Shall We Dance (in a second dress)?
June 8, 2015 1:16 PM Subscribe
Kelli O'Hara's 47-second costume change at last night's Tony Awards.
NYTimes: 11 Moments to Remember
The 5 Biggest Surprises and Snubs at the 2015 Tony Awards
Best Play
Featured Actor in a Play
Featured Actress in a Play
Leading Actor in a Play
Leading Actress in a Play
Best Musical
Best Score of a Musical
Best Book of a Musical
Featured Actor in a Musical
Featured Actress in a Musical
Leading Actress in a Musical
Leading Actor in a Musical
Best Revival of a Play
Best Revival of a Musical
Performances from:
Something Rotten
It Shoulda Been You
Fun Home
Gigi
An American in Paris
On the Town
The King and I
The Visit
On the 20th Century
Finding Neverland
And a preview of 2016....
NYTimes: 11 Moments to Remember
The 5 Biggest Surprises and Snubs at the 2015 Tony Awards
Best Play
Featured Actor in a Play
Featured Actress in a Play
Leading Actor in a Play
Leading Actress in a Play
Best Musical
Best Score of a Musical
Best Book of a Musical
Featured Actor in a Musical
Featured Actress in a Musical
Leading Actress in a Musical
Leading Actor in a Musical
Best Revival of a Play
Best Revival of a Musical
Performances from:
Something Rotten
It Shoulda Been You
Fun Home
Gigi
An American in Paris
On the Town
The King and I
The Visit
On the 20th Century
Finding Neverland
And a preview of 2016....
Ruthie Miles was a great young performer here in Honolulu. So nice to see her recognized on the national stage!
posted by Joey Michaels at 1:30 PM on June 8, 2015
posted by Joey Michaels at 1:30 PM on June 8, 2015
Related to the costume change, this article on the AVClub about costume changes on SNL. Indeed:
KS: We can do a total change from one big costume to another, with wig and makeup changes, in 45 seconds. It’s kind of like a Nascar pit crew.
posted by lmfsilva at 1:33 PM on June 8, 2015 [2 favorites]
KS: We can do a total change from one big costume to another, with wig and makeup changes, in 45 seconds. It’s kind of like a Nascar pit crew.
posted by lmfsilva at 1:33 PM on June 8, 2015 [2 favorites]
I love how they were all so calm about it and I was a bundle of nerves just watching it even though it has already happen and I saw the results of it on stage (or I would have except my power was out during that part... I just assume that Twitter would have let me know if Kelli O'Hara had missed her cue or had a wardrobe malfunction.)
Also FUN HOME!!!
(Similar to when Alison Bechdel was awarded the MacArthur Fellowship, it feels like the musical based on the graphic novel that my friend Alison wrote won the Tony last night , as opposed to this all happening to someone I've never met. I kept looking for her in the crowd and eventually on stage like we were going to hang afterwards.)
posted by MCMikeNamara at 1:33 PM on June 8, 2015 [5 favorites]
Also FUN HOME!!!
(Similar to when Alison Bechdel was awarded the MacArthur Fellowship, it feels like the musical based on the graphic novel that my friend Alison wrote won the Tony last night , as opposed to this all happening to someone I've never met. I kept looking for her in the crowd and eventually on stage like we were going to hang afterwards.)
posted by MCMikeNamara at 1:33 PM on June 8, 2015 [5 favorites]
ahhh, sweaty palms.
posted by longdaysjourney at 1:35 PM on June 8, 2015
posted by longdaysjourney at 1:35 PM on June 8, 2015
From last year, Jefferson Mays introduces a song from "A Gentleman's Guide to Love and Murder" while undergoing two costume changes onstage in less than a minute.
posted by AlonzoMosleyFBI at 1:45 PM on June 8, 2015 [2 favorites]
posted by AlonzoMosleyFBI at 1:45 PM on June 8, 2015 [2 favorites]
I love how she's running off all smiles and then her face changes to all-business get this fucking thing off me...
