12-24-2006, 03:56 PM
Henry Winkler and Patrick Duffy are both starring in pantos this year. They were interviewed in a Beeb article (link to original article at the bottom of the post), I just had to share. I'm not sure which is worst, the actors' comments or the reporting -the sections I quote are seqential and unedited/uncut apart from the insertion of my comments.
Quote:
Both actors admit they did not know what panto was when the job offers came their way.
But they took the jobs anyway?
Quote:
Since then they have both had a crash course in understanding the meaning of the tradition.
"They're still explaining it to me. I've had a week of rehearsal, my brain is numb," Winkler says.
"They're still explaining it to me. I've had a week of rehearsal, my brain is numb," Winkler says.
No shit.
Quote:
He stepped in after David Hasselhoff pulled out to appear as a judge in Simon Cowell's latest US talent show.
Winkler admits when he first got the call he imagined he would be working out of a box with a white face and not saying anything.
"I thought 'why would you do Peter Pan with no words?'"
Winkler admits when he first got the call he imagined he would be working out of a box with a white face and not saying anything.
"I thought 'why would you do Peter Pan with no words?'"
But you still took the job. How desperate are you?
Quote:
Audience participation
Now Winkler understands what it is about and how important it is to the British public, making him proud to be involved.
"I'm honoured that I'm one of the first Americans to be chosen to be in this tradition since 1607," he says.
Now Winkler understands what it is about and how important it is to the British public, making him proud to be involved.
"I'm honoured that I'm one of the first Americans to be chosen to be in this tradition since 1607," he says.
I think someone's told him there will be a test on this at the end of the semester.
I'm guessing no-one's told him that it's traditional to invite famous has-beens for the rest of the cast to poke fun at.
Quote:
Winkler and Duffy think pantomime should be taken seriously
See, I told you, they just don't get it......
Quote:
Duffy says he now understands what traditional pantomime is, comparing it to children's theatre because of audience participation.
looks like there's going to be a term paper on it too......
Quote:
"There are references that are topical and words that are not used anywhere on planet Earth except the UK and they'll be used for rehearsal and people will fall down laughing," he says.
Oh, I'm sure they will.
Quote:
"I'm looking around and they go over my head like a foreign language.
never a truer word.....
Quote:
"So these are things as Americans that we don't even participate in. We let the local people enjoy the local people enjoying," he adds.
How kind.
It's a good job the British Public know these guys are not representative of the entire American Population! ;)
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/6193090.stm