Brothers & Sisters - Sing It, Don't Say It

Compromises - Ep. 212

I don't really have much to say this week except basically the same thing, any scenes with Kevin and Scotty and co. (Sarah and her new gay best friends (Scotty's friends who think Kevin is a bit stiff)) were hilariously fantastic.

Rachel Griffiths thankfully makes the could-be-tedious divorce stuff into something genuinely touching and while I'm still not sure if I buying her chemistry with Steven Weber's Graham, (I think I still would have liked to see her with that one-night-stand that got locked blocked instead since there was major chemistry going on there), Griffith's makes anything interesting.

Kevin should never karaoke again. But Scotty was adorably tolerant about it.

Side question: why is the gardener (The OC) Nicholas Gonzalez there as one of Scotty's gay friends?

Thank goodness Kitty is back because last week, with her mostly missing except the few scenes in the car, reminded me that there's a reason Calista Flockhart became a star despite being a whiny Ally McBeal. She still has that something that makes her shine on screen, even when she gets sick and gets stuck becoming babysitter to Robert's sick and annoying kids. Loved that she called herself on the fact that she WAS the evil step-mother after the kids flooded the bathroom.

And thank goodness there was no Tommy/Julia talk or Justin/Lena talk. Or really, no Lena, who really dragged all the characters she interacted with into a blackhole story vacuum.

Another possible blackhole vacuum?:

Are they really trying to go there with Rebecca and Holly? Is Ken Olin really being hinted that HE may actually be Rebecca's real father and thus not a Walker at all? AH... don't cut the connection? Yes, it'll make Holly a threat/drama again and Rebecca could thus date Justin (ew) but I REALLY hope they aren't going there.

Please just bring Rebecca back to the Walkers since she has a better rapport with Nora than Holly and Holly and Nora create better sparks than anything.

More After the Jump...

Smells Like Teen Spirit - Glory Days and High School Musical On Tour - Musical Reviews

Glory Days - Signature Theatre - Arlington, VA (Greater Washington DC)
Music and Lyrics by Nick Blamiere, Book by James Gardiner, Directed by Eric Schaeffer

High School Musical On Tour - National Theatre - Washington DC
Book by David Simpatico, based on the Disney Channel movie Written by Peter Barsocchini, Songs by Matthew Garrard, Robbie Nevil, Ray Cham, Gregg Cham, Andrew Seeley, Randy Peterson, Kevin Quinn, Andy Dodd, Adam Watts, Bryan Louiselle, David N. Lawrence, Faye Greenberg and Jamie Houston. Directed by Jeff Calhoun.

After touring the great monuments and museums in Washington DC, what better way to check out the perfect current representation of American culture than to see High School Musical On Tour?!! Look, my brain needed a break and I actually think the theatrical version improves upon the original cheesefest and turns it into a spirited positive musical that's full of youthful hope and a corporate version of teen angst and love (it's Disney and it's super clean but sometimes I don't think there is anything wrong with that!). And um, yeah, I've actually seen this before. Twice. Now thrice. Look, John Jeffrey Martin as Troy is dreamy and I love the new arrangement for "Bop to the Top" during the audition scene and what's wrong with a cheery good natured musical that is a great intro to musicals for kids that's cheesy fun for adults too?

So if High School Musical is the idealistic only-in-musicals-written-for-Disney look at the teenage world, the terrific new musical Glory Days (with the photo above reminiscent of the original HSM television movie promo) takes that nostalgia and slowly reminds us back to mundane reality, where 4 guy best friends from high school, reunite only a year after high school graduation, and where the fractures of life changes are already starting to show, changing the relationships of these 4 boys possibly forever.

Sure, you could dismiss the four 19 year olds with their petty problems and their silly reason for reuniting, but it's just a surface gloss that covers the underlining things that the direction in their lives are about to embark on, and the fresh young writers Nick Blamiere and James Gardiner have created a fresh imperfect new musical that is still full of exciting possibilities and observations about growing up in the current generation that is truthfully biting and yet universally relatable. Yes, everyone grows up, people change, friends change and drift apart, and we all know it happens, but Blamiere and Gardiner have repackaged it into something small, simple but emotionally affecting, and of course, set to music as a musical.

