The Last Movie Star, or: how Newman's death represents the impending close to a great era

From James over at ReelThoughts:

With Paul Newman's death, they're almost all gone. By "they," I am referring to the movie stars - the legends of the silver screen whose images lit up the darkness for decades in movie palaces, drive-ins, and multiplexes across the country and around the world. Their names are legendary: Humphrey Bogart, John Wayne, Gregory Peck, Cary Grant, Katharine Hepburn, Audrey Hepburn, Grace Kelly, Steve McQueen, Bette Davis, Marlon Brando, Spencer Tracy, Ingrid Bergman, Gene Kelly, Paul Newman. There are, of course, many others, but a need for brevity demands that I stop somewhere. Newman's death is another reminder how few of these "great ones" remain among us, their memories living capsules to a fading era. Kirk Douglas, Clint Eastwood, Sean Connery, Lauren Bacall, Sidney Poitier� Are there others? (Of course, but not as many as you might think.)

We don't have movie stars anymore. At least not in the way there once were movie stars. Today, the biggest names in cinema are media stars. The mystique is gone. Film has become just another form of disposable entertainment. In 2008, we have Tom Hanks, George Clooney, Tom Cruise, Brad Pitt, Angelina Jolie, Julia Roberts, and countless here-today-gone-tomorrow flavors of the month. All are photogenic and capable, but none has the luminescence we associate with a true star. It's not their fault. Time moves on and eras change. Movies are not what they were in the '40s or '50s or '60s or even '70s. The capacity of a performer to become a star in the truest sense of the word no longer exists. People still love movies, but they don't treasure them the way they once did. Norma Desmond said it's the pictures that got small. Now, the magnitude of the stars has downsized to keep pace.

Read more here.

I'm not much for writing goodbyes. There are many others out there who are infinitely more knowledgeable about Paul Newman's career and his influence on the American cinema. But Mr. Berardinelli manages to write a fitting epitaph not to Paul Newman, but to all the movie stars of a far gone era.

And thanks to Steve for being more eloquent and classy than I could ever hope to be.

Sketch Comedy Masters, or: the lost comedy stylings of Palin & McCain

Over at the Chicago Sun-Times scanners blog, Jim Emerson illustrates just how easy Palin makes it for Tina Fey to show her genius. Palin and McCain are indeed masters of comedy in their own right. They were making comedy gold way before SNL, MadTV, and Fox News. Thanks Jim.



Mr. Sondheim,

Can you please make this into a musical? Thank you.

I'll cover you, Amanda; but you owe me 20 bucks, or: Rent (Live) at the Movies

If you're like me and Chris and express a disappointment for the movie version of the musical Rent, then you will indeed be happy to know that the new filmed version of the now closed stage production is vastly superior. Titled Rent: Filmed Live on Broadway, the new cinecast still has the flaws of the material, but mostly, it provides an engaging preservation of the landmark show.

Rent, in my opinion, is a show that hasn't aged as well as other 90's musicals. While it provides a mostly ballerific score, a lot of the production seems dated. There are a few scenes that are incredibly bad (Chris mentions the post funeral scene - "you have to learn to love yourself". The duet scene between Mark and Roger arguing - "the filmmaker cannot see/the songwriter cannot hear" - is cringe inducing to me.) and some clunkers of songs (once again, Chris mentions "Happy New Year" and I completely agree.) The sanitized movie version further emphasized the inherent badness of much of the show. However, despite my reservations for the show itself, I headed to the movie theater to take in the filmed last performance. And I am very happy I did.

I found myself really moved periodically. And as a result, I was reminded constantly how good the show really is: the staging is very well directed, the songs are uniformly complex (if not all necessarily good), and the subject matter - while a bit dated - is still engaging thanks mostly to the fresh new cast.

To start, the standout is Will Chase as Roger. Chase provides a deeper and more conflicted portrayal than original cast member Adam Pascal. He is in fantastic voice, and his musicality shows. He also is more believable as a young adult. Reneé Elise Goldsberry makes for an endearing Mimi. And Justin Johnston Angel is a riot, finding unprecedented humor in the part.

Adam Kantor is a bright Mark. And yes, even Eden Espinosa is effective as Maureen. Tracie Thoms makes a return to the role of Joanne (one of the few good things about the movie version was Thoms' dynamic performance). I was not as enamored with Michael McElroy as Collins. Perhaps it was his relatively weaker vocal performance throughout the show. None of his songs soared for me, musically or dramatically.

The camera work by Declan Quinn is effective without calling too much attention to itself. The wizards at radical.media have utilized state-of-the-art high-definition video and digital audio technology to make the show come alive.

