A few thoughts on last night's Saturday Night Live:
The Cold Open: Republican Debate
When I began religiously watching SNL in the mid 90's, the cold open could be anything. The one rule, and I think it was a good one, was that it had to be funny. The current regime feels that it has to be political, which frankly is sometimes a really boring way to start the show. With an election year fast approaching, at least they actually have something to mock and this week's Republican debate DID give them some genuine material. That being said, I had a similar problem to it that I have when they mock Kathy Lee and Hoda...when the real life thing is so ridiculous it doesn't seem much like an exaggeration at all.
Monologue: Emma Stone
I enjoyed that they referenced the fact that they were totally ripping off Kirsten's Dunst's old Spiderman monologue but it pretty much sucked. And the ANDREW GARFIELD showed up. Win.
Secret Word
Emma Stone was hysterical in this. Her beauty queen was such a ditzy creep and I'll be quoting that "the state bird is the peach" for a while. The audience seemed to dig Kristen Wigg too, although to me it felt like wayyy too much of the same from her...she's a three note comedienne to me and here use used all three at once. Overall, not much new to see here but not a total dud either.
WXPD News: New York
Bill Hader, to me, is by far and away the best that SNL has to offer, so I always appreciate any sketch that is Hader centric. I still laugh any time Hader's old man news reporter Herb hits the mic in the face of ther person he is interviewing. It was especially funny when they took the joke to the next level by having him prod Kristen Wigg with it to verify that her character was in fact a woman. The fake punches at the end sucked, though. But I guess that's live TV for you.
Digital Short
Andy Samberg sings about wanting it to rain in his video. Not a digital short I will remember.
Coldplay: Paradise
As you know if you read my Friday post, this song has been talking to me. So, even though I am not a Coldplay fan, I was excited to hear it. Enjoyed it, really enjoyed the black light graffiti set but what the hell is up with Chris Martin? Can he open his eyes when he sings, or can only one orifice be functioning at a time?
Weekend Update:
The concept of Jason Sudeikis' devil being offended by the Penn Sate scandal was funny, but it fell a little short in execution. It felt like they truly wanted it to be a "Really w/Seth and ___" but decided against it. I did enjoy the list of all of the things on the Internet that the devil was responsible for...that was clever. I almost wish that was a sketch in itself.
AND
Garth and Kat is the one of my favorite things Kristen Wigg does and the only thing I ever enjoy of Fred Armisen's but it was fun to see. Chris Martin being their back up singer was a fun twist a sketch that always the same. And hey, he had his eyes open here! But I guess it would be really hard to read lips without them.
Les Jeunes De Paris
Yes! I love Ta Douleur and the Miley version sketch so was hoping for this. Granted, this whole people dance to odd music and strange things happen sketch isn't for everyone but I love it. It was the least successful of the three they have done (I think it is the music choice) but who doesn't love someone giving birth to a midget on stage?
Bridal Shower Gone Wrong:
Emma Stone's odd older man character Wallace was a hoot and his gifts of gay porn and used anal lubricant, along with his human toilet provided for some laughs. This was Stone's sketch, and I'm glad they let her play the old man with the odd proclivities rather than a party goer with one of the regulars taking on the Wallace role. It would have made it less fun. This was my favorite sketch of the night, although I'm not sure that the audience agreed.
Coldplay: Every Teardrop Is A Waterfall
I'm not sure if that was Chris Martin dancing or if a ghost was beating him up on stage, but it was odd either way. Also needed to look up the name of song since I couldn't understand a word of the lyrics. Could we not have done Paradise again?
Crying At The Office
The pulling ice cream to eat out of nowhere and shots of Coldplay crying was funny, but all I could think was "Why haven't I tried listening to Adele while I'M crying at the office?" So, thanks for the idea, SNL. I know it was a joke, but I'm totally taking it seriously.
We're Gonna Make Technology Hump
The title says it all. Very much an end of the show sketch and one of those "who the fuck came up with this?" things. But I bet I know a bunch of World Of Warcraft fans who thought it was funny. But for me...fail.
