What I've Been Watching

Movie podcaster and raconteur Arch Campbell always asks the question "What are you watching these days?", so let me tell him - and you.

"Ripley" (Netflix)

This is an eight part series that is based upon the 1999 feature film, "The talented Mr. Ripley", which I have never seen.  Set in the 1950's, Andrew Scott, with whom I was not familiar, plays Tom Ripley, small time con artist in New York City.  For reasons I won't spell out, a wealthy businessman and his wife asks him to travel to Italy and try to convince their wastrel so to return home to them.

What follows is a case of stolen identity, a missing persons investigation, and murder. More importantly, the story is told in such beautiful cinematic detail: artfully shot and filmed in beautiful black and white.  It is also a suspense story that would have made Alfred Hitchcock himself proud to have made.

It should also be noted that "Ripley" was written by Steve Zailian, who has written a few other films of which you may have heard:  Moneybag, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, The Irishman, and Schindler's List.  Not a bad resume.

Three and One-half Stars from The Grandstander.

"Wicked Little Letters" (Netflix)

This is a 2023 feature film set in Britain in the years shortly following World War I.  A spinster lady, played by Olivia Colman, begins to receive anonymous letters that make horrid - and, I might add, positively filthy - accusations about her.  No one knows who sent them, but suspicion soon falls upon a young single mother, recently immigrated from Ireland, who lives next door.  She, of course, denies it, but is arrested anyway.  Soon more and even filthier letters begin arriving in the mailboxes of other village residents.  Calamity ensues.

It doesn't take much to figure out what is really going on here but the efforts of a spunky young Woman Police Officer (a new phenomenon at the time) soon gets to the bottom of things and justice prevails.

Two and One-Half Stars from The Grandstander, but worth watching if only to see Oscar winner Colman, whom many of us know only as the middle aged Queen Elizabeth from The Crown, spewing out such incredible strings of profanity.

Two and One-Half Stars from The Grandstander.

Things you I when researching the writing of these monographs.  "Wicked Little Letters" was based on a true story.  HERE are the details.

And special thanks to the aforementioned Arch Campbell for tipping me off to both Ripley and Wicked Little Letters on his podcast.

"Only Murders In The Building" (Hulu)

The amateur crime solving podcasters Steve Martin, Martin Short, and Selena Gomez are back for a fourth season of this great series.   We are five episodes in as the gang tries to figure out who killed Sazz Pataki, why was she killed, and was she really the intended victim.  All of this is going on while a crew from Hollywood is planning on making a movie based on the first season of the OMITB podcast.  The actors cast to play our heroes, Eugene Levy, Zach Galifinakis, and Eve Longoria play themselves and are great as they assimilate themselves into the Martin, Short, and Gomez characters.  Much of the humor is subtle, much of it is outright hilarious.  For example, a cameo appearance by tennis star John McEnroe in episode five was terrific.  And as in the first three seasons, Martin Short steals the show.

I'm not sure that a fourth season of this show was really necessary, but who wants to kill a cash cow, and the show is still fun to watch.  Word is that it has already been renewed for a fifth season as well.  How many people can get killed at the Arconia before the City just condemns the place?

Three Stars from The Grandstander.

Monsters (Netflix)

This one is a nine part series on Netflix based on the story of Lyle and Eric Menendez, brothers convicted of and now serving life sentences for brutally murdering their parents in 1989.  If you were around back in the early 1990's you surely remember this sensational crime and subsequent trial.

Anyway, I hadn't had a lot of interest in this until I heard an item on The Today Show earlier in the week that stated that Eric Menendez, from his prison cell, was objecting to how the brothers were being portrayed the series.  Really?  Is there a good way to portray two guys who killed their parents in cold blood?

So, in a weak moment, I watched the first two episodes earlier this week.  It was about what you would expect....sensational, overwrought, cheesy, but also strangely compelling as well.   I'll check in on episode three, but not sure if I'll be up for all nine episodes.

No Star rating unless and until I see the entire series.

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We have also seen two theatrical productions here in Pittsburgh this month.

Of course, I don't really need to spell out "Hamilton", do I?  This touring production is the initial offering of the 2024-25 Broadway In Pittsburgh series.  It was the sixth time I've seen it, the second time for Linda.  It was terrific.  Again.

Four Stars from The Grandstander.  Again.

Most people remember the 1954 Hitchcock movie that starred Ray Milland and Grace Kelly.  That movie was based on a play by Frederick Knott, and a production of that play is now being presented by the Pittsburgh Public Theater at the O'Reilly Theater.  It was a very good production, as are all PPT shows, of a good mystery, and there is no better place in The Burgh to see a stage play than the O'Reilly. 

