Kennedy Center Honors: Mel Brooks

#1

Kennedy Center Honors: Mel Brooks

Posted: 12/29/09 at 11:22pm

Did anyone catch the Kennedy Center honors tonight? During the Mel Brooks tribute, there were a bunch of musical numbers (staged, of course, by Susan Stroman):

Frank Langella sang from Twelve Chairs
Richard Kind sang The Inquisition
Jack Black sang Men in Tights
Harry Connick Jr sang High Anxiety
Martin Short sang Blazing Saddles
Matthew Morrison sang Springtime for Hitler
Gary Beach sang Heil Myself
Matthew Broderick sang I Want to Be a Producer, followed by 'Til Him

It was a lot of fun to watch.

---

"Hey little girls, look at all the men in shiny shirts and no wives!" - Jackie Hoffman, Xanadu, 19 Feb 2008

#2

re: Kennedy Center Honors: Mel Brooks

Posted: 12/29/09 at 11:24pm

Worst lip-syncing ever.

#3

re: Kennedy Center Honors: Mel Brooks

Posted: 12/29/09 at 11:27pm

Lip-syncing?? I'm pretty sure it was live...

I enjoyed it. "'Til Him" was a perfect song to finish his tribute.

---

"The Spectacle has, indeed, an emotional attraction of its own, but, of all the parts, it is the least artistic, and connected least with the art of poetry. For the power of Tragedy, we may be sure, is felt even apart from representation and actors. Besides, the production of spectacular effects depends more on the art of the stage machinist than on that of the poet."
--Aristotle

#4

re: Kennedy Center Honors: Mel Brooks

Posted: 12/29/09 at 11:30pm

Loved the segment but couldn't help but wish that Nathan Lane be there with Matthew to honor Mel. Lane's greatest stage success was largely due to Brooks.

---

The only review of a show that matters is your own.

#5

re: Kennedy Center Honors: Mel Brooks

Posted: 12/29/09 at 11:38pm

And Jane Krakowski was edited out of the telecast? Big boo!

#6

re: Kennedy Center Honors: Mel Brooks

Posted: 12/29/09 at 11:38pm

I guess with Nathan doing "Addams Family," he couldn't make it. With him out of the show for a day or 2, box office receipts would be way off. Who knows? I'm sure there's a valid reason why he couldn't be there.

#7

re: Kennedy Center Honors: Mel Brooks

Posted: 12/29/09 at 11:46pm

I got so choked up when Mel started to cry!

#8

re: Kennedy Center Honors: Mel Brooks

Posted: 12/30/09 at 12:08am

What was Jane supposed to sing?

---

"These rabid fans...possess the acting talent to portray the hooker...Linda Eder..." -The New York Times

#9

re: Kennedy Center Honors: Mel Brooks

Posted: 12/30/09 at 12:16am

I missed this. Anyone know about a re-broadcast? If not, if anyone finds the videos online, please post!

#10

re: Kennedy Center Honors: Mel Brooks

Posted: 12/30/09 at 12:27am

KirbyCat, I started choking up too!

I hate to say, but I was really distracted by the young lady behind him. Was that one of his kids?

---

"Hey little girls, look at all the men in shiny shirts and no wives!" - Jackie Hoffman, Xanadu, 19 Feb 2008

#11

re: Kennedy Center Honors: Mel Brooks

Posted: 12/30/09 at 12:48am

I saw her too but wasn't sure she was his daughter. I thought he had two sons. I saw her crying during Mel's tribute and also during Bruce's.

---

The only review of a show that matters is your own.

#12

re: Kennedy Center Honors: Mel Brooks

Posted: 12/30/09 at 12:54am

Wikipedia tells me he has a daughter and two sons from his first marriage, and then he and Anne Bancroft had a son.

---

When I see the phrase "the ____ estate", I imagine a vast mansion in the country full of monocled men and high-collared women receiving letters about productions across the country and doing spit-takes at whatever they contain. -Kad

#13

re: Kennedy Center Honors: Mel Brooks

Posted: 12/30/09 at 12:55am

The performances just started on the re-air.

