The Acquisition of Memories. Chapter 8 – Planned Performances
Disclaimer- I don't own any of them, nor do I profit from them. JF and others do- I do try to handle them all respectfully.
A/N: Ok- now the bounds of realism truly get stretched- especially given the financial duress the Downton Estate always seems to be under! I do not honestly believe the Grantham's regard for their servants would actually stretch to the sort of opulence I describe in this chapter, even if the money were available- but hey- it is a romance I am trying to write here- and Rags to Riches stuff fits in with that.
I hope you like my little conceit/folly- and I have researched various aspects of this to try and keep it fairly historically accurate. I will leave quite extensive and relevant notes/ links at the end of the next chapters if you are interested in such things, but they should not be necessary to understanding the rest of the story should you want to skip it all. Sorry! It must be the student in me- always needing to justify and cite my sources!
CECECECECE
Once their luncheon and the whisky has been delivered, Charles opens the letter from Lady Rose Aldridge that the carriage porter handed to them. He reads it aloud to Elsie and by the end of it they are both ready for another shot of whisky each- so shocked are they by its contents and the extent of the regard that the family obviously has for them, bestowing no less than a royal invitation upon their servants. For Charles' part, he feels more than a little uncomfortable, even miffed, about the whole affair that has seemed to him to hijack, somewhat, their special day. He blusters a little about how he never thought he would ever have to frequent such a place again in his lifetime.
Elsie is drawn out of her initial shock by his response and roundly tells him that, "You ought not to look this particular gift horse in the mouth, Mr Carson". And then she smiles broadly at him. "I should love to go, for whenever else in our humble lives will such a chance come our way again? Hmm? And just think, we may even be able to say hello to Alfred before we head back to Scarborough- see how he is getting on," Elsie goes on excitedly. "Not to mention the fact that it will be my first big theatre show I will have seen, and those types of songs from these new musicals are so enchanting and fun!" - Elsie has heard this pair on the wireless radio, and from a record that she has heard Lady Rose play on the gramophone in the library. "AND, besides which, might I remind you Mr Carson," Elsie adds, her brogue thickening and her Rs rolling evermore appealingly into his ears as she builds up her head of steam, "that I have even heard YOU humming along and singing the lines of one of their tunes, and more than once I might add, despite the fact that you are always espousing an open dislike for this new jazz music. And finally, need I even say it? - You daft old Booby!- That we can afford to live a little, you and I!" And on that note, Elsie folds her arms across her front, straightens up tall and strikes her eyes steadily ahead of her.
With what appears to be the final word on the matter, Charles just smiles and raises his hands in defeat at the glittering mischief he detects in Elsie's eyes and on her upturned mouth as she glances smugly back towards him. He lightly blows a puff of air from his nostrils to stop himself from chuckling out loud at her display. He knows there was no point in arguing with his Elsie when she presents her views to him in such a beguiling manner! He knows it is best to relent and attend to the evening's entertainment without further complaint. Even though he is not entirely happy about going to the theatre, what with all that it will do to remind him of his years of foolishness, but, the fact that Elsie is so keen on the idea seals the deal for Charles.
Lady Rose's letter explains their itinerary for their two night stay in London, starting with their underground train transfer from Kings Cross Station to the Ritz Hotel on Green Park. This has been thought for the best as Lord and Lady Grantham will be using Grantham House from the coming Monday as they are seeing to Lady Edith and Miss Marigold's resettling at Mr Gregson's apartment and will then be attending to the remainder of the London season. In the evening, Charles and Elsie are to be taken by hansom cab to the Empire Theatre in Leicester Square for an 8pm performance of the new George and Ira Gershwin musical comedy "Lady Be Good!" The play is starring the current darlings of dance and song on stages anywhere, Adele and Fred Astaire.
Elsie, for one, feels like a giddy school girl.
What fun this will be! They have heard Lady Rose speak rapturously of the Astaire's last tour to London with another show called "Stop Flirting" in 1923. Lady Rose had enjoyed it so much that she had purchased an early copy of Fred and Adele's first 78 recording. And it is one of the songs from that production and record that had found its way, quite unconsciously, into Charles' head. Elsie and others in the house, to be sure, have caught him softly singing parts of it on more than one occasion. Particularly since Elsie agreed to marry him and he has seemed to trip a little lighter through his daily tasks in the great house- the big booby!
