Today in Musical History: The Threepenny Opera

Posted on March 10, 2021 by boz

On March 10, 1954, Marc Blitzstein’s adaptation of The Threepenny Opera opened at New York’s Theatre de Lys (now Lucille Lortel). Its unprecedented success helped to launch the Off-Broadway movement. The musical’s journey began in 1927, with Elizabeth Hauptmann’s translation of John Gay’s The Beggar’s Opera. When producer Ernst Josef Aufricht was looking for shows to launch his new company at Berlin’s Theater am Schiffbauerdamm, Bertolt Brecht proposed Hauptmann’s work. Kurt Weill wrote a new score, using only one melody by Johann Christoph Pepusch from Gay’s work, and The Threepenny Opera premiered Aug. 31, 1928. Rudolf Forster (Macheath), Carola Neher (Polly), and Lotte Lenya (Jenny) reprised their stage roles for the 1931 German film. Below is Lenya singing “Seeräuberjenny” in the film.

The first American production, adapted by Gifford Cochran and Jerrold Krimsky, opened April 13, 1933, on Broadway, featuring Robert Chisholm (Macheath), Steffi Duna (Polly), and Marjorie Dille (Jenny). It closed after 12 performances, and the show wasn’t revived until Blitzstein’s 1954 adaptation, which ran for 2,707 performances and became the only Off-Broadway show to receive Tony nominations, which included Scott Merrill (Macheath) and Lotte Lenya (Jenny), who won. Producers Carmen Capalbo and Stanley Chase also won a special Tony Award. The remaining cast included Jo Sullivan (Polly Peachum), Leon Lishner (Mr. Peachum), Charlotte Rae (Mrs. Peachum), Bea Arthur (Lucy), and Gerald Price (Streetsinger). Below is Lenya recreating “Pirate Jenny” for a U.S. TV special.

In 1956, Louis Armstrong had a Top 40 hit with the show’s “Mack the Knife,” but the song is most closely associated with Bobby Darin, whose 1959 version reached the top of Billboard’s Hot 100, spending nine weeks at #1, and earned the singer Grammy Awards for Record of the Year and for Best New Artist. In 2016, the Library of Congress inducted both Armstrong’s and Darin’s versions into the National Recording Registry. Below is Darin on the May 31, 1959, episode of The Ed Sullivan Show.

In 1956, the show premiered in London with Bill Owen (Macheath), Daphne Anderson (Polly), and Maria Remusat (Jenny), followed by revivals on Broadway in 1966 with Per Nielsen (Macheath) and Ellika Linden (Polly / Jenny) and on the West End in 1972 with Joe Melia (Macheath), Vanessa Redgrave (Polly), and Annie Ross (Jenny). New adaptations of the show appeared in the late 1970s, beginning with a translation by Ralph Manheim and John Willett for the 1976 Broadway revival starring Raul Julia (Macheath), Caroline Kava (Polly), and Ellen Greene (Jenny).

In the 1980s, there was Robert David MacDonald’s 1986 National Theatre version with Tim Curry (Macheath), Sally Dexter (Polly), and Eve Adam (Jenny) as well as Michael Feingold’s 1989 Broadway version with Sting (Macheath), Maureen McGovern (Polly), and Suzzanne Douglas (Jenny). Raul Julia recreated his role of Macheath for Mack the Knife, Menahem Golan’s 1989 film adaptation. Below are clips of Sting singing “The Ballad of Living in Style” and Julia performing “Tango Ballad.”

https://youtu.be/T8CaAiU4fz8

Donmar Warehouse presented a 1994 production of MacDonald’s version, which received an Olivier nomination for best revival, with Tom Hollander (Macheath), Sharon Small (Polly), and Tar Hugo (Jenny). More recent English-language versions include Wallace Shawn’s 2006 adaptation for Broadway, which received a Tony nomination for best revival, with Alan Cumming (Macheath), Nellie McKay (Polly), and Cyndi Lauper (Jenny) as well as Simon Stephens’ 2016 revision for the National, which received an Olivier nomination for best revival, with Rory Kinnear (Macheath), Rosalie Craig (Polly), and Sharon Small (Jenny). Below are Cumming and Lauper singing “The Ballad of the Pimp” at the 2006 Tonys and George Ikediashi singing “Mack the Knife” in 2016.

https://youtu.be/avuBkiIpemg

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Broadway Legends: Raul Julia

Posted on March 9, 2021 by boz

Four-time Tony nominee Raul Julia was born Mar. 9, 1940, in San Juan, P.R. He first appeared on stage in a first grade play at Colegio Espíritu Santo and continued acting through high school at Colegio San Ignacio de Loyola. He spent a year at Fordham University, before returning to Puerto Rico after his younger brother’s death, finishing his degree at University of Puerto Rico. After graduation, Julia appeared in Bye Bye Birdie and The Happy Time at Teatro Tapia, while also singing at Hotel El Convento, where actor Orson Bean saw him and advised him to move to New York. Below is the trailer for the 2019 PBS American Masters episode on Julia.

