The set (designed by Teresa L. Williams) ably evokes a school gymnasium converted to a spelling bee championship. The band is on a platform above.

Guests in the know beforehand lined up for a chance to be contestants in the spelling bee. This tactic elicited some clever improvisation once the show was underway, especially when one audience member successfully spelled a bizarre word intended to usher them off the stage.

The actual actors invariably portray a range of somewhat typical characters, yet each is believable. Kevin McHale is the snot nosed kid William Barfée who uses his foot to spell the words, Leana Rae Concepcion is the Asian polyglot Marcy Park who breaks through the stereotype expected by her family and us.

Judging the contestants is Jon (“Pretty in Pink”) Cryer as a vice principal who yearns for one more step up the professional ladder and Lilli Cooper as Rona Lisa Peretty bringing her prior dreams of glory of winning the spelling bee years earlier.

A consistently numerous convention is integrated into the rules, whereby contestants can ask to have the word in question used in a sentence.

Several of the songs were especially helpful to provide further depth to the characters. Nonetheless, a few songs slip into being too clever by half.  Director Danny Mefford maintains a brisk cadence to the intermissionless proceedings.

Without the slightly cutting edge of “Avenue Q”, this is a lighthearted romp for revisiting childhood foibles.

Tickets and more information here.

The post NYC Theatre Review – The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee first appeared on Entertainment Today.

The post NYC Theatre Review – The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee appeared first on Entertainment Today.

John Lennon was rather prickly with a lot of people and Picasso was pretty shitty to a lot of women, but I can still enjoy most of their art. Bill Cosby, not so much.

This is one of the extremely thought-provoking issues presented by Giant, led by a towering performance by John Lithgow. As Roald Dahl, the most read children’s author in history (300 million books sold worldwide), Lithgow presides over a single afternoon on 1983 that if not overshadowing Dahl’s amazing biography, it certainly defined him for many people.

The play will go a long distance bringing into razor sharp focus the question of separating the art from the artist.

Barely mentioned in the play, but Dahl had an incredible life before he gained widespread fame as the author of “James and the Giant Peach,” “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory,” “The Fantastic Mr. Fox” and several other icons of children’s literature. After fumbling through a fairly successful career as a fighter pilot, Dahl was ushered into the role of spy. His espionage colleagues Ian Fleming and Noel Coward each went on to impressive literary fame that Dahl could not initially attain. But as a spy, the dashing young Dahl soon found himself mixing martinis over lunch with FDR. Stints later as an oil company executive and as the unlikely inventor of a medical device that would end up saving hundreds of thousands of patients, Dahl relentlessly endeavored to become a literary master.

When his writings for adults failed to garner any traction, he pivoted and turned much of their darkness into stories directed at a younger set. Failing to find a buying public in the US, his publisher eventually found Dahl untold success in the UK and then globally thereafter.

A marriage to the gorgeous actress Patricia Neal preceded the events portrayed in Giant.

Against the foregoing backdrop, the play becomes even more compelling. With only brief references to Neal and the medical device (and little mention of his pivotal role as a spy for England), we see Dahl’s fiancé and two representatives from his publisher trying to deal with an explosive book review Dahl published, in which he decried Israel‘s attack on Lebanon in the 1980s. The potential backlash was likely to deleteriously affect the forthcoming publication of his next children’s book, and the publisher’s representatives are hoping to persuade Dahl to issue some sort of clarifying statement to soften the blow.

The Dahl house in the British countryside is undergoing renovation, which causes extra for frisson as the story unfolds. The incredibly prickly Dahl is sharp with his rejoinders and does a fairly persuasive job of pointing out that criticism of Israel’s political elite is warranted. Only by Dahl jousting with the junior publishing executive does the audience begin to appreciate that Dahl has conflated his disapproval with Israel’a political elite and derision of an entire race.

It becomes evident that Dahl has an abiding love of children but that is a jarring juxtaposition with his violent antisemitic positions.

