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Some pix of my Tanny. http://www.onetruemedia.com/shared?p=4458e...medium=text_url

It is for me to thank you Victoria. I'm certain that you were the first incredible dancer I saw. You had extra gorgeous legs/feet and strong, perfect technique. You were fearless and beautiful.

Thank you Victoria! Reading your words prompted me to remember watching you teach at Martha Mahr's studio in Coral Gables. You were completely inspiring and I can still picture you teaching the Raymonda Variation. I also clearly see you dancing Aurora's Wedding Pas, Clair de Lune, Walpurgisnacht and Farewell. You were incredibly gorgeous!

I've heard the film recording of ALNM, the original London cast and the London revival recordings.

That's great news! It was quite evident 10 years ago when I visited Moscow and Saint Petersburg that restoration was a big priority. Though K's house was some kind of museum and I was not allowed inside, I noticed that the Taurida Palace (location of the first Duma) was being completely restored on the outside at least. I visited the Alexander Palace in Pushkin (Tsarskoe Selo) and it was in the original stages of internal restoration. Nikolai's study was finished and several rooms had displays of clothing, paintings and objects belonging to his family. Pavlovsk of course has been faithfully restored several times in its history due to Maria Feodoravna's (Paul's wife/Ekaterina Veelekee's daughter in law) copious and thorough records. The process of "Faux Marble" was created for one of Pavlovsk's restorations. Suzanne Massie's LAND OF THE FIREBIRD and PAVLOVSK are wonderful reads for those interested. "Land of the Firebird' even contains a bit about the first Voksal in Russia and Glinka's Valse Fantasie being known as the "Pavlovsk Waltz".

I loved Len Cariou as Sweeney. He characterization was so much more subtle than Hearns. I saw the original twice on Bway and once at Kennedy Center but the revival was also genius and quite mesmerizing. I could swear I was levitated the entire evening. A Little Night Music is special. I do love the NYC Opera production. Follies (saw it in London and the recent Bway revival), Company (original national tour and recent Bway revivial), Sunday in the Park with George (original Bway and Ravivina) are equally wonderful and I adore Pacific Overtures. I saw an incredible production of Pacific Overtures at the Promenade in the 80s. But the Chicago Shakespeare was good and I adored the recent Roundabout production starring B.D. Wong. Unfortunately I don't know Passion and I didn't like BOUNCE at the Goodman. Recent Bway Assassins was pretty darn amazing too! Original Sweeney and A Little Night Music might be the best for just listening though the Follies Concert is fun.

I made sure I got a picture of myself outside her home in Petersburg. You can pass the mansion on your way to the Peter and Paul Fortress from the Gastinitza Cankt Peterburg.

LOL - Arpino still loves to pull that one out.

When I was in Gronigen for the Diaghilev Festival I was greatly dismayed by the sight of the gorgeous Kirov ladies leaning over to talk to each other in the bows of Firebird.

Buckley (The crew hated her!) and Dianne Carroll both have wonderful recordings.

LOL - Oh Glenn/Nellie, that was the worst. OK -- Let's hear it for Babs! Cut! Print!

"At least they're not considering Helena Bonham Carter". - LOL, not yet! Glenn, whose voice was uneven in the role was actually very, very charismatic in the theatre and that is a quality of Norma's. But I do agree about the voice for the big screen. LuPone has the vocal ability in spades but she is just not right for Norma. I don't like her recording. As much as "Evita" was a disaster, it was quite stylish and I loved the tongue in cheek moment of the film's actual director obviously in great pain directing 'Peron's Latest Flame'. I saw it in the theatre nine times. I guess they need to get Marion Cottilard.

