Thursday, May 6, 2010

ENTERTAINMENT NEWS …. 2010 TONY AWARDS

ENTERTAINMENT NEWS …

NOMINATIONS

2010 TONY AWARDS

tony-awards-nominations-2010

 

Glee’s Lea Michele and God of Carnage’s Jeff Daniels announce the nominations for the 2010 Tony Awards at The New York Public Library for Performing Arts on Tuesday (May 4) in New York City.


Fela!, which is produced by Jay-Z and Will Smith, tied with La Cage aux Folles for 11 nominations. Denzel Washington’s Fences took 10 nominations while Jude Law’s Hamlet took 2 nominations (including Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Play).


The Tony Awards will air live on June 13th 8/7pm on CBS in the US.


Best Play
“In the Next Room or the Vibrator Play”
“Next Fall”
“Red”
“Time Stands Still”


Best Musical
“American Idiot”
“Fela!”
“Memphis”
“Million Dollar Quartet”


Best Book of a Musical
“Everyday Rapture” by Dick Scanlan and Sherie Rene Scott
“Fela!” by Jim Lewis & Bill T. Jones
“Memphis” by Joe DiPietro
“Million Dollar Quartet” by Colin Escott and Floyd Mutrux


Best Original Score (Music and/or Lyrics) Written for the Theatre
“The Addams Family” Music & Lyrics: Andrew Lippa
“Enron” Music: Adam Cork Lyrics: Lucy Prebble
“Fences” Music: Branford Marsalis
“Memphis” Music: David Bryan Lyrics: Joe DiPietro, David Bryan


Best Revival of a Play
“Fences”
“Lend Me a Tenor”
“The Royal Family”
“A View from the Bridge”


Best Revival of a Musical
“Finian’s Rainbow”
“La Cage aux Folles”
“A Little Night Music”
“Ragtime”


Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Play
Jude Law, “Hamlet”
Alfred Molina, “Red”
Liev Schreiber, “A View from the Bridge”
Christopher Walken, “A Behanding in Spokane”
Denzel Washington, “Fences”


Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Play
Viola Davis, “Fences”
Valerie Harper, “Looped”
Linda Lavin, “Collected Stories”
Laura Linney, “Time Stands Still”
Jan Maxwell, “The Royal Family”


Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Musical
Kelsey Grammer, “La Cage aux Folles”
Sean Hayes, “Promises, Promises”
Douglas Hodge, “La Cage aux Folles”
Chad Kimball, “Memphis”
Sahr Ngaujah, “Fela!”


Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Musical
Kate Baldwin, “Finian’s Rainbow”
Montego Glover, “Memphis”
Christiane Noll, “Ragtime”
Sherie Rene Scott, “Everyday Rapture”
Catherine Zeta-Jones, “A Little Night Music”


Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a Play
David Alan Grier, “Race”
Stephen McKinley Henderson, “Fences”
Jon Michael Hill, “Superior Donuts”
Stephen Kunken, “Enron”
Eddie Redmayne, “Red”


Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Play
Maria Dizzia, “In the Next Room or the Vibrator Play”
Rosemary Harris, “The Royal Family”
Jessica Hecht, “A View from the Bridge”
Scarlett Johansson, “A View from the Bridge”
Jan Maxwell, “Lend Me a Tenor”


Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a Musical
Kevin Chamberlin, “The Addams Family”
Robin De Jesús, “La Cage aux Folles”
Christopher Fitzgerald, “Finian’s Rainbow”
Levi Kreis, “Million Dollar Quartet”
Bobby Steggert, “Ragtime”


Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Musical
Barbara Cook, “Sondheim on Sondheim”
Katie Finneran, “Promises, Promises”
Angela Lansbury, “A Little Night Music”
Karine Plantadit, “Come Fly Away”
Lillias White, “Fela!”


