Archives for February 2023

Fabio Carvalho attracted some hilarity online after being spotted miraculously recovering from an injury concern on the pitch as Liverpool pursued a 10th goal against Bournemouth.

Tanya Brown isn’t pleased about finding out that Chris Rock made a joke about her late sister, Nicole Brown Simpson.

Over the weekend, the comedian reportedly told audiences at his Phoenix, Arizona, show that he had been asked to host the 2023 Academy Awards, according to the local newspaper, The Arizona Republic.

Rock, who was slapped by Will Smith during this year’s Oscars, equated hosting the awards show to returning to the scene of the crime, the outlet reported. He then reportedly referenced O.J. Simpson’s murder trial, joking it would be like asking Brown Simpson “to go back to the restaurant.” The night she died, Brown Simpson left a pair of glasses at the restaurant.

“Nothing Is more lovely then to wake up on a Tuesday morning (Not) with TMZ calling you saying Chris Rock made a horrible ‘joke’ about Nicole,” Brown wrote on Instagram on Tuesday, alongside a photo of the comedian as well as a photo of Simpson and Brown Simpson. “BEYOND distasteful!”

Brown continued her post by touching on the joke Rock made about Jada Pinkett Smith at the March 27 awards ceremony. While the comedian was presenting, he joked about Pinkett Smith’s shaved head. Pinkett Smith has alopecia, an autoimmune disorder that causes hair loss. The “King Richard” star got upset, smacked Rock across the face and yelled, “Keep my wife’s name out your f—— mouth.”

“Nothing funny about his joke towards Jada as she suffers from a physical condition and nothing funny about equating an Oscar host invitation to a double homicide,” Tanya wrote in her post. “I always thought he was funny, but he crossed the line with this one.”

Adding, “In other words, Y’all!!!! Stop using my sister, OJ and Ron part of your cricking comedy act. There are families behind this tragedy!”

Brown Simpson was killed along with her friend, waiter Ron Goldman, near her Los Angeles home in 1994. Simpson was arrested and accused of both killings. However, following a highly publicized trial, the former football player was acquitted of all charges.

In June, Brown paid tribute to her late sister in an Instagram slideshow that contained family photos.

“28 years. I miss you everyday!” she wrote.

Different people who need people have finally arrived at “Funny Girl” on Broadway.

The problem-plagued revival of Jule Styne and Isobel Lennart’s 1964 musical welcomed its new Fanny Brice, Lea Michele, on Tuesday night, along with Tovah Feldshuh as her Brooklynite mother.

And the crowd goes “mazel tov!”

Michele arrives confidently and in splendid voice amid an onslaught of dishy stories about the early departure of her predecessor, Beanie Feldstein. Indeed, no Broadway switcheroo has been this dramatic since Andrew Lloyd Webber unceremoniously booted Patti LuPone out of “Sunset Boulevard” and hired Glenn Close instead.

In an attempt to give the change-up some breathing room, the production is formally inviting critics to review the show again in three weeks. So, The Post bought its own ticket Tuesday for the best seat in the house — Rear Mezzanine Row Q.

Anyway, the delay is needless. Michele is ready to go. She’s revved up and performs like she’s been belting “Don’t Rain On My Parade” in the shower every day for 10 years. Hell, she probably has! Together with the titanic Feldshuh, the “Glee” star lifts this wanting production into something much more palatable than it was back in the spring. (Many of the existing issues remain, however.) This time, I actually enjoyed it.

Michele brings real singing power to the table as Fanny — the role made famous by Barbra Streisand — which was sorely lacking in the revival and is beyond vital. If you know the show, you’re aware you don’t come for the gripping scenes. It’s all about the songs. “Don’t Rain On My Parade,” “People” and “The Greatest Star of All” now all sound buttery, strong and satisfying.

Michele’s best number, though, is “The Music That Makes Me Dance” — a reflective tune sung after her home life has crumbled as her fame has skyrocketed. Michele hasn’t been on Broadway since she left “Spring Awakening” in 2009, and her self-reflection and vulnerability from the intervening years is obvious. As Wendla in “Awakening,” she was an inexperienced kid — onstage and off. Her Fanny, on the other hand, is hardened, hurt and defensive from the get-go. She’s not always lovable, but it’s the right take for this actress.

There was, admittedly, a moment or two I missed Feldstein and her guilelessness. When Nicky Arnstein (Ramin Karimloo) woos her with filet de boeuf in a hotel suite during “You Are Woman, I Am Man,” the experience doesn’t feel fresh. The laughs aren’t free-flowing. Elsewhere, though, Michele has a knack for a set-em-up-knock-em-down punchline.

Yet miraculously, the funniest girl at the August Wilson Theatre isn’t the title character, but the great Feldshuh. In a role that’s harder to make stand out than a beige accent wall, the veteran actress has the crowd in stitches with almost every line.

And she never, ever overplays a single word. Her Mrs. Brice, often subdued, is grounded in reality — and is freakin’ hilarious for it. She takes the bits on Henry Street, Brice’s Brooklyn nabe, and elevates them from functional transitions to cherished moments. She’s a marvel.

Strong casting can only help so much, however. A lot of pressure has been put on Michele (and Feldstein, for that matter) to carry an inherently flawed musical that has never really worked. Act 1, boasting iconic songs by Styne, a “Star Is Born” plot and a lot of sexy romance grabs you here more than ever. But, as revised by Harvey Fierstein, Act 2 remains a sluggish wannabe “Gypsy” about the perils of fame. As her gambling addict husband loses money, we lose interest. There’s nothing Michele and Feldshuh can do about that. Director Michael Mayer’s staging is still an eyesore.

What the pair does manage to do — alongside the still-wonderful Jared Grimes — is bring our favorite songs to thrilling life and give us a few laughs. It’s not the greatest night of all, but it’ll do.

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