Non-profit aids Memphis artists, promotes sustainable music careers
MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Every Tuesday as part of our Greater Memphis on a Mission series, we highlight organizations making Memphis better. This week, we caught up with a group that believes music is necessary and supporting local artists is vital.
Talibah Safiya is a singer, songwriter, and recording artist who has over the years utilized Music Export Memphis, a non-profit organization that creates opportunities for Memphis musicians to showcase outside the city and help them build sustainable music careers right here in Memphis.
Elizabeth Cawein is the founder and executive director.
'I saw that there was a way where we could sort of hit the center of this Venn Diagram and create true mutual benefit for our city and for our artists with really meaningful opportunities to get them on national and international stages,' said Elizabeth Cawein, founder and executive director.
Memphis woman makes history scuba diving on all 7 continents
They don't want financial barriers to stand in the way of possible opportunities, that's why they have multiple grant programs. In 2016, they started providing tour grants to artists.
'If you are an artist who lives here, you book five or more dates outside the city. you can get money from us to support that tour,' Cawein said.
They don't pay for your tour but the unrestricted cash grant can be used however an artist needs. Such as gas money, fixing a flat tire, or even if a gig gets canceled it can help soften the financial hit.
Their merch grants help support the creation of merchandise like hats, t-shirts, and vinyls.
Through their export bank program, they can even customize a grant for artists like Talibah who was invited to a writers' camp in Los Angeles.
📡 for Memphis and the Mid-South.
📧 and have the latest top stories sent right to your inbox.
'I told her what the opportunity was. We listed out what we would need and we were able to get the support needed for me to go to LA,' she said. 'Which led to me being able to do more writers' camp, more television, and have sustainable income in a whole new way that I didn't even have before.'
In a city like memphis, where music is our culture, it is our history. The musicians that are here are carrying that forward, and so any small part that we can play in keeping them here is absolutely essential to, I think, the fabric of Memphis,' said Cawein.
That is why Brown Missionary Baptist Church and the Mid-South Genesis CDC donated $1,000 to Music Export Memphis. Because when you help build our city's local, national, and international music reputation, it will always be the best investment.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
New York Times
2 days ago
- New York Times
How a college football coach sees the game: Inside the film room with Marcus Freeman
SOUTH BEND, Ind. — If it's a road game, Marcus Freeman flips open his laptop on the charter bus, then continues the ritual on the team plane. If it's a home game, Notre Dame's head coach heads straight to his office after his news conference. He pulls down the blinds around his second-story office, then turns on the monitor mounted to the wall, left of his desk. Advertisement For these two-plus hours, Freeman isn't much different than the Kent State linebackers coach who broke into the business 14 years ago. Football tape is football tape, whether it's a national championship game between Notre Dame and Ohio State or a midweek matchup in the Mid-American Conference. Film gets Freeman closer to those roots, before the celebrity of Notre Dame, before he became one of the faces of college football. Watching the game back is also the only way Freeman can sleep after games. 'It's a way to decompress, win or lose,' the 39-year-old Freeman said. 'I've been that way as a head coach, a coordinator, a position coach. I like to see it. I like to know the answers to why things happened right away.' Freeman spoke to The Athletic in his office last week to explain how he grinds through game film and why he does it. He talked through eight plays — seven from last season, one from the spring game — and opened up his football brain for further examination. Freeman's first viewing of a game is to make sure he understands the questions. He watches it straight through postgame, clicking back when something catches his eye. He'll make notes or cross-reference ones he already made from the sideline. After a night game, the process stretches past 2 a.m. Then Freeman will return to his office Sunday morning to watch again, with the film broken up by offense, defense and special teams. Sunday is for understanding the answers. Nothing is too small, a point Freeman makes by pulling up a made extra point at Texas A&M. You see Mitch Jeter's kick. He sees left guard Pat Coogan getting too high at the line of scrimmage. Freeman saw it later in the game too on a made field goal. And he saw it on the opening extra point at Northern Illinois. Did anyone else? Probably not, at least not until Northern Illinois blocked Jeter's 48-yard field goal just before halftime. Advertisement The penetration came over the left guard, who got too high against the Northern Illinois rush. Notre Dame went on to lose 16-14. 