Currently at the Kennedy Center is a touring production of  the Tony Award-winning play August: Osage County.  Scott and I were lucky enough to get some discounted tickets, and it was well worth it!

The play is definitely a black comedy.  Playwright Tracy Letts has a real gift for humor, offering up more laughs than I would have expected from such dark subject matter.  And yet she imbues her characters with deep, often hidden motivations which are what carry the play to its inevitable resolution.  But truly I laughed so hard and so often – it was fantastic!  Truly, utterly hilarious.

The plot begins by introducing us to the parents of the Weston clan – Beverly and his wife Violet.  He’s a washed up poet and an alcoholic, she’s perpetually addicted to prescription drugs.  Our window on their world is the housekeeper that Beverly hires – Johnna, a soft-spoken Cheyenne Indian in need of a job.  But tragedy strikes, and the whole family comes out of the woodwork – first Violet’s sister Mattie Fae and her husband Charlie and later their own son “Little Charles.”  All three of the Weston daughters also come to roost – Barbara, Ivy and Karen.

Photo by Robert J. Saferstein

Barbara, the eldest, is full of disdain and rage at her parents, fueled by her separation from her husband Bill.  She feels like she can’t control her daughter Jean, and vows not to make the same mistakes.  But as is so often the case, the sins of the parents are passed onto their children.

Ivy is the middle daughter who has remained in this small Oklahoma town to care for her parents.  On the surface she is scattered and genteel, but when she starts talking, it’s evident she’s anything but happy to see her sisters.

Karen is the youngest and full of life – so full of it that she chatters on and on, ignoring what’s happening around her.  She says that she has found happiness in life with her fiancée Steve, but is she just settling?

Well all those truths do come out, because at a feisty family dinner, matriarch Violet really lets go.  She’s determined that “truths will be told” and she could care less about the consequences.  What follows is a lot of laughing, fighting and crying.

Photo of Shannon Cochran, Jeff Still & Estelle Parsons by Robert J. Saferstein.

The strength of this show is really in the acting – most of the cast sparkles with the material they’ve been given, no matter how small the role.  Estelle Parsons as Violet proves she has come a long way from her stint on Roseanne, offering a searing portrayal of a woman with one foot firmly over the edge.  All three daughters are remarkable – Angelica Torn is full of quiet rage and clever one-liners as Ivy, while Amy Warren makes certain you won’t forget her bubbly Karen.  But the powerhouse is Shannon Cochran as Barbara, who matches Parsons blow for blow.  When she seethes with lines like, “Eat your fish, BITCH,” let’s just say you feel like you’d better eat that fish, pronto.

I also was really happy with the Anna Shapiro’s direction – her sense of rhythm and timing are impeccable.  It’s amazing how she’s able to milk the smallest moments for laughs, simply by spacing out the dialogue.  She especially makes good use of DeLanna Studi as Johnna, who pops in at just the right moments to offer a good laugh or a much-needed moment of sanity.  The overall pacing is also nice to see – for example, while Act 2 is very much about a shift in power between Violet and Barbara, the Act 3 opening is unquestionably controlled by Ivy as she unravels even more hidden secrets.

Lastly I have to admire the remarkable set design by Todd Rosenthal – a towering three-story house with at least seven visible rooms, and two staircases that get quite a workout.  The players are given plenty of room to breathe, but the house still gives off a sense that we are trapped in this loony bin until the lights come up.

So to sum it up – you really, really should go see this show!  (Not appropriate for kids – too much foul language.)  Don’t let the long running time of 3 1/2 hours scare you away – the play blazes by, and with two brief intermissions you don’t get antsy.  I understand there are still a lot of discount ticket offers there, so take advantage of them and see this show!  Any seat in the Eisenhower Theater will be a good one for this play with larger than life personalities.

As you know by now, I’m a tad obsessed with Glee, as is much of America (it’s the highest rated new comedy of the season).  When you are this fond of something, it’s natural to get picky and critical – you want it to be the best it can be!  And with Glee I worry about its long-term prospects; after all, in television it’s a marathon to get yourself to syndication.

So I’ve been working on this list.  In particular I was inspired by the episode “Wheels,” which I think was the best of the season so far.

