d.anders

nytimes.com WWW.NYTIMES.COM A worrisome OpEd in today's New York Times.

Looks like Jonathan Groff's last performance is March 29. 2026. I did not realize that Sarah Hyland is now playing Connie Francis. The company is saying a National Tour is being launched June 2027. I wonder if Jonathan will have anything to do with that. It also appears that Matt Magnusson has gone on for Jonathan with success. Someone posted a recent video from the show, with Matt, and the quality is pretty good. Gives you a sense of the electricity in that room.

Another movie that has a lot of buzz that I did not enjoy. I thought the thing would never end, and then the ending was so bizarre. Apparently, a lot of people think it's master film-making. I felt like it burned in a whole in my brain. I'm not familiar with the director's other work. This review pretty much summed it up for me:

I'm sure professional stylists are throwing very expensive clothes at the boys. Those are guaranteed eyeballs, and what designer doesn't want that kind of publicity? I agree, but the song is really getting on my nerves. Oversaturation with pop-music can be a killer. It took awhile before Heartstopper got my attention. Initially, I got the impression it was about twinks, and I had little interest. It seems to me, Heated Rivalry is a whole other animal.

This from publicist Waylon Tate:

Jacob Tierney was so smart to go with Crave. America production doesn't have the balls to do justice to Rachel Reid's work. Friends in show business tell me that new execs at HBO have turned anti-gay. It seems like a miracle that HBO had the nerve to buy in. I hope this success is promising for the future.

The guy makes me melt.

I found Connor's story about his waiting tables one day, and then getting hired for Heated Rivalry the next.

I didn't see this live, but I think Connor made tuna melts for the Today crew. https://www.youtube.com/shorts/yedyX6O1t0I

I don't know the Black anchor, but I appreciated his honest reluctance. When I heard he bothered to watch all six episodes, I was impressed. There are a surprising number of straight Black men blogging about the show on YouTube. The Today Show had Connor stay for several segments, with various anchors. He got some nice air time, and I'm really impressed with the way he handles himself. It's nice to hear that he is tight with his mother. I was a bit surprised to hear that his father has not watched the show. I suspect the parents may be divorced, and Connor's favorite is not his father, but I'm guessing.

I think this Seth Myers promo spot got limited play. I thought it was cute and clever.

I don't think that's true. I think with Seth Myers, Connor said he quit his diner job the day before he started filming the series, which was April 2025. He said his boss had recently given him a last warning. Connor was about to get fired before he quit. He also said he thought he would have to go back to waiting tables after the series stopped filming, because no one knew what was about to happen. Nothing quite like a hit, word-of-mouth show to change your life overnight.

I'm not a Gayle King fan, but I expected her to be the safest go-to interviewer that the Globes offered. Friend of Oprah, and CBS official and all that. After watching her YouTube video, I am surprised by the number of Hollywood folk who did not stop to talk in her booth. I assume the publicists and the stars have had it. No more meeting up with the Joan Rivers' types. It seems they're all being very selective these days. Both Connor and Hudson do interviews in this video. I thought Connor did great, and Hudson failed. WTF was he thinking with all the swearing and cum talk? Tacky gay stereotype shit. Gayle was not having it. This video is also interesting because it is unedited. It shows how the sauce is made. I had to chuckle at the hairdresser being obsessive over Gayle's hair, and after all that fussing, Gayle still never looked great. François Arnaud was on CBS This Morning today. Gayle had another chance to tell her Heated Rivalry story.

I wonder if anyone from CAA got their ass kicked for this fiasco. Social media is having a field day with this clip. Janelle James was not having this competition for media attention, but in truth, the interviewer from ExtraTV (whatever that show is) is an asshole and a jerk. But it's not his fault that these two misfits were paired together to do press, when they clearly do not know one another, and each has his or her own media agenda. This was embarrassing, and Janelle and Connor did not deserve this PR fiasco. Someone at CAA fucked up.

I did not hear about this one. Good for Hudson snagging the seat first. I thought he did very well for his first time on the couch. Love how he talked about his "cock sack," and then said after a while they just let those things go. What fun for the crew.

Just heard that Connor and Hudson have been hired to present at the Golden Globes.

Just heard that Connor Storrie is going to be a guest on Seth Myers Jan 12.

Different strokes for different folks. I never thought Geffen was attractive or handsome. I always thought he had a bitchy-queen look, a kind of self-loathing.

I heard there are TikToks of Russian-speakers offering translation, and criticizing his Russian. Some say his accent is good, but his full-on Russian, not so much.

I have a few Karen Walkers in my life, but they're all gay men.

LOL. This sounds like someone who should get as far away from customers as possible, and avoid having anything to do with a service job. Wow. Just when you think you've heard it all.

I loved the final episode. So many wonderful moments to savor. Can't wait to watch it again. I saw this after watching: I don't know who the woman is, and I don't know this Channel well. I think it's a politics channel. But I am fascinated by heteros who are fans of this show. Even though she can't stop giggling, she speaks from her heart about why this show affects her.

It saddens me to hear that some gay men still live in secrecy. I hope it's less true with younger folk.

Especially a gay story that's exciting to watch. I too hope Connor and Hudson are being treated well in this early stage. From what I've been reading, neither is wealthy, and both have to find a way to sustain life until the next pay check. I believe they get paid by the week once they start filming, and the paycheck depends on what salary was negotiated per episode. They lose a lot in taxes, so it may take some time before they can ride high like Timothée Chalamet, who at 29 is now making a fortune.

I had no idea it was still around.