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

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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

Winning Concept – The 20 Mile March

Written by Gywn Gilliss

Winning Concept – The 20 Mile March

Creating a Successful Marketing Campaign

I love reading about adventurers, explorers, those who dared to strike out and accomplish something major. Even if they didn’t change the world, their stories are worth hearing about… inspiring to say the least. And there’s a lot to be learned in reading biographies of these extraordinary people. You can apply their choices to your life as a Warrior- Actor.

For example, THE SOUTH POLE. A story of two adversaries. Amundsen and his counterpart, Scott, were both extremely courageous men, two very different (and probably difficult) personalities. Jim Collins, best selling author who wrote Good to Great, and Great by Choice, explores the personality traits of highly successful CEO’s and of each explorer. Because that’s what it gets down to in life- PERSONALITY. PERSONAL TRAITS. Read more

Trailer: Baz Luhrmann’s ‘The Great Gatsby’ starring Leonardo DiCaprio, Tobey Maguire, Joel Edgerton, Carey Mulligan & Isla Fisher

Like all Baz Luhrmann films, I love the look of this film. The colors and costumes look perfect. The cast is great and I’m totally looking forward to it.

Why wasn’t this around when I was in High School? Anyone remember having to watch that dreadful Robert Redford version?

The Great Gatsby: From the uniquely imaginative mind of writer/producer/director Baz Luhrmann comes the new big screen adaptation of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s novel, The Great Gatsby. The filmmaker will create his own distinctive visual interpretation of the classic story, bringing the period to life in a way that has never been seen before, in a film starring Leonardo DiCaprio in the title role. “The Great Gatsby” follows Fitzgerald-like, would-be writer Nick Carraway as he leaves the Midwest and comes to New York City in the spring of 1922, an era of loosening morals, glittering jazz and bootleg kings. Chasing his own American Dream, Nick lands next door to a mysterious, party-giving millionaire, Jay Gatsby, and across the bay from his cousin, Daisy, and her philandering, blue-blooded husband, Tom Buchanan. It is thus that Nick is drawn into the captivating world of the super-rich, their illusions, loves and deceits. As Nick bears witness, within and without the world he inhabits, he pens a tale of impossible love, incorruptible dreams and high-octane tragedy, and holds a mirror to our own modern times and struggles.

Director: Baz Luhrmann
Cast: Leonardo DiCaprio, Tobey Maguire, Joel Edgerton, Carey Mulligan, Isla Fisher, Jason Clarke, Elizabeth Debicki, Amitabh Bachchan
Writers: Baz Luhrmann, Craig Pearce

In Theaters: December 25th  Read more

Sutton Foster on Her Move to TV and ‘Bunheads’: “I just wanted a new challenge”

Despite having a title that a five year-old might make up, the upcoming ABC Family television series Bunheads stars Broadway veteran Sutton Foster.  Having earned her fame in her Tony Award winning roles in Thoroughly Modern Millie and Anything Goes, Foster tells Broadway World why she is making the transition to television for the series written by Rosanne and Gilmore Girls writer Amy Sherman-Palladino.

When asked why the long-time stage star is now taking a starring role in a television series, Foster reveals, “There were a couple of reasons.  Amy Sherman-Palladino being one of my favorite writers. Also, the show is based around dance and its affording me a lot of opportunities to do some pretty cool stuff. Already we’ve shot one song and dance routine and I know there’s more down the pike. But the thing that I’m most excited about is really the character and the writing. And being really able to showcase my comedic stuff. She’s just a really awesome character who is a dancer, so I’m sure as the series grows and grows they’ll be throwing lots and lots of stuff at me. I always say I’ll try anything once, so they’ve already thrown a bunch of stuff my way. I’m sure a lot more is coming. I don’t think theater fans will be disappointed!” Read more

‘Smash’ is Cleaning House: 4 Actors Gone from the Show

It was just reported that 2 series-regulars and 2 recurring actors were axed from NBC’s Smash.

