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Music Videos: Paula Abdul, Janet Jackson, Jennifer Lopez and Movie Musical Homages

Alyx Vesey — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 01:35:09 +0000

Jennifer Lopez as Jennifer Beals as Alex Owens; image courtesy of vh1.com

After last night’s assessment of Nine, I’ve still got screen musical adaptations on the brain tonight. So I thought I’d draw our attention to one more, and add music video that references screen musical stars from the genre’s golden era, and another that recreates an 80s blockbuster many believe to be a screen musical of sorts (and whose protagonist shares a version of my namesake).

If you want to note that all three of the artists are women of color and international pop sensations praised for their dancing and maligned for their limited vocal ranges, gold stars for you. If you want to weep over the slurred, siliconed mess Paula has become and hope that Glee does an all-Janet episode, shake your fists at FOX. If you want to posit what it means that these movies seem to have influenced the performers and may tap into their dance training and on-screen personae, let’s chat in the comments section.

First up is an oldie but a goodie from my youth. While I hadn’t seen Bob Fosse’s All That Jazz when Paula Abdul’s “Cold Hearted” started its rotation on MTV, it’s pretty clear that its takes its from the movie’s ”Take Off With Us” section. As if the direct mention wasn’t enough in the clip’s introduction, let’s compare the two. Warning: contents hot, and sexy.

Paula Abdul
“Cold Hearted”
Forever Your Girl
Directed by David Fincher

And here’s the source material, created by a director and choreographer who seems to have gotten women like Abdul, Madonna, and The Pussycat Dolls dancing (the last act going so far as to take cues from Sweet Charity’s “Hey Big Spender“ for “Buttons“). Also, something tells me warm nuts are served on this plane. (Rimshot) Acid probably is too.

The next one is also from my youth, released at around the same time from a woman whose early video work Abdul choreographed. Janet Jackson’s “Alright” is an homage to the film musicals of Cyd Charisse, the Nicholas Brothers, and Cab Calloway. I especially love Janet in a zoot suit. Click on Ms. Jackson’s name and enjoy.

Janet Jackson
“Alright”
Rhythm Nation 1814
Directed by Julien Temple

And here are the pop star’s and music videos’ influences. The first one comes from Singin’ in the Rain, while the second one is from Stormy Weather.

Finally, we have a clip from former In Living Color fly girl and Jackson back-up dancer who makes an appearance in “That’s The Way Love Goes.” Jennifer Lopez’s “I’m Glad,” a song about her big feelings for then-boyfriend Ben Affleck, retells the entire story of Flashdance, focusing on four dance sequences from the movie, especially the climactic audition scene. Unlike the source material, which utilized two trained dancers (one male) as actress Jennifer Beals’s doubles, I believe all J.Lo does all the dancing.

Jennifer Lopez
“I’m Glad”
This Is Me . . . Then
Directed by David LaChappelle

And here are the dance sequences in question.

Actor: Fred Astaire

Robin Chalkley — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 01:28:32 +0000

Of all his dance partners, Astaire is still linked in the public mind most closely to Ginger Rogers. Uploaded by img.photobucket.com.

You’ll get a kick out of the studio’s evaluation of Fred Astaire’s initial screen test. It’s purported to have read: “Can’t act. Can’t sing. Balding. Can dance a little.” Yeah, just a little. No less a talent than Gene Kelly said, “The history of dance on film begins with Astaire.”

Fred experienced great success on Broadway in such successes as the Gershwins’ Funny Face and Cole Porter’s Gay Divorce (renamed The Gay Divorcee for film). But the world of movies and Hollywood beckoned, and he went west and appeared in his first film in 1933. He first danced with Ginger Rogers in that year’s Flying Down to Rio, and he went on to partner with her in nine more pictures.

Uploaded by users.cloud9.net.

It’s generally agreed that while Rogers wasn’t the most talented dancer of Fred’s partners, she just looked right with him. She seemed to be having the time of her life. Others he danced with, with varying degrees of success, include Eleanor Powell, Paulette Goddard, Rita Hayworth, Cyd Charisse, and Leslie Caron. One of his highest compliments was payed to Charisse. “When you dance with her,” he said, “you stay danced.”

At least two of his routines are film classics. And, though we remember Astaire most for his partner dances, these were both solos. The first is “Puttin’ on the Ritz,” from the film Blue Skies. Here, he wears his signature top hat and tails, and parodies his upcoming retirement in what was then known as “Fred Astaire’s last dance.” (He unretired two years later.) The other is his dancing on the ceiling number from Royal Wedding. Everyone loves it, so here it is for your enjoyment:

“Spettacolo di varietà”

cinemaleo — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 05:14:39 +0000

1953: The Band Wagon di Vincente Minnelli

Nell’Archivio di Rai 1 è possibile leggere: “Dal grande Vincente Minnelli una commedia garbata ed anche un po’ amara sullo show business, che si regge sul talento inarrivabile di Fred Astaire (che qui si esibisce in alcuni numeri di alta classe) e sulla bravura della seducente Cyd Charisse”.

Innumerevoli sono i commenti entusiasti di questo piccolo gioiello, uno dei più straordinari musical dell’intera storia del cinema, un capolavoro di classe, eleganza, brio, ironia… Un fiore all’occhiello della MGM che negli anni 40 e 50 divenne la maggiore produttrice del genere.

“Musical che ha lasciato un segno nella storia del genere e che costituisce una tra le più soddisfacenti prove di Fred Astaire. Bello il copione di Betty Comden a Adolph Green. Notevoli le musiche di Howard Dietz e Arthur Schwartz con coreografie di Michael Kidd. Incisiva la regia, bravissima Cyd Charisse” (il Morandini).

“E’ uno dei migliori musical che siano mai stati realizzati, elegante ed ironico, che annovera indimenticabili sequenze coreografiche… con un grande Fred Astaire e una sensuale Cyd Charisse…” (Andrea Giampietro).

“In Spettacolo di Varietà Astaire & Charisse sono accompagnati dall’avvolgente macchina da presa di Vincente Minnelli, che danza con loro creando alcuni dei numeri visivamente più smaglianti di tutta la storia del musical americano” (Bazar Website).

“The Band Wagon was the apotheosis of the backstage musical” (The Hollywood Musical).

“…a show that respectfully bids for recognition as one of the best musical film every made” (The New York Times).

Particolarmente interessante quanto possiamo leggere in “Vincente Minnelli” di Roberto Campari (Il Castoro Cinema, 1977): “The Band Wagon (Spettacolo di varietà, 1953) (è) considerato quasi unanimemente il capolavoro di Minnelli (insieme a Meet Me in Saint Louis) e uno dei migliori « musicals » mai prodotti in assoluto. Qui il regista, coadiuvato come sempre da una serie di ottimi collaboratori e sostenuto soprattutto da una intelligente sceneggiatura firmata da due specialisti del «genere», Betty Comden e Adolph Green (gli stessi di Cantando sotto la pioggia), ripropone sostanzialmente la situazione tipica del «musical» anteguerra: la nascita di uno spettacolo, con tutti i problemi che vi sono connessi, fino al giorno trionfale della prima. Piú che il «risultato» dello spettacolo (com’è ad esempio il sogno di Ziegfeld in Ziegfeld Follies), qui ha importanza ciò che gli sta dietro: le indecisioni, i contrasti, le prove, i rapporti tra i vari personaggi della compagnia.
È lo stesso schema narrativo di molti film degli anni Trenta. Anche qui, d’altra parte, lo spettacolo diventa pretesto di rappresentazione dei numeri musicali (si pensi, per avere una idea del «musical» anni Trenta, a Il Boy-Friend di Ken Russell, del 1972, che ne riprende tutti gli schemi). Minnelli naturalmente non rinuncia alla sua idea della «integrazione» dei numeri musicali nella parte narrativa, cosí che ad esempio il numero piú apprezzato dai critici (…) è la danza al Central Park tra Fred Astaire e Cyd Charisse sulla musica di «Dancing in the Dark».
L’idea, secondo noi da attribuire ad Arthur Freed, del valore dello spettacolo «leggero» (fu lui infatti, come si legge in The Films of Gene Kelly, New York 1974, a caldeggiare l’inserimento di «Be a Clown» in The Pirate), trova in Spettacolo di varietà uno sviluppo altrove sconosciuto. I toni ironici attraverso i quali è costruito il regista «intellettuale» Jeffrey Cordova (Jack Buchanan) che parte con l’intenzione di rappresentare il mito di Faust e arriva invece, finalmente, a capire la superiorità di un semplice spettacolo di musica, canzoni e balletti; o il convertirsi al modo di danzare di Fred Astaire della ballerina «classica» Gaby (Cyd Charisse) sono elementi portanti, fondamentali nell’economia del film. Minnelli ha affermato (…) che nella figura del regista sono da vedersi insieme personalità come Orson Welles, Norman Bel Geddes e Josè Ferrer, che nel periodo in cui il film fu realizzato mettevano in scena spettacoli intellettualmente pretenziosi. Ma in realtà, e lo capiremo meglio in seguito, in Cordova possiamo trovare qualcosa anche di Minnelli stesso, magari del Minnelli impegnato in altri generi ben piú «seri» del « musical ». Certo, il regista condivide la morale del film, espressa dalla canzone «That’s Entertainment» (che non a caso ha dato il titolo alla rievocazione nostalgica del «musical» MGM prodotta nel ‘74 e il cui titolo italiano è C’era una volta Hollywood) per cui, sul modello di alcuni versi di Shakespeare, l’equiparazione tra vita e spettacolo è totale. Resta però da appurare se, anche secondo lui, lo spettacolo debba essere soltanto, come dicono le parole della canzone (…) puro «divertimento», spettacolo leggero e disimpegnato che aiuta la gente «a dimenticare i suoi guai» (…)”.

scheda

premi e riconoscimenti

Appreciation Post: Fred Astaire in Smooth Criminal

André DeVeaux — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 17:51:48 +0000

I just had to post this, something fun that we can all appreciate. Now I can really see how Michael was inspired, and how he used all the past greats to inform his craft.

