Rec. #768: Broadway Miscast - "The Schuyler Sisters"

What: The performances from the Broadway Miscast events can be anything from broadly comedic to acutely poignant. This one -- three Broadway boys performing "The Schuyler Sisters" -- is mainly super-duper fun.

How to get it: You can watch this particular performance on YouTube here. Go to the MCC Theater channel to see playlists for each year of Miscast.

Learn more about the Miscast events on the MCC Theater website and appreciate that the performances are posted online because the event ("gala") itself is SPENDY.

Rec. #767: The Guardian's "Blind Date" Series

What: Blind Date has been a regular feature in The Guardian for years, and it is *fascinating*. Every week, the paper matches two readers up and pays for their dinner together.

The blind daters report back via a questionnaire that touches on awkward moments, expectations, and whether they'd introduce their date to their friends. They also each rate the date on a scale of 1-10.

Common themes: Restaurants seating the dates at separate tables, plate sharing, people describing their own friends as "vicious" 

How to get it: You can dive into more than 500 blind date stories in the Guardian's online archive.

Rec. #766: What CTA Workers Know

What: The marvels of public transit are only possible because of its workers. Chicago magazine interviewed a dozen CTA employees and heard about the good, the bad, and the alarmingly violent.

Representative quote: "You get singing groups, you get shell games, you get people dressed up like it’s Halloween when it’s not Halloween. There was even a guy in a diaper once. But you know, this is Chicago."

How to get it: "What CTA Workers Know" appears in the January 2019 issue of Chicago magazine and is also available online in a very attractive layout.

Rec. #765: Prompt from Louis Virtel - Celebrities Who Best Owned a Single Year

What: Here's a fun prompt to have rolling around in the back of your head during (what I hope is) a short work week.

Today's essay question: celebrities who best owned a single year.

Sample responses:
1954 - Grace Kelly
1964 - The Beatles
1984 - Prince
1987 - Cher
1993 - Steven Spielberg
2008 - Tina Fey


Connections to previous Wreckage: See more Louis Virtel with Rec. #406 and Rec. #753.

How to get it: Jump in to the still-ongoing thread here.

Rec. #764: The Outrage

Oona against the patriarchy

What: The Outrage is a DC-based, female-founded activist clothing company. A percentage of every purchase is donated to progressive organizations, including Black Lives Matter, the ACLU, the National Organization for Women, and Capital Pride Alliance.

Representative merch: "OMG GOP WTF" dog tank, "Thoughts & prayers Policy & change" t-shirt, "Plank like RBG" water bottle, "There is no Planet B" kids t-shirt, "Black Lives Matter" sweatshirt dress

How to get it: Shop the store online, or visit in person at storefronts in DC and Philadelphia.

Rec. #763: The Great Museum

What: You'll have to trust me -- this Austrian documentary about an art museum is fascinating, soothing, and slyly funny, all at the same time.

Get a peek behind the scenes of Vienna's Kunsthistorisches Museum, as the filmmakers give screentime to everything from the directors figuring out marketing to curators planning exhibits to docents airing grievances to restoration specialists performing magic to someone checking the moth traps. 

Connections to previous Wreckage: The Great Museum was part of List #57: Ten Pleasant Surprises of 2015.

Rec. #762: Aparna Nancherla and Jo Firestone's "Womanhood" Video Series

What: Who better to explain the nuances of womanhood than comedians Aparna Nancherla and Jo Firestone? Literally no one.

Representative episodes: "Ruining Your Body with Alcohol," "Finding the Perfect Prom Dress Shopping with Mom," "Do You Need Helmets for Aqua Cycling?"

Connections to previous Wreckage: Find more Aparna Nancherla on her Twitter (@aparnapkin), which was part of List #66: Public Voices to Pay Attention To. Find more Jo Firestone on Dr. Gameshow, which was Rec. #585.

How to get it: See the playlist on YouTube here.

Rec. #761: Treemail in Australia

What: This story is from a few years ago, but it's lovely. In 2015, the Melbourne city council mapped every tree in the city to better track any that were struggling. They assigned each tree a digital ID and email address so people could report issues they saw.

