Steven J. Horowitz Senior Music Writer Will Smith debuted his new single “You Can Make It” at the 2024 BET Awards, just two days after releasing the track that features Fridayy and Sunday Service Choir.
14.06.2024 - 01:49 / variety.com
Bob Verini For all its jaw-dropping spectacle, and the musical excitement of the tunes by Florence Welch (of Florence and the Machine) and Thomas Bartlett (a/k/a Doveman), the American Repertory Theater’s “Gatsby” never forgets that F. Scott Fitzgerald’s magnum opus is a stinging rebuke of the American Dream.
“The Great Gatsby” is obsessed with desire: It’s sickened of the embrace of false values, and the yearning for worldly things that leaves one empty and alone. While many musicals kick off with an “I want” song in which we are alerted to the protagonist’s life goal, “Gatsby” is one big, ensemble “I want,” to which America keeps responding, “Baby, you ain’t gettin’ it.” Playwright Martyna Majok, our Pulitzer-winning (“Cost of Living”) bard of the underclass experience, is an ideal librettist for Fitzgerald’s social vision.
Most adaptations — including the entirely separate musical currently on Broadway — focus on the routine romantic triangle among the mysterious Gatsby (Isaac Powell), bigoted capitalist Tom Buchanan (Cory Jeacoma) and Daisy (Charlotte MacInnes), the one-time Louisville belle for whom they vie. There’s not much there on which to hang an American epic, though many a film and stage play has tried.
(And now that the book’s in the public domain, we can expect plenty more.) Here, however, three more characters are wisely elevated to principal status. Gas jockey George Wilson (Matthew Amira) represents the ordinary Have-Not plugging along amidst the Haves’ wretched excess.
Wife Myrtle (Solea Pfeiffer) is seduced by that drug — excess — into the arms of faithless Tom, to tragic effect. (An invented backstory has the Wilsons mourning the death of a child from flu when they couldn’t afford treatment.) And
.Steven J. Horowitz Senior Music Writer Will Smith debuted his new single “You Can Make It” at the 2024 BET Awards, just two days after releasing the track that features Fridayy and Sunday Service Choir.
Several famous faces were spotted in the crowd at Glastonbury Festival during Coldplay's headline set, including frontman Chris Martin's girlfriend Dakota Johnson.The Fifty Shades of Grey actress was seen supporting her beau as he took to the stage on Saturday, 29 June. Dakota, 34, watched Coldplay from the friends and family viewing area. She was joined by Chris' two children, Moses, 18, and Apple, 20, who he shares with ex-wife Gwyneth Paltrow, along with friends.The group danced and sang along to the band's hits throughout the two-hour set.
Rock band IDLES caused shockwaves throughout their riotous Glastonbury set on Friday, with a series of political statements, including a mass chant of 'F*** the King'.
Passengers have warned of 'chaos' at London Euston, with people trapped on trains with 'broken air conditioning' as well as a signal failure.
Bright Eyes have announced a new album ‘Five Dice, All Threes’, alongside single ‘Bells & Whistles’ and a UK and European tour for later this year.The band’s 10th studio album will land on September 20 via Dead Oceans and features guest appearances from the likes of Cat Power, The National’s Matt Berninger and The So So Glos’ Alex Orange Drink. It serves as the follow-up to their 2020 album ‘Down In The Weeds Where The World Once Was’.You can pre-order/pre-save the album here. To coincide with the announcement, the band have shared the album’s irreverent lead single, ‘Bells & Whistles’.“This is a song about the many little details in life that can seem insignificant or frivolous or temporary at the time but eventually end up forming your destiny,” said frontman Conor Oberst.
When it comes to buying a present for the person who has everything, what do you get? The Royal Family are notorious for their funny tradition of buying each other gag gifts, with previous presents including a leather toilet seat, a 'grown your own girlfriend kit' and even a shower cap which had “Ain’t life a b****”. And just like many before her, Meghan Markle was successful with the first gift she bought the late Queen during her first Christmas at Sandringham.The future Duchess reportedly chose to give the monarch a singing toy hamster – and the monarch was so impressed by it she remarked: "It can keep my dogs company." A source said: "Meghan bought a little hamster that sings with a little rope for Her Majesty.
