Post by Matilda on Aug 14, 2018 0:09:17 GMT
Personally I do like the "Ducks/mice play other roles" stories. These characters are actors -- character actors who generally play characters similar to themselves, but still. The old Disney cartoons and comics pretty much established that they were actors and entertainers -- so to me, these stories work perfectly as movies/comics/plays starring Mickey, Donald, Scrooge and the rest, playing other roles like any actors might. It's the same reason why I like the Muppets Christmas Carol and Muppet Treasure Island -- these aren't "real" events in the lives of Kermit and Gonzo and Rizzo and the rest, they're movies that the Muppets act in (and give interviews about and even do DVD commentaries on).
There are a few stories where the parody is actually presented as a play that the characters are putting on -- I remember reading two of the Il Teatro Alambrah stories, where the story was that Mickey and pals were putting up a play:
- Il teatro Alambrah presenta: Le furberie di Scapino, which is a fairly straight-up (and pretty good!) retelling of Scapin The Schemer by Moliere, with Goofy playing Scapin. Before and after the play there was a wrap-around story with Arizona Goof and Witch Hazel, who were both in the audience and watching the play.
- Il teatro Alambrah presenta: Il visconte dimezzato, a version of The Cloven Viscount by Italo Calvino, once again with Goofy playing the titular role. Before and after the play there were some behind-the-stage content, with Goofy demonstrating some of the special effects they used on-stage (and of course messing them up).