Julia followed Bean’s advice and made his Off-Broadway debut in a bilingual production of Calderon’s play Life Is a Dream (1964), before catching the eye of producer Joe Papp, who cast Julia in Titus Andronicus (1967). A year later, Julia made his Broadway debut in the play The Cuban Thing and his Off-Broadway musical debut in Your Own Thing. His subsequent Off-Broadway musicals included City Scene (1969) and Papp’s Public Theater production of Two Gentlemen of Verona (1971), which transferred to Broadway and earned Julia his first Tony nomination and a Drama Desk Award. Below is Julia and Clifton Davis singing “I’d Like to Be a Rose.” 

Julia returned to Broadway in the musical Via Galactica (1972), which closed on opening night. He had better luck with starring roles in Broadway revivals of Where’s Charley? (1974) and Threepenny Opera (1976), both of which earned him additional Tony and Drama Desk award nominations. His next Broadway musical was Nine (1982), which brought him his fourth Tony nomination. Below is Julia singing “Guido’s Song.”

Over the next decade, Julia appeared in increasingly higher profile films, including the musical features One from the Heart (1982), Tango Bar (1987), and Mack the Knife (1989). He also earned Golden Globe nominations for his work in the nonmusical films Tempest (1982), Kiss of the Spider Woman (1985), and Moon over Parador (1988) and  starred in a series of Shakespearean plays in New York, including the Public Theater’s Tempest (1981), Macbeth (1989), and Othello (1991). Below is Julia singing “It’s Raining Cuban Cigars” to Tari Garr in One from the Heart and singing “The Cannon Song” with the ensemble of Mack the Knife.

During the 1990s, Julia rose to international fame in The Addams Family (1991) and its sequel, Addams Family Values (1993). His final Broadway role was Don Quixote in the 1992 revival of Man of La Mancha. He died Oct. 24, 1994, at his home in Manhasset, N.Y. He won posthumous Golden Globe and Emmy awards for the TV series The Burning Season (1994). Below is Julia performing “Mamushka” with Christopher Lloyd in The Addams Family and the press reel of clips from Man of La Mancha, featuring Julia and Sheena Easton.

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Today in Musical History: “Aquarius/Let the Sunshine In”

Posted on March 8, 2021 by boz

On March 8, 1969, the single “Aquarius / Let the Sunshine In,” a medley of the opening and closing songs from the 1967 musical Hair, made its debut on Billboard’s Hot 100, eventually rising to the top of the chart, where it stayed for six weeks. The recording, with music by Galt MacDermot and lyrics by James Rado and Gerome Ragni, marked the last Broadway tunes to reach #1. It was the first #1 hit for The Fifth Dimension, who had made it to the Top Ten in 1967 with “Up, Up and Away” and the Top Five with “Stone Soul Picnic” in 1968. The recording also won two Grammys: Record of the Year and Best Pop Vocal by a Group. The single is featured on the group’s #2 album The Age of Aquarius, which includes their subsequent #1 song, “Wedding Bell Blues.” Below is the quintet on the May 18, 1969, broadcast of The Ed Sullivan Show and the Broadway revival cast on the Aug. 5, 1990, broadcast of The View, featuring soloist Sasha Allen.

https://youtu.be/C4740nZKERw

The idea for the recording began when group member Billy Davis Jr. left his wallet in a New York taxi. The man who found it was in the cast of Hair and invited the group to see the show. Afterward, Davis called producer Bones Howe, telling him they wanted to record “Aquarius.” Later, Howe saw the show himself and got the idea to create a medley with “Let the Sunshine In.” He hired session musicians The Wrecking Crew to record the instrumental, on which The Fifth Dimension laid their vocals. For comparison, below is the original Broadway cast performing another medley of songs at the 1969 Tonys, featuring “Let the Sunshine In” (6:50), and soloist Ren Woods singing “Aquarius” (2:24) in the opening scene of the 1979 film.

