Michael told me about this the other day, but it never really sank in until I read on Everything I Know I Learned From Musicals that Javier Bardem has been cast as Guido Contini in the film version of Nine. (For non-theatre people, Nine is a musical based on a film by some unknown director named Fellini. But it’s a half-number better.)
In his blog post, Chris rightly points out that it’s hardly an issue if Javier can’t sing beautifully — dude’s hot. Who cares? (Wait, did you say there were some women in the movie too?)
But my real question is this: Why do Spanish-speaking actors keep getting cast in this Italian role? Raul Julia, Antonio Banderas, Javier Bardem. WTF? Not saying they can’t do it, of course. I just have this feeling that it seems “close enough” for America. (Zhang Ziyi in Memoirs of a Geisha, anyone?) Eh, could be worse. Could be Mickey Rooney as a Chinese landlord.
I got all excited last night after the Tony Awards because I calculated that I predicted 80% of the winners correctly! I normally come in at about 70%. Except this morning, I realize that 15 out of 25 is 60%, not 80%. Oh well, I didn’t expect Spring Awakening to sweep as much as it did. I really thought there was more love for Grey Gardens.
I did manage to figure out that The Coast of Utopia would sweep the legit categories though. But no award for Martha Plimpton, dang it. Well, I didn’t see it. I just like her and wanted to hear her accept.
How about that weird censored medley from Spring Awakening? I am surprised that they did “Totally F***ed” at all, but why did they censor the words “ass”, “breasts”, and stuff from “The Bitch of Living” when they still sang “bitch?” Weird.
Well, I’m thrilled to report that the group that walked out of Mike Daisey’s show at the ART was from out-of-town. Haha, I know that really makes no difference at all, but I do find it somehow comforting.
Turns out they were a high school group — a choir from a public high school performing in Boston. It’s interesting that members of the group identify themselves as a Christian group when they were from a public school. And the walkout was not planned in advance, really.
Well, heck, just read the excellent summary by Playbill or read the long version on Daisey’s blog in which he details the follow-up phone call he had with the water-pouring vandal.
Make sure to read the part about it being a “security issue”. Sends chills down my spine.
Daniel MacIvor posted tonight about a bizarre happening at a performance of Mike Daisey’s critically-acclaimed monologue Invincible Summer. But it wasn’t till I read the story that I remembered they guy was performing in town at the American Repertory Theatre!
According to the performer himself:
Last night’s performance of INVINCIBLE SUMMER was disrupted when eighty seven members of a Christian group walked out of the show en masse, and chose to physically attack my work by pouring water on and destroying the original of the show outline.
Daisey had just finished a joke about hypothetically having sex with Paris Hilton when the exodus occurred. Apparently, the collective objection was to the language Daisey used. Note that Daisey performs his extemporaneous monologues from hand written notes, so this was not merely a non-violent (if disruptive) gesture. It was an aggressive, destructive act.
I am just flummoxed. What kind of an impact is this meant to make in Cambridge, of all places? And is it just me, or is all the strange Patriot Act, media-is-destroying-our-children, Janet-Jackson-has-breasts stuff turning the more judgmental of our society into self-righteous vigilantes?
Read more about this crazy event on the ART blog and Mike Daisey’s own blog. (Same text in both places.) Or just watch the insanity unfold before your eyes here…
I intend to secure tickets to, if not this show which runs through next weekend, Mike Daisey’s Monopoly, which runs the following week. Let me know if you want to go too.
I just found out (not that I asked) that Kathy Lee Gifford wrote the book and lyrics to a rather insipid-sounding Off-Broadway musical, Under the Bridge. Whoda thunk it?
I’m not about to buy the cast album and I hope no one ever subjects me to its contents. But I do like saying “Kathy Lee Gifford’s Under the Bridge!!!” and I hope to slip it into conversation for a while. Frequently.
I’m very excited to announce the casting of Hugh Jackman to play me in the musical version of my life. Buy your tickets for opening night now. They are sure to sell out sometime in the next 20 years.
Michael told me about this the other day, but it never really sank in until I read on Everything I Know I Learned From Musicals that Javier Bardem has been cast as Guido Contini in the film version of Nine. (For non-theatre people, Nine is a musical based on a film by some unknown director named Fellini. But it’s a half-number better.)
I got all excited last night after the Tony Awards because I calculated that I predicted 80% of the winners correctly! I normally come in at about 70%. Except this morning, I realize that 15 out of 25 is 60%, not 80%. Oh well, I didn’t expect Spring Awakening to sweep as much as it did. I really thought there was more love for Grey Gardens.