Keeping stories alive
Radio production revisits Christmas 1955
Looking back
RACHEL HERGETT
For the Chronicle
“Christmas is about stories,” M. Douglas MacIntyre tells me over the phone Tuesday evening. MacIntyre has spent his life telling stories on stage, especially with creative partner Maggie Petersen. Together for the last 46 years, they toured the world with their Magic Circle Mime Company and wrote programs for symphony orchestras telling stories about music.
This year, they are back telling stories about Montana history through the third installment of a holiday radio play commissioned and produced by Small Batch Arts. Unlike a fully staged production, these radio plays harken back to a time when television wasn’t the norm and people gathered around their radios for news and entertainment. In production, a cast performs
with scripts into microphones.
“A Montana Radio Holiday 1955” follows that model, with performances at Reynolds Recital Hall in Howard Hall, the Montana State University music building, on Dec. 18, 19, 20, 21 and 22 at 7 p.m. There are also 3 p.m. shows on Dec. 21 and 23. General admission tickets are $19 at www. smallbatcharts.org.
Small Batch Arts is a local organization that employs a subsistence model where “the Children’s Shakespeare Society proceeds fund the professional performances by Small Batch Arts and vice versa,” founder Aimee Devlin explained. Artists are paid, scripts are commissioned and young actors are given an avenue to move into more professional stage productions.
“Each of these productions represents years of work supporting local artists in bringing their
own vision and creations alive,” Devlin wrote in a text message. McIntyre, who is from Montana, and Petersen, who went to Montana State University had done some work with the Children’s Shakespeare Society when they were tapped to write a new production for the 2019 holiday season. The idea grew from a radio program written and directed by Bruce Hurlbut, “Sherlock Holmes and the Curious Case of the Christmas Carol.“ That show was produced by Small Batch Arts in 2018 and featured live sound effects created by LA TheatreWorks foley artist Shereen Khan, who also led a workshop on soundmaking.
MacIntyre and Petersen’s first radio play foray, 2019’s “A Bozeman Radio Christmas 1939,” was set in the year Bozeman got its first commercial radio station and included stories of
pioneer holidays in the Gallatin Valley and popular holiday swing tunes sung by the fabulous Gallatin Gals or “The GG’s.” “A Bozeman Radio Christmas 1944,” produced in 2021, found the cast on the Milwaukee Road’s passenger train, the Olympian, riding the Jawbone Line through the heart of Montana. “A Montana Radio Holiday 1955” is the third production of the series.
“For this third installment, we have chosen the year 1955; a year of boomtown growth, technical innovations and Montana State College bursting at the seams with new students. Sound familiar?” MacIntyre and Petersen note in the program.
MacIntyre, a self-proclaimed history buff, said the research involved to find stories and songs to fit the period was “just one of the great joys of the whole thing and the duo spent time digging in archives with the Montana Historical Society in Helena and the Gallatin History Museum in Boz-
PHOTO BY RACHEL HERGETT, FOR THE CHRONICLE
Harry Jahnke rehearses “A Montana Radio Holiday 1955” at Reynolds Recital Hall. The Small Batch Arts production runs from Dec. 18 to 23.
What’s Available NOW On
“Cast Away” (Available Now)
Obsessively punctual FedEx executive Chuck Noland (Tom Hanks) is en route to an assignment in Malaysia when his plane crashes over the Pacific Ocean during a storm. The sole survivor of the flight, Chuck washes ashore on a deserted island. When his efforts to sail away and contact help fail, Chuck learns how to survive on the island, where he remains for years, accompanied by only his handmade volleyball friend, Wilson.
“Cheaper by the Dozen” (Available Now)
With his wife Kate (Bonnie Hunt) on a book tour, Tom Baker (Steve Martin) finds his life turned upside down when he agrees to care for their twelve children on his own, while also simultaneously taking on his new job as a college football coach. Piper Perabo, Tom Welling, Hilary Duff, Kevin G. Schmidt, Alyson Stoner, Jacob Smith, Liliana Mumy, Morgan York, Forrest Landis, Blake Woodruff, Brent Kinsman and Shane Kinsman star as the Baker children.
“Expedition Unknown” -
Seasons 1-5 (Available Now)
Intrigued by legendary mysteries and driven by curiosity, Josh Gates is on a mission for answers. This fascinating travel series chronicles his global adventures as he investigates iconic unsolved events, lost cities, buried treasures and other puzzling stories.
in focus
“Mayfair Witches” - Season 2 (AMC+ — Jan. 5, Season Premiere)
Based on Anne Rice’s “Lives of the Mayfair Witches,” Season 2 continues the journey of Rowan Mayfair (Alexandra Daddario) after she has unwittingly given birth to the demon Lasher (Jack Huston). She is determined to understand what he has become — human or monster? — and to use him to fulfill her purpose as a healer. But, when tragedy strikes, she must put aside her own desires and fight to protect her family. Harry Hamlin, Tongayi Chirisa and Alyssa Jirrels also star.
“Coup!” (Available Now)
A mysterious grifter (Peter Sarsgaard) appears on an isolated seaside estate claiming to be a wealthy family’s new chef. When a plague descends on the island, the mischievous cook rouses his fellow staff to rebel and take over the mansion. The servant becomes the master in this devious classwar comedy also starring Billy Magnussen and Sarah Gadon.
CROSSWORD
Across
1. Produce protection
12. Falco of “The Sopranos”
13. Bartenderturned-pol inits.
14. Get wind of 15. “Bazinga!” show
18. Shocked
19. Hunky-dory
20. Cough syrup amts.
21. “Who ___?”
