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“Jesus Christ Superstar Live In Concert” – Simply Thrilling

Brandon Victor Dixon as “Judas”

Thrilling. Simply thrilling.

NBC’s presentation of Jesus Christ Superstar Live In Concert last night absolutely knocked me out.

Brandon Victor Dixon killed it as “Judas.” Powerful, focused and authentic in his passion. And his arms!

Sara Bareilles was inspired casting as “Mary Magdalene.”

John Legend took the role of “Jesus” and made it his own. His calm countenance was a great balance for “Judas.”

Norm Lewis was excellent as “Caiaphas” as was Jason Tam as “Peter.”

I thought Alice Cooper was terrific as “King Herod.” What a great casting idea and he handled it well.

The overriding dynamic for me was seeing the actors trusting their material. They let it do the work.

The direction, choreography and design were off the charts. Mad props to stage director David Leveaux, TV director Alex Rudzinski,
choreographer Camille A. Brown and the design team of set designer Jason Ardizzone-West, costume designer Paul Tazewell, and lighting designer Al Gurdon.

THIS is how Superstar needs to be done.

And the last few minutes, visually, were transcendent.

If you missed it, you can find most of the performances on NBC’s YouTube here.

Watch below as Brandon Victor Dixon steps into the spotlight for”Heaven on Their Minds” and “Superstar.”

And Sara Bareilles’ “I Don’t Know How To Love Him.”

Give BVD an Emmy Award right now.

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Costa Rica Elects Pro-Same-Sex Marriage President

Carlos Alvarado Quesada
Image by Luis Madrigal Mena (CC BY S.A. 4.0)

Carlos Alvarado Quesada has won Costa Rica’s presidential election besting evangelical conservative Fabricio Alvarado Muñoz in an election that found same-sex marriage front and center.

With 95% of the vote in, it is Alvarado Quesada with a landslide victory of 61 percent.

From The New York Times:

Mr. Alvarado Quesada will be sworn into office on May 8 for a four-year term leading a nation of about five million people that is celebrated as a popular tourist destination and recognized for its stewardship of the environment.

The complexion of the contest changed dramatically in January when the Inter-American Court of Human Rights ruled that its signatory nations, including Costa Rica, must legalize same-sex marriage. The court was established by the Organization of American States.

The judges’ decision came in response to a petition brought by Mr. Solís, the Costa Rican president.

The court, which is based in the Costa Rican capital, San José, also ruled that Costa Rica was obliged to extend property rights to same-sex couples.

Some countries in the region — including Argentina, Brazil, Colombia and Uruguay — have legalized same-sex marriage, though many others have not.

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“The Boys In The Band” Shares First Day Rehearsal Pic

The opening night of the Broadway revival of The Boys in the Band is only weeks away, and we’re already starting to get excited to see the legendary play return to the Great White Way in time for it’s 50th anniversary.

Yesterday, the cast shared a pic of the cast in rehearsal and the marquee over at the Booth Theater is already up.

Two-time Tony award winner Joe Mantello is directing the groundbreaking play, which centers on a group of gay men who gather in an NYC apartment for a friend’s birthday party.

Drinks, music and a hot cowboy stripper slowly peel back the layers of  heartache and self-doubt among the party-goers.

A sensation when it premiered in April 1968, The Boys in the Band was originally scheduled to run for five performances at the Playwrights’ Unit, a small off-Broadway venue. Overnight, the show became the talk of the town for its unflinchingly honest depiction of gay life, and transferred to Theater Four on West 55th Street.

The film adaptation, released in 1970, has a 100 percent positive rating on Rotten Tomatoes.

The Boys In The Band will star Jim Parsons, Zachary Quinto, Matt Bomer and Andrew Rannells, along with Charlie Carver, Robin De Jesús, Brian Hutchison, Michael Benjamin Washington and Tuc Watkins.

Previews begin Monday, April 30, 2018 and officially opens on Thursday, May 31, 2018.

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Frank Stallone’s Twitter Douchery In Three Acts

ACT ONE: Our story begins when Frank Stallone, that’s the shorter/poorer/less attractive brother to Sly Stallone, decided to attack Parkland high school students David Hogg and Emma Gonzalez.

Why Frank decided to crawl out from under the rock he’s been hiding under for years, who knows? But, whatever….

