Hi Friends,
My Pop Goes The Culture Blog has now moved. You'll still get the same pop culture tidbits (now more frequent, thankyouverymuch), but on a different server. Check out my entries, as well as great stuff from my fellow bloggers, at http://blogintherough.com.

Peace out!

Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street

In order to keep up with our holiday tradition of seeing movie musicals on Christmas, my family saw Sweeney Todd starring Johnny Depp and Helena Bonham Carter. It was as heartwarming, bright, and cheery as any holiday movie we could have seen. Mmhmm...

All in all I thought the movie was pretty decent. I love Tim Burton's style of filmmaking, how animated his live action work is pulled off. Although this film was a bit griddier than say, his Sleepy Hollow type stuff, it was still a successful film. It was also a successful musical film. So many times musical films fail to set up the feel of a musical, causing the audience to be confused when people suddenly start singing (eg Rent & Dreamgirls (halfway through)). But Sweeney succeeded in this respect, as did Depp and Carter as Sweeney and Lovett. Their voices were not as strong as I felt they should have been (Carter's especially sounded whispy and weak, and Depp brought in a rock-y tone to his Sweeney). Of course I was skeptical about their abilities to sing the score, but I suppose they pulled it off nicely. That is to say, the score of the show seemed flattened out either to fit their voices or to fit the screen, which I think is the former more than the latter? Perhaps Burton and Sondheim felt that they didn't need to rely on the heavy and bold music of the stage show to effectively tell the story, but rather the dialogue and visuals? I don't know. But that was one thing I disliked about the film.

The kids who played Anthony and Tobias were great, as was Sascha Baron Cohen. But my favorites of the film were Alan Rickman and Timothy Spall as Judge Turpin and the Beadle. They were so slimy and sleezy and sinister, I couldn't get enough of it! My favorite part of the film, however, was the montage with Sweeney killing his customers and sending them to the basement below. Very classy. Well, as classy as spraying and gurgling blood and crumpling bodies can be.

My parents favorite of the film? The Mamma Mia trailer before it even started.

The [title of show] Show

Stolen from My NYC Blog:

Unless you've been living under a rock, or anywhere other than New York City, you probably don't know about [title of show]. Allow me to enlighten...
[title of show] is a phenomenal off-broadway show from this last year about two writers writing, you guessed it, a musical. The two writers of the show also appeared as the two writers in the show, and it's nothing short of brilliant.
Confused yet? It gets better. There is a crazy high demand to bring the show to Broadway, although it's kind of a smaller scale show so it's difficult to find funding and a theater that could maximize the profits for the show. That's not stopping the guys from trying! You MUST check out this brilliant video blog, entitled "[title of show] Show." It's all about original cast members Hunter Bell, Jeff Bowen, Heidi Blickenstaff and Susan Blackwell's attempts to bring the show to Broadway. The video blog is reason enough for you to obsess over this show!

The [title of show] Show

Note: You MUST watch Episode 6, especially if you're a huge bway dork like me.

Jamie-Lynn's got the Preggers!

I got the heads up before the story broke from Daphne (holla!) via a text message: 'Totally confirmed. I work in the news, I never lie about headlines.'

I think this is absolutely fantastic, although I am more sick of hearing about it than I was about Ashley Tisdale's nosejob or Jessica Simpson causing Tony Romo to 'not focus' during his game (seriously? it's football. who cares?).

The best part of it all is that Lynn Spears, aka Mother to Mother of the Year and Mother to Be, was penning a book on motherhood, which she has now postponed. Smart idea, Lynn. Instead, you should team up with Dina Lohan to write the 'Mother' of all "Mothering" books.

Baby-V no longer in her 'big wheels'

Vanessa Hudgens was surrounded by papparazzi as she headed in to the DMV in Glendale, CA, to take the written portion of her driver's test (um, I didn't have to do that...is it because I did it for my learner's permit?).

Why do I feel like this is a disaster waiting to happen? Luckily for us, it seems like Lindsay has been hiring drivers (I think Britney should take a hint from her, don't you?), but it scares me to have so many starlets on the streets. Good thing I rely on public transportation now!

