Tuesday, December 20, 2011

To the Futureand Beyond

Take Five To the Futureand Beyond December 19, 2011 Ed Stelz Judy Chen, NY City Throughout the past 12 months, I have grown in so many ways as an actor and as an individual. From auditioning at Lincoln Center to working with great people in film and onstage, I feel truly grateful and humbled. However, even more valuable were the times I felt as though I were merely spinning my wheelsquestioning my decision to leave a solid career behind and wondering when I would actually get cast after attending hundreds of auditionsfor those were the moments that reinforced how much I truly loved to perform.Pursuing my passion has certainly made me more appreciative of every moment. Gone are the days of living in a rut and thinking that there was nothing more to life than toiling at a desk job, meeting deadlines, paying bills, waiting for the weekends, and going on a string of bad dates. Instead, I'm happily reading scripts, memorizing lines, and preparing for auditions. I am working on developing projects and productions I want to take part in and be proud of. I reprioritize my time on what is truly fulfilling to me. Having less of a social life doesn't seem like a sacrifice, especially since I get to devote the time I do spend with quality, genuine people who are my closest friends. The support of these friends and family may not make me invincible or feel any less defeated, but it has undoubtedly been the strongest force that impels me to continuously plow ahead whenever I begin to doubt myselfand those moments are still quite frequent.One of the biggest lessons I've learned as a result of being part of Take 5 this year stemmed from meeting people at auditions, in class, on the street, and even online who send emails to my website or Facebook page who found it necessary to share with me how my writing has resonated with them. And that lesson is this: Never underestimate the influence we have on our peers. When I learn from my cast members, I may not have told them explicitly or even known that something they did clicked in my mind until I brought the adjustment with me to enhance a subsequent performance, but we all wield that power to affect others nonetheless. Ironically, I have known since January what I would write for my December column, because regardless of what has changed in our lives and the achievements we have accomplished this year, our goal has remained the same since day one: to become better actors each day. When we progress in our craft, we improve any ensemble we are a part of. For my last sign-off, I want to share with everyone something I remind myself daily: I have no idea what the future holds, but I will do everything I can to get where I want to be.Thanks for coming along for the ride.Jenna Lamia, Los Angeles This month I've been thinking about listening. I remember one of my theater professors at Amherst saying that listening is nine-tenths of one's job as an actor. I think this is an alternate version of the oft-repeated "acting is reacting." And it is a wise and valuable bit of advice for an actor. But, as a writer, I've decided there is a higher form of listening, and that is "selective." Because I write for a TV show, I am constantly getting notesfrom the studio, the network, and the showrunners. It is my job to take in everyone's opinions, and to implement the suggested changes in a way that makes the show better. But it is also my job to have a clear enough vision of the intended final product that I don't let the barrage of opinions sway me off track, resulting in a hodgepodge of ideas that don't hold together in one cohesive story line. In trying to make everyone happy, if I am not careful, I will end up making everyone, including myself, supremely unhappy. Yet, if I have a distinct vision and a way to get there, chances are I will deliver something unique and interesting, even if it's not exactly what everyone had in mind. Because that's just it: There is no final creative product that is going to be exactly what everyone had in mind. I am not advocating ignoring anyone's opinion but your own (though I admit sometimes that's tempting), but I am saying that being clear on what your ideas are and sticking to them with vigor is a great quality for a creative person. If you are steering the ship and you don't know where you're trying to go, good luck to your passengers. Not everyone is going to like your output all of the time, but that's because art is unique and subjective. That's a good thing. As long as the final product is deliberate, I feel I have done my job, and that is true as a writer and an actor. Because this is the last column of the year, I want to use my remaining space here to wax nostalgic. It has been such a pleasure to read about all the other Take 5ers' adventures this year, and I'm grateful to have been included among their ranks. I will never forget buying my first Back Stage at a newsstand on 56th and Seventh Avenue when I first moved to Manhattan and eagerly flipping to the auditions listings. Then, a year or two later when my teacher at Weist-Barron Studios, Rita Litton, put me in an ad for her acting classes, I was so excited to be "in Back Stage," I saved the paper for years in a bureau drawer. Now I have a whole year's worth of Back Stages to save. Thank you so much for having me; it has been a real treat.Ed Stelz, NY City So here we are, nearly a year later. There have been 12 articles, two pilots, and half a feature written; several commercials and a TV episode aired; and the formation of a production company. Yet only a portion of my January 2011 goals is crossed off. How does this make me feel? Pretty solid! Let's take a look, though, at something a little more relevant: the things I failed to accomplish. I didn't make it into an Off-Broadway show or a feature film, and I didn't create any new casting director contacts. Now, we may partly blame this on the void that would normally be filled by a legit agent. But if we dig deeper, we see that my insufficiencies as an artist are truly at fault. Living in NY City, you learn to cope with its many annoyances and quickly appreciate its few conveniences. For instance, traveling to work means letting someone do the driving for you. And considering the amount of meetings and auditions I go to, this en-route time tallies up. But rather than flinging red, yellow, and black cartoon birds at wooden and stone structures, I use my transit time to delve into literature that, I hope, will aid in furthering my craft and career. Just recently, I blew through three books, one of which was Patsy Rodenburg's "The Right to Speak: Working With the Voice." (Patsy, if you are unfamiliar with her, is renowned for pioneering new vocal techniques.) I've constantly battled an internal voice demon. Between voice work at school and on my own, I