25. Flaws in logic
27. Elevator stop
28. “__ _ Blue?”
29. Treat shabbily
30. Avenger Maximoff
5. Soup often served with hoisin sauce
8. Hit the brakes
movie review BY JAY
BOBBIN
‘That’s Entertainment!,’ indeed: MGM musicals get their moment again
If you love movies, and movie musicals more specifically, chances are good that you already know the many delights of “That’s Entertainment!”
Originally devised by MGM as a tribute to the studio’s 50th anniversary, the 1974 compilation of clips has become a New Year’s staple on Turner Classic Movies. The channel will maintain the tradition by showing it again Wednesday, Jan. 1, along with two sequels. However, the first
film offers the cream of the crop, drawing upon many of the top song-and-dance sequences in MGM history, with some extra curios — such as an all-star luncheon — providing additional pleasure.
The picture is smartly organized into segments, each introduced and narrated by a star with an MGM connection, beginning with Frank Sinatra, who opens the movie with an amusing look at how many times “Singin’ in the Rain” has been used in different
37. Word of honor
38. Insurrectionist Turner
39. “Mad Man” Don
42. Show set in Gilead
46. Arthur of “Hoop Dreams” (1994)
47. Agatha Harkness, to 30-Across, e.g.
48. “Major” animal
49. “The Price is Right” selection
50. It’s a wrap
51. Squeaked (out)
33. Cosmetician Lauder
35. Presses, folds and stretches
attractions. Fred Astaire, Gene Kelly, Peter Lawford, Liza Minnelli (who reflects on the MGM career of her mother, Judy Garland), Donald O’Connor, Debbie Reynolds, Mickey Rooney, James Stewart and Elizabeth Taylor follow as other hosts.
The march of time allows most of them to wax humorous about their earlier days on screen, with Stewart noting that he was no singer (evidence is offered), yet such vocalizing was among the requirements for many of the studio’s talents. Similarly, Clark Gable and Joan Crawford are seen attempting to dance their way through a couple of numbers.
Fans of such classics as “Meet Me in St. Louis,” “Seven Brides for Seven Brothers,” “Show Boat,” “High Society” and “Gigi” will find them all represented, but the closing segment is reserved for what’s generally acknowledged as a true masterpiece among MGM-musical segments: Gene Kelly’s energetic ballet with Leslie Caron from “An American in Paris.”
3. News show co-hosted by Juju Chang and Byron Pitts
4. Adulterate
5. Imitates a hot dog
6. Monopolize
7. Group of eight
8. Foreign currency
9. Actor Woodall of “One Day”
10. “Ripley” weapon
11. Like some humor
16. Nile snakes
17. Dog : paw :: horse : ___
Down
1. “Happy’s Place” star McEntire
2. “Gotcha, dude!”
22. Cartoon set in Colorado
23. Plane part
24. “One ___ Hill”
25. Peddle
26. Arabian Sea nation
31. Allergen from a pet
32. Brody of “Nobody Wants This”
33. Listening devices
34. Lincoln Memorial feature
36. A flat place?
37. Stranger
40. “If all ___ fails ...”
41. Made out
42. Tricked
43. In times past
44. Prefix with linguistics
45. Note
Solution on page 16
Gene Kelly and Leslie Caron in “An American in Paris”
What’s Available NOW On
“A Quiet Place: Day One” (Dec. 31)
After the events and revelations of “A Quiet Place” (2018) and “A Quiet Place: Part II” (2020) it is time to go back to ‘Day One’. Following Sam (Lupita Nyong’o) as she’s on a group trip in New York City, everything is going fine, until the invasion that sends the world into silence begins. Can the city stay quiet and can Sam and Eric (Joseph Quinn), an unlikely new friend, make it somewhere safe? But no matter what happens, don’t make a sound.
in focus
“The Traitors” - Season 3 (Peacock — Jan. 9, Season Premiere)
In this nail-biting psychological adventure, treachery and deceit are the name of the game. The entertainment industry’s most competitive reality stars and famous faces play the ultimate murder mystery game. Hosted by award-winning actor Alan Cumming at an ancient castle set deep in the Scottish Highlands, contestants work together on a series of exhilarating missions to build a prize fund worth up to $250,000. Hidden amongst the Faithful are the Traitors, whose goal is to eliminate the Faithful and claim the prize for themselves.
“The Rig” - Season 2 (Jan. 2)
The surviving crew of the Kinloch Bravo arrive at a new secret offshore facility called the Stac, nestled deep in the extraordinary and deadly landscapes of the Arctic Circle. Here, the trapped crew must deal with the emotional and physical fallout of the devastating tsunami that destroyed the Bravo, and contend with swirling conspiracies, corporate conflicts, and new threats from the dark depths of the world’s ocean. Iain Glen, Martin Compston and Emily Hampshire star.
“ChiefsAholic: A Wolf in Chiefs Clothing” (Available Now)
This true-crime documentary follows the harrowing story of Kansas City Chiefs superfan and serial bank robber Xaviar Babudar, famously known as “ChiefsAholic.”
Recognized for his distinctive wolf costume and boisterous social media antics, Babudar rose to fame as one of Kansas City’s most fervent fans. However, a secret life came to light when he was arrested in Bixby, Oklahoma, unraveling a series of unsolved bank robberies committed across the Midwest.
“Nip/Tuck” - Complete Series (Available Now)
In this dark comedy from the early 2000s, two plastic surgeons — one a dedicated family man and one an unscrupulous playboy — strive to maintain their business whilst having to work their way through numerous hardships, ranging from personal to clients with criminal connections. Dylan Walsh and Julian McMahon star.
