The Arts Issue | Spring 2014

8/12/2019 The Arts Issue | Spring 2014

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WASHINGTON SQUARE NEWSNYUs Daily Student Newspaper

presents


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FROM THE EDITOR

CLIO MCCONNELL

With the rise of hipster culture, ever-present in New York in

general and at NYU in particular, it has become fashionable to

dislike something for being mainstream. Kids have always spurned

their parents favorite bands, actors and writers, but nowadays

we are even skeptical of the stars in our own generation.

This trend cal ls into question the importance of Celebr ity. So

much of art depends on the presence of a big name to make or

break a given project. From the stage to the screen, from radio

waves to TV channels, our artistic interests are so of ten influenced

by the celebrities involved.

The Washington Square News takes a moment out of your regularly

scheduled programming so that the lovely and talented Arts team

can discuss this issue of Celebrity. It is by no means a straightforward

topic there are many ways in which fame infiltrates our everyday

routines, but it is tricky to dissect whether this force is positive or

negative. Whether we love them or hate them, our strong feelings

about famous people may distract us from searching for real merit.

The capaci ty to obsess over sta rs has increased exponentially

with the influx of social media platforms. It is impossible to

form tastes without the intervention of the Internet, which is a

huge change in the art world from generations past. Websites

like Kickstarter allow fans to feel a connection with artists that

transcends the divide between celebrities and us mere mortals.

Without the support of fans, for example, the much-hyped

Veronica Mars movie would never have been made.

Equally fun are the collaborations of talented A-list artists, including

power couples like Beyonc and Jay Z. This type of partnership is

perhaps most common in the music industry, but actors and directors

work together on film and television as well. Ensemble casts on series

like Game of Thrones are particularly exciting to watch, although the

sheer number of actors can sometimes be overwhelming.

By working together, celebrities often use their power to help out the

little people, backing projects that otherwise might not see the light of

day. Brad Pitts work as a producer on 12 Years A Slave may have

won him his first Oscar, but more importantly his contribution made

the film much more successful than it otherwise could have been.

These kinds of charitable collaborations not only bypass the industry

bureaucracy but also turn out to be high-quality productions.

Then again, not all pet projects are successfu l, calling into question

whether we should trust or value the worth of famous opinions. For

instance, J.K. Rowling has released a couple of books since the

end of her Harry Potter series, but the new efforts have received

mixed reviews. Readers may begin to wonder whether the authors

success is based on her writing talent, or simply on a billion-dollar

plot idea. Star power can only carry a production so far, especially

when the celebrity in question is not quite suited for the task.

These and other pitfalls of Celebrity are discussed on the following

pages. Surrounded as we are by the famous and talented, it is

important to consider the influence such people may have. Celebrity

is a concept that is deep-seated in our culture, and fame has become

more far-reaching than ever, for better or for worse. We are all attracted

to the celebrity headlines, but, in reality, whats in a name?

arts editor


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contentsFILM

ENTERTAINMENT

MUSIC

THEATER

BOOKS


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The fanfare that accompanies thebirth of a child in Hollywood is a greatindicator of the publics obsession withcelebrities. For some reason, peoplecompletely lose their cool every time afemale celebrity or celebrity couple an-nounces a pregnancy. A media blood-bath ensues to determine who will getthe first pictures of the newly mintedinfant on the cover of their magazine.

Much like royalty, children of celebri-ties are born with silver spoons in theirmouths and cameras in their faceswhether they like it or not. But whatthey choose to do with that attentionand privilege, especially those borninto the entertainment industry, can

have mixed results.There is a long history of famous

actors whose children also get luredinto show business, resulting in somegreat performer dynasties the Barry-mores, the Curtises, the Fondas andeven some director families such as theCassaveteses and the Coppolas.

Having celebrity parents or grand-parents can nurture youngsters tal-ents, but it also puts a fair amountof stress on them to be great atsomething that is supposedly in theirblood, but may not be in their heartsor in the cards.Today we see a bevy of upcom ing

stars whose last names and heritageseem to precede their work. This in-

cludes people like Jaden Smith, sonof Will Smith, who is being forcedon us in flops like After Earth andThe Karate Kid. There is also Lenny

Kravitzs daughter Zo Kravitz, whohas been cast in a number of bigbudget blockbusters and indepen-dent films despite her generally dis-affected public persona.The list continues with the likes of

Mamie and Grace Gummer, daughtersof Meryl Streep, who are carving outcareers for themselves on televisionand in independent films. Jack Quaid,son of Meg Ryan and Dennis Quaid,is an unknown star of the HungerGames. Parks and Recreation starRashida Jones is the daughter of ac-tress Peggy Lipton and Quincy Jones.The Hollywood film industry is al-

ready an insiders game, but with the

number of celebrity blood ties held bysome of todays biggest stars, it is nowonder that struggling actors and en-tertainers find it so hard to break intothe business. They have limited con-nections and are outsiders in moreways than one.

While many of these celebrity chil-dren are very talented, their successraises questions of access as op-posed to real talent would thesepeople still be where they are thanksto hard work and acting capabilities, orare projects offered to them becauseof their genealogies? And if its the lat-ter, is their work still valid?

Since there is no concrete way to an-swer such questions, as media consum-

ers the audience remains on the sidelinesto watch the lives of the famous and fortu-nate, eagerly anticipating Blue Ivy Cartersinevitable debut film role.

There comes a point when anA-l ist celeb rity may ask him orherself, Who is the best direc-tor I can work with? Sometimesthe answer is, I am. Projectsby actor-directors throughoutfilm history have yielded mixedresults, ranging from Oscar winsand financial successes to self-indulgent vanity projects.

Arrested Development starJason Bateman told his agentthat his acting career is simplya stepping stone on the way todirecting. The result of this effortwas Bad Words, Batemans

directorial debut. He helmed itnot just to tell an offbeat indiecomedy without studio interfer-ence, but also to play a charac-ter opposite to his usual neb-bish pushovers.

In a similar scenario, JosephGordon Levitt, known for play-ing the charming nice guy,took on an unlikely role in lastyears critical and commercialsuccess Don Jon, a sexyindependent comedy with asmart message about modernromance, directed by GordonLevitt himself.Yet probably the best example

of this directing method is Clint

Eastwoods Unforgiven, whichwas a revisionist character studyof the heroic cowboy stereotypefor which Eastwood became fa-mous as a rising actor.

However, not all actors wantto showcase their acting in theirdirectorial projects. While TheTown and Argo do not dem-onstrate a huge departure inBen Afflecks acting style, view-ers can see his confident direc-tion in those films as well as inGone Baby Gone, the first film

Affl eck d irected.Similarly, George Clooney has

shown that he has an eye forstylistic flair with films such asConfessions of a DangerousMind and Good Night, andGood Luck.

Keanu Reeves made The Manof Tai Chi for genre aficionadosto showcase amazingly cho-reographed martial art fights.Though he received help fromEvan Goldberg, Seth Rogenmade a killer co-directorial de-but last summer with This is theEnd, which is one of the best

comedies in recent memory.We can list great successes,but sometimes a great actor doesnot always make the best director self-indulgent style pervadesmany such failed efforts. JamesFrancos experimental films As ILay Dying and Broken Tower,the latter of which was made ashis NYU graduate thesis, werecritically panned.

Before The Lone Ranger,Johnny Depp played a NativeAmerican in his 1997 directorialdebut The Brave, a film thathas not been released on DVDin the United States thanks tobad press from the Cannes Film

Festival that year. Even the afore-mentioned Eastwood fails on oc-casion the film Hereafter feltlike a passion project gone hor-ribly wrong.Yet celebr iti es cont inue to

dabble in directing. In the nextyear, Russell Crowe, RyanGosling and Angelina Jolie willbe joining the ranks of actors-turned-directors. It seems thatsome celebrities wish to pointthe limelight rather than simplystand in it.

