Screen Time

‘See actors without their makeup’ and other clickbait

Jim Keogh

Special to Worcester Magazine USA TODAY NETWORK

I had every good intention of writing about “Nomadland” when I went on the movie’s IMDB page.

“Nomadland” is a gritty account of a woman’s odyssey-by-van across the West, powered by yet another Oscarworthy performance by Frances McDormand — a timely, observational piece about the challenges faced by those on the fringes who pursue spiritual joy while wrestling with physical deprivation.

But it would have to wait. While on the “Nomadland” IMDB page, I was confronted with this headline hovering off to the side “Celebrities Who are Completely Unrecognizable Without Makeup.”

I mean, come on. We’re talking about celebrities without makeup here. I wanted, no, I needed to get a look at the unadorned face of Katy Perry and ... MY GOD! NO! HOW IS THIS POSSIBLE? DO WE NOT LIVE IN AN ADVANCED SOCIETY?!

I kid, of course. Katy is fine, and my actual reaction was not all-caps, allaghast. In fact, I was oddly comforted to see that stars have zits, sags, bags and splotches, or that Gwyneth Paltrow can look more like a tired soccer mom and less like the Goop Queen when her guard is down.

Of course, the “no makeup” link took me to a clickbait aggregate page, whose headlines developed clear patterns. We were assured we would “never believe” how a former child star (always female) had grown up to become “an utter bombshell,” “drop-dead gorgeous,” or “an absolute stunner.” I was intrigued by this one, “You Probably Won’t Recognize the Cast of Bring It On Today,” so I clicked, as was my duty, and discovered every cast member of “Bring It On” looks exactly as they did in 2000, except, um, older.

And there was always a “good reason” why we should know a certain piece of information. “There’s a Good Reason You Recognize Tory from Cobra Kai” read one. (The good reason? Peyton List, who plays Tory, has been acting since the age of 4.) Another headline promised to reveal the answer to one of the great mysteries of our time, “The Real Reason Why Vanessa From Deadpool Looks So Familiar.” (The real reason? Morena Baccarin, who plays Vanessa, has performed in high-profile TV shows and movies for 20 years.)

I’ve ascribed many things to COVID fatigue, including my frayed attention span, which regularly sends me into gopher holes of nothingness. The pandemic is a convenient patsy, but is it prompting me to act in uncharacteristic ways or just confirming all my worst instincts? Maybe I am naturally susceptible to clickbait come-ons of staggeringly little importance to the general conduct of my life, COVID or no COVID. Is there a vaccine for that?

As I noted, clickbait sites are especially fascinated with the maturation process of former child stars, particularly female actors who evolve into “stunners” (these pages are also eager to alert us to actors who have not aged well, often employing the adjective “tragic”).

The aggregation page I was on included an item about Mara Wilson, who for a time was the child actress in movies like “Mrs. Doubtfire,” “Matilda,” “A Simple Wish” and the remake of “Miracle on 34th Street.”

Forgo the clickbait and read Wilson’s op-ed in last week’s New York Times, in which she recounts what it’s like to be sexualized at a young age and laments the unreasonable expectations of a child to behave as an adult in a competitive and grueling profession. She urges young performers to take control of their own narrative before they lose control of it a la Britney Spears. Wilson apparently has done so in remarkable fashion.

Does anyone really need to know what Gwyneth Paltrow looks like without her makeup? STUDS

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sense of diction and phrasing that’s truly remarkable, and that’s what’s on display here. It doesn’t hurt that the band is red hot, too.

Things kick off with the Gershwin standard, “Summertime,” which Penn and the band approach joyfully. There’s a nice swing to the song, one which makes fine use of Paul Courchaine’s guitar and Russ Gershon’s saxophone. Indeed, as the song winds on, there’s a slight shift in tone, about the time Penn hits the lyrics “I’m a long way from home” and Joe Potenza’s bass and Zeke Martin’s drums come to the form. “You will wander and live in many houses,” sings Penn. If this passage seems disorienting, it’s because Penn has introduced lines from Crowley’s novel, as well as W.B. Yeats’ poem, “The Stolen Child.” A song that is instantly familiar – seriously, half of everyone has covered “Summertime” – is transformed into something else entirely. It’s dizzying, and arresting, and when you follow it by a soulful and moody rendition of the Monkees’ “Door Into Summer,” it’s clear that your knowledge or what these songs are is merely fairy gloss.