I absolutely love the 50s, the styling, the hair, the beauty, it’s so gentle and sophisticated which is something no other era has yet to see much of, also Cyd Charisse looks absolutely stunning. I just love it all another Fred Astaire classic.

Films featured

The Band Wagon (1953)

Daddy Long Legs (1955)

DVD Review TCM Spotlight: Esther Williams, Vol. 2

Luigi Bastardo — Sat, 24 Oct 2009 03:28:21 +0000

Order now at Amazon.com! DVD Review: TCM Spotlight – Esther Williams, Vol. 2 Originally posted

TCM Spotlight: Esther Williams, Volume 2 comes to DVD October 6

Luigi Bastardo — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 02:07:49 +0000

Order now at Amazon.com! TCM SPOTLIGHT: ESTHER WILLIAMS VOLUME 2 Six New-to-DVD “Aqua-Musicals

My First Post.

lindsayhenry — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 18:40:01 +0000

I love Cyd Charisse.

So I am adding this picture because I love Singing in the Rain all things related. I like this scene because the colors are obnoxious and parts of the background are painted in. Its different! I know I’m supposed to add things that I have done myself as well (coughJENAcough) but those will have to come later.

Zip 2: Comédies musicales

Aimée V. — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 15:05:52 +0000

Une petite filière de la comédie: les fameux musicals, genre adoré ou abhorré, victime de nombreux préjugés! Moi, j’adore une bonne comédie musicale… mais elles sont quand même rares, et j’admets que c’est très pénible quand c’est raté. La comédie musicale est un ensemble et si le scénario est faible, même de bons numéros chantants et dansants ne peuvent réussir à sauver la donne. Je vous donne mon top 3:

- Singin’ in the rain

LA comédie musicale de tous les temps. Galvaudé en raison de la fameuse scène-titre, Singin’ in the rain n’est pas qu’une comédie musicale exceptionnelle, c’est également un chef-d’oeuvre cinématographique qui trône en bonne position dans tous les décomptes des meilleurs films de tous les temps. Si vous n’aviez qu’une comédie musicale à voir durant toute votre existence, c’est celle-ci, sans aucune hésitation. Divertissement garanti.

La première originalité de Singin’ in the rain est son scénario. Le canevas “classique” de la comédie musicale hollywoodienne met en scène des personnages entertainers, qui travaillent dans des revues sur Broadway. Ce canevas permet d’intercaler un grand nombre de numéros scéniques, en plus des quelques chansons “intimes” qui viennent ponctuer l’histoire personnelle de ces personnages (habituellement une histoire d’amour). Dans Singin’ in the rain, les personnages gravitent dans le milieu du cinéma au moment où celui-ci passe du muet au parlant. Durant cette période, plusieurs vedettes ont vu leur étoile pâlir ou s’éteindre en raison d’accents, de voix fluettes, etc. Il s’ensuit une série de scènes pleines d’humour, qui valent en soi hors des numéros musicaux. Ce film est tordant.

Et cette structure solide permet de bien enchaîner des numéros qui soutiennent le récit sans avoir l’air ajoutés ou prétextés maladroitement. Ils n’agissent pas comme une colle à mise en scène! Tous les numéros sont chorégraphiés et mis en scène par Gene Kelly, la vedette du film, qui a de plus co-réalisé avec Stanley Donen (l’homme derrière Charade avec Audrey Hepburn). Alors, à mes yeux, Fred Astaire pourrait bien avoir tout le talent du monde, il n’est pas très charismatique. Alors, Gene Kelly, parlez-moi d’un homme!!!! Les numéros sont magnifiques, originaux, impressionnants… et ce qui est encore plus impressionnants, c’est qu’ils sont presque tous (à part peut-être le numéro sous la pluie) exécutés à plusieurs. Les plus fameux sont ceux où Gene Kelly danse avec Donald O’Connor en parfait synchronisme. Ils sont tout simplement hallucinants. Et, en prime, dans la dernière partie du film, une apparition d’une de mes idoles personnelles, la sublime Cyd Charisse.

- The Band Wagon

Sans être un chef-d’oeuvre filmique comme Singin’…, The Band Wagon est le type même du canon de la comédie musicale des années 50 et à mon sens, très réussie. On y retrouve le canevas que je vous ai décris plus haut, sauf que l’enchaînement des numéros scéniques demeure rigoureux et assujetti à un récit classique mais solide. C’est aussi un film très humoristique, une satire du milieu du spectacle où les effets scéniques prennent toute la place et nuisent à la qualité de l’histoire (critique cachée du modèle hollywoodien??) Je me souviens avoir ri à voix haute plusieurs fois au cours de mes visionnements. Le personnage du metteur en scène est un mégalomane épouvantable!

Les numéros musicaux décrivent donc en grande partie l’évolution du spectacle, mais ils viennent aussi ponctuer le récit en décrivant les états d’âme des personnages, comme de coutume. La scène de danse entre les 2 personnages principaux, où pas un mot n’est échangé, en dit plus sur leur amour naissant que bien des dialogues insipides. Cette scène en soi est un pur joyau. Et qui sont ces 2 protagonistes principaux? Nuls autres que Cyd Charisse et… Fred Astaire. Vous voyez, je suis quand même impartiale, je suis capable d’admettre quand j’ai tort . Mais j’ai le droit de trouver Fred moins charmant que Gene.

Or, le temps fort du film, son climax, survient vraiment lors de la finale, le grand numéro qu’ils ont peaufiné et qui est un récit policier mis en danse. J’adore cette scène, je la trouve originale et inattendue dans ce contexte. Un film qui réussit à innover dans un modèle assez balisé.

Et je veux ses souliers!

- The Court Jester

Un autre film de la même époque, mais cette fois-ci, un film familial et qui s’éloigne vraiment des scénarios habituels de comédie musicale. The Court Jester est pratiquement une farce à la Robin des Bois. Je le regardais dans mon enfance, et je dois dire qu’en tant qu’adulte, mon plaisir ne s’est pas tari (d’autant plus que maintenant, je comprends le texte des chansons qui n’ont pas été traduites dans la version française que je possédais à l’époque.) Ma mère et moi en avons tiré un adage que nous répétons encore à l’envi.

Le film est en fait un écrin pour Danny Kaye, comédien, chanteur et danseur hors pair, l’entertainer un peu à la Dick Van Dyke (Mary Poppins). Il y incarne Hawkins, un comédien très maladroit qui se retrouve dans la bande du fameux bandit Renard Noir. Mais le bandit est-il un bandit? Le Renard Noir cherche à renverser l’usurpateur du trône d’Angleterre, qui n’a pas hésité à massacrer toute la famille royale pour arriver à ses fins. Toute? Non, car le véritable héritier, un bébé (le coup d’État n’était pas très vieux) a survécu.

