Broadway concert at White House Discussion- Page 4

[alliez92092]

Posted: 7/19/10 at 8:23pm

I don't care what anyone says, I love Elaine Stritch and she is a crazy mofo and that makes her even better.

[willep]

Posted: 7/19/10 at 8:24pm

That speech was absolutely fantastic.

[colleen_lee]

Posted: 7/19/10 at 8:24pm

Wait, this girl is the tour Tracy? REALLY?

[Katurian2]

Posted: 7/19/10 at 8:24pm

Uh oh. Michelle Obama isn't gonna like a fat girl taking up the stage at the White House.

[BwayTday]

Posted: 7/19/10 at 8:25pm

Didn't the tour end?

[sbflyfan]

Posted: 7/19/10 at 8:26pm

....Mmmmk....

[WayTooBroadway]

Posted: 7/19/10 at 8:26pm

Oh Elaine!

Here's the final rundown:

Barack Obama - Welcome
Elaine Stritch - "Broadway Baby"
Nathan Lane - Opening
Assata Alston - "Gimme Gimme"
Brian D'Arcy James - "Blue Skies"
Audra McDonald - "I Can't Stop Talking about Him"
Chad Kimball - "Memphis Lives in Me"
Tonya Pinkins - "Gonna Pass Me A Law"
Idina Menzel - "Defying Gravity"
Nathan Lane & Brian D'Arcy James - "Free"
Audra McDonald - "Happiness is Just a Thing Called Joe"
Idina Menzel with Marvin Hamlisch - "What I Did For Love"
Elaine Stritch - "I'm Still Here"
Danielle Arci, Constantine Rousouli and the Kids - "You Can't Stop the Beat"

[singingbackup]

Posted: 7/19/10 at 8:27pm

Worst.Ever.

Sad that is the best that could be offered.

[alliez92092]

Posted: 7/19/10 at 8:30pm

I missed Obama's opening speech. What did he say?

[uncageg]

Posted: 7/19/10 at 8:30pm

Katurian2, I nearly choked while laughing at your post!

singing, it may not have been perfect but it was a good show. And it is so nice to see something like this take place in the White House.

[CATSNYrevival]

Posted: 7/19/10 at 8:31pm

Constantine Rousouli! Love him. If they do air this on PBS in October I hope they fix some of the vocals.

[CarlosAlberto]

Posted: 7/19/10 at 8:31pm

Elaine Stritch was a hot fabulous MESS! And I mean that in the BEST possible way because she was clearly the HIGHLIGHT of the evening. Don't know how much of that performance, or her speech will make it to the final broadcast version, I'm just glad I was there to witness it.

[jasonf]

Posted: 7/19/10 at 8:32pm

Is that REALLY what Memphis is like? I mean, the song was OK, but he sounded awful! I HOPE the show is better than that!

Idina was great, and I felt bad for Elaine Stritch. She did that song flawlessly at the Sondheim concert in March. She definitely proved why she's a legend with her perseverance and that speech at the end!

[lull89]

Posted: 7/19/10 at 8:32pm

The text of the speech is here. I really enjoyed the show and the speech, and think Elaine Stritch wins.


Obama Salutes Broadway Updated On: 7/19/10 at 08:32 PM

[BroadwayGirl107]

Posted: 7/19/10 at 8:41pm

Phew, I was wiping sweat bullets from my forehead for Idina during "Defying Gravity." It was like the Tonys all over again; she barely made it through alive. Ouchies. I saw her do that arrangement of the song in March, and she was absolutely spectacular and in great voice, but when she gets nervous, she gets NERVOUS!

Elaine Stritch's mess up was kind of spectacular, though. I'm glad I got to witness it before that butcher it up in the editing room.

Is Audra EVER not right on the money? She doesn't seem to falter at anything. I'll never forget the moment last year at Twelfth Night when she forgot her lines; I cherish it as a reminder that she IS actually human!

[TheatreFan4]

Posted: 7/19/10 at 8:43pm

Constantine Rousouli! Love him.

I do too... :)

I have no idea why Hairspray performed. It was just awkwardly done.

[singer73192]

Posted: 7/19/10 at 8:49pm

The whole Hairspray schtick was just an effort to support arts education. It was a nice sentiment, but the performance was not so hot.

[FunnyGirl617]

Posted: 7/19/10 at 9:28pm

not sure how well this represented the history of american musical theatre...no jerry herman, no gershwin, no cole porter, no jerome kern, no rodgers & hammerstein....yet we had like 10 sondheim, 2 jeanine tesori, and bon jovi? truly bizarre.

[othell]

Posted: 7/19/10 at 10:53pm

I thought Idina did beautifully on both songs-- she sounded fantastic to me. The Obama family seemed to be Idina fans, especially the girls, whose faces beamed after each song she sang. Everyone who was watching on the Facebook board I was was blown away by her, and were also impressed with her green dress. Everyone did well- even though Chad Kimball did sound rusty and Elaine blew her lines (but recovered beautifully). It was a great program all the way around.

[bwayguy22089]

Posted: 7/19/10 at 11:47pm

I thought Idina and Audra were the best of the evening. Idina had maybe 1 or 2 notes that were a little out of her reach (her voice is just so much lower than it was in 2003). Still, she sounded beautiful and gave it her all. She hasn't been holding out the "me" in her tour, either. Audra is just beautiful and has a beautiful voice. Both women walked away from their songs with huge ovations.

[born2bebroadway]

Posted: 7/20/10 at 12:35am

Ugh, I'm so upset I missed it. I was in a rehearsal for a Broadway Revue in our community theatre. Is there a place yet, where I can watch it online? I'm going to be in Europe in October so I won't be able to see it then either.

[CockeyedOptimist2]

Posted: 7/20/10 at 1:59am

I also missed it tonight, bummer! Will I have to wait til October to hear Brian d'Arcy James singing "Blue Skies" or will I be able to find it before that?

[Q]

Posted: 7/20/10 at 2:49am

Just another opinion:

Audra is perfection - in presentation and performance.
Tonya is the same, but no one noticed.
I want to know what Marvin was thinking while Idina 'sang' his song. Ugh.

And I grew tired of Elaine's grandstanding a long time ago. This didn't change my opinion.

Nathan was just embarrassing.

[TheatreFan4]

Posted: 7/20/10 at 4:00am

Prez's speech.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tun7jsvS1eM

Posted: 7/20/10 at 12:26pm

It's hard to listen to that speech and see how people think he's elitist or smug. Joking with the audience, needling his wife, his obviously delight in having everyone there...