Time was, audiences went to musicals--more often called musical comedies then--to see famous entertainers sing great songs written by first-rate lyricists and composers. Ticket buyers wanted to indulge in the fun of mild social satire, disregard inane plots and have themselves a gay (in the unaltered sense of the word) time.
Matters started to change in 1927 when Oscar Hammerstein II adapted Edna Ferber's Show Boat and Jerome Kern wrote the melody for "Old Man River," which might be the greatest Broadway song ever introduced. As years and decades passed and songwriters like Kurt Weill and Bertolt Brecht wielded influence, the belief that musicals could tote a heavier load acquired more, sometimes subtly self-congratulatory, advocates.
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March 11, 2010
March 5, 2010
Oscar Night In Chicago: From Red Carpet Parties To Beers And A Flat Screen
So, you didn't score a Hollywood beau in time to be a plus one at Sunday's Academy Awards show in Hollywood--that doesn't mean you can't have fun at home. Oscar parties are all the rage in Chicago, so sit back, drink some wine and take in the fashion disasters and delights.
Here is our roundup of fun Oscar happenings:
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Here is our roundup of fun Oscar happenings:
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March 4, 2010
March 3, 2010
March 1, 2010
Should We Be Shaming Obese Children? (VIDEO)
With childhood obesity continuing to plague the youth of America, The Onion asks the question: Should we be shaming these obese children more? According to these experts, yes. And on top of that, insulting these kids can be fun for the whole family. But sending them in calorie-burning meltdown isn't the only answer. The obese are regularly glamorized on TV. The solution: "If you introduce a fat character, have that fat character die of heart disease before the season is over."
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February 27, 2010
AVATAR VS. CONFUCIUS AND CHINA’S ALTERNATIVE TO LIBERAL DEMOCRACY
It is definitely a fun blogging sport to point out that Chinese moviegoers prefer "Avatar" to the state-sponsored biopic of "Confucius," implying that China's growing middle class, and especially its youth, prefer Western ways if only the Communist Party would just get out of the way. Aside from the fact that even "Gone With the Wind" or "Citizen Kane" or "To Kill a Mockingbird" would appear plodding when pitted against "Avatar's" special effects, this is a pretty thin reading of what's going on in China today, no less where China is likely to head tomorrow.
Before we dismiss the deep civilizational influence of ancient Confucian ways in the name of
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Before we dismiss the deep civilizational influence of ancient Confucian ways in the name of
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7 Reasons Why Curling Is Not A Sport (With Photo Evidence)
Curling is not a sport. We're not trying to be disrespectful to all the curling aficionados out there, but let's face facts: It's bocce on ice. And until the summer games recognize bocce (or even shuffleboard) as an official sport, we will simply consider curling a fun game, enjoyed by everyone ages five to adult. Here are seven reasons that prove this.
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February 24, 2010
Huff Post Review: Cop Out is DOA
Cop Out affects such a generic, mid-80s feel that you keep waiting for the wink.
You keep watching, expecting that, at any moment, director Kevin Smith is going to tip his hand - to spoof the genre, send it up, make fun of it. In other words, you keep waiting for him to have his characters wink at the camera as if to communicate the fact that this is all meant as a joke, not to be taken seriously.
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You keep watching, expecting that, at any moment, director Kevin Smith is going to tip his hand - to spoof the genre, send it up, make fun of it. In other words, you keep waiting for him to have his characters wink at the camera as if to communicate the fact that this is all meant as a joke, not to be taken seriously.
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Idol Season 9: Top 24 — The Women
Now it gets fun. Most of us only sit through the auditions and Hollywood Week to get to the live performances on American Idol. But before the singing began, the show smartly dealt with Ellen sitting as far away from Simon as possible. They just showed a joke video where Simon was hitting on Ellen. On the other hand, he did look a little peevish, but that might just have been Simon. He also said this year belonged to the women. But so far it only belongs to one. (Hint: she plays the harmonica.)
PAIGE MILES -- Sang "All Right Now," the sole Top 10 hit by Free. Paige looked cute and it was smart to get Tina Turner-ish on a rock song. But this tune has a very minor range and her attempt at a big last note ended abruptly. By the end of the night, however, I agreed more with the judges who were kind. Kara made a silly ghetto comment with "You got a ridiculous voice, girl!" But Randy had the best insight into why the song was a boring choice for a solo act: the chorus is a big sing-along moment and just sounds weaker sung alone.
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PAIGE MILES -- Sang "All Right Now," the sole Top 10 hit by Free. Paige looked cute and it was smart to get Tina Turner-ish on a rock song. But this tune has a very minor range and her attempt at a big last note ended abruptly. By the end of the night, however, I agreed more with the judges who were kind. Kara made a silly ghetto comment with "You got a ridiculous voice, girl!" But Randy had the best insight into why the song was a boring choice for a solo act: the chorus is a big sing-along moment and just sounds weaker sung alone.
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