Uma Thurman News

Today we are continuing BroadwayWorld's extensive coverage of NBC's hit musical drama series SMASH with a new entry in our ever-expanding collection of interviews with the cast, creative team and guest stars of the Broadway-based show - don't forget to check out the previous InDepth InterView with songwriters Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman, as well (available here) - by talking to the leading lady of the show-within-the-show on SMASH itself all about her role on the series; the blonde bombshell of BOMBSHELL, Megan Hilty. In this candid conversation, Hilty and I discuss portraying a musical Marilyn Monroe and the volatile Broadway star playing her, Ivy Lynn, as well as her own personal experiences working on SMASH as we look ahead to the upcoming episodes which will feature the biggest musical sequence on the series so far and will also include guest appearances by Norbert Leo Butz, Marc Kudisch, Uma Thurman and more as BOMBSHELL heads towards its long-awaited big Boston tryout for the season finale. Additionally, Hilty and I take a look back at her prior musical theatre appearances, winning hearts the country over in her starring roles in WICKED and 9-TO-5 on Broadway, in LA and on tour - both under the direction of master director Joe Mantello - and, also, take a look ahead to the forthcoming Encores! GENTLEMEN PREFER BLONDES, which she will be headlining later this Spring. Plus, Hilty shares her experiences working with this week's SMASH guest star and Tony-winning legend Bernadette Peters and reflects on her forthcoming Disney animated film in the TINKER BELL series that features another dynamic diva, her SMASH co-star and fellow participant in this column, Oscar-winner Anjelica Huston (our interview coming up next week) - as well as touching on DOROTHY OF OZ (co-starring Lea Michele), her new animated TV project for Nickelodeon - ROBOTS & MONSTERS - and first news of a solo album coming soon. All of that and much, much more!

Yesterday, I had the exceptional privilege of talking to Oscar-winning stage and screen star Anjelica Huston and Broadway sensation Megan Hilty all about the new NBC musical series SMASH and their roles in it, and, while both their complete Spotlight On SMASH InDepth InterViews will be coming in full next week, we have some breaking news to share with you now that is certain to excite the many SMASH fans here on BroadwayWorld and beyond!

The 2012 Actors Studio Drama School Repertory Season performances will take place at The Theater at Dance New Amsterdam, 53 Chambers St., just north of City Hall, Wednesdays through Fridays at 8 p.m. and Saturdays at 3 and 8 p.m. from March 28 through April 28. The full schedule and information about plays, actors, directors and playwrights can be found online at www.Pace.edu/ASDSRep

Q'VIVA! THE CHOSEN, the first-of-its-kind docu-journey series showcasing Latin music and dance, and featuring entertainment icon Jennifer Lopez, international music star Marc Anthony and world-renowned concert director Jamie King, will premiere Saturday, March 3 (8:00-10:00 PM ET/PT) on FOX, and will continue with two-hour episodes for five weeks until its grand finale Saturday, April 7 (8:00-10:00 PM ET/PT).

SMASH is out for blood - wolf's blood, that is. So, go howl! In the climax of the series so far - at least since that thrilling finale to the pilot episode - the wildly talented cast of characters that inhabit SMASH were joined in purpose and performance for the first time onscreen all together, singing "I Never Met A Wolf That Didn't Like To Howl" - well, at least the current top choices for Marilyn Monroe (Megan Hilty) and Joe DiMaggio (Will Chase) by the songwriting duo (portrayed by Debra Messing and Christian Borle) behind the show-within-the-show; guest appearance by prospective investor portrayed by pop idol and current Broadway star Nick Jonas notwithstanding. Yet, Katharine McPhee shone bright in her secondary storyline, bringing defiant joie de vivre to a karaoke cover of Adele's soulful earworm "Rumor Has It" at the close of the show. Nick Jonas got a moment in the musical spotlight, as well, in a self-played piano accompanied cover of Michael Buble's "Haven't Met You Yet". On the dramatic side of SMASH, the twists and turns of the theatre-centric musical series are beginning to create intriguing complexities for the individuals caught in the tumult - none the least being the budding romances between Derek (Jack Davenport) and Ivy Lynn (Megan Hilty), but also the secret liaison rekindled of one half of the songwriting duo (Messing) and Joltin' Joe (Chase) himself. Plus, the other half of the team behind the Marilyn musical, Tom (Christian Borle), finally got his own romantic plotline and sudsy, soap-ish moment. It seems to be a prerequisite that each cast member have a post-coital scene at some point, so, one supposes Eileen (Anjelica Huston) and her ex husband, Jerry (Michael Cristofer), may re-team behind the scenes - or, maybe not. Eileen was given finest material of the night as far as I'm concerned and Huston's delicate portrayal of a woman conflicted was artful in its attentiveness and believability. She imbues the material with a grace and gravitas that few stars can consistently achieve as she has done throughout her career and continues to do so here on SMASH. Episode Four cleanly and clearly displayed the attributes we came to love about the pilot - natural integration of fabulous Marilyn-themed musical numbers into the drama, as in "Howl"; superlative new renditions of modern-day pop hits, such as "Rumor Has It"; and a specialty song or two, too, like Nick Jonas and his Michael Buble party accompaniment. While it did not break new ground as far as where the show is heading as a series like last week's show, this episode gave us an inkling of the entertainment experience coming in the next few weeks as we anticipate the arrival of many new and exciting guest stars, such as Bernadette Peters and Uma Thurman, in addition to the pain, passion, ecstasy and As for the rest of the drama, music and comedy, read on!

