Thursday, 25 June 2009
SYTYCD: Ballroom Blitz
I know I promised to keep up with "So You Think You Can Dance" on this blog, but tonight's a bit different. Check out my thoughts on tonight's results show on the City Newspaper Entertainment Blog. Enjoy!
RIP: Charlie's Angel & King of Pop
It was a sad day in the entertainment world, as both Farrah Fawcett, 62, and Michael Jackson, 50, passed away.Fawcett, best known for her toothy grin, perfectly feathered hair and tight-fitting clothing on TV's "Charlie's Angel's" in the 1970s, succumbed to a three-year battle with anal cancer. She died in St. John's Health Center in Santa Monica and is survived by her longtime companion, Ryan O'Neal, and her son, Redmond.
Although she was a sex symbol in the 1970s — the poster (right) was plastered on nearly every teenage boy's bedroom wall in her day — Fawcett was more recently known for "Farrah's Story", a television documentary that aired last month and chronicled her struggle with cancer. She was an icon of her decade and will certainly be missed by many.
Jackson, the youngest member of the Jackson 5 and the undisputed King of Pop, passed away this afternoon after he was found not breathing in his L.A. home, according to Associated Press reports. The exact cause of his death is still unclear, but reports of cardiac arrest and a coma have surfaced. The singer was 50 years old.
Jackson was staying in a Bel-Air mansion while he was preparing for a series of 50 sold-out shows at the O2 dome in London. The concerts were scheduled to begin July 13.Jackson's unparalleled music career in the 70s and 80s was recently overshadowed by his bizarre behavior and disturbing legal troubles, but his influence on popular music is undeniable. A uniter of black and white musical influences, his records are still among the top-selling albums — his 1982 "Thriller" album remains the best selling album of all time, with more than 26 million copies sold.
I could go on and on about his accomplishments, but it would be wasted space. Even though he freaked many people out (myself included) with his eccentricity, his impact on popular culture will certainly stick with us for years to come. The moonwalk, sporting short black pants with white socks and black shoes, the lengthy, movie-like music videos, his high-pitched singing and that single, sequined glove.
Even though much of his most popular discography was released before I could walk, I can still remember watching videos like "Thriller", "Billie Jean" and "Smooth Criminal" and desperately trying to replicate his style. But no matter how hard anyone tries, it's impossible to be like Mike. As a person, he might have been troubled, but as a dancer, singer and overall performer, he was astounding. He will truly be missed.
Friday, 19 June 2009
STYCYD: But ... And There is a Butt ...
But we'll get to that in a little bit. Tonight's guest judge was Toni Basil, who is apparently receiving an award for her Hip-Hop and locking. I guess she's got street cred. Ooookay. She babbled a bit, but it's coherent babble, so I'm good with it (it puts her way ahead of Lil C).
The show got off to a rough start with two disastrous routines, but things picked up from there. I still wasn't overwhelmed by most of the dances though.
Karla & Jonathan started off the night with a Dave Scott hip-hop routine this week, which was supposed to have a Bonnie and Clyde feel to it. I’m just gonna say it. Jonathan’s about as gangster as the Care Bears. The routine itself wasn’t particularly exciting, and their dancing was just dismal. It wasn’t hard-hitting, most of the time they were noticeably out of sync and throughout the whole routine they were smiling like it was picture day at school – manic and totally the wrong mood for the piece. The judges tore them a new one (Nigel said “instead of gangster, it felt more like a Sunday school picnic”), but they kind of deserved it. Bottom 3 for sure tomorrow.
Asuka & Vitolio pulled a Mandy Moore jazz routine that she deemed “Thrash Rocker Jazz”. Asuka served face again this week and had the right attitude for the piece, but Vitolio was barely noticeable (aside from his badly-tailored neon blue pants). Like the couple that proceeded them, they were routinely out of sync and definitely struggled in spots (they went into that lift slowly and with noticeable difficulty). Mandy Moore choreography plus Pat Benatar plus awesome costumes should have added up to fabulous. But it didn't. The judges sugarcoated it a bit, but they could still be in trouble tomorrow.
Melissa & Ade got a rumba with Tony Meredith. It wasn’t my favorite number, but it was a drastic improvement from the previous two routines. Melissa was practically naked – she was dressed in a tiny, sequined bra and loosely wrapped piece of fabric around the rest of her body. The judges kept saying how beautiful she looked, but I found it distracting. I thought it made her look anorexic skinny, which is a shame, because she’s a beautiful girl. The passion was definitely there (especially from Melissa) and the technique was pretty good too. It was a little rough around the edges – Ade was basically stomping around Melissa during the assisted spins – but it was fair overall. They got good reviews from the judges and will probably be fine til next week.
