Team Rocket Returns in 'Pokémon TCG: Destined Rivals'
Summary
When it comes to thePokémon TCG, there is no shortage of excitement surrounding its new product launches. All of its recent expansions have been embraced by fans, with record-high demand overwhelmingThe Pokémon Company'ssignificant supply. Now, one of its most anticipated sets has just released, introducingPokémon TCG: Destined Rivals.
First teased at the Pokémon World Championships last August,Destined Rivalssees the return of fan favorite villain faction, Team Rocket. The group of troublemakers joins other beloved characters with a whopping 42 new special illustration cards featured in the expansion. Partner cards serve as the highlight of this set, with notables pairing Ethan with Ho-Oh and Cynthia with Garchomp. As for Team Rocket, familiar faces in Archer and Ariana are accompanied by Giovanni, who is joined by Meowth in one instance and Mewtwo for the card that is most sought-after by collectors.
Pokémon TCG: Destined Rivalshas just arrived via thePokémon Center, select retailers, and local card shops with packs available via individual packs, thematic boxes, and bundles. For a complete breakdown of every card included in the new set, be sure to check out the collection'sofficial card gallery.
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Elle
8 hours ago
- Elle
Here's Who Will Probably Win at the 2025 Tony Awards
As another Broadway season comes to a close, I once again find myself stressing out over one of the hardest tasks I face year after year: Predicting the winners for the Tony Awards. In yet another highly competitive season, the divas were out, the revivals were dazzling, and the new shows brought a refreshing charm. With 14 new musicals, 14 new plays, seven musical revivals, and seven play revivals, this season, in sheer numbers, blew last year out of the water. Standing at the top of the pack for the musicals with 10 nominations each are Buena Vista Social Club , Death Becomes Her , and Maybe Happy Ending ; and leading the plays are The Hills of California and John Proctor Is the Villain . However. But it seems to be anyone's game, as other shows like Dead Outlaw , Sunset Boulevard , and Oh, Mary! have been fan favorites. Below, find my selects for the season. These are based upon my personal opinion (who should win), and who likely will win based on the odds and Broadway chatter. As always, if those choices differ, it's due to my personal taste, and the 'will win' is still wildly deserving. All of these shows have earned their rightful flowers. Jump to Best Musical Matthew Murphy and Evan Zimmerman Helen J. Shen and Darren Criss in Maybe Happy Ending. Nominees : Buena Vista Social Club Dead Outlaw Death Becomes Her Maybe Happy Ending Operation Mincemeat Will Win: Maybe Happy Ending Should Win: Maybe Happy Ending As one of the world's biggest softies, it's unsurprising is my pick for Best Musical. With direction by Michael Arden, the bite-sized one act is a visual feast. There are drones, projections that are actually effective and not gratuitous, strong costumes, and so much more. Darren Criss and Helen J. Shen are also compelling as the two leads, vocalizing in perfect harmony and telling the story of two retired 'helperbots' who are nearing the end of their respective lives. The concept originally seems zany, however the show is everything a new Broadway musical should be. If all is right in the world, Maybe Happy Ending should take home the grand prize. Possible Upset: Dead Outlaw has been well received, has a fascinating plot, and is inventive in its storytelling. It is truly an excellent production, and it could take home this prize as well. Best Play Julieta Cervantes Sadie Sink and Amalia Yoo in John Proctor Is the Villain. Nominees : English The Hills of California John Proctor Is the Villain Oh, Mary! Purpose Will Win: Oh, Mary! Expect Oh, Mary! to say 'Oh, Tony!' on awards night. Should Win: John Proctor is the Villain Personally, John Proctor is the Villain is my favorite show of the Broadway season. From the first Lorde track that plays ('Team' for wondering minds), I was completely enamored. Set in a small, Georgia town during the #MeToo era in 2018, the play examines The Crucible from a new lens, one that does not place John Proctor as the hero he is often portrayed to be. Sadie Sink gives a