Fall TV

Because I know you were waiting with baited breath, here are the brilliant programs I'm watching this fall:

• Heroes: Not as good as last season, but hopefully I'll at least be able to keep up with it. Plus, Milo Ventimiglia is HOT.
• Prison Break: Finally caught up with this show. And they're back in jail. Hopefully they break out again.
• Nip/Tuck: The show got a facelift when Christian & Shawn moved to LA. Well they had to do something after cancelling Dirt
• Scrubs: It's the last season, I have to watch.
• Private Practice: The show is slowly growing on me. If Taye Diggs would just take his shirt off, I'd be hooked.
• Project Runway: Determined to FINALLY keep up with this show.
• Sarah Silverman Program: She's back, and as offensive as ever.
• Gossip Girl: Located and shot in my neighborhood, this is the next OC I've been waiting for. Now if they would just cast me as a series regular, we'd be in business.
• Grey's Anatomy: Will Izzie and George stay together or won't they? I don't know, but whatever the outcome, I hope it ends with Meredith dying a slow, painful death.
• Ugly Betty: Best show ever!
• The Office: Finally catching on to this one, it can get so awkward it's painful to watch. But I do anyway.
• Desperate Housewives: Haven't watched this show in two years, yet I can still follow it? Brilliant writing or trashy soap drama? My guess is a little bit of both.
• Brothers & Sisters: My favorite of them all, if they would just make it a little less depressing!

PATTI LUPONE?!

Has anyone else realized that Patti Lupone was the mother on Life Goes On??!!??

Recoupment

I have known I am a huge dork for a long time, and now it's official: I wrote a question in to Playbill.com, and it was published. For your enjoyment:

This week's question comes from Brian M. of New York, NY.
Question: What exactly does it mean for a show to recoup its investment?
Answer: To answer this question, Playbill.com talked with John Breglio, the producer of the current Broadway revival of A Chorus Line and a theatrical lawyer who has represented the likes of Stephen Sondheim and Andrew Lloyd Webber.
Theatre journalists write all the time about a show "recouping" its investment. Put simply, Breglio says, "Recoupment is the point at which the producer has repaid to his investors all the money that he raised to develop, mount and produce the show." All that money is referred to collectively as the capitalization. In the case of A Chorus Line, the capitalization was $8 million, but it can get much higher for bigger musicals. That's all the money a producer spends on a Broadway show from the day someone comes up with the idea to the day it officially opens on Broadway. Those costs include the sets, costumes, props, lighting design, rehearsal space, performer and crew salaries during rehearsals, the rights to the material, the advances paid to the writers and the out-of-town tryout.
Every week, whatever the show takes in at the box office — minus the running costs, which include actor and crew salaries, theatre rental, advertising and other costs — will help pay back that capitalization. "One week in November of last year after we opened, we did $800,000, say, in gross," Breglio says. "That week I probably made $350,000 in pure profit. That $350,000 now goes towards repaying that $8 million [capitalization]."
Determining the weekly profit can be rather complicated. For instance, for a Broadway musical, typically 65 percent of the profit every week goes to paying the investors back for the capitalization, while 35 percent goes to the profit pool, which includes the writers, directors, choreographer, designers, lead producer and other people involved in the show, each one getting an agreed-upon share of that profit pool money every week.
Some shows have an arrangement called amortization, in which every week, before the 65-35 split is made, an agreed-upon figure (typically one to two percent of the capitalization) gets taken out of the profits and is sent directly to the investors. Then 65 percent of the remaining figure also goes to the investors, and 35 percent of the remaining figure gets sent to the profit pool. The amount taken out for amortization is later paid back to the profit pool after recoupment. One can see how it gets rather complicated, and every show has a different agreement. (For more info on this topic, click here for a previous Ask Playbill.com column on writer salaries.)
The first time Breglio paid his investors for A Chorus Line, he handed them each a check on opening night in October 2006, since the pre-Broadway tryout in San Francisco and the Broadway previews had actually netted some profit already (typically, a show doesn't expect to make a profit during those performances). He then sent them each a check once a month until the $8 million was paid off 19 weeks later, in February 2007.
After recoupment, the weekly profits are divided differently. First of all, typically, the profit pool's portion rises to 40 percent, and the investors' share goes down to 60 percent. Second of all, Breglio says, before recoupment, the lead producers — whose day jobs involve developing and running the show but who don't typically invest their own money in the show, per the famous rule stated in the musical The Producers — only get paid their share of the profit pool plus an office charge of around $1,500-$3,500. But after recoupment, the lead producers start to take home a portion of that investors' share of the profits. The figure can be anywhere from 10 to 50 percent of the investors' share, depending on what was agreed upon before the show opened. (Note: On A Chorus Line Breglio is the sole lead producer, but on some shows it can be three or four or so. Also, if 30 people are credited as "producers" above the title on the musical's poster outside the theatre, not all of them are lead producers working on the show day-to-day — some are just big investors.)
The percentage that a lead producer gets depends on how hard a sell the show was to the investors before it opened. "If you have a show that is considered a good bet, a safe bet or slam dunk, you can keep a lot" of the profit that's made after recoupment as a lead producer, Breglio says. "If it's a show that has to struggle to raise money — and we all know which those are, you don't have to guess, even — then the lead producers will have to give away a lot because they have to attract these investors."
So what about the ultimate question: How can you tell beforehand if a show will recoup its investment? "It's a complete crap shoot," Breglio says. "People told me I had slam dunk with Chorus Line, and I said there is no such thing as a slam dunk."
Breglio does have one overall tip: "A lot of people focus on how much the show cost, and they go, 'Oh my God, the show cost $20 million.' Yes, it's important. But the key to successful shows is what your weekly expenses are, not your capitalization. Because if your weekly expenses are reasonable, and you keep them down, you have a shot at making money."

