What’s new for Zachary Levi post Chuck
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Chuck This 
Play as Zachary Levi in the new multi-player Lara Croft game: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jHGdLVYJMHY&list=PLZRAx1yav3EEEtFLjDsmaTXfff-SeUwyg
According to this interview, Zac will be doing a web series called “Tiny Commando”, with Gillian Jacobs (Community) and Ed Helms (The Office).
http://www.adweek.com/news/television/community-star-gillian-jacobss-biggest-time-suck-vine-147612
This from last night’s “Remember Sunday” premiere:
Without seeing the actual interview and Zac’s answer it’s hard to tell if there’s any misinterpreting or exaggeration going on here.
Let’s hope it can be taken at face value, that would be VERY exciting!
Fingers crossed!!
Zac’s words were heavily twisted in that tweet, no surprise.
What he actually said was:
Q: What are the chances of seeing a Chuck movie?
A: I don’t know if it’s kickstarter, but making a movie and selling it to the fans is what I want to do! 100%
Pretty shoddy reporting.
There’s also this:
http://www.etonline.com/tv/133063_Zachary_Levi_Chuck_Movie_Talk_at_Remember_Sunday_Premiere_with_Alexis_Bledel/index.html
“I’m not rushing it. There are a few reasons why we can’t rush the movie — for example, internationally, the show hasn’t run its course yet. Japan is only on season three or four right now, so if we were to make a movie and send it out to the world right now, some people would be like, ‘We haven’t even seen the finale yet!'”
So I watched Remember Sunday tonight and I must admit for what it was, a typical HHOF love story, it was actually rather well done. It won’t have any lasting impact on anything but for that genre it was a good one. Lots of chemistry between Zach and Alexis and for us Chuck fans it even had some nerdy ties ins, like Orion, the memory loss idea etc. Zach must have loved going up to the observatory. It took probably a month to shoot all told and I think both Zach and Alexis can be happy with what they did. It’s a really almost bittersweet love story and I was quite entertained.
Its on my DVR, I’ll try to watch it tomorrow night!
Finally saw “Remember Sunday”. It was fun, sweet in a Hallmark sort of way.
Couple of Quick thoughts; Zach is very good. Still playing the nerd, but none of those neurotic spazz attacks we occasionally saw on Chuck. I guess he was actually more like an S1 Chuck; steady, likable, just a little nerdy. I liked his character a lot.
Second; much sadder situation than the end of Chuck, and actually far more ambiguous. Although of course, they only had to pay off a 90 minute investment, not five years…
But similar sort of situation where the viewer has to infer a lot from the context of the whole story to see how happy the end actually was. But it worked, I liked it.
I agree. I was a little surprised where it ended but I’m actually quite ok with the ambiguity of it. I think that Molly had clearly made a decision to accept the reality of things no matter what. That she truly loved him and it was worth it to her. That him falling in love with her every day was in a way quite romantic.
The fact that even with the daily reset they had made progress in their relationship and she knew it would continue with her help. She accepted what his sister had told her and had her eyes wide open to accept its permanence but with enough hope in their love to keep them going. It didn’t need the happy ending as it already had one or at least I thought it did. They weren’t “lost” as the comet metaphor suggested.
It is funny thinking of some of the exploits available to Molly at the end; I mean, talk about being in control of the pacing of things, she can spin their break up (do you even need to call it a break up?) however she wants.
I did like the “twist” that he’d already had the miracle procedure done; funny in a dark sort of way (he wasn’t exactly in a position to tell her about it). So they had a happy end but avoided the overly sappy happy end.
Ratings info from Zap2it:
Remember Sunday (9-11PM)
Viewers: 6.76 million
Demo: 1.4
Rank: 4
Correction, Remember Sunday finished 2nd in it’s timeslot, behind The Good Wife. It received a 4 share.
It was 5th place. Game of Thrones on HBO got a 2.6 A18-49 rating, winning between 9 and 10. The NBA Game on TNT, which started at 9:44, got a 2.0 rating. Vikings on History, which is on at 10PM, got a 1.4. Remember Sunday’s A18-49 rating was a 1.35.
It did do better than the last Hallmark movie, which only did a 1.1.
Well at least there’s that…
The better question might be, what was expected of a Hallmark movie? My suspicion is that they’re made pretty cheap and are only expected to draw a fairly small Sunday night family audience.
This I found from July 2011 when CBS ended its 16 year run with Hallmark and it went to ABC.
CBS in May pulled the plug on its 16-season Hallmark Hall of Fame partnership, opting not to renew the low-rated Sunday showcase. The final film to air on CBS, the April 24 drama Beyond the Blackboard, delivered a respectable 8.58 million total viewers but a meager 1.3 rating/3 share among adults 18-49.
So in 2013 on ABC I think those numbers are pretty good actually by comparison.
Plus those ratings are 18-49 and HHOF always skews older. I’d like to see the 25-54 especially female ratings.
Thanks Uplink, looks like Remember Sunday did okay.
ABC will probably be pleased with the numbers then. 😀
I may be wrong–I haven’t watched it yet–but most, if not all, of the advertising is for the Hallmark company. It’s a sponsored movie. ABC gets some time to promote their shows.
“Plus those ratings are 18-49 and HHOF always skews older. I’d like to see the 25-54 especially female ratings.”
Your wish is my command. The median age was 58. While old, that wasn’t the oldest. Good Wife and Mentalist had medians of 68.*
It’s about 70% female. So, the W18-49 rating was a 1.9. Women 35-64 rating was a 3.9.
* As an aside, Chuck’s median age was in the low 50’s in its final season
68! Shows have a median viewer age of 68! Holy smokes! Talk about a shrinking audience. Geez. No disrespect to any older readers, but wow, that’s not an ideal demographic.
Yeah most of the advertising was for Hallmark, plus a few ABC promos thrown in. Sounds like the numbers for women weren’t bad.
Well, considering who most often sends out cards in my experience (hint, it’s not males 18-35) I’d say Hallmark is probably getting exactly what they want for their money.
Zach is headed to Broadway. 😀
* edited for tidiness sake ~ Ernie
Just bought my ticket. I saw Yvonne in Golden Boy. This will make it a double.
Have a great time! I’m not sure if I will be able to go to this one. I’ve been dying to see Pippin and I can’t go to too many shows. Good luck to Zach and the cast!
Just be careful, they will likely use an understudy during the previews if (when) Zac is away for the SDCC (July 18-21).
Thanks for the tip.
Since I am going to SDCC, as I do every year, those weren’t dates I would have picked anyway. But, I hope other fans don’t pick them and get disappointed, if it happens that he is not there.
Jenny Chuck Fan, I’ve seen this show discounted a lot at the TKTS booth and through other discounters. I saw it from a relatively cheap balcony seat and the view was fine.
Zach will miss preview performances of First Date from July 16-21, which means he’ll likely be at Comic Con this year.
http://playbill.com/news/article/178882-Bryce-Ryness-Eric-Ankrim-and-More-Complete-Cast-of-First-Date-Zachary-Levi-Will-Take-Short-Hiatus-During-Previews
Yeah, NerdHQ is on for this year and it wouldn’t really work without him. If it were just the inevitable Thor 2 panel, the hiatus would be shorter.
New video from First Date.
Tickets are on sale and The official page and the twitter account are online.
A new interview and some songs from Zach and his First Date co-star Krysta Rodriguez at NPR.
Zach’s Nerd HQ solo panel video is here.
Zach talks about Nerd HQ, Broadway, Chuck and more here.
I saw the 3rd preview a few weeks ago and I am going to see it again next week. I had next week’s ticket for a while. I bought the one a few weeks ago on a whim from a discounter.
Zac is a total Broadway star. He is in his element here. There is a number he does near the end of the show that generates a thunderous applause that brings the house down.
My advice is that if you’ve ever been curious about what kind of musical star Zac might be, you have to see this performance. Who knows after this show ends–and it remains to be seen how long it will last–if or when he will do something like this again.
I’m not going to say much about the general state of the show because it was a 3rd preview and I know they have been making changes daily. One number has even been dropped. The crowd did really respond to it with lots of laughter and applause. But, who knows what the critics will say after it officially opens on August 8th.
Time to send a “Break a leg” wish. Show opens officially tonight. That means official reviews published afterwards. I’m probably as nervous about that as the cast and producers.
First Date received very mixed reviews. Here are the notices for Zach, which were mostly positive, but not raves. (Reviews are posted in alphabetical order of publication)
AM New York:
“Levi, who starred on the television series “Chuck,” is sincere, but overplays the geekiness”
AP:
“Making his Broadway debut, Levi has a strong leading-man presence, smooth in his dance moves while handling Aaron’s nervous gaffes with comedic flair.”
Bergen Record:
“Levi (TV’s “Chuck”) and Rodriguez (TV’s “Smash”) both sing well, and establish a very winning rapport.”
Broadway World:
“Zachary Levi is adorably nervous and quirky as finance guy Aaron, hesitantly jumping back into the dating pool over a year after his fiancée Allison left him standing under the chuppah.”
Curtain Up:
“Levi also has to wait until almost the finale before he loosens up and gets us to root for him with his ballad “In Love With You.”
Entertainment Weekly:
“Levi is particularly winsome and adorable as Aaron, a decidedly square, salad-eating fella still smarting from a recent breakup to a harpy of an ex. His singing voice, like his character, is engaging but a little thin”
Hollywood Reporter:
“Levi, here bespectacled and bearded and displaying the same charmingly geeky quality that he did on Chuck, is assured in his singing and perfect deadpan timing.”
Huffington Post:
“As for Rodriguez and Levi, they display great charm and enormous likability throughout. These two are most welcome on Broadway, even if their sketchily lightweight summer vehicle is perishable.”
NBC New York:
“He’s got pipes, and “First Date” is a nice vehicle for the lanky actor, who mugs his way through a handshake-turned-awkward-fistbump, and other well-done comedic moments.”
