In 1961, we initially encounter the cantankerous and introverted young Dylan, portrayed by Chalamet, as he is crammed into the backseat of a vehicle speeding towards Manhattan at the age of 19. He has departed from his midwestern birthplace on a mission: His hero, the trailblazing folk musician Woody Guthrie (Scoot McNairy), is recuperating in a psychiatric facility located in nearby New Jersey, and Dylan is resolute in his desire to meet him. Soon, he achieves this goal, serenading Guthrie with a straightforward melody on his guitar—the moving “Song to Woody,” which would later be included on Dylan’s self-titled debut album within a year’s time—and capturing the admiration of Guthrie, alongside his visiting acquaintance and fellow luminary, Pete Seeger (Edward Norton).
“Anastasia Samoylova’s Captivating Lens: Unveiling Florida’s Essence at The Met”
Reflecting on her formative years in a quaint, farming community located in the southern region of Russia, Anastasia Samoylova is irresistibly drawn back to the vibrant imagery that played a crucial role in her early life: prominent propaganda billboards, vividly hued advertisements, and the classic red-and-gold theme of the Russian Orthodox church.
“The world has always been interpreted through an intensely visual framework for me,” comments Samoylova. “Even long before gaining literacy, my mind constantly sought patterns among shades and aimed to grasp the significance of images.”
Now in her grown-up life, the emerging modern artist has forged a flourishing vocation in the realm of observational photography, leveraging her knack for pinpointing captivating color arrangements in scenes that would typically go unnoticed. Similar to renowned documentary photographers like Walker Evans and Berenice Abbott, some of Samoylova’s most acclaimed pictures result from her road adventures—specifically, those throughout Florida, where she has resided since 2016.
In her intriguing and frequently multifaceted works, Samoylova addresses urgent topics such as environmental conservation, urban redevelopment, and fervent political movements. In Gatorama (2020), for example, she masterfully depicts an alligator soaking in an old, rusty swimming pool set against a vibrant bubble-gum pink background. Lost Wig (2017) showcases a Medusa-resembling hairstyle left tangled atop someone’s shadow. Meanwhile, Gun Shop, Port Orange (2019) directs the observer’s gaze to a mint-green building in Florida, its merry exterior marked with the silhouettes of firearms.
Roaring into Action: Lioness Season 2 Premieres with a Bang
It was the most memorable critical reversal I have encountered recently. Mike Hale, a television critic at The New York Times (whose preferences I greatly respect), initially criticized Special Ops: Lioness upon its premiere in July 2023. He wasn’t the only one. Critics were harsh on this counterterrorism action program on Paramount+. The series features Zoe Saldaña as a CIA agent named Joe, who mentors female assassins—including a formidable marine named Cruz, portrayed impressively by the relatively lesser-known Laysla De Oliveira.
Lioness was an apparent target. Its originator and author, Taylor Sheridan, is the mastermind behind Yellowstone, a dominating Western on television, along with several other shows that serve as nostalgic military-focused entertainments (such as Mayor of Kingstown, 1883, 1923, and Lawmen: Bass Reeves). Lioness echoed typical Sheridan elements. Robust armed men, intense firefights, and serious debriefings. The number of women in Lioness might have been noteworthy—but so too was the danger they encountered and the violent fatalities they were subjected to. Critics like Hale were provided with only one episode beforehand—and it happened to be a harsh one. The evaluations, including Hale’s, carried a hint of disdain. Sheridan’s inaugural female-focused series appeared somewhat… exploitative?
Gen Z Vogue Editors Dive Into Gracie Abrams’s Album: Unveiling “The Secret of Us”
La segunda producción discográfica de estudio de la cantautora Gracie Abrams, The Secret of Us, ha sido lanzada, y dos editoras de Vogue que coincidieron en un vuelo de Air France registraron sus impresiones del álbum en tiempo real. ¿La conclusión? Adoran a los hijos de famosos e, igual que otros de la Generación Z, se identifican con la mayoría de las letras de Abrams sobre el amor y la amistad.
[Nota de la editora: Para asegurarse de disfrutar al máximo de la experiencia auditiva, ambas esperaron hasta llegar a sus habitaciones de hotel para escuchar la colaboración con Taylor Swift.]
“Close to You”
Irene Kim: Los admiradores de Gracie han estado esperando tanto por esta canción, y definitivamente valió la pena.
Florence O’Connor: Salió la canción e inmediatamente supe todas las palabras. ¡No sabía que ya me las sabía!
Kim: Esta pieza es algo que solo una adolescente podría haber compuesto, en ese instante y lugar.
