ThanksGiving Parade Performances- Page 2

[mmFan]

Posted: 11/27/03 at 11:29am

What happened to the pre-recorded segments? I thought that Dancing Queen from Mamma mia was going to be shown...there's only half an hour left, and they haven't shown anything pre-recorded. I'm watching it on NBC (from 9am-12)

[Auggie27]

Posted: 11/27/03 at 11:37am

Boy, you nailed it Bulldog. Why break for commercials?

(It's so homogenized. Reminds me of the NY street fairs. Remember when they used to highlight individual neighborhood merchants? Local restaurants, etc.? Now they're interchangeable. Funnel cake and carpet cleaners, bins of CDs and tube socks--and no character. Everything is blanded out these days, so "access by everyone" can be maximized. Bleeech.)

But Harvey juiced it up. A chubby Jewish drag queen. Access that, America.

Updated On: 11/27/03 at 11:37 AM

[FindingNamo]

Posted: 11/27/03 at 11:44am

And you know you are a REAL PRO when you can lip-synch near perfectly and sell that song like Harvey did. If only that other drag act, Britney Spears, could take professionalism lessons from Harvey.

[MasterLcZ]

Posted: 11/27/03 at 12:05pm

I stopped watching the parade on TV. The performances were too brief and too canned. BB is right. The REAL fun was to stand on top of the sand trucks on 72 st. and enjoy the families and kids watching the balloons as they passed by.

I do think the balloons were kinda dull this year, except for Charlie Brown & the football. I wish Macy's would issue a definitve book on the history of the parade, crammed with photos...and a list of which performers (and ballons) appeared for every year.

[BwayTheatre11]

Posted: 11/27/03 at 12:06pm

All the performances were great (minus the lypsinking)! MMFan, Mamma Mia performed on CBS, not on NBC. I think a black Rosie can make some of the jokes HILARIOUS! For some reason, I love Fame. It must be the "kiddie" in me.

Updated On: 11/27/03 at 12:06 PM

[BrdwyThtr]

Posted: 11/27/03 at 12:12pm

The performances were good. I was surprised to see the plant in LSOH. They usually take that chintzy plastic thing.

[mmFan]

Posted: 11/27/03 at 12:14pm

Thanks BwayTheatre11...I noticed at 11:30am that CBC was also airing it and kicked myself when I noticed that I was watching the wrong station!!! Did anyone see the MAMMA MIA performance? Was it live or was it pre-recorded right from the play? I'd love to hear all about it since I missed it .. boo hoo.

Posted: 11/27/03 at 12:17pm

OK. Parade's finally over. Damn it was long.

Part of the Thanksgiving tradition in my house is to trash the parade and performers as it groans on TV. Yeah, I know...we're cynical New Yorkers, what can I say?

Why is it that best of the parade are always the fresh faces for the high school and college folks excited to be in NYC? They always outshine all (except Katie and Matt).

I had to bring more freshness and fun into the house so I'm playing SHE LOVES ME as I baste the turkey. Always a great way to start the holidays!

Bulldog.

[DonnaMurphyRocks]

Posted: 11/27/03 at 12:32pm

I live in California and the CBS show's only been on a little while. Do they show WONDERFUL TOWN at all, because I thought they were supposed to?

[tkts]

Posted: 11/27/03 at 12:48pm

Wow, everything I wanted to see was on in the first 45 minutes. The child Allen in OZ was great! Nice to see the plant actually move in LSOH. Never Gonna Dance looked good too.

Wicked, well, I'm still not sold. So far only the Letterman number was real good.

[dotmarie]

Posted: 11/27/03 at 1:00pm

I enjoyed Boy From Oz. Mitchel Federan is adorable! He did the best lip synching too.

I liked Little Shop, although Hunter did do a pretty bad job lip synching. Oh well. The plant was cool. :)

[broadway geek]

Posted: 11/27/03 at 1:38pm

The Lip-Syncing was horrible! Other than that it was alright. That little boy from OZ was so cute. On CBS the NINE number was not that good and the MAMMA MIA was ok. I did like FAME though. Kerry Butler was really of on Suddenly Seymour. Her mouth was closed while the singing was blaring. Oh well, as close as I am going to be so I should be thankful for that.

[DofB5]

Posted: 11/27/03 at 2:36pm

look what I found:

http://www.macysparade.com/#

They have some short movies of parades past. Thought you guys might like to have a peek.

D

[Al Dente]

Posted: 11/27/03 at 3:43pm

In the spirit of the Holday I will refrain from saying *all* I really want to BUT...LS was PAINFUL. Could someone please tell the MD to turn the high harmony down about 5 notches? Again, I will refrain from my opinions on Butler as well. Suffice it to say "OY"! The rest was very bland and generic. Disappointed that Jackman wasn't there. Who's the pasty Harry Connick Jr. wannabe? One last thing about LS, you know it's a problem when the plant is the cutest and most interesting thing on the t.v. I missed Wicked. I'm sure it was fine.