Solution on page 16
Happy Holidays
The Gallatin Valley’s preferred funeral service provider for more than 100 years. “There is a difference.”
in Historic Downtown Bozeman
This just in @ Bozeman Library
BETH BOYSON
Library columnist
LIBRARY EVENT
The Homeless Persons’ Memorial Day takes place on the Longest Night of the Year, Dec. 21, at 5:15 p.m. on the Library’s front plaza.
The event is dedicated to remembering our neighbors who have died while homeless in the past year. It is presented in partnership with other agencies in the Gallatin Valley such as the generous sponsor, Dahl Funeral and Cremation Service, HRDC, the Yellowstone Threshold Singers and Reverend Roxanne Klingensmith, who will be presiding at this non-denominational event.
The Library hosts the event annually, with a candlelight vigil, messages of hope, and a moment of silence on the front lawn or, if weather conditions demand, inside the lobby of the library at 6 p.m. Please dress warmly as this is an outside event. Light refreshments will be provided thanks to the Bozeman Library Foundation. For more information, please visit www.bozemanlibrary. org or call 406-582-2400.
BOOKS FOR THE ADULTS IN
THE ROOM
When We Walk By: Forgotten Humanity, Broken Systems, and the Role We Can Each Play in Ending Homelessness in America by Kevin F. Adler and Donald W. Burnes, with Amanda Banh and Andrijana Bilbija. Nonfiction. Do we really have to shut down a piece of our own humanity to walk past another human being that is in such a difficult situation that they are on a street with nothing? This book says no. Readers and
reviewers say this book taught them so much.
Tehrangeles by Porochista Khakpour. Fiction. This satire takes aim at a lot of current pop topics. A family from Persia with money to burn in their Los Angeles mansion seeks out stardom in a reality show about their high function dysfunction. Lots of jokes about money, family, clothes, trips, and the Covid lockdown. Too soon? It just might be. Don’t say I didn’t warn you!
Billionaire, Nerd, Savior, King: Bill Gates Quest to Shape Our World by Anupreeta Das. Biography. The finance editor of The New York Times wrote this book and readers will learn two things: 1. Bill Gates had an interesting early life: 2. The author
really, really hates billionaires such as Warren Buffet, Jeffrey Epstein, and the rest of the uberrichies who have come to shape the economy, politics and philanthropy, such as Jeff Bezos, Elon Musk and Mark Zuckerberg.
BOOKS FOR THE KIDDOS
The Everybody Experiment by Lisa More Ramee. Juvenile Fiction. As Kylie tries to enjoy the summer between elementary school and middle school, she undertakes an experiment. She’ll do what ‘everybody’ does. No more being treated like a baby, just acceptance, from friends. Every experiment has an outcome and Kylie wonders if you can fail and succeed at the same time.
What’s Available NOW On
“Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl” (Jan. 3)
“Selling the City” - Season 1 (Jan. 3)
“Michelle Buteau: A Buteau-ful Mind” (Dec. 31)
The first female comic to record a special at the iconic Radio City Music Hall, Michelle Buteau returns for her second Netflix comedy special. Celebrate the New Year right as Buteau reflects on motherhood, marriage, and more.
“Cunk on Life” (Jan. 2)
Philomena Cunk (Diane Morgan) delves into life’s profound questions, examining subjects from the big bang to AI. She meets academics and creatives to discuss these quandaries, all with her trademark misguided observations.
Directors Nick Park and Merlin Crossingham return with a brand new epic adventure. Gromit’s concern that Wallace is becoming too dependent on his inventions proves justified, when Wallace invents a “smart” gnome that seems to develop a mind of its own. When it emerges that a vengeful figure from the past might be masterminding things, it falls to Gromit to battle sinister forces and save his master… or Wallace may never be able to invent again!
From the creators of “Selling Sunset” and “Selling The OC” comes this new series, following a dynamic group of no-nonsense, kickass agents at Douglas Elliman as they navigate the cutthroat world of luxury real estate in New York City. From intense competition to the fast-paced careers and personal dramas of these agents, the series promises to deliver all the excitement against the stunning backdrop of the city’s real estate landscape.
The Dictionary Story by Oliver Jeffers and Sam Winston. Early Reader. If you want to geek out, be inside a dictionary (remember those?) and enjoy a clever play on woods, this gets all the checkmarks. The illustrations, such as a Zebra, ‘jump’ out of the pages as part of the darling story. An Early reader will peruse this book for a good, long time because there is a lot to absorb.
Pigs Dig a Road by Carrie Finison and Brian Biggs. Picture Book. Using rhyming text, readers learn all about digging, excavating, the grader, the paver, and all other parts of construction from a crew of three not so little pigs. Finally, a book to explain road construction such as what happens in Bozeman seemingly ad infinitum. Cute pics, lots of action and bonus safety instructions.
Space and Everywhere in Between written by Nora Nickum; illustrated by Robert Meganck. Juvenile Nonfiction. Have a little fun with science and starting a conversation about it with these great pictures and examples of all the holes out there. You wouldn’t want to leave any ‘holes’ in your education, would you?
a Dead Mom graphic memoir by Tyler Feder. Young Adult Graphic Novel. The author was a college freshman when her mother was diagnosed with latestage terminal cancer. It’s been a long decade of grief and nervous laughter since then and the story of that gut-wrenching, heart-pounding, extremely awkward time is here in ‘graphic’ form.
