2017 Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade Performances- Page 2

[Miles2Go2]

Posted: 11/23/17 at 1:24pm

I missed pretty much all of the Macy’s Day parade as I was getting ready then traveling to see my mom. But my co-worker (who is extremely judgmental) posted on my FB timeline that after the DEH performance, she could see why I like the show and she even teared up during their parade performance.

[Scarlet Leigh]

Posted: 11/23/17 at 1:39pm

I am kinda amazed by the backlash on Spongebob. As dumb as I think the idea of making a musical based on that horrid cartoon is, they nailed that performance. It was family friendly, it was colorful, it was high energy, it was everything a parade performance should be.


Anastasia I knew would not pass up the chance to sell one of its best known classic songs to potential buyers. I laugh a little though with how they changed it. What the buyers are gonna get is not what they saw. I wish it could be cus I loved the pink dress Anna for the number.


Just like I am shocked over the negative response to Spongebob, so I am shocked over the positive over OOYI. Which is good! I love this show and I want it to do well but when I saw the performance, I was really afraid it would not be well received. I think that Mama still would have been a better idea but as long as what they did is gonna boost their sales, that's what matters.


I don't know what DEH was going. The ticket sales post Ben must be real dismal. The visually interesting part of the show is in the set and the lights, remove it and it looses alot of its kick. The song sounded great but it suffered the most of the three with being taken out of its context and was not so much a performance of a Broadway show but a concert of a song from one. So exciting walking people walk to different locations.

[John Adams]

Posted: 11/23/17 at 3:02pm

I'm very grateful for the YouTube videos because I only watch the parade for the Broadway segments. Having them all auto-play on YouTube saves me so much time!

This is not the thread for it, but since the conversation funneled to "best" of the Macy's performances, I'm gonna throw in my 2 cents.

"Anastasia" is never gonna be a "best" for me. Everything about the production is so clearly meant to exactly replicate the movie - set, costumes, voices - even down to the specific hairstyles from the movie. What's the point?

The score is lovely, the movie was really enjoyable, and it's a very lovely musical, but would I ever pay Broadway prices to see a copy/paste production of a movie just because it's live? Nope.

AfterEight... Wanna back me up on this? (You'll always be my favorite curmudgeon!)

Updated On: 11/23/17 at 03:02 PM

[RaisedOnMusicals]

Posted: 11/23/17 at 3:19pm

Scarlet Leigh said:

"I don't know what DEH was going. The ticket sales post Ben must be real dismal. The visually interesting part of the show is in the set and the lights, remove it and it looses alot of its kick. The song sounded great but it suffered the most of the three with being taken out of its context and was not so much a performance of a Broadway show but a concert of a song from one. So exciting walking people walk to different locations."

The ticket sales post Ben are anything but dismal. They're doing just fine. It's still a very hot ticket.

 

Updated On: 11/23/17 at 03:19 PM

[ethan231h]

Posted: 11/23/17 at 3:23pm

RaisedOnMusicals said: "

I don't know what DEH was going. The ticket sales post Ben must be real dismal. The visually interesting part of the show is in the set and the lights, remove it and it looses alot of its kick. The song sounded great but it suffered the most of the three with being taken out of its context and was not so much a performance of a Broadway show but a concert of a song from one. So exciting walking people walk to different locations."

The ticket sales post Ben are anything but dismal. They're doing just fine. It's still a very hot ticket.

"

The show is doing JUST fine. Like others have said the show has turned into a cultural phenomenon. The message is powerful and important and and the music is great. Take the young fans of Spring Awakening, and Hamilton and combine, you have Dear Evan Hansen. 

[John Adams]

Posted: 11/23/17 at 3:38pm

RaisedOnMusicals said: "DEH didn't need this performance as a way to sell tickets. The show is a cultural phenomenon, [...]"

Not really. It's more of a "meme".

 

[RaisedOnMusicals]

Posted: 11/23/17 at 4:49pm

ethan231h said: "RaisedOnMusicals said: "

I don't know what DEH was going. The ticket sales post Ben must be real dismal. The visually interesting part of the show is in the set and the lights, remove it and it looses alot of its kick. The song sounded great but it suffered the most of the three with being taken out of its context and was not so much a performance of a Broadway show but a concert of a song from one. So exciting walking people walk to different locations."

The ticket sales post Ben are anything but dismal. They're doing just fine. It's still a very hot ticket.

"

The show is doing JUST fine. Like others have said the show has turned into a cultural phenomenon. The message is powerful and important and and the music is great. Take the young fans of Spring Awakening, and Hamilton and combine, you have Dear Evan Hansen."

That's exactly what I said. It was Scarlet Leigh that stated that (s)he didn't know where DEH was going. 

 

[herewegoabc]

Posted: 11/23/17 at 6:26pm

I thought Once on This Island looked great. Really looking forward to seeing it.

