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Darren's Concerts and Other Musical Performances for 2016

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Poppy

Poppy
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Jeremy wrote:Have a nice time justinvivianbond - Darren's Concerts and Other Musical Performances for 2016 - Page 2 3308115737

Aw, thanks Jeremy!  :happy face






Hi Lilikoiluv! 

Lilikoiluv wrote:I've already posted my well wishes in another thread, but I'll do it here too because one can never have enough well wishes.  lol.

I know you're having an awesome time at Darren's concert at Feinstein's in San Francisco!  With the news about his upcoming events, he is sure to have a lot to share while bantering between songs.  justinvivianbond - Darren's Concerts and Other Musical Performances for 2016 - Page 2 2780594425  I have my fingers crossed that he'll use this as an opportunity to formally announce the very near release of his album and plays ALL the songs from it just for you guys (and all of us via youtube) . . . as one does at Feinstein's.  <--see what I did there.  justinvivianbond - Darren's Concerts and Other Musical Performances for 2016 - Page 2 1957542852

You'll also need to explain how this white beauty played into the evening: 
justinvivianbond - Darren's Concerts and Other Musical Performances for 2016 - Page 2 CyjoybCVEAI9VeQ
justinvivianbond - Darren's Concerts and Other Musical Performances for 2016 - Page 2 Cyjw7qmUoAASBQC 
I know! His new album must be called "White Peacock"!!!! Yup. That must be it. 
Aren't you proud of my sleuthing skills, Lin?!
justinvivianbond - Darren's Concerts and Other Musical Performances for 2016 - Page 2 Icon_cool justinvivianbond - Darren's Concerts and Other Musical Performances for 2016 - Page 2 674680048  justinvivianbond - Darren's Concerts and Other Musical Performances for 2016 - Page 2 1021284439

Aw, thanks so much for your well-wishes (twice!), Lilikoiluv.   And I agree, one can never have enough well-wishes!   :happy face

And THANK YOU Lilikoiluv for posting all those lovely videos!!   I really appreciate your sharing them with us! 


My husband and I had a wonderful time at Darren's concert at Feinstein's at the Nikko in San Francisco.   I saw people recording early on during the concert, trying to be discreet about it.   Then Darren seemed to give his permission, so folks were more open about it.  The venue was so small (although the club packed the tables in; so it was very cozy :amused ).  


The fans of Darren are so efficient!  I was so impressed to see folks posting their videos that same night! 

The review (by SF Gate) was very nice.  I'm glad there was a nice review.   Darren was very charming.  He was very relaxed with the crowd, and chatted with the audience.  I loved hearing that he sold the pilot of Royalties (you go, Darren, way to be a mover and a shaker!).   And it was so interesting to hear him talk about the different hats he wears:  Musician, actor and songwriter/composer.   He mentioned that he does not really consider himself to be a "singer," although he is very touched when others consider him to be a singer.  (I felt like raising my hand  :hello --since I love his singing voice, so warm, so full of energy and emotion.)    It was really interesting to hear that he finds songwriting to be the most satisfying.  I think he mentioned that before, does anyone remember him saying this before? 

I thought of Lilikoiluv when he sang the 2 StarKid songs, "The Coolest Girl," and "To Have a Home."  I have loved "To Have a Home" since I first heard it.   He was hilarious when he did his spot-on impression of James Taylor while singing the beginning of "Fire and Rain."  It was sooo funny.  He is amazing in his impressions, and how he can change his voice and just the way he forms the words to sound like a different singer (still thinking of Hedwig and the Angry Inch).    After he sang "Fire and Rain," I thought to myself, that I wished he would do his Randy Newman impression because he was sooo funny in that old video (btw, does anyone have that old video where he did his Randy Newman impression?  I would love to see the video again).  ha!  And then he sang Randy's "The World Isn't Fair" (but alas, he didn't do his Randy Newman impression). 

I always enjoy him singing "I Dreamed a Dream."  I like that he plays with the pronouns, this time he kept the pronoun "he," other times he has used "she."   I always enjoy hearing him sing "Wicked Little Town," although I was taken aback how different he sounds when he sings it in his own voice, since I'm so used to  his Hedwig voice.  I also love his version of "I Left My Heart in San Francisco," and I am fond of his "Where is Love?"

Lilikoiluv, you asked about the white peacock.  I don't recall him mentioning it.  (Maybe the prior entertainer used that prop?)    He didn't mention any album (but if he does release one--maybe it will be called "White Peacock").  :amused  I like that he used this small intimate forum, to chat a couple of times about Royalties.  He mentioned that the show is about songwriters, and he received a nice round of applause when he said he sold the pilot.   :bravo clapping hands


Lilikoiluv, great job with posting those music videos, especially that Vimeo one!   thumbs up    Thanks again for taking the time to do that!


His friend Bruce on the piano sounded great, and was a great sport as Darren announced "just now" that he added another song. :amused   When Darren mentioned that the songs he chose to perform that night  (he brought this tiny scrap of paper that was his official songlist for the night) were moving faster than he thought, he also shared that he thought to himself, that he'll just chat more with the crowd (to take up more time).  But haha!  Then he shared with us, that he realized that didn't take as much time as he thought it would, since he speaks fast.   :big grin  At one point, he headed to the piano to play a song, and he said to the crowd, something like "Oh no, I left my list over there, now what will I do?" (he left the little scrap of paper on the stool that he sat on for some songs, that was to the right of the piano).  One person helpfully started to stand up to retrieve the scrap of paper to walk over to Darren, and then Darren assured the person that this was just part of his shtick. 

Of course yes, I would have loved for the concert to be a teeny bit longer (it ran for about an hour), but it was no big deal.  My husband and I really enjoyed the concert.  Darren proved that he is a wonderful entertainer, funny, friendly, relaxed, charming, with a lovely voice.   My favorite songs were I Dreamed a Dream (lots of emotion), Wicked Little Town (again, lots of emotion), Fire and Rain (funny during his James Taylor impression and then just lovely in his own voice), To Have a Home (touching song), and Where is Love (sweet song), and I Left My Heart in San Francisco (beautiful song for a beautiful city that is Darren's home-town).  


Lilikoiluv wrote:Poppy, could you share what he he shared about high school prior to this?