'Everyone else is just looking at it like, 'Oh, just an extra point. No big deal.'' Freeman said. 'We should have caught that against A&M. 'You can't just watch the outcome. It's all 11. It's the challenge of perfection versus the outcome. It's that pressure of not being a game late or a play late. It's the ultimate challenge.' This is how Freeman sees the game. Three plays earlier, Notre Dame ran the same inside zone on fourth-and-1, which Leonard converted for a first down. The Irish did it with different personnel, tight end Cooper Flanagan and running back Devyn Ford instead of tight end Eli Raridon and running back Jeremiyah Love. But how well the Irish blocked it and how the Aggies defended it were slightly different too, enough to leave Leonard just a few inches short, one of the only times Notre Dame's quarterback was stopped on fourth-and-short all season. This play works if right guard Billy Schrauth, right tackle Aamil Wagner and Raridon win at the point of attack against the Aggie's two defensive lineman and the linebacker, Taurean York (21), who blitzes inside. York coming inside to engage Wagner puts Raridon in a tough spot, blocking first-round pick Shemar Stewart. 'They ran a different blitz and (Stewart) gets across Eli's face,' Freeman said. Stewart winning at the point of attack muddies the picture for Love, who's supposed to block 'most dangerous,' meaning whoever shows up in his picture first, either middle linebacker Scooby Williams (0) or defensive back Bryce Anderson (1). Anderson shows up first off the edge, leaving no one to block Williams. Because Stewart has messed up the running lane Leonard wanted, Texas A&M wins the situation. Advertisement Was it the call? The execution? Or just Texas A&M tweaking the run blitz, adjusting to Notre Dame offensive coordinator Mike Denbrock before Denbrock could adjust back? Considering how well Notre Dame executed the quarterback run game in short yardage the rest of the season, credit the Aggies and their defensive line. 'I see why Denbrock called it again because it just worked,' Freeman said. 'The difference is how they blitzed it. It is what it is.' The 28-yard run by the NIU running back late in the first quarter didn't feel pivotal in the moment, but Freeman easily picked out ways this play (and others like it) were ominous in Notre Dame's only regular-season loss, a stunning upset in a game in which the Irish were favored by four touchdowns. It's a basic run misfit where Jaylen Sneed gets caught inside, failing to fill the gap that Jack Kiser and Jaiden Ausberry set. Brown bolts down the field before Xavier Watts pushes him out. It was the longest run by an opposing back the Irish allowed until Ohio State's Quinshon Judkins went for 70 yards to start the second half of the national title game. 'You're always looking for blue, white, blue, white, blue. That's gap sound,' Freeman said. 'You would watch this play at home and say is it Kiser? Is it Ausberry? The problem is 3 doesn't get over top.' Freeman doesn't want to live with the result of this play, but he sees its residue all over the game. Could Ausberry have been more physical setting the edge? Maybe. Then Freeman pulls up a 10-yard Brown run from the third quarter when Ausberry does shoot upfield with Sneed in pursuit. Brown gets outside Sneed for a first down. Adon Shuler taps Brown along the sideline, which basically lets the running back pick up a couple of extra yards. Advertisement The drive ends in a missed field goal. That's not what sticks with Freeman. 'It's little (stuff) like this. That's not typical for 3. Watch 8. That's the stuff I watch this game and go, hmmm …' Freeman said. 'Why aren't we playing as hard as we usually play? If this was Ohio State, Adon would knock the crap out of him.' Notre Dame had been setting up Louisville for a throwback screen all game by sprinting out Leonard. Now Denbrock wanted to get paid for that work, calling a screen that sucks in five Cardinals defenders and gives the entire Irish offensive line a free release to the second level. Sam Pendleton and Rocco Spindler make their blocks first. Anthonie Knapp delivers next, with Coogan looking for work. At least four defenders converge on Love at the 3-yard line, and the running back somehow gets through them all to score while barreling into Coogan. The touchdown gives Notre Dame control in a game that becomes a springboard to the College Football Playoff. All good, right? 