Here's How I Nabbed My Ticket To See 'Hamilton' In Cleveland

When I heard that the national tour of the smash Broadway musical "Hamilton" was coming to my neck of the woods, I vowed to land a ticket. I can't wait to see "Hamilton" in Cleveland during Playhouse Square's 2017-18 season.

The occasion will have a special significance, since Playhouse Square is the venue where I presented my own play, "The Springtime of Our Lives," in June 2014.

 

There's just one problem: neither the website for Playhouse Square nor "Hamilton" lists the dates or allows you to buy tickets for the show's Cleveland engagement. Since "Hamilton" tickets are bound to sell out instantly, it seems like the only thing to do is to monitor the websites every day to check for when tickets go on sale.

 

Unless you do this:

 

Buy a season ticket for Playhouse Square's current 2016-17 season. You'll be given the option to renew your season ticket for the 2017-18 season, which, of course, includes "Hamilton."

The fact that I ended up buying a season ticket for Playhouse Square was one of those "happy accidents" that life hands you. I live in Columbus, which is more than two hours south of Cleveland. But buying a ticket for Playhouse Square's entire season is much cheaper than what I'd pay a scalper for a "Hamilton" ticket.

Plus, the season ticket comes with the added benefit of seeing shows I wouldn't ordinarily see. I look forward to driving to Cleveland to see "The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time," "Something Rotten!" and "An American in Paris."

In fact, since I'm a writer and director who plans to eventually revive my play "The Springtime of Our Lives" and bring other theatrical productions to the stage, attending shows at Playhouse Square will be educational - an informal "drama school."

"Hamilton" is certainly bound to be the hottest ticket in Cleveland and every other town that the show is scheduled to visit. Rather than purchasing tickets for a theater's entire season, I'm sure most "Hamilton" fans would prefer to see only that show - and maybe see it multiple times since it's become such a phenomenon.

But buying a season ticket is a relatively inexpensive way to support other deserving shows and to broaden your cultural horizons.

(Chris Bournea is the writer and director of the forthcoming documentary "Lady Wrestler: The Amazing, Untold Story of African-American Women in the Ring") 



 

Reflecting On Obama's Legacy And The Time I Met Him

During my end-of-year purging ritual during the holidays, I unearthed a People Magazine from November 2008 with the then-newly elected President Barack Obama on the cover. "Obama Makes History!," the headline reads. As the nation's first black president prepares to leave office, the time has come to reflect on that history.

When Obama was first elected, I was working as a reporter at a suburban newspaper in my hometown of Columbus, Ohio. The editor-in-chief asked me to write a column about what Obama's election meant to me, since I was the only African-American writer on staff at the time. I doubted if I was the right person for the assignment.

Sure, I voted for Obama. But I'd supported Hillary Clinton during the primary, remembering how prosperous life seemed in the '90s when I was in college at Ohio State and her husband Bill was president. And I didn't quite grasp why multitudes of people seemed to be so excited by Obama the candidate. Back then, he didn't have a long record that would indicate his ability to pull the nation out of the worst economic collapse since the Great Depression. I was skeptical, to put it mildly.

However, I soon realized the enormity of Obama's presidency during his acceptance speech in Grant Park in Chicago on election night 2008. Seeing Jesse Jackson weeping uncontrollably really moved me. It was apparent that Jackson was not only reflecting on his own presidential campaigns, but was also looking back on all the sacrifices that Martin Luther King and so many activists made during the civil rights movement that paved the way for Obama.

The morning after Obama's election, I ran out and bought a copy of my hometown paper, the Columbus Dispatch, heralding the dawn of a new era. It really did feel like the start of a new chapter in American history, that the United States had become a fully modern society.

I didn't, however, buy into the whole "post-racial society" concept that was floated around in the media. I continued to believe that Obama's rise seemed to be a fluke, that he was a shooting star that appeared out of nowhere.

In his inspiring farewell address last night, Obama acknowledged that the "post-racial society" concept was "unrealistic."

"Race remains a potent and divisive force," he said.

