Inside Jonathan Bailey’s ‘Wicked’ Press Tour Charm Offensive

This week:

• What are we all comfort watching?

• The Wicked press tour intensifies.

• Chappell Roan’s phenomenal performance.

• Cher to the rescue.

• Protect Hugh Grant at all costs.

His Level of Charming Is Getting Insane

The press tour for the Wicked movie is hyperdrive, with the film hitting theaters Nov. 22. The ramp-up in its stars’ interviews and the film’s marketing might be alarming if, like me, you felt like you already couldn’t blink without some product tie-in being announced or some press appearance going viral.

Luckily, the film’s cast is exceptionally charming and endearingly enthusiastic about this film, leading to some lovely moments this past week, like Ariana Grande’s candid and, often, very funny extended interview with Bowen Yang and Matt Rogers on their Las Culturistas podcast, or this emotional exchange between Grande, Cynthia Erivo, and an Australian journalist.

It is my professional duty, however, to be of public service and report on the various swoon-worthy moments involving my husband Jonathan Bailey that have gone viral this past week, each more perfect than the last: Little treats to watch during any future moments of despair.

This red carpet video where he’s tossed a flower, sniffs it, and effortlessly tosses it back: I have so many questions. Who thought of this stunt? How did they know it would be so hot? And did Jonathan practice, or does this just speak to his intrinsic level of suaveness?

Should you require more delight: Here he is with Jeff Goldblum discussing the taxonomy of the word “zaddy.” Here he is cracking himself up after making a dirty joke. And here he is in short shorts.

There are two more weeks of this to come. See, not everything in the world is bad.

Chappell Roan Was So Good on SNL

By the time you read this newsletter, a new episode of Saturday Night Live might have aired. But I still need to take the time to rave about Chappell Roan’s musical performance on last week’s outing.

She debuted a new song, “The Giver,” and performed “Pink Pony Club,” the hit that launched her career. Her vocals were the best she’s sounded on TV, a feat especially considering how notoriously bad the sound mixing is in that studio. That she led the audience in a singalong of her chorus—and they all joined in, and loudly—that just doesn’t happen.

If you haven’t seen it yet, it’s definitely worth a watch, especially after Friday’s news that Roan is among the most nominated artists at the upcoming Grammys.

Did I Somehow Manifest This?

It turns out that, once again, I have been unknowingly controlling the entertainment industry from my dreams. I don’t otherwise know how to explain the fact that a new version of Cher’s “DJ Play a Christmas Song,” which was released a year ago, has just been released with Kelly Clarkson joining it as a duet.

via GIPHY

The Epitome of Happiness

Hugh Grant has been promoting his delightfully sinister turn in the new film Heretic, including taking the Proust Questionnaire for Vanity Fair. And what is Grant’s idea of perfect happiness? Read it, and join me in cracking up: “Drinking a pint of London Pride while munching Twiglets and reading about Colin Firth having a critical and box office catastrophe.”

What to watch this week:

• Christmas Eve in Miller’s Point: Destined to be a holiday classic. (Now in theaters)

• Small Things Like These: Cillian Murphy deserves another Oscar for this. (Now in theaters)

• St. Denis Medical: “The Office, but a hospital” turns out to be a charming premise. (Tues. on NBC)

• Bad Sisters: One of my favorite series finally comes back for Season 2. (Wed. on Apple TV+)

What to skip this week:

• Real Housewives of New York City: I was rooting for this reboot, but, friends, it’s become unwatchable. (Now on Bravo)