One could argue, looking at the themes and box office performance of this year’s would-be summer blockbusters that actually we are in the “summer of our discontent.” Of course, I’m intentionally missing the point of this famous speech which observes that, in peace, those who’ve found power in the chaos of war long to return to those ugly moments that made them successful. Or maybe I’m not missing the point after all.
Much like The Flash (and as I understand a number of other big box office swings this summer), Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny is not simply a nostalgic cash grab, but a film focused on the corrosive nature of time and of nostalgia itself. Blessedly, there are no “multiverses” to be navigated here, but we do see time travel used as a metaphor, a rather effective one, for the regrettable state of our present world. Central to the conceit of the film: how some seek the golden glow of remembered peace and adventure as a balm; how others seek a return to darker, even more chaotic moments as their salve for the inexorable passage of time; and how some (Indy) try to deny any of it ever happened at all.
As directed by James Mangold (who swam in similar “past is prologue” waters withLogan), Dial of Destiny is a loving, if overlong, capstone on the storied careers of both Indiana Jones and Harrison Ford. It’s quite impossible at this point to separate the two. Yes, Ford has crafted similarly iconic hero figures in other silver screen franchises, but Indy (at least to this lay-viewer) has always dovetailed spectacularly with Ford’s apparent “curmudgeon with a heart of gold” real life persona.
The film would have benefited from about 2.5 fewer car/horse/boat/motorcycle/train chases. It’s a lot. And for a film ostensibly about the emotional collateral damage of a long life (mostly) well lived, it’s a bit hard to accept so much wanton destruction of personal property and commuters’ sojourns for sheer entertainment value.
Much like The Flash, the film truly shines in its quieter character-driven moments. Fleabag’s Phoebe Waller-Bridge (making quite a name for herself in the action genre) is a welcome addition. Her winsome brand of cynical, pleading snark as Indy’s ne’er-do-well goddaughter is a nice juxtaposition to Ford’s rock-ribbed “not this again” comic exasperation. They play very well off one another, although a few too many lines get lost in, yes, all the car/horse/boat/motorcycle/train chases.
Mads Mikkelsen adds another notch on his (shiny black leather) belt of playing icy Teutonic baddies. This time a full-on Nazi. (I do hope America remembers we don’t like Nazis.) Mikkelsen plays all the grace notes of sly sociopolitical critique in the early moments of the film when he “seems” to be a reformed Nazi helping America win its much-vaunted space race. (The film is set in 1969.) Given that such things actually did (and do) happen in America, it’s a pointedly clever reminder that the great U.S. of A. is not above reproach in its opportunism and global empire building.
We quickly find out he ain’t reformed. They never are. (Remember that, America, at the voting booth, mmkay?) His hope is to find two parts of an ancient dial, crafted by ancient mathemagician Archimedes, that will allow him to, yes, time travel and help MAGAfy World War II. More or less. “Yesterday belongs to us, Mr. Jones,” Mikkelsen hisses at one point. Kander and Ebb wept.
And thus kicks off a 2.5 hour rollercoaster ride (remember the cars, horses, boats, motorcycles, trains?) for multiple parties to find the dial and avert/create disaster (but mostly it’s just Indy vs. the Nazis).
Along the way, we meet friends old and new from prior entries in the series. Much like Mangold did so effectively with Logan, we watch a man (Indy) come to grips (arguably peace) with the tumultuous threads of his life, the disappointment of looking back on it all and realizing all he has to show is a (literal) retirement clock, ultimately warily acknowledging he wouldn’t change one bit of it, even if he could.
Admittedly, watching one’s childhood screen idol wrestling with the emotional and physical storm of aging is haunting, mixed as it is with my own awareness of how quickly time travels. I sat there, gazing at the screen at fifty years old, with the same awe I had when I was nine soaking up Raiders of the Lost Ark for the first time, thinking, “Wait, is Han Solo allowed to be in another movie!?” Indeed, he was and is little Roy … and we have been all the better for it.
