Jennifer Aniston won Best Comedy Actress at the 2002 Emmys for the hit laffer “Friends.” Twenty-two years later, she could well pick up an Emmy bookend by winning Best Drama Actress for her starring role as Alex Levy in the acclaimed Apple TV+ series “The Morning Show.” Her rival nominees are: Anna Sawai (“Shōgun”), Imelda Staunton (“The Crown”), Maya Erskine (“Mr. & Mrs. Smith”), Carrie Coon (“The Gilded Age”), and her “The Morning Show” co-star Reese Witherspoon.
Aniston is currently in third place in our odds chart with both Sawai and Staunton ahead of her. Sawai is hoping to win for the first season of “Shōgun,” and she could, theoretically, get taken along for the ride in a “Shōgun” sweep (we expect “Shōgun” to win Best Drama Series). Meanwhile, Staunton is hoping to prevail for the final season of “The Crown” — perhaps voters will get sentimental and want to bid farewell to the lauded show.
Aniston is currently in third place in our odds chart with both Sawai and Staunton ahead of her. Sawai is hoping to win for the first season of “Shōgun,” and she could, theoretically, get taken along for the ride in a “Shōgun” sweep (we expect “Shōgun” to win Best Drama Series). Meanwhile, Staunton is hoping to prevail for the final season of “The Crown” — perhaps voters will get sentimental and want to bid farewell to the lauded show.
- 8/19/2024
- by Jacob Sarkisian
- Gold Derby
Before the age of Primetime Emmy Awards sweeps for comedy “Schitt’s Creek” and drama “The Crown” – a trend that could very well continue this year by either “The Bear” or “Shōgun” – there was “Angels in America.” The HBO miniseries adaptation of the Pulitzer Prize-winning play by Tony Kushner won 11 Emmys back in 2004 and famously took home the prizes in all seven top categories, making it the very first program to do so. This year’s 76th annual ceremony marks the 20th anniversary of the show’s historic night. To celebrate Kushner’s birthday on July 16, let’s flashback to that epic Emmys sweep.
The television adaptation followed just 10 years after the premiere of both plays on Broadway in 1993. Those original productions of “Millennium Approaches” and “Perestroika” nabbed seven Tony Awards combined, including two wins for Best Play, one for director George C. Wolfe, one for actor Ron Liebman as Roy Cohn,...
The television adaptation followed just 10 years after the premiere of both plays on Broadway in 1993. Those original productions of “Millennium Approaches” and “Perestroika” nabbed seven Tony Awards combined, including two wins for Best Play, one for director George C. Wolfe, one for actor Ron Liebman as Roy Cohn,...
- 7/16/2024
- by David Buchanan
- Gold Derby
The musical “Hell’s Kitchen” and the drama “Stereophonic” are leading the nominations with 13 followed closely by the musical “The Outsiders” with 12 for the 77th annual Tony Awards which will be telecast live from Lincoln Center June 16 on Pluto and CBS. The ceremony hosted for the third consecutive year by Oscar-winner Ariana DeBose will also hand out several special Tony Awards.
Two powerhouse directors (and previous Tony winners), George C. Wolfe and Jack O’Brien, are set to receive special Tony Award for Lifetime Achievement in the Theatre. Other special honors will go to sound designer Abe Jacobs, Alex Edelman for his one-man show “Just for Us,” and Nikiya Mathis for her hair and wig design for the Tony nominated “Jaja’s African Hair Braiding.” Among those receiving Tonys for excellence in the theater are the Dramatist Guild Foundation, the Samuel J. Friedman Heath Center for the Performing Arts and the Wilma Theater.
Two powerhouse directors (and previous Tony winners), George C. Wolfe and Jack O’Brien, are set to receive special Tony Award for Lifetime Achievement in the Theatre. Other special honors will go to sound designer Abe Jacobs, Alex Edelman for his one-man show “Just for Us,” and Nikiya Mathis for her hair and wig design for the Tony nominated “Jaja’s African Hair Braiding.” Among those receiving Tonys for excellence in the theater are the Dramatist Guild Foundation, the Samuel J. Friedman Heath Center for the Performing Arts and the Wilma Theater.
- 6/11/2024
- by Susan King
- Gold Derby
“Doctor Who’s” Ncuti Gatwa just faced off against the franchise’s wackiest, most over-the-top villain yet. And that was before they started singing.
Enter “RuPaul’s Drag Race” superstar Jinkx Monsoon as Maestro.
Those familiar with Monsoon’s game wouldn’t expect anything else from her: the beloved two-time “Drag Race” winner is currently taking Broadway by storm, wowing audiences as Audrey in “Little Shop of Horrors” opposite Corbin Bleu. This summer, she will return to “Chicago,” reprising her role as Mama Morton after she became the cast’s first drag performer in 2023.
And she’s not done dreaming big — Monsoon’s still got her sights set on becoming a Disney Villain one day. “I’m available! People know how to get in contact with me. I got a great laugh, and I can sing. I was raised by Ursula the sea witch,” she says.
While Ursula may be her “mother,...
Enter “RuPaul’s Drag Race” superstar Jinkx Monsoon as Maestro.
Those familiar with Monsoon’s game wouldn’t expect anything else from her: the beloved two-time “Drag Race” winner is currently taking Broadway by storm, wowing audiences as Audrey in “Little Shop of Horrors” opposite Corbin Bleu. This summer, she will return to “Chicago,” reprising her role as Mama Morton after she became the cast’s first drag performer in 2023.
And she’s not done dreaming big — Monsoon’s still got her sights set on becoming a Disney Villain one day. “I’m available! People know how to get in contact with me. I got a great laugh, and I can sing. I was raised by Ursula the sea witch,” she says.
While Ursula may be her “mother,...
- 5/10/2024
- by Jazz Tangcay and Katcy Stephan
- Variety Film + TV
It started simply enough, with a discussion building on X (formerly Twitter) about why the Tina Fey-created “30 Rock” hasn’t seemed to generate the same warm nostalgia that “The Office” and, to a lesser extent, “Parks and Recreation” have in the decade since their 2000s into 2010s runs. That’s despite the show — which ran for seven seasons from 2006 to 2013 on NBC and won 16 Emmys including three Outstanding Comedy Series awards — being noted for the quality and density of its joke-writing
One take that caught on was Quinton Hoover noting that, while “30 Rock” is the funniest, its lead Liz Lemon (played by Tina Fey) “is much less inherently relatable than people working mundane and mostly pointless jobs out of necessity for a decade.” In the show, Lemon is the head writer for a sketch comedy series on NBC, inspired by Fey’s time as head writer for “Saturday Night Live.
One take that caught on was Quinton Hoover noting that, while “30 Rock” is the funniest, its lead Liz Lemon (played by Tina Fey) “is much less inherently relatable than people working mundane and mostly pointless jobs out of necessity for a decade.” In the show, Lemon is the head writer for a sketch comedy series on NBC, inspired by Fey’s time as head writer for “Saturday Night Live.
- 12/24/2023
- by Mike Roe
- The Wrap
George C. Wolfe is one of the great storytellers of the stage and screen, which is why it was only fitting that the writer and director of theatrical and film productions was at last month’s Scad Savannah Film Festival to collect its Storyteller Award. Following a screening of his latest motion picture, Rustin — which tells the story of Bayard Rustin, the gay civil rights activist who organized the 1963 March on Washington, and is now streaming on Netflix — Wolfe joined yours truly in the Lucas Theatre to record an episode of The Hollywood Reporter’s Awards Chatter podcast.
Wolfe, 69, is known as a playwright for writing 1986’s The Colored Museum and co-writing 1992’s Jelly’s Last Jam. He also gained recognition as a theater director for the original Broadway productions of Angels in America: Millennium Approaches and Angels in America: Perestroika and a host of Broadway musicals, like 1996’s Bring in ’da Noise,...
Wolfe, 69, is known as a playwright for writing 1986’s The Colored Museum and co-writing 1992’s Jelly’s Last Jam. He also gained recognition as a theater director for the original Broadway productions of Angels in America: Millennium Approaches and Angels in America: Perestroika and a host of Broadway musicals, like 1996’s Bring in ’da Noise,...
- 11/14/2023
- by Scott Feinberg
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Patti LuPone — the Tony-winning, brassy Broadway legend with a penchant for strong opinions — let everyone know exactly how she feels about Abba and their hit “Mamma Mia!” musical in a new joint interview with Nathan Lane on Wednesdsay.
To hear her tell it on “The A24 Podcast,” LuPone has never even seen “Mamma Mia!” on stage or on film out of protest against the Swedish pop supergroup of 1970s fame.
“I’ve never seen ‘Mamma Mia!’ I’ve never seen any of the movies. Every time their music’s on, I turn it off,” LuPone said, detailing her hatred for the band. “I protest them.”
“How can you hate Abba?” Nathan Lane asked, shocked.
Turns out, it has to do with LuPone love of rock ‘n’ roll from the same era. The pop-dance stylings of members Agnetha Fältskog, Björn Ulvaeus, Benny Andersson and Anni-Frid Lyngstad just never sat right with her.
To hear her tell it on “The A24 Podcast,” LuPone has never even seen “Mamma Mia!” on stage or on film out of protest against the Swedish pop supergroup of 1970s fame.