'This is what I don't love,' Freeman said. 'This is what I'll watch and go, 'What is he doing?'' Freeman is looking at receiver Kris Mitchell, aligned to Leonard's left. He's running a route to clear space for the throwback screen. Check. But when the boundary cornerback, Tahveon Nicholson (23), comes screaming across the field, Mitchell doesn't pick him up. Nicholson is the first defender to drill Love. If Mitchell blocks him, the touchdown comes much easier. 'Go find work. Turn around and block this guy because this dude almost stops it,' Freeman said. 'This is the guy you gotta get blocked because you never know! Those are the things that I'm watching. Not is it a good play, is it a bad play. Who is finishing the play? That's how we evaluate every play. All 11.' Advertisement Two days after Notre Dame's win over Louisville, Freeman watched Monday Night Football as the Detroit Lions beat the Seattle Seahawks. Midway through the third quarter, Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson called a throwback pass from Amon-Ra St. Brown to Jared Goff that went for a 7-yard touchdown. Freeman made a note. Two months later, he'd revisit it, combined with his memory of a fake punt from about eight years earlier. As the linebackers coach at Purdue (2013-16), Freeman ran the punt team and rarely saw a fake he didn't like, even if head coach Darrell Hazell didn't always agree. One fake aligned Purdue's backup quarterback behind a tight end on the left side of the formation. That quarterback hit the tight end for a first down. 'This is when I went to (special teams coordinator Marty Biagi) and said I got an idea for a punt fake,' Freeman said. 'Then it's about how do you enhance it? How do you incorporate Buchner and get all eyes on Love?' Notre Dame had already taken care of the Love part with its fake punt at Georgia Tech, when Jayden Harrison did a reverse pitch with Love, who went 22 yards for a first down. If USC needed a reminder to be on alert with Love in punt formation, that film study was it. The Irish just needed to make that prior knowledge work against the Trojans. Buchner lines up behind Love, basically hiding the former starting quarterback in plain sight. USC still calls out Evans as a danger man, but linebacker Anthony Beavers gets sucked into the Love motion. Buchner lofts the pass for an easy completion. A fake that originated in West Lafayette and got repackaged in Detroit hits in Los Angeles. The former renditions helped the Irish special teams understand how to hit this play because they'd already seen it work. 'You gotta show guys,' Freeman said. 'When you show the players, you show them the vision that we have for this type of play. And then it just evolved.' Here's the thing about the pick that set the stage for Love's 98-yard touchdown. Advertisement It started with a mistake against Virginia. And it didn't have anything to do with Watts. Just before halftime against the Cavaliers, Kiser set up in the middle of the defense, watching quarterback Anthony Colandrea. On the backside of the play, Virginia receiver Malachi Fields — now an incoming Notre Dame transfer — lined up against Leonard Moore. At the snap, Kiser got sucked into the Virginia run game, which Drayk Bowen had covered. And that meant Kiser abandoned the backside hash, his post with Notre Dame in Cover-1. Colandrea hit Fields for a 12-yard gain. Freeman had the play queued up to watch. 'Kiser got his ass ripped for this,' Freeman said. 'He doesn't have the back. That's Drayk's guy. He should be packing it back right to the weakside hash. He doesn't. Look what happens.' Fast forward to the College Football Playoff. Kiser is in the middle of the defense. This time Sneed takes the back and Kiser doesn't false step. Instead, he takes a peek at Indiana slot receiver Myles Price (4), who's breaking behind him with Jordan Clark in coverage. Kiser hauls to the weakside hash. And where does the ball go? To the weakside hash. 'Kiser does an unbelievable job and (Watts) is just making a play. This is all Kiser. He causes this ball to be thrown off-target,' Freeman said. 'Hopefully we beat it enough into their heads: backside hash, backside hash. That's the hardest part of the field to cover.' 