Whether you’ve been on the beach and are itching to get back to class or are feeling your best and ready to leap into auditions, we’ve got plenty of classes, workshops, and castings lined up for you to check out. And be sure to mark your calendars with some free performances! Dancers, let’s get inspired and make the most of summer, dancers. Performances Doug Varone and Dancers will be performing “Devices 4,” a choreographic showcase at Gibney Dance Center August 10-12th. Grab your tickets soon! The 36th annual Battery Dance Festival will be taking place August 13-18 in Battery Park City. You do not want to miss this chance to see incredible companies such as Buglisi Dance Theater, Tina Croll & Company, Slk Ballet, Nadine Bommer Dance Company, Paul Taylor, Amy Marshall Dance Company, and more! This event is free and open to the public. Inclined Dance Project will be presenting Inquad,...
- 8/1/2017
- backstage.com
Policeman Paul Taylor unwittingly became one of the breakout stars of Sunday’s Ariana Grande-led One Love Manchester benefit concert when he was filmed linking arms and dancing with a group of young fans.
The police constable, whose presence on duty reassured concert-goers following two recent terror attacks in England, described to People how the moment came about.
“I was approached by these two girls — I think they were sisters about 7 or 8 years old. They asked for a photograph, which I was more than happy to do,” he says.
“Then it was a case of them saying ‘Now you...
The police constable, whose presence on duty reassured concert-goers following two recent terror attacks in England, described to People how the moment came about.
“I was approached by these two girls — I think they were sisters about 7 or 8 years old. They asked for a photograph, which I was more than happy to do,” he says.
“Then it was a case of them saying ‘Now you...
- 6/5/2017
- by Simon Perry
- PEOPLE.com
The cast of “The Horror Lovers” do their best to beat the summer heat in this image exclusively available as a print to backers of their Kickstarter!
“The Horror Lovers” is a screwball horror/humor comic book by Valerie D’Orazio (“PunisherMAX,” “Beyond: Edward Snowden”) and Bobby Timony (“The Night Owls,” “Detectobot”)—a love-letter to the types of slapstick movies, humor comics and grade-b horror movies we loved as a child. You can read the entire 8-page preview for “The Horror Lovers” right here, for gratis!
The first issue features an Introduction by Craig Yoe (the editor/curator of “Haunted Horror” and “Popeye” for Idw/Yoe Books), pinups by legendary artists Paul Gulacy and Fred Hembeck, “Archie” artist Dan Parent, the acclaimed Dennis Calero and “Wapsi Square’s” Paul Taylor.
And the modest stretch goal will produce a Second issue of Horror Lovers for early 2015, featuring pinups by Dan Goldman,...
“The Horror Lovers” is a screwball horror/humor comic book by Valerie D’Orazio (“PunisherMAX,” “Beyond: Edward Snowden”) and Bobby Timony (“The Night Owls,” “Detectobot”)—a love-letter to the types of slapstick movies, humor comics and grade-b horror movies we loved as a child. You can read the entire 8-page preview for “The Horror Lovers” right here, for gratis!
The first issue features an Introduction by Craig Yoe (the editor/curator of “Haunted Horror” and “Popeye” for Idw/Yoe Books), pinups by legendary artists Paul Gulacy and Fred Hembeck, “Archie” artist Dan Parent, the acclaimed Dennis Calero and “Wapsi Square’s” Paul Taylor.
And the modest stretch goal will produce a Second issue of Horror Lovers for early 2015, featuring pinups by Dan Goldman,...
- 7/17/2014
- by Valerie D'Orazio
- Comicmix.com
The Eisemann Center and the City of Richardson announced the 2014-2015 Season of Eisemann Center Presents Ecp at the Annual Season Preview Party on Thursday, May 8, 2014. The season will include the popular Theatre Comedy Series with four productions and 23 performances the Methodist Richardson Family Theatre Series with five productions and Jeffrey Siegel's Keyboard Conversations with a total of four concerts. In addition, there are eight MainStage Shows featuring a diverse mix of programming and artistic disciplines. Some of the more popular productions and artists from the past twelve years are returning to join the season - Mandy Patinkin, Steve Solomon, the Paul Taylor Dance Company and The Church Basement Ladies. They will be joined by some outstanding new artists and shows for the Eisemann Center, including Ben Vereen, Darlene Love, Dennis DeYoung, Arlo Guthrie, Taylor Mac, Andrea McArdle, Faith Prince, Donna McKechnie, and Maureen McGovern.
- 5/13/2014
- by BWW News Desk
- BroadwayWorld.com
Full disclosure: Christopher Bell is a former contributor to The Playlist, so yes, we're promoting the work of someone on the site. But you know what? We're more than happy to, especially when it looks this compelling. Those of us around The Playlist water cooler kinda of knew Chris was working on something—and he has numerous shorts under his belt already—but we had no idea that "The Winds That Scatter" would look anything like this. We're happy to exclusively unveil the first trailer for the film, which seems to meet somewhere at the crossroads of Ramin Bahrani and the Dardennes. A close collaboration between Bell, his director photography Paul Taylor, and actors Ahmad Chahrour and Mohammad Dagman, the story follows Ahmad, an immigrant from Syria, who dreams of starting his own taxi service. When he loses his job at a gas station, his optimistic attempts to navigate...
- 8/13/2013
- by Kevin Jagernauth
- The Playlist
Notts County and Ipswich Town contested a lively affair at Meadow Lane, with both teams offering plenty of goals to end their preseason campaigns in style.
Ipswich scored first through Luke Hyam, with Daryl Murphy soon doubling the lead. Danny Haynes answered back for County before half time.
Paul Taylor’s free kick pulled Ipswich clear after the break, before Adam Phillip responded for the Magpies. Yoann Arquin later drew the sides level with a dazzling solo goal fifteen minutes from time.
Murphy spurned an early chance for Ipswich, glancing David McGoldrick’s cross just wide of the mark.
Mick McCarthy was forced into a change after only 10 minutes, bringing Tyrone Mings on for the injured Aaron Cresswell.
The Tractor Boys took the lead on 14 minutes, with Hyam heading home Jay Tabb’s cross after a slick back heel from Daryl Murphy.
They doubled their lead eight minutes later after...
Ipswich scored first through Luke Hyam, with Daryl Murphy soon doubling the lead. Danny Haynes answered back for County before half time.
Paul Taylor’s free kick pulled Ipswich clear after the break, before Adam Phillip responded for the Magpies. Yoann Arquin later drew the sides level with a dazzling solo goal fifteen minutes from time.
Murphy spurned an early chance for Ipswich, glancing David McGoldrick’s cross just wide of the mark.
Mick McCarthy was forced into a change after only 10 minutes, bringing Tyrone Mings on for the injured Aaron Cresswell.
The Tractor Boys took the lead on 14 minutes, with Hyam heading home Jay Tabb’s cross after a slick back heel from Daryl Murphy.
They doubled their lead eight minutes later after...
- 7/28/2013
- by Ray Wilson
- Obsessed with Film
“Viva Forever”? Not as it turns out.
Producers announced Thursday that the Spice Girls musical will close at London’s Piccadilly Theater June 29 after a disappointing six-month run.
Producer Judy Craymer said despite tweaks since the show opened in December, “we just can’t make it work.”
Written by Absolutely Fabulous comedian Jennifer Saunders, the show is a modern-day tale of female friendship and mother-daughter bonds set to songs by the 1990s “Girl Power” icons.
It set out to take a timely satirical axe to our information-saturated age of Twitter and TV talent shows, but the critics were overwhelmingly hostile.
Producers announced Thursday that the Spice Girls musical will close at London’s Piccadilly Theater June 29 after a disappointing six-month run.
Producer Judy Craymer said despite tweaks since the show opened in December, “we just can’t make it work.”
Written by Absolutely Fabulous comedian Jennifer Saunders, the show is a modern-day tale of female friendship and mother-daughter bonds set to songs by the 1990s “Girl Power” icons.
It set out to take a timely satirical axe to our information-saturated age of Twitter and TV talent shows, but the critics were overwhelmingly hostile.
- 5/2/2013
- by Associated Press
- EW.com - PopWatch
London — Broadway sensation "The Book of Mormon" has landed in London, to a warm reception from theatergoers and mixed notices from critics
Reviewers delivered their verdicts on the show Friday, after an opening night that counted celebrities including "Homeland" star Damian Lewis and Duran Duran singer Simon Le Bon among the audience.
The exuberantly profane show by "South Park" creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone and "Avenue Q" composer Robert Lopez tells the story of two Mormon missionaries sent to spread the word in Uganda.
Most critics praised the production's skill and energy, though the Daily Telegraph's Charles Spencer said "its mixture of satire and syrup ultimately proves repellent."
Daily Mail critic Quentin Letts was even less enthusiastic: "I tired of it after 10 minutes."
