John Morris News

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'Oh what a tangled web we weave when first we practice to deceive,' says Clarissa, the charming diplomat's wife and main murder suspect, in Agatha Christie's Spider's Web which opens Friday, January 15, 2010 and runs through February 21, 2010 at Lakewood Theatre Company.

With school out, snow on the ground and kids eagerly anticipating toys under the tree, the holidays are the ideal time for family entertainment. Note, for the record, that I didn't say 'children's entertainment.' There is a world of difference between entertaining kids and entertaining an entire family. For a prime example of the latter, take this past weekend's concert by the New York Pops.

The New York Pops will celebrate the holiday season this year with two evenings of timeless carols and seasonal favorites at Carnegie Hall.

According to reports from Carnegie Hall, Tony nominee and Avenue Q alum John Tartaglia will narrate the holiday children's classic The Polar Express in concert with the New York Pops at Carnegie Hall this season. The production will take place in Stern Auditorium/Perelman Stage on Saturday, December 19 at 2pm. The concert features a score by Alan Silvestri, who also wrote the music for the 2004 feature film adaptation of the event.

The New York Pops will celebrate the holiday season this year with two evenings of timeless carols and seasonal favorites at Carnegie Hall.

Best known as a creator of broad film farces and uproarious parodies, jack-of-all-trades Mel Brooks has been entertaining audiences for years with his wacky and absurdist humor. Now just in time for the holidays, the king of comedy's brilliant work is available for the first time in high definition in The Mel Brooks Collection on Blu-ray Disc, debuting December 15 from Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment.

The Kennedy Center Honors medallions were presented on Saturday, December 5. The Honors Gala was recorded for broadcast on the CBS Network for the 32nd consecutive year as a two-hour primetime special on Tuesday, December 29 at 9:00 p.m. (ET/PT).

The New York Pops will celebrate the holiday season this year with two evenings of timeless carols and seasonal favorites at Carnegie Hall.

According to reports from Carnegie Hall, Tony nominee and Avenue Q alum John Tartaglia will narrate the holiday children's classic The Polar Express in concert with the New York Pops at Carnegie Hall this season. The production will take place in Stern Auditorium/Perelman Stage on Saturday, December 19 at 2pm. The concert features a score by Alan Silvestri, who also wrote the music for the 2004 feature film adaptation of the event.

I mean it with the most sincere amount of respect and admiration for both gentlemen when I write that Peter Gallagher seems to have morphed into Jerry Orbach.  At least in his portrayal of Bernie Dodd, the hard-driving Broadway director convinced that when the star of his new play suddenly leaves for a Hollywood gig he can get a great turn out of the washed-up alcoholic actor whose performances twIce Thrilled him many years ago.  He's the best part of Mike Nichols' new production of Clifford Odets' The Country Girl (which has undergone some text tweaking by Jon Robin Baitz).  His tough, but passionate mannerisms and gruff speaking voice bring out a sense of urgency to the proceedings as he convinces a skeptical producer (Chip Zien), a reluctant actor and his long-suffering wife that his high-stakes risk can pay off big.  By the end of the evening I was half expecting the man to send his star on stage with an exhilarated, 'Think of musical comedy!'

Director Lee Unkrich has revealed via video blog that Kristen Schaal of Flight of the Conchords has joined the cast of 'Toy Story 3' for Disney Pictures and Pixar.

Broadway In Chicago is excited to announce Tony Award winners Roger Bart and Shuler Hensley will reprise the roles of Dr. Frederick Frankenstein and The Monster in the first national tour of The New Mel Brooks Musical Young Frankenstein. The Chicago engagement will play the Cadillac Palace Theatre for a limited six week engagement November 3 - December 13, 2009.

Best known as a creator of broad film farces and uproarious parodies, jack-of-all-trades Mel Brooks has been entertaining audiences for years with his wacky and absurdist humor. Now just in time for the holidays, the king of comedy's brilliant work is available for the first time in high definition in The Mel Brooks Collection on Blu-ray Disc, debuting December 15 from Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment.

Conductor Steven Reineke begins his tenure as Music Director of The New York Pops when the orchestra starts its 27th season at Carnegie Hall this coming fall. The New York Pops five-concert subscription series opens on Friday, October 9, 2009 at 8:00PM in Stern Auditorium.

Broadway In Chicago is excited to announce Tony Award winners Roger Bart and Shuler Hensley will reprise the roles of Dr. Frederick Frankenstein and The Monster in the first national tour of The New Mel Brooks Musical Young Frankenstein. The Chicago engagement will play the Cadillac Palace Theatre for a limited six week engagement November 3 - December 13, 2009.

The New York Pops celebrates its 26th season with the arrival of new Music Director Steven Reineke. Combining Broadway and Hollywood, holidays and history, The Pops is a perennial crowd-pleaser that embraces 'American popular music in all its diversity' (Playbill). One of the many highlights is Emmy winner Wayne Brady, who joins The Pops in a tribute to two American icons: Sammy Davis Jr. and Sam Cooke. Series Events Fri, Oct 9, 2009 at 8 PM THE NEW YORK POPS Stern Auditorium / Perelman Stage Steven Reineke, Music Director and Conductor Wayne Brady, Guest Artist The Emmy-winning comedian, singer and television personality stars in a tribute to two American icons.

Music arranger Angela Morley, who won Emmys for arranging two of Julie Andrews television specials has died at 84 in Scottsdale, Arizona. She's said to have passed away from complications of a fall and a subsequent heart attack. The three-time Emmy winner, also received Oscar nominations for adaptaing the songs in the musicals 'The Little Prince' and 'The Slipper and the Rose' This prolific woman also wrote her own official bio for her web site, which we reprint below. A very full life! Our thoughts and prayers go out to her partner Christine Parker, along with her son, grandchildren and great-grandchildren during this difficult time.

Contrary to reports by the New York Post last week, Mel Brooks has recently stated that he will NOT be shutting down his film company Brooksfilms. Brooks told the Hollywood Reporter that 'I'm not quitting. Brooksfilms is still here and will be going on for awhile. I'm not at all slowing down and nobody has told me to stop'.

According to the 'Page Six' section of the NY Post, Mel Brooks is closing the curtain on his film company, Brooksfilms which he started in 1980. After his popular comedies started making their way onto the big screen, Brooks started the company so his future films would not be branded with the title 'A Mel Brooks Film' and be automatically categorized into farces. The first film the company launched was 'The Elephant Man' and later produced more hits such as 'Space Balls.'