Smash - Perhaps Not the Best Name for this Show

The trailer for Smash is flashy and NBC is marketing it as the second coming, but upon viewing the full pilot, Smash is a lesson in managing expectations. Arguably, pilots are often awkward and so full of exposition that it can be difficult to connect with the characters. But there should be a glimmer of hope, or there will be nothing to bring anyone back for the second episode. It cannot be a good sign that the only consistent thought that kept popping up during my viewing was "someone needs to unwrap that chunky scarf from Debra Messing's skinny neck before I reach through the screen and yank it off myself!"

The show's premise, the creation of an original Broadway musical, is intriguing. Unfortunately, the show does not focus on what would be the interesting aspects of bringing a show from an idea to a fully staged musical. Smash is being promoted as a the story of Katharine McPhee's Karen and Megan Hilty's Ivy competing for a dream role in a musical based on the life of Marilyn Monroe, but a surprisingly little amount of time is spent with those characters. Instead, there are subplots surrounding adoption, Angelica Huston's divorce, and old grudges.

Megan Hilty and Katherine McPhee

It's a shame that more time isn't spent on McPhee and Hilty because their arc of striving to live out their dream certainly seems to be the most promising aspect of the show. Both actors bring out the ingénue quality that the show, and the musical within the show, desperately needs. In addition, they are supremely gifted musical performers with voices that bring down the house. Hilty is able to make us believe Ivy is happy to be demoing the garish baseball number "The National Pastime."  A task that, after listening to the ridiculous lyrics and watching the predictable staging, would seem to be impossible.

Messing  and Christian Borle do not believably portray songwriters. Their delivery seems stilted at best, and, at times, downright awkward. The introduction of Angelica Huston's Eileen, though necessary to the plot because she wants to produce the show, went too far into her personal life by diving into her messy divorce and felt like an unnecessary addition. That plot line, along with the Messing character's adoption storyline, serve as proof that the show needs to find focus. It will be difficult to pull along all the disparate storylines that were introduced in the pilot. Here's hoping Smash's writers let Karen and Ivy take center stage.

All Will Be Well When the Day is Done

I have a vivid memory from my second semester of college: I am sitting in my rickety chair in Curtiss Hall right before my Zoology 101 final when suddenly it occurs to me that I am no doubt the only one in the room whose iPod is playing Peter, Paul, and Mary. That probably seems like a suspiciously relevant memory, but then again, why would I make that up and how would I come up with that? I have a history with the group, and was lucky enough to see them in concert a few different times as a kid, so I could not pass up the opportunity to see Peter Yarrow at the Temple yesterday evening.

The show got off to a bit of a slow start as the 70+ Yarrow ambled to the microphone and blanked on the words to the opening song “Music Speaks Louder Than Words.” Thankfully, he quickly found his rhythm and the audience, already devotees, happily went along for the ride. The set flowed easily between the familiar and the lesser known, with classics such as “Leavin’ on a Jet Plane” and “Puff the Magic Dragon” being played alongside “Greenwood” and “The Golden Vanity.” Though the passage of time is noticeable - his voice is not as clear and resonant as it once was – Yarrow still personifies the passionate crusader, using music to reach the masses.

There was mention of politics and the Occupy movements, which the decidedly left leaning crowd ate up like candy. And though it may be tempting to pass off a show like his as simply nostalgia, Yarrow rightfully points out that though the music came to the forefront during the activist movements of the 1960s, the messages of the songs are just as relevant today. The Civil Rights movement that is taught in school may have ended, but in many ways, as the Occupy movement has recently brought forth, it is far from over, it has simply evolved.