Hawkins sert à divertir les troupes afin qu’elles ne perdent pas le moral. Il aimerait mieux se battre lui aussi, mais comme le dit le Renard Noir (attention, adage en vue): “Chacun sert selon ses capacités.” Mais lorsque Giacomo, le fameux bouffon italien, arrive à la cour à la demande du méchant Roi, Hawkins le kidnappera pour prendre sa place et s’infiltrer dans le château. Mais il tombe dans l’oeil de la princesse Gwendolyn, dont la dame de compagnie est en fait une sorcière…

Bon, en avez-vous assez lu? Le fait est qu’il s’agit bien d’un film familial, un vrai vaudeville, mais avec un rythme soutenu et des interprètes convaincants (la princesse est une jeune Angela Lansbury. Vous savez? Elle écrit au meurtre…) Je ne sais pas si je vous convaincs, mais un jour de pluie, peut-être…

***

Il existe évidemment d’autres très bonnes comédies musicales: West Side Story, An American in Paris, Mary Poppins… Mon conseil? Allez-y avec les canons d’abord, parce que souvent, les autres sont assez ordinaires…

Le Ray d'Hollywood

anagramsci — Thu, 20 Aug 2009 18:14:23 +0000

You’d never do such a thing, of course–but if you asked me to name the ultimate product of Hollywood’s Studio Age, I’d pick Lynch’s Mulholland Dr (it’s also my favourite film). If pressed to choose a movie that was actually made during the period in question, I’d have to go with one of two very late exercises in Metrocolored auteurism (both released in 1958)–Minnelli’s Some Came Running (more on that one some time soon) or Nick Ray’s Party Girl:

There are other 1930-1960 Hollywood films that I like as much or more (Vertigo, Portrait of Jennie, Love Letters, Little Man, What Now?, Strange Cargo, Moonrise, Trouble in Paradise, The General Died at Dawn, All Quiet on the Western Front, The Front Page, The Strange Love of Martha Ivers, Duck Soup, Kings Row, Ruby Gentry, The Wedding Night, H.M. Pulham Esq., Curse of the Cat People, History is Made at Night, Possessed (1931), The Strange Woman, The Black Cat, Dracula, Freaks, Out of the Past, Murder, My Sweet, Sirk’s Imitation of Life, Easy Living, Scarlet Street, Alice Adams, Swing Time, It’s A Wonderful Life, The Narrow Margin, The Killers, You Only Live Once, You and Me, Meet John Doe, The Miracle Woman, Stage Door, The Bitter Tea of General Yen, Sullivan’s Travels, Christmas in July, Kansas City Confidential, Fallen Angel, High Sierra, The Awful Truth, The Strawberry Blonde, The Roaring Twenties, Juarez, Dark City, Rope of Sand, The Accused, The Devil and Daniel Webster, The Hunchback of Notre Dame, Talk of the Town, Thieves’ Highway, They Drive By Night, All This and Heaven Too, Dark Victory, Three Strangers, Red Dust, Mad Love, The Last Flight, Petrified Forest, Rear Window, The Maltese Falcon, Stella Dallas, Holiday, The Seventh Victim, Citizen Kane, Magnificent Ambersons, Casablanca, Three Comrades, The Shop Around the Corner, The Mortal Storm, Daisy Kenyon, Mann’s Raw Deal, Laura, Road House, Angels Over Broadway, The Lost Moment, We Are Not Alone, On the Town, Yolanda and the Thief, Meet Me in St.Louis, The Clock, Nightmare Alley, A Tree Grows In Brooklyn, Kiss of Death, Kiss Me Deadly, These Three, Wuthering Heights, Vera Cruz, Dodsworth, Shadow of a Doubt, Whale’s Waterloo Bridge, and Ray’s own They Live By Night, Bigger Than Life and In a Lonely Place, to name just a few), but none of them embody the best and worst of Tinseltown’s tendencies the way Party Girl does.

How so?

Well, consider the casting:

The leads? Two of the most hermetically-sealed mugs in the history of screen thesping. Just look at ‘em:

Forget “where’s Waldo?”–where’s the “humanity”? You can scan these pans from here to eternity without discovering a trace of method in their maskness. Does that make them ineffective performers? No way. As we’ll see, this is a “right face at the right time” scenario. But we’ll return to that…

Take a look at some of the key character players.

In one film, Ray gives us the ultimate avuncular psychopath (Lee J. Cobb):

(Messers. De Niro and De Palma clearly paid attention to this one)

The ultimate sleazoid henchman (John Ireland):

AND the ultimate pseudo-leading man (Kent Smith, in a role–the flawed crusading District Attorney– that, in many other films, would be the lead… that title’s not a knock, by the way: Smith’s ersatzness is absolutely essential to the greatness of films like Cat People and The Fountainhead):

With that group on hand, you know you’re in for gangsterism–and you definitely get a large helping of “Early thirties Chicago” here–but refried, Ray-style (Ray-fried? Ray-ified?)… All of the elements of Party Girl are recognizable to a veteran classic film viewer, but the director puts them together in unprecedentedly odd ways. It’s a gangster film, yes–with much of its generic momentum provided by a Brando-ized (and much less successful) cousin of Scarface’s Tony Camonte:

but all Hoppered up with visions of loneliness/intersubjectivity-in-crisis like these:

and Sirked way off course by a plot that’s 40% recovery-from-disability narrative:

And while your brain is slam-dancing with that dissonance, allow me to throw Cyd Charisse’s leopard-printed gams into the mix:

(I’m afraid Cyd activates my “male gaze” problem wherever she appears–and this film both encourages that mode AND calls it into question far more effectively than anything else she did at MGM… with many scenes, especially early on, that dramatize what the ravages of all of that ogling can do to a woman’s spirit… also note that Ray allows Charisse to look like exactly what she was in 1958–an absurdly beautiful woman in her mid-30s, NOT an ingenue)

The film actually kicks off as if it means to be a precursor of Verhoeven’s Showgirls (I suppose the weirdly off-base title must have something to do with this impression), and Charisse really shows us something (other than her celebrated grace) in these scenes. Vicki Gaye’s deadened pan is clearly shown to be a defensive formation against the forces of objectification. In a manner uniquely his own (although I suspect that Verhoeven learned a lot about how to deploy Elizabeth Berkley from this film… I’d love to know if he ever saw it), Ray skillfully transforms the actress’ limited range into a powerful gesture toward subjectivity. When you watch isolated scenes of this film, Charisse doesn’t seem to be giving any kind of a performance, but I defy you to watch it from beginning to end without finding something compelling in her progression.

Likewise, Robert Taylor’s weird passivity is exploited to wonderful effect in this film. Has there ever been a more diffident leading man? Alan Ladd is a bravura trouper, by comparison. The one thing Taylor can do is be stubborn, and Ray lets him flash this talent in EVERY scene. How would Melville’s Bartleby do as a gimpy mafia consigliere? Party Girl gives us the answer.

It does other things too.

Clydefro is right to draw our attention to Ray’s absolute belief in the personality-altering effects of romantic attraction (whether transient or lasting). NO ONE is better at showing people getting under each other’s skins. Even–or maybe even especially–these two manikins. The scene in the speakeasy, in which the pair stab through each others’ jaded worldviews with ice pick glances, could very well be the best of its type–leagues ahead of the kind of banter that is supposed to achieve the same ends in things like Hawks’ Big Sleep.

And the violence, when it comes stealing into the narrative (as in Cobb’s savage assault upon Jean Harlow’s photo; in the Capone-esque trophy scene shown above; in the glimpse of Vicki’s rommate’s suicide; in the “greatest hits” montage and in the finale) is absolutely jarring, in a way that it never, ever could be in a gangster film devoid of Charisse dance sequences and extended sojourns to special Swedish health institutes.

All that and a happy ending too!

Godard claimed that Ray IS cinema. I don’t know about that–but Party Girl IS Hollywood Cinema.

a bientot, les amis

Dave

TOUS EN SCÈNE de Vincente MINNELLI (1953)

Vincent Quénault — Fri, 07 Aug 2009 21:58:46 +0000

Plus de deux mois sans nouvelles… j’avoue qu’il y aurait de quoi avoir honte. Non mais quel toupet de se pointer sans prévenir au beau milieu des vacances d’été ! Et sans excuse qui plus est ! Que voulez-vous… c’est comme ça, chez moi l’envie d’écrire, ça va, ça vient. En l’occurrence, ma soif de plume s’est réveillée au beau milieu d’un voyage en train, alors que Tous en scène se terminait sur ces mots : “the world is a stage, the stage is a world of entertainment”…

Oui, on ne le répètera jamais assez : le monde est une scène, et la scène est un monde de divertissement ! C’est ce que clame haut et fort ce film qui revient aux racines de son genre (la comédie musicale) et en fait son sujet. On ne s’étonnera donc pas de voir Tous en scène en face à face dans le cœur des cinéphiles avec le cultissime Singin’ in the rain. Les deux films ont peu ou prou la même histoire, soit comment monter une comédie musicale sur pied. Ceci dit, le film de Stanley Donen et Gene Kelly se déroule à Hollywood alors que Minnelli s’en tient à New York et aux feux de Broadway. Si une vraie comparaison était à faire, on se contenterait de souligner la simplicité dont est empreint Tous en scène, le film ne prétendant rien de plus qu’à être efficace (à l’image de celle montée dans le film par le personnage de Fred Astaire). Il se trouve que par chance, c’est Vincente Minnelli qui est aux commandes. Et devinez quoi… il signe pour l’occasion son film le plus abouti !

On ne se voilera pas la face, le scénario de Tous en scène est classique à souhait : de ce point de vue, rien ne laissait présager une réussite. En revanche, les passages dansés sont parfaits en tout points. Nul n’est besoin de pousser la chansonnette pour nous clouer sur place : le numéro “Dancing in the dark” où Cyd Charisse et Fred Astaire dansent dans un coin isolé de Central Park l’illustre à merveille. Minnelli est certainement le seul à pouvoir pousser ce genre de scène à leur paroxysme. Les corps s’animent et parlent ; les mots ne servent plus à rien (dans Un américain à Paris, la séquence où Leslie Caron et Gene Kelly dansent sur les bords de Seine est tout aussi éloquente). Mais plus fort encore est le ballet final ! Car il est de tradition dans les comédies musicales hollywoodiennes de terminer sur un long passage dansé. L’occasion pour les metteurs en scène et leur chorégraphe de laisser divaguer leur esprit. Dans Un américain à Paris, aussi élégantes soient-elles, les tribulations de Gene Kelly dans un Paris fantasmé à la Toulouse-Lautrec brisaient quelque peu le rythme du film. Pour Tous en scène, Minnelli nous offre un pastiche de film de gangsters intitulé “Girl Hunt, a murder mystery in jazz”. La preuve indiscutable du talent de cinéaste (et au passage de son chorégraphe, Michael Kidd) se trouve là : imbrication parfaite des danseurs au sein du cadre dessiné par de très subtils mouvements de caméra. Le résultat est on-ne-peut-plus réjouissant.