Newsday:
“Rodriguez has a pingy, lively voice. So does Levi, though first he has to drag out a shameless dead mother story and he doesn’t get an edgy song until about 85 minutes into the 90-minute show. ”
NY Daily News:
“Levi, who sang in the cartoon “Tangled,” is a pleasant enough singer and does the required geeky self-deprecation very well. All fine, but not enough to recommend the show.”
NY Post:
“He’s so remarkably at ease, it’s hard to believe the show — about a date unfolding in real time — marks his professional theater debut. And a singing one at that.
New York Times:
“Mr. Levi brings a vitality and off-kilter humor to his performance and succeeds in rubbing away some of Aaron’s more generic qualities with his warmly quirky line readings.
Talkin’ Broadway:
“His natural firm-but-reluctant confidence, robust singing voice, and Phil Silvers–style physicality combine with sensitive acting and deadpan comic chops to form a complete, and completely satisfying, musical-theatre package.”
Time Out New York:
“Both leads have charm and vocal chops.”
USA Today:
“Levi nonetheless manages to make Aaron likable enough, just as Rodriguez gives Casey an authentic, appealing tartness.”
Variety:
“Aaron is what any woman would recognize as Mr. Nice Guy, who makes a better friend than a lover, so it’s quite an achievement in character-building when Levi carefully draws out the more interesting and yes, sexier side of this sweet, sensitive guy.”
Vulture:
“The high-water mark of the evening is Aaron’s giddy go-to-hell number (“In Love With You”), where he roars to angry life, exorcising the spirit of his castrating ex. Levi, a musical-theater guy before he was abducted by Chuck, brings down the house with it, in his charismatic empowered-shlemiel style.”
Wall Street Journal:
“It helps, too, that Mr. Levi, a second-tier television star (“Chuck”) who is making his Broadway debut, turns out to be a strikingly adept stage comedian who knows how to put the right spin on a good joke.”
To me, reading reviews like this is like reading opinions of Chuck episodes. Sometimes you wonder how 2 people watched the same thing. I love that one said his voice was thin, while another said he had pipes. That’s quite a wide gap in opinion.
I’ve seen the show twice. I’ve also seen many other Broadway shows over the years. Even saw Kinky Boots, this year’s Tony winner, a few weeks ago.
There are a lot of types of “voices” in Broadway shows. Zac’s voice is not a “belt it to the rafters” Broadway voice and the songs he sings here aren’t even those kinds of songs. One is a rather gentle song about his mother.
So, when someone says his voice is “thin”, it’s not incorrect if you take it from a broader context of the voices you usually hear on the Broadway stage.
BTW, I’ve also seen Hugh Jackman on stage. Now, there’s a “belt it to the rafters” voice.
It’s also a show that you can judge very differently if you approach it intellectually as opposed to viscerally.
Both times I’ve seen it, the audience eats it up, laughs constantly and applauds intensely, particularly after Zac’s big number.
Some backstage stuff by Zach’s First Date costar Krysta Rodriguez. And also episode 2 has an extensive interview with Zach.
Also opening night.
Also, Zac and Krysta performing one of the songs:
http://artsbeat.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/08/13/in-performance-zachary-levi-and-krysta-rodriguez-of-first-date/?smid=tw-share&_r=0
Thanks for that. I plan to see the show, but the way things work with my schedule I doubt it will be possible much before October. That was a nice appetizer.
Good luck. I hope it’s still running then.
Another interview. Zac talks about First Date, Tangled, the importance of doing theater. Mentions Yvonne, too.
http://www.broadway.com/buzz/171370/zachary-levi-on-first-date-fans-his-tangled-musical-past-and-why-every-actor-should-aim-for-broadway/
I’m really glad that he seems committed to live theater thing at this point in his career. Based on seeing him and the critical response, he really is in his element on the stage. The same can also be said for Yvonne. The response to her work Golden Boy was great. Actors and actresses who can do both live theater and filmed entertainment are held in the highest regard.
BTW–a couple of the supporting cast were live tweeting from the show last night. Nice comments (@firstdatebway). A funny thing happened in which Zac’s microphone stopped working and he had to leave the stage for a few minutes to get it fixed. Apparently, he ad-libbed that he had diarrhea. Spastic colon reference in First Date.
Everyone should take a lesson from the social media marketing being done at First Date.
Every morning, my twitter and tumblr timeline is filled with tweets and pics of happy theater goers posing with an always smiling Zac Levi. Having run into him on the streets of NYC, I know the smile and attention he pays to each and every person at the stage door is genuine. He really is a nice guy and very approachable and the fact that he is willing to spend so much time there is remarkable. And that fact is reinforced by the sheer number of tweets I see each morning. Now take a good look at those pictures – every one is done with his back to the First Date Marquee. It seems like over 50% have the show’s name visible in the image – there is little doubt about the shows name. Not only is this good word of mouth marketing, this is just real good marketing period – and it’s working – 84.99% of all seats have been sold since it opened – 82.3% sold this past week shows it’s not slowing down.
I remember reading comments from the Chuck set by Adam Baldwin where he indicated that Zac was their leader both on set and off – and how he tirelessly promoted the show. He is doing the same with First Date, and every studio, director, producer in the entertainment industry should sit up and take notice. This guy is a winner and you want him on your team.
Just thought I’d share …..
Peter, I get those same tweets and I couldn’t agree more. That’s part of the reason I’m enthused by his desire to make the Chuck movie. If anyone has the tenacity and dedication to get it done for the fans, it’s Zac. The evidence you point out is quite clear that if and when he gets the green light he will be driven to see it through.
True that!
That is really awesome to hear.
It is great marketing. I’m not sure they picked the location for the photos in as calculating a way as you note. Where he stands is within feet of the stage door. He stays in place as the fans line up to take a picture one by one. His stage door routine is being considered “above and beyond” by traditional theater people and its been noted on Broadway blogs that the crowd seems to be bigger than it is for people they consider more famous. It’s become fairly well known that if you go to the show, you are pretty much guaranteed a picture with him if you want it.
Zac said in an interview that he might not be doing it if the show were longer than 95 minutes. He said he might be too exhausted. Another thing they do is the stage door between matinee and evening shows. Apparently, other shows don’t do that.
Like you, I’ve been following the grosses for the show. They’ve been decent, but all the experts say ticket sales drop after Labor Day. We’ll see how it goes this week. It’s also Jewish holidays.
I’m going again on Friday.
He does go above and beyond – I’ve never seen anyone put in the effort he does. And he seems to be all over the city promoting the show.
There will be a drop in ticket sales – that’s one of the reasons we have Broadway Week from the 2nd thru the 15th – right through the Jewish holidays this year. If they can stay close to these numbers, they have a better chance at a longer run with such a small cast.
Well I certainly hope it has a long run, at least long enough for me to get to see it, which probably won’t happen before October. Aside from that I’d hate to see it close too soon for several reasons. One possible impact on Zach’s career, though with the revues he’s been getting and the buzz around him that is less of a concern. Two it’d be heartbreaking for him. From everything I see and hear he’s having the time of his life and is in his element, and I like seeing good things happen to good people. At some point I’m sure he’ll be ready for the next challenge, but for now, headlining a Broadway musical comedy and making himself known as someone who can carry a Broadway show seems to be what he genuinely wants. Third, as mentioned, is that a longer run would highlight Zach’s ability to not just star in, but organize and promote projects to make them not just happen but successful. Think of all the buzz about NerdHQ this summer. The reputation for a guy who can see things through will be crucial for the Chuck movie. It was funny that in Yvonne’s interview with Michael Ausiello he mentioned to her Zach’s confidence that the Chuck movie would happen. At first she seemed a little surprised, but then said (paraphrasing), well he has a habit of making things happen, so… In other words if Zach said it was going to happen she felt it probably would, mentioning Nerd Machine and NerdHQ.
I don’t know about the economics of Broadway, but just in general this looks like it’d be an easy and cheap show to produce. Small cast, single set, one act as opposed to the (to me at least) lavish and changing Golden Boy sets and the huge cast. Though Golden Boy was a revival and not (as I understand it) meant to make money. It was from the start a limited commemorative run for the 75th anniversary of it’s opening. In that way Yvonne got a great vehicle for her Broadway debut, the financials didn’t matter and the cast, crew and production were all top-notch.
Thanks for keeping us updated guys, here’s hoping a lot more of us get the chance to see Zach on Broadway. And if not in this show, his next. And in closing, for you guys that know Broadway, is it too soon to be asking about Zach’s chances for a Tony? Yvonne was unlucky to be in a tough and crowded category, but seeing her performance I couldn’t imagine it wasn’t among the best of the best. With Zach’s category (male lead in a musical comedy I assume) what is the competition like?
I’m an analytical person and I’ve learned a lot looking at the broadway grosses. First Date, while not a runaway success that can command “Book of Mormon” ticket prices, is hardly an instant failure “Leap of Faith”, which lasted six weeks including previewes. It actually reminds me of where Chuck, the TV series, was on the ratings charts. A few shows last year lasted 18-25 weeks with slightly weaker sales than First Date has (Jesus Christ Superstar and Bring it On). Golden Boy actually sold less % of its tickets. So, I’m fairly optimistic it will make it through October.
“And in closing, for you guys that know Broadway, is it too soon to be asking about Zach’s chances for a Tony? ”
I’m far from an expert on the Tony’s, but it is so early in the season. So many of the shows he would be competing with haven’t even opened yet. My thoughts are:
1. The longer First Date is open, the better the odds. The nominations don’t even happen until next Spring. If the show is long closed, it might be forgotten.
2. The show itself got mixed reviews and one particularly bad one from the influential NY Times. However, Zac has gotten good marks from almost everyone. If there were an MVP award. He is this show’s MVP. It’s doesn’t seem to take a critically lauded production for an actor to get a nomination, though. One of last year’s nominees was from Chaplin, which didn’t necessarily get great reviews.