“I’ve never seen ‘Mamma Mia!’ I’ve never seen any of the movies. Every time their music’s on, I turn it off,” LuPone said, detailing her hatred for the band. “I protest them.”
“How can you hate Abba?” Nathan Lane asked, shocked.
Turns out, it has to do with LuPone love of rock ‘n’ roll from the same era. The pop-dance stylings of members Agnetha Fältskog, Björn Ulvaeus, Benny Andersson and Anni-Frid Lyngstad just never sat right with her.
- 10/18/2023
- by Benjamin Lindsay
- The Wrap
Exclusive: Shadowhunters alumna Katherine McNamara has signed with Independent Artist Group for representation.
McNamara is maybe best known for her starring role as Clary Fray on all three seasons of Freeform’s Shadowhunters, based on the bestselling The Mortal Instruments novels. She most recently starred as the title character of Abby Walker in CW’s Walker: Independence and in Charlie Day’s directorial debut film Fool’s Paradise starring Day, Ken Jeong, Kate Beckinsale and Adrien Brody.
McNamara also starred in the CW’s Arrow as Mia Smoak Queen (aka Blackstar/ Green Arrow). She
was recently seen in Paramount+ miniseries The Stand, opposite James Marsden, Whoopi Goldberg and Alexander Skarsgaard, as well as the independent feature Finding You opposite Vanessa Redgrave. She originated the role of Sonya in the second Maze Runner film The Scorch Trials, and she reprised the role in Maze Runner: The Death Cure alongside Dylan O’Brien and...
McNamara is maybe best known for her starring role as Clary Fray on all three seasons of Freeform’s Shadowhunters, based on the bestselling The Mortal Instruments novels. She most recently starred as the title character of Abby Walker in CW’s Walker: Independence and in Charlie Day’s directorial debut film Fool’s Paradise starring Day, Ken Jeong, Kate Beckinsale and Adrien Brody.
McNamara also starred in the CW’s Arrow as Mia Smoak Queen (aka Blackstar/ Green Arrow). She
was recently seen in Paramount+ miniseries The Stand, opposite James Marsden, Whoopi Goldberg and Alexander Skarsgaard, as well as the independent feature Finding You opposite Vanessa Redgrave. She originated the role of Sonya in the second Maze Runner film The Scorch Trials, and she reprised the role in Maze Runner: The Death Cure alongside Dylan O’Brien and...
- 9/8/2023
- by Denise Petski
- Deadline Film + TV
Sharon Farrell, who starred in many films in her long career in Hollywood, including opposite James Garner and Steve McQueen in the 1969 films ‘Marlowe’ and ‘The Reivers’ respectively, has died. She was 82. Farrell died on May 15 of natural causes at a hospital in Orange County. Her death was only recently discovered by relatives, who posted the news to Facebook, but they were unsure of the cause, as per Deadline.
Farrell had an extensive resume, but is best remembered for the film ‘It’s Alive’, in which she played the mother of a murderous deformed infant.
She also had roles in the films ‘The Stunt Man’, ‘Lone Wolf McQuade’, and ‘Can’t Buy Me Love’ (1987).
In the horror thriller ‘It’s Alive’ (1974), written and directed by Larry Cohen and featuring special effects make-up from Rick Baker, Farrell’s Lenore Davis tries to protect the hideously deformed child she just had, even though the infant...
Farrell had an extensive resume, but is best remembered for the film ‘It’s Alive’, in which she played the mother of a murderous deformed infant.
She also had roles in the films ‘The Stunt Man’, ‘Lone Wolf McQuade’, and ‘Can’t Buy Me Love’ (1987).
In the horror thriller ‘It’s Alive’ (1974), written and directed by Larry Cohen and featuring special effects make-up from Rick Baker, Farrell’s Lenore Davis tries to protect the hideously deformed child she just had, even though the infant...
- 8/6/2023
- by Agency News Desk
- GlamSham
Sharon Farrell, who starred as the mother of a murderous infant in It’s Alive and contributed strong supporting turns opposite James Garner and Steve McQueen, respectively, in the 1969 films Marlowe and The Reivers, has died. She was 82.
Farrell died unexpectedly May 15 of natural causes at a hospital in Orange County, her son, Chance Boyer, told The Hollywood Reporter.
Farrell also played a movie hairstylist in Richard Rush‘s The Stunt Man (1980), the ex-wife of Chuck Norris’ Texas Ranger in Lone Wolf McQuade (1983) and the mother of the cheerleader portrayed by Amanda Peterson in Can’t Buy Me Love (1987).
On television, Farrell recurred as Det. Lori Wilson on the final season (1979-80) of CBS’ Hawaii Five-o and was Florence Webster, mother of Tricia Cast’s Nina Webster, on the CBS soap opera The Young and the Restless from 1991-97.
In the horror thriller It’s Alive (1974), written and directed by Larry Cohen and...
Farrell died unexpectedly May 15 of natural causes at a hospital in Orange County, her son, Chance Boyer, told The Hollywood Reporter.
Farrell also played a movie hairstylist in Richard Rush‘s The Stunt Man (1980), the ex-wife of Chuck Norris’ Texas Ranger in Lone Wolf McQuade (1983) and the mother of the cheerleader portrayed by Amanda Peterson in Can’t Buy Me Love (1987).
On television, Farrell recurred as Det. Lori Wilson on the final season (1979-80) of CBS’ Hawaii Five-o and was Florence Webster, mother of Tricia Cast’s Nina Webster, on the CBS soap opera The Young and the Restless from 1991-97.
In the horror thriller It’s Alive (1974), written and directed by Larry Cohen and...
- 8/5/2023
- by Mike Barnes
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Is “Law and Order” on tonight? No. NBC’s long-running crime drama aired its Season 22 finale on Thursday, May 18, 2023. It also happened to be the 400th episode featuring Sam Waterston as District Attorney Jack McCoy. A 23rd season has been ordered, but it is not yet known when it will debut because of the writers’ strike. Read on for everything to know about “Law & Order.”
Who are the current “Law & Order” cast members?
As always, the show’s six main cast members are evenly divided into three “Law” characters — Jeffrey Donovan as Senior Detective Frank Cosgrove, Mehcad Brooks as Junior Detective Jalen Shaw and Camryn Manheim as Lieutenant Kate Dixon — and three “Order” characters — Hugh Dancy as Executive Assistant District Attorney Nolan Price, Odelya Halevi as Assistant District Attorney Samantha Maroun and Sam Waterston as District Attorney Jack McCoy.
What time and channel is “Law & Order” on tonight?...
Who are the current “Law & Order” cast members?
As always, the show’s six main cast members are evenly divided into three “Law” characters — Jeffrey Donovan as Senior Detective Frank Cosgrove, Mehcad Brooks as Junior Detective Jalen Shaw and Camryn Manheim as Lieutenant Kate Dixon — and three “Order” characters — Hugh Dancy as Executive Assistant District Attorney Nolan Price, Odelya Halevi as Assistant District Attorney Samantha Maroun and Sam Waterston as District Attorney Jack McCoy.
What time and channel is “Law & Order” on tonight?...
- 5/25/2023
- by Marcus James Dixon
- Gold Derby
Harry Belafonte, the actor, producer, singer and activist who made calypso music a national phenomenon with “Day-o” (The Banana Boat Song) and used his considerable stardom to draw attention to Martin Luther King Jr., civil rights issues and injustices around the world, has died. He was 96.
Belafonte, recipient of the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences in 2014, died Tuesday of congestive heart failure at his Manhattan home on the Upper West Side with his wife, Pamela, by his side, longtime spokesman Ken Sunshine told The Hollywood Reporter.
A master at blending pop, jazz and traditional West Indian rhythms, the Caribbean-American Belafonte released more than 30 albums during his career and received a Lifetime Achievement Grammy from the Recording Academy in 2000.
Calypso, which featured “Day-o” and another hit, “Jamaica Farewell,” topped the Billboard pop album list for an incredible 31 weeks in 1956 and is credited as...
Belafonte, recipient of the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences in 2014, died Tuesday of congestive heart failure at his Manhattan home on the Upper West Side with his wife, Pamela, by his side, longtime spokesman Ken Sunshine told The Hollywood Reporter.
A master at blending pop, jazz and traditional West Indian rhythms, the Caribbean-American Belafonte released more than 30 albums during his career and received a Lifetime Achievement Grammy from the Recording Academy in 2000.
Calypso, which featured “Day-o” and another hit, “Jamaica Farewell,” topped the Billboard pop album list for an incredible 31 weeks in 1956 and is credited as...
- 4/25/2023
- by Mike Barnes
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Iconic actor, musician, and lifelong activist Harry Belafonte has died at the age of 96. The cause, per his longtime spokesman Ken Sunshine, was congestive heart failure.
Belafonte’s singing shaped a musical consciousness for generations of Americans, from traditional folk music and spirituals to Caribbean calypso and protest songs. His acting in films such as “Carmen Jones” and “Odds Against Tomorrow” won praise and helped pave the way for Black performers who would follow. And his activism took him to the front lines of the civil rights movement, where he marched with Martin Luther King Jr., lobbied for the release of an imprisoned Nelson Mandela, and joined other stars to raise money for famine relief on the African continent. Realizing from an early age the power of celebrity to advance social change, Belafonte was among the rare few to have been equally entrenched in the worlds of entertainment and politics with genuine results to spare.
