Let's Go to the Movies: In Defense of Movie Musical Adaptations

"Let's go to the movies... Let's go see the stars." These are lyrics sung by Ann Reinking and Aileen Quinn in the 1982 film adaptation of the hit (and at times incredibly obnoxious) musical Annie by Charles Strouse, Martin Charnin and Thomas Meehan. The previously quoted song titled, "Let's Go to the Movies" was one of many changes made from stage to screen for this adaptation. Stage to screen adaptations of musicals are becoming more and more common with recent films such as Cats and The Prom and the upcoming In the Heights adaptation, but just like their stage counterparts there will always be hits (Dreamgirls, Chicago) and misses (Cats). Whenever a new movie musical adaptation is released there are always people complaining saying, "They changed too much" or, "They should have cast the OBC or Broadway actors for this." SHUT UP!!! I'M TIRED OF HEARING IT!!! If you want to watch the stage production on screen watch a bootleg! I want to take a look at the dictionary, Meriam-Webster

Aileen Quinn and Ann Reinking
Annie (1982)

Dictionary states that the word "adaptation" means "to make fit [as for a new use] often by modification" which is exactly what happens in movie musical adaptations. Things have to change because what happens on stage does not always translate to film (and vice versa) and that is why changes need to be made. Some of the greatest stage to screen adaptations are successful because of the changes made. (I'm warning you now this is going to be a fairly long post.) For my first example, I want to talk about Bill Condon's 2006 Oscar winning hit Dreamgirls. A few weeks ago, I rewatched this film (after watching the 2001 Concert with Audra McDonald, Lillias White, Norm Lewis, Billy Porter, Heather Headley and many more; as well as watching the OBC cast) and it was absolutely gorgeous. It is, in my opinion, one of the greatest movie musicals adaptations of all time (Also one of the greatest movie musicals of all time). It features an all-star cast that includes Jamie Foxx, Eddie Murphy (in an Oscar nominated performance), Beyoncé Knowles, Anika Noni Rose and of course Jennifer Hudson in her Oscar winning film debut. The film was almost 30 years in the making and the magic that happened with Dreamgirls cannot be recreated. Condon's script was a near perfect adaptation of Tom Eyen's book. (My only complaint is that we didn't get "I don't care! Let 'em all hear! Let 'em all hear!!!!!!!" "YOU'RE IMPOSSIBLE" because that entire scene is amazing and hearing Jennifer and Anika belting into each other's faces is what dreams are made of.) From stage to screen there were many changes, most of them stemmed from changing the almost sung through musical to dialogue. There are a lot of storytelling elements that you can do in film, but not stage (either because it is impossible to pull off on stage or just too expensive) a notable one being montages. Dreamgirls

Anika Noni Rose, Beyoncé Knowles and Jennifer Hudson
Dreamgirls (2006)

, the movie, had several montages that showed The Dreamettes touring with Jimmy Early and eventually the rise in popularity of The Dreams. These beautiful, brief moments allow the audience to see the titular Dreams (and the other characters) grow throughout the film and it gives the characters even more depth. There were also changes made to the score, which included adding a few new verses to "Fake Your Way to the Top," adding a few extra bars at the end of "Dreamgirls (Reprise)" and rearranging parts of "It's All Over." All of these changes, in my opinion, not only improved the score, but also improved the story telling. There were also four new songs written for the film adaptation (three of the four songs received Oscar nominations), the two most notable ones being a new solo for Effie titled "Love You I Do" which serves not only as a love song from Effie to Curtis, but also as an audition for Effie's solo career. The second major song that was created for the film was "Listen" a solo for Deena. The song takes place in a recording studio with Deena and features a montage of clips where we see Deena *SPOILER ALERT* sending evidence of Curtis' payola schemes to Effie and Co. so they can force Curtis to stop messing with Effie's career. *END SPOILER ALERT* The song not only serves as a moment of growth for Deena, but also advances the story (Unlike the stage show where the song has been retroactively added to now be a bland duet for Deena and Effie and brings the stage show to an utter standstill.) Not only was the Dreamgirls script fantastic, but it was visually stunning. It featured Oscar nominated costumes by Sharen Davis (Who I believe was the first black person to be nominated for the Best Costume Design Oscar) and art direction by John Myhre and Nancy Haigh. Dreamgirls was a film whose magic cannot be recreated; it was the right actors, the right creative team and the right time for this gorgeous film.

