Author Archives: Sarah

Acafellas!

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glee_l1

So I have a confession to make: I wasn’t crazy about the season premier of Glee. I didn’t hate it – there were good things, and the story moved along, and it was funny. But, I didn’t love the “Push It” scene as much as the rest of the TV population, and I was appalled that Will’s wife lied about being pregnant.

Last night’s episode, Acafellas, totally erased all negative opinions. (Except one: I love Jane Lynch, but I’m not yet convinced they know what to do with her character. Why exactly does she hate glee so much? Is it really taking that much money away from the Cheerios?)

Anyway, so many great things about this episode:

  • Victor Garber and Debra Monk! Readers of this blog may recall that I am currently obsessed with Curtains, so I was thrilled to see Ms. Monk. Only one thing – with those two together, why didn’t someone come up with a way for them to sing? Hopefully they will in a future episode.
  • I’m no fan of Josh Groban, but his cameo was hilarious, and very well played.
  • Sandy Ryerson writes Desperate Housewives fan fiction! Ha! Easily the best line of the night. Oh, fanfic. You will alway be so mockable.
  • Thumbs up cake!
  • Every number  Acafellas performed. “Poison” was the best, and easily my favorite since “Don’t Stop Believin’.” Also, it took me a minute to realize that..yes…they really were singing “I’m Gonna Sex You Up”, on network TV, and supposedly at a PTA meeting. Once the realization hit, I busted out laughing.
  • The whole Kurt/Mercedes storyline, especially when he came out to her at the end. Very touching.
  • Puck likes cougars. Overall, I’m glad we’re getting to know the supporting cast better. And on that note…
  • I’m still no fan of Terri, but it was nice seeing her supporting Will, and showing that she does actually care about him – even if their relationship is still pretty messed up.
  • Finally, Emma continues to be awesome. More Emma, please!

Video of the Day: Obviously.

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Going steady! Going steady!

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birdie poster

This past weekend, Liz and I went to New York to see a preview performance of Bye Bye Birdie. We also ended up going to The Strand, eating at Joshua Tree (hee!), and seeing the madness that is Broadway on Broadway. Needless to say, by the time we got back on the bus Sunday afternoon, we were exhausted.

So, let’s start with the show, shall we? There’s good and there’s bad. I’ll start with the bad, since there’s really only one negative to the show. Unfortunately, it’s a pretty big negative: Gina Gershon. I’m sorry, cast and producers, but your Rosie is terrible. Awful. She might be great in the right role, but this isn’t it. Rule number one when casting a lead in a musical: cast someone who can SING. At the very least, cast someone who knows their limits. (Readers of this blog may recall I saw Guys and Dolls earlier this year. A lot was said about Lauren Graham’s voice. I agree that she is not a singer. However – she knew her limits, didn’t try to stretch them, and generally has great charisma. Is that a biased review? Perhaps. But I also think it’s pretty accurate.)

Earlier that day, we met up with a mutual friend, who said she had read reviews on Broadway.com that were pretty disparaging to Ms. Gershon.  We decided not to pay any attention to that, because after all, it is the internet, and it is message boards, and it is theater, and all three of these things can add up to catty, mean-spirited, and ridiculous behavior.

After Ms. Gershon finished “An English Teacher” (where, in addition to being off key, she went up several times), I knew the posters on Broadway.com were correct.

It’s really a shame, too, because this show could be great. In fact, the rest of the cast is fantastic. John Stamos is very charming, has a pleasant voice, and is the right casting choice for Albert Peterson. (He also wears suspenders in one scene, which is adorable.) He was nervous, and is obviously still adjusting to the role, and to being on stage again, but it’s apparent that after a couple more weeks, he’ll be great. Allie Trimm (Kim MacAfee) has an incredible voice, and is excellent as the young teenager selected to kiss Conrad Birdie goodbye. Nolan Funk, in addition to having a hilarious name, is fabulous as Conrad Birdie. Matt Doyle is adorable, and reminded me that Hugo Peabody is actually funny, not an annoying sap, as I had remembered. Also, even though he only sings in one song, he has a beautiful voice.

And then there’s Bill Irwin, who really is on a different level and needs his own paragraph. He’s delightful as father Harry MacAfee. He tips his hat a few times to Paul Lynde, who originated the role, but for the most part, makes it his own. (Also, sidenote and tip for Gina Gershon: Bill Irwin is not a singer. But he knows his limits.) Without giving anything away, I’ll just say that the director takes advantage of Mr. Irwin’s clowning and physical comedy background.

bill!

Also, he was the only “main” actor who came out after the show. We did the stage door from a distance, happy to observe without actually interacting with any of the actors. Liz because she says she’s afraid of famous people, and me because I don’t want the illusion shattered. (Though, if what we observed was accurate, I had nothing to worry about. Mr. Irwin was all smiles, happy to sign and pose for pictures, and talked with everyone he signed for.) He’s the smiling one in the hat in the picture above.