An R-Rated Apology

Since it’s October and Halloween is just around the corner, I feel it’s appropriate for me to issue a public apology. To my mother.

Dear Mom,
I’m sorry to have to tell you this, but I used to sneak into R-Rated horror movies before I was seventeen. I know you raised me to be an honest, law abiding citizen, but peer pressure and my own morbid curiosity caused me to break the rules on multiple occasions and ‘sneak in’ to films such as Halloween: H20, Scream 3, The Blair Witch Project, Valentine, I Know What You Did Last Summer, I Still Know What You Did Last Summer, and countless other slasher flicks. I’m also sorry for seeing such awful movies, but that’s not what this is about. This letter is about you, Mom. I betrayed your trust in the name of horror, and I’m sorry.
Remember that time I said I was going to see “Dude, Where’s My Car?” with friends? Well, I was actually seeing Scream 3. And that wasn’t the first time. Armageddon was actually Urban Legend. Hope Floats was Halloween H20. Anna And The King was House On Haunted Hill, and Titanic (the 3rd time) was Scream 2. A Bug’s Life? Well, that was actually A Bug’s Life. But what I’m trying to say is, I shouldn’t have lied.
But here’s the thing, Mom. Have you ever seen these slasher films? Not only are they gloriously gory (my enjoyment for Haunted Houses should tell you I love over-the top, gawdy horror), but they are so predictable and entertaining that I just could not resist my desire to see them before I was technically allowed to. As far as I can remember, none of the friends who accompanied me were of age, either. But please don’t take it out on them. They shared my same fascination with the genre.
I hope you don’t think that because I like horror movies and went against your judgment that I am some kind of serial killer. Hmm, let me rephrase that: I love you, don’t ground me.

Love,
Brian
P.S. What are you doing on October 26th? Saw IV is coming out!

Rent, A Decade Later

I saw Rent last night for the tenth time. That’s right, tenth. A milestone in itself, it was also the time I saw the show with Anthony Rapp and Adam Pascal, the production’s original Mark and Roger. I have a bootleg video of the original Broadway cast on opening night, but of course nothing compares to seeing these two powerhouse performers live and in person. After failing (at least 5 times) to get rush tickets, I broke down and bought a seat in the front mezzanine. After seeing the show from the front row in the past, it’s difficult for me to want to see it any other way. But the ticket didn’t cost me much, and I had a great view of the stage, so I couldn’t complain.
Well, I couldn’t complain about the seat. Don’t get me wrong, I’m so thankful to have had the opportunity to see these two new legends perform the roles that made them infamous in the musical theater world, as well as Tamyra Gray from Season 1 of American Idol. But this show has been around for 11 years, and it shows. Every time I see this show, I leave wondering if someone who has never seen the show before would be able to understand what was going on. And last night was no exception. Lines and important plot points are skipped over, and it seems as though the performers work under the assumption that everyone in the audience has seen the show before (which may have been true, in this case, but still). It was clear, however, that tiny changes were made to make the plot clearer to the audience (particularly the detail with Angel killing Benny’s dog), but these came off as passive and cheesy, at best. The mics seemed scratchy at times, which I couldn’t decide was because of the system, because the voices were too big for their mics, or a combination of both. And I felt as though the actors needed to add in quirky bits in order to entertain themselves, truly making the show the ADD student in high school of Broadway theater.
Let’s go character by character, shall we? As Mark, Anthony is flawless. I have always felt as though he had the strongest character analysis of anyone I’ve seen as Mark (with competition from Matt Caplan), and since he created the character he’s had over a decade of time and world experience to add to that analysis. The man is brilliant. He commands applause after “Halloween,” which is usually one of the more forgotten songs in the show (albeit one of my personal favorites). You will never hear me complain about this man’s performance. Ever. In anything. Adam Pascal, on the other hand, was vocally impressive, but his acting seemed tired and, well, he seemed bored. I felt this way about him when I saw him in Aida, but he had been in the show for three years or so and was getting ready to leave, so I dismissed it to him being over the show. But maybe that’s just his acting style. Fortunately for him, his vocal performance last night was almost enough to make up for it. Tamyra Gray baffled me as Mimi. Vocally, she was the most impressive one, and I should hope that she should be, as a recording artist, and would be runner-up of AI, if it weren’t for that MJ/Side Show Bob look-alike Justin Guarini. Her acting seemed robotic, static, and forced at times. But then there were moments where she shined, especially Angel’s funeral, “Without You,” and “Goodbye, Love.” I couldn’t figure out if I liked her or not, and eventually dismissed it to the old American Idol impression: ‘She was good…when she was singing.’ (see Fantasia in Color Purple and Diana Degarmo in Bklyn for more examples of this saying). Angel was another star of the show. That man has his character down pact. Even though he was the main culprit of letting lines and plot details slip through the cracks, he was so funny and fun to watch and his dancing and singing were so phenomenal that it was hard to care. Collins was equally as impressive vocally, and his performance and character development was some of the strongest of the entire cast. And, he was making his Broadway debut, which makes him that much cooler. Joanne was only okay. Her performance was good, considering all of her bits seemed a bit rushed by the band. But her voice a little too nasally, especially paired with the overly nasally and obnoxious Maureen. Her character was a little ‘out there,’ and her vocals were very nasally and almost too painful to listen to. Benny (played by Byron Utley, the original male “Seasons of Love” soloist on Broadway) brought compassion to the character, which was refreshing for a change. But just like every actor to play Benny, his character causes him to go mostly unnoticed. The rest of the ensemble had their moments to shine. Some of them did, some of them didn’t. Telly Leung, a Wicked veteran and understudy for Angel, was compassionate and gentle as the Squeegee Man, and very likable (easy on the eyes with an amazing voice to boot). The Seasons of Love soloist was good and bad, with an amazing voice but was overly expressive and a bit too loose with the free range of her solo. The other members did a good job supporting the others, but unfortunately were not strong enough to make an impression.
It will be interesting to see how much longer this show lasts. It seems very tired, yet it always envokes deep emotions about my feelings of performing and I just wonder if what it’s riding on right now are its guest stars (sound familiar, Chicago?), and its nostalgia for Rentheads who have helped keep the show a success for such a long time.

