JAZZ4JEFF
Active Member
This past Saturday, I traveled to the Beverly Hills Museum of Television and Radio and attended the screening of “The Carpenters at Christmas”.
As a member of the museum, I have seen several screenings and seminars at their facility. They always do things first rate, and this was no exception.
The daily screenings they have at the museum are done with little fanfare. They have a 150 seat theater and show programs all day long. For the Saturday afternoon screening, there were about 30 people in attendance.
Watching the Carpenters TV special with a group was very different. The audience laughed through many of the “70’s style” production numbers. The costumes and dancers alone in the opening of “Sleigh ride” brought hoots from the crowd. (even as a K&R fan, some of the shots are very funny in retrospect). I think many people were there for the camp aspect of a 70’s holiday special. The crowd would applaud after every number. The special holds up very well on a musical level. The songs K&R perform from the “Christmas portrait” LP are beautiful. Even the great duet Karen does with Kristy McNichol on “Christmas” is charming. Most of the corny dialogue is forgettable. While Karen was a natural actress, Richard seemed uncomfortable with his lines. The great Spike Jones closer of “My New Years resolution” was a great ending to the special. The audience seemed to really enjoy it.
The special was shown on a large video screen. The quality was perfect and the sound was great. There were banners promoting the Carpenters screening throughout the museum. The museum also has a library type feature where you can scan for any artist in their data bank, and then check out a show you’d like to see. They have several Carpenters appearances that you can view in their library.
Watching the great quality of the special makes me hungry for a Carpenters Christmas DVD. By just pulling the musical performances from their two holiday specials, you could create a very special holiday present for fans. Sonny & Cher have had great success this season with a collection from their holiday shows. I can understand why Richard might not want the entire special released on DVD, but the music is exceptional.
Thank you to the Museum for recognizing the quality of the Carpenters Christmas special and their television legacy.
As a member of the museum, I have seen several screenings and seminars at their facility. They always do things first rate, and this was no exception.
The daily screenings they have at the museum are done with little fanfare. They have a 150 seat theater and show programs all day long. For the Saturday afternoon screening, there were about 30 people in attendance.
Watching the Carpenters TV special with a group was very different. The audience laughed through many of the “70’s style” production numbers. The costumes and dancers alone in the opening of “Sleigh ride” brought hoots from the crowd. (even as a K&R fan, some of the shots are very funny in retrospect). I think many people were there for the camp aspect of a 70’s holiday special. The crowd would applaud after every number. The special holds up very well on a musical level. The songs K&R perform from the “Christmas portrait” LP are beautiful. Even the great duet Karen does with Kristy McNichol on “Christmas” is charming. Most of the corny dialogue is forgettable. While Karen was a natural actress, Richard seemed uncomfortable with his lines. The great Spike Jones closer of “My New Years resolution” was a great ending to the special. The audience seemed to really enjoy it.
The special was shown on a large video screen. The quality was perfect and the sound was great. There were banners promoting the Carpenters screening throughout the museum. The museum also has a library type feature where you can scan for any artist in their data bank, and then check out a show you’d like to see. They have several Carpenters appearances that you can view in their library.
Watching the great quality of the special makes me hungry for a Carpenters Christmas DVD. By just pulling the musical performances from their two holiday specials, you could create a very special holiday present for fans. Sonny & Cher have had great success this season with a collection from their holiday shows. I can understand why Richard might not want the entire special released on DVD, but the music is exceptional.
Thank you to the Museum for recognizing the quality of the Carpenters Christmas special and their television legacy.