Jeanette & Brandon performed another Dave Scott hip-hop routine that was supposed to be a battle between a rock ‘n’ roll chick and a hip-hop guy. The costumes were fabulous – I want the jewel-encrusted fishnet tights Jeanette was sporting – and the routine was great fun to watch. They were sharp and in-sync with their movements, though not as hard-hitting as it could have been. Still, a great routine compared to what came before it. They’ll definitely survive until next week.
Kayla & Kupono pulled a Viennese Waltz Jean-Marc (who I think is a kook, but hilarious). My initial thought: Train. Wreck. I knew Kayla would at least fare alright, but I thought Kupono’s femininity and weak technique would drag her down. But they really proved me wrong. The routine was absolutely fluid and dreamlike. The chemistry was strong, the lines were wonderful throughout and the whole thing just oozed elegance. Kayla's performance was graceful and stunning – her extensions and lines are just insane to me. Ultimately, she overpowered Kupono, but both were more than fair. Nigel said it was good, but that people wouldn’t stand up and cheer for them. Mary proved him wrong and put them on the Hot Tamale Train (third week in a row for Kayla!) Well-deserved. Usually this style is the kiss of death for dancers on this show, but hopefully America appreciates just how amazing that routine was. Easily one of my favorites of the night.
Randi and Evan got a Mia Michaels contemporary routine that was all about Randi's butt. *Shakes head* Oh Mia Michaels. Only you could dream up something so ridiculously cheeky (no pun intended). The routine was hilarious and lots of fun to watch. As always, both had great technique (loved the half-handstand cartwheel moves they did) and totally believable chemistry. Great reviews from the judges (except Nigel kept making endless butt jokes ... ugh). They should be fine for next week (they seem to have a pretty solid fan base). Yay! On a side note, Randi was wearing a shirt that said "unitard girl". Love. It.
Caitlin and Jason got a Paso Doble this week. My first experience with this style was Neil & Sabra's routine towards the end of S3, so my expectations for this type of dance are quite lofty. The music ("O'Fortuna") and the opening lifts were dynamic, but the rest of the number fizzled for me. It needed to be powerful and a bit angry and sassy, but it really wasn't. Plus Jason kept pulling his face WAY too much (frightening). The judges lapped it up though, but I still think they'll fall in the Bottom 3.
Jeanine & Phillip closed the show with a Tyce DiOrio Broadway routine to "Moses (Supposes)" from "Singin' in the Rain". The routine centered around a love seat, which Phillip jumped over at one point (very impressive). They had some fun with it in the beginning, but the choreography (Phillips couch-jumping ability aside) fell flat after that, (it ended with a pillow fight and running around the stage.) Blah. I watched the original movie scene on Youtube to help erase the memory of Phillip & Jeanine's rendition. The judges’ reviews weren't great, but Phillip's got a strong following, so I suspect they'll survive another week.
Bottom 3 Predictions: Jonathan & Karla, probably Asuka and Vitolio and maybe Caitlin & Jason. It almost doesn't matter though. Jonathan and Karla are inevitably doomed (their routine was dismal) tomorrow.
The show got off to a rough start with two disastrous routines, but things picked up from there. I still wasn't overwhelmed by most of the dances though.
Karla & Jonathan started off the night with a Dave Scott hip-hop routine this week, which was supposed to have a Bonnie and Clyde feel to it. I’m just gonna say it. Jonathan’s about as gangster as the Care Bears. The routine itself wasn’t particularly exciting, and their dancing was just dismal. It wasn’t hard-hitting, most of the time they were noticeably out of sync and throughout the whole routine they were smiling like it was picture day at school – manic and totally the wrong mood for the piece. The judges tore them a new one (Nigel said “instead of gangster, it felt more like a Sunday school picnic”), but they kind of deserved it. Bottom 3 for sure tomorrow.
Asuka & Vitolio pulled a Mandy Moore jazz routine that she deemed “Thrash Rocker Jazz”. Asuka served face again this week and had the right attitude for the piece, but Vitolio was barely noticeable (aside from his badly-tailored neon blue pants). Like the couple that proceeded them, they were routinely out of sync and definitely struggled in spots (they went into that lift slowly and with noticeable difficulty). Mandy Moore choreography plus Pat Benatar plus awesome costumes should have added up to fabulous. But it didn't. The judges sugarcoated it a bit, but they could still be in trouble tomorrow.
