Elliot’s Watching - June 2024

June 2024

Billy Crystal’s one-man show 700 Sundays (2014, HBO), based on his book and written by Crystal with Alan Zweibel and directed by Des McAnuff (as that name a gag line?) is his Crystal’s life story and its by turns hilarious, heart-breaking, informative, and innovative - including a stage set that’s a 2-dimensional replica of C’s childhood Long Island house (and home, too). We learn of his difficult childhood, his father’s pioneering work developing  record label the brought many Black musicians and singers across the race lines and led to BC’s childhood friendships with many great jazz musicians and composers and singers, most surprisingly and notably Billie Holliday. Most of all the show is a display of BC’s comic - and dramatic - expertise and his ability to connect through hilarity and emotion with a live audience and an appreciative audience of admirers and others - I had no idea how funny he can be and that he had such a range of characteristics, expressions, impersonations, stage antics, and dance moves.

The first season of Your Honor (2020 premier, now on Netflix) , based on the Israeli series by Ron Ninio and Schlomo Mashlachand developed by Peter Moffat) is a first-rate legal crime feature win which there are numerous crises at which various characters face wrenching moral decisions the outcome from which will determine their families, profession, actual life - very well crafted, brings many of the cultures of its setting. New Orleans, to life - impossible to fully like or fully hate any of the main characters. Looking forward to watching Season 2, also on Netflix ( very good series to binge as it’s complex plot will be hard to retain over the course of 10} weeks of streaming).