Concert Review: “Croce Plays Croce”

 

  • A.J. CROCE
  • The Kauffman Center, Kansas City, MO
  • April 13, 2024

 

“And I carry it with me like my daddy did.”

“I Got a Name” – Jim Croce

 

I remember when Michael Douglas won his Oscar for “Wall Street” he thanked his dad for allowing him to “step out of a shadow.”  In the history of singer/songwriters, very few people left a shadow as large as that of Jim Croce.  In a tragically shortened career that lasted less than two years, Croce wrote and performed some of the most popular songs of the 20th Century.  His son, A.J., following in his father’s footsteps, has become an influential singer/songwriter of this century.  This past Saturday night, the two centuries converged on the Kauffman Center as, to paraphrase the name of the tour, Croce played Croce.

 

The show opened with a film clip of Jim Croce talking about his young son, Adrian James, asking his wife, Ingrid, to “bring him out.”  With that introduction, A.J. took the stage and, for the next two and a half hours, kept the audience grooving with a combination of songs by himself, his father and some of his musical heroes.

 

Musically, the show was flawless.  Mr. Croce is an accomplished musician and, along with his backup band made up of some amazing session players, he rocked the house.  But even better then the music were the stories Mr. Croce shared with the audience.  Stores about his father.  Stories about his own musical journey.  A highlight was when he opened the show up to the audience, encouraging them to shout out titles of songs they wanted to hear, Mr. Croce and the band obliging them.  The songs were presented with a variety of videos, featuring everything from family films of his father to an animated cartoon of “Bad, Bad, Leroy Brown,” which I can remember watching as a kid on “The Sonny and Cher Show.”

 

While I could not grab a set list, both Croce’s catalogues were well represented.  A great story about Rod Stewart evolved into a kick-ass version of “Stay with Me.”  Another musical highlight was “Name of the Game,” a song Jim Croce was working on before he passed that A.J. finished.

 

All in all, it was an amazing night filled with amazing music.  One I highly recommend.  On a scale of zero to five, “Croce Plays Croce” receives ★★★★★

 

“Croce plays Croce’ continues though the end of the year.  For tickets, please click HERE.   

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Theater Review: “ROCKY”

 

  • ROCKY
  • Musical Theatre Kansas City, Shawnee, Kansas
  • April 14, 2024

 

It’s my second favorite film of all time.  The story of a boxer and his million to one shot.  So, when I first heard a few years ago that ROCKY was coming to Broadway, I was ecstatic.  I never made it to NYC to see it, but a friend of mine sent me the Original Cast CD and I liked what I heard.  So I was happy to see that the talented people at MTKC was staging the show locally.

 

November 1975.  Club fighter Rocky Balboa (a well-cast Drew Starlin) is making his living as a “debt collector” by day and a club fighter by night.  As he tells his manager, Mickey (Rick Averill), “it’s a living.”  But he wants more.  More includes Adrian (Jasmine Hall,” the shy sister of Rocky’s best friend, Paulie (Chris Clements).  When the forementioned “million to one shot” lands in his lap, Rocky finds himself in the biggest fight of his career.

 

Based on the film script by Sylvester Stallone, with a book by Stallone and Thomas Meehan (the Broadway shows “Annie,” “The Producers,” “Hairspray”), ROCKY is a very faithful adaptation of the film, The actors on stage are accompanied by a pretty impressive multi-media background, giving even the simplest set a larger feel.  This is most evident during the final fight between Rocky and Apollo Creed (Shane St. James).

 

The songs, by Stephen Flaherty (“Seussical” and Lyn Ahrens (“My Favorite Year,” “Ragtime”) capture the emotion of the situations unfolding onstage.  The cast is strong, especially Mr. Starlin and Ms. Hall, who, rather then doing an impression of the original film’s actors, give the characters a sweetness and vulnerability that extends throughout the show.  And a special shout-out to Mr. Clements, who truly captures the mixed emotions felt by Paulie.

 

A few technical glitches aside, the presentation was smooth and the audience I was in cheered at all the right places.

 

On a scale of zero to five, I give ROCKY ★★★★

 

ROCKY continues at MTKC on Friday, Saturday and Sundays through April 28th.  For tickets and more information, click HERE.

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Film Review: “Monkey Man”

 

  • MONKEY MAN
  • Starring:  Dev Patel and Sharlto Copely
  • Directed by: Dev Patel
  • Rated:  R
  • Running time:  2 hrs, 1 min
  • Universal

 

Here are four words I thought I’d never see together:
“Dev Patel – Action Star.”  Yet, in the new film “Monkey Man,” Patel proves he can kick ass both on screen and, as the film’s director, behind it.

 

Meet Kid (Patel), a man trying hard to forget his past, no matter the nightmares.  To earn money, he participates in unsanctioned UFC-style battles with very few rules.  And he fights wearing the mask of a monkey.  Meet the Monkey Man.

 

Basically a young-man-seeking-revenge thriller, “Monkey Man” is far superior to many films of that type thanks to Patel’s work both as actor and director.  I’ve always been a fan of Patel on screen.  From “Slumdog Millionaire” to his Oscar nominated (and BAFTA winning) performance in “Lion,” he has been an actor whose work I admire and actually look forward to seeing.  This film is no different, as he gives another fine performance.

 

But it is Patel the director who is the real star here.  The film is full of non-stop action, with each encounter more thrilling then the last.  Patel allows his cameras to become part of the on-screen ballet, capturing the fury of every punch.  With the use of Go-Pros, the viewer is put directly into the action with such realism that you may find yourself ducking in the audience.

