Is it a SMASH?

23 Jan

“Smash” is one of the most recent talked about upcoming series on NBC directed by Steven Spielberg. The show features Broadway Star Megan Hilty and American Idol runner up Katharine McPhee as two aspiring actresses desperate to star in a lead Broadway musical. At the same time, musical producers Julia Houston (Debra Messing of “Will and Grace”) and Tom Levitt (Christian Borle} search for inspiration to create a brand new musical. They decide to produce a musical based on the life of Marilyn Monroe. Now the only problem is, who will be their leading lady?

For one thing, this show is definitely NOT Glee. The show seems to be taking off in a direction leaning towards a drama genre rather than a comedy. There is potential for character growth and an amazing story line to build as the series forges on. The cast is outstanding and extremely talented and I am certainly looking forward to more ballads and musical numbers from McPhee and Hilty. However, I fear that once the Marilyn Monroe musical story line is complete, where will the show go next? I am also hoping to see more character depth in both McPhee and Messing, so I will certainly give the show a chance and see how the plot unfolds. I will say one thing though, the end duet “Let Me Be Your Star” gave me chills.

 

 

Virgin America Airlines Debuts at Philadelphia International Airport

18 Jan

The Philadelphia Inquirer reported that Virgin America Airlines will make its debut at the Philadelphia International Airport in April. The popular west coast airline will feature nonstop flights from Philadelphia to San Francisco and Philadelphia to Los Angeles. The aircraft features touch screen TVS that give you the option of ordering food and drink right from your seat, Wi-Fi, outlets beneath every seat and mood lighting that switches from pink, to purple to blue. The company is offering introductory rates of $129 to Los Angeles and $149 to San Francisco from April to mid June. Book your airline tickets while they last!

The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo

18 Jan

David Fincher took a chance when he wanted to remake The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo and luckily he succeeded. Many loyal fans of Noomi Rapace and the books were skeptical when he took on this project and after I saw the movie on Sunday night, I left the theatres a fan of Rooney Mara. Rooney Mara, to me, captured the vulnerable, youthful and even comical side of Lisbeth Salander. I look forward to the sequels when she reprises the newly iconic role. For those who have not had a chance to read Stieg Larsson’s best selling trilogy, the story begins with media swarming around Mikael Blomkvist (portrayed by Daniel Craig), a disgraced journalist sued for libel by one of Sweden’s most powerful CEOs. After taking a leave of absence from his responsibilities at Millennium, an independent magazine that he helped run with his friend and sometimes lover, Erika Berger (portrayed by Robin Wright), he is summoned by Henrik Vanger, the former CEO of Vanger Industries. Henrik hires Mikael to solve the mystery of his missing niece who disappeared in 1965. Mikael enlists the help of the socially awkward Lisbeth Salander, who happens to be a genius hacker and gets more than he bargained for. Daniel Craig did a very good job of playing the down to earth and down on his luck journalist and I was rather impressed with Stellan Skarsgard as the deranged Martin Vanger. Be aware that the running time is 158 minutes long and the film is slow during the beginning and end. Despite the long run time and the fact that certain parts were taken out of the film, I really enjoyed this film.

I give this 4/5 stars.

My Picks for Best Dressed at the Golden Globes 2012

18 Jan

This year’s Golden Globes red carpet disappointed me in the sense that a lot of celebrities decided to play it safe. Champagne and nude colored dresses were a trend on Sunday evening and I felt that many outfits did not have enough accessories. Below are my picks for the Best Dressed list.

 

1. Angelina Jolie dressed in Atelier Versace with a Christian Louboutin clutch – she absolutely stunned the red carpet with this look. The contrast between the light cream and red against her light complexion and stunning red lips made her a top contender for Best Dressed.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2. Natalie Portman dressed in Lanvin and adorning jewelry from Tiffany & Co. I am a huge fan of the “pretty in pink” look and she looked absolutely flawless in this Lanvin gown. The dress closely resembles the gown that Marilyn Monroe wore in Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, but Natalie’s elegance and grace is more comparable to Audrey Hepburn.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

3. Emma Stone dressed in Lanvin with a Cartier clutch and adorning Lorraine Schwartz jewelry. The Help star sizzled on the red carpet with her hair in a side swept bun and showing off a plunging neckline.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

4. Octavia Spencer dressed in Tadashi Shoji adorning Irene Neuwirth jewelry and Christian Louboutin heels. She looked absolutely lovely in this lilac gown that beautifully showed off her curves.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

