Date: Tue, 16 Feb 1999 00:44:14 -0700
From: Linda Griego <lgriego@Select1.com>
Subject: Gunmetal Blues Defense
To: "'mspt@asu.edu'" <mspt@asu.edu>
MIME-version: 1.0
By the way , I have to disagree with one of your arguments against Gunmetal Blues. I was unable to see it, due to my own performance schedule. So, my comment has nothing to do with the actual production. But, I remember you had a problem with the detective bursting into song.
Over the weekend, I read the City of Angels script. The musical, not the Nicolas Cage Stalker/Angel movie. In the introduction, one of the collaborators said his major obstacle was making a film noir character sing. It didn't seem in sinc with the genre. Then, he thought about musicals, in general, and realized that nobody bursts into song the way characters in musicals do. So, he comforted himself with the knowledge that people attending musicals expect artistic license. These weren't his exact words, mind you, as I returned the script to my friend.
But, in a nutshell, I wouldn't want to live in a world where musicals were only written about people who really sing. A more realistic version of Damn Yankees would have had the baseball players standing around spitting, rather than singing about heart. Let's not even DISCUSS what the sordid characters of Guys and Dolls would have been doing. Yet, these are fun, vibrant shows (when done properly, anyway).
I love creativity. And I thoroughly enjoyed the script to City of Angels, complete with its singing detective.
Granted, I didn't see Gunmetal Blues, so I can't say that it worked as well.
In my opinion, though, people attending musicals expect the characters to burst into song. The character's occupation or the style of the show doesn't come into play. Most people attending "Gunmetal Blues" knew the genre it was based on, before setting foot in the theatre. Therefore, the detective NOT bursting into song would have been much MORE upsetting to a majority of the audience.
So, cut musicals some slack, man! All we need is world filled with nothing but musicals about Pavarotti.
Oy.
Thanks for listening!
L