Oui, Tous en scène et Chantons sous la pluie sont certainement ce qu’Hollywood a su produire de mieux en matière de comédie musicale dans les années 50. Et si l’on a pu dire plus haut que l’intrigue du film de Minnelli n’était pas d’un intérêt grandiloquent, notons qu’il aborde toutefois le thème de la vieillesse dans le milieu du show-biz (recyclage d’un Fred Astaire, éternelle icône sortie de Top Hat) tout en lâchant une petite critique concernant les auteurs de théâtre un peu trop avant-gardistes. Et cerise sur le gâteau : le film est drôle à souhait ! On retiendra tout particulièrement les manigances du personnage campé par Jack Buchanan, metteur en scène exubérant au possible voulant à tout prix adapter Faust en comédie musicale. Bref, force est de constater que Tous en scène est finalement de ces films idéaux qui, sans se prendre la tête, arrivent à vous en mettre plein la vue. Un délice !

THE BAND WAGON (USA, 1953) R. : Vincente Minnelli ; Sc. : Betty Comden, Adolph Green ; Ph. : Harry Jackson ; M. : Arthur Schwartz ; Ch. : Michael Kidd ; Int. : Fred Astaire (Tony Hunter), Cyd Charisse (Gabrielle Gerard), Oscar Levant (Lester Marton), Nanette Fabray (Lily Marton), Jack Buchanan (Jeffrey Cordova). Couleurs, 112mn.

So You Think You Can Dance 5.23: "Finale: Winner Announced"

marcusandstevi — Fri, 07 Aug 2009 18:58:48 +0000

The Wife:

Before we could smother this year’s incarnation of America’s Favorite Dancer with flowers half the size of his or her body, the good people at SYTYCD regaled us with two hours worth of Judges’ Favorites, retrospectives on the season and Cat Deeley’s earnest one-on-one interviews with each of our Top 4 dancers. Though the content of Cat’s interviews didn’t prove to be quite as in-depth or illuminating as last year’s (in that there was no Katee moment in which Cat asked a dancer what was going through their mind when they announced to millions of viewers that if they didn’t make this year’s Top 20, they were going to stop dancing), but everything that makes us love Cat as a host is reflected in her interviewing style. The woman actually scratched her head and, I believe, cleaned her ear with her finger during her interview with Jeanine. For someone so imminently fashionable, I admire her complete lack of vanity. And I want to be her friend. (If only so I can borrow some of her clothing, even though she strangely decided to don what appeared to be one of those “towels you can wear” to the finale.)

So . . . many . . . sparkles . . .

The evening’s dance encores started out with a retooled version of Tyce DiOrio’s “Brand New Day” Broadway routine. Why retooled? Well, you see, it was originally choreographed for the Top 10, but they decided to add 10 more dancers and make it the only time the Top 20 would appear together in the finale. At first, I didn’t notice because the camerawork focused on our Top 4. It lingered on Kayla’s barely-there spangles, Jeanine’s mane of hair and even a little bit on Melissa’s ballet segment (even though she didn’t make the Top 4). But then I saw a really tall dude in the back and I thought, “Oh my God. They let Tony Belissimo join this number.” My question is this: what was wrong with the perfectly fine Shane Sparks routine to “Boom Boom Pow” that was intended to be danced by 20 dancers? No other Shane Sparks routine was performed that night, and yet another Tyce DiOrio routine was. Shane was even there, wearing a baby blue baseball cap and some stunna shades. Granted, of the hip-hop group numbers, I actually prefer TabNap’s “Seven Nation Army,” and they later had a routine on the show. Were they trying not to overrepresent each style of dance? That couldn’t have possibly been their goal as three of the judges’ picks were contemporary routines, and Mia’s A Chorus Line routine walks the line between contemporary and Broadway, so it would have easily filled the Broadway quotient alone. I don’t know, guys. I can’t figure it out. It’s not that I dislike “Brand New Day,” or even that I thought “Boom Boom Pow” was all that spectacular (it’s no “They’re Everywhere”). It’s simply that I do not understand the decision to rechoreograph a routine to include more dancers, rather than using the one that was originally intended to be danced by that number of people.

After that, we saw several judges’ favorite routines. Shankers asked for a repeat of TabNap’s “Mad” for Jeanine and the Chbeeb, which I like just as much as I did the first time, especially the spooning (or “schnoogeying,” if you’re Cat) at the end. Debbie Allen inexplicably wanted to see Asuka and Vitolio’s Louis Van Amstel waltz to Enya’s “Dreams Are More Precious,” which I assume was chosen simply to give them something to do in the finale. I don’t love that waltz, but it was the pair’s best work together. Miss Allen was right about that.

Mary requested to see Travis Wall’s completely fabulous contemporary routine for Jeanine and Jason set to Jason Mraz’s “If It Kills Me.” Watching that piece again, I am even more impressed by Travis Wall as a choreographer and the incredible grace and athleticism of Jeanine and Jason. Every lift in this dance is superb, and those two dancers just ooze the pent-up sexual tension the dance requires. Furthermore, there was something about the camera work this time that made the use of the prop necklace seem more necessary. Maybe it was having a little extra rehearsal time, as well, because not only did the two transition the necklace between each other more smoothly, but I simply felt like those movements were intended for the prop, rather than pantomime that was filled with something. It read better this time, and now I think I was wrong to say the piece could do without the prop. Isn’t it amazing how a little extra rehearsal can change your mind?

Mia picked the evening’s second Louis Van Amstel number, proving that these routines were not chosen at all with a view to letting each choreographer shine, but of the Van Amstel pieces we got to see again, this one was hands down my favorite. She invited Max and Kayla to perform their hot-pink, fringed, Hot Tamale Train Ticketing, smokin’ hot, showstopping samba from the first performance show of the season, and it was just as marvelous as it was when I first saw it. I’m glad someone gave Max his due, because that dude partners a lady like nobody’s business. But then again, I always root for the Russian. It was a tradition started with Artem that will continue every season hence.

Your! Top! 4!

Taking a break from so the dancers could set up for their next bit, Cat screened a little producer package for the Top 4 in which they were invited to see a private screening of this year’s SYTYCD-related movie, Fame, starring Kherington Payne! And Miss Debbie Allen! It comes out Sept. 25! Go see it! After some lip service to the great Debbie Allen, who just kind of IS Fame, Debbie made her second pick for the night, the super hot club salsa number for the Top 16, choreographed by another favorite Russian of mine, season 2’s Dmitry Chaplin and TabNap. Once again, I feel the need to reiterate that there’s something about Dima’s choreography that I think is very unique among the SYTYCD choreographers. His work always feels very big and bold, and I think that’s because he understands, first and foremost, that he is choreographing a stage show for a live audience. Some of the choreographers choreograph for a competition setting first, and think about how it will look on a performance stage, being filmed for TV later. I started noticing the difference in Dima’s work with last year’s Argentine tango for Chelsie and Joshua, and it really hit me with this club salsa number. Both of those things are so amazing that they’d fit right into a stage show about Latin dancing.

Tahlia Fowler, the winner of SYTYCD Australia, was invited to perform a solo routine choreographed by our own Sonya Tayeh (marking her only routine of the night) to “Shot You Down” by Audio Bulgs. Because Sonya’s style is so strong, I can’t really say much about Tahlia’s talents except that she danced a very Sonya routine very well. Following this, Lil C chose to see Nakhul’s “Jai Ho” routine for Caitlin and Jason, but strangely insisted on pronouncing it “Jay Ho” instead of “Jai Ho.” Naturally, C insisted his pronunciation was correct, a fact about which I’m not really sure. I can see why he’d think that, as the vowels in the song are elongated, which makes you hear them not quite as they are actually pronounced (this is why so many song lyrics are misunderstood: vowel lengthening), but I am relatively certain that with my degree in linguistics and my small knowledge of how Hindi vowels work, it is indeed pronounced “jai.” (In fact, listen to a native speaker pronounce it here and totally prove Lil C wrong.)

Farewell, my lovely!

