While I procrastinate on something resembling work for my summer classes (feminine poetry theory, here I come!), I just want to get something out here; the blog looked weird without a post. My passions include any aspect of the entertainment industry (what this blog will hopefully focus on), and tonight is a night of epic proportions - the Tonys Awards (CBS at 8:00pm), followed by the season premiere of True Blood (HBO at 9:00pm, repeat at 11:00pm).
If you're not into the whole Broadway scene, this could be a year to check the awards show out and see what all the hoopla is - this season on Broadway was filled with Hollywood stars, most of whom will be in attendance tonight, if not presenting (and hey, maybe they'll leave with a statue in hand as well). Plus, Lea Michele and Matthew Morrison are performing to draw in the hot young Glee crowd, the cast of American Idiot are sure to throw down a Green Day song like you've never seen before, and a medley of Broadway tunes that crossed over to mainstream hits is planned to start off the show. It's one of my favorite award shows (nothing touches the film industry or the Oscars, sorry), mainly because Radio City is such a beautiful venue; the amount of talent packed into that room, congratulating one another, is astounding.
However, this has been one of the weakest season on Broadway in recent memory; there should have been more shows that hit it off, that connected with a critics and a wide audience. I will definitely be rooting for Fela!, which brought something electric and original to a Broadway. Telling the story of Nigerian Afrobeat pioneer Fela Kuti, the show uses the construct that the audience is in attendance of one of his infamous Shrine concerts in the 1970s. Everyone in the show pours every ounce of their soul out on that stage, and Sahr Ngaujah as Fela unleashes something so primal that it is impossible not to be stunned by his presence. The show brings it like no other this season, and was one of the greatest experiences I have had in a theatre. The show should be a lock for many categories this evening... if it wasn't for Memphis, a feel-good fluffy period musical about race relations. We'll see what the voters are loving tonight - there are very few categories with clear favorites, so tonight could be a wonderful celebration, full of surprises.
The cast of Fela! twerkin' it out
Check back tomorrow for my thoughts on the telecast, who deserved their trophy, and who was robbed. Also, prepare for a juicy True Blood recap - it may not be the smartest show on television, but it is one of the few guilty pleasures that almost succeeds at just making it all pleasure.
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