#rachael rodgers

[insertimagination]

my wedding goal is to be so feminine that it makes all my loved ones uncomfortable

[theresbloodonyouu]

Rachael Rodgers wedding

[unhingedfemmecontent]

Sapphic Romance Books (Interact to Boost Please)

Home Field Advantage - Dahlia Adler

Ophelia After All - Racquel Marie

I kissed Shara Wheeler -  Casey McQuiston

The Stars and the Blackness Between them - Junauda Petrus

Mistakes Were Made - Meryl Winsner

She's too Pretty to Burn - Wendy Heard

The Romance Recipe - Ruby Barrett

Something to Talk About - Meryl Wilsner

In the Event of Love - Courtney Kae

The Holiday Trap - Roan Parrish

Kiss Her Once for Me - Alison Cochrun

Dahlia Green Doesn’t Care - Ashley Herring Blake

Queerly Beloved - Susie Dumond

Read Between the Lines - Rachel Lacey

One Last Stop - Casey McQuiston

Written in the Stars - Alexandria Bellefleur

Never Anyone but You - Rupert Thomson

She Gets the Girl - Alyson Derrick and Rachael Lippincott

Honey Girl - Morgan Rodgers

[distantvoices]

Noor Elliott, Phoebe Matthews by Daniella Maiorano and Rachael Rodgers for Indie Magazine May 2023

[andynortonuk]

ALAN THE INFINITE from Parabella on Vimeo.

Alan’s excited! It’s his first day at Lamin’8– a stale, grey, humdrum lamination company. Oh boy! If he buckles up, stays focused and impresses Gary, his unhinged boss, this might just be a job for life. But all is not quite as it seems, and when Alan accidentally unleashes cosmic, supernatural forces into the office, he realises that fitting in at Lamin’8 is going to be infinitely more tricky than he ever could have dreamed.

CREDITS Written & Directed by - Mikey Please & Dan Ojari Produced by - Mikey Please, Dan Ojari, Alex Holberton & Kev Harwood Executive Producers - Mikey Please & Dan Ojari, James Stevenson Bretton, Tom Stuart & Bart Yates Music by - Ben Please & Beth Porter @ The Bookshop band

CAST ALAN - Dan Ojari GARY - Baker Terry PREA - Theodora van Der Beek SUSAN - Jessica Rayner NEIL - Rob Carter SCIENTIST - Elliot Dear

Sound Design - Adam Janota Bzowski, Ben Please & Dan Ojari Sound Mastering - Simon Harris @ Offset

DOP - Simon Paul Camera Assistant. - Giles Warner Additional lighting - Mikey Please, Dan Ojari, Peter Elmore & Max Halstead

Lead Animators - Andy Biddle, Dan Gill, Steve Warne, Anthony Farquhar Smith, Mikey Please & Dan Ojari Animators - James Carlisle, Luke George, Rachael Olga, Nick Black & Angie Palethorpe

Puppet Design - Mikey Please Puppet Fabrication - Mikey Please, Adeena Grub, Rosie Tonkin & Thomas O’Meara Rigging - Robin Jackson Crowd Puppets design and fabrication - Adeena Grub and Natasha Wigoder

Set Design - Dan Ojari Art Direction - Dan Ojari, Emma Rose & Kat Simpson

Modelmakers - Katy Haggerty-Marks, Becky Weston, Rachael Olga, Nick Black, Luke George, Campbell Hartley, Emily Suvanvej, Millie Tennant, Adeena Grubb, Antonia Trister, Jack Pratt, Rebecca Howell, Steph Marshall, Natasha Wigoder, Beatriz Dominguez, Sofia Rodriguez Serrano, Maria Crus, Mireia Mendez & Brin Frost

2D facial Animation - Mikey Please Additional 2D - Mathias Sgard & Elliot Dear

Lead Compositor - Mikey Please Additional compositing - Mathias Sgard, Dan Ojari, Simone Ghilardoti & Tom Fisher Grade - Elroy Gaskin-Payne @ Onsight

Post Production Supervisor - Benjamin Lole Post Production Manager - Mira Valcheva Post Production Creative Supervisor - Quentin Vien 3D Modelling - Lisa George-Gilroy Rig Removal & 3D facial tracking - Elipse FX Production Support - Ali Albion

Recording Engineer - Robert Frank Hunter

Behind The Scenes Film - Joseph Eckworth

THANK YOU - Charlie Perkins, Matt Day, David Cann, David Lupsein, David Rodger, Katie-Mae Griffith, Lydia Larson, Cross Street Studios, Clapham Road Studios

A Parabella Studios & Blink Industries Film

[kartikdutt]

ALAN THE INFINITE from Parabella on Vimeo.

