Reviews: Last News

The Bear‘s second season places us in a frigid Chicago winter, where our beloved, stressed chef Carmy (Jeremy Allen White) and his crew are hard at work turning their now-shuttered sandwich joint “The Beef” into “The Bear,” an upscale dining destination.The second season of Hulu’s surprise hit from Christopher Storer (Eighth Grade, Ramy) proves that without change, even the most timeless meals can go off.

Once Upon A One More Time (★★★☆☆), the latest entry into a long list of jukebox musicals that aim to revise and reconstruct the fairy tale narrative. That’s right, folks. The highest level of American Theater now includes an entire score of Britney Spears’ earworms.Washingtonians had the chance to see the show first when it premiered at The Shakespeare Theater in November, 2021.

Dead and Company have just eight concerts left on their massive 2023 Farewell Tour with John Mayer before hanging it up for good.And if you missed Bobby Weir, Mickey Hart and the boys at Citi Field on June 21-22, we’re here to fill you in with a full account of the show courtesy of the New York Post’s resident Deadhead, Ryan Murphy.Murphy attended night two at Citi Field on June 22 and said the Mets stadium was “crazy packed.”He had floor seats and a “great side view.”At his show, there were no guest artists — besides Mayer of course — and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame band played two sets which included covers of Traffic’s “De›ar Mr. Fantasy” and The Beatles’ “Hey Jude” along with Ryan’s favorite, the 1978 classic “Fire On The Mountain” from their “Shakedown Street” album wailed by bassist Oteil Burbridge.He added that Weir’s best that evening was “Mama Tried” and Mayer peaked with “Alabama Getaway.”“That’s just my opinion though,” he was quick to note.Over the course of the nearly four-hour set (!), the band kept their banter to a minimum; according to Ryan “they kept it all about the music and their farewell.”Murphy, 31, was also excited to see fans of all ages including “older people jamming out” and “people in the 25-35 age range.”If you’re planning on attending one of the final gigs at Boulder, CO’s Folsom Field Stadium, George, WA’s Gorge Amphitheater or San Francisco, CA’s Oracle Park (where they got their start), Murphy has a few tips.“Definitely arrive early,” he said.

The Last Match (★★★☆☆), it might not matter who wins or loses the titular duel between American champion Tim Porter (Drew Kopas) and Russian upstart Sergei Sergeyev (Ethan Miller). In Alex Levy’s cleverly staged production at 1st Stage, however, the charmingly boastful Sergei clearly emerges as the more fully realized and engaging of the characters.Brilliantly embodying the young challenger’s drive, hunger, and athleticism, Miller also adeptly delivers Sergei’s trash-talking sense of humor, as the play unwinds its tale of the foes’ hard-fought match on-court, amid side glances to pivotal moments in their off-court lives.Yet, Miller rises above the script’s tendency to lean on Sergei as comic relief, and invests the guy with personality beyond his bad-boy insults, aggressive style of play, and mane of wild curls.

Sparks that hasn’t already been expounded upon in great detail in Edgar Wright’s excellent Netflix documentary “The Sparks Brothers.”Yet, you haven’t really experienced Sparks until you’e caught them live.The Mael brothers — Russell is the buoyant 74-year-old frontman and Ron, the 77-year-old, deadpan keyboardist with an acidic sense of humor — rocked New York City’s Beacon Theatre with their no-frills, no-fat power pop for approximately 90 minutes on Tuesday, June 27.Their show, comprised of catchy hits “The Number One Song In Heaven” and “This Town Ain’t Big Enough For The Both Of Us,” as well as goofy crowd pleasers like “Balls” and “Beaver O’Lindy” and select tracks from their 2023 album “The Girl Is Crying In Her Latte” was exquisitely arranged; no moment felt extraneous.Of course, the six-piece band “started” with their hook-y piano confection “So May We Start” which set the tone; this would be a cheeky, self-referential evening.They maintained that ironic yet inspired high-wire act for the remainder of the gig (the song “Nothing Is as Good as They Say It Is” told from the perspective of a 22-hour-old baby that’s “seen it all” is an ace example), certainly an impressive feat for a group that’s been performing in some capacity since 1968.Plus, Ron’s stoic, mustachioed face behind the keys, only breaking when absolutely necessary, is one of music’s greatest running gags.More than anything though, Russell’s soaring Freddie Mercury-like pipes — why isn’t he fronting Queen instead of Adam Lambert for the group’s 2023 ‘Rhapsody Tour?’ — was reminiscent of the glam rock of the ’70s.At 74, he hasn’t lost a step and sounds just as powerful, unhinged and controlled as he does on Sparks’ 26 (!) studio records.That being said,