The four guys starts off fitting the stereotypes, there's our narrative introspective observant one, Will (an affable Steven Booth, 2 photos above), Andy, the confident frat boy (Andrew C. Call, above, playing the role to perfection, adding a fully dimensional character behind someone that is admittedly dumb and simple), Jack, the sensitive one (Jesse JP Johnson, below, who emotionally shines most when singing), and Skip, the intellectual one who has become apathetic (Adam Halpin, who perfectly imbues half the Ivy league college kids I knew) but when a revelation is revealed (through song of course) by Jack (it's a musical about boys, it had to be that someone is gay), it sets off events that eventually lead to the break up of these four best friends, one that had already been hinted at their initial reunion, only a year after they had separated from their high school lives, where they initially bonded for failing to land onto the football team.

At times it could be probably corny, but with energetic direction and performances, an awesomely simplistic beautiful set and songs, that while at times sound the same and have that generic pop rock sound, still do the trick of keeping the show into emotional realism. The show may touch the suburban American male set more than others (I went to an all-boys Catholic school on the edge of Toronto, where I hilariously/embarrassingly failed while trying out for the rugby team in my delusional pursuit to be well-rounded so I think I "got" this musical more than my female friend that accompanied me to this musical) with a rawer, more "real"sound (than most new American musicals) and a fresh voice to something that is quite universal in our days growing up. Think of it as Spring Awakening "lite" brought back to modern day suburban America.

Sadly, the show closed yesterday (actually, HSMOT closed in W.DC yesterday as well and moves on with the tour) but I do hope it remounts somewhere (it would be perfect Off-Broadway). You can hear a few of the songs on the writers website (if you right click, you can download them).

UPDATE: Glory Days is moving to Broadway! (Mar. 19, 2008) (Link to promotional discount code deal added in link! (Mar. 30, 2008)



Glory Days - **** (4 stars out of 5)

High School Musical On Tour - **** (4 stars out of 5) (although the sound system in the National Theatre seemed to blur some of the vocals where it seemed set up for a bigger venue like the Princess of Wales Theatre in Toronto where the sound was much better).

More After the Jump...

TV Blog Coalition - My What A Big DC You Have There!

I'm visiting America's capital right now (and I should be meeting up with Washington D.C. members of the TV Bloggers Coalition, Liz from GlowyBox and Dan from TiFaux (and fearless leader of The TV Blog Coalition) later today! Thus revealing my secret identity so I may have to erase their minds after (CIA style) but they don't know that yet... SHHHHH!). So while I'm admiring all the grand buildings around the National Mall (I'm talking both the Smithsonian and Bed, Bath and Beyond) and your fondness for giant statues of long dead white presidents (Lincoln, FDR, Jefferson(my favorite of the monuments)) and giant erected obelisks (The Washington Monument), feel free to peruse what's been going around the TV blogger world:

Buzz is pitting all of this season's Project Runway looks against each other to figure out which is the most fab. (BuzzSugar)

Eric came up with the Top 5 TV Villains on television today. (Daemon's TV)

With all of this early news about the Fall 08 season, Mikey wonders why How I Met Your Mother still hasn't found an audience after three years on the bubble. (Mikey Likes TV)

Marcia celebrated Valentine's Day by remembering some of television's greatest kisses. (Pop Vultures)

After attending the taping of MTV's America's Best Dance Crew premiere episode, Spads shared tidbits from her conversations with judges JC Chasez, Lil Mama, and Shane Sparks. (RTVW)

Scooter finally got around to watching the first two episodes of the new season of Lost and, um, well... yeah. (Scooter McGavin's 9th Green)

Last week, Vance bawled while watching Friday Night Lights. Now he may bawl at the thought of NOT being able to watch any more new Friday Night Lights. (Tapeworthy)

Dan took some time to think about whether he actually liked Eli Stone, or whether it was just the best scripted show still in new episodes. Either way, Jonny Lee Miller's dreamy. (TiFaux)

Jennifer pondered why everyone falls for Boston Legal’s Shirley Schmidt and gushed about Scott Bakula’s visit to the firm. (Tube Talk)

Kate came up with a Gossip Girl drinking game. (TV Filter)

Taking a page from How I Met Your Mother's Barney and his Hot/Crazy Scale, the TV Addict is proud to introduce the Lost Quality/Question Scale! (TheTVaddict)

More After the Jump...