was unable to get rid of it. It wasn't until I read this book that I understood the anatomical headlock that stifled my voice. On top of this, I finished "Film Directing Shot by Shot: Visualizing From Concept to Screen," by Steven D. Katz. Since the inception of my production company, I've wanted to learn directing for film, camera angles, shot styles, etc. Soon enough, I found myself applying these newly acquired skill sets to my writing and analytical processes for breaking down text. I realized, the answers to my problems are out there. If I keep searching, I'll eventually find them. Each and every one of us has a different journey with different hurdles to tackle. Now, I'm not one to get all cheesy and philosophical, but sometimes we forget the most apparent truths. There are actors out there who are blessed with a great on-camera look, a well-placed voice, and innate acting strengths. They sneak into the system fairly easily. Then there are others, like me, who don't and are faced with two options: improve and become the elite or quit and go home. Hollywood and Broadway do not have gray areas. You're either in it, or you're not. Okay, sentimental time: If I had more than 500 words, I still wouldn't be able to express how grateful I am to both Dany Margolies, our editor, and you, our readers, for riding side by side with me on this journey. It has truly been an amazing experience, and I hope my successes and my woes have helped you even in the slightest bit. Deborah Strang, Los Angeles Time is so relative. When I was 5, a year seemed to last forever. Now it lasts one-sixtieth of my life and is too brief, too brief. This is my final Take 5. I don't think I will miss worrying about deadlines, but I will miss this opportunity to reflect on my journey, to attempt to find the words to describe it, and to extract any meaning it might have. What an extraordinary, challenging, and mind-boggling year this has been. A year ago I was in Argentina, playing with penguins, dancing the tango, eating steak. Nine months ago I embarked on my first Ionesco play with my two fondest collaborators at A Noise Within, Geoff Elliott and Julia Rodriguez-Elliott, and in May it became our farewell to our 19 years in Glendale. In late September, we moved into our new permanent theater in Pasadena, and we had our first audience three weeks later. Since then, we previewed Shakespeare's "Twelfth Night," staged an elaborate gala opening night with a tented sit-down dinner for nearly 400 peopleincluding Pasadena's mayor and various dignitaries and long-, long-, long-term patrons and supportersand previewed and opened Eugene O'Neill's rarely staged masterpiece, "Desire Under the Elms," to great acclaim. We've had full houses, instituted new valet parking, increased our subscriber base by more than 25 percent, carpeted the theater, resealed the outside of the building, scrubbed the floors and sealed the concrete, and instituted and continue to learn a new database system, a new ticketing system, and a new computer and networking system. I'm not sure whether I should classify us as risk-taking innovators or insane fools. It is a major, major thing that we have accomplished. I recently reconnected with an old friend from graduate school who commented on the fact that I have managed to stay the course as an actor, and he attributed this to my perseverance. According to Webster this means "persistence, steadfastness, tenacity" and to persevere is "to continue in a given course in spite of difficulties, obstacleswith a determination not to give up." And yes, I suppose that is true, but sometimes I feel like a train just pulled into the station and I climbed on, or a door opened and I walked through. Perhaps what has led me here has actually been an openness to the task at hand, more of an ability to follow the course rather than stay the course. But however it has come about, I find myself in an extraordinary position at a historical moment in time with a company of artists whom I revere and cherish. I marvel at my present state and can only wonder where this path may lead. And now, life beckons. I have a callback for a new Aaron Sorkin episodic. Wish me luck!KC Wright, Los Angeles Talk about coming full circle. After a year of ups and downs, I will be starting 2012 with a new agent (I sign the contracts this afternoon), my SAG card, my first feature film credits, and a dozen amazing new projects under my belt. I remember wringing my hands in January, waiting for something to change. A few months later, I lost the representation that I had had since graduation and went from big network auditions to crickets. Something changed! Getting dropped by my agent was the biggest hurdle I've faced in my short career but also the best thing that could have happened. As one of the lucky few who were offered representation right out of college, I was never forced to make my own way. I'm not sure I was even ready for the career that I was striving for. But since parting with the agency, I've taken my place with thousands of other young actors in L.A. I discovered a world of talented actors with no impressive degree or family name to stand behind, who have learned to create their own opportunities out of a dollar and a dream. This has taught me to stop waiting for a change; the only thing I can change is me.It hasn't been easy starting from relative scratch, but it has been incredibly satisfying. Each new victory is doubly sweet, because it's proof of how much I've learned. And the more I learn, the more I understand that the learning will never end. A career where you're not an expert at 24? Imagine that! The most profound moments of the past year were rooted in the work. Being on set, even for unpaid or student films, is the greatest learning experience out there. Watching the other actors work, observing the crew, working with sound and camera equipmentall offer lessons not found in a textbook. The various projects I've worked on have taught me so much and given me a real hunger to work in film and television. I will always love the stage, but I'm thrilled to have found a subtly different craft that excites me just as much. I've also changed my attitude toward my business. I've always hated the idea of marketing, but I've come to realize that there is nothing shameful in building up my career. It doesn't have to be pushy and phony, either; it's about cultivating relationships, being a real person, and knowing that I can be of service to the people I meet. If talent, training, and skill are the seeds of a career, relationships are the watering cans.It has been an amazing 12 months writing for Back Stage, and I'm sad to see it come to an end; this job is a regular roller coaster, and no one likes to ride a roller coaster alone. Just one piece of advice: Don't be afraid of the fall. It's scary and dangerous and