Movie Review-----RAMPART

I need a shower....that's the first thought I had after watching this incredibly bleak corrupt cop drama. Gritty doesn't begin to describe this powerfully acted film featuring a performance from Woody Harrelson that was as sinfully overlooked this past Awards season as Michael Fassbender's performance in SHAME. Mr Harrelson plays Dave Brown, a dirty cop with a mean streak that constantly lands him in serious trouble. As he roams the streets, the LAPD sinks into a corruption scandal. This fact based film is co-written by crime novelist James Ellroy. The supporting cast includes Ned Beatty, Sigourney Weaver, Anne Heche, Cynthia Nixon, Audra McDonald, Ben Foster, Robin Wright, and Ice Cube. But the movie rests on the shoulders of Woody Harrelson and he is superb. It is a performance to be remembered and it is his best yet. It is not an easy movie to watch but it's well made, smartly written, and there isn't a bad performance to be found. RAMPART is tough and altogether too real.

Movie Review-----W./E.

Madonna should have used a nom de plume. I am convinced that if the critics didn't know that Madonna was responsible for the direction and for co-writing the screenplay to W./E., it would have had a fighting chance with audiences. Tonight, I sat with relatively low expectations to watch this glossy ensemble drama and two hours later, I was elated and quite moved by it. The film juxtaposes the lives of famous divorcee Wallis Simpson and Wally Winthrop, a 1990s housewife. As Wally attends an exhibit at Sothebys highlighting artifacts from the infamous affair and marriage between Wallis Simpson and King Edward VIII, the film flashes back to tell the story of how the famous couple met, fell in love and stayed married until his death in 1972. The contemporary story deals with Wally's realization that her marriage of comfort is no way to exist, especially when a handsome Russian security guard from Sotheby's begins paying her a little extra attention. The performances are wonderful all around, especially Andrea Riseborough as Wallis Simpson. She is mesmerizing. Oscar Isaac makes an impression as the compassionate Sotheby's employee and Abbie Cornish is gorgeous and convincing as a conflicted contemporary housewife second guessing everything in her life. The cinematography is wonderful, the music score is lush and romantic, and the costumes are beautiful. Madonna's work as a Director and a Screenwriter is without flaw, in my opinion. Until you hear her singing voice over the end credits, it's easy to forget that Madonna's hand is anywhere near the film. I think critic's claws were out for her from the beginning and because of that, people avoided W./E. and continue to. But I implore you to give it a try. It is romantic, compelling, and ultimately heartbreaking. I immediately went to Amazon after watching it and ordered it to own. Simply loved it.

Book Review-----ENEMIES, A LOVE STORY: AN ORAL HISTORY OF SISKEL & EBERT by Josh Schollmeyer

I remember the moment clearly....I was spending the night with my Grandparents in their big home in South St Louis. I was about 10 years old and I knew that after they went to sleep, I had control of the television. In 1980, there weren't as many channels as there are now, so I opened the TV Guide and saw that at 10pm on Channel 9 (PBS) there was a show called Sneak Previews. With my other choices being the local news telecasts, I opted to watch SNEAK PREVIEWS thinking I might see some cool Coming Attractions since at that time the trailers were my favorite part of going to the movies. Instead, it turned out to be a Movie Review program with two of Chicago's leading film critics battling it out over what they both believed to be the best or worst things about current theatrical releases. As I have said in earlier blogs, I was a very strange child. I was always on top of what movies were showing where and what the current releases were. So watching these two men discuss movies and movie stars that I was familiar with was fascinating to me. I was immediately hooked on this show and these two odd men with very strong opinions. SNEAK PREVIEWS became a regular weekly watch for me from that point on. I also bought a lot of the year end Roger Ebert volumes containing each of his movie reviews for that year. I read those reviews like I was reading Twain or Dickens...cover to cover. I followed Gene Siskel and Roger Ebert through all of their different titled TV Shows up until Siskel's unfortunate death at a much too young age. After that, I lost interest. Watching Ebert with others just didn't hold the magic that was present with Siskel. So I was anxious to read ENEMIES, A LOVE STORY: AN ORAL HISTORY OF SISKEL & EBERT by Josh Schollmeyer. This is a short fascinating book that chronicles how these two met and how the original PBS Show was conceived and produced. Siskel & Ebert didn't like each other and on camera together they could barely tolerate each other. But what they did have is a mutual respect for one another. They both knew that they made the other possible and took good care of their professional relationship, even if their personal one was non-existent. The book is told through several of the producers and directors of all of their Shows and takes you past Siskel's death, through Ebert's cancer treatment, and into the present day when Ebert continues to write incredible reviews even though he is no longer able to speak. Siskel & Ebert were as much a part of my childhood and teenage life as dating and getting a driver's license. This was a fun book to read and after finishing it, I spent a few hours on YouTube watching my two favorite movie critics dissect some of my favorite films once again.

Movie Review-----WE BOUGHT A ZOO

Could this really be from the man who brought us JERRY MAGUIRE, FAST TIMES AT RIDGEMONT HIGH, and ALMOST FAMOUS? WE BOUGHT A ZOO is Cameron Crowe's adaptation of Benjamin Mee's memoir about buying and saving a run-down zoo. Crowe changes the locale from Britain to southern California, however, the spirit of the original is retained, complete with escaped bears, snakes on the loose, and a crew of misfit zoo employees. Matt Damon plays Benjamin Mee and he has certainly left Jason Bourne far behind. He looks a little paunchier and is completely believable playing the father of a teenage boy and a beautiful young girl. Scarlett Johannson plays the zookeeper and the inevitable romance between she and Mr Damon is played out beautifully in the screenplay by both of them. Thomas Haden Church plays the same character he has played in...well....everything he's ever done. He was my least favorite thing about the film. It's obvious that Cameron Crowe wanted to make a family film and he has done just that. It is completely charming, utterly sweet, and highly emotional without being maudlin. WE BOUGHT A ZOO is a movie I avoided in the cinema because I thought it looked a wee bit too precious for my tastes, but although there are a few sugary moments, the very smart screenplay by Crowe kept it from being overly sentimental. When it ended, Troy said "How sweet was that!". Sweet without being sticky. I recommend it.

Movie Review-----ONE FOR THE MONEY

I often wonder how movie stars make their script choices. Katherine Heigl was on a roll for a while with some major hits that made her a bona fide box office draw. Then she made THE KILLERS with Ashton Kutcher and everything seemed to float downhill after that. ONE FOR THE MONEY is based on a series of successful books by Janet Evanovich and maybe on paper it works, but this movie stinks. Ms Heigl plays Stephanie Plum, who is adrift after getting a divorce and losing her job. To make ends meet, she becomes a bounty hunger, with her first big case revolving around a high school boyfriend who may be falsely accused of shooting an unarmed man. Nothing about this works. Ms Heigl is totally miscast as a Jersey Girl and it doesn't matter what color she dyes her hair, it doesn't work. The supporting cast includes Daniel Sunjata, Sherri Sheperd, Debra Monk, John Leguizamo, and Debbie Reynolds, who actually gives the most interesting performance in the film. Thankfully it only lasts a short 91 minutes, but it feels like hours have passed by the time the end credits roll. Lionsgate probably hoped to start a franchise with ONE FOR THE MONEY, but audiences were smarter than the studio was and smartly stayed away. Too bad I didn't do the same.

