Food Network High

During a lazy marathon of the Food Network this weekend, I has a realization: The Food Network is like a high school. All of their chef/ cooks remind me of people better suited to the walls of Culinary High. For example, Giada De Laurentiis is definitely the goody-goody, Student Body President. She would slap you for getting to fresh with her at the Homecoming Dance. Nigella Lawson, on the otherhand, is Rizzo to her Sandy. Nigella won’t smack you, she’ll probably take behind the bleachers, and, well, you know. Anthony Bourdain, Guy Fieri, and the Ace of Cakes are the bad boys of shop class, smoking behind the field house. Bobby Flay is captain of the football team (big and kind of an asshole), Tyler Florence is head of the Lacrosse team (still big, but a little nicer and smarter). Mario Batali is captain of the wrestling team, Jamie Oliver plays soccer is is also on the student senate. Emeril is the chubby best friend sidekick, while Rachel Ray is the annoying girl that follows you in the hallway and won’t shut up. Iron Chef Morimoto is rather quiet as he’s the foreign exchange student. Then, there’s the faculty. Paula Deen is the lazy gym teacher, Ina Garten is the home-ec teacher we all love, and Alton Brown is definitely the science teacher. Wolfgang Puck is that weird foreign language teacher (but you’re never sure which language he teaches). Oh, and we can’t forget about Semi-Homeade’s Sandra Lee, class lush. Yeah, she definitely gets drunk in the bathroom during periods by keeping vodka in her hairspray bottle. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m late for class.

Together We Stand, Divided No One Calls

Yesterday, I was waxing philosophical on getting entertainment-custody of one half of the couple in a celebrity divorce. But then, I saw a re-run of Oprah yesterday afternoon featuring Heidi Klum and Seal and I thought of the professional benefits of being a famous couple. Just cute as buttons, calling each other the Austrian equivalent of schmoopie throughout the segment, they got me thinking: before they got married, was either one of them Oprah worthy? I feel like once they got married, their stock went up; now everybody wants to interview them as a couple, where separately they probably couldn’t hail a taxi. After they met, Heidi got her current gig on Project Runway and Seal was big in the 90’s, but had a cooling off period until his Grammy nominations last year. This is a very specific phenomenon – J-Lo and Ben Affleck saw a bit of this when they were together,, but they’ve both been very famous before and after their breakup. Angelina and Brad were tabloid fodder in their past relationships, so their new one is no exception. K-Fed and Britney don’t count because only half of that equation was every really famous (now their both notorious). So, can you think of another example of a couple who were not newsworthy separately, but had professional booms once they got together? Is there something magic about being a team? Or is it our weird fascination with couples of the famous variety or do you get more talented in a relationship? And when do Jimmy Kimmel and Sarah Silverman get their shot on Oprah (how about a video of "We're Both Effing Oprah Winfrey")? Leave your comments!

My Newfound Respect for Ryan Phillippe

When you’re friends get divorced, it’s hard not to choose sides; you inevitably end up socializing with only one half of the affected parties. So, it was no surprise when Ryan and Reese broke up we were going to side with Reese. After all, my husband still harbors ill will towards Diane Lane for what she did in a movie: he’s still upset that she cheated on Richard Gear in Unfaithful . So, Ryan was automatically on the outs with us when rumor had it he was stepping out on his lady. Mind you, we don’t actually know the Witherspoon-Phillippes. This was an entertainment choice: Walk the Line vs. Crash , Just Like Heaven vs. Flags of Our Fathers. Cruel Intentions was a tough one for us as they were both in it, but Ryan is a douchebag in it, so we root for Reese. So, imagine my surprise this week when I started to get behind Ryan. On the media tour promoting his new film Stop Loss (which sounds like his big break, finally, like Walk the Line was for Reese), he’s been around a lot. First, he was on Howard Stern last Thursday. He was surprisingly a big fan of the King of All Media, naming bit players in the Howardshpere. He was open and funny, but never disrespectful of his baby mama. And, he didn’t come off as the prick he always plays, but instead an everyday guy from Delaware. Then, yesterday, Bestweekever tipped me off to a segment on Jay Leno. Typically unfunny Jay was grasping for material and in the process making fun of his past roles (a gay teen on One Life to Life, and a high-art nude jeans commercial) and you could feel Ryan’s pain, though he was trying to be a good sport. I really though he might walk off the set and even the clip felt chilly (see for yourself here). Based on all of this, I have a new found respect for Ryan. I forgive what may or may not have occurred with that hussy Abbie Cornish and I hope Ryan gets recognized come awards time. I haven’t switched sides: Reese is still my girl (she and Jake Gyllenhaal are too damn cute), but I think there’s enough love to go around. Now if I could just get the hubby to make his peace with Diane Lane . . .

