MOG

At least one picture!

I worked in theater for many years but unfortunately the only musicals that I like, from either stage or screen, have been "West Side Story" and "Chicago".

I always thought of Bebe Neuwirth as Lilith from cheers until I saw her do this and she is just smokin'!

Dzendvokh - Thanks for the listen, and the lovely comment! I take that the Zeta-Jones 'Velma' photo will not suffice...great avatar btw. Cheers.

dachmo - Not you too? Trust me, you're better off with the Zeta-Jones 'costume' photo - she's got curves I can only dream of! Hate the idea of costumes actually, but given I can pull this one straight from within my closet I'm warming to it.

'West Side Story' and 'Chicago' are two of my favourite musicals, and Bebe Neuwirth was smokin' indeed. I had admired her before she starred in 'Chicago', but after seeing her on Broadway as 'Velma' I damn near fell in love with the woman. Would have to add 'Cabaret' to the list (both the Fosse film and Mendes's '93 production) - could have quite enjoyed the 'lurid' excesses and underworld of Berlin's Golden Twenties! ;-)

I happen to worship the beguiling Bebe Neuwirth, whether doin' her Broadway baby thing or sit-comming it up. Saw her starring in "Here Lies Jenny," an evening of Kurt Weill music (which, as some might surmise, is a particular passion of one Mike the Knife), when she played it in S.F. Positively smashing. That said, I've gotta add that the film version of "Chicago" was quite a pleasant surprise.

Mike the Knife - 'Beguiling' is such an apt descriptor! Am most pleased to encounter another Bebe admirer; think she deserves to be worshipped - amazingly talented artist. I wanted to attend a performance of her 'Here Lies Jenny' show, but the timing never fell into place - heard that it was magnificent, and I too adore Kurt Weill. The film musical surprised me as well; it was quite enjoyable, and the casting worked splendidly...though Neuwirth will always be the 'Velma'. Appreciate the comment!

Good costume choice GC. I loved the movie version of Chicago. Never did see the stage version. I found it so amusing that a musical was made out of such a lurid storyline, kinda like 'Sweeney Todd'. But I'm a sick twist like that & obviously am not alone, haha!! Such great songs & performances. Who knew Zeta-Jones, Zellwegger & Gere could all sing?

Good costume choice GC. I loved the movie version of Chicago. Never did see the stage version. I found it so amusing that a musical was made out of such a lurid storyline, kinda like 'Sweeney Todd'. But I'm a sick twist like that & obviously am not alone, haha!! Such great songs & performances. Who knew Zeta-Jones, Zellwegger & Gere could all sing?

Oops, feel free to delete one of those comments above & this as well GC.

Augusts1 - delete one of your fabulous comments...never! The 1996 Broadway production was spectacular, and the casting superb. Found the dichotomy amusing as well (kinda like 'Sweeney Todd' indeed), and I'm definitely a card-carrying member of the 'sick twist' club...certain, shall we say, human depravities simply delight me thus the affinity for the Weimar era and Berlin particularly. :-)

Concur with your statement: 'Who knew'? Was pleasantly surprised that they could apparently 'sing'; strong performances, and stunning visuals - it worked. Appreciate your visit as ever, and thanks for the wonderful comments. Cheers.

Groovy Mama! You have to post a picture of yourself in costume. You just gotta. You can't lead us on like that and then let us down.

Sassy and classy post..With the new injection of classical sounds and broadway making appearances on MOG, who knows what's next. Will it cement or diminish our indie cred?

Though I have a cabaret singing step mom, musicals are really not my bag, but West Side Story started to turn the tide for me, especially after my son (when he was 3) sang Maria to his pre school teacher of the same name..I can't hear that song without tears welling up. My step mom does some Kurt Weill I can roll with too.

Nice one GC, waiting patiently for your pix..Have a ball.

way cool, cynthia. i liked some of the american musicals when i was a kid and i was profusely criticised by my dad because of it... that and that i didnt enjoy the local musicals (zarzuelas) turned him crazy... my dad is that hot blooded. i had a self-made pair of tapping shoes and i annoyed my family by practising all day long. it would be great to see that picture. well done!

Very sweet costume idea! If you do grace us with a picture, you should definitely get a pose going on just like the pic above _and_ with that same enthusiastic face!

Sassy, classy, sexy, jazzy...you go girl!

A murderess... Did I say that you were the Circe of MOG, GirlC? I think murder is indeed an art in its own right... Of course, it should only contemplative and abstract any attempt to act on it would tasteless.

Happy Halloween.

Well thanks GC, that's so kind of you to say. But really, when it's a duplicate why keep it? I bet the '96 production was spectacular, so jel you got to see it. So glad you're a card carrying member of the 'sick twist' club, that makes two of us. I guess Rob Marshall had to know those 3 could sing/dance eh, otherwise he wouldn't have hired them, lol.

