OK, The Drama League Nominations Have Been Announced! But Two Of Broadway's Most Gifted Were Not Singled Out!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                           Really, girls, is this how awards season is going to play out?  The TONY Awards are going to be on June 16, and I want to see them go to the right people and productions.

                            To omit Daniel Radcliffe from his heartbreaking, aching performance in "Merrily We Roll Along--" his costars, Jonathan Groff and Lindsay Mendez were deservedly cited, and I could not be happier for them--is criminal.  Good as Groff is, Radcliffe shines in the role of Charley Kringas, at times becoming the emotional center of the show.

                              The same goes for the divine Celia Keenan-Bolger, who shines in Paula Vogel's "Mother Play."  I recently heard Paula wrote this part for Celia, and she was smart to do so, as no other actress, except possibly the young Julie Harris, could have done it justice.  Celia is an amazing actress, with dazzling technique, and I am telling you, if it was not for her, I would not have seen the play.

Omitting her is a sin.

                                I expect Radcliffe to win Best Featured Actor In A Musical for 'Merrily'.  He deserves it, and I may have a way of proving it.  As do Groff and Mendez.

                                 Celia already has a well-earned TONY, but I would not mind her winning another, especially as she is the glue that holds this play together.

                                    Why is talent passed over in favor of so much mediocrity????????????

                                    I am sorry, dears, I could not find the proof, but I tell you this--either go see 'Merrily' or listen to Radcliffe sing "Good Thing Going" on the cast recording. It will break your heart. And seeing him doing it onstage is even more heartbreaking.  This guy deserves a TONY!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                     

A Beautiful, Poetic Debut Novel!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                       The author, Hisham Matar, is known as a poet, so I was not surprised how poetically flowing the prose was in this novel.  It started out being like "The Kite Runner," but minus the sentimentality of that earlier work.  Here we have two childhood friends who go their separate ways in adulthood.  One is a Libyan ex pat who goes to Cambridge to study English literature.  How many novels reference Samuel Richardson's "Clarissa?"  Even more, his experiences were the most interesting part of the novel.

                                          His friend stays behind and becomes a political activist, becoming more and more extremist as time goes by.  And as that extremity increases, so does the friendship fall apart.

                                          "My Friends" is a poetically insightful novel of how a once enduring friendship can just fall apart.  I applauded the Libyan ex pat; I would love to study English literature at Cambridge, myself.

                                            Even more I applaud Matar's lyrical writing.  To go from poetry to prose is not easy, but he seems to do it effortlessly.  I cannot wait for his next work.

                                              This is one not to miss, dolls!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

"Everything Was Beautiful At The Ballet"....NOT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                       Girls, I am telling you, if you thought "Black Swan" was extreme, "Abigail" goes it so further it is beyond belief.  Not that it is a good film; in simple terms it is about a group of highly despicable people who are deservedly gaslit.

                      The film begins with Abigail (supposed to be 12, but played by 15-year-old Alisha Weir, in a hilarious performance I wish Margaret O' Brien had had the chance to do back in the nineteen-forties) dancing by herself to an empty theater.  Very much like a shout out of 1977's "The Turning Point". I knew in advance she was a vampire, but I expected the entire story to take place within the world of ballet.

                      How wrong I was.  Because as Abigail leaves the theater, she is kidnapped by some group of amateur thugs who don't know each other but have orders to take her to a remote house outside the city.  That city happens to be Dublin, since the film was shot in Ireland.  And, yes, there are some nice location shots.

                       But the whole thing turns out to be some scheme concocted by Abigail and her father to acquire victims they can feed off of.  I did not care if any of them survived, so little character development is explored in the script, and I am not a prude, but I have to say the "f" word is used more times here than in David Mamet's "Glengarry Glen Ross."  Only there it had a purpose.  

                         There is no purpose here except for Weir to steal the show by showing her fangs, and doing ballet pirouettes mixed with kung-fu moves.  Oh, that reminds me.  In the real world of dance, would a girl this young be doing pointe work?  Somehow, I don't think so.

                            Weir makes the film a campy delight; unfortunately, more screen time is devoted to her alleged captors, whom nobody cares about.

                                I have no doubt there will be a sequel.  "Abigail Goes To Juilliard?"  "Abigail Goes To ABT?"

                                 Stay tuned, and find out, darlings!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                              

                                  

Girls, Join Us Tonight At 8PM, As "Svengoolie" Presents A REAL Gem--"The Wolf Man!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

                     This was actually a milestone film for Universal.  It was made to celebrate their tenth anniversary in the horror film field, beginning with "Dracula," back in 1931.

                     What a cast-- Lon Chaney, in what was to become his signature role, Evelyn Ankers, who went on to become the Queen Of Screamers in the 1940's, Bela Lugosi, Ralph Bellamy, Claude Rains, and the fabulous Maria Ouspenskaya, who steals the show!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                        Girls, I am telling you, it is not to be missed.  Universal at its horror zenith, introducing a new kind of monster into the universe. Of course, "Werewolf Of London," with Henry Hull as a different looking creature, was made six years before, but I guess that film did not take.  And with Valerie Hobson, yet,  

                           This film was a hit, and the acting and the visuals make it apparent why.  Oh, the foggy mist... the anguish of Lugosi and Ouspenskaya, the terror of Evelyn Ankers--you have to see it, dears!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                              Those not having seen it cannot afford to miss it.  If you have already, it is worth another look.

