The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee

I know I'm overdue for my reviews on recent movies and shows that I saw, including those in NYC, but I feel compelled to write about the current LA production of The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, which is playing for 4 weeks with the original Broadway cast at the Wadsworth Theater.

Going in to the show, I was familiar with the music (beautifully written by William Finn), the characters (in all their crazy and wacky glory), and the overall look and flow of the show (taking audience members and having them participate in the Bee). I'm not sure if it was the original cast with their perfected characters, but I was not prepared to be laughing out loud the entire time! Has it really been that long since I've been surprised by a musical? The last shows I've seen in LA were Wicked and The Light In The Piazza, both of which I had seen before. In New York, I was so familiar with Altar Boyz that nothing came as a surprise for me, and with Spring Awakening and Legally Blonde I was so close that I paid more attention to the little nuances of the show than the show itself.

The great thing about Spelling Bee is the audience participation, which adds a whole new element to musical theater and allows the actors to improv to their hearts content. The entire time I was watching the show I kept thinking, "This would be so much fun!"

By far the highlight of the show was getting the opportunity to see the original cast. I can't even pick any out as standing out above the rest because they were all so good, and you could tell how close knit of a group they are. The only non-original cast member was the guy playing Mitch Mahoney, who came from the (apparently recently ended) national tour. He was pretty good, but his voice seemed to be going, and he sounded like he was pushing a lot. Jesse Tyler Ferguson was hilarious as Leaf Coneybear, and I think it would be hard to re-create the character without taking a lot of what he contributed to the role. His wackiness was brilliant, so it's no surprise that he was picked up from the show for The Class, and actually had the role on the sitcom created for him. I think I was most ecstatic to see Celia Keenan-Bolger as Olive Ostrovsky. She is such an up and coming star, and she is so talented and so cute. Her character's song, "The I Love You Song," was my favorite moment of the show. She played the role with such honesty, conviction, and tenderness and she reminded me of the kid in your class who you almost feel bad for because of how soft spoken and shy she is. Deborah S. Craig as Marcy Park was hilarious, and man did the Asian jokes fly throughout the show! Her song about singing 6 languages (NOT 5. Get it right) was perfect, right down to the old school hip hop choreography, panty flashing, and splits. For a character I underestimated and never really paid much attention to, she blew me away! Dan Fogler, who won the Tony for his portrayal of William Barfee (if only I had the ability to type an accent aigu), was pretty much brilliant, and I can't really imagine a different interpretation of the character. Every little nuance, from his mental intensity to his fancy footwork to his cracked out vibrato impressed me. Lisa Howard has a beautiful voice, and was an excellent "den mother" as Rona Lisa Peretti. Seriously, every time she opened her mouth to sing I got chills. I'm so happy she is on the recording of the show. Jay Reiss as Vice Principal Douglas Panch had a lot of pressure on him to carry the show, both with the characters as well as the audience participants, and he did a marvelous job. His monotone improving and impeccable comedic timing contributed to most of the laughs from the audience, and his Drama Desk Award is well deserved. Jose Llana was awesome as Chip Tolentino. He perfectly embodied the pubescent nature of the characters at that age, complete with his impressive rendition of "My Unfortunate Erection." Classic. Sarah Saltzberg was so cute as Logainne Schwartzandgrubinierre. What I find even more impressive than her lisp was the fact that she was in NYC just last week opening the commercial run of her improv comedy show Don't Quit Your Night Job at the Ha! Comedy Club.

And I guess that about covers it. It definitely has moved up the list of my favorite shows, and I look forward to getting the chance to see future productions. It is so fresh and easy to incorporate current events and local jokes (in this production, Leaf Coneybear was the 2nd runner up in the Topanga Canyon Bee, and he had the opportunity to come because the first place winner was having her Bat Mitzfah, and the second place winner had to attend the Bat Mitzfah), so it is safe to say the show will have a long life to come...

Blake Lewis has MAD style, yo!

I almost like his style more than Chris Richardson's, although it may be a little too urban for my taste. Chris has the preppy going on still. But Blake is super hot, and so is his style, so here are some pics to remind us all...

And my favorite looks of his, which I will try to copy every chance I get, hehe:

Ah, Blake. You almost make me want to go to the AI Live show. But, Sanjaya will be there, and I think I would throw something at him. It's best for everyone that I don't go.

American Idol Season 6 finale!

While I wasn't able to watch the finale of American Idol due to my galivanting in NYC, I was able to watch the performances and fast forward through the finale on Tivo (seriously, was there anything worth watching in the finale? It even ran over 2 hours, so no one who Tivo'd it recorded the reveal!).

What I have to say can be summed up quite simply: Blake is a good performer. Jordin has a better voice. The single selected for the finalists to release was more in Jordin's genre, thus letting her end on a high note. And now Jordin can be roped into a 2 record deal, and Blake will have more freedom with his career.

While I think the runner up has to sign for a year with the AI company, the winner signs a 2 record deal. So while Melinda is better off than the other two with being able to choose her style of record, Blake should and will also have more freedom. And I know I've said it before, but I really can't stand Jordin. Her stage presence consists of her relying on her high notes, because her vibrato does not have any control, and she cowers when she sings. Her physicality onstage is awful. People keep saying "But she's only 17!" Yeah, she may be good for 17, but her age shouldn't be able to pass her off as an American Idol! I haven't even heard anything about her since last week...people were like "Jordin Sparks wins! Now on to something else..." I was kind of over this season...not really invested in it by the end. Hopefully there will be some great competitors next season!

