I saw Jennifer Holliday on Broadway singing this in person, and it was all it was made out to be!
I also was lucky enough to see Michael Crawford in L.A. during the last group of performances he did of Phantom. In both cases I made a special trip to those cities just to see those performances, and it was well worth it both times. I have always gone out of my way to see performances that I think have the potential to be "once-in-a-lifetime" events. My biggest disappointment is that I am way too young to have seen Paul Muni on stage in "Inherit the Wind" (he only played the role for 4 months before he got cancer in his eye, and that caused him to not be in the movie either). Spencer Tracy was wonderful in the film version, but I bet Muni was better! Talking about "once-in-a-lifetime" events, I was talking to Bill Gaines (publisher of EC Comics and Mad) a few years back, and he was also a great Paul Muni fan, and he mentioned that he had seen "Inherit the Wind" on stage with Muni several times in 1955. He said he picked up the paper one day, and there was an announcement that, for one performance only, Paul Muni (who played Henry Drummond, the Clarence Darrow character) and Ed Begley (who played Matthew Harrison Brady, the William Jennings Bryan character) would SWITCH roles! Gaines told me he rushed over to the box office and got tickets, and I asked him how it was, and if they had any trouble delivering each other's lines, and he said it was as great as you would imagine it would be. Somehow I don't see this happening with today's "stars" people like Brad Pitt or Tom Cruise! Sorry for the detour down Memory Lane. Bruce On Sun, Feb 15, 2009 at 1:29 PM, Jeff Potokar <[email protected]> wrote: > It's just too bad that this film wasnt done at the time that Jennifer > Holliday could have reprised her role from Broadway.... she would have > knocked this song out of the park, as she did onstage... no comparison even, > in the voices between the 2 jennifers, IMO. > > i think the same could be said (and the film attendance numbers showed > this), with producers NOT casting Michael Crawford in PHANTOM OF THE OPERA. > And even going back further.. at the time it was released, there were people > scratching their heads a bit when Barbra Streisand was cast in HELLO DOLLY. > sure-- a great voice but she was too young and miscast. > > quite simply... it should have been Carol Channing. > > jeff > > sorry for getting a bit off topic here. > > > > > > > On Feb 15, 2009, at 5:21 AM, [email protected] wrote: > > As I read through all these postings, I must say that there are a lot of >> great, amazing songs...songs you want to sing again and again, or whistle, >> or dance to, whatever. BUT folks, a great song that truly shakes you to >> your core, and grabs your emotions and twists them into a knot, and makes >> you feel the pain....that HAS to be "And I am telling you"....and since the >> original question was referring to a movie, the performer has to be one >> Jennifer Hudson. I did YouTube the stage performance and it was powerful as >> well. But I am on Team Hudson! >> >> >> --- On Sat, 2/14/09, Andrea Kanter <[email protected]> wrote: >> >> From: Andrea Kanter <[email protected]> >>> Subject: Re: [MOPO] What song do you think was the greatest to ever >>> appear in a movie musical? >>> To: [email protected] >>> Date: Saturday, February 14, 2009, 8:15 AM >>> We're off to see the wizard >>> the wonderful wizard of Oz >>> we hear he is a wiz of a wiz >>> a wiz of a wiz becoz >>> >>> On Feb 13, 2009, at 11:26 PM, Bruce Hershenson wrote: >>> >>> I thought the MoPo members might enjoy seeing the poll >>>> >>> from my latest e-mail club message (it goes to over 5,000 >>> movie paper collectors). You can post your vote here (of >>> course for it to count in the official poll, you have to be >>> a