'Other than J-Love is a freak,' Freeman said, 'there's a couple things I'm gonna show you.' Before getting into Love's touchdown that will show up on Notre Dame highlight reels for a generation, Freeman wanted to watch Leonard's touchdown run at the start of the third quarter. It's the same play call with different personnel. Love is the lead blocker for Leonard on that play. On Love's touchdown run, it's Mitchell Evans. On the Leonard touchdown run, Jayden Thomas is the edge blocker. On Love's touchdown run, it's Jaden Greathouse. Advertisement But those differences don't matter as much as how Penn State defends it with a defensive back in the box. On Leonard's touchdown, that's Jaylen Reed (1). He stays outside the tackle box. Thomas bluffs a block on defensive end Dani Dennis-Sutton (33) to slow him down, then works to Reed as Charles Jagusah pulls across the formation to block Dennis-Sutton. Because Reed stays outside, Thomas can get to him. Love takes linebacker Tony Rojas (13), just enough for Leonard to follow him into the end zone. On Love's touchdown, the defensive back in question is Zion Tracy (7). Film study indicated he'd stay outside the tackle box like Reed did. Except he fills inside. Greathouse bluffs Dennis-Sutton, then Jagusah wipes out the defensive end. But Greathouse can't get to Tracy, putting Evans in a bind. He has to block two defenders: Tracy and linebacker Kobe King (41). He takes out King, giving Tracy a free shot on Love. 'That's where it gets (screwed) up. Mitch doesn't know what to do,' Freeman said. 'He's gotta block most dangerous, but No. 7 didn't stay outside like we thought he would. Then J-Love is just a football player.' What else sticks with Freeman? After Greathouse can't get his block, he doesn't pick up defensive back Cam Miller (5), who stands Love up at the 2-yard line. 'What are you doing? Go block this dude,' Freeman said. 'You're just in the way.' And that's what it took to produce an iconic moment. Penn State adjusting a defender's position, a missed block and a lot of Love. Notre Dame knows Smith is going to run a reverse. His feet tell the story. Advertisement In preparation for the national title game, Notre Dame noticed every time Smith aligned in a tight formation and adjusted his stance at the line of scrimmage, shifting his outside foot forward, the all-world receiver came back across the formation. A reverse, a jet sweep — it didn't matter. Smith gave away where he was heading. Freeman popped on a couple of plays to prove it, showing Smith adjusting his stance and coming back across the formation against Oregon in the Rose Bowl and during a regular-season win over Nebraska. When Smith adjusts his stance on this play early in the second quarter, Christian Gray calls it out, just like he was coached to do. '(Ohio State offensive coordinator) Chip Kelly did a good job and they do self-scout, too,' Freeman said. 'The film study hurt us a little bit there.' Gray comes screaming across the formation to defend the reverse but Smith plants and cuts back into the open field. Walk-in touchdown. The play hurts as Ohio State begins a 31-0 run that leaves Notre Dame gasping for air. Freeman also knows that if Gray had cut back to mirror Smith, he might not have made the play. It might have just looked like Love's touchdown against Penn State. 'That's a hard tackle 1-on-1,' Freeman said. Sure, Smith makes the play against Gray. But just as impactful is Kelly, who is now with the Las Vegas Raiders, making the call against Al Golden, now with the Cincinnati Bengals. Sometimes one NFL coordinator beats another NFL coordinator on the headset. 'There ain't a whole bunch to say here,' Freeman says, before picking apart a half-dozen individual performances on the play. It's an inside zone and Freeman likes what he sees from the offensive line's protection of Carr. But he notices Joe Otting getting too far upfield, so he takes a note to talk to offensive line coach Joe Rudolph about the line not getting lost in the gray area of RPOs. 'Who cares about the catch. Why is (Otting) past the line of scrimmage three yards?' Freeman said. 'I'm looking at all that stuff.' It's easier to pick apart the defense. Moore gets caught moving inside and could have been wiped out by Bauman. Shuler's eyes are wrong, failing to move from Raridon in coverage to Bauman, who gets behind him. Tae Johnson gets sucked into a play-action fake to Kedren Young. Cole Mullins gets caught in between playing contain and rushing Carr, ultimately doing neither. Sneed might be too aggressive crashing the line, not waiting to see if it's a run play. Advertisement 'Adon has to be as deep as the deepest,' Freeman said. 'He's disrespecting Kevin a little bit — 'This dude isn't gonna beat me deep.' Well, it wasn't the catch as much as the throw.' Everyone in Notre Dame Stadium will remember Carr's feathery throw along the sideline, especially as the young quarterback heads into the 2025 season as the favorite to replace Leonard as the starter. And live, that's what Freeman noticed too. Mic'd up for the game, Freeman's initial reaction on the broadcast was, 'Oh, nice throw and catch.' But that's what film study is for. Seeing everything else.