Alan’s excited! It’s his first day at Lamin’8– a stale, grey, humdrum lamination company. Oh boy! If he buckles up, stays focused and impresses Gary, his unhinged boss, this might just be a job for life. But all is not quite as it seems, and when Alan accidentally unleashes cosmic, supernatural forces into the office, he realises that fitting in at Lamin’8 is going to be infinitely more tricky than he ever could have dreamed.

CREDITS Written & Directed by - Mikey Please & Dan Ojari Produced by - Mikey Please, Dan Ojari, Alex Holberton & Kev Harwood Executive Producers - Mikey Please & Dan Ojari, James Stevenson Bretton, Tom Stuart & Bart Yates Music by - Ben Please & Beth Porter @ The Bookshop band

CAST ALAN - Dan Ojari GARY - Baker Terry PREA - Theodora van Der Beek SUSAN - Jessica Rayner NEIL - Rob Carter SCIENTIST - Elliot Dear

Sound Design - Adam Janota Bzowski, Ben Please & Dan Ojari Sound Mastering - Simon Harris @ Offset

DOP - Simon Paul Camera Assistant. - Giles Warner Additional lighting - Mikey Please, Dan Ojari, Peter Elmore & Max Halstead

Lead Animators - Andy Biddle, Dan Gill, Steve Warne, Anthony Farquhar Smith, Mikey Please & Dan Ojari Animators - James Carlisle, Luke George, Rachael Olga, Nick Black & Angie Palethorpe

Puppet Design - Mikey Please Puppet Fabrication - Mikey Please, Adeena Grub, Rosie Tonkin & Thomas O’Meara Rigging - Robin Jackson Crowd Puppets design and fabrication - Adeena Grub and Natasha Wigoder

Set Design - Dan Ojari Art Direction - Dan Ojari, Emma Rose & Kat Simpson

Modelmakers - Katy Haggerty-Marks, Becky Weston, Rachael Olga, Nick Black, Luke George, Campbell Hartley, Emily Suvanvej, Millie Tennant, Adeena Grubb, Antonia Trister, Jack Pratt, Rebecca Howell, Steph Marshall, Natasha Wigoder, Beatriz Dominguez, Sofia Rodriguez Serrano, Maria Crus, Mireia Mendez & Brin Frost

2D facial Animation - Mikey Please Additional 2D - Mathias Sgard & Elliot Dear

Lead Compositor - Mikey Please Additional compositing - Mathias Sgard, Dan Ojari, Simone Ghilardoti & Tom Fisher Grade - Elroy Gaskin-Payne @ Onsight

Post Production Supervisor - Benjamin Lole Post Production Manager - Mira Valcheva Post Production Creative Supervisor - Quentin Vien 3D Modelling - Lisa George-Gilroy Rig Removal & 3D facial tracking - Elipse FX Production Support - Ali Albion

Recording Engineer - Robert Frank Hunter

Behind The Scenes Film - Joseph Eckworth

THANK YOU - Charlie Perkins, Matt Day, David Cann, David Lupsein, David Rodger, Katie-Mae Griffith, Lydia Larson, Cross Street Studios, Clapham Road Studios

A Parabella Studios & Blink Industries Film

[celebritynewsinusa]

The Enduring Romances of Bachelor Nation: Couples Still Going Strong

The Bachelor franchise, having its inception in 2002, is renowned for making love connections that sometimes span years. While there have been numerous breakups, the story isn't entirely gloomy. Several couples have flourished, proving that love can indeed be found on reality television. In this article, we delve into the ongoing romances in Bachelor Nation, demonstrating the franchise's successful matchmaking prowess.

The Original Success: Trista Rehn and Ryan Sutter

This romance is the benchmark for all Bachelor Nation couples. Trista Rehn and Ryan Sutter, who found love during The Bachelorette's first season in 2003, are the longest-married couple in Bachelor history, having recently celebrated 19 years of marriage in December 2022. Their enduring love story remains an inspiring testament to the franchise's potential to forge lasting relationships.

