When Linda Lavin appeared on the doorstep of Lisa Kudrow and Ray Romano as a nosy neighbor in Netflix’s new real-estate comedy “No Good Deed,” my first thought was, “Linda Lavin looks great,” which quickly segued into the feeling that it was just good to see her again. (You never had to wait too long to see her again; she worked a lot.) It was a small but vital part, in which she seemed vital and anything but small.
So it was with some surprise that I learned the news that Lavin had died Sunday at age 87. Not that she seemed 87; there seemed to be no reason to think she couldn’t go on forever. Indeed, she had completed seven episodes of a new Hulu series, “Mid-Century Modern,” in which she plays the mother of Nathan Lane, who moves into her Palm Springs home with friends Matt Bomer and Nathan Lee Graham.
It was “Alice,” the 1976 CBS sitcom adaptation of Martin Scorsese’s “Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore” — the only situation comedy that will ever be made from a Scorsese film — that made Lavin a star. But she was already a cherished figure on the New York stage when she moved to Hollywood in 1973 with first husband, the actor Ron Leibman, with a Tony nomination for Neil Simon’s “Last of the Red Hot Lovers.” She’d appeared in plays by Carl Reiner, Jules Feiffer and John Guare and in Paul Sills’ “Story Theater.” (In the late ‘50s, she was a member of Sills’ improvisational Compass Players, which would give birth to Second City.) In “The Mad Show,” she introduced “The Boy From…,” a “Girl From Ipanema” parody co-written by Stephen Sondheim. New York Times critic Stanley Kauffmann called her performance in the 1966 “It’s a Bird… It’s a Plane… It’s Superman” “pure imp”: “I wish she were in every musical and revue.”
In “Alice,” Lavin plays the title character, a widowed single mother relocating from New Jersey to Los Angeles to relaunch a singing career, who winds up a waitress near Phoenix after her car breaks down on the way. The star occupied a relatively straight role amid a cast of oddballs: the outrageous Flo (Polly Holliday), whose catch phrase “Kiss my grits” was a meme in its day; the mousy Vera (Beth Howland); and Vic Tayback, repeating his role from the film, as loud but lovable Mel, in whose diner Alice settles in for a nine-season, 202-episode run.
One of Linda Lavin’s last roles was that of nosy neighbor Phyllis Adelman in “No Good Deed” on Netflix.
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(Netflix)
It was a comedy about working women, in the decade of the women’s movement — Norman Lear’s “One Day at a Time,” about a single mother and her daughters getting by, premiered the year before. As Alice, Lavin projects a certain solidity not distinct from a certain sexiness; she’s Rosie the Riveter with a line of plates balanced on her arm. No pushover.
Her voice had a penetrating edge — one thinks of New York, though she was not by birth a New Yorker — she could modulate when the part required, but whatever the character Lavin spoke with a stage actor’s precision. She could be sweet, evil, overbearing, put-upon, thoughtful, impulsive, girlish, vulnerable or manipulative and superimpose selected qualities for extra complexity, always with a compressed energy, obvious or veiled. Lavin was the grandchild of Russian immigrants, and in later years she often played variations on the Jewish mother — lower class, middle class, upper class. Standing in for Simon’s own in “Broadway Bound” finally earned her a Tony Award in 1987.
Lavin belonged to the stage and screen, and to their attendant communities, in equal measures, in a way rare for American actors; there were times she concentrated on one to the exclusion of the other, and times when she alternated between them, but never with lessening prestige. She might have worked less or more at times and moved between starring, recurring and guest roles, but there was no downhill slope to her career. (She stayed busy in the pandemic with a very funny Web series, “Yvette Slosch, Agent,” in which she misguidedly guides the career of jazz violinist Aaron Weinstein.) She was a great lady of the theater, in a down to earth way; on television, her mere presence lent a production class, however much class her character might lack.
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The series in which she starred after “Alice” were, like most, short-lived; all were multicamera network shows, tailor-made for a theater person, the equivalent of putting a play on its feet week after week. “Room for Two” (ABC, 1992) paired her with screen daughter Patricia Heaton, whose New York TV morning show she joins as a quirky commentator. In “Conrad Bloom” (NBC, 1998) and again in “9JKL” (CBS, 2017), she was cast as the mother to characters played by Mark Feuerstein. In the former, she is glamorous and gets to sing a verse of “Steam Heat” and dance a little. (Lavin, who sang the “Alice” theme, also had a cabaret act.) In the latter, Feuerstein lives in an apartment between his parents — Elliott Gould played Lavin’s husband — and his brother’s family, failing to establish boundaries. Throughout her career, Lavin did not so much enter a scene as sweep into it.