Across The Universe

One of the great things about living in large cities like LA or New York is having access to smaller-released films. While I missed out on Once, Ashley and I saw Across The Universe last week. I’m sure this is one of the wider released indie films of the year, but it is still considered a smaller scale film, which you would not be able to guess from the amount of talent and polished product that comes spilling off the screen during this film.
Don’t get me wrong. Any movie musical is bound to be a little cheesy in parts. And when it’s based to the music of The Beatles, you risk a campy Mamma Mia esque finished product. While Across The Universe did have a few such moments, for the most part the film is a beautiful, if not psychedelic, journey through the US during the Vietnam war (would you expect it to be set in any other era?).
Let me put this out there: Julie Taymor is a friggin’ genius. Genius.
The cast of this movie is stellar, not to mention the throng of NY theatre performers who make appearances: Curtis Holbrook, Matt Caplan, John Jeffrey Martin, Aisha de Haas, Orfeh, Antonique Smith, Diedre Goodwin, Tracy Nicole Chapman, Yassmin Alers, Luther Creek, Logan Marshall-Green, Saycon Sengbloh, Destan Owens, Nikki Snelson, Noah Weisberg, (P.S. You get major kudos if you recognize even a fraction of these names). I loved (repeat, loved) Evan Rachael Wood in Thirteen, and have always thought of her as one of those underappreciated young talents in Hollywood whose presence is outshined by the rehabbed, tabloided ones, but have recently began to get weirded out because of her directions in life (Marilyn Manson, need I say more?). What this film will do to her career, though. Wow. She was sensational. And her voice was pretty, too, who knew (I love finding out which actors can/can’t sing [Ewan McGregor/Amanda Bynes, for example])? Her two co-stars, Jim Sturgess and Joe Anderson were also highlights of the film as her lover and brother, respectively. And yes, they could sing, too.
While on the outset this film might seem like it would go the Mamma Mia direction, it ultimately sets out for something deeper (it is Julie Taymor, after all). And it succeeds, although perhaps not to its full potential. The release of this film is timed well, with negotiations on the war in Iraq and a looming Presidential election sparking new interest in war politics. Universe takes place throughout the Vietnam war, which one of the main characters is deployed for. The film had moments of brilliance in turning Beatles songs into political statements (“Let it Be” was chilling and intensely moving, “Blackbird” beautifully mind-opening, and “All You Need Is Love” equally effective). But then the “movie musical” in it took over, and the overall message was weakened by psychedelic montages (featuring Bono on a bus, Eddie Izzard as a circus ringleader, and Selma Hayek as a hospital nurse…all 10 of her!) and a few transitions and song choices that were hard to buy and ended up bringing the hoaky factor into the film. That was my big frustration. Visually, it was stunning. Audibly, it was pleasurable. The song connections were clever, the direction and talent flawless. But it fell short on its message, a message that could have resounded loud and clear if its attempt to be so artsy didn’t hinder it from going all the way.

