We All Knew It Was Coming

Ladies and gentlemen, I give you--The Inevitable:

Photo Credit (This and Below): Daily Mail

Yeppers. That's the knock-off version of Kate Middleton's wedding gown. It was bound to happen, and it's not as bad as I expected.

I like that it's obviously inspired by the stunning Sarah Burton for Alexander McQueen bridal gown, but not a direct copy. So many times, the designer-inspired versions are the same dress, but with cheap fabrics and less embellishment, which, really, just looks tacky. It's like slapping a Coach label on a pleather drawstring bag--you get the expensive label, but everyone knows it's not the real deal. This is a different dress entirely, and I have to applaud that. You still get the look of a corset bodice with lace overlay, and an elegant circle skirt--which were the hallmarks of that now-iconic gown--but the sleeves are shorter, the neckline simplified, the hem raised and the train removed. There's also the addition of a sweet satin sash. It's a much more casual dress, and would, in my opinion, be perfect for an afternoon garden wedding. You could even accessorize with a birdcage veil, or--in true Kate fashion--a small fascinator. Available August 7th, exclusively at Peacocks. Sizes 8-18, approx. $96. If you want one, you'll need to act fast. They expect a quick sell-out.

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Who all watched the Tony's last night? Anyone? Bueller?

Right...so, for all, what, two of you who tuned in, how awesome was Neil Patrick Harris?! For those of you who missed out, the two-time host opened the evening with a show-stopping number--complete with dancing sailors, stewardesses, and (oh, why not?) nuns--that delivered the message: "Broadway! It's not just for gays anymore!" Later, he challenged Hugh Jackman to a musical hosting duel, rode in on the puppet horse from Best Play winner War Horse, and devoted a full thirty seconds to good-natured Spiderman: Turn Off the Dark bashing. Somewhere in the midst of all that, he managed to squeeze in a production number from his stint in the New York Philharmonic's concert version of Sondheim's Company. To finish off the night, he rapped a newly composed recap of the ceremony's events. I.Am.In.Awe.

Of course, the entire evening wasn't all NPH. The theatre junkie in me was positively giddy over numbers from Anything Goes (could Sutton Foster be any more adorable?) and How to Succeed in Business. I was less than impressed by the screechy Sister Act and morose Spiderman numbers, but after Norbert Leo Butz's tour de force performance, I have to check out Catch Me If You Can. The evening's best number, without question, had to be the feel-good anthem "I Believe" from The Book of Mormon. I'll be purchasing that cast album this week, if at all possible (don't judge me. Yes, I work for a church, but I also have a sense of humor. The two are not mutually exclusive). The evening also provided its own unintentional drinking game fodder, as The Motherf***** With the Hat was nominated for several awards, and presenters had to remember to censor the name for television. Most were successful. Others, not so much (Brooke Shields, I'm looking at you).

All in all, the awards rocked this year, and I'm on a performing arts high, right now. In light of that, I give you the goofiest ad I've seen in a while. It's not for a Broadway show (though you can learn about all of the nominated shows and view clips here), which would have made more sense, as I've written two full paragraphs on the Tony Awards...hmmm. Oh well, it's a blog, not the New York Times. We'll live. Instead, it's for the Royal Ballet's production of Romeo and Juliet. The British company is utilizing a different space for performances this weekend. Instead of their ususal haunt, The Royal Opera House at Covent Garden, they'll be at the O2 Arena, an enormous dome that plays host to rock concerts and seats 20,000 people. The company's regular attendees might fill 10-20% of that, so the powers-that-be decided to take drastic measures to put some butts in seats. The result: a series of ads that riff on the whole ballet-in-a-rock-arena situation. This first one is funny, informative, and just really enjoyable to watch. It's not "cool", but I got the impression the creators knew that. It's just a hoot and a half, and I hope you like it. The video won't embed, for some reason, but you can find it here.

Royal Makeup Drama...For Those That Care...

Yeah, yeah, there's a big fat royal wedding this weekend. Yada, yada, yada. We get it. The media has shoved it down our throats. Sure, I'm tickled pink for the happy couple, and I'll be sure to check in on the dress and cake and whatnot, but this morning, every other segment on CBS's The Early Show focused on the upcoming nuptials. There were even segments on how to choose a hat for your viewing party and on what Ms. Middleton might have purchased for her honeymoon.

And then I read this: Katie-dear is going to do her own makeup for the wedding. My first thought was, "Whoop-dee-freaking-doo. How is this news?" quickly followed by, "Is she out of her mind? She's the future QUEEN!!! She's going to be on half the television stations in the world, and these pictures are going to be aired in perpetuity and turned into merchandise! For crying out loud, some are going to end up in history books!! Hire an artist!!!"

But then I read the reasoning behind the decision. She'd had an artist do her makeup for the engagement photos, but had been very unhappy with the results. She had wanted a fresh-faced, natural look, and had, instead, been coated down with pancake makeup. Middleton washed off all the spackling and re-did her face herself. You have to admit, the finished product was stunning.

The Happy Couple
Photo Courtesy of the NY Daily News

Honestly, I can relate with the bride-to-be. I went to a fancy-schmancy day spa/salon and had a professional artist do my makeup for my own wedding. While the makeup photographed fairly well, I still felt like a painted hussy. The eyebrows were too dark, the foundation was caked on, and my eyeliner ran down my cheeks by night's end. The first thing I did after we checked in at the hotel for our wedding night was run in the bathroom and wash my face. Another time, I was in a wedding fashion show, and the makeup artists (from the same spa...hmmm...) forgot concealer completely. I had horrible dark circles! Luckily, I was able to scrounge up some undereye cover and fix the problem before the show, but I couldn't believe that a "pro" would skip something so obvious! So, yeah, while I now have friends who are amazing artists that I trust completely, I can totally understand how this young lady might not want to trust something so important to anyone else. She will have someone teach her how to apply makeup for HD cameras. If you want a job done right, you've got to do it yourself.

As a fun little aside to this story, I found an old article from Queen Elizabeth's coronation. Seems she wasn't a big fan of piled-on makeup, either. Keep reading for a great story on the design of the Queen's coronation gown, and a whole bunch of awesome 1950s newspaper ads. It's a kick!