Last night’s Tony Awards show was a nice surprise.  It seems they have finally taken a page from Hollywood and decided to provide "teaser trailers" to the nominated shows, whether it be through extended musical numbers by the original artists or through short film shots from the plays in question.

In this day and age of tight economics, people want an idea ahead of time of whether their money will be well spent.  And given last night’s performances, I sure wish I had more money and could take the time off to go to Broadway!  There seems to be a treasure trove of great musicals and plays, with some really great actors treading the boards.  (Unfortunately, Michael T. Weiss’ play, IMPRESSIONISM, has already closed – seems no one in it rated a nod from the "Wing" this time around, even though it started before the end of nominating season.  Ah, well, better luck next year! At least he made Broadway this year!!)

Another thing I liked about this year’s Tony Awards was the host, Neil Patrick Harris, was on just enough to keep it interesting and funny, but unlike so many others, he didn’t feel the need to try to take over the show.  He kept the show going and got out of his own way.  (Plus he was quite a surprise at the end – didn’t realize he could sing so well.)

If you missed it, here’s a link I found:

BTW, is Angela Lansbury looking AMAZING for 84 years old or what!?!  What a totally classy lady.  And I’m positive she deserves all 5 Tonys she’s won, including this latest.  I’ve always liked her.

And I think it was wonderful they gave all 3 kids from BILLY ELLIOT a Tony.  (First time 3 people have ever shared the award for the same part in the same year.) After watching the number from the play, I can see why they deserved it, at least from the one kid’s performance. I felt sorry for Elton John, though.  He looked SOOOO tense when he was up for an award, only to lose to NEXT TO NORMAL.  (Especially since BILLY ELLIOT took most of the other awards.)  Guess they figured Sir Elton’s already got enough awards already? 

Another thing I liked was they didn’t feel the need to get reaction shots from the losers like they do on the Oscars and other shows. I mean, how horrible is it to have to sit there with a grin plastered to your face with a camera jammed in it while you’re sitting there hoping the winner will trip on the way to the podium and don’t want anyone to know what you’re really thinking? 

Here’s a list of the main Tony awards:

Best Actress in a Musical
Alice Ripley, Next to Normal

Best Revival of a Musical
Hair

Best Play
God of Carnage

Best Revival of a Play
The Norman Conquests 

Best Actress in a Play
Marcia Gay Harden, God of Carnage

Best Actor in a Play
Geoffrey Rush, Exit the King

Best Featured Actress in a Musical
Karen Olivo, West Side Story

Best Featured Actor in a Musical
Gregory Jbara, Billy Elliot

Best Special Theatrical Event
Liza Minnelli, Liza’s at the Palace

Best Direction of a Musical
Stephen Daldry, Billy Elliot

Best Direction of a Play
Matthew Warchus, God of Carnage

Best Original Score
Tom Kitt (music) and Brian Yorkey (lyrics), Next to Normal

Best Featured Actress in a Play
Angela Lansbury, Blithe Spirit

Best Featured Actor in a Play
Roger Robinson, Joe Turner’s Come and Gone

Best Book of a Musical
Lee Hall, Billy Elliot

Best Choreography
Peter Darling, Billy Elliot

Best Costume Design of a Musical
Tim Hatley, Shrek The Musical

Best Costume Design of a Play
Anthony Ward, Mary Stuart

Best Orchestrations
(TIE)
Michael Starobin and Tom Kitt, Next to Normal
and
Martin Koch, Billy Elliot

Technorati Tags: Angela Lansbury, Billy Elliot, Broadway, Hair, Michael T Weiss, Tony Awards, West Side Story

Sadly, it appears that David Carradine has killed himself.  According to news sources in Bangkok, he was found in his hotel room, possibly in the wardrobe, with a curtain cord around his neck.  (They also mention the possibility of other cords wrapped on him, but have called this a suicide at this point – no details have been released to protect his family.  However, the extra ropes make me wonder about accidental/autoerotic asphyxiation if they don’t think it’s a homicide, but that’s just a supposition on my part.) 