Overall an okay show, by far not the worst that I've seen but not Timberlake level stellar either. I did appreciate the use of the host and even the musical guest in the sketches and enjoyed that the political sketches were kept to a minimum. And did I mention Andrew Garfield? Oh, I did. Well, yeah. That was good too.
Sunday, November 13, 2011
Friday, November 11, 2011
Depression Induced Lyric Loving
I am sad. It's why I haven't blogged too much this week, it's why I didn't love last night's mid season finale of The Vampire Diaries, its why I can't muster up the energy to talk about American Horror Story, which I actually did sort of like. Sadness sucks. And it changes you in a really unhealthy way. And for me...well I think that the radio is sending me messages.
For real.
Last night, while driving home, Coldplay's Paradise seemed to be talking about me. Oh my god! I was just a girl who expected the world! It did fly away from my reach! Life goes on, but it DOES get so heavy! And so I started to cry. (Has crying always been this unpleasant? I really don't like it) No sooner had the droplets started to fall from my face that Andy Grammer's Keep Your Head Up started to play. I DO need to keep my head up because I really SHOULD let my hair down! It IS hard to remember sometimes, but I WILL turn out fine! Thanks music!
The worst of it came this morning when Kelly Clakson's Mr. Know It All came on the radio. Yes, I know it's about a relationship. The Mr. in the title does kind of tip off the whole about a guy thing. But I started relating it to how my bosses, my family, even my friend DON'T know a thing about me. Clearly this is the problem! Thank god I have Kelly to show me the way.
The thing is, I usually don't listen to lyrics very much. I mean, I listen. I know them. But I don't really think about what they are really trying to say. They don't make or break a song for me. My friend Mary always talks about great lyrics and usually it means very little to me in terms of a song's worth. I like the orchestrations, the build, the feeling. But suddenly, because of my sadness, I get it. These songs MEAN something. They are saying something, to someone, somewhere, who can relate. There is pain, there is love, there is hope. It's why people write music. And for most people, it is why they listen. And now, for me, it is why I will listen. It took me a while, but I get it. Lyrics are important. And as blog as my witness, I will now heavily consider them in my popionions about music.
I'm off to listen to something that tells me that I'm a superstar or to get up again when I get knocked down. Although I suspect that may be about something else.
For real.
Last night, while driving home, Coldplay's Paradise seemed to be talking about me. Oh my god! I was just a girl who expected the world! It did fly away from my reach! Life goes on, but it DOES get so heavy! And so I started to cry. (Has crying always been this unpleasant? I really don't like it) No sooner had the droplets started to fall from my face that Andy Grammer's Keep Your Head Up started to play. I DO need to keep my head up because I really SHOULD let my hair down! It IS hard to remember sometimes, but I WILL turn out fine! Thanks music!
The worst of it came this morning when Kelly Clakson's Mr. Know It All came on the radio. Yes, I know it's about a relationship. The Mr. in the title does kind of tip off the whole about a guy thing. But I started relating it to how my bosses, my family, even my friend DON'T know a thing about me. Clearly this is the problem! Thank god I have Kelly to show me the way.
The thing is, I usually don't listen to lyrics very much. I mean, I listen. I know them. But I don't really think about what they are really trying to say. They don't make or break a song for me. My friend Mary always talks about great lyrics and usually it means very little to me in terms of a song's worth. I like the orchestrations, the build, the feeling. But suddenly, because of my sadness, I get it. These songs MEAN something. They are saying something, to someone, somewhere, who can relate. There is pain, there is love, there is hope. It's why people write music. And for most people, it is why they listen. And now, for me, it is why I will listen. It took me a while, but I get it. Lyrics are important. And as blog as my witness, I will now heavily consider them in my popionions about music.
I'm off to listen to something that tells me that I'm a superstar or to get up again when I get knocked down. Although I suspect that may be about something else.
Thursday, November 10, 2011
Bring It On: A Review
A born and bread New York theater lover, it is sometimes difficult to live in Los Angeles where the pickings are far more slim than they are on the Great White Way. I usually have to travel to see an original musical and even then, the work always seems pretty rough. That's right Toto. We're not by Broadway anymore.
