Oscar 2011 aka The Snoozer

Well, I just sat through the entire Oscar broadcast and all I can say is, "Thank God it's over!" It has to be one of the most boring award telecasts I've ever had to sit through.  Kudos to Anne Hathaway for doing everything she could to carry the show because, the writers and James Franco (high as he might have been) did her no favors.

But still, there were a few moments of fun.  Robert Downey Jr, Jude Law, Billy Crystal and Sandra Bullock were all good sports and highlights of the evening.  The ever changing set was pretty cool.  And of course, there were lots of pretty dresses.

But first and foremost, it was still Hollywood's biggest night for movies.  My voting, which only carried weight in my apartment, wasn't very good.  It seems I vote more with what I love and apparently, not so much with what's supposed to win.  Anyway, here are the winners and who I picked:

Category: Winner/Who I Picked
Best Short Film (Live Action): God of Love/The Crush
     Never saw or heard of any of these until the awards.  I chose The Crush because it reminded me of the Alicia Silverstone/Cary Elwes movie.  The guy who DID win gave the funniest speech of the night.

Best Visual Short (Animated): The Lost Thing/Let's Pollute
     Same as above except, none of these films reminded me of anything.  Let's Pollute just sounded funny.

Best Documentary (Short): Strangers No More/Sun Comes Up
     Same as above.  Sun Comes Up just sounded positive.

Best Visual Effects: Inception/Harry Potter: Deathly Hallows, Pt. 1
     The first category where voting with my heart got me squat.  I guess, Inception was a shoo-in but, I love Harry Potter so I couldn't help it.

Best Sound Mixing: Inception
     Did the others really have a chance?

Best Sound Editing: Inception
     See above.

Best Makeup: The Wolfman
     The most "showy" of the nominees always wins.  And I agree with Ms. Cate Blanchett, "Gross."

Best Cinematography: Inception/The King's Speech
     Another given for Inception but, I thought TKS might take it.  I was wrong.

Best Film Editing: The Social Network/Black Swan
     This was a tough call but, I thought BS would pull it out.  Another incorrect guess for me.  If we were ranking them, I would've put TSN second.

Best Documentary: Inside Job/Waste Land
     Another one where I saw none of the nominees and felt shame for having not heard of them.

Best Original Score: Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross - The Social Network
     I loved that Reznor and Ross' dark score pulled out the victory.  Of the nominees, I felt, theirs' was the music that added the most to the respective film.

Best Original Song: We Belong Together/I See The Light
    Congrats to Randy Newman for writing the same song that has been nominated 20 times and now won twice.  Judging by the telecast, I thought the song from Tangled (I See The Light) should've gotten the win.  If they'd used Donna Murphy in the performance, they probably would have.

Best Costume Design: Colleen Atwood - Alice In Wonderland
    The movie with the showiest costumes also produced the winner with the worst speech of the night.

Best Art Direction: Alice In Wonderland/Harry Potter: Deathly Hallows, Pt. 1
     Another one where my love for Harry Potter clouded my judgement.  Common sense would've told me to vote for AIW.

Best Adapted Screenplay: Aaron Sorkin - The Social Network
     Aaron Sorkin won for THE best screenplay of the year!

Best Original Screenplay: David Seidler - The King's Speech
     David Seidler won for the 2nd best screenplay of the year!

Best Foreign Film: In A Better World (Denmark)/Biutiful (Mexico)
     Denmark beat Mexico in the Miss Universe category.  Foiled again!

Best Animated Feature: Toy Story 3                                  
     Really? Did the other nominees think they had a shot?

Best Supporting Actress: Melissa Leo - The Fighter/Amy Adams - The Fighter
     Another one where I went with my heart.  I knew Melissa Leo would probably win but, I'm on the bandwagon for Amy Adams to get the little gold man.  She's always solid and gets overshadowed by people in the showier roles.  Her time is coming!

