Jessica Lewis - Page 260

Reporting from the South Florida Sun Sentinel, Bill Hirschman writes that acting icon Burt Reynolds will re-open the Jupiter Acting Conservatory, a program he once operated in the 1980s and 1990s for hundreds of aspiring actors, many of whom later achieved celebrity. The conservatorty was also a presenter of developmental works, including the original The News, which premiered on Broadway in 1985.

Megan Mullally talks to Metrosource about her upcoming projects, including a new little musical she has in the works, Karen: The Musical.

A third set of presenters has been announced for the 61st Primetime Emmy (R) Awards airing Sunday, Sept. 20, on CBS. Primetime Emmy Award winners Michael J. Fox and Ellen Burstyn along with nominees Jon Cryer, Tracy Morgan and Bob Newhart, in addition to Patricia Arquette, David Boreanaz, Jennifer Love Hewitt, Rob Lowe, Hayden Panettiere, Josh Radnor and Cobie Smulders will present. The telecast will be broadcast live from the NOKIA Theatre in Los Angeles on Sunday, Sept. 20 (8:00-11:00 PM, ET/PT) on the CBS Television Network.

Bye Bye Birdie stars John Stamos (Albert Peterson), Gina Gershon (Rose Alvarez), Bill Irwin (Mr. Harry MacAfee) and Nolan Gerard Funk as 'Conrad Birdie.' Directed and choreographed by Robert Longbottom, with a book by Michael Stewart, music by Charles Strouse and lyrics by Lee Adams. Bye Bye Birdie is now in previews and opens officially on October 15 at the new Henry Miller's Theatre.

In The Breath of Life: Spiced to Perfection, and With Just the Right Blend of Ingredients (Copyright 2009), Len Bourret comments on THE BREATH OF LIFE, premiering at the Westport Country Playhouse on September 29 for a limited run through October 17, starring Jane Alexander and Stockard Channing, with a book by David Hare. Mark Lamos directs.

BYE BYE BIRDIE star Matt Doyle (Hugo) of the Roundabout Theater Company's Broadway revival will take part in Will Van Dyke's concert of new music, 'Life Times,' at The Duplex on Monday, October 12 at 7pm. Lisa Moss directs.

Kathy Griffin, Jennifer Hudson and Cyndi Lauper are among the performers who grace the stage at the VH1 Diva's Live Concert tomorrow, September 17 at 9:00 pm on VH1.

The producers of HAMLET have announced a student rush ticket policy for the acclaimed Donmar Warehouse production, starring Jude Law and directed by Michael Grandage. The production is in previews now at the Broadhurst Theatre, where it opens on October 6.

High School Musical's Corbin Bleu will premiere tonight in the CW's highly anticipated new miniseries, 'The Beautiful Life' also starring Mischa Barton, Elle Macpherson, Sara Paxton and Ben Hollingsworth. Bleu talks to Korbi Ghosh from Zap2It about breaking from his good boy image to play a struggling actor and musician.

National Geographic Entertainment (NGE) has announced the acquisition of worldwide rights to the film 'Blue Man Group: Mind Blast' for distribution to giant-screen, digital and IMAX 3-D and 2-D theaters. The 3-D live-action comedy, slated for release in Spring 2011, will feature an original screenplay and score and will star the group's original cast members. 'Blue Man Group: Mind Blast' is the fourth major film acquisition for NGE this year, following the Sundance hit 'Amreeka,' opening in select cities throughout September; 'City of Life and Death,' which screened this week at the 2009 Toronto Film Festival; and 'The Wildest Dream,' which will be released in 2010 on IMAX and giant screens worldwide and on 35 mm screens in the United States.

The Steppenwolf Theatre Company opens the doors of its Scene Shop for the first time ever at BEHIND THE CURTAIN on Saturday, October 10, 2009, at 7:00 p.m. Guests at this inaugural fundraising event will experience a unique, behind-the-scenes look at Steppenwolf?s backstage production 'secrets.'

Acclaimed puppet artist and director Theodora Skipitares presents her world-premiere play THE TRAVELING PLAYERS - a play-within-a-play focusing on four international female activists who, while enacting excerpts from Euripides' TROJAN WOMEN, share moments from their own struggles -- with previews beginning October 8, prior to an official opening on October 11 at La MaMa Annex in Manhattan.

Rising singer-songwriter and Sire/Warner Bros. recording artist Regina Spektor will join playwright / director Tina Landau (Floyd Collins) and lyricist Michael Korie (Grey Gardens) to create the new musical BEAUTY, to be produced by Elephant Eye Theatrical (Stuart Oken, Michael Leavitt, Five Cent Productions), aiming for the 2011-12 Broadway season, following an out-of-town tryout to be announced. Landau will write the book and direct; Spektor the music, and Korie the lyrics.

It is difficult to imagine a greater fan of the recent Tony Award-winning Passing Strange than Spike Lee. After seeing the show twice in the same weekend during its stint at The Public Theater, Lee's 'nightmare,' he tells Blackbook.com was that 'at some point it was going to close and that it was just all going to all go away.' Hence the inspiration for his new documentary, 'Passing Strange,' which documents the stage show he filmed in July just prior to the show's closing. After winning several awards at Sundance, 'Passing Strange' is now playing at the IFC in New York, on the IFC channel and will soon be broadcast on PBS. Lee sat down this week with original creators Stew and Heidi Rodewald and Blackbook.com to discuss of 'Strange.'

Monica Rizzo of People.com is reporting that in honor of the late Patrick Swayze, Dancing with the Stars participants will perform a special tribute on its Sept. 23 live results show.

On November 1, Michael Feinstein will make his London Palladium debut, appearing there for one night only. He will preview his concert-style show at the Radlett Centre in Hertfordshire on Oct. 29.

Whatsonstage.com reported several West End extensions today, including the blockbuster musicals Wicked and Jersey Boys and plays The 39 Steps and Agatha Christie's The Mousetrap.

Shakespeare's Globe enters the final few weeks of its 2009 theatre season, Young Hearts, having presented an ambitious programme of Shakespeare plays and bold new writing. The season so far has included three main house Shakespeare productions, two world premieres, one revival of a new play and two regional open air tours with over 350,000 people having seen a Globe show this year. A revival of Artistic Director Dominic Dromgoole?s 2007 production of Love?s Labour?s Lost will close the season, before commencing a two month tour of the USA. For the first time ever, Shakespeare?s Globe will open its doors this Christmas with Footsbarn?s Christmas Cracker.

Four local high schools battle it out for the title of ?Christchurch's fastest and funniest in the Theatresports in Schools Senior Finals this Sunday at The Court Theatre.