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2013 Tony Awards Recap (The Moments that Rocked!)


2013 tonys

I gotta say, of the big four (EGOT), the Tonys are, and have always been, my favorite award ceremony. Is it the musical performances? Yes. Is it Neil Patrick Harris who has become a Tony award staple? Yeah. But…it’s also the fact that as much as I love theatre, I haven’t seen any of these shows. So not only is this show a great way to introduce to me to great New York theatre, but I can confidently say I can’t get upset when a “favorite” (if I even have one) loses because…unlike the Oscars or the Emmys or the Grammys…I HAVEN’T SEEN ANY OF THE SHOWS SO I CAN’T PROPERLY JUDGE! YAY!!!

But, I can still list some of my favorite moments from the entire evening. And there were a lot because, wow, this was the best Tony ceremony from the last few years. Very few sound issues. A couple great speeches (with a couple surprising wins). And Neil…wow. Just when I though having him as a host for a fourth time wasn’t a great idea, he proves me wrong and outdoes himself yet again. Can he PLEASE host the Oscars next year? Anyway…let’s do this:

    • THE OPENING: What can I say? It was spectacular. An ode to all the musicals (sorry plays) that are still on Broadway. We saw the Newsies. We saw those bird puppets from The Lion King. We saw A LOT of kids (more on that later). We saw Neil sing really fast and dance and disappear before out very eyes. I think…this was my favorite opening of all time. It was a nice way to incorporate all the shows without doing an awkwardly edited medley. NPH (and his team) are always creative like that.
    • a christmas story tony
    • THE KIDS: We got a lot performances from the kid performers on Broadway. We started with a performance by the cast of Matilda. “Revolting Children” is such a spirited number and I’m always in awe of the spirit and choreography when watching it. You can tell the cast has such a fun time performing it. By the end of “When I Grow Up,” all four actresses who played Matilda take the stage to sing a snippet reprise of “Naughty.” And then we got a performance from the kid cast of Annie, led by unfairly and criminally snubbed Lilla Crawford (OK, the only nomination snub that made me upset). They performed “It’s a Hard Knock Life.” I have a soft spot for both this musical and its revival so I’m glad it at least got this Revival nomination so they were able to perform, even if they had no chance of beating Pippin or even Cinderella. Unfortunately these little girls were interrupted by Jane Lynch who played Miss Hannigan. Jane Lynch does a good job but…it seemed like a way to sell tickets to the Glee crowd. I would have preferred a performance of “You’re Never Fully Dressed” instead. Lastly, we got a performance from the kid cast of A Christmas Story. Believe it or not, this was my favorite performance of the evening. Johnny Rabe as Ralphie was great, but that little tapper dude (Luke Spring) stole the entire night with that wonderful tap solo. All the kids in the number were wonderful at tapping. And while, having not been familiar with the movie, I didn’t quite understand what was going on, I still smiled the whole way through. Great job to all the kids!!!

cinderella cinderella cinderella

    • OTHER STRONG PERFORMANCES: I can’t say I fully understood what was going on during the Bring it On performance, but by time they got to what I think was the chorus of the song, I was definitely feeling it. Apparently Lin-Manuel Miranda co-wrote the book and lyrics which is no surprise considering how similar the rap is to the raps in In the Heights. It was a cool performance for a show that I wanted to see last year. Unfortunately, it had a short run. Cinderella was awesome mostly because of the cool quick costume changes done by Broadway’s future Laura Osnes and the always fabulous Victoria Clark (“You’d be surprised how many beautiful gowns have crazy women in them!”) who play Cinderella and Fairy Godmother respectively. William Ivey Long definitely deserved his Costume Tony (the only award the musical won that night.) And, despite the fact the high grossing show wasn’t nominated for Best Musical, Motown: The Musical  was still able to churn out a couple dance numbers. I especially liked the performance of another child star, Raymond Luke Jr., as young Michael of the Jackson 5. I love this music so I was really digging it. 
    • WOMEN DIRECTORS: For the first time since 1998, two women directors won for both Best Direction of Musical and Play. First, Diane Paulus won for directing the beautiful and lavish Pippin. Her speech was very heartfelt and articulate, and she especially paid tribute to the great Stephen Schwartz. And then Pam MacKinnon won for Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf. She started her speech by going, “So…Vegas got this one wrong…an Diane Paulus’s speech was fantastic. Um…so that’s where my head is.” Who run the world!

laura benanti tony

    • BROADWAY STARS ON CANCELLED TV SHOWS: While Andrew Rannells, Megan Hilty, and Tony winner Laura Benanti are all Broadway favorites, on the small screen, they aren’t quite as successful. So the three of them (joined by a smug NPH) sang their woes about being on cancelled (NBC) TV series. Laura Benanti (to the tune of “Ladies Who Lunch”) is especially depressed about being on TWO cancelled TV series. It was one of the funniest moments of the night and showed how talented each of them (esp. Megan Hilty wowza) are! If it’s any consolation, I loved The New Normal,  “mildly” kept up with Smash, and…well…I didn’t watch Go On but I heard a lot of great things about it and I was a little surprised that NBC cancelled that one TBH.
    • JESSE EISENBERG AND THE PLAYS: He introduced the nominated plays…and in record speed. I love Jesse Eisenberg. I love how he can’t keep his jittery body still. I love his speedy voice. Also, you all should watch Now You See Me. Anyway, Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike won Best Play. Judging by the little snippets of each play, and the fact that I’ve loved reading all the other Christopher Durang plays, I think the Theatre Wing made the right choice.

pippin revival tony

    • PIPPIN: Pippin  was one of three musicals who dominated the night with four Tonys, including Best Revival and Direction. Andrea Martin won for Best Featured Actress, while Patina Miller won for Leading Actress in the same role that won Ben Vereen a Tony 40 years ago. (Is this the first time two people of different genders won a Tony for the same role?) Patina Miller dominated with a great acceptance speech and a great leading performance in “Magic to Do” with the rest of the spirited cast. However, I’m not going to leave out Matthew James Thomas who did a good job with “Corner of the Sky” in the usually thankless leading titular role. I have to say I love this interpretation of Pippin. The carnival aspect of the show definitely took me by surprise when I first watched the previews. The original production was definitely a lot subtler and simplistic (in an effective way of course). But, theatre is about embracing different interpretations, not clinging on to the old productions. So, I believe what Diane Paulus and her team did with this was excellent and made sense. And, honestly, such a great, talented company. I can’t wait to watch this on bootleg!

kinky boots tony

    • KINKY BOOTS: When most people, including myself, began watching the Tonys, we expected the British import Matilda to dominate the same way Billy Elliot did. However, that wasn’t the case. Yes, Matilda still won 4 Tonys, but it was the supposed dark horse Kinky Boots that took the top honor Best Musical. This sort of surprise just made the night more exciting. And judging from other performances the cast has given on other shows and their performance of “Everybody Say Yeah” (which featured some cool treadmill choreography) tonight, I think this was a just win. Cyndi Lauper won Best Score, and looked so grateful and tearful accepting her award. It’s nice to see this global superstar so humble and gracious. Billy Porter won Lead Actor and gave one the strongest speeches of the night. (“I want to thank…my mother…you are the personification of true Christianity. Your willingness to embrace that which you don’t understand with unconditional love is a template that the world could benefit from employing. Your courage gives me life and I love you!”) It was a good night for the musical that will surely get a boost in ticket sales. The best part about all this is reading the bitter British presses try to bash Kinky Boots. Nice try.

cicely tyson tony

    • CICELY TYSON: And the award for the greatest speech in the history of awards goes to…the great Cicely Tyson. Let’s walk through this piece by piece. The nominations are called. Tyson is clearly nervous. She wants this. She wants this bad. Her name is called. The crowd goes wild. Most jump to their feet. Cecily stays seated, trying to take it all in. She finally stands, revealing a dress that’s made of nothing but extravagant purple ruffles. The announcer reveals that this is her FIRST Tony nomination and win. It takes her like 5 minutes to reach the stage. She gets a rousing standing ovation in the process. She reaches the mic, not holding the trophy. And she gives her speech in a slow, thoughtful delivery, with plenty of conviction. She takes in the moment. She starts out by talking about herself in the third person. She talks about how she’s last living member of her immediate family. She talks about how it’s been thirty years since she’s done stage work. She didn’t think it would happen again in her lifetime…but she had this burning to desire to just have “one more. One more great role, I said. I didn’t want to be greedy. I just wanted one more!” The audience laughs to this. She thanks the American Theatre Wing for welcoming her home. She takes a long pause before the music comes in. I’m already buying my ticket so I can fly to New York to murder the conductor that decided to play this living legend off. But then she recovers like the pro she is. “Please wrap it, they say…Well that’s exactly what you did with me. You wrapped me up in your arms after 30 years. And now I can go home with a Tony!” She thanks the crowd and they give her another standing ovation. A great moment of television and probably my favorite of the year so far. I still have tears in my eyes. Now, how about we give her one more great movie role, so she can win an Oscar! (And, going off of that, let’s give Cyndi Lauper an Oscar so she can complete her EGOT!)
    • EMPIRE STATE OF MIND: The show ends with NPH doing his usual “recap” of the show with lyrics that were probably written a mere minutes before it happened. He rapped it to Jay-Z’s “Empire State of Mind” with Audra McDonald singing the chorus. Even when she’s not nominated, she’s still fabulous. She ends with a gif-worthy mic drop.

