TV SHOWS
the crown season 3
I loved Seasons 1 and 2 of "The Crown," so I was super excited to finally get around to watching Season 3. I was so blown away by Helena Bonham Carter and Josh O'Connor's performances as Princess Margaret and Princes Charles. The entire cast is amazing and I can't wait to see where Season 4 will take us.
new girl
I had watched the first two-ish seasons of "New Girl" during college but then got distracted. I wanted an easy half-hour episode TV show to watch during quarantine, so I decided to restart this from the beginning. Maybe it's that I'm a bit older now, but I'm enjoying it so much more this time. My friend Julie is also watching it and it's so fun to talk about together. I can admit that I'm a total Jess Day...and maybe a little bit Schmidt too.
FILMS
selma
We've started our 2014 Retrospective over on Next Best Picture and the first film I watched for it was Ava DuVernay's "Selma." I'd never seen it before and I was absolutely blown away by it and what a great portrait it is of Martin Luther King Jr. You can listen to our podcast review and read my review.
loving
Maggie and I did a special episode of "Petticoats & Poppies" in which we brought on my friend Alexis, who recently graduated from law school, as a guest. We discussed the film "Loving" and Alexis provided her legal expertise about the court case it's centered around. I was so impressed by this quiet and intimate film with fantastic performances from Joel Edgerton and Ruth Negga. You can listen to the episode here.
the bling ring
I rewatched "The Bling Ring" for the first time in years as part of a piece I wrote in honor of Emma Watson's birthday. I truly think that it's some of Sofia Coppola's best work and I don't think anyone can argue it's not one of Watson's best performances.
the hunchback of notre dame studio cast recording
My neighbors probably hate this album by now. I started listening to this because "Out There" is my favorite Disney song of all time, but then fell in love with the whole album. (Partially because I just really love Patrick Page.) I would love to see this show make it to Broadway one day.
MUSICALS
the trail to oregon
So...I'll have a more extensive post on this coming soon, but in the past month I've watched five StarKid Productions musicals. I had never seen any of them before despite being vaguely aware of the group since high school, but I finally decided to watch some alongside my friend Alexis (also mentioned above) who is a fan. "The Trail to Oregon" is easily one of my favorites thus far, maybe because I was such a nerd about pioneers growing up.
the guy who didn't like musicals
My favorite of the StarKid shows is definitely "The Guy Who Didn't Like Musicals," one of their most recent ones. It's actually easily my favorite musical I've seen for the first time in 2020. The score is fantastic, the cast is great, and the humor is top-notch.
OTHER
oregon trail
In preparation to watch "The Trail to Oregon," Alexis recommended that I play a few rounds of the game Oregon Trail because I somehow never played it growing up. I found a version online and now I'm absolutely addicted to it. Maybe it's because I was obsessed with the actual Oregon Trail in elementary school or maybe I just enjoy being able to focus on something small for a little while, but it's brought me so much joy.
tik tok
Yes, I finally did it. I downloaded Tik Tok. Not only that, but I started making videos; this is what happens when you have a Gen Z sibling, I guess. But actually I'm kind of addicted to watching Star Wars, Percy Jackson, Harry Potter, and theatre themed videos. My username on there is nicoleackman16 if you want to follow me.
567 broadway
(#567BroadwayPartner)
I made a YouTube video last year about Joseph Corella's 567 Broadway program. You can buy the DVD or digital copy of the full program or check out his videos on YouTube. Joseph teaches you choreography to songs from Broadway shows; it's a way to exercise without feeling like you're working out. I am an ambassador for the program, but I've honestly been doing them so often since quarantine began because they're a great way to get moving without the pressure of working out. They always lift my mood, but my personal favorite is the Mamma Mia themed video on YouTube.
What did you enjoy in the month of April? Let me know on Twitter or in the comments below x