recaps
The Wiz Live Was a Hit!
I don’t know if you saw the NBC annual live production of the Wiz, or if you saw the insane tweets, but let me tell you the show was terribly terrific. I have read all the tweets and posts filled with complaints about The Wiz having an all black cast. What I find amazing if not absolutely appalling are the number of people who are walking around with computers in their pockets and they use them for nothing more that taking self-gratifying photos of food and of themselves doing stupid acts.
Nothing is more insipid than failing to understand that The Wiz is a lot older than they are.
The nearly three-hour television production attracted 11.5 million viewers, according to preliminary Nielsen figures. That’s up from last year’s Peter Pan Live!, which drew just 9.2 million, but well below 2013’s The Sound of Music Live!, which starred Carrie Underwood and drew a whopping 18.6 million. Among adults ages 18 to 49, Wiz won a 3.3 rating, up from a 2.4 for Pan but below Music’s 4.6.
The new fresh cast, featured Mary J. Blige as the Wicked Witch of the West, Queen Latifah as the Wiz, Uzo Aduba as Glinda. How could you not love it. The Cirque du Soliel dancers as the poppies. I want one of those suits. Vulture.com said the Cirque “… influences could be felt throughout the production design, with their soaring sets and psychedelic, candy-colored costumes. You felt it especially during the dance numbers where the poppy flowers waxed creepy and sexy and the Emerald City crowd was channeling Andy Warhol’s Factory and Harlem ball culture.”
The choreography was on point and updated by Fatima’s funky moves with the Tin Man dabbing, The crows doing the Nae-Nay and the Scarecrow doing the Stanky Leg. It was a beautiful tribute to black dance.
Amber Riley shined. Neo was terrific. Newcomer Shanice Williams was amazing.
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As much as I loved the new versions, I still have a special place in my heart for the original. Nipsey, come slide some oil to me.
Superstore is Actually Funny!
I tuned in to the new NBC comedy Superstore out of curiosity. I really like America Ferrera & Ben Feldman, and the first two episodes show promise. There were several times I actually laughed out loud because I know these people. The characters are very likeable and relatable. I know several people who have worked in superstores from Fred Meyer to Target. You can easily tell the ones who are fresh on the floor and the ones who have been there entirely too long.
In this series, Amy (Ferrera) is one of the employees who has been there too long. So long in fact, she doesn’t even wear her own name tag because she doesn’t want the customers to address her by her name as if they were friends. I understand. I do it to employees all the time.
The show is a bout a superstore in a strip mall but I have some serious concerns if it is going to make it in the new era of television where everything is bigger, badder, bolder and catchier. This is a simple show about regular ole people who work in a job and in a town they wished they could leave.
The series will premiere in its regular Monday at 8:00 pm timeslot on January 4, 2016. I say give it a go, it is good clean fun.
Grimm is Back!
Grimm is back on Friday nights and it is going to be better than ever. I know one thing is for certain, I sure as hell don’t want to live in Portland.
If you are lost, let me do a quick recap.
Juliet is dead.
Adaline has had Nick’s baby and it’s a boy named Kelly.
Nick’s mother, also named Kelly, is dead.
Truble has been kidnapped.
The police think they found the serial killer and has closed the case. Renard is happy about that.
…and something wicked this way comes. It has claws too. Really big claws.
Olivia Gaines Author 
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