Another great example of when changes benefited the stage to screen transition is Chicago directed by Rob Marshall (With a screenplay by Bill Condon. Remember him?) At the 2003 Academy Awards Chicago became the first movie musical to win Best Picture since Oliver! in 1978. There were no new songs added to the score (Except for an end credit song titled "I Move On" sung by Catherine Zeta-Jones and Renée Zellweger), but many songs were removed. The songs that remained were all presented as cutaway scenes performed on a vaudeville stage which allowed Marshall to create lavish musical numbers while keeping the dialogue or "real life" scenes dark and gritty. To be quite honest I have never really been a fan of Chicago, the musical. I don't see the charm or flair that seems to capture other people. However, when I

Renée Zellweger
Chicago (2002)

watched the movie, I got it, I thought "Oh, now I see what people are talking about." The decision to have the numbers act as cutaway scenes is brilliant. It serves three purposes on the story telling front. The first purpose is it allows the singing to make sense (to a non theatre audience) because the numbers are dream sequences that happen in Roxie's mind. The second purpose is it allows Marshall to have these huge musical numbers that include "Cell Block Tango" and "We Both Reached For The Gun" and "Razzle Dazzle." The third purpose is that it allowed Marshall to pay homage to both Bob Fosse's original production (both his direction and choreography) and Walter Bobbie's stripped-down revival. The film features fantastic performances by the previously mentioned Zeta-Jones as Velma Kelly and Zellweger as Roxie Hart. The movie also featured the fantastic Queen Latifah as Matron "Mama" Morton and John C. Reilly as Amos Heart. (I do want to mention that Zeta-Jones won the Oscar for her role and Zellweger, Latifah and Reilly were all nominated.)  To be quite frank, it is my honest opinion that the film adaptation of Chicago is superior to the stage production it is based on. It is the perfect example of how some movie musical adaptations can not only benefit, but also improve the source material.

However, not every movie musical adaptation can be a hit. For every Dreamgirls and Chicago there is a Cats. I'm gonna try and not harp on Cats too much because at this point it's like beating a dead horse cat. The problem with Cats is that it should never have been considered for a big screen adaptation because it simply cannot work on screen. In complete honesty (and I say this with all the love in my heart) Cats is a weird show it is a very acquired taste and while I love this show, (I will repeat) it should NEVER have been considered for a

Idris Elba
Cats (2019)

big screen adaptation. It is a show that is enrooted in theatrics that you just simply cannot translate to screen (Wicked is a similar story, but that's another story for another time.) The main problem with Cats was that it honestly felt like nobody knew what they were doing or what was going on. There were so many conflicting press releases about how the actors (and I use that term very loosely for some of the cast) were going to be turned into felines. The other problems were the script, cast, choreography and pretty much everything. I feel really bad for the VFX animators who worked grueling hours to get the film finished. (They were working up to a few hours before the world premiere.) The animators did their best work for a terrible film and to have some of the cast then insult their work is truly horrible. (I'm looking at you James Corden and Rebel Wilson who frankly are not ones to talk considering your absolutely terrible performances in the film.) Even with this horrid film I still love and look forward to more movie musical adaptations.