So color me pleasantly surprised when I went to see Bring It On at the Ahmanson this weekend. Not only was it extremely polished and professional in every way, but it was actually a lot of fun. Out of all of the potential Broadway transfers I have seen in the past year, this is the only one that I truly hope makes it.
The first thing you need to know about Bring It On: The Musical is that it is NOT based on the movie. It is about cheerleading, there are two schools (one being incredibly more diverse than the other) and the team colors are the same as they were in the film. Bu that is where the buck stops. Here's the set up: Campbell is the head cheerleader at Truman High, a school poised to win their first national championship. Being the nice gal that she is, she lets seemingly shy sophomore Eva on the squad and then when it seems as though the kid may quit, she lets her be her sophomore lieutenant, should her two potential backups fail to do her head cheerleader duties in case of an emergency. When Campbell gets redistricted to the funky but cheerleader-less Truman high, she is heart broken. Her attempts to create a squad are halted by Danielle, the queen bee of Jackson and the leader of the dance crew.
Eventually, Campbell learns how to fit in at Jackson, by showing that she is willing to get down and dirty and dance with the rest of them. But when she hears that Eva managed to take over the squad over at Truman, her spidey senses start to tingle. She believes that the sophomore has totally single, white female-d her life, and sets on a path to take it back...starting with getting a squad together at Jackson. Even though it is easier said than done, she manages to trick her fellow students into believing that there would be fame and fortune should they win, and the race is on between the two squads to take nationals.
Bring It On has a lot going for it. You know when you see those cheerleading championships on ESPN and you think "How the hell do they do that"? Well, imagine that, while the athletes sing AT THE SAME TIME. In addition to having crazy choreography, the show has to have an ultra talented cast to pull it off. Obviously they have one of the hardest working ensembles in the biz, although I do fear that an onstage accident is imminent. Watching them pull it off is all kinds of amazing. But they aren't the only ones worth watching. Taylor Lowderman is an adorable lead, bringing her best Elle Woods to the part but still making it her own. She has a lot to do here, and she pulls all of the singing, acting and acrobatics off with ease. Adrienne Warren plays a solid foil turned friend in Danielle, although I do feel like hers is the role that would work best with "a name" in the part. As Danielle's two besties, Ariana DeBose and Gregory Haney bring life to Nautica and La Cienaga- the former having the best voice in the show and the latter great comedic timing. Ryann Redmond, Kate Rockwell and Nicolas Womak all bring the funny as well and it was great to see So You Think You Can Dance alum Neil Haskell making some money off of the "tricks" and charm he was criticized for having on the show. Finally, Elle MeLemore rocked as Eva, a difficult part as we are meant to be uncertain as to the character's true intentions for the first 3/4 of the show and she pulled off all of Eva's transitional moments incredibly well.
One of my favorite things about Bring It On was, as you may have just noticed, that there are a lot of characters in this show. There are two schools filled with people, not all of whom are even on the squad. And yet it is really easy to know who all of them are. They are distinct individuals and each one plays a part in the story. This is one of the most successful aspects of the book. I also appreciated that I wasn't truly able to predict where the story was going, which took me along for the ride. There is a fully fleshed out story here, which a lot of musicals of late have been lacking. A great deal of the characters get their own individual arcs, which is lovely to see as well and makes you feel like you have been on an actual journey.
The other great thing about the show was the music. My two favorite music writers of the theater scene right now are Lin Manuel Miranda, who won a Tony for In The Heights and Tom Kitt who too won a Tony for Next To Normal and wrote the kick ass orchestrations for American Idiot. Bring It On's music is written by both men. There are lots of great production numbers and a few excellent ballads. There were no legit sleeper songs, which I really appreciated. Miranda's trademark rap made its way into the show as well and it surprisingly worked. And the almost Disney-esque hopeful tone to many of the numbers really worked with what the story was about and who the protagonist was. It was a large part of what made it such a fun night at the theater.
