Bunheads - General Discussion

[David T. Cole]

Your Sutton topic.

[David T. Cole]

Your Michelle topic.

[David T. Cole]

Your girls topic.

[David T. Cole]

Your spot the GG actor topic.

[Rhondinella]

Just in case you aren't already blown away by how talented this lady is, here's her performance of Anything Goes at the 2011 Tony Awards, the role for which she won her second Tony.

 

 

I'm just in awe of that.  More than 3 solid minutes of high energy dancing, and then less than 20 seconds to catch her breath before belting that last note.  Impressive!

 

But even more impressive is seeing her do the whole number, instead of the abbreviated one done for the Tonys.  Below you can see rehearsal footage (I'm assuming this was a backer's rehearsal) where the number is almost twice as long, and she has even less time between dancing and singing:

 

 

And finally, here's her adorable acceptance speech for the 2011 Tony (presented by Harry Potter!).  She's so delightful when she gets choked up over the fact that her dresser is leaving her to pursue his artistic dreams:

 

 

No, I'm not building a shrine to her or anything, so don't worry.  But I may have spent the better part of an afternoon watching videos of her performances on You Tube occasionally.  Don't judge.

[Rhondinella]

Ok, so I'm going to try to present a comprehensive list here of all GG actors who also appear in Bunheads--everything from major characters (hello, Fanny!) to cameos (Kirk makes coffee!!)  Correct me if I've forgotten any:

 

Kelly Bishop (aka Emily Gilmore, aka Fanny Flowers)

Liza Weil (aka PARIS!!, aka Millicent Stone)

Gregg Henry (aka Mitchum Huntzberger, aka Rico)

Rose Abdoo (aka Gypsy, aka Sam)

Alex Borstein (aka harpist, aka Miss Celine, aka landlord, aka Carl's mother)

Michael DeLuise (aka T.J., aka Jo Jo)

Sean Gunn (aka Kirk, aka Bash)

Chris Eigeman (aka Jason Stiles, aka Conor)

Todd Lowe (aka Zack, aka Davis)

Biff Yeager (aka Tom, aka Bob)

Linda Porter (aka Fran, aka Sasha's neighbor)

Jon Polito (aka Pete, aka Sal)

 

Of these, my favorite is by far Gregg Henry because his transformation from uptight, cocky millionaire Mitchum Huntzberger on GG to laid back, stoner, surf bar owner Rico in Bunheads is so amazing.  I didn't realize it was him until it was pointed out to me on the internet.  Had to rewind to verify.

[Rhondinella]

See what I did there?

 

Discuss Truly, Davis, Godot, Sam, Cozette, Carl, Roman, Millicent, Nanette, Charlie, Matisee, the crazy Wiccan lady, and anyone else who lives in Paradise but doesn't have an individual thread here.

[Rhondinella]

It took a while to grow on me, but after several viewings I have concluded that I like Foster's take on the witty, tall, self-deprecating brunette much more than Lauren Graham's.  Don't get me wrong--I love me some Gilmore Girls.  I can quote it with the best of them.  (I have a friend with whom I often exchange "Hockey puck, rattlesnake, monkey, monkey, underpants" as a greeting).  But I found Lorelai often shrill and frankly.  While Foster's character is much more relatable and likable.  Maybe it's because they come from completely different backgrounds: Lorelai was a privileged, wealthy kid who frankly still seemed pretty dang entitled even after she broke away from her parents, and Michelle clearly comes from the complete opposite of that.  She's more of a loser who can't seem to catch a break no matter how talented she is.  And I think I relate to that more than Lorelai's complaining about her daughter not getting a full ride to college because they make too much money.  (Boo freakin' hoo, honey!  Take out loans like the rest of us did!).

 

Anyway, feel free to agree, disagree and analyze below.

[Rhondinella]

I would say I want to be Melanie when I grow up, but I think I already pretty much am the grown-up version of her, but with many more pounds and without the dance skills.

[formerlyfreedom]

I'm a total Boo. And I adore her. And her awesomeness.

[random chance]

Michelle wasn't a loser who couldn't catch a break - she got into a ballet company (doesn't matter that she left - it was a break getting in) and she inherited what looked like a million-dollar property by the ocean. 