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Ann Reinking Scholarship

Posted on March 8, 2021 by boz

Arts outreach organization Off the Lane has announced the creation of the Ann Reinking Scholarship, which will be presented this November to mark the late dancer’s birthday. The organization will offer a $5,000 scholarship each year to one early-career dancer moving to New York City, as Reinking herself did in her teens. It will also introduce the performer to a network of industry veterans who can support them on their path to success. The award is open to all young dancers, regardless of specialty, whether Broadway, modern, jazz, or ballet. The submission process will open in May.

“I believe Annie would have loved having her name on the Ann Reinking Scholarship Program,” Reinking’s husband Peter Talbert said. “Like so many young dancers coming to New York, she struggled to find a foothold in a strange city. Short of money and friends, Annie persevered and found her way forward, thanks to some helping hands. This program will offer others following in her footsteps that helping hand, to ensure that they can succeed in their desire to make their dream come true. That’s a legacy worthy of her name and reputation.” 

In addition to Talbert, the scholarship’s advisory board includes Hinton Battle, Gregory Butler, Gary Chryst, Mindy Cooper, Dylis Croman, Charlotte d’Amboise, Erzebet-Liz Foldi, Joel Grey, Marilu Henner, Bebe Neuwirth, Chita Rivera, Tommy Tune, William Whitener, and Chris Reinking Stuart. Visit the Off the Lane program page for more information.

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Broadway Birthday: Elaine Paige 

Posted on March 5, 2021 by boz

Happy Birthday to the “First Lady of British Musical Theatre,” Olivier-winning performer Elaine Paige, born Elaine Bickerstaff on March 5, 1948, in Barnet, Hertfordshire, England. After graduating from Aida Foster Theatre School, Paige made her professional debut in a UK tour of The Roar of the Greasepaint – The Smell of the Crowd (1964) and her West End debut in the London premiere of Hair (1968). Simultaneously, she began her recording career, singing with the bands Colors of Love (1968) and Sparrow (1972). 

She soon worked her way out of the ensemble of such shows as the short-lived 1971 musical Maybe That’s Your Problem and into leading roles such as Sandy in Grease (1973), Rita in Billy (1974), and Maisie in The Boyfriend (1975). Then Paige was cast as Eva Perón in the premiere of Evita (1978), for which she won an Olivier Award. That same year, she released Sitting Pretty, her first solo album. Below is Paige singing “It’s Raining on Prom Night” from Grease on the Sept. 30, 1983, episode of Ladybirds and “Don’t Cry for Me Argentina” from Evita.

Next, Paige originated the role of Grizabella in Cats, landing a UK Top 10 hit with “Memory.” In 1983, she starred in Abbacadabra, then originated the role of Florence in the 1984 concept album of Chess, landing a #1 UK hit with “I Know Him So Well,” a duet with Barbara Dickson. The single topped the charts for four weeks and remains the biggest-selling record by a female duo. She then appeared in the 1986 premiere of the show, earning her second Olivier nomination. Below is Paige singing “Memory” from Cats and “I Know Him So Well” from Chess.

She continued her recording career with the albums Stages (1983, #2 UK), Cinema (1984, #12 UK), and Love Hurts (1985, #8 UK), as well as her first compilation, Memories (1987). Her next stage roles were Reno Sweeney in Anything Goes (1989), earning another Olivier nomination, and the title role in Piaf (1993), earning her fourth Olivier nod. Below is Paige singing the title song of Anything Goes at the 1990 Royal Variety performance and “Hymne a l’Amour (If You Love Me)” from Piaf.

In 1995, she took over the role of Norma Desmond in Sunset Boulevard, receiving her fifth Olivier nomination. That same year, Paige was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire. A year later, she made her Broadway debut in Sunset Boulevard. She returned to the West End in The King and I (2000), then to New York in a revival of Sweeney Todd (2004), earning a Drama Desk nomination. In 2004, she also began her weekly BBC radio show Elaine Paige on Sunday. Below is Paige singing “As If We Never Said Goodbye” from Sunset Boulevard and “Getting to Know You” from The King and I.

In 2007, she was back on the West End in The Drowsy Chaperone and, a year later, released her autobiography, Memories. In 2010, she released the UK Top 20 album Elaine Paige and Friends, then was back in the US a year later in the Broadway revival of Follies, for which she earned Drama Desk and Grammy nominations. In celebration of her 50 years in show business, Paige began a 2013 farewell tour, Page by Page by Paige, followed by the miniseries retrospective The Elaine Paige Show (2014). Below is a montage of Drowsy Chaperone (beginning and ending with Paige singing “As We Stumble Along”) and Paige singing “I’m Still Here” from Follies.