Los Angeles Times
2 days ago
- Los Angeles Times
Why ‘sitcom royalty' Linda Lavin has a strong case for a posthumous Emmy
Linda Lavin has never won an Emmy. That may surprise you, particularly if you were around when Lavin headlined the long-running CBS sitcom 'Alice,' in which she played a widowed mom working as a waitress while pursuing her dream of singing. The series ran from 1976 to 1985, piling up more than 200 episodes, a spinoff for Polly Holliday (Flo, the 'kiss my grits' sass-flinger) and a lasting reputation for presenting an early, understated feminist role model. Alice wasn't nearly as brash as Bea Arthur's Maude or quite as lovable as Jean Stapleton's Edith Bunker, but like her contemporary Mary Tyler Moore, she could turn the world on with her smile. Lavin, who died in December at 87, did earn two Golden Globes for the role and, after 'Alice' ended, she won a Tony Award in 1987 for lead actress in a play for her turn as a Jewish mother navigating a changing world in Neil Simon's 'Broadway Bound.' 'It was one of the greatest stage performances I have ever seen, and I told her that the first day I met her,' says Nathan Lane, who had the opportunity to share his enthusiasm with Lavin when they worked together on the Hulu sitcom 'Mid-Century Modern.' Lane recalls watching the play and choking up when Lavin absent-mindedly wiped off a phone receiver — her character was always cleaning — right after a wrenching phone call. 'She could do anything and make it look effortless,' Lane says. 'Working with her was the happiest experience I've ever had in television.' 'Mid-Century Modern' showrunners Max Mutchnick and David Kohan had considered a few women for the role of Sybil Schneiderman, mother of Lane's character, Bunny — one of three gay friends who decide to live together, following the death of a fourth, in a Palm Springs home also occupied by Sybil. That living arrangement produces some friction and good-natured barbs, but Sybil, as played by Lavin, always leads with love and a generous spirit. And, of course, she's funny. Veteran sitcom director James Burrows calls Lavin a 'heat-seeking missile for a joke.' Anyone watching was very much in on the fun. When Lavin was revealed as Bunny's mother in the first episode, the studio audience was so happy to see her that Burrows had to stop the scene because they were cheering so loudly. 'It took a few tries to finally get it right,' Mutchnik says. 'People always referred to Linda as sitcom royalty, and we quickly found out that that was true.' Lavin had completed filming seven episodes of 'Mid-Century Modern' when, in December, she told Kohan and Mutchnik that she had lung cancer and would be undergoing radiation treatment. The prognosis, she said, was good, and she encouraged them to write her illness into the show, should she be limited. Lavin died Dec. 29. 'I had spoken to her the day after Christmas,' Lane says. 'We were supposed to be back in a week to film the last three episodes, and she was feeling very positive and optimistic.' He pauses. 'I'm getting too emotional.' Another pause. 'At least I was able to tell her how much I loved her.' Lane was afforded another chance to express his feelings when the cast and crew reconvened in January to shoot the episode addressing Lavin's demise. Titled 'Here's to You, Mrs. Schneiderman,' the half-hour finds Lane's Bunny recounting Sybil's death, using details that mirrored Lavin's own passing. On that December day, Lavin's husband, Steve Bakunas, had been driving her to the hospital, with Lavin admonishing him not to speed. After saying 'I love you,' Lavin's last words were: 'Live your life.' 'The only way we could write this and honor her was to tell the truth,' Kohan says, adding that Bakunas had given them his blessing. In a way, he notes, Lavin had too with her directive to incorporate her diagnosis into the show. Kohan says he took some solace in the fact that Lavin was able to say goodbye and was spared having to battle cancer that had metastasized in both lungs. And yet ... 'You have to understand that I had spoken to her two days before and she was so vital and so present,' he adds quietly. 'She also told us, 'Steve and I have said everything we need to say to each other' and that they had done the work,' Mutchnik says. 'She said she had a few dreams for her life. One was a work situation where she was happy, and she loved the work and the work loved her. One was to be in love with the right man — and she was — and she wanted to live in Malibu, and that is where her life ended. So she had everything she wanted.' In Emmy history, 33 actors — 22 men and 11 women — have been posthumously nominated. Most recently, Treat Williams earned a nod last year for his supporting turn in the FX limited series 'Feud: Capote vs. the Swans.' Ray Liotta was nominated in 2023 in the same category for 'Black Bird.' And in 1978, Will Geer received three posthumous nominations, including his last season on 'The Waltons.' (He lost all three.) Lavin has a legitimate case. She elevates 'Mid-Century Modern' every time she's onscreen with her vitality and comic timing. In April, she picked up a comedy supporting actress nod from the Gotham Television Awards. 'I really hope she's considered,' Mutchnik says. 'She so f— deserves it. Her work in those episodes is incredible, the best of what the medium can offer.' Adds Kohan: 'She was such a beloved figure, partly because of the way she loved other people. In our little world, for everyone in front of and behind the camera, she was the momma of the place. We were lucky to have her.'
