White Christmas

The movie White Christmas will always be a sentimental favorite of mine because my mom loved it so much.  Every time I watch it I think of her so I was thrilled to be able to see it on the big screen last night in honor of its 70th Anniversary (I bought a ticket as soon as the Fathom's Big Screen Classics series lineup was announced last December!).  After collaborating on a Christmas show while fighting in World War II, Bob Wallace (Bing Crosby) and Phil Davis (Danny Kaye) continue performing together after the war and become big stars.  They meet the Haynes Sisters, Betty (Rosemary Clooney) and Judy (Vera-Ellen), after they are tricked into seeing their act.  Wallace and Davis eventually follow the sisters to Vermont where they are booked for the holidays at the Columbia Inn and discover that their former General, Tom Waverly (Dean Jagger), owns the inn and is in financial trouble due to the lack of snow.  Bob has the idea of staging their show on Christmas Eve to bring people to the inn and Phil has the idea of getting Bob and Betty together.  I have seen this movie so many times and I eagerly anticipate all of my favorite scenes, including the iconic number "Sisters" performed by the Haynes Sisters (my sisters and I can recreate this for you for a small fee) and, more hilariously, by Wallace and Davis (Danny Kaye is having way too much fun in this scene), the big song and dance numbers as Wallace and Davis rehearse the show (my favorite is "Mandy" as Vera-Ellen is flipped over and over as she descends a set of stairs), the scenes where Emma (Mary Wickes), General Waverly's housekeeper, eavesdrops on every phone conversation in her role as President of the New England chapter of Busybodies Anonymous (I laugh at everything she says), the emotional reunion of the 151st regiment to honor General Waverly (this always brings tears to my eyes), and, of course, the title song at the end of the show complete with snow falling in the background.  I don't think I will ever get tired of watching this Christmas classic and it was so much fun to see it with a big crowd (I don't think there was an empty seat) who clapped and cheered after every musical number.  You have one more chance to see this on the big screen tonight (go here) and I highly recommend getting a ticket.

Note:  The full lineup for the 2025 Fathom's Big Screen Classics series hasn't been announced yet but the January selection is The Goonies.

Beauty and the Beast at HCT

My sister Kristine loves the musical Beauty and the Beast so I exchanged my original ticket to HCT's current production for one to a show that both of us could attend together. The only performance with tickets available was a matinee that was added to the initial run (they keep adding matinees because it is so popular). We saw it yesterday and to say that it is spectacular would be an understatement. The set is absolutely amazing! I loved the attention to detail with the cobblestone streets and houses in Belle's village and the antlers in Gaston's tavern but that was nothing compared to the Beast's castle which is multi-level with a curved staircase around the perimeter upon which the characters walk as it rotates! Various rooms within the castle come up from the pit and down from the rafters and I especially loved Belle's room, the terrace, the West wing (the stairs going up to the rose are very dramatic), and the tower (I was, however, underwhelmed by the library). I also loved all of the Gothic arches, particularly the ones in front of the LED screens around the theater (the projections on these screens are fantastic and I did love the ones used in the library). It is certainly a technical achievement to coordinate everything so seamlessly because the set is always moving and the actors need to know where they are and what they are doing at all times (there was a small mishap right in front of us and, even though it was handled very well, it made me think of the potential for accidents!). The costumes are stunning because they are instantly recognizable from the 1991 animated movie but they also feature some fun embellishments to make them interesting. Belle's iconic yellow ball gown is so beautiful (I loved all of the yellow and pink roses attached to the skirts) and the enchanted objects are a lot of fun. The character design for the Beast is very well done, especially during the transformation, but I was also impressed with the wolves, who come to the stage from the aisles, because their glowing yellow eyes gave me a bit of a fright (there were lots of children in the audience and one started to cry when the wolves appeared). The choreography is lively and dynamic and I definitely loved "Belle," "Gaston" (especially when Gaston and Le Fou climb onto the antler chandelier), "Human Again," and "The Mob Song." However, "Be Our Guest" is just unbelievable and features a pas de deux between the salt and pepper shakers, a tango between Lumiere and Babette, a can-can with the napkins, an aerial act with the china, and a finale with a giant layer cake complete with fizzing (literally) champagne bottles and confetti (although the confetti guns held by the ensemble look like pipes and felt a little out of place). My sister's favorite song in the show is "If I Can't Love Her" by the Beast and at intermission she told me that Darick Pead's rendition more than exceeded her high expectations (I liked it, too!). I also really enjoyed Shae Robins, who has a beautiful voice, as Belle, Angel Martinez, who delivers a hilarious physical performance, as Le Fou, and Scott Hendrickson, whose facial expressions are so much fun to watch, as Lumiere. I had been told by a friend that Gaston was the highlight of the show (I laughed out loud at all of his antics in "Me" and "Gaston") but I was surprised to learn at intermission that the understudy Zack Wilson was performing the role because he was also the highlight for me (my sister didn't believe he was the understudy until I showed her in the program because he was so good). This is an absolutely magical production and all of the children in the audience were spellbound so this is the perfect show to see over the Christmas holiday. Tickets are hard to come by (go here) but, as I mentioned, a few matinees have been added and they have the best availability.

Note:  My sister and I were sitting on the first row and there were a few times when it was difficult to see some of the actors on the top level of the stage so, if you have the option, it would be better to sit higher up (although being able to see facial expressions close up was definitely compensation).

