Fashion is how she dealt with turmoil. She's breaking down at the beginning of the song, wondering about the wrong choices she made during her life: should she have been less of a career-slave, should she have fallen in love? But then that fashion show comes parading around her and she realizes that it was all worth it in the end -- she found love in her art.
I'm enjoying the lively discussion regarding the Coco clip, it's why I placed it on my channel in the first place. If you guys are interested, I wrote a brief blog entry about this clip, and the show itself, a while ago. Feel free to give it a read if you like, the link is in the description of the clip above.
Jesse, while what you state is correct, it is blindingly conspicuous. Of course, the message is it was worth it for her craft (I don't call it an "art' sorry). I can accept her coming to the conclusion that she made the right choices but not so damn quickly. It should have happened over the course of the show, maybe. It has to be an epiphany that the audience can recognize, identify, and most of all, identify with. Here, so quickly, it's meaning is cheapened. IMO.
Laslos, did you see the long clip with the book scene that precedes the song? I’ve seen so many edited versions of this, I can’t recall if this includes the enthusiastic anticipation Chanel has, that her young, female protégé will stay on and accept Chanel’s offer. This character was a complete invention of the show’s creatives, but, this number follows the young woman’s rejection of Chanel’s offer, and, her choice for conventional marriage & family. “Always Mademoiselle” is preceded by two hours, give or take, of Chanel’s revived career. I really should find and ask people I know who were in it, but, as far as I can tell, without Kate Hepburn in this role, there was no show. And, having chewed on this thread a bit, and, researched a bit as well, I think it may be fair to say that the entire plot of Coco the Musical, is contained in “Always Mademoiselle”. If you’ve seen this scene and this Finale, you’ve see all that is worth seeing of this musical. There is another, fabulous & beloved musical theatre number that contains the entire plot of the musical in a single number: Meadowlark, from Stephen Schwartz’s The Baker’s Wife. I love this number, as performed live, by Liz Calloway. It is a thrilling piece of musical theatre. But, Baker’s Wife, Producer, David Merrick hated it, because it was the Act I finale, and, it summarized the entire plot. Anyone leaving at intermission would know what happens in Act II, and, how the story ends. All by itself, “Always Mademoiselle”, with Katherine Hepburn’s portrayal of Gabrielle “Coco” Chanel and the “Mannequins” filling the spinning, staircasesed stage in Cecil Beaton’s rendering of Chanel’s fashion, was probably worth the price of admission and survives as a fair representation of the entire show.
Played/written wrong. Don't really get it. She's complaining of "lost love," and being alone, and it's very poignant. Suddenly, she's up and positive, "it was great to me "always mademoiselle." Huh? Bad choice. So the whole meaning of the show and the tragedy (not in life but the drama) is lost. What's the point then of "Always Madamoiselle" -- it's a GOOD THING?? Come on.
@@LazlosPlane There is a song in HAMILTON that happens in the mind of the character, Alexander Hamilton, in the span of a gunshot. The Creatives took a fraction of a second in Hamilton’s life, and expanded it into a song lasting several minutes. Always Mademoiselle is a song in a musical representing reflection that could last hours, days, weeks or years. The song and the staging does not happen in real time. (This is also a performance for and at the Tony’s, for which the song & staging may have been adapted and not done as it may have been performed in the show.) Coco Channel is not literally in her showroom, in a literal pin spot, followed by a private fashion show with a massive revolving staircase. In the playbill’s Song list it says: “Always Mademoiselle Coco Chanel and Mannequins” MANNEQUINS!!! So, in the mind of director, Michael Benthall, choreographers Michael Bennet & Bob Avian, and, perhaps book writer, Alan Jay Lerner, and, composer André Previn, the mannequins are alive ONLY in the mind of Gabrielle Chanel, who, having lived a life of serial abandonment, designed fabulous women’s clothes right up through the day she died. The show’s Finale, Always Mademoiselle, chose not to frame her life as tragic, but, to celebrate Coco’s transcendent designs and her indomitable spirit. Did it succeed? That’s in the eyes & ears & heart of the beholders.
Fashion is how she dealt with turmoil. She's breaking down at the beginning of the song, wondering about the wrong choices she made during her life: should she have been less of a career-slave, should she have fallen in love? But then that fashion show comes parading around her and she realizes that it was all worth it in the end -- she found love in her art.
