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| Author | Topic: The Music Man |
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Bwaybaby
Registered User
Registered:
3/10/2001 | posted: 2/16/2003 at 10:14:46 PM ET
Did anyone else watch The Music Man on ABC tonight? What did you think?
My thoughts on it.....
From the instant I heard Matthew start singing "Ya Got Trouble ( In River City)" I knew his performance was going to be disappointing. Has anyone ever heard Mandy Patinkin sing that song?? Sure he is a bit "over the top" and eccentric in a lot of his singing but boy, does he sing that song amazingly well!! As far as Matthew's acting-- he has one, and only one emotion in anything I have ever seen him do--blase. It was like watching Ferris Bueller as Harold Hill! His voice was very beautiful at times ( Til There Was You) but other than that- he bored me. He didn't convince me at all that he was supposed to be a con-man or suave...he played a very gawky Harold Hill. He also seemed to have absolutely NO connection with or interest in Marian. I also thought it was pretty funny when Harold took out his pitch finder from his pocket for Lida Rose and then didn't even start on the right note!
Kristin on the other hand I thought was great for the most part...I actually went into this expecting to love Matthew and be annoyed by Kristin's interpretation(especially after watching her as Lily in the Disney remake of ANNIE and after almost anything I've ever heard her sing in that "mousey" voice).... as it turns out-just the opposite happened. Glad to see that Kristin finally learned how to sing correctly and not sing through her nose!!! Her speaking voice annoyed me tho and she was a bit too...animated in some scenes. At times it felt as if I was watching a Saturday Night Live skit-- where everything is overacted and over exaggerated! But when Kristin sang I actually stopped what I was doing and payed attention. Her interpretation and singing of every song in the movie tonight was beautiful!
The Mayor and his wife, I thought could have been a lot funnier. I was very disappointed with Molly Shannon...I thought she'd be hysterical!
The sets I thought were beautiful...especially the Foot Bridge scenes!! The costumes for the most part, I liked...except for most of Kristin's hats.
Anyone else have any comments on the movie?
| Anonymous
Anonymous Poster
From Internet Network:
24.58.209.x | posted: 2/17/2003 at 2:30:52 AM ET
wow...ok, i saw the music man and i loved it. i need to totally disagree with you. both matthew and kristin did amazing jobs. i understand where you're coming from, but they did the movie with a different take than it has previously been done. matthew played the character of hill purposefully more subtle then robert preston and when he sang, he had a wonderful voice. mandy patinkin?...he is too over the top and personlly i find him annoying. kristin was superb as marion with her natural speaking voice b/c she was playing a leading lady who was her own age. she is an actress that def takes character into account hence the reason she used a higher voice in various previous roles b/c she did play a 5 year old in charlie brown. as far as thier connection, if you had to stop what it was you were diong and look at the screen when kristin sang, then maybe you were distracted and missed the touching love scnes between the two. i do agree that the shinns could have been funnier, but to their defence, they sure did deliver their lines in a clearer manner so that they could be understood. i also liked the fact that some of the blocking and lines were changed to make more sence. like in the scene where the townsfolk pose for a picture...that gives them a plausible reason to all be on the steps of the same building. overall, i LOVED it!
| Bwaybaby
Registered User
Registered:
3/10/2001 | posted: 2/17/2003 at 1:10:19 PM ET
"Anonymous"--if you had read my post more clearly you would have saw that I stated how beautiful I thought Kristin sounded in this movie. I also stated that Matthew's voice sounded beautiful in some songs. Although, some songs...not so much (the last note in Goodnight, My Someone).
I do understand your view of "they were trying to do the movie with a different take"-- however, like you said Matthew played Harold Hill purposely more subtly...because thats the way he plays all of his characters( atleast in everything I have ever seen him in). Don't get me wrong, I think Matthew is very cute and adorable...but that doesn't cut it for this role...atleast not without being slick or having some intrigue about him...which he had none.
I'm glad the Shinns delivered their lines so we could understand them...but other than Ozzy Osbourne, isn't that what people on TV and in movies are suppose to do??
I understand how this version was toned down a little to look more like well, more Disney-like...like they do with a lot of their "made for TV movies" Look at Cinderella... I can tell you right now, Disney's version and Rogers and Hammerstein's version is a lot different and VERY toned down compared to the original fairy-tale!!!
I agree, Mandy can be "over the top" infact, in my original post I stated those very same words....however, Matthew was soooo subdued during Trouble and 76 Trombones that I wondered why everyone in the town was getting all "excited"!
On a whole, the movie was ok. Kristin definitely stood out! Who knew she had that range and such a pure voice? I was definitely pleasantly surprised!
|  moljul
Registered User
Registered:
4/2/2001
From:
New York
Fav. BP CD: I'll Be Your Baby Tonight
Fav. BP Song: Dublin Lady
| posted: 2/17/2003 at 1:39:21 PM ET
One Word: Blech!
Kristen Chenoweth actually has a masters degree in Opera Performance. She found more success in muscial theater so she made the switch. Okay, that was more than one word. 
|  MollyEliz
Registered User
Registered:
6/13/2002
From:
Fla | posted: 2/17/2003 at 1:49:09 PM ET
I thought that the Music Man was very well done! I didn't think that I would like Matthew Broderick in the role, just because he was unlike anyone I had ever seen play Harold Hill before. But I suppose they were trying to do something new with the role, and he definitely made it his own. I think I would have preferred Eric McCormack in it, who I saw on Broadway and was great- his name carries the same kind of star power that Matthew's does.