Belafonte’s singing shaped a musical consciousness for generations of Americans, from traditional folk music and spirituals to Caribbean calypso and protest songs. His acting in films such as “Carmen Jones” and “Odds Against Tomorrow” won praise and helped pave the way for Black performers who would follow. And his activism took him to the front lines of the civil rights movement, where he marched with Martin Luther King Jr., lobbied for the release of an imprisoned Nelson Mandela, and joined other stars to raise money for famine relief on the African continent. Realizing from an early age the power of celebrity to advance social change, Belafonte was among the rare few to have been equally entrenched in the worlds of entertainment and politics with genuine results to spare.
- 4/25/2023
- by Tambay Obenson
- Indiewire
Jane Fonda went down memory lane on The Drew Barrymore Show remembering films from her acting career. When an image of the 2005 rom-com Monster-in-Law came up, Fonda recalled the infamous slap scene opposite Jennifer Lopez that left her with an injury.
“The thing that comes to mind right away is we have a slapping scene – I slap her, she slaps me…,” Fonda recalled. “Well Jennifer, as per Jennifer, she had this enormous diamond ring and so when she slapped me one of the times it cut open across my eye – my eyebrow.”
Fonda continued, “And she’s never apologized.”
Monster-in-Law was directed by Robert Luketic and written by Anya Kochoff about aspiring fashion designer Charlie (Lopez) who has to face her mother-in-law played by Fonda who will do anything to ruin her relationship with her son. The film marked Fonda’s return to the movies after a 15-year absence since...
“The thing that comes to mind right away is we have a slapping scene – I slap her, she slaps me…,” Fonda recalled. “Well Jennifer, as per Jennifer, she had this enormous diamond ring and so when she slapped me one of the times it cut open across my eye – my eyebrow.”
Fonda continued, “And she’s never apologized.”
Monster-in-Law was directed by Robert Luketic and written by Anya Kochoff about aspiring fashion designer Charlie (Lopez) who has to face her mother-in-law played by Fonda who will do anything to ruin her relationship with her son. The film marked Fonda’s return to the movies after a 15-year absence since...
- 3/26/2023
- by Armando Tinoco
- Deadline Film + TV
Gayle King, co-host of “CBS Mornings” and editor-at-large of Oprah Daily, received the Walter Cronkite Award for Excellence in Journalism from Arizona State University on Tuesday at a ceremony in Phoenix.
Since 1984, the honor has been reserved for accomplished journalists who have demonstrated exemplary leadership skills. The award is named after the late Walter Cronkite, who anchored CBS Evening News for nearly two decades. Previous recipients include Al Roker, Anderson Cooper, Bob Woodward and more.
“Gayle King’s career and accomplishments are remarkable, and her professionalism embodies everything that Walter Cronkite valued in journalism,” said Battinto L. Batts Jr, dean of Asu’s Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication. “Her approach to covering important events and interviewing politicians, leaders and celebrities is unparalleled. It’s an honor to present Gayle with this prestigious award.”
The three-time Emmy winner’s work has led her to cover pivotal moments in national history,...
Since 1984, the honor has been reserved for accomplished journalists who have demonstrated exemplary leadership skills. The award is named after the late Walter Cronkite, who anchored CBS Evening News for nearly two decades. Previous recipients include Al Roker, Anderson Cooper, Bob Woodward and more.
“Gayle King’s career and accomplishments are remarkable, and her professionalism embodies everything that Walter Cronkite valued in journalism,” said Battinto L. Batts Jr, dean of Asu’s Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication. “Her approach to covering important events and interviewing politicians, leaders and celebrities is unparalleled. It’s an honor to present Gayle with this prestigious award.”
The three-time Emmy winner’s work has led her to cover pivotal moments in national history,...
- 2/22/2023
- by Katie Reul and Julia MacCary
- Variety Film + TV
Stephen Greif, who is known for playing Speaker of the House Sir Bernard Weatherill on Season 4 of “The Crown,” has died at 78.
“With great sadness we announce the death of our wonderful client Stephen Greif,” the English actor’s rep Michelle Braidman Associates tweeted Monday. “We will miss him dearly and our thoughts are with his family and friends.”
With great sadness we announce the death of our wonderful client Stephen Greif.
His extensive career included numerous roles on screen and stage, including at the National Theatre, RSC and in the West End.
We will miss him dearly and our thoughts are with his family and friends x pic.twitter.com/sYcwILCvNr
— Michelle Braidman Associates (@TeamBraidman) December 26, 2022
Greif was born on Aug. 26, 1944, in Highgate, London. He is survived by two sons.
Also Read:
Dax Tejera, Executive Producer of ABC’s ‘This Week,’ Dies at 37
Greif’s extensive career included numerous roles on screen and stage,...
“With great sadness we announce the death of our wonderful client Stephen Greif,” the English actor’s rep Michelle Braidman Associates tweeted Monday. “We will miss him dearly and our thoughts are with his family and friends.”
With great sadness we announce the death of our wonderful client Stephen Greif.
His extensive career included numerous roles on screen and stage, including at the National Theatre, RSC and in the West End.
We will miss him dearly and our thoughts are with his family and friends x pic.twitter.com/sYcwILCvNr
— Michelle Braidman Associates (@TeamBraidman) December 26, 2022
Greif was born on Aug. 26, 1944, in Highgate, London. He is survived by two sons.
Also Read:
Dax Tejera, Executive Producer of ABC’s ‘This Week,’ Dies at 37
Greif’s extensive career included numerous roles on screen and stage,...
- 12/27/2022
- by Lucas Manfredi
- The Wrap
Click here to read the full article.
Veteran British theater actor Stephen Greif has died at the age of 78.
His death was announced online on Monday by his representatives at Michelle Braidman Associates. “With great sadness we announce the death of our wonderful client Stephen Greif. His extensive career included numerous roles on screen and stage, including at the National Theatre, RSC and in the West End. We will miss him dearly and our thoughts are with his family and friends,” the statement on the talent agency’s Twitter site read.
Greif played House of Commons Speaker Sir Bernard Weatherill in the fourth season of The Crown in 2020. And the British actor was also known for his performance as space commander Travis in Blake’s 7, a sci-fi series that ran from 1978 to 1981.
Greif was born on Aug. 26, 1944 in Sawbridgeworth, Herts at a nursing home that at one time was a residence for Anne Boleyn,...
Veteran British theater actor Stephen Greif has died at the age of 78.
His death was announced online on Monday by his representatives at Michelle Braidman Associates. “With great sadness we announce the death of our wonderful client Stephen Greif. His extensive career included numerous roles on screen and stage, including at the National Theatre, RSC and in the West End. We will miss him dearly and our thoughts are with his family and friends,” the statement on the talent agency’s Twitter site read.
Greif played House of Commons Speaker Sir Bernard Weatherill in the fourth season of The Crown in 2020. And the British actor was also known for his performance as space commander Travis in Blake’s 7, a sci-fi series that ran from 1978 to 1981.
Greif was born on Aug. 26, 1944 in Sawbridgeworth, Herts at a nursing home that at one time was a residence for Anne Boleyn,...
- 12/27/2022
- by Etan Vlessing
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
For over fifty years, Robert De Niro has stood atop the acting profession. The man behind countless iconic roles, who has made his mark on cinema history starring in some of the greatest films of all time, De Niro has had the sort of career that young actors dream of. His accolades include two Oscars, a Screen Actors Guild Lifetime Achievement Award, and even the Presidential Medal of Freedom. There's no denying that De Niro's career has been nothing short of marvelous.
De Niro's success has not been by luck or accident. He's an extremely skilled performer, capable of portraying a great range of characters, from a ruthless mafia boss in "Goodfellas" to an obsessive wannabe comedian in "The King of Comedy." No matter the role, De Niro has a way of putting on extremely layered and complex performances. His acting is so respected that entire books have been written about it.
De Niro's success has not been by luck or accident. He's an extremely skilled performer, capable of portraying a great range of characters, from a ruthless mafia boss in "Goodfellas" to an obsessive wannabe comedian in "The King of Comedy." No matter the role, De Niro has a way of putting on extremely layered and complex performances. His acting is so respected that entire books have been written about it.
- 11/24/2022
- by Matt Rainis
- Slash Film
Producer-director Michael Curtiz’s femme fatale noir has a lot going for it — high production values, VistaVision, and new film talent in Tom Tryon, Carol Ohmart, Elaine Stritch & Jody Lawrance. Excellent location shooting and a Nat King Cole song provide authentic Los Angeles atmosphere. But the storyline is ten years out of date. The advertising promoted Ms. Ohmart as a new ’50s sex symbol. She may have caught fire, but the show didn’t.
