Media Morsels 9.30.11

• Josh Charles in Character
  The Good Wife is off to a steamy start, and one of its sexy stars, Josh Charles (a.k.a., Dan Rydell, the fictitious love of my life) recently posed for Vanity Fair's Howard Schatz:

• Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
  Nominees for the next class of Rock and Roll Hall of Famers was announced this week. (Artists are eligible 25 years after the release of their first single or album.) New nominees include Guns 'n' Roses and Joan Jett and the Blackhearts. And, since not every artist is selected for the honor in their first year of eligibility, return nominees include the Beastie Boys and Red Hot Chili Peppers. Winning artists will be inducted into the Hall of Fame, located in (oh me-o, oh my-o, oh) Cleveland, Ohio, in April 2012. Visit rollingstone.com for the full list of nominees and stayed tuned to find out who will make up the next class of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
  
  
• Glee Scoop
  
  Well, it's been a while since I've brought you any sort of Glee scoop, dear readers. (That's largely due to the fact that I haven't been excited about Glee ever since it jumped the shark in the second half of season one.) But, I thought this item from the week was interesting: Matthew Morrison will direct this season's eighth episode, which will air sometime in November. I'm curious to see what happens when this triple threat adds yet another hyphenate to his name. (Also, check out the clip below, in which Morrison and Jonah Hill use Late Night with Jimmy Fallon to expose their beef.)
  

• What Does Your Favorite Muppet Say About You?
  That was the question posed and answered this week over at geekscape.net. Blogger Matthew Kelly offers his interpretations, theorizing about Muppets' personalities and how that relates to non-Muppets. Because of the plethora of Muppet characters we've come to know over the years, Kelly focuses on just a selection of Muppets, leaving out my actual favorite, Dr. Teeth. Of those listed, though, I definitely have to choose Kermit as my favorite, and that, according to Kelly, is quite fitting. Who's your favorite Muppet, and does Kelly's interpretation fit?
  
  
• Bloody Bloody Patrick Bateman?
  According to Playbill.com, Sexypants POTUS, Benjamin Walker, portrayed Patrick Bateman in a workshop of a musical adaptation of American Psycho, the Bret Eaton Ellis novel, which was previously adapted on film with Christian Bale tackling Bateman. I'm thrilled by this casting. I think Walker's physical appeal, comedic chops and vocal and acting skills make him a great choice for the yuppie murderer. Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark's Reeve Carney also participated in the reading. The adaptation is written by Duncan Sheik and Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa. Sheik wrote the music and lyrics for Spring Awakening and Aguirre-Sacasa played show doctor to Spider-Man. I'll be sure to keep you up to date on further developments.
  
  
• Nevermind Turns 20
  So last week I mentioned that Nirvana's Nevermind turned 20 and that there would be several opportunities to celebrate the occasion. Well, this week, our national treasure, Jon Stewart, interviewed surviving Nirvana members Krist Novoselic and Dave Grohl, as well as Nevermind producer Butch Vig. Visit rollingstone.com for more details, and watch this clip from the interview:
  

• The Joe Iconis Interview: Teaser 1
  Joe Iconis wants to silently hug people. He thinks listening to Dolly Parton is like "getting kissed on the cheek by someone and then going home and realizing that you're pregnant." Joe mentions "Sondheim's heart, William Finn's guts and Kander & Ebb's swagger." Intriguing, right? Want to know more? Check back in October when I'll post more from my Q&A with the talented songwriter, including his answers to Vanity Fair's Proust questionnaire and Inside the Actor's Studio's Bernard Pivot questionnaire.
  
  
• Dig This
• Oscar-hosting veteran Steve Martin offers soon-to-be Oscar host Eddie Murphy some advice
  
  
• Great read from the New York Times: Is Junk Food Really Cheaper? (Hint: NO!)
  
  
• Esquire talks to Boardwalk Empire's Michael Pitt and Michael Kenneth Williams about their characters' style.
  
  
• The Artios Awards, honoring achievements in casting, were handed out. Winners included The Book of Mormon, Boardwalk Empire, Modern Family, The Good Wife and The Normal Heart, among others. Visit Broadwayworld.com for the full listing and photos.
  

City Ballet: Ocean's Kingdom and Union Jack

Paul McCartney: Beatle. Icon. Ballet composer. On September 22, 2011, Sir Paul McCartney made his ballet debut with Ocean’s Kingdom, for which he is credited with writing the music and libretto. According to program notes, the collaboration between Sir Paul and New York City Ballet Master in Chief Peter Martins (who choreographed Ocean’s Kingdom) began at the School of America Ballet’s Winter Gala. “Being aware of McCartney’s interest in classical music,” the notes say, “Martins broached the idea of them one day collaborating on something.” And so McCartney and Martins began work on what would become Ocean’s Kingdom.