3. It also may depend on how the nominating people judge the musical aspects of an actors performance vs. the non-musical. This truly is a musical COMEDY. While there is definitely music in the show and Zac sings, it’s not a role that relies heavily on the musical performance as much as the comedic performance.
Really, we’ll have to see how long it lasts and what else opens that gets good reviews before we can get a clear picture of his chances.
As far as any relationship to a Chuck movie, there’s no doubt that IF Zac can will it to happen, it would happen. I tend to be skeptical, though. It’s not really up to him and I’m kinda concerned Chuck hasn’t shown up in any form of syndication. Even the Netflix thing hasn’t started yet. I do like that people who’ve never even heard of Chuck are starting to discover who Zachary Levi is because of this show. I just wish those people had an easier way to then watch Chuck after they’ve discovered its star.
Chuck *is* available for streaming on Blinkbox, a streaming film service in the U.K., even if it’s not yet accessible via Netflix, etc. So some progress, I guess.
BTW–Peter said he ran into him on the streets. I saw him emerging from the subway a few weeks ago. He then walked a few blocks to the theater. The man uses public transportation. Looked like any other NYC commuter: backpack, earphones, cup of coffee.
He said somewhere that public transportation was one of the things he really liked about NYC.
“Tiny Commando”, a comedic web series Zac did with Gillian Jacobs and Ed Helms was released today on Yahoo:
http://screen.yahoo.com/tiny-commando/
I just started watching it. A total crack-up.
Brief video of Zach backstage at First Date.
FYI–
Zachary Levi’s Nerd Machine is having a booth at New York Comic Con October 11-14. They say Zac will be making appearances. I suspect those are more likely on Thursday and Friday. He has matinees for First Date to perform in on the weekend, though he could do a morning appearance at the con. This is the first time Nerd Machine has had an event other than during San Diego Comic Con.
Zac has been very available for fans to see him in person since moving to NYC and joining this show. Other events coming up:
The Today Show (October 3)
35mm: A Musical Exhibition in Concert (October 7) at 54Below
First Date Cabaret (Oct 15) at 54Below
Private Baking Class with Zachary Levi (something to bid on)
Starry Bowling Benefit, Oct 21
Information on all of these events can be found at zacharylevifan.com or Googling them.
Here’s a video of the song that Zac and Krysta Rodriquez sang at the “35mm” event:
Thanks for the update, dkd. Glad to see Zac jumping in and enjoying his new home in New York. Seems like he has been very well received.
This was just lovely..
Yeah I like that! Awesome.
Here’s a good still of Zachary as Fandral in the upcoming Thor: The Dark World. They did a great job with make-up and wig:
http://zacharylevifan.com/gallery/displayimage.php?pid=71127&fullsize=1
Wow, no kidding.
Either while making Thor or shortly after, he made a couple of public appearances looking like that. He cleans up nicely, no?
Yeah I’m a little disturbed at how impressed my wife was. Ah well, turn about is fair play I suppose…
He never looked exactly like that in public appearances. He died his real hair blond to match the blonde goatee, eyebrows, and sideburns that he needed for the movie so that it wouldn’t look totally odd when he was seen in public.
But, he actually wears a wig in the movie and we never knew what that would look like until these photos came out.
CNN interview with Zac – Actor Zachary Levi runs a well-oiled Nerd Machine.
Includes his latest thoughts on a Chuck movie – http://tinyurl.com/ke6f3es – would have remained pretty consistent.
Indeed, he is consistent.
His “latest thoughts” are pretty close to what he’s been saying in interviews for a long time. I may detect an even stronger “anti-kickstarter” attitude in his words, but that is it.
He does seem to have a stronger “anti-kickstarter” attitude – and that might be because there are more options than ever before. I saw this story on Time’s site today:
Now that Netflix has released a stable of well-received original television shows, the company is taking aim at the silver screen. The streaming service will distribute The Square, a documentary film about the political unrest in Egypt since 2011’s Arab Spring, exclusively in the 41 countries where Netflix is available in early 2014. Netflix sees the movie industry as a new sector that is ripe for disruption. I can definitely see a Chuck movie going this route.
You can find the article here – an interesting read that confirms to me that Zach really does understand entertainment distributions:
The reception I’ve seen for Chuck on Netflix through multiple tweets is certainly encouraging. They don’t release viewing figures to the public, though.
But, if it is doing well, I could imagine Netflix getting behind more Chuck in some form.
I can more easily see it as something they release to their subscribers as opposed to something for theaters, though.
And that’s exactly the sort of thing that would lead to me to getting a Netflix subscription. So far I haven’t done it, but an exclusive Chuck movie would be 100% effective as an incentive for me.
I don’t think Netflix will be the only option. By the time the talent can come together to do something like this, I expect there will be many more options – why couldn’t there be a Warner Bros. Movies channel on Roku? Or Apple TV? Or even such a channel on a service like Netflix? Entertainment distribution has sped up it’s evolution and I think there will be a greater need for and many opportunities for creative content that would never make it to screen now.
There are many options, including Amazon Premium, but Netflix has taken a quick lead in the category, and has the most subscribers. I guess I’d prefer them.
I also don’t see much of a barrier right now to getting the gang together. If they wanted to, most of the cast seems available as early as winter 2014. “If they wanted to” is the bigger barrier, IMO. “They” is Warner Brothers.
I’ll also add that Netflix seems to have some cache others don’t. I was telling a list I belong to about Chuck coming to Netflix and someone pointed out it’s been on Amazon Premium for a while. I don’t recall any buzz about that, but when Chuck came to Netflix there was a lot of social media buzz.
Chuck has been available for purchase on Amazon (and iTunes), but to my knowledge not free streaming via the Amazon Prime free video service. I have Amazon Prime and it comes up with the standard $2.99 per HD episode.
I’d agree with your conclusion though, Netflix is getting some great buzz for the size of their subscriber base (and it’s demographics) and their original content.
I’m not an Amazon Prime subscriber and I was suspicious about whether what this other person was telling me was accurate. Thanks for confirming my suspicions. It did seem odd that they were claiming it was streaming for free when I hadn’t heard anything about that.
Zac is very active with Thor promotion over the next week. Never know when he’ll talk Chuck, though.
“List of @ZacharyLevi’s upcoming events/appearances to help you keep track.
“Watch What Happens: Live”(November 5) 11/10c on Bravo (www.bravotv.com/watch-what-happens-live)
“Larry King Now” Thursday, November 7.(http://kingsthings.ora.tv/where-to-watch/)
Entertainment Weekly Google Hangout – November 8, 7:30pm. (https://plus.google.com/u/0/events/cj6rnjsaku5b0fo5ask8h5h2d8g)
“The Chew” on Friday, November 8. (http://abc.go.com/shows/the-chew)
24 Hour Plays – Monday, November 18, 2013
Thanksgiving Day Parade – November 28, 2013, 9am on NBC-TV (http://www.nbc.com/macys-thanksgiving-day-parade/)
Unknown Date (more info soon)
People TV Studio “Chatter Game”
Planet Hollywood Appearance”
Source: Zacharylevifan.com
Thanks for the information dkd. Sorry this was caught in the moderation part of the spam filter (it considered it suspicious, but not enough to toss it completely).
I don’t know if anyone else but me watched the “Watch What Happens Live” thing and its online “Aftershow”. I never watched it before, but it’s pretty fast-paced and crazy. In one of them he got the “are you gonna make a Chuck movie” question. As he was giving what has become his stock answer about the show playing overseas and said something like “we can’t make it until it finishes everywhere”, Andy Cohen (host AND Bravo Programming executive) says “Yes, you can.” Zac had to pause a bit at that and say, “But we don’t want to.” Or something that.
(not a pure transcript, but based on memory and paraphrasing)
He also got the question about the ending of Chuck. Not even going to try to paraphrase that.
I meant to DVR it, but forgot. I’m sure it’ll be on YouTube or elsewhere on the net within a few days.
Good for Andy Cohen! That’s funny.
I have a feeling that as often as he mentions waiting till it’s done overseas it could be a WB condition. In June of 2012 they were willing to send him (and his Rat Pack friends) to Japan to promote season 3, so it seems they are still willing to invest some money into foreign distribution.
I saw this too and actually thought his answer about a Chuck movie was more detailed than usual. Yes, he wants to but he did say that it would be a difficult thing to do – WB owns the rights, he wants have to have a great concept, a great story to tell the fans and not just make a movie. In answer to “yes you could” (which was great BTW) he said you could but it “wouldn’t be fair.” Then something like let the dust settle internationally, then a year later come together and make a movie.
And I thought he tap danced around that question about Chuck’s ending very well. If stage and screen is not his desire, politics should be. 🙂
Much is online.
Chuck ending question: http://www.bravotv.com/watch-what-happens-live/season-10/videos/after-show-did-zachary-levi-like-the-chuck-ending
Chuck movie question: http://www.bravotv.com/watch-what-happens-live/season-10/videos/a-chuck-movie-in-the-works
More videos with Zac not related to Chuck: http://www.bravotv.com/watch-what-happens-live
In regards to Japan, I did some googling recently to find out where they are with Chuck and they are currently in the middle of Season 5. They’ll probably finish before Zac finishes First Date.
Let’s be realistic. Films don’t come out right away. Look at when Thor and I,Frankenstein are getting released in comparison to when the principal photography was.
Sorry dkd, you got stuck in moderation again, but thanks for the links.
I agree with Zach that doing a movie for the sake of doing a movie doesn’t make much sense, so hopefully someone gets inspired and writes a compelling story about where they go from that beach.
Moderation seems to happen to me when I have multiple links.
DKD Yes, that is one of the spam triggers, but don’t let that stop you, one of us will approve the comment eventually.
Peter, I agree that he had a little bit more detail. I liked the reminder that WB is in the driver’s seat. (Not his words. Mine)
He must be getting tired of this question given there is no “new news”, but, apparently fans don’t read the most recent answer and keep asking it as if another few days is going to change the answer. The thing on Google+ on Friday is another fan driven Q&A. Unless he tells his hosts to suppress “Chuck Movie” questions, we’ll probably get yet another version of the answer to the question.