Finally, after eight routines, we were given our first taste of results. Things ended up being pretty much in line with the EW Predicitify SYTYCD game as my beloved Kayla was awarded fourth place to join the gallery of losers along with Travis, Danny and Will. America, I will never understand why you guys never latched on to this amazing dancer. I mean, she’s what you find under “girl,” “perfection,” and “star” in Mia Michaels magical cross-referencing dictionary. How can you not love a girl that’s cross-referenced? Kayla was immediately swathed in a bouquet of pink lilies and said some lovely parting words about how everyone who makes the Top 20 is a winner (except, probably, for those who don’t make the Top 10, in my opinion) that I’m sure made her dear old grandpa weep his weepy adorable man-tears. She then was practically shooed off the stage to make way for what I knew was coming from Evan’s costuming during the results line-up: Mia Michaels’ “butt dance,” chosen by Adam Shankman as his second pick of the night.

I realized during the butt dance that I think Mia and Sonya were the only two choreographers on the show who even bothered to give Evan a chance to fit into their work. I know it must be hard to envision a routine, not exactly knowing who you’re going to get (and I also have to assume that each season, the choreographers have several ideas and decide which ones to do each week when they see what dancers they’ll be working with), but the routines Evan took the hardest critiques in were always in ballroom routines, which are typically styles that are not very flexible in terms of bending to the dancers performing them. That’s not really the choreographer’s fault, but I’m convinced there are things that would have been possible to do in those routines that made him, and by extension the choreographers, look very good. He really shined in the butt dance, and in the Sonya pieces he was in. Maybe there’s just something very contemporary and jazzy about being a modern-day Gene Kelly? I don’t know, but in any case, it was great to see him hit that horizontal leap again here. J’adore.

At least he went out on a great routine, no?

But, and there is a but, just as swiftly as Kayla was dismissed with her pink flowers to usher on the butt dance, more results were dished out after the butt dance and our own Gene Kelly was awarded third place and a bouquet of yellow flowers that were actually about as tall as he is. I know that the show is about being America’s Favorite Dancer, and I really do like Evan and think that he is more talented in his own style than other people’s choreography allowed him to demonstrate, but after five seasons of this show, I have come to choose my favorites based on their versatility. Versatility here is key. In the first season, the final four were winner Nick, Melody, Ashlé and Jamile. I fucking hated Jamile. Why? Because that d-bag couldn’t do shit out of his own style. He only made it to the Top 4 because it was the first season, people didn’t know better then and he was a pretty great popper. However, I really resented his inclusion in the final four over other, more versatile dancers . . . like my beloved Artem, ousted in week five of that abbreviated eight-week season. Of the season 2 finalists (Benji, Heidi, Travis and Donyelle), I liked Heidi the least because I thought she was the least versatile, but I never hated her like I hated Jamile. In season three, the final four didn’t present a problem of a dancer lacking versatility, so I couldn’t hate anybody, although I was awfully tired of both Neil and Lacey by the end of the season. As for last year, the fact that Courtney made it to the Top 4 over the much more talented and versatile Chelsie Hightower was a constant thorn in my side. This year, I thought that Kayla, Brandon or Jeanine were all equally deserving of a win, and even though I do adore Evan as a person and as a dancer, I’d probably have been upset had he won because he simply hadn’t shown me the versatility that the other dancers in the Top 4 had. With all seriousness and respect to him, though, I want him and his brother to have their own stage show where they can show off their talents in a venue and manner conducive to their creativity. Surely, someone with money must also want this. I’d produce it myself, but I don’t really have the wherewithal to solicit money from people to fulfill my old-timey theatre daydreams.

With only two dancers remaining in contention for this year’s title, Nigel revealed his pick for a routine to see again: Mia Michaels’ addiction contemporary for Kayla and Kupono, set to Sara Barielles’ “Gravity.” I once again got some serious misty eyes and chills watching this piece, especially in the crescendo segment where Kupono starts throwing Kayla around. I already loved that song, and its single-take music video. But now associate it just as much with Kupono’s malicious sneer as I do with Sara Barielles herself walking toward the camera as the world, filled with lights, pulls away from her. Certainly, this was the most effective piece in the season for me, and it definitely goes on my list of all-time favorites.

Following this, the Rage Boyz Crew performed and I waited with eager anticipation to see them toss that little dude across the stage. I adore watching Cat interact with children, and I’m glad adolescent boys find that tall English glamazon attractive enough to paw at her, give her their sweet-ass jacket and allow her to be “in their crew.” I hope she has lots of adorable English babies someday, but I don’t know if I couldn’t handle that much cheeky cuteness.

Our jidges: singular sensations.

Tyce asked for a repeat of Doriana Sanchez’s super-speed disco for Janette (whose name I’ve finally decided to spell correctly) and Brandon, followed by a repeat of Tyce’s cancer contemporary for Melissa and Ade, which took on special significance last night with the announcement that the friend for whom Tyce created that routine was officially cancer-free. The gang then repeated Mia’s A Chorus Line piece about the hellish work of being a professional dancer, with special hokey guest appearances from our jidges. I have to say it was mighty ballsy of Tyce to even appear in A Chorus Line-related number, given the fantastic ass he allegedly makes of himself in the documentary Every Little Step. (The documentary is about the casting of the most recent revival of ACL, from which Tyce was denied a role. I cannot wait to see it.) Brandon and Janette were then asked to repeat their final number from Wednesday night, Louis Van Amstel’s industrial goth Paso Doble and there, clad in vinyl, she and Brandon stood to find out which of them would be crowned America’s Favorite Dancer. The voters, it seemed, favored goofy, graceful and incredibly talented Jeanine, making her only the second female winner in five seasons.

I’m very happy with Jeanine as the winner, as she proved to me all season that she was an extremely talented dancer with a great personality. She was second only to Brandon as a soloist, and I think she’ll go very far. She’s said her alternate career is to be an actress, and I can only hope that someone (maybe someone named Rob Marshall!) will make a movie musical that will feature her in a dancing-acting role like the great ones once created for the likes of Cyd Charisse, Leslie Caron and the fabulous Ann Miller. As for the rest of our Top 4, I have some unsolicited career advice for them, too. I’ve already mentioned my dream stage show plans for Evan, but I’d like to see Kayla find her place on the stage as well. I think she has a lot of opportunities ahead of her in a number of performance-related fields, but she’s a perfect choice for Ivy Smith if there’s ever an On the Town revival (and, yes, I think Evan would make a fine Gabey). As for Bradon Bryant, he needs to join Alvin Ailey’s dance troupe immediately. He is perfect for them. And barring that, even though he is not a ballet dancer, I’m sure Desmond Richardson’s company could find a way to utilize his grace and athleticism. I really wish all of these talented, talented kids well and hope that they have long careers ahead of them.

Viva Jeanine!

It’s been a blasty blast writing about dancey dance for you guys this season. (And, by the by, I officially beat every EW staffer and placed 129th out of 3535 players in the EW.com SYTYCD game. I will take these braging rights with me into my regular life and pretend they mean something.) I’ve hope I’ve provided you with commentary that is both insightful and, at times, irreverently funny. Thank you all for reading, and I hope you’ll join me again in the fall for season six!

Fred Astaire sau Michael Jackson?

geo — Fri, 17 Jul 2009 20:42:56 +0000

Cu siguranţă ‘The King’ a avut de unde învăţa.
Secvenţele sunt din filmele ‘Daddy Long Legs’ (1955) în care Fred Astaire dansează cu Leslie Caron şi ‘The Band Wagon’ (1953) alături de Cyd Charisse, femeia cu trup perfect. Este posibil ca Michael să fi fost ‘lovit’ de inspiraţie la vederea acestor scene(?)
Iată cât de modernă era coregrafia concepută de Fred Astaire cu peste cinci decenii în urmă.

So You Think You Can Dance 5.10: "Top 16 Perform"

marcusandstevi — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 18:12:50 +0000

The Wife:

While last week’s performance show varied so much in quality from the first week, I think this one brought everyone back up to the level we had expected. With the exception of one dance, nothing was terrible. I don’t know if anything, save for one particular dance, was truly outstanding, but I’ll call it a good week on Dancey Dance when everything is danced capably. I usually don’t comment on the solos at the beginning of the show because, save for poppers like Phillip Chbeeb, those little ten-second intros are generally pretty meaningless, but I had to say that I was very concerned for Caitlin. Why did she choose to dress like a bird girl from the circus for that number? Did Kupono tell her that feathered bolero was a good idea? If he did, he was wrong.

Cat came out dressed appropriately for the Greco-Roman murder mystery party I hosted last weekend, and I now feel like I should have found a way to invite her. (She’d have come, right?) Mary kind of matched her, but in a less-fashionable way. Nigel wore the world’s cheapest-looking leather jacket and pretended like he was really tough. Toni Basil, on the other hand, borrowed Groundskeeper Willie’s mourning tam o’shanter for the evening. That’s the most street tam o’shanter I’ve ever seen, because the fact that it’s black makes it edgy and therefore street. And Toni Basil is street. She’s more street than you’ll ever be. In fact, she’s getting some kind of living legend award for how street she is.