*And if I had no fear
Here's what you would hear
oOOo
I dream about you, scheme about you
Nighttime and day
Mad about you, sad about you
When you're away
oOOo
No day's complete, Dear
Until we meet, Dear
But with our meeting
My heart just stops beating
oOOo
Riding, walking, thinking, talking
You're in my heart
Am I in it ev'ry minute
Near or apart
You can't express it
So how can I guess…*
oOOo
However, Charles never got quite so caught up in it that he sang aloud the somewhat silly refrain that followed. Instead, he would richly hum through it with a happy smile on his lips.
Charles really has no response to Elsie's accusation. He has indeed been getting caught up in some of his old skills as a song and dance man. This new jazz music is undoubtedly bubbly and happy and it seems to speak of the new life that is seeping back into the world- now that the war sits at a more suitable distance in their memories for such sentiments to rise again. Charles thinks that perhaps he should blame Elsie a little for this somewhat reckless behaviour breaking through in him anyway! All that aside, Charles reasons that since it is still her wedding day, and if tonight's events can bring that smile he loves to see so much on her face and in her eyes again, then Charles will gladly endure the discomfort of seeing a musical comedy that even the Prince of Wales himself has been known to attend several times already- even this early in its London run! Charles decides to make the best of it, and indeed, he is beginning to see how the whole event will play nicely into a certain idea that has been developing in his mind about how their first night together as husband and wife may proceed.
In fact, the biggest shock to them is the fact that they will be seated in a private box, normally reserved for guests of the Prince himself. All the letter to Charles and Elsie says is that Lady Rose and his Lordship had earned and invitation quite a while back for 'invaluable services rendered to the Crown' and they have had permission granted to transfer the tickets onto Charles And Elsie, also as a gift for invaluable services rendered- this time to the Grantham family. Of course, all of this, to Charles and Elsie's experienced ears, sounds like Lady Rose and the Crawleys had somehow averted a scandal for the Prince (probably during Lady Rose's presentation season) that he felt compelled to recompense them for. But, quite unusually for Mr Carson and Mrs Hughes, it was not a series of events that either of them was personally privy to at that time. They both figure that this will probably make things easier for them, as they will no doubt have to mingle on a social level, rather than a completely servile level, tonight with the acquaintances of actual royalty. Ignorance of the truth will, therefore, remain their bliss for this evening.
CECECECECE
Later, after the news of the nature of their redirected honeymoon has sunk in a little more and the luncheon trays have been removed from the cabin, Elsie feels unaccountably dozy for such an early hour of the day. The energetic buzz and tension of the wedding morning have worn off and she feels her eyes glazing, even though she had slept reasonably well last night. She supposes this was uncommon for someone about to be married, but really, once Elsie was secure in the knowledge of the depth of Charles' regard for her, she knew he would be as reliable and punctual as he ever has been when it comes to a big event in Downton, and that nothing untoward would happen on her big day like it had done with poor Lady Edith and that rascal Strallan. Truth be told, Charles had been the nervous and restless one overnight, believing he would forget how to recite his vows, or that something far worse might happen…. But, no, none of it bore thinking about now. It was done and somehow the sun had shone upon their moment and Charles had ended up sitting in clover along with everything he ever wanted.
Charles senses Elsie starting to wilt next to him and encourages her to rest for a while. It is now going to be quite a late night after a very long day of travel, what with the train still close to two hours from Kings Cross Station. Charles folds a small company supplied blanket from the carriage rack into a cushion of sorts and places it behind Elsie's neck. Once he has placed a light kiss upon her lips, Elsie sighs and lets the rhythmic rocking of the train soothe her into a most uncommon mid-afternoon nap.
In the instant of her sigh, in the stroking movement of the carriage along smooth and silver steel, Charles finds himself repeating lines from that silly ditty of the Astaire's. This time, he really focusses on the meaning of the words to him, and for the first time he imagines that it actually was Elsie who had sung the call and response with him all those times it had played its way into his mind from the library gramophone.
*Feint heart never won fair lady
Then you don't forget
You must be bold
Like knights of old
oOOo
You have, oh, so many faults
You're not the type, and yet
Somehow I like you so
Though why I do not know*
oOOo
And through its repetition in his mind, Charles had realised that somehow she still liked him, despite all of his faults and crabby ways. And so he had finally found a way to overcome his own feintness of heart to become bold enough to ask for her hand in marriage.