Best Supporting Actor: Christian Bale - The Fighter
     Speaking of solid actors who always get overshadowed, Christian Bale (hateful as he may sound on those Terminator recordings) is a great actor who got the recognition he deserved, finally.

Best Actress: Natalie Portman - Black Swan
     Probably the category that will have had the most dispute this year but, I loved Portman's portrayal of the ballerina who JUST wanted to be perfect.  It was creepy and weak and powerful and great!  I know others think Annette Bening should've won but, I'm not so sure.  To me, she's always so big on film I'd love to see her on stage.  Bring the woman to Broadway!

Best Actor: Colin Firth - The King's Speech
     Another shoo-in winner, this year.  Amazing and should have one for simply being the ONLY actor (I love you, Meryl!) to come out of Mamma Mia unscathed.

Best Director: Tom Hooper - The King's Speech
     Deserved win.  Plus, he got bonus points for giving credit for the idea of the film to his mum.  She saw a play called The King's Speech and said it should be his next film.  Like he said, "The moral of the story, listen to your mum."

Best Picture: The King's Speech

     Tough call but, I also went with TKS!  I went in expecting a "typical" boring, British film and was greatly surprised by what I saw.  Colin, Helena, Geoffrey and the rest of the cast were great!  Plus, the script was funny and poignant and everything you'd want in a Best Picture winner.  Congrats to all involved!


So, I had a not so great 54% voting percentage (13 of 24) Anyway, those are my comments.   What do you think of the night?


Until next time...

Lather, Rinse, Repeat: Scorecard #8

Between getting up at 6am for auditions and getting home from work after midnight, I haven't felt much like writing, lately.  But, I do have four new auditions to tell you about and add to the scorecard.  Let's go:

Audition 1)  This was the chorus call for the California theater that I auditioned for in last week's scorecard update.  I figured it couldn't hurt to go back and sing again since I hadn't been happy the last time.  Plus, I wanted to redeem myself for the, less than focused, R&H performance.  This time I decided to do my Secret Garden number and I nailed it!  I was focused on this one and figured I had nothing to lose so, felt like I knocked this one out.  SUCCESS

Audition 2)  An EPA for a theater in Pennsylvania doing several "big" shows that I, personally, love and would love to be in.  I decided for this one, I wanted to sing my number from Shrek.  It's a belty ballad but, also fun at the same time.  It went great and the people in the room were great!  But like all the others, now we wait and see.  SUCCESS

Audition 3)  A chorus call for another PA theater.  This time, one in Pittsburg.  Their upcoming season runs the genre gamut so, they didn't ask for anything specific just what you do best.  I decided to go with Shrek again because I love the song and it sits really well in my voice.  Again they seemed as though they really liked me but,  I wasn't asked to stay and "move" (theatre dancing that's not really dancing).  I'm choosing to assume that's because they saw that a couple of the shows they're doing are already on my resume.  SUCCESS

Audition 4)  A last minute decision led me to go to this EPA for a national tour of Guys and Dolls.  Outside the door, we were told that the CD (casting director) wanted to hear something comedic.  So, I decided to go with my Triumph of Love number.  The song, itself, went really well but the interesting part came after.  At first she said "thank you" but, as I was getting my book from the piano she stopped me.

"Do you have anything up-tempo that's less angsty?"  And then, she said she basically wanted me to do an up-tempo gangster song.  What I did was "great" but, she wanted to hear something with less angst that was more suitable to the characters I was right for.

"Hmmm, well..."  I think that's literally what I said.  I grabbed my book and started flipping through the pages having no idea what to do.  I didn't help that I didn't exactly know what "angsty" even meant.  I kept flipping through the book and we finally settled on the R&H song but, as a gangster.

It was actually pretty fun doing it differently but, nerve wracking because I wanted to just snap my fingers and immediately have the type of song she wanted.  But when you're put on the spot like that, it's sometimes hard to think quickly.  But still, the first song went great, the second one was fun and that fact that I was EVEN asked for a second one, makes this one a SUCCESS!