Kristin (not Kristen) on the other hand, I thought was amazing. Her speaking voice is annoying at times, but her songs were absolutely beautiful. I am a big fan of Kristin Chenoweth's, but wasn't sure how I would like her in the role. I was very pleasantly surprised Okay, that's all... just wanted to throw my opinion in there.
Molly
| Bwaybaby
Registered User
Registered:
3/10/2001 | posted: 2/17/2003 at 1:56:43 PM ET
Yes, Moljul...I read that on ATC as well...however, The Music Man is not an operatic piece. Marian does sing some very high Soprano notes tho.Marian's range consists of
low G to high A. Broadway and Opera are two very different things....altho I have a great deal of respect for BOTH!
Another reason I was somehwat surprised at the casting of Matthew Broderic as Harold Hill...the role is usually played by a baritone...I believe Matthew is a tenor.
| mikee
Registered User
Registered:
12/4/2002 | posted: 2/17/2003 at 2:18:55 PM ET
I'm sorry but I didn't like it at all!!!! The only part that was "TOLERABLE" was Kristin...
| moljul
Registered User
Registered:
4/2/2001
From:
New York
Fav. BP CD: I'll Be Your Baby Tonight
Fav. BP Song: Dublin Lady
| posted: 2/17/2003 at 2:55:29 PM ET
Contrary to what you may believe Bwaybaby, I do know things about people other than what I read on All That Chat. Kristin (sorry I misspelled her name) has always been known for her opera background. I've known that since she did "Charlie Brown". I was simply providing the information that she has an opera background.
| Bwaybaby
Registered User
Registered:
3/10/2001 | posted: 2/17/2003 at 3:04:46 PM ET
Whoa...ok why all the accusations? Moljul, I never said you didn't know some things about Broadway...I'm sure you do All I was saying is that I read the very same thing on ATC too...
http://www.talkinbroadway.com/forum/messages/41892.html
|  stacy122685
FAQ Maintainer
Registered:
7/1/2001
From:
MN | posted: 2/17/2003 at 4:40:09 PM ET
Okay, now it's Stacy's turn! LOL.....um..what I thought about "The Music Man"-- I didn't find it as appealing as others did...I felt that Matthew Broderick was just so "blah"...I like Kristin Chenowith though, Marion was interesting. I think the only song that I liked hearing was "Till There Was You"...
::shrugs shoulders:: I dunno, I just thought it was 'okay'. ::backs into corner:: ok, please don't attack me!-it's merely my view on it! LOL
My lil' brother on The Music Man: Hey, this is cool! LOL
Take care,
Stacy
|  Christine-NYC
Registered User
Registered:
3/23/2002
From:
New York City
Fav. BP Song: With So Little to be Sure Of
Fav. BP Show: Gypsy
Fav. BP Character: Marie (insert last name) lol There's a few
Fav. BP CD: Bernadette Peters Loves Rogers and Hammerstein
| posted: 2/17/2003 at 4:53:08 PM ET
I wasn't expecting it to be very good just from clips I had seen and reviews I had read before it aired; and I didn't really like it. Truthfully, I NEVER listen to reviews...I always like to use my own judgement and opinions; but I have to agree with the critics this time.
Molly Shannon was ok (they should have given her a little more screen time), Victor Garbor was very disapointing (very bland...even for that character)...I liked him better in the re-make of Annie. Matthew Broderick did a great job as far as making it his own version of Harold Hill, but he wasn't animated enough for the role. he was too young (meaning he has a baby face) and too boring. He's a very good looking guy and a decent actor, but that role was not right for him no matter what direction Disney was trying to go in.
Kristin was really the only good thing about the movie, but I did get sick of her after a while. I really like Kristin, and I knew she could sing like that because she use to hit those notes on her short lived television sitcom, but she was so great compared to the other actors that she over did it. It was also very, very obvious that she was lip-sinking. Clearly they all were, but I thought Kristin was the most obvious.
Kristin always reminded me of Christine Ebersole (looks and voice wise)...who is one of my favorite actresses, but last night she just used everything inside of her. She has a great voice; too bad it doesn't match her looks or personality. It's almost comical to watch that deep, operatic voice come out of that sweet, tiny little woman.
<3CMH<3
| Bwaybaby
Registered User
Registered:
3/10/2001 | posted: 2/17/2003 at 6:33:02 PM ET
Oh, I forgot to mention...in the scene where Harold is waiting at the foot bridge for Marian and he looks into the water and "sees" his band of kids...did anyone else notice how 3 rocks were positioned...they seriously looked like Mickey Mouse!! I thought that was pretty cute!
|  BernBaby21
Registered User
Registered:
5/2/2002 | posted: 2/23/2003 at 5:29:14 PM ET
Well unfortunately I was in Disney World when it was on TV...actually stuck in Epcot in the rain....we did, however get to go to the Virgin Records store in the Marketplace to pick up the soundtrack which sounded pretty good to me...I thought Kristin was great from what I could hear!!!!! That was my $.02!!!!!
I chose and my world was shaken, so what? The choice may have been mistaken...the choosing was not, you have to move on......
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