Daily Variety articles from April 2012, page 2

Daily Variety archives from April 2012

The Raven.(Movie review)(Brief article)
April 27, 2012... The Raven (U.S.-Spain) Directed by James McTeigue. Screenplay, Hannah Shakespeare, Ben Livingston. Reviewed at Odeon Norwich, Norwich, U.K., March 9, 2012. With: John Cusack, Luke Evans, Alice Eve, Brendan Gleeson, Oliver Jackson-Cohen,...

Restless City.(Movie review)(Brief article)
April 27, 2012... Restless City Directed by Andrew Dosunmu. Screenplay, Eugene Gussenhoven. Reviewed at Sundance Film Festival (Next), Jan. 26, 2011. With: Sy Alassane, Sky Grey, Tony Okungbowa, Danai Gurira, Babs Olusan-monkun. Camera-scoured Manhattan...

Sound of My Voice.(Movie review)(Brief article)
April 27, 2012... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Sound of My Voice Directed by Zal Batmanglij. Screenplay, Zal Batmanglij, Brit Marling. Reviewed at Sundance Film Festival (Next), Jan. 26, 2011. With: Christopher Denham, Nicole Vicius, Brit Marling. Two...

Warriors of the Rainbow: Seediq Bale.(Movie review)(Brief article)
April 27, 2012... Warriors of the Rainbow: Seediq Bale (Sai te ke ba lai) (Taiwan) Directed, written by Wei Te-sheng. Reviewed at Venice Film Festival (competing), Aug. 31, 2011. With: Lin Ching-tai, Umin Boya, Masanobu Ando, Sabu Kawahara, Vivian...

Whores' Glory.(Movie review)(Brief article)
April 27, 2012... Whores' Glory (Docu--Austria-Germany) Directed, written by Michael Glawogger. Reviewed at Venice Film Festival (Horizons), Sept. 2, 2011. Sex workers and their clients in three locations--Thailand, Bangladesh and Mexico--are observed...

B'casters brace for FCC push on pol ads: amid hurdles to accessing station files, reformers call for more transparency.
April 26, 2012... When the FCC takes up a proposal on Friday to require that broadcasters post valuable data on the Web about political ad purchases, it will be a step to counter a campaign finance system gone wild. Putting the data on the FCC's website would,...

Inquiry flags China pitfalls.
April 26, 2012... Just as Hollywood is making inroads into China's fast-growing film market, bizzers are fretting that the Securities and Exchange Commission's inquiry into the majors' dealings with government officials could put a speed bump in expanding...

Next dimension: helmers tout creative growth of 3D.
April 26, 2012... For years many have said that 3D works "for the right kind of movies"--that's the refrain from talking heads at confabs like CinemaCon. But the definition of the "right" movies seems to be expanding. Martin Scorsese moved that needle last...

Mara logs on for Jonze pic.
April 26, 2012... Rooney Mara is in final negotiations to join Spike Jonze's upcoming project after Carey Mulligan fell out due to scheduling conflicts. The untitled project stars Joaquin Phoenix, Amy Adams and Samantha Morton. Jonze penned the script and is...

The Columnist.(Theater review)
April 26, 2012... The Columnist (Samuel J. Friedman Theater; 650 seats; $121 top) [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] A Manhattan Theater Club presentation of a play in two acts by David Auburn. Directed by Daniel Sullivan. Sets, John Lee Beatty; costumes, Jess...

Broadway tix tie-up: GSBO groups with other ducat sellers.
April 26, 2012... Group Sales Box Office, the 50-year-old company that's one of Gotham's major sellers of Broadway tickets to group buyers, is set for a merger with the group sales offices of Broadway.com and Broadway Across America, two branches of Key Brand...

Bucks will play again this summer.(Brief article)
April 26, 2012... The Bucks County Playhouse in New Hope, Penn.--the once-defunct regional theater getting a big push from Gotham legiters in its reopening--will relaunch this year with a couple of summer shows including a Rodgers and Hammerstein revue helmed by...

IFC Midnight buys 'Luck,' 'Room 237'.(Film Pickup)
April 26, 2012... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] IFC Midnight has picked up U.S. and U.K. rights to Alex de la Iglesia's "As Luck Would Have It," the Spanish-language pic getting its North American preem as part of the 2012 Tribeca Film Festival. Distrib has also...

'Hobbit' hubbub frames new 3D debate.(TECH BYTES)
April 26, 2012... The media freakout over the mixed reaction to Tuesday's CinemaCon preview of "The Hobbit" footage with high-frame-rate 3D had me rolling my eyes. Some exhibs compared the image quality to that of behind-the-scenes footage or soap operas. "In...