thrilling, and that's the best part. To the Futureand Beyond December 19, 2011 Ed Stelz Judy Chen, NY City Throughout the past 12 months, I have grown in so many ways as an actor and as an individual. From auditioning at Lincoln Center to working with great people in film and onstage, I feel truly grateful and humbled. However, even more valuable were the times I felt as though I were merely spinning my wheelsquestioning my decision to leave a solid career behind and wondering when I would actually get cast after attending hundreds of auditionsfor those were the moments that reinforced how much I truly loved to perform.Pursuing my passion has certainly made me more appreciative of every moment. Gone are the days of living in a rut and thinking that there was nothing more to life than toiling at a desk job, meeting deadlines, paying bills, waiting for the weekends, and going on a string of bad dates. Instead, I'm happily reading scripts, memorizing lines, and preparing for auditions. I am working on developing projects and productions I want to take part in and be proud of. I reprioritize my time on what is truly fulfilling to me. Having less of a social life doesn't seem like a sacrifice, especially since I get to devote the time I do spend with quality, genuine people who are my closest friends. The support of these friends and family may not make me invincible or feel any less defeated, but it has undoubtedly been the strongest force that impels me to continuously plow ahead whenever I begin to doubt myselfand those moments are still quite frequent.One of the biggest lessons I've learned as a result of being part of Take 5 this year stemmed from meeting people at auditions, in class, on the street, and even online who send emails to my website or Facebook page who found it necessary to share with me how my writing has resonated with them. And that lesson is this: Never underestimate the influence we have on our peers. When I learn from my cast members, I may not have told them explicitly or even known that something they did clicked in my mind until I brought the adjustment with me to enhance a subsequent performance, but we all wield that power to affect others nonetheless. Ironically, I have known since January what I would write for my December column, because regardless of what has changed in our lives and the achievements we have accomplished this year, our goal has remained the same since day one: to become better actors each day. When we progress in our craft, we improve any ensemble we are a part of. For my last sign-off, I want to share with everyone something I remind myself daily: I have no idea what the future holds, but I will do everything I can to get where I want to be.Thanks for coming along for the ride.Jenna Lamia, Los Angeles This month I've been thinking about listening. I remember one of my theater professors at Amherst saying that listening is nine-tenths of one's job as an actor. I think this is an alternate version of the oft-repeated "acting is reacting." And it is a wise and valuable bit of advice for an actor. But, as a writer, I've decided there is a higher form of listening, and that is "selective." Because I write for a TV show, I am constantly getting notesfrom the studio, the network, and the showrunners. It is my job to take in everyone's opinions, and to implement the suggested changes in a way that makes the show better. But it is also my job to have a clear enough vision of the intended final product that I don't let the barrage of opinions sway me off track, resulting in a hodgepodge of ideas that don't hold together in one cohesive story line. In trying to make everyone happy, if I am not careful, I will end up making everyone, including myself, supremely unhappy. Yet, if I have a distinct vision and a way to get there, chances are I will deliver something unique and interesting, even if it's not exactly what everyone had in mind. Because that's just it: There is no final creative product that is going to be exactly what everyone had in mind. I am not advocating ignoring anyone's opinion but your own (though I admit sometimes that's tempting), but I am saying that being clear on what your ideas are and sticking to them with vigor is a great quality for a creative person. If you are steering the ship and you don't know where you're trying to go, good luck to your passengers. Not everyone is going to like your output all of the time, but that's because art is unique and subjective. That's a good thing. As long as the final product is deliberate, I feel I have done my job, and that is true as a writer and an actor. Because this is the last column of the year, I want to use my remaining space here to wax nostalgic. It has been such a pleasure to read about all the other Take 5ers' adventures this year, and I'm grateful to have been included among their ranks. I will never forget buying my first Back Stage at a newsstand on 56th and Seventh Avenue when I first moved to Manhattan and eagerly flipping to the auditions listings. Then, a year or two later when my teacher at Weist-Barron Studios, Rita Litton, put me in an ad for her acting classes, I was so excited to be "in Back Stage," I saved the paper for years in a bureau drawer. Now I have a whole year's worth of Back Stages to save. Thank you so much for having me; it has been a real treat.Ed Stelz, NY City So here we are, nearly a year later. There have been 12 articles, two pilots, and half a feature written; several commercials and a TV episode aired; and the formation of a production company. Yet only a portion of my January 2011 goals is crossed off. How does this make me feel? Pretty solid! Let's take a look, though, at something a little more relevant: the things I failed to accomplish. I didn't make it into an Off-Broadway show or a feature film, and I didn't create any new casting director contacts. Now, we may partly blame this on the void that would normally be filled by a legit agent. But if we dig deeper, we see that my insufficiencies as an artist are truly at fault. Living in NY City, you learn to cope with its many annoyances and quickly appreciate its few conveniences. For instance, traveling to work means letting someone do the driving for you. And considering the amount of meetings and auditions I go to, this en-route time tallies up. But rather than flinging red, yellow, and black cartoon birds at wooden and stone structures, I use my transit time to delve into literature that, I hope, will aid in furthering my craft and career. Just recently, I blew through three books, one of which was Patsy Rodenburg's "The Right to Speak: Working With the Voice." (Patsy, if you are unfamiliar with her, is renowned for pioneering new vocal techniques.) I've constantly battled an internal voice demon. Between voice work at school and on my own, I was unable to get rid of it. It