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Post by karloscar on Oct 31, 2023 11:57:59 GMT
It's all too contrived and none of the parties involved are good enough at making it seem genuine. (There again it's no worse than the faux shock of Cowell &co unexpectedly discovering Subo or whoever as if they hadn't been through many rounds of auditions before they get near a camera). It would be more difficult and expensive to do, but a genuine fly on the wall rehearsal room experience of how they create and develop songs and scenes to performance standard would give a much better idea of the candidate's abilities, and would probably have more drama than this staged nonsense.
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Post by karloscar on Oct 30, 2023 23:21:22 GMT
Writer Joe Keenan's memory of working with Perry on a script for the revival of The Odd Couple was quite moving. When they struggled to come up with new ideas, Keenan suggested that taking a solitary walk was a good way to clear the mind, to which Matthew replied "there's no way I could ever do that." Sad.
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Post by karloscar on Oct 30, 2023 1:51:45 GMT
Yes he had other heath issues too and those all add up. Plus he was a long time smoker which wouldn't help him healthwise. I hadn't heard he'd mentioned possibly being on "borrowed time" so thanks to Karloscar for pointing it out. There are some people who lived chaotic and hedonistic lifestyles or have mental health issues and seem quite "fragile" who if they do sadly pass you we aren't surprised. But I wouldn't have had Matthew in that group. It wasn't as explicit as saying he was on borrowed time, but summing up his achievements and what he hoped to be remembered for hinted that he wasn't really looking to the future with great optimism.
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Post by karloscar on Oct 29, 2023 23:01:40 GMT
It's incredibly sad, but not unexpected either. Even being clean for a few years, all the years of addiction and the numerous health scares he endured must have taken their toll on his body. The final chapters of his autobiography seemed to recognise that he might be living on borrowed time. Some memorable roles and an iconic comic character that defined an era is quite a legacy, along with the help he provided to others dealing with addiction.
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Post by karloscar on Oct 29, 2023 12:04:31 GMT
Well the lyric to Sunset Buuullevard is not Don Black's strongest work by any stretch of the imagination. Most of it is utter drivel to fill the endless five syllable phrases, and having the "bull" as the most prominently stressed part of the title is most unfortunate when it's the Sunset that ought to evoke any meaningful imagery. Just as well nobody's listening. Some places look great with the glow of sunset on them, and soberingly dull in the morning. Joe strips Sunset of the glow he doesn't believe in anymore. "Sunset" gets replaced with (in this order) 'twisting/tempting/headline/jackpot/frenzied/brutal/ruthess/lethal - Boulevard'. "Sunset" isn't the word to evoke meaningful imagery anymore, that's the point. Apart, perhaps, from when Joe says he's been taking the lady's money and "watching her sunset". Yes but even when you replace sunset with whatever adjective the musical stress is still on the 🐂, so that's the only bit you remember.
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Post by karloscar on Oct 28, 2023 23:13:57 GMT
That guy playing Joe could sing gobbledygook at the start of Act 2 as no one is listening to what he’s singing, just pointing going “we were just by that pub”. 😂 His name is Tom Francis. (I actually agree with your point, by the way, but still found it thrilling to witness.) Well the lyric to Sunset Buuullevard is not Don Black's strongest work by any stretch of the imagination. Most of it is utter drivel to fill the endless five syllable phrases, and having the "bull" as the most prominently stressed part of the title is most unfortunate when it's the Sunset that ought to evoke any meaningful imagery. Just as well nobody's listening.
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Post by karloscar on Oct 28, 2023 21:35:13 GMT
The amount of space stage door nonsense takes up on these and other theatre boards is absolutely ridiculous. Get a life people! Most performers will paste on a smile and be pleasant to you for a few seconds,but you're really just an obstacle on the way to a meal or a pint or their real friends!
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Post by karloscar on Oct 26, 2023 14:19:17 GMT
Worth watching for Jack Cutmore-Scott as Frederick, who's now a firefighter and takes after his grandfather Marty. (Another British actor doing well playing American characters on US television without them noticing he's not a native until he appears as himself on chatshows. )
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Post by karloscar on Oct 25, 2023 14:24:17 GMT
They've proved over the years that nobody is irreplaceable. Lauren and Nikita and Vito have really come to the fore this series, and next year it'll be someone else. Maybe it's wise to go out on a high, if other opportunities are forthcoming, and all dancers are aware that they have a limited amount of time at the top of their field even if they avoid injury, so they need to plan ahead.