 

I will note that the film is quite brutal in some of it’s depictions of violence so be prepared to squirm in your seat a little.  But squirm away because I can guarantee you this isn’t the last time you’ll see Patel behind the camera.

 

On a scale of zero to five, I give “Monkey Man” ★★★★

 

 

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Interview with Singer/Songwriter A.J. Croce

Thursday, September 20, 1973 found me in 8th grade at Chardon Middle School in Chardon, Ohio.  Walking home my group of friends would often sing the songs we heard on the radio at the top of our voices.  A favorite was “Bad, Bad Leroy Brown.”  The next day the word was all over school.  The night before the man who wrote and sung the song, Jim Croce, had been killed in a plane crash.  18-months after he had burst onto the scene, he was gone.  But in that time he gave the world some of the most memorable songs of all time.  Jim Croce is gone, but thankfully another talented songwriter is keeping his work alive.  His son, A.J.

 

With ten albums of his own to his credit, A.J. Croce (Adrian James for the curious) didn’t need to sing his father’s songs to establish his long career.  Feeling the time is right, he has recently embarked on a tour called, simply, “Croce Sings Croce.”  In preparation for his upcoming appearance at the Kauffman Center in Kansas City on Saturday, April 13th, Mr. Croce took the time so speak with me about the tour, his career and the continued legacy of his fater.

 

MIKE SMITH:  I’m going to get weird here for a second and I apologize.  I’m aa63 years old.  I had two musical heroes growing up…people whose music not only inspired me but their passion for others.  One was Harry Chapin.  The other was your dad.  I interviewed Harry’s son, Jason, a couple of years ago and it is a true honor and privilege to speak with you.   

 

A.J. CROCE:  Wow.  Thank you.

 

MS:  You were reluctant to perform your father’s music early in your career.  Why are you highlighting it now?

 

AJC:  There were a lot of reasons.  One was that I had had success in my own right.  I had done well as a songwriter and sideman and musician.  I felt a sense of accomplishment.  The other part was that I didn’t feel there was any integrity in just jumping in and performing my father’s music.  I was a piano player, so I was playing the guitar parts on piano long before I picked up a guitar twenty years ago.  It was a challenge.  I played jazz and old blues and rock and roll New Orleans music so I was trying to find and conquer the most challenging music out there.  That’s what I was looking for.  That being said, I love my father’s music.  There was never a time when I didn’t respect what he had done.  I loved his song writing nd guitar playing.  I have always been working behind the scenes to try and preserve and promote his legacy of music.  I felt that the integrity of my music needed to be intact.  I felt it was a little cheap and a little cheesy just to make a few bucks off of playing my dad’s music when I was young.  As I got older and picked up the guitar, I found there were times and places in my show where I could throw in a song of his as a surprise.  As soon as no one expected me to perform my father’s music it became a lot easier and more fun to throw something in.  Having worked with Ray Charles and Aretha Franklin and James Brown…all those iconic R&B artists…I wanted to make a name for myself.  It was really important that there be integrity in it.

 

MS:  When you first started out, was the last name “Croce” a blessing or a hinderance?

 

AJC:  Both.  It was both.  The blessing was, in some ways, smaller then the hinderance at times.  It’s hard to have your own identity when you have a name that’s recognizable.  You don’t really have the privilege of being heard for yourself.  You are heard as the relative of someone who is well-known, maybe for something completely different from what you do.  Having the identity of someone else is a challenge.  Most people get to succeed and fail on their own merits.  I was only able to succeed from the outside perspective on the merits of my father and I was only able to fail on my own merit.  I was not concerned with fame and celebrity.  I was determined to be the best piano player and songwriter and entertainer that I could possibly be.  That was my goal.  I probably shot myself in the foot more than a few times because I was more interested in the music than I was in the fame that music brought.  I probably turned down many opportunities early in my career that would have been really helpful.  I think early on, in the first twenty, twenty-five years of my touring and recording career…of course I wanted people to hear my music.  I think I was a little uncompromising.  I was a little afraid of what fame might do.  I saw what it did to my father.  I saw the remnants of it because of his success.  There’s a certain part of life you no longer get to experience once you’re no longer anonymous.

 

MS:  Talking about fame, a lot of people can tell you that Jim Croce died in a plane crash but they don’t know why he was on that plane.  He was keeping a promise that he really didn’t have to.  He didn’t have to go and do that show, but he did.  And that is one of the things I’ve always admired about him.

 

AJC:  Yes.  I mean, every artist has that happen.  When you sign a deal to do a concert and miss it, you do your best to make it up.  I got snowed out of a concert in Connecticut in February and will go back and play at the end of April.  That’s the nature of this business.  There are circumstances sometimes that keep you from being where you want to be.  Or play where you want to play.

 

MS:  Certainly.  My comparison is that between the time he missed the concert and when he went down to do it he became JIM CROCE.

 

(QUICK NOTE:  Before he became a household name, Jim Croce had to cancel a concert he had scheduled at Northwestern State University in Louisiana due to illness.  He promised the promoters that he would make up the show as soon as possible.  A year later, now a big star, he had an open date on his current tour, called the school and said he’d be there.  Even with two successful albums and a fistful of hit songs, Croce did the show for his originally agreed on fee, $750.  Remember when I talked about having passion for others?  Jim Croce is a true example. )

 

AJC:  Absolutely.  Absolutely.  His career was so brief.  His career was eighteen months.  I mean he had played semi-professionally for a period of time but his professional career was eighteen months.  All of the songs you know were written, finished and recorded and toured in that eighteen-month period of time.  It’s kind of an astounding thing that so much was accomplished in such a short amount of time. 

