Hallmark’s 2021 Countdown to Christmas Schedule
It’s the first day of fall and visions of pumpkin spice are dancing in my head. Hallmark Channel decided they wanted to get visions of sugar plum in our heads instead and just released the schedule for 2021 Countdown to Christmas and I am HYPED! Well, they have released part of it anyway. Holiday magic begins on October 22, 2021.
With this turning of the season Hallmark Channel is letting us in on the schedule for Hallmark’s Countdown to Christmas programming from October 22 through November 7. I will, of course, update this as more films and dates are added to the schedule.
Here are the movies that have been announced so far. Stay tuned as Hallmark continues to announce more holly jolly flicks.
Hallmark Channel “Countdown to Christmas” Lineup 2021
You, Me & The Christmas Trees
Stars: Danica McKellar, Benjamin Ayres, Jason Hervey
Airs: Friday, October 22 at 8 p.m. ET
Excited for this one! I really like Danica McKellar and Benjamin Ayres.
Boyfriends of Christmas Past
Stars: Catherine Haena Kim, Raymond Ablack, Paul Sun-Hyung Lee
Airs: Saturday, October 23 at 8 p.m. ET
The Santa Stakeout
Stars: Tamera Mowry-Housley, Paul Campbell, Joe Pantoliano
Airs: Sunday, October 24 at 8 p.m. ET
Great cast lineup! Should be good.
Christmas in Harmony
Stars: Ashleigh Murray, Luke James, Loretta Devine, Michelle Williams, Basil Wallace
Airs: Friday, October 29 at 8 p.m. ET
Coyote Creek Christmas
Stars: Janel Parrish, Ryan Paevey
Airs: Saturday, October 30 at 8 p.m. ET
Christmas Sail
Stars: Katee Sackhoff, Patrick Sabongui, Terry O’Quinn
Airs: Sunday, October 31 at 8 p.m. ET
Open by Christmas
Stars: Alison Sweeney, Erica Durance, Brennan Elliott
Airs: Friday, November 5 at 8 p.m. ET
Next Stop, Christmas
Stars: Lyndsy Fonseca, Chandler Massey, Lea Thompson, Christopher Lloyd
Airs: Saturday, November 6 at 8 p.m. ET
A Christmas Treasure
Stars: Jordin Sparks, Michael Xavier
Airs: Sunday, November 7 at 8 p.m. ET
Christmas at Castle Hart
Stars: Lacey Chabert, Stuart Townsend
Airs: TBA
LOVE any Hallmark Channel movie with Lacey!
The Christmas Contest
Stars: Candace Cameron Bure, John Brotherton, Barbara Niven
Airs: TBA
LOVE any Hallmark Channel movie with Candace Cameron Bure!
The Christmas House 2: Deck Those Halls
Stars: Robert Buckley, Ana Ayora, Jonathan Bennett, Sharon Lawrence, Treat Williams, Brad Harder
Airs: TBA
Robert Buckley and Jonathan Bennett are top Hallmark Channel movie men!
The Nine Kittens of Christmas
Stars: Brandon Routh, Kimberley Sustad, Gregory Harrison
Airs: TBA
YES! Really excited for this one!
Sister Swap: A Hometown Holiday & Sister Swap: Christmas in the City
Stars: Kimberly Williams-Paisley, Ashley Williams, Mark Deklin, Keith Robinson, Susan Yeagley, Kevin Nealon
Airs: TBA
Most excited about the Williams sisters in this one!
Movie Review: Dear Evan Hansen
Friday is going to be a good day and here’s why:
Dear Evan Hansen comes to a theater near you!
The generation-defining Broadway phenomenon Dear Evan Hansen comes to a theater near you this Friday, September 24, 2021 The best part, Tony, Grammy and Emmy Award winner Ben Platt reprises his role as an anxious, isolated high schooler aching for understanding and belonging amid the chaos and cruelty of the social-media age.
In 2020 I had tickets to see Dear Evan Hansen at the Fisher Theater in downtown Detroit. Unfortunately 2020 had other plans and as we all know too well venues were shut down. I was excited when I heard the news that Dear Evan Hansen was being made into a movie and I was even more excited when I learned that the role of Evan Hansen would be played by Ben Platt who originally starred in the role on Broadway.
