Daily Variety articles from May 2009

Daily Variety archives from May 2009

Fox's steely resolve: 'Wolverine' slices $87 mil.
May 4, 2009... Scoring an important win for the franchise, 20th Century Fox's prequel "X-Men Origins: Wolverine" grossed an estimated $87 million from 4,099 runs to mark the studio's best-ever non-holiday bow at the domestic box office. [ILLUSTRATION...

Peacock pushes product's potential.
May 4, 2009... NBC execs will tout the potential of a handful of new and nearly new skeins at its "Infront" presentation to advertisers today in Gotham. After days of pilot screenings, the Peacock's hottest pilot prospects include Sony Pictures TV laffer...

Stiller falls for scam.(Ben Stiller to direct 'Help Me Spread Goodness')(Brief article)
May 4, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Ben Stiller has been set by Participant Media to direct "Help Me Spread Goodness" a drama with comic overtones. Script, about a Chicago banker who gets swindled in a Nigerian Internet scam, was written by Mark...

Fanfare for 'Fela!'.(24th annual Lucille Lortel Awards )(Brief article)
May 4, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] "Fela!" scored big at Off Broadway's 24th annual Lucille Lortel Awards Sunday night, with the tuner walking away with three trophies including the new musical prize. "Ruined" took the new play honor, while "Our...

Agency post-fusion confusion.
May 4, 2009... SOME YEARS AGO I dropped by the William Morris Agency to visit an old friend named Stan Kamen. A modest, soft-spoken man whose office was a bit frowzy, Kamen interrupted our meeting to take a call from a client, Jack Lemmon. It was a quiet,...

My Life in Ruins.(Movie review)
May 4, 2009... A Fox Searchlight release of a 26 Films production, in association with Kanzaman Prods. Produced by Michelle Chydzik Sowa, Nathalie Marciano. Executive producers, Tom Hanks, Gary Goetzman, Rita Wilson Peter Safran, Jeff Abberly, Julia Blackman....

Gans was Vegas fixture.(Danny Gans)(Obituary)(Brief article)
May 4, 2009... LAS VEGAS (AP) -- Danny Gans, a singer, actor and impressionist who for nearly two decades was one of the most popular entertainers on the Las Vegas Strip, died in his sleep Friday. He was 52. Gans was found dead by his wife, Julie, at...

Samsung dials docu: phone-pic tie-in hits fest circuit.
May 4, 2009... It can be tough for independent films to break out and get exposure, but "Rock Prophecies," a docu about rock 'n' roll photographer Robert M. Knight, is getting a lot of help from Samsung Mobile. Phonemaker is backing the pic, helmed by...

NBA playoff scores cable records.
May 4, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] TNT set cable records for a first-round NBA Playoff contest Thursday, as its triple-overtime contest between Boston and Chicago siphoned away some of the aud for male-skewing broadcast programs. Nielsen estimates...

Sutherland and 'Child' co-star.(Donald Sutherland, Rossif Sutherland, Rebecca Romijn and Sarah Roemer to star in 'Love Child')(Brief article)
May 4, 2009... Donald Sutherland, Rossif Sutherland, Rebecca Romijn and Sarah Roemer are toplining romantic comedy "Love Child" for Myriad Pictures and Alcina Pictures. Principal photography is under way in Toronto, with Risa Bramon Garcia ("200...

Hero captain inks with CAA.
May 4, 2009... CAA has signed Richard Phillips, the captain of the 508-foot cargo ship Maersk Alabama who volunteered to be a hostage to save his crew. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The agency will help him navigate book and film offers, repping him in all...

Nehst herding 'Pale Horsemen'.('The Pale Horsemen')(Brief article)
May 4, 2009... "Underworld"-franchise co-creator Kevin Grevioux will make his directing debut on the adaptation of his graphic novel, "The Pale Horsemen," that Larry Meistrich's Nehst Studios has picked up to produce. Grevioux will also pen the script....

Marketers Lounge online.(marketers website)(Brief article)
May 4, 2009... Hollywood's brokers of promotional partnerships for movies and TV shows now have their own social network. The L.A. Office, a branded entertainment consultancy that operates the annual RoadShow confab, has launched the Lounge on its...

Vid pub expands coverage.(Video Business)(Brief article)
May 4, 2009... Video Business, a Variety Group publication, has launched expanded editorial coverage as well as a redesign of its print edition. Included in the redesign is a new logo along with a tagline: Covering Video Entertainment: Physical, Digital...

