Review: Morning Glory

Morning Glory stars Rachel McAdams as Becky a young enthusiastic producer who after losing her job as a producer on a New Jersey morning show is offered the position of executive producer on a Good Morning America like morning show called Day Break. Becky feeling the need to not give up on her dreams accepts the position at the struggling news program and has to deal with pulling the show out of dead last and managing its two feuding lead anchors Mike (played by Harrison Ford) and Colleen (played by Diane Keaton).

Now that all that summary stuff is out of the way lets break down this movie shall we. Rachel McAdams plays Becky perfectly in that one moment she is this innocent motivated individual, and then the next she is obsessed with her job and wont let anything come between her and the show. Harrison Ford plays Mike Pomeroy who is essentially your Dan Rather type news personality, he has seen it all, won it all, and has done it all... except morning television. Diane Keaton plays Colleen Peck who is pretty contempt with sitting behind the desk at 5am reporting about how to make Pinatas and doing cooking segments. The chemistry between Ford and Keaton is absolutely fantastic and makes for some great scenes. However the one issue with Fords performance is he plays the character so gruff and at sometimes crazy that I was expecting him to grab someone by the collar and demand his family back at some point of the film.

There is also a romantic subplot involving Patrick WIlson as Adam Bennett, a producer who used to work with Mike. Ultimately I believe that the whole subplot wasn't exactly necessary to the main plot of the movie and that the film could have survived without it. Another major issue with it was how the film tried to be dramatic, while it was understandable where the film was going with these moments tonally I felt it was just played a little too dramatic (and the score at these points definitely did not help).

As for the rest of the cast, Jeff Goldblum as Jerry Barnes the head of the stations news department (at least that's the position I believe the character was) was very enjoyable. Also of note is the actor who played the Day Break weather man (for some reason I can not find out the name of the actor who played him) but he diffidently has some funny little non sequitur type scenes toward the middle of the film. Plus there are some smile inducing cameos that both young and older viewers will enjoy.

All in all its definitely a good film but it has its issues. There was initially some award buzz around this film but I do not really see it to be completely honest.

8/10

Review: Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson

Andrew Jackson is back, and he has got a rocking attitude and some sexypants. Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson, the new rock musical from Alex Timbers (Book & Director) & Michael Friedman (Music & Lyrics) is currently tearing down the Bernard Jacobs Theater on Broadway.

The show runs as a one act musical that is 1 hour and 40 minutes with no intermission. It is an outrageous wild west, rock musical about the founding of the modern Democratic Party. It re-imagines Andrew Jackson, America's 7th President, as an 'emo' rock star and focuses on populism, the Indian Removal Act, and his relationship with his wife Rachel.



This is a musical that will definitely split people. I enjoyed it for its score and humor, but its score and humor is definitely not for everyone. While it has its moments that will certainly make you think, the humor is in the vain of Monty Python, Saturday Night Live, and South Park. And for those expecting typical Broadway music, expect the total opposite. There is no orchestra but there is a 3 piece live band on stage conducted by Justin Levine (who even performs what I consider one of the best songs in the show on his own) who play drums, guitar and the piano, and who even interact with the characters on stage at various points in the piece, additionally various cast members pick up and play the guitar on certain songs.


The set design by Donyale Werle and lighting design by Justin Townsend are simply the best you will see on Broadway right now. I was fortunate enough to see the show when it was originally off Broadway at The Public Theater. This element was one of the things I enjoyed the most about that version of the production, something I feared would not transfer properly from a 200 seat theater to a 1000 seat theater. But wow did they manage to pull it off. The entire theater is covered in paintings of what the production team has called "dead white men" and crazy knick-knacks, as well as fur all over the place, plus a stuffed bear near the bar and even a stuffed horse hanging above the audience, this combined with the on stage set is ment to make the audience feel as if they are in the same room (or white house) as Mr jackson and the rest of the characters, which it does . As for lighting the design was patterned to make you feel like your at a 17th century punk rock concert, chandalers hang from the ceiling and christmas lights are tangled all over the place, there is also a abundance of neon tubes hang over the audience in the theater that bath it in reds and blues throughout the show, at one point there is even a disco ball used. I would absolutely be shocked if Mrs Werle & Mr Townsend do not take away Tony awards for their work.