I want to go back to the dictionary definition of "adaptation" which means "to make fit [as for a new use] often by modification." I am tired of hearing people say, "They should have cast the OBC" or "They should only cast stage actors for movie musicals" because those are two mindsets that I hate. I'm going to give two different examples of when casting a film actor was a better choice than casting a stage actor. The first one is Marilyn Monroe who starred in the 1953 adaptation of Gentlemen Prefer Blondes as Lorelei Lee. Monroe delivered one of her greatest performances in this film and her take on the role of Lorelei was vastly different from Carol Channing who originated the role on stage. The incomparable Miss Channing is an over

Marilyn Monroe
Gentlemen Prefer Blondes (1953)

the top, campy woman whose Lorelei would have come off as obnoxious on screen. However, Monroe's taut, bubbly and sensuous portrayal is a match made in heaven for the screen, especially when you add in Jane Russell's sharp witted and down-to-earth portrayal of Dorothy Shaw. If Miss Channing had reprised her role the film, in my opinion, would be nowhere near as successful and "Diamonds Are A Girl's Best Friend" would not be the iconic number it is today. Channing was also fine with Monroe taking on her part (Streisand starring in the Hello, Dolly! movie is another story...) In a similar situation was with the 2007 film adaptation of Hairspray where John Travolta played cooped up housewife Edna Turnblad, a role originated by Harvey Fierstein on stage (which he won a Tony for.) Many people, including Fierstein, were upset that he was not cast in the role of Edna, but I am glad Fierstein wasn't. He's a wonderful man and fantastic Edna, but his Edna would not have fit with Adam Shankman's (who directed and choreographed Hairspray) vision for the film. The screenplay by Leslie Dixon toned down a majority of the campiness (I think this was an extremely wise move, but that is an entirely different topic for another post) which included taking out all of the 4th wall breaking jokes, several of which were jokes about Edna being played by a man. Therefore, Fierstein's signature deep, gravelly voice would be out of place in the movie. This is another instance where had the stage actor reprised their role on film the movie would have suffered because

John Travolta
Hairspray (2007)

of it. Another thing I want to mention is that having different/new actors take on these roles allow for new interpretations of characters we know and love. Is every movie musical cast perfectly? Absolutely not, but not every stage musical is either. I always like seeing fresh blood in roles because it means that it will be a new interpretation and sometimes, they're fantastic (Monroe in Gentlemen Prefer Blondes) and other times they're absolutely terrible (James Corden in literally every movie musical). I am not a big fan of stage actors reprising their roles in films because I like fresh blood. *SIDEBAR* There are a few exceptions to this statement such as Barbra Streisand in Funny Girl because there was no one alive (at that time) who could do what Barbra did with the role of Fanny Brice. There is also The Producers where a majority of the original cast reprised their roles, along with the director. Which just works because it was the original cast, specifically Nathan Lane, Matthew Broderick, Gary Beach and Roger Bart who made that show the megahit that it was. *END SIDEBAR*

As I said earlier, there will always be blunders, completely disastrous attempts or some that have pros and cons about them such as The Phantom of the Opera. The 2004 movie adaptation of Andrew Llyod Webber’s hit long running show was a highly anticipated film and many were left disappointed. The film was visually stunning with elaborate sets and beautiful costumes by Anthony Pratt, John Fenner, Paul Kirby, Celia Bobak and Alexandra Byrne and

Diana Ross and Michael Jackson
The Wiz (1978)

featured stunning performances by Emmy Rossum as Christine Daaé (Even though I am a bit conflicted on her singing), Minnie Driver as opera diva Carlotta Giudicelli (whose singing was dubbed by Margaret Preece) and Patrick Wilson as Raoul, Vicomte de Chagny. However, the film suffered from Joel Schumacher’s horrendous direction and Gerard Butler’s vocally weak Phantom. Another example of this is when the revolutionary hit musical The Wiz was adapted into a major motion picture in 1978. The Motown produced movie was (for the most part) visually stunning with designs by Tony Walton, Philip Rosenberg, Robert Drumheller, Edward Stewart and Justin Scoppa Jr. The film also featured fantastic performances from Michael Jackson, Thelma Carpenter and Mabel King as Scarecrow, Miss One the Good Witch of the North and Evillene the Wicked Witch of the West. The film suffered though from Joel Schumacher's (Oh... Joel...) incredibly odd screenplay and Diana Ross who delivered a weak and rather annoying Dorothy.