Mark Sutherland “I spend a lot of my time trying to plan these things,” Taylor Swift said with a grin — and with classic understatement — as she strapped on her acoustic guitar for the “surprise songs” segment of her “Eras” tour stop in Cardiff, Wales. “I like to challenge myself to do different things every night [so] every single show is unique.” Considering the unprecedented levels of attention the tour has attracted since it kicked off in Glendale, Arizona, 100 shows and over a year ago, this seemed like a bold statement.
When the cast and creators of Queer Eye met with Vice President Kamala Harris in her ceremonial office on Thursday, there was very quickly a reminder that the show’s impact was far greater than style guidance.
Matt Donnelly Senior Film Writer Atomic Monster and Blumhouse, the recently-combined genre giants, will produce a new film from “Evil Dead Rise” director Lee Cronin at New Line Cinema.Cronin will write and direct the top secret project, one that has been suggested will remain in his horror wheelhouse. The Irish filmmaker will also produce the project through his label Doppelgängers.New Line, a Warner Bros. Motion Picture Group label, has dated the film for an April 2026 release.
Jem Aswad Executive Editor, Music If there was one place to be in New York on Tuesday night, it was Charli XCX’s show at Brooklyn’s newly reopened and spectacularly renovated 1920s-era Paramount Theater. Matty Healy and his girlfriend Gabriette Bechtel (who chose the occasion to apparently announce their engagement) were in the house, as were Lorde, Julia Fox, Lily Allen and probably other luminaries.
Ryan Thomas celebrated his 40th birthday in style with an epic weekend away to Portugal with his family and closest friends.The ex-Coronation Street star enjoyed a booze-fuelled three-day getaway alongside many other famous faces. Ryan's fiancée Lucy Mecklenburgh, 32, organised the entire trip for him to mark his milestone birthday.The couple, who share Roman, four, and Lilah, 17 months, were joined by Ryan's famous twin brothers Adam and Scott, 35, as well as Adam's wife Caroline, and their two children Teddy and Elsie-Rose.
Coronation Street favourite Samia Longchambon has shared a string of rare snaps with her famous husband and young son after enjoying a family getaway.The soap star, who plays Maria Connor in Corrie, delighted fans with the new photos on social media. Samia, 41, headed to the South of France with her husband Sylvain Longchambon, 43, for a family wedding.The couple were joined by their son Yves, eight, on the trip. The actress looked incredible in a floral maxi dress which featured a contrasting polka dot frill neckline, paired with silver sandals.
King Charles is reportedly keen on building a stronger bond with Prince Harry's children, according to insiders. Despite battling cancer since February, the monarch is thought to have expressed his dissatisfaction with only seeing Archie, five, and two year old Lilibet via video calls, having met Archie only a few times and Lilibet once.
Thousands of candidates are standing to be an MP at the general election on July 4 with some political parties standing in almost every seat in Britain. The Conservatives, Labour, the Lib Dems and the Greens have the highest number with Reform UK close behind.
are the foot's strongest ally when it comes to spending hours in heels."And now, what shoes should I wear?" is, without a doubt, one of the most repeated questions we ask before leaving our closets. After crafting a look to suit the temperatures and dress code, we've all questioned the best choice for footwear to finish everything off.
Indulge week is truly that!!!! WOW!!! @eatdrinkviva @brezzalv @resortsworldlv
Described by The Times as the “most royal non-royal wedding of the year”, Hugh Grosvenor, one of Britain’s wealthiest men, is due to marry Olivia Henson today, Friday, 7 June, at Chester Cathedral in a spectacle reminiscent of a modern-day episode of Bridgerton.The 33 year old Duke of Westminster inherited his title - and the immense family fortune - when he was just 25 following the death of his father, the sixth Duke, in 2016. Hugh benefitted from the ancient rule of primogeniture, meaning that he took priority over his older sisters because he was the male heir. At the time of his succession, he inherited an estimated wealth of £9 billion and gained several new estates.
A Greater Manchester restaurant will mark its one year anniversary by giving out free food and drink to customers. Suki Suki, a pan-Asian street food spot on Deansgate, will be holding a huge party with giveaways this evening.
Enigmatic filmmaker David Lynch has reteamed with his longtime collaborator Chrystabell for a new album titled Cellophane Memories.
A.D. Amorosi With the Jay Z-curated “Made in America” festival canceled for the second year in a row, Philly natives the Roots’ annual Roots Picnic at the Mann in Fairmount Park is now the only game in town when it comes to hip-hop/ R&B in festival fashion.