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Post by karloscar on Oct 25, 2023 10:16:53 GMT
Can someone explain which lines were changed during I'm Still Here? I'm baffled as to why they did this She sings the original set of lyrics until "Amos 'n' Andy / Mah-jongg and platinum hair / And I'm here". Then she starts singing lyrics from the Shirley MacLaine version: 10 years of braces, voice & tap Touring in places off the map Giving auditions on zanick's lap. Never fear. My mother drew up the contract, So I'm here. I've done commercials & club dates & talk shows. Gee, that was fun and a half. When you've done commercials & club dates & talk shows Anything else is a laugh! And then goes back to the original version from "I've been through Reno etc" to the end. The Shirley MacLaine lines replace the original: I've stood on bread lines with the best Watched while the headlines did the rest In the depression was I depressed? Nowhere near, I met a big financier and I'm here I've gotten through Herbert and J. Edgar Hoover Gee, that was fun and a half When you've been through Herbert and J. Edgar Hoover Anything else is a laugh Bonnie said on Front Row that the lyric that Sondheim rewrote for Shirley McLaine (as Debbie Reynolds) chimed more with her own experience as a dancer and child star, so they decided to use that as a means of personalizing the song without adding stuff that Sondheim didn't write. (Whether it's successful is of course up for debate.)
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Post by karloscar on Oct 24, 2023 15:56:08 GMT
Nevermind all the backstage drama, how do you do a Charleston to the theme from Murder She Wrote? I forsee lots of faffing around with a typewriter and Angela/Jessica and Kai finding Neil Jones guilty of upstaging them to death at the end.
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Post by karloscar on Oct 21, 2023 21:35:52 GMT
The highlight of the night was Vito trying to explain his fragolina ( I thought it was a strawberry liqueur, but I prefer his version) and almost losing a tooth due to over excitement. Eddie or Zara to go, though I probably hated Adam and Luba's dance more. How could the judges even see what they were doing when it was all directed at the camera far downstage of them?
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Post by karloscar on Oct 21, 2023 17:05:07 GMT
Such a great loss of a tremendous talent. I saw her in City of Angels and of course she stole the show surrounded by a terrific cast. When Billy Elliot opened she made you forget Julie Walters had ever been Mrs Wilkinson, no easy task at the time. There have been some lovely tributes online, Ian McKellen remembering dancing with her for days in the finale of Beauty and the Beast, and Lauren Molina's Instagram (lomo212) has some lovely pics and memories of the production of A Little Night Music they did together.
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Post by karloscar on Oct 20, 2023 21:09:04 GMT
Get ready for ten more minutes of Tess and Clod desperately trying to fill the Giomanda gap. Just show Vito and Nikita's dance again. Pleasure rather than pain!
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Post by karloscar on Oct 19, 2023 22:57:13 GMT
If people can go commando and still do up their trouser zips then they're not going to worry about a few chest hairs. Button flies on jeans and casual trousers are preferable when going commando. I'd usually wear underwear with a suit or dress trousers unless trying to fulfill someone's Mapplethorpe fantasies. Big no to zips on polo shirts though, and single chest pocket on t-shirts. I mean, WHY?
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Post by karloscar on Oct 19, 2023 11:40:29 GMT
You just know that if it did transfer to London they'd half the size of the orchestra which totally defeats any reason for doing it.
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Madonna!
Oct 16, 2023 1:18:34 GMT
via mobile
Post by karloscar on Oct 16, 2023 1:18:34 GMT
So the only actual live music is her awkwardly strumming a few guitar chords under the most hellish version of I Will Survive you'll ever hear (and that includes my aunty Vera after a few too many bevvies at the karaoke. ) ? Oh, and one of her kids tinkling on the piano for a song nobody remembers. Fab!
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Post by karloscar on Oct 15, 2023 16:06:14 GMT
I'm pretty sure if Ellie and Vito had closed the show rather than opening it, the judges would have awarded at least another point each. The amount of content and level of difficulty was far higher than many who came after her and scored the same or more. Hopefully enough of the audience were sufficiently annoyed to send her through to next week.
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Post by karloscar on Oct 14, 2023 21:32:24 GMT
Is slapping your partner on the ass now an acceptable means of expressing satisfaction at their performance?
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Post by karloscar on Oct 9, 2023 20:51:38 GMT
With Jimmy Saville on the BBC and The Yorkshire Ripper on ITV, they're really stretching 70s nostalgia to the limits this evening!
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Post by karloscar on Oct 9, 2023 16:54:59 GMT
It seems to be any excuse for a headline at the moment. Plenty other male pros and celebrities have rehearsed in lycra without comment being passed. None of these sequences are shown live, so it's the production team that's at fault if they choose to show anything less than"appropriate for family viewing".
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Post by karloscar on Oct 8, 2023 7:20:55 GMT
The amount of hours training and rehearsal the professionals have to put in as well as countless media appearances and publicity compared to the judges' undemanding schedule means they're on a pretty poor hourly rate comparatively speaking.