This week’s producer package asked each of the dancers to tell us what their career would be if they weren’t professional dancers:

Karla would be a journalist! She went to NYU! It was her minor!
Jonathan would be an acrobat with Cirque du Soleil. He can do the flying silks. He just scored major points with me.
Auska would make sparkly jewelry and accessories for ballroom dancers. She seems to make a lot of it already, but apparently she doesn’t know about Etsy.
Vitolio would be a singer in a band. He would also wear obnoxious wigs.
Melissa would teach Pilates, which she already does for money.
Ade would be a sound engineer.
Jeanette, who is one year away from completing her finance degree, would be a loan processor. She is aware that this is a boring job.
Brandon would be a lighting designer.
Kayla would be a model because it’s fun to get your hair and makeup done and have people take pictures of you. She already models dancewear on the side, and those photos were fierrrrrrrrrrrce.
Kupono would be a costume designer. By this I think he means he wants to be a stylist. And I don’t want him to do that. He’ll make everyone wear neon green fox stoles.
Randi would be a special education teacher, something she’s already working toward.
Evan would own a custom car shop.
Caitlin would be a broadcast journalist, which is what I imagine Twin Peaks‘ Laura Palmer would be if she weren’t dead.
Jason would play collegiate soccer.
Chbeeb would be an inventor.
Jeanine would be an actress. Good news, Jeanine! You’re really pretty! You can look forward to a long career of dying in horror movies!

And as for the dances . . .

The Excellent

Randi and Evan (Contemporary)
Choreography by Mia Michaels
Song: “Koop Island Blues” by Koop feat. Brun

Let’s just start with the fact that this number was a quote-generating machine:

“It’s all about the booty.” — Mia Michaels
“You are staring at that right cheek!” – Mia Michaels
“I’m sort of hypnotized by her booty.” – Evan Kasprzak

Part of me has to wonder if the choreographers are trying to incite some sort of murderous jealousy in Randi’s husband. The first week, Evan seduced her onstage in that gorgeous jazz number. Last week, he grabbed her tush when they were shaking their tailfeathers. This week, Mia creates a piece dedicated to the hypnotic power of Randi’s booty in which Evan not only stares at it, chases after it and grabs it, but actually moves her with it. If Mr. Randi Evans takes anything out of this number, it should be that his wife looked absolutely gorgeous in that little Fay Wray-esque pink slip and silk stockings and that she should steal it from the wardrobe department and take some awesome boudoir photos in it for him. I loved this number, not only for its playfulness, but also for its mixture of movements both sinewy and bony. Because Randi was dressed like Fay Wray and because of the stalking, lurching movements, it reminded me of what King Kong would look like as a conceptual dance piece. But it was also very much a showcase for Evan’s talents. This was the perfect piece for him, and was Gene Kelly-esque in every way. The way Evan bobbed his head, combined with his costuming, reminded me a little of both An American in Paris and the Broadway hoofer segment of Singin’ in the Rain where he meets a green-clad Cyd Charisse in a bar. (Husband Note: That’s called the Broadway Melody.) Something about the choreography was inherently Mia, but also referenced the great jazz work Gene and Cyd used to do when they danced together. Mary said she never saw Evan as a leading man until this piece, which I know is purely because of his height, and I think that’s absurd. I’ve known this kid was a fucking star since last season, and I’m so happy he’s getting a chance to shine this season. This number was so darn hot, it received an Official Mary Murphy Scream and numerous “butt” jokes from Nigel, who thought he was being at least half as clever as Mia’s choreography. I can’t wait to see this on the tour. If it gives you an idea of how much I loved it, let me tell you that I got a little misty. And I’m pretty sure I’ll still be that in awe every time I see it.

Whatever happened to Fay Wray? That delicate, satin-draped frame. As it clung to her thigh, how I started to cry, because I wanted to be dressed just the same.

Melissa and Ade (Rumba)
Choreography by Tony Meredith
Song: “Emotion” by Destiny’s Child

This was another totally sexy number, and my compliments for outfit of the night go to Melissa for that dress she almost had on. That shiz was hawtt. And that dance was hawtt. I saw a couple of small mistakes in this dance, chiefly when Melissa and Ade lost each other’s hands for a second when they came back together for a closed rumba walk, but the rest of this dance was sublime. It was seductive. It was passionate. It was gorgeous. And they totally sold it to me. Three weeks in a row now Melissa and Ade have been in my top couples, and I think it’s because they never disappoint me in how well they sell their routines. They’re both so into what they’re doing that I’m completely into what they’re doing, and that makes them both true performers. And for as sexy as Melissa was in that barely-there dress, so, too, was Ade’s booty. I think it might even be sexier in those lightweight pants than Joshua’s was last season. And that’s saying a lot. Needless to say, the judges loved it. By my count, it received 1.5 Official Mary Murphy Screams, the .5 of which I think was just for that amazing move where Ade turned Melissa under her own arabesque.

The Good to Very Good

Jeanette and Brandon (Hip-Hop)
Choregraphy by Dave Scott
Song: “What a World” by Common

Dave Scott asked Jeanette and Brandon to perform a routine in which rock n’ roll met with hip-hop and produced some surprising and fun results. I actually really liked this number. I thought Dave Scott’s choreography was clever and witty, that Jeanette and Brandon both danced their respective parts really well and that the whole routine gelled into a great story and a cohesive unit. Most importantly, it was interesting to watch, and that always gets points in my book. I also liked that they brought back the chair from “Two Princes” back in season three. They’ve got some awesome furniture back in the SYTYCD warehouse. (Does Kupono know? He might try to steal them, or at least put neon green foxtails on everything.) I’m not really sure why Jeanette was dressed as Rosario Dawson’s character in Sin City crossed with Cher, because there are a lot of other things that say rock n’ roll to me that don’t look like that, but she carried off the look pretty well. Toni Basil thought that Brandon’s hip-hopping was just street enough to make her believe it, and Mary Murphy even tossed out an Official Scream for the routine.

So what? I'm still a rockstar. I got my rock moves. And I don't need you.

Kayla and Kupono (Viennese Waltz)
Choreography by Jean-Marc Genereux
Song: “Sweet Dreams of You” by Jewel

Here’s a dance that the judges and I disagree upon a little bit. I surely thought that Mary was going to critique Kupono for dancing a bit too feminine in the piece. To me, he didn’t keep a strong enough frame, and while he did have the right sort of liquidity, I don’t think he supported or partnered Kayla very well. I think the biggest testament to that is the fact that the choreography didn’t feature a lot of lifts or closed basics, where you would have really noticed Kupono’s weaknesses, rather than marveling at how in sync he was with Kayla during the open basics. I think Jean-Marc’s choreography covered for Kupono adequately, because otherwise this could have been a disaster. Kayla, as always, was incredible, though, and they both looked good enough in those open basics to remain in the “good” category for me. In fact, Kayla alone was good enough to get a ticket to the Hot Tamale Train and her own scream from Mary Murphy. I wonder if I’m carrying some residual hatred for Kupono from last week, when he should have been booted in favor of Max, and that’s why I looked so hard for him to falter this week, something the judges obviously didn’t do. Maybe I am. All I know is that he needs to prove his worth to me, and he’s lucky Kayla can do no wrong. I also really liked the cityscape lighting design for this piece – it reminded me a bit of the “Lonely Town” ballet from On the Town. (It was a very Gene Kelly night for me, overall.)

The “This Was Actually Good, But I Still Hate Tyce DiOrio”

Chbeeb and Jeanine (Broadway)
Choreography by Tyce DiOrio
Song: “Moses” from Singin’ in the Rain

I had to make a special category for this number, because it was good. It certainly was some of the better choreography I’ve seen from Tyce DiOrio, who surely must hail from Bitchdouchestan or something because even when he does something I like, I still can’t bring myself not to hate him. For this piece, he used a six-foot-long couch as a prop. When I saw that, I wondered what in the world he could be doing that would involve couch jumps. I gave him the benefit of the doubt that it would be cool, and it was pretty cool. However, the minute I saw the song choice, the small amount of faith I’d mustered for Tyce totally went out the window. He did a number on a couch set to “Moses” from Singin’ in the Rain. A movie musical which, as Nigel later pointed out, ALREADY HAS A COUCH DANCE IN IT. There’s a point where I think you can be referential and pay homage to something, and then there’s a point beyond referential that comes across as completely lacking in creativity. And that’s where this number ultimately fell for me. To chose music from a show/movie that has a very famous scene involving a couch and then use that trope with a piece of music during which a couch no longer makes sense (as with “Moses”) reads to me as uncreative, as grasping at straws, as trying too hard to be as good as the thing you tried to reference. My other issue with this piece is that the song choice had nothing to do with the dance, so I guess Tyce just picked it for its frenetic energy. If I forgot about the lyrics, which, by the way, are part of a diction lesson in the film, the beat worked. I’m just certain that there had to have been other songs that would have worked just as well and made more sense. Furthermore, it reminded me a little too much of Tony Award Winner Andy Blankenbeuhler’s On the Town piece for Courtney and Gev last year, which worked a lot better.

We've talked the whole night through. Good mornin', good mornin' to you!