wasn't until I read this book that I understood the anatomical headlock that stifled my voice. On top of this, I finished "Film Directing Shot by Shot: Visualizing From Concept to Screen," by Steven D. Katz. Since the inception of my production company, I've wanted to learn directing for film, camera angles, shot styles, etc. Soon enough, I found myself applying these newly acquired skill sets to my writing and analytical processes for breaking down text. I realized, the answers to my problems are out there. If I keep searching, I'll eventually find them. Each and every one of us has a different journey with different hurdles to tackle. Now, I'm not one to get all cheesy and philosophical, but sometimes we forget the most apparent truths. There are actors out there who are blessed with a great on-camera look, a well-placed voice, and innate acting strengths. They sneak into the system fairly easily. Then there are others, like me, who don't and are faced with two options: improve and become the elite or quit and go home. Hollywood and Broadway do not have gray areas. You're either in it, or you're not. Okay, sentimental time: If I had more than 500 words, I still wouldn't be able to express how grateful I am to both Dany Margolies, our editor, and you, our readers, for riding side by side with me on this journey. It has truly been an amazing experience, and I hope my successes and my woes have helped you even in the slightest bit. Deborah Strang, Los Angeles Time is so relative. When I was 5, a year seemed to last forever. Now it lasts one-sixtieth of my life and is too brief, too brief. This is my final Take 5. I don't think I will miss worrying about deadlines, but I will miss this opportunity to reflect on my journey, to attempt to find the words to describe it, and to extract any meaning it might have. What an extraordinary, challenging, and mind-boggling year this has been. A year ago I was in Argentina, playing with penguins, dancing the tango, eating steak. Nine months ago I embarked on my first Ionesco play with my two fondest collaborators at A Noise Within, Geoff Elliott and Julia Rodriguez-Elliott, and in May it became our farewell to our 19 years in Glendale. In late September, we moved into our new permanent theater in Pasadena, and we had our first audience three weeks later. Since then, we previewed Shakespeare's "Twelfth Night," staged an elaborate gala opening night with a tented sit-down dinner for nearly 400 peopleincluding Pasadena's mayor and various dignitaries and long-, long-, long-term patrons and supportersand previewed and opened Eugene O'Neill's rarely staged masterpiece, "Desire Under the Elms," to great acclaim. We've had full houses, instituted new valet parking, increased our subscriber base by more than 25 percent, carpeted the theater, resealed the outside of the building, scrubbed the floors and sealed the concrete, and instituted and continue to learn a new database system, a new ticketing system, and a new computer and networking system. I'm not sure whether I should classify us as risk-taking innovators or insane fools. It is a major, major thing that we have accomplished. I recently reconnected with an old friend from graduate school who commented on the fact that I have managed to stay the course as an actor, and he attributed this to my perseverance. According to Webster this means "persistence, steadfastness, tenacity" and to persevere is "to continue in a given course in spite of difficulties, obstacleswith a determination not to give up." And yes, I suppose that is true, but sometimes I feel like a train just pulled into the station and I climbed on, or a door opened and I walked through. Perhaps what has led me here has actually been an openness to the task at hand, more of an ability to follow the course rather than stay the course. But however it has come about, I find myself in an extraordinary position at a historical moment in time with a company of artists whom I revere and cherish. I marvel at my present state and can only wonder where this path may lead. And now, life beckons. I have a callback for a new Aaron Sorkin episodic. Wish me luck!KC Wright, Los Angeles Talk about coming full circle. After a year of ups and downs, I will be starting 2012 with a new agent (I sign the contracts this afternoon), my SAG card, my first feature film credits, and a dozen amazing new projects under my belt. I remember wringing my hands in January, waiting for something to change. A few months later, I lost the representation that I had had since graduation and went from big network auditions to crickets. Something changed! Getting dropped by my agent was the biggest hurdle I've faced in my short career but also the best thing that could have happened. As one of the lucky few who were offered representation right out of college, I was never forced to make my own way. I'm not sure I was even ready for the career that I was striving for. But since parting with the agency, I've taken my place with thousands of other young actors in L.A. I discovered a world of talented actors with no impressive degree or family name to stand behind, who have learned to create their own opportunities out of a dollar and a dream. This has taught me to stop waiting for a change; the only thing I can change is me.It hasn't been easy starting from relative scratch, but it has been incredibly satisfying. Each new victory is doubly sweet, because it's proof of how much I've learned. And the more I learn, the more I understand that the learning will never end. A career where you're not an expert at 24? Imagine that! The most profound moments of the past year were rooted in the work. Being on set, even for unpaid or student films, is the greatest learning experience out there. Watching the other actors work, observing the crew, working with sound and camera equipmentall offer lessons not found in a textbook. The various projects I've worked on have taught me so much and given me a real hunger to work in film and television. I will always love the stage, but I'm thrilled to have found a subtly different craft that excites me just as much. I've also changed my attitude toward my business. I've always hated the idea of marketing, but I've come to realize that there is nothing shameful in building up my career. It doesn't have to be pushy and phony, either; it's about cultivating relationships, being a real person, and knowing that I can be of service to the people I meet. If talent, training, and skill are the seeds of a career, relationships are the watering cans.It has been an amazing 12 months writing for Back Stage, and I'm sad to see it come to an end; this job is a regular roller coaster, and no one likes to ride a roller coaster alone. Just one piece of advice: Don't be afraid of the fall. It's scary and dangerous and thrilling, and that's the best part.

