America on Letterman this week- Page 3

[hmpeterson]

Posted: 3/13/09 at 4:21pm

Oh boy, that was disappointing. I know we don't like to judge whole performances on a small clip and I am by no means doing that here. Just going to give my impression based off that performance only and compare it to what people have said who have seen the show.

First of all what is up with those costumes...awful!!!! Karen's singing was very good but her dancing was very off. She missed a few steps (which could be because that area was so small it threw her timing off) but there was no spark. Some of the ensemble girls were better than she was. The part where she lifts up her leg and shakes it, there was no energy there. It looked like she was just going through the motions. There was nothing exciting about that dancing at all. And from the Debbie Allen clips from the 80s revival, if that was more true to the original choreography, than you can tell they dumbed it down for Karen because it isn't close to the same.

I'm going to give her the benefit of the doubt and say because the area was so small to do the number and it was an abbreviated version, that maybe she wasn't on her game and the number isn't that bad on stage. But based on what people have said who have seen the show, don't think so. Bummer.

[Pianolin717]

Posted: 3/13/09 at 4:23pm

ok, it wasn't bad, but it is SO much better live!

[hmpeterson]

Posted: 3/13/09 at 4:27pm

That's what I am hoping. Glad to hear it!!!

[TheCharleston]

Posted: 3/13/09 at 4:27pm

That performance was pretty bad.

And her hair DOES look terrible... Ahh!

[Pianolin717]

Posted: 3/13/09 at 4:29pm

and as much as people rag on the costumes, I LOVE that purple dress on her.. its gorgeous, but the rest.. not so much

[hmpeterson]

Posted: 3/13/09 at 4:29pm

Agree about the hair Charleston. It's also really distracting.

[bwaylvsong]

Posted: 3/13/09 at 4:30pm

Hmm, I thought everything about that was wonderful. But, as I said, I know very little about dancing.

[hmpeterson]

Posted: 3/13/09 at 4:31pm

I don't hate the dress. But I love that iconic pale lavender dress the other Anita's wore. Ironically, it looks like one of the ensemble girls is wearing something similar to that, but it seems a lot more frilly. But same style and color, just with ruffles.

[musicaltheatreman]

Posted: 3/13/09 at 4:36pm

Her dancing is not great and I hate that they had to scale down her dance steps, but her acting and singing is amazing!!

I don’t understand why the hair styles?? They don’t seem to the period. Is the show still set in the 50’s?

[sing_dance_love]

Posted: 3/13/09 at 4:40pm

OK. I don't know whats going on. Ever since I read about her casting I was thrilled. And watching that just completely confirmed that. She just has the perfect attitude and physicality that I imagine Anita having. She sounds absolutely wonderful. The dress is beautiful. And I LOVE her hair. The wildness (to me) fits the character of Anita more than the controlled and carefully maintained short style the character usually has.

And the dancing. I thought she was great! She moved with confidence, had good extension, and was filled with personality throughout. Clearly there have been simplifications to the dance which suits her abilities. I really did miss the leaps at the end but I thought the turns with the arms up were a dynamic alternative. I do agree the little foot pumps, i don't know what she was doing there. But overall I thought her characterization (just judging from this little clip) and singing were fantastic. And I'll gladly take that over a superb dancer who doesn;t have the other two. Of course, it'd be best if someone was superb at all 3, but hey. That said I still think the dancing was pretty wonderful. Thats just how i feel.

And this is coming from a dancer who's been obsessed with West Side Story since I was 7 years old.

[WiCkEDrOcKS]

Posted: 3/13/09 at 4:43pm

I thought it was great.

[SporkGoddess]

Posted: 3/13/09 at 5:04pm

I'm no dancing expert, but even I can tell that she was off at times.

And, yeah, having seen that Debbie Allen clip, it just underwhelmed me. I didn't like the more simplified choreography.

[Hahabimbi]

Posted: 3/13/09 at 5:04pm

Thanks for the clip. I was really interested to see it and to compare it with the clip of America from production I´ve seen 13th times and loved so much. It was good but I still like the first production way better, more energy.

and I don´t mind Karen´s dancing.

[wickedfan]

Posted: 3/13/09 at 5:18pm

Did anyone else notice that that was completely dumbed down choreography? That was not the original choreography. That was a simpler (high school level) version of the choreography, which I thought was executed rather sloppily. Karen didn't even reach the ground at the end of the number like the rest of the women. What I will give her is that she looked confident, gave great energy, and sang very well. She can move well, but can she DANCE? No. And I'm sorry, but that isn't good enough.

West Side Story is a DANCING show and in 'America' Anita NEEDS to be the best. I don't care how wonderful her acting and singing is. If the Anita can't dance one of the most famous dance numbers of the most famous dancing musical, than it isn't good enough. Why should we have to settle?

[bwayguy22089]

Posted: 3/13/09 at 5:22pm

You must have gone to a really good high school with very good dancers

[ljay889]

Posted: 3/13/09 at 5:23pm

Did anyone else notice that that was completely dumbed down choreography? That was not the original choreography.

- There have been endless discussions about this. A dancer friend of PalJoey's noted all of the changes in detail made for Karen. It's in another thread.

[TheCharleston]

Posted: 3/13/09 at 5:26pm

The dancing is BLAH.

[wickedfan]

Posted: 3/13/09 at 5:29pm

bwayguy- No, just competent ones who could put one foot in front of the other.

[wicked_beast4]

Posted: 3/13/09 at 7:11pm

Wow, that was- disappointing. The dancing was very off, especially for WSS. Karen sounded pretty good, but all that strain on her voice from ITH seems to have taking a toll. And what the hell is with those costumes??

Overall, completely underwhelming, even if they were tight on space.

[jake6970]

Posted: 3/13/09 at 7:31pm

I loved it too. I understand that Anita needs to be able to dance really well, but I disagree that it is the most important part of the show. Give me an Anita who does pretty well in America but knocks A Boy Like That and the rape scene out of the park over an amazing dancer who is forgettable in every other aspect any day.

[BrianIdol]

Posted: 3/13/09 at 7:48pm

jake - totally agree. And she's gorgeous. 100x hotter than any of the posters who are saying her hair and dress are ugly. So boo ya.

[somethingwicked]

Posted: 3/13/09 at 8:07pm

Olivo's dancing was the least of my issues with that clip (everyone here is going to have to accept that they watered down the choreography for her and that's that.)

The line delivery is what drove me nuts. Anita is supposed to be fun and vibrant and sassy, yet Olivo delivered every single word as if she was rolling her eyes, not to mention the "sultry face" she maintained the entire time. Would it kill her to crack a smile?

There's quite a difference between sarcasm and smug bitchiness, something Olivo (whom I adored in IN THE HEIGHTS) doesn't seem to be aware of.

Updated On: 3/13/09 at 08:07 PM

[pushdabutton]

Posted: 3/13/09 at 8:45pm

I think Karen did a great job. I just don't like the song in Spanish.

[ljay889]

Posted: 3/13/09 at 9:16pm

I just don't like the song in Spanish.


- LOL? Did you watch the clip? The song is not in Spanish.

[noahrp3]

Posted: 3/13/09 at 9:48pm

Loved what Letterman said at the beginning of the show about West Side...something to the effect of "If this doesn't make you jump up and down with excitement until your ears start to bleed..."