"The Addams Family" Musical: A Ghoulish Hoot

Courtesy Addams Family Musical

I won’t lie to you, the Broadway musical The Addams Family wasn’t at the top of my list of shows to see.

I was a Munsters fan.

But after seeing the show last week, with its first rate cast and “let’s not take ourselves too seriously” attitude, I have to say, I had a ghoulishly good time.

The show, based on the Charles Addams’ New Yorker cartoons about a “creepy, kooky; mysterious and spooky” family, stars Broadway, film and TV vet Roger Rees as Gomez Addams and Brooke Shields as his ghostly wife, Morticia.

The show kicks off with the opening number, “When You’re an Addams,” and it’s a toe tapping hoot.  It takes place in the Addams’ family cemetery and is the family’s yearly celebration of life and death. 

Especially death.

BlogHers Flashmob to Lady Gaga

Had to miss BlogHer '11 in San Diego this year but got a kick out of watching an official BlogHer flashmob to the dulcet tones of Lady Gaga!

How "The Big Bang Theory" Renewed My Faith in Sitcoms

Photo: Monty Brinton/CBS

These days The Big Bang Theory might be referred to as "one of the other Chuck Lorre shows on CBS that never starred Charlie Sheen." But it's got a lot more going for it than that.

After the cancellation of Seinfeld, I'd pretty much given up on sitcoms.  As far as I was concerned, the genre was tired, overused and creatively spent.  And while I had memories of great classics like The Cosby Show, Roseanne, The Golden Girls and even I Love Lucy to keep me chuckling, I had little tolerance for pale imitations.  

Of course every season I would check out the latest the networks had to offer, but even pretty good shows like Modern Family couldn't get my comedic juices flowing.  So I had to find my laughs in dramedies like Ugly Betty and Desperate Housewives.

Then came The Big Bang Theory. 

"Motherhood is Murder by Diana Orgain:" Fun Summer Reading

Looking for a good book to take to the beach?  Check out Diana Orgain's new mystery, "Motherhood is Murder."

Some of you may remember I met Diana at last year's BlogHer and subsequently did a review of her debut novel, "Bundle of Trouble."

In "Bundle of Trouble," new Mom, Kate Connolly became embroiled in a murder mystery involving her brother-in-law.  Finding she had a knack for detecting and wanting to have a flexible way to make some bucks and not return to the corporate life, Kate decided to try her hand at being a PI.

In Diana's new mystery, "Motherhood is Murder," Kate hooks up with members of a new mother's group, but things go haywire when one of the ladies is murdered.  Though the police are on the case, it's up to Kate to sort through the suspects and find the real killer.

Add to that taking care of a husband, a 7 week old baby, and trying to fit in breast pumps, exercise and keeping track of her mother's boyfriends, Kate's life is hectic but she approaches it with humor and smarts.

"Motherhood is Murder" is light, fun reading, and a cracking good mystery to boot.

You can read an excerpt of "Motherhood is Murder" on Diana's website but better yet, enter my summer book giveaway in a couple of weeks to win your own copy.  Stay tuned for details.

Fun with Lady Gaga "Telephone" Video Spoofs

You've heard the song, you've sung the song, you've marvelled at the weirdness of the video. Now it's time to watch the spoofs. Lady Gaga is now so popular, spoofs of her songs are all over the internet. That includes her latest viral video, "Telephone" -- and it's only appropriate that it features the previous queen of the viral video, Beyonce, whose "Single Ladies" video last year had everyone, young and old, large and small, black and white, hairy and bald, taking a turn on the "Single Ladies" dance floor.  And spawned a slew of "Single Ladies" spoofs.

Now it's Gaga's turn. First, the original.

But have you seen the Afghanistan troop version?It stars some troops in Afghanistan who evidently have secret desires of being back up dancers for Gaga when they come home. It's had more than 3 1/2 million hits.

Betty White Rocks the House on "SNL" (Video)

Well Facebook got its way last night when comedy golden girl Betty White hosted "Saturday Night Live."  Y'all probably know the story, how an enthusiastic Betty White fan, armed with Facebook and a dream, created a movement that convinced SNL producer Lorne Michaels to have her host the show.

