Theatre... AT LAST!

I figured, this is a theatre/movie blog and all I have on here is about movies. So, I'm going to post my first theatre related blog entry.

First off, I would like to give a list of some of my favorite performers.

Alice Ripley.
She is just spectacular. She has done performances on Broadway from many shows including: Side Show (Violet Hilton), The Rocky Horror Show Revival (Janet Weiss), and, her most recent performance, Next to Normal (Diana).

First off: Alice is fierce! ([title of show], anyone?) She really throws her whole spirit into anything she does. Her characters are so vivid and alive and her voice is phenomenal.

I could listen to her sing all day... And most of the time, I do!

George Hearn
Anyone who is familiar with Sweeney Todd, have most likely heard this name.

George Hearn has performed in the Touring company of Sweeney Todd and originated as Sweeney Todd in the Concert version of the show. He has also performed in La Cage Aux Folles as Albin/Zsa Zsa.

He has an amazing operatic voice and hearing him sing 'Epiphany' truly astounds me every time.

Norm Lewis
Norm is... just AMAZING! Period.

His voice is so smooth an he is just so energetic in his roles. My personal favorite Norm role was when he played Jake in Side Show. 'You Should Be Loved' is the best song he has ever performed... EVER!

Gavin Creel
If you have heard him sing then you will feel the same. He is fantastic!

He has played Jimmy in Thoroughly Modern Millie, and performed in the Actor's Fund Concert edition of Hair. Hearing him sing 'What Do I Need With Love' or 'Going Down' will astound you.

He has a truly amazing voice.



Here is one of my favorite performances ever:

New Movie Review: The Time Traveler's Wife

I just saw the new movie, The Time Traveler's Wife.

It was an interesting movie, to say the least, about a man with a gene that causes him to travel through time. The problem? He can't control when and where he goes.

Eric Bana played the part of Henry (the time traveler) well, but at moments he almost seemed lazy in the role. During the entire movie he kept well in character, he just didn't push it to the limits.

Playing opposite him, Rachel McAdams, was very real in the role of Claire Abshire. She was able to bring her emotions through her character with much talent. Every thought seemed clear to me as her character developed. Very well done performance.

Overall the supporting cast was good. Nothing special to report on anyone in particular.

The film itself was enjoyable, but lacking.

There was not many special aspects about this film that would set it apart from any other film. It was enjoyable, I enjoyed it. It just was not anything special. I could not really feel for any of the characters or situations, and there were many little scenes that were filler.

If you just want to see a movie for the heck of seeing a movie, this is good for you. However, if you want to see something that will move you, try someplace else.

My rating:
[2.5/5]

My Second Blog! Hooray!

Okay, to get my blog rolling I'm gonna start off with listing my top 10 favorite performances in a movie by a certain actor.

Kathy Bates, Annie Wilkes Misery.
What can I say? Even if you are not a fan of horror I would have to tell you to see this movie simply for Bates' eerily real performance as the psychotic nurse, Annie Wilkes. She plays the character to the life and it is most satisfying to witness.

Meryl Streep, Sister Aloysius Doubt.
Having read the play Doubt I must say I was somewhat worried that the movie would have to add a lot of filler in order to reach longer than the 45 minutes that the play was. But with Meryl Streep in the role of Sister Aloysius there was never a dull moment to the film. Streep's dry humor mixed with her very serious charcter blends wonderfully and the film was great because of it (along with many other contributing factors).

Nicole Kidman, Grace Stewart The Others.
Nicole Kidman's performance in this film is miraculous, to say the least. Kidman plays Grace so well, that you feel for the character at many points in the film and by the end of the movie, she absolutely captivates you. Period.

Jack Nicholson, The Joker Batman (1989).
Nicholson struts in this role better than any actor ever has or ever will. He plays The Joker with such crazy insanity that no one could ever parallel. Jack Nicholson is, and will forever be, The Joker.

Miranda Richardson, Lady Van Tassel Sleepy Hollow.
I love her in this role. She is so convincingly mysterious that you can't help but to fall in to her spell. This was her best role. Towards the climax as Ichabod, Katrina, and the young Masbeth run into the windmill she says "watch your head" which actually was not in the script. All improv. Perfect!

Helena Bonham Carter, Mrs. Lovett Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street.
Carter was perfect in the role of Mrs. Lovett. She played her so well, that you could see her every move was a character choice, rather than a Helena choice. My favorite moment in the entire film is when she is saying to Todd that they could have a life of there own, and how it wouldn't be like it used to be for him, but they could get by. And then the annoying sailor boy bursts throught the door and ruins the perfect moment in the movie!

Catherine Zeta-Jones, Velma Kelley Chicago.
Ms. Jones absolutely steals the show as the hardened, provocative Velma Kelley. Her acting in this movie is so good, that it actually cures my depression when I'm depressed. She just plays the character with such percision it makes me happy.

Martin Landau, Bela Lugosi Ed Wood.
He is most definitely the best part of Ed Wood. While the movie was terrific, it just wouldn't have been the same without Mr. Landau. He was so dead on with his character, that I believed he was Bela Lugosi. Also, his constant bashes on Boris Karloff were a nice, comical touch.

Claire Danes, Juliet Capulet Romeo + Juliet.
Ms. Danes played Juliet with such simple innocence and naivity. It was perfect. Her grace as she just wondered what was in a name was the highlight of the film for me.

And the final performance on my list...

Anthony Perkins, Norman Bates Psycho.
This is one of the best roles ever performed. EVER. Mr. Perkins is Norman Bates and little Mr. Vince Vaughn can eat that for breakfast until he scourges himself for ruining the role. Mr. Perkins created. Perkins' Bates was fantastic! He was creepy and towards the beginning of the film I even felt bad for him. Now he haunts me...