Posts Tagged ‘Bebe Neuwirth’

Blu-ray Review: “Say Anything…”

51ePYDAQi0L._SCLZZZZZZZ_[1]You know the scene. Hell, if you grew up in a certain era, it’s practically tattooed on your eyelids. Lloyd Dobler (deftly played by John Cusack) stands in the driveway of the home of his beloved, Diane Court (Ione Skye). It’s early morning. He has his boom box, and his Peter Gabriel cassette. He raises the boom box above his head …

To celebrate the 20th anniversary of the release of Cameron Crowe’s directorial debut, Say Anything…, Fox has released the film on Blu-ray. In addition to the film itself, the disc includes some worthwhile new bonus features including a revealing documentary that looks back at the film 20 years later, a conversation with Cameron Crowe, and even a trivia track that includes over 200 questions about the film. There’s also a cast commentary which was originally recorded for the DVD version, and alternate, deleted, and extended scenes.

Lloyd and Diane are classic high school outsiders. She’s brilliant, and beautiful, with a bright future in front of her that includes a fellowship that will take her to England to study. At the same time she’s lonely, and insecure. Her parents divorced five years earlier, and when given the choice, Diane opted to live with her father, brilliantly played by John Mahoney. Lloyd, who lives with his sister (played by his real life sister Joan Cusack), has no really discernible future, unless kickboxing, “the sport of the future,” catches on (which of course it did). But he’s an eternal optimist, and you have the sense that he’ll land on his feet no matter what happens. (more…)

Theatre Is Easy: Celebs on Broadway, 2009-2010

It’s no surprise that Broadway producers like to cast celebrities in their shows. If your show, let’s say, is a dramatic British play about horses that wouldn’t attract the average tourist (ahem, Equus), throw a naked Harry Potter on the stage and voila, you just made additional millions. (And this is good because Harry Potter probably doesn’t get naked for cheap.) To no one’s surprise, the 2009-2010 Broadway season is stacked with celebrities. Here’s who you can expect to see, for better or for worse. Let the celeb worship/bashing begin! (And I suppose it’s only fair to remind you that many of these celebs are stage actors with credible resumes.)

John Stamos, Gina Gershon
Bye Bye Birdie (musical, revival)
Performances begin September 10, 2009
Henry Miller’s Theatre

Daniel Craig, Hugh Jackman
A Steady Rain (drama, new)
Performances begin September 10, 2009
Gerald Schoenfeld Theatre

Jude Law
Hamlet (Shakespearean classic)
Performances begin September 12, 2009
Broadhurst Theatre

Sienna Miller
After Miss Julie (drama, revival)
Performances begin September 18, 2009
American Airlines Theatre

Carrie Fisher
Wishful Drinking (one-woman show, new)
Performances begin September 22, 2009
Studio 54

Julia Stiles, Bill Pullman
Oleanna (drama, revival)
Performances begin September 29, 2009
John Golden Theatre

James Spader, Kerry Washington
Race (drama, new)
Performances begin November 17, 2009
Ethel Barrymore Theatre

Alicia Silverstone, Laura Linney
Time Stands Still (drama, new)
Performances begin January 5, 2010
Samuel J. Friedman Theatre

Evan Rachel Wood, Alan Cumming
Spider-man: Turn Off the Dark (musical, new)
Performances begin February 25, 2009
Hilton Theatre

Nathan Lane, Bebe Neuwirth
The Addams Family (musical, new)
Performances begin March 4, 2010
Lunt-Fontanne Theatre