A Los Angeles Theatre Review: ‘Untitled Baby Play’

June 13, 2022June 13, 2022 Edward Hong

I will always cherish plays, especially original plays, that have global majority actors be the leads in content that have nothing to do with their race/culture but rather other pressing issues of life, which in this particular case is an upcoming baby shower for a group of friends and the “baby question” that all the women in Nina Braddock’s Untitled Baby Play individually grapple with. Presented by IAMA Theatre Company and currently playing at the Atwater Village Theatre, the play does a tremendous job giving each of the ensemble members a chance to shine.

Reviews, Theatre

A Los Angeles Theatre Review: ‘Hamlet’

May 23, 2022May 23, 2022 Edward Hong

You would be hard pressed to find me wanting to watch a Shakespeare production willingly. While I am painfully aware his works are considered the echelon of fine performance arts training, my distaste for it only grew as a vast majority of Shakespeare productions only utilize white actors for the meaningful parts.

Until now.

Reviews, Theatre

The Gift of Sanaz Toosi’s ‘English’

March 9, 2022March 9, 2022 Swara Salih

What goes into learning a foreign language for your livelihood? How does one prepare to become a foreigner in an unfamiliar country? Encapsulating the migrant experience through the microcosm of a TOEFL class in 2008 Karaj, Iran, Sanaz Toosi’s searingly beautiful play English, directed by Knud Adams, answers all of this and much more, running at The Atlantic Theater in New York City to critical acclaim.

Reviews, Theatre

A Los Angeles Theatre Review: ‘Celestial Events’

March 9, 2022March 12, 2022 Edward Hong

As in-person theatre is making more of a return throughout the United States and particularly in Los Angeles where I reside, there’s been a surge of plays that deal with traumatic topics of race when all or most of their cast members are that of Global Majority.

Interview, Movies, Theatre

Rachel Zegler and Ariana DeBose Discuss Latina Representation and ‘West Side Story’

December 9, 2021 Sophia Soto

Rachel Zegler and Ariana DeBose star as María and Anita in West Side Story. The film was adapted for the screen from the original 1957 Broadway show, and tells the classic tale of fierce rivalries and young love in 1957 New York City. From 20th Century Studios, The Walt Disney Company will release West Side Story in theaters on December 10.

Television, Theatre

The Cast of ‘Annie Live’ Discuss Bringing the Broadway Classic to Live TV

November 29, 2021 Anjali Contreras

The Nerds of Color knows all about a “Hard Knock Life” since we named a podcast after the classic song from Annie. On December 2, it’ll be a hard knock life for the whole world as NBC brings the Broadway classic to live television with Annie Live!

Reviews, Theatre

Los Angeles Theatre Review: ‘Poor Clare’

November 19, 2021November 19, 2021 Edward Hong

To be watching plays again inside a theatre after 18 months was certainly a strange experience considering that Poor Clare, now playing at the Echo Theater Company, was something I was supposed review right before the pandemic shut everything down and drastically altered our lives for many months to come. To finally be able to watch this play (written by Chiara Atik and directed by Alana Dietze) was made all the worthwhile in how utterly fantastic it was and how much its themes struck even harder after everything we experienced during this chaotic time.

Movies, Music, Theatre

Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande to Star in Movie Adaptation of Broadway’s ‘Wicked’

November 4, 2021November 5, 2021 Laura Sirikul

Wicked, Universal Pictures’ film adaptation of the Tony Award-winning musical, has found Elphaba and Glinda in Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande, respectively. The film adaptation is being helmed by In the Heights director Jon M. Chu.

Movies, Theatre

A New Sneak Peek at Steven Spielberg’s ‘West Side Story’

October 27, 2021October 30, 2021 Sophia Soto

The Walt Disney Company has released a new sneak peek of the highly anticipated film, West Side Story. Steven Spielberg’s film adaptation of the iconic musical stars Rachel Zegler, Ansel Elgort, Ariana DeBose, David Alvarez, Mike Faist, Josh Andrés Rivera, Ana Isabelle, Corey Stoll, Brian d’Arcy James, and Rita Moreno. The screenplay, which will tell the classic tale of fierce rivalries and young love in 1957 New York City, comes from Tony Kushner.