O’Connor: “Quiero estar cerca de ti” era cómo me sentía contigo, Irene, antes de trabajar en Vogue. Quería estar cerca de la chica cool de mi misma edad en Vogue Runway. (Soy conocida por ser una gran acechadora en Instagram, e Irene es conocida por ser muy reservada en Instagram.)
Euphoria Season 3: Production Commences Amidst Excitement
Given that her role was mostly diminished from a central figure to a secondary role in Season 2, it wasn’t a total shock. During the Armchair Expert podcast in 2023, Ferreira shared: “I don’t believe there was a direction for [Kat] to evolve. I think there were potential directions she could have explored. I just don’t think it would have blended well with the show. I’m unsure if it would have done her justice, and I think both sides recognized that. I truly wanted to move away from being portrayed as the fat best friend. I don’t wish to portray that, and I believe they didn’t either. I feel like with Season 2 and specific aspects of it… I felt it was sort of a challenge for both parties. Sam, me… it was tough to find her continuation. So observing it and witnessing the fans’ disappointment was genuinely painful. I just sensed maybe I had overstayed my welcome slightly? Thus, for me, it genuinely felt a relief to be like, Okay, I get to not stress over this and we both don’t have to stress about this, because it’s tiring. Sam writes for experiences he connects with. I don’t believe he connects with Kat.”
Theatrical Luminaries Shine on the 2024 Met Gala Carpet
This week, an enthusiastic assembly of stage performers, directors, scenic artists, and producers gathered at the Metropolitan Museum of Art for the 2024 Met Gala, seizing a night off from Broadway to commemorate “Sleeping Beauties: Reawakening Fashion.”
Who was there? Several 2024 Tony candidates: Cabaret actors Eddie Redmayne and Gayle Rankin; Stereophonic‘s Sarah Pidgeon and Juliana Canfield; Appropriate‘s Sarah Paulson (alongside her prior co-star Elle Fanning, who left the play earlier in March); An Enemy of the People‘s Jeremy Strong; Merrily We Roll Along‘s Jonathan Groff; Hell’s Kitchen‘s Maleah Joi Moon; and Justin Levine, a genius mind behind The Outsiders. Alex Edelman, on the other hand, is recognized with a Special Tony Award this year for his “outstanding debut” in Just for Us.
Which other theater talents, currently active on or off-Broadway, attended? The promising young ensemble from The Wiz—Nichelle Lewis, Avery Wilson, Phillip Johnson Richardson, and Kyle Ramar Freeman—and Cole Escola, whose uproarious Oh, Mary! is moving from the Lucille Lortel Theatre downtown to Broadway this summertime. There are additional gala guests we’d wish to include here—Rachel Zegler, who steps onto Broadway this autumn! Andrew Scott, who must come to Broadway shortly!—but we’ll refrain from jumping too far ahead of ourselves now.
Others at the museum headlined theater seasons gone by. Consider: Ben Platt and his Parade director, Michael Arden (who collaborated with scenic designer Derek McLane—another Tony contender this year, thanks to his contributions to Purlie Victorious—to envision former theater enthusiast Ariana Grande’s fantastic act at the Met on Monday night); Hugh Jackman from The Music Man; Alex Newell of Shucked; J. Harrison Ghee from Some Like It Hot; Lea Michele of Funny Girl; and Michael Shannon, who—not to be overlooked—performed in Waiting for Godot at the Theatre for a New Audience the previous year.
Finally, there were attendees who haven’t graced a Broadway stage recently, but are cherished community members nonetheless. This circle featured Challengers actor Mike Faist (once part of Dear Evan Hansen with Platt); Wicked performer Cynthia Erivo (formerly of The Color Purple); 3 Body Problem actor Alex Sharp (who formerly appeared in The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time); and Succession star Kieran Culkin (who, years ago, was part of Kenneth Lonergan’s This Is Our Youth). Summing up, Monday’s event gathered a highly theatrical audience, entirely suited to a thoroughly theatrical occasion.
Scroll down to rediscover all the theater personalities (and creators) present at the 2024 Met Gala.
Met Gala 2024: Witness Every Celebrity Arrival, Explore the Latest Narratives, and Gain Unique Behind-the-Scenes Access Here
-
Photo: Getty Images1/27
Sarah Paulson
-
Photo: Getty Images2/27
Elle Fanning
Revelations I Wish I Had Before Casting My First Ballot
La primera vez que podría haber votado, no lo hice. Tenía 18 años en 2004. Era un novato. No miraba las noticias. Probablemente estaba en una fiesta o viendo un pretencioso VHS o besando a alguien con zapatillas Vans. Era difícil percibir la elección—entre un hombre blanco de traje que había iniciado una guerra interminable y otro hombre blanco de traje cuyas políticas parecían solo un poco menos problemáticas—como algo personal. No podría haber estado más equivocado.
