Thanksgiving Parade Performances
Thanksgiving Parade Performances
Broadway Legend Joined: 12/13/06
Thanksgiving Parade Performances#1
Posted: 11/22/12 at 10:35am
I did not really care for ELF, but NICE WORK and ANNIE were good. CINDERELLA's on now... really liking it.
Updated On: 11/22/12 at 10:35 AM
Thanksgiving Parade Performances#2
Posted: 11/22/12 at 10:54am
ELF chose a good number to perform. Buddy had absolutely no energy at the end of the number and the TV cameras picked up on it: there was a half-ass kick in the choreo, and a half-ass smile on the button.
NICE WORK looked boring on TV. Ensemble was great, and Kelli has so much zest, I love her, but she and Matthew doing S'Wonderful is not exciting enough to keep one's attention in the excitement of the parade. It's hard to take in the energy of thousands of people then suddenly focus in on just two.
ANNIE was the most successful number. That performance will sell some tickets. It was smartly crafted and despite the director not landing some camera cutaways, it was still successful.
CINDERELLA was also successful, and the camera angles blended with the choreography to make some LOVELY pictures. Wish the prince's costume made him look more princely. When he was revealed, I thought maybe it was an ensemble member stepping in for the prince (thinking maybe something off-camera happened causing him not to go on).
BRING IT ON had so much going on, it was difficult to focus on each moment. That poor director who had to keep up! Love the show, and still had fun, but wish they would have done one of the cheer routine numbers instead.
Anyone see ONCE or NEWSIES?
--Aristotle
Thanksgiving Parade Performances#2
Posted: 11/22/12 at 11:14am
Once and Newsies were both prerecorded (I believe) and were in their theatres, which creates quite a different environment. To be honest though, it was far more conducive to showcasing their respective shows, vocals, choreography, etc.
Both were well done.
Thanksgiving Parade Performances#3
Posted: 11/22/12 at 11:18amI am really digging the design for Victoria Clark's Fairy Godmother.
Thanksgiving Parade Performances#4
Posted: 11/22/12 at 11:23amDid you catch Matt Lauer's intro of "Nice Work.." "Singing S Wonderful..." :)
Thanksgiving Parade Performances#5
Posted: 11/22/12 at 11:28amS - Wonderful.... I had to laugh! Just proves that Lauer's generation (and younger) don't know the Gershwin repertoire!
Cast albums are NOT "soundtracks."
Live theatre does not use a "soundtrack." If it did, it wouldn't be live theatre!
I host a weekly one-hour radio program featuring cast album selections as well as songs by cabaret, jazz and theatre artists. The program, FRONT ROW CENTRE is heard Sundays 9 to 10 am and also Saturdays from 8 to 9 am (eastern times) on www.proudfm.com
Thanksgiving Parade Performances#6
Posted: 11/22/12 at 11:29am
Loved the Cinderella number. Victoria looked and sounded terrific, so did Laura and the cast. I have a feeling this show is going to do really well.
Nice Work ... Matthew looked so restrained and cautious. Blah. He's uncomfortable to watch.
Annie -- I enjoyed the number, but that wig looks really bad on Annie. It's not doing her any favors. She looks like a mushroom. The cast was appealing though. I really like this Daddy Warbucks.
Bring It On -- seemed like this number was trying to be too many things. "Street" and "squeaky clean." Suffering from an awkward identity crisis. I enjoyed it enough, and it worked really well in this parade environment.
blocked: logan2, Diamonds3, Hamilton22
Thanksgiving Parade Performances#7
Posted: 11/22/12 at 11:30am
frontrowcentre---"S. Wonderful" as spoken by Matt Lauer.
Jesus, Matt.
blocked: logan2, Diamonds3, Hamilton22
Broadway Legend Joined: 6/28/07
Thanksgiving Parade Performances#8
Posted: 11/22/12 at 11:47am'Cinderella' was very good. I really do want to see it this spring. But as I mentioned earlier I was not crazy about the crown on Laura's head. It really did look like the one the White Witch wears in the 'The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe'. I would perfer to see her wear a traditional crown/tiara.
