The Hunger Games

Move over, Twilight trilogy!  The latest thing is The Hunger Games, a trilogy of novels written by Suzanne Collins.  The film adaptation of the first book in the trilogy was just released in movie theaters last weekend.  I didn’t see it during opening weekend because I wanted to read the book first.  My thoughts are below the cut, to spare anyone that might not want to be spoiled.

The Tony Awards

Last night's Tony Awards were described by some of this humble blogger's acquaintances as "a hot mess".  The #tonys hashtag on Twitter was full of people complaining about the audio gaffes, as well as a few of the performances.  (In particular, Catherine Zeta-Jones' rendition of Sondheim's "Send In the Clowns" got a lot of mixed reaction.)  We also saw an ever-increasing number of film and television actors transitioning over to the stage, with Denzel Washington winning his first Tony for his performance in this year's revival of Fences, which also got the win for Best Revival of a Play.

Nonetheless, it had some very touching highlights.  Of course, there was also lots of fangirling out of me to see some of my favorite ladies of Broadway -- Kristin Chenoweth, Idina Menzel, Bernadette Peters, and Angela Lansbury -- as well as much coveting of Scarlett Johansson's dress.  It also featured a number of plays and musicals that I would be very excited to see.  I'm hoping that some of them will go on national tours soon, so that I might get the chance to see them in Chicago.  Maybe before my birthday in less than a month?  Hint hint?  ;-)  HINT HINT?  Anyway, here's a list of them.

FELA!  The Musical - Produced for Broadway by Shawn "Jay-Z" Carter, Will Smith, and Jada Pinkett Smith, "Fela!" is a celebration of the life and work of Nigerian musician and political activist Fela Kuti.  Fela Kuti is one of many artists responsible for bringing the Afrobeat genre to a global audience, and this musical features a number of his best-known songs.  From what I saw at the Tonys, it is an explosive, colorful musical featuring fantastic music and spectacular choreography.  In fact, Bill T. Jones took home the Tony for Best Choreography last night for this show.  Visit the official site for ticket info, news, and more!

In The Next Room, or the vibrator play - "In The Next Room" is a comedic look at late Victorian-era methods for treating what they called "female hysteria" -- or what in truth is female sexual arousal/frustration/tension.  Yes, "hysteria" was a commonly given -- and medically treated -- diagnosis at the time, and doctors would actually treat it by using what amounts to an electric vibrator.  (Read more info about all this at Wikipedia.)  But this play is more than just a silly comedy with a scandalous gimmick;  it's about love and relationships as well.  It appears as though the play is not currently open on Broadway, but I do hope to see it performed soon, in both professional and community theatre companies all over!

La Cage Aux Folles - The campy and riotous musical about Georges and Albin, a gay male couple who have been in a relationship for many years, and own a nightclub in Saint-Tropez. Georges works at the club as the emcee, and Albin is the headliner, performing in drag under the name Zaza. Georges also has a son who is engaged to a woman. When Georges' son wants to introduce his fiancée's rigid and conservative parents to Georges and Albin, hilarity ensues. This revival took home the Tony last night for Best Revival of a Musical.  The revival stars Kelsey Grammer as Georges, and Douglas Hodge as Albin/Zaza.  Their performance at the awards last night was one of the highlights of the ceremony, so if you can get a chance to see it, it is not to be missed!  Visit the official site for ticket info, news, and more!

Memphis - And the Tony winner last night for Best Musical!  It's about the early days of rock n' roll, underground clubs, the corruption and segregation of radio stations, and the racial tension in general that punctuated the time period.  It was said by many Tony tweeters last night that the "Memphis" performance at the ceremony did not do the actual show justice.  I would really like to see if the word on the Tweet was right.  Visit the official site for ticket info, news, and more!

Kathryn Stockett - "The Help"

Image from Wikipedia

"The Help" (2009) is the debut novel by Kathryn Stockett, set in Jackson, Mississippi during the early to mid 1960s.  It describes the situation of race relations in the South during this period in history, at the onset of the Civil Rights Movement.  According to the Wikipedia bio stub about Stockett, she was born in the 1950s and grew up in Jackson herself, raised by an African-American domestic worker more than her own mother.  This novel, therefore, has undoubtedly been based on many of Stockett's own experiences growing up.  It is an impressive debut for Stockett, garnering best-seller status as well as a great deal of acclaim.

