#51
Posted: 3/14/15 at 12:04pm
You will probably all think I'm some sort of anti-christ for saying this:
I don't really feel anything about Gaga's performance either way. I thought she did an admirable job, and she was visibly nervous, having to go out there in front of an entire industry of movers and shakers, and that being said, I thought she did absolutely fine, but I agree with Sondheim's assessment that people were more impressed that she could actually sound like that rather than how she actually performed it.
But I don't think she HAS to be in character...... were they performing the entire Sound of Music that night? No. So the song was out of context. She was introduced as Lady Gaga, and not as "Lady Gaga playing Maria Von Trapp", so she was appearing as herself, not as Maria. She was doing basically a concert version of a medley from TSOM. If she were to do that in the middle of one of her concerts, what would you expect her to do? stop the show while she emotionally prepares to "become" Maria?
people are being a little harsh on her, I think because their "expectations" weren't met. So what? I hate when people say "well, it's not what I expected, so I don't like it" Lyrically Sondheim said it himself: "If you have no expectations, you can never have a disappointment"
Take it for what it was: a pop singer doing an admirable job singing, not acting, a song from TSOM. She wasn't auditioning for the next revival of the show. She was singing the song as a pop song, just as Frank Sinatra, Sammy Davis Jr, Eydie Gorme, et. all would have performed it back in their heydays. Frank never "got into the character" when he sang. He performed jazzy versions of showtunes without a hint of a character. Look up "I believe in you" or, even any of the songs he sang from TSOM like Climb Every Mountain.
So, I don't know. I thought she did fine, and I think some people like being bitchy for the sake of being bitchy sometimes.
Let the crucifixion commence.
I don't really feel anything about Gaga's performance either way. I thought she did an admirable job, and she was visibly nervous, having to go out there in front of an entire industry of movers and shakers, and that being said, I thought she did absolutely fine, but I agree with Sondheim's assessment that people were more impressed that she could actually sound like that rather than how she actually performed it.
But I don't think she HAS to be in character...... were they performing the entire Sound of Music that night? No. So the song was out of context. She was introduced as Lady Gaga, and not as "Lady Gaga playing Maria Von Trapp", so she was appearing as herself, not as Maria. She was doing basically a concert version of a medley from TSOM. If she were to do that in the middle of one of her concerts, what would you expect her to do? stop the show while she emotionally prepares to "become" Maria?
people are being a little harsh on her, I think because their "expectations" weren't met. So what? I hate when people say "well, it's not what I expected, so I don't like it" Lyrically Sondheim said it himself: "If you have no expectations, you can never have a disappointment"
Take it for what it was: a pop singer doing an admirable job singing, not acting, a song from TSOM. She wasn't auditioning for the next revival of the show. She was singing the song as a pop song, just as Frank Sinatra, Sammy Davis Jr, Eydie Gorme, et. all would have performed it back in their heydays. Frank never "got into the character" when he sang. He performed jazzy versions of showtunes without a hint of a character. Look up "I believe in you" or, even any of the songs he sang from TSOM like Climb Every Mountain.
So, I don't know. I thought she did fine, and I think some people like being bitchy for the sake of being bitchy sometimes.
Let the crucifixion commence.
"I'm an American, Damnit!!! And if it's three things I don't believe in, it's quitting and math."
