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From: buttertartlover
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  • So amazing!!!

  • Too slow, the 1992 revival took it much more faster and more upbeat. This is a great version, but i preferred the 1992 version

  • 3:29 BEST PART!!!!!!! lmao

  • Mary Testa!!!

  • what an AMAZING singer! WOW!

  • Thats the mark of a true professional - didn't miss a beat and the audience appreciated it.

    By the way- I saw this show and met this guy after and he is the nicest most humble guy.

  • @cm87able you met tituss burgess...you are so lucky!!!

  • my gf MADE me watch this..and I didnt want to. This is epic and I have much respect for these guys. It's Amazing pure and simple

  • I love the general's belt, that was amazing!

  • I could listen to this all day!

  • and I love the ganstas doing a bit of Mein Herr!

  • amen for gospel infused broadway!

  • love the bit at the end.

  • mary testa. 

  • Woah... I prefer this gospel take on it :D The other productions I've seen do it the, I suppose 'traditional' way, where it's all based on comedy in the number, or is all about the gags. So it gets predictable, real quick. This is a breath of fresh air :D

  • What talent! Broadway performers can get through anything! Ever notice how the Tonys are so much more fun than the Oscars (except when Hugh Jackman is hosting)??? These people are incredible!

  • It is a testament to Mr. Burgess' talent that he would have to use a hand mike, and be able to do the whole number unphased.

  • OH MY GOD. they can't be sooo good. love them

  • Amazing.:) everyone brings something different to the role and i love his version.

  • this one is so much better then the movie version

  • In the movie with Brando and Sinatra, its clearly a gospel number...if you don't think it is, than you obviously don't know music and need to get a clue..

  • this is frickin amazing...why did it close

  • Even in the movie version the song is performed in a traditional gospel music style. The arrangement is very traditional gospel choir, and actually I think that's what the composers were going for. It's just that not until this century did anyone dare cast a black man in the role, so we've just never heard it sung quite this way. No matter if you like his voice or not, the gospel arrangement is appropriate, because this has ALWAYS been a "gospelesque" number (even in the original production).

  • I'm proud to say I played General Cartwright in my school play.. I love this rendition.

  • oh snap. shes been a very bad girl!

  • .....a rather terrible performance, a childish falsetto voice which has just broken but is still hanging midway, pales in comparison to even other recent productions....the decision to 'go Gospel' seems quite inept, and quite misguided in view of the storyline...Disappointing.

  • @dsimms101 for them to go gospel was probably the best choice considering where the setting is at the time and what point in the story line there in that would be the most rational choice and if you know the musical or even know the majority of it then what they did with the song was great and to say his falsetto is childish is like saying idina menzel can't sing so shut it up!!!

  • I have been a very very bad girl!

  • Titus Burgess clearly never went through puberty and should never have been cast in such an iconic role as Nicely-Nicely Johnson. Nicely is supposed to be a tenor, not a woman. Whoever decided that the great Sit Down, You're Rockin' the Boat was to be a cheap gospel number should be hanged. Or at least fired. And if you saw the show, you know that Titus also has no ability to deliver lines. He rivals his castmate Oliver Platt as the most disastrous casting in the history of Broadway.

  • @B2Rod clearly it's a suppose to be them repenting in a sense so for them to go gospel is completely correct just cause you obviously have no real artistic views doesn't mean it was bad!!!

  • @B2Rod he was the best choice for the role especially considering the song nicely sings and to say he sounds like a woman just cause you can't hit his notes is pitiful on your part Titus burgess is the bomb!!!

  • @MyMarine161 I am a baritone, so there are quite a few of his notes that I can't sing (and have no need to), and conversely there are quite a few of my notes that he can't sing. But that isn't really the point. The point is that he should not be cast in a classic musical because he does not have that type of voice. Would you cast him as Tony in West Side Story? Curly in Oklahoma?

  • @MyMarine161 Des McAnuff did many things to butcher Guys and Dolls, not the least of which was turning this beautiful song into just another gospel number. Not that there's anything wrong with gospel numbers - songs written to be gospel songs are often quite beautiful, but this isn't one of them. Not only is Titus' voice inappropriate for the character, his acting was pitiful in general. Had there been a Tony award for flattest line readings of the season, he would have won hands down.

