Let THESE Be Your Stars! (The Top 10 Musical Numbers from Season 1 of SMASH)

Glee stepped down in my eyes to the power that was SMASH this year. Sure, like Glee, it’s had its share of ups and downs (Megan Hilty’s awkward rendition of Jessie J’s “Who You Are”). But what this show has proven is just how great and magical Broadway is! And it’s also proven just how much love I have for Katharine McPhee. Let’s take a look back at this explosive first season…

10.) “The 20^th Century Fox Mambo”

(from the episode “The Callback”)

Katharine McPhee has certainly come a long way from her early days on American Idol, and even though this was only the second episode of the season Karen (McPhee) already grew so much from her first audition. It was this saucy musical number that had me believing the part was destined to be hers. We’ll find out soon enough at the end of the finale if this is her destiny…

9.) “Let’s Be Bad”

(from the episode “Let’s Be Bad”)

Megan Hilty as actress Ivy Lynn has it all going for her. Such determination, such a voice, and such a strong presence, she’s the one we all love to hate. It was this song that truly showcased what dynamics she had as she portrayed a rough time in Marilyn Monroe’s life and career.

8.) “History Is Made At Night”

(from the episode “Chemistry”)

Here is a sweet duet between Ivy and Michael Swift (Will Chase) that brings to mind that sweet doo-wop sounds of the 1950’s.

7.) “Smash!”

(from the episode “Previews”)

Another duet between the competition that is Ivy and Karen, and this time the winner is so obviously Karen (McPhee). Ivy (Hilty) may have the obvious sexuality of Monroe down, but it’s Karen with her whispery vocals and cooing vibrato that takes the cake.

6.) “Touch Me”

(from the episode “The Coup”)

This may have been a bit out there when it came to the concept of a Marilyn Monroe musical, but there’s no denying the fact that this was a standout of the season. Karen (McPhee) once again made a serious sizzle on the screen to the rhythm and music of the genius that is Ryan Tedder.

5.) “A Thousand and One Nights”

(from the episode “Publicity”)

Lord knows just how much I love me some Dev (Raza Jaffrey). He may not have THE strongest voice. This may have been THE most bizarre and random musical number of the season. However, there’s no denying the fact that this was certainly the most fun and the most memorable.

4.) “Run”

(from the episode “Publicity”)

This is a cover that has already been covered beautifully by Brit Leona Lewis, but McPhee puts in a little bit more heart and soul as she shows actress Rebecca Duvall (Uma Thurman) what she’s capable of.

3.) “I’m Going Down”

(from the episode “Tech”)

Nothing is better than a woman scorned singing her heart out. Ivy (Hilty) began to feel her relationship with director Derek (Jack Davenport) start to fade away. And as she began to reach her breaking point during their tech rehearsals before their preview performances, she had this to sing about. Such passion, such emotion, and such a voice!

2.) “It’s A Man’s Man’s Man’s World”

(from the episode “Let’s Be Bad”)

Man oh man, Karen (McPhee) finally let loose and showed off her sexy, sultry side with this James Brown cover. It even got ME a little hot and bothered! This is definitely a million times better than the ridiculous pregnant routine on Glee two years ago…

1.) “Let Me Be Your Star”

(from the episode “Pilot”)

 

It was the pivotal moment in the pilot episode. This musical number ended the first episode with a bang as we see a true Broadway moment as Karen and Ivy belt their way to the audition of a lifetime. The song was emotional, over-the-top, inspirational, and goosebump-worthy from start to finish. Not only did it showcase the ambition within these two actress hopefuls, but it showcased the amazing songwriting that captured a young and upcoming Marilyn Monroe.

Gay Pride Top 14 Music Countdown (#14-8)

In honor of Gay Pride this weekend in Phoenix, I’d like to offer up my own personal collection of what I think of as Gay favorites and essentials when it comes to music. You may not see some obvious choices, but I hope you jam out this weekend to a little bit of some Vinny Hits!

14.) “S&M [Remix]”

Rihanna & Britney Spears

Two gay icons of our time, Rihanna and Britney Spears, joined forces last year for a raunchy, dirty guilty pleasure. Sure, Spears’ voice doesn’t add much seduction like Rihanna’s rasp does, but you can’t deny the power of this collaboration.

13.) “Livin’ La Vida Loca”

Ricky Martin

What’s a gay pride countdown without a gay man to go along with it? Kids today may know him as just a gay musician. But back in 1999, we all knew him as the Latin heartthrob who had all the ladies screaming and living the crazy life. My, have the times changed…

12.) “Love Today”

Mika

On a day celebrating one’s pride in their life as a lesbian, gay, or transgender person, you can’t help but have this song on in the background, humming along to what a wonderful day and life it is to be living in.