Love After Paradise: Strong Couples from Bachelor in Paradise

Bachelor in Paradise is renowned for forming successful relationships, with numerous couples still going strong. Among them, Michael Allio and Danielle Maltby are currently dating after meeting on the show's eighth season. Season seven proved exceptionally fruitful, producing three engaged couples: Zach Shallcross and Kaity Biggar, Kenny Braasch and Mari Pepin, and Thomas Jacobs and Becca Kufrin. Despite a temporary breakup while filming in 2021, Noah Erb and Abigail Heringer reconciled and are now cautiously navigating their relationship.

Overcoming Hurdles: Matt James and Rachael Kirkconnell

The Bachelor season 25's Matt James and Rachael Kirkconnell provide an example of overcoming hurdles for love. Despite breaking up while the show was airing in early 2021, they managed to mend their relationship and are now happily dating.

Successful Engagements: Dylan Barbour and Hannah Godwin, and Dean Unglert and Caelynn Miller-Keyes

The sixth season of Bachelor in Paradise produced two solid engagements that continue to flourish. Dylan Barbour and Hannah Godwin, along with Dean Unglert and Caelynn Miller-Keyes, are testament to the success of this show's format.

Bachelor Nation's Family Men and Women

Numerous Bachelor Nation couples have moved beyond just marriage and started families. Some of these couples include Arie Luyendyk Jr. and Lauren Burnham, Kevin Wendt and Astrid Loch, Raven Gates and Adam Gottschalk, Jade Roper and Tanner Tolbert, and Sean Lowe and Catherine Giudici, all of whom are now proud parents.

Time-Tested Love: The Longest Married Couples

Lastly, the franchise has seen a number of couples sustain their love for many years. Some of these long-married couples include Rachel Lindsay and Bryan Abasolo, Jordan Rodgers and JoJo Fletcher, Jared Haibon and Ashley Iaconetti, Chris Siegfried and Desiree Hartsock, Jason Mesnick and Molly Malaney, Holly Durst and Blake Julian, and of course, Trista Rehn and Ryan Sutter. From initial courtship to engagements and marriages that have endured years, these Bachelor Nation love stories underscore the franchise's potential to make lasting connections. While there may be bumps along the way, these couples prove that finding enduring love on reality television is indeed possible.   Read the full article

[libertyprint]

Stylist Rachael Rodgers in her wedding day in Naples, wearing an archival Vivienne Westwood corset from fall 1992, leggings by Berlin-based designer Clara Colette Miramon, a veil by her and her friends, and a pair of Loewe sandals with rose heels.

Photos by Teresa Ciocia and Maxime Ballesteros.

Source

[a-secretkey]

thewestwoodarchives

[antiqwrld]

Rachael Rodgers, 2022

[thisisnotatie]

[hifructosemag]

Simply put, The Dark Art Emporium says its upcoming group show is an invitation into the "the Fantastic." With paintings from Iva Troj, Rachael Bridge (shown), and Meagan "Magpie" Rodgers, "Angel Dust" takes a diverse approach to its concept—though all carry the dark surrealist undertones the Long Beach venue is known for offering. See more here.

[tabloidtoc]

Life & Style, April 26

You can buy a copy of this issue for your very own at my eBay store: https://www.ebay.com/str/bradentonbooks

Cover: Khloe Kardashian is a total fake

Page 1: Lady Gaga in a wedding dress on the set of House of Gucci in Rome

Page 2: Contents

Page 4: The Top 10 SAG Awards Looks -- Mindy Kaling, Jamie Chung, Amy Adams, Sarah Levy, Kerry Washington

Page 5: Kaley Cuoco, Nicole Kidman, Natalie Morales, Viola Davis, Lily Collins

Page 6: Tom Brady and Gisele Bundchen celebrated their 12-year anniversary, posting heartfelt tributes to each other on social media, but their relationship hasn't always been so rock solid -- Tom admitted that Gisele has made a lot of sacrifices for their marriage and she hated living in Boston because she had no friends there and felt so alone because Tom was never around; things got so bad they sought counseling, which was the wake-up call that Tom needed -- he promised to make changes and he agreed to quit the Patriots and sign with a team in a location that was more desirable to Gisele and Tom stuck to his word and he came the new quarterback for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and since moving to Florida, Tom and Gisele have never been happier and they have date nights every week and always make sure to communicate -- it wasn't easy, but they're both really proud of how far they've come