And the Guardian's Michael Billington judged it "mildly amusing. ... a safe, conservative show for middle America."
Reviewers were full of praise for stars Gavin Creel and...
Reviewers delivered their verdicts on the show Friday, after an opening night that counted celebrities including "Homeland" star Damian Lewis and Duran Duran singer Simon Le Bon among the audience.
The exuberantly profane show by "South Park" creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone and "Avenue Q" composer Robert Lopez tells the story of two Mormon missionaries sent to spread the word in Uganda.
Most critics praised the production's skill and energy, though the Daily Telegraph's Charles Spencer said "its mixture of satire and syrup ultimately proves repellent."
Daily Mail critic Quentin Letts was even less enthusiastic: "I tired of it after 10 minutes."
And the Guardian's Michael Billington judged it "mildly amusing. ... a safe, conservative show for middle America."
Reviewers were full of praise for stars Gavin Creel and...
- 3/22/2013
- by AP
- Huffington Post
London (AP) — The critics have spoken — "Viva Forever" did not spice up their lives. British reviewers were scathing Wednesday about the big-budget stage show built around the songs of 1990s "Girl Power" pop group the Spice Girls. "I'll tell you what I wanted, what I really, really wanted — I wanted this terrible show to stop," said Charles Spencer in the Daily Telegraph, riffing on the group's biggest hit, "Wannabe." "This musical is tawdry, lazy and unedifying," he said, awarding the show one star. The Independent newspaper's Paul Taylor gave the show two stars out of five, calling it...
- 12/13/2012
- by Jill Lawless (AP)
- Hitfix
London -- The critics have spoken – "Viva Forever" did not spice up their lives.
British reviewers were scathing Wednesday about the big-budget stage show built around the songs of 1990s "Girl Power" pop group the Spice Girls.
"I'll tell you what I wanted, what I really, really wanted – I wanted this terrible show to stop," said Charles Spencer in the Daily Telegraph, riffing on the group's biggest hit, "Wannabe."
"This musical is tawdry, lazy and unedifying," he said, awarding the show one star.
The Independent newspaper's Paul Taylor gave the show two stars out of five, calling it "lacking in any truly original or challenging spark," while the Daily Mail's Quentin Letts dubbed it "a prize Christmas turkey."
A celebrity-studded audience that included soccer star David Beckham – there with wife Victoria "Posh Spice" Beckham and sons Brooklyn, Romeo and Cruz – gave the show an opening-night standing ovation Tuesday at London's Piccadilly Theatre.
British reviewers were scathing Wednesday about the big-budget stage show built around the songs of 1990s "Girl Power" pop group the Spice Girls.
"I'll tell you what I wanted, what I really, really wanted – I wanted this terrible show to stop," said Charles Spencer in the Daily Telegraph, riffing on the group's biggest hit, "Wannabe."
"This musical is tawdry, lazy and unedifying," he said, awarding the show one star.
The Independent newspaper's Paul Taylor gave the show two stars out of five, calling it "lacking in any truly original or challenging spark," while the Daily Mail's Quentin Letts dubbed it "a prize Christmas turkey."
A celebrity-studded audience that included soccer star David Beckham – there with wife Victoria "Posh Spice" Beckham and sons Brooklyn, Romeo and Cruz – gave the show an opening-night standing ovation Tuesday at London's Piccadilly Theatre.
- 12/12/2012
- by AP
- Huffington Post
Innocean’s first work for Make It Cheaper
Innocean has reported winning a piece of new business.
The ad agency, whose struggle to expand its client list beyond Korean car brands has lumbered it with a reputation for being the inhouse agency for Kia and Hyundai, has landed a brief from three year-old price comparison site Make it cheaper.
Innocean won the account about a year ago, after a non competitive pitch, and has just launched its first campaign for the client.
The news comes shortly after Innocean parted ways with new business director James Welch, now at Wpp’s The Media Innovation Group in Singapore, who helped secure the business.
Scott Lambert, Innocean’s creative director, said: “Having a piece of business in the agency that is non-automotive has been fantastic for all involved, and further showcases our strategic and creative capability”.
Innocean’s campaign for Make It Cheaper,...
Innocean has reported winning a piece of new business.
The ad agency, whose struggle to expand its client list beyond Korean car brands has lumbered it with a reputation for being the inhouse agency for Kia and Hyundai, has landed a brief from three year-old price comparison site Make it cheaper.
Innocean won the account about a year ago, after a non competitive pitch, and has just launched its first campaign for the client.
The news comes shortly after Innocean parted ways with new business director James Welch, now at Wpp’s The Media Innovation Group in Singapore, who helped secure the business.
Scott Lambert, Innocean’s creative director, said: “Having a piece of business in the agency that is non-automotive has been fantastic for all involved, and further showcases our strategic and creative capability”.
Innocean’s campaign for Make It Cheaper,...
- 10/26/2012
- by Robin Hicks
- Encore Magazine
Sue Perry
Damon Garrett
Sue Perry, who led Publicis Mojo Melbourne through happier times as managing partner in the mid-2000s, has launched her own agency – with her former L’Oréal client Damon Garrett as co-founding partner.
Joining the duo on certain projects will be Grant Rutherford, the former Ecd of Ddb Melbourne, who left to work for cancer charity Snowdome Foundation in July.
Also part of the launch team is former M&C Saatchi Melbourne Ecd Paul Taylor, of creative agency day&age.
Called 1der, the Melbourne agency starts up with The Heat Group, Billabong and Moxie as founding clients, with projects already completed for new brand franchises for Tennis Australia.
Garrett told Mumbrella: “Sue and I started 1der because we were proud of the working relationship we had built together at L’Oréal. Many of the ideas we were working on, from launching Garnier into Australia developed from really forward-thinking lifestyle projects,...
Damon Garrett
Sue Perry, who led Publicis Mojo Melbourne through happier times as managing partner in the mid-2000s, has launched her own agency – with her former L’Oréal client Damon Garrett as co-founding partner.
Joining the duo on certain projects will be Grant Rutherford, the former Ecd of Ddb Melbourne, who left to work for cancer charity Snowdome Foundation in July.
Also part of the launch team is former M&C Saatchi Melbourne Ecd Paul Taylor, of creative agency day&age.
Called 1der, the Melbourne agency starts up with The Heat Group, Billabong and Moxie as founding clients, with projects already completed for new brand franchises for Tennis Australia.
Garrett told Mumbrella: “Sue and I started 1der because we were proud of the working relationship we had built together at L’Oréal. Many of the ideas we were working on, from launching Garnier into Australia developed from really forward-thinking lifestyle projects,...
- 10/9/2012
- by Robin Hicks
- Encore Magazine
Hardware retailer Home Timber & Hardware Group has appointed branding agency day&age.
The announcement:
General Manager of the Home Timber & Hardware Group, Mark Burrowes, said: “The appointment has been made after a major review of the company brand, its operations and significant growth aspirations.”
Home Timber & Hardware is part of John Danks & Son, a 150-year-old company acquired by Woolworths and the giant Us conglomerate Lowe’s in 2009.
Since then the company has embarked on expanding the network as part of an integrated strategy to transform its scope and scale in the Australian hardware market.
“A central plank of the exciting growth plan is a repositioning of the Home brand,” Mr Burrowes said.
“The hardware market has experienced significant change over the past few years. As the industry continues to evolve, it’s vital that we react to the changing face of hardware.”
Creative Partner of day&age, Paul Taylor, said...
The announcement:
General Manager of the Home Timber & Hardware Group, Mark Burrowes, said: “The appointment has been made after a major review of the company brand, its operations and significant growth aspirations.”
Home Timber & Hardware is part of John Danks & Son, a 150-year-old company acquired by Woolworths and the giant Us conglomerate Lowe’s in 2009.
Since then the company has embarked on expanding the network as part of an integrated strategy to transform its scope and scale in the Australian hardware market.
“A central plank of the exciting growth plan is a repositioning of the Home brand,” Mr Burrowes said.
“The hardware market has experienced significant change over the past few years. As the industry continues to evolve, it’s vital that we react to the changing face of hardware.”
Creative Partner of day&age, Paul Taylor, said...
- 9/24/2012
- by Cathie McGinn
- Encore Magazine
A campaign against bullying has won the latest round of the Sirens Awards from May to September.
Earphone Bully, was written by Marianne Harvey, Cristian Staal and Raphie Barnett from SapientNitro in Brisbane and Ralph van Dijk from Eardrum in Sydney.
The ad, which was the Australia’s only Gold Radio Lion at Cannes this year, won the single, craft and overall categories in round two of the 2013 Siren Awards.
Judge Tommy Cehak from agency JayGrey said: “Earphone Bully was the clear winner for Sirens Round 2. A haunting and disturbing entry that’s expertly crafted and uses the radio medium in an innovative way.”
The ad, best listened to with headphones, puts the listener in the shoes of the victim of bullying.
