Hugh Jackman News

The producers of the musical SPIDER-MAN Turn Off the Dark today filed an answer and countersuit in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York Tuesday against Julie Taymor and her company, LOH, Inc. The producers' answer responds to the complaint that Taymor and LOH filed on November 8, 2011, in which they assert that the current version of the musical infringes Taymor's alleged copyrights and also raise certain contractual and state law claims, including a claim seeking to bar the producers from bringing SPIDER-MAN Turn Off The Dark to non-Broadway venues.

Ellen Degeneres, Morgan Freeman, Tina Fey, Ray Romano, Seth Meyers and Tracy Morgan joined the star-studded line-up paying tribute to one of the world's most beloved entertainers last night on NBC's Betty White'S 90th BIRTHDAY: A Tribute to America's Golden Girl.

A long-standing opening night tradition on the Great White Way, the fabled Gypsy Robe is bestowed upon a veteran Broadway chorus member for each opening production. In what has now become a theatrical ritual, originating on Broadway 60 years ago, the latest receipient was THE GERSHWINS' PORGY AND BESS cast member J.D. Webster at the Richard Rogers Theatre in New York City.

Producer Ken Davenport is pleased to launch a new 11-week post-show talkback series at Broadway's hit new revival of Stephen Schwartz's legendary rock musical GODSPELL. The new 'Tuesday Night Talkbacks' series will commence immediately after the 7 p.m. performance on Tuesday, January 17.

On Friday January 13, Times Square Chronicles, MEDEA Vodka, and Columbus Circle Wines and Spirits launched Charities to Benefit, an innovative initiative to bring light to the charities of choice of a number of our favorite celebrities. Each bottle of MEDEA will be programmed with a special LED message and autographed by a celebrity. The bottles will be auctioned off online starting February 1st. Charities to Benefit will be a year long initiative with new celebrities and new charities added every few weeks.

Broadway veteran Hugh Jackman will be among the star-studded line-up paying tribute to one of the world's most beloved entertainers in BETTY WHITE'S 90th BIRTHDAY: A Tribute to America's Golden Girl' tonight, January 16th from 8-9:30 p.m. ET on NBC. Jackman will join celebrities Morgan Freeman, Tina Fey, Mary Tyler Moore and Carol Burnett.

After we broke the news on Saturday that the Les Miserables original cast are currently locked in a row regarding royalty payments on their recording, actors' union Equity have responded to First Night Records' accusation that the original contract was 'silly'.

Ellen DeGeneres, Morgan Freeman, Tina Fey, Ray Romano, Seth Meyers and Tracy Morgan will join the star-studded line-up paying tribute to one of the world's most beloved entertainers in Betty White'S 90th BIRTHDAY: A Tribute to America's Golden Girl' on Monday, January 16 (8-9:30 p.m. ET).

Ellen DeGeneres, Morgan Freeman, Tina Fey, Ray Romano, Seth Meyers and Tracy Morgan have joined the star-studded line-up paying tribute to one of the world's most beloved entertainers in "Betty White's 90th Birthday: A Tribute to America's Golden Girl" on Monday, January 16 (8-9:30 p.m. ET). Also saluting White will be Carl Reiner, Jennifer Love Hewitt, Vicki Lawrence and John O'Hurley.

Some of Hollywood's biggest stars -- including Mary Tyler Moore, Hugh Jackman, Jay Leno, Amy Poehler and Carol Burnett -- will celebrate the birthday of one of the world's most beloved entertainers in 'Betty White's 90th Birthday: A Tribute to America's Golden Girl' on Monday, January 16 (8-9:30 p.m. ET) on NBC. White's 'Hot in Cleveland' co-stars Valerie Bertinelli, Wendy Mallick and Jane Leeves, along with her 'Mary Tyler Moore' co-stars Ed Asner, Valerie Harper and Gavin MacLeod, will also be on hand to deliver birthday wishes, as will Joel McHale, William Shatner and many more. Immediately following the birthday special will be a sneak preview of the outrageously funny hidden-camera series 'Betty White's Off Their Rockers,' airing from 9:30-10 p.m. ET.

