Traveling the world for the greatest of Imelda Staunton does not disappointment. By Owen Panettieri (playwright, lyricist) I am a proud Imelda Staunton groupie. She is the best. If you've never seen her on stage, you must. At any opportunity and at any cost. Imelda Staunton is everything. Imelda first came to my attention as an actress of incredible talent in the 2004 feature film Vera Drake for which she was nominated for and Oscar as Best Actress (she lost to Hlilary Swank in Million Dollar Baby!). If you are not familiar film, you are forgiven. It's one of those... Continue reading

When a theatre filled with movie stars turns to television to honor cinema sometimes crazy things happen. By Owen Panettieri (playwright, lyricist) Oh the 89th Academy Awards. You would not be denied your place in Oscar History. Sure, maybe some folks at the Academy of Motion Pictures and Sciences were thinking, let's just put up a pleasant endless evening of televised awards with not too many theatrics and bells and whistles and save the big fireworks for when we hit the big 9-0 next year. But, oh no. You would not be denied. Instead, you gave us some true triumphs... Continue reading

Running for 26.2 miles when you've already run out of style. By Owen Panettieri (playwright, lyricist) A little over a month ago, I ran my third Disney World Marathon. I love this event. It's about the joy of the race with very little pressure to run a personal best time. I'm sure some people go in with that goal, but the race has so many character photo op spots built into the race that it's more about enjoying yourself as you run than it is about getting through it as fast as possible. I finally looked at my race pictures... Continue reading

On a weekend full of sports ball heroics, the ballsiest performance still belongs to a woman. By Owen Panettieri (playwright, lyricist) I like the Patriots. I like that they always win. I like going into work after any given Sunday during football season with the likelihood that my team of choice has done better than my coworkers who favor the Giants or the Jets. I don't like the politics of their owner, their coach or their star quarterback Tom Brady. I don't like the fact that they consistently season after season run into big problems with bending the rules in... Continue reading

The 2017 Australian Open was a thrilling start to the tennis season, as newcomers and veterans thrilled crowds with excellent play and four of the greatest players of all time made their way back to the finals once again. By Owen Panettieri (playwright, lyricist) It's been a rough 2 weeks, y'all. Things in the United States? They ain't good. It seems almost every day came a new horrifying executive order from the President. It's been a lot to deal with. People are upset. People are scared. People are protesting. The anxiety is practically inescapable. But during these past two weeks,... Continue reading

Feeling inspired after the Women's March? Creativity Inc might help keep those ideas flowing. By Owen Panettieri (playwright, lyricist) Continuing on the path in reading more in 2017, this week I am reporting back on Creativity, Inc.Ed Catmull with Amy Wallace. Catmull is the President of Pixar and Disney Animation Studios and boy does he have a story to tell! A good friend of mine gifted this book to me and my sweet boy Josh last year. Knowing how much we liked Disney and were creative folks in our own right, she thought it'd be the perfect match. And it... Continue reading

2017 starts off with a resolution to read more books, starting with those books we didn't finish in 2016. By Owen Panettieri (playwright, lyricist) Ah, a new year! The promise of adopting new habits, setting new goals and achieving new achievements. To be honest, I wasn't sure if I was going to continue blogging this year. In the face of this incoming administration, I wasn't sure what I wanted to say about the world we're living in and what's to come. I find it all very stressful and couldn't see myself staying sane if I was going to jump into... Continue reading

A conversation with the New Year before it officially arrives to sublet this time of our lives. By Owen Panettieri (playwright, lyricist) Hey 2017, Nice to meet you. Come in! Take your coat off and stay a while. You can just kick off your shoes in the front hall. I appreciate you coming to meet with me several days before your scheduled arrival. I know you're hoping to crash on my couch for the next 365 days and that's cool. We'll make it work. I know you spoke to 2016 about how things go around here. We actually got along... Continue reading

