Espresso - Backstage - Actor Industry News

New York City Ballet Announces New Season

The New York City Ballet will open its 2010-2011 season with its first fall run to start on Sept. 14 at the David H. Koch Theater. The season will feature 28 different ballets.  Highlights include choreographer Benjamin Millepied’s New York premiere, Patti LuPone’s NYCB debut in Lynne Taylor-Corbet’s “The Seven Deadly Sins,” and Peter Martins’ revival of “The Magic Flute.” The season will also feature 13 works by George Balanchine, including the indispensable “George Balanchine’s The Nutcracker,” to begin Nov. 26.

Read the story at the New York Times.

Joe Mantello to Teach at The New School

Tony award-winning director Joe Mantello has been named the artist in residence for The New School for Drama’s 2010-2011 academic year. Mantello, the fifth artist-in-residence, said in a statement that he is looking forward to working with the gifted students: “As is often the case with teaching talented people, the teacher gains as much insight or possibly more than the student.” Mantello is to teach a year-long course on directing, and will address the school in a town hall meeting.  

Read the story at Playbill.

Pictured: Joe Mantello (Photo: Getty Images)

AGMA, Equity in Turf Battle

The feud between the American Guild of Musical Artists and the Actors’ Equity Association over who will represent dancers on Broadway is escalating. According to the Wall Street Journal, AGMA last week contacted the Associated Actors and Artistes of America, an AFL-CIO governing body, and requested that jurisdiction over Broadway musicals in which 66 percent of the performers dance and sing but do not speak be given to the hoofers’ union. AGMA national executive director Alan Gordon called Equity’s standards for chorus performers “obsolete.” Carol Waaser, Equity's acting executive director told the Journal that Gordon “doesn't understand the complicated nature of Broadway.” The 4As confirmed to the Journal that it will form a committee to review the matter.

Read the story at the Wall Street Journal (subscription required).

Endorse the Endorsers: Talking Up a SAG-AFTRA Merger

The board of directors of the Screen Actors Guild’s sexily named Regional Branch Division got together in Washington, D.C., over the weekend. In between all the trust-building exercises and keg stands, the regional leaders found time to officially “endorse the creation of one union to cover all performers.” In a statement from the guild, SAG president Ken Howard endorsed the endorsement. “I’m pleased they so strongly endorsed the idea of one union for all performers,” Howard said. No word yet on whether anyone has endorsed Howard’s endorsement of the endorsement, but said endorsement is no doubt forthcoming. Endorsement, endorsement, endorsement.

'Scottsboro Boys' Will Make Home at Lyceum

"The Scottsboro Boys," the musical by John Kander and Fred Ebb set in the racially segregated South of the 1930s, will make its Broadway premier in October at the Lyceum Theatre, according to the New York Times. "Scottsboro" made its debut Off-Broadway at the Vineyard Theatre, and will begin an out of town run at Minneapolis' Guthrie Theatre in July. The musical tells the story of two African American men falsely convicted of raping a white woman in Alabama.

Read the story at the New York Times.

Pictured: John Kander (Photo: Getty Images)

'Captain America' Leaves L.A. for London

Marvel Studios' forthcoming film "Captain America: The First Avenger" will be shot overseas. According to the Los Angeles Times, the shoot, which had been planned to take place in Los Angeles, will begin in London in July. Marvel, which began producing its own films in 2007, shot its first three efforts—"Iron-Man," "Iron-Man 2," and "Thor"—almost entirely in Southern California. Studio co-president Louis D'Esposito told the Times that Britain's lucrative tax incentives for film production played a role in the decision. "This is one reason many advocate that our state's incentive program be revised," Paula Adley, president of FilmL.A. Inc., told the paper.

Read the story at the Los Angeles Times.

Pictured: Captain America (Marvel Entertainment)

D.C. Theater Company Cancels Madoff Play

Washington, D.C. theater company Theater J has canceled its first show of the season following threats of legal action from writer and Holocaust survivor Elie Wiesel. "Imagining Madoff," a fictional story about real-life scam artist Bernard Madoff by playwright Deb Margolin, features a scene in which the Ponzi schemer recalls a conversation he once had with Wiesel in the writer's study—a conversation that never took place in real life. According to the Washington Post, Wiesel wrote to Margolin, calling the play "defamatory." Margolin told the Post, "I was very sorry to have displeased Professor Wiesel. And quite devastated by his response," adding that she included Wiesel in the play because, "his name is synonymous with decency." "Imagining Madoff" was set to Aug. 28-Oct.3.

Read the story at the Washington Post.

Pictured: Bernard Madoff (Photo: Getty Images)

Metcalf, 'Circle Mirror Transformation' Win at OBIES

The Village Voice presented its 55th annual OBIE Awards last night, with honors going to actor Laurie Metcalf and playwright Annie Baker, among others. Metcalf, honored for her turn in the New Group's production of "A Lie of the Mind," was one of several actors given awards for outstanding performance. Baker's "Circle Mirror Transformation" was given the award for best new American play, which comes with a $1,000 prize. The OBIE committee grants awards to multiple winners in whatever categories it deems fit to give awards in, sometimes creating new categories in the process.

Read the story at Playbill.

Pictured: Laurie Metcalf (Photo: Getty Images)

Report: 'Law & Order' Possibly Headed to TNT

Writer Nikki Finke at the website Deadline.com is reporting that producer Dick Wolf is negotiating with NBC to take the recently canceled "Law & Order" to cable network TNT. Finke quotes Wolf as saying, "The flagship series is in a medically induced coma, waiting for a live-saving medicine." According to the report, negotiations to take the series, which played for a record-tying 20 seasons on NBC, to TNT will begin after the network up-fronts, currently underway, end.

Read the story at Deadline.com

Pictured: Dick Wolf (Photo: Getty Images)

Three Ties at Outer Critics Circle Awards

Ties surfaced in three categories as the Outer Critics Circle Awards, which honor Broadway and Off-Broadway theater, were announced this morning. "Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson" and "The Scottsboro Boys" tied for best Off-Broadway musical; Bill T. Jones of "Fela!" and Sergio Trujillo of "Memphis" tied for outstanding choreographer; and Mantego Glover of "Memphis" and Catherine Zeta-Jones of "A Little Night Music" tied for best actress in a musical. The awards will be presented May 27 at Sardi's in New York.

Read the story at Playbill.

Pictured: Catherine Zeta-Jones (Photo: Getty Images)