Movie Review-----MEN IN BLACK 3

To say that MEN IN BLACK 3 is my favorite in the series is faint praise. I am not a huge fan of these movies. As much as I enjoy both Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones, I have never found the humor particularly funny and the plots always seem as weak devices to get from one strange looking alien to another. What led me to go to the cinema to see this third entry was Josh Brolin. I greatly admire Mr. Brolin and couldn't wait to see what he did playing a younger version of Tommy Lee Jones. So I sat in my seat expecting to enjoy Mr Brolin and only tolerate the rest of the film. But I actually did enjoy the movie as a whole. The plot is actually pretty interesting and the visual effects are top notch. Beside Mr Brolin doing an expert Tommy Lee Jones impression, Emma Thompson also shows up and has a few great moments. Will Smith is terrific. He seems incredibly relaxed and in complete control. Tommy Lee Jones vanishes from the film after the first 15 minutes and shows up again at the end, so the majority of the movie replaces Jones with Brolin as K. Some of the humor is still lost on me, but thanks to Mr Smith and Mr Brolin, there were several laugh out loud moments. Placing Mr Smith back in 1969 New York City proves to be a winning plot device. The movies 106 minute running time feels like it's about a half hour shorter, which is a compliment to a very brisk moving film. So, yes, MEN IN BLACK 3 is my favorite in the series. Take that as you will. If you are a true MIB fan, I will be interested to see how you thought it held up. As a tepid fan at best, I was entertained completely.

Music Review-----BORN AND RAISED - John Mayer

BORN AND RAISED is John Mayer's fifth studio album and to my ears, it sounds like a side of John Mayer that he has been dying to get out and that we most likely will hear for the duration of his career. It's a very folksy sound almost bordering on contemporary country at times. Mr Mayer and four other musicians make up the majority of what you hear and the sound is crisp and perfectly appropriate for this style of music. There isn't a worthless track on the CD. Standouts are THE AGE OF WORRY, LOVE IS A VERB, A FACE TO CALL HOME, and the title track. One of the most fascinating tracks and the only one that I immediately played again after hearing it is WALT GRACE'S SUBMARINE TEST, JANUARY 1967. It must be heard to fully appreciate the poetry behind it. This is an interesting choice of style for Mr Mayer. None of the tracks have the sound of an obvious "chart hit". You don't listen to the CD and hear something like SAY, FATHERS, WAITING FOR THE WORLD TO CHANGE or YOUR BODY IS A WONDERLAND that you know will immediately shoot to the top of the charts. The music on BORN AND RAISED is more introspective and although incredibly catchy and appealing, none of the melodies are ones you are gonna hum while walking through the mall. This isn't a complaint, just an observation. For my tastes, this might be the most mature CD Mr Mayer has released yet. It marks a new chapter for John Mayer and it already makes me anticipate what comes next from him.

Movie Review-----CAROL CHANNING-LARGER THAN LIFE

They simply don't make them like they used to....and by "them", I mean real Broadway stars the likes of Carol Channing. In this documentary about her life, she refers to the Theater as sacred and for once, her actions back up her words. She missed only half a performance as Dolly Levi due to food poisoning. Half a performance after giving thousands upon thousands upon thousands of performances in HELLO, DOLLY! She brags about beating her dear friend Yul Brynner's record for 5000 in THE KING & I. I have always enjoyed Carol Channing, but after watching this endearing documentary, I am now hopelessly in love with her and consider her to be an American Icon. I defy you to watch this and not wish desperately for the opportunity to hug her at the end of it. To hear not only her own stories but to also hear her championed by the people who have worked with her. The most moving moment in the film is when she is reunited after 16 years with 10 chorus boys from her final appearance on Broadway in HELLO, DOLLY! They are joining her for a special appearance at the 2010 Gypsy of the Year Event in NYC. These men sit around a table and discuss how for 18 months on the road and on Broadway, she was the definition of a Leading Lady. They emotionally tell how Ms Channing knew that one of the Ensemble Men was ill from HIV and in the middle of a performance, she stopped to take care of him backstage and reassure him that the Show will be waiting for him when he is ready to return. This film follows Ms Channing as she returns home to San Francisco with her first love and current husband to reminisce about her childhood. It follows the trajectory of her career from GENTLEMAN PREFER BLONDES to HELLO DOLLY to THOROUGHLY MODERN MILLIE and then to her current fight to keep the Arts in public schools. You see her interacting with fans who stumble upon her in Shubert Alley. You see her in rehearsals for the Kennedy Center Honors Salute to Jerry Herman. Appearances from Debbie Reynolds, Tyne Daly, Bob Mackie, Chita Rivera, Tommy Tune, Lily Tomlin, Barbara Walters, etc wax eloquently about Ms Channing. The film ends with her appearance at Gypsy of the Year where she is greeted with a heartfelt and well deserved standing ovation. Carol Channing is a true legend whose love for the theater came and still comes before anything else. My personal favorite moment in the film was Carol in Shubert Alley looking at the posters for the current running Broadway Shows. She sees the poster for MARY POPPINS and loudly declares "Who dares to play Julie's role?" She and this lovely tribute are absolutely priceless.

Music Review-----NEWSIES - Original Broadway Cast Recording

Call me cranky, call me a curmudgeon, call me a flake....call me what you will, but I don't find either the movie NEWSIES or the Broadway Musical NEWSIES all that incredibly entertaining.  The movie is downright dull, but let's focus on the new Hit Broadway Musical.  Although I found the Cast outstanding and energetic, and I thought the choreography was probably the best of this current season, I found the show itself rather lifeless and boring.  I just don't find the plot very compelling.  Newsboys strike...ok, so what?  What the movie had going for it were some great songs by Alan Menken and Jack Feldman.  And that is also what the Broadway Show and especially the Broadway Cast Recording have going for it also.  The songs are pure Broadway and a few are even showstoppers in the theatre!  The Cast Recording is actually more interesting than the show itself.  Menken has written some additional songs that are perfectly fine, but the songs from the film are expanded, reorchestrated, and sung by a Cast of Broadway's finest young singers and dancers.  CARRYING THE BANNER is about as flashy and exciting as any Opening Number currently on the Great White Way and KING OF NEW YORK is an absolute stunner both on the recording and on stage!  Most of the new material is fill-in, but there is a beautiful love duet called SOMETHING TO BELIEVE IN that stands out.  Jeremy Jordan is as impressive on CD as in the actual theatre and proves himself to be a Leading Man to be reckoned with.  He is Tony nominated for his performance in NEWSIES.  There are few things more exciting to listen to than a male chorus belting their hearts out and the Boys in NEWSIES certainly deliver!  It's a great Cast Recording and makes more of an impression than the actual experience of watching the Show.  Disney has a huge hit on their hands with NEWSIES and the CD will continue that success as little girls all over the country beg their parents to book a trip to NYC after hearing it!