The story is fairly simple, and, actually, is full of classic themes of love, betrayal and trust. The overall story reminded me a lot of Romeo and Juliet, and because there was music and dance involved, I, of course, couldn’t help but also think of Romeo and Juliet’s musical theatre counterpart, West Side Story. We begin with two households, both alike in dignity, in fair Ocean’s kingdom, where we lay our scene. At rise, Princess Honorata (Sara Mearns) is dancing idly in her underwater kingdom with her Water Maidens. (The curtain rises and the ethereal dancers look like they’re floating underwater. It’s remarkable.) Her father, the cleverly named King Ocean, appears, and then the Ocean “subjects” are visited by nobility and rabble rousers from the earthly kingdom: King Terra (Amar Ramasar), his brother, Prince Stone (Robert Fairchild) and the Terra Punks invite King Ocean, Honorata, et al., to a party in the earthly kingdom. Prince Stone and Princess Honorata instantly fall in love with each other. (Is this sounding familiar?)

At the party, Stone and Honorata continue their courtship, much to the displeasure of King Terra. He enlists the traitorous Scala (Georgina Pazcoguin), Honorata’s chief of staff, if you will, to help steal away Honorata from Stone. King Terra and Scala bid successful, and King Terra whisks away Honorata, tearing her from her lover, who is left heartbroken. Next we see Honorata in captivity (perfectly suggested by Mark Stanley’s brilliant lighting design), devastated by her separation from Prince Stone. Stone appears but cannot break her out of prison. Suddenly Scala arrives and the two lovers plead with Scala to help Honorata escape. Seeing their pure love for one another, Scala realizes her mistake and helps Honorata out of captivity and aids Honorata and Stone as they escape to freedom.

This is a good ballet, and one which, because of Sir Paul’s name recognition, will certainly be folded into the City Ballet repertoire for years to come. However, it’s not a great ballet, and it seems a rather insignificant work in the annals of ballet history.

McCartney’s score is good if elementary. I don’t claim to know music theory or know much about composition, but I knew very well what my ears hear. I liked that, fittingly, the ocean themes were more legato and the terra themes tended toward the staccato. I was underwhelmed, however, with the expected changes in tone when different characters appeared: the score grew heavier and darker when evil lurked and brightened up when good triumphed. (It may delight some Beatles fans that here and there I heard remnants of familiar Beatles tunes, particularly “Sgt. Pepper.”) McCartney is admittedly just beginning to dabble in classical music and this is his first foray into composing for ballet. Grading on a beginner’s curve, I’d give this not too complex composition a C – just average.

The costumes, by McCartney’s daughter Stella (an accomplished fashion designer) varied to fit the characters and moods, and for the most part I thought they greatly enhanced the ballet. I particularly liked Princess Honorata and her Water Maidens’ looks – crinkled and flowy chiffon with asymmetrical hemlines. They were gorgeous shades of blue, green and aquamarine, and allowed the lithe dancers to flow through the “water” with ease and grace. (With a few modesty-modifications, I could actually see many of the Ocean’s Kingdom costumes appearing on the runway and street.)

Prince Stone and others from the earthly kingdom were in black body suits that had flesh-toned cutouts and designs (the patterns varied from dancer to dancer) that effectively evoked terra cotta pottery and other earthenware.

The one miss, though, were the costumes in movement two. (This part of the story was a miss, too, bloating the ballet with an unnecessary divertissement, and no plot development that couldn’t have happened quicker or in the previous movement.) Here, there was a garish mix of comically colorful clown-like costumes. It was like Joseph and his amazing Technicolor dream entertainers had come to dance for us. Led by Daniel Ulbricht as the Lead Entertainer, an Exotic Couple, some Amazon Women and Drunken Lords came out to “entertain” us. The problem was there costumes were disorientingly different from the look of the rest of the ballet (and it so stalled the plot) that the brief entertainment felt like an eternity. It also didn’t help matters that the Exotic Couple was clad in yellow body suits with cutouts that made it look like they accidentally wandered in from The Lion King.

But this is the ballet, dear readers, so let’s get to the dancing. Martins choreographed a lovely ballet that served the story well, and I liked that though this is a narrative ballet, the miming was kept to a minimum and Martins relied mostly on dance to tell the story. Lovely as the choreography was, there was nothing terribly impressive or unforgettable about it. (Martins’s Romeo and Juliet – especially the balcony scene pas de deux – on the other hand, is exquisite.) But though the choreography was forgettable, its execution was not.

