'Woman in Black' with Daniel Radcliffe

'Woman in Black' with Daniel Radcliffe opened yesterday. I couldn't get out of work fast enough to get to the theater. Daniel has  grown up and he is truly great in it. Just as he was on Broadway in 'Equus' and 'How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying.' (see earlier posts for pics from Broadway). Good for him for showing such diversity in roles. And, to add to that, he is a class act! He is gracious and kind.

Most of 'Woman in Black' takes place in a spooky, gothic mansion with long hallways and creepy sounds. Arthur Kipps played by Daniel, is sent there by his law firm to collect paperwork. It gave me  some of those great jump out of your seat moments. And if I'm going to be scared, that's the best kind. I don't like movies with that other scary business going on. The supernatural works better for me.

So if you're going to a movie this weekend, and you like to jump out of your seat, and you are a Daniel fan, check out his latest!

More movies. More Broadway. Can't get enough of either.

My movie this weekend was 'J. Edgar Hoover.' I was excited about a movie starring Leonardo and directed by Clint Eastwood. Straight from work to the movie seat on Friday night. It was a history lesson for me. I learned a lot about J. Edgar Hoover I never knew. Can't say I knew much. Interesting character, for sure. Acting was great. They're really getting perfect at making actors look old. You know how usually you see where the skull cap is stuck on or it looks like glue or something pulling the face a certain way and then covered with make-up. Not this one. Leonardo (J. Edgar Hoover) and Naomi Watts (Helen Gandy), and Armie Hammer (Clyde Tolson), go from young to very old and it looks authentic. The movie slides back and forth between the decades, but with flawlessness that's easy to follow since Clint Eastwood is magnificent at directing.

Yesterday I went to see 'Seminar.' It's a new Broadway show that is just now in previews and stars Alan Rickman and Jerry O'Connell and Lily Rabe. Here's a good tidbit for you. Snape is just on Broadway on the same street as Harry Potter. When you come out of the Golden Theatre where 'Seminar' is playing, you can see Daniel Radcliffe, larger than life as J. Pierrepont Finch in 'How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying.'  'Seminar' is a play by Theresa Rebeck about four writers who hire Leonard (Alan Rickman) to teach them, insult them. abuse them, cut them to the soul. I've had two writing teacher who were very similar to Leonard. I called them assholes just as they do in the play and I learned so much from them, just as they do from Leonard. The dialogue is funny and witty. I loved it because I related to it so much. Jerry O'Connell is having his Broadway debut in this show and he is excellent in his loud pants of purple, red, and orange. Alan Rickman, it goes without saying, is tremendous. 

What a weekend...Harry Potter again, Daniel Radcliffe again, How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying and Pilobulus

I haven't stopped smiling for 2 days. Come to think of it, that's nothing new, but there is a different feeling around the smiles. More excitement. It was a stellar weekend for sure.

First there was my second time seeing Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part II. That was Friday night. Saturday morning I saw Stupid, Crazy, Love. I would have liked a lot more of Ryan Gosling in that. But straight from that movie to The Joyce Theater to see 'Pilobulus.' It has been a very long time since I last saw them live and they are still fantastic. Those bodies are extraordinary.....

And then....yesterday....got front row tickets to How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying...which was tremendous and sensational and total fun. Daniel Radcliffe was not Harry Potter, but a fabulous actor performing another incredible role. Dancing his heart out and looking skilled and awesome performing. Wow and wow and woooooeeeee. And it didn't stop there....front row again after the show. He took my Playbill to sign and I said, "You were fabulous." He looked at me with the big blue eyes and said, "Thank you very much." I was asked if he has an English accent in the play. No. Totally American. But when he thanked me he was British again. Just goes to show you that he will be entertaining us for a long time to come if he desires to do so because he is multi-talented, sincerly kind, super intelligent (Know this from listening to him talk to Jordan Roth at the YMCA, see older blog), and on and on. But all so true. I am beyond grateful for these experiences. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Here's some pics from yesterday.  John Larroquette and Christopher J. Hanke in the photos were spectacular in How to Succeed and charming and nice. The entire cast is super. The sets are great. The music is great. Get there if you can.