James Sims

James Sims

  • Joss Whedon Tackles Misfit Angst With ‘Glee’

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    James Sims

    From vampire slaying cheerleaders to middle class suburbia, director and writer Joss Whedon has tackled a wide range of characters in his Hollywood career, but its quirky misfit angst that often works best for the 40-something artist, and this week’s episode of Glee has given him the opportunity to delve deeper into the subject. Looking…

  • Broadway Marketing Ready to Play Foursquare

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    James Sims

    It’s Friday night. 8 p.m. After scanning Facebook for last minute status updates from friends and scrolling through a nearly endless number of tweets, it’s time to figure out what to do around New York City. My iPhone lights up with an alert message.

  • Publishers Can Take Warning from Broadway’s ‘Collected Stories’

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    James Sims

    Rupert Murdoch and Jonathan Burnham, consider yourself warned. Playwright Donald Margulies has assumed the role of a publishing soothsayer, and what he predicts isn’t pretty. Margulies has been all but taking a midnight ride up and down Broadway’s Shubert Alley on horseback, warning all in earshot, “The end of modern publishing is coming.” Apple’s Steve…

  • Music’s Past and Future Meet on Broadway

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    James Sims

    As the current Broadway season draws to a close — shows must open by April 29 to be eligible for the coveted Tony Award this year — it looks like it might be the year of rock and roll, or at least a season that took some chances on heavier musical stylings. Last season had…

  • Fox’s ‘Glee’ a Savior to Arts Education

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    James Sims

    Fox’s ‘Glee’ is a hit, again. Tuesday night’s return of the singing and dancing series scored its best ratings ever, pulling in 13.7 million viewers, which is a vast improvement over its series premiere numbers last year (9.6 million). News of a ratings smash should come as no surprise to the millions of dedicated fans,…

  • ‘Addams Family’ Lands Dead as a Doornail on Broadway

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    James Sims

    ‘The Addams Family’ is an entertainment legacy that deserves a splashy introduction to the Broadway community, yet with the small melodies by composer Andrew Lippa — a soft attempt at quirky songs that never get quirky enough — the musical comes off like an off-Broadway tuner with a dream of bigger digs. The iconic Addams…

  • ‘Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson’ Tears Down Musical Theatre Tradition

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    James Sims

    Musical theatre old timers have been circling the proverbial wagons for quite sometime now, grasping at revival after revival in hopes of retaining the fading glory of yesteryear song and dance shows. Over the course of the past couple seasons on and off Broadway, a rebellion of sorts has been afoot, and if anyone has…

  • Pixar Animates Life Behind the Scenes

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    James Sims

    With ‘Waking Sleeping Beauty‘ currently playing in a limited release at movie theaters around the country, interest in a behind-the-scenes look at Disney animation is high. The documentary is both entertaining and educational, as it depicts the business side of studio production and how not everyone working at Disney spends their days whistling while they…

  • Fox’s ‘Glee’ Performs at White House

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    James Sims

    As Gleeks await the return of Fox’s hit series ‘Glee,’ those attending the White House’s annual Easter Egg Roll, and anyone tuning in online, were treated to a live performance from the singing and dancing cast. ‘Glee’ stars ran through the Queen song “Somebody to Love” first, with the whole group getting on the action.…

  • Changing My Twitter Handle, a Stressful Situation

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    James Sims

    But, since my time as a Columbia University graduate student is long over, I no longer see the need to brand myself as a “columbia” kind of guy. My tweets are 90% entertainment based since I work as an entertainment journalist, not a trait easily associated with Columbia’s journalism program.