Peter, Paul and Mary

 

Yarrow provided plenty of commentary between songs, and it became clear through his discussion about his organization Operation Respect, an organization whose impetus is due in part to the song “Don’t Laugh at Me,” that he is fully engaged with the notion that it is not too late to teach respect. While the lyrics of “Don’t Laugh at Me” are centered around schoolchildren and Operation Respect is a program for schools, the lesson of the song is just as applicable, if not more so, to adults. Many of the songs became sing-alongs and Yarrow, the fearless choir director, simply strummed the guitar and fed the words. A mid-set medley that included classics such as “This Little Light of Mine” and Woody Guthrie’s “This Land is Your Land” really got the audience going. 

The stripped down format, Yarrow had only his guitar and his son Christopher on the washtub bass, worked well in the intimate setting at the Temple. Several times he asked that the lights be brought up so he could pick out the youngsters - hard to find at this particular show - the educators, and others. Yarrow's rapport with the audience added comfort and heightened the power of the music. No one walked away disappointed, except at the fact that the show had come to an end.

"Maybe I'm in a good mood because I'm not being weighed down by redundant torso fabric."

30 Rock's absurdist humor leaves me in stitches. You can watch an entire episode and lose count of all the zings they dole out. I've watched 30 Rock since the beginning, I'm not one of those casual viewers who only jumped on the bandwagon when Tina Fey exploded into the comedy stratosphere. No sir, I've watched since the beginning when the acting was uncomfortable at times and the story was often too focused on the actual production of TGS, their show within a show, rather than the insanity that goes on around it

While it hasn't had a run of perfect seasons and went a little overboard with the the guest stars a couple of years ago, the show seems to have found a good balance between plots that are purely for fun and those that move the story along. After a long hiatus during which Tina Fey had her second child, 30 Rock returned on the 12th and it was a pleasure to have them back. The premiere episode featured Kenneth excited by the apocalypse and celebrating his last day on earth by doing his dream chores. And on the Liz front, Tracy is determined to get to the bottom of her out of the ordinary happiness (she may be a crack whore) and ends up enlisting Jack to put the pieces together. The episode was an excellent first outing. It provided a plethora of one-liners woven into the main story of what is behind Liz's sudden happiness. I could go on, but you can watch it online so get to it. After all, the apocalypse is getting rescheduled all the time so you'd better get this in before it's too late.


Some gems:
"You try riding a cow through midtown Manhattan. The animal will panic." - Jack on Cash Cow, the failed NBC spin off of Cash Cab.
"I took a real age test that said I'm dead." - Tracy, who is not 42 years old
"What if I told you your first match burned his groin off in an accident in his cake shop?" - Jack enticing Liz to take advantage of desperationships.com
"Women's hell is the same as aroused dog heaven." - Kenneth
Satchel Paige tampons
"Did you know that Lemon attended college on a partial jazz dance scholarship?" - Jack, giving us a another piece of the puzzle

"We eat ham and jam and spam a lot"

Spamalot is a perfect musical for people who are not into musicals. It also happens to be a great musical for people who love musicals because it spoofs everything there is to love about musical theater. Spamalot is tailored for fans of Monty Python and you can hear the diehard fans howl at the appearance of the Knights of Ni and the Black Knight, but with references to Phantom of the Opera, Les Miserables, Fiddler on the Roof, West Side Story, and Company the show was truly written for musical theater fans. For these reasons, I had to return to the show for its' one night engagement at Stephens Auditorium in Ames last night.

Spamalot is a bit of a contradiction in that the plot is thin, King Arthur and his knights are on a mission from God to find the holy grail, but there is always so much activity on stage that it can be tricky to catch all of the gags. The writers even point out with the dialogue how ridiculous the plot is, "God, the almighty and all-knowing, has misplaced a cup?" As absurd as it may be, that notion serves as an excellent jumping off point for shenanigans and show tunes.

"Always Look on the Bright Side of Life"

Spamalot is particularly adept with wordplay and physical gags. In one instance, a bale of hay passes on the front of the stage as the actors shout "Hey!" during "You Won't Succeed on Broadway." There are many "Who's On First" style scenes fraught with mix-ups and misunderstandings that make your head spin.

