Has anyone seen this show on stage?
Recently I saw it on stage, it was great. It was a rendition on a college campus by some of the students. There were some differences to the story line but it was amazing. The cast of the play perfectly portrayed Tony, Grandpa, Mr. Kirby, and Essie perfectly. The story of the "maid" Rheba was cool. If you haven't seen the play you should look into the actual play.
forget modern movies, aim your sights on the classics.
I've had the pleasure of being in the play a year ago, and then seeing it done just a week ago. Both times were absolutely awesome. I loved seeing it as much as I loved being in it. It's so superior to the movie.
Born a rebel
Died a hero
Remembered a legend
Forgive my reposting, but I thought you'd be interested in taking a look at what I said in another string re: the play vs. the film. I was a director in theater and t.v. for years and, while I never directed "You Can't Take It With You," I did see and have the opportunity to work with several productions of it over the decades. This is what I said elsewhere:
The film maintains Kauffman and Hart's wonderfully eccentric family and Grandpa's musings about the body politic ("we haven't used battleships since the Spanish-American War and what did we get out of that? Cuba! And then we gave it back!"). The play, however, is much less a populist tract on the power of the people vs. the ability of the filthy rich to hold sway over history. The mob scenes in the street, the jail cell and the courthouse were added by Capra for the film, as is his wont and certainly ramps-up the politik heat of the piece beyond Kauffman/Hart's intentions. While the play doesn't play nearly so well today, the film is excellent and certainly cuts sharply in America's current political climate even if only an expression of wishful thinking.
Come read the site: http://www.FeralFiction.com
I didn't get to act in this play, but I did get to see it. It makes a great stage performance. Especially for the role of "Grandpa". A good friend of mine was that character and he made the show.
shareMy high school did a production of You Can't Take it With You in my senior year. I played Anthony Kirby.
Coincidentally I'm also a big Marx Bros. fan, and George S. Kaufman wrote two Marx Bros. plays, "The Cocoanuts" and "Animal Crackers." Moss Hart's wife Kitty Carlysle appeared in the Marx. Bros movie A Night at the Opera.
I can see you right now in the kitchen, bending over a hot stove. But I can't see the stove.
TOnight was the opening night for my High Schools production. Sadly I did not have the honor of being in it. But I had the honor of helping. All of the ushers for the play bailed last minute, so I offered my help and did it. Oh my gosh. I could never have seen a better play. Everyone on stage was my friend and they were the best that they could ever be. I had seen most of them in plays before, but tonight was their best performance ever. The portrayed the wild and crazy Sycamore's and co. to a T. I can't wait to see it again. Tonight was my second full play I have seen of it, yesterday was an open dress rehearsal, It is amazing. If you have not seen it, SEE IT!!
Live each day like it is your last. Because you never know what will happen.
I was in my high school's version of "You Can't Take It With You" about 3 weeks ago. I played Mr. DePinna, who if you haven't seen it live, has a much larger part in the original play than in the movie. This is a fantastic movie though and is a lot different seeing now after being in the play, but just as magical as always.
I built this place.Down here, I make the rules.Down here, I make the threats.Down here, I'm God.
FYI: Kaufman also wrote the screenplay for A Night at the Opera with Morrie Ryskind. I think, too, they contributed to the script for A Day at the Races.
shareI am in the play now as Penny. I am having a great time, seeing how it's a great play. We go on May 19 and 20, right now I am actually memorizing my lines :].
shareI played Penny in a production as well! She is a great character and I hope you have as much fun as I did bringing her to life :)
He pounds his fists against the posts and still insists he sees the ghosts
I was Paul in my HS performance.
shareI played Kokenkhov in a community theatre production last year. It is a wonderful play. Definately one of my favorites.
shareI am in a high school production of this right now.
I am playing Tony Kirby and it's a pretty good play. it's a little odd that takes place in 3 acts. i am trying to do as much as i can with the charactor of Tony. so i probably misspelled some stuff. but hey, i'm in high school. we open in march like on the 16th
wookin puh nub
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I was in this play as well, i played donald this year as our high school fall play
I Love Jesus
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I was just cast as Grandpa and i am very excited to bring him alive
any advice to make my performance mermorable?
Hmmm...not sure. The characters in the play are quite versatile. Make it your own, there is nothing more memorable than an actor who does that.
I was cast as Paul just recently. It's going to be great.
Its a great play, and a great part, you have prob. opened & closed by now. The make up and clothes will make you look old. DONT PLAY OLD, grandpa is forever young. People will most likely disagree but Lionel Barimore was wrong for the part , (he couldn't walk and had to play the part on crutches. This is the advice I would give anyone who would tackle grandpa
shareTonight was the last performance of You Can't Take it With You for my high school's fall play for this year. I was Rheba. I enjoyed this play a lot. I thought it was hilarious...especially Kolenkov!
shareIm doing this for my high schools spring play and were getting casting info back in two days. im either donald, mr. kirby, or tony.
shareHope you get Donald...he's a funny one.
shareWOOOOOO, I just got Tony. We go up in like a month and a half and we just got the cast list. Also im netflixing the 1930's movie version. What kind of character is Tony? LET ME KNOW
sharei also just got cast as grandpa, i think it should be fun, tomorrows our read through and our first rehersal is prolly gonna be on tuesday.
sharei was actually in the play 2 years ago as alice. its so weird to watch it in film form!!
shareThey are doing it at my school - this week actually, and it's so great! :)
You give me joy that's unspeakable, Jesus I am so in love with You
I have landed the role of Donald, who has been changed from black to a poor redneck, at Eastern Oregon University, which I attend. Ironically I just got home from rehearsal. Haven't seen the film, but I would like too.
shareI played Essie in my theatre company's production.
One of the best eperience's i've ever had!
SO MUCH FUN!
It's such a great play
Went to see this play in Manchester a couple of nights ago, and loved it - had never heard of it until that night, didn't even know there was a film!
It was a fast-moving production, with several actors playing more than one part - for example, Donald was also the IRS man, the detective, the detective's two assistants, and Mickey Mouse (!), whilst Reba (sp?) was also the drunken actress, and Mrs. Kirby was also the Russian aristocrat-turned-waitress.
Loved every second of it, and will be trying to find a way of seeing the film after Christmas.
Man that must've been some performance. Especially because in the original play and in the Broadway version with Jason Robards, Rheba and Gay Wellington, the drunken actress, were both in a scene together.
shareYeah, it was clever how they did it - they had Mrs. Wellington collapse under the table with her legs sticking out, and these somehow got replaced by fake legs whilst Rheba did her bit. All very clever, we may have been distacted by another fireworks explosion at the time.
shareSounds cool...and I find it interesting you said you'd never heard of the play before? I thought we were the only ones. I found this movie at the library one day and I like James Stewart and figured why not? I doubt most people around here HAVE heard of it but you look around and you see all these high schools and colleges and community theaters that do the play every year so how is it so popular in some parts but never in others?
shareWell I'm in the UK, so maybe that has some bearing on it. We usually go and see a play around Christmas time, and this is the one we saw this year. Just saw that it was a comedy, and thought "Why not?". Turns out it was one of the funniest things I ever saw!
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