Overall, this was a great night filled with wonderful performances and funny bits in between. I think the only I didn’t like was the characters from previous musical introducing the newer musicals’ performances. (Like Spiderman…I didn’t get that.) But, otherwise, the Tonys prove why it’s better than the other award shows out there. Thanks for reading!

2013
06/10
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2013 Oscars Talk (That’s All Folks!) – 10 Favorite Moments From the Ceremony


2013 oscars

I’ve always liked watching awards. It’s so silly…I don’t understand why we obsess over millionaires getting more exposure and recognition than they already do…but we do. I’ve been following the Oscars seriously for the last four years and I have to say, without a doubt, this has been the most exciting race in a while. Argo‘s sweep after the Direction snub has been darn right inspiring and it’s been fun seeing early Oscar bait front runners Lincoln and Les Miserables knocked down a peg. I’m not saying those two movies were undeserving…but it’s nice to see the little guy win. And it’s nice to see Ben Affleck vindicated after years of ruthless criticism (more on that later).

So…you all have probably read a billion things on the net about the Oscars and the race. And…honestly…I don’t think you need much more from me. So, I think I’m just going to go through some of the moments I enjoyed from this overall great Oscar ceremony.

PS…I got a 15/24 on my Oscar predix. So…yeah…pretty bad (seriously…BRAVE?? Lincoln for Production Design??). However, I have to say, I’m most proud that I got Supporting Actor right. I don’t really understand why so many people were predicting Robert deNiro (despite the fact that he hadn’t won anything beforehand). But…I’m glad I wasn’t pressured by those people. Same goes for my Jennifer Lawrence prediction. A BAFTA win does not an Oscar win make.

For a full list of winners, click here. 

Anyway…onto the list…

les miz live

1. Musical Tributes: It would have been nice if more musical movies from the 21st century had been represented - Moulin Rouge, even the criminally non-nominated Hairspray would have been neat. But there’s no denying the impact Chicago and Dreamgirls have had on the genre, so I appreciated the performances. Catherine Zeta Jones danced her way through “All That Jazz” and did great despite her lip synching (seriously, I don’t get why people have a shit when someone lip syncs.) However, Jennifer Hudson stole the show with a powerful “And I am Telling You” that deservedly earned her an easy standing ovation and reminded people that her Oscar is no fluke. We ended things with the Les Miz cast performing “Suddenly” and the medley live. Yes, there were a couple awkward beats but, man, I found this performance incredibly endearing and brave. I really admire that despite all the overwhelming (and sometimes unnecessary) criticism Russell Crowe has gotten, he still got out there and sang it out (to some applause). Anne Hathaway, Samantha Barks and Aaron Tveit of course stood out the same way they did in the movie. And…Eddie Redmayne…sort of has a sexy baritone going on. Rowr. (I’m straight!)

2. Ted and the Tie: Ted was, without a doubt, the funniest movie last year so I personally loved his segments with Mark Wahlberg, esp. his first one where he  begs the audience to tell him where the big post Oscar Hollywood orgy would be held (Jack Nicholson’s house!) What was more extraordinary was the rare and surprising tie that occurred in Sound Editing. Unfortunately, I didn’t predict either of the winners so I feel doubly foolish. Fortunately, Zero Dark Thirty didn’t walk away empty handed. (It should have won the Film Editing Oscar though…)

3. Anne Hathaway: Was I little teary eyed when my princess diary won the Oscar? Uh…ya. I was afraid for a second. She needed this Oscar. Like…she would not have survived three more hours without that Oscar. In all seriousness, I’m not sure why people hate Hathaway so much. She is the one celebrity that has not done ANYTHING wrong. Yeah, she is a little high strung, but she’s also passionate and it’s nice seeing a winner seem so happy and blessed over an Oscar. Her speech was simple, undramatic and short. What more do people want? Hating Hathaway is getting old (especially behind a computer screen)…find a new hobby.

adele

4. Adele: I’m about to say something weird. When a singer is performing…I sort of like it when the orchestra (background music) is louder than the actual singer. I’m not being sarcastic or anything. I just like the effect. Maybe I’m just someone who naturally appreciates orchestration. I dunno. But…that being said, I completely dug Adele’s performance. Adele performed wonderfully…but, honestly, I appreciated hearing the orchestration which is absolutely beautiful. On top of that, she deservedly won the Oscar for Best Song with Paul Epworth. If I could watch nothing more than her acceptance speeches for the rest of my life, I would be pretty content. She’s amazing. OK, enough gushing.

5. Chicago Reunion + Mychael Danna: Part of my project of watching every Oscar nominated movie from the last ten years, I had just finished re-watching Chicago last weekend. I absolutely love the movie so it was nice seeing Gere, Zellweger, Latifah, and Zeta Jones present together (although, Oscar nominee John C. Reilly was noticeably absent). Gere’s hair is a little whiter but, otherwise, they look exactly the same than they did 10 years ago (esp. Queen Latifah who hasn’t changed since U.N.I.T.Y.) On top of that, it was absolutely lovely seeing Mychael Danna win. One, because the score in Life of Pi was truly the best. But also, because I’ve always been a huge fan of his other work (The Sweet Hereafter, Avonlea among many many other things). It’s nice that this humble Canadian musician finally got some recognition.

6. Quentin Tarantino: He’s another person I like seeing accept an award. He always looks so excited and jazzed. And, even though he was third in my personal ranking, I’m still happy for him…and more importantly I’m happy I predicted him correctly when so many people were turning towards Amour (??). His tiny tribute to the other writers was also appreciated.

7. Ang Lee: What a nice, surprising win. I’ve mentioned this once in an earlier post, but I truly admire Lee. He is a chameleon. He has two Oscars…for two completely different movies. So extraordinary. He is humble and unassuming. And to think, there were some people who didn’t even think he’d be nominated. Not gonna lie though…I find it sort of funny how he’s won two Director awards for movies that didn’t win Best Picture. Kinda weird. Maybe next time! Also lastly, it was a good night for Life of Pi…

jennifer lawrence oscar

8. Jennifer Lawrence: This was an incredibly strong category, the strongest of the bunch. However, I’m really happy and proud that JLaw ended up the big winner. Let’s hope her career is leaning more towards Kate Winslet and not…cough cough…Reese Witherspoon. She’ll be fine! She’ll always have Hunger Games to lean back on! Anyway, she gave one of the strongest performances of the year. But, more than that, she has a great personality. She’s so to down to earth and real. And I’m really glad that the Hollywood machine hasn’t changed her or fazed her. I look forward to seeing more of her (and maybe more nominations?) Yes…the fall was tragic (I can certainly relate to that being incredibly clumsy myself), but she handled herself, gave a nice compact speech, and kicked ass at the press conference. Go her!

9. Daniel-Day Lewis: First, let’s discuss the bad ass way Meryl Streep announced the winner. Did she even open the envelope? Or did she just know? (Like everyone else in the world.) Nevertheless, it was exciting seeing a three time winner give Lewis his third Oscar. A perfect moment IMO. I always like his speeches. They’re just funny and fresh and…I really want him to do a comedy because he’s really funny!

10. Michelle Obama gives Ben Affleck his Oscar: Was it random? Yeah. I still love Obama and her bangs so I didn’t mind! I also didn’t mind seeing Argo win Best Picture. Like I mentioned early, this whole journey has been exciting t watch. Argo is a really great movie and, despite the Direction snub, makes a very worthy Best Picture winner. Ben Affleck has been incredibly gracious throughout this entire award season and seeing him ramble out his thank yous to beat the clock put a small tear in my eye. Ben Affleck has been getting acclaim for the last few years over his movies Gone Baby Gone and The Town…but this Oscar is solid proof of his “comeback” and…this win just created a nice Hollywood moment.

seth macfaRlane kristin chenoweth

And if I had to pick an “11th moment” it would be towards Seth MacFarlane’s hosting gig. Was he perfect? No. Were his jokes hit or miss? Yep. But he was better than the last few we’ve had…by a mile. Honestly, it seems silly to criticize MacFarlance for being too crude and crass. I mean…it’s Seth MacFarlane! We were expecting this, even if it was the Oscars. But, overall, I thought he did a great job. Not as great as Ellen, Jon Stewart (2nd gig) or even Chris Rock…but he was definitely better than Steve Martin, Alec Baldwin, Anne Hathaway, James Franco and even Billy Crystal’s gig last year. I thought he opened the show well (I esp. liked the dance breaks featuring Charlize, Channing, JGL and Daniel Radcliffe…I wasn’t feeling the boob song…until he got to Kate Winslet!) and it was nice that he stayed with us throughout the ceremony. His last song “Here’s to the Losers” with Kristin Chenoweth was cute. And the Sound of Music gag was excellent. I think the best part was the fact that he didn’t try to pimp out his animated shows. In fact, I don’t think I remember a single reference to Family Guy which I appreciated. People seem to be mixed but I thought MacFarlane (and the ceremony as a whole) was at least an improvement  over the last few.

