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Structure
Interesting Questions, Facts and Information
- There are a total of 30 general entries.
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 Interesting Questions, Facts, and Information
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| A brilliant blend of Shakespeare, sci-fi and a sixties soundtrack, which of Shakespeare's plays is 'Planet' loosely based on? | Return to the Forbidden Planet
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The Tempest. For those of you who don't know it, I'll try to briefly explain the plot. The starship Albatross takes off on a routine survey flight, and the audience are passengers. We are introduced to Captain Tempest, Cookie, the ship's cook (obviously) and the science officer, a mysterious woman. The ship is suddenly hit by an asteroid storm, during which the science officer escapes, taking the only escape pod, which is enough to arrest her for mutiny if she is caught. Then the ship is caught in a tractor beam, and is drawn to a mysterious planet. For more, see the 'Interesting Information' sections for the next few questions.
Sir Patrick Moore . The sight of Patrick Moore coming onto the video screen on stage always produces a huge laugh from the audience members that don't know it's coming, and cheering from those who do. And now, more plot. The ship lands on the mysterious planet, and is hailed by Doctor Prospero, a scientist who is well known, but thought to have gone mad and escaped from Earth for some reason. Prospero explains that the real reason he disappeared was because of his wife's treachery. He had been developing a drug known as 'The X Factor', which triggers telegenesis, the power to create anything by pure thought alone. One day, in his lab, his wife, Gloria, held him up at gun point, hoping to steal the formula and the glory for herself. She put him and his baby daughter Miranda on a rocket and shot them into space to die. Fortunately, they found a planet to live on, D'Illyria, the one onto which the Albatross has been drawn. More later.
James Doohan. Otherwise known as Scottie from "Star Trek". More plot (it's quite long and complicated): After Prospero tells his story, his servant enters the ship. It is Ariel, a roller-skating robot. Then we are introduced to Prospero's daughter Miranda who is now 16. Cookie immediately falls in love with her, and believes she feels the same, because she kissed him on the cheek. However, she falls for Captain Tempest, who rejects her because she is too young for him (although he is tempted by her). Prospero does not approve of Miranda's attraction to the captain, and disowns her over it. To be continued.
She's Not There. This is the moment that every 'Planet' fan looks forward to. It always gets a bigger round of applause, cheering, whistling, etc. than anything else in the whole play, and once you hear it, you'll know why. More plot: Act 2 begins with a brief recap of what's just happened, starting from the moment Ariel brings the science officer, or Gloria as she is now known to be, back to the ship, and the monster attacks. Ariel is sent to get rid of the monster, which he manages to do, but Gloria warns the crew that it will return. She is ignored and arrested for mutiny and for her attempt to kill Prospero 16 years ago. Cookie is set the task of being her guard. Not a good idea. She manages to convince him that she was trying to kill Prospero because she knew he would get out of control and use his telegenesis formula for evil. She then makes a deal with Cookie: if he lets her go and steals Prospero's formula for her, she will tell him how to attract Miranda. Cookie agrees. TBC.
Cookie. In every cast, the guy playing Cookie just gets better. Phil Reed, the current one (or most recent as of 2004, anyway), is a guitar playing god! More plot: After Cookie makes his deal with Gloria, Miranda returns, dressed up in what she believes is a more mature and sexy way, in a desperate attempt to get Captain Tempest's attention. However, he tells her that she has overdone it, and that he was attracted to her natural beauty. Cookie then attempts to steal Prospero's formula, and eventually Ariel ends up eating it. At this point, the monster from the end of Act 1 returns to threaten the ship. Gloria explains to the crew the reason why the monster has returned. Remember Prospero drinking the telegenesis formula? It was because he was angry about Miranda being in love with the Captain, right? The anger he was feeling at the time he drank it created the monster, so as long as he still feels that anger, even subconsciously, the monster can not be destroyed. Nearly finished now.
Matt Devitt. Matt Devitt has since also been in many British TV shows, including the hospital drama "Casualty", and an appearance as a dog in an episode of "Red Dwarf" in which the crew get sucked into a parallel dimension and meet their female counterparts. Except the Cat, whose opposite is the dog. Anyway, last bit of 'Planet' plot coming up: After Gloria's revelation that the monster attacking them comes from Prospero's brain, a heart-breaking decision is made. In order to save the ship, Prospero kills himself, because only by his death can the monster be destroyed. However, D'Illyria was sustained by the good part of Prospero's mind, so once he commits suicide, it starts to explode as well. The Albatross manages to escape, Captain Tempest finally admits his attraction to Miranda and they get together, and Cookie is arrested for his part in the plot to steal the formula, but is pardoned. Then they all have a big massive jam session. And that's the end. Sorry it took so long to explain.