I hope the Chuck questions keep coming. Make sure he knows it’s still something people are interested in. I would never let it be far from his mind.
Oh I agree dkd. We won’t see a Chuck movie (if it gets made) in theaters till at least a year after it’s filmed – unless it decides to go 3D after the fact like I, Frankenstein did (a fact that makes me think the plot can’t be that good) and then it’ll be a couple/three years easy. In theory, that deals with the “dust settling” issues. I think it’s just really difficult to pull together right now. The rights, the concept/story – those are major hurdles and a chicken or egg issue – which one gets done first? I also wonder how easy it will be to pull the cast/crew together. Yes, by their schedules they look available – but do they really want to do this again so soon? You know, it was ten years between Star Trek the series and Star Trek, The Movie and six years between Veronica Mars TV ending & the movie in production. Me thinks patience will be a virtue.
All those things you mention are the reasons I’ve never expected anything to happen soon.
Ultimately, the real thing that will get anything new in the “Chuck” franchise produced is that someone at Warner Brothers says “yes” after seeing a pitch that convinces them they can make money off of it–whatever it is.
Yup – what you said.
Actually, to expand on that Yup – I also believe that any pitch to WB that gets a “yes” will be spearheaded by Zac and that plays directly into his comments about story and content having to be good. His reputation will be at stake – and let’s be honest, his reputation right now is very good. His reputation has gotten better and brighter over the past year. He’s not an A-lister, but just about everything he has done over the past year has been right and true to his beliefs. I’m not going to get pulled into hypothesizing about what the story will look like, but I will say this – there would be a lot at stakes for Zac and I doubt he will buy in unless he thinks it’s right.
I agree with all of that Peter, it’s largely why I hang most hope on Zac. Obviously a lot of people need to buy in, but I think Zac is key to getting something moving.
I could see a NerdHQ Chuck re-union panel in a few years as the motivating event to get the cast and some of the creative team back together and thinking about a re-union project. I think the controversial ending is motivation enough for Zach to want to give the fans something more, if it’s a compelling something more. And if you recall Chris Fedak reacted to Josh Schwartz’s comment about some young writer doing the next chapter by saying he wanted to do it, so even allowing for the joking it appears he has thought about it given Zach’s pitch to Schwedak and WB at the series end.
Agreed. Plus the length of time between when the show ends and when the movie came out will alter the story. If its 6-10 years later you can’t simply start after the kiss on the beach. But then you get into how do you start. Chuck and Sarah are separated, divorced and get put together by some hapenstance and work together and ultimately find each other? A story line I’d be afraid Fedak would come up with, or they are married with children, building the business and somehow get a mission that opens up old storylines etc. Jill, Shaw, resurgent Fulcrum or a new villain that is more hacker than terrorist.
As far as I Frankenstein goes the delay and 3D things can be viewed as both positive and negative. My bigger concern is will the movie be more Underworld or more Million Dollar Baby, both in the Production Companies history. My feeling is more Underworld, not something that rates highly on Kate Beckensale’s resume though she has had some real hit or miss projects.
You’ve definitely brought up my biggest fear about a movie. That may be the one sort of story they could do that would cause me to pass on watching. But we’re a long ways off from having to worry about it! I know such stories have been done, but I honestly believe everyone associated with Chuck knows better.
My expectations for I, Frankenstein are pretty low. It actually might be a lot of fun, in a cheesy “B” movie sort of way. But January is usually a sort of dumping ground, I’m going to guess no one really believes in the project right now.
There’s a pretty broad range of possibilities for timing; SG-1 had its first reunion project less than a year after, while Rockford Files first was 15 years later (wasn’t there an Andy Griffith movie with original cast over 20 years after?)
There’s just so many possibilities depending on ideas, who’s pushing, and market issues. I would expect another couple years before anything gets moving. But I wouldn’t rule anything out.
Babylon 5 produced several TV movies for TNT while they were still in production for the series so they could use the sets and all the actors were available. SG-1’s movies were the same. They tagged the straight-to-video movies onto the original production so they could use the sets. But, it’s interesting to note that another script for an SG-1 movie and a script for an Atlantis movie were actually written and pitched after production was over and they never got a greenlight for either one. The reason given was MGM’s financial difficulties at the time. I don’t know what the reason is now. I don’t follow Stargate gossip anymore.
Those options have long passed for Chuck. We’re fast approaching the 2-year anniversary of the end of shooting.
While Zac is readily available for people to keep asking him about this topic, I would trade just one question to Josh Schwartz or Chris Fedak about it for every time Zac has been asked.
Schwartz – I want to hear from him. He’s the one with the cache to pull it off and the option I would choose if I could.
I do agree about the show runners, but they are always less visible. And I think for most people the immediate “Chuck” connection is less strong than it is for Zac and Yvonne.
In the short run, the thing I would most want is for possible interested parties (Zac, CF; maybe even Yvonne and JS) to be looking for scripts and ideas. Obviously we’re not near actual production of anything just yet, but getting ideas and possibilities going seems the best way to get someone excited and ready to push for something. You know, something that helps make the transition from very hypothetical to more concrete.
The way I think I understand the business is that while WB may own the “distribution rights”, Josh Schwartz’s company still has some ownership of the show. They were the actual production company that popped up at the end of every episode. But, I don’t know how that actual legal “ownership” works. The Veronica Mars movie AND TV show say “Rob Thomas Productions in association with Warner Brothers”.
Like it or not, if there is any script or idea development and any pitching going on to WB to get the money, it’s got to come through Josh’s company. And I could never imagine Josh cutting Chris out of it. If Zac or Yvonne or anyone else has any actual creative or business involvement, it would be up to Josh to allow that to happen.
Firefly and Serenity were different in that Fox produced the series but Universal produced distributed the movie. The common element was Joss Whedon.
From what I understand it is even more complicated. From when the Dan Harmon/Community fiasco happened I understand that it is common for the show creator as well as producers to retain some small percentage as well as the production company and studio. So it is likely that both Schwartz and Fedak personally retain small percentages, plus Fake Empire (Josh Schwartz and Stephanie Savage’s production company, Formerly College Hill Productions) plus Wonderland Sound and Vision (McG and Stephanie savage’s production company) plus Warner Brothers. I think it is likely that WB has a controlling stake, but I suppose that each production company has a cut of any profits.
First Date to close on January 5:
http://www.broadwayworld.com//article/FIRST-DATE-to-Close-on-Broadway-January-5-2014-20131106
Thank you for the heads-up. I just bought a ticket for that final performance. It should almost be as special a night as the opening one, which regular folk couldn’t get tickets for.
Saw this today too. Let the speculation begin. Pilot season? Another movie? Stay in NYC for another play? Get Yvonne to come to NYC and do something with him? Zach doesn’t seem like someone who will take a long break. He thrives on working and TNM always has things going on too. I’m sure he will take maybe a month but that man is driven and his profile is definitely on the rise right now and the end of First Date probably couldn’t come at a better time for him. The play has been a success and he knows he needs to take advantage of that buzz he has been getting.
There’s always the possibility that a “project that can’t be refused” like a major movie role or TV role that would take him away to anywhere, but he seemed pretty sincere in the interviews where he said he wanted to stay in NYC a while. Similarly, if his agent gives him a call about a pilot that sounds amazing, he might take it. Many pilots do film in NYC, too.
I do not thing he will ask Yvonne to do something with him. I think most actors who are famous for being an on-screen couple usually avoid continually being associated with one another.
I agree that he won’t be idle long because he never is. Live theater really suits him, but there aren’t a limitless number of shows opening in any given season. There are more, if you include off-Broadway. Theoretically, if someone wanted him, he could start pretty quickly on a show that opens in the Spring. A lot of the big shows have cast already, though. Few Broadway leads jump immediately to a new show. At the very least, there’s rehearsal time and prep in-between.
Of course, any self-respecting Broadway performer has a guest role in a Law & Order on his Playbill resume. Many NY-based series will still be filming in the winter if he wants to do a guest role.
In his Larry King interview, he mentioned that an NYC TV show would be interesting. My theater major daughter tells me the Broadway rumor mill is buzzing about what he does next – nothing concrete has surfaced yet, but it’s interesting how much buzz he has these days.
One of the things that will make him a big success is he realizes that he needs to take advantage of that buzz. Plus he is also such a likable and personable guy that the other side of the business beyond just the pool of talent, the business side shall we say, he is very comfortable in that aspect of things because he is his natural self in that arena. My guess is he will take a few weeks to a month off to decompress and will be right back out there. He realizes that a long multi-month break right now would be unwise and lessen that buzz he is currently riding and negatively impact any offers his is getting. That his profile is growing but it isn’t large enough yet to sustain month and months out of the public eye. He also seems to like the NYC pace of life, well he hasn’t lived through a winter yet but still.
I just find it all fascinating to watch and he seems to be making all the right moves. He is a tenacious worker, cares about his craft and understands the reality of the business side of it. All necessary factors to his burgeoning success and I think all of that only adds to at least in some small way the chances of a Chuck movie as well.
I heard the rumor that the producers wanted to keep the show going but Zach was the lone holdout among the cast to re-sign his contract. Anything to that?
Ernie–
I have no “insider” knowledge, but I’ve been following the box office grosses for this show the way I used to follow the Nielsens for Chuck. I’ve expected a closing announcement for some time. http://www.broadwayworld.com/grosses.cfm
Look at them yourselves and see if you believe they wanted to keep the show going. Last week, they had the second lowest percentage of tickets sold (54%) and were earning only 33% of their money potential due to heavy discounting on the tickets that were sold. Shows like that don’t keep going. I studied a lot of past shows and most that were earning what First Date is close in less than six months.
Sounds like a bad rumor meant to make Zac look like the “bad guy”.