So…this is it. That’s all for this Oscar season. Time to move on to…THE EMMYS!!!! See ya then.

2013
02/25
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70th (2013) Golden Globes Predictions (Film Categories)


How embarrassing were the Broadcast Film Critics Awards last night? Seriously…it was just a disaster. From the misspelling of Ann Hathaway’s name to the host no one knew (who wasn’t great anyway) to the shafting of screenplay awards to the commercial breaks to the weirdly smug 14 year old critic (OK, maybe I’m just really jealous of him!) Even the new categories were weird. As happy as I am that Silver Linings Playbook (and Jennifer Lawrence) did so well…it makes no sense that they would be allowed to compete in the “Comedy Categories” and the regular categories. They might as well just create a separate category for drama movies also. Anyway, it made no sense. The only nice thing was seeing Ben Affleck winning Best Director for Argo. Unlike most people, I wasn’t necessarily crying over his Oscar snub…but I still thought this was a nice moment for Affleck and he really did do a wonderful job directing film. Maybe next time!

Anyway, onto predicting the Golden Globes. For a list of the nominees, click here.

For my Television predictions, click here. 

DRAMA

Motion Picture: We have to remember, like the Critics Awards, the ballots were submitted before the Oscar nominations were announced. So we can’t focus too much on who Academy voted for (or didn’t vote for). So, yeah, Argo still has a chance…and I think Argo will win. Clearly the voters loved Lincoln…but the movie might be “too American” for them. Same goes for Zero Dark Thirty and Django Unchained. Life of Pi is definitely a possibility, but I think the less polarizing Argo will prevail.

(I admittedly haven’t seen Life of Pi…but of the other four movies…eh, I like them all equally. I don’t really care who wins. The idea of Lincoln winning bores me a bit…but it’s undeniably a perfectly crafted film – except for maybe the last 5 minutes.)

Actor: This one’s really easy. There’s no reason to trivialize it…this award is Daniel Day Lewis‘s to lose.

(Haven’t watched Arbitrage or The Master. I think I’m rooting for John Hawkes (The Sessions) to take this one. It won’t happen though.)

Actress: You know Helen Mirren is very popular…but she was never much of a front runner for Hitchcock. Naomi Watts has a very flashy and devastating performance in The Impossible. But…I think it’s safe to say that Jessica Chastain will win for Zero Dark Thirty.

(Having not seen Deep Blue Sea, I can confidently say my favorite performance in this lineup in Jessica Chastain. Naomi Watts winning wouldn’t be bad either. Helen Mirren would be a waste. Sorry!)

COMEDY

Motion Picture: Silver Linings Playbook did very well at the Oscars. It, arguably, had a more successful Oscars than Les Miserables. But, despite its mixed reviews, the epic “International” Les Miserables will win. The Golden Globes always have a small soft spot for musicals. (Think back to when Dreamgirls beat Little Miss Sunshine a few years back). I don’t think this year will be any different.

(Y’know, I really liked Les Miserables. I mean, yeah, Tom Hooper’s direction was more awkward than effective…and there were more “loud” moments than effective “quiet” moments. But I thought the performances were really wonderful (including Russell Crowe) and I thought the music was beautiful. However, Silver Linings Playbook might be my favorite movie of the year. I would love to see SLP pull an upset and win.)

Actor: This category is essentially Bradley Cooper (Silver Linings Playbook) vs. Hugh Jackman (Les Miz) (The only two movies in this category I’ve seen.) I think it’s clear that Hugh Jackman will win this, but if the Foreign Press ends up liking SLP more than the musical, then things could change.

(Yeah, I’m rooting for Bradley Cooper here. I actually thought Jackman was one of the weaker members of the cast (he was still great though!)

Actress: I’m not going to pretend to make this category more complicated than it is. Jennifer Lawrence is far and away the front runner (and she should be, she’s great). The Golden Globes don’t love Meryl Streep that much…

(Right now, I’m in the Jennifer Lawrence camp.)

SUPPORTING

Actor: Supporting Actor is so up in the air. Honestly, we could have a case where the winners of all the major awards (Critics, SAG, GG, BAFTA, Oscars) are all different. That being said, I’m going to go with Tommy Lee Jones for Lincoln. He was one of the first Supporting Actors to get a considerable amount of buzz early in the season.

(This is a category, for some reason, I’ve never been too passionate amount. Maybe things will change after I watch The Master, but, otherwise, I don’t really care who wins. I guess, gun to my head, I like Leonardio Dicaprio the most…or his Django co-star Christophe Waltz.)

Actress: Again, like Leading Actress in a Comedy, I’m not really in the mood to trivialize this category. People tried to do it last year when Octavia Spencer was sweeping the awards. I have a strong feeling Anne Hathaway (Les Miz) will have that same sweep…and dissenters will deny her awards power up until her name is called out at the Oscars.

(Nicole Kidman was so great in The Paperboy…but, for at least this award, I would like the best part of Les Miserables to win.)

OTHER

Director: This is a pretty tight category. I think it’s ultimately between Affleck and Spielberg, with Steven Spielberg (Lincoln) having the slight edge. I think the voters would go with the more “respected”. Bigelow is also a major player, but she didn’t win the Golden Globe for The Hurt Locker. I find it hard to believe that the voters would suddenly love her now.

(Again, like Best Drama Film, I like all these movie equally. I don’t have a preference.)

Screenplay: I have a feeling that Tony Kushner (Lincoln) will be winning lots of awards during this Awards tour. I don’t think this ceremony is any different.

(I’m rooting for Quentin Tarantino just because his script is the most original out of all the other nominees. That’s a pretty amazing feat.)

Original Score: John Williams (Lincoln)

(You can probably tell how tired I am.)

Best Animated Feature: Frankenweenie 

(Haven’t seen any of the nominees.)

Best Foreign Language Film: The Intouchables

(Feel good movie vs. the uber depressing Amour…hmmm)

Original Song: Adele for “Skyfall”. “Suddenly” also has a chance.

OK, that is all! Check back after the ceremony for my quick thoughts on the ceremony and the winners. Thanks for reading!

2013
01/11
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Final 2013 Oscar Nominations Predictions!


lincoln

OK…I have to do this. I’ve been trying to avoid this but…I got no choice. It’s time to predict what films and people will get that special nomination for the 85th Academy Awards. I will predicting EVERY category (except the shorts), whether I’ve personally seen the films or not. And, if I feel necessary, I will explain my choices. OK…let’s do this! I’m pumped!

Also, I unfortunately have to post these before the BAFTA nominations are announced because I want the chance for more people to read this. However, if I decide to make a last minute change (WHICH I AM WITHIN MY RIGHT TO DO), then I will edit this page and make it it clear in the title that the predictions are updated. (I doubt that I will do that…the BAFTAs usually nominate what they think the Oscars will nominate…and anything out of the ordinary won’t matter.)

The same for the Director’s Guild nominations that come out in the 8th.

Best Picture:

1. Lincoln

2. Zero Dark Thirty

3. Argo

4. Les Miserables

5. Silver Linings Playbook

6. Django Unchained

7. Life of Pi

8. Moonrise Kingdom

9. Beasts of Southern Wild

10. Skyfall

I’m pretty much going to agree with the Producers Guild on this one. The first 7 are guaranteed to get in. However, Moonrise Kingdom and Beasts could easily be replaced by the likes of Marigold Hotel, The Master, Amour, The Avengers, The Dark Knight Rises, or even Looper. Skyfall has been gaining a lot of buzz recently and considering it’s Bond’s 50th Anniversary, the Academy may want to honor the film series by giving a Bond film (a billion dollar box office well received Bond film) its first Best Picture nomination.

ARGO

Best Director:

1. Kathryn Bigelow (Zero Dark Thirty)

2. Steven Spielberg (Lincoln)

3.  Ben Affleck (Argo)

4. Quentin Tarantino (Django Unchained)

5. Ang Lee (Life of Pi)

Can we say most competitive lineup ever?? Tom Hooper (Les Miserables) and David O Russell (Silver Linings Playbook) can replace any of the bottom three. I was actually tempted to put Russell in my predictions, but the Academy doesn’t usually go gaga over comedy movies. 

wes anderson

Best Original Screenplay:

1. Mark Boal (Zero Dark Thirty)

2. Quentin Tarantino (Django Unchained)

3. Wes Anderson and Roman Coppola (Moonrise Kingdom)

4. Flight (John Gatins)

5. The Master (Paul Thomas Anderson)

This category is so “up in the air.” Looper, Amour, or even the little seen Middle of Nowhere could break through. If This is 40 had been better, it probably would have become a strong contender also. Instead Ted is our best hope of having a broad comedy nominated.

silver linings

Best Adapted Screenplay:

1. Tony Kushner (Lincoln)

2. Chris Terrio (Argo)

3. David O Russell (Silver Linings Playbook)

4. The Perks of Being a Wallflower (Stephen Chbosky)

5. Life of Pi (David Magee)

Predicting Perks over Beasts of Southern Wild or Les Miz is a bit of a risk…but I have to go with my heart. I believe the Academy will appreciate the small, underrated gem.

the sessions

Best Actor:

