On "The View" yesterday, Barbara Walters said that this year will be her last Academy Awards Special. However, she will have a retrospective of some of her favorite moments in the 29 year history of the show which will include her HJ lapdance. I'm glad she got to interview Hugh before she retired the show.

Great memories, Carol

Not just of Barbara's pre-Oscars show moments with Hugh --

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QdWEXuoLL5A

but also of that unforgettable closing show BiCoastal number.



and this account paraphrased from Barbara's account to the ladies on The View --

quote:

Screen hunks Matt Damon and Hugh Jackman gave American news veteran Barbara Walters the ultimate thrill on Sunday when they put on a lapdance for her. Walters, who is stepping down from her long-time role of anchor on news magazine show 20/20, attended Jackman's final performance of The Boy From Oz on Broadway, and was stunned when she was pulled from the audience for a little onstage action. She says, "I'm sitting there minding my own business. (During) the second act he comes in and says, 'I usually dance with someone, but today is my last day and there is a lady in the audience and she is celebrating her last days on 20/20.' I thought, 'He's gonna make me dance. I can't get up there.' He says, 'No, you gotta come.' So I go up on the stage. He says, 'Okay sit down,' and then he says, Matt Damon,' are you here?' And Matt Damon hides his face and Jackman beckons him. And I sat while Matt Damon and Hugh Jackman did a lapdance with me!" An elated Walters adds of Jackman, "Whatever he's going to do (in the future), my fantasy was fantastic and he was fantastic!" Jackman did 397 performances as the late Peter Allen in the musical, which was housed at New York City's Imperial Theatre.

Jo

This message has been edited. Last edited by: jo,

Great photo Jo

great and sad news at the same time )) it's great because Hugh'll be involved and never forgotten and sad 'cos it'll happen last time. Maybe I'm getting older but not long time ago I started being afraid of the word "last"...Thanks for the news and the picture, ladies ))

Team

quote:

Originally posted by Team:
great and sad news at the same time )) it's great because Hugh'll be involved and never forgotten and sad 'cos it'll happen last time. Maybe I'm getting older but not long time ago I started being afraid of the word "last"...Thanks for the news and the picture, ladies ))

Team

Oh Oxana, my dear -- there are enough of us on the forum to have been lucky enough to meet you this past fall to know you got DECADES to go before you can apply "getting older" to yourself.

Just think that the "last" on one thing is ultimately the "first" of something else.

Best,
Margie

Margie, you revealed me but thank you ))

Love,
Oxana

It looks like Barbara wants another lap dance

Or at least revisit the moments

http://www.nydailynews.com/ent...special_will_be.html

quote:

Barbara Walters is ending her long-running Oscar-night special on a high note: a look back at that infamous lap dance from Hugh Jackman.

Walters announced last week that this year's Oscar edition of "The Barbara Walters Special," featuring Best Actress nominee Sandra Bullock and Best Supporting Actress nominee Mo'Nique, would be her last. In addition to in-depth interviews with the two Academy Award-nominated women, the special will feature a retrospective of the past 29 years that wraps up with Jackman shaking his groove thing.

The Oscar-night edition of "The Barbara Walters Special" airs March 7 at 7 p.m. on ABC.

More...

Will Hugh watch it this time


Jo

I loved when he did it during the run of the show in character, but I cringed during that special. Very uncomfortable to watch. Think I will pass on watching this.

My sentiments exactly, MM. Barbara should have known the difference between a Peter Allen bit and Hugh as Oscars host. Hugh's zeal to please overrode his sense of what felt right and what didn't that evening.

Ellen

I think it was more of gallantry on his part. He seemed uncomfortable when Barbara first mentioned the request ( he was practically stammering), plus this was Barbara in whose show he has appeared countless times, so how could he let her down gently without appearing to be ungentlemanly? When he tried to shush away the camera lens at the end, it made me feel sure that it was an uncomfortable session for him.

Jo

I hope someone records the Oscars. I won't be able to watch them and I do enjoy them, even if Hugh is not hosting.

I too was a bit cring-a-fied when Hugh did the lap dance with Barbara; however, the whole thing ended on a high note when Hugh got down on his knees, laughed, and then hugged Barbara. This sweet, simple gesture (classic Hugh) somehow made the whole thing a bit better, a bit lighter. And you know what they say..."all's well that end's well". But thank goodness Hugh ended it the way he did, because when he first got up to dance it came across as way too, I don't know, sexual or something. While I LOVE the sexy side of Hugh, I certainly don't want to see it with Barbara Walters and in that setting.

quote:

Originally posted by Musical Mutant:
I loved when he did it during the run of the show in character, but I cringed during that special. Very uncomfortable to watch. Think I will pass on watching this.

I understand your meaning (about the "in character" moment) and I agree with everything you said... but just "for the record" (in case some of the younger/newer members are not aware)...

