Blazing Saddles

[Danny Dowling]

So I love Blazing Saddles, it's one of my fav comedies of all time.

For a long time I've been thinking about what Blazing Saddles would look like on stage, and every now and again I think about it a little more and it feel more possible.

Now, over to you guys; think it could work? The ending is potentially very awkward, but there are possibilities with slight alterations with changing the fight escalation to the fight happening and Lemar escaping, moving on to the final scenes with Bart against Lemar. Another option is to play the fight card and work the final scenes into and around the audience.

thoughts and talk about the film and potential for it as a play piece welcome

 

[DoPo]

So I love Blazing Saddles, it's one of my fav comedies of all time.

For a long time I've been thinking about what Blazing Saddles would look like, and every now and again I think about it a little more and it feel more possible.

Now, over to you guys; think it could work?

What is the question? I can read it, I do not understand it - can what work? I think you accidentally the second paragraph.

EDIT: Added a quote, so future people understand my confusion.

 

[Silentpony_v1legacy]

Whats the topic? What does Blazing Saddles look like?
Like a mid-70s film? With horses, and gay dudes in tuxedos and Mel Brooks as an American Indian.

 

[Danny Dowling]

So I love Blazing Saddles, it's one of my fav comedies of all time.

For a long time I've been thinking about what Blazing Saddles would look like, and every now and again I think about it a little more and it feel more possible.

Now, over to you guys; think it could work?

What is the question? I can read it, I do not understand it - can what work? I think you accidentally the second paragraph.

EDIT: Added a quote, so future people understand my confusion.

sorry, fixed.

I meant I was thinking about it for a stage play.

 

[Evil Smurf]

Is getting a horse high, safe?

 

[FalloutJack]

Mel Brooks probably has it ready if he hasn't done it yet himself. He's very good at this.

 

[Dwarfman]

So I love Blazing Saddles, it's one of my fav comedies of all time.

For a long time I've been thinking about what Blazing Saddles would look like on stage, and every now and again I think about it a little more and it feel more possible.

Now, over to you guys; think it could work? The ending is potentially very awkward, but there are possibilities with slight alterations with changing the fight escalation to the fight happening and Lemar escaping, moving on to the final scenes with Bart against Lemar. Another option is to play the fight card and work the final scenes into and around the audience.

thoughts and talk about the film and potential for it as a play piece welcome

I see you are man of taste and quality. Nobody today can make a fart joke like Mel Brooks. As for stage plays? Why the hell not! Heck most of his movies could be turned into stage acts - except maybe Space Balls. And why would the ending be a problem? As you say, have them fight and interact among the crowd. The Pirates of Penzance, The Rocky Horror Show and Avenue Q all have parts where the actors break the fourth wall and interact among the audience, heck in Pirates, the pirates break out and get into a fight with the pit orchestra as a written part of the play. So why not! Take my money and reserve premium seatings for me and my guests!

 

[KyuubiNoKitsune-Hime]

So I love Blazing Saddles, it's one of my fav comedies of all time.

For a long time I've been thinking about what Blazing Saddles would look like on stage, and every now and again I think about it a little more and it feel more possible.

Now, over to you guys; think it could work? The ending is potentially very awkward, but there are possibilities with slight alterations with changing the fight escalation to the fight happening and Lemar escaping, moving on to the final scenes with Bart against Lemar. Another option is to play the fight card and work the final scenes into and around the audience.

thoughts and talk about the film and potential for it as a play piece welcome

I see you are man of taste and quality. Nobody today can make a fart joke like Mel Brooks. As for stage plays? Why the hell not! Heck most of his movies could be turned into stage acts - except maybe Space Balls. And why would the ending be a problem? As you say, have them fight and interact among the crowd. The Pirates of Penzance, The Rocky Horror Show and Avenue Q all have parts where the actors break the fourth wall and interact among the audience, heck in Pirates, the pirates break out and get into a fight with the pit orchestra as a written part of the play. So why not! Take my money and reserve premium seatings for me and my guests!

It wouldn't work purely for the sake of scope. The ending would require far more space than even the best rotating stage can provide. The same goes for To Be or Not to Be, Space Balls, High Anxiety, The Producers, The Twelve Chairs, and Robin Hood: Men in Tights. Too many important scenes require a stage far larger than any theatre stage can provide. Even if they could get a big enough stage the actors would look like ants on it, and some scenes wouldn't utilize enough space on the stage. If they took away the scale, then the scenes that used those scale would lose most of their impact.

Edit: Also most of the actors that played the original roles are either dead or too old, and it'd be neigh impossible to replace them. The shoes are too big and most actor interactions would more likely lack the chemistry. Especially for any role that Mel Brooks would have played.

 

[LordLundar]

It wouldn't work purely for the sake of scope. The ending would require far more space than even the best rotating stage can provide. The same goes for To Be or Not to Be, Space Balls, High Anxiety, The Producers, The Twelve Chairs, and Robin Hood: Men in Tights. Too many important scenes require a stage far larger than any theatre stage can provide. Even if they could get a big enough stage the actors would look like ants on it, and some scenes wouldn't utilize enough space on the stage. If they took away the scale, then the scenes that used those scale would lose most of their impact.

Edit: Also most of the actors that played the original roles are either dead or too old, and it'd be neigh impossible to replace them. The shoes are too big and most actor interactions would more likely lack the chemistry. Especially for any role that Mel Brooks would have played.

I half agree.

