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

Gilla Roos Begs, Threatens Its Clients

EDITOR'S NOTE: Much the same way Law & Order and Homicide: Life on the Street hooked up for a few episodes back in the '90s, Strike Watch and Espresso are cross-posting today to inform as many actors as possible that the New York-based agency Gilla Roos is having trouble paying its creditors and that actors and others in the talent community should be aware of this.

Gilla Roos, the New York-based talent agency that apparently went bust Feb. 20, is telling its clients who are models that if they want any of the money that is owed them, they have to let the agency continue to represent them, according to an email obtained by Back Stage. 

Gilla Roos to Talent: To Get Paid, Keep Giving Us Money

Gilla Roos, the New York-based talent agency that apparently went bust Feb. 20, is telling its clients who are models that if they want any of the money that is owed them, they have to let the agency continue to represent them, according to an email obtained by Back Stage. 

At the Frigid: Michelle Kennedy Talks Up 'Fabulous Buddha Boi'

In the first of our spotlights on this year's Frigid New York Festival, we interviewed Michelle Kennedy, director of Coffee Dad, Chicken Mom and the Fabulous Buddha Boi.

A native of Edmonton, Alberta, Michelle co-founded Edmonton's Mischief and Mayhem Theatre (with Natascha Lewis) in 2005. The theatre began as a place for independent Edmonton artists to produce their shows in a professional manner.

Since then, M&M has evolved to include producing site-specific and more experimental works designed to challenge audiences.  As artistic director of M&M, she says her focus is "largely new play development and/or big gawdy spectacle."

Does 'Slumdog Millionaire' Want Tony Awards, Too?

After sweeping basically every major awards show this year, Oscar-winning film Slumdog Millionaire may now be headed to the stage.

From Broadway.com:

Several of the creators of the surprise Hollywood hit are in talks to adapt the film into a stage musical, featuring the Oscar-winning music of A.R. Rahman, who made his Broadway debut as composer of Bombay Dreams...

Talk has resurfaced of a stage translation, with Rahman, who won Oscars for Best Score and Best Song (for the closing-credit dance number “Jai Ho”), said to be ready to flesh out the score with additional songs.

Simon Beaufoy, who wrote Slumdog's Oscar-winning screenplay, said in December, “My dream is A.R. Rahman, who did the score, would write loads of fantastic songs,” he said. “I would do the book for the musical and Danny would direct it. That’s my dream. It begs to be a musical.”

Casting News -- Feb. 27, 2009

Jim Carrey and Jake Gyllenhaal are attached to star in the film adaptation of Damn Yankees, which will be a contemporary take on the classic Tony-winning 1950s musical. Gyllenhaal will play central character Joe Boyd, who is transformed into the slugger Joe Hardy after making a deal with the devil (to be played by Carrey). This is the first musical for both actors. The role of Lola has not yet been cast.

Antonio Banderas has joined the cast of Woody Allen's still-untitled next film. The cast already includes Naomi Watts, Josh Brolin, Anthony Hopkins, and Freida Pinto. Filming is set to begin this summer in London.

A Few [REDACTED] Thoughts on Jeremy Piven

   Before we begin, a public-service announcement: The New York-based talent agency Gilla Roos has closed its New York office temporarily and is undergoing corporate restructuring. SAG is demanding that all members terminate their relationships with the agency and is urging them to cancel all check authorizations immediately. The details can be found at the Back Stage blog Espresso.

Now let's talk about Jeremy Piven, the actor who bailed on was forced to drop out of Speed-the-Plow due to feckless narcissism mercury poisoning. Apparently, there was a hearing at Actors' Equity Association yesterday, which we were unable to cover because we had no intention of wasting valuable time on a media circus when we knew the proceeding would be a pointless exercise of league moralizing and union posturing and no one would comment anyway of budgetary constraints.

However, we did receive this joint statement from the Broadway League and Equity.

Piven Avoids Penalties for "Mercury Poisoning"

At a three-hour Actors' Equity Association hearing yesterday, actor Jeremy Piven convinced panel members that his early departure from the Broadway production of Speed-the-Plow this winter was due to mercury poisoning after all, and therefore not in violation of his contract.

Skeptical producers filed a grievance against Piven in January, contending that the actor may have been bored with the play or eager to return to Hollywood, rather than suffering from mercury poisoning at all. But the 10-person panel at the hearing was split down the middle by Piven's reportedly tear-filled story; a majority vote would have been required in order to take any action against the actor.

The Return of the One-Man Show

There were some big announcements this week in the realm of one-man shows. First, Playbill reports that actor/comedian Robin Williams will return to Broadway this spring for a very limited engagement of his one-man show, Weapons of Self-Destruction.

Williams said in a statement:

I'm excited to be back on Broadway. It's been a blast working on new material for this tour. The current state of the country's political and economic climate, while so hard on so many people, has been like gold for a comedian. There’s just so much that's ripe for the picking.

EXCLUSIVE: N.Y. Talent Agent Broke; SAG Warns Actors

Gilla Roos Ltd., a 35-year-old New York-based talent agency, has temporarily gone out of business due to the recession and has had its franchise agreement deactivated by SAG, Back Stage has learned. The guild is demanding members represented by Gilla Roos to terminate their relations with the agency and is urging them to cancel all check authorizations immediately, according to a bulletin sent to members.

Rethinking Meryl Streep

Let me say something shocking: Meryl Streep is wildly over praised.

She is not the greatest actress of her generation. Indeed, I've yet to see one Streep performance on stage or on film that's fully believable.

Admittedly, she captures the character's speech, posture, gait, and facial expressions. But one is always aware of the choices she has made, though in Doubt her performance had more seams than usual. Her demonic nun was way over the top and that Bronx Irish American accent was painfully obvious. In an otherwise superb film, she was the weak link.