'Kiss Today Goodbye'

happy new year

'The Sound of Music Live!' Tonight

i've listened to the cd. i watched 'the making of'. i loved julie andrews in the film. and i am here to say that carrie underwood does an exceptionally admirable job. audra mcdonald sings 'climb every mountain' better than anyone ever has. she is exceptional. she always is! stephen moyer ('true blood') has a surprising good 'light' baritone. laura benanti and christian borle, two broadway vets and tony winners sing the sophisticted 'no way to stop it' and 'how can love survive with panache. ms benanti has a beautiful beautiful voice and ain't to bad to look at either. the von trapp kids are just too damn good. i'm jealous.

'The Sound of Music Live' Teaser Trailer

coming 12/5

Stephen Colbert's 'Wedding of the Century'

i don't know the backstory but audra, the goddess, sings for the first dance. enough said!

The Colbert Report

Get More: Colbert Report Full Episodes,Video Archive

Audra Mcdonald and Laura Benanti Join 'Sound of Music' Live NBC Production

audra mcdonald, laura benanti and christian borle, tony winners all, join carrie underwood and stephen moyer in the nbc live production of the original stage version of 'the sound of music' this coming december. 
(the film tweaked the original production by cutting and rearranging musical numbers)

audra will play the mother abbess once again breaking the 'color barrier' that she first did in the lincoln center production of 'carousel' that sent her career soaring. bravo to the network and producers for this brave casting. i am almost certain there were no black abbesses in austria in 1939. she will get to sing 'climb every mountain' and 'my favorite things' with carrie underwood's maria. this is how it was originally played but changed for the film.

laura benanti and christian borle will get to perform two songs that were unfortunately cut from the 1965 oscar winner: 'no way to stop it' and 'how can love survive'. they are two of my favorites from the score.

i don't know much about carrie underwood except that she has huge shoes to fill taking on the julie andrews role. i wish her well. 

but with audra and laura onboard there is no doubt i will be there.

stephen moyer will portray capt. von trapp and ms underwood the novice turned governess maria.

audra, laura and christian will portray the mother abbess, baroness schrader and uncle max respectively. they all fit these roles perfectly.

The Goddess: Part 3*

i expected to post this sooner but other things interrupted this audra concert. let's just say she had a bit of a well deserved intermission.

 next up audra was 'gorgeous'. the song is from the wonderful under appreciated 'the apple tree'. in one of it's 3 segments tony winner barbara harris played a chimney sweep who dreamed of being a 'movie star'. as stars collided and a tv fairy godfather granted her wish the chimney sweep was transformed into a marilyn monroe type movie star. when she saw her new self she saw she was now 'gorgeous' 
for those of us who have followed ms mcdonald from the beginning ('carousel') we have seen her blossom into a sexy, beautiful woman. now to have her sing what was basically a white sex symbol song is a wonder. she is a sexy, beautiful black woman who once again adds the 'color blind'  tag to her many brilliant performances.
'gorgeous'

'go back home' one of kander and ebbs last collaboration's from 'the scottsboro boys'

'i'll be here'. we've all been there. lose is painful but makes for brilliant songs. i really love this one.

'when did i fall in love'. a classic. but no one, i repeat no one, does it as well as audra. she understands it. the voice, the notes, the feeling. exceptional.

'some days'. audra's into was left off this clip. she introduced it by saying she has been singing it for marriage equality as of late. she said it speaks for itself. as a gay man i appreciate all the time she has given to our cause. thank you.

*(i did post this yesterday briefly but took it down in light of the freed florida murderer and then the  death of cory monteith. as well as thinking audra should be overshadowed by madness and a sad premature death, it would have been inappropriate for my sensibilities.)

