Oliver Stone News

According to the London Evening Standard, Salma Hayek once withdrew from plans to star in a Broadway musical due to severe stage fright.

Today we have the honor of talking to an actor equally skilled in comedy and drama who is now a playwright and director in his own right, with his new play, BULLET FOR ADOLF, being a New York stage hit - the one and only Woody Harrelson. A huge Hollywood star who has appeared in countless recognizable and beloved film properties over the last twenty-five years - from Oliver Stone's NATURAL BORN KILLERS, Milos Foreman's THE PEOPLE VS. LARRY FLYNT, Robert Altman's A PRAIRIE HOME COMPANION and many more notables (not to mention his many comedies, ranging from WHITE MEN CAN'T JUMP to ZOMBIELAND), all the way up to his most recent screen appearances in THE MESSENGER, RAMPART and the international smash hit franchise-kick-off THE HUNGER GAMES - with a special focus on his new Broadway play which he co-wrote and directed, A BULLET FOR ADOLF - in this chat, Woody and I cover the bases. Covering his career from understudying in Neil Simon's BILOXI BLUES on Broadway and his subsequent big break on CHEERS to his string of iconic film portrayals, Harrelson and I shine a light on his theatrical side while he also elucidates the process that finally brought the story of BULLET FOR ADOLF to the theatrical stage, sharing the true life tale behind its characters, location, plot and themes along the way and opening up about possibilities for the play's future - West End, perhaps? Maybe a film? Plus, Harrelson also looks ahead to the many exciting projects coming up in the next several weeks and months now that A BULLET FOR ADOLF has settled in to an extended run at New World Stages, now on sale through October 21 - such as working with fellow InDepth InterView participant Philip Seymour Hoffman and the rest of the starry assortment of players on the highly anticipated THE HUNGER GAMES: CATCHING FIRE and its subsequent sequels (which begin shooting this week in Atlanta, GA); sharing the small screen with Matthew McConaughey on a new HBO thriller/serial-killer-themed anthology series titled TRUE DETECTIVES; starring in SEVEN PSYCHOPATHS, written and directed by celebrated playwright and filmmaker Martin McDonagh; even sharing his candid impressions and adoration of his favorite state of the union, Hawaii - all of that and much, much more!

The 60th edition of the San Sebastian Festival will this year bestow its Donostia Awards on actors John Travolta, Ewan McGregor and Tommy Lee Jones and the Special 60th Anniversary Donostia Award going to director Oliver Stone. In 1969, Jones made his Broadway debut in John Osborne's A Patriot for Me. His other Broadway appearances include Four on a Garden and Ulysses in Nighttown.

MNA Productions, Inc. has announced that Tony Lo Bianco will reprise his award-winning role as Mayor Fiorello H. La Guardia in THE LITTLE FLOWER, which begins performances Off-Broadway on Tuesday, October 23, 2012 (Opening Night) at the Dicapo Opera Theatre (184 East 76th Street between Lexington and 3rd Ave). Written and directed by Mr. Lo Bianco, adapted from the play Hizzoner! by Paul Shyre, THE LITTLE FLOWER will play a special limited-run through Friday, November 2, 2012. Tickets for THE LITTLE FLOWER are $40 - $50 and are on sale now via SmartTix.com (212-868-4444).

Today we are shining a special solo spotlight on one of the most revered actors of the stage and screen on the premiere of his newest feature film lead role, in ROBOT & FRANK - which recently received the Alfred P. Sloan Prize at the Sundance Film Festival - the incomparable Frank Langella.

According to the New York Times, John C. McGinley has joined previously announced Al Pacino, David Harbour, Richard Schiff, Bobby Cannavale and Jeremy Shamos in the Broadway revival of David Mamet'S acclaimed Pulitzer Prize-winning drama GLENGARRY GLEN ROSS. The 'Scrubs' actor will play 'Dave Moss.'

Showtime kicked off its portion of the TCA Summer Press Tour with a slew of announcements, including a swan song for THE BIG C, billed as 'a special limited run series consisting of four one-hour installments.'

In anticipation of three-time Oscar-winning filmmaker Oliver Stone's return to the screen with the ferocious thriller Savages, the original motion picture soundtrack was released this week via iTunes. In stores as of July 3rd, the album features an eclectic group of musicians including legends such as Bob Dylan, Peter Tosh and Massive Attack, alongside the critically acclaimed Cut Copy and Yuna. Adam Peters, a former member of the groundbreaking band Echo and the Bunnymen, provides the unique dramatic score.

Talk Show Listings For Thursday, July 5

Today we are taking a look at four sparkling new Blu-ray editions of well-regarded films from the Disney vault by focusing on three titles that are also currently running on Broadway in screen-to-stage adaptations at this very moment - EVITA, NEWSIES and SISTER ACT. The current trend of adapting hit films into musicals for the stage has sporadically proven that some stage adaptations can even be more entertaining onstage, while some recent movie musicals have one-upped their stage roots in a way a few Golden Age adaptations also managed to do. Such is the case with EVITA, NEWSIES, SISTER ACT and SISTER ACT 2 (the latter two both acting as inspiration for the Broadway SISTER ACT musical) - all available for the first time on Blu-ray and each certainly justifying consideration for inclusion in your library if only because each is regarded as a modern-day classic - of sorts - in its own unique and special way. And, without these films, we would never have the current versions of the shows now running on Broadway based upon them (even in the case of a classic like EVITA, whose stage version may have come first, but, as seen and heard in the hit Elena Roger/Ricky Martin/Michael Cerveris revival, now includes the film addition, "You Must Love Me"). Whatever the medium, all of these winning entities offer an entertaining way to beat the heat and celebrate the start of summer in style - with some tunes, old and new, you are not soon to forget.