The New Lily Allen: Kate Nash

Today I bring you a new artist: Kate Nash. I had heard that she’s one to watch, but I had never heard any of her songs, so didn’t exactly know why. Then I heard her song “Foundations” on the radio and I realized “my God, she sounds like Lily Allen.” But in a good way, not in the douchebag-copycat way Panic at the Disco’s (minus the !) new album sounds exactly like the Beatles. No, instead of copying her sounds, it’s more like a musical movement. The Cheeky British Girl in Trainers movement. Maybe it’s just the British accent and the swearing that puts these two in the same box in my head, but I like what I hear. And Nash’s voice has honesty and rawness, whereas Allen can sometimes come off as detached. So maybe it’s an evolution of the sound, a step ahead. In bright yellow All Stars.

Check out "Foundations" below:

Things White People Like

I found a website I like the other day called http://stuffwhitepeoplelike.wordpress.com/ I was going to tell you all about it because it’s funny and makes fun of douchebag things that white people do, such as having Oscar parties and threatening to move to Canada. They even got a book deal for $350K, so I was going to congratulate them and tell you to read the blog. But, then I found this post: #58 Japan. It includes the quote “It is a dream for them to go over seas and actually live in Japan. This helps them not only because it fills their need to travel, it will enable them to gain important leverage over other white people at Sushi restaurants where they can say ‘this place is pretty good, but living in Japan really spoiled me. I’ve had such a hard time finding a really authentic place.’” Okay, now I feel like a gigiantic tool. I hate you for making me feel this way, Stuff White People Like. Go to hell. No leave me alone while I finish watching the Red Sox season opener. In Japan.

Jack White is a Matador!

I need the producers of Dancing with the Stars to listen up! I have the perfect song for a Paso Doble for you: “Conquest” by The White Stripes. Originally by Patti Page (in 1952, also of “How Much Is That Doggie in the Window” fame), the Stripes recently included this song on their Icky Thump album. It sounds like a bullfight, with the dramatic horns and rally cry of Jack White. They even made a video for it, featuring Jack as a matador. Come, on people, how can you pass this up? As a side note, I really need The Guttes to make it to the Paso Doble round as he would be an adorable little matador, dontcha think?

On another note, wouldn’t Duffy’s “Mercy” be an awesome Rumba? Ok, I’ll shut up now. But if you ever need song suggestions, I’m here for you.

Indiana Jones and The Half-Blood Prince in the City

In preparation of the May 22 release of the latest Indiana Jones installment , I was thinking of watching the previous three (and maybe an episode of Young Indiana Jones for good measure). It is the most anticipated movie of 2008, right? Then, I remembered I got my panties in a bunch already for the Sex and the City movie (do I have to go through my DVD box set by May 30?). Oh, but there’s Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (November). Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr. and Jon Favreau!) and The Incredible Hulk (Ed Norton!) seem like they have a lot of potential, but I need to see reviews first. I will probably see Batman: The Dark Night , but not necessarily opening nigh (I want to avoid the crazy Heath Ledger groupies). I never watched the X Files, so I do not care about the new movie (though many of you do). Overall, though, it's going to be a monster year for movies, many of them sequels or new installments of a franchise. So, what 2008 movies have you climbing the walls? Curious about the Wachowski Brothers’ Speed Racer , James Bond 22 or The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian? Feeling a bit more serious (attention Fight Club fans!) and want to see Brad Pitt in The Curious Case of Benjamin Button or Chuck Palahniuk's Choke? Leave your answers in the comments!

