Dance and musicals on tv!

[Amelie]

For those of you who live in England and love dance and musicals (especially you JILL!!!!!!) which are not on tv much, on Sunday on BBC1 at 3,20pm there is a performance of Matthew Bournes 'The Nutcracker' from Sadlers Wells. And at Christmas on boxing day at 9pm, there is the countdown of '100 greatest musicals' with the second part on Saturday 28th December at 8.25, both on Channel 4, and the whole thing repeated at 2.50pm on the Sunday afternoon on C4. Don't mean to sound defeatist, but as these are voted for by viewers (I voted for 'West Side Story') what's the betting that the top two will be 'Moulin Rouge' and 'Chicago', both of which I love, but people tend to only remember the most recent films in these polls. All the old favourites may be relegated way down the list. Lets hope I'm wrong!
Love
Amelie

[Clarkkent]

LAST EDITED ON 17-Dec-03 AT 06:51 PM (GMT)

>And at Christmas on boxing
>day at 9pm, there is
>the countdown of '100 greatest
>musicals' with the second part
>on Saturday 28th December at
>8.25, both on Channel 4,
>and the whole thing repeated
>at 2.50pm on the Sunday
>afternoon on C4. Don't
>mean to sound defeatist, but
>as these are voted for
>by viewers (I voted for
>'West Side Story') what's the
>betting that the top two
>will be 'Moulin Rouge' and
>'Chicago', both of which I
>love, but people tend to
>only remember the most recent
>films in these polls.

I love musicals but hate programmes like this, largely for the same basic reason as Amelie - that the majority of voters are ignorant of the history of all but the last few years of the form and are not acquainted with earlier examples, but also because there are no satisfactory criteria for anyone making such judgements. I would not want to distinguish between, say, "West Side Story", "My Fair Lady" and "Carousel" - but my reasons for liking each of these are entirely different. What about the historical (and developmental) importance of "Show Boat" and "Oklahoma!"? Or the dazzling partnership of Rodgers and Hart? Where will Cole Porter or Stephen Sondheim end up?

And will there be any French musical in the list?

I think this is lazy television!

[Jill<br><br>Jill (99)]

LAST EDITED ON 18-Dec-03 AT 00:30 AM (GMT)

Yes, thanks Amelie, I've already gone through the Radio Times and marked what to watch and what to video! Mind you, I've got most of the obvious musicals on DVD - Chicago, Moulin Rouge, West Side Story, Singing in the Rain. I see Sainsbury's have a boxed set - Gigi (tres francais!!) American in Paris (ca aussi) and High Society for 19.99!!! Must get it!

Must admit to not being mad about West Side Story - the dancing is great - the singing is too squarky for me!

I think "White Christmas" is on too. I haven't seen it for years - must video that. There are a few good dances in it if I remember rightly - but I get muddled with "Holiday Inn"

Will definitely video Nutcracker - I've heard it's very good. Although I must say I was rather put off Bourne's Swan Lake because of the promotional video I was sent. The dancing looked great, but I didn't like the way it had been treated.

I wish more of the Northern Ballet's stuff would be put on television though - it's great for children to see as they mostly have something amusing and unexpected such as a clog dance, and the doll in Coppelia in drag! I'm not so keen on what the Royal and others have done to the Nutcracker lately - using adults for Clara and adding in a sister too. I prefer it the old way, with Clara danced by a girl in a nightie! I have a lovely Scottish Ballet version of it on video (well most of it - some got wiped when my daughter was small and pressing buttons!)

I just don't think there is enough dance or musical stuff on television. I'm sure more children would take an interest in dance if they were exposed to it more. Dance and sport are really not fairly balanced. Also, it would be good to get more dance into the school curriculem and less sport - or at least make choices available.

I have yet to see a ballet in France. I'd love to go to the Paris Opera. I have seen the Nutcracker Suite at the Vienna Opera House though. That was an experience, just for the queuing system!

By the way, The Sound of Music has to be near the top!! What about Mary Poppins - surely that is classed as a musical - that's one of my favourites! Singing in the Rain, The Band Wagon.

What I really wish they would do is video the West End shows as they did with Barnum, and show it on TV - not a studio setting as they did with Cats and Joseph, but just video them on stage. I'd buy them on DVD too. My DVD of Fosse is done that way too.

Jill (99)

[Spaige]

Who is listen Oldfield?

[Amelie]

Big controversy in the 'Daily Mail' yesterday (only just got round to reading it) regarding the 'Nutcracker' on Sunday afternoon? Didn't get all of it, but is something to do with Greg Dyke funding it(alledgedly) and giving it airtime, although it was considered a bit inappropriate? Or something like that. I didn't get to see it, but apparently it was a bit risque for a sunday afternoon?
Any ideas anyone who did see it?
Love
Amelie
xxx