Movie Review-----THE VOW

When I look at Channing Tatum, I think "Thug". I just don't see him as a Leading Man in a romantic drama. However, his performance in THE VOW changed my mind. He does quite well here and has some nice moments. In THE VOW, Rachel McAdams star as a woman who slips into a coma after a car accident and awakens with amnesia. Her devoted husband, played by Mr Channing, must help her recover and also win her back. Movie versions of Nicholas Sparks novels are hit and miss with me. I was a fan of MESSAGE IN A BOTTLE and THE NOTEBOOK, but the other ones were dead on arrival for me. THE VOW is not a great movie, but it is a pleasant Saturday night diversion love story. The performances are quite good. Rachel McAdams has always been a favorite for me and her performance here is not a disappointment. There is nice supporting work from Scott Speedman and Sam Neill. Jessica Lange has a really nice scene with Ms McAdams near the end of the film that reminded me once again how much I miss Ms Lange on the big screen. This is definitely a "chick flick" and although THE VOW won't be a movie I'll watch again, I'm glad I saw it. Not a classic love story, but not a horrible way to spend a Saturday night on the couch.

Movie Review-----BATTLESHIP

I remember sitting in the cinema when I saw the trailer for BATTLESHIP and I said out loud "No way am I ever seeing that". Yet today, I sat with my friends who were desperate and anxious to see it. As the Universal logo rolled across the screen, I vowed to stay silent and be a good boy even if I hated it. And guess what....I actually enjoyed it. A lot. It's what a summer popcorn movie should be....mindless, exciting, and loud. The plot doesn't matter and neither does the fact that some of the dialogue sounds as though a fourth grader wrote it. What matters are the visual effects and this movie is one gigantic WOW. Everything from the aliens to the spaceships to the really cool rolling fireballs made of steel adds to the fun of for me, the true kickoff to the summer movie season. I was not a fan of THE AVENGERS. I felt that the last 45 minutes just weren't enough of a payoff for having to sit through the lifeless 90 minute setup. But right from the start, BATTLESHIP grabbed me. Taylor Kitsch redeems his career after the JOHN CARTER fiasco and proves himself to be a sexy worthy action hero. Liam Neeson has a few nice moments in what adds up to a glorified cameo. Rihanna surprised me with how much screen presence she has. I think with the right Director and a really decent script, she could have an acting career ahead of her. Peter Berg keeps the pace moving rapidly and makes the 131 minute running time skip by. By the end, you care about the characters (again, I felt nothing for any of the avenging Marvel superheroes). BATTLESHIP was a nice surprise and a great way for me to feel the heat of the summer movie months.

Music Review-----LYSISTRATA JONES - Original Broadway Cast Recording

This past January, I took a brief 3 night trip to NYC. I saw Darren Criss in HOW TO SUCCEED...., the Revival of PORGY & BESS, Harry Connick Jr in ON A CLEAR DAY...., and nestled in between those Shows was a new musical that I knew nothing about called LYSISTRATA JONES. I knew it had had a successful Off-Broadway run and so without doing much research, I bought a ticket. The night before I saw the Wednesday matinee, the Closing Notice was posted for the next Sunday. I was seeing the final Wednesday matinee performance. I entered the theater thinking that there would be a feeling of gloom and sadness surrounding me, but instead, the Cast came onto that stage like Warriors who were there to prove a point! The energy bounding from that stage was palpable and LYSISTRATA JONES ended up being my favorite Show of that particular trip. I thought it was so clever and had a great score. Not to mention that the Cast absolutely kicked ass that afternoon! They were relishing every final moment at the Walter Kerr Theatre. I was honored to be in their presence. LYSISTRATA JONES is a modern day retelling of the classic LYSISTRATA and rather than have the women hold onto their "goodies" until the war is over, in this version the Cheerleaders withhold sexual privileges until the Basketball team begins winning! Ridiculous right? Of course....but so much fun. When I left the theatre smiling that afternoon, I secretly hoped that in spite of the premature closing, they would still find time to record the clever score. So it was with great pleasure that I popped LYSISTRATA JONES, the Original Broadway Cast Recording into my CD player yesterday! The music and lyrics are by Lewis Flinn and although I don't believe the Score is going to be remembered as a Classic, it is extremely clever and fun with some terrific hysterical lyrics and memorable melodies. Highlights are the opening number RIGHT NOW: OPENING, CHANGE THE WORLD, and HOLD ON. The Cast is sensational and sings their guts out on this crisp recording. The treasure of the Recording is the Bonus Track....HOLD ON sung by none other than Jennifer Holliday! It's glorious! If you were one of the lucky ones to see LYSISTRATA JONES, then this CD is a fun revisit. If you missed the opportunity, then sit back with the CD, put the lyrics in front of you, and you will get lost in the true definition of an audience pleasing score. No heavy thinking allowed....just have fun. I believe that LYSISTRATA JONES should still be running. The audience that afternoon felt the same way. So happy that the CD can hopefully keep a Regional life beating for this charmer!

Movie Review-----DARK TIDE

This feels like an unofficial remake of Sylvester Stallone's CLIFFHANGER moved to South Africa and starring Halle Berry. Ms Berry plays Kate, a "shark whisperer" who has lost her magic after a shark attack kills a diver on her team. But when an ex-boyfriend offers her a chance to get her mojo back by leading a millionaire on a risky shark dive, she decides to go for it. This film never got a full theatrical release and it's pretty obvious why after watching it. It's not a bad movie, it's just dull. Not sure what Ms Berry thought she was signing on to, but it's not exciting enough to be an action film, not suspenseful enough to be a thriller, and not gory enough to enter into the horror category. It is obvious that JAWS will always be the gold star shark movie. DARK TIDE doesn't even begin to compare. Ms Berry looks bored and eventually it becomes clear that she just wanted a paid vacation in beautiful locations. Had the film been about 20 minutes shorter and had a few more juicy shark attacks, DARK TIDE might have had a shot. As it is, it's a perfectly harmless tale that could have had a lot more bite.