Peter Travers of Rolling Stone expresses an enthusiasm for Rent: Filmed Live on Broadway and for future possibilities for the new format of live performances filmed for the movie theater:

You can't see this kind of magic without dreaming of what's next on The Hot Ticket, from the same Sony Company that released the dreaded 2005 Rent [movie]. Is this version karmic payback? If so, it's working.

I can think of so many shows that Hollywood botched (The Producers, Gypsy, South Pacific, A Chorus Line) being captured in a cinecast. Or how about shows still on Broadway that may never make it to the big screen, such as Spring Awakening, In the Heights, Jersey Boys and the youth-centric production of Hair that played in Central Park this summer? The list goes on. You probably have your own. Start listing.

I share his praise and excitement for the format. I only hope a DVD deal can be met so I can enjoy this final performance forever.

Some favorite shows...

I like lists. I find that kind of funny considering I hate them, too. There's something appealing to me to see a clear and focused objective. It has the illusion of being definite. Final.

The truth of the matter is that lists are anything but final or definitive. Countless individuals and organizations have created an infinite amount of Top 10 and Greatest of All Time lists of such varying topics as film, theater, books, coffee shops, art, tourist attractions, actors, directors, dancers, etc. The list (no pun intended) goes on and on. And even with established groups and titles like "American Film Institute's 100 Years... 100 Greatest Films," the lists still manage to not be 100% final. AFI's 100 Years... series just refreshed its 'definitive' list this year - adding, shifting, eliminating numerous films to/within/from its list. (I can't describe the heartache and anger I felt when CASABLANCA, my favorite movie, moved down the totem pole to number 3 from its previous perch at number 2 - switching spots with THE GODFATHER.)

Chris, over at Everything I Know I Learned from Musicals, has his own list of the 100 Best Musicals. It's one of my most frequently visited pages on the web. He's very clear about the purpose of his list and precedes it with a focused disclaimer of sorts essentially stating that the list is a gimmick, a cop-out, a lazy way of throwing out some quick information to satisfy the needs of his readers. And so it does. It provides us with a profile of Chris' taste in musicals, albeit with little to no explanation. But that's what reviews ans essays are for, in-depth thoughts, analysis, and opinions on specific subjects. Chris even knows that his last isn't definitive as is evidenced in his current contemplation of the musical "Hair."

Chris seems to follow the philosophy that his list is more of a living, breathing list - one that changes over time and grows with his growing taste. The same can be said of James Berardinelli's list of the Top 100 Movies. James takes this approach to a bit more comprehensive level. Every movie on James' list links to his review from his database of thousands of reviews, built up over 10+ years of online writing. In addition, he adds a brief capsule summarizing his thoughts on the film and the influence it's had on him, the film industry, and the impact it contributed to the art of film.

It was an almost 2 year project. Every week, Mr. Berardinelli revealed a new film on his list, starting with #100 and subsequently proceeding in a reverse chronological order for the next 100 weeks.

His list has changed multiple times over the years - adding new films to the list which he considers to be of the finest mold.

I wish to do the same with my own lists of musicals and movies. WISH. I am not a dedicated enough blogger to promise such a project. I also don't consider myself a fine writer. And my insecurities as a writer lead to me spending large amounts of time on even trivial posts. It's all very time consuming; and a lot of my time is spent on doing other things (just refer to the name of my blog). I really love the idea of having more hours in the day in order to support all my creative endeavors.

But I think if I start with a list similar to Chris' (much, much shorter length for now), it'll get my creative juices flowing and perhaps help to motivate my left hand to pick up a pencil and just write (or, more appropriately, my ten fingers to grace the keyboard and post). Not a definitive list int he least bit, but a living, breathing reference that will grow and modify with time. Not comprehensive (I know a lot, but not enough to consider myself an expert. At all.). Mainly, I'm posting some shows just for the hell of it. Hopefully as my knowledge expands, as my tastes grow, as my time stretches, I'll be able to provide a more in-depth perspective. Hopefully.

Some of my fav musicals of ever. No thought put into this. Compiled this list in 10 seconds. Maybe seven:

Cabaret
Carousel
Company
Guys and Dolls
Gypsy
My Fair Lady
Oklahoma!
Porgy and Bess
She Loves Me
Sunday in the Park with George
Sweeney Todd, the Demon Barber of Fleet Street (my numero uno)
West Side Story

What to Expect...

• Wednesday - my 2002 and 2003 movie posts.
• Thursday - my 2004 and 2005 movie posts.
• Friday - August Osage County review

If I find time...