During this time, as we all know, segregation was not only the norm, but the law in the South.  Violence against African-Americans was also commonplace.  Options/opportunities for education and employment were very slim, particularly for African-American women.  One of the few work opportunities open to them was that of a housekeeper/nanny in a white household, where they were often subject to the whims of their employers.  "The Help" deals with two African-American domestic workers in particular, and the way they come to befriend a white would-be writer who wishes to tell their story, and solve a few mysteries in the process.

The story starts somewhat slowly, and at first, the characters seem rather token:  The Mammy is represented by Aibileen, who becomes increasingly frustrated by her employer's neglect for her children.  The Stuck-Up White Southern Princess is represented by Hilly (who is the novel's main antagonist), as well as her minions in the white ladies' social club.  The Sassy Black Chick Who Takes No Bull From Nobody is represented by Minny, whose mouth is not well appreciated by the Stuck-Up White Southern Princesses, but you can't help loving (and laughing at) the things she says and does.  The Bleached Blonde Redneck, a.k.a. the Anna Nicole Smith-Type Southern White Chick, is represented by Celia Foote, whose efforts to fit in with the Stuck-Up Southern White Princesses of Jackson are constantly rebuffed.  The Remorseful White Person Who Wants To Change Things is represented by Skeeter Phelan, who grows increasingly disgusted with the actions of the Stuck-Up White Southern Princesses, and whose character seems as though it could be quite heavily based on the author herself.

However, about a third of the way into the novel, a lot of good action and tension starts to build, and I for one was not able to put it down.  One must not also forget the important events and implications surrounding the action of the story.  So it is definitely worth a read.  Buzz is that this book is also in the works to be made into a movie, so it'll probably be worth watching out for.

You can purchase "The Help", as well as many other items mentioned on this blog, at my Amazon.com Associate store!

The Sandwich Swap

Queen Rania al-Abdullah is the wife of Abdullah II, current king of Jordan.  Jordan has in recent years been the home of a tradition of royal women who are very progressive, politically savvy, and philanthropy-oriented (not to mention breathtakingly beautiful).  Along with Queen Rania, the American-born Queen Noor (the last wife of Abdullah's father, the late King Hussein) comes to mind.

I have a particular admiration for Her Majesty's work in advocating education and children's welfare -- having spent much of my working life working with children, this is something that I think Her Majesty and I have in common.  The Sandwich Swap is her latest endeavor in this regard.  I recently watched Her Majesty on Good Morning America talking about this book, and I knew right then and there that I had to go get it.  (My work with children has also left me with an interest in children's books, and a habit for collecting them.)  It teaches an important lesson about differences -- cultural and otherwise -- between people, and I would definitely recommend this book to parents of young children.

You can purchase this book, along with many other items, at my Amazon.com Associate Store!

Latest TV Addiction: RuPaul's Drag Race

Image from Wikipedia

Speaking as a so-called "actual" woman -- and by that, I mean a person who was biologically born female and continues to identify herself as such -- I have always harbored an admiration for drag queens. It has always seemed to me as though they have an outlook, a sense of style, and a perception of self that "actual" women, including myself, can learn from.

Which is probably the reason why I get so much enjoyment out of RuPaul's reality competition on the Logo television network (and also airing on VH1), entitled RuPaul's Drag Race -- which is coming up to the end of its second season. To illustrate what I am talking about when I refer to that perception of self that drag queens seem to possess, but seems to be lacking in many so-called "actual" women, I quote the line that Ru uses to close every episode of this show: "if you can't love yourself, how in the hell you gon' love somebody else?" You certainly get an amen from me, Ru.

In any case, this is a really fun show, with lots of laughable moments, and several competitors who, unlike many other reality shows, you genuinely want to root for. In particular, I refer to Ongina from Season 1, who makes a very shocking and poignant revelation at the end of the MAC Viva Glam episode.

I have included a link in my Amazon.com store where you can purchase episodes that are available for download, or you can also watch full streaming episodes of Season 1 and Season 2 on the official website. Check it out!