Movie Review-----HAYWIRE

It's a Bourne movie with a shot of estrogen. In Steven Soderbergh's action thriller, Gina Carano plays Mallory Kane, a stunning secret operative who discovers after a last-minute mission in Dublin that she has been betrayed and that her own life is no longer safe. Now, to outwit her enemies, she'll simply have to outlast them. Ms Carano is impressive as Mallory. She is in practically every scene and shows some nice acting chops to support her incredible athleticism. It is clear that she is doing her own stunts and the movie is that much more effective because of that. Soderbergh has surrounded Ms Carano with an all-star cast including Ewan McGregor, Bill Paxton, Channing Tatum, Antonio Banderas, Michael Fassbender, and Michael Douglas. I enjoy a good revenge thriller and this one moves at a brisk 92 minute pace and does not disappoint. The locations from Barcelona to Ireland to Mexico to New York are beautifully filmed and Soderbergh does his usual expert job. Is there any genre this man can't direct and be successful? HAYWIRE was woefully underrated and under appreciated when it was released, but hopefully it can be discovered at home by audiences that appreciate an action thriller that actually makes you think.

Event Review-----AN EVENING WITH DEBBIE REYNOLDS

First of all, she looks fabulous! She made her entrance to a sold out audience tonight wearing a Bob Mackie gown that she claimed "Elizabeth didn't get in the divorce!" AN EVENING WITH DEBBIE REYNOLDS is a delightful 90 minutes spent with a true Hollywood legend and certainly one of the few remaining ones. The evening is filled with dirty jokes, stories from old Hollywood, and songs....a few too many songs, in my opinion. Ms Reynolds has never been known for having a terrific singing voice, it's always been a little thin and nothing very special and at the age of 80, it's less than it ever was. But Ms Reynolds certainly loves to sing and my only complaint about the evening was that I would have liked to have heard more talking and stories shared than less than perfect singing. She showed film clips from her most beloved movies, did a series of pretty terrific imitations of Hollywood legends like Jimmy Stewart and Bette Davis, and told tales about her unfortunate marriages to three deadbeats. She went up on her lyrics a few times and her pianist had to yell out a few lines to get her back on track, but she handled those moments with style. Her accompaniment was a piano, a bass, and the occasional canned orchestration. This was the perfect Event for me to attend the night after turning 42 because up against the age of my fellow audience members, I was a pure babe in the woods. Ms Reynolds tours this show 42 weeks of the year and it's clear that she has a fantastic time performing. She said more than once how shocked she is that people actually show up to see her. My favorite line of the night was after she sang her signature song TAMMY to close the evening. She said good night and there was an instant standing ovation. She bowed several times and finally said "Folks, I don't walk back and forth at this age...this is really the end. See ya" and made her exit. It was a pleasure spending an evening with her. They don't make 'em like that anymore.

Movie Review-----DARK SHADOWS

I have seen every episode of the original DARK SHADOWS tv series thanks to Netflix. I was also a huge fan of the updated DARK SHADOWS starring Ben Cross that ran for one season on NBC in the mid 90's. When I heard that Tim Burton and Johnny Depp were combining for a new version of DARK SHADOWS, I got very excited. I was looking forward to a dark gothic update that would be both thrilling and terrifying. So when I saw the first trailer for it a few months ago, it made me angry to think that they are advertising it as a comedy. I couldn't imagine Tim Burton destroying the DARK SHADOWS legend by making it a satire. So when I settled into my seat this morning to see it, I had very low expectations. I think that helped....a lot. DARK SHADOWS opens with an incredible and compelling prologue that tells how Barnabus Collins became a Vampire and what sealed his inevitable fate being buried deep underground for 200 years. Then the film moves to the year 1972 and the main titles are shown while the classic and haunting NIGHTS IN WHITE SATIN is played. I sat up straighter in my seat thinking that maybe Burton and Depp won't let me down....this might actually work. Two hours later, the end credits began rolling and I have to admit....I loved it. It's flawed and can't quite decide whether or not it wants to be a gothic horror film, cheesy soap opera, or 1970's satire, but on the whole, I was incredibly entertained and pleased with the outcome. The cinematography and locations are beautiful and the whole movie has a very misty foggy quality which lends itself well to the material. Johnny Depp is spectacular as Barnabus. It's perfect casting. Just try and take your eyes off of his hands....you can't! Michelle Pfeiffer is always a welcome sight on a movie screen and she is wonderful here. She absolutely understands the campiness of her role and has a delicious time with it. Helena Bonham Carter is quite funny and Jackie Earle Haley does a lot with a pretty underwritten role. The screenplay has a tough time vacillating between the comedy and the drama and if I didn't see that it was written by one person, I would have believed that two people wrote it in two different rooms and somehow just spliced it together. But in spite of it's schizophrenic feel, I watched most of it with a goofy grin on my face and simply had a great time. It has the feel of the classic show but with a much higher budget. The visual effects are top notch, the costumes are splendid, and Danny Elfman's musical score is combined with great songs from the 1970's. The movie is set up for a sequel, but my feeling is that DARK SHADOWS just isn't going to find enough of an audience to start a new franchise. Which is unfortunate, because I think there's enough talent on screen and behind the scenes to continue the tale of Barnabus and Family. I am still disappointed that the gothic feel of the first 10 minutes didn't carry through for two hours, but I still sat happily in my seat loving every moment of the ride.

Music Review-----BLOWN AWAY - Carrie Underwood

Carrie Underwood is my favorite American Idol winner. When I think about the reality that without that television show, this young woman might never have had this incredible voice heard, it makes me glad that AI exists, even though I don't watch it anymore. This is one of the finest female voices in Country that there has ever been and we are only at the beginning of her phenomenon. Her first CD SOME HEARTS is one of the finest debut CD's ever from an artist of any genre. Although I have enjoyed her 3 followups, none have come close to the magic of that first CD. But her latest, BLOWN AWAY, comes pretty close. Ms Underwood has matured and with her maturity comes a deepening of themes in her songs. Some of these songs are dark in tone. BLOWN AWAY deals with an abusive household and my favorite track on the album is TWO BLACK CADILLACS, which is about two women who discover they were wronged by the same man and kill him. This album comes closest to authentic country western than any of her past. Tracks such as CUPID'S GOT A SHOTGUN and ONE WAY TICKET could have been written in the heyday of country twang. There's a very moving song called THANK GOD FOR HOMETOWNS that beautifully tells the tale of a person returning to the warmth of their birthplace when they need it most. Ms Underwood has written several of the songs and she shows great maturity as a songwriter as well. All in all, it's a decent album. Her voice can make anything work. I just keep waiting for lightning to strike once more with a PERFECT album like her debut. In the meantime, BLOWN AWAY is a flawed but incredibly successful effort.