As the two star cross’d lovers, Sara Mearns and Robert Fairchild impressed with their technique and acting. I thrilled over the playfulness of their pas de deuxs. They exuded an honest youthful eagerness and energy. (Their first pas de deux, however, reminded me so much of the dance Tony and Maria do when they first meet at the big dance in West Side Story. Martins didn’t rip off Jerome Robbins, not by any stretch of the imagination. But the gestalt of Martins’s dance, the way the lovers see each other, everything slows and they are left to dance into each others’ lives, was very reminiscent of Tony and Maria’s first dance.)

Mearns and Fairchild had great chemistry. (This is the first time Martins has choreographed for them as a pair.) You may remember that I tend to like watching Fairchild dance with Sterling Hyltin, but I think Mearns did a terrific job here, and her grounded nature made her a good choice to dance Honorata. And, of course, I thrilled over watching my dear Robbie Fairchild, whose presence is commanding and whose passion for dance and the role he’s dancing always shines through.

In contrast to the soft flow of the ocean dwellers’ dancing, all the terra dancing, led expertly by Amar Ramasar, was crisp and precise (and actually reminded me a lot of the precision in Christopher Wheeldon’s Mercurial Manoeuvres.) Ramasar was an intense villain, and he impressed with his powerful and steady moves.

As presented on Tuesday night (five nights after its premiere), Ocean’s Kingdom looked like a preview performance of a new musical. There was some tentative dancing, with some dancers looking like this dance wasn’t in their bones yet. And it may not be. It’s a new work. I think with a little more shaping, trimming and tweaking, it could be better. Perhaps this is a preview period, and the next time Ocean’s Kingdom is performed (which, I believe, will be this spring) it will have grown into its pedigree.

Curiously paired with Ocean’s Kingdom was Balanchine’s Union Jack. With music by Hershey Kay, who adapted the score from traditional British music, this ballet, according to repertory notes, “was created to honor the British heritage of the United State on the occasion of its Bicentennial.” It gets there, but only after a laborious start.

We start by being introduced to the many regiments: First is the Scottish and Canadian Guards regiments, led by Joaquin de Luz and Charles Askegard; next is Green Montgomerie, led by Abi Staffard, Jared Angle and Janie Taylor; Wendy Whelan leads MacDonald of Sleat; and Maria Kowroski is at the head of the Royal Canadian Air Force. For the first five or seven minutes, it’s nothing but each regiment – slowly and methodically – marching out to a drum roll. I tired quickly. After all the regiments had made their entrance, the individual regiments got a chance to dance and things started to pick up. Throughout the whole thing, though (and later on, too) I wished the dancers had been wearing tap shoes, as their hoofing would have complemented the percussive score and added some interest to a rather dragging first part.

The second part was 100 times more entertaining. Meant as pure entertainment to break up the beginning regiments and the concluding naval ballet, Costermonger Pas de Deux seemed straight out of vaudeville – certainly a playful comedy act that I wouldn’t be surprised to see playing in the background of Babette’s Supper Club on Boardwalk Empire. (Newly married) Andrew Veyette and Megan Fairchild come out as the Pearly King and Queen and begin their routine of one-up-manship. They mug for the audience as they cutely beg to be allowed to entertain you. It’s almost like they say, “Let us put on a show for you. No? Okay. How about one more?” (I think their playfulness with both each other and the audience was even cuter because I know they are newlyweds!)

Veyette was charming in the “Anything you can do I can do better” battle, but I was really impressed with Fairchild. She had a sweet – but not treacle – demeanor, and she’s of the beautiful comedienne, Reese Witherspoon-ish ilk. Cute but not cutesy, fun, funny and carefree, Fairchild had the audience – and Veyette – wrapped around her little finger by the time the divertissement was through.

The finale continued the whimsical vibe of part two, with the Royal Navy and the Women’s Royal Naval Service coming out to show their patriotism. In various groupings, the naval academy engages in a dance marathon of patriotism, as once they come out on stage, they never stop moving. It was truly impressive. (Again, I wished they were wearing tap shoes, and because of the naval uniforms, I kept thinking about the incredible nine-minute tap dance in Anything Goes.) The fun ends with the company using hand flags to spell out – in Marine semaphore code – “God Save the Queen.” It’s a playful end to a ballet that starts out drudgingly slow but builds to a boisterous finale.

Bonus: Stunning photos of Ocean’s Kingdom from the New York Times

For more information or to purchase tickets, visit nycballet.com.

The Submission

“It’s good to know what you’re capable of.” That’s the lesson learned in The Submission, the new play by Jeff Talbott. Currently running at MCC Theater’s Lucille Lortel Theatre, The Submission is a fine new work that is thought provoking, relevant and necessary to our national dialogue.