Uplink, I agree entirely about actors striking when the iron is hot. Gotta realize, though that Zac has been working six days a week without a single vacation since July and that doesn’t even include rehearsals. After that much deserved vacation, being ready for that next big job doesn’t necessarily mean it will materialize when you snap your fingers. Just because an actor doesn’t appear to be working, doesn’t mean they aren’t looking.
Thanks for the info did. I actually stumbled across that page at one point (when they were doing better). I suppose a 6 month run is respectable, and at least Zach got great reviews.
The people in the NY area who really wanted to see it have already seen it. It has occasional bumps when there are holidays. It’s last good week was when NY Comicon and Columbus Day weekend coincided. They are probably anticipating some decent weeks during the holidays. But, it will be tough after that. Some new shows will be opening to compete with it, as well.
Time to get my tickets then. Saw Yvonne in my first Broadway play, now Zach in my first Broadway musical.
Enjoy. It’s a totally fun show.
I don’t know if it was the closing announcement, but attendance to First Date jumped 16% this past week (to 70% of capacity from 54%). Good to see.
Really fun parody of movie trailer with Zach and Kate McKinnon of Saturday Night Live!
Saw this on Zac’s facebook earlier. Didn’t watch it till now. Every FB comment I saw thought it was a real (bad) movie. Imagine my surprise…
I did see Thor 2 the other day. Seriously fun movie; good use of comedy and adventure. Just dark enough to have a pretty scary villain, but no doubt who the good guys are.
Zach is excellent in his part; but it is too small. No surprise, Fandrol was a minor character in the first movie too. He’s a fun secondary character.
Latest list from Zacharylevifan on Zac’s appearances:
Zac’s upcoming appearances (Updated):
24 Hour Plays – Monday, November 18, 2013
Don’t Quit Your Night Job – November 21, 2013 (http://54below.com/artist/dont-quit-your-night-job/)
Thanksgiving Day Parade – November 28, 2013, 9am on CBS
22nd Oscar Hammerstein Award Gala – December 9, 2013
I know they filmed some performances from First Date for the Parade. I don’t know which songs, but it probably won’t be Zac’s showstopper “In Love With You” that always gets an ovation from the crowd in the theater. Reason: dirty words in the lyrics.
I was fortunate enough to see the “Don’t Quit Your Night Job” show. Absolutely hilarious. It’s a collection of comedy skits. Some of them are musical. Some not. Some improvisational. Others not. All funny and in a very intimate venue.
Zac was called upon to perform in a skit called “Broadway SmashUps”. They combined “First Date” with “Glass Menagerie” to great comic effect. He played his character from First Date playing across from an actress from Glass Menagerie doing a character from that show doing a date with him.
New York seems to provide opportunities to do stuff like this that LA doesn’t.
A video from his November 21st appearance is on You Tube:
In case you missed it, here’s a video of the performance during the CBS telecast:
For those not familiar with the show, they combined the very first song with the very last one. I presume this was to feature all the castmembers. In fact, they added one of the castmembers to the first song which he normally doesn’t perform in.
Zac performed at the 22nd Annual Oscar Hammerstein Award Gala last night, singing Alan Menken’s “Never Had a Friend Like Me”. Doubt there will be video but it looks like there were some interviews, but none have surfaced yet.
BroadwayWorld.com has posted a compilation of songs from the 22nd Annual Oscar Hammerstein Award Gala – which does include a a past of Zac singing “Never Had a Friend Like Me” in the style of Robin Williams’ Genie from Aladdin. I think he did a good job. You can find it here: http://www.broadwayworld.com/videoplay.php?colid=643451
Thanks, Peter, that was fun. Aww, I’m homesick for Chuck, now. Glad the cast is moving on with success, but I miss the gang.
I really think it is neat how Zac has become a member of the Broadway community. I’ve noticed he often attends performances of friends and co-stars when they do things outside their shows. His co-star Krysta Rodriguez did a Smash-related thing at 54Below recently and he was there in the audience. Similarly, she was there to support him when he was performing there. It seems to be a close-knot community. I wonder if he does stay in NYC after the show closes.
Finally got my ticket to this Sunday’s matinee. Any of you New Yorkers have lunch/dinner suggestions near either the theater or Penn Station?
Too bad I didn’t see this before you went. I would have suggested Hurley’s right next to the theater. From your tweet Sunday night it sounds like wherever you went, you had a Zac sighting.
It was Hurley’s. I didn’t want to mention that in the tweet.
The show was a lot of fun BTW. Zach has an amazing stage presence, and despite (if I’m objective) probably having the least trained voice of the cast, it doesn’t stop him from bringing down the house with his big number. And Zach stayed at the stage door until every single fan who wanted a picture or autograph got it. Providing you actually went to the show, he eventually had a guy checking for tickets, which is smart, since I didn’t see any of the professional autograph hounds that plagued Yvonne.
All in all a memorable night.
I’ve suspected that’s where it was because I’ve seen him there myself.
If I’m also objective*, I agree that Zac’s voice is less trained than the typical Broadway musical performer. But, the reaction he gets to that particular song is impressive–and justified.
Glad you had a good time. I’m going to the final performance. I’ve never been to a final performance of any show before and it should be interesting.
————–
*I’ve probably seen more Broadway musicals over the years than most people even if I don’t consider myself a Broadway expert. Other than First Date, I’ve seen two others this year.
The final performance should be an amazing time, wish I could make it…
I agree that Zac’s voice is less trained than the typical Broadway musical performer.
I’m not surprised, and I don’t mean that as questioning his talent or performance. By his own admission he’s had no formal voice or dance training, but what he does with his raw talent in that number, both singing and dance, justifies his presence on that stage and the audiences reaction beyond question.
Well, First Date is over.
Seeing the last performance was an amazing experience. There are only a few shows in my life that I’ve seen more than once and this was probably the first that I saw more than once with the same cast.
It was very interesting. The performers really change their line deliveries from one performance to the next. I particularly noticed it with Zac’s performance in this one. He not only had changed how he delivered some of the jokes, but I would swear, from Krysta Rodriguez’s reactions, that he was adding a few lines here or there. She, too, came back at him, with different deliveries. For people who’ve seen the show and those who didn’t, there are “freezes” where one character freezes while the other has a discussion in their head. The funniest freeze has always been when Zac puts a pickle in his mouth and has to hold it while Krysta does a speech. I would swear Krysta stretched out here pauses and the speech lasted twice as long as usual. It was hilarious.
There is also one sad song in the show where Zac sings with his dead mother. I would swear Zac sang it straight the last time I saw the show. But, this time he teared up and actually had to choke out some of the lyrics. You could see the tears streaming down his face.
There was another funny adlib at the end. The last time I saw it, there’s a scene where Aaron and Casey are about to walk 3 blocks to her house and Aaron jokes he has to stretch his leg. He stretched his leg once. This time, Zac kept stretching in different poses and Krysta joined him.
The audience was really responsive. The applause was twice as long. I was sitting near a lot of people who were familiar with the show. One of the writers was behind me. It was a special night.
They closed with an extended curtain call and Zac gave a teary speech like he did at the final Comic-con panel for Chuck.
I know a lot of people probably don’t like seeing the actors of the show doing live theater because they can’t get to NY to see it, but there is nothing like it for seeing an actor you admire do their craft live. I hope Zac (and Yvonne) do it again.
Thanks for the report on closing night. Having now seen both Zach and Yvonne live I can confirm that there really is nothing like seeing them live. Both are incredibly talented, and seeing them performing live at the top of their game really does make you appreciate that.
I’d love to have both Zach and Yvonne back on TV just so I could see them more often, but I also hope they both do some more live theater, even if it means these extended stays in NYC and less commercial work that we’d be more likely to see.
In any case it will be interesting to see what Zach does next and if he stays in NYC for a while. He seems quite taken with the city (as was Yvonne also). But I’m not sure how much work there is for him there. How many Broadway shows typically open in a year?
Playbill currently lists 30 Upcoming Broadway shows and 47 that are “in the works”. Sometimes name actors do do off-broadway as well.
Here’s a list from OLV of TV shows filming in NY today:
Elementary
Orange Is The New Black
Law and Order: SVU
The Blacklist
Blue Bloods
Power
The Black Box
It’s actually getting rarer for something be filmed in California.
Thanks for sharing your night with us. From all reports, it sounds like it was a fun, special night. It’s been interesting reading some of the reports on tumblr too. Again, thanks for sharing!
Interesting podcast with Zachary Levi. Topics include his feelings about the ending of Chuck:
http://geeknation.com/podcasts/the-movie-crypt-with-green-lynch-ep-38-actor-zachary-levi/
I officially want Levi in charge of the movie, or the franchise. He said much more than ever before, and he articulated the problem with s3 and the ending on the beach in s5, perfectly from my POV. Wow!
He certainly did articulate his concerns with s3 and the finale oldresorter; you can clearly see that he was torn. He respected TPTB’s ultimate decisions, but he also showed that he understood those of us who were not happy with the ambiguity of the ending and us wanting a little more. He also spoke of his “master plan’ for the possibility of a future venture. Zach again showed us what a great guy he is. It’s a good listen.
Thanks for the link, D. I’m off to listen now.
AAAnnnndddd Two Hours Later…: Great interview and worth the time.
Jason, I have to agree. Zac has got the vision and the energy. He’s also realistic about how that industry works. If anyone knows how to play the game, I’m positive Levi does.
He’s right. It still may not happen – Hollywood has it’s deals and it’s politics (hum… sounds like DC). But if it can be done, he’s the right person to be shepherding the effort.
We have a date! NerdHQ’s crowd-sourcing goes live tomorrow, Tuesday March 11. Get on twitter and help spread the nerd. #IWantMyNerdHQ #NerdHQ
A new podcast with Zac. Lots of NerdHQ talk.
Just one more reason you should support I Want My Nerd HQ.
If Firefly wasn’t your thing, maybe this is.
