Steven Spielberg News

BroadwayWorld.com excitedly reported last week that NBC has officially picked up the pilot entitled SMASH for a series to begin mid-season. Now, the network has posted teaser clips of their new series that we just CAN'T WAIT to see! Here Megan Hilty hits one out of the park as her Smash character, Ivy.

Kravis Center to Offer Audience-Pleasing Performers & Productions During May & June The Color Purple, Spotlight on Young Musicians, Max & Ruby: Bunny Party, Bill Maher & RAIN: A Tribute to the Beatles

Gemma Arterton, Helena Bonham Carter, Ralph Fiennes, Jeremy Irvine, and Saoirse Ronan are all set to star together in Neil Jordan's new film 'Byzantium,' according to The Hollywood Reporter.

VH1 announced today that it will air the 17th annual 'Critics' Choice Movie Awards' on Thursday, January 12 at 9:00 PM ET/PT. This year marks the first year that the show will be held on a Thursday and the fifth straight year the network will televise the event. In addition, Den of Thieves will produce for the second year with Jesse Ignjatovic serving as executive produce for the third year.

BroadwayWorld.com has excitedly learned that NBC has officially picked up the pilot entitled SMASH for a series to begin this fall. The news will be officially announced later this week at NBC's upfronts which begin next week in New York.

On Thursday, May 12, audience members at the new Broadway musical CATCH ME IF YOU CAN will get the chance to hear first-hand from the real Frank W. Abagnale Jr. (played on stage by Aaron Tveit), whose teenage escapades are the basis for the musical and the 2002 film of the same name. Immediately following the 8pm performance, Mr. Abagnale will host an on stage post-show talk back and Q&A. Tickets for this performance can be purchased through Ticketmaster.com and at The Neil Simon Box Office (250 West 52nd Street). Only ticketholders for that evening's performance will be able to attend the Talk Back.

Actor Colin Hanks has joined the cast of SHOWTIME's Emmy(R) nominated drama series DEXTER(TM) for Season 6. Hanks, who will appear in all twelve episodes, will play Travis, a highly intelligent young expert on ancient artifacts who gets linked to a series of grisly murders in Miami. Production on begins in June in Los Angeles and will premiere on SHOWTIME this fall.

On March 25, 2010, General Director Brian Dickie announced Chicago Opera Theater's (COT) 2011 Spring Festival Season: the Midwest Premiere of Tod Machover's Death and the Powers, the Chicago Premiere of Marc-Antoine Charpentier's Medea (Médée), and 'HE/SHE' featuring Leoš Janá?ek's The Diary of One Who Disappeared (Zápisník zmizelého) and Robert Schumann's A Woman's Love and Life (Frauenliebe und Leben).

Actor Colin Hanks has joined the cast of SHOWTIME's Emmy(R) nominated drama series DEXTER(TM) for Season 6.

GREEK MYTH AS GROUP THERAPY KIDNAPPED GIRL SPEAKS OUT- Classic story of Persephone reexamined at The Tank 354 W. 45th Street (between 8th and 9th Avenues)

On Thursday, May 12, audience members at the new Broadway musical CATCH ME IF YOU CAN will get the chance to hear first-hand from the real Frank W. Abagnale Jr. (played on stage by Aaron Tveit), whose teenage escapades are the basis for the musical and the 2002 film of the same name. Immediately following the 8pm performance, Mr. Abagnale will host an on stage post-show talk back and Q&A. Tickets for this performance can be purchased through Ticketmaster.com and at The Neil Simon Box Office (250 West 52nd Street). Only ticketholders for that evening's performance will be able to attend the Talk Back.

The Public Theater hostd the final Public Forum evening of the season, 'Tony Kushner and Oskar Eustis in Conversation,' last night, May 8. In his new play, The Intelligent Homosexual's Guide to Capitalism and Socialism with a Key to the Scriptures, Kushner writes movingly about politics and family in America today-plus unions, real estate and love. Kushner and Eustis discussed these topics and more, with an introduction by special guest host Cynthia Nixon.

Writers' Theatre Artistic Director Michael Halberstam and Executive Director Kathryn M. Lipuma announce the world premiere of The Detective's Wife by Keith Huff, directed by Gary Griffin and featuring Barbara Robertson.

Oprah tells the Chicago Tribune that 'I have a stack of plays in my bag right now that I am reading,' Winfrey said with great enthusiasm and determination last week as part of a frank and wide-ranging interview on her Chicago past and professional future that will appear May 22 in a special section of the Tribune. 'And just this past weekend, I was in New York meeting with producers. We were just talking about what would be the best route to take. But yes, this is really going to happen. ... Life is too short. 'I think,' Winfrey said, 'that an ensemble production is the way I should go.'

The Public Theater (Oskar Eustis, Artistic Director; Joey Parnes Interim Executive Director) announced the final Public Forum evening of the season, 'Tony Kushner and Oskar Eustis in Conversation,' on Sunday, March 8 at 8 p.m. In his new play, The Intelligent Homosexual's Guide to Capitalism and Socialism with a Key to the Scriptures, Kushner writes movingly about politics and family in America today-plus unions, real estate and love. On Sunday, May 8, Kushner and Eustis will discuss these topics and more, with an introduction by special guest host Cynthia Nixon. Public Forum single tickets are $25 and go on sale beginning Thursday, April 21 at (212) 967-7555 or www.publictheater.org.

As BroadwayWorld previously reported, earlier this week board members of CUNY voted to withdrawal an honorary degree that was to be presented to famed playwright Tony Kushner at John Jay College in light of offensive remarks they feel he made against Israel. Kushner has aggressively defended his remarks, stating that he feels 'dismayed by the vicious attack and wholesale distortion of my beliefs' on the part of CUNY and is asking for an apology from the university, adding that even if they were to reverse their decision, he would not accept the degree.

The New York Times reports this morning that board members of CUNY have voted to withdrawal an honorary degree that was to be presented to famed playwright Tony Kushner at John Jay College in light of offensive remarks they feel he made against Israel. Kushner has aggressively defended his remarks, stating that he feels 'dismayed by the vicious attack and wholesale distortion of my beliefs' on the part of CUNY and is asking for an apology from the university, adding that even if they were to reverse their decision, he would not accept the degree.

Yesterday, Whoopi Goldberg appeared on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon. The two talked about SISTER ACT on Broadway, and joked about a musical based on the ladies of The View, which Goldberg cohosts on ABC. Check out all of that and more below!

THE ROAD THEATRE COMPANY and Taylor Gilbert, Founder/Artistic Director together with Sam Anderson, Artistic Director, announce that the critically-acclaimed, world premiere production of PURSUED BY HAPPINESS, written by Keith Huff (Broadway's A Steady Rain; The Bird and Mr. Banks) and directed by Robin Larsen (An Infinite Ache; Tryst) is EXTENDING through SUNDAY, MAY 29, at the Historic Lankershim Arts Center, 5108 Lankershim Blvd. in North Hollywood, CA.

Nominations in 26 competitive categories for the American Theatre Wing's 65th Annual Antoinette Perry 'Tony' Awards were announced May 3, 2011 by Tony Award winning actor Matthew Broderick and Tony Award winning actress Anika Noni Rose, at the Tony Award Nominations Announcement sponsored by IBM.