Hogwarts' Christmas Panto, Or the Flair of the White Worm |
 Dec 10 2008, 12:55 AM
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Official Singer of the Sorting Hat Song  Posts: 6,606 Joined: 3:12pm July 22, 2005 Location: Lost in Hermione's beaded bag    |
In the notes to "Fountain of Fair Fortune" Dumbledore speaks of Hogwarts' one experiment with the Christmas Pantomime or English Panto. See history of the pantomime. The event proves to be something of a disaster and marks the first and last time this is tried.
The Hogwarts panto is written and directed by Prof Herbert Beery. As a note, I think JKR is punning on the name of actor Herbert Beerbohm Tree, who was the original Prof Henry Higgins in the premiere of Shaw's Pygmalion. Tree was also the founder of RADA, from which Jo puns WADA. Well, here's a sampling of a panto, and here (check out the who's playing the Fairy Godmother with a magic wand) and here. For dem's wot ain't seen one. Oh, no, it's not. Oh, yes, it is. Have you ever seen one? What did you think? Why do you think JKR thought "Fountain of Fair Fortune" might lend itself to a panto production? Do you think JKR is poking fun at pantos? Or is she making broader fun of high school musicals? Or is this just the kind of messy farce that all pantos are? Do you think the Leaky staff should mount a restaging of the "Fountain of Fair Fortune" panto at LeakyCon 2009. "Where? There! There?, No, THERE." -------------------- Come the words that bubble
Up through broken laughter, Sweeter than spring-water, "Gods, I am so happy!" |
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