Latest news with #musicaltheater
The Guardian
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Guardian
‘It's queer, Black joy': the TikTok creator quizzing pop stars and politicians on LGBTQ+ culture
Anania Williams is genreless. Some may know them from their comedic TikTok videos, which regularly amass hundreds of thousands of views. Others may recognize them as host of Gaydar, a viral entertainment-education show about queer culture, history and current events; an interview Williams did with the New York City mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani did go viral, after all. There's also Williams's drag performances, including those where they opened for icons such as Chappell Roan and Bob the Drag Queen. Or their bevy of musical theater roles – Lola in Kinky Boots, Dominique in Lucky Stiffs, to name a few. For years, Williams has been launching their own creative universe. As a 25-year-old genderqueer, Black artist, Williams, who uses they/she pronouns, has used their ever-growing social media presence (more than 2.8 million followers across their social media platforms) to fashion the career of their dreams outside anyone's binaries. For their next project, Williams is set to perform in Saturday Church, a new musical at New York Theatre Workshop which opens 27 August. The play dives into the world of a sanctuary for LGBTQ+ youth. 'It's a feelgood musical,' said Williams of the production. 'It's just queer, Black joy, and there's a beautiful message about it.' Williams will play a trans woman, another bonus in their ever-growing theatrical career. 'The further I get in my transition, it's been nice to feel affirmed,' they said. 'It's just been awesome to be in those spaces and to make a way for myself.' With talent and charisma, Williams's rise is practically ordained; as they look forward to balancing their various projects, now comes the task of navigating their expansive future and chronic frustrations of being online. For Williams, growing up in Davenport, Iowa – an industrial, midwestern town of about 100,000 people, was an exercise in strength. At school, Williams was bullied for 'having a girl name', they said. Their home life was equally tumultuous, Williams recalled, rife with abuse and neglect. But life in the midwest sowed the seeds for their future artistic passions. As a child, they sang in the church choir, later joining show choir, following in the footsteps of an older sister. For college, Williams attended Emerson College's in the musical theatre program in Boston. University was one of the first times that Williams got to reflect on who they were, what they wanted. But musical theater came with its own binaries and limitations, especially as Williams is both genderqueer, meaning outside the typical binaries of gender, and Black. 'It felt like: 'Lord forbid you be somewhere else on the gender binary,' and then, 'Lord forbid you're also Black at the same time',' Williams said. Even when Williams attempted to create their own lane, they said they faced resistance from their professors. 'There was a teacher that was like: 'You keep bringing in girl songs. Why is that?' And I tried to explain it to them, and it didn't go well,' Williams said. When the Covid-19 pandemic hit, Williams returned to their home town to wait out the return to normalcy like most people. The isolation allowed for reflection and served as a moment that allowed them to fully realize their gender identity. 'I had to admit a couple things to myself, like, 'Yeah, I'm queer. Yeah, I'm probably genderqueer.' And from there, it kind of spiraled,' they said of that time period, jokingly adding: 'I call it the pronoun pipeline.' Around the same time, Williams started to create content on TikTok, quickly becoming known for short, comedic rants captured during their late-night walks. Most of their content was spur-of-the-moment musings on anything from Christianity and relationships to a new iPhone. In 2022, they started to speak more openly about being genderqueer, posting videos of their drag and makeup routine. Reflecting back on that time period brings a mix of feelings, Williams said. On one hand, it has been extremely gratifying to grow alongside longtime viewers. 'The audience that's been with me the longest has signed on to watch me evolve,' they said. '[They] watched me do makeup for the first time or try to glue down a wig. Those people are why I feel like I can keep going.' On the other hand, Williams sometimes wishes 'the first version people knew me of was who I am today'. The nature of their content has continued to grow. In 2024, Williams became the host of Gaydar, created by Amelia Montooth at the company Mutuals Media. The show quizzes an array of guests on queer culture in an attempt to find out if they are 'straight, gay or homophobic'. Questions include anything from what a 'lipstick lesbian' is to assessing a guest's knowledge of a gay icon. Willliams herself is also learning alongside contestants, often in real time. 'I didn't know who Sue Bird was and the lesbians whacked me up and down the streets, oh my God,' they quipped. The show's a comedic premise with the goal of inviting viewers to become educated, said Williams. 'We are inundating queer history and queer culture into digestible questions and clips that lets people relax into the learning,' said Williams of the show. 