1. Daniel Day-Lewis (Lincoln)

2. Hugh Jackman (Les Miserables)

3. Denzel Washington (Flight)

4. John Hawkes (The Sessions)

5. Bradley Cooper (Silver Linings Playbook)

Bradley Cooper is on thin ice. He could be replaced with Joaquin Phoenix (The Master). So we essentially have six “worthy” actors fighting for five spots.

jessica chastain

Best Actress:

1. Jessica Chastain (Zero Dark Thirty)

2. Jennifer Lawrence (Silver Linings Playbook)

3. Marion Cotillard (Rust and Bone)

4. Naomi Watts (The Impossible)

5. Quvenzhane Wallis (Beasts of Southern Wild)

This one is tough for me. I’m 99% sure that the top 4 are going to make it no problem. However both Wallis and Emmanuelle Riva (despite her recent critics award) have been losing a lot of buzz since the fall. (Both of them losing SAG and Golden Globe nominations to Helen Mirren). In Wallis’s defense, she wasn’t eligible for the SAG award anyway. But the point is, those losses were tough and they aren’t the front runners we all thought they were.  I’m going with Wallis because I think Wallis gives a beautiful, powerful subtle performance the same way Keisha Castle Hughes did a few years back. I don’t think the Academy will resist giving this little girl a nom (think Abigail Breslin). However, I won’t be surprised if she’s snubbed in favor of Riva, Mirren, or Rachel Weisz. Even Cotillard and Watts are a little vulnerable. Lawrence and Chastain are the only two bonafide locks.

leo django unchained

Best Supporting Actor:

1. Tommy Lee Jones (Lincoln)

2. Robert De Niro (Silver Linings Playbook)

3. Javier Bardem (Skyfall)

4. Christoph Waltz (Django Unchained)

5. Leonardo DiCaprio (Django Unchained)

Man…it was painful leaving Philip Seymour Hoffman (The Master) and Alan Arkin (Argo) out. I’m ready to eat crow. I just…think that Django Unchained will be well recognized this Oscars…and that includes getting two slots in Supporting Actor. (I was actually tempted to put Samuel L. Jackson in there considering he really is the best thing about the film).  But I recognize those two could be swapped for Hoffman, Eddie Redmayne (Les Miz) or even Matthew McConaughey who’s weirdly gotten acclaim for his “not bad” performance in the “not bad” Magic Mike.

anne hathaway les miz

Best Supporting Actress:

1. Anne Hathaway (Les Miserables)

2. Sally Field (Lincoln)

3. Helen Hunt (The Sessions)

4. Nicole Kidman (The Paperboy)

5. Ann Dowd (Compliance)

In my defense, I have not watched The Master…which is why I’m being so stingy with its chances. Like Best Picture, Actor, Supporting Actor and Direction, Amy Adams could very well get in. Actually, I feel weird predicting Dowd and Kidman over the likes of Maggie Smith and Amy Adams. But…sometimes…ya just have to take the risk. But, seriously? Kidman was nominated for the Golden Globe and the SAG. The team behind Paperboy has pretty much admitted that, besides Kidman, the movie sucks. So they’re only campaigning for Kidman. And Ann Dowd got a lot of press when it was revealed that she took out a loan so she could send out screeners of the movie herself (because the studio wouldn’t shell out the bucks).

Best Animated Feature:

1. Wreck-It-Ralph

2. Frankenweenie

3. ParaNorman

4. Brave

5. The Painting

I’m picking The Painting over Rise of the Guardians because the Academy always votes for some Artsy Fartsy foreign film in this category.

Best Foreign Language Film:

1. Amour (Austria)

2. The Intouchables (France)

3. A Royal Affair (Denmark)

4. No (Chile)

5. Kon-Tiki (Norway)

I was tempted to predict War Witch because it’s Canadian but…nope.

Best Documentary Feature:

1. Bully

2. Searching for Sugar Man

3. How to Survive the Plague

4. The Gatekeepers

5. The House I Live In

Best Production Design:

1. Lincoln

2. Les Miserables

3. Life of Pi

4. Anna Karenina

5. The Hobbit

Best Cinematography:

1. Zero Dark Thirty

2. Lincoln

3. Skyfall

4. Life of Pi

5. Les Miserables

Apparently, The Master is also a strong contender.

Best Costume Design:

1. Anna Karenina

2. Lincoln

3. Les Miserables

4. The Hobbit

5. Moonrise Kingdom

BTW, Cloud Atlas is also a strong contender for many of these technical awards.

Best Editing:

1. Zero Dark Thirty

2. Lincoln

3. Argo

4. Les Miserables

5. Silver Linings Playbook

This is a very important category. Apparently, a film can’t win Best Picture without at least a Best Editing nomination. So…yeah, I think Silver Linings Playbook is in because I think it still has a chance to win, thus Life of Pi and Django Unchained are out.

Best Makeup and Hairstyling:

1. The Hobbit

2. Lincoln

3. Les Miserables

The other four films to make the shortlist are Men in Black 3, Hitchcock, Looper, and Snow White and The Huntsman.

Best Score:

1. Lincoln

2. Beasts of Southern Wild

3. Anna Karenina

4. Life of Pi

5. Argo

And number 6 would be…The Master!

Best Song:

1. “Skyfall” (Skyfall)

2. “Suddenly” (Les Miserables)

3. “Learn Me Right” (Brave)

4. “Still Alive” (Paul Williams)

5. Something from Django Unchained…

I was ready to predict “Safe and Sound” for the top spot…but then I found out it wasn’t eligible. I love Adele…but I really don’t care about this category anymore. (I wanted an Adele vs. Taylor showdown!!!)

Best Sound Editing and Mixing:

1. Zero Dark Thirty

2. The Avengers

3. The Dark Knight

4. Life of Pi

5. Les Miserables

With Skyfall or The Impossible being spoilers. Yeah…I’m lazy. I’m just going to say that both categories will be the same. (They never are!)

Best Visual Effects:

1. Life of Pi

2. The Hobbit

3. The Avengers

4. The Dark Knight Rises

5. Cloud Atlas

Again, Skyfall is a strong contender.

Yeah…I’m not doing the Shorts.

Anyway, those are my predictions. I’m 99% sure these predictions are final…but if something big comes up between now and the 9th, I have the right to change. OK…BYE!

2013
01/07
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Most Memorable Glee Performances from Season 3


I gave you my top 10 for season one.

i gave you my top 10 for season two.

So in the spirit of Thanksgiving Christmas (I began writing this during Thanksgiving), now is the time to countdown my ten eleven favorite musical performances from the third season (7 months after it has ended) . Some of the choices may surprise you but…well…it’s my list so MY rules!

11.  “Boogie Shoes” from Saturday Night Glee-ver - So, far Unique has been one of my favorite new characters  on the show (speaking of this current season, “Womanizer” is probably my favorite performance so far). I just like how between this show and Degrassi, transgender teens are being portrayed in the media. But, enough about that – I just love this sparkly, energetic performance. Just a stand out performance in an otherwise mediocre episode.

10. “Anything Goes/Anything You Can Do” from The Purple Piano Project - I would have liked this better if it had just been “Anything Goes” and not a mash up. But, the performance still deserves a spot in the top 10. I’m not sure yet how I feel about the character Harmony (we didn’t see much of her), but I do think Lindsay Pearce has a great voice and did a wonderful job for her first time.

9. “Summer Nights” from Yes/No - I know a lot of people thought this performance was silly, but I thought it was just a lot fun and nice. I always like it when the show plays Broadway songs (more on that later). It was just a funny, campy performance that utilized the entire cast well. And for once – the song actually matched the situation.

8. “Black or White” from Michael - Glee hasn’t truly made a tribute episode that worked since the Madonna one from the first season, but this Michael Jackson episode still had a couple performances that I really dug. I usually hate it when the show just reenacts music videos, but I’m not gonna lie – I gotta kick out of the scene where the cast members morph into one another.

7. “It’s All Over” from Asian F - I guess I just really liked the campy performances from this season. This was another performance that a lot of people found a bit ridiculous, but I loved it. This song is from Dreamgirls - it’s the song where Effie has a huge argument with the other members of her group and her management. Glee took this song and made it so it was Mercedes vs. the rest of the glee club. Surprisingly, I didn’t find this cover awkward at all.

6. “ABC/Control/Man in the Mirror” from Hold on to Sixteen - I think the glee club sung this medley for their regionals? While the Troubletones did a nice job with their Survivor mash up, I really do believe this fun Michael Jackson medley blew it our of the park. And it was a nice way to give all the members in the group a small solo, most notably Tina (more on her later).

5. “Run the World” from Asian F - The awkward moment where the former back up dancer does a better job performing the song than the actual artist. OK! I kid! But, seriously, Heather Morris owned this song. I love the performance. The choreography is fun. The editing was really cool. And I liked how all the girls just joined the dance in the end during the pep rally (including Quinn, who’s wearing a really adorable yellow sun dress that clashes with everyone else around her). I watched this on Youtube at least a dozen times after the episodes aired.

