Buster Keaton News

French Stewart, TV star ('3rd Rock From the Sun') and local theatre mainstay ('Stoneface': 'Voice Lessons') will host the 44th annual Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle (LADCC) Awards on Monday, March 18 at the Los Angeles Theatre Center, 514 S. Spring St. downtown.

ABC News reports that Willy Switkes, a Broadway actor best known for his roles in the films 'Tootsie' and 'Taxi Driver' has died at age 83. According to Switkes' niece, the actor was battling colon cancer and passed away last Thursday at a hospice in Rockville, Md.

In a first for Shakespeare Festival St. Louis, live music will be featured during the performances of 'Twelfth Night,' which is scheduled May 24 through June 16 in Shakespeare Glen, Forest Park. Preview performances are scheduled May 22-23.

The Catastrophic Theatre has announced the first play of its 5th Anniversary Season: Samuel Beckett's Waiting for Godot.

Bourbon Baroque teams up with the Louisville Film Society and Dreamland Film Center in their second installment of 'Buster Vs Charlie' an ongoing 6-month series that profiles two of the great silent era comedians. This program contains short films by Buster Keaton and Charlie Chaplin featuring live music by Bourbon Baroque with selections specifically programmed for each film including the compositions of Handel, Rameau, Couperin, and Telemann.

Bourbon Baroque teams up with the Louisville Film Society and Dreamland Film Center in their second installment of 'Buster Vs Charlie' an ongoing 6-month series that profiles two of the great silent era comedians. This program contains short films by Buster Keaton and Charlie Chaplin featuring live music by Bourbon Baroque with selections specifically programmed for each film including the compositions of Handel, Rameau, Couperin, and Telemann.

National Lampoon will present the World Premiere of SKETCHES FROM THE NATIONAL LAMPOON, conceived and produced by Matty Simmons, with original songs by Richard Levinson and directed by Pat Towne. SKETCHES FROM THE NATIONAL LAMPOON will begin previews tonight, February 7 at 8pm; will open on Friday, February 15 at 8pm and run through Sunday, March 17 at the Hayworth Theatre, 2511 Wilshire Blvd. in Los Angeles.

Cutting Ball Theater continues its 14th season with Eugene Ionesco's THE CHAIRS, in a new translation by Rob Melrose. This tragic farce, in the tradition of Cutting Ball's hit productions of Ionesco's The Bald Soprano (2010) and Victims of Duty (2008), is as comedic as it is heartbreaking. Annie Elias (Tenderloin) directs THE CHAIRS, featuring David Sinaiko, Tamar Cohn, and Derek Fischer, March 1 through 31 (Press opening: March 7) at the Cutting Ball Theater in residence at EXIT on Taylor (277 Taylor Street) in San Francisco. For tickets ($10-50) and more information, the public may visit cuttingball.com or call 415-525-1205.

The Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle (LADCC) has announced its nominations and special awards for excellence in Los Angeles and Orange County theatre in 2012. The 44th annual LADCC Awards ceremony will take place on Monday, March 18 at historic, heralded Los Angeles Theatre Center, 514 S. Spring Street in downtown L.A.

National Lampoon will present the World Premiere of SKETCHES FROM THE NATIONAL LAMPOON, conceived and produced by Matty Simmons, with original songs by Richard Levinson and directed by Pat Towne. SKETCHES FROM THE NATIONAL LAMPOON will begin previews on Thursday, February 7 at 8pm; will open on Friday, February 15 at 8pm and run through Sunday, March 17 at the Hayworth Theatre, 2511 Wilshire Blvd. in Los Angeles.

Lamb Lays with Lion & New Saloon present a double bill: Entitlement and William Shakespeare's Mom. Entitlement is part 3 of The American Trilogy and William Shakespeare's Mom is an excessive portrayal of suffering. Both run January 17th - 26th, 2013. Press dates beginning tonight, January 17th, 2013.

In the crisp, morning hours on December 27, 2012 I got the chance to speak with Lara Teeter, who will be playing Cap'n Andy in the upcoming production of SHOW BOAT at Houston Grand Opera. The celebrated actor had a plethora of interesting and scholarly items to discuss about SHOW BOAT, and the character of Cap'n Andy. We also had a good time discussing his career as an actor, director, choreographer, and teacher.

Lamb Lays with Lion & New Saloon present a double bill: Entitlement and William Shakespeare's Mom. Entitlement is part 3 of The American Trilogy and William Shakespeare's Mom is an excessive portrayal of suffering. Both run January 17th - 26th, 2013. Press dates beginning January 17th, 2013.

Voting is now underway for the Los Angeles Awards and continues until December 31, 2012. Winners will be announced in early January.

The Film Society of Lincoln Center announced that it will present 15 films in their original 70mm glory, featuring a mix of beloved classics and rarely screened gems, all at the Walter Reade Theater - one of the last remaining cinemas in the country equipped to screen 70mm prints.

The Film Society of Lincoln Center today announced And the Winner is: Foreign Award Hopefuls, celebrating films from around the world submitted for consideration in the Academy Awards' Best Foreign Language Film category, as well as the Golden Globes and other "awards season" Best-of lists by critics for film audiences. The film series will be held from January 3-6, 2013.

Voting is now underway for the Los Angeles Awards and continues until December 31, 2012. Winners will be announced in early January. Check out the live standings below.