Catch Up On The Cable Shows! On Network TV!

The cable shows are taking over! Okay, well mostly in Canada (where CTV already runs The Sopranos and Nip/Tuck (currently Fridays at 10pm on CTV) edit-free).

Dexter will start airing this Sunday, Feb. 17 on CBS and CTV at 10pm in a slightly edited version for network TV. I still haven't gotten around to watching it but have been told it's excellent. Though I wonder if CTV will air the same edited version as CBS since they don't edit the other cable shows?

In Canada, Showcase will finally start airing Damages starting Monday, Feb. 18 at 10pm.

CTV still hasn't scheduled Mad Men yet but I hope it's soon because you all have to catch up. The show is AMAZING. It's currently re-running on AMC on Sundays at Midnight (or is that Monday at 12:00?)

Global started airing Big Love last week on Thursdays at 10pm but I still haven't had time to catch up with that either and have all the discs still sitting here (along with The Wire but with the delay in returning shows from the strike, I may finally have time soon (along with my life calming down soon (I hope))).

On the non-cable news:

So You Think You Can Dance is coming back May 22nd!!! WOOHOO!!! OMG! YES!

There's all the lists floating around the web already about the post-writer's strike schedule which I've posted on the Tapeworthy sidebar from all the info that I can deduce so far. Though mostly, it's going to be a waiting game until April.

More After the Jump...

Valentine's Father's Day - Eli Stone and Notes From The Underbelly

Eli Stone - Father Figure - Ep. 103
Notes From The Underbelly - If the Shoe Fits - Ep.206 , The List - Ep. 207 - Season? (Series?) Finale

Lists and crazy fathers on ABC.

I'm probably the only one still watching Notes From The Underbelly and while we are on season 2 already, I never actually thought they would have the actual baby. But they finally did! And it will probably be the last episode of the show ever (since the remaining episodes are still in question and it's doubtful ABC will renew the underrated comedy).

Loved the crazy shoe shopping thing when Andrew keeps getting suckered into buying more Christina Louboutin shoes (you know, the ones with the red soles that you need to take out a mortgage for), and Peter Cambor's Andrew is still one of the funniest things about the show. His facial expressions are just precious.

As are Rachael Harris' line readings as sarcastic unemotional Cooper but I loved that she went with Lauren (and Julie) on the crazy roadtrip to deliver the backstage passes to Andrew and Danny at the outdoor music festival where of course, the baby finally arrives, making a father out of the extremely goofy Andrew. Seriously. Peter Cambor's face with that "eh?" look is genius.

As is Jonny Lee Miller's "eh?" look.

Which is still the main reason to watch Eli Stone. I agree the show isn't perfect, and I've said it each time, that the best part of the show is the casting, so let's continue/repeat it again this week!:

This week: a return of Tom Amandes who was on one of my favorite shows, Everwood!

A return of Tom Cavanagh who was on one of my favorite shows, Ed!

Tonye Patano is a judge in a custody case that Eli is propheted to help out, going against his fiance (Natasha Henstridge who I'm still not completely buying in her role here). And Tonye Patano is in one of my favorite shows Weeds!

There's still the regular cast members Julie Gonzalo from one of my favorite shows, Veronica Mars!

Victor Garber from one of my favorite shows, Alias!

Matt Letscher from the first season of one of my new favorite shows, The New Adventures of Old Christine!

Apparently I have a lot of favorite shows.

So on Eli Stone, which at least has one of my favorite casts, is already actually suckering me in, with this episode hooking me emotionally more than the first two epsisodes.

With Eli imagining war combat, he ends up helping out a female soldier with her custody case for her son against a possibly abusive husband. It just so happens that his fiance Taylor is representing the husband/father.

Eli flashes back to his own father (Tom Cavanagh) realizing the time his father was imagining being in war and shooting a gun into the wall, which Eli, own his own volition, ended up talking the blame for, leading him to figure out that the son's abuse was actually a ploy to sway the judge to give the mom full custody and was actually all a lie.