People took those email addresses and started writing personal messages to the trees, sending them thanks and good wishes and compliments. The mapping project is still going strong, and one can only hope that the positive messages are as well.

How to get it: Read the BBC story here to see some examples of messages people have sent. Explore the map here. Click on any tree to find its email address.

Rec. #760: Trailer for Fosse/Verdon

What: The Fosse/Verdon miniseries is coming this spring, and I'm very excited. 

I love that Gwen Verdon is in the title. I love that the cast includes actual Broadway talent. I love that we will get to see people take on the daunting task of pretending to be Liza Minnell, Neil Simon, and Shirley MacLaine.

How to get it: Watch the teaser trailer here.

Connection to previous Wreckage: Fosse, the Tony-winning revue of the choreographer's work, was Rec. #262. 

Rec. #759: Olivia Colman in Green Wing

What: Olivia Colman is, of course, gobsmackingly fantastic in everything she does, and I'm delighted that she's deservedly getting accolades this awards season. 

It seems like a great time for a reminder that she is also very funny as frazzled Harriet in the deliciously bonkers show Green Wing, which aired in the UK 2004-2006. 

Representative quote: [Pulls a cat out of her bag] "But then who did I leave at the vet?"

Connection to previous Wreckage: Green Wing was Rec. #110.

How to get it: Green Wing is currently available to stream in the US on Amazon Prime and Netflix.

Happy New Year

Welcome to 2019, or, as I'm optimistically dubbing it, "The Year When Everything Gets Fixed" (hahahahahahasob)

I'm going to be trying a "one week on, one week off" thing, so I'll see you back here in a bit.

List #71: Best of 2018

The Big Family Cooking Showdown: Best Replacement for the BBC's Great British Bake Off, Rec. #717

Brooklyn Nine-Nine: Most Positive TV Twist, Rec. #707

Burn, Burn, Burn: Best Road Trip, Rec. #723

Can You Ever Forgive Me?: Best Return of the '90s Snarky Brunettes, Rec. #743

Captain Awkward: Best Advice on the Internet, Rec. #705

Check, Please: Best Webcomic Now in Print, Rec. #735

Chess: Best Live Musical Performance, Rec. #721

Colossal: Best I-Guess-It's-Technically-SciFi, Rec. #713

"DecaDance/Chicago": Best Live Dance Performance, Rec. #703

Dogs on Twitter: Best Reason Not to Rage-Quit the Internet, Rec. #747

Dr. Gameshow: Best Way to Keep Up with NYC Comedy When You're Not in NYC, Rec. #719

Edinburgh Festival Fringe: Best Place to Discover New Sketch Comedy Duos, Rec. #749

An Emmy for Megan: Best Short Form Comedy Concept, Rec. #751

Flo & Joan: Best Musical Comedy Duo, Rec. #709

Full Frontal with Samantha Bee: Best Righteous Fury on the Screen, Rec. #739

Janeane Garofalo: Best Return of the '90s Snarky Brunettes, Rec. #743

Giant Days: Best Continuing Comic Book Series, Rec. #711

Good and Mad: Best Righteous Fury on the Page, Rec. #737

The Good Place: Best Recent Evidence of the Genius of Allison Jones, Casting Director, Rec. #745

The Good Place: Most Deserving of Implicit Trust, Rec. #757

The Great British Bake Off (Channel 4): Best Replacement for the BBC's Great British Bake Off, Rec. #717

The Guardian: Best Photography Curation, Rec. #729

Making It: Best Replacement for the BBC's Great British Bake Off, Rec. #717

Only Connect and Victoria Coren Mitchell: Best Match of Host with Show, Rec. #755

