Glee has gone all musical theatre in season 3 and I’m loving it. Last week it was Anything Goes, Hairspray and The Wizard of Oz. This week, they take on one of the biggies, West Side Story, and I have your first peak at Emmy nominee Lea Michelle (Rachel) dueting with on-screen mom Shelby (played by Tony winner Idina Menzel) on the iconic song “Somewhere”. Check out the brilliance below and watch Glee Tuesday night at 8pm on Fox.
Glee “Somewhere”
Glee began season three on a positive note last night. The show looks more grounded this year as it focuses on the core relationships of the Glee clubbers and seamlessly integrated Blaine (Darren Criss) into New Directions. I’m excited about the Blaine/Kurt relationship, the Blaine/Finn rivalry, Mercedes new romance, Santana’s “Sophies’s Choice” issues with Glee v. Cheerios, and the Kurt/Rachel theatre dreams storylines…. I’m not sold on the cohabitation of Will & Emma or Sue’s run for congress just yet. But I’m pleased overall and looking forward to where the new season will take us. That said, here are my faves from last night.
Glee cast “You Can’t Stop the Beat” (from the Tony winning Broadway musical Hairspray)
Blaine- ”I’ts Not Unusual” (the Tom Jones classic)
And big props go out to Lindsay Pierce, the girl who should’ve won this year’s Glee Project contest, who kinda stole the whole show with her fantastic performance of “Anything Goes” songs from the Broadway musical. As a big musical theatre geek, Harmony, Lindsay was funny and fierce and I hope they bring her back for more than just her 2 promised episodes (as a runner-up). Check her out below.
Harmony (Lindsay Pierce)- “Anything Goes” medley
Attention future Oscar and Emmy Award producers~ I sure hope you were watching last night’s Tony Awards because that is how you put on a show! It was efficient, moving, hilarious and kinda amazing. It helps that you had one of the most talented hosts around in Neil Patrick Harris who was simply perfection in his second turn as master of ceremonies. (In fact, he won an Emmy for his first go round and I’m pretty sure Neil and the show will be in the running again next year for this great show). Along with Neil’s amazing singing, dancing and hysterical bits (how great was the number with Hugh Jackman?!!), you also had wonderful performances from Daniel Radcliffe, Sutton Foster and the cast of Anything Goes, plus all the other musical nominees, a potty mouth Brooke Shields, and a crazy Frances McDormand in a jean jacket accepting Best Actress in a Play. While Frances gave a nice speech (as did a very emotional and wonderful Ellen Barkin and John Benjamin Hickey, plus a wonderfully jovial Foster), the best speech came from newcomer Nikki M. James who won for The Book of Mormon in a speech that’s up there with the greats of all time like Cuba Gooding Jr’s Oscar speech… Speaking of Mormon, the show dominated pulling in 9 awards including Best Musical (kudos to those crazy South Park kids and Momon creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone). Also trampling the competition was the play War Horse which nabbed 5 awards. The revivals of the brilliant The Normal Heart and the incredibly entertaining Anything Goes both took home 3 trophies. For more info on the show and Broadway’s best, head to the Tony site here. And for tix to your favorite Broadway show, head here. Also, check out all the winners below and my favorite NPH moments from this wonderful program.
2011 Tony Award Winners:
Best Musical: The Book of Mormon
Best Play: War Horse
Best Revival of a Musical: Anything Goes
Best Revival of a Play: The Normal Heart
Best Actor in a Lead Role in a Musical: Norbert Leo Butz (Catch Me if You Can)
Best Actress in a Lead Role in a Musical: Sutton Foster (Anything Goes)
Best Actor in a Play: Mark Rylance (Jerusalem)
Best Actress in a Play: Frances McDormand (Good People)
Best Actor in a Featured Role in a Musical: John Laroquette (How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying)
Best Actress in a Featured Role in a Musical: Nikki M. James (The Book of Mormon)
Best Actor in a Featured Role in a Play: John Benjamin Hickey (The Normal Heart)
Best Actress in a Featured Role in a Play: Ellen Barkin
Best Director of a Musical: The Book of Mormon
Best Director of a Play: War Horse
Best Book of a Musical: The Book of Mormon
Best Orchestrations: The Book of Mormon
Best Choreography: Anything Goes
Best Sound Design of a Musical: The Book of Mormon
Best Sound Design of a Play: War Horse
Best Costume Design of a Musical: The Adventures of Priscilla~ Queen of the Desert
Best Costume Design of Play: The Importance of Being Earnest
Best Scenic Design of a Musical: The Book of Mormon
Best Scenic Design of a Play: War Horse
Best Lighting Design of a Musical: The Book of Mormon
Best Lighting Design of a Play: War Horse
Neil Patrick Harris’s opening number~ “Broadway isn’t Just for Gays Anymore”
Neil Patrick Harris v. Hugh Jackman
Neil Patrick Harris’s closing rap:
Broadway’s biggest night is upon us this Sunday with the 2011 Tony Awards. This year they will be hosted by the brilliant Emmy Award winner (and Broadway vet) Neil Patrick Harris who was fantastic the last time he hosted two years ago (for which he won an Emmy thank you very much). The show will feature performances from all the big musical nominees: Anything Goes, The Book of Mormon, Sister Act, How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying (featuring snubbed Harry Potter star Daniel Radcliffe himself!), Catch Me If You Can and Priscilla: Queen of the Desert. There will also be a performance from the most maligned show on Broadway~ Spiderman: Turn Off the Dark and last year’s Best Musical winner Memphis. Plus, the cast of the limited run Broadway reprise of Company featuring Harris, Steven Colbert, Martha Plimpton, Anika Noni Rose, Jon Cryer, Christina Hendricks, Patti LuPone and more will do a number that is sure to be hilarious and fantastic. (FYI~ watch for the taped version of Company to hit movie theatres for a brief run starting next weekend!) For more on the show, head to the Tony website here. And for now, let’s take a look at just who I think is gonna take home the big awards. Hint hint~ if there’s a Mormon involved it’s probably gonna win…
My Big Bold 2011 Tony Award Winner Predictions:
Best Musical:
The Book of Mormon, Catch Me If You Can, Sister Act, The Scottsboro Boys
Will & Should win: The Book of Mormon
Best Play:
Good People, Jerusalem, The Motherfucker with the Hat, War Horse
Will & Should win: War Horse
~spoiler: Jerusalem
Best Musical Revival:
Anything Goes, How To Succeed in Business Without Really Trying
Will & Should win: Anything Goes
Best Play Revival:
Arcadia, The Importance of Being Earnest, the Merchant of Venice, The Normal Heart
Will & Should win: The Normal Heart
Best Director Musical:
Rob Ashford (How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying), Kathleen Marshall (Anything Goes), Casey Nicholaw & Trey Parker (The Book of Mormon), Susan Stroman (The Scottsboro Boys)
Will & Should win: The Book of Mormon
~spoiler: Anything Goes
Best Director Play:
Marianne Elliott & Tom Morris (War Horse), Joel Grey & George C. Wolfe (The Normal Heart), Anna D. Shapiro (The Motherfucker with the Hat), Daniel Sullivan (The Merchant of Venice)
Will & Should win: The Normal Heart
~spoiler: War Horse
Best Actor in a Leading Role, Musical:
Norbert Leo Butz (Catch Me if You Can), Josh Gad (The Book of Mormon), Joshua Henry (The Scottsboro Boys), Andrew Rannells (The Book of Mormon), Tony Sheldon (The Adventures of Priscilla: Queen of the Desert)
Will & Should win: Tony Sheldon
~spoiler: Norbert Leo Butz
-This should be a really tight race between Butz, Gad, and Sheldon by the way. So we could see a surprise.
Best Actress in a Leading Role, Musical:
Beth Levell (Baby It’s You), Sutton Foster (Anything Goes), Patina Miller (Sister Act), Donna Murphy (The People in the Picture)
Will & Should win: Sutton Foster
~spoiler: Patina Miller
Best Actor in a Leading Role, Play:
Brian Bedford (The Importance of Being Earnest), Bobby Cannavale (The Motherfucker with the Hat), Joe Mantanello (The Normal Heart), Mary Rylance (Jerusalem), Al Pacino (The Merchant of Venice)
Will & Should win: Joe Mantello
~spoiler: Mark Rylance
Best Actress in a Leading Role, Play:
Nina Arianda (Born Yesteday), Frances McDormand (Good People), Lily Rabe (The Merchant of Venice), Vanessa Redgrave (Driving Miss Daisy), Hannah Yelland (Brief Encounter)
Will & Should win: Frances McDormand
~spoiler: Nina Arianda
Best Actor in a Featured Role, Musical:
Colman Domingo (The Scottsboro Boys), Adam Godley (Anything Goes), John Larroquette (How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying), Forrest McClendon (The Scottsboro Boys), Rory O’Malley (The Book of Mormon)
Will & Should win: Rory O’Malley
~spoiler: John Larroquette
Best Actress in a Featured Role, Musical:
Laura Benanti (Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown), Tammy Blanchard (How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying), Victoria Clark (Sister Act), Nikki M. James (The Book of Mormon), Patti LuPone (Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown)
Will win: Laura Benanti
Should win: Nikki M. James
~spoiler: Victoria Clark
Best Actor in a Featured Role, Play:
Mackenzie Crook (Jerusalem), Billy Crudup (Arcadia), John Benjamin Hickey (The Normal Heart), Arian Moayed (Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo), Yul Vazquez (The Motherfucker with the Hat)
Will & Should win: John Benjamin Hickey
~spoiler: Yul Vazquez
Best Actress in a Featured Role, Play:
Ellen Barkin (The Normal Heart), Edie Falco (The House of Blue Leaves), Judith Light (Lombardi), Joanna Lumley (La Bete), Elizabeth Rodriguez (The Motherfucker with the Hat)
Will & Should win: Ellen Barkin
~spoiler: Edie Falco
Best Book of A Musical:
Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson, The Book of Mormon, The Scottsboro Boys, Sister Act
Will & Should win: The Book of Mormon
Best Original Score (Music and Lyrics):
The Book of Mormon, The Scottsboro Boys, Sister Act, Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown
Will & Should win: The Book of Mormon
~spoiler: The Scottsboro Boys
Best Choreography:
Anything Goes, The Book of Mormon, How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying, The Scottsboro Boys
Will win & Should win: Anything Goes
~spoiler: The Scottsboro Boys
