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Are drunk people funny?

“I don’t think so,” Kelli O’Hara said, pointing out that she last appeared on Broadway in “Days of Wine and Roses,” a musical about the terrible damage done by people who drink to excess.

Yet she and Rose Byrne are currently delivering one of the funniest drunk scenes (and follow-up hangovers) in recent stage history.

The women star in “Fallen Angels,” a 1925 Noël Coward play in which two wives get tipsy and then full-out snockered as they await the arrival of a Frenchman they each had an affair with years earlier. In the Roundabout Theater Company’s revival, which will stream on June 5 on Broadway HD, the two Tony-nominated stars stagger about, get twisted in a phone cord and fall over furniture.

Still, O’Hara explained, the pratfalls are not in themselves the source of the comedy. “What’s funny,” she said, is “the loosening”: the unwinding of control and dignity among people who value both highly. Here are some of the ways she and Byrne — under the direction of Scott Ellis, and with the help of costumes, sets, sound, wigs and props — achieve that.

Coward doesn’t specify how much the women drink or how soon they get drunk, but Byrne said, “We tracked it.”

In Act 2, after their husbands have left for a golf weekend, Julia (O’Hara) and Jane (Byrne) fill the time as they await the arrival of their mutual Frenchman by sipping Champagne in oversize coupes. Soon, having chugged a whole bottle, they start on a second. There are also martinis, straight up with a twist, and a sizable aperitif of Medoc. “And we’re barely eating,” O’Hara added: just one oyster each by the first cork pop. (The oyster is actually yellow Jell-O.)

Drinking is a playwright’s best friend, a dramaturgical accelerant. Where would “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?” be if its treacherous foursome were teetotalers? Still, every actor must decide whether the alcohol is meant to help a character suppress feelings or let them out. “Even in a farce,” O’Hara said, “what are the stakes?”

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Are drunk people funny?“I don’t think so,”

“Hell’s Kitchen,” the Alicia Keys musical that has landed at the Hollywood Pantages Theatre in a blaze of rousing sound, deploys the R&B star’s glorious treasure trove of work in the service of a semi-autobiographical version of her coming-of-age story in the Manhattan neighborhood that gives the show its title.

The Hell’s Kitchen of Alicia Keys’ story, set in the 1990s, isn’t the gang-ridden Hell’s Kitchen of West Side Story, set in the 1950s. Keys grew up in Manhattan Plaza, a federally subsidized residential complex that provides affordable housing for artists. But for a teenager in rebellion from her watchful mother, the vibrant, music-filled street life comes with its share of dangers.

Kennedy Caughell as Jersey and Maya Drake as Ali in the North American Tour of Alicia Keys’ “Hell’s Kitchen” at the Hollywood Pantages Theatre.

(Marc J. Franklin)

Ali (Maya Drake, who’s making her professional debut in this North American tour production) is a 17-year-old ready to break out of the cage her mother, Jersey (Kennedy Caughell), has placed her in. Jersey, a single mom, isn’t a tyrant. She just doesn’t want to see her daughter make the same mistakes that she did, namely get pregnant at a young age before she’s had a chance to realize her own dreams.

The book by playwright Kristoffer Diaz (“The Elaborate Entrance of Chad Deity”) is structured around a loving but combustible mother-daughter relationship amid the creative ferment of New York. This artistic neverland is crystallized in the apartment building that has music pouring out of every floor when Ali rides the elevator.

Maya Drake as Ali and the company of the North American Tour of Alicia Keys' "Hell's Kitchen"

Maya Drake as Ali and the company of the North American Tour of Alicia Keys’ “Hell’s Kitchen” at the Hollywood Pantages Theatre.

(Marc J. Franklin)

The story isn’t the strong suit of “Hell’s Kitchen,” which is powered by Alicia Keys’ versatile catalog, which has been supplemented with original material. The hits — “You Don’t Know My Name,” “Girl on Fire,” “Fallin’,” “If I Ain’t Got You,” “Like You’ll Never See Me Again,” “No One” and “Empire State of Mind,” among them — reverberate inside the Pantages with a thrilling exuberance.

What’s most impressive, however, is the way these tracks have been arranged both musically and dramatically. Jukebox musicals are notorious for shoe-horning in beloved songs without regard for storytelling integrity. “Mamma Mia!,” which crammed in as many ABBA hits as possible, hardly even bothered to find pretext for their inclusion. The lucrative example paved the way for more than two decades of musical theater shamelessness.

The company of the North American Tour of Alicia Keys' "Hell's Kitchen" at the Hollywood Pantages Theatre.

The company of the North American Tour of Alicia Keys’ “Hell’s Kitchen” at the Hollywood Pantages Theatre.

