Q&A: Best Musicals, Pick of Ensemble Litter, Jamie Lee Curtis, Etc...

I promised a round of reader questions a couple of weeks back and here's the first round of answers. Ready? Let's go.

JAMES FROM AMES: Thoughts on the four musicals up for the Tony this year (editors note: TONIGHT)? What's your favorite musical from this century? 

Alas, I cannot answer part one of this question as I've only seen one of them (Groundhog Day) which I thought was very well staged with a sensational lead performance by Andy Karl but the best score nomination feels... let's say "generous". But we have reviewed a few of the nominated productions right here. Funds have been terribly tight this year so not much theater. The other part of the question is (slightly) easier to answer. The best new musicals of the new century... don't make me pick just one. My top 12 in alpha order since I couldn't decide which to jettison. I wish they could all be movies... or most of them, that is. If they already have a film adaptation they're marked with an asterisk.

The list and questions about Gosford Park, color vs black and white cinema, and more after the jump...

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Tweetweek: Babadook, Keaton, and Chris ____

It's time for another roundup of tweets that amused provoked or told it like it was this week...

I went to sleep thinking about Diane Keaton's AFI tribute nails and woke up thinking about Diane Keaton's AFI tribute nails pic.twitter.com/hYbopCDqtv

— Chris Feil (@chrisvfeil) June 9, 2017

 Though we've been talking about Diane Keaton a bit to celebrate her AFI Lifetime Achievement Award they don't broadcast such things live (boo!). So you can bet we'll return to that particular celebration after the ceremony airs. It's scheduled for this Thursday June 15th at 10 PM ET/PT on TNT and will have an encore presentation on TCM on July 31st. Excited?

More tweets featuring The Babadook, Hollywood's "Chris" fetish, and more are after the jump...

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Babalink

Two Must Reads @ Vulture
In this moment I really must bow down. Vulture just slayed all this week. I'm sure it helps to have a huge budget and access to hundreds of talented writers but still. I am regularly in awe. Particularly of these two pieces:

• "The 30 Best Broadway Songs of the Past 40 Years" insightful fun writeups in shows stretching from Annie in 1977 through Hamilton in 2015 with a ton of Stephen Sondheim near the top (as well they should be)
• "A Conversation with Ann Dowd and Margo Martindale" two scene stealers talk late-blooming careers, being confused for each other, favorite roles, and not repeating yourself. 

Lots more good linkage after the jump...

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RIP Adam West (1928-2017)

by Nathaniel R

Adam West at Comic Con last year

Holy Longevity, Robin. Our first Batman, actor Adam West passed away yesterday from leukemia but what a long life. He nearly made it to 89 and kept his great sense of humor throughout his life. He achieved pop culture immortality with the starring role on the kitsch classic Batman series in the 1960s. Some actors feel uncomfortable about the role that made them famous or the one they become too associated with but the smart ones embrace it. West did just that with gusto, and wasn't above poking fun of himself, either...

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RuPaul's Drag Race S9E12 - Final Fourgy Four

by Chris Feil

We're almost to the finish line! This week, RuPaul's Drag Race brought the feels for an emotional runway but also at the thought of eliminating one of these queens. I don't know about you, dear readers, but I feel more affection to each of these four than any final four (maybe) ever. Everybody say "LOVE"!

Taking a clear lead from All Stars popular final rap single challenge, the queens all have to write their own verse to a remix of RuPaul's "Category Is". Between rehearsal, the girls each guested on Ru and Michelle's podcast "What's the T?" and all its ad-friendly earnestness - all that Squatty Potty and Ru didn't take a minute to talk about Squarespace? Quelle surprise!

But the real story to this final competitive episode was to spend some real quality time with each of the queens before the crowning finale - it was really about giving each queen the chance to sell themself. The runway found each queen in peak form and pulled on our heartstrings as they spoke to their child-selves about their own journey. Once again, the show proved its worth in showing all different kinds of stories within the LGBT community, the competition itself at its most and least significant with all these queens have faced. How in the hell can one of these queens be sent home?

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