Billy Crystal News

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences has announced the nine films that will compete for nominations in the Best Foreign Language Film category.

As reported on EWOnline.com, 'Hunger Games' star Jennifer Lawrence will join Tom Sherak, president of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to announce the nominations for the upcoming Academy Awards.

Today we are honoring the first animated film to be nominated for Best Picture at the Academy Awards, which went on to win in the categories of Best Song and Best Score for Broadway's own Alan Menken and Howard Ashman - Disney's tale as old as time; the much-beloved and cherished BEAUTY & THE BEAST. Based on the French fairytale of its namesake, BEAUTY & THE BEAST was a landmark achievement in animated film and proved that Disney's previous animation renaissance mega-hit THE LITTLE MERMAID - also penned by Alan Menken and Howard Ashman - was much more than merely a fluke. A new age of animated film treated totally seriously by critics and audiences alike allowed for Disney to continue on with even more success in the following years with even bigger family-friendly hits like ALADDIN and THE LION KING. Yet, BEAUTY & THE BEAST is the most elegant and enrapturing of all Disney animated films from the last century and just may be the very finest of all their animated features that came to pass during that era of renewed interest in the late-1980s and early-1990s. Featuring the vocal talents of legendary stage and screen star Angela Lansbury - check out our extensive InDepth InterView for a few recollections about that experience here - as well as Broadway's own Paige O'Hara and TV/film notable Robby Benson - both of whom will be featured in extensive InDepth InterViews right here on BroadwayWorld next week. Beginning with a prologue and opening song sequence - "Belle" - to rank among the very best not only in film, but stage musicals, as well, BEAUTY & THE BEAST is a rich French country meal topped off by a dizzying array of aural, visual, emotional, comedic and dramatic treats. 'Belle' is merely the starter bread - or, should I say, pain. So, today, we pay tribute to BEAUTY & THE BEAST as it roars back to movie theaters nationwide, now in a diligently-recreated and astonishingly imagined brand new 3D realization. Before you go see all the stunning sights and sounds of the film itself, whether sampling the 3D version in your home 3D studio or out at the Cineplex, here we have some of the finest musical moments to delight in from the storied history of the immensely successful Disney classic in all three of its versions - original animated film, Broadway stage musical and 3D movie experience.

ABC Entertainment has just released a video previewing the 84th Academy Awards. Comedian Billy Crystal, who will be hosting the awards ceremony, stars in the two-minute video in which he speaks about his love for the awards show and movies in general. 'I think the thing that's special about the Oscars is it's the granddaddy of all the shows,' Crystal says.

Two-time GRAMMY® winner LL COOL J is set to host the 54th Annual GRAMMY Awards (www.grammy.com), marking the first time in seven years that the music industry's premier event will have an official host.

Oscar.com, the official online home of the 84th Academy Awards(r), is launching its award-winning Oscar Digital Experience today with a first look at Billy Crystal's return to Oscar's stage.

The Improv 'Up Yours' contest is an Internet based search for the next great comedian and Las Vegas based comedian Don Barnhart is the winner for the month of December.

Alley Theatre Artistic Director Gregory Boyd announces the cast and creative team for the "hysterically funny" (New York Post) new musical The Toxic Avenger.

As reported on EWOnline.com, 'Hunger Games' star Jennifer Lawrence will join Tom Sherak, president of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to announce the nominations for the upcoming Academy Awards.

A short trailer for the 2012 Oscars has been released. The video, entitled 'Off the Grid' stars Oscar host Billy Crystal and features cameo appearances by Megan Fox, Robin Williams, William Fichtner, Josh Duhamel and Vinnie Jones.

Crystal will host for the ninth time this year. The 84th Academy Awards will be broadcast live by ABC on Feb. 26 from the Kodak Theatre at Hollywood & Highland Center in Hollywood. Brett Ratner and Don Mischer will produce the show. See a trailer below!

La Jolla Playhouse has announced the cast and creative team for its production of American Night: The Ballad of Juan Jose, written by Richard Montoya (Zorro in Hell) for Culture Clash, developed by Culture Clash and Jo Bonney (The Seven, Adoration of the Old Woman), directed by Jo Bonney. A co-production with Center Theatre Group and originally commissioned and produced by the Oregon Shakespeare Festival, American Night: The Ballad of Juan Jose will run January 27 - February 26, 2012 in the Sheila and Hughes Potiker Theatre.

The full Broadway cast has been announced for The Stratford Shakespeare Festival's hit production of Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice's JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR, directed by the Stratford Shakespeare Festival's Artistic Director Des McAnuff which will open March 22, 2012 (previews begin March 1) at the Neil Simon Theatre (250 West 52nd Street).

The producers of the international hit comedy My Mother's Italian, My Father's Jewish & I'm in Therapy! by Steve Solomon, currently running at Toronto's Bathurst St. Theatre, have announced that the show has been extended once again due to popular demand through to February 26, 2012.

Part of the Arts and Ideas series of performances, lectures and conversations, The Friend Center for the Arts at the Jewish Community Center of San Francisco (JCCSF) presents a wide array of Performing Arts programming from January through June of 2012. Highlights include performances by the Martha Graham Dance Company, the West Coast premiere of Up From the Stacks and the musical, The Man that Got Away.

Hugh Jackman, Back on Broadway broke The Broadhurst Theatre box office record for the sixth time last week with a gross of $1,545,550. The show had most recently broken the Broadhurst's record the week ending December 4 with a gross of $1,520,929.

Earlier this week, La Jolla Playhouse announced a casting update for its current presentation of the acclaimed Stratford Shakespeare Festival production of Jesus Christ Superstar, lyrics by Tim Rice, music by Andrew Lloyd Webber, directed by Playhouse Director Emeritus and Stratford Shakespeare Festival Artistic Director Des McAnuff. Beginning Wednesday, December 7, Broadway veteran Tom Hewitt (Playhouse's Zhivago and Dracula: The Musical) will perform the role of Pontius Pilate for a limited engagement at the Playhouse. Whether Hewitt will remain in the production through the Broadway transfer remains unknown, but Stratford Shakespeare Festival has released the following statement:

La Jolla Playhouse announced a casting update for its current presentation of the acclaimed Stratford Shakespeare Festival production of Jesus Christ Superstar, lyrics by Tim Rice, music by Andrew Lloyd Webber, directed by Playhouse Director Emeritus and Stratford Shakespeare Festival Artistic Director Des McAnuff. Beginning Wednesday, December 7, Broadway veteran Tom Hewitt (Playhouse's Zhivago and Dracula: The Musical) will perform the role of Pontius Pilate for a limited engagement at the Playhouse.