Kiki Sez: Tokidoki

In honor of the impending arrival of the Easter Bunny (who’s leaving a bottle of cold sake in my basket, natch), here’s something I like:

Move over Johnny Cupcakes, there’s a new t-shirt in town. I recently discovered an Los Angeles (by way of Rome) company with a Japanese style called Toidoki . Now, I understand I am neither fifteen nor a sk8tr boi, but there’s something charming about the infectious cuteness with a hard edge. The creative force behind Tokidoki (which means “sometimes” in Japanese) is Simone Legno, originally from Italy. He loves everything about Japan (as do I) and decided to capture it in his line of clothing and accessories. He even has partnerships with Hello Kitty and Le Sportsac. It reminds me of Gwen Stefani’s Harajuku Lovers line a tad (which also has a Le Sportsac partnership) but I wouldn’t be as self-conscious wearing Simone’s stuff since it seems a little more legit. Okay, I still loves Mr. Cupcakes, but I think I need a Momo Bella T-shirt in my Easter Basket as well.

Flashback to the 90’s: Jennifer Grant

It’s interesting that there’s so much interest in a new 90210 considering I’ve rediscovered the original myself. Not only have I been stalked by Emily Valentine, but I’ve also been caught up in the whole Brendan vs. Kelly and Dylan debacle. It was painful enough the first time. Now that I know how it all ends with Kelly and Dylan, I cant believe I ever liked Brenda and Dylan together (what do you think?)

Anyway, the other day, the Senior Prom episode was on, and I was reminded of the lovely Celeste, with the million dollar smile. Played by Jennifer Grant, daughter of Dyan Cannon and Cary Grant (dahling !), she was the love interest brought in for practically celibate Steve. Surprisingly, she only lasted eight episodes, though I had hoped for more (Hilary Swank lasted a whole 16, but that was by the time they had run out of plot and needed to stretch anyway). She was my favorite of all of Steve’s girlfriends after all (and my kindred spirit as our prom dresses were similar). Alas, she and Steve were not meant to be. She was meant to go on and do episodes of CSI. After a five year break, Jennifer seems to be acting again. I guess that means there’s hope for her to return to Beverly Hills as MILF Celeste Lundy.

Back to the new 90210, word has it there are two children with absent parents called Daphne and Max Silver! Wouldn’t that be awesome if Donna and David return to 90210? I don’t think the ages are correct, but that would be cool. I bet Daphne and Max could really mix it up with Maddie Sanders and Hannah Zuckerman-Vasquez (the two know 90210 spawn). Auntie Erin Silver, being slightly older, could guide them in there way. Ahhhh, a girl can dream .

Dancing with the Stars Recap

Okay, now that we’ve had a chance to see what these stars can do, here’s a run down of my initial thoughts:

Adam Carolla – It was worse than I thoughts. At least he wasn’t sitting in a chair, like Tucker Carlson, but he is a monster. A stiff monster.

Cristian de la Fuente - If he can stop saying how awesome he is for five minute, he may actually have something. He’s definitely in love – with himself.

Shannon Elizabeth - Not terrible. She’s got the Stacy Keibler legs going on which are a good distraction technique, as one of the judges pointed out.

Steve Guttenberg - The Guttes! He may have actually learned his dance moves from Johhny 5. That guy, he’s all class (and so excited to be on TV that Samantha Harris could not shut him up). Oh, and is that a new hairpiece, Steve?

Mario – It’s confusing to keep saying Mario and Karina (because my mind jumps to Lopez). So, he is herein to be known as Luigi. Yeah, so that Luigi is a very good dancer (the male ringer of this season). Top 2.

Marlee Matlin - She did surprisingly well and better than some of her better hearing counterparts. It’s going to be hard to make sure she’s being judged fairly, even though the judges promised to hold her to the same standards. She probably falls mid-pack.

Penn Jillette Hmm, was he worse than Adam Carolla? It’s hard to say. Judge Carrie Ann InAHHBAAA was even like “look at those feet.” That’s not nice, Carrie Ann. But he is a “sasquatch” (his words, people, not mine).

Priscilla Presley -- Oy. She . . .looks . . .weird. She has no expression in her face. She better not try to speak to Marlee Matlin because there’s no reading those lips. Maybe Louis van Amstel Light will be so good he can camouflage Gothy Grammys glass face.

