On Thanksgiving Thursday,the first ever holiday special by Lady GaGa was broadcast that night and managed to shock people with the lack of shock value. GaGa simply dressed elegantly and sang a mix of her popular hits along with classic jazz numbers,some of which will be available on a new holiday album that was released two days prior to the special.
The show was filmed at one of her alma maters,the Covent of the Sacred Heart,and the architecture of the building was suitably grand for the occasion. GaGa's respect for the old school style was apparently from the get-go,as the special started off with a duet with Tony Bennett,singing a slightly updated version of "The Lady is a Tramp":
In between musical performances,GaGa indulged in several typical TV special segments such as an interview with Katie Couric,making some holiday themed crafts with a group of current students at the school and a cooking lesson from celebrated chef Art Smith.
Since GaGa's father is opening a new restaurant,with help from his daughter,and Art Smith is rumored to be the head chef there,the foodie connection made sense. Plus,the fried turkey and waffles did actually look tasty. GaGa handled these portions of the program in a very natural lady-of-the-manor manner that was both entertaining and engaging to see(as well as a touch surreal):
The strongest parts of the show were GaGa's piano renditions of certain songs that were interwoven with personal asides about what inspired her to write them. During "Edge of Glory", she spoke about the deep love between her grandparents and how the death of her grandfather made such a major impact on the family. You could see that GaGa was truly touched by the passion that her elders shared for so long.
One of the most moving numbers was "Hair",where she talked about being bullied by her peers as a kid and sending out the message to those young people still suffering today that someone out there really understands what they're going through. I have to admit that upon listening again to this song over the weekend,tears came to my eyes. The heartfelt honesty expressed here is something that many artists aspire to and only a few truly achieve:
A Very GaGa Thanksgiving did well in the ratings and many critics were pleasantly surprised at the whole event. Naturally,a few naysayers insisted that this was merely a promotional vehicle for her holiday record and that she's commercializing her offbeat persona for the masses.
In my opinion,this special was a success in that it appealed to both fans and non fans alike,showcasing her talents and giving the audience a true assessment of what she's capable of now and in the future. It also proves what many of us knew all along,that GaGa is a real lady in every best sense of the term.
I don't know if GaGa will do another holiday special next year,but if she does,it could be the beginning of a lovely new tradition. Granted,this wouldn't be the same as your usual family themed special but how many of our top entertainers out there can sample stuffing while singing and dancing,I ask you? Lady GaGa's wonders never seem to cease,folks and I hope that they never do:
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