Q&A with Judd Apatow

Apatow'Bridesmaids'"Bridesmaids" producer Judd Apatow is in post-production on his next directing project, "This Is 40," and has two producing projects queued for 2012. But he took a break to talk with Variety's Christy Grosz about the gender-neutral success of "Bridesmaids" and why awards-bait weepers are no harder to make than comedies.Grosz: Why do you think it is so difficult for comedies to get recognition during awards season?Apatow: I definitely think there is some sort of bias there. Most people think a really intense devastating sad movie about a tragic subject is more difficult to make than "Blazing Saddles." And the truth is, it's just as hard to make "Blazing Saddles." My days would be much shorter if I didn't have to add jokes. I also don't think comedy editors tend to get any respect. People always think a super-fast action movie is more difficult to execute as opposed to the rhythm of comedy and language and action comedy setpieces. I feel bad for the editors.CG: What do you think the success of "Bridesmaids" will do for female-driven comedies?JA: It's made it pretty clear that there's a gigantic market for movies like "Bridesmaids" and movies that star women or are intended for a female audience. People assume that men will drag women into every hardcore action movie out there and that occasionally a woman will drag a guy to a romantic comedy. There's an enormous amount of stereotypes which aren't true in our industry. If you make a strong movie, which appeals to a female audience, then people will want to go see it. Most (follow-up) movies aren't good, so the only way that this trend will continue is if somebody makes another great movie. I'm sure it will happen, but it won't happen just because they're trying to make a movie with women or for women. Usually what happens with a trend like this (is) the next few aren't very good. And then people say, "Was that a fluke?" It wasn't a fluke. People just like good movies.CG: Do you ever set out to appeal to a specific kind of audience with a specific kind of comedy?JA: I thought Kristen (Wiig) and Annie (Mumolo) and Paul (Feig) would make a great movie and that a lot of people would want to go. I didn't think it would be men and women. I thought that we would market it to women and the word would get to men that they would like it just as much as women. Basically what happened was "Bridesmaids" works for everybody. I never think about who the crowd is, I just try to figure out the best way to tell the story. We don't give it a ton of thought beyond trying to do what we think works and is funny.CG: And actors shouldn't necessarily have to take on a drama-laden role just to get awards attention.JA: In terms of the actors, what Kristen Wiig did is as difficult as any movie without laughs, so I'm glad the movie is getting some recognition. And I didn't know who Melissa McCarthy was until she came in to read for that part, and I was blown away -- she was even better on film when we started shooting. That character connects with people because she is an oddball but she is very confident. I never thought about it that much, but I have decided there should be a comedy category for most award shows, not just the Academy Awards. Comedies rarely get nominated anyway. It's not like it will affect the best picture category, and it hasn't hurt anybody that there is an animated category at the Oscars. As long as they are changing all the rules, that's the good one to change. It would make for a show that is a lot more fun, and you would be able to see a lot more people you would want to see on a show like that.CG: How much improv do you leave room for within the scripts that you write and direct?JA: To me the entire project is about improvisation. I'm trying to be loose in the writing and leave a lot of space for something interesting to happen when we rehearse, then I do more rewrites. On the set, we shoot the scene and we are open to any suggestion and any idea that can better it at the time. Some days we stick close to the script, and some days we forget to even look at what was written in the first place. It changes, but I feel like when people are spontaneous, their acting is more interesting. People pay attention differently, and they react differently. It is fun to see things evolve naturally, and every once in a while something cool and magical happens. Or that's just rationalization, and I am too lazy to actually figure everything out until the day we shoot.CG: You've said "This Is 40" isn't necessarily a spinoff, but you're definitely revisiting characters from "Knocked Up." What is it exactly?JA: Because I come from television, I always want to do a lot of episodes about characters that I have in these stories. I just fall in love with certain characters, and I want to know what else they're up to. Sometimes I'll try to come up with new characters, and I'll realize I already have characters that would fit into this story better than anything new I can come up with. Contact Christy Grosz at christy.grosz@variety.com