Musicals are hard to translate to movies, especially once the musical has a large fan base and has won awards. The movie will either be well received or torn apart because it did not follow the story properly. Like I mentioned above, I was supposed to see Dear Evan Hansen last year, but was unable to. After seeing the movie version it makes me want to see the musical even more and just compare.
Dear Evan Hansen Movie Review
Dear Evan Hansen follows, Evan Hansen as he navigates through social awkwardness, life and events he kind of just put himself in after the death of a classmate. Conner has a brash personality, and is the classmate of Evan’s that ends up taking his own life. The only thing Conner is found with is a letter that starts with “Dear Evan Hansen” in his pocket. The letter is actually one Evan Hansen wrote to himself as part of his therapy. Not wanting to hurt Conner’s family more than they already were, the letter leads Evan Hansen to create a web of lies. Will these lies do more harm than good?
The messages in Dear Evan Hansen are good, relatable really. The story is dark and depressing and covers topics of mental health and self-harm. Which is kind of the theme in society right now. During the past 18-or-so months mental health awareness has been brought to life, and what we are learning is everyone seems to struggle somewhere. You’re not alone. Just as Evan Hansen did some people will even go to incredible lengths to make others feel better about the loss of someone who had mental issues. The movie is a reminder that you’re not alone. And keep in mind, this was a hit Broadway musical first and was not just created during shut down.
Let’s take a step away from mental health for a moment and talk about what is all the buzz on the interwebs right now… the film happens in high school. However, they never specify what grade any of the students are in, and honestly it doesn’t even matter for the story. What people have an issue with is the actors who are playing high school students. With the lead Evan Hansen, being played by Ben Platt (27-years-old), clearly isn’t high school age. And that age does show, that being said I wouldn’t want to see someone else in the role. Ben Platt won awards for the role of Evan Hansen, why would you want someone else in that role? I mean seriously? I have zero complaints with Ben Platt playing the role of a higher school.
Wrap up review of Dear Evan Hansen
I really enjoyed the movie. Ben Platt crushed the role, the songs were amazing and I can’t wait for it to circle back to Detroit and see it on stage.
Dear Evan Hansen Synopsis
The breathtaking, generation-defining Broadway phenomenon becomes a soaring cinematic event as Tony, Grammy and Emmy Award winner Ben Platt reprises his role as an anxious, isolated high schooler aching for understanding and belonging amid the chaos and cruelty of the social-media age.
Directed by acclaimed filmmaker Stephen Chbosky (The Perks of Being A Wallflower, Wonder), the film is written for the screen by the show’s Tony winner Steven Levenson with music and lyrics by the show’s Oscar®, Grammy and Tony-winning songwriting team of Benj Pasek & Justin Paul (La La Land, The Greatest Showman).
Featuring Grammy winning songs, including the iconic anthem “You Will Be Found,” “Waving Through a Window,” “For Forever” and “Words Fail,” Dear Evan Hansen stars six-time Oscar® nominee Amy Adams, Oscar® winner Julianne Moore, Kaitlyn Dever (Booksmart), Amandla Stenberg (The Hate U Give), Colton Ryan (Apple TV+’s Little Voice), Nik Dodani (Netflix’s Atypical), DeMarius Copes (Broadway’s Mean Girls) and Danny Pino (NBC’s Law & Order: Special Victims Unit).
Dear Evan Hansen is produced by Marc Platt (La La Land, Into the Woods, Mary Poppins Returns) and Adam Siegel (2 Guns, Drive), and is executive produced by Michael Bederman, Steven Levenson, Benj Pasek and Justin Paul. Universal Pictures will distribute the film in all territories.
