Blog Stage - Acting in Film, TV, Theatre - Backstage

To Look Good Is to Feel Good

I found this fun webisode with Carson Kressley (Queer Eye) called "Look Good in Pictures."  The video offers help with looking good for your headshot.  Check it out!

-- Tom Penketh

This Week in Optimistic Theatre News

Despite weeks of news of early closings resulting in two dozen dark theatres on Broadway earlier this winter, it seems spring might actually be coming early this year to brighten the Great White Way (even though plenty of other theatres are still suffering).

Bloomberg reports this week that producers are scheduled to open 19 Broadway shows in the next three months. According to Bloomberg, "If they all arrive ahead of the June 7 Tony awards, the 2008-09 season will go down as the busiest in two decades, with 40 new productions. Broadway will have the most openings since 1986-87, when there were 43."

WMA-YouTube: Agents of Change?

  In case you missed it, The New York Times reported Thursday that the William Morris Agency and YouTube are in talks to place their clients in new-media work. YouTube has been trying to shift away from golf-balls-in-a-blender stuff to professionally produced content, and this would be a major step forward.

While we're always eager to wonder about the future, this development could raise an issue from the past.

Give It Up for Woody Rosenberg (Seriously)

  We simply do not care what your opinions are on all things SAG--Lord knows, we have ours--but Alan Rosenberg's song, which he sang for The Wrap yesterday, is elegantly composed (for folk music), brilliantly written, perfectly delivered, and wonderfully evocative of Woody Guthrie*. We are dead-bang serious.

The Curious Case of Two Pedophiles

Not to put too fine a point on it, but The Curious Case of Benjamin Button is slightly kinky.

Early on the tone is set. Benjamin Button (Brad Pitt) is in his near dotage when he is caught sitting under the bed with a very young girl. Of course, we know he is aging backwards and therefore arguably a young boy at that point. But he sure as hell looks like a geezer and the girl's grandmother has every right to be agitated when she lifts the covers and spots them.

Theatre Needs Critics

Yesterday, the L.A. Times "Culture Monster" argued in support of theatre critics and writers in Los Angeles. This is mostly in reaction to recent layoffs of L.A.-area theatre critics (including those trying to save their jobs at the L.A. Times, perhaps?), but the most surprising part of the story is that theatre leaders themselves are the ones asking for more criticism.

Are 'Slumdog' Child Actors Still Poor "Slumdogs?"

For the most part, any news of backlash and protests among Indians regarding the possibly offensive title and unflattering depiction of widespread Indian poverty in the Oscar-nominated hit Slumdog Millionaire has been largely overshadowed by reports of national pride and gratefulness for the film's immense success.

But this week, the U.K. Telegraph reports that Rubina Ali and Azharuddin Ismai, two of the child actors in the film, remain in poverty despite their international acclaim (Rubina plays the youngest version of Latika, and Azharuddin is the young Salim). The child actors’ parents have accused the hit film’s producers of exploiting and underpaying the eight-year-olds, who live in uncertainty with their families in one of India's most squalid slums.

East Coast Casting Highlights - 1/29/08

Every week Back Stage publishes hundreds of notices -- casting notices, entertainment-industry job notices, and calls for submissions to talent contests and film festivals. Back Stage is the premier resource for actors, dancers, singers, comedians, and all performing artists -- plus those talented individuals working behind-the-scenes, including writers and crew -- looking for quality opportunities.  BackStage.com's casting database includes all of the notices from  the  popular weekly Back Stage publications, plus hundreds of additional items.

EAST COAST:

Below are a few highlights from this week's East Coast notices, compiled by East Coast Assistant Casting Editor (ACE) Sri Gordon:

Playwrights Horizons Launches 'LIVEforFIVE' Ticket Lottery

Beginning yesterday morning, Playwrights Horizons has opened its "LIVEforFIVE" online ticket lottery, offering the chance to purchase $5 tickets to the New York premiere of The Savannah Disputation. At least 50 tickets will be available through the online lottery.

LIVEforFIVE makes $5 tickets available for the first preview performance of each Playwrights Horizons production through a lottery via the company's website at www.playwrightshorizons.org. The theatre company created the promotion last season as part of its Arts Access program.

New York Auditions at a Glance – Jan. 29-Feb. 6

The following "Auditions at a Glance" calendar conveniently organizes projects by the date and day-of-the-week that the projects' auditions are taking place, to help you schedule your plans.

Click on any of the following links to see the casting and job notices related to the dates and project titles highlighted below.