Another good thing about this season being over...It's time for So You Think You Can Dance!!

What I wouldn't give to have been at the Drama Desk Awards this year...Kristin Chenoweth hosted, looking cuter than ever, and she brought lots of spunk and personality (her personality) to the show.

Watch this clip of a segment where she talks to people in the audience. It is HIGHlarious. I know it's almost 10 minutes long, but trust me, it is well worth it. You at least have to get to the segment with T.R. Knight (wow, obsessed much, Brian?). It's pretty much priceless.



And then check out the Spring Awakening performance...this was one of my favorite moments in the show when I saw it last week!

Update on T.R. Knights pink-ish hair!

It looks like T.R.'s dramatic dye job didn't last very long. He was in NYC (AT THE SAME TIME AS ME, BTW. It's probably a good thing I didn't see him on the street, 'cause I probably would have accosted him) last week at multiple appearances, and his hair had returned to a normal color, and his style was a more subdued combover. Good judgment, T.R.

Here is a pic of him from the Drama Desk Awards...

I'm baaaaaack!

I'm finally back from my NYC/DC trip! I had so much fun, and it was such an envigorating and enlighting vacation! I'm planning a bunch of updates and reviews on the shows I saw in New York (Altar Boyz, Spring Awakening, Legally Blonde, Talk Radio), plus my huge Tony's entry predicting the outcome of the awards on June 10th.

There is such an amazing buzz going around the city between the announcement of the Tony nominations and the awards. The bills in front of the theaters have new signs advertising their nominations, and you can hardly walk down the street without overhearing someone discussing the nominees.

Speaking of walking down the street, how awesome is celebrity spotting? I've grown a bit accustomed to it in LA, but seeing a whole new batch of celebrities in NYC is great fun! Among the celebs spotted (not necessarily A list, but exciting all the same) are David Hyde Pierce (walking through a street fair on 9th Ave., probably on his way to the theater), Cheyenne Jackson (looking smokin' as he walked toward me in a suit & tie), Joey McIntyre (walking his pooch with his girlfriend. I actually wouldn't have noticed him unless he blurted out his own name while telling a story), Ryan Duncan (the original Altar Boy, Juan, on the subway. He got on a stop after me and then got off at the same stop in Harlem...guess he lives in my friend Ryan's neighborhood), Naomie Watts (one afternoon near the theater where bf Liev Schreiber performs Talk Radio each night), Joey Lawrence (signing autographs outside the stage door at Chicago), and Kevin Spacey (also signing autographs after A Moon For The Misbegotten). Then of course there were all of the big theater names I saw in the shows, which was great. And I was only there for 5 days!

TR comes out in more ways than one...

Poor T.R. Knight was so ready to break free from his ties to Grey's Anatomy that he died his hair pink (well, not pink, but definitely dramatically bright red. It probably would have been pink if he bleached his hair before dying it). Now that's a way to come out of the closet! And out and proud, T.R., out and proud!

Last year he dyed his hair blue for ABC's upfronts, so this must be a followup. I don't particularly think it looks that great, but it's still a turn on for some reason (must be because it's T.R.).

Nevertheless, I think he may need some tips on learning how to lay low. For someone who was so shocked by the amount of media attention he got last year, and who was ready for a break from work, he sure doesn't know how to make himself disappear into the crowd. Who was his mentor, Britney Spears?

Hollywood Headliners

-The CW has cancelled Veronica Mars. Wait, what? One less drama about teen angst? What am I going to do with myself?

-Paris Hilton's jail sentence was reduced from 45 to 23 days. Some call it time off for good behavior, I call it a good lawyer. It was also reported that she will be in a section of the facility which holds high profile prisoners, such as former police officers or others who could be threatened by the general inmate population. Um, but can't the general inmate population be threatened by the general inmate population. I don't get it. I mean I get it, but I don't get it. And Paris will likely have an inmate. What I wouldn't give to be a fly on that wall for 23 days. To hear someone try to bond with Paris and understand what goes on in that head of hers. Maybe they could do a reality show where they show what she does in prison. That ought to make some bucks for the CW.

-La Lohan. It wouldn't be a Hollywood Headliner update without some trashy story about Lindsay. Not only has she been seen sucking...face that is, with new British boy-toy Callum Best (eh, she's done worse, that's for sure. But I'm sure he's done better!), she was also just saved from a theft charge where a woman claimed Lindsay stole clothing from her while she was out of town. Things are looking up for Lindsay. Now stop going out every night, and ditch that bottle of 'water' that is apparently glued to your palm and you'll be all set!

-On the American Idol front, Melinda Dolittle is relieved she was cut from the competition. She claims it was the first time she was able to exhale in a long time. Hopefully she realizes that the show was just a launching pad for her career! Also, Phil Stacey has been granted time off from serving in the Marines to tour the country with American Idols, Live! In an interview, a spokesperson for the Marines spoke very highly of Stacey, thanking him for his dedication to his country. Sounds like he's quite a valuable asset. So valuable in fact, that the Marines let him take 5 months off to appear on the show, and another 4 months for the tour. So what if a few marines have to eat unpeeled potatoes for a few months (not sure what other valuable service he could be lending to them). They love Phil Stacey!

