I bought the soundtrack today, and was listening to it today. Can I just say that
Warning: Spoiler! (Click to show)Who'd think an accountant would turn out to be my Judas!
is the single funniest line ever spoken. Ever. By anyone. In any context. I was literally laughing for a minute (I had to pause the CD).
(The funny thing was, my non-Christian co-worker got the joke immediately, while a Christian thought it was a joke about creative accounting and corruption).
Anyway, reading the liner notes, I would tend to the view that there are fairly radical changes to the story that would make it much more than just a shot-by-shot remake.
Among the changes:
Warning: Spoiler! (Click to show)* The whole opening, with Max's failed musical adaptation of Hamlet (and I loved that title) - hell, we're four tracks into the CD before Leo appears.
* The "I Wanna Be A Producer" number, which is set in the accounting firm where Leo works - I really like this number.
* Ulla is now not just a secretary, she's actually a cast member - and incidentally, seeing how expanded her role is, I can understand a bit more why Nicole Kidman decided to go for the part.
* The love story between Leo and Ulla really surprised me.
* No LSD - Franz Liebkin takes the role of Hitler (after auditioning with a complete rendintion of Haben Sie Gehurt Das Deutsche Bank - wonderful), and after he breaks his leg Roger takes the role.
* A very nice expansion of the Opening Night sequence - the Good Luck song in particular is classic.
* Leo leaves for Bali with Ulla, before returning for his courtroom scene.
* Judging by the liner notes, there is neither a scene where Franz tries to kill them, or a scene where they try to blow up the cinema.
* The success of Prisoners Of Love causes them to be pardoned.
Plus, nowhere in the original film is Hitler's middle name revealed. That in itself justifies a film of the musical.
I've always loved Hold Me Touch Me, and I was delighted to learn that she has two even more disturbingly named associates...
Warning: Spoiler! (Click to show)Lick Me Bite Me aand Kiss Me Feel Me.
Fortunately, HMTM still seems the main one.
I think there are enough changes in the story to avoid the film feeling like a mere rehash of the film. There will be sequences that will be similar, but it'll be different and fresh and new. I'm looking forward to the film.
I really liked the fact that Mel set the show in 1959. My only problem with the original film is that it is really dated by characters like LSD - I love the character, especially Love Power, but he makes it too obvious that its a 60s film. The new date hopefully makes the show more timeless.
The other thing I realised listening to the show is that it offered Mel a chance to look at the film, take everything in it that could be offensive, and do big song-and-dance numbers that amplify the offensive elements by a hundred. Wonderful. (Keep It Gay is a wonderful number, and surely If You Got It, Flaunt It offended a few people).
I really am looking forward to seeing this show now.
