Mike Nichols News

Tufts University will honor Oliver Platt at the 6th Annual P.T. Barnum Awards For Excellence in Entertainment June 7. The event has been entitled 'From Ballou to Broadway' and will take place at the Stanley H. Kaplan Penthouse at Lincoln Center.

Monty Python's Spamalot, the musical pardody based on Monty Python and the Holy Grail, is to begin its tour of the UK at New Wimbledon Theatre in southwets London. Performances are set to run from May 29th through June 5th. Additional tour dates and locations have yet to be released.

The American Film Institute and TV Land announced today that many of Hollywood's finest will be on hand to salute acclaimed and beloved film, television and stage director Mike Nichols when he receives the 38th AFI Life Achievement Award on June 10, 2010 on the historic Stage 15 at the Sony Pictures Studios.

Multi award winning playwright/lyricist Steven Sater has chosen LA's Rogue Machine to present the World premiere of his play NEW YORK ANIMALS. Casting has been finalized.

The ghosts who have taken up residence with The Production Company are a restless lot, filled with a crackling, questing vitality rarely found even among the living. As embodied with disquieting fierceness by Sara Lilly, David Ross Paterson, and Skip Pipo in COPENHAGEN, this endlessly fascinating play by Michael Frayn is directed with surgical exactitude by August Viveirto to a fever pitch. These spectral presences just won't stop haunting one another with their questions and revisions and caveats. Give them the courtesy of your full attention, and you'll find them taking possession of your own imagination as well, probably raising your blood pressure in the process. They prove themselves electrifying companions.

The ghosts who have taken up residence with The Production Company are a restless lot, filled with a crackling, questing vitality rarely found even among the living. As embodied with disquieting fierceness by Sara Lilly, David Ross Paterson, and Skip Pipo in COPENHAGEN, this endlessly fascinating play by Michael Frayn is directed with surgical exactitude by August Viveirto to a fever pitch. These spectral presences just won't stop haunting one another with their questions and revisions and caveats. Give them the courtesy of your full attention, and you'll find them taking possession of your own imagination as well, probably raising your blood pressure in the process. They prove themselves electrifying companions.

Monty Python's Spamalot, the musical pardody based on Monty Python and the Holy Grail, is to begin its tour of the UK at New Wimbledon Theatre in southwets London. Performances are set to run from May 29th through June 5th. Additional tour dates and locations have yet to be released.

As part of their celebrated 20th Anniversary Season, Theatre at the Center announces that they will host a special limited engagement of The Second City 50th Anniversary Tour. Chicago's legendary comedy theatre, The Second City will appear at Theatre at the Center, 1040 Ridge Road, Munster, Friday, June 11 and Saturday, June 12 at 8 p.m.

Th U.K.'s Screen Daily is reporting that Al Pacino will portray King Lear in a new film adaptation directed by Michael Radford. The two have previously collaborated on the film version of The Merchant of Venice (Pacino will deliver a second rendition of his Shylock live in Merchant for Shakespeare in the Park this summer). The film will begin filming in the U.K. in 2011.

Cirque du Soleil opened it's celebrated new production tribute to the life and music of Elvis Presley: Viva ELVIS on December 18, 2009. The show, directed by choreographer Vincent Paterson, runs at the new ARIA Resort & Casino at CityCenter in Las Vegas. Last week, Broadway star Brent Barrett took in the show and visited the cast backstage following the performance.

Classic Stage Company (CSC), under the leadership of Artistic Director Brian Kulick and Executive Director Jessica R. Jenen, will honor their board member Rosemarie Tichler, the highly-respected producer, casting director, teacher and author, at this year's annual benefit gala Monday evening, May 17 at Twenty Four Fifth. The Honorary Chair for the evening is Mike Nichols and Honorary Co-Chairs are Olympia Dukakis, Dianne Wiest, Walter Bobbie and James Lapine. Honorary Artists include F. Murray Abraham, Christopher Durang, Michael Greif, John Guare, Bill Irwin, S. Epatha Merkerson, Mandy Patinkin, Wallace Shawn and Michael Stuhlbarg.

