Last season on America's Got Talent, a little girl by the name of Jackie Evanco was discovered when AGT held they're YouTube auditions. Who'll be discovered this season?
Well, avilo and I watched all 20 and we both buzzed most of them faster than Piers buzzes the actual on stage acts. I won't say it wasn't fun, though. We laughed hysterically - avilo playing Piers and I playing Sharon.
What makes these people think they have million dollar talent is beyond me. I told avilo he could have done just as well with his "Funky Terran man" dance and his "Elmo on drugs" impersonation. lol
Seems too many people are jumping on the "Fighting Gravity" concept, as well.
We both gave Akata a chance, because they had good harmony and the finger snapping was cool, but after a while it became so annoying that we both wanted to throw rotten tomatoes at them.
Megan Pipus, another Youtuber, has a spectacular voice and rather than use a dummy to sing in her little duet, she should really go it alone.
Avilo liked Allie Bridges - duh. Doesn't take much to guess why. lol Actually, she wasn't bad, but come on - we're talking a million dollar act here.
Beth Ann Williams was agile and graceful with her choreographed acrobatic act, but again, no million bucks worth of talent. I might pay five bucks to see her in a school performance. Just like cute little Breena Bell, a tumbler.
Neither Avilo, nor I voted, simply because there was no "spectacular" act for whom to vote. If the YouTube auditions weren't making us laugh so hard, we probably wouldn't have watched after the first act.
And could someone tell me wtf was going on with Joe Ann and Kwiesi Davis?
If you need a good laugh, check out YouTube.com/AGT
Thursday, June 30, 2011
Wednesday, June 29, 2011
America's Got Talent - But Where?
After watching so many no-talent acts, I think I've become tired. Hell, I don't even know which state AGT was in tonight.
I keep wondering, if they are showing us "bad" talent, how bad is the talent they're not showing us?
Seriously, when they announced tonight that next Tuesdays show will be in Vegas, I'm like, wait! What? Good grief, I don't recollect seeing any million dollar acts.
Tonight, they shot us through four acts that all received nos.
1. Eric and Chris, who sang catastrophically off key.
2. A hair hanger named Chris
3. The Painted Ladies, with big butts
4. Magic of Mystique
Then came three yes votes for Fatally Unique, a dance group ranging in ages from 13-22. When they were voted to Vegas, I thought to myself, Self, I do believe AGT is desperate for acts.
Others voted to go to Vegas were: Ian Johnson, a 16 year old; Tricky Jackson, a body builder; and an 18 year old, singer/guitar player named Taylor Davis. What, no Smith's?
Thankfully, Tomahawk Tassels didn't make it through. She was nothing more than a stripper and a bad one at that. I'm sure Vegas has enough strippers.
When she ended her act, holding an oar in front her topless self, Howie, in an attempt at humor, said, "I'd like a better look at that oar." He went on stage, turned her around, and took the oar. So not funny.
Then came the, "It's never too late" moment. Cindy Chang, a 42 year old housewife, who's dreamed of singing her whole life, performed. She's a giggly, shy little thing, and I figured she'd get booed off stage quickly.
So why was she getting such a late start? This is the part I hate - PARENTS! When Cindy was a kid all she ever wanted to do was sing. Her Asian parents flatly said, "NO!"
It wasn't until later in life that she began vocal training with a coach, who told her, "It's too late for you."
The music began and the audience sat in silence as Cindy sang an aria with beautiful precision. She barely finished the last note, when she broke down in tears.
God! I hope her dumb ass PARENTS were watching and then kicking each other in the ass.
Another good act was Mike Stone and the Critical Band, who performed the Banana Boat Song. They have talent, but a million dollars worth? *sighs*
And, excuse me, but how does someone who does three little card tricks manage to get voted to Vegas? Desperation, I tell you.
The Psychic Magician, Fantastic Fig and his cat, Newton, brought four girls on stage with him. But why? They were in no way relevant to the card tricks. So why were they on stage? Because, "They wanted to dance." Hello?
GTR, an acronym for Girls that Rock, were buzzed off shortly after the stage started trembling.
Still, I sat through it all. The final circus act, which blew the judges away with the "danger level," was a family of motor bike riding daredevils. The Fearless Flores Family, lock their kids - a boy, 8, and a girl, 13, - in the Globe of Death and whilst the Dad bravely stands in the middle, the kids go high speed, round and round, up and down.
Now, the dad claims that the boy started when he was four, so I guess the girl's been doing it since age nine. And I get it, I really do. Rather than give kids a sedative to calm them down, you get them so dizzy that they pass out. lol
The dad assured the judges that they all ride and eventually we'll see four bikes in the ball. WOW! I can't wait.
Anyway, I decided, as I watched the show, that this was the last time for me. Then they announce "Next week Vegas." Okay, I have to watch now. GRRRRRRRRRRRRRR!
Oh, and if you want to vote for your favorite YouTube act, go to youtube.com/AGT
I keep wondering, if they are showing us "bad" talent, how bad is the talent they're not showing us?
Seriously, when they announced tonight that next Tuesdays show will be in Vegas, I'm like, wait! What? Good grief, I don't recollect seeing any million dollar acts.
Tonight, they shot us through four acts that all received nos.
1. Eric and Chris, who sang catastrophically off key.
2. A hair hanger named Chris
3. The Painted Ladies, with big butts
4. Magic of Mystique
Then came three yes votes for Fatally Unique, a dance group ranging in ages from 13-22. When they were voted to Vegas, I thought to myself, Self, I do believe AGT is desperate for acts.
Others voted to go to Vegas were: Ian Johnson, a 16 year old; Tricky Jackson, a body builder; and an 18 year old, singer/guitar player named Taylor Davis. What, no Smith's?
Thankfully, Tomahawk Tassels didn't make it through. She was nothing more than a stripper and a bad one at that. I'm sure Vegas has enough strippers.
When she ended her act, holding an oar in front her topless self, Howie, in an attempt at humor, said, "I'd like a better look at that oar." He went on stage, turned her around, and took the oar. So not funny.
Then came the, "It's never too late" moment. Cindy Chang, a 42 year old housewife, who's dreamed of singing her whole life, performed. She's a giggly, shy little thing, and I figured she'd get booed off stage quickly.
So why was she getting such a late start? This is the part I hate - PARENTS! When Cindy was a kid all she ever wanted to do was sing. Her Asian parents flatly said, "NO!"
It wasn't until later in life that she began vocal training with a coach, who told her, "It's too late for you."
The music began and the audience sat in silence as Cindy sang an aria with beautiful precision. She barely finished the last note, when she broke down in tears.
God! I hope her dumb ass PARENTS were watching and then kicking each other in the ass.
Another good act was Mike Stone and the Critical Band, who performed the Banana Boat Song. They have talent, but a million dollars worth? *sighs*
And, excuse me, but how does someone who does three little card tricks manage to get voted to Vegas? Desperation, I tell you.
The Psychic Magician, Fantastic Fig and his cat, Newton, brought four girls on stage with him. But why? They were in no way relevant to the card tricks. So why were they on stage? Because, "They wanted to dance." Hello?
GTR, an acronym for Girls that Rock, were buzzed off shortly after the stage started trembling.
Still, I sat through it all. The final circus act, which blew the judges away with the "danger level," was a family of motor bike riding daredevils. The Fearless Flores Family, lock their kids - a boy, 8, and a girl, 13, - in the Globe of Death and whilst the Dad bravely stands in the middle, the kids go high speed, round and round, up and down.