A.J. Croce (Photo credit: Jim Shea)

MS:  You’ve endured a lot of tragedy in your life. (NOTE:  Jim Croce died when A.J. was two.  When he was four, his mother’s boyfriend beat him so badly he lost sight in both eyes.  He regained the sight in his left eye at age 10).  Have you ever drawn on that, even subconsciously, for your own music? 

 

AJC:  Oh, of course.  If I don’t draw on life experience, I’m not doing my job.  If I’m not using it in my music then I’m not paying attention or growing.  It can’t be a superficial exploration when it comes to writing.  There needs to be depth and you need to draw from those things and hopefully gain wisdom and a sense of humor.  If you can’t gain a sense of humor from the tragedies of life then you’re missing out on half of what a tragedy can give you. 

 

MS:   Do you have a favorite song of your fathers?

 

AJC:  No.  I love a lot of his songs.   Just like all music I have no favorite artist…no favorite song.  Music is dso much about mood and emotion.  One morning you wake up and you want to hear Edith Piaf.  The next morning you wake up and you want to hear Zepplin.  Or you want to hear Ray Charles or Fats Waller or Little Richard.  Music is about emotion and mood and that’s such a beautiful thing. 

 

MS:  That’s a great answer.

 

AJC: (laughing) Thanks! 

 

A.J. Croce is currently on tour.  For more information, please visit his WEBSITE.

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Interview with “Clue” actor Teddy Trice

We first introduced you to actor Teddy Trice five years ago when the Kansas City area native was back in his home town and appearing in “The Book of Mormon.”  This week he’s back, appearing in the new comedy “Clue.”  Mr. trice took time out of his day to fill us in on the new challenges he’s taken on on stage.

 

Mike Smith:  Good morning! 

 

Teddy Trice:  Good morning.  We’ve chatted before, do you remember?

 

MS:  Yes sir, for “The Book of Mormon.”

 

TT:  Well, it’s good to talk with you again.

 

MS:  How was the show last night?

 

TT:  It was great…it was great.  Full house.  The audience was having a blast. 

 

MS:  Tell me about the show.  How did it come to be?

 

TT:  This is the play adaptation of the classic movie.  And if you’re a fan of the board game you’ll see a lot of connections there.  The show follows the six suspects of Boddy Manor.  It’s a classic who-dun-it, with lots of slapstick comedy.  It has a lot of twists and turns that will keep people guessing. 

 

MS:  Since you mentioned the movie, when the film was released, it was released with three different endings.  Depending on what version you saw, that was the murderer.  The hope was that if you paid to see the film, you’d pay two more times to see the alternate killers.  Is the show similar to that?  Do you have a different killer every night?

 

TT:  It’s the same ending every night. But there are a few little twists that are different from what the film was

 

MS:  What is the audience reaction when the culprit is revealed?  I’m sure many of them have spent the show trying to figure things out for themselves.  Are there gasps of surprise or can you hear someone whisper “I knew it was them?”

 

TT:  There have been moments when the audience thinks they have it figured out and when the story switches you definitely hear the reaction.  But it happens so fast.  The show is 90-minutes and everyone is trying to piece it together in real time.  Everyone is along for the ride.  And when they do, or don’t, figure it out, it definitely takes them by surprise.

 

MS:  It’s definitely a show that you have to pay attention too.

 

TT:  There are quite a few characters and you have to piece together their motivations so you have to be CLUED in (laughs) to figure it out.

 

MS:  Last we talked, you were appearing in one of the most popular musicals of the 20th Century.  What led you to “Clue?”

 

TT:  This is my first time touring in a play.  After “Book of Mormon” I did “Come From Away” (NOTE:  “Come From Away” currently touring).  So I did two pretty big musicals so I thought stepping into a play would be a really big challenge.  Especially now when you have people who are massive fans of the movie.  A built-in audience.  It was a joy to work with the playwright and the director from the beginning.  I thought it was a unique opportunity to bring this show across the country. 

Mr. Trice recently released an EP of songs reflecting his life and upbringing.

MS:  is this your first time at the Kaufman Center?

 

TT:  Yes.  I appeared at the Music Hall but this is my first time at Kauffman.

 

MS:  What is it like playing in front of the home town audience?

 

TT:  It’s amazing.  I can remember when I was younger and a show would come to Kauffman.  I would take my parents  and just be in awe of the space and the performers.  It’s definitely a bucket list item for me.  It’s a dream for me.  To be able to work in a place that inspired me is really special.  I can only imagine that aspiring young artists are thinking the same thing.  I want to be able to be a light for the City and help in that way.

 

To read my 2019 interview with Mr. Trice, click HERE. 

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In Year 25, Planet Comicon Kansas City Continues to Evolve!

In 1999 I was the promotions director of the largest independent theatre chain in Kansas City.  It was in this position that I first met Chris Jackson.  Jackson had an idea for a local event and I was more then happy to lend a hand.  Later that year, at the Overland Park International Trade Center in Overland Park, Kansas, Planet Comicon Kansas City was born.  Twenty-five years later, the show continues to constantly grow, evolve and amaze!

Fun for Wookies of all ages! (photo credit: Dan Lybarger)

What makes PCKC so unique is that every year there is something new added to the event to make it special.  This year it was a large game area where fans could line up to play an assortment of classic and newer video games. 

Jon Bernthal (photo credit Dan Lybarger)

Another staple of the show is that they keep their celebrity guest list fresh, mixing in newer talents, including The Punisher himself, Jon Bernthal and the MCU’s Paul Bettany, with well-loved celebrities from the past, including this year the amazing Henry Winkler.  I first met Mr. Winkler fourteen years ago and he was actually the very first celebrity interview posted on this site.  He was kind and gracious then and, by all accounts of the fans I spoke to this year, he hasn’t changed a bit!

