Film Reviews

The Unashamed Colorism and Afro Latinx Erasure of Lin Manuel Miranda’s “In the Heights”

The narrative that they cast "the best actors for the job" is rooted a flimsy excuse in white supremacy

In the Heights

via Warner Bros. Pictures

Ever since Hamilton debuted, I have not known peace.

In 2016, the Broadway sensation won 11 Tonys and captured the hearts and imagination of theatre kids, older white people, and revisionist historians everywhere. Everyone was talking about Hamilton, and everyone was talking about its star and creator, Lin Manuel Miranda.

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By: Jim Smeal/BEI/Shutterstock

Certainly musical theatre industry workers were some of the many whose worlds changed in 2020.

Early on in the pandemic, we watched Broadway shut down, and it has stayed dark. Actors and creators who had spent their lives fighting for their big breaks found themselves back where they started, at home. The show did not go on.

Like every other form of art during this pandemic, musical theatre has slowly, shakily attempted to go digital. A Zoom live show has nothing on actual live theatre, of course — part of live theatre's magic is being in the room, close to the stage, hearing the rustle of the curtain and feeling the lights — but still, creators tried ever more innovative approaches to interactive theatre.

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Film Reviews

Is “Hamilton” Sexist?

The hit musical will drop on Disney+ July 3rd.

Hamilton | Official Trailer | Disney+

Lin Manuel-Miranda's Hamilton has taken the theater world by storm since its 2015 Broadway premiere.

A hip-hop musical about America's founding fathers doesn't sound immediately appealing, but Manuel-Miranda's brilliant song writing and diverse casting not only captured the attention of audiences, but proved that major change is possible within an art form as encumbered by traditions as musical theater.

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Culture Feature

Broadway Straight to Your Computer: Musical Theater in Lockdown

From the cast of "Dear Evan Hansen" to an average family's rendition of "One More Day."

Broadway

Photo by Sudan Ouyang on Unsplash

If you're someone who loves live theater, then you know that it really can't be replicated on film.

But for the first time, live theater is no longer readily available. Broadway and the West End are both closed, as are the majority of the theaters around the world. If you're missing it as much as we are, recorded versions of beloved musicals and musical theater songs are good enough to tide us over until the theaters open their doors again.

Original "Hamilton" Cast Sings for 9-year-old's Birthday 

There is no chance you can watch this without crying. None.

"Dear Evan Hansen’" Cast Performs on James Corden's Show

Late night talk show hosts are trying to spread some cheer by returning to TV, and this reunion of the original "Dear Evan Hansen" cast is certainly worth watching.

Andrew Lloyd Webber Sings "All I Ask Of You" 

Andrew Lloyd Webber is obviously one of the best living composer's of all time, and it's a real treat to see him play one of the best songs ever written.

Family’s rendition of ‘One Day More’ from "Les Mis"

This isn't exactly broadway caliber, iits even better.

Live Stream Q&A's with West End Stars 

Follow London Theatre on Instagram to partake in their morning warm ups and West End star Q&A's!

Watch the Online Recording of Cats

Don't worry, it's not the movie musical; it's the original stage musical from 1998 with Elaine Paige singing "Memory." Watch it here!

Watch Much Ado About Nothing

Much Ado About Nothingis one of Shakespeare's best plays, and thanks to the Public Theater and PBS, last summer's Shakespeare in the Park production is available to stream.

Watch SpongeBob SquarePants: The Broadway Musical

If you're looking for light hearted entertainment, this brightly colored spectacle is just the thing to distract you from your isolation.

YOU'VE GOT A FRIEND performed by the worldwide cast of BEAUTIFUL (in quarantine) for The Actors Fund

The cast of "Beautiful" on Broadway wants you to know that "You've Got a Friend."

FILM

The "Hamilton" Disney Movie Will Be Truer to Its Message Than the Musical

Lin Manuel Miranda's smash hit Broadway musical is coming to the big screen.

Hamilton - Official Trailer


"Hamilton" is officially coming to theaters. For the price of a movie ticket, fans will be able to experience Lin Manuel Miranda's smash hit musical for themselves.

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MUSIC

Let Leslie Odom Jr.'s Silky Vocals Ease All the Pain In Your Soul

The sonic equivalent of a hot toddy on a cold night.

Leslie Odom Jr.: NPR Music Tiny Desk Concert

Leslie Odom Jr. has released a new album, entitled simply Mr, and it's, well, soothing.

whyy.org

While some music is great for diving into the darkness so you can come out stronger (cough, FKA twigs' latest album), some music is useful for replacing all the aches in your heart with elegant jazz, dreamy violins, and of course, Leslie Odom Jr.'s voice.

If we're talking voices, Odom Jr. has the voice. It's the vocal equivalent of a hot toddy on a cold night, an advil in the thick of a migraine, a sip of warm but not hot honey-ginger tea. It's just rough enough to sound real, and thank god for that little rasp, otherwise it would be almost incomprehensibly smooth. He's riffing magnificently and shifting from falsetto to sultry low notes with impressive ease.

Mr finds the former Hamilton star adding modern inflections to classics such as Nina Simone's Feeling Good, using that song's triumphant chord progression to fuel the energy of his song "Standards," which is all about having high standards.

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Though not ostensibly a Christmas album, Mr still feels like Christmas—it's got all the bells and whistles, and you can imagine it playing in a department store during the Christmas sale rush, but in the best way possible. That's not to say it's not great party music: It would also be perfect to play during a Christmas party.

Odom Jr. can't quite shake his theatre kid roots, and it shows, as the album has an element of flashy performativity to it. That doesn't hurt the quality of the music. If anything, it's refreshing in an era obsessed with radical authenticity and glitchy sonic experimentation. Though not averse to drawing from a wide range of styles, Odom Jr. makes it all sound classic and refined, resulting in a cohesive, beautiful, and deeply, deeply soothing work of art.

Some of the songs are quite poignant, while others turn political, but ultimately, it's the perfect album to listen to if you're trying to stop racing endlessly through the hamster wheel and just take a minute to rest. On "Cold," he's literally inviting you in from the cold and promising to keep you safe, so take note. Here's some advice: Tonight, shut off Twitter, curl up with a cup of echinacea tea, and let Leslie Odom Jr. sing you to sleep. Sleep for twelve hours, wake up with your winter cold gone and a newfound excitement for the holiday season running through your currently cold, dead veins, and give thanks for Mr and all the pristine sounds that Leslie Odom Jr's voice box is capable of creating.