Also in the upcoming 'Rock of Ages' movie, Keith has many other TV, film and pop-music credits, as well as 4 B'way shows.

Q'VIVA! THE CHOSEN, the first-of-its-kind docu-journey series showcasing Latin music and dance, and featuring entertainment icon Jennifer Lopez, international music star Marc Anthony and world-renowned concert director Jamie King, will premiere Saturday, March 3 (8:00-10:00 PM ET/PT) on FOX, and will continue with two-hour episodes for five weeks until its grand finale Saturday, April 7 (8:00-10:00 PM ET/PT).

The MMAC Theater announces the further extension of the only weekly family magic show in NYC, the Off-Broadway run of The Amazing Max and The Box of Interesting Things, extended by popular demand through June 30, 2012.

Last night, SMASH cast Marilyn Monroe in the big Broadway musical based on her life at the show's center. Or, did they? While Ivy Lynn (Megan Hilty) may have done whatever it took to make an impression on the show's lothario director, Derek (Jack Davenport), it was Ivy's long-standing friendship with the songwriting team of Julia & Tom (Debra Messing & Christian Borle) and the belief in her readily apparent talent by the lead producer, Eileen (Anjelica Huston), that really sealed the deal. So, where does that leave Karen (Katharine McPhee)? In the chorus, it seems - at least for now. The drama escalated and reached an early peak along with the crescendos of Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman's smashing "Twentieth Century Fox Mambo" showstopper - the musical highlight of the impossibly strong second episode - as the heated fully-staged and fully-choreographed audition gave way to a dream reality which finally showed us all out there in the audience what a Karen/Marilyn could potentially be: a true blonde bombshell to beat the band. Of course, nothing is quite so cut and dry as it may appear and Karen may get her chance in the spotlight on the actual Marilyn musical's stage after all. Yet, for the next few episodes at least, Ivy is the star of the show - and she is going to wring every last wiggle, coo and peck out of the role. Plus, who can put over a number in true Broadway fashion - as Marilyn Monroe, perfectly played, no less - than Megan Hilty? Did you hear her line in the newly envisioned 'Let Me Be Your Star'? In much the same way as Hilty with the Broadway pizazz, McPhee effortlessly puts over treacherously tricky pop songs with smoothness, sweetness and near-tangible sincerety and conviction. Which way will the score ultimately go - and, furthermore, what shall be of the show that contains it? Will the musical be more Norma Jean or more Marilyn, thus more befitting of Karen or Ivy, respectively? Who knows, perhaps there ultimately will be two Marilyns required - as was proposed in this very column last week at this time and seems the logical ultimate conclusion of the casting dilemma at the show's core. We will certainly have to wait and find out what happens next on SMASH and what the show ends up requiring of its incredibly talented cast of hoofers and stars-to-be. Plus, Nick Jonas, Uma Thurman and Bernadette Peters make guest star debuts in the next several weeks!