Monica Seles - OMG! It’s Celine Dion’s tennis playing sister. Her uptight sister, that is. Loosen up, girlfriend.

Jason Taylor - He and Luigi need to battle it out for top male. He’s surprisingly good (those football players, ladies. I wonder if Tom Brady can dance that well!) And easy on the eyes.

Marissa Jaret Winokur - Okay, she needs to take it down a notch. SERIOUSLY. She’s not as good as I had hoped either (and Tony Dovolani is so damn good it’s obvs). It’ll be interesting to see what he’s got to work with. And, he really did look like a human oil slick.

Kristi Yamaguchi - Herein known as "The Guch," not to be confused with "The Guttes." I was correct in saying she’s the best. I would double down right now (if I had any money to bet). All that “Oh, dancing is so technical. It’s so hard!” Blah, blah, blah. She’s the female ringer. It was like watching PBS. Game over.

And, is it just me, or is American Idol wicked boring this year? In the words of Simon “if I’m being honest.”

Top 10 Worst Beards

Here’s my list of the top 10 worst celebrity beards. As you can see gentleman, grooming (and genetic predisposition to growing facial hair) is key. And there were so many bad ones, it’s actually top 12:

1. Strike beards

2. George Clooney in Syriana

3. Brad Pitt as a homeless man

4. Matthew Fox as Flash-forward Jack

5. Alec Baldwin

6. This Lady

7. Michael Douglas

8. Kenny Rogers (honorable mention to any beard from the 70’s. See also BeeGees and Grizzly Adams)

9. Home Improvement Dude

10. Adrian Pasdar as Nathan Petrelli

11. Weird rock beards (James Hetfield of Metallica shown, also see ZZ top ans Scott Ian)

12. The K-fed Line Beard

What else you got? Leave it in the comments!

Top Ten Sexiest Beards

In honor of my hubby’s new vacation beard, here is a list of the top 10 sexiest celebrity beards:

1. Ryan Gosling

2. Ryan Reynolds

3. Eric Dane

4. Brad Pitt

5. Matthew Fox

6. Michael Vartan

7. Adam Levine

8. George Clooney

9. Christian Bale

10 . Justin Timberlake

Check back tommorrow for the worst and leave your own favorites in the comments!

Kiki’s Predictions for the New Season of Dancing With the Stars

Happy St. Patrick’s Day to all! Not only do I get to be Irish for today, but Dancing with the Stars premieres tonight (and my DVR is having that crisis I mentioned. So long, Biggest Loser. See you on On Demand, Big Brother). To help you get ready, here’s my run down of the contestants and my predictions:

Adam Carolla – Jimmy Kimmel joked “last year they had a contestant with one leg – now they have one with one eyebrow.” I’ve never seen Frankenstein ballroom dance before, so my hopes are not great for Carolla (fire bad!). Julianne Hough is his partner and I can't help but wonder if they’re handicapping her due to her past victories, a la Cheryl Burke and Wayne Newton. Here’s hoping Carolla can at least dance better than Tucker Carlson and puts more effort into it than Master P.

Cristian de la Fuente – Who? I guess he’s an actor and I’ve never heard of him. But, that won’t stop me as Helio Castroneves was unknown to me before this show and went on to victory. Plus, Cheryl Burke is his partner, so unless he’s truly awful, they have a chance.

Shannon Elizabeth – I’ve always though the American Pie actress pretty but gawky and not the picture of grace as her partner, Derek Hough’s last partner, Jennie Garth . So, I’m expecting Josie Maran type, who didn’t make it past round one last season. Nice knowing you, Shannon.

Steve Guttenberg – The Guttes is back! It’s been so long – we’ve missed you! I expect the picture of class from the Guttes, and his partner Anna Trebunskaya (or at least something unintentionally funny). Will Johnny 5 come to cheer on the Guttes? Number 5 is alive!

Mario – Umm, Mario, why are you on DWTS? Don’t you still have a huge R&B career to attend to? Oh, it’s been a few years, you say? Well, god luck. With Karina Smirnoff as your partner and your role in Step Up , we expect a lot from you, in a Joey McIntyre kind of way. Please don’t disappoint. (ed note: If you Wikipedia Mario, you get the videogame character. Not cool).

