Professor Bruce Springsteen At the SXSW festival this week, Bruce Springsteen (whose Wrecking Ball is absolutely amazing!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!) gave the key note address, or as he called it, a "key notes" address. The evergreen rock and roller basically took those in attendance on a tour through the history of rock and roll. Even if you're not a Springsteen fan (for shame!), if you're a music fan you'll thrill over this. Hearing The Boss talk about music lets you know that everything's all right. Luckily, NPR recorded the speech and has made it available for those of us who couldn't be in Austin. Head over to NPR.com to listen to the rousing address.
Peter and the Starcatcher As I teased last week, the cast and creative team of Peter and the Starcatcher met the press. This week brought full coverage of the event. Playbill.com, Broadway.com and Broadwayworld.com all have photos, and watch below as directors Alex Timbers (Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson) and Roger Rees (Lord John Marbury to The West Wing fans) and stars Celia Keenan-Bolger (Merrily We Roll Along), Adam Chanler-Berat (Next to Normal) and Christian Borle (TV's Smash) talk about bringing star stuff to Broadway. (And visit Broadwayworld.com and Broadway.com for additional interview videos.) Here's a reason I love this show: Playwright Rick Elice said the directors told him this: "Our only special effect is going to be words." Love it! (Bonus: Over on PeterandtheStarcatcher.com, you can play the highly addictive starcatcher game. After three tries, my high score is 865. What's yours?)
Tony Update While Tony nominations for competitive categories will not be announced until May 1, the Tony Awards Administration Committee did announce this week the recipients of this year's Tony Honors for Excellence in the Theatre. Set to be honored at a Tony Eve cocktail party, the award recipients are Freddie Gershon, who "conceived Music Theatre International's Broadway KIDS/Broadway JR, introducing musical theatre...to elementary and middle schools"; Artie Siccardi, the production supervisor of Arthur Siccardi Theatrical Services who has overseen more than 200 Broadway shows; and TDF Open Doors, the Theatre Development Fund's education program. Visit tonyawards.com to learn more about this year's honorees.
Oscar Update? You thought we were finished with the Oscars, right? Well, we may be finished with the 84th Academy Awards, but there is going to be an 85th: the Academy announced that the annual celebration will take place on Sunday, February 25, 2013, with nominations being announced January 15. And over on ropeofsilicon.com, Brad Brevet is theorizing about which films will contend for Best Picture at the 85th Academy Awards. Among those Brevet thinks might be in contention:
Argo, a Ben Affleck-directed film depicting the behind-the-scenes of the Iran hostage crisis; among others, it stars Affleck, Alan Arkin, John Goodman, Empire Records' Rory Cochrane, theatre veteran Chris Denham (Welcome Home Dean Charbonneau) and Chris Messina.
The Dark Knight Rises (no explanation necessary)
Django Unchained, Quentin Tarantino's latest, starring Leonardo DiCaprio, Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Sascha Baron Cohen
The Gangster Squad, starring Ryan Gosling, Emma Stone and Anthony Mackie
The Great Gatsby, Baz Luhrmann's 3-D adaptation of the F. Scott Fitzgerald novel, which stars Leonardo DiCaprio, Tobey Maguire, Carey Mulligan and Isla Fisher
Inside Llewyn Davis, the latest from the Coen brothers and starring Carey Mulligan and JTims
Les Miserables, starring Hugh Jackman, Russell Crowe, Helena Bonham Carter, Eddie Redmayne, Sascha Baron Cohen and Aaron Tveit
Looper, in which Joseph Gordon-Levitt re-teams with his Brick director, Rian Johnson (who was also at the helm of The Brothers Bloom)
Nero Fiddled, which sees Jesse Eisenberg, Penelope Cruz and others teaming up with Woody Allen
This is Forty, a Judd Apatow flick that is a spin-off (of sorts) of Knocked Up, starring Paul Rudd, Leslie Mann and Albert Brooks
So for those of you keeping score at home, that's four JGL movies, two Leo flicks and lots of other really good pedigree. Get ready for a good year in film!
Leap of Faith Yes, I'm bringing you more Leap of Faith preview videos. I'm so psyched for this show, and I still can't get "Into the Light" out of my head. In these videos from Playbill.com, we get a sneak peek at a few songs (first video) and we get to hear from songwriters Alan Menken and Glenn Slater, director Christopher Ashley and several actors, including Raul Esparza and Jessica Phillips (second video). Visit leapoffaithbroadway.com for more information, to download the title song and to purchase tickets. (Bonus: Find out what Raul Esparza thinks of that wonderful/hideous mirrored jacket.)
"Don't Tread on Us" So says New York Times Op-Ed Columnist Maureen Dowd. In her March 13th column, the esteemed writer focused on the current war against women, and where Secretary of State Hillary Clinton fits in the political landscape. (Or, as a friend of mine put it, "Wherein Maureen reintroduces the nail to the head.") While weighing in, Ms. Dowd makes the case for electing more women as lawmakers. Think about it: if the number of women in Congress, for example, was even remotely proportionate to the number of women populating the US, women's health care and other reproductive rights wouldn't be in jeopardy of being completely obliterated. (If this issue matter to you, or to a woman you love, make your voice heard! Visit rockthevote.com to register to vote (if you're not already) and pledge to vote on November 6!)
Professor Bruce Springsteen
Peter and the Starcatcher
Tony Update
Leap of Faith
"Don't Tread on Us"
More Actors on the Rise
Comments
Post a Comment