• August thoughts
• [title of show] review and thoughts
• updated site thingies
• any worthwhile news that pops up
• album reviews
• NYC trip stuff
  

Birthdays, work, weddings, babies... when you take a break from doing shows, a hellavuh lot of other things pop up.

Ugh...

What a crazy month since getting back from NY. I think I can finally start to relax and start writing and posting again on a regular basis.

Woot woot.

"Did I just pee on myself?" or: the night I met Patti LuPone

Note: No pictures yet. It's been a month and I still have my SD card in my friend's camera. she didn't pose for pics, but I did get some bad snapshots of her signing patrons playbills right next to me. Will post as soon as I can.

So after reading my uber fancy review for Gypsy, I felt a little snooty. So here I am posting some personal thoughts and experiences about my Gypsy night in NYC, Thursday August 14, 2008:

Yes, I got to meet her. Leaving the St. James was a pain in the ass. I blame it on the two (old) ladies that were in front of me trying to walk down the stairs without falling and dying. I was in a rush people!!! Don't you know there is a diva waiting for me to personally swoon over at the stage door?! And if I don't get there before the big crowd, she'll probably never get a chance to meet her disciple. GET THE HELL OUTTA MY WAY!!

So after promptly trampling over the two hags (I mean that with all due respect and sincerity), I headed straight to the stage door located next to the main entry. There was already a small crowd forming but still room enough for me to fit my big Texas-sized attitude right to the front of the barricade. There was some clawing, some biting, and yes, even some farting (I'm not proud of it, but damn it, don't get in the way of a fanboy and his diva!) It was all very reminiscent of the battle at the barricades a la Les Miserables (minus the expenisve production values and overbearing hand of Makintosh). Me, the handsome and courageous Enjrolas, charging my way through the dogs of the night. Truly inspiring. So after my brief foray into dementia ("Joseph's Turn"), I gathered myself together enough to settle into a calm and cool theater patron. Had Patti seen me at my worse, no doubt she would have called security - you ever seen one of those dogs with rabies, foaming at the mouth? Yeah, that was me. And after my debacle over at the [title of show] stage door on Monday night (yeah, I'll fill you in on that soon enough... stay tuned), I knew I had to present myself in a gentlemanly manner.

I held my playbill and Sharpie marker firmly in my grasp, awaiting for Patti to bust through those doors and present herself in all her divalicious glory. Ha! All you fans with no pens and markers - what, you think Patti has time to stop at the store and by herself a marker to sign your playbills? Puh-leez. I thought ahead and came prepared. I brought MY OWN Sharpie! The rest of y'all would be stuck with non-autographed programs and broken dreams. Bummer for you.

Waving my proud Sharpie around like a sceptor, I, Joseph Gomez, was now king of the stage door. And damn excited.

When Ms. LuPone did come out (my first reaction - I don't remember. I'm guessing I fainted, blacked out from shock, and rewoke in a matter of 5 seconds), the crowd, now flowing into the road and across the street at the Majestic Theater, cheered and hurrahed in elation. Here she was... Patti LuPone. Gracing us mere mortals with her presence. And what a humble presence she was! My first (conscious) thought was, "Wow... she's so tiny." Indeed, Ms. LuPone measures up to my shoulders - in heels. Her stage persona is gi-nor-mous and she seems to tower over the rest of the ensemble. Yet when she walked out of the stage door, she seemed incredibly modest in stature. Low and behold she was modest in personality too.

She started signing playbills on the right side of the barricades (where I was). She HAD HER OWN SHARPIE.

So after getting over my self-indulgent thoughts, I humbled myself and asked if she could sign my playbill... that she had already taken out of my hands.

Say something! Say something!!

My heart was racing, my mind was reeling... there she was - Patti LuPone - a few inches from me and I couldn't muster up anything to say.

"Congratulations!! You should be very proud."

That was it. Those were my first words I ever said to Patti.

"Aw, well thank you," she replied with that signature Patti side-smile.

ME: "I came all the way from Texas to see you. Thank you. Just thank you."

PL: "Wow all the way from Texas. What part?"

OMG - is Patti Lupone striking up a tiny conversation with me??

ME: "Uh, umm - San Antonio and Austin area. South central TX. Small town of New Braunfels."

PL: "Oh, I love Austin. It's lovely down there. I have yet to be in San Antonio, but I've heard wonderful things."

ME: "Oh yeah! It really is great down there. Very different from here. Thank you Ms. LuPone. And again congratulations on a fantastic show!"

PL: "Thank you sweety."

And then she continued down the barricades to sign EVERYONE'S playbill. And I left. A very happy Texas tourist.