There's also the big engagement party being thrown, one that Eli made Patti organize, so Patti adds Beth Keller (Take the Lead's Laura Benanti) to the list, creating her own little revenge for Eli (since Beth was Eli's first and sparks flew when he helped her on the case in the pilot episode). It's a genius plan that angers Eli, vowing to avoid giving Patti the reigns to the wedding plans, which was her perfect plan all along! Genius!

But it was heartbreaking to watch Eli grow conscious in the cake when he has another bout of his imagination during the party. Those Jonny Lee Miller eyes help do it to me.

More After the Jump...

Blindsided with Island Confusion - Lost and Survivor

Survivor: Micronesia - Fans Vs. Favorites - The Sounds of Jungle Love - Ep. 1602
Lost - The Economist - Ep. 403

I missed most of Survivor but I caught the best part of the show, when someone is completely blindsided and voted off the island, with the reactionary dumbfounded shot by their alliance member as we also get the smirky smile from the mastermind. Classic. And it's only episode 2. So so long Mary. I didn't even realize you were on the island until just before you get voted off. You're kinda like Paulo and Nikki aren't you?

Meanwhile, on Lost, the other show about survival on an island (albeit a much better one but that is strangely a nice cross network pairing that I'm not sure why they've never thought of. But ah well, it'll be a island survival sandwhich come April when Lost gets the post Grey's Anatomy slot at 10pm creating ABC's strongest (in buzz and quality if not numbers exactly yet) lineup in years.):

Sayid just shot a man on a golf course in the future. What the hell is going on already? BTW, my Lost "recaps" are more just note taking to help me understand all the confusion. They probably make no sense to anyone else, not that the show does either.

So back on the island, Sayid agrees to bring back Charlotte from being captured by Locke, in agreement to be taken off the island to become one of the Oceanic 6. So that makes Sayid, Hurley. And I would assume Jack & Kate since they are seen in the future off the island (though I'm thinking, are they all part of the "Oceanic 6"? Wouldn't Kate still be arrested? They don't just pardon someone because of a plane crash do they?)

Now flash forward (?) again and Sayid's in Berlin? Sayid is doing his best James Bond impression with the sexy German lady, then something about bosses and such.

On the island, Jack sends Kate to go with Sayid and Miles (Ken Leung) in their search for Locke and co.

Hurley isn't kosher with Locke's intentions and is left behind (to be found by the new search team).

And Daniel is off in his own world conducting an experiment with Lapidus (Jeff Fahey looking a bit like Bruce Campbell in Burn Notice) and Jack watching all the weirdness, especially when something apparently sent from the boat, doesn't actually arrive. Or at least on time. Is there a time fracture in the continuum on the island? And like I always say... WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON? (and loving every confusing minute of it!)

Love Jeremy Davies as Daniel so far. In fact, so far I love all the newbies.

Meanwhile we also find out the newbies barely know each other, mostly meeting on the boat, according to Miles. While, Sayid and Hurley wonder out loud whether Miles and co. have been sent to kill them or not.

Then as Kate, Sayid and Miles explore the house they found Hurley in, in The Othersville, Sawyer walks in and the whole trap unravels with Sayid at Locke's gunpoint. Hurley, I'm shocked!

Sayid goes to Otherjail with Ben.

Kate is Sawyer's "captive". Saywer joined Locke because he has nothing to go back to, and question why Kate does.

Okay, so after Sayid makes a trade with Locke for Charlotte (leaving behind Miles and Kate), he returns to Lapidus who is being grilled by Desmond for confirmation whether Penny was their boss or not.

In the future, Sayid cautions the German girl Ilsa about her boss, then she blindsides Sayid and shoots Sayid, revealing herself to be some sort of secret agenty thing. This IS James Bond. Sayid is shot, then shoots to kill Ilsa, and flash forward in the episode...

Sayid who fulfilled his promise to save Charlotte from Locke, gets the helicopter ride off the island (leaving behind Charlotte and Daniel who choose to stay.. hmm), then flash forward AGAIN, and the injured Sayid is being cleaned up by his boss... Ben LINUS? I mean. I knew it. but. Let the confusion begin continue! And loving every minute of it!

More After the Jump...

Plugging The Ones I Love On Valentine's Day

Okay, time for some shameless plugging again. On Valentine's Day.

