Hard NOC Life is back! Keith gets the band back together as Dominic and Britney break down The Marvels, Loki Season 2, and what was nerd poppin’ when they were on hiatus. Later, Keith is joined by Broadway star James Monroe Iglehart to discuss his latest role in Spamalot and what theater has in common with pro wrestling.
Disney California Adventure has a new show at the Hyperion Theatre and it’s one that was born from a silly gag from Disney+’s Hawkeye. In the series, Clint Barton (Jeremy Renner) takes his kid to see a Broadway musical in New York called Rogers: The Musical – the story of Captain America and the Avengers. Clint makes fun of the musical as there is a scene depicting the Battle of New York, with a song called “Save the City” (written by Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman).
Continue reading “‘Rogers: The Musical’ Creatives Wanted to Focus on Steve and Peggy’s Love Story”
We welcome Rocky back on the podcast to review Nida Manzoor’s Desi martial arts-comedy-epic, Polite Society! We also discuss the harrowing news out of Sudan, a new African animation anthology that includes Egypt and Egyptian creators, give our recommendations for the week, and much more!
Continue reading “The Middle Geeks Episode 53: ‘Polite Society’ Review with Roxana Hadadi”
We welcome Afghan-Filipina-American actress Senzel Ahmady on the podcast, and discuss her taking on the iconic role of Princess Jasmine in the touring Aladdin musical!
Continue reading “The Middle Geeks Episode 52: Senzel Ahmady on Playing Princess Jasmine in ‘Aladdin’”
Schmigadoon! returns with a six-episode sophomore season that features all new original songs and guest stars. Before the premiere on Wednesday, April 5, I had the pleasure of interviewing Cecily Strong, Keegan-Michael Key, Dove Cameron, and Aaron Tveit.
Continue reading “Cecily Strong, Keegan-Michael Key, Dove Cameron, and Aaron Tveit Talk ‘Schmigadoon!’”
It’s hard to not fall in love with Broadway-inspired films, especially ones that focus on growing up and trying to fit in someplace. Everybody’s Talking About Jamie and Billy Elliott are coming-of-age musicals of kids who are different, but still found a way to follow their dreams. Followed by fantastic music and fun dance sequences, these musicals tell a story for the ages and allow some kids to feel seen. Disney+’s upcoming original film Better Nate Than Ever does just that with a sweet story with some good songs.
Continue reading “NOC Review: ‘Better Nate Than Ever’ is a Small Scale Success”
Based on the award-winning novel by Tim Federle, Better Nate Than Ever tells the story of 13-year old Nate Foster (Rueby Wood) who has big dreams of being on Broadway, but the only problem is that no one would take a chance on him. That is, until his best friend Libby (Aria Brooks) tells him about an opportunity to audition for a Broadway production of Disney’s Lilo & Stitch in New York City.
Continue reading “Disney’s ‘Better Nate Than Ever’ is a Musical All About Finding Yourself”
Reed Shannon is the very definition of a performer, and there’s a very good chance you have heard or seen him already. Whether it comes to his acting in the upcoming The Wilds season two, making music like his recent single “Bad Girl,” his stand-up career, or his voice acting as the voice of Cartoon Network and fan favorite Ekko from the hit Netflix show, Arcane, Reed has shown that he is able to do it all and more.
Continue reading “NOC Interview: Reed Shannon is a Voice of the Future”
Directed by Steven Spielberg, with a screenplay by Tony Kushner, West Side Story revives the classic tale of fierce rivalries and young love in 1957 New York City. Now, fans of the Broadway show and original film might be wondering not only why it was remade, but if it’s worth going to see or if it does the story justice. With the stellar performances and amazing musical numbers, West Side Story has all the elements that make the story a classic and is definitely worth a trip to the movies.
Continue reading “NOC Review: ‘West Side Story’ is a Beautiful Retelling Worth Seeing”
Skylar Astin reprises his role as Max Richman in Zoey’s Extraordinary Christmas, which is a new TV movie based on the Emmy-winning show Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist. The holiday film will begin streaming December 1 on The Roku Channel.
Continue reading “NOC Interview: Skylar Astin Talks ‘Zoey’s Extraordinary Christmas’”
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!
Continue reading “The Cast of ‘Annie Live’ Discuss Bringing the Broadway Classic to Live TV”
It’s hard to not feel something when you listen to the work of the late composer and playwright Jonathan Larson. From his Tony Award-winning musical RENT to his futuristic rock opera Superbia to his autobiographical rock monologue-now-turned-film tick… tick… BOOM!, Larson has inspired many musicians and composers throughout the years. EGOT winner Lin-Manuel Miranda, known for his award-winning work on Broadway and off, was one of the many that were influenced by Larson’s work after seeing RENT as a performing arts teenager.
Continue reading “High School Performing Arts Students Celebrate ‘tick… tick… BOOM!’”
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.
Continue reading “Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande to Star in Movie Adaptation of Broadway’s ‘Wicked’”