In the considered timing and the touching of the steel of wheels on tracks, like the touching of a blade to the shoulders of a true knight of the realm, Charles feels his chest bursting with pride once more, as he remembers how his eyes and heart were filled with the vision of her beauty and her purity in the church this morning- all of her unstudied grace that comes from a place of inherent goodness. He feels, once more, the memory of her steady hand as she firmly took his own at the altar. In the exhalation of Elsie's slumbering breath, Charles hears his own voice from earlier, resounding inside his head- the steady deep baritone announcing his wedding vows to her as he stared into the bright but inky-sea blue depths of her eyes, knowing that she has faith in the truth of his heart's desire. And it was that truth that he tried to imbue into every word of the vows he made to her. There had been no fear in that moment that was just for them- private and sacred- despite being shared in the House of God that was filled with all the people of the village, and all the memories of the loves and losses that mark the passages of all their lives. The church houses the grief and joys of a whole town- the marriages, births and baptisms, illnesses and hardships, and the inexorable march of ruthless time towards death. Yet the summer morning today had smelled of sweet crepe jasmine and was filled with the warmth of the rising midsummer sun. Surely, it was a sign. A benediction. A blessing. Charles feels the truth of it all still burning in his mind and heart- making his vows to Elsie was the finest duty he has ever performed in his long life of servitude. He is proud to have taken that oath and is determined to live by it truly: to be the protector of her honour and the defender of the faith she has in him. He only hopes he can live up to his sacred duty.
Charles sits on the train in the private universe of their cabin, looking down towards his beautiful new wife. Elsie has instinctively leant towards him in her slumber, their upper arms now touching. What a luscious new pleasure Charles finds this to be. Her head lolls closer to him and finally comes to rest upon his shoulder. And such sweet bliss it is to be able to support her head- to touch her so closely in their 'private little space in public' that the cabin has provided them. Charles relishes the fact that he has the right now, as her husband, to support her thus without risk of censure.
Charles gazes at her and marvels once more at the nature of memory and of the human heart's capacity for love. All of the sensations of the day course new and bright and fresh through his system-pulsing in the space between the light breaths Elsie exhales and that seep warmly over him and is quickly followed by a refreshing coolness as she inhales away from his skin through the weight of his morning suit jacket. All Charles' sudden insights and the expanse of his love for her have galvanised in the billowing, calming essence of life that escapes her lips – with the inhalation and the exhalation of his whole world – for such it seems to Charles in that moment.
Charles sits and considers the miraculous clarity of thought and feeling he has experienced since they first settled into this train journey that is the symbol of the new direction their lives have taken today. From his awareness of Elsie's status as a queen amongst people, an idea had begun percolating in his mind. He knew that he must try to explain to Elsie how all these notions about her and their life and their love have flooded over him today- to try to make her understand all that she means to him. Earlier he saw that he had come close, and he was grateful that it seemed Elsie could fill in some of the gaps in his sentiments that he could not articulate as well as he had hoped to. But he wants her to know it all – to know him completely and he wants her to take from him all that he is feeling and all the love that he so desperately wants to give her. When they had kissed so deeply, the idea of how to show her had begun to form. And, in the face of the invitation to a royal box seat at the theatre tonight and their installation in such a grand hotel (a fitting end to the day his queen had shined brightest, Charles now feels), his plan has solidified. His mind turns to tonight and the intimacy he hopes they will share in their hotel room together, and how he will say – in not so many words- all of the things he needs to ensure she understands all of these things- these things that he has only fully realised for himself today. He knows what he might do to show her- to mark the moment for her- and make her fully understand that to her, above all others, his allegiance has been set and that it is utterly immovable.
Charles sends up a quick prayer to his maker, that they will not both be completely exhausted from the heady events of the day for him to be able to make good on his promise. For, to Charles, now that they were to mingle with the acquaintances of the Prince, no less, the stage was surely set. All of his skills, his studied restraint, from years in service- the theatricality of style that he felt made life worth living- would now come into play. He will pour himself into the role he is now assigned in life and he will give his all to Elsie in what he hopes will be the performance of his life.
CECECECECE
Quite a few historical Notes if you are interested… although they are not necessary to understand the ongoing fiction.