Melissa & Ade got a rumba with Tony Meredith. It wasn’t my favorite number, but it was a drastic improvement from the previous two routines. Melissa was practically naked – she was dressed in a tiny, sequined bra and loosely wrapped piece of fabric around the rest of her body. The judges kept saying how beautiful she looked, but I found it distracting. I thought it made her look anorexic skinny, which is a shame, because she’s a beautiful girl. The passion was definitely there (especially from Melissa) and the technique was pretty good too. It was a little rough around the edges – Ade was basically stomping around Melissa during the assisted spins – but it was fair overall. They got good reviews from the judges and will probably be fine til next week.
Jeanette & Brandon performed another Dave Scott hip-hop routine that was supposed to be a battle between a rock ‘n’ roll chick and a hip-hop guy. The costumes were fabulous – I want the jewel-encrusted fishnet tights Jeanette was sporting – and the routine was great fun to watch. They were sharp and in-sync with their movements, though not as hard-hitting as it could have been. Still, a great routine compared to what came before it. They’ll definitely survive until next week.
Kayla & Kupono pulled a Viennese Waltz Jean-Marc (who I think is a kook, but hilarious). My initial thought: Train. Wreck. I knew Kayla would at least fare alright, but I thought Kupono’s femininity and weak technique would drag her down. But they really proved me wrong. The routine was absolutely fluid and dreamlike. The chemistry was strong, the lines were wonderful throughout and the whole thing just oozed elegance. Kayla's performance was graceful and stunning – her extensions and lines are just insane to me. Ultimately, she overpowered Kupono, but both were more than fair. Nigel said it was good, but that people wouldn’t stand up and cheer for them. Mary proved him wrong and put them on the Hot Tamale Train (third week in a row for Kayla!) Well-deserved. Usually this style is the kiss of death for dancers on this show, but hopefully America appreciates just how amazing that routine was. Easily one of my favorites of the night.
Randi and Evan got a Mia Michaels contemporary routine that was all about Randi's butt. *Shakes head* Oh Mia Michaels. Only you could dream up something so ridiculously cheeky (no pun intended). The routine was hilarious and lots of fun to watch. As always, both had great technique (loved the half-handstand cartwheel moves they did) and totally believable chemistry. Great reviews from the judges (except Nigel kept making endless butt jokes ... ugh). They should be fine for next week (they seem to have a pretty solid fan base). Yay! On a side note, Randi was wearing a shirt that said "unitard girl". Love. It.
Caitlin and Jason got a Paso Doble this week. My first experience with this style was Neil & Sabra's routine towards the end of S3, so my expectations for this type of dance are quite lofty. The music ("O'Fortuna") and the opening lifts were dynamic, but the rest of the number fizzled for me. It needed to be powerful and a bit angry and sassy, but it really wasn't. Plus Jason kept pulling his face WAY too much (frightening). The judges lapped it up though, but I still think they'll fall in the Bottom 3.
Jeanine & Phillip closed the show with a Tyce DiOrio Broadway routine to "Moses (Supposes)" from "Singin' in the Rain". The routine centered around a love seat, which Phillip jumped over at one point (very impressive). They had some fun with it in the beginning, but the choreography (Phillips couch-jumping ability aside) fell flat after that, (it ended with a pillow fight and running around the stage.) Blah. I watched the original movie scene on Youtube to help erase the memory of Phillip & Jeanine's rendition. The judges’ reviews weren't great, but Phillip's got a strong following, so I suspect they'll survive another week.
Bottom 3 Predictions: Jonathan & Karla, probably Asuka and Vitolio and maybe Caitlin & Jason. It almost doesn't matter though. Jonathan and Karla are inevitably doomed (their routine was dismal) tomorrow.
Wednesday, 17 June 2009
SYTYCD: Buck Off!
Let me first apologize for not keeping up with this show on my blog. I've definitely been watching (religiously) and have been taking note of my early favorites (we'll see if they last). I promise I'll keep up with blogging for the rest of the show. Now, on to the Top 18's performances.
I walked away from tonight’s show with two conclusions: 1.) Even typically well-dressed people with expensive stylists can make fashion faux-pas (read: Cat Deeley’s overly poofy red dress) and 2.) Lil C is a useless, mumbling idiot who likes to pretend he’s a hip and legit choreographer when in reality he’s neither. He constantly talks out of his ass and uses terms like "buck" to describe routines (read: the producers need to axe him from the show IMMEDIATELY ... they're losing credibility with every unintelligible thing that man says).