Book Review-----MOST TALKATIVE: STORIES FROM THE FRONT LINES OF POP CULTURE by Andy Cohen

I am a huge fan and avid viewer of the Bravo Network. There are very few Shows on this network that I won't watch. I am addicted to any version of REAL HOUSEWIVES, FLIPPING OUT, BETHENNY EVER AFTER, and have fond memories of BEING BOBBY BROWN, WORK OUT, SHEAR GENIUS, and INSIDE THE ACTOR'S STUDIO before James Lipton did stupid things like interview Jennifer Lopez about her legendary film career....really? The man behind most of the hit shows on Bravo is Andy Cohen. Andy was raised in St Louis and has truly made a name for himself in the world of pop culture. His first book, MOST TALKATIVE: STORIES FROM THE FRONT LINES OF POP CULTURE, is a combination Memoir and a look behind the scenes of the Bravo Shows, with an emphasis on the Housewives Franchise. Andy is an openly gay man and speaks candidly about his struggle coming out and the beautiful support that he felt from his family and most of his close friends. It's a very well written and honest book that has several memorable chapters. My favorite is his chapter about his triple strike out with Oprah. It's hysterical reading about how he had 3 encounters with Queen Oprah and each one was more disastrous than the next. But the crux of the book is spent with the Housewives. How the franchise was developed and how the different cities were introduced, why some worked and some failed, and just how "real" the shows are. The Reunions are dissected with terrific behind the scenes gossip. Andy doesn't always gracefully hide how he truly feels about some of the women (Hello, Jill Zarin!), but he also doesn't take an opportunity to openly trash anyone either. Andy speaks fondly of the Midwest and also doesn't boast about the celebrity friends he has (his Besties include Sarah Jessica Parker, Anderson Cooper, and Kelly Ripa). The book feels as though Andy is sitting across a table from you with a glass of wine telling you stories. It's a light quick read filled with laugh out loud moments and also some genuinely touching sequences as well. If you are a fan of Bravo and an admirer of Andy Cohen, you will enjoy MOST TALKATIVE: STORIES FROM THE FRONT LINES OF POP CULTURE.

TV Review-----AROUND THE WORLD IN 80 PLATES

Call it THE AMAZING RACE crossed with TOP CHEF with a dose of SURVIVOR thrown in. AROUND THE WORLD IN 80 PLATES is the newest Reality TV Competition and it airs on Bravo. Curtis Stone and Cat Cora are the Hosts. The premise has some of the finest Chefs in America competing for $150,000 and bragging rights. The Premiere took place in London where the Chefs meet for the first time and are immediately given their task. In this case, they had to find 3 separate pubs and partake in some of the traditional gastro pub menu selections. The first pub had them downing what looked to be a mighty potent alcoholic concoction and eating something disgusting looking called Black Pudding. Then at the second pub, they had a choice between eating a steak & kidney pie OR downing 3 yards of ale. And finally, at the third pub, they had a traditional fish & chips dish. The first team to finish received a "special ingredient" that would help them in the final challenge. In this case, the winning team received the permission to use potatoes in their dishes, while the losing team was refused the right to use potatoes. Made making fish & chips a bit difficult without the chips. Their task was to take over two of the pubs they attended and serve the meals that they had that day. Hmmmm....perhaps at least one of the two teams should have had the steak & kidney pie so they at least had an idea of what it consisted of! Without giving away the ending, the losing team of the final challenge must choose one of their own to be sent home. I must say that I have grown weary of TOP CHEF and found AROUND THE WORLD IN 80 PLATES to be a refreshing change. I like taking a peek at the traditional food of other countries and the upcoming episodes promise to be much more exotic than London. The Chefs are certainly an appropriate blend of personalities guaranteed to provide the appropriate drama. I thought the Premiere was slick, beautifully filmed, and quickly paced. I like the fact that local people choose the winning team based on how their own traditional meals are served and prepared. I also like the fact that the Hosts of the show do not have a say in who goes home each week, thus the SURVIVOR aspect of the show. I think Bravo has the start of a new franchise here and special kudos for Curtis and Cara as the Hosts. Not a fan of Padma or her scar. AROUND THE WORLD IN 80 PLATES had me hooked by the first commercial break.

Music Review-----BONNIE & CLYDE - Original Broadway Cast Recording

Last November I was lucky enough to see the new Broadway musical BONNIE & CLYDE. It didn't last incredibly long and in my opinion, it opened at the wrong time of year. I think if it had opened in the spring, it could have built an audience. But it opened in November and couldn't survive Broadway's traditionally brutal winter months of January and February. Composer Frank Wildhorn has had a checkered track record on Broadway. He had a commercial success several years ago with JEKYLL & HYDE but had huge critical and financial failures with THE CIVIL WAR and last season's disastrous WONDERLAND. So I entered BONNIE & CLYDE with very low expectations. But there was a lot to appreciate in BONNIE & CLYDE and one of it's virtues was an excellent score composed by Wildhorn with lyrics by Don Black. The Cast Album was recorded after the show closed and I am grateful that someone saw fit to capture this score with it's wonderful original cast. Laura Osnes and Jeremy Jordan play the title duo and they were both mighty impressive in the flesh performing these complex difficult roles. As good as they were in the theatre, they are equally brilliant on the recording. They both sound wonderful and sing the hell out of these country tinged songs. This is not only Wildhorn's best score since JEKYLL & HYDE, it might actually be his best ever. You need go no further than Track #3, THIS WORLD WILL REMEMBER ME, to know that there is something unique and special about this score. Highlights also include YOU LOVE WHO YOU LOVE, THIS WORLD WILL REMEMBER US, and Laura Osnes' finest moment with DYIN' AIN'T SO BAD. I think BONNIE & CLYDE will have a long regional life and with the assistance of this terrific recording, the audience it couldn't find on Broadway will discover this surprising and memorable score. It reminded me why I make a point of getting to NYC as often as possible. I would have hated to have heard this CD without having the pleasure of seeing the show that accompanied it.

