I just move to LA and I miss the first cool thing that's out there, humph. Any very nice human being have an extra ticket and want bring someone? I'm nice, compact, and smell good...I'll buy dinner...anything...

ShadyLane | June 28, 01:23 CET

There was a Buffy singalong in Sacramento last March which I couldn't attend due to work. At this rate, "Once More With Felling" could be considered one of the best American musicals ever, right up there with "A Chorus Line" and "Oklahoma."
I just can't help someone may try to make this into an off-Broadway musical. If you can make "Evil Dead" a musical, this should be a snap.

impalergeneral | June 28, 01:38 CET

Interesting, I was always under the impression that Benson dancing into the pole was intentional, as an excuse to take away the backup dancers and just focus on Buffy. Otherwise it seems like they just stopped for no apparent reason?

orangewaxlion | June 28, 01:48 CET

I always notice that Tara dance part. It looked very accidental to me, and I imagine they left it in because we're supposed to focus on Buffy anyway in that scene, and maybe for SMG it was the best take.

Rogue Slayer | June 28, 02:21 CET

If you really look closely, you can tell it's accidental, as, after she bumps into the pole, she straightens out her shirt, laughs and then hides behind the pole for a moment. - The things you notice when you have to study every moment Tara's on screen in that episode. Not that I'm complaining. :)

TaraMaclay | June 28, 06:43 CET

I just got home from the singalong. Shadylane, I hope you got to go! (I just moved here, too, btw. Hi, neighbor!) First of all -- great time, GREAT time. Though I think my gf pissed off the guy in front of her with her enthusiastic bubble blowing and kazooing. Come ON people, you go to a singalong and you don't expect to get a little dorky? Perhaps he was too concerned with looking cool for his girlfriend? We'll never know. But then, after the show, a surprise guest! Marti Noxon (!!!!) came up to the mic at the front to say "hi" and "thanks" to everyone. "I have one other thing I need to tell you all. I *am* wearing underwear." Hoots and hollers followed. She mentioned how emotional it was to revisit the show like this after so much time and after everyone had really parted ways and moved on to other projects. And then! she introduced...Joss! Who walked up the aisle to the kind of cheer that I'd expect for a rock star. And who am I kidding -- he *is* a rock star. A rock star for geeks. <3

He looked pretty overcome with emotion. But he did manage to stick up for Dawn. (A salient refrain from the audience during the singalong is "shut up, Dawn!" whenever, and I mean ever, she speaks or sings a word on screen). Joss prefaced his comments with, "Come on, guys. Dawn's OK! She's had some problems, but...she's OK!" Which got a great roar from the audience. He tried to thank us for the night, but the audience wouldn't let him, shouting back a resounding "thank YOU" to him instead.

It was all very warmfuzzies. What a wonderful night.

[ edited by orphea on 2007-06-28 09:22 ]

orphea | June 28, 12:21 CET

Oh man, what an amazing night! I'm new to LA too, btw, so hi guys:) But here's my point: I got to smack Joss' hand! Gah, that kicks so much ass! (I was in an aisle seat, wearing a Doublemeat Palace t-shirt, mind you)

GoldDust8912 | June 28, 13:24 CET

Thanks so much for posting this, lexigeek. If you click on the myspace link in the article, there's some really fun stuff, including a link to the 'punk rock ukuleleist's' song, "Joss Whedon Is My Master Now", which I'd never heard all the way through.

Shey | June 28, 15:19 CET

So Joss has gotten to go to a Buffy sing-a-long. I had a feeling he would when it got to his neighborhood. I wonder what he an MN had to do to get in unnoticed. Were there hats and fake mustaches involved? Anyone got any more reports on this?

My friend finally got to OMWF in her unspoiled first watching of Buffy, so we can go when this gets back to NYC. Yea! (She has decided the kiss at the end was an aberration like Something Blue. She was supposed to watch Tabula Rasa last night and we will watch Smashed today at lunch. This should be interesting. hee hee)

newcj | June 28, 16:09 CET

TaraMaclay:
"The things you notice when you have to study every moment Tara's on screen in that episode. Not that I'm complaining. :)

I'm right there with you.

How cool of Joss and Marti. It makes me love them even more.
I would be way jealous but after my weekend, not-so-much ;)

death is my gift | June 28, 16:40 CET

Thank you for the report, orphea!

Pointy | June 28, 17:45 CET

Thanks orphea, for those details! Did anyone take photos?

I can't believe he just showed up like that. How very cool! Did he make a speech of any kind, other than to stick up for Dawn (boo)? Is Marti working on anything interesting? What did they have to say about the sing-along? Do they know how popular they (the singalongs) are around the country? Did Joss say whether or not this was his first one? Did Marti?

geez, call me Question Girl...

Willowy | June 28, 18:10 CET

I was silly and deliberately left my camera at home. I had expected the delightful security preceedings that seem to accompany any special screening (metal detectors, bag searches, being told you have to leave the theater several minutes before showtime to return cameras and phones to cars, etc.).

Trent from Pink Is the New Blog was sitting a couple of rows in front of me. He was taking many photos of the audience and guests, so you might want to keep an eye on his website throughout the day.

