Disney’s ‘ENCANTO’ official trailer! 🕯✨🦋

Watch the brand-new trailer for Disney’s Encanto,

coming to theaters this Thanksgiving.

Walt Disney Animation Studios’ upcoming feature film “Encanto” tells the tale of the Madrigals, an extraordinary family who live in a wondrous, charmed place called an Encanto. Each child has been blessed with a magic gift unique to them—each child except Mirabel. But when the family’s home is threatened, Mirabel may be their only hope.

The voice cast includes Stephanie Beatriz as Mirabel; María Cecilia Botero as Mirabel’s grandmother Alma aka Abuela; John Leguizamo as Bruno; Angie Cepeda and Wilmer Valderrama as Mirabel’s parents, Julieta and Agustín; and Diane Guererro and Jessica Darrow as Mirabel’s sisters, Isabela and Luisa. Also lending their voices are Carolina Gaitán and Mauro Castillo as Mirabel’s aunt and uncle, Pepa and Félix; and Adassa, Rhenzy Feliz and Ravi Cabot-Conyers as Mirabel’s cousins Dolores, Camilo and Antonio, respectively.

The film features all-new songs by Lin-Manuel Miranda (“Hamilton,” “Moana”) and is directed by Byron Howard (“Zootopia,” “Tangled”) and Jared Bush (co-director “Zootopia”), co-directed by Charise Castro Smith (writer “The Death of Eva Sofia Valdez”) and produced by Clark Spencer and Yvett Merino. Bush and Castro Smith are screenwriters on the film.

Walt Disney Animation Studios’ “Encanto” opens in theaters on November 24, 2021.
 

This November, find your magic. 🕯✨🦋



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Fathom Events review: Movie musical ‘STAND!’ only in theaters tonight, December 1st.

STAND!

In Theaters Only on December 1, 2020

Directed by: Robert Adetuyi (Stomp The YardBring It On: Worldwide #Cheersmack)

1919. Stefan and his father Mike fled Ukraine for the New World, where they struggle to earn enough to reunite the family. Stefan is instantly smitten with the Jewish suffragette neighbour, Rebecca – but Rebecca’s brother Moishe and Mike oppose the would-be Romeo and Juliet. Returned soldiers, angry at the lack of jobs after the war, violently threaten the city’s immigrants, including Emma, the refugee from racist violence in Oklahoma. When a movement develops for workers to leave their jobs in protest, AJ Anderson, a wealthy lawyer, pits all against each other in a dramatic and inspirational final stand.

The potential in this story is obvious. Catchy numbers and an intriguing premise based on a true story. Unfortunately, it needs to stage to fully bloom. As someone who graduated from a musical theatre conservatory in Manhattan, I recognize the over-the-top gesture and intonation that is needed to reach the back row. But because the audience is experiencing it from a screen, it comes off as forced at times. The energy is lost in translation and it feels uneven. Theater broadcasting LIVE in a movie theater is different. Here, it’s actually the camera that ruins that genuine connection. Performances are outstanding so they deserve that give and take electric feeling. It also lacks in one major area where most musicals thrive; choreography. With a large and varied immigrant ensemble, this was a lost opportunity leading to momentary lulls in pacing. I kept hoping something was coming, some big number highlighting the different facets of people coming together. The moments definitely presented themselves over and over and not a single number. I think it could have pushed STAND! across the finish line.

The issues in the stage play turned screenplay is still incredibly relevant. This is the most successful aspect. Taking pages from Ragtime, Newsies, Parade, and Hamilton, stories of immigrants, race, religious persecution, classism, and the right to strike are all still ripe for vibrant storytelling in 2020. STAND! shines brightest when it sings. By far the best numbers belong to Lisa Bell. Get this girl on Broadway the minute it’s officially back. The Romeo and Juliet aspect between Rebecca and Stefan is charming enough but not as powerful as Emma or Mike Sokolowski’s emotional journey, whom the original stageplay STRIKE! is based upon. STAND! needs an Off-Broadway run and a workshop. But be the first movie theater audience to get chills while Lisa Bell belts out the theme in the final moments of the film, for sure. It’s worth the ticket price.

Music, Lyrics and Score: Danny Schur (Made In Winnipeg: The Terry Sawchuk Origin Story)

Featuring Lisa Bell’s show-stopping performance of the protest song Stand!

Starring:
Marshall Williams (“Glee”, “How to Build a Better Boy”)
Laura Wiggins (“Shameless”, 20th Century Women)
Lisa Bell (No Time Like Christmas, “Canadian Idol”)
Gregg Henry (“Guardians of the Galaxy”, “Scandal”)
Erik Athavale (Fractured, Breakthrough)
Paul Essiembre (“Covert Affairs”, “Silver Surfer”)
Hayley Sales (Deadpool 2, “The Good Doctor”)

Tickets and a list of participating theater locations will be available at www.FathomEvents.com.