Lithgow is impeccable in the role. No stranger to towering performances on screen and stage, his natural stature (apparently spot on in recreating the author‘s physical presence) coupled with an astute sense of timing, make for a riveting performance. His brilliant role in Giant at age 81 stands atop a staggering biography: seven Emmy Awards, two Golden Globe Awards, a Laurence Olivier Award and two Tony Awards, as well as nominations for two Academy Awards, a British Academy Film Award, four Grammy Awards, and four Screen Actors Guild Awards.

As the British afternoon’s banter becomes ever sharper, the audience seems to be holding its collective breath as the next verbal volley is served.

Rachael Stirling as Dahl’s fiancé is marvelous, expressing an obvious love of her future husband. Her mien becomes more grimacing as his more distasteful aspects bubble to the surface. We are not quite sure on what side she comes down regarding charges of antisemitism, but the two publishing executives, each of whom are Jewish, are pushed directly into more uncomfortable positions.

The more junior executive (Aya Cash as Jessie Stone) seems to be weak willed, but impressively shows a sturdy spine in going toe to toe with the esteemed author many decades older.

This is a play that elicits an amazing amount of discussion long after the final curtain falls. Indeed, Lithgow apparently enjoys his long walk home after each performance, not because of its distance (which is not very far) but because of the time it takes after being stopped by folks wanting to discuss the play.

Tickets and more information here.

The post BROADWAY THEATRE REVIEW – Giant first appeared on Entertainment Today.

The post BROADWAY THEATRE REVIEW – Giant appeared first on Entertainment Today.

The experts at the Wall Street Journal recently provided timely and coincidental historical context for a fun evening near Broadway:

“The masquerade’s origins lie in Greek religion and Roman festivals. From there it developed into the post-Lenten carnivals of medieval Europe and the private theatricals of Renaissance courts. Truman Capote’s Black and White Ball at New York City’s Plaza Hotel in 1966 is widely seen as the last high-society masquerade, but more inclusive traditions of anonymous dancing and costumed delinquency survive in the tourist carnivals of Venice and New Orleans.”

Extending intellectual property rights has long been a staple of revenue generation for Hollywood, and Broadway certainly is no laggard (Cats is now reimagined as The Jellicle Ball). Despite the gazillion dollars shifted in favor of the producers of Phantom of the Opera, there are still more ducats to be mined from that IP.

Which brings us to Masquerade, an interactive retelling of the blockbuster musical. For those interested in moving in, around and through the multi-storied stage, this is an enjoyable evening.

Be warned – the black, white or silver dress code is strictly enforced, and you really can’t get away with anything less than cocktail attire. More than a few folks attended completely decked out, already equipped with the mandatory masks. And those (like us) lacking the latter were supplied the requisite eyewear.

Upon being ushered in (after whispering that night’s password and passing the wardrobe check) it’s a bit like the initial moments of the Haunted House at Disneyland. But soon things grow darker, and not only with the plot and lighting.

The Masquerade cast moves nimbly through the crowd. Sometimes the crowd is invisible to the performers and other times the audience become participants, being addressed directly. Yes, there is a big chandelier.

In a humorous flashback to a carnival setting, one participant is asked to slowly pull what seemed like a nine inch nail from a performer’s nostril. We saw it going in, it was edgier watching it come out. On entering that stage set, musicologists knew to look for the iron gates crafted by Bob Dylan from scraps from bridges and railroads, a Venn Diagram no one could expect. Then again, early in his career Dylan claimed he ran away from home to join the carnival.

Ushers deftly direct the audience from scene to scene, positioning the audience close to and amidst the action. The production sound is well crafted throughout, and the lighting is always remarkable. Plenty of (electric) candles are deployed just about everywhere.

Comfortable shoes are mandatory as stairways and escalators are well deployed, taking the audience up, over and down. We were lucky the spring rains stopped on the evening we attended; we were led to two rooftop scenes, which were admittedly a bit of a jarring juxtaposition from the fin de siècle French opera house setting inside.