posted by Cool Papa Bell at 1:45 PM on June 8, 2015 [2 favorites]
posted by Cool Papa Bell at 1:45 PM on June 8, 2015 [2 favorites]
You like quick change? I'll give you quick change.
posted by leotrotsky at 1:53 PM on June 8, 2015 [7 favorites]
posted by leotrotsky at 1:53 PM on June 8, 2015 [7 favorites]
The thing I noticed the most wasn't the costume change, but the (designed-for-the-use-case?) mouth flashlights, which seemed much less unwieldy than the typical ad hoc ones.
posted by The arrows are too fast at 2:18 PM on June 8, 2015 [3 favorites]
posted by The arrows are too fast at 2:18 PM on June 8, 2015 [3 favorites]
I used to go to the Broom Street Theater in Madison WI back in the 80s, and the theater was a converted garage with the seats (bleacher-style) pretty much on top of the stage. And they had a small cast who often played a great many roles. And one of their standard opening comments was "We use the bathrooms as changing rooms. You are welcome to use them while the play is underway, but you may become part of the action."
posted by GenjiandProust at 2:25 PM on June 8, 2015 [2 favorites]
posted by GenjiandProust at 2:25 PM on June 8, 2015 [2 favorites]
Huh - the "Best Score of a Musical" links to the performance from Finding Neverland, which is... awkward. Here's the actual Best Score acceptance speech.
posted by tzikeh at 2:43 PM on June 8, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by tzikeh at 2:43 PM on June 8, 2015 [1 favorite]
Lisa Kron's Best Book speech was so great.
(Also, FUN HOME! FUN HOME! FUN HOME! Woooo!)
posted by Mavri at 3:08 PM on June 8, 2015 [1 favorite]
(Also, FUN HOME! FUN HOME! FUN HOME! Woooo!)
posted by Mavri at 3:08 PM on June 8, 2015 [1 favorite]
tzikeh, oops, sorry. I thought I had tested all the links.
posted by roomthreeseventeen at 3:17 PM on June 8, 2015
posted by roomthreeseventeen at 3:17 PM on June 8, 2015
I knew there was going to be a quick change the moment I noticed that her first costume didn't fit quite right.
The last time I was backstage at a show helping with quick changes I put a wool cape on our leading lady and a giant spark art from my hands to her hair I thought I was going to set her on fire.
posted by The Underpants Monster at 3:50 PM on June 8, 2015 [2 favorites]
The last time I was backstage at a show helping with quick changes I put a wool cape on our leading lady and a giant spark art from my hands to her hair I thought I was going to set her on fire.
posted by The Underpants Monster at 3:50 PM on June 8, 2015 [2 favorites]
"Why Are the Tony Awards So Afraid of the Tony Awards?"
posted by roomthreeseventeen at 4:09 PM on June 8, 2015 [5 favorites]
posted by roomthreeseventeen at 4:09 PM on June 8, 2015 [5 favorites]
After 40 years in theatre, dragging my kids along occasionally when they were younger, they always told me the best show was backstage. To this day we all prefer "making of..." vids to the shows and movies themselves.
posted by umberto at 4:11 PM on June 8, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by umberto at 4:11 PM on June 8, 2015 [1 favorite]
The first thing I thought when I saw this, besides "wow that's fast," was "that's faster than your usual pit stop!" and then I come here and everyone has made the same remark.
What is it about pit stops that's so ubiquitous that we all think of it as a reference for this?
posted by chrominance at 4:41 PM on June 8, 2015
What is it about pit stops that's so ubiquitous that we all think of it as a reference for this?
posted by chrominance at 4:41 PM on June 8, 2015
Theater people are good but I've (well not seen) heard about ballet changes that included toe shoes and getting sewn in during the quick change.
posted by sammyo at 5:19 PM on June 8, 2015
posted by sammyo at 5:19 PM on June 8, 2015
I am so happy to hear about Fun Home's success. I was so excited when I first heard it was being turned into a musical, and more excited when I heard it was going on Broadway, and now it's won Tonys and that's so awesome.
posted by Anonymous at 5:43 PM on June 8, 2015
posted by Anonymous at 5:43 PM on June 8, 2015
chrominance: "The first thing I thought when I saw this, besides "wow that's fast," was "that's faster than your usual pit stop!" and then I come here and everyone has made the same remark.