career-high performance, and the show's message feels relevant, even seven years later. Possible Upset: This is a highly competitive category. The Hills of California stands as one of my early season favorites, and both Purpose and English have strong followings. Best Revival of a Musical Marc Brenner Nicole Scherzinger and Tom Francis in Sunset Boulevard. Nominees : Floyd Collins Gypsy Pirates! The Penzance Musical Sunset Boulevard Will Win: Sunset Boulevard Sunset Boulevard has been a smash this Broadway season, and the Andrew Lloyd Weber musical will likely take home this prize. With direction by Jamie Lloyd and a career-defining performance by Nicole Scherzinger, Sunset Boulevard has been pleasing crowds since the fall (even earlier if you count its West End run). That said, it wasn't my personal favorite; while the show has been the talk of the town, I left the theater feeling a little disappointed. Yes, this one will win, but perhaps it just wasn't quite for me. Should Win: Gypsy On the other hand, Gypsy was for me. With incredible performances, it's a Broadway revival at its best. Though it runs long at 2 hours and 40 minutes, Gypsy filled a big musical hole in my heart and had me in the palm of its hand from beginning to end. It's also impossible to mention the show without mentioning Audra McDonald, who is transcendent in the role of Rose. Possible Upset: This race has two horses, an upset seems unlikely. Best Revival of a Play Jeremy Daniel The company of Eureka Day. Nominees : Eureka Day Thornton Wilder's Our Town Romeo + Juliet Yellow Face Will Win: Eureka Day Should Win: Eureka Day Eureka Day has emerged as the deserving frontrunner in this quiet category. With a message about vaccinations at college universities that is unfortunately relevant right now, it has the Tony on lock. Not even Kit Connor's biceps and pull-ups in Romeo + Juliet could challenge this one. Possible Upset: Eureka Day seems to have this category stitched up. Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Musical Matthew Murphy and Evan Zimmerman Jonathan Groff in Just in Time . Nominees : Darren Criss ( Maybe Happy Ending , Oliver) Andrew Durand ( Dead Outlaw , Elmer McCurdy) Tom Francis ( Sunset Boulevard , Joe Gillis) Jonathan Groff ( Just in Time , Bobby Darin) James Monroe Iglehart ( A Wonderful World , Louis Armstrong) Jeremy Jordan ( Floyd Collins , Floyd Collins) Will Win: Darren Criss Criss will likely finally get his flowers on Tony night for his compelling performance as a retired helperbot named Oliver in Maybe Happy Ending . Tony voters will likely award one of the show's stars, especially after his co-lead Helen J. Shen was somehow snubbed from a nomination. It's looking like Blaine Anderson will get that Tony Award. Should Win: Jonathan Groff Look, was Groff (or the producers) pandering to me when he picked me, out of everyone in the audience, to dance and twirl with at the top of the show? Perhaps. Did it work? Absolutely. Groff stars as Bobby Darin in Just in Time , an excellent musical that didn't receive as many nominations as it should have. Because Groff just won the Tony Award for Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Musical last year for his performance in Merrily We Roll Along , it seems unlikely he'll win a consecutive award. He is charming, looks amazing in a blue Speedo, and sings his damn heart out. If I were a Tony voter, last year aside, he would get my vote. Possible Upset: Tom Francis demands your attention in Sunset Boulevard as Joe Gillis, and if the tides start turning in that direction on Tony night, Francis could go home with the award. Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Musical Julieta Cervantes Audra McDonald as Rose in Gypsy . Nominees : Megan Hilty ( Death Becomes Her , Madeline Ashton) Audra McDonald ( Gypsy , Rose) Jasmine Amy Rogers ( Boop! The Musical , Betty Boop) Nicole Scherzinger ( Sunset Boulevard , Norma Desmond) Jennifer Simard ( Death Becomes Her , Helen Sharp) Will Win: Audra McDonald Should Win: Audra McDonald About a week ago, I would have said Scherzinger would be taking home his award for her performance as Norma Desmond in Sunset Boulevard. It seemed as if she had the momentum, however I always believed McDonald gave the more compelling performance in Gypsy . While the race is still close, it seems as if the pendulum has swung for McDonald, especially after she has been a pinnacle of grace following Possible Upset: If Scherzinger and McDonald split the votes, recent Drama Desk winner Jasmine Amy Rogers could rise to the top. Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Play Emilio Madrid Cole Escola as Mary Todd Lincoln in Oh, Mary! Nominees : George Clooney ( Good Night, and Good Luck , Edward R. Murrow) Cole Escola ( Oh, Mary! , Mary Todd Lincoln) Jon Michael Hill ( Purpose , Nazareth Jasper) Daniel Dae Kim ( Yellow Face , DHH) Harry Lennix ( Purpose , Solomon Jasper) Louis McCartney ( Stranger Things: The First Shadow , Henry Creel) Will Win: Cole Escola Should Win: Cole Escola Escola is hilarious in Oh, Mary! , and if all is right in the world, they should come home with this their whole body into their portrayal of Mary Todd Lincoln , the actor delivered a kind of performance Broadway has never seen before. We should all thank Escola for making us belly-laugh for the last year. Possible Upset: I won't even entertain an upset here. My stomach couldn't handle it. Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Play Marc Brenner Nominees : Laura Donnelly ( The Hills of California , Veronica/Joan) Mia Farrow ( The Roommate , Sharon) LaTanya Richardson Jackson ( Purpose , Claudine Jasper) Sadie Sink ( John Proctor Is the Villain , Shelby Holcomb) Sarah Snook ( The Picture of Dorian Gray , Dorian Gray, et al.) Will Win: Sarah Snook Should Win: Sarah Snook Snook, who comes to the Broadway stage after captivating audiences in Succession , acts with giant, pre-recorded versions of herself in this one-woman-show rendition of The Picture of Dorian Gray . It's an impressive feat, and if she is off by one beat, the whole show could fall apart. (Spoiler: She never is.) Expect Snook to come home with her first Tony Award. Possible Upset: This category seems like a lock for Snook, but I would personally be just as fine with Laura Donnelly or Sadie Sink winning. Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a Musical Julieta Cervantes Jak Malone and Zoë Roberts in Operation Mincemeat . Nominees : Brooks Ashmanskas ( Smash , Nigel Davies) Jeb Brown ( Dead Outlaw , Bandleader/Walter Jarrett) Danny Burstein ( Gypsy , Herbie) Jak Malone ( Operation Mincemeat , Hester Leggatt and Others) Taylor Trensch ( Floyd Collins , Skeets Miller) Will Win: Jak Malone Should Win: Jak Malone Malone has a standout moment as Hester Leggatt in Operation Mincemeat with the song 'Dear Bill.' It stops the show in its tracks, bringing heart to the otherwise humorous story. I never thought I would cry in a British comedy musical about World War II, so Malone, I politely curse you for causing the waterworks. Possible Upset: Danny Burstein is great in Gypsy , and Taylor Trensch is one of the best parts of Floyd Collins . Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Musical Matthew Murphy Natalie Venetia Belcon in Buena Vista Social Club. Nominees : Natalie Venetia Belcon ( Buena Vista Social Club , Omara Portuondo) Julia Knitel ( Dead Outlaw , Helen McCurdy, Maggie Johnson, Millicent Esper) Gracie Lawrence ( Just in Time , Connie Francis) Justina Machado ( Real Women Have Curves , Carmen Garcia) Joy Woods ( Gypsy , Louise) Will Win: Natalie Venetia Belcon In Buena Vista Social Club , Belcon offers an excellent depiction of singer Omara Portuondo. She drives the story forward in this jukebox musical and she sings her heart out through the show. Known for originating the role of Gary Coleman in Avenue Q , Belcon is back, stronger than ever, and it seems as if she may finally get her first Tony Award. Should Win: Joy Woods At just 25 years old, Woods has already built an impressive resumé. After making her Broadway debut as Catherine Parr in Six , she went viral on TikTok last year with her rendition of ' My Days' from The Notebook , in which she played Middle Allie. She is a powerhouse, and her ability to hold her own and excel next to Broadway's most awarded actor, McDonald, makes her my personal pick for this year. Possible Upset: Julia Knitel covers a lot of ground in Dead Outlaw , and she could be awarded for being a pitch-perfect master of disguise. Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a Play Julieta Cervantes Gabriel Ebert and the cast of John Proctor Is the Villain. Nominees : Glenn Davis ( Purpose , Solomon 'Junior' Jasper) Gabriel Ebert ( John Proctor Is the Villain , Mr. Carter Smith) Francis Jue ( Yellow Face , HYH, et al.) Bob Odenkirk ( Glengarry Glen Ross , Shelly Levene) Conrad Ricamora ( Oh, Mary! , Mary's Husband) Will Win: Gabriel Ebert Should Win: Gabriel Ebert Fans of Ebert will remember him as originating the role of Mr. Wormwood in Matilda the Musical on Broadway, for which he won the Tony Award for Best Featured Actor in a Musical. Now, in John Proctor Is the Villain , Ebert shows his range as Mr. Smith, who is warm and kind, yet terrifying with a dark past. Ebert's performance is compelling, meaningful, and spot on. He is beyond deserving of this award. Possible Upset: Francis Jue could win for his role in Yellow Face , and Conrad Ricamora could snatch up an award for Oh, Mary! . Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Play Jeremy Daniel Jessica Hecht stars in Eureka Day. Nominees : Tala Ashe ( English , Elham) Jessica Hecht ( Eureka Day , Suzanne) Marjan Neshat ( English , Marjan) Fina Strazza ( John Proctor Is the Villain , Beth Powell) Kara Young ( Purpose , Aziza Houston) Will Win: Jessica Hecht With Eureka Day , Hecht racks up her third Tony nomination for her turn as Suzanne, and it's looking like this time, she'll win. A much beloved actress, she will be welcomed in to the winner's circle with open arms. Should Win: Fina Strazza At just 19, Fina Strazza shines in John Proctor Is the Villain as the earnest Beth. She's utterly convincing and often brings levity to the heavy production, and with this Tony nomination, she has a bright future ahead. Possible Upset: Purpose , she could win for a second consecutive year. Best Director of a Musical Matthew Murphy Darren Criss in Maybe Happy Ending. Nominees : Saheem Ali ( Buena Vista Social Club ) Michael Arden ( Maybe Happy Ending ) David Cromer ( Dead Outlaw ) Christopher Gattelli ( Death Becomes Her ) Jamie Lloyd ( Sunset Boulevard ) Will Win: Michael Arden Should Win: Michael Arden Arden's direction in Maybe Happy Ending is beautiful. With a jaw-dropping set, excellent use of space, and incredible character development, Maybe Happy Ending 's success should be much attributed to Arden. This would be Arden's second Tony Award, after winning in 2023 for Parade . Possible Upset: Jamie Lloyd gave new life to Sunset Boulevard , and his highly inventive angle could capture the Tony voters' eyes. Best Director of a Play Emilio Madrid Cole Escola and Conrad Ricamora in Oh, Mary!. Nominees : Knud Adams ( English ) Sam Mendes ( The Hills of California ) Sam Pinkleton ( Oh, Mary! ) Danya Taymor ( John Proctor Is the Villain ) Kip Williams ( The Picture of Dorian Gray ) Will Win: Sam Pinkleton Pinkleton is the perfect director for Oh, Mary! . While he's mostly known for his work as a choreographer, the play is so unbelievably physical that the pairing just makes sense. Escola is bent almost every which way as Mary, meaning the show needed a master of movement. Pinkleton's simple staging is effective and well done, more than enough to win him a Tony Award. Should Win: Sam Mendes While I think Pinkleton's direction is excellent in Oh, Mary! , I found Mendes's work in The Hills of California to be strong. Mendes, known for directing The Lehman Trilogy , The Ferryman , and Cabaret , is a veteran to the Broadway stage, and his use of age, turntables, and staircases in The Hills of California makes a resounding case for a third Tony Award. Possible Upset: Danya Taymor won Best Director of a Musical last year, and this year, she could come home with Best Director of a play. Best Choreography Matthew Murphy The cast of Buena Vista Social Club. Nominees : Joshua Bergasse ( Smash ) Camille A. Brown ( Gypsy ) Patricia Delgado and Justin Peck ( Buena Vista Social Club ) Christopher Gattelli ( Death Becomes Her ) Jerry Mitchell ( Boop! The Musical ) Will Win: Patricia Delgado and Justin Peck Patricia Delgado and Justin Peck's choreography in Buena Vista Social Club soars so high that at my show, the company received a standing ovation following the second act's opener. Their choreography fits the music, is smart, and could win Peck his second consecutive Tony Award in this category. Should Win: Jerry Mitchell At the top of the second act of Boop! The Musical , a perfect match of choreography and costumes makes for one of the best moments in the theater