Friday, December 16, 2011

'Winn-Dixie' aims for Broadway

A tuner version of the novel "Because of Winn Dixie" is in the works. Story also inspired a 2005 film. BenjaminSheikTartagliaA musical version of dog-centric tale "Because of Winn Dixie," with tunes by Duncan Sheik, has begun mapping out Broadway plans that include a developmental reading this spring.Nell Benjamin ("Legally Blonde") writes the book and lyrics for the show, which will be helmed by John Tartaglia, whose Rialto thesping credits include "Avenue Q" and "Shrek the Musical."The only actor to sign on to the project so far is an Irish Wolfhound named Taran, brought on board under the care of veteran Rialto animal trainer Bill Berloni, who'll serve as animal director on the show.Canine will serve as the lead character of the musical, based on the 2000 Kate DiCamillo novel that also inspired a 2005 pic. Storyline centers on a stray dog who helps a young girl embrace life and reconnect with her father.Producers estimate the show will be budgeted between $6 million and $7 million, with a cast of about 15 actors. Team is shooting for a mid-size Rialto house of about 1200 seats.Sheik, who picked up a Tony for his score to "Spring Awakening," is also at work on other stage projects that include the brewing legit version of "American Psycho."Gerald Goehring, Michael F. Mitri and Dorothy Berloni lead the producing team of "Winn-Dixie." Goehring and Mitri also produce the tuner version of "A Christmas Story," currently playing a national tour during the holiday season.Exact dates for the "Winn-Dixie" reading have not been set, with a production timeline, including an out-of-town tryout, still to be hammered out. Contact Gordon Cox at gordon.cox@variety.com

Wednesday, December 14, 2011

Listing Of Nominees For That 18th Annual SAG Honours

First Released: December 14, 2011 4:35 PM EST Credit: Getty Images La, Calif. -- Caption Kaira Pitt is viewed in the premiere of Moneyball in the Vital Theatre from the Arts in Concord, Calif. on on September 19, 2011Brad Pitt is viewed in the premiere of Moneyball in the Vital Theatre from the Arts in Concord, Calif. on on September 19, 2011Nominees introduced Wednesday for that 18th annual Screen Stars Guild Honours: MOVIES: Actor: Demian Bichir, A Much Better Existence George Clooney, The Descendants Leonardo DiCaprio, J. Edgar Jean Dujardin, The Artist Kaira Pitt, Moneyball. Actress: Glenn Close, Albert Nobbs Viola Davis, The Assistance MerylStreep, The Iron Lady Tilda Swinton, We have to Discuss Kevin Michelle Williams, My Week With Marilyn. Supporting actor: Kenneth Branagh, My Week With Marilyn Armie Hammer, J. Edgar Jonah Hill, Moneyball: Nick Nolte, Warrior Christopher Plummer, Beginners. Supporting actress: Berenice Bejo, The Artist Jessica Chastain, The Assistance Melissa McCarthy, Bridesmaids Jesse McTeer, Albert Nobbs Octavia Spencer, The Assistance. Cast: The Artist, 'Bridesmaids, 'The Descendants, 'The Help, 'Midnight in Paris. Stunt ensemble: The Adjustment Bureau, 'Cowboys&Aliens, 'Harry Potter and also the Deathly Hallows: Part 2, 'Transformers: Dark from the Moon, 'X-Males: Top Class. TELEVISION: Actor inside a movie or miniseries: Laurence Fishburne, Thurgood Paul Giamatti, Too Large to Fail Greg Kinnear, The Kennedys Guy Pearce, Mildred Pierce James Forest, Too Large to Fail. Actress inside a movie or miniseries: Diane Lane, Cinema Verite Maggie Cruz, Downton Abbey Emily Watson, Appropriate Adult Betty Whitened, Hallmark Hall of Fame: The Lost Valentine Kate Winslet, Mildred Pierce. Actor inside a drama series: Patrick J. Adams, Suits Steve Buscemi, Boardwalk Empire Kyle Chandler, Friday Evening Lights Bryan Cranston, Breaking Bad Michael C. Hall, Dexter. Actress inside a drama series: Kathy Bates, Harrys Law Glenn Close, Damages Jessica Lange, American Horror Story Julianna Margulies, The Great Wife Kyra Sedgwick, The Closer. Actor inside a comedy series: Alec Baldwin, 30 Rock Ty Burrell, Modern Family Steve Carell, Work Jon Cryer, 2 . 5 Males Eric Stonestreet, Modern Family. Actress inside a comedy series: Julie Bowen, Modern Family Edie Falco, Nurse Jackie Tina Fey, 30 Rock Sofia Vergara, Modern Family Betty Whitened, Hot in Cleveland. Cast inside a drama series: Boardwalk Empire, 'Breaking Bad, 'Dexter, 'Game of Thrones, 'The Good Wife. Cast inside a comedy series: 30 Rock, 'The Large Bang Theory, 'Glee, 'Modern Family, 'The Office. Stunt ensemble: Dexter, 'Game of Thrones, 'Southland, 'Spartacus: Gods from the Arena, 'True Bloodstream. Copyright 2011 through the Connected Press. All privileges reserved. These components might not be released, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Tuesday, December 13, 2011

Lifetime takes lower 'Wall'

Marisa Ramirez and Rachael Carpani in "In The Wall"With typically just one.6 million audiences across its 13-episode run, the femme-skewing cabler thought the show was without the next continuing to move forward.Skein, from creator Annie Brunner and Universal Cable Prods., starred Rachael Carpani just like a Chicago cop who joins the department's internal matters division. Co-stars incorporated Treat Williams, Kathy Baker and Andrew Master."In the Wall" came just one.8 million due to its premiere episode This summer time 31, with "Drop Dead Diva" becasue it is lead-in.

