Forgetting Sarah Marshall

Last Saturday night Evan, Jefferey, Mr. Adam & I went to go see Forgetting Sarah Marshall. Oh God did I laugh. It was so damn funny. I really like this movie. I found the humor great, and the acting really great. A stand out in this movie was Mila Kunis what a talented, pretty girl.

The story was a typical break-up comedy. Sadly, I'll never understand the heterosexuals (straighties). They confuse me. That aside, this movie had some great laughs in the script. And dare I say, this movie made me actually want to go to Hawaii. And nothing has ever made me want to do that. Just writing the word Hawaii disinterests me. Perhaps it's because I see it as a straight honeymoon type of vacation. And nothing would make me want to commit hari-kari quicker than being surrounded completely by straight newlyweds. UGH! Then I have to pretend to be happy for them, and really ...I'm not.

Regardless of how you feel about honeymooners, this movie is awesome. I'll be purchasing it on DVD. Woo hoo!

Glory Days

Hey guys! Michael took me to see this new show on Broadway last Friday night. Glory Days was one of the new 90 minute - no intermission Broadway shows this year. It's also the final musical to be eligible for a Tony nod. How was it ryan charisma, you ask? Well, here we go...

First of all, the story isn't anything remarkable. Four friends meet up at their former high school football field after being separated during their freshman year in college. This meeting is the entire basis of the show. People change, people don't change, people are shallow, people care, people don't. Oh the list is endless. Allow me first to say, the theme of the show is tired, been done & drags. The music in the show is actually pretty damn good. Sadly it's overshadowed by the tired story line and really, really bad lyrics. I swear sometimes the words felt like lead hitting the floor of the stage. All corny and not really capturing the way 17-18 boys speak. The set was literally bleachers and a naked stage. The lighting was pretty good, but nothing really notable. The actors were so good they actually 'almost' rose above the material. All four men had serious talent. Not only were they great singers with voices that blended beautifully, but they could actually act. A rarity I find lately. I can't single one performance out because each of them carried their weight equally. I want to so badly to tell you how good this show is, but it isn't. It's trite, poorly written & certainly not worth $100 a ticket. I think this show would do much better in a college black box setting. Really, not good, not good at all. No Tony nod for this show.

Miss Piggy - Peaches

Boeing-Boeing

Allrighty, Momma's got a new play to tell you all about! Gather 'round and sit on your knees while I tell you all about Boeing-Boeing playing here on Broadway. The show was fun. It was a true British style farce. The set had (of course) 7 doors, 1 room & 6 characters to make this sexy comedy of heterosexual naughtiness fun. Let Momma boil it down as to make it easier to swallow. The show is about an American bachelor (in the 1960s), his bitter French maid and his friend (all living in Paris) and his relationship with 3 stewardesses (American, Italian & German). Who all work for different airlines and stay with this American bachelor while they're in Paris. He's got their flights down to a mathematical science so their paths never cross and the 3 stewardesses never meet. Simple, but no - some of the girls end up working on a faster plane and their flights get all mixed up. Hence the mayhem ensues.

The set was a sassy late 60's playboy pad in Paris. I love the kitch, the colors were bright as any "I dream of Jeanie" episode could come up with. Great lighting for a play that takes place in one room. I'm a big fan of the farce and physical humor and this play delivered. The costumes, specifically the flight attendant uniforms, were fabulous. The director did a super job keeping such a long play (2.5 hours) moving along. Now let's talk shop: Like most plays of this caliber this isn't a star vehicle show, it's an ensemble piece. And boy was this ensemble good. First, Bradley Witford was great as the American Playboy. I enjoyed his exhausting performance. His slow decent into havoc was great. Christine Baranski played the bitter French maid. Not an oh-la-la maid, mind you, but a cigarette smoking, foreigner hating maid. She was great with her pageboy wig and mumbling exits. Mark Rylance played the American playboy's friend in from Wisconsin. This man has physical humor down to a 'T' he was absolutely half the show. I really, really appreciated his performance up against such strong women. Now the flight attendants: the American, Gloria was played by Kathryn Hahn, a sexy girl who plays the playboy in the end. Truly a gift for comedy. Next is the Italian, Gabriella played by Gina Gershon, she was great, as was her late 60's eye make-up. She really had that "Italian" manner of speaking down, and I don't mean the accent, I mean using her hands and body to speak. Lastly, but certainly not least is the German, Gretchen, played by Mary McCormack, God she was absolutely outstanding. Her physical humor and her syrupy German accent were brilliant. I loved her.

So overall my petite rays of sunshine, this show rocked the house. Yes, it is long. Yes it is a traditional farce. No it's not a musical, and no it won't change the world or the world as we see it. But damn, it's fun!

The Poisonwood Bible

Hey kids! I've finished another book. The Poisonwood Bible was quite a book by Barbara Kingsolver. It's a story of a Baptist preacher who goes into the Congo to convert the natives. This story is told/narrated by the preacher's wife and four daughters. In general I liked the story, but again, religion rears it's ugly head and ruins everything.

The story begins with the family packing to go one year abroad to Africa to become missionaries. Then, the story ensues. I want to say how much I really enjoyed this book the way my friends who had read this book told me. But honestly, I found the book more disturbing. I found the political climate disturbing. I found the religion disturbing. But mostly, I found the father character very disturbing. The way he destroyed his family in the name of "love" was beyond me. His narrow sighted view on the natives and their beliefs were bad enough, but then when you threw in his hate and his life experience - this is one father that really wasn't meant for parenthood.

I won't say don't read this book, but I felt it catered to women more. Perhaps it's because the entire story is told through women's eyes? I don't really know, I just felt bad for everyone in the situation. Which child did I relate to? I'm not sure, perhaps a part of all of them? Could I see myself in this situation? Sure, in Africa helping, but preaching the Bible? No way. This book was a big book, not a little read, but didn't' tax my mind much either. I think some would enjoy this former Oprah Book Club book. Specifically women.

Cry Baby

Last night Michael took me to see Cry Baby. I went knowing that this show is the shame of Broadway right now. It was supposed to be SO bad, that it's good. As in the Carrie the Musical sort of way. So we went ready to be completely entertained. Let me tell ya'll:

First off, the show didn't completely suck. It had some really great numbers, some funny dialogue and some great performances. Let's start with the good. The men in the show are HOT. I found all of them wonderfully sexy and costumed great. Harriet Harris was really fun in the show. I always like her. Another stand out performance was by Christopher J. Hank, he really, really was great as Baldwin the square. Ok, now here's da shit:

1) The sets were OK, nothing spectacular. I've seen better in regional & college productions.

2) The lighting was less than ok, it sufficed. Really nothing groundbreaking nor clever.

3) The lead 'Cry-Baby' played by James Snyder was, at best, mediocre. His voice was weak, his acting was ok, his hair was dry and should have been all oiled up. And no I'm not being picky. I will say that he danced well.

4) Mrs. Vernon-Williams number "I did something wrong once" needs to be cut in half or taken out alltogether. Yes it's clever, but really, the show is long enough and the song doesn't do anything for the story line that two lines of dialogue couldn't fix.

The show was a 50's based show about good v. evil and who really is good, and who really is evil. Gee sounds like the theme from Wicked...

Anyway, bottom line is, if the producers of this show want a hit, they need to find Cheyanne Jackson immediately and pay him tons of money to leave Xanadu. Really, Mr. Snyder is just not good enough to carry the show. He doesn't have the presence that makes you want to watch him. He's not bad, he's just not stellar. Cheyenne where are you? Can you save another show?

...and this one goes out to Mr. Adam