Kiss me Kate with Grace Kelly....

September 14^th – Those of you who’ve followed this daily dose of hogwash since Jan 1^st will know only too well that I’m not a musicals fan and that’s true, but it’s a bit more nuanced than that. At the risk of repeating myself, it’s the use of the musical in modern times that I take issue with.

John Lennon had a dose of flue once; let’s write a musical about it…we’ll call it Lenn-sip.

Patti Smith wore a dress once; let’s write a musical about it…we’ll call it Gingamy-Thingamy.

Tony Blair and George Bush started a war in Iraq on a false premise; let’s write a musical about it…we’ll call it Tony Bliar & George Bushit. Today’s musicals are written on the flimsiest of story lines and, in the main, are just a clothes line upon which to hang a gang of old hits that, when dressed up, are like a scarecrow in a field of nostalgia. For me there’s nothing groundbreaking or new in watching a cast of wannabes mimicking a set of ABBA, Paul Anka or Johnny Cash songs.

The thing is, am I so sure the musicals that I do enjoy are any better than those I ridicule; well…yes, I think so. See, they didn’t rely on a string of previously produced material in the 40’s/50’s; they didn’t rely on sensationalism or salacious events already in print. They wrote the whole thing from scratch, music and lyrics, and placed them within an original story to construct a piece of social, often comedic, entertainment. I’ve already listed my favourites. They’re all entirely predictable; Top Hat, On The Town, Singin’ in the Rain, Seven Brides for Seven Brothers, High Society and Kiss Me Kate being amongst them.

Kiss Me Kate was based on a previous theatre production (Taming of the Shrew); High Society, released in 1956, had Grace Kelly (died on this day in 1982…yup, it was that long ago; surprised me too…I was sad today) the soon to be Princess Consort of Monaco amongst its stellar cast. With songs like Who Wants to be a Millionaire (I bet you ALL followed that with;

I do!

That’s how well it’s entered the consciousness, and it’s an original song, no pop persona on this one) and Well, Did You Evah! In its canon as well as Bing, Frank, Satchmo (you knew every one of their full names, that’s how well it’s entered the consciousness) and the stunning Ms. Kelly it couldn’t fail to impress and become a classic, which it has and still is some 57 years later; we’ll see if Dreamboats and Petticoats or Jerry Springer’ lasts anything like the same amount of time.

Grace Kelly was an actor who wasn’t afraid to work outside of the comfort zone which the studio had mapped out for her. Her surprise Academy Award for her performance in The Country Girl was made all the more remarkable given that the film dealt with alcoholism, using frank language and true-to-life effects in order to complete the realism of the characters stripped of glamour and Hollwooditis; why, even Bing Crosby, Mister Crooner himself, playing the alcoholic actor, was cast against type and acquitted himself with honours.

I seem to remember there was some discussion in the Daily Rag about who was actually driving the car when it left the road and plunged down a mountain (sorry, not talking about the film, we’re back into real life now…should’ve warned you, sorry) some discussion about who was actually driving the car when it left the road and plunged down a mountain, Ms. Kelly or her daughter but then, the gutter press love a self-interpretation; it sells so many future papers every time they drag it up. From what I gather a severe stroke was what caused Ms. Kelly to lose control; let’s leave it at that.

I had the pleasure of meeting Prince Rainier at a shoot I was picking up on, back in 2002 or 3. Lovely man but seemingly a mixture of loving husband and haughty royalty. Never remarried after his wife’s death, opened a rose garden dedicated to her in Monaco but also banned the showing of her films there too. Indeed, the possibility of her appearing in a Hitchcock film (Marnie) caused a public outcry…if you know that film you’ll maybe be able to see the why’s but not understand them…and he also barred her from appearing in any other movies offered, and yet created an Arts Foundation for her and allowed her to speak on behalf of La Leche League, an organization that advocates breastfeeding…

Like all in his position, I guess; a mix of suppressed natural emotion and haughty self-image, unlike Ms. Kelly and her willingness to dispose of her image in order to convey believable natural emotion.