Marlee Matlin – Ok, I don’t want to sound rude, but, can she, ah, hear the music? Hell, if Heather Mills can do it well with one leg, let’s see what Marlee can do. Also, Fabian Sanchez is her professional partner, but he’s new so I don’t know him yet (we miss you Maksim).

Penn Jillette -- Why does poor Kym Johnson get stuck with all the doofuses (my apologies to Joey Fatone as he’s much less of a doofus than Jerry Springer or Mark Cuban)? Maybe Jilette can do some magic and make us all think he’s a really good dancer (I predict some shenanigans with Teller being silent and creepy on the sidelines this year).

Priscilla Presley -- Let’s clear the air – girlfriend has seen better days. It’s not her age per se – it’s all the weird plastic surgery. Her partner Louis van Amstel did wonders for Lisa Rinna so who knows. Just please, please, please don’t dance to any Elvis songs.

Monica Seles -- I really don’t know what to make of her. Though many athletes have done well on this show, her partner Jonathan Roberts is no Tony Dovolani . I do predict a lot of grunting from Monica, though.

Jason Taylor – Football players always do awesome on this show (see Emmit Smith and Jerry Rice) and Taylor will partner with the lovely Edyta Sliwinska. I smell third place!

Marissa Jaret Winokur -- Winokur has Broadway (Hairspray on Broadway), chubbiness (see Sabrina Bryan), and Tony Dovolani . I smell second!

Kristi Yamaguchi – Finally, the grand damme of the cast, The Yamaguchi. When I was a figure skating dork in high school, she amazed by beating the pants off of Nancy Kerrigan for an upset win in the ’92 Olympics (and taking the focus off of the whole Tonya Harding fiasco). The Yamaguchi has the grace of a figure skater and an eager young partner in Mark Ballas . Hmmm, do I smell victory and the first female DWTS winner since season 1? Tune in tonight to find out! Now, excuse me while I drink some green beer.

Straight from the Blog: Anthony Rapp Concert Recap

Apologies for not posting on Friday. I was technically on “vacation” (vacation from watching Martha Stewart all day, some have asked). No, it was the hubby’s vacation and we explored the Peabody-Essex Museum in Salem, MA (more on that another time).

As you may remember, I attended the Anthony Rapp (the original Mark Cohen from Rent) concert last night at Northeastern University. First off, I was one of the older halves of the demographic (horny college girl Rentheads who don’t know Anthony is “just not that into them” vs. crazy Renthead cat ladies). Though not a cat lady (and reluctant to call myself a Renthead as it’s so goofy and speaks to a larger lack of self-awareness), I am definitely no college girl. At any rate, it was a fun concert though and I had a good time; I find Anthony’s voice unique, raw and vulnerable. Initially, I had expected it to be more of a book reading with songs, but it was more of pure concert. There was no opening act and no band – just a kid named Adam playing the piano or guitar. They began with “Why” from tick, tick... Boom!, an underrated musical from Jonathan Larson, composer and lyricist of Rent. Anthony also did a couple of unexpected covers, including R.E.M.’s “Losing My Religion”, Snow Patrol’s “Chasing Cars”, Radiohead’s “Fake Plastic Trees”, Elvis Costello’s “Allison” and Hole’s “Miss World” (which I didn’t know if it was supposed to be funny, but everyone laughed, so it was.) He also sang selections from Hedwig and the Angry Inch and “Happiness” from You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown (he’s on the 1999 revival album). He promised to be light on the musical theater as he considers himself more rock than Rogers and Hammerstein (as am I). He sang 2 original songs, and then “Without You,” “What You Own,” “Goodbye Love” and “Seasons of Love” from Rent (of course and the audience was clamoring for those songs, let me tell you). Interspersed between the songs, Anthony told stories from his life and experience working on Rent. He seemed like a funny, somewhat normal guy and he put on a mellow, low-key show. Something about a Q&A was mentioned before the show started and I was hoping for one as I wanted to ask “Do you ever get sick of Rent?” I don’t, but he’s got hundreds of shows on my four. Alas, there was no Q&A, so I had to keep all thoughts to myself.