Beth Boyson is a Programming Librarian and Cataloger at Bozeman Public Library. She can be reached through the Library website at www.bozemanlibrary.org. Library/from 7
This Book is Full of Holes: from Underground to Outer
FOR THE TEENS AND TWEENS
Dancing at the Pity Party:
When the World Tips Over by Jandy Nelson. Young Adult Fiction. This v-e-r-y popular young
adult author of ‘I’ll Give You the Sun’ and ‘The Sky is Everywhere’ has created a few different families with teenage kids. They are trying to love everything while hating everything and find their identity and do art and enjoy romance. It’s a moving, entertaining story told in 500 pages.
trivia crossword
The solution to the question is found within the answers in the puzzle. In order to discover this hidden solution, unscramble the letters noted with asterisks within the puzzle.
Across
1. Flue residue
4. Awfully long time
8. Sermon subject
11. Hog haven
12. Quitting time, for some 13. “Yuck!”
14. Like ghosts and guardian angels
17. It sometimes needs a massage
18. Chloe Fineman’s show
19. Evil “Star Trek” juggernaut, with “the”
21. Information unit
24. “___, that makes sense!”
25. Upon
26. Grunt, for short
27. Product-promoting thing
28. Scattered
30. Do-it-yourself packages
32. Big bird
34. Bow wood
BY CAROLINE
Wake Me Up: The life and music of DJ Avicii explored in new documentary
Released alongside the artist’s last show — from Ibiza’s Ushuai — the feature-length documentary “Avicii — I’m Tim” from director Henrik Burman (“Yung Lean: In My Head,” 2020) premieres Tuesday, Dec. 31, on Netflix.
narrator and he shares his inner self in a way we haven’t heard before. Through himself and everyone close to him — family, artist colleagues and best friends — we get to know Tim — the boy behind Avicii — for the first time.”
35. The state of being a fraud
41. Short flight
42. Wax-coated cheese
43. Music collectibles
44. The “I” in “TGIF”.
45. “What are the ___?”
46. Fall behind
Down
1. Jerk
2. Barnes of the Dallas Stars
3. Keyed up
4. 60’s hairdo
5. Tonic’s partner
6. One of the Gabors
7. Solidifies
8. Bad-tempered
9. Red-and-white supermarket logo
10. Predators’ org.
15. One who might help you get pregnant
16. Complete 19. Catches
20. The Buckeye State
22. Precisely
23. Quashes
29. Finishes
31. Volunteer’s words
33. Disney goldfish
34. Thanksgiving dishes
35. Vital force of Chinese medicine
36. Steamy
37. Word on a dipstick
38. Wee bit
39. Vacation location
40. Flavor enhancer found naturally in tomatoes
“This is the unlikely story of Tim Bergling, a shy and insecure boy who, without realizing it, suddenly created one of the world’s most loved artists — Avicii,” says Netflix, in its promotion of the film. “Through unique home movies and a huge private archive, we get to follow Tim on a winding journey through life — from the very first breath at the maternity ward in Stockholm in 1989 to the tragic end in Oman in 2018. This is a film where Tim himself is the
Credited as one of the DJs who ushered the still-booming electronic music genre into the mainstream and on to Top 40 radio stations in the early 2010s, Avicii began his career at only 16 years old, when he began posting his own remixes on electronic music forums and landed his first record deal. In 2011, the artist released his first single, “Levels” — nominated for a Grammy — and later, in 2013, Avicii grew in popularity with the
release of his debut studio album, “True,” which made Top 10 lists in more than 15 countries, dominating international charts. From this first album comes the artist’s hit song, “Wake Me Up,” which steadily sat at No. 4 in the United States. Also in 2013, Avicii released a song alongside David Guetta, “Sunshine,” which landed the DJ his second of two Grammy nominations. After a long stint of touring his material worldwide, Avicii made the difficult decision to retire from the international stage in 2016, stating several years of extreme stress and poor mental health as the cause. Only two years later, the artist died by suicide while on vacation in Muscat, Oman. His third and final album, “Tim,” was released posthumously in 2019, featuring songs such as “Peace Of Mind,” “Hold The Line,” “Bad Reputation” and “Heaven.”
Produced by Bjorn Tjarnberg (“The Old Man and the Sea: The Expedition,” 2012), “Avicii — I’m Tim” explores the life, career and music of the late artist when it arrives Tuesday, Dec. 31, on Netflix.
Avicii is featured in “Avicii – I’m Tim”
What’s Available NOW On
“Destruction Decoded”Season 2 (Available Now)
This unscripted series explores transformative, earth-shattering events with a mix of carefully selected archives, cutting-edge CGI, and thorough research. It ranks and analyzes these catastrophic incidents to create an engaging, immersive experience. Each episode reveals the causes and tragic stories behind these unforgettable disasters, offering a deeper understanding of their impact.
celebrityfacts
“Bluey Minisodes” -
New Episodes (Available Now)
Bringing more tail-wagging fun and heartwarming stories to families, a new slate of “Bluey Minisodes” are now streaming on Disney+. Further exploring the beloved world of “Bluey,” the smash-hit Australian children’s series about the adventures of blue heeler pup Bluey and her family, these new shorts, running one to three minutes each, highlight funny and sweet moments featuring Bluey and Bingo, leaning into playful interactions and games.
“Mickey Mouse Funhouse” - Season 3, New episodes (Available Now)
This whimsical animated series introduces preschoolers’ first pal, Mickey Mouse (voiced by Bret Iwan), and his friends — Minnie (Kaitlyn Robrock), Goofy (Bill Farmer), Donald (Tony Anselmo), Daisy (Tress MacNeille) and Pluto (Farmer) — to Funny (Harvey Guillén), an enchanted talking playhouse, who takes the Sensational Six on adventures of all types to unique worlds that inspire the imagination.