Carradine had been in Bangkok filming a new movie when his body was found by a hotel maid on Thursday morning. According to people associated with the production, he had failed to show up for a dinner the night before, but no one had been concerned at that point.  (According to reports, he had been dead for approx. 12 hours when he was finally discovered.)  He was 72 at the time of his passing.

Even though Carradine had hundreds of movie and TV credits, he will no doubt be best known for his iconic role as  Kwai Chang Caine in KUNG FU. And while the character of Caine was envisioned and created in the 1970s by Bruce Lee (who fully expected to play it, but Hollywood had other ideas), Carradine managed to pull off the half-Chinese, half-European West-wanderer for 3 years (and quite a few movies and a 2nd TV series based on the same character 20 years later.)  Not bad for a man who had Irish, English, Scottish, Welsh, German, Spanish, Italian, Ukrainian and Cherokee ancestry, but not a drop of Asian, eh?

Carradine’s career then faded into a series of B, C (and sometimes Z level movies) and small parts on TV shows, mostly in the martial arts and horror genres.  He could never quite capture that movie magic again, that is, until Quentin Tarantino made him "Bill" in 2003. (Even that part was to be someone else’s originally: Warren Beatty was supposedly tapped to play it as a "James Bondesque" assasin, but he bowed out, suggesting Carradine instead.)  However, even with that hit, afterwards Carradine still was only offered parts in non-mainstream movies as martial arts villains or supporting roles. He just couldn’t seem to find the fame he sought.

Carradine told the AP in 2004, "There isn’t anything that Anthony Hopkins or Clint Eastwood or Sean Connery or any of those old guys are doing that I couldn’t do," he said. "All that was ever required was somebody with Quentin’s courage to take and put me in the spotlight."

I can’t say he was my favorite actor, but David Carradine was definitely a part of my TV-watching childhood, and I admit I thoroughly enjoyed KUNG  FU, watching all the episodes (from both series), and he did Bill justice, not an easy thing to do. 

May he rest in peace… 

Technorati Tags: ACTORS, David Carradine, Kill Bill, Kung Fu, Suicide

Previews for the Broadway play IMPRESSIONISM, starring Jeremy Irons, Joan Allen, Michael T. Weiss, Marsha Mason and Aaron Lazar among others, start this Saturday, Feb 28th.  The play will have an 18-week limited run (due to other obligations for Jeremy Irons, who will go on to another project right after.)

As part of promoting the play, the actors did a Meet and Greet for the press, some of which you can see below: 

BroadwaySpace Feature: Meet the Cast of Impressionism

Meet the Cast of Broadway’s Impressionism: MICHAEL T. WEISS

Meet the Cast of Broadway’s Impressionism: JEREMY IRONS

Meet the Cast of Broadway’s Impressionism: JOAN ALLEN

Meet the Cast of Broadway’s Impressionism: MARGARITA LEVIEVA

Meet the Cast of Broadway’s Impressionism: ANDRE DE SHIELDS

Meet the Cast of Broadway’s Impressionism: AARON LAZAR

The play is being performed at the Gerald Schoenfeld Theater on Broadway at 236 W 45th Street, New York.  Ticket information is available at Telecharge.com or by calling 800-432-7250.

The official website for the play is ImpressionismThePlay.com.

Technorati Tags: Aaron Lazar, Add new tag, IMPRESSIONISM, Jeremy Irons, Joan Allen, Marsha Mason, Michael T Weiss

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Television Movie or Miniseries
PAUL GIAMATTI              John Adams                         "JOHN ADAMS"                  HBO

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Television Movie or Miniseries
LAURA LINNEY               Abigail Adams                      "JOHN ADAMS"                  HBO

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Drama Series
HUGH LAURIE               Gregory House                      "HOUSE"                           FOX

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Drama Series
SALLY FIELD                 Nora Walker                          "BROTHERS & SISTERS"     ABC

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Comedy Series
ALEC BALDWIN             Jack Donaghy                       "30 ROCK"                         NBC