11.) “Boys [Co-Ed Remix]”

Britney Spears & Pharrell Williams

What better way to celebrate the boys we love than with a Britney Spears song?

10.) “Waiting For Tonight [Hex Hector Remix]”

Jennifer Lopez

Here it is, a pulsating club jam from J.Lo. It’s certainly one of the hottest remixes out there if I do say so myself!

9.) “Can’t Get You Out Of My Head”

Kylie Minogue

You definitely can’t get this song out of your head. Kylie Minogue is one of the more recent gay icons of our time and certainly has a lot of stamina with this hit and those eyes!

8.) “Dancing Queen”

ABBA

Dancing queens are here to stay, need I say anymore?

My Memory Will Go On (TITANIC Review)

It’s been a little more than 13 years since I first saw Titanic as a 6-year-old boy. Back then, I did not know this would be the blockbuster of my generation that I was fortunate enough to live and see in the movie theater. I’ve heard stories of older folks saying that they remember when they saw Psycho, Jaws, or even Star Wars for the first time in theaters. There is something so monumental about these films. They all have something within that defined the times, brought together an entire world with just a few hours of entertainment on the big screen. For me and my generation, I feel as though Titanic is that uniting movie.

Last weekend on April 14^th, 2012 (which I might add was exactly 100 years since the actual sinking), my best friend Krystin and I set forth on the wonderful voyage to see the re-release of this memorable film in 3D. Sitting through the beginning of the movie, I couldn’t help but feel a rush of emotion come over me as the music faded in, the title appeared across the screen, and the film started its wonderful 3 hour journey. I immediately rushed back to 13 years ago when I was in the theater watching it with my family and our first Japanese exchange student we had over the Winter Break. As I mentioned before, I saw this movie three times in the theater during its first release.

I can remember being mesmerized by the glamour of the whole thing. The romanticism is really what got to me as a little boy. The idea of this big, grand ship being whisked away across the Atlantic in hopes of helping thousands create a new life for themselves and their families in America, the idea that among this sea of people, two of them came to find each other and fall madly in love against all odds in just a matter of days, and the idea that a so-called un-sinkable ship could hit an iceberg and actually in fact sink to the bottom of the ocean was just so overwhelming to me at that young age. But I was captivated! From the love story, to the nude scene my mom had to cover my eyes from, from the shots of the vast ocean, the sound of the beautiful James Horner score, and boy oh boy the image of the Titanic sinking down into the ocean made me so happy that I was witnessing this blockbuster in a movie theater! It was iconic what I was seeing, and even at the young of an age, I understood just how big this movie was.

Flash forward to last Saturday when I’m sitting in the theater, now at the ripe-old age of 21, and I still feel that sense of excitement and bewilderment from a movie I had watched countless times prior. It was as though I was seeing it for the first time.

The setting was spectacular, the casting was so memorable (Leo and Kate at the breaking point of their careers), the sinking was so heartbreaking, and the story was still so timeless. I was glad that I got to take a trip down memory lane and recapture that feeling of inspiration that I wanted to be in one of these movies. I wanted to be the romantic lead in a blockbuster disaster movie. I wanted to capture hearts and win recognition. I wanted to do it all. While early in my life I had older films like The Godfather, West Side Story, and The Goonies that first inspired me to want to perform and act, Titanic was the first movie I saw in the theater that really pushed me to the tip of my own iceberg (pun intended).

But of course, the nostalgia in the theater had to end eventually. As the credits appeared on the screen after 194 minutes, Krystin and I realized two things. For one, we found it ironic that we were at the 10:00pm showing on April 14^th, just a few hours before the ship actually sunk in the ocean. We realized that it was fate which made us view this film exactly 100 years after the actual sinking. 

The second realization was just how much we love singing along to Celine Dion and the timeless classic that is “My Heart Will Go On”. Again, flashbacks of me on my 7^th birthday (April 11, 1998 to be exact) came into my mind when I received my first CD ever: the Titanic soundtrack. I remember waiting for all my guests to leave the party at my house as soon as possible. If anyone had any doubts that I was gay even from at a young age, just picture an image of a now 7-year-old Mexican boy with his bowl cut hair, singing with Celine on the CD outside by the big rocks around my pool. That oughta clear some doubts people may have had!

When all has been said and sung, I would just like to say thank you to James Cameron, Leonardo DiCaprio, Kate Winslet, Celine Dion, and everyone else equally as integral to making this movie possible. It continues to inspire me and truly does make my heart feel the need to go on and on.