Best Scenic Design of a Play
John Lee Beatty, “The Royal Family”
Alexander Dodge, “Present Laughter”
Santo Loquasto, “Fences”
Christopher Oram, “Red”


Best Scenic Design of a Musical
Marina Draghici, “Fela!”
Christine Jones, “American Idiot”
Derek McLane, “Ragtime”
Tim Shortall, “La Cage aux Folles”


Best Costume Design of a Play
Martin Pakledinaz, “Lend Me a Tenor”
Constanza Romero, “Fences”
David Zinn, “In the Next Room or the Vibrator Play”
Catherine Zuber, “The Royal Family”


Best Costume Design of a Musical
Marina Draghici, “Fela!”
Santo Loquasto, “Ragtime”
Paul Tazewell, “Memphis”
Matthew Wright, “La Cage aux Folles”


Best Lighting Design of a Play
Neil Austin, “Hamlet”
Neil Austin, “Red”
Mark Henderson, “Enron”
Brian MacDevitt, “Fences”


Best Lighting Design of a Musical
Kevin Adams, “American Idiot”
Donald Holder, “Ragtime”
Nick Richings, “La Cage aux Folles”
Robert Wierzel, “Fela!”

Best Sound Design of a Play
Acme Sound Partners, “Fences”
Adam Cork, “Enron”
Adam Cork, “Red”
Scott Lehrer, “A View from the Bridge”


Best Sound Design of a Musical
Jonathan Deans, “La Cage aux Folles”
Robert Kaplowitz, “Fela!”
Dan Moses Schreier and Gareth Owen, “A Little Night Music”
Dan Moses Schreier, “Sondheim on Sondheim”


Best Direction of a Play
Michael Grandage, “Red”
Sheryl Kaller, “Next Fall”
Kenny Leon, “Fences”
Gregory Mosher, “A View from the Bridge”


Best Direction of a Musical
Christopher Ashley, “Memphis”
Marcia Milgrom Dodge, “Ragtime”
Terry Johnson, “La Cage aux Folles”
Bill T. Jones, “Fela!”

Best Choreography
Rob Ashford, “Promises, Promises”
Bill T. Jones, “Fela!”
Lynne Page, “La Cage aux Folles”
Twyla Tharp, “Come Fly Away”


Best Orchestrations
Jason Carr, “La Cage aux Folles”
Aaron Johnson, “Fela!”
Jonathan Tunick, “Promises, Promises”
Daryl Waters & David Bryan, “Memphis”


Special Tony Award for Lifetime Achievement in the Theatre
Alan Ayckbourn
Marian Seldes


Regional Theatre Tony Award
The Eugene O’Neill Theater Center, Waterford, Connecticut
Isabelle Stevenson Award
David Hyde Pierce


Tony Honor for Excellence in the Theatre
Alliance of Resident Theatres/New York
B.H. Barry
Tom Viola

Tuesday, May 4, 2010

ENTERTAINMENT NEWS ... LYNN REDGRAVE PASSES

ENTERTAINMENT NEWS ...

LYNN REDGRAVE PASSES

Lynn Redgrave Headshot

Lynn Redgrave, an introspective and independent player in her family's acting dynasty who became a 1960s sensation as the freethinking title character of "Georgy Girl" and later dramatized her troubled past in such one-woman stage performances "Shakespeare for My Father" and "Nightingale," is dead. She was 67.

Her publicist Rick Miramontez, speaking on behalf of her children, said Redgrave died Sunday night at her Manhattan apartment. In 2003, Redgrave had been treated for breast cancer.

Her death comes a year after her niece Natasha Richardson died from head injuries sustained in a skiing accident and just a month after the death of her older brother, Corin Redgrave.

The youngest child of Michael Redgrave and Rachel Kempson, Lynn Redgrave never quite managed the acclaim - or notoriety - of elder sibling Vanessa Redgrave, but received Oscar nominations for "Georgy Girl" and "Gods and Monsters," and Tony nominations for "Mrs. Warren's Profession," "Shakespeare for My Father" and "The Constant Wife."

Monday, May 3, 2010

MOVIE NEWS … GREATEST MOVIE SEQUELS OF ALL TIME

MOVIE NEWS …

GREATEST MOVIE SEQUELS

OF ALL TIME

The 1980 film - George Lucas's follow-up to Star Wars: A New Hope - drew almost one fifth of all votes.

DVD rental firm Lovefilm launched the poll to celebrate the release of Iron Man 2.

The Empire Strikes Back, which featured the battle on ice planet Hoth, Lando Calrissian's cloud city and the shocking moment Luke Skywalker discovered Darth Vader was his father, is favoured by some fans as the best film in the original Star Wars trilogy.

It landed 19 per cent of the votes, beating movies such as Terminator 2 and Aliens.