The point I am trying to make is that movie musical adaptations are just that, ADAPTATIONS. They are not meant to be carbon copies of the stage show. I am not saying you can't disagree with the changes made or the people cast (I do that all the time), all I am saying is that you look at why these changes were made. Film is a completely different medium from stage, and you can't just pick the stage show up and put it on a soundstage and expect it to all work out because it simply won't. Just like the theatre there will always be works of art, mediocre pieces and downright disasters. However, even when a movie musical has blunders and mistakes, I am still glad it was made because it is nice to see a fresh take on these wonderful stories, and it brings theatre to a wider audience.

Run and Tell That: The Prom (Film)

Note: Blah, blah, I'm bad at editing. You know the drill by now. Also... spoilers...

"Newcomer Jo Ellen Pellman... delivers a stunning debut performance with an endearing attitude and wonderful vocals."

What? Two reviews in one month? CRAZY!!! Just a full disclosure, I never saw The Prom on Broadway or watched a bootleg of it. I know the basics of the show, but I went into this completely blind. Besides, I'll watch anything with Meryl Streep (MY QUEEN) in it. I'm gonna share my prom story, even though it's not very interesting. I was planning on going with a friend, strictly platonic, but he cancelled on me as I was in line buying the tickets so I texted my sister

Nicole Kidman and Jo Ellen Pellman

saying I just wasn't gonna go, but she told me she'd go with me. That's really it. I never really viewed prom as like "OH MY GOD IT'S THE PROM!!!" It was just another dance to me, a very expensive one, and I still do not understand why people make such a big deal over prom. (I have literally seen this word so many times now and I'm starting to doubt if it's a real word anymore. Anyone else get that feeling?) Anyway now that I've shared my thoughts on prom let me share my thoughts on The Prom (Subtle segue I know...) In complete and utter honesty I thought I was gonna be bored watching this and I was expecting it to be really bad, but I was honestly quite surprised at how much I liked it. The script by Bob Martin and Chad Beguelin was very good and had some great comedic moments, but I was not entirely sure if the story was about the actors or Emma. (Does that make sense?) To be quite honest, I felt that the role of Barry could be cut and by dividing his scenes/responsibilities between Trent and Angie the story would be much stronger because it would allow for stronger relationships between them and Emma. However, my dislike of the character of Barry could have to do more with the actor than the script, but we'll get into him later. The score which was written by Martin, 

Ariana DeBose and Kerry Washington

Beguelin and Matthew Sklar had some catchy tunes with okay lyrics, but nothing really stuck out to me. I found Ryan Murphy's direction to be a little uneven. There were some songs that were sung in reality, but then there were other songs that were sung in a fantasy land. (A la Chicago or Nine) The choreography by Casey Nicholaw (Who directed and choregraphed the Broadway production) was intense and filled with high energy. Also a quick shout out to Lou Eyrich who designed the costumes which were amazing. One last note before I move onto the actors... What kind of high school is this? I have never in my life been to a high school that is that colorful. What high school has yellow and blue walls? What school in general has yellow and blue walls? All the schools I've been to are grey or an off-colored white... Why do all high school movies give the schools colored walls? I mean what is that about? I've said my piece on the strangely colorful high school so it's time to talk actors. There were some nice performances delivered by Logan Riley Hassel, Sofia Deler, Nathaniel J. Potvin and Nico Greetham as Kaylee, Shelby, Kevin and Nick, classmates of Emma's who initially don't like her. Speaking of people who don't like Emma we have conservative mother, Mrs. Greene, portrayed by Kerry Washington who delivers a strong performance as the head of the P.T.A. Washington surprised me when she sang and had a wonderful voice and her performance was lovely. However, I personally felt that when her daughter, Alyssa, came out to her the turn around was a bit too quick especially after all her talks about belief. Mrs. Greene spends most of the movie battling with Tom Hawkins, the principle of

