jcm’s TOP 10 Movies, Docus & Series of ‘22!

Despite some of the streaming platforms faltering financially (i.e. Netflix, etc.), it still feels like we’re in a Golden Age of streaming content. And, my lists surely exemplify that. Thankfully, I also managed to get out to the traditional, live cinema for at least 4 of these offerings (grab your 🍿🥤!). Hope you enjoy my snapshot of the year. What were your favorites? Share in the comments!

TOP 10 MOVIES

• Bros (Alamo Drafthouse Theater, SF) • This was one of my favorite comedies since Bridesmaids (’11)! As an aside, I love this racier, alternate, German poster. It offered countless laugh-out-loud moments, but with plenty or gravitas and heart. It felt like it both appealed to me (its primary audience), as well as could to straight (family), allies, etc. The playful humor AND eros chemistry between Eichner and Luke Macfarlane was unforced and charming. It’s been considered a box office flop, at $14.8M earnings, but an artistic triumph, even making some “Best RomComs Ever”-type lists. I respect the LGBT / big movie studio milestone that it marked, and hope that it ages well, and continues to garner plenty of viewers (via ongoing streams and sales).

• Good Luck to You, Leo Grande (Hulu)
• The Worst Person in the World (Norwegian, Amazon)
• I Wanna Dance With Somebody (CGV Theater, SF, Frameline Pre-Screening)
• Everything Everywhere All At Once (Amazon)
• Batman (Amazon)
• Tár (AMC Kabuki 8)
• My Policeman (Amazon)
• Elvis (Amazon)
• Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris (Amazon)
• Lady Chatterly’s Lover (Netflix)

TOP 5 CHRISTMAS MOVIES

A non-guilty annual pleasure of mine, and surely evolving in quality, as the genre grows. These are certainly far beyond the standard Lifetime or Hallmark Channel fare (which have their own appeal). It felt like it deserved it’s own category, especially since I took in PLENTY this winter.

• The Noel Diary (Netflix)
• Spirited (Apple TV)
• Falling for Christmas (Netflix)
• Christmas with You (Netflix)
• Noelle (Disney)

TOP 10 DOCUMENTARIES

• Land of Gold (SFFilmFest, Castro Theatre) • I enjoyed this documentary about John Adam’s World Premiere Opera Girls of the Golden West at San Francisco Opera far more than the opera itself in ’17. It was also my first post-COVID return to The Castro Theatre, which had its own emotional component. AND, it was preceded by some apropos live music from this era, sung by two of the men of the Merola Program. Seeing the process of creating this new piece and the characters, particularly from the points of view of J’Nai Bridges (as Josef Segovia) and Julia Bullock (Dame Shirley) was very engaging.

• The Mystery of Marilyn Monroe: The Unheard Tapes (Netflix)
• Death to 2021 (Netflix Mockumentary)
• Bob Ross: Happy Accidents (Netflix)
• Santa Camp (HBO)
• Lucy & Desi (Amazon) w/Amy Poehler, Dir.!
• Our Father (Netflix)
• Jennifer Lopez: Halftime (Netflix)
• White Hot: The Rise and Fall of Abercrombie & Fitch (Netflix)
• Inside the Mind of a Cat (Netflix)

• BONUS, from 2021: The Queen of Basketball, Oscar-winning short doc: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vPFkcoTfr7g

TOP 10 SERIES

• Station Eleven (S1, HBO) • For me to have placed this ahead of the excellent S2 of White Lotus, you KNOW it has to be good. Well, IT IS! It was particularly poignant to watch during COVID, which delivered its own strong components of isolation, an abrupt change in society, and themes of connection/disconnection. The bleak setting(s) were so palpable, and the ways in which these characters’ roles and personas evolved, so provoking, particularly from a group dynamics and psychology perspective.

• White Lotus (S2, Netflix)
• Hacks (S2, HBO)
• Sandman (S1 Netflix)
• Big Little Lies (S1-2, HBO)
• The Sinner (S1, 2 & 4, Netflix)
• Stranger Things (S4, Netflix)
• Somebody Somewhere (S1, HBO)
• Moon Knight (S1, Disney) w/Oscar Isaac!
• Uncoupled (S1, Netflix)

TOP REALITY & DOCU SERIES

• Dog House UK (S1-3, HBO) • I can’t say enough about this series. It is true streaming therapy. The bucolic location, the staff, the customers and their narratives just so nourishing, and soothing. Not every story ends with a match, but the show still reveals the meaning made with each outcome. Careful, it’ll have you racing to the local pound!!!

