Review-y Rec! Hogwarts Story, by Wendy
Jun. 21st, 2004 09:13 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
amanuensis1You guys have probably all seen the link by now, but I have to go all squeeful over Hogwarts Story, an OotP filk musical of West Side Story by Wendy ( hebrideanblack@earthlink.net ). It's everything filk should be--clever and funny and a very, very good take on both sources.
I'm picky about filk--the adaptation of the lyrics has to make you slap your forehead with "Of course!" or at least nod in gleeful agreement, and yet it has to be different enough to be engaging, and--here's the biggie--it has to scan, guys.
And it has to be clever. Again, there has to be the head-slapping in terms of the story choices--who gets to sing what song, why the purpose of that song in the musical fits the tone of what you've adapted.
Having skill at both of these things is a rarity, and, joyfully, Wendy's one of those artists who does.
Having "The Jet Song" become the Death Eater's anthem is logical--but paralleling the Jets' concerns about their companion Tony with the DE's regarding Snape is taking it that step forward into forehead-slapping cleverness. And then, the very first lines of lyrics:
When you eat death, you eat death all the way
From your first crucio to your final AK
That's when you know it's all genius, my friends--funny, clever, a perfect parallel and it SCANS.
There are very few places where the scansion wavers--Wendy's quite aware that when you sing her version of "Officer Krupke" it's going to sound perfectly right to sing it as "PROF-ess-or Um-bridge," so, that's no error.
Speaking of which, that' song's another terrific example of putting all the brilliance together--sure, anyone confronted with the idea of turning West Side Story into OotP might have said, "Hey, you have to make the Officer Krupke song about Umbridge!"--but where she takes the entire song--with her choices for the dual roles in the rest of the play-within-a-play-ness of that number--that's the result of a remarkable brain, so incredibly clever is it.
She doesn't even cop out and veer from canonical OotP for the sentimental duets--no romantic inserts. Instead, the scene of marriage vows ("One Hand, One Heart") is Snape contemplating Pensieve memories of the vows he made both to the Death Eaters and the Order, and "Somewhere (A Place For Us)" is Harry and Luna's lament for loved ones gone beyond the Veil.
(Oh, okay, slash lovers, there's a LITTLE romance--but it fits because it sticks with subtext! I'll show you, and besides, I was looking for any excuse to show off her hilarious parody of "(I Like To Be In) America":
SIRIUS:
I hate to be in the House of Black.
It's so gloomy in the House of Black.
Got no roomie in the House of Black.
REMUS :
What about me in the House of Black?
)
So. Yes. It's all filk should be. Go look!
(I note a link at the bottom of the page to other HP filk musicals. I must check those out. They have no link to![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
maybethemoon's equally brilliant HP version of the Buffy musical, so maybe I should tell 'em.)
I'm picky about filk--the adaptation of the lyrics has to make you slap your forehead with "Of course!" or at least nod in gleeful agreement, and yet it has to be different enough to be engaging, and--here's the biggie--it has to scan, guys.
And it has to be clever. Again, there has to be the head-slapping in terms of the story choices--who gets to sing what song, why the purpose of that song in the musical fits the tone of what you've adapted.
Having skill at both of these things is a rarity, and, joyfully, Wendy's one of those artists who does.
Having "The Jet Song" become the Death Eater's anthem is logical--but paralleling the Jets' concerns about their companion Tony with the DE's regarding Snape is taking it that step forward into forehead-slapping cleverness. And then, the very first lines of lyrics:
When you eat death, you eat death all the way
From your first crucio to your final AK
That's when you know it's all genius, my friends--funny, clever, a perfect parallel and it SCANS.
There are very few places where the scansion wavers--Wendy's quite aware that when you sing her version of "Officer Krupke" it's going to sound perfectly right to sing it as "PROF-ess-or Um-bridge," so, that's no error.
Speaking of which, that' song's another terrific example of putting all the brilliance together--sure, anyone confronted with the idea of turning West Side Story into OotP might have said, "Hey, you have to make the Officer Krupke song about Umbridge!"--but where she takes the entire song--with her choices for the dual roles in the rest of the play-within-a-play-ness of that number--that's the result of a remarkable brain, so incredibly clever is it.
She doesn't even cop out and veer from canonical OotP for the sentimental duets--no romantic inserts. Instead, the scene of marriage vows ("One Hand, One Heart") is Snape contemplating Pensieve memories of the vows he made both to the Death Eaters and the Order, and "Somewhere (A Place For Us)" is Harry and Luna's lament for loved ones gone beyond the Veil.
(Oh, okay, slash lovers, there's a LITTLE romance--but it fits because it sticks with subtext! I'll show you, and besides, I was looking for any excuse to show off her hilarious parody of "(I Like To Be In) America":
SIRIUS:
I hate to be in the House of Black.
It's so gloomy in the House of Black.
Got no roomie in the House of Black.
REMUS :
What about me in the House of Black?
)
So. Yes. It's all filk should be. Go look!
(I note a link at the bottom of the page to other HP filk musicals. I must check those out. They have no link to
maybethemoon's equally brilliant HP version of the Buffy musical, so maybe I should tell 'em.)![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
no subject
Date: 2004-06-21 06:48 am (UTC)That's exactly what I look for in a filk, which is why I recced this one, too. I'm a filker from way back, so I get pissed when I'm enjoying a song (and, yes, I do sing along. I think I scared my neighbors with my 'PRO-fes-sor UM-bridge'-s last night.) and all of a sudden I'm doing a Jack Sparrow impression -- WHERE DID THE METER GO?!
And, ooh! I never saw the Buffy/HP crossover. Must away.
no subject
Date: 2004-06-21 07:13 am (UTC)ROFL!! (I have to use that line. A lot.) God, that hurts when that happens. Just as bad is when it's a one-joke filk where you hit the joke as soon as you sing the title line--and then the song just goes on and on after that with nothing funny to sustain it. Parody should be shorter than the original, and you can't just say "oh, look, I didn't even have to change the song because it fits both situations!" No. Just, no.
And yes, do look at the Buffy parody! There are a few versions out there but the others I've seen aren't anywhere near as good as
no subject
Date: 2004-06-22 11:38 pm (UTC)::dances until falls on floor::
Sorry to be so long in responding, after you posted a link to this entry in my journal yesterday. I spent about half an hour last night dancing around my house joyfully after reading it, and now I'm not entirely sure what I can possibly say to express how reading this makes me feel! ::grin::
I wrote "Hogwarts Story" last year as a bit of a lark (it was the first filking I'd ever done, and I haven't done any since, although I'm thinking about a PoA musical next), and I thought it turned out sort of cool, but it's really amazing to hear just how much you liked it! Hee! I could read this stuff over and over again (and probably will) ::adds to memories:: ::grin::
Seriously . . . it is really lovely to hear the reasons you enjoyed my filks - it's great to hear from someone who just says they "loved it!" too, but it really means a lot to hear all the specifics like this. Helps me to see not only what I'm doing right, but also what is really important to people who read/sing them. (I agree, for it to scan properly was pretty much my highest priority, and I tried to only cheat on that for the benefit of a really "clever" lyric. Or when I was stumped ::grin::).
Oh - and the line that you quoted: When you eat death, you eat death all the way . . . . . . that was the very first line that came to me when I started this, so it's sort of the "seed" of the whole project.
Anyhow, thanks so much! I really enjoyed this review. And might just be inspired to do some more filking in the near future. :-)
no subject
Date: 2004-06-24 08:26 pm (UTC)I know I'd eagerly await more filk from you! If you have any urge to do more, go for it! Please, please!