The Goddess

'live from lincoln center' ended it's season in may. it's host for this past season, audra mcdonald, was given her moment to shine with her own concert. for those of you who missed it i will post some of the highlights.

it's fitting that audra began the evening with 'i happen to like new york' the city that is home to the venue.

then came sondheim's 'moment in the woods from the brilliant 'into the woods'.

next up the comedic 'baltimore'

(to be continued)

My Favorite Broadway - The Leading Ladies

o what a night!!! host julie andrews, bebe neuwirth, karen ziemba, linda eder, priscilla lopez, dorothy loudon, liza minnelli, marin mazzie, audra mcdonald, judy kuhn and elaine stritch shine in my galaxy. the rest aren't too shabby either.

Neil and Audra Closing Tony's 2013

neil was at his brilliant best. the writers did it again! getting all the winners ready for the closing number. amazing. and neil learns it lickity split. he's brilliant.
this year he brought out the godess to 'help' him out. like he needs help!!! but i love audra and was thrilled she was with him..

the finale 2013

Tony Memories Part 2: The Performances

celebrate the broadway musical with me and these tony award highlights and don't forget to tune in tomorrow night for the 67th annual tony ceremony.

'hair' 2009

'they're playing our song' 1979

'the life' 1997

'the king and i' 1996

'gypsy' 2008

'les miserables' 1987

'man of la Mancha 2003

'the boy from oz' 2004

'a chorus line' 2007

'chicago' 1997

'cats' 1983

'porgy and bess' 2012

'evita' 1980

1981 tony's medley

'woman of the year' 1981

'applause' 1970

'fiddler on the roof' 1968

'into the woods' 1988

2012 opening with neil patrick harris

'evita' 2012

'pippin' 1973

'chicago' 1976

'cabaret' 1967

'cabaret' 1998

'grey gardens' 2007

'next to normal' 2009

'how to succeed in business without really trying' 2011

'la cage aux folles' 2010

'catch me if you can' 2011

'south pacific' 2008

'wicked' 2004

'anything goes' 1988

'spring awakening' 2007

'company' 2011

'company' 2007

'west side story' 2009

'ragtime' 1998

'the lion king' 2008

'three penny opera' 2006

'rent' 1996

'annie' 1977

'bosom buddies' bea arthur and angela lansbury

opening segment 1999 with patti lupone, betty buckley, jennifer holliday and rosie o'donnell

'110 in the shade' 2007

'grand hotel' 1990

'kiss of the spider woman' 1993

'drowsy chaperone' 2006

 'the phantom of the opera' 1988

'jesus christ superstar' 2012

'sweeney todd' 2006

sunday in the park with george' 2008

'sunday in the park with george' 1984

'my one and only' 1983

the fabulous dorothy loudon 1983

and let's finish all this greatness with the eleven o'clock number and angela lansbury 1989

enjoy the tony's

Tony Memories: And the Winners Are...

the tony's are given sunday night so let's make some memories
some of my favorite actresses wins are:

bebe neuwirth  lead actress musical in 'chicago' 1997

 angela lansbury musical lead for 'dear world' 1969, 'gypsy' lead 1975, 'sweeney todd' lead 1979 and 'blithe spirit' featured actress drama 2009.

maureen stapleton lead drama 1971

rita moreno supporting 1974 'the ritz'

christine baranski featured actress 'the real thing' 1984

maggie smith lead actress for 'lettice and lovage' 1990

mary-louise parker lead actress drams 'proof' 2001

audra mcdonald featured actress musical for 'ragtime' 1998

chita rivera lead actress musical 1993 'kiss of the spider woman' and 1984 'the rink'

donna murphy l996 lead musical actress for 'the king and i'

kelly bishop featured actress musical 1976 for'a chorus line'

patti lupone best actress musical 2008 for 'gypsy'

audra mcdonald lead actress musical 'porgy and bess' 2012

karen olivio featured musical actress 2009 for 'west side story'

(tomorrow some of my favorite performances at the tony awards)

The Goddess

audra has a concert performance tonight on pbs. check you local listings.

'the glamorous life' from 'a little night music' is listed as one of the songs she will perform.

