Shoggoth on the Roof
19 July 2003, 5:15 PM
Fred points to a page describing the doomed Chicago production of the parody/filk musical A Shoggoth on the Roof. The documentary appears to be fake (though entertaining), which makes me wonder whether the cease-and-desist letters are also fake. Fun, though, especially the music clips from the songs.
Comments
The documentary is very much real . . . as are the full libretto and professionally-recorded soundtrack album. I ordered the set this spring and showed them at both Walpurgisnacht and Reunion. Excellent stuff, highly worth ordering.
As for whether there was actually going to be a Chicago production, though, I'm not so sure.
Posted by: Will Quale | July 20, 2003 5:37 PM
What I meant was, if the clip available on the site is any indication, I would guess that it's not actually a documentary—it appears to be a "mockumentary" featuring faked interviews with fictional people. Were you saying that the info in the documentary is true, or just that it exists?
Posted by: Jed | July 20, 2003 9:34 PM
The original '70s rehearsal footage is every bit as real as the documentary footage of Spinal Tap's first tour. Likewise, the soundtrack album which came out subsequent to the Shoggoth documentary is every bit as real (and good) as the several Spinal Tap albums subsequent to TIST.
Of particular note about the documentary: the people interviewed aren't fictional. That's really Chris Sarandon (Humperdink in The Princess Bride) talking about acting in the original production during a lull early in his career!
Posted by: Will Quale | July 20, 2003 11:29 PM