Thanksgiving Day Parade - What did you think of what you saw?- Page 2

[Joshua488]

Posted: 11/27/04 at 6:03pm

I'm surprised that so many people are taken aback by the lipsynching. Every year, all the performances on the parade are lipsynched. Since they are traveling, they can't really have all the microphones, speakers, in-ear monitors and such working. So, don't be surprised next time! They are always lipsynching!

[bdwybelle]

Posted: 11/27/04 at 6:11pm

I agree I don't think its a big deal that they were lipsynching. Its really hard to sing while moving, and then when you're outside with all the other noise. We all know that they sing it during their actual shows, I don't think it matters.

[kudzu]

Posted: 11/27/04 at 8:43pm

You're very lucky to have had such awesome high school talent shows

[jonartdesigns]

Posted: 11/27/04 at 9:27pm

i went with my mom's opinion on brooke's performance (she's not jaded about this stuff), she saw donna on the tonys doing the same number, her comment was "wait a minute isn't this the number that the way too old woman did so oddly on the awards show?, this way's better"

[PennyLou]

Posted: 11/27/04 at 11:23pm

Yea it was awesome, if you are into group chaos and lack of choreography..

[jdanton2]

Posted: 11/28/04 at 10:17am

tamyra gray and "shakalaka baby" was incredible .WOW!!!!

[bdwybelle]

Posted: 11/28/04 at 1:49pm

I don't want to start a debate about this, but I just want to say that I don't think Donna Murphy is "way too old".
I also don't think it should matter that Donna Murphy is older than Brooke Shields. The talent overrides the age. The age difference is only 7 years. The difference is that Brooke Shields was a model and Donna Murphy is a stage actress. Updated On: 11/28/04 at 01:49 PM

[Mister Matt]

Posted: 11/29/04 at 12:41pm

I enjoyed the music for All Shook Up more than Good Vibrations, but the choreography for Good Vibrations, which was at best ok, was far superior. What I saw of the All Shook Up choreography completely lacked energy, athleticism, imagination, and vibrancy. It was way too simplistic given the music and period of the show and came off more as movement for non-dancers at a community theatre.

And who was that performing Shakalaka Baby in Bombay Dreams? That was AWFUL! There was no personality or charisma (of which Ayesha Dharker had LOADS) and I somehow don't believe there is a lot of R&B stylings in Hindi pop music. American Idolizing scores which are written stylistically to serve the setting does not work. At all. What's next? Clay Aiken starts riffing Music of the Night in Phantom? It's not the shows that are bringing Broadway down. It's the knuckle-headed stunt casting and lack of direction regarding replacements.

Brooke Shields made me want to see Wonderful Town. Previously, I had been indifferent to this production, but I was more impressed with her in the parade clip than Donna Murphy at the Tonys. Donna's vocal performance of Swing was too good to be believable in the story. Brooke's take is much more character appropriate.

[GirlfriendFromCanada]

Posted: 11/29/04 at 2:27pm

I only watched NBC.

All Shook Up was really fun, but I suppose that's partially because I've already seen it and had a great time. It wasn't as energetic and exciting as it was on stage, but it was cool to see the difference in Chad (motorcycle guy) when not being played by Manley Pope. Believe it or not, there's already a notable increase in depth! Also, more believable as hot (though again, what's with the blond?).

Good Vibrations was also fun. I think the choreography was a little weird, but we also have to remember they just started performing as a cast that week. So there's probably quite a few changes to be made. I definitely want to see it though, because I love The Beach Boys.

Bombay Dreams was... ok. I have no desire to see it.

And I still do want to see Wonderful Town, even though I'd rather have seen Donna Murphy. That's the only number I know from the show, but I like it. Even though it's a little weird.

[dididda]

Posted: 11/29/04 at 3:21pm

good vibrations made me want to kill myself- almost

loved rod/ john tartaglia to death.

bombay dreams: i love her voice, but not with that part or that show.

i missed fiddler, producers, brooklyn and all shook up

i thought it could not get worse after the silly little good vibrations. but it did- not with a b'way show but with the barbie number. hahaahah, that made me laugh for the longest time.

to me the highlight was wonderful town. based on parade performences only, i would see that over any of the others i saw

although i was sad to have missed fiddler and all shook up

[kudzu]

Posted: 11/29/04 at 3:30pm

"good vibrations made me want to kill myself- almost"

That seems a little over dramatic, I'm curious what you think was SO bad?

[taboo17]

Posted: 12/1/04 at 8:10pm

I went to the last part of the Parade with my Dad who was visiting from Pa. I taped the NBC coverage. My favorite part - Watching Raul Esparza wave to us from the "Chitty Chitty Bang Bang" car. Surprise. Surprise.

[Born2cthelightsofbway]

Posted: 12/1/04 at 8:18pm

To be honest, I was not impressed with what I saw from All shook, and good vibrations. I thought that the woman who started in all shook up was really blah, and i although the guy singing as elvis was good, elvis was never a blonde! he had light blonde hair at one point but then he died it black; The guy who sang in good vibrations did not have a good voice and the cali girl could not dance. and please dont bash me for my opinions, remember everyone has their own opinion.

[DottieD'Luscia]

Posted: 12/1/04 at 8:21pm

People mention "Brooklyn" but I don't remember seeing it during the parade telecast.

What's more bothersome than the lip synching is the stupid "cheering" track that NBC plays every year!!! You hear people cheering and then look at the audience on TV and they're not doing anything!!!