Movies, Streaming, Theatre

Official Trailer for Netflix’s ‘tick, tick… BOOM!’ Has Arrived

October 4, 2021October 4, 2021 Lauren Lola

Years before Jonathan Larson’s hit rock musical, Rent, exploded in the theatre world, he was a struggling, up-and-coming composer, making ends meet by working at a local diner in New York, while the AIDS epidemic was raging on and taking lives of people he knew. All this and more was documented in an autobiographical musical he wrote called tick, tick… BOOM!, which originally premiered Off-Broadway in 2001, five years following his untimely death.

Podcasts, Theatre

FDI Cast 120: I Want to Cast in America!

September 24, 2021September 24, 2021 Jamie

When you’re a NOC you’re a NOC all the way from your first bubble tea to your last dying day! The boss, Keith Chow, stops by to talk musicals!

Movies, Theatre

Here’s the Official Trailer and Poster for Steven Spielberg’s ‘West Side Story’

September 15, 2021September 15, 2021 Sophia Soto

The Walt Disney Company has just shared a new trailer, poster, and stills for Steven Spielberg’s film adaptation of the iconic musical, West Side Story. The screenplay comes from Tony Kushner and will tell the classic tale of fierce rivalries and young love in 1957 New York City. The cast includes Rachel Zegler, Ansel Elgort, Ariana DeBose, David Alvarez, Mike Faist, Josh Andrés Rivera, Ana Isabelle, Corey Stoll, Brian d’Arcy James, and Rita Moreno.

Streaming, Theatre

Broadway Smash, ‘Come From Away’ is Coming to Apple TV+

August 27, 2021August 31, 2021 Mike Manalo

Since the pandemic closed theaters, the Big Apple has been longing for the amazing allure of the Broadway lights, sights, and songs! Thankfully, Broadway is making a major comeback this fall, so fans can immerse themselves in the glory of the stage once more. But while we all await the rise of live curtains, theater geeks everywhere can at least get their fix through the magic of streaming, from the debut of Hamilton on Disney+ last year, and now once more with the upcoming premiere of Come From Away on Apple TV+.

Reviews, Theatre

Los Angeles Theatre Review: ‘An Octoroon’

July 12, 2021July 12, 2021 Edward Hong

During intermission while watching An Octoroon (written by Branden Jacobs-Jenkins and directed by Judith Moreland) at the Fountain Theatre, an old white woman randomly came up to me and asked what I found so amusing in this play. First, I had to get over the shock that a live human being was touching me (without permission) and getting up in my face to ask this question because after all, this was my first time watching a play with a live audience (albeit in an outdoor theater) in 16 months. Second, what WAS I and primarily all the other POC audience members laughing about?

Movies, Streaming, Theatre

Lin-Manuel Miranda’s Directorial Debut ‘tick, tick… BOOM!’ Releases Teaser Trailer

June 10, 2021June 10, 2021 Laura Sirikul

When people think of Jonathan Larson, the first thing to come out is the Tony Award-winning musical Rent. But, Larson had done many musicals before that, one of which, is based on his life called tick, tick… BOOM!

Performed in 1990 Off-Broadway as a one-man show, tick, tick… BOOM! was an autobiographical rock monologue about his experience feeling rejected because of what he considered a failure for his musical, Superbia. After Larson’s death in 1996, it was reworked into a stage musical by playwright David Auburn and musical director Stephen Oremus. Now, making his feature directorial debut, Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award winner Lin-Manuel Miranda takes the story from stage to the big screen.

Movies, Theatre

Light’s Up on the Opening Number from ‘In the Heights’

June 7, 2021June 11, 2021 Keith Chow

Warner Bros. has moved up the opening of Jon M. Chu’s big screen adaptation of Lin-Manuel Miranda and Quiara Alegría Hudes’s Tony Award-winning musical, In the Heights, a day early. So it won’t be long now!

