
Tony Lucca Carson Daly The Voice Ep. 211 - H 2012
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Cee Lo Green and Adam Levine’s teams threw a pretty rock and roll heavy live show on NBC’s The Voice on Monday. The Hollywood Reporter was there feeling the heat — both literally and figuratively — all to bring you the behind-the-scenes details that the home audience didn’t get to see.
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Here are 12 things that went down when the cameras weren’t rolling.
1. Musical chairs. Every episode, the warm-up guy introduces the coaches as they enter the studio before the taping starts. This time around, Adam was feeling playful and took Blake Shelton’s seat. When the country star came out, he threw his arms up in confusion while Adam laughed.
2. What a sweetheart. After the coaches, the warm-up guy introduces host Carson Daly. When he got to the stage, Carson began blowing kisses toward the coaches in their chairs. Aw.
3. Two times the charm. As I mentioned last week, the show pre-tapes the first segment leading into the live show. Carson made a fumble the first time around. I’m not sure what he did, but the warm-up guy said, “Good thing we’re not live.” Carson delivered it perfectly on the second try, which is the version of the show opening you saw on television.
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4. This is why it’s called show business. It’s tough to top Cee Lo’s outfit and wig from last week, but he was off from his coaching duties then. This week, his team was up and Cee Lo was all business. He explained that that scarlet zoot suit he wore on Monday’s show was his “lucky red business suit” — and that’s why they call it show business.
5. Checking in with the troops. As you saw on TV, Blake and Christina Aguilera’s teams were sitting just to the side of the coaches. And I noticed that Blake got up from his seat and chatted with his team for several minutes over a commercial break, which he did while bobbing and weaving around a camera that stood between him and them. Whatever was being said, it put a big grin on the coach’s face and seemed to be worth the trouble.
6. Christina makes time for a little fan. The warm-up guy set up a quick dance contest over a commercial break. He asked one bubbly eight-year-old girl who her favorite coach is and she answered Christina. So, that earned her a big hug from the pop star — a pretty good consolation gift for placing second in the contest later.
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7. Bottoms up. I was wondering how many live shows it would take before the male coaches began their usual toasts. The answer is two (though I may have missed it if they did it last week). Cee Lo and Adam “clinked” paper cups and downed a shot about a quarter of the way through the live show. Adam made a face after finishing his, which makes me wonder just how strong they like their poison.
8. Ready for their close up. It was only about 70 degrees in L.A., but add about 20 more to that inside The Voice soundstage and you get an idea how hot it can get. Makeup felt the heat and seemed to step it up this week with the coaches getting a touchup almost every time the show cut for a commercial break.
9. Dissension in the ranks? Christina was pretty hard on her former co-Mouseketeer Tony Lucca after his performance calling it “one-dimensional” and wondering if the support of their former Mickey Mouse Club stars — specifically one very supportive Justin Timberlake — would make the show a popularity contest. And perhaps, there was much more to say about it than what was said during the televised critiques. During the next commercial break, Blake, Cee Lo and Adam had a spirited huddle.
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10. This room is Team Adam. The warm-up guy decided to find out whom the audience was most rooting for by asking them to cheer for their favorite coach. Cee Lo and Blake got a pretty equal response from the crowd. Christina came in second. But judging by the extended screaming and applause, Adam clearly owned that room.
11. Quite the balancing act. Before Jamar Rogers hit the stage to perform his version of Lenny Kravitz’s “Are You Going to Go My Way?,” the warm-up guy warned the crowd that women on stilts will be part of the performance and they would be standing in the middle of the the pit. It should go without saying that standing on stilts is a pretty intense balancing act. On the other hand, safety first. The warm-up guy asked that no one touch the stilts as the performers will fall down. And once I saw just how high those performers were, I was glad that he made that very clear.
12. Happy to be in the pits. If I ever complain about my seat in the audience and the constant need to stand, sit and applaud as the production requires of me, please remind me that at least I’m not in the pit. Those audience members that flank the stage are expected to keep their excitement and energy up for the full two-hour show and they don’t have the option of sitting down ever. Yes, they’re standing from the moment they’re placed in the pit — that’s close to three hours. Props to them. That’s superhuman to this weathered reporter.
Email: Jethro.Nededog@thr.com; Twitter: @TheRealJethro
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