“Flora & Ulysses” (Available Now) When Flora (Matilda Lawler) rescues a squirrel she names Ulysses (voiced by John Kassir), she is amazed to discover he possesses unique superhero powers, which take them on an adventure of humorous complications that ultimately change Flora’s life and her outlook forever.
Brittany Underwood, seen recently in “A Royal Christmas Ballet” on Great American Family: After acting in many cable movies, she became the director of one for the first time with 2021’s “Sweet Navidad” — and she recently finished directing her 11th one.
Alicia Keys, seen recently in “Grammy Greats: The Stories Behind the Songs” on CBS and Paramount+: Since making her movie debut in “Smokin’ Aces” (2007), she also has acted in the films “The Nanny Diaries” (2007) and “The Secret Life of Bees” (2008).
Dolly Parton, seen recently in “Dolly Parton’s Mountain Magic Christmas” on NBC:
Her character in the 1980 movie “9 to 5,” Doralee Rhodes, was played by her sister Rachel Dennison in a later series version that aired on ABC and in syndication.
ce l e b rity q&a
New Year’s Eve scenes in film
Meg Ryan and Billy Crystal in “When Harry Met Sally”
Questions:
1) Which song is playing when Harry (Billy Crystal) finally declares his love to Sally (Meg Ryan) in “When Harry Met Sally” (1989)?
2) Who does Michael Corleone (Al Pacino) ominously kiss at the end-of-year party in “The Godfather II” (1976)?
3) “Bridget Jones’ Diary” (2001) opens on New Year’s Day — what is the image on Mark Darcy’s (Colin Firth) Christmas sweater?
4) Which ‘90s movie features this line: “I’ve had a really lousy Christmas. You’ve just managed to kill my New Year’s. If you come back at Easter, you can burn down my apartment.”
5) Who is Fred Astaire’s partner for the “drunk” dance in “Holiday Inn” (1942)?
6) In “Forrest Gump” (1994), what year appears on the Times Square Ball Drop as Forrest Gump (Tom Hanks) and Lieutenant Dan (Gary Sinise) ring in the new year?
7) In “The Apartment” (1960), what does Fran (Shirley MacLaine) say to Baxter (Jack Lemmon) after he declares his love for her?
8) Which comedy reaches its climax on New Year’s Eve and features a walking, slime-soaked Statue of Liberty?
“Ghostbusters II” (1989)
“Shut up and deal.”
Marjorie Reynolds
“While You Were Sleeping” (1995)
Solution on page 16
Richard Gere
OF
Q: Is “The Agency” the first TV series Richard Gere has done?
A: As far as U.S. audiences are concerned, that Paramount+ with Showtime espionage saga is the actor’s first show as a continuing cast member, but he actually did an earlier series overseas. “MotherFatherSon” was a 2019 British drama about a family caught up in dynamics of power and politics, with Gere as the clan’s patriarch, a newspaper owner. His ex-wife was played by the late Helen McCrory (“Peaky Blinders,” “Skyfall”), who was married in real life to actor Damian Lewis (“Homeland,” “Billions”). Though the bulk of Gere’s career has been focused on theatrical movies, he did some TV work in his early professional years. He had one of the lead roles in “Strike Force,” a 1975 NBC project that had a story connected to events dramatized in the Oscar-winning 1971 film “The French Connection.” In fact, Sonny Grosso, one of the New York police detectives involved in that true narcotics case, co-wrote “Strike Force.”
Gere also had a guest role in a 1976 episode of Telly Savalas’s CBS police drama “Kojak,” and he spent quite a few years away from TV cementing his movie fame in features including “Looking for Mr. Goodbar” (1977), “American Gigolo” (1980), “An Officer and a Gentleman” (1982) and “Pretty Woman” (1990). However, he did return to the home screen in 1993 with a role in the HBO film “And the Band Played On,” and he voiced his animated likeness in a 2001 episode of Fox’s “The Simpsons.” He also appeared on Martha Stewart’s HGTV show “Martha Knows Best” in 2020.
celebrity q&a
THE AGENCY ON PARAMOUNT+ WITH SHOWTIME BY
ADAM THOMLISON
Jenny Slate
OF MARCEL THE SHELL WITH SHOES ON ON A24
Q: What’s Jenny Slate doing now? It seemed like she was everywhere in the early 2010s, but not so much now.
A: It might surprise you to hear that Jenny Slate (“Marcel the Shell With Shoes On,” 2021) is busier now than ever. It’s just that she’s not necessarily where you expect her to be.
She started as a stand-up and sketch comedian — she did a season of “Saturday Night Live” in 2009-10 and appeared in a recurring series of sketches on “Late Night With Jimmy Fallon” in 2009.
But these days, you’re more likely to find her in a film festival theater than a comedy club basement.
In the 2010s, she co-created and voiced the title character in a series of short films called “Marcel the Shell With Shoes On,” with the first one debuting at the Sundance Film Festival. The character got a feature film in 2021 that was nominated for an Oscar.
Then, in 2022, Slate was part of the ensemble cast of the multi-award-winning smashhit “Everything Everywhere All at Once.” And she had a role earlier this year in the Colleen Hoover film adaptation “It Ends With Us.”