FAMOUS CHILDREN INHERIT

PARENTS STARDOM

A-LIST ACTORS STEP

BEHIND CAMERA

IFE OLUJOBI

ZACK GRULLON


5/16

Household-name actors are usuallycelebrities who have had careers span-ning several decades. These performersbridge generational gaps between par-ents and children, and their performancesare recognized by diverse demographics.This widesp read popular ity draws huge

crowds to the box office and most likelyaffects an actors choice of p rojects.Arguably the most prominent example

of this type of actor is Americas darlingTom Hanks. A respected actor, Hanks isincredibly gifted when it comes to attract-ing an audience. From his early days in

Big to his Oscar-winning performancein Forrest Gump, from the heart-wrenching Saving Private Ryan all theway to his involvement in the childrens

classic Toy Story trilogy, Hanks makesit difficult for audiences to decide on a fa-vorite Tom Hanks film.

Hanks box office draw is definitely afactor of his huge fan base. He oftenseems to choose films that would not besuccessful starring any other actor. Therecent Captain Phillips, for example, tellsa story that would not necessarily attractmany audience members. Yet, thanks toHanks participation, the film was immedi-ately shot into the publics view, even gain-ing quite a bit of Oscar buzz.

While Hanks uses his powers of celeb-

rity to great effect, some actors are notas lucky. Certain famous actors beginto fall off the map late in their careers,failing to appeal to a younger genera-

tion of viewers. Therefore, they work onmovies that they believe will appeal tosaid new audience, rather than beingsatisfied with their loyal fans.

Will Smith falls into this category. Upuntil the disastrous After Earth, Smithwas a highly diverse actor with a giantfan base because of a hit TV show andsome pretty incredible films ThePursuit of Happyness, Men in Blackand Ali to name a f ew.

Unfortunately, Smith is no longerplaying to his strengths, especially nowthat, in his middle age, he takes time

to promote the careers of his children.Actors shoul d be chal lenged to go out-side their comfort zones, but as of late,Smith is solely focused on sequels to

his slightly successful action films.Is Smiths decline due to a genera-

tion gap and loss of audience? PerhapsSmith fell off the radar during his nearlythree-year break from acting. His careerchoices since then have played to whathe seems to believe the majority of audi-ences want another sequel to Men inBlack or a science fiction film starring hisson Jaden alongside him.

Smiths choices go to show that someactors compromise their cinematic integritywhen attempting to regain bygone fame. Yetother actors, like Tom Hanks, are constantly

at work, never suffering from a dwindling au-dience thanks to undeniable talent and theundying admiration that comes with beingan industry darling.

What do you get when you casta bunch of the worlds greatestactors in a single movie?

Some previous results includeunrealistic explosions, choppyediting, badly made action films,Taylor Swi ft as a ter rib le chee r-leader, confusion and CameronDiaz getting a little too friendlywith a Ferrari.

Hollywood tends to assumethat grouping many A-list actorsensures a box-office success.Unfortunately, although severalfilms have employed this formulaand succeeded, a great many ofthem have failed to earn criticsapproval. Such flops include TheExpendables, Movie 43, TheCounselor and Valentines Day.

Most of these films consist ofrandomly ordered scenes that donot make much narrative sense.Sadly, 20 minutes of exposure toa celebrity actor does not make upfor a terrible script and bad edit-ing. Audiences may love RidleyScott, but his film The Counselorunnecessarily tainted Javier Bar-dems reputation with a ridiculoushairstyle and many scenes filledwith pointless dialogue.

Directors of this type of film tendto stumble through a haphazardseries of scenes, eventually unify-ing them by one grand gesture intoa common theme or aesthetic ele-ment. These disjointed final prod-

ucts imply a disconnect betweenthe cinematographers direction andthe editors assembly.The cine mat ic fai lures of these

films can be blamed on one par-ticular issue casting a bunch ofactors to play roles in an attemptto maximize profits. A clear exam-ple is The Expendables, starringaction stars Sylvester Stallone,Jason Statham and Jet Li. Theend result was a cluster of actorsfighting for screen time and thus aweak story structure.Thes e kinds of dis appoint ing

films ultimately break the trust oftheir audiences. Viewers may fin-ish watching one of these filmswith the idea that nothing madeany sense.The mag ic of cinema has seeped

into the sewers and its replacementis a multibillion-dollar franchise thatfails to acknowledge that it is slowlydriving away its loyal patrons. Theactors and actresses in these filmsalso make themselves vulnerable toharsh criticism and the degradationof their careers.

Hollywood is making money withstacked casts, but audiences re-main nonplussed by the lack ofplot value and artistic effort putinto these films. Perhaps Americanfilm critic and historian LeonardMaltin said it best, Its the movieitself, not the star, that makes thehit.

With her subtle femininity, sheerbeauty and sincere persona, the ItGirl any up-and-coming per-former who charms her way to fame is idolized by Hollywood and itsadoring audience. This archetype hasevolved from a periodical phrase to alegitimate distinction in the entertain-ment industry.Thos e who hold the It Gir l tit le

earn this renown in a number ofways. For one, these women haveundeniable talent. Oscar-winner Lu-pita Nyongo, this years celebrityicon, did not win over the hearts ofmillions by simply parading her evi-dent elegance around.

Nyongos raw and honest portrayalof Patsey in Steve McQueens 12Years a Slav e left audiences in aweof her ability to evoke vulnerability onscreen. This talent allowed the worldto recognize her humble and inspir-ing perspective on acting when sheaccepted numerous awards for herperformance. Though she has only afew roles to her name, she will likelycontinue to captivate filmgoers withher pronounced passion for the craft.

Other It Girls from years pasthave earned the honorific thanks toa well-received public persona. Jen-nifer Lawrence, an actress with act-ing ability comparable to Nyongos,is prominently recalled for her relat-able and endearing p ersonality.

Whether detailing her love of junkfood and laziness or advocating forbody acceptance, Lawrence is iden-tifiable because she understands theissues her fans face. This approach-ability makes her seem less like ahigh-profile celebrity and more like apeer. In an industry dominated by su-perficiality, Lawrence and others likeher are praised for their charisma andrejection of insincere motivations.

Boasting the flattering It Girlname seems like it would be a roadto perpetual stardom. But despitethe glowing status of the label, it canalso yield petty predicaments.

Just this year, Nyongo and Law-rence were set against each other inthe media because of their similari-ties in both aptitude and popularity.Nyongo, being the newer actress ofthe two, received more support f romfans, as Lawrence was ousted fromher It Girl position because of theassumption that she was jealous ofher counterparts fame.

It is sometimes difficult to concep-tualize a celebrity as being an actualperson, but those dubbed It Girlscan create an avenue where that di-vide seems less daunting their mag-netic allure only enhances a wonderfulpresence. Viewers invariably connectto these performers in one way or an-other, rendering their place in manyhearts timeless.

HOLLYWOOD IT GIRLS

WIN AUDIENCES OVER

WITH CHARMSTACKED CASTS

DISTRACT FROM PLOTLINE

ESTABLISHED ACTORS DRAW MULTI-GENERATIONAL AUDIENCES

NYUNEWS.COM | SPRING 2014 ARTS ISSUE | WASHINGTON SQUARE NEWS 5

NORA BLAKE

MOHAMED HASSAN

LAURA WOLFORD


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6 WASHINGTON SQUARE NEWS | THURSDAY, APRIL 10, 2014 | NYUNEWS.COM

Much has been made of Andy Serkis workin films like The Lord of the Ri ngs and Riseof the Planet of the Apes. Performing in amotion capture suit, Serkis has been her-alded for breathing life into completely com-puter-generated characters, a practice thathas long been used in video games. And now,those who participate in projects via motion

capture suits are finally receiving their well-deserved time in the spotlight.As game devel opers more frequentl y devote

time and resources to improving their plotsand characters, the voices and faces behindthese characters have become celebrities intheir own right. Actors such as Troy Baker,Ashley Johnson and Nolan North have deli v-ered some of the best performances across allentertainment media in recent years, all whileperforming with nothing but a few mock propsand their fellow actors.