Paul Bettany (photo credit: Dan Lybarger)

I can’t recall how many fans attended the show in 1999, but I can tell you the turnout was nothing compared to the nearly 50,000 that have attended the show, now held at the Kansas City Convention Center in Kansas City, Missouri, in recent years. 

COSPLAY is a staple at PCKC. “Death Becomes Her” (photo credit: Dan Lybarger_

For those of you marking your calendars, next year’s PCKC is scheduled for March 21-23, 2025.  If the past quarter century is any indication, the next twenty-five years are going to be incredible!

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Film Review: “Arthur the King”

 

  • ARTHUR THE KING
  • Starring:  Mark Wahlberg, Nathalie Emmanuel and Simu Liu
  • Directed by:  Simon Cillan Jones
  • Rated: PG 13
  • Running time: 1 hour 30 mins
  • Lionsgate

 

 

Did you know that there is an annual race in the Dominican Republic called the Adventure Racing World Championship?  Neither did I.  And I can tell you, as someone who used to enjoy running 5K races…I want to part of it.  Five days.  Over 400 miles on land and water.  Yikes.

 

Mikael (Wahlberg) used to enjoy Adventure Racing.  At least until his last race ended with he and his team stuck in a dry river bed because Michael led them in the wrong direction.  Now Mikael lives with his wife and daughter in Colorado and, while he no longer competes, he trains hard because the desire is still inside him.  He decides to put a team together for one last adventure.  An adventure that continues to influence his life today.

 

A story of faith, both in yourself and others, “Arthur the Kind” is an inspirational story of endurance, both physical and mental, and what it takes to succeed at both.  Mikael’s team is a mashup of personalities:  a former teammate with a bad knee, the up and coming daughter of a famous rock climber and a racer who spends more time on social media then he does in the gym.  At one of the rest areas they are approached by a stray dog.  Mikael gives it a meatball and the team heads back out, traversing dense jungles at night.  Miraculously, after trekking another hundred miles they are surprised to learn the dog has followed them.  Mikael gives the dog the name Arthur, as in King Arthur.  Now a quintet, the team forges on towards the finish line.

I have never been more exhausted at the end of a movie.  Director Jones puts his camera smack dab in the middle of the action and you feel the aches and pain caused by every step…every stretch….every stroke of an oar.  Like the race itself, the film keeps a fast pace and never slows down.

 

If there is a message here, it is don’t judge a book by its cover, whether the book is a man or a stray dog.  The script, by Michael Brandt and Mikael Lindnord, is based on a true event.  Lindnord – on whose story the film is based –  is honest, and strays away from the usual inspirational tropes similar films have.  Whatever their goals are, Mikael and Arthur will only achieve them on their terms.

 

With the Easter holidays approaching, “Arthur the King” is truly a film for the whole family.

On a scale of zero to five I give “Arthur the King” ★★★★

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“Oppenheimer” is Big Winner at 96th Annual Academy Awards

 

Oppenheimer, Christopher Nolan’s epic about the dawn of the nuclear age, took home seven Oscars, including Best Picture, last night at the 96th Annual Academy Awards.  The film, which led all films with thirteen nominations, also received awards for Director (Nolan), Actor (Cillian Murphy), Supporting Actor (Robert Downey, Jr.), Film Editing, Cinematography and Original Score.  On the other side of the massive Barbieheimer battle, Barbie only took home one award, for the original song “What Was I Made For?”, written by Billie Eilish  and Finneas O’Connell.  The win made Ellish, at age 22, the youngest person ever to have won two Academy Awards  She received her first Oscar two years ago for the title song to the James Bond film No Time to Die.

Other major award winners were Emma Stone, who won her second Best Actress award for Poor Things, Da’Vine Joy Randolph (Best Supporting Actress for The Holdovers) and The Zone of Interest, which was named the Best International Feature Film.  Seventy years after making his film debut, Godzilla Minus One earned the big green guy his first Oscar, winning for Visual Effects. 

 

Hosted again by talk show host Jimmy Kimmel, the show moved quickly, coming in at just under three and half hours.

 

While Ellish’ song from Barbie took home the Oscar, it was another song from the film, “I’m Just Ken,” performed by Best Supporting Actor nominee Ryan Gosling.  The number, which featured Gosling all in pink as a tribute to Marily Monroe’s “Diamonds Are a Girl’s Best Friend,” featured guest appearances by guitarists Slash and Wolfgang Van Halen.  Another fun bit was John Cena coming out to present the Best Costume award wearing just his birthday suit.

 

The low point for me was the IN MEMORIAM portion of the show.  The segment began with a brief clip of Alexi Navalny, who recently passed away in a Russian prison.  However, it was all downhill from there because, for whatever reason, the tv director felt it was best to go with a long shot most of the time, so the names of many of those being honored could not be read on the screen.  Also, in what I assume was an attempt to silence the fans who, the next day, always complain that “so and so” wasn’t mentioned, the segment ended with about 50 names all crammed into a circle.  One of those names was Oscar nominee Burt Young, who deserved better!

 

Here is a complete list of the winners:

 

Best picture: “Oppenheimer”

Best director: Christopher Nolan, “Oppenheimer”

Best actress: Emma Stone, “Poor Things.”