It was fitting that Obama gave his farewell address in Chicago, the city that gave birth to his ascendancy to the world stage. Way before Obama was elected, there was a rock star vibe about him.

I met Obama back in March 2005, when he was a presenter at that year's NAACP Image Awards. I covered the red-carpet ceremony for the Call and Post Newspaper, Ohio's oldest and largest African-American newspaper. When the then-senator from Illinois came back to the press room to answer questions, there was an electricity that filled the air. There was a lot of buzz around Obama, and he was still hot after his now-legendary speech at the 2004 Democratic National Convention.

After the formal round of questioning, several of my colleagues swarmed Obama and asked him to sign autographs, and he graciously fulfilled all requests. I don't clearly remember if I actually approached the utterly approachable man from Hawaii for an autograph.

Frankly, at the time I was less concerned with Obama and was instead preoccupied with how to finagle my way backstage to meet Prince, my teen idol. At that year's NAACP Image Awards, His Royal Badness received a lifetime achievement award and performed a medley of his greatest hits, backed up onstage by another idol of mine, Sheila E. (Unfortunately, I wasn't able to meet Prince, but I am fortunate to say I've met Sheila and her close-knit family several times and consider them friends. To read my Prince tribute and how I almost met him at the NAACP Image Awards, click here.)

If I did, indeed, get an autograph from Obama in the press room that evening at the Shrine Auditorium, I carelessly lost whatever scrap of paper I asked him to sign. But it's cool to be able to say that I got that close to the future president, that in a small way I had a brush with greatness.

And in my opinion, Obama has been not only a great president, but a great man. Perhaps because I didn't have the sky-high expectations that my friends, family and other fervent Obama supporters had his during his first presidential campaign, I don't have a laundry list of complaints and disappointments about the job he's done in the Oval Office.

In my view, President Barack Obama has been a model of dignity and grace under pressure, a devoted family man whose administration has been free of personal scandals. Seeing him, First Lady Michelle and daughters Sasha and Malia in the White House has been wonderful. 

President Obama has set a stellar example for how to treat the most vulnerable among us. He's someone who we all can look to - especially those of us who are African-American - and be proud.

(Chris Bournea is the co-author, with Raymond Lambert, of the book "All Jokes Aside: Standup Comedy Is a Phunny Business.")

Estefans' Uplifting 'On Your Feet' Musical Celebrates Diversity

Every year at this time,  I go into a post-holiday funk. It feels like the joy and merriment and festive spirit of the holidays are over. And living in a cold, Midwestern climate (my home base is Columbus,Ohio), it seems like there is nothing but bleakness, cold and gray skies for at least the next couple of months. 

So this year I decided to start what I hope will become a new post-holiday tradition: doing something special when January rolls around. This past weekend, I decided to drive to New York City to see a Broadway show. I've been wanting to see "On Your Feet," the new musical based on the life story of Gloria and Emilio Estefan, ever since I heard about it a few months ago. 

Taking in the show, I learned a lot about Gloria and Emilio Estefan, as portrayed by actors Ana Villafane and Ektor Rivera.

At one point early on in Miami Sound Machine's career, a record executive tells Emilio that the company doesn't plan to spend a lot of money promoting the group because they're too Latin to appeal to "mainstream" radio, and too mainstream to appeal to the Latin market. 

Emilio stands up to the condescending executive, telling him that the group does, indeed, deserve support because they represent a large segment of the population and "this is what an American looks like" - a line that drew enthusiastic applause.

As a creative person myself, it was inspiring to watch the Estefans fighting to make their dreams come true and their determination to reach the widest audience possible. 

"On Your Feet" cleverly weaves in many of the Estefans' biggest hits as the story of their rise to fame unfolds. Emilio sweetly croons "I See Your Smile" to Gloria when they're just getting to know each other and she initially resists his overtures: "I've taken too many chances... Tell me if I've made the wrong advances..."

