The Kennedy Center Honors

 

Yes, of course I watched, if only to see how OLD everyone looked, with the exception of Morgan Freeman (Lord love him) who has always looked old and always makes me smile in his BATMAN movies.

 Things got off to a crawl with the un-dazzling Caroline Kennedy, who seems destined to be the next senator from New York even though she hasn't sought out my endorsement because I live in New Jersey.

 One always expects this show to be better than it turns out to be because, well, look at the talent involved and the amount of money lavished on the production numbers.

 In addition to Mr. Freeman, the honorees included Twyla Tharp, Roger Daltrey and Pete Townshend of The Who, country star George Jones and the inimitable -- or is it imitable? -- Barbra Streisand.

I had to change the channel during the George Jones thing, because I wouldn't know him from George Smith. And while it seems all cool and tributey to have other people perform songs written by The Who, it made me profoundly uncomfortable seeing people perform songs that were sung by Ms. Streisand.

 Ick.

 I mean, sure, Beyonce did a lovely version of "The Way We Were," but I'm trying to imagine what it must have been like for Ms. S to listen to other people sing the songs she made famous, but didn't write?

 Isn't that a bit like honoring Bette Davis by having someone recite her lines from "All About Eve?"

 The effusive Idina Menzel, late of "Wicked," did a reasonable job on "Don't Rain on My Parade," but who cares? She didn't alter it enough to make it interesting, so why did we -- and Streisand -- have to sit through it?

 Kelli O'Hara later paired with opera singer Nathan Gunn for "Somewhere," but as nice as it all was, I still didn't get the point.

 Oddly enough, I supposed the highlight of the show was The Who's "Teenage Wasteland," which included a chorus of New York firefighters and cops. (They sang along, back in the day, with Daltrey and Tonwshend, when the duo did a concert for heroes of 9/11.)

 I can't say if the Jones tribute was any good, because country music gives me an anxiety attack, but I did enjoy the blues number performed for the benefit of Mr. Freeman.

 He, needless to say, is NOT a blues singer, but he loves the blues, and the singers wanted to put a smile on his face. (They succeeded.)

 The "Sinatra Suite" performed during the Tharp segment, didn't exactly knock me out, but at least it was her choreography they were celebrating. When it comes to singers, though, I don't understand why having other people perform the honoree's songs is supposed to excite us -- or the honoree.

 Anyway, yada-yada-yada, I think they need to re-think this formula.

Other than that, how was YOUR Tuesday night?

 

Comments

[Maria]

Okay, yes. It makes more sense to honor the creator of a work by performing it as with the dance of Twyla Tharp. I've never been a fan of her choreography, so it was interesting to see how someone who should have a mastery of nuance in physical expression ended up looking so unmoved and haughty as though it all barely registered. Did the woman crack a single smile? It was good to see the rockers Daltrey & Townshend looking healthy and delighted, not only by their own tribute but by other performances.

[Tom McAdam]

Didn't see it, I was working. And, Bill, the Who song is called Baba O'Riley, after Townsend's spiritual mentor, I think.

[nan]

Bill - reacted as you did - especially during the Streisand tribute---

[Bill Ervolino]

FROM BILL: Tom, you are correct, although I just read that the "working title" was Teenage Wasteland. That is also, incidentally, the title of a book by Donna Gaines, about the 1987 Bergenfield suicides. A few weeks ago the song was also used on a episode of Life on Mars.

[Bill]

Got to agree with Marie, Twyla Tharp looked like it was real bother to be there. The Who tribute was good except for the first song, it was too polished, Who music needs to be raw and ragged at the edges.

[Walter]

Didn't watch much of that show, but was really interested that "Who Are You' was being performed as part of the tribute, considering that the main line of the bridge is "Who the 'F*@!'are you?" Was wondering if they were going to leave the line in for the sake of "art."

[Tom McAdam]

Bill, I had recently read about Teenage Wasteland being used as the working title as well. I prefer the final, more enigmatic title.

Speaking of the Bergenfield suicides, there is also an excellent song about that sad event, by a man named Tom Russell. The song is simply called Bergenfield.