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Apples2for10
Broadway Legend
Joined: Tue Feb 13, 2007 2:05 pm Posts: 1616 Location: Eastern U.S.
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 "My Lord and Master" staging question
Last night I saw MLAM rehearsed for the first time, and one particular aspect of the staging bothered me and several other cast members. As Tuptim is singing, the King is still on his throne watching her sing! Isn't the whole point of the song that the King *doesn't* know that Tuptim loves somebody else? Is this basic staging, or is something amiss with our director? I'd love to hear your thoughts on this bizarre bit of staging.
_________________ Brian aka Apples2for10
"...Apples is probably the one who's posted the most relevant musical stuff long term in the past few months."- UniquePerspective
Last edited by Apples2for10 on Mon Sep 28, 2009 7:56 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Thu Aug 13, 2009 8:10 am |
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ConverseSneaker
Broadway Legend
Joined: Sun Jan 01, 2006 4:33 pm Posts: 1531 Location: A Dull Provincal Town
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We had everyone leave the stage, Tuptim by herself for this scene...at the end of the applause, the gong sounded, the King entered and she was back in her bow on the floor for his meeting with Anna.
Very strange though!
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Thu Aug 13, 2009 3:27 pm |
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Apples2for10
Broadway Legend
Joined: Tue Feb 13, 2007 2:05 pm Posts: 1616 Location: Eastern U.S.
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Now I know why this topic hasn't goten very many replies! I had voiced this staging concern to many people who saw the show, and one person in particular who has seen over twenty productions of TKAI (many of them professional) said that the way we staged it was customary. But comments are still welcome!
_________________ Brian aka Apples2for10
"...Apples is probably the one who's posted the most relevant musical stuff long term in the past few months."- UniquePerspective
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Sun Sep 27, 2009 3:23 pm |
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Salome
Broadway Legend / MdN Veteran
Joined: Fri Apr 18, 2003 11:07 pm Posts: 11297
Main Role: Performer
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it not really customary that way. actually its usually staged with the rest of the actors in a free...tuptim is in light the lights fade to a blueish tint around her. signally that we are getting a glimpse into what she is thinking. its an internal monolouge.
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Mon Sep 28, 2009 5:55 am |
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Apples2for10
Broadway Legend
Joined: Tue Feb 13, 2007 2:05 pm Posts: 1616 Location: Eastern U.S.
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Well, in terms of Tuptim's role in the song, we stayed very true to the internal monologue aspect (or as one cast member put it, her 'out of body experience'). The concern was the King's inclusion onstage; I would have rather seen it the way that ConverseSneaker described, where Tuptim is the only one onstage.
_________________ Brian aka Apples2for10
"...Apples is probably the one who's posted the most relevant musical stuff long term in the past few months."- UniquePerspective
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Mon Sep 28, 2009 7:55 am |
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Vanessa20
Broadway Legend
Joined: Sat Sep 29, 2007 1:06 pm Posts: 855
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I seem to remember that in the Broadway revival with Donna Murphy and Lou Diamond Philips (though I could be misremembering - I was only seven when I saw it) they brought down the curtain behind Tuptim for that song.
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Mon Sep 28, 2009 8:03 am |
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Apples2for10
Broadway Legend
Joined: Tue Feb 13, 2007 2:05 pm Posts: 1616 Location: Eastern U.S.
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I was watching the DVD of our production last night with my dad, and he noticed yet another strange piece of blocking. Our director decided to include Tuptim in "Geting to Know You". To those of you familiar with the show, is her inclusion in that song odd to anybody else and is that the norm?
_________________ Brian aka Apples2for10
"...Apples is probably the one who's posted the most relevant musical stuff long term in the past few months."- UniquePerspective
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Sun Apr 11, 2010 8:16 am |
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Celeste_SM
Tony Winner
Joined: Mon Apr 17, 2006 10:20 pm Posts: 449
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It's not unheard of. She's one of the wives, and the king wanted Anna to educate the wives.
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Mon Apr 12, 2010 6:42 pm |
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SomeoneLikeYou
Broadway Legend
Joined: Tue Jun 17, 2008 10:29 am Posts: 1854 Location: New York
Current Obsession: Overcoming illness
Main Role: Performer
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But Tuptim isn't one of his "official" wives. She's a concubine, I think.
_________________ "Ms. Darbus" in Disney's High School Musical, "Margot Frank" in The Diary of Anne Frank, "Princess Number Twelve" in Once Upon a Mattress, ensembles of Cinderella, The Music Man, and Sweeney Todd
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Thu Apr 15, 2010 4:57 pm |
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ConverseSneaker
Broadway Legend
Joined: Sun Jan 01, 2006 4:33 pm Posts: 1531 Location: A Dull Provincal Town
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Since our concubines also had children, all wives and concubines and children were in Getting To Know You, including Tuptim in my production. We actually made a point of her being offended but unable to say anything at the line where Lady Thiang comments on how greater Siam is over Burma and Anna noticing and taking the lesson back over.
If I remember correctly, she stays on in the scene for her duet afterwards? At any rate, she was in the schoolroom scene in the movie as well.
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Mon Apr 19, 2010 2:36 pm |
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Apples2for10
Broadway Legend
Joined: Tue Feb 13, 2007 2:05 pm Posts: 1616 Location: Eastern U.S.
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Well, remember that the King has a small monologue after his fight with Anna. In my production, Anna, the Wives, and Children (including Tuptim) clear the stage, King does monologue, and then Tuptim and Lun Tha meet onstage.
_________________ Brian aka Apples2for10
"...Apples is probably the one who's posted the most relevant musical stuff long term in the past few months."- UniquePerspective
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Sun May 02, 2010 11:34 am |
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Muscialperformer92
Supporting Player
Joined: Sat Apr 25, 2009 11:27 pm Posts: 119 Location: Denmark
Current Obsession: Cats, A Chorus line, Tarzan
Main Role: Performer
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I actually like the king, as well as others, being on stage- if there would some kind of spotlight on Tuptim, and the rest freezing- that would make the point of 'fighting inside, but not able to show on the outside" even stronger 
_________________ Currently: "Somewhere" soloist/Big Deal/Dance Captain in "West Side Story" Coming up: Moving to London studying "Dance" at The Urdang Academy! Most recently: Featured soloist dancer in "Annie get your gun"
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Sat Jun 05, 2010 2:07 pm |
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