Star Trek’s George Takei has just released another one of his viral videos. Today brings the second in his series building buzz for his upcoming Broadway play Allegiance. Last time George went all Spider-man, this time he has gone all holy…if you consider cross-dressing as a nun holy. Watch it below.
Sister Act Takei
Here is George trying to get into the Broadway play Sister Act.
And if you George’s first video in this series, here again is Takei "auditioning" for the Broadway musical Spider-man: Turn Off The Dark.
Takei headed to Broadway in 2012 with "Allegiance"
George’s new viral videos are part of his "George Takei: The Road To Broadway" series. The videos are to promote the upcoming musical Allegiance, which stars Takei and Lea Salonga (Miss Saigon, Les Miserables, Aladdin, Mulan). Unlike the viral campaign, Allegiance is a much more serious production about "a family’s love, loss, and heroism during the Japanese American Internment," which is something Takei knows all about first hand.
Takei and Songa at staged "allegiance" reading in NYC – October 2010
Allegiance is hoping to hit Broadway by 2012. More info at www.allegiancemusical.com.. and at the Allegiance Facebook Page.
He should be in Lion King, of course XD
LOL…
Suddenly Sooooo glad they didn’t do the Excelsior thing. I love you George, but your no Shat
He’s taken the self parody a little too far now. What a buffoon.
#4 – You said it…good grief.
I disagree. I think that a Captain Sulu series instead of Voyager would have been absolutely wonderful back in 1993. It’s a shame that recently he seems to be trying so hard to emulate William Shatner’s self-parody. George Takei’s line readings are sometimes corny, but the character of Sulu (And I suspect Takei the man, between 1965 and 2004 or so…) always had dignity. I got chills while watching him in Star Trek: Phase II’s “World Enough and Time”. After seeing that, coping Shat just comes off as bankrupt and sad.
Think about this…GEORGE TAKEI IS THE MOST FAMOUS ASIAN ACTOR OVER 50 in AMERICA.
He could reinvent himself tomorrow by simply removing all the indignity (SO much of it self-hosted or self-produced…) and getting a better agent. For the next ten years he could get every role that Morgan Freeman and Ben Kingsley turn down…
Takei > Shatner, I don’t find Shatner funny or tolerable at all for that matter
George Takei:
You gotta love him. (well, the rainbow Starfleet emblems were a little much, but I’ll forgive him for that.)
And seriously–I have never met an Asian man with a voice like his! Just listen to it!
Those clips featuring George Takei were just pitiful. Seriously, George, you aren’t going to out-Shatner William Shatner!
I’d say that judging by Takei’s poor attempts at self-parody, his career in Hollywood is fizzling out!
I think he’s just out of touch and has bad management.
Gloria in excelsis deo – that certainly ain’t. What an abomination the entire video was, not just George Takei’s role.
I was hesitant to watch the Sister Act video, but I did. Please, George, no more “Oh my” or “Oh Mary”.
Gloria in excelsis deo is Latin for Glory to God in the Highest. It is part of Catholic liturgy said at all masses. They are also words sung in some of the most beautiful music ever written in works by composers like Haydn and Mozart. I have had the incredible privilege to have been part of a choir who has sung both the Nelson Mass by Joseph Haydn and the Requiem Mass by W A Mozart. During the long hours of rehearsals (all of them sung in their original Latin) I would find I was in tears sometimes from the sheer beauty of the music. We had a fine pianist play an introduction to a part of the Nelson Mass and we, as the singers, did not come in, because we were so spellbound by the unbelievable beauty of the piano version. Another time, organist *Betty Stewart played part of Mozart’s Requiem Mass and the same thing happened again. This is music/food for the soul.
This has nothing to do with organised religion per se. This transcends all of that mundane stuff. Did you know that the most played and sung pieces of music in the world, possibly of all time, are from Handel’s Messiah? I have also had the privilege of being part of the same choir to sing that and I can fully understand why.
Now we have Mr Takei and that group of wannabes turning “Gloria in excelsis deo” into some harsh, discordant, facile atrocity. Does that man know no bounds? This is yet more rubbish…
*New Zealander Betty Stewart is a renowned organist who played at the wedding of Prince Charles and Diana. She is retired now but still plays occasionally, I believe. She was/is absolutely amazing.
George is truly the king of all media. Go George!
#11 – Being a singer and a musician myself, I can understand your frustration with your feeling that the music in question is being compromised. While I disagree that liturgical music transcends religion, as by definition it is liturgical, I do agree that it is beautiful music.
I do want to remind you, however, that George is not spoofing Handel…he is spoofing the Broadway production of “Sister Act,” which includes the number “Gloria in excelsis deo.” And, having not seen the show but the film, I imagine he was using the scene (with real footage from the stage musical) when “Sister Mary Clarence” first encounters the choir and they are not good singers. She then turns them around by the end of the show.
So, while you may not like or appreciate the musical or how its sounds, I wanted to be sure your critique was placed in the proper context.
Aw, lighten up. He’s great!! and earned the right to do what he pleases.
Rose Pinenut this is not the place for your religious buffoonery.
