Beth Leavel Old Man River
Beth Leavel Old Man River
bymymatricide
Swing Joined: 1/21/16
#1Beth Leavel Old Man River
Posted: 5/9/21 at 3:07pmIm looking for the clip of Beth Leavel singing Old Man River at 2019 Miscast. It was on YT, but its been made private. Other songs from the concert are still available. Anyone know why its been taken down and/or where else to find it?
Tag
Broadway Legend Joined: 11/19/05
#2Beth Leavel Old Man River
Posted: 5/9/21 at 10:18pm
Probably the same reason they took down Norbert Leo Butz's And I Am Telling You.
Fill in the blanks.
BroadwayBen
Broadway Star Joined: 6/5/03
#3Beth Leavel Old Man River
Posted: 5/11/21 at 12:57pm
Hundreds of white performers have sung "ol man river" and they should. The Judy Garland television show rendition is epic and beautiful. Frank Sinatra also has a fine version that I think is in a film.
#4Beth Leavel Old Man River
Posted: 5/11/21 at 2:15pm
They should not, and they certainly should not in 2021. The song is about the Black experience and the lyrics approximate Black vernacular. So, no, while people should not sing the song.
Updated On: 5/11/21 at 02:15 PM
BrodyFosse123
Broadway Legend Joined: 2/27/06
#5Beth Leavel Old Man River
Posted: 5/11/21 at 2:17pm
BroadwayBen said: "Hundreds of white performers have sung "ol man river" and they should. The Judy Garland television show rendition is epic and beautiful. Frank Sinatra also has a fine version that I think is in a film."
The world was a different place back then. Today it’s considered inappropriate.
#6Beth Leavel Old Man River
Posted: 5/11/21 at 2:49pm
I was originally going to post Garland's performance of the song from her early 60s television show. A lot of you have probably seen it before. Then, I found this...posted just 4 weeks ago:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nrg9528FC-g
It's helpful to click on the closed captions to understand some of the commentary.
#7Beth Leavel Old Man River
Posted: 5/11/21 at 6:54pmGreat. It’s still a song about the Black experience in America.
#8Beth Leavel Old Man River
Posted: 5/11/21 at 7:04pmI mean, it’s Miscast, so nobody’s supposed to fit the role and none of it is supposed to be taken seriously. They could’ve just posted in the description or added a comment apologizing if it offends anyone, I don’t think they needed to remove it entirely.
“Somebody stop me before I sing again” - Bazzard
BrodyFosse123
Broadway Legend Joined: 2/27/06
#9Beth Leavel Old Man River
Posted: 5/11/21 at 9:49pm
NameGreg said: "I mean, it’s Miscast, so nobody’s supposed to fit the role and none of it is supposed to be taken seriously. They could’ve just posted in the description or added a comment apologizing if it offends anyone, I don’t think they needed to remove it entirely."
They coulda done a lot of things, but they didn’t. You can move on now.
#10Beth Leavel Old Man River
Posted: 5/11/21 at 10:14pm^ Rude response. I’m not looking for any argument and I’m not even upset about this decision. I just think it’s unnecessary.
“Somebody stop me before I sing again” - Bazzard
#11Beth Leavel Old Man River
Posted: 5/11/21 at 10:27pm
Most of the world was introduced to Sinatra and “Ol’ Man River” in the MGM biopic which followed the death of Jerome Kern of a sudden heart attack on the streets of Manhattan in November, 1945.
The film ended with a group of MGM stars performing Kern songs. Skinny white Sinatra was last. Horrid, I thought.
Fast forward to a civil rights benefit at Carnegie Hall in the early 60s. Sinatra on stage singing the anthem, but a mature Sinatra performing it slower and with deep feeling. Legend has it that Martin Luther King, sitting up front, wiped away a few tears. Daughter Nancy, who was there, attested to it on her weekly SiriusXM show. So Sinatra is probably safe from criticism, although I still much prefer Warfield or Robeson.
Incidentally, that Sinatra performance was featured on his very good 1967 television special that included he lots of Ella and not enough Antonio Carlos Jobim. It is part of Prime video and can be watched for free with ads.