VIDEO: Do you love Sinatra, Bennett, Darin, King Cole? Journey into a night club where every musical era is represented – swing, jazz, big band, lounge, Rat Pack and more. Enjoy this video of “Live from the Starlight Lounge,” our event this February that raised $23,000 for American Cancer Society.
I am offering this list of tips that I myself may be failing to follow. I’m putting them in writing in the hopes that they will become a script for me to hang onto my sanity in these troubling times … as we all suddenly find ourselves in the strange predicament of feeling trapped in our own homes, working remotely, uncertain of how long this will last and what effect it will have on the future:
– switch off social media – connection is important. A steady diet of anxiety, judgment, and fear? Not so much.
– tune out that competitive spirit and any voices (real or imagined) saying you aren’t doing enough. Right now staying healthy and taking care of one another? That is PLENTY.
– avoid people who are using this crisis as a platform to further their own ambitions. ‘Nuff said.
– turn off and disconnect. Keep reasonable hours. Yes, you may be saving on commuting time by working in your basement, but that doesn’t mean putting in 12 hour days. Turn work off, read a book, watch a movie, walk the dog, recharge.
– don’t get in arguments with know-it-alls. None of us know how this story ends. Be calm, be gracious, walk away from trolls.
– from a work perspective, be sensitive to the burdens everyone is carrying. We need to stay the course on projects that will need our attention when this crisis has passed, while communicating information that our colleagues and clients actually need in this moment. We don’t need to be the source of ALL information on this crisis. There are a lot of other people who are doing that better than we are. Share information that is relevant and appropriate.
– most of all. Be kind. To yourself. To others. To this world.
ABOVE: Danny Wallace, me, Susan Ahern & Megan McKeon (Clark Hill) and Cameron Ireland (BoardEx)
Very proud of the below recognition… happened beforeall hell broke loose …
Clark Hill has grown from a regional US firm, to an international firm with 25 offices. Marketing and Business Development was no longer fit for purpose.
They embarked on an ambitious initiative to completely re-imagine their marketing function and make the most of their global potential, through a very clear and comprehensive design of the department and how it has impact as a cohesive central function for the firm.
The judges were particularly impressed by the scale of their research and project commitment, how they achieved buy-in at every level and how they have creatively used data and technology in the delivery and measurement of marketing success, and achieved remarkable results.
Winner’s quote: “We are thrilled and honoured to be recognized by Managing Partners Forum for the strategic and operational transformation of the Marketing and Business Development Department. This initiative was achieved by incredible multi-stakeholder collaboration, the design of an innovative technical infrastructure; and the implementation of a flexible, defined process. A key focus was the capture, organisation and analysis of data which brings a new layer to our firm’s competitive edge.” – Susan Ahern, Chief Marketing and Business Development Officer, Clark Hill
The Penny Seats Theatre Company is thrilled to announce open auditions for its upcoming show, Sing Happy!, a celebration of the work of the famed songwriting duo, John Kander and Fred Ebb. Kander and Ebb wrote some of the most beloved musicals of all time, including Chicago, Cabaret, and others. Sing Happy! will feature well-known favorites and hidden gems from the famed songwriters’ catalogue.
Directed by Thalia Schramm with Music Direction by R. MacKenzie Lewis, this show arrives just in time for Valentine’s Day, and will be presented in a dinner theater format in partnership with Conor O’Neill’s Irish Pub and Restaurant on Main Street in Ann Arbor.
Auditions will be held on Sunday, October 23, 2016 from 6:00pm – 9:00pm in the Choir Room at Tappan Middle School, located at 2251 E. Stadium Blvd., Ann Arbor, MI 48104. Auditioners should prepare and bring two contrasting 32-bar cuts of Kander & Ebb songs of their choice, along with a headshot and resume. Rehearsals begin January 3, 2017, and performances are February 2, 3, 7, 8, 9, 14, 15, and 16. All roles are paid.