Page 7: After multiple delays, David Schwimmer, Courteney Cox, Jennifer Aniston, Lisa Kudrow, Matthew Perry and Matt LeBlanc have finally filmed the highly anticipated Friends reunion special and they all got really emotional when they saw the set and being there brought back so many fond memories -- it's the first time in 17 years that fans will get to see the entire cast together since the show went off the air in 2004 -- afterwards, everyone went to Jen's house for dinner -- each of the stars was paid $2.5 million to appear in the special

* Throwback -- Dolly Parton in 1965

* Biggest Spenders of the Week -- Bobby Flay, Aaron Rodgers, Vanessa Hudgens, Angelina Jolie

Page 8: Drew Barrymore revealed that, after three divorces and a string of failed romances, she's sworn off marriage altogether -- Drew doesn't need a man to feel complete and she's happiest hanging out with family and friends -- if the right guy comes along later down the line, great, but for now, she's content with being single

* Becoming one of the most sought-after stars in Hollywood has gone straight to Ana de Armas' head -- the cast and crew are often left waiting for the actress to emerge from her trailer on the set of the new action thriller The Gray Man -- Ana's got a lot going on and she's juggling several different projects, as well as photo shoots and phone calls with her team and people don't stay mad at her for too long, but they have nicknamed her Ana de Diva, but she isn't upset by the scathing moniker because she's a big name now, and with that comes a lot of responsibility and the way she sees it, there are worse things than being called a diva

Page 10: The Week in Photos -- Orlando Bloom got a surprise visit from the Easter Bunny

Page 11: Jennifer Lopez in jeans at a photoshoot for InStyle, Priyanka Chopra dancing around her backyard in a bright yellow dress

Page 12: Animal Tales -- Gilles Marini posed for a pic with his African grey parrot Anya, singer Madison Beer leaned in for a kiss from a caramel-colored stallion, Kate Beckinsale's feline Clive seemed less than thrilled when Kate strapped him to her chest in a carrier

Page 13: Kaia Gerber and her precious pooch Milo snuggled up in bed, Malin Akerman and a goat

Page 16: Stars Behaving Badly -- Lisa Vanderpump let her parched dog drink from her water glass at a restaurant in West Hollywood, Maisie Williams went topless under a translucent jacket while shooting a new TV series about the Sex Pistols in London, HGTV Design Star host Allison Holker used a megaphone to give out instructions to Property Brother Jonathan Scott on the show's finale, Calvin Klein wasn't worried about stains when he shoved a pile of spaghetti into his mouth at West Hollywood's Mauro Cafe

Page 18: Say What?! Helena Bonham Carter who turns 55 in May, Chelsea Handler who admits she consumes mushrooms almost every day, Olivia Munn who is the proud pet parent of rescue dogs Frankie and Chance, Melissa McCarthy on doing her own stunts in Thunder Force, Brian Tyree Henry on Godzilla vs. Kong co-star Millie Bobby Brown

Page 20: Pete Davidson has officially moved out of his mother's home and into a $1.2 million luxury high-rise condo on Staten Island, and it's all thanks to his new girl girlfriend, Bridgerton star Phoebe Dynevor -- the Saturday Night Live star showed off his two-bedroom, two-and-a-half bathroom bachelor pad during a Zoom call -- Phoebe is a down-to-earth girl, but she doesn't want to date a man who lives in his mom's basement and she thinks Pete's mom, Amy, is awesome and says it's a great thing that they're super close, but being in a long-distance relationship is difficult enough so Pete and Phoebe need some alone time when they're together, which was almost impossible with his mother hanging out upstairs -- Pete knew it was time; he just needed that gentle nudge

Page 21: Matt James and Rachael Kirkconnell were spotted in NYC together, sparking speculation that the former Bachelor couple have rekindled their relationship -- the pair parted ways while the show was still airing after photos of the graphic designer at a plantation-themed college party in 2018 surfaced on social media -- Rachael made a mistake but she owned up to it and was willing to learn from it and it didn't change her feelings for Matt or vice versa and Matt was in love with Rachael too and he couldn't just turn those feelings off so no one would be surprised if they decided to reconcile

