it's a bird...it's a plane...it's....

...the Slack family heading to a 3:50pm showing of "Superman Returns" on Friday afternoon. You can probably expect a glowing review from me on Saturday.
Yes friends, tomorrow I am off to Ohio to visit my nephew, my family, and Bexley Pizza Plus. It should be an amazing trip, and I will actually be in Ohio for a week! So, make sure to go and see "Superman Returns", and I will write you from Ohio!!

photo credit: www.movieweb.com

beth's TV suggestions

As you might have realized from earlier posts, I love TV. I watch a ton of it, and wouldn't have it any other way. In the past couple of weeks, I have totally been turned onto two new shows. These are my new DON'T MISS SHOWS!!

The Closer
TNT is not a channel that I ever think about for original programming. However, the have hit it out of the park with "The Closer". Starring Kyra Sedgwick as a police investigator from the Deep South, it is a show about her interrogations and untidy personal life. The cast is fantastic, the cases are interesting, and her love interest Jon Tenney is simply darling. If you can rent the first season, watch that before jumping into season two. I myself made it a Blockbuster week last week and rented the first, and watched beginning to end. I honestly was sad to go to sleep and have to turn it off. BONUS: Douglas Sills appeared in an episode. Who is Douglas Sills you might ask. He is a Broadway actor who starred in "The Scarlet Pimpernel" several years ago, and I am slightly obsessed with. I actually have a picture of him and I together that I carry in my wallet. Sick and wrong I know...but he is so lovely.

Medium
This show is on NBC, and is one that I am very late joining into. This year will begin it's third season. I started watching it because they started re-showing it on the Lifetime Channel...and as you know, I am a Lifetime channel junkie. The show revolves around Patricia Arquette who is a psychic. I know, it sounds cheesy, but it works. Most often she has dreams that reveal either crimes or lies to her. I remember when she won the Emmy a couple of years ago and I was like what the....?? However, having seen this show, I am totally into her balancing these cases that she works on, and raising her family of three children, and maintaining her marriage. It is compelling, interesting, and I am quite drawn to the mysterious element of it. You should check it out if you get the chance.

photo credit: www.carnali.com
photo credit: www.epguides.com

broadway under the stars

Ah....another random, wonderful night in NYC. Last week, while riding home on the subway, I ran into John. John is a boy from Ohio that I did a production of "Oliver!" with ten years ago. He and I exchanged numbers and vowed to get together. (Fast forward to last night.) John and his friend Adam (who is also from Ohio, and I randomly did a production of "Grease" with about five years ago) and I got together and headed to the Great Lawn in Central Park to see "Broadway Under the Stars". This show is a free concert where current Broadway performers do numbers. The theme last night was a tribute to legendary Director/Producer Hal Prince, and included numbers from his shows. It was so much fun! Although it threatened rain the whole evening, it never came. We saw amongst 5,000 people watching number after number. The highlight for me was the Jersey Boys performing a doo-wop version of "All I Ask of You" from "Phantom of the Opera". It was super trippy, but fabulous. So, we get to the end of the show, and who should walk out on stage but Liza Minnelli. I sat there with my jaw dropped in awe. It was an unbelievable moment. Unbeknownst to me, Hal Prince was there that night, he came up on stage, he gave a little speech and they presented him with a park bench. It was unbelievable!
After the show, John, Adam and I headed to a late night dinner at Pizzaria Uno's. (It's no Bexley Pizza Plus, but I do LOVE the Spinnocoli pizza.) We talked forever....and I didn't get home until well after midnight, which for me on a Monday is pretty much unheard of. It was all-in-all a lovely evening. And best of all....it was just so New York to go see an incredible free musical show in the park!

photo credit: www.womanrock.com

off island

For the first time since I have lived in NYC, I traveled off island to New Jersey of my own accord. (I did drive through it once to get to Ellis Island.) I am happy to say that I survived....and even have been thinking about maybe moving there next. I imagine moving there and getting a car! Ack! I think I may be coming down with a case of suburbanitis and I'mtoopoortoaffordManhattan. Doctor...help me please!

photo credit: www.toyota.com

random sightings

One fun thing about living in NYC is the random celebrity sightings. You may be walking down the street and you suddenly trip over Meryl Streep....or you are shopping at Gracious Home and you run into Amy Adams (2005 Oscar nominee for "Junebug".) Yesterday, it was a gorgeous day in the city, and I decided to walk up towards the Upper West Side. In front of Lincoln Center, I noticed an actor who looked so familiar to me, but I couldn't quite place him. I picked my brain and kept coming back to "Narnia: The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe" thinking that he played a goat or something. My EUREKA moment came on the train! He played Peter Pettigrew (the rat) in the Harry Potter films! (You're a wizard, Harry!) I have found out this his name is Timothy Spall, and he has appeared in a ton of movies including "Lemony Snicket", "Vanilla Sky", and "The Last Samurai". He is actually in NYC filming "Enchanted" which is to be released in 2007......and co-stars Amy Adams. So, just some random thoughts of seeing interesting people on the streets of New York.

photo credit: www.movieweb.com

movie redux...

