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Friday, August 22, 2014

What About Performers Winning Oscars For Singing A Single Song??????????????????????




                          Thinking of "Dreamgirls," darlings, I could not help thinking of Jennifer Hudson.  She did a wonderful Effie, but not a brilliant one; maybe the piece needs to be live on stage to ignite the passion it has in the previous video on the last post.  There are any number of great musical film moments--let's start with Judy Garland, doing "Over The Rainbow!"  But that is followed by a full out, character performance.

                            There are so many of these to choose--Liza and Joel in "Cabaret", Julie Andrews in "The Sound Of Music," Judy Garland, again, in "A Star Is Born," BARBRA in "Funny Girl," Robert Preston in "The Music Man..." and I could go on.

                              Then there are film performances where the musical moment so dominates it becomes the entire performance.  And that is what made me think of Jennifer Hudson and Anne Hathaway.  Both did admirably in the acting department--especially Anne as the tragic Fantine--but, let's face it, if their big numbers had been eliminated, would they have won the Oscar???? Hell, no, they would not even  have been nominated!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                Am I saying there is something wrong with this?  Absolutely not!  I am just saying there are some roles with musical moments that, when transferred to film, the moment BECOMES the performance.  Jennifer and Anne are two that come first to mind; there are others, I am sure, and if you can think of more, feel free to comment on here!  But please--not Madonna in "Evita!!!!!!!!!!!"  I won't even talk about that, just like I am not yet ready to look at the footage of the Rob Marshall "Into The Woods."

                               Take a look, and see what I mean, darlings!  The moment IS the performance here!

                                Now, if only someone would write a TONY or Oscar inducing song, for me!!!!!!!!!!!!
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