Eddie Varley - Page 197

Final ballots for the 81st Academy Awards? were mailed today (January 28) to the 5,810 voting members of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Completed ballots must be returned to PricewaterhouseCoopers by 5 p.m. Tuesday, February 17. Ballots received after the deadline will not be counted. Listed on the ballots are nominees in 19 Awards categories. Separate ballots for 5 categories (Documentary Feature, Documentary Short Subject, Foreign Language Film, Animated Short Film and Live Action Short Film) will be distributed after verification of mandatory member attendance at screenings.

More than 50 years after it opened at the National Theatre, the new production West Side Story , under the direction of the legendary Arthur Laurents, returned to the National in preparation for its Broadway opening. DC audiences thrilled to Cody Green's dynamic performance as 'Riff' in the production. Before Cody left Washington for New York, he spoke to DCTheatreScene.com. Cody Green was chosen as the winner in last years finale episode of BRAVO's 'Step It Up & Dance,' winning the $100,000 grand prize. The 27-year-old dancer from Surrey, Canada beat out 11 other contestants as they competed in weekly dance challenges from some of the top performers and choreographers in the industry including: Tina Landon, Jordi Caballero, Lee Martino and Jason Alexander.

Playwrights Horizons announces completion of a major renovation to 440 Studios, which is Lower Manhattan's largest rehearsal space complex (located at 440 Lafayette Street). The $1.2 million project took 8 months for demolition and renovation. 440 Studios is the third and fourth floors of the Playwrights Horizons Theater School. When not in use by the School for classes, workshops and productions, the rehearsal studios and theaters are rented out to hundreds of New York City cultural groups each year. The School and the studios are an integral part of Playwrights Horizons and perform a vital service for students, the theater community and the surrounding neighborhood. The renovation of the third floor was made possible, in large part, through generous capital funding from New York City and New York State.

The Tony Award-winning Broadway hit Spring Awakening received its UK premiere at London's Lyric Hammersmith on January 23rd. The Independent's Michael Coveney discusses the musical with its creators Duncan Sheik and Steven Sater about how it all came together to finally find a home on the stage.

Legendary rock icon (and Broadway composer) Elton John has given an interview to the UK Sun in which he slams the internet and demands it be 'shut off'. John claims it is destroying good music, saying: 'The internet has stopped people from going out and being with each other, creating stuff.... Let's get out in the streets and march and protest instead of sitting at home and blogging.'

The most successful stage musical of all time, the Cameron Mackintosh/Really Useful Group, Inc. production of Andrew Lloyd Webber's THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA, directed by Harold Prince, reached an unprecedented milestone on Monday, January 26, 2009 when it celebrated its Twenty-First Anniversary on Broadway. On that date, playing its 8,732nd performance at The Majestic Theatre (247 West 44th Street), it became the first Broadway production ever to have run 21 years. The cast and crew celebrated with a custom-designed cake from Cupcake Cafe in honor of finally being of 'legal' age on Broadway!

Pulitzer Prize-winning composer Marvin Hamlisch will lead the New York Philharmonic in New York Moments, a concert featuring iconic musical moments from Broadway and film, with stars from the stage and screen (in alphabetical order): Ashley Brown, who originated the title role in Mary Poppins on Broadway; Maria Friedman, who played Mrs. Lovett in Sweeney Todd and Marian in The Woman in White in London; Joel Grey, whose numerous starring roles have included the famous M.C. in Cabaret, on Broadway and in the film; Jennifer Holliday, one of the original Dreamgirls; Liza Minnelli, last seen on Broadway in Liza's at The Palace; Kelli O'Hara and Paulo Szot, stars of the current Lincoln Center Theater production of South Pacific; and 15-year-old up-and-coming singer, Nikki Yanofsky. The concert will take place Monday, April 20, 2009, at 7:30 p.m. All except Mr. Hamlisch and Ms. O'Hara are making their New York Philharmonic debuts.