Movie Review (Classic)-----FATAL ATTRACTION: ORIGINAL DIRECTOR'S CUT

In 2013, Paramount Pictures will be releasing FATAL ATTRACTION on Blu-Ray as an Original Director's Cut edition. Last week in New York, a friend of mine who works in marketing for Paramount surprised me by giving me an advance copy since he knows that FATAL ATTRACTION is one of my all time favorite films. Hollywood lore talks about how director Adrian Lyne showed his original cut to a test audience in Los Angeles months before the film's release in 1987. The audience loved the movie, until the ending. The original ending did not have the infamous bathroom battle between Glenn Close and Michael Douglas and it certainly didn't contain the climax where Anne Archer delivers the final shot in the chest to Ms Close. The audience didn't want to see an ending that didn't see Ms Close's character get her just desserts and so Mr Lyne and Paramount came up with a new finale and everyone gathered for reshoots. Ms Close famously refused to shoot the ending until threatened with a lawsuit and the rest is history. So I sat this afternoon with the blu-ray not sure what I was going to be seeing and my feelings are mixed about the results. Let me go back....in 1987, I was a Senior in high school and a group of fellow Seniors went to Westport Cinema on the opening night of FATAL ATTRACTION. We had no idea what to expect and by the end, we and the rest of the audience were thrilled, terrified, and exhilarated by the final 5 minutes of this brilliant thriller. I have seen the movie several times since that first viewing but it's amazing how adding a new conclusion to a film changes the entire viewing experience. Here are the details of the original ending....the last scene that remains in this version that was in the original film is the moment where Michael Douglas bursts into Ms Close's apartment threatening her physically. She retaliates by attacking him with a knife but he manages to wrestle it out of her hands and the scene ends with Mr Douglas placing the knife on the kitchen counter and walking out. Here's where the new version begins....Ms Close puts on a recording of MADAME BUTTERFLY and picks up the knife. The action cuts to Michael Douglas and Anne Archer doing yard work when a police car suddenly pulls up the driveway and Douglas is arrested for the murder of Alex Forrest (Ms Close). As he is being put into the squad car, he tells his wife to call their lawyer immediately. As the police car drives away, Ms Archer runs to Douglas's office and picks up the phone. As she is on the phone hysterically crying, she suddenly sees an audio cassette tape marked PLAY ME. She plays the cassette and it is Alex leaving threatening messages for Dan (Mr Douglas). On the tape, she says that she will kill herself if he doesn't come back to her and she will make sure that he goes down for it. Ms Archer takes the cassette out, puts it in her purse and runs out of the room as you hear her yell to her daughter that they have to go see Daddy. The sounds of Puccini's MADAME BUTTERFLY begin as there is a slow fade to Alex sitting on her bathroom floor holding the knife that Dan was last holding in her kitchen. Suddenly and slowly, Alex takes the knife to her own throat and slits it. As her body slowly slumps out of sight, the end credits begin rolling. Thus ends the Director's Cut of FATAL ATTRACTION. From a dramatic point of view, this new edition works. Not to mention that it gives Anne Archer her finest acting moment in the entire film. She was nominated for an Academy Award for her supporting performance but was never really a contender in the race. However if her final scene had been included, she probably could have given Olympia Dukakis a run for her money that year. The final shot of Alex killing herself is chilling, but it certainly doesn't have the "bang" that the theatrical version had. We want to see Alex get it and get it good and especially at the hands of the wife, who earlier threatened Alex that if she came near her family again, she most definitely would kill her. Watching the movie again, I was once more in awe of Glenn Close's incredible performance. Alex Forrest has to be one of the screen's great villains, but Ms Close also gives Alex enough of a soul that there is a certain amount of sympathy that she deservedly receives from the audience. It's clear that Alex has had an abusive shattered past and she saw one last glimpse at happiness in the arms of this married man. Still shocking that Glenn Close lost the Oscar to Cher for her performance in MOONSTRUCK. I adore Cher in that film, but her performance has nothing on Glenn Close in FATAL ATTRACTION. Michael Douglas also does fabulous work here, but his performance as Dan was overshadowed by his Gordon Gekko in WALL STREET, which won him the Best Actor Oscar that year. I was thrilled to see this version of FATAL ATTRACTION, but in the future when I watch this classic, I will be viewing the original theatrical version. It's just not the audience pleaser without that final shot ringing out....

Movie Review-----THE AVENGERS

Maybe I'm just getting too old for this stuff.... I miss the pre-CGI days of Superhero movies. I have fond memories of Christopher Reeve in SUPERMAN, Michael Keaton in BATMAN, and even Lynda Carter as television's WONDER WOMAN. I still think the greatest superhero movie ever made was 1978's original SUPERMAN THE MOVIE. Great cast, incredible script, and fabulous effects for it's time. I have seen and enjoyed all of the recent movies that led up to THE AVENGERS. I enjoyed both IRON MAN films, liked THOR, endured both HULK outings, and waited thru the endless end credits to see Samuel L. Jackson make his 30 second appearance to remind all of us of this 2012 blockbuster. I just wish the final result was better. It's not bad, it's just dull. The exposition is absolutely endless and until the 90 minute mark, I was bored to death. The final 45 minutes are outstanding and the entire movie should have had that same excitement and wonder. Robert Downey Jr is clearly the best actor of the group and the screenwriter clearly knows that. I never go into one of these movies expecting a script by Pinter or Albee, but this screenplay is especially bad. The plot just isn't exciting and the villain that we already suffered thru in THOR isn't interesting or evil enough to sustain suspense for two and a half hours. Plus, aren't we bored with seeing Manhattan destroyed in these movies? Aren't we tired of seeing innocent New Yorkers running down a street with a huge fireball chasing them destroying all of the cars in its path? Yawn. It's time for a change of location for these films. Jeremy Renner makes the most of his biceps and his screen time as does Scarlett Johannson who looks gorgeous. Mark Ruffalo is the best Banner yet out of the three live action Hulks and Chris Hemsworth does admirable work as Thor. However, the bad dialogue is made even worse coming out of Samuel L. Jackson's mouth. Yikes, he is awful here. But look, I know we go to these movies for sheer escapism and fun. I just didn't find THE AVENGERS particularly fun. It is excruciatingly slow until the final big battle and since that's what the majority of the audience is there for, they will forgive THE AVENGERS huge and many shortcomings.

My Thoughts on the Tony Nominations

There are 9 productions up for Tony Awards that I have not seen....VENUS IN FUR, ONE MAN TWO GUVNORS, MASTER CLASS, WIT, MAN AND BOY, THE COLUMNIST, DON'T DRESS FOR DINNER, STICK FLY, and THE ROAD TO MECCA....so in categories where these Shows are nominated, I can only judge what I have seen.

