What are you reading tonight?

[TANGODANCER]

. It has Anne Hathaway in, that might have tempted me, though still unlikely.

A musical you say? IAMOUT.

You mean you don't watch West Side Story, South Pacific, Brigadoon etc...? Peasant.

[William the White]

Musical theatre can have a lot of dross in it...

But it certainly isn't hard to compile a list of outstanding, intelligent, inquisitive musicals with important things to say, real characters and fab songs...

Chicago, The Threepenny Opera and its antecedent, the brilliant, 18th century Beggars Opera, Billy Elliot, Oklahoma, Sweeney Todd, Porgy and Bess, Carmen Jones, Hair, Blues in the Night, Company, West Side Story, The Rise and Fall of the City of Mahagonny - those tripped off the tongue pretty much without thought...

Absurd to dismiss a whole genre wholesale...

Errmmm... Perhaps we shouldn't hijack the 'Reading' thread...

[bobo the clown]

. It has Anne Hathaway in, that might have tempted me, though still unlikely.

A musical you say? IAMOUT.

You mean you don't watch West Side Story, South Pacific, Brigadoon etc...? Peasant.

God no.

A musical only works if the music has a place. So Caberet works. The Blues Bothers works.

Though I can get to enjoy things like Chicago generally musicals make me think of the Swamp Castle, 'erbert scene in Holy Grail.

1 minute in ; http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g3YiPC91QUk" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[TANGODANCER]

Musical theatre can have a lot of dross in it...

But it certainly isn't hard to compile a list of outstanding, intelligent, inquisitive musicals with important things to say, real characters and fab songs...

Chicago, The Threepenny Opera and its antecedent, the brilliant, 18th century Beggars Opera, Billy Elliot, Oklahoma, Sweeney Todd, Porgy and Bess, Carmen Jones, Hair, Blues in the Night, Company, West Side Story, The Rise and Fall of the City of Mahagonny - those tripped off the tongue pretty much without thought...

Absurd to dismiss a whole genre wholesale...

Errmmm... Perhaps we shouldn't hijack the 'Reading' thread...

Aye, you're right. I was just about to rattle in another dozen but I'll save them.

[William the White]

. It has Anne Hathaway in, that might have tempted me, though still unlikely.

A musical you say? IAMOUT.

You mean you don't watch West Side Story, South Pacific, Brigadoon etc...? Peasant.

God no.

A musical only works if the music has a place. So Caberet works. The Blues Bothers works.

Though I can get to enjoy things like Chicago generally musicals make me think of the Swamp Castle, 'erbert scene in Holy Grail.

1 minute in ; http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g3YiPC91QUk" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

The role of music, and, particularly, song is to heighten feeling and to offer an additional layer to the emotion of a particular scene or particular moment. This can be tragic, tender, comic or joyous. If it is used gratuitously it almost always will fail. When it is used truthfully it will work for those emotionally open to its power (a significant number, obviously, given the prevalence of the musical theatre in London, New York and many other places).

Those of a literal mindset will never get it. And, indeed, are likely to struggle to make a living as a convincing clown.

OOOOps... hijack continued...

[TANGODANCER]

Those of a literal mindset will never get it. And, indeed, are likely to struggle to make a living as a convincing clown.

OOOOps... hijack continued...

Ah, what the hell. At this time of night it's a quiet thread.
Funnily enough, "Send in the Clowns" from a "A little Night Music" is a favourite song. So many good musicals it's hard to list them. Kismet is a total favourite, as are The Pyjama Game and Top Hat and so many more.

[Prufrock]

. It has Anne Hathaway in, that might have tempted me, though still unlikely.

A musical you say? IAMOUT.

You mean you don't watch West Side Story, South Pacific, Brigadoon etc...? Peasant.

God no.

A musical only works if the music has a place. So Caberet works. The Blues Bothers works.

Though I can get to enjoy things like Chicago generally musicals make me think of the Swamp Castle, 'erbert scene in Holy Grail.

1 minute in ; http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g3YiPC91QUk" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Well, we agree on this. I don't even think of the Blues Brothers as a musical, more a story about music.

They do my head in, they start telling a story and then from no-where everyone starts prancing around and singing. When has that ever happened? Flashmobs aside (and they're almost exclusively perpetrated by wankers), when has that ever happened?

I reckon, one day, I could deal with opera, where the whole thing is a story told through music, but the normal Cats-style pish is awful. West Side Story, Grease, all that lot, no ta.