WOW! George WTF is going on “downstairs”
#15 Anymore than this is perhaps the place for George Takei’s buffoonery either.
I have seen the film “Sister Act” with Whoopi Goldberg. Yes, “Sister Mary Clarence” (WG) does encounter some very bad singers who are doing their best to sing what they consider holy words and she does turn them around.
I just did not like this video. I found it unfunny and even a bit offensive. I’m not the buffoon here. And I was not prosletysing religion. As I said, you do not have to believe in any religion to appreciate the beauty of some of this music that does contain the words, “Gloria in excelsis deo”. Music can be transcendent.
Maybe I was being a bit oversensitive (it was late when I read this thread) but I do not accept being accused of “religious buffoonery”. There is only one buffoon here and most of us know who that is.
George Takei is annoying and obnoxious!
17. It’s a scene from the musical. George and/or his people didn’t write it. But if you didn’t like it, you didn’t like it — fair enough.
It (the George Takei show) reminds me a little of when Ellen came out and everything, her entire sitcom, was suddenly about being gay. And I get that (I’m gay myself) – it’s freeing to suddenly not have to be in the closet. And a LOT of attention came with coming out. But there’s other stuff on Earth. Not that this particular vid is entirely about being gay, but it’s definitely campy…
I didn’t mind it. I think George is still funny at this point, but, yes, it does look a little like he’s trying to out-Shat someone. But maybe THIS is the real guy… maybe he’s been like this at parties for years.
His tweets are pretty clever — I wonder if he writes them, I hope he does.
When he came out I sent him an email and a newspaper article I’d written about issues facing some Toronto-area gay high school students and about growing up gay in general, compared to when I was a teen in the late 80s. He kindly wrote back. And then I forwarded the reply to my mom (Sulu wrote me!) and accidentally, somehow, cc’d him on it. Oops.
What’s next, “Fiddler?”
Jack – Believe me, it is NOT the fact that George Takei is gay. It is just him – the way he has behaved, starting with the book he wrote in 1994, all the Shatner-bashing since then and just how he seems to go about things. I guess there is something about how he comes across that grates on me and unfortunately, this video left me feeling no better.
Sir Elton John has never irritated me before or since it was revealed that he was gay. He and his civil union partner, David Furnace, were on TV here last night with their new baby son, Zachary – gorgeous baby, btw (but I’m a bit clucky like that…:)). They were both pleasant, intelligent, down to earth guys, and even though it was David who was more keen to have a child than Elton, clearly they were both over-the-moon with their son. I wish all three of them well.
I don’t have a problem with Neil Patrick Harris or Sir Ian McKellan, all openly gay men.
Believe me, it has nothing to do with George Takei being gay. I was never that enamoured by him right from the start.
I am happy that you have a better opinion and have had some positive interaction with George Takei. As I said once before, perhaps if I met him in person…
21. :). Nope, wasn’t trying to say you were in any way anti-gay, or that I thought he irritated you because he was gay, I was just kind of musing on my own opinion of him — George’s recent gay, gay, gay stuff irritates ME a little, because it’s also kind of me, me, me. Like the constant Vulcan salutes. But I do get it. Hmmm, scratch that. The irritated part. Maybe not irritate. But, yeah. And he is doing some good. And he’s working, which is fantastic. This is probably the most successful he’s been.
Heck, what do I know? I’m one of the depressed, mildly ashamed gays. :)
I didn’t read his book or Nichelle’s — because even back then I was a little tired of the Trek-milking. It was like bands who had one hit song in the ’60s and are stiIl playing it at car shows. And Trek had kind of moved on by then. I remember liking Walter’s book about TMP, which was in my junior high school library back in the mid ’80s when I was desperate for all things Trek (the “ancient” — probably 10 years old at that point — Franz Joseph book was in there too, I remember thinking I’d found the holy grail when I stumbled upon it one day), because it was self-effacing and more about Trek than about him.
20. Grey Gardens?
22. @Jack. Lord help me, you know, I can actually picture that! LOL
@21, 22. George does come off as being a bit bitter at times, and I suspect that it clashes with these videos he’s doing. Jim Carrey get’s the same response out of me.
he has no shame
Will you please cut George Takei a break! He has always shown nothing but appreciation for the fans, so at this time in life, let him have a little fun.
I think people forget just how old he really is. If had had white hair (which I’m sure it is under the Grecian Formula) his antics would be considered cute. There is so much fawning over Nimoy’s video for Bruno Mars that sometimes I want to puke.
As for being a little bitter under the constant smile, aren’t we all? Most of the “gang of four (or five)” are a little bit bitter about life after Trek, given that The Big Two have made out so handsomely (both professionally and financially.)
Look kids, when you hit middle age and beyond, you wonder what life would have been like if…if only…if I had…if I hadn’t…And it drives you a little crazy but you soldier on with the cards that life has dealt you. And Mr. Takei has generally been a good soldier.
Mr. Takei has been involved in politics, Japanese-American cultural affairs and many charitable causes. Isn’t he now entitled to cut loose once and a while?
I am embarrassed for Takei. This is SO SO LAME that it is downright pathetic and painful to watch.