The singing voices of the three leads encompassing the love triangle were sterling. The storyline, such as one remembers it, is retold it seems more than once during the evening (will she or won’t she go with the Phantom), but one comes less for the story and more for the setting and the singing.

Highbrow folks might not like this activity, but as mentioned above apparently there aren’t any highbrow masquerade events these days.

After enjoying plenty of excellent Broadway productions from the more traditional seated position, it was a pleasant diversion to be led (not quite by the nose) through the production of Masquerade.

Tickets and more information here.

The post NYC Theatre Review – Masquerade first appeared on Entertainment Today.

The post NYC Theatre Review – Masquerade appeared first on Entertainment Today.

Here, Jack Holden portrays a seemingly endless number of characters in describing a true crime in the middle of nowhere Missouri. Holden (who won Best Actor Olivier Award) doesn’t portray each of the 400 residents of the town, and there are myriad characters that seem to be thrown in only to display Holden’s prodigious talents.

Nonetheless, we are drawn in as his first character, an FBI agent, is recounting his investigation into the multiple murders in the town where nothing has ever happened. In fact, the town was apparently so boring that the only sheriff left town, also because he was required to buy his own gun.

The characters assayed run the range from local radio DJs and preachers to butchers and bartenders. Accompanied by a versatile musician John Patrick Elliott, the music accompaniment is very effective in heightening the tension. Moving from lonesome prairie figures reminiscent of Ry Cooder to slashing Hendrix-like chords, the music provides a sonic landscape as the story unfolds.

Moving around the stage in well-oiled choreography, Holden switches gears and characters with stunning alacrity. He co-wrote the script with director Ed Stambollouian.

Whether performing various characters at an ersatz rodeo or the 14 year old child bride that becomes the focus of attention, Holden is formidable.

No single character is played long enough for us to gather much depth, and we almost lose the thread while waiting for the next trick.
But as the second act unfolds, it was important characters that began to take shape. Stambollouian channels his inner wiry electric Neil Young. The plot and web begins to tighten and the climax is thrilling. A brief epilogue shifts the focus slightly, for an effective coda to the evening’s whirlwind performance.

Tickets and more information here.

The post NYC Stage Review – KENREX: A True Crime Thriller first appeared on Entertainment Today.

The post NYC Stage Review – KENREX: A True Crime Thriller appeared first on Entertainment Today.

Justin Bieber

Probably the biggest head scratcher was from the artist who allegedly is now the highest paid artist of Coachella. $10 million was apparently paid to Justin Bieber, great work if you can get it! The most controversial element of his set was a low-key production of him exploring in real time many of his early videos. The performance was perfectly Meta. Hard-core fans were ecstatic as they were justified in their long-term support of Bieber, whereas other folks were understandably perplexed. My take? I was never a fan, but let’s give him props for not automatically stepping up for the usual full-blown headline production. If you believe, as I do, that art should provide more questions than answers, than Beiber deliberately or otherwise did just that.

Give credit to Bieber for frequently gliding along the pit and engaging directly with ecstatic fans (by definition his most hard-core fans). More than a few front row denizens were overwhelmed in deciding whether to sing along, capture a selfie or revel in the moment old school style. Bieber was discovered on social media and undoubtedly no one in the world captured more social media activity that night.

Everything performed by Bieber was live to track (although a few musicians were peppered throughout), meaning that the cost of production was quite lower than artists who brought along a full band.

Many fans seemed to love his crotch grabs and singing while lying on his back. Bieber showed no real urgency in moving from one song to the next, in keeping with the decidedly low energy performance and comfortable Ugg boots in which he prowled the stage.

All in it was a pleasant enough performance, with few overly memorable moments and really not so far from a Jack Johnson gig.

On the other end of the exuberance spectrum was Karol G; her explosive headlining set closed out the weekend. The reggaeton singer from Colombia delivered her set with little or no English, and brought to mind the culture-melding performance of Bad Bunny at the Super Bowl.