-People.com reported that Jessica Simpson and John Mayer have split. Not for good, though, but temporarily. A source on Team Simpson says, "They have broken up. But they have broken up and gotten back together at least ten times before. I'm sure they'll get back together." And a source on Team Mayer says, "John did say that he broke up [with Jessica]. He said that it was because he was just over it." Wow. I know these two are young and have been in the spotlight for a while, and thus they may have missed out on a few years of being a normal person, but have you ever heard lamer teen drama than this???

Is Blake Lewis Gay?

My favorite guy this season seems to have a few...tendencies. Let's look at the evidence:

Gay:

• My friend Jenn thought he was cute. This means he must be gay.
• Have you seen his hair?
• He makes his own pants. Who does that? A gay man. That's who.
• He's got some awesome moves. Moves that only a gay man can perfect.
• As of two weeks ago, he was the only guy left in the competition. Can we say fag hags?
• In an interview he describes his tattoo on his right forearm. Of a cherry blossom tree. And talks about how beautiful it is. He also talks about how meticulous he is with his hair.
• When his [boy]friend Chris Richardson was still around, he would pay a little too much attention from him, and not enough to the throngs of screaming girls in the studio.
• And what argument is not made stronger with some pictoral evidence?:
  Who [besides a gay man] wears hats like this? (on second thought, maybe not even a gay man would wear it):

Shedding a tear when his boyfriend is eliminated:

Consoling him:









Fingering him (they do this a lot):

And I've already posted this picture, courtesy of TMZ.com and a little photoshop...it just looks too perfect:

Alas, I'm afraid my theories may be spoiled by countering evidence:

• In the Top 12 issue of People magazine, he goes on a rant about how he was sexually frustrated (I say 'was' because I'm sure he's gotten some ass--male or female--since the interview) because he broke up with his 'girlfriend' when he came to the Hollywood audition. So he is looking forward to the tour because it could be 'fun' for more reasons than one if you catch my drift. First of all, he's cocky for breaking up with her when he came to Hollywood (not that cockiness is solely a straight characteristic). Secondly, eew.
• He owns KFed's CD.
• He has a stupid altar ego that he 'improvs' with. His name is Jimmy Walker Blue, and I have never seen anything lamer.

Even though the gay points outnumber the straight ones, those straight ones count for a lot. It's a toughy.

Tony Nominations: First Impressions

At first I decided to wait until I went to New York to weigh in on the Tony nominations, but I decided to write about my initial reactions now, and post my [not-so] official predictions later...

The biggest surprise for me is that Kristen Chenoweth was not nominated for The Apple Tree. It's probably the toughest category of the season, but the girl played three contrasting leading ladies in the show, for chrissakes. And never missed a performance! At least she knows she's amazing, and is probably too busy to deal with the stress of being nominated again. I'm happy that her career is taking off, and I hope that she was able to reap the benefits of starring in such a challenging role, even though she isn't being recognized for it by the Tony voters.

Other surprises in terms of actors missing from the nominations are Lea Michele for Spring Awakening (I'll have a stronger opinion on this after I see the show this weekend), Ashley Brown for Mary Poppins, Marian Seldes for Deuce, and Michael Arden and Thom Sesma for The Times They Are A-Changin'. I feel bad for Lea because she has been with the show for so long, seen it through every incarnation, and her two co-stars are nominated. Ashley has a huge responsibility of starring in a Disney musical of huge proportions. But the two of them are so young, and the category is full of old pro's (Audra McDonald, Debra Monk, Christine Ebersole, and Donna Murphy), it's a hard sell. But Laura Bell Bundy is quite a surprise. I'm not sure what the Tony committee see in her that they don't see in Lea or Ashley, but I would put the 3 of them in the same category of exposure, experience, and star calibre. Marian Seldes I feel bad for because she and Angela Lansbury allegedly share equal billing. It'd be kind of like in 2004 if Idina Menzel were nominated for Wicked but Kristen Chenoweth was snubbed. And Michael Arden and Thom Sesma were the only two good things mentioned about The Times... (although Lisa Brescia got positive reviews, too), and they are missing out this year again. I know I'm a bit biased because of my adoration for Michael, but perhaps the nominations would have been different had the show been more successful.

If Laura Bell Bundy, Christian Borle, and Orfeh (I know she's a great talent, but I'm curious tho know how great she can really be in this show) were worthy of being nominated, along with Jerry Mitchell for choreography (although not for director...his directorial debut) and countless other creative nominations, I wonder why Legally Blonde was not recognized for Best Musical. It was eligible, but perhaps it wasn't open long enough for people to really catch on to it.

I feel bad for shows like Xanadu and The Times... or other shows that open early in the season. Whether or not they are successful, they have to maintain their popularity and buzz throughout the year so as to not be snubbed by the Tony's. This is not to say that shows that are not popular or have limited runs don't get nominated, but it's harder for a show with great performers or design teams to keep their names in the running...it must be easy to fall through the cracks. So best wishes to Xanadu, and better luck next time to Twyla Tharp and Michael Arden.

I'm so stoked about my trip to NYC! I feel like I'm going at such an exciting time for Broadway theater, and I hope to be able to gain some insight from the shows I am seeing (only Spring Awakening and Talk Radio on Broadway) as well as from the buzz and hype of the other productions.

Wicked was wicked!

Is that what they would say on the east coast?

I have to admit that I have become a little bit skeptical of productions of shows that have become extremely popular. I feel there tends to be a sense of confidence that actors can have when they are in a popular and successful show that causes them to expect the show to take off on its own without having to put in the work. I felt it a little bit when I saw Jersey Boys in SF over the holidays, and both times I saw The Lion King (in London and LA). So needless to say, I didn't go into seeing Wicked with the highest of expectations.