In the hospital after the 1990 tour bus accident that nearly paralyzed Gloria, she sings the song "Famous" from her 2003 "Unwrapped" album, reflecting on the downside of success: "Curiously, I didn't set out to be... famous..."

The most inspiring aspect of "On Your Feet" is the show's diverse casting. Reflecting the Estefans' Cuban heritage, the show features performers of every shade - black, white and brown.  This diversity was reflected in the audience. After the very divisive campaign season of the past year and a half, it was a healing and empowering experience to be surrounded by people of all races,  ages and backgrounds for the sole purpose of celebrating the power of art and unity. 

"On Your Feet" is everything a Broadway musical should be: an engaging story, world-class singing and dancing, and a talented, multicultural, multigenerational  cast. It's an uplifting, feel-good show that is sure to get you clapping along and tapping your feet to Estefan's vast catalog of radio-friendly hits.

An interesting coincidence is that the exact same weekend, my longtime friend Tara and her family also ventured to New York to see "Jersey Boys," which is based on the lives of Frankie Valli & the Four Seasons. It was a "happy accident" that we both chose the same weekend to see Broadway shows based on the lives of legends whose music will endure for generations to come.

(Chris Bournea is the co-author of the book "All Jokes Aside: Comedy Is a Phunny Business.")

My No. 1 'Choice' Of The 100 Greatest Movies

This is the second part of my blog post about watching all of the films on the "Entertainment Weekly Guide to the 100 Greatest Movies" list in 2016.

In Part 1 of this blog post, I promised to reveal my No. 1 personal favorite. And that movie is (drum roll): 1984's "Choose Me." This small indie flick may seem like an odd choice (pun intended), considering it's relatively little known compared to beloved epics like "Citizen Kane."

But the small scope is exactly what I like so much about "Choose Me," which was written and directed by Alan Rudolph. It's a classic character-driven movie in that there's not really a plot, per se. The story revolves around a drifter played by Keith Carradine who gets entangled in a love triangle with a commitment-phobic bartender (Lesley Ann Warren) and her roommate, a radio personality who gives advice on love (Genevieve Bujold).

The slow-paced yet engaging "Choose Me" is the polar opposite of a melodrama like 1956's "Written on the Wind," which is also on the 100 Greatest Movies list. Starring Lauren Bacall and Rock Hudson, "Written on the Wind" is a big-screen soap opera with over-the-top plot twists that strain credulity.

While it's not "plotty-plotty" like "Written on the Wind," "Choose Me" does resemble other old-fashioned movies from the golden era of Hollywood. Like a classic thriller, "Choose Me" is sexy, but the sex is implied rather than explicit.

One of the things I like the most about "Choose Me" is that it has diversity. Many '80s movies don't have people of color as the lead performers, but they at least made an effort, showcasing black and Latino actors in supporting roles.

In "Choose Me," multiracial actress Rae Dawn Chong plays a young woman who befriends Carradine's character. I also love the R&B music score, including Teddy Pendergrass' soulful title track and additional songs by Luther Vandross.

As I made my way through the 100 Greatest Movies list, a couple of interesting coincidences happened. The day I watched 1988's "Dangerous Liaisons," featuring Glenn Close and John Malkovich, I came across an intriguing news item online. It was an announcement that a stage version of the novel on which the movie is based, "Les Liaisons Dangereuses," is coming to Broadway.

When I watched another Glenn Close movie, 1990's real-life crime drama "Reversal of Fortune," I made a mental note that the voice-over by Close's character - who happens to be dead - reminded me of "Desperate Housewives." That hit TV show is  another story in which a dead woman narrates the action. Shortly after I made this observation, "Desperate Housewives" star Felicity Huffman came onscreen. In "Reversal of Fortune," Huffman plays one of the law students who assists attorney Alan Dershowitz in defending accused murderer Claus von Bulow.

Another interesting coincidence: a couple of weeks before Thanksgiving, I saw the sci-fi movie "Arrival" with friends. Since the movie jumps around in time and makes it hard to determine what is past, present and future, I commented that it's like "Memento" meets "Contact." Exactly one week later, while working my way through the 100 Greatest Movies list, I watched the Albert Finney/Audrey Hepburn 1967 romantic comedy "Two for the Road," which also jumps around in time.