She still keeps a hand in comedy — or at least a vocal chord. These days most of her comedic work is voice acting. She’s a regular on hit series such as “Bob’s Burgers,” “The Great North” and “Big Mouth,” and she also voiced Gidget in the high-grossing Secret Life of Pets movies (the original in 2016, the sequel in 2019, and the 2019 direct-to-video spinoff, “Super Gidget,” devoted to her character).
BY JAY BOBBIN
Sean Connery stars in “Goldfinger”
‘Goldfinger’ is one of James Bond’s best
Over the course of six decades, James Bond has had a lot of screen adventures, but one of the earliest remains one of the best. Included by MGM+ in a New Year’s Eve marathon of several of the pictures Tuesday, Dec. 31, “Goldfinger” is the movie that cemented the series’ formula for many viewers and critics. While telling a solid spy story (taken from Ian Fleming’s novel), it added comfortable amounts of gadgetry and so-called “Bond girls” that were essential parts of the concept from then on.
Sean Connery is completely in his stride as Agent 007 in the 1964 caper, as the character helps get the goods on wealthy villain Auric Goldfinger (Gert Frobe) when the latter cheats in a Miami card game. The aftermath, which famously doesn’t bode well for Goldfinger’s assistant (Shirley Eaton), makes Bond even more eager to see justice done ... and the agent uses a golf match back in England to engage the enemy, who introduces his silent and deadly henchman Oddjob (Harold Sakata). Honor Blackman and Tania Mallet also star.
Puzzle Solutions
more retro rewinds
“The Mary Tyler Moore Show” (Catchy Comedy, Sunday, Dec. 29): One of TV’s most beloved sitcoms is showcased in the last day of the channel’s final weekend “Binge” of 2024. The smartly written saga of Mary Richards, a local-TV-news producer negotiating her social life as well as her career, also had a major benefit in what Mary Tyler Moore — whose company produced the series — understandably called “the best ensemble cast,” including Edward Asner, Valerie Harper, Cloris Leachman, Gavin MacLeod, Ted Knight and Georgia Engel. Catchy Comedy also presents repeats of the show weekdays.
“Frozen” (ABC, Sunday, Dec. 29): This animated, Oscar-winning 2013 Disney feature was a giant success and also a social phenomenon, since its song “Let It Go” was heard just about everywhere for a while. Kristen Bell voices Anna, a princess who’s estranged from her magically gifted sister Elsa (voice of Idina Menzel) in their youth, but they reunite in young adulthood to try to save their iced-over homeland. Josh Gad voices the popular snowman character Olaf; the 2019 sequel “Frozen II” follows immediately.
“Law & Order: Special Victims Unit” (USA Network, Tuesday, Dec. 31): Though it continues to run new episodes Thursdays on NBC, this Dick Wolf-produced crime drama is classic as well as current, since it’s been on the air since 1999. A New Year’s Eve “Ringing in Justice” marathon of episodes serves as a testament to the quality the New York-based crime drama has maintained throughout its run, keyed in no small part to the work of Mariska Hargitay as division detective and eventual captain Olivia Benson. Ice-T has been a co-star for virtually the entirety of the show’s run. (Marathons of the series also are shown Saturdays on ION Television.)
Hugh Jackman celebrity update OF
THE GREATEST SHOWMAN ON 20TH CENTURY STUDIOS
Q: What’s Hugh Jackman’s next project? It seems like he’s done with the Wolverine character.
A: Hugh Jackman (“Les Misérables,” 2012) has been a reluctant action star, always seeming more eager to be a song-and-dance man. So, it’s not surprising that, after starring in the action hit “Deadpool & Wolverine” in 2024, he’s snapping back to musical theater in a big way. He’s doing a monthly concert series throughout 2025 at Radio City Musical Hall in New York City. He’ll be performing songs from some of the musicals he’s done in the past, including “The Greatest Showman” (which he made into a film in 2017) and “The Music Man.” But, at the same time, he’s also booked two new film roles.He’llstarinthefunandfluffycomedy “ThreeBags
BY ADAM THOMLISON
Full: A Sheep Detective Movie” and “Song Sung Blue,” a biographical story of two struggling musicians who form a Neil Diamond tribute band.
“Three Bags Full” isn’t scheduled for release until February 2026, while “Song Sung Blue” just started filming in October, so it likely won’t see the screen for a while yet, either.
As for his relationship with his super alter-ego, it seemed like Jackman was done playing Wolverine years ago, but there he was earlier this year growling through another turn in the role (and making an absolute boatload of money in the process — the film grossed $1.3 billion on a $200-million budget). So whether he has actually hung up the claws for good is hard to say for sure.
BY ROBERTO JOZEF
Ottawa Charge visit New York Sirens in first regular season meeting
The 2024-25 PWHL regular season continues as the Ottawa Charge head to the Garden State Sunday, Dec. 29, to take on the New York Sirens at Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey, with the puck drop broadcast live on YouTube.
The Ottawa Charge narrowly missed the playoff in the final game of the PWHL’s inaugural 2023-24 regular season, despite outscoring every team but one. And, in a city hungry to support a winning team, making the playoffs has been the main focus for the Charge this season.
A key piece to the Charge’s strong offense has been Oakville, Ontario, native and team captain Brianne Jenner, who had a strong showing in her first season when she tallied 20 points (nine goals, 11 assists) in 24 games, making her the team’s leading scorer.
Speaking with reporters during training camp, Jenner spoke of some of the new expectations heading into their second season.
“For us here in Ottawa, I think what happened in Year 1 was really exciting, and the fan base that we built here in Ottawa was unbelievable,” Jenner said. “But I think we’re coming in feeling pretty motivated. We have a group that we really believe can achieve great things, great people in our staff, great people in our dressing room. So I think we’re coming in knowing we have a bit of unfinished business and just really excited to get to work.”
