Spider-Man’s Aunt Plays Barrymores’ Matriarch in Arch Revival

Bloomberg.com: "No longer sweet Aunt May of the Spider-Man movies, Rosemary Harris morphs into the acerbic matriarch in the latest revival of George S. Kaufman and Edna Ferber’s 1927 theater-world send-up, “The Royal Family.”"

Stars take 'Rain' check

NY Post: "Hugh Jackman and Daniel Craig are two cops who don't have to worry about where their next doughnut is coming from.
The stars of the new police drama 'A Steady Rain,' now in previews, are earning nearly $100,000 each a week, according to investment papers obtained by The Post."

In Chicago, Apple Tree Falls After 26 Years

Yahoo! News: "The Apple Tree Theatre in suburban Chicago has closed its doors after 26 years, according to its website, which states, 'Apple Tree Theatre and the Eileen Boevers Performing Arts Workshop have ceased operations.'
Its founder, Eileen Boevers, died earlier this year. She had retired in 2008. The website statement continues, 'The Board of Directors wishes to thank all the artists, teachers, students, staff, patrons and community that supported operations for the Theatre's 26 years and the Workshop's nearly 40 years.'"

'Shakespeare in Love' to Be Reborn as Theater

Backstage: "In a case of life imitating art imitating life, a British theater company has announced plans to rebuild an Elizabethan playhouse using the set from hit film 'Shakespeare in Love.'"

Elephant Eye sets sights on 'Beauty'

Variety: "Elephant Eye Theatrical is gearing up for its next Broadway offering, with new tuner 'Beauty' aiming to hit Gotham during the 2011-12 season.

In her first legit outing, singer-songwriter Regina Spektor (whose second album 'Far' dropped earlier this year) composes the music while Michael Korie ('Grey Gardens') provides the lyrics."

Neuwirth, Callaway & Others to Honor IATSE Local One President Claffey At Actors' Chapel Benefit 9/14

BroadwayWorld: "'Each year, in honor of Father Moore's legacy, St. Malachy's hosts this dinner named for him to acknowledge leaders in our field who embody his commitment to community service, dedication to the arts, and love of people and community,' said Rev. Richard Baker, Pastor of St. Malachy's. 'James J. Claffey, Jr., President of IATSE Local One, the stagehands union on Broadway and in television, is such a man.'"

The New York Production Alliance Delivers an Up to the New York Minute Production Update

BroadcastNewsroom: "During HD EXPO - Createasphere in New York on September 17th, the New York Production Alliance (NYPA) will open the doors to its quarterly meeting, inviting all interested attendees to listen to, and interact with, a panel of influential leaders from guilds and unions, the industry, and organizations. The panel will take a focused look at where New York stands in relation to production and tax incentives, how to keep the industry working, and how to ensure that the industry grows."

Automation

Backstage Employment Network: "For his new show in MACAU, Franco Dragone is now looking for Automation technician and operator.
Franco Dragone Entertainment Group, led by Franco Dragone, Artistic Director for such shows as Celine Dion’s “A New Day” and ”Le Reve” now on stage in Las Vegas, are producing new projects worldwide.
For his new water show in MACAU, Franco Dragone Entertainement Group is now looking for Automation Technician and Automation Operator."

Bill Gates to Speak at Sept. 22 Dedication of Carnegie Mellon's Gates and Hillman...

Reuters: "Bill Gates, co-chair and trustee of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and chairman of Microsoft Corp., will present the keynote address at dedication ceremonies for the Gates Center for Computer Science and the Hillman Center for Future-Generation Technologies on Sept. 22 at Carnegie Mellon University."

Vancouver International Fringe Festival takes centre stage

vancouversun: "As the 25th annual Putnam County Spelling Bee .... sorry, 25th annual Vancouver International Fringe Festival kicks off, it’s timed to remind people who aren’t Fringe-savvy that the fest is not merely the domain of solo shows by angry clowns or sexually frustrated mimes. Those in the know are busy studying the Fringe guide to weed out the dross."

Museums Take Fundraising to the Altar

ARTINFO.com: "Amid the many pressures couples face in planning an unforgettable wedding, here’s one that simply can’t fall by the wayside: Making sure the flowers complement that original Diego Rivera fresco.
Such is the kind of dilemma confronting the affianced who plan to promise forever in the courtyard of the Detroit Institute of Arts, which held its first wedding ceremony this summer."

Michigan Using Tax Incentives to Lure Film Studios

NYTimes.com: "In the midst of a recession that has been particularly brutal in Michigan, a number of construction projects are on the verge of getting under way in a most unlikely business: the film industry."

Finalists Announced for Shrek the Musical Princess Competition

Stage Directions: "Shrek the Musical has announced the finalists for its “Not Your Ordinary Princess” competition. On Thursday, September 10, two winners will be announced to play “Young Fiona” and “Teen Fiona.” The lucky winners will be flown to New York to rehearse with Sutton Foster and members of the show’s creative team, have a costume fitting, and appear in a real performance of Shrek the Musical on Broadway on Saturday, September 19 at 8 p.m."