'They can take something in a funny way that's more engaging than saying: 'Here are the facts. Here's a screenshot of this article I read, and you should care about it.' Early versions of the show featured mostly strangers Williams found on the street. The segment has since hosted a number of celebrities and public figures: singers Lucy Dacus, Reneé Rapp and Vivian Jenna Wilson, the daughter of billionaire Elon Musk. The New York City mayoral candidate Mamdani, an avid progressive, attracted social media buzz as one of the first politicians to grace the show. Mamdani shocked Williams when he was successfully able to name a lesbian bar in the city: the Manhattan-staple Cubbyhole. 'He was just such a team player about it,' said Williams of the interview experience. 'We let our audience, which is younger, know who he is and he got to speak for himself.' Williams added: 'It's cool to be a professional zeitgeist in that way, to know that throughout it all, we're making a difference.' Williams's ascent hasn't come without difficulties. They have faced cruel harassment as they have been more public about their transition. 'What they really like to do, especially with dolls, is pick apart fashion and makeup and hair,' said Williams, referring to online trolls. Williams added: 'I want to believe that people are becoming more comfortable with transness, but I think they're coming around to a very specific, stereotypical, western, white, skinny type of trans person. When someone doesn't fit that standard, they get berated.' But Williams has found ways to consistently ground in the real world, alongside the growing pains. There's their found family, a best friend from sixth grade. High school friends and their boyfriend as well as online friends they met through TikTok. And, of course, baking and video games are hobbies, living outside the pressure to monetize or make content of their life. A cake for a friend's birthday was already in the works for later that evening. 'It's either red velvet or strawberry,' Williams said, with a large laugh. 'I remember the color, not the flavor.'
CBS News
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- CBS News
Her first year teaching, she met a star student. Fifteen years later, music is still connecting them.
This article is sponsored by LG. "Music is the language we all share and can have no issue with," 23-year-old Gianee "Gia" Martinez says. She is a graduate of the Institute of American Musical Theater in New York City and is currently pursuing a career in musical theater. Martinez started learning music 15 years ago. It was 2009 and she was in third grade at PS 48 in the Bronx. Budget cuts meant she didn't have the opportunity to have music class her first two years at the school. But to her surprise, a new music teacher was hired ahead of her third year. "I was so excited because I've always loved music. My parents are musical people, so I was so excited to [be] either learning an instrument, or just singing, or learning how to read music even," Martinez told CBS News. While it was her parents who sparked a passion for music, it was Melissa Salguero who taught her music. Salguero told CBS News she immediately noticed Martinez, who she said was constantly singing at school. "I saw the talent that she had, she just needed a stage. She just needed an opportunity," she said. "I firmly believe talent is everywhere but opportunity is not." It wasn't always easy to give the students that opportunity. When Salguero got to PS 48, there was no music program. She had to create it from the ground up — finding funding, instruments and building the curriculum. If it wasn't for her, Martinez might not have been able to learn her passion. She went from playing recorder in class to joining the school band and playing clarinet. Salguero says she made her the section leader because of how she would bring people together to practice their instruments. When asked if perhaps Martinez became a good leader in band because Salguero was a good leader to her, the teacher teared up. "I actually never thought about that," she said, taking a moment to collect herself. "When I'm teaching, I'm not thinking about that. I'm just thinking about sharing my love of music with them. It's not oftentimes I'm thinking about not only the impact on my students' lives, but how they move and operate in the world. And the countless lives that she's changed just doing what she loves." That little leader, the self-procclaimed "teacher's pet," the one who Salguero still thinks of 15 years after meeting, is now 23 years old. But the music that connected them all those years ago has kept them in each other's lives. Martinez has starred as Maria in the Open Hydrant Theatre Company's production of "West Side Story," and as Vanessa in the company's performance of "In the Heights." And now, she's auditioning for Broadway shows. Salguero, who has watched Martinez perform years after she left PS 48, has always been a fan of her former student. But this teacher is a star too. In 2018, she was honored with the Grammy Music Educator Award. "When I was nominated, I was like, 'What? Is this a joke?'" Salguero said. She was nominated four times before she won, filling out her Grammy application each year. "And year after year, I just grew [by] thinking and filling out the application. It was an incredible