The Hollywood Reporter has revealed that Broadway star Jesse Tyler Ferguson - who originated the role of Leaf Coneybear in The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee - has joined the cast of 'An American Family', a new comedy pilot from ABC. Steven Levitan and Christopher Lloyd's docu-style single-camera comedy 'Family,' from 20th TV, reports HR 'revolves around three families: one comprised of a working dad, stay-at-home mom and two kids; another that includes a 60-year-old man who becomes a stepfather after marrying a Latina who is 30 years his junior; and the third, a gay couple who have just adopted a Vietnamese b

Daniel Radcliffe, the young star of Peter Shaffer's play EQUUS on Broadway (Broadhurst Theatre, 235 W. 44 St.) --spoke to Kevin Sessums of The Daily Beast about 'being adored by gay men, the 'stupidity' of Prince Harry, and why he wants to give Sasha and Malia Obama a personal tour of Hogwarts'. Radcliffe speaks candidly to Sessums about a variety of topics, of great interest to theatre fans is his comments to the writer regarding his hope of a musical role in the near future. KS: 'What will be your second? Will it be a musical? I saw you do your satirical dance number at the Gypsy of the Year contest with your chorus line of horses from Equus. It was so charming, especially the Rockettes kickline ending you came up with'. DR: 'I would like to do a musical. Very much. It's just a matter of finding the right one'.

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced on December 12th, 2008, that Hugh Jackman will host the 81st annual Academy Awards. The film and stage superstar spoke to Entertainment Weekly about hosting the legendary telecast, including his sure-fire secret to television success, 'nudity'.

Variety is reporting that Canada's Cineplex has joined forces with CTV and the Stratford Shakespeare Festival to present the festivals 2008 hit production of 'Caesar and Cleopatra,' starring Christopher Plummer, on 80 screens across Canada. Scheduled to be shown just one time only, on Saturday January 31st, 'Caesar' was shot in front of an audience over three days during the George Bernard Shaw play's Stratford run last fall, using nine high-definition cameras and Dolby surround sound reports Variety. The advanced demand is strong, with several theaters sold out.

The Old Vic's World Premiere of the new play, COMPLICIT by Joe Sutton and directed in-the-round by Kevin Spacey which was postponed for nine days, officially opens tonight, January 28th. It was originally scheduled to open on the 19th. Richard
 Dreyfuss, 
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 The
 Old 
Vic. Complicit is a powerful American play that explores our current political climate. Pulitzer prize-winning journalist Ben Kritzer (Richard Dreyfuss) is hauled before the Supreme Court where he faces the dilemma of defending his belief in the freedom of the press or protecting his family.

Variety reports that Director John Doyle has signed on to direct Horton Foote's ensemble drama 'Main Street' for Reliant Pictures. Filming is set to begin in Durham, N.C. on March 16th. Spencer Silna of 1984 Films is producing with Jonah Hirsch of Fixed Point Films. Silna's partners, Doug Saylor and Adi Shankar, will executive produce the motion picture reports the trade paper. Doyle won a Tony Award in 2006 for 'Sweeney Todd' and was nominated for a Drama Desk and a Tony for staging 'Company.' He most recently directed 'Road Show' for Gotham's the Public Theater. Foote, 93, created 'Main Street' after visiting Durham two years ago. Foote's tale explains Variety, centers on a diverse group of residents of a small, economically moribund American city facing the consequences of change. Foote won Oscars for penning 'Tender Mercies' and adapting 'To Kill a Mockingbird', he was recently represented on Broadway by his play 'Dividing The Estate'.

Backstage at the 15th Annual SAG Award last Sunday, Jan. 25th, Award winner Alec Baldwin asked fellow SAG honoree Meryl Streep to appear on his show, NBC's 30 Rock and it didn't take too much for the legendary star to agree. 'Meryl was delighted with the idea of appearing on the show. She said yes immediately' reports a source.Meryl Streep, who stars in the film Doubt as the stern Sister Aloysius, won the 2008 SAG Award for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Leading Role for playing the part. Alec Baldwin won the 2008 SAG Award for Best Male Actor in a Comedy Series for his work in NBC's 30 ROCK. 30 ROCK picked up Best Comedy honors as well.

Broadway In Chicago presents Broadway's surprise hit musical XANADU at Chicago's Drury Lane Theatre Water Tower Place. The show officially opens tonight, Wednesday, January 28, 2009. Individual and group tickets are currently on sale for this fabulously fun, out-of-this-world musical confection. This wildly funny musical delivers a surprisingly touching story about the nine magical muse-daughters of Zeus, who come to earth in 1980 (disguised in roller skates, leg warmers and Australian accents) to inspire humans to create truly great work and discover the meaning of the universe's greatest secret: the Gift of XANADU. Zeus' most important decree is they can't fall in love with any mortals! But all that changes when the young Kira (Elizabeth Stanley) meets the handsome artist Sonny (Max von Essen), who needs her help in achieving his greatest dream. It is only when Sonny teaches Kira the true meaning of inspiration, that the secret of XANADU is revealed!