Jo Ellen Pellman

Emma's school, portrayed by Keegan-Michael Key another strong performance who also surprised me with his wonderful vocals. One of the best performances of the movie goes to the talented Andrew Rannells as Trent Oliver. Rannells is hysterical in his role and delivers a spectacular rendition of "Love Thy Neighbor" although I did find his ending, where he becomes the drama teacher at the high school, a bit weird... Delivering an equally good performance was Nicole Kidman as Angie Dickinson who is the only character I felt to truly have a strong relationship with Emma. Kidman had nice vocals and she fully utilized those "crazy antelope legs." (If you watched the movie you'll get it) One of the sources of turmoil in The Prom is with the character of Alyssa Greene who is a closeted popular cheerleader and has been dating Emma for over a year. Alyssa is portrayed by Ariana DeBose who has a nice voice and is a decent actor, but I continue to have the same problem with her. I don't find her interesting. She doesn't stick out in my opinion. Even during her number "Alyssa Greene" where she explains the crazy expectations her mom has for her, I constantly found myself getting distracted by other things either going on in the background of the film or something in my room because she has no presence. The young girl who sets this whole story in motion is Emma Nolan, portrayed by newcomer Jo Ellen Pellman who delivers a stunning debut performance with an endearing attitude and wonderful vocals. Pellman really sold the character of Emma for me and didn't make her a cliché. The worst performance of the night goes to James Corden who Hollywood needs to stop casting in movie musicals. I personally 

Meryl Streep

don't even have a problem that he's a straight man playing a gay man. (I'm a gay man so don't start with me) My problem with James was that he didn't seem to be portraying a human. (Does that make any sense?) He was giving this weird caricature, but it was a low key caricature. He started out the movie as a, not even, half-hearted gay stereotype, but barely 20 minutes in and it was gone. I felt that his accent changed from scene to scene; just like his portrayal seemed to be a different character in each scene. There was no consistency and it was all uneven. I wish I could say his singing made up for his acting, but that wasn't any good either. Hollywood, please just stop casting James Corden in everything. Hollywood, please continue to cast Meryl Streep in EVERYTHING! Queen Meryl killed it with her performance as the narcissistic Broadway diva Dee Dee Allen. This was Meryl's best vocal performance yet and she knocked this performance out of the park. (But do you expect anything less from Queen Meryl?) Meryl as Allen had superb comedic timing, but she also gave an equally superb performance when it came to the dramatic moments. Overall The Prom is a fun movie, featuring some strong performances with an okay score and a nice script. It's available on Netflix and I'm sure many illegal movie sites. Happy holidays! Stay safe!

"Go big or you've blown it, it's time that you own it. Let's make it clear that tonight belongs to you"

Run and Tell That: Dr. Seuss' The Grinch Musical!

Note: By now ya'll know that I'm a terrible editor. (Just ask my English professors) So be prepared for me to be editing this AFTER I upload it. Also, I'm not a professional reviewer nor do I try to be in these. I'm simply stating what I thought.

"Dr. Seuss' The Grinch Musical! is a perfect way for a family to spend a December evening."

The year of 2020 brought many depressing things

How many of us wish we could be back in the wings

We were filled with sadness, but never fear

NBC is here to give us some holiday cheer.

They chose The Grinch this year to televise,

But was that decision exactly wise?

Come along with me and you shall see

As I review this show and spill the tea.

And that's enough with rhyming. Did you really think I would do this entire review in rhymes? What are you crazy? It would be epic, but get annoying real quick. I was completely surprised when NBC announced they were doing another "live" production considering the last "live" production we got was Fox's Rent: Pre-Recorded and we all know how that turned out... What really shocked me though was how late they announced it, November 10th, less than a month