Let’s get the semi-good news out of the way: Jamie Cepero the actor who plays Ellis, probably the most hated character on the show, is getting the boot. I say semi-good news because while I too despised him, it’s always sad to hear an actor getting fired. I not only thought he was a badly written character but I just thought Cepero was an awful actor. Maybe in another role he’d be fine but Ellis certainly wasn’t it. Read more

Tom Hardy Talks ‘Lawless’, ‘Dark Knight’ and Acting: “When I’m working, I have this discipline and I get meaning from it”

Tom Hardy is about to appear in a role that will most likely solidify him as a major star, Bane in The Dark Knight Rises.  While that role easily overshadows anything else Hardy has done, he still  has other projects to promote including Lawless, which also stars Shia LaBeouf, Jessica Chastain, Guy Pearce, and his Dark Knight Rises co-star Gary Oldman.  Hardy spoke to a number of media outlets on the red carpet for Lawless at the Cannes Film Festival about a variety of topics relating to his career.

In Lawless Hardy plays Forrest Bondurant, a Prohibition-era bootlegger whose actions speak louder than his few uttered words.  Hardy admits that playing a quiet character is difficult.  He explains, “These characters are difficult to play because I have a very busy head.  I have inside voices that I have learned to contain.”

Finding those inside voices can be difficult, and Hardy confesses that it takes him some time to locate the character.  He says, “You sit and you dwell and you wait and you read and you think and you meditate.  It takes time to think and ponder, and the work is never done because it just continues. It’s looking for evidence of things.” Read more

Bill Murray Tours the Set of ‘Moonrise Kingdom’ While Drinking Sailor Jerry Spiced Rum: “I had to work with a bunch of scouts and kids. No money can make that right, can it?”

I just came back from a screening of Moonrise Kingdom, Wes Anderson‘s newest film that stars Bill Murray, Bruce Willis, Edward Norton, Tilda Swinton and Frances McDormand, saw this video and thought it was hilarious.

The film is tells the story of two twelve-year-olds who fall in love, make a secret pact, and run away together into the wilderness of a small island off the coast of New England.

I’m embargoed – I hate being embargoed – from talking about the film, but if you like Anderson, you definitely won’t be disappointed.

Here’s a video of Bill Murray on the set talking about the film all while being a bit sauced on some good ole’ Sailor Jerry Spiced Rum. “I have a little bit of rum in me. I had to work with a bunch of scouts and kids. No money can make that right, can it?” he says. And yes, I can definitely agree with him.

Here’s another great line he says towards the end of the video: “Here I am in a cardigan sweater sittin’ here in Newport, Rhode Island livin’ la vida loca.”

Check it out below! Read more

Matthew Weiner on How He Cast Jessica Paré in ‘Mad Men’

Jessica Pare has made a huge splash Mad Men this season, from singing ‘Zou-Bisou-Bisou’ to finally (as far as we can see) taming new husband, Mr. Don Draper.

Pare was a series-regular on the show Jack & Bobby and also appeared in Hot Tub Time Machine has appeared but when it came time to audition for Mad Men, she first read for the role of… a hooker. 

While talking to Vulture, series mastermind Matt Weiner explained that Pare “actually first auditioned for the prostitute [who slaps Don in the face during sex in the season four premiere] and I thought she was wonderful. And then my casting people were like, “You know, she was in the top three for the people to get that part. You’re looking for this Megan character. Have you thought about Jessica?” Read more

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

Teaser Trailer: Daniel Craig’s James Bond Returns in ‘Skyfall’

Can’t wait for this. I love Daniel Craig as Bond… and pretty much like him in anything he does.

Skyfall: Daniel Craig is back as Ian Fleming’s James Bond 007 in Skyfall, the 23rd adventure in the longest-running film franchise of all time. In Skyfall, Bond’s loyalty to M is tested as her past comes back to haunt her. As MI6 comes under attack, 007 must track down and destroy the threat, no matter how personal the cost.

Cast: Daniel Craig, Ralph Fiennes, Albert Finney, Judi Dench, Javier Bardem
Writer: John Logan
Director: Sam Mendes

In Theaters: November 9th Read more

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