Best actor: Cillian Murphy, “Oppenheimer”

Best supporting actress: Da’Vine Joy Randolph, “The Holdovers”

Best supporting actor: Robert Downey Jr., “Oppenheimer”

Best original screenplay: Justine Triet and Arthur Harari, “Anatomy of a Fall”

Best adapted screenplay: Cord Jefferson, “American Fiction”

Best animated feature: “The Boy and the Heron”

Best animated short: “War is Over! Inspired by the Music of John Lennon and Yoko Ono”

Best international feature: “The Zone of Interest” (United Kingdom)

Best documentary feature: “20 Days in Mariupol”

Best documentary short: “The Last Repair Shop”

Best live action short: “The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar”

Best score: Ludwig Göransson, “Oppenheimer”

Best original song: Billie Eilish and Finneas O’Connell, “What Was I Made For?” from “Barbie”

Best sound: Tarn Willers and Johnnie Burn, “The Zone of Interest”

Best production design: James Price, Shona Heath and Zsuzsa Mihalek, “Poor Things”

Best cinematography: Hoyte van Hoytema, “Oppenheimer”

Best makeup and hairstyling: Nadia Stacey, Mark Coulier and Josh Weston, “Poor Things”

Best costume design: Holly Waddington, “Poor Things”

Best editing: Jennifer Lame, “Oppenheimer”

Best visual effects: Takashi Yamazaki, Kiyoko Shibuya, Masaki Takahashi and Tatsuji Nojima, “Godzilla Minus One”

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Interview with “Mama Mia!” actress Jalynn Steele

 

 

If I wasn’t the age I am, I wouldn’t believe that the group ABBA has been around for over five decades.  Their music was a big part of the soundtrack of my youth.  April 1999 saw the creation of “Mama Mia!,” a show that incorporated the group’s music.  Like the band itself, the show became a global phenomenon, currently touring the country in a 25th Anniversary production, opening tonight in Kansas City.

 

I had the opportunity to speak with actress Jaclynn Steele, who plays Tanya in the show, during a break in her busy schedule.

 

MICHAEL SMITH:  Good morning.  What city am I catching you in?

 

JALYNN STEELE:  Good morning.  We’re in Indianapolis through Sunday.  Thankfully the sunshine has followed us. 

 

MS:  How did you come to be cast as Tanya in the show?

 

JS:  It’s kind of a full circle moment for me now.  Down the street from where we are is a place called Beef and Boards Dinner Theater.  Several years ago, I want to say 2017, they did a production of “Mama Mia!” and I played Tanya.  Then last year they started holding auditions for the 25th Anniversary Tour.  I auditioned but I didn’t expect anything to come of it.  I went through all of the levels of the audition – singing, dancing – and they liked me! (laughs).  Two months later, here we are.  (NOTE:  For our Indianapolis readers, “Beautiful: The Carole King Musical” will be playing at Beef and Boards through the end of March).

 

MS:  Were you an ABBA fan?

 

JS:  I actually was.  Riding with my dad on car trips, we would listen to “Mama Mia,” “Dancing Queen” and, my favorite as a child, “Fernando.”  It was such a fun song.  My dad used to play it for me all the time. 

 

MS:  What made you want to pursue acting?

 

JS:  That started when I was a child.  I loved singing.  I grew up in my dad’s church, singing in the choir.  I loved singing at school.  It wasn’t until high school that I started getting involved with theater.  Doing things after school and really getting serious about it.  When it came time to plan my college career I had no idea what I wanted to do…what I wanted to be at that age. Then, my dad said to me, “If someone came and woke you up at three in the morning what would you have no problem doing?”  And I thought, “well, I can entertain.”  So that was the decision maker.  I ended up going to Sam Houston State University, and auditioned for the musical theater program there, majoring in that with a dance emphasis because my dancing wasn’t so great.  (laughs)  I figured if I emphasized it, it would get a little better.  I did that and then I was a part of the show “Fosse.”  I auditioned for the show “Fosse” in New York and was able to get that.  When I finished the tour I went back to school because my folks spent a lot of money (laughs).  I finished my degree and moved to New York. 

 

MS:  OK, I have to interrupt here.  I think you’re being modest.  You just said, I couldn’t dance but I got cast in “Fosse.”  That’s like me saying, “I really can’t sing but I’m playing Jean Valjean in “Les Miz.”

 

JS:  (laughing)  The years of training in school actually helped out.  I really didn’t get official dance training until later in life.  And then when I did, like I said, I emphasized it, because I really wanted to get that.

 

(L to R) Jalynn Steele (Tanya), Carly Sakolove (Rosie), and Christine Sherrill (Donna Sheridan)
Photo by Joan Marcus

 

MS:  Is there a role out there you’d like to play someday?

 

JS:  I don’t really have one.  I don’t have a favorite where I’m thinking, “oh, I’ve gotta play that.”  Whatever role I have, I’m going to do the very best I can to make that role my own and to create that character.  Whatever that character may be…even if it’s “3rd tree on the left.”  (laughs)  You never know what wonderful cast members you might meet and how you might influence each other’s lives.  It’s all in the moment and being a part of the cast.  And the cast I’m a part of now is spectacular.  It’s a really diverse company and everyone is wonderful.  We get along very well.  Which is very rare.  (laughs)  My fellow Dynamos – Christine Sherrill and Carly Sakolove – we really share a special bond.  It’s a lot of fun and it’s a wonderful cast.

 

MS:  Do you find the audience singing along a lot?

 

JS:  Oh yes.  That’s one of the reason why we have the Mega-mix at the end.  So that everybody can have fun.

 

MS:  Do you have anything lined up after this show?

 

JS:  Right now I’m concentrating on the tour.  We’re spreading that ABBA love. 