The Scarlet Hour
Region free Blu-ray
Viavision [Imprint] #152
1956 / B&w / 1:85 widescreen / 95 min. / Street Date August 31, 2022 / Available from Amazon Au / 39.95; / Available from Viavision / 39.95
Starring: Carol Ohmart, Tom Tryon, Jody Lawrance, James Gregory, Elaine Stritch, E.G. Marshall, Edward Binns, David Lewis, Billy Gray, Jacques Aubuchon, Scott Marlowe, Nat ‘King’ Cole, Richard Deacon, Benson Fong, Theron Jackson, Almira Sessions.
Cinematography: Lionel Lindon
Costumes: Edith Head
Art Directors: Hal Pereira, Tambi Larsen
Film Editor: Everett Douglas
Original Music: Leith Stevens...
The Scarlet Hour
Region free Blu-ray
Viavision [Imprint] #152
1956 / B&w / 1:85 widescreen / 95 min. / Street Date August 31, 2022 / Available from Amazon Au / 39.95; / Available from Viavision / 39.95
Starring: Carol Ohmart, Tom Tryon, Jody Lawrance, James Gregory, Elaine Stritch, E.G. Marshall, Edward Binns, David Lewis, Billy Gray, Jacques Aubuchon, Scott Marlowe, Nat ‘King’ Cole, Richard Deacon, Benson Fong, Theron Jackson, Almira Sessions.
Cinematography: Lionel Lindon
Costumes: Edith Head
Art Directors: Hal Pereira, Tambi Larsen
Film Editor: Everett Douglas
Original Music: Leith Stevens...
- 9/20/2022
- by Glenn Erickson
- Trailers from Hell
Mark Miller, the prolific actor and screenwriter writer best known for Please Don’t Eat The Daisies and Guestward, Ho! has died. His daughter, actress Penelope Ann Miller, confirmed the news on Twitter. He was 97.
Miller portrayed college professor Jim Nash on Please Don’t Eat the Daisies, which ran from 1965-1967 and then in syndication. The NBC-MGM sitcom, which ran for 58 half-hour episodes, was loosely based on the theatrical film of the same name starring Doris Day and David Niven. The series did well initially, but its ratings took a hit in Season 2 when it was moved opposite The Jackie Gleason Show.
Miller had substantial runs on other big shows, most notably Desilu’s Guestward Ho! on ABC in 1960. He played one half of a New York City couple, the Hootens, who relocate to a dude ranch in New Mexico. Guestward Ho! ran for one season alongside The Donna Reed Show on Thursday evenings.
Miller portrayed college professor Jim Nash on Please Don’t Eat the Daisies, which ran from 1965-1967 and then in syndication. The NBC-MGM sitcom, which ran for 58 half-hour episodes, was loosely based on the theatrical film of the same name starring Doris Day and David Niven. The series did well initially, but its ratings took a hit in Season 2 when it was moved opposite The Jackie Gleason Show.
Miller had substantial runs on other big shows, most notably Desilu’s Guestward Ho! on ABC in 1960. He played one half of a New York City couple, the Hootens, who relocate to a dude ranch in New Mexico. Guestward Ho! ran for one season alongside The Donna Reed Show on Thursday evenings.
- 9/14/2022
- by Tom Tapp
- Deadline Film + TV
Click here to read the full article.
Mark Miller, who portrayed the patriarch of a castle-dwelling family on the 1960s NBC sitcom Please Don’t Eat the Daisies and co-wrote the Keanu Reeves-starring romantic drama A Walk in the Clouds, has died. He was 97.
Miler died Friday in Santa Monica of natural causes, a family spokesperson announced. Survivors include his daughter and Tony-nominated actress Penelope Ann Miller.
Miller also wrote, produced and starred in the classic family film Savannah Smiles (1982), which was inspired by and named for his youngest daughter. It’s the story of a runaway girl (Bridgette Andersen) who forms an improvised family with the two escaped convicts (Miller, Donovan Scott) who find her.
On Please Don’t Eat the Daisies, which aired for two seasons and 58 episodes from 1965-67, the native Texan played college professor Jim Nash opposite Patricia Crowley as newspaper writer Joan Nash. They are the...
Mark Miller, who portrayed the patriarch of a castle-dwelling family on the 1960s NBC sitcom Please Don’t Eat the Daisies and co-wrote the Keanu Reeves-starring romantic drama A Walk in the Clouds, has died. He was 97.
Miler died Friday in Santa Monica of natural causes, a family spokesperson announced. Survivors include his daughter and Tony-nominated actress Penelope Ann Miller.
Miller also wrote, produced and starred in the classic family film Savannah Smiles (1982), which was inspired by and named for his youngest daughter. It’s the story of a runaway girl (Bridgette Andersen) who forms an improvised family with the two escaped convicts (Miller, Donovan Scott) who find her.
On Please Don’t Eat the Daisies, which aired for two seasons and 58 episodes from 1965-67, the native Texan played college professor Jim Nash opposite Patricia Crowley as newspaper writer Joan Nash. They are the...
- 9/14/2022
- by Mike Barnes
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Click here to read the full article.
Pat Carroll, the gregarious Emmy-winning comedienne who was a television mainstay for decades before segueing to a voiceover career that included portraying the villainous sea witch Ursula in The Little Mermaid, has died. She was 95.
Carroll died Saturday of pneumonia at her home in Cape Cod, Massachusetts, her daughter Kerry Karsian told The Hollywood Reporter.
Carroll’s perky personality, screwball wit and impeccable timing made her a great second banana, and Red Buttons, Jimmy Durante, Mickey Rooney, Steve Allen and Charley Weaver were among those who called upon her to make their programs funnier. Her antics on Caesar’s Hour earned her an Emmy in 1957, and she was nominated for her work on the classic variety show the following year.
In a 2013 interview with Kliph Nesteroff, Carroll compared Howard Morris, Carl Reiner and Sid Caesar on Caesar’s Hour to the Chicago Cubs’ legendary double-play...
Pat Carroll, the gregarious Emmy-winning comedienne who was a television mainstay for decades before segueing to a voiceover career that included portraying the villainous sea witch Ursula in The Little Mermaid, has died. She was 95.
Carroll died Saturday of pneumonia at her home in Cape Cod, Massachusetts, her daughter Kerry Karsian told The Hollywood Reporter.
Carroll’s perky personality, screwball wit and impeccable timing made her a great second banana, and Red Buttons, Jimmy Durante, Mickey Rooney, Steve Allen and Charley Weaver were among those who called upon her to make their programs funnier. Her antics on Caesar’s Hour earned her an Emmy in 1957, and she was nominated for her work on the classic variety show the following year.
In a 2013 interview with Kliph Nesteroff, Carroll compared Howard Morris, Carl Reiner and Sid Caesar on Caesar’s Hour to the Chicago Cubs’ legendary double-play...
- 7/31/2022
- by Chris Koseluk
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Sharon Stone won the Best Drama Guest Actress Emmy for “The Practice” in 2004 and if her guest appearance on “The Flight Attendant” takes flight with voters this year, she could join a select group of stars who’ve won both comedy and drama guest actress categories.
Since the current guest categories were stablished in 1989, only two women have managed to conquer both genres: Cloris Leachman and Elaine Stritch. Leachman nabbed two comedy guest actress statuettes in 2002 and 2006 for “Malcolm in the Middle” and a drama guest actress trophy in 1998 for “Promised Land” (she also won the very first guest actress award — when the category was known as Outstanding Single Performance by a Supporting Actress in a Comedy or Drama Series — in 1975 for “The Mary Tyler Moore Show” in a tie with “Kojak’s” Zohra Lampert). Stritch has one win in each category for “30 Rock” in 2007 and “Law & Order...
Since the current guest categories were stablished in 1989, only two women have managed to conquer both genres: Cloris Leachman and Elaine Stritch. Leachman nabbed two comedy guest actress statuettes in 2002 and 2006 for “Malcolm in the Middle” and a drama guest actress trophy in 1998 for “Promised Land” (she also won the very first guest actress award — when the category was known as Outstanding Single Performance by a Supporting Actress in a Comedy or Drama Series — in 1975 for “The Mary Tyler Moore Show” in a tie with “Kojak’s” Zohra Lampert). Stritch has one win in each category for “30 Rock” in 2007 and “Law & Order...
- 7/2/2022
- by Joyce Eng
- Gold Derby
After almost five decades on the Broadway stage, Patti LuPone has won her third Tony Award for her featured performance in director Marianne Elliott’s revival of Stephen Sondheim’s “Company.” She takes on the role of Joanne, originated and made famous by Elaine Stritch, whose rousing number “The Ladies Who Lunch” is one of the most famous in the American theatrical canon.
LuPone has performed the number on numerous occasions in the past decade. At Sondheim’s 80th birthday concert, she belted out the song while sharing a stage with Stritch herself, and she later played Joanne in a New York Philharmonic concert production of “Company” starring Neil Patrick Harris as Bobby; this production has reinvented the show with a female Bobbie at its center, played by Katrina Lenk. After swearing off performing in another musical after “War Paint” in 2017 due to how physically taxing they are, Elliott persuaded...
LuPone has performed the number on numerous occasions in the past decade. At Sondheim’s 80th birthday concert, she belted out the song while sharing a stage with Stritch herself, and she later played Joanne in a New York Philharmonic concert production of “Company” starring Neil Patrick Harris as Bobby; this production has reinvented the show with a female Bobbie at its center, played by Katrina Lenk. After swearing off performing in another musical after “War Paint” in 2017 due to how physically taxing they are, Elliott persuaded...
