Modern Family - "Suddenly, Last Summer"

Season 5 of Modern Family got off to a great start. The jokes hit well, and there were some touching moments too. The promo for this episode was hinting at a proposal by saying ‘Modern Family will all change with one simple word: Yes’.

SYNOPSIS- When Cam and Mitch both want to propose to each other, Cam enlists Gloria’s help, and Mitch enlists Claire’s help. Claire, being a Pritchett, is not so much of a romantic. Claire has some quite unusual marriage proposal ideas, which Mitchell does not exactly approve of.


Cam being the more romantic of the two, wants to propose where they had their first date. Mitchell plans to propose at their house, where he has set up two old rocking chairs and a bottle of champagne, this is because Cam has always said his idea of romance was having someone to grow old with. When they reach the restaurant (the place of their first date), Mitch instantly realizes Cam is going to propose to him. While he’s touched, he wants to prove to Cam he can be romantic too, and pretends to be sick. They agree to head home, where Cam has a backup plan: He will recreate a picnic under the stars they had when they moved into their first apartment. In the meantime, Phil and Claire try to earn themselves some time away from the kids. The kids are all leaving town at different times, and Phil tries to trick them into changing their plans so they can all leave at the same time and result in some kid free days.

Cam and Mitch’s real proposal happened when they had a flat tyre. As they go to change the tyre, they look back at their memories together. They both kneel down to change the tyre, look at on another with a smile and both say “Yes” at the same time. Brilliant! I loved this moment as it just showed what the characters of Cameron & Mitchell are like as a couple, that they didn't even need to ask the question, but they both knew what the other was thinking.

Although Manny’s storyline with his trip to Columbia was mostly entertaining, perhaps it dragged on a little too long, and it felt a bit like something that always seems to happen, where Gloria is being too protective of Manny and will not let him do anything and in this case, doesn’t want him to go to Columbia. But this storyline did show how far the Jay and Manny relationship has come, as they have grown to be full father and son regardless of the lack of their biological connection.

The episode on a whole was very well written, and did something which I’ve only experienced Modern Family do, which is to have me in fits of laughter one minute, and crying the next!Possibly the best quote from this episode was from Phil Dunphy – “Sometimes I don’t know if I love how much I fear Claire, or if I fear how much I love her”.

Ghost: The Musical UK Tour

SYNOPSIS –  Sam Wheat (Stewart Clarke) and Molly Jensen (Rebecca Trehearn) are a very happy couple in love and just moving into a new apartment with help from friend Carl (David Roberts) . Walking back to their apartment after a night out, they are seen by a thief in a dark alley, and Sam is murdered. He finds himself as a ghost not being able to communicate with anyone and realises that his death was not an accident. Throughout the show he is trying to warn Molly about the danger that she is in. But as a ghost he can not be seen or heard by the living, and so tries to communicate with Molly through Oda Mae Brown, (Wendy Mae Brown) a psychic who didn't even realise that her powers were real.

Personally, I have never seen the film ‘Ghost’ so going in to see the show, I had only heard one of the musical numbers. Although the songs are very varied in style I think that they all fit together quite well.

Probably the most impressive part of this show are the effects. In the movies, you can make almost any kind of effect work, however on stage this is very difficult. This show involves illusions of actors walking through doors and the transformation of a dead body turning into a ghost.

The actors playing the main characters of Sam, Molly and Carl were, in my opinion very good and seemed to convey the emotion and what the characters were going though during the show.

In terms of the ensemble and chorus, the singing and dancing was exceptional and everything was very much in time and sharp. The main comedy in the show was from Oda Mae Brown. All of the scenes between Sam and Oda Mae got many laughs from the audience, although, in saying this there were a few scenes where it was more serious, and perhaps the comedy was not needed, and where Sam and Oda Mae would be speaking over one another and therefore you could not hear what was being said.

Overall I enjoyed the show, with some great songs and brilliant special effects which brought the audience in to the story. I recommend you to go and see this if you get the chance. You can learn more about touring dates on the official website - http://www.ghostthemusical.com/

Welcome!

Welcome to BackstageBroadcast. 
This will be a way for me to review new musicals/plays and television shows. My name is Megan Watt, a theatre and television fan from Glasgow, Scotland. Please feel free to comment any of my reviews, but please do so politely.