Something Rotten Review

I’ve been stating recently about the dearth of original ideas on Broadway and in Hollywood.

Something Rotten has proved me wrong.

Nick Bottom (Brian D’arcy James) and Nigel Bottom (John Cariani) are renaissance era playwrights trying to make a name for themselves. Standing in their way is the biggest name in theater of the era: The Bard (Christian Borle).  Desperate for a hit, Nick reaches out to the Soothsayer (Brad Oscar). The Soothsayer tells Nick about a musical (a play that combines acting, singing and dancing at the same time. Completing shocking, I know). Running with the idea, Nick and  Nigel prepare their theater troupe for opening night. But they will learn that being at the top also requires in the words of the Bard “to thine own self be true”.

This show is one of the funniest and most original shows that I have seen on Broadway in a very long time. It speaks to all of us have a dream and see someone who is living that dream while we are watching from afar. While the entire cast are standouts, Borle’s The Bard is amazing. He has a Mick Jagger rock and roll swag in tight leather pants that is unique from any other portrayal of William Shakespeare.

I absolutely recommend this show.

Something Rotten is currently playing on Broadway at the St. James Theater, 246 W 44th Street, New York, NY.

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Late Flashback Friday Post-Mother’s Day Edition- Stepmom (1998) & The Kids Are All Right (2010)

Being a mother is the hardest job in the world. It is a job that lasts a lifetime. The title of Mom is not a 9-5 job. But it is the most rewarding title a woman can have, if she chooses it.

In 1998’s Stepmom, Jackie Harrison (Susan Sarandon)  has been diagnosed with potentially life threatening cancer. Her ex-husband, Luke (Ed Harris) has settled down with Isabel Kelly (Julia Roberts).  Jackie, a stay at home mother, is trying to acclimate her children to their father’s new girlfriend. Isabel tries to balance her successful career as a photographer with her new responsibilities as a stepmother. Can Isabel and Jackie see eye to eye and come to terms with the life, the man and the children that they will be sharing?

I haven’t seen this movie in a long time, but it is a proper, heartbreaking drama. With an excellent cast and a realistic and potent story, this movie makes me grateful for my own mother and the sacrifices she made.

In the Kids Are All Right (2010), Jules (Julianne Moore) and Nic (Annette Bening) have been together for a long time. Their children, Joni (Mia Wasikowska) and Laser (Josh Hutcherson) were both conceived via artificial insemination.  Nic, the doctor, likes control and order while Jules, who is starting a landscaping business is less into control and order.

Enter Paul (Mark Ruffalo), Joni and Laser’s biological father and sperm donor. With the chaos that Paul brings to their lives,  what will happen when the dust settles? Will Paul be a permanent fixture in their lives or will he continue to be just the sperm donor?

I happen to like this movie very much. Not just that it disproves that LGBTQ couples are incapable of raising responsible, capable children, but also that their relationships are no different than their straight counterparts. It is also proves that families come in all different forms and life no matter your gender or sexual preference is never simple.

I recommend both.

Weekend Thoughts – Be Grateful

Amen!