Grey's Anatomy vs. Private Practice--Which Was Worse?

Ooooh, Grey’s Anatomy is gonna be weird this season. With the interns now the head honchos, George re-doing his residency, and a whole new slew of cast members (where was I when they were holding auditions?), the show has majorly changed—and hopefully not for the worse.
In the season premiere, not a whole lot went on…George complained about and made up excuses for not passing his exam, Meredith and Derek attempted to negotiate their relationship (what else is new?), Callie struggled as the new Chief of Surgery (with no help from Bailey), and Izzie saved a deer. Big woop.
The only saving grace of the episode came at the very end, when George showed up on Izzie’s doorstep and uttered the words, “I love you too.” God, pull my heart out and operate it, why doncha? My desire for George and Izzie to be together (which is weird for T.R. and Katherine since they’re besties) almost overshadows the fact that George is going to break Callie’s heart. My prediction: Callie will make George’s life a living hell, George & Izzie will struggle to maintain their relationship with Callie lurking, their status as student and boss, and not to mention their friends, and things will get really awkward when they break up. Isn’t this supposed to be a medical show?
Then there’s Private Practice, Kate Walsh’s spinoff from Grey’s. Either Shonda Rimes thought Walsh had the strongest character on the show or everyone was sick of hearing about the Derek-Meredith-Addison triangle. Regardless, and it pains me to say this because of my love for Taye Diggs, Audra McDonald and Tim Daly, the result is a cheap imitation of Grey’s that manages to pin itself up against a wall, limited by its very source material. I’m talking family planning, people. It is clear from the pilot that all of the medical story lines (as well as undercutting angsty character plots) are going to center around children, family, birth. Doesn’t that severly limit the material for the show? Call me crazy, but I think a spin-off is already limiting in its source material, and Private Practice is managing to do so even more. We’ll see how successful this show is. At least ABC was smart enough to put it on a different night from Grey’s, although it could possibly use the ratings boost that come from the Ugly Betty-Grey’s Anatomy powerhouse.

Kiefer Knocked on his Keister

New sweater to attend LA event: $200.00
Booze at event: FREE
Bail: $25,000.00
Seeing your face next to Nicole and Paris in celeb mug shot photo galleries: Priceles

The Kite Runner

I recently decided to read Khaled Hosseini’s The Kite Runner. I wanted to read it before the film comes out later this year, and I was traveling to Ireland, so it seemed like an appropriate time. I did not expect understand or enjoy the book as much as I did, not being as up to date on the conflicts in the Middle East as I would like to be.

The story of The Kite Runner focuses around the life of Amir, and follows him from his childhood in Kabul, his teenage and adult years in California (Fremont), and back to Kabul in search of a boy whom he feels can redeem the mistakes he has made.

This isn’t a total spoiler, but the book features a rape scene of a little boy. It is graphic and hard to get through, especially because it turns into a major plot point, and Amir revisits his memory of the incident frequently throughout the story. Now, the boy who plays the victim in the film, Ahmad Khan Mahmidzada, and his family, are requesting that the rape scene in the film be cut because they fear for their safety. Claiming the scene (that the actor reluctantly filmed) would offend Afghans and bring shame to their family, Mhmidzada fears his family would be ostracized because Afghans do not fully understand the difference between fantasy and reality of the film industry. While ethnic conflict has decreased greatly since the fall of the Taliban in 2001, the people of Afghanistan worry for any triggers to set the conflict back in action.

This is a major issue for the film, whose plot centers around this pivotal plot point. While the film's producers, Bennett Walsh and Rebecca Yeldham placed the sensitivity of the boys involved in the film as a number one priority, at what point does that involve compromising the integrity of the story and/or the film. The boy claims he was not given the script or the story prior to filming, and would not have agreed to the scene had he known. I was trying to think of how they could express this story without graphically depicting the rape, whether they could elude to it or could have used doubles to suggest the oncomings of the event and then cut to the next scene. But there is also something about the books honesty and rawness that shows the dark and ugly side of a country that was once beautiful and peaceful, and the rape is a pivotal moment not only in terms of the direct plot of the story, but also in the telling of the political history of the era in which the story takes place. They’ve certainly got their issues cut out for them, but they have until the end of November to reach an agreement. The Kite Runner hits theaters on November 22. Do yourself a favor and pick up the book beforehand.

The Preggers

If the notion of ‘Spring Fever’ really holds true, doesn’t that mean that more people should be getting pregnant at the beginning of the summer? Not in Hollywood, apparently. It seems as though so many celebs are popping up with the preggers! Here’s the list I came up with:
Nicole Richie & Joel Madden, Christina Aguilera & Jordan Bratman, Halle Berry & Gabriel Aubry, Isla Fisher & Sascha Baron Cohen, Tameka Foster & Usher, Selma Hayek & François-Henri Pinaut, any others I’m forgetting?

