Reviews

I love the concept of the show, but, good grief Food Network. A little variety doesn't hurt. The Guy Fieri overload has gotten out of control. Triple D, Triple G, specials, etc are getting OLD.

I love seeing the warmer, funnier side of Gordon Ramsay. Tilly is adorable, and it is fun to watch the family interact. The food is good, too!

She seems so down to earth and fun, and the recipes are actually very good. Every episode feels like I've just been invited to her kitchen to have fun and celebrate food. Honestly, I didn't expect much from the former child star, but I really look forward to this show.

Some of the recipes seem good, but I can't force myself to watch an entire episode, because I just can't stand her...

We had a scare with my youngest when he was a toddler. This episode is so well done. The laughs are appropriately placed in a really serious episode (but parents DO THIS!) Btw, I love the introduction of Wilson during the colic scene and the the running gag with Al. Thank you to Patricia Richardson for being brave enough to open up and relive what must have been her worst time in motherhood to allow people going through it to relate, hope, and laugh.

What's wrong with the occasional feel- good movie? I think Adam Sandler shines when he's working with kids, and in these troubling times, I appreciate that he seems to be dedicated to making movies that have the general theme of "just have fun being a decent person." I respect him so much more now than I ever did during the SNL/Billy Madison/Happy Gilmore days.

I have always been a fan of the American musical, but never got hooked on Oklahoma! until I saw the 1999 version with Hugh Jackman. Performed as a stage-to-screen version of the West End production, almost every aspect of the performances are enhanced with simplicity, innocence, and pure talent. The standout performances are by Hugh Jackman (as Curly) and Shuler Hensley (as Jud). Jackman's voice is as pure and strong as his character is (produced before he became an international star, this is no bit of stunt-casting to bring in audiences), and Jackman brings more to the character of Curly than Gordan McRae did, in my opinion. His Curly is strong, handsome, and confident, but more fun-loving than McRae's, and he has a certain charm and vulnerability that has been lacking in most previous productions. He obviously loves Laurey from the beginning, and seems as aggravated with himself as she is at him for the fact that he can't seem to help teasing her. Words are hardly enough to express the brilliance of Hensley's take on the dark, brooding farmhand, Jud. In most productions I've seen, Jud may seem a little creepy at worst, until he snaps. Hensley, however, plays Jud as near-psychotic from the beginning, so that the threat seems very real when Curly confronts him ("Poor Jud is Dead") and when Laurey is alone with him. I am also thrilled that the song "Lonely Room" was included, as it not only shows off Hensley's hauntingly beautiful singing voice, but brings depth to Jud's character and story. I absolutely love the changes made to the traditionally prim and proper character of Laurey. It's always annoyed me that a young woman on the frontier has always been costumed in fresh, clean, floor-length gowns. The decision to play Laurey a little younger, in overalls and a ponytail, is more realistic, and I believe it makes Curly's attraction to her and their constant ribbing more realistic. This Laurey is spunkier, but with a vulnerable side, and it's refreshing. Like her male counterparts, Gabrielle delivers some beautiful singing, dancing, and acting. One of the things that impressed me most about the leading performers was that, unlike almost every other professional production, they perform the dream ballet sequence at the end of Act I themselves, instead of using stunt doubles, and they dance it well. The decision to use the actors we're familiar with instead of so-called lookalikes vastly improves the flow of the show. The supporting cast is wonderful as well, particularly Maureen Lipman and Vicki Simon as Aunt Eller and Ado Annie, respectively. I was particularly glad to see an expanded, more believable portrayal of Ali Hakim (Peter Polycarpou). The only dim light in the supporting cast is Sidney Livingstone as Andrew Carnes. For some reason, he apparently could not be bothered to develop the necessary regional accent, and delivers every one of his lines with a strong British accent that seems jarring. Overall, I think this is one of the best stage-to-screen versions of a musical I've ever seen. The close camera shots and simplicity of the sets and staging gives the sense that you're simultaneously watching a stage play and a movie. Very entertaining and a refreshing twist on the standard musical.