Lauren Graham will be performing at the Tony Preview Concert! The Visa Signature Tony Awards Preview Concert will air on CBS from May 29th - June 6th. It’s a one-hour broadcast that celebrates the 2008-2009 Broadway season and will promote the upcoming Tony Awards broadcast on June 7th. Guys and Dolls has been nominated for “Best Revival of a Musical” for a Tony Award!!

Here are a bunch of new fan videos taken of Lauren Graham over the last few weeks. After every performance of Guys and Dolls, Lauren takes some time to go to the Stage Door of the theater to meet with fans:

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Imagine if Richard Gilmore (Edward Herrmann) didn’t work in insurance on Gilmore Girls. Yes, it’s *so much* a part of his character, but it’s not until Richard starts his own business that we really hear much about it. Otherwise, we just know he travels a lot and meets with a lot of clients. So, what if he wasn’t in insurance? What if he were a secret agent?

I know, that sounds silly, but it’s the theme of a fan video that caught my attention a while back while I was creating the Ode to Richard & Emily post. Check it out “Richard Gilmore - Secret Agent Man”:

Awesome video, don’t you think??

If you’re a big fan of Gilmore Girls fan videos, I’m looking for a guest contributor for a fan video column. We used to have a great column from another fan (see here) and I’d like to do that again. If you’re interested in submitting a review every week or two, let me know!

After writing about the sad episode ‘Emily Says Hello‘ and Emily Gilmore’s decision to date, I thought we could all use some reminders of the true love shared between Richard Gilmore (Edward Herrmann) and Emily Gilmore (Kelly Bishop). Here are some fan montage videos of this fantastic Gilmore Girls couple:

This first one is my favorite. It’s so romantic - and so filled with longing! Read more

Gilmore Girls Video Column with Kelly
Video Review: This is Our Town
Video Created By: Louise1552
Added to YouTube: March 18, 2008

Review from Kelly:

I know I’ve featured a video from Louise1552 before, and, while I usually don’t like to feature too many videos from the same person, I thought this video was definitely worth it. A nostalgic look back at Stars Hollow, "This Is Our Town," manages to be both sentimental and humorous at the same time. Within a few seconds, the video can move from poignantly portraying Lorelai and Rory’s reunion to showing Kirk dressed up at a town meeting as a bull and driving a car through the diner window.

By quickly but smoothly moving from one clip to the next, Louise1552 makes watching the video seem more like flipping through a scrapbook. And the coloring effects make it seem almost dream-like. But what makes this video stand out from all other Stars Hollow tributes is its perfect song choice: "This is our town/This is who we’re meant to be/This is our town/Where our roots have grown so deep." I can’t imagine a better song to capture the spirit of all these crazy but lovable characters. After all, what true Gilmore Girls fan hasn’t dreamt of moving to Stars Hollow?

Another great review Kelly, and one of my favorite videos so far. A sense of "belonging" that goes deeper than friendship between any two people. Louise edited the video beautifully, and you can see the meaning in the scenes she’s chosen to tie with the lyrics, eloquently matching the "sleep" section with the dance-a-thon, etc. Quite lovely.

Tags: gilmore girls, gilmore girls fan video, stars hollow, this is our town

When I was doing some research for my "To Whom It May Concern" discussion post today, I came across a bunch of fabulous fan videos that combine the words of Lorelai’s beautiful character reference for Luke with video clips. Here are some of those videos - tell me what you think!

by smileyGGfan

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Gilmore Girls Video Column with Kelly
Video Review: Gilmore Girls - Pictures of You, Pictures of Me
Video Created By: hamsterluver13
Added to YouTube: October 11, 2007

Review from Kelly:

For this video of the week I chose hamsterluver13’s "Gilmore Girls: Pictures of You" video. One of the problems with most general cast videos is that "general" often turns into "generic" when videos lose focus and become merely compilations of clips. But "Pictures of You" manages to sidestep this problem by adhering so closely to the song’s lyrics and centering on the theme of pictures. This theme not only gives the video focus, but it also allows hamsterluver13 to show a broad variety of important moments in the lives of the Gilmore Girls. I didn’t realize until watching the video how integral pictures were to some of the moments in the show. They portray moments of the characters’ childhoods, weddings, engagements, and graduations. Luke finds out he is April’s father through a picture, and pictures are later important when he goes on the Internet to try to get to know his daughter better. And of course, some pictures are just plain funny ("I’m blinking and my head’s in a funny place!").

