It’s Christmas in July! Have you been watching the movies airing on Hallmark Channel? I know I’ve caught a few this month!
This movie, though, isn’t a Hallmark movie. I watched it on Hulu when it had its holiday hub going and I enjoyed it a good amount. And I didn’t see the twist coming until the end. So that was a plus.
Let’s take a look at The Christmas Calendar!
Last time: Zoey recalled her first day at SPRQ Point and how she became friends with Max when Danny Michael Davis made the “prehires” go through a competition to see who would get the limited open positions at the company. Zoey and Leif ultimately won but Max was hired about a month later after he and Zoey made Danny’s assistant obsolete with their final project.
As she was competing for her dream job, Zoey found out Mitch had rushed Maggie to the hospital with a possible heart attack. Maggie had to undergo surgery and the family rallied around her. David ran into Emily at the hospital, the spark of their relationship, and Mo was the driver who took Zoey from SPRQ Point to the hospital. Maggie pulled through but it was Zoey’s first brush with a possibly life-changing loss and she realized how fragile everything really was.
After some words of wisdom from her therapist, Zoey headed home and had an awkward encounter with Max. She reminded him of their winning invention, which he still had. We learned that Max had really gotten the job but had given it up for Zoey, something she didn’t know.
Here we are. The last episode of season 2. I really hope that this isn’t the last episode ever of Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist and continue to pray someone else can pick it up, even if the cast has been released from their contracts. Keep supporting the show and showing it love – that does help in attracting other interest.
Sing, sing a song/Let the world sing along/Sing of love there could be/Sing for you and for SPOILERS!
Last time: Encouraged by her therapist, Zoey decided to focus on her relationship with Simon. But her plans were turned upside down when she ended up on a double date at a marathon with Rose and Max. She also was distracted helping Perry as he introduced his ex-husband Brad to Mo. And things went from bad to worse when Max revealed that he was considering moving to New York for a few months to run a Maximo’s pop-up funded by a friend of Rose’s. Zoey reacted so badly to the news that Simon later questioned if she still had feelings for Max. She denied it, explaining how her therapist had connected Max’s news to all the loss she had already experienced that year and that it was just a continuation of her grief.
Simon wasn’t convinced.
Meanwhile, Deb was worried that Maggie was gambling to fill a hole in her life but Maggie was really trying to just lose the last of the money Roger the Creep was paying her. However, she kept winning and winning. So Zoey and Deb convinced her to use some on house repairs, to save some and then to use the rest to go on a cruise with Deb. After Mo met Brad, Perry realized he still had some insecurities to deal with and it put his relationship with Mo back on the rocks. Tobin and McKenzie were betrayed when Leif submitted the winning phone design and it led to them kissing in the meditation room. And Max decided he needed time and space from Zoey, so he was going to go to New York.
I know we’re probably all still reeling from the announcement that the show has been cancelled. But there is still hope! There are platforms that may still pick it up. Make sure you let them know. Here are links to request shows to different streaming platforms:
Disney+ (Click on "Feedback")
Place your head on my beating heart/I’m thinking out loud/Maybe we found SPOILERS right where we are
Well, we’ve made it! It’s the halfway point! It’s been six months since last Christmas and it’s six months to this Christmas! And right now, I’m cautiously optimistic that we may actually be able to celebrate Christmas like we did before the pandemic.
(“Cautiously optimistic” because I really want to see what happens when the fall comes and cold and flu season bear down on us again. It’s easy to say we’re almost done with the pandemic now in summer when the weather is nice, ventilation is better in most places and most people are spending more times outdoors).
But for now, we’re going to mark the halfway point with a movie from last Christmas that features a carnival, a magical carousel and a chance to change your life.
They’re singing “Deck the Halls”/But it’s not like Christmas at all/’Cause I remember when you were here/And all the fun we had last SPOILERS!
Last time: Zoey made it her mission to help Emily but it proved more difficult than she expected. Emily rebuffed any attempts by the family to help her and continued to put on a brave face, believing she couldn’t break down and had to be strong. Zoey invited Emily over for a girls’ night in hopes some pampering would get her sister-in-law to open up but Emily just wanted to dance. By the end, Emily did acknowledge she needed help and opened up to Zoey. She also asked David for help and support, which he gave.
