The 2009 Kennedy Center Honors

The Kennedy Center Honors were aired last night and what an honor it was to watch people I admired be admired by other people I admire! The 2009 honorees were (in alpha-order) comedy legend Mel Brooks, pianist and composer Dave Brubeck, opera singer Grace Bumbry, acting legend Robert De Niro and singer/songwriter extraordinaire Bruce Springsteen. Or, as Caroline Kennedy called them (in sitting order), “a piano virtuoso from the California hills whose inspired rhythms made him America’s herald of a new age of jazz; a good fella from the mean streets of New York who redefined acting and made movie audiences an offer they couldn’t refuse; the little girl from a St. Louis church choir who could hit high C and became the diva we cheered in the houses of grand opera; a mischievous boy from Brooklyn who provoked billions of laughs by walking loudly and carrying a big schtick; and a rocker from the Jersey Shore who composed his own musical universe and – across America and the world – became The Boss.”

The presentation of the honors took place on December 6, 2010, and was preceded by a reception for the honorees, hosted by POUTS, FLOTUS and VPOTUS and as well as a luncheon hosted by the State Department. (Secretary Clinton was on hand to hob-nob with the talented bunch.)

Meryl Streep kicked off the honoring by talking about her experience working with and knowing Robert De Niro; a montage and other actors followed, including testimony from Martin Scorsese and Edward Norton. Next up was Dave Brubeck, whose video was introduced by Herbie Hancock, who, as it happened, I saw in concert when I went with my brother and parents to a Dave Matthews Band concert over ten years ago at the Coral Sky Amphitheatre (or whatever it’s called now!) Several accomplished jazz musicians were on hand to play Brubeck's compositions. Among the musicians were Brubeck's four sons. To watch Brubeck's eyes light up and his smile go wide is to know joy. His sons then proceeded to play Happy Birthday to their father, who turned 89 that day.

Then came the task of honoring Mel Brooks, a writer, composer, actor, director, producer and legend. On hand to introduce the segment was his Show of Shows buddy, and legend in his own right, Carl Reiner. Next up was Frank Langella who segued into a musical tribute to Brooks, replete with performances of memorable songs from movies Blazing Saddles, High Anxiety, Robin Hood: Men in Tights and History of the World Part 1, and Broadway shows Young Frankenstein and The Producers. Reading the write up about the show on the Kennedy Center website, I learned that some of the performance had been cut from the telecast. For example, the article says that Jane Krakowski sang “When You Got It, Flaunt It,” from The Producers but this was not televised. A number that was televised, though, was Glee star and Broadway vet Matthew Morrison singing the Mel Brooks standard, “Springtime for Hitler”. Dude brought it. He’s never worked with Brooks but Matthew can sing and he can definitely dance. His appearance was most certainly welcome. To finish the number, Matthew Broderick came out to sing a revised version of “’Til Him,” also from The Producers, and of course the “him” Broderick (and eventually everyone) was singing about was Mel. When the number finished, you saw all these artists looking up and smiling at a palpably touched Brooks. It’s sweet moments like these that make these sometimes schticky productions totally worth it.

After Mel Brooks was honored, it was on to opera singer Grace Bumbry. She was honored by none other than Aretha Franklin, who was an honoree in 1994. Franklin recounted the story of Bumbry performing at the first Honors ceremony in honor of Marian Anderson, and pointed out the lovely poignancy of Grace returning to the Kennedy Center 31 years later to be honored for her own accomplishments.

And then it was time to honor The Boss. Kicking off the awesomeness was New Jersey-born Jon Stewart. Pretty much any time I can watch something that includes both Jon Stewart and Bruce Springsteen I’m a happy lady. This was no exception. Stewart conceded that he and The Boss, at first blush, don’t have much in common – but they are both New Jerseyites and that, Stewart contended, meant a lot. The funnyman then told us what he believed: That Bob Dylan and James Brown had a baby. At this revelation, Bruce exploded with laughter and President Obama leaned over to give him daps. Stewart then went on to say, “I believe that Bruce Springsteen is an unprecedented combination of lyrical eloquence, musical mastery and sheer unbridled, unadulterated joy.” I’m a believer, too! After Stewart’s speech, the musical tribute magic began. Several venerable musicians graced the stage to offer their renditions of Springsteen classics such as “I’m on Fire” (Ben Harper and Jennifer Nettles), “My City of Ruins” (Eddie Vedder) and “The Rising” (Sting). It was moving, to say the least. And the audience's reaction was a tribute to the truly awesome power of music. Everyone in the audience was into it - I mean everyone! Meryl Streep, Phillip Seymour Hoffman, the Obamas and even Dave Brubeck were all dancing in their seats - in the beginning - and then by the end of Sting and a gospel choir's beautiful take on The Rising, everyone was on their feet pointing to and praising a sixty year old kid who likes rock and roll. As with Mel Brooks, The Boss looked genuinely moved by the adoration being poured over him. Flanked by his wife and E Street Band member, Patti Scialfa, and Michelle Obama and her husband, Springsteen was clearly and deeply appreciative of the appreciation. The Boss is so boss that even while tearing up and wearing a rainbow sash, he still looked cooler than any other rocker out there. Keep going, Boss – 60 is just a starting point.

Check out these photos of the men and women as they walked the red carpet en route to the award ceremony. (And while you’re looking, please note just how good Matthew Morrison looks in a tux!)

Rocking and Rolling With the Holmesies

The two highlights of my day on Saturday really have nothing to do with each other, but I thought of this title for a post so I’m combining them anyway!

On Saturday morning, I headed over to the soon-to-close Rock Hall Annex in Soho. (The Annex closes on January 3; according to the website, “they” are looking into the possibility of making the Annex experience a bus and truck show. I’ll keep you posted on whether or not the Rock Annex will be rolling into a town near you.) The Annex is, as was expected, not nearly as extensive as the Rock Hall in Cleveland. It is newer, though, which means more technological possibilities to enhance the experience. The Annex sells tickets, or rather admissions, at fifteen minute intervals in order to control the flow of folks in the Annex. This is nice since the efficient use of space leaves little room for crowds.

