2010 Emmy Wrap Up

All right, ladies and gents: Award season is back in swing (lucky for us, it’s never too far away) as last night the 2010 Emmy Awards were presented. I thought it was a good, tight broadcast, even if there were a few long speeches and some categories we could do without – and I mean totally, television could do without them, not just the awards. (I’m looking at you, reality programming.) Jimmy Fallon was a funny and charming host and there weren’t too many surprise winners, though I would have voted differently than some Academy members. As always, check below for winners and additional thoughts because first: the fashion!

Nothing too hideous or adventurous. I thought Lea Michele looked stunning in a deep navy blue Oscar de la Renta gown. Plus, her hair was light and flowy, a perfect complement to the architecture of her dress. (Fun side note: Accompanying nominee Michele was her favorite Idiot (and former Hippie), Theo Stockman!) Sticking with the Glee misfits, I’d like to point out that I loved nominee Chris Colfer’s treble clef lapel pin. A brilliant way to add a touch of whimsy and a shout to the arts – all at once – to an otherwise classic look. Jane Lynch, a winner (!!!), looked elegant and regal, without a track suit! Winner Ryan Murphy wore a beautifully tailored Tom Ford tux. The sheen off the blue jacket was a little too retro-prom for my taste, but Murphy wore it with confidence and because it was Tom Ford, it fit perfectly. And dreamboat Matthew Morrison (and arguably Jon Hamm, who, like Clooney is prone to do, wore a classic Armani tux) is quickly giving George Clooney a run for his money in the “Looks Damn Good in a Tux a la Clark Gable” category. (That’s probably not an official category anywhere but my mind…)

From Glee singles to gleeful couples: Three of my favorite couples on the red carpet: Amy Poehler and Will Arnett; Neil Patrick Harris and David Burtka; and Eva Longoria Parker (who does NOT play for the Tampa Bay Rays) and Tony Parker (who DOES play for the San Antonio Spurs). Now, I’m not a Spurs fan and I don’t watch Desperate Housewives but the Parkers looked stunning on the red carpet. Eva is probably just below Lea on my best dressed list. Neil and David looked great, with Neil rocking a two-toned tux and skinny tie and David sporting the classic tuxedo. And Will and Amy looked great – and happy: The couple just welcomed their second child three weeks ago! I thought Amy looked fabulous in a flowing lavender-gray Max Azria gown.
In the “who wore it better” category: The battle of the nudes. There were lots of whites and neutral palettes last night. Winner Claire Danes did a good job in Armani Prive …but, I feel like I’ve seen this dress before. Plus, on the red carpet her make up wasn’t working for me. Her eyes looked too dark – almost hollow – and her lips were too pale; she almost looked anemic. (When she presented and accepted her award, though, it looked as though she’d been touched up and she looked flawless.) Elisabeth Moss did a better job, in my opinion, though. She wore a flowing light silver gown with just the right nude make up: Enough eye make up for definition, and a slight hint of color to keep her looking lively. Perfect.
Some other hits: Winner Kyra Sedgwick in a beautiful chic aubergine hippie gown, with wavy sandy blonde locks to match. Tine Fey looked classy in Oscar de le Renta. Sofia Vergara looked liked a stunning golden statue in Carolina Herrera.

Biggest miss: January Jones. What the hell was Versace thinking? The color was great, I’ll give her that. It was a beautiful jewel tone blue. But it was all wrong. The structure, the length, the hair… Well, the hair had nothing to do with the dress, but still – she looked disheveled. Here’s the thing: I think she doesn’t look like anybody. I never recognize her – I can’t pick her out of a line up of one. That said, this too-busy dress was wearing her. It just swallowed her. In my memory, she never looked good on the red carpet but everyone ends up talking about her the next day. Way to generate some buzz, January.

