"DWTS" Week 9: Showstoppers Night
Ballroom + Broadway = one fabulous night of “Dancing with the Stars.” Most of the show’s weekly themes are gimmicky (Most Memorable Year, anyone?). But ballroom and Broadway were made for each other, as evidenced by last night’s performances.
Of course, it’s late in the season, and the final contenders have honed their skills for several weeks. But that doesn’t mean they have what it takes to stand onstage with people like Broadway legend Idina Menzel. Fortunately, everyone stepped up to the plate. Let’s recap:
Menzel performed her latest single, with lovely accompaniment from the pro women costumed in swirly blue dresses. If I was to ever meet Menzel, I imagine it would involve me wearing a ball gown, spinning toward her while she belts out “Let It Go,” or the theme from Rent.
Now, y’all know that James Hinchcliffe is my favorite contestant this year. And you also know that his pro partner Sharna Burgess was struggling to recover from a knee injury in order to join him onstage this week. She decided to play it safe and avoid re-injury, so Hinchcliffe partnered with pro Jenna Johnson for a Wiz-inspired jazz number. Burgess dressed like Glinda the Good Witch for moral support. Unfortunately, Hinchcliffe missed a few steps and the pair scored nines across the board. Hopefully Burgess and Hinchcliffe will be reunited next week for something dazzling.
Marilu Henner and Derek Hough were eliminated, leaving Calvin Johnson and Lindsay Arnold, Terra Jole and Sasha Farber, Jana Kramer and Gleb Savchenko, Laurie Hernandez and Val Chmerkovskiy, and James Hinchcliffe and Sharna Burgess as next week’s semi-finalists.