Hmm.  Sorry, Lilikoiluv, I don't remember (I'm not kidding when I say I have a bad memory).  He did mention at the concert that he, like many children interested in theater in the area, were involved with  A.C.T and 42nd Moon.   He also sang "Welcome Home" (from Fanny).  He also mentioned that when he was a kid, that he felt more comfortable singing, but then as he got older, the boys were separated from the men in terms of their singing (he mentioned how he wasn't able to have a vibrato, but he's fine with that now).



Last edited by Poppy on Sun Dec 11, 2016 12:46 am; edited 1 time in total

*Jeremy*

*Jeremy*
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Thank you, Lilikoiluv, for the pictures and the videos. And thank you, Poppy, for the review.

It's funny to hear Darren saying he's not a singer while he's actually giving a concert :big grin

And the news about Royalties is obviously nice.

An one-hour show is indeed short but, as Darren often gives concerts, it's less problematic that it would be with artists like Madonna.

Guest


Guest

You're welcome, Jeremy.  It was my pleasure and I hope you enjoyed veiwing them! 

*Jeremy* wrote:It's funny to hear Darren saying he's not a singer while he's actually giving a concert justinvivianbond - Darren's Concerts and Other Musical Performances for 2016 - Page 2 2780594425 
ha! I agree, Jeremy!  That is funny . . . and such a Darren thing to do.   :amused

Thank you so much for taking the time post your experience and impressions of Darren's Feinstein's show so quickly, Poppy!  :hug 

I'm going out the door right now, so I'll respond to your wonderful post above later when I can take my time.  :happy face

Just wanted to leave this here as a "thank you" for you to enjoy.  

Darren and friends singing Randy Newman's "You've Got A Friend in Me" from Toy Stoy (Disney sing-a-long? Of course! What else would you do when having a StarKid get-together? :big grin ).  It starts at about 7:25.

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As I mentioned earlier, I too wished that Darren has done his spot-on Randy Newman impersonation for that song! It would have been hilarious. 

His observation and impersonating skills are impressive! If this actor/singer/composer/producer/rock start/etc./etc. gig doesn't work out (ha! lolol), Darren certainly has yet another career option methinks.  :laughing His Ryan Murphy impersonation still cracks me up too.

ETA:  Oops.  I should have posted all of those videos in this thread, which would make them easier to find later.  My apologies for that, Poppy?  I'll try to repost them here later.  Your great organization for this forum certainly makes revisiting special events so easy for us, Poppy . . . if some members (*raises hand*) would refrain from getting overly excited and simply post things in their proper place. (*raises hand again*)  Embarassed

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NOTE: Bringing over the Feinstein's videos from the other thread so that they're now in the correct location.  Embarassed

I hope you're having a fantastic time in San Francisco Poppy, although it's cold there right now. Keep warm! Looking forward to reading your review of last night's show!  

Here's a few videos from last night:

Darren doing an spot-on impression of James Taylor at the beginning of "Fire and Rain" and then ending with a lovely version of his own (via DDN): 

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Let's see if this works. Darren singing his lovely version of "I Dreamed a Dream"

yay! It worked! I just love his emotional version of this song so much.
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"A New Town is a Blue Town" from "The Pajama Game"! 

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Love his little comment in the middle there. Such a pretty rendition. 

Thank you, Darren, for including "To Have A Home" in your set last night: 


"Wicked Little Town". 'Nuff said. 

Oh. my. heart. 

I love that he did some apropos Randy Newman! He should have done his Randy Newman impersonation here too. lol. "The World Isn't Fair" (via DDN):

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There are a few more lovely videos from last night.  I'll try to post them later, if someone else hasn't already done it.  

The venue looks like an intimate one, and I hope you and your husband enjoyed your evening, Poppy!

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NOTE: Bringing over another post of the Feinstein's videos from the other thread so that they're now in the correct location.  justinvivianbond - Darren's Concerts and Other Musical Performances for 2016 - Page 2 Icon_redface 


A few more videos as we wait for Poppy's return.  The first two are not the best visually, but the audio is great and she left in some of Darren's bantering between the songs! Love that, and he shared some interesting things, which I'm sure Poppy will fill us in on!  :big grin :for you

In this one, Darren chats about Maggianos, "The Music Man," songwriting, Carol King, and even a little about "Royalties" (via dreamsinajarcant):

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Bless this person for including some of the bantering. This teacher loved what he said about songwriting (and parenting).  He's just so personable througout.   :love Poppy, could you share what he he shared about high school prior to this?

And jenndesq has posted a little snippet of what he said in the above video: 

Speaking of what I’m up to now, I also sold a pilot, so that’s kind of cool. I’ve mentioned now probably three times these several different hats that I’ve worn in my life, and one of them is a songwriter. And that kind of grind, which is not something any of you would know about, but I’ve spent years in the writing sphere, whether it’s for myself or other people. For musical theater, for pop artists. It’s a really fun thing, it’s probably, of all the things I do, I get the most satisfaction from, because it doesn’t require me being in front. I think if we have any teachers in the room, I’d imagine it would be the same. When you have students that do something on behalf of something you’ve contributed to, it’s extremely gratifying. I love writing music for people, and hearing their voices. I’m not a parent but I’m sure for some of the parents, you have your hopes and dreams for this thing you’ve created, and ideally, hopefully it’ll surprise you, and hopefully surpass your expectations in ways you never thought. So that’s how I feel about a lot of songs that I write when other people sing them.”
— Darren Criss [x]
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No, I'm not posting another video of this because this is one of my favorite songs (well, not ONLY because it is), but it has a bit of Darren talking about the song before. Really! (via dreamsinajarcant)
 
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It wasn't dialogue, Darren you silly goose.  It was Harry's quick change from his muggle clothes to finally being in his Hogwarts robes.  Both the song and the scene were beautiful and still gives me goosebumps. :cry :love

A portion of what Darren says is on of his first audition songs when he was little--"Where is Love?" from "Oliver!" (with a cute key change in the middle and ending)
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From Feinstein's instagram:
justinvivianbond - Darren's Concerts and Other Musical Performances for 2016 - Page 2 Tumblr_ohhrdzJrHW1ubd9qxo1_1280
feinsteinssf One great night with Darren Criss. 

