By Romeo San Vicente
'Moulin Rouge!' now and forever
The stage production of Baz Luhrmann's "Moulin Rouge!" that opened this summer in Boston is going to Broadway in 2019. Producer Carmen Pavlovic broke the news and the musical will hit the boards at the Al Hirschfeld Theatre for previews starting in June and a July 25 opening night. The Boston cast will make the move, too, including stars Karen Olivo, Aaron Tveit, Danny Burstein, Sahr Ngaujah, Tam Mutu, Ricky Rojas and Robyn Hurder. And if you don't remember the Academy Award-nominated all-singing-all-dancing movie of the same name – it's the one with Nicole Kidman and Ewan McGregor, meeting at Paris' Moulin Rouge at the turn of the 20th Century, falling in love, singing contemporary pop songs, and dying, more or less in that order – then we wonder a lot of things about you. Perhaps you were not yet born. But good news for you if you actually weren't born in 2001: this new stage version contains covers of hits released since then.
Cherry Jones heads to 'Wine Country' with Amy Poehler
When she popped up briefly in "Boy Erased" to tell a tormented Lucas Hedges that his anti-gay Evangelical parents were dead wrong, we were reminded all over again why Cherry Jones is our favorite character actress. The double Tony Award winner runs the stage on Broadway, but in films she's usually secret weapon support. That's why it's gratifying to see her name among the cast of the all-lady-starring (plus Jason Schwartzman) "Wine Country," an upcoming Netflix film directed by Amy Poehler. The screenplay from "Saturday Night Live" writers Liz Cackowski and Emily Spivey will follow even more "SNL" alums on a birthday road trip to Napa. Along for the ride: Maya Rudolph, Tina Fey, Ana Gasteyer, Rachel Dratch and Poehler. In other words, with each additional female name our hopes grow higher. And frankly, this is the least Netflix can do for the world after making all those recent Adam Sandler movies happen, so more of this, please.
Learn this name: Kiersey Clemons
Young, queer, up-and-comer Kiersey Clemons had a recurring role on "Transparent." She also co-starred in the films "Dope," "Neighbors 2: Sorority Rising" and "Hearts Beat Loud." But if you haven't placed her yet, a name to a face, your task will soon become easier. Coming soon you'll see her as "Darling," one of the human beings in the live-action "Lady and the Tramp"; she's also going to be part of "Rent: Live" in January of 2019; running alongside Ezra Miller in the upcoming superhero film "Flashpoint"; and taking the starring role in the film adaptation of the memoir "The Language of Flowers," about a young woman who grew up in foster care. So if you're wondering when the next generation of LGBT actors is going to come along, they're already out and here, waiting for you to notice.
'The Good Liar' picks up McKellen and Mirren
In between directing tentpole blockbuster properties like "Dreamgirls," the live-action "Beauty and the Beast," and the last two "Twilight" installments, you can usually count on gay director Bill Condon to go small. After all, his Oscar was for the indie "Gods and Monsters," and he was the man who brought us "Kinsey" and the Ian McKellen-starring arthouse film "Mr. Holmes." Now Condon is re-teaming with McKellen for "The Good Liar," a drama about a con man who thinks he's found the perfect mark in rich widow Helen Mirren, only to have the tables turn on him when they grow a little too close. The film also stars Jim Carter ("Downton Abbey"'s Mr. Carson) and "Looking"'s Russell Tovey, two actors we're always happy to see, so we'll be marking our 2019 calendars for this movie's appearance sometime next fall.
Romeo San Vicente doesn't pick pockets anymore. Bank heists are just sexier.
