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

Chevy Chase and Beverly D'Angelo Take Another (Short) Vacation

Clark and Ellen Griswold are going back on the road this winter for another vacation. Us Weekly reports that Chevy Chase and Beverly D'Angelo will reprise their Vacation roles in a new ad campaign for HomeAway vacation rentals. The ads will pay homage to the 1983 comedy about a madcap American family road trip and its sequels, and will also feature an exact replica of the film's iconic "Wagon Queen Family Truckster."

"To this day, people ask me, 'When is the next Vacation movie?" Chase (currently starring on NBC's Community) told Us. "So I'm sure everyone will get a kick out of seeing the Griswolds and their misadventures once again."

"The Griswolds have always been America's first family of travel, and the broad popularity of the Vacation movie series still continues today," Brian Sharples, founder and chief executive officer of HomeAway, said in a statement. "We intend to have a lot of fun with the ad campaign, highlighting the travel mishaps that always seem to follow the Griswold family, while also promoting the value and benefits of vacation rentals as an alternative to hotels."

'Glee' Captures Hearts and Minds of Musical Theater Actors

The New York Times' Patricia Cohen went to a pajama party to watch last week's episode of Glee with the high-school aged cast of Broadway's Bye Bye Birdie, and has written a cute story about the experience.

Surprise! Musical theater actors love Glee! Watching the the new hit Fox series about a high school glee club has quickly become a weekly tradition for the young Birdie cast, as well as other NYC actors such as those performing in Jersey Boys and Altar Boyz.

Some of the show's success in this demographic can be attributed to the stage pedigree of Glee stars Matthew Morrison, Lea Michele, and Jane Lynch, as well as guest stars like Broadway favorites Kristin Chenoweth and Jonathan Groff. But Glee also connects with actors because of the experience many young theater enthusiasts may have shared in high school: loving musicals and being an outcast because of it.

Cheyenne Jackson Guest Stars on '30 Rock'

Broadway star Cheyenne Jackson (Finian's Rainbow) made his first appearance on the hit NBC sitcom 30 Rock last night. Jackson is guest starring in several episodes this season as the newest cast member of TGS, 30 Rock's show within the show.

Watch a clip of Jackson from last night's episode below:

-- Daniel Lehman

James Franco Guest Stars on 'General Hospital'

James Franco is a perplexing character. When producers announced last month that the actor would be joining the long-running soap opera General Hospital for two months in a recurring role, we didn't know if we should be surprised, intrigued, or just accepting. (The fact that Franco approached the show himself and actually asked to work in daytime TV only adds to our confusion.)

In truth, we think this could work. And not just because Franco seems too good to be on daytime TV. In fact, it's because he isn't always. Franco is a likable yet extremely inconsistent actor. Compare his raw and powerful performances in Freaks and Geeks, James Dean, and Milk and a remarkably self-aware comedic performance in Pineapple Express with his largely-ignored starring roles in forgettable films like Tristan & Isolde, Annapolis, and Flyboys. He's starring as beat poet Allen Ginsberg in Howl and returns to comedy in the upcoming films Date Night and Your Highness, but still accepts a paycheck for garbage like Nights in Rodanthe and The Wicker Man. And perhaps most importantly, he plays a central role in the Spider-Man franchise, but portrays Harry Osborn in a way more suited to soap operas than blockbusters anyway.

Watch the new promo for Franco's upcoming stint on GH below to judge for yourself:

Franco also recently filmed an episode of 30 Rock, in which he plays himself. But which version of James Franco is that, really?

Christopher Walken Reads "Poker Face"

Christopher Walken offered a dramatic reading of Lady Gaga's "Poker Face" during his appearance on the BBC 1's Friday Night with Jonathan Ross on Friday:

We admittedly love pretty much anything Walken does -- but couldn't he have picked lyrics to a song that fellow actor Jude Law didn't already perform a few weeks ago on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon? Read our related Blog Stage post of a month ago (or just watch video of Law's dramatic interpretation of Lady Gaga's "Poker Face" lyrics below:)

Ewoks Crash 'Today'

The “Today” show played with the line between Halloween tricks and sinister meddling when supposedly intoxicated Ewoks wreaked havoc on the Better Homes and Gardens segment.

