Interview: Joe DiPietro Talks Writing ‘Nice Work If You Can Get It,’ His Tony Nomination and Casting Stars in Broadway Shows

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 16:53 — 11.6MB)

The new Broadway musical Nice Work If You Can Get It has been nominated for a whopping 10 Tony Awards, including Best Musical, Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role (Kelli O’Hara), Best Actor in a Featured Role in a Musical (Michael McGrath) and Best Actress in a Featured Role in a Musical (Judy Kaye).

Nominated for Best Book of a Musical and one of the main forces behind the hit show is Joe DiPietro.

Joe is already a two-time Tony Winner for Memphis for Best Book and Best Score, wrote The Toxic Avenger, All Shook Up and I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change – which has the distinction of being the longest running musical revue in off-Broadway history.

Nice Work If You Can Get It stars Matthew Broderick and Kelli O’Hara and features songs by George and Ira Gershwin and tells the story of bootleggers, chorus girls, playboys and politicians is set 1920s.

Joe is terrifically funny and an all-around great guy. I talked to him recently about his nomination, how he came to write Nice Work, his writing process and his thoughts on casting stars in Broadway shows.

Oh, and if you ever see Joe on the streets of NYC, stop him and tell him he needs to take a vacation. He needs a break!

For tickets and more information about Nice Work If You Can Get It, click here Read more

Philip Seymour Hoffman on Playing Willy Loman in ‘Death of a Salesman’

The cast of Death of a Salesman held a panel for Tony Award voters recently with none other than Meryl Streep moderating. The panel included the cast (Philip Seymour Hoffman, Andrew Garfield, Linda Emond) and Director Mike Nichols and while the press wasn’t admitted, the New York Post‘s Michael Riedel dispatched some of his operatives to ferret out the happenings. 

You can read the article here, but the one thing I found interesting was a quote from Hoffman on playing Willy Loman.

Willy Loman takes over your life, he said. “You wake up, you’re Willy Loman. You go to lunch, you’re Willy Loman. You go to dinner, you’re Willy Loman. You’re Willy Loman all the time.” Read more

Trailer: ‘Hyde Park on the Hudson’ Starring Bill Murray & Laura Linney

2011-2012 Drama League Award Winners

The Drama League announced today the winners for the 78^th Annual Drama League Awards at a luncheon ceremony hosted by Stockard Channing (Other Desert Cities) and John Larroquette (Gore Vidal’s The Best Man) at the Marriott Marquis Times Square (1535 Broadway).

The awards went to:

Distinguished Play, Other Desert Cities, presented by Philip Seymour Hoffman;  Distinguished Revival of a Play, Death of a Salesman, presented by Christian Borle;  Distinguished Production of a  Musical, Once, presented by Cynthia Nixon; Distinguished Revival of a Musical, Follies, presented by Kelli O’Hara; and Distinguished Performance, Audra McDonald, presented by John Lithgow. Read more

The Truth About Referrals

Written by Dallas Travers, CEC

You’ve gotten clear on precisely what you want your representation relationship to look like. You’ve put in the time and legwork and researched a nice list of potential agents and managers.

Did you know there’s one more important step that most actors overlook when seeking new representation? That step is collecting referrals and recommendations from the people you know.

Hands down, the simplest way to get agent or manager meetings is through your relationships, but lot of actors are afraid to ask for referrals.

Maybe you don’t want your friends to think you’re taking advantage of them. Or maybe you just assume your friends don’t know any agents or managers. Or maybe you don’t know how ask without making it difficult for friends to actually refer you in the first place.

So how do you actually ask your friends for agent referrals? Read more

Interview: Jamie Anne Allman On ‘The Killing’ and Taking Risks at Auditions

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 20:11 — 13.9MB)

If you’re not watching AMC’s The Killing, then you are missing out on some great work by one of the best cast’s on TV.

The show revolves around the murder of teenager Rosie Larsen and as the story deepens, we’re finding out that Rosie’s aunt Terry, played by Jamie Anne Allman also has some secrets she’s been hiding. 

I talked to Jamie recently and had a really fun conversation with her about the show and what it’s like on-set when you have to deal with such a depressing subject. She also talked about taking risks when you audition and had a perfect example on when she auditioned for The Shield. She took a chance, nailed it and walked away with a recurring role on that show.

At the end of The Killing‘s season, we’ll find out who killed Rosie and that will unfortunately end Jamie’s time on the show. But, you can soon check her out in the upcoming film, Any Day Now (which also stars Alan Cumming and Garret Dillahunt).

Want more of The Killing? Check out our interview with Eric Ladin! Read more

Biography: Felicity Jones

Felicity Jones is one of the brightest actresses of her generation.