[Rhondinella]

Ok, I'll agree with you on the property thing.  Maybe I didn't say that the right way.  Michelle seems down on her luck in spite of her talent mostly, it seems, because she manages to get in her own way.  Of course, we don't have the whole backstory as to how she got from a prestigious ballet company to being a Vegas showgirl, I'm just assuming that we're supposed to see that as indicative of a general downward arc of her life; the reasons for that are left mostly to us to infer from what we know of her character.  The fact that she doesn't like to be tied down or to commit to anything for longer than a few weeks probably also came into play. 

 

Anyway, for whatever reason, I still sympathize with and like her character a lot more than I usually liked Lorelai.

[Rhondinella]

Oh, I adore Boo, too!  That actress is wonderfully engaging.  I'd love to see her in something else.

[Rhondinella]

How on earth could I forget to include the AWESOME Nina in the list above? 

 

Seriously, that woman can walk into the scene and I start laughing before she opens her mouth.  Her reactions to everything are just perfect.  Like her bug-eyed incredulous stare when Rico tells her they're open 7 days a week.  And the way she says "Duuuuuude" to Michelle as an expression of sympathy in the second episode always makes my day.  When I'm feeling down I could watch that on continual loop as a pick-me-up.

 

Surely I'm not the only one who would watch a spin-off of Nina and Rico running the Oyster Bar? (Preferably without bland, annoying, hunky son Godot).

[random chance]

I thought she quit the ballet to try out for Broadway and/or party, but I could be wrong.

 

She does seem like she's had a harder life than Lorelai but I think it's an illusion brought about by the fact that she has a much lower voice and a general hangdog demeanor.   Lorelai raised a child by herself - Michelle just quit dance and regretted it.  It's not the same thing. 

 

I think I sympathize more with the bad decision/regret than anything else.

[Rhondinella]

Fair enough.

[random chance]

I should add, because you probably can't read my mind and you don't know this already - Lorelai did often irritate the living hell out of me.  I think it's entirely possible that never shutting up is not as charming as ASP thinks it is.

[Rhondinella]

Co-signed!  Lorelai also drove me crazy because she often was so completely insensitive to her friends and self-centered.  Things always had to be about her, or her daughter, who were the center of the universe.

 

But we're probably getting off-topic.  Let's bring it back by saying that Michelle certainly has her failings, but for whatever reason they don't annoy me.  Of course, we only got one season.  If there had been 7?  Who knows?

[Kromm]

Just in case you aren't already blown away by how talented this lady is, here's her performance of Anything Goes at the 2011 Tony Awards, the role she won her second Tony.

 

 

I'm just in awe of that.  More than 3 solid minutes of high energy dancing, and then less than 20 seconds to catch her breath before belting that last note.  Impressive!

It also doesn't hurt (and was probably quite conscious casting) that she's the tallest person on that stage.  Makes her the natural focal point as much as the outfit.

 

The shame of it for her TV career (vs. Broadway) is that there are so few outlets for her skill set on TV.  With Bunheads out, and Smash gone, and Glee sucking (as well as pretty much packed full of performers already), what's left now?  This new Galavant show, I guess, and NBC's commitment now to airing TV versions of musicals periodically (for which they'll continue to cast bigger mainstream stars, for sure).  

[ElectricBoogaloo]

Here's the place to post about new (or past) projects for Bunheads cast members!

 

I just saw Bailey Buntain playing Carrie in the Lifetime version of Petals on the Wind (don't judge me!). She has also been playing Lauren on MTV's Faking It (which I haven't watched).

 

Julia Goldani Telles has popped up on my tv a few times since Bunheads ended, first as a guest star on The Carrie Diaries (as a ballet dancer who Carrie interviews) and in two episodes of Nurse Jackie playing Grace's classmate.

 

Sutton Foster guest starred in the penultimate episode of Psych, and her new show Younger (also starring Hilary Duff, Miriam Schor, and Debi Mazar) is set to air this September.

 

I didn't realize until I checked IMDB today that Emma Dumont was in Dear Lemon Lima, which I loved!

[Rhondinella]

Huh, I didn't realize Bailey Buntain was playing the grown-up (or late teenaged) Cathy in the Flowers in the Attic sequel.  I didn't watch the original either, where she was played by Kiernan Shipka from Mad Men (who I adore--but that story creeped me out too much as a pre-teen; can't watch).  But those are two of my favorite young actresses.