From what I can glean from good ol' Wikipedia, the Great Northern Line from Yorkshire terminated at Kings Cross Station, even in 1926, and the same company had a tube station run to Green Park where the Ritz is situated, so Chelsie could hop it to the hotel quite easily thereafter. A private 2-person covered single horse-drawn hansom cab to the theatre in the evening seems to be more reasonable transport for a night at the theatre, although I concede it could have been a motor vehicle to Leicester Square instead. In fact, there were apparently only 12 licensed hansom cabs left in London by 1927- /HistoryUK/HistoryofBritain/Joseph-Hansom-the-Hansom-Cab/. But let's just keep up the romance factor in this little folly, shall we?!
Anyway there it all is- my other fandom obsession- the life's work of one amazing artist- the incomparable Fred Astaire. I am a sucker for all of FA's musicals and couldn't pass up the opportunity to pretend that somehow Chelsie could have seen Fred and his sister Adele Astaire at the height of their stage fame, especially since the jazz/swing age was really about this burgeoning exposure of sexuality and youthful exuberance after WW1- fitting for a honeymoon fic I reckon. My only concern is, from what I have read of Fanfiction protocols- I am not sure I am really meant to bring actual historical persons into a fiction. Meh… I intend to keep this all very respectable, so hopefully, no harm will be done!
I have always liked the following review of FA's appeal and given that he is THE style icon of the 20th Century (Cary Grant and Marlene Deitrich are equal seconds in my book), hopefully my melding of the Downton world with these artists from that era will start to gel as a reasonable proposition with a few readers out there.
As one reviewer of Fred's work said: "A very distinguished colleague began his criticism of this show by asking what is Mr Astaire's secret. May I suggest that the solution hangs on a little word of three letters? Mr Astaire's secret is that of the late Rudolph Valentino and of Mr Maurice Chevalier — sex, but sex so bejewelled and be-pixied that the weaker vessels who fall for it can pretend that it isn't sex at all but a sublimated projection of the Little Fellow with the Knuckles in His Eyes. You'd have thought by the look of the first-night foyer that it was Mothering Thursday, since every woman in the place was urgent to take to her bosom this waif with the sad eyes and the twinkling feet.
Theatre critic James Agate in a review of a 1933 London performance of Gay Divorce as quoted in Cooke, Alistair. "Fred Astaire Obituary", Letter From America, BBC World Service, June 28, 1987.
So I think this all kind of links into the Chelsie ship in the 1920s quite well. Uncovering sexuality in a not too obvious way- and all with the optimum of style. "If you're tired of style, you're tired of life" after all! That is Carson's take on it, so who am I to argue! I am just bending the truth of a fictional character a little bit more my way! I hope others like it.
For those who may not know, Fred and Adele Astaire were actually the mega stars of their day in Broadway and West End musical comedies- which was a fresh, new and exciting genre that really grew out of the optimism of the building US capitalist imperialism of the early 20th century. I find it to be a fascinating amalgam of the high society and African American rhythms. It is hard to overestimate the impact Adele and, especially, Fred Astaire ended up having on both Jazz/swing music and tap and ballroom dance styles at the time and for FA- well into the 20th Century. The Astaires inspired much of the work of the likes of the Gershwins, Cole Porter and Irving Berlin (the great American songbook!- much of it introduced in recordings by FA first). The Astaires were close friends with many of these musicians in and they, in turn were inspired to write music for the song and dance pair.
I also love that FA was a true gentleman, like Charles (less prejudiced, though!). He was respectful of the African American artists who developed both the music and also the Tap styles in this age (Bojangles Robinson, and particularly John W. Bubbles). FA's one, very uncomfortable foray into black-face on film (Swing Time 1936), can kind of, almost (but not really) be viewed as a sort of tribute to both these men, more so the latter, in style. But still, blackface makes my skin crawl and FA apparently was never a fan of it either. Unfortunately, because of the way society was at the time, FA ended up doing this one piece and yet he never danced on film as an equal with any of the African American greats- it would have been so cool to see him with the Nicholas Brothers, even though their circus-like athleticism was a very different style to FA's. I can still dream, though .