And one last note about how people looked: If you aren’t watching The Good Wife, may I present you with reason one and two: Josh Charles and Matt Czuchry
Now on to the broadcast. I thought the cold open, with Jimmy, the Gleeks, Tina Fey and other misfits was terrific. I like Jimmy. I like like Glee. And I love The Boss. So putting them all together is a surefire way to get things off to a great start. I also liked Jimmy’s musical interludes introducing each category (comedy, drama, etc.). He got the audience involved and served as a nice sorbet as we transitioned from variety programming to movies and miniseries.
Even though I didn’t understand the necessity of some of the bits, they were funny and the show ended up coming in on time so it’s all good. One totally unnecessary but thoroughly funny bit was Jimmy’s musical tribute to three shows that “passed” this season: 24, Law & Order and Lost. He reworked “Candle in the Wind” for 24; wonderfully spun Boyz II Men’s “It’s So Hard to Say Goodbye To Yesterday” for L&O; and, as you might have guessed, my favorite part was Jimmy dressing up like Billie Joe Armstrong and rewording “Good Riddance (Time of Your Life)” for Lost’s send up. I also really liked the bit with George Clooney and Modern Family. Seriously – you have to watch Modern Family.
And that was the broadcast. Nothing too much of note, but all in all a good award show. HBO won a total of 25 awards; Eric Stonestreet and Jane Lynch both gave lovely, heartfelt speeches; I would have liked to see Lea Michele, Matthew Morrison or Julianna Margulies win in their respective categories, but I’ll live; Ryan Murphy’s acceptance speech was great: He saluted arts education in schools and thanked all his teachers – the ones who taught him “to sing and finger paint!”; and the always funny Modern Family grabbed the prize for Best Comedy Series. (Even though you know, dear reader, how much I love Glee, I’m actually kind of glad that Modern Family won instead. Glee’s collective head was starting to swell and the hype was reaching critical mass, putting Glee in danger of believing its own hype, trying too hard and jumping the shark before its second season even made it to air. Last season, all the hype was on Glee and while it’s great fun, Modern Family is also very, very good and deserving of the same fervor. Way to go, Modern Family!) Visit emmys.com for the full list of winners. Below are my favorite wins of the night:

• Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series: Eric Stonestreet, Modern Family
• Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series: Jane Lynch, Glee
• Writing for a Comedy Series: Steven Levitan and Christopher Lloyd, Modern Family, “Pilot”
• Directing for a Comedy Series: Ryan Murphy, Glee, “Pilot – Director’s Cut”
• Variety Series: The Daily Show with Jon Stewart
• Outstanding Comedy Series: Modern Family

Media Morsels 8.27.10

• American Idiot in the Media
  During Broadway in Bryant Park, Playbill.com caught up with all the talented folks performing. Among them, of course, were some amazing Idiots. Watch Tony Vincent, Michael Esper, Rebecca Naomi Jones and Christina Sajous talk about keeping the performance fresh and the unique experience of performing live theatre.
  
  And, while I’m a little hesitant to share this because… well, you’ll see. Look who are Idiot fans.

• Bloody Bloody Box Office!
  The box office at the Jacobs Theatre on 45th street, Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson’s Broadway home, is now open for business. Lucky fans (like me!) had the chance to visit the box office on its opening day and purchase a Jackson for a Jackson: A ticket to the first preview on September 20 for only $20. How great is that?!? I wanted to see the first preview anyway so to get to go for “a Jackson” is a lovely bonus. Tickets are currently on sale through January 9, 2011, and can be purchased in person at the box office or online (or over the phone) via Telecharge.
  
  
• Marty McFly Headed to The Good Wife
  Deadline.com reported this week that beloved TV and film star Michael J. Fox will appear on the upcoming second season of The Good Wife. Fox will play an attorney battling Julianna Margulies’s Alicia in court.
  
