Page 31 - AT

A31
PEOPLE & ARTS Friday 21 december 2018

Obama says designer's energy informed her fashion choices

By NEKESA MUMBI MOODY because you can change
NEW YORK (AP) — For Mi- their lives, which is one of
chelle Obama, choosing the reasons why we chose
what designer to wear Jason Wu for my inaugural
while she was in the White gown." She also said Wu
House involved many fac- didn't expect it, unlike some
tors, from diversity to wheth- big designers who felt as if
er they were a nice person. they should have the hon-
Obama talked the deci- or. "You learn that there are
sions behind the outfits that people in this scene who
made headlines during feel entitled to these things
her time as first lady dur- because they've done it for
ing a conversation with an- a while, and I hated that
other fashion trendsetter, feeling . there are whole
Sarah Jessica Parker, who lot of people out here who
was the moderator for the are trying to make it, there
Wednesday night event for are young women and im-
Obama's "Becoming" book migrants and black folk."
tour. Obama also said personal
During Obama's eight years energy of a designer mat-
as first lady, she became a tered. "I didn't want to wear
powerful influence in fash- the clothes of someone
ion; she could wear a dress Former first lady Michelle Obama, left, is interviewed by Sarah Jessica Parker during an appear- who didn't have a good
and it would sell out hours ance for her book, "Becoming: An Intimate Conversation with Michelle Obama" at Barclays Cen- spirit, and you could hear
after she wore it. ter Wednesday, Dec. 19, 2018, in New York. these things, you could
Obama — who dressed Associated Press hear how they treated my
in a gold wrap dress with staff or how they treated
above-the-knee gold spar- would be dissected and that my clothes were mak- use this platform to uplift their works, so everyone I
kling boots for Wednesday's mentioned no matter how ing a statement, I knew that some young new design- wore as far as I knew had
event — said she knew weighty the topic she was was the case," she said. "So ers who normally wouldn't a good spirit as well," she
as a woman, her clothes talking about. "I did know we decided why don't we get this kind of attention, said.q

Lin-Manuel Miranda calls 'Mary Poppins' sequel role a dream

By JOHN CARUCCI Miranda said he'll be for-
Associated Press ever grateful that Marshall
NEW YORK (AP) — Working saw those traits in him.
on "Mary Poppins Returns" "I make these movies be-
put Lin-Manuel Miranda in cause I think part of being
a comfort zone, sort of. an artist is being in touch
The theater actor, com- with that inner child. That
poser and creator of the part of us that was drawing
Broadway smash "Hamil- and painting and making
ton" knew the film's direc- stuff when we were kids.
tor, Rob Marshall, from such Some of us specialized on
stage and screen credits those, and some of us grow
as "Cabaret" and "Chica- up, and I feel like I've never
go." And he knew the work grown up in a real way," Mi-
of the composers, Marc randa said.
Shaiman and Scott Witt- Miranda won Tony Awards
man of "Hairspray" fame. for "In the Heights" and
But there was one thing "Hamilton," with the latter
that didn't come naturally also earning him the Pulit-
to Miranda, even if he's zer Prize. He feels those suc-
known as a musical theater cesses set the stage for be-
pioneer — the choreogra- ing cast in the "Mary Pop-
phy. In this Nov. 28, 2018 photo, Lin-Manuel Miranda, a cast member in the film "Mary Poppins Returns," pins" sequel.
"I think the dancing was the poses for a portrait at the Montage Beverly Hills in Beverly Hills, Calif. "I've never done a movie
most challenging aspect Associated Press on the scale. But there are
for me, because if you very few movies on this
watch 'Hamilton' carefully, week rehearsal period. made me feel at home." Hamilton. scale," said Miranda, who
there's a lot of incredible "What happens when you In the new film, Miranda "Hamilton's pretty different recalled as a child watch-
dancing in there, Hamilton do that with the film com- plays Jack the lamp lighter from Jack the lamp lighter. ing Dick Van Dyke dance
does almost none of it. He's pany is, they become a opposite Emily Blunt's Mary Hamilton's got no child-like alongside animated pen-
standing and he's got a lot company. We were a com- Poppins. This time around innocence, whatsoever," guins in "Mary Poppins."
of words to say," Miranda pany of actors together by he got to bring a com- Miranda said. Jack, on the "You know I grew up danc-
said. the time we were starting pletely different character other hand, is "sort of child- ing along with those pen-
The learning curve was this journey," he said. "We to the table, one that's op- like — he's got this sense of guins in front of my TV like
made a little easier thanks all rehearsed together and posite from his stern and wonder. He sort of never everybody else. It's just a
to the film's generous nine- that was formidable and hard-charging Alexander lost that." dream," Miranda said.q