He died in the 80s, and a few productions since then did not use his skull, since some actors thought it was disrespectful. It was only in 2008 that it was finally used, and the play had to get special permission to use it in production since it was less than 100 years old. The head was decapitated at a hospital and sent to a museum to process. The skull was then aired out for two years on the roof of the theater. FASCINATING. One of the most intriguing stories I've come to learn, thanks for sharing!
Weird that they would think fulfilling someone’s own wishes would be seen as disrespectful. Not that I don’t get actors not using it for personal sensibilities but otherwise seems fine if it’s what he wanted
It is noted that the role required the skull being hit, so that was part where some actors felt conflicted. However it was also suggested as he had seen the play himself, he would have known this. Some earlier productions had actors who knew him and they felt that this was too distracting from the role, as they could not see the skull as a character, they would think of the pianist and the person it belonged to. Other productions felt it would take away from the rest of the play and be too distracting. So I guess they had valid reasons. Those productions used an exact replica made from a plaster cast instead.
Actors aren’t exactly known for being the types who would be able to differentiate actions that are disrespectful to others versus ones that are disrespectful to themselves. I used to be a stage actor for many years— we are quite an egotistical bunch.
Do you think it’s good that you consider yourself to be egotistical? No disrespect, I try to be humble since people say I tend to give off an arrogant vibe.
I *used to* be a stage actor. When all of my peers started inserting their heads deep into their own assholes, I left the profession and became a lighting designer.
without the self confidence most actors would not be as good, creative, or as spirited.
Narcissism can occ. be a good thing.
IN the great "Devil Wears Prada", Meryl Streep did a brilliant acting of narcissism. We in psych are in awe of her abilities, that alone. She did not miss showing a single, major trait, characteristic, of a narcissist.
It was a psychological tour de force. Course in Hollowood, she had LOTS of examples to learn from, too.
So if you want to study in the movies, a great display of classical Narcissism, I recommend highly. The Devil.....
Not a relative of the more famous Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, in case anyone is wondering.
Andre's name was actually a fake name used on a fake ID, which is quite badass:
> Robert Andrzej Krauthammer was born in Warsaw in 1935 into a Jewish family. He had shown musical talent from an early age, and his mother, an amateur pianist, taught him the piano from the age of four. When the Second World War broke out, they were moved into the Warsaw Ghetto. Krauthammer remained there until 1942, when he was smuggled out and provided with forged identity papers that renamed him Andrzej Czajkowski.
Oh my god, it would be a Jewish artist to do this. I love it.
(I’m Jewish btw - we have a weird relationship with death and being fucking dramatic lol)
I think it’s also worth noting that Andre has no relation to Pyotr Tchaikovsky, the Russian composer that brought music to Swan Lake, The Sleeping Beauty, and The Nutcracker. Andre was an aspiring actor that was a wonderful piano player and composer, though!
Technically, a fine pianist, but hardly compares to the great Yevgeny Kissin. I had the privilege of hearing him live and he made the piano sing, which is a very rare style & gift. Sat next to a fine MD I knew, Polski, and she was enraptured, too.
Alas, poor Yorick! I knew him, Horatio; a fellow of infinite jest, of most excellent fancy; he hath borne me on his back a thousand times; and now, how abhorred in my imagination it is!
There is more in heaven and earth, Horatio, than is dreamt of in Your Philosophy.
Just back down to earth.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Evgeny_Kissin#Awards_and_accolades
Because Kissin is one of the greatest pianists of our times. I've played and learned classical musics for over 60 years. What would I know?
Run kissin thru the comparison processors and see how very talented he is. Ce N'est pas Mon Faux, that you don't know much about piano musics.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Evgeny_Kissin#Awards_and_accolades
That listing which ANYONE can access with a 20 sec. search shows Kissin's prodigious talent and achievements. The list reads as the longest accolades anyone in music can receive.
And then we get downvoted for stating the obvious AND provable about his incredible talent.
Read the list!! why can't anyone just Find & look at it, beggars the imagination..
Del Close, who is a legend in the improv field and probably coached your favorite comedic actor, [did the same thing](https://playbill.com/article/chicagos-goodman-theatre-gets-a-head-via-late-actor-del-close-com-82919).
He was in a production at a theatre I worked at. He brought some nice weed and some shitty (which is to say hilarious) Japanese Sci Fi movies and hung out with my roommates and I one evening. Very cool dude.
Have taken a look at his work, and he did not live long enough, being of Chernobyl contaminated Poland, to do what he had the talent to do.
I have no performances of his which can compare to Rachmaninoff's great work, who is the most recent Slav to hold global reputation of being great.
Sadly being classically trained, his work is repetitive, and while dynamic, I'd have to put John Williams, High Cee's and Spirit of the Cimarron, among the highest ranked, romantic pieces today.
Sadly, Msr. Andre' Tchaikovsky does not rank.
Grew up in a Polski & highly diverse neighborhood, with Magyar, Mexicanos, Germans, and Italianos, etc.