The campaign can be used for any anti-bullying organisation including Reach Out, Project Rockit and Bullying No Way and with a bank of 600 names can be personalised to pass on to friends.
Earphone Bully, was written by Marianne Harvey, Cristian Staal and Raphie Barnett from SapientNitro in Brisbane and Ralph van Dijk from Eardrum in Sydney.
The ad, which was the Australia’s only Gold Radio Lion at Cannes this year, won the single, craft and overall categories in round two of the 2013 Siren Awards.
Judge Tommy Cehak from agency JayGrey said: “Earphone Bully was the clear winner for Sirens Round 2. A haunting and disturbing entry that’s expertly crafted and uses the radio medium in an innovative way.”
The ad, best listened to with headphones, puts the listener in the shoes of the victim of bullying.
The campaign can be used for any anti-bullying organisation including Reach Out, Project Rockit and Bullying No Way and with a bank of 600 names can be personalised to pass on to friends.
- 8/16/2012
- by Colin Delaney
- Encore Magazine
The Public Theater Artistic Director Oskar Eustis Executive Director Patrick Willingham began previews on Tuesday, June 5, for As You Like It, the first show of The Publics 50th Anniversary season at the Delacorte Theater in Central Park--home of free Shakespeare in the Park. Directed by Daniel Sullivan, As You Like It will continue for four weeks through Saturday, June 30, with an official press opening on Thursday, June 21. Check out photos of Paul Taylor, Andre Braugher, Renee Elise Goldsberry, Lily Rabe, David Furr, Donna Lynne Champlin, Oliver Platt, Jordan Tice, Stephen Spinella, Susannah Flood and Will Rogers in the production below...
- 6/12/2012
- by BWW News Desk
- BroadwayWorld.com
For the first time in Lincoln Center history, a major ballet company, the Paul Taylor Dance Company will dance to pre-recorded music and not a live orchestra.Local 802 of the American Federation of Musicians has chastised the Paul Taylor Dance Company and believes that the performance for this evening, March 13, may set a detrimental precedent for future shows at the cultural institution. The union plans to meet outside the David H. Koch Theater from 6 to 7 p.m. to leaflet audience members. A brass quintet will also perform two musical numbers at 6:30 p.m. on Lincoln Center's steps.When it was first announced last year that the Paul Taylor Dance Company would not use live music, Tino Gagliardi, president of Local 802 met with John Tomlinson, the executive director of the Paul Taylor Dance Company, to encourage the company to employ live accompaniment, but the suggestion was turned down. According...
- 3/13/2012
- by help@backstage.com (Frank Nestor)
- backstage.com
Scrubs star Zach Braff has been hit with a slew of bad reviews after his debut appearance on London's West End stage.
Britain's leading theatre critics were less than impressed when the curtain went up at a press showing of All New People, which Braff also wrote, on Tuesday.
Michael Billington of The Guardian newspaper called the production a "muddled, meandering affair that reeks of self-gratification", while The Times' Libby Purves declared it "the most aimless, pointless play I have ever seen".
In The Independent's critique, Paul Taylor wrote that Braff "is still writing in the rhythms of television sitcom where the wisecrack and its instant gratifications predominate over longer-term goals".
However, Braff did receive a four-star review from the Daily Telegraph's Charles Spencer, who praised the show's blend of "the comic and the poignant" and said it "deserves to prosper".
Spencer added, "This 90-minute piece never outstays its welcome."
All New People, which was staged at New York's Second Stage Theatre without Braff in the cast last year, centres around a man contemplating suicide on his 35th birthday.
Britain's leading theatre critics were less than impressed when the curtain went up at a press showing of All New People, which Braff also wrote, on Tuesday.
Michael Billington of The Guardian newspaper called the production a "muddled, meandering affair that reeks of self-gratification", while The Times' Libby Purves declared it "the most aimless, pointless play I have ever seen".
In The Independent's critique, Paul Taylor wrote that Braff "is still writing in the rhythms of television sitcom where the wisecrack and its instant gratifications predominate over longer-term goals".
However, Braff did receive a four-star review from the Daily Telegraph's Charles Spencer, who praised the show's blend of "the comic and the poignant" and said it "deserves to prosper".
Spencer added, "This 90-minute piece never outstays its welcome."
All New People, which was staged at New York's Second Stage Theatre without Braff in the cast last year, centres around a man contemplating suicide on his 35th birthday.
- 2/29/2012
- WENN
David Fincher, Woody Allen, and the other nominations for the 2011 Directors Guild of America Awards have been announced. The 64th Annual Directors Guild of America Awards are sponsored by the Directors Guild of America (DGA), which is “the labor union which represents the interests of film and television directors in the United States motion picture industry…the DGA is a craft union. It represents directors, assistant directors, stage managers, and production associates in television, and directors, assistant directors, unit production managers, technical coordinators, and location managers (New York & Chicago only) in film as well as similar positions in television commercials production.”
The winner of 2011 Directors Guild of America Awards (DGA Award for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Feature Film for 2011) will be announced at the 63rd Annual DGA Awards Dinner on January 28, 2012.
The full listing of the 2011 Directors Guild of America Awards nominations is below.
Woody Allen
Midnight in Paris
(Sony Pictures Classics...
The winner of 2011 Directors Guild of America Awards (DGA Award for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Feature Film for 2011) will be announced at the 63rd Annual DGA Awards Dinner on January 28, 2012.
The full listing of the 2011 Directors Guild of America Awards nominations is below.
Woody Allen
Midnight in Paris
(Sony Pictures Classics...
- 1/10/2012
- by filmbook
- Film-Book
Earlier today Directors Guild of America President Taylor Hackford announced the five nominees for the DGA Award for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Feature Film for 2011. It's a solid list of nominations, but I'm surprised that Steven Spielberg isn't on the list for his work on War Horse. I still haven't seen The Artist or The Descendants, but I'm hoping to see those soon.
The directors nominated this year for the Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Feature Film Award have each demonstrated an inspired command of the medium. The fact that their prodigious talents have been recognized by their peers is the highest honor a director can achieve," said Hackford. "I offer my most sincere congratulations to each of the nominees.
The winner will be announced at the 64th Annual DGA Awards Dinner on Saturday, January 28th, 2012, and here are the list of nominations. Who would you like to win the award this year?...
The directors nominated this year for the Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Feature Film Award have each demonstrated an inspired command of the medium. The fact that their prodigious talents have been recognized by their peers is the highest honor a director can achieve," said Hackford. "I offer my most sincere congratulations to each of the nominees.
The winner will be announced at the 64th Annual DGA Awards Dinner on Saturday, January 28th, 2012, and here are the list of nominations. Who would you like to win the award this year?...
- 1/9/2012
- by Venkman
- GeekTyrant
The Directors Guild of America, one of the biggest precursors for the Academy Awards, have announced their nominations today. They are David Fincher for The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, Woody Allen for Midnight in Paris, Alexander Payne for The Descendants, Michel Hazanavicius for The Artist and Martin Scorsese for Hugo.
The two biggest snubs would be Terrence Malick for The Tree of Life and Steven Spielberg for War Horse. The latter of the two is more surprising, considering the Academy’s fondness for the blockbuster maker. In better news, Tate Taylor is out of the running for The Help, a film that will likely ride into awards season on its performances and syrupy optimism. Out of the five, I’m surprised Fincher made the cut, considering many perceived Dragon Tattoo to not be an awards contender. Check out more information on the nominees below.
David Fincher
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
(Columbia Pictures,...
The two biggest snubs would be Terrence Malick for The Tree of Life and Steven Spielberg for War Horse. The latter of the two is more surprising, considering the Academy’s fondness for the blockbuster maker. In better news, Tate Taylor is out of the running for The Help, a film that will likely ride into awards season on its performances and syrupy optimism. Out of the five, I’m surprised Fincher made the cut, considering many perceived Dragon Tattoo to not be an awards contender. Check out more information on the nominees below.
David Fincher
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
(Columbia Pictures,...
- 1/9/2012
- by jpraup@gmail.com (thefilmstage.com)
- The Film Stage
HollywoodNews.com: Directors Guild of America President Taylor Hackford today announced the five nominees for the DGA Award for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Feature Film for 2011.
The directors nominated this year for the Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Feature Film Award have each demonstrated an inspired command of the medium. The fact that their prodigious talents have been recognized by their peers is the highest honor a director can achieve,? said Hackford. ?I offer my most sincere congratulations to each of the nominees.?
The winner will be named at the 64th Annual DGA Awards Dinner on Saturday, January 28, 2012, at the Grand Ballroom at Hollywood & Highland. The nominees are (in alphabetical order):
Woody Allen
Midnight in Paris
(Sony Pictures Classics)
Mr. Allen?s Directorial Team:
· Unit Production Managers: Matthieu Rubin, Helen Robin
· First Assistant Director: Gil Kenny
· Second Assistant Director: Delphine Bertrand
This is Mr. Allen?s fifth DGA Feature Film Award nomination.