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Comedy Series
TINA FEY                      Liz Lemon                            "30 ROCK"                         NBC

Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series
"30 ROCK"                 NBC

SCOTT ADSIT               Pete Hornberger
ALEC BALDWIN            Jack Donaghy
KATRINA BOWDEN       Cerie
TINA FEY                     Liz Lemon
JUDAH FRIEDLANDER   Frank Rossitano
JANE KRAKOWSKI        Jenna Maroney
JACK McBRAYER          Kenneth Parcell
TRACY MORGAN          Tracy Jordan
MAULIK PANCHOLY      Jonathan
KEITH POWELL            Toofer

Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series
"MAD MEN"                              AMC

BRYAN BATT                              Salvatore Romano
ALISON BRIE                             Trudy Campbell
MICHAEL GLADIS                       Paul Kinsey
JON HAMM                                Don Draper
AARON HART                             Bobby Draper
CHRISTINA HENDRICKS             Joan Holloway
JANUARY JONES                        Betty Draper
VINCENT KARTHEISER               Pete Campbell
ROBERT MORSE                         Bertram Cooper
MARK MOSES                            Herman “Duck” Phillips
ELISABETH MOSS                      Peggy Olson
KIERNAN SHIPKA                       Sally Draper
JOHN SLATTERY                         Roger Sterling
RICH SOMMER                           Harry Crane
AARON STATON                         Ken Cosgrove
 

(Amazing – some of my favorites/picks actually won something!  Hooray for Hugh Laurie, Paul Giamatti, Laura Linney, Kate Winslet , Heath Ledger, Robert Morse, and Vincent Kartheiser, just to name a few…)

Technorati Tags: Awards, Heath Ledger, Hugh Laurie, SAG, Screen Actors Guild

According to the official website of the The Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences, the nominees for this year’s Oscars are as follows:

Performance by an actor in a leading role

• Richard Jenkins in “The Visitor” (Overture Films)
• Frank Langella in “Frost/Nixon” (Universal)
• Sean Penn in “Milk” (Focus Features)
• Brad Pitt in “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” (Paramount and Warner Bros.)
• Mickey Rourke in “The Wrestler” (Fox Searchlight)

Performance by an actor in a supporting role

• Josh Brolin in “Milk” (Focus Features)
• Robert Downey Jr. in “Tropic Thunder” (DreamWorks, Distributed by DreamWorks/Paramount)
• Philip Seymour Hoffman in “Doubt” (Miramax)
• Heath Ledger in “The Dark Knight” (Warner Bros.)
• Michael Shannon in “Revolutionary Road” (DreamWorks, Distributed by Paramount Vantage)

Performance by an actress in a leading role

• Anne Hathaway in “Rachel Getting Married” (Sony Pictures Classics)
• Angelina Jolie in “Changeling” (Universal)
• Melissa Leo in “Frozen River” (Sony Pictures Classics)
• Meryl Streep in “Doubt” (Miramax)
• Kate Winslet in “The Reader” (The Weinstein Company)

Performance by an actress in a supporting role

• Amy Adams in “Doubt” (Miramax)
• Penélope Cruz in “Vicky Cristina Barcelona” (The Weinstein Company)
• Viola Davis in “Doubt” (Miramax)
• Taraji P. Henson in “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” (Paramount and Warner Bros.)
• Marisa Tomei in “The Wrestler” (Fox Searchlight)

Best animated feature film of the year

• “Bolt” (Walt Disney), Chris Williams and Byron Howard
• “Kung Fu Panda” (DreamWorks Animation, Distributed by Paramount), John Stevenson and Mark Osborne
• “WALL-E” (Walt Disney), Andrew Stanton

Achievement in art direction

• “Changeling” (Universal), Art Direction: James J. Murakami, Set Decoration: Gary Fettis
• “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” (Paramount and Warner Bros.), Art Direction: Donald Graham Burt, Set Decoration: Victor J. Zolfo
• “The Dark Knight” (Warner Bros.), Art Direction: Nathan Crowley, Set Decoration: Peter Lando
• “The Duchess” (Paramount Vantage, Pathé and BBC Films), Art Direction: Michael Carlin, Set Decoration: Rebecca Alleway
• “Revolutionary Road” (DreamWorks, Distributed by Paramount Vantage), Art Direction: Kristi Zea, Set Decoration: Debra Schutt