(Marc J. Franklin)

“Hell’s Kitchen,” directed by Michael Greif, takes a more dignified approach, raiding Keys’ greatest hits in a way that doesn’t cause dramatic offense and better yet, adds a layer of surprise to music that is so well known.

The songs are allocated in unexpected ways. Numbers that you might think belong to Ali are divided among the company. Jersey is first in line, and Caughell makes the most of her opportunities. But sharing in the bounty are Davis (Desmond Sean Ellington), Ali’s mostly absent and chronically unreliable father; Knuck (Jonavery Worrell), Ali’s forbidden love interest; or Miss Liza Jane (Roz White), a pianist who lives in the building and becomes Ali’s formidable mentor.

There are other characters who offer luminous assistance, but these are the principals in a musical tale built around Ali’s central relationships. Keys’ origin story is more dynamic on an atmospheric than dramatic level. A mother having difficulty with her boy-crazy teenage daughter isn’t exactly breaking any ground, and Diaz avoids venturing into more turbulent territory. Ali’s divided identity, stemming in part from an all-too-present white mother and all-too-missing Black father, sets up issues that are touched on but never deeply engaged.

Desmond Sean Ellington as Davis and Kennedy Caughell

Desmond Sean Ellington as Davis and Kennedy Caughell as Jersey and the company of the North American Tour of Alicia Keys’ “Hell’s Kitchen” at the Hollywood Pantages Theatre.

(Marc J. Franklin)

Miss Liza Jane spots Ali’s musical gift right away and fills her with a sense of pride and responsibility in her Black heritage. But her character’s role is somewhat earnestly compartmentalized. Knuck recognizes that Ali’s fascination with him stems in part from the way she sees him, much as her mother does, as a “thug.” But their tentative affair is secondary to the complex bond between Ali and Jersey, whose troubled connection with Davis helps Ali understand why her mother is so paranoid about her romantic choices.

But these concerns fall away when the performers start singing. Drake has a beautiful voice, but her Ali is slighter than that of Maleah Joi Moon, who won a Tony for her Broadway debut performance. I didn’t mind that Davis sings “Fallin’,” as Ellington has a voice of luscious thunder. Worrell’s Knuck more than holds his own with his duets with Ali. (In fact, I was more taken by his velvety interpretation of “Like You’ll Never See Me Again” than Ali’s more straightforwardly pretty version.) White’s Miss Liza Jane takes the Pantages audience to church in her numbers. And when Caughell magnificently directs “No One” to Ali, I can’t imagine there’s a dry eye in the house.

Desmond Sean Ellington as Davis and Maya Drake as Ali in the North American Tour of Alicia Keys' "Hell's Kitchen"

Desmond Sean Ellington as Davis and Maya Drake as Ali in the North American Tour of Alicia Keys’ “Hell’s Kitchen” at the Hollywood Pantages Theatre.

(Marc J. Franklin)

This tour production isn’t crisp in all areas. The dancing isn’t always smooth, the costumes struck me as a road show idea of New York cool, and the acting didn’t do much to compensate for some of the book’s less subtle moments.

But the energy of the production is infectious. “Hell’s Kitchen,” a New York story of a wunderkind discovering her gift, helped me get over my allergy to the jukebox genre. The soaring quality of the orchestra and the delectable company of voices pay exhilarating homage to a singular artist, who seems right at home at the Pantages.

‘Hell’s Kitchen’

Where: Hollywood Pantages Theatre, 6233 Hollywood Blvd., Los Angeles

When: 7:30 p.m. Tuesdays-Thursdays, 8 p.m. Fridays, 2 and 8 p.m. Saturdays, 1 and 6:30 p.m. Sundays. (Check for exceptions.) Ends June 21

Tickets: Start at $57

Contact: BroadwayInHollywood.com or Ticketmaster.com

Running time: 2 hours, 35 minutes

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“Hell’s Kitchen,” the Alicia Keys musical

MCU fans will witness a new era of Spider-Man in 2026 when Spider-Man: Brand New Day releases. The fourth Tom Holland-starring feature continues the story of the Spider-Man “Home” trilogy, with familiar faces including Peter Parker (Holland), MJ (Zendaya), Ned (Jacob Batalon), and Bruce Banner (Mark Ruffalo). While there are many similarities between Spider-Man: Brand New Day and past MCU Spidey films, this fourth movie will still feel distinct from the others.

Marvel Studios Kevin Feige has made that distinction clear in a new interview with Empire, revealing that this is the first MCU film to “[focus] on the classic elements of Spider-Man.” The producer added he’s “doing the Spidey thing,” that he’s known for in the comics, living in a small New York apartment and tracking crimes for Spider-Man to fight on the police scanner:

“It is the first Spider-Man film that we’ve made in the MCU that is focused on the classic elements of Spider-Man. He’s doing the Spidey thing of living in a rather sad, small apartment, listening to the police scanner and going out and using his great power responsibly.”