To hold you over until Thursday night, Chu and Miranda went to social media to announce they’re releasing the first eight minutes of the movie — essentially, the entire opening number — even earlier.

Movies, Reviews, Theatre

‘In the Heights’ Captures the Beauty of Washington Heights and the Community Behind It

May 21, 2021June 17, 2021 Laura Sirikul

It seems like only yesterday when national treasure and lyricist genius Lin-Manuel Miranda graced the Richard Rodgers Theatre as Usnavi in the Broadway production of In the Heights. Now, 13 years later, the Tony Award-winning musical is finally premiering on the big screen next month.

Movies, Theatre

‘Dear Evan Hansen’ Film Adaptation’s Emotional Trailer Will Be Found Here

May 18, 2021June 11, 2021 Laura Sirikul

Universal Pictures has finally released the trailer to the anticipated film adaptation of the Tony Award-winning musical Dear Evan Hansen. Ben Platt returns to reprise his Broadway role as the troubled teen, Evan Hansen.

Movies, Theatre

Watch the Trailer for Roadside Attractions’ ‘Rita Moreno: Just a Girl Who Decided to Go For It’

April 26, 2021April 26, 2021 Sophia Soto

Rita Moreno: Just a Girl Who Decided to Go For It comes out in theaters on June 18. The documentary about the acting legend, which has a total runtime of 89 minutes, features George Chakiris, Héctor Elizondo, Gloria Estefan, Tom Fontana, Morgan Freeman, Mitzi Gaynor, Whoopi Goldberg, Norman Lear, Eva Longoria, Justina Machado, Terrence McNally, Lin-Manuel Miranda, and Karen Olivo.

Movies, Theatre

See the First Teaser Trailer for Steven Spielberg’s ‘West Side Story’

April 25, 2021April 29, 2021 Sophia Soto

During the Oscars telecast, The Walt Disney Company finally gave fans a glimpse at the new film adaptation of the musical West Side Story, which will open in U.S. theaters on December 10. To add even more to the excitement, they also released a teaser poster.

Books, Hard N.O.C. Life, Theatre

Hard NOC Life 212: Mandy Gonzalez is ‘Fearless’

April 19, 2021 Hard NOC Media

In the first of two episodes of Hard NOC Life releasing this week, Keith sits down with Broadway superstar and now, children’s book author, Mandy Gonzalez to talk about her new middle grade novel, Fearless. They also talk about her career — from originating the role of Nina for In the Heights to replacing Renee Elise Goldsberry as Angelica in Hamilton — and why being fearless has helped her cope while Broadway is shut down.

Continue reading “Hard NOC Life 212: Mandy Gonzalez is ‘Fearless’”

Fandom, Interview, Theatre1 Comment

Patrick Clanton on the Evolution of Behind the Magic YouTube Channel

March 26, 2021March 26, 2021 Lauren Lola

Last June, three months into sheltering-in-place and unable to perform for a live audience, actor Patrick Clanton decided to tackle an idea he has had for a while about starting a YouTube channel about the hidden gems of Disney. Originally called Behind the Ears, the channel’s early videos explored the making of Zoog era Disney Channel shows like The Famous Jett Jackson and short-lived Disney Broadway productions such as The Little Mermaid. Continue reading “Patrick Clanton on the Evolution of Behind the Magic YouTube Channel”

Movies, Theatre

Anthony Ramos Credits the ‘In the Heights’ Musical for His Career

March 14, 2021March 14, 2021 Laura Sirikul

In the Heights has played a huge role in the lives of the actors who created and originated in the original Broadway musical. Creator Lin-Manuel Miranda became an overnight superstar on Broadway. After the success of In the Heights and another Award-winning musical Hamilton, Miranda became a National Treasure. He was also credited for discovering the actors who performed in his musicals, including Anthony Ramos, who is now starring as Usnavi, a role that Miranda originated on Broadway.