Finding the Funny...

1. Been watching the last three episodes of S1 - Scandal. In the first of the three episodes...there's the following scene between the President and his secret service team.
President Grant wants to leave the White House unescorted to share a piece of information he's discovered. The following is Grant negotiating with his secret service team to make it happen.

( President Grant attempting to convince his Secret Service to let him spontaneously leave the White House )

2. The following is an exchange between four characters in the novel The Duchess War by Courtney Milan. Courtney Milan self-publishes her work.

Violet ( a countess), Sebastian Malheur (an evolution scientist and Darwin scholar), Minnie Pursling (a woman who is hiding her past under an assumed name) and Robert the Duke of Clermont (who fears becoming his father and is pursuing Minnie) are journeying to Leicester from London on the train, Robert and his friends have decided to join Minnie in second class - because Robert is pursuing her, albeit badly. This is in Robert's pov.
For brevity - I've stripped away everything but the dialogue.

( playing princess in Knights and Dragons and whether dragons prefer to eat princesses or princes )

A Tale of Three Pippins (one is just your average every day interview with Joss Whedon)

Finished watching the 1980 video of Pippin this afternoon courtesy of Netflix, complete with Bob Fosse's original choreography and staging.

To see a sample, go here: http://youtu.be/k1cZRnQ5ftg

The best thing about this was the dancing and music. Also Ben Vereen is amazing.

Here's two versions of the opening number Magic to Do, with Ben Vereen and the revival with Patina Miller. The first is more jazzy, with a magic show vibe, the second has a cirque de soliel or circus act vibe.

( Read more... )

But you really have to watch this video to understand: http://youtu.be/k1cZRnQ5ftg

The video is a marvelous satirical and clever critique of the drive for War. It's a feat of dance and song that few musicals come close to equaling.

The story itself is a simple and relateable one, it is about the son of Charlemagne who wants to find meaning in life, wants to accomplish something extraordinary, to find his corner of his sky. So he tries solidering, then the simple joys (hedonism), social justice and revolution, being emperor or ruler, and finally a simple land-owner, husband, and father. Bored to distraction, he leaves and the players attempt to convince him to do the last big magic act - set himself on fire and go out in a burst of flame. He refuses and chooses to go back to his life as a land-owner, with no costumes, makeup, flourishes, or lights. When asked if he feels like a coward or feels wonderful. He states, no just trapped, but hey since this is a musical comedy? Yay!

There some truly wonderful and timeless songs in it - including: War is a Science, Corner of the Sky, Magic to Do, Spread a Little Sunshine, Morning Glow, Simple Joys, and War is Glory.

Still want to see the revival, just not as badly as before. The book is witty in places and unlike HAIR, not dated.

2. Read an interview in EW this weekend with yet another Hollywood filmmaker, you may have heard of him? Joss Whedon? Here are some snippets:

( Snippets from Joss Whedon Interview in Entertainment Weekly )