Alec Baldwin News

Americans for the Arts, the leading organization for advancing the arts in America, announces its annual National Arts Awards honorees. The awards recognize those artists and arts leaders who exhibit exemplary national leadership and whose work demonstrates extraordinary artistic achievement. They are individuals-artists, business leaders and patrons-who understand the arts enrich people and communities alike. The National Arts Awards were presented on October 18th in New York City as part of National Arts and Humanities Month.

Magnet Theater presents the second annual New York Musical Improv Festival from November 12 - 13, 2010 at 254 W. 29th Street, ground floor (between 7th and 8th Avenues), NYC.

Today we are taking a look at both versions of last night's live episode of the every-award-winning NBC comedy 30 ROCK starring Tina Fey, Alec Baldwin, Tracy Morgan and Jane Krakowski with a special emphasis on the theatrical elements - such as a newly written (or at least lyric-ized) theme song performed by two of Broadway's best, a musical montage infomercial, and some shrewdly-placed stage tricks - and the many memorable moments from the slightly different, but equally effectively excellent, episodes aired on either coast. It was an event quite unlike any other before or since and even guest stars Jon Hamm, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Matt Damon, Chris Parnell and Rachel Dratch got in on the game-changing nature of the live television event and hammed it up for the live studio audience. Surely, if absolutely nothing else, the two versions of the theme song - one sung by Jane Krakowski for the East Coast feed, the other sung by Cheyenne Jackson for the West Coast - are more than enough to generate some interest and excitement from the Broadway babies out there who are destined find a lot to love in this unprecedented live show and the overall allure of 30 ROCK itself! In addition to a thorough discussion of the two shows and side-by-side clip comparisons, also included in this article are links to the complete episodes so you may compare and contrast them yourself in their entirety. Without further ado, let the live hilarity ensue!

Last night, October 14, Cheyenne Jackson returned to NBC's 30 Rock live episode, alongside Matt Damon and Jon Hamm. The FINIAN'S RAINBOW star first appeared on the hit comedy on November 14, 2009 as TGS cast member Danny, and made a second appearance in the November 20, 2009 episode. Click below for clips of Jackson and 30 Rock cast member - and Broadway vet - Jane Krakowski performing the 30 Rock theme song.

Rafael Fru?hbeck de Burgos will conduct the New York Philharmonic in the Overture to Glinka's Ruslan and Ludmila; Tchaikovsky's Violin Concerto, with Leonidas Kavakos as soloist; Debussy's Nocturnes, featuring the Women of the New York Choral Artists; and the Suite from Stravinsky's The Firebird (1919), Friday, November 26, 2010, at 8:00 p.m., Saturday, November 27, at 8:00 p.m. On Tuesday, November 30 at 7:30 p.m., Mr. Fru?hbeck will conduct the Orchestra in Glinka's Ruslan and Ludmila Overture; Haydn's Symphony No. 100, Military; Debussy's Noctures; and Stravinsky's Firebird Suite.

The cast of NBC's Emmy Award-winning comedy series '30 Rock' will perform a special live episode from famed studio 8H on Thursday, October 14 (8:30-9 p.m. ET)

Violinist Anne-Sophie Mutter joins the New York Philharmonic in the 2010-11 season as The Mary and James G. Wallach Artist-in-Residence. In this role she will perform three concerts with the Orchestra, conducted by Alan Gilbert, Michael Tilson Thomas, and Michael Francis (in his Philharmonic debut); two chamber concerts - with violist Yuri Bashmet and cellist Lynn Harrell in the first - and double bass player Roman Patkoló and Philharmonic musicians in the second; and a recital with her long-time collaborator, pianist Lambert Orkis. Ms. Mutter's programs will reflect a mix of eras, offering established violin repertoire alongside new works.

EW's Ausiello Files reports that Cheyenne Jackson will be returning to NBC's 30 Rock on the October 14th live episode. The FINIAN'S RAINBOW star first appeared on the hit comedy on November 14, 2009, and made a second appearance in the November 20, 2009 episode. The October 14 live episode will be aired live from NBC's studio 8H for both east and west coast audiences. No additional details about the upcoming October 14 live episode have been revealed.

The New York Times will host two days of TimesTalks with The Times's Diner's Journal contributors and restaurant reviewers Frank Bruni, Julia Moskin, Kim Severson and Pete Wells in discussion with some of the world's most inspired chefs, successful restaurateurs and culinary stars, October 8 to 9 at TheTimesCenter.