First of all, for the New Yorkers out there (or anybody planning to visit in the next month), go check out Traces by Montreal group les 7 doights de la main/ the 7 fingers at the New Victory Theatre on 42nd Street.

For a top price ticket of $35, much cheaper than a ticket nextdoor for Young Frankenstein, you'll get a bigger bang for the buck in this circus show that is like Cirque de Soleil if the local skateboarders in the hood performed it. Of course, it helps that they are all young and hot!

Here was my original review, as well as my Best of Stage 2007 list where it landed in at #4 on my Top 12 list. Check it out and let me know what you think.

For Torontonians (or the poor souls planning to visit us in the next few wintry cold months), the Diesel Playhouse is housing the return of Evil Dead The Musical! Back for its 3rd mounting in Toronto. And starting on Valentine's Day TONIGHT no less! You wanted red on Valentine's Day and they are giving you lots of it, albeit in blood format. (Especially in the Splatter Zone, which is well worth it).

The show is far funnier than you would imagine (so if you are scared of the horror element, don't fret, it's a silly comedy, albeit with lots and lots of blood) and well, in full disclosure my friend co-wrote it and co-directed it so even though I'm required to say it's good, I will anyways despite the connection because, it actually IS really good (in a silly campy way, this ain't no Shakespeare if that's what you're looking for).

(I'll get back to you on a promo code. I thought I remembered it to be something but it's not working for me so let me see if it's still valid)

Now I have nothing associated with this but with Hollywood opening a batch of movies on Valentine's Day today (um, all of which I want to see, including The Spiderwick Chronicles, Definitely, Maybe (both which are getting pretty good reviews actually, with TSC at 78% right now, and DM at 77% (I'm kinda shocked though)), and Jumper (not getting great reviews but I'm still curious)), I'm going to plug Step Up 2 the Streets, the cash grab sequel/repeat to the surprise hit Step Up.

I loved Step Up. Okay, maybe not love, but really really liked, but part of the charm was pairing a Shameless Plug favorite Take the Lead's Jenna Dewan with a then up-and-comer Channing Tatum (well, he still is but now we all turn our heads when we hear that name).

Neither of them which appear in the "sequel" (ahem, redux)... With none of the original writers or director...

But it's a dancing movie. And really, even a bad dancing movie is usually pretty good. (Think about it, what dancing movie is ACTUALLY really good, and then divide that with all the dancing movies you actually like/have on dvd/will rewatch when it airs on TV?).

Plus, so there's no hot Channing Tatum. Instead, we get his She's The Man co-star Robert Hoffman and if you read my blog, I REALLY REALLY REALLY like She's The Man and part of it is the scenes with Tatum and Hoffman, both who ease charm on the screen. Plus, Hoffman is an actual dancer turned actor (instead of vice versa) so this may bode well for the actual dancing scenes in Step Up 2!

Oh yeah, and there's some new girl Briana Evigan in it too. And Cassie.

So let's dance!



Oh, and is that Will Kemp as a teacher? Yes it is! Hot damn. Saw him in Matthew Bourne's The Car Man in London years ago. AMAZING.

More After the Jump...

New-Old Christine, Carpoolers, Cashmere Mafia - Car-ma Chameleon

The New Adventures of Old Christine - Beauty Is Only Spanx Deep - Ep. 302
Carpoolers -Wheels of Fortune- Ep. 111
Cashmere Mafia - Stay with Me- Ep. 105, Yours, Mine and Hers - Ep. 106

Have you ever watched something several times and found it funnier each time? That's what happened with me when I watched Christine this week. When I watched it Monday, I thought it was amusing but somehow lacked a coherency like their premiere episode from last week. Then my sister wanted to watch the recording so I watched it again and LMAO the entire episode, somehow catching about a billion new laughs along the way (though again, I was REALLY jetlagged especially Monday night). Then my friends wanted to watch it after missing it Monday and I laughed even more the third time, finding Christine so dense with zingers this week that I've gotten a whole new admiration for it. (And yes, I've finally upgraded the show to 4 Stars on my (finally) updated Tapeworthy sidebar).