development because I was reflecting on what I was doing and how I could be better," she said. "I didn't really think about 'I'm doing this to win a Grammy,' I was just trying to be a better teacher." Martinez excitedly watched Salguero receive her Grammy — just like her former teacher had excitedly watched her perform over the years. To thank her for her unwavering support over 15 years, Martinez had a surprise for Salguero. She created a personal song for her using LG's "Radio Optimism" tool, designed to help strengthen meaningful human connections and spread optimism through music. All you do is pick your mood and genre and type in who and what you want your song to be about. "The message that I put for the prompt, I put something along the words of 'I wouldn't have asked for anyone else to teach me music at such a young age,'" Martinez said. "She's amazing and without her, I honestly don't know what my musical career would look like right now." Radio Optimism is not only a song generator, but a radio station that plays all the custom songs that get created. So if someone decides to publish their song, they have a chance to hear it played on the station. Martinez presented the song to Salguero, who had no idea when we reunited them that a song in her honor would be made. At first she was speechless, then as the jazz number played, her face lit up. "Oh Miss Salguero, you're a shining star, guiding me through melodies near and far," the generated song lyrics went. "With your notes I learn to fly, with every song I reach the sky," the song continues. "At a young age you lit the flame, now music and I are one in the same. Your passion sparked a fire. In my heart you took me higher." By the end of the tune, the two were shimmying and shaking jazz hands. "I figured you would appreciate the jazz," Martinez said. "Oh yeah, the jazz hands," Salguero said. "Oh my God, that was so good." No matter how many years it's been, there's never been a gap in their relationship. Because music is the bridge. "Music is the language we all share and can have no issue with," Martinez said. "That's so beautiful," Salguero replied. When people come together to sing or play music, it creates a special bond. "Everybody has so many things running around in your mind… and then for one moment, you're all there together, you're all singing together, you're all present," Salguero said. "That is something that is so special to music in terms of connecting people, that I've never felt that connection any other place."
Daily Mail
21-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Iconic 70s sitcom star is unrecognizable on rare outing in Los Angeles
She was a bombshell in the 1970s and 1980s as a star of one of the top rated TV comedies was spotted on a rare out in Los Angeles over the weekend. The sitcom actress received five Golden Globe nominations portraying a single mom working in a male dominated industry. This actress, 73, began her career in the original production of the musical Grease and would later become romantically involved with John Travolta, who starred in the film adaptation. The pair dated on-and-off for more than a decade and appeared in two films together, Perfect, and the thriller Chains of Gold. She also starred opposite Burt Reynolds, Ossie Davis, Ruby Dee and Elizabeth Ashley in the Emmy winning Evening Shade from 1990 to 1994. She returned to musical theater several times, most recently starring starring as Roxie Hart from June 1997 to March 1998... can you guess who it is? It's Marilu Henner from Taxi! Henner famously portrayed Elaine Nardo In Taxi, alongside Danny DeVito, Judd Hirsch, Tony Danza, Christopher Lloyd, Carol Kane and Andy Kaufman for seven years. The actress was seen smiling as she greeted a friend as she parked her car in Los Angels on Friday. The L.A. Story star looked casually chic in a knee-length black dress with a slight A-line skirt that skimmed over her toned torso. Her dancer's legs were on display, and she wore a pair of comfortable looking black flip flops. Henner's trademark auburn locks were styled in loose layers and she appeared to be wearing natural looking makeup behind her black sunglasses. The thrice- married actress recently completed a run in the off-Broadway play My First Ex-Husband, with Marsha Mason, Julia Sweeney and Benja K. Thomas, written by The View host and comedian Joy Behar. Several of her Taxi co-stars, including Judd Hirsch, Carol Kane and Tony Danza, took time to check out her performance at the MMAC Theater in New York City. The versatile star is the mother to two grown sons, including Theater Camp writer and director Nick Lieberman and younger son Joseph Lieberman from her second marriage to film and television director Robert Lieberman, 75. Henner credits her energy to her clean diet which includes lots of fruits, vegetables, beans and the occasional serving of fish. She has written several books including the best-selling Marilu Henner's Total Health Makeover and Marilu Henner's Healthy Life Kitchen in addition to her touching memoir By All Means, Keep on Moving. 'I feel healthy and strong and I've kept eating the way I eat for 40 years now,' The Dancing with the Stars contestant told Parade in January 2020. 'I just feel better. I was able to do a Broadway show last year and keep up with the whole cast.... I danced my little heart out.'