Baker, in particular, headlined some of2013s biggest titles he is perhaps themost emblematic of video game actors tak-ing on more public roles. As Joel in The Lastof Us, Baker impressively di sappears into hisperformance. He voices a father coming to

terms with his own emotional guilt, as well asaccepting his charge in possibly saving man-kind from a devastating infection.

In BioShock Infinite, Bakers performance as

Booker DeWitt serves as a viable entry point tothe games world of floating cities and religiousdevotion to American history. In between thesetwo lead roles, Baker even filled the massiveclown shoes of Mark Hamill and successfullytook on the role of Batmans arch nemesis, theJoker, in Batman: Arkham Origins.

Baker has established himself as a known

quantity in the gaming world not just for thosemaking the games but for players as well. Ti-tles like The Last of Us bill their performersup front like a movies introductory credits, andit has given actors like Baker and his equallystellar co-star Johnson their proper due.

While performance capture methods varythroughout the video game industry someactors provide only voice work while somealso contribute to a characters physicality the industry has enjoyed tremendous growthin its acting talent. P layers are rewarding thattalent with an increased focus on these ac-tors, who are therefore increasingly soughtout for jobs in the i ndustry.

Baker, Johnson and North North also appearedin The Last of Us and first gained fame for his pitch-perfect portrayal of Nathan Drake in the Uncharted

franchise have proven that with powerful actors,audiences should watch out. The next big Hollywoodstars may have already appeared on gaming con-soles.

VIDEO GAMES PROVIDEALTERNATIVE PLATFORM FOR

NEW TALENT

JONATHON DORNBUSH

NTERTNTERT


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NYUNEWS.COM | SPRING 2014 ARTS ISSUE | WASHINGTON SQUARE NEWS 7

Many A-list directors and producers have recentlyshifted their attention from the big screen to televi-sion. In 2010, Martin Scorsese became an execu-tive producer of the show Boardwalk Empire. Now,Academy Award-winner Alfonso Cuarn , who direc tedGravity, has helped create the newly premiered se-ries Believe on NBC. What is the cause of this sud-den trend, and what can be the possible effects?At a basic l eve l, cele bri tie s a re looking to work on

successful projects, and certain ideas fit better onthe small screen than in the cinema. For instance,in a 2013 interview on the Howard Stern Show,Breaking Bad actor Bryan Cranston said televisionwas a perfect medium for the series because it al-lowed for a convincing transformation of his charac-ter Walter White.The show, Cranston said, would have made a terribl e

film because there would not have been sufficient timeto tell Whites story. Perhaps the overwhelming criticalpraise and admiration of recent dramas such as Break-ing Bad and Homeland are influencing film directorsto switch media.

While there are always a number of phenomenalfilms every year, for every good feature released, thereare a dozen bad ones solely geared toward breakingrecords at the box office. For every Inside Llewyn Da-vis, there is a Transformers sequel. In other words,directors may face difficulties when convincing Holly-wood to release a film based on its merit, rather thanbased on how many tickets it will sell.Televi sion is also a bus iness wherein seri es are

often canceled for not bringing in enough viewers.However, there are networks, such as AMC, that willsupport a show like Breaking Bad even after initialratings are poor executives recognized the im-portance of keeping a high-quality show on the air.

Perhaps film directors are enticed not only by thefreedom television allows for fully developing a sto-ryline, but also by networks eager attitude to hostwell-crafted shows.Yet there are consequences of these big-shot di-

rectors and producers turning their attention towardthe small screen. The shift could lead to an increas-ing number of great TV shows, but it is important toremember that these directors do not always producethe best films Man of Steel, directed by Zack Sny-der and produced by veteran superhero expert Chris-topher Nolan, was a travesty at best. As such, thereis no guarantee that they will produce amazing TV

shows, but television provides more room for improve-ment than film does.For now, the celebrity interest in developing TV se-

ries is an important opportunity for major progressionin the industry.

PRODUCERS MAKE

CREATIVE LEAP

FROM FILM

TO TELEVISION

ALEXANDRA MUJICA

In a sketch last week during his sec-ond hosting gig on Saturday Night Live,Louis C.K. had a rough time. Many of hisremarks in Black Jeopardy as the char-acter Mark were not only offbeat, but alsoawkwardly racist.

Watching celebrities behave uncharacter-istically has always been one of the maindraws for audiences of SNL, now in its39th season on NBC. But the attractionof SNL one of the most discussed

and longest-running shows on television should not be scenes that put famouspeople in uncomfortable situations.

Even during Black Jeopardy, one ofthe most shared videos from last weeksepisode, the laughs come from the writing.Theoretically, any white male whethercelebrity host or cast member couldhave played C.K.s role and it would havebeen just as funny.The SNL audi ence seemingly consi sts

of two groups. There are diehard sketch-comedy fans who are lifelong watchersand truly care about the show. On theother hand, there are those watchingsolely for the celebrity guests.The first group will argue that sketch writing

is a labor-intensive process and that when it

works, which it often does on this show, theresult is hilarious and seems effortlessly funny.The other group will argue that, for the mostpart, SNL is not all that great, but it is enjoy-

able when stars act silly.But what this second group does not real-

ize is that a sketch with stars acting silly is notinherently funny. Even if Matt Damon puts ona dress and hits on Kenan Thompson, his dia-logue is what makes even the haters laugh the dress and the man are just there to fulfillthe writers vision.

For this reason, the seasons best epi-sodes are those hosted by former castmembers or by celebrities who have

hosted multiple times. Stars like JimmyFallon, Steve Martin and Justin Timber-lake are either writers themselves or arefamiliar enough with SNL that they endup serving the show, rather than the otherway around.

Where the host really comes in, as withthe rest of the cast, is the delivery. Co-medic timing cannot be taught, especiallyin a single week. For the writing to makesense, the host must be a good actor,even when the lines continue to changeuntil the last second and there is little timefor memorization or rehearsal.

While SNL hosts deserve a share ofcredit for the success of their episodes,there is a reason why almost every host hascome away astonished at the talent and de-

termination of the writing staff. While peoplemay watch for the celebrity host, they willlaugh mostly for the writers, whether theyknow it or not.

SNL WRITERS OUTSHINE HOSTS

SEAN HICKEY

INMENTINMENT


8/16

Television used to be a place for aging actors out of their prime,like Alec Baldwin in 30 Rock or Christian Slater in My Own WorstEnemy. But as of late, actors still at an A-list level in Hollywood are

pursuing roles in superior TV shows or even helping produce proj-ects that would otherwise go ignored.The most obvious example would be True Detective, which

boasts Hollywood actors Woody Harrelson and Matthew McCo-naughey who also served as executive producers as well asnoted film director Cary Fukunaga directing all eight episodes forthe first season. These celebrity presences helped garner attentionin the first season, so the show may not need to rely on Hollywoodactors to attract viewers in the future.

House of Cards is home to stars Kevin Spacey and Robin Wright.Netflix could have cast two unknowns, but to include big-name ac-tors draws a larger audience and brings an air of respectability.House of Cards began at a time when Hollywood actors in TVshows were rare and the show essentially broke that barrier for thefirst time.