Tribeca awards film grants.
April 26, 2012... Tribeca Film Institute, the nonprofit arts org affiliated with the Tribeca Film Festival, has handed out a round of grants to Latin American filmmakers while also announcing a new $20,000 prize to go to an African-American filmmaker. TFI...

Ghent taps Donaggio for lifetime kudo.(Pino Donaggio, Ghent Film Fest )(Brief article)
April 26, 2012... Composer Pino Donaggio will be the 12th recipient of the Lifetime Achievement kudo at the World Soundtrack Awards, the closing-night gala that caps the Ghent Film Fest Oct. 20. Donaggio has frequently collaborated with director Brian De Palma...

SAG-AFTRA warns on musicvideos.(Screen Actors Guild and American Federation of Television and Radio Artists)(Brief article)
April 26, 2012... Citing stalled contract talks, SAG-AFTRA is warning that it may approve a "do not work" order for its members working on musicvideos as dancers. In a notice to members, the merged union announced Wednesday that it will consider a unanimous...

It's tea time for PBS: net set to serve Brit-flavored shows.
April 26, 2012... Amid the popularity of "Downton Abbey" and the imminent arrival of the London Olympics, PBS has topped its summer schedule with two new Brit-flavored series. "Queen and Country" will offer a four-part look at the life of Queen Elizabeth II in...

Fans fan flames.(Walt Disney Co. and Marvel Studios L.L.C. launched a software that can be used by fans to create online videos using materials from 'The Avengers')(Brief article)
April 26, 2012... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] In an effort to get more mileage from its marketing campaign for "The Avengers," Disney and Marvel are letting fans produce their own Web videos using official footage from the film and music from its album "Avengers...

Couric to host online series.
April 26, 2012... Katie Couric will host a weekly original digital video series from ABC News and Yahoo starting next week. Yahoo made the announcement Wednesday ahead of its digital upfront presentation to advertisers in Gotham later in the day. Couric is now...

'Gossip' guy tapped to top 'Smash'.
April 26, 2012... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] In selecting a new showrunner for "Smash," producers faced the kind of Ivy-vs.-Karen choice that has been central to the storyline of the NBC tuner-drama in its first season: whether to cast an experienced hand or a...

Duets reprise atop chart.(Tuskegee)(Brief article)
April 26, 2012... Lionel Richie's country collaborations "Tuskegee" sat tight at No. 1 on the U.S. album chart last week for a second consecutive frame. Featuring duets with Blake Shelton, Rascal Flatts, Tim McGraw et al, collection shifted 114,000 in its...

Thesp joins 'Hidden'.(Castings)
April 26, 2012... Andrea Riseborough is set to star opposite Alexander Skarsgard in Warner Bros.' "The Hidden." [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Matt and Ross Duffer will direct from their own spec script. Project is an elevated horror-thriller about a family hiding...

Marks finds 'You Can't Win'.(Hannah Marks)(Castings)(Brief article)
April 26, 2012... "Necessary Roughness" star Hannah Marks is set to join Michael Pitt in Robinson Devor's "You Can't Win," an adaptation of adventurer Jack Black's 1926 autobiographical novel. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] "You Can't Win" chronicles Black's...

Duhamel in talks for 'Safe Haven'.(Josh Duhamel)(Castings)(Brief article)
April 26, 2012... After the success of Nicholas Sparks' "The Lucky One," Relativity is gearing up another Sparks novel with Josh Duhamel in negotiations to star in "Safe Haven." Lasse Hallstrom is helming the pic with Dana Stevens adapting the script. ...

Kelley, Estes weigh 'Anchors'.(Devin Kelley, Will Estes )(Castings)(Brief article)
April 26, 2012... Devin Kelley ("The Chicago Code") and Will Estes ("Blue Bloods") are set to star in writer-director David Wexler's indie drama "Anchors," a co-production between Cinema 59 Prods. and Endless Picnic. Pie, which is described as a sexy,...

Marketers stay on: Lionsgate sticks with Palen, Kirkpatrick.
April 26, 2012... Lionsgate has extended chief marketing officer Tim Palen's contract into 2015 following the strong performance of "The Hunger Games." And in a sign that it's retaining the Summit brand for now, Lionsgate is keeping on Nancy Kirkpatrick as...