David Byrne

The last time I saw David Byrne at Coachella was in 2018, and he was astounding. This time, he somehow managed to do even better. As with his prior appearance, the only thing touching the stage were the feet of the performers; all instruments were carried and performed with amazing choreography. It is quite evident that Byrne outshined many musicians that weekend 1/2 or 1/3 of his age. Granted, at 73, Byrne enjoys a deep, eclectic and satisfying songbook. He reached in to find many fan favorites. His astounding band was crisp, energetic and a joy to watch. The entire band was grinning throughout the performance. I believe the emotion was honest.

I noted that unlike several other performers, Byrne did it all without a Teleprompter, whereas many legacy artists look for that support to ensure a smooth delivery.

Random Notes

There was a tipping point for Coachella when the promoters ambitiously put tickets on sale before announcing the lineup. That was the point at which knowingly or otherwise the brand became more important than the musicians. By delivering so many enjoyable annual lineups and providing consistently such an incredible vibe, promoter Goldenvoice provided its fan base the confidence to buy tickets without knowing who they would see perform. In fact, the demand was so great that the promoters were able to double down and repeat the whole shebang the following weekend.

Other acts in 2026 that caught my eyes and ears included Interpol at Mojave. Brad Truax’s low slung bass provided the throbbing engine room for the Manhattan band, now in its 29^th year. Emerging from the same NYC scene was The Strokes, who preceded Bieber on Friday.

Worship delivered the obligatory sensory overload as headliner at Sahara, but for me performers fist pumping, lighting cigs and twiddling knobs is not quite sufficient to get me impressed.

Tijuana Panthers from nearby Long Beach was an energetic trio, reminding punters of early frenetic Police, and not just because lead singer Daniel Michicoff likewise played bass à la Sting.

For those seeking true old school hardcore real deal punk, toggling strategically between Mojave and Sahara at the golden hour on Sunday afforded you mosh pit behavior with Black Flag, Suicidal Tendencies and Iggy Pop.

That’s a wrap, the nation’s premier music festival again delivers.

The post Coachella 2026: Observations first appeared on Entertainment Today.

The post Coachella 2026: Observations appeared first on Entertainment Today.

Introduced at the 2026 Consumer Electronics Show (CES) by homerunPET, a global leader in smart pet-care technology, its top-selling CS106 Self-Cleaning Litter Box is indeed a game changer. Our house “with two cats by the door” was a great testing ground for this space-age unit.

The maker’s design directives (“reliable, hygienic, and truly hands-off”) have been achieved. We set up the unit in the corner of our garage, and Minchey watched the assembly warily. Soon she jumped in, inquisitiveness being her genetic imperative. The unit admittedly looks like what Elon Musk would want for cat owners if he becomes successful moving the human population to Mars (although he now has set his sights closer with the moon as his target).

The curved lines and bubble like-housing would please George Jetson. Indeed, once we got the unit up and running, I have happily taken a distant back seat to the proceedings. Minchey (and eventually her friend the far more hesitant Rosie) found where she needed to do her thing, and both have been doing so ever since. The CS106 rolls out the egregious material once the cat exits the unit, all of which is gathered in a separate bag. My wife advises that gathering the bag and adroitly placing it in the rubbish bin is fast, smooth, clean and almost vibrant.

I haven’t waited around to see if the two cats perform in tandem, although as they bulk up in their later years the extra large internal space will preclude the cats from outgrowing the CS106. Another great feature is the auto-fill feature. All in, we feel less guilty taking a few holidays away from the house. Between the remote controlled kibble feeder, the flowing water fountain bubbler and now the CS106, our cats have the run of our new house, even when we are on the road.

homerunPET is scheduled to introduce a camera that “integrates directly with the CS106 to deliver advanced behavioral insights, real-time activity detection, and enhanced health monitoring—powered entirely by on-device AI.” That evolution seems almost inevitable, and we shall see if that type of cat intimacy is where our household is headed.

The cats feign indifference when we return home, but we are confident they like our Jetsons style of feline maintenance.

More info here.

The post Robot Care for the Cat and for the Family: The End of the Traditional Grinchy Litter Box? first appeared on Entertainment Today.