  • @B2Rod but if you've you seen the musical which by your comments proves you have you would notice that this is a gospel scene my school did it as a gospel number most everyone that does it does it as a gospel number because that's the feel of that song i don't know about the rest of the musical but for this scene that was the perfect choice and his voice fits perfectly in that particular part!!!

  • @MyMarine161 Yes, his voice is perfect for a gospel number. You happen to be incorrect in thinking that most everyone that does Guys and Dolls turns this glorious song into a gospel number, which is something you can probably find out if you ask every actor you know who has been in Guys and Dolls. If your school did it that way, then you have my deepest sympathies for not having had the opportunity to see Guys and Dolls the way it was meant to be. See the movie to get the feel of the show.

  • Tituss is what made this performance amazing, even with the hand mic (thanks Tech guy, you techies don't get thanked enough)... everything else was mediocre at best.

    I love this song though, and Tituss performed it pretty well.

  • Am I going in with it? I'm going, I'm going, I'm going!

  • He is SO talented! I saw him in Little Mermaid as well and he was just as incredible!

  • EPIC FAIL

  • Things like this are inspirational... This is truly what the definition of being professional is... The mic crapped out on him and he had to hold a hand mic and still blew away the performance... Tituss as a Young African American Actor I truly appreciate you... Along with LaChanze and Norm Lewis you truly inspire me...

  • he's incredible. but it was a pretty bad revival.

  • this was our musical about a month ago, I was the general, and our director had me do the whole freak out at the end, it was AWESOME!

  • is he sabastian from little mermaid??

  • @MAGICLOVER8 yes he is :)

  • go tech guy!!!

  • 3:30 that just made my day!

  • originally i thought that the dude coming in with the mic was part of the act lol

  • I would love to do this number.

  • lol you can hear "I'm going, I'm going!" and then comes out and hands him a mic.

  • we had to do this song "rocking the boat" at school it was reked by our music teacher, by making us sway.

  • @wellar6 Had to do this number? You don't often get the chance to do songs like this in a presentation. GOT to do this number.

  • @ritsfata uhh not when u had to sway. it was stupidly idiodic.

  • This song is a classic. Love the Walter Bobby and Nathan Lane version as well. :)

  • @tricheyproductions, like E5??? Gahhh, that's insane in chest voice.

  • Ending isn't as good as the original :(

  • wow tituss burgess is in everything now!

  • lol that mike thing was really funny

  • GA DAMN THE BLACK MAN IS SO PRO. What note is that he hits full voice C#? D?

  • @Compooky121 it was a high C that he held the longest. The highest he went was a high D

  • @Compooky121 Actually the highest he went was a High E.

  • OMG IM playing Nicely Nicely Johnson this weekend and this video like gave me so much confidence as playing a very similar Nicely played in this video

  • This is my favorite song in a musical

  • this was really good but the donmar warehouse production was the best- the version they did here in australia.

  • what up wif da mics?

  • @mspudds22 they had a lot of sound issues at the tony's last year. like the mics kept going in and out. and you could here people backstage and stuff. his wireless mic went out so they had to bring him a handheld.

  • love the face at 4:08

  • People all said sit down

    Sit down you're rockin' the boat.

    And the devil will drag you under

    By the sharp lapel of your checkered coat,

    Sit down, sit down, sit down, sit down,

    Sit down you're rockin' the boat.

  • completely amazing, except for the mic fail thank god the techies were ready

  • A good techie is always ready for anything

  • so very true

  • The cast before this one, with Nathan Lane, Peter Gallagher, and Faith Prince took this a lot faster. I love this show and this song, but it could be a bit faster

  • In general I do like it. It didn't occur to me that it was lacking energy. I think that it is slower than the film version, but not in a bad way. The gospel ending actually made sense when paired with the oohs and ahhs from earlier in the song. The only thing that bugged me was...

  • (cont.) General Cartwrights thing...don't get me wrong, I like that they show her getting into the feeling of the moment...loses me as soon as she goes into "sit down with the devil, etc." It just didn't gel with the message of the song or seem appropriate for the time period. I think it could have been toned down a little and still have the same effect.