I saw this year, as half the cast is dressed in black and white, and the other half is in full technicolor. Using simple movements to create meaningful visuals is the sign of a strong choreographer, and Mitchell is just that. Possible Upset: We're either Boop in' or at the Buena Vista Social Club come Tony Awards night. Best Book of a Musical Evan Zimmerman Helen J. Shen in Maybe Happy Ending. Nominees : Will Aronson and Hue Park ( Maybe Happy Ending ) David Cumming, Felix Hagan, Natasha Hodgson, and Zoë Roberts ( Operation Mincemeat ) Itamar Moses ( Dead Outlaw ) Marco Pennette ( Death Becomes Her ) Marco Ramirez ( Buena Vista Social Club ) Will Win: Will Aronson and Hue Park Should Win: Will Aronson and Hue Park With one of the most heartwarming stories Broadway has even seen, it should come as no surprise that Aronson and Park are the frontrunners for this honor. They deserve it too, as the entire audience was sobbing by the end of the tight show. Possible Upset: Itamar Moses wrote an excellent book for Dead Outlaw , telling a jaw-dropping story the outlaw Elmer McCurdy with incredible finesse. Best Original Score Written for the Theatre Matthew Murphy Andrew Durand and the company of Dead Outlaw. Nominees : Erik Della Penna and David Yazbek ( Dead Outlaw ) Noel Carey and Julia Mattison ( Death Becomes Her ) Will Aronson and Hue Park ( Maybe Happy Ending ) David Cumming, Felix Hagan, Natasha Hodgson, and Zoë Roberts ( Operation Mincemeat ) Joy Huerta and Benjamin Velez ( Real Women Have Curves ) Will Win: Will Aronson and Hue Park Expect Aronson and Park to clean up this year at the Tony Awards, and their lush score for Maybe Happy Ending will likely earn them this award as well. So rarely in the theater do I come out wishing there was a cast album, but I immediately rushed over to Spotify to check. This score immediately enters a list of musical theater staples. Should Win: Erik Della Penna and David Yazbek The music of Dead Outlaw serves as the beating heart of the show, with the band playing live onstage (and interacting with the characters). Della Penna and Yazbek wrote a score not frequently seen on Broadway with its folk and rock leanings, and for that, I believe the two should be awarded with a glittering trophy. Possible Upset: None, give one of these two the crown. The 78th Tony Awards, hosted by Cynthia Erivo, will air on CBS and Paramount+ on June 8. Related Stories
Los Angeles Times
11 hours ago
- Los Angeles Times
Cole Escola's ‘Oh Mary!' is a hoot, but the Tony should go to Branden Jacobs-Jenkins' ‘Purpose'
'Oh, Mary!' is poised to have a big night at the Tony Awards on Sunday. A campy melodrama by alt comic Cole Escola, the play conjures to the stage a vision of Mary Todd Lincoln as a harridan and drunk, who's sick of the restraints being placed on her at the White House and desperate to return to her first love, cabaret. As played by Escola, the First Lady is a tramp with a showbiz dream and an unslakable thirst for whiskey. Poor Mary has reason to be in a state of spiraling turmoil. Husband Abraham Lincoln (Conrad Ricamora), wary of Mary's scandalous behavior, has placed her booze under lock and key. The Civil War, which is jeopardizing his presidency, has turned him into an utter killjoy. Overcome with stress, he's finding it harder than ever to resist his homosexual urges. He prays for willpower, but his assistant (Tony Macht) is all too willing to go above and beyond the call of duty. The production, directed by Sam Pinkleton, plays this delirious situation to the comic hilt. Melodramatic tropes, from the striking of over-the-top poses to thunderous piano underscoring during moments of rising tension, situate 'Oh, Mary!' in a bygone theatrical universe. Escola's Mary, dressed like a 19th century version of Wednesday Addams from 'The Addams Family,' can't contain herself. Don't let the rouged cheeks and Shirley Temple curls fool you. That demonic glint in her eye isn't a ruse. Escola is part of a wave of comics, along with Megan Stalter, who built their fan bases by posting comic vignettes on social media during the pandemic. Both were crucial mental health resources during that dark time, and both found a wider embrace online for their niche comic sensibilities. 