Hopefully we'll get videos of "Where or When" (which I love), "I Left My Heart in San Francisco", and more of Darren's great bantering later.  :fingers crossed

Guest


Guest

 I'm so happy to hear that you and your husband enjoyed Darren's show. Darren giving his permission to record the show was very nice of him. The venue did look small and intimate from the pics I saw when I looked it up. Glad the show sold out, but hope they didn't pack everyone in too tightly.

Like you said in your post, Darren did look and sound very relaxed . . . and charming. I love how he just chats with the audience so casually and friendly--makes things seem even more intimate and enjoyable. Has his UMich piano playing friend accompanied him before? It seems like he has, but I can't recall a specific event. Go Blue! 

The fans of Darren are so efficient!  I was so impressed to see folks posting their videos that same night!  

Yup. The Darren Criss fandom gets sh*t done and people like me that cannot attend the events are so grateful to them!  :happy face I recall that Darren himself has said several times that when he needs a certain pic or video, he knows that the fans will have it posted somewhere online for him.   8)



I loved hearing that he sold the pilot of Royalties (you go, Darren, way to be a mover and a shaker!).
...
I like that he used this small intimate forum, to chat a couple of times about Royalties.  He mentioned that the show is about songwriters, and he received a nice round of applause when he said he sold the pilot.   justinvivianbond - Darren's Concerts and Other Musical Performances for 2016 - Page 2 198521321 justinvivianbond - Darren's Concerts and Other Musical Performances for 2016 - Page 2 2029512208 

Oooh!  The pilot has been sold! How exciting!! Does that mean that they've already done a pilot and it has now gotten the sponsor backing to be a show next season?  Or has their idea been sold and now they can make a pilot? Either way, HOORAY for Darren and company!  I hope their show makes it to the fall season and is a great hit! New music every week from Darren and company would be great, Darren on our tv screen each week would be even better!  But I digress. ❤  


And it was so interesting to hear him talk about the different hats he wears:  Musician, actor and songwriter/composer.   He mentioned that he does not really consider himself to be a "singer," although he is very touched when others consider him to be a singer.  (I felt like raising my hand  justinvivianbond - Darren's Concerts and Other Musical Performances for 2016 - Page 2 1217353140 --since I love his singing voice, so warm, so full of energy and emotion.)    It was really interesting to hear that he finds songwriting to be the most satisfying.  I think he mentioned that before, does anyone remember him saying this before?  
Darren really seems to enjoy trying on these different hats he's taken on and created oppotunities for himself for.  He certainly is creating such a diverse portfolio of interests and experiences.  He is a master at networking, so it makes sense that he is delving into things that interest him. He has always said that he makes a concerted effort to be fully involved in his career decisions, and I'm glad to see that that in itself seems to be something he enjoys too.  

Darren has mentioned several times how he enjoys supporting other people toward success (as a teacher, as a manager/agent, etc.) so I can see how songwriting is something he finds satisfying. For musical theatre he has said that he enjoys the challenge of writing songs to effectively support a scene and to highlight the singing strengths of the cast member(s) he is writing for.  I remember Dylan Saunders (a fellow StarKid) got a bit emotional during an interview when he shared how special it was to know that your friend (Darren) wrote the Starship song to make you shine. Nurturing other people's succcess seems like such a Darren thing, and yet another thing I admire about him.  :love  


I thought of Lilikoiluv when he sang the 2 StarKid songs, "The Coolest Girl," and "To Have a Home."  I have loved "To Have a Home" since I first heard it. 
Aww, thanks for thinking of me, Poppy.  Yes, Mama Criss and I both love this song.  "Coolest Girl" is not really in his key; did he lower it when he sang it?  I hope a video of it pops up. OT:  Darren has said that he had hoped this song would become a "go to" song for girls to sing at auditions, and he was supposedly tickled when a fan at a recent "Hedwig" stage door shared with him that she's used that song for several of her auditions. How cool.  8)

BTW, was Mama and Papa Criss there that night, Poppy?  I would have loved to have seen her face as he sang "To Have A Home".  She's so cute. 

I always enjoy him singing "I Dreamed a Dream."  I like that he plays with the pronouns, this time he kept the pronoun "he," other times he has used "she."   I always enjoy hearing him sing "Wicked Little Town," although I was taken aback how different he sounds when he sings it in his own voice, since I'm so used to  his Hedwig voice.  I also love his version of "I Left My Heart in San Francisco," and I am fond of his "Where is Love?"
What a nice set list.  I love his version of "I Dreamed a Dream" too--so beautifully emotional.  To hear him sing it live must have been lovely.  I'm also happy that you got to hear Darren sing "Wicked Little Town" in his own voice. It must have really brought home how he truly disappeared and became Hedwig.  I've only seen a portion of "Where is Love" but it was adorable at the end.  "Age-fluidity"--lol. 


Lilikoiluv, you asked about the white peacock.  I don't recall him mentioning it.  (Maybe the prior entertainer used that prop?)    He didn't mention any album (but if he does release one--maybe it will be called "White Peacock").  justinvivianbond - Darren's Concerts and Other Musical Performances for 2016 - Page 2 3295213406 
lol. I was just being silly.


When Darren mentioned that the songs he chose to perform that night  (he brought this tiny scrap of paper that was his official songlist for the night) were moving faster than he thought, he also shared that he thought to himself, that he'll just chat more with the crowd (to take up more time).  But haha!  Then he shared with us, that he realized that didn't take as much time as he thought it would, since he speaks fast.   justinvivianbond - Darren's Concerts and Other Musical Performances for 2016 - Page 2 2780594425  At one point, he headed to the piano to play a song, and he said to the crowd, something like "Oh no, I left my list over there, now what will I do?" (he left the little scrap of paper on the stool that he sat on for some songs, that was to the right of the piano).  One person helpfully started to stand up to retrieve the scrap of paper to walk over to Darren, and then Darren assured the person that this was just part of his shtick.  
Thanks for sharing these bits, Poppy! Darren's personality truly shines while bantering between songs, and I enjoy hearing these snippets so much.  I really appreciate when people leave in the bantering between songs when the post their videos, but alas, not too many do. He's so genuine, adorkable, and talented. 