She was mom again, to Sean Hayes, in “Sean Saves the World” (NBC, 2013-14). There were roles in Chuck Lorre’s kidney donor sitcom “B Positive” as a sparky resident of an assistant living facility, and “Santa Clarita Diet” (Netflix, 2017) as a senior brought back to life, in an undead, zombified way. You could find her there, blood smeared around her mouth, sharing a lunch of human with Drew Barrymore. None were bad, but that is almost beside the point. She was great in them all.
Bob GarverContributorLike many critics, I despised the 2019 CGI version of “The Lion King.” The new animation was ugly and the rehashing of the story from the 1994 classic without many changes made the whole thing seem unnecessary. But unlike many critics, I’m not ready to throw prequel “Mufasa: The Lion King” away just because of the sins of its predecessor. I’m not saying that it’s not still inextricably tied to the 2019 film, especially with its still-terrible CGI animation, but the story and characters can do some roaming on their own that makes for a breath of fresh air.The film opens with Simba (Donald Glover) and Nala (Beyoncé Knowles-Carter) going away on some adult lion business and leaving their cub Kiara (Blue Ivy Carter) in the care of comic relief me
Wayne Osmond, the second-eldest sibling in the Osmond Brothers group of singers, has died. He was 73.
The baritone-voiced singer and guitarist, who was the fourth oldest of the nine Osmond children and older brother to famed duo Donny and Marie Osmond, “passed away peacefully” Wednesday surrounded by his wife and five children, his daughter Amy Osmond Cook said Thursday in a statement posted on Facebook. The family also launched a celebration of life page on the platform to memorialize the late musician.
“His legacy of faith, music, love, and laughter have influenced the lives of many people around the world. He would want everyone to know that the gospel of Jesus Christ is true, that families are forever, and that banana splits are the best dessert. We love him and will miss him dearly,” his daughter’s statement said.
Osmond’s younger brother, Donny Osmond, confirmed Thursday that he died from a stroke.
“I’m so grateful that I had the opportunity to visit him in the hospital before he passed,” the “Donny & Marie” star and Las Vegas headliner wrote on Instagram.
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“Wayne brought so much light, laughter, and love to everyone who knew him, especially me. He was the ultimate optimist and was loved by everyone,” Donny added. “I’m sure I speak on behalf of every one of us siblings when I state that we were fortunate to have Wayne as a brother. Even though we are separated in this mortal life, I know that by the grace and resurrection of our Savior, Jesus Christ, we will have the opportunity to be with Wayne for eternity. I love you, Wayne.”
Wayne Osmond, born Melvin Wayne Osmond in Ogden on Aug. 28, 1951, wed Kathlyn White in 1974. The multi-instrumentalist had surgery for a brain tumor in 1997, suffered a stroke in 2012 that left him unable to play guitar and also was treated for cancer, according to the Hollywood Reporter. But he famously reunited with his siblings in 2019 to sing with his brothers for sister Marie’s 60th birthday.
Representatives for Marie Osmond did not immediately respond Thursday to The Times’ requests for comment.
(Isaac Brekken / Associated Press)
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Brother Merrill Osmond said on Facebook that Wayne Osmond recently had “a massive stroke” and that he was being treated at a Salt Lake City hospital. Wayne “endured much” and “gave it his all,” he said, and praised his brother’s “genius in his ability to write music” and “capture the hearts of millions of people and bring them closer to God.”
“My brother was a saint before he came into this world, and he will leave as an even greater saint than he came in,” Merrill Osmond wrote Thursday on Facebook. “I’ve never known a man that had more humility. A man with absolute no guile. An individual that was quick to forgive and had the ability to show unconditional love to everyone he ever met.
“His departure from this earth will be a sad moment for some, but for those who are waiting for him on the other side, there will be a massive celebration beyond anything we can imagine,” he added.
Wayne’s younger brother Jay Osmond also said Thursday that he was “deeply saddened” by the death and that “a true legend has left the Earth.”