Winner of two Academy Awards®, including Best Director, and four Golden Globes®, including Best Picture, the award-winning classic BORN ON THE FOURTH OF JULY will be available as of today, July 3, 2012 on Blu-ray™ Combo Pack with DVD and Digital Copy featuring perfect hi-def picture and sound.

Talk Show Listings For Thursday, July 5

Robin Roberts talks to Usher on the campus of Emory University, where Usher is holding his 3rd annual New Look Foundation Conference. Robin catches up with Usher about his foundation, his new album Looking 4 Myself, and life in general in the interview that airs Thursday, June 28 on GOOD MORNING AMERICA, on the ABC Television Network.

Robin Roberts talks to Usher on the campus of Emory University, where Usher is holding his 3rd annual New Look Foundation Conference. Robin catches up with Usher about his foundation, his new album Looking 4 Myself, and life in general in the interview that airs Thursday, June 28 on GOOD MORNING AMERICA, on the ABC Television Network.

On Wednesday, June 27th, The Jackson brothers, Jermaine, Tito, Marlon, and Jackie will reunite live in the GOOD MORNING AMERICA studio. Other highlights of the week of JUNE 25-JUNE 29 include:

Now we can confirm that the recent Tony-winner will be departing the show on June 30th, and taking over the role will be Matt Saldivar, most recently seen on Broadway in A STREETCAR NAMED DESIRE. Christian Borle to Depart PETER... 6/30; Matthew Saldivar to Takeover

Today we are talking to an actor who has appeared in over fifty feature films and starred in plays on Broadway and in the West End all about his career thus far, looking ahead to his new role as John Sculley in the forthcoming jOBS, co-starring Ashton Kutcher as Steve Jobs and Josh Gad as Steve Wozniak, directed by Joshua Michael Stewart - the one and only Matthew Modine. In this all-encompassing chat tracing the past to the present, Modine also manages to give us the scoop on his featured role in the final part of Christopher Nolan's BATMAN trilogy, THE DARK KNIGHT RISES, and shares his candid impressions of working with Anne Hathaway, Joseph Gordon-Levitt and the rest of the starry cast of the sure-to-be blockbuster of the summer. Additionally, Modine illustrates his experiences working with director Robert Altman on screen and stage projects as diverse as SHORT CUTS and STREAMERS on film, Arthur Miller's FINISHING THE PICTURE in Chicago and RESURRECTION BLUES at the Old Vic in the West End and Modine expresses his overall general enthusiasm for acting and reveals deeply probing insight into many of his most memorable and famous roles to date - ranging from roles in Stanley Kubrick's FULL METAL JACKET to Alan Parker's BIRDY to his work with Oliver Stone, Tony Richardson, Jonathan Demme, John Sayles, Mike Figgis, John Schlesinger and others. All of that, a thorough discussion of his recent roles in the theatrical productions of TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD and THE MIRACLE WORKER, as well as recollections of working on many of his most beloved projects to date, such as AND THE BAND PLAYED ON, THE REAL BLONDE, ORPHANS, CUTTHROAT ISLAND, BYE BYE LOVE, THE HOTEL NEW HAMPSHIRE, WEEDS - and much, much more!

Today we are shining a light on one of the most respected and revered stage and screen stars of the last several decades who is known the world over for not only his stirring and commanding dramatic performances and touching and rib-tickling comedies on film, but also for his iconic roles on the stage playing Shakespeare, and, perhaps most of all, for his essaying of Captain Von Trapp in the celebrated Robert Wise film adaptation of Rodgers & Hammerstein's Tony Award-winning THE SOUND OF MUSIC - the elegant, graceful and eminently gifted Christopher Plummer. Looking back at a career spanning nearly seven decades, today we will focus on Plummer's most important and most fondly remembered roles to date - ranging from Sidney Lumet's STAGE STRUCK in 1958 to his Shakespeare stage work, THE SOUND OF MUSIC, THE RETURN OF THE PINK PANTHER, TV's THE THORN BIRDS, and, of course, his Academy Award-winning turn in last year's BEGINNERS - with a look ahead to the exceptionally enticing new Fathom in-cinema presentation of Des McAnuff's Stratford Shakespeare Festival production of THE TEMPEST starring Plummer as Prospero, in movie theaters nationwide on June 14 - what the 83-year-old actor has promised will be his final Shakespeare performance onstage. So, if there were ever a time to take a look back at one of the most remarkable Broadway/Hollywood crossover stars of the last century or the current one as he reaches yet another peek in a career populated with many highs, now is certainly the time! After all, as the oldest Oscar-winner to date, a midsummer night's dream has evidently quite quickly turned to a winter's tale - but with sound and fury signifying much, as we will see.

Paula Abdul, dancer, singer, and star of 'American Idol,' appears at the Hudson Union Society tonight, May 17th at 7 p.m.

Paula Abdul, dancer, singer, and star of 'American Idol,' is set for the Hudson Union Society on May 17th at 7 p.m.