The scope issue is not really a factor. Most of Shakespeare's plays when put to a film or TV setup would easily span a larger size than anything in Blazing Saddles. Besides, the theater is not where the setting is important, it's the actors.

And this is the part where I agree with you. Part of the excellence in the Mel Brooks spoofs is that he has a innate knack for choosing the right actors for the roles and it would be borderline impossible to replace them.

So would it be possible? Certainly. Would it be anywhere near as good as the films, I doubt it on acting capabilities alone.

 

[Redlin5_v1legacy]

I dunno what the question the OP is posing but the topic of Blazing Saddles reminded me that Mel Brooks is convinced the movie could not be made in 2015. [http://www.newsmax.com/US/mel-brooks-political-correctness-movie-blazing-saddles/2014/05/14/id/571412/]

The idea we can't have another Blazing Saddles makes me sad.

 

[Danny Dowling]

I dunno what the question the OP is posing but the topic of Blazing Saddles reminded me that Mel Brooks is convinced the movie could not be made in 2015. [http://www.newsmax.com/US/mel-brooks-political-correctness-movie-blazing-saddles/2014/05/14/id/571412/]

The idea we can't have another Blazing Saddles makes me sad.

The question is "Blazing Saddles on stage; can it work?"

There would simply be too many stage changes required for it as a point by point recreation. Simple as that.

There would be scope to potentially leave out Lilly Von Schtup, she and her place in the overall story can be left out, same with Mongo to a point. Obviously you can't lose both, but one or the other can go. Leaving out Mongo may lose the famous fart scene but losing Lilly may lose the mugs, pugs, thugs scene. It's pick your poison.

I would potentially leave out Mongo. Although actually he leads to the railroad scene where Jim shoots the hands of the posse.

*sigh*, overall it's a bit tricky. But I do like the idea that the actual Rock Ridge scenery could be used as fake Rock Ridge and you could have Taggart kick down the fake store as he does in the movie.

I think that as far as stage setup goes, I would go for a 2-tiered stage I think. You've got times where Lilly is on stage, Lamarr is on a stage (rock) during the oath... there's a few points where there's a figure addressing an audience and that's something that needs to be explored.

 

[maninahat]

Damn, thinking about Blazing Saddles makes me realize how utter shit "comdey" films are today (well, the american ones), I'd take Robin Hood: Men in Tights over most of them.

It could work pretty well in a play, but it should be a musical since it seems to me it would fit best that way.

The sad thing is you can't even make a movie like Blazing Saddles nowadays. The Social Justice Puritans would be frothing at the mouth if that film came out today.

Mel Brooks is convinced the movie could not be made in 2015. [http://www.newsmax.com/US/mel-brooks-political-correctness-movie-blazing-saddles/2014/05/14/id/571412/]

Case in point.

They did make Blazing Saddles again. It's called Django Unchained. That film is probably even less politically correct.

 

[WhiteNachos]

I dunno what the question the OP is posing but the topic of Blazing Saddles reminded me that Mel Brooks is convinced the movie could not be made in 2015. [http://www.newsmax.com/US/mel-brooks-political-correctness-movie-blazing-saddles/2014/05/14/id/571412/]

The idea we can't have another Blazing Saddles makes me sad.

Things we have in 2015 that weren't around when Blazing Saddles was made

South Park
Family Guy
Cards Against Humanity
Saw, the human centipede and other "torture porn" (I know it's not the same thing but if the culture can let that slide I'm sure it wouldn't care about a few instances of someone saying ******).
Daniel Tosh's career (and to a lesser extent Jeselnik)

Sure tumblr would pick apart the movie with a fine tooth comb looking for reasons they can call it 'problematic' but that's what tumblr does. The movie would still have a market though if it were made today.

I feel like every time people say "this and that couldn't be made today because of PC police" they're just focusing on the times they cause a massive stink over something and forget about the crude stuff we already have.

I mean come on how steeped in PC are we when this made it to TV

 

[Redlin5_v1legacy]

I mean come on how steeped in PC are we when this made it to TV

I never said I agreed with Mel Brooks but the fact he feels that way might be the reason we're not seeing him take up Directing.

 

[Steve Waltz]

The reason Blazing Saddle could never work EVER today is because of social justice warriors. They would denounce and shun the play as soon as the idea was put on paper. You want to say the N-word in your play, but the character isn?t black? LOL! That could NEVER work today.

Also, you would have to alter the ending a bit unless you actually want the brawl to take place in the crowd. I personally don?t think that?s very safe and would give SJWs more ammunition for damning the play.

 

[KyuubiNoKitsune-Hime]

Snip

I half agree.

The scope issue is not really a factor. Most of Shakespeare's plays when put to a film or TV setup would easily span a larger size than anything in Blazing Saddles. Besides, the theater is not where the setting is important, it's the actors.

And this is the part where I agree with you. Part of the excellence in the Mel Brooks spoofs is that he has a innate knack for choosing the right actors for the roles and it would be borderline impossible to replace them.

So would it be possible? Certainly. Would it be anywhere near as good as the films, I doubt it on acting capabilities alone.

It's important to remember that the translation from stage to movie(or TV, or video game) is actually far easier than the reverse. Most translations from movie to stage rarely live up. Translation to stage works best when it's from a novel or short story. But the best stage material is always written for the theatre stage.

 

[Danny Dowling]

I used the Mugs, pugs, thugs speech as a monologue for a show reel.

yeah I agree that translating to stage is very difficult.