Achievement in cinematography

• “Changeling” (Universal), Tom Stern
• “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” (Paramount and Warner Bros.), Claudio Miranda
• “The Dark Knight” (Warner Bros.), Wally Pfister
• “The Reader” (The Weinstein Company), Chris Menges and Roger Deakins
• “Slumdog Millionaire” (Fox Searchlight), Anthony Dod Mantle

Achievement in costume design

• “Australia” (20th Century Fox), Catherine Martin
• “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” (Paramount and Warner Bros.), Jacqueline West
• “The Duchess” (Paramount Vantage, Pathé and BBC Films), Michael O’Connor
• “Milk” (Focus Features), Danny Glicker
• “Revolutionary Road”  (DreamWorks, Distributed by Paramount Vantage), Albert Wolsky

Achievement in directing

• “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” (Paramount and Warner Bros.), David Fincher
• “Frost/Nixon” (Universal), Ron Howard
• “Milk” (Focus Features), Gus Van Sant
• “The Reader” (The Weinstein Company), Stephen Daldry
• “Slumdog Millionaire” (Fox Searchlight), Danny Boyle

Best documentary feature

• “The Betrayal (Nerakhoon)” (Cinema Guild), A Pandinlao Films Production, Ellen Kuras and Thavisouk Phrasavath
• “Encounters at the End of the World” (THINKFilm and Image Entertainment), A Creative Differences Production, Werner Herzog and Henry Kaiser
• “The Garden” A Black Valley Films Production, Scott Hamilton Kennedy
• “Man on Wire” (Magnolia Pictures), A Wall to Wall Production, James Marsh and Simon Chinn
• “Trouble the Water” (Zeitgeist Films), An Elsewhere Films Production, Tia Lessin and Carl Deal

Best documentary short subject

• “The Conscience of Nhem En” A Farallon Films Production, Steven Okazaki
• “The Final Inch” A Vermilion Films Production, Irene Taylor Brodsky and Tom Grant
• “Smile Pinki” A Principe Production, Megan Mylan
• “The Witness – From the Balcony of Room 306” A Rock Paper Scissors Production, Adam Pertofsky and Margaret Hyde

Achievement in film editing

• “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” (Paramount and Warner Bros.), Kirk Baxter and Angus Wall
• “The Dark Knight” (Warner Bros.), Lee Smith
• “Frost/Nixon” (Universal), Mike Hill and Dan Hanley
• “Milk” (Focus Features), Elliot Graham
• “Slumdog Millionaire” (Fox Searchlight), Chris Dickens

Best foreign language film of the year

• “The Baader Meinhof Complex” A Constantin Film Production, Germany
• “The Class” (Sony Pictures Classics), A Haut et Court Production, France
• “Departures” (Regent Releasing), A Departures Film Partners Production, Japan
• “Revanche” (Janus Films), A Prisma Film/Fernseh Production, Austria
• “Waltz with Bashir” (Sony Pictures Classics), A Bridgit Folman Film Gang Production, Israel

Achievement in makeup

• “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” (Paramount and Warner Bros.), Greg Cannom
• “The Dark Knight” (Warner Bros.), John Caglione, Jr. and Conor O’Sullivan
• “Hellboy II: The Golden Army” (Universal), Mike Elizalde and Thom Floutz

Achievement in music written for motion pictures (Original score)

• “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” (Paramount and Warner Bros.), Alexandre Desplat
• “Defiance” (Paramount Vantage), James Newton Howard
• “Milk” (Focus Features), Danny Elfman
• “Slumdog Millionaire” (Fox Searchlight), A.R. Rahman
• “WALL-E” (Walt Disney), Thomas Newman

