Sorry for the late delay, folks. Just heard the film and B'way versions of "Tonight Belongs to You" back-to-back and here are my initial thoughts:
The orchestrations in the film version are straight FIRE. Love the added finger-snaps in the Barry/Emma verses, added strings, and heavier drums. I much prefer this instrumentation than B'way. GO BIG!
Kinnunen's "I think I'll pass" is better-delivered than Pellman's.
"You be Elphie, I'm Galinda!": Yes, this concludes a slant rhyme, but I have a soft spot for this line. When I observed Ted Arthur play Key 2 for a performance, Meg waved to the two of us and I saw it on the monitor. Apparently she always did this on B'way to whoever was playing Key 2, but it felt really special that day. Her smile is really infectious.
Did anyone hear the added ladies' lower harmony on "life's no dress rehearsal" before Kerry's verse? The ladies sang this all in unison on the OBCR.
Jo Ellen Pellman: No matter how this movie is received, I hope Pellman gets good reviews for this and that it leads to bigger and better roles. I loved Kinnunen in this role but I can't wait to see this newbie give it a whirl. She's off to a good start.
James Corden: Ho boy. This has "mismatched" written all over it. His singing is okay, but he sounds so weird with an American accent and it makes me miss Brooks Ashmanskas a lot. At least the latter sang this like he meant it. I'm sure there were better fits for Barry in this adaptation. Prove me wrong this December, Corden, pretty please...
Logan Riley Hassel and Sofia Deler: Okay, I guess? We have to wait until the movie to really see the scope of their Kaylee and Shelby. Hassel's voice sounds good, though.
Kerry Washington and Ariana DeBose: Okay, I wasn't expecting THAT from Washington. My god, that VOICE blows Courtenay Collins out of the water! Her acting is pretty low-energy though (as is DeBose's). Let's check back on these two again in a month, as well as Hassel and Deler.
The end of the song was better on B'way, including the dance break and final chorus. The film's short dance break lets me down a bit. It also cuts out after the final "belongs...". Though it was an awkward transition at first, I would say this immediately transitions to the scene where Barry walks Emma into the gym for the "fake prom." Of course, this assumes not much has changed from B'way to screen version.
This Prom is off to a good-not-great start, IMO. I will probably still be both excited and anxious to see what Ryan Murphy did with this come December 11th.
“I am furious, but I am sailing.”
Updated On: 10/31/20 at 12:46 AM
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