[chinkie azn jai]

Posted: 11/27/03 at 4:32pm

ahhhhhhhhh teh Lip-Syncing was sooo bad!!! why couldnt they use their voices!!?? with the lip-syncing, it made me want to turn off the tv! ugh! o well!! l8r! HAPPY TURKEY DAY btw!

[PennyLou]

Posted: 11/27/03 at 4:46pm

Actually I do have to say Kerry did a way better job with the lip-synching this year then she did last year but most of the other where really off and you are so right they all have amazing voices why not let them use them! I was wondering during the parade why the bands can be live but the shows can't be. Put up some speakers and giving them mikes even handhelds would be better then lip-synching! I don't get it..

[lensman55]

Posted: 11/27/03 at 5:10pm

I don't know about the "yellow dress," but there was a quick shot of Glinda and Elphaba with the green glasses on. They took them off quickly. (maybe it had something to do with seeing their faces on TV, I dunno.) But my daughter even mentioned, "They remembered the glasses, nobody [ever] remembers the glasses."

Took me a minute to remember the armless guys with the heads the popped up!

[kec]

Posted: 11/27/03 at 5:21pm

I was surprised to see the Hammerheads AND the glasses too. It's nice to see that they went back to the original Oz book and brought out some things from that.

Broadway Bulldog, I have to agree with you. As I had the parade on today, I suddenly realized that not only are the floats and balloons subsidized by various organizations, NBC was taking the opportunity to plug some of its tv shows. It's very sad.

Did love seeing that BFO segment though... As for whether or not Hugh was there, some people I've talked to seem to think that was his understudy John... the last name escapes me. Updated On: 11/27/03 at 05:21 PM

[lensman55]

Posted: 11/27/03 at 5:23pm

I went to the parade once.

The problem's weren't theirs, but they were real.

There was a temperature inversion that day and all the balloons were dragging. (Snoopy almost fell on me.) Really terrible watching the balloons being dragged around the block.

There was a guy trying to push his way through the crowd. Pretty much everybody united against this guy; "Hey, you want a better seat? Get here earlier." and finally we called a policeman over who's response was; "Alright, let's gets this guy out here in front then he'll stop bothering you." After the officer left the guy turned back to the crowd and said; "Paul, Bob! I got a good spot! C'mon over here!"

You're obviously a band guy, which I can respect. But I liked the show as it was.

[MusicMan]

Posted: 11/27/03 at 5:36pm

LSOH--horribly oversung--fire the un-musical director!

WICKED--dreadful song, boring--the costumes were impressive

THE BOY FROM OZ---The kid's pizazz didnt' translate to TV--works much better in the theater

[lensman55]

Posted: 11/27/03 at 5:36pm

>Broadway Bulldog, I have to agree with you. As I had the >parade on today, I suddenly realized that not only are the >floats and balloons subsidized by various organizations, NBC >was taking the opportunity to plug some of its tv shows. It's >very sad.

I have a post on seeing the parade live. Won't do it again. (Don't live in NYC anymore so it's moot.) However, I do agree on the blatent plugging of the shows. The cast on the float was enough, interviewing them wasn't necessary.

[lensman55]

Posted: 11/27/03 at 5:41pm

>LSOH--horribly oversung--fire the un-musical director!

Enjoyed it. The girls seemed to have more "street attitude" than in the movie.

WICKED--dreadful song, boring--the costumes were impressive

Haven't heard the entire score. But I didn't think the song sucked. Must have been interesting for the "mundanes" out there to realize the Glinda and the Witch were friends. (Although I don't think they were "that close" as friends in the book, Wicked.)

THE BOY FROM OZ---The kid's pizazz didnt' translate to TV--works much better in the theater

I thought it worked fine, I didn't have anything to compare it to. TV never translates as well as live performance, that's why magic shows don't work as well as they should.

[BillyLawlor]

Posted: 11/27/03 at 7:31pm

I do agree that Little Shop WAS extremely oversung. The harmonies were shrieked and loud, and THAT didn't translate well to TV. In the theater, the Urchins were right on. I don't know what is was exactly. I felt the same about "Suddenly Seymour". The Urchins' backround singing was un-necessary and loud.

[eandan]

Posted: 11/27/03 at 7:45pm

To Download the Little Shop of Horrors video clip from the Thanksgiving Parade go to:
http://www.littleshopofhorrors.co.nr

Go to the "Download of the Week" Section

[KChenowethfan]

Posted: 11/28/03 at 11:12am

Kristin did not wear the yellow dress because she is getting over being sick and that dress is not the warmest thing in the world. They did have the glasses on but only for a brief moment or two.