[TANGODANCER]

They do my head in, they start telling a story and then from no-where everyone starts prancing around and singing. When has that ever happened? Flashmobs aside (and they're almost exclusively perpetrated by wankers), when has that ever happened?
.

You mean you never actually just broke into a song sometime when you felt really good about life? Gee...

[Lost Leopard Spot]

Just finished latest Grisham (the Racketeer, or something similar). Excellent, one of his best.

[ohjimmyjimmy]

Good to know, Grisham went off for a while and seemed to write a lot of nonsense about all things Italian..

I've quite enjoyed reading the Lee Child Jack Reacher books lately, although the more you read them the more ridiculous it seems to cast Tom Cruise in the title role in the new film !

[Lost Leopard Spot]

Good to know, Grisham went off for a while and seemed to write a lot of nonsense about all things Italian..

I've quite enjoyed reading the Lee Child Jack Reacher books lately, although the more you read them the more ridiculous it seems to cast Tom Cruise in the title role in the new film !

Agreed.

And agreed.

[Bruce Rioja]

Just finished latest Grisham (the Racketeer, or something similar). Excellent, one of his best.

Someone bought me a Grisham book on Christmas. The Chamber, I think. Never read any Grisham so I don't know if it's any good - it's a big, thick rascal mind.
Same person also bought me the latest Robert Goddard - Fault Line. He's a proper clever blighter, that one.

[Lost Leopard Spot]

Just finished latest Grisham (the Racketeer, or something similar). Excellent, one of his best.

Someone bought me a Grisham book on Christmas. The Chamber, I think. Never read any Grisham so I don't know if it's any good - it's a big, thick rascal mind.
Same person also bought me the latest Robert Goddard - Fault Line. He's a proper clever blighter, that one.

The Chamber's one of his earlier ones - I can't remember the plotline, but most of his earlier ones were Ok.

[TANGODANCER]

Read Grisham's The Litigators not long back. Not a happy ending story but a fascinating inside on how it all goes down, an area Grisham with a background in law knows very well.

[mummywhycantieatcrayons]

yeah, ive no chance. gonna watch the Liam Neeson version and hopefully the stage show - that'll do.

maybe Crayons can fix us up wit tickets in return for votes?

btw, how long has this show been running? its still selling out every night today! and at >£50 a pop! pretty incredible.

I'll see what I can do.

I saw it free over the Olympics because it was relatively quiet, but I think it's rammed at the moment due to the film publicity.

I'm booked in for the film on Friday night, so looking forward to that, and then the Great Gatsby film is close behind.

Yes, this is probably the wrong thread for this.

I did read the Great Gatsby recently and really enjoyed it. It's a short book that you can rattle through in no time.

Sometimes it feels overwritten, but there are some brilliant human observations in there. Maybe half a dozen sentences of pure genius, which is a huge number for one, short novel! And I also particularly enjoyed the way the book cut between scenes and time in the same way a film does - it can't be a coincidence that it was written at the start of the cinema age.

[Prufrock]

yeah, ive no chance. gonna watch the Liam Neeson version and hopefully the stage show - that'll do.

maybe Crayons can fix us up wit tickets in return for votes?

btw, how long has this show been running? its still selling out every night today! and at >£50 a pop! pretty incredible.

I'll see what I can do.

I saw it free over the Olympics because it was relatively quiet, but I think it's rammed at the moment due to the film publicity.

I'm booked in for the film on Friday night, so looking forward to that, and then the Great Gatsby film is close behind.

Yes, this is probably the wrong thread for this.

I did read the Great Gatsby recently and really enjoyed it. It's a short book that you can rattle through in no time.

Sometimes it feels overwritten, but there are some brilliant human observations in there. Maybe half a dozen sentences of pure genius, which is a huge number for one, short novel! And I also particularly enjoyed the way the book cut between scenes and time in the same way a film does - it can't be a coincidence that it was written at the start of the cinema age.

I wrote something very similar about John Dos Passos' Manhattan Transfer a while back, published in the same period (they were both members of the same set, which included Hemingway, and same time as Steinbeck, though I don't think he was part of their 'group').

Still yet to get around to The Great Gatsby, although you aren't the first to read and enjoy in the last few weeks. Did you buy it or library?

[William the White]

yeah, ive no chance. gonna watch the Liam Neeson version and hopefully the stage show - that'll do.

maybe Crayons can fix us up wit tickets in return for votes?

btw, how long has this show been running? its still selling out every night today! and at >£50 a pop! pretty incredible.

I'll see what I can do.

I saw it free over the Olympics because it was relatively quiet, but I think it's rammed at the moment due to the film publicity.