Adele was actually seen as the really natural dancer and star of the duo in their vaudeville and musical theatre years, and Fred apparently made her shine by acting as the innocent young-boy/ serious foil for her squeaky/ Mickey Mouse / dizzy slapstick persona. Fred was the driving force behind their dance routines and quite the dedicated perfectionist, whereas Adele hated rehearsals and was more spontaneous. Adele was much sort after by various high society beaus in London and New York- even the Prince of Wales apparently courted her for a while. She ended up retiring in the early 1930s- marrying a Lord Cavendish, no less! (Irish Estate).
Fred became a style icon for men's fashion over the years. He and Adele enjoyed the high society and styles of London in the 1920s and Fred really followed the dress style of the Prince of Wales at the time and went to the best tailors in London (Saville Row, Jermyn Street; Anderson & Sheppard, etc), he wore a signet ring and copied the Duke of Windsor's famous tie knotting technique- which was then the height of fashion, and even modified his Omaha accent to a more clipped Noel Coward style of English accent, due to the amount of time spent in that country. You will not hear it so much in his later musicals and recordings as he drops into a more relaxed American intonation. Later his style of dress was quite individual and had certain quirks distinct to him, but it ended up embodying a relaxed elegance and individualism that was distinctly 20th century American.
Some books that have been useful for understanding the impact of Fred Astaire on the popular culture of the jazz age are: Kathleen Riley's - The Astaires- Fred and Adele; Fred Astaire's Autobiography- Steps in Time; and Todd Decker's- Music Makes Me: Fred Astaire and Jazz. None of them are a particularly scintillating read, but good info and insights nonetheless. This Wiki quote link is a good way to get a feel for how others have viewed FA's body of work and his persona. wiki/Fred_Astaire
Here is a link to the early recording Lady Rose is supposed to have owned and Charles is caught singing- if you want to hear it watch?v=nOqB9WtFPEs . . Below are the full lyrics to the song Charles has been caught singing. As you can see, I really don't think he would be caught dead singing the refrain out loud- it is very silly! Although Fred and Adele, as real life brother and sister, they sing this tune in stage character as a love song, they actually generally played a brother and sister team in their stage musicals, each having outside love interests. Good thing really – too squicky otherwise! So, they would not have performed this particular song on stage together.
*OH GEE ! OH GOSH !
From the Broadway show "For Goodness Sake" (1922)
(William Daly / Paul Lanin / Ira Gershwin)
Fred & Adele Astaire (From the London Production of
"Stop Flirting", with George W. Byng & Orch) – 1923
FRED:
There is something I must say
But just hate to discuss
Because I'm shy, I guess that's why
It's about me, I mean you
I mean, uh, the two of us
And if I had no fear
Here's what you would hear
oOOo
I dream about you, scheme about you
Nighttime and day
Mad about you, sad about you
When you're away
ADELE:
No day's complete, Dear
Until we meet, Dear
But with our meeting
My heart just stops beating
FRED:
Riding, walking, thinking, talking
You're in my heart
ADELE:
Am I in it ev'ry minute
FRED:
Near or apart
ADELE:
You can't express it
So how can I guess
FRED:
Oh Gee, Oh Gosh, Oh Golly, I love you
ADELE:
Feint heart never won fair lady
Then you don't forget
You must be bold
Like knights of old
You have, oh, so many faults
You're not the type, and yet
Somehow I like you so
Though why I do not know
FRED:
I dream about you, scheme about you
Nighttime and day
Mad about you, sad about you
When you're away
ADELE:
No day's complete, Dear
Until we meet, Dear
But with our meeting
My heart just stops beating
FRED:
Riding, walking, thinking, talking
You're in my heart
ADELE:
Am I in it ev'ry minute
FRED:
Near or apart
ADELE:
You can't express it
So how can I guess
FRED:
Oh Gee, Oh Gosh, Oh Golly, I love you
TRIVIA (1): On October 18, 1923, HMV Records invited Fred and Adele
Astaire to record two of their songs, "Oh Gee! Oh Gosh!" and "The
Whichness of the Whatness", from the London production of their
show "Stop Flirting". The record was released only in the U.K., on
the 78-R.P.M. disc HMV B-1719. It was Astaire's first record release.