Another observation about the 100 Greatest Movies is that some of the special effects are laughable, as viewed through the eyes of a modern moviegoer. It's so obvious that the car scenes were filmed in front of a projection screen, with a light randomly flashing in the background to simulate passing headlights.

As a filmmaker and lifelong movie buff, watching the 100 Greatest Movies was a "film school" assignment I gave myself. I certainly wouldn't have discovered many of these movies on my own - in fact, I'd never heard of some of them.

One of my New Year's resolutions is to make my own "100 Greatest Movies" list to watch. My tailor-made list will include more diversity, with mainstream Hollywood classics I haven't yet seen, but also films by African Americans and other filmmakers of color as well as foreign cinema. 

See you at the movies!

(Chris Bournea is the writer-director of the forthcoming documentary "Lady Wrestler: The Amazing, Untold Story of African-American Women in the Ring.")

 

The 100 Greatest Movies: Part 1

When I look back at 2016, one of the milestones I'm most proud of is seeing all of the movies on the "Entertainment Weekly Guide to the 100 Greatest Movies."

I came across this guide several years ago while browsing the Half Price Books used bookstore in my hometown of Columbus, Ohio. The 100 Greatest Movies guide is from 1990, but the films on the list are classics - and many are still shockingly relevant nearly 30 years later.

One is example is the 1983 immigration drama "El Norte," which tells the story of a brother and sister from Guatemala who flee violence in their small village and venture to the U.S. to make a better life. This movie shows that American society is no closer to solving the immigration debate than we were more than 30 years ago.

A movie that is perhaps the mirror image of "El Norte" is 1948's "The Treasure of the Sierra Madre," about a group of Americans led by Humphrey Bogart who try to strike it rich by searching for gold in Mexico. The moral of the story about the dangers of being consumed with greed is timeless. 

But what really stood about about "Sierra Madre" is the score. The first few notes of the musical theme remind me of "A Spoonful of Sugar" from "Mary Poppins," and "Sierra Madre" is certainly not a lighthearted children's movie!

The plight of youth is a recurring theme in several of the 100 Greatest Movies. Young people going astray into lives of crime is central to the plot of "Gun Crazy," "Detour," "Pretty Poison," "Badlands" and "Sugarland Express." It makes me wonder if there was once some sort of cinematic movement aimed at deterring the nation's suburban and rural youth from the glamorous allure of crime. 

This "scared straight" movement is an interesting contradiction, since many of the 100 Greatest Movies arguably glorify crime, especially mob dramas like "The Godfather" trilogy and "Goodfellas."

Crime dramas like "The Godfather" tend to be extraordinarily lengthy. Fortunately, modern technology enabled me to break up these gangster sagas into several sittings like a miniseries. I'd check out DVDs from the library and watch part on my television and the rest on a portable DVD player while washing dishes or doing other chores around the house. Sometimes I'd rent the movies on Amazon and stream them on my iPad over a couple of days.

Since some of the 100 Greatest Movies are so long, with complex plots, it often helped to look up the trailer on YouTube before watching the movie. It also helped to read the Wikipedia entry to get the background about the production. 

Even after reading the movies' plot summaries, some were a bit confusing and hard to follow, especially if I was multitasking while watching and not paying close attention. I found certain movies particularly confusing when they featured two or more actors who closely resemble each other. This was the case with two blond male supporting actors in 1992's costume drama "Howards End" (Joseph Bennett and James Wilby)  and the two dark-haired male leads in 1949's thriller "Caught" (James Mason and Robert Ryan).

Also in "Caught," it was interesting seeing Barbara Bel Geddes, who went on to play the matriarch Miss Ellie Ewing in the prime time soap "Dallas," as a fresh-faced ingenue. Bel Geddes was one of several actors I recognized who went on to play character roles in movies and television later in life. Sometimes an actor would seem vaguely familiar and I would have to "IMDB" or "Wikipedia" their names to find out where I recognized them from.