After a two-decade absence from the stage, former Saturday Night Live writer, Paul Barrosse and his wife, Victoria Zielinski, will perform in The Vic & Paul Show, an original two-person comedy revue with music that will play for three weeks this June at PUSH Lounge in Woodland Hills.

Oxygen spices up summer 2010 with all new buzz worthy original programming beginning with the series premiere of 'Jersey Couture' on Tuesday, June 1 at 10:00 PM ET/PT and the return of the hit dance/weight loss competition series 'Dance Your Ass Off' hosted by Mel B (Spice Girls) on Monday, June 7 at 11 PM ET/PT. Later this summer, 'Bad Girls' fans will get their next dose of guilty pleasure when the fifth season takes a new city by storm as 'BGC Miami' premieres in August. And viewers will have to get their weaves in check when the new, over-the-top competition series 'Hair Battle Spectacular,' hosted by Brooke Burns, launches this August.

President Thomas J. Schwarz, will preside at the 38th Commencement ceremony at Purchase College State University of New York on Friday, May 14 at 1 PM on the West Lawn adjacent to The Performing Arts Center (735 Anderson Hill Road). Degrees will be awarded to approximately 1032 undergraduates and 55 graduate students.

Tony Kushner will be the commencement speaker at the annual graduation ceremony for the New York School of Visual Arts. The Pulitzer Prize winning author will speak to the graduating class on May 14th.

Gastro-politico-rock 'n' roll sass! Writer/actress Donna Jo Thorndale brings an all new, expanded version of ALL CAKE, NO FILE: The Johnny Cash Prison Tribute Comedy Cooking Show/Concert, starring celebrity chef Jewell Rae Jeffers, to The Actors' Gang every Friday and Saturday, June 11 through July 31, at 9 pm.

Today, in honor of the DVD release of Rob Marshall's film version of the 1982 Tony-winning Best Musical NINE, Maury Yeston was gracious and generous enough to grant me a few hours in which I could ask him intimate questions about his life, career and the future of theatre itself. Not one to mince words, Yeston is a veritable font of knowledge and it became clear during the interview that he may be as gifted and talented in his educational and mentorship skills as he is as a two-time Tony-winning composer and lyricist. His stage musicals include two Tony-winning Best Musicals, NINE and TITANIC, as well as: IN THE BEGINNING, GRAND HOTEL, PHANTOM, and the forthcoming DEATH TAKES A HOLIDAY, as well as a full-length ballet of TOM SAWYER premiering later this year. From the handwritten letter sent by Katharine Hepburn to Frederico Fellini after seeing the workshop of NINE thirty years ago to this very day when NINE hits DVD, we will take a look at this magnanimous maestro's starry career in this inaugural InDepth InterView. Enjoy!

President Thomas J. Schwarz, will preside at the 38th Commencement ceremony at Purchase College State University of New York on Friday, May 14 at 1 PM on the West Lawn adjacent to The Performing Arts Center (735 Anderson Hill Road). Degrees will be awarded to approximately 1032 undergraduates and 55 graduate students.

With summer right around the corner, Bay Street is in full swing with a schedule chock full of events. The season kicks off with a bang in May as Bay Street Theatre hosts a star-studded, jam-packed evening to dedicate its new second stage.

The American Film Institute and TV Land announced today that American film's finest performers Cher, Tom Hanks, Julia Roberts and Meryl Streep are among the many in the arts and entertainment community who are scheduled to appear when AFI honors beloved film, television and stage director Mike Nichols with the AFI Life Achievement Award. The gala will take place on Thursday, June 10th in the historic Stage 15 on the Sony Studios lot in Culver City, CA. 'TV Land Presents: The AFI Life Achievement Awards Honoring Mike Nichols' premieres on TV Land in June.