[Call_me_jorge]

Posted: 11/23/17 at 6:40pm

RaisedOnMusicals said: "ethan231h said: "RaisedOnMusicals said: "

I don't know what DEH was going. The ticket sales post Ben must be real dismal. The visually interesting part of the show is in the set and the lights, remove it and it looses alot of its kick. The song sounded great but it suffered the most of the three with being taken out of its context and was not so much a performance of a Broadway show but a concert of a song from one. So exciting walking people walk to different locations."

The ticket sales post Ben are anything but dismal. They're doing just fine. It's still a very hot ticket.

"

The show is doing JUST fine. Like others have said the show has turned into a cultural phenomenon. The message is powerful and important and and the music is great. Take the young fans of Spring Awakening, and Hamilton and combine, you have Dear Evan Hansen."

That's exactly what I said. It was Scarlet Leigh that stated that (s)he didn't know where DEHwas going.

"

I think they were just quoting your reply to Scarlet just so they could quote scarlets post. 

[Malka2]

Posted: 11/23/17 at 7:44pm

Gotta say, I am really impressed with Noah's Evan! To the extent that I'm now considering finally checking out DEH.

I know, I know, Ben Platt is god's gift to the universe and all, but the extent to which the role physically/emotionally affected him really bothered me, to the extent that in any clip I saw of his performance all I could think was "oh this poor guy, someone give him a blanket and cup of tea!" Noah's Evan is fresh and healthy, and so earnest and so innocent looking! It doesn't hurt that he also looks much younger (is he?)

Really impressed with Noah Galvin in this role. And I'm happy for him that since he's doing it for 2 months he won't have to destroy himself for it.

[At-the-glen]

Posted: 11/23/17 at 8:01pm

Is this the first time that a songwriting team has had two performances on the parade, I wonder?

[itis2l84u]

Posted: 11/23/17 at 9:47pm

You can watch CFA and Waitress here. They're both around the -24:00 mark. I found Jason Mraz really underwhelming...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VVSxkDBr6ow

[WestCoastActor/Director]

Posted: 11/23/17 at 10:57pm

I tape both Thanksgiving parade shows so I could see all of the performances. I think anybody who wanted to see both performances could've done that.  But I'm sure they will be on YouTube as well.

Updated On: 11/23/17 at 10:57 PM

[BuddyStarr]

Posted: 11/23/17 at 11:23pm

Call_me_jorge said: "greenifyme2 said: "Dear Evan sang live but no one else did, correct?"

Those mics were fake. I don’t why they even had them."

I believe that the mic were used because the number is really about all the stuff going around them so giving them mics gave them something to do.  It wasn’t a great number to showcase on TV but it seemed to go well.

[After Eight]

Posted: 11/24/17 at 1:17am

RaisedOnMusicals wrote: "DEH has become well know to high school students all over the country and You Will be Found has become a generational anthem of sorts. This was for them." 

 

And the the rest of us who wanted to enjoy the event? I found it too heavy a piece and something of a wet blanket thrown on the parade. I thought the SpongeBob number best captured the festive spirit of the occasion.

If only our musicals today proved similarly festive occasions.

 

 

 

Updated On: 11/24/17 at 01:17 AM

[Call_me_jorge]

Posted: 11/24/17 at 4:30am

Can I ask, when will they be hiring a new director for these things? The camera blocking was probably the worst I’ve ever seen. I hated having to see crew members and wardrobe people off to the side during each performance. It really took me out of it.

[Dancingthrulife2]

Posted: 11/24/17 at 6:18am

Jason Mraz creeped me out... But probably his interpretation serves the story better than an adorable Dr. Pomatter?

[Danielle49]

Posted: 11/24/17 at 8:23am

I've never seen Waitress but this performance actually worked for me, marketing-wise: now I really want to see it. Doesn't seem like Jason Mraz's performance is blow-you-away fantastic, but I enjoyed him. His voice matched with this kind of song has a kind of old-fashioned charm. Like he was supposed to perform on Broadway or in movie musicals in the 1940s but wound up in 2017 instead.

[Myron]

Posted: 11/24/17 at 9:28am

I agree the Dear Evan Hansen performance of "You Will Be Found" was great. As a Newbie, I am curious why he wore a cast on his arm with the name CONNOR. Is that a prop from the show?

[RaisedOnMusicals]

Posted: 11/24/17 at 9:38am

Myron said: "I agree the Dear Evan Hansen performance of "You Will Be Found" was great. As a Newbie, I am curious why he wore a cast on his arm with the name CONNOR. Is that a prop from the show?"

Yes, it's an important prop  I will leave it at that. But if you see any of the DEH marketing posters, you'll see that cast  

 

[RaisedOnMusicals]

Posted: 11/24/17 at 9:48am

After Eight said: "RaisedOnMusicals wrote: "DEH has become well know to high school students all over the country and You Will be Found has become a generational anthem of sorts. This was for them."



And the the rest of us who wanted to enjoy the event?I found it too heavyapiece and something of a wet blanket thrown onthe parade. I thought the SpongeBob number best captured the festive spirit of the occasion.

Ifonly our musicals today provedsimilarly festive occasions.