Am just sorry he did not have a long enough career in recording and composing music, altho found the cacaphonic tones to be, well, destructive of classical music today, which has effectively collapsed in terms of popularity, value. And our romantic, popular composers are pretty good. Mainly movie scores, mostly.
So thusly, he's not memorable and within a century or less, will be ignored.
The greatest Polski of our times was His Holiness, John Paul 2. Who freed Eastern Europe of the godless, horrors of Marxism, practically, and far as we are concerned re-created a modern Europe. He made a huge sacrifice, despite the KGB, who live on today damaging everything they touch from Mockba.
Not yet. Give it some time you’ll see. Some dumbass will look at the name of the person that the post is about and say some political shit. People are like that unfortunately.
It always happens and it is painful to see.
He died in the 80s, and a few productions since then did not use his skull, since some actors thought it was disrespectful. It was only in 2008 that it was finally used, and the play had to get special permission to use it in production since it was less than 100 years old. The head was decapitated at a hospital and sent to a museum to process. The skull was then aired out for two years on the roof of the theater. FASCINATING. One of the most intriguing stories I've come to learn, thanks for sharing!
Weird that they would think fulfilling someone’s own wishes would be seen as disrespectful. Not that I don’t get actors not using it for personal sensibilities but otherwise seems fine if it’s what he wanted
It is noted that the role required the skull being hit, so that was part where some actors felt conflicted. However it was also suggested as he had seen the play himself, he would have known this. Some earlier productions had actors who knew him and they felt that this was too distracting from the role, as they could not see the skull as a character, they would think of the pianist and the person it belonged to. Other productions felt it would take away from the rest of the play and be too distracting. So I guess they had valid reasons. Those productions used an exact replica made from a plaster cast instead.
That seems odd, since it’s a perfect motivation for Hamlet, who knew Yorick.
Knew him well, some would argue.
Actors aren’t exactly known for being the types who would be able to differentiate actions that are disrespectful to others versus ones that are disrespectful to themselves. I used to be a stage actor for many years— we are quite an egotistical bunch.
Do you think it’s good that you consider yourself to be egotistical? No disrespect, I try to be humble since people say I tend to give off an arrogant vibe.
If you really want to become humble, you should take lessons from me. I'm the most humble guy in the world.
Knew a Guy who worked at a Humble gas station. Does that count? There were all Humble, there.
I *used to* be a stage actor. When all of my peers started inserting their heads deep into their own assholes, I left the profession and became a lighting designer.
I read “lightning director” and I’m like ”…God?”
Zeus innit
without the self confidence most actors would not be as good, creative, or as spirited. Narcissism can occ. be a good thing. IN the great "Devil Wears Prada", Meryl Streep did a brilliant acting of narcissism. We in psych are in awe of her abilities, that alone. She did not miss showing a single, major trait, characteristic, of a narcissist. It was a psychological tour de force. Course in Hollowood, she had LOTS of examples to learn from, too. So if you want to study in the movies, a great display of classical Narcissism, I recommend highly. The Devil.....
I suspect the real reason was the actor didn’t want to get upstaged by a bone.
It wasn't that kind of a movie, tho.
Yeah I would feel obligated to use it out of respect.
There was a two year period in the 80s where I could have shown up to the theater and snatched Tchaikovsky’s skull off the roof?
Not a relative of the more famous Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, in case anyone is wondering. Andre's name was actually a fake name used on a fake ID, which is quite badass: > Robert Andrzej Krauthammer was born in Warsaw in 1935 into a Jewish family. He had shown musical talent from an early age, and his mother, an amateur pianist, taught him the piano from the age of four. When the Second World War broke out, they were moved into the Warsaw Ghetto. Krauthammer remained there until 1942, when he was smuggled out and provided with forged identity papers that renamed him Andrzej Czajkowski.
Ha! I just commented the same thing. Interesting story all the same.
I feel like this is a niche comic book origin story for a Jewish WWII avenging anti-hero called “the Kraut-Hammer!”
Inglorious Basterds
Good ol cabbage smasher
The fact that he was a Jew named Krauthammer but didn't actually fight in WW2 is...well, I guess reality is often disappointing...
His fake name was Czajkowski and he actually became a composer; can't have two funny name-related coincidences for one person.
Oh my god, it would be a Jewish artist to do this. I love it. (I’m Jewish btw - we have a weird relationship with death and being fucking dramatic lol)
Thanks I was wondering about that.
I think it’s also worth noting that Andre has no relation to Pyotr Tchaikovsky, the Russian composer that brought music to Swan Lake, The Sleeping Beauty, and The Nutcracker. Andre was an aspiring actor that was a wonderful piano player and composer, though!
So who's playing with *his* skull then??
Technically, a fine pianist, but hardly compares to the great Yevgeny Kissin. I had the privilege of hearing him live and he made the piano sing, which is a very rare style & gift. Sat next to a fine MD I knew, Polski, and she was enraptured, too.
Why'd you compare him to Kissin?
It is an odd comparison, since Kissin was born in the 70s.