Now, the dad claims that the boy started when he was four, so I guess the girl's been doing it since age nine. And I get it, I really do. Rather than give kids a sedative to calm them down, you get them so dizzy that they pass out. lol
The dad assured the judges that they all ride and eventually we'll see four bikes in the ball. WOW! I can't wait.
Anyway, I decided, as I watched the show, that this was the last time for me. Then they announce "Next week Vegas." Okay, I have to watch now. GRRRRRRRRRRRRRR!
Oh, and if you want to vote for your favorite YouTube act, go to youtube.com/AGT
Tuesday, June 28, 2011
America's Got Talent - Back to the Big Apple
You've seen back stage, I'm sure; the contestants waiting, hoping. Some talented, most not. Others completely absurd. So, with the acts they show, imagine what we, the viewing audience, have been spared. At this point, I'm feeling sorry for the judges, who can't escape any of it. Okay, it's their job - they get paid, but oh my.
Rak and Tak, a husband and wife team, who sang "Alone" excruciatingly off key, are in real life, doctors. When Nick asked the wife if she was a better singer or doctor, she replied, "Better singer."
Ummm...the last name is Khan (or Con lol). So, if you're ever in NY and need a doctor, stay away from the "K"s and the "C"s in the directory, just to be safe. With three no votes, they're still practicing - medicine.
The Smage Brothers, a motor bike act got three yes votes. Just hope the dude, who was used as a prop, was wearing a cup. One mistake and he's not going to be able to reproduce.
We saw three clips of entertainers - all voted to the next round. The Sally Gould Dancers, ages 11-13; Dylan Andre, a guitar playing singer; and Shenika Charles, who proved how low one actually can go, with her limbo.
Then they threw in a 75 year old muscleman by the name of Ed Cole. Sorry, Ed, but even all the booty shakin' and flexin' ain't gonna get you Vegas. Age doesn't always have privilege.
Sometimes, though, determination does. Leonid the Magnificent auditioned four years ago and was rejected. He gave up the thought of ever being an entertainer, but came back again with a whole new act - A quick change artist, who was impressive enough this time to get two yes votes to Vegas. Piers wasn't impressed.
He was, however, impressed with a young electric guitar playing singer. Her name is Rachael Zanstein and she's got a Drew Barrymore kind of personality. I mean you just have to love her - well, everyone did with the exception of Howie.
Maybe he felt something more profound. He said, "I don't think you're ready." She tells the story of a Connecticut girl gone bad; booze, drugs, etc. "Then I found music and it became my life blood." When Howie said "...you're not ready" I wonder if he meant, ready for success.
From a poignant moment, to a sadly ridiculous one, the next "performer" was the Naked Cowgirl, Sandy Kane, who sung to Nick, "I love Nick he's better than ice cream to lick." Of course, she received three no votes. Offstage Nick asked her, "Do you still love me?" She shouted back "NO." lol Guess sleeping your way to the top doesn't work so much anymore.
Two more clips of acts that didn't get voted through followed the Nick Licker Cowgirl. Satori, who was just strange, and Maya, who was even stranger.
Then came a dancer with more heads than I have personalities. Narcisster danced around the stage, doing acrobatics and exposing different heads, even one between her legs. Ummm... okay, I ain't going there. The only face she didn't expose was her own. Maybe that's why she was voted through.
The show ended with Sam B, who "Took the 'I' outta Sam and just used the first initial of my last name." Okay, he was funny and fun, but I was afraid with him dancin like he was "Barking mad" he was going to have a heart attack.
You'd think if anyone danced like that night after night in clubs, as he claims he does, he'd be thin as a pencil. He told Nick, before he went on that all the girls want to dance with him. When he asks for their number, though, it's a different story. "Some sneak out to the bathroom, others give me a wrong number. Sometimes, though, I get lucky."
Although he was unanimously voted through, Piers qualified his vote with, "You're brilliantly terrible."
Sorry, folks, but New York was a big disappointment for me. Start spreadin' the news.
Rak and Tak, a husband and wife team, who sang "Alone" excruciatingly off key, are in real life, doctors. When Nick asked the wife if she was a better singer or doctor, she replied, "Better singer."
Ummm...the last name is Khan (or Con lol). So, if you're ever in NY and need a doctor, stay away from the "K"s and the "C"s in the directory, just to be safe. With three no votes, they're still practicing - medicine.
The Smage Brothers, a motor bike act got three yes votes. Just hope the dude, who was used as a prop, was wearing a cup. One mistake and he's not going to be able to reproduce.
We saw three clips of entertainers - all voted to the next round. The Sally Gould Dancers, ages 11-13; Dylan Andre, a guitar playing singer; and Shenika Charles, who proved how low one actually can go, with her limbo.
Then they threw in a 75 year old muscleman by the name of Ed Cole. Sorry, Ed, but even all the booty shakin' and flexin' ain't gonna get you Vegas. Age doesn't always have privilege.
Sometimes, though, determination does. Leonid the Magnificent auditioned four years ago and was rejected. He gave up the thought of ever being an entertainer, but came back again with a whole new act - A quick change artist, who was impressive enough this time to get two yes votes to Vegas. Piers wasn't impressed.
He was, however, impressed with a young electric guitar playing singer. Her name is Rachael Zanstein and she's got a Drew Barrymore kind of personality. I mean you just have to love her - well, everyone did with the exception of Howie.
Maybe he felt something more profound. He said, "I don't think you're ready." She tells the story of a Connecticut girl gone bad; booze, drugs, etc. "Then I found music and it became my life blood." When Howie said "...you're not ready" I wonder if he meant, ready for success.
From a poignant moment, to a sadly ridiculous one, the next "performer" was the Naked Cowgirl, Sandy Kane, who sung to Nick, "I love Nick he's better than ice cream to lick." Of course, she received three no votes. Offstage Nick asked her, "Do you still love me?" She shouted back "NO." lol Guess sleeping your way to the top doesn't work so much anymore.
Two more clips of acts that didn't get voted through followed the Nick Licker Cowgirl. Satori, who was just strange, and Maya, who was even stranger.
Then came a dancer with more heads than I have personalities. Narcisster danced around the stage, doing acrobatics and exposing different heads, even one between her legs. Ummm... okay, I ain't going there. The only face she didn't expose was her own. Maybe that's why she was voted through.
The show ended with Sam B, who "Took the 'I' outta Sam and just used the first initial of my last name." Okay, he was funny and fun, but I was afraid with him dancin like he was "Barking mad" he was going to have a heart attack.
You'd think if anyone danced like that night after night in clubs, as he claims he does, he'd be thin as a pencil. He told Nick, before he went on that all the girls want to dance with him. When he asks for their number, though, it's a different story. "Some sneak out to the bathroom, others give me a wrong number. Sometimes, though, I get lucky."
Although he was unanimously voted through, Piers qualified his vote with, "You're brilliantly terrible."
Sorry, folks, but New York was a big disappointment for me. Start spreadin' the news.
Monday, June 27, 2011
Blondes Aren't Dumb! Or Are They?
Whilst I'm a blonde, I don't resent "dumb blonde" jokes at all. They're funny. And I'm confident enough with my intelligence, that I can laugh at the jokes. Mensa members were so impressed with my IQ that, at the first meeting I attended, I received a standing ovation. Wait! That might have been a dream. lol
Anyway, the blondes portrayed in jokes aren't real. At least that's what I've always believed. Then, I met Debbie. Debbie's a blonde, but she's not dumb, either. Her sister, however, wellllllll....let's just say she doesn't have both oars in the water.