 

“Mama Mia!” continues at the Music Hall in Kansas City through Sunday, March 10.  For tickets to this stop in the tour, or future ones, please click HERE.  

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Win Passes to Planet Comicon Kansas City

 

Media Mikes has teamed up with their friends at Planet Comicon Kansas City to give (5) random readers a chance to win a pass for (2) to attend the 25th Anniversary PCKC the weekend of March 9-10, 2024.

I am proud to say that, in one shape or another, I have been involved with this event since it began and I can honestly say it has grown into one of the best and visited events in the country.  This year’s guests include Henry Winkler, Ron Perlman, Paul Bettany, Adrienne Barbeau and Keith David.

To win your passes, all you have to do is let us know in the comments below what celebrity guest you would like to see at a future show.  We have been running this contest every year since 2010 and I can tell you that several of the guests you have suggested have later been invited to the show.

(5) random entries will be chosen and they will receive a pass for (2) to attend the show.  The contest ends at 10:00 pm (CST) on Wednesday, March 6, 2024.  Winners will be notified by email that evening.  GOOD LUCK!

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Film Review #1 – “Bob Marley: One Love”

 

  • BOB MARLEY:  ONE LOVE
  • Starring:  Kingsley Ben-Adir, Lashana Lynch, and James Norton
  • Directed by:  Reinaldo Marcus Green
  • Rated:  R
  • Running time:  1 hr 47 mins
  • Paramount

 

As a father I’ve tried to share my love for musicians I grew up listening to to my son.  It’s a family tradition.  My father introduced me to Buddy Holly and Elvis Presley.  I introduced my son to the Beatles, the Rolling Stones, Bruce Springsteen and many others.  But there was one artist I neglected to share with my son, so it was with great pride when, at the age of 14, he asked me if I’d ever heard of Bob Marley?  Of course I had.  He was another favorite.  The pride I felt came from the fact that my son, without my input, was now listening to the music of a man who had passed away three years before he was born.

 

It is a tough time to live in Jamaica.  With two very opposite people trying to take power, the citizens of the Island country are caught between both factions.  Enter Bob Marley (Ben-Adir) a Rastafarian musician who, despite his sometimes political posturing in his music, only wants to bring the people of his country together.  He and his band, the Wailiers, are currently getting ready for a large concert when their rehearsal is interrupted by gunfire.  Marley and his manager are shot, as was Marley’s wife, Rita (Lynch).  But Marley will not be deterred in his quest to share his music and his message of peace with the world.

 

Produced with the approval and input of Marley’s son, Ziggy, “Bob Marley: One Love” takes a look not only at the man, but at the rise of a new music genre’ including the creation of, in my opinion, Marley’s greatest album, “Exodus.”  But don’t take my word for it.  “Rolling Stone” magazine’s list of the 500 greatest albums of all time lists “Exodus” at number 71.

 

While the music is important, it is the man we learn about.  As portrayed by Ben-Adir, Bob Marley is a man like every other man.  He has his faults, and the film does not try to hide them from the audience.  He knows what he has to do to get his music heard – mostly traveling constantly – yet sometimes questions the methods of how his popularity is being achieved.  When Rita reminds him, “if you’re going to swim in pollution, you’re going to get polluted,” he realizes that, try as he might, he can’t control everything.

The performances are outstanding, with Mr. Ben-Adir seemingly channeling the spirit of Bob Marley.  From the way he moved to the way he spoke and sang, it is an amazing performance.  Ms. Lynch gives Rita Marley her own voice, playing her as both a loving and supportive wife as well as a no-nonsense woman who is not afraid to speak her mind.  The music, of course, is pure bliss.  Most people can tell you that Bob Marley sang “I Shot the Sherrif,” “Jamming,” and “No Woman No Cry” and the film highlights those songs but you also get a taste of some of Marley’s lesser known songs, all of them enjoyable.

 

Thanks to the hard work of Ziggy Marley, “Bob Marley: One Love” is a loving and inspiring tribute to a man who left this world much too soon.  But his music, and his message, lives on.

 

On a scale of zero to five, I give “Bob Marley: One voice” ★★★★

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“Oppenheimer” Earns (13) Nominations for the 96th Annual Academy Awards

 

Oppenheimer, Christopher Nolan’s epic story about the dawn of the Atomic Age, dominated the nominations for the 96th Annual Academy Awards, earning a total of (13) nominations, including Best Picture and Best Director for Nolan.  Also earning double-digit nominations, Poor Things and Killers of the Flower Moon, which received (11) and (10) nods respectively.  Both films are also in the running for Best Picture, alongside American Fiction, Anatomy of a Fall, Barbie, The Holdovers, Maestro, Past Lives and The Zone of Interest. 

 

The nominations were announced by Zazie Beetz and Jack Quaid, who for some reason seemed to think they were leading a pep rally.  Their vocal inflections and over enthusiasm for some nominees were actually pretty annoying. 

 

This year’s acting nominations were a great representation of the talent working today.  Kudos to Jeffrey Wright, who is great in anything he does, earning his first Best Actor nomination for American Fiction.  A surprise non-nominee in this category was Leonardo DiCaprio for Killers of the Flower Moon.  In Leo’s defense, it was a strong season for acting this year so no shame in not making the top five.  His Killers co-star, Lily Gladstone, became the first Native American actor to be nominated for an acting award. 

 

2023’s biggest moneymaker, Barbie, earned (8) nominations, including Best Supporting Actor for Ryan Gosling, Best Supporting Actress for America Ferrera and Best Adapted Screenplay.  Surprisingly, star (and co-producer) Margot Robbie, did not earn a Best Actress nod. 

