The Hollywood director who made opera hotter than sex

The Hollywood director who made opera hotter than sex

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norman lebrecht

July 20, 2016

Garry Marshall, who has died at 81, directed reams of popular films and TV series, none more impactful than the 1990 Julia Roberts-Richard Gere vehicle Pretty Woman in which a hedge-funder takes a prostitute to the opera to watch La Traviata.

Aside from his blockbuster screen career, Garry found time to direct opera. Grand Duchess opened the Los Angeles Opera’s 2005 season and in 2008 he directed L’Elisir d’Amore at San Antonio Opera.

pretty woman

Comments

  • MacroV says:

    It might not have played (or played well) on your side of the pond, but The Odd Couple is surely his best work. With Felix (and Tony Randall in real life) as a great opera lover. And this episode with Richard Fredericks: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XK1N_MobPWc

    • Stuart says:

      Oh, yes, it certainly played in the UK when I was a kid. Wasn’t there ann episode with Marilyn Horne as guest star?

    • Stuart says:

      Oh, yes, it certainly played in the UK when I was a kid. Wasn’t there an episode with Marilyn Horne as guest star?

  • someone says:

    I thought I’d probably watched many of his films, but I’ve just found out that I’ve seen just a few and am not very fond of any.

    If I have to choose the best among the ones I’ve watched, it would be ‘Franky and Johnny’, only because there is a scene featuring Debussy’s Clair de Lune.
    I’ve always loved Debussy since I was a very young child.

    Anyway, I’d prefer Penny Marshall who is his sister.
    See ‘Big’.
    I think it’s the greatest work of her.
    This film features one of the best piano(?) playing scene that most children might dream of.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CF7-rz9nIn4

    * Warning(?) : The YouTube clip could be a spoiler.
    This is a really lovely film.
    It’s worth watching the whole.

  • Alexander says:

    Edward Lewis isn’t a hedge fund manager.

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