Of course yes, I would have loved for the concert to be a teeny bit longer (it ran for about an hour), but it was no big deal.  My husband and I really enjoyed the concert.  Darren proved that he is a wonderful entertainer, funny, friendly, relaxed, charming, with a lovely voice.   My favorite songs were I Dreamed a Dream (lots of emotion), Wicked Little Town (again, lots of emotion), Fire and Rain (funny during his James Taylor impression and then just lovely in his own voice), To Have a Home (touching song), and Where is Love (sweet song), and I Left My Heart in San Francisco (beautiful song for a beautiful city that is Darren's home-town).
I'm so glad you and you husband enjoyed Darren's show, Poppy.  I had heard that it was a little over an hour and wondered if it was a bit disappointing; although most sets usually are about an hour. There's often more than one set. Darren seemed to pack quite a few songs (and stories) into his set though, and I'm happy to hear that it was a "funny, friendly, relaxed, charming" show with lovely songs.  Thank you for sharing your experiences with us!  :hug 
  
Hmm.  Sorry, Lilikoiluv, I don't remember (I'm not kidding when I say I have a bad memory).  He did mention at the concert that he, like many children interested in theater in the area, were involved with  A.C.T and 42nd Moon.   He also sang "Welcome Home" (from Fanny).  He also mentioned that when he was a kid, that he felt more comfortable singing, but then as he got older, the boys were separated from the men in terms of their singing (he mentioned how he wasn't able to have a vibrato, but he's fine with that now).
You have a GREAT memory, Poppy!  Thanks for sharing about this.  Now I need a video for "Welcome Home" too.  I don't think he's sang that before, has he? I find it endearing how he often mentions his lack of vibrato--especially when he's doing all of these musical theatre-y events. Thank you for sharing his memory of growing up in theatre and not developing a natural vibrato. Fandom needs to make a concerted effort to praise him on his emotional depth when singing/emoting.  Producers and directors also need to give him a nice, juicy acting theatre roll that he can blow people away with and finally earn his Tony Award as I cry my eyes out with happiness for him.  :blush

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For anyone interested, slayediest has a download for Darren's show at Feinstein's at the Nikko:

justinvivianbond - Darren's Concerts and Other Musical Performances for 2016 - Page 2 Tumblr_ohj8k4TkgY1sa01xno1_500
slayediest:
Darren Criss at the Nikko Hotel - Full set download. photo by @yanks02
I’ll run tracking on it when I get a chance, but I do think it’s best listened to altogether.  The sound is pretty good, but it’s a small venue so sometimes the audience noise overtakes the talking between sets. Headphones are best.
Apologies in advance for my endless cackling during ‘Fire and Rain.’ It couldn’t be helped.
clapping hands

Guest


Guest

Darren fandom is so spoiled when it comes to fan recordings. I love that I can see/hear all kinds of performances without flying across the country to go in person.

Poppy, thanks for the writeup! I think my favorite parts that I've heard so far would be his James Taylor impression (no wonder he likes voiceover work, with that level of mimicry) and him talking about Royalties.

Lilikoiluv, I may have seen that an attendee sat near his parents, so they probably were there. Also, thank you for the full audio.

Poppy

Poppy
Administrator
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Jeremy wrote:And thank you, Poppy, for the review.

It's funny to hear Darren saying he's not a singer while he's actually giving a concert justinvivianbond - Darren's Concerts and Other Musical Performances for 2016 - Page 2 2780594425

And the news about Royalties is obviously nice.

An one-hour show is indeed short but, as Darren often gives concerts, it's less problematic that it would be with artists like Madonna.

You're very welcome, Jeremy. 

ha!  Yes, the thought occurred to me that it was funny to hear Darren saying he does not consider himself to be a singer, while at his own concert.  :amused  

About Royalties, I wondered if Darren preferred to talk about Royalties in a small, intimate venue in his home-town of SF.   I think this is the first time he talked about Royalties publicly, other than those few tweets?   Please correct me if I'm wrong on this.

I think we were having so much fun, we just didn't want the concert to end.  :amused  






Lilikoiluv, I knew you would have that video where Darren does a Randy Newman impression (singing You Got a Friend in Me)!   Thank you so much!   I actually had been looking for that video recently (before the concert at Feinstein's at the Nikko) because it is just so funny.  Thanks too for your helpful reference to the point where Darren is singing.  I appreciate it so much!  :happy face




Lilikoiluv wrote:As I mentioned earlier, I too wished that Darren has done his spot-on Randy Newman impersonation for that song! It would have been hilarious.
Yes, twinsies!  :amused    The funny thing was at the concert, Darren was introducing the artist whose song he was going to sing next.  He mentioned this artist is very theatrical, and i just wondered if it was Randy Newman (it probably was in part because I wanted that Randy impression too, since this was after Darren did his James Taylor impression!).   Then it turned out it was Randy Newman!



Thanks so much Lilikoiluv for copying all your lovely comments and all the lovely videos that you posted before.   It's so nice of you to do that!     I also love that you posted here the quote from Darren from  the concert, about being a songwriter, that Jenndesq was so nice to take a note of. 

Lilikoiluv wrote:No, I'm not posting another video of this because this is one of my favorite songs (well, not ONLY because it is), but it has a bit of Darren talking about the song before. Really! (via dreamsinajarcant)
 
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It wasn't dialogue, Darren you silly goose.  It was Harry's quick change from his muggle clothes to finally being in his Hogwarts robes.  Both the song and the scene were beautiful and still gives me goosebumps. justinvivianbond - Darren's Concerts and Other Musical Performances for 2016 - Page 2 3129030996 justinvivianbond - Darren's Concerts and Other Musical Performances for 2016 - Page 2 3446027931
 
Color me impressed again, Lilikoiluv, that you would know this.  applause   The song is very touching, and the scene sounds very touching too. 


The beginning of the concert at Feinstein's at the Nikko involved Darren singing some Broadway songs (Where is Love, A New Town is a Blue Town, Welcome Home, and Where or When) that he also sang at the Broadway at the Nourse concert  (October 2015) with Seth Rudetsky in San Francisco. 



