Robert Richards News

The 84th Annual Academy Awards for outstanding film achievements of 2011, hosted by Billy Crystal were presented on February 26, 2012 at the Kodak Theatre at Hollywood & Highland Center, and televised live on the ABC Television Network. The Oscar presentation was televised live in more than 200 countries worldwide. Check out photos below of the winners in the press room!

Billy Crystal was nine for nine with his stupendous hosting - particularly thanks to his superlative musical material courtesy of Tony-winning tunesmith Marc Shaiman - yet, the 2012 Oscars were all about the awards, for once, with a heavy helping of superstars and surprises. A glamorous and generally genial broadcast, more than many in recent years this years, last night's top entertainment honors came across as a class act on the elegantly produced and impressively rendered broadcast, from beginning to end - unscripted screenwriters' Angelina impressions aside. Crytal's hilarious opening montage allowed the Oscar host extraordinaire the opportunity to enact his oh-so-idiosyncratic take on the year's top nominated films - including a kiss with George Clooney ala THE DESCENDANTS and a Justin Bieber/Sammy Davis, Jr. skit inspired by Woody Allen's MIDNIGHT IN PARIS, both of which went on to win the Best Screenplay categories - and remind us why he is tops. The portrait of the winner of Best Picture may have been painted long before last night for THE ARTIST, yet the 2012 Academy Awards show was packed with a plethora of surprises in technical and even some major categories, with Martin Scorsese's HUGO also scoring big and Meryl Streep winning her third statuette, this time for her Best Actress turn in THE IRON LADY, uncanny in her portrayal of British prime minister Margaret Thatcher. Additionally, THE ARTIST's Jean Judarjin took home Best Actor - over Hollywood titan George Clooney, no less - for his superb performance as a Gene Kelly-esque silent film star (save a few words at the very meta finale). The supporting categories showed some love to expected winners Octavia Spencer - for the audience hit, THE HELP - as well as veteran actor Christopher Plummer - for the indie release, BEGINNERS. Cirque Du Soleil afforded us some spectacle in the form of a 3D aerial classic film homage as only they could create and present, but Crystal's inimitable opening sequence - film sequence and crisply amusing song acting as the ideal entree into the awards season's show of shows - were the night's undeniable highlights. So, too, on the performance front did the In Memoriam sequence shine thanks to a soulful rendering of "What A Wonderful World" by Esperanza Spalding. Many of the major categories may have went the way we have all predicted, yet important categories also went to a surprisingly large smattering of the year's other fine filmatic achievements, as well, making it an entertaining and overall quite pleasing broadcast when considering the conservative slate of films nominated this season.

The BAFTA Film Awards Winners were announced today, 12 February, at London's Royal Opera House.

The 84th Annual Academy Awards for outstanding film achievements of 2011, hosted by Billy Crystal were presented on February 26, 2012 at the Kodak Theatre at Hollywood & Highland Center, and televised live on the ABC Television Network. The Oscar presentation was televised live in more than 200 countries worldwide.

The 2012 Orange British Academy Film Awards nominations were announced by Daniel Radcliffe and Holliday Grainger at BAFTA's headquarters in London. The Orange British Academy Film Awards take place on Sunday, February 12th at the Royal Opera House at Covent Garden, London. This is the fifteenth year of Orange's sponsorship of the Film Awards. The ceremony will be hosted by Stephen Fry.

Joe's Pub has announced the following upcoming events.

The Broadcast Film Critics Association (BFCA) has announced the nominees for the 17th annual Critics' Choice Movie Awards.

The National Society of Film Critics on Saturday, January 7th, 2012, chose "Melancholia" as Best Picture of the Year 2011. Kristin Dunst was named best actress for her performance in Lars von Trier's film, and Brad Pitt was named best actor for his work in "Moneyball" and "The Tree of Life." Albert Brooks won best supporting actor for his appearance in "Drive," and Jessica Chastain was named best supporting actress for her work in three films: "The Tree of Life," "Take Shelter" and "The Help."

Joe's Pub has announced the following upcoming events.

Joe's Pub has announced the following upcoming events.

On Monday, December 5, Tony and Golden Globe Award-winning actress and singer Linda Lavin celebrated the release of her new CD, 'Possibilities' (Sh-K-Boom/Ghostlight Records) by gathering a few good friends to join her in concert on the Birdland stage. Lavin's special guests included Nancy Dussault, Brenda Pressley, Michael Esper & Kate Jennings-Grant, as well as Billy Stritch (piano), Steve Doyle (bass) and Steve Bakunas (drums).

Featuring a cast of actors from throughout Middle Tennessee, The Renaissance Players will present the musicalized version of a holiday classic, A Christmas Carol, The Musical, December 2- 18 in the Anne Deason Performance Hall at The Renaissance Center in Dickson. The Charles Dickens classic gets the full Broadway treatment with music by Alan Menken (Beauty and the Beast, The Little Mermaid) and lyrics by Lynn Ahrens (Ragtime, Seussical).

The 32nd Annual Dora Mavor Moore Awards for the 2010/2011 season were handed out in a star-studded ceremony in Toronto on the evening of Monday, June 27 at the St. Lawrence Centre for the Arts' Bluma Appel Theatre, co-hosted by Gemini-nominated comedian/writer/actor Craig Lauzon of CBC-TV's Royal Canadian Air Farce and actress Michaela Washburn, Dora-nominated for her principal role in Theatre Passe Muraille's Such Creatures.

David Mirvish is delighted to announce the 2011-12 Mirvish Subscription Theatre Season. The subscription season consists of seven shows that will be performed in four different downtown Toronto theatres. In addition, there are four shows off-subscription and many other shows at the Sony Centre that will be available to Mirvish subscribers on a priority basis and/or at special prices.

Wednesday marked an exciting day for theatre lovers in Toronto, when Mirvish (in association with The Touring Consortium International & Marquis Entertainment) announced plans to build a new theatre for the North American Premiere of the UK Smash Hit The Railway Children. BWW was on hand to bring you pictures and details of this historic event.

Live music, art, cocktail specials, you & yours! Every drink you buy supports our artistic programming! Best business model ever! We're the friendliest, artsy-est, & most welcoming bar on the LES. Join us! Select Fridays, 6pm-1am, Free. Hosted by the hottest downtown girlfriend duo, Anti-Diva's Liz Liguori & Jessie Mann. Crazy themes, sexy bartending flair, This is the party to be ‘scene' at. Anti-diva will resume in February, check the website for details.

David Fincher's 'The Social Network' earned eight nominations from the Chicago Film Critics Association, according to their 2010 awards list which was released on Friday.

Performances and scheduling for the 19th Annual Dixon HOT! Festival has been announced; the festival will feature performances and works by Julie Halston and Michael Lynch, among countless others.

On the evening of July 12, Jim Caruso's Cast Party was the place to be if you love seeing the most varied, extreme open mic in town! The First Lady of the British Musical Theatre, Elaine Paige, dropped in to see what all the hubbub was about, after hearing about the Birdland mainstay for the past seven years.