Let’s hope they do a better job than Britney! (that's right, I went there)

2007 Emmy's Recap

Since most of America decided to watch FOOTBALL instead of the Emmy’s (it happens once a year people, would it kill you to watch it?), let me sum the evening up…I got most of the categories wrong (apparently my mind is more in tune with Tony voters than Emmy voters. Who knew? Everyone, that’s who). The show was the first ever to be presented ‘in the round’ (arena-style, with audiences on all sides of the stage). They mae it seem like they were going to be rotating the angle that the awards were presented, but they failed to do so, making the cast of Ugly Betty not so honored ‘just to be nominated.’ In case you’re not one of the tens of people who watched the show, allow me to sum up the ceremony through the awards (the important ones, that is):

Best Drama: Sopranos (would have been a bit humiliating if Heroes beat them out after that tribute starring the 2nd national touring company of Jersey Boys, eh? I didn’t know what was cheesier, the look that Jarrod Spector (Frankie Valli) gave Drew Gehling (Bob Gaudio) towards the finale, or the four members of the Soprano family’s grand entrance through the floor at the end)

Best Comedy: 30 Rock (The next day I added the first season of this show to my Blockbuster Online queue. Just because Tina Fey thanked the “dozens and dozens of fans who watch this show” in her speech).

Best Leading Actor (Drama): James Spader, Boston Legal (Yeah, if I played the same role for 10 years on two different series, I’d bet I’d be a good actor, too.)
Best Leading Actress (Drama): Sally Field, Brothers & Sisters (I’m over the moon that she won. The producers of the awards, however, who had to censor her politically charged rant during her acceptance speech, were not so ecstatic.)

Best Leading Actor (Comedy): Ricky Gervais, Extras (I thought he was in The Riches, which just goes to show how much I know about the actor and the television show. But, like 30 Rock, it is now in my Blockbuster queue).

Best Leading Actress (Comedy): America Ferrera, Ugly Betty (she’s amazing and I love her in every way. She deserved the award tenfold, and if you don’t watch this show you need to start!)

Best Supporting Actor (Drama): Terry O’Quinn, Lost (I think of his acting like I thought of his neon pink silk shirt and black sequined tie…cheesy and over-the-top. But it’s about time someone from the show was recognized, even if I thought it should be Michael Emerson, who plays Ben.)

Best Supporting Actress (Drama): Katherine Heigl, Grey’s Anatomy (Don’t know who I could have thought otherwise, this underdog of Grey’s just became a major leading lady!)

Best Supporting Actor (Comedy): Jeremy Piven, Entourage (I guess he’s good on the show, but I still feel like he doesn’t have to try too hard to pull off ‘sleazy’ on the show.)

Best Supporting Actress (Comedy): Jamie Pressley, My Name Is Earl (She thanked her boyfriend for the gift of her son. Because he’s, (said in a faint, exasperated whisper) “the best thing that’s ever happened to me.” I’m just glad the camera pulled away before they both ripped off their clothes and gave the audience the show they’d been waiting for all evening).

Helen Mirren (who I swear rolls out of bed and she wins an award for it) won Best Actress in a miniseries (which I didn’t even know she did), and some guy from Bury My Heart At Wounded Knee who gave a boring speech won the Actor award for the same category.

But perhaps the biggest award of the night was that for Hoakiest Host of an Awards Show, which was given to Ryan Seacrest by, well, everyone but him. Fueled by jokes about his sexuality (and his past with Terri Hatcher) that only he thought were funny, his failed attempts at singing, goofy costumes that nobody thought were funny, and lackluster jokes earned him the prestigious award. “Seacrest Out,” indeed.

2007 Emmy Predictions

Here are my official predictions for the 2007 Emmy's!

Best Drama Series:
Boston Legal
Grey's Anatomy
House
Heroes
Sopranos

What Will Win: Sopranos
What Should Win: Heroes

While I'm not 100% positive, I'm pretty sure that Sopranos has one best series at least once in its run. And while it is custom and nice manners to grant an exiting show one last win, Heroes was the breakout show of the season. We'll see which direction the voters go.

Best Comedy Series:
Entourage
The Office
30 Rock
Two and a Half Men
Ugly Betty

Who Will Win: 30 Rock
Who Should Win: Ugly Betty

I'm a bit biased here because I've never watched 30 Rock, but I think it is the "intellectual" favorite of the season so I wouldn't be surprised if it took the prize. But Ugly Betty has the total package and is such an endearing show. It is so deserving of tons of awards, and this one would be the icing on the cake.