Performance wise, there is not a weak link in the bunch. Benjamin Walker plays Andrew Jackson, and he does an amazing job, turning on a dime from a leader with a terrible temper, to a guy that wants what he wants when he wants, to someone who wants to be the one to lead the people, he is a absolute find and is extremely enjoyable to watch onstage. Except for Walker pretty much every other actor plays multiple characters, this includes Jeff Hiller who among playing a tour guide, a little boy, and a shoe cobbler plays John Quincy Adams. Mr Hiller totally steals every scene he is in with his crazy energy, great comedic timing and hysterical one liners. Other standouts of the cast include Kristine Nielsen as The Storyteller, Cameron Ocasio as Lyncoya , and Maria Elena Ramirez as Rachel.

This is another show that is certainly the one to beat at this years Tony awards, with nominations for Best Musical, Set, and Lighting all but guaranteed. You are doing nothing but a disservice to yourself by not going to see this show. Its funny, weird, smart and a rocking good time.

For more information on the show and to purchase tickets please visit http://bloodybloodyandrewjackson.com/

Review: The Scottsboro Boys

The Scottsboro Boys is the new musical from John Kander and the late Fred Ebb (the team thats brought broadway Chicago, Cabaret and Kiss of the Spider Woman) it had a sold out run at the Vineyard Theater off Broadway this past spring, and has made its way onto Broadway to the Lyceum Theater. Although it does not officially open until October 31st its currently in preview performances, one of which I was lucky enough to catch this past weekend.


The Scottsboro Boys is performed as one act with no intermission running a hour and 45 minutes. The show deals with the famous Scottsboro case of the 1930s, in which a group of young African American teenagers were accused of raping two white women on a freight train to Memphis, Tennessee. Their attempts to prove their innocence and their treatment by the justice system, which provoked a national outrage, sparked the American Civil Rights movement. But what sets this show apart from just being a typical musical is the way its told. In a controversial choice the show is performed as a Minstrel Show. For those who are not aware of what a Minstrel Show is, it was a type of performance in the 1800's in which white actors would wear black face and portray African Americans as stereotypes and caricatures. However while The Scottsboro Boys retains the style of a Minstrel show they flip the convention on its head by having an all African American cast and only one white actor on stage, where the remainder of the cast play the nine boys, Colman Domingo as Mr. Bones & Forrest McClendon as Mr. Tambo play white men, white woman and white lawyers in a stereotypical fashion, the stereotypical portrayal of African Americans also sometimes pokes through during performances from the nine actors playing the boys, and the black face also remains at a certain point. The show is extremely offensive and shocking but uses the style to be extremely effective in its story telling, its also a funny show at points but you might also be second guessing what you should be laughing at.

I found the show interesting because Kander and Ebb have decided from a different angle to revisit the American legal system as well as themes of justice and innocence as well as the media, which they previously explored in the musical Chicago. Although the shows are extremely different in production style theater goers will pick up on some of the slight musical similarities between both shows.

The set design is minimal for a good part of the show, mostly using a set of metal chairs to portray a jail cell, a freight train carriage and a bus among other things. There are however moments of more lavish set pieces but they are not as widely seen through out the show.

As for performances the stand out has to be Joshua Henry (previously seen on Broadway as Favorite Son in the musical American Idiot) as Haywood Patterson who takes to being the leader of the group of boys, although he is big and mean looking Henry manages to make you feel for this character and root for him til the very end. The other standout has to be Jeremy Gumbs as twelve year old Eugene Williams, the youngest of the boys. Considering the material of the show Jeremy brings an impressive performance that at times is truly heart breaking. Also of note is Sharon Washington as The Lady, a character whose purpose is not revealed until literally the end of the show in one of the pieces most shocking twist (my lips are sealed you will just have to see for yourselves), but in general everyone is fantastic in their roles.

This show should be in my opinion considered a front runner for a 2011 best musical Tony nomination. Great story, score, set and top that off with whats turning out to be a fantastic ad campaign this is going to definitely be one of the shows to beat.

Tickets and more information on the show can be found at http://scottsboromusical.com/