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Today in Musical History: Cinderella

Posted on March 4, 2021 by boz

Cinderella, the 12th animated feature from Walt Disney Productions, went into wide release on March 4, 1950. The project was years in the making. As early as 1938, Al Perkins had written an outline for Disney based on Charles Perrault’s fairytale. After numerous drafts, production halted during WWII. In 1947, storyboarding began on the treatment by Ted Sears, Homer Brightman, and Harry Reeves. Ben Sharpsteen was assigned as supervising producer, with Hamilton Luske, Wilfred Jackson, and Clyde Geronimi as sequence directors, and production wrapped in 1949. Below is the original 1950 trailer.

The voice cast included Ilene Woods (Cinderella), Eleanor Audley (stepmother Lady Tremaine), Verna Felton (Fairy Godmother), Rhoda Williams (stepsister Drizella), Lucille Bliss (stepsister Anastasia), James MacDonald (mice Jaq and Gus), Luis van Rooten (King and Grand Duke), Don Barclay (Doorman), William Phipps (Prince Charming, sung by Mike Douglas), Earl Keen (dog Bruno), June Foray (cat Lucifer), and Betty Lou Gerson (Narrator). 

The principal animators were Les Clark, Marc Davis, and Eric Larson (Cinderella), Norman Ferguson (King, Grand Duke), Ollie Johnston (stepsisters), Milt Kahl (Godmother, Prince), Ward Kimball (Lucifer, Bruno), John Lounsbery (Jaq, Gus, Lucifer, Bruno), Wolfgang Reitherman (Jaq, Gus), and Frank Thomas (stepmother). Below is the opening main title sequence, underscored by the title song “Cinderella.”

Oliver Wallace composed the score, with Frank Comstock and Joseph Dubin providing the orchestrations, while the songs were written by Mack David, Al Hoffman, and Jerry Livingston — the first composers hired from outside Disney. The six songs performed in the film are “Cinderella” (sung by the Jud Conlon Chorus, featuring Marni Nixon), “A Dream Is a Wish Your Heart Makes” (Ilene Woods), “Sing Sweet Nightingale” (Eleanor Audley, Rhoda Williams, Ilene Woods), “The Work Song” (James MacDonald), “Bibbidi-Bobbidi-Boo” (Verna Felton), and “So This Is Love” (Ilene Woods, Mike Douglas). Below is Oscar nominee “Bibbidi-Bobbidi-Boo.”

The film became the biggest critical and commercial hit for Disney since Snow White (1937), helping to reverse the studio’s ailing fortunes after the war. It earned three Oscar nominations, including those for its sound (C.O. Slyfield), scoring (Wallace, Smith), and song “Bibbidi-Bobbidi-Boo” (David, Livingston, Hoffman). The soundtrack EP, featuring four songs, topped the Billboard charts for two weeks in 1950. Disney rereleased the film in 1957, 1965, 1973, 1981, and 1987 and offered the full soundtrack in 1997.

Cinderella’s castle has become an icon of the company, not only as part of its logo but also as the centerpiece of Walt Disney World’s Magic Kingdom (1971) and Tokyo Disneyland (1983). Then came the direct-to-video sequels Cinderella II: Dreams Come True (2002) and Cinderella III: A Twist in Time (2007) and a 2015 live-action adaptation. In 2018, the Library of Congress selected the film for its National Film Registry. Below is “Bibbidi-Bobbidi-Boo” from the 2015 live-action version.

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Today in Musical History: Carmen

Posted on March 3, 2021 by boz

On Mar. 3, 1875, Carmen premiered at the Opéra-Comique, Paris, with music by Georges Bizet and libretto by Henri Meilhac and Ludovic Halévy, based on Prosper Mérimée’s 1845 novella. Its depictions of working class life and the death of its main character broke comic opera conventions and scandalized early audiences. On June 3, the 36-year-old Bizet died of a heart attack. That night’s performance was cancelled, and the opera didn’t return until November, ending its run in February after a total of 48 performances.

The story is about the downfall of Don José, a Spanish soldier seduced by the gypsy Carmen, for whom he abandons his fiancée and deserts his military duties. When he loses Carmen to the bullfighter Escamillo, he kills her in a jealous rage. Below is Julia Migenes singing the seductive “Habanera” to Placido Domingo in Francesco Rosi’s 1984 film.