All that being said, Bring It On wasn't perfect. The show could afford to be tightened a little bit. For the first twenty minutes, before Campbell gets redistricted, I was certain that there would be no actual conflict and that we would just watch pretty people do pretty things for a few hours. (Which I don't need...that's why I watch the CW) I'm glad that it didn't turn out that way, but it was a looonnngg time to wait for a plot to start. There are also tiny logic problems, like the fact that we never are actually told that Campbell and her boyfriend break up when they both move on to someone else or that Eva is able to surpass Kylar as captain because Kylar was sick...except that she comes back to the squad yet Eva remains in charge. These things don't matter much in the grand scheme of things but they do take away a little from the show. I also didn't love the love storyline between Campbell and the music loving boy at her new school, mostly because he seemed underdeveloped and unrelated to all of the rest of the action. I understand that its a peppy musical and romance seems needed but I wish it was with a more fleshed out and integrated character. In addition, as much as I loved the music, Act 1 was heavy on the big production numbers which made the excess of the smaller numbers in Act 2 feel uneven. They need to spread everything around a little more..create some hills and valleys of musical magic. They have all the parts, they just need to figure out how to put it together.
Despite all of these problems, one thing remains clear...Bring It On is FUN. It may not have a great deal of deeper meaning or be the most perfectly structured thing to hit the stage but it does keep you entertained for a few hours. Are we looking at a Best Musical Tony contender here? Probably not. But if you are in Los Angeles and are looking for something to do, get your butt down to the Ahmanson. Yes, it will be annoying when people think you just saw someone try to be Kirsten Dunst on stage and you will need to explain otherwise, but trust me. It will be worth it.
So color me pleasantly surprised when I went to see Bring It On at the Ahmanson this weekend. Not only was it extremely polished and professional in every way, but it was actually a lot of fun. Out of all of the potential Broadway transfers I have seen in the past year, this is the only one that I truly hope makes it.
The first thing you need to know about Bring It On: The Musical is that it is NOT based on the movie. It is about cheerleading, there are two schools (one being incredibly more diverse than the other) and the team colors are the same as they were in the film. Bu that is where the buck stops. Here's the set up: Campbell is the head cheerleader at Truman High, a school poised to win their first national championship. Being the nice gal that she is, she lets seemingly shy sophomore Eva on the squad and then when it seems as though the kid may quit, she lets her be her sophomore lieutenant, should her two potential backups fail to do her head cheerleader duties in case of an emergency. When Campbell gets redistricted to the funky but cheerleader-less Truman high, she is heart broken. Her attempts to create a squad are halted by Danielle, the queen bee of Jackson and the leader of the dance crew.
Eventually, Campbell learns how to fit in at Jackson, by showing that she is willing to get down and dirty and dance with the rest of them. But when she hears that Eva managed to take over the squad over at Truman, her spidey senses start to tingle. She believes that the sophomore has totally single, white female-d her life, and sets on a path to take it back...starting with getting a squad together at Jackson. Even though it is easier said than done, she manages to trick her fellow students into believing that there would be fame and fortune should they win, and the race is on between the two squads to take nationals.
Bring It On has a lot going for it. You know when you see those cheerleading championships on ESPN and you think "How the hell do they do that"? Well, imagine that, while the athletes sing AT THE SAME TIME. In addition to having crazy choreography, the show has to have an ultra talented cast to pull it off. Obviously they have one of the hardest working ensembles in the biz, although I do fear that an onstage accident is imminent. Watching them pull it off is all kinds of amazing. But they aren't the only ones worth watching. Taylor Lowderman is an adorable lead, bringing her best Elle Woods to the part but still making it her own. She has a lot to do here, and she pulls all of the singing, acting and acrobatics off with ease. Adrienne Warren plays a solid foil turned friend in Danielle, although I do feel like hers is the role that would work best with "a name" in the part. As Danielle's two besties, Ariana DeBose and Gregory Haney bring life to Nautica and La Cienaga- the former having the best voice in the show and the latter great comedic timing. Ryann Redmond, Kate Rockwell and Nicolas Womak all bring the funny as well and it was great to see So You Think You Can Dance alum Neil Haskell making some money off of the "tricks" and charm he was criticized for having on the show. Finally, Elle MeLemore rocked as Eva, a difficult part as we are meant to be uncertain as to the character's true intentions for the first 3/4 of the show and she pulled off all of Eva's transitional moments incredibly well.