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Yahoo
Hulu's 'Mid-Century Modern' Furthers Gay Representation in Both Big and Small Ways
Hulu's 'Mid-Century Modern' Furthers Gay Representation in Both Big and Small Ways originally appeared on L.A. Mag. When Mid-Century Modern —starring Nathan Lane, Matt Bomer and Nathan Lee Graham, and developed and created by Max Mutchnick and David Kohan of Will & Grace fame — premiered March 28 on Hulu, the gay pedigree had already been signed, sealed and delivered. The sitcom, which includes Ryan Murphy among its executive producers, was touted as the heir apparent to the (still) wildly popular NBC show The Golden Girls (1985-92). Yet that sobriquet felt unfair — partly because the two generations of programming are most dissimilar. Forty years ago, when The Golden Girls premiered, Blanche, Dorothy and Rose — three heterosexual women — were dealing with gay storylines in a very different way. They responded with utter shock upon finding out a longtime friend was a lesbian, or a brother was gay, or to the very difficult and very real AIDS crisis that was affecting its core audience in real time. But the show was seen then as groundbreaking television and the representation mattered. Almost a half-century later, it still does. So, specifically, what do the two sitcoms have in common? Not a lot, actually, unless you consider an inhumanely hot location as the setting. Miami was the home of The Golden Girls, while Palm Springs is the backdrop for Mid-Century Modern — complete with a seemingly endless supply of fabulous robes worn by both Lane's character Bunny and the always fab Arthur, played by Graham. When the cost of those robes is brought up at my recent sit-down with the three actors, Bomer — who plays Jerry, often seen in short-shorts and tank tops — quips, 'What they save on Jerry's wardrobe, they put into the robe budget.'It's clear the three actors have developed an easy chemistry off-camera as well as on, with Lane — who has a wealth of experience playing famously gay characters on both stage and screen — effortlessly taking the role of den mother, much like Bunny on the show. When asked what drew him to the project, he cites the cast as well as the subject matter. 'I get to work with these people,' he says. 'It's just about trying to do good work, and with a story and characters that I don't think you've seen that much of: gay men who are getting older; men in their 40s, 50s and 60s trying to navigate life. I think that's what makes it new and refreshing. And if we're entertaining folks and making them laugh, it's the best way to get your message across.' Lane feels viewers can relate to the same fear of aging with which his character grapples. 'I'm just like you: I don't like getting old,' he says. 'How do I deal with it? Am I still viable in the marketplace? Can I still get a date? You see why [Bunny] wants to live with these two men who have been his closest friends all these years. It's interesting how they've all come together. I sort of force the issue impulsively and say, 'Move in with me, and I'll pay for everything.' Which is kind of crazy, but they do it. We're not making some grand statement — but I think subtly we are. Even people who might not agree with us politically, [I hope] that they enjoy who these characters are and laugh. And that is a statement in itself.' For Graham, ubiquity is key to furthering gay representation. 'Some of us do parades, some of us write op-eds, some of us do podcasts,' he says. 'My thing is, if someone sees me doing something positive, then that's my activism, to always show up, to be that glamorous cockroach that never dies. [I love that I] always, always, always hear, 'There's that bitch again! There she is again.' You can't get rid of me.'Graham gets pride in helping others in similar situations navigate life. 'If you feel seen in any way, or if you feel good after watching our show, the mission is accomplished. If you're going through it that day [and] you put on an episode of our show, and you get through the next three hours because of it, well then, we've done our job. That is why it's so important to have a show like this on right now.'Bomer, who was coming off the melodramatic, decades-spanning Showtime miniseries Fellow Travelers, which follows closeted political staffers from the McCarthy era through the AIDS crisis, sees Mid-Century Modern as a welcome shift in tone. 'I'm just so grateful that we were able to put this show out and to try and bring some joy to the world and bring some visibility as well,' Bomer says. 