Bunheads!

College Majors Musical Theater Major
1

<p>So! Who watched it, and what do you think?</p>

<p>I had actually never watched - is it Gilmour Girls? - or any of the other similar shows - not from lack of interest but there's just a limit to how many shows I follow - so if the format and writing is similar (just as you can pretty much know what to expect from any David E. Kelly show or other producers with distinctive hallmarks) I am coming from the perspective of not knowing that.</p>

<p>I also have never had the great fortune to see Sutton Foster on stage! I've heard her recordings but I had NO idea she was so damn funny! Guess there's a reason she's the renowned Sutton Foster! We didn't see her sing at all and barely danced so I assume they are saving that up for later in the season. I really enjoyed her acting and comedic timing though. (An object lesson in why it's important not to forget that acting, not just singing and dancing, matters!) Also I was extremely happy that in the opening showgirl scene, while they were all very fit, that there was what I perceived to be a distinctive lack of <em>extremely</em> thin bodies, and therefore not yet another message that body fat percentages in the single digits is the norm girls should strive for! Sutton herself, while absolutely not carrying any extra jiggle, has a body that seems to me to be the result of lucky genes and a healthy lifestyle and not any drastic or extreme measures. (As the mother of a daughter who is like most daughters, always dealing with body issues, I usually analyze this kind of thing about any possible role model, so forgive the digression...) And the show is addressing body issues in dance right off the bat. We'll see how well they handle it - I expect there will be no way to avoid controversy no matter which way they write that. But it seems to me to be going in a different direction on the topic, a different angle than other dance centered shows I have seen.</p>

<p>POSSIBLE SPOILERS BELOW</p>

<p>I have to say I loved the show, and though they ~ well, I won't put in this one spoiler, but they did something to a certain character ~ I love how they didn't fall into the hackneyed trope of having the henpecked son unable to ever stand up to domineering mother thus setting the stage for the same tired old joke every 10 minutes.</p>

<p>I think I'm going to be addicted. I have it DVR'd for the couple weeks in between D's internship and school starting again, we will take over the living room and have a Bunhead marathon. heee. And as someone who grew up in pretty much a cultural desert, I think I'll enjoy the jokes.</p>

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<p>Snapdragon, I am so glad you started this thread! I have been looking for a place to “discuss” this show ever since I watched last night’s premiere online a couple weeks ago (also watched again last night with DH—for the third time!)</p>

<p>My D and I are huge Gilmore Girls fans, and so we were very edited about this show and we were NOT disappointed. I also love that they did not go down “expected” paths, but hate that the one character apparently will not be in the show…</p>

<p>Sutton Foster’s comedic timing, as you said, is amazing! I also love that she does not always look perfect and, in fact, looks downright goofy at times! </p>

<p>Can’t wait for more…</p>

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<p>Yes, let’s hear it for the goofy girls who are not afraid to climb down from (or pratfall off of) the pedestal of beauty. Sutton strikes me as in the same league of women who are blessed with looks but who cherish their talent more and are willing to sacrifice decorum for their roles - who are my favorite of all actresses. Women like Debra Messing, Sandra Bullock, and dedicated comediennes like Lucille Ball and Carole Burnett - those ladies win our hearts, don’t they? Breathtakingly lovely actresses like Halle Berry and (apparently - though I think she’s creepy frankly) Angelina Jolie and other insanely beautiful women, are wonderful to watch and some of them are even good actresses (lol) but the ones I adore are the ones who take their craft more seriously than they take their dignity! (though they do have class and poise in large amounts.)</p>

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<p>I watched bunheads yesterday too and I’m trying to get all of my friends to watch it too! I’ve been a big fan of Sutton for a while and I actually got to see her a couple of months ago in Anything Goes :slight_smile: She is brilliant and very down to earth and I love that she can be so goofy as well! She really is a great role model for girls and I’m confident she would never sell herself short.
I was also surprised at the ending–my sisfer and I were watching and we just screamed “WHAT?!” haha but it looks like it’s going to be a great show, very excited for this summer!</p>

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<p>My daughter and I watched the show On Demand last week. We both watched for Sutton and she was great. However, the storyline wasn’t written very well and I hope that improves. There is so much potential and I will continue to watch for Sutton and because I want scripted shows to succeed.</p>

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<p>I watched most of the pilot a few weeks ago. If I can get past the initial premise *** spoiler alert *** of a disappointing audition leading to a drunken marriage to someone you don’t love and abandoning your chosen career (EEEECCHHH!!!) the show may be fun. My D and I really enjoyed watching Gilmore Girls, and I have long been a huge fan of Sutton Foster, so I hope this can become similarly fun.</p>

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<p>I, too, have watched it a few times since we got a sneak preview online a couple of weeks ago. I, too, watched it for Sutton, as my son has gotten to know her through her work in his MT program. He reports that she is very much like her character on the show…goofy and down to earth (love the funny facial expressions) and just a little “schlumpy” in real life but gorgeous when she dresses up. I thought she was very polished on camera already. Should be fun to follow.</p>

<p>(So disappointed Ferris Buellers best friend won’t be in the show…I loved his little “stalker” character.) Anyone else think she’s pregnant from the “quickie” at the engagement party?!</p>

