The River Oaks Chamber Orchestra is always willing to try something differentand daring.
Photo by David Brown
Andrew White makes his debut in Amahl and the Night Visitors.
Photo by Ray Sakers Photography
I sneaked in. I did.
Most of us only get to see the concert, the final production, the complete work of art or the finished installation. But a lot of the "art," the decisions, aesthetic direction and colorful in-the-moment anecdotes happen when the audience isn't preview to the action.
Some arts organizations will allow you to watch freely while others won't even notice you are there. Although some, not many, will oust you and make you swear to secrecy in hopes of keeping their confidential intel safe.
As the River Oaks Chamber Orchestra, known to the cool kids as ROCO, gets ready for two performances of Amahl and the Night Visitors, I was able to get a glimpse at the planning that is needed to coordinate music with stage directing and props. Most importantly, I chatted with the cast revealing their favorite moments and characters.
Gian Carlo Menotti's lighthearted opera tells the heartwarming story of a young boy's selfless act that miraculously cures him of his physical impediment. Originally composed for the television screen, it was the first broadcast that became an annual Christmas tradition.
Curious? Catch Amahl and the Night Visitors on Thursday at 6 p.m. and 8 p.m. at The Church of St. John the Divine with a reception at 7 p.m.
Of all the formulaic movie genres, Christmas/holiday movies are among the most predictable. No matter what the problem is that arises between family members, friends, or potential romantic partners, the stories in holiday movies are designed to give viewers a feel-good ending even if the majority of the movie makes you feel pretty bad.
That’s certainly the case in Oh. What. Fun., in which Michelle Pfeiffer plays Claire, an underappreciated mom living in Houston with her inattentive husband, Nick (Denis Leary). As the film begins, her three children are arriving back home for Christmas: The high-strung Channing (Felicity Jones) is married to the milquetoast Doug (Jason Schwartzman); the aloof Taylor (Chloë Grace Moretz) brings home yet another new girlfriend; and the perpetual child Sammy (Dominic Sessa) has just broken up with his girlfriend.
Each of the family members seems to be oblivious to everything Claire does for them, especially when it comes to what she really wants: For them to nominate her to win a trip to see a talk show in L.A. hosted by Zazzy Tims (Eva Longoria). When she accidentally gets left behind on a planned outing to see a show, Claire reaches her breaking point and — in a kind of Home Alone in reverse — she decides to drive across the country to get to the show herself.
Written and directed by Michael Showalter (The Idea of You), and co-written by Chandler Baker (who wrote the short story on which the film is based), the movie never establishes any kind of enjoyable rhythm. Each of the characters, including competitive neighbor Jeanne (Joan Chen), is assigned a character trait that becomes their entire personality, with none of them allowed to evolve into something deeper.
The filmmakers lean hard into the idea that Claire is a person who always puts her family first and receives very little in return, but the evidence presented in the story is sketchy at best. Every situation shown in the film is so superficial that tension barely exists, and the (over)reactions by Claire give her family members few opportunities to make up for their failings.
The most interesting part of the movie comes when Claire actually makes it to the Zazzy Sims show. Even though what happens there is just as unbelievable as anything else presented in the story, Showalter and Baker concoct a scene that allows Claire and others to fully express the central theme of the film, and for a few minutes the movie actually lives up to its title.
Pfeiffer, given her first leading role since 2020’s French Exit, is a somewhat manic presence, and her thick Texas accent and unnecessary voiceover don’t do her any favors. It seems weird to have such a strong supporting cast with almost nothing of substance to do, but almost all of them are wasted, including Danielle Brooks in a blink-and-you'll-miss-it cameo. The lone exception is Longoria, who is a blast in the few scenes she gets.
Oh. What. Fun. is far from the first movie to try and fail at becoming a new holiday classic, but the pedigree of Showalter and the cast make this dismal viewing experience extra disappointing. Ironically, overworked and underappreciated moms deserve a much better story than the one this movie delivers.
The River Oaks Chamber Orchestra is always willing to try something differentand daring.Photo by David Brown
Andrew White makes his debut in Amahl and the Night Visitors.Photo by Ray Sakers Photography