 

Also Buntain guest-starred on an episode of The Middle back a few seasons ago.  I think it was before Bunheads, maybe just right before.

 

I still contend that if someone doesn't find a project where Buntain plays the daughter of Megan Hilty, then Hollywood's not even trying anymore.

[Rhondinella]

Oh, I think they'd be stupid not to find a place for her in one of the new TV musicals.  That's a great idea.

[Humbugged]

Julia Goldani Telles will be playing Dominic West (The Wire) and Maura Tierney's daughter on The Affair on Showtime(with added Josh Jackson and Crazy Alice from Luther)

 

 

Emma Dumont has been cast as one of The Manson Children on NBC's Aquarius.

[Rhondinella]

Oooh, Emma has the right look and juuuust enough of the manic-crazy quality to make that work, I think.

[ElectricBoogaloo]

Sutton Foster was nominated for another Tony for her role in Violet. She didn't win, but she and the cast performed at the Tony Awards a few weeks ago:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-kVaDl1MsYs

 

Sutton actually has quite a long history with this show. Jeanine Tesori wrote several new songs for Thoroughly Modern Millie (which was Sutton's big break). Jeanine Tesori also wrote the music for Violet (which premiered off Broadway back in 1997). Sutton used to sing "On My Way" as a solo during some of her shows. This is from Joe's Pub back in 2006. She ended up putting the song on her 2008 solo album:

 

Sutton starred in a one night production of Violet in 2013, which led to the current Broadway version. This was her sixth Tony nomination (she has won twice - Thoroughly Modern Millie and Anything Goes) so although I'm sure she must have been disappointed not to win, she already has enough Tony Awards to serve as bookends!

 

And since I'm on a Sutton/Tony kick, this is when she performed Show Off from The Drowsy Chaperone at the Tony Awards back in 2006. So hilarious:

Edited June 27, 2014 by ElectricBoogaloo

[Kromm]

It's nice to see her career wasn't hurt by a failed TV show.

[ElectricBoogaloo]

Nah. Like Kristin Chenoweth (who had a sitcom which failed), Sutton had a great Broadway career before her first tv show and she will undoubtedly continue to have a great Broadway career afterward. She has a new tv show that starts this fall so maybe that one will do better than Bunheads did.

[JAYJAY1979]

I noticed that as the season wore on, the writing for Michelle became more and more like how  Lorelai was written.  The problem was that Sutton Foster isn't Lauren G (not a bad thing whatsoever, both actresses are good just different from one another)... and I think that her delivery was more dead-pan and sardonic then Lauren G's was .. and I wish the show had written her character to reflect that instead of trying to clone Lorelai.

[Primetimer]

Almost too many awesome ladies for one stage to contain.

Read the story

[Babalu]

I'm one who virtually never re-watches series or episodes or movies, but now I'm longing to see Bunheads again. I loved those girls (okay, maybe not Melanie, whom I found boring most of the time) and the dances and the quirky characters (especially Truly and Milly). Why oh why isn't it on DVD? As mentioned in the panel discussion, it is on iTunes for $2.99/episode (no option to buy the season and save money); it's also available for streaming via Amazon ($34.99 for the season in HD).

This was the first time I've seen Amy Sherman-Palladino, and I couldn't stand her for the first ten minutes, but then she grew on me. I did think it was amusing, though, when she was talking about how important music is and you shouldn't have a band just playing in a corner while the characters have a conversation because I've seen literally two minutes of Gilmore Girls in my life - during which Lorelai and someone else were at a Bangles concert and talked the whole time they were onstage. (Not that I doubt Amy's devotion to music - it's evident throughout Bunheads; I just happened to catch probably the one GG scene that calls it into question.)

[Flamingo]

Thanks for this. I love all those actresses.

I, too, found ASP annoying at first but she grew on me too. What remained annoying: not seeing the clips and at the end not hearing the questions that were asked.

I'm generally OK with my body. It isn't perfect but it's strong, healthy, and fit so I don't waste time comparing myself to others. But, dang, Sutton Foster has amazing legs. I would love legs like hers.