Last week’s show was overall one of the strongest I’ve seen in the show’s history and it was going to be a tough act for the dancers to follow up with this week’s performances. Tonight's show was a more typical SYTYCD week – some solid performances, some mediocre and the occasional train wreck or two.
Here’s the breakdown of the evening:
Randi & Evan (Jive): These two performed with a ton of energy and spirit, and it was loads of fun to watch. I had some issues with the costuming (Evan’s pants were too baggy, Randi got stuck in a feather tutu and both were sequined to death). Evan’s performance wasn’t as sharp as it could have been, but he was still strong – he pulled off an amazing Russian over Randi’s head. But little miss Randi was the star of that routine. I initially dismissed her (probably because of the unitards), but she has far surpassed my expectations and has, at least so far, done flawlessly in the competition. The judges were pretty harsh on Evan (boo!), but hopefully their high-energy routine this week, plus their amazing routine last week, will keep them out of the Bottom 3 tomorrow.
Melissa & Ade (Jazz): What an odd routine – I’m not always a fan of Sonya’s choreography. Their technique (especially Melissa’s) was great and they did each move more than adequately, but I feel like I didn’t get anything out of it. It was just kind of there. The judges lapped it up and Lil C even called Ade “one to watch” this season (God I hope that doesn’t take him as far as the same remark took Twitch last year). The audience and judges seem to like them, especially Melissa, and while she’s got great technique (she’s living proof that ballet training can take you a long way), I’ve never been impressed with these two. It was a pretty forgettable routine that might put them at the bottom of tomorrow’s pack.
Caitlin & Jason (Hip-Hop): These two performed a Shane Sparks hip-hop routine and while their movements were pretty sharp, they were hardly ever in sync, which pretty much killed the whole routine. Caitlin really struggled in this routine, with the exception of her solo (which she killed). Jason was adept, but not spectacular. I think these two will land in the Bottom 3.
Brandon & Jeanette (Disco): Both seemed to struggle with this incredibly quick Doriana Sanchez disco routine in rehearsals, but they really stepped up their game with tonight’s performance. The number was full of lifts, which were magnificent to watch – Brandon (who claims has never worked out a day in his life … riiiiight) is insanely strong and Jeanette just soared. Her spread eagle lift was particularly incredible – holy flexibility Batman! With the exception of a slight slip at the end by Jeanette (she tried to cover, but it was still noticeable), it was a fantastic routine and one of my favorites of the night. They’ll be around for another week for sure.
Asuka & Vitolio (Waltz): Danced a lovely waltz, but it still didn’t blow me away. The pair of them performed the steps well, especially compared to their work last week, but the actual choreography just fell flat. Their technique was great and the lift/spins were absolutely beautiful (mostly thanks to Asuka), but it wasn’t my favorite routine. Asuka threw herself into it and danced with more emotion than I thought possible, but Vitolio was barely present. They got great reviews from the judges though, so they might be alright. I’d like to see Vitolio go home, but it probably won’t happen this week.
Kayla & Max (Pop-Jazz): These two got Punk’d by wardrobe – Max was wearing MC Hammer pants and a kinky, bejeweled leather tank top and Kayla looked like a psychedelic Muppet in her hot pink and banana yellow-feathered number – but they pulled off another AMAZING routine. The idea behind the routine was that Kayla was a princess and Max was a jester, who really wanted to take her throne. It was a bizarre routine, but both really threw themselves into it and pulled off some great leaps and spins, not to mention plenty of personality. They should be fine for this week.
Karla & Jonathan (Contemporary): New choreographer Stacie Tookey (great name) gave the two a slow contemporary routine. I hated these two last week, but this routine was one of my favorites of the night. They needed to pull some serious shit off to recover from last week’s disaster of a cha-cha and they did. I’m still wary of them going far in the competition. Karla, who annoys me with all her bragging (for the love of my sanity, go back to ‘Wicked’), actually danced pretty well and had great lines throughout – something I definitely wasn’t expecting from her. Jonathan was fair by comparison, but I still think he’s the weakest dancer on the program in terms of technique. Mary drooled over him and even said he did this style better than his own (ballroom), although that’s not saying much – he sucked at ballroom last week. But he’s cute (a little too cute in my opinion), but he’ll pull in the pre-pubescent vote for sure. They’ll probably survive this week.