Max struggled with keeping his relationship with Rose casual, Simon struggled with finding alone time with Zoey and Mo struggled with not being the center of Perry’s world. They had a boys’ night in and talked about their struggles together. Max and Rose decided not to be so casual, Simon finally got to spend some time with Zoey, and Mo got to meet Perry’s children.
Maggie reunited with Deb, who took her out to a casino where they pretended to be other people to forget about their worries. But it only worked for a little bit and a sad Maggie went back to the casino, no doubt desperate for some connection.
And in the end, Zoey finally went to see a therapist! Yay!
I’m in the final stretch of the season. Time to see how these storylines play out and what help Zoey will get from her therapist.
And as many of you no doubt know by now, NBC has decided not to renew the show for a third season or move it to Peacock, which had been the rumored track for the show given how strong it performs in digital viewings. However Austin Winsburg is not giving up and has vowed to continue to shop the show around. So hopefully someone will pick it up and we are all encouraged to use the hashtag SaveZoeysPlaylist in order to show the other networks how much support and love there is for the show.
I am going to stay hopeful that we can get a third season after all. So please use the hashtag and make your voice heard!
Yes, I’m havin’ a good time/I don’t want to SPOILERS at all!
Last time: Mo took Zoey to visit a psychic and her powers went on the fritz. She realized all the heartsongs were mixed up and she had to figure which song belonged to which person in her life. Especially a song Max sang that was calling out for help. In the process, Zoey learned that Rose is a recovering alcoholic, Perry is a devoted dad to his son, Mo is struggling with not being the focus of Perry’s attention, her team is highly competitive and her mother struggled with being around her couple friends again. And she learned that Simon loves her but is a bit insecure about their relationship, especially after she had to blow off a meeting with his woodworking club to solve the mystery of the mixed up songs. In the end, she reassured Simon but chose not to reveal the truth of her powers and discovered the call for help came from Emily.
Sorry for the delay in my posts! May ended up being a crazier month than I thought! I was asked to cover shifts at one of our branches and that affected the amount of time I had to write. And then I went on vacation which was immediately followed by a funeral for a family member. Honestly, Memorial Day weekend feels like the first real break I’ve gotten all month.June, though, is looking a lot less hectic. So I think I can finish up the season before July! And hopefully, we’ll know the fate of Zoey by then.
After all my strength is gone/In you I can be SPOILERS!
It seems the announcements of reopenings has slowed down as many musicals have set their return dates. I'll keep an eye out for any more announcements in the future but I think we're going to have the schedule set by the time summer officially begins at the end of June.
But recently one Tony-award winning musical announced that it would return almost two weeks earlier than the others! So check below to see when the earliest date Broadway will return is and which musical that is! (Hint: It'll be the one in bold).
Keep going to the bottom for news on the Tony Awards as well!
Who’s eager for summer to begin? The days are getting longer and Memorial Day is upon us. It’s time for barbecues, fireworks, shorts and for me to switch from vodka to tequila.
(I don’t know why but I associate vodka with winter and tequila with summer. Go figure).
But we’re going to put on our favorite Christmas sweater, pour some hot chocolate and munch on a candy cane – at least in our minds – as we look at this month’s Christmas movie review, The Knight Before Christmas.
Through the years, we all will be together/if the fates SPOILERS!
More shows have announced their reopening dates! So take a look at the list below to see if your favorite musical has set its return date and if so, when it will come back!
Chicago - September 14th
Hamilton - September 14th
The Lion King - September 14th
Wicked - September 14th
Six the Musical - previews resume September 17th, opening night is October 3rd
Come From Away - September 21st
Moulin Rouge! - September 24th
Aladdin - September 28th
Tina: The Tina Turner Musical - October 8th
Ain't Too Proud - October 16th
Mrs. Doubtfire - previews resume October 21st, opening is December 5th
Jagged Little Pill - October 21st
The Phantom of the Opera - October 22nd
Diana the Musical - previews resume November 2nd, opening night is November 17th
Dear Evan Hansen: December 11th
Company - previews resume December 20th, opening night is January 9, 2022
The Music Man - previews begin December 20th, opening night is February 10, 2022
Another day, another round of reopening announcements! So it's time to update my timeline. Once again, new shows are in bold.