4. “Roots Before Branches” from Goodbye - “Goodbye” was a beautiful, touching way to end this season and to graduate the seniors. No moment was sweeter than Rachel and Finn saying goodbye to each other. And this song was a beautiful way to cap that scene and this season as a whole. Lea Michele sings so many solos that they become less and less meaningful TBH…but this solo will forever stick out as a high point.

3. “Because You Loved Me” from Props - This was the ever hilarious “Freaky Friday” episodes, where characters switched identities. This is probably my favorite episode of the season. And, you know, I really do love this solo that’s sung by the underutilized Jenna Ushkowitz. I think I mostly love this performance because of the hilarious shots of the various characters watching it…but I still do think this is a very nice vocal performance.

2. “Never Can Say Goodbye” from Michael - I have such a weakness for this song. So…maybe I’m just very biased. Quinn is probably my favorite character on the show. I really think her character is underrated. I don’t understand why people hate her (and the wonderful Dianna Agron for that matter). Dianna Agron’s voice isn’t as booming and strong as Michele’s or Amber Riley’s but I still think her soft, unassuming pipe is a nice change of pace from what we’re usually given on the show. Quinn is such a complex character and I think her journey during the last 3 seasons have been very interesting to witness. She’s been through many phases and shifts, like any other normal high-schooler. And I think this a nice solo performance that allowed Quinn look back at her life and her past relationships and discover who she’s become as a person. It probably would have been more effective if she performed this solo towards the end of the season (like after her car crash). But, still, I’ll gladly place this as my favorite solo performance from the season.

1. “Someone Like You/Rumor Has It” from Mash Off - Of course. Was there any doubt this performance wouldn’t be number 1. Not only was this best performance of this season…it’s probably in top 3…maybe even my absolute favorite. No one could ever sing Adele songs as well as Adele…but Naya Riveira comes pretty close. As good as Amber Riley was at singing the “Rumor Has it” portion, Naya really stood out and added some raw hurt passion to her solo part. And the staging of the performance was also really great. The choreography. The costumes. Just a lovely performance from the Troubletones.

So, there you have it. Come back in a year where I count down my favorite performances from season 4! (Actually, feel free to visit the site until then!)

2012
12/24
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2012 Emmys Pre-Nominations Top Contenders (Drama Series)


Interestingly enough, there was a time when, before the actual nominations came out, voters would narrow down all the contenders to the “top 10″. They obviously don’t do that anymore. But…we can still assume which contenders are at the top of the voter’s minds. Before I release my official nomination predictions around early July, I am going to run down which 10 or so contenders are the biggest threats…and maybe some personal long shots that I believe voters should consider. Here we go!

I am basing the category placements, based on the official ballots which were just released. Here they are.

For more Emmy discussion, visit my Emmy page.

In alphabetical order, here are the top contenders for Best Drama Series.

1. BOARDWALK EMPIRE - Pros: This show received plenty of buzz even before its first season, and after the season aired, it certainly didn’t disappoint in terms of critics’ expectations or awards. The show and its star, Steve Buscemi, have won both Golden Globes and Guild Awards. In terms of Emmys, it won 8 Emmys last year, including a Direction win for its pilot. And, of course, it was nominated for Drama Series. With its second season winning the Producers Guild and the Screen Actors Guild, with other major nominations under its belt, a snub for a second Emmy nomination would be a pretty big shock. Cons: A small, yet passionate group of people really really dislike this show. They call it overrated. Their vocal-ness could could affect votes. The show was also snubbed at the TCAs and the Critics Choice Awards. With Breaking Bad coming back to the mix, and Homeland breaking in…Boardwalk Empire doesn’t seem as hot as it used to be.

2. BREAKING BAD - Pros: The 9.3 rating the show has on IMDB should be enough, but I’ll go farther since I’m being paid the big bucks (roughly 0 dollars and 0 cents). The show wasn’t eligible last year, but the the 2 years before then it received 2 Drama series nominations among other things. Aaron Paul won an Emmy. And Bryan Cranston has won the Emmy 3 straight years in a row, 1 for every season. The show has been nominated for other awards, and it even received its first SAG nomination for the ensemble this year. The show also received a bunch of nominations for the various critics awards, and has generally made the top of critics top 10 lists. Outside its awards count, the show has a received a lot of buzz and positive feedback and word of mouth. Virtually every episode of this season has received buzz through Twitter and Feedback. Truly, the writers have done a great task, creating one of the most riveting seasons of television. On a personal level, as someone who has loved this show since its first season, I am so glad the show is receiving the applause its always deserved. And a win would be perfect. Cons: Voters who don’t really watch the shows and simply vote based on buzz may forget to put this show on its ballot because it wasn’t eligible last year…Honestly, there’s nothing.

3. DAMAGES - Pros: Admittedly, I have not watched an episode of this series, so I can’t speak on quality. But, objectively, the show has a lot going for it. Besides Glenn Close, the show has never done terribly well with awards outside of Emmys. But…it has still done well during their first three seasons. Their first two seasons got nominations for Drama Series (with Glenn Close winning of course). It didn’t receiving a Series nomination during their last year (2010), but it still received enough major nominations to still be considered an Emmy favorite. In short, this show is still in the minds of Emmy voters and it, at least, deserves to be considered a top contender. Cons: After a year of ineligibility, the show is back in the race. While Glenn Close, maybe Rose Byrne, and any supporting actor is expected to get nominated, the Show itself is receiving very little buzz. It’s simply not a show that most people talk about. With so many new shows from the last year and this year coming into the race, it’s going to be very tough for this show to breakthrough.

4. DEXTER - Pros: The show has gotten the nomination for the last 4 years, winning in 2010 for Direction. The show has also received many other award nominations, including the SAGs, PGAs, DGAs, and WGAs just recently. It’s an award favorite and a critics favorite and a lot fans still watch/love the show. Cons: I didn’t watch this season so everything I’m writing will be pure speculation. Has this show really received that much buzz? Would people really be that shocked if the show was snubbed? And aren’t fans saying that this last season wasn’t so great? The show has a lot going for it…but, again, similar to with Damages, it’ll be very hard for voters to resist voting for the newer, fresher, more critically acclaimed shows on the ballot.

5. DOWNTON ABBEY - Pros: Y’know, after finishing this second season (and re-watching the first season), I’ve come to really appreciate this show, and I have become a fan. Do I still believe it wrongfully stole awards from Mildred Pierce last year? YAH! But do I now understand why so many people love this show? I do. And people really do like this show. Like stated earlier, it did win the Emmy for Movie/Miniseries last year, and this year, it’s gotten various award nominations in the regular Series category, including for the two critics awards. And this wouldn’t be the first “British upstairs/downstairs” series to do well at the Emmys. During the 70′s, Upstairs/Downstairs did very well, winning  during one of the years. It’s very possible that this international success will follow that older series’ footsteps. Cons: The show isn’t as hard hitting and intense as some other shows. It’s very light and airy. And, it being a period show, voters may not fully relate to what’s going on. Besides that, just because the show did well last year in Movie/Miniseries, doesn’t mean the second season will do as well in more competitive categories.

6. GAME OF THRONES - Pros: Ugh, can I just interject and say the Drama category is filled with more critically acclaimed shows than the Comedy Category. Just sayin’. Anyway, this show is not my style, but it is definitely the style of people, critics, award groups and, most importantly, Emmy voters, who gave the show a million nominations last year (including for Drama Series), winning two, most notably for the show’s MVP Peter Dinklage. Judging from skimming the grades AV Club has given the show, the magic that the show had during its first season seems to still be there. Cons: The show had a little controversy because uh, apparently, they chopped off George W. Bush’s head in one episode (I know, wtf). That could affect the 2 or 3 stubborn conservatives in the industry. Also, it’s just worth pointing out, that voters have always tended to enjoy realistic drama, over genre, fantasy television. It seems like GoT has broken that tradition though.

7. THE GOOD WIFE - Pros: The pro is that this show is amazing and that the voters would have to be blind, deaf and dumb to not vote for this show. OK, seriously, in an age where cable dramas are prevailing at the Emmys, this show stacks up quite well, receiving two Drama Series noms in a row, and a win last year for its star Julianna Margulies, plus five other acting nominations. The show does very well with nominations for other award groups. And, if the voters needed to award one and only one network show, The Good Wife would probably be the most appropriate choice. Cons: Although they still believe the show is great, most fans agree that season 3 wasn’t as great as season 2, with the show slowly becoming more of a standard anthology crime procedural than serial drama. Besides that, the show has always been 5th or 6th, which means it will probably be knocked off in favor of a newer drama.

8. HOMELAND - Pros: Even before the Emmys, the new show has already received many honors from the Critics Choice Awards, the Writers Guild Awards and the Edgar Allen Poe Awards, winning the Drama Series award at the Golden Globes.The show, and particularly Claire Danes,  have also nabbed enthusiastic reviews from many critics and fans. And has received so much buzz that the bee would have to be the size of a cruise ship. It’s one of those “new shows” that’s expected to take the spot from one of the older shows. It might be the only new show to be honest. Cons: The biggest con is the fact that the show didn’t receive any Screen Actors Guild Awards, which was pretty much one of the biggest award snubs in recent memory. So…do” other actors not like this show? Considering that’s a very large group of Emmy voters, the producers of Homeland should be a little worried. With some effective campaigning the show should still do well.