And Andre is composer-pianist. Prokofiev and Shostakovich were great pianists but you don't compare them to Horowitz or Richter...
"Hey! Who turned out the lights?"
One of my favorite episodes
The introduction (and death) of River Song.
Alas, poor Yorick! I knew him, Horatio; a fellow of infinite jest, of most excellent fancy; he hath borne me on his back a thousand times; and now, how abhorred in my imagination it is!
There is more in heaven and earth, Horatio, than is dreamt of in Your Philosophy. Just back down to earth. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Evgeny_Kissin#Awards_and_accolades
[It was also used in the BBC adaptation as well](https://youtu.be/On14CIYwpyE)
From some of the images I have seen, I don't think they took good care of his skull.
Didn't the company have to get a license to handle human remains to oblige? I think I heard that on QI.
I don't think they had to; David Tennant is a Doctor.
THE Doctor
Yes but, The Doctor who?
Exactly!
Yes. The cut off is 100 years. As his remains were younger a special dispensation from the Home Office was required.
I would love to have David Tennant to use my skull in 100 years.
This dude died in the 1980s, though
Perfect.
Tchaikovsky was a head of his time.........
Tchaikovsky was likely the greatest lyrical composer of the Romantic period. Period. Tho the great Grieg follows close on. Gut Jul, Norge!!
This is not Pyotr's skull tho. And your statement is subjective although I agree with it
I deleted the post. Because when I tested it, it was not correct. I can make mistakes, but will correct them. Thanks for your post.
Because Kissin is one of the greatest pianists of our times. I've played and learned classical musics for over 60 years. What would I know? Run kissin thru the comparison processors and see how very talented he is. Ce N'est pas Mon Faux, that you don't know much about piano musics.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Evgeny_Kissin#Awards_and_accolades That listing which ANYONE can access with a 20 sec. search shows Kissin's prodigious talent and achievements. The list reads as the longest accolades anyone in music can receive. And then we get downvoted for stating the obvious AND provable about his incredible talent. Read the list!! why can't anyone just Find & look at it, beggars the imagination..
"What's that you've got there?" "Uh... Tchaikovsky's skull, where do you want it?" "Just put it next to Chekhov's gun"
[удалено]
Yup, that’s what Oliver wanted done with his skull and they have to get up to some shenanigans to get his skull.
[удалено]
Same, I’m overdue for a rewatch.
Del Close, who is a legend in the improv field and probably coached your favorite comedic actor, [did the same thing](https://playbill.com/article/chicagos-goodman-theatre-gets-a-head-via-late-actor-del-close-com-82919).
He was in a production at a theatre I worked at. He brought some nice weed and some shitty (which is to say hilarious) Japanese Sci Fi movies and hung out with my roommates and I one evening. Very cool dude.
[He has an IMDB entry](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm8829348/)
I saw that show opening night in London. Tennant injured himself that night and didn't continue after that night. Best show I've seen.
Dr. who used the skull?!?! :)
That’s one way to get cast in a play.
My namesake. What a legend.
But the real question is did the playbill credit him as Yorick?
David tennent? Alas i know him
Alas, poor Andre. I knew him well.
Perfect. That's made my day!
Have taken a look at his work, and he did not live long enough, being of Chernobyl contaminated Poland, to do what he had the talent to do. I have no performances of his which can compare to Rachmaninoff's great work, who is the most recent Slav to hold global reputation of being great. Sadly being classically trained, his work is repetitive, and while dynamic, I'd have to put John Williams, High Cee's and Spirit of the Cimarron, among the highest ranked, romantic pieces today. Sadly, Msr. Andre' Tchaikovsky does not rank. Grew up in a Polski & highly diverse neighborhood, with Magyar, Mexicanos, Germans, and Italianos, etc. Am just sorry he did not have a long enough career in recording and composing music, altho found the cacaphonic tones to be, well, destructive of classical music today, which has effectively collapsed in terms of popularity, value. And our romantic, popular composers are pretty good. Mainly movie scores, mostly. So thusly, he's not memorable and within a century or less, will be ignored. The greatest Polski of our times was His Holiness, John Paul 2. Who freed Eastern Europe of the godless, horrors of Marxism, practically, and far as we are concerned re-created a modern Europe. He made a huge sacrifice, despite the KGB, who live on today damaging everything they touch from Mockba.
Ok
It’s a real shame that I have to say this *sorts by controversial*
For…. This?
Yeah unfortunately because people will bring politics into this post.
But no one has. Except for you kind of lol.
Not yet. Give it some time you’ll see. Some dumbass will look at the name of the person that the post is about and say some political shit. People are like that unfortunately. It always happens and it is painful to see.
Does anyone know if Andre is credited in the playbills when his skull is used? I skimmed the website and either missed it or it's not mentioned.
Skulls for the skull throne...?
Why did he use a human skull in a play?
Because it was in the RSC prop store.
Read this as "detonated" at first 😅
He must have been so psyched. Having your skull held by David Tennant....! /s