* Michael B. Jordan's girlfriend Lori Harvey was left reeling over photos of the actor sharing a smooch with Chante Adams on the set of their new movie A Journal for Jordan -- of course, they were just shooting a scene for the film, but Lori was still annoyed and she asked Michael about it, and he brushed it off and explained it was part of the job but Lori still has her suspicions and she's been thinking about dropping by the set just so she can keep a very close eye on them

Page 22: Cover Story -- Khloe Kardashian living a lie -- devastated by an unretouched photo leak, Khloe faces claims she's a body positivity hypocrite as she demands the viral image be taken down

Page 26: Alex Rodriguez to Ben Affleck: Back off my fiancee -- Ben gushes about ex Jennifer Lopez in a new article and A-Rod isn't happy about it (not quite Bennifer yet :)

Page 28: Prince Harry overwhelmed with work -- Harry struggles to adjust after trading his cushy royal role for a variety of normal gigs -- though his job for BetterUp is primarily remote, added stress comes in the form of Harry's Spotify and Netflix deals, plus growing charity work -- Harry finds all of his new, non-royal titles fresh and exciting, but while he's a great person, some in his inner circle say Harry's kind of dumb and worry whether he can handle the pressure

Page 30: Lori Loughlin and Mossimo Giannulli life after prison -- reunited following months spent behind bars, Lori and Mossimo try to pick up the pieces -- prison definitely took a toll on Mossimo and he doesn't expect sympathy, but he's still struggling to adjust to what he went through; it really broke him down and forced him to reevaluate his life

Page 32: Who Lives Here? Lil Nas X

Page 34: Entertainment

Page 35: Star Review -- Jonathan Van Ness

* As Seen On-Screen -- Meghan Markle wore a dark green coat while walking through Archie's Chick-Inn during her CBS interview which was J. Crew's Perfect Lightweight Jacket

Page 36: Go Green at Home -- reduce your carbon footprint even more with these eco-chic essentials, because our planet can use all the help it can get

Page 37: Beauty Crush -- get Jurnee Smollett's look from her makeup artist Emily Cheng for the SAG Awards

Page 38: Spring Beauty Must-Haves -- these product picks aim to reign as new-season favorites -- Camila Mendes

Page 40: Diva or Down-to-Earth? Rihanna bagged her own haul at Bristol Farms in Beverly Hills -- down-to-earth, Shay Mitchell worked from home with help from her most trusted assistant daughter Atlas -- down-to-earth, during a photo shoot in Malibu Brooke Burke got a makeup refresh from a personal primper -- diva

Page 42: Social Stars Posts of the Week -- Sofia Vergara sneaking Heidi Klum a chip on the set of America's Got Talent, Neil Patrick Harris finished the first season of The Irregulars while quarantining in Toronto, Jared Leto pretended to pluck the moon straight out of the sky during a masked outing in Italy, Beyonce treated her daughter Blue Ivy to a meal at Nobu in Malibu

Page 44: Horoscope -- Taurus Gigi Hadid turned 26 on April 23

* They're Not Together, But They Should Be -- Capricorn Charles Melton and Virgo Zendaya

Page 48: What I'm Into -- Kameron Westcott of The Real Housewives of Dallas

[jackie-talks-about-starkid]

Firebringer (Rewatch #10, 11/15/2020)

YouTube publish date: December 31, 2016

Number of views on date of rewatch: 4,317,045 

Original Performance Run: July 6 - August 7, 2016 at Stage 773 in Chicago, Illinois

     Ticket price: General-$35, VIP-$60

Director: Julia Albain and Nick Lang

Music and Lyrics: Meredith Stepien and Mark Swiderski

Book: Brian Holden, Matt Lang, and Nick Lang

Cast album price and availability: $9.99 on iTunes      Release date: November 22, 2016

Parody or original: original content

Funding: $154, 670 from 3, 722 backers on Kickstarter (x)

     Original Goal: $88,000

Main cast and characters

Jemilla - Meredith Stepien

Zazzalil - Lauren Lopez

Molag - Lauren Walker

Keeri - Denise Donovan

Emberly - Rachael Soglin

Grunt - Joey Richter

Tiblyn - Tiffany Williams

Ducker - Joe Walker

Schwoopsie - Jamie Lyn Beatty

Chorn - Jamie Burns

Smelly-Balls - Brian Holden

Clark Baxtresser - Clark Baxtresser

Musical numbers

     Act I

“Fire” Characters: Company

“We Are People Now” Characters: Company

“We Got Work To Do” Characters: Zazzalil, Jemilla, and Ensemble

“What If?” Characters: Zazzalil

“Welcome to the Stone Age” Characters: Ensemble

“Just a Taste” Characters: Emberly and Grunt

“The Night Belongs to Snarl” Characters: Smelly-Balls, Schwoopsie, Ducker, Tiblyn, and Ensemble