It's just too easy to mock After Eight for either being or pretending to be, as many have suggested, a sad and pitiful old man sitting around his house all day in a bathrobe. But to take this post as face value, After Eight, do you not understand that while you might not relate to You Will Be Found, there is a generation of teens out there who no doubt watched the parade and who found the song uplifting and inspirational? You are so Trumpian, someone who feels that everything single thing that happens is about him. 





 

 

[schubox]

Posted: 11/24/17 at 10:21am

Malka2 said: "Gotta say, I am really impressed with Noah's Evan! To the extent that I'm now considering finally checking out DEH.

I know, I know, Ben Platt is god's gift to the universe and all, butthe extent to which the role physically/emotionally affected him really bothered me, to the extent that in any clip I saw of his performance all I could think was "oh this poor guy, someone give him a blanket and cup of tea!" Noah's Evan is fresh and healthy, and so earnest and so innocent looking! It doesn't hurt that he also looks much younger (is he?)

Really impressed with Noah Galvin in this role. And I'm happy for him that since he'sdoing it for 2 months he won't have todestroy himself for it."

He’s been in the role for less than a week. Platt didn’t miss any performances for a long long time and looked great. I’m sure the role will wear on Noah too

[Miles2Go2]

Posted: 11/24/17 at 7:07pm

Finally saw all of yesterday’s B’way performances: First. Let me say it’s probably not wise to judge a musical you haven’t seen yet based solely on a performance of just one song, especially the ones that are not done on stage in the confines of the theatre. This hit home for me especially after finally seeing Hello Dolly. I loved it including Penny in My Pocket which I hated at the Tony Awards this year. So here goes. Context and stagecraft matter. Between the CBS and Macy’s broadcasts, I had seen three of the shows featured:        

CBS:

Waitress - this was last show I saw on my recent NYC trip and what a sweet (pun intended) show to end on. I actually saw it with Stephanie Torns and Jason Mraz. After seeing this, I still stand by what I said to Mr. Mraz at stagedoor.: I look forward to seeing him on Broadway again in the future (went in not expecting much). I’m also glad I saw Stephanie Torns. Betsy in this one song didn’t seem believable to me as Jenna.

Come From Away - just as I recall it from my last trip. It tries very hard to put across a happy feeling on a very sad day. It does succeed in that. But it loses something (for me) by trying to be almost relentlessly upbeat.

Macy’s:

Spongebob Squarepants - pleasantly surprised. I remember liking the cast recording okay when it was streaming for free earlier this year, but still wasn’t expecting much. The guy playing SS is cute as a button and seems very talented. I personally didn’t find his laugh creepy. I confess I know little to nothing about the cartoon (I’m 53 and don’t have kids so never has been on my radar except peripherally). I thought the song and the performance did feel like an excerpt from a Broadway show and not a theme park show. Still not sure I’m the audience for this. I loved Pee-Wee’s Playhouse (the TV show; sadly never got to see it on stage) so I suppose it’s possible. That song they performed does seem like a crowd-pleaser. Also, glad they didn’t get too literal with the costumes. 

Dear Evan Hansen - I liked it. I saw this (with Ben) also on my recent trip. I agree that Noah doesn’t yet have the same complexity (based once again on this one song performed on the street) as Ben. But he has a very good voice and has vulnerability to his performance which I liked. Someone here or on another related thread asked if RBJ was there. She was not as far as I could see. Looks like Garrett Long was there instead. This made me even more want to see the show again. 

Anastasia - only performance I fast forwarded through a bit (towards the end). The only reason I think I’d consider seeing this is the lady from The Good Wife is in it. I'm also not familiar with the movie so perhaps that matters. 

Once On This Island - one reason I didn’t fit this into my recent NYC Broadway schedule was I had mixed feelings about it. (Not familiar with original production.) After this performance, I still do. Songs was okay. Youngest girl seemed lost (maybe she was supposed to be?). When I read all the raves from other threads, I wish I’d seen it. But this performance put me back in the undecided category again. It was high-energy though!

Updated On: 11/24/17 at 07:07 PM

[DramaTeach]

Posted: 11/24/17 at 7:14pm

Miles2Go2 said: "Once On This Island - one reason I didn’t fit this into my recent NYC Broadway schedule was I had mixed feelings about it. After this performance, I still do. Songs was okay. Youngest girl seemed lost (maybeshe was supposed to be?). Also, with the costumes I couldn’t make out which one was Phillipa Soo. Maybe I don’t have as strong a recollection of what she looks like as I thought?When I read all the raves from other threads, I wish I’d seen it. But this performance put me back in the undecided category again. It was high-energy though!"

Phillipa Soo isn't in Once on This Island.  She's in The Parisian Woman at the moment which is a play, not a musical.  Not sure who you were confusing her with.  Lea Salonga maybe?

[Miles2Go2]

Posted: 11/24/17 at 7:18pm

Okay. Lol. Thanks. Yes, that was probably what I did. Thanks! I kept looking for her. I’ll amend my message above. 

Updated On: 11/24/17 at 07:18 PM