CBS films ups prod'n veep.
April 26, 2012... CBS Films has promoted Maria Faillace to exec VP of production. Faillace, who was previously senior VP of production, will oversee the division's homegrown titles. Move comes two days after CBS promoted Wolfgang Hammer and Terry Press to...

Development exec on the rise at Sony.
April 26, 2012... Sony Pictures Entertainment has upped Lauren Glotzer to exec VP of corporate development. She'll report to David Hendler, senior exec VP and chief financial officer at SPE. In her new role, Glotzer will head the corporate development team at...

Warners nabs 'Law'.
April 26, 2012... Warner Bros. has pre-emptively acquired futuristic action pitch "Law Zero" from Bruno Zacarias and Miguel "Macgregor" de Olaso, who make films under the name Zac&Mac. Roy Lee is set to produce. Pitch, which included a teaser trailer and...

Duke.(Television program review)
April 26, 2012... Duke (Movie; Hallmark Channel, Sat. April 28. 8p.m.) [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Filmed in Vancouver by Front Street Pictures and Vet Street Prods. Executive producer, Gerald W. Abrams; supervising producers, Michael Waldron, Allen Lewis;...

Lola Versus.(Movie review)
April 26, 2012... Lola Versus [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] A Fox Searchlight release and presentation in association with Groundswell Prods. Produced by Michael London, Jocelyn Hayes Simpson, Janice Williams. Executive producers, Zoe Lister-Jones, Daryl Wein....

Pics' grownup pains: summer films for adults could be in short supply.(V PLUS: CINEMACON DAY 4: TALENT)
April 26, 2012... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Looking for this summer's "The Help"? Be prepared for slim pickings for grownups at the multiplex. Despite the box office success of the...

CinemaCon honorees.(V PLUS: CINEMACON DAY 4: TALENT)
April 26, 2012... JUDD APATOW Excellence in Filmmaking As producer, writer and director, Judd Apatow has created a brand, formed his own band of merry troupers and determined new landscapes for the Hollywood comedy. Apatow began his career with a number of...

U.S. bizzers land in Toronto for Hot Docs.(World News)
April 26, 2012... A small army of U.S. players is set to descend on Toronto for Hot Docs, North America's leading documentary fest, mart and confab, which opens today with "Ai Weiwei: Never Sorry," Alison Klayman's portrait of China's artist-activist. It's the...

'Danni' combs Russia.(World News)
April 26, 2012... German series "Danni Lowinski," remade as a pilot for CW last year before it passed on the series, is getting another chance at an international redo--this time in Russia and Ukraine. Ukraine's Star Media Film has nabbed rights for the Sat.1...

Cannes jury is out: Moretti leads 8 panelists for fest.(World News)(Discussion)
April 26, 2012... Alexander Payne, Ewan McGregor and Diane Kruger are among the eclectic group added to the Cannes Film Festival jury, which will be presided over by Italian helmer-actor-producer Nanni Moretti. Also on the jury are Palestinian...

Pubcasters strike Gold.(World News)
April 26, 2012... Germany is proving fertile soil for video-on-demand, as pubcaster giants ARD and ZDF push forward with plans for their own service, dubbed Germany's Gold. The venture is subject to approval by the local cartel office, but while it blocked a...

Orgs renew film fund.(Motion Picture Assn. Asia Pacific and Asia Pacific Screen Awards)(World News)(Brief article)
April 26, 2012... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The Motion Picture Assn. Asia Pacific and Asia Pacific Screen Awards unveiled the third MPA APSA Academy Film Fund, an initiative aimed at supporting new films from the region, at a Wednesday reception held at the...

Bernie.(Movie review)
April 26, 2012... Bernie Directed by Richard Linklater. Screenplay, Linklater, Skip Hollandsworth, based on the Texas Monthly article "Midnight in the Garden of East Texas" by Hollandsworth. Reviewed at Los Angeles Film Festival (opener), June 16, 2011. ...

The Broken Tower.(Movie review)
April 26, 2012... The Broken Tower Directed, written, edited by James Franco, based on "The Broken Tower" by Paul Mariani. Reviewed at Los Angeles Film Festival (Conversations and Panels), June 20, 2011. With: James Franco, Michael Shannon, Dave Franco,...

Citizen Gangster.(Movie review)
April 26, 2012... Citizen Gangster (Canada) Directed, written by Nathan Morlando. Reviewed at Toronto Film Festival (Special Presentations), Sept. 11, 2011. With: Scott Speedman, Kelly Reilly, Kevin Durand, Joseph Cross, William Mapother, Charlotte...