BroadwayWorld has learned that the planned San Francisco 'Best of Broadway' series world premiere engagement of the musical EVER AFTER, based on the popular 1998 Twentieth Century Fox film has been indefinitely postponed. Shorenstein Hays Nederlander Theatres, overseen by Carole Shorenstein Hays and Robert Nederlander, was set to present EVER AFTER this April as part of their 2009 season. EVER AFTER producer Adam Epstein (Hairspray, The Wedding Singer, Cry-Baby) said in a statement, 'The previously announced production of EVER AFTER has been moved from this season's line up as the creative team continues to develop the musical for a future production.'

The Vineyard Theatre (108 East 15th Street) will present the New York premiere of THIS BEAUTIFUL CITY, in a co-production with Los Angeles' Center Theatre Group, with previews set to begin February 3 prior to its official press opening February 22. Steven Cosson directs. Created by The Civilians, written by Steven Cosson and Jim Lewis, with music and lyrics by Michael Friedman, THIS BEAUTIFUL CITY is a provocative new play with music about the growth of the evangelical movement in Colorado Springs, created by the documentary theatre company The Civilians. THIS BEAUTIFUL CITY was created from interviews by Emily Ackerman, Marsha Stephanie Blake, Brad Heberlee, Stephen Plunkett, Alison Weller and the authors with actual persons over the course of 10 weeks in Colorado Springs. Every leading church in the area participated in the project, as did numerous civic organizations, progressive activists, and individuals from all walks of life.

Due to the overwhelming audience and critical response Sardi's management has scheduled additional Saturday evening concerts with Broadway star, James Barbour. The new concert series, entitled 'LOVE SONGS' will premiere on Saturday, January 31st and continue through Saturday, February 28th at Broadway's premiere destination, SARDI'S (234 West 44th Street - between Broadway & Eighth Avenue). Musical Direction is by Jeremy Roberts. Morgan James will be Mr. Barbour's Special Guest Artist on Friday, February 13. Morgan James most recently played Sheila in 'Hair' at Arizona Theatre Company. New York: Featured soloist in Bernstein's 'Mass' with the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra at Carnegie Hall and The Kennedy Center, conducted by Marin Alsop (cast recording, Naxos); 'The Addams Family' workshop; Pre-Broadway workshop of 'Godspell'. Regional credits include: 'Pirates', Paper Mill Playhouse; 'The Human Comedy', Barrington Stage Co.; Mabel in 'The Pirates of Penzance', Kansas City Repertory Theatre, and Arizona Theatre Co; Micaela in 'The Tragedy of Carmen', Two River Theater Co. Ms. James won Second Place in the 2007 American Traditions Competition at the Savannah Music Festival. Training: The Juilliard School.

Daniel Radcliffe, the young star of Peter Shaffer's play EQUUS on Broadway (Broadhurst Theatre, 235 W. 44 St.) --will be honored with his very own caricature unveiling at the world famous Broadway eatery, Sardi's Restaurant (234 West 44th Street) on Thursday, January 29th. Radcliffe joins the ranks of Broadway royalty whom have been honored with a caricature on the famous walls of Sardi's Restaurant. EQUUS will conclude its 22-week engagement as scheduled on Broadway on February 8th, 2009. The play opened in September 2008 at the Broadhurst Theatre, marking the Broadway debut of Daniel Radcliffe. Mr. Radcliffe stars in the revival of Peter Shaffer's play opposite Tony Award winner Richard Griffiths ('The History Boys'). Thea Sharrock directs this production, which marks EQUUS first time on Broadway since its debuted and won the Tony Award for Best Play 35 years ago. Daniel Radcliffe is the internationally-renowned star of the 'Harry Potter' films and will begin shooting the final 'Harry Potter' movie shortly after concluding his Broadway run in EQUUS, in which he made his much-heralded Broadway debut, followed by considerable acclaim.

Hot off their win for Best Ensemble from the Screen Actors Guild Awards, several cast members from AMC's Mad Men attended Phantom - The Las Vegas Spectacular at The Venetian Resort-Hotel-Casino in Las Vegas. After the show the two-time Golden Globe-winning ensemble visited backstage with the cast to congratulate them on a rousing performance. This lavish production of The Phantom of the Opera thrills audiences eight times a week at The Venetian. From the moment you enter the magnificent custom-built theatre you are immersed in the storied Paris Opera House and become part of The Phantom's world. Featuring every beloved Andrew Lloyd Webber song from the original, spectacular sets, new effects, and a breathtaking chandelier experience, Phantom is an only-in-Vegas experience.