Manhattan

It's naive to think that George C. Wolfe, Audra McDonald, and their producers weren't trying find a gimmick for this production. They could have cast Audra McDonald in a colorblind production. They could have used the original Jerome Robbins choreography. But they didn't. They knew that to make money, they needed a device to increase interest. So they added other BIPOC actors and a BIPOC choreographer. That's what happens on Broadway, they need to write press releases. Everyone needs to get attention and ticket sales. Gimmicks send a message that you're doing something different. It can be an incredibly effective and successful gimmick like Hamilton or it can be less so, like ART's 1776 , Ivo Von Hove's The Crucible, or God help us, the Elevator Repair Company's The Great Gatsby.

I can't argue with anyone's taste. I agree that it's an almost perfect piece. Performers should trust it and not try to make improvements with their acting. My only requirement is that Mama Rose be vocally strong enough to sing the closed vowel of "FOR MEEEE!" instead of "FOR MAYYY!

Yes, I saw the current production. I've seen her in a few things - Ragtime, Carousel, 110 in the Shade and Master Class. I liked her in all of them except Master Class. I think she's best when she plays a kind of noble, warm, capable, but underestimated woman. In my opinion Rose needs to be humorless and entirely unsympathetic. She can't be warm (Audra, Tyne) , or appealing (Bernadette), or funny (Bette), or insane (Betty Buckley). Linda Lavin came closest for me. I don't like her as an actor and she doesn't sing well, but she was small, grasping, and selfish - suitable for the Depression. It was written for Merman and she had an amazingly uncomplicated lack of self awareness combined with a powerful presence and voice.

Ms. McDonald has incredible talent and skill, but she has very little personality on stage. Gypsy depends on a leading lady who is a force of nature, otherwise the show can't really get off the ground. Ms. McDonald is one of the least challenging and least offensive actors of our time. I think George C. Wolfe used the gimmick (you gotta get one) of an all black cast to mask and protect a miscast Mama Rose.

It's not a bad little film. The kind of trying very hard indie you used to see at the Angelika. Let's be clear, Eisenberg and Caulkin are not good actors, but they don't have to be in this movie. They both play at being a stereotypical pair of relations in a group of stereotypical tourists led by a stereotypical guide. The expected happens, sometimes amusingly. It's a very lean year for movies. When A Real Pain and Anora are contenders for BEST picture, instead of honorable mentions at the Big Apple Film Festival, you know the quest for outstanding achievement has been abandoned.

I'll wrap this up. Although the subject came up in this thread, this incident did not happen at 27 Men Spa. It happened at 28 Men Spa. I don't know what the masseur's name was. I've had many massages and never faced this particular situation before or since. Could I have called the cops? I guess. Could I have paid for the full hour? Sure. I didn't do either. I took the action I thought most reasonable. I paid for more than I got and only left because the masseur was not providing the service I requested - a massage. I share the story as a reminder that everyone involved in this activity is vulnerable. I've always had good experiences until this time and it reminded me that things could really go wrong. Always take good care of the masseurs and don't forget to take good care of yourself.

I said no thanks to each offer, but he wouldn't stop asking and talking about it.

I was pretty shocked but didn't really feel scared and calling the cops is opening another can of worms. There was no manager, it was late and we were the only people at the spa. The owners wouldn't care anyway.

If I book a 60 minute massage and the upselling starts as soon as the masseur enters the room and continues despite my saying "no thanks", I think it's reasonable to leave early and pay for the time I've used. He didn't work for anywhere close to 30 minutes and I definitely did not get a massage. My expectations are pretty low, but this was not an acceptable experience. This was at 28 Men's.

I was at a spa getting a one hour massage. The upselling was relentless, so I got up and dressed and left after 30 minutes. I gave the masseur the price of a half hour massage. He blocked the door and said I wasn't leaving until I paid for the full hour plus tip. I ignored him and walked past him. That's extortion.

Great list jeezifonly! i forgot how much I liked The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime.

I wish I'd seen Turner and Irwin. At the time I wasn't convinced she would be effective on stage and I didn't want to spend the money and time to find out. It's a long play.