• Dating on the Spectrum (S2, Netflix)
• The Last Movie Stars (HBO)
• Meddling (Peacock)
• Stanley Tucci, Searching for Italy (S2, CNN)
• Harry & Meghan (Netflix)

TOP 10 REALITY COMPETITION

• The Amazing Race (S34) • The contestants in this season were nearly all “good eggs”! Warm folks who were a joy to witness, in their triumphs, foibles, communication attempts, and travels. This is some of my vicarious travel. I always joke that one day I’ll be on this show (with my friend Rich)…or, who knows?!

• DragRace AllStars (S7, Paramount)
• The Circle (S3, Netflix)
• DragRace (S14, VH1)
• Dancing with the Stars (S31, Disney)
• The Great British Bake Off (S13, Netflix)
• Lego Masters (S3, Fox)
• Glow Up (S3, Netflix)
• Metal Shop Masters (S1, Netflix)
• Drink Masters (S1, Netflix)

BEST SPECIALS (Comedy)

• Catherine Cohen: The Twist? She’s Gorgeous (Netflix)
• Jerrod Carmichael: Rothaniel (HBO)
• Yvonne Orji: A Whole Me (HBO Max)

Hope you enjoyed my snapshot of the year. What were your favorites? Did I miss any big ones? Share in the comments!

Check out last year’s list too!

jcm’s TOP 10 LIVE SF Shows of ’22!

🎵 CABARET! 🩰 BALLET! 🎻 INSTRUMENTAL! 🎭 THEATRE! 👄 OPERA! 👠 DRAG!

Here’s a toast to a rousing return to LIVE show fullness once more! I’m so grateful that we can partake in all that local companies, clubs, theatres, performers, and more worked so hard to create and provide for audiences. Share your favorite shows in the comments…any notable ones I missed?

1) Marilyn Maye • Feinstein’s at the Nikko, Sep 30

A year ago I discovered Marilyn Maye, thanks to the CBS Sunday Morning profile of her amazing career, recorded and onstage, and her notable longevity (link below)! When a post-COVID SF performance emerged, I SPRUNG on it!

At 94, she proved to have more energy than most of us at 30. By way of this Feinstein’s show (about which she proclaimed: “This is my favorite room.”), it was like witnessing a priestess, weaving a spell, with a deep love for her craft and very rare communication way with song. Or goin’ to church AND therapy all in one…walking out feeling uplifted and so very alive. Such generosity, open-heartedness, and a gracious smile…the entire show.

Specializing in medleys, from Porter to Waller to Mercer, and ending with one that tore me asunder and broke down the flood gates, featuring James Taylor’s “Secret ‘o Life” (“The secret to life is enjoying the passage of time”) and “Here’s to Life.” ❤️ Well, Marilyn sure feels like she has a right to dispense these wisdoms, and they emanate from such a place of truth. She embodies some of the best qualities of Frances Faye, Stritch and Rosemary Clooney, yet she’s ALL her own!

It was a once-in-a-lifetime experience, where time seemed to stand still, and everything outside our divine cloud just floated out of sight, because she made each of us feel so held by her. ⛅️ Johnny Carson sure knew something about singers and voices, as he invited her on his show 76 times! Surely few, if any from her generation are still performing at this level, and we must support this beloved art of cabaret.

Other highlights included: It’s Today (from Mame, with lyric: “To live love and laugh at it all”); Accentuate the Positive;  Ah, the Apple Trees / When the World Was Young (by Mercer); and her own unique take on Guess Who I Saw Today (the first and last songs named here her most requested).

Local cutie, Daniel Fabricant was fantastic on bass! Her pianist, all the way from NYC was phenomenal on the keys.

2) Don Quixote • SF Ballet, Mar 5

My long-awaited ballet date with a dear friend (my 1st SFB attendance in over 5 years), shifted tone with a text from her, as I neared the opera house (just 2 blocks away): “I just got here, and people are saying it’s canceled due to water damage on the stage. There was a fire alarm and the sprinklers turned on.” As I got in eye-shot, I could see the street and gutters filled with water, and a stream of water emanating from the giant set loading door, as crews hurriedly squeejeed the ground.

The sullen face of one adolescent girl descending the front steps said it all, as her mother voiced a teachable moment about disappointment. In fact, as we later discovered, it appears it was a messy and profuse water main break. I was in disbelief and shock, as I’d never heard of this happening at the house. But indeed it was true. The good news, we were able to transfer to the same-day evening performance. We weren’t going to give up on this easily.

