Polly Katherine Hilton

My favorite memories from within the magical expanse of my childhood are the many trips my twin sister and I adventured upon to visit my grandparents in Columbia, SC.  They lived near a golf course, and between the fresh cut grass, the sand traps (which we often pretended were full of buried treasure, much to the dismay of the course proprietors) and runaway carts, my grandparents’ yard was the perfect stomping ground for two little identical, red-head hellions.  Even more exciting than all of these daytime activities however, was our loosely-enforced bedtime.  I knew that staying with 'Mudde and Big' (names that will forever be much better than generic old 'grandma' and 'grandpa') meant we would get to curl up and watch late night television programs, all the while enjoying a heaping bowl of coffee ice cream.  The programs rotated: Saturday Night Live some weekends for laughs, David Letterman on a more regular basis, the occasional breaking news story and, if there was ever a re-run of Johnny Carson on, you can bet that's where our TV was tuned.

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Years have gone by, and while my grandparents’ bedtime has gotten earlier, mine has gotten steadily later (What can I say? I do my best creative thinking between the hours of 12 and 2AM!).  With that has come a real love for late night TV, born from those happy childhood memories.  From Jimmy Fallon to Kimmel, to Colbert and Conan, and of course SNL, I love going to sleep with a smile on my face, and that is a guarantee when I tune in 

Nothing could have prepared me, however, for the addition of CBS' The Late Late Show, hosted by James Corden.  Taking over the show in March of 2015, the British firecracker and Broadway alum quickly became an almost religious staple of my daily routine.  Sure, I thought I enjoyed late night before, but ever since James's cheery, relatable and creative take on late night hit the scene, I have become addicted.  The way I see it, he is the Ellen DeGeneres of late night—always positive, kind, and genuinely funny.  

One of his most popular segments (truly, one would've had to live under a rock to have missed it's YouTube presence) is Carpool Karaoke.  The shtick is that James needs help (or company) while driving to work, so a whole parade of famous faces have taken to his passenger seat over the past few months.  From the inaugural sketch featuring powerhouse Jennifer Hudson, to a pre-Super Bowl Bash with Coldplay’s Chris Martin, to Justin Bieber, Carrie Underwood, Sia and greats such as Elton John and Stevie Wonder, the bit continues to garner fabulous reviews, while remaining insanely entertaining, and even breaking YouTube records. (Mr. Corden’s Carpool with Adele broke the record for the most-watched late-night clip EVER, with over 42 million views over its first 5 days).  While I look forward to relaxing with a glass of wine and watching the entirety of James’ program night after night, this segment is truly his crown jewel, so why not dream up a wish list of kickass lady singers for Carpool Karaoke to feature?  This is a call to action CBS producers!  These are dream divas at the height of fame, with unique stories to tell and hit-songs to boot, perfect people for Carpool Karaoke.

Lady Gaga

Fresh off her most recent appearance at the Grammy’s,  Super Bowl performance of the National Anthem, and  empowering performance at the Oscars, a Carpool Karaoke with Gaga would not only be timely but would be certain to unleash the avant-garde.  Pull out some costumes (like you did with Elton), brush off your copy of Bad Romance and practice your belting, Mr. Corden!  Bonus points if you get her to sing something classical or from the musical theatre genre (Lady Gaga’s tribute to the Sound of Music at last year’s Academy Awards remains a breath-taking triumph)!

Miley Cyrus

Aside from really wanting to hear James take a go at Wrecking Ball, a Carpool Karaoke session with Miley would certainly include some of the songstresses’ Hannah Montana hits (James always includes throwbacks, covers and latest releases) and I for one would love to see this diva relive her Disney days.  Also, a long ride would certainly allow the small talk to wander to what’s really going on between Miss Cyrus and her on-again, off-again beau, Liam Hemsworth!       

Beyoncé

Because… duh. 

Katy Perry

With her theatrical flair and timeless dance anthems, the Katy Perry + James Corden combo for a Carpool Karaoke is the perfect recipe for Katy to debut some of her new material (her latest new album is slated for release sometime this year).  Additionally, much like Mr. Corden’s trip wedding dress shopping with Iggy Azalea or his clothes swap with Justin Bieber, a Carpool with Katy would provide opportunity for a fashion-forward fieldtrip or visit to a cat café!

Taylor Swift

Guaranteed to throw it back to her country roots (and all those teardrops on her guitar), a Carpool with recent Grammy winner Taylor Swift would be an inside look at what it would be like to be part of her girl squad.  Cruising LA, pumping some killer tunes, hearing about her latest celebrity feuds… Get on it, James (if only so we viewers can hear you do the mini-rap in the middle of Shake It Off)!  

This Year’s Tony Nominees

Ok, so this one is totally selfish, and not theoretically limited to women.  I’m an absolute theatre junkie.  I watch it.  I write it.  I consume it.  So, when I heard James Corden will be hosting this year’s Tony Awards (the theatrical equivalent to the Academy Awards or the Super Bowl, but with more tap dancing) I literally screamed for joy.  It was embarrassing.  I would LOVE to see Mr. Corden use his late-night platform, specifically Carpool Karaoke, as a means of featuring this year’s latest and greatest Broadway stars.  For example, please feature Cynthia Ervio.  Currently starring in The Color Purple, guaranteed to be nominated, and a fellow Brit, Cynthia Erivo would make the perfect Karaoke guest.  She could sing the phonebook and the world would stand still (check her out here).  So to cap-off this wish list, a pre-Tony’s Carpool Karaoke would be this viewer’s dream.   

Whether you’re new to late night, or have fond memories watching such programs with family and friends, there is room for everyone in James’ Corden’s car.  From countless classics to up-and-coming stars, I can’t wait to see what the next Carpool Karaoke has in store for us viewers! 

 

Polly Hilton is a theatre maker, avid movie watcher, and long time bSmart writer. She is currently living the dream in NYC and is pursuing personal creative goals while working as a consultant for the Tiger Foundation. When she’s not writing a musical, going for a walk, sipping coffee, or hanging out with loved ones, she can be found at the controls of her XBox 360 playing an epic round of Disney Infinity (a worthy guilty pleasure).    

 

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