Your first stop on the Annex tour is a small-ish waiting room with metal plaques lining the walls. The plaques are etched with the signatures of each Hall of Fame inductee. (For musicians inducted posthumously, their name is printed in some generic typeface.) The plaques are displayed chronologically, with the year tracking the top of the walls. Chuck Berry is the first plaque. The members of Metallica are last. Snippets of inductees’ music play over the PA and as each song clip plays, the corresponding plaque lights up. It’s actually pretty neat. You whip and move your head, challenging yourself to both name that tune and find the artist on the wall. I went from 2005 looking at The Edge’s signature back to the 80s to see Sam Cooke’s plaque. It’s a great musical history to whet your appetite as you prepare to enter the exhibit.

After about ten minutes, you are led to a screening room in which you’ll watch a film showing you the history of rock and roll. We start, of course, with the blues and then move into blues rock, followed by psychedelic rock, a little glam rock, arena and a throwback to roots rock, then into punk, pop and metal and back again to bluesy riff-rock. All the while, we’re watching performance footage of the inducted artists who revolutionized rock and roll and took us from Chuck Berry to Led Zeppelin to The Clash to The Boss to U2. The artists offer quotes about what music, and rock and roll in particular, means to them, and it’s a great way to start the musical journey.

Once the film ends, you’re led into the exhibit. At this point, you can go through at your own pace. And this is where technology comes into play. En route from the film to the main exhibit, you’re given a headset and transponder of sorts; you wear this headset throughout the exhibit and the transponder automatically synchs up with whatever you’re looking at. When you stand in front of the “Female Vocalists” screens, you don’t just see Aretha and Mary J’s images on the screen; you also hear their incredible vocals pour through your headphones. When you enter the Bruce Springsteen room, complete with his Born to Run ‘57 Chevy, Thunder Road thunders through the headset and, if you’re anything like me, you spend the next three minutes staring at the beautiful black and white photo of a twenty-something Bruce in the convertible while dancing around to Thunder Road. And these headphones made it so there were lots of other people like me. Many of the other rock and rollers taking the tour with me bopped their way through, playing air guitar licks with Jimi, dancing around with Madonna, swaying to the Beatles… Even though we were going through the exhibit on our own, we really were having a shared experience.

One of the more poignant moments was at the very end. The last part of the exhibit was the temporary John Lennon: The New York Years exhibit. (Note: When the Annex opened, this space was reserved for a series of limited engagement exhibits. I believe the first one was hip-hop related. Since the entire Annex is closing, everything in there is obviously only “for now”.) The Lennon space has several photos, lots of handwritten lyric sheets and other such relics. On one wall, though, we find Lennon’s glasses - the pair he wore when he was shot outside of the Dakota in 1980. Next to it are some statistics about gun abuse and the damage that weak gun control laws cause. Next to that are huge sheets of paper with this (paraphrased) message beside it: If you believe we need stricter gun control laws, please sign this petition. After this exhibit closes, we will send this petition to President Barack Obama. This socially responsible part of the exhibit would be moving enough but here’s the kicker: As you approach this wall, Imagine start playing on your headphones. “Imagine all the people living for today… nothing to kill or die for… imagine all the people living life in peace.” Amen.

And now, from a message of peace and musical healing to a hit-em-up action adventure known as Sherlock Holmes. From Soho I headed up to the Regal at Union Square to catch this latest blockbuster from Guy Ritchie. This was the third movie I’d seen in as many days (I think, until that point, I had maybe only seen three movies in the theatre the entire year) and while I liked the other two, this was definitely the most purely entertaining (i.e., nothing to learn from this) of the bunch.

First let me say, though, that I’ve never sat through so many previews and except for the new extended trailer for the highly anticipated (by me) Leonardo DiCaprio - Joseph Gordon-Levitt starring, Christopher Nolan directed Inception, they were all for what looked like ridiculously stupid movies. I guess it’s because most of the trailers were for movies that will be released in January and February and most of those are filler movies (remember last year’s Bride Wars?) or silly Valentine’s Day chick flicks (sorry, but I don‘t need to see Jennifer Aniston do anything, much less act like a spoiled and semi-psychotic brat); and if there were just a few of these, it’d be okay but there were - no joke - about seven or eight previews! And only the one for Inception was good. Is this what regularly happens when you go see blockbuster movies in the theatre? This is why I am a loyal Netflix subscriber.

Regardless, Sherlock Holmes was great fun. Robert Downey, Jr. is such a fantastic actor. I love how he’s able to shift from genre to genre - and do so in a believable and entertaining manner. He was hilarious (and Oscar nominated) as an egomaniacal Australian method actor wearing blackface in Tropic Thunder; he was affecting and layered in A Guide to Recognizing Your Saints (a great movie too few people have seen - set in Astoria!) and we know from Iron Man that he makes one hell of an action star. In Holmes, he combines all those skills (and a rather handsome face, big brown eyes and a great body, ladies) to bring the usually stuffy and unappealing Sherlock Holmes charmingly to life. Alongside him is Jude Law, great in a supporting role. Law seems to have checked his movie star ego at the door and dived right into the character of Watson. In my mind, I always pictured Watson has a rather, shall we say, rotund figure, maybe slightly bumbling. I don’t remember if this picture is from some old movie I saw in English class or from reading one of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s novels, but Law is neither rotund nor bumbling and makes Watson the slick, always-there sidekick you’d want on your side. Rachel McAdams, who is a favorite of mine, does nice work here as Holmes’s love interest. Much like Downey, McAdams goes from genre to genre and specifically from time period to time period. She’s feisty and full of pluck - in a corset, no less - and holds her own amongst some very strong and menacing men.

The real star, though, is Guy Ritchie’s direction and Hans Zimmer’s score. Ritchie is great at directing action films. When Holmes is about to utterly obliterate a foe, Ritchie slows it down, letting Holmes walk us through, step by step, the keys he’s deduced in order to beat his opponent. Ritchie captures the ensuing beatings in beautiful slow motion so we see every muscle move in Downey’s arm as he delivers a punishing right hook. We then go back to Holmes, who proceeds to execute his fight plan with the swift ease of an accomplished and confident fighter. Also great was the score. Early in the movie, Holmes explains his latest scientific discovery to Watson: He’s figured out that when he plays a chromatic scale on his violin to a bunch of captured flies, nothing happens; when he plays an atonal scale, the flies start moving in a graceful pattern - he’s created order out of chaos. The film’s score does the same thing. Smooth orchestrations underscore most of the film but when Holmes has finally figured out how to overcome each obstacle put before him, the score goes atonal - noting to us that order is about to be restored. This attention to detail, particularly in such an action-heavy movie, was greatly appreciated.