The New York Sirens, similar to the Charge, are looking to improve on their inaugural season after coming last in the league, finishing with a 9-12-3 record. However, star forward Alex Carpenter is coming off a season in which she put up 23 points (eight goals, 15 assists), something that will need to be on full display in their matchup against the Charge’s strong offensive line.
Full name: Brianne Alexandra Jenner
Birthdate: May 4, 1991 (33)
Birthplace: Oakville, Ontario, Canada
Height/weight: 5-7/157 pounds
Team(s): Ottawa Charge (2023-present), Team Sonnet (2022-2023), Toronto (2022-2021), GTA East (2021-2020), Calgary Inferno (20192015)
TOWN & COUNTRY FOODS: FIGGY PUDDING
A warm traditional holiday dessert in Europe. Serve with eggnog and the holiday cheer is sure to follow.
Ingredients:
1 cup chopped dried figs
1 cup chopped pitted dates
2 cups water
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup butter softened
1 cup dark brown sugar
2 eggs
2 tablespoons rum extract
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 cup butter for the sauce
1 cup dark brown sugar for the sauce
Directions:
Combine the water and dried fruits in a small saucepan and bring to a boil for 5 minutes. Remove from heat and add the baking soda carefully. This will froth the mixture. Set aside to cool for 20-25 mins. After cooling, put in a blender until the mixture is a paste. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Cream the butter and brown sugar together. Add the eggs and rum extract and beat until smooth. Add the cooled dried fruit mixture and stir until evenly combined.
Sift flour, cinnamon, and baking powder in a separate bowl. Fold the flour mixture into the butter mixture until well combined. Do not over-mix.
Grease a large bunt pan with butter or cooking spray. Fill the pan with batter until about 2/3 full. Place the bunt pan in a 9x13 pan and fill halfway with water.
Bake for 20-25 mins. The pudding is done when a skewer inserted does not have batter but is moist and crumbly.
Mix 1/2 C. of butter and 1 C. of brown sugar together over medium-high heat.
Boil 2-3 mins. until slightly thickened.
Unmold the figgy pudding by placing a plate under the top of the bundt pan. Softly tap the bottom for pudding to un-mold out of the bundt pan and onto the plate.
Pour the sauce on top of the pudding. Serve warm with vanilla ice cream.
“I just got to bury myself down in their research room and pick their brains,” MacIntyre said, calling out historian Rachel Phillips at the Gallatin History Museum.
Looking back to 1955, Phillips notes that Bridger Bowl’s first lift began operation and bids were submitted for the new Bozeman High School, which would be completed in 1957.
“Undoubtedly, 1955 was a year of growth and change in the Gallatin Valley,” Phillips wrote in the program notes. “Bozeman’s population was over 12,000 and according to one estimate, one hundred new homes were built that year.”
In the director’s chair is Joel Jahnke, the longtime director of Montana Shakespeare in the Parks who retired in 2013. After a hiatus from stage, Jahnke had been in talks to direct a 2025 production for the company. The conversation shifted, however, after MacIntyre and Petersen were unable to take on directing duties as planned.
“We’re going to go to the show tomorrow,” MacIntyre said. “We’re going to be twitching in our seats, you know, but I hear everything is going really well and I’m kind of excited to see what somebody else does with the script.”
Jahnke seems to not have missed a beat, shaping the production into a joyful holiday offering.
“I have been blessed by a wonderful company; many new to me, many old
friends, several who I have known and worked together before but in different situations,” Jahnke wrote in the program notes. “All have merged their talents, hard work and creative energies to create something much larger and more spectacular than anyone could have imagined. As such, this was the nicest Christmas gift I could have wished for.”
He reiterated the sentiment after Monday evening’s run-through, right before the cast and crew presented him with a birthday cake.
“It’s been a blast,” Jahnke said. In “A Montana Radio Holiday 1955,” Kathy Jahnke and Keith Krutchkoff act as masters of ceremonies between period Christmas songs, stories of Montana Christmas’ past, recipes by a hilarious chef (played by Kari Doll) from Belgrade, “not Serbia,” and call outs to local businesses like Heebs, Owenhouse Hardware, which was already celebrating 75 years in operation in 1955, and Cashman Nursery, which was established in Gallatin Valley in 1926, and provided Christmas trees and poinsettias for the production.
Each segment brings to life the stories of holidays past, which seems to be exactly the point.
“I can’t think of anyone who doesn’t have a Christmas story and a tradition,” MacIntyre said. “Even what we’re celebrating is a story, you know — the story of the Magi — and there are lots of stories. So really, we get together at this time of year and we remember those stories.”
PHOTO BY RACHEL HERGETT, FOR THE CHRONICLE
The cast rehearses “A Montana Radio Holiday 1955” at Reynolds Recital Hall. The Small Batch Arts production runs from Dec. 18 to 23.
