Lin-Manuel Miranda wrote that amazing closing rap for the Tony Award Show last week... pretty much on the fly. Here is a backstage video showing him composing the piece and then the final live performance. How Neil Patrick Harris was able to deliver it without seven days of rehearsal is still way beyond me.
23 comments :
This is why people like NP Harris and DHPierce are so good and so much fun to watch.
Holy shit. That? Was 10 shades of awesome! NPH was terrific, as always, but I'm swooning over that writer. What talent!
all people here.
NPH here. a brilliant exception.
Wow. That's scary amounts of talent...
Written as the events were happening and rehearsed in between hosting segments. I can't imagine anything else ever topping that rap.
Hi, Ken. To get to the point, I've never posted on a blog in my life, but came across yours after looking up stuff on Cheers on the net. I'm 40, and it's still my favorite all-time show. I know this is a specific topic I'm probably interrupting, but I couldn't help but think about posting something on here with the possibility you might reply to a specific thought I've had on and off for a couple of years. The thought is bringing back Cheers to television. I know it sounds crazy, but if you can imagine it you can do it, right? I'm not so stupid as to think you can simply bring back any tv show you want. Bringing back 90210 is ghastly to me, along with a few of the others they've brought back, which have made very little sense to me. But there's something different about this idea that is more comforting, and vastly more intriguing. I'm not going to say which actors I think should come back because actors have different reasons for doing things at different times, but bringing an actor or two back from the original show in my opinion would work. It's a sort of coming back home for the television audience (where everybody still knows your name) along with bringing in a whole new generation of people who never saw the original. Certainly there are competent enough writers out there today? I can't think of any other show - because Cheers was such a simple idea in a way, yet so universal in its problems and characters - that could potentially simply draw an audience so immediately. I don't know the ins and outs of studio workings, and I could be missing something; but the thought that bringing back one of the greatest televisions shows is simply "something you don't do" doesn't cut it, and sounds like mere hollow rhetoric to me. I can tell you as well that I've talked to many people who love the idea as well. But, since you're an industry insider I thought I'd bring the subject up with you. Thanks for the time.
Mike
Mike just proposed AfterCheers
:-D
Oh and On Topic: I guess those rambling acceptance speeches were good for something :-)
That is why NPH is slowly turning into a legend in his own time.
In your face, Bruce Vilanch. THIS is comedy under pressure...and great comedy at that.
AfterCheers, very good!
NPH is soooo good, I haven't seen anyone refer to him as Doogie in WEEKS! I'll concede, the guy is soaked in talent but please, stop with the effen Xfinity commercial!
Ken, ya missed a great game last night. 4-2, who'd a thunk? That's gonna push my 16 o/u for the series!
Toodles.
Amazing. How on earth did they come up with that on the hoof? Equally staggering - how did he manage to learn it?
Just after you were talking about receiving fan letters...Mike sends you one. At least he didn't ask for a lock of your hair.
What I loved about NPH is he was really selling live theater in an honest way. Oh, yeah, and that he's talented as heck.
Interesting to remember that Daniel Radcliffe had to be convinced to take the role of Harry Potter because it wasn't quite his cup of tea. Seeing him dance and sing (and sound American) helps me to understand why.
Just checkin' back. Sebastian, that's not a bad name. Kind of intriguing. It looks like Johnny likes the idea too? Maybe I was on to something all along...
Al. B. Sure - I really just came to this site to post my feelings about Cheers. Shall check back later. You all have a good rest of the day.
I don't think Mike has heard of AfterMASH.
" How Neil Patrick Harris was able to deliver it without seven days of rehearsal is still way beyond me."
Teleprompter-- which is not to say it's easy. Not many people can read prompter and make it sound spontaneous. He's very good at it.
Actually, it may not have been just the teleprompter. I had an acting teacher in college who auditioned for a play with NPH. She said that after briefly glanced at several pages of dialogue that were given blind when the actors showed up, he had them all memorized for the rest of the audition. She said she'd never seen anything like it and she could only guess that from years of television acting in his youth he had developed some kind of almost-photographic memory.
So not only is he talented, but he just might have acting super powers.
ps. For AfterCheers (egads), I propose recasting Coach/Woody and Diane/Rebecca with Ashton Kutcher and Sarah Chalke.
Unfortunately Ashton Kutcher is the one Hollywood actor that rubs me the wrong way; and I'm a very flexible person. And yeah I'd forgotten about the TV show AfterMash. And I wouldn't suggest bringing back Cheers if it's going to be a half-assed thing. That would be a waste of time and sad.
Lin-Manuel Miranda is a bona fide genius. He actually got me excited about freaking Bring It On: The Musical.
http://www.centertheatregroup.org/tickets/productiondetail.aspx?id=15374
Here's a M.A.S.H. article from Romania.
http://www.realitatea.net/eroii-din-m-a-s-h-ce-fac-si-cum-arata-dupa-aproape-40-de-ani_843816.html
There is no doubt that Neil Patrick Harris is more than just "Doogie", but why is he ruining all his good work by being in the damn SMURFS movie?
http://www.chud.com/57251/proof-that-hollywood-has-stopped-trying/
I particularly enjoyed him tossing the ($1400) wireless mic to the ground and huffing off. I guess you can do that when you're also *line producer of the telecast* (Y'all missed that, right?)
I see the word verifier has started reading the postings again:
Hobai!
Excuse me: Alan Kelman was credited as Line Producer; NPH was sole-credited as "Producer".
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