Dressed as “Star Wars” characters, the hosts charged through finger food recipes while Al Roker (a.k.a Han Solo) attempted to maintain order with no avail. The Ewoks snagged martinis, pelted mini-candy, smashed deviled eggs, and jumped over the boundary of decency by dry humping Mr. Roker’s leg. What a mess. However, the moon walk was fairly impressive. 

Check out the video of NBC’s “Today” show.

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

-- Alexis Brown

Lights Go Out On Craig Ferguson

Last night, high winds swept through Los Angeles, disrupting electricity in the city -- including the television studio where comedian Craig Ferguson was busy filming The Late Late Show. The power went out near the end of  Ferguson’s interview with actress Alicia Silverstone, causing the studio to suddenly become pitch black. The lights came back only briefly, allowing Ferguson enough time to make it through one more interview before having to sign off with just his improv skills and a flashlight.

 Watch Ferguson’s sign off below:

-Alexa Trummer

David Spade and the Ghost of Chris Farley Sell DirecTV

You've probably seen this latest DirecTV ad by now: David Spade revisits the hilarious "Fat Guy in a Little Coat" scene from Tommy Boy, supposedly sitting in the same room as his co-star Chris Farley. But while Spade is able to speak directly to the camera and comment on Farley's actions in the scene, Farley plays it straight -- because he died over a decade ago.

DirecTV has made creative use of iconic movie scenes (and old actors reliving the roles of their youth) in their commercials for the past few years (think of Charlie Sheen in Major League, Craig T. Nelson in Poltergeist, etc.). Original material is spliced with new footage of the star telling the viewer about the benefits of DirecTV, usually to cleverly comedic effect. But this one rubs us the wrong way because, well, Farley is dead, and therefore not in on the joke.

"When DirecTV came to me and the Farley family with this idea about Tommy Boy, we talked and thought it would be a cool way to remind people just how funny Chris was," Spade tells Asylum. "It is a clever homage to my friend and a movie that we loved doing."

Fox Hears Viewers Plea

Viewers may get what they asked for as Emmy winner Kristin Chenoweth sets to renew her role as McKinley High's glee alumna April Rhodes in at least one upcoming episode of Fox's "Glee."

Chenoweth first entered the "Glee" scene, when the glee club's director (Matthew Morrison) needed a new star for the group. Knowing Rhodes had dropped out of high school, Morrison recruited his old classmate.

The question for co-creator Ryan Murphy to answer is: Under what premise will April blossom out of this time?

-- Ruthie Fierberg

Neil Patrick Harris Stars in "Mayhem of the Music Meister"

Tonight's episode of the animated series Batman: The Brave and the Bold features Neil Patrick Harris as the "Music Meister," a supervillain who has the power to control people with his voice and compels them to dance and sing in elaborate musical numbers. Sounds like a perfect fit for NPH, who has recently displayed his vocal talents hosting the Tony Awards, starring as the title character in Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog, and even in an upcoming musical episode of the CBS sitcom How I Met Your Mother.

"I have had the great pleasure of working with Neil Patrick Harris many times over the years, and I just adore working with him," Batman: The Brave and the Bold voice-over casting director Andrea Romano told us before the special musical episode premiered at Comic-Con this summer. "He just did a wonderful episode. What was remarkable about that whole episode is that I never ever considered hiring actors for that series that could sing. I never thought about it, because I never thought that we would be doing a singing episode. Coincidentally, everybody I cast in that series could sing. That worked out beautifully."

Watch the hilarious music video for "Drives Us Bats" above, and be sure to catch the new episode of Batman: The Brave and the Bold tonight at 7:30 p.m. on Cartoon Network.

-- Daniel Lehman