BEST PLAY

What The Tony Voters Will Choose:  CLYBOURNE PARK

What I Would Choose:  OTHER DESERT CITIES


BEST MUSICAL

What The Tony Voters Will Choose:  ONCE

What I Would Choose:  ONCE


BEST BOOK OF A MUSICAL

What The Tony Voters Will Choose:  ONCE

What I Would Choose:  ONCE


BEST ORIGINAL SCORE

What The Tony Voters Will Choose:  PETER AND THE STARCATCHER

What I Would Choose:  BONNIE & CLYDE

What Should Have Been Nominated:  ONCE


BEST REVIVAL OF A PLAY

What The Tony Voters Will Choose:  DEATH OF A SALESMAN

What I Would Choose:  THE BEST MAN

What Should Have Been Nominated:  A STREETCAR NAMED DESIRE


BEST REVIVAL OF A MUSICAL

What The Tony Voters Will Choose:  FOLLIES

What I Would Choose:  JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR


BEST PERFORMANCE BY A LEADING ACTOR IN A PLAY

What The Tony Voters Will Choose:  Philip Seymour Hoffman in DEATH OF A SALESMAN

What I Would Choose:  James Earl Jones in THE BEST MAN

What Should Have Been Nominated:  Stacy Keach in OTHER DESERT CITIES


BEST PERFORMANCE BY A LEADING ACTRESS IN A PLAY

What The Tony Voters Will Choose:  Tracie Bennett in END OF THE RAINBOW

What I Would Choose:  Tracie Bennett in END OF THE RAINBOW

What Should Have Been Nominated:  Nicole Ari Parker in A STREETCAR NAMED DESIRE


BEST PERFORMANCE BY A LEADING ACTOR IN A MUSICAL

What The Tony Voters Will Choose:  Norm Lewis in PORGY AND BESS

What I Would Choose:  Norm Lewis in PORGY AND BESS

What Should Have Been Nominated:  Raul Esparza in LEAP OF FAITH


BEST PERFORMANCE BY A LEADING ACTRESS IN A MUSICAL

What The Tony Voters Will Choose:  Audra McDonald in PORGY AND BESS

What I Would Choose:  Jan Maxwell in FOLLIES

What Should Have Been Nominated:  Elena Roger in EVITA


BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A FEATURED ROLE IN A PLAY

What The Tony Voters Will Choose:  Christian Borle in PETER AND THE STARCATCHER

What I Would Choose:  Andrew Garfield in DEATH OF A SALESMAN

What Should Have Been Nominated:  Michael Esper in THE LYONS


BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A FEATURED ROLE IN A PLAY

What The Tony Voters Will Choose:  Judith Light in OTHER DESERT CITIES

What I Would Choose:  Judith Light in OTHER DESERT CITIES

What Should Have Been Nominated:  Rachel Griffiths in OTHER DESERT CITIES


BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A FEATURED ROLE IN A MUSICAL

What The Tony Voters Will Choose:  David Alan Grier in PORGY AND BESS

What I Would Choose:  Josh Young in JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR

What Should Have Been Nominated:  Paul Whitty in ONCE


BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A FEATURED ROLE IN A MUSICAL

What The Tony Voters Will Choose:  Judy Kaye in NICE WORK IF YOU CAN GET IT

What I Would Choose:  Jessie Mueller in ON A CLEAR DAY YOU CAN SEE FOREVER

What Should Have Been Nominated:  Chilina Kennedy in JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR


BEST DIRECTION OF A PLAY

What The Tony Voters Will Choose:  Pam MacKinnon - CLYBOURNE PARK

What I Would Choose:  Roger Rees and Alex Timbers - PETER AND THE STARCATCHER

What Should Have Been Nominated:  Joe Mantello - OTHER DESERT CITIES


BEST DIRECTION OF A MUSICAL

What The Tony Voters Will Choose:  John Tiffany - ONCE

What I Would Choose:  John Tiffany - ONCE

What Should Have Been Nominated:  Des McAnuff - JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR


BEST CHOREOGRAPHY

What The Tony Voters Will Choose:  Christopher Gattelli - NEWSIES

What I Would Choose:  Kathleen Marshall - NICE WORK IF YOU CAN GET IT

What Should Have Been Nominated:  Lisa Shriver - JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR


BEST ORCHESTRATIONS

What The Tony Voters Will Choose:  ONCE

What I Would Choose:  ONCE

What Should Have Been Nominated:  EVITA


BEST SCENIC DESIGN OF A PLAY

What The Tony Voters Will Choose:  PETER AND THE STARCATCHER

What I Would Choose:  OTHER DESERT CITIES

What Should Have Been Nominated:  A STREETCAR NAMED DESIRE


BEST SCENIC DESIGN OF A MUSICAL

What The Tony Voters Will Choose:  NEWSIES

What I Would Choose:  GHOST THE MUSICAL

What Should Have Been Nominated:  EVITA


BEST COSTUME DESIGN OF A PLAY

What The Tony Voters Will Choose:  PETER AND THE STARCATCHER

What I Would Choose:  PETER AND THE STARCATCHER

What Should Have Been Nominated:  PRIVATE LIVES


BEST COSTUME DESIGN OF A MUSICAL

What The Tony Voters Will Choose:  FOLLIES

What I Would Choose:  SPIDER-MAN TURN OFF THE DARK

What Should Have Been Nominated:  EVITA


BEST LIGHTING DESIGN OF A PLAY

What The Tony Voters Will Choose:  PETER AND THE STARCATCHER

What I Would Choose:  PETER AND THE STARCATCHER

What Should Have Been Nominated:  A STREETCAR NAMED DESIRE


BEST LIGHTING DESIGN OF A MUSICAL

What The Tony Voters Will Choose:  FOLLIES

What I Would Choose:  GHOST THE MUSICAL

What Should Have Been Nominated:  SPIDER-MAN TURN OFF THE DARK


BEST SOUND DESIGN OF A PLAY

What The Tony Voters Will Choose:  PETER AND THE STARCATCHER

What I Would Choose:  END OF THE RAINBOW

What Should Have Been Nominated:  A STREETCAR NAMED DESIRE


BEST SOUND DESIGN OF A MUSICAL

What The Tony Voters Will Choose:  FOLLIES

What I Would Choose:  FOLLIES

What Should Have Been Nominated:  GHOST THE MUSICAL

Music Review----ONCE - Original Broadway Cast Recording

I have had the Cast Recording of ONCE for a short while now and I resisted writing my thoughts on it until I had seen the musical itself on stage.  I fell in love with the recording upon first listen but I wanted to make sure that it held up with the actual production.  If you have not seen ONCE in the flesh, the Recording still impresses with each listen, but now that I've seen the musical, the Recording is that much richer and moving to hear.  ONCE on stage is one of the most subtle and beautiful theatrical experiences I have had.  It changed everything I thought musical theater could accomplish.  The simple story is told with such emotion and truth.  There is no official "orchestra" for ONCE.  The onstage actors provide every instrument that you hear.  The actors that make up the Cast of ONCE bring a new meaning to the word "ensemble" and this is proven at the Curtain Call where no one takes a single bow....only group bows.  And rightfully so.  FALLING SLOWLY, the Oscar winning song by Glen Hansard and Market Irglova has to be the most beautiful melody currently on Broadway.  And that song serves as the cornerstone to the Cast Recording as well.  Heard twice but with two completely different meanings as it serves the story.  Both Steve Kazee and Cristin Milioti perform their songs perfectly and the entire CD proves to be just as memorable as the musical itself.  If you can't get to NYC and see this beautiful show, the CD will allow you to imagine yourself sitting in that theatre basking in the glory of these incredible actors/singers/musicians.  "Raise your hopeful voice, you have a choice, you've made it now."