  
• The Social Network
  Facebook in Sorkinese opens in about six weeks (on October 1), and the buzz is building. Recently, the New York Times reported conflicting accounts of what, in the movie, is fact and what is fiction. Meanwhile, the film’s producers are hoping it will be an award season contender, which isn’t surprising given its unparalleled writer, Aaron Sorkin, great director, David Fincher and cast, namely the appealing Jesse Eisenberg and JTims. Adding to the buzz is Rolling Stone film critic Peter Travers who says “David Fincher’s Social Network is the 1st film I’ve given [four stars to] in 2010. It’s the movie of the year that also brilliantly defines the decade.” Well, of course it’s good, Peter. Aaron Sorkin wrote it!
  
  
• Glee Scoop
  Glee creator Ryan Murphy recently revealed that he’d like the McKinley High misfits to tackle the music of Prince (or whatever he’s called these days) and George Michael. I’m voting for some fabulous hip-swiveling version of Michael’s “Faith”. Meanwhile executive producer Brad Falchuk promises fans that, despite all the media hullabaloo over cameos, this second season will focus heavily on the interpersonal relationships of the glee club members. (Does that mean we won’t have to watch another episode of The Kristin Chenoweth Show? I like Chenoweth a lot but her last appearance on the show was all about her, which felt wrong for the show.)
  
  In other Glee news, the piano man himself, Billy Joel, recently gave Glee producers an all access pass to his catalogue, meaning Mr. Schuester might be looking for an “Uptown Girl” sometime this season!
  
  And as a little Glee bonus, check out these season two promo photos from Broadwayworld.com.
  
  
• Fall TV
  If the weather these last couple of days is any indication, fall is almost here, and that means season and series premieres! Check out this timeline from E! Online and mark your calendar for the premiere of your favorite shows. Some highlights (in premiere date order): It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia – September 16; Boardwalk Empire – September 19; Glee – September 21; Modern Family – September 22; Community, 30 Rock and The Office – September 23; Bored to Death – Sept 26; and The Good Wife – September 28.
  
  Something else to note: When SNL returns (on September 25) for its 36th season (which will be hosted by Jane Lynch on October 9), the show will be minus one Will Forte. According to Zap2It.com, Forte has decided to leave the show, after eight seasons, to pursue other projects. I always found Forte to be funny, a good journeyman and thoroughly amusing as Greg Stink, the dimwitted ESPN-Classic commentator. Will you miss Will? Who are some of your favorite SNL players, past or present?
  
  
• Hockadoo!
  As you know from previous Media Morsels, every week Playbill.com presents their Cue & A, a fun questionnaire filled out by theatre folks. This week, Memphis leading lady Montego Glover (back from her early August vacation) answers the trivia questions. (The lovely Glover will also be appearing on the season premiere of The Good Wife this September. Be sure to tune in on September 28.)
  
  
• Side by Side by Susan Blackwell
  Reviewing the Drama readers may be familiar with Susan Blackwell and her web series, Side by Side by Susan Blackwell, in which the tart-tongued [title of show] star interviews/chats with theatre folks. In the season two premiere episode, Susan chats with theatre vet, Modern Family star and Emmy nominee Jesse Tyler Ferguson as he packs his bags for LA.
  
  
• Emmy Award Time!
  The Emmy Awards, hosted by funnyman Jimmy Fallon, will be presented this Sunday night on NBC. In preparation, Life magazine has an online pictorial of (what they consider) the best Emmy moments, 2000-today. (My favorite, of course is the second photo, the one in which Allison Janney is playfully sitting on Martin Sheen’s lap.) EW.com has their list of the 25 biggest Emmy snubs, starting off with Sports Night. And Playbill.com has a list of some presenters, including Matthew Morrison, Julianna Margulies, Will Arnett, Matthew Perry, Tina Fey and Joel McHale, who will probably wear an awesome tie. As with many award shows, the “top awards” (i.e., those that the most people are keen on tuning in for) will be presented during Sunday’s live broadcast while the other awards, here called the Creative Arts Emmy Awards, were handed out this past Saturday. (View the full list of winners here.) If you think about it, all the awards are creative arts awards; it’s not like someone is winning an Emmy for an algorithm… but this is how they do it. Some highlights from Saturday’s awards: HBO won 17 awards; Modern Family won Outstanding Casting for a Comedy Series; oldie but greatie Betty White won Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series for her appearance as host of SNL; Neil Patrick Harris won Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series for his appearance on Glee; and the Tony Awards broadcast (2009, hosted by NPH) won Outstanding Special Class Programs. Tune in to NBC this Sunday night to see who else is a winner! (Already a winner: George Clooney. The ridiculously handsome Oscar-winning actor, whose new movies opens on Wednesday, is receiving the Bob Hope Humanitarian Award. That’s good for ratings, right?!?)