Until I actually met her, I thought Debbie was making up all the stories about her sister - even after people, who had met her, confirmed that she's a few cards short of a full deck.
The stories are so funny, so unbelievable, that I felt compelled to share them here with you.
When Debbie's sister (whose name escapes me) first moved to our town, Debbie gave her sister directions to her house in the country. Knowing her sister well, she said, "Make sure that you pick out a landmark, when you make the turn, so you'll always remember how to get here."
Surprisingly, her sister found the place without incident.
A couple weeks later Debbie told her to drive out to pick up something. "Do you remember the landmark?" (sister never told Debbie what it was and I guess Debbie felt it was irrelevant)Her sister assured her she did. Debbie waited an hour, then two, and then decided her sister was lost. She called her cell and asked where she was. "I'm back home, because I couldn't find the landmark."
Yeah, she didn't bother calling Debbie when she got lost, instead she went back home. *rolls eyes*
"Are you sure you remembered the landmark?"
"Yeah, duh! Only it wasn't there."
"Huh? Landmarks don't disappear."
"Well, this one did. I remember for sure when I turned down your road the first time, there was a cow standing by the fence." True story!
Another time she bought a great big bag of Kibbles n Bits, at Walmart, for her pooch. The next day she returned to Walmart with her purchase. She walked up to the customer service desk and slammed the bag on the counter.
"Is there something wrong?"
"I'll say there is!" she huffed. "I fed this to my dog and nothing happened."
Confused, the CSR looked at her and asked, "What did you think was going to happen?"
"Are you kidding me? In the commercial, the dog dances. Mine didn't! It's false advertisement and I want my money back." True story!
God, I wish I had been there to see the CSR's face.
One Thanksgiving eve, the sister's husband (me thinks she must be good in bed lol) was baking pumpkin pies. (yeah, he doesn't let her near the stove) He had already gone shopping, but forgot the evaporated milk that the recipe called for.
He gave his wife money and a note that read, "Two, 12 oz. cans of evaporated milk - any brand." He figured he had that pretty well covered. But when she returned home empty handed, he's like, "wtf?"
She glared at him. "You must really think I'm so stupid that I wouldn't ask someone the meaning of evaporated!" (She was in dairy looking for cans of milk when she finally asked someone)
His expression must have been priceless. "Okay, so where's the milk?"
"I went through every can there and they were all full. You just wanted me out of the house," she said, followed by even stronger glares. True Story!
So, even though, in most cases, "dumb blonde" jokes are fiction - somewhere there's a blonde just like Debbie's sister, running around on the loose. You might see her in Walmart, shaking the cans of evaporated milk, or at the customer service desk ranting about false advertisement. For heaven's sake, though, if you have a cow that wanders to the fence, keep em chained there, she just might be someone's landmark.
Sunday, June 26, 2011
Avilo Strikes Again at It's Gosu LAN in Virginia
Okay, question...What's more fun than a DC area LAN event? Duh! It's a DC LAN event hosted by It's Gosu.
Ayesee and Redmajejr (listed in alphabetical order) were kind of not on their mark in the humor department at yesterday's LAN, but you have to take into consideration the fact that that Irishman, Murphy, was yanking their chains for the major part of the event. Yep, what could go wrong, went wrong. They had problems with the bandwidth and then xSplit decided to mess with 'em. There was bad audio, there was no audio, and there was interrupted streaming. Despite all the mishaps, it was a fun night.
The people in chat - and I do mean the majority - are fun. And for once I wasn't the only girl. WooHoo! Thanks for hanging out in chat, Foxey.
Luckyfool, who didn't enter this tournament, due to "previous commitments" accused me of acting silly, (should have been sillier than usual) but it's me being the consummate entertainer. If there's no video, Ayesee and Redmaje offer the comic relief like pros, but if there's no audio people can't hear ya being funny. So, I did my best to save the day.
Fortunately, I didn't have go it alone. Chatters, like Rhonlore, Thorfan and Shakemaster, to name a few, were all too willing to help me out and because of them, It's Gosu didn't lose one viewer and even gained some. :D
Before I get into the details of the It's AVILO event, I have to say to anyone who has yet to experience the casting expertise and humor of Ayesee and Redmaje, or isn't familiar with It's Gosu, do yourselves a favor and tune in sometime. I promise you, you'll have a great time. http://www.itsgosu.com/
Okay, so it was a big disappointment that Luckyfool couldn't attend, but he assured me that he's preparing to take Avilo down at the next event. According to him, he's been studying Avilo's games from his MLG loss and the Starcraft league from North America (whose name I shall not mention, because it leaves a bitter taste in my mouth).
OMG! If Luckyfool ever wins v Avilo, I think his system might go into shock and paramedics better be on hand to resuscitate the man.
It did prove to be Avilo's night again. The only gamer, who beat him one game, in a BO3 was Deceive. When Avilo hits the DC LAN events, he becomes a total beast. He took down Cryptic 2-0 and then went on to destroy Anfield, a pretty good Protoss player, 3-0 in a BO5, sans nukes.
Of course, when Avilo's games are cast, my whole body tenses and I'm unable to breathe. Now anyone who knows Avilo, knows that his games can be long at times; therefore any silliness I'm accused of displaying can be blamed on lack of oxygen to my brain. :D
When Avilo played Anfield he came close to losing one game and anyone else might have GGd, but not Avilo. He has a way of turning games around sometimes that simply amazes me. Of course, he probably doesn't think he's ever losing.
The next BO5 was v Revillusion another Terran, who took home first place when Avilo couldn't make one of the DC LANs due to graduation. Revillusion was out for blood, but it was Avilo's win, 3-0.
Viewers sat patiently waiting for the losers bracket to complete their games to see who Avilo would have to play in the finals.
Revillusion v Hex, a zerg, were ftw, but I'm sure Revillusion was determined to win so that he could face Avilo again in the finals. So, he beat Hex and after a short break, it was Revillusion v Avilo, once again.
Unfortunately, Murphy decided it was time to rear his ugly head once more with technical issues and viewers were left without audio during the final TvT BO5. Shakemaster volunteered to cast via chat type, but Jack grabbed hold of him, rendering his brain to finger coordination dysfunctional, and cast typing was left to me. :D
I began with all the intricate details: "There's this Terran building stuff and on the other side of the map is another Terran building stuff and they both wanna kill each other, so they're gonna sneak around and see what's going on in each other's bases with the stuffs they built. Rut roh - one of the Terrans is sending Gouda and Swiss toward the other..." I think Redmaje stopped me at that point. I know, don't quit my day job. LOFL
Needless to say, Avilo remains the Starcraft champ in the DC area with a 3-0 win over Revillusion. I think this is Avilo's 7th straight DC win. Now, if I were one of guys competing, I'd suggest to the other guys that we pool our money and give it to Avilo to stay home. hehe.
It was a long, long day and I have to give credit to all the competitors, and of course, to the casters, who couldn't just leave afterwards, because they still had to break down and pack up all the equipment. LOL! "Break Down" is kind of a funny choice of words there.
As I see it, without the mishaps, It's Gosu is one of the better streams around. If, in between games, they'd pan Cyberground like Ipp does, it would make it more interesting to viewers. The only other thing that could possibly make It's Gosu better is signing Avilo. :D
Anyway, as it stands, Avilo is still the undefeated champion of the DC Starcraft community with Revillusion coming in second and Hex, third. Good Job, y'all. And thanks to all of those, who put this event together and are dedicated to making eSports the biggest thing in NA since baseball...or basketball...maybe tennis - how about, more popular than apple pie?
