Word: shoguns
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James Clavell, the best-selling author of "Shogun" died in Switzerland from a stroke. He was 69. Aside from being a successful novelist, the Australian-born Clavell also wrote the screenplay of popular movies such as "The Fly," "The Great Escape," and "To Sir With Love...
...SHOGUN. You paid for the book, you sat through the mini-series, now applaud the costumes, scenery and special effects. Oh, yes, there's also a musical going on, but despite the efforts of an able (and authentically Asian) Broadway cast, the show remains as passive and emotionless as the unseen puppet Emperor...
Nothing in the theater is ever a sure bet, but Clavell always believed Shogun was close to it. The 1975 novel sold 15 million copies worldwide. The ; 12-hour TV version, seen by more than 130 million in the U.S., was the nation's fourth most watched mini-series ever, and proved just as popular in Japan (whence came the bulk of the musical's financing). Says Clavell: "It's got a love story and, obviously, opportunities for high adventure. In production values it should compare quite favorably with Les Miserables and The Phantom of the Opera." So he financed...
...soon to tell whether the gamble will pay. Shogun shrewdly combines the spectacle of recent British-import musicals with the romantic story line and charming set pieces of Broadway tradition. It will have passionate enthusiasts for its bold theatricality and epic sweep; it comes with a built- in constituency. But it may make few new converts. Unless one knows the book or TV show, the plot is hard to get involved in, especially in the breakneck opening minutes. The love scenes, although competently acted, are so flatly written that they lack emotional intensity, a defect that the lush, quasi-operatic...
...THEATER: Shogun sails stormy seas to Broadway...