The post Robot Care for the Cat and for the Family: The End of the Traditional Grinchy Litter Box? appeared first on Entertainment Today.

As the Preston documentary unfolds, the casual fan will be stunned at being reminded of how many great songs Billy Preston influenced. Even the most ardent fan will be jolted with the plethora of artists whose music was made better by Preston. Toward the end of the film, even Eric Clapton admits that he was just in Billy’s band.

Most famously, Preston was exactly the catalyst needed by The Beatles to complete their last two albums.

The Liverpudlians first met Preston while playing their relentless gigs in Germany. A fellow teenager, Preston came through Hamburg on tour with Little Richard. Each of the Beatles acknowledged Preston’s critical input, but it seems George was especially receptive. It was George who included Preston in the Bangladesh concerts and George’s subsequent solo tours. And it was George who signed the legal release when Allen Klein refused to let Preston leave Apple Records; it was sadly evident the label did not support Preston’s ambitions. The documentary (ably directed by Paris Barclay and written by Paris Barclay & Cheo Hodari Coker) goes on to describe how Preston played on five albums with the Rolling Stones, starting with their two very best Sticky Fingers and Exile on Main Street. A stunning achievement.

Preston’s girlfriend, actress/model Kathy Silva, left him for Preston’s colleague Sly Stone, with whom he recorded. It is uncertain about whom Preston wrote “You Are So Beautiful.” The film suggests Preston’s mother was the inspiration. Joe Cocker enjoyed huge success covering the ballad.

Preston appeared on the inaugural episode of Saturday Night Live, performing “Nothing From Nothing,” yet another #1 hit.

But the main strength of the film is the fantastic job in juxtaposing Preston’s insatiable and incredible musical talent with the contradiction thrust on him by the church that could never allow Preston to acknowledge overtly his sexuality. That conflict failed to give him the support he needed when addiction took its toll, causing him to spiral downward in a series of regrettable legal infractions.

The film includes an amazing array of interview clips, both recent era talking heads and interview sequences from across the decades. The insights from people who knew Preston from a very early age throughout his sprawling recording career paint an incredible picture of an incredible talent.

It is unlikely there will be any other book or film that will shed this much light on an ultimately enigmatic man.

The post FILM REVIEW – Billy Preston: That’s The Way God Planned It first appeared on Entertainment Today.

The post FILM REVIEW – Billy Preston: That’s The Way God Planned It appeared first on Entertainment Today.

Directed by Penny Marshall, starring Geena Davis, Madonna, Lori Petty, Rosie O’Donnell and Tom Hanks, A League of Their Own is the true story of trailblazing women who formed the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League during World War II.

  As part of the events surrounding the 100th anniversary year of the historic El Portal Theatre, Women’s History Month will be celebrated with a special screening of A League of Their Own, on Saturday March 14, 2026.

Ann Potenza

  Just announced as the El Portal’s Managing Director, Ann Potenza has initiated monthly movie nights at the theatre as part of the year-long centennial celebrations. Potenza said, “For Women’s History Month we wanted to celebrate female talent and empowerment by remembering the remarkable contributions of women throughout history, and A League of Their Own certainly does that.”

  Potenza’s background includes having been a hands-on theatrical producer for several impressive shows at El Portal Theatre, such as The War of Roses, Twelve Angry Women and Dragapalooza.  Potenza has also brought her strong work ethic to major cultural events in Los Angeles, the most notable being The Feast of San Gennaro in Hollywood. “I started as a volunteer because of my passion for my New York Italian heritage, then my love of the Los Angeles community led me to become the annual event producer”. Potenza is also the creator and host of Women Who Kick Glass, a weekly podcast that highlights the stories of fearless women throughout history who broke barriers and shaped the world. 

  Calendar listing for Women’s History Month Film: A LEAGUE OF THEIR OWN (1992) Rating: PG,  Saturday March 14, 2026, 4pm & 8pm. 

The post March screening ‘A League of Their Own’ film embodies Women’s History Month first appeared on Entertainment Today.

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