by Zach Raffio. @zachraffio.
LOS ANGELES - Producers behind ABC’s cheerful “The Disney Family Singalong” specials have announced a spinoff titled “The Chekhov Bloodline Dwellalong”, in which stars of the screen and stage will come together to recite pieces from the plays of Anton Chekhov, the network announced this morning.
“The Disney specials have been a blast, so we’re excited to bring families together to cover another beloved area of the arts world,” noted producer Ben Harris. “While these specials won’t have Emily Blunt and John Krasinski singing ‘Hakuna Matata’, they will have celebrated stage actress Tyne Daly chain smoking hand-rolled cigarettes and performing a monologue from The Cherry Orchard. It should be powerful, reflective, and least of all - fun.”
The network has already locked in multiple big names for the special, including Kristin Scott Thomas, Harold Perrineau, and, of course, fan favorite Peter Saarsgaard. The Broadway Beat caught up with one of the stars for their take on the much-anticipated evening of dry humor and questioning the happiness of mankind.
“At first I wasn’t so sure, but I think all generations will really enjoy popping some corn, snuggling up on the couch, and watching me give em’ a little Masha,” says actress Jeanne Tripplehorn. “They mailed over a contract for the performance, and it included a full bottle of vodka and a sass-filled, hand-written note from my Grandmother, who passed 30 years ago. The folks at ABC really know what they’re doing.”
Some fans of the Disney version, however, are skeptical of the new venture.
“Mommy, I don’t like this,” said Maddie Leonold, a five-year old Disney superfan from Columbus, Ohio. “I mean, don’t get me wrong - Michael Shannon is an incredibly emotive performer - but him as Smirnov in The Boor? Really? It’s just uninspired casting. Not to mention the nuances of the evening and the commercial break timing have totally misread Chekhov’s view on the role of industry and society as a whole. Like, why even do this if you’re going to contribute to an element of aristocracy by presenting something amateur with the confidence of an artist? Don’t waste my fucking time,” the first grade student added.
At press time, producers were already considering other spinoffs ready for the pipeline, including “The Jason Robert Brown Lover Longalong” and “The Tennessee Williams Family Repressalong.”
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