A great big thanks to:
It's Gosu and their newest sponsor, Steel Series
Lucky Fool for coordinating the event
Torenhire for keeping the brackets up do date
Ayesee and Redmaje for casting
Cyberground Technical Assistance...ummm okay *shrugs and laughs*
To the guys in chat, for keeping it fun
and to my Avilo for making me proud, as usual.
Ayesee and Redmajejr (listed in alphabetical order) were kind of not on their mark in the humor department at yesterday's LAN, but you have to take into consideration the fact that that Irishman, Murphy, was yanking their chains for the major part of the event. Yep, what could go wrong, went wrong. They had problems with the bandwidth and then xSplit decided to mess with 'em. There was bad audio, there was no audio, and there was interrupted streaming. Despite all the mishaps, it was a fun night.
The people in chat - and I do mean the majority - are fun. And for once I wasn't the only girl. WooHoo! Thanks for hanging out in chat, Foxey.
Luckyfool, who didn't enter this tournament, due to "previous commitments" accused me of acting silly, (should have been sillier than usual) but it's me being the consummate entertainer. If there's no video, Ayesee and Redmaje offer the comic relief like pros, but if there's no audio people can't hear ya being funny. So, I did my best to save the day.
Fortunately, I didn't have go it alone. Chatters, like Rhonlore, Thorfan and Shakemaster, to name a few, were all too willing to help me out and because of them, It's Gosu didn't lose one viewer and even gained some. :D
Before I get into the details of the It's AVILO event, I have to say to anyone who has yet to experience the casting expertise and humor of Ayesee and Redmaje, or isn't familiar with It's Gosu, do yourselves a favor and tune in sometime. I promise you, you'll have a great time. http://www.itsgosu.com/
Okay, so it was a big disappointment that Luckyfool couldn't attend, but he assured me that he's preparing to take Avilo down at the next event. According to him, he's been studying Avilo's games from his MLG loss and the Starcraft league from North America (whose name I shall not mention, because it leaves a bitter taste in my mouth).
OMG! If Luckyfool ever wins v Avilo, I think his system might go into shock and paramedics better be on hand to resuscitate the man.
It did prove to be Avilo's night again. The only gamer, who beat him one game, in a BO3 was Deceive. When Avilo hits the DC LAN events, he becomes a total beast. He took down Cryptic 2-0 and then went on to destroy Anfield, a pretty good Protoss player, 3-0 in a BO5, sans nukes.
Of course, when Avilo's games are cast, my whole body tenses and I'm unable to breathe. Now anyone who knows Avilo, knows that his games can be long at times; therefore any silliness I'm accused of displaying can be blamed on lack of oxygen to my brain. :D
When Avilo played Anfield he came close to losing one game and anyone else might have GGd, but not Avilo. He has a way of turning games around sometimes that simply amazes me. Of course, he probably doesn't think he's ever losing.
The next BO5 was v Revillusion another Terran, who took home first place when Avilo couldn't make one of the DC LANs due to graduation. Revillusion was out for blood, but it was Avilo's win, 3-0.
Viewers sat patiently waiting for the losers bracket to complete their games to see who Avilo would have to play in the finals.
Revillusion v Hex, a zerg, were ftw, but I'm sure Revillusion was determined to win so that he could face Avilo again in the finals. So, he beat Hex and after a short break, it was Revillusion v Avilo, once again.
Unfortunately, Murphy decided it was time to rear his ugly head once more with technical issues and viewers were left without audio during the final TvT BO5. Shakemaster volunteered to cast via chat type, but Jack grabbed hold of him, rendering his brain to finger coordination dysfunctional, and cast typing was left to me. :D
I began with all the intricate details: "There's this Terran building stuff and on the other side of the map is another Terran building stuff and they both wanna kill each other, so they're gonna sneak around and see what's going on in each other's bases with the stuffs they built. Rut roh - one of the Terrans is sending Gouda and Swiss toward the other..." I think Redmaje stopped me at that point. I know, don't quit my day job. LOFL
Needless to say, Avilo remains the Starcraft champ in the DC area with a 3-0 win over Revillusion. I think this is Avilo's 7th straight DC win. Now, if I were one of guys competing, I'd suggest to the other guys that we pool our money and give it to Avilo to stay home. hehe.
It was a long, long day and I have to give credit to all the competitors, and of course, to the casters, who couldn't just leave afterwards, because they still had to break down and pack up all the equipment. LOL! "Break Down" is kind of a funny choice of words there.
As I see it, without the mishaps, It's Gosu is one of the better streams around. If, in between games, they'd pan Cyberground like Ipp does, it would make it more interesting to viewers. The only other thing that could possibly make It's Gosu better is signing Avilo. :D
Anyway, as it stands, Avilo is still the undefeated champion of the DC Starcraft community with Revillusion coming in second and Hex, third. Good Job, y'all. And thanks to all of those, who put this event together and are dedicated to making eSports the biggest thing in NA since baseball...or basketball...maybe tennis - how about, more popular than apple pie?
A great big thanks to:
It's Gosu and their newest sponsor, Steel Series
Lucky Fool for coordinating the event
Torenhire for keeping the brackets up do date
Ayesee and Redmaje for casting
Cyberground Technical Assistance...ummm okay *shrugs and laughs*
To the guys in chat, for keeping it fun
and to my Avilo for making me proud, as usual.
Wednesday, June 22, 2011
America's Got Talent - New York 2011
When you hear The Big Apple, you instinctively think talent - well I do. It's the heart of the theater. Broadway. Singing. Dancing. Acting. New York has talent.
Before AGT showed us some though, we had to sit through clips of dumb acts again. At least they were only clips.
Joel Podesky? Pumpkin pie eater extraordinaire? AHA! The talent is how fast he eats the pie he hates. Yeah, I'd pay to see that in Vegas. Good grief!
Michael, "The Parrot Wizard," whose parrot wouldn't do anything but play dead. They say never act with kids or animals, guess birds apply as well.
The Boston Typewriter Orchestra? Yeah, well, you couldn't hear them over the crowd, but the three no votes came quickly.
To me those are novelty acts, not talent. My advice for Joel - follow around state fairs. Michael - have parrot under glass. Typewriter guys - switch to keyboards.
Triple Threat, a Broadway act consisting of four people, claimed they sing, dance and act. Maybe in high school plays. *shrugs
Then came Snap Boogie. Some people have easy lives, others don't. Some people go bad and blame their rough lives, others rise above the situation and do what they do best. Snap Boogie, a high school student, whose one brother is already in jail, does street performing to help his mom make ends meet.
He came on stage humble, but when that music started the kid owned the stage and deserved to be voted through with three yes votes.
I was also impressed with Micheal Turco, a magician, who made gorgeous girls appear out of nowhere. I'd imagine that most men would like to know his secret.
The show could have spared me Riley, "One of a small handful of women sword swallowers." But she's got the gag reflex down...okay I'm not even gonna say what just went through my mind.
When Steven Retchless appeared on stage wearing platform heels and skimpy silver shorts, I reacted kind of like the judges did. The expression was somewhat like jaw dropped, wide-eyed disbelief. So, what was he going to do? "I'm a Polefessional." Yep, a rare breed - a male pole dancer. Piers was the first to sound the buzzer, but Sharon gave him a standing O. Actually, he was good, but million dollar, Vegas headliner? Ummm...No!