This show must have been a gay man's dream: tortured iconic woman, costumes, huge star, costumes, and costumes.
a fitting, final tribute to the gifts of Roger Edens...without whom she would not have done this show most likely...
I'm enjoying the lively discussion regarding the Coco clip, it's why I placed it on my channel in the first place. If you guys are interested, I wrote a brief blog entry about this clip, and the show itself, a while ago. Feel free to give it a read if you like, the link is in the description of the clip above.
Jesse, while what you state is correct, it is blindingly conspicuous. Of course, the message is it was worth it for her craft (I don't call it an "art' sorry). I can accept her coming to the conclusion that she made the right choices but not so damn quickly. It should have happened over the course of the show, maybe. It has to be an epiphany that the audience can recognize, identify, and most of all, identify with. Here, so quickly, it's meaning is cheapened. IMO.
Laslos, did you see the long clip with the book scene that precedes the song? I’ve seen so many edited versions of this, I can’t recall if this includes the enthusiastic anticipation Chanel has, that her young, female protégé will stay on and accept Chanel’s offer. This character was a complete invention of the show’s creatives, but, this number follows the young woman’s rejection of Chanel’s offer, and, her choice for conventional marriage & family. “Always Mademoiselle” is preceded by two hours, give or take, of Chanel’s revived career.
I really should find and ask people I know who were in it, but, as far as I can tell, without Kate Hepburn in this role, there was no show. And, having chewed on this thread a bit, and, researched a bit as well, I think it may be fair to say that the entire plot of Coco the Musical, is contained in “Always Mademoiselle”. If you’ve seen this scene and this Finale, you’ve see all that is worth seeing of this musical. There is another, fabulous & beloved musical theatre number that contains the entire plot of the musical in a single number: Meadowlark, from Stephen Schwartz’s The Baker’s Wife. I love this number, as performed live, by Liz Calloway. It is a thrilling piece of musical theatre. But, Baker’s Wife, Producer, David Merrick hated it, because it was the Act I finale, and, it summarized the entire plot. Anyone leaving at intermission would know what happens in Act II, and, how the story ends. All by itself, “Always Mademoiselle”, with Katherine Hepburn’s portrayal of Gabrielle “Coco” Chanel and the “Mannequins” filling the spinning, staircasesed stage in Cecil Beaton’s rendering of Chanel’s fashion, was probably worth the price of admission and survives as a fair representation of the entire show.
Played/written wrong.
Don't really get it. She's complaining of "lost love," and being alone, and it's very poignant. Suddenly, she's up and positive, "it was great to me "always mademoiselle."
Huh? Bad choice. So the whole meaning of the show and the tragedy (not in life but the drama) is lost. What's the point then of "Always Madamoiselle" -- it's a GOOD THING?? Come on.
LazlosPlane what do you mean ‘suddenly’? There’s literally a 4 minute parade of her life’s work!
@@TheDiamondbells Suddenly, meaning, from the beginning of this number to its end. This is a short span of time, not her life.
@@LazlosPlane
There is a song in HAMILTON that happens in the mind of the character, Alexander Hamilton, in the span of a gunshot. The Creatives took a fraction of a second in Hamilton’s life, and expanded it into a song lasting several minutes.
Always Mademoiselle is a song in a musical representing reflection that could last hours, days, weeks or years.
The song and the staging does not happen in real time. (This is also a performance for and at the Tony’s, for which the song & staging may have been adapted and not done as it may have been performed in the show.) Coco Channel is not literally in her showroom, in a literal pin spot, followed by a private fashion show with a massive revolving staircase. In the playbill’s Song list it says: “Always Mademoiselle Coco Chanel and Mannequins”
MANNEQUINS!!!
So, in the mind of director, Michael Benthall, choreographers Michael Bennet & Bob Avian, and, perhaps book writer, Alan Jay Lerner, and, composer André Previn, the mannequins are alive ONLY in the mind of Gabrielle Chanel, who, having lived a life of serial abandonment, designed fabulous women’s clothes right up through the day she died. The show’s Finale, Always Mademoiselle, chose not to frame her life as tragic, but, to celebrate Coco’s transcendent designs and her indomitable spirit. Did it succeed? That’s in the eyes & ears & heart of the beholders.
I have to say I don't have a clue as to what your meaning is. Please try again.
@@timothysmith7888 Thank you for this informative response!