The first part of the album is haunted by a sort of wanderlust, of yearning for something out of reach, including a breezy rendition of Cole Porter’s “Get Out of Town,” and a plaintive, lovely version of Bob Marley’s “Waiting in Vain,” a reggae tune reimagined as jazz, to great effect. Lines from Crowley’s novel appear again, and then are subsumed into the current of music. It’s all hammered home by a rendition of the relatively lesser-known song by Rupa Marya, “Metamorphosis.” “All the things I’ve lost along the way,” refrains Penn, until finally resolving the verse with the words, “Oh, were never meant to stay, no.” Everything is change, the fact of which the album’s persona seems acutely aware. Even expressions of joy seem fraught with impending doom, as made evident in the band’s rendition of Antonio Carlos Jobim’s “Double Rainbow.”

Things really come to a head on the album with a nuanced and beautiful take on Joni Mitchell’s “All I Want,” which returns the listener to the sense of yearning evident at the album’s start, except now it is in movement. “I am on a lonely road,” sings Penn, “and I am traveling, traveling, traveling, traveling/Looking for something, what can it be.” Mitchell’s phrasing is distinctive, and Penn manages to capture the feel of the original while making it her own. Really, that light hand with deciding how reverently to interpret each song is a strength, one definitely evident in the band’s rendition of Leonard Cohen’s “There Is A War” and of Tom Waits’ “No One Knows I’m Gone.” On their own, these are both interesting and powerful spins on extremely distinctive songs, but here, they reflect both the persona’s sense of conflict and loneliness. The past is just a distant memory, and love fleeting, already gone. We have a snatch of Bible verse, then: Job 1:16, “ I only am escaped alone to tell thee,” and a kernel of a poem by John Dryden, “Only the brave deserve the fair.”

It’s enough to make one’s head spin, if it didn’t all feel as natural as the saxophone gliding effortlessly from verse to verse. There is almost an inexplicable sense of inevitability when we land on Anaïs Mitchell musical take on the myth of Orpheus, “Hadestown,” notably the song “Wait For Me,” wherein Orpheus resolves to follow Eurydice into Hades, to either rescue her or join her in death.

The album reaches its conclusion with a fascinating triptych, with a musical adaptation of Yeats’ poem, “The Song of Wandering Aengus,” and then a triumphant take on Bowie’s classic, “Heroes,” a song about snatching moments of beauty and joy from the dust of the ordinary. In some ways, that’s what Penn and company do throughout this album: gather scraps of prose – some unfamiliar, others overly familiar – and refashion them into something indelibly new and beautiful.

The album ends with a musical take on the poem, “The House by the Side of the Road,” by Sam Walter Foss. “Let me live in my house by the side of the road,” sings Penn, in a voice glowing with joy, “And be a friend to man.” In some ways, it feels like we’ve come full circle, and yet, it also feels like everything has changed. It’s a remarkable narrative, and weaving it is a daunting task, but from beginning to end, Penn and her Army of Snakes never falter.

Things really come to a head on the album with a nuanced and beautiful take on Joni Mitchell’s “All I Want,” which returns the listener to the sense of yearning evident at the album’s start, except now it is in movement.

TABLE HOPPIN’

Brown Rice Thai Cuisine owner opening a second site

Barbara M. Houle

Special to Worcester Magazine USA TODAY NETWORK

Restaurant maven Achara Weydt currently owns four Thai eateries and plans to expand her West Boylston restaurant Brown Rice Thai Cuisine, opening “Brown Rice 2” at the Wachusett Plaza in West Boylston sometime in May.

Weydt said Brown Rice 2 will focus on full-service dining and take-out with expanded menu, while Brown Rice at 26 West Boylston St. will remain open for delivery and take-out only once the second restaurant opens. Until then, customers can continue to enjoy indoor dining, or opt for take-out and delivery services at the original Brown Rice, she said.

Weydt, who goes by Fawn Weydt, opened Brown Rice in 2013 with business partners Orathai Earner and Jaa Greiciunas (Weydt’s niece.) She also owns with managing partners Thai Time, 107 Highland St., Worcester; Rice Violet, 287 Main St., Worcester; Thai and I Restaurant, 274 South St., Shrewsbury.