Spider-Man’s introduction into the MCU was fairly non-traditional. Holland’s first appearance as the character was in the heat of battle in Captain America: Civil War, where he appeared to support Iron Man’s team. Unlike Tobey Maguire or Andrew Garfield’s live-action Spider-Man iterations, there was no Uncle Ben origin story, or homemade suit phase (apart from when Iron Man took Parker’s enhanced suit away in Spider-Man: Homecoming). Instead, Spider-Man arrived as an established hero, albeit one still in a learning phase. 

The MCU’s Spider-Man introduced many twists to the mythology, helping to introduce Peter Parker not just to audiences but to integrate him into the wider Marvel universe. He became an Avenger very early on in the process and lost his mentor figures several movies in. But now, Spider-Man: Brand New Day is pushing the character towards a new period that is much more comic-accurate.

Adding to Spider-Man’s new evolution is a period of what Tom Holland calls “Spider-Puberty.” This is in reference to the strange transformation Peter undergoes in the Brand New Day trailer, waking up shrouded in cobwebs with his senses enhanced. Holland told Empire that this process sees Peter Parker “losing control,” and “things are changing”:

“My pitch when I came to the table with it was called ‘Spider-Puberty’. What happens if Peter Parker is losing control and things are changing? ‘Spider-Puberty’ was my tagline pitch to the studio, which was immediately shot down.”

Marvel Studios

Puberty, in itself, signifies a time of transformation and maturity, only reinforcing the idea that the Spider-Man fans who meet in Spider-Man: Brand New Day will be very different from those in the trilogy before. Whether or not theories about Man-Spider end up coming true, Spider-Man: Brand New Day is clearly intending to be an incubator of change for the MCU’s Spider-Man, transitioning him from the impulsive teen of the Home trilogy into a mature young adult, both personally and physically.

On top of that, it’s also been a new era for Holland behind the scenes, who revealed he was granted access to the Spider-Man writer’s room for the first time since taking on the role: “This is the first time in my tenure as Spider-Man that I was kind of welcomed into the writers’ room.”

Spider-Man: Brand New Day sees Destin Daniel Cretton take over directing duties from Jon Watts, with new stars Jon Bernthal, Sadie Sink, and Tramell Tillman joining the cast. The anticipated MCU movie will arrive on July 31, 2026.

Spider-Man’s New Comic-Accurate MCU Era

Tom Holland as Spider-Man in Spider-Man: Brand New Day.
Marvel Studios

Spider-Man: Brand New Day is planning to integrate many elements from classic Spider-Man comics into the movies, leaning into Peter Parker’s college years, when he takes on more adult responsibilities and evolves closer to the character from the comics who balances taking pictures for the Daily Bugle and moonlighting as Spider-Man.

Picking up from Spider-Man: No Way Home, Peter has entered a new era of his life in which everyone on Earth has forgotten his identity, forcing him to give up his friends and his girlfriend. Following May’s death, he’s had to find his own apartment in New York City, and is now dedicated to a life of fighting crime as Spider-Man, both of which are core components of his comics counterpart, but haven’t been seen with this version of Spidey before.

Thanks to a significant time jump, Spider-Man: Brand New Day will feel different from the get-go, with Peter Parker having operated with his new status quo for years now. The question now is what kind of era will Spider-Man: Brand New Day leave Holland’s character in, particularly as Marvel and Sony look ahead to this new trilogy of Spider-Man films.

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Online Casino: The Importance of Fast Payouts | GamingSoft News

As we explore the rise of the MegaBlock Casino Experience, it’s clear that something groundbreaking is happening in the UK gaming environment. This isn’t just another casino title; it redefines how we think about player interaction and strategy. The integration of blockchain technology introduces a level of engagement that many traditional games lack. What does this mean for the future of gaming, and how might it alter our experiences? Let’s consider the consequences.

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As we explore the rise of the

The Batman 2‘s story must decide whether or not to break an unofficial rule regarding the Joker that DC movies will have followed for 61 years by the time of the film’s release. Batman’s movie history is one of the most expensive in all of superherodom, and this has consequently also meant we’ve had a wide array of different depictions of the Joker, too, since the Caped Crusader’s nemesis has long been decidedly famous in his own right.

Though the different movie depictions of the Joker have had drastically contrasting tones over the years – as can be seen by comparing the campy playfulness of the 60s film Joker to his serial killer counterpart in The Dark Knight for any amount of time – some rules have remained consistent when it comes to how Batman films handle the Clown Prince of Crime and his on-screen stories.

The current track record for how Batman movies have featured the Joker has now left the newest corner of the franchise at an interesting crossroads, as The Batman 2‘s story seems to mean the movie has to break a Batman film tradition that’s been upheld for decades.