She has recently been seen in Julie Taymor’s film adaptation of William Shakespeare’s The Tempest, in BAFTA-nominated director Niall MacCormick’s Albatross and in the romantic drama Like Crazy. For her performance as ‘Anna’ in like Crazy, Jones was awarded for Best Breakthrough Performer by the National Board of Review and the Gotham Awards, among others. Jones has also starred in the romantic comedy The Chalet Girl, and in Soulboy, a coming-of-age drama set in the 1970s Northern Soul underground musical scene, which premiered to great acclaim at the Edinburgh Film Festival. In addition to her role as Emily in Hysteria, she will next be seen in Davis Hare’s Page Eight (TV movie) with Ralph Fiennes, Rachel Weisz and Bill Nighy; and in the comedy Cheerful Weather for the Wedding.

Other recent films include Cemetary Junction, a comedy written and directed by the award-winning partnership of Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant; and the short movie The Hangup, based on Anthony Minghella’s 1980 radio play.

Jones starred as ‘Edmée’ in Cheri, directed by Stephen Frears, co-starring Michelle Pfeiffer, Kathy Bates and Rupert Friend. Her extensive film credits also include the role of Lady Cordelia Flyte in the remake of Brideshead Revisited, directed by Julian Jarrold, opposite Matthew Goode, Ben Whishaw and Hayley Atwell; and Flashbacks of a Fool with Daniel Craig, Harry Eden, rapper Eve, Keeley Hawes and Olivia Williams. Read more

Biography: Hugh Dancy

Hugh Dancy most recently appeared in Our Idiot Brother directed by Jesse Peretz and Martha Marcy May Marlene, with both films receiving critical acclaim at 2011 Sundance Film Festival. In addition to his leading man role in Hysteria, in 2012 Dancy will voice the character of Marshall Mallow in the animated Dorothy of Oz.

Dancy’s other film credits include: Adam, Confessions of a Shopaholic, The Jane Austen Book Club, Evening, Beyond The Gates, King Arthur, Ella Enchanted, The Sleeping Dictionary, Black Hawk Down and Young Blades.

On television, Dancy had a recurring role in The Big C starring Laura Linney, and has been seen in Tom Hooper’s critically acclaimed series Elizabeth I opposite Helen Mirren and Jeremy Irons. Dancy received an Emmy® nomination for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Miniseries or a Movie for his role as Earl of Essex, and the series received the 2007 Golden Globe® Award for Best Mini-Series or Motion Picture Made for Television and the Emmy® Award for Best Miniseries. Read more

Biography: Matthew McConaughey

Matthew McConaughey is one of Hollywood’s most sought after leading men whose films have grossed over a billion dollars at the box office. He is a Texas native who, while attending the University of Texas in Austin, planned to be a lawyer. When he discovered an inspirational Og Mandino book The Greatest Salesman in the World before one of his final exams, he suddenly knew that he had to change his major from law to film.

McConaughey began his acting career in 1991, appearing in student films and commercials in Texas and directing short films. It was a chance meeting in Austin with casting director and producer, Don Phillips, who introduced him to director, Richard Linklater where he was cast as Wooderson in the cult classic Dazed and Confused. Since that time McConaughey has appeared in over 40 feature films, and has become a producer, director, and philanthropist all the while sticking to his Texas roots and ‘jk livin’ philosophy. Over the years, he has portrayed an athlete, a police officer, a football coach, and a lawyer, and has worked with Hollywood greats such as Steven Spielberg, Robert Zemekis, Anthony Hopkins, Jodie Foster, Sandra Bullock, and Al Pacino to name a few. Read more

Michael Fassbender on Early Auditions, Directors and Acting: “I take my work seriously but I can’t take myself too seriously”

Michael Fassbender is an actor who most people weren’t aware of in 2010, but by the end of 2011 his name and his naked body were the talk of the town.  

In a revealing interview with GQ, Fassbender talks about his early experiences breaking into acting and how he has coped with his fame post-Shame.

Fassbender explains that he more-or-less fell into acting while he was looking for a way to express himself.  He says, “As a teenager, you’re searching for something that fits for you. I was pretty average at most things. I was just looking for something that I could relate to and perhaps excel in myself.”

His professional career started with a number of lows.  After being cast in the HBO World War II mini-series Band of Brothers, the film shoot lasted for nine months.  Those nine months, however, did not amount to much screen time for Fassbender, who says,”Blink and you’ll miss me.” 

He lived in Los Angeles during the following months and struggled in his auditions.  He says, “I wasn’t blowing them away in the audition room, that’s for sure.  I just didn’t feel settled or comfortable or confident.” Read more

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