The music ranges from the Vegas send-up "Knights of the Round Table" to the uber-spoof "The Song That Goes Like This," which has nothing to do with the characters or plot advancement and serves only to point out that a typical show has a bombastic number at that point in the show. The song features the actors overacting like hell while singing about overacting like hell. Yet with all the winks, nudges, and silliness the music is well written and catchy in just the way you would expect from a Broadway musical comedy.

"Knights of the Round Table

The entire company capably handles the physicality of the numbers and the demands of the music. Though the company does not amaze or surprise with their level of talent, the principal actors all believably embody their respective characters and are proficient singers and dancers. Michael J. Berry, as lovable sidekick/noble steed Patsy, and aptly named Arthur Rowan as King Arthur, play well off each other and their back and forth provides many laughs. And it must be noted that Berry is a riot on the coconuts that provide the beloved stand-in for a galloping horse.

Though Spamalot does not feel quite as fresh as when it made its' 2005 debut, the Britney Spears reference comes to mind, the laughs hold up and the music leaves the audience humming on their way out of the theater.

A Good Reminder

Mindy Kaling's book Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? (And Other Concerns) is a reminder that just because a person is in the entertainment business does not mean they are different from you and me. Kaling writes of her early struggles to find a satisfying job (insanely relatable), how she came to terms with her body image, and makes it clear that she understand she's not perfect and that's ok. The book is formatted into a set of short essay-style rants and observations; some chapters employ lists. Her writing style is very conversational, so much so that it is hard not to hear it as Kelly Kapoor, her Office alter-ego, spouting off her thoughts on diets, fashion, and celebrities.

As a longtime Office fan, the chapter chronicling her work on the show is very interesting ("a big chapter in her life, so... a big chapter in [her] book"). Not because she dishes on the stars of the show, she is pretty mum on that subject, but because she gives a sense of the friendships and sense of community that arose and helped turn the show into a success.

From the back cover

It also must be noted that the book contains pictures from Kaling's life, as both a youngster and an adult. Nothing makes a person more relatable than seeing a picture of them with a "Cosby sweater on, lovin' life" and realizing that there is a very similarly staged and fashioned photo of yourself in a box somewhere in your parents' house. In fact, with the exception of the fact that she is of Indian descent while I am as white as they come, she and I could have been fashion twins growing up.



IEHOWM is a breezy read for sure, as Kaling points out herself in the Q&A introduction: "If you're reading this book every night for months, something is not right."

The Best of 2011

Movies

My love of movies runs deep. I love that they can take you to a different place, make you laugh or cry, feel better about the world - or realize the world's going to hell in a handbasket. This year had some highs and lows, but we're only talking highs here and my criteria is simple: how much enjoyment did I have watching it? For me, there were a couple movies that were the most fun I've had in a theater in a long time. They were Cedar Rapids and Bridesmaids. I've already written about Cedar Rapids and so much has been written about Bridesmaids that I'll just keep it simple: I do not remember the last time I have laughed so much at the movies. Both of them fit my needs to a tee, funny but with a heart and a lesson tucked in as well.

Books

Time seems to have gotten away from me in 2011, and I did not read nearly the number of books that I would have liked to have read. I did jump on the Hunger Games bandwagon and was surprised to find such a tight plot and likable characters. While the second and third book do no quite match the must read quality of the first, which would be hard to do, it is nevertheless a very compelling story and I will definitely need to see the movies when they come out even though I know they'll never match the excitement of reading it for the first time. I also loved Lucy by Laurence Gonzales. Lucy tells the story of a part bonobo-part human teenager and her journey from the jungle to modern American life and the fallout from the discovery by the outside world that Lucy is not entirely human. I know it sounds a little different but it is easy to identify with the characters and it is a very interesting commentary on the politicization of science.