The opera has been the subject of many screen and stage adaptations, some using Bizet’s music and others only the outline of Mérimée’s original story. One of the more reverent to the opera was Peter Brook’s 1981 abridged stage version, La Tragédie de Carmen. Below is Zehava Gal singing “Habanera” to Lawrence Dale in the 1983 film version.

In 1943, Oscar Hammerstein II updated the opera for Broadway, changing the characters to African-American Air Force personnel in WWII. The cast was led by Muriel Smith as Carmen and Napoleon Reed as Joe, who both also starred in the 1945 and 1946 Broadway revivals. The 2018 Off-Broadway revival was led by Anika Noni Rose and Clifton Duncan. Below is Dorothy Dandridge singing “Dat Love” to Harry Belafonte in the 1954 film.

Michael Elliot updated the story for Robert Townsend’s 2001 MTV film Carmen: A Hip Hopera, with Sekani Williams providing most of the new score. Set in contemporary Philadelphia and Los Angeles, the film stars Beyoncé Knowles as aspiring actress Carmen Brown and Mekhi Phifer as police Sgt. Derek Hill. Below is the “Carmen Seduces Hill” section of the film.

One of the most celebrated dance pieces inspired by Carmen is the 1967 ballet Carmen Suite, choreographed by Alberto Alonso to new music by Rodion Shchedrin, who wrote the piece for his wife Maya Plisetskaya, a Bolshoi prima ballerina. Below is the first part of the filmed ballet, with Plisetskaya appearing about 3:10, after the credits and introduction.

Another acclaimed choreographic take on the story, using Bizet’s music, is Spanish director Carlos Saura’s 1983 flamenco film Carmen, which earned the BAFTA Award for Best Foreign Language Film and two prizes at the Cannes Film Festival in addition to an Oscar nomination for Best Foreign Language Film. Below are Laura del Sol and Antonio Gades dancing to “Habanera.”

A non-Western musical that borrows the plot (and some of the arias from the opera, with new lyrics by Chun-Ching Li) is the 1960 Hong Kong film The Wild, Wild Rose, director Wong Tin-lam’s contemporary cultural mashup that stars Grace Chang as the title character. Below is Chang in a flamenco dance from the film.

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2021 Richard Rodgers Awards

Posted on March 2, 2021 by boz

On March 1, the American Academy of Arts and Letters announced the three winners of its 2021 Richard Rodgers Awards for Musical Theater. Studio production awards went to The Monster by Chelsea Marcantel, Michael Mahler, and Alan Schmuckler; Oratorio for Living Things by Heather Christian; and TL;DR: Thelma Louise; Dyke Remix by EllaRose Chary and Brandon James Gwinn.

The Monster is a modern-day reimagining of Frankenstein, delving into its themes of creation and responsibility. Victoria launches software to bring communities into harmony online, but as the scope of the technology expands, she finds her moral center tested. Deep inside the recesses of the internet, there remains a trace of what makes us human — if only we can find it before our time runs out.

Oratorio for Living Things is a modern oratorio for 12 voices and orchestra that seeks to illuminate and beatify the time that blurs the line between scientific and spiritual revelation. The oratorio visits time on three scales: the quantum, the human, and the cosmic. Below is Christian singing “Hydrogen & Helium” at the Ars Nova Ball 2019.

T and L drive their convertible off a cliff and into the fantasy-driven, irreverent, queer, rock musical TL;DR: Thelma Louise; Dyke Remix, where strong female characters don’t “always gotta die.” They attempt to sort out their new identities, how those identities impact their relationships with each other, and seek the queer-happy ending they’ve always deserved. Below is Hannah Cruz singing “Put Up a Fight.”

The members of this year’s jury were chair David Lang, Lynn Ahrens, Kristoffer Diaz, Mindi Dickstein, Amanda Green, Michael R. Jackson, Richard Maltby Jr., and John Weidman. Former recipients include Nine; Rent; Lucky Stiff; Violet; Grey Gardens; Natasha, Pierre & the Great Comet of 1812; and Hadestown.

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Today in Musical History: The Sound of Music

Posted on March 2, 2021 by boz

On March 2, 1965, the film adaptation of the 1959 stage musical The Sound of Music premiered in New York. The story began with Maria von Trapp’s 1949 memoir, which was adapted for a 1956 German film. Paramount bought the rights for an English remake with Audrey Hepburn. After they dropped their option, studio exec Vincent J. Donehue proposed making a musical with Mary Martin. Stage producers Richard Halliday and Leland Heyward hired librettists Howard Lindsay and Russel Crouse and songwriters Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II, and the musical opened Nov. 16, 1959. It ran on Broadway for 1,443 performances and won six Tonys, including Best Musical. In 1960, 20th Century Fox purchased the film rights and hired Ernest Lehman to write the screenplay.  Below is the original trailer.