One Jewish Boy (★★☆☆☆), making its U.S. premiere at Theater J.Jogging back through years of their romance to where it began, the play posits Jesse (Danny Gavigan), a nice, Jewish professor from upper-crust North London, and Alex (Alanna Saunders), a biracial, fervently progressive free-spirit from more modest means, as both a fated love match and a combustible clash of not-quite opposites.Scene after scene, the pair struggles to find their balance, and, though their sexual attraction might spark a fire at any given moment, more often than not, they simply don’t see eye to eye on things that matter to either or both of them.“There’s nothing to discuss,” Jesse declares, dismissing Alex’s objections to holding a bris for their baby boy Finn.

One in Two (★★★★☆) — i.e., the audience at each performance will choose which of the cast’s three actors plays the role of Number One, leaving the roles of Two and Three up to chance — it might behoove a critic to see the show more than one or two times to experience multiple permutations of the production at Mosaic Theater.However, there wasn’t time for that before this review, and, more crucially, I’d say audiences can rest assured director Raymond O. Caldwell’s talented trio will deliver — regardless of who plays which part.

Beyoncé fans, it’s time to get in formation.Starting July 8, Queen Bey’s ‘Renaissance’ Tour will hit North American shores and we “don’t think you’re ready for this jelly.”So, to prepare stans and superfans alike, our team reached out to Mrs. Knowles expert Georgie Exinord who recently attended a concert of hers overseas.The knowledgable Exinord breaks down everything from what to expect from Bey’s performance to practical tips like merch lines, when you should arrive, whether or not there’s a good time to use the bathroom.Spoiler alert: there is no good time to go to the bathroom — but we’ll let Georgie explain in further detail later.And now, without further ado, here is everything Ms.

The Ultimatum: Queer Love (★★★★☆) is the latest in Netflix’s line of reality dating shows. This one is not hosted by Nick Lachey, but JoAnna Garcia Swisher, who is immediately clocked for being straight, and truthfully isn’t around that much.

Enough Said, to spin small-scale moral conflict into sharply observed, well-constructed comedy in You Hurt My Feelings (★★★★☆).In their previous outing, Louis-Dreyfus sparkled onscreen opposite James Gandolfini, playing an L.A. divorcée who discovers that the divorcé she’s dating happens to be recently divorced from the woman who’s become her new best friend.

Good Night, Oscar (★★★☆☆) is a performance that will long be remembered for all the right reasons.Hayes is instantly recognizable and revered for his role on television’s Will & Grace. As the flamboyant, self-absorbed Jack McFarland, he delivered some of the series’ best comedic moments, earning an Emmy award and launching him to household notoriety.Devoted Broadway audiences may have seen him as leading man Chuck Baxter in the 2010 revival of Promises, Promises. That scored him his first Tony nomination.

Goth Babe is not what you’re expecting based on the tongue-in-cheek band name.No, there isn’t an eyeliner-laden beauty grabbing your attention onstage at a Goth Babe show; rather, front and center is scruffy, charismatic frontman 25-year-old Griff Washburn.And he, along with his solid backing band, put on a rousing show.Goth Babe — really the moniker of bedroom pop wunderkind Washburn, along with a tight 2-piece touring band — sounds a little like if Beirut met Odesza, and the two of them downloaded LCD Soundsystem’s synth presets.On a brisk Cinco de Mayo evening, the three-piece outfit performed a loose yet energetic 15-song set at New York City’s Rooftop at Pier 17 inspiring an audience made up of college-age Gen Z’ers, elder Millennials and everything in between to bliss out to the group’s mellow yet melodic dream pop.To kick the evening off, Goth Babe got the crowd’s attention with arguably their most goosebump-inducing track.The trick worked like a charm.“New Born Worlds,” easily Goth Babe’s most ethereal bop, turned heads.What was this mythical sound taking over the rooftop?As soon as the the ensemble’s thumping drum launched mid-track, toes were tapping, heads were nodding, smiles were washing over faces.This is what we came for — this is why you see your favorite bands live.Following the otherworldly opening number, Washburn addressed the crowd.His boyish voice didn’t quite match the assured, deep timbre of his vocals much to my surprise  — he was much more playful, friendly, ready to chat with the crowd, which he did.In between songs, Washburn and audience members bantered.Yes, crowd surfing came up.