Eye touts strength: CBS positions promos prior to upfronts.
May 4, 2009... CBS is going on offense, launching a media blitz this week to tout its primetime strength heading into the upfronts. Eye will use a variety of CBS Corp. platforms--including on-air, radio and online in order to push its "Only CBS" campaign....

Peacock's Graboff gets grilled.(NBC Entertainment/Universal Media Studios co-chair Marc Graboff)(Interview)
May 4, 2009... It's game time for NBC Entertainment/Universal Media Studios co-chair Marc Graboff. As Graboff, co-chair Ben Silverman and their team sit down with buyers today as part of the Peacock's "infront" presentation, they face a bigger job than...

Henry Miller's in Roundabout fold.
May 4, 2009... After months of talk, it's official: The Roundabout Theater Company has sealed the deal with Gotham real estate company the Durst Organization and Bank of America to program the new incarnation of Henry Miller's Theater, which will open in the...

Tonys make some tweaks.(Tony Awards )(Brief article)
May 4, 2009... The season's fifth and final meeting of the Tony Awards Administration Committee resulted in few surprise decisions regarding Tony eligibility, but the committee did overturn a couple of precedents set in prior years. For all previous...

MTC adds Redgrave show.(Legit Bits)(Lynn Redgrave's solo show 'Nightingale')(Manhattan Theater Club)(Brief article)
May 4, 2009... Lynn Redgrave's solo show "Nightingale" and London hit "That Face" have been added to the 2009-10 Off Broadway season at Manhattan Theater Club. "Nightingale" is the third play from writer-thesp Redgrave that is inspired by the performer's...

Edgy content lures auds: ad execs say quality, not distribution model, is what pays off in the end.(BE DIFFERENT: ARTSIER SERIES BRING EYEBALLS)
May 4, 2009... The 2009 upfront is a couple of weeks away, but already "the hunt is on" for the next network hit, says Jackie Kulesza, senior VP and activation director for Starcom USA, the media agency that handles Walt Disney and General Motors, among...

Edgy content lures auds: upfront strategies remain the same even when normal TV rules no longer apply.(BE DIFFERENT: ARTSIER SERIES BRING EYEBALLS)
May 4, 2009... Broadcast ratings continue to decline and cable program viewing continues to rise, but don't look for massive advertising revenue shifts during TV's upfront advertising-selling period. Even in this value-conscious, weakened economy, media...

Tweet and meet: Twitter blasts and iPhone apps are filmdom's latest promotional tools.(NEW WORLD ORDER: SELLING ENTERTAINMENT WILL NEVER BE THE SAME)
May 4, 2009... Twitter and iPhone, both complete unknowns two years ago, are the new stars of the entertainment marketing world. Twitter passed 10 million users last month--thanks in part to Oprah and to the Ashton Kutcher-CNN battle to hit the...

Measuring success in new media: how to quantify the value of cutting-edge marketing tools.(NEW EYEBALLS)
May 4, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Wall-E scoots onto the computer screen, stares out and raps on it until it shatters (it's quickly repaired by another robot). Your computer has just been taken over by a boutique website developed by Deadline...

Doug Neil: senior vp, digital marketing, Universal Pictures.(STUDIO DIGITAL GURUS: Individuals at the cutting edge of movie marketing)
May 4, 2009... For Neil, who headed AOL's entertainment strategy prior to joining Universal, digital marketing touches all facets of traditional marketing. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] "It's all integrated, and the campaigns all tie together," he says....

Amy Powell: senior vp, interactive marketing, Paramount.(STUDIO DIGITAL GURUS: Individuals at the cutting edge of movie marketing)
May 4, 2009... "Digital marketing entails a much richer, more immersive experience, in that we involve consumers in blogging and talking about a film, so that they become marketers themselves," says Powell. "While traditional marketing is much more 'push...

Dwight Caines: president, worldwide digital marketing, Sony.(STUDIO DIGITAL GURUS: Individuals at the cutting edge of movie marketing)
May 4, 2009... Coming from the ranks of market research, Caines was a natural fit to head up the company's digital marketing arm. "I saw it as a great combination of both the creative side and the information and technology side," he says. "In the past,...

David Singh: executive vp, marketing, Disney.(STUDIO DIGITAL GURUS: Individuals at the cutting edge of movie marketing)
May 4, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] A Disney advertising veteran, Singh has seen online "grow and grow" at the expense of traditional campaigns. "I took over (digital) three years ago, and the great thing about it is the chance you have to engage...

