endlessly long', high-brow nature of both plays would have created the intellectual resonance for Sorkin. And the originally tongue-in-cheek words and tune, a send-up of typical Victorian xenophobia, have a certain irony as played over the assassination of the Qumari defense minister." Mel Kirby also sent us the following Lyrics:
"England arise! Join in the chorus!
It is a new made song you should be singing.
See in the skies, flutt'ring before us
what the bright bird of peace is bringing!
Chorus:
See upon our smiling land
where the wealths of nations stand
where prosperity and industry walk
ever hand in hand.
Where so many blessings crowd,
'tis our duty to be proud.
Up and answer, English Yeoman,
sing it joyfully aloud.
Evermore upon our country
God will pour his rich increase,
And victorious in war shall be made glorious in peace,
And victorious in war shall be made glorious in peace.
omitted verse:
[ See each one do what he can to further God's almighty plan.
The benificence of heaven help the skilfulness of man.
Ev'ry garner fill'd with grain, Ev'ry meadow blest with rain:
Rich and fertile is the golden corn that bear and bears again.]
Where so many blessings crowd,
'Tis our duty to be proud.
Up and answer, fellow Britons,
sing it joyfully aloud.
Evermore upon our country
God will pour his rich increase...etc."
We found a version of this available: The Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby (1982 Televison Cast) [SOUNDTRACK] Stephen Oliver Try the sample offered of "8. Patriotic Song - Kaye, Lila"
The thing is that the snatches of play that you see are brilliant. It was taken from an actual RSC production and has a definite "Les Mis" feel to it. In fact the one segment you see most of is a very "Do You Hear The People Sing?" moment. It reminds me of the only reason I bought that horrible kids movie "A Simple Wish" which was the Les Mis-y "A Tale Of Two Cities" clips that were shown, since the main character's father was trying out for the Sydney Carton role. Those ten minutes were worth the 90 minutes of otherwise misery, especially when you look over the shoulder of one of the playgoers and see the program book and if you know the book of ATOTC the song titles alone will make you smile.
Thing is, I would pay to see "Wars of the Roses" and the "Two Cities" musical. Note that this was before there actually WAS a "Two Cities" musical and honestly, the fake on in the middle of a Martin Short movie is vastly superior to the crap clips I've seen of the one actually produced.
here's the problem: the rest of the ep does some crappy things to two really cool characters. Painful things. Horrifying things. Senseless thrown-under-the-bus things. It's a Pagliacci moment of, well, epic proportions.
I'm feeling guilty because I want to enjoy my ten minutes of fake-real-fake RSC production. But I can't sit through watching a really cool guy get senselessly killed in between those bits. Again. So I'm writing this instead and cringing, and I've got the TV on mute till the play stuff begins.
And then to pour salt on the thing and set it on fire with napalm, they set the whole death montage to that song "Hallelujah." You know, the one they used in Shreck. Oh and Watchmen. And about 60,000 other movies since. Which has dulled the impact of this one, but only a little.
Is it so much to ask to get Aaron Sorkin, and RSC, to produce a full version of "Wars of the Roses"? Really? So I don't have to watch the dude die again? Please?
N.B. this from a WW ep guide, the story behind the "Wars of the Roses" segments:
What was the music that the Shakespeare company was singing at the end in "Posse Comitatus"? Mel Kirby tells us "the song sung by the supposed Shakespeare Company at the end of the segment of the 'Wars of the Roses' being watched on Broadway by Pres. Bartlett is called 'Patriotic Chorus' by Stephen Oliver. It was originally composed as the Finale of the mock-Victorian revisionist 'Romeo and Juliet' which closes Part One of the 9 hour-long, 1983 Royal Shakespeare Company production of Dickens 'The Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickelby' which was an actual hit in London's West End and on Broadway in the early 80's. One would assume that the RSC and 'endlessly long', high-brow nature of both plays would have created the intellectual resonance for Sorkin. And the originally tongue-in-cheek words and tune, a send-up of typical Victorian xenophobia, have a certain irony as played over the assassination of the Qumari defense minister." Mel Kirby also sent us the following Lyrics:
"England arise! Join in the chorus!
It is a new made song you should be singing.
See in the skies, flutt'ring before us
what the bright bird of peace is bringing!
Chorus:
See upon our smiling land
where the wealths of nations stand
where prosperity and industry walk
ever hand in hand.
Where so many blessings crowd,
'tis our duty to be proud.
Up and answer, English Yeoman,
sing it joyfully aloud.
Evermore upon our country
God will pour his rich increase,
And victorious in war shall be made glorious in peace,
And victorious in war shall be made glorious in peace.
omitted verse:
[ See each one do what he can to further God's almighty plan.
The benificence of heaven help the skilfulness of man.
Ev'ry garner fill'd with grain, Ev'ry meadow blest with rain:
Rich and fertile is the golden corn that bear and bears again.]
Where so many blessings crowd,
'Tis our duty to be proud.
Up and answer, fellow Britons,
sing it joyfully aloud.
Evermore upon our country
God will pour his rich increase...etc."
We found a version of this available: The Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby (1982 Televison Cast) [SOUNDTRACK] Stephen Oliver Try the sample offered of "8. Patriotic Song - Kaye, Lila"