Happened to be channel surfing and I came across some game show on NBC I’d never heard of: “Hollywood Game Night.” And who should I see pitted against each other but Zachary Levi and Lauren Cohan…S4 finale all over again! Anybody else see it?
DVR’ed it. Haven’t watched yet.
Someone tweeted this video clip: what a great guy!
That’s why I never get the skepticism over the I Want My Nerd HQ effort, let alone the impugning of his motives. The guy is an open book. I had a very similar (though much shorter) conversation with him at the “First Date” stage door. He is clearly energized by the positive energy of his fans, but the downside is that the takers get to him also.
Zac is one of the winners in the Theatre World Awards for Broadway debut:
http://www.playbill.com/news/article/190815-Nick-Cordero-Bryan-Cranston-Rebecca-Hall-Ramin-Karimloo-Zachary-Levi-and-More-Are-Theatre-World-Award-Winners?tsrc=rnn
Great news for Zac. I admit I’ve seen very few Broadway shows, but in my limited experience the way Zac practically owned the audience, it feels earned.
I’ve gone a couple of times a year for the last 30 years and I’ve seen some talented people, but I have to agree with you. He’s made for the stage. He really connects with the audience.
I’m really hoping that he does another and the next show garners even more recognition.
While Broadway shows are a luxury item for me (living outside DC tends to make for an expensive weekend trip to get to one) I’d almost certainly make the trip to see Zac again.
I don’t know how Broadway works out financially for actors, I’d guess it depends on the actor and the show, but it would be nice to see Zac able to take on a show every few years, even though I’d love to see him back in a weekly TV show. Same for Yvonne. I just miss them on my TV even though I love to see them get quality work that they love to do, like Broadway.
Congrats Zach! Nice to see him getting recognition for his Broadway debut.
My congratulations to Zac also,a fine achievement when you consider First Date was not a “high profile” musical in Broadway terms.
Another reminder of just how fortunate we all were to have Zac & Yvonne in tandem on our beloved Chuck.If only they had received similar plaudits they both deserved in tv land…………….
Zac’s going to be on the Tony Awards telecast June 8th on CBS:
http://playbill.com/news/article/191537-Over-25-Stars-Set-to-Make-Appearances-on-68th-Annual-Tony-Awards
Zachary Levi is now married. The bride is actress Missy Peregrym of the series Rookie Blue. The event was very hush hush and held in Maui, but Zac and Missy just tweeted about it.
Missy Peregrym, for those of you who don’t know played the Sarah Walker role on a Chuck-like show called Reaper about a slacker at a big box store with a secret power and a secret life. I also liked her in Life As We Kow It.
They seem a well-matched pair. Best of luck to the both of them.
Yes! And now, all Canadian fans of Chuck and Zachary Levi in general, will be lobbying for Zac to apply for Canadian citizenship.
Well, according to Morgan Grimes, it’s safer to travel that way. 🙂
No definitive news yet, but both Last Ship and 24 have ComicCon panels. Anyone else sense a potential Chuck panel at NerdHQ?
I wonder how Zac’s experience crowdfunding this year’s NerdHQ will impact his previously stated desire to create a Chuck movie by similar means. I found this comment on the SDCC Unofficial Blog site, sdccblog.com: “I don’t ever want to have to do another crowdfunding campaign,” Levi said.
tl;dr: Zac should realize that one of the reasons NerdHQ crowdfunding failed, is because he didn’t include incentives.
If Zac doesn’t wish to do another crowdfunding campaign, that’s completely up to him. Note that it says he doesn’t want to HAVE to do another campaign. It could be interpreted in a myriad of ways. But anyway, if he doesn’t wish to do one because he found the reception of the NerdHQ crowdfunding to be lackluster, then he really needs to take another look at successful campaigns. The one thing that those campaigns had, that NerdHQ didn’t have for a long time, was an incentive.
You can talk about goodwill all you want, but it’s simple. People aren’t just going to hand you money just because. It doesn’t work like that. With charities, people hand money for either a good feeling, because they feel it will help others in need, because they have their own personal stake in it (think of cancer research) or any other reason. With Kickstarter campaigns, there always has been a perk/incentive to donate. Look at the Veronica Mars movie. If you donated, you’d get the film 100%. More money equals more content/perks in return. With Nerd HQ, this was sorely lacking. It would’ve been easier to immediately donate to Operation Smile, instead of donating to an event at which you could donate to Operation Smile. It was poor phrasing by Levi to say something along the lines of: “doesn’t matter how much you give, you won’t get anything in return”. I understand the idea behind it, but it was poorly phrased.
And that’s the main problem I feel. Yeah, you get the panels and yeah you get them free of charge. This is all wonderful. But at the end of the day, it’s like saying: “If you pledge 5 dollars, you get the Veronica Mars movie. If you pledge 100 dollars, you get the Veronica Mars movie. If you pledge 10.000 dollars, you get the Veronica Mars movie.” There may be a few people who actually donate a lot (another GREAT example of this is the Humble Bundle (https://www.humblebundle.com/), a website that makes deals with video game companies to give a set of games for whatever price the consumer wishes to pay, part of which goes to charity, although that too has a donation incentive system) and that’s great. But it’s unwise to assume that there will be plenty of these extremely generous people. And a million dollars is a lot. You saw the donations increase when Zac started putting in incentives, but by then it seemed like it was too late.
Like I said, at the end of the day it’s completely up to him if he wants to do another crowdfunding attempt. But he needs to realize that a big reason why NerdHQ flopped (read: didn’t get to a million dollars) is because he didn’t take into account the needs for donation incentives. He needed to trigger people, to make them think: “Oh, this perk is really cool, yeah, I’ll go for it.” And he failed to do so.
Besides, an event is a lot different than a movie for example. I’m pretty sure that there are still plenty of people who would support a Chuck movie, even without incentives (the movie being the incentive). But I’m also pretty sure that he could rival, if not one-up, Veronica Mars if he includes incentives.
Just my $0.02
If you want to look at a successful campaign that launched just after Zac’s, look at Wil Wheaton’s campaign to produce another season of his webseries “Tabletop”. They started with a goal of just $500,000 and ended up with over $1.4MM. They had perks galore. There were also other important differences in the campaign. I won’t go into those, but you can check out his campaign yourself. It’s still at Indiegogo.
In the end, it never was up to Zac how a Chuck movie might be funded. Everyone jumped on the crowdfunding bandwagon after Veronica Mars. But, by the time a Chuck movie gets made, we have no idea what the “hot” funding idea is. There’s a lot of things being saved now–Community, Enlisted–with an entirely different model of getting an internet streaming site to pick you up.
First, we have to have Schwartz and WB want to do a movie and then have them deal with the business plan. It may or may not include us funding it directly. But, I’m sure if they decide to crowdfund it, Zac would participate. Nerd HQ is different because his company had to do all the work and he was very exposed.
Deadline is reporting that Zachary Levi will star and co-produce the comedy film “Man Up.” No word yet on filming/release dates or other cast members:
http://www.deadline.com/2014/07/viral-sex-movies-catchy-cbs-films-acquires-viral-bachelor-party-comedy-man-up/
A Conversation with Zachary Levi & Mystery Guests!!
I smell a Chuck panel…
Sounds promising!
Other Nerd HQ panels here.
Not necessarily. Last year it was him, Tudyk, etc.
Let me dream for a few days. Just give me this one Faith… 😉
Hehe…well I’m going so I’ll try to do a live blog if I can. Here’s hoping!
Do not let the live blog detract from you enjoying the experience. I am serious about this. Experience it, not through a cell phone, then write about what you experienced. I get live-blogging, but think it is over-valued.
Deadline.com is reporting on this:
http://deadline.com/2014/09/zachary-levi-nbc-musical-comedy-eva-longoria-840472/
Because there is a lot of “industry-speak” in this, I’m interpreting this as being one of the pilots for the 2015-16 TV season. It doesn’t say it’s “straight to series”.
I wish Zac “pilot season” luck. His last foray in 2012 didn’t work out.
I know a lot of his fans are expressing positive feedback to the idea of him in a musical series.
Zac and a few others just launched a podcast series called “Picking Favorites”.
http://pickingfavorites.wolfpop.com/audio/playlists/3973
Zach is coming back to NBC in the Heroes Reboot!
Wow, that makes me really sad. That’s like a Bears fan rooting for the Packers or a Coke drinker switching to Pepsi.
Well they are under new management, and Heroes was one of my favorite shows for a season and a half. If they can capture that season 1 feeling again I’m on board.
I never watched it. And everyone I know who did watch quit long before the end. So I’ll have to hear more to decide if I’m interested or not.
Yeah, the old NBC team sort of left it to die part way through season 2 (they only made 11 episodes so like Chuck it was off the air for 9 months due to the writer’s strike.) Season three never fully recovered the magic and I drifted away around that time. But season 1 remains one of my favorite shows of all time.
Well that’s good to hear anyway, maybe this is promising.
I, too, watch about 2 seasons and bailed. To me sometimes story telling suffers from extended seasons: like the show spreading one season’s worth of story across four seasons. (I quit Once Upon a Time for the same reason, partially.) The show just seemed to lose its way. It didn’t really feel like it had anywhere definite to go, but it kept going anyway. A mini-season with a defined story with a beginning and an end, would be refreshing and might be quite good, like the first couple of seasons were. I’ll keep an eye on it, mostly because of Zach. It would certainly be interesting to see him in such a different type of role.
I’m not interested in “Heroes,” but maybe the enhanced visibility for Zach might make a “Chuck” miniseries or movie more viable.
Amen to that!
I don’t think Zac’s (or Yvonne’s) visibility has anything to do with the viability of a new Chuck project. More visibility. Less visibility. It’s not the issue.
NBC clearly thinks that Zachary Levi has the kind of notoriety to bring viewers to a project. Judging by the number of twitter comments I’ve seen from people saying they are more interested in Heroes because of his casting, they are right.
