| Seven Brides for Seven Brothers | |
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Just in time for Valentine's Day, Grissom High School Theatre is presenting the rambunctious courting story of Seven Brides for Seven Brothers.
The play and 1954 movie are based on the short story, "The Sobbing Women" by Stephen Vincent Benet. The movie version was completed in a remarkable 48 days.
At the time, President Dwight Eisenhower urged his fellow Americans to go and see it. After seeing it at Grissom High School, I can understand why the President wanted everyone to attend a good family production.
The original title was "The Sobbing Women" (same as the short story it was based on) but the MGM Publicity Department thought no one would go see a movie with that title. They then suggested the title "A Bride for Seven Brothers," but that title was rejected because it seemed too titillating. Finally, the title "Seven Brides for Seven Brothers" was decided upon and the movie went into production. The movie, which wasn't expected to be very successful, became the best-selling movie of its time.
In the film, all the brides' spring dresses were made from real quilts. It was also decided that all the Pontipee brothers would have red hair to distinguish them from the town suitors in the movie. In the Grissom production, not all the brothers have red hair (but most do!). They do all wear the same style shirt in different colors so it's easy to pick them out.
Seven Brides for Seven Brothers is set in the 1850's Oregon wilderness, and is bursting with rambunctious energy and boisterous family fun. Brace yourself for the rowdy Pontipee brothers, they will steal your heart as they steal their brides! Taking things into their own hands, the brothers steal six girls from town to be their brides. Then winter comes before they can get a preacher out to the homestead and the girls and boys are trapped during a long winter. The girls in the house; the brothers in the barn.
With a cast of 50, this is a lively production. There are even some "little" townspeople in the town--siblings and neighbors of Grissom students. Some of the cast had to age to play their roles. This is done in a very convincing way.
The Grissom High School production is a fast-paced, toe tapping production. Stephanie Braley-Beutjer has done a magnificent job and the choreography of this show is breathtaking. The actors out-do themselves with leaps, flips, twirls and stomps. Only actors this young and filled with energy could make it seem so effortless!
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