Pen and Ink

Dream a little dream.

As an avid theatergoer, juke box musicals bore me. During the past couple of summers here in South Florida, we've seen shows that take a particular group and weave some narrative in between the songs, making for a mediocre couple of hours.  Snoozeville.

That said, I wasn't expecting much when John asked me to attend the opening night of Dream A Little Dream: The Nearly True Story of the Mamas and Papas yesterday at Florida Stage in Lantana.  But John asked me to accompany him and frankly, I love openings at Florida Stage. That company does no wrong.

I've never really cared -- or even thought about -- The Mamas and the Papas. It was sixties music and back then, I only cared about my Tonka Trucks, a pile of bricks and some dirt. I knew nothing about the group and the music was just something I would hear occasionally if I was somewhere that had a oldies station playing.

This show, co-written by Denny Doherty, who was one of the four members of the group, kept me riveted. As with everything Florida Stage does, the acting was superb, sets beautiful. And for a company that rarely presents musical fare, they did a great job putting on a musical.

Alisa Schiff as Cass Elliot was terrific. Kyle Harris, who plays Denny Doherty, has a terrific voice and a really appealing stage presence. He was perfectly cast opposite Christine Hope as Michelle Phillips. I really felt the connection between the two actors as they portrayed two members of the band who eventually fall for each other.

If you're reading this and you live in South Florida, go see this show. It's even worth the drive from Miami.

Let's get physical.

Yesterday at lunch, P-Boy and I were talking about the Tonys and the various musicals on the boards right now. The topic of Xanadu came up, which led, of course, to Olivia Newton John.

He shared with me this clip of a live performance of her classic "Let's Get Physical" recently. The song and its accompanying video were a bit of 80s fluff. This rendition, though, sounds more like a love song. She's still in amazing voice and this performance made me come home an download her entire "greatest live hits" album.

Enjoy this clip.

Everybody loves Tony.

I'm not a huge Whoopie fan, but she did a great job of hosting the 62nd Annual Tony Awards last night. And I have to say, it was one of the more enjoyable broadcasts in the last few years.

Because I wasn't able to have my annual theater orgy this year, I saw very little of what was being celebrated last night. I took in Xanadu, which was received a few nominations including Best Musical, and Is He Dead Yet, the Mark Twain play that was pretty much ignored (how could Norbert Leo Butz not receive a nomination??).

There were no surprises last night. Anyone who cares about this stuff knew that August: Osage County and In the Heights would take the top awards. And did anyone doubt that Patti Lupone would win Best Actress in a Musical for Gypsy?

The reunion of the original cast of Rent was a nice send-off for that ground breaking musical which closes soon.  And the little vignettes of existing shows with an injection of Whoopie were very funny.

* * * * *

Related to this topic, I just picked up a DVD copy of last season's revival of Company. As taped versions of stage productions go, this was really well done. I saw the show during last year's Theater Orgy, Part One, during which I had a massive head cold and was doped up on cold meds. I don't think I realized how bad I was until I saw the DVD before the Tonys last night -- it almost seemed like I was seeing the show for the first time. 

And, if you will indulge me in a mini rant: I still think Raul Esparza, who played Bobby, was totally robbed of the Best Actor award last year. David Hyde Pierce was just fine in Curtains, but Esparza really deserved that award.

Finding shelter.

Enjoying being home on a weekday, I did something rare: took myself to the movies. In the middle of the afternoon.

I went to the Gateway (aka Gayway), our local house for independent films, to see Shelter, a film by Jonah Markowitz.  With little knowledge about the movie, I bought my ticket. I love gay-themed cinema and had a feeling this one might have a little quality.

The story centers on Zach, a guy just out of high school who finds himself with the responsibilities of someone twenty years his senior. He's living with his single-mom sister who has more time for her boyfriends than she does her young son Cody. Zach has to put off his dreams of art school so he can work to keep enough money coming in to the household.

In his spare time, he likes to surf, and eventually connects with his best friend's brother Shaun, played by Brad Rowe (you remember him from Billy's Hollywood Screen Kiss). This being a gay movie, you can guess what happens next.

The central theme of this movie -- providing and accepting shelter -- spoke to me. It's something I've thought a lot about over the past couple of years. Moving past years of taking care of my ex. Allowing my friends and family to take care of me. Allowing a new boyfriend -- someone who is very giving himself -- to come into my life. Learning to accept the intangible gifts that people have to offer -- shelter -- is no easy task for some people. This was the central theme of the film, and exquisitely played.

The movie is in theaters and on the here! network. I assume it will be out on DVD soon enough. It's definitely one for the collection.

Everybody cut, everybody cut Footloose.

So I got to do something different tonight: write a theater review.

John does regular theater reviewed from stages throughout South Florida. He was supposed to take in Footloose at Actors Playhouse in Coral Gables, but scheduling prevented him from seeing the show before it closed. I went to see it with some friends from work.

So I offered to John to write the review. It will be published under his byline, but still, it was fun to write. Especially since I am well acquainted with this show. I'm embarrassed to share this, but I saw the Broadway production three times and the national tour once.

In many respects, I am a theater snob. I won't see anything that carries the Disney name and I'm reluctant to see anything by Andrew Lloyd Weber. But by no means do I limit myself to high-brow theater. Hence seeing Footloose so many times.

The reason for finding myself in the audience at the Richard Rodgers Theater so many times is that the show became an escape for me. Mike bought us tickets as my birthday present in 1999. The music, the dancing and the performances were just plain 'ole fun, making for a fun evening of theater.

At the time, I was in a really stressful job with an evil, nasty boss. I ended up being in New York a couple of times and to escape my life, at least for two hours, I took refuge in the theater, going back to see a show that I knew would boost my spirits.

The local production that I reviewed was pretty good, for a local production. Some of the cast was a little long-in-the-tooth to be playing high schoolers, and the director made some bizarre creative decisions that gutted what little depth the show actually has. But still, it was Footloose and it was fun.

They're turning the show back into a movie musical, starring Zac Efron of High School Musical and Hairspray fame. Yuck. He's talented and all that, but he's not edgy enough to be Ren (don't you think Kevin Bacon was just yummy in the original movie??).

 

I'm attaching two clips from a London production of the show. The first is part of the finale, the second is  the number "Holding Out for a Hero." Enjoy.

Night on the town.

As any reader of Pen & Ink knows, John and I go out to theater a lot. Sometimes there's dinner before, sometimes not.  When we do go out to eat, it's nothing fancy. Neither of us needs elaborate meals or restaurants to make us happy.

But, then again, sometimes it is great to have a "night on the town."  A good meal, fun company, something interesting to do after dinner.

I got to have that on Saturday night with my friends Robert and Debbie.  We met up for cocktails and dinner at Novecento on Brickell Avenue in Miami. Very nice Argentinian restaurant where we enjoyed full meals (Debbie is in her second trimester of pregnancy and was eating everything!). 

From there, we took a cab (not something I've ever done in Miami -- it felt very urban) downtown to meet John at the Gusman Center for the Performing Arts to catch another feature of the Miami International Film Festival: Then She Found Me.

Written, directed and starring Helen Hunt, Then She Found Me tells the story of April, a New York schoolteacher facing 40 and desperately wanting a baby. When her sweet but immature husband (Matthew Broderick, who just isn't aging well) proclaims their marriage a mistake, she is left in a fog. Her upside down life is turned even crazier when she meets Bernice (Bette Midler, who looks fab), an eccentric local talk show host who claims to be her birth mother.

Saturday night's viewing was the film's East Coast premiere. It's been making the rounds of the film festival circuit and opens in Israel on May 1 and the following day in the United States.

The audience was treated with an post-film talk back session with Ms. Hunt herself.  She came off as very gracious and warm, and really very sweet. It was a nice ending to a perfect evening.

La Misma Luna.

Hello, boys and girls. I didn't get a chance to write this weekend, but there's lots to talk about. Or, at least enough to fill up a few posts this week.

I'll start with something cultural.

The 25th edition of the Miami International Film Festival opened last Thursday with an absolutely stunning film called La Misma Luna, or Under the Same Moon.

Shot in both Mexico and the US, this was director Patricia Riggen's first full-length feature (her two previous films were both shorts). It is a story of a boy named Carlitos and his mother Rosario. As the film opens, four years have passed since Rosario has seen Carlitos, as they live on opposite sides of the U.S. border. Despite their the separation of miles and time, they have maintained an enduring bond, strengthened by a long-anticipated-yet-still-far-off reunion. The movie is a tale of their journey to reunite, and also serves as a commentary on the harsh realities of illegal immigration.

The wonderful thing about film festivals is that directors and actors often turn up along with their movie. Thursday night was no exception, as we were treated to Director Riggen, and four of the actors, including Kate del Castillo who is engaging as Rosario and Adrian Alonso, the 14-year old actor who portrays 9-year old protagonist Carlitos.

Keep an eye on Alonso. This kid has a brilliant acting future ahead of him. While the other actors with him helped propel the story, he deftly develops the character of Carlitos, keeping the audience rooting for him throughout the entire 109 minutes.

Another treat was an appearance by the not-so-ugly America Fererra, who, of course, is known more commonly as Ugly Betty.

La Misma Luna opens in theaters on March 21. According to the director, it is opening with 600 prints, which is a huge number for a Spanish-language film opening in the United States.

But be prepared. If you're prone to crying at movies, bring tissues.

Proud Tina.

She's an inspiration for so many reasons.

If you didn't catch the Grammys the other night (which I did not), Tina Turner peeked out from retirement to perform "Proud Mary" with Beyonce.

This woman is amazing. Sixty-eight years old and she still moves. The dress was a little unfortunate, but you can't take anything away from her.

Some of the younger stars may have the looks, but Tina's still got the raw talent.  Here's there performance.

Loud, sexy rock and roll.

OMG! The B-52s are back. The residents of the Love Shack are releasing their first studio album in 16 years.

Somehow, everything is all right with the world when you're listening to the B-52s. The world gets better on March 25.

P.S. I loved this movie.

In my humble opinion, there's a lot of shit playing in movie theaters right now. Maybe I feel that way because I don't tend to go in for mass-released movies. But the current crop of flicks seems particularly bad.

So of course John has had a hankering for a movie these past couple of weeks. Among the drek at our local 18-plex we managed to find a little gem called P.S. I Love You.  (I must admit that the preview for the new Jack Nicholson-Morgan Freeman film looks really good too) 

Hillary Swank plays Holly, a smart 30-year old, who's husband Gerry (played by the charming Gerard Butler) takes ill and dies. She's carried through her grief by a series of letters and actions taken by her husband during her illness. I won't share any more.

The film has a great group of supporting actors and actresses. Lisa Kudrow was great doing what Lisa Kudrow always does (ditzie, but not quite). Gina Gershon is beautiful in a Catherine Zeta-Jones way. Kudrow and Gershon play Holly's best friends who are by her side as she manages her grief and gets on with her life. 

Jeffrey Dean Morgan, known by many as "Denny," Izzie's patient/love interest on Grey's Anatomy, and Harry Connick, Jr., add interesting dimensions to Holly's post-Gerry life.

And how can you go wrong with any film that has Kathy Bates? She plays Holly's mother.

Yes, I admit, it's a bit of a chick-flick. But who cares? It's an oasis in the dessert of crappy movies.