“Into the Night” Characters: Zazzalil and Ensemble

“The Night Belongs to Us” Characters: Zazzalil, Jemilla, and Ensemble

     Act II

“Jemilla’s Lament” Characters: Jemilla

“Paint Me” Characters: Grunt and Emberly

“Ouch My Butt” Characters: Ensemble

“Backfire” Characters: Zazzalil and Ensemble

“Together” Characters: Jemilla and Zazzalil

“Chorn” Characters: Chorn and Ensemble

“Finale (Make the Most of It)” Characters: Company

Notable Notes:

“I Don’t Really Wanna Do The Work Today” became a meme that was so popular the Broadway cast of The Book of Mormon and that year’s touring cast of Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Cinderella made their own videos performing the song

Cultural Context: 2016

Beyoncé releases her visual album, “Lemonade”

Leonardo DiCaprio finally wins an Oscar for his performance in The Revenant

Hamilton won the Pulitzer Prize for Best Drama and that year’s Grammy for Best Musical Theatre Album

Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them opens in theaters

Content Analysis:

Firebringer has one of StarKid’s most inventive storylines in their collective works and has the added bonus of being an inherently feminist, woman-led piece. The story of a woman who invented fire and another woman who led the ancestors of the human race into creating a just and equal society sounds more like a provocative, experimental play rather than a comedy musical yet StarKid once again seems to be the only group of people that can pull off such a unique concept, successfully critiquing our current society while also presenting the storyline and characters in a way that makes the audience relax with each bit of commentary rather than tense up and ignore the performance. It’s refreshing to be an audience member of Firebringer. The musical numbers and character performances are entertaining in a way that feels comforting and almost happy-go-lucky despite the fact that the production takes place at an imagined pivotal point in the history of the human race. The dialogue and small comedic moments between the characters make fun of how dumb humanity can be at times, resorting to crude body humor and questionable social skills, but pull an about-face in the next scene by displaying the strength and ingenuity of the human race and our desire to succeed and prosper in an environment that seems dead-set on ensuring our demise.

As well as just generally being an enjoyable work of musical comedy, the dynamic of the piece is feminist in a way that is not explicitly stated but simply accepted by the characters within the universe and, by extension, the audience itself. Jemilla is a woman who is a well-respected and undisputed leader of an entire tribe, whose female mentor and former leader is just as highly regarded, and Zazzalil is a provocative thinker who kickstarts the tribe into advancing as a society by introducing fire and hunting into their daily survival skills, yet no where in the story do any of these strong female leads gets questioned for being women in positions of power. It is an indisputable fact accepted by all characters regardless of gender that these women are the leaders of their society and the fact that this isn’t brought up in any negative or positive connotation within the confines of the story’s universe is such a genius way to address feminism in a theatrical work. If they were to make a point of putting the women in a negative situation where gender discourse is the main cause of the threat to the characters only for the woman to bounce back in order to prove that she is just as strong or worthy as any potential male leader, it would have reinforced the idea that women need to prove that they are just as good as men rather than the society around them accepting the fact that all genders are equal regardless of identity. On the other hand, if they were to pat themselves on the back and make it a point of being progressive in choosing women to lead their tribe, it would have turned the choice into one of pandering rather than genuine belief on the writers’ part and on the characters. By not mentioning the feminist core of the musical within the story itself, Firebringer naturally shows the audience through fictional storytelling the gender equality that our society can achieve for itself without making the situation too unrealistic to be considered unattainable (not than unrealistic situations cannot be written and performed successfully otherwise, it’s comforting to see).

As for the actual book content of the show, it is not StarKid’s strongest in terms of consistency. The humor, the heart, and the quality of performance are always aspects of StarKid shows that the audience can depend on being as good as ever with each new production, but there are moments in certain scenes, such as Keeri’s initial confrontation with Zazzalil and Jemilla and Zazzalil’s reunion, that the dialogue between characters switches in and out of a natural flow of conversation, making it easy to lose interest in a dialogue heavy scene until another joke happens. Similarly, there are moments where lyrics in songs, such as “Into the Night” and “Paint Me,” are not musically or verbally compatible with the verses in which they are sung. The majority of lyrics are clever and match the tone and character of the performance perfectly, but there is an occasional clunky line or oddly-placed word that I found to be distracting enough to take note of during the song.