Sunday, December 11, 2011

Variety uncovers Company directors to look at

Variety has introduced its 10 Company directors to look at list, representing up-and-coming helmers whose early work indicates promising careers ahead.The selection includes Zal Batmanglij ("Seem of My Voice"), Valerie Donzelli ("Promise of War"), Gareth Evans ("The Raid"), Philippe Falardeau ("Monsieur Lazhar"), Gerardo Naranjo ("Miss Bala"), Matt Piedmont ("Casa p mi padre"), Michael R. Roskam ("Bullhead"), Lynn Shelton ("Your Sister's Sister"), Benh Zeitlin ("Monsters from the Southern Wild") and filmmaking duo Mike "Mouse" McCoy and Scott Waugh, also known as the "Bandito Siblings," former stuntmen whose "Act of Valor" stars actual Navy Closes inside a ground-breaking actioner.Four from the helmers were also drawn on to represent their house nations within the Oscar language category: Donzelli's French "War" was selected for that opening evening slot of Experts Week at Cannes Canadian Falardeau lately gained the crowd prize for "Monsieur Lazhar" in the Whistler film fest Naranjo revealed Mexican thriller "Miss Bala" at Cannes and Roskam's Belgian debut "Bullhead" continues to be winning awards at both art- and genre-film fests.A number of the flicks continue to be traveling the festival circuit. A minimum of five will screen in the Palm Springs sprocket opera the following month, while later in The month of january, another five are going to Sundance, where Zeitlin's "Monsters" is placed to preem in narrative competition.Profiles from the company directors can look in Daily Variety on Jan. 6. Contact Peter Debruge at peter.debruge@variety.com

Thursday, December 8, 2011

Rainey Qualley named Miss Golden Globe

The Hollywood Foreign Press Assn. has crowned Rainey Qualley as Miss Golden Globe 2012. Qualley, the daughter of thesp Andie MacDowell and Paul Qualley, is going to make her feature debut within the indie "Mighty Fine," starring Chazz Palminteri and MacDowell. She's also going after work in music. Typically, Miss Golden Globe may be the child of the Hollywood thesp who assists on stage throughout the Globes kudocast. The HFPA made the announcement in a Evening of Firsts, an inaugural party for that Globes season at Cecconi's in West Hollywood. Contact the range newsroom at news@variety.com

Warner Music narrows deficits

Warner Group shown small year-to-year and quarter-to-quarter improvements within the financial results, with modified internet deficits loss to $138 million for your fiscal year ended Sept. 30 from $143 million this past year together with a fourth-quarter insufficient $43 million, simplified by 7%. Company mentioned losing "reflects the impact in interest expense connected using the This summer time 2011 refinancing of certain indebtedness concerning the purchasing the business by Access Industries." As the organization was taken private having its $3.3 billion purchase by Len Blavatnik's Access Industries, it's ongoing to problem earnings reviews. Revenue for fiscal 2011 declined 4% to $2.96 billion from $2.98 billion this season. fourth-quarter revenue dropped 6% to $707 million from $753 million this past year. Company mentioned the decline "reflects a simple release schedule, together with the continuing transition to digital inside the recorded music business.Inch Rise in France, The nation and Latin America was offset by drops inside the U.S., Japan as well as the relaxation of Europe. In recorded music, WMG's top merchants through the final quarter incorporated Sought After Chili A myriad of all kinds of peppers, Bruno Mars, Lenny Kravitz, Blake Shelton and Jason Derulo. Its major functions through the fiscal year incorporated Michael Buble (presently atop the U.S. album chart along with his "Christmas" album), Cee Lo Eco-friendly, James Blunt, the Chili A myriad of all kinds of peppers and Mars. WMG's music posting division, Warner/Chappell, introduced small dips in revenue for your fiscal year and fourth quarter, connected having a contract about mechanical royalties obligations developed in prior years. Earnings report came round the heels from the internal announcement that chairman and ex-Boss Edgar Bronfman Junior. would step reduced The month of the month of january (Daily Variety, 12 ,. 6). Bronfman's departure follows WMG's abruptly ended bid for EMI Music. With finishing Universal Music Group's $1.9 billion purchase of EMI, WMG is really a distant third among the three major music companies if this involves business. Contact the number newsroom at news@variety.com

Remembering John Lennon: On the Anniversary of His Death, 5 Iconic Moments (Video)

"The Five-Year Engagement" Rom-coms are back and this time it's The Five-Year Engagement with Jason Segel and Emily Blunt vying for moviegoers' attention. The Universal comedy starts off with Tom (Segel) and Victoria (Blunt) getting engaged (with fireworks in the background, no less) and a video parading Tom's past romances, complete with a customized song by his best friend (Chris Pratt). But when Victoria enters into a program at the University of Michigan, months turn into years and before they know it, it's been five. That's when the re-evaluation begins. "Have you two picked a date yet?" "Not yet, but ... within the year." Community actress Alison Brie tries her hand at a British accent playing Blunt's younger sister Suzie who tries to talk some sense into Victoria. The Five-Year Engagement offers glimpses of Blunt wearing a more comedic hat; at one point during the trailer, she takes part in a memorable pratfall and getting shot at by a dart (by the hand of a young girl, of course). Directed by Nicholas Stoller, who co-wrote the film with Segel, Five-Year Engagement opens in U.S. theaters April 27, 2012. Jacki Weaver and Rhys Ifans also star. Watch the trailer below: Alison Brie Emily Blunt Jason Segel

