Friday, June 17, 2016

YOU NEVER FORGET KIDS LIKE EMILY, OR ANDY, BUT THEY FORGET YOU:  For the record, I prefer the Grierson/Leitch 1-17 ranking of Pixar films to Owen Gleiberman's because the former properly gets Ratatouille way ahead of anything Cars-related, though I have no ability to or interest in ranking the Toy Story films against each other, each of which is perfect.

Thursday, June 16, 2016

THE TOUGHEST CASE I'VE YET TO FACE:  Wicked will fly to film screens on December 20, 2019, so go ahead and start casting. (Not that we haven't tried once or twice before.)

Also, Lin-Manuel Miranda has confirmed -- in addition to his July 9 end-date -- that they will film the current cast of Hamilton before he leaves the show, though whether that will be made publicly available is TBD.  Determined, however, is that if you want to see She Loves Me with its revival cast, they'll stream it live online for $9.99 on June 30.

EDITED: Also, how about a Tony Kushner-penned, Spielberg-somehow-involved remake of West Side Story?

Monday, June 13, 2016

ANOTHER QUARTER OF THE EGOT:  The 2016 Emmy Ballots are out, and some interesting observations:
  • A number of shows opted to submit only one episode in the writing category to avoid cannibalizing votes--among them?  Crazy Ex-Girlfriend (Pilot), black-ish (the BLM episode), The Goldbergs (Dirty Dancing), Master of None (Parents), Kimmy Schmidt (finale), The Good Wife (finale), The Leftovers (International Assassin), Horace and Pete (Episode 3), Mr. Robot (pilot), 
  • Documentary Now! is considered a variety series (more specifically, a "variety sketch series"), not a comedy series, but only Hader is submitted as a lead actor, Armisten is supporting.
  • The various Muppet performers are all listed in lead actor for The Muppets.
  • Adele is a likely nominee for her Radio City special.  A win would leave her just T shy of EGOT.
  • You are not a lead, despite being submitted as one:  Brett Dalton (Agents of SHIELD), Cuba Gooding, Jr. (American Crime Story), Dianne Wiest (Life in Pieces), Elizabeth Henstridge (Agents of SHIELD), Reshma Shetty (Royal Pains).
  • Fred Armisen has 4 separate submissions for guest actor in a comedy (Man Seeking Woman, SNL, Kimmy Schmidt, and Difficult People).
  • Long-ish shot nominee who I'm really rooting for?  Tovah Feldshuh, Outstanding Guest Actress Comedy. 
THE GREATEST CITY IN THE WORLD: Jessica Lange (G) is now one step away from EGOT, but that can't be the most important takeaway from last night's appropriately solemn and celebratory Tony Awards.

Yes, the producers put their thumbs on the scales in terms of favoring Hamilton over other shows in terms of performance time -- but that's what the public, and the moment, demanded. Waitress moves up my want-to-see list, and Fiddler (too flashy!) down a peg. James Corden was an able host, though not on the NPH/Jackman pantheon.

And while I know it may prove controversial here, I'm more pro-faux-Ham4Ham interludes than anti, but really what I needed less of was the Chicago tribute when they were already running late. (And why would one rouge one's knees, anyway?)

Most of all, let's be glad we live in a country in which not too long from now, school groups will get to perform Hamilton, boosting their love both of musical theater and America, and I am very much looking forward to it.

(Lucy, who will graduate high school in 2021, is ready to take on Lafayette.)