301 Comments
User's avatar
OrdinaryJoe's avatar

Let he among you who has not hissed at a bad Hamlet throw the first sheep.

Expand full comment
Dale Lyles's avatar

As I tell people when I'm teaching them "how to do Shakespeare," Bill's plays are the most produced every year, year after year, all over the world, and because it's always curtain time somewhere, his words are still being spoken 24/7 everywhere on this planet.

Expand full comment
Dale Lyles's avatar

My brain did a whatever-sound-a-cartoon-character-makes-when-then-shake-their-head reading "though it’s been 200 years since his death," until I realized we were talking about 200 years ago, 200+250 carry the one, okay. Time travel is hard.

Expand full comment
JCfromNC's avatar

From Astaire's first audition:

"Can't act, can't sing. Balding. Can dance a little."

Expand full comment
Mexfiles's avatar

At least 30 countries were calling for a truce, so not sure the US had all that much to do with it compared to anyone else. It was the Indians and Pakistanis who worked it out. Geeze... it's not like the US and Trump are the only players in the world.

Expand full comment
art3m1s's avatar

The US's contribution was that Trump didn't send JV to meet with them. so they didn't have to choose between couch fucking or death.

Expand full comment
Sandra Hardie's avatar

Weird, but interesting. Perfect for a Saturday night after a day of avoiding politics. Thanks, Robyn.

Expand full comment
Lady MS's avatar

Robyn, this story made my weekend. Long live the Bard, who captures the worst in us all😘

Expand full comment
rebecca's avatar

This is great! I had never heard about the Astor place riot. The part about half a dead sheep being thrown at the actor, and your phrasing concerning how it must have been difficult to bring it into a theater gave me one of those laughing fits one occasionally falls into and can't seem to climb out of. Thank you for the wonderful history lesson and the marvelous laugh- in these times it is a welcome diversion, and I truly believe laughter is the best medicine- if it weren't, I'd be dead by now!

Expand full comment
Goonemeritus's avatar

The problem with Fred Astaire is not his look, it's that he made a career in musicals. And everyone knows that cool kids don't watch musicals.

Expand full comment
beb's avatar

The police has always existed to beat the crap out of the underclass. So in any event where the police are present, a police riot is sure to happen.

2) Shakespeare was long taught in schools, both upper and lower class, because his most quotable lines were regarded as the essence of fine English rhetoric.

Expand full comment
Maybe's avatar

Astaire was a super talent but, as has been pointed out, Ginger Rogers did everything he did backwards and in high heels.

Expand full comment
Mexfiles's avatar

And don't forget Adele Astaire... Fred's original partner (and sister).

Expand full comment
jltympanum's avatar

The thing about Fred & Ginger is that aside from their enormous talent, their performances were literally perfect. I can't think of anyone else who has been able to achieve that.

Expand full comment
Hannah's avatar

Ginger Rogers could dance!!! In 👠.

Expand full comment
Gary Seven in Space's avatar

Fascinating

Expand full comment
Dee Whitman's avatar

For almost 5 minutes of joy, please watch (and share) this vid of famous clips from Golden Hollywood dance numbers, synced to "Uptown Funk":

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M1F0lBnsnkE

Fred appears several times. You can see the too-little-know Nicholas Bros. (considered by some to be the greatest tap dancers of all time) at 1:38 (and at 3:32 and 4:07, and 4:25, and I think at 1:20, with a third person). And that's Bob Fosse at 1:16. And and and. Joy.

Expand full comment
Robert Eckert's avatar

"One of those things was a half of a dead sheep, which seems like a difficult thing to take with you to the theater" or to throw at an actor.

Expand full comment