Getting more visibility and being more in demand would actually not help a Chuck project because it would mean the actors will have people throwing money at them to do other things and they’ll be busy.
A Chuck project will be viable when Schwartz and Fedak are ready to do it.
I once thought Zac would be the instigating force behind a Chuck movie, especially given his enthusiasm in the wake of the Veronica Mars kick-starter. But given the failure of his crowd-funding venture to raise nearly the money he’d hoped for NerdHQ, and the criticism he received for trying to do so, I’d guess his enthusiasm has waned. But if this trend of reviving older shows for a 13 episode summer season continues I’d love to see Chuck get a re-visiting for a 6th season. At this point, depending on how Heroes does, I could see that as the more likely scenario.
THAT part of it could be very exciting.
If nothing else it gets Chuck back in the minds of critics who were fans of the show. And on the bright side if it flops we’ll have Mo Ryan and Allan Sepinwall writing about how NBC would have been better off renewing Chuck.
I’m actually pretty excited. It’s been a year since Zac has had a major role (“First Date” on Broadway) and I was hoping he’d get something substantial.
This is substantial. It was the first announcement they made at press tour today.
I may not have stuck with Heroes until the end, but, when it was good, it was one of my favorite shows. A limited run should suit the type of storytelling well. It was always intended to be like a comic book storyline.
This is intended to be on this summer, but they haven’t announced a date. With Yvonne also in a summer series–like she was last year–we’ll have both of them on at the same time, if not in the same show.
I don’t get Dave’s analogy of Heroes and Chuck being enemies. They were on the same schedule together and many people–myself included–watched both. They were partners, not enemies.
At this point they’re both retired properties competing in the very limited reboot/sequel market. We only see so many such events happen in year. So anything “not Chuck” is a distraction of sorts.
I don’t mean to make a big thing of it. I meant that more as a joke than anything. They’re different studios and different fandoms.
The bigger issue is that I don’t really watch anything based on personalities. And first impression is, this is a property of no interest to me.
Now Zac’s presence means I’ll at least pay attention, and see if this is of interest to me or not (I often do end up watching and enjoying shows that did not interest me initially). But I’m a choosy viewer, and Heroes failed to interest me the first time around. So this isn’t promising.
Heroes had a Chuck-like following for the first few seasons, and many, like me will remember it fondly and tune-in. This looks to me like a high profile project for NBC. My feeling is that they recognize the potential it had in the first seasons and want another shot at making it work. I think 24:LAD was something that Fox considers a success, and while Heroes didn’t have a 24-sized audience it was NBC’s biggest hit in its first two seasons.
I will just note that while I am excited and will tune in, there is reason for concern, voiced here by Alan Sepinwall last February when the project was first announced.
I get the concern. I drifted away too, but then my departing feeling was more “meh” than the anger some have about the show’s decline. Personally I feel the nostalgia for those early seasons.
I see pros and cons with Sepinwall’s argument. The pro, Tim Kring did prove he could produce an excellent first season. The con, he apparently couldn’t sustain it for the long run. If this is a shorter more focused season I think it could be good.
Fun fact: Zac’s wife Missy Peregrym was in six episodes of Heroes as a person whose power was illusions. I guess he wasn’t kidding in the press release when he said:
““One of my first, and fondest, memories of joining the NBC family in 2007 was having the pleasure of getting to know Tim Kring, and the cast of ‘Heroes.”
He got to know one castmember pretty well.
Anyway, I can understand why 100% of the fans aren’t interested in this. It’s never going to be 100%. I read a couple of comments at sites with this news that said the same about Chuck that many people are saying about Heroes–it was good in the first few seasons, but not afterward. To each his own.
When I drifted off from the show, I wasn’t angry at it. I just moved on. It was the same with “24”. But, 24 came back and it was highly watchable. Whether this is good or not, I’m still happy for Zac that he got the role.
Heroes may have had a “Chuck-like” following (I never saw it, myself) back then, but what to make of this? http://uproxx.com/tv/2015/01/zachary-levi-will-star-in-nbcs-heroes-reboot/
Am I imagining the snark?
I hate when critics stir up stuff like this!
Anyway of the two shows i think Chuck has the best long term success potential…I liked Heroes but there was too much going on weekly keep a long term following and there was no reason to stay emotionally invested
Heroes season 1 and 2 was a hit on a level Chuck never came close to. And it was a critical as well as a ratings hit. In its first season it never dipped below 10 million viewers, and the second season had only one episode less than 10 million, a threshold Chuck never reached. Even in its declining 3rd season it had better numbers than Chuck did at it’s creative height in season 2. In addition Heroes was named the best show by the TCA for it’s first season. If you are looking for hit potential for a limited run Heroes has a lot going for it from the standpoint of a network looking for a one-shot ratings boost.
In general I’d agree that Chuck managed to reinvent itself and find new stories in a way Heroes never did, but as a one-shot 13 episode mini-series reboot, I can see how Heroes might look good.
I still think Chuck would be a good idea even if it is a Netflix or Amazon reboot.
Just as an FYI the first 4 seasons of Heroes are available to stream on Netflix.
In case anyone hasn’t seen this, it’s a teaser for Heroes Reborn with Zac in it that was released on Super Bowl Sunday. A teaser ran in the Super Bowl, but was shorter and didn’t include him:
The Nerdist website posted that “sources” said Zac’s role is the “big bad” of the series. Many of Zac’s fans are excited to see him play a villain for a change–if the rumor is true.
Another Zachary (Quinto) made quite the impression playing the villain the first season of Heroes original run.
He did. It was a star-making role for him.
That was always my impression as well, but since I don’t go to movies and wasn’t watching much live TV at the time I really didn’t have any way to judge. I just remember that he did a great deal with that role and brought a lot of depth to what could have been a very one-dimensional role in lesser hands.
That would be awesome if true. A villain role is exactly the change of pace Zac needs. Very excited about this continuation – especially if they can recapture the glory of the first season.
Let me guess, his superpower is going to be able to control computers (machines) with his telepathic mind?
Ha ha.
But, there was a character–a young boy–in Heroes whose power was exactly that.
Zac, Yvonne, and Ryan are at the same event this weekend:
http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/operation-smile-to-host-fourth-annual-park-city-celebrity-ski–smile-challenge-300047588.html
Zachary Levi is now part of the NBC/Universal team. http://deadline.com/2015/03/zachary-levi-first-look-deal-universal-tv-1201395722/
Zach has another new project coming to TV.
Congratulations … I guess. But that is so not my cup of tea … err, keg of beer.
A lot of these game shows produce a multiple episodes in one or two days of shooting.
The half-hour music comedy he has is actually with a different production company–Eva Longoria’s. It’s not The Nerd Machine. I think it’s just at the script stage. It didn’t get a pilot order, but the reasons why are unknown. Maybe it’s retooling or maybe it’s just that scheduling didn’t line up because of Heroes Reborn. Profects are occasionally carried over to future seasons.
It will be interesting to see what it is. He mentioned Hollywood Game Night, which I watched when he was on. It was an enjoyable enough show. I think that the bigger news on this is that The Nerd Machine is helping to produce it, meaning it could potentially change The Nerd Machine in to more than a T-Shirt company and provide some revenue and future opportunities.
It’s a start, at least, and something that’s very do-able … not nearly as ambitious as a movie.
Zac has talked forever about The Nerd Machine producing content. I think it can be a fun little diversion. I wonder how he can do that and also do Heroes Reborn. I found a casting notice for this that was issued in mid-March. So, they’ve already been working on producing the show.
My guess is that the production schedule for a game-show is pretty light compared to a scripted TV show.
Not to mention much lower budget
So to sum up, Zach has a half hour musical comedy, Heroes Reborn, and a game-show all apparently in some stage of production. Now Yvonne just needs a new project.
Well, this is a shocker, if true; I feel very sad for both of them:
Zachary Levi and Missy Peregrym to Divorce: Couple Split Less Than 1 Year After Surprise Wedding
http://ca.eonline.com/news/647836/zachary-levi-and-missy-peregrym-to-divorce-couple-split-less-than-1-year-after-surprise-wedding?cmpid=sn-111021-facebook-na-eonline
While I agree this is news, sad news, I thought of deleting it. These pages are primarily to talk about the positive development and new projects in the Chuck family’s careers.
This is very clearly a personal matter for Zach and Missy, and as they have kept it quiet and not commented when asked I think we should do the same.
I’ll leave these few up unless they start to invite gossip and speculation. If that happens comments will be moderated on this thread.
You know, I wondered exactly the same thing, Ernie. But, since a note was posted in this section about their marriage last year (I checked to make sure before posting), I thought that news about the dissolution of their marriage was within the parameters. I appreciate your sensitivity and caution regarding this matter.
And Russ, that is why I’m leaving this up. Extending our condolences is, while not the purpose of this page, probably appropriate given our congratulations on other matters both professional and personal. So long as it doesn’t go beyond offering sympathy I think we can keep this up till it is eclipsed by happier news. But I think we need to keep in mind that congratulating the couple on a wedding they want to share with the world is different than trying to console them on something far less happy they decided to keep to themselves and act accordingly.
A little bit more on Zac and Missy here:
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-3044846/Thor-star-Zachary-Levi-divorcing-Missy-Peregrym-just-10-months-secret-wedding.html
Aw, that’s so sad 😦
Very sad, indeed. 😥
Heroes Reborn, with Zac in the cast, has been given the Thursday at 8PM slot on NBC in the Fall.
That means it will eventually compete with Big Bang Theory, Chuck’s competition when it debuted.
Also against Grey’s Anatomy. Tough timeslot for NBC for years now. It will be interesting to see how it does. Hopefully they will not premier it agaisnt the return of both Grey’s and TBBT as both have big storylines when they come back.
Yeah. Odd. Just yesterday I saw an article (sorry! I didn’t keep the link.) that stated NBC will be down to one hour of comedy programmer a week. Thursday isn’t their only tough slot, apparently.