Elles.(Movie review)
April 26, 2012... Elles (France-Poland-Germany) Directed by Malgoska Szumowska. Screenplay, Tine Byrckel, Szumowska. Reviewed at Toronto Film Festival (Special Presentations), Sept. 13, 2011. With: Juliette Binoche, Anais Demoustier, Joanna Kulig, Louis-Do...

Headhunters.
April 26, 2012... Headhunters (Hodejegerne) (Norway) Directed by Morten Tyldum. Screenplay, Ulf Ryberg, Lars Gudmestad, based on Jo Nesbo's novel. Reviewed at Locarno Film Festival (Piazza Grande), Aug. 3, 2011. With: Aksel Hennie, Nikolaj Coster-Waldau,...

Mamitas.(Movie review)
April 26, 2012... Mamitas Directed, written by Nicholas Ozeki. Reviewed at Screen Actors Guild Foundation screening room, Los Angeles, June 10, 2011. With: E.J. Bonilla, Veronica Diaz-Carranza, Jennifer Esposito, Joaquim de Almeida, Pedro Armendariz Jr.,...

96 Minutes.(Movie review)
April 26, 2012... 96 Minutes Directed, written by Aimee Lagos. Reviewed at SXSW Film Festival (competing), March 16, 2011. With: Brittany Snow, Evan Ross, Christian Serratos, J. Michael Trautmann, David Oyelowo. Despite the over-familiarity of its...

Payback.(Movie review)
April 26, 2012... Payback (Docu Canada) Directed, written by Jennifer Baichwal. Reviewed at Sundance Film Festival (World Cinema--competing), Jan. 27, 2012. With: Margaret Atwood, Llesh Prenaga, Conrad Black, Paul Mohammed, Jon Esformes, Casi Callaway,...

The Pirates! Band of Misfits.
April 26, 2012... The Pirates! Band of Misfits (Animated U.K.-U.S.) [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Directed by Peter Lord. Co-director, Jeff Newitt. Screenplay, Gideon Defoe, based on his book "The Pirates! In an Adventure With Scientists." Reviewed at Sony...

Wild Swans.(Theater review)
April 26, 2012... Wild Swans (Young Vic Theater, London: 390 seats; 29.50 [pounds sterling] ($47) top) A Young Vie, American Repertory Theater and Actors Touring Company co-production of a play in one act by Alexandra Wood adapted from the book by Jung Chang....

With Great Power: The Stan Lee Story.
April 26, 2012... With Great Power: The Stan Lee Story (Docu; Epix, Fri. April 27, 8p.m. ET) [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Produced by 1821 Pictures, POW Entertainment and E9 Emerging Entertainment. Executive producer, Gill Champion; producers, Paris Kasidokostas...

Imax bows 4K laser projector.
April 26, 2012... Large-screen exhib Imax unveiled Wednesday its dual 4K laser projector capable of digital projection on screens 120 feet wide or larger. The announcement coincided with a Barco laser projector demonstration at CinemaCon. The new projector...

NCM inks with United Entertaiment.(National CineMedia)
April 26, 2012... In an effort to expand its domestic footprint, National CineMedia, which presents live events and alternative programming in theaters, has inked an exclusive long-term agreement with Minnesota-based exhibitor United Entertainment Corp. The...

Probe raises Rupe's hackles over pols.
April 26, 2012... With Rupert Murdoch back in front of the Leveson inquiry into media ethics today for a second round of questioning, the News Corp. topper is facing what could be the most explosive phase yet of the investigation into the phone hacking and...

Anne Drew.(Obituary)
April 26, 2012... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Award-winning documentary filmmaker Anne Drew, the wife of cinema verite pioneer Robert L. Drew, died April 12 at their home in Sharon, Conn., after a long bout with lung cancer. She was 70. Anne Drew was a central...

Tracy Lorie.(Obituaries)
April 26, 2012... Tracy Lorie, former senior VP of international publicity at New Line Cinema, died Friday evening in Los Angeles at her home in Laurel Canyon. She had been battling a brain tumor for the past year. She was 48. Prior to her diagnosis, Tracy had...

Robert Norvet.(Obituary)
April 26, 2012... Robert Norvet, former CBS vice president for West Coast operations, died of natural causes April 19 in Tarzana, Calif. He was 89. Norvet worked briefly for Daily Variety before landing a job in the publicity department at MGM in the early...

