Adelynn Anderson ’18, Amaal Ladha ’18: Often overlooked in a world of never ending political news and developments are different aspects of the art world; musical entertainment, theatre, television, movies, and visual art have thrived in recent weeks.
Perhaps the most shocking and exciting announcement came from a worldwide phenomenon and superstar on Wednesday, February 1st, when her groundbreaking news hit social media: Beyonce and Jay Z Carter announced that they will be having twins in 2017.
In four days time their post reached close to ten million likes, and has received hundreds of thousands of comments. Their post’s caption read, “We would like to share our love and happiness. We have been blessed two times over. We are incredibly grateful that our family will be growing by two, and we thank you for all your well wishes. -The Carters.” The picture features Beyonce with a bare, visibly pregnant stomach, wrapped in delicate sheer fabric and surrounded by flowers.
Speculations among fans regarding the gender of the babies have flooded Instagram with the hashtag “#beyonce.” One day later, her maternity photo shoot was released, increasing publicity for the couple. Unique photographic styles were used to capture the beauty of motherhood in its entirety. Underwater shots, fuschia and gold fabrics, and four year old daughter Blue Ivy Carter all made appearances in the shoot. Media and news sources such as Buzzfeed, Essence, People, BBC News, TMZ and The Huffington Post were quick to cover the story.
In the world of live theatre, the complete cast album for one of the newest shows on Broadway, Dear Evan Hansen, was released on February 3rd. Dear Evan Hansen is a musical rapidly gaining popularity and is predicted to sweep the Tony Awards this year. The album is number 3 on iTunes (as of February 5th) and features the previously-released, arguably most popular track, “Waving Through a Window.” The song is sung by the lead actor Ben Platt, who many may recognize from the 2012 film Pitch Perfect.
In other Broadway news, two acclaimed musicals are returning for revivals in the 2017-2018 season: Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Sunset Boulevard and Stephen Sondheim and James Lapine’s Sunday in the Park with George. Actress Glenn Close will star as Norma Desmond in Sunset Boulevard, a role she has played previously to much acclaim. Sunday in the Park with George, the story of Georges Seurat and his creation of the painting “A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte,” will star Jake Gyllenhaal and Annaleigh Ashford.
Music production has also made recent advancements. Fans of both Ariana Grande and John Legend were surprised at the cover release of “Beauty and the Beast,” recorded for the upcoming live-action film based on the original Disney movie. The comments section of the YouTube Video’s audio are filled with both hate for the autotuned cover, and love for seeing their favorite stars collaborate together. Regardless of opinion, the use of pop stars has helped bring popularity to the new Beauty and the Beast movie, which will premier on March 17. Tickets for the movie are currently being sold at BeOurGuest.com. Sensational actors and actresses comprise the stellar cast, including Emma Watson as Belle, Dan Stevens as Beast, Luke Evans as Gaston, Josh Gad as Le Fou, and Ewan McGregor as Lumiere. Complete with the classic songs such as “Be Our Guest,” “Something There,” and “Beauty and the Beast,” the movie is sure to be a smashing success.