One of my favorite things about Bring It On was, as you may have just noticed, that there are a lot of characters in this show. There are two schools filled with people, not all of whom are even on the squad. And yet it is really easy to know who all of them are. They are distinct individuals and each one plays a part in the story. This is one of the most successful aspects of the book. I also appreciated that I wasn't truly able to predict where the story was going, which took me along for the ride. There is a fully fleshed out story here, which a lot of musicals of late have been lacking. A great deal of the characters get their own individual arcs, which is lovely to see as well and makes you feel like you have been on an actual journey.
The other great thing about the show was the music. My two favorite music writers of the theater scene right now are Lin Manuel Miranda, who won a Tony for In The Heights and Tom Kitt who too won a Tony for Next To Normal and wrote the kick ass orchestrations for American Idiot. Bring It On's music is written by both men. There are lots of great production numbers and a few excellent ballads. There were no legit sleeper songs, which I really appreciated. Miranda's trademark rap made its way into the show as well and it surprisingly worked. And the almost Disney-esque hopeful tone to many of the numbers really worked with what the story was about and who the protagonist was. It was a large part of what made it such a fun night at the theater.
All that being said, Bring It On wasn't perfect. The show could afford to be tightened a little bit. For the first twenty minutes, before Campbell gets redistricted, I was certain that there would be no actual conflict and that we would just watch pretty people do pretty things for a few hours. (Which I don't need...that's why I watch the CW) I'm glad that it didn't turn out that way, but it was a looonnngg time to wait for a plot to start. There are also tiny logic problems, like the fact that we never are actually told that Campbell and her boyfriend break up when they both move on to someone else or that Eva is able to surpass Kylar as captain because Kylar was sick...except that she comes back to the squad yet Eva remains in charge. These things don't matter much in the grand scheme of things but they do take away a little from the show. I also didn't love the love storyline between Campbell and the music loving boy at her new school, mostly because he seemed underdeveloped and unrelated to all of the rest of the action. I understand that its a peppy musical and romance seems needed but I wish it was with a more fleshed out and integrated character. In addition, as much as I loved the music, Act 1 was heavy on the big production numbers which made the excess of the smaller numbers in Act 2 feel uneven. They need to spread everything around a little more..create some hills and valleys of musical magic. They have all the parts, they just need to figure out how to put it together.
Despite all of these problems, one thing remains clear...Bring It On is FUN. It may not have a great deal of deeper meaning or be the most perfectly structured thing to hit the stage but it does keep you entertained for a few hours. Are we looking at a Best Musical Tony contender here? Probably not. But if you are in Los Angeles and are looking for something to do, get your butt down to the Ahmanson. Yes, it will be annoying when people think you just saw someone try to be Kirsten Dunst on stage and you will need to explain otherwise, but trust me. It will be worth it.
Monday, November 7, 2011
Great Scene: The West Wing
When it comes to great scenes, I usually tend to favor two person back and forths where it is the specific combination of those two individuals at that specific moment that leads to an explosive, heart-warming or painful moment. While monologues can be great, I usually find them to be a little self indulgent on the writer's part. Or they seem like actor Emmy bait. But sometimes, monologues are so good I don't care if they are any of those things. And those times are usually when its something written by Aaron Sorkin. And this amazing scene from The West Wing's Two Cathedrals shows exactly why.
The set up: The devout President Bartlet is left alone in a cathedral after the death of his long time secretary, Mrs. Landigham. What happens next is a wonderful display of a President's anger at his situation and a man furious with his creator.
Great. Scene.
Friday, November 4, 2011
Killers And Druggies and Theives, Oh My!
Two warnings before you read this post. A) It's really spoilery. So if you are behind on American Horror Story or Breaking Bad or plan to ever watch old episodes of daytime television, Gossip Girl or The Vampire Diaries you may want to reconsider reading this one. And B) I'm about to defend the criminal element. So if you'd be offended by such a thing, well, now's the time click away from this page.
YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED!
