MAESTRO
MAESTRO
Maestro is a 2023 American biographical drama film that centers on the relationship between American composer Leonard Bernstein and his wife Felicia Montealegre. It was directed by Bradley Cooper, from a screenplay he wrote with Josh Singer. It was produced by Martin Scorsese, Steven Spielberg, and Cooper, among others. The film stars Carey Mulligan as Montealegre alongside Cooper as Bernstein; Matt Bomer, Maya Hawke, and Sarah Silverman appear in supporting roles.
Plot
Flashing back to 1943, Bernstein – then 25 and living in New York City as the assistant conductor to the New York Philharmonic – suddenly makes his conducting debut with the Philharmonic when Bruno Walter falls ill. Berstein is exceptional as a substitute, and enjoys a rapturous reception from the audience. At this time, Bernstein is in an intermittent romantic and sexual relationship with clarinettist David Oppenheim. However, his homosexuality is diverted soon afterward, when he meets Felicia Montealegre, an aspiring actress, at a party. They begin dating and sleeping together, and ultimately marry and have three children together: Jamie, Alexander, and Nina.
Cast
- Carey Mulligan as Felicia Montealegre
- Bradley Cooper as Leonard Bernstein
- Matt Bomer as David Oppenheim
- Maya Hawke as Jamie Bernstein
- Sarah Silverman as Shirley Bernstein
- Michael Urie as Jerome Robbins
- Brian Klugman as Aaron Copland
- Gideon Glick as Tommy Cothran
- Sam Nivola as Alexander Bernstein
- Miriam Shor as Cynthia O’Neal
- Alexa Swinton as Nina Bernstein
- Josh Hamilton as John Gruen
- June Gable as Old Lady
_____________________________________________________________________
GLISTEN AND THE MERRY MISSION
GLISTEN AND THE MERRY MISSION
Glisten and the Merry Mission is a 2023 American Christmas animated film written by Temple Mathews and Sharon Price John, directed by Cory Morrison and featuring the voices of Julia Michaels, Trinity Bliss, Freddie Prinze Jr., Billy Ray Cyrus, Michael Rapaport, Dionne Warwick, Leona Lewis and Chevy Chase.
Cast
- Trinity Bliss as Marzipan[1]
- Julia Michaels as Cinnameg[1]
- Dionne Warwick as Sage Evergreen[1]
- Chevy Chase as Santa[2]
- Freddie Prinze Jr. as Crumble Starsnaps[2]
- Morgan Simianer as Estrellastar[2]
- Tim Johnson Jr. as Egard[2]
- Michael Rapaport as Grizz[2]
- Billy Ray Cyrus as Donner[2]
- Reginald VelJohnson as Snowy Owl[2]
- McKenna Bray as Snowangel
- Natalie Polissom as Cupid & Sparkleplum
- Leona Lewis as Glisten
_____________________________________________________________________
THE BOY AND THE HERON
THE BOY AND THE HERON
The Boy and the Heron (Japanese: 君たちはどう生きるか, Hepburn: Kimitachi wa Dō Ikiru ka, lit. ’How Do You[b] Live?’) is a 2023 Japanese animated fantasy film written and directed by Hayao Miyazaki. Produced by Studio Ghibli, the Japanese title references the 1937 novel of the same name by Genzaburō Yoshino, which appears in the film, but the film has an original story that is not connected to the novel. The Japanese voice cast includes Soma Santoki, Masaki Suda, Ko Shibasaki, Aimyon, Yoshino Kimura, Takuya Kimura, Kaoru Kobayashi, and Shinobu Otake. Described as a “big fantastical film”, it follows a boy named Mahito Maki (Santoki) during the Pacific War who discovers an abandoned tower in his new town after his mother’s death and enters a fantastical world with a talking grey heron.
Plot
In 1943, during the Pacific War, 12-year-old Mahito Maki’s mother Hisako is killed in a hospital fire in Tokyo. Mahito’s father Shoichi, an air munitions factory owner, remarries his late wife’s younger sister, Natsuko. They evacuate to her estate in the countryside where they live with several old maids. Mahito struggles in the new town as he continues to grapple with grief, is pestered by a mysterious grey heron at the estate and endures a tense relationship with Natsuko, who is now pregnant. Pursuing the heron, he discovers a ruined and sealed tower in the woods near the house and makes himself a bow and an arrow from the heron’s feathers.
Voice cast
| Character | Voice actor | |
|---|---|---|
| Japanese | English | |
| Mahito Maki | Soma Santoki | Luca Padovan |
| The Grey Heron | Masaki Suda | Robert Pattinson |
| Lady Himi | Aimyon | Karen Fukuhara |
| Natsuko | Yoshino Kimura | Gemma Chan |
| Shoichi Maki | Takuya Kimura | Christian Bale |
| Granduncle | Shōhei Hino | Mark Hamill |
| Kiriko | Ko Shibasaki | Florence Pugh |
| Noble Pelican | Kaoru Kobayashi | Willem Dafoe |
| The Parakeet King | Jun Kunimura | Dave Bautista |
| Izumi (Maid #1) | Keiko Takeshita | |
| Utako (Maid #2) | Jun Fubuki | |
| Eriko (Maid #3) | Sawako Agawa | |
| Aiko (Maid #4) | Shinobu Otake | |
| Warawara | Karen Takizawa | |
_____________________________________________________________________
WAITRESS: THE MUSICAL
WAITRESS: THE MUSICAL
Waitress is a musical with music and lyrics by Sara Bareilles and a book by Jessie Nelson. The musical is based on the 2007 film of the same name, written by Adrienne Shelly. It tells the story of Jenna Hunterson, a baker and waitress in an abusive relationship with her husband, Earl. After Jenna unexpectedly becomes pregnant, she begins an affair with her doctor, Dr. James (Jim) Pomatter. Looking for ways out of her troubles, she sees a pie baking contest and its grand prize as her chance.
Waitress has a rare all-women production team, with Diane Paulus as director, Sara Bareilles as composer and lyricist, Jessie Nelson as book adaptor and Lorin Latarro as choreographer. The Clinton Foundation honored the show’s all female team by launching the #CeilingBreaker campaign and distributing free tickets.
_____________________________________________________________________
12/6/2023#”Maestro,” “Glisten and the Merry Mission,” “The Boy and the Heron,” “Waitress, The Musical”