Two acts blew me away though tonight. The first was Elew, a pianist, who was classically trained, but moved into Rock with "Jimi Hendrix meets Beethoven." He came on stage like a warrior ready for battle - fierce and growling. His performance was, as the judges said, "Genius." When he played the strings on the inside of the piano, Howie stood up in amazement. I just sat and watched, amazed.
The other act and final act of the night was a singer, who had never auditioned anywhere before. Landau Eugene Murphy, Jr. washes cars for a living, but I dare say that after his performance tonight, he won't be scrubbing too many more tires. Actually, when he came on stage laughing and chewing gum, his hair in dreadlocks and his dress, casual sloppy, I wasn't expecting him to belt out a Frank Sinatra song, "I've Got You Under My Skin." His voice is nothing short of spectacular - pure and rich.
When he left the stage the audience was on their feet and he was tearful. "I never thought people would like me like this." Yeah, he didn't even know he had real talent. It was definitely a surprising moment.
Thanks, AGT, for keeping the bad acts at a minimum and letting the good acts shine, as they should.
Before AGT showed us some though, we had to sit through clips of dumb acts again. At least they were only clips.
Joel Podesky? Pumpkin pie eater extraordinaire? AHA! The talent is how fast he eats the pie he hates. Yeah, I'd pay to see that in Vegas. Good grief!
Michael, "The Parrot Wizard," whose parrot wouldn't do anything but play dead. They say never act with kids or animals, guess birds apply as well.
The Boston Typewriter Orchestra? Yeah, well, you couldn't hear them over the crowd, but the three no votes came quickly.
To me those are novelty acts, not talent. My advice for Joel - follow around state fairs. Michael - have parrot under glass. Typewriter guys - switch to keyboards.
Triple Threat, a Broadway act consisting of four people, claimed they sing, dance and act. Maybe in high school plays. *shrugs
Then came Snap Boogie. Some people have easy lives, others don't. Some people go bad and blame their rough lives, others rise above the situation and do what they do best. Snap Boogie, a high school student, whose one brother is already in jail, does street performing to help his mom make ends meet.
He came on stage humble, but when that music started the kid owned the stage and deserved to be voted through with three yes votes.
I was also impressed with Micheal Turco, a magician, who made gorgeous girls appear out of nowhere. I'd imagine that most men would like to know his secret.
The show could have spared me Riley, "One of a small handful of women sword swallowers." But she's got the gag reflex down...okay I'm not even gonna say what just went through my mind.
When Steven Retchless appeared on stage wearing platform heels and skimpy silver shorts, I reacted kind of like the judges did. The expression was somewhat like jaw dropped, wide-eyed disbelief. So, what was he going to do? "I'm a Polefessional." Yep, a rare breed - a male pole dancer. Piers was the first to sound the buzzer, but Sharon gave him a standing O. Actually, he was good, but million dollar, Vegas headliner? Ummm...No!
Two acts blew me away though tonight. The first was Elew, a pianist, who was classically trained, but moved into Rock with "Jimi Hendrix meets Beethoven." He came on stage like a warrior ready for battle - fierce and growling. His performance was, as the judges said, "Genius." When he played the strings on the inside of the piano, Howie stood up in amazement. I just sat and watched, amazed.
The other act and final act of the night was a singer, who had never auditioned anywhere before. Landau Eugene Murphy, Jr. washes cars for a living, but I dare say that after his performance tonight, he won't be scrubbing too many more tires. Actually, when he came on stage laughing and chewing gum, his hair in dreadlocks and his dress, casual sloppy, I wasn't expecting him to belt out a Frank Sinatra song, "I've Got You Under My Skin." His voice is nothing short of spectacular - pure and rich.
When he left the stage the audience was on their feet and he was tearful. "I never thought people would like me like this." Yeah, he didn't even know he had real talent. It was definitely a surprising moment.
Thanks, AGT, for keeping the bad acts at a minimum and letting the good acts shine, as they should.
Tuesday, June 21, 2011
America's Got Talent - Atlanta - More Comic Relief?
One of the comments I got from a viewer stated that the show leaves in the rotten acts for comic relief. Sorry, but I thought "comic" referred to something funny. Guess Piers and I are the only ones not laughing.
Really, I didn't think it could get worse than Seattle, but 45 minutes into the show and I didn't see a Vegas worthy, one million dollar act on that stage. It was pathetic. If this is a talent show, show me some damn talent.
Then, at the end, to keep you watching I guess, was the WOW moment. Anna Graceman, an 11 year old from Alaska (well it starts with an A) performed an Alicia Keys number, "If I've Got You," with the soul of a musician, who struggled her whole life for the "big break."
Watching her sing and accompany herself on the piano, emoting feelings that, you'd think, an 11 year old shouldn't have, gave me goosebumps.
Frankly, if it wasn't for her, I'd probably quit the show. Although it's rather like a horrific scene where you want to close your eyes, but can't.
The producers probably think, we'll give the audience one good act and with all the other acts, show America that it really doesn't have talent.
Of course I can see a drag queen like Hershae Chocolatte in Vegas. I, along with Piers, wasn't even going to give him/her a chance. Once she started dancing, she was pretty okay. Unlike Piers, though, I have a sense of humor. lol
We got clips of a jump rope team; Fiddlehead, a bluegrass band; and DJ Face, a 6 year old DJ (guess I didn't get the talent there) who were all voted through.
There was a clip of a unicyclist dressed like I don't know what, (If anyone has a clue let me know) who didn't say a word and didn't even wait to be judged. I mean it kind of makes me think the show should be called "America's Got The Weirdest Talent."
More clips, of people who didn't make it through, showed a Robot named Michael Potts and a yodeler, except he called it hollering. Ummm... yeah.
And you know those bad dancers at parties, who, when they start, you just wanna laugh? There was a Seinfeld episode about this guy, Mr. Shake It Up, only it was about Elaine.
Other acts voted through, who I don't think should have been:
Attack Dance Crew. A group of college boys who were nothing more than a drill team in my opinion. Piers thought the "choreography" was fresh and innovative, but I agree with Howie, they looked like cheerleaders sans the pom poms. Unfortunately, Piers talked Sharon into voting yes. *rolls eyes*
Captain and Maybelle. Yeah, people go for horror. The judges couldn't even watch as Captain swallowed hangers and a sword weighed down with cinder blocks. Whilst I can actually see something like that in Vegas, it was more side show quality to me, but the audience loved it. *more eye rolls*
And finally an OMG! Are you kidding me? moment. Armand and Angelina, who have been married for 10 yrs. and 3 mos. sing and it's like "Making love," said Armand. "Now we get to make love with the audience." Their "Cross-over music" made me wanna cross over for sure.
They took this beautiful song "My Heart Will Go On" from the film Titanic and killed it. Like Nick Cannon said, "This performance is going down faster than the Titanic."
Armand prefaced what they were about to sing by telling the judges his wife has had classical training and he only trained in bars. Her voice made me want to cringe it was so grating and, yeah, he doesn't have a voice at all, but he can play the flute. lol.
Now mind you, they are totally serious about what they do, but Howie thought it was a comedy routine I guess. He said, "It's so ridiculous, it's wonderful." Piers, on the other hand said, "I agree with Howie, it's ridiculous." Sharon said, "It's camp and cheesy." So this couple went through with two yes votes. *Rolls eyes until I get dizzy
Atlasta it's over and it was the longest one hour ever. Which reminds me, it's the longest day of the year, too. Yep, just looked outside and at 9 p.m. central, it's still light out. :)
Really, I didn't think it could get worse than Seattle, but 45 minutes into the show and I didn't see a Vegas worthy, one million dollar act on that stage. It was pathetic. If this is a talent show, show me some damn talent.