I now have this funny picture in my head of a large brain tap dancing..... only on a Mog Halloween Night..... Cheers to you, hope you had fun at your party.

I am really embarrassed that I have not seen Chicago on Broadway or rented the movie. But, your post has reminded me to just do it! So I will. Thanks, Girlcrawl, always for keeping us informed!

Cynthia, I have such lust for Bebe.

It had died down for awhile, now you gotta heat it up again.

Great tune .... not that I am admiting I like musicals or anything.

Ah hell, Chicago is one of my faves. Freddy Ebb and John Kander are like the Dynamic Duo of musicals. You could almost read Ebb's lyrics like a book.

Marigold – Hey Groovy Papa! The pressure for the photo continues to mount…and now if I don’t produce one, I’ll be labelled a big tease aye? Appreciate the visit! :-)

Cody B – Think I’ve probably annihilated whatever remained of my indie cred with this post. Am really enjoying the broadway and classical ‘injection’ happening about MOG , and honestly can’t imagine such posts damaging MOG ’s ‘indie cred’ anymore than having New Kids On The Block listed as a top artist for what weeks(remember this fun):

http://mog.com/SunshineDaydream/blog_post/115951

What a beautiful anecdote regarding your son singing Maria and the emotional response it elicits – lovely. I can definitely ‘roll’ with Kurt Weill and cabaret culture from days past. Ever been to the Lido in Paris for an evening of ‘cabaret’? I can roll with that as well – grand fun. :-) Appreciate the comment as ever.

Danni – Hey pal! What did your father dislike about the American musicals in general? I have to be in the right mood to enjoy a musical or play and prefer a familiarity with the story/background info, but I rather enjoyed attending theatre performances for a good part of my life. What were the zarzuelas like in terms of content and tone? Love that you created tapping shoes.

Wish I could promise the photo, but am extremely reluctant to be photographed these days. Have only allowed a handful since 2000, and two of those were this year (the photos with Isabella the pup) that I uploaded. I’ve really always had an aversion to photos, and even during my very social and ‘visible’ years I somehow avoided being photographed more often than not. Would be impossible to do so presently with all the camera phones and tech gadgets. Appreciate your comment. :-)

SunshineDaydream – Though I possess excellent agility, achieving that pose and ‘enthusiastic’ face would be quite the feat! Thanks as ever for the visit and fantastic comment. :-)

Bartleby – You did designate me as the Circe of MOG which I quite liked! Agree that murder should remain contemplated rather than enacted – tasteless indeed. Present day society has nearly stripped murder of all ‘artistic’ merit given that any common street thug or idiot brandishing a firearm can impulsively ‘pop a cap’ into another human being and claim to have committed murder. No forethought, reasoning, or ingenuity required, and no remorse demonstrated afterwards – now that dear Bartleby is vulgar. :-)

Augusts1 - You make a valid point. There are only two of us in the ‘sick twist’ club…we need to recruit more members, and given some of the discussions I’ve seen on MOG this should not prove a difficult task. :-)

Dzendvokh - And now I have the same mental image! Thank goodness that no one is looking to pschoanalyse us mogsters…think that new categories would have to be created in order to classify our unique madnesses. :-)

2Serenity - Think you would appreciate the film or a theatre production. As others have noted, the 2002 film musical was very entertaining and definitely worth a view. I was surprised that it worked so well. It’s visually quite compelling and has some great choreography which I enjoyed. Would recommend. Appreciate the comment as ever. Cheers. :-)

I am – Think I could summon a kind of ‘lust for Bebe’ myself provided the right situation, not that I’m admitting it. :-) She has a genuine, understated sex appeal which I find far more interesting in other women than the lascivious, blatantly contrived variety.

Ebb and Kander were definitely a ‘dynamic duo’ (“New York, New York”) – great pair. Really glad you dropped over, and appreciate the lovely comment. Will not go blabbing to other moggers about your alledged fondness for musicals or E & K – as Cody noted, we’re either destroying or cementing our ‘indie cred’ with all these classical and broadway musical posts. Cheeers. :-)

I think we're cementing our "indie cred." Genres are for making the corporate marketers' jobs easier. I would have loved to see Bebe in the role but when I went to see the show about 9 or so years ago, Bebe was off that night and we were "treated" with the understudy. Still a good show so no complaints but probably could have even been better. The movie was good but, in my opinion, musicals work better on the stage. I prefer live music over listening on the stereo almost any day.

Cell Block Tango is most certainly my favorite from Chicago. Bebe Neuwirth rules. And, so, GC, where is that pic of yours as Velma...?! As Mike said, you just gotta (post it)!

poebegone – Cell Block Tango is possibly mine too, and quite concur that Bebe Neuwirth ‘rules’. So, you are joining the photo choir aye? :-) Thanks for the listen as ever. Cheers!