Notable actress Jessica Lange has headlined the past three sea-sons of American Horror Story, which has a cast of recognizablenames rotating every season including Zachary Quinto, James

Cromwell, Kathy Bates and Sarah Paulson.And there wi ll be a plen tifu l future for TV ser ies featur ing ce leb-

rity actors people viewers may never have expected to seeon the small screen.

Dwayne Johnson is heading over to HBO with the half-hour seriesBallers, which follows the lives of retired and current football play-ers. Johnson will star in the series and serve as executive producerwith Pain and Gain co-star Mark Wahlberg.

French actress Eva Green has made a name for herself as a femmefatale and now she is bringing that to the small screen with PennyDreadful, a gothic horror saga that takes place in England at theturn of the 20th century.Tom Hardy has signed on to a BBC drama series produced by

famed movie director Ridley Scott called Taboo, with Hardy play-ing a rogue adventurer in the 19th century who buil ds a trading andshipping empire in competition with the vicious and scandalous EastIndia Company.

Having all of these film celebrities appear on television really does

blur the line between the two screen mediums. It was once a nega-tive criticism to refer to someone as a TV actor, but that insult isquickly becoming outdated.

CELEBRITY ACTORS LEND

POWER TO TELEVISION

ZACK GRULLON

8 WASHINGTON SQUARE NEWS | THURSDAY, APRIL 10, 2014 | NYUNEWS.COM


9/16

With shows like Game of Thrones and Community winning the

hearts of fans and critics alike, it seems like the ensemble cast isall the rage on the small screen these days. Taking full advantageof the current fascination with celebrity culture, these shows cramas many A-listers in one story as possible. However, the trend ofensemble casting is perilous, often jeopardizing the quality of a TVseries, not to mention causing interpersonal issues in the entertain-ment industry.

What most people see as the greatest advantage of ensemblecasting providing viewers with a strong dose of all their celebrityneeds is also the greatest weakness. When writers and produc-ers put so many celebrities in front of the camera, they must some-how find a way to give every star enough screen time, and the writ-ing invariably suffers in the process.

American Horror Story, for example, went to the extreme in itsthird season, Coven there were two Academy Award winnersand one Academy Award nominee in its principal cast, as well asteen star Emma Roberts.As the season dragged on, the wri ting became worse, with the

producers struggling to fit the top-billed stars into the storyline.Witches who died were revived at least twice, and additional char-acters such as Delphine LaLaurie, played by the wonderful KathyBates had few chances to contribute to the plot and were forcedto hover in the background. The producers paid big money for thesecelebrities, but sacrificed a coherent plot in exchange for keepingthem on the show. This choice resulted in a largely unsatisfying end-ing to Coven.

Behind the scenes, ensemble casts also constantly inspire con-flicts. Communitys cast of comedic actors works perfectly on-screen, as each character has a specific role in the group. Yet showcreator Dan Harmon had a highly publicized feud with Chevy Chase,the actor who played Pierce Hawthorne. A comedic legend, Chasedid not appreciate being cast to the side as a secondary characterwho was constantly the butt of jokes. Arguments escalated untilHarmon was fired and Chase voluntarily left the show.

When so many stars are involved, it is difficult to keep them allhappy. Recently, Donald Glover, another star on the show, left the

main cast in order to do some soul-searching. The cast changescaused by celebrity members have forced Community to changemajor character arcs.

Of course it is fun to see favorite celebrities together in the samescene, but ultimately, audiences are tuning in for good television, notCelebrity Jeopardy. Ensemble casting may be good fun, but the useof so many stars causes the quality of series to suffer, both on-screenand off.

TV SHOWS SUFFER

FROM ENSEMBLE

CASTING

BOB TEOH

Ensemble casts have always been a part of the lives of TV viewers,but recently this trend has multiplied and the results are spectacular.Ensemble shows like Game of Thrones and The Walking Dead aremassive hits with audiences.

Many of these ensemble series have huge casts, turning some view-ers away since they find i t difficult to keep track of whos who. Yet otherviewers would argue that ensemble casts only increase a shows worth.The potenti al to weave a nar rat ive around the mul tit ude of characte rs

and the standout performances they give are what pushes these showsfrom good to great.

Thrones and Dead have a fair amount of celebrities between them PeterDinklage and Sean Bean, and Andrew Lincoln and Scott Wilson, respectively.Yet these actors celebrity status does not overshadow the story.

On the other hand, some of these actors were unknown before work-ing on Thrones and Dead. The shows have made them bigger celeb-rities through critical acclaim for their performances, but their newfoundfame still has not hurt the shows purpose of giving its audience interest-ing stories.The current seas on of Dead has employe d characte r arcs more

meaningfully than in years past. The second half of the season exploredmany of the characters personalities in-depth, with many episodes fo-cusing only on a few of the characters. On occasion strategy this re-quired the writers to leave characters like Lincolns Rick out for consecu-tive episodes in order to spread the screen time between everyone in thecast and not just the celebrities.

By breaking up into these substories, everyone in the cast is given a

character spotlight to show where each character is mentally. The writ-ing became better, since the scenes focused on specific characters andwhat was at stake for each of them. When under the right direction, bothcelebrities and newcomers can display grand character arcs.

With a show like Thrones, which has over a dozen main characters,it can be difficult to give everyone a scene in each episode. Yet thewriters smartly build their plot around the characters, exploring their in-teractions and the resulting consequences no character is completewithout his adversaries and allies.

In the Thrones season two episode Blackwater, Tyrion (Dinklage)berates Joffrey (Jack Gleeson) for not being the king his soldiers need.Dinklage is the celebrity and he commands the scene, yet the action thatJoffrey decides to take in that scene sets off a whole new storyline formany characters. The narrative never feels static because each charac-ters actions constantly influence the others in t he story.

Celebrity should never be an i ssue if the writers treat b ig-name actorsthe same way as they treat unknown actors, giving everyone character-driven scenes. Ensemble casting gives a series the power to explore

many characters, creating storylines in which both stars and new talentcan shine.

GREAT WRITINGOUTWEIGHS CELEBRITY

OVERLOAD

LAURA WOLFORD

vs.


10/16

The m usic world has recentl y been buzzingwith news of interesting and dynamic forth-coming collaborations. For instance, CloudNothings will be releasing a joint album with

lo-fi surf rock band Wavves, and the AmazingSpider-Man 2 soundtrack includes an operawritten by Pharrell Williams and Hans Zimmer.There i s p len ty of sta r power in one cele bri ty

voice, but sometimes the most impactful mo-ments prove that two heads are better thanone. Here are some memorable collabora-

tions through the years.

Peace on Earth/Little Drummer Boy

David Bowie with Bing Crosby (1982)

The shor t v ideo for thi s Chri stmas d uetfeatures David Bowie sporting arguably theworlds most ironic rosary and Bing Crosby

appearing genuinely uncertain of who Bowieis. Nevertheless, the two undeniably soundbrilliant together, and the original lyrics of

Peace on Earth blend seamlessly with therhythm of Little Drummer Boy, making the

song a Christmas staple for many.

Say Say Say

Paul McCartney ft. Michael Jackson (1983)

Say Say Say marked the first duet be-tween global superstars Paul McCartney and

Michael Jackson the pair also recordedThe Girl I s Mine for Jacksons Thriller a

year later. Say Say Say is a desperately sadsong about lost love and at the same moment

an unbelievably catchy piece of music.

Where the Wild Roses GrowKylie Minogue with Nick Cave and the

Bad Seeds (1996)

Though Nick Cave has been a cul t f avor itefor years, he has never achieved mainstream

success which is why pairing him withpop star Kylie Minogue was so interesting. InWhere the Wild Roses Grow, Cave croons inhis distinctively deep voice, offering a startling

contrast to Minogues soft pop vocals.