'Oh, Mary!,' which had its premiere off-Broadway at the Lucille Lortel Theatre last year, has become the mascot production of the Broadway season. It's the unexpected hit that proves that, while there are no sure bets anymore on Broadway, success is more likely when artists are allowed the courage of their crackpot convictions. I'm elated for 'Oh, Mary!,' but I think it would be a mistake to reward the show's giddy Broadway triumph with the Tony for best play. The category is too rich to be treated as a popularity contest this year. Artistic discernment is called for when deciding among works as good as these. The race includes two plays that received the Pulitzer Prize, the 2023 winner, Sanaz Toossi's 'English' and Branden Jacobs-Jenkins' newly awarded 'Purpose.' Jez Butterworth, who won the 2019 Tony for his play 'The Ferryman,' has outdone himself with 'The Hills of California,' the fall season's best (and most intricately woven) drama, magisterially directed by Sam Mendes. And 'John Proctor Is the Villain,' Kimberly Belflower's reconsideration of Arthur Miller's 'The Crucible,' thrillingly staged by Danya Taymor, is perhaps the feat of playwriting that surprised me most in this group. 'Oh, Mary!' ought to receive a special citation. Not only is it in a category of its own, but it doesn't bear comparison with the other nominees. And this point of view has nothing to do with any bias against camp. In fact, it's my deep affection for the genre that has compelled me to raise what I assume will be an unpopular opinion. In her landmark 1964 essay 'Notes on 'Camp',' Susan Sontag observed that the 'whole point of Camp is to dethrone the serious. Camp is playful, anti-serious. More precisely, Camp involves a new, more complex relation to 'the serious.' One can be serious about the frivolous, frivolous about the serious.' The silliness of 'Oh, Mary!' shouldn't be held against it. Artistic worthiness isn't measured by gravity of subject matter. But there's something mainstream about Escola's outrageous flamboyance — it's camp for 'The Carol Burnett Show' crowd. Sontag noted that camp functions as 'a private code, a badge of identity even.' I wasn't sure who 'Oh, Mary!' was pitched to, but it didn't seem intended for someone whose camp sensibility was forged watching the plays of Charles Ludlam at the Ridiculous Theatrical Company in Greenwich Village or the drag headliners of East Village bars and clubs that made such an impression on me in the 1980s and 1990s. That was a bleak period to be coming of age in New York. The AIDS crisis left the gay community in a state of mournful siege. Camp offered sanctuary, a mode of performance that didn't suffer hypocritical fools gladly. There was something transgressive and liberating about an aesthetic that inverted not only good and bad taste but also conventional and unconventional morality. 'Oh, Mary!' is fearlessly raunchy but never is it truly dangerous. The show is both a novelty on Broadway and completely at home there. The audience members laughing the hardest on a recent visit to the Lyceum Theatre were the older married couples who found it risqué enough to enjoy but not so risqué that it might upend their thinking of right and wrong. As a spoof of melodrama, it is sprightly, crisply executed and untaxingly entertaining. Part of the appeal of 'Oh, Mary!' is that it just wants to give audiences a concentrated dose of hilarity. Escola recognizes the importance of not being earnest. But the mainstream success the show is enjoying is a sign of something more subversive being watered down. The Tony nominating committee has demonstrated remarkable judgment this year. Let's hope Tony voters follow suit and give one of the other four best play nominees the award. If forced to pick a winner, I would opt for 'Purpose,' Jacobs-Jenkins' engrossing family drama set in the household of a civil rights icon, whose personal and public morality haven't always been aligned. Any concise description of 'Purpose' is bound to fail because the play is so multifarious and complex. Jacobs-Jenkins has written a domestic drama in the epic tradition of 'Death of a Salesman,' 'Long Day's Journey Into Night,' 'Cat on a Hot Tin Roof' and 'August: Osage County.' The playwright has pursued this line before in 'Appropriate,' which won the Tony for best revival last year. But here the focus is on a Black family grappling both with the burdens and privileges of a father's unique legacy and the difficulty of adapting to changing times and new frontiers of political struggle. Whenever you think you know which way 'Purpose' is heading, it veers off in an unexpected direction. The play leaves the mundane world to engage in spiritual questions between an old-school father (Harry Lennix) and his independent-minded youngest son, Nazareth (Jon Michael Hill), who left divinity school to become a nature photographer. 