Chicago - September 14th
Hamilton - September 14th
The Lion King - September 14th
Wicked - September 14th
Six the Musical - previews resume September 17th, opening night is October 3rd
Come From Away - September 21st
Aladdin - September 28th
Tina: The Tina Turner Musical - October 8th
Ain't Too Proud - October 16th
Mrs. Doubtfire - previews resume October 21st, opening is December 5th
Jagged Little Pill - October 21st
The Phantom of the Opera - October 22nd
Diana the Musical - previews resume December 1st, opening night is December 16th
Company - previews resume December 20th, opening night is January 9, 2022
The Music Man - previews begin December 20th, opening night is February 10, 2022
Everything is starting to shape up! There's still several more musicals to announce - for example, past Best Musical Winners Dear Evan Hansen and Hadestown - as well as several plays, like Harry Potter and the Cursed Child. But I'm sure we'll keep getting more announcements as we head toward June and the summer.
And hopefully we'll get a date for the Tony Awards as well! The American Theatre Wing said that they would have it as soon as theaters could reopen and I think it would be a great way to kick off the 2021-2022 Broadway season to finally honor the 2019-2020 season.
I'll be back soon with more updates!
It seems Broadway producers were busy this weekend! Four more shows have announced re-opening dates today, Monday. Here's the updated list, new entries are bolded:
Chicago - September 14th
Six the Musical - previews resume September 17th, opening night is October 3rd
Come From Away - September 21st
Ain't Too Proud - October 16th
Mrs. Doubtfire - previews resume October 21st, opening is December 5th
The Phantom of the Opera - October 22nd
Diana the Musical - previews resume December 1st, opening night is December 16th
Company - previews resume December 20th, opening night is January 9, 2022
The Music Man - previews begin December 20th, opening night is February 10, 2022
Tickets are on sale for these shows with the exception of Company and The Music Man.
Stay tuned as I'm sure more shows will announce their returns soon!
Last time: It was Zoey’s birthday! Maggie threw a party for Zoey and everyone came –except Leif, who was at some sort of contest. Zoey and Max decided to turn their pause into a breakup so he could figure out what he felt for Rose and Zoey could figure out what she felt for Simon. Mo and the fire marshal got closer, though it was a shock when he mentioned he had kids with his ex-husband. David helped Aiden write a song and was then horrified to realize it was a song about how much Aiden wanted Zoey, who turned him down gently. During a heartsong, Zoey learned that McKenzie and Tobin had feelings for each other. Tatiana revealed that while she was into Simon, he was into someone else – with strong implications that “someone else” was Zoey. And on her birthday, Simon and Zoey shared a kiss.
A lot certainly happened. I’m still not sure the romances we saw last episode will be endgame (except for Emily and David) though I’ll be interesting to see those journeys.
Well, there’s nothing else to discuss just yet so let’s dive into the episode!
Anyone, please send me anyone/Lord, is there SPOILERS!
With more Americans getting vaccinated and COVID positivity rates dropping, the thing we dreamed of all of last year is finally becoming a reality - the end of the pandemic is in sight and plans to return to what we consider "normal" are starting to get timelines.
Including one for Broadway.
Governor Andrew Cuomo has announced that Broadway theaters can reopen at full capacity on September 14th - as long as they can guarantee social distancing and their plans are approved. So it's very unlikely all of Broadway will reopen in September. In fact, at least one show has already announced it will reopen in October - The Phantom of the Opera.
I anticipate that shows will continue to announce their re-openings over the coming weeks and I'll try to keep a running timeline of when the shows will return.
Last time: Zoey wanted to recreate a memory from her childhood where she watched the Leodons Meteor Shower with her father. It was coming around again but she could only go with Tobin and Leif, whose love life problems caused her to miss the shower. She then tried to see it on the second day but had the opening of Max’s and Mo’s restaurant while trying to solve Leif’s problems. In the end, Max rounded up some friends and they went to see the stars after the opening with Zoey.
In addition: David joined Aiden’s band to get out of the house more, Leif’s date just wanted a job at SPRQ Point, Simon is now the hottest thing on the San Francisco tech scene, Max reconnected with an old friend from camp named Rose and Mo was making eyes with the Fire Marshall.