Lady Marmalade

Christina Aguilera, Lil Kim,

Mya and Pink (2001)

Thou gh o rig ina lly reco rded in 1974 bythe girl group Labelle, Lady Marmalade

achieved considerable attention in 2001 whenChristina Aguilera, Lil Kim, Mya and Pink

came together to record a cover of the songfor the fil m Moulin Rouge. From A guileraspowerful vocals to Li l Kims innovative rap

verse, the song proved both a creative coverand a well-made record in general.

Cambridge 1969/2007

Yoko Ono ft . The Flaming Lips (2007)

Over the course of a three-decade-longcareer, The Flaming Lips seem to have col-

laborated with absolutely everyone. But t heirrelationship with legendary misfi t Yoko Onohas produced by far some of their most bi-

zarre and intriguing work to date. C ambridge1969/2007 is first and foremost an Ono

track, complete with her trademark shriek-ing. But The Flaming Lips add a considerablepsychedelic and whimsical touch to the song,

making for a dynamic recording that show-cases the talent of both acts.

The popula r underst andi ng of what make s a div a hasevolved over time. The term originated in the operaworld, where it referred only to singers with extraordi-nary talent and public appeal. In the 1980s, however,the term began to refer to super-talented female popvocalists like Aretha Franklin, Whitney Houston, Tina

Turner and Cel ine Dion.Today, diva status is ubiqu itously appli ed to well-mar-

keted pop performers with strong personalities, and, tothe ire of many, it is used as a stand-in word for bossy.As Sarah Silverman puts i t in a YouTube music video for anoriginal song titled Diva, If you call yourself a diva/youbetter be a singer/and not somebody cutting me i n line.

Silvermans comments assert that the word diva shouldnot be used lightly, but only in a specific context whena singer has exhibited outstanding talent, received years oftraining and amassed a large following.

In a recent interview, living legend Patti LaBelle echoedthis sentiment and protested what she said is an over-use of the term.

That word is used so loosely that I dont even considermyself a diva, LaBelle said. I always considered myselfa woman who sings her heart out and who gives 120percent. Diva is a word that I wouldnt wanna call myself

because its so loosely used.Of the contemporary singers deemed divas today, Be-

yonc, Mary J. Blige and Christina Aguilera approach theoriginal definition or at least LaBelles most closely.

Pop performers like Miley Cyrus, Britney Spears, KatyPerry and Rihanna, however, are not divas in the defini-tion once used for opera singers. They only bring onehalf of the original equation celebrity. Charismatic andcompelling as their personas may be, the production be-hind their tracks is what makes their music good, not

their vocal talent.With the rising popularity of these so-called divas, there has

been a change in how the public conceptualizes the term.With the advances in music technology, music pro-

duction has reached the point where mediocre or evendreadful voices can be made to sound immaculate. ParisHilton, Tila Tequila and various Real Housewives are byno means comparable to Liberace, but their fame has al-lowed each to release successful over-produced singles.The second obvious change in decades past is the

renewed emphasis on persona that social media hasbrought. Rihanna continues to spark controversy and con-versation on Instagram and Twitter, though her live singingvoice is lackluster. People listen to a Rihanna track withher latest selfie-with-blunt in mind, more invested in herweed and party references than her songs.

Unlike the music of LaBelle or Franklin, the work of mod-ern divas places little emphasis on the vocals. Whether one

agrees that the term should be used sparingly, it is hard todeny that the current pop culture is very different than thatof LaBelles heyday. Diva may not mean what it used to, butthis change is only natural.

BIG-NAME STARS

COLLABORATE

TO MAKE SONGS

BUZZWORTHY

DIVA DEFINITION MORPHS AS NEW

TALENT TAKES STAGE

HAYLEY SADOFFMALINA GULINO

UU


11/16

Celebrity music producers are the reason for to-days greatest hits. While vocal talent i s important, itis often the background elements that truly make atrack or element stand out.

Perhaps the best example in recent memory iscourtesy of the two producers who helped reinventMiley Cyrus musical persona this past year MikeWiLL Made It and Pharrell Williams.

WiLL produced Cyrus most recent albumBangerz, including the two hit tracks 23 and WeCant Stop. His expertise with autotune and voicealterations has sculpted t racks like Lil Waynes LoveMe, Ciaras Body Party, Rihannas Pour It Upand Kanye Wests Mercy.

Strangely, unlike the high-profile artists whose ca-reers he shapes, WiLL stays out of the public sphereof hip-hop and rap artists. H owever, keeping this lowprofile has only helped his sil ent success.

WiLLs collaborator Will iams is noted as one of thegreatest producers of all time. He worked on three of2013s biggest hits Blurred Lines, Get Luckyand Happy. Recently, Pharrell graced the iconic al-bum Beyonc with his presence, producing Blowand Superpower, and even making a cameo in themusic video for the latter.

Many other well-known stars work behind thescenes as well. For example, David Guetta producedand wrote Phresh Out the Runway, Rihannasfamed Victorias Secret Fashion Show track. Guettaalso produced and wrote for two of the most antici-pated pop albums of the past year, Britney SpearsBritney Jean and Lady Gagas ARTPOP. He hascollaborated with countless big names in the popand hip-hop genres in order to define himself as aproducer, writer and artist, rather than just a DJ.

Ryan Lewis stepped into the limelight in 2013.While Macklemore raps, Lewis serves as engineer,producing the million-dollar magic in Thrift Shop,as well as all of the other tracks on the duos in-credibly successful album, The Heist. AlthoughLewis work has been confined to making music withMacklemore, many artists have noted his talent and

will surely begin collaborating with him.Timbal and has been the force behind Just in Timber-lakes success since his first album Justified, andany popular artist in todays industry has at l east oneor two tracks produced by Timbaland. The 20/20Experience, Suit & Tie and Mirrors are some ofhis most successful productions. He also producedGrown Woman, the first release and sneak peak ofBeyoncs self-titled, industry-changing project.Although the vocali sts are ultima tely credited and

praised for their releases, it is the minds behind themusic that have crafted pop culture from the shadows.

Still, modern music fans know the names andworks of many producers affiliated with their favor-ite artists. Evidently, as the industry develops, theseproducers are going to continue to step into thespotlight and claim their recognition as celebrities intheir own right.

It was Andy Warhol who famously predicted that,in the future, everyone would have their 15 minutesof fame. With the advent of reality television, it ishard to deny that Warhols statement was prophetic.As much as it claims to be a cata lyst for seri ous

careers, reality television is often only able to providethe fleeting brand of celebrity Warhol described.

In the world of music, the most glaring example ofthis is American Idol. Though it once attracted moreviewers than any other show on television, Idolsability to launch careers has proven to be limit ed.

Kelly Clarkson, the shows first winner, is the onlycontestant to have landed a number-one BillboardHot 100 single post-Idol. Carrie Underwood, whowon in the fourth year, earned fame in the coun-try music genre. Other Idol artists, such as ChrisDaughtry, Jordin Sparks, Adam Lambert and Fan-tasia Barrino have seen success high-scoringHot 100 singles and topping niche charts butthey have not reached the heights of Clarkson.

Many Idol contestants have reached celebrityin areas other than music. Jennifer Hudson, thanksto her star turn in Dreamgirls, won an Oscar andbecame an entertainment media darling. Barrino,though moderately successful in the music indus-try, had perhaps her greatest post-show visibility

in her reality show, Fantasia for Real. Similarly,season-seven finalist Danny Noriega currently ap-pears on the reality show RuPauls Drag Race,competing as his drag persona Adore Delano.