Our 2nd attempt was successful, impossibly joyous (particularly Act 1, in a Barcelona Square), and full of techni-color! Literally. The costume palette in Act I could not have been more vibrant, from the orange toreador-style of the male corps de ballet (see below), to the pink backsides of the black capes (HOW do I take one of these out on loan?!), to the yellow of Espada’s first LEWK (worn by the commanding Daniel Deivison-Oliveira, of Brazil). It was a true visual feast!

Sarah Van Patten in Tomasson/Possokhov’s Don Quixote. (© Erik Tomasson)

Also, perhaps because so many folks from the cancelled matinée transferred, it was the most packed performance I’ve seen at the house in years (incl. opera). This lent to a more festive gala feel, along with the highly interactive ballet, which perhaps more than any other seems to lend itself to impromptu applause and gasps/woots of pleasure from the audience.

Joseph Walsh as Basilio (the Barber), and Jennifer Stahl (Queen of the Driads) were the real standouts for me. In physique, technique, facial expression…and, well, his good hair, Joseph delivered. Jennifer was the most commanding, in her classical technique, confidence and carriage. Joseph and Wona Park (as an effervescent Kitri) had wonderful chemistry, especially in their Act II Dream Pas de Deux, where she fluttered her toe pointe shoes on the floor, eliciting a gentle tapping sound, as she was moved across the stage, dropped over him, which felt like an expression of a fluttery heart, or early, young, sweet, doe-like love.

Gabriela Gonzalez (the Gitana/Gypsy Woman) in ACT II, Scene One: Spanish Countryside, grabbed our attention from her first entrance. It was as if Aida had entered to sing O Patria Mia. She was passionate, languid, and her free movements were refreshing in the midst of the more traditional controlled classical ballet. Overall, the principals didn’t seem quite at the superstar level of my ’04 memories of Loreena Feijoo and Joan Boada (retired at 40 from SFB, but artistic director of Boston Ballet II, as of ’22), or seemingly immortal Yuan Yuan Tan, or even Vanessa Zahorian. But they all more than satisfied. The production and character performers (incl. Alexander Reneff-Olson as the Don) did a very good job of storytelling.

Ricardo Bustamante brought MUCH pleasure as the fey, campy, flamboyant Lorenzo. It never felt homophobic, but always felt in character, and lovingly crafted. Some of his clumsy movements looked very ankle-twisty…it can’t be easy to dance as if you’re not a good dancer (same can be said of Davide Occhipinti, as Sancho Panza). The orchestra was fleet and pin-point accurate, as led by Ming Luke. The Leon Minkus score belied his Austrian heritage, as there were some moments of almost Straussian verve.

3) Julian Bennett Recital • Barbro Osher Hall, Apr 1

with Matthew Park, piano

The new 200-seat Barbro Osher Recital Hall, on the 11th floor of the SFCM Bowes Center features floor-to-ceiling glass walls, offering views overlooking a spectacular vista of City Hall, and nearby classical music venues. It’s a $200M “vertical campus” designed by Mark Cavagnero Assoc. (completed in ’21), and was built to withstand a 9.0 magnitude earthquake. (On the first floor, there is allegedly zero street noise, due to a 6-foot trough built below the windows, and a floating floor.)

Julian Bennett, whom I knew nothing about before I arrived at this recital was a star, in character, looks, musical talent and passion! (I now follow him on instagram…duh!) My how we lucked out, although my Spidey-Senses are often spot on.

The program included Gian Carlo Menotti’s Arioso from his Suite for Two Cellos and Piano: III (’73). I LOVED this piece…what a find. This piece immediately brought myself and my friend to tears. Certainly, the experience of this dramatic space also played into that. Some further backstory, Julian shared that this piece was written for/dedicated to Piatigorsky. Menotti partnered with Samuel Barber for 30+ years, but in Barber’s post Antony & Cleopatra failure (via harsh critics reviews), depression and alcohol dependency overtook him and Menotti ended their partnership. I could feel this melancholy and loss in this piece (Barber’s death was in ’70)

See full program here: Julian Bennett Second Year Graduate Cello Recital

Next up, was Juon’s Sonata for Cello and Piano in A Minor, Op. 54. Joan was a Moscow-trained Russian (Swiss born). Britten’s Suite No. 1 for Solo Cello, Op. 72 includes complex layering, and a hand/finger strumming which sounded quite Asian to my ears. It reminded me of moments of his Curlew River. I still haven’t fully acquired an ear for Britten more contemporary palette but I’m getting there.

The final piece, Meditation, by his mother, Korine Fujiwara, was about that moment where the self/spirit leaves the body and goes onto wherever it goes. I loved this piece. She was sitting in the first row, with his father, it appeared. It was nice to have that familial energy there, as it also imbued the experience.

