Hugh Jackman News

The Drama League has gathered together a team of Broadway's best to serve as Honorary Co-Chairs for the 78th Annual Drama League Awards set for Friday, May 18, 2012 at 12:00 p.m., at the Marriott Marquis Times Square (1535 Broadway). The team of Broadway luminaries includes Nina Arianda, Christian Borle, Norbert Leo Butz, Kathleen Chalfant, Raul Esparza, Rosemary Harris, Jeremy Jordan, Christine Lahti, Linda Lavin, Norm Lewis, Judith Light, Audra McDonald, Cynthia Nixon, Denis O'Hare and Blair Underwood. The Honorary Co-Chairs serve as ambassadors for The Drama League Awards and the excellence of the New York theatre season, and welcome the attendees of the Awards Luncheon at a cocktail reception before the event.

Popsugar.com has revealed a sneak peek look at Anne Hathaway on the set of the Les Miserables film in London! Hathaway is playing the troubled Fantine in the film, which is set for a December 7, 2012 release. Check her out alongside the film's Jean Valjean below!

"Now, there's a movie star!" quoth Eileen (Anjelica Huston) of Rebecca Duvall (special guest star Uma Thurman) following her breathy and spastic performance of a new Julia/Tom musical number for the Marilyn Monroe-based musical-within-the-show on SMASH - BOMBSHELL - titled "Dig Deep". While last night's "The Movie Star" episode of NBC's musical dramedy series SMASH was light on the musical numbers - only Karen (Katharine McPhee) and Rebecca managed a musical moment - the drama was dense and delectable, with the rapport between the motley crew of characters comprising the enterprise improving by the week (and it started strong). Yet, despite the best efforts of Eileen, Tom (Christian Borle), Julia (Debra Messing) and Derek (Jack Davenport) in attempting to create a new version of the Marilyn musical that showcases her best (and limited) abilities. Rebecca is a tentative talent who lacks a lot in the vocal and dance departments - to say the least - yet it is undeniable that she also possesses a certain air of a star - perhaps because she is one; on SMASH (as in real life, given Thurman's A-list status), a big one. Portraying the movie star trying out a Broadway show for the first - and, most likely, last - time, Thurman brings a caustic, nutsy vibe to the seemingly bipolar screen siren - "36-ish", meaning more like 40-ish in actuality - and gives gravitas to the cartoonishly written role. Just as the Marilyn musical has shown its astonishing, chameleon-like adaptability in its iterations starring Karen and Ivy Lynn (Megan Hilty) - not only in its star, but also in its style, sound, mood, conception and musical arrangements - now BOMBSHELL is being retrofitted for Rebecca. But, at what cost? Stripping the show of its big Broadway leading lady musical potential and showing off the supporting cast to take the focus off of the shaky star at the center, BOMBSHELL's "Dig Deep" yet again gave the simply astounding songwriting duo responsible for the songs of the shows-within-the-shows on SMASH (including all of the BOMBSHELL songstack heard and seen so far, as well as the glimpses at the previous Tom/Julia collaborations, HEAVEN & EARTH and THREE ON A MATCH) "Dig Deep" was a WEST SIDE STORY-esque hot jazz song complete with the syncopation and stylization implicit in the best songs of the Actors Studio era which the 50s-set scene set out to depict (Lee Strasberg and all).

The Drama League has announced Drama League nominee Megan Hilty (9 To 5, "Smash") and Justin Long (Seminar) will co-host the announcement of the The 2012 Drama League Nominees for Distinguished Production of a Play, Distinguished Production of a Musical, Distinguished Revival of a Play, Distinguished Revival of a Musical, and the much coveted Distinguished Performance Award on Tuesday, April 24, 2012 at 11:00 a.m. at Sardi's. As in years past, the nominations ceremony will be broadcast worldwide via live stream right here on BroadwayWorld!

Clowes Memorial Hall is set to welcome the French bourgeois, presenting the national tour of LES MISERABLES for a limited engagement. The show will run from April 11th through the 15th. For more information on LES MISERABLES, visit www.lesmis.com. Tickets for the national tour's stop at Clowes Memorial Hall are available at www.indianapolis-theater.com.

More photos from the film set of Tom Hooper's LES MISÉRABLES have surfaced on Tumblr, featuring Eddie Redmayne (Marius) and Aaron Tveit (Enjorlas)!