But for every success story, there is a contestantwhose celebrity has proven as short-lived as his re-spective Idol season. Winners such as Ruben Stud-dard and Kris Allen were easily forgotten, releasingalbums that quickly disappeared from the radio. Notto mention the pool of over 150 top 12 runners-upwho have, in most cases, faded into obscurity.Television has featured shows li ke Ido l in decades

past Star Search, for instance, brought audienceattention to Britney Spears, Drew Carey and RosieODonnell in the 1980s. But since the 2000s, televi-sion has become saturated with reality, and the fewmajor success stories have come from Idol.

Recent competitions, such as The Voice andThe Sing-Off, have failed to produce superstars.Only Britains Got Talent has managed to createan Idol-sized splash with contestant Susan Boyle.

It is rare, but televised singing competitions canlaunch the career of an otherwise undiscovered tal-ent. In most cases, however, these shows are typi-cal of reality television they spark celebrity withfleeting effect.

TV COMPETITIONS ADD DIMENSION

TO MUSIC INDUSTRY

MINDS BEHIND MUSIC

TO THANK FOR HITS

AICHA FALL

JAKE FOLSOM

ICIC

ALEX BERNER-COE

Jay Z and Beyonc

As the musi c industr ys roya l coup le, Jay Z andBeyonc share a particularly private relationshipcompared to many of their contemporaries, but theirmusical collaborations allow listeners the occasionalglimpse into their personal lives. From Jay Zs 2003hit 03 Bonnie and Clyde to Beyoncs 2013 smashDrunk In Love, the most influential duo in the en-tertainment business has released a dozen songsthroughout the years of working collectively.Thei r prof essi onal rel ati onsh ip predates the ir ro-

mantic involvement, but no matter their relationship

status, they have always been best friends, and itshows. For example, the couple loves to surprisecrowds by bringing each other out on stage duringconcerts to perform their iconic duets. During these

special instances, Queen Bey cannot help but ex-change her usual fierce facial expressions for warmsmiles and loving glances toward her husband.

Dev Hynes and Samantha Urbani

Dev Hynes, the man behind Blood Orange, evi-dently loves to sing with his girlfriend SamanthaUrbani of Brooklyn band Friends. She is featured inmany songs from his 2013 album Cupid Deluxe,including Youre Not Good Enough, It Is What It Isand Always Let U Down. All of the songs on whichthey collaborate have an affectionate, conversational

tone, further demonstrating the authenticity of boththeir relationship and their artistry. The couple clearlyhas an amazing on-stage chemistry when Blood Or-ange performs. Hynes and Urbani dance together,

share smiles across the stage and hug while per-forming much to the delight of their audience.

Win Butler and Rgine Chassagne

For almost 10 years, married couple Win Butler and R-gine Chassagne has fronted the band Arcade Fire. Thepair of artistic geniuses met at McGill University in Mon-treal where Butler eventually convinced Chassagne to joinArcade Fire. Because of variance in the bands line-up, atone point the two found themselves as the only mem-bers remaining in the group. The pair finally got marriedin 2003 and has accrued numerous musicians for Arcade

Fire in the years since, including Butlers brother William.In 2011, the bands 2010 release The Suburbs won aGrammy for Album of the Year, and a couple who wins aGrammy together stays together.

POWER COUPLES PROVE TWO VOICES BETTER THAN ONE


12/16

Orlando Bloom, JamesFranco, Zachary Quinto,Bryan Cranston and CarlyRae Jepsen are all celebri-ties who are making or havemade their Broadway de-buts this season. For all au-diences know, Miley Cyruscould be next.

In todays theater age, al-most every show has a bigname on the billboard at-taching famous celebrities toa Broadway show can attractmore producers, and there-fore much more money.

While it is expensive to pro-duce a show on Broadway,that does not mean the the-ater has to sell out to the filmand music industries. Insteadof pulling the biggest namesfor a show, perhaps directorsand producers should beginto focus on the quality of theshows themselves.Viewers need for celeb ri-

ties onstage is making up fora lack of original work re-vivals and musicals based onmovies or books highly out-weigh the amount of originalwork currently on Broadway.

The popular ity of cel ebr i-ties, thanks to social mediaand tabloids, has led the-atergoers to crave somekind of interaction with t hesepeople. They often go to seea Broadway show for the ce-lebrities, failing to appreciatethe show for itself.

Furthermore, audiences ap-plaud a celebrity as soon ashe or she comes on stage, forno reason other than his orher fame applauding them

for their career, for their prioraccomplishments, which hasnothing to do with the worldof the play. By clapping attheir entrance, audiences di-minish the world of the play.In that moment, the actoronstage becomes more im-portant than the production,and that is not what theatershould be about.

By putting these filmand music stars up on theBroadway stage, Broadwayhas become a zoo peoplepay admission to see theirfavorite animal in a cage, notto see the entire zoo.

In the days of Fred Astaireand Ginger Rogers, celebritiestrained in theater were multi-talented. There was no pres-sure to bring people in fromother media because, at thattime, the theater itself waspopular as its own separateart form. But, because thereis less public interest in thetheater today, celebrities arebrought in to sell more tickets.In this way, the core principlesof Broadway have changed.Today, Broadway shows

are more about who starsin them than what they are.This phenomenon is not toosurprising as Broadway ca-ters mostly to tourists andfocuses on what will sell tick-ets. But as soon as celebritystars begin to overpower theshows themselves, theaterbecomes much less vibrant,depending on the popular-ity of people from other artforms to bring in money.

Broadway bombards audi-ences with display after dis-play of Hollywood celebri-ties taking on theaters mostprestigious roles. There is aneasy case in favor of castingcelebrities in Broadway showsrather than traditional stageactors multiple facets jus-tify the increasing popularity ofcelebrity-led Broadway shows,including economic and artis-tic concerns.

Not every show can be ablockbuster like Wickedor The Lion King, both ofwhich are wildly success-ful tourist attractions. Peopleacross the globe make a bee-line for Broadway when theyvisit New York because thesetheater productions are ac-cessible and high-quality.

However, the loftier, moreprofound and serious plays willnot garner that sort of attrac-tion, but they still need to pro-vide for their expenses. Withno guarantee that audienceswill come out to sit througha play about the existentialmusings of two old men, nomatter how earnest or well-

produced it is, it helps to havestar power to support that in-surance. Thank goodness forSirs Patrick Stewart and IanMcKellan, who starred in thisseasons avant-garde WaitingFor Godot.

Celebrity is the leading attri-bute to a films marketability. Itis not particularly odd to see amovie simply because JamesFranco takes part in it, so whyshould this years Of Miceand Men on Broadway, which

stars Franco alongside Irishheartthrob Chris ODowd, beany different?

If star casting provides fi-nancial stability, it also allowsBroadway productions totake bigger artistic risks. TheTestament of Mary, starringFiona Shaw of Harry Potterand True Blood, was an un-orthodox, overtly unnervingone-woman show typical ofOff Broadways less commer-cial theater market. Yet there itwas, in blinding brilliance, at theprestigious Walter Kerr Theater.

No matter the success of a ce-lebrity on the silver screen, act-ing on Broadway is not merelya hobby to dabble in betweenfilms it is a venue in whichactors can inhabit unfamiliar ter-ritories. It is fully within the filmactors creative abilities to star ina Broadway production.

Zachary Quinto of StarTrek starred in The GlassMenagerie this past fall andwinter, and not only werethere no traces of his celeb-rity persona, but he demon-strated an impressive abilityto animate his character.

Many film actors, includingMcKellan, Shaw and evenMeryl Streep, started theircareers on the stage forsuch celebrities, a turn onBroadway is simply a returnto their thespian roots. Art-ists from film, television andmusic have every right toparticipate in the Broadwayculture, and theatergoersexperiences are made all thebetter thanks to them.

The presence of celeb riti es in Off Broadwayshows is few and far between. While their B roadwaycounterparts are taking part in the trend of castingcelebrities and obnoxiously advertising it OffBroadway generally steers clear of this pattern.