I blame
George Bushreality shows, myself.TBBT won’t be back until CBS finishes its Thursday Night Football. Both Chuck and Heroes have competed with football before. I don’t see Grey’s as real competition because it skews heavily female. Bones will be the Fox competition, but that show is so old.
(Spoilers ahead)
I saw the trailer at the NBC Upfront today and it is really strange to see Zac in a role that is so different for him. It’s like “laudanol Chuck” with a beard. Even his voice is different. I hope fans can accept him as a bad guy.
BTW–there are more scripted shows in production than ever.
Another project in the works for Zac Levi.
Cool!
Related, I’ve been wondering about where various Chuck stars have gone. The only one I’ve seen nothing about is Sarah Lancaster. I recall seeing her for a very few seconds on an episode of Scrubs (one that pre-dated Chuck, but nothing since.
Hum. Saw a repeat of a Castle just the other day, the one with Josh Gomez. Excellent episode. And just yesterday there was another with Anthony Ruivivar (Tommy, in Nemesis). I know there was one with Mercedes Mason (Zondra in Cat Squad) and of course the episode with Adam Baldwin.
Sarah Lancaster has done a couple of Hallmark movies.
If you follow her on twitter or instagram she usually says when she is shooting something. Right now she’s in Georgia I believe.
She is one who seems to have taken a deliberately lower key approach to her career after having her son.
Also, it’s not exactly breaking news, but Nerd HQ 2015 is a go for this July. That usually means some of the Chuck gang stops by for a Conversation for a Cause and the parties
Zac’s upcoming game show “Geeks who drink” has several guests who appeared on Chuck. I noticed 5 Chuck actors, but I wouldn’t be surprised if I missed/forgot someone.
http://www.yourentertainmentcorner.com/syfys-new-game-show-geeks-who-drink-hosted-by-zachary-levi-premieres-july-16/
Nerd HQ is ready to start tomorrow, this year IGN will stream the panels live. I’m sure Zac / TNM will tweet links to them when they’re starting. Zac’s panel is at 10am PST and Yvonne’s 3:30pm PST.
Yvonne is already on the location, too 😉 (center front, next to Zac’s father)
After “Geeks Who Drink”, “Heroes Reborn”, and a stint on Eva Longoria’s new sitcom “Hot and Bothered” where he plays a network executive, Zac is headed back to Broadway:
http://www.thenerdmachine.com/zachary-levi-joins-broadway-cast-of-she-loves-me/
I’ll certainly be getting tickets. He’s a fantastic live performer.
Zachary Levi debuted yesterday in Heroes Reborn. I don’t know if anyone but me recalls, but the night the original Heroes had its finale, it was just a tenth of a rating point different from Chuck. Chuck had a 2.2. Heroes had a 2.1. Both were “on the bubble” for renewal. Chuck ended up getting renewed by agreeing to a lower budget. Heroes was canceled.
It looks like the promotion of the return of Heroes, including the star of Chuck, only garnered a 2.0 rating last night. You can only wonder what people in the business will take away from that when it comes to revisiting shows that were “on the bubble” for most of their run.
Anyone else see it?
I watched. I liked it OK. It’s not like the original run, but then now I’ve seen the original run so I can’t really judge if it has recaptured the original feel for a few episodes.
Also note that while this is premier season and premiers are going to get better numbers, if it could sustain a 2.0, or something close, a 2.0 in 2015 is very different from a 2.0 in the spring of 2009.
TV shows get higher lifts in Live + 3 days and Live + 7 days than they did back then. I’ll be paying close attention when those numbers come out.
I’d be interested in how the ratings were over the 2 hours. I imagine the suffered a drop once football started.
It didn’t really drop a lot over the 2 hours. It was slightly higher ratings in the beginning, but that was because they had limited commercial interruption. Commercials get lower viewing.
It bumped up a lot in Live + 3. They added another 2.6 million viewers and went from a 2.0 to 3.1 rating. In 2010, the Live + 3 was only a 2.5 rating.
Zach is up for a People’s Choice Award. Favorite Actor in a New Series. You can vote for him here.
As we have a lot of Castle fans here (or is that still true?) Both Nathan and Stana and the show itself are up for awards too.
Has anyone seen She Loves Me? I’ve heard only good things about this show and everyone’s performance. Boyd Gaines won a Tony Award for the same role that Zac is playing in the last revival.
I will be seeing it next week. From the comments on the broadwayworld.com forums from tough critics, the show is fabulous.
I’ve seen it AND it’s officially opened to rave reviews, including the NY Times. The raves are deserved.
The show will likely be nominated for Best Revival. Laura Benanti will certainly be nominated for Actress. She is phenomenal and literally one of the best Broadway musical actresses working today.
Zac’s performance is extremely good. His chances of getting a nomination are much better than for First Date because the show is better regarded and the role is more difficult. However, two of the actors from Hamilton are considered sure bets and that takes up two slots. There many well-received male performances on Broadway this season. I hope he gets it. If he can with the competition what it is, it will be quite an accomplishment.
Zac has been nominated for a Drama Desk Award for his current Broadway role. Hamilton wasn’t eligible because Drama Desk includes Off Broadway and Hamilton was eligible when it was Off Broadway.
May 3rd is when they announce nominations for the Tony’s. Zac is considered a possible nominee but in kind of an “on the bubble” position. Hamilton is eligible and has two actors considered “slam dunk” nominees that will probably take of two of the slots.
He got it! Zachary Levi is now a Tony nominee.
I suspect that She Loves Me will not be his last broadway show. Having seen him in both First Date and She Loves Me, he is a natural on stage.
I agree. I haven’t seen “She Loves Me” and may not get to, but seeing him draw energy from the audience and give it back as an amazing performance in “First Date” you just know that’s where he belongs. It is a wonderful thing to see someone so gifted and deserving have their dreams come true.
In many ways, “She Loves Me” is a much more challenging show to perform than First Date was. This is its third incarnation and the lead actor has been nominated every time.
He seemed genuinely surprised and thrilled on twitter this morning. I’m glad he got the nomination, but based on all the buzz around Hamilton I’m guessing the actual award goes to one of that show’s cast.
There was a lot of competition in his category. Some predictors said he wouldn’t get it. It wasn’t a sure thing. He probably told himself he wouldn’t get it to avoid disappointment.
Yeah, one of the Hamilton actors will probably get the award. I would go with Leslie Odom Jr. I saw the show and would probably give him the edge.
For anyone who’d like to see She Loves Me and can’t get to NYC:
“Roundabout Theatre Company’s Drama Desk Award-winning revival of She Loves Me will make history on Thursday, June 30, when it becomes the first Broadway show ever to be livestreamed for viewing at home. The 8pm performance that night at Studio 54 will be presented through a partnership with BroadwayHD.”
http://www.theatermania.com/broadway/news/she-loves-me-live-stream_77464.html?utm_source=twitter&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=15jun2016
How cool is this! Thanks. You bet I’ll rent it for 10 bucks.
Being fairly Broadway-challenged, it took me a while to figure out how to watch. You have to go to the BroadwayHD website, where you can rent individual shows to watch on your computer. If you want to watch on Roku or other boxes, you have to have a subscription (15/mo or 170/yr I think).
I have seen it live and it’s a pretty fun show. I hope it comes across over the screen. I won’t be watching it because I am going to go on more time to the very last performance on July 10th and want it to be fresher for me.
Enjoy.
I watched it and thoroughly enjoyed it. It was a fun, feel-good show. Zach and his female costar were both superb!
Just saw a promo on PBS for “Great Performances”. “She Loves Me” starring Zac Levi will be on GP Fri. Oct 20.
So, Zac is going to have the starring role in a superhero movie: Shazam. It’s a big win for him. The thing I find most interesting is he has to bulk up for the role. Intrigued to see what a bulked up Zac will look like.
I was thinking the same thing!
It will be interesting. He did have about 10 seconds of screen time in Thor:Ragnarok, barely a cameo. Probably my only disappointment in an otherwise VERY fun movie.
I also think of Shazam as aimed very young, kind of a superhero for the pre-teen set. I’m not sure how this will work; go for the kiddie crowd or those who grew up watching it on television?
So the Psych movie was very funny. I’d say I really miss the show, but honestly it was played out. Three years off seem to have done them some good. It would be great if Chuck would get such a thing!
But anyway, Zac does make for a very fun villain. Goofy, psycho, he obviously “gets it”. So much fun!
Psych, for some reason, has been on my back burner to watch, but I did watch the movie and enjoyed it…especially with Zac in it. I do have to scratch my head as to why Psych got a movie so quickly, and Chuck has not. A 2 hour Chuck movie would probably cost less than 2 episodes, and would be perfect for a least a couple of NBC’s cable channels.
Yes absolutely.
I think part of the Psych thing is that it’s such a buddy piece. I mean the whole cast and crew are all best friends. I know they’ve talked about doing another four or so movies.
And that is exactly why it’s always pleased me that the Chuck cast seems to all be on good terms with each other. I think that helps us a lot. But obviously, no luck yet…
I was watching the new season of “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel” on prime and Zac showed up in ep 4! It’s not a huge role, but it’s a likable character and it looks like he might be around for a while.
Just saw Zac’s latest project “American Underdog”, really a fun story. Kurt Warner’s story is fairly well known, but it is exciting and inspiring nonetheless.
One funny bit of trivia for those who also saw the movie “Invincible”, a similar sort of feel-good sports underdog story. The main head coach character in both movies is the same man. It’s Dick Vermeil. In Invincible he was the youngest coach in the NFL, in American Underdog it’s the same man after he came out of a 14 year retirement.
But the thing that really struck me was how bulked up Zac is. I think this started with his prep for “Shazam”. But it’s noticeable here because Adam Baldwin is also in the film as Kurt Warner’s college football coach. Seriously, I think Zac is bigger than Baldwin now. Obviously not taller (!). But thicker, more like a football player. Pretty remarkable transformation.