The directors nominated this year for the Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Feature Film Award have each demonstrated an inspired command of the medium. The fact that their prodigious talents have been recognized by their peers is the highest honor a director can achieve,? said Hackford. ?I offer my most sincere congratulations to each of the nominees.?
The winner will be named at the 64th Annual DGA Awards Dinner on Saturday, January 28, 2012, at the Grand Ballroom at Hollywood & Highland. The nominees are (in alphabetical order):
Woody Allen
Midnight in Paris
(Sony Pictures Classics)
Mr. Allen?s Directorial Team:
· Unit Production Managers: Matthieu Rubin, Helen Robin
· First Assistant Director: Gil Kenny
· Second Assistant Director: Delphine Bertrand
This is Mr. Allen?s fifth DGA Feature Film Award nomination.
- 1/9/2012
- by Josh Abraham
- Hollywoodnews.com
In a new production of Jacobean sex-and-murder drama The Changeling, the asides have been replaced with pre-recorded voiceovers. Bold stroke – or bad idea?
In Michael Oakley's current production of Middleton and Rowley's The Changeling, a psychologically complex sex-and-murder tragedy at Southwark Playhouse in London, the play's numerous Jacobean asides have been replaced with voiceovers. Instead of the characters speaking their thoughts directly to the audience, their lines have been pre-recorded and play out from speakers dotted around the stage.
Oakley admits he was taking a risk in choosing to present the piece in this way, and the critical response has been mixed. Writing in the Guardian, Maddy Costa called it a "bold stroke" and said that, when this technique works, which she concedes it doesn't always, "it allows the actors a physical proximity that addressing the audience might preclude".
Michael Coveney, writing in What's on Stage, was less forgiving, deeming...
In Michael Oakley's current production of Middleton and Rowley's The Changeling, a psychologically complex sex-and-murder tragedy at Southwark Playhouse in London, the play's numerous Jacobean asides have been replaced with voiceovers. Instead of the characters speaking their thoughts directly to the audience, their lines have been pre-recorded and play out from speakers dotted around the stage.
Oakley admits he was taking a risk in choosing to present the piece in this way, and the critical response has been mixed. Writing in the Guardian, Maddy Costa called it a "bold stroke" and said that, when this technique works, which she concedes it doesn't always, "it allows the actors a physical proximity that addressing the audience might preclude".
Michael Coveney, writing in What's on Stage, was less forgiving, deeming...
- 11/24/2011
- by Natasha Tripney
- The Guardian - Film News
Welsh actor Michael Sheen has won rave reviews for his performance in Hamlet despite a technical glitch which left the star-studded opening night audience waiting for 45 minutes.
The Frost/Nixon star appears in the lead role of the Shakespearean tragedy in a new production at London's Young Vic theatre and the show was officially launched this week (begs07Nov11).
Stars including actress Kristen Scott Thomas, supermodel Lily Cole, Take That singer Jason Orange and Sheen's girlfriend Rachel McAdams were in the audience for opening night, but 10 minutes after the curtain went up, the play was abandoned due to a lighting fault.
Producers ushered the audience into a theatre bar and offered them a drink of wine while the problem was fixed and the play eventually went ahead 45 minutes behind schedule.
A representative for the theatre says in a statement, "Michael was supposed to enter in a blackout. The lights didn't go out because of the technical issues we had, so that's why Michael didn't go on. Second time around, the scene was performed exactly as it should be."
However, the glitch didn't affect critics' reviews of Sheen's performance, which was labelled "fascinating", "intelligent" and "inventive" by The Guardian's Michael Billington.
The Daily Telegraph's Charles Spencer claims Sheen "could be right up there among the great Hamlets", while Paul Taylor of The Independent writes, "Sheen has just the right electrically dangerous, mocking intelligence for the part. He swings from an initial edgy concessiveness at court to an extraordinary manic high."
The celebrities in the audience were also impressed by Sheen's performance, with Scott Thomas gushing, "I'm quite overwhelmed. I feel like I've been through the mill. It is a descent into madness which is your nightmare," and pop star Orange adds, "It was brilliant."...
The Frost/Nixon star appears in the lead role of the Shakespearean tragedy in a new production at London's Young Vic theatre and the show was officially launched this week (begs07Nov11).
Stars including actress Kristen Scott Thomas, supermodel Lily Cole, Take That singer Jason Orange and Sheen's girlfriend Rachel McAdams were in the audience for opening night, but 10 minutes after the curtain went up, the play was abandoned due to a lighting fault.
Producers ushered the audience into a theatre bar and offered them a drink of wine while the problem was fixed and the play eventually went ahead 45 minutes behind schedule.
A representative for the theatre says in a statement, "Michael was supposed to enter in a blackout. The lights didn't go out because of the technical issues we had, so that's why Michael didn't go on. Second time around, the scene was performed exactly as it should be."
However, the glitch didn't affect critics' reviews of Sheen's performance, which was labelled "fascinating", "intelligent" and "inventive" by The Guardian's Michael Billington.
The Daily Telegraph's Charles Spencer claims Sheen "could be right up there among the great Hamlets", while Paul Taylor of The Independent writes, "Sheen has just the right electrically dangerous, mocking intelligence for the part. He swings from an initial edgy concessiveness at court to an extraordinary manic high."
The celebrities in the audience were also impressed by Sheen's performance, with Scott Thomas gushing, "I'm quite overwhelmed. I feel like I've been through the mill. It is a descent into madness which is your nightmare," and pop star Orange adds, "It was brilliant."...
- 11/10/2011
- WENN
Last week, David Bordwell posted "a brief tribute to the volcanic charm of the legend known as Jcc." Brief, maybe, but as always with David Bordwell, necessary in ways you may not have realized until you've read it. Today, as Jean-Claude Carrière — actor, novelist and screenwriter probably best known for his work with Luis Buñuel, though he's also written screenplays for Godard, Oshima, Malle, Forman, Wajda and Jonathan Glazer (and that's just scratching the surface) — turns 80, two paragraphs from this must-read:
Jcc entered cinema under the aegis of Jacques Tati. Tati wanted someone to turn M. Hulot's Holiday and Mon Oncle into novels, and the very young writer seemed the right candidate. But Tati quickly learned that Jcc didn't know how a film was made. So he assigned Pierre Etaix and the editor Suzanne Baron to tutor the lad in the ways of cinema. First lesson: Go through M. Hulot on a flatbed viewer,...
Jcc entered cinema under the aegis of Jacques Tati. Tati wanted someone to turn M. Hulot's Holiday and Mon Oncle into novels, and the very young writer seemed the right candidate. But Tati quickly learned that Jcc didn't know how a film was made. So he assigned Pierre Etaix and the editor Suzanne Baron to tutor the lad in the ways of cinema. First lesson: Go through M. Hulot on a flatbed viewer,...
- 9/17/2011
- MUBI
The Kennedy Center Honors have been handed out since 1978. Recipients hail from various branches of the American performance art world — including film, stage, music, and dance — even though performers more closely associated with British show business have managed to sneak in every now and then, e.g., Paul McCartney, Roger Daltrey, Elton John, Pete Townshend. Since recipients are supposed to attend the Washington, D.C., ceremony in order to take home their Kennedy awards, Doris Day has remained unhonored by the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. Katharine Hepburn kept putting it off until she finally relented in 1990. (Irene Dunne, see above photo, was one who managed to be honored though absent due to ill health.) Ginger Rogers, for her part, was present at the ceremony, but her films with Fred Astaire weren't — because Astaire's widow, Robyn Astaire, demanded payment for the televised clips. At the time, Kennedy Center Honors...
- 9/7/2011
- by Andre Soares
- Alt Film Guide
Shiamak Davar in association with The American Center Mumbai have brought international faculty from The Paul Taylor Dance Company/ Taylor 2 in an effort to strengthen cultural relations between India and The United States of America. Through the medium of dance, the mission of this workshop is to empower bilateral bonding and create harmony through performing arts.Shiamak has put India on the world map by directing, designing and performing at global events like the Closing Ceremony of The Commonwealth Games (Melbourne 2006 and Delhi 2010), The World Economic Forum (Davos), The Unforgettable World Tour with the Bachchans, Iifa Awards and more. He has entertained world leaders including Bill Clinton (former Us President), Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper, and has interacted with international stars Tom Cruise, Richard Gere, Will Smith, Michael Douglas, Bryan Adams, Stevie Wonder and the legendary American choreographer Debbie Allen..Dance speaks one language, and there is a global recognition for talent.
- 8/20/2011
- Filmicafe
Kevin Spacey won a standing ovation and glowing reviews following his debut as Shakespeare's Richard III on Wednesday.
Spacey appeared onstage at London's Old Vic theatre with his leg in a metal brace for the new production, which reunites him with his American Beauty director Sam Mendes.
