This Mother’s Day, give mom armchair culture and a glass of wine
THIS MOTHER’S DAY you can give your mom a timely gift: shelter-in-place culture.
It’s not difficult to find Broadway musicals on film these days, from classics like “Kiss Me Kate” to contemporary shows like “Billy Elliot.” Here are 10 films paired with wine suggestions, a wealth of potential matches for mom to consider. For instance, sleek pinots marry well with “Cats,” while madcap spicy syrahs pair best with “Sweeney Todd.”
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“Rent” calls for edgy red blends to cheer on those young artists trying to make a go of it.
Wine picks: Blue Rock, 2017 Baby Blue, Sonoma County, $29; Sean Minor, 2017 Nicole Marie, North Coast, $22 and Bonny Doon, 2018 Le Cigar Volant, Cuvee Oumuamua Monterey, $20.
The story: Set in the 1990s, the musical unfolds in Lower Manhattan’s East Village, where a group of impoverished young artists struggle with sexuality, drugs and paying the rent in the shadow of the AIDS epidemic. “Rent” is loosely based on Glacomo Puccini’s opera “La Boheme,” which delves into the Bohemian lifestyle of a group of starving artists in 19th-century Paris.
Available: Google Play, Amazon Prime, Vudu and YouTube; also DVD/Blu-ray from Amazon.
“Billy Elliot” must be paired with elegant sparkling wine because ballet and bubbles are inseparable.
Wine: Iron Horse, 2013 Brut X, Green Valley, Russian River Valley, Sonoma County Blanc de Noirs, $56; Benovia, 2015 Blanc de Noir Sparkling Wine, $60 and Flaunt, NV Sonoma County Blanc de Noirs, $48.
The story: Based on a true story, Billy Elliot chronicles the life of a motherless British boy who chooses ballet over boxing, much to the chagrin of his coal mining father.
Set in Northern England, the 11-year old boy reveals he has raw talent and, like a scrappy street fighter, he learns how to stand up to his father. He finds his way to the stage, ultimately becoming a sensation, a muscular man in ballet slippers. The musical is based on the film of the same name, released in 2000, and Elton John wrote the music.
Available: Amazon Prime, BroadwayHD, DVD from Amazon.
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“Cats” is at its best with a smooth and sleek pinot noir.
Wine picks: Merry Edwards, 2017 Russian River Valley Pinot Noir, $51; Siduri, 2018 Santa Barbara County Pinot Noir, $30 and and Kendall-Jackson, 2017 Grand Reserve, Anderson Valley Pinot Noir, $26.
The story: A tribe of cats called the “Jellicles” decides which feline will ascend to heaven and come back with a new life. Andrew Lloyd Webber set T.S. Elliot’s poetry to music. It’s full of emotional plots, lavish sets and, of course, colorful cats.
Available: BroadwayHD, Amazon Prime, and on DVD from Amazon.
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“Newsies’?” best companion is a disruptor red blend to pay homage to those rebellious newsboys.
Wine picks: Fidelity, 2017 Alexander Valley Red Wine, $17; Beckmen 2017 Cuvee Le Bec, Santa Ynez Valley Red, $25 and Hearst Ranch, 2017 Randolph, Paso Robles Red, $25.
The story: “Newsies” was inspired by the real-life Newsboys’ Strike of 1899. It tells the story of Jack Kelly, a fictional newsboy, who dreams of escaping the city and becoming an artist. When newspaper prices are raised at newsboys’ expense, a strike ensues. The musical followed the release of the 1992 film, also called “Newsies,” with the same plot.
Available: YouTube, Amazon Prime Video, iTunes, Goggle Play and Vudu.
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“Sweeney Todd” requires a splash of insanity, a madcap spicy syrah, because it’s a tale of lust and revenge.
Wine picks: Pax, 2018 California Syrah, $39; Bedrock Wine Company, California Syrah, $26 and Arnot-Roberts, 2018 Sonoma Coast Syrah, $43.
The story: This thriller follows evil judge Turpin who lusts for the ravishing wife of London barber Sweeney Todd. The judge banishes the barber from England for a crime he doesn’t commit.
After 15 years in Australia, Sweeney Todd becomes a madman and vows to get even. He uses his razor on unsuspecting customers, sending bodies to Mrs. Lovett who repurposes the corpses into her meat pies.
Ultimately in this bloody saga, the barber achieves his bloodletting goal; he slits Turpin’s throat.
Available: Amazon Prime, DVD from Amazon.
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“Into the Woods” should be paired with a naughty curse wine - zinfandel.
Wine picks: A trio of zins from Alexander Valley Vineyards - Sin Zin, 2016 Alexander Valley Zinfandel, $20; Temptation, 2016 California Zinfandel, $15 and Redemption, 2015 Dry Creek Valley Zinfandel, $22.
The story: A weave of fairy tales, the musical is full of plot twists with the main characters from Little Red Riding Hood, Jack and the Beanstalk, Rapunzel and Cinderella.
The threads of “Into The Woods” intertwine with the story of a childless baker and his wife and their quest to begin a family.
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