'Naz,' as he's known, serves as the play's narrator. And as someone who identifies as asexual and is possibly on the spectrum, he brings a bracingly original perspective to the classic homecoming play, updating the genre for the 21st century. 'Purpose' deserves an extensive life after Broadway, and a Tony would help its producing prospects. The Steppenwolf Theatre production at the Helen Hayes Theater, directed by Phylicia Rashad and featuring one of the best ensemble casts of the season, is intimidatingly good. (LaTanya Richardson Jackson, Lennix, Hill, Glenn Davis and Kara Young were all nominated for their work, but the company really deserves a collective award.) It's a long play (nearly three hours), and one you might not care to see performed with second-tier performers. A Tony would create more incentive for regional theaters to rise to the challenge, though with a Pulitzer, New York Drama Critics' Award and Drama Desk Award, 'Purpose' is hardly lacking in accolades. There was a time not so long ago when the future of the Broadway play was in serious doubt. The threat hasn't gone away, and Tony voters shouldn't pass up an opportunity to honor true playwriting excellence.
New York Post
21 hours ago
- New York Post
We can learn a lot from our presidents — even the ones you don't like
Commanding personalities As summer approaches, don't forget your history. Here's a presidential lesson or two. John Quincy Adams — despite his great last name — was fierce, haughty, unforgiving. Also cold, austere. Swam naked every morning in the Potomac. Nice. Would make Putin look like a Hallmark valentine. Cuddly Andrew Jackson. 'Old Hickory' resolved differences with fists and a sword. Think Nancy Pelosi in long drawers. Advertisement Martin Van Buren. Smooth talker, perfumed dandy, loved making speeches. 1837 William Henry Harrison about whom even Mrs. Harrison couldn't remember. James Polk. Democrat. In his early days, palled around with Francis Scott Key, 'The Star-Spangled Banner' author. Wherever they are now they're toasting Taylor Swift. Advertisement 1841, VP John Tyler suddenly becomes president. Mild-mannered. Constituents fretted he's incapable of running the country. During his tenure 618 banks closed. One term only. He has since reappeared in the persona of Hunter Biden's daddy. Zachary Taylor. Helped establish the Panama Canal which now we're trying to schlep back from Panama. Millard Fillmore. Nothing about him that worked except that he finally got out of office. I mean where are you going with the name Millard? Advertisement James Buchanan. His book was titled 'Mr. Buchanan's Administration on the Eve of Rebellion.' Only dogs pored over it. Abraham Lincoln. Nine thousand movies made about him. Now the subject of the about-to-win-a-Tony 'Oh, Mary!' Everybody's played him but Dolly Parton. Andrew Johnson had a tailor shop. So did my grandfather. Johnson became president. My grampa not. Ulysses S. Grant's political knowledge — small. Booze intake — LARGE. Had he exhaled the Rockies would've been pebbles. Advertisement James Garfield. Republican. July '81 shot by a crazed disappointed office-seeker. Chester Arthur. Told, 'drop the nomination as you would a red-hot shoe from the forge.' His run for the nomination halfhearted. Grover Cleveland. Ran amok. Fathered an illegitimate child. Opposition slogan was: 'Ma, ma, where's my pa?' William McKinley. Shot in the abdomen by an anarchist in Buffalo. Theodore Roosevelt. Republican. Larger-than-life leader who faced obstacles head-on. Said was: 'He's not an American. He is America.' 1909-1913 the 27th president was William Howard Taft. Republican. He called the White House 'the loneliest place in the world.' Advertisement Be it known that Abraham Lincoln once said: 'A woman is the only thing I am afraid of that I know will not hurt me.' Yeah? Well, somewhere he should see B'way's 'Oh, Mary!' get its Tony. Only in America, kids, only in America.
