Ed Pierce News

Today we are talking to one of Broadway's most recent stars to make a big impression in Hollywood with his many recent TV and film appearances - from GLEE, 30 ROCK and CURB YOUR ENTHUSIASM to the forthcoming HBO Liberace biopic BEHIND THE CANDELABRA as well as the new NBC series MOCKINGBIRD LANE - following his stints on the Great White Way in the lead roles of musicals such as ALL SHOOK UP, XANADU and FINIAN'S RAINBOW - the convivial, exceedingly talented Cheyenne Jackson. Giving us an all-access pass to his new role as songwriter, crafting two pop gems - "Drive" and "Before You" - and creating accompanying music videos for them as a preview of his forthcoming EP, which will also include collaborations with Sia and more. In addition to his recording career and songwriting responsibilities, Jackson also has a number of high profile film and TV projects coming up and he gives us the 411 on his role opposite Michael Douglas in the new Steven Soderbergh HBO film BEHIND THE CANDELABRA, as well as shares his experiences filming the new Bryan Fuller-created NBC reboot of THE MUNSTERS titled MOCKINGBIRD LANE. Also, will he be returning to 30 ROCK for its final season? What about a GLEE reprise? Plus, Jackson fills us in on the newest member of his family, as well as recollections of working on Dustin Lance Black's remarkable landmark PROP 8 live multi-media presentation, his involvement with Neil LaBute's THE HEART OF THE MATTER, his new film MUTUAL FRIENDS, participating in BARACK ON BROADWAY duetting with SMASH star Megan Hilty and what we can expect from his appearance in the new Christopher Ashley-directed movie musical adaptation of Ahrens & Flaherty's LUCKY STIFF. All of that and much, much more!

The Jewish Plays Project, LABA and Highbrow are co-producers of SIX by Zohar Tirosh-Polk, a fully staged work featured in OPEN: The New Jewish Theater Residency at the 14th Street Y (344 East 14th Street). SIX will perform tonight, June 23rd at 8:00 pm, June 24th at 3 pm and June 25th at 7 pm. Tickets are free by reservation at www.jewishplaysproject.org/tickets.

The Jewish Plays Project, LABA and Highbrow are co-producers of SIX by Zohar Tirosh-Polk, a fully staged work featured in OPEN: The New Jewish Theater Residency at the 14th Street Y (344 East 14th Street). SIX will perform on June 23rd at 8:00 pm, June 24th at 3 pm and June 25th at 7 pm. Tickets are free by reservation at www.jewishplaysproject.org/tickets.

Roundabout Theatre Company has announced additional casting for the American Premiere of Nick Payne's If There Is I Haven't Found It Yet, directed by Michael Longhurst. If There Is I Haven't Found It Yet will feature Michelle Gomez as "Fiona," Jake Gyllenhaal as "Terry" and Brian F. O'Byrne as "George."

The producers of the acclaimed new Off-Broadway hit Tribes have announced new additions to the clan: Nick Westrate, winner of a 2012 Special Drama Desk Award for his versatility in the 2011-2012 season (Unnatural Acts, Love's Labor's Lost, and Galileo) will temporarily assume the role of Daniel while Will Brill takes a leave of absence from May 30 - July 1, and Jeff Still, who originated leading roles in the Barrow Street Theatre productions of Our Town and Orson's Shadow (both directed by David Cromer),will assume the role of Christopher beginning July 1, replacing Jeff Perry, who departs to begin filming the second season of ABC's "Scandal." Tribes, which recently won the New York Drama Critics Circle Award for Best Foreign Play,is currently in performance at The Barrow Street Theatre (27 Barrow Street).

From stolen pearls to a glove left at the scene of the crime, from an excess of red lipstick to the postmodern gangster silhouette, fashion and style are commonly utilized in film to glamorize and glorify criminal behavior. These images and more will be the focus of the third New York edition of the London-based Fashion in Film Festival to take place at Museum of the Moving Image from today, May 4 through May 13, 2012. Titled If Looks Could Kill, the Festival explores the compelling links between cinema, television, fashion, crime, and violence.

