Pop Culture Rundown
What time is it? It's 90 degrees outside. The sun is shining. And for the first time, it's finally starting to feel like summer. (Yes, that is a quote from High School Musical 2.) It's been a few weeks, so I'm putting together a rundown of pop culture news, interesting articles and recommendations!
Lights up on In the Heights: It's finally here! In an alternative universe, In the Heights was released last summer and Lin-Manuel Miranda is just now dropping the recorded staged production of Hamilton. In reality, In the Heights is now available in theaters and for free streaming to HBO Max subscribers for the next few weeks. I can't remember the last time I've been so excited for a summer musical release. One of the reasons I adored last year's The Prom is because I firmly believe we all need more musical energy in our lives, especially during challenging times. In the Heights touches on a number of serious topics but at its heart it's infused with love and joy and a celebration of home. I cannot wait to see what brilliance Jon Chu (who directed Crazy Rich Asians (which I'm now adding to my re-watch list) has created with his film adaptation. For more on In the Heights, check out this Jon Chu profiled in The Atlantic, a look into the making of the movie in The New York Times, a look into the filming of the swimming pool number featured in every trailer from Vulture and a sneak peek behind the scenes of the musical sequence Carnaval del Barrio via Entertainment Weekly.
Revisiting One Tree Hill: Yesterday, Sophia Bush, Hilarie Burton and Bethany Joy Lenz announced their new podcast Drama Queens, where they'll go episode-by-episode through One Tree Hill. It's not a new concept, pretty much everyone is doing re-watch a podcast these days, but given the really disgusting and inappropriate One Tree Hill set behavior we now know about, I'm thrilled to see these three actresses taking back the power and telling their stories. And let's be honest, the show centered itself on basketball but it would have been NOTHING without Brooke, Peyton and Haley.
Summer Reading: Last summer I absolutely devoured Emily Henry's Beach Read. This year, she's released another summery romance, People We Meet on Vacation, and dare I say... it's even better!! I finished it in about a day and half because I could not put it down. Not only does Emily write a lovely, banter-y friendship turned romance between characters Poppy and Alex, she makes you feel like you're going on trips with them, as we jump through time on their vacations through the years. After a year without any travel, it's the perfect mental escape. I'm normally not a fan of dual-timeline storytelling but the way she uses the past to inform the present and weaves through the history and the way Poppy and Alex's friendship grows and shifts truly helps inform the present day story because you learn new pieces every step of the way.
The Great Outdoors: Okay, okay, this isn't a pop culture recommendation but it is an article I recommend, so I say it falls under the parameters I set out earlier! Outside put together a wonderful How to Plan a Day Hike guide with tips and tricks to guide you on your first few adventures. It sounds simple but something about going on a hike feels official and semi-intimidating and this guide, which is going to be part of a series, is helpful, even if you're just going out for a few hours!
Baseball Season: The other week my family set up an outdoor projector in the backyard and held our own private movie screening at dusk. Not only was this my first outdoor movie ever (but certainly not my last!), it was my first viewing of The Sandlot. In retrospect, I don't know how I've gone this long with watching this film. It's a low-stakes, summer hangout/baseball movie, which is right up my alley. The Sandlot, minus one problematic scene, is a perfect movie, and I encourage you to watch it outside with s'mores.