The production I saw with the original cast in New York was so new, so innovative, so grand, that I thought it would be hard to surpass. And I think it still is. I have heard things about the touring company of the show that I wasn't very impressed with, and I was curious to see how the sit-down LA production would go. And what's more, I was seeing a Tuesday night performance, and I was concerned about the production having a case of "the Mondays."

Thankfully, I was pleasantly surprised. I really enjoyed almost every part of this production. When I saw it previously in NYC, I was sitting in the front row of the orchestra, and it was an amazing experience to be able to see the details in the costumes, sets, makeup, etc. But after seeing it from the front of the mezzanine, I feel as though I was able to see it in its full scale. I compare it to seeing a movie from the front row of the movie theater versus sitting halfway back and being able to see the whole screen clearly. More of the technical effects made sense to me, and while sitting up close allowed me to see where every dime of the $14 million budget was spent, this was the first time I noticed how effective it was. And it was also very apparent that Universal produced the show.

Because I saw it in NYC in March of 2003, I cannot remember specifics of that production, but I do know that when the show opened in London, they implemented some changes to improve the show, which they also brought over to LA. There were a few minor changes to the staging that I noticed, which for the most part I felt may have made the movement on stage seem a bit cleaner, but detracted from the effect of the production. Like at the beginning of the show, when the curtain goes up, instead of the giant witch's hat, the munchkins were just huddled in a group. Yeah, the hat may not be the cleanest thing to see at the opening of the show, but it immediately sets the stage as the muchkins (with the height difference, you see) celebrating the death of the witch. And there were a few Wizard of Oz jokes that were skipped over due to the staging (there were a few that were skipped over due to poor line delivery, too, but that's another story), like how Elphaba gets her cape from Glinda. The changed staging has Glinda walk in front of Elphaba, who is on her knees down center, and then she rises on a swell in the music. It was more effective in the original staging with both girls standing side by side.

But now I'm just being picky. The ensemble was fantastic. I actually thought they were one of the strongest parts of the show. There is some amazing vocal and dance work being done in the ensemble! We were lucky to see most of the principles without many understudies, but we did miss Carole Kane as Madame Morrible and Jenna Leigh Green as Nessarose. I bet Jenna is a better Nessa than the girl that we saw, but the understudy for Morrible was pretty decent. John Rubenstein didn't command much presence as the Wizard, which may or may not have been a character choice, but it was unneffective nonetheless. Adam Wylie was a great Boq. He had the innocence and the character down pat. Boq is probably the role I am best suited for in the show (even though I'm a good 2 inches taller than the height requirement in the character breakdown), so I was watching him very closely, and I was rather satisfied. I did not like Christopher Cussick as Fiyero. His voice bugged me, and he wasn't smooth enough, I don't think. I would have loved to see John Hill in the role, but I can understand the producers wanting to hire from within the productions. Cussick is probably better than Joey McIntyre or David Ayers were. Maybe they'll find some celeb to come in and play Fiyero at some point. That'd be hilarious.

I was pleasantly surprised by Megan Hilty as Glinda. I knew that she played her character more shticky and 'out there' than Kristen Chenoweth, and I wasn't sure how I would like it. She definitely stole the stage during her scenes with Eden Espinosa, and she relied heavily on her Jessica Simpson calibre ditzy character and goofy movements to bring the laughs. I almost prefer Kristin's character choice to internalize the character choices because by making the humor more subtle and subdued, I found her character to actually be more genuinely humorous, rather than physically silly. But Megan had some great moments, ones that will stick out in my mind as hilariously effective (and who says its an easy feat following in Kristen's footsteps?).

Then there's Eden Espinosa. I definitely prefer Idina's acting to Eden's, which is something I hadn't thought about, but makes sense. Eden comes from the Disney family, which is where she got most of her professional training, so it's no surprise that she is larger and more literate with her physicality and line deliverance. Plus, it's a big house, and she was definitely trying to sell it to the rafters. And I know that Eden has uncanny vocal abilities, but I guess I wasn't expecting her to stretch herself the way she did. Eden has another 2 or 3 notes on top of anything that is written in to Wicked. But that's not enough for Eden. She continuously challenged and stretched her vocal abilities throughout the show, culminating with a ridiculously powerful interpretation of "No Good Deed." What's more, the girl comes out at the top of the show (entering through the center drop, the grandest entrance of the show) to applause (because she's Eden Espinosa, because she's from LA, or because she's Elphaba the green witch?). The girl must feel a lot of pressure having to live up to such a large role originated by such a well known actress. She sings the first show-stopper of the show, "The Wizard and I," and sings a good 2 notes higher than Idina sings. Now THAT'S a way to prove your worth.

I forgot to ask the people in the box office how popular the raffle has been, and where the seats are located. It would be so easy for me to pop over there after work and check out the show if I get the tickets. I definitely would not mind seeing the show again (in hopes of checking out Carole Kane, JLG, and an understudy for Fiyero). And I might as well check it out as much as I can, especially if it's with cheap raffle tickets. It'll be here for a few years, definitely.

Next up for Wicked? A production in Tokyo opening in June, in Germany opening in October, and in Australia in July, 2008. What a blockbuster!

