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

New York Auditions at a Glance – Jan. 26-Feb. 3

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 – Jan. 26-Feb. 3

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.

Roaches, Fleas, and Spiders...Oh My!

In a busy season for Cirque du Soleil shows in L.A. and vicinity, the tireless Quebec troupe’s 2009 opus “Ovo” (Portuguese for “egg”) has made its local debut at Santa Monica Pier, while the company’s film-world extravaganza “Iris” continues at Hollywood’s Kodak Theatre (on hiatus until after the Oscars), and “Michael Jackson: The Immortal World Tour” will soon be in town for two separate engagements.

If you can pardon the pun, this imaginative and fun-filled offering—clearly geared as a family attraction—might only “bug” those with an aversion for insects. Yet the exotic ecosystem so dazzlingly created by Liz Vandel’s costumes, Gringo Cardia’s set and props, and Eric Champoux’s lighting—under the inspired creative vision of writer-director-choreographer Deborah Colker—provides  an irresistible showcase for Cirque’s miraculously multi-talented performers. The diverse array of acrobats, dancers, and comedians entertained a cheering opening-night crowd with two hours worth of energetic and mind-boggling feats.

There are countless memorable segments. Red ants juggle huge pieces of kiwi with their feet, then switch to juggling each other. A flying act called the Scarabs Volant performs death-defying trapeze tricks. The magnificent finale, featuring artists bouncing off a trampoline, then running and leaping across an 8-meter vertical wall, is one you won’t soon forget. Berna Ceppa’s jaunty original music, performed by a large band of cockroaches, maintains an appropriate celebratory tone.

As entertainment feasts go, “Ovo” might be the tastiest omelet in town.

--Les Spindle

James Cromwell on the Sounds of Silence

James Cromwell is a journeyman actor who got two of his biggest career boost with barely saying a word. First came an Oscar nomination in 1996 for his role as Farmer Hoggett in "Babe," a role that elevated him to a new level and made his casting in films like "L.A. Confidential" possible. In his own words, he hasn't had to audition since.

Now, Cromwell delivers another stunning performance without speaking in "The Artist," the front runner for Best Picture that today received 10 Oscar nominations. Cromwell plays Clifton, the servant to silent film star George Valentin (Oscar nominee Jean Dujardin) who is so loyal he even works without pay! The success of the film prompted Cromwell to pen a piece for Moviefone entitled "Why the Quietest Movie of My Career is Making the Most Noise."

Check it out. And if you haven't already, take a look at the videos of Cromwell and his co-stars speaking after a screening of "The Artist" on our site.

--Jenelle Riley

 

Oscar Noms Announced

Poor Albert Brooks. His lack of an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actor for "Drive" was probably the biggest snub this morning. At least he's got a sense of humor about it, as he took to Twitter this morning to say: "I got ROBBED. I don't mean the Oscars, I mean literally. My pants and shoes have been stolen."

Otherwise, not too many surprises today, other than the fact they managed to find nine films to nominate for Best Picture. Of course, "The Artist" made a great showing with 10 nominations. But it was "Hugo" that scored the most nods, with 11.

Happy for Gary Oldman, who snagged his first nomination for "Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy." And so glad Melissa McCarthy made the cut for "Bridesmaids."

Full list of nominations here and after the jump.  Read nominee's reactions here.

--Jenelle Riley

The Oscars: Last-Minute Predictions

So the Academy Award nominations will be announced live tomorrow by Jennifer Lawrence and Academy president Tom Sherak--word has it Lawrence has been practicing the pronounciation of several French names from "The Artist" in anticipation. So here's some guesses has to how it will finally all shake out.

Best Picture:

The sure things are "The Artist," 'The Descendants," "The Help," "Hugo," and "Midnight In Paris." I am hoping "Moneyball" makes the cut and would love it if "Bridesmaids" did. But I suspect "War Horse" will ultimately be overlooked. Possible spoiler: "Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close."

Best Director:

The sure things are Michel Hazanavicius for "The Artist," Alexander Payne for "The Descendants," Martin Scorsese for "Hugo," and Woody Allen for "Midnight in Paris." While many people think Terrence Malick will slip in with "Tree of Life," I say don't underestimate the Academy's love for "The Help" or "Moneyball." Their respective directors, Tate Taylor and Bennett Miller, have been woefully overlooked in most of the races, and I think one will get that last slot--I hope it's Miller, but suspect it will be Taylor. Then again, Stephen Daldry has never made a movie for which he didn't receive a Best Director nomination ("Billy Elliott," "The Hours," "The Reader") so he could sneak in with "Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close." There's also the possiblity of David Fincher creeping in with "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo." Still, if it's not Taylor or Miller, I'm guessing they'll just lazily give the nod to Steven Spielberg for "War Horse."

