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

Ailey to Welcome First Lady; BBC Downsizing

• First lady Michelle Obama will be an honorary co-chairwoman of the opening night gala performance of Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, reported The New York Times. The ceremony will take place on Nov. 30.

• The BBC has cut its budget for foreign television imports, like "Mad Men," some of which performed very well across the pond. The broadcaster announced it slash its budget by about $ 1 billion a year by 2016/7 and as a result, roughly 2,000 people will lose their jobs. Actors employed by the BBC may leave for rival channels or possibly the United States if their salaries are reduced. Read the story at Deadline.

• Charles Napier, actor who starred in "Blues Brothers" and Silence of the Lambs" and did voice work on "Superman: The Animated Series", died on Wednesday. He was 75 years old. Read his obituary at The Hollywood Reporter.

• Apple Co-Founder Steve Jobs passed away at 56 on Wednesday. In addition to running Apple, Jobs was previously the CEO of Pixar and International Business Times discusses how his death may impact this company the most.

Pictured: Charles Napier (Photo: Getty Images)

NYTF Winners Named; The Real Stars of 'Dancing'

• The New York Television Festival, which is aimed towards uniting independent filmmakers and producers with professionals, closed its seventh award ceremony this past Saturday by announcing the winners of their Independent Pilot Competition. 15 guaranteed deals in over 20 categories – breaking their previous record overall – ended the festivities. Read the full story at The Wrap.

• The New York Times reported, the hit series ‘Dancing with the Stars’ – now on its thirteenth season - has been gaining fans more for its dance pros than the actual celebrities. Who would have thunk it?

• Fox and Amazon Prime announced today that they have just engaged in a new deal that will make more than 11,000 movies and television shows available for streaming, the way of the future as several companies have boycotted DVD and HD Blu-ray for easier access to the public. According to The Wrap, with this new merger Amazon CEO, Jeff Bezos, hinted that Netflix and its new subsidiary, Qwikster, will be in for a rude awakening. Prime membership for Amazon Prime is currently $79 a year and features unlimited free two-day shipping.

• More than 60 actors, 67 tables, and a whole lot of donating went into the 25th Annual Broadway Flea Market & Grand Auction which took place this past Sunday. Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS told Playbill.com that the total earnings for the day ended with a whopping $547,658, making this years total $70,000 more than last year.

Pictured: Derek Hough, professional dancer on “Dancing with The Stars” (Photo: Getty Images)

Facebook's Entertainment Goals; B'Way in Cinemas

• Mark Zuckerberg, founder of Facebook, gave a press conference regarding the future of the number one social networking site in the world. Los Angeles Times runs down Facebook's upcoming overhaul and its planned partnerships with Netflix, Hulu, and others that will make it a huge digital platform for the entertainment industry. Earlier this week, Reuters reported Facebook was seeking an executive to help form relationships with the music and film businesses.

• The annual holiday CD benefiting Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS will include performances from the cast of "Anything Goes" and Daniel Radcliffe of "How to Succeed…." The CD "Broadway’s Carols for a Cure, Vol. 13" will be released in November. Read the story at Playbill.

• Four Broadway musicals- "Memphis," "Jekyll & Hyde," "Putting It Together," and "Smokey Joe's Case"- will be shown on silver screens around the world, reported The Hollywood Reporter.

• The technique of Merce Cunningham, avant-garde dancer and choreographer, will be taught after his dance company shuts down at the end of this year. Over the next year, classes will take place at City Center, the Mark Morris Dance Center, and at the Dance New Amsterdam. Check it out at The New York Times.

• The Wrap discusses the decreased enthusiasm in Hollywood for President Obama, as evidenced by a lack of vocal support and campaign contributions from industry bigwhigs. It is pointed out, though, that the 2012 election is just revving up and more advocacy may come next year.

Pictured: Mark Zuckerberg (Photo: Getty Images).

A Conversation with Heather Lang, Former 'Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark' Cast Member

Heather Lang is a former "Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark" dancer and Radio City Rockette. She spoke with DancePulp about her experiences as a commercial dancer, shares her insights on what makes for a successful career, and tells how she made it big in NYC.

To watch more videos like this, visit DancePulp.com.

City Ballet Brings Back Discounts; 'Catch Me' To Close

• The New York City Ballet is bringing back its discount program for the Fourth Ring Society starting August 29 after complaints about the ballet’s decision to stop selling lower-priced tickets. The program, called Society NYCB, will have a $20 annual membership fee and $15 tickets. Read the story at The New York Times.