Normal Revisited

Next to Normal, the wonderfully emotional Tony and Pulitzer Prize winning musical, recently welcomed an almost entirely new Goodman family. On July 18, Alice Ripley, Brian d’Arcy James and Jennifer Damiano played their final performance as Diana, Dan and Natalie. (d’Arcy James was not a member of the original Broadway cast, but he did originate the role of Dan off-Broadway at Second Stage.) The next night, Marin Mazzie, Jason Danieley and Meghann Fahy assumed the roles. (Mazzie and Danieley are married in real life; this is the first time they’ve worked together on Broadway, though they’ve worked together in other venues before.) This Saturday, I headed to the Booth; as it turned out, an understudy, Brian Crum, was playing the role of Gabe, the Goodmans’ son, so as I watched, I got the chance to meet a totally new Normal family.

I found myself in an interesting position because I’ve now seen the amazing show in two different iterations with, essentially, three different casts. (I’ve actually seen four Dans, three Gabes, two Dianas, Natalies and Doctors and one Henry. Oh, sweet Henry - what a good boyfriend!) Just like when I saw Hair with the replacement cast, I had to prep myself going in and kept telling myself that different didn’t mean bad. And this cast was very good - certainly Mazzie’s and Danieley’s talents can’t be denied, and original Broadway cast members Louis Hobson and Adam Chanler-Berat are still fantastic in their roles. But the new cast members were different and some of the differences didn’t work for me.

Danieley was the most effective, in my opinion. His voice sounds more like Brian d’Arcy James’s than J. Robert Spencer’s (Spencer originated the role of Dan on Broadway) and yet he was able to clearly make the role his own. I thought he did a very nice job of creating a family - I liked the way he played with Natalie during lighter moments. As Natalie, Meghann Fahy was good, if very reminiscent of Damiano. Fahy sounds and looks a lot like Damiano so it was almost as if there was no change. She did manage to play certain moments differently than Damiano, which was good because as great as Damiano was in the role, when an actor takes over the role, I don’t want to see a carbon copy.

As Gabe, Brian Crum was the least effective. When I first saw Next to Normal at Second Stage Theatre almost three years ago, I fell in love with Aaron Tveit as a performer. I thought he was absolutely perfect in the role - his talent is undeniable; he was commanding, charismatic, magnetic and electric; I couldn’t take my eyes off of him. His final performance as Gabe on Broadway was emotional, to say the least, and when I took my mother to see the show this past February it was the first time I was seeing a new Gabe. Much to my pleasant surprise, Kyle Dean Massey was also great in the role. He was different from Aaron; Kyle Dean’s dark and thick eyebrows made Gabe look more sinister which was an interesting twist. But Kyle Dean’s talent is also not to be denied and he is a great replacement. Brian Crum doesn’t quite live up to the challenge. (Of course, he is an understudy, not a permanent replacement.) Crum is good - serviceable, really - but he leaves much to be desired. Crum lacks the physical stature to be commanding and lacks stage presence. I don’t believe he can be sinister. I could take my eyes off of him, making him a little forgettable in such a great role. This is not to say he’s not talented - he certainly has a good voice and plays the moments well, but he just doesn’t have that “it” factor to do the role justice.