TV

 Sure it was a forgone conclusion that Richard Blais would win Top Chef All-Stars, but I still loved every minute of the season. Side note: he was on a flight with me from Atlanta to KC a couple years ago and I my brother and I were too chicken to talk to him. Anyway, I think my enjoyment stemmed from the fact that I liked so many of the chefs because I had seen them perform already and knew what they were capable of producing. I was rooting for Antonia Lofaso and Carla Hall all the way through, but since Richard choked his first time around, I knew it was his to win. The challenges were engaging, especially since they could play off of previous ones, and, for the most part, they flirted with just the right level of drama to keep it interesting but not overshadow the fact that these chefs are fantastic because they work hard.

All in all a pretty good year for entertainment. Looking forward to 2012 - and thank goodness 30 Rock is back on January 12th!

Wicked: The Untold Story of the Witches of Oz

It is very hard for me to come up with the right words to describe my feelings for Wicked. Suffice it to say, I love everything about it. Wicked played in town for nearly a full month beginning in November, and I was lucky enough to see it, well, many times (the employees running the ticket lottery came to know me by name). You must understand that I am typically very tight with my purse strings so it comes as quite a surprise to those who know me that all of a sudden I started spending money. I guess I decided that I love the show and wanted to support it with my patronage no matter the cost.

The total theatrical experience of the show is the bar by which other productions are measured. The quality of the show, from the performers to the lighting, sound, and set design, is so high that one cannot help but marvel at its' grandiosity. The cast of the second national tour is superb. The lead performers, Anne Brummel as Elphaba and Tiffany Haas as Galinda, have the perfect combination of vocal talent, character embodiment, and chemistry that makes the evolution of their characters' friendship come to life. I'll admit to a bit of bias here - I'm not a professional yet, so why not - because I camped out at the stage door a couple times and they were both so gracious with fans that it is impossible not to like them. It is pure joy watching them ham it up during "Loathing" and "Popular," touching to watch them connect during "Dancing Through Life," and heartbreaking to see them realize they must part ways in "For Good." The show's signature song, "Defying Gravity," lives up to the hype as Brummel delivers it with such determination and vocal prowess that I found myself exhaling after the lights came up (it ends the first act) because I had been holding my breath since the lift began.

Tiffany Haas and Anne Brummel

The supporting cast and ensemble is equally capable. David Nathan Perlow perfectly embodies Fiyero's shallow facade and pure heart. And Christine Dwyer, the standby for Elphaba, handles the daunting task of filling Brummel's shoes as if the role were her own. The ensemble handles the modern, eclectic style choreography with an ease that belies the difficulty of the dances.

All aspects of the show's design are fantastic and were clearly considered down to the very last detail. The lighting design is perfect and underscores the characters' feelings and actions. During "The Wizard and I," the background transforms from a purple/pink/orange to an "Elphaba green," helping to convey her new realization of all of life's possibilities; being different is not a curse. From the slightly off kilter cut of the costumes to the thirteen hours on the time dragon clock and the tongue twisting wordplay (gratitution, congratulotions), all of the Ozian touches in the design transport the audience to another world.

Of course, a show can be beautiful to look at, but if there is no meat to the story then one is left with an empty feeling soon after leaving the theater. Wicked does not suffer such a fate, it is a thinking person's musical. The commentary on the conflict between getting what you want and genuine happiness is particularly affecting and presents the often harsh realities of life in a realistic manner that is not often seen in musical comedies. The secondary plot involving the Wizard's rise to power and his philosophy that the way to bring people together is to give them a really good enemy is eerily similar to the political culture in today's society wherein the name of the game is to swoop in with saavy marketing and rail against whatever topic will make ratings on cable news networks. 

It is no doubt clear that I have nothing negative to say about the show, but I am not without a complaint. My complaint rests with the audience, who seems to think it is appropriate to check their phones, arrive late, and chit chat throughout the show. Yes, I am aware that my standards for the general public are much too high.  Go see Wicked. The show deserves your support and you deserve to experience the show.

Thank you Wicked, it was a wonderful month! And thank goodness I've got one last performance to see tonight!