The rest of The Penny Seats’ 2017 Season will feature, in June, the world premiere of TheRenaissance Man, a new comedy by Michigan’s award-winning playwright Joe Zettelmaier, who will direct it himself; in July, Peter and the Starcatcher, the daring and sweet prequel to J. M. Barrie’s beloved Peter Pan, directed by Phil Simmons; and in October, The Turn of the Screw, a two-person adaptation by Jeffrey Hatcher of Henry James’ well-known psychological thriller, directed by Tony Caselli.
ABOUT THE PENNY SEATS
We’re performers and players, minimalists and penny-pinchers. We think theatre should be fun and stirring, not stuffy or repetitive. We believe going to a show should not break the bank. And we find Michigan summer evenings beautiful. Thus, we produce dramas and comedies, musicals and original adaptations, classics and works by up-and-coming playwrights. We also provide cabaret shows, acting classes, and wacky improv evenings. And you can see any of our shows for the same price as a movie ticket.
SPONSOR US!
If you’re interested in helping The Penny Seats have a great 7th season, then a SPONSORSHIP may be for you! Please contact Lauren London at pennyseats@gmail.com to find out how you/and or your company could receive free tickets to our shows, full-page ads in our programs and other wonderful benefits of being a sponsor!
For more information, press interviews, photos or for press comps, please contact Lauren London, Penny Seats President at pennyseats@gmail.com or by phone at 734.846.3801
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Reel Roy Reviews is now TWO books! You can purchase your copies by clicking here (print and digital).
Ann Arbor’s Penny Seats Theatre Company is set to open its seventh season this year, with four shows, the largest season the company has ever attempted. Through an operational support grant from the Michigan Council for Arts and Cultural Affairs and the National Endowment for the Arts, the company has expanded its offerings and will have a year-round presence.
First up in February is Sing Happy!, a celebration of the work of the famed songwriting duo, John Kander and Fred Ebb. Kander and Ebb wrote some of the most beloved musicals of all time, including Chicago, Cabaret, and others. Sing Happy! will feature well-known favorites and hidden gems from the famed songwriters’ catalogue as the performers explore matters of the heart. Directed by Thalia Schramm with Music Direction by R. MacKenzie Lewis, this show arrives just in time for Valentine’s Day, and will be presented in a dinner theater format in partnership with Conor O’Neill’s Irish Pub and Restaurant on Main Street in Ann Arbor.
The Penny Seats’ 2017 Summer Season will again feature two shows, running back-to-back in Ann Arbor’s West Park. In June, the group is proud to present the world premiere of Renaissance Man, a farcical look at Macbeth, as told by the workers at a Renaissance Faire. Renaissance Man tells the hilarious story of a hard-working Knight who dreams of transforming his beloved Faire, though his ambition proves unpopular among his co-workers. The show is the work of Michigan’s award-winning playwright Joe Zettelmaier, who will direct it himself.
In July, the group will present Peter and the Starcatcher, the daring and sweet prequel to J. M. Barrie’s beloved Peter and Wendy. A play (with music), the show is based on the 2006 novel of a similar name by Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson, adapted for the stage by Rick Elice. The play opened on Broadway in 2012, receiving critical acclaim and Tony Award recognition, including a Best Actor statue for Christian Borle. The Penny Seats production will be directed by Phil Simmons, who serves on the theatre faculty at Eastern Michigan University.
Finally, just in time for Halloween, the company will perform The Turn of the Screw, a two-person adaptation by Jeffrey Hatcher (who also authored What Corbin Knew, performed in the Penny Seats’ second season) of Henry James’ well-known psychological thriller and ghost story.