And finally, Marin Mazzie. Mazzie has the unenviable and unforgiving task of taking over for Alice Ripley in her Tony-winning performance. Mazzie is very talented and does great work here (her Diana is sadder and more depressed than Ripley’s more manic Diana), but she’s no Alice Ripley. Ripley was nothing if not present in the role. I saw her Diana seven times and it was never the same performance. With Mazzie, it felt like she had decided, “Okay, this is the how this moment is to be played so that’s how i”ll play it.” If I go back to see her again tonight, I’ll see the exact same performance. It’s a good performance, even if I didn’t agree with or understand some of her choices, but it’s static.

Remember when Glee covered U2’s “One” on the “Laryngitis” episode? Aside from the fact that they grossly appropriated an incredible song for an after school special, there was something about their version that didn’t quite work. Lea Michele sang lead and she has a great voice. However, there is something about Bono’s unfinished, flawed voice that makes U2’s “One” authentic and powerful. That’s how I feel about Mazzie’s voice compared to Ripley’s.

Mazzie has a fantastic polished, Broadway voice whereas Ripley’s voice is unfinished and flawed, like Bono’s. The lack of polish in Ripley’s voice really works for Diana because Diana is unfinished and flawed. With Mazzie’s polished voice, Diana seemed maybe a little normal instead of next to it. When her voice needed to break - in order to convey something breaking in Diana - Mazzie would go into a character voice, which didn’t convey emotion.

All that being said, the show still holds up. Basically because Tom Kitt’s a genius. But seriously, folks, Kitt and writing partner Brian Yorkey created a solid show. They spent ten years nurturing and molding this beautiful original musical and their efforts have paid off in spades. It’s a testament to their talent that even with just good performances - and not great ones - the show is still top notch and better than most of the fluff and schlock that’s out there. And I should note once again that I have something to which I can compare these new performances. My opinion is admittedly biased. Family friends recently came to see the show and they had never seen Ripley, d’Arcy James (or Spencer) or Damiano and they loved the show - couldn’t stop gushing. Because I have a means of comparison, I can make these criticisms. But the show is just as affecting as ever and absolutely still worth seeing. It’s always difficult to replace the cast of a successful show; the producers of Next to Normal took up the challenge with winning results.

(Note that in these pictures Kyle Dean Massey, not Brian Crum, appears as Gabe.)

Visit NexttoNormal.com for information about the show, to purchase tickets or to learn about the upcoming tour, starring Alice Ripley.

(Read Ben Brantley's New York Times review of the new Goodman family.)

Media Morsels 8.20.10

• American Idiot in the Media
  We have a few Idiot items to get to this week:


• Stark Sands was featured in this week’s Cue & A on Playbill.com. (This is a feature in which actors fill out Playbill’s questionnaire, answering questions ranging from full name to worst costume and favorite board game.) Broadway.com also caught up with Sands; its interview features scoop about The Miraculous Year, the HBO show written by John Logan, directed by Kathryn Bigelow and starring a bevy of Broadway big-timers, including Norbert Leo Butz and Patti LuPone. (When I saw American Idiot earlier this month, they were filming a part of the pilot right next door!)
  
  
• Rebecca Naomi Jones, Christina Sajous, Alysha Umphress and Ben Thompson stopped by Seth Rudetsky’s Chatterbox broadcast recently and Broadwayworld.com has footage of the half-hour chat session. Tune in to learn how Christina became the “upside down girl” and each Idiot’s funny-in-retrospect audition story.
  
  
• Hut, Hut, Sing!
  Green Day and the lovely Idiots will perform during halftime at the Meadowlands when the NY Jets (led by QB and theatre aficionado Mark Sanchez) take on the Baltimore Ravens on September 13. Green Day and the cast are set to sing Green Day’s latest hit from 21st Century Breakdown (and number in American Idiot) “Last of the American Girls”. Be sure to tune in to Monday Night Football on ESPN for the game and the halftime show.
  