Danny (Jonathan Groff) is a gay, white, male playwright. He’s written what his boyfriend Pete (Eddie Kaye Thomas) and best friend Trevor (Will Rogers) consider to be an exceptional play. Tired of readings and workshops and eager to get a full-fledged production of one of his plays up on its feet, Danny submits this exceptional play, which is comprised of four black, down-trodden characters, to festivals under a pseudonym. But not just any pseudonym. He makes up a black woman’s name, Shaleeha G’ntamobi, and, lo-and-behold, gets accepted to the Humana Festival. Great, right? Yes, except that he’s not Shaleeha and the Humana folks need to meet with Shaleeha and have her in the room as they produce Danny’s play. So Danny, being the resourceful writer that he is, hires an actress, Emilie (Rutina Wesley), to play Shaleeha. This convoluted plan is almost as wacky as Dana’s dating plan.

Convoluted as Danny’s plan may be, it sets up some rousing discussions about authenticity and race relations in this country, as well as “ownership” of a particular experience or subject matter.

They say write what you know. But isn’t the wonderful thing about writing the opportunity it affords the author to explore the unknown, to experience something different from his everyday life? That’s certainly a huge part of what makes reading a novel (or watching a movie or a play) so intriguing. If I’m looking for an adventure, looking to discover a different world, I don’t have to go further than my own back yard. I can just read The Wonderful Wizard of Oz and be transported to Munchkin Land. When L. Frank Baum wrote his famous stories, no one said, “Frank, you can’t write this. You don’t know anything about wicked witches and ruby slippers.” So why can’t Danny write about a black family?

This is what I like to call the August Wilson problem: While he was alive, Wilson allowed only black people to direct his plays. He thought that a non-black couldn’t possibly understand the material well enough to successfully direct the play. (A couple of seasons ago, his estate gave the okay for a white director to direct his Joe Turner’s Come and Gone.)

I’ve always taken issue with this. I disagree with Wilson’s implication that you have to have gone through something in order to understand or direct it, or, in the case of The Submission, write it. One of the things I’ve always loved about Aaron Sorkin’s TV shows, particularly The West Wing, is that he creates and writes smart women. He writes women who are intelligent, capable, successful and charming. None of it feels inauthentic. But Holy August Wilson, Batman! Aaron Sorkin is a man, not a woman. How could he possibly know and therefore successfully write the voice of a strong, independent modern woman? I’ll tell you how: He researches and observes and collaborates. Don’t you think that if Sorkin ever wrote a line for CJ that sounded inauthentic the incomparable Allison Janney – a woman – would have spoken up?

So, again, why couldn’t Danny write about a black family? I feel like to meditate further on the themes would be to rehash the entire play (which, with all the meta winks and nods, is catnip for writers and theatre buffs). So I won’t. But I do recommend you see this for yourself and grapple with the subject matter – discuss it with your friends and neighbors. Talk about pain and whether or not there’s a hierarchy to it. Talk about the difference between sympathy and empathy, and whether one or the other is necessary to create powerful and moving art.

Setting aside the themes, let me briefly applaud the production itself. Walter Bobbie’s quick-clip direction is perfectly paced, and David Zinn’s scenic design and David Weiner’s lighting design add to the fluidity of the piece. The intermission-less play charges ahead and doesn’t cease or retreat until the falling action. (Of which there is too much. The play, in previews when I saw it, should have ended about 11 minutes and three scenes earlier than it did. This would have been a much more powerful ending.)

All four actors give fine performances here. I liked seeing the growth in Eddie Kaye Thomas’s Pete and Will Rogers’s Trevor. Both start out a little removed but throughout the play we see them become more and more engaged as they stand up for their loved ones. As Emilie, Rutina Wesley is strong but not militant as she figures out her place in Danny’s convoluted plot. And Jonathan Groff once again shines on stage. Groff has this wholly effective combination of a seriously intense gaze mixed with a calm, dulcet voice. The voice lulls you into a false sense of security and then the stare comes out and packs a wallop. It’s a powerful performance in a thought-provoking play. Look for this to have life after off-Broadway.

For more information and to purchase tickets, visit mcctheater.org. (Note that MCC has a 20 under 30 program, which allows patrons 30 and under to purchase a ticket for just $20.)

Production stills by Joan Marcus are from Broadwayworld.com.

Bonus: Check out this Playbill.com Cue & A with Rutina Wesley.

City Ballet: Apollo, La Sonnambula and Mercurial Manoeuvres

City Ballet is back in full swing! (Actually, the season’s been up since September 13, but I just visited for the first time on Saturday.) On tap for Saturday were three ballets I had seen before, Apollo, La Sonnambula and Mercurial Manoeuvres. All three were enjoyable, but the most interesting thing about seeing each ballet on Saturday was that I was sitting in the orchestra.

Usually, I sit in the fourth ring (think mezzanine or balcony), but because City Ballet changed its pricing schedule, sitting in the orchestra was actually more affordable! So this season, I’ll be up close and personal with the dancers, and will be able to bring you a different perspective on some of the same ballets.