Genre: Musical Drama
Cast: Ben Platt, Amy Adams, Julianne Moore, Kaitlyn Dever, Amandla Stenberg, Nik Dodani, Danny Pino, Colton Ryan, DeMarius Copes
Directed by: Stephen Chbosky
Screenplay by: Steven Levenson
Music & Lyrics by: Benj Pasek & Justin Paul
Based on: The stage musical by Steven Levenson, Benj Pasek & Justin Paul
Producers: Marc Platt, Adam Siegel
Executive Producer: Michael Bederman, Steven Levenson, Benj Pasek, Justin Paul
Summer Dreams Dahlia Farm
Growing up one of my favorite movies was The Secret Garden (specifically the one released in 1987). When I stepped onto Summer Dreams Dahlia Farm in Oxford, Michigan I felt like I was stepping into that movie. Pops of colors danced as far as the eye could see. I stood there in complete awe of what I was looking at.
In its own right, Summer Dreams Farm is a secret garden. The farm is not open to the public, and they do not have a retail location. With that being said Michael Genovese, owner of Summer Dreams Farm is kind enough to set up a few events that allow the public to see his stunning dahlia farm.
This year I attended the Summer Dreams Dahlia Farm Open House, and that is where I was able to capture all of these gorgeous pictures. I’ll be honest, I stopped taking pictures after being on the farm grounds for about 15 minutes. I wanted to immerse myself in the beauty of the farm instead of seeing it through my phone.
If you ever get a chance, I highly recommend visiting Summer Dreams Farm during an open house. You’ll be in complete awe of the farms beauty.
Movie Review: Candyman
Wanna watch a scary movie?
Candyman hit theaters August 27, 2021
We’re getting into spooky season, and this year I think scary movie fans are going to be excited to see what’s coming to theaters. I’ll save that for another post though, because today it’s all about Candyman.
If you grew up in the 80’s and the 90’s you’ve probably seen the original Candyman movie (shoutout to my grandma for the scary movie trauma she caused me as a child with movies like Candyman haha). If you remember the bogeyman will appear after you say his name five times in the mirror and he will kill you. Anyone ever play the sleepover game Bloody Mary? It’s similar to that except it actually comes to life.
The movie also plays on the yearly fear parents have at Halloween with their children getting razor blades and drugs in their candy. Get ready for your skin to crawl as the movie takes you through the fear of the unknown and all things that go bump in the night.
The big question on all our minds—why a new Candyman. The 2021 release of Candyman gives the Candyman a reason to exist. You get a backstory to the bogeyman, the systems that built him and the reasons he is still needed today.
Blood, guts and gore?
Of course you’ll find blood, guts and gore in Candyman! Would you expect a scary movie to be any other way?
If you’re ready for the creeps head to a theater near you and checkout Candyman!
The most important question I have to ask is…Would you say his name?
Candyman Synopsis
Oscar® winner Jordan Peele unleashes a fresh take on the blood-chilling urban legend: Candyman. Filmmaker Nia DaCosta (Little Woods, upcoming Captain Marvel 2) directs this contemporary incarnation of the cult classic.
For as long as residents can remember, the housing projects of Chicago’s Cabrini-Green neighborhood were terrorized by a word-of-mouth ghost story about a supernatural killer with a hook for a hand, easily summoned by those daring to repeat his name five times into a mirror. In present day, a decade after the last of the Cabrini towers were torn down, visual artist Anthony McCoy (Yahya Abdul-Mateen II; HBO’s Watchmen, Us) and his partner, gallery director Brianna Cartwright (Teyonah Parris; If Beale Street Could Talk, The Photograph), move into a luxury loft condo in Cabrini, now gentrified beyond recognition and inhabited by upwardly mobile millennials.
With Anthony’s painting career on the brink of stalling, a chance encounter with a Cabrini-Green old-timer (Colman Domingo; HBO’s Euphoria, Assassination Nation) exposes Anthony to the tragically horrific nature of the true story behind Candyman. Anxious to maintain his status in the Chicago art world, Anthony begins to explore these macabre details in his studio as fresh grist for paintings, unknowingly opening a door to a complex past that unravels his own sanity and unleashes a terrifying wave of violence that puts him on a collision course with destiny.