  
• New Trailers
  This week, the first trailers for two new romantic comedies hit the 'net. One is for How Do You Know, starring favorites Reese Witherspoon and Paul Rudd (along with my third favorite Wilson brother, Owen, and Jack Nicholson.) The other is for Love and Other Drugs, starring Jake Gyllenhaal and Anne Hathaway. Both look fairly predictable (though Love... seems to have some aspirations toward edginess) but I chuckled through each trailer. I love Reese and Paul's a charmer; Jake is too adorable to pass up and Anne's likable enough. So, I'll probably end up seeing both movies, but one (maybe both) may have to wait until they're available on Netflix!
  
  This week we also saw the first trailer for the new Darren Aronofsky film, Black Swan. Aronofsky is best known for his weird-good Requiem for a Dream and The Wrestler. Black Swan seems a little All About Eve-ish, set in the ballet world. As such, all the choreography was created by City Ballet principal dancer Benjamin Millepied. Not sure if I’ll get to this one in the theatre (unlike my brother, I’m not in love with Aronofsky as a filmmaker (just in like) and Black Swan stars Natalie Portman (who’s now dating Millepied), who is hit or miss for me) but it’ll definitely make its way into my Netflix queue.
  
  
• Meet the Dancers
  Speaking of City Ballet dancers, the company just launched a new website devoted entirely to getting to know the 24 principal dancers. Here you can learn which is Robert Fairchild’s favorite piece to dance; why Sterling Hyltin got in to ballet and what Jonathan Stafford loves most about the company. Study up now because the 2010-2011 season is just a month away!
  
  
• Hockadoo!
  A couple of months ago, I mentioned that JTims, he who comes from Memphis, Tennessee, was rumored to be interested in playing Memphis’s leading man, Huey Calhoun, in a film adaptation to be directed by Oliver Stone. This week it was reported that Zac Efron, who recently took in the show for a second time, is also interested in playing the role. I don’t have much on which to base my opinion of Efron, though I did find him charming enough in 17 Again (What can I say? I like Matthew Perry.), but I think I’d much rather see Mr. Timberlake portray Huey. (Of course, it’d be great if cutie Chad Kimball, who currently plays Huey – and earned a Tony nod for his portrayal – could reprise the role on screen, but Hollywood politicking will probably prevail and, alas, Memphis won’t live in Chad on celluloid.) No word as to who would play Felicia, Huey’s leading lady, but expect Beyonce’s name to be bandied about at some point.
  
  
• The Boss Says "Yeah Yeah!"
  Bruce Springsteen and family took in a performance of Fela! this week. Broadway.com was on hand to catch them greeting leading man Sahr Ngaujah.
  
  
• Bloody Bloody Artwork
  Check it: (and visit bloodybloodyandrewjackson.com for more details!)

Media Morsels 8.13.10

• Broadway in Bryant Park
  A New York summer staple is Broadway in Bryant Park, which is pretty much just what it sounds like: Casts from Broadway (and, recently, some off-Broadway) shows take the stage in Bryant Park for an alfresco afternoon performance. This week, the beautiful Idiots took the stage and my friend and I were there to cheer them on. (What a great thing to do in the middle of the work day!) Playbill.com and Broadwayworld.com have photos of the festivities, a fan has video of sound check and Broadwayworld.com has video of the entire American Idiot performance. Enjoy!

• Spider Man Update
  It appears that the huge musical that everyone thought wouldn’t be is back on track. Producers announced this week that Spider Man: Turn Off the Dark (with music and lyrics by Bono and The Edge) will begin previews on November 14 and celebrate its official opening on December 21. In addition, rumors were confirmed when it was announced that Jennifer Damiano would appear in the musical as Peter Parker’s love interest, Mary Jane Watson. Joining Damiano and Reeve Carney (who will play Peter Parker/Spider Man) will be Patrick Page. Page is taking over the role of Norman Osborn/The Green Goblin from Alan Cumming, who was originally slated to play the villain. Cumming had to pull out because (1) it looked like the show wasn’t going anywhere and (2) he signed on as a regular on CBS’s The Good Wife. Tickets are now on sale for American Express cardholders and will go on sale to the general public in September.
  