After the show, the more insane members of the audience bolted it for the door so they could get in line for the signing of his memoir “Without You” (which I hadn’t yet finished as of the time of the signing, but caught up on the T on the way as much as possible). We calmly strolled and got a reasonable place in line. On the way up to meet him, I rehearsed questions in my head, but “I loved you in Adventures in Babysitting” sounded silly and forced, as did “so what were Ben and Matt really like on the set of School Ties?” or “You really hung out with Andy Dick in high school? Huh.” Instead, I just said hello and gave him my book to sign. I felt bad upon looking behind me and seeing the line snake out of the auditorium. It was going to be a long night for him. But, I now have something to look forward to as he confirmed he and Adam Pascal will be appearing in the Rent Tour in 2009. And, trust, I am excited in the least stalker-ish way possible. Though, after this performance, I may have to get a cat.

90210: The New Class

It was announced today that a modern-day 90210 spinoff is on the fast-track. Personally, I have mixed feelings about this news. 90210 is one of my four favorite shows OF ALL TIME (O.C., Sex and the City, and Lost being the other 3. Friends, The Office and How I Met Your Mother, running close seconds in the comedy category). A lot of spinoffs in history have been good – Mork and Mindy and Laverne and Shirley, both coming from Happy Days (Joanie Loves Chachi, not so good) are the shining examples. Law and Order and CSI have both been very successful spinning off new franchises of their popular procedural shows. The article also mentioned that Fox is hot for more spinoffs as they are in development on offshoots of Family Guy and Prison Break, following the success of Grey’s Anatomy satellite Private Practice. It got me thinking – maybe I should develop my own spinoffs. Here’s my list:

-Another spinoff of Grey’s Antomy -- this time it would be a small medical consortium of doctors in the Northeast called Pentucket Medical Association. The team of young, hot doctor’s would mostly treat the elderly clogging their waiting rooms.
-Donald Trump tries to capture lightning in a bottle with Apprentice: Donald’s Children Edition – The Donald’s children compete with each other for their father’s affection. If they lose a challenge, they can be fired from the family and asked never to return again.
-In the tradition of Las Vegas, what about Mohegan Sun? It follows the inner-workings of an Indian Casino in Connecticut. This show would also focus on elderly clientele, who are under represented in TV demographics, aside from 60 Minutes.
– NBC has Lipstick Jungle, ABC has Cashmere Mafia. CBS will launch Tampon Gangland. It will focus on a grittier group of females in the Bronx, than their counterparts. The show will include fashion, romance, and PMS.

Do you think any of these have a chance? What’s your idea? Leave your spinoff in the comments!

Britney Is Your Mother

Yesterday, it was reported that Britney Spears would have a guest starring role on the March 24 installment of How I Met Your Mother (the other best sitcom on television, aside from The Office). According to the article, it should just be a bit part. This is good news for HIMYA fans – since the first episode, we’ve been waiting to find out who the titular “mother” is. It would be a major disappointment if mom (and the love of Ted’s life) turns out to be a woman who doesn’t even have custody of her own kids. How I Met Your Mother, and Then Sued Her Ass for Custody as She Was a Crazy Bee-yotch doesn’t sound like a show I’m interested in.

Kiki Sez: Smuttynose Ale

Starting today, I will be kicking off a new feature of STUFF I LIKE, called Kiki Sez. That’s right – from now on, when I like something. I will share it with YOU, as that’s the kind of girl I am. As many of you know who know me personally, ever since I returned from two weeks in Japan in 2005 (a life changing event I have chronicled here), I have had an obsession with All Things Japanese. These include the regular things, like sushi, incense, and the movie Lost in Translation. But, I also developed a special affinity for anything Cherry Blossom or Koi (carp) themed. I’m not a big beer drinker per se, but I do enjoy a fruity beer from time to time. So, I was quite pleased when I discovered Smuttynose Hanami Ale in the supermarket. This is a seasonal ale from my local Portsmouth, NH brewery, infused with cherry juice. The brewers claim the Cherry Blossom season in Japan (usually in April) has inspired this brew so that you may enjoy it with your friends at your Cherry Blossom viewing parties. I love this beer as it is not only yummy, but also kawaii with its adorable Cherry Blossom scene on the label. It’s springtime in a bottle, guarunteed to melt the snow in your cold cynical heart, as it did in mine. Enjoy!