CHICO & RITA, set in the jazz worlds of Havana, New York, and Europe, opens its US theatrical run on February 10 at NYC's Angelika Film Center (18 W. Houston St., 212-995-2570) before expanding nationally. The film by Academy Award® winning director Fernando Trueba (Belle Epoque) won Best Animated Feature at the 2011 European Film Awards as well as Spain's Goya Awards, has been nominated for an Annie Award, and is vying for an Academy Award® in the Best Animated Feature category. CHICO & RITA has been released internationally to wide critical acclaim and is currently 95% Fresh on Rotten Tomatoes, the highest rated film in the current Animated Oscar® race.

Classic Stage Company has announced complete casting for their upcoming production of Shakespeare's A MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM, which begins previews at CSC on Wednesday, April 4 for a limited engagement through Sunday, May 20. Joining two-time Tony Award winner Bebe Neuwirth (Hippolyta/Titania) and acclaimed film/television/stage star Christina Ricci (Hermia) in the cast are Jordan Dean (Demetrius), Nick Gehlfuss (Lysander), David Greenspan (Flute/Fairy), Halley Wegryn Gross (Helena), Anthony Heald (Theseus/Oberon), Erin Hill (Starveling/Fairy), Chad Lindsey (Snout/Fairy), Taylor Mac (Egeus/Puck), James Patrick Nelson (Snug/Fairy), Steven Skybell (Bottom) and Rob Yang (Quince/Fairy). Directed by Tony Speciale (Unnatural Acts), A MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM has its official opening Sunday, April 29.

On last night's AMERICAN IDOL auditions on Fox, 25-year-old Angie Ziederman stunned the judges with an outrageous rendition of THE PRODUCERS' 'When You've Got It, Flaunt It'.

American Idol came to Aspen, Colorado, this week to continue their search for the next Idol. It's only one day of auditions, so people have come from all over to sing their hearts out in hopes of collecting a ticket to Hollywood.

Season Six of CNBC's AMERICAN GREED will premiere on Wednesday, January 25th at 9 PM/et. The program will repeat at 10PM, 12AM and 1AM ET the same night. In the season's premiere episode, entitled 'Kenneth Starr: Naked Greed: Celebrity Scam Artist', the show focuses on New York accountant Kenneth Starr.

Season Six of CNBC's AMERICAN GREED will premiere on Wednesday, January 25th at 9 PM/et. The program will repeat at 10PM, 12AM and 1AM ET the same night. In the season's premiere episode, entitled 'Kenneth Starr: Naked Greed: Celebrity Scam Artist', the show focuses on New York accountant Kenneth Starr.

Today Tony-winner, Broadway star and BroadwayWorld.com fave Norbert Leo Butz was on set filming a guest starring role in the upcoming NBC series - SMASH and BroadwayWorld.com was there to capture behind the scenes footage, interviews with Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman, Savannah Wise and other special coverage.

Tony-winner, Broadway star and BroadwayWorld.com fave Norbert Leo Butz is on set today filming a guest starring role in the upcoming NBC series - SMASH. Butz will play the lead character in HEAVEN ON EARTH, the 'currently running show within a show' written by the characters played by Debra Messing and Christian Borle. He will perform an original tune, entitled 'The Higher You Get, the Farther You Fall' written by Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman.

BEL AMI is coming to theaters on March 2, 2012. The film is based on the french novel by Guy de Maupassant. It is produced by Uberto Pasonlini with a screenplay by Rachel Bennette and is being directed by Declan Donnellan and Nick Ormerod.

Classic Stage Company, under the leadership of Artistic Director Brian Kulick, has announced that acclaimed actress Christina Ricci will join two-time Tony Award winner Bebe Neuwirth in the company's upcoming production of William Shakespeare's A MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM. Directed by Tony Speciale, A MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM will begin performances Wednesday, March 28 and play a limited engagement through Sunday, May 6. Neuwirth will play the role of Titania and Ricci the role of Hermia. Additional casting will be announced early in the new year. Tickets will go on sale to the general public February 6. CSC is currently presenting the highly-acclaimed, sold-out production of Anton Chekhov's THE CHERRY ORCHARD (through January 8 only) and will next present Academy Award winner F. Murray Abraham in Bertolt Brecht's GALILEO, directed by Brian Kulick, beginning performances Wednesday, February 1.

With stars such as Bernadette Peters and Nick Jonas already signed on to guest star in NBC's upcoming Broadway-based series SMASH, the series has added yet another star to its list: Uma Thurman will join the show for a five episode arc.