Natalie Portman News

Laura Bell Bundy, star of the original production of RUTHLESS!, checked out the new production this past Thursday, September 17th. Bundy played the lethally talented 8-year-old, Tina Denmark, in the original 1992 Off-Broadway production. Her two understudies during that yearlong run also did well for themselves in the intervening years; Britney Spears and Natalie Portman. Bundy was the first to lead the standing ovation at the end of Thursday's performance. Scroll down for photos!

The authors of the smash hit musical RUTHLESS!, Joel Paley and Marvin Laird, will offer two master classes for musical theater performers this Sunday, September 20th in Somerville, NJ.

Beginning Monday, October 5th, Jennifer Diamond will assume the roles of Louise Lerman and Eve Allabout in RUTHLESS! The Musical at St. Luke's Theatre in the heart of the Theatre District. She's replacing Tracy Jai Edwards who is departing the show to appear in the new musical Gotta Dance, directed and choreographed by Jerry Mitchell.

As part of the TIFF Soirée celebration, Academy Award–winning actor Natalie Portman joined the event for an intimate onstage conversation about her life and career, to kick off the 40th annual Toronto International Film Festival®. In addition to this special onstage conversation, guests enjoyed a spectacular party with cocktails, appetizers, and live musical entertainment. Check out photos from the event below!

Last November, the Broadway community mourned the loss of acclaimed director, producer, writer, and performer Mike Nichols, who passed away at age 83. Vanity Fair collected a thorough oral history of the EGOT-winner, as told in anecdotes and fond memories from film stars like Meryl Streep, Tom Hanks, and Dustin Hoffman. See what these stars had to say about Nichols as a director and friend!

Usdan Center for the Creative and Performing Arts (www.usdan.com), the nationally acclaimed summer arts day camp, will present its ninth annual Usdan Chess Challenge on Sunday October 4, 2015 at its Maurice Hexter Chess Center on Long Island. Open to grades K-12, the tournament is US Chess Federation-rated, and will be directed by Usdan Chess Instructors Brian Karen and Joel Salman.

John Wyatt, founder of Cinespia, LA's most popular cinematic event of the summer, announced today its highly anticipated September 2015 lineup.

Joel Paley has earned accolades for over two decades with RUTHLESS! The Musical, for which he wrote the award-winning book and lyrics. He also directed the original 1992 production at the Player's Theatre, as well as in L.A., South Beach, the record-breaking concert event starring Bernadette Peters, and the current smash Off-Broadway production at St. Luke's Theatre. If that isn't enough, Paley is also starring in the show this week as the 8-year-old murderous, uber-talented Tina Denmark. The role is normally played by Tori Murray who is taking a brief, well-deserved vacation as she prepares to enter sixth grade next week. She's set to return to the role tomorrow, and Joel Paley will offer audiences his showstopping take on the role one more time tonight at 7 PM. When asked why the 59-year-old Paley was interested in stepping into this seemingly impossible assignment, he merely shrugged and explained, 'The show must go on.' Scroll down for photos!

Barbara Eden, star of NBC-TV's long-running 1960s comedy smash I DREAM OF JEANNIE, caught a recent performance of the Off-Broadway hit RUTHLESS! and she visited with the entire cast after the show. Scroll down for photos of her with the company!

The Royal Shakespeare Company's acclaimed production of Shakespeare's THE MERCHANT OF VENICE will play in select movie houses across North America, beginning today, August 19. The production, which opened to rave reviews at the RSC's home in Stratford-upon-Avon, was filmed for 'Live from Stratford-upon-Avon,' the RSC program that screens the world's greatest classical theatre company from Shakespeare's home town around the world through a continued partnership with Picturehouse Entertainment.

Jiggly Caliente, celebrity drag queen and TV star ("RuPaul's Drag Race," "Broad City"), attended Off-Broadway's smash hit RUTHLESS! The Musical on August 10th and happily mingled with the cast after the show. The performance was a special benefit for Narcissistic Fibrosis, a cause which was at the center of Ms. Caliente's 2009 campaign landing her the coveted title of Ms. Universo Latina Plus.