Also hired for the creative team were Robert Wise (director, producer), Irwin Kostal (music direction), Ted McCord (cinematography), William H. Reynolds (editing), Boris Leven (production design), Ruby Levitt and Walter M. Scott (set decoration), Dorothy Jeakins (costumes), and Bil & Cora Baird (puppets).

The cast included Julie Andrews (Maria), Christopher Plummer (Captain von Trapp, sung by Bill Lee), Eleanor Parker (Elsa), Richard Haydn (Max), and Peggy Wood (Mother Abbess), with Charmian Carr (Liesl), Nicholas Hammond (Friedrich), Heather Menzies (Louisa), Duane Chase (Kurt), Angela Cartwright (Brigitta), Debbie Turner (Marta), and Kym Karath (Gretl). The real Maria von Trapp had a brief uncredited cameo (at 1:50 in “I Have Confidence”), which you can watch below.

Rehearsals began Feb. 10, 1964, with choreographers Marc Breaux and Dee Dee Wood. Filming started Mar. 26, 1964, in Los Angeles and continued in Salzburg until September 1. The film premiered Mar. 2, 1965, and reviews were mixed. New York Times critic Bosley Crowther called it “romantic nonsense and sentiment,” and McCall’s critic Pauline Kael “the sugar-coated lie people seem to want to eat.” While, L.A. Times critic Philip K. Scheuer found it “three hours of visual and vocal brilliance,” and Variety “magnificently mounted and with a brilliant cast.”

Despite the reviews, the film was incredibly popular. It spent 41 weeks atop the U.S. box office and four and a half years in initial release. By November 1966, it had become the highest-grossing film of all-time, a title it held for 24 years. The film was nominated for 10 Oscars and won five, including Best Picture. In 1998, AFI named The Sound of Music as the #4 movie musical of the century. Below is the full title song sequence.

Lehman had rearranged the musical’s sequence of songs, eliminating two for Elsa and Max, and Wise asked Rodgers for a more romantic number to replace “An Ordinary Couple”  and a new song for Maria’s departure from the abbey. Rodgers supplied “Something Good” and “I Have Confidence.” The soundtrack hit #1 on Billboard’s album chart and remained in the Top Ten for a record 109 weeks and 238 weeks overall. AFI’s “100 Years …100 Songs” list included three songs from the film: “The Sound of Music” at #10, “My Favorite Things” at #64, and “Do-Re-Mi” at #88 (which you can watch below). In 2018, the Library of Congress selected the album for its National Recording Registry.

https://youtu.be/nhLE3UDAnGw

In 1966, American Express created the first Sound of Music guided tour in Salzburg, which Panorama Tours has led since 1972. The first sing-along revival screening was in London during 1999, leading to a 20-year run at the Prince Charles Cinema and sing-along shows across the U.S., some attended by original cast members. In 2001, the Library of Congress selected the film for its National Film Registry, and the Academy Film Archive preserved the film in 2003.

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2021 Golden Globe Winners

Posted on March 1, 2021 by boz

The winners of the 78th annual Golden Globes were revealed last night in a virtual telecast broadcast on NBC, hosted by Tina Fey from New York’s Rainbow Room and Amy Poehler in from the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Beverly Hills. The top film awards went to Nomadland for best drama, Borat Subsequent Moviefilm for best musical/comedy, Minari for best foreign language film, and the jazz-themed Soul for best animated film. 

All of those films except Minari picked up one other trophy during the night. Soul won for its score by Jon Batiste, Atticus Ross, and Trent Reznor, while Nomadland won best director, and the comedy Borat brought leading actor Sacha Baron Cohen the win.

Two of the other top four acting prizes went to performers in musical-based dramas. As expected, Chadwick Boseman won a posthumous prize for his role in the drama Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom, and Andra Day won for the title role of the drama The United States vs. Billie Holiday.

The top television prizes went to The Crown for best drama (among its six awards) and Schitt’s Creek for best comedy (among its five awards). Diane Warren, Laura Pausini, and Niccolò Agliardi won best song for “Io sì (Seen)” from the Sophia Loren drama The Life Ahead. You can watch the official video below.

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