- 6/13/2022
- by David Buchanan
- Gold Derby
“Nothing is impossible,” remarked Patti LuPone in 1980 just moments after receiving the Tony Award for her performance in “Evita.” The role transformed the actress into a Broadway sensation, and now 42 years later she could pick up the third Tony of her career for her featured performance in “Company,” a revival of Stephen Sondheim’s momentous 1970 musical that reimagines the show with a woman at its center — Katrina Lenk‘s Bobbie — rather than the original male Bobby. Below, see a list of all eight of Patti LuPone’s Tony nominations and her two wins.
See ‘Company’ returns to Broadway reimagined in a ‘sublime’ production that honors the late Stephen Sondheim’s ‘indelible’ score
LuPone leads the Featured Actress in a Musical race for her sensational turn as Joanne, the acerbic character who sings the anthem “The Ladies Who Lunch.” The actress has had a long history with the character and this legendary song in particular.
See ‘Company’ returns to Broadway reimagined in a ‘sublime’ production that honors the late Stephen Sondheim’s ‘indelible’ score
LuPone leads the Featured Actress in a Musical race for her sensational turn as Joanne, the acerbic character who sings the anthem “The Ladies Who Lunch.” The actress has had a long history with the character and this legendary song in particular.
- 6/9/2022
- by David Buchanan
- Gold Derby
What do the 25th and 75th Tony Awards have in common? The landmark Stephen Sondheim/George Furth musical “Company,” Angela Lansbury and the beloved tuner “The Music Man.”
The gender-bender revival of “Company” is considered the front-runner for the Tony for Best Musical Revival as well as featured actress for Broadway legend Patti LuPone who brings down the house with “Ladies Who Lunch.” Elaine Stritch originated the LuPone’s character of Joanne; her rendition of “Ladies Who Lunch” is considered one of the indelible show-stopping numbers in Broadway history. Stritch was considered a shoo-in for lead actress but lost to Helen Gallagher for the revival of -the 1920s musical “No, No Nanette.” Go figure. Gallagher was good, but she wasn’t as great as Stritch.
The original “Company” waltzed into the Tony Awards — which took place at the Palace Theatre on March 28, 1971 — with a whopping 14 nominations and won six including Best Musical,...
The gender-bender revival of “Company” is considered the front-runner for the Tony for Best Musical Revival as well as featured actress for Broadway legend Patti LuPone who brings down the house with “Ladies Who Lunch.” Elaine Stritch originated the LuPone’s character of Joanne; her rendition of “Ladies Who Lunch” is considered one of the indelible show-stopping numbers in Broadway history. Stritch was considered a shoo-in for lead actress but lost to Helen Gallagher for the revival of -the 1920s musical “No, No Nanette.” Go figure. Gallagher was good, but she wasn’t as great as Stritch.
The original “Company” waltzed into the Tony Awards — which took place at the Palace Theatre on March 28, 1971 — with a whopping 14 nominations and won six including Best Musical,...
- 6/1/2022
- by Susan King
- Gold Derby
From West Side Story through Bye Bye Birdie, from Chicago to Kiss of the Spider Woman, one actor has been a constant – Chita Rivera.
Now, the two-time Tony winners is recapping her Broadway career for HarperOne, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers, which announced her memoir today. The book, publication release date set for early 2023 and title to be determined, will also be published simultaneously by Harper Español. Rivera will be writing with Emmy-winning TV commentator and arts journalist Patrick Pacheco.
Lisa Sharkey, SVP director of creative development, HarperCollins Publishers, acquired North American rights for English and World for Spanish, first serial, and audio from Mel Berger at WME. The book will have Rakesh Satyal as executive editor, HarperOne Publishing Group, and will be edited with HarperEspañol editor Ariana Rosado-Fernández.
Rivera is one of the most nominated actors in Tony Awards history, garnering 10 bids during her long career. She plans to...
Now, the two-time Tony winners is recapping her Broadway career for HarperOne, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers, which announced her memoir today. The book, publication release date set for early 2023 and title to be determined, will also be published simultaneously by Harper Español. Rivera will be writing with Emmy-winning TV commentator and arts journalist Patrick Pacheco.
Lisa Sharkey, SVP director of creative development, HarperCollins Publishers, acquired North American rights for English and World for Spanish, first serial, and audio from Mel Berger at WME. The book will have Rakesh Satyal as executive editor, HarperOne Publishing Group, and will be edited with HarperEspañol editor Ariana Rosado-Fernández.
Rivera is one of the most nominated actors in Tony Awards history, garnering 10 bids during her long career. She plans to...
- 1/28/2022
- by Bruce Haring
- Deadline Film + TV
Leonard Soloway, whose six-decade career as a stage general manager and producer included 59 Broadway shows that won more than 40 Tony Awards, died Saturday in Palm Springs, California. He was 93.
His death was announced on Facebook by his nephew Jeffrey Lesser. “He was a huge presence in my life and so many others,” Lesser wrote. “With him goes an era of old Broadway that is dying out. He lived an amazing and full life and brought so many of us along for the ride.”
Soloway, whose life and career was chronicled in the 2019 documentary Leonard Soloway’s Broadway, had a hand in dozens of Broadway’s most notable productions since the 1960s, from his job as house or general manager for 1961’s How To Succeed in Business Without Really Trying, 1967’s one-woman show Marlene Dietrich, the 1976 revival of Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? starring Colleen Dewhurst and Ben Gazzara and...
His death was announced on Facebook by his nephew Jeffrey Lesser. “He was a huge presence in my life and so many others,” Lesser wrote. “With him goes an era of old Broadway that is dying out. He lived an amazing and full life and brought so many of us along for the ride.”
Soloway, whose life and career was chronicled in the 2019 documentary Leonard Soloway’s Broadway, had a hand in dozens of Broadway’s most notable productions since the 1960s, from his job as house or general manager for 1961’s How To Succeed in Business Without Really Trying, 1967’s one-woman show Marlene Dietrich, the 1976 revival of Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? starring Colleen Dewhurst and Ben Gazzara and...
- 12/13/2021
- by Greg Evans
- Deadline Film + TV
The final curtain has fallen on Stephen Sondheim, maestro of American musical theater, who died at 91 on Friday. The brilliant mind behind “Into The Woods,” “Sweeney Todd,” “Company,” “Sunday in The Park With George,” and many, many more was a titan of Broadway, and the last living connection to the golden age of musicals. As a film critic, my early cinematic experiences began with musical movies, including filmed stage versions of “Into The Woods,” “Gypsy,” and of course, “West Side Story,” for which a very young Stephen Sondheim wrote the lyrics (same for “Gypsy.”)
It set me up for a lifetime of appreciating high drama, grand spectacle — and the unlikely comedic potential of cannibalism.
As last year’s Zoom-ified 90th birthday celebration for Sondheim proved, performing his songs is no small task. Numbers like “Send in The Clowns,” “Ladies Who Lunch,” and “Being Alive” are five-act plays in and of themselves,...
It set me up for a lifetime of appreciating high drama, grand spectacle — and the unlikely comedic potential of cannibalism.
As last year’s Zoom-ified 90th birthday celebration for Sondheim proved, performing his songs is no small task. Numbers like “Send in The Clowns,” “Ladies Who Lunch,” and “Being Alive” are five-act plays in and of themselves,...
- 11/27/2021
- by Jude Dry
- Indiewire
On Tuesday, November 16th, the stop-motion animated film ParaNorman is returning to theaters as part of the Laika Studios 15th anniversary celebration, and we have a look at a clip that goes behind the scenes of the film's impeccably detailed puppets.
You can check out the clip below, and to learn more about the ParaNorman theatrical screenings, visit:
https://www.fathomevents.com/events/ParaNorman
Following the success of bringing fan favorite Coraline back to theaters, Fathom Events, Laika, Shout! Factory, and Park Circus are pleased to announce that tickets are on sale now for the second event in the Laika Studios 15th anniversary celebration, Paranorman. On Tuesday, November 16 at 3:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m. (local time), the lauded stop-motion animated film will be presented in select cinemas nationwide, featuring exclusive bonus content that reveals the unique creative process behind Laika’s extraordinary movies.
Tickets for Paranorman can be purchased at www.
You can check out the clip below, and to learn more about the ParaNorman theatrical screenings, visit:
https://www.fathomevents.com/events/ParaNorman
Following the success of bringing fan favorite Coraline back to theaters, Fathom Events, Laika, Shout! Factory, and Park Circus are pleased to announce that tickets are on sale now for the second event in the Laika Studios 15th anniversary celebration, Paranorman. On Tuesday, November 16 at 3:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m. (local time), the lauded stop-motion animated film will be presented in select cinemas nationwide, featuring exclusive bonus content that reveals the unique creative process behind Laika’s extraordinary movies.
Tickets for Paranorman can be purchased at www.
- 11/15/2021
- by Derek Anderson
- DailyDead
Update, with video Broadway producers are joining forces with one another, with unions, and even with Oprah Winfrey to urge potentially jittery theatergoers back into seats, with a new marketing campaign called “This Is Broadway” launching today.