His moving performance won unanimous praise from critics, with Paul Taylor from Britain's Independent newspaper describing the play as "spine-tingling".
He adds, "It's now 12 years since the pair (Spacey and Mendes) joined forces as actor and director. Mendes's (sic) new, eclectically modern dress production of Richard III demonstrates that it has been worth the wait."
Charles Spencer, from The Daily Telegraph, writes, "There is a curious grace as (Spacey) minces around on his withered leg and turned-in foot and exactly the right kind of glee in his villainy. His Richard is often laugh out loud funny."
Theatre reporter Michael Billington, of The Guardian, also heaped praise on Spacey, declaring: "Sam Mendes has come up with a beautifully clear, coherent modern-dress production in which the protagonist becomes an autocratic archetype. But the real buzz and excitement stems from Kevin Spacey's powerful central performance."
The cast of Richard III will hit the road for an international tour with stops at the Athens and Epidaurus Festival, the Hong Kong Arts Festival, Spain and Singapore, before reaching New York next year.
Spacey appeared onstage at London's Old Vic theatre with his leg in a metal brace for the new production, which reunites him with his American Beauty director Sam Mendes.
His moving performance won unanimous praise from critics, with Paul Taylor from Britain's Independent newspaper describing the play as "spine-tingling".
He adds, "It's now 12 years since the pair (Spacey and Mendes) joined forces as actor and director. Mendes's (sic) new, eclectically modern dress production of Richard III demonstrates that it has been worth the wait."
Charles Spencer, from The Daily Telegraph, writes, "There is a curious grace as (Spacey) minces around on his withered leg and turned-in foot and exactly the right kind of glee in his villainy. His Richard is often laugh out loud funny."
Theatre reporter Michael Billington, of The Guardian, also heaped praise on Spacey, declaring: "Sam Mendes has come up with a beautifully clear, coherent modern-dress production in which the protagonist becomes an autocratic archetype. But the real buzz and excitement stems from Kevin Spacey's powerful central performance."
The cast of Richard III will hit the road for an international tour with stops at the Athens and Epidaurus Festival, the Hong Kong Arts Festival, Spain and Singapore, before reaching New York next year.
- 6/30/2011
- WENN
A theatre critic has caused controversy by snoring through Terence Rattigan's Cause Célèbre. But surely there are worse things than a mid-show snooze. Aren't there?
Poor Paul Taylor. There the Independent's theatre critic was, settling into his nice comfortable seat at London's Old Vic for the opening night of Terence Rattigan's Cause Célèbre, getting out his notebook and pen; feeling the lights dim, hearing the soft hush of anticipation, and then ….
Zzzzzz. He's out for the count. And afterwards, to make matters worse, he suffers the indignity of a confrontation in the foyer with James McAvoy – who has, by a nasty quirk of fate, been sitting in the same row and taken exception to Taylor's, er, lack of focus on the performance of his wife, Anne-Marie Duff.
Or so, at least, we understand from a diary item in the Daily Telegraph today, in which an unnamed theatregoer also...
Poor Paul Taylor. There the Independent's theatre critic was, settling into his nice comfortable seat at London's Old Vic for the opening night of Terence Rattigan's Cause Célèbre, getting out his notebook and pen; feeling the lights dim, hearing the soft hush of anticipation, and then ….
Zzzzzz. He's out for the count. And afterwards, to make matters worse, he suffers the indignity of a confrontation in the foyer with James McAvoy – who has, by a nasty quirk of fate, been sitting in the same row and taken exception to Taylor's, er, lack of focus on the performance of his wife, Anne-Marie Duff.
Or so, at least, we understand from a diary item in the Daily Telegraph today, in which an unnamed theatregoer also...
- 4/11/2011
- by Laura Barnett
- The Guardian - Film News
London, United Kingdom (Ahn Entertainment) - James McAvoy has taken exception to a critic who snored through his wife's play at the Old Vic theater in London.
The "Atonement" star was furious that the critic dozed off while watching the first night of Sir Terence Rattigan's play "Cause Celebre," which starred wife Anne-Marie Duff.
The sleeping audience member was Paul Taylor, a theater critic for The Independent.
At the end of the performance, the 31-year-old actor and some members of his party confronted Taylor, telling him how could he possibly give a review for the play if he had slept through it.
The "Atonement" star was furious that the critic dozed off while watching the first night of Sir Terence Rattigan's play "Cause Celebre," which starred wife Anne-Marie Duff.
The sleeping audience member was Paul Taylor, a theater critic for The Independent.
At the end of the performance, the 31-year-old actor and some members of his party confronted Taylor, telling him how could he possibly give a review for the play if he had slept through it.
- 3/31/2011
- icelebz.com
It's easy to be snooty about both Sienna Miller and Britain's nostalgia for its wartime heroes – but critics agree the combination makes for a jolly good show
It is easy, and enjoyable, to snigger at Britain's vision of its wartime flying heroes. The awfully wholesome banter, the Mansellian moustaches, the jovially racist dog-naming, the dark emotions, sealed in concrete, buried and forgotten 50 feet below some Hampshire rugger field. Which makes it all the more remarkable that Flare Path, Terence Rattigan's 1941 play about the concealed strains of a bomber crew and their wives, had almost all the critics struggling to control their upper lips.
"A masterly piece of theatre," writes Sam Marlowe of The Arts Desk. "This is essentially a shattering ensemble work, in which every detail glows with truth, compassion and humanity, and where every seemingly ordinary second of life in an existence hemmed in by the ever-present threat...
It is easy, and enjoyable, to snigger at Britain's vision of its wartime flying heroes. The awfully wholesome banter, the Mansellian moustaches, the jovially racist dog-naming, the dark emotions, sealed in concrete, buried and forgotten 50 feet below some Hampshire rugger field. Which makes it all the more remarkable that Flare Path, Terence Rattigan's 1941 play about the concealed strains of a bomber crew and their wives, had almost all the critics struggling to control their upper lips.
"A masterly piece of theatre," writes Sam Marlowe of The Arts Desk. "This is essentially a shattering ensemble work, in which every detail glows with truth, compassion and humanity, and where every seemingly ordinary second of life in an existence hemmed in by the ever-present threat...
- 3/15/2011
- by Leo Benedictus
- The Guardian - Film News
Danny Boyle's role-swapping production highlights the incestuous relationship between genius and madness. But which was the show itself?
If the critics' advice should ever be followed, and if you can get a ticket, then Frankenstein at the National is clearly the place to be. There was always going to be hype around any production that could promise Danny Boyle's return to the theatre, the presence of telly's Benedict Cumberbatch and American telly's Johnny Lee Miller, plus an original score from Underworld. (That's a three-way Trainspotting reunion, 90s fans.) What is never guaranteed is a good reaction from the reviewers. Let alone the kind of ecstasy that Frankenstein provoked.
"The opening 10 minutes are stunning," says Henry Hitchings in the Standard, setting the scene. "They are as atmospheric as theatre ever gets. When the naked Creature emerges from a papery womb, he writhes spectacularly. Slowly he adjusts to his surroundings,...
If the critics' advice should ever be followed, and if you can get a ticket, then Frankenstein at the National is clearly the place to be. There was always going to be hype around any production that could promise Danny Boyle's return to the theatre, the presence of telly's Benedict Cumberbatch and American telly's Johnny Lee Miller, plus an original score from Underworld. (That's a three-way Trainspotting reunion, 90s fans.) What is never guaranteed is a good reaction from the reviewers. Let alone the kind of ecstasy that Frankenstein provoked.
"The opening 10 minutes are stunning," says Henry Hitchings in the Standard, setting the scene. "They are as atmospheric as theatre ever gets. When the naked Creature emerges from a papery womb, he writhes spectacularly. Slowly he adjusts to his surroundings,...
- 2/24/2011
- by Leo Benedictus
- The Guardian - Film News
The hysteria in Lillian Hellman's play is no match for the hype surrounding leading ladies Keira Knightley and Elisabeth Moss
Quiet please, everyone. This revival of The Children's Hour ticks every hype box, so we have a lot to get through. Fresh-ish from his triumph with Jerusalem, Ian Rickson has cast Elisabeth Moss (from hysterically admired Us soap opera Mad Men) and Keira Knightley (out of all those films) together in a play about rumours in a girls' school that is packed with unrequited girl-on-girl desire. It's not quite Nicole Kidman starkers; but it's enough to make tickets near impossible to get, and therefore fashionable to have. "One might cynically wonder if Knightley and Moss were unimaginative commercial casting," says Kate Bassett in the Independent on Sunday. One might also wonder whether anybody in the world could be capable of believing anything else.
Cutting to the chase, then, as...