First up was Apollo, a Balanchine ballet. You may remember that the last time I saw Apollo, it was a See the Music piece, which meant that City Ballet Music Director Faycal Karoui gave a chat before the ballet, talking about the various elements at work in Stravinsky’s score. While I didn’t remember everything Karoui said, on Saturday night I was keenly tuned into the music. This time, I was struck by its modernity. Throughout, I kept thinking, “This is a musical theatre score.” I could almost hear the witty, patter-ific lyrics Stephen Sondheim might write to this spirited piece of music.

As for the dancing, I saw the same dancers as last time: Chase Finlay as Apollo; Sterling Hyltin as Terpsichore; Tiler Peck as Polyhymnia; and Ana Sophia Scheller as Calliope. The most wonderful surprise was seeing how much Finlay had grown into the role. He appeared in command of the stage and I love the way he entreated his three muses to inspire him. (Plus, being so close I was able to see the sweat fly off of him every time he pirouetted.)

I think my favorite part of the ballet, though, is the pas de deux between Apollo and Terpsichore, and not just because Hyltin danced Terpsichore. Throughout the dance, the god and muse dance with each other, but not really together. They keep dancing, closer and closer, until they meld with one another and god and muse become one. It’s a beautiful moment.

Next up was La Sonnambula. It was watching La Sonnambula that I noticed what will be the biggest difference in my perspective from the orchestra. Apollo requires four dancers; La Sonnambula requires 27. When you’re sitting in the fourth ring, you can take in the whole stage and see all the formations. When you’re sitting in the orchestra, you can see the whole stage but not necessarily all at once. It is more difficult to get the comprehensive, “widescreen” view while sitting so close to the action. Mind you, this isn’t a complaint—I could still see all the wonderful dancing—but it is a difference.

Unlike Apollo, this time I saw a different cast dance La Sonnambula. Jennifer Ringer danced the Coquette, with Sebastien Marcovici as the Poet. And City Ballet’s treasure, Wendy Whelan, danced the Sleepwalker. (Daniel Ulbricht also danced in the piece; he was the Harlequin in the Divertissements section, once again showing off his incredible and impossible jumping skills.)

Once again, I was taken with the pas de deux between the Poet and the Sleepwalker in this Balanchine ballet. Here, Marcovici impressed with the look of enchantment on his face every time he looked at the Sleepwalker. And Whelan was breathtaking at the Sleepwalker. You cannot talk your eyes off of her when she’s dancing. What’s challenging about this pas de deux is that the Poet and Sleepwalker never connect eye to eye, but they must connect on some level – otherwise the narrative rings false. It’s a credit to both Whelan and Marcovici that there was a palpable connection as they guided each other through the dance.

Finally, my favorite of the evening: Christopher Wheeldon’s Mercurial Manoeuvres. This, too, has a large cast, with some combination of 21 dancers filling the stage throughout this exquisite ballet. Tiler Peck and Tyler Angle were dancing lead here, and they are quite the pair. (They originated the lead roles in Wheeldon’s Estancia to great effect.) Peck brings an intriguing sensuality to the role and Angle is commanding and passionate in a role I last saw danced by his brother, Jared.

As is typical for Wheeldon, all the elements of a production help to tell his story, including the terrific lighting design by City Ballet’s resident lighting designer Mark Stanley. But the dance, of course, is still front and center. Led by Tiler and Tyler (as well as Gonzalo Garcia), this ballet begins and never slows down. It’s constantly in motion and changing, as the name suggests. The pulse hurtles through so that when the dancers strike their final pose and the curtain is lowered, those 21 fantastic dancers aren’t the only ones who need to catch their breath!

The 2011-2012 New York City Ballet season is just getting started. Visit nycballet.com for information about the season and to purchase tickets.

Original Reviews:

• Apollo
• La Sonnambula
• Mercurial Manoeuvres

Bonus: Check out this slideshow of Saturday's program from the New York Times.

Media Morsels 9.23.11

• Oh Well. Whatever. Nevermind.
  Nirvana's Nevermind turns 20 this year. (Is that possible?!? I remember when it came out!) Surviving Nirvana members Dave Grohl and Krist Novoselic, as well as Nevermind (and Wasting Light) producer Butch Vig, recently spoke with AP about the iconic and influential album. A commemorative 20th Anniversary reissue will be released on Tuesday, September 27. Fans will have their choice of which super special reissue they want, whether just a remastered copy of the record, or a super deluxe edition featuring boombox recordings and alternate mixes.
  