  
• Financial Non-Reform
  In the latest issue of Rolling Stone (the recent covers of which might be confused with Playboy covers) features the insightful Matt Taibbi once again exposing the dreck on the Hill. “Wall Street’s Big Win” reflects on the recently passed Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act, which is frustratingly toothless. The Act “[pretends] that minus a few bumps in the road that have mostly been smoothed out, the clean-hands capitalism of Adam Smith still rules the day in America”, Taibbi says, rather than “[admitting] that control over the economy in the past decade was ceded to a small group of rapacious criminals who to this day are engaged in a mind-numbing campaign of theft on a global scale”. Taibbi goes on to point out that the deregulation of the aughts that left us in this mess made us, basically, “a nation subsisting on an elaborate check-bouncing scheme.” And the Act does very little to change that.
  
  
• Casting News
  It was reported this week that one of my favorite leading ladies, Reese Witherspoon, will likely portray Miss Peggy Lee in an upcoming biopic to be written and directed by Nora Ephron. Witherspoon is also producing the movie with her Type A production company. (While we’re on the subject of Reese, I’d like to take a moment to publicly say that I love Legally Blonde (the movie, not the horrible stage adaptation). It’s fun and fluffy and totally quotable (“Oh my god, Warner, this is gonna be just like senior year except for funner!”) but mostly I like that Elle is a great female role model. She is both beautiful and smart. And she’s able to go after what she wants, get people to take her seriously and succeed all without giving up either of those qualities. Snaps for Elle!)
  
  
• Legendary Roots
  Listen up! Sexy R&B artist and political activist John Legend is teaming up with the Roots (a.k.a., Jimmy Fallon’s house band) for a “cover album of socially conscious 1960s and 70s soul songs,” according to an item in Rolling Stone magazine. The record, called Wake Up, will hit stores in September.
  
  
• Fela! to Close in January
  The Tony winning dance extravaganza that is Fela! will play its final performance on Broadway on January 2, 2011. The show will live on with overseas productions and tours. Before closing, however, Fela! will welcome a new Funmilayo: Lillias White will leave the production on September 12 and on September 14 the legendary Patti LaBelle will take over the role. Fela! is a wild and wonderful show that teaches us to stand up to would-be oppressors and use our art to express ourselves. I highly recommend you catch the Broadway production before it closes or, if you can’t make it to NY, go see Fela! when it’s in a town near you. Visit felaonbroadway.com for all the details.

Media Morsels 8.6.10

• Prop 8 Ruled Unconstitutional!
  Great news, friends: Proposition 8, the law banning marriage equality as voted on by duped California voters in 2008, was ruled unconstitutional by the Federal District Court in San Francisco! In the decision, Chief Judge Vaughn R. Walker said, “Proposition 8 cannot withstand any level of scrutiny under the Equal Protection Clause. Excluding same-sex couples from marriage is simply not rationally related to a legitimate state interest.” Judge Walker went on to say, “Moral disapproval alone is an improper basis on which to deny rights…” That’s right! The 14th Amendment says “All persons born or naturalized in the United States…are citizens of the United States… No State shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States; nor shall any State deprive any person of life, liberty or property…nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws.” This amendment was ratified on July 9, 1868 and was part of the three Civil War amendments. It’s fitting, then, that it is being invoked to champion the civil rights cause of my generation. Good job, Federal District Court. SCOTUS, you’re surely up next. Do the right thing.


• Together Again: Yorkey and Kitt Back at Work
  The Tony and Pulitzer Prize duo of Brian Yorkey and Tom Kitt are collaborating again for a new musical called In Your Eyes. The show will be presented and workshopped at the 2010 Village Theatre Festival in Issaquah, WA. Once again, Yorkey is writing the book and lyrics while Kitt will be making beautiful music. (For the record: Next to Normal was also presented at the festival during its development process. Expect to see this pop up elsewhere within a year or sooner.)