All in all, it felt like a good reset after the hiatus and set up the backend of the season.
No word yet on a possible season 3. Alice Lee (Emily) has been cast in another pilot but that doesn’t mean much. She could just end up being a recurring again rather than a regular if a third season is picked up. So we’ll see what happens.
A little less conversation and/a little more touch my body/cause I’m SPOILERS!
Eight months to Christmas!
I know, I know. I’m barely thinking about it myself. Especially now that the weather is turning and is getting all nice. I’m focused on spring and summer right now. But I’m still reviewing one Christmas movie a month, so here we go!
Oh, there’s no place like home for the holidays/for the holidays you can’t beat home sweet SPOILERS!
Last time: SPRQ Point dealt with the fallout from Simon’s statement at the press conference. Danny Michael Davis continued to be a douche until forced not to be a douche and then pretended to be a hero. Zoey learned that she has a lot to learn about seeing the world from a different perspective as did Leif. Tobin finally took a stand and told his truth, backing up Simon’s experience of racism at the company. And Max and Mo hit up a white guilt-ridden Danny Michael Davis for the capital to finally open their restaurant.
Zoey is back! Just as I thought, the second dose of the Moderna vaccine did put me out of commission. So I finally caught up and can now recap the return episode.
(For those wondering, a few people I spoke with who also got the Moderna vaccine have reported the same side effects I had: chills, headaches, hot flashes/night sweats and then an overall feeling of blah for about 24 hours).
Now onto the episode!
Let’s get loud/let’s get loud/turn the music up to hear that SPOILERS!
We started with 36 musicals.
8 faced off in the wild rounds and 4 moved on to the main rounds.
32 musicals then faced off in 4 rounds of 8 matchups to determine the Sweet 16.
16 musicals then became the Elite Eight.
8 then became 4.
Now only 2 musicals remain from the original 36 and only 1 can be crowned the winner.
Will it be Wicked, the story of two very different who become friends but find themselves on opposite sides when one chooses to defy gravity and the other opts to follow the rules of a rather corrupt game?
Or will it be The Phantom of the Opera, the longest running show on Broadway that tells the story of a deformed genius who terrorizes the Paris Opera House and the young soprano caught between him and her childhood sweetheart?
Time to find out!
Here we are! Our Final Four – Wicked, Beauty and the Beast, The Pirate Queen and The Phantom of the Opera – will now battle it out to find out who will go head-to-head in the final round.
So without further ado, let the Semifinals begin!
Let’s start with the Nederlander Conference:
Wicked v. Beauty and the Beast
Two stories about outcasts who find friendship and love – what a pairing! Both are rich stories with beautiful music to supplement them. I love “I’m Not That Girl” as much as I love “If I Can’t Love Her.” While one does hold a very special place in my heart, the other is just stronger in how memorable it is and how much of a lasting impact it’s left one me.
And that one has one of my favorite love duets.
Winner: Wicked!
So Wicked and Beauty and the Beast will battle to see who will represent the Nederlander Conference in the finals. Let’s see who will fight to represent the Shubert Conference.
Here we go!
Spring Awakening v. The Pirate Queen
Oh, wow. This is an intriguing matchup. Both opened in the same season and I saw them within weeks of each other. I got to see one with my friend and that was a really special trip out while the other was with my mother, which was also a great experience. And both have different but impactful stories, so I guess this is also going to come down to my gut.
Winner: The Pirate Queen!
Here we are at the Elite Eight! It’s amazing to me how I’ve narrowed down a field of 36 contenders and am now down to eight. I’m eager to see how these matches will play out. I thought I would rule one way when just eyeballing certain matches but then when I did deep dives, found myself changing my mind. I have a feeling it will happen a few more times before I crown a winner.
Like Round 2, this will focus more on comparing the two musicals rather than evaluating them individually.
Let’s get started!
Rent v. Wicked
Both of these musicals defined a generation, have songs that have lasted throughout the years, and made their marks on Broadway. And both count Idina Menzel in their original casts. But I feel one is more timeless in its appeal and story while the other is a nostalgic and maybe rose-colored look back at a slice of life during a certain time. It still has some timeless messages but I think it really appeals more to theater people than the other. And one has definitely stuck with me more than the other.
Winner: Wicked!