Wednesday, December 7, 2011

Your New Rock N' Roll Hall of Fame Inductees' 5 Best (and Weirdest) Film Moments

The Rock N’ Roll Hall of Fame announced its 2012 batch of new inductees, which includes The Beastie Boys, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Laura Nyro, Donovan, and first-time qualifiers Guns ‘N Roses. That’s a varied group, but they all have one thing in common: fantastic, often bizarre appearances in motion pictures. Join us as we revisit the cinematic work of these five acts, as well as identify the key ’80s actress with strong personal ties to three of the aforementioned inductees. I’ll buy you a Snickers if you can name her offhand. The Red Hot Chili Peppers in The Chase The Chase is a definitive Bad Movie We Love, and not just because Charlie Sheen and Kristy Swanson are the brattiest kidnapper-kidnappee duo since the O. Henry short story “The Ransom of Red Chief.” There are also extremely silly cameos from RHCP legends Anthony Kiedis and Flea, who play van-loving burnouts. If you’re looking to buy your mother a kitschy bargain-bin movie this Christmas, consider The Chase - because when it comes to RHCP, what-they’ve-got-you’ve-got-to-give-it-to-your-mama, of course. Rewatching Kiedis’s performance, perhaps his stoner angst is attributable to his breakup with girlfriend and actress Ione Skye? Guns N’ Roses in The Dead Pool Guns N’ Roses had plenty to do in 1988 following the release of their mega-blockbuster album Appetite for Destruction in ‘87, but they squeezed in time to appear in the most forgettable (and last) Dirty Harry movie, The Dead Pool. As Clint Eastwood and Liam Neeson exchange clenched expressions, the boys of Guns ‘N Roses playfully shoot off weaponry on a boat. Nice acting face, Izzy! Beastie Boys’s Ad-Rock in Lost Angels The Beastie Boys are just damn lovable. Not only are they some of the most consistently brilliant musicians of the past three decades, but they’re pretty unpretentious and fun for a group that wants to save Tibet. Adam “Ad-Rock” Horovitz, the group’s guitarist, even embarked on a small acting career beginning with the 1989 low-budget film Lost Angels, starring as Tim ‘Chino’ Doolan, a troubled LA youth who makes a connection with a psychiatrist (Donald Sutherland!) in a private psychiatric hospital. Here, Ad-Rock enjoys some bathroom stall sex with a cute new friend. Rewatching Ad-Rock’s performance, it’s clear we’re seeing some of the sexual passion he’d soon experience with his future wife, actress Ione Skye. Laura Nyro in Monterey Pop The inimitable, still-underrated Laura Nyro influenced many confessional singer/songwriters in pop music, and that includes everyone from Tori Amos and Sinead O’Connor to Elton John, Elvis Costello, and Alice Cooper. Kanye West even sampled her song “Save the Country” on “The Glory” from Graduation. Though rumors have circulated that a 19-year-old Nyro bombed at the hugely transformational Monterey Pop Festival of 1967 (where Jimi Hendrix twanged a tripped-out “Wild Thing” and set his guitar on fire), footage from the official Monterey Pop documentary proves she was stellar. Enjoy a few bars of “Wedding Bell Blues” (one of the big hits she wrote for The Fifth Dimension) and the haunting “Poverty Train.” Donovan in The Pied Piper If becoming the first major rock star to be busted for marijuana possession isn’t legacy enough, Donovan’s list of hit singles (including “Mellow Yellow,” “Sunshine Superman,” and “Hurdy Gurdy Man”) cements his legend. His calming, but subversive voice is unforgettable, and it’s perfect for his role in the strange ‘72 feature The Pied Piper, where he played the titular Hamelin resident. I wonder if he was inspired to take part in The Pied Piper because of the birth of his daughter, actress Ione Skye. Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inducts Beastie Boys, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Guns N’ Roses in 2012 class [Washington Post]

Saturday, December 3, 2011

Disneys Best Of Luck Charlie Movie Draws 6.9M Audiences, Austin & Ally Opens To Five.7M

The most recent Disney Funnel original movie, Best Of Luck Charlie: It’s Christmas, a spinoff from the network’s hit sitcom, opened with 6.9 million total audiences last evening. It dethroned Lifetime’s The Craiglist Killer because the most-viewed live-action cable movie of 2011. Best Of Luck Charlie also shipped 3.3 million kids 6-11, 2.4 million tweens and 1.4 million grown ups 18-49. The film provided a powerful starting pad for Disney Funnel’s audio-centered sitcom Austin & Ally, which opened up well with 5.7 million total audiences, 2.7 million kids 6-11 and a pair of.1 million tweens. The series moves to the regular time slot Sunday.