The cast of Off-Broadway's smash hit RUTHLESS! The Musical met the stars of the live dance sensation BALLROOM WITH A TWIST, which is currently touring the country. And the sparks flew! It was a love-fest for the talented showmen and women after the August 10th performance of RUTHLESS! when the stars of both of both shows mingled and posed for photos. Scroll down for backstage shots!

The stars of Ruthless! The Musical appeared at 'Broadway in Bryant Park,' presented by 106.7 Lite FM, last Thursday, August 6th. Kim Maresca,Paul Pecorino, Tori Murray, and Rita McKenzie performed with composer Marvin Laird at the keyboard.

The stars of RUTHLESS! The Musical are set to perform live on "Pix11 Morning News" tomorrow (Thursday) on Channel 11.

Usdan Center for the Creative and Performing Arts, the renowned summer arts day camp now in its 48th season, will present its annual Gala tomorrow, August 5, at 6 PM at the McKinley Amphitheater on the Center's 200-acre woodland campus. There will be a 6 PM concert, followed by a 7:30 PM Gala Patron Dinner honoring Executive Director Dale Lewis; after 36 years at the Center, he is stepping down in the fall to direct the new Arts Reach Fund at Long Island Community Foundation.

Due to overwhelming demand, the producers of New York's newest hit, RUTHLESS! The Musical, today put a new block of seats on sale through January 2, 2016. RUTHLESS! opened Off-Broadway July 13th to unanimous rave reviews led by Entertainment Weekly which called the show, "Uproarious! A mash-up of THE BAD SEED, GYPSY, ALL ABOUT EVE, plus the films of Douglas Sirk and John Waters!" Book and lyrics are by Joel Paley with music by Marvin Laird. Paley also directed the original production of RUTHLESS! as well as productions in L.A., South Beach and the record-breaking concert event starring Bernadette Peters. He once again serves as director of the new production, with Marvin Laird on board as music supervisor as well.

RUTHLESS! The Musical will appear at "Broadway in Bryant Park" this Thursday, August 6th at 12:30 PM on the Lawn. Author/director Joel Paley and composer Marvin Laird are scheduled to appear with cast members Kim Maresca, Tori Murray and Rita McKenzie, along with performers from Broadway's A GENTLEMAN'S GUIDE TO LOVE & MURDER, SOMETHING ROTTEN, ALLEGIANCE, and SYLVIA. The event is being presented by 106.7 Lite FM and will be hosted by radio personality Rick Kaminski and the cast of AVENUE Q.

NBC's popular daily lifetime show "New York Live" will feature RUTHLESS! The Musical tomorrow (Tuesday) between 12:30 & 1 PM on Channel 4. RUTHLESS! opened Off-Broadway July 13th to unanimous rave reviews led by Entertainment Weekly which called the show, "Uproarious! A mash-up of THE BAD SEED, GYPSY, ALL ABOUT EVE, plus the films of Douglas Sirk and John Waters!" Book and lyrics are by Joel Paley with music by Marvin Laird. Joel Paley also directed the original production of RUTHLESS! as well as productions in L.A., South Beach and the record-breaking concert event starring Bernadette Peters. He once again serves as director of the new production, with Marvin Laird on board as music supervisor as well.

RUTHLESS! The Musical's leading man, Peter Land, collapsed onstage at the top of the second act on Friday evening, July 17th. EMT's arrived on the scene and Mr. Land was transported to the hospital where he received emergency surgery for a tear in the aorta. His recovery is going extremely well and he was even discharged from the hospital earlier this week. Paul Pecorino has assumed the role of Sylvia St. Croix and Mr. Land hopes to return to the show in the near future. Author Joel Paley bravely filled in for several performances in the week following the accident (triumphantly, according to all eyewitnesses).

Creative writing students ages 12 to 16 from Long Island¹s Usdan Center for the Creative and Performing Arts, the acclaimed summer arts day camp whose alumni include Natalie Portman, Mariah Carey, Jane Monheit, Taylor Dayne, Jackie Hoffman and Broadway playwright Michele Lowe, have joined for the third season with students of the same age from the Brooklyn Academy of Music (BAM) Summer Youth Program in a unique two-week joint workshop through July 31.