Marilyn Monroe. She comes in wearing a gold version of the dress from 'The Seven Year Itch', the one in the famous picture of Marilyn on the grate. I have seen one version where she comes in as Olivia Newton-John from the end of 'Grease', but that was a production done by my college, and they did 'Grease' two years ago, so it was a decision based more on already having the costume than for any artistic reason. (Actually, the girl playing Miranda was the one who had played Sandy!)
telegenesis. As explained earlier, telegenesis is the power to create through pure thought.
Sarah Whittuck and Stuart Nurse. Yes, in a case of life imitating art, the actors playing Miranda and Captain Tempest (from the 1994 and 1996 tours) fell in love and got hitched, just like their characters. Just in case you're interested, Allison Harding played Gloria in the 1996 tour, Phil Reed was Cookie in 2001/2002, Sarah Beaumont was Miranda in 1999-2002, Frido Ruth played Ariel in 93/94 and 2001/02, Diana Croft was Gloria in 2001/02, and James Earl Adair played Prospero in 199-2002. If any of this has stirred your interest in this fantastic show, check out the official 'Planet' website at www.rttfp.com. Hope I've managed to satisfy any existing fans, and maybe inspired some new ones!
Eudora Welty. Welty, a well-known Southern writer, first published the book 1n 1942. Though based on a Grimm Brothers story, she employs some symbolic elements to convey parts of their tale as well as changing the ending.
Country-folk. A country string band is used during the performance. Considering the setting of the story, the music is appropriate and effective.
Bandit of the Woods. He disguises himself by smearing berry juice over his face. By stopping the Harp gang, he gains the trust of the planter Musgrove.
The Natchez Trace. It occurs before Mississippi is even a state. The roughness and lawlessness is comparable to tales of the Old West.
Mike Fink. Mike Fink was a contemporary of Crockett. As a Mississippi boatmen, he had his own legendary tales of strength and action.
Robert Waldman. The lyrics and book were written by Alfred Uhry. Bostwick starred in the Broadway production as Jamie Lockhart and is on the original cast recording.
| Stepmothers are often portrayed as being very evil. "The Robber Bridegroom" also has an evil stepmother. What is her name? | The Robber Bridegroom
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Salome. After Musgrove's wife is killed and he escapes with his daughter, he marries Salome. Her plan is to kill the daughter. When she finds out Lockhart's true identity, she tries to use that to her advantage. Her henchman's name is Goat, but he ends up killing Salome by mistake.
Yes. After several misadventures, the play concludes with a very pregnant Rosamund finding Lockhart in New Orleans. She gives birth and they are married to a rousing square dance song.
| What English actor collaborated on the songs, wrote, directed, and starred in the original production of the play? | The Roar of the Greasepaint
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Anthony Newley. Anthony Newley wrote most of the tunes, not--as one might expect--the lyrics, to the songs.
The little guy can triumph over the corrupt and powerful.. The play is an allegorical representation of the transformation and ultimate triumph of the small and downtrodden over corrupt, complacent and cruel powermongers. It doesn't sound like it could be, but it's actually very funny for the most part!
Cyril Ritchard. Cyril Ritchard, an Australian actor with a long and distinguished career, played Sir, the personification of power misused. Sir, although as wretchedly dressed as the others in the cast, clearly holds all the marbles.
A spiral trail of spaces similar to a hopscotch board .. The stage was meant to represent a gameboard, the backdrop against which the characters played the game of life.
Whatever Sir said they were.. Sir made the rules and changed them at a whim. The rules were always designed with one end in mind--to thwart Cocky and keep Sir in power. Sir delighted in destroying any small bit of happiness Cocky managed to find.
| Although every song in the play is memorable if you've seen the play, one in particular became something of a hit. Which one? | The Roar of the Greasepaint
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Who Can I Turn To?. "Who Can I Turn To" was recorded by several other artists, including Tony Bennett; the song, sung in despair by Cocky when it seems he will never find a way out from under Sir's thumb, is addressed to God--"Who can I turn to if you turn away?"
The chorus. The urchins were present for most of the play. They were fickle creatures who slavishly doted on whomever was on top in the game at the moment--and who gleefully put down whomever wasn't.
He showed Cocky that Sir could be bested.. The Negro (remember, this was in the mid 1960s--at the time, the term was respectful) was a joyous young man who simply ignored Sir's rules, thus robbing him of power. He just walked the length of the gameboard until he occupied the winning square in the center. Watching this, Cocky realized that it was possible that he, too, could win!
None. "Greasepaint" was nominated for six Tonys and lost all six to "Fiddler on the Roof". The song "Who Can I Turn To" was nominated for a Grammy and lost to "Hello, Dolly". Tough competition that year!
It was a draw.. At the end of the play, Cocky no longer blindly cedes power to Sir, and Sir has made a couple of concessions to Cocky. As the lights go down, they are engaged in spirited argument over what the rules should be, both with a point of view and neither with all the power.
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