Three Stars from The Grandstander.

Catching Up...Stage and Screen

The Grandstander has fallen behind in his stage and movie comings and goings, so let's try to catch up, shall we?

This past Saturday I attended the Broadway in Pittsburgh Series touring production of "Hamilton."  You all know how much I love this show.  It is the third time that I have seen it on stage, and this particular production was top notch.  The actors, led by Pierre Jean Cortez as Alexander Hamilton, Warren Egypt Franklin as Lafayette/Jefferson, and Stephanie Jae Park as Eliza Schuyler were terrific.  Every time that I have seen the show, I see something different, and in this particular production, I was especially impressed with the choreography and the music of the climactic "Yorktown" number in Act I.  Just fantastic.

Four Stars from The Grandstander.

Of course, going to this production was bittersweet because, of course, Marilyn is no longer with us.  I was thrilled, however, to have as my "date" for the show on Saturday our 21 year old great-niece, Anna Sproule, currently a junior at the University of Notre Dame.  Anna had not yet seen the show performed on stage, but she has long been a fan of the amazing music of the show.  It was truly a pleasure to take her with me that night, and I know that Aunt Marilyn is thrilled that her ticket that night was being used by Anna.

Through a series of circumstances that I won't get into here, I am actually going to be seeing "Hamilton" two more times in the next ten days.  That's almost embarrassing to admit, but I will also make no apologies for it!

Earleir in the month, the Broadway Series treated us to a production of "Pretty Woman", a musical adaptation of the hit 1990 movie that starred Julia Roberts and Richard Gere.  While I liked the movie when I saw it all those years ago - Marilyn positively LOVED it - I was not a diehard fan, so I went into this show with modest expectations, which was probably a good thing, because I ended up liking the show quite a bit.  Was completely unfamiliar with all of the music, but that didn't spoil the show at all.  Interesting casting note:  the part of Vivian, the Julia Roberts role, was played by Olivia Valli. She is the granddaughter of Frankie Valli, the original Jersey Boy himself.

I gave "Pretty Woman" Two and One-half Grandstander Stars.

Five shows down in this season's Broadway in Pittsburgh Series, and here is how they stack up for me:

1. Hamilton
2. Summer, The Donna Summer Musical
3. Pretty Woman
4. Oklahoma
5. The Band's Visit

Still to come..."Beautiful" in March, "To Kill A Mockingbird" in April, and "Ain't Too Proud" in May

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Regular readers are no doubt asking "Hey, the Oscar nominations came out a couple of weeks ago. Where is The Grandstander's usual cutting edge analysis of the nominations?"

You all HAVE been asking that, right? Right?

Well, the analysis has been missing for the simple matter that I have not seen many of the nominated films.   Of the ten Best Picture nominees, I have seen only two: Licorice Pizza (good, but certainly NOT the best picture of this or any other year) and West Side Story, which I loved, and would be happy to see win.

Of the other eight nominees...

Dune.  I'll pass on this one.  I am not a sci-fi fan, so it has no appeal to me. However, I will not criticize it, nor will I begrudge the glowing opinions of many of my pals who have seen it.

Drive My Car.  It's in Japanese with English subtitles.  In and of itself, that's not a deal breaker (see "Parasite" of a couple of years ago).  It is also three hours long, and the descriptions of the storyline that I have heard makes me want to scream.  So put this in the "Didn't see, don't wanna see it" category.

Belfast, CODA, Don't Look Up, King Richard, and Nightmare Alley are all movies that I want to see and will see before the Oscar ceremonies at the end of the month.  All are available to see via the various streaming services so it should take no great effort to see them over the next few weeks.

That brings us to The Power of the Dog which leads all movies with a total of twelve Oscar nominations including Actor, Supporting Actor, Supporting Actress, Director, Cinematography, and Adapted Screenplay.  I tried to watch this.  I really did.  I fought against falling asleep while doing so and then gave up after 45 minutes.   I suppose that I could have just been having a bad day when I tried to watch it, and I should probably give it another shot, but I am finding it difficult to work up the motivation at this point.  We'll see.

One other movie that intrigues me is the Best International Film nominee The Worst Person in the World.  It is from Norway and is in Norwegian with English subtitles. Some critics that I respect on one of the podcasts that I listen to have spoken highly of it, so I may just have to seek that one out.

I shall be reporting in with my thoughts and comments as I see some of these other nominated movies.  

