I admit,  I get frustrated when I see projects like this “Star Wars / Shakespeare” mashup, which appears to be an “officially licensed” ebook that tells Star Wars in iambic pentameter.  In other words, there appears to be some sort of a business model for retelling well known stories as if Shakespeare had written them (Two Gentlemen of Lebowski, anybody?)

Once upon a time, an idea like this would have been little more than a blog post.  Slap together a scene or two to get the joke across, put up a post, and hope it “goes viral”.  Or maybe you take a different approach, maybe you just dip into popular culture for a well known line here and there and give those ye olde’ Shakespeare spin (hint hint hint, hint – how I spent my Twitter time…)

Where does the idea turn into, “We should make a book and sell it”?  I’ve actually spoken to an agent on the subject.  I mean hey, I’m not stupid, if there’s a gravy train that I could hop on I have to at least see if there’s room. 🙂   What I was told makes perfect sense, that basically ideas like this only work as books *after* they’ve gone viral on their own, and basically that unless somebody like the New York Times notices you or you’ve got a dedicated following of 50,000 fans, don’t bother.

For some projects, like Lebowski, that seems to have been the formula.  I remember that one being an online project well before it was a book.  Same with some other McSweeney’s piece whose name I can’t remember about Hamlet’s Facebook page.  They develop a following online, then a publisher is interested.

I’m reminded of the script comedy show Saturday Night Live, who once upon a time hit it big in movies with Wayne’s World.  “Aha!” thought the producers, “Clearly a skit can be turned into a movie!  We must TURN ALL THE SKITS INTO MOVIES!”  And we all probably know how well that went.  Sometimes an idea that is funny for 5 minutes is not funny for 10 minutes, much less 90.

If the author happens to be reading?  Nothing personal.  See earlier gravy train comment.  If there’s a market for these things and a brother can get paid for his trouble?  I’m not going to stand in the way.  On the contrary I’m probably going to show you my script and see if I can get a meetup with your agent.

I’m asking — is there a market for this?  Are any Shakespeare Geek readers waiting for this one?

And perhaps most importantly of all, has anybody called dibs on The Princess Bride yet?

“From forth thy lips that word flies far too oft,
 I fear it meaneth not what you may think.”

Where’s my agent?!

Hey, he said it, I didn’t!

“I’m going to marry Patrick,” he said before pausing and realizing that could be taken out of context. “How else do you put that? I’m going to officiate at his wedding.”

This revelation came during McKellen’s appearance on The Jonathan Ross show.  Congratulations to Sir Patrick!

Read more at the Wired story below, which includes video of the interview.

http://www.wired.com/underwire/2013/03/patrick-stewart-mckellan-wedding/

(*) Note the misspelling of McKellen’s name in the URL!  Don’t you hate it when your content management system won’t change the permalink when you edit the post title?  I get that a lot.

I’m a fan of Billie Joe Armstrong and the band Green Day.  I wasn’t too pleased when American Idiot became a Broadway musical (seems like a sell out, from what Green Day used to represent), and I wasn’t surprised when Armstrong was checked into rehab.

But I’m thrilled when I spot a headline like, “Green Day’s Billie Joe Armstrong Will Rewrite Shakespeare”!

More specifically, Spin Magazine reports, it looks like he’ll be helping with the soundtrack to These Paper Bullets, a rock-n-roll take on Much Ado About Nothing.

Music and Shakespeare always go together, and when modern popular recording artists get in on the Shakespeare act, nothing but good can come of it.  David Gilmour of Pink Floyd did a rendition of Sonnet 18 that was my ring tone for a long time, and set the stage for my children to always hear, and repeat, Shakespeare set to music.  Rufus Wainwright soon followed.  I know that Bare Naked Ladies actually have an album called As You Like It, having done soundtrack work for productions in their native Canada.

What do you think, readers?  Fans of Green Day out there?  Do you imagine this new effort sounding like that, or do we think that Armstrong’s got the range to bring something entirely different (and equally awesome) to the table?

Weary with toil, I haste me to my bed,
The dear repose for limbs with travel tired;
But then begins a journey in my head,
To work my mind, when body’s work’s expired:
For then my thoughts, from far where I abide,
Intend a zealous pilgrimage to thee,
And keep my drooping eyelids open wide,
Looking on darkness which the blind do see
Save that my soul’s imaginary sight
Presents thy shadow to my sightless view,
Which, like a jewel hung in ghastly night,
Makes black night beauteous and her old face new.
  Lo! thus, by day my limbs, by night my mind,
  For thee and for myself no quiet find.

As I flip through my sonnets book looking for material, Sonnet 27 caught my eye.  Does this entire sonnet basically come down to, “When I lay to go to sleep at night I can’t stop thinking about you, so I just stare into the darkness and try to imagine your beautiful face and think about how far we are away from each other?”

I love it.

Danish Paradise

by Bard “First Foolio” film

You wanna tell me what this play is all about?

As I walk on the battlements of Elsinore,
I take a look at my skull and set the table on a roar.
’Cause I been antic dispositionin’ so long that
Even Ophelia thinks that my mind has gone.
But I ain’t never stabbed her dad if he didn’t deserve it.
Hidin’ back behind an arras? You know that’s unheard of.
You better watch where you’re putting that poisoned cup
Or you and your new wife might have to drink some up.
I really hate to be, but I gotta be.
You can see my solid flesh in my soliloquy, fool.
I’m the kind of Dane the traveling players wanna be like
On the stage every night
Reciting lines in the spotlight.

CHORUS

We been spending most our lives
Living in this Danish Paradise.
My father’s ghost is nice
Visiting this Danish Paradise.
Where are old Yorick’s gibes?
Not in this Danish Paradise.
One stab wound should suffice