The highlights:
The Telephone Hour – which is reinvented, but in a good way.
One Boy
Honestly Sincere
Hymn For a Sunday Evening (I forgot to mention that Jake Schwencke, who plays Randolph MacAfee, has a stunning voice at 10 years old.)
One Last Kiss
A Lot of Livin’ To Do
Baby, Talk to Me

Sunday, we woke up early, intending to get downtown early, have brunch and get a good spot for Broadway on Broadway. Well…even with good intentions, it didn’t quite happen that way. We didn’t get on the train until 10, got into Grand Central around 10:40, had to wait in an obsurdely long fare card line, and didn’t get to the concert until just after it started. HOWEVER, it was insanely crowded, so we felt justified in knowing that, had we gotten there an hour earlier, we still would have been stuck in the crowd. All things considered, we had a great view – we could see the screens, and even the stage at times.

Highlights:
In the Heights
Next to Normal (Superboy and the Invisible Girl)
Chicago (All That Jazz – despite the sound issues, they rocked it – and the dancing was incredible as always)
Bye Bye Birdie (One Boy)
Hair (I have no desire to see the show, but that cast can sure sing)
Burn the Floor (anyone want to go? Those dancers are nuts!)
…and probably more, but those are the ones that stuck out.

The show ended with a group sing of New York, New York, and then….

confetti 3

confetti 4

Crazy confetti! Confetti everywhere! I now never need to go to Times Square at New Year’s. Also, who drops it? Where does it come from? Anyone know?

sarah liz times square

All in all, it was a fabulous weekend. Huzzah for Broadway!

Rejoice! Rejoice!

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I’m back from vacation.

Unfortunately (or fortunately), I went from zero to sixty upon returning. Things are very busy at home and at work, so updates may be a little less frequent for the next couple of weeks. (Or I could say screw real life, and update hourly. Probably that won’t happen, though.)

So what happened when I was gone? Forget hurricanes, Barney Frank being awesome (but damn, that was awesome) and a major political figure passing away. You guys, Project Runway is back!

Let me say that again. It’s a joy to type.

PROJECT RUNWAY IS BACK!!!!!!

Fortunately, we had cable at the beach house, so I was able to keep up with Tim, Heidi, Michael and Nina. I’m not sure I’ve ever been so glad to have a TV show return. When Heidi introduced Tim to the judges, I felt like crying. With Runway gone for so long, and no more episodes of Tim Gunn’s Guide to Style, there was a major hole in my TV watching. (And in my heart. I love Tim so much.)

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It’s too early for me to pick favorites, but I will say I’m glad that the super creepy Malvin is gone. Also, Logan is hot in a Tim Riggins way, I really want to love Qristyl, despite her weird name spelling, Gordana is fantastic should go far, and Mitchell looks like the long-lost brother of Michael C. Hall.

If you’re like me and can’t get enough Tim Gunn, here’s a great interview with him by the Trib’s Maureen Ryan.

Video of the Day:

In case you missed it, here’s Tim’s Daily Show interview from August 19th.  I love that Jon Stewart is a hardcore Runway fan.

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“She’s so refined. I think I’ll kill myself.”

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SingingLantaarnpaal2

Last night, my friend Liz and I went to the Comcast Outdoor Film Festival and saw Singin’ in the Rain. Outside. On a giant, inflatable screen. It was awesome.

We’d talked about going to one of the many summer outdoor film festivals in DC, but none were showing anything we wanted to see. (Well, anything I wanted to see, anyway.) Until now.

Singin’ in the Rain is my all-time favorite movie. I don’t remember a time when I didn’t know the film and love it. My sister and I grew up watching Gene Kelly dance and fall in love with Debbie Reynolds. I know the film cold. I can recite all the dialogue. I know every beat of every dance.

SingingTrap

So you know, I like it just a little bit.  

If you ever get a chance to see your favorite movie outdoors on a huge screen, do it. Of course, I’ve seen Singin’ in the Rain a million times. (No exaggeration.) But to see it on a huge screen with a captive audience was something else. We applauded after every number. We laughed when RF yanked Lena’s mic chord and she fell over screaming. We sat in awe at Cyd Charisse’s legs. (Okay, maybe that last one was just me. But seriously, the legs on that woman!)

cyd_charisse_singing_in_the_rain

One of my favorite parts of the evening was observing the two boys who sat in front of us. They couldn’t have been more than 12, and arrived just before the film started. Once they set up camp, I thought, “Oh, no. This is going to be bad.” But they sat, enchanted, throughout the whole film. It was adorable.

In case you haven’t gotten it by now, let me say again how cool it was to see Don Lockwood and Cosmo Brown on the big screen. The best part was watching the dance numbers all blown up. These two, in particular, were amazing to see.

 

“It’s gotta be a rose, cause it rhymes with Mose.”

 

When we were walking home, I said to Liz, “I could go watch that again right now. I love it that much.”

In the words of Barney Stinson: “De…wait for it….lightful! Delightful!”

And with that, I say goodbye for a few weeks. I’m going on vacation tomorrow, and will be back in September. I’ll leave you with what was undoubtedly the audience’s  favorite from last night: Ladies and gentleman, Mr. Donald O’Conner.