Willowy, Joss said -- paraphrased -- that seeing Buffy on the big screen with the fan interaction was basically the coolest thing ever. And though she didn't say anything specifically about it (other than alluding to her current career prospects being more upbeat than some post-Buffy failures), Marti will be the showrunner on the Grey's Anatomy spinoff, Private Practice.

astralpunch | June 28, 19:54 CET

I waited too long on this and am punished. About the possibility of photos, you newer folk remember that self-linking is OK in the comments. Let's see 'em!

dreamlogic | June 28, 20:39 CET

Thanks for that, astralpunch! I'll keep an eye on that blog.

Just can't get over how cool it is that he showed. :)

Willowy | June 28, 20:39 CET

I'm also new to L.A.! We're all new and we're all great. I don't even really like the musical episode(gasp!) but it was entertaining, even for those of us who were seeing "once more, with feeling" for the second time in our short lives. And i have to admit, i was way into telling Dawn to shut up, as were many people in our section. So great. Seeing joss and thanking him(as an audience) for season eight was the highlight for me--it just felt so right and wonderful. :) I have to admit, i enjoyed the musical much more at the screening. Maybe I should've been watching buffy with a group of people all along. Oh, the time I've wasted!

[ edited by zeitgeist -please use proper capitalization next time, I did it for you for free this once! ;) - on 2007-06-28 19:43 ]

themayor | June 28, 20:42 CET

Trent of 'Pink is the New Blog' fame was at the LA sing-a-long last night and has some dark and blurry photos of Joss and Marti:

Trent: Once Again with Feeling

hmbscully | June 28, 22:29 CET

I was there last night--what a fantastic evening! Clinton and team did a great job, as usual. (I caught a show a few months back in NY.)

I was in shock when Marti came up to the front, but I somehow managed to have my brain kick in when Joss came up to the front and pulled my camera out. I got one pretty good picture of him, as I was sitting front and center, about 2 feet away from him. There's another shot, but the microphone kinda blocks his face. Anyway, I'm gonna try to get the link posted correctly to Photobucket:

Link 1 and Link 2

I hope this is OK--just following dreamlogic's note that self-linking is OK in comments. If not, Mods, please let me know and feel free to take down the link or I can edit the message for you. Enjoy!

[ edited by zeitgeist - linkified!!! - on 2007-06-28 20:28 ]

greenlady | June 28, 23:20 CET

How cool! Color me jealous!

(When we did the Sing-Along in Chicago a few weeks ago, the shouting of "Shut up, Dawn!" began to seem a little mindless - I get the fun in theory, but in practice it just seemed a bit mean, and I just didn't do it. Maybe I'm a killjoy, but I mean, come on, "The hardest thing in this world is to live in it" gets that response? I did get the feeling Clinton was trying to head that last one off, but to no avail...)

Kirochka | June 29, 00:35 CET

Yeah, I can't yell at Dawn that much. Plus, I was pretty late (I made it in right before they shut the lighs off) and the girls got the last goodie bags- lame! So I didn't even get to climax with everybody:( I really enjoyed the whole experience, though. I made me feel a little better about dragging my sorry butt all the way from Chicago, ha.

GoldDust8912 | June 29, 02:55 CET

How amazing this must have been for you guys lucky enough to be there! I think that was so wonderful that Joss and Marti came too and am so happy to hear that they seemed to really enjoy themselves. I don't think I'd do the "Shut up Dawn" part either because I really love Dawnie!

Firefly Flanatic | June 29, 05:28 CET

I am also deeply, profoundly punished, dreamlogic, painfully, poignantly punished.

In my defense - or whatever - we've been working madly for the past week to leave on vacation tomorrow a.m., and it doesn't look like we're getting out of the studio anytime soon. We really shouldn't/couldn't have gone...

*sigh*

But seriously, the ONLY filmic event I have wanted to go for Absolutely Aeons, and I Blew It.

I am covered with Gobs of Chagrin and Ramekins of Regret. Oh yeah, and Shekels of Envy. Bugger, bugger, bugger.

QuoterGal | June 29, 05:51 CET

(( Hugs QuoterGal )). So sorry sweetie, I can't imagine how bad you feel.

Shey | June 29, 06:37 CET

Thanks, Shey, that's very dear.

The only thing that would've made me feel worse about missing this would've been if 1) instead of the Majestic Crest in Westwood, it'd been held around the corner from our downtown studio, say at the Orpheum or something, and I'd still managed to miss it, or 2) if it had been a sucky event for those that did attend.

I might've had to break something glass if I'd missed a OMWF singalong at the Orpheum. It's such a cherry theatre and such a part of my daily life.

I can still get some vicarious happys that it was such a hoot for everyone else. At least, I will be able to... a little later... when my blood pressure calms down.

(I'm so glad that Joss spoke up for his Dear Dawn. The drawn-out Dawn-hostility is the only thing that has sounded at all iffy to me about these wondrous songfests. And I'm glad that Marti was at a Buffy-thingy... she's one of my Buff-writing-favs.)

QuoterGal | June 29, 07:38 CET

You Dawn apologists are hilarious--it was all in good fun and Joss was only playfully upset. ;)

themayor | June 30, 17:06 CET