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Post by karloscar on Oct 8, 2023 0:32:59 GMT
Layton may not be a drag performer but he made clear in interviews before the show began that he wanted the costumes to reflect the fact that he tends to be quite fluid in his choice of clothing rather than conforming to gender stereotypes. Having said that, the choices made for Rizzo were less than satisfactory, the skirt seemed too long and the wig and makeup didn't provide a flattering look. John and Johannes would quite often switch between leading and following within one dance without any apparent problems, in fact it was one of the things that made their routines interesting. I can't see any reason why that couldn't work for Nikita and Layton too, although they do have a different dynamic.
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Post by karloscar on Oct 7, 2023 22:42:57 GMT
It's funny that those having a hissy fit online about Layton dancing in feminine attire failed to notice that both Katya and Luba were in drag too! Luba even had a moustache! Less annoying than previous movie weeks where the costumes and concepts can lead to a dip in dance quality. Angela and Carlos did brilliantly though the routine did borrow heavily from the Gwen Verdon original. Ellie and Vito seem to be the most consistent performers so far, always coming up with imaginative routines that merit rewatching.
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Post by karloscar on Oct 7, 2023 13:07:43 GMT
Her reaction to what it felt like to reach a century is priceless. "It really doesn't matter to me, when I look great for every age." It's almost as good as her reaction to her first husband running off with Dirk Bogarde: "Quite frankly, I was glad to be rid of him!"
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Post by karloscar on Oct 7, 2023 7:33:01 GMT
While I'm sure some people do vote on a loyalty to certain couples basis, I'm sure plenty more judge it by the standard of performance on the night. Thinking that Angela's votes once gone might transfer en masse to Annabelle (or someone else) after elimination simply because of age makes no sense to me at all. Different performers are appealing for very different reasons, and viewers' reactions likely to be far more scattershot than that. That's the impression I get from the various forums on the night. (I'm sure there are just as many viewers who (like me) enjoy the show but really can't be arsed to register to vote and aren't invested enough to try to influence the results.)
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Post by karloscar on Oct 3, 2023 23:54:36 GMT
I LOVED this so much! A uniquely brilliant show! It is a thrillingly theatrical piece about the power of the camera, and the power of the spotlight, about what it takes to be a star and what it means to lose it. Nicole Scherzinger and Tom Francis are fabulous! Spoilers follow. . . All a bit pretentious and onanistic. Makes me want to see it even less!
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Post by karloscar on Oct 3, 2023 20:02:07 GMT
If they were going to have a Disney Pixar movie for Ellie and Vito they should've gone for Luca! Vito in a little yellow vest and shorts would be a dead ringer for Alberto and Ellie could be Giulia if she didn't fancy being Luca.
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Post by karloscar on Oct 2, 2023 11:55:06 GMT
I feel bad for Les because he seems like a genuinely nice guy and usually the comedy ones get a few weeks of votes for the laughs. I hate that Layton is getting hate comments online, but I disagree with some people saying ‘you didn’t complain when [celeb-with-musical-experience] was in it’ - because this discourse DOES happen every year to some extent. Layton is amazing, but he is so good that there is essentially no competition, you could easily mistake his dances as just two professionals and it’s only week 2. Imo Strictly is all about non-dancing celebrities learning to dance - while there will be those who have danced in the past (stage performers tend to have at least some experience), Layton is seriously on another level and while that’s brilliant for him it does feel unfair. Les must have known what he was signing up for but I guess there's a big difference between rehearsing and doing a feature role in a musical and the intensity of the Strictly schedule. His movement was so laboured and awkward it looked painful. I guess the audience clicked that watching him suffer would be less than entertaining.
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Post by karloscar on Sept 29, 2023 11:44:36 GMT
Point taken about Lansbury, though I don't think she has a singer's voice, meaning she would not have had a career only as a singer, I think. Now, as an actress and a singer, that was something. I agree Lansbury would have been less likely to succeed in a career only as a singer. She could have done a lot of cabaret though I imagine or solo concerts in the spirit of Barbara Cook, an arguably better singer. And she periodically did concert performances with major orchestras or choirs. But she was a far better singer than many "actors who could sing" that have been cast in Sondheim productions. When I see old YouTube videos of Lansbury as Mame and Rose, I'm always reminded of just how much she could belt. Rose: You've got to remember that a lot of Lansbury's singing was also done in character which is quite deliberately unflattering to her voice. If you listen to her singing Kiss Her Now from Dream World which shows her range at the height of her abilities it's quite remarkable the amount of power and emotion that comes across. If she'd ever gone into the studio with the right producer/arranger and material she could've surprised everyone.
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