Jeanine & Phillip (Tango): These two were some of my favorites last week, but they struggled through a pretty rudimentary lack-luster tango. Both of them were very obviously out of their element and had practically zero technique – especially Phillip. To their credit, they really tried, but it just wasn’t enough. Jeanine stayed in character and fared alright, but Phillip really dragged her down. It was, at times, painful to watch. The judges sugar coated their critiques (which were negative on the whole), but at least Mary called Lil C out for not knowing what he was talking about when it came to Phillip’s bent knees (for the record, he was supposed to keep his knees bent, which he did). I’m so glad someone’s willing to call him out on his bullshit remarks (he makes plenty of them). The judges’ overly-nice reviews, along with Phillip’s strong following might leave these two unscathed for another week.
Ashley & Kupono (Hip-Hop): The pair ended the night with another Shane Sparks number. These two have never been my favorite dancers, but they fared alright. It wasn’t as hard-hitting as I would have liked and it wasn’t particularly memorable (although the shadow concept was cool). The judges tore them a new one, which was a bit unfair, but I guess they need to make someone the bad guys, right? I think they could be in trouble tomorrow because of the judges’ comments.
I think Melissa & Ade, Caitlin & Jason and Ashley & Kupono will land in the bottom 3 tomorrow night, but Phillip & Jeanine and Randi and Evan might be in danger. I doubt anyone from the latter two couples will be sent home, but it’s tough to call. I find I’m frequently disagreeing with the praise-happy judges this season and well, let’s face it, American voters are unpredictable. I guess we’ll see what happens.
I walked away from tonight’s show with two conclusions: 1.) Even typically well-dressed people with expensive stylists can make fashion faux-pas (read: Cat Deeley’s overly poofy red dress) and 2.) Lil C is a useless, mumbling idiot who likes to pretend he’s a hip and legit choreographer when in reality he’s neither. He constantly talks out of his ass and uses terms like "buck" to describe routines (read: the producers need to axe him from the show IMMEDIATELY ... they're losing credibility with every unintelligible thing that man says).
Last week’s show was overall one of the strongest I’ve seen in the show’s history and it was going to be a tough act for the dancers to follow up with this week’s performances. Tonight's show was a more typical SYTYCD week – some solid performances, some mediocre and the occasional train wreck or two.
Here’s the breakdown of the evening:
Randi & Evan (Jive): These two performed with a ton of energy and spirit, and it was loads of fun to watch. I had some issues with the costuming (Evan’s pants were too baggy, Randi got stuck in a feather tutu and both were sequined to death). Evan’s performance wasn’t as sharp as it could have been, but he was still strong – he pulled off an amazing Russian over Randi’s head. But little miss Randi was the star of that routine. I initially dismissed her (probably because of the unitards), but she has far surpassed my expectations and has, at least so far, done flawlessly in the competition. The judges were pretty harsh on Evan (boo!), but hopefully their high-energy routine this week, plus their amazing routine last week, will keep them out of the Bottom 3 tomorrow.
Melissa & Ade (Jazz): What an odd routine – I’m not always a fan of Sonya’s choreography. Their technique (especially Melissa’s) was great and they did each move more than adequately, but I feel like I didn’t get anything out of it. It was just kind of there. The judges lapped it up and Lil C even called Ade “one to watch” this season (God I hope that doesn’t take him as far as the same remark took Twitch last year). The audience and judges seem to like them, especially Melissa, and while she’s got great technique (she’s living proof that ballet training can take you a long way), I’ve never been impressed with these two. It was a pretty forgettable routine that might put them at the bottom of tomorrow’s pack.
Caitlin & Jason (Hip-Hop): These two performed a Shane Sparks hip-hop routine and while their movements were pretty sharp, they were hardly ever in sync, which pretty much killed the whole routine. Caitlin really struggled in this routine, with the exception of her solo (which she killed). Jason was adept, but not spectacular. I think these two will land in the Bottom 3.
Brandon & Jeanette (Disco): Both seemed to struggle with this incredibly quick Doriana Sanchez disco routine in rehearsals, but they really stepped up their game with tonight’s performance. The number was full of lifts, which were magnificent to watch – Brandon (who claims has never worked out a day in his life … riiiiight) is insanely strong and Jeanette just soared. Her spread eagle lift was particularly incredible – holy flexibility Batman! With the exception of a slight slip at the end by Jeanette (she tried to cover, but it was still noticeable), it was a fantastic routine and one of my favorites of the night. They’ll be around for another week for sure.