5. Tilda Swinton dressed in Haider Ackermann adorning Fred Leighton jewelry. Tilda looked electric in this periwinkle blue ensemble by her favorite designer and I would say that her jewelry pieces stood out the most on the red carpet. Her cuff bracelets added an extra edge to the outfit.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

6. Reese Witherspoon dressed in Zac Posen with Christian Louboutin pumps and adorning Fred Leighton jewelry. I am a fan of the sultry red gown, the jewelry and the shoes; however, I wish she did more with her hair than going for the bedroom hair look.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

7. Charlize Theron dressed in Christian Dior with Givenchy heels. This is possibly my favorite look of the night aside from Angelina Jolie’s Versace gown. The ensemble makes her look youthful and I absolutely love the pale pink hue.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

8. Evan Rachel Wood dressed in Gucci Première.I love the various shades of green and ostrich feathers in this peacock gown and I love that she decided NOT to go with a champagne dress.

 

Holiday Lunch at Devon Seafood

10 Jan

My colleagues and I were wondering where to go for our annual Holiday luncheon and we collectively decided on Devon Seafood. I haven’t gone to Devon Seafood in quite some time but I sure crave their Lobster Mac n’ Cheese each time. This time I decided on pan seared Hawaiian Ono fish with a side of mashed potatoes, wild mushrooms and a side of Lobster Mac n’ Cheese. For those who are not familiar with Ono, it is a white flaky buttery fish that I absolutely loved during my time in Maui. The fish was cooked perfectly, crispy on the outside and tender on the inside. It made me feel nostalgic and yearn for the island air, the scent of hibiscus and the sapphire blue waters. Sigh.

 

If you go..

Address:

Devon Seafood Grill

225 South 18th Street

Philadelphia, PA 19103

(215) 546-5940

Attire: Casual

I give this 7/10 bites.

Joyeux Noël

10 Jan

If you haven’t noticed a building at 20th and Spruce Streets with a crowd of people sitting around a counter sipping on wine and enjoying meals, perhaps it is time to start. Cook by Audrey Claire is a new classroom where celebrity chefs host interactive cooking demonstrations for those who are interesting in sprucing up their skills in the kitchen. There are classes catering to every type of cuisine and anyone is welcome to sign up for a demonstration on the main website (www.audreyclairecook.com). Those who sign up for a demonstration can expect to pay a rather pricey fee, but they will also expect a 3 hour demonstration, endless alcoholic beverages and multiple courses to sample. Around the holidays, I was interested in attending “Joyeux Noël” hosted by Peter Woosley of La Bistrot Minette. The theme of the evening was how to prepare a traditional French Christmas dinner. We were sat and served water, bread and butter as Peter started on his appetizers and main dishes. The first course served was a bed of raw oysters topped with caviar and smoked whipped cream. I was able to get a hint of sweetness from the oysters, a salty bite from the caviar and a hint of bitterness from the smoked whipped cream. The second course served was a creamy chestnut soup topped with pan seared foie gras. I found the soup to be warm and hearty and I enjoyed every savory bite of the foie gras. The third course served was butter poached lobster served with trumpet mushrooms, roasted white asparagus and an American sauce. The fourth course served was venison with a red wine reduction and served with crispy fingerling potatoes and brussel sprouts. Lastly, dessert consisted of a chocolate yule log served with pistachio cream. While I found the lobster and venison rich and tender and savory, the dessert was somewhat anti-climactic. Other than the dessert, I enjoyed the class very much and at the end, we each walked away with our very own spatula. I highly recommend signing up for a demonstration, in advance I might add (the classes fill up FAST). It would make for a wonderful date night or a low key evening with family.

 

 

Cupcake Fail

5 Dec

My friends and I had Sunday Dinner and we cooked spaghetti topped with Mozzarella Cheese filled meatballs with a side salad. We didn’t have time to run out and buy a cake for dessert, so I relied on old faithful, Duncan Hines vanilla cupcakes topped with canned chocolate frosting. Rather than sloppily slabbing icing on top of the cupcakes, I decided to act like a pastry chef and I scooped the frosting into a gallon ziplock bag and cut a tip off a corner. I should have cut a bigger tip, because I noticed that when I was piping the icing onto the cupcakes they started to look inedible. Needless to say, although they were tasty, they were nicknamed “Did It On Em’ Cupcakes.” You can pretty much see why. FAIL.

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