Music Review----THE MUSIC OF SMASH

I must admit that the television show SMASH has become a guilty pleasure.  What I had hoped would be a fabulous and realistic look at putting a Broadway Show together has instead become a not very good and totally ridiculous soap opera.  However, soap operas can be entertaining and SMASH is absolutely that.  I will never get over the sight of Angelica Huston threatening to pepper spray a rehearsal intruder....classic!  It was inevitable that in following the path led by GLEE, there would be a soundtrack album to SMASH, and this past week, it was released.  It proves to be a worthwhile endeavor for a reason that can be summed up in two words....Katherine McPhee.  The girl was meant to be a recording artist, there is no doubt about that.  She can sing ANYTHING and this CD puts her through several different styles to prove it.  The true highlights of the CD are the opening track, TOUCH ME and her gorgeous version of BEAUTIFUL.  Megan Hilty is featured a few times, as is Nick Jonas who sings a nice rendition of HAVEN'T MET YOU YET.  What truly doesn't work on the CD is the material that should have worked best and that is the original score written by Marc Shaiman and Scott Whitman.  I am a huge fan of both of them.  HAIRSPRAY will always be one of my favorite Broadway scores and I consider CATCH ME IF YOU CAN to be a truly underappreciated gem from last season.  But the songs for the BOMBSHELL musical on SMASH just aren't up to the normal standards from Shaiman and Whitman.  It's not that they are bad songs, just not memorable.  The one that comes closest is LET ME BE YOUR STAR sung by Ms McPhee and Ms Hilty.  MR. AND MRS. SMITH and HISTORY IS MADE AT NIGHT are nicely sung by Will Chase and Ms Hilty, but someone should have left THE 20TH CENTURY FOX MAMBO on the cutting room floor.  And that is part of the problem with the TV Show itself....everyone is madly working on a musical that has no chance to survive except in the realm of television fantasy.  Doesn't make the show unwatchable, but it certainly doesn't make it unforgettable.  I am happy that SMASH is coming back for a second season and my hope is that the road to Broadway with BOMBSHELL gets a little more realistic and better written.  I am sure that there will be THE MUSIC OF SMASH Volume 2, 3, etc....I hope the material improves with each release.

Broadway Review-----THE LYONS

Linda Lavin is my favorite stage actress. In 1987, I saw her for the first time in her Tony winning role as Kate in BROADWAY BOUND. Since then, I have seen her in THE DIARY OF ANNE FRANK, THE SISTERS ROSENSWEIG, GYPSY, THE TALE OF THE ALLERGIST'S WIFE, and COLLECTED STORIES. She can do no wrong. Last fall, she turned down opportunities to reprise roles in the Broadway productions of FOLLIES and OTHER DESERT CITIES to play the role of Rita Lyons off-Broadway in Nicky Silver's new play THE LYONS. People questioned this decision, but now here she is, newly nominated for a Tony Award for Best Leading Actress in a Play with the Broadway transfer. She is a force of nature on stage. You can't take your eyes off of her for a second or you might miss something. Such control she has. She can always be counted on to give a first class four star performance and in THE LYONS she did not disappoint. THE LYONS primarily takes place in a hospital room. Act One deals with the Lyons family coming to terms with the dying Patriarch, Ben. No one in this family is happy....with themselves or with each other. The son is gay with a boyfriend of 3 years that no one has ever met or seen. The daughter is a recovering alcoholic. The father hates his wife and can barely tolerate his children. And Rita....well, she doesn't like anybody. The theme of the play is simple....find your happiness. I greatly enjoyed the play. It's a dark comedy, to be certain. Rita Lyons makes a decision at the conclusion of the play that several women/mothers in my audience were unhappy with and bothered by based on the comments that I heard as I was leaving the theatre. Dick Latessa is terrific as Ben. Michael Esper plays Curtis, the gay son. He was outstanding. An incredibly strong performance, second only to Ms Lavin. The Second Act definitely takes a different tone than the first act and not everyone will appreciate the change. I was on board completely and found the final moments of the play very powerful. This was a terrific close to a wonderful trip to NYC.

Broadway Review-----A STREETCAR NAMED DESIRE

A STREETCAR NAMED DESIRE is my all time favorite play. I love it's plot, it's time and setting, and most of all, I love the language. Tennessee Williams has written three of my top ten favorite plays and this is my absolute favorite of his. This was my third Broadway visit to A STREETCAR NAMED DESIRE. The first was back in the 90's with Jessica Lange and Alec Baldwin. That was a flawed production with a masterful performance from Baldwin but a timid and hesitant one from Ms Lange. The second was not long ago and starred Natasha Richardson and John C. Reilly. This was a pretty awful production, with the exception of Ms Richardson. But the production I saw this afternoon was fabulous and worthy of much more recognition than it's gotten from both audiences and critics. The four leads in this version are African-American and it works beautifully. Blair Underwood is sexy and animalistic as Stanley. He stalks Blanche like a tiger and when he unleashes his sudden rage on not only Blanche but also Stella, the audience also cowers and fears him. Mr Underwood proves himself to be a strong stage actor. Daphne Rubin-Vega is wonderful as Stella. Her small frame and thin voice works perfectly. She is one of those rare actresses who can say more with a look than with words. Wood Harris is dynamite as Blanche's suitor, Mitch. But the real star of this production and the finest Blanche I've seen on stage thus far is Nicole Ari Parker. Not a false move is made by her as Blanche. She is outstanding and her final scene is magnificent. This is a Blanche that breaks your heart. The Tony Committee saw this production worthy of only a Costume Design nomination. As the bloggers go on and on whining about how Bernadette was robbed for FOLLIES, I am going to go on the record in saying that Nicole Ari Parker should have been nominated for Best Leading Actress in a Play. Her Blanche is new, fresh, and ultimately shattering. Bravo to this incredible Ensemble of actors for breathing new life into one of the all time greats!

Broadway Review-----LEAP OF FAITH

The 2012 Tony Nominations were announced today and LEAP OF FAITH was nominated for one single Tony.....Best Musical. After seeing it tonight, I'm a little surprised that it didn't get a Best Score nomination and I'm certainly shocked that Raul Esparza was ignored. First, the score....Alan Menken and Glenn Slater wrote the score and there's some really nice stuff there. Menken's score for NEWSIES was nominated and personally, I prefer his songs for LEAP OF FAITH. Tinged with a hint of country and a lot of Gospel, when LEAP OF FAITH sings, it soars! Put a big ole Gospel Choir onstage and I'm a happy man! The voices in LEAP OF FAITH are exceptional and lift the roof off of the St. James Theatre. Based on a failed Steve Martin film, LEAP OF FAITH tells a story that has been told before....a con man comes to a small town suffering from financial woes and a heavy drought. Sounds like THE RAINMAKER, 110 IN THE SHADE, and since the man is an Evangelist, shades of ELMER GANTRY also come to mind. There's nothing unique about the tale and by the time the rain comes at the end and drenches the cast during the happy ending, you absolutely have a strong sense of deja vu. But what does work in this show is Raul Esparza and some amazing singers! I don't know who Raul Esparza made angry, but there really isn't a logical explanation as to why he was ignored for a Tony nomination as Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Musical. I think this part fits him perfectly. Jessica Phillips plays the local Sheriff who becomes the reluctant love interest. Ms Phillips has a gorgeous voice and makes the most of her songs. The singing in the show is really the reason to see it. The Gospel Choir that serves as the centerpiece of the show is mighty impressive. Their moments make the predictable pat story worthwhile if only to serve as a function to get to the next ball busting Ensemble number! LEAP OF FAITH doesn't have a chance in hell of winning the Tony for Best Musical. It is clearly there to simply fill a slot. But it's hardly the worst thing I've ever seen either. It's a sweet yet unmemorable story that is lifted up by an above average score expertly sung by one of the best Ensembles working on Broadway.