member of my e-mail club). You can join at >>> http://www.emovieposter.com/mail/clubsignup.php >>> >>>> >>>> Here's the poll question: >>>> >>>> What song do you personally think was the greatest to >>>> >>> ever appear in a musical movie? >>> >>>> >>>> We previously have asked club members about their >>>> >>> favorite movie "score" (as opposed to >>> "soundtrack") and favorite song from a >>> non-musical. This week, we thought it only fair to ask about >>> your favorite song that IS from a musical. >>> >>>> >>>> IMPORTANT! This is kind of tricky! We are looking for >>>> >>> a single song that was either written for a specific movie >>> musical, or was written earlier, but has become SO >>> identified with one movie musical it was used in that >>> everybody connects that song to that movie! >>> >>>> >>>> We are arbitrarily eliminating songs that are from >>>> >>> movies that are primarily dramas, but which have a bunch of >>> songs added to it (like almost all Barbra Streisand movies, >>> which is certainly nothing against Barbra, just that we are >>> trying to stick to actual musicals, where the drama element >>> is sort of secondary to the musical content) so please >>> don't vote for any NON-musicals, or drama movies with >>> musical content, as outlined above (and we realize this is >>> completely arbitrary and unfair, and you are welcome to >>> argue with us in the comments field, but please don't >>> vote for these types of songs)! >>> >>>> >>>> In this poll more than any other we have ever run, >>>> >>> there are truly thousands of songs that COULD be chosen, and >>> our below list is just intended to jog your memory, and is >>> no way comprehensive (even WITHIN a specific movie, where we >>> have picked one or two songs, but there might be five others >>> you might consider voting for JUST FROM THAT MOVIE), so we >>> fully expect there to be lots of "other" votes, >>> and that is great! >>> >>>> >>>> Finally know that we are absolutely NOT asking which >>>> >>> of the following movies you liked the best, but which SONG >>> you liked the best from one of these musical movies or from >>> any other! >>> >>>> >>>> Here are the list of choices: >>>> >>>> "And I'm Telling You" (Dreamgirls) >>>> "Aquarius" (Hair) >>>> "Baby, It's Cold Outside" (Neptune's >>>> >>> Daughter) >>> >>>> "Baby Mine" (Dumbo) >>>> "The Bare Necessities" (The Jungle Book) >>>> "Beauty and the Beast" (Beauty and the >>>> >>> Beast) >>> >>>> "Blame Canada" (South Park: Bigger, Longer >>>> >>> & Uncut) >>> >>>> "Bless Yore Beautiful Hide" (Seven Brides >>>> >>> For Seven Brothers) >>> >>>> "Buttons and Bows" (The Paleface) >>>> "Cabaret" (Cabaret) >>>> "Can You Feel the Love Tonight" (The Lion >>>> >>> King) >>> >>>> "Cheek to Cheek" (Top Hat) >>>> "Chim Chim Cher-ee" (Mary Poppins) >>>> "Circle of Life" (The Lion King) >>>> "Do-Re-Mi" (The Sound of Music) >>>> "Evergreen (Love Theme from A Star Is Born)" >>>> >>> (A Star Is Born) >>> >>>> "Get Happy" (Summer Stock) >>>> "Gigi" (Gigi) >>>> "Good Morning" (Singin' In the Rain) >>>> "Hakuna Matata" (The Lion King) >>>> "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" >>>> >>> (Meet Me in St. Louis) >>> >>>> "Hello Dolly" (Hello Dolly) >>>> "I Could Have Danced All Night" (My Fair >>>> >>> Lady) >>> >>>> "I Don't Know How to Love Him" (Jesus >>>> >>> Christ Superstar) >>> >>>> "I Feel Pretty" (West Side Story) >>>> "I Got Rhythm" (An American in Paris) >>>> "I Remember It Well" (Gigi) >>>> "I Whistle A Happy Tune" (The King and I) >>>> "If I Loved You" (Carousel) >>>> "It Might as Well Be Spring" (State Fair) >>>> "Jailhouse Rock" (Jailhouse Rock) >>>> "Lady Marmalade" (Moulin Rouge) >>>> "The Last Time I Saw Paris" (Lady Be Good) >>>> "Let's Call the Whole Thing Off" (Shall >>>> >>> We Dance) >>> >>>> "Luck Be A Lady" (Guys and Dolls) >>>> "The