For every year this Christmas tree, brings to us such joy and glee. By Owen Panettieri (playwright, lyricist) It's the most wonderful time of the year - Christmas Tree time! Decorating the tree has always been my favorite annual holiday tradition. I've never thought of it as a religious symbol. It's connected to a religious holiday, sure, but the tree itself isn't about celebrating the birth of Jesus. Christmas tress are just FUN. They hold a special place in my heart. As a kid, each December I got to take a rare trip up the very unstable ladder that led... Continue reading

Even if 2016 wasn't the most awesome year on record, are we actually looking forward to 2017? By Owen Panettieri (playwright, lyricist) I've heard a lot of people complaining recently about 2016 and how overall it was an awful year that they can't wait to see in the rear view mirror. I don't share that opinion. I'm not looking for the year to be over. Personally, 2016 was pretty good to me. I did what I resolved to do back in January. I lost roughly 30 lbs, I traveled to places in Europe I'd always dreamed of visiting and I... Continue reading

Guys. CATS is Awesome. By Owen Panettieri (playwright, lyricist) Ladies and G's, your attention please. You've heard of CATS, right? The iconic 80's musical that's back on Broadway? Well, it's awesome. You should go see it. It's great. "Owen," you ask, "I don't know anything about the theater, nor its marvelous history of musical productions. Explain to me: What is this CATS you're raving about? A revival? Tell me more!" Well, let me tell you. Composed by Sir Andrew Lloyd Webber and based on Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats by T. S. Eliot (I know you've never read it,... Continue reading

The winter holidays remain a crucial time for giving to those less fortunate. By Owen Panettieri (playwright, lyricist) It's time for my annual Thanksgiving post, asking all you nice folks to give to those who are struggling to get by. As we celebrate with our family and friends, cooking and sharing delicious meals together, it's easy to forget that so many people - young and old - regularly go without food or company. Nearly 20% of New Yorkers currently live in poverty, struggling to pay for their basic needs including, rent medical care and food for their families. Local food... Continue reading

A few things I've been discussing with myself in the week since the election. By Owen Panettieri (playwright lyricist) So this has been a week, huh? On tuesday the country elected a 70 year old real estate mogul and reality competition tv host to be President of the United States and Commander in Chief, despite him having never held public office or having served in the military. I have been dreading this moment since visiting the Dachau Concentration Camp Memorial Site this summer in Germany. I read about what happened there and how Hitler rose to power and it was... Continue reading

Today seems like a really great day to push back against American Fascism! By Owen Panettieri (playwright, lyricist) I am excited to vote for Hillary Clinton. I am excited to vote against Donald Trump. Hillary Clinton has worked for her entire life to be ready to be President. Donald Trump has no experience in public service, international diplomacy or acting with civility. It's as simple as that. So it's not a hard choice for me. Maybe you don't like Hillary or her policies. If you don't, I'm sure you have your reasons. But it's impossible to support Trump without supporting... Continue reading

Tech week makes things in theater really real. It's awesome! By Owen Panettieri (playwright, lyricist) This Friday November 4th, my latest play, A Burial Place, will have its world premiere at the Dorothy Stelsin Theatre in NYC. We run for 3 weeks in that sweet spot of the year in between Halloween and Thanksgiving where things aren't TOO too crazy and you should come out and see what we've been cooking up! Tickets available here! It's been an incredibly rewarding rehearsal process for me and I have to thank New Light Theater Project, Sarah Norris and 5000 Broadway Productions for... Continue reading

When people have to celebrate you, it's the most wonderful time of the year. By Owen Panettieri (playwright, lyricist) There are people who don't like celebrating their birthdays. They don't like the attention, they don't like the fuss and they don't like the fuss, and they don't like being reminded they've gotten a year older. I am not one of those people. I love celebrating my birthday. Like Brenda Lee used to sing about a Marshmallow World, "I wait for it the whole year 'round." I think taking time to celebrate yourself is so important, and Birthday Time is a... Continue reading

The HamilDoc is here. Set your DVRs! You won't want to miss it! By Owen Panettieri (playwright, lyricist) I encourage you all to watch Hamilton's America when it premieres on PBS Great Performances this Friday October 21st 2016 9pm ET. It truly captures the essence of what it was like to watch the long creation of the musical that then became a cultural phenomenon almost overnight. I know that's true, because I was there! Watching the documentary, I was reminded just how surreal the past two years have been. Hamilton's America references a lot of that. It was great to... Continue reading