Fourth place went to The Dark Knight, the sixth film of the Batman franchise and the last completed project of Aussie heartthrob Heath Ledger, who died from an accidental overdose of prescription drugs in January 2008. He starred as the Joker in the film.

Helen Cowley, editor at online rental service Lovefilm, said: "There's no beating Star Wars, and fans have been very vocal in our poll to establish its place as the top sequel of all time.

"Film sequels give us the chance to see our favourite characters back on the big screen but it's rare to find a sequel that truly does its predecessor justice.

"It's great to see so many highly regarded titles in the top 10 and making their own mark on film history."

The top 10 film sequels:

1.    Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back (1980)

eMPIRE

2.    Terminator 2 (1991)

Terminator 2

3.    The Godfather Part II (1974)

GODFATHER 2

4.    The Dark Knight (2008)

The Dark Knight

5.    Aliens (1986)

Aliens

6.    The Bourne Supremacy (2004)

The Bourne Supremacy

7.    The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (2002)

The Lord of the Rings The Two Towers

8.    Toy Story 2 (1999)

Toy Story 2

9.    Meet the Fockers (2004)

Meet the Fockers

10.    Shrek 2 (2004)

Shrek 2

Sunday, May 2, 2010

ONE HIT WONDERS … DEXY’S MIDNIGHT RUNNERS

ONE HIT WONDERS …

DEXY’S MIDNIGHT RUNNERS

Artist: Dexy's Midnight Runners
Song: Come on Eileen
Year: 1983

Dexys Midnight Runners dexys_midnight_runners_2

Dexys Midnight Runners' first album, entitled Searching for the Young Soul Rebels, featured horns as well as the songwriting ability of Kevin Rowland. Though the album did not register on the charts in the United States, it found success in England.

Following the release of the album, three members of Dexys Midnight Runners took leave of the band to form Bureau. Rowland, however, remained with Dexys Midnight Runners.

The band subsequently switched its focus, finding its roots in celtic and folk music as evidenced in the second album Too-Rye-Ay. The album included the hit "Come On Eileen," which enjoyed international success.

MOVIE REVIEW ... IRON MAN 2

MOVIE REVIEW ...

IRON MAN 2

poster There's always the temptation for sequels to be bigger and louder than their predecessors.  While Iron Man 2 is certainly gigantic in scope, it resists the urge to sacrifice characterisation over battles.  With actors of the calibre of Robert Downey Jnr and Mickey Rourke provide a solid base upon which to show off its techno wizardry.

 

iron_man_2_46 Having revealed himself to be Iron Man, billionaire industrialist Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jnr) enters the next phase in life.  Knocking back offers to create similar armoury for military use, he enjoys the attention fame has given him.  Spoiling his party is business rival Justin Hammer (Sam Rockwell) who, with the help of Ivan 'Whiplash' Vanko (Mickey Rourke) plots to destroy him once and for all.  Battling new foes while grappling with various personal demons, Stark attempts to re-discover the man inside the iron suit.

RASPUTIN

Those eager seeing buildings knocked down and guns blazing will find plenty here.  Others wanting some grist amongst the spectacle will also find that as well. In fact Iron Man 2 mostly succeeds in balancing these two with a confidence a bigger budgeted sequel offers.  Due to a script focussing on a small number of characters and fine acting, you're able to fully believe their motivations.  Hammer's eagerness in destroying Iron Man's reputation by ruining the man inside is an intriguing angle in a complex story.  The choices Stark makes define his beliefs and in turn creates the legacy left by his iron creation.

iron_man_2_02 With a central narrative exploring the arrogance of power, Iron Man 2 benefits from its more engrossing tale.  Sadly lacking is any genuine menace from the villains with Hammer more of a sleazy opportunist than true villain.  Rourke is left to handle the baddie duties and while he does a great job, he's not on screen often enough to capture the imagination.  Overall however the film has an excellent comic book flavour in which to mix its skirmishes and at least tries to offer something new than simply re-hash what worked before.

Iron Man 2 movie image

Directed with a snappy confidence by Jon Favreau, Iron Man 2 is the more satisfying of the films.  Although the pace could have been a little faster, it's provides more than you'd expect for a second outing in the ever-growing superhero genre.

iron_man_2_39 
Movie Review Rating 7 / 10

Movie Review by Patrick Moore

Iron Man 2 released in Australia on Thursday 29 April 2010.

