Archive for Musicals.Net Musicals.Net
 


       Musicals.Net Forums -> Chicago
Monsieur D'Arque

Usher's Billy Flynn Tap Dance

An extra tap dance was added to the show for Usher when he played Billy Flynn. Where was it placed? Was it in one of the songs, or was Richard Gere's tap dance sequence from the film added to the show?
Kev

It was soft-shoe mixed with a little bit of everything, and it was placed in the middle of "Razzle Dazzle." Joey Lawrence did a similar dance section.
ruthiefan_felix

I wonder if they'll give this to Duncan James???
Monsieur D'Arque

I'm not going to lie- I was hoping they had added in the tap dance/diary section, as I always found it the high point of the entire film version.
ruthiefan_felix

yeah but it's not exactly a part of the original script AND the film is very different to the stage show anyway ~
pish123c

Monsieur D'Arque wrote:
I'm not going to lie- I was hoping they had added in the tap dance/diary section, as I always found it the high point of the entire film version.



Really? Out of All That Jazz, Roxies Soliloquy, Hot Honey Rag,and the awesome camera angles and cuts you think Richard Gere doing a tap dance was the high point?

I always felt it was just there to create tension and whatnot in the courtroom. It really annoys me after a while, which I think was the point.
pish123c

ruthiefan_felix wrote:
yeah but it's not exactly a part of the original script AND the film is very different to the stage show anyway ~



They aren't THAT different. Most of the lines are the same in the scenes that were kept. Just because it isn't on a stage dosen't mean it's very different. I felt they were very similar.
Monsieur D'Arque

I mean the scene "Tap Dance." The diary exchange is, in my opinion, the strongest addition to the film script. Especially his "denial of blame."
SuperKabob

The whole premise of the movie and show are different. In the stage show, the story is being presented pretty much AS a vaudeville act. The movie, on the other hand, is showing how Roxie is imagining everything that is happening to her as a bunch of show numbers, probably becuase she hasn't been through that kind of tramua before. Both of the ways of approaching the story are perfect for their mediums, and personally, I think that's why the movie wasn't a flop.
Monsieur D'Arque

And I understand that the reason they added the diary scene and the accompanying tap dance was because they needed a way to tip the scales in Roxie's favor without revealing Mary Sunshine as a man. Helpfully, the plot twist they added also got Velma out of jail and showed us solid evidence of Billy's corruption, two plot points never finally hammered home in the play.
pish123c

I agree with you on that one.
Well...the movie and show both have the line by Billy "I was just in it for the money anyway" but I still get what you're saying.
pish123c

SuperKabob wrote:
The whole premise of the movie and show are different. In the stage show, the story is being presented pretty much AS a vaudeville act. The movie, on the other hand, is showing how Roxie is imagining everything that is happening to her as a bunch of show numbers, probably becuase she hasn't been through that kind of tramua before. Both of the ways of approaching the story are perfect for their mediums, and personally, I think that's why the movie wasn't a flop.



You're right there, but at the same time, one of the major messages in the show AND movie are "Life is Vaudeville" I mean, without the fantasy scenes on stage that Roxie imagines, that entire point would be lost and it would just be another musical.
SuperKabob

pish123c wrote:
SuperKabob wrote:
The whole premise of the movie and show are different. In the stage show, the story is being presented pretty much AS a vaudeville act. The movie, on the other hand, is showing how Roxie is imagining everything that is happening to her as a bunch of show numbers, probably becuase she hasn't been through that kind of tramua before. Both of the ways of approaching the story are perfect for their mediums, and personally, I think that's why the movie wasn't a flop.



You're right there, but at the same time, one of the major messages in the show AND movie are "Life is Vaudeville" I mean, without the fantasy scenes on stage that Roxie imagines, that entire point would be lost and it would just be another musical.



Life is a cabaret, old chum....only a cabaret, old chum
candee82

yeah... judging from the conversation here, and the mention of usher -- I thought I'd pipe in and say that people are getting sick of the same old rock/hip-hop/r&b bullsh*t..... and there is just this big upsurge from a new style coming out of Europe -- it's pretty easy to find, just put 'euro club hits' into itunes or check this link: http://phobos.apple.com/WebObjects/MZSearch.woa/wa/advancedSearchResults?albumTerm=Euro+Club+Hits+Vol+
       Musicals.Net Forums -> Chicago
Page 1 of 1