Executive Director Lauren London observes, “This is our most ambitious slate to date. When we started this venture six years ago, while we had grand visions, I don’t think any of us could have foreseen such rapid growth or the kinds of artistic acknowledgement we’ve received from the Southeast Michigan theatre community. We received our first Wilde Award nomination [Paige Martin, Urinetown] as a company in 2016, and have seen tremendous expansion of the talent desiring to work with us. Our audiences continue to multiply, and we are busier than ever. I’m so proud of this company, our board, and all the artists and community members who continue to join this adventure.”
In fact, the Penny Seats recently added James Cameron to the Board to head up the group’s business development and corporate fundraising efforts. Cameron is a successful attorney and businessperson, having served as Managing Member of Dykema’s Ann Arbor office for a number of years. Cameron lives in Ann Arbor with his wife Linda.
Cameron comments, “I’ve been a long-time supporter of the Penny Seats, never missing a production. It’s a pleasure and an honor to be able to play such a crucial role in ensuring the ongoing success of this group and their outreach to the Ann Arbor community. The future is indeed bright for the Penny Seats.”
What: Sing Happy!: A Celebration of Kander and Ebb
When: February, 2017
Venue: Conor O’Neill’s Irish Pub and Restaurant
318 S Main St, Ann Arbor, MI 48104
Show Dates for Sing Happy!
Sing Happy! will run on February 2, 3, 7, 8, 9, 14, 15, and 16 at 7:30pm
–tickets: Online – $30.00 for dinner-and-show combo; $15 for show-only
Directed by: Thalia Schramm
Music Director: R. MacKenzie Lewis
What: Renaissance Man
When: June 2017
Venue: West Park
215 Chapin St, Ann Arbor, MI 48103
Show Dates for Renaissance Man:
Renaissance Man will run on June 15 ,16, 17, 22, 23, 24, 29, 30, and July 1 at 7:00pm
-tickets: Online – $15.00 At the Door – $20.00
Directed by: Joe Zettelmaier
What: Peter and the Starcatcher
When: July 2017
Venue: West Park
215 Chapin St, Ann Arbor, MI 48103
Show Dates for Peter and the Starcatcher:
Peter and the Starcatcher will run on July 13, 14, 15, 20, 21, 22, 27, 28, and 29 at 7:00pm
– tickets: Online: $15.00 At the Door: $20.00
Directed by: Phil Simmons
What: The Turn of the Screw
When: October 2017
Venue: TBD
Show Dates for Turn of the Screw: TBD
ABOUT THE PENNY SEATS
We’re performers and players, minimalists and penny-pinchers. We think theatre should be fun and stirring, not stuffy or repetitive. We believe going to a show should not break the bank. And we find Michigan summer evenings beautiful. Thus, we produce dramas and comedies, musicals and original adaptations, classics and works by up-and-coming playwrights. We also provide cabaret shows, acting classes, and wacky improv evenings. And you can see any of our shows for the same price as a movie ticket.
SPONSOR US!
If you’re interested in helping The Penny Seats have a great 7th season, then a SPONSORSHIP may be for you! Please contact Lauren London at pennyseats@gmail.com to find out how you/and or your company could receive free tickets to our shows, full-page ads in our programs and other wonderful benefits of being a sponsor!
For more information, press interviews, photos or for press comps, please contact Lauren London, Penny Seats President at pennyseats@gmail.com or by phone at 734.846.3801
Pitch Perfect 2 is … well … imperfect. Don’t get me wrong. It’s a fun film with a ton of great moments, all serviceably directed by cast member Elizabeth Banks, but with no discernible center to ground the hijinks.
I have a theory that a box office souffle of a comedy should never have a sequel. Legally Blonde 2. Miss Congeniality 2. Ghostbusters 2. The Hangover, Part II. Evan Almighty? They just don’t hold. There was a complete thought (albeit slight) conveyed in the first film that was never intended to continue, and, consequently, the second installment comes off as an unnecessary cash grab with less script, more marketing.