Achievement in music written for motion pictures (Original song)

• “Down to Earth” from “WALL-E” (Walt Disney), Music by Peter Gabriel and Thomas Newman, Lyric by Peter Gabriel
• “Jai Ho” from “Slumdog Millionaire” (Fox Searchlight), Music by A.R. Rahman, Lyric by Gulzar
• “O Saya” from “Slumdog Millionaire” (Fox Searchlight), Music and Lyric by A.R. Rahman and Maya Arulpragasam                  
   

Best motion picture of the year

• “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” (Paramount and Warner Bros.), A Kennedy/Marshall Production, Kathleen Kennedy, Frank Marshall and Ceán Chaffin, Producers
• “Frost/Nixon” (Universal), A Universal Pictures, Imagine Entertainment and Working Title Production, Brian Grazer, Ron Howard and Eric Fellner, Producers
• “Milk” (Focus Features), A Groundswell and Jinks/Cohen Company Production, Dan Jinks and Bruce Cohen, Producers
• “The Reader” (The Weinstein Company), A Mirage Enterprises and Neunte Babelsberg Film GmbH Production, Nominees to be determined
• “Slumdog Millionaire” (Fox Searchlight), A Celador Films Production, Christian Colson, Producer

Best animated short film

• “La Maison en Petits Cubes” A Robot Communications Production, Kunio Kato
• “Lavatory – Lovestory” A Melnitsa Animation Studio and CTB Film Company Production, Konstantin Bronzit
• “Oktapodi” (Talantis Films), A Gobelins, L’école de l’image Production, Emud Mokhberi and Thierry Marchand
• “Presto” (Walt Disney), A Pixar Animation Studios Production, Doug Sweetland
• “This Way Up” A Nexus Production, Alan Smith and Adam Foulkes

Best live action short film

• “Auf der Strecke (On the Line)” (Hamburg Shortfilmagency), An Academy of Media Arts Cologne Production, Reto Caffi
• “Manon on the Asphalt” (La Luna Productions), A La Luna Production, Elizabeth Marre and Olivier Pont
• “New Boy” (Network Ireland Television), A Zanzibar Films Production, Steph Green and Tamara Anghie
• “The Pig” An M & M Production, Tivi Magnusson and Dorte Høgh
• “Spielzeugland (Toyland)” A Mephisto Film Production, Jochen Alexander Freydank

Achievement in sound editing

• “The Dark Knight” (Warner Bros.), Richard King
• “Iron Man” (Paramount and Marvel Entertainment), Frank Eulner and Christopher Boyes
• “Slumdog Millionaire” (Fox Searchlight), Glenn Freemantle and Tom Sayers
• “WALL-E” (Walt Disney), Ben Burtt and Matthew Wood
• “Wanted” (Universal), Wylie Stateman

Achievement in sound mixing

• “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” (Paramount and Warner Bros.), David Parker, Michael Semanick, Ren Klyce and Mark Weingarten
• “The Dark Knight” (Warner Bros.), Lora Hirschberg, Gary Rizzo and Ed Novick
• “Slumdog Millionaire” (Fox Searchlight), Ian Tapp, Richard Pryke and Resul Pookutty
• “WALL-E” (Walt Disney), Tom Myers, Michael Semanick and Ben Burtt
• “Wanted” (Universal), Chris Jenkins, Frank A. Montaño and Petr Forejt

Achievement in visual effects

• “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” (Paramount and Warner Bros.), Eric Barba, Steve Preeg, Burt Dalton and Craig Barron
• “The Dark Knight” (Warner Bros.), Nick Davis, Chris Corbould, Tim Webber and Paul Franklin
• “Iron Man” (Paramount and Marvel Entertainment), John Nelson, Ben Snow, Dan Sudick and Shane Mahan

Adapted screenplay

• “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” (Paramount and Warner Bros.), Screenplay by Eric Roth, Screen story by Eric Roth and Robin Swicord
• “Doubt” (Miramax), Written by John Patrick Shanley
• “Frost/Nixon” (Universal), Screenplay by Peter Morgan
• “The Reader” (The Weinstein Company), Screenplay by David Hare
• “Slumdog Millionaire” (Fox Searchlight), Screenplay by Simon Beaufoy