'These are real people in real conversations in a fun way.' He says he feels the show's occasionally zany sugar coating is a plus. 'Sometimes, for me as an audience member, if I can laugh when I'm hearing any type of messaging or identifying with another person, it sinks a little bit deeper than if it's too earnest or on the nose,' he says. 'So that's one of the things that really appealed to me about being a part of something like this.'Bomer explains he's tired of hearing questions about the obstacles LGBTQ entertainers face. 'People always want to talk about the 'problem' [of] what it's like to be a gay actor, but I'm so much more interested in the solution,' he says. 'And I think it's [in giving] our voices to something like this — that people can identify [with] or feel seen or get a release of some kind from watching it. That's meaningful to me and makes it worthwhile.'When the conversation turns to the tragic loss of beloved actress Linda Lavin during production, the guys disclose that the cast and crew were tasked with the unimaginable feat of producing an episode that dealt head-on with an unexpected death. Lavin portrayed Lane's character's mother, Sybil, and Lane has to play the scene from a raw place that's both personal and immediate. The episode mixes the very real, sad emotions with the humor that's often needed in diffcult times.'You could hear a pin drop when we got to that section of the show,' Lane recalls. 'It was emotional, but it felt very satisfying and gratifying, because I felt they had paid tribute not only to the character, but to Linda, the great actress.'For Bomer, the depth of the loss struck backstage. 'I remember when it really hit me that Linda was gone,' he says. 'We would always be together behind the curtain when they'd introduce us before the show. And one of my favorite things about this whole experience is being with these actors: Linda Lavin, who's a legend; Nathan [Lane]; and Nathan Lee — all theater icons. And we're all still just as nervous to go on stage before the show starts, and that's something that I'll hold so near and dear to my heart. Then, not having Linda there that day really drove it home to me.' In contemplating a possible Season 2, all three men grow animated when describing how they'd like to see their characters evolve. 'I'd love to meet Jerry's ex-wife, his mom [and] the congressman he slept with!' Bomer exclaims. Graham has some guest stars in mind. 'We got to get these black ladies lined up,' he says: 'Jenifer Lewis, I think she's the auntie. Maybe Phylicia Rashad is the mother.' Lane feels more time is needed to fully uncover the show's ties to past sitcom glory. 'I'm the real Golden Girl,' he says of Bunny. 'I'm the one who spent his whole life in [the] business and never had that major relationship. So that may not happen. I mean, it possibly could, but … we need to explore all of those things.' Lane believes a second season of Mid-Century Modern would allow the series to continue to deepen its characters and their connection to the audience. 'I think with the unfortunate passing of Linda, and how we treated that happening, [it's] indicative of how the show can and will move forward — with serious subject matter that happens in real life,' he says. 'And [it'll explore] why this chosen family is now even more important.'At the end of our time together, one thing is abundantly clear: These three actors have helped diffuse the stigma of the label 'openly gay actor' for members of the generation that follows. The show has also proven that the sitcom may actually be alive and well. The format still has new stories to tell, new families to visit, new life experiences to share … with a few 'F-bombs' and 'C-words' thrown in for good measure, all while 'filmed in front of a live studio audience' — just like The Golden Girls. Photographed by Irvin RiveraPhoto Assistant: Avery Cefre @dinoschmoodio; Nathan Lee Graham: Groomer: Steve Schepis (@steve_schepis); Styling: Clint Spires; Nathan Lane: Groomer: Angella Valentine (@angvalentine); Styling Team: Sam Spector @samspector Styling; Assistants: Katie Vaughan @kvaughan1 & Esther Pak @pakesther; Matt Bomer; Groomer: Jessi Butterfield @jessibutterfield; FASHION: 1ST LOOK, Nathan Lane: teal suit, white shirt: Suitshop; tie: Seaward and Stearn of London, pocket square: Tie Bar, shoes: Greats; 2nd Look: Vince Jacket, Vince pants, Brooks Brothers shirt, Marc Fisher shoes This story was originally reported by L.A. Mag on Jun 2, 2025, where it first appeared.
