This is topic Sing-a-Long-A-Sound of Music, anybody? in forum Film-Yak at Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE.


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Posted by Randy Stankey (Member # 64) on 03-03-2003, 04:26 PM:
 
Starting on Tuesday, April 8 2003 through the flowing Sunday, the D'Angelo Performing Arts Center will be playing Sing-a-Long-a-Sound of Music.

It's a specially subtitled print of S.O.M. so that the audience can sing along with the musical numbers.

I am led to believe the whole idea is to have it play like Rocky Horror Picture Show except it's S.O.M. (And it's more family oriented.) I've seen the screener tapes of the show. They have dress-up contests where audience members win prizes for the best costume after a character in the movie. Folks are given a "props kit" that has items in it to use during the movie. (An Eidelweiss flower to waive in the air, etc, etc.)

So, had anybody seen or heard of this idea?
I think this might be a pretty good idea (for our venue) but I have this sorta' tingling feeling up the back of my spine. I think my "Spider Sense" is going off for this one.

www.singalonga.com
 

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Posted by David Stambaugh (Member # 1102) on 03-03-2003, 04:50 PM:
 
Who is the target audience for this? I can't imagine this being a big draw for younger people who've barely heard of SOM, let alone learned the songs. Maybe a middle-aged and above crowd would enjoy it. But I agree with you, my spidey-sense says "stay away", at least until you find out how others have done.
 

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Posted by Michael Coate (Member # 757) on 03-03-2003, 04:59 PM:
 
The American Cinematheque in Hollywood is scheduled to run The Sound Of Music later this month. I sure hope it's not the Sing-A-Long version! It's inevitable that someone sitting near me will be singing along anyway (happens at every musical...).

In 2001 a Sing-A-Long version of Grease was shown (unannounced) in Long Beach as part of their annual wide screen fest.
 

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Posted by Stephen Furley (Member # 1277) on 03-03-2003, 05:27 PM:
 
David wrote:

quote:

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Who is the target audience for this? I can't imagine this being a big draw for younger people who've barely heard of SOM, let alone learned the songs.

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I am given to understand that this started out as a largely gay thing, later spreading to a more mainstream audience. It has certainly run during the Lesbian and Gay Film Festival in London, I remember seeing it listed in the NFT programme booklet.

I know a small group of gay people, of both sexes, who love this version of the film, and have seen it dozens of times, they travel all over the country to see it, taking nuns' costumes with them. I understand that there is often a competition for the best costume.

Quite a wide range of people seem to go to the film now, it doesn't seem to be limited to any particular age, race, sex etc. Last year, a group of staff from work went to see it, some in their 60s, and some, about thirty years younger, took their children with them. Many of them would be too young to have seen the theatrical re-release of the original, non-singalong, version some years ago, and so they have probably never seen it, except possibly on television.

Any theatre that can get a reasonable audience for 'The Rocky Horror Picture Show' would probably do quite well with this. It wouldn't appeal to me, but there are plenty of people out there who like it.
 

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Posted by David Favel (Member # 1125) on 03-03-2003, 06:29 PM:
 
This thing has played all over New Zealand. They were quite expensive as you hired not only the film, but people who dressed up & co-ordinated as much as they could. The idea works really well if it is advertised as a 1 o0r 2 off screening. Grannies bring their grand kids, parents bring their young uns, even 30 somethings show up for a slice of nostalgia.
 

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Posted by Paul Linfesty (Member # 214) on 03-03-2003, 07:23 PM:
 
The sing along version played at the Hollywood Bowl last summer. It was a 35mm print, and the American Cinematech's print is going to be 70MM! (I assume a NON sing-a-long) Some original cast members and Robert Wise are supposed to be in attendance.

I think when this played in NYC (at the Ziegfeld) it was advertised as an event where you could Boo the Nazis! Hiss at the Baroness! or some such tripe. Geez, htis just gives audiences MORE encouragement.

MARY POPPINS was also given the sing-a-long treatment (burned-in sub-titles) at the El Capitan Theatre in Hollywood.
 

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Posted by Tim Reed (Member # 137) on 03-03-2003, 07:28 PM:
 
Sounds like fun. I love that movie (The Sound of Music).
 

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Posted by Paul Mayer (Member # 355) on 03-03-2003, 08:57 PM:
 
I attended both the Egyptian 70mm and Hollywood Bowl subtitled 35mm showings in 2001. Both were sold out and yes, both were a lot of fun. That "props" bag contained among other things, a small pyro popper--the cue to use it being the moment of Julie Andrews' and Christopher Plummer's first on-screen kiss. Was quite an effect seeing 15,000 of them go off simultaneously in the Hollywood Bowl that night!
 

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Posted by Randy Stankey (Member # 64) on 03-04-2003, 08:32 AM:
 

quote:

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Stephen Furley: I am given to understand that this started out as a largely gay thing, later spreading to a more mainstream audience.

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There's where the "Spider Sense" starts tingling...

We have a lot of older people who would love to see SOM again and again and again... but from the screener I have seen there are a lot of "flambouyant" types in the audience. Top that off with a few of your average "rowdy" college students and I wonder if that's not like pulling the pin on a grenade and hoping it doesn't explode.

