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April 2, 2011

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Clair Huxtable vs. Billy Crudup

Clair HuxtableBilly Crudup

I'm still disappointed at how un-transcendent the new Broadway production of Tom Stoppard's Arcadia is, and I've been thinking of things that might have made it better and more fun to watch.

Here's one. There's a scene when Billy Crudup, playing a sort of manic literature professor and Byron scholar, recites the opening lines of "She Walks in Beauty", in order to emphasize Lord Byron's genius and the immortality of his words. But the way he says them is weirdly halting and raggedy, which totally overwhelms the language and the subtle rhythm of the lines.

Compare that to the first time a lot of my generation probably heard those words: as spoken by Clair Huxtable in a funny episode of The Cosby Show, "The Card Game". You can watch her smoothly and, I'm just going to say it, sexily recite the first stanza in the first two minutes of this episode here, starting at 1:45.

Did you realize Phylicia Rashad was that hot?

categories: Celebrities, TV, Theater
posted by amy at 8:05 PM | #

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Comments

I'm sorry - did you say something? I was distracted by the flowing curtains of purple polyester billowing through that scene.

Posted by: T-Rock at April 7, 2011 5:56 PM

Yes, I believe that's the 1985 Starfleet leisure tunic uniform.

Posted by: amy at April 8, 2011 12:01 AM

That's right - from the episode when MC Hammer played a Romulan MC.

Posted by: T-Rock at April 8, 2011 11:52 AM

Didn't everyone know that Rashad was that hot? 'Cause she was *totally* hot.

Posted by: That Fuzzy Bastard at April 9, 2011 3:34 PM

It's taken me 25 years to realize it, but yes: she's one smokin' TV mom.

Posted by: Amy at April 10, 2011 10:17 PM

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