The decision to open another restaurant location isn’t an easy one, especially during a pandemic, said Weydt, but Brown Rice has deep roots and a solid client base in and around West Boylston. The restaurant has been incredibly busy, she said, but has limited kitchen space. “We love this town, I really mean it,” said Weydt. “There has been tremendous support from the community in the eight years we’ve been here, and we’ve now outgrown our current space.”

The second location will accommodate 75, with a separate function area and plans for a full bar. The original Brown Rice accommodates about 26 and is BYOB.

Brown Rice is open from 11:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Thursday; 11:30 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday; Noon to 9 p.m. Sunday. Telephone: (774) 261-8322; Connect on Facebook.

Brown Rice 2 takes over previous space occupied by Vivian’s Market Style Café, which closed a couple of years ago after the owner announced retirement. “It’s going to be completely new and with vibrant colors,” said Weydt about the restaurant.

“Certainly, it remains to be seen if it will be sustainable to keep both Brown Rice locations,” said Weydt, “but this is the way we would like to try out.” She said she originally “checked out” the location a year ago, revisiting it before making a final decision.

Weydt is proud of Brown Rice’s “women-led team” that includes not only owners, but also Maneerat Peters, head chef, who has been at Brown Rice since it first opened. “We love her,” said Weydt about Peters, who helps create the menu and recently introduced Mussel Crepe as a house specialty. The Thaistyle crepe or pancake is known as Hoi Tod in Thai cuisine, according to Weydt, who said it’s often eaten with Pad Thai, Thailand’s national dish. “They’re like twins, they go together,” she said about the food.

Weydt, 41, came to the United States in 2002 as a business intern. She said she never thought she would be in the restaurant industry prior to being introduced to the owner of a successful Thai restaurant in Milford. “He became my mentor and taught me everything about the front and back of the house operations of a restaurant,” said Weydt. “I loved it, and I even cooked.”

A business graduate of Assumption University in Bangkok, Weydt said her mother is a culinary teacher who creates food menus for the school where she also teaches first grade. Her father is a teacher, too. Her parents visit her as often as they can, she said, and her mother has helped with several of her restaurant openings, even cooking at several of them. “My parents never expected me to be on this career path, but I know they are proud of me and know that I’m really happy,” said Weydt.

Weydt and her husband, Brian Weydt, and their son reside in Boylston. She has a smile on her face when she talks about meeting her American husband in a Thai restaurant. While he’s not involved in the day to day operations of her restaurants, Weydt said she often asks his business advice. He’s supportive, understanding and indispensable, she said.

As for Weydt, she’s friendly, enthusiastic and loves what she does. She knows that running a business is all about team effort and learning to prioritize and organize. What started as a love for food has led to an amazing journey, said Weydt.

Future plans after Brown Rice 2?

“I’m really not sure,” said Weydt. “To be continued.”

Manager Jaa Greiciunas, chef Maneerat Peters and owner Fawn Weydt at Brown Rice Thai Cuisine, located at 26 West Boylston St., West Boylston.

ASHLEY GREEN/TELEGRAM & GAZETTE

A perfect union!

Two Worcester businesses B.T.’s Fried Chicken & BBQ and the Glazy Susan doughnut company have collaborated on a new sandwich launched March 4 at B.T.’s, 318 Park Ave., Worcester.

The combination of B.T.’s new Nashville Hot Chicken served between slices of Glazy Susan’s namesake glazed doughnut has passed a lot of taste tests, according to Billy Nemeroff, B.T.’s owner/operator, who said B.T.’s would make 150 plus sandwiches for the launch.

It’s first-come, first-served for the sandwich, so order early. Visit btschickenandbbq.com, or social media for more updates and info. Check out the menu inside the restaurant, or order online for takeout and delivery. Curbside service is available.

So good!

Restaurant Week may return

It’s not official, but word on the street is that Worcester Restaurant Week could return this summer.

The biannual dining event prior to the pandemic took place in winter and summer. In light of recent COVID-19 restriction changes, there’s the possibility restaurants and sponsors would participate in the promotion that features prix-fixe dinner menus.

Stay tuned!

If you have a tidbit for the column, call (508) 868-5282. Send email to bhoulefood@gmail.com.