Man That Got Away" (A Star Is Born) >>>> "My Favorite Things" (The Sound of Music) >>>> "Oklahoma!" (Oklahoma!) >>>> "Ol' Man River" (Show Boat) >>>> "On the Atchison, Topeka and the Santa Fe" >>>> >>> (The Harvey Girls) >>> >>>> "On the Good Ship Lollipop" (Bright Eyes) >>>> "People" (Funny Girl) >>>> "Pinball Wizard" (The Who's Tommy) >>>> "Save the People" (Godspell) >>>> "Singin' In the Rain" (Singin' In >>>> >>> the Rain) >>> >>>> "Some Enchanted Evening" (South Pacific) >>>> "Somewhere" (West Side Story) >>>> "Somewhere Over the Rainbow" (The Wizard of >>>> >>> Oz) >>> >>>> "The Sound of Music" (The Sound of Music) >>>> "Stormy Weather" (Stormy Weather) >>>> "The Sun Will Come Out Tomorrow" (Annie) >>>> "Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious" (Mary >>>> >>> Poppins) >>> >>>> "Swinging on a Star" (Going My Way) >>>> "Ten Cents a Dance" (Love Me Or Leave Me) >>>> "Thanks for the Memory" (The Big Broadcast >>>> >>> of 1938) >>> >>>> "They Can't Take That Away from Me" >>>> >>> (Shall We Dance) >>> >>>> "Tonight" (West Side Story) >>>> "The Trolley Song" (Meet Me In St. Louis) >>>> "True Love" (High Society) >>>> "Under the Sea" (The Little Mermaid) >>>> "The Way You Look Tonight" (Swing Time) >>>> "We're Off to See the Wizard" (The >>>> >>> Wizard of Oz) >>> >>>> "When You Wish Upon a Star" (Pinocchio) >>>> "White Christmas" (Holiday Inn) >>>> "Who Will Buy?" (Oliver!) >>>> "A Whole New World" (Aladdin) >>>> "The Yankee Doodle Boy" (Yankee Doodle >>>> >>> Dandy) >>> >>>> "You Must Love Me" (Evita) >>>> "You'll Be in My Heart" (Tarzan) >>>> "You're the One That I Want" (Grease) >>>> "Younger Than Springtime" (South Pacific) >>>> "Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah" (Song of the South) >>>> Other (but PLEASE be sure to explain WHY you chose >>>> >>> this option) >>> >>>> >>>> I am really curious to see how MoPo members feel vs my >>>> >>> club overall. Remember, ANY song is fine, on the list or >>> not! >>> >>>> >>>> Bruce >>>> Visit the MoPo Mailing List Web Site at >>>> >>> www.filmfan.com >>> >>>> >>>> ___________________________________________________________________ >>> >>>> How to UNSUBSCRIBE from the MoPo Mailing List >>>> Send a message addressed to: >>>> >>> [email protected] >>> >>>> In the BODY of your message type: SIGNOFF MOPO-L >>>> The author of this message is solely responsible for >>>> >>> its content. >>> >>>> >>>> >>> >>> Visit the MoPo Mailing List Web Site at >>> www.filmfan.com >>> >>> ___________________________________________________________________ >>> How to UNSUBSCRIBE from the MoPo Mailing List >>> Send a message >>> addressed to: [email protected] >>> In the BODY of your message type: SIGNOFF MOPO-L >>> The author of this >>> message is solely responsible for its content. >>> >> >> Visit the MoPo Mailing List Web Site at www.filmfan.com >> ___________________________________________________________________ >> How to UNSUBSCRIBE from the MoPo Mailing List >> >> Send a message addressed to: [email protected] >> In the BODY of your message type: SIGNOFF MOPO-L >> >> The author of this message is solely responsible for its content. >> > > Visit the MoPo Mailing List Web Site at www.filmfan.com > ___________________________________________________________________ > How to UNSUBSCRIBE from the MoPo Mailing List > Send a message addressed to: > [email protected] > In the BODY of your message type: SIGNOFF MOPO-L > The author of this message is solely > responsible for its content. > Visit the MoPo Mailing List Web Site at www.filmfan.com ___________________________________________________________________ How to UNSUBSCRIBE from the MoPo Mailing List Send a message addressed to: [email protected] In the BODY of your message type: SIGNOFF MOPO-L The author of this message is solely responsible for its content.