  
• Rory O'Malley Talks Mormon and 8
  As a co-founder of Broadway Impact, an organization that rallies the Broadway and theatre community at-large in support of marriage equality, The Book of Mormon's Rory O'Malley has been busy getting ready for a starry benefit reading of 8, a new play written by Oscar winner Dustin Lance Black. 8 chronicles the Proposition 8 trial that overturned the California anti-equality ballot measure. The reading took place on Monday, and O'Malley spoke to Broadway.com about what it's like to work as an activist and also make people howl with laughter eight times a week. (Check out Broadwayworld.com's photo coverage of the starry reading: red carpet arrivals; after party)
  
  
• They Work Hard for the Money
  Forbes released its list of the highest paid men in entertainment. Note that this list differs from the one Leo topped last month, the highest paid actors list. In contrast, this list includes only two actors (one of them is Leo); the rest are writers, directors and producers, plus one athlete. The multi-hyphenate Tyler Perry tops the list on which Steven Spielberg, Elton John and Howard Stern also appear.
  
  
• J. Edgar
  Speaking of Leo, check out the trailer for his latest film, J. Edgar.
  

• Another Brick in [Jimmy Fallon's] Wall
  Late Night with Jimmy Fallon will host a Pink Floyd week next week. Throughout the week, according to RollingStone.com, Fallon's show will include "interviews with members of the band and performances of their songs by...Foo Fighters and Pearl Jam." Tune in all week for what are sure to be epic "cover" performances. The Foos will be featured on Tuesday night, when Roger Waters will be a guest.
  
  
• The Joe Iconis Interview
  Guess what, dear readers. I interviewed musical theatre writer Joe Iconis! He gave me wonderfully thoughtful answers and I can't wait to share them all with you. Over the next few weeks, I'll tease out pieces of the interview. Check back next week when the Morsels will include the first interview installment.
  
  
• Dig This
• Anything Goes for a little longer! The show and star Sutton Foster will sail through April 29, 2012.
  
  
• Get ready for season 2 of Boardwalk Empire with this handy cheat sheet. The Empire strikes back this Sunday, September 25, only on HBO.
  
  
• If you happen to run into him in Asbury Park today, wish Bruce Springsteen a very happy birthday!
  

Drive

Ryan Gosling can mess you up. In Drive, the new film directed by Nicolas Winding Refn and adapted from James Sallis’s novel by Hossein Amini, Gosling plays a nameless driver who surprises everyone, including himself, when he discovers just how far he’ll go to protect the innocent.

Gosling’s character is a Hollywood stunt driver by day and a get away driver for criminals by night. He takes a shine to his neighbor, Irene (Carey Mulligan), and offers to help her just-released-from-prison husband (Oscar Isaacs) with a heist. But the heist goes wrong and the chase begins. Well, this chase begins. Gosling’s character is chasing something from the start. He’s not quite sure what. Maybe it’s Irene. Maybe it’s something else. But Gosling’s eyes never stop searching.

And it’s a good thing that the talented actor’s face is so expressive. There is scant dialogue so words don’t have much of a role. (Though, when characters do speak, they speak with precision and intensity.) There’s a moment in the film when Gosling has just brutally beaten someone, while in the presence of Irene. (I swear this is not torture porn.) He looks up at her and has this diabolically layered look on his face: part “I’m deranged;” part “I didn’t know I could do that;” and part “Please forgive me. I need help. I need you.”

There’s almost too much story here to call it an action film. Populated with great actors (Albert Brooks and Bryan Cranston join Gosling and Mulligan), Drive is a pulsing, Grimm fairy tale in which the white knight must protect the pure princess. (Neither Gosling’s character nor Irene have such delusions of grandeur; still, I think it’s an apt allusion.)

One of the elements I really liked was the sound. Every time Gosling clinched and opened his gloved fists as he readied to drive, the sound came crackling through. (In an interview with Time Out New York, director Refn said, “Every time Ryan moved his hands, I always amplified it much louder in postproduction…”) The motor revved up and it throbbed through the movie theater. In a film with very little dialogue, I liked how the sound made up for a lack of chatter.

Both Refn and Gosling have said of this movie that it’s a John Hughes movie but with violence. I can’t say that I would have picked up on the Hughes-ness in Drive if it hadn’t been suggested, but since they mentioned it, I can see it. This film, with its sudden but purposeful head bashings, is not for the squeamish, but film buffs and anyone looking for a satisfying, un-Hollywood movie should definitely race to see Drive.

2011 Emmy Award Wrap Up

The Emmys are wrapped, dear readers. And just like that, another award season is under way. In a few months, Oscar buzz will kick into high gear, but before we look ahead, let’s look back at the festivities making up the 63rd Emmy Awards.

As always, we begin with fashion. There was nothing too notable, on either end of the spectrum. (Even my worst dressed picks weren’t Bjork-wearing-a-swan bad!) So let’s start with some trends and who wore it better match ups.