I'm responding to my own thread just so I don't have to keep seeing Ariana Grande lead the topic. Death of a Salesman with Brian Dennehy would be one of my tops picks and A View from the Bridge with Anthony LaPaglia would be another. I don't think of myself loving Arthur Miller, but both were great evenings of theater.

I imagine many divorced sports writers appreciate actresses who get naked in movies. Apparently it's enough to convince Keith Law that Mikey Madison gave a good performance. He's allowed to have a dumb opinion.

Great dancing, but you can't call it swing if you're not dancing to swing music. Ballroom/social dances evolved to accompany live music of many styles. You hear the music - you know which dance to do. I'm not sure what these two are doing.

I love it when WE talk about THEM. As far as I can tell, the day laborers we see outside of home depot are people. Maybe even people who can make decisions about what they are willing to do to earn money. Most of us go to spas where undocumented men get paid to give massages. Do you feel conflicted about asking for extras?

Who was arrested?

The most interesting thing about the movie is how life imitates art. An unattractive, not very talented girl gets money and attention by being exploited by white men. Before the showing we had to be lectured by the director in a filmed announcement telling us how good the lead actress is and how hard she worked learning the dances (there was dancing?) and that we should appreciate that the movie was filmed in 35mm. It's a bad sign when the director has to tell you that the actress is good. The script is poorly written with a heavy reliance on the work fuck. Once the plot gets underway, you can predict the story. The twenty year old son of an oligarch isn't responsible and trustworthy? Their family is ruled by a strong woman? The strippers are jealous women prone to cat fights? The erotic dancer is broken inside? The thugs are led by a man of the church? Not one unexpected moment in a very long 139 minutes. I don't care about nudity or adult language or even cliches, I just want the movie to be good. Lots of people are claiming this movie is good. I disagree.

For Christ's sake, Jackylas - walk into any men's spa and take whoever they give you. Everyone will be fairly nice to you and you'll figure out how it works. It's a spa, you'll get a massage. How engaging that massage will be is not something anyone can predict for you. All this planning is only going to increase your anxiety. Just go.

I think the show is pretty funny. It's a good sign that the show makes fun of super "woke" values. The weak link is Alvarez. He's not charming or appealing or attractive enough to play the lead. This is what happens when writers insist on starring in their own material.

NBC has one of the largest DEI initiatives in the industry. If you've spent any time working in television, you know that the diverse casting pool is vey small. You can spend a lot of time looking for an actor. If the studio says they have to be beautiful, slim, and speak fluent english, the search gets harder. If they also have to represent a particular demographic, the chances of finding a talented actor (who's not already booked on a different project) are pretty small. Commercials can successfully push a DEI agenda, since those actors don't need talent or beauty. A television series, however, usually needs good actors to sustain viewership. We'll see how it goes for Matlock.

This forum has thousands of entries to help people just like you. Browse through the topics and read the many comments, recommendations, and warnings. Tipping and etiquette have been covered dozens of times. Do your homework and get yourself up to speed.

It's known as the world's oldest profession because it's the simplest. Someone pays someone to provide a service that requires nothing more than their body. If you're lonely or bored, keep engaging on this forum. Otherwise, go try it. There will always be emotional, physical, or legal risks to consider, but no one here can help you with those.

It's pretty watchable. A bizarre and fictionalized take on an already bizarre story. Mr. Murphy doesn't bother to humanize anyone. The acting is fine, with a lot of shouting! The highly esteemed single take of Koch is the most boring part of the series. It's not difficult to act a long take in mid-shot. It's like doing a monologue in acting class. Film acting is hard when you have to deal with emotion and continuity, coverage, and close ups.

Kind of dumb, but Kathy Bates is better that she has been in a while. The younger attorney played by David Del Rio is cute and talented, but Skye Marshall and Leah Lewis show us the downside of DEI casting. We've got white, black, hispanic, and asian. Who cares that some of the actors are bad? You're the problem if you expect professionals to be good at their jobs.