Laura Benanti as Melania Trump- Page 2

[UncleCharlie]

Posted: 7/20/16 at 3:46pm

indytallguy said: "ChiTheaterFan said: "As a child of the 90s I'm shocked people would not get the Fresh Prince reference. Should I feel really old or young right now? "

 

Straddling a bit of both I'd guess given the demographics on BW boards.

 

Or rather than an age issue, maybe some people simply didn't watch the show even if they were around then. And if they didn't watch it, the reference would be lost on them. It was a nice show that got decent ratings for 6 seasons but we're not talking Seinfeld or Friends here.

 

[LizzieCurry]

Posted: 7/20/16 at 3:50pm

It's been re-run a lot on weekends, though, and don't we all recognize some TV theme songs from shows we didn't watch as kids?

[perfectlymarvelous]

Posted: 7/20/16 at 3:52pm

Liza's Headband said: "Laura Benanti a "household name?" Laura Benanti hosting SNL? I personally love Laura but people, come on. Seriously? You need only look to both Hilty and S. Foster to see how that's working out. Not so well... "

Sutton Foster is doing perfectly fine, Younger got picked up for a 3rd season and her performance has been very well received.

I don't know that I've ever watched a full episode of Fresh Prince but I certainly know the theme song, it's ubiquitous in contemporary popular culture. It's not like it's some obscure reference to a '90s sitcom, the theme song is very well recognized outside of its relationship to the show (which was quite successful in its time and launched Will Smith's career). 

[UncleCharlie]

Posted: 7/20/16 at 3:56pm

LizzieCurry said: "It's been re-run a lot on weekends, though, and don't we all recognize some TV theme songs from shows we didn't watch as kids?

If you started watching the re-runs as an adult even if you didn't as a kid, then yes, sure,  but if you never watched it, then not so much. People certainly would have heard of it if they didn't watch it, but would not probably be familiar with the theme song.

 

[Liza's Headband]

Posted: 7/20/16 at 3:57pm

perfectlymarvelous said: "Liza's Headband said: "Laura Benanti a "household name?" Laura Benanti hosting SNL? I personally love Laura but people, come on. Seriously? You need only look to both Hilty and S. Foster to see how that's working out. Not so well... "

Sutton Foster is doing perfectly fine, Younger got picked up for a 3rd season and her performance has been very well received.

I don't know that I've ever watched a full episode of Fresh Prince but I certainly know the theme song, it's ubiquitous in contemporary popular culture. It's not like it's some obscure reference to a '90s sitcom, the theme song is very well recognized outside of its relationship to the show (which was quite successful in its time and launched Will Smith's career). 

 

"

 

I was more referring to the whole concept of these younger Broadway women becoming "household names." I didn't realize a television show with a low-profile on TVLand constituted for the equivalent of that in 2016. I mean, really? 

[perfectlymarvelous]

Posted: 7/20/16 at 4:03pm

I would argue that the concept of "household name" is kind of irrelevant and strange these days anyway because the ways in which we consume media have shifted so wildly. Laura has also been on two pretty popular television shows (Supergirl and Nashville, along with Go On which has a definite cult following in spite of its single season run), and even if her name isn't instantly recognizable her face certainly is. Are they stars on the level of, say, Angelina Jolie? No. But I think they're more recognizable than you're giving them credit for, and this sketch is definitely attention catching. 

[best12bars]

Posted: 7/20/16 at 4:40pm

I don't want Laura to host SNL, I want her to sign on as a regular for a season or two.

[LizzieCurry]

Posted: 7/20/16 at 4:55pm

http://www.nytimes.com/2016/07/21/arts/television/laura-benanti-on-her-transformation-into-melania-trump-on-colberts-late-show.html?_r=0

[FlySkyHigh]

Posted: 7/20/16 at 4:57pm

UncleCharlie said: "indytallguy said: "ChiTheaterFan said: "As a child of the 90s I'm shocked people would not get the Fresh Prince reference. Should I feel really old or young right now? "

 

Straddling a bit of both I'd guess given the demographics on BW boards.

 

Or rather than an age issue, maybe some people simply didn't watch the show even if they were around then. And if they didn't watch it, the reference would be lost on them. It was a nice show that got decent ratings for 6 seasons but we're not talking Seinfeld or Friends here."

 

You're right. Maybe some people didn't watch the show. I myself never watched Friends or Seinfeld but I still recognize the theme songs.

 

[BroadwayNYC2]

Posted: 7/20/16 at 5:49pm

Either way, the theme song is embedded in American pop culture. Go Laura! 