Quiet please, everyone. This revival of The Children's Hour ticks every hype box, so we have a lot to get through. Fresh-ish from his triumph with Jerusalem, Ian Rickson has cast Elisabeth Moss (from hysterically admired Us soap opera Mad Men) and Keira Knightley (out of all those films) together in a play about rumours in a girls' school that is packed with unrequited girl-on-girl desire. It's not quite Nicole Kidman starkers; but it's enough to make tickets near impossible to get, and therefore fashionable to have. "One might cynically wonder if Knightley and Moss were unimaginative commercial casting," says Kate Bassett in the Independent on Sunday. One might also wonder whether anybody in the world could be capable of believing anything else.
Cutting to the chase, then, as...
- 2/14/2011
- by Leo Benedictus
- The Guardian - Film News
Daily dance classes are a fundamental part of the life of any serious dancer and are mandatory even for working professionals. With the abundance, high quality, and diversity of its offerings, New York City is perhaps the best place in the world to take dance classes. But the plethora of excellent classes may prove overwhelming to the newcomer. As the right class can be essential to the evolution of a performer's skills and career, it is vital that dancers find those classes that will best support their individual needs. So, when faced with all that New York has to offer, how do you choose which dance class is right for you?What's Your Career Goal?Clearly, if your career goal is to join a particular dance company, you are best advised to take classes at that troupe's affiliated school, if it has one. American Ballet Theatre (www.abt.org), Ballet Hispanico (www.
- 2/9/2011
- backstage.com
Sir Peter and Rebecca Hall's Twelfth Night is a father-and-daughter affair, but the critics feel it's lacking a sense of family fun
It's Bogof on Halls at the National right now, and the critics have been filling up their trolleys. "This production of Twelfth Night is [Sir Peter Hall's 80th] birthday present to himself and us," explains the Telegraph's Charles Spencer, "and it stars, movingly and magnificently, his daughter Rebecca Hall, now better known as a rising star of Hollywood."
"It catches perfectly the play's melancholy and preoccupation with time, transitoriness and loss," says our own Michael Billington, "even if it cannot efface golden memories of the one he did at Stratford in 1958." (No indeed. 1958, how will any of us forget it?) Even the Hollywood Reporter gets in on things, using words like "players" and "clad" to prove that, yes that's right, it does British theatre. (So long as there's a movie star involved.
It's Bogof on Halls at the National right now, and the critics have been filling up their trolleys. "This production of Twelfth Night is [Sir Peter Hall's 80th] birthday present to himself and us," explains the Telegraph's Charles Spencer, "and it stars, movingly and magnificently, his daughter Rebecca Hall, now better known as a rising star of Hollywood."
"It catches perfectly the play's melancholy and preoccupation with time, transitoriness and loss," says our own Michael Billington, "even if it cannot efface golden memories of the one he did at Stratford in 1958." (No indeed. 1958, how will any of us forget it?) Even the Hollywood Reporter gets in on things, using words like "players" and "clad" to prove that, yes that's right, it does British theatre. (So long as there's a movie star involved.
- 1/20/2011
- by Leo Benedictus
- The Guardian - Film News
Author Peter Straub has been plugging along in the literary horror genre for decades now, and we're always interested when word of a film adaptation of one of his novels crosses our desks. Especially when it includes a cast with such talented actors as Jackson Rathbone (Dread, The Twilight Saga) and Bill Nighy (Underworld, Shaun of the Dead).
Per Variety both thesps are in advanced negotiations to star in a 3D feature adaptation of Straub's Shadowland.
The film follows two young boys who spend a summer with a famous magician, who teaches them more than just harmless tricks but real sorcery. It will be shot in Ireland and the U.K. for under $20 million and marks the first project in a collaborative arrangement with Straub and Santa Monica-based screenwriter-producer Larry Leahy and Benjamin Straub to bring his tomes to the big screen.
Erik Canuel (Cadavers, The Outlander) will helm the...
Per Variety both thesps are in advanced negotiations to star in a 3D feature adaptation of Straub's Shadowland.
The film follows two young boys who spend a summer with a famous magician, who teaches them more than just harmless tricks but real sorcery. It will be shot in Ireland and the U.K. for under $20 million and marks the first project in a collaborative arrangement with Straub and Santa Monica-based screenwriter-producer Larry Leahy and Benjamin Straub to bring his tomes to the big screen.
Erik Canuel (Cadavers, The Outlander) will helm the...
- 11/5/2010
- by Uncle Creepy
- DreadCentral.com
As part of our Spotlight on Dance, here is a list of dance schools in Los Angeles and New York City. Each listing includes the school's specialties as well as their location and contact info. If you would like to suggest additional schools for future editions of this list, please email backstage@backstage.com. Los Angeles3rd Street Dance, 8558 W. Third St., Los Angeles, CA 90048, 310-275-4683, thirdstreetdance@aol.com; www.3rdstreetdance.com; Over 20 years in Los Angeles. Private lessons also available. Ballroom, LatinThe Academy of Dance and Performing Arts, 5700 Corsa Ave., Ste. 106, Westlake Village, CA 91362, 818-889-1515, academyofdance@sbcglobal.net; www.academyofdance.us; Pre-school to professional. Also has competition squad. 30 years in Los Angeles. Ballet, Jazz, Tap, Lyrical, Hip-Hop, Musical Theatre.Academy of Music and Dance, 72 W. Bellevue Drive, Pasadena, CA 91105, 626-768-2614, contact@pasadenadanceclasses.com; www.pasadenadanceclasses.com; Offers dance classes, music lessons, voice and theatre for ages 1 1/2 through adult,...
- 8/26/2010
- backstage.com
As part of our Spotlight on Dance, here is a list of dance schools in Los Angeles and New York City. Each listing includes the school's specialties as well as their location and contact info. If you would like to suggest additional schools for future editions of this list, please email backstage@backstage.com. Los Angeles3rd Street Dance, 8558 W. Third St., Los Angeles, CA 90048, 310-275-4683, thirdstreetdance@aol.com; www.3rdstreetdance.com; Over 20 years in Los Angeles. Private lessons also available. Ballroom, LatinThe Academy of Dance and Performing Arts, 5700 Corsa Ave., Ste. 106, Westlake Village, CA 91362, 818-889-1515, academyofdance@sbcglobal.net; www.academyofdance.us; Pre-school to professional. Also has competition squad. 30 years in Los Angeles. Ballet, Jazz, Tap, Lyrical, Hip-hop, Musical TheatreAcademy of Music and Dance, 72 W. Bellevue Drive, Pasadena, CA 91105, 626-768-2614, www.pasadenadanceclasses.com; Offers dance classes, music lessons, voice and theatre for ages 18 months through adult, emphasizing small class sizes.
- 4/21/2010
- backstage.com
Meryl Streep "burst into tears" when she learned she had been elected into the American Academy of Arts and Letters. The veteran actress, who has previously won two Academy Awards and seven Golden Globes, was stunned when she was told that she had been elected to a special category for "Americans of great distinction in the arts whose work falls outside the traditional departments" of music composition, literature and art.
Directors Woody Allen, Martin Scorsese and Stephen Sondheim are among current members, along with choreographers Twyla Tharp and Paul Taylor. Meryl, the first member to be chosen solely for acting, said, "I have to say that I was stunned, and when they sent me the roster of people in the academy I just burst into tears. I couldn't believe that I'd be even allowed in the kitchen."
Conductor James Levine had also been elected to the Academy in the same category as Meryl.
Directors Woody Allen, Martin Scorsese and Stephen Sondheim are among current members, along with choreographers Twyla Tharp and Paul Taylor. Meryl, the first member to be chosen solely for acting, said, "I have to say that I was stunned, and when they sent me the roster of people in the academy I just burst into tears. I couldn't believe that I'd be even allowed in the kitchen."
Conductor James Levine had also been elected to the Academy in the same category as Meryl.
- 4/13/2010
- by celebrity-mania.com
- Celebrity Mania
Meryl Streep "burst into tears" when she learned she had been elected into the American Academy of Arts and Letters. The veteran actress - who has previously won two Academy Awards and seven Golden Globes - was stunned when she was told that she had been elected to a special category for "Americans of great distinction in the arts whose work falls outside the traditional departments" of music composition, literature and art. Directors Woody Allen, Martin Scorsese and Stephen Sondheim are among current members, along with choreographers Twyla Tharp and Paul Taylor. Meryl - the first member to be chosen solely for acting - said: "I have to say that I was stunned, and when they sent me the roster...
- 4/12/2010
- Monsters and Critics
The critics find this satire on Hollywood sexual hypocrisy rather chilly, but there's one thing they agree on: Tamsin Greig is brilliant
This is what people mean when they talk about someone stealing the show. While opinions differ on the overall success of Douglas Carter Beane's imported comedy of Hollywood manners, on one subject all critical voices sing in unison: Tamsin Greig, as the witty, scheming agent Diane, is fabulous.