Asuka & Vitolio (Waltz): Danced a lovely waltz, but it still didn’t blow me away. The pair of them performed the steps well, especially compared to their work last week, but the actual choreography just fell flat. Their technique was great and the lift/spins were absolutely beautiful (mostly thanks to Asuka), but it wasn’t my favorite routine. Asuka threw herself into it and danced with more emotion than I thought possible, but Vitolio was barely present. They got great reviews from the judges though, so they might be alright. I’d like to see Vitolio go home, but it probably won’t happen this week.
Kayla & Max (Pop-Jazz): These two got Punk’d by wardrobe – Max was wearing MC Hammer pants and a kinky, bejeweled leather tank top and Kayla looked like a psychedelic Muppet in her hot pink and banana yellow-feathered number – but they pulled off another AMAZING routine. The idea behind the routine was that Kayla was a princess and Max was a jester, who really wanted to take her throne. It was a bizarre routine, but both really threw themselves into it and pulled off some great leaps and spins, not to mention plenty of personality. They should be fine for this week.
Karla & Jonathan (Contemporary): New choreographer Stacie Tookey (great name) gave the two a slow contemporary routine. I hated these two last week, but this routine was one of my favorites of the night. They needed to pull some serious shit off to recover from last week’s disaster of a cha-cha and they did. I’m still wary of them going far in the competition. Karla, who annoys me with all her bragging (for the love of my sanity, go back to ‘Wicked’), actually danced pretty well and had great lines throughout – something I definitely wasn’t expecting from her. Jonathan was fair by comparison, but I still think he’s the weakest dancer on the program in terms of technique. Mary drooled over him and even said he did this style better than his own (ballroom), although that’s not saying much – he sucked at ballroom last week. But he’s cute (a little too cute in my opinion), but he’ll pull in the pre-pubescent vote for sure. They’ll probably survive this week.
Jeanine & Phillip (Tango): These two were some of my favorites last week, but they struggled through a pretty rudimentary lack-luster tango. Both of them were very obviously out of their element and had practically zero technique – especially Phillip. To their credit, they really tried, but it just wasn’t enough. Jeanine stayed in character and fared alright, but Phillip really dragged her down. It was, at times, painful to watch. The judges sugar coated their critiques (which were negative on the whole), but at least Mary called Lil C out for not knowing what he was talking about when it came to Phillip’s bent knees (for the record, he was supposed to keep his knees bent, which he did). I’m so glad someone’s willing to call him out on his bullshit remarks (he makes plenty of them). The judges’ overly-nice reviews, along with Phillip’s strong following might leave these two unscathed for another week.
Ashley & Kupono (Hip-Hop): The pair ended the night with another Shane Sparks number. These two have never been my favorite dancers, but they fared alright. It wasn’t as hard-hitting as I would have liked and it wasn’t particularly memorable (although the shadow concept was cool). The judges tore them a new one, which was a bit unfair, but I guess they need to make someone the bad guys, right? I think they could be in trouble tomorrow because of the judges’ comments.
I think Melissa & Ade, Caitlin & Jason and Ashley & Kupono will land in the bottom 3 tomorrow night, but Phillip & Jeanine and Randi and Evan might be in danger. I doubt anyone from the latter two couples will be sent home, but it’s tough to call. I find I’m frequently disagreeing with the praise-happy judges this season and well, let’s face it, American voters are unpredictable. I guess we’ll see what happens.
Sunday, 7 June 2009
LIVEBLOG: The 63rd Tony Awards!
Welcome to my very first attempt at a Live Blog! On tonight's bill: The 63rd Annual Tony Awards!The Tony Awards, established by the American Theatre Wing in 1943, were named for Antoinette Tony, an actress, director, producer and co-founder of the American Theatre Wing. The awards are given to recognize outstanding achievement in American theatre.
Tonight's show will be hosted by Neil Patrick Harris, and will feature performances by Dolly Parton and the cast of "9 to 5: The Musical", Sir Elton John and the cast of "Billy Elliot", Liza Minnelli (oh boy), Stockard Channing (of "Pal Joey") and — wait for it — rock band Poison. This motley crew of performers will join the nominees “Guys and Dolls,” “Hair,” “Next to Normal,” “Shrek the Musical” and “West Side Story." For a full list of tonight's nominees, check out the list here. Leading in the nominations tonight is "Billy Elliot", with 15 nominations.
Aaaaand ... we're off!!!
8:02pm - Starting with a sound glitch? Shame on you Tony's! A very delicate and beautiful opening of "Electricity" by Elton John and the cast of "Billy Elliot". Lovely image with the three Billys and the chairs.8:04pm - Great collaboration between the casts of "West Side Story" and "Guys and Dolls" for "Tonight" and "Luck be a Lady Tonight". Poison feels a bit out of place (as I suspected they would) in this musical-mash-up opening though ...