Best Actor:

The sure things are George Clooney for "The Descendants," Brad Pitt for "Moneyball," and Jean Dujardin for "The Artist." Maybe it's wishful thinking, but I truly believe Gary Oldman will finally be recognized for his work in "Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy." That leaves one spot left, which most people think belongs to Leonardo DiCaprio, but I am holding out hope it belongs to Michael Shannon for his spectacular work in "Take Shelter." Both Oldman and Shannon have been making the rounds, while DiCaprio seems to be quietly sitting things out--and often that makes all the difference. As for "Shame" star Michael Fassbender...he's brilliant, but I just don't see the Academy embracing his sex addict character.

Best Actress:

The sure things are Viola Davis for "The Help," Meryl Streep for "The Iron Lady," and Michelle Williams for "My Week with Marilyn." At one point, Glenn Close was a sure thing, but "Albert Nobbs" never really took off the way it was supposed to. Still, I suspect it will end up being Close and Tilda Swinton for her great work in "We Need to Talk About Kevin." The only possible spoiler could be Rooney Mara for "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo," but I doubt it.

Best Supporting Actor:

As much as I hoped Patton Oswalt would make the cut, it doesn't look like the "Young Adult" star will triumph. That leaves a pretty great group anyway: Christopher Plummer for "Beginners," Kenneth Branaugh for "My Week with Marilyn," Albert Brooks for "Drive," and Jonah Hill for "Moneyball." I'm truly hoping enough people saw "Warrior" to give that last slot to Nick Nolte, so brilliant in the film. If not Nolte, I supose it would be Ben Kinsgley for "Hugo." Or, should the Academy give into the sap of "Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close," Max Von Sydow.

Best Supporting Actress:

The two sure things are Octavia Spencer for "The Help" and Berenice Bejo for "The Artist." The pretty certain things are Jessica Chastain for "The Help" and Melissa McCarthy for "Bridesmaids." That leaves one slot for Janet McTeer in "Albert Nobbs" and Shailene Woodley in "The Descendants" to battle it out. And don't count out Vanessa Redgrave in "Coriolanus." But as I said, "Albert Nobbs" never really gained momentum, so I'm guessing it will ultimately be Woodley.

Check in tomorrow to see how right/wrong I was and praise/chastise me.

--Jenelle Riley

 

 

 

Watch 'The Artist' Q&A

On Jan. 13, I was fortunate enough to moderate a Q&A with the cast of "The Artist," the very film that picked up the Producers' Guild Award top prize over the weekend. The entire Q&A is now available for your viewing pleasure right here, courtesy of the good people at SAG Foundation. In addition to star Jean Dujardin, actors James Cromwell and Missi Pyle were present, and it's worth watching just to hear Pyle's great audition story. This cast will do battle on Sunday at the SAG Awards for Best Ensemble, and it's a tough race with casts from "The Help" and "The Descendants" to compete with.

--Jenelle Riley

Reality TV Casting Highlights - 1/20/12

Back Stage runs hundreds of casting notices every year for reality television shows, games shows, reality competitions, talk shows, documentaries, commercials, and multimedia projects and events seeking real people, hosts, contestants, and performers. And now with the help of our partner RealityWanted.com, we're pleased to bring you even more reality casting opportunities than ever before.  See below for some of this week's top reality casting calls and auditions.

You can find all of these casting notices and more in the Reality TV category on BackStage.com, at Twitter.com/RealityTVCast, and in Back Stage's new Reality TV Casting iPhone app.

Entertainment Industry Opportunities - 1/20/12

Every week Back Stage posts hundreds of casting notices and entertainment-industry opportunities in the BackStage.com Casting/Jobs Database. Check out the following sampling of 47 new notices — performance venues calling for talent, film festivals calling for entries, staff/tech/crew jobs, calls for scripts, casting workshops, competitions, open mikes, and more:

Brad Pitt and Jonah Hill Talk 'Moneyball'

In case you missed the live broadcast of our Q&A on Monday with Brad Pitt and Jonah Hill, you can check it out in its entirety above. Well, almost...the beginning was cut off, in which I introduced Jonah and Brad walked out...but most of it is there. Or if you prefer your Brad in bite-sized bits, there are three short highlights from the event after the jump.

As I've already said several times, "Moneyball" is one of the best films of 2011--I would rank it higher than most of the films it's competing against at the Oscars. I know it has its fans, but I'm a little surprised it isn't getting even more love. Here's hoping when the Oscar noms are announced next week it will make it into the Best Picture race. I would also love to see director Bennett Miller nominated--I was disappointed he didn't snag a DGA nom. Part of the problem is that "Moneyball" is so masterfully done, everyone involved makes it look easy. It's not. This is filmmaking at it's best.

--Jenelle Riley