Joel Grey is 82 years young and he has finally come out to the world as gay. The Oscar/Tony winner told People, “I don’t like labels, but if you have to put a label on it, I’m a gay man.” Then he added, “All the people close to me have known for years who I am. It took time to embrace that other part of who I always was.”
Cabaret’s Master of Ceremonies grew up in a different time, a time when when people weren’t as accepting as we are today. That is why it took him so long to come out.
The star of Remo Williams was married to a woman for 24 years and had two children (including Jennifer Grey) with Jo Wilder, and he says that was the happiest time of his life.
I think he will have another happy time in his life now, now that he can be who he is to the whole wide world. A world that accepts him, no matter who he loves. As long as he keeps singing songs from Cabaret like Money. Afterall that is what makes the world go round.
The best part about Aladdin was Robin Williams, so it makes sense that the Broadway version of the Disney movie would honor him. During yesterday’s performance of the show, Tony Awards winner, James Iglehart, asked the audience to sing the Genie’s big song, Friend Like Me, in honor of the great entertainer; and they did. They did it so beautifully and with such warmth, I am sure Robin Williams felt the love wherever he is right now. Because as we know, we ain’t never had a friend, never had a friend. We ain’t never had a friend, never had a friend. We ain’t never had a friend like him. We ain’t never had a friend like him!
Last night Jane Lynch wowed us when she sang Little Girls from Annie at the Tonys and I spoke to her about starring in the Broadway show at a set visit for her upcoming NBC game show Hollywood Game Show right before she left to do it.
Lynch will be hosting Hollywood Game Night starting on July 11th at 10p and I asked what was left on her bucket list because she has done TV, movies, hosted the Emmys, won one and now can add hosting a game show to the list. She told me, “I don’t have a bucket list.” She then explained, “It was Broadway, it was the last thing on it. I thought a Broadway musical was preposterous, in terms of fantasy.”
Well that fantasy is now a reality until July 14th. So how did it happen? She told us, “I didn’t seek out Annie. It kind of just feel into my lap. Things happened perfectly, it just showed up one day.”
And another thing that happened perfectly was before she sang Little Girls on the Great White Way and on The Tonys, she sang it on Glee. Here’s a little tidbit about how that happened, creator Ryan Murphy did that on purpose for her to cross promote her Broadway musical debut. And she admitted, “It’s a perfect song for Sue Sylvester too.” There is a lot of Miss Hannigan in Sue Sylvester if you think about it.
As you might remember in 1982 Carol Burnett played Miss Hannigan in the movie version of the musical; and the lendary comedian also played Lynch’s mom on Glee. So I wanted to know if the former head of the oprhanage had any words on how to run the place now. Lynch said, “She was the first person to text me and say, ‘Congratulations, enjoy it.'” Then she added that Burnett, “is the best.”
And Jane Lynch is up there with Carol Burnett when it comes to be being the best out there in the comedic world. Something you will really see her shine at when Hollywood Game Night makes it debut next month. I honestly think that the NBC game show will be the biggest hit of the summer. Everyone in the family will enjoy it and then after the credits roll, they will want to play the games with their friends and family. I know I have played a few with my friends already, and I will be honest I sucked just as bad them. But that is the fun about Hollywood Game Night. So mark your calendars to watch the show on July 11th, I promise it will be the latest addiction of your TV viewing and you are not going to want to miss celebrities and non-celebs go all out in the spirit of competition as they play games we can all play at home. The best part is we get to see them make fools of themselves. Who doesn’t love that? And who won’t love this show?
What more do you need from great television? Nothing, so make sure to watch it. And tell your friends and family to too, so that you can play these fun embarrassing games with them when the episodes end.
Romeo and Juliet has been redone so many different ways since William Shakespear published it in 1597, but the most recent take on it might be the worse one of them all. Orlando Bloom and Condola Rashad are starring in the lead roles on Broadway. According to Playbill, “In this new production, the members of the Montague household will be white, and the blood relatives of the Capulet family will be black. While race defines the family lineages, the original cause of the ‘ancient quarrel’, passed down by successive generations to their young, has been lost to time. Shakespeare’s dramatization of the original poem sets the two young lovers in a context of prejudice, authoritarian parents, and a never ending cycle of ‘revenge.’ Against this background, the strength of their love changes the world.”
Umm isn’t Bloom old enough to be Romeo’s father? He is way too old for the role. By not making the play about two teens takes away from the premise of what Shakespeare wrote over 400 years ago.
BTW Playbill also says that they will be releasing 100 tickets at $20 each for all the shows and I think that $20 too much for this production.
I hope that this show is killed in the preview stage and never actually opens on Broadway at the end of August. I mean we can’t let them destroy such a classic because if they get away with once, they will keep doing it.
xoxo Michael!
The Broadway League and the American Theater Wing Neil Patrick Harris is going to host the Tony’s for the third since 2009 according to The New York Times. As much as I love that he is once again going to do it, I am not sure how he is going to top the performance he did last year. My friend, who is what Broadway is no longer for, loves to show the opening number whenever I go over to his house. And I thought that Hugh Jackman duet was just fabulous. So I just don’t know how he is going to come up with at least one number that will be just as spectacular, but I am sure he will come close. At least he better…
