Media Morsels 4.29.11

• Farewell, American Idiot
  My beloved American Idiot has ended its Broadway run. While I wasn't able to attend the rocking performance (I was seeing American Idiot alumnus Michael Esper in iHo), reports tell of a glorious final Broadway bow, capped by an hour-long Green Day concert. Take a look at these Broadway.com photos of the final curtain call and then watch the video below, which includes producers Ira Pittleman and Tom Hulce and director Michael Mayer giving their curtain speeches. (Never fear, rage+lovers: American Idiot will go on tour and launch international productions!)
  

• Theatre Award Season Update
  With Tony nominations right around the corner (Tuesday, May 3), theatre award season is in full swing. This week, the Outer Critics Circle, the Drama League and the Astaire Awards nominations were announced. Visit my tumblr for the full list of nominees (taken from Playbill.com), along with my commentary, for the OCC Awards and the Drama League Awards. Visit Playbill.com for Astaire Award nominations, including ones for Aaron Tveit and Sutton Foster, and for the winners of the first annual Off-Broadway Alliance awards. And don't forget to check back on Tuesday for Tony award nominations. (The Tony committee met one last time to determine eligibility. Visit Playbill.com for the full report.) Keep those fingers crossed for Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson! (Stay up to date on theatre award dates by visiting Broadwayworld.com's comprehensive calendar page.)
  
  In addition to the above mentioned awards, today the Drama Desk nominations were announced. You can read the full list of nominees on Playbill.com; I will say that I'm very glad to see See Rock City and Other Destinations represented on this list, and I'm thrilled they're singling out Reed Birney for his continued excellence in the theatre. However, I'm sad to see that Aaron Tveit wasn't nominated for Catch Me.
  
  And, dear readers, it's your turn to vote: Choose your favorites in the Broadway.com Audience Choice Awards. Decisions are made by people who show up - so show up, theatre fans!
  
  
• Boardwalk Empire, Season 2 Tease

• Sorkinese on HBO
  Speaking of great shows on HBO, you may recall that Aaron Sorkin, our modern-day Shakespeare, is writing a pilot for HBO. The show will take place behind the scenes of a 24-hour news channel, a la Sports Night. This week, we learned that the lovely and talented Marisa Tomei might star in the pilot, in a role that will no doubt join the ranks of Dana, CJ and Jordan. According the Playbill.com article, Tomei might be joined by Alison Pill, currently on Broadway in the just-opened revival of House of Blue Leaves.
  
  
• IFC's Top 25 Roles on TV for Women
  Speaking of wonderfully smart and able women, IFC.com counted down their picks for the 25 best TV roles for women. The list includes Patsy from AbFab, Clair Huxtable, Murphy Brown, Angela Chase (My So-Called Life) and Liz Lemon, but it leaves off CJ Cregg!!! That's unconscionable. This list, which also included some chick from Gossip Girl (really?) seems to have favored physically strong female characters, like Buffy, Veronica Mars and Jennifer Garner's Alias character, but it has completely eschewed intelligent, strong-in-character characters, like CJ.
  
  You remember during the Oscar season when Aaron Sorkin pointed to the female nominees and said to his daughter, Roxy, "See? Smart girls have more fun?" Well he writes very smart, capable, funny, dynamic, esteemed women (on TV, see Dana Whitaker, Sports Night, CJ Cregg, The West Wing, and Jordan McDeere, Studio 60) and none of them made this list. What kind of message does that send to women? It's better to physically kick someone's ass than give them a verbal tongue lashing? You blew it, IFC.
  
  What about you, dear readers? Who would you add to the list and who would you leave off? Leave your choices in the comments section below.
  
  
• Review Roundup
  I saw several shows recently, so in case you missed a review, here's a roundup of my recent outings:
• By the Way, Meet Vera Stark
• Jerusalem
• Seance on a Wet Afternoon
• Picked
• The Intelligent Homosexual's Guide to Capitalism and Socialism with a Key to the Scriptures
• Lombardi
• People in the Picture
  
  
• Dig This
• The Book of Mormon original cast recording will be digitally released on May 17
  
  
• NYC Ballet is almost back (the season begins next month) and the Wall Street Journal is taking readers behind the scenes of Seven Deadly Sins, which features a vocal assist from Patti LuPone. And Time Out NY has an in-depth interview with my favorite principal dancer, Robbie Fairchild.
  
  
• Jez Butterworth (who I ran into on the street last week!) talks about writing Jerusalem. (And the play's costar, Mackenzie Crook, recently checked in with Broadway.com.)
  
  
• Catch Me if You Can: the show's first commercial (below); Norbert Leo Butz leading the cast on Letterman; and checking in with Kerry Butler!