#14

re: Kennedy Center Honors: Mel Brooks

Posted: 12/30/09 at 1:04am

I never thought I would ever see him cry...

#15

re: Kennedy Center Honors: Mel Brooks

Posted: 12/30/09 at 1:26am

HILARIOUS! I thought it was really cool, and I must say the entire show was great. But Mel Brooks's segment was the best! LOVE YA MEL

#16

re: Kennedy Center Honors: Mel Brooks

Posted: 12/30/09 at 12:47pm

I found (at least) the first 7 segments on the tube.... The rest are probably there as well and I just didn't find them:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JzJAGset2XY
Martin Short and Gary Beach

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ERAtQ250Nbg
Part 1

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0MsXrsq-YzY&NR=1
Part 2

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s1RSl-Tjxp8&feature=related
Part 3

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iu_aUBGl1TA&feature=related
Part 4

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p73pGudZ9Vg&feature=related
Part 5 (Mel)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jqoGHJfGwbw&feature=related
Part 6 (Mel)

---

www.thebreastcancersite.com
A click for life.
mamie4 5/14/03

#17

re: Kennedy Center Honors: Mel Brooks

Posted: 12/30/09 at 1:11pm

I was going to record it & decided against it. Big mistake.

---

Poster Emeritus

#18

re: Kennedy Center Honors: Mel Brooks

Posted: 12/30/09 at 1:36pm

Mel cried?

I was too busy laughing from his tribute to notice.

#19

re: Kennedy Center Honors: Mel Brooks

Posted: 12/30/09 at 1:42pm

During the "Mel Brooks finale", you could also see Roger Bart and (I assume) Shuler Hensley onstage as Frederick Frankenstein and The Monster. Were there cuts in the broadcast? Because I guess they also performed...

#20

re: Kennedy Center Honors: Mel Brooks

Posted: 12/30/09 at 2:27pm

"During the "Mel Brooks finale", you could also see Roger Bart and (I assume) Shuler Hensley onstage as Frederick Frankenstein and The Monster. Were there cuts in the broadcast? Because I guess they also performed..."

I guess their performance wasn't shown, but playbill had a picture of their segment:

http://www.playbill.com/multimedia/gallery//903/?pnum=9

Updated On: 12/30/09 at 02:27 PM

#21

re: Kennedy Center Honors: Mel Brooks

Posted: 12/30/09 at 2:44pm

Does anyone know what song Jane Krakowski performed?

---

"...everyone finally shut up, and the audience could enjoy the beginning of the Anatevka Pogram in peace."

#22

re: Kennedy Center Honors: Mel Brooks

Posted: 12/30/09 at 2:50pm

I think Nathan Lane has had quite enough of Mel Brooks.

---

"Hurry up and get into your conga clothes - we've got to do something to save this show!"

#23

re: Kennedy Center Honors: Mel Brooks

Posted: 12/30/09 at 5:33pm

I was really hoping for Jane to be shown. I laughed to myself when the didn't show any Young Frankenstein.

#24

re: Kennedy Center Honors: Mel Brooks

Posted: 12/30/09 at 9:53pm

It's pretty glaring that Lane did not make an appearance at the Brooks tribute. I'm sure this appearance was well known in advance and he could have stated that he needed to have that Sunday off to go to Washington. Broderick was in a play at the same time and managed to arrange it. Stroman directed and choreographed the entire segment. Just odd that Nathan wasn't there.

---

The only review of a show that matters is your own.

#25

re: Kennedy Center Honors: Mel Brooks

Posted: 12/30/09 at 10:21pm

Nathan wasn't there because he had a 2 show day at Addam's family in Chicago. That schedule was in place long before the Kennedy Center Honors were announced. He wanted to be there, everyone else wanted him to be there, but it just wasn't possible.

Incidentally, Jane Krakowski sang a jazzy version of, "If You've Got it, Flaunt It"

---

Behind the fake tinsel of Broadway is real tinsel.