In the third week of November, The New York Philharmonic This Week - the two-hour, national, weekly radio program of concerts by the New York Philharmonic, hosted by Alec Baldwin - will broadcast the New York Premiere of Kraft, the groundbreaking, theatrical work by Magnus Lindberg, the Philharmonic's Marie-Josee Kravis Composer-in-Residence.

The New York Times will host two days of TimesTalks with The Times's Diner's Journal contributors and restaurant reviewers Frank Bruni, Julia Moskin, Kim Severson and Pete Wells in discussion with some of the world's most inspired chefs, successful restaurateurs and culinary stars, October 8 to 9 at TheTimesCenter.

On today's episode of WHATEVER WITH ALEXIS & JENNIFER (airs weekdays on Hallmark Channel at 12PM ET) Cheyenne Jackson of 30 Rock chatted with hosts Jennifer Koppelman Hutt and Alexis Stewart about what he has learned from costars Alec Baldwin and Tina Fey and the challenges of transitioning from Broadway to television. He also talked about the gift and curse of being beautiful saying, 'It's my job to prove to people that I actually have a brain and I actually have talent.'

The New York Philharmonic will offer a tribute to Dimitri Mitropoulos, its former Music Director and one of the towering musical figures of the 20th century - with concerts, lectures, film screenings, an archival exhibit, and a special radio program - throughout the month of November 2010, commemorating the 50th anniversary of his death. The tribute is sponsored by the Stavros Niarchos Foundation.

DOG RUN REP is presenting the world premiere of The Man Who Ate Michael Rockefeller, a new play by Jeff Cohen based on the short story by Christopher Stokes, directed by Alfred Preisser. In 1961, Michael Rockefeller, 23 years old, disappeared among the Asmat People of Papua, New Guinea. He was never heard from again. This is the story of what might have happened, told by the Asmat people. The Man Who Ate Michael Rockefeller will play a four-week limited engagement at the West End Theatre, The Church of St. Paul & St. Andrew, 263 West 86th Street @ West End Avenue. All tickets are $18. Performances begin Friday, September 10 and continue through Sunday, October 3. Opening Night is Sunday, September 12 at 7 pm. Please note the following performance schedule:

Earlier this month I had the chance to conduct an InDepth InterView with Drama Desk-winning stage actor and director Brian Murray who currently co-stars with Elizabeth Ashley in Edward Albee's new off-Broadway absurdest farce ME, MYSELF & I and our conversation now constitutes the second part in BroadwayWorld's exclusive 3-part series on the new Albee masterpiece. In this illuminating conversation, in addition to a thorough discussion of ME, MYSELF & I, Murray also dishes on his new 2011 'horrific chiller' co-starring Daniel Craig, Rachel Weisz and Naomi Watts directed by esteemed director Jim Sheridan (MY LEFT FOOT, THE BOXER, GET RICH OR DIE TRYIN', BROTHERS), as well as playing Alec Baldwin and Nathan Lane's alcoholic father on 30 ROCK (married to Elaine Stritch!) and his warm words to his TWELFTH NIGHT co-star Kyra Sedgwick on her recent Emmy win as Best Actress for THE CLOSER! Plus, working with Kevin Kline, Helen Hunt, Marian Seldes, Nathan Lane, Alec Baldwin, Tina Fey and much, much more! Enjoy the intelligent wit and impassioned dedication Murray feels for his craft in this introspective InDepth InterView!

Magnet Theater presents the second annual New York Musical Improv Festival from November 12 - 13, 2010 at 254 W. 29th Street, ground floor (between 7th and 8th Avenues), NYC.

With its 2010-2011 season ready to kick off next month with a production of Hello, Dolly!, Studio Tenn promises to fully engage the Nashville theater community as their primary source of talent, and likewise commit to having Broadway, film and/or national tour-credited talent involved in every production.

Inside the Exploring the Arts Gala at Cipriani, Wall Street on September 27, 2010 in New York City.

The Exploring the Arts Gala at Cipriani, Wall Street on September 27, 2010 in New York City.

The 2010- 2011 Season of 'The New York Philharmonic This Week,' hosted by Alec Baldwin, begins the week of September 27, 2010. The New York Philharmonic's National Radio Broadcast Series is Produced and Syndicated by Chicago's WFMT Radio Network.