Jack is back: A new season of "24."

After a year of waiting, the season premiere of the hit drama “24” aired tonight on Fox, and it was definitely worth the wait. Kiefer Sutherland is back as Jack Bauer, the CTU agent who always does what it takes to save the day, even if that means going rouge every now and then. As this season begins, we find that CTU has been disbanded, but Jack is on trial for some of his more questionable actions as a CTU agent. But it doesn’t take long until the FBI realizes they need Jack to save the day once again. He’s whisked away from the trial and debriefed on a critical situation: a series of recent technology thefts that could pose a serious threat to our nation’s infrastructure.

If the first episode is any indication, we are in for another season full of drama, action and twists we don’t see coming. (There’s a big one in the first episode, but I hate spoilers, so I won’t mention it here.) Sutherland is still excellent as Jack, but he is also surrounded by a strong supporting cast including Colm Feore as Henry Taylor, Jeffery Nordling as Larry Moss, and Janeane Garofalo as Janis Gold. (Garofalo adds a few welcome moments of levity to the otherwise tension-heavy show.) I am glad Jack is back, and I can’t wait to see what the rest of the season holds.

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year, everyone! I hope 2008 was a great year for all of you, and I hope 2009 is even better. In honor of the new year, here's a list of resolutions from a bevy of Broadway stars. (I especially like Tom Hewitt's.) Enjoy!

Money money money: The economy and Broadway

Last year it was a strike. This year, it’s the economy.

The holiday season should be one of the busiest times of the year for Broadway, but this year the economy has hit the theater industry with some pretty powerful blows. This New York Times article from Patrick Healy is a smart, in-depth look at the situation, but this is what it boils down to: people are cutting out a lot of the extras in their lives to save money, and that includes pricey theater tickets. That means that means many shows aren’t playing to capacity, and dependable shows like “Gypsy” and “Grease” are closing earlier than expected. That in turn means that producers are hesitant to invest in new shows. It’s a vicious circle.

Like Nellie Forbush in South Pacific, I’m a cock-eyed optimist, and I can’t help but feel that Broadway will come out of this slump. As Healy points out in his article, there are some productions that are doing well right now, and there are several highly-anticipated productions opening in the spring. Plus, I’m sure I’ll spend a few hundred dollars on shows when I got to New York in January. Somehow I don’t think that will be quite enough to make a difference. If I got all my friends and family and random people on the street to do the same thing, then maybe we’d be in business!

Magic Valley Chorale

Here's my latest from The Times-News. I did a preview piece for Magic Valley Chorale's annual Christmas concert. Music is one of my favorite things about the holidays, and it's a surefire way to get me in the Christmas spirit. I was out of town and wasn't able to make the concert, but the chorale always puts on a great show!

The Great Green Way

Call it the Green White Way, because Shrek has officially opened on Broadway.

The stage adaptation of DreamWorks’ animated film opened at the Broadway Theater on Sunday, and it’s been getting decent reviews. New York Times theater critic Ben Brantley particularly liked Sutton Foster’s performance. I’m hoping to see the show when I come to New York in January. I’ve always thought the story of the cranky green ogre was clever and endearing, and some of my favorite Broadway actors are in the cast— Sutton Foster, John Tartaglia, and Brian d’Arcy James, just to name a few. For some fun Shrek features, check out Broadway.com. They’ve got a photo slideshow from the green carpet on opening night, and another one that gives a peek into Sutton Foster’s pre-show routine.

The modern mix tape

So I was doing a little Christmas shopping online, and I came across this little gem on Target’s website. It’s a modern take on the mix tape. Now, being old enough to have made (and received) quite a few actual mix tapes, I think this is quite clever. I know that most of the iPod and mp3 generation probably won’t appreciate the throwback to the way people used to share music, but anyone who grew up in the 80s will love it.

Fireworks in December

Here's my latest story from The Times-News. It's about an annual charity event called Christmas in the Nighttime Sky. The centerpiece of the night is an elaborate fireworks show, and it always draws a huge crowd!