Original screenplay

• “Frozen River” (Sony Pictures Classics), Written by Courtney Hunt
• “Happy-Go-Lucky” (Miramax), Written by Mike Leigh
• “In Bruges” (Focus Features), Written by Martin McDonagh
• “Milk” (Focus Features), Written by Dustin Lance Black
• “WALL-E” (Walt Disney), Screenplay by Andrew Stanton, Jim Reardon, Original story by Andrew Stanton, Pete Docter
   

Technorati Tags: Academy Awards, Angelina Jolie, Australia, Brad Pitt, Heath Ledger, Kate Winslet, Oscars, The Dark Knight, Wall-E

Alyson Hannigan (Willow on BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER) and her husband, Alexis Denisof (Wesley on ANGEL), are expecting their first child this spring.

They originally met on the set of BUFFY during the 1999-2000.  Hannigan also did some crossover guest appearances on ANGEL.  She later went on to do big screen roles, most notably as band geek Michelle opposite Jason Biggs in the American Pie trilogy, but then went back to do series TV with HOW I MET YOUR MOTHER.

Denisof originally appeared on BtVS guest-starring as Wesley Wyndham-Price, a role that was spun off as a main character on ANGEL when BtVS went off the air.  Most recently he has been guest-starring on such shows as HOW I MET YOUR MOTHER and PRIVATE PRACTICE.

Hannigan and Denisof were married October 11, 2003 in Palm Springs, CA.  She’s 34 and he’s 42, and it’s the first child for both.

(Hmmm…. BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER: THE NEXT GENERATION?)

Technorati Tags: Alexis Denisof, Alyson Hannigan, Angel, Buffy The Vampire Slayer, Wesley, Willow

The BBC has done an about face in its search and picked an almost virtual unknown to be the 11th Doctor for DOCTOR WHO (Series 5): 

Matt Smith (PARTY ANIMALS, THE SHADOW IN THE NORTH) will take over the reins of the longest running sci fi character on TV  from David Tennant who will be leaving the series after the 2009 season.  Smith, age 26, will be the youngest actor to ever play The Doctor to date. (Peter Davison previously held the record – he was 29 at the time he played the part.) 

Some fans are worried that the new Doctor will be too young and seem too inexperienced while other fans are waiting to see how he fares before passing judgment.

Check out the interview Matt Smith did with BBC ONE after learning he had won the part: 

Technorati Tags: 11th Doctor, David Tennant, Doctor Who, Matt Smith

Eliza Dushku (TRU CALLING, BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER) takes on 2 new roles:  a character named City Hall (no, that’s not a typo) in the upcoming indie film NOBEL SON and as Echo in TV’s DOLLHOUSE.

NOBEL SON stars Alan Rickman, Bryan Greenburg, Mary Steenburgen, Bill Pullman, Danny DeVito, Ted Danson, Ernie Hudson and Eliza Dushku.  According to the official website synopsis,

"Barkley Michaelson is in a deep life rut. He’s struggling to finish his PhD thesis when his father, the learned Eli Michaelson, wins the Nobel Prize for Chemistry. Barkley and his mother, Sarah, a renowned forensic psychiatrist, now have the ill-fortune of living with a man-eating monster whose philandering ways have gotten less and less discrete. As if Barkley’s world is not bad enough, on the eve of his father receiving the Nobel, Barkley is kidnapped and the requested ransom is the $2,000,000 in Nobel prize money. Needless to say, Eli refuses to pay it and so starts a venomous tale of familial dysfunction, lust, betrayal and ultimately revenge. In the words of Michel De Montaigne, the 16th century philosopher: ‘There is more barbarity in eating a man alive than in eating him dead.’"