The venue was small and intimate.  It was a very handsome venue.  Darren mentioned that they are remodeling it and that he wanted to perform in the venue before that happened.  He also mentioned Jane Lynch will be performing in the venue.  :happy face   The tables were tiny tables, and were very close together (almost touching), which was fine, we were able to chat with our neighbors a bit.   It was nice and cozy, a very intimate club.  If I lived in the area, I would go there again.  

One  interesting thing was that at one point in the concert Darren asked out of curiosity, how many folks had been to one of his previous shows and to raise their hands.  I looked around in my immediate area and I was surprised that quite a few people were not raising their hands, which caused me to wonder about those folks.  Were these folks existing fans of Darren, who just never had a chance to see one of Darren's shows, but knew him from Glee or StarKid?  Maybe some of them had seen him in the SF leg of the Hedwig tour, and were recent converts (into fans of Darren)?   There were quite a few older folks (middle-aged and up), although I also saw some younger faces.   And yes, Lilikoiluv, I'm very glad the show sold out!  It's nice to see the demand to see Darren. 

I forget how Darren said he met Bruce.  I do remember when Darren found out Bruce went to U of Michigan, that Darren wasn't sure if they would know any people in common, but it turns out they knew lots of the same people.   Darren did mention something like Bruce was used to being flexible with Darren's last-minute ways (Darren mentioning that Bruce had little time to know the songs, and in fact, Darren--while at the concert--spontaneously decided to add one of the songs :amused ).   This led me to believe that Bruce had accompanied him before. 


Lilikoiluv wrote:Yup. The Darren Criss fandom gets sh*t done and people like me that cannot attend the events are so grateful to them!  justinvivianbond - Darren's Concerts and Other Musical Performances for 2016 - Page 2 3308115737 I recall that Darren himself has said several times that when he needs a certain pic or video, he knows that the fans will have it posted somewhere online for him.   justinvivianbond - Darren's Concerts and Other Musical Performances for 2016 - Page 2 Icon_cool

Yup, so true.  And I also am grateful to these fans who go out of their way to share with the rest of Darren's fans who can't make it to his events.  We also are pretty lucky, as Jeremy mentioned, since Darren does concerts with some frequency (and that we get these videos shared with us).   haha!  Yes, I remember Darren saying that when he wants to find a video or pic, I think he mentioned to share with his mom, he knows that his fans will have posted some.



Last edited by Poppy on Wed Dec 21, 2016 1:36 am; edited 1 time in total

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Lilikoiluv wrote:Darren really seems to enjoy trying on these different hats he's taken on and created oppotunities for himself for.  He certainly is creating such a diverse portfolio of interests and experiences.  He is a master at networking, so it makes sense that he is delving into things that interest him. He has always said that he makes a concerted effort to be fully involved in his career decisions, and I'm glad to see that that in itself seems to be something he enjoys too. 



Well-said, Lilikoiluv.  :happy face   He is a man of many interests, and  of many talents.

Lilikoiluv wrote:Darren has mentioned several times how he enjoys supporting other people toward success (as a teacher, as a manager/agent, etc.) so I can see how songwriting is something he finds satisfying. For musical theatre he has said that he enjoys the challenge of writing songs to effectively support a scene and to highlight the singing strengths of the cast member(s) he is writing for.  I remember Dylan Saunders (a fellow StarKid) got a bit emotional during an interview when he shared how special it was to know that your friend (Darren) wrote the Starship song to make you shine. Nurturing other people's succcess seems like such a Darren thing, and yet another thing I admire about him.  justinvivianbond - Darren's Concerts and Other Musical Performances for 2016 - Page 2 3446027931 

Yes, I agree with this.   And thanks for sharing the story about Dylan Saunders getting a bit choked up.  Such a sweet story.


Lilikoiluv wrote:Aww, thanks for thinking of me, Poppy.  Yes, Mama Criss and I both love this song.  "Coolest Girl" is not really in his key; did he lower it when he sang it?  I hope a video of it pops up. OT:  Darren has said that he had hoped this song would become a "go to" song for girls to sing at auditions, and he was supposedly tickled when a fan at a recent "Hedwig" stage door shared with him that she's used that song for several of her auditions. How cool.  justinvivianbond - Darren's Concerts and Other Musical Performances for 2016 - Page 2 Icon_cool

BTW, was Mama and Papa Criss there that night, Poppy?  I would have loved to have seen her face as he sang "To Have A Home".  She's so cute.

Sorry Lilikoiluv, I have absolutely no idea bout the key.  He sounded good to me on "Coolest Girl."    It was nice to see Darren happy to meet that fan at stage door (for the Hedwig tour) who shared with him that she used CG for her audition.  Must had been very fulfilling for Darren to hear that. 

I did look around Feinstein's at the Nikko, curious to see if Mama and Papa Criss were there.  I spotted them in the back (they were standing) chatting with two men.  Darren also mentioned at the end of his concert that he was planning to have dinner with them right after the concert. 


Lilikoiluv wrote:I'm also happy that you got to hear Darren sing "Wicked Little Town" in his own voice. It must have really brought home how he truly disappeared and became Hedwig.

Yes, you described it well, Lilikoiluv.   Listening to him singing WLT in  is own voice, it hit home how much he really disappeared into the character of Hedwig in HATAI. 


Oh-haha!   Ok, you were joking about the White Peacock.  :laughing


The bantering is so Darren.    It is half the fun of seeing him perform.  He's very quick, funny, and charming.  So it is really nice when people's videos capture the bantering, as well as the song performances.