Media Morsels 12.25

• Catch Me, Eh?
  As reported last week, Aaron Tveit is leaving Next to Normal. I had hoped that this meant that Catch Me if You Can, a musical adaptation of the eponymmous movie starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Tom Hanks, was coming to Broadway. Turns out, it may stop in Toronto first. This is good. It means there's still life in the show. Toronto could be the official out of town tryout before the show heads to NYC.
  


• 21 Guns Now Available for Download
  A few weeks ago I mentioned that the cast of American Idiot recorded the Green Day song 21 Guns and that it was available for streaming. (Glad that some of you listened and enjoyed!) It is now available to download, (from iTunes and other outlets) which means you can now add this amazing version of a terrific song to your playlist.
  


• President Bartlet on Stage
  Not really, just Martin Sheen. Sheen's going to be performing in The Subject Was Roses in LA in February. Really, though, I felt like sharing this because the picture of Martin Sheen that Playbill used was a publicity photo from The West Wing. I can tell that Sheen is standing in the “Oval Office”.
  


• Annie Baker Crushes on Her Actors
  The talented Circle Mirror Transformation playwright tells of her enthusiasm for the great cast of her current hit.
  


• Top ___ of the Year
  It's the end of the year which means everyone's doing top 10 lists, not just David Letterman. Here are a couple of highlights:
  
  Roger Ebert’s Top 10 Movies of 2009
  
  Ben Brantley and Charles Isherwood, of the New York Times choose their top ten shows
  
  Broadway.com Picks its Top Five
  


• Glee Scoop
  According to this report from E!, Ryan Murphy and the creative team over at Glee are planning on listening to the audience and writing in some of their favorite storylines, like more of the Rachel and Puck romance.
  


• Kacie Sheik Profiled
  Hair Hippie Kacie Sheik was profiled on Broadway.com this week. See what she has to say about life at the Hirschfeld and being on set with Amy Adams during the filming of Julie and Julia.
  


• How to Succeed… Gets a Reading
  It was announced that an industry reading of How to Succeed... was presented earlier in the week. This isn't necessarily indicitive of a Broadway future, but given the names in the reading, it's a definite possibility. All I have to say is "Why?" What's the point of bringing this back now? I'm a firm believer that if you revive a show, there should be a good reason, like with Hair, or else it better be a fantasticly good production, like Finian's Rainbow. I don't love How to Succeed... so I'll be curious to see how it proceeds
  


• She’s baaaack!
  Joan Rivers is back on E! to dish out fashion advice to the sartorially challenged. Award show season just got a little brighter!

Up in the Air

You can’t plan your feelings. Most of the time you can’t really control them, either. You can control or plan your reaction to things, but those pesky feelings arise whether or not you invite them; whether or not you want them; whether or not you acknowledge them. This is what came to mind while watching the fantastic Up in the Air, and it’s something that’s crossed my mind several times this week.

In the beginning of the week, a friend of mine was telling me about his relationship, saying that it felt like it was going somewhere good he wasn’t ready for it to go, despite his strong affection for this person. Then a couple of days ago I re-watched (500) Days of Summer (it’s now out on DVD). In the fledging era of their relationship, Summer tells Tom she doesn’t believe in love. She says she doesn’t want to be anyone’s anything. She’s just looking for something casual. The fates have different plans. Today, I watched Ryan Bingham (George Clooney) travel elite access through life, collecting nothing but frequent flier miles as his feelings told his theory to lump it.

Depending upon what you believe, you can thank Eve for all these feelings - good and bad. And depending upon your outlook on life, you can thank her sarcastically or sincerely. I’d like to sincerely thank Eve for eating that apple, getting banished from Eden and making it so human beings know emotions. Yes, some of these emotions are messy and many of them can be difficult to cope with and get through. But if we didn’t know the bad, we wouldn’t know just how good the good is. Were we to go through life numb to everything we wouldn’t be living, we’d just be going through the motions. The feelings you feel and, as Ryan learns, the things other than frequent flier miles that you collect, are what make your life.

I won’t go through the various plot points because I think the take-offs and landings Up in the Air makes along the way are best experienced without preconceived notions. I will go through and gush about the great direction and acting.

Jason Reitman has scored a hat trick with this, his third film as a director. (His debut was the deliciously sardonic satire Thank You For Smoking and his follow up was Juno.) He wrote both Smoking and Up in the Air and his sensitive skepticism shows through in each. As a director, he has a quick, slick style which works wonderfully in this movie. He’s clued in enough to the characters, though, to slow it down and linger on moments when it’s necessary. He’s three for three and I’m excited to see what he does next.

Reitman also keeps around some of the same bit players, who always seems to turn in great supporting performances. J.K. Simmons has been in all three of Reitman’s movies; usually he’s very funny - the punch line guy - but here he’s affecting as one of the people Ryan has to fire. Jason Bateman, who was in Juno, is also along for the trip here. Bateman has smarmy down to a science (watch Arrested Development - he pretty much writes the book on smarmy) and he brings it here but he’s also sincere and charming when it’s called for.

A Reitman neophyte is theatre vet Amy Morton, who shows up as one of Ryan’s sisters. Morton was Tony nominated for her performance in August: Osage County (she lost to her on stage mother, Deanna Dunagan - who was a force to be reckoned with) and rightly so. In August, as the eldest of three sisters dealing with a pill-popping domineering mother, Morton’s character had to hold the house together. She plays the same kind of sister here, too, though in a totally different setting. Her character in Up in the Air isn’t nearly as dramatic as her role in August, and Morton, who is a member of the Steppenwolf Theatre in Chicago, gives a touching and understated performance.

As for the two women flying in and out of Ryan’s life: Anna Kendrick is great as his tightly wound young gunner. Fresh out of college and with something to prove, Kendrick plays Ryan’s colleague Natalie to type-A perfection. As Alex, Ryan’s love interest, Vera Farmiga once again proves she can go toe-to-toe with today’s best leading men. Farmiga was terrific playing opposite both Leonardo DiCaprio and Matt Damon in the best picture of 2006, The Departed, and she doesn’t disappoint here. She matches wits and charm with George Clooney’s Ryan and he and we see her as the real, strong, capable woman she is - never once falling into damsel in distress or crazy-needy-girl territory for a moment. Alex is a grown woman and as portrayed by Farmiga, she acts like it.

And now the brilliant George Clooney. Oh, George, what is there to say? Yes, just about every woman on the planet wants to be with him and yes, some would argue that the bachelor life he leads is similar to Ryan’s, but Clooney is really a gifted actor so it’s a treat to watch him slip into character and forget that you’re watching a movie star. You’re watching Ryan Bingham, and everything he’s feeling appears on his face. Maybe it’s just a wry smile or a flash of something behind his eyes, but everything about Ryan that wasn’t written in the script is expertly conveyed by Clooney. Sometimes with these big stars, especially the ridiculously handsome ones like Clooney, it’s difficult to remember that they are actors first. Luckily, every once in a while a movie like Up in the Air comes along, giving Clooney a chance to remind us.

I’d also like to urge you to stay through the end credits when you see this. The song at the end was written by one of the jobless people Reitman met with while researching the film and it makes you realize what a great title Up in the Air really is.

Crazy Heart

Bad Blake isn’t all that bad, but he definitely ain’t good. Blake is a 57 year old former Country and Western artist whose star is fading. Reduced to playing bowling alleys and lounges while his protégé sells out amphitheatres, Blake is itching for something - maybe another drink, maybe another woman or maybe just another song. He’s worn and weathered and when we meet him, he’s only good on stage. Played to disheveled perfection by none other than The Dude, Jeff Bridges, Blake is a tribute to true artistry overshadowed by acts with nothing but glamour, glitter and gimmicks.

The first thing that struck me about Crazy Heart was the incredible cinematography and the beautiful shots of America out west. Canyons. Blue skies. Open road. It’s all captured in vivid color and epic expanse from the opening of the film all the way to the end credits. From those captivating opening shots of Blake driving to his next gig (he travels in Bessie, his old Chevy, with his guitar, amp and a great big cowboy hat) Jeff Bridges takes us on Blake’s journey from washed up to inspired to getting on. Along the way, he deals with that other drink, that other woman and that other song, all with mostly satisfying results.

Because this is a movie and because, save for fearless indie character studies, movies are usually about what happens to the storyline rather than the characters, the film seems to gloss over some of the more emotionally heavy scenes or situations; it’s almost as if the creators put in just enough emotional heft in various scenes to suffice without really digging into anything. That’s not to say that you don’t feel for the characters or get to know them - you do. (Mostly because of the across-the-board stellar performances.) And while watching the film I actually didn’t think that this movie that was going by at a quick clip was shallow. When the credits rolled, though, and I saw that this was based on a book, I began wondering what was left out - what character development (or devolvement, as the case may have been) was left out in order to move the plot forward for movie audiences. (This was my problem with last year’s Revolutionary Road. As its own movie it was good - Leo gave the best performance of his career to date, and Kate Winslet was great, but there was so much rich material from the novel that was missing - material that made a big difference in the tone of the film and our affection for the different characters.) I’m now very curious to read the eponymous book by Thomas Cobb. (Unfortunately, it’s not in Amazon.com’s stock…)

All that said, I liked the movie and would definitely recommend it. Maggie Gyllenhaal gives a mature and strong performance that makes her character better than the pushover she could have been in a lesser actor’s care. Colin Farrell puts on a great southern accent (he’s never quite mastered a New York accent, in my opinion) in the supporting role of Tommy - Bad Blake’s protégé. He does his own singing, too, and he’s pretty good. The movie rests, of course, on the seen-it-all shoulders of the always terrific Jeff Bridges. His face is a map of the world and it’s a pleasure to let him guide you on Blake’s journey. When Blake has moments of clarity and Bridges opens his bright blue eyes his tenderness shines through, though his scars never go away. Bad Blake is wrecked and looking for redemption. And you can hear it in his songs.

Revered music man T. Bone Burnett wrote the original music for Crazy Heart, including the title track. These are country songs so there’s a twang in there but, like true country, the songs are steeped in haunting blues riffs. The lyrics are raw and honest, also like blues, and I challenge most of the pop sensations to write anything quite as affecting. I’m sure the songs sounded great when Burnett demoed them, but as sung by Bridges they’re spine chilling. Bridges’s singing voice sounds like it’s been soaked in whiskey and smoke; like he is someone who knows better but doesn’t act it. This is all to say his voice sounds authentic when singing Blake’s songs. By and by, The Dude abides.

Crazy Heart, particularly Jeff Bridges’s performance in it, is getting lots of love this award season. Festivals and critics are praising the film, the songs and The Dude. Bridges is nominated for both a SAG and Golden Globe. Look for him to win the SAG and then bag an Oscar nom (and, if industry rumblings are to be believed, win it, too!)

The Award Shows Are Coming! The Award Shows Are Coming!

Critics Choice Movie Awards: (airs January 15, 2010 at 9pm EST on VH1)
I can’t genuinely speak about these awards because, for the most part, I haven’t seen the nominated films – yet! From now through the first couple of weeks in January, I’ll likely go on a movie-going blitz. Some of these films, though, have either already come out on video or will be out before the big show (read: the Oscars) so the list of what I’ll see in the theatres during this blitz is lessened a bit.

• In the acting categories, I can comment on Meryl Streep’s performance in Julie and Julia. She was fantastic! Inarguably one of (if not the) best actors of her generation, Ms. Streep brilliantly brings Julia Child’s joie de vivre to the screen. Again, I haven’t seen her fellow nominees’ performances but based on what I know about their respective movies, I can safely say that Meryl Streep’s performance is the most light hearted.
  
  
• In the best original screenplay category, I was thrilled to see that Scott Neustadter and Michael H. Webb were nominated for the refreshing and charming (500) Days of Summer. Summer was a much more honest look at relationships than most of its romantic comedy brethren and the fact this it boasted two lead actors (Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Zooey Deschannel) at the top of their games didn’t hurt, either. Summer also received a nod in the best comedy category.

Golden Globes: (airs January 17, 2010 at 8pm EST live (for the first time) on NBC)
The Golden Globes are the yummy pear, walnut and goat cheese salad appetizer to the main course, the Oscars. (Oscar nominations come out on February 2.) Like the SAG Awards, this includes both film and television. Unlike the SAG Awards, there are no ensemble awards. Unlike the SAG Awards and the Oscars, the nominating committee and voters for the Golden Globes are less then venerable. The Golden Globes are handed out by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association (HFPA). Nothing against the foreign press, but included in the HFPA and therefore in the voter pool are foreign US-Weekly style tabloids. It’s also fairly well known that the HFPA likes to be wined and dined and they take this into consideration when making nominations and casting votes. (Insiders say this is what Tobey Maguire’s nomination for this year’s Brothers can be chalked up to.) This makes, in my mind, Golden Globe nominations and awards slightly dubious, but the industry takes them seriously and they’re certainly fun to watch so… on with the show! (Once again, I can’t comment on many of the movie nominees – just yet – especially in the drama categories.)

First, movies:

• (500) Days of Summer was nominated for best comedy! This is very exciting. I thought it was a great film and I’m glad to see that you don’t have to be raunchy or schmaltzy to be nominated in the comedy category. Ditto for Julie and Julia’s nomination. I know many people thought the Julie Powell storyline, as depicted in the movie, paled terribly in comparison to Julia Child’s story (and Meryl Streep’s performance,) but I urge you to read Powell’s book. Powell is salty and smart and a great writer, and the book depicts her as a fully drawn character. (Kudos to Amy Adams (a great actor and The West Wing alum!) for doing the best she could with an underwritten part.)
  
  
• Meryl Streep will compete against herself in the best comedic actress category. She’s nominated for her performances in It’s Complicated (which may be my Christmas Day movie) and Julie and Julia. She’ll also be competing against Julia Roberts, nominated for Duplicity – which was a terrifically fun romp. The other ladies are Sandra Bullock in The Proposal and Marion Cotillard in Nine. I haven’t seen these last two performances, but just between Meryl, Julia and Meryl this should be a tight race.
  
  
• Joseph Gordon-Levitt was nominated for (500) Days of Summer!!! A well deserved nomination for an incredible actor who consistently turns in stellar performances (sometimes in less than stellar films). I’m also excited that such a young actor is being nominated. He’s no spring chicken – he’s 28 and has been in the business since he was playing on the jungle gym – but his fellow nominees (who are nothing to sneeze at – Matt Damon, Daniel Day-Lewis, Robert Downey, Jr. and Michael Stuhlbarg) are all in the 40+ club (or almost – Damon turns 40 in 2010) and with the exceptions of Carey Mulligan (An Education) and Gabourey Sidibe (Precious) he is the youngest nominee in the field. Check out Joseph Gordon-Levitt’s collaborative creation site, HitRECord, to see how he’s saying ‘thanks”.
  
  
• Penelope Cruz was nominated for best supporting actress in a movie, for Nine, and while I haven’t seen the film, the HFPA digs Penelope. She has a good shot at winning and also nabbing another best supporting actress Oscar nod.
  
  
• Martin Scorsese will receive the Cecil B. DeMille award at the Globes. On hand to present the award will be past, present and future collaborators Robert DeNiro and, a favorite of mine, Leonardo DiCaprio.

And now on to TV:

• Julianna Margulies was nominated for The Good Wife – way to go. (See my comments in the SAG section for something more articulate!)
  
  
• For the first year in memory, I watch all of the nominated comedy series: 30 Rock, Entourage, Glee (!!!!!), Modern Family and The Office. Of course I’m pulling for Glee, but more likely it’s a race between 30 Rock and The Office. Although, in its first season, the struggling Party of Five won at the Globes, which was boost enough to let it run for six seasons. The HFPA may be gleeks so there just might be an upset.
  
  
• Speaking of Glee…
  Lea Michele was nominated for best actress in a comedy! Way to go, lady. Take that, Tony nominating committee – you failed, miserably, for not nominating her for Spring Awakening. She’s up against Toni Collette, Courtney Cox, Edie Falco, and perennial award show favorite Tina Fey, but once again it’s great seeing a talented young actress (she’s 23) nominated.
  
  Matthew Morrison is playing with the big boys! Joining Alec Baldwin, Steve Carell, David Duchovny (why won’t you love me?) and Thomas Jane, Morrison is nominated in the leading actor in a comedy series category. This man is truly a triple threat. A dancer first, he can definitely bust a move. Matthew has a beautiful voice (I swoon listening to him sing Endless Love – also, Younger Than Springtime) and dude can act. His performance in the penultimate episode of The Road to Sectionals batch is better than in any other episode and proves that he’s more than just a dreamy face.
  
  Jane Lynch grabs a nod in the best actress in a supporting role category. Ms. Lynch is a brilliantly gifted comedic actress who is laugh out loud funny in just about everything (watch her in Best in Show and try not to laugh) and she steals every scene she’s in on Glee. I bet Sue would C this as a done deal.
  
  
• In the best supporting actor category, we find, among the five, Neil Patrick Harris and Jeremy Piven. While I still think there was something fishy going on with his departure from Speed the Plow last season (I’ll concede that he happened to be very good, though Raul Esparza was my favorite part of the play!) he does turn in a consistently good and nuanced performance as Ari Gold on Entourage. This is Neil Patrick Harris’s year, though. Fans love him. Critics love him. I bet puppies love him, too. He plays womanizer Barney Stinson on How I Met Your Mother. This show isn’t fantastic, but Harris’s hilarious performance and seemingly endless supply of wry one-liners make it fun to watch. My vote’s for Doogie Howser.
  

Screen Actors Guild (SAG) Awards: (airs January 23, 2010 at 8pm EST on TNT and TBS)Again, I can’t speak much about the movie nominations because I have yet to see them, but Meryl Streep is nominated for her work in Julie and Julia here, too.

• Here’s something special about the SAGs: They have an ensemble category. I love this idea. Theatre and movie making are collaborative art forms and actors need each other to feed off of. I wish the Tonys had such an award. Then a brilliant ensemble like that of last season’s The Norman Conquests or the beautiful Tribe of Hippies in Hair could be recognized for the collection of their work. Some shows clearly have stars and the “gypsies” don’t make or break the show (like Billy Elliott). But other shows, like Hair or The Norman Conquests, only work well if the entire cast is fantastic. I know the Tony nominating committee has been lobbied on this issue before but I wish they would make like politicians and listen to those lobbyists! Maybe if Equity started giving out their own awards, like SAG, there would be ensemble awards for theatre.
  
  (A cheeky little bonus: The ensemble SAG Award means that Mariah Carey and Lenny Kravitz are now nominated for their acting. (They were in Precious.) Who would have ever thought that Mariah Carey would garner an acting nomination for any award other than a razzie?)

And now on to the TV front, where I have a little more to say!

• Kevin Kline was nominated for his performance in Cyrano de Bergerac (This was a taped performance of his Broadway performance that was aired on PBS.) I didn’t get a chance to see this in person or on TV and I really like Kevin Kline but wasn’t this on two years ago? I didn’t think this was eligible this year.
  
  
• I was glad to see that Julianna Margulies was nominated for the new drama The Good Wife. I started watching this because Josh Charles is on it and I pretty much want to marry Dan Rydell. But I continued watching it because it’s good and, to the point, Ms. Margulies gives a subtle performance with specific and on target choices. In addition, the show received a nod in the best drama ensemble category. The Good Wife’s ensemble includes not only Julianna Margulies and Josh Charles, but also Christine Baranski, who I saw in Boeing Boeing last summer, and Graham Phillips, who I saw in the short-lived Jason Robert Brown musical 13.
  
  
• Steve Carell and Alec Baldwin were once again nominated for The Office and 30 Rock, respectively, and either of them deserves to win. I still don’t understand Charlie Sheen’s appeal but I suppose some things will forever be a mystery.
  
  
• Tina Fey was also nominated again for 30 Rock. While I don’t watch the other shows, the other nominated actors, Christina Applegate, Toni Collette, Edie Falco and Julia Louis-Dreyfus are all skilled – and well liked – actors, so I’m not making any predictions.
  
  
• Scrolling down the list of individual actor nominations, I was a little disappointed to see no love for Glee. (Really, is Charlie Sheen better than Matthew Morrison?) But, order was partially restored when I saw that Glee was nominated for best comedic ensemble. Of the five shows nominated in that category, I watch four (Glee, 30 Rock, The Office and Modern Family). I don’t watch Curb but I know everyone, especially in the industry, loves it so it could eek out a win over critical darling 30 Rock.
  

In Tony news, while the Tonys won’t take place until June, the nominating committee gathers periodically over the season to rule on various eligibility discrepancies. Recently they handed down the ruling that the dance show Burn the Floor was eligible in the Best Musical category and Carrie Fisher’s one woman show, Wishful Drinking, was eligible in the Best Play category. The reason this was even up for discussion is because after last year, the American Theatre Wing retired the Special Theatrical Event category so shows like Burn the Floor and Wishful Drinking now have to be considered in either the Best Musical or Best Play categories. I still don’t understand why the Special Theatrical Event category was retired. And while I’m not too thrilled over the prospect of something trite like Burn the Floor competing in the same category as Memphis, I suppose I can rest easy knowing just because a show or performance is eligible in a category doesn’t mean it will be nominated – for better or worse. (Once again, a sigh for the Tony committee neglecting to nominate Aaron Tveit for Next to Normal.)

Media Morsels 12.18

• Glee news:
  
  It’s official! Idina Menzel is coming to McKinley High! Or maybe a rival high school – Glee creator Ryan Murphy isn’t sure. He is sure that joining Idina on the roster of guest stars will be Jonathan Groff and Kristen Chenoweth. This is awesome! I’d love to see an Idina-Kristen-Matthew sing off and Idina and Lea trading bars. Those two divas look alike, sound alike and both can kill “Don’t Rain On My Parade”! (Here's Idina at the 2008 Kennedy Center Honors. Watch the "Sectionals"episode of Glee for Lea's version.)
  
  Ay caramba! - Glee is going to Spain. Well, not the storyline but the program. Word came this week that a Spanish network is set to air the first 13 episodes (which are available on DVD on December 29!) of this glorious television musical.
  
  Sing… Sing a song… - Murphy also spoke to The Wrap this week telling them that the back nine episodes that will begin airing April 13 will have even more songs per episode than the Road to Sectional batch. Zang!
  
• Who-Gets-a-Broadway-House-Before-American-Idiot Watch: Week 2 -Lend Me a Tenor is coming to Broadway. Stanley Tucci will direct the production which boasts, among others, Anthony LaPaglia, Joe of Empire Records fame. I know AJ doesn't feel the need to explain his art to Warren, but could someone please explain to me why all these shows are booking theatres while American Idiot is still homeless?
  
• Aaron Tveit to be Further From Normal – The brilliant Aaron Tveit will be leaving Next to Normal after his January 3, 7:30pm performance. (I already have my ticket!) Kyle Dean Massey, who took over the role of Gabe when Tveit was workshopping Catch Me If You Can in Seattle, will assume the role full time after Tveit’s departure. I’m sad that Tveit is leaving the show because he is so incredibly good but optimistic that he’s leaving because Catch Me is coming to Broadway. If confirmed, this would be very exciting news because it would mean that I’d get to watch two of my favorite theatre guys, Tveit and Norbert Leo Butz, in one show! (In the meantime, look for him alongside James Franco in Howl, premiering at Sundance next month!)
  
• Hair on Vinyl – Although the vinyl pressing of the new cast recording of Hair came out around Thanksgiving, this lovely video was posted on Broadway.com this week. Have a look. I love those Hippies. (And in case you were curious – the vinyl sounds amazing. It’s clearer and richer and more layered than the digital or cd versions. I dance around to it almost every night!)
  
• Side by Side by Susan Blackwell – For those who don’t know, Susan Blackwell is an accomplished performer, most notably for her role in [title of show]. In a new web series, she interviews Broadway actors, three per episode, and brings along her sardonic sense of humor and quick wit.
  
• Wicked Moves Up – On December 15, Wicked became the 20th longest running show on Broadway, playing its 2,535 performance that day. The number 20 spot on the list was previously held by Avenue Q, which moved off-Broadway this fall.
  
• A Lesson from Sesame Street – The talented and adorable Jake Gyllenhaal recently taped a clip for the beloved Sesame Street in which, with the help of an octopus, he teaches children what the word “separate” means.
  
• Award Show Season is Here! I'll write more about this at a later time as, clearly, it requires a great deal of attention and analysis. Check back next week for a wrap up of the nominees for Critic's Choice, SAG and Golden Globes.

The Nutcracker

The Nutcracker cracks me up. This family hosts a party at which the children are paraded about as entertainment; then a creepy looking godfather arrives with a little boy and presents Clara (or Marie, if you’re watching NYC Ballet’s version) with a Nutcracker doll. She falls asleep in the living room and has what, if she weren’t five, seems like an LSD-induced dream in which the creepy godfather spooks her, mice try to attack her but toy soldiers, led by the Nutcracker come to life, defeat the rodent army and then she and the Nutcracker (the little boy who came with the godfather) take off on a journey to Candy Land, complete with dancing candy canes and hot chocolate. It’s really kind of nutty but the lovely and memorable music and impressive dancing makes George Balanchine’s The Nutcracker a nice wintry treat.

I saw The Nutcracker this year having different expectations than last. Last year, I was seeing The Nutcracker performed professionally and in whole for the first time. Growing up, I’d seen local productions or bits and pieces of local professional productions but never the whole show so I was particularly looking forward to seeing NYC Ballet’s version. I sat through the first act waiting for it to get good but it wasn’t until the end of the act that it held my interest. The second act was livelier and had more of the well-known music – and it didn’t involve mice. So this year, I put on a new dress (always fun) and headed over to Lincoln Center knowing it would be packed with families and that I’d be rolling my eyes through most of the first act. Expectations are everything because this year I had a much better experience than last.

Lincoln Center is still under renovation, but the fountain is fully restored and the view greeting you as you walk up to the plaza is breathtaking. The fountain is illuminated and very pretty; behind it is the Vivian Beaumont Theatre (where South Pacific plays) with its several stories, glass windows and a tastefully decorated Christmas tree on the third or fourth level; to the right is the newly renovated Alice Tully Hall, which boasts a glass-walled café on the main level and a nice sitting area in front; to the left of the fountain is the David H. Koch Theatre, formerly known as the State Theatre, which is where NYC Ballet performances are held. There’s nothing new about the façade, but inside I noticed changes right away.

There are a couple of subtle but new art structures on the walls of the main lobby; I really only noticed these because the last time I was at the ballet, in June, they were still renovating and the construction materials were left out in plain view. Their absence was pleasantly noted. Making my way up to the fourth ring, I noticed that the signs for the different sections of the house were new – glass signs with the level etched in, lit up for easy viewing. I finally made it up to the fourth ring and slipped inside the bathroom to find that it, too, had been made over. Nothing too extravagant here, but everything was new. I was a little disappointed to see that the coat hooks near the door were gone – they came in handy when it came time to wash your hands; rather than juggling your coat, scarf and purse while soaping up, you could hang your coat up; but alas, this time I juggled. The new bathrooms did have one of those cool Dyson drying machines – you know, the kind that you stick your hands in to and then slowly pull them out to find them dry after only a few seconds. Very cool. After the trip to the loo, I finally headed inside to my seat. The seats, I found, had been redone, as well. The chair backs are higher and sleeker looking and each seat had been reupholstered. They feel different, too. I felt like I was sitting up higher and straighter. This was fine, but the armrest seemed a little low; I had to lean down to rest my arm, rather than before when I could sit up straight and let my arms fall comfortably on to the armrest. This wasn’t, and isn’t, a very big deal but something I noticed, nonetheless. In the program, it is noted that the new seats provide better acoustics and I have to say I agree. I’m neither a sound technician nor an audiophile, but I heard certain instruments way up in the fourth ring as clearly and vibrantly as if they were being played right next to me. I consider this to be a nice little upgrade and am looking forward to hearing the terrific musicians with greater clarity this upcoming winter season.

As soon as I took my seat, the performance began. Actually, I should say the pre-show began. One of the things I love most about going to the theatre is the floor show taking place before the curtain goes up. We get all kinds at the theatre and I thrill at providing Joan Rivers-style commentary in my mind. Many people are dressed appropriately, albeit sometimes in outfits I don’t care for, but too many people neglect to step it up for the occasion. Theatre-goers take note: You do not wear jeans to a Broadway show or the Ballet, particularly on a Saturday night. If you find yourself at a Broadway show on, say, a Tuesday evening or a Wednesday matinee, or at an off-Broadway show on any day of the week, it may be acceptable to wear nice jeans. Nice jeans means a dark wash, good, tailored fit (nothing hanging off your bums,) no rips and, for goodness sakes, no acid wash. (Really, though, no acid wash ever. Ever.) And those jeans should be topped by a dressy casual blouse, an oxford or a sweater, not a T-shirt. And definitely no sneakers. Put on a real pair of shoes. If I, with a double wide foot, can find appropriate shoes to wear, so can you. (There are some exceptions to these rules; if you’re going to see a hip, rock and roll musical, like Hair, maybe you can wear nice jeans on a Friday night. Or, if you’re dreamy like Matthew Morrison, you can go see Hair and wear a black suit, sans tie, with clean Converse. But to be safe, stick to the rules.) Anyway, my point in detailing these rules is to lament the fact that several people in attendance did not follow them. They looked like they came in off the streets after a day of touring. And maybe they did. But knowing you’re going to the ballet at Lincoln Center at the end of your day of touring, couldn’t you just as easily have worn a pair of black pants instead of jeans? All I’m saying is plan ahead and don’t come to the theatre looking like a ragamuffin.

Finally, at a few minutes past eight, the curtain rose and The Nutcracker began. As I said before, I don’t really care for the first act, but knowing I wasn’t going to love it helped me enjoy it more. Instead of watching the action on stage, I concentrated on the beautiful music playing and tried to catch a glimpse the musicians in the pit. The end of act one is actually quite lovely, though. Marie and the Prince are en route to the Land of Sweets and are guided by dancing snowflakes. The dance was very well executed except for a soloist dancer who seemed to have trouble coming out of her turns. “Snowflakes” were blown out onto the stage so the dancers were really dancing in a winter wonderland and you could see the tracings of their graceful steps in the snow as they fluttered about.