Deborah Handelman.(Obituary)
April 26, 2012... Deborah Handelman, who worked in entertainment law in Los Angeles for four decades, died April 17 after a 2 1/2 year battle with pancreatic cancer. She was 63. Handelman began her career as an entertainment paralegal at Silverberg, Rosen,...

Ivan Lane.(Obituaries)
April 26, 2012... Ivan Lane, an arranger, composer, conductor, songwriter and pianist who worked during the big-band era and later created music for the Ice Capades, Las Vegas shows and a number of celebrities, died of natural causes March 12 in Palm Desert,...

Chris Ethridge.(Obituaries)
April 26, 2012... John Christopher "Chris" Ethridge II, a Mississippi-born musician, bassist and songwriter who was a founding member of country-rock band the Flying Burrito Brothers, died Monday in Meridian, Miss. He was 65 and had been diagnosed with pancreatic...

Memorial.(Obituaries)(the Writers Guild of America West and the Writers Guild Foundation to host a memorial service for Hal Kanter)(Brief article)
April 26, 2012... The Writers Guild of America West and the Writers Guild Foundation will host a memorial for comedy writer, director and producer Hal Kanter at 2:30 p.m. on May 6 at the Writers Guild Theater, 135 South Doheny Drive, Beverly Hills. For...

Edgar Allan Crow.(John Cusack as Edgar Allan Poe in The Raven)(V)(Brief article)
April 26, 2012... [ILLUSTRATION OMITIR] Once upon a midnight dreary, Relativity Media, Intrepid Pictures and FilmNation Entertainment picked the perfect venue for the preem of "The Raven," with stars John Cusack, Luke Evans and Alice Eve flocking downtown to...

Splashy kickoff.(V)(BritWeek event)(Brief article)
April 26, 2012... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] With a toast to the queen, BritWeek kicked off in Hancock Park on Tuesday. BritWeek chairman Bob Peirce perched on the top of a pool slide said, "This is a great year in the U.K., every year is a great year in the U.K.....

Afterlife of party.(V)(after-party for the play entitled 'Ghost')(Brief article)
April 26, 2012... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Monday night's "Ghost" curtain call at the Lunt-Fontanne turned into a real chatfest when helmer Matthew Warehus asked first-nighters to tell their friends to buy tix to the show. "Some of you didn't expect to like it,"...

Pride for 'Lyons' bow.(V)(Kathleen K. Johnson of the play entitled 'The Lyons')(Brief article)
April 26, 2012... Kathleen K. Johnson, the producer of Nicky Silver's "The Lyons," has managed the rare feat of getting the play to Broadway with just a single commercial producer's name over the title: her own. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] At the Monday night...

Embrace change, sez Dodd.(CinemaCon)
April 25, 2012... In his second appearance at CinemaCon, MPAA chief Chris Dodd, along with NATO prexy and CEO John Fithian trumpeted that the domestic box office is up 17% over 2011, but told bizzers they must face head-on the effect of disruptive technologies on...

'Hobbit' accelerates frame rate debate.(CinemaCon)
April 25, 2012... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Warner Bros. and Peter Jackson set flames racing Tuesday at CinemaCon, but did exhibs hearts beat faster? Maybe not so much. Exhibs and press gathered at Caesar's Palace to see the debut of 10 minutes of"The Hobbit:...

Vault value? Report: eroding ancillaries hammer studio film units.(futre of HOMEVID)
April 25, 2012... As showbiz congloms tally up quarterly results, they face a harsh realization: Homevideo revenue is still declining, which has slashed the value of film operations at the majors during the past five years, according to one Wall Streeter. In a...

U.N. to laud Variety efforts.(United Nations)(United Nations Foundation and United Nations Association of the USA's Global Leadership Awards 2012)
April 25, 2012... Variety has been selected as one of the United Nations Foundation and United Nations Assn. of the USA's 2012 Global Leadership honorees. Variety will be feted for its work in responding to U.N. secretary-general Ban Ki-moon's call for the...

Superhero slam dunk.(Movie review)
April 25, 2012... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] However questionable an idea it may have seemed initially, and at times along the way, Marvel's cinematic master plan for its comicbook all-stars pays off in extravagant fashion with "The Avengers." Like a superior,...

Petite U.S. presence.(screening of the movie entitled 'The We and the I' at Cannes Film Festival's Directors' Fortnight)
April 25, 2012... Michel Gondry's "The We and the I" will kick offthe Cannes Film Festival's Directors' Fortnight sidebar, bolstering a slim U.S. presence in a program strong on French and Latin American fare. Announced Tuesday morning at a Paris press...