Oh God! I'm afraid this is one that should not be made! Babs has the vocal chops but I'm not sure she is a good enough actress. She can obviously be fabulous in the right role and I adore her in Funny Girl, On a Clear Day and Hello Dolly. But can she really pull off the role of one of the silent screens greatest beauties? I saw Glenn on Broadway and she did cause me to rise to my feet but I'm not sure she has the voice for the screen. The notion of Liz is ridiculous to me. She not only can't sing a note but she in my opinion no longer even resembles a great beauty. Meryl is a Goddess in my book but does she have the voice for this? I know the original film was intended for Mae West but what a stroke of luck to have gotten the great(est) Gloria Swanson. I really adore the non musical version of the story and would like to see it (same as The Wizard of Oz) left alone! PS - I saw Petula Clark in London and she was quite horrid.

I would think that the producers are banking on the passion, glamour, fashion aspect though I'm not sure how successful this film will be financially. I remember leaving the theatre in a state of euphoria after my first viewing of the revival production and hearing a woman near me say - "I didn't understand a thing that was happening." Of course I know every word of the score. Maybe that helps? The sets for both Broadway productions were the most inventive, imaginative and beautiful I have ever seen. Since the musical is mainly about Guido's breakdown, I wonder if Rob will borrow from his 'Chicago' idea and put the film in the mind of Guido. 'The Grand Canal' scene in the revival affected me more than any other moment I've spent in a theatre. *Trivia* - Did anyone else on this board notice in Tommy Tune's choreography for 'The Germans at The Spa' his tableaux of the lithograph of Taglioni, Grahn, Grisi and Cerrito?

Girl Crazy is fantastic. Judy is perfection. It seems to me that Judy was Lucy before Lucille Ball was, if you watch her performances in Girl Crazy and Presenting Lily Mars.

NINE is my favorite show ever. I loved both Broadway productions. Rob Marshall is a great choice to direct and I'm over the moon about Cottilard. I would automatically put her in the Louisa role, in which by the way Masterson was divine. But it would be great if they cast her in another role due to her superbly incredible acting skills. I'm convinced that Anita Morris owns the role of Carla and no one one will ever be able to top her.

Makarova, Makarova and Makarova! I do have a soft spot for Plisetskaya (Odile) and her bouncing head feathers.

"Quel fromage." I love "Good News" I own it on DVD.

I've found some Broadway shows to be wonderful on tour and others just don't work outside of their Broadway house. Wicked in Chicago is excellent, same with The Color Purple. When I saw the first national tour of NINE at LA's Music Center it lacked every bit of talent and charm that had made it such a smash on Broadway. It was boring. That show needed the extraordinary talents of the broadway cast and that was hard to duplicate. I adore The Light in the Piazza. I saw it with the original cast and then once again with the replacements for its final performance. To me that show is magic and I love the score. I can't imagine anyone other than Victoria Clark as Margaret Johnson. I can't imagine LITP working in a big house. It needs to be an intimate experience. I enjoyed HAIRSPRAY very much on Broadway. I did see it early in the run and it was exciting and energetic. I saw the movie a few weeks ago and was very happy with it. The Good Morning Baltimore opening was kind of bland but the film picked up from there and turned out to be extremely pleasing. The dancing was wonderful and dang what a beautiful cast. Come to think of it, I enjoyed the film of HAIRSPRAY much, much, much more than the film of DREAMGIRLS. Travolta looked computer animated to me. It was strange, but the man knows a thing or two about film acting and he was very good in the role. I liked the Mendes direction of Gypsy. I also liked 99 per cent of the cast. I liked the Mendes revival much more than the Tyne revival.

Something about me and musicals at The Goodman. 'Bounce' seemed fun at the start but lost its charm for me very quickly. The music seemed incredibly bad to me but maybe Sondheim was trying to be old fashioned and I didn't get it. I remember laughing when Jane Powell died and realizing that I was the only one laughing and it was indeed a serious moment. I liked the first song in Act II but the ending of the song ruined it for me. I also did not like 'The Visit' at The Goodman.