If you have any comments to make about this Movie Review, then please use the comment box, titling your comments with Movie Review Iron Man 2.

Patrick Moore's Movie Review is an alternative look at current movie releases in Australia.

Official HomePage click HERE

MOVIE REVIEW ... DATE NIGHT

MOVIE REVIEW ...

DATE NIGHT


poster American laugh-makers Steve Carrell and Tina Fey have benefited from the current trend in idolising comedians.  It’s understandable given Carrell has made the U.S. version of The Office watchable and Fey's esteemed stint on Saturday Night Live.  One can see the appeal in uniting them in the hope of doubling the laughs.  Reasonably succeeding with Date Night, it utilises their inventive comedic skills in its skewering of marital life.


Mundane routine seems to rule the lives of Phil (Steve Carrell) and Claire (Tina Fey).  Devoid of the romance which united them, they decide to fix this by going to a swanky restaurant.  Taking the place of some no-shows, their enjoyable dinner is rudely interrupted by a pair of thugs.  Mistaken for the missing couple, they become confused when demanded the return of a valuable flash drive.  Learning a dangerous mobster wants it they make a hasty escape and find themselves on the run.  With bullets whizzing past, they ponder how their romantic night out could turn into the ultimate date from hell.

DATE NIGHT
This amiable nonsense wrings a lot out of its brisk running time.  Which is just as well as the whole enterprise relies heavily on  Carrell and Fey's talents.  Their gift for improvisations elevates what is on paper a fairly vanilla offering.  As a couple desperate to put the spark back into their marriage, the actors ground their one dimensional roles with genuine believability.  This comes in handy as the plot spins wildly out of control as each ludicrous situation piles on the other.  When the obligatory city wide car chase arrives, the film sets to autopilot with only their chemistry seeing things through.

date_night11


There's plenty of laughs to be had with an initially 'family friendly' tone giving way to some very adult antics.  Apart from the leads other performers such as Mark Wahlberg as a computer genius and James Franco as a petty thief get into the spirit of things with some spot on comic timing.  Perhaps they knew the film wasn't much chop and so decided to overplay their caricatured roles.  This adds to the overall fun as Date Night never takes itself seriously and features some amusingly sly digs at the institution of marriage.

date_night09


Whilst Date Night's story isn't anything new and sticks to pure formula, it's an affable enough time waster which showcases Carrell and Fey's abilities well.  As a fable on the need to re-energise any partnership, hopefully couples won't go to the extremes levelled at Date Night's hapless duo.


Movie Review Rating 6 / 10

Movie Review by Patrick Moore

DATE NIGHT released in Australia on Thursday 29 April 2010.

If you have any comments to make about this Movie Review, then please use the comment box, titling your comments with Movie Review Date Night

Patrick Moore's Movie Review is an alternative look at current movie releases in Australia.

Official HomePage click HERE

ENTERTAINMENT NEWS ... DOROTHY PROVINE PASSES

ENTERTAINMENT NEWS ...

DOROTHY PROVINE PASSES

Actress-Dorothy-Provine-dead

Dorothy Provine, best-known for her roles as Milton Berle's wife and Ethel Merman's daughter in the all-star cast film It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World and as the high-kicking flapper on the 1960s TV series The Roaring 20's, has died. She was 75.

Her husband of 43 years, Robert Day, said yesterday that Provine died of emphysema Sunday APril 25 at a hospice outside Bremerton, Wash. He said there wouldn't be a funeral.

"She was so beautiful," Day said from his home in Washington.

Provine's movie credits also include TheBonnie Parker Story; Good Neighbor Sam; The Great Race; Live Fast, Die Young; Never a Dull Moment; Riot in Juvenile Prison; and That Darn Cat!

Provine played leggy flapper Pinky Pinkham on ABC's The Roaring 20's from 1960 to '62, and she also appeared on shows such as Hawaiian Eye, Mike Hammer, Sugarfoot, 77 Sunset Strip and Wagon Train.

Besides her husband, Provine is survived by her son, Robert Day, and sisters Susan Cameron of Silverdale, Wash.; and Patricia Coldiron of California.

Dorothy Provine 012.0

Dorothy Provine 3