Between the sad (yet hilarious) truths about dating up (as Christine was the 6 who thinks she's a 9 while dating Blair Underwood's 10),

the plastic surgery consideration (Chirstine: "I don't want to turn into that", Plastic Surgeon: "That's You NOW"),

a reappearance of Sad Dad Stan (Andy Richter) ((at the plastic surgeon's) Christine: "What are you doing here?" Stan: "Oh, I come here all the time. I live close by and this is a great place to meet women with low self-esteem"),

a great opener with Old Christine, Daniel, New Christine and Richard on a double date where New Christine points out " I read that four is the perfect number of people for good conversation." (very long, awkward silence),

to Richard worrying about New Christine running off and instead, keeps accidentally proposing (with a VERY funny performance from Clark Gregg who I just adore more and more)

and anything that brother Matthew says, (Loved that Christine was willing to change it all for beauty and that Matthew called her out on it. Loved that she could reason with Richie about it with her lie about having a "good nights sleep". Loved that she said kids were stupid. Love that the TV sitcom kid Richie is actually not the sharpest tool in the shed.)

New/Old Christine is turning into the perfect biting social satire that still has heart.

Or maybe it's the strike drought and everything seems funnier. But I'd like to believe it's the first reasoning.

Though I did miss the mean moms and Wanda Sykes (just as she was added to the opening credits too) this week. Maybe that's why it felt off the first time I watched.

Meanwhile, I know Carpoolers is a total goner and again, this one really may be due to the strike drought (hurry up people, get back to work!) but I laughed out loud way more than I expected to. I mean, the show is already my guilty pleasure but this week's episode, when Laird tries to scam off using the wheelchair parking spot. Somehow the story goes all over the place ending up with karma coming back for revenge, sending two characters into a wheelchair for real and Scott Thompson presiding over the carpoolers in parking lot court. Nutty and was, dare I say it, starting to feel a lot like the nuttiness of 30 Rock except with one central storyline versus several various ones. I know it is still not close, but the show is funnier and zannier than you would expect. The Kids in the Hall background is starting to show through loud and clear. Just as ABC is probably about to pull the plug for good.

I was just saying that the only good reason to stick with Cashmere Mafia at this point was all the hot men they were sending in and out of the show (cast members Ovenden and Herrmann, gay-for-Jamie (Val Matt Emmich) and Chris Beetem etc. etc. etc.) but while the women were never as weak as the ones in Private Practice, it was nice to see them grow a bit of a spine this week as Mia dumps her ex (Tom Everett Scott) for good (though what happened to the Chinese doctor dude? I actually really liked that story and liked where it was going), Zoe quits after being overlooked for another promotion given to an old white guy, Juliet fights on with her divorce, and Caitlin... well, Caitlin should really just run back to Sam (Beetem, below) and run far far away from the pregnant lesbian (Lourdes Benedicto) just for being so flippy floppy (as she complained about Caitlin's sexual flip flop).

I still don't always buy the dialogue (can there be more exposition?), and I don't buy any of the wardrobe (by Patricia Fields of Sex and the City seemingly throwing these new girls in everything SJP must have rejected, now giving PF the chance to go wild with her "creative" side, darling, it looks like you're trying WAY too hard to be fashion forward), and I don't even believe some of the foibles these "strong, successful" women have but I'm still slightly attaching myself to these girls and enjoying it more than I probably should.

Again, it's probably the strike drought talking.

More After the Jump...

The Jetlag Made Me Do It - London Theatre or Bust?

Anybody looking for a sucker? Call me. Apparently when I'm jetlagged, I'll go on a shopping spree without thinking. I ended up buying tickets to see the Donmar Warehouse production of Hamlet being staged in the West End's Wyndham Theatre in the summer of 2009. Yes. NINE. So apparently I must be going to London in July 2009 now.

I mean, I enjoy Shakespeare and all but there is some actor named Jude Law in it that peaked my interest (and since there happened to be 2nd row centre seats left which isn't too bad), I decided to buy. I know, I'm such a celebrity whore. It's also being directed by Kenneth Branagh, whose only major fault in life so far has been divorcing Emma Thompson. I still miss those days. Much Ado About Nothing is still one of my favorite films of all time (even with the Keanu Reeves scenes).

I also ended up getting tickets to the Donmar in the West End's production of Madame de Sade with Dame Judy Dench. Not too shabby of an actress I say? But yeah, that's in 2009 as well. At least that's in February. Only a year away. Only.