In 2011, Zachary Quinto starred in an Off Broad-way revival of Angels in America. Although awell-known celebrity starred in this production, theplays advertising featured the strengths of the playitself rather than just publicizing the commercial re-wards of casting a Hollywood actor as the lead.

Oftentimes, casts led by high-profile celebrities areover-publicized while the other merits of t he play are

downplayed. This imbalance leads to the attendanceof jittery tourists hoping to catch a glimpse of saidcelebrities at the stage door rather than people whoare actually coming to enjoy the play. Avoiding celeb-rity driven publ icity helps maintain a plays integrity.

Similarly, in the Roundabout Theatre Companys2013 Off Broadway revival of Talleys Folly, star-ring Sarah Paulson ( 12 Years a Slave, AmericanHorror Story), the fact that a well-known film andTV actress was cast in the show was onl y subtlyadvertised, giving due respect to the play.

On the poster, her name, along with the names ofher fellow cast members, is in a relatively small font atthe bottom, which shows that the priority lies withinthe staging, rather than the curb appeal. This adver-tising is quite unlike the posters for the Broadway re-vival of Of Mice and Men, where James Francosand Chris ODowds names are as large as the title.

One reason for the lack of celebrities Off Broad-way may be the perceived stigma that accompa-nies this smaller theater scene. While Off Broad-way shows are highly respected in the theaterworld, outsiders might sell them short for not be-

ing high-profile or flashy enough.Popular Hollywood actors are most likely able to

choose from a good selection of stage roles, andthey might gravitate toward Broadway roles be-cause they garner more publicity.

While celebrity casting can be a good way toentice non-theatergoers into seeing a show, thecommercial aspect of this trend has gotten out ofhand over the past few years. It has also resultedin a lack of regard for even Broadway shows,which are not respected as the pieces of theaterthat they are, but only as a chance to see A-listcelebrities up close and personal.

Whether Broadway or Off Broadway, it is impor-tant to find a balance between praising the celebrityand giving due attention to the play both as-pects are crucial to a successful production, andthey each deserve respect.

CELEBRITIES

ON BROADWAY

OVERPOWER

PRODUCTIONS

OFF BROADWAY SHOWS NEED TO BALANCE STARS, CRAFT

CELEBRITIES

MAKE FOR BETTER

THEATER-GOING

EXPERIENCE

NIKOLAS REDA-CASTELAOSARAH NICHOLS

JOSEPH MYERS

vs.


13/16HEATERHEATER

WSN presents this years Broadway stars in an excitingseason filled with talent both old and new.

Longtime Broadway favorite Idina Menzelshines in If/Then. Menzel, an acclaimed singer, actress and song-writer, recently starred in the Disney-hit Frozen. She alsowon a Tony Award for her performance in Wicked.

Harry Potter star Daniel Radcliffe returns to thestage in Martin McDonaghs The Cripple of Inishmaan,a dark comedy about a crippled boy trying to escape hissmall town in Ireland.

Hedwig and the Angry Inch welcomes Neil PatrickHarris, a stage veteran best known for playing the be-loved Barney Stinson on How I Met Your Mother.

Zach Braffwows the crowd in Bullets Over Broadwayas David Shayne, an aspiring young playwright in 1920sNew York City. Braffs previous work includes the movieGarden State and a leading role in the long-running sit-com Scrubs.

Former Miss America and pop star Vanessa Williamsappears in After Midnight, a musical loosely based ona fictional jazz club, performing songs by Duke Ellingtonand company.

Fan favorite James Francoplays George in the revivalof Of Mice and Men. Francos most notable work in-cludes the Spider-Man trilogy and 127 Hours, the lat-ter of which earned him an Academy Award nomination.

A Raisin in the Sun welcomes Denzel Washingtoninthe leading role of Walter Younger. Washingtons previouswork, mainly on the big screen, includes Malcolm X, HeGot Game and Flight.

Returning to Studio 54 for Cabaret, Alan Cumming will reprise his role as the emcee in this revival of Kanderand Ebbs eerie tale of a nightclub in Nazi Germany. Cum-ming, known for his role on The Good Wife, also recentlyappeared in a one-man production of Macbeth.The Cabaret cast also includes Michelle Williams,

who got her start on the teen drama Dawsons Creekand went on to appear in several movies, includingBrokeback Mountain.

BROADWAY SEES FAMILIAR FACES TAKE CENTER STAGE

CAITLIN DOYLE

SUCCESS OF MORMON PROVES

STUNT-CASTING UNNECESSARY

JOSEPH MYERS

Broadways The Book of Mormoncelebrated its three-year anniversaryon March 24. The hit musical is stillgoing strong with phenomenal ticketsales, a cult following and shows run-

ning in Chicago and London, as well asin two national tours.

In terms of celebrity, Mormon has notgiven in to the current trend of castingwell-known stars to play the principalroles. This decision can most likely be at-tributed to the shows ongoing popular-ity. The entire original cast of Mormonwas relatively unknown at the beginning,but the show has propelled a few actors,such as leads Andrew Rannells and JoshGad, into relative stardom. This lack ofstunt-casting has so far worked in theshows favor.

Oftentimes, when a show featuresan A-list cast, it is doomed to a shortrun after the original stars contractends. Celebrity casting creates com-

mercial buzz, resulting in audienceswho might attend for the celebrity

rather than for the production. Whenan actor is replaced, the show cannotgenerate the same buzz and quicklyloses popularity.

Mormons decision to cast lesser-

known actors means that recastingwhen performers leave is not such atragedy for the public, so the laudatoryattention remains on the show itself.

Instead, the only notable celebritypresence connected to Mormon isthat of the co-creators and co-writers,Trey Parker and Matt Stone, best knownfor their creation of the infamously ir-reverent animated series South Park.This init iall y a ttracted many fans of theTV show to Mormon.

Adve rti sements for the Broadwayshow highlighted the fact that Godsfavorite musical was written by thecreators of South Park, and the duoused their celebrity to promote theshow via talk show interviews. Three

years later, Mormon has gained alegitimacy and positive reputation,

standing as a masterpiece on its own,rather than leaning on Parker andStones fame as a crutch.Afte r ni ne Tony Awards, one Grammy

Award , one Drama Desk Award and a

lot of press, Mormon is more suc-cessful than ever, without any fa-mous artists name branding. Instead,its quality is what makes it stand outamong the rest of the Broadway circuit.

Its innovative approach to satire isincredibly appealing to a broad audi-ence, with crude, outlandish humorand a great musical score making foran entertaining and thorough explora-tion of the practices of religion.Aside from some piggy-backing on

South Park, The Book of Mormonrelies on the content of the musical it-self, rather than needing gimmicks suchas celebrity casting to propel popularityamong audiences. Clever social com-mentary in the form of parody, thankfully,

appeals to theatergoers even without fa-mous performers.


14/16

Millions of young adult readers acrossthe country are besotted with JohnGreens most recent novel, The Fault inOur Stars. When seen on Tumblr andTwitter, quotes from the book are usual lyfollowed by a string of distressed com-ments lamenting over the tragic story ofJohn Greens protagonists, two teenagerswith terminal cancer.

One part young adult novelist, one partYouTube s tar, John Green has achieved acertain level of celebrity over the past fewyears that far outweighs that of most con-temporary writers. In 2007, John Greenand his younger brother Hank Greenposted videos on their YouTube channelevery day for a year. Their channel, Vlog-brothers, is still active today, with nearly 2million subscribers.

