A memorial to Broadway-musical creator Jerry Herman was held yesterday at Broadway’s Lunt-Fontanne Theater. One of LW’s spies was there and commented: ‘This was a sensational afternoon. Begin with a 29-piece orchestra. It played the “Mame” overture as slides of Herman’s shows were displayed in back. Marilyn Maye set a very high bar with “It’s Today,” making it fresh and jazzy. There were so many fine performances: Lorna Luft wailing “Gooch’s Song”, Debbie Gravitte belting “Wherever He Ain’t,” Sutton Foster tearing it apart with “I Don’t Want to Know,” Ron Raines and company led by Don Pippen (the original conductor/arranger) with an overwhelming “Mame,” Leslie Uggams slaying “I Am What I Am” and Bernadette Peters returning to “Time Heals Everything” 45 years after she introduced it. There were tears and cheers!’
The movie will be released October 2021 and I’m sure it will be a hit. Still, audiences will essentially be getting the stage performance. Filmed staged performances used to be considered static — and, in my opinion, they usually are. But the chance to see the original Broadway cast will be catnip to audiences.
Yes, they gave hope to middle-aged women everywhere. Yes, they busted some moves. Yes, J Lo unfurling a Puerto Rican flag was a great “fuck you” to anyone who doesn’t recognize that that island is a part of the United States. But the half-time still strikes me as one giant computer-gridded extravaganza, full of sound and fury but without much display of talent besides those admittedly impressive aerobic moves. Carol Channing was the entertainment at the first Super Bowl and she didn’t need “enhancement” — she sang.
Movies: “Gretel & Hansel” and a new documentary about Clarence Thomas: in other words, no big flick wants to open on Super Bowl weekend. TV/Streaming: “The Dirty Dozen,” “Driving Miss Daisy” and the execrable “Sex and the City 2” come to Netflix this weekend. Music: Billie Eilish got a big sales bump from her Grammys win, but to me Lil Nas X rocking Versace was still the big moment of the night. Books: Bought your copy yet of John Bolton’s memoir? I haven’t — all these Trump White House books are just junk. Sports: Super Bowl halftime: J Lo and Shakira: it could be worse. Go, Kansas City! Finally: “If your neighbor doesn’t get to heaven, you probably won’t, either.” — Martin Luther King, Jr.
Can’t wait! Wes Anderson’s star-studded comedic drama “The French Dispatch” will debut in theaters on July 24, Searchlight Pictures announced Wednesday. “The French Dispatch” is set in Paris during the 1950s and follows a group of journalists at an American newspaper bureau. The ensemble cast includes Benicio del Toro, Adrien Brody, Tilda Swinton, Lea Seydoux, Frances McDormand, Timothee Chalamet, and Bill Murray. In addition to directing, Anderson co-wrote the script with Roman Coppola, Jason Schwartzman, and Hugo Guinness.