From the Soundtrack of My Life: 'At the Ballet' Redux

yesterday i posted 'at the ballet' from 'glee'. today i give you audra mcdonald, kelli o'hara and megan hilty with their interpretation of this brilliant marvin hamlisch piece from 'a chorus line'.
i have not always been kind to ms hilty but she blows this one out of the park. kelli charms as always. audra as always is the goddess.

Audra McDonald: 'Mr. Snow'

from the soundtrack of my life and the musical 'carousel'.

this weekend on pbs 'live from lincoln center' we get to see an uncut true to the original version 'carousel'
audra mcdonald won her first tony award in the 1994 revival.

here audra sings 'mr. snow' from the show that won her that first of her tony awards. i love this woman.
 wow!

'Carousel' Next Weekend 'Live from Lincoln Center'

i've always had a problem with the film 'carousel'. one of the better broadway musicals was transformed into a bit of a  'messy' film. it went from location to studio shots within given scenes that looks totally disjointed with lousy continuity. by today's standards it seems 'cheesy'. although the totally filmed location scenes were beautiful and shirley jones was quite the lovely julie jordan the film just does not hold up. and hollywood then 'cleaned up' the death of billy bigelow taking away the horror of it all. it was hard enough to accept the death of a leading man in a broadway musical at that time but for hollywood the manner of death was too much to handle. it's okay ruin a film for the sake of practice and standards. duh! thank the gods those days are over.

however, in 1994 lincoln center revived the classic musical stunningly. it also introduced us to audra mcdonald who won her first tony award for playing carrie pipperidge. i felt like i had finally seen 'carousel' as it was intended. and yes billy bigelow died as written. it just made more sense.

next weekend we have a newly revived production on 'live from lincoln center'. i have not seen it but i believe the talented kelli o'hara and nathan gunn will more than justify your viewing. and it will be nice to have the original material finally filmed as written. at least i am hoping it is.

sadly ms mcdonald will only introduce the show and not be in it. she damn well could still have pulled it off carrie pepperidge 19 years later. 

so save the date 4/26 and enjoy one of rodgers and hammerstein's best.

TV Season in Review: 'The Good Wife'

i believe 'the good wife' is network's best tv drama. sure it's sophmore year had some rough times but season 3 rebounded with hurricane force. it more than refound it's footing. it still showcases the brilliant julianna margulies who's character alicia struggles with success, motherhood and most importantly personal integrity. she does so flawlessly. the show also boasts one of the best casts on tv, it has simply the best roster of guest roles that 'fit' in and are not there for 'show'.

i like 'homeland' and (the generally unlikeable) claire danes but neither hold a candle to 'the good wife' and ms margulies no matter what award seasons say. i can only hope for more of this great series. if you are not watching you are missing great writing, acting and direction. shame on you.

it is my #1 show right now. those 'pretty little liars' come in a close second. but they are both so different are they not? i know they are so different but so are my tastes.so placing them near each other is not a stretch. it's just different shows for different tv watching needs.

'the good wife' season 3 gets an A.

one of my favorite versatile actresses made a guest appearance
 ms audra mcdonald

 

 

 and the brilliant stackard channing arrived as alicis's mother

Audra on 'Private Practice' Series Finale Tonight

audra returns to the series to maid of honor for kate walsh. her next stop is to go head to head with juilianna margulies on 'the good wife'.

Audra Retuning to 'Private Practice' for Finale in January

Tony Highlights

the best of tony awards 2012

 opening with the cast of 'book of mormon'  

 neil patrick harris opening number 'what if life was like the theater'

 neil patrick harris song medley

 the cast of 'porky and bess' with the incomparable audra mcdonald  

 neil patrick harris the closing number. how the hell does he do it?  

 ricky martin 'and the money comes rolling in' from 'evita'

 

audra's win judith's win

By George My Ladies Got It

 judith and audra get their tony awards

brava