I Can Do Better: Sexual Healing

The other day, I mentioned that Law and Order’s Jesse L. Martin would be starring in the upcoming Marvin Gaye bio-pic, titled Sexual Healing. I got to thinking: that title sounds a little porn-y and there’s got to be some more options that capture the true spirit of Marvin Gaye. Here are some initial thoughts:

Brother, Brother
What’s Going On?
Ain’t No Mountain High Enough
Stop, or My Dad Will Shoot

Hmm, did I go a bit far with the last one? Always do.

Rent is Due: Part 3

I’ve saved the best for last today! Idina Menzel’s and Taye Diggs’s characters couldn’t have spent less stage time together in the play, but something sparked in real-life and they have been married for the last 5 years. Maureen and Benjamin are certainly an unlikely pair, but there’s something cute about a Broadway family.

Idina Menzel (Maureen Johnson) Maureen had the show stopper (and my least favorite song in the show, “Over the Moon”) as the diva, who is also torn between Joanne and Mark. Menzel’s voice was no doubt spectacular, even in such a goofy song. I also had a chance to see her on Broadway in her Tony winning role in Wicked, where she rocked the house as Elphaba, the Wicked Witch of the West. In addition to her film work (Enchanted, most recently), she released her third solo album this year, I Stand. I’ve heard her perform on the morning shows and the songs are a little too cheeseball for even me, but I know there are Rentheads out there who will eat it up..

Taye Diggs (Benjamin Coffin III ) Diggs’s career goes without saying. He went from his role in Rent as Benny, the pain-in-the-ass landlord, to helping Stella get her groove back , to dozens of short-lived TV series (Day Break or Kevin Hill, anyone?). Lately, he’s co-starring on Private Practice, the Grey’s Anatomy spin-off. I don’t think this one’s gonna stick either, but he certainly has the longest resume of the group and is probably closest to being a household name.

Life Café I can’t end this post without giving a nod to the 9th character in the play, the Life Café. This is in fact a real place in the East Village which has gone from gritty neighborhood joint to tourist attraction (no doubt helped by the changing landscape of the neighborhood since 1996). You can get Soy Burgers (“And Fries!”) but alas, no Miso Soup, Seaweed Salad, Tofu Dog Platter, or Pasta with Meatless Balls (“they taste the same”). I received an email yesterday from the official rent site http://www.siteforrent.com/, inviting me to make my pilgrimage to the Life Café, where they have “dedicated the beautiful mahogany bench in the Life Cafe dining room to Jonathan Larson where he often sat while researching for and writing RENT.” So. Rentheads, even though the show will close, we’ll always have the Life Café. Play it again, Angel . . .

Rent is Due: Part 2

Jesse L. Martin (Tom Collins) Jesse L. Martin is probably know for two roles – the dashing, romantic Collins; a former MIT New Age Philosophy professor who falls quickly in love with the equally HIV-positive Angel. This couldn’t be more different from his other famous role, the serious Detective Ed Green on Law and Order, whom Martin has played for the past 9 years. It was recently reported that Martin will step down from the show this season (no word on if it was his choice or the producers’). But, his moment could be coming as he gears up to play Marvin Gaye in Sexual Healing, now in pre-production. Martin seems like a natural choice for this roll, and hopefully it will do for him what Ray did for Jamie Fox.

Wilson Jermaine Heredia (Angel Dumott Schunard) Wilson played the ingénue of Rent, the innocent, optimistic Angel. In real-life, Heredia has the Law and Order appearance of his co-stars (check!), and a handful of other small movies and TV appearances, but nothing to rival his roll on Angel. He’s still working at it and according to his blog “hustling over here in LaLa land,” so keep an eye out for Heredia in the future.

Fredi Walker (Joanne Jefferson) As Joanne, the straight-laced civil rights attourney and better half or her relationship with diva Maureen, Fredi Walker managed to make her character both responsible and fun. Walker was the only other original cast member to be shut out of the film in favor of Traci Thoms (possibly because of her age). Information about her is spotty on the interwebs, but rumor has it she toured with Lion King, and is now a teacher.