9. JUSTIFIED - Pros: This could be the year Justified breaks through.  I mean, it has everything going for it, fans, good ratings, enthusiastic critical reviews, and an Emmy for Margo Martindale last year, along with the three other acting nominations. Sometimes it takes a couple seasons for a show to break through. If Justified followed that same route, a lot of people would be very happy. Cons: The show is similar to The Wire, people love it, Award voters do not. After two pretty lame years in terms of nominations, maybe we just have to accept that Emmy voters do not care for this /watch this show.

10. MAD MEN - Pros: This is pretty much the “Modern Family” of the drama category, in that it gets at least nominated for every award possible. It gets plenty of critical acclaim, and, you have to admit, I can’t be the only one who has Facebook walls filled with “OMG! I love Mad Men!” And this season was really good. In my opinion, this show has never been number 1 on my list, but it gets better and better with every season, so, in that case, it should be a lock for another Drama Series win (its 5th…for its 5th season). The show isn’t going anyway. End of point. Cons: Ugh. I still have to do this? Hm…what’s working against this show? Nothing. Nothing. It’s a lock.

11. SMASH - Pros: Haha! I know! I know! This is silly. But we have to consider this. We have to consider this show. Like…voters love Glee (which we know they did), then maybe they love this dramatic equivalent (in terms of the “musical idea,” not in terms of “quality”). I also believe that this will pick up a few technical nominations, so if that happens, I don’t see why Smash can’t be considered a threat. And, we have to remember the golden rule…critics are not voters. So even though critics had very lukewarm feelings about this show, voters may actually quite like it. It’s a fun show that features a lot of musical performances and celebrates New York theatre. If voters want to honor that, they may end up voting for this show. Cons: The show has a been a disappointment all around: with critics, with ratings, and even regular viewers. Although the show had a little buzz after the pilot premiered, the buzz got quieter and quieter as the season progressed. Jaws will drop if Smash ends up getting that nomination.

12. THE WALKING DEAD - Pros: During the show’s first season, it did decent in terms of nominations, most notably getting WGA, DGA, and a Golden Globe nomination for the series. It didn’t get any major Emmy nominations, but it still won an award for make up which, at least, shows that it’s getting some attention. It’s a popular, fun show, and it could very well get an unexpected nom the same way True Blood did a few years back. Cons: It probably won’t, despite the fact that most people thought the second season improved from the first.

FYI Other contenders include: The Borgias, Boss, House, Luck, True Blood

Longshots Worth Mentioning: The Closer, Fringe, The Killing, Once Upon a Time, Revenge, Suits, Touch, The Vampire Diaries

They have no chance in hell but I still love ‘em: The Client List, Grey’s Anatomy, Harry’s Law, Shameless

That is all for this series. In a couple weeks, you should be expecting my official predictions for the Emmy nominations. But, until then, please continue to check back because there may be more posts from me (Emmy related or non- Emmy related.)

Thank you so much for coming here and reading. I’ve actually gotten a pretty good uptick in views since I started these articles. So thank you and I can’t wait to talk Emmys with you guys for these next few months!

2012
06/20
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2012 Tony Awards (10 Favorite Moments)


Although, this summer, I’m pretty much devoting most of my time to the Emmys (expect prediction posts to be coming either tonight or tomorrow). I thought it was fair to at least acknowledge last night’s Tony Awards (even though I literally have not seen ANY of the shows…I haven’t even watched the movies the musicals are based on…except Once). So, without further ado, here are 10 moments I loved from the ceremony!

  1. Neil Patrick Harris - I think I agree with some people who say Harris’s third attempt was a little stale. He sort of does the same “schitck” over and over again. But, hey, it’s funny schtick and I enjoyed myself a lot. I thought the opening number about what life would be like if it was more like theatre (pretty much exclusively musical theatre). It featured cameos from 30 Rock‘s Patti Lupone, Modern Family’s Jesse Tyler Ferguson as NPH’s “understudy”, Amanda Seyfried (“Mama Mia!”) and that little girl who will play Annie in the fall. (By the way, is anyone else excited for that?) I also loved his little tribute to the award winning  scores from the last 50 or so years. It was very impressive. And of course, I always like the closing number where Neil sings about the night. So…overall, I think Harris was great…but I think it’s time for another new host next year.
  2. Newsies - Newsies only walked away with two awards (score and choreography), but at least they showed that they deserved those two awards with this incredibly energetic performance, featuring Tony nominated Jeremy Jordan (Keke Palmer’s usual white love interest from Joyful Noise.) I just thought the choreography was slamming. I loved the thing they did with the newspapers. That was like unnecessarily awesome. It’s like…they didn’t need to do that…but they did, anyway. And just all the gymnastics and…it was really amazing.
  3. Spider-Man - No, not Andrew Garfield (I’ll get to that later), but NPH dangling on a wire upside down as class act Angela Lansbury and Ted Chapin talk about the Tony organization. “Thank you for your undivided attention”. So funny! I loved it. Rewound like 10 times.
  4. Guy Love - Andrew Garfield and Christian Borle were both nominated for  Featured Actor in a Play. They were both pretty much the front runners, but only one could win. Who won? It was Christian Borle, the gay guy from Smash (the most prominent gay guy I mean). And before Borle got on the stage, he and Garfield shared a really adorable hug. I didn’t even know these two knew each other but OK. As for Borle winning…even though I haven’t seen Peter and the Star catchers, I’m so happy for the actual actor. He’s a great Broadway performer. He was great in Spammalot and, more importantly, Legally Blonde the musical. So I’m happy he’s finally getting his due. And the show itself also sweeped up four technical awards, making it the most awarded play for that night.
  5. Lead Performers in a Play - Weren’t the winners just adorable? Brit James Corden won for the play One Man, Two Guvnors. He not only got to perform a small monologue (which was pretty crazy), but his speech was just too cute. First, he has the cutest little English accent I’ve ever seen. It’s like scratchy, like a 4 year old in the morning. And then the dedication to his “baby mama” was pretty baller. Afterwards, Nina Arianda won for Lead Actress in a Play for Venus in Fur. She began her speech by telling presenter Christopher Plummer he was her first crush and that his whistle blowing from Sound of Music was a highlight. It was hilarious. I just overall loved how excited and happy they were for winning.
  6. Les Miserables - Yes! A highlight for me was watching the short trailer for the upcoming musical movie. I dunno ’bout you, but I think Anne Hathaway is very very talented and I’m really looking forward to this movie, which will also have Hugh Jackman and Amanda Seyfried (and NOT Taylor Swift thank God. I love her music, but she is not a “singer”). So…I’m putting it on this list.
  7. Clybourne Park - It seemed like the seemingly cute Peter and the Starcatcher would win for Best Play, but, instead, it went to Pulitzer Prize winning Clybourne Park. Of course I haven’t seen the show, but I did read the play, particularly because A Raisin in the Sun is literally my favorite work of literature. (CP is sort of a midquel and sequel to the Lorrainse Hansberry play) So, I’m happy the show pulled off an upset and ended up winning the big one, despite only 4 nominations and no other wins. It doesn’t make up for the fact that ARIS lost Best Play during their year, but…it’s still nice I suppose.
  8. Once and Porgy and Bess - If there were two shows I’d see on Broadway this season, it’d be these two, and their respective wins and ceremony performances confirmed that. Steve Kazee and the Once company performed “Gold” and everything about it was lovely. The instrumentals, the lighting, the subtle choreography, and even Cristin Milloti slowly wandering around until she finds her way to Guy (Kazee). (FUN FACT: Milloti was that “sexy girl” from that hilarious 30 Rock episode “TGS Hates Women”. So you can say that Fey discovered her first sorta). It was spellbinding. The Porgy and Bess performance was filled with songs we all had probably heard, yet didn’t know where they came from. It featured Audra McDonald performing a sweet, operatic version of “Summertime,” Norm Lewis singing “I Got Plenty of Nothing,” and David Alan Grier performing “It Aint Necessarily So,” along with the company doing a fun little dance. There were other good performances from the night, including the before mentioned Newsies, but also Follies,  Leap of Faith, Nice Work If You Can Get It, and Evita. I didn’t particularly like Ghost, Godspell or the cruise ship Hairspray. But Once and Porgy and Bess won the night for me (and, more importantly, they won best for Best Musical and Revival respectively).
  9. Book of Morman - The opening number with the cast singing “Hello” was a lot of fun, especially the beginning when they went into the dressing rooms of certain actors like James Earl Jones and Cynthia Nixon. However, the real treat was Matt Stone and Trey Parker presenting Best Musical, making fun of the fact that had now become a part of Broadway elite. It was probably the funniest thing of the night, behind the Spider Man gag earlier in the ceremony.
  10. Steve and Audra - Steve Kazee winning for Best Actor in a Musical was somewhat of a surprise for me. I thought it would go to like Jeremy Jordan or even Norm Lewis. But Kazee ended up taking the big prize and really made everyone in the audience (and at home) cry from his dedication to his mother who died of cancer on Easter Sunday. It was beautiful and heartfelt and any small malice the other actors felt for losing was immediately lost with his beautiful tribute to his mother, his costar and his company. Now with that win, it seemed like Cristin Milloti had a chance at winning. Instead, clear favorite Audra McDonald won and not even Milloti, who immediately and graciously gave McDonald a standing O, could be too disappointed over the loss. I surely wasn’t. McDonald, at age 40, has become one of Broadway’s greatest stars. She had already won 4 Tonys, and it’s simply amazing that she finally won a Leading Actress award – her fifth! Her speech was moving, a little hilarious and I think everyone’s eyes went blurry when she told her daughter that giving birth to her was the best day of her life. AWWW!