10 ways to make Glee the best it can be

1.  Limit the amount of musical numbers, and make sure they serve the story.

One of the complaints the average person has with musicals is that they don’t believe people would just break out into song.  Occasionally that’s happened on this show, so…stop it.  If people burst into song it should be because they are, in fact, singing at that moment in the plot.  As far as the number of songs, I think three is a good limit.  In “Wheels” we had just the three numbers, each of which were well integrated into the plot.

2.  Always end with a big musical number!

A key facet of this show is that it ends on a high nearly every week, no more perfect than in the pilot episode.  Leave us with a knock-out every time, please!

3.  Focus on just two or three plot lines per episode.

The problem with some past episodes has been that they get too muddled as we follow a bunch of plot threads which are barely interwoven.  “Vitamin D” was a case where there was just too much going on, which left some of the plot dangling a bit.

4.  Tone down those love quadrangles.

Almost every great comedy has had some kind of major love connection that’s dragged out for a long time to add some tension.  The danger in that is that if you rely on it too much, when the connection finally happens the show starts to falter (see also: Moonlighting, Cheers).  So the writers would be wise to not make these groups of lovers (Will/Terri/Ken/Emma and Finn/Quinn/Puck/Rachel) such a heavy focus.

5.  Focus on more characters.

On all of the posters, advertisements and such there is a rather large cast shown.  Yet since then we’ve been spending so much time on the likes of Finn and Rachel that other characters are getting the short shrift.  What’s the story on Mercedes, other than a lack of gaydar?  Is there more to Tina than her supposed lisp?  What I loved about “Wheels” was that we got some good insight into what Artie is like, and even a bit more on Tina.  The second best episode of the season, “Preggers,” was focused on Kurt.  Keep that up!

6.  Make the characters three-dimensional.

In “Wheels” it took just one brief scene to turn Sue Sylvester from a two-dimensional caricature into a complex woman with hidden motivations.  Brilliant!  We need more of that.

7.  Deepen the bench.

Another challenge for this show is that the kids will “grow up” and eventually have to move on.  Let’s not fall into the same trap as Beverly Hills 90210 or Saved by the Bell!  To prepare for that, the writers need to start slowly introducing us to some of the second-stringers like Santana and “other Asian.”  An amazing new development has been moving Brittany to the forefront as the classic blond ditz who also has heart.  LOVE!

8.  Bring an end to the baby drama.

No offense to Quinn Fabray (love that name), but this whole baby subplot is getting tired.  In particular it’s ridiculous, because we’re led to believe that Will is so dense he can’t tell his own wife isn’t pregnant, and Finn is such an idiot that he doesn’t know how babies are made.  Let’s get to spring break as soon as possible to get this over with.  Remember that most sitcoms start to die when the leads get married or have a baby.

9.  The adults can’t overshadow the kids.

Yes, this show is meant to be a blend between what’s happening with the teachers and what’s happening with the students.  But the show is called Glee, which means it’s about the glee club first and foremost.  I’d rather not see another episode like “Acafellas” where it was all about Will, Ken and the like.  (Although I don’t mind some more of those cheesy 80’s boy band songs!)  The one exception to this rule – Sue Sylvester.  Please give us as much of her as possible.

10. Up the competition.

One thing that was so refreshing in some episodes has been the scouting of the competition.  We love our kids at McKinley, but it’s fun to see a completely different bunch performing in their own style (see also: Bring It On).  I wasn’t totally in love with this week’s episode (“Hairography”), but seeing some of the competition was fun.  Can’t wait for sectionals!

That’s my list – let me know what you think, and if you have ideas to add.

All images courtesy Fox Television.

And here, appropriately, is my favorite Thanksgiving moment from Friends.

If you’re not in the U.S. – happy Thursday instead!

Precious

The story of Clareece Precious Jones (played by Gabourey Sidibe) unfolds like a horror story.  We quickly learn that she is pregnant with her second child, and that both children were sired by her raping father.  Her mother spends all day in front of the television, expecting Precious to service her every need.  And mama Mary (played by Mo’Nique) is also violently abusive, spitting out an endless string of curse words in her first scene, all aimed at her daughter.  To top it all off, now she’s getting kicked out of middle school – at the age of 16.  (It gets worse.)  No wonder that Precious has terribly low self-esteem.  Yet she fantasizes about a better life all the time.  In this film we learn that having dreams is not the same thing as having hope.

Fortunately one woman after another crosses Precious’ path and recognizes that this is a lost soul in need of rescuing.  She ends up at an alternative school led by the indomitable Ms. Rain (Paula Patton) and also has a droll welfare worker (Mariah Carey) standing in her corner.  But as often as she’s able to move ahead, Precious is continuously swept back into the cycle of abuse perpetrated by her mother.  How can she rise above it all?  Well, you have to just go and see for yourself.

The script is an adaptation of Push, a novel by poetess Sapphire.  It’s so achingly real that one would think it’s based on a true story, perhaps the author’s own experience.  But this is a piece of fiction that could be the story of a thousand young girls in this country that are beat down by the position that life puts them in, and struggle against the system to find a way out.  Lee Daniels is the director, and this is only his second film – which is astonishing considering how deftly he brings this story to life.  The pacing of the film is very well done, giving us just enough moments of levity and brightness to counteract the pits of despair that dominate.  He smartly chooses to put us in Precious’ fantasies periodically to show that she’s able to step outside herself and try to find beauty in the ugly that is her life.

Newcomer to the screen Sidibe is remarkable not because she puts on a performance.  It is because she is so believable that it’s hard to imagine she isn’t Precious.  Her words come out half-mumbled all the time, but when she finds some joy, she simply glows.  And get ready, folks – you may not have expected to hear these words in your lifetime, but “Academy Award winner Mo’Nique” is very possible!  Her Mary is  bitterly explosive, unleashing her fury at a moment’s notice – it has the feel of a suspense movie, because you never see it coming.  It is only at the end that we begin to understand her motivation – unforgivable, but clearly excruciating.  Also surprising is the understated turn by Mariah Carey.  She goes anti-glam for this role, and it really works – we can almost forgive her for Glitter (but no, we shall not forget).

The remainder of the cast is full of “Oh that’s…!” surprises, which I won’t ruin here (and don’t go looking it up on IMDB first).  I’ll just say that amongst the cast is another famous musician, a woman on a prominent daily talk show, and an actress most known for a late 80’s sitcom that takes place in a high school.  Good luck!

On the whole this is a movie that is excellent in a way that is emotionally devastating.  It has been a long time since a film so aptly portrayed the dark pit of abuse, while giving an uplifting light to guide us out.  This movie hurts to see, but you are better for the experience.  My grade – A.

All images courtesy Lionsgate Films.

Where the Wild Things Are - a review

There is one real downside to a movie getting enormous critical buzz.  It sets unrealistically high expectations in some audience members (like me).  Spike Jonze’s latest suffers from that problem.

Because let me be clear on one thing – I liked the movie.  Quite a bit, actually.  But it wasn’t this great transformative experience I’d read about and hoped for.  Instead I found an intriguing film that didn’t fully connect.

The book by Maurice Sendak is a classic for its simplicity.  The film adaptation takes the same basic story, but expands the scope of world Max discovers.  The creatures all have names and personalities, and fight amongst themselves over petty concerns.  I feel it’s pretty clear that Jonze has set them each up to represent an aspect of Max’s personality he doesn’t see in himself – the unreasonable temper is embodied by Carol, the pessimism is Judith.  I liked this idea, but because it’s a so-called children’s movie, I think those stereotypes remain too one-dimensional.

The strength of the film is in the visuals – the monsters are fully realized as if they stepped right out of Sendak’s book.  The landscapes are stunning, particularly the fort built by the creatures.  And the unveiling of Carol’s fantasy diorama is a moment that makes you inhale with wonder.

All in all I think this is a good movie, but falls short of being great.  If you do want to see it, I recommend running out to do so now, because the big screen is where it’s meant to live.  My grade – B.

Currently at the Kennedy Center is a production of Tennessee Williams’ masterpiece A Streetcar Named Desire as performed by the Sydney Theatre Company.  Scott and I were lucky enough to scoop up tickets quickly, and it was without question the best money we’ve spent on entertainment all year (in my opinion).

Now perhaps I’m a bit biased here – this was  my first time seeing Streetcar ever, and it was starring one of my favorite actresses – Cate Blanchett.  But I could tell by the end I wasn’t the only one who thought it was stunning – so did my husband and the entire theater which gave a standing ovation that went on for 4 curtain calls!  Clearly this production was something special.

The heart and the meat of the show is Blanchett’s performance as Blanche DuBois – a woman who appears to be superior and confident, but it belies a much darker past and many layers of madness.  She acted the hell out of this role – every line was delivered with full conviction while savoring the words themselves.  Picture her wringing her hands in a supplicating gesture as she pleads to Mitch, “I don’t want REALISM!”  As Blanche’s lies unravel, so does her psyche, and Blanchett delves deep to show us a woman utterly destroyed.  She…was…breathtaking.

And she didn’t go it alone – Joel Edgerton was a powerful presence as Stanley Kowalski – all swagger with a strong intuition.  When he eventually gets to the point of assaulting Blanche, it seems the logical endpoint for his anger.  Also on the plus side, Edgerton is very easy on the eyes.  Let’s just say his butt gets its own scene.  Seriously.

Robin McLeavy played things awfully meek as Stella, but it shows us perhaps why she has lived all her life in Blanche’s shadow.  Here in New Orleans she could be the center of attention and worshiped by her husband – so she puts up with his drunken and abusive ways.

The set was sparse but appropriate for this show – it had a suffocating feel to it.  And for an all-Aussie company, the accents were actually quite good.  Only occasionally did things slip a bit.  (“Steller…”)  The direction was obviously superior, led by the incomparable Liv Ullmann, who stole my heart a few years ago as the narrator of the Oscar-winning animated short The Danish Poet.

All in all this is a production not to be missed – but sadly it’s sold out!  So if anyone offers you a ticket to go as his/her date – GO.

Now as long as I’m talking theatre, I should give a couple quick reviews of our Broadway trip last month for Scott’s birthday!  We took in a couple more plays with very famous film actors.

First we saw Jude Law in the title role as Hamlet.  I tend to be a bit critical of Shakespeare productions now, just because I’ve seen so many of them!  And on the whole I thought the production was just OK – the sets were nothing to write home about, and most of the performances were fair.  (Don’t get me started on Ophelia – dreadful.)  But Law was absolutely amazing – without question the best Hamlet I’ve ever seen.  His performance was believable, he made the text come alive for the audience, and he kept his energy up for the entire performance.  Which was a long one – no text was cut, which made this a 3 1/2 hour show.  And even though I got antsy in my seat a lot, it was well worth it to see a brilliant actor in the performance of a lifetime.

The following day we went to see our boyfriends Hugh Jackman and Daniel Craig in a 2-man play called A Steady Rain.  It’s the story of a couple of cops in Chicago telling a wretched tale from very different perspectives.  The script itself was not bad, if a bit predictable.  But this really was about seeing men not only act, but act out at each other.  Jackman was clearly more comfortable in front of the audience, enjoying the breaking of the fourth wall that this play shared with his prior Broadway role in The Boy From Oz.  But at the same time Craig very ably filled the subtler role of straight man to Jackman’s antics, ultimately bringing sympathy to a character who may not be very likable.  On the whole I didn’t love the show, but I did love the performances.  Besides, how often do you get to see Wolverine take on James Bond, using only words as weapons?

So that’s been my theatre story as of late.  What plays or musicals have you had the chance to see?

I listen to a wide variety of music, but my favorite band has always been the Indigo Girls. I’ve actually been listening to them on my iPod all week long, and reminiscing about many great memories of their concerts. They are one of the only bands that I think sounds as good (if not better) live.

How can I sum up why they are so good? Three reasons – well-crafted harmonies, lyrics like poetry, and passionate guitar playing. If you’ve never heard them, it’s time to start.

To help you out, I’ve selected a playlist with 10 of my all-time favorite songs by the Inidgo Girls (a.k.a. Amy Ray and Emily Saliers). There are many more I could add, but I think this gives you a good sampling. In the age of iTunes, it’s easy to mix and match!

Below I’ve listed the names of the songs, along with the albums they originally appeared on. But as an added treat, I’d suggest checking out their amazing double-disc live album 1200 Curfews. At least half of these songs can be found on that album as well.

Rock & Roll Heaven’s Gate from Despite Our Differences – One of the great things about the Girls is they have some great friends who stop by for guest performances.  This one is a rockin’ anthem featuring Pink.

Blood and Fire from Indigo Girls – You can tell this song was written by Amy, because it’s gut-wrenching and loud.  This song is appropriate for belting in the car when you’ve had a lousy day and want to wallow in it.

Galileo from Rites of Passage – When you go to one of their concerts there are a couple songs that will get everyone on their feet to sing along.  This is one of them – just a lot of fun.

Second Time Around from Poseidon and the Bitter Bug – One of life’s best experiences is sitting in a small bar listening to someone sing with a lot of soul while playing acoustic guitar.  I feel that vibe most strongly listening to this quiet but deliberate song.

Get Out the Map from Shaming of the Sun – Road tripping is always best when kicked off with a good song.  This is it.

Fugitive from Swamp Ophelia – When I sing along to this song, it makes me feel like I want to cry, but I always seem to just barely hold it together.  Full of passion.

Chickenman from Rites of Passage – I admit this one is kind of bizarre, but it has a soft spot in my heart.  Amy wrote it after having a particularly vivid dream.  Listen to the lyrics and try to picture it.

Strange Fire from Strange Fire – This is one of their oldest songs, and will forever be one of the best.  It speaks poetically of the intolerance from some so-called people of faith.  I highly recommend listening to the live version of this!

World Falls from Nomads Indians Saints – The Girls have a lot of passion for certain issues, especially the rights of Native Americans and the preservation of our environment.  This song is their tribute to our green planet.

Closer to Fine from Indigo Girls – No concert would be complete without this, their most famous song, which was written by Emily.  It’s like the anthem of the struggling college student.

So there you go!  Now it’s time for you to go listen and enjoy.  Report back and tell me what you think.  And for those already die-hard fans out there, tell me which of your favorites I missed!

I just haven’t been gabbing about TV much lately.  Perhaps you’ve noticed?  No blog posts in weeks?  What could be causing this situation?

Hard to say – chalk it up to the mid-season doldrums.  I’m floating in a sea of “meh.”  Let’s do a quick run-down of my TV schedule and get at the problem areas.

Mondays are around strictly for comedy – The Big Bang Theory and How I Met Your Mother.  Even though these are still highly reliable shows for good laughs (“Cat funeral…”), I think I’m craving a little more.  Maybe I was hoping there would be more laughs to be mined from the unlikely pairing of Robin and Barney.  And is the relationship between Penny and Leonard taking the edge off of Sheldon’s disdain?  No worries – these shows are still funny and I’ll keep watching.

Tuesdays just suck, honestly.  Can someone tell me what we should be watching?  Right now it’s Netflix night.

Wednesdays, on the other hand, are far too packed with stuff to watch!  5 different shows, at least 3 of which I watch live.  And they range from just OK to awesome.  First up there’s America’s Next Top Model, which is fast becoming the show I need to let go.  The novelty of short models wore off real quick, and most of these girls just aren’t good – Nicole’s the only one worth watching.  But it’s hard to watch her, because at every opportunity Tyra has made this show all about her.  I mean, come on – “smize?”  Unless the show gets awesome again fast, I think this is my last cycle.

Photo courtesy CWTV.com

The good show is definitely Glee!  Yes some of the episodes have had some not-as-great parts, and sometimes we’re concentrating on too many plotlines.  But you have to admit that when it’s good it rocks!  Jane Lynch is blowing the lid off this show time and again, and those musical numbers are just so much fun.  Long live this show!

Photo courtesy FoxTV.com

Conversely I’ve been real disappointed in Top Chef.  It has just felt like the wheat (Jen, Kevin, the brothers) and the chaff (everyone else) are really obvious.  Can we just cut all the way to the finals, please?  I don’t know how many more weeks I can watch Robin skate by while waiting for the inevitable Jen vs. Kevin showdown.

So You Think You Can Dance is certainly gearing up to be a good season, but it’s felt like forever for us to get there!  How many audition shows must we suffer through?  I know that this week we finally get our top 20, but I’m afraid to believe it for fear that Cat will say, “But first – auditions from Omaha!”  On a side note – word on the street is Mia could be leaving the show.  Noooo!!!

There is one other new show this fall which has garnered a season pass on our TiVo, and that’s Modern Family.  It’s smart without being too smart, and silly without being stupid.   Great acting, and oddly relatable.  I’m hoping this one will be around for the long haul!  (But do me a favor, ABC – move it to a less busy night for my sanity.)

Photo courtesy ABC.com

Thursdays are for more SYTYCD, and from time to time we might catch a little 30 Rock.  But we gave up on The Office long ago.  And then there’s Project Runway.  Let’s face it – this season went from fab to drab.  And I think it can all be traced back to inconsistency in the judging, which Nina has pointed to herself.  She swears things will be better next season when they are back in New York, to which I say – I hope so!  We don’t deserve to keep watching Logan making crap and skating by week to week.  (My early pick to take it all – Althea.  I think she’s been the most consistent.)

And that’s basically it for our TV week.  I don’t even watch The Amazing Race any more, so our weekends are wide open.

So what do you think – is this season living up to your expectations?  What’s failing and what’s flying?  And what really great shows am I not watching?

First of all I acknowledge that I haven’t posted in quite awhile.  My apologies if you were missing me, but I was going through a writer’s block phase, I guess.  Anywho, at the moment I’m typing while on the train home from New York, which is a great time to relax and get some thoughts down.

For this post I thought it was time I talked about what I’ve been reading lately – because it’s actually been a lot!  Also I haven’t mentioned a book on this blog in ages.

Most recently I devoured Suzanne Collins’ books – The Hunger Games and Catching Fire – the first 2 parts of a planned trilogy.  It’s classified as “young adult fiction,” but considering the subject matter I would have to take issue with that label.  In the post-apocalyptic country of Panem, the wealthy denizens of the Capitol force the plebeians in the 12 outer districts to participate in an annual lottery.  One boy and one girl in their teens from each district are selected to participate in a televised death-match, with the winner promised a life free from want.  Gripping and fast-paced, I think these books are not to be missed.

Biographies are something I enjoy on occasion, and I’ve recently read two.  The first was Julie Andrews’ autobiography Home, which chronicles her life up through the start of her film career.  One learns much about life in London during wartime, and about the heady days of Broadway in the 50s and 60s.  The book was slow to start, but once she begins talking about life in My Fair Lady, it becomes most compelling.

As delightful a storyteller as she was a teacher, Julia Child’s book My Life in France is enchanting.  Her ability to describe food and the experience of eating it is a revelation.  We learn a lot about the French way of life, and how Julia maintained a storybook love affair for decades.  After reading this, you will never look at a cookbook the same way again.

I know it’s not always historically accurate, and there is much disdain for his style of writing out there, but I don’t care – I love Dan Brown.  He spins a tale in a way that you are drawn along like a fish on a line, and his books are hard to put down.  So I was excited for his latest, The Lost Symbol, which takes Robert Langdon on an adventure in our nation’s capital.  As a resident of the D.C. area for years, the book was a particular pleasure.  I learned a lot about our fascinating and storied city, all the while being sucked into another exciting adventure.  On the whole I don’t think this one lived up to Brown’s previous 2 books, but it was nonetheless an enjoyable read.

For a complete change of pace, I was interested in our book club’s choice of Pride and Prejudice and Zombies.  But feeling the pull of a purist, I chose to first read Jane Austen’s original novel.  And that was definitely a tough one – I eventually felt it sailing along, but it was a challenge to get into.  However, I was well-rewarded when taking on Seth Grahame-Smith’s book, as it lifts directly from Austen’s text for much of the novel, allowing me to move quickly from scene to scene to enjoy the brain-munching mayhem.  It’s hard to explain how this mix of classic and contemporary works, but I assure you it’s seamless.  And if you ever read the original and though a few characters were just awful and deserved to be punished – rejoice!  This time around, they get what’s coming to them.

So there’s just a sampling of what I’ve been reading lately – how about you?  Have you read any of these and would like to offer an opinion?  Or do you have any good recommendations for me to pick up next?

He will certainly be missed.  Whether you remember him most for shaking his thing in Dirty Dancing,

feeling up Demi Moore in Ghost,

bringing back big hats in To Wong Foo,

or helping us forget how bad Keanu is as an actor in Point Break,

he was a fine man.  I remember going to the Mountain Lake Resort where they filmed much of Dirty Dancing on location.  It was like a pilgrimage.

Fare thee well, sweet Swayze.