Back to the Oscars:
It seems that most people were disappointed with NPH as host. I will not be surprised if he is not asked back next year. Have there been any indications yet who would most likely host next year? If not, who would you most like to see as the MC?
Good point, Teriwtt! I personally prefer the natural voice, even with imperfections in live performances, to those who use auto tune.
In post 496, I meant to write that Audra McDonald recently starred on Broadway (and won a Tony for), Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar and Grille (not Lady Emerson!!).
The ratings for the show were very low. Of course, that could be because very few people relatively had seen the nominated movies. I’m sure they will look at the ratings by time to see if people started watching and then switched it off. That would be a commentary on NPH’s MC skills. I think they need a very good stand-up comedian. Jerry Seinfeld?
Even Idina Menzel had an imperfect night, and boy did she hear about it.
Yes! She’s there until March 6th which is when she begins her maternity leave. Back in the fall.
Gaga is apparently not a stranger to musical theater. She was accepted to the CAP21 musical theater training program, though she did drop out eventually to pursue her professional career.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lady_Gaga
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Collaborative_Arts_Project_21_(CAP21)
Yes, nrdsb4, many of us knew that. It was mentioned earlier, but maybe that was on the discussion in the MT forum.
^^^^Not sure. I never knew that about her.
To be honest, when she first came to my notice, I thought all the weirdness and crazy getups were simply attempts to get attention because her talent was either minimal or simply not good enough to gain attention any other way. That’s why I was so shocked when I first heard her sing The Lady is a Tramp with Tony Bennett. In fact, the first time I heard it, I kept wondering to myself “WHO is that singing with him?!” When I found out, I could hardly believe it.
As hosts, I really enjoyed Ellen DeGeneres. Of course, Billy Crystal has done some great ones. Whoopie did all right.
Yeah, I think the stand up comedians have had the best showings. Seinfeld could be good. Or some of the great hosts who have done SNL might be fun. Justin Timberlake and Jimmy Fallon?
Personally, I want a live and genuine performance, and have no problem with mistakes. Idina Menzel’s blown note is no big deal to me - everyone makes mistakes, and I would rather have her making honest mistakes than have some auto-tuned schmuck.
The issue here is not mistakes, not at all. Mistakes implies that Gaga could have sung it better and just had a bad day. Honestly, I am not sure she could have sung it any better, which is NOT a compliment! Gaga is a talented singer and she works hard, but she pushed herself into a vocal range and style where she is simply not that impressive, and she did so on literally the biggest stage possible. I think her duet with Tony Bennett was an excellent counter-example, a case where she was able to find a new direction to stretch where she still had the ability to do well. But she simply isn’t a good soprano, and she simply isn’t very precise, and she chose a set of songs famous for their soprano range and precise delivery. If she had done this in an amateur competition I would have applauded, if she had did it in a professional stage production I would have been annoyed, and at the Oscars, in front of a billion people, I was underwhelmed and simply not entertained. People don’t go to the Super Bowl to watch “good” players, they go to see great ones, and at the Oscars Gaga chose to perform in a way where “good” was the best she could do.
Oh, and most of the rest of the show was bad too. Even, perhaps especially, NPH - the first time I have ever been disappointed in his performance.
Actually, my post had nothing to do with this particular show or Gaga, it was really kind of an OT post in response to something someone else said.
I didn’t see the show in real time, but I did watch LGG on YouTube, and I found it very enjoyable, despite the fact that she obviously doesn’t have the vocal technique or range of JA. It was an hommage. LGG was up there essentially saying “Wasn’t Julie great in this?” I think it is better that someone from another genre did it, in this case. If Audra MacDonald sang it–and she is a goddess IMNSHO–would she sing it her own way? Or would she imitate JA? I think it would be awkward.
I am a heretic: I don’t like Idina Menzel’s voice.
BTW, Mary Martin, who played the role on Broadway, was well known for her scooping. 
But she was certainly charming. She sang the song in a VERY different way from JA!
Well, both of us are entitled to different opinions, don’t we? I am happy to defer to your knowledge of MT, as it is a big part of your life. Obviously, you are a lot more familiar with the performers you listed than I am, and will ever want to be. I understand that this narrow genre in the overall music and performance world appeals to some, and especially one can notice the minute differences in star quality.
My point is really (or was) pretty simple. Given how those type of performances have translated to the big scene or the broader movie scene (I am making references to the SOM/Peter Pan on television or Les Mis in movies) I’d say that there is much left to be desired. Hence, my conclusion is that it might be more pleasing in a small theatre where adoring fans are more forgiving. It could be that it is not possible to bring those stars listed above to the larger scale productions, but it remains that the large public gets offered is hardly worthy of wild applauses. A big meh is more like it when you get served an earful of Hathaway!
But to each his or her own. There are wonderful things that shine despite their relative obscurity. And that is fine by me!
Wow, she sure did. I remember my Mom had the Broadway sound track album, and I used to listen to it. I had forgotten all about it.
JA’s version is so much…BIGGER, I guess.
Xiggi, re: post 513…I totally agree that we are entitled to differing opinions.
I must say that using the NBC live telecasts of Peter Pan and Sound of Music are HARDLY a benchmark of a standard for current musical theater! Yikes. For starters, the lead in both productions are not even musical theater artists (Carrie Underwood and Allison Williams).
I think if you are making a point (the original point in your earlier post), and discuss current musical theater stars, you might think about starting with the epitome of the musical theater world…Broadway. When you proffer that Gaga is on par with current MT stars, nobody would assume you meant Carrie Underwood or Allison Williams, but rather would look to who is currently starring on Broadway and who has in the very recent past.
Also, you opine that a “small theater” (which I take you to mean a Broadway or similar theater, and not a movie or TV screen) tends to have forgiving audiences and so perhaps a lower standard of excellence. I can’t agree with this at all. The standard to star in a Broadway show is very high. I think many stars (including current ones I named earlier) have terrific singing voices and not because I happen to like them. I don’t use musicals on TV and in movies (where sometimes there is stunt casting) to determine the top MT artists. Usually they are in, well, the THEATER!
Well, this was the Academy Awards, not the Tony’s so people could look to movies although probably not TV. But, the point is most people don’t care. They were just shocked that Lady Gaga could really sing which I find sad and I always knew she could sing and liked her first album very much.although she does seem to hijack Madonna a little too much for my taste and she is not a very good soprano at all. They could have gotten a Broadway performer. Idina Menzel was standing right there. But, they wanted attention. So, I guess it was similar to stunt casting in that respect.
Where did the stars who share the limelight with CU and AW come from? You probably know the list of the full cast by heart, but I had to look it as my memory of the conversations about SOM on CC have faded. I could only remember how some pointed out how many Broadway stars were part of the NBC mitigated success.
http://www.nbc.com/the-sound-of-music-live
Was my point not about how poorly the purported Broadway magic seems to translate to a larger screen and how that magic evaporates under closer scrutiny. Based on the rest of the cast, I’ll stick to my opinion, but will continue to respect yours. I am not trying to change yours --as it is impossible-- and perhaps, you should not try to convince me that I am simply … wrong. I did not care for the show on NBC and was disappointed, and even more after watching the movie once more time. I happen to think that I would have the same reaction after seeing a similar life performance.
Okay, so back to the Oscars:
I think I’ve solved the dilemma of who should host next year. Jimmy Fallon and Justin Timberlake. Anyone think they can do better?
Remember, it depends a fair bit on the material they are given. Some are better at ad libbing than others, but the Oscars does write you (with your input) a script…
Are we a “once and done” audience??? NPH doesn’t score a 10 the first time so he’s out???