So, overall, it was a good night for theatre. Neither the ceremony or the shows presented seem as good as they were last year, this was still a great night and I just love theatre and Broadway so much…

Now onto the Emmys! 

2012
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So You Think You Can Dance Recap (Top 10 with All Stars)


You know…last season, I was really against the All Stars. I was against them because they prevented us from knowing more about the top 10 (and there was a clear biased against girls…despite the fact that a girl ended up winning). But this year…I like this format. We’ve had 5 weeks to get to know our top 10…this is a good time to bring in the seemingly better dance alums. And the fact that they somehow managed to bring on Chelsie Hightower (arguably the most successful past contestant) is an even bigger plus!

So what will happen tonight? Will we see more than one ballroom like we did last week? Will the jazz dances be about zombies or whatever? Will Clarice be able to stand out with out her overwhelming Broadway partner? Let’s take a look, shall we?!

Neil Patrick Harris is the guest judge. Notice how he didn’t list his “dance experience”…he just kinda said a generic speech about how this show bla bla bla. But he does have some Broadway dance skills. From his hosting gigs, he is definitely one of the most talented men in Hollywood and has amazing stage presence. We’ll see how he does…we will see…

Season 8 Contestants with All Star dancers

Marko with Chelsie - They danced a Jason Gilkison Samba routine to a remix of Kate Hudson’s “Cinema Italiano”. If Chelsie was a “10″ (well she was, there is no “if” about it), then Marko was maybe half that. He was good…but he was overpraised in my opinion. Like his tango with Melanie last week…there was a slightly uncomfortable heaviness about it. His movements seemed too contrived. But he did a great job with the gymnastics part of it.

Sasha - Her Contemporary solo was to Duffy’s “Syrup and Honey”. Very lovely. The solo pretty much defined all the reasons why I love her. I just hope she really steps it up next time.

Jordan with Brandon - They danced a Dwight and Desmond Contemporary routine to a live acoustic version of Jessie J’s “Who You Are”. Weird…I didn’t care much for the song choice…but I really loved this performance. The choreography had a lot of standard contemporary moves…but there were some weird twists and choices here and there that kept my interest. Very lovely and Jordan did a great job.

Jess - His Broadway solo was to Harry Connick Jr’s “Come By Me”. He’s a big ham sandwich…but he can dance a mean Broadway. This was quirky and funny and technically brilliant. Loved it!

Tadd with Comfort - They danced a Chuck Maldonado Hip Hop to Chris Brown’s “Look At Me Now”. I freakin’ loved this dance! DANG! It was so fast! Tadd is a genius and I’m glad he was able to get his own style with Comfort this week. I see no reason why Tadd won’t make the final at this point.

Melanie - Her Contemporary solo was to Angus & Julie Stone’s “You’re The One That I Want”. Haha! Of course she danced to this weird indie cover of a Grease song! Anyway…amazing. Best solo I’ve seen from her. And I love how she danced to the “So you think you can dance” bumper at the end. She is such a cutie!

Mitchell with Melody - They danced a Tyce Diorio Broadway routine to “Take Off with Us” from All That Jazz. This is going to sound kinda mean…but I found Melody really weak in this routine. I’m sure she’s an amazing dancer (she got like runner up in season one), but her movements were slow and lacked energy. I thought Mitchell only oversold it to make up for her weaknesses. But, despite that, Mitchell might be in trouble tonight.

Ricky - His Contemporary solo was to Cassidy Haley’s “Daylight Breaks”. He did a bunch spins and leg lifts. Impressive? Yes. Interesting? Could be better in that department.

Clarice - Her Jazz solo was to Crookers’ “Royal T”. Finally! Some personality! I dug this solo a lot. I’m glad she took a risk and did something different. Hot!

Caitlynn with Pasha - They danced a Miriam Larici and Leonardo “Bar-something” Argentine Tango routine to “Malajunta”. This is why Caitlynn has pretty much somehow become the strongest female left in the competition…because she gets it. And this dance was splendid. If she makes the bottom 4 or whatever, I will throw a hissyfit. Best dance so far. Caitlynn’s leg work was perfect. She was sexy and she made everything look so effortless. Wow.

Mitchell - His Contemporary solo was to John Legend’s “This Time”. Beautiful…but I’m not sure if it will save him from the Bottom. He needs to step it up. This solo wasn’t too different from his last ones.

Sasha with Twitch - They danced a Christopher Scott hip hop to Dorothy Moore’s “Misty Blue”. I really liked this routine. Sasha and Twitch have really nice chemistry. And Sasha herself…how many times can I describe her as being “powerful”?

Jordan - Her Contemporary solo was to Lykke Li’s “Tonight”. Her jumps and developpes are out of this world…but I wish she didn’t depend on them so much.

Jess with Kathryn - They danced a Stacey Tookey Contemporary routine Christina Perri’s “The Lonely”. Y’know…even though the concept was standard and the dance moves weren’t too innovative…I still liked this piece a lot. Jess definitely showed emotion and depth and his lifts were good. But, let’s be frank, when a guy dances with Kathryn…I can only focus on her. But, really, super job from the both of them.

Tadd - His B-boy solo was to Robin Thicke’s “Everything I Can’t Have”. Holy shiz, Tadd’s a genius. How does he do it? But, next week, he can’t do that “spend the last 10 seconds on your hands” thing. He’s done it twice in a row already. Keep the move fresh. But, that aside…AMAZING! His solos have such musicality and his song choice gets me excited.

Melanie with Pasha - They danced a Jason Gilkison Viennese Waltz to Tina Arena’s “Everybody Hurts”. I got lost in this dance. And not in a bad way…I wasn’t bored or anything. But this dance took me to a deeper level and…ugh, I’m beginning to sound like a smug douche! Overall, this was a lovely dance and Melanie looked lovely dancing it. AHH! Here we go again! And she’s safe because Pasha was shirtless and all the fan girls will go nuts. Lucky her.

Caitlynn - Her Contemporary solo was to Florence and the Machine’s “Cosmic Love”. Ugh. Her tango was so lovely. I even declared her the best female left. Ah…well this solo was messy and lacked focus. I found myself rocking out to the song more than her dance moves.

Ricky with Allison - They danced a Tyce Diorio “Jazz” dance to Tori Amos’ “Precious Things”. This dance was really intense and heavy. Ricky was quite masterful and I’ve never seen him dance stronger. He was rigid and choppy (obviously in a way that worked for the piece). Not a jazz dance, but good in its own right!

Marko - His Contemporary (wikipedia says Jazz but I don’t believe it) solo was to Gavi DeGraw’s stripped version of “More Than Anyone”. Finally! A Contemporary solo that’s like interesting. This was wonderful! He looked like a dummy.

Clarice with Robert - They danced a Nakul Dev Mahajan’s Bollywood dance to…some Bollywood song I’m too lazy to copy! I’m not gonna lie…I’m not as impressed with Bollywood as I used to be. But Clarice looked pretty in her flowy shirt and danced it very well. The more “ballet-like” moves in the choreography grabbed my attention.

Wow…this was a long recap. TWENTY dances! Overall, this was a very strong night. I don’t know how I’ll pick the best and the worst but…here goes.

Favorite couples routine: Caitlynn’s (and Pasha) Argentine Tango. Absolutely subtle and sexy. Her solo was kinda bad…but this dance better save her or else I’LL STOP WATCHING THE SHOW FOREVER UNTIL NEXT WEEK! HUMPH!!!

Other stand out routines: Ugh…so many. I’m gonna say definitely Tadd’s (with Comfort) slammin’ fast hip hop and Melanie’s (with Pasha) waltz. Pasha was on a ROLL tonight!

Favorite solo: Tadd wins this solo round once again. Duh winning!

Other stand out solos: Jess’ Broadway and Melanie’s sweet Contemporary impressed me as well.

My Bottom Four: I’m assuming they’re doing a bottom 4 with 2 girls and 2 guys, right? Well mine would be…Mitchell, Marko, Jordan and Clarice.

Marko most definitely does not deserve to go home this early. I think it’s Mitchell’s time I’m afraid. And frankly, as long as Melanie, Sasha and Caitlynn don’t go home, I can flip a coin between Jordan and Clarice. Hope these picks come true!

Check back tonight for my results review, ranking and poll. Thanks for reading!

2011
07/21
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Favorite Moments from the 65th Annual Tony Awards


Sorry this post is coming so late. I’m sure your all over the Tonys by now but…I hope you give this post a chance! I have to say, overall, the Tonys were really good this year. Much better than the last two years (and I actually liked the last two years). But I felt like there was just a new energy during this ceremony. So I’m going to to try to narrow down the best moments of the night, from the performances to the speeches…!