Jake Zim: vp, digital marketing, Fox.(STUDIO DIGITAL GURUS: Individuals at the cutting edge of movie marketing)
May 4, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Former website builder Zim joined Fox after stints at Lionsgate and Fox Atomic. "We have a key opportunity with digital marketing to create content and really place it in front of engaged audiences," he says....

Michael Tritter: senior vp, interactive marketing, Warner Bros.(STUDIO DIGITAL GURUS: Individuals at the cutting edge of movie marketing)
May 4, 2009... Tritter, whose first job at Warners was coding HTML for fledgling movie websites, says while traditional and digital marketing share disciplines, "there's also a much closer and targeted set of tools available digitally. You know very clearly...

Everyday Rapture.(Theater review)
May 4, 2009... (Second Stage Theater; 296 seats; $75 top) A Second Stage Theater presentation of a play with music in one act by Dick Scanlan and Sherie Rene Scott. Directed by Michael Mayer. Musical director, Carmel Dean. Choreography, Michele Lynch....

Ragtime.(Theater review)
May 4, 2009... (Kennedy Center/Eisenhower Theater, Washington, D.C.; 1,110 seats; $90 top) A Kennedy Center presentation of a musical in two acts with music by Stephen Flaherty, lyrics by Lynn Ahrens, book by Terrence McNally, based on the novel by E.L....

Scribes to vote on changes.(Writers Guild of America)(Brief article)
May 4, 2009... WGA members will start voting this month on rules that impose uniform eligibility standards for the WGA West and the WGA East for nationwide votes such as strike authorization and contract ratification. Both branches of the guild will send...

Tribeca auds pick 'City Island'.
May 4, 2009... "City Island," an ensemble pic set in a semi-obscure area of the Bronx, captured the Heineken Audience Award at the Tribeca Film Festival. The film, which world-preemed at Tribeca, stars Andy Garcia, Julianna Margulies, Alan Arkin and...

'Hair' revival gets on bus.(Legit Bits)(Hair: American Tribal Love-Rock Musical)(Brief article)
May 4, 2009... The current Broadway revival of "Hair" will send out a national touring production during the 2010-11 season. Producers, including the Public Theater, Jeffrey Richards and Jerry Frankel, made the announcement in the run-up to the Tony Award...

Cannes 24/7.(VARIETY.COM)
May 15, 2009... Keep on top of the news and reviews from the fest. Variety.com/cannes [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

Tom terrific.(VARIETY.COM)
May 15, 2009... The second AMC "Storytellers" spec, hosted by Peter Bart and Peter Guber, shows Tom Cruise in a new light. Variety.com/BLTV [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

Penny Pinch: nets slash series budgets.(UPFRONTS 2009)
May 15, 2009... It's reboot time at the networks. As a smaller-than-usual contingent of network execs, agents and talent head to New York for the annual upfront presentations, a few key issues are on their minds--starting with what has become the TV biz's...

Mixed messages define market mojo.
May 15, 2009... On the second day of Cannes, the money side of the movie biz was sending mixed messages: While an unusually high number of early acquisitions were announced, offering the promise of prosperity, the market floor on the second day of selling was...

'Angels' wings to weekend B.O.
May 15, 2009... Sony's Tom Hanks sequel "Angels and Demons" hopes for wings powerful enough to fly on its own merit when opening today in theaters around the world. The Ron Howard-directed pic, going out in 3,525 theaters domestically, debuts almost three...

Thesp joins 'Elite' forces.(Jason Statham in The Killer Elite)(Brief article)
May 15, 2009... Jason Statham will star in action thriller "The Killer Elite." to be helmed by commercials director Gary McKendry. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Based on Ranulph Fiennes' bestseller "The Feathermen," story follows a group of former British...

WB primes 'Primeval'.
May 15, 2009... In a high-six-figure deal, Warner Bros. has acquired screen rights to "Primeval," the ITV series that airs in the U.S. on BBC America and Sci Fi Channel. Akiva Goldsman and Kerry Foster will produce through Goldsman's WB-based Weed Road...

Sony socked by yen: economy takes toll but pix a bright spot.(TOKYO)
May 15, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The headwinds of the ailing global economy and strong yen have hit Sony as hard as other Japanese giants, but its movie biz provided a ray of light amid the gloom. Conglom swung to a net loss of [yen] 98.9...

