Jelly's Last Jam (Encores!) (2024)

I was blown away by Jelly's Last Jam. The plot is a little muddy but every single song is a showstopper. The music is infectious, the dancing is energetic and the cast is on fire. The first half is a little more exciting than the second half. The tap dance numbers are mesmerizing, the large ensemble really carrying their weight. The supporting cast each get their moment in the spotlight, and they make the most of it, commanding the stage with authority. Tiffany Mann and Okieriete Onaodowan steal their scenes. Leslie Uggams and Joaquina Kalukango too are incredible. Billy Porter's grim reaper-esque character suits him. And Nicholas Christopher as the leading man is fabulous. The Hunnies look amazing considering the three of them are returning to the role some 32-years later. It's a huge production for a two-week run (we caught the last show). Though the set is sparse, it's very handsome with the band onstage. The music is Jelly Roll Morton's himself. I loved the big band orchestrations. 

 There is a complex story about race. Jelly Roll Morton was a light-skinned Creole man who struggled to fit-in with both white and black people. He alienated his friends for it and was left lonely. His superiority complex and insistence that he invented jazz not only damaged his reputation (which needed no burnishing as his accomplishments were nevertheless vast), but also was an insult to the other black forefathers of jazz. There is a paradox that he didn't see himself as black but thought himself the inventor of a quintessentially black genre. And it is this that haunts him in purgatory in the final moments of his life that make up the show.

There was way more use of the N-word than I was expecting and I suspect that is partly why the show is not oft revived. But surely this production must be Broadway bound. They've spent lavishly on it and it deserves a Broadway run.

The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks (2017)

Oprah is powerful as ever, but for some reason she was snubbed of an Emmy nomination. Oprah can do no wrong. I actually thought Rose Byrne was kind of charming. The movie isn't just about Henrietta of course, but about Rebecca Skloot's research process. The story of the Lacks family is as much Henrietta's story as her own life for in death she continues to bear influence on them. Johns Hopkins has done some horrible things, especially to the local African American population, in its history in the name of science and otherwise. And this film begins to tell us about some of them. What they did with Henrietta Lacks was ethically dubious but official policy is not well-defined. Though I think they were certainly wrong to draw blood from her descendants without properly informing them.

The opening scene in black-and-white, as if on an old film reel, is slickly edited to a drumming soundtrack. It tells you everything you need to know and the drums give it a sense of direction. The rest of the film however, to be totally honest, is a little boring. They have very short cuts to Henrietta Lacks and her life. These scenes serve little purpose because the real drama is in the present. I don't think Renee Elise Goldsberry even has a speaking role. Goldsberry has a very small role in the film, but she actually bears a surprising likeness to Henrietta Lacks. Good casting or good make up.

Deadpool (2016)

Deadpool was good but I don't know if it's as amazing as everyone has been raving. In the same vein as Guardians of the Galaxy, it is a parody of the superhero genre. The difference is the self awareness of Deadpool. He constantly breaks the fourth wall, acknowledging the Marvel cinematic universe ironically. I wonder how he actually fits into that universe as he actively makes fun of it, both the characters and timeline and the actors themselves, aware it is a movie. Is he in X-Men or what? It is unconventionally funny. There is also an exceptional amount of R-rated violence and humor for a Marvel movie. Some of it is excessive. I get that's the point, but sometimes they're just unnecessary side remarks. Ryan Reynolds is perfect for the role, much better than his turn as the Green Lantern. Story-wise it's ok. Its strength is in its comedy.