Paddington 2: Best Movie Featuring Sally Hawkins Underwater, Rec. #701

Helen Rosner: Best Insight Into the Food World for Non-Foodies, Rec. #715

Schitt's Creek: Best Serenades, Rec. #733

The Spy Who Dumped Me: Best Buddy Comedy, Rec. #725

Taskmaster: Best Embrace of Meaninglessness, Rec. #731

Louis Virtel: Most Welcome Podcast Guest, Rec. #753

Visages Villages: Best Road Trip That Is Also a Buddy Comedy, Rec. #727

W1A: Best Faux Documentary, Rec. #741

You're on an Airplane: Best Return of the '90s Snarky Brunettes, Rec. #743

List #70: All of the Organizations I've Highlighted This Month

Amnesty International: Rec. #712

The Bail Project: Rec. #724

Center for Reproductive Rights: Rec. #728

Donors Choose: Rec. #734

EMILY's List: Rec. #732

Feeding America: Rec. #742

Guardian US: Rec. #714

International Rescue Committee (IRC): Rec. #744

Kids in Need of Defense (KIND): Rec. #722

Midwest Access Coalition (MAC): Rec. #704

Muslim Justice League (MJL): Rec. #752

NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund (LDF): Rec. #746

National Domestic Workers Alliance: Rec. #716

National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: Rec. #750

Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC): Rec. #754

Navajo Water Project: Rec. #740

The Partnership for Civil Justice Fund (PCJF): Rec. #708

The Public Theater: Rec. #710

Rape, Abuse & Invest National Network (RAINN): Rec. #730

Refugee and Immigrant Center for Education and Legal Services (RAICES): Rec. #702

Reproaction: Rec. #748

Save the Internet: Rec. #726

Survived & Punished (S&P): Rec. #758

Trans Lifeline: Rec. #718

The Trevor Project: Rec. #738

We Need Diverse Books (WNDB): Rec. #706

Women & Children First: Rec. #756

Women for Women International: Rec. #720

Women's Refugee Commission: Rec. #736

Rec. #758: Survived & Punished (S&P)

What the organization does: S&P is a national project to end the criminalization of survivors of domestic and sexual violence.

Where to learn more: 

https://survivedandpunished.org/about/ 

https://survivedandpunished.org/projects/

How to help: 

https://survivedandpunished.org/donate/

https://survivedandpunished.org/resources/

 

Rec. #757: Most Deserving of Implicit Trust

***BEST OF 2018***

The creators and writers of The Good Place have earned my trust. I don't know where this show will go next, but I will be along for the ride.

(See List #68)

Rec. #756: Women & Children First

Or another independent bookstore of your choosing!!

What the organization does: Women & Children First, in Chicago, is one of the largest feminist bookstores in the country. The store's mission is to promote the writing of women and other marginalized voices and to offer a place where everyone can find books reflecting their lives and interests in an atmosphere in which they are respected, valued, and well-served.

Where to learn more: https://www.womenandchildrenfirst.com/wcf-history-and-purpose

How to help: https://crossroadsfund.org/content/womens-voices-fund


Find more independent local bookstores at IndieBound.org.

Rec. #755: Best Match of Host with Show

***BEST OF 2018***

Only Connect is a cozy embrace of nerdery and Victoria Coren Mitchell comes in blazing with clever snark. It's a perfect fit.

(See Rec. #580, Rec. #643)

Rec. #754: Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC)

What the organization does: NRDC is a nonprofit environmental advocacy group.

Where to learn more:

https://www.nrdc.org/work

https://www.nrdc.org/about

How to help:

https://www.nrdc.org/get-involved

https://act.nrdc.org/donate/one-time-gift

 

Rec. #753: Most Welcome Podcast Guest

***BEST OF 2018***

Louis Virtel is one of the hosts of the new-in-2018 podcast Keep It. He also subbed in for Guy Branum as host of Pop Rocket (presumably while Branum finished his book).

I can't even begin to list all of the other podcasts Virtel has guested on -- I just know that I dutifully download any episode he's on.

(See also Rec. #406)

Rec. #752: Muslim Justice League (MJL)

What the organization does: MJL educates, organizes, and advocates to protect human and civil rights that are violated or threatened under national security pretexts.

Where to learn more:

https://www.muslimjusticeleague.org/our-work/

https://www.muslimjusticeleague.org/our-people/

How to help: https://www.muslimjusticeleague.org/support/