Reenacting requires rules for reality.(TUNING IN)
April 25, 2012... As a kid I owned a T-shirt with two vultures on it, with one saying to the other, "To hell with patience. I'm going to kill something." The same scenario seems to be occurring increasingly in reality TV. Sure, you can wait around for...

Fox wields toon 'Axe'.
April 25, 2012... Fox has set the first series project for its Saturday latenight animation block skedded to bow early next year. The network has acquired rights to the Internet vid phenom "Axe Cop," which revolves around an ax-wielding police officer and his...

EOne lifts Rosenberg.(Michael Rosenberg's appointment as executive vice-president)(Brief article)
April 25, 2012... Michael Rosenberg has been upped to exec veep of U.S. scripted television for eOne. Rosenberg will oversee development and current programming for the fast-growing indie distrib, as well as production. His promotion fills the void left in...

Eye has 'Big' plans summer slate.(CBS Corp. on 'Big Brother')(Brief article)
April 25, 2012... CBS is stepping up its summer unscripted slate by introducing two new series along with returning veteran "Big Brother." A 90-minute edition of the dating series "3" will be launched after the Sunday edition of "Brother" on July 22, the Eye...

Newfronts hiccups: logistics hamper Microsoft presentation.
April 25, 2012... Madison Avenue was intrigued by Microsoft's Digital Showcase but not by the lines and long, long presentation that appear to be a hallmark of the first Digital Newfronts. The broadcast networks "can do this in one hour. They need three?" said...

Nuvo slate targets young Latinos.
April 25, 2012... NuvoTV is fielding the largest slate of original programming in the indie cabler's eight-year history as it faces heightened competition for the attention of young Hispanic viewers. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The programs, unveiled Tuesday at...

Bergstein settles suit with Miramax.(David Bergstein and Miramax Films Corp.)(Brief article)
April 25, 2012... Just two weeks after filing a lawsuit against Miramax investor Colony Capital and its prinicipal, Richard Nanula, embattled film financier David Bergstein has retracted his claims and reached a settlement with the fill library's owners. "I am...

HBO keeps it 'Real' till '14.(Home Box Office Inc. renews contract for 'Real Time With Bill Maher' through 2014)(Brief article)
April 25, 2012... HBO has renewed "Real Time With Bill Maher" for its 11th and 12th seasons, ensuring its place on the cabler through 2014. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The renewal comes as part of a new three-year deal Maher has signed with HBO. "Real Time"...

'Idol' gifts Fox with demo win for anni.(FOX Broadcasting Co.'s 25th anniversary and television rating of 'American Idol')
April 25, 2012... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Auds didn't turn out in great numbers for its 25th anni special Sunday, but Fox finished the week on top in key demos thanks to "American Idol." Three hours of even a diluted "Idol" is enough to win weeks for the net,...

'Ruined,' 'Hairspray' take Hayes kudos.(Helen Hayes Awards)(Brief article)
April 25, 2012... Signature Theater's revival of tuner "Hairspray" and Arena Stage's production of Lynn Nottage's Pulitzer Prize winner "Ruined" won top honors Monday at the Helen Hayes Awards, D.C. theater's annual awards fest. Among nonresident productions,...

Drama's big league: org unveils slew of noms for awards.(Drama League)
April 25, 2012... The Drama League has announced its nominations for the 2011-12 season and they are, as usual, legion, with 11 shows vying for top play and more than 50 thesps in the running for the sole acting kudo. The league, a Gotham-based legit nonprofit...

Nantucket fest fetes scribe.
April 25, 2012... Nancy Meyers is on tap to receive the annual screenwriters tribute from the Nantucket Film Festival, which opens in June with a screening of Fox Searchlight's Sundance buzzmagnet "Beasts of the Southern Wild." [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Slate...

Nice Work If You Can Get It.(Theater review)
April 25, 2012... Nice Work If You Can Get It (Imperial," 1,439 seats; $136.50 top) A Scott Landis, Roger Berlind, Sonia Friedman Prods., Roy Furman, Standing CO Vation, Candy Spelling, Freddy DeMann, Ronaid Frankel, Harold Newman, Jon B. Platt, Raise the...

Back in the hot seat: ethics pro grills Murdoch scion.(World News)
April 25, 2012... James Murdoch, who recently resigned as chairman of U.K. paybox BSkyB, denied on Tuesday that he used the influence of his family's British newspapers or his relationship with U.K. pols to help News Corp.'s bid to own BSkyB outright. In...