What is it about pit stops that's so ubiquitous that we all think of it as a reference for this?"
Because pit crews are a great example of an organized crew of people working quickly together?
Crikey, I remember a play I did that had me doing 5 costume/character changes all within about 20 minutes. WITHOUT a pit crew other than myself.
posted by Samizdata at 6:18 PM on June 8, 2015 [1 favorite]
What is it about pit stops that's so ubiquitous that we all think of it as a reference for this?"
Because pit crews are a great example of an organized crew of people working quickly together?
Crikey, I remember a play I did that had me doing 5 costume/character changes all within about 20 minutes. WITHOUT a pit crew other than myself.
posted by Samizdata at 6:18 PM on June 8, 2015 [1 favorite]
Crikey, I remember a play I did that had me doing 5 costume/character changes all within about 20 minutes. WITHOUT a pit crew other than myself.
Was it The Actor's Nightmare? Because I had 5 costume/character changes in that play in about 20-25 minutes depending on the performance, and that was quite the experience -- especially when we were performing it in a LITERAL BARN....
posted by tzikeh at 6:25 PM on June 8, 2015
Was it The Actor's Nightmare? Because I had 5 costume/character changes in that play in about 20-25 minutes depending on the performance, and that was quite the experience -- especially when we were performing it in a LITERAL BARN....
posted by tzikeh at 6:25 PM on June 8, 2015
After 40 years in theatre, dragging my kids along occasionally when they were younger, they always told me the best show was backstage.
Yep. I've worked backstage for 15 years, I've said it the entire time. But we can never publicize it, lest everyone in the world wanting to get into it.
And there is a glorious pit crew aspect to it most of the time...it really is a shit ton of fun to be rushing and still get it perfectly right and timed.
posted by nevercalm at 6:50 PM on June 8, 2015 [2 favorites]
Yep. I've worked backstage for 15 years, I've said it the entire time. But we can never publicize it, lest everyone in the world wanting to get into it.
And there is a glorious pit crew aspect to it most of the time...it really is a shit ton of fun to be rushing and still get it perfectly right and timed.
posted by nevercalm at 6:50 PM on June 8, 2015 [2 favorites]
Quick changes are amazing, the costume run crew do some amazing work. Aided of course by the costume production crew who construct these in ways that make quick changes possible. Sometimes magically on stage.
posted by MrBobaFett at 6:52 PM on June 8, 2015
posted by MrBobaFett at 6:52 PM on June 8, 2015
The last time I was backstage at a show helping with quick changes I put a wool cape on our leading lady and a giant spark art from my hands to her hair I thought I was going to set her on fire.
If she was wearing a hair mic, I bet the sounder mixer might not have been happy. :)
posted by MrBobaFett at 6:53 PM on June 8, 2015
If she was wearing a hair mic, I bet the sounder mixer might not have been happy. :)
posted by MrBobaFett at 6:53 PM on June 8, 2015
The thing I noticed the most wasn't the costume change, but the (designed-for-the-use-case?) mouth flashlights
To me they just look like these cheap keychain flashlights. Just happen to work, tho not designed for that I don't think.
posted by MrBobaFett at 6:59 PM on June 8, 2015
To me they just look like these cheap keychain flashlights. Just happen to work, tho not designed for that I don't think.
posted by MrBobaFett at 6:59 PM on June 8, 2015
Lady Gaga doesn't even bother to leave the stage. (nsfw)
posted by Multicellular Exothermic at 8:31 PM on June 8, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by Multicellular Exothermic at 8:31 PM on June 8, 2015 [1 favorite]
Yep. I've worked backstage for 15 years, I've said it the entire time. But we can never publicize it, lest everyone in the world wanting to get into it.