Okay, now that that's done, I want to take you back. Way back, about a whole week ago, to a conversation I was having with my lovely friend who runs The Angst Report. She was nervous about this week's episode of American Horror Story, out of fear that it would confirm (as it did) that angsty teen ghost Tate would turn out to be a school shooter. The problem is that she is kind of crazy in love with the character and partially feared that she would have to stop loving him while simultaneously knowing that she wouldn't. And what would that say about her? Would she need to join the ranks of those crazy broads who marry men in prison? After the episode aired, I had another friend who tweeted the same concern, and was admittedly ashamed that she still loved the character. There were message board posts about it, with one person angrily disowning him while others coyly rebutted with their still ever present Tate crushes. It's like the whole world is hanging their head in shame.
Me? I'm all like "WHO CARES?"
How on earth could I crucify Tate? I watch Dexter, and that boy is a serial killer. Half the cast of Lost was responsible for ending someones life at one point or another. Breaking Bad's Walter White is both keeping meth addicts good and hooked while also having the blood of at least six people directly on his hands. I'm also totally crazy about BB's Jesse Pinkman, who went and killed a sweet, innocent vegan. But you know, he felt reaallllyyyyy bad about it.
If I knew any of these people in real life, I would hate them. I would demand that they be thrown in jail and forced to atone for their sins time and time again. But this is why the real world sucks, and why I much more prefer to live in TV land. In the wonderful world of make believe I actually have the chance to see these characters for who they are, not what they did. I'm allowed to be interested in them, even love them, despite their actions. In reality, we let ourselves be all about the black and white. Fiction gets to play in the grey.
Over the past few years, some of my favorite characters have been murders, thieves, and drug dealers. There are at least two shows on the air that have prostitutes as protagonists. Countless drug addicts are the central focus of their shows. And man, do we love us some con men. In fact, its hard to come up with a crime that we can't manage to forgive a character for. Yes, I know what you're going to say. And you're wrong. Because we kind of love ourselves some rapists too.
Daytime television currently has two leading males who are both known rapists. General Hospital's Luke raped Laura when she was a teenager and he was a skeevy nightclub owner. Since then, the two got married, had kids and were on the cover of Time magazine as the "OMG, best couple ever". And he RAPED her. But Luke is all flawed, coming from an abusive and alcoholic household, so we forgive him. Or at least forget the action. Similarly, the adorably quippy Todd on One Life To Live started out as Gang Rapist #3. He doesn't apologize for who he is and remains a reluctant anti-hero, but he is so darn interesting that we love him. Similarly, both Vampire Diaries Tyler and Gossip Girl's Chuck attempted to rape characters in the pilots of their shows (For Chuck, it was two girls!). They have since become fan favorites who have arced and grown and thus we forget their transgressions because we want to love them.
YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED!
Okay, now that that's done, I want to take you back. Way back, about a whole week ago, to a conversation I was having with my lovely friend who runs The Angst Report. She was nervous about this week's episode of American Horror Story, out of fear that it would confirm (as it did) that angsty teen ghost Tate would turn out to be a school shooter. The problem is that she is kind of crazy in love with the character and partially feared that she would have to stop loving him while simultaneously knowing that she wouldn't. And what would that say about her? Would she need to join the ranks of those crazy broads who marry men in prison? After the episode aired, I had another friend who tweeted the same concern, and was admittedly ashamed that she still loved the character. There were message board posts about it, with one person angrily disowning him while others coyly rebutted with their still ever present Tate crushes. It's like the whole world is hanging their head in shame.
Me? I'm all like "WHO CARES?"
How on earth could I crucify Tate? I watch Dexter, and that boy is a serial killer. Half the cast of Lost was responsible for ending someones life at one point or another. Breaking Bad's Walter White is both keeping meth addicts good and hooked while also having the blood of at least six people directly on his hands. I'm also totally crazy about BB's Jesse Pinkman, who went and killed a sweet, innocent vegan. But you know, he felt reaallllyyyyy bad about it.
Over the past few years, some of my favorite characters have been murders, thieves, and drug dealers. There are at least two shows on the air that have prostitutes as protagonists. Countless drug addicts are the central focus of their shows. And man, do we love us some con men. In fact, its hard to come up with a crime that we can't manage to forgive a character for. Yes, I know what you're going to say. And you're wrong. Because we kind of love ourselves some rapists too.