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<p>I watched the preview and enjoyed it. DD and I just watched it on DVR (as she had rehearsals last night…) and during one of the early commercials she said, mom I want to like it but it’s a little cheesy. She had only seen a few episodes of Gilmore Girls and that was some time ago.</p>

<p>But by the end she was caught up in it more.</p>

<p>While I didn’t like the " drunken dinner and run away and let a man take care of you" message…I did like the harsh reality of audition that you can be talented but that is usually not enough. (right type/fit, timing, etc.)</p>

<p>AND I LOVED the conversation between Sutton and Kelly Bishop at the bar about squandering talent, time slipping away, and making the most of everyday… That applies to everything, not just MT or dance.</p>

<p>By the way, everyone here knows that Kelly Bishop was “Sheila” in the original cast of Chorus Line, right? She has the opening part of the song “At the Ballet,” one of my favs.</p>

<p>But I digress…</p>

<p>Anyway, nicksmtmom, to answer your question about the quickie…THAT’S the first thing I thought of when the show ended. My guess for the season is that they will fight about who’s stronger/right/best dancer…yet they will end up consoling each other, and just when Sutton thinks she’s gonna leave Paradise, she’ll find out she’s pregnant.</p>

<p>I also LOVED Sutton’s many funny one-liners…some I didn’t catch until watching it again, and some my D didn’t get because of age.</p>

<p>When Kelly said she LOVED Jim Croce, Sutton said " I -tunes!"</p>

<p>When Kelly said she got pregnant and left ballet, Sutton said, “How very Turning Point of you.”</p>

<p>…</p>

<p>Still gonna watch it. We missed Sutton in Anything Goes…my D’s theatre class went to NYC in January and I was a chaperone. class voted which show to see. D and i were lobbying hard for anything goes, but they voted for Sister Act. I did enjoy that, but would have LOVED to have seen her in anything goes.</p>

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<p>Possibly my favorite line of the episode:</p>

<p>(in reference to Truly, the crazy ex-GF of Hubble)</p>

<p>“She’s got serious drive-across-country-in-a-diaper-and-kill-you potential!”, or something to that effect. :)</p>

<p>I want to be able to think that quickly in conversations when I grow up!</p>

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<p>I am a huge fan of Gilmore Girls (in fact, I’m doing a rewatch this summer on the train rides in to my vocal coach), and I love that this show is paced in the same way. It’s going to take me a while to separate Kelly Bishop as Fanny from her Emily Gilmore character in my mind (then again, it took me a while to separate Emily Gilmore from Sheila in A Chorus Line, mentally, too), but I really like the shift in dynamics that was made between Bunheads and Gilmore Girls. Sherman-Palladino could have easily made a Gilmore Girls 2.0 with this concept.
I hope that [what happened to Hubbel] is only debilitating and that we’ll see his character again! I love the dynamic that he and [Sutton’s character] have together!
Honestly, whenever Broadway stars have been getting pilots recently, I’ve been a little skeptical. Between shows like The Playboy Club and GCB and what I’ve seen so far of The New Normal and Go On, sometimes the material people like Benanti and Chenoweth are given is less than brilliant. But I’m definitely going to keep giving this a try.</p>

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<p>Oh yes the one liners. “How very turning point of you” made me cackle and just yearn for my D to be watching it with me so there would be someone else to get the joke!! lol!</p>

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<p>It’s very Gilmore Girls…a good thing.</p>

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<p>I kind of hope Sutton isn’t pregnant because people are always getting pregnant on ABC Family shows…kind of sick of that storyline…she probably will be though, it makes sense for the season I guess</p>

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<p>Was that Ellen Greene as Fanny’s ditzy Wiccan friend/sculptor??? I don’t see it officially listed on the abcfamily website nor imdb… Looked a lot like her!</p>

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<p>Pretty sure it was Ellen Greene. I did like the 2nd show…how did everyone else like it ? I love how new and interesting characters are slowly being introduced. Another former Gilmore Girls character made a completely different appearance: anyone else catch “Mitchell Huntsburger” as the surfer-dude bar owner?</p>

<p>:)</p>

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<p>I recorded the show and went back to see the credits. It does say Guest Starring Ellen Greene in the opening credits.</p>

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<p>I said the same thing…and my hubby (who is a zen-master at those types of things) said it is definately her. I have to say on the first watch, I thought the characters were a little “flippant” about the death. It seemed to be a dry-eyed excuse to use cute one-liners. I was a little sad about the lack of sad…</p>

<p>However, I know it is family channel and not Hallmark, and I know all about the Gilmore Girls style, so I gave a pass on all that. Can’t wait for next week.</p>

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<p>I was starting to think along those same lines, but then as the show went on, it seemed right for teenagers to just be rather melodramatic at least at first…then, when the one “good” dancer saw how hard things had really hit Fannie, they all wanted to help in some way. So they put together the great memorial with Michelle’s help. I loved the ending. Just loved it. </p>

<p>Who else wonders if down the road the lawyer guy we met at the very end becomes a love interest for Michelle?</p>

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<p>^^yes!! my sister said that right away too, that the lawyer would become a love interest!</p>

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<p>how many times did they mention “you’re the sex-at-the-party” girl…baby on board!</p>