Gary and Roscoe wrap up 2016 - and good riddance to a challenging year - with an episode of year-end theater going and a few fun lists.
First we revisit Hamilton and our recent viewing of the new Chicago production. From our Booth One perspective in the 11th row at the PrivateBank Theatre, this sit-down company is hands down as dynamic, entertaining and exciting as the Broadway show we saw in New York in May. It's not just a traveling road company - the show's creators have put together a virtual replica of the Broadway smash and re-produced one of the great theatrical experiences of a lifetime. Yes, ticket prices are steep and seats are hard to come by, but it's worth every penny and effort to get into this show. Take the time to play the lottery. 'Nuf said....
Our first year-end list is President Obama's final Presidential Medal of Freedom recipients:
Alphabetically, they are Kareem Abdul-Jabaar, Ellen DeGeneres, Robert DeNiro, Bill and Melinda Gates, Frank Gehry, Tom Hanks, Michael Jordan, Maya Lin, Lorne Michaels, Newton Minow, Robert Redford, Diana Ross, Vin Scully, Bruce Springsteen, and Cicely Tyson. A special note is made about Newt Minow, close friend of our producer and a Chicago native, who famously referred to television as a "vast wasteland".
Audra McDonald's pregnancy was a surprise. But was it an accident, an illness or neither? We discuss the lawsuit brought by the producers of the marvelous Shuffle Along, Or the Making of the Musical Sensation of 1921 and All That Followed against Lloyds of London, claiming damages of more than $12 million. Ms. McDonald's absence from the show for maternity leave prompted not only the show's early closing, but earlier health issues forced her to miss some preview performances. Ms. McDonald, who has won six Tony awards, was the show's biggest star. Lloyd's has denied the claims, arguing that the pregnancy "and the associated medical conditions were neither an 'accident' nor an 'illness'," criteria cited in the original $14 million insurance policy. Stand by for more on this unprecedented story...
Pray. Eat raw eggs. Stay single. Those are the keys to a long life, according to Emma Morano, the world's oldest person. Emma celebrated her 117th birthday this week, and is a national treasure in her native Italy, where her birthday celebration was broadcast on live state television. After the party, Morano took a well-deserved nap. God Bless, Emma.
Our next list is of Golden Globe Award nominees, as Gary puts Roscoe in the hot seat for predicting the winners of the January 8 ceremony. His picks: Manchester By the Sea and La La Land for Best Motion Pictures; Denzel, Natalie Portman, Emma Stone and Ryan Gosling in the Best Acting categories.
Continuing our movie musical theme, Gary tells about a new Marc Platt project based on the book "Everything's Coming Up Profits: The Golden Age of Industrial Musicals".The source book focuses on corporate musicals made by the hundreds from the 1950s to the early 1980s by companies like Coca-Cola, Westinghouse and Chevrolet.