In the early days of YouTube, an entirecommunity called Nerdfighteria sprung uparound the Vlogbrothers. This affectionatename for their fan base helps unify teenag-ers across the worldwide web. Their catchphrase, DFTBA, or Dont Forget to beAwesome, is so well known that whenPresident Barack Obama participated in aGoogle hangout with John Green last year,he was familiar with the term.The brothers post videos on everyth ing

from giraffe sex to the current situation inUkraine, speaking to each other and theNerdfighter community, trying to educateand entertain. They interact with Nerd-fighters on Tumblr and Twitter, creating aclose-knit community through events such

as VidCon, the largest convention devotedto online videos, and the Project for Awe-some, a massive charity drive that collectedover $800,000 last year.Yet, John Green is significantly more fa-

mous than Hank Green. He has over 2million Twitter followers, compared to hisbrothers not quite 400,000. This differencecan be attributed to John Greens careeras a novelist. His debut novel, Looking forAlaska, has long been a favori te amongteens, climbing back into the New YorkTimes best seller list seven years after itsoriginal publication in 2006. The Fault inOur Stars, which also spent weeks at thetop of the list, has a movie adaptation com-ing out this summer.

While Hank Greens career as a scientistand environmentalist is equally interesting,John Greens books are more marketableand commercial.

John Greens success as a novelist couldbe partially attributed to his massive onlinefollowing, or perhaps many fans of his nov-els have stumbled on the Vlogbrothers afteralready being aware of the author. It is likely,though, that the two halves of his celebritypresence grew together, rather than oneleading to the other.

John Greens substantial online pres-ence helps his books reach a wider au-dience and vice versa, proving that he isneither a novelist who makes videos nora YouTube star who writes books, but aperson who is highly successful as both awriter and a vlogger.

From her first creation an abused,magically gifted orphan to her mostrecent a broken but capable detec-tive J.K. Rowling has come a longway in mainstream fiction writing. Shepenned her first novel over two de-cades ago when the charm of bookswas quickly fading from peoples mindsafter a flood of movies and advance-ments in technology. With the magic ofher words, Rowling created a bespec-tacled, skinny boy and announced her-self to the world as she made readingcool once again.

Rowlings journey to the list of most be-loved authors in the world began whenHarry Potter and the Philosophers

Stone received a modest publication of500 copies in 1997, and Rowling herselfreceived the suggestion to look for an-other job. But her works were and stillare appreciated by readers and crit-ics alike, expanding even to an audienceof adults who picked up these so-calledchildrens books.The movies came along and brought

a new medium to Rowlings storytell-ing. Long lines were seen outside book-stores before the release of a new HarryPotter book a phenomenon unheardof at the time. Rowling herself becamea celebrity, constantly doing interviewsand interacting with fans across theworld. She became as familiar to herreaders as the characters themselves.

When the Harry Potter book seriescame to an end in 2007, Rowling keptherself away from the literary world forsome time, giving rise to suspicionsamong readers whether she had ever

planned to go beyond the series. It washard enough to see their favorite herofading into the sunset, let alone beingabandoned by the author herself.

Rowlings next work, The Casual Va-cancy, sold very well, despite mixed re-views from critics. After that, the authorfaded back into the shadows.

When The Cuckoos Calling, acrime novel by Robert Galbraith, wasreleased in April of last year, it tookmonths for anyone to uncover theconnection between Rowling and theauthor. However, it was eventuallyconfirmed that Galbraith was in factRowlings pseudonym.

In a recent interview, when asked

why she chose to write under a pseud-onym, Rowling gave a response thatwas hardly surprising. Rather thanviewing her celebrity status as a perk,Rowling saw her fame as a burden thatwould prevent her from pursuing newfrontiers in fiction writing. She said asGalbraith, she would be able to startfrom the beginning and receive honestfeedback without expectations or hypeobscuring readers opinions.

The Silkworm, a sequel to CuckoosCalling, will hit bookstores this sum-mer, and with Rowlings name out in theopen, expectations for the mystery se-ries have skyrocketed. However, Rowl-ing has chosen to keep her pseudonymas she journeys with readers into the

realm of crime fiction.While Rowling does not deny her celebrity

status, Galbraith may provide a buffer be-tween the well-known Harry Potter authorand the new series.

JOHN GREEN DOUBLES AS

YOUTUBE STAR, CELEBRITY AUTHOR

J.K. ROWLING JOURNEYS

FROM ANONYMITY TO FAME

DYLAN JARRETT

SUKRAT GUPTA


15/16

WASHINGTONSQUARENEWS

Editor-in-ChiefNICOLE BROWN

Managing Editor

MICHAEL DOMANICO

Assistant Managing Editors

TATIANA BAEZ

JONATHAN KESHISHOGLOU

Creative Director

CICEK EREL

Creative Director, Special Editions

LYANNE NATIVIDAD

Multimedia Editor

FELIPE DE LA HOZ

Web

BENSON TSAILAVYA YALAMANCHI

ADVISING

DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS

NANCI HEALY

EDITORIAL ADVISERJIM LUTTRELL

EDITORS-AT-LARGE

HANQING CHEN, JONATHONDORNBUSH, RACHEL KAPLAN,

JORDAN MELENDREZ,JONATHAN TAN

ADVERTISING

BUSINESS MANAGERELLEN MCQUEEN

CIRCULATION MANAGERCHLOE COFFMAN

SALES MANAGER

ALISON LIZZIO

UNIVERSITY AND ALUMNI COORDINATORCLAIRE MAHANY

SALES REPRESENTATIVES

ARIANA DIVALENTINO

GRAPHIC DESIGNER

JILLIAN BRANCHAUD

SALES ASSOCIATES

EMMA HOWCROFT, ZACH MICHEL,ANA SCHULER

CopyTHOMAS DEVLIN

PAIGE MANKIN

Arts Editor

CLIO MCCONNELL

Film Editor

IFE OLUJOBI

Entertainment EditorBOB TEOH

Music Editor

JAKE FOLSOM

Books/Theater Editor

DYLAN JARRETT

Contributors

ALEX BERNER-COE, NORA BLAKE, JONATHON DORNBUSH, CAITLIN DOYLE,

AICHA FALL, ZACK GRULLON, MALINA GULINO, SUKRAT GUPTA,

MOHAMED HASSAN, SEAN HICKEY, ALEXANDRA MUJICA, JOSEPH MYERS

SARAH NICHOLS, NIKOLAS REDA-CASTELAO, DANIEL RUBIN LIEBERSON

HAYLEY SADOFF, LAURA WOLFORD

LUPITA NYONGO, JENNIFER L AWRENCE, GEORGE CLOONEY, JOHN GREEN, JAY Z, BEYONCE, PAULMCCARTNEY, MICHAEL JACKSON, JAMES FRANCO, PATRICK STEWART, IAN MCKELLEN, IDINA MENZEL,

FRED ASTAIRE, DAVID BOWIE, JK ROWLING, DONALD GLOVER, JESSICA LANGE, BRAD PIT T,MATTHEW MCCONAUGHEY VIA WIKIPEDIA.ORG

BRYAN CRANSTON, ZACHARY QUINTO, ANDREW RANNELLS, GINGER ROGERS VIA FLICKR.COM

HOUSE OF CARDS COURTESY OF NETFLIX | 12 YEARS A SLAVE COURTESY OF FOX SEARCHLIGHTPICTURES | VALENTINES DAY COURTESY OF WARNER BROS. PICTURES | THE VOICE COURTESYOF WARNER BROS. TELEVISION | THE BOOK OF MORMON VIA BROADWAY.COM | COMMUNITY

COURTESY OF NBC | THE LAST OF US COURTESY OF SONY COMPUTER ENTERTAINMENT |BIOSHOCK INFINITE COURTESY OF 2K GAMES | SNL COURTESY OF NBC

PHOTO CREDITS


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The Arts Issue | Spring 2014

Documents

Transcript of The Arts Issue | Spring 2014