Carnegie Hall today announced the complete cast for its gala benefit performance of The Sound of Music on Tuesday, April 24 at 8:00 p.m. in Stern Auditorium/Perelman Stage. New to the cast are Mary Michael Patterson (Anything Goes) as Liesl von Trapp, Nick Spangler (The Book of Mormon) as Rolf Gruber, Cotter Smith (Next Fall) as Herr Zeller, Drama Desk and Obie Award recipient Reed Birney as Admiral von Schreiber, and Joel Hatch (Billy Elliot) as Franz, The Butler.

The Fred Kavli Theatre is set to welcome the French bourgeois, presenting the national tour of LES MISERABLES for a week-long engagement from September 4th through the 9th. More information on LES MISERABLES, visit www.lesmis.com. Tickets for the national tour's stop at the Civic Theatre are available at www.los-angeles-theatre.com.

Tom Hanks has been invited to play McAlary in Nora Ephron's new play's STORIES ABOUT MCALARY, but according to today's New York Post he is unsure about the role.

FEINSTEIN'S AT LOEWS REGENCY will continue its Spring 2012 season with Randie Levine-Miller's "SHOWSTOPPER DIVOS - A SWELL PARTY" on April 29 starring Tony Award nominated actor Stephen Bogardus, Drama Desk Award winner Jim Brochu, Bistro Award winner Nicolas King, star lead singer from The Platters Myles Savage, and acclaimed vocalist/actor Kevin Spiritas.

Goodspeed Musicals takes to the high seas with the new musical Amazing Grace. This tale about a slave trader who sees the light and dedicates himself to ending slavery will run from May 17 through June 10, 2012 at The Norma Terris Theatre in Chester, Conn., Goodspeed's home for developing new works. Amazing Grace is sponsored by Essex Savings Bank.

The tour of the Broadway revival of WEST SIDE STORY is coming to Philadelphia. WEST SIDE STORY performs at the Academy of Music through April 8 as part of the Broadway Season, presented by The Kimmel Center and The Shubert Organization.

Today, the spotlight falls upon Jama Bowen, who is currently onstage at TPAC's James K. Polk Theatre, playing Marion Thayer in Circle Players' revival of Titanic the Musical, the latest project for her in a very busy 2012 for the versatile actress.

Aaron Sorkin '83, award-winning screenwriter for films such as "A Few Good Men," 'The American President," "The Social Network" and "Moneyball," as well as TV shows including "Sports Night," "The West Wing," "Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip" and HBO's upcoming drama "The Newsroom,' will deliver the 2012 Commencement address at the joint ceremony for Syracuse University, Syracuse University College of Law and the SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry (SUNY-ESF) on Sunday, May 13, in the Carrier Dome.

The Drama League has announced that this year's 78th Annual Drama League Awards will be hosted by Tony Award winners Stockard Channing (Other Desert Cities) and John Larroquette (Gore Vidal's The Best Man). The awards ceremony is set for Friday afternoon, May 18th at the Marriott Marquis Times Square (1535 Broadway) at Noon. This year's Drama League Award Nominees will be announced Tuesday morning, April 24th at Sardi's.

On Twitter Watch, Frances Ruffelle wrote 'Les Mis Movie! Blink and you'll miss me! It's amazing how much publicity I seem to get for a one line performance! What fun! And no teeth! All stars will reportedly sing live on film; Tom Hooper is at the helm and the movie also features Hugh Jackman as Valjean, Russell Crowe as Javert, Sacha Baron Cohen as Thernardier, Eddie Redmayne as Marius, Aaron Tveit as Enjolras, Anne Hathaway as Fantine, Samantha Barks as Eponine Amanda Seyfried as Cosette and Helena Bonham Carter as Madame Thenardier. '

It was announced today (Monday 5 March) that Cat Simmons will take over the role of Nancy from Samantha Barks in Cameron Mackintosh's new production of Lionel Bart's smash hit musical OLIVER! at Birmingham Hippodrome on Tuesday 3 April, the same day that Brian Conley takes over the role of Fagin from Neil Morrissey.

Clowes Memorial Hall is set to welcome the French bourgeois, presenting the national tour of LES MISERABLES for a limited engagement. The show will run from April 11th through the 15th. For more information on LES MISERABLES, visit www.lesmis.com. Tickets for the national tour's stop at Clowes Memorial Hall are available at www.indianapolis-theater.com.