Ladies in Red

Kate Winslet and Lea Michele showed up wearing stunning red gowns, as did several other women on the carpet. Winslet wore Elie Saab while Michele (who was super glamorous last year in Oscar de la Renta) chose Marchesa. Both looked great in perfectly fitted red power dresses, though I give a slight edge to the smoky-looking Winslet for glamming it up with a sparkly Cartier bracelet.

The Family that Dresses Together…

Modern Family stars Sofia Vergara and Sarah Hyland both wore coral-reddish, one-shoulder numbers. Hyland, in a custom Christian Siriano gown, looked fun and fresh, wonderfully age appropriate. Vergara scored in Vera Wang. The dress was a little trendier than we usually see from Wang, but it hugged Vergara in all the right places and she looked strikingly statuesque in the structured gown.

Little Black Dress

Check out Christine Baranski and Evan Rachel Wood (in Elie Saab) looking like they were poured into their sexy black dresses. Interestingly, in what I noticed as another trend, Baranski and other more mature women were showing off more skin than Wood and her contemporaries. Hooray to women over 18 showing some skin and looking drop dead gorgeous.

Lacing Up the Red Carpet

Contrary to what I just said, here’s an instance in which the older woman should have covered up. Take a look at Minka Kelly in Dior and Gwyenth Paltrow in Pucci. Minka, the young starlet, looks classy and sophisticated. Paltrow, the older of the two, bares her midriff and I wish she’d cover it up. She looks like she’s trying (too hard) to be young, hip and edgy. Advantage Minka.

Does Size Matter?

The men were mostly fine, with some standouts listed below. But let’s consider this showdown: Joel McHale vs. Peter Dinklage. McHale, in Michael Bastian, looked like a server in the Catskills. The color of his jacket aside, it seemed to be ill fitting, looking like the tall and lanky funny man had outgrown the tux. On the other hand, Dinklage looked great in a perfectly tailored tuxedo. And, as someone who happens to fancy messy tresses and facial hair, I think the entire look worked for the Emmy winner.

Other Hits
Julie Bowen (right) looked like a sexy, slinky snake in her Oscar de la Renta gown. Cobie Smulders was a breath of fresh air in a refreshingly aqua gown (that is, before she changed into her Emmytone costume). Rob Lowe, Will Arnett and Seth Meyers looked just right in Tom Ford, Calvin Klein and Prada, respectively. Edie Falco took subtle glamour to a whole new level in a nude Randi Rahm dress. And Jon Hamm (in Tom Ford) and Jennifer Westfeld (in a vintage canary yellow goddess dress) were the best dressed couple.

Misses

Melissa McCarthy may have been a winner once the awards were handed out, but her dress didn’t make the cut. Partially because it looked like it had been cut up, and then stitched back together. I don’t mind a pattern or some interesting detail to a dress, but the patchwork style of the dress just didn’t look luxe. Rather, it looked more like I could buy this off the rack. And I do not understand the shoulder pads. However, I loved the deep purple color; and the tastefully plunging neckline made McCarthy look taller and slimmer.

Also a winner on stage but not on the red carpet: Julianna Margulies. I usually like the way she looks, but not this time. The shapeless bodice of her Armani Prive gown looked like a lampshade that had been decorated with a bedazzler. It hid all the beauty and curves of Margulies’s body, which, if you’ve seen some of the promos for The Good Wife, you know looks good. A disappointing look from a talented lady.

Did Zooey Deschannel put on that Monique Lhullier dress as a joke? She looked very un-pretty in this pink, frothy, juvenile prom gown, with an Elvira beehive to boot. I don’t know if this is supposed to be cool, but I’m over Deschannel’s “I’m so cute and quirky” act. She is definitely my choice for worst dressed.

And now the award show. I thought Jane Lynch was a fine host. She didn’t have a lot of screen time, which was fine – there were a lot of awards to hand out. (And, mercifully, they did it all in the allotted three-hour time frame.) I liked The Lonely Island’s performance – it brought a little bit of youthful energy to an otherwise kind of stuffy affair. I also liked the commentary as each winner approached the stage. It was snarky and much more spirited than usual. I did not like the In Memoriam segment. Call me crazy, but an In Memoriam segment is not supposed to be a showcase of living people’s talent. Skip the live performances and just show the tribute shots.

Finally, dear readers, a (incomplete) list of winners, with commentary. (Visit emmys.com for a full list of winners.)