ACT TWO: Little Stallone even tried to play the Rambo card tweeting “I’ve faced gunfire too, people!”

But one Twitterer, The Hoarse Whisperer, called Stallone out on “facing gunfire” having found the news report that that “incident” was really just a nick on his finger when a gun accidentally went off in a gun store years ago.

Apparently, “L’il Rambo” blocked The Hoarse Whisperer and then took his whole Twitter account private.

Kinda like a bully taking his toys and going home.

ACT THREE: He reappeared this morning with the apology below.

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Op-Ed: “The ‘Roseanne’ Reboot Is Funny; I’m Not Going To Keep Watching”

Excellent op-ed by Roxane Gay for The New York Times about the reboot of ABC’s “Roseanne.”

It well worth the read as the Ms. Gay reconciles separating art from the artist.

As I watched the first two episodes of the “Roseanne” reboot, I thought again about accountability. I laughed, yes, and enjoyed seeing the Conner family back on my screen. My first reaction was that the show was excellent. But I could not set aside what I know of Roseanne Barr and how toxic and dangerous her current public persona is.

I could not overlook how the Conner family came together to support Mark as he was bullied at school for his gender presentation, after voting for a president who actively works against the transgender community. They voted for a president who doesn’t think the black life of their granddaughter matters. They act as if love can protect the most vulnerable members of their family from the repercussions of their political choices. It cannot.

This fictional family, and the show’s very real creator, are further normalizing Trump and his warped, harmful political ideologies. There are times when we can consume problematic pop culture, but this is not one of those times. I saw the first two episodes of the “Roseanne” reboot, but that’s all I am going to watch. It’s a small line to draw, but it’s a start.

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Chris Christie: Trump’s “Hyberbolic” Salesman Style Could Land Him In Jail

Donald Trump’s former butt boy (and former New Jersey governor) Chris Christie told a panel on ABC’s “This Week” this morning that Donald Trump’s “hyperbolic” salesman style would not play well should he agree to give testimony to FBI agents.

“One of the things that makes the president who he is is that he’s a salesman, and salesmen at times tend to be hyperbolic,” Christie said.

“That’s OK when you’re working on Congress. It is not OK when you’re sitting talking to federal agents because, 18 U.S. C 1001 is false statements to federal agents, that’s a crime, that can send you to jail.”

Christie also offered that the Trumpeter should never “walk into that room with” Mueller.

Christie also called the Trump transition team “brutally unprofessional.”

Watch below.

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Donald Trump Celebrates Easter With Immigration Rant

Donald Trump

Donald Trump celebrated Easter by taking to Twitter and ranting about immigration saying “Border Patrol Agents are not allowed to properly do their job at the Border because of ridiculous liberal (Democrat) laws like Catch & Release. Getting more dangerous. “Caravans” coming. Republicans must go to Nuclear Option to pass tough laws NOW. NO MORE DACA DEAL!”

Did you catch that last part – “NO MORE DACA DEAL!”

Just last week Trump was telling Dreamers it was the Democrats who weren’t trying to solve the DACA issue. Now he’s saying, “NO MORE DACA DEAL!”

He also berated Mexico for “doing very little, at stopping folks at the border.

Interestingly, Trump doesn’t seem to understand exactly what DACA is.

He added that “These big flows of people are all trying to take advantage of DACA. They want in on the act!”

The DACA program (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals) is only for recipients who have entered the United States before their 16th birthday and prior to June 2007.

There’s no getting “in on the act.” Either you were in the U.S. before 2007 or you’re not eligible.

Happy Easter!

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Podcast: ACLU Sues Ohio Over Trans Birth Certificates; “Roseanne” Reboot Gives LGBTs Pause; NFL Gets 1st Male Cheerleaders

In this week’s podcast:

• The ACLU has filed a lawsuit against the state of Ohio for the state’s policy that bars transgender people from changing their birth certificates.

• There will be NO questions about LGBTs in the 2020 Census

• “Roseanne” returned to TV this week but folks are conflicted about watching

• The NFL will have its first male cheerleaders in the upcoming season

• “Queer Eye” reboot has been renewed for a 2nd season

• Today is International Transgender Day of Visibility. I explain why we observe the day each year.

All that and more in this episode of The Randy Report.