Darren sang Welcome Home at the "Broadway at the Nourse" concert (October 2015) that he did with Seth Rudetsky in San Francisco.     Here is a recording by Brian Willy:  Welcome Home (Nourse Theatre)    And here is a recording by Brian Willy of Where or When:  Where or When (the Nourse Theatre)



Lilikoiluv wrote: I find it endearing how he often mentions his lack of vibrato--especially when he's doing all of these musical theatre-y events. Thank you for sharing his memory of growing up in theatre and not developing a natural vibrato. Fandom needs to make a concerted effort to praise him on his emotional depth when singing/emoting.  Producers and directors also need to give him a nice, juicy acting theatre roll that he can blow people away with and finally earn his Tony Award as I cry my eyes out with happiness for him.  justinvivianbond - Darren's Concerts and Other Musical Performances for 2016 - Page 2 2625010110

Yes, it's endearing that Darren feels comfortable sharing this with us.  It feels very personal.  I'm glad that he's comfortable now (about not having a vibrato).  And I believe him.  He also said this at the Nourse concert, about being fine now and having accepted that about himself.  He repeated at the concert at Feinstein's at the Nikko (also stated at the Nourse concert), that he once thought voices "like his" did not have a place in the Broadway world, and that he feels so happy that this no longer seems to be true.  I believe that at both concerts, he said that it's fine (that he doesn't have a vibrato), and that it's worked for him so far.  I think he expanded a bit more at the Nourse concert, and shared that he even thinks because he doesn't have a vibrato, he figured out a way to make song performances work for him.   (Here's a part of my notes for the concert at the Nourse Theatre/October 2015:  "He went on to say that at some point, though, he shifted from feeling embarrassed about his voice not being that typical Broadway voice, to a philosophy that if one could sing a song in his/her own way, if one could "do you" (ie, be himself or herself), as well as if one could put his or her heart into a song performance, then hopefully the song would make sense.  I found it really touching and inspirational, how Darren struggled with accepting his "limitations," until he accepted his "difference" as a strength, by emphasizing that which made him unique and interesting as an individual--and combined with showing how much heart and emotion he puts into a song performance--resulted in him finding a way to make his performances shine.")


Lilikoiluv wrote: Producers and directors also need to give him a nice, juicy acting theatre roll that he can blow people away with and finally earn his Tony Award as I cry my eyes out with happiness for him.  justinvivianbond - Darren's Concerts and Other Musical Performances for 2016 - Page 2 2625010110

Yes, so true!


Thank you Lilikoiluv for the slayediest's download.  I appreciate your keeping an eye out for us.  :happy face




Hi DaisiesAndLilies! 

DaisiesandLilies wrote:Darren fandom is so spoiled when it comes to fan recordings. I love that I can see/hear all kinds of performances without flying across the country to go in person.

We are so lucky!


DaisiesAndLilies wrote:
Poppy, thanks for the writeup! I think my favorite parts that I've heard so far would be his James Taylor impression (no wonder he likes voiceover work, with that level of mimicry) and him talking about Royalties.

You are welcome, DaisiesAndLilies!   I really enjoyed the James Taylor impression as well.  The audience was laughing quite a bit.  It was so amazing and so funny at the same time!    And yes, it makes sense that he likes voiceover, as you so eloquently put it, with his impressive skill in mimicry.   In fact, just today, my husband mentioned that he spoke with his friend again (the person who I mentioned in the Hedwig thread about fan reviews, who does stand-up comic work), and his friend said that he had heard from someone that Darren was very good in doing different voices.  I am so curious how the acquaintance of my husband's friend (sorry, for not using names to avoid confusion)  knew this about Darren.

I also really enjoyed hearing him talk a bit about Royalties.  He used an analogy about how Tina Fey's show, '30 Rock, is loosely about creating a show like Saturday Night Live, just like Royalties will be about the experience of songwriters, including the dynamics of working with other songwriters.



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31justinvivianbond - Darren's Concerts and Other Musical Performances for 2016 - Page 2 Empty Royalties Sat Dec 03, 2016 2:29 am

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Lilikoiluv wrote:Oooh!  The pilot has been sold! How exciting!! Does that mean that they've already done a pilot and it has now gotten the sponsor backing to be a show next season?  Or has their idea been sold and now they can make a pilot? Either way, HOORAY for Darren and company!  I hope their show makes it to the fall season and is a great hit! New music every week from Darren and company would be great, Darren on our tv screen each week would be even better!  But I digress. justinvivianbond - Darren's Concerts and Other Musical Performances for 2016 - Page 2 Herz

My limited knowledge of the process is that it does not necessarily mean that the network has approved the airing of a pilot, or that the network has agreed to pick up a series.   I think there is still some ways to go yet.  But it's positive that as of now, on the verge of December 2016, that the process is still ongoing.  thumbs up 


Here is a fairly recent article (which I have only had the chance to skim so far):  The Whole Crazy Process of Creating a TV Show, From Pitch to Pilot (1/25/15)


If people want to move this discussion to the Darren Appreciation thread, that's fine with me (it's also ok to keep it in this thread too).



Last edited by Poppy on Tue Jan 17, 2017 1:49 am; edited 1 time in total

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From dailydarrennews: 

Some pics of Darren at the concert (Feinstein's at the Nikko):
justinvivianbond - Darren's Concerts and Other Musical Performances for 2016 - Page 2 Tumblr_ohidqi212E1uetdyxo1_1280
feinsteinssf One great night with Darren Criss.
dailydarrennews






justinvivianbond - Darren's Concerts and Other Musical Performances for 2016 - Page 2 Tumblr_ohidntkUQ31uetdyxo2_1280
Darren Criss at Feinstein’s The Nikko in San Francisco on November 30th, 2016 (x)






justinvivianbond - Darren's Concerts and Other Musical Performances for 2016 - Page 2 Tumblr_ohhx38YuOX1qlbe4wo4_1280

justinvivianbond - Darren's Concerts and Other Musical Performances for 2016 - Page 2 Tumblr_ohhx38YuOX1qlbe4wo6_1280
December 01 2016   (Source)








justinvivianbond - Darren's Concerts and Other Musical Performances for 2016 - Page 2 Tumblr_ohhxm28xdE1qlbe4wo6_1280
yanks02:
    Part tres






Thanks Lilikoiluv for posting this quote from Darren about songwriting:
Lilikoiluv wrote:And jenndesq has posted a little snippet of what he said in the above video: 

Speaking of what I’m up to now, I also sold a pilot, so that’s kind of cool. I’ve mentioned now probably three times these several different hats that I’ve worn in my life, and one of them is a songwriter. And that kind of grind, which is not something any of you would know about, but I’ve spent years in the writing sphere, whether it’s for myself or other people. For musical theater, for pop artists. It’s a really fun thing, it’s probably, of all the things I do, I get the most satisfaction from, because it doesn’t require me being in front. I think if we have any teachers in the room, I’d imagine it would be the same. When you have students that do something on behalf of something you’ve contributed to, it’s extremely gratifying. I love writing music for people, and hearing their voices. I’m not a parent but I’m sure for some of the parents, you have your hopes and dreams for this thing you’ve created, and ideally, hopefully it’ll surprise you, and hopefully surpass your expectations in ways you never thought. So that’s how I feel about a lot of songs that I write when other people sing them.”
— Darren Criss [x]
x
via dailydarrennews






Nice review of the concert:
SF Gate wrote:

Criss charms hometown crowd in Feinstein's show

December 1, 2016

Criss, whose parents were among the sold-out audience, grew up in the city, went to St. Ignatius Prep, did shows with 42nd Street Moon as a child, trained with the American Conservatory Theatre’s Young Conservatory Program and may or may not have wandered into Martuni’s to sing and play piano when the mood hit him.