And last but not least, I continue to pray for the real lives that were taken so suddenly back in 1912 from this unfortunate sinking ship, and for the families that may never have gotten the chance to properly say good-bye. Rest in peace always…

GLEE REVIEW: What Doesn't Kill You TRULY Makes You Stronger

After a less-than-stellar Valentine’s Day episode, for the fact that I didn’t want to wait so long for Glee to return, and with the subject matter I knew would be involved in the Winter Finale, I had been putting off watching this episode for a while…but I’m glad I finally got a chance to watch it at last!

The Good

From bully to bullied

I was not expecting to go so fast into Karofsky’s storyline so soon into the episode, but they went right to it. It truly is heartbreaking to see this storyline being played out. While I thought it was hard to watch Kurt being bullied and taunted last season, it’s even more upsetting to see Karofsky trying to suppress and hide his sexuality, but at the same time being taunted and bullied to the point of an attempted suicide. I’m glad I was alone while watching this part because I was an emotional wreck. As a gay man who has tried to commit suicide, I know that feeling of having days upon days of being talked about behind my back and having such a constant teasing of my sexuality, to the point where one day it gets so bad where you just want to end it altogether. It was hard for me to watch, but I thought that the writers did a great job of interlacing the lyrics of “Cough Syrup” (the song Blaine was singing) and the scene in which Karofsky hangs himself in his room.

After that intense image of Karofsky going into his closet and only seeing his feet go up onto the chair, the episode took a little break from that storyline to focus on getting back to the competition. When we did get back to Dave and his attempted suicide, we see Kurt visiting him in the hospital with one of the most beautiful moments the show has had. While there was talk earlier about Schuester almost taking his life at an early age and thinking about all of the things he would have missed out on, it was a touching moment when Kurt asked Karofsky where he sees himself in 10 years. Then we were given a beautiful image of Dave at a successful job, working in his office, when his partner and child enter through to see him. The sheer joy on his face in the futue and the image of Karofsky as he paints this picture in his head in the present was truly magical.

To think that comments on Facebook and graffiti on a locker can cause someone to want to take their own life is devastating to think about. Kids can be cruel and it’s important to surround yourself with friends and family who love you and support you no matter what. There should never be a point when negativity should cloud your future. It’s hard to rise above it and make it out better than before, but it is possible, I can truly attest to that. I’m so proud to see something this important being shown across the world to everyone that needs a reminder about how short life can be. Live in every moment and be kind to one another.

A competition once again…

It’s time for another Regionals showdown, but this time (with the exception of Karofsky’s storyline) there was nothing majorily dramatic to get in the way. If anything, Karofsky’s storyline helped add more depth to the competition compared to previous episodes. The song choice were indeed inspirational and everyone had their chance to shine. A true memorable song choice was the incredibly mash-up between Nicki Minaj & Rihanna’s “Fly” with R. Kelly’s “I Believe I Can Fly”. Where do they come up with this?!!!

Sue is prego!

It’s still a little far-fetched and hard to believe, but Sue is prego. If this means that we’ll be seeing more of the nice, supportive Sue, then I’m all for it. While Jane Lynch is deliciously vicious to watch when she rips the Glee club to shreds, it’s the moments when she’s heartfelt and vulnerable that really make me smile.

The Bad

Wedding bells are ringing…

…and it still doesn’t sit well with me. This whole idea of them getting married for the sake of Rachel’s well-being still seems a bit selfish. I know that it’s in her character to want it all like this, but it’s not believable in my eyes still. They all look wonderful in their wedding get-up, but I’m hoping for better things to come out of this when the show returns.

How long must we wait again!!!?

Another long hiatus? This is killing me! Last season, I couldn’t wait for breaks from the show. But this time around, I’m truly invested again just like I was back in the first season. Remember the Winter Finale when the won at Sectionals in December? Then we had to wait until April for them to return with the genius that was “The Power of Madonna” episode?

Sure, this time around the wait isn’t as long, but it still is long enough to get me agitated!!! On the other hand, thank you to the writers, creators, and executives at Fox for once again making Glee return as a birthday present to me!

What to Look Forward To

We’ll get to see is Quinn makes it out of that car accident alright.

We’ll see if Rachel and Finn ended up getting hitched (despite everyone being completely against it).

And best of all…Matt Bomer comes stops by to sing with his brother Blaine (Darren Criss). A gorgeous gay man playing it straight, and gorgeous straight man playing it gay…this should be exciting to see!!!