“West Side Story” Blends a Timeless Story with Modern Filmmaking
By Janie Walenda
At first, remaking “West Side Story” sounds like a bad idea. First of all, the original movie stands as one of the best movie musicals of all time, despite its outdated practices of dubbing and casting. Secondly, movie musicals are a dying genre. While it still survives due to Disney and animation, movie musicals are no longer the spectacular blockbusters they used to be. With a disappointing opening weekend, Steven Spielberg’s “West Side Story” will not disprove ...
‘Tick, Tick…Boom!’ Soars as a Showcase of Unexpected Talents
By Ben Hiett
“Am I cut out to spend my time this way?”
So asks Jonathon Larson, the real-life Broadway composer and playwright who is the focus of this film. Directed by Broadway extraordinaire Lin-Manuel Miranda with a screenplay penned by “Dear Evan Hansen” writer Steven Levenson, “Tick, Tick...Boom!” is an adaptation of a solo rock opera originally composed and performed by Larson himself. Written before his most famous musical “Rent," the show tells the story of Larson’s ...
‘Diana: The Musical’ Is a Royal Mess
By Janie Walenda
There is no shortage of dramatizations of Princess Diana's life. “The Crown” introduced her in its most recent season to great success, and “Spencer” was lauded by critics when it premiered at the Venice International Film Festival in early September. Diana’s story remains one of the most intriguing and complex of the 20th century, and sadly, “Diana: The Musical” waters it down to nearly nothing.
To start, the music is just bad. There’s no rhythm to ...
‘Dear Evan Hansen’ is an Impactful Film Critics Just Don’t Understand
By Sam Acosta
“Dear Evan Hansen” is a beautiful adaptation that brings the same big emotions that the original musical did. While some of the most popular songs are missing from the film, the story is still largely intact and communicated well. The new songs written for the film are also well written and well placed within the story's narrative.
The movie follows Evan, a high school senior struggling with depression and anxiety, whose therapist has instructed him to write letters of ...
‘Come from Away’ Offers Light During Dark Times
By Janie Walenda
When the U.S. airspace was shut down following the terrorist attacks on September 11, hundreds of aircraft were diverted to airports across Canada. Thirty-eight of these airplanes landed in a small town called Gander. The arrival of these airplanes nearly doubled the population of the town, adding close to 7000 people. “Come from Away,” a professionally recorded musical released on Apple TV+, shows the aftermath as the people of Gander strives to accommodate their ...
