The Duchess of Mint
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KISMET! <Spoilers!>Dear Musicals.Net Posters,
Yesterday, I got the original, 1953 Broadway soundtrack c.d. of the musical Kismet! I must say that the songs are wonderful, and that the lyrics could inspire a vocabulary lesson! Kismet is like a tangy orange bon bon in amongst so many "frothy love song" musicals!
<SPOILERS AHEAD!>
I also like the fact that Kismet features a powerful, witty, vocabulary-rich heroine in the form of Lalume; the Wazir's wife is Haii's mental match!
I am curious about the character of Lalume. Is she supposed to be merely a seductive heroine, or a true temptress, or is she supposed to be a smart, sexy, socially powerful woman who just happened to marry a real jerk? I can't imagine that Lalume loves going home with the Wazir every night!
I'm also curious to know why Lalume had blonde hair during the 1950s. Is Lalume portrayed as a brunette today?
I like the fact that Haii and Lalume seem to be on equal ground with each other. I also like the fact that they are sent away together at the end of the musical; their love will be unconventional and intellectual!
Thanks in advance for your replies.
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qpidsangel
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LaLume, knows what she wants and gets it. That's how I interpret the character at least.
and the correct spelling of the leading man's character is Hajj, the Beggar
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The Duchess of Mint
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Thanks. | qpidsangel wrote: | LaLume, knows what she wants and gets it. That's how I interpret the character at least.
and the correct spelling of the leading man's character is Hajj, the Beggar |
Dear qpidsangel,
Thanks for the info. I could have sworn that the OBCR booklet spelled it "Haii". 
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The Duchess of Mint
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Pronunciations, etc.Dear Musicals.Net Posters,
Thanks in advance for telling me how to pronounce the name "Lalume." If you can believe it, the name "Hermione" was troublesome to me as well, because the way in which it's spelled leaves its pronunciation up to a guess.
Thanks in advance for your replies.
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Salome
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Lalume (Laahh LOOM) is a very saaavy,crafty gal. she finds the Wazir to be a total bore and a total moron. she falls for and leave the palace with Haij at the end of the show.
and she is always played as a blonde....Joan Diener, Anne Jefferys and Delores Gray (in the film) all were blondes. its traditional. in the original film of the non-musical play Marlene Dietrich cover her whole body in gold glitter.
its a great show with a beautiful score and wonderful lyrics.
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The Duchess of Mint
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I thought so... | Salome wrote: | Lalume (Laahh LOOM) is a very saaavy,crafty gal. she finds the Wazir to be a total bore and a total moron. she falls for and leave the palace with Haij at the end of the show.
and she is always played as a blonde....Joan Diener, Anne Jefferys and Delores Gray (in the film) all were blondes. its traditional. in the original film of the non-musical play Marlene Dietrich cover her whole body in gold glitter.
its a great show with a beautiful score and wonderful lyrics. |
Dear Salome,
Thanks for the pronunciation information; I THOUGHT that Lalume's name was pronounced that way, but since names like "Hermione" have proved to be unpronounceable to me in the past, I wondered if my assumption about Lalume's name was wrong, too.
I wonder what would happen if the entire cast of Kismet looked Middle Eastern; I think that an entirely brownette/ brunette cast would be cool. Of course, is Lalume blonde because she came from a European country? Why is she blonde?
Thanks in advance for your reply.
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