Best Leading Actor in a Drama:
James Gandolfini (Sopranos)
Hugh Laurie (House)
Denis Leary (Rescue Me)
James Spader (Boston Legal)
Kiefer Sutherland (24)

Who Will Win: James Gandolfini
Who Should Win: James Gandolfini

He deserves it.

Best Leading Actress in a Drama:
Patricia Arquette (Medium)
Minnie Driver (The Riches)
Edie Falco (Sopranos)
Sally Field (Brothers & Sisters)
Mariska Hargitay (Law & Order: SVU)

Who Will Win: Edie Falco
Who Should Win: Sally Field

Edie Falco went through a lot with her last season of the show, including overcoming cancer, causing the show to postpone the taping of its final season. As the matriarch of The Sopranos, she dealt with her fair share of drama in the show, and many voters may want to give her this last send-off. But anyone who has seen Sally Field in Brothers & Sisters will know the feeling of having their helt melt from her performance every week.

Best Supporting Actor in a Drama:
William Shatner (Boston Legal)
T.R. Knight (Grey's Anatomy)
Masi Oka (Heroes)
Terry O'Quinn (Lost)
Michael Emerson (Lost)
Michael Imperioli (Sopranos)

Who Will Win: Michael Emerson
Who Should Win: Michael Emerson

Everyone in this category could take the prize, but Michael Emerson as Ben on Lost is so above and beyond the best part of that show it is not even funny. I hope they recognize him for turning the show around and transforming a tiny guest starring role into a series regular and completely changing the course of show.

Best Supporting Actress in a Drama:
Rachel Griffiths (Brothers & Sisters)
Sandra Oh (Grey's Anatomy)
Chandra Wilson (Grey's Anatomy)
Katherine Heigl (Grey's Anatomy)
Lorraine Bracco (Sopranos)
Aida Torturro (Sopranos)

Who Will Win: Lorraine Bracco
Who Should Win: Katherine Heigl

Bracco plays Tony's psychiatrist on The Sopranos, and from what I understand she greatly carried along the story and character development in the show. But Heigl's plot tracks influenced Grey's immensely this season, and her performances flourished on the show. She is greatly deserving of the award, but her rookie status among the other nominees could play against her.

Best Leading Actor in a Comedy
Alec Baldwin (30 Rock)
Steve Carrell (The Office)
Ricky Gervais (The Riches)
Tony Shalhoub (Monk)
Charlie Sheen (Two and a Half Men)

Who Will Win: Alec Baldwin
Who Should Win: Steve Carrell

I know he's won before, but Carrell is a comedic genius who carries the show and whose performances and creativity stretch far beyond the TV world. That said, since it is a TV awards ceremony, Alec Baldwin's buzz is deafening, and I believe he will be recognized for his contribution to the success of 30 Rock.

Best Leading Actress in a Comedy:
American Ferrera (Ugly Betty)
Tina Fey (30 Rock)
Felicity Huffman (Desperate Housewives)
Julia Louis-Dreyfuss (New Adventures of Old Christine)
Mary-Louise Parker (Weeds)

Who Will Win: Tina Fey
Who Should Win: America Ferrera

Tina Fey's creative credits and acting chops on 30 Rock should earn her her first award. But nothing compares to Ferrera's Betty. She carries the show and she deserves more recognition than a Golden Globe. I guess it doesn't have to be this year, but boy should it.

Best Supporting Actor in a Comedy:
Jeremy Piven (Entourage)
Kevin Dillon (Entourage)
Neil Patrick Harris (How I Met Your Mother)
Rainn Wilson (The Office)
Jon Cryer (Two and a Half Men)

Who will win: Rainn Wilson
Who Should Win: Rainn Wilson

I'm a bit confused as to why Jon Cryer gets a supporting credit and Charlie Sheen gets a leading credit, but I don't think he's going to win so whatever. Rainn Wilson compliments Steve Carrell wonderfully, and his neurotic character has developed so much since the show's inception. It's time for his prize.

Best Supporting Actress in a Comedy
Jamie Pressley (My Name Is Earl)
Jenna Fischer (The Office)
Conchata Ferrell (Two and a Half Men)
Vanessa Williams (Ugly Betty)
Elizabeth Perkins (Weeds)

Who Will Win: Jamie Pressley
Who Should Win: Elizabeth Perkins

Jamie Pressley has a had a big year, and she continues to be a strong leading player in the show. Perkins' character on Weeds is amazing and deserves an award, but the show's controversial material might stand in her way.

Mission: Man Band is my mission to not watch

I was kind of excited about the prospect of this reality show on VH1: Four D-Listed former boy band members getting a second chance at a(nother) big break. I watched two episodes of this show, and I was left with nothing but a squirming feeling that came from being annoyed and uncomfortable, not the other kind of squirming I usually get when I think about Jeff Timmons or boy bands in general.

