Kennedy Center Honors: Patti and Glenn

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Kennedy Center Honors: Patti and Glenn

Posted: 12/27/11 at 10:09pm

Amazing tribute to Beverly Sills at the Kennedy Center Honors. And Broadway was, of course, well represented with the likes of Kelli O'Hara, Sutton Foster, Laura Osnes and more. Had to wonder about any backstage awkwardness/tension between Glenn Close and Patti LuPone considering the whole Sunset Boulevard past. They performed virtually right after one another in the tribute to Sills. If there was any awkwardness, I'm sure it was only on the side of Patti since.. let's face it.. Glenn is a much bigger star in the eyes of the public outside Broadway.

Kennedy Center Honors: Patti and Glenn

Posted: 12/27/11 at 10:10pm

Barbara Cook, not Beverly Sills is who they were honoring.

Kennedy Center Honors: Patti and Glenn

Posted: 12/27/11 at 10:17pm

Love Glenn Close (and her oft-criticized singing in the SUNSET BLVD cast recording) but she killed "Losing My Mind." I really enjoyed the rest of the medley though, Rebecca Luker has a gorgeous soprano and her singing with Kelli O'Hara was pretty great! Foster seemed to be having a blast with "Everybody Says Don't" and Audra McDonald during the finale was terrific.

"Some people can thrive and bloom living life in a living room, that's perfect for some people of one hundred and five. But I at least gotta try, when I think of all the sights that I gotta see, all the places I gotta play, all the things that I gotta be at"

Kennedy Center Honors: Patti and Glenn

Posted: 12/27/11 at 10:19pm

Really enjoy it. Always so exciting to wait with anticipation as the announcer is set to reveal the next famous performer!

Kennedy Center Honors: Patti and Glenn

Posted: 12/27/11 at 10:22pm

It looked like Meryl enjoyed it more than Barbara.

And Anne Hathaway's reaction to Glenn Close singing "Losing My Mind" reminded me of the first time I heard that song sung (by Dorothy Loudon) -- a mess of dripping admiration.

"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

Kennedy Center Honors: Patti and Glenn

Posted: 12/27/11 at 10:28pm

I think Meryl was crying!

Also, did anyone else notice that the program was sponsored by THE IRON LADY?

Kennedy Center Honors: Patti and Glenn

Posted: 12/27/11 at 10:28pm

Yo-Yo Ma seemed to be enjoying himself, too. He leaned over to say something to Meryl after Rebecca Luker and Kelli O'Hara sang. And seemed to LOVE "Make Our Garden Grow."

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

Kennedy Center Honors: Patti and Glenn

Posted: 12/27/11 at 10:36pm

I wonder if maybe "Losing My Mind" was more affecting seeing it live given Anne Hathaway's reaction or if they just edited the reaction shot in.
I agree that Barbara Cook seemed the least overwhelmed of the bunch during her own tribute. Meryl cried when everyone started singing "Make Our Garden Grow" and yes, Yo-Yo Ma seemed to love the medley as well!

Kennedy Center Honors: Patti and Glenn

Posted: 12/27/11 at 10:37pm

The tribute was absolutely breathtaking. I feel like an idiot for even asking, but what was the piece that Laura sang? I recognize the tune, but it's driving me crazy.

#10

Kennedy Center Honors: Patti and Glenn

Posted: 12/27/11 at 10:37pm

Yo-Yo Ma seems to love Colbert as well!

#11

Kennedy Center Honors: Patti and Glenn

Posted: 12/27/11 at 10:48pm

Laura Osnes sang This is All Very New To Me from Plain and Fancy.

#12

Kennedy Center Honors: Patti and Glenn

Posted: 12/27/11 at 10:49pm

I feel like an idiot. Barbara Cook, of course!! Thank you, indytallguy.

#13

Kennedy Center Honors: Patti and Glenn

Posted: 12/27/11 at 10:56pm

I don't know Plain and Fancy at all, but I adored that snippet. I may have to look into it.

#14

Kennedy Center Honors: Patti and Glenn

Posted: 12/27/11 at 11:32pm

We saw Barbara Cook at Feinstein's a few nights after they taped this, and she was still overwhelmed by the evening and the honor. She had she had to keep pinching herself because it didn't seem real to her that they were paying this tribute to her.

She said she understood why they would give this honor to Meryl Streep and Yo-Yo Ma, but it didn't make sense, she said, that they would include her.

She said, about Meryl Streep, "She was sooooo nice to me." That was cute.