Backstage is also where you find the truly ninja-level saves going on.
....and also a surprising amount of partial nudity (I've run two shows while topless in a sweltering hot booth, and a friend has a story about being on the crew for some modern dance piece where the entire crew was naked backstage for....some reason).
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 8:40 PM on June 8, 2015
Backstage is also where you find the truly ninja-level saves going on.
....and also a surprising amount of partial nudity (I've run two shows while topless in a sweltering hot booth, and a friend has a story about being on the crew for some modern dance piece where the entire crew was naked backstage for....some reason).
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 8:40 PM on June 8, 2015
Because pit crews are a great example of an organized crew of people working quickly together?
Oh, I mean, yes, but I can't think of any other examples. Except maybe the groundskeeping crew at a baseball game. I guess there just isn't much call for professionals doing (somewhat mundane) things extremely quickly as a team except for these three things.
posted by chrominance at 9:32 PM on June 8, 2015
Oh, I mean, yes, but I can't think of any other examples. Except maybe the groundskeeping crew at a baseball game. I guess there just isn't much call for professionals doing (somewhat mundane) things extremely quickly as a team except for these three things.
posted by chrominance at 9:32 PM on June 8, 2015
I am all for "You'll Never Walk Alone" being the new best in memoriam song, that was a fantastic tribute. Except, um, am I the only person who twinged at the way Mr. Groban pronounces his Rs on "never[rrrr]"?
posted by desuetude at 10:26 PM on June 8, 2015
posted by desuetude at 10:26 PM on June 8, 2015
Ruthie Miles was a great young performer here in Honolulu. So nice to see her recognized on the national stage!
My roommate went to college with her, and they had the same vocal teacher - Ruthie Miles thanked their teacher on stage, and that was apparently a Moment for the roomie.
...Just had a thought about "Ring of Keys" - the girl sells it like whoa, but it's also such a great song in general. So much so that I had a bit of a flash-foward to a couple years from now, in theater conservatories like the one I went to, and voice classes like the one I had, where the teacher is asking everyone to pick the one song they're going to work on for the semester. When I was in college, in the late 80's/early 90's, the songs that nearly all the other girls picked were the big torch songs from the biggest musicals of the time - "On My Own" and "Memory."
And a year or two from now, there are going to be some of those girls in those same classes picking "Ring Of Keys" as their song, and that is awesome.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 4:47 AM on June 9, 2015 [3 favorites]
My roommate went to college with her, and they had the same vocal teacher - Ruthie Miles thanked their teacher on stage, and that was apparently a Moment for the roomie.
...Just had a thought about "Ring of Keys" - the girl sells it like whoa, but it's also such a great song in general. So much so that I had a bit of a flash-foward to a couple years from now, in theater conservatories like the one I went to, and voice classes like the one I had, where the teacher is asking everyone to pick the one song they're going to work on for the semester. When I was in college, in the late 80's/early 90's, the songs that nearly all the other girls picked were the big torch songs from the biggest musicals of the time - "On My Own" and "Memory."
And a year or two from now, there are going to be some of those girls in those same classes picking "Ring Of Keys" as their song, and that is awesome.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 4:47 AM on June 9, 2015 [3 favorites]
Speaking of costumes in "The King And I" - is there some rule written into the performance rights for the show dictating that Anna's dresses simply must be far huger than any real life human could ever wear? I have never seen a performance of it where the dress doesn't take up half the stage! I know hoop skirts were once a thing but, I mean, come on, right?
posted by dnash at 7:41 AM on June 9, 2015
posted by dnash at 7:41 AM on June 9, 2015
Well, "Shall We Dance" takes place at the conclusion of the large, formal party for the diplomats (as I recall), so she basically would be wearing the biggest and fanciest dress she has. They're all big, yes, but that "Shall We Dance" dress is always gigantic.
posted by Linda_Holmes at 7:56 AM on June 9, 2015
posted by Linda_Holmes at 7:56 AM on June 9, 2015
Hurray Tonys! Love to watch every year. That costume change is great- it's not even 47 seconds, there's 3 or 4 seconds at the end where they're DONE! Amazing.
