Gris & That: Elfies, selfies and James Earl Jones

We are big fans of the Christmas movie “Elf” at my house. It’s on the permanent list of holiday favorites to watch.

We are also huge fans of Grey Henson. We have known this young man and his family since he was singing and dancing across stages at Theatre Macon, Macon Little Theatre and Stratford Academy. 

So we were proud and delighted last week when it was announced the 34-year-old Broadway actor has been cast in the beloved role of Buddy in “Elf: The Musical.’’

Grey said he is thrilled to be playing Buddy during the limited engagement from Nov. 9 to Jan. 4  at the Marquis Theatre on West 46th Street in New York. 

“Being in New York City around the holidays is always so magical, and getting to play such an iconic role in such a beloved Christmas show will make it all the more special,’’ he said in a phone interview. “I am very excited to bring some joy and light to audiences for a few months.’’

The musical is based on the 2003 movie, starring Will Ferrell, about a child who is raised by Santa’s elves and travels to New York City in search of his biological family. 

 Grey told Playbill magazine “Elf” has always been required viewing for him during the holidays. He said he would be “fulfilling a lifelong dream of wearing tights on Broadway!”

This month marks Grey’s 10th anniversary of living in New York City. He has appeared on Broadway as Elder McKinley in “The Book of Mormon.’’ He was Damian Hubbard in “Mean Girls,’’ a role that earned him a Tony Award nomination for Best Actor. In January, he completed a two-year run in “Shucked.’’   

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In case you missed it, the Atlanta Braves’ new Class AA affiliate in Columbus will be nicknamed the Clingstones, and there have been grumblings about the mascot choice following the announcement.

At least two petitions with more than 1,000 signatures asked the team’s owners to reconsider Clingstone, which is a variety of peach.  Although Georgia is the “Peach State,’’ the peach belt is more closely identified geographically with Middle and South Georgia. Not to mention, California produces 99% of the clingstone variety in the U.S.

Lest we forget, Macon’s minor league team in the 1960s was known as the Macon Peaches and featured future big-league stars Pete Rose and Tony Perez.

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Speaking of baseball, I haven’t been able to get the man with the “voice of God” out of my head for the past two weeks.

James Earl Jones died on Sept. 9. He was 93 years old, and he will best be remembered for his unforgettable baritone voice in the role of Terence Mann in the 1989 movie, “Field of Dreams.’’

He famously tells Ray Kinsella, played by Kevin Costner, “If you build it, they will come.”

“They’ll come to Iowa for reasons they can’t even fathom,’’ he said. “They’ll turn up your driveway, not knowing for sure why they’re doing it. They’ll arrive at your door as innocent as children, longing for the past.”

Baseball, he reminds Ray, is the one constant through all the years.

“America has rolled by like an army of steamrollers. It’s been erased like a blackboard, rebuilt and erased again. But baseball has marked the time. This field, this game — it’s a part of our past, Ray. It reminds us of all that once was good, and it could be again.”

“Field of Dreams” may have been Jones’ most famous baseball movie, but his first, “The Bingo Long Traveling All-Stars & Motor Kings,’’ has deep roots in Macon.

The tale of a barnstorming team of Black baseball players from the 1930s was primarily filmed at Macon’s Luther Williams Field and Morgan Field (Freedom Park), as well as Jeffersonville, Monticello and Knoxville (Crawford County). 

Jones played slugging catcher Leon Carter in the 1976 movie, which featured two other well-known actors – Richard Pryor and Billy Dee Williams.  

It was directed by John Badham, who later gained fame as the director of “Saturday Night Fever.” (Badham’s sister, Mary Badham, played Scout in the 1962 classic “To Kill a Mockingbird.’’)

Bibb Music Center was a mainstay at the foot of Cotton Avenue for 53 years until it closed in December 2015. In addition to boasting soul singer Otis Redding as a regular customer in the mid-1960s, part of Bibb’s local lore was reminiscing about the time Jones stopped by the store while in town working on the film and purchased a tenor recorder.

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I am asking Melody readers to make suggestions for two upcoming entries on my monthly “Gris List.’’

 1. Where are the best places to take selfies in Macon? 2. What are the craziest parking lots in town?

The working list for best selfies – or “ussies” if it’s a group shot – includes the top of Coleman Hill, the Macon Christmas Light Extravaganza, the Overlook pavilion at Amerson Park, the mural at the H&H Soul Food  Restaurant, the lighted alleys along Cherry Street between Mulberry Street Lane and Poplar and the M-A-C-O-N sign at the corner of Poplar and Second Street.

The parking lot at the post office on College Street has been nominated for the “looniest lots” list. Years ago, the top spot was claimed by Riverside Plaza. 

But the plaza, which was later known as Riverstreet Corners, was razed in February to make way for the construction of the new River’s Edge Behavioral Health Center.

Email your nominations to [email protected]