Oh, and one other cool Oscar factoid that maybe interests only me......Ariana DeBose is nominated for Best Supporting Actress for playing Anita in "West Side Story".  Rita Moreno won the Best Supporting Actress Oscar for playing the same role in the 1961 movie version of "West Side Story."

"Spamilton" at the CLO Caberet

Marilyn and I took ourselves on down to the Greer Cabaret Theater this afternoon to see "Spamilton, An American Parody", and I have this to say about it.

If you have seen and enjoyed  "Hamilton", go see this.  

It you haven't seen "Hamilton", but are familiar with the music and the score, go see this.

If you haven't seen "Hamilton", but are a follower and fan of the Broadway musical theater, go see this.

It is a parody of Lin-Manuel Miranda's musical, and it takes some pointed, but loving, shots at the phenomenal success of his show, but it also parodies lots of other things currently going on on Broadway.  It was smart, cleverly done, and wonderfully performed by a cast of five actors and a musical accompanist on the piano (who also does a terrific bit with his version of King George III's "You'll Be Back").

"Spamilton" was "created, written, and originally directed by" Gerard Allessandrini, who has similar parodies on his theatrical resume.  All the actors were great, but special kudos to Erin Ramirez, the only female in the cast.  Among other bits, she performed as all three Schuyler Sisters with the assistance of two hand puppets, as well as portraying other notable Broadway divas that you would recognize.  Brilliant.

It is my understanding that Lin-Manuel Miranda himself saw this show performed in one of its earlier incarnations and gave it his enthusiastic endorsement.

Those "Hamilton" fans in the Pittsburgh area should make it a point to catch this show before its run ends in mid-August.  And if you've never seen a show in the CLO's Cabaret Theater, you're in for a treat.  Small and intimate, you're right on top of the stage, and you can grab a nice light pre-show meal and adult beverage before curtain time.  A great venue.

"Hamilton" Comes to Pittsburgh

Fifteen months after seeing Lin-Manuel Miranda's extraordinary musical "Hamilton" in Chicago, Marilyn and I saw it once again last night as the "Angelica Tour" spends a month long engagement in Pittsburgh.  

In the less than twenty-four hours since the show ended last night, we have already been asked "How does it compare to what you saw in Chicago?"  I am not going to do a  full-scale review of last night's performance.  Much of what I said about the Chicago performance, which you can see here....

http://grandstander.blogspot.com/2017/10/we-see-hamilton.html

....can also be said about the touring company we saw last night.  I can also say that it was every bit as good, and maybe even better, the second time around.  We saw things in this performance that we didn't remember seeing the first  time.  The show is so visually beautiful and the choreography so compelling, yet you might miss much of by concentrating on the main characters in a given scene.  Two such numbers illustrate this point.

One is for the song "Satisfied", where Angelica Schuyler essentially creates a flashback of the previous number, "Helpless", that describes the courtship and wedding  of Alexander and Eliza from her, Angelica's, point of view.  The second is "The Room Where It Happens" where Hamilton, Jefferson, and Madison can be seen in the background as Aaron Burr sings of his desire to be a part of what is taking place amid the chorus dancing to the music.  We saw things we didn't see the first time, and I am sure that we will see others that we missed last night when we see it for a third time at some point in the future.  

I want to recognize the amazing cast that we saw last night:

Alexander Ferguson......Alexander Hamilton

Charnette Batey.............Eliza Schuyler Hamilton

Josh Tower.....................Aaron Burr

Stephanie Umoh............Angelica Schuyler

Paul Oakley Stovall.......George Washington

Bryson Bruce.................Marquis de Lafayette/Thomas Jefferson

Chaundre Hall-Broomfield.......Hercules Mulligan/James Madison

Jon Viktor Corpuz..........John Laurens/Phillip Hamilton

Isa Briones.....................Peggy Schuyler/Maria Reynolds

Peter Matthew Smith......King George III

Of course, none of these are familiar names, but all of them were remarkable and wonderful performers.  In fact, both Ferguson and Batey were understudies who were, for whatever reason, thrust into playing the lead roles of Alexander and Eliza.  The lady sitting next to us was grumbling to her husband about having to "watch understudies", but you know what, they were just terrific in these roles, and we had no problem at all watching them.  In fact, Alexander Ferguson, who on a regular night, plays in the ensemble and also a couple of minor roles in the show, also serves as understudy, not only for the Hamilton role, but also for the roles of Aaron Burr, John Laurens/Phillip Hamilton, and King George III.  The fact that one guy might be called upon to play any of these four major roles on a given night in the show makes him all the more amazing to me.  Miss Batey, too, is normally in the ensemble, but she also understudies the roles of both Angelica and Peggy/Maria.