For a little over an hour, Criss held a kind of loosely organized homecoming show with song and chat–”Like many things in my life, I planned this an hour ago,” he deadpanned before offering the song he essayed at his first audition, “Where Is Love.” He couldn’t resist poking musical fun at the sappiness of the song from “Oliver!,” just as, later on, he couldn’t resist a dead-on imitation of James Taylor when he sang, “Fire & Rain.”

Criss was clearly at ease with the hometown crowd and having fun, which was instantly contagious. Often consulting, and sometimes ignoring, a scrawled set list on a small piece of paper, he tested accompanist Bruce Kiesling’s flexibility from time to time, but the fellow University of Michigan theater arts grad seemed unfazed as Criss announced he’d added a song to the show “just now” – Carole King’s (and Gerry Goffin’s) “One Fine Day.”

As a student at Michigan, Criss and some friends launched StarKid, a musical theater company best known for its take-offs “A Very Potter Musical” and “A Very Potter Sequel,” from which Criss sang a pair of charmers, “To Have a Home” and “The Coolest Girl,” both of which he wrote with A. J. Holmes. Alas, the hometown crowd was denied the chance to hear songs from another StarKid show from Criss’ student days, “Me and My Dick.”

Although Criss readily admitted he thought of himself as an actor and musician and not necessarily a cabaret singer, he showed convincing mastery of the format with “Til There Was You” from “The Music Man,” which Criss performed with a bossa nova beat accompanying himself on guitar, and Rodgers and Hart’s “Where or When,” with Kiesling on the piano.

He also managed the seemingly impossible, finding a way to cut through the treacle of “I Dreamed a Dream” by stripping the “Les Miserables” anthem down to winning simplicity with a minimalist folk-rock arrangement.

Criss just wrapped his stint in the title role of the national tour of “Hedwig and the Angry Inch” in Los Angeles, following a four-week run at San Francisco’s Golden Gate Theater, but said he hopes, “God willing, that I’m not done with that part.”

At the moment, he’s in rehearsals to host “Hairspray Live,” airing on NBC on Wednesday, Dec. 7, with a cast that includes Ariana Grande, Kristin Chenoweth, Jennifer Hudson and Harvey Fierstein as Edna Turnblad.

Darren Criss has proved he can do just about anything, but it’s safe to say that while he could easily win over an audience in any town, his one-night stand at Feinstein’s was strictly for the hometown crowd, right down to its apt finale, “I Left My Heart in San Francisco.”




A pic from the SF Gate article:
justinvivianbond - Darren's Concerts and Other Musical Performances for 2016 - Page 2 920x920
 Photo: Scott Strazzante, The Chronicle








A nice pic:
justinvivianbond - Darren's Concerts and Other Musical Performances for 2016 - Page 2 Tumblr_ohjcihkGjX1ubd9qxo1_500

justinvivianbond - Darren's Concerts and Other Musical Performances for 2016 - Page 2 Tumblr_ohjcihkGjX1ubd9qxo2_500
DarrenCrissArmy



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DaisiesandLilies wrote:Darren fandom is so spoiled when it comes to fan recordings. I love that I can see/hear all kinds of performances without flying across the country to go in person.
Agreed. It's pretty amazing that the development of social media (youtube especially)has allowed this to be the case since even his early gigs in small LA and NYC venues. Fandom, even in the early StarKid days, has always been awesome and generous in recording and sharing videos and audio recordings, and I am so thankful for for that.


DaisiesandLilies wrote:Lilikoiluv, I may have seen that an attendee sat near his parents, so they probably were there.

Poppy wrote:I did look around Feinstein's at the Nikko, curious to see if Mama and Papa Criss were there.  I spotted them in the back (they were standing) chatting with two men.  Darren also mentioned at the end of his concert that he was planning to have dinner with them right after the concert.  
Thank you for sharing the info, DaisiesandLilies and Poppy! I'm glad Mama and Papa Criss were able to be there for Darren's Feinstein's debut.  I would have loved to have watched Mama Criss' face as Darren sang, "To Have a Home."  :love 

Poppy wrote:I think he expanded a bit more at the Nourse concert, and shared that he even thinks because he doesn't have a vibrato, he figured out a way to make song performances work for him.   (Here's a part of my notes for the concert at the Nourse Theatre/October 2015:  "He went on to say that at some point, though, he shifted from feeling embarrassed about his voice not being that typical Broadway voice, to a philosophy that if one could sing a song in his/her own way, if one could "do you" (ie, be himself or herself), as well as if one could put his or her heart into a song performance, then hopefully the song would make sense.  I found it really touching and inspirational, how Darren struggled with accepting his "limitations," until he accepted his "difference" as a strength, by emphasizing that which made him unique and interesting as an individual--and combined with showing how much heart and emotion he puts into a song performance--resulted in him finding a way to make his performances shine.")
Thank you for sharing this again.  I find it remarkable and heartwarming that Darren openly shared this very personal struggle, insight, and growth journey. 


Poppy wrote:My limited knowledge of the process is that it does not necessarily mean that the network has approved the airing of a pilot, or that the network has agreed to pick up a series.   I think there is still some ways to go yet.  But it's positive that as of now, on the verge of December 2016, that the process is still ongoing.  justinvivianbond - Darren's Concerts and Other Musical Performances for 2016 - Page 2 32445860 

Here is a fairly recent article (which I have only had the chance to skim so far):  The Whole Crazy Process of Creating a TV Show, From Pitch to Pilot (1/25/15)
Thank you for sharing the link to that informative explanation and your thoughts, Poppy. 