[Born2cthelightsofbway]

Posted: 12/1/04 at 8:32pm

Brooklyn was on ch. 2, they actually performed it live in Brooklyn. They were really great, eden esponosa(sorry bout the spelling) was amazing. She has such a good voice.

[Swiftynifty15]

Posted: 12/1/04 at 8:48pm

Brooklyn was lipsyncing I think. It sounded the exact same as the websites. That was a little let down

[kudzu]

Posted: 12/2/04 at 11:33am

"To be honest, I was not impressed with what I saw from All shook, and good vibrations. I thought that the woman who started in all shook up was really blah, and i although the guy singing as elvis was good, elvis was never a blonde! he had light blonde hair at one point but then he died it black; The guy who sang in good vibrations did not have a good voice and the cali girl could not dance. and please dont bash me for my opinions, remember everyone has their own opinion."

No bashing, but I totaly disagree, The guy singing in Good Vibrations has a great voice and definetly had the lipsyncing down. The dancing was awesome. As for the guy in All Shook UP being blond, I don't think he supposed to BE Elvis. All Shook up and Good Vibrations aren't about the performers of the original songs, they are just using the songs in the story line of the shows. It's good they made him blond so he can be seen as his character and not Elvis. I didn't like his voice as well as the G.V lead, he was good, just not as good.

[EverythingIsRENT]

Posted: 12/2/04 at 11:43am

hmm, I don 't know why I didn 't give my opinion o nthe other Parade threads, but, I was entertained by most of the performances. Shakalaka Baby has been stuck in my head now!! And Tamyra was beautiful Cheyenne is amazing of course but the blonde hair is bad. The Brooklyn song was great,k even if the show isn't.

By far the WORST performance was Wonderful Town. That song makes no sense!!!! "Gesuindheit! Thank you. You're Welcome!" Possibly the worst lyrics ever sung on Broadway. Ugh. Other than that I LOVED the Parade!

[Mister Matt]

Posted: 12/2/04 at 1:59pm

"By far the WORST performance was Wonderful Town. That song makes no sense!!!! "Gesuindheit! Thank you. You're Welcome!" Possibly the worst lyrics ever sung on Broadway. Ugh. Other than that I LOVED the Parade!"

The song is about the hep slang of the jazz cats of the 30s (and beat poetry, which hit its peak in the 50s when the show was actually written) for which Greenwich Village was famous at the time. Ruth doesn't really know much about the hep cat culture scene and is trying to fit in while promoting a jazz club by imitating their slang. She is supposed to sound somewhat silly and awkward, but starts to catch on as the song goes along (which is why I found Donna's vocal gymnastics unconvincing in this number). Putting the scene in context, the lyrics are actually brilliantly written and the long "beat" sequence is actually quite amazing.

[Plum]

Posted: 12/2/04 at 2:48pm

Just sayin'...I don't think it's a horrible insult to a Broadway performer that he can't lip-synch. In fact, I'd find it more alarming if they looked like they had a lot of practice at it.

[bdwybelle]

Posted: 12/2/04 at 6:30pm

I like the song 'Swing'. I didn't really enjoy it with Brooke Shields, because I saw Wonderful Town with Donna Murphy and liked the way she did it better. Just my opinion.

[grownupgroupie]

Posted: 12/2/04 at 6:37pm

They all lip-synch in the parades. ALL of them.

Belle, I've seen some of your posts and thought I'd give you my $0.02--beyond what I've responded to on previous threads. I actually understood the lyrics BETTER with Brooke than Donna. I have the OCR with Donna and I still understood what Ruth says in "Swing" better live with Brooke. No one will argue that Brooke is a great singer, but she's fine and I think the spirit of her Ruth is a lot closer to what Roz Russell did. And I don't mean to take anything away from what Donna did, because she was simply stellar....but I don't think enjoying one doesn't mean you can't give the other a chance and perhaps appreciate it as well? I was SO pleasantly surprised by Brooke, that's all.

[bdwybelle]

Posted: 12/2/04 at 6:44pm

I'm sorry that I made you feel as if I didn't care about your opinion. I truly do respect your opinion. I like Brooke Shields and I really am excited about seeing her in Wonderful Town. I just am sad that Donna Murphy left so soon. I think that Brooke did a good job, and I agree that I could understand her better during that song than with Donna Murphy. I had just heard really great things about Brooke and then when I saw the parade, I wasn't exactly disappointed, just a little shocked. I'm sure that I will like it once in context. Swing is a very odd song, and I'm sure if I had seen it with Donna Murphy out of context before I had seen the show, I would have been confused.
I'm sorry that I made you feel like I don't care. Because I do, it just sounds like I don't because there are very few people who still defend Donna Murphy, so I do it a lot. Again, I'm sorry.

[Ruth Sherwood]

Posted: 12/2/04 at 6:50pm

I didn't catch Brooke on the parade, so I cannot comment on her performance. However, as for Donna being to old for the role- Roz Russell was Donna's age when she played the role.

Thank you Mister Matt for explaining that the lyrics to "Swing" really do make sense. As a matter of fact, "hairbreadth Harry" was a comic strip character that Betty Comden read when she was a kid.

[bdwybelle]

Posted: 12/2/04 at 6:53pm

I would just like to add that seeing Brooke Shields play Ruth was a different experience. Its just a different kind of Ruth to me. Thats all.