As I was also saying, I REALLY REALLY want to go to London to see the concert performance of the musical Chess (written by Tim Rice and the men of Abba, seriously, and it's about chess players too! Can you see the dancing already?) at the Royal Albert Hall but it's right on dates (Monday May 12th and Tuesday May 13th 2008) where I'll never be able to go. Poo.

But Josh Groban! Singing a musical! Which is actually a natural fit but for some reason I never pictured the two together. And his beady little eyes! How darling! (Is he still going out with Mad Men's January Jones? Oh, apparently not. That was an unexpected but lovely couple. Wait, that means he's single???).

And with Idina freaking Menzel! I don't know whether to be jealous of her for marrying Taye Diggs (one of the few reasons to watch Private Practice still) or Taye Diggs for marrying her.

Anyways, I found clips of the benefit concert performance of Chess: The Musical from LA in 2003 that also features Raul Esparza (Pushing Daisies, The Homecoming, Company)!!! Sutton Foster (Thoroughly Modern Millie, The Drowsy Chaperone, Young Frankenstein)!!! Adam Pascal (Rent, Aida)!!! Norm Lewis (The Little Mermaid)!!! (Yes, this means something to theatrefolks). Cassiopea009 seems to have uploaded a ton of clips on youtube.

Here's a rehearsal clip of "Endgame" with Josh Groban and Adam Pascal (which, truth be told, does seem like an odd pairing), as well as Julia Murney and Sutton Foster:



Here's another rehearsal clip of the Chess benefit concert with the song "Anthem" sung by Josh Groban:



I posted more clips after the jump.

But in the meantime, I really can't believe THIS is actually happening.

Never Forget: The New Musical Based on the Songs of Take That

Um. I LOOOOOOOVE Take That. But my reaction is this still:

hahahahhahahahahahahahahahahahhaahhahahhahahahahahahahahahhahahahahahahahahahahhahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahhahahahahahahahahahhahahaha.

and an extra ha.

Seriously? And it's heading to the London West End (and the Savoy Theatre no less)? Seriously? It wasn't just a regional joke?

What's worse, here's the synopsis: Never Forget is the story of five good looking blokes and their dream to become the ultimate Take That tribute band. Brought together by a budding pop Svengali with promises of world domination, the boys quickly form a genuine bond, practicing long and hard for a local tribute band competition they hope will launch them towards stardom.

However, the arrival of ambitious record executive Annie Borrowman throws the bonds of the five friends into doubt and tests the loyalty and friendship of all those on the rollercoaster journey to fame and fortune

Bursting with life, laughs and great songs, Never Forget is a story of dreams, ambition and betrayal: because sometimes you can only really discover who you are by pretending to be someone else…

You have GOT to be kidding me. It's about 5 guys trying to become a Take That TRIBUTE band?

hahahahahahahahahahhahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha. OMG. I'm GOING to have to see this sh!t! A musical about a TRIBUTE band? Seriously, how lazy can they be?

And there are VIDEO CLIPS??? OMG. (OMG, there's even the full DVD).



OMG, I can't wait for the musical based on Westlife and Boyzone songs then. Never Forget opens May 7, 2008. This was the bust I was talking about by the way. I wish I could say it will close June 7, 2008 but it's London. For some reason it's a mixture of classy plays and musical dreck there. I mean, Starlight Express lasted 18 years. EIGHTEEN godamn years. So this will probably pack them in until 2025. I mean, I'm curious too!

Okay, I need to cleanse myself now again, back to Chess clips (in no particular order which may be bad since it's a musical):

Here's Sutton Foster singing "Someone Else's Story":



Raul Esparza rehearsing "Story of Chess":



Josh Groban rehearsing "Where I Want To Be":



Josh Groban, Julia Murney and Sutton Foster rehearsing "You and I":



The full cast of Josh Groban, Sutton Foster, Julia Murney, Raul Esparza, Adam Pascal, Norm Lewis and Jonathan Dokuchitz rehearsing "Deal, No Deal":



Josh Groban, Adam Pascal, Julia Murney, Norm Lewis and Raul Esparza rehearsing "Quartet (A Model of Decorum and Tranquility)":



I'm always in awe of Sutton Foster and she commands the stage the times I've seen her in The Drowsy Chaperone and Young Frankenstein but I'm always amazed at how mousy she looks regularly.