Pitch Perfect 2, to its credit, somewhat avoids that trap, chiefly because the ensemble cast is so sharp and so game. The first film benefited from a clear raison d’etre (other than being a saucier Glee knock-off): Anna Kendrick (so zippy, luminous, and arch) doesn’t want to go to college; she wants to be a DJ; her folks are forcing her to go to a dorky liberal arts college because her father teaches there and everything is subsidized. Totally believable.
The comedy comes from her exasperation with her surroundings, and her love of music that can only be satiated by her participation in the dorkiest of past-times: a cappella singing groups/competitions. Along the way, she meets cute with a boy who sings with a competing team, and the whole schmear gets postmodern Love Finds Andy Hardy resolved with a climactic performance that unites girl/boy/female empowerment/a cappella VICTORY!
The sequel, alas, has no such formula to follow, other than a contrived premise that a presidentially viewed wardrobe malfunction from the otherwise charming “Fat Amy” (delightful Rebel Wilson) forces the Barden Bellas in their senior year to chase down a world championship in order to reinstate their aca-standing. Really, the plot (or lack thereof) doesn’t much matter. Go for the luminous turns by Kendrick, Wilson, Brittany Snow, newcomer Hailee Steinfeld, and their other cast-mates, and stay for the bonkers medleys of forgotten chestnuts by Sir Mix-a-Lot, Carrie Underwood, and Vanessa Carlton.
The most delightful addition to this mixed bag remix of the first film is Das Sound Machine, the mirthlessly Teutonic rivals to our intrepid Bellas. Their costumes look like a cheap roadshow of Sam Mendes’ kinky mid-90s Cabaret re-boot, all naughty fishnets and pleather skirts, and their militant takes on such … er … classics as Kriss Kross’ “Jump Jump” are a riot. (“Der Kommissar will make you jump, jump. Da Deutschland will make you jump, jump.”)
Yes, Elizabeth Banks and John Michael Higgins return as acidic announcers, whose own failed a cappella careers have led them to offer nothing but excoriatingly inappropriate critiques of these earnestly inept singing groups. At one point, they sniff, “Yes, here we have women too ugly to be cheerleaders.” (Does anyone every really like cheerleaders? Even cheerleaders themselves?)
What the Pitch Perfect films do so well (other than making me giggle foolishly over the cheekily crude jokes, which I then promptly forget) is simultaneously lampoon and celebrate the bizarre “art” of a cappella competition. Why anyone would take pop songs that barely hold water and arrange them for painfully earnest voice-only performance I will never understand. And that is the chief comic currency of these films. The filmmakers know that this genre is effing weird but totally charming and they honor that tradition brilliantly.
And the thing Pitch Perfect 2 does remarkably well is show a group of young women as people. Gender is irrelevant in this film as the cast members joke, play, fight, love as humans – messy, silly, kind, anxious humans. That is ever-revelatory, and a great reason to take your kids to see this lightweight summer lark. As our heroes sing in the film’s less-than-triumphant finale, “Girls run the world, yeah.” Let’s hope so. I’d like to live in that world.
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Reel Roy Reviews 2
Reel Roy Reviews is now TWO books! You can purchase your copies by clicking here (print and digital)In addition to online ordering at Amazon or from the publisher Open Books, the first book is currently is being carried by Bookbound, Common Language Bookstore, and Crazy Wisdom Bookstore and Tea Room in Ann Arbor, Michigan and by Green Brain Comics in Dearborn, Michigan. My mom Susie Duncan Sexton’s Secrets of an Old Typewriter series is also available on Amazon and at Bookbound and Common Language.
You might recall last fall that I was a staunch defender of NBC’s production of The Sound of Music (click here), which I thought suffered unfairly from a lot of social media-fueled schadenfreude. The one element that did not need defending, by me or anyone else, because it was universally lauded as perfection, was the performance by Laura Benanti as the Baroness.
Roy and Susie with poster
I am happy to report that she is even more terrific in real life.
Benanti with my dad
Throughout her fizzy cabaret show, not a note is missed – musically, comedically, thematically. She is one of the most engaging performers I’ve ever had the privilege to observe.