8:07pm - I completely forgot how fake Dolly Parton's boobs and hair were until this moment. She performs a campy rendition of "9 to 5" with the cast of "9 to 5: The Musical".
8:09pm - Liza with a "z" sounds alright at the start of her song, but starts to sound drunk after the first few minutes.
8:11pm - Ah! Attack of the hippies! Are they filming in Ithaca?! Oh no, wait, it's the cast of "Hair". This has got to be the oddest mix of musical performances the Tony's has ever seen. Let's see what happens, I guess?
8:14pm - Did Neil Patrick Harris just use the term "fetching"? His suit is remarkably shiny. It's oddly memorizing ...
8:19pm - First award of the night goes to Roger Robinson in “Joe Turner’s Come and Gone" for Best Featured Actor in a Play. Nice pithy speech — he even thanked a tech! Huzzah!
8:24pm - Oh boy, here comes "Shrek: The Musical". Stick to movies, Disney. Please?!
8:25pm - Those Duloc singer/puppet people are the most frightening dolls since Furby. Yikes!
8:29pm - N.P.H. just used the term "BTW". Stop trying to be hip, Neil. You'll always be Doogie Howser in our minds.
8:30pm - James Gandolfini sets the record straight: him and Shrek — no relation!
8:31pm - Angela Lansbury takes home the award for Best Featured Actress in a Play for "Blithe". No surprise there; this is her fifth Tony Award.
8:33pm - Hey there drunken cameraman! Hold it still, for God sake — we're going out live here!
8:35pm - Thank you touring cast of "Mama Mia" for that campy, sequined rendition of "Dancing Queen." You were at least slightly better than the movie version! Congratulations.
8:44pm - Who invited Will Ferrell? ... And why?
8:45pm - The Tony for Best Original Score goes to Brian Yorkey and Tom Kitt for "Next to Normal." Damn, I had "Billy Elliot" in the pool.
8:47pm - Not only did they play the cutoff music when Yorkey and Kitt took too long with their speeches, but they also shut off the mic. Ooooh! Burned!
8:53pm - Lin-Manuel Miranda, who wrote the Spanish-language lyrical translation of WSS (up for Best Revival tonight), introduces the cast in the "Dance at the Gym". And as good as some of the dancing is, the routine doesn't seem to translate too well to TV. Alas!8:57pm - Susan Sarandon is looking a bit too skinny (her arms look particularly anorexic) in her full-length black dress and struggles a with the teleprompter. It's just not her night. Best Direction of a Play goes to Matthew Warchus, who was nominated twice in this category, for "God of Carnage". Best Direction of a Musical goes to Stephen Daldry for "Billy Elliot", who gives a classy speech thanking the crew (huzzah again!) and the three Billys.
9:05pm - Oh boy, it's time for the Tonys to take a break for a rock concert. It's the "Rock of Ages" musical montage, which includes “I Want to Rock” / “Paradise” / “Don’t Stop Believing” and features Constantine Maroulis (of sixth place fame from the fourth season of "American Idol").The audience was ready with pre-distributed glow-in-the-dark lighters (really, Tonys?), but I'm not feeling it. It's an adequate rock concert performance, but it can't really hold a candle to many of the stunning vocals and captivating dances of traditional B'way musicals. It's kind of insulting. At least a performance from the cast of "Guys and Dolls" is next. I just might survive.
9:13pm - They announce the nominees for Best Special Theatrical Event and "You're Welcome America: A Final Night with George W. Bush" is on the list. Now I remember why Will Ferrell is here.
9:14pm - Liza's drunk ... classic. But she's a funny drunk. Gotta love her. She wins for the category for "Liza's at The Palace".
9:18pm - Ooooh, more audio woes for the Tonys. A tuxedo-ed tech runs onstage and hands the actor a hand-held mic. Ouch.9:21pm - The cast of "Guys and Dolls" does a nice rendition of "Sit Down, You're Rockin' the Boat", but I wonder why they chose that song and not one that featured either Oliver Platt or Lauren Graham. Hmmmm ...
9:27pm - 2 presenters, 2 frightening dresses. Hellooooo ugly bow!
9:31pm - Best Featured Actor in a Musical goes to Gregoray Jbara for playing Mr. Elliot in "Billy Elliot". He drags his wife up on stage with him to thank her for being a single parent for the last year so he could perform on Broadway. How sweet!
9:37pm - My live blogging is rudely interrupted by a bad internet connection. Curse you internet fairy! (But at least I'm back!)