"Greig is phenomenal as corrupt Hollywood ambition incarnate," says Paul Taylor in the Independent. Michael Billington agrees: "The play belongs to Diane," he writes. And so does Henry Hitchings: "Her diction and poise are razor-sharp," he says. "When she's offstage, the audience longs to have her back." And here's Charles Spencer in the Telegraph: "A thrilling star turn," he says. "This is high-definition comic acting at its finest."
"If Miss Greig was not present," Quentin Letts ungrammatically implores Daily Mail readers,...
This is what people mean when they talk about someone stealing the show. While opinions differ on the overall success of Douglas Carter Beane's imported comedy of Hollywood manners, on one subject all critical voices sing in unison: Tamsin Greig, as the witty, scheming agent Diane, is fabulous.
"Greig is phenomenal as corrupt Hollywood ambition incarnate," says Paul Taylor in the Independent. Michael Billington agrees: "The play belongs to Diane," he writes. And so does Henry Hitchings: "Her diction and poise are razor-sharp," he says. "When she's offstage, the audience longs to have her back." And here's Charles Spencer in the Telegraph: "A thrilling star turn," he says. "This is high-definition comic acting at its finest."
"If Miss Greig was not present," Quentin Letts ungrammatically implores Daily Mail readers,...
- 1/26/2010
- by Leo Benedictus
- The Guardian - Film News
Knightley's West End debut in this modern Molière evades wholesale incineration, but it's not quite a blaze of glory
Keira Knightley said she expected to be "burned alive" by the critics when she embarked on her first West End performance, as the captivating Jennifer in a modern translation of Molière's The Misanthrope. So the gentle singeing, when it finally arrived this morning, must have come as a relief. "She catches the waywardness [of her character]," says Benedict Nightingale in the Times, "but not the authority to explain how she can dominate a gathering by more than beauty." And "even if she doesn't always know what to do with her hands," in Michael Billington's opinion, "she gives a perfectly creditable performance." Most West End first-timers could be more than satisfied with that.
In the Telegraph and Independent, the reviews start to look like actual praise. "In the second half," says Charles Spencer in the former,...
Keira Knightley said she expected to be "burned alive" by the critics when she embarked on her first West End performance, as the captivating Jennifer in a modern translation of Molière's The Misanthrope. So the gentle singeing, when it finally arrived this morning, must have come as a relief. "She catches the waywardness [of her character]," says Benedict Nightingale in the Times, "but not the authority to explain how she can dominate a gathering by more than beauty." And "even if she doesn't always know what to do with her hands," in Michael Billington's opinion, "she gives a perfectly creditable performance." Most West End first-timers could be more than satisfied with that.
In the Telegraph and Independent, the reviews start to look like actual praise. "In the second half," says Charles Spencer in the former,...
- 12/18/2009
- by Leo Benedictus
- The Guardian - Film News
New York City Center?s 2009-10 season begins on September 22 with the sixth annual Fall for Dance Festival, featuring 20 companies in 10 nights of dance for only $10 per ticket. The season also includes the third season of acclaimed choreographer Christopher Wheeldon?s dance company Morphoses/The Wheeldon Company and premieres by resident companies Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater and the Paul Taylor Dance Company. The New York Flamenco Festival will celebrate its 10 anniversary year with mesmerizing performances with renowned dancers and musicians direct from Andalusia, Spain, and visiting companies will include the U.S. debut of Corella Ballet Castilla Y León, choreographer Angel Corella?s acclaimed company, based in Spain; Tanguera ?The Tango Musical; and Companhia de Dança Deborah Colker.
- 7/28/2009
- BroadwayWorld.com
Merce Cunningham takes a bow with his dancers and Kim Gordon and Lee Ranaldo of Sonic Youth at his 90th birthday celebration, on April 16, 2009. From PatrickMcMullan.com. The passing of Merce Cunningham on Sunday night marked the loss of one of the greatest artists of the 20th century. As a dancer, a choreographer, and the founder of Merce Cunningham Dance Company, Cunningham’s contribution to dance, specifically American dance, ranks with George Balanchine’s and Martha Graham’s. In the mid-1950s, Cunningham introduced the world to a new form of movement that neither mimicked nor mocked its competing genres, ballet and modern dance. Since then, and until his 90th birthday in April, he created such enduring works as Crises (1960) and Sounddance (1975), and mentored renowned dancers including Paul Taylor, Karole Armitage, and Lucinda Childs. He famously danced in every one of his company’s performances until turning 70, in 1989, and consistently...
- 7/27/2009
- Vanity Fair
New York City Center's 2009-10 season begins on September 22 with the sixth annual Fall for Dance Festival, featuring 20 companies in 10 nights of dance for only $10 per ticket. The season also includes the third season of acclaimed choreographer Christopher Wheeldon's dance company Morphoses/The Wheeldon Company and premieres by resident companies Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater and the Paul Taylor Dance Company.
- 7/24/2009
- BroadwayWorld.com
Celebrated German choreographer Pina Bausch has lost her battle with cancer five days after receiving the diagnosis. She was 68.
Bausch died on Tuesday in Wuppertal, Germany. Her family did not release the exact nature of the illness.
Her dance company, Tanztheater Wuppertal, was based in the city and performed around the world, including London's Sadler’s Wells Theater, the Theatre de la Ville in Paris, Italy's Spoleto Festival and New York's Brooklyn Academy of Music.
A graduate of the prestigious Juilliard School, she was a member of Antony Tudor’s company at the Metropolitan Opera and worked with famed choreographer Paul Taylor before returning to Germany in 1962 to join Jooss’s Folkwang Ballet as a soloist - where she became company director.
She took the stage after a performance of an untitled new work as recently as 21 June, just days before she was diagnosed with the fatal disease.
Bausch is survived by her companion, Ronald Kay, and a son, Salomon Bausch, 27.
Bausch died on Tuesday in Wuppertal, Germany. Her family did not release the exact nature of the illness.
Her dance company, Tanztheater Wuppertal, was based in the city and performed around the world, including London's Sadler’s Wells Theater, the Theatre de la Ville in Paris, Italy's Spoleto Festival and New York's Brooklyn Academy of Music.
A graduate of the prestigious Juilliard School, she was a member of Antony Tudor’s company at the Metropolitan Opera and worked with famed choreographer Paul Taylor before returning to Germany in 1962 to join Jooss’s Folkwang Ballet as a soloist - where she became company director.
She took the stage after a performance of an untitled new work as recently as 21 June, just days before she was diagnosed with the fatal disease.
Bausch is survived by her companion, Ronald Kay, and a son, Salomon Bausch, 27.
- 7/1/2009
- WENN
Bloomberg News reports that in December 2005, New York City Center theater set up planning a roughly $300 million renovation project, after soliciting ideas from the Paul Taylor Dance Foundation and other resident companies. "They said, ?dream out loud,' and we did," said John Tomlinson, general manager of Paul Taylor. City Center says the top-to-bottom makeover eventually will proceed, even though six members of its 32-person board of directors invested with Bernard L. Madoff, who is alleged to have run a $50 billion Ponzi scheme. The six donated at least $260,000 to City Center last year, according to a program of the musical revival series "Encores!"...
- 2/26/2009
- BroadwayWorld.com
London -- Jetix chief executive Paul Taylor has resigned with immediate effect, to be replaced by Disney exec John Hardie, following Disney's full acquisition of the Pan-European children's entertainment group, it was announced Wednesday.
Hardie will remain executive vp of Disney Channels Emea, overseeing the studio's channel distribution activities, but will also take over responsibility for the Pan-European kids channel which was formerly Fox Kids Europe.
Disney announced Dec. 8 that it intended to acquire 100% ownership of Jetix Europe and will delist the company from the Nyse Euronext Amsterdam exchange at the end of this month.
"Paul has done an exemplary job in his four years as CEO and we wish him the very best in future endeavors," said Andy Bird, chairman of the supervisory board of Jetix Europe.
It is thought that Disney will integrate Jetix operations more closely with its own bouquet of children's channels in a bid to streamline operations and cut costs.
Hardie will remain executive vp of Disney Channels Emea, overseeing the studio's channel distribution activities, but will also take over responsibility for the Pan-European kids channel which was formerly Fox Kids Europe.
Disney announced Dec. 8 that it intended to acquire 100% ownership of Jetix Europe and will delist the company from the Nyse Euronext Amsterdam exchange at the end of this month.
"Paul has done an exemplary job in his four years as CEO and we wish him the very best in future endeavors," said Andy Bird, chairman of the supervisory board of Jetix Europe.
It is thought that Disney will integrate Jetix operations more closely with its own bouquet of children's channels in a bid to streamline operations and cut costs.
- 2/11/2009
- by By Mimi Turner
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
London -- Pan-European kids channels group Jetix revealed a 44% drop in net profit on Thursday to 21 million euros ($26 million) for the 12 months ending Sept. 30 on revenue down 18% to 136 million euros ($171 million).
Operating profit was narrowed by 48% to 13 million euros ($16 million), while Ebitda fell 27% to 51 million euros ($64 million).
