To support the WGA or not to support the WGA? This is not, of course, even a question for the arts community and audiences. But the 76th Tony Awards, held last night at the gorgeous United Palace in Washington Heights, made an accidental case that maybe writers should be banned from awards shows moving forward (not as nominees -- but as, you know, writers of the ceremony).
Gone were the scripted jokes, awkward intros, and agonizing filler that disrupt the three-pronged reason we all watch awards shows in the first place: the drama of the awards and acceptance speech, seeing lots of celebrities, and enjoying "clips" of the nominated art. In the case of the Tony's the 'clips' are always live performance of nominated musicals...
Christian Borle and J Harrison Ghee are 2 of "Some Like It Hot"'s 13 nominations
Lea Michele, still treading the boards in Funny Girl, and Myles Frost who won Best Actor in a Musical last season for the Michael Jackson musical "MJ" announced the Tony Award nominations this morning honoring the current season on Broadway. The nomination leader, far out front, was the musical adaptation of movie classic Some Like It Hot (review coming soon!) with 13 nominations. Jessica Chastain scored her first Tony nominations (with her second Broadway show) though other screen stars weren't as lucky this year. Though the Tony Awards are gendered for acting, two non-binary performers became the first to score nods for acting with their work in popular musicals: Alex Newell (Shucked) and J Harrison Ghee (Some Like It Hot).
Theater is finally starting up again this summer and though the news is coming fast and furious about MANY productions there are three you really must know about involving great shows starring three special actresses that TFE loves dearly: Donna Lynn Champlin and Ann Dowd (both of whom have been kind enough to guest-star on this very site!) and Sutton Foster who is a longtime obsession...
The Kinsey Report looks back at the troubled history of early 80s sensation Gene Anthony Ray (aka "Leroy" from Fame) Variety Director Fred Schepisi (Six Degrees of Separation, Roxanne, Plenty) is lining up an all star cast for his new dramatic thriller Andorra: Vanessa Redgrave, Guy Pearce, Toni Collette, Clive Owen and more. Can he regain some of his 80s/90s heat? None of his films have had much impact in the last 20 or so years /Film Lin-Manuel Miranda is working on a secret Disney project with Zootopia's director. Guess he liked that Moana experience
Towleroad an interview with Martha Plimpton on The Real O'Neals and becoming a new gay icon Metro Michael Shannon is not afraid to speak his mind on the current political climate. Also he has a bajillion movies coming out AV Club why Moana will be named Oceania in Italy AV ClubBeauty & The Beast (1991) remains Disney's best modern movie Pajiba Carrie Fisher & Harrison Ford were totally doing it on the set of Star Wars in 1976 Coming Soon Robert Heinlein's classic Stranger in a Strange Land is being adapted to series on the Syfy network LAist Multi-hyphenate talent Rob Reiner, like Michael Shannon, is not holding his tongue about our new US nightmare
Stage Theater Mania Philippa Soo of Hamilton fame takes on Audrey Tatou's famous role in the musicalization of movie favorite Amelie beginning in LA next month before a Broadway transfer. If you're in LA let us know how it is, won't you?! Playbill Molly Ringwald is back on stage, taking on Shirley Maclaine's role in a stage version of Terms of Endearment. It opens tonight. Playbill If you've never seen Sweeney Todd on stage you have another chance early next year at the Barrow Street theater. The British cast of a new production is transferring over but when they leave in early April, Norm Lewis and Carolee Carmello (both of whom have sensational vocal instruments) will replace them. I guess we've got to see it twice!
Today's Watch: A new "Billy on the Street" Would you have a threesome with Billy and Jon Hamm?
The Only Magically Great News in Weeks Hayao Miyazaki wants to come out of retirement for one last film. The 75 year old director has pitched a feature (sprung from a short Boro the Caterpillar) that he wants made by 2020.
Boo! It's "Oscar Horrors". Each evening we look back on a horror-connected nomination until Halloween. Here's our new contributor Jorge Molina...
(Before I dig in, I want to make a disclaimer that this is an article discussing “Sweeney Todd” and its lead performance as a stand-alone piece, and not in comparison to the original Broadway musical. Sorry, purists. Yes, I KNOW the sing-talking is off-putting…)
Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street (2007)is, in many ways, the perfect marriage between the talent behind it and its source material. Of the gothic tale of murder and revenge, and Tim Burton’s signature visual style. Of Sondheim’s characters, and the quirks which both Johnny Depp and Helena Bonham Carter built a career around. Of Sweeney Todd’s cold-blooded quest, and Depp’s cold-blooded performance, which earned him a Best Actor nomination.
Monday, June 12, 2023 at 3:02PM 
by Nathaniel R