Adam Pascal and Julia Murney rehearsing "Florence Quits":



Adam Pascal rehearsing "Pity the Child":



Raul Esparza rehearsing "The Arbiter":



Julia Murney rehearsing "Nobody's Side":



Photos of Chess benefit concert by Michael Portantiere
Photos of Never Forget by Catherine Ashmore

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The Jetlag Gayed Me Do It - YouTube and Other Classy Atrocities

So I couldn't sleep last night because of the jetlag coming back overseas and what started off as an attempt to check out the lastest Broadway Backward clips online (including a duet between HIMYM's Neil Patrick Harris and boyfriend David Burtka, as well as a duet with Xanadu hunk Cheyenne Jackson with Rent's Anthony Rapp) and catching up with Andrew's Vlog (Andrew Keenan-Bolger (who has GOT to be a theatre queen? no?), who adorably plays Leaf Coneybear in the touring version of The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee The Musical), ended up turning into an all-night marathon around youtube including finding classic old gay clips from the genius soft core porn for teens that was MTV's Undressed (seriously, what happened to that? talk about trashy addictive TV heroin). I've posted "Athletes in Love" and "Gay College Student" after the jump!

I did watch some classy stuff via ModFab where he's posted all the Academy Award nominated Animated Shorts.

Then I found Josh Groban's performances in the benefit concert of the musical Chess from LA in 2003 (which he is repeating in London this year in May with Idina "Wicked/Rent/Taye Diggs wife" Menzel that I SOOOOO want to go to) that also co-starred Sutton Foster (who will now play Princess Fiona in Shrek the Musical on Broadway), Raul Esparza (who was simply amazing in Company that will be on most PBS stations next Wed. Feb. 20th), and Adam Pascal (Rent). But I'll post that in a separate post cause that's classy sh!t and this is about the crappy stuff I watched Tuesday.

Then, when I finally woke up midday, I was so dizzy and deluded that I ended up watching the premiere of the latest season/desperate-CBS-filler Big Brother 'Til Death Do You Part (above, classy no?), even after I ranted and raved about boycotting the show for the writer's strike sake (and our own humanity for that matter, but oh well, I'm in Canada so my number's don't REALLY count in the end so I'm off the hook)). Wow, so trashy, this time with people paired up with their "soulmates" meaning everyone in the house is supposedly single (well, there was one couple but they were split up with their own separate soulmates, doh). Plus, everyone was attractive, and by attractive I mean they were young, mostly white, not fat with decent haircuts so by cultural terms, yes, "attractive".

Anyways, I admit, I WAS curious and since there was two gay guys coupled up, they suckered me in (they really CAN get us to watch by throwing the token gays in can't they? I'm such a whore (uh, for the gays on TV excuse me very much)) since Joshuah (above) was kinda hot and I'll watch anything with attractive people (see Gossip Girl). I think it's the hair. I know. I'm so cliched.

Anyways, I'm not going to recap it and the Big Brother Trifecta is just a trifecta that is ignoring the show since Dick unfairly won, and if Sheila and Adam win, well, I'll continue ignoring it (because already they've been SOOOO classy in the opening episode being totally disgusted with each other as each other's soulmates picks (um, isn't this a game? Use it to your advantage to win the game and ignore the love thing, you losers, it's not like CBS is forcing you to marry them after (or are they?)).

I also checked out some of the American Idol auditions and there's a lot of super young cute and gayish jailbait's in the running this year, with what seems like a very young crop that seems to be doing well and getting attention. There are still too many to figure out so I'll let it whittle down to the Top 24 next week before I decide if I'm going to stick around this season.

As for the classy gay stuff on youtube, you can't beat MTV's Undressed so here is "Athlete's in Love", man I love this stuff:



And here's "Gay College Student":



and okay, I must try to find more of this crap. I used to love watching Undressed marathons, usually when I was stuck in an American hotel for work (we never got that show in Canada until after it was already cancelled). I was never sure if I was supposed to actually be turned on or laugh.

Meanwhile, um, here's some more pics of Joshuah;

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