I'm booked in for the film on Friday night, so looking forward to that, and then the Great Gatsby film is close behind.

Yes, this is probably the wrong thread for this.

I did read the Great Gatsby recently and really enjoyed it. It's a short book that you can rattle through in no time.

Sometimes it feels overwritten, but there are some brilliant human observations in there. Maybe half a dozen sentences of pure genius, which is a huge number for one, short novel! And I also particularly enjoyed the way the book cut between scenes and time in the same way a film does - it can't be a coincidence that it was written at the start of the cinema age.

I wrote something very similar about John Dos Passos' Manhattan Transfer a while back, published in the same period (they were both members of the same set, which included Hemingway, and same time as Steinbeck, though I don't think he was part of their 'group').

Still yet to get around to The Great Gatsby, although you aren't the first to read and enjoy in the last few weeks. Did you buy it or library?

I must have missed that post, i think, Pru. I've been waiting for you to give your view on the book (since it was me that urged you towards the unfairly-neglected Dos Passos). How did you find the book? You are certainly right about the cinematic style...

Are you tempted by his monumental USA yet? You could not have a greater contrast to Gatsby...

[William the White]

My reading - having finished two major works by Christopher Hitchens - is poetry. I received three collections for Christmas - all from my children, bless em, all well chosen - so I'm in 'poem a day' mood. I've started with Carol Ann Duffy's collection The Bees. She is so good, I'm loving it.

Today's poem was Rings. A beautiful, rather solemn, poem of adoration, expressed, wonderfully, in a sort of litany of rings... the ring of churchbells, the ring of trees aging,the ring of planets and moons, rings of a fish leaping from a river... and many more... A sustained image used with the assurance of a great poet...

[mummywhycantieatcrayons]

Sometimes it feels overwritten, but there are some brilliant human observations in there. Maybe half a dozen sentences of pure genius, which is a huge number for one, short novel! And I also particularly enjoyed the way the book cut between scenes and time in the same way a film does - it can't be a coincidence that it was written at the start of the cinema age.

I wrote something very similar about John Dos Passos' Manhattan Transfer a while back, published in the same period (they were both members of the same set, which included Hemingway, and same time as Steinbeck, though I don't think he was part of their 'group').

Still yet to get around to The Great Gatsby, although you aren't the first to read and enjoy in the last few weeks. Did you buy it or library?

I think we've actually got two copies in the minor library we're putting together at my new place. We'll have to have you round for dinner or something soon.

[Prufrock]

yeah, ive no chance. gonna watch the Liam Neeson version and hopefully the stage show - that'll do.

maybe Crayons can fix us up wit tickets in return for votes?

btw, how long has this show been running? its still selling out every night today! and at >£50 a pop! pretty incredible.

I'll see what I can do.

I saw it free over the Olympics because it was relatively quiet, but I think it's rammed at the moment due to the film publicity.

I'm booked in for the film on Friday night, so looking forward to that, and then the Great Gatsby film is close behind.

Yes, this is probably the wrong thread for this.

I did read the Great Gatsby recently and really enjoyed it. It's a short book that you can rattle through in no time.

Sometimes it feels overwritten, but there are some brilliant human observations in there. Maybe half a dozen sentences of pure genius, which is a huge number for one, short novel! And I also particularly enjoyed the way the book cut between scenes and time in the same way a film does - it can't be a coincidence that it was written at the start of the cinema age.

I wrote something very similar about John Dos Passos' Manhattan Transfer a while back, published in the same period (they were both members of the same set, which included Hemingway, and same time as Steinbeck, though I don't think he was part of their 'group').

Still yet to get around to The Great Gatsby, although you aren't the first to read and enjoy in the last few weeks. Did you buy it or library?

I must have missed that post, i think, Pru. I've been waiting for you to give your view on the book (since it was me that urged you towards the unfairly-neglected Dos Passos). How did you find the book? You are certainly right about the cinematic style...

Are you tempted by his monumental USA yet? You could not have a greater contrast to Gatsby...

Really? I was sure you'd replied, agreeing with my (genuine, astonished) love for its cinematic style, and urging me to read USA. I haven't yet, mainly due to moving down to this that London and not really finding time to join a library. As soon as I'd finished MT I moved onto a biography of Hemingway. There is about a forty year period in which I would kill to have been in Paris. Fin de siecle to that era of America literature, green fairy and Picasso included. I recently finished Henry Miller's Tropic of Cancer. That's often crass and vulgar, but often genius as well. Just to be there then...