The REAL Peter Allen did NOT give lap dances to people in his audience - ever. Hugh's Broadway performances exaggerated this "interactive" aspect of Peter's stage personae (to great advantage), and he took it "over the top" during his tour Down Under. At venues *that* big (ten times the size of The Imperial) he "needed" to get into the house and "reach out" to people (literally and figuratively) to make the whole thing "work" to his best advantage. Closing night in NYC was a once in a lifetime celebration of a phenomenal year and Hugh's exuberance poured out through the character of Peter Allen. It "worked" *that* night, in *that* situation - but only then.

Most of Peter's conversations with the audience were "one way" - sometimes he'd get a group yes/no consensus or someone would answer a question, but he did not dialog with people, and physical contact was *very* rare. He handed me a rose once, from the stage. A rose that came from a bouquet of roses given to him backstage by my (gay/male) friend who was seated next to me. We all understood that Peter was acknowledging and thanking my *friend* - but discreetly, as always. (I'm talking about 40 years ago... things were different.)

To get back to the topic - If I could have whispered in Hugh's ear at that moment, I would have told him to say NO to her request... take her hand (kiss it?) and say, "Let's *both* dance" - then waltz a little. Hugh "lap dancing" Babara - real people: one happily married, the other - what is she? 80??? - was a truly cringe-worthy moment. I'll take a "pass" on it this time, too... but I would like to see the rest of the show. Guess I'll just have to hide my eyes when it comes on... bet it will be the closing shot.

Sorry, Valerie, I didn't mean to imply that Peter did silly lap dances--just to contrast his larger-than-life personality with Hugh's own. BW should have known the difference between watching Hugh on stage not as himself and interviewing him as himself--that's all I meant.

If you ever do get the chance to whisper in Hugh's ear, I hope you tell us all about it!

Ellen

Valerie, do you think Hugh was really very much Peter as all news told or not? (ladies, every answer will be appriciated, I just dunno if you see Peter on stage)
Thank you!

Oxana

Hugh Jackman does not look, sound, act, move, sing, dance like Peter Allen, and he did not attempt to do an imitation of Peter on stage (this is a good thing, IMHO) - but somehow... miraculously, he "became" Peter Allen for two hours during that play. It doesn't make sense - but I saw Hugh, and I knew Peter, so I know it's true.

The best way I can explain it is to say that they both exude an incredible joy when they're on stage. Hugh didn't try to "act" like Peter, it was Hugh's own nature shining through - something very similar to The Real Peter - that's what made it work so well on stage. He was happy to be there, doing what he does best and he was thrilled that you could be there to share it with him, and I really do mean "share" not just "watch" it. (It's the excruciating thing that does NOT come across on a movie screen, which is why you *need* to see Hugh on stage.) ... but THAT is what Peter was like. He "bubbled over" on stage. (I'm not sure some of these expressions will translate well, sorry.) Peter was ebullient when he performed and it was that aspect of Peter that Hugh captured better than I thought anyone could.

There's a famous old quote: Nobody ever had a better time at a Peter Allen concert than Peter Allen.

You bought a ticket to a concert knowing he would play/sing/dance for you, but the real thrill was that HE was having *such* a good time up there - and it was contagious. When you walked out of the theater your feet didn't touch the ground (at least not for a while) - you'd been caught up in his joi de vivre and love of performing. There was a force that came out of him that was palpable in the theater - like touching an electric socket and not taking your finger away... a mild current, not a *shock* - and it just buzzes through you all the while he's on stage. Peter had something very special, in addition to his musical talent - "charisma" doesn't do it justice, but what ever "it" is, Hugh has it too, and it's a wonder to behold.

So the answer to your question is a contradiction. No, Hugh wasn't really anything like Peter on stage, but YES!!! he captured "the essence" of Peter Allen perfectly. I know that doesn't really make sense, but I think you'll "get it" anyway. Seeing that inexplicable "something" come alive again on stage is the reason TBFO was a fabulous experience.

The Real Peter Allen, with the *real* Rockettes at Radio City Music Hall, January 1981
Everything Old Is New Again
(Note when he fixes one of the girl's hats - that's the moment that sprang to mind when Hugh did the "straight, not straight" bit Down Under.)

P.S. Ellen - I understood what was being said, and I agree. I also know that there are some here who have no idea what The Real Peter was like and I didn't want them to get the wrong impression about his stage act. He played piano, sang, and danced a bit (like many other concert performers) yet there was an indefinable something extra that was just pure Peter. It came across best IMHO in the kibitzing and banter with the audience, but there was no lap dancing involved. (How unfortunate. -sigh-)

P.P.S. If I ever get the chance, I will post details here as soon as I regain my equilibrium. Promise.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: JH4HJ,

Thanks for those excellent insights, Valerie


Let me focus on one very vivid difference between these two Aussie treasures --

Peter Allen created the music that he performed. His music seemed very personal - and everytime it struck an emotional chord in almost everyone - be it joyous, poignant, romantic or simply celebratory! So, when he sang the music, it meant a lot because it evoked something personal from him. I never saw him perform ( I had not even heard of him before TBFO) but he seemed to imbue his performances on clips that I have seen with extra emotions!