Tony winner Eddie Redmayne is gearing up to star in the much-anticipated film version of LES MISERABES, and he's now meeting his upcoming costars. In the video below, Redmayne chats about meeting Amanda Seyfried, Helena Bonham Carter, and more!

Producer Ken Davenport is pleased to launch a new 11-week post-show talkback series at Broadway's hit new revival of Stephen Schwartz's legendary rock musical GODSPELL. The new 'Tuesday Night Talkbacks' series will commence immediately after the 7 p.m. performance on Tuesday, January 17.

Times Square Chronicles, MEDEA, and Columbus Wines and Spirits present: Charities to Benefit, an innovative initiative to bring light to the charities of choice of some of our favorite celebrities.

Eddie Redmayne has revealed to the BBC that he is in 'hardcore singing lessons' ready for his role as Marius in Tom Hooper's movie version of Les Miserables.

With all the hooplah surrounding the casting of Taylor Swift, who has yet to be officially announced, in the upcoming big screen adaptation of Les Miserables, it seemed like the perfect time to show off a Youtube treasure of the original Tony-winning Eponine, Frances Ruffelle. In the video below, Rufelle sings the strret urchin's anthem, 'On My Own.' Click below to check it out!

Now in its 38th year, the People's Choice Awards are voted on entirely by the public for fan favorites in music, movies and television. Kaley Cuoco was the host of the of the show tonight, and this year's winners have been announced!

The awards ceremony for THE PEOPLE'S CHOICE AWARDS will be broadcast live tonight on CBS at 9/8c.

The latest in unauthorized gossip and buzz from the heart of Chicago's showtune video bars, and musical theater news from Chicago to Broadway. 'Les Miserables,' 'Smash,' Idina Menzel, 'Come Fly Away,' 'Jersey Shore,' 'Legally Blonde,' Rogers Park theater history and more....

Looking for a quick roundup of this week's events? Look no further - here are some of the best articles the week had to offer!

The ultra-starry cast for the upcoming feature film version of the international smash musical sensation LES MISERABLES finally got one step closer to finding its Eponine and Cossette this week, as offers have gone out to pop music superstar Taylor Swift and breakout screen starlet Amanda Seyfried for the hotly anticipated Tom Hooper adaptation of the tuner which will also star Hugh Jackman and Russell Crowe as Jean Valjean and Javert, respectively, Anne Hathaway as Fantine and Tony-winner Eddie Redmayne as Marius. While Seyfried is perhaps best known to Broadway babies for her lovable and memorable turn in the role of Meryl Streep's daughter in the ABBA jukebox movie musical MAMMA MIA!, Swift has displayed her ample affection for all things theatrical with her recent Broadway-themed SPEAK NOW tour as well as her memorable appearance on SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE and on concert stages around the world. Both ladies certainly have the musical chops to take on these much-beloved Broadway roles - even if the soundtrack is to actually be recorded live on set, as the director himself has confirmed he intends to do - and, while neither Swift nor Seyfried has been officially confirmed by the producers as of this writing, both appear to more than merely satisfy the complex casting necessities for the standout roles and the overall younger-sided casting of the feature film adaptation so far. Yet, no matter how fantastic they may turn out to be in the finished final film, it sure will be difficult to manage to make much of an impression with a cast as impossibly accomplished as the one assembled for this film up until now - Jackman, Crowe, Hathaway, Redmayne, Aaron Tveit, Helena Bonham Carter and Sacha Baron Cohen included! Plus, who knows what new musical numbers Alain Boublil and Claude-Michel Shonberg are cooking up - and what characters shall sing them?! Whatever comes to pass, Christmas 2012 will be all about LES MISERABLES: THE MOVIE MUSICAL for Broadway babies everywhere - many of whom who have been waiting for this moment (and this movie) to arrive for over 20 years! Let's hope it was worth the wait! Until then, we have this look and listen to what made these ladies oh-so right for the roles. After all, less than 360 days remain until the big 24601!