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With 16 Emmy nominations, Mr. & Mrs. Smith (now streaming on Prime Video) had me intrigued by all the fuss. And it turns out it is fuss-worthy! Donald Glover, creator writer, director, and star of the series, is terrific. At first Donald’s “John” is vulnerable and insecure, yet suave and always likeable … but can “Jane” really trust him?  Jane, played by Maya Erskine (Pen15), shows some serious acting chops as she goes toe to toe with John in their heated banter. They seem to argue about everything while building tension that turns out to be very sexy! Both Glover and Erskine shine brilliantly in the series. 

If you have seen the film starring Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt, you know the basic premise. Although this new version slowly builds the tension between the Smiths over the eight episodes. Mr. & Mrs. Smith has clever writing, exciting chase scenes, and a very refreshing style of storytelling! I liked that each episode is very different with a variety of missions and locations, yet the tension between John and Jane remains the same. Also, there are several great cameo performances that were a fun surprise. Look for Parker Posey (Best in Show), John Turturro (Mr. Deeds), Sarah Paulson (Ocean’s 8), and Ron Perlman (Sons of Anarchy) in my favorite episode. Check it out!

For more, click here.

It has been 13 years since Francis Ford Coppola’s last film. And while they say, “you are only as good as your last project,” that doesn’t hold true for the visionary film maker. Hollywood and likely far beyond anxiously await the epic science fiction passion project Megalopolis. Seventeen years in the making, Megalopolis is set in an imaginary modern United States where an accident has destroyed a decaying metropolis called New Rome. Coppola wanted to make a film drawing parallels between the fall of Rome and the future of the United States by setting the events of the Catilinarian conspiracy in modern New York.

Cesar Catilina (Adam Driver), an idealist architect with the power to control time, aims to rebuild Megalopolis”as a sustainable utopia, while corrupt Mayor Franklyn Cicero (Giancarlo Esposito) remains committed to a regressive status quo. Torn between them is Franklyn’s socialite daughter and Cesar’s love interest, Julia (Nathalie Emmanuel), who, tired of the influence she inherited, searches for her life’s meaning. Coppola said “ultimately what’s at stake is the future because it takes the premise that the future, the shape of things to come, is being determined today, by the interests that are vying for control.

Megalopolis will be theatrically released in the United States by Lionsgate on September 27, 2024.

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I’m very excited for the arrival of Duel Reality at the Ahmanson September 11-22, from the Montreal based creative collective known as The 7 Fingers, in their Center Theatre Group debut. The writers, directors and choreographers of The 7 Fingers merge circus, theatre, illusion, music, and dance in electrifying productions. Duel Reality is an acrobatic tour-de-force for all ages inspired by the star-crossed tale of Romeo and Juliet. The production imagines a world where the lovers are circus stars, their story unfolding through graceful and death-defying acrobatics. In an epic, cirque-infused performance that dazzles the senses and stirs the heart, two feuding families engage in a battle of skill, each competition more daring than the last—while a pair of lovers struggles to escape the showdown. The Berkeley Beacon gives us an idea of what to expect. “…Neon hues with a variety of music and performance styles—a hula-hoop stunt done to jazz, a sultry dance with slow, romantic music, a seesaw duel set to an intense score … a show not to be missed.”  Since its inception in 2002, The 7 Fingers has created theatrical experiences as diverse as the artistic directors themselves. By mixing genres and exploring new ways to tell stories, the company creates performances that celebrate our world, our time, and our humanity, pushing the definition and potential of live performance. You might say they tell human stories with superhuman skills. I’m certainly intrigued, aren’t you?

For tickets, click here.

The LA theatre community is abuzz with excitement about a new musical opening at The Colony Theatre this month! The show is The Civility of Albert Cashier, with a book by Jay Paul Deratany, music by Coyote Joe Stevens & Keaton Wooden and lyrics by Stevens, Wooden, and Deratany. It won Chicago’s prestigious Jeff Award for Best New Musical in 2018, and this production is being presented by the Colony (Heather Provost, Producing Artistic Director) with producers Christine Russell (Broadway’s Head Over Heels, Beautiful The Carole King Musical), Robert Ulrich, and Jay Paul Deratany. Directed by Ovation Award-winner Richard Israel, choreography by Hayden J Frederick, and music direction by Anthony Lucca, the cast will feature Josh Adamson, Cameron J. Armstrong, Tanner Berry, Evan Borboa, John Bucy, Cidny Bullens, Brett Calo, Gabby Dahlen, Andrea Daveline, Lisa Dyson, Fatima El-Bashir, Michael Guarasci, Blake Jenner (Netflix’s What/If),Phillip J. Lewis, Jonah Robinson, and Dani Shay (America’s Got Talent).

The real-life story: in August of 1862, Private Albert Cashier enlisted in the Union Army and fought valiantly during the Civil War, until being honorably discharged on August 17, 1865, at which point he received a military pension in recognition of his service. But there was more to Albert than most people knew … he had a secret … this heroic American soldier was born Jennifer Hodgers. Musical. Timely. Important. What more could you ask? Free parking at the theatre? Yes, that too!

For more details, click here.