The Batman 2 Has The Chance To Break An Over 50-Year-Old Joker Movie Rule

Close up of Barry Keoghan as the Joker in a deleted scene from The Batman
Close up of Barry Keoghan as the Joker in a deleted scene from The Batman

It’s easy to see why the Joker has appeared in the vast majority of Batman movies that have been released over the past few decades. Interestingly enough, though, while the Joker is one of Batman’s most famous and long-enduring enemies, he’s not a figure who sticks around in any movie world for very long.

In fact, when it comes to Batman movies, the Joker has never appeared alive in two live-action movies in a row. 1966’s Batman didn’t get a sequel, Jack Nicholson’s Joker died in 1989’s Batman – though we do get some posthumous Joker flashbacks later on in the series – and while the Joker survives The Dark Knight, the movie ends his role in Nolan’s Batman trilogy.

Though the Joker has had longer stints in non-Batman-focused live-action DC films – such as is the case with the Joker duology, or the DCEU Joker technically appearing in Suicide Squad, Birds of Prey, and Zack Snyder’s Justice League – it’s interesting to note this trend holds true for DC’s Batman-centered films, especially given the rivalry between Joker and Batman is such a core part of both of their stories.

Given The Batman introduced us to Barry Keoghan’s Joker, the villain appearing in The Batman 2 would mean that this rule would finally be broken after 61 years – which would be a pretty major milestone for the new DC movie series and for the Clown Prince of Crime alike.

Why The Batman 2 Would Benefit From Featuring The Joker

Robert Pattinson as Batman in The Batman looking off-screen
Robert Pattinson as Batman in The Batman looking off-screen

Currently, it doesn’t strictly appear as though the Joker will necessarily be a focal figure in The Batman 2 – and indeed, it’s possible the entire series may avoid him being the main villain throughout if the decision is made to instead focus more on DC villains who’ve had the limelight less in the overarching history of the franchise.

However, whatever the case may be, there’s still room for the Joker to feature in these films’ plots, and plenty of good reason to do so. Having the Joker appear in all of The Batman‘s movies – even if only in short snapshots akin to The Batman‘s own brief depiction of the character – would help build a sense of consistency throughout the series, and allow for Batman’s history prior to the movies’ story to be tantalizingly teased.

One of the key strengths of The Batman series thus far is the way it plays with a version of Gotham and those who reside within it that feels very much lived in, and as though it has many stories outside of the main plot we see in The Batman and The Penguin. As such, whether it’s to build the Joker’s own central story in the series, or just to make the worldbuilding feel that bit more intricate, there’s plenty of reason for The Batman 2 to break DC’s movie traditions with the Joker and how the character has been used.

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The Batman 2's story must decide whether

Xbox CEO Asha Sharma has called the decision to include rival platform logos in its upcoming showcase “a miss” in response to fan backlash.

On Friday, Xbox’s leadership team discussed plans for its upcoming annual summer Games Showcase, which is due to take place on Sunday, June 7.

In a podcast published on the official Xbox channel, chief content officer Matt Booty was asked if the Showcase would continue its transparency regarding which platforms featured games will be releasing for.

Typically, first-party game showcases like Nintendo Direct and PlayStation State of Play don’t mention rival platforms in the game trailers they show, leaving viewers to find out later which consoles games are actually releasing for.

However, Xbox has broken the trend in recent years, alongside its push toward a multiplatform release strategy, and clearly signposted when revealed games are coming to PlayStation 5 or Nintendo Switch 2.

Speaking during the Xbox podcast, Booty confirmed the policy of transparency would continue. “We’ll be very clear about which platforms a game is coming to and want to continue the precedent,” he said. “I think we’ve got a good system going where we make it clear in Showcase.”

However, not all Xbox fans were pleased with Booty’s comments, with some suggesting that the Game Showcase should focus on Xbox platforms rather than mention rival consoles.

Prominent Xbox influencer Klobrille wrote: “I feel like the bare minimum expectation many had was for Xbox to really focus on their own platform at least for the time of the Showcase.”

Seemingly, this sentiment was significant enough for Xbox’s new leadership team to notice, as by Friday evening, CEO Sharma published an apology and claimed the policy would be reviewed.

“Seeing the feedback on logos,” she wrote. “It was a miss, and I own it. We are talking about how we adjust for future Xbox shows.”

Not everyone agrees with the potential U-turn, however. GLHF content director, Kirk McKeand wrote: “I’m not sure pivoting based on the whims of a few militant fans is the best idea.”

IGN journalist Ryan McCaffrey added: “Is doing what Sony does really any more helpful to gamers, though? Meaning, pretend a game doesn’t exist on other platforms on your Showcase when in fact it does. Who does that help?”