Then, at the end, to keep you watching I guess, was the WOW moment. Anna Graceman, an 11 year old from Alaska (well it starts with an A) performed an Alicia Keys number, "If I've Got You," with the soul of a musician, who struggled her whole life for the "big break."
Watching her sing and accompany herself on the piano, emoting feelings that, you'd think, an 11 year old shouldn't have, gave me goosebumps.
Frankly, if it wasn't for her, I'd probably quit the show. Although it's rather like a horrific scene where you want to close your eyes, but can't.
The producers probably think, we'll give the audience one good act and with all the other acts, show America that it really doesn't have talent.
Of course I can see a drag queen like Hershae Chocolatte in Vegas. I, along with Piers, wasn't even going to give him/her a chance. Once she started dancing, she was pretty okay. Unlike Piers, though, I have a sense of humor. lol
We got clips of a jump rope team; Fiddlehead, a bluegrass band; and DJ Face, a 6 year old DJ (guess I didn't get the talent there) who were all voted through.
There was a clip of a unicyclist dressed like I don't know what, (If anyone has a clue let me know) who didn't say a word and didn't even wait to be judged. I mean it kind of makes me think the show should be called "America's Got The Weirdest Talent."
More clips, of people who didn't make it through, showed a Robot named Michael Potts and a yodeler, except he called it hollering. Ummm... yeah.
And you know those bad dancers at parties, who, when they start, you just wanna laugh? There was a Seinfeld episode about this guy, Mr. Shake It Up, only it was about Elaine.
Other acts voted through, who I don't think should have been:
Attack Dance Crew. A group of college boys who were nothing more than a drill team in my opinion. Piers thought the "choreography" was fresh and innovative, but I agree with Howie, they looked like cheerleaders sans the pom poms. Unfortunately, Piers talked Sharon into voting yes. *rolls eyes*
Captain and Maybelle. Yeah, people go for horror. The judges couldn't even watch as Captain swallowed hangers and a sword weighed down with cinder blocks. Whilst I can actually see something like that in Vegas, it was more side show quality to me, but the audience loved it. *more eye rolls*
And finally an OMG! Are you kidding me? moment. Armand and Angelina, who have been married for 10 yrs. and 3 mos. sing and it's like "Making love," said Armand. "Now we get to make love with the audience." Their "Cross-over music" made me wanna cross over for sure.
They took this beautiful song "My Heart Will Go On" from the film Titanic and killed it. Like Nick Cannon said, "This performance is going down faster than the Titanic."
Armand prefaced what they were about to sing by telling the judges his wife has had classical training and he only trained in bars. Her voice made me want to cringe it was so grating and, yeah, he doesn't have a voice at all, but he can play the flute. lol.
Now mind you, they are totally serious about what they do, but Howie thought it was a comedy routine I guess. He said, "It's so ridiculous, it's wonderful." Piers, on the other hand said, "I agree with Howie, it's ridiculous." Sharon said, "It's camp and cheesy." So this couple went through with two yes votes. *Rolls eyes until I get dizzy
Atlasta it's over and it was the longest one hour ever. Which reminds me, it's the longest day of the year, too. Yep, just looked outside and at 9 p.m. central, it's still light out. :)
Thursday, June 16, 2011
VTGaming's Surprise Announcement
It was a surprise to me when someone directed me to a thread in the Team Liquid forums that announced VT Reign.
There were already 30 pages and I read every single one of them. Most were to congratulate VTGaming. But there were others asking what's going to happen to the old team? Yeah, that was my initial response.
Granted the "old" VT team didn't do well at MLG, but putting together a new team doesn't happen overnight - especially when you're setting up a pro house in California. So, this has been in the works for a while.
A few current VT members wrote their thoughts in the thread and received responses like, "You sound bitter." Ummm....excuse me, but can you blame them? Not sure when the old members were told about the new team and pro house, but what a frickin slap in the face. "Hey, guys VT is getting a pro house...only we're getting a new team, too." That's like telling these guys that worked long and hard for VT that they're just not good enough.
Players were assured that VT would continue to exist. Call me cynical, but I understand all too well how business works and I know the corporate mentality. The underlying message is, if you want to find a new team (hint hint) it's okay with us, (because sooner or later we're gonna get rid of all of you) but rest assured you will all still be a part of VTGaming.(Do you think they bought it?)
Sponsorship for a relatively new concept, such as e-sports, is hard to come by. Yes, Starcraft is growing and is more visible to the general public, but one thing is for certain - no one is going to back a losing team. And why, if VT is recruiting top names for their "new" team, would they support the old VT players?
I've seen things like this happen before during reorganizations of a company. Employees sense the doom, but CEOs keep telling them, "Don't worry, we're not getting rid of you." And then the ax is dropped on the first person. Again, the head of the corporation reassures everyone else that they're jobs are secure. But when the next person is axed, you gotta start wondering if someone isn't trying to pull the wool over your eyes.
It's corporate double talk to avoid dissension amongst employees. After all, they don't want everyone walking, before the company gets a routine going. Oh well, whatever!
Intuition and common sense tells me that the old VT team will fade away when Reign starts to shine; unless VT has funds to spare, which is highly unlikely. VT's funds and attention will be devoted to the new team so, if the players of the old team think "Everything is going to stay the same" I think they're in for a rude awaking.
Of course, I hope I'm just being overly cynical, but I think not.
And that's life without the fantasies.
There were already 30 pages and I read every single one of them. Most were to congratulate VTGaming. But there were others asking what's going to happen to the old team? Yeah, that was my initial response.
Granted the "old" VT team didn't do well at MLG, but putting together a new team doesn't happen overnight - especially when you're setting up a pro house in California. So, this has been in the works for a while.
A few current VT members wrote their thoughts in the thread and received responses like, "You sound bitter." Ummm....excuse me, but can you blame them? Not sure when the old members were told about the new team and pro house, but what a frickin slap in the face. "Hey, guys VT is getting a pro house...only we're getting a new team, too." That's like telling these guys that worked long and hard for VT that they're just not good enough.
Players were assured that VT would continue to exist. Call me cynical, but I understand all too well how business works and I know the corporate mentality. The underlying message is, if you want to find a new team (hint hint) it's okay with us, (because sooner or later we're gonna get rid of all of you) but rest assured you will all still be a part of VTGaming.(Do you think they bought it?)
Sponsorship for a relatively new concept, such as e-sports, is hard to come by. Yes, Starcraft is growing and is more visible to the general public, but one thing is for certain - no one is going to back a losing team. And why, if VT is recruiting top names for their "new" team, would they support the old VT players?
I've seen things like this happen before during reorganizations of a company. Employees sense the doom, but CEOs keep telling them, "Don't worry, we're not getting rid of you." And then the ax is dropped on the first person. Again, the head of the corporation reassures everyone else that they're jobs are secure. But when the next person is axed, you gotta start wondering if someone isn't trying to pull the wool over your eyes.
It's corporate double talk to avoid dissension amongst employees. After all, they don't want everyone walking, before the company gets a routine going. Oh well, whatever!
Intuition and common sense tells me that the old VT team will fade away when Reign starts to shine; unless VT has funds to spare, which is highly unlikely. VT's funds and attention will be devoted to the new team so, if the players of the old team think "Everything is going to stay the same" I think they're in for a rude awaking.
