America on Letterman this week
America on Letterman this week
Trish2
Broadway Legend Joined: 8/20/06
#1America on Letterman this week
Posted: 3/10/09 at 10:43pm
Why oh Why would they pick that number !!!??? Of course, I know why-it's the most uplifting number in the show. Unfortunately, it never soars. I can only imagine the youtube comparisons to Chita and Debbie. Considering this lackluster cast they would have been better off doing a montage of songs.
Updated On: 3/10/09 at 10:43 PM
PiraguaGuy2
Broadway Legend Joined: 10/10/08
#2re: America on Letterman this week
Posted: 3/10/09 at 10:45pmIt's fine. The average Joe Six-Pack watching Letterman won't be comparing Karen's dancing to Chita's the entire time. It's one of the better numbers in that lackluster revival.
Formerly SirNotAppearing - Joined 3/08
WiCkEDrOcKS
Broadway Legend Joined: 6/13/04
#2re: America on Letterman this week
Posted: 3/10/09 at 10:48pmKaren's dancing is going to be brought up at least once a day on this board up until (and probably after) the Tonys. Mark my words.
husk_charmer
Broadway Legend Joined: 10/19/06
#3re: America on Letterman this week
Posted: 3/10/09 at 10:56pmWhen does this air?
http://www.youtube.com/huskcharmer
WishingOnlyWounds2
Broadway Legend Joined: 9/25/08
#4re: America on Letterman this week
Posted: 3/10/09 at 10:57pmThursday.
2008: Feb. 18- Rent, Feb. 19- Curtains, April 18- Xanadu, April 22- Wicked, April 26- Legally Blonde, May 31- Wicked, June 13- The Little Mermaid, June 28- Wicked and Young Frankenstein, July 2- The Little Mermaid, July 6- A Chorus Line and Legally Blonde, August 16- Xanadu, September 13- Legally Blonde and 13, September 28- Xanadu and Spring Awakening, Oct. 12-GYPSY and [title of show], Oct. 19- Hairspray & Legally Blonde, Nov. 9- Wicked and 13, Dec. 14-13, Dec. 26- Billy Elliot, 2009: Jan 1- Shrek, Jan 2- 13 and Wicked, Jan 4- 13, Feb 17- In The Heights, Feb 19- Billy Elliot, Feb 22- Sweeney Todd (tour), March 28- Mary Poppins, April 4- Mamma Mia!, April 15- Jersey Boys (on tour), April 25- next to normal & 9 to 5
May 1- Billy Elliot, May 3- Spelling Bee (tour), May 8- Chicago, May 21- Wicked, June 6- Everyday Rapture, June 23- The Wiz, June 25- Hair July 15- Shrek, August 9- Wicked, September 7- Rock of Ages, October 11- Next To Normal, October 23- The Marvelous Wonderettes, November 7- Ragtime November 29- Dreamgirls, December 25- Billy Elliot, December 30- Finian's Rainbow, 2010: January 9- Bye Bye Birdie, January 16- Memphis February 17- The Phantom of The Opera, February 18- God of Carnage, March 7- Billy Elliot, March 31- American Idiot
CurtainPullDowner
Broadway Legend Joined: 11/4/04
#5re: America on Letterman this week
Posted: 3/10/09 at 11:00pm
I hope they do something with Karen's hair.
The close-up TV camera can be very cruel.
Who's Joe Six-Pac?
Trish2
Broadway Legend Joined: 8/20/06
#6re: America on Letterman this week
Posted: 3/10/09 at 11:07pmYes , close-ups can be cruel. I certainly hope that someone on the creative team speaks to Karen about opening her mouth so much during the dance breaks. I'm sure it has to do with her dance insecurity, but it was certainly unflattering.
CurtainPullDowner
Broadway Legend Joined: 11/4/04
#7re: America on Letterman this week
Posted: 3/11/09 at 6:47am
If the producers had any guts, they would do SIENTO HERMOSA.
Every interview and press release is stressing that the "groundbreaking" aspect of this production is the use of Spanish to make this revival more authentic. Josephina is getting the best buzz and she would look muy hermosa on camera.
PiraguaGuy2
Broadway Legend Joined: 10/10/08
#8re: America on Letterman this week
Posted: 3/11/09 at 7:23amKaren looks great in "America"...except for that inexplicable hair. She ACTUALLY looks like she just got out of the shower.
Formerly SirNotAppearing - Joined 3/08
WiCkEDrOcKS
Broadway Legend Joined: 6/13/04
#9re: America on Letterman this week
Posted: 3/11/09 at 7:43amAgreed. She looks like that through most of the show and I was kinda irked by it for some reason...it's really long and flat and wet-looking.