The experience of watching the 100 Greatest Movies of All Time was so epic that I can't capture it all in one blog post - it requires a sequel, if you will. So in the second part of this blog, which I'll post tomorrow, I'll reveal my pick for my personal No. 1 choice of all 100 movies.

(Chris Bournea is the writer and director of the forthcoming documentary "Lady Wrestler: The Amazing, Untold Story of African-American Women in the Ring.")

International Movie Conference Was A 2016 Highlight

Looking back on the highlights of 2016, attending the American Film Market (AFM) and Conference in Los Angeles this fall was definitely one of them.

View From The Top - A bird's-eye view from inside
the Loews Hotel during the conference.

The week-long, annual conference helps independent movies reach audiences who will appreciate them. The event also helps filmmakers connect with producers and network other filmmakers who can help them get their projects off the ground.

This was my first time attending AFM, which was held during the first week of November, and it was a really cool experience. My purpose in attending the conference was to make contacts and generate buzz about the documentary I made and plan to release in 2017, "Lady Wrestler: The Amazing, Untold Story of African-American Women in the Ring." (Click here for more information about "Lady Wrestler.")

Throughout AFM, film and television distribution companies from around the world set up shop in suites at the Loews Hotel in Santa Monica. Prior to the start of the conference, independent filmmakers and producers can make appointments with the distribution companies and then meet face to face at the Loews and other locations in the immediate vicinity.

The overall goal is for filmmakers and producers to secure funding for movies they're trying to get made and/or strike deals to distribute movies they've already made.

During the conference, I attended a couple of very interesting panel discussions with industry leaders. In one panel discussion, African-American filmmaker Tina Mabry spoke about how making her acclaimed 2009 independent film "Mississippi Damned" eventually led to her being recruited by "Selma" director Ava DuVernay to direct episodes of "Queen Sugar" on Oprah's OWN cable channel. 

During the same panel discussion, "Dallas Buyers Club" producer Cassian Elwes shared how he raised the money for that Oscar-nominated indie movie in an astounding three days. To read the in-depth article in which he describes the process, click here. 

AFM also functions as a film festival, with screenings taking place at Santa Monica's AMC theater. I caught one very interesting Irish movie about two young men who become unlikely friends while attending boarding school. 

A fringe benefit of the conference is hitting the
beach and soaking up the California sun.

An added plus of the AFM is that it takes place in a beautiful area of L.A. near Venice Beach and the Pacific Ocean. One of the coolest experiences I had was attending a reception on the Santa Monica Piers, hobnobbing with other filmmakers from all over the world as the sun set over the Pacific Ocean.

Industry types networked against the backdrop
of this beautiful beach setting.

Throughout the conference, I met people from all walks of life - from an African-American filmmaker from Pam Grier's hometown of Denver, Colo., to a producer from Tokyo, Japan. I would recommend attending the AFM, not only for anyone interested in making and distributing movies, but for those who simply love the art of cinema. For more information, visit Americanfilmmarket.com.

My Top 10 'Non-Holiday' Holiday Playlist

This is that time of year when you can't avoid Christmas music. Some radio stations switch their entire format to holiday songs starting in mid-November. And it's nearly impossible to enter any store without hearing seasonal classics - some of which generate warm memories, while others are so overplayed they make you want to scream and pull out every hair on your head.

There are several songs that always remind me of Christmas, no matter the time of year. The following is my top 10 list of my favorite "non-holiday" holiday songs - tunes that weren't specifically recorded as Christmas music, but have that seasonal feel to them:

"Diamonds and Pearls" by Prince - This song from Prince's 1991 album of the same name was, appropriately, released during Thanksgiving week of that year (according to Wikipedia). The lyrics are representative of the holiday spirit: "If I gave you diamonds and pearls/would you be a happy boy or a girl?/If I could I would give you the world/But all I can do is just offer you my love."