Of course, I hope I'm just being overly cynical, but I think not.
And that's life without the fantasies.
Tuesday, June 14, 2011
America's Got Talent - Seattle - The Second Time Around
Guess producers thought Seattle had talent; unfortunately, the second time around was sadly pathetic.
On June 7, Seattle auditions brought performers like Melissa Villasenor, an extremely talented and funny impressionist/comic. Tumblers, from Kenya, called Zuma Zuma. The Electrolytes, a dance group. Poplyfe, a group of singing teens, whose lead vocalist - the only girl in the group - told Piers, "If they don't go, I don't go."
There was also an aerialist act, Daring James Duo. But I would have liked to have seen more of a little 8 year old, named Sadie, who could scat with the best. Alas! That was just a clip.
So, AGT thinking Seattle has talent, returned and whilst I think Piers lacks a sense of humor and is worse than Len Goodman, I was almost prepared to believe he's the only judge with a sense of talent.
Almost, that is, until he voted in a chihuahua that plays pool. It wasn't even an act, it was more like a trick. Big deal, a little doggie knocks balls into pockets. Now, if he had been using a cue stick, I might have voted the pooch in too.
The list of no talent folks in Seattle was endless and the show was a waste of time in my opinion.
Brian Jackson, a dude that blows up hot water bottles? Puuuleeeeze. His intention was to top the world record - and even after he was voted off with a miserable fail, he continued back stage. He finally got one to burst a half hour into the show.
Other names that made me cringe were: Buffo, the comedian; Kimo, who did, "Madonna - 20 shows in 20." Was that seconds? Robo the Robot, performed dumb jokes, and the first half hour of the show was a disaster. I think I'm quoting correctly when the emcee, Nick Cannon, said, "Seattle auditions are like the weather - Terrible."
There were clips of some drummer, whose name escapes me; Debra Henson, whose act escapes me; Marcos, a singer, whose mom told off Piers better than the dude to sing.
Alaska, not the state, but an "Interpretive Freestyle Dancer" was just weird.
LuckyTaz commented on my last AGT blog post that they leave in these acts as comic relief. Guess what? They're not funny. Especially when you only get clips of some otherwise talented acts like, Seth, the acrobatic magician; or a pole dancer named Soelil; and a group of funny men singers, whose name was Illumini something or other.
The BGPs, a band, who performed Bennie and the Jets, were good if all they want to do are gigs at weddings, small clubs, etc. Otherwise, they're going to have to be more original. The best part of their act was when their precious kids ran out on stage to be with their daddies. That was an awwwwwww moment.
Piers was enthralled with Marylee, a singer/song writer, who dedicates her music to "dead" people? Really, at first I thought she said deaf people. When she dedicated the number to Piers, I knew she said "dead" and it wasn't too far-fetched. She even put together a little video to go with her tune. Piers was the only judge who voted her in. Come to think of it, I'm pretty sure that's the first time he smiled all night too.
He didn't even snicker when A Guinness World Record comedian by the name of, Geechy Guy, did his - what I thought was pretty clever - original one-liners.
The only memorable act on tonight's show for me was a group of boys, 8, 9 and 10, named "The Art of Teckniques" They weren't just good for youngsters, they were skilled and obviously love every minute of their hip hop style dancing.
If I remember correctly, the reason I stopped watching America's Got Talent before, was because of shows like tonight's.
I am curious, though, what others think of the show's current format. So, please, take the time and check your choice. If enough people agree with me, I might send it on to the producers of the show.
On June 7, Seattle auditions brought performers like Melissa Villasenor, an extremely talented and funny impressionist/comic. Tumblers, from Kenya, called Zuma Zuma. The Electrolytes, a dance group. Poplyfe, a group of singing teens, whose lead vocalist - the only girl in the group - told Piers, "If they don't go, I don't go."
There was also an aerialist act, Daring James Duo. But I would have liked to have seen more of a little 8 year old, named Sadie, who could scat with the best. Alas! That was just a clip.
So, AGT thinking Seattle has talent, returned and whilst I think Piers lacks a sense of humor and is worse than Len Goodman, I was almost prepared to believe he's the only judge with a sense of talent.
Almost, that is, until he voted in a chihuahua that plays pool. It wasn't even an act, it was more like a trick. Big deal, a little doggie knocks balls into pockets. Now, if he had been using a cue stick, I might have voted the pooch in too.
The list of no talent folks in Seattle was endless and the show was a waste of time in my opinion.
Brian Jackson, a dude that blows up hot water bottles? Puuuleeeeze. His intention was to top the world record - and even after he was voted off with a miserable fail, he continued back stage. He finally got one to burst a half hour into the show.
Other names that made me cringe were: Buffo, the comedian; Kimo, who did, "Madonna - 20 shows in 20." Was that seconds? Robo the Robot, performed dumb jokes, and the first half hour of the show was a disaster. I think I'm quoting correctly when the emcee, Nick Cannon, said, "Seattle auditions are like the weather - Terrible."
There were clips of some drummer, whose name escapes me; Debra Henson, whose act escapes me; Marcos, a singer, whose mom told off Piers better than the dude to sing.
Alaska, not the state, but an "Interpretive Freestyle Dancer" was just weird.
LuckyTaz commented on my last AGT blog post that they leave in these acts as comic relief. Guess what? They're not funny. Especially when you only get clips of some otherwise talented acts like, Seth, the acrobatic magician; or a pole dancer named Soelil; and a group of funny men singers, whose name was Illumini something or other.
The BGPs, a band, who performed Bennie and the Jets, were good if all they want to do are gigs at weddings, small clubs, etc. Otherwise, they're going to have to be more original. The best part of their act was when their precious kids ran out on stage to be with their daddies. That was an awwwwwww moment.
Piers was enthralled with Marylee, a singer/song writer, who dedicates her music to "dead" people? Really, at first I thought she said deaf people. When she dedicated the number to Piers, I knew she said "dead" and it wasn't too far-fetched. She even put together a little video to go with her tune. Piers was the only judge who voted her in. Come to think of it, I'm pretty sure that's the first time he smiled all night too.
He didn't even snicker when A Guinness World Record comedian by the name of, Geechy Guy, did his - what I thought was pretty clever - original one-liners.
The only memorable act on tonight's show for me was a group of boys, 8, 9 and 10, named "The Art of Teckniques" They weren't just good for youngsters, they were skilled and obviously love every minute of their hip hop style dancing.
If I remember correctly, the reason I stopped watching America's Got Talent before, was because of shows like tonight's.
I am curious, though, what others think of the show's current format. So, please, take the time and check your choice. If enough people agree with me, I might send it on to the producers of the show.
Monday, June 13, 2011
The Tony Awards Show Turns 65 and...
"Theater is not just for gays anymore." Standing O for Neil Patrick Harris, who opened the show with that great number. He's so frickin talented. But when you do theater you have to be. You can't say "Cut" or "Let me redo that scene."
Brooke Shields must be wishing about now that she could have called cut - oh wait, she did. How embarrassing. Don't think any stage director is going to be auditioning her very soon.
Harris, in his opening number went into the audience for "rehearsed" spontaneity and Brooke was one of the victims he addressed. After three takes, she finally picked up the card and sang her couple lines. *Rolls eyes*
I was a drama major, not only because I love the theater, but because I'm a born drama queen and I started at the age of three in the performing arts so, it was only natural. One thing I know is there are at times pages of monologue to "memorize," Brooke. Pages! And trust me, when you're in a scene with a fellow actor, they don't like it when you forget your lines and have to cover for you. I think Harris handled it well. He hardly looked shaken. I bet her bit was what made the show run three minutes over.
Theater is dear to my heart, and when I was in Chicago I made the rounds with the rest of the cattle. I supplemented my income - between shows (90% of actors are between shows lol) - doing commercials and picking up extra bits in movies. When I wasn't on stage, I did everything from wardrobe to stage managing to production coordinator. Why? Because there's nothing more exhilarating than the theater. Or as the guy who picks up elephant crap at the circus once said, "The circus is in my blood."
Unfortunately, life sometimes has different plans for us. *sighs* But enough about me.
Tonight's production of the Tony's, like all 64 that preceded it, was handled like no other award shows. It didn't run 30 minutes over, only three - and Harris was still able to get in the rap at the end. Utter professionalism.
What amazed me was the number of well known TV and movie stars doing theater now, who have never done it before. Hey, leave us alone, you already made a name for yourselves. lol I'm certainly not saying movie stars can't act - Ellen Barkin won best female in a featured roll for The Normal Heart. But her acceptance speech was worthy of another Tony.
The Musical that walked away with the most Tony awards was "The Book of Mormon." I heard the writers talking about it on some late night show and it sounded pretty funny - but I still don't get the reference to South Park. *shrugs*
When the nominations for best musical were announced, Chris Rock, who is on Broadway starring in "The Mother*** in the Hat" was the presenter. OMG! That guy is so funny. "This is like taking a whore out for dinner, cuz we know who's gonna win." Funny, too, was Trey Parker, who accepted the award and thanked the now deceased founder of the Mormon religion for co-writing the script.
Okay, so I didn't get to see an hour of the awards, because it was the season finale of Army Wives - I hate when networks do that to me. grrrrrrr. I attempted to flip channels during commercials, but both stations had commercials running. I hate when sponsors do that to me. grrrrrr.
What I was able to catch was Francis MacDormand, who won best lead female actor, for her roll in Good People. I was impressed withwhomever whoever designed her wardrobe. Let me see, Levi? Yeah, I get it. The blue denim jacket worn over a black and red striped granny dress, must have been a statement of some sort. Hmmm? No, sorry, I don't get it.
Best lead male actor in a play went to Mark Rylance for his role in "Jerusalem."
Leading male actor in a musical, for his role in "Catch Me If You Can" went to an actor named Butz. Which reminds me of a funny story...okay, never mind.
Sutton Foster won leading female in a musical for "Anything Goes," which also won in the category of Best Musical Revival. The only other nominee was "How to Succeed in Business."
It's amazing to me how these actors can dance up a storm and still have air in their lungs to belt out that final note of the song like Sutton did. Just, wow!
Oh, I got to hear the resonnating voice of James Earl Jones, who along with Vanessa Redgrave announced "Moments in Theater." I'm pretty sure they're both staring in "Driving Miss Daisy." I'd love to see that.
Best Play was War Horse. I have no idea what that's about.
I got to see Robin Williams in a long grey beard, making a presentation. And also Joel Grey, who has been in theater for six decades. You might be more familiar with his daughter Jennifer Grey, who was the dancing sensation in "Dirty Dancing" or for her Mirror Ball win on Dancing with the Stars. Also, caught a glimpse of a very sexy, very beautiful Christy Brinkley, who is ummmm.... 57 frickin years old????? Oh, and Priscilla - Queen of the Desert, was a great production number with "It's Raining Men, Hallelujah."
Frankly, I regret having changed over to Army Wives for an hour and missing any of the awards show. :(
Oh well, there's always next year.
Brooke Shields must be wishing about now that she could have called cut - oh wait, she did. How embarrassing. Don't think any stage director is going to be auditioning her very soon.
Harris, in his opening number went into the audience for "rehearsed" spontaneity and Brooke was one of the victims he addressed. After three takes, she finally picked up the card and sang her couple lines. *Rolls eyes*
I was a drama major, not only because I love the theater, but because I'm a born drama queen and I started at the age of three in the performing arts so, it was only natural. One thing I know is there are at times pages of monologue to "memorize," Brooke. Pages! And trust me, when you're in a scene with a fellow actor, they don't like it when you forget your lines and have to cover for you. I think Harris handled it well. He hardly looked shaken. I bet her bit was what made the show run three minutes over.
Theater is dear to my heart, and when I was in Chicago I made the rounds with the rest of the cattle. I supplemented my income - between shows (90% of actors are between shows lol) - doing commercials and picking up extra bits in movies. When I wasn't on stage, I did everything from wardrobe to stage managing to production coordinator. Why? Because there's nothing more exhilarating than the theater. Or as the guy who picks up elephant crap at the circus once said, "The circus is in my blood."
Unfortunately, life sometimes has different plans for us. *sighs* But enough about me.
Tonight's production of the Tony's, like all 64 that preceded it, was handled like no other award shows. It didn't run 30 minutes over, only three - and Harris was still able to get in the rap at the end. Utter professionalism.
What amazed me was the number of well known TV and movie stars doing theater now, who have never done it before. Hey, leave us alone, you already made a name for yourselves. lol I'm certainly not saying movie stars can't act - Ellen Barkin won best female in a featured roll for The Normal Heart. But her acceptance speech was worthy of another Tony.
The Musical that walked away with the most Tony awards was "The Book of Mormon." I heard the writers talking about it on some late night show and it sounded pretty funny - but I still don't get the reference to South Park. *shrugs*
When the nominations for best musical were announced, Chris Rock, who is on Broadway starring in "The Mother*** in the Hat" was the presenter. OMG! That guy is so funny. "This is like taking a whore out for dinner, cuz we know who's gonna win." Funny, too, was Trey Parker, who accepted the award and thanked the now deceased founder of the Mormon religion for co-writing the script.
Okay, so I didn't get to see an hour of the awards, because it was the season finale of Army Wives - I hate when networks do that to me. grrrrrrr. I attempted to flip channels during commercials, but both stations had commercials running. I hate when sponsors do that to me. grrrrrr.
What I was able to catch was Francis MacDormand, who won best lead female actor, for her roll in Good People. I was impressed with
Best lead male actor in a play went to Mark Rylance for his role in "Jerusalem."
Leading male actor in a musical, for his role in "Catch Me If You Can" went to an actor named Butz. Which reminds me of a funny story...okay, never mind.
Sutton Foster won leading female in a musical for "Anything Goes," which also won in the category of Best Musical Revival. The only other nominee was "How to Succeed in Business."
It's amazing to me how these actors can dance up a storm and still have air in their lungs to belt out that final note of the song like Sutton did. Just, wow!
Oh, I got to hear the resonnating voice of James Earl Jones, who along with Vanessa Redgrave announced "Moments in Theater." I'm pretty sure they're both staring in "Driving Miss Daisy." I'd love to see that.
Best Play was War Horse. I have no idea what that's about.
I got to see Robin Williams in a long grey beard, making a presentation. And also Joel Grey, who has been in theater for six decades. You might be more familiar with his daughter Jennifer Grey, who was the dancing sensation in "Dirty Dancing" or for her Mirror Ball win on Dancing with the Stars. Also, caught a glimpse of a very sexy, very beautiful Christy Brinkley, who is ummmm.... 57 frickin years old????? Oh, and Priscilla - Queen of the Desert, was a great production number with "It's Raining Men, Hallelujah."
Frankly, I regret having changed over to Army Wives for an hour and missing any of the awards show. :(
Oh well, there's always next year.
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