My favorite moment in the video is at 2:45, when the lyrics "what we could have been" match a picture of Lorelai in her debutante dress. The lyrics, matched so perfectly to the clip, create a poignant moment that sums up a lot of Lorelai’s history on the show. In the end, this video is a perfect example of molding the video around the lyrics in order to create an original, creative concept that’s both entertaining and meaningful to watch.

Tags: gilmore girls, fan video, gilmore girls videos

I decided to pull together some fan videos of some of the best Gilmore Girls kiss moments. There are a few people who did this, each with a slightly different interpretation on the theme. So, here they are… enjoy! At the end, you tell me - Which is the best Gilmore Girls kiss of all time?

Gilmore Girls Kisses by mcdreamylove93

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Gilmore Girls Video Column with Kelly
Video Review: Luke and Lorelai: What Have You Done
Video Created By: TakingPictures
Added to YouTube: March 9, 2007

Review from Kelly:

So this week I chose a different type of video than I normally do. While I usually choose fairly upbeat videos, I decided on an angstier video this week. If you don’t like "angst," that’s fine, but I highly recommend giving this one a shot, since it’s so skillfully edited.

The key to any good angst video is about setting the right mood, and TakingPictures’ "Luke and Lorelai—What Have You Done" accomplishes this brilliantly, down to every detail, even the Gothic font choice at the beginning. What makes it stand out is its strict, perfect adherence to the beat of the music, especially at the line, "What have you done now?" And TakingPictures also plays around with the speed of the scenes, matching them perfectly to the music. The slower scenes at the beginning build momentum to the chorus, where a couple of the scenes have been "fast-fowarded" to match the more intense pace of the song. My favorite example of this effect is at 1:46, where Sookie’s pace is sped up, while Lorelai remains frozen in time. Whether the video is using fast, abrupt cuts from scene to scene or the more gradual fading in and out of black, every detail of this video is masterfully edited to produce a wonderful example of angst.

Tags: gilmore girls, gilmore girls video, gilmore girls fan video

Does anyone, besides me, think that it was weird that Paul Anka mysteriously disappeared for most of Season 7? What, was he at doggy daycare?? - Guest question by Broadwayboy

Paul Anka was an important part of Season 6, but then went into obscurity. I think in Season 6 he represented to Lorelai all of the things she regretted in her relationship with Rory - all of the things she wish she did differently as a parent. She was also a substitute comedy pairing for the reduction of the mother/daughter times in the show. In season 7, Rory and Lorelai are back together, so perhaps that’s why?

What do you think?

Image: TheWB.com

Tags: paul anka, season 7, gilmore girls

Gilmore Girls Video Column with Kelly
Video Review: "You Set Me Free—Luke and Lorelai"
Video Created By: Louise1552
Added to YouTube: November 4, 2007

Review from Kelly:

Hi everyone, sorry it’s been so long since my last video of the week, I’ve been incredibly busy lately (I’m graduating from high school this weekend). But things should calm down soon, so I’ll be back to writing a review every week. Anyway, to make it up to you, I spent time choosing a video that I absolutely love this week.

I ended up choosing Louise1552’s "You Set Me Free-Luke and Lorelai." I love this video because it really stands out form all the other java junkie videos on youtube. There are usually certain scenes that pretty much every Luke/Lorelai video includes, but Louise1552 manages to branch off from these overused scenes and include scenes that really capture the smaller moments in Luke and Lorelai’s relationship. Like Lorelai throwing a rock at Luke’s window and then waving to him, or laughing at him for his Jimmy Buffet shirt. And beyond choosing these great scenes, Louise1552 also brilliantly chooses the perfect moments from each scene to capture. For example, the scene of their waltz is carefully cut to show Lorelai throwing her head back in laughter. All these perfectly cut clips combine to make a beautiful compilation of the aspects of Luke and Lorelai’s relationship that are too often overlooked—the fleeting glances or the brief moments when their hands touch. And, in addition to all these, the lighting effects are great and add an extra touch to an already beautiful video.

Congratulations to Kelly on graduating, and thanks again for such a great video review!

Tags: gilmore girls, gilmore girls video, gilmore girls fan video, luke lorelai, lorelai gilmore, luke danes