This song easily could have been used in a Christmas commercial for a high-end jeweler, if Prince hadn't been so opposed to his music being used for advertising. Even the instrumentation on this heartfelt ballad sounds like it could have been the background music for a Christmas tune.

"Diamonds and Pearls," like all of Prince's music, has taken on a special significance since his untimely death on April 21.

"Peace and Joy" by The E Family and Earth, Wind & Fire - Since I'm a lifelong Prince fan, it's no surprise that a song by one of his closest collaborators - Sheila E. - made this list. Judging from the title, "Peace and Joy" could absolutely be a Christmas song. But it's actually a funky tune about world harmony from the 2011 album "Now & Forever" by Sheila E. and her equally awesome percussionist father Pete and brothers Juan and Peter Michael, with a special guest appearance by EWF. 

While "Peace and Joy" wasn't officially released as a single, the lyrics' sentiments calling for global harmony make it ideal to include on a playlist for a holiday party.

"Oh People" by Patti LaBelle - The legendary R&B diva released this song six months before Christmas in June of 1986, but it definitely captures the spirt of the holiday season. The lyrics are all about world peace and people coming together as one - a message that seems even more relevant 30 years later with all the division and conflict in America and the world at large.

"Love Makes Things Happen" by Pebbles and Babyface - This smooth duet by R&B star Perri "Pebbles" Reid and superstar musician/producer Kenneth "Babyface" Edmonds was released in November of the first year of the last decade of the 20th century. It makes perfect sense that this beautiful ballad came out during 1990's holiday season, since it's all about finding love in unexpected places, and the power of love to transform lives.

"That's What Love Is For" by Amy Grant - No surprise that this number one '91 pop hit sounds like a Christmas song, since Grant was a superstar Christian recording artist before she crossed over to the secular world.

"River" by Herbie Hancock and Corrine Bailey Rae - I'm not sure if the title song to Hancock's Grammy-winning 2007 tribute to Joni Mitchell qualifies as a Christmas song since it mentions the holiday in the lyrics. But it's certainly more forlorn and introspective than most holiday tunes.

"The Gift of Love" by Bette Midler - This ballad from Midler's smash '90 album "Some People's Lives" is yet another song that technically isn't a Christmas song. But, like Prince's "Diamonds and Pearls," this sentimental tune sounds like it could be the background music for a jewelry commercial that runs during the holiday season or Valentine's Day.

As an interesting aside, in researching this blog post, I discovered that "The Gift of Love" was co-written by Susanna Hoffs, lead singer of The Bangles.

"Celebrate Me Home" by Kenny Loggins - This 1977 soft-rock hit could be the theme song for the millions of people who travel great distances to see family and friends during the holidays. I must admit that I didn't think of this one on my own, since jazz star Dave Koz used this song for years as the finale for his annual Christmas tour.  

"Seasons Change" by Exposé - This '87 pop ballad by female trio Exposé is definitely not a Christmas song. But the melancholy lyrics convey how many of us feel this time of year, when we reflect on friends and loved ones who have passed away and relationships that came to an end like the changing seasons. 

"The Closing of the Year" by Wendy and Lisa - I'm topping off this list with yet another nod to Prince  and his peeps. Anyone who has seen "Purple Rain" knows that Wendy Melvoin and Lisa Coleman were two of Prince's closest musical confidantes during the height of his commercial success in the '80s.

Wendy and Lisa's "The Closing of the Year" is sort of a Christmas song, since it actually refers to the holiday in the lyrics. However, the song did not appear on a Christmas album, but rather the soundtrack to the 1992 Robin Williams movie "Toys." 

Featuring a guest appearance by pop star Seal, "The Closing of the Year" is one of the most beautiful Christmas songs I've ever heard. Wendy croons lead vocals in an angelic voice that sounds like she should be the soloist for a celestial choir. 

Like much of Wendy and Lisa's post-Prince music, this song is extremely underrated. This tune is a little-known gem that should be as ubiquitous on radio station holiday playlists and retail store Muzak as anything by Mariah Carey or Celine Dion.