Karen Olivo takes home the award for Best Featured Actress in a Musical for WSS. Kudos to her. She's practically speechless. A very genuine and touching moment.
9:40pm - The performance of "You Don’t Know" from "Next to Normal" rocked harder than "Rock of Ages". I have to see this musical — it looks great! It's also up for Best Musical tonight.9:42pm - Why are they reusing a 1990s Riverdance Folgers commercial? Anyone else find that weird ...?
9:46pm - Geoffrey Rush (a.k.a. Captain Barbossa) nabs the Tony for Best Leading Actor in a Play and makes a pretty amusing speech (nothing says hilarity like poking fun at the French).
9:50pm - The traditional moment where we pause to remember those in the theatre community who have passed on in the past year. A lovely rendition of "What I Did For Love" from a huge chorus. Bea Arthur, Ertha Kitt, and Paul Newman get the biggest rounds of applause and the lights of Broadway are dimmed in their memory. I always thought that was a classy and appropriate way to remember those in the theatre we've lost.
9:58pm - Frank Langella, who I loved in "Frost/Nixon" (if you haven't seen it yet, go see it, now!), comes out to present the Tony for Best Leading Actress in a Play, but not before shamelessly joking about how he wasn't nominated despite being on Broadway in "A Man for All Seasons" this year. Genius.
The award goes to ... Marcia Gay Harden for "God of Carnage". Gab, gab, gab, gab, gab — cut her off! And they do.
10:04pm - Hey, it's what's her face from "Coyote Ugly". Apparently she's making her debut on B'way this year. Who knew?
10:05pm - YAY! Here comes "Billy Elliot"! It looks like they're going to do the "Angry Dance" number. Slightly modified for the Tonys, and slightly less powerful than the normally staged version, I think. The lighting and sound effects during that scene are normally spectacular on stage; it kind of fizzled in tonight's televised translation. Bummer. Still a wonderful musical — go see it if you get the chance — which is probably why it's also up for Best Musical tonight.10:15pm - Here comes the cast of "Legally Blonde: The Musical". And here I go to get an Advil.
10:17pm - Harvey Fierstein (in his signature raspy voice) announces that "The Norman Conquests" will take home the Tony for Best Revival of a Play tonight.
10:21pm - "God of Carnage" takes home the award for Best Play and playwright Yasmina Reza thanks many people, including her mother, who overcame her fear of flying to be in the audience tonight.
10:34pm - Invasion of the hippies, part 2. A performance of "Hair" by the cast of the musical, gets the audience clapping and involved (this is probably the most audience groping there's been since 'Cats'). At least they managed to keep their clothes on.10:39pm - Kristin Chenoweth is the next presenter. I forgot how grating her voice was until now. Can someone pass her a throat lozenge or something?
The award for Best Revival of a Musical goes to ... the hippies! "Hair" wins the Tony, and holy crap is the cast HUGE!
10:50pm - The three young Billys win for Best Lead Actors in "Billy Elliot" (the first time three actors have shared this award). David Alvarez, Trent Kowalik, and Kiril Kulish don't really know what to do, and it's adorable and endearing. They pick things up and begin thanking a lot of people, including their families and stage managers (huzzah for a third time!)10:59pm - And "Billy Elliot" takes home the big prize: Best Musical. Congrats to them, it's a fantastic show, which definitely deserved to beat out "Shrek" and "Rock of Ages" — I can't believe those shows were even nominated ... was there really nothing else good on B'way this year?
11:03pm - N.P.H. is singing. He's actually not bad, and the material is pretty amusing. Here's a sample of some of the lyrics (set to the tune of "Tonight"):
Elton’s Billy was all the rageWhat class, what drive,
now Angela won five
and she hooked up with Poison backstage.
and
This show could not be gayer
if Liza was named mayor
and Elton John took flight.
He was a pretty unnoticeable host for the most part, but kudos to him for trying. Adorable and competent, but nothing spectacular. Much better than the Whoopi fiasco of last year though.
There weren't too many surprises this year. I could have done without the expendable performances from the touring casts, but I think there were plenty of solid performances to make up for it — my favorite of the night is definitely "Next to Normal", with "Hair" and "Billy Elliot" in a close tie for second. Overall, a fun show.
Thanks for
Unlike the B'way stars and producers who are off to the fabulous Tony Awards After Parties, I've got to crash (I have work in the morning).
G'night for now!
PHOTOS: All taken from the NY Times website (I'll add captions when I have a chance later)
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