 

Martin Scorsese, at age 81, became the oldest nominee in the Best Director category, earning his tenth  nomination in this category for Killers of the Flower Moon.  

 

The great John Williams received nomination number (54) when he earned a nod for his original score for Indian Jones and the Dial of Destiny.   

 

 

The 96th Annual Academy Awards will air on Sunday, March 10th. 

 

Below is a complete list of nominees:

Best Picture

“American Fiction”

“Anatomy of a Fall”

“Barbie”

“The Holdovers”

“Killers of the Flower Moon”

“Maestro”

“Oppenheimer”

“Past Lives”

“Poor Things”

“The Zone of Interest”

Best Actor

Bradley Cooper, “Maestro”

Colman Domingo, “Rustin”

Paul Giamatti, “The Holdovers”

Cillian Murphy, “Oppenheimer”

Jeffrey Wright, “American Fiction”

Best Actress

Annette Bening, “Nyad”

Lily Gladstone, “Killers of the Flower Moon”

Sandra Hüller, “Anatomy of a Fall”

Carey Mulligan, “Maestro”

Emma Stone, “Poor Things”

 

Best Supporting Actor

Sterling K. Brown, “American Fiction”

Robert De Niro, “Killers of the Flower Moon”

Robert Downey Jr., “Oppenheimer”

Ryan Gosling, “Barbie”

Mark Ruffalo, “Poor Things”

 

Best Supporting Actress

Emily Blunt, “Oppenheimer”

Danielle Brooks, “The Color Purple”

America Ferrera, “Barbie”

Jodie Foster, “Nyad”

Da’Vine Joy Randolph, “The Holdovers”

 

Best Director

Jonathan Glazer, “The Zone of Interest”

Yorgos Lanthimos, “Poor Things”

Christopher Nolan, “Oppenheimer”

Martin Scorsese, “Killers of the Flower Moon”

Justine Triet, “Anatomy of a Fall”

 

International Feature Film

“Io Capitano,” Italy

“Perfect Days,” Japan

“Society of the Snow,” Spain

“The Teachers’ Lounge,” Germany

“The Zone of Interest,” United Kingdom

Animated Feature Film

“The Boy and the Heron”

“Elemental”

“Nimona”

“Robot Dreams”

“Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse”

Adapted Screenplay

“American Fiction”

“Barbie”

“Oppenheimer”

“Poor Things”

“The Zone of Interest”

Original Screenplay

“Anatomy of a Fall”

“The Holdovers”

“Maestro”

“May December”

“Past Lives”

Visual Effects

“The Creator”

“Godzilla Minus One”

“Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3”

“Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One”

“Napoleon”

Original Score

“American Fiction”

“Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny”

“Killers of the Flower Moon”

“Oppenheimer”

“Poor Things”

Original Song

“It Never Went Away” from “American Symphony”

“I’m Just Ken” from “Barbie”

“What Was I Made For?” from “Barbie”

“The Fire Inside” from “Flamin’ Hot”

“Wahzhazhe (A Song For My People)” from “Killers of the Flower Moon”

Documentary Feature Film

“20 Days in Mariupol”

“Bobi Wine: The People’s President”

“The Eternal Memory”

“Four Daughters”

“To Kill a Tiger”

Cinematography

“El Conde”

“Killers of the Flower Moon”

“Maestro”

“Oppenheimer”

“Poor Things”

Costume Design

“Barbie”

“Killers of the Flower Moon”

“Napoleon”

“Oppenheimer”

“Poor Things”

Animated Short Film

“Letter to a Pig”

“Ninety-Five Senses”

“Our Uniform”

“Pachyderme”

“War Is Over! Inspired by the Music of John & Yoko”

Live Action Short Film

“The After”

“Invincible”

“Knight of Fortune”

“Red, White and Blue”

“The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar”

Documentary Short Film

“The ABCs of Book Banning”

“The Barber of Little Rock”

“Island in Between”

“The Last Repair Shop”

“Nǎi Nai & Wài Pó”

Film Editing

“Anatomy of a Fall”

“The Holdovers”

“Killers of the Flower Moon”

“Oppenheimer”

“Poor Things”

Sound

“The Creator”

“Maestro”

“Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One”

“Oppenheimer”

“The Zone of Interest”

Production Design

“Barbie”

“Killers of the Flower Moon”

“Napoleon”

“Oppenheimer”

“Poor Things”

Makeup and Hairstyling

“Golda”

“Maestro”

“Oppenheimer”

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Film Review – “Maestro”

 

  • MAESTRO
  • Starring:  Bradley Cooper, Carey Mulligan and Matt Bomer
  • Directed by:  Bradley Cooper
  • Rated:  R
  • Running time: 2 hrs 9 mins
  • Netflix

Composer Leonard Bernstein provided the music for some great shows, including the magnificent “West Side Story,” so when I heard that Bradley Cooper was going to follow up his Oscar winning “A Star is Born” with a film about Bernstein I was really excited to see it.  However, for some reason Cooper has chosen to nearly ignore the musical passions of the man to focus on the passions of the heart.  That, in a nutshell, is “Maestro.”

A phone rings, waking Leonard Bernstein (Cooper) out of a sound sleep. The voice on the other end tells him the news he’s been waiting to hear.  With lead conductor Artur Rodziński away, and the guest conductor falling ill, he is to conduct that afternoon’s performance of the New York Philharmonic Orchestra.  With no rehearsal.  Confident, Bernstein takes up the baton.  And a legend is born.

 

Oddly paced, but brilliantly acted, “Maestro” is a film that may take a second viewing to fully understand the story director Cooper wanted to tell.  The film follows the decades-long relationship between Bernstein and his actress wife Felicia (Mulligan).  Along the way there are plenty of bumps in the road, the main one being Bernstein’s infidelity with members of both sexes.