Universal Pictures presents, from Metro Goldwyn Mayer Pictures and Jordan Peele and Win Rosenfeld’s Monkeypaw Productions, in association with BRON Creative, Candyman. Candyman is directed by DaCosta, and is produced by Ian Cooper (Us), Rosenfeld and Peele. The screenplay is by Peele & Rosenfeld and DaCosta. The film is based on the 1992 film Candyman, written by Bernard Rose, and the short story “The Forbidden” by Clive Barker. The film’s executive producers are David Kern, Aaron L. Gilbert and Jason Cloth.
Genre: Horror
Cast: Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, Teyonah Parris, Nathan Stewart-Jarrett, Colman Domingo
Director: Nia DaCosta
Screenplay by: Jordan Peele & Win Rosenfeld and Nia DaCosta
Producers: Ian Cooper, Win Rosenfeld, Jordan Peele
Executive Producer: David Kern, Aaron L. Gilbert, Jason Cloth
Coming to Detroit: Hadestown
Michiganders! Have you heard the news? Winner of eight 2019 Tony Awards including best musical and the 2020 Grammy award for best musical theater albumHadestown is coming to the Fisher Theater in Detroit!
HADESTOWN
COMING TO DETROIT’S FISHER THEATRE
NOVEMBER 23 – DECEMBER 5, 2021
Tickets on Sale September 24
Hadestown, the winner of eight 2019 Tony Awards® including Best New Musical and the 2020 Grammy® Award for Best Musical Theater Album, will come to Detroit in 2021. As part of the 2021-22 Broadway in Detroit Subscription Season, the show will play the Fisher Theatre, November 23 – December 5, 2021.
Individual tickets for Hadestown start at $59 and will go on sale Friday, September 24 online at Ticketmaster.com, by phone at 800-982-2787, and in person at the Fisher Theatre Box Office.
Hadestown is the most honored show of the 2018-2019 Broadway season. In addition to the show’s eight Tony Awards®, it has been honored with four Drama Desk Awards, six Outer Critics Circle Awards, including Outstanding New Broadway Musical, and the Drama League Award for Outstanding Production of a Musical.
The acclaimed new musical is by celebrated singer-songwriter and Tony Award® winner Anaïs Mitchell and developed with innovative director and Tony Award® winner Rachel Chavkin. Hadestown marks the first time in over a decade that a woman has been the solo author of a musical: writing the music, lyrics, and book, and is the fourth time in Broadway history a woman has accomplished this creative feat.
“It roars off the stage with a ferocity that has not been matched on Broadway in a long while.”
Chris Jones, Chicago Tribune
Producers Mara Isaacs, Dale Franzen, Hunter Arnold, and Tom Kirdahy said jointly, “Throughout its development, Hadestown has been deeply influenced by audiences around the world. We are thrilled and humbled to now share this beautiful story of hope, faith, and rebirth – written and directed by two amazingly talented women and brought to life by a diverse company of performers – with audiences across North America.”
The show originated as Mitchell’s indie theater project that toured Vermont which she then turned into an acclaimed album. With Chavkin, her artistic collaborator, Hadestown has been transformed into a genre-defying new musical that blends modern American folk music with New Orleans-inspired jazz to reimagine a sweeping ancient tale.
The show opened at the Walter Kerr Theatre on Broadway (219 West 48th Street, New York) on April 17, 2019, where it played sold out houses nightly before performances were suspended due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Hadestown resumed performances September 2, 2021 as the first musical to reopen on Broadway.
The North American touring production of Hadestown stars Drama Desk Award® nominee Nicholas Barasch as Orpheus, Morgan Siobhan Green as Eurydice, Tony Award winner Levi Kreis as Hermes, Kimberly Marable as Persephone, and Olivier Award® nominee Kevyn Morrow as Hades.
The Fates are played by Belén Moyano, Bex Odorisio, and Shea Renne. The Workers Chorus features Lindsey Hailes, Chibueze Ihuoma, Will Mann, Sydney Parra, and Jamari Johnson Williams. The swings for the touring production include Kimberly Immanuel, Alex Lugo, Eddie Noel Rodríguez, and Nathan Salstone.
