Page 31 - Aruba Today

PEOPLE & ARTS A31
Wednesday 20 January 2016

Latin-focused comedy from new digital studio Mas Mejor

Actor Fred Armisen attends the 74th Annual Peabody Awards in New York. Armisen and Sanz In a recent interview, Ar- website. There you might
are on board in a video reprising their “SNL” roles as Cuban toy collectors who provide Spanish- misen (who, half-Vene- find a Latin-centric comic
language commentary, with English subtitles, on the American toys they exactingly un-package. zuelan, is already busy video about girls gone wild
with “Portlandia” and as tourists overwhelmed
(Charles Sykes/Invision/AP) bandleader duties on “Late in Mexico City, where the
Night with Seth Meyers”) motto is: “Live it to believe
FRAZIER MOORE by Latino voices, both well- Mejor has assembled a tal- says he’s psyched about it — if you can survive it.”
AP Television Writer known and emerging — ent lineup of Latino com- his behind-the-scenes Mas Or a parody commercial
NEW YORK (AP) — You think and whose name, a joking ics, sketch comedians and Mejor responsibilities. for Trumpcestry.com that
the online comedy supply grammar-twisted idiom, producers whose videos “I’m going to be finding finds Ronaldo, in a satis-
is good enough? translates into something will be distributed across talent and comedians in fied testimonial, declar-
Well, now it’s getting bet- like “More better.” Mas Mejor’s channels and Spanish-speaking coun- ing, “I used to think I was
ter. At least, that’s the call Launched by Broadway other social platforms. tries and in this country, Mexican. But then I sent my
to arms of Mas Mejor, a Video, which produces Among the talent roster: and working with them to DNA to Trumpcestry.com
new comedy studio for “Saturday Night Live” and “SNL” alumni Horatio Sanz create online content,” and it turns out I’m almost
digital content powered many other shows, Mas and Fred Armisen. he says. “I haven’t done half rapist!”
enough directing, where I A universal topic for lam-
don’t have to jump in front pooning: people who like
of the camera, as much as to text while out in public.
I love it.” He’ll be on-cam- “Looking at your cellphone
era for some Mas Mejor vid- while you’re walking is dan-
eos, “but I like the discom- gerous for you and for the
fort of NOT jumping in front ones around you,” warns
of the camera.” a voiceover. “It’s time to
“I think it’s really cool that stop.” The answer: a “See-
we can show that Lat- ing Eye Dog for Social Me-
ins can make comedy in dia Junkies” as they focus
both English and in Span- exclusively on their screen.
ish,” says David Lopez, a Meanwhile, Armisen and
member of the talent pool Sanz are onboard in a video
with two dozen videos in reprising their “SNL” roles as
the works. “Some of them Cuban toy collectors who
might be very Latin. Some provide Spanish-language
will just be a Latin guy mak- commentary, with English
ing funny videos.” subtitles, on handling the
A good place to start with American toys they exact-
Mas Mejor is at its own ingly un-package. q

Bette Midler to return to Broadway in ‘Hello, Dolly!’

MARK KENNEDY suitable wife. It’s a musical Bette Midler performs at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles. Midler will star in a revival of “Hello,
AP Drama Writer version of Thornton Wilder’s Dolly!” Producer Scott Rudin said Tuesday, Jan. 19, 2016, that Midler will take on the role of Dolly
NEW YORK (AP) — It’s a play “The Matchmaker.” Gallagher Levi in a revival the classic musical due to start next year.
match made in musical Performances on Broad-
theater heaven — Bette way begin on March 13, (John Shearer/Invision/AP)
Midler will star in a Broad- 2017, with an official open-
way revival of “Hello, Dol- ing night of April 20, 2017. will pay tribute to Gower Pearl Bailey, Phillis Diller, — it ran for seven years and
ly!” Rehearsals begin one year Champion, the show’s orig- Betty Grable, Ethel Mer- became the longest play-
Movie and theatrical pro- from Tuesday. inal director and choreog- man, Martha Raye, Ginger ing Broadway musical at
ducer Scott Rudin said Midler and Rudin were in rapher. Rogers and, of course, Car- the time — and who came
Tuesday that the Divine conversations about the Midler steps into the role ol Channing, who originat- back in revivals in 1995-96
Miss M will take on the role role for a year. The actress previously performed by ed it on Broadway in 1964 and 1978. q
of Dolly Gallagher Levi in a and singer threw herself
revival of the classic musi- into researching it, read-
cal due to start next year. ing and watching all she
“There has not been a new could, Rudin said. He add-
production in 50 years,” ed that both wanted to ex-
Rudin told The Associated plore Dolly’s warmth, des-
Press. “Partly it was the dif- peration and humanity.
ficulty of who could play The show features a rous-
Dolly. It had to be some- ing score by Jerry Herman
one who could take it to a that’s bursting with joy and
different level. Bette is the tunes like “Put On Your Sun-
only one who can. Never day Clothes,” ‘’Before the
has there been something Parade Passes By” and “It
more inevitable than her in Only Takes a Moment.”
this role.” The revival will be directed
The musical tells the story of by four-time Tony Award
matchmaker and schemer winner Jerry Zaks and have
Dolly Levi who receives her choreography by Tony-
toughest challenge yet winner Warren Carlyle. The
when a rich grump seeks a creators say the new work