American Idol Follow-up

When I heard my favorite radio personalities discussing Melinda's elimination from AI last night, I got this crazy feeling of anxiety. I had totally forgotten about how shocked I was last night when Ryan read the results. Poor Melinda. She is completely deserving of the title. But here is how I make sense of the situation:

When Katharine McPhee placed second last season, she signed on with the same record label as Taylor Hicks, the winner (I think). When her album came out, it was a poppy dance album, which is a far cry from her classy vocals during the show. But Melinda doesn't have to worry about selling out now, because she can take the Chris Daughtry and Elliott Yamin route and have more freedom with her album. She does not need the title of American Idol. Blake and Jordin will need more help, though. So in a way, even though Melinda is the most deserving of winning the title, she will be better off.

Maybe I should start factoring the American vote into my predictions. Next season, I will say "this contestant deserves to win, but knowing AI's past results, she will place third, at the most."

American Idol Top 3 Commentary

I missed the performances (again) last night. Perfectly good excuse though...took my dearest Diem to see Wicked at the Pantages. Great production, I'll write about it tomorrow (hopefully).

Last week Simon made some comment about expecting everyone to blow him away, and being disappointed. Well, that was me this week. Maybe the judges are hearing something different than I'm hearing, or maybe they realize that it doesn't matter what they do or say. But I wasn't bowled over by any of the performances (although I did come close a few times). Here's the specifics:

Jordin Sparks~ I was the most disappointed by her tonight. I hope she doesn't make it into the finals, but I think she will just because of her popularity (she's got some of the young vote, and some of the old as well...she's got a diverse audience going for her, I can say that much). For starters with this girl, she is just as fake as Paris Bennett (remember Princess P from last season? Debut album on sale at TARGET...ha!)! When the mayor of Glendale, AZ (her hometown) read Simon's choice of song for her, she got excited and flattered and clapped along with the crowd. Then, while talking with Ryan, she let out that she had never heard the song before. Oops. Your hair may be better curly, Jordin, but you're more believable when you can keep your story straight!

Her opening of the song seemed kind of weak, due to her under-developed falsetto. She was definitely off to a rough start. Once again, her vibrato bugs me, and until she improves it, it will continue to bug me. All that said, though, she is definitely the most improved contestant of the entire season (hence why she's still in the competition!). Randy said that she sounded like Beyonce. Don't know who he was listening to, but that was no Beyonce.

Her second song, the Producers choice, was better suited for her voice ("She Works Hard For The Money"). But I picture people jumping up and down and going crazy and dancing to this song like mad. Jordin didn't do that. She seemed kind of stiff and restricted. She walked around to the beat a little bit, and that's it. He had a nice little riff at the end of the song, but her vibrato on her last note sounded like she was on a rollercoaster or like someone was violently flicking her jugular! All in all, her energy is too low on the upbeat songs...her father is an ex-NFLer. You'd think she'd be able to muster up some energy and adrenaline somewhere!

Her third song was a song she has already sung before. It was her choice, so she can sing whatever she wants, and it was the best choice out of all of her previous performances, but why not rock a song you've never sung before, girl (maybe like a current Top 40 track or something). We've seen it before (granted, it was the song that put her into the top running). She had stupid pouty, shrinking expressions and body language, I wanted to reach into the screen and push her over! The greatest part of this performance was the video preview: They showed her autographing a star at the bottom of an escalator at a mall in her hometown. What a back-handed compliment ('Sure, we'll give you a star of fame...in front of the escalator!')...it's like having your star in front of a crack den or stripper joint on Hollywood Blvd.!

Blake Lewis~ I am afraid for Blake today. I think he has a good chance of going home. But I think if it were based on last night's performances, he would be safe! He sounded AWESOME. The best he's sounded in a while. I think he got so comfortable pushing the envelope with his VP and beat boxing that we forgot what a great vocalist he is...definitely marketable.

However, his first performance of the night ("Roxanne" by The Police) was a little bit disappointing for me. He's a great performer, but he just stood there and sang it from behind the mic stand. I would have liked him to do something more exciting. Guess I am entertained enough just by looking at him though, so I can't complain.

His second song, "This Love" by Maroon 5 (by the way, how HOT is their new song? I love it) was the PERFECT song choice for him (sorry, Paula, your Producers are better at selecting songs than you). When he sang the line about broken wings, he did this amazingly sexy dance move...I can't get over it. He did kind of end on a low note...he should have taken it up an octave and really ended strong. The AI Producers picked the best song for Blake to funk up. He had a really great vibe with the song, and you could tell that the judges and audience were really feeling it as well.

His personal song choice was great, too, with solid vocals, high energy, and a great performance. But my favorite part was his outfit! He had these hot brown plaid pants that were on the tighter side (better than the baggy things he was wearing earlier in the season) and a hot button up shirt and track jacket...nice! I forgot how much I hated his hair for just a second...then it came back to me when I stopped looking at his crotch. I'm really rooting for this guy tonight. But I think it's safe to say that no matter what happens with the results tonight, he will get a record deal...and I'll shell out the $15 for it! I wonder if he was so on his game tonight because Chris Richardson was in the house cheering him on. My fantasies about their love affair almost make me want to go to the tour!

Melinda Dolittle~ This girl is a shoe in for the finale, just like I've been saying all along. And I think she knows it, too. The judges certainly do. She's just so genuine, so talented, so consistent, so perfect for the American Idol.

First performance was Randy's choice, and he chose a Whitney song. As in Whitney Houston. As in one of the three performers (along with Chaka Khan and Mariah Carey) they never suggest singing because you can never be as good as the original. And Melinda tore it down! The judges praised her for it, with good reason. They would never trust Jordin with a song like that, that's for sure. She didn't change the song very much, at least that I could tell. If she did, she did it flawlessly in Whitney's style that it seemed like it was her own song (except for one scary moment with her falsetto where it almost sounded too forced, but you could hardly tell)! The judges agreed with me and named Melinda the winner of round 1.