Overall, Firebringer is a lighthearted musical with great performances and cleverly intertwined social commentary that adds to the comedic tone of the piece rather than distracts from it. I wish that more musicals were written in the tone of Firebringer, in both the sense of overall quality, gender representation, and sexuality representation, which, like the gender placement of the main characters, is written so naturally that it’s almost hard to believe real life isn’t like the one represented onstage in which gender ruled without the patriarchy and sexuality lived in without heteronormativity is so commonplace it’s a nonissue.

[distantvoices]

Rachael Rodgers on Instagram

[blackkudos]

Sherri Shepherd

Sherri Evonne Shepherd (born April 22, 1967) is an American actress, comedian, author, and television personality. She has appeared in several TV shows in recurring roles, and starred as Ramona Platt on the ABC sitcom Less than Perfectfrom 2002 to 2006, for which she was well received and was nominated for the BET Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series in 2005.

From 2007 to 2014, Shepherd was a co-host on The View, for which she received multiple Daytime Emmy Award nominations, winning one in 2009. In 2009, she starred in a sitcom of her own on Lifetime, Sherri, which was cancelled after one season, and also published the novel Permission Slips: Every Woman's Guide to Giving Herself a Break. In 2012, she appeared as a celebrity contestant on the fourteenth season of Dancing with the Stars. Shepherd started hosting the game show Best Ever Trivia Show on the Game Show Network on June 10, 2019.

Early life

Shepherd was born in Chicago, Illinois, the daughter of LaVerne (d. 1991) and Lawrence A. Shepherd (born c. 1947), a church deacon. She is the eldest of three sisters.

Career

Shepherd first became recognized for recurring roles on the sitcoms Suddenly Susan, Everybody Loves Raymond and The Jamie Foxx Show in the late 1990s, before starring in the show Less Than Perfect in the lead role of Ramona Platt from 2002–2006. From 2007 – 2013, she had a recurring role as Angie, the wife of character Tracy Jordan, on the NBC sitcom 30 Rock. In 2009, she starred for one season in Lifetime Television's Sherri, a sitcom about Shepherd's life. She played Daphne in several episodes of How I Met Your Mother in 2013. As of 2017, Shepherd plays Anne Flatch in NBC's mockmumentary legal-comedy series Trial & Error.

In addition to her film and television work, Shepherd appeared on Broadway in Rodgers and Hammerstein's musical production of Cinderella in 2013.

Television personality

Shepherd has appeared as a guest host and contestant on several television shows such as Who Wants to Be a Millionaire, Rachael Ray, and To Tell The Truth. Shepherd also hosted Nickelodeon's NickMom Night Out special from 2013–14, Shepherd currently hosts Best Ever Trivia Show on the Game Show Network. The show premiered on June 10, 2019.

She co-hosted the 35th Daytime Emmy Awards on June 20, 2008.

In 2006, Shepherd was a frequent guest co-host on ABC's The View. She became a permanent co-host from 2007 to 2014. She received several awards for her work on the show. Since leaving The View in 2014, Shepherd has continued to make several appearances on the show as a guest host and "lead contributor" throughout 2015 and 2016.

Shepherd was criticized after one 2007 broadcast of The View. The show was often filmed "live", with little or no editing. She stated she did not "believe in evolution. Period." Co-host Whoopi Goldberg asked her, "Is the world flat?" Shepherd responded, "I don't know," and expanded that she "never thought about it". Shepherd later referred to her statement as a "brain fart" brought on by nerves. Barbara Walters and Shepherd talked after that episode: Walters said, "Dear, the Earth is round", and Shepherd responded with: "Barbara, I know that!"

Similar criticism erupted after the December 4, 2007, broadcast of The View when, during a discussion initiated by Joy Behar about Epicurus, Shepherd attempted to assert that Christians existed in classical Greece, and that the Greeks threw them to the lions. When confronted on this point, she further claimed that "Jesus came first" (before Greeks and Romans) and stated, "I don't think anything predated Christians", to which Joy Behar responded: "The Jews."