Todos poseemos el tema que nos lleva a actuar, ese que nos afecta lo suficiente como para inspirarnos a participar políticamente. Para algunos, es el cambio climático destruyendo sus hogares; para otros, su experiencia con los préstamos estudiantiles. Para mí, fue cuando mi cuerpo empezó a fallarme, un desarrollo que finalmente me permitió entender cuán interconectada está cada crisis que enfrenta nuestra nación. Nuestro sistema de salud es el lugar donde se encuentran todos los tipos de injusticia. Pero, como muchas cosas en la vida, tuve que verlo para creerlo, para comprender lo que las feministas de la segunda ola querían decir al gritar: “Lo personal es político”.
No es un secreto que he sido un viajero cansado a través del complicado mundo médico-industrial. He escrito extensamente para esta revista sobre mi historia con la endometriosis y el dolor crónico, las vueltas sin fin que di solo para obtener respuestas, las visitas a la sala de emergencias por todo el país cuando los síntomas estaban fuera de control (a menudo he bromeado que podría escribir un libro titulado Un Médico en Cada Puerto), y la histerectomía radical que finalmente fue necesaria. Lo que he escrito menos es sobre los hombres—tantos hombres—que conocí en ese recorrido. (Aunque aproximadamente el 85% de los ginecólogos en ejercicio son mujeres, el 62% de los médicos en ejercicio son hombres, y representan alrededor de dos tercios del campo médico de emergencia.) Algunos eran doctores establecidos, otros eran internos, algunos anestesiólogos. Había quienes me enviaron a casa sangrando demasiado, explicándome mi periodo como si estuviera en una clase de salud de quinto grado. Había quienes me miraban con escepticismo cuando calificaba mis calambres como un 10 en la escala del dolor. Había quienes con descuido metían la mano dentro de mí como si yo fuera un coche con un motor averiado y no una mujer humana sufriendo ante la intrusión descuidada.
Después de mi primera cirugía para la endometriosis, me ubicaron en el departamento de urología de un prestigiado hospital de Nueva York. Las habitaciones eran mucho más agradables, explicó mi doctor (fuera de la red, cabe mencionar, y encontrado después de buscar por todos lados y por fin consultar con la Endometriosis Foundation of America). Un hombre adinerado con cáncer de próstata hizo una generosa donación que permitía la presencia de paneles de madera y televisores de pantalla plana en lugar de las paredes amarillentas y descascaradas y los televisores diminutos con tres canales en obstetricia y ginecología. Me dijeron que debía caminar todos los días después de la cirugía, ocho veces por el pasillo. Llevaba mi bolsa de IV al lado de hombres llamados Frank y Bob, quienes hablaban tranquilamente sobre deportes mientras las enfermeras los guiaban. Pensé en las mujeres de arriba, esperando a que les cambiasen la cuña, preguntándose quién se había olvidado de ellas. Pensé en las mujeres en hospitales estatales y prisiones que verían la descuidada ala de obstetricia como un increíble ascenso. Pensé en las mujeres esperando fuera de las salas de emergencia de todo el país, demasiado asustadas para ingresar y enfrentar el costo. Pensé en las mujeres que ni siquiera considerarían aparcar fuera.
In spite of the ruthless elimination of a father of two in Manhattan, it has been an unexpectedly and intensely sensual few days on the feeds. To recap: The previous week, UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson was shot outside the Hilton hotel in Midtown. Bullet shells left behind inscribed with deny, defend, and depose allude to the strategies insurers employ to avoid paying claims. Following a five-day hunt around the tristate region (alongside at least one misguided lookalike contest), the accused shooter, young Luigi Mangione at age 26, was found dining at an Altoona McDonald’s, with the online community immediately diving into backstory investigation, eyebrow analysis, and unabashed excitement.
I’m quite certain none of us support assassination. Let me clarify in writing, for while perusing the proclamations of mug-shot attraction, one might be misled into thinking public murder pales in comparison to a prominent jawline. Yet numerous elements intersect in this narrative—a deadly shooting, the flawed health care system, the radical awakening of a privileged young individual, the internet in investigation mode, and sheer physical allure—making it challenging to completely untangle the threads.