RT: 110 Minutes

Oldenburg Film Festival 2020 review: ‘Buck Alamo- A Phantasmagorical Ballad’ sings its way into your soul.

Eli Cody is walking on unsteady feet towards the end of his life. The singing cowboy who calls himself Buck Alamo has pretty much hurt all the people he loved and who loved him. After his doctor tells him that any day could be his last, Buck and his loyal dog Chester go on an odyssey throughout Texas to beg forgiveness of friends and his two daughters and several friends… as well as to relive some of the good old days.

To adore the look of this film is to be, perhaps unknowingly, a cinephile. The black and white cinematography begs for your attention, as does the handheld camera work and editing. Bathed in natural light, you cannot help but be completely enamored with Buck Alamo- A Phantasmagoriacal Ballad from the very beginning. Then color kicks in. Simply beautiful. It screams authenticity. The score has a quaint and sometimes ominous feel that is delightfully matched with the plot.  Our leading man pours every ounce of himself into this role. Once he’s given a death sentence by his doctor, he seems to make amends with his children who want nothing to do with him. He does his best to come to terms with the state of his life through music and storytelling.

The entire ensemble is incredibly talented. There is no doubt they are all perfectly cast. Sonny Carl Davis as Buck is spectacular. This is the kind of performance actors work their entire lives to achieve. It’s complex, nuanced, sympathetic, and devastating. He is a joy to watch. Bruce Dern plays death with the eagerness of a teenager and the fire of an ancient being. He is a legend perfectly matched with Davis.

Oldenburg Film Festival is lucky to share this feature’s World Premiere. Buck Alamo is a family affair, made with love, attention, and creativity. It directly begs the question of legacy. As the music ramps up, so does the plot. This film lives and dies in those musical numbers. And I can easily attest, Buck Alamo – A Phantasmagorical Ballad is very much alive and kicking, ladies and gentlemen. Sit back, relax, and take in all the glory of this incredibly unique viewing experience.

 

Ben Epstein‘s directorial debut is a man‘s poetic journey into his own past – full of music, zest for life, and melancholy. Led by a lifetime performance by the great Sonny Carl Davis (Thelma and Louise) and supported by the wonderful Lorelei Linklater, whom we witnessed growing up during her father Richard‘s Academy Award-winning film BoyhoodBuck Alamo lets us dive into an America whose proverbial dream might be dying on the vine, but still lives on in the hearts of its people. A musical – acid western narrated by Hollywood legend Bruce Dern, which unloads its existential chamber like a Texas folk song

Review: ‘Footnotes’ brings the classic 60’s musical into this century.

Inspired by the films of Jacques Demy and Stanley Donen, this musical comedy follows a young woman who must dance between a budding romance, a scheming boss, and co-workers on strike at her new job in a luxury shoe factory.

Footnotes comes at a perfect time in cinema history where the movie musical is once more appreciated and praised. This sweet and relatable story of Julie having to choose between love and loyalty has all the whimsy of a great French musical from the 60’s. From the costumes to the Fosse-esque choreography, Footnotes brings a smile to your face at each turn. It is very reminiscent of The Pajama Game but set this time in a shoe factory. Lead, Pauline Etienne is as charming and awkward as the role of Julie requires. Her airy voice suits the role and is a lovely foil to the gaggle of surprising factory women. With a wonderful, never over the top message of respect in the workplace and equal pay, this gem of a film will have your feet tapping and heart singing, no doubt about it. You can listen to the soundtrack right now on Spotify (link below) but first, check out the trailer. You can catch Footnotes in theaters today!

Have a Spotify Account?

Listen to the official Footnotes soundtrack with original songs written by Olivia Ruiz, Clarika, and many more!

Liz’s Review: The big screen breathes new life into musical farce ‘Lucky Stiff’

