On tap for 2013-14

Book of Mormon, flying cats & a War Horse highlight new Gexa Energy Broadway season

Gexa Energy Broadway at the Hobby Center is going big for its 2013-14 season, which officials announced on Sunday. A melange of something old, something new, something borrowed and something blue (naughty, too) will hit the stage with six musicals that together have earned 25 Tony Awards.

Read on for the selections, each with accompanying video to whet your appetite for tuneful entertainment.

The Book of Mormon (Sept. 3-15)

The creators of the anything-goes television animated series South Park, where nothing is sacred and no one is safe from ridicule (even Jesus), had prior success with satirical, full-length musicals like the film South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut and Team America: World Police. Though we know that the text of The Book of Mormon is tamer than the lyrics of "Uncle F**ka" and "Kyle's Mom's a B**ch," there's a dash of obscene language that will satisfy fans of Trey Parker, Robert Lopez and Matt Stone.

What happens when pagans from Africa and cute Mormons from Utah appear on the same stage? Goofiness.

Peter and the Starcatcher (Oct. 15-20)

Before there was Peter Pan, the flying, orphan boy in green tights who would never grow up, there was a neglected 13-year-old boy who sought to create his own adventure. In Peter and the Starcatcher, the hero's story unfolds. Peter learns about starcatchers, a group of folks who protect starstuff (the pixie dust that allows things to take flight), meets Wendy and flies for the first time.

The musical has won five Tony awards. Could it be the appearance of a flying cat?

Chicago (Nov. 12-17)

So what if Society for the Performing Arts brought Chicago, starring John O'Hurley, back in 2011? The story of murder, fame, sex, infidelity, fishnet stockings, trials by jury and "All That Jazz" set in the roaring '20s, like a good friend, never gets old.

What matters is who will be cast as Roxy Hart, Velma Kelly and Billy Flynn?

Ghost (Feb. 18-23, 2014)

The 1990 film captured the hearts of many, particularly in the scene where "Unchained Melody" signaled the romantic vignette when Whoopi Goldberg channeling Patrick Swayze lays a wet one on Demi Moore. Can Sam and Molly be united forever on stage? Through song?

Traditionalists will say nay, though the troupe of heavyweights who premiered the work in 2011, including Glen Ballard, who worked with Alanis Morissette on Jagged Little Pill, and Dave Stewart of the Eurythmics, say yay.

Either way, will there be wet, sloppy clay? Will kids these days start saying "ditto" again?

American Idiot (March 21-23, 2014)

Turning Green Day's seventh album into a jukebox musical follows along what the rock band sought to create when it released American Idiot in 2004. The "rock opera" concept mused the band's guitarist, Billie Joe Armstrong, to collaborate with director Michael Mayer to expand the story into this one-act musical. The tale centers on three characters — Johnny, aka Jesus of Suburbia, Will and Tunny — who must weigh their options. Will they choose the comforts of suburban life or pursue their city dreams?

War Horse (May 27-June 1, 2014)

When Albert's beloved horse, Joey, is auctioned off, the young protagonist gallivants through the trenches of World War I England and France in search of his four-legged friend. The emotional drama is teeming with songs that circle back to their reunion right before tragedy claims their lives. The production features life-sized puppets crafted by the Handspring Puppet Company of South Africa.

___

Gexa Energy Broadway at the Hobby Center season tickets (starting at $154) are on sale now and can be purchased online or by calling 800-952-6560. Individual tickets are typically available six to eight weeks prior to each scheduled performance.

The Book of Mormon features book, music and lyrics by Trey Parker, Robert Lopez and Matt Stone, directed by Casey Nicholaw and Trey Parker. Pictured from left: Rema Webb, Andrew Rannells and Josh Gad.

unspecified

Movie Review

Over-the-top thriller The Housemaid revels in camp, chaos, and excess

Photo courtesy of Lionsgate

Amanda Seyfried and Sydney Sweeney in The Housemaid.

Both Amanda Seyfried (the upcoming The Testament of Ann Lee) and Sydney Sweeney (Christy) are starring in movies with Oscar ambitions this year. By sheer coincidence, the two actors are also co-starring in The Housemaid, a thriller coming out within weeks of their more ambitious works, one that is likely to be seen by many more people than those prestige plays.

Sweeney is given top billing as Millie, a down-on-her-luck ex-convict looking to land any type of job so as not to break her parole. She finds a too-good-to-be-true lifeboat with Nina (Seyfried), who hires her to be a housemaid for her large house on Long Island, where she lives with her husband, Andrew (Brandon Sklenar), and daughter, Cecilia (Indiana Elle).

After a warm interview, Nina almost immediately becomes highly erratic, whipping back-and-forth between happy-go-lucky and rageful. It seems clear that Nina is suffering from mental health issues, as she’ll often accuse Millie of misplacing or stealing items that she didn’t take. Andrew, apparently used to Nina’s tirades, tries to protect Millie from the worst, something that grows increasingly difficult as Nina ups the ante.

Directed by Paul Feig (A Simple Favor) and adapted by Rebecca Sonnenshine from the bestselling book by Freida McFadden, the film is likely the trashiest mainstream movie to come out in 2025. The first half of the movie relies not on story but on moments as Nina embodies the word “hysterical” to an unbelievable extent. The resigned acceptance of the abuse by Millie, as well as the saintly patience of Andrew, make almost every scene laughable, as nobody seems to be acting anywhere close to how a person would normally react to such extreme situations.

The scenes and the performance of Seyfried are so over-the-top, in fact, that it’s clear that the filmmakers are in on the joke. It’s next to impossible not to have a little bit of fun while watching the actors react to outrageous incidents as if nothing is out of the ordinary. The worse Nina acts, the more Millie and Andrew retreat into their chosen roles, and the funnier the film becomes.

Fans of the book will know that the story changes course, eventually turning into a more stereotypical thriller that also has some relatively gnarly visuals to offer. But the trashiness continues, with Sweeney’s, um, assets repeatedly on display in both clothed and unclothed ways. The sex appeal of the R-rated movie makes it an outlier, as recent studio films have shied away from asking their big stars to disrobe completely.

Both Seyfried and Sweeney are far from their Oscar hopeful roles here. Seyfried is given free rein to act as brazenly as she pleases, and she takes full advantage of that ability. Sweeney seems to have been told to be much more reserved, and unfortunately that results in too many wooden line readings. Sklenar continues his breakout streak (It Ends with Us, Drop) with a role that allows him to show more range than either Seyfried or Sweeney.

The Housemaid is an unusual type of movie to be released at a time of year when most films are either those aiming for awards or more family-friendly fare. Despite its many flaws, it’s still an enjoyable watch that features a variety of crazy scenarios not typically seen in movies nowadays.

---

The Housemaid is now playing in theaters.

movies film