[enjoyable2]

Posted: 7/20/16 at 6:11pm

I know that the SNL folks must have thought of this already.  Can you imagine the skits featurng  the spouses of the candidates:  Bill Clinton [can Darrell Hammond manage Trump AND Clinton in the same show?] and Melania Trump [Laura Benanti]. 

[Hairspray0901]

Posted: 7/20/16 at 6:14pm

I laughed out loud over the fresh prince bit..my mom had no idea why i thought it was so funny. I said "really?..." She said really. what is that from? I explained it was the theme song, and I began singing it and she went "ohhhh....that!"

[JIMG3]

Posted: 7/20/16 at 7:56pm

backwoodsbarbie said: "Martha Plimpton should play Hillary and spoof her speech next week. 

That won't be happening for two reasons. Hillary is too slick at covering her a** to allow a plagiarized speech to cross her desk. Second reason is that it's only permissible to parody Republicans, not Democrats.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

[backwoodsbarbie]

Posted: 7/20/16 at 8:56pm

JIMG3 said: "backwoodsbarbie said: "Martha Plimpton should play Hillary and spoof her speech next week. 

That won't be happening for two reasons. Hillary is too slick at covering her a** to allow a plagiarized speech to cross her desk. Second reason is that it's only permissible to parody Republicans, not Democrats.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

"

In election season everyone is parodied regardless of party and I think Plimpton would do a great Hillary. 

[Play Esq.]

Posted: 7/20/16 at 9:35pm

best12bars said: "I don't want Laura to host SNL, I want her to sign on as a regular for a season or two.

 

"

And she could concurrently do a show!  LOVE THIS IDEA!

[Valentina3]

Posted: 7/20/16 at 9:37pm

JIMG3 said: "backwoodsbarbie said: "Martha Plimpton should play Hillary and spoof her speech next week. 

That won't be happening for two reasons. Hillary is too slick at covering her a** to allow a plagiarized speech to cross her desk. Second reason is that it's only permissible to parody Republicans, not Democrats."

Wait what? Have you been living under a rock? SNL has been going to town as usual. My personal favorite - Hillary Campaign Ad. Then there's HC Bar Talk, HRC/Bernie Cold Open, and (I'm stopping now) this. 

[Theater_Nerd]

Posted: 7/20/16 at 9:46pm

This was pure comic gold!

[ChiTheaterFan]

Posted: 7/20/16 at 9:56pm

I didn't watch fresh prince. But the theme song was EVERYWHERE when I was in middle and high school. I couldn't tell you much about the show but I know the theme song by heart. We spoofed it in just about every variety show or whatever I was in. I think every sorority in my college had a song knock off of it. 

[adam.peterson44]

Posted: 7/20/16 at 11:28pm

I'm kinda hoping that this will expose more people to Laura Benanti who had never heard of her before, and then when they go youtubing or googling her, they learn about the BroadwayHD video of She Loves Me, and end up renting that when it becomes available, thus launching an era of great revenue for its producers, thus encouraging other producers to jump on board the record-and-release bandwagon. 

Oh, and also, i enjoyed her impersonation.

[brian1973]

Posted: 7/21/16 at 1:18am

You guys found this funny? 

I sort of felt embarrassed for Laura. The material was bad and all she did was pout, it didn't make me laugh at all. Some people are really easily impressed.

[JIMG3]

Posted: 7/21/16 at 5:59am

It's what's referred to as a "tongue in cheek" expression, Valentina 3. No need to rely on insults when something goes over your head. 

[Liza's Headband]

Posted: 7/21/16 at 10:09am

brian1973 said: "You guys found this funny? 

I sort of felt embarrassed for Laura. The material was bad and all she did was pout, it didn't make me laugh at all. Some people are really easily impressed."

 

THIS. 

[CarlosAlberto]

Posted: 7/21/16 at 12:04pm

That's going down as a classic. 

Updated On: 7/21/16 at 12:04 PM

[mpkie]

Posted: 7/21/16 at 1:31pm

LizzieCurry said: "http://www.nytimes.com/2016/07/21/arts/television/laura-benanti-on-her-transformation-into-melania-trump-on-colberts-late-show.html?_r=0"

I love this. A last minute phone call, on-the-train character preparation, and hours-before rehearsal for a live televised performance? A pro among pros (despite NOT actually being a pro sketch comedian!). The skit was hilarious but the original interview linked in this article shows just what a naturally funny woman she is.

Direct link to interview: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TZe3oavADVw

 

Updated On: 7/21/16 at 01:31 PM

[artscallion]

Posted: 7/21/16 at 3:38pm

I thought she did a great job. I just thought the writing was really lame and unfunny. But Colbert's writing, in general, has gone way downhill as they keep trying to change what he does to improve ratings on the new show.