“It is said that where there is great love there is great grief as we part during our earthly journey. Throughout my life I have always felt most connected to Wayne out of all of my siblings. He was my roommate and my confidant over the decades,” he wrote on Facebook.
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Jay Osmond said that when he visited his brother last week, Wayne Osmond was sad that he could no longer fly a plane and that “flying brought him peace.”
“What gives me joy is to know that my brother ‘Wings’ has earned his wings and I can only imagine the heights he is soaring right now. The reunion he must’ve had with Father and Mother I’m sure was spectacular!” he said.
Family patriarch George Osmond, a soldier who launched his children’s entertainment careers in the late 1950s, died in 2007. He was predeceased by his wife, Olive Osmond, in 2004.
Both husband and wife passed on their affinity for music — George’s as a singer and Olive’s as a saxophone player — to their children and formed the Osmond Brothers troupe with sons Alan, Wayne, and Jay Osmond. (The couple’s two eldest sons, Virl and Tom, have degenerative hearing loss that affected their speech.) George taught the quartet how to sing four-part harmonies as children, and they performed for their Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints congregation in Ogden, Utah. They also performed at fairs and amusement parks in the late 1950s.
(NBCUniversal via Getty Images)
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The family made its way to Los Angeles in 1962 to audition for “The Lawrence Welk Show” but didn’t land the gig. As a consolation, George Osmond took the family to Disneyland. The boys were dressed alike and the barbershop quartet performing on Main Street took notice. They were asked to do a number with the group; the performance ended up lasting for more than an hour. According to D23, the Osmonds then were brought to the Disneyland entertainment office, where they signed their first professional contract.
While they were performing at Disneyland, the father of singer Andy Williams spotted them and recommended the group to his son, ultimately leading the Osmond Brothers to book a five-year network TV run on “The Andy Williams Show.”.
The group added youngest brother Donny Osmond in 1963, changing its name to the Osmonds, and appeared on “The Jerry Lewis Show” before signing with a record label. They produced 34 gold and platinum records in the 1960s and ’70s, according to the Associated Press, including the 1971 chart-topper “One Bad Apple (Don’t Spoil the Whole Bunch).” Their other Billboard Hot 100 hits include “Down by the Lazy River,” “Yo-Yo,” “Love Me for a Reason” and “Crazy Horses.”
Donny and younger sister Marie also performed separately and as a duo to much success in music and television. Wayne made frequent appearances on the “Donny and Marie” variety show, which ran from 1975 to 1979 and which he also occasionally produced.
NEW YORK (OSV News) – You don’t have to be Dr. Dolittle to understand what the animals are saying in the musical adventure “Mufasa: The Lion King” (Disney). That’s because director Barry Jenkins’ prequel to the popular franchise uses the same technology employed in the 2019 remake of the 1994 animated kick-off of the series to enable them to talk.
How much viewers will enjoy the varied creatures’ dialogue, however, is another question. The movie’s strong suit is visual rather than verbal and the upshot is a sweeping spectacle that lacks substance.
As narrated by Rafiki (voice of John Kani), a wise mandrill, the story looks back to the youthful bond between two princely lions, Mufasa (voice of Aaron Pierre) and Taka (voice of Kelvin Harrison Jr.). Though the duo quickly become friends, their situations are very different.
Taka is right at home under the protection of his royal parents, Queen Eshe (voice of Thandiwe Newton) and King Obasi (voiced by Lennie James). When Taka first encounters him, by contrast, Mufasa has been forcibly carried away by a sudden flood from his home, family and inheritance and is on the point of being eaten by crocodiles when Taka steps in to rescue him.
As their relationship flourishes, the pair treat each other as adoptive brothers. But plot complications — primarily involving Sarabi (voice of Tiffany Boone), a lioness they both befriend — eventually drive them apart.
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Beyond the importance of unity and the corrupting effect of jealousy, there are few thematic elements to ponder as these events unfold. So viewers will have to be content with lush landscapes and some pleasant tunes from composer Lin-Manuel Miranda.
While free of objectionable elements, Jeff Nathanson’s script does flirt with shamanism and suggests that the dead achieve immortality through their influence on the living. Along with the numerous dangers through which the central characters pass, that may give some parents pause.
The film contains potentially frightening scenes of combat and peril. The OSV News classification is A-I — general patronage. The Motion Picture Association rating is PG — parental guidance suggested. Some material may not be suitable for children.
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