[Dixielandjazz] Re: Happy Every Day -- and the Holy-daze, too

[jazzfact]

Bill,
Here's an article explaining Pantomime a little better than I can

In the British and Australian theatre, pantomime is a Christmas or New
Year entertainment. Like Punch and Judy, Harlequinade and the French
tradition of mime, its origins can be traced back to the 16th and 17th
century Italian improvised comic drama called the commedia dell'arte.=20
Growing out of the harlequin spectacle of the 18th century and the
burlesque of the 19th, pantomime retained such elements as an actress
playing the part of principal boy and an actor playing the dame.=20
Many of the plots were based on folk tales collected and retold by the
French writer Charles Perrault. His book 'Mother Goose's Fairy Tales'
published in 1697 included classic stories like Puss in Boots,
Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty and Red Riding Hood.=20
As pantomimes used these stories more and more the role of Harlequin
diminished until he disappeared. New elements were added to the mix of
slapstick and double entendre. Popular songs, topical humour and satire
found their way into the script as did audience participation and guest
appearances by popular entertainers of the day.
Some of the comedy routines have become traditional. We've no idea who
first performed them but they are eagerly awaited by audiences who know
them just as well as do the performers.=20
Nowadays, people will try to tell you that panto is for children. Then
they'll attempt to emasculate the script, commenting that the baddies
are too frightening, witches are unchristian and the jokes are too
naughty. Rumour has it that one group even produced, 'Snow White and the
Seven Persons of Diminished Stature'! Well, pantomime has never been
politically correct. Instead, it brings us face to face with our greed,
prejudice, cowardice and dishonesty, and forces us to laugh at
ourselves.=20
In the end though, virtue is rewarded, true love conquers evil and
everyone lives happily ever after. It's terrific!

Richard Stevens
www.ozemail.com.au/~jazzfact/

-----Original Message-----
From: Bill Gunter [mailto:jazzboard@hotmail.com]=20
Sent: Monday, 30 December 2002 6:50 AM
To: jazzfact@ozemail.com.au; PLadd36932@aol.com
Cc: dixielandjazz@ml.islandnet.com
Subject: RE: [Dixielandjazz] Re: Happy Every Day -- and the Holy-daze,
too

Listmates and art lovers,

Richard Stevens admonishes me:

>Sorry dude, That=92s mime!
>
>Pantomime on the other hand is a glorious riot of middle aged actors
>charging around a stage doing an interactive kids comedy routine.The
>yheme is often Cinderella or Snow White. It's usually watched by
>hundreds of enthralled young children shouting "behind you".

Au Contraire - this is putting too fine an edge on it. In my complete=20
Roget's Thesaurus one finds:

the first synonym for the word mime is pantomime
the first synonym for the word pantomime is mime

In my on-line Webster's dictionary one finds "telling a story using only

facial expressions and body movements" in the definitions of both "mime"
AND=20
"pantomime."

I will grant you subtle differences if one wants to split hairs. For=20
example, mime seems to be more related to expressing ridiculous
absurdities=20
and pantomime is possibly more related to expressing humorous stories.

But the main point is that my use of the word "pantomime" to describe
street=20
performers in whiteface was perfectly correct.

Respectfully submitted,

Bill "Ancient Greek Dramatist" Gunter
jazzboard@hotmail.com


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