We love the show, and we loved seeing it once again here in our home town.  This show will tour and be performed forever, and we will never miss the opportunity to see it again someday.  It will always "blow us all away."

We See "Hamilton"

At some point in 2016, I can't pinpoint the exact date, Marilyn and I fell under the spell of the music of Lin-Manuel Miranda's "Hamilton", almost to the point of obsession.  Talking with some people who had the good fortune to see it on Broadway, seeing the show, and seeing it sooner rather than later, became an unspoken goal of ours, and when friends described seeing the production in Chicago this Spring, we went proactive and ordered tickets.  This past Wednesday, October 11, the date finally arrived.  We were at the CIBC Theater in Chicago, with tickets in hand to see "Hamilton".

When you anticipate something for so long and with the highest of expectations, there is always the risk that when the moment finally arrives, it will never live up to those expectations, and you will experience a letdown.  So, what happened?

No letdown, and those high expectations were actually exceeded.  Far exceeded.

Having listened to the cast recording of the show, with Miranda and all the original cast members doing the singing, I wasn't sure if I would be able to accept the voices of anyone but Miranda, Leslie Odom, Jr., Chris Jackson, Daveed Diggs, Philippa Soo, or any of the others of the original cast in those parts.  That notion ended shortly after the Chicago cast members first appeared and began singing.

We have listened to the music of "Hamilton" countless times over the last year and a half, but what struck us on Wednesday night was just how much more there is to "Hamilton" when seeing it in person.  The music from the orchestra, the acting of the cast, the choreography, the costumes, the interplay between actors, not only with each other, but with the audience, well, if you think that listening to "Hamilton" is an extraordinary experience, actually seeing it performed takes that experience to an entirely different level of "extraordinary".

There are some people, I suppose, who may close themselves off from this show and it's music because it's rap music , because it's hip-hop music.  I would plead with you, DO NOT DO THAT! Listen to this music, listen to the patterns and the rapidity of the intricate rhyming schemes that Miranda wrote and that the actors perform.  Hey, this show has made 66-year old me very much appreciative of the art form that is rap and hip-hop.  It is simply amazing. 

And it's not just rap and hip-hop.  "Hamilton" gives you traditional Broadway-style showstoppers with "My Shot", "The Room Where It Happens", and "What'd I Miss?".  You like Beatles-style music? Listen to "You'll Be Back".  Girl Group songs? Listen the "The Schuyler Sisters" and "Helpless".  Love songs?  Try "Dear Theodosia".  Heartfelt ballads? "Burn" and "It's Quiet Uptown" will bring tears to your eyes.

And I am only scratching the surface with the songs named above.

At this point, I need to list the names of the talented principal cast members that we saw in Chicago, each of whom was terrific:

Miguel Cervantes....Alexander Hamilton

Gregory Treco.....Aaron Burr

Ari Afsar....Eliza Schuyler Hamilton

Jonathan Kirkland....George Washington

Chris De'Sean Lee....Marquis de Lafayette/Thomas Jefferson

Wallace Smith....Hercules Mulligan/James Madison

Jose Ramos....John Laurens/Phillip Hamilton

Montego Glover....Angelica Schuyler

Aubin Wise.....Peggy Schuyler/Maria Reynolds

Alexander Gemignani....King George III

All backed by an incredible cast of supporting actors and chorus members.

Someone asked me, who was my favorite character in "Hamilton"?  Impossible to pick, but I do want to specifically cite young Chris De'Sean Lee in the dual role of Lafayette/Jefferson, and when I say "young", I mean it.  

Lee was a junior in college when he auditioned for and won this role for the Chicago production. He is now all of 22 years old.  I am sure that he is on the way to becoming a huge star in the years ahead. His performance in "Guns and Ships", "What'd I Miss?", and "Cabinet Battle #1" were just fabulous.

As for Miguel Cervantes in the title role, how hard must it be for an actor to play a part that has already become so closely associated with one actor?  The temptation is to say, well, he's okay, but he's no Miranda, and that is just so unfair.

However, as soon as Alexander asked "Pardon me, are you Aaron Burr, sir?", you knew that Cervantes was going to be a very good Alexander Hamilton, and he was.

In talking to friend yesterday, he asked if this was the kind of show that you'd want to see more than once, to which I answered, "If I could go see it again tonight, I would", and I do hope to see "Hamilton" again in the future.  The show will begin touring next year.  It is scheduled to be in Cleveland in 2018, and in Pittsburgh in 2019.  I am hopeful to be able to see it in one or both of those cities then.  Also, sometime after 2020, "Hamilton" will be licensed to local theatrical companies and schools for production.  It is not beyond possibility that within the next five years, we will all be able to see "Hamilton" as a high school musical.  In fact, Lin-Manuel Miranda wants to see "Hamilton" mounted by high schools and colleges, and he hopes that the diversity of the casting of the roles that has made this show unique and special, will be maintained as it is performed into the future.