Daytime television currently has two leading males who are both known rapists. General Hospital's Luke raped Laura when she was a teenager and he was a skeevy nightclub owner. Since then, the two got married, had kids and were on the cover of Time magazine as the "OMG, best couple ever". And he RAPED her. But Luke is all flawed, coming from an abusive and alcoholic household, so we forgive him. Or at least forget the action. Similarly, the adorably quippy Todd on One Life To Live started out as Gang Rapist #3. He doesn't apologize for who he is and remains a reluctant anti-hero, but he is so darn interesting that we love him. Similarly, both Vampire Diaries Tyler and Gossip Girl's Chuck attempted to rape characters in the pilots of their shows (For Chuck, it was two girls!). They have since become fan favorites who have arced and grown and thus we forget their transgressions because we want to love them.
You see, we just can't help but love our criminals. In fact, the only transgression I can never see us forgiving is pedophilia. Because in the world of the grey, where it is all about shades of morality, we CAN forgive taking someones life but we CAN'T forgive taking someones innocence. In television, children represent all that is good. In fact, giving a character a child to hang around makes them instantly more likable. Both OLTL's Todd and Breaking Bad's Jesse are well known for their love of kids, and those feelings are always reciprocated by the adorable little munchkins. If you ruin them, you can't be saved. You're done. Stick a fork in you.
But as far as I know, there are no pedophiles on my TV screen. (At least no fictional ones. But that's another post) The characters who grace it may do bad things, but they almost always do them for reasons that are at least intriguing to watch. And I DO want to watch them. And sometimes, I even like them. And for that, I shall not feel ashamed. This is why I love television. And you know what? It's why you do too.
The Angst Report, FuckYeahAaronPaul and Televisionista own these pictures, I do not. I suspect they do not actually own them either, but they are all awesome for making them available so I don't have to screencap. Thanks guys!
Wednesday, November 2, 2011
Broadway on my TV
I was going to blog about last night's Glee this morning, but I really don't want to spend any more time thinking about last night's train wreck of an episode. I mean really, what was that? (And oh, poor Damian McGinty. You were adorable on The Glee Project and can totally sing, but I now stand firmly by my stance that the competition should have tested acting skills. Yikes.) No, I just can't do Glee. But I'm still in a peppy show tune-y mood, and luckily for me, last night's performance of Godspell on Letterman totally gave me something to sing about.
It should be said...I have not seen Godspell. But I do troll the Internet from time to time and had read some less than flattering buzz about the show. Couple that with the fact that I know very little about the source material (Yes, I AM talking about the New Testament. Bite me) and it was slowly slipping down my to do list for my great New York trip. But then I saw last night's televised performance and it totally changed my mind. It's back on the list. It's back on it hard.
Here's what was great about the Godspell performance:
A- They did a medley
I don't know any of these songs, but I kind of feel like I do now. And I know that there is more than one number that doesn't suck
B-Everyone got a moment in the sun
The best thing a show can do when performing on television is make you curious about the characters. That will hook you into getting your butt in a seat. By showcasing almost the entire cast, I was interested in all of these people and what their story is. Plus most of them can really sing, which is a nice departure from Glee-land (I'm sorry. Still scarred)
C-It felt like a Broadway show
Sometimes when a show performs on TV it tries to hard to be cool. They are the talk show's musical guest, after all, and thus tend to trying to present themselves as the Kanye West of musical theater. Kids, there is a reason Kanye West doesn't do Broadway. Broadway shouldn't try to do him. Embracing the fact that you are a show is a GOOD thing. It takes the audience to the world of your story and makes them want to be a part of it. Also, it feels genuine which means we can just sit back and enjoy the performance and not shift in out seats over the uncomfortable attempts to be cool.
D- It was fun.
Simply put, the cast looked like they were having a great time. Which makes you think you will too.
E- Hunter Parrish makes a pretty Jesus
I'm sure that this will sell the show, but it actually has nothing to do with the performance. I really just think that it needs to be said.