Tiny Beautiful Things (★★★☆☆), love is the zenith.Like Wild, the 2014 film based on Strayed’s writing starring Reese Witherspoon, this miniseries is also based on Strayed’s experiences.This time, however, Ms. Witherspoon is behind the camera with her Hello Sunshine production company and Liz Tigelaar (Little Fires Everywhere) as the showrunner.

BOY (★★★☆☆). As he tells it, one of his earliest memories is how much he wanted to see his own experiences and desires reflected in the love songs he heard, and now that he is in a position to do something about it, he is going out of his way to make up the difference.Buoyed by a GLAAD nomination and the viral success of his recent single “Story of A Boy,” Jordy is determined to be the queer artist he wished he could have heard on the radio as a kid.Being an openly queer artist is not quite enough for Jordy, who goes out of his way to make BOY an overtly queer album.

The Confessions of Frannie Langton (★★★★☆) is unquestionably gripping, the spark of well-struck flint that quickly catches fire and burns slowly with great satisfaction all the way through this four-part miniseries based on the 2019 historical fiction novel of the same name by Jamaican-born British-Caymanian writer Sara Collins, her brilliant debut.Like any great mystery, the central question is only answered through the begetting and resolution of numerous other curiosities, some more chilling than others.

A River Running to Your Heart (★★★★☆) is deeply preoccupied with the idea of the places we plant ourselves and what they come to mean to us. This time there is a pronounced sense of immediacy to the songs, leaving little doubt that River is an album about some very particular places as much as it is about “place” as a concept.These are not exactly places that we can go and visit ourselves.

Beau is Afraid (★★☆☆☆), Ari Aster’s ambitious third feature film, in which I weighed how unprofessional it would be to walk out of a three-hour screening early, convinced as I was by that juncture that I was not enjoying myself and would likely not enjoy myself for the duration of the movie.It was about 20 minutes in.If you like vivid nightmares driven by existential depression and crushing grief — which, is to say, if you’re looking for a movie that acts as a mirror for the encroaching suffocation of American life in 2023 — you will love Beau is Afraid.Unlike most horror films that seek to provoke a feeling of escapism from the drudgery of daily life, Aster has drilled deep into the fragile psyche of a nation reeling from two decades of outsized culture war trauma and buttered up those sensitive neuroses with cayenne pepper.That may sound appealing to some viewers. I personally don’t understand watching a movie to be further reminded why everything is on fire with possibly no hope of recovery or redemption.

Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street (★★★★★). The big question looming over the head of every theater geek when the cast was announced: Is Josh Groban menacing enough to play Sweeney?It was a fair query. Sweeney Todd is about a British man wrongly punished for a crime he didn’t commit.

Mona Mansour‘s time-shifting drama Unseen (★★★☆☆), has lost her way, literally and existentially. She might lament that nobody knows the trouble she’s seen, but even she has taken great pains to forget.As she wakes up on the couch at her ex-girlfriend’s apartment in Istanbul, Mia (Katie Kleiger) can’t remember at all where she was last, what she witnessed, or how she made it safely from there to here.

Cocaine Bear, or see limbs, heads, and a face torn off by Nicolas Cage’s Prince of Darkness in Renfield. Funny thing is, those films actually elicit laughs by flaunting gruesome violence that, while outlandish and in some cases flat-out gross, fits the circumstances and gonzo energy that rules those joints from start to finish.Audiences for the seemingly breezy mob action-comedy Mafia Mamma (★★☆☆☆), however, might really not expect to see Toni Collette — starring as suburban American mom Kristin, tapped to succeed her deceased Italian grandfather as the head of a Calabrian crime family — plunge a stiletto heel into some guy’s eye, then wriggle the heel around in the socket good and deep before gouging the eyeball out and watching it roll across the floor.Director Catherine Hardwicke, of Twilight and Thirteen fame, working from a script by TV writers Debbie Jhoon and J.

Dracula, where he’s been memorably portrayed by greats like Alexander Granach (in 1922’s silent Nosferatu), Dwight Frye (as a wide-eyed madman in 1931’s Dracula), and Tom Waits (chewing the scenery, and bugs, in 1992’s Bram Stoker’s Dracula), Renfield is perpetually overshadowed by the blood-sucking count.Universal’s new Renfield (★★☆☆☆), a big-budget spinoff of the Dracula story, set in present-day New Orleans, promises to give the character his overdue shine. Unfortunately, the film is an overcooked clash of genre and tepid grasps at modernization, whose greatest asset is — you guessed it — Dracula himself, played by a glammed-up, fang-gnashing Nicolas Cage.