All of that said, though, I did like the piece. I think it was well-choreographed, despite its literalness and musical incongruity. It was fun. I think Chbeeb and Jeanine had a lot fun doing it and it was interesting to watch. So, props to that. And props to Chbeeb for clearing that couch and splitting his trousers while doing so! However, this piece did show Chbeeb’s weaknesses in the fleet footwork, and it’s clear that while he has great instincts, he has a lot to improve upon. Jeanine, though, was really good, even with those monstrous head-eating Betty bangs. I think she got half a scream for this, so I’m adding .5 to the Official Mary Murphy Scream Count.

The Mediocre

Auska and Vitolio (Jazz)
Choreography by Mandy Moore
Song: “Heartbreaker” by Pat Benatar

Hey, guys! Did you know Mandy Moore loves the 1980s? Did you? Well, if you didn’t catch that from her other routines set to “Right Here Waiting,” “Sweet Dreams,” and “Body Language,” surely you are aware of the fact by now. I think Mandy Moore’s work is best when it’s hard-hitting or very soft. Things that fall in between definitely aren’t her best, and I think this one sort of fell in between. There was a real disconnect here for me between the choreography and the song choice. While the chorus of “Heartbreaker” is pretty banging, a lot of it isn’t quite up to that level of intensity, and I didn’t feel like the choreography always matched up with the song. Auska and Vitolio danced it pretty well, and I hope America gets over its whole “we hate Auska” thing because she freakin’ cried this week because she clearly hates when she isn’t doing her best. Let this be an end to the discussion of her reservedness, because she let go. However, of the two performers in this dance, Auska was the weaker of the two, most notable in the floorwork segments where she didn’t extend fully or hit everything the way it was supposed to be hit. It was well danced, but it doesn’t stand out quite as much as other pieces did this week. In other news, she’s really skinny. And I can’t decide if I loved or hated her lace-print leotard and the studded shorts she was wearing under it. And Toni Basil wants to do Vitolio. And I think Nigel really liked this dance because it reminded him of a piece he choreographed for The Apple: “Coming for You.”

Caitlin and Jason (Paso Doble)
Choreography by Jean-Marc Genereux
Song: “O Fortuna” from Carmina Burana

No Paso Doble will ever be as good as Artem’s Paso Doble from season one in my eyes, even though there have been a few that I really liked. This was not one of them. The intense opera score totally overwhelmed the dancing, as did the absurdly sparkly gypsy costumes. I guess I just like my Paso Dobles a little more traditional and a little more robust, with a clearer interplay between the roles of the matador and the cape. It wasn’t a mess by any means, although Mary noted that Jason lost his posture a couple of times (hence my note about needing clearer delineation between the matador and cape). Caitlin, although I really don’t like her, did get yet another cool-ass move in which she balanced on her chest and kicked her legs over herself, which was probably her most cape-like moment during this piece.

The Problematic

Karla and Jonathan (Smooth Hip-Hop)
Choreography by Dave Scott
Song: “By My Side” by Jadakiss with Ne-Yo

This was not good. Karla and Jonathan got lucky last week to blind everyone with that lovely routine in which I was apparently the only person in America who noticed Karla wasn’t good in it. These two have no chemistry, and they don’t work well together at all. There were numerous moments during this piece where I could tell they both weren’t doing the right things, but I also couldn’t tell which one was ahead or behind or off. Jonathan was just too clean for the whole thing, which Toni Basil summed up as being like his “street” was “store-bought.” Karla, on the other hand, was just kind of never really on beat. The only part of this that worked for me was the moment where Jonathan did a backflip and picked up his hat right as he stuck the landing. That was pretty dope, but the rest of this routine was not very good.

I’m pretty sure that this week’s bottom three couples will be Karla and Jonathan, Auska and Vitolio and Caitlin and Jason – all couples who have made at least one bottom-three appearance. Of those, I think this will be Karla and Jonathan’s last chance. They haven’t given us enough individual moments to really show why either of them should be kept in the competition, and it’s really their time to go. They got a pass last week with that Stacey Tookey contemporary, but they failed at both hip-hop and cha cha now, and I’d prefer they go before they fail at anything else.

Other thoughts:

Randi gets a special shout out for the “Unitard Girl” tee she was wearing in rehearsal. That thing was totally cool and I kind of want one. Whoever made that for her is the greatest friend in the world.
With all of the various Gene Kelly pieces I was thinking about during the course of this episode, I went to bed last night really wanting to watch Donald O’Connor’s “Make ‘Em Laugh” number from Singin’ in the Rain. NOT “Be a Clown” from The Pirate, which is the same song, but not funny when Judy Garland and Gene Kelly are dressed like clowns.
Speaking of which, you guys should totally watch every sequence I mentioned in this article from An American in Paris, On the Town or Singin’ in the Rain. They’re all great.
Also watch Anne Miller’s “Modern Man” tap number in On the Town.
Then you should watch some clips from In the Heights, so you can see how totally cool Andy Blankenbeuhler is.
“Oh, Toni Basil talks slowly, so I’m going to urinate.” – Me, on how I decide to take bathroom breaks during the show.
The Official Mary Murphy Scream Count for this episode is 4, bringing the total for the season to 9, with 5 enthusiastic woos for backup.
The official number of Hot Tamale Train Tickets is now 3.25.

Dancer(s) in the Dark

cultureonthecheap — Thu, 11 Jun 2009 16:22:33 +0000

Lifecasting

Did I mention that I love free culture in New York? My gal-pal Cathy lives in Manhattan Plaza and is privy to free tickets on a regular basis, particularly for the New York City Ballet. Ok, the tickets are $3 each, but a cup of coffee at the Koch Theatre costs more than that so…free enough. And in my 8 years of knowing Cathy, she’s never charged me to be her ballet buddy.

I used to work at the Koch Theatre (back when it was the New York State Theatre) as an usher and saw most of the NYCB season for three years. Which was pretty amazing in and of itself (and I got PAID for it! Union benefits! Come on!). But there’s something to be said for sitting in a red velvet seat and NOT having to worry about whether someone is going to sit in Peter Martins’s perma-reserved seat or if that guy in A 108 is taking pictures on his mobile camera.

We went last week on Manhattan Plaza’s dime as well, though I was less into seeing “Liebeslieder Waltzes” as I was into seeing “Les Noces” which is just mind-blowingly good…Tiler Peck has this chilling “movement-in-no-movement” thing going for her, and in this Stravinsky piece had a delicious Julie-Christie-in-Dr.-Zhivago expression on her face…why isn’t she a principal dancer yet? Ms. Peck was in full force again last night in Wheeldon’s “Mercurial Manouevres,” set to Shostakovich’s Piano Concerto No. 1. MM played after Douglas Lee’s “Lifecasting,” which had its premiere in January of this year. Interweaving Ryoji Ikeda’s Op. 1 for 9 Strings and Steve Reich’s Triple Quartet (be still my heart!), Lifecasting was all those good “s” words: sexy, stylized, sculpted, and settlingly-unsettling.

Les Noces

I felt like a Woody Allen character (from the Manhattan-era Woody Allen) watching it, sophisticated but not stuffy. I think that’s what we need more of, the Woody Allen mentality that cultur is part of the New Yorker-territory. Even extra-terrestrial-music-loving-former-coke-sniffing Dianne Weist’s character in Hannah and Her Sisters fell for Puccini. Even if opera, ballet, and classical music aren’t part of this country’s cultural capital, they’re certainly part of this city’s cultural capital.

Mercurial Manouevres

They did “Slaughter on 10th Avenue” last night, as well, which can’t hold a candle to Cyd Charisse and Gene Kelly. It’s like watching Renee Fleming attempt to sing jazz or the American songbook (“I Want Magic!” should have been named “I Want My Money Back!”). But ignoring that for the first two pieces, I’m reminded of what good dance–good art–should be all about: an expression of the music, of the spirit behind it, of the composer’s intentions (which on their own may be impossible to write about), that isn’t of this world (to half-paraphrase that seminal dance classic, Center Stage). I don’t need to be beaten over the head with a story in my dance cup–the way Slaughter does–I just need to see good movement set to good music. No pretense, no intellectualization, just a dandy form of escapism. Something that we all need especially now when there’s so much we want to escape (and if it’s free [or $3], even better).

Tonight: More free culture (weather permitting): Goran Brejovic @ Prospect Park, part of Celebrate Brooklyn. Since watching The Pied Piper of Hutzovina (the first Gogol Bordello documentary) earlier this week, I’ve been jonesing for some live gypsy music. And I just bought new wellies so I’m sure they’ll get a good spin.

“Cantando sotto la pioggia”

cinemaleo — Sun, 07 Jun 2009 12:59:05 +0000

1952: Singin’ in the rain di Stanley Donen e Gene Kelly

Che dire di uno dei massimi capolavori della cinematografia hollywoodiana, di un film che è nel cuore di ogni cinefilo?
Meglio lasciare la parola agli addetti ai lavori.

“Una delle migliori commedie musicali nella storia di Hollywood… Grande classe a livello coreografico, molte invenzioni a quello registico, memorabili numeri…” (il Morandini).