After last night you have to ask yourself, what the heck took them so long?  Because even when the material was sup-par, Betty was brilliant.

First check out her perfectly timed monologue and how fabulous she looks at a youthful 88 1/2 years old.  My favorite line when she pokes fun at Facebook:  "In my day we had phone book.  But we wouldn't waste an afternoon on it."

The bad hosts SNL usually trots out are sorely lacking in comedic timing.  Betty White should conduct a master class for all future hosts.  Add to that her sweet smile and the devilish twinkle in her eye as she delivers a cutting or raunchy line, and you can't help but be caught up in the Betty magic.

It's as if she's saying, "Yes, I know I look like a sweet, innocent 88 1/2 grandma who you think never cursed, never had sex and never had a cross word to say about anyone.  Well, think again."

Tina Fey on SNL Introduces The Sarah Palin Network (Video)

If you missed the return of Tina Fey to "Saturday Night Live" last night, you can't miss her as Sarah Palin introducing the new Sarah Palin TV network.

Enjoy!

Hysterical Opening Credits for "Lost" with a Saul Bass Twist

Okay y'all this is the funniest thing I've seen in days!

It's a sample of the opening credits for "Lost" if they had been done by cinematic title designer Saul Bass.  Bass was a graphic designer and responsible for some of the most memorable film titles in history. 

Throughout his career he created over 50 film title sequences for such directors as Alfred Hitchcok, Otto Preminger and Martin Scorsese.

This one for "Lost is guaranteed fall on the floor funny.

My favorite images, the baby bottle for Claire and the dog with the wagging tail for Michael and Walt.

Enjoy!

Lost vs. Saul Bass from Hexagonall on Vimeo.

"Mad Men's" Jon Hamm is Hilarious as Republican Scott Brown on SNL (Video)

Jon Hamm seriously needs to host "Saturday Night Live" more often, 'cause the show is so much funnier when he's on it.

Check out this fabulously funny sketch where top Democrats have bedroom fantasies about the newly elected Republican senator, and former Cosmo pin-up boy, Scott Brown.

Hysterical Ken Burns Documentary, "The Late Night Wars"

This comes from Jimmy Kimmel and ABC. Enjoy!

One Last Look At 2009 Courtesy of JibJab (Video)

This was too funny to pass by.  Enjoy.

Try JibJab Sendables® eCards today!

The Muppets Perform "Bohemian Rhapsody" Hee, hee! (Video)

Need a good laugh?  Well here it is:  the Muppets performing Queen's "Bohemian Rhapsody." (Via Boing Boing)

Hy-ste-ri-cal!!!

Enjoy!

 

I Can Has Cheezburger: The Musiclol

I was probably one of the last people on the internet to know what a lolcat was.  See I'm a dog person and if there had been loldogs, I'd have known all about 'em.  But grammatically challenged pussycats?  Not so much.  "I has funnie pitchures and capshuns?  Wut you talkin' bout Kitty?"

Of course I'd seen a couple of funny cat pictures with cutesy sayings and I'd seen the phrase, "I Can Has Cheezburger" but I just thought it was some wise acre blogger poking fun at McDonalds.   It wasn't until I was assigned to go see the "I Can Has Cheezburger, The MusicLOL" at the Cherry Lane Theatre in New York that I truly understood the size,  the scope and the power of the monstrous lolcat phenomenon.

Google Got You Down? Here's A Humorous Solution

Pay close attention because there's lots to laugh about in this one.  Enjoy.

Wanda Sykes On "The Tonight Show" (Video)

Wanda Sykes is on a roll.  She's getting her own Fox Saturday late night talk show this fall and people are still buzzing about comments she made while hosting the recent White House Correspondents dinner. 

Then last night she was a guest on "The Tonight Show" and explained in hilarious detail why comedians and the press have such a hard time with Michelle Obama.



Somehow I don't believe Michelle Obama will ever have those rods taken out of her neck!