"Hamilton" was not the first Tony Award winning hit show from Lin-Manuel Miranda (that one was "In The Heights"), and he has been called everything from a genius to a current day Shakespeare.  I admit that I am totally in the tank for him, and I can't wait to see what he does next.  With "Hamilton", Miranda has given us a cultural gift that will surely outlive us all.  I hope that everyone reading this will some how, some way, some day get a chance to see this extraordinary show.   It is a true work of art.

Who Lives, Who Dies, Who Tells Your Story.

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And to close, I found this forty-eight second promotional clip from the cast of the Chicago production.  It may give you an idea of the energy of this show:

"Hamilton" - What Music!

No, I have not seen the transformative musical, "Hamilton", but I finally got around to downloading the Original Cast Album and have been listening to it for much of the last twenty-four hours, and it is what everyone says it is.  The music, the lyrics, and the way it is performed by author/composer Lin-Manuel Miranda and the cast is unlike anything I have ever heard.  Just an amazing musical experience.  Everyone says that Miranda is a true genius, and after listening to this recording, I am inclined to agree.

Lin-Manuel Miranda

I doubt very much that I will ever have the opportunity (or the disposable income!) to see "Hamilton" on Broadway, where the neon lights are bright, but sooner or later, "Hamilton" will be sending out touring companies, and I will be among the first in line to see it when comes to a theater near me.

It's Time For The Tony Awards

This coming Sunday evening the world of the Broadway Theater will pay tribute to itself when the annual Antoinette Perry Awards, aka, The Tony Awards, are presented.  For this year, I was going to make the predictions myself with the simple statement: " 'Hamilton' will in everything."

However, I decided against that and have stuck with Grandstander tradition and called upon old friend and Broadway expert, Bill Montrose, to once again provide The Grandstander's Official Tony Award Predictions.  What follows is a cut-n-paste of an email that I received from Bill just last night:

From the Bob Sproule department of "I-believe-I-had-that", here is my Facebook quote from October 21, 2015:

"Still almost 9 months until Broadway's TONY Awards, and I'm making predictions?  Most shows haven't opened yet! Nominations haven't come out! 

A recent visit to NYC included seeing "Hamilton", the (high-buzz) Hip-hop History lesson about our founding fathers. This is a contemporary look at Washington, Jefferson, Aaron Burr (hiss/boo), and our $10.00 Alexander Hamilton. This is a high-energy "revolution" in musical theater, and it WILL win MANY Tony Awards in June of 2016; write it down ... bet on it! Many thanks to our children for the tickets, and YES, Joanne and I loved the show."

- October, 2015

Okay, so the 16 TONY nominations makes 'Hamilton' a good bet in many categories; (this may help improve my prediction results this year).  Here's my 10 picks:

BEST ORIGINAL MUSICAL SCORE:  Lin Manuel Miranda ... Hamilton

BEST PLAY:  The Humans

BEST REVIVAL OF A MUSICAL: The Color Purple

BEST DIRECTION OF A MUSICAL:  Thomas Kail ... Hamilton

BEST BOOK OF A MUSICAL:  Lin Manuel Miranda ... Hamilton

BEST PERFORMANCE (IN A MUSICAL) BY ...

   ACTRESS IN A FEATURED ROLE:  Renee' Elise Goldsberry ... Hamilton

   ACTOR IN A FEATURED ROLE:  Daveed Diggs ... Hamilton 

   ACTRESS IN A LEADING ROLE:  Cynthia Erivo ... The Color Purple

   ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE:  (Upset special!!!)  Leslie Odom Jr.  (Aaron Burr) ... Hamilton (over the favored Lin Manuel Miranda) This is my "Should win" pick.

BEST MUSICAL:  Hamilton

This Sunday night, June 12, at 8:00 PM on CBS, we shall see how accurate I was.

I am planning on watching these Awards this year if only to see the performance from "Hamilton", which as you know if you have been reading anything along these lines, the "transformative" Broadway musical of the 21st century.  As you can see from Bill's email, he had the skinny on this one way back in October, when tickets could still be had for less than the cost of a three bedroom home.  That's why he is the Official Broadway Correspondent to The Grandstander.

And as for Bill's predictions, as always, watch, but don't bet.