The second act is a lot of fun. Marie and the Prince are sitting on a throne in the Land of Sweets and are entertained by all sorts of delectable treats. You know all the music – it’s in every holiday themed movie and commercial, which makes for an interesting dichotomy. As I was sitting in the State Theatre watching the candy canes literally jump through hoops, I was picturing Kevin McAllister’s mom running through the airport because she just realized she left Kevin home alone. (Slap hands to cheeks and shout “ahhh!” here.) That digression aside, the sweets’ dances are both exciting and pretty. Ashley Bouder gave a rapturous performance as the Dewdrop, leading a corps of flowers in a light but lovely dance. The most impressive dessert, of course, is the pas de deux between the Sugarplum Fairy and her Cavalier. The Sugarplum Fairy was played by Sara Mearns, a relatively new principal dancer. (She became a principal dancer in 2008.) She does a good job but doesn’t quite have that “it” to fully captivate you. Jonathan Stafford is graceful, elegant and a thrill to watch on stage. As the Cavalier, he was sensational. As he leapt in circles across the stage it looked like he was floating on air. Unfortunately, their dance, and the entire second act in general, was over much too quickly. Before long Marie and the Prince more or less flew off into the sunset, leaving the dancing sweets behind. George Balanchine’s The Nutcracker is a holiday season delight and with its child-friendly story offers a perfect opportunity to introduce youngsters to ballet.

Media Morsels 12.11

In an effort to post more regularly, I’ve decided to start posting Media Morsels, which will be little bites of “news” that I found interesting that week. In this inaugural edition, I’m dipping into the archive for a couple of the items to let you know about some goings on from two or three weeks ago that are worth mentioning. Future posts should be timelier. Let’s begin.

• 21 Guns recording – As previously reported, the fantastic cast of American Idiot went into the studio to record their version of Green Day’s hit single (and number in American Idiot) 21 Guns. It was released last week and is one of the most beautiful recordings I’ve ever heard. The quality of the recording is really great – very clear with a good blend – but it’s the performance that it absolutely outstanding. Rebecca Naomi Jones has a gorgeously haunting voice; that’s juxtaposed with the sweetness from Mary Faber and the other ladies as well as the grittiness of the men’s vocals, including Billie Joe Armstrong. The first time I listened I cried through it, remembering that moment in the show and being overcome by the emotion and power in the vocals and orchestrations. Take a listen for yourself and join my “I Can’t Wait for American Idiot to Come to New York and Record a Record” club.
  


• Meryl Streep on Vanity Fair – So many magazines (including Rolling Stone and Vanity Fair) have been plastering their covers with teen celebs who are known by ridiculous IM-speak-abbreviated names (RPatz? I’m ashamed that I was able to figure that one out) so I was thrilled when I opened my mailbox to find that the visage staring back at me on the January issue of Vanity Fair was that of Meryl Streep. Ms. Streep is an amazing actress, I’m sure I don’t need to make an argument about that. She’s also beautiful and is regularly seen sans or in natural make-up. Oh, that the teeny-boppers making millions off tweens would put down the MAC-pipe, stop with the gimmicks and go au naturale for once.
  


• Snoop on Conan – hilarious. (Part one; part two; part three)
  


• Enron before American Idiot – A show about Enron – yes, that scandal-ridden Enron – which recently ran in London, is set to come to Broadway this spring. This gets a theatre before American Idiot? Scandalous.
  


• David Brooks’ second education – I don’t usually side with Brooks on politics, but in November he wrote a wonderful op-ed detailing his second education, his musical education, in which he was taught by Professor The Boss.
  


• Muppet Bohemian Rhapsody – ‘nuff said. Watch and enjoy. I need more Dr. Teeth in my life!
  

Circle Mirror Transformation

Good news: The superb Circle Mirror Transformation will return for one month to Playwrights Horizons. Beginning December 15, this gem of a play will once again take over the Peter Jay Sharp Theatre, Playwrights Horizons’ smaller stage. This is a must see.

The conceit of the show is that you’re watching an acting class. Don’t pay attention to that, though, because Circle Mirror Transformation is really a beautifully written, skillfully directed and wonderfully acted character study. We never leave the classroom and yet we get such a full picture of who these Vermonters are. Each week, layers are peeled off and character traits – both endearing pieces of back story and flaws – are revealed. We are taken on a journey of discovery with the acting teacher and her four (mostly adult) students. If you’ve ever taken an acting class you’ll delight in the details of the set and the theatre games played. If you haven’t, don’t worry. There is plenty else to delight in, not the least of which are the wonderful performances, particularly Reed Birney’s.

Mr. Birney is well known to the New York theatre crowd, receiving rave reviews for his performances in last season’s Blasted and The Savannah Disputation (the latter being the play in which I first saw him.) He is instantly likable but unafraid to show vulnerability. The rest of the cast are also very good. Tracee Chimo (as the lone teenager in a group of adults) does wonders with her expressions – even just a perfectly timed eyebrow raise garners tons of laughs – and as the acting teacher, Deirde O’Connell displays compassion, patience and more than a little grace under fire.

One of the other elements of this production that I loved was the pacing and the director’s respect for the audience. In our ADD-addled culture, commercials, movies and television (and now lots of theatre, too) feel the need to constantly shift our focus in an attempt to not lose it. This makes me dizzy. Sometimes it has its place – like in American Idiot when the constant flitting from clip to clip is making a statement about our culture. But most of the time it’s just a device to distract from the poor quality of the content. Circle Mirror Transformation, on the other hand, takes its time; it lets the characters develop. The play starts, in fact, with all the actors lying on the ground, motionless and speechless for maybe a full minute before one of them says a number, then more silence until someone else does. We learn that this is an acting exercise and as the show progresses this exercise is used as a gauge of how much the “students” have evolved. I like that director Sam Gold thought enough of his audience to know they could handle silence on stage. It’s rare to seemingly have nothing going on on stage but in the case of Circle Mirror Transformation, if you just let yourself go on the journey, you’ll soon discover that a whole lot is being said in those silences and pauses.

Circle Mirror Transformation originally ran at Playwrights Horizons earlier this fall, playing, as most subscription based houses’ plays do, a limited run. (I had the pleasure of seeing it in its second preview performance and I attended a post-show talkback with PH’s artistic director, the playwright and the director. This only made me like the play even more!) After extending its run twice (and selling out both extensions) Circle Mirror Transformation finally closed on November 21. According to Playbill, the set was never struck and nothing else was booked in that space so theatergoers now have the chance to see this great new play by young playwrighting sensation Annie Baker. This limited return engagement is scheduled to play only until January 17, 2010, so head over to 42nd Street and see this terrific original play while you can.

(Read the great review in the NY Times.)