After reading the article, could Darren and company have already submitted their pilot script (it says that this could happen) and perhaps that is what he is referring to when he says he sold his pilot? So now perhaps they are going to film already? Darren doesn't usually talk about his projects before they are finalized or formally announced so, it would make sense that the project was a bit more down the development road.  That said, that would be unusual (but not unheard of). "Royalties" following the usual process is still fantastic and I wish he and his collaborators all the best!

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Michael Thomas Grant had a gig at the Prospect Theater in LA last night (12-08-16) and Darren was there to support him and perform a couple of nice duets:  

This first one is a lovely duet cover of "Gone for Good" by The Shins: 


I love the bit of bantering before the song--especially about older brothers. They sounded great together!

Darren also accompanied Michael Thomas Grant on "Not Alone!" The beginning is cut off, but my StarKid lovin' heart loved Michael and Darren's sharing intro to the song. Michael has a nice voice! 


Some nice pics from last night (via DDN): 
justinvivianbond - Darren's Concerts and Other Musical Performances for 2016 - Page 2 Tumblr_ohwr7wNfKz1uetdyxo1_500
lisawitte: mtg singing the shins with darren criss makes for a v good thursday

x

I had never heard of Michael Thomas Grant, but google tells me that he is an actor on the television show "The Fosters." He has a great voice and I wouldn't be surprised if he's done musical theatre too. He did a lovely rendition of, "Waving Through a Window" from "Dear Evan Hansen."  Darren and Mia must have been the loudest of those cheering in the audience for that song! 

[url=dailydarrennews.tumblr.com]DDN[/url] has other shorter videos of the two songs (including some cute snapchat videos from Mia) that you can also enjoy.   :happy face

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Lilikoiluv wrote:After reading the article, could Darren and company have already submitted their pilot script (it says that this could happen) and perhaps that is what he is referring to when he says he sold his pilot? So now perhaps they are going to film already? Darren doesn't usually talk about his projects before they are finalized or formally announced so, it would make sense that the project was a bit more down the development road.  That said, that would be unusual (but not unheard of). "Royalties" following the usual process is still fantastic and I wish he and his collaborators all the best!

I'm thinking the same thing you are Lilikoiluv! 

I said something similar to what you said in another thread ( Darren Appreciation Thread)  sorry for the confusion.     I know we are discussing this in a couple of threads (in the 2016 concert thread, since Darren mentioned it at the concert at Feinstein's at the Nikko and also in the Darren Appreciation thread).   

Great minds think alike, Lilikoiluv.  :amused  I also was thinking of Darren's modus operandi of not announcing a project until the last minute, thus wondering if maybe the pilot already was greenlit by FOX, basically allowing filming to begin.   I also wish Darren and the rest of the Royalties team the best.  Cross our fingers we hear something in late January.   :fingers crossed


Thanks so much Lilikoiluv for posting those videos of Michael Thomas Grant and Darren performing together.  I loved listening to them sing "Not Alone."   And yes, I agree, Michael has a lovely voice.  Some trivia:  Bradley Bredeweg is the creator of the TV show, The Fosters.  Remember when people were speculating that Darren was in the Sleepy Hollow musical?  Bradley Bredeweg is connected with that project.    And yea to Darren and Mia for being supportive of Michael!  

And Feinstein's at the Nikko released some great quality videos of Darren performing Wicked Little Town and Fire and Rain!  applause
















Last edited by Poppy on Sun Dec 11, 2016 12:41 am; edited 1 time in total

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Thank you for posting those youtube videos from Fienstein's at the Nikko, Poppy!  They are so clear and the audiois taken from the venue, so that's great!  8)


I'm thinking the same thing you are Lilikoiluv! 
. . .   
Great minds think alike, Lilikoiluv.  justinvivianbond - Darren's Concerts and Other Musical Performances for 2016 - Page 2 3295213406  
. . .
We both agree so it must be true right?!  :cheeky Wink 
:fingers crossed 

I'll move my conversation over to the Appreciation thread to keep the conversation(s) more sane. Thanks for replying here and linking me to the other convo, Poppy.


Some trivia:  Bradley Bredeweg is the creator of the TV show, The Fosters.  Remember when people were speculating that Darren was in the Sleepy Hollow musical?  Bradley Bredeweg is connected with that project.
Interesting! Great sleuthing/memory, Poppy! Darren's impressive networking skills makes for lots of interconnectivity doesn't it?  I wonder how Michael and Darren met?  Darren mentioned that Michael had been to his house, so they must be more than just acquaintances in the same field.

Here is another video that has a longer section of the cute StarKid connections conversation they had before singing "Not Alone".  I loved hearing how StarKid/Darren were instrumental in Michael becoming involved in his school's drama program and how Darren was impressed/touched by Michael knowing the words to his song.   :amused 

x

And I'll just post her "Gone for Good" video too, since it is from a nice vantage point and has great audio:  

x

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Thanks for the new videos of Darren and Michael Thomas Grant.  It is really fun to hear the bantering between Darren and Michael.  Very cute to see them having so much fun performing together (love their mutual smiles while singing).   The videos are great, very close up, with clear audio!

Lilikoiluv wrote:I wonder how Michael and Darren met?  Darren mentioned that Michael had been to his house, so they must be more than just acquaintances in the same field.
I was wondering also how they met.  When I googled Michael, I found that he dated Evan Rachel Wood in 2015 (not sure how long it lasted or if still together).   Darren did that "Big" parody in 2014 with Evan.  Not sure if they met through Evan or some other folks/means.

Lilikoiluv wrote:  I loved hearing how StarKid/Darren were instrumental in Michael becoming involved in his school's drama program and how Darren was impressed/touched by Michael knowing the words to his song.   justinvivianbond - Darren's Concerts and Other Musical Performances for 2016 - Page 2 3295213406

Yes, it was sweet to see that Darren was touched by that story told by Michael.  heart

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From dailydarrennews:





Another nice video of Darren singing with Michael Thomas Grant:

Prospect Theatre - December 8, 2016

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