                                 It promises to be one of "Svengoolie's better evenings, darlings!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

When Gojira Travels, He Likes Only The Finest Accommodations!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                    Author Note:  As long as the film title is mentioned, the star will be referred to as "Godzilla."  All other times, he will be called by his Japanese name, "Gojira."

                                  Gojira and Baby Gojira have been after me to write a post on "Godzilla Vs. Kong: The New Empire," which David and I went to see a week ago today.  The opening and closing shots are adorable, as Gojira likes to sleep in the Roman Coliseum, from which he is awakened from a slumber he would rather go back to, but has to help world peace, in dealing not only with Kong, a baby Kong, but a cameo by Mothra!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                      It is key that Gojira and Mothra do not appear in the same scene.  I am pretty sure Gojira made that clear when he signed his contract to do this film, which, crudely put, he must have done for the money to help the Sisters Of Mercy, and needy children!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                       "Godzilla Vs. Kong: The New Empire" is all over the place, with actors like Rebecca Hall spouting verbal nonsense as if the movie had to be explained to audiences, who only came to see the creatures in the Monsterverse , particularly Gojira.  Who, I feel, gets too little screen time over the ape and his mini clone.  The latter is supposed to be sweet and cute but has a mean streak that does away with his good qualities.  Or maybe he is just in adolescence!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                            As for Mothra, she has not aged well, and where are the two girls?  Even Mothra seems bored with the whole thing and makes a hasty retreat back to Infant Island!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                            And Gojira?  He knows when he has had had enough.  The money is worth it, but not for him to do extra!  So, he goes back to the Roman Coliseum.  That is, until another crisis for world peace will awaken him, necessitating him to step in and help.

                                             Gojira gives the film his all.  Including turning blue and pink during his atomic breathing, which I believe is a measure of his anger.  The colors, I mean.

                                                 But enough is enough, and when he returns to his favorite accommodation, we cheer him on mightily!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                                    Gojira, not only are you the best reason to see the movie, but you are also the only one!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                                      Just like Celia, in "Mother Play!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

                                         

Celia Once Again Works Her Magic, In Paula Vogel's "Mother Play!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

                                   When the divinity that is Celia Keenan-Bolger, enters from an audience curtain, ascends the stage to face out at the audience, stage right, at the start of "Mother Play," the American theater is instantly reclaimed!!!!!!!!!!  And when that throat catching voice, with its razor-sharp diction, begins to speak Vogel's dialogue, beauty and heartbreak are sure to follow.  And they do.

                                       What Celia brings to this play is invaluable and remarkable.  Invaluable because there isn't much else here, and remarkable, because, without her, the play would not be worth sitting through.

                                            But let me back up a minute.  Paula Vogel has assembled a sterling cast, including Jim Parsons and Jessica Lange, and gathered them all in a sort of "Glass Menagerie" update.

                                             There is nothing technically wrong with this.  I know Vogel had a hard life, and what she achieved is remarkable.  But, unlike some of her other works, the language is flat, and the poetry is missing.  I kept thinking of Tennessee Williams or William Inge during this, but the beauty of their writing is lacking here.

                                                 Celia, brilliantly, does her eternal child-woman thing, and no one does it better. Vogel was extremely lucky to get her.  And Jim Parsons, as brother Carl, amazingly keeps up with Celia's technique, going from child to man with ease and conviction.

                                                    Unfortunately, Jessica Lange, to me at least, demonstrates she is uncomfortable on the stage.  Oh, she knows her lines, and her projection is OK, but watching her act, one can see the wheels turning.  In a solo scene on stage, in a red robe, devoid of speech, she comes across as Amanda Wingfield and Blanche Du Bois.  Does she know what play she is in?  I am not sure.

                                                      That Celia and Jim can make the audience care so much speaks volumes about their performances, especially when both are off the stage.  Had "Mother Play" been done with a lesser cast, no one might have seen it at all.

                                                         I was disappointed Paula's writing did not live up to what has gone before.  But thanks to an extraordinary cast, especially Celia, theatrical magic is generated.

                                                           It is she for whom this play should be seen.  No one else!!!!!!!!!!!

Happy Birthday, Hayley Mills!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                      I look upon April as such a cruel month, because over my life I have lost a lot of people I cared about during this month.  But I overlook some of the good events in April.

                                        For instance, on April 4, "Follies" opened on Broadway, 53 years ago, at the Winter Garden Theatre.

                                         I recalled Hayley Mills' birthday as being in April, but I thought it was the ninth.  That it is today I am so happy to relate, as she is certainly worthy and more of a post on my blog.

                                            Today, Hayley Mills turns 78.  Can you believe it?  I should look so good when I reach that age.

                                              Let us all wish Hayley Mills a happy birthday, and all good wishes for the coming year.  Have a tea or a drink or two on all of us.

                                              And to commemorate this day, I will play the Hayley Mills song I used to dance to, and which always cheers me up!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                     Here is Hayley singing "Cobbler, Cobbler!!!!!!!!!!"  Happy Birthday, Hayley Mills, and enjoy this, everyone!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!