  • I love the end :D

  • "Am I goin' in with it? I'm goin', I'm goin', I'm goin!" *runs on with a back up mic* bahahahaha bravo techie, bravo.

  • the thing that annoys me the most is that i saw this musical at The Thousand Oaks Civic Arts Center and i don't remember a fucking thing. Only the most famous song. Don't remember anything.

  • ahh this brings me back to freshmen year of highschool

  • omg i missed this too? shit i should of watched the Tony Awars.

  • TECHIE!!!

    HE PLAYED IT WELL AHA! :)

  • wow!

  • give the tech a break!!! did you see the goddamn opening number? the tonys are a nightmare for techies.

  • @tellmewhatsahappenin Their job is to make it run smoothly. They know the scope, they're trained for and plenty of huge shows manage to run smoothly. This sort of thing shouldn't happen.

  • @Eruadhiel agreed- sure it's hard getting everything together and i can understand a couple of mistakes, but the whole blamed thing was full of technical fails

  • @tellmewhatsahappenin Of course the Tonys are a nightmare for techies. That's why those guys get paid so much to do what they do.

  • I LOVE GUYS & DOLLS...

    GREAT MUSICAL

  • yay techie!

  • titus burgess is KAAAAA-RAZYYYY

  • Am I going In? I'm going I'm going!!

    Never gets old.

  • GO TECHIE!

  • Yessss. I get to hit that high note. Can't wait!!

  • Not that high note! aha.

  • Oh my gosh, IS THERE A RECORDING OF THIS CAST!?!?!

  • what a voice, 3:52 high E :0

  • 3:52 .. damn

  • Such horrible sound technicians, but a wonderful performance nonetheless!

  • why would one mic problem mean that the sound technicians are horrible?

  • The sound problems were a constant distraction throughout the entire show, especially the opening medley and during this number as well. This was definitely not the only mic problem they had...

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  • I LOVE his version!!

  • omg I want to pay this role sooo badly!!!

  • wow.. by pay I meant play

  • Tituss Burgess is insane!!

  • @leafconeybear1 Insanely great.

  • This is good.. but nothing like the 1992 revival.. that blows everything out of the water

  • actually the 1992 revival was not very good..

    i actually enjoyed this one a little better. [this song only]

  • i love that thehy cheered the tech crew guy :)

  • granted the vocals in this are quite good, I still like the '92 version better

  • i love this version, probably cuz the guy who played Sebastian in The Little Mermaid the Broadway Musical is the one playing Nicely Nicely...also the part at 3:29-3:49...just classically hilarious, love their reactions especially their facial expressions...lol...."SIT DOWN"...!!!

  • It's too gimmicky. I like the '92 version.

  • Oh goodness, and this show isnt the epitome of gimicky already? I think its a well done version and a fresh take on the number!

  • What was up with the mic?

  • i need sheet music for this arrangement

  • you gotta love live theatre =]

  • his accent is kinda sketchy, but his voice is really good (a little TOO Too high for Nicely Nicely) But that was awesome.

  • Nah, hes in the right key thats all. The nicely from the movie is a whole step down from the broadway key.

  • No, my musical theatre group is doing it this year, and the key is much lower than what he sang, exactly like the movie.

    and Nicely, was meant to be a heavier fellow. in the original script it says the characters figures, and what not.

  • Then you are singing the wrong key.

    The movie is in the key of E, while the sheet music is in the key of F. I directed this over the summer.

  • I believe you're wrong, my father was part of the '92 revival and how he sang sounds the same as in the movie/

  • very good, but the 1992 revival still trumps this one.

    the mic problems were handled very well however. kudos to him.

  • boo

  • I think you're misunderstanding me. I'm not saying this one is bad. It's very well done and the gospel break at the end is fabulous. But I think '92 is still just the way to go.

  • @rwethryet pffft

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  • amazing!

  • What an awesome performance.

  • Neil Patrick Harris is a hero.

  • Hahahahahaha I have to say the best part of this video... when the lady starts singing all crazy, every single face behind her is PRICELESS!!! They all have the dumbfounded "What the HEEEEEEEEEEELLLL are you doing face?!?!?" on! Tee hehehehe makes me giggle :D

  • way to bring in that new mic techie! That was your 5 seconds of fame... sad :(

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  • Its the way the guy starts saying "Im going, im going!"

