| I miss Neil Patrick Harris | |
| Last Edit: DistantDrumming 11:08 pm EDT 06/13/22 | |
| Posted by: DistantDrumming 11:05 pm EDT 06/13/22 | |
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| Being a great host is a very specialized type of talent that even some of the most gifted actors and singers can't nail. Hell, even some talented big-name comedians fall short as awards show hosts. Neil, perhaps more than any other host, blended the spirit of a classic, old-fashioned emcee with a wry, knowing modern sensibility. He did something that the best of Mel Brooks' work does -- mercilessly send something up while simultaneously paying loving tribute to it. It's a delicate balance and perhaps he made it look easier than it is. Of course, he didn't do it alone. He had talented writers, smart direction and sometimes huge ensembles of talented actor/dancer/singers surrounding him. But you also can't fake it... he was able to deftly blend a certain amount of gravitas with an unabashed silliness and smartness without going too heavily one way or another. Steve Martin and Martin Short are two others with that unique combination of talent. Ariana DeBose is a very gifted actress, but I was left so underwhelmed by her performance as host. Yes, she was poorly served by that atrociously Frankensteined opening number (what in the Carnival Cruise Line were they thinking??) and lame, badly written (or improvised) mid-show material. But, if you've got that right combination of host talent you can sometimes rise above the material. Instead, I often felt like I was watching my precocious, talented niece emcee her school's talent show. I could tell SHE was having fun. I know not everyone feels this way, but I guess I lean toward hosts with true comedic chops and I suppose hosts of that nature are a dying breed. Although Mr. Saturday Night does not look like my kind of show, I did find myself momentarily under the spell of a true host when Billy Crystal did his yiddish scat routine. Or, when Nathan Lane used every second of his less than a minute appearance to great comic effect. Spotting the hilarious nominee Rachel Dratch in the audience I momentarily wondered what a great ladies of SNL Tonys would be like. Imagine some combination of Dratch, Tina Fey, Amy Poehler, Kate McKinnon, Ana Gastyer, Molly Shannon, Maya Rudolph or Cecily Strong as co-hosts. (Obviously, I don't mean all of them... maybe two or three of those talented ladies, together.) How great would that be? Don't get me wrong. I think the Tonys producers are to be applauded for thinking outside of the box. As undeniably talented as she is and as big a year she had with her Oscar nomination and win, I can't imagine DeBose was at the top of anyone's predictions for Tony hosts this year. I just don't think it ended up being a great fit. |
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| Link | Was it too much to hope for something as good as this for the return of the Tonys? |
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