Following two intertwining love stories — that of young dreamers Orpheus and Eurydice, and that of King Hades and his wife Persephone — Hadestown invites audiences on a hell-raising journey to the underworld and back. Mitchell’s beguiling melodies and Chavkin’s poetic imagination pit industry against nature, doubt against faith, and fear against love. Performed by a vibrant ensemble of actors, dancers, and singers, Hadestown delivers a deeply resonant and defiantly hopeful theatrical experience.
Welcome to the intriguing and beautiful world of “your next musical theater obsession.”
Vogue
The creative team features Tony Award® winner Rachel Hauck (set design); four-time Tony Award® nominee Michael Krass (costume design); two-time Tony Award® winner Bradley King (lighting design); Tony Award® winners Nevin Steinberg and Jessica Paz (sound design); Chita Rivera Award® winner and three-time Bessie Award® winner David Neumann (choreography); Liam Robinson (music supervision and vocal arrangements); Tony Award® winners Michael Chorney and Todd Sickafoose (arrangements and orchestrations); Ken Cerniglia (dramaturgy); and Stewart/Whitley (casting).
Hadestown electrified audiences with its 2016 world premiere at New York Theatre Workshop, which is the longest-running show in that celebrated theater’s 40-year history. The production then received its Canadian premiere at Edmonton’s Citadel Theatre in 2017 and then a 2018 sold-out engagement at the London’s National Theatre. Hadestown was developed with funding from the Eli and Edythe Broad Stage at the Santa Monica College Performing Arts Center and was further developed by The Ground Floor at Berkeley Repertory Theatre. Hadestown was co-conceived by Ben t. Matchstick.
The Grammy® winning Hadestown Original Broadway Cast Recording is now available at Hadestown.com/music. The album is produced by David Lai, Sickafoose, and Mitchell on Sing It Again Records.
For more information visit:
www.facebook.com/hadestownofficial
Performance times for Hadestown appearing November 23 – December 5, at the Fisher Theatre, located at 3011 West Grand Blvd., in Detroit are:
- Tuesday through Saturday evening performances at 8:00 p.m.
- Sunday evening performances at 6:30 p.m.
- Saturday matinees at 2:00 p.m.
- Sunday matinees at 1:00 p.m.
- No performance on Thanksgiving, Thursday, Nov. 25
- Open captioned performance on Sunday, Nov. 28 at 6:30 p.m.
Tickets for Hadestown start at $59 (includes facility and parking fees) and go on sale Friday, September 24. Tickets can be purchased online at ticketmaster.com, by phone at 800-982-2787, and in person at the Fisher Theatre Box Office. A limited number of premium seats will be available through Ticketmaster and at the Fisher Theatre Box Office.
For group sales (10 or more) please email broadwayindetroitgroups@theambassadors.com or call 313-871-1132.
Tickets for the open captioned performance may be purchased in person at the Fisher Theatre Box Office or by phone at 313-872-1000, ext. 0.
Performance schedule, prices and cast are subject to change without notice.
Broadway In Detroit uses Ticketmaster as its sole, authorized ticketing agent. Individual tickets purchased from a ticket broker or “third party” ticket reseller involves risk and may not be authentic, sold at box office prices, or with correct performance and venue information. Broadway In Detroit box offices cannot verify tickets sold through a third party or ticket reseller. Broadway In Detroit is also unable to contact third party purchasers with pertinent updates or changes regarding performances.
Following the lead of Broadway and concert venues across the country, Broadway In Detroit theatre patrons will be required to show proof of a negative Covid test within 72 hours of the performance date or proof of full Covid-19 vaccination before they will be admitted into the venue. Additionally, all patrons will be required to wear a mask while inside the theatre regardless of one’s vaccination status.
All ticket purchasers will receive a Broadway In Detroit Health & Safety Guide via email in the weeks prior to their performance. This guide will also be posted on the company’s website (BroadwayInDetroit.com) and available at the Fisher Theatre box office. It will have the latest information on the company’s health and safety protocols as well as information on what to expect when you arrive at the theatre.
For more information on Broadway In Detroit, subscriptions, group sales and more, please visit www.BroadwayInDetroit.com.
Follow Broadway In Detroit on Facebook, as well as on Instagram and Twitter @BroadwayDetroit.
Fashion meets Food 