Cate Blanchett, Lady Gaga, Lindsay Lohan, Whoopi Goldberg, Fergie, Justin Long, Rashida Jones, Bryan Cranston, Olivia Wilde, Anna Kendrick, NeNe Leakes, Fred Willard, Eric Roberts, Wayne Brady, Ryan O'Neal, Phylicia Rashad, Patton Oswalt, Treat Williams, George Stults, Steve Coogan and Werner Herzog make guest appearances in all-new episodes of shows on FOX.

Vince Giordano's band (originally known as the New Orleans Nighthawks) has been around for 35 years, but seemingly are getting more popular with age. For example, they've become HBOs go-to vintage jazz band, popping up in the 2009 film version of Grey Gardens, the 2011 mini-series Mildred Pierce, and the original series Boardwalk Empire (for which the band a 2012 Grammy Award for Best Compilation Soundtrack). While there are a few other bands around the country playing 1920s and 1930s jazz, swing and blues, the Nighthawks deserve most of the credit for keeping the genre alive . . . and live, and they shined recently at Rose Hall for Jazz at Lincoln Center.

ABC details its 12 drama pilots under consideration for next season.

To inaugurate a new quarterly series of in-depth conversations with top behind-the-scenes talent from film, television, and video-game production, Museum of the Moving Image will present an afternoon with celebrated production designer Mark Friedberg. In coming months, the Moving Image Master Class series will feature leading cinematographers, editors, special-effects artists, game designers, and more. "The Master Class series is in keeping with the Museum's mission to not only show the best moving image works, but also to explore the creative and collaborative process," said Executive Director Carl Goodman.

According to Deadline.com, Tony award-winner Brian O'Byrne has been cast in ABC's 'Gilded Lilys' pilot. O'Byrne will join previously cast Blythe Danner, Sarah Bolger and Madeline Zima. The pilot is written and executive produced by KJ Steinberg and executive produced by Shonda Rhimes, and directed by Brian Kirk.

The Drama Desk and Obie Award-winning Keen Company (Carl Forsman, Artistic Director/Damon Chua, Executive Director) today announced that Kate Turnbull would join Kathleen Chalfant and Richard Easton for Tina Howe's Painting Churches, the 1983 Pulitzer Prize finalist. Keen Artistic Director Carl Forsman directs.

Nominees for the 18th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards for outstanding performances in 2011 in five film and eight primetime television categories and for the SAG honors for outstanding action performances by film and television stunt ensembles were announced this morning in Los Angeles at the Pacific Design Center's SilverScreen Theater in West Hollywood.

Yesterday the Producers Guild of America (PGA) announced this year's winning motion picture and television productions at the 23rd Annual Producers Guild Awards ceremony held at the Beverly Hilton in Los Angeles.

The Cinema Audio Society announces the nominees for the 48th Annual CAS Awards for Outstanding Achievement in Sound Mixing for 2011 in four categories.

Meryl Streep Got Bleeped. So goes the 2012 GOLDEN GLOBES broadcast and its destined subtitle for all time. A gallon of gaffes and a ton of risque fun made the night more memorable for its moments of awkwardness amidst technical tomfoolery, and, the many, many surprises in the winning categories, to make it an award show worth watching - but, at what cost? THE ARTIST, THE DESCENDENTS and Harvey Weinstein productions in general were the cause celebre of the entire affair, all things considered, with everything from MY WEEK WITH MARILYN's Michelle Williams and THE IRON LADY's Meryl Streep to Madonna's W.E. taking home gold. Showtime's HOMELAND took many of the top wins in the TV categories, though some truly sensational and exceedingly superb fan-favorites got their due, too - AMERICAN HORROR STORY's Jessica Lange and GAME OF THRONES's Peter Dinklage both received their rightful trophies for their exceptional work on two of the finest dramas on television (both nominated, but unfortunately losing out to Showtime's tense war drama HOMELAND). Laura Dern's effervescent showing on Showtime's ENLIGHTENED and Kelsey Grammer's brusque and brilliant BOSS also unexpectedly ruffled some probably prognosticator's feathers, as well, with their wins. Steven Spielberg and Martin Scorsese were saluted for THE ADVENTURES OF TIN TIN and HUGO, respectively, showing clear evidence of not one but two long-standing titans of Hollywood remaining at the top of their field for decades with no foreseeable end in sight. While warm-heartedness was sporadic and spicier, spacier fare was more the special of the day, there was plenty of delectable dessert - a gold-flecked tart, let's say - to go around.