Gotta give a big AMEN to the section from the EW piece: As for the argument that the Tonys need to stay young and fresh: Please. That ship has sailed. The Tonys are not young. They will never be young. Nor are they male; guys watch the NBA finals instead – and always will, unless the Tonys change their date; and no teenager decides to endure a three-hour show just because you’ve promised that Nick Jonas or Ashley Tisdale is going to present or that Vanessa Hudgens will sing something from Gigi; they watch because they want to, or they don’t watch.
posted by ThePinkSuperhero at 10:47 AM on June 9, 2015
Gotta give a big AMEN to the section from the EW piece: As for the argument that the Tonys need to stay young and fresh: Please. That ship has sailed. The Tonys are not young. They will never be young. Nor are they male; guys watch the NBA finals instead – and always will, unless the Tonys change their date; and no teenager decides to endure a three-hour show just because you’ve promised that Nick Jonas or Ashley Tisdale is going to present or that Vanessa Hudgens will sing something from Gigi; they watch because they want to, or they don’t watch.
posted by ThePinkSuperhero at 10:47 AM on June 9, 2015
Why my spouse cracks me up, part one million:
ME: Hey, Fun Home won four Tony Awards!
HER: Oh, awesome.
[Pause.]
HER: And I bet that one passes the Bechdel Test.
posted by kyrademon at 12:00 PM on June 9, 2015
ME: Hey, Fun Home won four Tony Awards!
HER: Oh, awesome.
[Pause.]
HER: And I bet that one passes the Bechdel Test.
posted by kyrademon at 12:00 PM on June 9, 2015
I really enjoyed "Ring of Keys" when I watched the Tonys live, but I burst into tears both times I listened to it today. It is a profoundly beautiful, no, handsome human experience.
Musical theater combines all the power of music with all the power of storytelling to create something that can really resonate with you on a deep emotional level. I wasn't involved with musicals as a teen, but now I understand why people can be so passionate about it.
posted by Small Dollar at 10:07 PM on June 9, 2015
Musical theater combines all the power of music with all the power of storytelling to create something that can really resonate with you on a deep emotional level. I wasn't involved with musicals as a teen, but now I understand why people can be so passionate about it.
posted by Small Dollar at 10:07 PM on June 9, 2015
The last time I was backstage at a show helping with quick changes I put a wool cape on our leading lady and a giant spark art from my hands to her hair I thought I was going to set her on fire.
If she was wearing a hair mic, I bet the sounder mixer might not have been happy. :)
It was opera, thank goodness!
posted by The Underpants Monster at 6:10 AM on June 10, 2015
If she was wearing a hair mic, I bet the sounder mixer might not have been happy. :)
It was opera, thank goodness!
posted by The Underpants Monster at 6:10 AM on June 10, 2015
What's the advantage of flashlights in the mouth instead of headlamps?
posted by The corpse in the library at 10:17 AM on June 10, 2015
posted by The corpse in the library at 10:17 AM on June 10, 2015
What's the advantage of flashlights in the mouth instead of headlamps?
If you don't have a headlamp on hand, but you do have a flashlight, a flashlight in the mouth is better than a headlamp that isn't there.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 11:09 AM on June 10, 2015
If you don't have a headlamp on hand, but you do have a flashlight, a flashlight in the mouth is better than a headlamp that isn't there.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 11:09 AM on June 10, 2015
(sorry, that was glib - I just know that the impulse is more towards "flashlights" than "headlamps" only from force of habit, because 90% of the time you have at least one hand free to use.)
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 11:10 AM on June 10, 2015
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 11:10 AM on June 10, 2015
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