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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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 Cutting the pregnancy
I've heard of several productions cutting Larken's pregnancy, and I wanted to see if you all thought it would hurt the show. Here's my thoughts: it would give Harry and Larken so little to do in the show that you may as well cut them entirely. And you need them to balance out the craziness of the other characters. Also, it would majorly detract from the paradox between Fred and Larken. Larken should be a princess because she's everything Fred's not. The only thing that sets her apart is the fact that she puts out. And to me that's the most enjoyable part of the show: that in a perfect world, Larken would be the princess and Fred would be the chambermaid. So, what do the rest of you think; would cutting the pregnancy hurt the show?
_________________ 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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Tue May 18, 2010 9:42 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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Even more than the plot, it would hurt the whole idea of the show, this fairytale where nothing is as it supposed.
In fairytales, true love ends at the first kiss and never mentions the sex and the princess-like character (in this case, Larken) doesn't get pregnant because she waits to be married. So first, you hurt the paradox.
Secondly, plotwise, then there's no reason for Harry to go looking for a princess and then he'd never find Fred. Larken wouldn't want to run away, etc.
And it would make the Harry/Larken secondary plot really weak and short.
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Tue May 18, 2010 1:06 pm |
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hyperactress23
Broadway Legend / MdN Veteran
Joined: Mon Feb 19, 2007 4:58 pm Posts: 3107
Main Role: Stage Manager
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In the junior version of the show (Getting to Know Once Upon a Mattress), the pregnancy is cut entirely (as in, the show is edited to cut it and licensed that way). It's really stupid. That's the first way I saw the show, and I was just like "Wow. What was the point of that character? She didn't do anything but sing a duet."
Basically, it doesn't work.
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Tue May 18, 2010 1:23 pm |
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Set_Buildin_Dad
Joined: Mon Jun 04, 2007 8:14 pm Posts: 1735 Location: Southern California
Main Role: Fan
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Do the real show for goodness sake. Losing the pregnancy cuts the heart out of the show. I don't understand why it is so controversial when worse stuff than this is all over the TV set on the Disney Channel. We did it in Jr High with the pregnancy intact and only had one mild complaint from one parent. We live in a pretty conservative school district too.
_________________ Set_Buildin_Dad
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Wed Jun 02, 2010 5:07 pm |
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ActingDude17
Broadway Legend / MdN Veteran
Joined: Sun Mar 11, 2007 12:44 pm Posts: 2758 Location: North Carolina
Current Obsession: Shaw
Main Role: Performer
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I never knew R&H Theatricals did their own abridged series to mimic MTI's Broadway Junior Collection. You learn something new every day, I suppose!
As far as the main topic of the thread goes, I highly doubt R&H Theatricals would allow a company to edit the show. You're paying to perform the script as written and nothing different. Plus, I see it as an immense artistic violation.
_________________
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Wed Jun 02, 2010 6:39 pm |
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negdancer
Fresh Face
Joined: Thu Sep 23, 2010 12:16 pm Posts: 5 Location: Pigfarts. It's on MARS. You need a rocketship.
Current Obsession: A Very Potter Musical, Beauty and the Beast
Main Role: Performer
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 Re: Cutting the pregnancy
I was in our middle school's production of the show as Lady Larken, and because it was a middle school, we had to cut the pregnancy. They didn't cut the fact entirely, they instead replaced it with Lady Larken turning into a toad if she isn't married in 6 months. Still not really sure how it applied... but it didn't totally change the characters of Larken and Harry, or their plot, it was just altered a little along with some of the lines (obviously) and a few lyrics.
_________________ The Music Man: Amaryllis High School Musical On Stage: Sharpay Evans Once Upon a Mattress: Lady Larken
Currently: Beauty and the Beast: Student Director Next: Phantom of the Opera: Ballerina
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Thu Sep 23, 2010 12:41 pm |
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hyperactress23
Broadway Legend / MdN Veteran
Joined: Mon Feb 19, 2007 4:58 pm Posts: 3107
Main Role: Stage Manager
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 Re:
Last I heard they had four junior shows out: Cinderella, King and I, Once Upon a Mattress, and Oklahoma. It's called the "Getting 2 Know" (or G2K) series. I've not seen G2K Cinderella, but I've seen the other three. I didn't care for G2K OUAM, but the other two worked fine. They weren't really edited for the purpose of editing anything out, they just cut a few smaller things (I can't remember which songs specifically) and made some of the ranges easier to be handled by younger singers.
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Thu Sep 23, 2010 8:35 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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 Re:
Which duet does she sing?
_________________ 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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Tue Apr 24, 2012 9:29 pm |
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moviemaniac
Supporting Player
Joined: Thu Nov 13, 2008 5:21 pm Posts: 103
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 Re: Cutting the pregnancy
I've seen a couple of productions where right before Lady Larkin says that she's pregnant, she adds a line about how during her romantic time with Harry, the priest gave them a quick, secret, illegal elopement. That way, they could keep the pregnancy in, but the overly conservative parents wouldn't complain.
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Thu May 31, 2012 2:45 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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 Re: Cutting the pregnancy
That sounds like a great idea! Though, in my production the extent of complaints we got from the audience was how lame the Act II opener was and some of the modernizing we did in the orchestrations.
_________________ 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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Thu May 31, 2012 8:07 pm |
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Bwaylover4445
Fresh Face
Joined: Sat Nov 24, 2012 4:22 pm Posts: 19
Current Obsession: Starkid!
Main Role: Performer
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 Re:
Yeah...... Our Larkin won't have anything to do.
_________________ Roles played: pepper(annie), Charlotte(Charlotte's web), Matilda(willy Wonka),ensemble Auditions coming up: gavroche(les mis) Dream roles: Millie(throughly modern Millie), Reno Sweeney (anything goes),eponine(les mis Roles coming up: Lady Rowena(ouam)
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Sat Nov 24, 2012 7:12 pm |
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chrisjacob
Fresh Face
Joined: Fri Jan 17, 2014 3:22 am Posts: 3
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 Re: Cutting the pregnancy
I do agree with you. The time for the fairy tale stories are over and now people are expecting more reality and which includes everything. The pregnancy is not such a bad thing that you should cut it down from the shows. It is very natural and a normal thing. Thanks Chris www.omnitechsupport.com
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Fri Jan 17, 2014 3:26 am |
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