So, we update the season's scorecard:

                Audition Scorecard 2010-2011

                    15 Success

                      6 Fail (4 type out)

Four consecutive successes!  It also makes it easier when you're going to so many because it lowers the "big deal" feeling.  Going to several a week is a lot easier than one every few weeks.  There are still plenty more on the calendar so, still gotta cross the fingers.

Until next time...

The Musical Grind: Scorecard #7

With the show done, I've had more time to get back out and hit up the audition circuit.  Today, I've got four to tell you about.  One is from a while back that I just never got to writing about and, the other three, from the last couple of days.

Audition 1:  This was for an Off Broadway showcase that's being done in March.  I went in and did my Rodgers & Hammerstein, Flower Drum Song (from now on I'm calling it R&H).  It was the best I've done it yet!  I was so happy with the way it went.  The people behind the table really seemed to like it too except, it turned out, they were looking for guys who were strong tappers.  Crap!  Well, it's still a SUCCESS because the song was great, if I say so myself!

Audition 2:  For the upcoming Broadway revival of Evita.  I was typed out!  UGH!  No song.  Done.  This is my 4th time in a row at this casting office.  FAIL

Audition 3:  An EPA for a well known theater out in California.  I went in and did my R&H song for them.  I've done the song a good 20 times in auditions and coachings.  But the entire time I was singing, my mind kept saying, "Don't forget the lyrics."  Why would I forget the lyrics?  I've done the song too many times to do that.  Vocally, the song went well but I was in my head too much.  Not being focused on the performance means a FAIL.

Audition 4:  This EPA was for a theater, in North Carolina, that I'd worked at a long time ago.  It always holds a special place for me because it's the place that I decided performing was what I wanted to do.  Anyway so, I decided to do my song from the musical, Triumph of Love.  I went in and I really think this was the best performance of THIS song that I had done at an audition!  I felt great during and after the song.

After he had looked at my resume, he asked if I'd worked at the place before.  My response was, "Yes, I worked there several years back."  And then like word vomit I said, "I LOVE THAT PLACE!"  Did I really just say that?  How cheesy could that be?  I was so shocked at myself for saying it, that I just stood silently.  Don't get me wrong, it was truly sincere but, not the answer I would've given had I had time to think.  Oh well, maybe the casting guy wasn't paying attention and didn't hear it.  Besides, the song was still great so, SUCCESS!

So, we update the season's scorecard:

                Audition Scorecard 2010-2011
                    11 Success
                      6 Fail (4 type out)

So, 2 for 2 this time.  Not so bad.  I've got several more coming up so, I'm hoping to add more to the success side.

Until next time...

Back to the Pavement

There's always a certain sadness when a show you're doing ends.  No longer can you say, "I'm in a show!", when someone asks you what you're up to and, usually, it means heading back to the survival job full time.   Also, it means heading back out to the audition circuit.  Trying to get the next show that puts you back into the spotlight.

Luckily, Eeek! is ending just as a long stretch of auditions is coming up.  In the next few weeks, several mornings I'll be up before the sun so that I can head to the next EPA that may turn into my next project (fingers crossed).  One positive that DOES come with a project ending, for me, is that it leaves me motivated to get the next show so that I don't lose that "performer's rush."  You know, that feeling of being in front of a crowd that drives all performers.

So the scorecard will, finally, be getting some updates over the next few weeks.  I'm singing for a theater in Sacramento today, one in North Carolina on Wednesday, one in upstate New York and one more in Pennsylvania all in the next week.  I'll be crossing my fingers that they all go well and that, at least, one of them gets past the first step.

Off I go to get ready and start warming up the singing voice for today.  My neighbors will love that at 6am but, I let it slide that it always sounds like they're training a herd of elephants above me so, I think, they can grant me this on occasion.

When I get home tonight, I'll write a final report on Eeek! for tomorrow in case anyone was wondering.  And if anyone wants, sending good luck vibes is always appreciated!

Until next time...