The chief interest in these "musicals" is, of course, the music (of which there is very little), and this show contains one absolutely delightful tune "Everything Stops for Tea", a sort of "Tally-Ho!" galop that is tough to get out of one's head after a couple of hearings.
This remake of the March 9, 1957 original is superior in a couple of ways; however the 2nd half of the show in both versions is largely taken up with Jackie's "I'm so terrified to go onstage" routine, which frankly gets a bit tired. We've seen it (to much better effect) in "Ralph's Sweet Tooth", then reprised in "Songs and Witty Sayings", Better Living thru TV", etc. It's frustrating in its One-dimensional-ism.
Louis Nye as the silly British TV host (Gleason's supposed real-life counterpart) is not as well suited as the guy who did it in "57, and there's a at least one OUTRAGEOUS line regarding their new COLOR format that's really crude. There's also the intentionally frumpy, unattractive "Gleason Girls" to add to the off-beat humor.
TWO THINGS that really lift the quality of this re-make: 1.) Norton's clever "Flaky-Waky" jingle, though truncated when we first hear it, is reprised at the end (with the orchestra) just in time to save the broadcast from total disaster. Good move.
2.) The guest performance of the charming British actor Robert Coote, who drops in to portray Charles Lewis, Flaky-Waky's London representative. Coote (who created the roles of both Colonel Pickering in "My Fair Lady" and King Pellinore in "Camelot") is the perfect actor for the part, employing his typical British talky-patter style in "Everything Stops for Tea" (which features a delightful refrain quoting "Country Gardens"). The song was wisely transferred from the prior scene (in the original version it included Alice & Trixie), to its position in this version, which makes far more sense. It thus becomes a trio for Coote, Gleason and Carney. Unfortunately, the song is too brief, comprised of only 4 quick, bouncy verses.
But it's a wonderful scene, and definitely (for me, at least) the highlight of the show. Also cool is Gleason's little tribute to Coote during the final curtain call.
A bit of unique musical theater history. LR.
This remake of the March 9, 1957 original is superior in a couple of ways; however the 2nd half of the show in both versions is largely taken up with Jackie's "I'm so terrified to go onstage" routine, which frankly gets a bit tired. We've seen it (to much better effect) in "Ralph's Sweet Tooth", then reprised in "Songs and Witty Sayings", Better Living thru TV", etc. It's frustrating in its One-dimensional-ism.
Louis Nye as the silly British TV host (Gleason's supposed real-life counterpart) is not as well suited as the guy who did it in "57, and there's a at least one OUTRAGEOUS line regarding their new COLOR format that's really crude. There's also the intentionally frumpy, unattractive "Gleason Girls" to add to the off-beat humor.
TWO THINGS that really lift the quality of this re-make: 1.) Norton's clever "Flaky-Waky" jingle, though truncated when we first hear it, is reprised at the end (with the orchestra) just in time to save the broadcast from total disaster. Good move.
2.) The guest performance of the charming British actor Robert Coote, who drops in to portray Charles Lewis, Flaky-Waky's London representative. Coote (who created the roles of both Colonel Pickering in "My Fair Lady" and King Pellinore in "Camelot") is the perfect actor for the part, employing his typical British talky-patter style in "Everything Stops for Tea" (which features a delightful refrain quoting "Country Gardens"). The song was wisely transferred from the prior scene (in the original version it included Alice & Trixie), to its position in this version, which makes far more sense. It thus becomes a trio for Coote, Gleason and Carney. Unfortunately, the song is too brief, comprised of only 4 quick, bouncy verses.
But it's a wonderful scene, and definitely (for me, at least) the highlight of the show. Also cool is Gleason's little tribute to Coote during the final curtain call.
A bit of unique musical theater history. LR.
