News

Today, we're featuring Anita Gillette, circa 1981. Gillette may be most recognizable as Tina Fey's mom on 30 Rock or as Mona, the mistress in Moonstruck. She is a Broadway veteran with 14 Broadway shows to her credit, including Chapter Two Tony Nomination, Cabaret, Carnival, Gypsy, Guys amp Dolls, Don't Drink The Water, Brighton Beach Memoirs, and Showboat. Off-Broadway and Regional credits include The Big Meal Lortel Nomination for Outstanding Featured Actress, Love, Loss amp What I Wore, The Seagull, Shirley Valentine, My Fair Lady, The Winslow Boy, Irene, South Pacific, Sweet Bird Of Youth, The Great Waltz recorded for RCA, and Knickerbocker Holiday.

Some of Broadway's best will take the stage at New York's Symphony Space on 7 October 2013 to celebrate the American music of Kurt Weill. Hosted by Ted Chapin, the evening will highlight songs from Venus as well as favorites from other Weill shows, including Street Scene, Lady in the Dark, Love Life, Lost in the Stars, Knickerbocker Holiday, The Threepenny Opera, and Happy End. The starry cast features Melissa Errico, Brent Barrett, Judy Blazer, and Ron Raines alongside Lotte Lenya Competition winners Richard Todd Adams, Douglas Carpenter, Cooper Grodin, Justin Hopkins, Zachary James, Analisa Leaming, Jacob Keith Watson, and Maren Weinberger. Weill specialist James Holmes, who conducted a fully staged production of Venus at England's Opera North in 2004, music directs, and Richard Jay-Alexander directs.

Some of Broadway's best will take the stage at New York's Symphony Space on 7 October 2013 to celebrate the American music of Kurt Weill. Hosted by Ted Chapin, the evening will highlight songs from Venus as well as favorites from other Weill shows, including Street Scene, Lady in the Dark, Love Life, Lost in the Stars,Knickerbocker Holiday, The Threepenny Opera, and Happy End. The starry cast features Melissa Errico, Brent Barrett, Judy Blazer, and Ron Raines alongside Lotte Lenya Competition winners Richard Todd Adams, Douglas Carpenter, Cooper Grodin, Justin Hopkins, Zachary James, Analisa Leaming, Jacob Keith Watson, and Maren Weinberger. Weill specialist James Holmes, who conducted a fully staged production of Venus at England's Opera North in 2004, music directs, and Richard Jay-Alexander directs.

There was a period of time when Renee Zellweger was Hollywood's "it" girl, starring in dozens of films in the 1990s and early 2000s.

But since 2010, Zellweger has been missing in action, taking a break from acting to focus on her personal life. The only upcoming movie the 44-year-old actress is set to star in is 2014's "4 ½ Minutes." So, what has she been doing for the last three years? Let's take a look ...

In September 2010, it was revealed that the star had been dating fellow actor Bradley Cooper for over a year.

She stunned in pink as she presented at "CNN Heroes: An All-Star Tribute" in November 2010.

She hung out with Victor Garber at the "Knickerbocker Holiday" party presented by the Collegiate Chorale in January 2011.

In February 2011, she won the award for Best International Actress at the Golden Camera Awards, which celebrates the biggest stars of German TV, music and film.

I probably speak for most theater fans in saying I was excited when I read about Smash before its premiere on NBC in February. The idea of a weekly network series depicting the development of a new Broadway musical was irresistible. The fact that so many theater people -- both on and off camera -- were involved in the show added to the anticipation. Executive producers included Craig Zadan and Neil Meron who, among other things, have produced film versions of Broadway hits Chicago and Hairspray, along with television movie adaptations of The Music Man, Annie, and Gypsy. Original songs were written by the team of Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman, who won the Tony award for their Hairspray score, and also wrote the fine score for last year's Catch Me If You Can. Michael Mayer (Spring Awakening and American Idiot) directed the pilot. And, while not a theater name,...

We open this week with a lovely tracking shot up the length of Dev's naked body, glowing in the early morning light as he sleeps off the rest of last night's drunk.

He opens his eyes and, after a moment's confusion at his surroundings, clearly thinks to himself, “What the hell did I get myself into last night?” He rolls over and spots just what the hell he got himself into last night. Mornin' Ivy!

Cut to Karen backstage walking with Jessica, who is incredulous upon learning that Derek had sex with Rebecca. Cut to Derek, who waves good morning. Back to the ladies, where Karen frets about her fight with Dev. She's been texting and texting and he hasn't responded. Oh Karen, what's the worst that could have happened?

Jessica asks to borrow Karen's phone to call Ivy, who isn't yet at rehearsal. She dials and one of two...

Photo by NBC 2012 NBCUniversal, Inc. Uma Thurman, left, and Katharine McPhee in “Smash.”

It is the second to last episode of “Smash” and things are getting juicy. We start off in a hotel room where Dev’s sleeping — Next To Ivy. So they Did do it. Suspicions confirmed, and I’m sure everywhere across America, viewers are gagging. At the set Karen spreads the good news to Jessica that Derek is sleeping with Rebecca. Can’t anyone on this show...

Today we are continuing BroadwayWorlds extensive coverage of NBCs musical dramedy series Smash by talking to an Oscar-winning actress known for her genre-spanning performances in Crimes amp Misdemeanors, The Witches, The Addams Family, Prizzis Honor and The Grifters - among many other notable performances - the simply divine Anjelica Huston. Sharing stories about her famous family - father, director and actor John Huston grandfather, stage and screen actor Walter Huston - Huston opens up about her experiences preparing for the tailor-made role of Eileen Rand on Smash and drops some hints about the future for her character, in business and romance, as well as what we can expect her to sing in a future episode - the classic Kurt WeillMaxwell Anderson gem originally written for her grandfather in Knickerbocker Holiday, September Song. Additionally, Huston recalls previously musically collaborating onscreen with stupendous Smash songwriter Marc Shaiman on The Addams Family remember...

Director Sydney Pollack 1934-2008.

Director Sydney Pollack passed two years ago today. I had the good fortune to meet and interview Sydney Pollack twice, both of which are included here: first in 1999 for his well-made but ill-fated romantic drama "Random Hearts," and again in 2006 for what would be his final film, "Sketches of Frank Gehry," a masterful documentary look at the eponymous architect's life, work and process. It was also in many respects a personal investigation for Pollack himself, which he spoke quite candidly about during our conversation.

This has been a tough year for those of us who were weaned on the films of the so-called "Easy Riders and Raging Bulls" who made the iconic films of the late 1960s and 1970s, with the loss of such figures as Pollack, Roy Scheider, and others of the era. Pollack was certainly among the lions of that pack, but was perhaps...