Solution on page 16
in focus
“American Primeval” (Netflix — Jan. 9, Limited Series Premiere) America, 1857. Peace is the shrinking minority and very few possess grace — even fewer know compassion. There is no safe haven in these brutal lands, and only one goal matters: survival. A fictionalized dramatization of the birth of the American West, this six-episode series stars Taylor Kitsch, Betty Gilpin, Dane DeHaan, Saura Lightfoot-Leon, Derek Hinkey, Joe Tippett, Jai Courtney, Preston Mota, Shawnee Pourier and Shea Whigham.
celebrityscoop
BY JAY BOBBIN
Checking in with
STEVE MARTIN
Steve Martin has conquered just about every aspect of show business, and the streaming world has given him his latest success. Hulu’s “Only Murders in the Building” has proven to be a hit for him — as well as fellow stars Martin Short (“Schmigadoon!”) and Selena Gomez (“Emilia Pérez,” 2024) — and the comedy-mystery series also fared well when its first season aired on ABC last winter. That has inspired the broadcast network to give Season 2 a run, too, starting Thursday, Jan. 2. To date, Martin has six Primetime Emmy nominations for the show: three as a producer, two as an actor and one as a writer. More could be coming, since Hulu has renewed the program for a fifth season.
sportsquiz
BY ALEX HENDRY
2024 College Football Season
Questions: Answers:
1) College football history will be made as the newly expanded format to the College Football Playoffs makes its debut this season. Previously four, how many teams are now selected for the playoff bracket?
2) The highs and lows of college football... which program went 13-1 in 2023, just missing out on the playoffs, but went 2-10 in 2024?
3) For the first time sine 1960, what two rival football programs were both ranked in the AP poll at the same time?
4) After leading his team to a perfect 12-0 regular season, which quarterback was named the Big Ten Offensive Player of the Year?
5) Only two South Carolina Gamecocks coaches have won nine games or more in the past 40 seasons. Steve Spurrier was the first, but who reached the mark in 2024?
6) Faster than the Flash, who was the nation’s leading rusher with 2,288 rushing yards?
7) An upset for the ages! Which school achieved its first win over a top-ranked team by defeating Alabama 40-35 on Oct. 5, 2024?
8) The longest game in SEC history took place on Nov. 29, 2024 — needing eight overtime periods. Which school won at home 44-42 against their inner-state rivals?
9) The SEC Conference gained two new members this season when which two schools departed the Big 12?
10) Supporting the home team! What Miami-based rapper purchased the naming rights to the FIU Panthers home stadium in August 2024?
In Season 2, New York apartment building tenants and true crime podcast makers Charles, Oliver and Mabel (played by Martin, Short and Gomez) find themselves the subjects of another person’s (Tina Fey, “30 Rock”) podcast after their amateur probe of an apparent homicide puts them on the police’s radar. Amy Ryan (“The Wire”), Michael Cyril Creighton (“American Fiction,” 2023), Da’Vine Joy Randolph (“The Holdovers,” 2023) and Nathan Lane (“The Gilded Age”) are also among the season’s cast members, with Paul Rudd (“Ant-Man,” 2015), Jane Lynch (“Glee”) and entertainment veteran Shirley MacLaine (“Terms of Endearment,” 1983) also turning up.
“Only Murders in the Building” has been one of Martin’s biggest home-screen commitments, though his TV work dates back more than 50 years to his time as a writer and featured player for both “The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour” and “The Sonny & Cher Comedy Hour” on CBS. He has also had the second-most hosting stints — with 15, topped only by Alec Baldwin’s 17 — on NBC’s “Saturday Night Live.” Martin and Baldwin shared hosting duties on ABC’s Oscar telecast in 2010 after Martin had done that job solo in 2001 and 2003.
And, we’d be remiss to overlook his accomplishments as a musician, both solo and with the bluegrass band Steep Canyon Rangers. An accomplished banjo player, Martin’s musical talents have earned him five Grammy awards, for everything from comedy to country and bluegrass.
Also with guest-star credits on series ranging from “The Muppet Show” to “30 Rock,” Martin was actually relatively sparse with TV work before his current show, though the size of his personality and effect might make it seem that he contributed to the
medium more often. “Only Murders in the Building” has done much to help make up for that, and it’s about to do so again as it crosses networks once more.
Birthdate: Aug. 14, 1945
Birthplace: Waco, Texas
Current residences: Los Angeles and New York
Marital status: Married; he has a daughter
Other television credits include: “Saturday Night Live,” “30 Rock,” “The Simpsons,” “The Tracey Ullman Show,” “Steve Martin: A Wild and Crazy Guy,” “Steve Martin: Comedy Is Not Pretty,” “The Carol Burnett Show,” “The Muppet Show,” “The Midnight Special,” “The Sonny & Cher Comedy Hour,” “The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour”
Movie credits include: “Billy Lynn’s Long Halftime Walk,” “Love the Coopers,” “The Big Year,” “It’s Complicated,” “The Pink Panther,” “The Pink Panther 2,” “Baby Mama,” “Cheaper by the Dozen,” “Cheaper by the Dozen 2,” “Shopgirl,” “Looney Tunes: Back in Action,” “Bringing Down the House,” Joyful Noise,” “Novocaine,” “Bowfinger,” “The Out-of-Towners,” “The Prince of Egypt,” “The Spanish Prisoner,” “Sgt. Bilko,” “Father of the Bride,” “Father of the Bride II,” “Mixed Nuts,” “A Simple Twist of Fate,” “Leap of Faith,” “Housesitter,” “Grand Canyon,” “L.A. Story,” “My Blue Heaven,” “Parenthood,” “Dirty Rotten Scoundrels,” “Planes, Trains and Automobiles,” “Roxanne,” “Little Shop of Horrors,” “Three Amigos!,” “All of Me,” “The Lonely Guy,” “The Man With Two Brains,” “Dead Men Don’t Wear Plaid,” “Pennies From Heaven,” “The Jerk,” “The Muppet Movie,” “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band”
Army and Navy
Dillon Gabriel (Oregon)
Shane Beamer
Ashton Jeanty
State)
Vanderbilt
Georgia
Oklahoma and Texas
Pitbull