Scribe to 'Stay' at summit.(Shauna Cross to write If I Stay)(Brief article)
May 15, 2009... Shauna Cross will write Summit Entertainment's fantasy-drama "If I Stay," to which "Twilight" helmer Catherine Hardwicke has been attached to direct. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] "If I Stay" will be based on Gayle Forman's novel of the same...

Software suit leads to new complaints.
May 15, 2009... Just as a judge is set to rule on the legality of RealNetworks' DVD copying software, RealNetworks has filed a new charge against the majors, alleging they violated antitrust law by banding together to fight the vid-copying software. Real...

ABC's 'All' tops noms for Daytime Emmy.
May 15, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] ABC sudser "All My Children" scored t 9 noms to lead all programs as the Daytime Emmy Awards nominations were announced Thursday morning. PBS led all networks with 56 mentions, six more than ABC. CBS earned 30,...

Roadside gets into Rock's doc.(Chris Rock's Good Hair)(Brief article)
May 15, 2009... Roadside Attractions and Liddell Entertainment has purchased world rights to "Good Hair" the HBO Films documentary about African-American hair culture that Chris Rock co-wrote, produced and starred in. Pic made its world premiere at...

'Ugly' turn at laff net.
May 15, 2009... Comedy Central has given a seven-episode greenlight to animated skein "Ugly Americans" from "The Simpsons" writer David Stern. Half-hour teen is based on illustrations from Devin Clark, who will serve as producer. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]...

Panelists doubt web benefits to biz.(LEGIT)(Discussion)
May 15, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The members of Thursday's "Future of Filmmaking" panel hosted by Syracuse U. at Gotham's W Union Square took a surprisingly wary view of the future. "I'm a guy who sees nothing good having come from the...

Fox nabs 'Past' pre-upfront.(LEGIT)
May 15, 2009... Fox has added the Warner Bros. TV drama "Past Life" to its tally of 2009-10 season pickups as it preps for Monday's upfront presentation in Gotham. Reincarnation-themed drama about a psychologist and an ex-NYPD homicide detective who team...

Tony finds its host: Harris to preside over perf-filled kudocast.(LEGIT)
May 15, 2009... Neil Patrick Harris has been tapped to host the 63rd annual Tony Awards, with the thesp presiding over a telecast that aims to offer airtime to a wide array of Broadway offerings. Kudocast producers Ricky Kirshner and Glenn Weiss hope for a...

B'way cuts down 'Elms'.(LEGIT)
May 15, 2009... "Desire Under the Elms" has officially called it quits, with the Broadway revival of the Eugene O'Neill play announcing a closing date of May 24. Show, which was shut out of the Tony noms, had previously stopped selling tickets beyond that...

Rialto for 'Ragtime'?(Inside Moves)
May 15, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Plans for a Broadway transfer of the Kennedy Center production of "Ragtime" are moving ahead, with Gotham producers meeting to hammer out deals for a run next season. The production, helmed by Marcia Milgrom...

Williamstown fest sets Thesps.(Legit Bits)
May 15, 2009... Bradley Cooper, Jayne Atkinson and Judith Light are among the actors who have signed on to appear in the 2009 mainstage season at the Williamstown Theater Festival. Cooper ("The Hangover") replaces the previously announced Rob Corddry...

Quixotic quest, again: helmer Gilliam reviving passion project.(CANNES)
May 15, 2009... Terry Gilliam is getting lost in La Mancha all over again. The director is reviving his passion project "The Man Who Killed Don Quixote" nearly a decade after his first attempt was derailed. Gilliam's first stab at adapting Miguel de...

Costa deal eyes Brazil.(CANNES)
May 15, 2009... Eduardo Costantini's Buenos Aires-based Costa Films has expanded into Brazil, linking with Vania Catani's Bananeira Filmes in Rio de Janeiro. Partnership was sealed by Costa taking a minority stake in Bananeira. Costantini will join Catani...

'Mona Lisa' slipped a Mickey.(CANNES)(Mickey Rourke in Mona Lisa)(Brief article)
May 15, 2009... Mickey Rourke has signed on to star in a remake of classic 1980s Brit gangster pic "Mona Lisa." [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Rourke will play an excon who works as a chauffeur for a high-class escort. Eva Green is in advanced negotiations to...

