Reduce THIS! Over at Anna's place Ms Waits is celebrating the news that one of the Reduced Theatre guys is doing a Reduced Star Wars. Hoorah, etc. May the 'Farce' be with him, a huh huh. All well and good. But check this for a solid gold million dollar idea:

REDUCED BEATLES!

Aw, man! It's a no-brainer! (OK, so it's sorta been done by The Rutles guys, but what the hell, that was a different sorta deal, and it ain't as good as people say it is anyway.) Reduced Shakespeare Company Do The Beatles! It's got the lot! They're revered as hell! They're iconic! The narrative arc is (almost) perfect! They wore all sortsa crazy clothes / beards! There're all sortsa famous 'moments' ripe for parody! It writes itself!

.1. Scouse art school rockabillys get together for Little Richard / Buddy Holly inspired kicks!
.2. Scouse art school rockabillys get manger / suits: become proper pop band!
.3. Pop band take over entire world! Take drugs / go to India: become hippy pop band!
.4. Hippies grow beards! Become dissalusioned with being pop band! Split up acrimoniously!

And before any of you Reduced guys start thinkin' this sounds like a good idea (which it is), and maybe you might rip me off without crediting me or paying me any cash money, just like the i-pod guys and the picnic blanket guys (yeah, that's right, I invented picnic blankets, for all the thanks I get) - well you cn just forget it, 'cos this baby's mine. I'm already working on the script. Dig it:

Scene 1

Paul: "Hello angry guitarist John Lennon, I'm over-sentimental bass player Paul McCartney. Wow, I like living in Liverpool! It's FAB! Hey, do you want to be in a pop band with me?"

John: "Yes! But there are only two of us. You need four people to be a pop band! Oh, who is this coming now? It's passive/ aggressive guitarist George Harrison and aimable drummer Ringo Starr! Let's all go to Hamburg!"

Dynamite stuff, huh?

Class question: What would you like to see 'Reduced?'

  ¶ 9:28 AM