Disney-owned Jetix, which airs such shows as "Yin Yang Yo" and "Power Rangers," added 1.8 million homes, bringing its distribution to 53 million homes in Europe.
Chief executive Paul Taylor said that the top line has been affected by a number of poorly performing deals, lowered subscription revenue and currency fluctuations.
The company's revenue outlook for 2009 is "broadly flat" with 2008, assuming current exchange rates, but costs are predicted to be higher in 2009 relating to a number of strategic initiatives.
Operating profit was narrowed by 48% to 13 million euros ($16 million), while Ebitda fell 27% to 51 million euros ($64 million).
Disney-owned Jetix, which airs such shows as "Yin Yang Yo" and "Power Rangers," added 1.8 million homes, bringing its distribution to 53 million homes in Europe.
Chief executive Paul Taylor said that the top line has been affected by a number of poorly performing deals, lowered subscription revenue and currency fluctuations.
The company's revenue outlook for 2009 is "broadly flat" with 2008, assuming current exchange rates, but costs are predicted to be higher in 2009 relating to a number of strategic initiatives.
- 11/13/2008
- by By Mimi Turner
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
The actor and director has won rave reviews for his latest West End role as Chekhov's Ivanov. With a run of TV and film roles coming, is this the moment the establishment learned to love him?
There are rave reviews, and then there are Kenneth Branagh's last week. 'Branagh here touches the soul in a way I've not seen him do before,' opined Michael Billington in the Guardian. 'Performance of the year? Without a doubt,' was Quentin Letts's take in the Daily Mail. 'In preparing for the production Branagh seems to have relaxed his spirit around every corner of the role before deciding where to screw up the intensity,' wrote Paul Taylor in the Independent, adding: 'This is great acting, no question.'
The perfect 10s for Branagh's performance in the title role of Ivanov, a Chekhov play adapted by Tom Stoppard, prompted BBC2's...
There are rave reviews, and then there are Kenneth Branagh's last week. 'Branagh here touches the soul in a way I've not seen him do before,' opined Michael Billington in the Guardian. 'Performance of the year? Without a doubt,' was Quentin Letts's take in the Daily Mail. 'In preparing for the production Branagh seems to have relaxed his spirit around every corner of the role before deciding where to screw up the intensity,' wrote Paul Taylor in the Independent, adding: 'This is great acting, no question.'
The perfect 10s for Branagh's performance in the title role of Ivanov, a Chekhov play adapted by Tom Stoppard, prompted BBC2's...
- 9/20/2008
- by David Smith
- The Guardian - Film News
New York -- The lineups for the Tribeca Film Festival World Narrative and World Documentary Feature Film Competition and Spotlight section slate were unveiled Monday, along with the potentially controversial move to eliminate the New York section of the fest.
Filmmakers including Leonardo DiCaprio, Michael Apted, John Dahl, Ed Burns and Shane Meadows will be featured in the selection, along with such stars as America Ferrera, Ray Romano, Bruce Springsteen, Tea Leoni and Debra Messing.
The Tribeca fest was founded in 2002 in the wake of the World Trade Center attacks to support New York artists and the local economy. While there still will be an award for best New York film, the decision to cut the local section might be seen as a move away from the fest's roots and original mission.
"We've spread New York films across all the sections, and we support New York filmmakers, but we didn't want it to seem like, 'Here's the New York festival, and here's the rest,'" said Nancy Schafer, Tff managing director and programmer.
Executive director Peter Scarlet noted that the festival has been international from its inception. "We try to get the best damn films we can," he said.
Schafer and Scarlet said this year's lineup offers a particularly strong selection of films from Latin America, with such titles as "The Year My Parents Went on Vacation" (O Ano Em Que Meus Pais Sairam de Ferias) and "Born and Bred" (Nacido y Criado).
The announced films from the sixth annual fest come from 25 countries and include 10 world premieres. "The festival, while young, continues to attract films expressing compelling views from filmmakers from around the globe and around the corner," Tff co-founder Jane Rosenthal said.
One of the highest-profile entries among the 18 World Narrative competition films is "Entourage" star Kevin Connolly's black comedy "Gardener of Eden," starring Giovanni Ribisi and Erika Christensen, from producer DiCaprio. Other highlights include Pascale Ferran's French D.H. Lawrence adaptation "Lady Chatterley," billed as "sensual yet never vulgar"; Paolo Virzi's biopic "Napoleon and Me" (Lo e Napoleone), starring Daniel Auteuil as the famed emperor; and Jose Antonio Negret's Colombian kidnapping thriller "Towards Darkness" (Hacia la Oscuridad), starring Ferrera.
The 16 World Documentary films in competition include John Reiss' graffiti docu "Bomb It" and the Afghani murder mystery "Taxi to the Dark Side," from director Alex Gibney ("Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room"). Esther Robinson examines her uncle, Andy Warhol's one-time lover, in "A Walk Into the Sea: Danny Williams and the Warhol Factory," and Paul Taylor looks at a South African AIDS orphanage in "We Are Together" (Thina Simunye), featuring a performance by Alicia Keys and Paul Simon.
The 17 Spotlight films include writer-director-star Julie Delpy's romantic comedy "2 Days in Paris" (Deux Jours a Paris); Burns' romance "Purple Violets," starring Patrick Wilson and Messing; and Zak Penn's casino mockumentary "The Grand," starring Woody Harrelson and Romano.
Other high-profile Spotlight films are Jim Brown's folk music docu "Pete Seeger: The Power of Song," featuring Bob Dylan and Springsteen; Meadows' '80s punk coming-of-age tale "This Is England"; Apted's soccer docu "The Power of the Game"; and Dahl's hitman comedy-drama "You Kill Me," starring Ben Kingsley and Leoni.
The fest, which will unveil 159 features during the next few weeks, runs April 25-May 6.
Filmmakers including Leonardo DiCaprio, Michael Apted, John Dahl, Ed Burns and Shane Meadows will be featured in the selection, along with such stars as America Ferrera, Ray Romano, Bruce Springsteen, Tea Leoni and Debra Messing.
The Tribeca fest was founded in 2002 in the wake of the World Trade Center attacks to support New York artists and the local economy. While there still will be an award for best New York film, the decision to cut the local section might be seen as a move away from the fest's roots and original mission.
"We've spread New York films across all the sections, and we support New York filmmakers, but we didn't want it to seem like, 'Here's the New York festival, and here's the rest,'" said Nancy Schafer, Tff managing director and programmer.
Executive director Peter Scarlet noted that the festival has been international from its inception. "We try to get the best damn films we can," he said.
Schafer and Scarlet said this year's lineup offers a particularly strong selection of films from Latin America, with such titles as "The Year My Parents Went on Vacation" (O Ano Em Que Meus Pais Sairam de Ferias) and "Born and Bred" (Nacido y Criado).
The announced films from the sixth annual fest come from 25 countries and include 10 world premieres. "The festival, while young, continues to attract films expressing compelling views from filmmakers from around the globe and around the corner," Tff co-founder Jane Rosenthal said.
One of the highest-profile entries among the 18 World Narrative competition films is "Entourage" star Kevin Connolly's black comedy "Gardener of Eden," starring Giovanni Ribisi and Erika Christensen, from producer DiCaprio. Other highlights include Pascale Ferran's French D.H. Lawrence adaptation "Lady Chatterley," billed as "sensual yet never vulgar"; Paolo Virzi's biopic "Napoleon and Me" (Lo e Napoleone), starring Daniel Auteuil as the famed emperor; and Jose Antonio Negret's Colombian kidnapping thriller "Towards Darkness" (Hacia la Oscuridad), starring Ferrera.
The 16 World Documentary films in competition include John Reiss' graffiti docu "Bomb It" and the Afghani murder mystery "Taxi to the Dark Side," from director Alex Gibney ("Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room"). Esther Robinson examines her uncle, Andy Warhol's one-time lover, in "A Walk Into the Sea: Danny Williams and the Warhol Factory," and Paul Taylor looks at a South African AIDS orphanage in "We Are Together" (Thina Simunye), featuring a performance by Alicia Keys and Paul Simon.
The 17 Spotlight films include writer-director-star Julie Delpy's romantic comedy "2 Days in Paris" (Deux Jours a Paris); Burns' romance "Purple Violets," starring Patrick Wilson and Messing; and Zak Penn's casino mockumentary "The Grand," starring Woody Harrelson and Romano.
Other high-profile Spotlight films are Jim Brown's folk music docu "Pete Seeger: The Power of Song," featuring Bob Dylan and Springsteen; Meadows' '80s punk coming-of-age tale "This Is England"; Apted's soccer docu "The Power of the Game"; and Dahl's hitman comedy-drama "You Kill Me," starring Ben Kingsley and Leoni.
The fest, which will unveil 159 features during the next few weeks, runs April 25-May 6.
- 8/18/2008
- by By Gregg Goldstein
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
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