• The Last Goodbye
  This week, the New York Times ran an article about The Last Goodbye, a new musical adaptation of Romeo + Juliet that weaves the late Jeff Buckley’s songs (who, for his seminal album Grace wrote a song called “The Last Goodbye”) in to the story. After a couple of workshops in New York, The Last Goodbye is currently playing at the Williamstown Theatre Festival in Massachusetts. In the Times article, reporter Patrick Healey talks to creator Michael Kimmel about his inspiration and Buckley’s mother, Mary Guibert (who is the executor of Buckley’s estate), about allowing her sons beautiful and highly emotional songs to be used in this purpose.


• Beastie Fights Back
  Adam Yauch, a film producer and Beastie Boy, is fighting back against the R rating A Film Unfinished received. A Film Unfinished is a Holocaust documentary produced by Yauch’s movie company, Oscilloscope. The ratings board (which is a bunch of baloney) deemed the graphic images in the film too much for a lower rating. Yauch argues that the documentary is an educational tool but with an R rating it can’t be screened in schools. I haven’t even seen a clip of the film but I agree with Yauch: It’s a documentary. We have to distinguish between gory and frightening images that are real and those that are merely for entertainment, like in the Saw franchise. If we keep watering down children’s education and listening to the Texas board of education when we decide what’s appropriate in the classroom, we’re all doomed to a fate far worse than an 11 year old seeing a graphic image of history.


• Glee Scoop
  Best news of the week: Carol Burnett will guest star on Glee in season two as Sue Sylvester’s (Jane Lynch) mother! Two hilarious and sharp witted ladies playing a mother-daughter duo? Absolutely brilliant. Being too young to have watched Ms. Burnett on her fabulous sketch shows (with unbelievable Bob Mackie costumes) when they originally aired, my first introduction to the multi-talented lady was her portrayal of Miss Hannigan in the 80s movie version of Annie (with little miss Aileen Quinn in the titular role; I met Ms. Quinn at a stage door in Orlando when she was touring with Saturday Night Fever). I am so excited for her guest appearance! Great get, Glee!


• And now, some letters:
• Dear Everyone Who Voted “Nay” on the 9/11 Responders Bill,
  You have failed at life. Turn in your badge, do not collect a swag bag and get the hell out of my House of Representatives.
  
  (This clip is taken from thedailyshow.com. Visit the website for more.)


• Dear LeBron Haters,
  Can you please take your venom for LeBron’s ostentatious “The Decision” special and turn it on to Brett Favre for his prima donna and egotistical “will he or won’t he” act? Brett, grow a pair and make a decision. I don’t care what decision you make but make a decision so I don’t have to hear Ed Werder talk about you anymore.


• Dear Aaron Sorkin,
  Much as I love your writing and seeing you pop up on Entourage, please, Please, please don’t let fiction bleed in to reality and collaborate in any way with Jessica Simpson. She can barely speak English. ‘Twould be cruel to challenge her (and then listen to her butcher) Sorkinese.


• Bloody Bloody News
  The Broadway run of the excellent emo rock musical Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson will begin previews at the Jacobs theatre one night earlier than originally announced. The show is now scheduled to start performances on Monday, September 20 and will celebrate its official opening on October 13. I wonder if there’ll be a big block of cheese involved!?!
  
  And, if there wasn’t enough, the Bloody Bloody album also has a release date: September 21. You can visit sh-k-boom.com to pre-order your copy and then visit Playbill.com for an exclusive sneak listen of selected songs.


• Great Collaborations
  This weekend while watching "Evidence of Things Not Seen", a beautiful episode in season four of The West Wing, I had a thought: What if there was a show for which Aaron Sorkin wrote the book, Tom Kitt wrote the songs, Matt Warchus (or Michael Mayer) directed and in which Raul Esparza starred? I think I might go into fan-obsession overload. But it would be a wonderful collaboration, I’m sure. So now I turn the question to you, dear readers: What are some of your favorite actual and fantasy collaborations, whether in the arts, in sports or elsewhere? Leave you tantalizing tales of teamwork in the comments section below.