Broadway: Beyond the Golden Age- Page 4

[DAME]

Posted: 8/20/21 at 1:52pm

lovebwy said: "The cut that was screened in Palm Springs was 148 minutes long. The PBS version was 70 minutes.

Very, very disappointing. I liked the ACL casts reunion section, and the Chicago stuff was great. But there was clearly way too much missing from Rick's original vision.

Didn't care for it at all.



"

I agree with you. But the Palm Springs version was just more talking heads with familiar anecdotes. Not a lot of fun footage in that one.

[TaffyDavenport]

Posted: 8/20/21 at 4:41pm

As someone who went into this blind, never having seen the first film, and not even knowing this one existed until last night, I loved it. Unlike others on here, who were expecting more, I was quite satisfied with, and often moved by, the stories that were included. 

[BrodyFosse123]

Posted: 8/20/21 at 4:48pm

TaffyDavenport said: "As someone who went into this blind, never having seen the first film, and not even knowing this one existed until last night, I loved it. Unlike others on here, who were expecting more, I was quite satisfied with, and often moved by, the stories that were included."

Do yourself a favor and watch the original 2003 documentary:

 

[John Adams]

Posted: 8/20/21 at 7:11pm

The editing of this film is spectacular. Cannot say enough about Rick McKay's incredible work. 

[FindingNamo]

Posted: 8/20/21 at 10:32pm

I sobbed and sobbed and sobbed through the A Chorus Line section. 

 

[BrodyFosse123]

Posted: 8/20/21 at 11:11pm

FindingNamo said: "I sobbed and sobbed and sobbed through the A Chorus Line section.

Here’s a fuller 25-minute rough cut of the section on A CHORUS LINE.

 

[John Adams]

Posted: 8/21/21 at 10:26am

BrodyFosse123 said: "Here’s a fuller 25-minute rough cut of the section on A CHORUS LINE. [video]"

Thanks for this!!

For anyone who's interested in examples of really great editing, watch the rough cut above, then compare it to the final edit (if you're not sure where to stream, log in to your local PBS station's site and search the Great Performances section. You can also find it on the ALL ARTS website). 

Rick McKay, Rick McKay, Rick McKay. <woeful sigh for your absence> 

[uncageg]

Posted: 8/21/21 at 5:19pm

Just finished watching the documentary and then watched the video that BrodyFosse123 posted (Thank you for that!)

Thoroughly enjoyed every minute of the documentary. By the end I wished they had included more shows but what they included was wonderful.

I could just listen to the "A Chorus Line" stories for days on end. I saw the original production and it had a profound effect on me. In so many ways. I came out to myself in the Shubert Theater (6th row back, house right second seat off the aisle! I actually touched the seat when I saw "Matilda" as I was sitting right behind it.) I wanted nothing more than to be a stage actor on Broadway at the time. After hearing the story of how it all began, if I could go back in time and be at any one place, it would have been in that studio the night of the tapings. 

I hope we get a release with extra footage/special features. If I am not mistaken, this was to be a trilogy. I hope the people that finished this one have plans to do the third. I wonder if any interviews were done for it before Rick McKay died. (Jordan Catalano, you said you worked on this one so you may know the answer to that question.) No matter what may have not made it into or was not covered in this documentary, it is still an incredible look at that time, and the stories, memories, pictures and footage are priceless. 

[dramamama611]

Posted: 8/21/21 at 5:24pm

It just aired in Boston last night....and I just finished watching it, too. I shed more tears than I'd like to admit- it was just filled with so much love.

Uncaged, I'm assuming you've watched Every Little Step, which I found also gave some insight into ACL.

[uncageg]

Posted: 8/21/21 at 5:35pm

dramamama611 said: "It just aired in Boston last night....and I just finished watching it, too. I shed more tears than I'd like to admit- it was just filled with so much love.

Uncaged, I'm assuming you've watched Every Little Step, which I found also gave some insight into ACL."

Oh yes! And have read the books. It's funny, I refused to see the revival of the show as I just didn't want to "taint" the experience of seeing the original. I saw one of the tours (I seem to remember they changed some of the costumes) and didn't care for it.

 

Updated On: 8/21/21 at 05:35 PM

[dramamama611]

Posted: 8/22/21 at 9:37am

I saw it on bway...and didn't care for it either. But loved Every Little Step.

[A Director]

Posted: 8/24/21 at 2:01am

Broadway: The Golden Age is better. You get a sense what the theatre and the time period were like.  This is missing from Beyond. The sections I liked were One Upon a Mattress, Bye Bye Birdie, Ain't Misbehavin', Pippin and some of A Chorus Line.  For me, the most moving parts are Taxi! and Mary Ure.  The section on 42nd Street has been told over and over. Also, the person who did Mr. Groff's makeup should be fired.  He looked like he was wearing a mask.