LOL - oh yes the thread is about words and music! I'm not sure I can write intelligently enough about that but I've loved Lerner and Loewe, Sondheim, Berstein and Rogers and Hammerstein the most. Oh and there's Rogers and Hart (Makarova's revival of On Your Toes!) Showboat of course has wonderful music. Guys and Dolls and Kiss Me Kate are both excellent. The composer of Grey Gardens did a wonderful job using both of the Edie's actual words in the score. Sondheim is probably the tops for me. I did not like Bounce but I love all of his other musicals that I've seen. I saw a production of Pacific Overtures in the 80s at The Promenade Theatre that was simple and magnificent. Chicago's Shakespeare has done both Pacific Overtures and A Little Night Music. ALNM was directed by the man who later went on to do The Color Purple on Broadway. Original and recent Sweeney's were both beyond excellent. I saw the original three times and the recent production once (a night where I swear I levitated from my seat the whole show). Recent Pacific Overtures was wonderful and I liked the recent Follies better than the London production of the 80s. I wish I had seen the legendary original version of Follies and I wish I had seen COCO. I'm lucky I at least saw Hepurn in A Matter of Gravity. Oh and I need to mention a few other wonderful plays: Lettice and Lovage, Orpheus Descending, Shirley Valentine, Marlene and Master Class.

Though many recent dancers are very gorgeous, none move me the way Fonteyn, Sibley, Haydee, Fracci, Kirkland and Makarova have. There were thrilling performances at NYST, Kennedy Center and The Met in the 70s and 80s that just can't be matched for me. I can't imagine having goose bumps the way I did when I saw Fonteyn from the wings in Ben Stevenson's Cinderella or Royal Ballet in DC - Shades with Sibley and Dowell into Fille with Nureyev and Park. There was a matinee of ABT in which Gelsey and Misha danced Kingdom of the Shades, next Gelsey danced Leaves are Fading and the program finished with Alonzo in Carmen. Opening night of Misha's Don Q, Makarova and Dowell in Giselle, the Stuttgart of the late 70s at The Met, NYCB premiere of Robbins The Four Seasons, performances of Tzigane, Dances at a Gathering, Farrell's chic in Union Jack, Saland in Emeralds, the Ballo premiere -- the list goes on. The Joffrey of the 70s was beautiful and thrilling for me too. I must say that in recent years my passion has switched over to Broadway Musicals and plays. Wicked, NINE, Follies, Pacific Overtures, Cabaret, Fiddler, The Light in the Piazza, Sweeney Todd, Jacques Brel, Grey Gardens, and Curtains have sent me over the moon. I go way back with Broadway having seen Pippin and A Chorus Line at the end of their original Broadway runs, Shenandoah, A Matter of Gravity, Death Trap, Ballroom, On The Twentieth Century, Gorey Stories, Sweeney Todd, Evita, Bent, NINE, Dreamgirls, Woman of the Year, The Heiress, Agnes of God, Torch Song Trilogy, Jerome Robbins Broadway, House of Blue Leaves, Anything Goes, City of Angels all the way up to CAROUSEL The Boy From Oz, Thoroughly Modern Millie, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang and Mary Poppins. I love what David Leveaux did with NINE and Fiddler and what Doyle did with Sweeney even though I was bored with Company. Mendes did a brilliant job with Gypsy and Hytner's Carousel was one of Broadway's all time highlights. Not sure if what I've written fits in this topic properly but it sure was fun to reminisce!

My pleasure dirac. I'm sure I'll see this film again and can't wait for more from Marion Cotillard. I would prefer to see unknowns or at least lesser knowns as Dietrich and West.

I knew of Piaf's impact and fame papeetepatrick but not much more than that so this film really blew me away. I wanted to stay and see it a second time right away after my first viewing. It was not easy to wait a whole week to see it again. The actress is marvelous in my eyes, a Goddess! It would be fun to see a good Marlene bio and I hope they would not leave out Mae West. I loved Sian Phillips on Broadway. Would she be too old do the film? I also enjoy 'Heaven Have Mercy', 'Rien de Rien', 'Padam Padam' and 'Non, Je ne Regrette Rien' to name a few, Alexandra.

Yes Alexandra, a huge voice from that little sparrow. I have purchased the soundtrack from iTunes and keep listening to 'Milord'. There is a vivacious Josephine Baker song in the backround earlier in the film that I wish I could find.