Geek Vibes Nation
11-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Geek Vibes Nation
'Six By Sondheim' Blu-Ray Review - A Touching Portrait Of An Iconic Artist
From award-winning director and frequent Sondheim collaborator James Lapine, Six by Sondheim is an intimate and candid look at the life and art of legendary composer-lyricist Stephen Sondheim, who redefined musical theater through such works as Company, Sweeney Todd and Sunday in the Park with George. Told primarily in Sondheim's own words from dozens of interviews spanning decades, the film is a highly personal profile of a great American artist as revealed through the creation and performance of six of his songs. It features rarely seen archival performance footage and original staged productions – created exclusively for this film – with stars including Audra McDonald, Darren Criss, America Ferrera and more. For thoughts on Six By Sondheim, please check out my thoughts on No Streaming Required: Video Quality Six By Sondheim arrived on Blu-Ray in 2021 featuring an array of different sources in the best quality possible. It can be said with confidence that the movie itself and everything within it look as technically sound as it can look in HD. This can be attributed to the fact that Warner Archive has delivered a formidable encode and given the film plenty of room to breathe. This company is always so great in this respect, a quality that is always appreciated. The archival footage used seems to be in the best shape possible given the quality of the source material. New interview segments look incredibly crisp and clear with natural skin tones and detailed facial features. There is no evidence of compression artifacts or other digital nuisances of the sort. I do not see how this could have been improved visually. This disc holds up impeccably. Audio Quality This Blu-Ray comes with an exquisite DTS-HD 5.1 Master Audio track that captures this legendary figure perfectly. Dialogue is the primary aspect of the film, and it comes through crisp and clear without being overwhelmed by any competing sounds. The crew does a great job of capturing the subjects and making sure all this information comes through with supreme clarity. Even audio from the archival footage comes through pretty clearly, given the age and the format. The other essential element of this feature is the incredible music that stems from the mind of Sondheim. Every cue and performance is resolved well here as music often flows throughout the room. Ambient sounds from some of the environmental elements are precisely placed in the rear channels. The audio track offers up a dynamic experience and proves to be an excellent sounding presentation for this feature. Optional English SDH subtitles are included for those who desire them. Special Features There are no special features provided on the disc. Final Thoughts Six By Sondheim is a touching portrait of one of the great artists of the twentieth century. Through his own engaging anecdotes about his life and key insights from some of his collaborators, you get a well-rounded idea of what makes him such a special presence. The newly staged performances are a nice touch, yet it is the archival performances that typically still reign supreme in giving you goosebumps. If you are a fan of Sondheim, it is doubtful you would have anything less but a great time. Warner Archive has released a Blu-Ray featuring a top-notch A/V presentation but no supplemental features. Highly Recommended Six By Sondheim can be purchased directly through MovieZyng or various other online retailers. Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the Blu-Ray. Disclaimer: Warner Archive has supplied a copy of this disc free of charge for review purposes. All opinions in this review are the honest reactions of the author.
NHK
10-07-2025
- Entertainment
- NHK
South Korean musical's success spurs hope for more global hits
'Maybe Happy Ending' took home top honors at this year's Tony Awards. As NHK World's Kim Chan-ju explains, that comes as Seoul is investing in its future musical theater stars.