A centerpiece of the campaign, which is sponsored by the Broadway League, will be a two-and-a-half-minute video featuring past and current Broadway shows – around 100 in all – melding current and archival clips encompassing 735 stars. Watch it above.
According to the League, the effort marks the first time that the archival footage was made available to the industry, an accomplishment made possible through an agreement between producers and key labor unions, all designed to repopulate Broadway’s theaters after what will be by September the 18-month Covid shutdown.
The video, narrated by Winfrey, is...
A centerpiece of the campaign, which is sponsored by the Broadway League, will be a two-and-a-half-minute video featuring past and current Broadway shows – around 100 in all – melding current and archival clips encompassing 735 stars. Watch it above.
According to the League, the effort marks the first time that the archival footage was made available to the industry, an accomplishment made possible through an agreement between producers and key labor unions, all designed to repopulate Broadway’s theaters after what will be by September the 18-month Covid shutdown.
The video, narrated by Winfrey, is...
- 8/30/2021
- by Greg Evans
- Deadline Film + TV
Laika has announced it will release four films with new Blu-ray and DVD editions: “Coraline” and “The Boxtrolls” on Aug. 31, followed by “ParaNorman” and “Kubo and the Two Strings” on Sept. 14.
The Laika editions feature new commemorative essays by journalists Peter Debruge (Variety), Ramin Zahed (Animation Magazine[/link]), Bill Desowitz (Indiewire) and Charles Solomon (author and former Los Angeles Times critic).
“Coraline,” based on the novella of the same name by Neil Gaiman, follows a young girl who walks through a secret door in her new home and discovers an alternate version of her life — along with alternate parents, who try to keep her forever.
The voice cast includes Dakota Fanning, Teri Hatcher, Jennifer Saunders, Dawn French, Keith David, John Hodgman, Robert Bailey Jr. and Ian McShane.
“The Boxtrolls” follows the Boxtrolls, perceived to be foul monsters who crawl out of the sewers at night and steal what the townspeople most...
The Laika editions feature new commemorative essays by journalists Peter Debruge (Variety), Ramin Zahed (Animation Magazine[/link]), Bill Desowitz (Indiewire) and Charles Solomon (author and former Los Angeles Times critic).
“Coraline,” based on the novella of the same name by Neil Gaiman, follows a young girl who walks through a secret door in her new home and discovers an alternate version of her life — along with alternate parents, who try to keep her forever.
The voice cast includes Dakota Fanning, Teri Hatcher, Jennifer Saunders, Dawn French, Keith David, John Hodgman, Robert Bailey Jr. and Ian McShane.
“The Boxtrolls” follows the Boxtrolls, perceived to be foul monsters who crawl out of the sewers at night and steal what the townspeople most...
- 8/20/2021
- by Jennifer Yuma
- Variety Film + TV
All products and services featured by IndieWire are independently selected by IndieWire editors. However, IndieWire may receive a commission on orders placed through its retail links, and the retailer may receive certain auditable data for accounting purposes.
Criterion Collection has a slew of new releases coming your way to amp up your list of summer movie must-haves. Criterion specializes in restoring and distributing “important classic and contemporary” films from around the world. And with a catalog of over 1,400 ranging from avant-garde to Westerns, film noir to science fiction, their impressive selection has something for even the toughest movie critic. These specialized movies are complete with revamped rare finds, as well as exclusive in-depth commentary, and fascinating analysis.
Below, check out new Criterion Collection pre-orders for the month of July and August. Click here for more Criterion Collection movies to add to your film vault.
“La Piscine”
Release Date: July 20
Buy:...
Criterion Collection has a slew of new releases coming your way to amp up your list of summer movie must-haves. Criterion specializes in restoring and distributing “important classic and contemporary” films from around the world. And with a catalog of over 1,400 ranging from avant-garde to Westerns, film noir to science fiction, their impressive selection has something for even the toughest movie critic. These specialized movies are complete with revamped rare finds, as well as exclusive in-depth commentary, and fascinating analysis.
Below, check out new Criterion Collection pre-orders for the month of July and August. Click here for more Criterion Collection movies to add to your film vault.
“La Piscine”
Release Date: July 20
Buy:...
- 7/15/2021
- by Angel Saunders
- Indiewire
Maya Rudolph is one of six creative leaders in comedy honored for Variety‘s 2021 Power of Women. For more, click here.
When Maya Rudolph was a kid, she’d stage one-girl musicals in her living room and play make believe in empty corners of her mother’s recording studios, creating makeshift stages anywhere she could to satisfy her performing itch. Some 40 years later, though, she has so many platforms to choose from that it’s become genuinely overwhelming.
“Before any thoughts of quarantine, I was feeling very burned out,” she admits. “I was weirdly well on my way to retooling, and I think I’m still there. I feel less ashamed to admit that I would like to go a bit slower.”
Before the pandemic hit, Rudolph was booked solid. She had once again become an “SNL” mainstay to play then-Senator Kamala Harris, while her portrayal of a goofy, almighty...
When Maya Rudolph was a kid, she’d stage one-girl musicals in her living room and play make believe in empty corners of her mother’s recording studios, creating makeshift stages anywhere she could to satisfy her performing itch. Some 40 years later, though, she has so many platforms to choose from that it’s become genuinely overwhelming.
“Before any thoughts of quarantine, I was feeling very burned out,” she admits. “I was weirdly well on my way to retooling, and I think I’m still there. I feel less ashamed to admit that I would like to go a bit slower.”
Before the pandemic hit, Rudolph was booked solid. She had once again become an “SNL” mainstay to play then-Senator Kamala Harris, while her portrayal of a goofy, almighty...
- 5/5/2021
- by Caroline Framke
- Variety Film + TV
Philip J. Smith, who as the longtime chairman of Broadway’s Shubert Organization was one of the most influential and powerful forces in American theater, died today in New York City of complications of Covid-19. He was 89.
Smith’s death was confirmed by daughters Linda Phillips and Jennifer Stein. Smith retired from his position as chairman and co-ceo in June and had most recently held the title of Chairman Emeritus.
“We have lost a giant of the American Theatre and a most beloved member of our Shubert Organization family,” said Robert E. Wankel, who succeeded Smith as the chairman and CEO. “Over his 63-year career, Phil Smith influenced every aspect of the professional theatre and earned the respect and admiration of everyone from the stage doormen to the greatest performers and creative talents of our time. He was devoted to his work, his friends, his colleagues and above all, his family.
Smith’s death was confirmed by daughters Linda Phillips and Jennifer Stein. Smith retired from his position as chairman and co-ceo in June and had most recently held the title of Chairman Emeritus.
“We have lost a giant of the American Theatre and a most beloved member of our Shubert Organization family,” said Robert E. Wankel, who succeeded Smith as the chairman and CEO. “Over his 63-year career, Phil Smith influenced every aspect of the professional theatre and earned the respect and admiration of everyone from the stage doormen to the greatest performers and creative talents of our time. He was devoted to his work, his friends, his colleagues and above all, his family.
- 1/15/2021
- by Greg Evans
- Deadline Film + TV
Good Old Tony Curtis! We could always depend on Tony for a sly, ingratiating smile, charm that ranged from candid-sweet to barracuda insincerity, and a desire to please that never quit. Some of his best work came while schmoozing and nice-nice clawing his way to the top, where he epitomized the glamorous movie star with universal appeal. Kino gathers three of Curtis’s better mid-career starring vehicles, directed by three top talents — Blake Edwards, Robert Mulligan and Norman Jewison.
Tony Curtis Collection
The Perfect Furlough, The Great Impostor, 40 Pounds of Trouble
Blu-ray
Kl Studio Classics
312 minutes
Street Date August 4, 2020
available through Kino Lorber
49.95
Starring: Tony Curtis
Tony Curtis appears to have become a Golden Boy at late-’40s Universal-International by playing the role of ambitious actor to the hilt. Everybody caught him dancing a mean rumba with Yvonne de Carlo in Criss Cross; it’s fun to seem him perform a ‘look,...
Tony Curtis Collection
The Perfect Furlough, The Great Impostor, 40 Pounds of Trouble
Blu-ray
Kl Studio Classics
312 minutes
Street Date August 4, 2020
available through Kino Lorber
49.95
Starring: Tony Curtis
Tony Curtis appears to have become a Golden Boy at late-’40s Universal-International by playing the role of ambitious actor to the hilt. Everybody caught him dancing a mean rumba with Yvonne de Carlo in Criss Cross; it’s fun to seem him perform a ‘look,...
- 8/1/2020
- by Glenn Erickson
- Trailers from Hell
Welcome back to Intermission, a spin-off podcast from The Film Stage Show. In a time when arthouse theaters are hurting more than ever and there are a plethora of streaming options at your fingertips, we wanted to introduce new conversations that put a specific focus on the films that are foundational or perhaps overlooked in cinephile culture. Led by yours truly, Michael Snydel, Intermission is a 1-on-1 supplementary discussion podcast that focuses on one arthouse, foreign, or experimental film per episode as picked by the guest.
