Jessica Lewis - Page 153

Internet singing sensation Lin Yu Chun, who's already being hailed as the next Taiwanese Susan Boyle has signed a record deal with Sony Music, according to popeater.com.

The new trailer for the upcoming Joan Rivers documentary, A Piece of Work, had been released! Click below for the clip. Out in theaters June 11, A Piece of Work takes the audience on a year long ride with Joan Rivers in her 75th year of life; it peels away the mask of an iconic comedian, laying bare both the struggle and thrill of living life as a groundbreaking female performer. Filmmakers Ricki Stern and Annie Sundberg (The Devil Came on Horseback) expose the private dramas of this irreverent, legendary comedian as she fights to keep her career thriving in a business driven by youth and beauty.

The Broadway League released the 2008-2009 Broadway's Economic Contribution to New York City report, the seventh biennial report in this series. The report measures the full economic impact of spending by Broadway production companies, theatre operators and those visitors drawn to NYC by Broadway. As the official source for statistical information about Broadway theatre productions in the United States, The Broadway League's report demonstrates that Broadway not only offers entertainment, art and culture, but that it is an industry whose financial contributions nourish the economy of its city and state.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, Mary J. Blige will channel famed jazz singer Nina Simone in Cynthia Mort's 'Nina,' biopic. Allegedly, the film will center around the singer's relationship with her assistant, Clifton Henderson. David Oyelowo is said to be filling that role.

MCC Theater (Robert LuPone, Bernard Telsey, Artistic Directors; William Cantler, Associate Artistic Director; Blake West, Executive Director) announced today that Playwright-in-Residence Neil LaBute's three special benefit staged readings of his previously unseen ‘shorts' series, Filthy Talk for Troubled Times: Scenes of Intolerance, will feature actors Alice Eve, Justin Long and T.R. Knight, with additional cast members to be announced shortly. The readings will take place on Thursday, June 3, Friday, June 4 and Saturday, June 5, 2010, 7:00 p.m., at the Lucille Lortel Theatre (121 Christopher Street, NYC). Proceeds will benefit MCC Theater's Playwrights' Coalition program, free PlayLab reading series, and literary development activities.

Last week, Theater Talk's Michael Riedel and Susan Haskins sat down with Christopher Walken, the newly Tony-nominated star of A BEHANDING IN SPOKANE to discuss his celebrated performance and how he goes about preparing for his notoriously off-brat roles. Click below to see the segment. Theatre Talk airs on PBS Thirteen in New York and CUNY TV. For schedules and more information, visit www.theatertalk.org.

Tony Award nominee Montego Glover (Broadway's Memphis), George Faison (renowned director & choreographer), 3 Mo' Divas (singing group), Dr. George Francois (composer and pianist) and Theatre of the Oppressed (performance theater group) will be among the performers at Small Steps, Great Leaps - An Evening of Inspiration-a benefit event being presented by the Ministry of Education at The Riverside Church and The Power of One on Sunday, May 16, at 6:00 p.m. at The Riverside Church, 91 Claremont Ave. (bet. 120th & 122nd St.), Morningside Heights.

On April 26, 2010, Newsweek printed an article entitled ‘Straight Jacket' in which openly gay contributor Ramin Setoodeh questions the believability of gay actors playing straight men. GLEE Creator Ryan Murphy, GLAAD and actors including Kristin Chenoweth, Cheyenne Jackson and Michael Urie have spoken out against the article, calling Setoodeh 'horrendously homophobic' (Chenoweth), an 'asshole' (Jackson) and 'unconscionable' (Urie). Others beyond them have had even more strongly-worded responses.

Whatsonstage.com is reporting that Michael Sheen will be the latest actor to take on a high profile performance of Hamlet in the Young Vic's production this year. The production will premiere in the winter of 2011, however, exact dates have yet to be announced.

Today, the 66th annual Theatre World Award winners for Outstanding Broadway or Off-Broadway Debut Performances during the 2009-2010 theatrical season were announced.