Modern Family Goes for the Gold

• Best Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series – Ty Burrell
  As a Modern Family fan, this was a tricky category as four of the six nominees were Modern men. Burrell is fun and loveable as the goofy but well meaning dad, Phil Dunphy, and he’s an Aaron Sorkin alumnus, so I’m glad to see him take home Emmy gold.
• Best Actress in a Comedy Series – Julie Bowen
• Best Directing for a Comedy Series – Michael Alan Spiller, Modern Family, “Halloween” (Modern Family had three nominations in this category)
• Best Writing for a Comedy Series – Steve Levitan and Jeffrey Richman, Modern Family, “Caught in the Act”
• Best Comedy Series – Modern Family

More Winners

• Best Writing for a Variety, Music or Comedy Series –The Daily Show
• Best Variety, Music or Comedy Series – The Daily Show (this is the 9th year in a row that The Daily Show has won this award)
• Best Directing for a Drama Series – Martin Scorsese, Boardwalk Empire, “Pilot”
• Best Actress in a Drama Series – Julianna Margulies, The Good Wife
• Best Supporting Actor in a Miniseries or Movie – Guy Pearce, Mildred Pierce
• Best Actress in a Miniseries or Movie – Kate Winslet, Mildred Pierce
  Okay, dear readers, now Ms. Winslet is ¾ of the way to an EGOT: She won this Emmy; she won a Grammy for a spoken word album in 2000 and in 2009 she won an Oscar for The Reader. Let’s get her to come to Broadway so she can win a Tony! (I know this kind of star f**king is unusual for me, but I like Winslet, she has done theatre before and you know she’d do a great job and not just phone it in.)

Media Morsels 9.16.11

• NYC Ballet Season Begins!
  City Ballet's 2011-2012 has begun! Here are a couple of treats:
  
• Dancers' Must Sees
  City Ballet's soloist and corps dancers, who are featured in this season's beautifully photographed (by Henry Leutwyler) marketing campaign, tell you which ballets included in the 2011-2012 season are must sees. For example, Ana Sophia Scheller (pictured in the promo shot, at right) says, "You can't help but see that Allegro Brillante is a joy to dance." And Rebecca Krohn, Likolani Brown and Sean Suozzi like one the few Balanchine ballets I like, Stravinsky Violin Concerto. Visit nycballet.com/mustsee to find out what other dancers want you to see this season, and then visit nycballet.com to purchase tickets.
  
  
• Robbie Fairchild Meets Sir Paul!
  If you've been following my Morsels about the 2011-2012 season, then you know that Ballet Master in Chief Peter Martins is choreographing a new ballet set to a score composed by Sir Paul McCartney. The ballet, called Ocean's Kingdom, will debut this month and starring in the ballet as the prince is my favorite principal dancer, Robbie Fairchild! Fairchild recently spoke to Pointe Magazine about what it was like to meet Sir Paul while he (Fairchild) was practically naked!
  
  
• Side by Side by Susan Blackwell
  In this episode: Jonathan Groff. Susan Blackwell. Goats. You must watch!
  

• Creative Arts Emmys
  While the Emmys Award that many of you will tune in to watch be handed out is this Sunday, last weekend the Creative Arts Emmys were handed out, honoring excellence in writing, make up, cinematography and other design and technical elements, plus guest-star awards. HBO led the pack (as they very well might on Sunday - tune in at 8pm to Fox) with 15 wins, including Outstanding Casting for a Drama Series for Boardwalk Empire. (Those four Michaels are fantastic! The Empire strikes back on the 25th!!!). The 64th Annual Tony Awards took home two awards, and SNL funny men and woman Seth Meyers, John Mulaney (who I saw perform stand up a couple of weeks ago - watch for his very funny special on Comedy Central), Katreese Barnes and Justin Timberlake (who, again, took home an award for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series for his appearance on SNL) won the Outstanding Original Music and Lyrics Award for the song Timberlake sang in his opening monologue. Visit emmys.com for the full list of winners.
  
  In other Emmy news, the list of presenters at the 63rd Primetime Emmy Awards is growing. The list now includes Lea Michele, Don Cheadle and Sam Seaborn Rob Lowe, who join previously announced Juliana Margulies (I can't wait for The Good Wife. It's now on Sundays and premieres on the 25th, the same night as Boardwalk Empire.), Sofia Vergara and the funniest husband and wife team since Burns and Allen, Amy Poehler and Will Arnett. Tune in this Sunday night as the awards are presented with the help of host Jane Lynch.
  
  
• Foo Fighters Rock on Conan (Again!!!)
  

• Dig This
• Former Hippie (he was Woof in Hair) and current Emcee (in Reprise Theatre's production of Cabaret) Bryce Ryness fills out Playbill.com's Cue & A.
  
  
• Stephen Sondheim also makes puzzles.
  
  
• You can thank Captain Obvious for this one: A The Book of Mormon movie adaptation is on the horizon.
  
  
• Kristen Chenoweth may be headed back to Broadway (possibly with Hugh Jackman) in On the Twentieth Century.
  
  
• Leap of Faith, a musical stage adaptation of the Steve Martin film, may be headed to Broadway, after the creatives revamped the LA iteration.
  
  
• Check out this preview of what's happening this fall on HBO:
  

Fall Image Spot