Check out the Godspell performance here:
There are a few other show performances on TV throughout the years that have sold the show really well.
Spring Awakening on The View used a great song (Touch Me) and showcased the beauty of the show while providing a teaser into the characters.
42nd Street's Lullaby of Broadway from the Tony's sums up everything great about going to see it:
Hair's Aquarius/Let the Sunshine In on Letterman combined the show's two most well know songs so create an Electric performance. It set the standard for Godspell:
And Ragtime's performance on The Rosie O'Donnell Show (the old one) showed how to showcase a big ensemble show in a small space.
It should be said...I have not seen Godspell. But I do troll the Internet from time to time and had read some less than flattering buzz about the show. Couple that with the fact that I know very little about the source material (Yes, I AM talking about the New Testament. Bite me) and it was slowly slipping down my to do list for my great New York trip. But then I saw last night's televised performance and it totally changed my mind. It's back on the list. It's back on it hard.
Here's what was great about the Godspell performance:
A- They did a medley
I don't know any of these songs, but I kind of feel like I do now. And I know that there is more than one number that doesn't suck
B-Everyone got a moment in the sun
The best thing a show can do when performing on television is make you curious about the characters. That will hook you into getting your butt in a seat. By showcasing almost the entire cast, I was interested in all of these people and what their story is. Plus most of them can really sing, which is a nice departure from Glee-land (I'm sorry. Still scarred)
C-It felt like a Broadway show
Sometimes when a show performs on TV it tries to hard to be cool. They are the talk show's musical guest, after all, and thus tend to trying to present themselves as the Kanye West of musical theater. Kids, there is a reason Kanye West doesn't do Broadway. Broadway shouldn't try to do him. Embracing the fact that you are a show is a GOOD thing. It takes the audience to the world of your story and makes them want to be a part of it. Also, it feels genuine which means we can just sit back and enjoy the performance and not shift in out seats over the uncomfortable attempts to be cool.
D- It was fun.
Simply put, the cast looked like they were having a great time. Which makes you think you will too.
E- Hunter Parrish makes a pretty Jesus
I'm sure that this will sell the show, but it actually has nothing to do with the performance. I really just think that it needs to be said.
Check out the Godspell performance here:
There are a few other show performances on TV throughout the years that have sold the show really well.
Spring Awakening on The View used a great song (Touch Me) and showcased the beauty of the show while providing a teaser into the characters.
42nd Street's Lullaby of Broadway from the Tony's sums up everything great about going to see it:
Hair's Aquarius/Let the Sunshine In on Letterman combined the show's two most well know songs so create an Electric performance. It set the standard for Godspell:
And Ragtime's performance on The Rosie O'Donnell Show (the old one) showed how to showcase a big ensemble show in a small space.
These shows knew how to capture the essence of their show and give a killer performance. And they were all a hell of a lot more entertaining to watch than an episode of Glee.
Damn. There I go again....
Tuesday, November 1, 2011
Greater Than: Ryan Murphy's Teens
It's kind of amazing how much better a show American Horror story is than Glee. So much better, in fact, that is seems kind of unfair to compare the two. We need a much more even playing field here. And for that, we need to go old school.
From 1999 to 2001, Ryan Murphy presented us with a quirky cast of teens trying to make it through high school. There was the really dumb blonde. There was the bitchy mean girl who was masking some serious insecurities. There was the popular blonde and the unpopular brunette who had feelings for the same dopey guy. There was an androgynous teacher. There was a restaurant named after a stale piece of bread. I know it may sound familiar, but Popular wasn't Glee. It was WAYYY better.
From 1999 to 2001, Ryan Murphy presented us with a quirky cast of teens trying to make it through high school. There was the really dumb blonde. There was the bitchy mean girl who was masking some serious insecurities. There was the popular blonde and the unpopular brunette who had feelings for the same dopey guy. There was an androgynous teacher. There was a restaurant named after a stale piece of bread. I know it may sound familiar, but Popular wasn't Glee. It was WAYYY better.
Popular > Glee
>
Go find Popular on DVD. Now. And there is a new episode of Glee on tonight as well.
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