For our eighth episode, I talked to film critic Kyle Turner, about D.A. Pennebaker’s 1970 documentary Original Cast Album: Company, which is exclusively available on The Criterion Channel. Originally conceived as a pilot, the film recounts parts of the laborious 16-hour recording process of the cast album for Sondheim’s musical Company. Of a piece with Pennebaker’s other cinematic explorations of larger-than-life...
For our eighth episode, I talked to film critic Kyle Turner, about D.A. Pennebaker’s 1970 documentary Original Cast Album: Company, which is exclusively available on The Criterion Channel. Originally conceived as a pilot, the film recounts parts of the laborious 16-hour recording process of the cast album for Sondheim’s musical Company. Of a piece with Pennebaker’s other cinematic explorations of larger-than-life...
- 7/21/2020
- by Michael Snydel
- The Film Stage
Sade may have sung the praises of “no ordinary love,” but what happens when an ordinary love becomes, over time and against obstacles, something quite extraordinary? From the relatively comfortable vantage point of 2020, Terry Donahue and Pat Henschel’s nearly seven-decade-long relationship looks just like any other enduring long-term partnership. Throughout the new documentary “A Secret Love,” the two elderly women field visits from family, attend dinner parties with friends, and keep each other fed, rested, and medicated. They hold hands, they kiss, they reminisce. So easy and natural are these simple moments of domestic bliss that they are almost rendered unremarkable. But of course, nothing could be further from the truth.
The magic trick of “A Secret Love” is to shine a light on this quietly intimate story, which . It is unfortunately all too rare for young Lgbtq people to interact with their elders, and “A Secret Love” provides...
The magic trick of “A Secret Love” is to shine a light on this quietly intimate story, which . It is unfortunately all too rare for young Lgbtq people to interact with their elders, and “A Secret Love” provides...
- 4/30/2020
- by Jude Dry
- Indiewire
Meryl Streep, Christine Baranski and Audra McDonald wowed on Sunday night during an online concert celebrating the 90th birthday of legendary Broadway composer Stephen Sondheim.
Appearing from their respective homes in their bathrobes, the actresses performed a spot-on and hilarious rendition of “The Ladies Who Lunch” from Sondheim’s 1970 musical “Company” — complete with swigs from wine goblets and cocktail glasses.
The actresses seemed to relish the “I’ll drink to that” refrain from the classic tune, which was first performed by Elaine Stritch on Broadway (and more recently by Patti LuPone in a revival that was due to open this month before the coronavirus pandemic shut down Broadway theaters).
Also Read: Virtual Concerts and Broadway Shows to Watch During the Coronavirus Shutdown
The trio joined a host of Tony-winning luminaries for the online event, including Neil Patrick Harris, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Patti LuPone, Bernadette Peters, Josh Groban, Jake Gyllenhaal, Jason Alexander...
Appearing from their respective homes in their bathrobes, the actresses performed a spot-on and hilarious rendition of “The Ladies Who Lunch” from Sondheim’s 1970 musical “Company” — complete with swigs from wine goblets and cocktail glasses.
The actresses seemed to relish the “I’ll drink to that” refrain from the classic tune, which was first performed by Elaine Stritch on Broadway (and more recently by Patti LuPone in a revival that was due to open this month before the coronavirus pandemic shut down Broadway theaters).
Also Read: Virtual Concerts and Broadway Shows to Watch During the Coronavirus Shutdown
The trio joined a host of Tony-winning luminaries for the online event, including Neil Patrick Harris, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Patti LuPone, Bernadette Peters, Josh Groban, Jake Gyllenhaal, Jason Alexander...
- 4/27/2020
- by Thom Geier
- The Wrap
Margo Lion, the producer behind the Tony-winning musical adaption of Hairspray, died January 24 at age 75. She had a brain aneurysm, according to her son.
Lion was an independent producer with eclectic tastes, backing everything from revivals to new musicals, many of them award-winners.
“When Hairspray happened—it was just a miracle,” she told Playbill. “The first reading of Hairspray was at New York Theatre Workshop. And I thought it would take the kind of journey of Rent, because it was John Waters and I wanted to retain his voice. But when I heard that first reading, I said, ‘This is not for New York Theatre Workshop.'”
The show won eight Tony Awards, including Best Musical, and ran for 2,642 performances.
Lion was born October 13, 1944 in Baltimore. She worked for Robert F. Kennedy, but gave up politics after his assassination. She instead immersed herself in the theater, becoming a producing director of Music-Theater Group.
Lion was an independent producer with eclectic tastes, backing everything from revivals to new musicals, many of them award-winners.
“When Hairspray happened—it was just a miracle,” she told Playbill. “The first reading of Hairspray was at New York Theatre Workshop. And I thought it would take the kind of journey of Rent, because it was John Waters and I wanted to retain his voice. But when I heard that first reading, I said, ‘This is not for New York Theatre Workshop.'”
The show won eight Tony Awards, including Best Musical, and ran for 2,642 performances.
Lion was born October 13, 1944 in Baltimore. She worked for Robert F. Kennedy, but gave up politics after his assassination. She instead immersed herself in the theater, becoming a producing director of Music-Theater Group.
- 1/25/2020
- by Bruce Haring
- Deadline Film + TV
Jack Garfein, who directed Broadway plays and Hollywood films and taught acting to the likes of James Dean, Ben Gazzara and Bruce Dern, died Monday of complications from leukemia, Playbill reported. He was 89.
The first director hired by The Actors Studio, Garfein collaborated with filmmakers including Elia Kazan, John Ford and George Stevens and guided Uta Hagen, Herbert Berghof, Shelley Winters, Jessica Tandy, Hume Cronyn, Ralph Meeker and Elaine Stritch on stage and/or screen.
According to the biography on his website, Garfein also discovered Dern, Gazzara, Dean, Steve McQueen, George Peppard, Doris Roberts, Jean Stapleton, Pat Hingle, Albert Salmi, Paul Richards and ...
The first director hired by The Actors Studio, Garfein collaborated with filmmakers including Elia Kazan, John Ford and George Stevens and guided Uta Hagen, Herbert Berghof, Shelley Winters, Jessica Tandy, Hume Cronyn, Ralph Meeker and Elaine Stritch on stage and/or screen.
According to the biography on his website, Garfein also discovered Dern, Gazzara, Dean, Steve McQueen, George Peppard, Doris Roberts, Jean Stapleton, Pat Hingle, Albert Salmi, Paul Richards and ...
- 12/31/2019
- The Hollywood Reporter - Film + TV
Jack Garfein, who directed Broadway plays and Hollywood films and taught acting to the likes of James Dean, Ben Gazzara and Bruce Dern, died Monday of complications from leukemia, Playbill reported. He was 89.
The first director hired by The Actors Studio, Garfein collaborated with filmmakers including Elia Kazan, John Ford and George Stevens and guided Uta Hagen, Herbert Berghof, Shelley Winters, Jessica Tandy, Hume Cronyn, Ralph Meeker and Elaine Stritch on stage and/or screen.
According to the biography on his website, Garfein also discovered Dern, Gazzara, Dean, Steve McQueen, George Peppard, Doris Roberts, Jean Stapleton, Pat Hingle, Albert Salmi, Paul Richards and ...
The first director hired by The Actors Studio, Garfein collaborated with filmmakers including Elia Kazan, John Ford and George Stevens and guided Uta Hagen, Herbert Berghof, Shelley Winters, Jessica Tandy, Hume Cronyn, Ralph Meeker and Elaine Stritch on stage and/or screen.
According to the biography on his website, Garfein also discovered Dern, Gazzara, Dean, Steve McQueen, George Peppard, Doris Roberts, Jean Stapleton, Pat Hingle, Albert Salmi, Paul Richards and ...
- 12/31/2019
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
When Sony dusted off its 22-year-old “Jumanji” movie for a distant sequel in 2017, it looked to some as though Hollywood had hit rock bottom in terms of pillaging its own properties. In fact, “Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle” proved to be that rare reboot that built upon its initial high concept — a jungle-themed board game that takes over a family’s living room — with a clever new riff, where four mismatched teens, thrust together in detention, are sucked into an old-school video game console, assigned to avatars who are nothing like their real-world personalities.
It was like “The Breakfast Club” with a 21st-century twist, where the nerd becomes Dwayne Johnson’s brawny hero, the popular girl winds up stuck in Jack Black’s body, and so on. More often than not, effects-driven blockbusters get dumber as the series goes along, but “Jumanji: The Next Level” invents some fun ideas to keep things fresh,...
It was like “The Breakfast Club” with a 21st-century twist, where the nerd becomes Dwayne Johnson’s brawny hero, the popular girl winds up stuck in Jack Black’s body, and so on. More often than not, effects-driven blockbusters get dumber as the series goes along, but “Jumanji: The Next Level” invents some fun ideas to keep things fresh,...
- 12/10/2019
- by Peter Debruge
- Variety Film + TV
In this episode, Ben and Daniel talk to Tony-winning Broadway star Laura Benanti about Tori Amos's 1992 album 'Little Earthquakes.' They also discuss Patti LuPone, Arthur Laurents, Joni Mitchell, Elaine Stritch, Liza Minnelli, Marni Nixon, Lizzo, Brandi Carlile, and Julie Andrews. Laura talks about her starring roles in Broadway hits such as 'The Sound of Music,' 'Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown,' 'Gypsy,' 'She Loves Me,' and 'My Fair Lady.' She shares stories from her career, including her 'up-the-octave' portrayal of Dolly Levi in high school. In addition to the theater, Laura has appeared on TV in 'Supergirl,' 'Nashville,' and 'The Sound of Music Live' opposite Carrie Underwood. She is also a regular on 'The Late Show with Stephen Colbert,' and has tickled viewers nationwide with her hilarious portrayal of Melania Trump.