#10re: America on Letterman this week
Posted: 3/11/09 at 9:28am
Maybe 1% of the viewing audience will know theatre and dance well enough to notice the difference between Karen, Chita, Rita and Debbie. And maybe 0.5% will actually bother with the negative comparisons.
The rest of the country will see it and think "Oh my God, I love West Side Story!"
Like a firework unexploded
Wanting life but never knowing how
Wanting life but never knowing how
TheCharleston
Broadway Legend Joined: 12/18/08
#11re: America on Letterman this week
Posted: 3/11/09 at 9:35amKaren can't dance. Get her out of there!!
#12re: America on Letterman this week
Posted: 3/11/09 at 9:47am
In any production, "America" gets the biggest hand of any number in the show, this one included, despite our carping. (And mine is admittedly the loudest.)
These producers are no dummies. They know the weaknesses of the current revival--and the strengths.
Of course they're doing "America" on national TV. It's a free commercial.
bwaylvsong
Broadway Legend Joined: 7/28/05
#13re: America on Letterman this week
Posted: 3/11/09 at 1:45pm
"Maybe 1% of the viewing audience will know theatre and dance well enough to notice the difference between Karen, Chita, Rita and Debbie. And maybe 0.5% will actually bother with the negative comparisons."
Agreed. And those of us who know lots about theatre but little about dance (like me) probably won't even be able to tell the difference.
Ole Chum
Leading Actor Joined: 12/6/07
#14re: America on Letterman this week
Posted: 3/11/09 at 3:52pm
karen olivo is not also getting the loudest applause every night. they are not stupid. she is exactly who they want representing the show.
#15re: America on Letterman this week
Posted: 3/11/09 at 4:46pm
I spoke to some people the other night who do not know a lot about theater and they said "America" was their favorite number and Karen was their favorite in the. I would just like everyone who is saying she can't dance to take into consideration that Karen is trying her best and is not a great dancer like Chita or Debbie but still performs the **** out of "America" every night.
It's probably my favorite number in the show as well.
#16re: America on Letterman this week
Posted: 3/11/09 at 5:33pm
Of course it's their favorite number. The number is indestructible.
Arthur likes to tell a story about another indestructible number in another show: "You Gotta Have a Gimmick" in Gypsy.
Once, when Arthur was giving notes to director Sam Mendes about everything that was wrong with the Bernadette Peters Gypsy revival, Sam said to him, "Well, the number with the three strippers got a big hand!"
As Arthur reports it, he responded: "Sam...that means NOTHING. You could have cast Saddam Hussein and his two sons as those three strippers and it STILL would have gotten a hand."
#17re: America on Letterman this week
Posted: 3/11/09 at 8:24pm
I "heard" (wink) Karen's America and I love her voice in it. Sounds much cleaner than it did in Heights.
Charleston- Whenever you say "Get her out of there!" I always picture Patti screaming that to someone and I laugh.
I'm a professional. Whenever something goes wrong on stage, I know how to handle it so no one ever remembers. I flash my %#$&.
"Jayne just sat there while Gina flailed around the stage like an idiot."
#18re: America on Letterman this week
Posted: 3/11/09 at 9:58pm
Ok, she may not be Chita, but Karen is way better than Saddam Hussein would be in Gypsy. 
Like a firework unexploded
Wanting life but never knowing how
Wanting life but never knowing how
#19re: America on Letterman this week
Posted: 3/13/09 at 12:34am
On now
And they have NO room to dance.
Oh, and I almost forgot to mention...I'm the good cop, he's the bad cop.
Updated On: 3/13/09 at 12:34 AM
#21re: America on Letterman this week
Posted: 3/13/09 at 12:38amI'd buy a ticket.
"Oh look at the time, three more intelligent plays just closed and THE ADDAMS FAMILY made another million dollars" -Jackie Hoffman, Broadway.com Audience Awards
Trish2
Broadway Legend Joined: 8/20/06
#22re: America on Letterman this week
Posted: 3/13/09 at 12:39amthey had a very saavy camera director. shot it from all angles and never really featured her. smart move.
bwayguy22089
Broadway Star Joined: 12/16/06
#23re: America on Letterman this week
Posted: 3/13/09 at 12:40am
Great job 
They did the best with the room they had. Karen sounds great! Even if she can't dance, I didn't notice. She was giving it her all and enjoying it!
jimmycurry01
Broadway Legend Joined: 5/28/05
#24re: America on Letterman this week
Posted: 3/13/09 at 12:45amI just watched it, and I did find the number to be lackluster. I don't think that it was the best number to do to promote the show. That said, I paid close attention to Karen's dancing, and she seemed to be doing well to me, at least as well as the other girls.
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