But even more importantly, she is kind and down-to-earth and real.
My mother and I accidentally ran into her at the elevator right before her performance. Rather than keep her distance, she walked right over to us, and with an effervescent smile, queried, “You’re coming back, aren’t you?” Of course we were! And, even though she had a two hour set to get herself psyched up for, she stood there and talked to us for several minutes.
I might add that she is just as gracious with all of her fans following the performance in what otherwise can be sometimes awkward for both audience and performer: the dreaded meet and greet. She takes time with each and every one and genuinely connects with all.
Almond with me and my mom
With my starstruck gushing aside, what about the performance itself? It is such great fun – a brilliant blend of soaring vocals, crack comic timing, cheeky irreverence, and poignant character analysis. The essence of what makes cabaret such a viable art form.
The Big Room
Benanti is marvelously aided and abetted by her amazing musical director Todd Almond who is as much sidekick and partner as accompanist, composing the original tunes, vocalizing with Benanti, and offering the periodic witty aside. And, by the way, he is equally personable, following the performance, happily taking my loony suggestions of pop nuggets they can skewer in their act – notably, my latest obsession Ariana Grande and Iggy Azalea’s “Problem.”
Why, might you ask was I so bold to suggest such a silly song for these accomplished musicians to perform in their act?
Susie and Roy Capone
Well, for someone like Benanti who moves seamlessly between My Fair Lady‘s “On the Street Where You Live” to Beyoncé’s “Single Ladies” to Nine‘s “Unusual Way” (mesmerizing!) not to mention Sisqo’s “The Thong Song,” it seems a logical addition.
What you may gather from the preceding paragraph is that Benanti’s show is a gutsy synthesis of her tastes and style and identity. She wears all these songs easily … which is a remarkable gift. She is always herself yet simultaneously channeling a wild array of characters.
Benanti and me
This tour is captured live on her album “In Constant Search of the Right Kind of Attention,” recorded at 54 Below, formerly the iconic disco Studio 54. My recommendation? Buy this album now, and enjoy it like you would a cast recording before going to see a Broadway show. The album is remarkable, but seeing Benanti act and sing these songs live is something not to be missed. There are enough variances between the album and the show to keep things interesting, and I won’t spoil the surprises here. If she comes to your town, run (don’t walk) to see her.
Most compelling is the manner in which Benanti paints a picture of her life as a perpetual (though fiercely independent) underdog. About someone so talented and beautiful, that may be hard to believe, but the reality is she has always been a quirky theater kid on the outside looking in. Amusingly, she lays bare the personal turmoils of a young girl listening to cast albums, learning to play the ukulele, and dressing up as obscure musical theater characters for Halloween.
Cheers
(She also isn’t afraid to go off script, poking gentle fun at the more provincial elements of the Hoosier-land where she was performing. I love my home state, but I give Benanti many props for gently reminding her audience that tolerance and compassion and humanity are essential regardless your background or beliefs. And if one can get that message across with a smile on one’s face, it makes an impact.)
I leave you with a clip of her singing “Mr. Tanner,” a forgotten gem by Harry Chapin. This number was a highlight for me both when I first listened to the recording as well as during the live performance. It definitely gives you a sense of her empathetic philosophy and ebullient heartache. Enjoy!
Reel Roy Reviews is now a book! Thanks to BroadwayWorld for this coverage – click here to view. In addition to online ordering at Amazon or from the publisher Open Books, the book currently is being carried by Bookbound, Common Language Bookstore, and Crazy Wisdom Bookstore and Tea Room in Ann Arbor, Michigan and by Green Brain Comics in Dearborn, Michigan. My mom Susie Duncan Sexton’s Secrets of an Old Typewriter series is also available on Amazon and at Bookbound and Common Language.
Reel Roy Reviews is now TWO books! You can purchase your copies by clicking 