An Ivy League alumnus, Mangione’s manifesto, discovered on him at the fast-food eatery, empathetically criticizes the oversized and avaricious nature of the American health care apparatus. (It is reported he lost family members to illness in recent times, with speculation on the ongoing impacts of previous lower-back surgery.) His (self-imposed) mission seemingly was to seek justice for the countless disillusioned Americans suffering under soaring medical costs. Well before Mangione’s identity was revealed, the news of Thompson’s demise spread online with a flood of mocking laughter emojis. (I ponder if these individuals perceive the demise of a leader as a sign of the system’s eventual collapse?) Yet broadly, people related to Mangione’s viewpoint…coinciding with the moment they realized his attractiveness.
Thus arose the well-known hot-felon storyline—Mangione as a desirable vigilante, an ultimate ideologue—alongside tweets so explicitly lustful they’re unrepeatable. The timeline dramatically shifted from Wicked to Luigi. His Italian heritage. His charisma. Is he straight? Is he bisexual? Does he qualify as an incel? Has Ryan Murphy acquired the story rights? Are tables turning for Dave Franco? Mangione’s visuals dominated. Without a shirt and appearing blue. Clad in a tank top and enjoying a Happy Meal. Dressed in an orange prison uniform and appearing contemplative. I’ve witnessed his profile view as police escorted him to court. I’ve seen his valedictorian speech. For some inexplicable reason, I’m aware he awarded The Lorax five stars on Goodreads.
Alessandra Ferri Shines Again: A Dazzling Comeback in McGregor’s Woolf Works at 61
Quand Wayne McGregor a d’abord sollicité Alessandra Ferri pour sortir de sa retraite et piloter son ambitieux ballet Woolf Works en 2015, sa réponse positive a été rapide—et pas seulement parce que le chorégraphe britannique, d’une politesse désarmante, le lui a demandé gentiment autour d’une tasse de thé.
Actuellement, neuf années après, la danseuse italienne—l’une des rares à avoir reçu le titre de prima ballerina assoluta—a consenti à reprendre le rôle que McGregor avait conçu pour elle. Ce mois-ci, à 61 ans, Ferri se produira dans deux représentations de cette œuvre primée, inspirée par la vie et l’œuvre de Virginia Woolf, pour sa première à New York avec le American Ballet Theater. (Les danseuses principales de l’ABT, Gillian Murphy et Hee Seo, alterneront pour ce rôle les autres soirs.)
Bien que Ferri se produise rarement ces temps-ci, elle n’a pas eu besoin de beaucoup d’arguments pour collaborer à nouveau avec McGregor—ni pour fouler les planches dans la ville qu’elle a appelée maison durant 30 ans. En réalité, elle était enchantée par l’idée. Après avoir commencé sa carrière au Royal Ballet de Londres, elle a été invitée à rejoindre l’ABT en tant que danseuse principale en 1985 par Mikhail Baryshnikov lui-même. En tant qu’artiste invitée internationale, elle a également prêté son talent au Ballet du Théâtre La Scala à Milan—où l’une de ses performances dans Romeo & Juliet, démontrant sa maîtrise non seulement comme danseuse mais aussi comme actrice, aurait un impact profond sur McGregor.
“Ça a vraiment été mon rôle préféré de ce ‘deuxième chapitre,’ si on peut l’appeler ainsi,” confie Ferri à Vogue à propos de son personnage dans Woolf Works durant une pause dans son emploi du temps de répétition. Depuis qu’elle a annoncé sa retraite en 2007, elle est apparue à plusieurs reprises pour ravir un public reconnaissant. “J’ai eu la chance d’avoir de nombreux rôles merveilleux créés pour moi, mais celui-ci est resté très profondément en moi,” remarque-t-elle. “Il a tellement de facettes, décrivant une femme et une artiste incroyable, incroyablement forte et révolutionnaire, mais à la fois si fragile et vulnérable.”
Ferri a puisé dans son propre vivier d’expériences de vie pour découvrir des parallèles personnels, parfaitement consciente que continuer à danser à son âge, et défier les idées reçues sur ce dont le corps féminin est capable, était un acte important en soi.
“Le ballet est perçu comme un domaine pour les jeunes—les ballerines prennent souvent leur retraite dans la trentaine ou quarantaine,” ajoute McGregor. “Mais pourquoi est-ce ainsi ? Pourquoi avons-nous imposé cette limitation sur l’expression physique des gens ? Je suis un fervent défenseur de la collaboration avec des personnes de tous âges parce qu’elles apportent une intelligence créative complètement différente au travail.”