• “Catch Me If You Can,” the Broadway musical based off the movie of the same name, will be closing September 4, reported The New York Times. The 13 million dollar show, starring Aaron Tveit and Norbert Leo Butz, began development in Seattle in 2009 before opening on Broadway this past April.

• Movie studios are snatching up dates for movie releases at an unprecedented speed, specifically for movies that have not even been approved for production. According to the Los Angeles Times, both Lionsgate and Sony Pictures have announced release dates for sequels to “The Hunger Games” and “The Amazing Spider-Man,” both of which have not even hit theaters yet.

• With Emmy submissions declining annually for the made-for-TV movies and miniseries categories, it was not a surprise when it was announced that the two categories would be combined. Deadline looks at the in-depth reasoning and implications of such a move.

Pictured: Aaron Tveit (Photo: Getty Images)

Paul Taylor to Perform at Koch Theater

The David H. Koch Center isn’t ailing about the departure of its longtime New York City opera tenants. The Lincoln Center theater, known for housing City Opera, will be a host to the Paul Taylor Dance Company.

The New York Times reported that three weeks of springtime performances have been moved to the new location.  The company, which usually performs at City Center, is the first fine arts organization to use the newly available stage space.

Paul Taylor Archives Online; Allen Goes to Rome

• An archive of choreographer Paul Taylor’s material has gone public. According to The New York Times, a grant has made it possible to put decades of records, papers and artifacts on online.

• After the success of his last movie “Midnight in Paris,” Woody Allen has decided to continue filming movies oversees. His newest flick, “Bop Decameron,” began filming in Rome on Monday. According to The Los Angeles Times, one of the reasons Allen chose to film in Rome is the 25 percent film tax credit.

• Broadway in Bryan Park is up and going, and this Thursday’s performances will feature “Catch Me If You Can,” “Chicago,” “Million Dollar Quartet” and “Newsical.” The free weekly Broadway concert series takes place on the Bryant Park Stage from 12:30 p.m. – 1:30 p.m. Read the story at Playbill.

• Lincoln Center has released an iPhone app that allows users to browse schedules, buy tickets directly and find restrooms, according to The New York Times.

• Writers on the upcoming NBC series “Smash” will do research next week at a workshop for the December revival of “On a Clear Day You Can See Forever,” starring Harry Connick, Jr. The new television show about making a Broadway musical will have about four episodes that explore the workshop process. Read the story at  The New York times.

Pictured: Woody Allen (Photo: Getty Images)

Opera Cancelled Over Homophobia; Google May Buy Hulu

• Tony Award-winning writer and lyricist of “Billy Elliot” Lee Hall is claiming a production of his new opera has been cancelled due to homophobia. According to The New York Times, the production was set to include about 300 school children, but the school pulled out support due to concerns about the language.

• Google is in preliminary talks to buy Hulu. After an initial proposition by Yahoo, the Hulu has been meeting with other potential buyers to drum up interest in the sale, The Los Angeles Times reported.

• Earnings for Hollywood’s screenwriters were down by 13 percent for 2010 the Writers Guild of America, West reported. However, television writers’ earnings grew by 3 percent while employment remained same. Read the story at The Los Angeles Times.

• The Joffrey Ballet in Chicago might have cancelled season due to disputes between the ballet company and the American Guild of Musical Artists. According to The New York Times, a three-year contract with the guild expired last Thursday, and no discussion has taken place regarding renewal.

'Ascension' Hits the Whitney

The Whitney Museum of American Art is ready to ascend to its new downtown building site, and they have commissioned choreographer Elizabeth Streb to help lead the way.

“Ascension,” her new piece involving a twenty-one-foot rotating ladder, will be performed as part of the series “Whitney on Site New Commissions Downtown.”

The piece will be performed by nine dancers of the STREB Extreme Action Company to the music of David Van Tiegem on the turning ladder. Known for her extreme mixture of dance, athletics, circus and Hollywood stunt-work, Streb’s work promises to be a thrilling climb.

Dance Artists Find New Medium to Voice Their Opinions

Dance /NYC, a service for local dance artists and managers, recently published three community conversations on their Web site. The public was invited to participate in the discussion, with the intention of addressing current issues in the dance industry- including activity, need, and opportunity within the field.

The conversations stemmed from a meeting with arts service organizations in May, and a meeting between dancers and managers in June. As a result, Dance/ NYC was inspired to revamp their strategic plan to better serve dance artists in the New York area.