In a note on the website, Eliza says, "I fought my ass off for this role."  Per an interview with TV GUIDE,  she told them
"I just loved the script. It’s sort of rare when you turn that last page and go, ‘I have to be in this movie, I have to play this character.’"  Early in the movie, City Hall, a damaged soul, spends an amorous evening with Barkley Michaelson before he goes to see his father accept the Nobel prize, setting in motion a series of wild and weird events in this very original and twisted movie.

And while early in her career she stated, people have "a better chance of seeing God than seeing me naked," they come quite close in this film.  (To seeing her naked, that is – she’s down to very small underwear in this one.)

And while TRU CALLING is still canceled (regardless of how many fans write in), Eliza will be back on TV on FOX in Joss Whedon’s DOLLHOUSE, a sci fi thriller.  She’ll be ECHO, an operative who has her original mind removed and has covert mission-specific personalities imprinted on her.  According to the TV GUIDE interview, she’s "played probably twenty-some different characters in the past couple months, and every one is a thrill. I’ve been riding motorcycles and deer hunting, I had a Muay Thai fight scene with a 6-foot-5 cop, I went river rafting, rock climbing…"  Her character can be anyone, but doesn’t remember who she is. (Sounds a bit like THE PRETENDER / MISSION IMPOSSIBLE / MY OWN WORST ENEMY all mixed together…?) 

Planned as a mid-season replacement, so far 7 episodes of 13 have been filmed, but with a possible actor’s strike coming up, the future of the rest of the episodes are unknown. The show will be on Friday nights at 9pm, with THE SARAH CONNOR CHRONICLES as its lead-in.

Here’s an interview with Joss Whedon (BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER, FIREFLY) and Eliza about the upcoming show: 

Screenshots from the movie NOBEL SON:

Technorati Tags: DOLLHOUSE, Eliza Dushku, Joss Whedon, NOBEL SON

Michael T. Weiss (THE PRETENDER, JEFFREY) will be on Broadway in 2009 in IMPRESSIONISM, starring Joan Allen and Jeremy Irons.  Also joining them onstage at the Gerald Schoenfeld Theatre will be Marsha Mason, André De Shields, Aaron Lazar and Margarita Levieva.  (No word yet on who Michael’s character will be.)

Previews will start on February 28th with a March 12th opening night.  It is listed in Playbill as an open-ended performance.  (Hopefully, that means it will have a nice long run!)  Ticket sale information is not currently available/to be announced.

Directed by Jack O’Brien, IMPRESSIONISM was written by Michael Jacobs, who also wrote CHEATERS as well as produced the movie QUIZ SHOW.  IMPRESSIONISM  tells the story of  "a globe-trotting photojournalist and New York gallery owner [who] discover that there may be an art to repairing lives."

Michael T. Weiss was last on stage in OF EQUAL MEASURE in Los Angeles (Culver City) at the Kirk Douglas Theater and in SCARCITY at the off-Broadway Atlantic Theater Company – Linda Gross Theater.

Technorati Tags: Broadway, IMPRESSIONISM, Jeremy Irons, Joan Allen, Michael Jacobs, Michael T Weiss

Ever since David Tennant has said he’ll be passing the reins of The Doctor on to another actor after 2009, speculation has been rife as to who the next Doctor might be. In the wake of Barack Obama’s election to the highest office in America, will it now be time to have a black actor take over one of the most beloved sci fi roles in Britain (and the world)?

British actor Colin Salmon (DIE ANOTHER DAY, TOMORROW NEVER DIES), known for his bold deep voice, striking good looks and tall stature (6′4") has been added to some fans’ short list of who should succeed David Tennant. (He’s already done a recent guest part on the show as Dr. Moon in the two-parter "Forest of the Dead" & "Silence in the Library".) What do you think?  Will the Doctor’s regenerative powers include adding a bit more of a "tan" and losing all or most of his hair at the same time?   (Wouldn’t that be quite a change from Tennant’s magnificent mop, while heading back towards Christopher Eccleston’s more close cut look?) Only time, and the BBC will tell.

Technorati Tags: Colin Salmon, David Tennant, Doctor Who, Eleventh Doctor