  • Neil Patrick Harris! DUH! His opening about how theatre isn’t only for the gays anymore was not only hilarious…but true. I mean, seriously, you have no idea how many straight men watch Glee…just sayin’. But the real cream and butter came towards the middle of the show when Neil Patrick Harris and Hugh Jackman sang a duet/duel about which person hosted the Tonys better. I especially LOLed when they danced to A Chorus Line. Harris’ rap in the end was also amazing (and impressive considering him and his writers had to pen it during the actual ceremony). Overall, next year, Harris most def deserves another Emmy! (And can we get him to host the Oscars? Sheesh!)
  • Daniel Radcliffe was really snubbed for a nomination this year, but through it all he showed great class, never complaining or even expressing a desire for a nomination. He pretty much said FU to the Tony voters with his lively performance from How to Succeed. (And his American accent is pretty convincing…it’s always weird when British people can do that…)
  • But it’s not like the actual actors nominated for Lead Actor were less deserving than Radcliffe…probably more to be honest. Norbert Leo Butz absolutely killed it with his showy dance number from Catch me if You Can. Seriously…he was on fire. To all you aspiring theater actors…that is how you die for your art! And the performance definitely adds weight when you consider that his sister was gruesomely murdered two years ago. But my favorite overall performance of the night was Andrew Sammuel from The Book of Mormon. I’ve seen the show…it’s one of the best shows I’ve ever seen in my life. And, yeah, they could’ve chosen a flashier number with more of the company…but in my opinion, they chose the perfect song (“I Believe”) to showcase…a song that perfectly outlines what the show is all about (making fun of Mormons!), but the song also has a lot of heart and sincerity. And damn, as hilarious as the song is (“I believe that in 1978 God changed his mind about black people!”), Sammuels has a spectacular voice. (On a side note…it does suck a little that Josh Gad couldn’t appear…he was my favorite character in the show…)
  • Hey! Let’s talk about Book of Mormon some more! I didn’t think Nikki M. James would win. I thought it would go to Broadway goddess Victoria Clark, or the always amazing Laura Benanti. However, I think James definitely deserved it and I was ecstatic to see her win. It’s so nice to see someone genuinely happy to win an award. I hope to see her go far…she was great in the musical (and in a recent episode of 30 Rock). Other great acceptance speeches included Norbert Leo Butz (heartfelt) and Mark Rylance (creative speech with the poetry reading…hilarious!) Go bumblebees!
  • Brooke Shields screwing up throughout the night. Some people think “bimbo”, I think she was adorable and cute and added more spontaneity and fun to the show.
  • Patina Miller led a great performance with the fun number from Sister Act. I wish we could have seen Victoria Clark…but they chose a cool number to do. It was funny and fresh. Now…when are they doing Sister Act 2: The Musical?!?
  • Sutton Foster Sutton Foster Sutton Foster. One of the few theater actress that made her name thoroughly through theatre. Her performance in Anything Goes was so infectious. The choreography was amazing and the dancers really worked it. I also thought Foster’s speech was cute and heartfelt…but what exactly does a dresser do?
  • The standing ovation James Earl Jones and Vanessa Redgrave got was pretty baller. I love it when old people get standing ovations. And the two actors really soaked it in. Better than an actual Tony in my opinion.
  • Three words: Side by Side. Three more words: I love Company. Seven more words: They better fuckin’ release this on DVD!
  • And most importantly…NO SOUND ISSUES. The last two years, the obvious sound problems have been extremely annoying, distracting and unexcusable.  I dunno what they did this year…but they need to keep doing it for the rest of the shows.
See? I pretty loved everything…but there were also a couple moments I wasn’t too crazy about. I didn’t like Frances McDormand’s semi-snug self congratulatory speech (although I actually dug her outfit), I’m not sure the struggling Broadway show The Scottsboro Boys chose the right scene to really get people interested. Nor did Spider Man the musical with their forgettable, boring ballad. And remember that thing I said about loving it when people seem genuinely happy about winning. John Laroquette did not…it was a weird speech. End of story.
So, yeah, this show was definitely better than the Oscars and Grammys. Can the Emmys beat it? We’ll have to wait and see!
Now I leave you with the 1975 Tony awards which contained my favorite Tony performance, coincidentally from A Chorus Line!!! 
2011
06/14
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Tony Nominations Announced!


So, yes, it’s an exciting morning because the 65th annual Tony nominations were announced today from Matthew Broderick and Anika Noni Rose. The live telecast featured a lot of paper shuffling, but otherwise they were fairly competent in announcing the nominations.

I love theatre and I love Broadway shows…but since I do not live in the city (quite far actually) I rarely get a chance to watch these shows (and that’s really only musicals…I never watch plays). If I do get to see a Broadway show, it’s usually not until after the Tony Awards so…I can’t really do a true evaluation of the noms…but I’m going to share my opinions anyway…from one theatre fan who doesn’t have the luxury of living so close to Broadway to another theatre fan who doesn’t have the luxury of living so close to Broadway.

For the full list of nominations, click here or here.

BEST PLAY:

Well…let’s see here…am I the only one a little disappointed that The Pee-Wee Herman Show was snubbed? But the four plays nominated seem adequate. I’m kinda interested in seeing The Motherf**ker with the Hat, which stars Chris Rock and is about drugs. Cool, right? Interesting note…Pulitzer Prize nominee A Free Man of Color was not nominated (although the show itself got pretty mediocre reviews).

BEST MUSICAL:

No big shocks here. I pretty much believe The Book of Mormon is going to dominate in all the categories. Sister Act, Catch Me if You Can, and The Scottsboro Boys all got good reviews. Priscilla Queen of the Desert might be the only snub…a show about a drag queen that got decent reviews. Box office failure Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson was also a contender that didn’t get the nomination, but it was at least nominated for Best Book of a Musical, while critical failure Women on the Verge of a Breakdown was nominated for Original Score. All the Best Musical nominated shows look great, but I’m really rooting for The Book of Mormon because I love South Park and it’s the one I want to see the most!

BEST REVIVAL OF A PLAY:

It’s funny…I literally just finished reading The Merchant of Venice for class. I’m a little surprised Driving Miss Daisy wasn’t nominated though…

BEST REVIVAL OF A MUSICAL:

Just a heads up…only two shows this season were eligible. Well…at least we’ll see the casts perform on the Tonys! YAY! Also the two shows nominated here also take up half the slots for the Direction category (beating Sister Act and Catch me if You Can)…so they must be good and deserving anyway, right?

BEST ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE (PLAY):

Again! Pee wee Herman was snubbed! Other famous actors who were snubbed include Jim Belushi, David Hyde Pierce and Jeffrey Wright. But that dude from Will and Grace got another nomination so this list doesn’t bother me at all! Although…it is kinda weird that James Earl Jones wasn’t nominated, while her Driving Miss Daisy, Vanessa Redgrave, co-star was…

BEST ACTRESS IN A LEADING ROLE (PLAY):

According to the submissions list, this category wasn’t really that competitive…let’s move on to the musicals!

BEST LEADING ACTOR (MUSICAL):

OK…I think we all know the big snub in this category…actually there are two. Once again, the Tonys do not love Daniel Radcliffe (How to Succeed,,,) and Aaron Tveit (Catch me if You Can). I’m especially shocked about Daniel’s snub…I actually thought he’d win. He’s gotten so much buzz! But I can’t complain because 1…I haven’t seen any of these shows. And 2…the five actors nominated are all fine performers just in general. But still…GIVE AARON TVEIT A BREAK ALREADY!

BEST LEADING ACTRESS (MUSICAL):

Broadway is so sexist. Only six actresses were eligible for this category. At first, I thought one would be left out (the Dorothy from critical disappointment Wonderland)…but then I heard they were only nominating 4 actresses. So they did. They left out Sherie Renee Scott from Women on the Verge. But the other four women nominated…I’ve seen them in other shows and stuff (well except for Patina from Sister Act), so I still think this is a strong, exciting category (esp. since Book of Mormon didn’t have any submissions for this category). And if Patina Miller is even half as good as Whoopee was in the actual movie…then I think this will be one exciting race.

FEATURED ACTORS IN PLAY:

Oh look! Edie Falco! Judith Light! Names I recognize. Everyone else…I dunno. But according to other predictors and stuff…these nominations aren’t shocking. It would have been cool if Chris Rock had been nominated, right? Right?

FEATURE ACTORS IN MUSICAL:

So while Sherie Renee Scott and the musical she was in was snubbed in the big categories, at least her two co stars (the amazing Laura Benanti and the even more amazing Patti LuPone) were nominated. I loved them in Gypsy a couple years ago! But I have to say, I’m especially rooting for Victoria Clark (Sister Act) because she won the Tony for one of my FAVORITE musicals of all time: The Light in the Piazza. She was amazing in that musical…I’m sure she’s still amazing in whatever she’s doing!

So…The Book of Mormon got the most nominations…and was pretty much nominated for every category it was eligible for. Unless Mormons threaten the New York theatre community, I think it’s safe to say, this musical will pull a “The Producers” or a “Billy Elliot”. We’ll have to wait and see! Check back in a few weeks for my recap of the actual ceremony. Thanks for reading!

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2011
05/03
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