All tagged Sean Hayes
I was (and still am) an ardent fan of the original run of the sitcom Will & Grace. Though it sometimes tended toward the absurd and lunatic, it was often on-the-money in its depiction of the struggles of gay men and their close female friends (unceremoniously referred to as “hags”). The show was groundbreaking in many ways, but predominantly as a sitcom with a gay male lead it cut a new swath through American living rooms, opening some minds and creating important dialogues with others.
Generally, I am a proponent of the trend in producing musicals “live” on television, with the proviso that they are done well and that they don’t besmirch the reputation of musical theatre. The renaissance of live musicals started a few years ago with The Sound of Music starring Carrie Underwood. It was an underwhelming effort to say the least, but it was popular enough with audiences for NBC to turn live musicals into a perennial event. Peter Pan came next and that was even more painful than The Sound of Music, especially with an under-rehearsed Christopher Walken wending his way through the role of Captain Hook. Then something miraculous happened: Musicals Live! suddenly came up with a great idea and chose a musical that didn’t already have a beloved film version and then cast it with powerhouse talent. The Wiz Live! was a exciting, bursting with energy and heart, and was also just plain good.