  • Zomg love this song. Went this past may to see them at Broadway with the Drama club at my school. No one saw that lady's part coming, and when we heard it was so freaken amazing! Awesome musical!

    =3 I wish I owned a dvd of the Broadway performance!

  • Stubby Kaye and Walter Bobbie (and their productions) make this thing look like a total joke.

  • I dunno what to think of this version... I played Nicely a few months back and I know how tough it is to do this song... Stubby Kaye just owned this song so much that I cant imagine anyone topping it. The whole gospel thing, and that weird gag with Cartwright... not welcome in "Guys and Dolls"

  • LOVE! a good gospel number! Brilliant!

  • everytime I watch this I just get soo mad that his mic crapped out... gahhh but what can you do I know but like this performance even though good was the cherry on the top on the unsuccessful run of this revival.

  • love the laugh

  • nicely has a good voice but i really don't like the way he does it.  but i like the choreography

  • i agree

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  • I love tittus! He's amazing and I met him as Sebastin in "the little mermaid (original cast) This sounds phenom! the whole cast can sang!

  • The audio on this tony awards show was such a fail. It was pathetic.Especially evident at the beginning here.

  • This is a bit different from the original, but I like it! This is my dad's favorite song! I grew up singing the words!

  • not bad. not my fav version but compared to most broadway revivals it's pretty good.

  • just found out my part for the play at my school: crap shooter, still good to be in the play at all

  • I actually played the part of general cartwright in high school and I SO WISH MY DIRECTOR TOLD ME TO DO THAT RIFF!!!!!!!!

  • Oh Tituss. Thank you for making Guys and Dolls so Amazing.

  • bloody hell this is good

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  • Oh dear,

    In came the vocal hysterics and out went the characters.

    Everything's tainted by pop idol nowadays.

  • I LOVE THIS!!!!!!!!!!! how can you guys say that?????? of course, i havent seen any other version, but still this is awesome!!!!!!!!!!!!

  • The singing is incredible but the choreography isn't like... amazing... but very good.

    Over all a very very good verson. Not quite there but very good

  • shame to change the origional so much, lost some of is class i think.

    but truly profesional the way he wasn't phased by the sound problems. good on him. great performance

  • i think the choreography and the feeling of the whole performance is really weak.

  • nice twist, but i think it took away from the true feel of that time. It's guys and dolls and it is one of those things you can't and don't change. You just find someone that can be as good as those who made it famous or leave it alone. Frank and Marlon were awesome but Nathan Lanes group was awesome too... especially the guy who played Nicely Nicely

  • This is the crappiest revival ever!!!!

  • too bad his mic crapped out. how shitty. but hey..... it's theater

  • The black guy doin most of the singing is the same guy who is the original sabastian in the little mermaid musical. lol!

  • yeah, i dont dig the nicely nicely dude in this

  • The cast tries, they really do (especially Mary Testa, you go girl!)-- but the sound problems combined w/ awkward choreography and a weird green screen thing just sank this revival. My brother and I cringed during the whole performance-- and this was supposed to be a Broadway-- and Tony nominated no less?!?

  • I saw the final performance.

    I hate to say this, but with the exception of "Sit Down, You're Rocking The Boat", and a few moments here and there, I thought it was awful.

  • Actually, it was only nominated because they needed a fourth nomination for a revival.

  • I know. But I think shows shouldn't be nominated just to fill slots. In 1995, only two shows got Tony nominations for Best Musical. I think there should be some honor just in being nominated.

  • i did guys and dolls with my theater group but we only had 2 boys so this song wasn't as good as it could have been with a guy but it was still alot of fun

  • This was the first musical I did in high school. Ahh, good memories! lol

  • Mary Testa is FIERCE.

    And of course Titus is too.

  • My school choir is performing this for Broadway Dinner!!! :D I love this song!!!! <3<3<3<3

  • Your school will probably have a smoother production than this year's Tony Awards. ha.

  • LOL at the ending! I loved doing Guys and Dolls in high school, and that brings back so many good memories. ^.^

  • I kind of like it...different...always use what ya have

  • movement is lame but the vocals are aces