New Abu Dhabi focus.(CANNES)(Brief article)
May 15, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Two years after Abu Dhabi first revealed its intentions to become a global film player at Cannes, execs from the ambitious emirate are relaunching their film plans with a clutch of new schemes. Abu Dhabi's...

Loans inspire Lloyd.(CANNES)(Phylidda Lloyd )(Brief article)
May 15, 2009... "Mamma Mia!" helmer Phylidda Lloyd is developing a feature project inspired by economist Muhammad Yunus' revolutionary concept of micro-financing. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Yunus. who won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2006 for his work....

'Orphanage' duo adopt next pic.(CANNES)
May 15, 2009... Juan Antonio Bayona and Sergio Sanchez, the director and screenwriter of "The Orphanage" are reteaming on what looks set to be Bayona's second film. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Skedded to shoot in spring 2010, the film is produced by...

Fish Tank.
May 15, 2009... (UK.) A BBC Films, U.K. Film Council presentation, in association with Limelight, of a Kees Kasander production. (International sales: Content Intl., London.) Produced by Kees Kasander, Nick Laws. Executive producers, Patti Trijbits,...

City of Life and Death.(Movie review)
May 15, 2009... (NANJING! NANJING!) (China-Hong Kong) A China Film Group (in China)/Media Asia (in Hong Kong) release of a China Film Group, Stellar MegaMedia, Jiangsu Broadcasting System (China)/Media Asia Films (Hong Kong) production. (International...

Spring Fever.(Movie review)
May 15, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] (CHUNFENG CHENZUIDE YEWAN) (Hong Kong-France) A Le Pacte (in France) release of a Dream Factory H.K. (Hong Kong)/Rosem Films (France) production, with participation of Fonds Sud Cinema, French Ministry of Culture...

No One Knows About Persian Cats.(Movie review)
May 15, 2009... (KASI AZ GORBEHAYEH IRANI KHABAR NADAREH) (Iran) A Mars Distribution (in France) release of a Mij-Film production. (International sales: Wild Bunch, Pads.) Produced by Bahman Ghobadi. Executive producer, Roxana Saberi. Co-producer, Mehmet...

Buck Henry and Holland Taylor will star in the world-premiere engagement of Lisa Ebersole's comedy "Mother," running July 8-Aug. 1 at Off Broadway's Wild Project Theater.(Legit Bits)
May 15, 2009... Buck Henry and Holland Taylor will star in the world-premiere engagement of Lisa Ebersole's comedy "Mother," running July 8-Aug. 1 at Off Broadway's Wild Project Theater. Andrew Grosso directs the production, which officially opens July 13. ...

Playwrights Quincy Long and Matthew Paul Olmos have been named 2009 Time Warner Storytelling Fellows at the Sundance Institute Theater Program.(Legit Bits)
May 15, 2009... Playwrights Quincy Long and Matthew Paul Olmos have been named 2009 Time Warner Storytelling Fellows at the Sundance Institute Theater Program. Long ("People Be Heard") scored the fellowship with his play "The Huntsmen," about a boy...

'Sun' screens via Lorber HT.
May 15, 2009... Lorber HT Digital has acquired "The Sun," Alexsandr Sokurov's third film in his "dictator trilogy." The movie tells the story of Emperor Hirohito's surrender to Gen. Douglas MacArthur at the end of WWII and stars Issey Ogata as the...

Dance move: Fox trots out new fall plan.(2009 UPFRONTS)
May 19, 2009... So Fox thinks it can "Dance" this fall. Network announced a fall sked Monday that looks a lot like its winter lineup--but with a new, in-season edition of "So You Think You Can Dance" warming the chair for "American Idol." Net is...

D'Works has a dream.
May 19, 2009... DreamWorks has acquired the life rights to Martin Luther King Jr. and is bringing a biopic on the slain civil rights leader to the bigscreen. Steven Spielberg, Suzanne de Passe and Madison Jones will produce. King, who was assassinated...

100 see ed over WMA pinkslips ...
May 19, 2009... The consolidation of WMA and Endeavor began in earnest Monday as WMA execs informed more than 100 agents and other staffers that they would be let go as of May 31. Endeavor also let go about eight to 10 staffers. Reps for both agencies...

... as CAA cops coin.
May 19, 2009... In the latest example of Hollywood talent agencies reinventing their businesses, CAA has quietly extended its reach into the financing arena on a range of media and showbiz ventures pulled together through a partnership with a group of former...