It took the second half of the episodes for me to really warm up to this show. Since it was ASP and many actors/actresses that I liked, I stuck with it longer than I would have any other show. I'm so happy I did and am really sorry it ended. Now I find myself wanting to watch again. Wish it were Prime or on Netflix.

[Babalu]

I agree about both Sutton Foster (damn - those shoes! I couldn't wear those in a million years!) and the clips. I thought maybe they couldn't get rights to air the clips outside the panel, but it just whetted my desire to watch the season again.

[bwiemann]

After watching the panel, I wound up paying for two episodes, the Nutcracker and the final episode, to see at least some of the series again. My memory is that these were the strongest episodes, sort of like two finales, and that the rest of the season veered wildly from great to meh. I think I was hoping that Kelly Bishop would be in all the episodes, so that was disappointing, and the young actresses sometimes had to sell some dialogue that was a bit beyond them. I'm interested to see if the 4 of them go on to other things.

[ElectricBoogaloo]

I'm interested to see if the 4 of them go on to other things.

All four of them have been working since Bunheads ended. Most recently, Emma Dumont was on Aquarius, Bailey Buntain (now Bailey De Young) was on Faking It, and Julia Goldani Telles was on The Affair. There's more info here.
 

[Leonana]

On 7/14/2015 at 0:40 PM, Babalu said:

I'm one who virtually never re-watches series or episodes or movies, but now I'm longing to see Bunheads again. I loved those girls (okay, maybe not Melanie, whom I found boring most of the time) and the dances and the quirky characters (especially Truly and Milly). Why oh why isn't it on DVD? As mentioned in the panel discussion, it is on iTunes for $2.99/episode (no option to buy the season and save money); it's also available for streaming via Amazon ($34.99 for the season in HD).

 

I just started watching it. It's now online at Freeform, which was formerly ABC Family. On a side note, they couldn't come up with a better name than Freeform? Anyway, all of the episodes are unlocked and free to watch. You can also watch in on your phone, as Freeform has an app. However, you have to suffer through quite a bit of commercials.

 

On 7/14/2015 at 5:01 PM, Flamingo said:

t took the second half of the episodes for me to really warm up to this show. Since it was ASP and many actors/actresses that I liked, I stuck with it longer than I would have any other show. I'm so happy I did and am really sorry it ended. Now I find myself wanting to watch again. Wish it were Prime or on Netflix.

It took me until the second half to warm up to it too. I have six episodes left to watch, and will miss it when I'm done. It wasn't as good as Gilmore Girls, and the characters annoyed me at times, but I enjoyed it.

[Leonana]

Thanks for the clips! Those were fun to watch. She is amazingly talented.

[ElectricBoogaloo]

Bailey De Young (nee Buntain - she got married in 2014) plays Imogene, the best friend of the title character on The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel.

On 5/29/2014 at 6:52 PM, Rhondinella said:

I still contend that if someone doesn't find a project where Buntain plays the daughter of Megan Hilty, then Hollywood's not even trying anymore.

I totally agree. Someone make this happen, damn it!

[ElectricBoogaloo]

Sutton Foster will be performing at the Smith Center in Las Vegas in September. Tickets are available here.

[ElectricBoogaloo]

Kiersten Warren, who played Claire, appeared in this week's episode of Dirty John (S01.E02) playing Britt, a friend/coworker of the main character Debra (Connie Britton). Ha, thanks to IMDB, I also learned that she played Alex on Saved by the Bell: The College Years and she was also on Life Goes On (I think she played a friend of Becca's who worked at the bookstore? It's been a LONG time since I've watched that show).

[luvthepros]

On 5/29/2014 at 9:52 PM, Rhondinella said:

 

I still contend that if someone doesn't find a project where Buntain plays the daughter of Megan Hilty, then Hollywood's not even trying anymore.

Late to the party as I just finished binge watching Bunheads today. Agree with above.....I immediately said the same thing to my husband that Buntain should be cast as Megan Hilty's daughter in a project.

[Valny]

On 5/28/2014 at 10:09 AM, ElectricBoogaloo said:

I just saw Bailey Buntain playing Carrie in the Lifetime version of Petals on the Wind (don't judge me!). She has also been playing Lauren on MTV's Faking It (which I haven't watched).

I've seen Faking It and she is very funny in that role.
FYI- Bunheads is also on Hulu.