(no subject)

Watched the 1971 version of Persuasion. Surprisingly, I really liked it a lot. The acting was more stagy then, but actually it wasn't too over the top, and I felt they captured the essence of the characters very well. It was almost 4 hours long, so they had time to develop the story and explore the characters fully, which I appreciated immensely. One of the things that bugs me about both other versions of Persuasion is that they were too short, so something was always sacrificed, either the characters or the plot, but the 70's version has both going for it. The sets and costumes of course, leave much to be desired; everything you see on screen screams 'made in the 70's'. Could they have made Anne Eliot's hair in the first episode any bigger if they'd tried? There were a handful of dresses that were actually pretty and reasonably accurate, but mostly it's a lot of electric green plaid and such like. And Kellynch Hall is furnished with hideous Victorian renaissance-revival furniture and green 70's wallpaper. But I eventually was able to forget about all that, and became completely engrossed in the story, which I think is a testament to the quality of the adaptation and the actors. I highly recommend it to all Jane Austen fans.

I've been feeling very Broadway lately, listening to all my favorite cast recordings, so I actually watched the Tonys a few nights ago. I like to catch the Tonys if I can, not because I actually care who wins, but because it's a convenient way for a Midwest girl like myself to catch up on all the new musicals every year. I must say, however, I'm disappointed. Xanadu? Really? That's the best they can come up with for a new musical? And they nominate it for awards no less? I'm terribly distressed by the way Broadway musicals have gone the past couple of years. Either it's modern urban stuff that sounds more like pop music, or it's really campy, commercialized stuff based on some movie. What happened to the old fashioned romantic musical filled with soaring melodies and beautiful lyrics? What happened to musical comedies that were innocent and warmhearted with songs you could sing along to in the car? Maybe I'm just terribly old-fashioned myself, but give me Cole Porter over Mel Brooks or John Waters, Lerner and Loewe over rappers, any day.

Been reading Agatha Christie lately. It's so funny that the latest Doctor Who episode should have been about Agatha Christie! And it was hilarious too! Loved it.