For her second performance, she sang a Tina Turner song, and she brought down the house again. She had sassy hip shaking and even turned the mic stand upside down and blasted out some notes into the mic on her knees. Hot! But before that, she made a weird comment. Ryan announced what song she was going to sing, and she was like, "oh, ok. sure." Like she didn't know what song they chose, and then she just jumped up and started wailing this song out! I was kind of turned off by it. You're a great performer, Melinda, but stick to the singing, not acting.

She brilliantly sang "I'm A Woman" for her personal choice, and brought out the backup singers and they all tore it up! Perfect homage to backup singers from a past backup singer herself! I just hope there is a market for her...her sound is so old fashioned, and would really be best with a bluesy, oldies feel. She has more of the older audience vote. I just hope she doesn't sell out like Katharine McPhee did (let's just say my McPheever has been cured).

In conclusion, my friends, Melinda Dolittle will win the competition, and I think Jordin will join her in the finale. I think Blake may be more deserving of it, especially based on last night's performances, but I am happy to say that all three of these performers are deserving and capable of turning out an amazing record. I'd better start saving my pennies now...

Tony Nominations Announced!

The nominations for the 61st annual Tony Awards, being held June 10 at Radio City Music Hall, were announced this morning. Spring Awakening leads the pack with the most nominations (11), with Coast of Utopia and Grey Gardens each receiving 10 noms.

I'm going to New York at the end of this week, and I'm so excited to be there with all the Tony buzz. So far I only have plans to see Spring Awakening and Talk Radio, but hopefully I will get to check out one or two more nominees! I should probably wait for my usual commentary until after I get back and feel a bit more educated. :)

Best Play
The Coast of Utopia
Frost/Nixon
The Little Dog Laughed
Radio Golf


Best Musical
Curtains
Grey Gardens
Mary Poppins
Spring Awakening


Best Book of a Musical
Curtains, Rupert Holmes & Peter Stone
Grey Gardens, Doug Wright
Legally Blonde The Musical, Heather Hach
Spring Awakening, Steven Sater

Best Original Score
Curtains
Music: John Kander
Lyrics: Fred Ebb, John Kander & Rupert Holmes

Grey Gardens
Music: Scott Frankel
Lyrics: Michael Korie

Legally Blonde The Musical
Music & Lyrics: Laurence O’Keefe and Nell Benjamin

Spring Awakening
Music: Duncan Sheik
Lyrics: Steven Sater


Best Revival of a Play
Inherit the Wind
Jouney's End
Talk Radio
Translations


Best Revival of a Musical
The Apple Tree
A Chorus Line
Company
110 in the Shade

Best Special Theatrical Event
Jay Johnson: The Two and Only
Kiki & Herb Alive on Broadway

Best Performance By a Leading Actor in a Play
Boyd Gaines, Journey's End
Frank Langella, Frost/Nixon
Brían F. O’Byrne, The Coast of Utopia
Christopher Plummer, Inherit the Wind
Liev Schreiber, Talk Radio

Best Performance By a Leading Actress in a Play
Eve Best, A Moon for the Misbegotten
Swoozie Kurtz, Heartbreak House
Angela Lansbury, Deuce
Vanessa Redgrave, The Year of Magical Thinking
Julie White, The Little Dog Laughed

Best Performance By a Leading Actor in a Musical
Michael Cerveris, LoveMusik
Raúl Esparza, Company
Jonathan Groff, Spring Awakening
Gavin Lee, Mary Poppins
David Hyde Pierce, Curtains

Best Performance By a Leading Actress in a Musical
Laura Bell Bundy, Legally Blonde The Musical
Christine Ebersole, Grey Gardens
Audra McDonald, 110 in the Shade
Debra Monk, Curtains
Donna Murphy, LoveMusik

Best Performance By a Featured Actor in a Play
Anthony Chisholm, Radio Golf
Billy Crudup, The Coast of Utopia
Ethan Hawke, The Coast of Utopia
John Earl Jelks, Radio Golf
Stark Sands, Journey's End

Best Performance By a Featured Actress in a Play
Jennifer Ehle, The Coast of Utopia
Xanthe Elbrick, Coram Boy
Dana Ivey, Butley
Jan Maxwell, Coram Boy
Martha Plimpton, The Coast of Utopia

Best Performance By a Featured Actor in a Musical
Brooks Ashmanskas, Martin Short: Fame Becomes Me
Christian Borle, Legally Blonde The Musical
John Cullum, 110 in the Shade
John Gallagher, Jr., Spring Awakening
David Pittu, LoveMusik

Best Performance By a Featured Actress in a Musical
Charlotte d’Amboise, A Chorus Line
Rebecca Luker, Mary Poppins
Orfeh, Legally Blonde The Musical
Mary Louise Wilson, Grey Gardens
Karen Ziemba, Curtains

Best Direction of a Play
Michael Grandage, Frost/Nixon
David Grindley, Journey's End
Jack O'Brien, The Coast of Utopia
Melly Still, Coram Boy

Best Direction of a Musical
John Doyle, Company
Scott Ellis, Curtains
Michael Greif, Grey Gardens
Michael Mayer, Spring Awakening