USITT Ideal Theatre Student Design Competition 2010

Live Design: "For the fourth year, university architectural and theatre students are invited to take part in the United States Institute for Theatre and Technology’s (USITT) Ideal Theatre Student Design Competition. This competition has established itself as the only international design competition that brings together the client and the designer to explore the possibilities of what a theatre can be."

Who’s Doing What In Theatre Design

Live Design: "Set designer Beowulf Boritt’s current projects include Matthew Modine Saves the Alpacas at the Geffen Playhouse in LA, September 8 to October 18, collaborating with lighting designer Jeff Croiter, costume designer Bob Blackman, and sound designer Jon Gottlieb; Boritt is also designing The Race for Love in Beijing, with Paul Miller designing the lighting, Fabio Toblini the costumes, and Mike Hink the sound."

Goodspeed’s Space Constraints Bring Out The Inventiveness In Designers

Live Design: "Professional designers know what it is to come up with effects that work in confined spaces. But usually, when the wings are tight, you can fly pieces, or when there’s no fly space, you can make innovative use of doors, traps or turntables. One space where design is at a premium, but space is practically non-extant, is the Victorian-era opera house on the banks of the Connecticut River, home of Goodspeed Musicals."

NFTRW Top Five

Here are the top five comment generating posts from the past week:

Cirque de Soleil rethinks the franchise

Variety: "Anyone who thinks they know the kind of people who attend a Cirque du Soleil show -- old enough to be affluent, arty enough to embrace risk, highly influenced by critics and artistic tastemakers -- should spend time in line at the Luxor Hotel in Las Vegas. 'Criss Angel: Believe' is a different kind of Cirque show for a different kind of crowd."

Posted by David at 9/12/2009 02:59:00 PM <--- Comments here!

Yes, They Did: 'Obama on My Mind', the Musical, Will Get American Premiere

Yahoo! News: "Seattle audiences will see the U.S. premiere of the musical Obama on My Mind - a comic look behind the scenes of an Obama campaign office in small-town America - Oct. 15-Nov. 15.
A resident cast of Equity and non-Equity players will perform the show at the Langston Hughes Performing Arts Center in Seattle. Opening is Oct. 23."

Posted by David at 9/12/2009 02:53:00 PM <--- Comments here!

Action Heroes James Bond and Wolverine (Daniel Craig and Hugh Jackman) on Broadway

NYTimes.com: "Rarely do fans have the thrill of seeing two of their favorite testosterone-charged action heroes square off. But Daniel Craig (Mr. Bond) and Hugh Jackman (Mr., well, just Wolverine) are offering a variation on that theme on Broadway this month in “A Steady Rain,” a dark portrait of two Chicago cops whose close friendship corrodes from suspicion, betrayal and lethal rivalry."

Posted by David at 9/13/2009 03:42:00 PM <--- Comments here!

Off the wall — literally

Berkeley Rep Blog: "Before and after performances of American Idiot at the Roda Theatre, you'll find a crowd of people in the lobby writing on the wall. Not to worry, they're all scribbling on the graffiti wall specifically designed to showcase their thoughts, emotions, and messages. Reading the wall, we found that audiences members had come from as far as New York, Denver, Salt Lake City, New Orleans, Texas, and Washington, D.C., to see the first previews."

Posted by David at 9/10/2009 02:14:00 PM <--- Comments here!

Festival of Lights returning just in time to welcome the world

Post Gazette: "The Festival of Lights returns to Pittsburgh Thursday through Sept. 27, encompassing the days of the G-20 summit.
Illuminated projections will shine on the David L. Lawrence Convention Center and the Courtyard Marriott and Westin Convention Center hotels. Lights go on at Penn Avenue and 10th Street at 8:45 p.m. next Thursday and will continue from around 8 p.m. to 1 a.m. most nights."

Posted by David at 9/12/2009 02:54:00 PM <--- Comments here!

Conservatory Hour

Monday, Sept. 14

“Intents and Insights” for

THE GRAPES OF WRATH

Hear from the director, the cast and the artistic team what they are planning.

4:30 in the Checco Studio A

Chicago Dramatists raises its profile

Variety: "After plugging away for years as a playhouse that supported writers without gaining a whole lot of recognition, Chicago Dramatists stands to benefit significantly from its history with 'A Steady Rain.'
The Rialto pickup is part of an ongoing wave of heightened attention to Chi theaters, with a number of world premieres from smaller theaters generating keen interest in Gotham, both in the commercial and non-profit worlds."

RADical Days event lets you see where money goes

Pittsburgh Tribune-Review: "Since 1995, shoppers in Allegheny County have paid an additional one percent on top of the six percent Pennsylvania sales tax. Half of that one percent goes to county and municipal governments. The other half percent supports libraries, parks and cultural and sports activities."