THEATRE/ "MORMON" & "WAR HORSE" TOP TONY AWARDS: "The Book of Mormon" was the big winner at the 65th annual Tony Awards at New York's Beacon Theatre on Sunday night, snagging a total of 9 Tonys, including best musical. In the winner's circle: composers Trey Parker, Robert Lopez and Matt Stone, directors Casey Nicholaw and Parker and an emotional newcomer named Nikki M. James, now a best supporting actress winner. In the slightly more contested category of best play, the sentimental English favorite "War Horse" still ran past the post, winning 5 Tonys, including a best direction Tony for Marianne Elliott and Tom Morris' bravura piece of emotional staging. Most other awards also went as expected, including a best revival of a musical Tony for "Anything Goes," along with a Tony for its star Sutton Foster, and best revival of a play for the searing production of Larry Kramer's "The Normal Heart". Other Tonys went to Mark Rylance, winner for best actor in a play for his turn in "Jerusalem," while Norbert Leo Butz, won for best actor in a musical in "Catch Me If You Can". Frances McDormand won the best actress Tony for her powerfully rooted work as a working-class Bostonian in the play "Good People." Meanwhile, Ellen Barkin won best supporting actress in a play for her blistering Broadway debut in "The Normal Heart," while her co-star John Benjamin Hickey was a Tony winner in the best supporting actor category for the play. Full details on all of the Tony Awards ceremony and winners can be found on the Tony website.
The Tony-winning revival of Cole Porter's "Anything Goes" will extend past its current, already extended January 2012 end date and will launch a US tour in fall 2012, producer Todd Haimes announced at The Tony Awards last evening. The announcement came as "Anything Goes" won 3 Tonys: Best Revival of a Musical, Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role to Sutton Foster and Best Choreography to Kathleen Marshall. Haimes offered no word on weather Foster and co-star Joel Grey will extend their contracts in the hit. He also said no casting or cities have been announced for the tour. The production is the 1st bona fide commercial hit at the newly renovated and rechristened Stephen Sondheim Theatre (formerly Henry Miller's Theatre), which reopened with a poorly reviewed revival of "Bye Bye Birdie," followed by a limited run of "Pee-wee Herman on Broadway".
THEATRE/ "DAISY" TO PLAY LONDON: Vanessa Redgrave will re-create her Tony-nominated performance in the title role of "Driving Miss Daisy" in London this October, director David Esbjornson announced last evening at The Tony Awards. Her co-star James Earl Jones will again play her driver and longtime friend in the revival of the Pulitzer-winning drama by Alfred Uhry. Boyd Gaines, who also starred in the Broadway revival, will join his co-stars on the other side of the Atlantic. The production is scheduled to run 12 weeks at a London theatre to be announced. A US national tour is planned for fall 2012. From its Off-Broadway production in 1987 to the success of the Oscar-winning film version (4 Academy Awards, including Best Picture), "Driving Miss Daisy," according to producers, "is a timeless, searing, funny, and ultimately hopeful meditation on race relations in America, told through the complex relationship between two of popular culture's most enduring characters".
MUSIC/ CLARENCE CLEMONS SUFFERS A STROKE: Rolling Stone has confirmed earlier reports that saxophonist Clarence Clemons has suffered a stroke at his home in Florida. He is said to be "seriously ill". The longtime member of Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band has weathered a series of ailments over the last decade and, after undergoing knee and back surgery last year, was confined to a wheelchair on and off. He hasn't performed with the E Street Band since their last shows in December 2010 but appears on 2 songs on Lady Gaga's just released album "Born This Way," including the current single "Edge of Glory". Gaga producer Fernando Garibay recently said in an interview about getting the 69 year old horn legend to record a solo for the song in New York City. "It was magical," said Garibay. "He found his pocket and we ended up keeping the first take. Clarence is brilliant". Clemons joined Gaga for a performance of the song on the "American Idol" season 10 finale last month.
The Weinstein Co. has acquired US rights to "W.E.," the new feature film directed by Madonna. Written by Madonna and Alek Keshishian, the film stars Andrea Riseborough as the American divorcee Wallis Simpson for whom King Edward VIII, played by James D’Arcy, gave up his throne. The movie juxtaposes their love story with that of a contemporary couple, with Abbie Cornish as a New York who becomes obsessed with the royal love affair. The cast also includes Oscar Isaac, Natalie Dormer, Richard Coyle, James Fox and Laurence Fox. “W.E. is about the nature of true love, and the sacrifices and compromises that are often made. I’ve wanted to tell this story for a very long time, and bringing it to life has been a great adventure for me,” Madonna said. “Madonna has really come into her own as a filmmaker with W.E.,” said TWC co-chairman Harvey Weinstein. “She’s taken one of the most famous romances of the 20th century and brought it to life in a smart, sexy and thoroughly modern way. It’s a terrific addition to our US release slate". Although "W.E." is being billed as Madonna's feature directorial debut, Madonna did release an 81 minute black comedy called "Filth and Wisdom," which she wrote and directed, in 2008.
Dark Horse comic "Beasts of Burden" is heading to the big-screen with "Shrek" and "Chronicles of Narnia" director Andrew Adamson leading the way. Adamson is producing what is intended to be a CG-animated feature adaptation with his Strange Weather Films partner Aron Warner along with Mike Richardson of Dark Horse Entertainment. "Burden" is being made by Reel FX, the company run by former Industrial Light and Magic senior executive Ed Jones and former Walden Media CEO Cary Granat, and that specializes in CG as well as live-action hybrid projects. "Burden" is set in a community called Burden Hill where a series of supernatural events occur, causing a gang of dogs, and 1 cat, to team up in order to keep their owners and the town’s residents safe. Evan Dorkin and Jill Thompson created the characters, which 1st appeared in "The Dark Horse Book of Hauntings, Witchcraft, the Dead and Monsters," and earned the duo Eisner Awards for best short story and best painter. A target date for release has yet to be announced.
AMC has ordered a 2nd season of its serial drama "The Killing". The drama, starring Mireille Enos and Joel Kinnaman as homicide detectives investigating the murder of a teenage girl, premiered to 2.7 million viewers April 3 and is averaging 2.2 million viewers so far this season. Created by "Cold Case" veteran Veena Sud, AMC has ordered 13 episodes of the hourlong drama from Fox Television Studios. "The Killing" is AMC's 2nd highest rated 1st season drama after "The Walking Dead," which stands as the top rated 1st season drama in history. The drama was AMC's 5th original series when it was announced in October, joining "Walking Dead," "Breaking Bad," "Rubicon" and "Mad Men". "Rubicon" was canceled in November.
TV/ SALT LAKE CITY TV NET SAYS NO TO "PLAYBOY CLUB": NBC’s Salt Lake City affiliate KSL-TV has opted against airing the network’s upcoming fall drama "The Playboy Club," citing objectionable content. The Utah station said today that "Playboy Club," which stars Eddie Cibrian and Amber Heard in a 1960s-set club where crooners, mob bosses and politicians mingle among Chicago’s elite, doesn’t fit with its mission. “The Playboy brand is known internationally,” the KSL president and CEO said in a statement. “Everyone is clear what it stands for. We want to be sure everyone is clear what the KSL brand stands for, which is completely inconsistent with the Playboy brand". The station is owned by Deseret Media Companies, which is controlled by the Mormon church, whose mission is to “champion values that have been cherished by good people from diverse backgrounds for centuries". "Playboy Club", from 20th Television/Imagine Television, is set to air Mondays at 10:00pm in September.
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