Kimberly Akimbo at the Eccles

Last night I went to see the Broadway touring production of Kimberly Akimbo.  This was one of my most anticipated shows this season because it won so many Tony Awards and, even though it is very dark, I liked its quirkiness and message about living life to the fullest.  Kimberly Levaco (Carolee Carmello) is a teenager with an unnamed disease that causes her body to age four times faster than normal and will soon prove fatal.  She also has a dysfunctional family with an alcoholic father named Buddy (Brandon Springman) and a narcissistic mother named Pattie (Dana Steingold), who are having another baby to replace her, as well as an aunt named Debra (Emily Koch) who is a criminal and may or may not have necessitated a hasty move by the family to New Jersey.  Kimberly is now trying to navigate the normal travails of adolescence in a new school with these added issues but, when she meets the nerdy Seth (Miguel Gil), who speaks Elvish, plays the tuba, and loves anagrams, and four members of the show choir, Delia (Grace Capeless), Martin (Darron Hayes), Teresa (Skye Alyssa Friedman), and Aaron (Pierce Wheeler), who act as a Greek Chorus, she decides to experience everything the world has to offer while she can.  All of the shifts in tone really work in this show.  Kimberly's fate is tragic and her family members are despicable but humor (I laughed out loud multiple times, especially at a running joke about the unrequited feelings the members of the show choir have for each other) is one of the ways she deals with her situation and she is ultimately able to thrive (the morality of what she does may be up for debate but I loved the feel-good ending).  I definitely don't think the music in this show is strong enough to warrant the Best Musical Tony but I did love "Father Time," which Pattie sings as a lullaby to her unborn child but is really a plea for more time with Kimberly, "Good Kid" in which Seth laments that he has always done the right thing but it hasn't made much of a difference, and "Our Disease" in which Kimberly realizes that getting older is her disease but it is the cure for everything that plagues her friends.  Carmello does an outstanding job portraying a 16 year old trapped in the body of a 70 year old but I didn't always love her vocal performance (it was sometimes very strident).  Gil is amazing as the irrepressible Seth (it was his performance that really drew me in) and I also really loved the young ensemble.  The set design is simple but really creative (I loved the ice skating rink because it appears as if the characters are actually ice skating) and I was especially impressed by the seamless transitions between scenes.  The costumes are perfect for the 90s setting.  I enjoyed this and recommend getting a ticket to one of the five remaining performances at the Eccles Theatre (go here) with the proviso that there is quite a bit of profanity.

The Return

Yesterday I went to a matinee of The Return and, as a fan of Homer's The Odyssey and of both Ralph Fiennes and Juliette Binoche, I was really looking forward to it.  Unfortunately, I found this retelling of the classic story to be really bland and lifeless.  It has been twenty years since Odysseus (Fiennes) left Ithaca to fight in the Trojan War and his wife Penelope (Binoche) has been besieged by suitors who wish to wed her and take his place.  The suitors have also despoiled the island and bullied the inhabitants causing Penelope to keep her son Telemachus (Charlie Plummer) close to her and, therefore, weak.  Odysseus washes up on shore naked, battered, and completely unrecognizable with no explanation for where he has been other than he has been traumatized by war.  He takes refuge with the swineherd Eumaeus (Claudio Santamaria) but he is forced to reveal his identity when the suitors attack Telemachus and when the suitor Antinous (Marwan Kenzari) forces Penelope to choose a husband.  Odysseus is the only one able to complete the challenge for Penelope's hand which provokes a battle during which Telemachus is finally able to prove himself and Odysseus is able to reunite with his wife.  Both Fiennes and Binoche give compelling performances but I still found this very tedious to watch.  In order to ground this retelling in reality, filmmakers have removed everything fanciful from the source material and replaced it with it with so many interminable close-up shots of silent contemplation.  Even with a long runtime there is not much backstory and those without a familiarity with the mythology might not understand anything that is going on because not much actually happens.  I even found the final battle, while incredibly bloody, to be very anticlimactic.  Aside from Fiennes, Binoche, and possibly Plummer, the rest of the acting is quite stilted and most of the characters do not make any sort of impression.  I really wanted this to be better than it was and recommend giving it a miss (unless you are big fans of the lead actors).

Leslie Odom, Jr. at the Eccles

Last night I was able to combine my love of Christmas music with my love of the original cast of Hamilton.  I went with my friend Wendy to see Leslie Odom, Jr. in a Christmas concert at the Eccles Theatre and it was absolutely amazing!  I am still on a high from it!  He took the stage dressed all in black with his insanely talented band, including Chris Cadenhead on piano, Steven Walker on guitar, Eric England on bass, and David Chiverton on drums (all of whom had extended solos all night which thrilled the audience), and played selections from his two Christmas albums, Simply Christmas and The Christmas Album.  I really love his jazz interpretations of Christmas classics and I enjoyed hearing "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas," "My Favorite Things," "The Christmas Waltz," "The Christmas Song," "First Noel," "Please Come Home for Christmas," "Last Christmas," "God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen," and "O Tannenbaum" (sung in German).  He also sang a beautiful rendition of "Christmas" by Pete Townshend as well as his own original songs "Snow," "Winter Song" and "Cold" (which was one of my favorites).  He was joined by his band members all around him for some stirring a capella versions of the Sam Cooke songs "Jesus Gave Me Water" and "He's So Wonderful" and these got the audience cheering as if we were at an old-fashioned gospel revival!  He then recited "Twas The Night Before Christmas" which was absolutely mesmerizing and I was reminded that he is not only a beautiful singer with a velvety smooth voice but he is also a talented actor!  He continued with an exquisite performance of "Ave Maria" and then ended his set with "Heaven & Earth" (which was another of my favorites).  For the encore he sang acoustic versions of "Merry Christmas Darling" and the Sam Cooke song "I Wish You Love" which was a lovely way to end the concert.  In between those songs he performed an acoustic version of "Wait For It" from Hamilton (he apologized that it wasn't a Christmas song but I can assure you that no one in the audience minded) and it was incredible!  It was so thrilling to be able to see Leslie Odom, Jr. again and I loved every minute of this concert!