I have lately actually seen quite a few movies including "The Heart of the Game", "The prairie Home Companion" and "Nacho Libre". However, the one that has stuck out in my mind is this little independent movie called "Word Play". "Word Play" is this quirky story basically about the National annual Crossword Puzzle and the Editor of the New York Times Crossword Puzzle Will Shortz who created it. It is easy to say that the people who do and excel at crosswords are geeks. However, they are not only socially awkward people who are fun to watch....they are brilliant socially awkward people with interesting, bizarre, and fun stories to tell. The film talks about the creation and innovation of the puzzle, and then follows a group of people through the competition. Who knew that this cult underground community existed? I have to be honest that I myself might be classified as a geek. And yes, I am rather socially awkward. However, after going out and getting a book of EASY NYT crossword puzzles, I can safely say I am without a doubt....NOT BRILLIANT! I have maybe gotten 12 of the 78 words in the first puzzle. And the ones that I have gotten are all the pop culture "you don't have to be smart to get them" references. It was actually quite disturbing to me. I am shattered in fact. But..I digress. I really want to encourage people to see this movie. I sat there entranced watching people do crossword puzzles...and that within itself is a feat. So, when this flick finally opens in your town, treat yourself to a look at a group of smart people, being smart, and having fun.

Final thoughts: It's fun to laugh at people....and then you realize you're laughing with them as they share their incredible talent and passion. This movie has some of the best "characters" of the year.

photo credit: www.movieweb.com

dad's-eye view

Sometimes my dad goes "out" for lunch with his friend from work. This friend actually has a plane, so they will fly to Michigan for burgers....or run errands to Cleveland. All I know is that the view ain't bad from where my dad was sitting. He is not only the BEST DAD in the whole wide world, but he also happens to be an incredible photographer.

photo credit: DAD! (of downtown Columbus)

the TONYs are coming....and now they are gone

Living in NYC during the Tony Awards is much fun. I would love to say that I went to them....or was nominated....but, I just sat at home and watched them with Richard, my partner in crime. However, we were sitting a mere 100 blocks away from the action.....I love it! Overall, I really enjoyed them this year. There were no huge upsets, and the performances were pretty good. The only award that I take exception to is "The Pajama Game" winning Best Revival over "Sweeney Todd". I don't know why but I just didn't really like "The Pajama Game". This seems to be my cross to bear though, and bear it I shall. Sadly, Brandon from my studio didn't win Best Featured Actor in a Musical. But, it's not so bad being 23, making your Tony debut, and getting the nomination. I think I have to hate him just on principle.

photo credit: www.playbill.com

and the TONY for best new musical goes to...

..."The Drowsy Chaperone"!! This show was everything a Broadway musical should be. It made me laugh until my sides hurt, and moved me to tears. I could even hum the songs on my way out the door. [sigh] Every once in a while, a show comes along that is different. I mean that in a good way. It is not like anything else that has been produced this year, and it doesn't apologize for it. The actors are amazing. Bob Martin is hysterically funny, sadly moving, and also co-wrote the show. In some ways, I think that makes him a freak!! However, the show is fabulous. It is the story of a depressed man who decides to put on the record of his favorite musical from the 20's, "The Drowsy Chaperone". He guides us through the show and plot, and the production comes to life for him, and for us with a sickeningly talented cast led by the perfect Sutton Foster. For 90 minutes, he tells us why that scene is good, skips through the scenes he hates, and helps us get lost in this world that he adores, and helps him find his way through life. The show is in a word....brilliant. I want to strongly encourage everyone to come and check out this show. Sadly, it is not selling that well, and I would hate for it to close before it's time. Plus, everyone should see the show that is going to win the Tony for best new musical. I am just saying.

Practically Perfect in every way.

photo credit: www.playbill.com

luke warm about the "x-men"

The best part of my parents coming to town has to be that we cram like 8 days of fun into 3. We do all the things I love to do...theatre, movies, eating...and this trip was no different. After counting down for months, I finally got to take in "X-Mean III: The Last Stand". I didn't love it, I didn't hate it. The thing is it would have a brilliant moment...and then during the next scene I thought about where the parents and I might do dinner...and then there would be a good moment, and then I thought about having to go back to work on Tuesday. Hugh Jackman was fabulous as always....but Wolverine was having feelings in this movie, and it was just kind of weird. Brett Ratner is a very different director than Bryan Singer. I read a lot of reviews about the movie, and the concensus was that Ratner did a better job that everyone thought he would...but he is no Bryan Singer. I agree with that. Although, some moments gave me chills (the final scenes of the flick...make sure to stay through the credits), overall, the movie seemed to lose the dark, driving force that the first two had. There were many mutants introduced...and they each got their 30 seconds of glory....but no one really stuck out. I don't mean to totally trash this movie, because I certainly didn't hate it....it was just not as great as I wanted it to be. It is very fun summer fare...but I am totally counting down to "Superman Returns" and think that will be the movie of the summer.

Final thoughts: Good, but not great. Brilliant moments surrounded by moments you can spend finalizing your plans for after the movie.

photo credit: www.movieweb.com