4) Moulin Rouge! Broadway Tour • Orpheum, Sep 22

Even upon entering the interior of the theater, it was clear this production REALLY committed to creating a strong sense of place and time. The real star was the sets, costumes and utter genius of working in popular song. An utter feast for the eyes and senses.

Like the Book of Mormon, the first 15-20 minutes of this show kick-off at 200% energy, delivery, pacing, and are immediately OFF TO THE RACES! I joked with my friends that our pre-show dinner restaurant surely must have laced our meal with speed or LSD. But it was a very fun, and transporting ride!

Conor Ryan (as romantic lead, Christian) served shades of Ewen McGregor, but his own mark of raw sincerity and just enough moments of unhinged vocal grit. He really gave it his all. I also reveled in Austin Durant (as Harold Zidler, the Master of Ceremonies-of-sorts), and André Ward (as Latrec), who shone, especially in his very tender Nature Boy, which provide a much needed slow down and some pacing respite!

Courtney Reed (as Satine) felt too strong, and perhaps not gamine enough, as the memory of Nicole Kidman and her red shock of hair loomed large. I also wish they had made that wig choice here to differentiate her visually more. Her costume styling also felt off (i.e. her disco booties and shimmer tights in Act I felt more like Xanadu or Starlight Express?), until the end.

Tyler Eisenreich was the only Swing we got on this night, and I couldn’t imagine a better Duke of Monroth than he. He actually made Satine’s Christian-or-Duke bind all the more convincing.

My Operatic #BucketList!

What are those remaining operas I still have not had the good fortune of seeing LIVE…my ongoing #WishList? Here they are! (You were DYING to know, right?) Thankfully, at least 8 of those from my last posted wishlist (from ’09) have been presented locally since that time! 👏👏👏 BRAVI!

AND this is an ongoing invitation to you, ALL San Francisco Bay Area opera companies! Thanks for continuing stray from the standard rep territory, and take risks (as much as your bottom lines will allow)! Your lifetimers SO value it.

My TOP 10 Wish List:

• La Gioconda
  (I understand the libretto may be absurd, but SFO, invite Spanish soprano Saioa Hernández! Strike while the iron’s hot on her voice and acclaim. It was last mounted here in 1988.)

• Capriccio
  (I missed my chance with this one, as it was mounted by SFO in their StraussFest of ’93, the year I arrived here!)
• A Midsummer Night’s Dream
  (This would be a great SFO or West Edge Opera offering, with Aryeh Nussbaum Cohen as Oberon!)
• Cavalleria Rusticana
  (I saw Pagliacci at ROH, but they didn’t present the standard Cav Pag double bill!)
• Les Huguenots
  (never mounted by SFO)
• Ernani
  (SFO planned a production of this 2 seasons ago, but COVID killed it!)
• I Puritani
  (SFO, bring Nadine Sierra back for this!)
• Prodaná Nevěsta (The Bartered Bride)
• Dido and Aeneas
  (never mounted by SFO, it would also be a GREAT West Edge Opera offering)
• Lakme
  (SFO, invite Erin Morley for this!)

Bucket List Overflow – 10 More:

• Wozzeck
• Martha
• Maria Stuarda
• Die Schweigsame Frau
• Mignon
• Anna Nicole
• Susannah
• Otello (Rossini)
  (I know I missed an opportunity to see this on the East Coast earlier this season. Alas!)
• Moby Dick
  (A lapse in judgement for missing this a decade ago at SFO)
• Akhnaten

Local Offerings:

KUDOS to West Edge Opera (formerly Berkeley Opera) for literally specializing in non-standard fare. It’s been a joy to see some of their rare offerings, such as last season’s Ariadne et Barbe-Bleue, and previous Powder Her Face, Pelléas, As One, etc.

And, THANKS to San Francisco Opera for serving up at least 7 of the operas on my previous list: Andrea Chenier, Dialogues of the Carmelites, Les Troyens, I Capuleti e I Montecchi, Falstaff, Lucrezia Borgia, and Roberto Devereux!

And, <HIGH FIVE!> to Opera Parallèle for their recent La Belle et la Bête, an opera I didn’t even know to have on my list, and WHAT a production it was! Keep an eye out for my upcoming TOP 10 LIVE SF Shows in ’22…La Belle made that list!

What operas are still on your #WishList / #BucketList?

I’m MOST excited about seeing Die Frau ohne Schatten at SFO this coming summer season. It’s my favorite opera, and it’ll be my 3rd time seeing it LIVE. It’ll always be on my list!