LemonWade is saddened to report the passing of cabaret legend Baby Jane Dexter, who died last night at The Actors Home following a long illness. A mainstay of cabaret stages all over, Baby Jane began her career in the 1970’s and continued performing her cabaret shows through 2017. Throughout her storied career she was seen at an endless array of major venues throughout the country, including Reno Sweeney, The Ballroom, Eighty Eight’s, Blues Alley, The Kennedy Center and Weill Recital Hall, as well as regular performances at New York City’s Metropolitan Room.
From David Rooney’s THR review of Tarantino’s “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood,” which has debuted at Cannes: ‘The folks who found the violence against the one significant female character in The Hateful Eight especially noxious will have more to complain about here, while others who respond to the mellow groove of the Rick-Cliff dynamic will possibly find the swerve into gnarly Grand Guignol a little jarring.’
You didn’t think she’d shut up, did you? “Kathy Griffin: A Hell of a Story,” a documentary comedy from the star comedian, has sold to Brainstorm Media for a special theatrical release this summer. The movie will play in U.S. theaters on July 31, for a one-night special event. Fathom Events is a partner on the deal, and Griffin will join audiences for a live Q&A following the film. “A Hell of a Story,” which is directed by Troy Miller, premiered at SXSW in March to strong reviews. The film takes place at the end of Griffin’s recent “Laugh Your Head Off” tour, where she discusses the fallout from a controversial 2017 photograph where she posed with a fake severed head that looks like it belonged to Donald Trump.
An estimated 90 percent of Americans have never seen a single second of “Game of Thrones.” But the series’ fans act as if it’s the Super Bowl. I stopped watching the show after an especially vile rape and murder of a woman in season 3. I tuned in last night briefly to the series finale and was both reminded why I used to watch the show and why I stopped.
Movies: I’d rather see “A Dog’s Journey” than the new “John Wick.” But “Ask for Jane,” about a secret abortion, looks most compelling of all. TV/Streaming: The “Game of Thrones” finale this Sunday is the most significant event in the history of entertainment — maybe in the history of the universe. (It is, that is, if you ask its fans.) Music: Death is usually a great career move, but I’m sorry to say that the death of Dodie Day has not brought her records back to the top of the charts. No matter: she endures. Books: My old New Yorker colleague Mary Norris has a new tome about her adventures in grammar: “Greek to Me.” Sports: I’ve lost my interest in the NBA playoffs since my 76ers were eliminated — back to soccer. Finally: This month has brought so much unseasonal cold and rain to NYC that I’m thinking of moving to Florida. Kidding!
“Rocketman” has touched down at the Cannes Film Festival. The Dexter Fletcher-directed Elton John biopic — starring Taron Egerton as the iconic musician — made its world premiere Thursday, debuting at the annual cinema event in a prestigious slot outside the festival’s main competition. Following its first screening, the film — and Egerton — received a standing ovation, but critics’ reviews were more divided regarding Egerton’s performance and the film itself.
The Guardian reports: ‘Fifteen years ago, a strange pink farm animal arrived on our TV screens. Today, Peppa Pig has her own theme parks and devoted fans around the world. What is the secret of her success?’
