We are just recovering from some amazing Guillermo del Toro goodness, having just taken a walk down Nightmare Alley. But now, ahead of its December 2022 premiere date, del Toro has teased a first look at his stop-motion animated vision for Pinocchio. And as with all things he touches, it looks utterly divine!
Continue reading “Guillermo Del Toro Teases Bringing ‘Pinocchio’ to Life”
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”
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”
First of all, score one for Walt Disney Animation for putting out two releases in one year that celebrate different stories from different cultures! With the terrific Raya and the Last Dragon earlier this year, and now the charming Encanto, it’s refreshing to see that the House of Mouse has been more proactive in telling stories that aren’t just rooted in Western European fairy tales. I think Moana really opened the door for this, and as far as our site is concerned, we couldn’t be happier.
Continue reading “NOC Review: ‘Encanto’ is Mostly Enchanting”
Walt Disney Animation Studios’ Encanto tells a story about family and individuality through the Latin American lens, specifically a Colombian one. The film follows the Madrigal family, where every child was blessed with a magical power that they are to use to help the family and better the community. Well, every child except Mirabel (Stephanie Beatriz), who has to face the frustration of being the only one without a blessing.
Continue reading “Lin-Manuel Miranda on the Challenges of Songwriting in ‘Encanto’”
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’”
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.
Continue reading “Official Trailer for Netflix’s ‘tick, tick… BOOM!’ Has Arrived”
Super Smack is a Filipino American rapper that has been leveling up in the music game ever since his first ep, Neon Red, hit streaming services. With a unique blend of gaming culture, anime references, good vibes, and a message for change, Super Smack’s pens music that blend pop and rap in ways that make the nerd in any of us step on the dance floor.
Continue reading “Super Smack is Ready to Smash Stereotypes and the Industry with New EP”
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!
Continue reading “FDI Cast 120: I Want to Cast in America!”
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.
Continue reading “Here’s the Official Trailer and Poster for Steven Spielberg’s ‘West Side Story’”
The talented Idina Menzel plays the role of Vivian in the Amazon Original movie Cinderella. The new film is a musically-driven bold version of the traditional story you grew up with, following an ambitious young woman whose dreams are bigger than the world will allow. Cinderella is coming to Prime Video on September 3.
Continue reading “NOC Interview: Idina Menzel Discusses Her New Film, ‘Cinderella’”
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+.
Continue reading “Broadway Smash, ‘Come From Away’ is Coming to Apple TV+”
Cinderella stars Camila Cabello as the title role, along with Idina Menzel, Minnie Driver, Nicholas Galitzine, Billy Porter, and Pierce Brosnan. James Corden, Leo Pearlman, Jonathan Kadin, and Shannon McIntosh serve as the film’s producers and executive producers include Louise Rosner and Josephine Rose. Cinderella was written for the screen and directed by Kay Cannon. The official trailer and poster for the new Prime Video movie has just been released!
Continue reading “Watch the Official Trailer for Prime Video’s ‘Cinderella’”
Cartoon Network Studios is teaming up with award-winning filmmaker Matthew Cherry (Hair Love) and award-winning director Chaz Bottoms (Dear John: Legendary Love Letters) to bring us a beautiful new animated series that celebrates the creative arts culture of Chicago, set to a sonic landscape inspired by hip-hop beats and classical broadway melodies.
Continue reading “Matthew A. Cherry and Chaz Bottoms Bring Us New Animated Series ‘Battu’”
Amazon Studios’ Cinderella was written for the screen and directed by Kay Cannon. Camila Cabello will take on the iconic title role. The rest of the legendary cast is made up of Idina Menzel, Minnie Driver, Nicholas Galitzine, Billy Porter, and Pierce Brosnan. James Corden, Leo Pearlman, Jonathan Kadin, and Shannon McIntosh serve as producers, while Louise Rosner and Josephine Rose are executive producers.
Continue reading “Amazon Studios’ Releases Teaser and Poster for ‘Cinderella’”
Loren Bouchard and Nora Smith are the creators, writers, and executive producers of Central Park season two alongside Josh Gad. The animated musical comedy series first premiered last May and is produced by 20th Television for Apple. It has also been recognized with an Emmy Award nomination for star Leslie Odom Jr., as well as an NAACP Image Award nomination in the Outstanding Animated Series category. The complete first season of Central Park is now streaming on Apple TV+.
Continue reading “NOC Interview: Loren Bouchard and Nora Smith Tease ‘Central Park’ Season 2”
This week on Hard NOC Life, Britney and Dominic break down episode 2 of Loki. And go on many tangents. From Spider-Man to Game of Thrones to Ms. Marvel and eventually back to Loki.
The news of the Disney+ series comes as fans all over the world celebrate the 30th anniversary of the iconic animated 1991 classic! Stars Luke Evans and Josh Gad will be reprising their roles as Gaston and LeFou (Louie) in the eight-episode prequel. Briana Middleton will also be joining Beauty and the Beast as Louie’s stepsister, Tilly.
Continue reading “Disney+ Greenlights New Limited Musical Series, ‘Beauty and the Beast’”
This week on Hard NOC Life, Britney, Keith, and Dominic discuss In the Heights and Loki.
If you have Disney+, you might have heard of a little show called High School Musical: The Musical: The Series. That tongue twisting title, which will be abbreviated to HSMTMTS from now on, headlines the story of the next generation of Disney’s premiere high school musical group.
Continue reading “Frankie Rodriguez Represents on ‘High School Musical: The Musical: The Series’”
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.
Continue reading “Lin-Manuel Miranda’s Directorial Debut ‘tick, tick… BOOM!’ Releases Teaser Trailer”
Now that In the Heights is officially in theaters and streaming on HBO Max, what better time than now to re-up my convo with Lin-Manuel Miranda, originally recorded for the Hard NOC Life podcast.
Continue reading “NOC Interview: Lin-Manuel Miranda on the Making of ‘In The Heights’”
This week on Hard NOC Life, Britney basks in the glory of her favorite superhero, Spider-Woman, finally getting shine as the crew — aka Keith and Dominic — break down news of Issa Rae’s casting in the Spider-Verse sequel, plus sneak peeks at Shazam: Fury of the Gods and Michael Keaton in The Flash.
Continue reading “Hard NOC Life 220: Issa Rae is Spider-Woman”