We're having 4 or 5 shows of this. I'm hoping we'll have people come, more or less, in groups. Friday night will be the "older" audience and Saturday will be the "flambouyant" audience... etc. etc.

I don't know if the boss knows about the "pyro poppers" yet. He will have kittens when he finds out how much clean-up those things can cause!
 

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Posted by Gracia L. Babbidge (Member # 582) on 03-04-2003, 09:18 AM:
 
Sound of Music sing-along?

*shudders violently*

It can stay far far away from me, thanks.
Ordinarily, I consider myself to be quite a fan of musicals & movie versions of musicals, but S.o.M. is one of the four shows I've encountered that I just don't like.
 

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Posted by Jean-Michel Grin (Member # 1360) on 03-04-2003, 10:00 AM:
 
I've played twice this picture in Geneva, and coleagues played it in Lausanne.
The last time was the 2001 december 31, a special very special night, with clothing competition and moderator on stage.
One time I've played the french version of SOM What so sad ! all dialogues and misicals parts losed is sense and I don't speak about the lip sync
For me is a part of the golden age of musical, but a little too long.
A surprise for me was the soud remixed in Dolby A but soo weak: at the begining of the feature I puted the fader on 10 to heard something...
 

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Posted by Harry Robinson (Member # 265) on 03-04-2003, 10:41 AM:
 
A couple of years ago we were in LA and took our young neice to see Mary Poppins at the El Capitan. It was a 10AM weekday showing. They had the costume contest, etc., along with the burned-in subtitles. The print was Dolby A with the steadiest image of that size I've ever seen.

I got a short booth "look."
They were using an old Century. It was set up right next to their digital projector. I thought the contrast between high and low tech ironic.

By the way, it was close to a sellout crowd.
 

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Posted by Bruce McGee (Member # 131) on 03-04-2003, 12:44 PM:
 
I have loved SOM since Mary Martin did it on Broadway. The movie seems to be more soupy than the original in many ways.

I've always heard laughs in the theatre when Julie Andrews and Christopher Plummer kiss the first time, and she breaks into song ("Something Good") without hardly taking a breath.

The other laugh getter is when Von Trapp walks in singing "The Sound Of Music" lyrics, and the kids break into a lovely chorus of "Oooo's" behind his singing.

I dont need the words on the screen. I know the entire production.

I attended a screening a few years ago where the operator cranked the volume wide open on reel one, and I got to see all of that beautiful Austrian countryside while listening to alot of pops and cracks on the mono soundtrack at high volume. Kinda took away from the effect...

It may be corny now, but remember: It saved Fox.
 

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Posted by Steve Kraus (Member # 476) on 03-04-2003, 03:01 PM:
 
There is also a sing-along West Side Story in release. Frankly I would rather have them give My Fair Lady the treatment.
 

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Posted by Joseph Pandolfi (Member # 223) on 03-04-2003, 03:41 PM:
 
We seen it at the Zigfield Theatre in NY City about 2-3 years ago and it was a wonderful experience. Randy: Are you running it? Is it 35 or 70mm? I ran My Far Lady last year at the Community Theatre in downtown Fairfield, CT.
 

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Posted by Randy Stankey (Member # 64) on 03-04-2003, 04:23 PM:
 
Sorry, 35mm only, here.

Mercyhurst College's Booth

Some day, if y'all bug me enough I might get around to updating those pictures. They're a bit grainy, aren't they?

The only 70mm projector(s) within 100 miles of here are at the old Warner Theater. A pair of Norelco AA'a. They are just sitting there collecting dust. The last time they have even been turned over was by me and that was about 3 years ago. I know the 70mm gates are still there but I don't know when the last time 70mm was run through them.

They sure make a NICE 35mm projector, though.
 

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Posted by Randy Stankey (Member # 64) on 04-12-2003, 11:06 PM:
 
Well, the last show has just ended. The stage hands and ushers have all gone home and I'm just getting ready to go home and enjoy a Sunday off... First time in a month!

We were fairly successful. Everybody who attended seemed to have a good time.

We had fairly mixed crowds... A lot of older people. A fair bit of the 30-something crowd and believe it or not, a lot of kids. Young kids... 5-10 year-olds! Really!

I couldn't believe that kids that young would sit still for a 3-hour long movie where there are no cartoon animals or magic spells being cast but they seemed to weather it well!

We had three public shows and one benefit (invitation only) for charity showing. We had about 50% attendance for each show. We had a few walk-outs at intermission but 95% of the people stayed for the whole thing. (I think the walk-outs were parents with tired kids.)

For a show like this, I think I prefer approx. 50% attendance. Yes, I know that management wants EVERY seat sold. All they think about is money. I say 50% is good because it gives the people some room to move around. This movie encourages the audience to do a lot of standing and waving, etc. People need that extra bit of elbow room.

For the curious, the show runs almost exactly like a run of Rocky Horror would but without the fish net stockings and the push-up bras! We have folks dressing as nuns and "favorite things".

• Put a cardboard box on your head and be "Brown paper packages tied up with string"!!
• Paint musical notes on your face and clothes and be "Do-Re-Mi"!
• Put a tea kettle on your head and be "Tea! A drink with jam and bread"!