Tuesday, June 24, 2008

Let's See. Words That Rhyme With "Fish"...

Seems that John Cleese is busy writing the book and lyrics for a stage musical adaptation to his huge 1988 hit A Fish Called Wanda. [src] Given the massive success of Spamalot (the adaptation of Monty Python and the Holy Grail, 1975) which he did not work on and reportedly didn't ask for royalties on, it's no surprise. Hopefully Cleese has scoured the awful Wanda sequel Fierce Creatures from his memory banks and no trace of it will remain as he returns to that non-Python classic one more time.

One troubling question remains: How will they ever fill Jamie Lee Curtis's shoes? So comedically gifted, that one. Shouldn't she have like three Oscar nods by now? Oh, right comedically gifted. They'd better gift "Wanda" with the show's best number.

8 comments:

Anonymous said...

um the real question is how in the hell are they going to fill kevin klines shoes? he was the best part of the whole film and deserved his oscar for a brilliant comic performance. No one currently working on broadway could possibly do what he did in that film. who are they gonna get? Gary Beach? Roger Bart? please, i expect this to be just as terrible as all the other recent comedic film adaptations to stage. Leave Wanda on the screen where it belongs.

Anonymous said...

well done nat a shout out to jamie lee,why oh why hasn't her hubbie cast her,she could easily win an oscar and would be great given the right lad or supp role in his film or a woody allen film.

she isn't the greatest dramtic actress but i must confess i loved her in a silly thriller called mother's boys - v camp but v good jamie lee was.

missed noms
83 - trading places
88- a fish called wnada
94 - true lies
03 - freaky friday

Cinesnatch said...

I don't think replacing Kevin Kline is the big problem. I think it's figuring out how to stage the death of the three Yorki's . . .

Cinesnatch said...

Kline will be probably the easy part, seeing how his performance is the most theatrical element of the movie. Curtis' performance is more nuanced and better tailored for the screen ... that will be tough.

Cinesnatch said...

It's ironic that Curtis was to miss out on a nom in 88. Though it was an incredibly competitive year (great female perf's from high-profile films), it was also a very comedy-friendly one too.

... and then to deliver her True Lies perf in one of the worst years for noms in modern history and not get nominated ... ironic indeed.

Anonymous said...

I don't get the jamie Lee Curtis love. I always thought she was the weakest part of the film. Hated True Lies...mediocre in Freaky Friday especially.when compared to Barbara Harris

Trading Places she WAS actually subtle...the others performances were all too over the toppish for me.

Her husband, on the other hand, is the very definition of brilliant. THAT is my definition of comidically gifted. Jamie Lee...she's okay, but I've seen that in community theatre. Truly.

Neel Mehta said...

What about the Michael Palin role? That would seem the hardest one to translate. Not too familiar with Broadway... does stuttering work on the stage?

Term papers said...

Well I've Been reading That he did not work on and reportedly didn't ask for royalties on, it's no surprise. Hopefully Cheese has scoured the awful Wanda sequel Fierce Creatures from his memory banks and no trace of it will remain as he returns to that non-Python classic one more time.