- 12/9/2019
- by Ben Rimalower
- BroadwayWorld.com
Broadway’s upcoming revival of the Stephen Sondheim landmark musical Company starring Katrina Lenk and Patti LuPone has nearly rounded out its cast, with Nashville‘s Kyle Dean Massey, The Book of Mormon‘s Matt Doyle and The Prom‘s Christopher Sieber among the new arrivals.
The additional casting for director Marianne Elliott’s gender-reversed Company was announced today by producers Elliott & Harper Productions and The Shubert Organization. The production, an Oliver Award winner in its West End bow, recasts the 1970 musical’s lead character, the bachelor Bobby, as the bachelorette Bobbie, to be played by Lenk (The Band’s Visit).
As previously announced with Lenk, LuPone will play Joanne, the “Ladies Who Lunch” role famously created by Elaine Stritch.
Company will begin performances at the Bernard B. Jacobs Theatre on Monday, March 2, 2020 with an official opening night set for Sunday, March 22 (Sondheim’s 90th birthday). Sondheim and Elliott collaborated to update the musical.
The additional casting for director Marianne Elliott’s gender-reversed Company was announced today by producers Elliott & Harper Productions and The Shubert Organization. The production, an Oliver Award winner in its West End bow, recasts the 1970 musical’s lead character, the bachelor Bobby, as the bachelorette Bobbie, to be played by Lenk (The Band’s Visit).
As previously announced with Lenk, LuPone will play Joanne, the “Ladies Who Lunch” role famously created by Elaine Stritch.
Company will begin performances at the Bernard B. Jacobs Theatre on Monday, March 2, 2020 with an official opening night set for Sunday, March 22 (Sondheim’s 90th birthday). Sondheim and Elliott collaborated to update the musical.
- 10/21/2019
- by Greg Evans
- Deadline Film + TV
A promotional video writ large, “On Broadway” feels like the kind of hotel programming a tourist might find playing on a loop at the Times Square Marriott Marquis.
Brought to the screen by film and theater director Oren Jacoby (“Constantine’s Sword”) and produced by Broadway insiders, this earnest but oddly superficial documentary zips through decades of artistic impact without taking enough time to create its own memorable impression.
All the elements are there, beginning with an ostentatiously celestial range of talking heads. Alec Baldwin, Helen Mirren, Hugh Jackman, Ian McKellen, John Lithgow, James Corden, Christine Baranski and others show up briefly, each delivering a pithy statement about how important The Theater is. Only a few — including Tommy Tune and George C. Wolfe — get a chance to say anything truly noteworthy or unexpected. For the most part, it seems we’re supposed to be impressed by their mere presence.
Also...
Brought to the screen by film and theater director Oren Jacoby (“Constantine’s Sword”) and produced by Broadway insiders, this earnest but oddly superficial documentary zips through decades of artistic impact without taking enough time to create its own memorable impression.
All the elements are there, beginning with an ostentatiously celestial range of talking heads. Alec Baldwin, Helen Mirren, Hugh Jackman, Ian McKellen, John Lithgow, James Corden, Christine Baranski and others show up briefly, each delivering a pithy statement about how important The Theater is. Only a few — including Tommy Tune and George C. Wolfe — get a chance to say anything truly noteworthy or unexpected. For the most part, it seems we’re supposed to be impressed by their mere presence.
Also...
- 10/12/2019
- by Elizabeth Weitzman
- The Wrap
I recently made my Broadway debut. No, I wasn’t offered to replace Reeve Carney in “Hadestown” (but thanks for asking). I was instead pulled on stage at the Cort Theatre by Derren Brown, the thrilling mentalist currently mystifying audiences in his solo show “Derren Brown: Secret.” I would divulge every wacky thing Brown made me do in front of a thousand strangers, but he asks everyone in the audience not to spill the beans on his titular secret. I’ll oblige him. What did cross my mind however, is that a production like “Derren Brown: Secret” has no proper place to compete at the Tony Awards. With a season full of unique offerings, it’s time to bring the Special Theatrical Event category back to Broadway’s biggest night.
The Tony Awards included a category for Best Special Theatrical Event from 2001 to 2009. It was a race for shows that...
The Tony Awards included a category for Best Special Theatrical Event from 2001 to 2009. It was a race for shows that...
- 9/26/2019
- by Sam Eckmann
- Gold Derby
A revival of Stephen Sondheim’s 1970 musical Company that played London’s West End has announced its Broadway opening on March 22, 2020, with a cast headed by Patti LuPone and Katrina Lenk.
Opening night at the Bernard B. Jacobs Theatre will coincide with Sondheim’s 90th birthday. The show tipped the Broadway run in a tweet Friday morning (see it below).
A Tony winner for her performance in The Band’s Visit, Lenk will be playing the character of Bobbie in the new version in a gender twist. Dean Jones originated the role of Bobby on Broadway, playing the 35-year-old single main character whose bachelor status elicits a range of emotions from those around him.
The concept musical, composed of a series of vignettes, is known for numbers like Side By Side, Being Alive, The Little Things You Do Together and Sorry-Grateful.
Lupone will reprise her West End performance as Joanne,...
Opening night at the Bernard B. Jacobs Theatre will coincide with Sondheim’s 90th birthday. The show tipped the Broadway run in a tweet Friday morning (see it below).
A Tony winner for her performance in The Band’s Visit, Lenk will be playing the character of Bobbie in the new version in a gender twist. Dean Jones originated the role of Bobby on Broadway, playing the 35-year-old single main character whose bachelor status elicits a range of emotions from those around him.
The concept musical, composed of a series of vignettes, is known for numbers like Side By Side, Being Alive, The Little Things You Do Together and Sorry-Grateful.
Lupone will reprise her West End performance as Joanne,...
- 8/30/2019
- by Dade Hayes
- Deadline Film + TV
Almost a decade ago Betty Gilpin and Natasha Lyonne were both performing in plays in the same theater in New York. To hear Lyonne tell it, she was in the black box, indie project that only had 20 seats to fill per show, while Gilpin was on the main stage. The East Coast performers were in each other’s orbits then, but now, their worlds are colliding much more, as they are both identify as “Jenji’s girls.”
They ended up shooting at the same studio in Astoria, Queens when Gilpin was on “Nurse Jackie” and Lyonne on “Orange is the New Black.” Now, both women also see Netflix as their homes: “Glow” just launched its third season on the platform on Aug. 9, while Lyonne co-created, writes, produces, directs and stars in “Russian Doll,” which was recently renewed for a second season.
Because they have such a shared history (and because...
They ended up shooting at the same studio in Astoria, Queens when Gilpin was on “Nurse Jackie” and Lyonne on “Orange is the New Black.” Now, both women also see Netflix as their homes: “Glow” just launched its third season on the platform on Aug. 9, while Lyonne co-created, writes, produces, directs and stars in “Russian Doll,” which was recently renewed for a second season.
Because they have such a shared history (and because...
- 8/15/2019
- by Danielle Turchiano
- Variety Film + TV
There’s a scene in D.A. Pennebaker’s “Original Cast Album: Company” that unites all Elaine Stritch fans. Of course, younger audiences know her Emmy-winning turn as Jack Donaghy’s sharp-tongued mother in “30 Rock,” and Broadway fans will never forget her Tony-winning one woman show “Elaine Stritch at Liberty,” the film version of which incidentally united her with Pennebaker decades later.
But it is her increasingly desperate attempts to record the most famous number of her career, the 11 o’clock number “The Ladies Who Lunch” from Stephen Sondheim’s “Company,” that Pennebaker captured and edited so sensationally, that shows a rare peek behind the curtain at the ferocious talent at her most vulnerable.
Less Broadway-inclined cinephiles may be unfamiliar with “Original Cast Album: Company.” The documentary legend, who died over the weekend at the age of 94, was known as a groundbreaking figure in the evolution of documentary filmmaking, helming...
But it is her increasingly desperate attempts to record the most famous number of her career, the 11 o’clock number “The Ladies Who Lunch” from Stephen Sondheim’s “Company,” that Pennebaker captured and edited so sensationally, that shows a rare peek behind the curtain at the ferocious talent at her most vulnerable.
Less Broadway-inclined cinephiles may be unfamiliar with “Original Cast Album: Company.” The documentary legend, who died over the weekend at the age of 94, was known as a groundbreaking figure in the evolution of documentary filmmaking, helming...
- 8/5/2019
- by Jude Dry
- Indiewire
IMDb.com, Inc. takes no responsibility for the content or accuracy of the above news articles, Tweets, or blog posts. This content is published for the entertainment of our users only. The news articles, Tweets, and blog posts do not represent IMDb's opinions nor can we guarantee that the reporting therein is completely factual. Please visit the source responsible for the item in question to report any concerns you may have regarding content or accuracy.