Shepherd garnered criticism after admitting to never voting partly due to her upbringing as a strict Jehovah's Witness. She was quoted as saying that she just "never knew the dates or anything"; she stated, "I've never voted for anything in my life." In January 2008, Sherri referred to Gospel singer Shirley Caesar as "the black Patti LaBelle." LaBelle, like Caesar, is black.

Sherri said, "I was taught not to confront and interrupt people, but that's what I do every day on The View."

In 2008, she created controversy on The View due to "flippant" remarks regarding abortion. She later clarified, saying her remarks weren't meant to be flippant but rather inspire other women who may be dealing with guilt after abortions. She cited having multiple abortions in her 20s, suffering from shame and guilt from those experiences, later converting to Christianity.

On November 6, 2019, Shepherd was unmasked as the Penguin on the second season of The Masked Singer.

Dancing with the Stars

In March 2012, Shepherd participated as a celebrity contestant on the fourteenth season of ABC's Dancing with the Stars. Her dance partner was Val Chmerkovskiy. The team lasted several weeks.

Businesswoman

As of 2015, a project includes a line of wigs and hair add-ins.

Writing

Shepherd wrote the book Permission Slips: Every Woman's Guide to Giving Herself a Break, published in October 2009. Shepherd also has a co-author credit on Plan D: How to Lose Weight and Beat Diabetes, published in 2013.

Charity

Sherri raises funds for the YAI Sherri Shepherd "Believe in Abilities" Fund.

YAI supports people of all ages with intellectual and developmental disabilities in achieving the fullest life possible by creating new opportunities for living, loving, working, and learning. YAI is a network of agencies with programs that empower and enhance the lives of thousands of people we support and their families.

In 2011, Shepherd offered to pay six months' rent and utilities of homeless former American Gladiators star Debbie Clark (Storm).

Personal life

Shepherd was married to Jeff Tarpley from 2001 to 2010.

TV writer Lamar Sally proposed to Shepherd on December 26, 2010. They married in August 2011 at the Fairmont Hotel in Chicago, and in September 2012, Shepherd said the couple was searching for a surrogate in order to have a child. Sally filed for separation on May 2, 2014, and Shepherd filed for divorce days later. In July 2014, Sally petitioned a Los Angeles court for full legal and physical custody of the child expected via surrogacy, who was born in August 2014. On April 21, 2015, a Pennsylvania court ruled Shepherd is the legal parent of a child born from a surrogate mother.

Shepherd has type 2 diabetes after having had pre-diabetes for years.

Shepherd is a devout Christian.

Filmography

Awards and nominations

Daytime Emmy Award and Nominations

2008 Nomination for Outstanding Talk Show Host(s) (The View)

2009 Award for Outstanding Talk Show Host(s) (The View)

2010 Nomination for Outstanding Talk Show Host(s) (The View)

2011 Nomination for Outstanding Talk Show Host(s) (The View)

2012 Nomination for Outstanding Talk Show Host(s) (The View)

2013 Nomination for Outstanding Talk Show Host(s) (The View)

2014 Nomination for Outstanding Talk Show Host(s) (The View)

People's Choice Award Nomination

2013 Nomination for Outstanding Talk Show Host(s) (The View)

Screen Actors Guild Award Nomination

2010 Nomination for Outstanding Cast in a Motion Picture Precious (Shared with rest of cast)

Washington DC Area Film Critics Association Award Nomination

2009 Nomination for Best Ensemble, Precious (Shared with all cast members)

Boston Society of Film Critics Award

2009 Award for Best Ensemble Cast (Precious)

Broadcast Film Critics Association Award Nomination

2010 Nomination for Best Acting Ensemble, Precious (Shared with rest of cast)

Black Reel Award Nomination

2010 Nomination for Best Ensemble Cast, Precious (Shared with rest of cast)

BET Comedy Award Nomination

2005 Nomination for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series (Less than Perfect)

NAACP Image Awards and Nominations

2009 Award for Outstanding Talk Series (The View)

2010 Nomination for Outstanding Actress in a Comedy Series (Sherri)

2010 Nomination for Outstanding Talk Series (The View)

2011 Award for Outstanding Talk Series (The View)

Gracie Award

2010 Award for Leading Actress in a Comedy Series (Sherri)

Braveheart Award

2010 Powerful Women in Hollywood Award