Tuesday, May 13, 2008

Do You Need A Smile Today?

I do.

As today is Sir Arthur Sullivan's birthday, what better way to add a little cheer than to hum this little ditty all day.



btw - If you've never seen this 1983 version of The Pirates of Penzance you don't know what you're missing. Alas, it has not, apparently ever been released on DVD.

That's a shame.

17 comments:

Jennifer said...

It did make me smile, just a tiny bit. I'm sorry I doubted you.

(PS - You so need comments in a pop-up window. I went to comment while watching and lost the whole video.)

Anne said...

Is that Kevin Kline??

I love the parasol. Brilliant.

Brave Sir Robin said...

Jenn - You like the pop-up better? I thought it hung uo a lot, I'll do a poll.

Anne -

Yes! That is Kevin Kline, and he is amazing in this film, as is Linda Ronstat.

Bee said...

I didn't realize that Sullivan also gave us that redoubtable hymn, "Onward Christian Soldiers!"

As for the Pirates of Penzance, I LOVE IT! It was my first show in London -- 1982, and Tim Curry played The Pirate King.

Is this the most tongue-twistingest song in the musical genre?

I hope you can find some more smiles today. :)

Brave Sir Robin said...

Bee -

OMFFSM!!!!!!!

Tim Curry as the Pirate King!!!!

Wow. Really, really Wow!!

Bee said...

I know! It was totally WOW.

We were in a swanky old-fashioned West End theatre -- and we ate ice cream at the interval -- and Tim Curry was just amazing. It was pretty dreamy.

Brave Sir Robin said...

Were you a Rocky Horror fan?

Bee said...

I was a Rocky Horror fan in a minor way. I did the whole midnight show shout-out several times, but I never memorized the script/soundtrack!

Brave Sir Robin said...

From about 1981-1984 I went a lot. Mostly the Alabama in Houston.

TBM said...

KEVIN KLINE--what an awesome find!

I love having ice cream at intermission in the London theatres :-)

Anne said...

For those who like pop-up comments: clicking the "comments" or "post a comment" links such that they open in a new window (varies with browser, but shift-click for Firefox and option-apple-click for Safari) gives you a comment page that's functionally pop-up without the whole site needing to be that way. I tried it that way this morning and it didn't interrupt the video.

Steve said...

very good
but i prefer the Animaniacs version

Robin said...

Funny--I just watched Eric Idle in the 80's version of The Mikado yesterday. G&S are in the air.

I haven't seen this version but I did get to see Penzance on stage in the '80's. I can't remember much about the presentation. Also my sister was in a production of HMS Pinafore in high school.

Brave Sir Robin said...

Robin,

Where did you see the Eric Idle Mikado?

I saw him perform that live in about 1988 or maybe 1989.

He was delightful, but I sort of missed the Japanese trappings. I was in The Mikado and Pinafore in College.

Robin said...

It is on DVD and I borrowed it from our local library. I originally taped it back in 1988 or so when it aired on PBS, but I taped over it before I could watch it. Then I borrowed this copy from the library a few years ago and never had time to watch it. Third time's the charm.

Watching it live would be great fun.

Batocchio said...

Pirates and Mikado are my favorites, although I've only seen maybe three of the others.

Anonymous said...

Okay, so am a bit late with the comment but I saw Penzance in Houston and guess who starred in it??? Peter Reckell aka BO BRADY from Days of Our Lives! Which sooo doesn't compete with Tim Curry but still, I remember being stoked... I was a junior in high school so please don't hold it against me :)
Miss you all.
--Lisa