Helen Mirren News

An exciting range of performances, including, Behind-the-Scenes at Harlem's famed Apollo theater, a New York Film Festival Sneak Preview, the U.S. Premiere of La Gruta de Baba, a multimedia work by leading contemporary Mexican composer/singer Juan Pablo Villa, the Fish Police, South London funk-punk-hip hop band in its U.S. debut, new works by Jody Oberfelder Dance Projects, and Christmas in Balthrop Alabama, a down-home style, off-beat holiday celebration, are on the schedule for the new fall season of Target®Free Thursdays at the David Rubenstein Atrium.

Ernest Borgnine, who is exuberantly entering his seventh decade of creating memorable characters and award-winning performances, will receive Screen Actors Guild (SAG)'s most prestigious accolade-the Screen Actors Guild Life Achievement Award for career achievement and humanitarian accomplishment.

Westport Public Library is pleased to announce that The Malloy Lecture in the Arts will be held on Thursday, September 16, at 7:00 pm. The event will take place at Westport Country Playhouse (25 Powers Court, Westport). Entitled 'The Malloy Lecture in the Arts: Remembering Archie (Archibald MacLeish-The Poet and the Man), as told by Christopher Plummer,' the evening will feature Emmy and Tony award-winning actor Christopher Plummer, who will combine MacLeish's poetry with his personal reminiscences of the poet. In addition, Plummer will be interviewed by Westport Country Playhouse Artistic Advisor Anne Keefe about his own career and memoir, 'In Spite of Myself.'

Lead producer Michael Cohl announced today that SPIDER-MAN Turn Off The Dark will begin preview performances on Broadway on Sunday, November 14, 2010, at 3 p.m., with Opening Night set for Tuesday evening, December 21. Directed by Julie Taymor and featuring a book by Julie Taymor and Glen Berger, and new music and lyrics by Bono and The Edge, SPIDER-MAN Turn Off The Dark will open at Broadway's Foxwoods Theatre (213 West 42nd Street).

The New York Film Festival has announced that this year's festival will open with 'The Social Network,' written by Aaron Sorkin (THE FARNSWORTH INVENTION, A FEW GOOD MEN) and directed by David Fincher. The film stars Jesse Eisenberg, Andrew Garfield, and Justin Timberlake. 'The Social Network' focuses on Mark Zuckerberg, the creator of Facebook.

As BroadwayWorld has previously reported, Julie Taymor is at the helm of a new film adaptation of THE TEMPEST, to be released this December. The film was shot in Hawaii with stars Helen Mirren (Prospera), Alfred Molina (Stephano), Ben Whishaw (Ariel), Felicity Jones (Miranda), Russell Brand (Trinculo), Djimon Hounsou (Caliban), Alan Cumming (Sebastian), Chris Cooper (Antonio), and David Strathairn (Alonso). The New York Times reports today that the film will in fact be the main attraction at this year's New York Film Festival, presented by the Film Society of Lincoln Center in October. The film will get a special screening on October 2, 2010 at Alice Tully Hall.

On July 30, 2010 at 9pm, the Fire Island Pines Arts Project will present Alan Cumming in his one-man show, UNCUT. Cumming will perform at the Brandon Fradd Theatre in Whyte Hall.

The Toronto International Film Festival has announced fifteen galas and thirty-five special presentations (twenty-five of them world premieres) for this year's festival. Performers in the films include Robert De Niro, Dustin Hoffman, Aamir Khan, Ben Affleck, Javier Bardem, Marion Cotillard, Clive Owen, Colin Firth, Juliette Lewis, James McAvoy, Ewan McGregor, Helen Mirren, Edward Norton, Christopher Plummer, Natalie Portman, Om Puri, Ryan Reynolds, Sam Rockwell, Amy Ryan and Hilary Swank, while filmmakers include Robert Redford, Michael Winterbottom, Guillaume Canet, John Cameron Mitchell, Kiran Rao, Mike Mills, Andrucha Waddington, Woody Allen, Sylvain Chomet, Mahamat-Saleh Haroun, Tran Anh Hung, Alejandro González Iñárritu, Mike Leigh, Julian Schnabel and Im Sang-Soo.

Acorn Media (British TV) and Athena (Best Documentaries) DVD Release Calendar, July 27: Agatha Christie's Poirot, The Movie Collection, Set 5 (DVD debut) - PBS Mystery!'s most-watched detective returns in three all-new, star-studded movies starring fan-favorite David Suchet. Set includes new adaptation of the iconic Murder on the Orient Express and behind-the scenes program.

Deadline.com reports that Julie Taymor's film adaptation of 'The Tempest' will close the Venice Film Festival. The film will then be released by Disney on December 10 in 'exclusive engagements,' expanding to limited screens after one week.

Yesterday, I had the exceptional privilege of conducting an InDepth InterView with legendary Oscar-winning Hollywood and Broadway legend Julie Andrews, star of films like MARY POPPINS, THE SOUND OF MUSIC; original TV musicals like Rodgers & Hammerstein's CINDERELLA; and stage shows like the original productions of MY FAIR LADY, CAMELOT and VICTOR/VICTORIA. In our exclusive conversation we discussed everything from her favorite cast albums and theatre scores to working with Robert Wise on THE SOUND OF MUSIC and STAR! to ENCHANTED, THE PRINCESS DIARIES, SHREK and this summer's smash-hit Pharrell Williams/Neptunes-composed animated musical DESPICABLE ME. We also discuss plans for a US tour and the resounding success of her children's book series - even after all these years she still was at the top of the book charts and featured in the top movie of the week last week! Additionally, We also discuss her opinions on co-stars Russell Brand and Steve Carell, rock music in the theatre, GLEE, the Obamas, Sondheim, the Tony Awards and much more. Here is much more than a mere spoonful of the endless vat of sweetness - as well as generosity, beauty, elegance and class - that defines Ms. Julie Andrews.

SplashNewsOnline acquired on-set photos of Julie Taymor's film adaptation of THE TEMPEST, to be released this December. The film was shot in Hawaii with stars Helen Mirren ('Prospera'), Jeremy Irons, Alfred Molina, Ben Whishaw, Felicity Jones, and Russell Brand. The photos can be viewed here.

The Broad Stage at the Santa Monica College Performing Arts Center presents Alan Cumming, the award-winning stage and film actor/writer/director in ALAN CUMMING: UNCUT. A comedic yet topical evening of provocative monologues and music, more than a performance, Cummings throws a party on The Broad Stage with his eclectic range of witty, biting compositions, from songs by Sondheim, Bacharach, and Kander & Ebb to a selection from Hedwig and The Angry Inch.

On July 30, 2010 at 9pm, the Fire Island Pines Arts Project will present Alan Cumming in his one-man show, UNCUT. Cumming will perform at the Brandon Fradd Theatre in Whyte Hall.

The National Theatre is delighted to announce show titles for the second season of National Theatre Live (NT LIVE), a successful new initiative to broadcast live performances from the National's stages to cinemas worldwide.

According to reports from the Hollywood Reporter, actress Jessica Chastain has joined the cast of the upcoming DreamWorks film 'The Help,' based on the best-selling novel by Kathryn Stockett.