The jungle will come to life in the desert when Tuacahn Amphitheatre presents the regional premiere of Tarzan--the Broadway musical based on the popular 1999 Disney film and beloved story by Edgar Rice Burroughs--from June 7 - October 15, 2010.

The Insights & Revelations Performance Series, in residence at The Emelin Theatre, has announced its June 10th, 8:00 p.m. presentation.

Last month, the producers of GLEE launched a nationwide MySpace casting call. With 28,000 auditions, 18 million video views and 85 million gold stars already given to the hopefuls, the response to the GLEE open casting call on MySpace was so overwhelming that the submission window was extended, ending on Thursday, April 29 at 11:59 AM PST.

Joan Collins will make her pantomime debut in the role of Queen Rat and lead a celebrated cast including Julian Clary, Nigel Havers and Keith Harris and Orville in the Christmas pantomime spectacular Dick Whittington at the Birmingham Hippodrome from Dec. 18, 2010-Jan. 30, 2011.

Broadway performer Cady Huffman, who won the Tony, Drama Desk and Outer Critics Circle Awards for her portrayal of Ulla in the original Broadway production of The Producers, will be starring as Dolly Levi in the family classic, Hello, Dolly! sponsored by Citizens Bank, which is scheduled to open on June 23 at Theatre By The Sea.

To celebrate New York's Upper West Side newest theatrical production, Banana Shpeel from Cirque du Soleil, famed Magnolia Bakery has renamed its beloved banana pudding to ‘Banana Shpeel Pudding!' throughout the run of the show. Producer, Marty Schmelky (Danny Rutigliano), and his longtime wacky assistant Margaret (Shereen Hickman), officially unveiled Magnolia's brand new ‘Banana Shpeel pudding' with New York's Upper West Side friends and customers yesterday, May 12.

Chad Kimballl, the newly-Tony nominated star of MEMPHIS, is headed to Seth's Broadway Chatterbox this Thursday, May 6th, at 6:00 PM.

On April 26, 2010, Newsweek printed an article entitled ‘Straight Jacket' in which openly gay contributor Ramin Setoodeh questions the believability of gay actors playing straight men. GLEE Creator Ryan Murphy, GLAAD and actors including Kristin Chenoweth, Cheyenne Jackson and Michael Urie have spoken out against the article, calling Setoodeh 'horrendously homophobic' (Chenoweth), an 'asshole' (Jackson) and 'unconscionable' (Urie). Others beyond them have had even more strongly-worded responses.

Stars Joel McHale (Community) and Sofia Vergara (Modern Family) will join Television Academy chairman/CEO John Shaffner on Thursday, July 8 for 5:30 a.m. ceremony, live from Goldensom Theatre in Los Angeles.

The top-rated and quirky comedic drama series on Lifetime TV comes to DVD June 1st when Sony Pictures Home Entertainment debuts Drop Dead Diva: Season One. This unique series from Sony Pictures Television which was a network surprise hit from last summer, stars Brooke Elliott (Broadway's 'Taboo') as a shallow wannabe model who dies in a sudden accident only to find her soul resurfacing in the body of a brilliant, plus-size and recently deceased attorney, Jane. Comedian Margaret Cho (TV's 'All American Girl') also stars in the series which features guest appearances by Rosie O'Donnell (The Rosie O'Donnell Show), Paula Abdul (TV's 'American Idol'), Tim Gunn (TV's 'Project Runway'), Liza Minnelli (Cabaret, Arthur), Sharon Lawrence (TV's 'Monk'), Kathy Najimy (TV's 'King of the Hill'), Delta Burke (TV's 'Designing Women') and Nia Vardalos (My Big Fat Greek Wedding). Drop Dead Diva: Season One contains exclusive bonus content including short films, deleted scenes and all-new behind-the-scenes featurettes. The DVD will be available for $39.95.