Bill Haber News

Monday night's premiere of TNT's new original series Rizzoli & Isles now claims the record as cable's #1 commercial-supported series launch of all time, with 7.6 million viewers. The series, starring Angie Harmon and Sasha Alexander, raced out of the starting gate after an equally strong performance for the sixth-season premiere of The Closer, which delivered 7.7 million viewers, up 7% over its fifth-season premiere on June 8, 2009. Both premieres also rank as ad-supported cable's top series telecasts for the year-to-date among viewers and households.

Two-time Emmy(R) winner and 2009 Academy Award(R) nominee Christopher Plummer (The Last Station) will narrate Turner Classic Movies' (TCM) ambitious, seven-part original production MOGULS AND MOVIE STARS: A HISTORY OF HOLLYWOOD. This comprehensive true story behind the making of the American movie industry is being co-produced by TCM and Bill Haber's Ostar Productions. The series is slated to premiere in November 2010.

Two-time Emmy® winner and 2009 Academy Award® nominee Christopher Plummer (The Last Station) will narrate Turner Classic Movies' (TCM) ambitious, seven-part original production MOGULS AND MOVIE STARS: A HISTORY OF HOLLYWOOD.

Ostar Productions has acquired the television rights to Laura Lippman's IN A STRANGE CITY, the sixth of the Tess Monaghan novels. Academy Award Nominee Jay c*cks will write the pilot episode for the new series which is expected to go into production for the 2011 Season. The role of the sharp-witted private detective has yet to be cast.

An audience of over 500 people attended Westport Country Playhouse's annual fundraising gala, 'An Enchanted Evening: The Music of Richard Rodgers,' featuring special tributes to Mary Rodgers Guettel, composer, presented by Stephen Sondheim, both former Playhouse apprentices; and Elisabeth Morten, Playhouse board of trustees chairman, presented by Anne Keefe and Joanne Woodward, former Playhouse artistic directors, on Monday evening, November 2.

It has been announced by Eddie Marks, President of the Western Costume Company, that the company has acquired the famed Dykeman-Young costume collection, the extraordinary resource for film and theater designers.

Westport Country Playhouse: Please Join Us For Gala 2009!

The Commercial Theater Institute's (CTI) annual three-day intensive training program, 'Producing for the Commercial Theatre' boasts an A-List faculty line-up. This unique program is designed to help foster the next generation of commercial theatre producers and is open to anyone interested in producing or co-producing on or Off-Broadway, on the road, or investing in commercial productions.

The Commercial Theater Institute's (CTI) annual three-day intensive training program, 'Producing for the Commercial Theatre' boasts an A-List faculty line-up. This unique program is designed to help foster the next generation of commercial theatre producers and is open to anyone interested in producing or co-producing on or Off-Broadway, on the road, or investing in commercial productions.

The true story behind the making of the American movie industry has as many ups and downs, twists and turns as the latest big-budget thriller, not to mention a cast of characters worthy of a shelf full of Oscars?. Now, Turner Classic Movies (TCM) is telling the real story of the film industry in MOGULS AND MOVIE STARS: A HISTORY OF HOLLYWOOD (working title), an ambitious new 10-part documentary series co-produced by Bill Haber's Ostar Productions and TCM. Haber (TNT's Nightmares & Dreamscapes: From the Stories of Stephen King; Broadway's The History Boys and Monty Python's Spamalot) will serve as executive producer, while Jon Wilkman will write and produce. Wilkman is a veteran documentary filmmaker whose work has been honored with four Emmys? and numerous other international film and TV awards.

The new American play, IMPRESSIONISM, currently in previews at the Schoenfeld Theatre, has announced a new official opening date. Previously scheduled to open on Thursday, March 12th, IMPRESSIONISM will now open on Tuesday, March 24th at Broadway?s Gerald Schoenfeld Theatre (236 West 45 St.).

Variety reveals that with four of her smash London productions in the running for a collective 13 Olivier Awards and two Broadway transfers likely to figure in the Tony race for play revival, Sonia Friedman might be forgiven for slowing down.

The Broadway League held its first-ever Schoenfeld Vision for Arts in Education Award benefit to raise funds for the NYC Schools Blueprint for the Arts program and The Broadway League's educational initiatives at a Gala honoring Gerald Schoenfeld, Chairman of the Shubert Organization and Joel Klein, Chancellor of the New York City Department of Education on Monday, October 6th at the Waldorf Astoria.

The Broadway League announced the winners of the Touring Broadway Awards today at its annual Spring Road Conference. Wicked was recognized for the second year in a row as the 'Touring Broadway Audience Choice Award' and also took home prizes for 'Best Musical Score of a Touring Production' and 'Best Direction of a Touring Production.'

Today, the Commercial Theater Institute (CTI) released the program schedule for its annual three-day intensive training program, 'Producing for the Commercial Theatre.'

The Chaos Theories, the critically-acclaimed urban comedy presented by Shotgun Productions in association with The Resistance Theatre Company, is scheduled to open November 1 at the McGinn/Cazale Theater. Written by two-time Drama Desk nominee Alexander Dinelaris, the play will have a four-week run Wednesdays-Saturdays through November 17.

Oscar-winners Morgan Freeman and Frances McDormand are likely to make their Broadway debut in a revival of Clifford Odets' 1950 backstage drama The Country Girl this spring

London's theatre The Menier Chocolate Factory, with American producer Bob Boyett, have signed a three-year partnership to present Chocolate Factory productions in the United States.

Nicholas Hytner, Director of Britain's National Theatre, has announced the renewal of the partnership with Broadway producers Boyett Ostar Productions (Bob Boyett and Bill Haber) to present the National's productions in the United States.

The recent National Theatre hit Coram Boy is set to cross the pond to Broadway after Boyett Ostar extended its producing deal with the famed British theatre company through the end of 2007, according to Variety