Best Choreography
Rob Ashford, Curtains
Matthew Bourne and Stephen Mear, Mary Poppins
Bill T. Jones, Spring Awakening
Jerry Mitchell, Legally Blonde The Musical

Best Orchestrations
Bruce Coughlin, Grey Gardens
Duncan Sheik, Spring Awakening
Jonathan Tunick, LoveMusik
Jonathan Tunick, 110 in the Shade

Best Scenic Design of a Play
Bob Crowley & Scott Pask, The Coast of Utopia
Jonathan Fensom, Journey's End
David Gallo, Radio Golf
Ti Green and Melly Still, Coram Boy

Best Scenic Design of a Musical
Bob Crowley, Mary Poppins
Christine Jones, Spring Awakening
Anna Louizos, High Fidelity
Allen Moyer, Grey Gardens

Best Costume Design of a Play
Ti Green and Melly Still, Coram Boy
Jane Greenwood, Heartbreak House
Santo Loquasto, Inherit the Wind
Catherine Zuber, The Coast of Utopia

Best Costume Design of a Musical
Gregg Barnes, Legally Blonde The Musical
Bob Crowley, Mary Poppins
Susan Hilferty, Spring Awakening
William Ivey Long, Grey Gardens

Best Lighting Design of a Play
Paule Constable, Coram Boy
Brian MacDevitt, Inherit the Wind
Brian MacDevitt, Kenneth Posner, and Natasha Katz, The Coast of Utopia
Jason Taylor, Journey's End

Best Lighting Design of a Musical
Kevin Adams, Spring Awakening
Christopher Akerlind, 110 in the Shade
Howard Harrison, Mary Poppins
Peter Kaczorowski, Grey Gardens

Regional Theatre Tony Award
Alliance Theatre, Atlanta, GA

The number of nominations each show received follows:
Spring Awakening - 11
The Coast of Utopia - 10
Grey Gardens - 10
Curtains - 8
Legally Blonde The Musical - 7
Mary Poppins - 7
Coram Boy - 6
Journey's End - 6
110 in the Shade - 5
Inherit the Wind - 4
LoveMusik - 4
Radio Golf - 4
Company - 3
Frost/Nixon - 3
A Chorus Line - 2
Heartbreak House - 2
The Little Dog Laughed - 2
Talk Radio - 2
The Apple Tree - 1
Butley - 1
Deuce - 1
High Fidelity - 1
Jay Johnson: The Two and Only! - 1
Kiki and Herb Alive on Broadway - 1
Martin Short: Fame Becomes Me - 1
A Moon for the Misbegotten - 1
Translations - 1
The Year of Magical Thinking - 1

Heeeere's Johnny!

UCSB folk will be particularly tickled by this breaking news....

Johnny Tsunami is back!

That's right, kiddies, everyone's favorite displaced surfer is coming back to the small screen in the DCOM (Disney Channel Original Movie, duh!) Johnny Kapahala: Back on Board

Non-UCSB folk may not know that Brandon Baker, who played Johnny Kapahala in the original film, went to UCSB. In fact, I had the esteemed "honor" of living upstairs from him one year. We even shared a washing machine (please contain your excitement).

Oh, if those kids only knew the things I saw and heard Johnny do....

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All that glitters...

I have grown increasingly interested in the role homosexuality is playing in Hollywood these days (I dunno, maybe it’s my constantly growing (no pun intended) obsession with T.R. Knight). With the outings of T.R., Lance Bass, and Neil Patrick Harris last fall, the “f-word” scandal that rocked the set and the cast of Grey’s Anatomy, and the rise of Perez Hilton as a trashy tabloid blogger extraordinaire, never before have gay issues been so prominent in The Wood.

But have things really changed for gay actors? Just because time has allowed gay issues to come more to the forefront of our culture, do changes toward equality actually extend into the entertainment industry?

Some would say yes. Any kind of exposure (be it Rosie’s position on The View, Ellen’s hosting of The Academy Awards, Isaiah Washington flinging the f-word around like Akon throws his women) is good exposure, good or bad. With gay rights issues a major topic of debate, even in politics, there is greater chance of gay issues and characters popping up in television and film (like 2006’s trio of queer cinema recognized by The Academy: Brokeback Mountain, Capote, Transamerica). And with more out actors in Hollywood, not only might it become easier for more actors to follow suit, but there will be more opportunity for gay actors to have a prominent spot in the limelight. By telling the stories of queer actors and characters in popular culture, Hollywood helps raise the visibility of LGBT issues and give millions of Americans a greater understanding of who we are as people, not merely statistics.

I think I’m giving Hollywood too much credit here. I don’t think they can be honored for being so progressive. It can pride itself as a place where homosexuals are not only accepted but employed in gross numbers, but the unwritten rule is that an actor never comes out of the closet. Playing a gay character is one thing, but admitting to being gay is another. Furthermore, it is considered heroic or challenging for a straight actor to play a gay actor, but pretty much unheard of for a gay actor to play a straight character (which, in my opinion, is probably more challenging). Since Tom Hank’s Oscar-winning performance as a man living with AIDS in Philadelphia, gay roles have been sought after by straight actors because they are looked at as disadvantaged, and actors want to play underprivileged characters, no matter what their disability may be (one article that I read recently actually classified homosexuality along with physical or mental disorders in terms of an actor wanting to tackle a challenging role). There seems to be some stigma that an actor coming out of the closet kills the success of one’s imagination, with characters often serving as an outlet for viewers to imagine their own romantic fantasies and thus have the need to think of them as strictly heterosexual. Don’t we as human beings deserve more credit for our intelligence?