A few take-aways from having watched SNL in person on a fun trip to Studio 8H. By Owen Panettieri (playwright, lyricist) This past Saturday, my buddy boy Lin-Manuel hosted SNL for the first time. It was a dream come true for him and he killed it! While it's never really been a dream of mine to actually be a host of the show I have always wanted to know what it was like to be there. And this past week I got my chance! I killed it as an audience member as well. Successes all around this week! One of... Continue reading

We're halfway there. Who's got the best chance to come through as the winner of RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars 2? By Owen Panettieri (playwright, lyricist) This current season of RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars 2 has been compelling reality competition TV. The twists to the regular formula have come fast and often: Lip synching for your legacy instead of for your life, having the contestants eliminating each other, and having the eliminated queens stick around for a chance at revenge, has raised the stakes in the competition. Not all the queens who returned were up for the competition. Adore... Continue reading

This choice ain't Coke or Pepsi, folks. We're picking the PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES. Get with it. Get with her. By Owen Panettieri (playwright, lyricist) This summer while traveling around Europe, my boyfriend Josh and I spent a solemn morning at the Dachau Concentration Camp Memorial site in Germany. It truly affected my perspective on the state of the world today. I took a picture of one of the descriptions in the museum there talking about Hitler's rise to power. This is not a scenario unique to Germany in the 1900's. It is happening now. It is happening here... Continue reading

In honor of Gene Wilder's passing, a look back on some of his best Wonka moments that still represent the best of pure imagination. By Owen Panettieri (playwright, lyricist) Gene Wilder is a legendary performer who gave iconic performances in many classic movies including Young Frankenstein, Blazing Saddles and The Producers. But for me, along with generations of children, he will most indelibly be linked to the role of Willy Wonka in 1971's Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory. From his unforgettable staggering-to-somersault entrance, Wilder owned the role of Wonka and was alive in every moment. He instills a remarkable... Continue reading

In the first week of the Olympics, some of the world's best tennis players took a week out of their regularly scheduled tennis season to be play the most exciting week of tennis all year. By Owen Panettieri (playwright, lyricist) Professional tennis is an international sport in every way. The top players hail from across the world and face each other again and again. They travel the globe playing major tournaments across 6 continents both competing as individuals, and also as teammates representing their home countries in competitions like Fed Cup and Davis Cup. In those ways, the regular tennis... Continue reading

An athlete competing at the Olympics has the opportunity to experience the highest highs, but a late injury can lead to the lowest lows. By Owen Panettieri (playwright, lyricist). (Tears of joy!) Every time the Olympics rolls around, I think I'm over it. I go into it totally jaded. I assume the city hosting the Games will be woefully unprepared. I assume some of the athletes will be caught in doping scandals. I tell myself I probably won't watch unless it's swimming or tennis or gymnastics. But then the Opening Ceremonies start and I'm immediately hooked. Clear my calendar for... Continue reading

The current season of So You Think You Can Dance continues to befuddle, even as it entertains. By Owen Panettieri (playwright, lyricist) I remain very torn about this season of So You Think You Can Dance. I have been vocal in the past about my displeasure with the Next Generation format. I'm not generally interested in watching kids dance with each other, it's sometimes weird to watch kids dance with adult all-stars and the eliminations this season can be PAINFUL because they're KIDS and each week someone's dreams are being CRUSHED - LIVE ON AIR! I really just want my... Continue reading

Traveling for two weeks of adventure is great until you try to write about it while it's still happening. By Owen Panettieri (Playwright, Lyricist) Dear Friends!. After a very intense 6 months of work, I've been on a great adventure n Europe for almost two weeks. It's been an unforgettable experience going from France to Austria to Germany to England for the second half of July. While we're almost done with our trip, we've still got about 2 days to go. I've been taking notes as it's been going along, but I'm not quite able to finish all my thoughts... Continue reading