Kennedy Center Honors: Patti and Glenn

[best12bars]

^ Reg, I completely agree.

[CMoore]

I must be on something but I thought Glenn sounded amazing.

[jsg03jd]

Glenn Close was OK. Nothing to shout about, in my view.

Last time I remember Close and Patti LuPone appearing on the same stage was during the Sondheim Celebration in the early-mid 90s.

I was kinda hoping Kelli O'Hara would do "Glitter and Be Gay" but can't complain with "Make Our Garden Grow."

I thought Barbara Cook was fine. Barbra Streisand seemed more detached to me when she was honored by the Kennedy Center a few years ago especially when Idina Menzel unleashed her not-so-great rendition of "Don't Rain On My Parade."

[CMoore]

I've never heard Glenn Close sing so I guess I was just shocked. That made me so uncomfortable when Idina sang that and Barbra just nodded her dead.

[ComingUpRoses2]

I've never seen Glenn live, but the Sunset cast recording is just fine to me. She sounded perfectly pleasant on that and like I said, I thought she sang South Pacific relatively well, too.

She's no Barbara Cook for sure, but she does seem to be giving her all every time I see her sing on film or on TV.

I guess there's really no point in debating it, as the same people will say they don't like her. I'm not trying to change anyone's opinion, but I certainly think she can sing quite well. She's not anywhere near as bad as, say, Pierce Brosnan or someone like that.

I am glad to know I have a few supporters here, though! Thanks, guys!

[rjm516]

Barbara's tribute segment was one of my all-time favorite Kennedy Center moments! With each pause in the music, I prayed "Oh I hope Kelli O'Hara does it! I hope Patti does it! I would flip out of Audra does it! Wonder if Sutton will" etc., and lo and behold EVERYONE I was hoping for showed up and performed beautifully. I loved Yo Yo Ma's excitement. And how hilarious was Stephen Colbert! What a wonderful tribute to the greats in the arts. I can't wait to watch it again.

[sondhead]

I thought Glenn sounded in fine voice, but she was either consistently rushing the rhythm of the song or neglected to learn it correctly. It was definitely more than just being off from the orchestra because the first half of her phrases line up correctly. Because she was so consistent in her inaccuracy, I'd guess she didn't learn it correctly. It's not a song that begs super exact rhythms, but she was doing it so incorrectly that it definitely sounded wrong and bad.

[ComingUpRoses2]

It sounded to me like they were trying to speed it up a little so that they could squeeze in the other numbers.

[sondhead]

No. The orchestra plays in steady tempo throughout. Furthermore, she is ONLY off from the orchestras for the "I think about you"s, so it's clear she just didn't know what the rhythm was. I don't think you can call it rushing or trying to speed through the number when only one phrase is incorrectly early, and consistently so throughout.

[EricMontreal22]

I like Glenn Close in Sunset--from the recording and clips, etc anyway--but prefer on CD Patti in the role, and thought (at least as a 15 year old kid) that Diahann Carroll both acted and sang the role best when I saw the Canadian production in Vancouver--though that could partly be my memories because I don't like her quite as much on the Canadian cast album, although still vocally much more than Close.

But to give her Losing My Mind of all songs and to be sung for Barbara who owns that song in concert (although I still prefer Dorothy Collins), seemed kinda embarrassing. She hit the notes fine, but I felt her phrasing and sense of rhythm was completely off in much of the song.

As I said elsewhere, I also loved the tribute although Rob Ashford's jazzy male dancers completely seemed wrong to me (but I seem to be the only one I've seen say that, so maybe I'm alone there). I guess he's truly stuck in his 60s style choreography from the last few shows he's done -- but I can't quit thinking they were a homage to the male dancers in Ann Margaret's camp-tastic take on Isn't It Kinda Fun in the State Fair remake ( http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x9Slu3DiNC4 )

What performances were cut for the broadcast? I know people mentioned an opera star whose name I don't know sang Glitter and Be Gay (which is too bad it was cut--I was surprised not to hear it), and Patti apparently started with Loving You which went into the song she performed, was anything else? I wish I had watched the live streaming broadcast now.

Like others I felt Barbara was moved--often those being honoured don't show all that much reaction until the end, and I know if I was ever in that position (which I don't think will happen any time soon), I'm not one to cry or show too much emotion.

I liked Meryl's tribute but it's always hard with the actors--I wish they had credited more of the film clips because, I'm ashamed to say, a couple of them I didn't recognize. Also, dumb question, but I assume Anne's song was a music hall number--or does it have an actual connection to something Meryl has done or been in? (I guess it would have been too much to have her break out into ABBA...)

[ComingUpRoses2]

Anne's song "He's Me Pal" was from Ironweed. I think the clip of Meryl singing it is on YouTube. It's one of her finest moments. She plays Helen, a former singer, who imagines that she still has a good voice only to come back to reality and hear what she really sounds like. It's heartbreaking.

Anne sang the hell out of it.

[EricMontreal22]

I actually have always intended to see Ironweed, feel foolish I didn't realize it was from there, but it all makes sense now. Thanks!

[My Oh My]

I thought her acting was inexcusably worse--much closer to Lon Chaney than Gloria Swanson.

This made me laugh out loud. XD

[PianoMann]

I didn't really love Glenn Close's performance until the climax, where I think her acting of the song really saved it! Can't compare it to Bernadette's nightly performance of it.

[choitoy]

I love Glenn in "Sunset" on the cast recording (never saw her live, just Diahann and Petula), but I was seriously cringing when she was making her way through "Losing My Mind". She seemed nervous, and rushed through the song. It was too bad because it seemed like there was the basis of a good performance there, but alas...

Back to listening to the Bernadette version...

[singingbackup]

Ya, I am kinda over 'Ashfords's Angels' and their tired choreography. Seems like the same bunch (RA fave Spencer Liff,et al) strutting the same stuff in the same suits year after snoozy year. Way out of place this time.

[kariii]

Kennedy Center didn't play Barbara Cook singing!  No one in that tribute could sing like Barbara - just unbelievable.

[CurtainPullDowner]

I watch this Medly of great songs and amazing women over and over. This won an EMMY for the fabulous Rob Berman. The end tears me up every time. And I put up with Ashford's "boys" by concentrating on the Women.

And to the person who said Glynis Johns didn't have a singing voice, I believe you are wrong. She was known as a vocalist in the UK and even put out Albums. It's not a usual voice but she was very musical and sang in several of her movies, like MARY POPPINS and THE COURT JESTER.

[OKBroadwayFan]

http://www.broadwayworld.com/article/Legendary-Barbara-Cook-Has-Passed-Away-at-89-20170808