h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

I'm not sure "cultural" and "pantomime" belong in the same thread, but that is, of course, a matter of opinion!

When I was trying to become a teacher, we were told about the difference between "big C culture" and "little C culture".
Big C culture would include things like Shakespeare, the Gettysburg Address or Goethe;
while little C culture would be fish and chips, the July 4th barbecues, or apfelstrudel (things that normal people do in a specific country/area/galaxy). (*)


And pantomime is specific to Britain : we don't have it in France, and neither do the Americans, I gather. So there : culture !


(*) Although, come to think of it, I'm not quite sure "normal" and "panto" belong together...

Nope. And most of us confuse pantomime with that annoying thing with people dressed in black and white stripey shirts trapped in imaginary boxes and leaning into the "wind".


Speaking of which, I've been trying to remember where I saw a movie scene where the protagonist is walking through the park, probably Central Park, stops to watch a mime balancing precariously on an imaginary tightrope. Then the protagonist approaches the mime and pushes him off.

Anyone remember that scene?

Was the scene in "Tootsie"?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j2o0mcPhKSU

(DAMN IT! Another vapor post!)


YES!

My brain convoluted Dustin Hoffman with either Tom Hanks or Michael Keaton for some reason. Tootsie never occurred to me.

That's been bouncing around in my head for years, maybe decades.

I'm no genius, but Google is pretty smart.

I tried Google a few years ago, but I probably added Hanks or Keaton's name to the search.

Of course panto is culture and much more fun than morris dancing.

I think you did well to remember a scene from a movie that came out in 1982.

I remembered it better than I remembered remembering it.

(Watching that scene for the first time in 30+ years hit my "familiarity" centers of my brain very highly. That was exactly how it played in my head, but I didn't trust my memory that the mime was on a curb, so I just said "imaginary tightrope".)

In what way is a panto cow NOT a walk-on part?

PP.

When it's dancing? There's a pantomime cow in the movie/musical "Gypsy."

Oh yes, we will be dancing - presumably not speaking.
When I referred to a walk-on, I meant a tiny role with only a few words & no singing or dancing. I know even those can be very significant - a cameo can be very memorable. Also we've all got to work together to make the whole. But I'm actually keen & happy (& reasonably able) to do more rather than less. I get a bit annoyed at turning up to rehearsals to read in for those with larger roles who are not there…

Would you exchange a walk on part in a cow, for a lead role on the stage?

only if her legs are good enough for principal boy

Yes, I would swap cow for a leading role but I think age might be against me for principal boy!

The only leading role I could handle at my age is Don Quixote, but with my luck they'd make me Sancho Panza.

Go for the cow role. Milk it for all it's worth. Tone it down, not too erotic. Not the time for anyone to get the horn. They'd have to look the udder way. And even if it's a large hall, I have a haunch that you'll fillet.

The steaks are high so please don't burger it up. Study how cows walk and remember that they don't mince.

I'm sure you will give a moooving performance, there's quite a tail to be told.

PP

I think it cud work.