Denis O'Hare and Booboo Stewart

before it's airdate of December 9th. Also so many details were very hush hush. Even after the broadcast finished, I still had to go scavenging to find out who was in the cast. Anyway, I don't really have much to say on this show, which is very surprising I know. (That was an accidental rhyme.) I didn't go in with the mentality thinking it would be some life altering experience. My main thought was "Hey, it's gonna be cute" and I was right. Dr. Seuss' The Grinch Musical! is a perfect way for a family to spend a December evening it will keep the kids entertained and might have some eye rolls from the adults, but it's cute. Unlike NBC's previous productions it was not live, but I understand why because COVID plus it was shot in the UK (Where they have a slightly more competent government then us here in the US.) The script* and score by Tim Mason and Mel Marvin won't be winning a Pulitzer or Tony Award anytime soon. While the script had its cute moments and will no doubt bring laugh to its younger audience members, it had some convoluted moments to it that might leave the adults confused. The direction by Max Webster, for stage, and Julia Knowles, for film, was good and much better then the direction of the past several televised musical events. The choreography by

Amy Ellen Richardson

Lizzi Gee was cute and creative. The night featured some gorgeous black and white scenic design by the skillful Peter Bingemann. All of Bingemann's sets look like they popped right out of Dr. Seuss' book. Meanwhile, Soutra Gilmour designed the colorful, quirky costumes worn by the Who's and also did a nice job with the Max costumes. My only complaint is what was she thinking with that Grinch costume? The lighting design by the amazing Dave Davey was absolutely gorgeous and creative. His lighting really complimented and accented the black and white sets. The sound design was also good, but despite my research I don't know who the sound designers is. Throughout the night there were many great performances from both the kids and adults. The entire ensemble delivered strong vocals and great acting while the kids danced their little hearts out. Gary Wilmot and Claire Machin as Grandpa Who and Grandma Who were charming and worked well together. The same can be said for Ako Mitchell and Amy Ellen Richardson who portrayed Papa Who and Mama Who. Richardson specifically delivered a wonderful performance with great vocals and acting choices. It is of my opinion that the performance of the night goes to Amelia Minto who was sweet and sincere as Cindy-Lou Who, but was not annoying with those qualities. (You know what I'm talking about. Those kids at regional theatres who try way too hard and instead of the performance

Amelia Minto and Matthew Morrison

being natural it's obnoxious and cardboardy.) She had great vocals and delivered many great moments. The role of Max was split in two (Well four technically, but mainly two) a Young Max who was portrayed by Booboo Stewart and Old Max portrayed by Denis O'Hare. As Young Max Stewart tumbled, crawled, flipped and slid all over the stage delivering an energetic performance with strong acting. O'Hare as Old Max served as the narrator and he had some solid vocals. However, I definitely felt that having two Max' was unneeded. Now it is time to talk about the man of the hour Matthew Morrison as The Grinch. There are many things to say about this heavily miscast performance. The main thing is his Grinch was terrifying for all the wrong reasons. I give him credit because he tried, he certainly tried. I just did not find him grinchy. Whenever he spoke directly into the camera I just got extremely uncomfortable. I don't think that the absolutely awful costume and makeup helped him in the slightest; he looked like the Phillie Phanatic with Morrison's face. His comedic timing was all wrong for this role and what should be an extremely funny role was flatter than a pancake. I found myself rolling my eyes instead of laughing. When it comes to The Grinch (Musical or movie) you need a strong character actor at the core, someone who excels in comedy and that is not Morrison. In keeping with my weird metaphors in reviews, I'd call this show a donut it's good, but no center. In this metaphor the center would be Morrison's Grinch (and the iffy book and score), but the donut would be everything else. Alas, we have come to the end of this review, I told you it was short. Don't forget to keep an eye out for my podcast Dear Diary coming out in early 2021! Happy Holidays! Stay Safe!

*Featuring additional material by Simon Nye.

"Welcome, Christmas! Fah who rahmus! Welcome, Christmas! Dah who dahmus! Christmas Day will always be! Just as long as we have we!"

Magic to Do: Sorry, Wrong Number

WOWZA!!!! So I can finally announce that I'll be making my directorial debut with Lucille Fletcher's intense thriller; Sorry, Wrong Number.

Starring the phenomenal Madison Alexander as Mrs. Stevenson; Sorry, Wrong Number is focuses on Mrs. Stevenson, a sick woman whose only contact with the outside world is her phone. One night she is trying to reach her husband, but because of a crossed wire, she hears plans for a murder. Her frantic efforts to enlist help through the only means at her disposal, her growing terror and realization of the truth.

