Guh-linda and Just Jack on stage.

I guess I tend to go on and on about Kristin Chenoweth, pretty much all the time. What can I say? But I saw this news today and was very excited! Kristin Chonoweth and Sean Hayes will star in the Broadway revival of Promises, Promises. Combine Cheno with Sean Hayes (aka Jack McFarland from Will & Grace). I haven't seen Hayes live (or Kristin for that matter), but this one sounds fun!

The show features a book by Neil Simon, lyrics by Hal David, and music by Burt Bacharach. Based on the 1960 film, The Apartment, the musical centers on Chuck Baxter (Hayes), a bachelor who lends his apartment out to the executives at the company he works for, to use for their extramarital affairs. Things become slightly complicated when Fran Kubelik (Chenoweth), the object of Chuck's affection, becomes the mistress of one of his executives.

Sounds like it could be lots of laughs, kind of like Boeing Boeing.

Double yay! Joss Whedon to direct a Glee episode

Entertainment Weekly reports that Joss Whedon will direct an upcoming episode of Glee. Yippee!!

This has me so excited!

Jonathan Groff, Lea Michele's co-star in Spring Awakening is going to be appearing on Glee! He will be the head of the competition, Vocal Adrenaline, and be a potential love interest for Rachel, Lea's character! I heart Jonathan. The purity and innocence of his voice kills me.

Here is "Those You've Known" from Spring Awakening, featuring Jonathan, Lea, and John Gallagher, Jr. Groff is the one that opens the song. So pretty (and SO sad if you've seen the show...)

Watchmen

So I finally watched Watchmen. Emily had suggested that I keep my expectations low if I wanted to enjoy it. I am glad I decided to take her advice. I was entertained but it was beyond ridiculous on so many levels. Of course, those are not my type of movies. Those campy comic-book-y film adaptations of graphic novels.

The cast of this one was appealing to me. I loved Matthew Goode in Brideshead Revisited. But in Watchmen his accent was sketchy, sounding different in every scene. His voice is too soft and mild for an American accent. I prefer his British one. Jeffrey Dean Morgan's Magician will make you forget all about the sweet doomed Denny Duquette. He is a jerk and sleaze, and while he eventually learns an important "lesson" you don't find much sympathy for him. Patrick Wilson did the same thing to me in this one that he did in Little Children. He made me watch him having awkward sex. He doesn't hold back, does he?

And do we need to discuss the naked man? I guess not, but I will say this: My husband is an animator. We know what goes into animating even a short little shot. Someone sat and stared at the fake "privates" for MONTHS on end. And then do you tell people that you worked on the animated penis? Or do you just pretend you didn't? Do you put it on your demo reel when trying to get new work? We had a long convo about it. :)

All in all, I wasn't bored watching Watchmen. But I wouldn't watch it again and I probably wouldnt' recommend it to anyone...

Book: Dragonfly in Amber by Diana Gabaldon

Today, I finally finished Dragonfly in Amber, the second book in the Outlander series by Diana Gabaldon (my thoughts on Outlander here). It took me ages because I checked it out from the library and then ran out of time, and had to turn it back in. Then I had to put another hold on it and wait another week for it to come back to me. Compared to Outlander, this one was a little slow going, especially the political parts in the first half. But once it got going I was really into it.

We left off at the end of Outlander (SPOILER ALERT) with Jamie & Claire headed to France. So I was surprised when Dragonfly in Amber started with Claire 20 years older, back in her original time (20th century) with a red-headed daughter. Well, that was tragic, but we got several hundred pages of flashback of what happened between their arrival in France in the 1740s and how she ended up heading back to the future.

I know it sounds confusing but it was actually quite interesting. And knowing she had left the 18th century but not knowing why, the reader is compelled through some of the slower parts of the story to get to the part where we find out! And as I finished the book, I wanted to pick up the next one.

Now I am starting The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins. After that I am reading the first book in The Mortal Instruments series by Cassandra Clare. Once I finish both of those, I will be digging into Voyager, the third book in Gabaldon's series.

Kelly Clarkson covers Alanis Morrissette and Kings of Leon

I saw this video the other day but forgot I wanted to post it. I adore everything about Kelly Clarkson. Saw her in concert during her Breakaway tour. So good live. Here she covers Alanis Morrissette's 'That I Would Be Good' mashed up with Kings of Leon's 'Use Somebody'. I am a big KoL fan but that is one of my all-time fave Alanis songs. Ever. So good. So cheers to Kelly for doing this (and killing it. in a good way).

Poster: Lost - The Final Season

This poster makes me both sad and excited all at once. Man, I love this show. Only about 3 1/2 months left! If you look closely, all of the original losties are there, including the ones who have died... I can't wait for January. Or is it February?



Source

Silversun Pickups - Swoon

Of late I am obsessed with Silversun Pickups' latest album Swoon. I heard "Panic Switch" on the radio and enjoyed it. So I thought I would give the album a listen. I have their previous album Carnavas, but I find that Swoon was easier for me to get into. Mainly, I really like to turn it up in the car when I am driving.



My favorite song (right now) on the album is 'The Royal We'



I'd love to see them live. From hearing them performing live on video, I can tell they would be great in person. Here is a video of them during their MTV Unplugged performances. This song is 'Lazy Eye' from Carnavas.

Silversun Pickups - New Music - More Music Videos

Glee: Something to sing about

[OK, with my title I am automatically reminiscing to "Once More, With Feeling" the Buffy the Vampire Slayer musical, in which Buffy performs a number near the end called "Give Me Something to Sing About." It is actually quite sad. So now that I am done with that digression...]



Last night I watched Glee. My husband had nothing to do so he watched it with me for the first time. He makes fun of me for liking this show all the time. But while he didn't admit it, I know he liked it as I caught him laughing many times.

Anywho, the big deal about last night's show was that it had Tony-winning and, more recently, Emmy-winning actress/singer/all-around-amazing-gal Kristin Chenoweth guest starring as a washed up has been who shoulda made it big. Instead she was a flop and Will brings her back to help their glee club (now that Rachel has left to be in Cabaret).



Poor Rachel was used and abused by Finn, who had ulterior motives. It was kind of sad. You know he likes her but he obviously knew what he was doing. But what do you do when you have a knocked-up girlfriend?

The episode was great, very entertaining. If I could just keep a running tab of the great one-liners in this show... But I digress (again!). The focus of the show for me is the music. And how can I not post the duet between April (Cheno's character) and Will Shuester? This isn't the video. It is just audio but includes the whole song (it was cut short on the episode) which has Will singing a verse.



You can also listen to the full version of the foot-stomping "Somebody to Love."