Rent is Due: Part 1

In 1996, Rent premiered on Broadway, speaking to a new generation of theater-goers (including me, who has seen the show 4 times -- I know, I'm a dork). With Rent’s Broadway run coming to a close in June, I thought it would be a good time to catch up with the original Broadway cast and see what everyone is up to:

Anthony Rapp (Mark Cohen) Or Daryl from Adventures in Babysitting, as I also like to think of him. He played Mark Cohen, the everyman of Rent. He’s had a steady, small career in TV (Law and Order alert), flim (School Ties and A Beautiful Mind) and Broadway, with Mark being his most memorable role. I actually have tickets to see him in concert next week at Northeastern University. He will sing selections from Rent and sign copies of his memoir, Without You. Hopefully, his songs will be heavy on the Rent, light on his rock band, Albino Kid.

Adam Pascal (Roger Davis) The Oscar to Mark’s Felix, the moody-Enrie to his Bert. Roger was the haunted Romeo of the group, with the big song (“Glory”). On Pascal’s official site, you can catch a glimpse of his real-life emo music. He’s also doing a college tour and mentions a final Rent Tour with Anthony in 2009 (mark your calendars). I guess the college tour/non-commercial band is where it’s at for former Renters. That and cop shows (Cold Case!)

Daphne Rubin-Vega (Mimi Marquez) The drug-addicted stripper in Rent (and tortured love to Roger), Rubin-Vega also has the obligatory CD (en Espanol!), Law and Order appearance, but besides shaking her tush as Mimi on stage (she was passed over for the film in lieu of Rosario Dawson), she is otherwise best know as the cop in Wild Things.

Stay tuned – tomorrow, I’ll check up with Collins, Angel, and Joanne!

Julie Child is Having a Time

My early memories of Julia Child involve her PBS cooking show serving as background noise on Saturday afternoons (before The Frugal Gourmet and This Old House came on). That, and the Dan Aykroyd sketch from SNL where “she” is bleeding profusely while continuing to cook (very disturbing and I don’t know exactly why I was able to see that sketch as a small child). After her death a few years ago, I hadn’t really heard much about her. That is, until recently. I feel like Julia Child is making a comeback. Her cookbook Mastering The Art of French Cooking apparently serves as a dog-eared bible for many professional chefs. It recently became a fixture in my home as my husband works his way through, making Crème Caramel and Chocolate Soufflé on the weekends. America’s Test Kitchen, the Consumer Reports of foodies, recently adapted her Coq au Vin recipe to a more modern audience, with only fresh supermarket chickens at their disposal. Chef Barbara Lynch, of No. 9 Park fame, is hosting sold-out cooking classes at Stir, A Tribute to Julia Child complete with recipes from her books and anecdotes. She is clearly still relevant; in our modern society of fast and processed foods, it’s nice to get back to basics and know exactly how your food is made. I hereby proclaim March Julia Child Month. Everyone must cook one French dish, “from scratch” this month, whether it’s Quiche Lorraine or Fricassee de Poulet au Paprika. You choose. Just use real butter. And don’t cut yourself, Dan Aykroyd.

Today and Oprah Phone It In

Friday’s Leap Day some how altered the space-time continuum and somehow prevented me from posting, but I appear to not be the only one having issues. Both the Today Show and Oprah seemed to be phoning it in last week with their series on classic TV. The Today Show featured the least sought after casts in television history, including Knots Landing , Murphy Brown , and One Day at a Time. Valerie Bertinelli, on her tour-de-“I’m not fat anymore,” pulled double-duty by also appearing on Oprah, along with Rick Springfield (Dr. Noah Drake on GH) and William Shatner. Did the producers of both shows sense they had a trend with Bertinelli’s booking and decide to go all in with the TV tour? Or is the writer’s strike still having far reaching implications? The worst-case scenario is that we’ve simply come to the end of entertainment as we know it and we’re cycling back to the beginning. Next on Oprah, seeing what the cast of Car 54 are up to . . .Oh, they’re all dead? Nevermind. Is Fonzie still available?