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

On-Site Filming Jumps in Los Angeles

The first three months of filming on location has jumped 25 percent compared to this time of year in 2009.The Los Angeles Times reported that California’s new film incentive may have boosted filming. This is good news for behind-the-scenes workers who have experienced a downturn in work due to the economy, labor restlessness, and work moving out of state. Feature production, which was hit the hardest, went up by 6 percent and commercials went up by 60 percent.

Read the story at the Los Angeles Times.

ACT to Debut ‘Tales of the City’

The American Conservatory Theater of the San Francisco Bay Area will premiere an adaptation of Armistead Maupin’s stories as a musical for its 2010-11 seasons, according to San Francisco Chronicle. The musical was created in partnership with “Avenue Q” librettist Jeff Whitty and director Jason Moore, as well as songwriters Jake Shear and John Garden of the rock band the Scissor Sisters. Producers have their sights set on eventually taking the show to Broadway. "Clearly it's an extraordinary team, and it would be surprising if it didn't have a longer life,” ACT artistic director Carey Perloff told the Chronicle.

Read the story in the San Francisco Chronicle.

Pictured: Jeff Whitty (Photo: Getty Images)

Act Like Tallulah; Rush, Students, Rush

• “Looped,” the Broadway show about Tallulah Bankhead, and BroadwayWorld.com are accepting entries in its “Tallulah for a Day” contest. Contestants are asked to submit their best Bankhead impersonations. The grand prize is a trip for two to New York to see “Looped” and meet star Valerie Harper. At no point will you actually have to spend a day living like Tallulah Bankhead. That would be exhausting. And chilly, considering her fondness for the altogether.

• College students, unlike real people, can take a week off in the spring without having to lie to a supervisor about a dead relative. They can also check out our index of Broadway and Off-Broadway shows offering student rush tickets over spring break. But don’t worry—they too will one day know the pain of growing old.

TNT Holds Key to 21st Season of ‘Law & Order’

NBC decision whether to renew ‘Law & Order’ for its record-breaking 21st season may hinge on TNT, as the cable network has yet to give word that it would air reruns of another season. According to the Hollywood Reporter, NBC is not permitted to take reruns anywhere else without TNT’s permission, but TNT is not required to air any seasons past the 20th. NBC runs the risk of losing capital as the show’s costs are high and ratings have declined.

Read the story at the Hollywood Reporter.

Pictured: Anthony Anderson and Jeremy Sisto of "Law & Order" (Photo: Getty Images)

Tony Thoughts

It's just as well Conan O'Brien can't host the Tony Awards due to a contractual obligation as part of his severance package with NBC. Most Tony viewers hear the name Coco and they think of the 1970 musical about Coco Chanel starring Katharine Hepburn. (I'm so old I actually saw the touring version with Ginger Rogers.) But perhaps it would have brought in new audiences, although I doubt it. How many of O'Brien's fans would have flipped on the Tonys just to see Broadway musical numbers? Well, maybe a few if they promoted the hell out of American Idiot and promised an appearance by Green Day. Neil Patrick Harris nailed the hosting gig last year and has gone on to dominate the host position with his emcee chores of the Emmys and opening the Oscars. But will they go for somebody else since Harris has been making the hosting rounds so much? 

West Coast Casting Highlights - 3/31/10

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.

WEST COAST:

Below are a few highlights from this week's West Coast notices, compiled by West Coast Casting Editor Cassie Carpenter:

New York Auditions at a Glance – April 1-9

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.

California Auditions at a Glance – April 1-9

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.

Regional Auditions at a Glance – April 1-9

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.

Vince Vaughn: Mystery Guest

FilmDrunk has posted a great story about how "Community" creator Dan Harmon wrote a letter to a 7-year-old girl explaining what went wrong with "Monster House," a movie he co-wrote. First of all, Harmon is a damn funny guy--long before he was creating TV shows I remember him from the local improv scene and the guy is genius--and "Community" has improved from its mediocre origins to become one of the best shows on TV. But to call "Monster House" producer Steven Spielberg a "moron" takes some guts. Some very funny guts.

Anyway, the real reason this article took up so much time today is because I was trying to figure out who the guy was that looked like Vince Vaughn in the background and what was he eating? And how did he get there?