Clooney's 'Private' part.(George Clooney in A Very Private Gentleman)(Brief article)
May 19, 2009... Two George Clooney projects are making news at the Cannes film fest. Focus Features has set Clooney to star in "A Very Private Gentleman," an adaptation of the Martin Booth novel to be directed by Anton Corbijn. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] ...

U will go ape again at park.(Universal Studios)(Brief article)
May 19, 2009... King Kong may have been a casualty of the devastating fire that destroyed part of Universal Studios' backlot in Hollywood last year, but the big ape's being resurrected in 2010 as a signature attraction for the theme park. New version will...

Peabody adds Onion: Spoof site gets kudos.(The Onion at the 68th George Foster Peabody Awards)(Brief article)
May 19, 2009... The Onion won a coveted prize at the 68th George Foster Peabody Awards--whether it wanted the kudo or not. The fake news site plus China's SCTV (which covered the Sichuan earthquake), YouTube and "Saturday Night Live" didn't submit entries...

Exec was PR pioneer.
May 19, 2009... Veteran PR exec Lee Solters, one of the last of the old-school Broadway and Hollywood press agents, died Monday of natural causes in West Hollywood. He was 89. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Solters, who most recently was partnered with Jerry...

Magnolia fields 'Warlords'.(Magnolia Pictures )(Brief article)
May 19, 2009... Magnolia Pictures has acquired North American rights to historical actioner "Warlords," starring Jet Li and Andy Lau, and will release it in the late summer. "Warlords" is set amid the upheaval during the Taiping Rebellion of the 1860s,...

Disney preps docs on big cats, chimps.(African Cats: Kingdom of Courage and Chimpanzee)(Brief article)
May 19, 2009... Disneynature is moving forward with a couple of creature features as a follow-up to "Earth." The nature docu arm of the Mouse House is in production on "Chimpanzee" and "African Cats: Kingdom of Courage," with "Earth" directors Alastair...

Glee.
May 19, 2009... (Series; Fox, Tues. May 19, 9p.m.) Filmed in Los Angeles by Ryan Murphy Television in association with 20th Century Fox Television. Executive producers, Murphy, Brad Falchuk, Dante Di Loreto; co-executive producers, lan Brennan, John Peter...

Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson: The Concert Version.
May 19, 2009... (Public Theater/Shiva; 99 seats; $10 top) A Public Lab presentation, in collaboration with Center Theater Group and in association with Les Freres Corbusier, of a musical in one act with book by Alex Timbers, music and lyrics by Michael...

Slow transition for Intiman.(LEGIT)(Intiman Theater )
May 19, 2009... After keeping one foot on each coast in recent years--as artistic director of Intiman Theater in Seattle and directing shows on Broadway--Bartlett Sher is preparing to plant both feet more firmly in New York. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] ...

Obies spread the love: Nods fete clutch of shows, thesps.(LEGIT)
May 19, 2009... Off Broadway's 54th Obie Awards honored "Ruined," "Road Show," actor Earle Hyman and legit companies Classical Theater of Harlem, the Chocolate Factory and the Lark Play Development Center on Monday. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] "Ruined,"...

'Mamma' pair prep 'Kristina'.(Legit Bits)(Mamma Mia!'s Kristina musical by Benny Andersson and Bjorn Ulvaeus)(Brief article)
May 19, 2009... "Kristina" the musical by Abba's "Mamma Mia!" duo of Benny Andersson and Bjorn Ulvaeus, gets its first English-language presentation in a Carnegie Hall concert in September. In its original Swedish-language incarnation, the show--based on a...

Noms fluff 'Hair' B.O.(LEGIT)
May 19, 2009... "Hair" seems to have gotten the biggest spritz from the Tony noms, with the revival seeing sales jump last week by 15% to land in the No. 6 spot in the top 10. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] As the first full seven-day frame following the...

Broadway top 10: May 11-17.
May 19, 2009... Broadway Top 10: May 11-17 Week's Net Show Receipts Prev Week's (Theater)(Prod. Category)(Seats) Potential Net $Change ...

Fox wants answers: exec blasts Nielsen for ratings problems.(2009 UPFRONTS)
May 19, 2009... Fox Networks Group chairman and CEO Tony Vinciquerra is taking on ratings giant Nielsen Media Research. Vinciquerra told Daily Variety he's frustrated by Nielsen's recent admission that its TV ratings may be off by as much as 8%--and...