But to me, those I enjoyed the most are the most poignant and most personal. This is especially true when I read about the background on how he came to compose I STILL CALL AUSTRALIA HOME -- that he was gazing at the surf of the Pacific on the West Coast of America and began thinking that the same froth surged against the shores of Eastern Australia, no matter that this covered thousands of miles. And of course, when I first heard TENTERFIELD SADDLER, it seemed so personal and that to hear it was almost intrusive on my part.

My favorite Peter Allen song is ALL THE LIVES OF ME!


Hugh on the other hand is at the other end of the talent spectrum. He gives life, spectacular life, to material created by others! How wide his talent is has been established on many stages - the theatre stage, the performing stage, and the cinematic stage! And he commands each one of them with equal measure! He continues to surprise people whenever he turns in a completely different performance compared to what is expected of him ( maybe because of "the curse of beauty") and this is even more apparent when he performs before a live audience. In the movies, he connects with the camera ( and eventually to his "people in the dark") while onstage he connects with the audience directly! That is why one never tires of seeing him perform onstage - it is exhilarating, awesome, and so impressive! He is an actor first and foremost, who also happened to be blessed with the other talents of singing and dancing! He loves to put on a different hat everytime and his joy of performing whether it is as Peter Allen ascending to heaven via the song I GO TO RIO or the astronaut Tom ascending to the heavens to meet his death ( joyfully, after his epiphany!) is all very apparent.

There is a scene in The Prestige which I find very poignant but which also evokes a Hugh moment for me. This is the scene where Robert Angier, because he has chosen his double, Root, to acknowledge the cheers meant for him, had to take his vow underneath the stage. How sad but how telling of how Robert was always first and foremost someone who wanted to perform and amaze people!

Hugh is the ultimate performer - he practices his craft with such dedication and with every inch of his talent...and his joy of performing is the hallmark of his live performances! He is there onstage to entertain us - that is what comes to mind during the lucky moments that I experienced seeing him perform live! He need not even sing or dance -- I cannot forget the time when I saw his tears coursing down his face and how resigned ( to his fate) he looked in the closing moments of A STEADY RAIN! My favorite performer, simply put!


Jo

This message has been edited. Last edited by: jo,

Valerie, you expressed that ineffable "essence" beautifully--thank you.

Ellen

[QUOTE]Originally posted by JH4HJ:
Hugh Jackman does not look, sound, act, move, sing, dance like Peter Allen, and he did not attempt to do an imitation of Peter on stage (this is a good thing, IMHO) - but somehow... miraculously, he "became" Peter Allen for two hours during that play. It doesn't make sense - but I saw Hugh, and I knew Peter, so I know it's true.

The best way I can explain it is to say that they both exude an incredible joy when they're on stage. Hugh didn't try to "act" like Peter, it was Hugh's own nature shining through - something very similar to The Real Peter - that's what made it work so well on stage. He was happy to be there, doing what he does best and he was thrilled that you could be there to share it with him, and I really do mean "share" not just "watch" it. (It's the excruciating thing that does NOT come across on a movie screen, which is why you *need* to see Hugh on stage.) ... but THAT is what Peter was like. He "bubbled over" on stage. (I'm not sure some of these expressions will translate well, sorry.) Peter was ebullient when he performed and it was that aspect of Peter that Hugh captured better than I thought anyone could.

There's a famous old quote: Nobody ever had a better time at a Peter Allen concert than Peter Allen.

You bought a ticket to a concert knowing he would play/sing/dance for you, but the real thrill was that HE was having *such* a good time up there - and it was contagious. When you walked out of the theater your feet didn't touch the ground (at least not for a while) - you'd been caught up in his joi de vivre and love of performing. There was a force that came out of him that was palpable in the theater - like touching an electric socket and not taking your finger away... a mild current, not a *shock* - and it just buzzes through you all the while he's on stage. Peter had something very special, in addition to his musical talent - "charisma" doesn't do it justice, but what ever "it" is, Hugh has it too, and it's a wonder to behold. [QUOTE]


Beautifully stated, Valerie. I completely agree. I saw TBFO only once, and I remember waiting in the ladies' room line during intermission. Several of the women had seen the show more than once, and they asked me what I thought. It was one of the few times in my life that I was at a total loss for words. I stammered something like, "I saw Peter Allen perform many times, and Hugh is just - completely amazing." There were subtle things - little nuances that were reminiscent of Peter - but Hugh wasn't doing an impression. Carole Bayer Sager said that when she went backstage to see Hugh she had to remind herself that he wasn't Peter. Joi de vivre is a wonderful way to describe both Peter's and Hugh's performances. Everyone at a Peter Allen concert walked out smiling, just as everyone who left TBFO the day I was there left smiling.

Regarding the reprise of the lap dance on BW's Oscar show: I thought it was creepy the first time and I don't really need to see it again. I can't quite understand why Barbara isn't just a bit embarrassed by having put Hugh on the spot. Hughlust must trump decorum. I continue to marvel at how graciously and good-naturedly Hugh is able to handle himself in awkward situations. He is truly a gentleman.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: chessie,

quote:

Hughlust must trump decorum. I continue to marvel at how graciously and good-naturedly Hugh is able to handle himself in awkward situations. He is truly a gentleman.

Spot on, chessie!