es
A trio of Sondheim tunes on film
Mordden’s new tome considers Hollywood musicals
oe tcl seca and meds atension gi
so the 2016 release Le Le Lend contin tha
movie musical approaching its 90th birthday,
remains vital. rol author Ethan Mordden has
fallowed up his tha monograph On Sond
(2015) with When Brocduay Wine
te Holbwond (Oxford Univenity
Pees} a ltgescale history
Hollywood musica, inluding
cogent analysis of dace fils wih
Srepien Sondheim scores.
Reguding the often-maligned
adaptation ofthe Sondacim/Tole
Sryne musical Gypsy, Mordde
is generous, "[Wamer Broch-
ces) eeated Gp (1962) with
compare respec albeie wich
Rosalind Russell ypc
te role th
wl cand through @
portrayal, the fis in her
career, However: the new directo
Mean LeRoy, sublyretilted the
action, seeing Rose a mote than
rasan cucof-vasie
ferman
suse mot
accor We vend to think of Gip-
sy asa Fail soga centered on 2
narent problem. LeRoy viewed is
awa backstages, constantly pling
the camera ina the middle of an
sucitorium to gaze greedily upon
stage — even during the credits,
che first visual ofl. Tate, during
the Fartboys act, when other
Roses (starting with Me
Broads) accasionaly inject
thernelves inc the scene, LeRoy
ha Rusel doing virally the
cate ac along with de kids. So
Rose ruc vocation is nor mia
zr. es performer” Mordden
songs awe and again, ihre
Freshing so sei almoee lavishly
recreting what has become one
of our das
Ms
the Woods (2014, drezed by
Rob Marshall) “is ako quite
fathfl, and this we fr shocking, a S
pioneered the most ambitious wing ofthe mod
em musical, often maving outside the comaire
wre of many (..) Barter, Wand relling of
fait ese replete ith the auzhentie Grimm
Violence. We keep thinking dese tales are sbowe
Cinderella and hee gas slipper, bur th
+ REVIEW BY ANDREW MILNER »
ikely well of Himbs gesting backed off and mon-
sters wondering whi sauce you go with” He
sed, “The very
jgiging cave was largely dawn
fiom relative newcomer, though Meryl Sereeps
‘Wich and Joh
iy Depp cameo asthe Wolf
= WHEN -——-
BROADWAY cnc.
—— WENT TO ——
HOLLYWOOD
ETHAN MORDDEN
"Ethan Morédet atest bok i lrge-seae story of Hllrwood masa ncading
‘orsmantssboutGypry ad Ine the Woods.
ome movie-star prestige. Sondhelns scores
snainain «high epreiv level, yet he writes,
for Broadway voice! — men who exttya rine
in the Robere Preston racer than Alfied Drake
manner and wornen more lies Angela Larabusy
‘ban Barbara Cooks Sil, Steep is especially
cflective in The Last Migh in slow build
@
‘of volume as the wind comes up and the camera
Seles fiercely ston hes”
‘Also exained is Dick Try (1990, Wat
Beacty which, while eatuving several origial
Sondheim song, i rarely consdared 4 movie
‘musical: "Sooner of Later (1
slays get my mar) cul be
Madonna’ performance spat or
ic could tall abou her ineres i
‘Tracy or even, obliquely, about
“Tracy vccvis inlaw enforce:
ment. Or More” another 0
Madonna numbers on the
nigheeub fos, Functions 8 an
fourofsrory character number oe
the Material Gti hers Or ‘Live
Alone and Like Isang by Mel
“Tormé ia voioowes refer tothe
adult pslacpals al single yet all
setting more and more iavelved
‘with one anothec”
Conspieuousy, Morden
loses over other movie musical
heim contsbuted to,
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films fearusing stats of each of |
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amination of the ane of
ANDREW MILNER naz bean ofrelanes wer fr 30
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Stop Sandner: A Casebook (1527)