 

Along the way we do get brief glimpses of Bernstein’s musical genius – working on “On the Town,” mentoring young musicians, but what made him famous almost seems like an afterthought to Cooper and co-screenwriter Josh Singer.  And for some reason Cooper often uses long, static shots throughout entire scenes when some film editing may have made the scenes more interesting.

On a positive note, the performances are excellent.  Cooper channels Bernstein down to his voice patterns.  Mulligan carries most of the emotional baggage of the film and never delivers a false note.  Hopefully both actors will be remembered when Academy Award nominations are announced.

 

My first date with my now-wife was the film “Wedding Crashers” with a young Bradley Cooper.  He has since become a favorite of my wife and when we first saw the trailer for “Maestro” I jokingly asked if Leonard Bernstein ever took his shirt off.  Apparently he did.  But I have also grown to respect Cooper as both an actor and a filmmaker.  It borders on criminal that he did not receive an Oscar nod for his direction of “A Star is Born.”  I’m not sure if he’ll get in this category this time around but I truly admire the work and research he puts into his films.

 

On a scale of zero to five I giver “Maestro” ★★★½

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Film Review: “Migration”

 

  • MIGRATION
  • Starring the voices of:  Kumail Nanjiani, Elizabeth Banks and Danny DeVito
  • Directed by:  Benjamin Renner and Guylo Homsy
  • Rated:  PG
  • Running time:  1 hr 32 mins
  • Universal

 

When the animation company ILLUMINATION puts out a movie, you expect a well told story with beautifully rendered animation.  With “Migration,” those expectations are not only met, but they are also exceeded.

 

We meet the Mallard family as they leisurely relax in a beautiful, New England Pond.  Father Mack (Nanjiani) and mom Pam (Banks) spend their days watching their youngsters – Dax (Caspar Jennings) and Gwen (Trasi Gazal) – swim contently across the water.   When they are visited by a flock of ducks heading to Jamaica for the winter, they are encouraged to head south with the flock.  Mack is over-protective and prefers the safety and familiarity of the pond.  Yet Pam would like a little adventure in their lives and, with the help of the kids, convinces Mack to take flight.  Accompanied by Uncle Dan (DeVito), they head off to the adventure of a lifetime.

 

Ever since “Despicable Me,” ILLUMINATION has released a string of outstanding films that are funny, family friendly and, most of all, beautiful to watch.  I’m not sure what their secret is, but whatever it is, I hope they don’t change it.  Even mighty PIXAR has had a few duds in their past, making ILLUMINATION, in my opinion, THE leader in film animation.  “Migration” takes the Mallard family on a journey that takes them from big cities to rural countryside, with each location beautifully presented.  Often, it’s like looking at a photograph, so detailed is the animation.

The cast features both familiar names (besides Nanjiani, Banks and DeVito, the vocal talent includes Carol Kane, Keegan Michael Key and Awkwafina) and fresh, bright voices who bring the characters to life.  The script, by Benjamin Renner and Mike White – yes, “School of Rock” and “White Lotus” Mike White – is full of both fun and emotional moments.  Like other ILLUMINATION films, these are characters you want to spend time with and, most importantly, want to succeed.

 

As an added bonus, there is also a short film called “Mooned” which answers the pressing question from “Despicable Me” – What happened to Vector?

 

On a scale of zero to five, I give “Migration” ★★★★★

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Film Review: “DICKS: The Musical”

  • DICKS: THE MUSICAL
  • Starring:  Josh Sharp, Aaron Jackson, Megan Mullally and Nathan Lane
  • Directed by:  Larry Charles
  • Rated:  R
  • Running time:  1 hr 26 mins
  • A24

 

Imagine being young, handsome and, um, well equipped.  You’d sing about it, wouldn’t you?  I know I would!  You’d think you had the world on a string.  Now imagine you just discovered you have a twin.  It could happen.

Craig (Sharp) and Trevor (Jackson) are both living the good life, excelling both professionally and personally.  The one thing neither has, and desires, is a family.  Though they live a few doors apart, they are each unaware of the other until a department merger at their mutual employer pits them against each other to see who the best salesman in the company is.  Noticing that there is a very strong resemblance with each other, the two eventually share enough personal details to discover they are twins, separated by their parents.  One went to live with Dad (Lane) and the other with Mom (Mullally).  Each parent has their own baggage that the lads must work through as they plot to get their folks back together.

Written by stars Sharp and Jackson, the film is directed by long time “Seinfeld” producer Larry Charles, whose directing credits include films like ”Borat” and “The Dictator” as well as multiple episodes of television shows “The Comedians” and “Curb Your Enthusiasm.”  He knows his way around a punch line and he never allows the film’s humor to hit you over the head.  It’s funny without screaming at you, ”Hey, laugh at this!”

The cast is top shelf, and you can never go wrong when you have Nathan Lane and Megan Mullally in a musical.  I’ve seen them both on stage and that talent transfers easily to the big screen.  Sharp and Jackson are fun to watch.  They have a great chemistry with each other, and both are fine song and dance men. Supporting work by Megan Thee Stallion as the boy’s boss and Bowen Yang as God (yes, God) keep the fun going.  And then, of course, there’s the Sewer Boys!  The songs are well written and the musical numbers are well paced.

A fun, hilarious comedy, “Dicks: The Musical” is best described as “a fun and raucous Parent Trap.”  And that’s a good thing.

 

On a scale of zero to five I give “Dicks: The Musical” ★★★★

 

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