Broadway Star Joined: 7/14/10
Thanksgiving Parade Performances#9
Posted: 11/22/12 at 11:48am
I did a double-take when I heard S. Wonderful. I just shook my head and chuckled.
Cinderella looks like it's going to be fantastic. We still need to wait and hear what the book is going to be.
Thanksgiving Parade Performances#10
Posted: 11/22/12 at 11:51am
I don't think Nice Work needs TV to be boring. 
Broadway Star Joined: 11/9/10
Thanksgiving Parade Performances#11
Posted: 11/22/12 at 12:10pm
If anyone is interested, here is a video of the cast and creative teams explaining the additions, etc to the book of Cinderella.
http://www.cinderellaonbroadway.com/lookandlisten
Thanksgiving Parade Performances#12
Posted: 11/22/12 at 1:06pm
ANNIE and CINDERELLA gave the best performances on the parade today. Both story driven and will clearly sell tickets :)
WHY did Macys choose to let ELF do another performance over "A XMAS STORY"... Mistake I think... boring.
Nice Work's dancers were fantastic, then it died when Matthew and Kelli came out...
Bring it on I thought was great too, too bad they are closing and people really didnt give this show a chance... The choreography those kids do in that show is amazing. The show is so fun...
Rockettes looked stunning.
Thanksgiving Parade Performances#13
Posted: 11/22/12 at 1:22pm
Are the expanding the role of the God Mother?
Broadway Legend Joined: 1/23/08
Thanksgiving Parade Performances#14
Posted: 11/22/12 at 1:33pm
"Are the expanding the role of the God Mother?"
Yep! And, just like the original French version, the younger stepsister will be nicer than the elder.
Thanksgiving Parade Performances#15
Posted: 11/22/12 at 1:47pm
Thanks for sharing those videos on the Cinderella website, Jovie. Really interesting. I am SO excited for this production.
And I thought the performance this morning was magical. Victoria and Laura looked and sounded beautiful, great choreo, and loved the way it was shot.
Broadway Legend Joined: 4/10/04
Thanksgiving Parade Performances#16
Posted: 11/22/12 at 2:02pm
This was my favorite
Thanksgiving Parade Performances#17
Posted: 11/22/12 at 2:05pmLike the performance but sorry, I find the costumes hideous! Nothing magical about them.
Understudy Joined: 4/8/12
Thanksgiving Parade Performances#18
Posted: 11/22/12 at 3:33pm
"Nice Work's dancers were fantastic, then it died when Matthew and Kelli came out..."
Matthew would look so much better if he lost 20 pounds. Right now he looks like a fat little kid, and it takes so much away from the whole image.
Broadway Legend Joined: 4/10/04
Thanksgiving Parade Performances#19
Posted: 11/22/12 at 4:38pm
Is there any reason for Buddy, the Elf, to be so.... large?
I thought Victoria Clark looked washed out. And that dress...
Price Charming couldn't have been more plain looking.
Thanksgiving Parade Performances#20
Posted: 11/22/12 at 4:43pm
Oh My God, (I'm old school no OMG for me) I laughed my ass of at Matt Laurer, introducing the cast of "Nice Work" and their, apparently, Spanish version of the Gershwin hit, "Ess Wonderful."
That's simply embarrassing.
Broadway Star Joined: 5/17/07
Thanksgiving Parade Performances#22
Posted: 11/22/12 at 5:37pmI thought all of the NBC performances were equally good this year; the first half of the "Nice Work" performance was great, all that energy in the dancing(the second half...meh). And I cringed when Matt said S Wonderful.
Broadway Legend Joined: 6/5/09
Thanksgiving Parade Performances#23
Posted: 11/22/12 at 9:23pm
I thought the Annie number came off best. The Elf song was just bad. Bring It On's song sounded better than it did in the theatre. Nice Work was ok. I found the costumes in Cinderella to be quite ugly, and the Fairy Godmother's dress perfectly hideous. Luckily they didn't mess with the music.
I gratefully missed the number from Once.
Thanksgiving Parade Performances#24
Posted: 11/22/12 at 9:36pm
The 'Ess Wonderful' gaffe reminded me of the moment in 'Glee' when the musically clueless high school principal referred to Ke$ha as 'Ke Dollar Sign Ha'.
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