By Romeo San Vicente
'Dirty Dancing' partner: Maria Maggenti
For now, let's put aside the fact that a "Dirty Dancing" remake is even happening at all. If you're upset about it you can just refuse to see it. It's a perfect response to Hollywood's hollow remake mindset. But curious queer audiences will find this behind-the-camera news of interest: the reboot's script will come from bisexual writer-director Maria Maggenti ("The Incredibly True Adventures of Two Girls In Love," "Puccini for Beginners") and "High School Musical" director Kenny Ortega. In other words, a woman will be writing a movie about a young woman and that's good news even if it's in the service of a remake nobody asked for. And who better to make everything bright and colorful for the young audience this movie desperately seeks than the man who turned a nation of Disney Channel-addicted children into song-and-dance fans? Who knows, when it finally opens you might wind up having the time of your life.
Cynthia Nixon, Kim Cattrall head for Broadway
From man-eating Samantha on "Sex and the City" to a revival of "Private Lives," that's what Kim Cattrall will be doing over Thanksgiving when she hits Broadway in that Noel Coward comedy (infamous for its line: "Certain women should be struck regularly like gongs"). It's set to begin previews on Nov. 6 for a Nov. 17 opening at the Music Box Theater. And she's not the only "SatC" alum working for it in front of a live audience. Cynthia Nixon (who's always doing a play, it seems) will star in the Broadway revival of the humorous-yet-harrowing 1998 cancer drama "Wit." That one opens in previews Jan. 5, 2012 for a Jan. 26 open at the Samuel J. Friedman. A couple of questions, though: Will the U.K.-born Cattrall do another British accent like in Roman Polanski's film "The Ghost Writer"? And more exciting to think about, will Nixon shave her head for her own role like Kathleen Chalfant did in its original run? You know it would be cool if she did.
Diana Vreeland documentary first sale at Toronto
She's never been a household name, but in the fashion world Diana Vreeland was a legend. And her trademark individualistic style and bigger-than-big personality has made the grande dame of all "Vogue" editors an enduring subject of affectionate fascination with fashion fans, even more so than "The Devil Wears Prada" inspiration Anna Wintour. So it's appropriate that a new documentary about Mrs. Vreeland, "Diana Vreeland: The Eye Has To Travel," was the first film bought at The Toronto International Film Festival for American distribution. Samuel Goldwyn will put out the movie theatrically in about 20 major and medium-sized markets before a wider DVD release. Advice to anyone who hits the arthouse theater in their town on opening weekend: dress up for it or the lady's ghost will enact some kind of style vengeance you don't want to deal with.
'Allen Gregory': Are you ready for the gay Bart Simpson?
Considering that even Fox's newest animated sitcoms are all rolling on toward the 10th-season mark and "The Simpsons" will most likely soon overtake "Gunsmoke" as the longest-running primetime show ever, it's time for some fresh blood. Enter "Allen Gregory," an animated series from creator Jonah Hill ("Superbad"). A snobby (and presumably heterosexual, considering the crush he displays on his school's female principal) 7-year-old, Allen Gregory is an extremely precocious child being raised by two gay dads. He's the kind of worldly sort who shows up at his new school with sushi in a Louis Vuitton lunch box and looks down his nose at everyone, including his teachers. Voiced by Hill with a condescending tone and biting wit, it's the kind of show sure to win over Fox's devoted animation-block fans and drive pop culture's anti-gay faction over the edge. Good. It debuts Oct. 30. Fire up those DVRs.