First off, in true boy band form (a la O-Town), they all live in a house together. In Miami. Tough life. Secondly, they have this annoying Manager hired by the network that they call Miss Kate. She pretty much does not do anything other than cause drama within the group and screw up her job, and their future at forming a successful 'man band.'

Then there are the guys. Each legends in their own right (pop music speaking), but within the show they are portrayed as washed up has beens with tons of talent but a tarnished reputation and very few chances of rising to the top like their former band mates who have already taken off (JT, Nick Lachey, etc.).

Bryan Abrams used to be in Color Me Badd, but then the band broke up and nobody has heard much from any of them since. To be perfectly honest, I am not familiar with Color Me Badd or any of its bandmates, so Abrams is kind of lost on me here. He has an amazing voice that shines through in his new group's mediocre-at-best musical performances. Other than that, his role on the show comprises of having a paranoid wife who is paranoid that he is going to fall into the galivanting, womanizing ways of some of his fellow bandmates.

You may not recognize this guy because you can't see the top of his head. Imagine the top of a pineapple sitting on top of this guy's head, and you may suddenly recognize him as Chris Kirkpatrick from *NSync. Since being one of the two members to fade into the background of the most popular boy band of the 90's, Chris started a new group (that failed), as well as voiced a cartoon character and launched an ugly clothing line. On the show, he serves as the ringleader of the group (which is funny because of his *NSync status as the one singing the high harmonies in the background), and pretty much makes rude comments about women and argues incessantly with Miss Kate. Oh yeah, and also being the most annoying one on the show.

Ah, Jeff Timmons. The sweet sounding hunk of a crooner who founded the hottest boyband to come out of the '90's, 98 Degrees. Ah, 98 Degrees. Put Jeff Timmons and Nick & Drew Lachey together and I don't care what happens, I'll salivate. But after Nick's solo career "took off" (and by that I mean since Newlyweds: Nick & Jessica), Jeff struggled to get ahead with his own solo career. Throw in the fact that he's married and has a daughter, and an incident with a DUI in Florida a few years ago, and the poor guy had a few rough years. On the show, of course he shows off his impressively strong vocals, but other than that he just complains about how embarrassing it is to be on a show where they kind of make fools of themselves and he doesn't want to fail with the band. He's kind of the whiny paranoid one on the show. He's Tonya from The Real World: Chicago, if you will.



Rich Korbin was in LFO. Apparently he likes girls that wear Abercrombie & Fitch. He'd take 'em if he had one wish. The group kind of disappeared after only one album (and I think it was for the best, don't you?). Rich was the rapper of the group, and he carries this over into the new group. Other than lukewarm 'skillz,' he also brings a chauvanistic pig quality to the show that rivals Chris's, as well as the emotional. He's a leukemia survivor and frequently brings it up, if for nothing else than to get the ladies's attention.

So far they've had two appearances in Miami nightclubs, crooning tunes with hot female backup dancers who do all the work for them. Their music sounds exactly like something that might be created by their former groups, leaving them looking awkward and their image tired and tainted. Better luck next time guys. Oh, I hope there won't be a next time...

A Chorus Line

Just saw the year-old revival of A Chorus Line. Amazingly, for being the theater buff that I am, I had only seen one production of the show, produced by the Stanford University theater department when I was in high school. So it was a real treat to not only see the show on Broadway, but to see a recreation of the original production.

There is honestly very little complaining I can do about this show. Certain actors were definitely stronger than others, but that also comes with the territory of certain songs having become more iconic than others (read: Cassie's number, "At the Ballet," "Nothing," etc.). The cast was probably half original to the revival, half new at the beginning of the summer. But as an ensemble, they were so tight and cohesive that it seemed as though they had been performing together for years. I was also surprised at the amount of passion and energy that spilled from them after having been in the show for nearly a year and a half.

And as an audience, we all ate. it. up. Every last note, ball-change, pirouhette and punchline. And we would do it over and over again if we could.

Britney does Vegas...sorta

I am not ashamed to admit that I have Britney's Live From Las Vegas show on DVD. Not the trashy one where she masturbates onstage that was shown on Showtime. I have the classy HBO concert on DVD. When she was big (but not overweight). And hot (but not passing out).

Now she has done Vegas in a different way...attempting to turn her career back around and stage her big comeback by opening the MTV VMA's.

Her appearance was doomed from the start. I don't really understand what MTV was going for, but they basically had some of today's biggest artists making fun of her on the side while she was performing. Not only was this distracting, but also not a good sign of what the performance was ACTUALLY like, not just how it played on television.

Everyone is saying she looked fat in her skimpy outfit. She did not look fat. She looked healthy and normal. But unfortunately for Britney, that meants looking overweight.

And um, I thought her dancers were good.