TRIVIA (2): "Stop Flirting was the UK re-titling of the Broadway
Hit For Goodness Sake
Sourced from
**You've gotta admit- those lyrics are Chelsie!
CECECECECE
Other Notes
The Astaire's were afforded Royal patronage during their times in London, and even King George and Queen Mary attended one of the last performances of Lady Be Good! The Prince of Wales was known to attend the Astaires' musicals regularly (the 1923 production of Stop Flirting he attended about 10 times). However, the only historical evidence I have found in Astaire bios and the like about the London run of Lady Be Good! is that he attended the finale. Although the Prince of Wales courted Adele Astaire for a while, it was actually Prince Albert (Duke of York and later King George VI), Lady Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon (later the Queen Mother), and Prince George (later the Duke of Kent) that the Astaires related to better and they all attended the Astaire's performances on numerous occasions. The Astaire's were feted at all the trendy London night clubs frequented by the aristocracy at the time, such as the Embassy Club, the Kit-Kat Club, and Café de Paris. The Astaire's were even privately invited to meet the new Princess Elizabeth on August 10th of 1926.
The date I have chosen for Chelsie to be married and then attend the theatre performance of Lady Be Good! is early in the shows London run and it is actually the date of the future Queen Elizabeth II 's baptism, which the Prince of Wales attended , as far as I can ascertain from Royal engagements recorded I have dug into on the net. (from book- Whitaker's Britain . . /books?id=_WurAAAAQBAJ&pg=PA60&lpg=PA60&dq=prince+of+wales+may+1926+royal+engagements&source=bl&ots=1KAj1vgFRZ&sig=W0UOHj60o52iIEQSYZWTMJOpgc4&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwiDoeTB2YzPAhVE6GMKHRWGB_gQ6AEIOjAF#v=onepage&q=prince%20of%20wales%20may%201926%20royal%20engagements&f=false ).
So, whether the Prince of Wales would then have begged off his other possible 'royal-family-gathering duties' to attend the theatre that night is debatable. I am going right into the realms of fantasy with this fic anyway, so I am going to say that he does, because he is historically known for his impulsiveness (a la the Lady Rose/ letter / Freda Dudley Ward scandal in the TV show), and so I think he may not have been one to stand on any ceremony for any royal family baptismal dinner, or the like, that evening.
On another note, Lady Be Good! Was actually the final theatrical show to play at the Empire Theatre. It was closed after the Astaire's very successful 326 show run, and the theatre was knocked down and then rebuilt in 1928 as MGMs new flagship movie cinema in Leicester Square. This cinema still runs today. wiki/Empire,_Leicester_Square
(Much of this historical info about the Royals and the highly successful Empire Theatre run of Lady Be Good! is derived from Kathleen Riley's detailed book- The Astaires: Adele and Fred (2012, pp. 84-87)
That is enough historical filling in for the moment, but do go out of your way to watch some FA musicals if you haven't already- they will make you smile! Swing Time is my all-time favourite (especially the sad and longing dance number: Never Gonna Dance), then Easter Parade, The Gay Divorcee, The Band Wagon, and The Sky is the Limit (which is an odd little piece set during WW2 with some interesting social commentary in there- plus superb dances- gotta see Fred letting loose on top of a bar- with the song One More for my Baby and One More for the Road- spectacular!). Actually the subtext in many of FA's musical is quite fascinating (whether it was intended or not at the time- I do not know) - sexual tension; gender role disruptions and the search for equality in relationships (subtle but definitely there- especially with Ginger Rogers); the effete closeted homosexual side-kicks; race relations; the Great Depression and money (although mainly in how it is conveniently ignored and everyone is just living a dreamlike high-life!); interesting references to the motor age and the war machine (if you look closely enough); etc, etc. Some of the dances have it all in there. Of course, FA's well-known tour-de-force routine was actually in a pretty lamentable film called Blue Skies(1946) where Bing Crosby's annoying character inexplicably gets the girl and FA plays second banana to him (Gah!)- go to this Vimeo link /31922652 - it isn't the clearest print ever, but this is where the real magic shines. ENJOY!
Final A/N:I do not mean to disrespect the memories or legacies of the real historical people who end up in my fan fic- especially Mr Fred Astaire- who has strenuously guarded his life story in many ways- his Will actually stipulated that there should be no attempts to render his life in film- a wise move indeed- for who else could qualify to dance as he did, let alone play him? I do, however, hope that the descendants of FA are not offended by these forays of truth into fiction, and that I mean to represent the lives and work of Fred and Adele Astaire (and the Gershwins too, come to think of it) in a very respectful manner.