Your Chance to Catch FALSETTOS on Screen in Bloomington July 12, 15 and 16

The recent Broadway revival of Falsettos -- the William Finn and James Lapine musical about a gay Jewish man named Marvin, his ex-wife, his son, his new lover, his psychiatrist (who is smitten with Marvin's ex) and the two lesbians next door -- ended its run at the Walter Kerr Theatre on January 8.

To share the Falsettos joy with those who didn't get to see it in New York, Live from Lincoln Center and Lincoln Center Theater are bringing a filmed version of the show to cinemas nationwide starting July 12.

That means we can all share the Falsettos experience, as Marvin falls in love with Whizzer, his new boyfriend, his son Jason prepares for a bar mitzvah, and ex-wife Trina tries to navigate this new world, with some funny stuff and some very sad stuff, offering a portrait of some of the highs and the lowest lows imaginable for gay men in 1979, when it's set. The 1992 Broadway production won Tony Awards for its score and book, with five more nominations, and the recent revival was nominated for five more, including nominations for its Marvin (Christian Borle), Trina (Stephanie J. Block), Whizzer (Andrew Rannells) and psychiatrist Mendel (Brandon Uranowitz).

We have two options to experience Falsettos in Bloomington, with New Vision Ovation Cinema Grill off Towanda-Barnes Road and Wehrenberg Galaxy 14 on Wylie Drive both offering screenings. Falsettos shows up on the Ovation screen on July 12, 15 and 16 and at Galaxy 14 on July 12 and 16.

For more details or to get your tickets now, or if you are looking for showings in other places than Bloomington-Normal, you can visit this Falsettos page at Screen Vision.

"The New Normal" Needs to Be in Normal

News broke at Deadline a few weeks ago that NBC has picked up a pilot called "The New Normal" from producer/director/writer Ryan Murphy, the man behind "Glee" and "American Horror Story." Murphy will be directing and co-writing this half-hour sitcom with Allison Adler, someone he also works with on "Glee."

Andrew Rannells, fresh off major Broadway success in "The Book of Mormon," is slated to star, along with Ellen Barkin, who most recently did "The Normal Heart" on Broadway. Murphy will also direct a film version of "The Normal Heart" later this year. Whole lot of Normal going on there, right?

"The Normal Heart" is a searing 1985 play by Larry Kramer about the rise of AIDS and subsequent activism in the New York gay community in the early 80s; it was performed by ISU as part of their 2005-06 season. And, no, it has nothing to do with Normal, Illinois.

Murphy's proposed sitcom, "The New Normal," is about a gay couple and the surrogate they hire to help them have a baby. Rannells will play one half of the couple, with Barkin as the surrogate's mother. No word yet on casting for the other man or the surrogate. I also haven't seen any word on where this show will be set. Just want to note that Normal, Illinois, would be perfect for it. What says "The New Normal" more than Normal? What would be a better place for the gay couple to settle in and nurture their family?


Normal has already starred in a TV commercial focusing on its "New Normal" status to much acclaim. There's plenty of talent around, with the theater departments at ISU and IWU and local theater companies chock full of terrific actors, and lots of locals with credibility and appeal, like 92-year-old Ruth Steele and Normal Mayor Chris Koos, both of whom appear in the Mitsubishi ad. Or if, like "Roseanne" or "Ferris Bueller," producers want to make the show appear to be set in Illinois even while it's mostly filmed in Hollywood, former Normal residents like Sean Hayes and Laurie Metcalf might add some verisimilitude.

So, you know, Ryan Murphy. We're here, we're Normal, and we're available.

The map that appears at the top of this post comes from TownMapsUSA.com