Lucky Stiff poster
LUCKY STIFF is a musical comedy with a romantic heart. A young down and out British shoe salesman named Harry Witherspoon (Dominic Marsh) takes his dead American uncle (Don Amendolia) (a murdered casino manager) to Monte Carlo for the best time of his life a week of fun, dancing, making money with the awesome casino games at the ยูฟ่าเบท website gambling and sun. If the young man fulfills his uncle’s request to the letter, he will inherit the $6 million left to him. If he doesn’t, the money will go to the Universal Dog Home of Brooklyn. As Harry races from casino to nightclub to beach to bedroom with his dead uncle, he is chased by a desperate put upon optometrist (Jason Alexander), his controlling, myopic, trigger happy sister (Pamela Shaw), an avaricious French chanteuse (Kate Shindle), a mysterious Italian playboy (Dennis Farina), as well as a young woman from Brooklyn (Nikki M. James) dead set on getting that money for the dogs. Well you can also enjoy many of casino games online at https://clubvip777.com/web/dafabet/. Guns go off, disguises go on, champagne corks pop, nightmares come to life, romance blossoms, dogs bark, and everyone sings! lucky-stiff nikki dom dennis
Dominic Marsh is a genuine star with an innocence you most certainly route for. Tony Award winner, Nikki James‘, wide eyed optimism and pure-hearted determination is a refreshing take on what could be an easily overshadowed character in a film filled to the brim with colorful performances. Jason Alexander is hilarious as always and it was nice to hear his very distinct singing voiced matched with his comic timing. Pamela Shaw‘s Rita is a beautifully cartoon version of a hustler and boy, can she still shake it with the best of them. This film happened also to be Dennis Farina‘s last. His boisterous, man about town is the perfect marriage of quirky and theatrical. This is truly an ode to an ensemble cast done right. No one outshines the next. There is something to be said about using true theatre people. Theatre people experience true camaraderie; they naturally become family to each other, which only lends to an enhanced end result. (But, that may just be the musical theatre nerd in me speaking.) Jason Lucky Stiff still
The sets are great and the costumes, a late 60’s-70’s vibe are fabulous. Lucky Stiff is what you might get if you mashed up A Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World and Weekend At Bernie’s and set it to a musical score. There a fantastic dream sequence in the film that features some of the lesser utilized yet fully recognizable faces in the film. This particular scene is actually the most theatrical in the entire movie, being set on an actual stage. One of the most darling aspects of Lucky Stiff is the frequent use of short animated clips that move the films pace and highlight some of the musical numbers. It’s a great substitute for a full scale broadway esque number. Lucky Stiff is a fun entry into the musical theatre world via film.

LUCKY STIFF opens in theaters and is available on VOD today, Friday, July 24th.

Liz’s Review: ‘THE LAST FIVE YEARS’ hits every note.

TheLastFiveYearsPoster

When I graduated college in 2002, everyone was buzzing about a new musical by one of my favorite lyricists/composers Jason Robert Brown. Not a single person I spoke to about The Last Five Years walked away without some sense of wonder. God only knows how I missed the run, perhaps graduation and surrounding shenanigans got in my way. Needless to say, when I heard that the show was making the jump to the big screen, I leapt at the chance to finally get in on the magic.

TheLastFiveYearsJeremyJordanStill

In this adaptation of the hit musical, The Last Five Years is a musical deconstruction of a love affair and a marriage taking place over a five year period. Jamie (Jeremy Jordan), a young, talented up-and-coming Jewish novelist falls in love with Cathy (Anna Kendrick), a Shiksa Goddess and struggling actress. Their story is told almost entirely through song.  All of Cathy’s songs begin at the end of their marriage and move backwards in time to the beginning of their love affair, while Jamie’s songs start at the beginning of their affair and move forward to the end of their marriage. They meet in the center when Jamie proposes.

TheLastFiveYearsAnnaKendrickStill

The camera work in this film is stunning; voyeuristic without being intrusive. The opening shot is very much an homage to Hitchcock‘s bird’s eye opening shot in Psycho (no story line similarities, I assure you.) The tinted lenses used to represent the good and bad in the relationship are thoughtful and extraordinarily effective for each emotional shift. There is something truly special about this film. It appears absolutely seamless as it bounces from timeline to timeline. Jason Robert Brown‘s lyrics are some of the most accessible in the industry. Think thought provoking, stream of consciousness, meets clever and catchy musical theater for the any audience. Anna Kendrick does some of her strongest work to date as Cathy. The opening ballad, “Still Hurting’ is a killer punch in the gut. This is tough stuff and she nails it. I was thoroughly impressed. The stickler in me wishes her presence had been a tad bit stronger when it came to sharing the screen with Jordan as he sings. There seems to be a slight disconnect when he takes center stage. But, I will say her acting chops on the heavier songs are quite lovely. Jeremy Jordan as Jamie is a stunner. From the moment he appears on screen, from the first note, he owns this character. I could not have asked for more from his performance. He lights up the screen, his voice is delicious, and he is an unapologetic scene-stealer and I am so fine with that. In no way is he obnoxious, or over-the-top. In my pretty harsh musical theater book, he gets an A+. Jeremy Jordan is a star. Standing ovation to director Richard LaGravenese. Successfully adapting a musical is a huge task. This film is so down-to-earth. You do not have to be a musical theater fan to enjoy this movie. That alone, makes it a hit. I highly recommend The Last Five Years and I guarantee you will walk away humming some, if not all, of these gorgeous songs.

The Last Five Years opens today!

 

Do You Have What it Takes to Sing Your Way ‘Into The Woods’?

Into-The-Woods-2014-Disney-Movie-Poster-HD-Wallpaper

Sing Your Way INTO THE WOODS: A Musical Contest

Disney invites you to show off your singing skills and your love for the Stephen Sondheim musical “Into the Woods” with the online musical contest “Sing Your Way Into the Woods”. Read More →