Friday Favorites- 5/8/26

What We Are Loving in Entertainment Now

HEATHER: MILLENNIALS ARE KILLING MUSICALS

I’ve been a musical theater fan for as long as I can remember. It is with great sadness that I am slightly tone-deaf and have zero rhythm. In fact, I vividly remember my dance teacher in theatre school frequently yelling over the music, “Heather is going to work on finding the down beat.” Ouch, but true.

Still, my love for musical theater hasn’t dimmed, and I relish any time I get to see a musical. Pre-triplets, Hollie and I would go to New York, and see four or five Broadway shows in the same number of days. It was a dream, and one we will get back to soon!

I was so excited when an opportunity to see a new musical without having to fly across the country presented itself, thanks to my friend Heather Provost, who is the producing Artistic Director at the Colony Theatre in Burbank. Heather and I met when I was at Hallmark, and she co-wrote A Joyous Christmas, one of the first movies I was lead exec on. We had a blast and did another movie that was also close to home, all about BBQ in Texas called Season for Love. Since then, we’ve stayed in touch and, somehow, between running her work at the theatre, Heather still finds time to write.

I did zero research on Millennials are Killing Musicals. Hollie was supposed to be my date and bailed. Okay, she was actually sick, and it was because of me. I couldn’t even be mad since I exposed her to my germs. So off I went on a solo date and ended up meeting a very entertaining woman who went to my alma mater (Hunter College) over 30 years before me! We had such a great conversation, and it reminds me to be open to new experiences.

Millennials are Killing Musicals was written by Nico Juber and directed by Kristen Hanggi (Rock of Ages). The story centers on Brenda, a single millennial mom (played by Emma Hunton) striving to improve her “adulting.” It all falls apart when her younger sister, Katrina (Dana Huey), a prominent influencer, arrives eight months pregnant and unprepared for motherhood. When Brenda meets “Jake’s mom” (annoyingly perfect or so she seems) at her daughter’s school, the three women bond and navigate social pressures and personal growth while shedding the “Greek chorus” of social media filters.

I LOVED the show. It’s funny, heartwarming, timely, and the performances are phenomenal. Had I done any pre-show Googling, I would have seen that the lead was Emma Hunton from the show Good Trouble and has the type of voice that makes me insanely jealous. The other showstopper was Jennifer Leigh Warren, the original Crystal in Little Shop of Horrors on Broadway. After her song, the woman next to me turned and said, “She just stole the show.” Which she did. This was the world premiere and will head to New York for a run.

The show is still playing for the next two weekends. If you love musical theatre and making fun of millennials, this is the show for you!

PAT METHENY+THE LOBERO THEATRE

My other favorite this week centers on more of an experience than a favorite. My fiancé, Vic, is a huge music lover, all types and genres. He’s constantly improving my music education. His son plays bass in the school orchestra and is always game to join us for a show. When Vic heard Pat Metheny was playing at the Lobero Theatre in Santa Barbara, he quickly bought tickets. Pat Metheny is a legendary jazz guitarist; he’s played with Joni Mitchell and David Bowie. He’s also a twenty-time Grammy winner. Side Eye is his first studio album in six years.

Metheny may be in his 70s, but is a big champion of younger talent, and his band includes Joe Dyson on drums, Chris Fishman on keyboard, and Jermaine Paul on bass. The music is described as world music, and the tour focused on Pat’s project with this group, an album called Side Eye, the latest evolution of Metheny’s Side-Eye project, a concept he first introduced to showcase the next generation of exceptional young musicians who have come onto his radar in recent years.

The show was held at the Lobero Theatre, which, fun fact, I discovered is the fourth-oldest performing arts theatre in the United States and California’s oldest continually operating theatre.

Metheny played a full two hours and 40 minutes, with no intermission, never leaving the stage except to allow each band member time to solo. I told Vic I won’t be a Pat Metheny groupie any time soon, but it was pretty cool seeing a musician who’s won Grammy Awards in ten different categories. The tour is happening around California before Pat and the band head to Europe for the international leg of the tour.

It was definitely a unique experience. Not to mention we stayed at a sweet coastal-inspired Airbnb walking distance from the theater, had dinner at Jill’s Place, and amazing pastries and coffee at Alessia Patisserie & Cafe the next morning before making the 90-minute drive back to LA. It’s one of the best things about living here. There is so much to explore just a drive away!

HOLLIE: 48 HOURS: LOVE BOMBING GLORIA CHOI (podcast)

This week, my viewing/reading was limited after getting another flu/cold/stomach bug (thanks, Heather!) So fun! But for the true-crime junkies, I do have a recommendation.

There’s nothing more tragic than witnessing someone get hurt/die despite doing everything right. That’s what this week’s true crime podcast from 48 Hours is all about. Gloria Choi, a thirty-three-year-old single mom, had the misfortune of meeting Billy Rickman, who love-bombed her, showering her with praise, bonding with her young son, and alienating her from her parents.

It took Gloria moving in with Billy and her son to realize how controlling and dangerous he was. She moved back in with her parents and started dating someone new. That’s when Billy’s harassment escalated. The tragedy that unfolded, which resulted in Gloria’s death, could and should have been prevented. Gloria went to the police multiple times, including calling them ten times on the day she was murdered. Unfortunately, law enforcement failed to protect her. Just a trigger warning because you do hear Gloria’s murder, which was recorded in her 911 call.

As I listened, I couldn’t help wondering what the data is on what appears to be a growing trend of spousal murders/suicides. Just this month, there was a murder-suicide in Bakersfield, in which a man killed his wife, another murder-suicide in Houston, in which a man killed his wife and two kids, another in Virginia, where the ex-governor killed his wife and then himself, and a horrible shooting in which a Louisiana man killed eight kids, seven of whom were his own.

My true-crime brain can't help but wonder if anyone is studying this, tracking the connections, and whether these incidents are truly on the rise or if we're simply more aware because of news and social media. Either way, it feels like something worth paying attention to and worth talking about. If you're someone working in this space, we'd love to hear from you.

Let us know what you’re listening to, watching, and reading.