Tag: stephen colbert

Blog cross-pollutionation

Two huge J.R.R. Tolkien fans are Brian Sibley and Stephen Colbert, and they happen to have provided me with a convenient segue so I can include them both in a single post. (I hope Colbert hasn’t already coined the word “pollutionation!”)

Brian (friend of the blog) Sibley is up for a BBC Audio Drama Award, for his superb radio adaptation, The History of Titus Groan, based on the Gormenghast books by Mervyn Peake. This is a wonderfully engrossing and challenging series of radio dramas, with outstanding performances that are both finely nuanced and, when required, hilarious and over the top. The cast includes one of my favourite ladies of British stage and screen, Miranda Richardson. Winners of the BBC Audio Drama Awards will be announced on Sunday. Good luck, Brian!

A couple of days ago, Brian told the story of the ill-fated attempt by Boston-based American publisher Houghton Mifflin to have artist Maurice Sendak provide illustrations for an edition of The Hobbit. By coincidence, this week The Colbert Report featured an uproarious interview with Sendak.

Colbert hams it up at Lincoln Center

Thursday night we were in an audience of 10-12, who saw a “special event” at the movies — Stephen Sondheim’s Company, featuring Stephen Colbert, Neil Patrick Harris, and Christina Hendricks. I would hope the showings at theaters closer to cities have been better attended.

Company is 40 years old, and although the show’s themes may be timeless I think its age shows, and I could tell it was written by members of my parents’ generation. Considering that Sondheim was probably working on Company while Woodstock was happening, it’s an interesting contrast to the musicals of the day that have a more obvious hippie influence, such as Jesus Christ Superstar and Godspell.

Although I may not be taken with the show itself, the cast obviously had a great time and their enthusiastic performances are what make Company worth seeing. Harris seems to have taken over from Nathan Lane as Broadway’s standard bearer, and he carries his lead role with ease, but Colbert and Hendricks are also excellent. Chryssie Whitehead, who is adorable as Kathy and dynamic in a stand-out dance number, merits special recognition.

Colbert was on Fresh Air with Terry Gross this week to talk about Company, among other things. It’s always fun to hear Stephen conversing when he’s out of character.

The Colbermann Report

Obama’s SOTU speech is on TV, and every so often I turn off muting, but every time I do that I’m not too excited by what I hear. So, instead, I’m going to watch Stephen Colbert absorbing Keith Olbermann’s power, only to find it too much, even for him.

The Colbert Report Mon – Thurs 11:30pm / 10:30c
Stephen Rejects Keith Olbermann’s Power
www.colbertnation.com
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