“Nel 1989 è stato inserito fra i film preservati dal National Film Registry presso la Biblioteca del Congresso degli Stati Uniti.
Nel 1998 l’American Film Institute l’ha inserito al decimo posto della classifica dei cento migliori film americani di tutti i tempi e dieci anni dopo, nella lista aggiornata, è salito addirittura al quinto posto” (Wikipedia).

“Gli esperti di cinema inglesi hanno stilato una lista di 25 film che ogni appassionato della celluloide dovrebbe aver visto almeno una volta nella vita: Cantando sotto la pioggia ne fa parte!” (MyMovies).

“Probabilmente il più bel musical della storia del cinema, affettuoso e spiritoso nel rievocare un’epoca perduta, ma che gli autori conoscono benissimo. Grandi numeri musicali, le incredibili gambe di Cyd Charisse, l’abilità acrobatica di Gene Kelly e la comicità semplice di Donald O’Connor. Ovviamente indimenticabile il numero che dà il titolo al film” (Francesco Mininni Magazine italiano tv).

“Nessuno dei suoi protagonisti fu mai altrettanto valorizzato, e mai la formidabile macchina della MGM riuscì a superare il grado di efficienza e di spettacolarità allora raggiunto fin nei più minuti dettagli” (Il cinema, Grande storia illustrata).

“Il film, che a più di quarant’anni di distanza, non ha perso nulla della sua freschezza, impreziosendosi anzi per la nostalgia… di quei film che non si fanno più” (il Farinotti).

“Singin’ in the Rain is one of the most-loved and celebrated film musicals of all time” (Filmsite).

Il Musical
tuttelerecensioni

Regia: Stanley Donen, Gene Kelly
Sceneggiatura: Betty Comden, Adolph Green
Cast: Gene Kelly, Donald O’Connor, Debbie Reynolds, Jean Hagen, Millard Mitchell, Douglas Fowley, Cyd Charisse, Rita Moreno
Fotografia: Harold Rosson
Montaggio: Adrienne Fazan
Musiche: Nacio Herb Brown, Arthur Freed, Roger Edens, Betty Comden, Adolph Green, Al Hoffman, Al Goodhart, Lennie Hayton (Music Department)
Produzione: M.G.M.
Distribuzione: Gaumont Vale (1979) – MGM Home Entertainment
Paese: USA (1952)
Genere: Musical
Durata: 102’ circa
Uscita Italia: 7 Gennaio 1953
Uscita USA: 27 Marzo 1952
Trama:
Don, un giovane attore di varietà, decide di tentare la fortuna passando al cinema. Viene ingaggiato per affiancare la bellissima attrice Lina Lamont in un film muto e la pellicola ottiene uno strepitoso successo. Lina si innamora di Don e confondendo la finzione con la realtà pensa di costituire con lui una coppia. Quando Don conosce Kathy, una giovane cantante e ballerina e si innamora di lei, la gelosia di Lina è incontenibile e l’attrice cerca con ogni mezzo di fare licenziare la rivale. Nel frattempo il cinema sta vivendo il passaggio dal muto al sonoro e il produttore, poiché non vuole rimanere indietro, mette in lavorazione un film sonoro. Le parti principali vengono assegnate a Don e Lina, ma lei ha una voce inadatta al mezzo cinematografico…
Note:
Assurdamente nel 1953 non ebbe la nomination agli Oscar come miglior film e ai Golden Globe gli fu preferito il mediocre La dominatrice del destino.

stop, drop, rock 'n roll: "alright - featuring heavy d"

ccc — Thu, 04 Jun 2009 03:13:43 +0000

i feel sorry for janet jackson. a whack ass family, a pedophile brother, a thin singing voice and what i’m sure are only choreographed moves. i’ve never met the lady, and doubt i ever will. i don’t own any of her music and will never make a purchase.

still, i’ve got to give the lady, and her team, props for this “alright” video. “alright” is misspelled and should be “all right,” but who cares. eight and one-half minutes of fun, funk and cameos, including cab calloway, the nicholas brothers and the gorgeous cyd charisse. look at the stunning legs on that jaw-dropping beautiful woman. hubba hubba!

let’s fire up the way back machine and listen to:

INSPIRATION >> OSC -- Original Smooth Criminal ::

davidedwardjohnson — Mon, 01 Jun 2009 13:44:01 +0000

Recently, I posted a stunning Astaire clip. Truly, his influences are seen throughout film and dance to the contemporary era.

One of my fave videos of the 80’s was the stylish Michael Jackson CLASSIC Smooth Criminal. FUN song, incredible choreography, over-the-top hyperbolic attitude — overall, a damn hoot.

Many don’t realize that this gem is an homage to the great 1953 MGM musical comedy The Band Wagon featuring Astaire and the gorgeous Cyd Charisse. (I love that name — “Cyd” for a gal.) Jackson pulled a lot of attitude and style from the film, but did imbue it with more mystery and a foreboding edge. I love ‘em both!

From The Band Wagon:

Annnd MJ’s take:

Enjoy!

- - – – – – – – – - - – – – – – – – – - - – – – – – – – – - - – – – -

Book Review: Gingerbread by Rachel Cohn

jillianclemmons — Sun, 24 May 2009 17:00:09 +0000

This is the story of Cyd Charisse, a caustic teen who’s been kicked out of boarding school, and sent

Singin' in the Rain

Mystery Man — Sun, 24 May 2009 00:17:22 +0000

PLOT: Don Lockwood (Gene Kelly) is a popular silent film star with humble roots as a singer, dancer,

What would I give..

tilly — Sat, 23 May 2009 19:50:01 +0000

To be able to travel back in time and dance with Gene Kelly. Maybe have legs like Cyd Charisse. Sigh. I had a huge crush on Gene when I was a teen. Now, older and wiser, I have fully realized that he is a)really no longer alive and that b) time travel is a long, long way off. Such a pity.

Anyway, Happy Saturday, and enjoy this gorgeous, standout scene from the classic Singin’ in the Rain.

Cyd Charisse

feefeern — Tue, 19 May 2009 01:57:33 +0000

Here you go- A very nice Cyd Charisse photo collection!

“I never thought of myself as a ‘Star’, not even after I made my biggest films,” says Cyd. “Perhaps that’s because I am basically an introvert. I knew that I loved working, performing. What the public made of it was their business. I hoped that they liked me and admired my work, of course, but that pedestal they stuck me up on was insignificant in my view.”~Cyd Charisse

She had been called the greatest female dancer of ALL TIME. Cyd Charisse had polio as a young child and recuperated by taking dance lessons when she was 6 years old with her father’s encouragement. By the age of 14 she her tenacious work effort got her accepted into Ballet Russe.

She was born “Tula Elisse” (don’t you love it?) but had the nickname Cyd because a sibling couldn’t pronounce “Sis.”

On November 9, 2006, in a private White House ceremony, President George W. Bush presented Cyd Charisse with the National Medal of the Arts and Humanities , the highest official U.S. honor available in the arts

A picture of confidence!

She is almost en pointe without any shoes on!

Exquisite.

I am NOT a dancer- which is probably why I am so amazed by this talent- but I read somewhere you have to be doing ballet for several years and you have to be at least 12 years old before you can get en pointe. She seems so young in this pic to be en pointe!

This one is really close to being a fav.

I love the attitude she had in her dance performances.

Hey- this is what I wear in my living room too! lol

Here she is icing down those hard working feet. Yikes. She isn’t even out of her costume yet.

and a tie for my favorite Cyd Charisse pics:

Source: http://www.humorinthenews.com/cyd/index.html

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cyd_Charisse

and a HUGE collection of Cyd Charisse photos: http://legs.free.fr/English/accueil.html

longish video of Cyd Charisse dancing: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9cuuFYp–Rg about 7 minutes

Party Girl: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-EL05alymtI 2 1/2 minutes

Hope you enjoyed the pics and learning about her as much as I did! FeeFee

Singin`In The Rain

criika — Thu, 07 May 2009 03:00:58 +0000

trailer (em inglês)

Título no Brasil : Cantando na Chuva

Lançamento: 1952

Direção: Stanley Donen & Gene Kelly

Leia a Sinopse

Efeitos em Mim: Eu adoooro o Gene Kelly e esse é um filme clássico dele. Ingênuo, divertido e bem leve (mais leve do que os desenhos da Disney! rs), é opção para quem curte essa coisa de filmes antigos.

Para distrair, não pensar em nada e curtir alguns instantes de alienação (que de vez em quando não somente não mata ninguém, como é até saudável para manter a saúde mental e a esperança!).

Eu, particularmente, não assisto a uma bela chuva sem cantarolar “I`m singing in the rain… Just singing in the rain…” e essa cena é, para mim, eternamente capaz de traduzir uma felicidade intensa! Sublime!

cantemos juntos! rsss

What a glorious feeling! I`m happy again… I`m laughing at the clouds so dark up above, the sun is in my heart and I`m ready for love… Let the stormy clouds chase, everyone from the place, come on with the rain… I`ve a smile on my face… I walk down the lane, with a happy refrain, just singing… singing in the rain… dancing in the rain… I`m happy again… I`m singing and dancing in the rain! I`m dancing and singing in the rain!