Posted on 01/25/2018 4:51:01 PM PST by Captain Peter Blood
There’s a place for Steven Spielberg, and apparently it’s on New York’s Upper West Side in the 1950s. A casting call has gone out for a remake of “West Side Story,” written by Pulitzer Prize winner Tony Kushner, author of Spielberg’s terrific “Lincoln” screenplay and, of course, “Angels in America.”
It’s a pro-forma casting call because, in the end, the new “West Side Story” is going to need stars. Big names. And because of the setting and the time we are in, it’s going to need actual Puerto Ricans or Latinos for the parts of characters like Maria, Anita, and Bernardo. There will be no fudging this in 2018. The casting call says in capital letters: MUST BE ABLE TO SPEAK SPANISH.
(Excerpt) Read more at showbiz411.com ...
Actually, Puccini wrote it first.
Wow, better not fall off that high, stuck-up horse of yours. You’d make quite a splat.
“So they educate themselves in the arts, they go into the arts, they appreicate the arts, while the right sits around and writes things like “Bernstein’s music is insipid and amateur.”
Just how many people will ever sit around listening to an evening of Bernstein? ANYONE?
The original West Side Story was stupid. Even back then, gangs were nasty & brutal. It was a fairy tale - emphasis on “fairy”.
The “arts” - such as they are now - consist of Star Wars and Star Trek remakes, combined with comic book hero movies. Movies are geared to international audiences. Hollywood is a bunch of corrupt, evil people pretending they are not. And listening to Bernstein’s music isn’t going to help anyone.
So you think that “the arts” are simply Hollywood? No ballet, opera, modern dance, theater, visual arts need apply?
Bernstein was one of the great American composers and conductors of the 20th Century. He was highly influenced by that other insipid, no-goodnik, Aaron Copeland. And, yes, there are many concert evenings devoted to Bernstein’s music - especially his dynamic and marvelous “Candide.” I’ve been to those evenings. (I guess the score of “On the Waterfront” is insipid as well.)
The lyrics for WSS were written by Stephen Sondheim, the composer of such insipid shows as Pacific Overtures, Sweeney Todd, Sunday in the Park with George and God knows how many others, I can’t keep up. He was a protege of Rodgers and Hammerstein, two other bums.
WSS has the powerful and eye-popping choreography of Jerome Robbins. The “America” number alone has assured this film’s immortality. The dance numbers were and are so successful that they have gone into City Ballet’s repertoire where I’ve witnessed their glory. But, I guess the folks who run City Ballet (poor old Peter Martins) know less than you.
And kudos to the great Robert Wise who directed two musicals that went on to win best picture!
But let’s stick with your idea that the arts are only “Star Wars” sequels.
When it comes to discussing art with freepers (well, aside from no pardons), I deserve to be a stuck up. You people continually embarrass yourself.
Webber either consciously or unconsciously rips off Puccini. Even his father told him so!
I won’t argue the point that you may be more artistically astute, but that doesn’t diminish my natural response to a movie I’ve watched in good faith, with no negative expectations beforehand.
I tried watching the “America” portion of WSS online the other day, and it still didn’t do anything for me. If it wasn’t for the included subtitles, the gibberish conversations would have been unintelligible.
“No ballet, opera, modern dance, theater, visual arts need apply?...But, I guess the folks who run City Ballet (poor old Peter Martins) know less than you.”
In terms of affecting America’s political climate? No, they do not. Almost NO ONE EVER GOES to “ballet, opera, modern dance, theater” - not even close to 1%. And if YOU don’t understand that, then YOU are out of touch with America. They are irrelevant to America’s culture because NO ONE GOES.
Well, outside of the superior people in NYC...who vote overwhelmingly for Democrats & Hillary. Your “arts” are entertainment for the extremely liberal, living in their echo chamber society.
Fine. You didn’t like it. That’s your right. The problem is when people here start discussing “art” without understanding what goes into it or who the players were and are. You know, I’m interested in buying a gun and I lurk on some of the threads here about buying guns. I wouldn’t offer an opinion on the subject because I don’t know anything about guns and wouldn’t embarrass myself by offering an opinion. And yet people feel to offer ANY opinion on the popular arts. I find that odd.
” And yet people feel to offer ANY opinion on the popular arts. I find that odd.”
—
Maybe because they have “skin in the game” as taxpayers,via the NEA.
.
“Fatima...Fatima...I just met a girl named Fatima..”
Whether it is popular art or high art, supported by the NEA or not, the Right needs to educate themselves so they can speak intelligently on the subject. Calling West Side Story “faggy” is not advancing their having any skin in the game.
All good 11-17 now
And I’m a grandpa to a one year old with daughter two and her hubby
It’s funny how I still remember Sunday night lineups
Mutual of Omaha
Lassie
Disney
Bonanza
Mission impossible
Ed Sullivan
Smothers brothers
And so forth
I was at Tosca about ten days ago and it was packed. People were also out the door hoping to buy tickets for the rest of the season. So don't tell me no one goes.
I was talking generally. You are one of the smartest FREEPERS we have so I know you know about that.
“So ballet and opera are only for liberals? What a joke....So don’t tell me no one goes.”
Live in your liberal fantasy world. No one goes to the ballet. Or a Wagner opera. I’m 60 and I’ve never met ANYONE who has seen either live. Most haven’t seen more than a few minutes in passing, at best.
Get out of NY and meet America. Where people play softball, go to soccer games or HS football, and are already paying $6000+ in day care for their kids so both parents can work.
Here is a hint: Twice as many people attended the week-long Waste Management Phoenix Open (golf) as attended the NYC ballet all year. And FWIW, I’ve never met anyone who went to a golf tournament either - but twice as many attended the Phoenix “Waste Management Open” as went to NYC’s ballet. One week versus one year.
I think it was the total homosexual takeover that has destroyed the Broadway musical not Webber who at least can write a tune and understands straight audiences. I knew all was lost after The Book of Mormon. Gays had always contributed to Broadway but when the producers and directors were all open gay guys, it was over.
I never said that more people go to the opera than Nascar, lol. I said people go; whereas you keep saying no one goes. That is either a lie, an exaggeration or plain stupidity. Perhaps if there was decent arts education in the USA, we’d have more fans of these forms of theater rather than freepers who think Jackass 3 and the remake of True Grit are worthy of discussion.
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