Saturday, July 17, 2021

Shmigadoon, The White Lotus and Physical

                                                           My Top Three This Week


Greetings to all my semi-constant readers. Even though we are in the midst of Summer, I am already dreaming of the Fall and Pumpkin Spiced goodness. But I digress. Let's get back to Summer programming and Big Brother and all of the available content right now. Don't forget to catch Barb and Star on Hulu!

1)  Shmigadoon! streaming on AppleTV+ is everything you ever wanted but didn't know you needed. Keegan-Midchal Key an Cecily Strong  as Melissa and Josh a couple trying everything to keep their relationship alive including a couples retreat . During a hike, rain soaked and lost, they stumble into the candy coated town of Schmigadoon, A full musical number is already under way when they cross the bridge into a full scale technicolor old school musical. Drawn from Oklahoma, Brigadoon and every other score you can imagine, this story is about true love and Melissa and Josh cannot leave unless they find it together or apart. Presented by Lorne Michaels -this cast is amazing - Alan Cumming, Martin Short, Kristen Chenoweth, Aaron Tveit and Jane Krakowski. The score, choreography and wardrobe make this my summer hit!









2) The White Lotus streaming on HBO Max is a delightful surprise-Fantasy Island with all the quirks that make us human. This mini series from Mike White ( Enlightened, Chuck and Buck) is one of the favorite shows I am watching right now. The story revolves a group of guests staying at a high end Hawaiian resort managed by charming Murray Bartlett as Armond who tries to satisfy every guest's whim. The series covers 1 week and various plot lines for each of the guests. the delightful  Jennifer Coolidge is Tanya who is looking for happiness and a good massage and Connie Britton and Steve Zahn and their two children struggling to connect and a very unhappy newlywed groom who feels entitled and spends a good amount of time chasing Armond around for a room change. White knows how to direct the best performances out of this very talented cast  and a special shout out to Sydney Sweeney as Olivia Mossbacher . I already want another installment.





3) Physical streaming on AppleTV+ is a rainbbow colored 80's treat. A screenshot into the world of aerobics and how it became a staple in everyone's VCR ( I am not explaining what that is!). Rose Byrne is Sheila Rubin who is battling all her own demons in the quiet of a motel room scarfing down bags of fast food and berating herself all the while in a voice over that we can all relate to. While her clueless husband is running for a local office on a "Save the Wave" campaign she discovers the world of aerobic dancing through a drifter dance instructor Bunny (Della Saba). She sees the possibilities of video emergence in the world and finds a way to finance her dream. I loved the snarkiness of it all and Byrne's and Saba's performances were great as well Rory Scoval as her husband. This will find the intended audience I hope and we can see more of it.












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