There are gay actors who play straight roles in Hollywood. Jack Plotnick plays a womanizer in Lovespring, International, and Broadway actor plays a “straight” man in The Class. But these roles are SO supporting and SO minor that they are hardly being reported on in The Advocate or reported on Access Hollywood. For the most part, fear continues to dominate the psyches of closeted gay actors in The Wood, unsure if being out and open about who they are will break their career.

George O’Malley and Barney Stinson are possible exceptions. Since the actors playing these characters were forced out of the closet after their shows became huge successes, they do not seem to have suffered from this sort of stigma where a gay actor can play a straight role without it being completely unconvincing and distracting. But if you look at their characters, they are not entirely believable in and of themselves. O’Malley’s sexuality is shown only in its faults: bumbling his way through a new marriage while fighting his urges for his best friend. And Stinson is the womanizing caricature of a broad comedy. An article I read from The New Republic says, “Hollywood commentators are so certain that Hollywood producers won’t let gays play straight that, when they actually do, well, it’s just not good enough.” But the actors are good enough, and their talents may be going to waste because of the social stigma surrounding homosexuality in Hollywood (after all, they have assumed the role of a straight person for years!). Sure, their shows may be successes, but what will happen to Knight’s and Harris’s careers when their shows end? Sadly, it may not look so good for them.

Kellie, Kellie, Kellie

American Idol Season 5 competitor Kellie Pickler doesn't want you to know if she got a boob job. Saying now that her hair is shorter, her boobs look bigger, and wanting to remain the center of attention by keeping the truth a mystery, she sure is irritating.

I've got the answer for you right here:

Before

After

Yep. It MUST be the hair.

Hollywood Headliners

-Lindasy Lohan is being sued by a photographer for allegedly running him over. This shouldn't be a surprise to anyone, what with Lindsay's overly dramatic past with car accidents (how many fender benders and $100,000 cars has that girl jacked up? While the lawsuit does not disclose the amount for which the photographer is suing, he claims that because of her carelessness and negligence, he sustained permanent injuries. The lawsuit also fails to mention that he was probably hit as he was trying to shove a camera lens in her face as she was trying to escape the harrassment of the papparazzi. Snap!

-Sheryll Crow has adopted a baby boy. She named him Wyatt Steven Crow. While his first name is a little dated and his middle name a little plain by Hollwood standards, the funny thing is she named his first name after her father and his middle name after her brother and her Manager. Her MANAGER? Is that a thing of devotion and appreciation, or a silent cry for better gigs than a college campus tour on a vegetable oil-fueled tour bus? And don't get too excited, the baby was born in the U.S. not a third world country.

-Sting and wife Trudie Styler lost a sexual discrimination case against them last week in which their former chef alleges she was fired for getting pregnant. So either they felt she couldn't do her job properly, or they didn't want to include a pregnant woman in their tantric practices. You be the judge.

-Apparently Rosie O'Donnell thinks she has all the friends she needs, because all she seems to do is make more enemies. She recently accused Ellen DeGeneres of being contractually confined from speaking about gay issues on her talk show. Rosie claims that she talks about gay 'stuff' because it interests her, but Ellen is unable to because she doesn't want to or she can't. I think this is kind of funny because Ellen is KNOWN for coming out of the closet on national TV, and has recently hosted a plethora of openly gay guests, including T.R. Knight and Neil Patrick Harris, both of whom discussed their coming out on her show. Just because Rosie is leaving TV (again) shouldn't mean she should make stuff up about what happens on TV. Ya heard!

-Jaime Pressly finally popped. The My Name is Earl actress had a baby boy last week, naming him Dezi James. Apparently he was named after an inside joke involving Desi Arnaz. Jaime says that Eric Cubiche, the baby's daddy, always speaks like Ricky Ricardo when he comes home, saying "Luuuuucy, I'm hoooooome." I think that's utterly ridiculous. For one thing, the joke will get old in about 2 weeks. And who names their kid after an inside joke? I have an inside joke involving an elephant prostate, grape jelly, and a trowell, but you won't see me naming a kid after that!

Shortbus is not short on one thing...

...and that is sex. Sex sex sex sex sex. And lots of it! I recently saw this movie for the first time, and lord was I surprised. Granted I saw the unrated version (man I'd love to see what the rated version is like), but for about half of the movie I was sure I was watching a hardcore adult video. We're talking actual sex, people, with all the sweat, sounds, and fluid exchanging included.

With that disclaimer laid out plain and simple, the movie was very touching (no pun intended). And I knew it would be, coming from director John Cameron Mitchell (the mastermind behind Hedwig and the Angry Inch, who also made his Broadway debut understudying Huck Finn in the original production of Big River and also played Dickon (again, no pun intended) in The Secret Garden. What a talented jackass). The film's content shocks you from the first minute in order to get you on board for the candid issues the characters face, and turns out to be a surprisingly poignant and moving piece.

So if you like crazy-out there movies, are not offended by sex (and I don't mean sex as usually depicted on film. I mean actual sex. Can't say that enough), then definitely check out this movie!!

A Photo Tribute of Chris Richardson

I love this guy's style! His voice got a little old after a while. Still, he was one of my favorite contestants this season. I think there could definitely be a place for him in the music business outside of American Idol.

So here are pictures of my favorite looks of his (which is actually probably everything he ever wore on the show...):

And this is my favorite shot of all: