I've been gone for two weeks and festivals are quite a bubble. What did I miss? Besides the impending apocalypse (when I left everyone said Hillary was a done deal and when I returned everyone was acting like Trump has already won).
Here are some happier things I discovered today whilst perusing the web...
• Hugh Jackman began work on The Greatest Showman on Earth, his first original musical on film. He Instagrammed this photo to share the news. He's so perfect for musicals and it's sad we'll get so few movie musicals from him in his lifetime.
• Sarah Paulson gives great career advice: don't succeed too early, commit, but take naps.
• Dame Maggie Smith would like to pick up her Emmy "please direct me to the lost & found office" but admits they've been "overly generous" to her
• Tori Amos could be in the Best Original Song race. Documentaries are so into Original Songs lately, aren't they?
• People are still confusing me about whether or not Ben Affleck's Live by Night is coming out this year or not. Awards Daily says "an indicated December release" but then says "many are speculating" so make up your minds. Is it speculated or does "indicated" mean scheduled. I'm confused. Variety also thinks it's opening but nobody actually says it is. Honestly I hate shit like this. Just schedule it or don't, Warner Bros.
• Reese Witherspoon announced that she loved Bridget Jones's Baby (Eric liked it, too). But this photo... the optics are freaking me out for some reason. It's like both stars are somehow making the other one look like they were photoshopped in. What is happening to my eyes. Is it the awkward posed hug?
• While I was away, Edward Albee passed away at 88. What a genius that man was. I'm so proud that we honored his masterpiece Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf with a four part article last month. And I thank the showbiz gods that in my time here in NYC I've had the privilege of seeing The Play About the Baby, Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf, and The Goat (twice) on stage.
• Angela Lansbury sang Beauty and the Beast at the Lincoln Center's 25th Anniversary Celebration of the movie which happened Sunday night. I was already back in town so I hate everyone forever who did not invite me to this. You know who you are. Why you wanna treat me so bad?