To be presented on a TBD date in early 2021.

More information to come!

POC Elphaba Roundtable/A New Life

This post has two parts to it.

POC Elphaba Roundtable

In all honesty, I am still trying to process last Saturday. What was supposed to be a one hour event ended up being two hours of me talking and listening to Dan'yelle Williamson, Maria Eberline, Patrice Tipoki, Sarah Anne Fernandez and Saycon Sengbloh talking about their Wicked experiences and the problems they have faced being women of color in the theatre industry. If you missed the POC Elphaba Roundtable, don't worry because it is now uploaded in its entirety of YouTube.

I am still in complete and utter disbelief that this happened. This was a huge honor and I cannot thank these women enough for giving me the opportunity to celebrate them. I learned so much from them and I am going to say this again I was honored to have been in their presence.

A New Life

If you know me, in any capacity, you know that I am all about evolving and learning. This year is no different from any other. Now please, don't take this the wrong way, but I am rather grateful for this pandemic. It has given me time to slow down, time to think, time to clear my head. Do not get me wrong, this pandemic has given me many struggles to overcome, but it also gave me something I feel that I didn't have; time. I was given time to move forward and time to heal (Mentally, physically and emotionally; healing is always a one step forward, two steps back kind of deal so it wasn't pretty). Throughout the pandemic I also realized so much about myself and who I want to be on both a personal level and artistic level. Just like me, this blog has evolved A LOT over the past 6 years and we're evolving once again.

Starting in 2021 there are going to be some major changes. I will be writing more reviews and more opinion pieces/brain candy. I am going to try and post at least once a month. I will also be starting my first ever podcast titled: Dear Diary where I will be doing interviews, watch alongs and all sorts of other cool things. I also have other projects that I'm currently working on so be on the look out! I love you all and cannot wait to take you on this new journey with me!

POC Elphaba Roundtable: How to Join

HELLO DARLINGS!!! Just a reminder that I will be hosting the FIRST EVER POC Elphaba Roundtable on Zoom (Information on how to watch the event at the bottom!)

Join me and celebrate the incredible talents of Brandi Chavonne Massey, Dan'yelle Williamson, Maria Eberline, Patrice Tipoki, Sarah Anne Fernandez and Saycon Sengloh as we talk about their tenure playing the green girl and the problems they have faced as women of color in the theatre community and much more.

You will NEED TO REGISTER to attend (I am working on also streaming it on YouTube Live, but don't hold out hope for that because it might not work!!!!) The event is FREE, but a donation to BCEFA is highly recommended! This incredible event takes place on Saturday November 21st at 7pm EST!

---------------------

Hi there,

You are invited to a Zoom webinar.
When: Nov 21, 2020 07:00 PM Eastern Time (US and Canada)
Topic: POC Elphaba Roundtable

Register in advance for this webinar:
https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_eWAzSspcRAWAlCWFX5dSPQ

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar.

POC Elphaba Roundtable

HELLO DARLINGS!!! I KNOW IT'S BEEN AGES SINCE I'VE POSTED AND I'M SO SORRY!!!! However, I come bearing amazing news!!! I can finally announce what I have been working on since June!!

That's right! I will be hosting the first ever POC Elphaba Roundtable and all of you are invited to join us! (More info on how will come later) Join me and celebrate the incredible talents of Brandi Chavonne Massey, Dan'yelle Williamson, Maria Eberline, Patrice Tipoki, Sarah Anne Fernandez and Saycon Sengloh as we talk about their tenure playing the green girl and the problems they have faced as women of color in the theatre community and much more.

This entire night will also serve as a benefit for BCEFA an organization that supports artists across America, many who are out of work during this pandemic. My goal is to reach $500 by the night of the round table. Mark your calendars! This incredible event takes place on Saturday November 21st at 7pm EST!

Who knows... maybe some more familiar green faces might join us...

[Note: I'm not the best editor in the world so the poster's not exactly NYC Times Square Billboard quality.]