#15

Kennedy Center Honors: Patti and Glenn

Posted: 12/27/11 at 11:38pm

Most honorees do not emote quite as much as Yo-Yo Ma did during his. Last year Jerry Herman hardly smiled except when Lansbury and Channing took the stage together. I think it can be tough to be put on the spot like that -- especially as a performer, when other people are singing "your" songs; though I am sure there was no jealousy with Cook, she's a very humble person. Wonderful tribute. A great night overall.

#16

Kennedy Center Honors: Patti and Glenn

Posted: 12/27/11 at 11:46pm

PalJoey, that sounds like a great story and a great thing to experience seeing her live so soon after the show!
SondheimFan5, you're right, some people are definitely more emotive than others, and just because you're not being expressive in front of a camera, it doesn't mean you aren't as grateful or overwhelmed (if not more) than those who are being expressive.

#17

Kennedy Center Honors: Patti and Glenn

Posted: 12/28/11 at 12:07am

I'm so glad I recorded the show on my dvr. On the subject of G.C.....______________________. from RC in Austin, Texas

"Noel [Coward] and I were in Paris once. Adjoining rooms, of course. One night, I felt mischievous, so I knocked on Noel's door, and he asked, 'Who is it?' I lowered my voice and said 'Hotel detective. Have you got a gentleman in your room?' He answered, 'Just a minute, I'll ask him.'" (Beatrice Lillie)

#18

Kennedy Center Honors: Patti and Glenn

Posted: 12/28/11 at 1:04am

I've never understood all the hatred for Glenn Close and her singing. Hell, at least she always acts the hell out of a song and knows when to stop if she can't hit a note or something. I'll take a good actress over a good singer any day of the week. I actually found her South Pacific to be surprisingly well sung, even if she was too old for the role at that point. Her rendition of Send in the Clowns is also one of the most effective versions for me.

Was it just me or did she seem a little nervous tonight? A little shaky or something. Don't know if it was a character choice for the song or the fact that she was probably the only non-singer in the group.

The tribute was wonderful, though! Everyone was on fire. Meryl totally seemed to get a kick out of it, didn't she?

#19

Kennedy Center Honors: Patti and Glenn

Posted: 12/28/11 at 1:48am

I think Yo-Yo is Cute-Cute

#20

Kennedy Center Honors: Patti and Glenn

Posted: 12/28/11 at 1:47pm

But, Send in the Clowns was written for Glynis Johns. She really didn't have a singing voice. Then, Dame Judi Dench sang it, again, without a really singing voice. To me, its one of those songs that someone who can't sing can still perform by speaking on pitch. A la Rex Harrison in My Fair Lady.

#21

Kennedy Center Honors: Patti and Glenn

Posted: 12/28/11 at 4:04pm

It's incredible that people are saying Glenn "can't sing."

Maybe she doesn't belt and riff the crap out of every note, but the woman can most definitely sing and she sings very well! =D

Recreation of original John Cameron orchestration to "On My Own" by yours truly. Click player below to hear.

#22

Kennedy Center Honors: Patti and Glenn

Posted: 12/28/11 at 5:27pm

I think Glenn Close would have faired far better if she sang randomly in a tribute like Anne Hathaway did. Dude, she's not a trained singer plus she had to follow Rebecca Luker and Kelli O'Hara - that's not exactly a recipe for success...

Updated On: 12/28/11 at 05:27 PM

#23

Kennedy Center Honors: Patti and Glenn

Posted: 12/28/11 at 5:37pm

Like I said, I thoroughly enjoy Glenn Close's singing and defend her when people attack her singing in the SUNSET BLVD cast recording, I've also enjoyed her singing on other occasions...but come on, that rendition of "Losing My Mind" was just not good.
Either way, it's obviously nice to see her there, both for Barbara Cook and for her friend Meryl Streep. I'm sure she'll be honored by the Kennedy Center soon enough (unless I missed the memo and she already has).

#24

Kennedy Center Honors: Patti and Glenn

Posted: 12/28/11 at 5:50pm

I saw Glenn on opening night of Sunset Blvd in LA and she couldn't sing it at all.

I really think you need to be able to sing if you are starring in a musical...

"TheatreDiva90016 - another good reason to frequent these boards less."<<>> “I hesitate to give this line of discussion the validation it so desperately craves by perpetuating it, but the light from logic is getting further and further away with your every successive post.” <<>> -whatever2

#25

Kennedy Center Honors: Patti and Glenn

Posted: 12/28/11 at 6:18pm

This probably belongs on the "unpopular opinions you hold" thread, but . . .

I love Glenn Close and think she's one of our very finest actors. But as much as I disliked her singing in "Sunset" I thought her acting was inexcusably worse--much closer to Lon Chaney than Gloria Swanson.

I know she won the Tony and that it's a well-thought-of performance, so I just chalk it up to something that I didn't get.

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