British Theater Closing Draws Protest
Judi Dench, Ian McKellen, Maggie Smith, Alan Rickman, Emma Thompson and other British theater notables signed a letter in yesterday’s Times of London to protest plans to close the Old Vic Theater in Bristol for 18 months of renovations, beginning tomorrow, Agence France-Presse reported. Opened in 1766, the theater has nurtured the careers of Peter O’Toole and Daniel Day-Lewis, among other actors. The letter, from more than 120 actors, writers and directors, expressed fear that halting productions while the theater underwent $14.1 million in renovations and then allowing its rental for conferences and weddings would kill off the resident troupe. “What is clear is that the Bristol Old Vic Company is in danger of being allowed to fade away,” the letter said. At present, there are no plans for the company to tour or establish a temporary home during reconstruction. Officials of the theater said that the repairs were necessary to improve what they regard as a hazardous setting and that a facelift might reverse declining attendance.
Clarifies ‘The View’
Fans of “The View” should not have to wait too much longer for official word on who will replace Rosie O’Donnell and Star Jones at that ABC daytime show’s glass table. Barbara Walters, the show’s co-owner (with ABC) and co-executive producer, said on yesterday’s broadcast that an announcement was due “later this week.” While Ms. Walters, at right, center, did not address swirling speculation that she and ABC had settled on two comedians — Whoopi Goldberg and Sherri Shepherd — as new hosts, she did seek to snuff out one rumor. No, Ms. Walters said, Victoria Beckham (also known as Posh of the Spice Girls) has not signed a two-week contract as a guest host, as The New York Post, citing “reports out of London,” said yesterday. “Good idea,” Ms. Walters said. “News to us.” JACQUES STEINBERG
Coming Attractions
At the Public
The Public Theater announced its 2007-8 season yesterday, and among the highlights are two works having their New York premieres: Sam Shepard’s “Kicking a Dead Horse,” which was first seen in the spring at the Abbey Theater in Dublin, and which will open at the Public next summer, with Mr. Shepard directing and Stephen Rea starring; and Caryl Churchill’s “Drunk Enough to Say I Love You?,” a co-production with the Royal Court Theater in London (where it played last fall), opening in the spring with James Macdonald directing. Joining those productions will be David Henry Hwang’s “Yellowface,” a previously announced co-production with Center Theater Group in Los Angeles; the Wooster Group’s take on “Hamlet,” which was seen in development at St. Ann’s Warehouse in the spring; “Conversations in Tusculum,” a new history play about ancient Rome written by Richard Nelson and starring Brian Dennehy, David Strathairn and Maria Tucci; “Little Flower of East Orange,” a new play by Stephen Adly Guirgis that Philip Seymour Hoffman will direct in a co-production with the LAByrinth Theater Company; and “The Brothers Size” by Tarell Alvin McCraney, which was presented at the Public’s Under the Radar festival this year. The Public has also announced the details of its concert presentations of “Hair” at the Delacorte Theater in Central Park. The presentations, part of Joe’s Pub in the Park, will take place on Sept. 22, 23 and 24; admission is free. CAMPBELL ROBERTSON
Comic Books’ Many Muses
The buzz from the 38th annual Comic-Con International in San Diego, which closed on Sunday, was as much about comic-book-related projects in other mediums as it was about traditional comics. Dark Horse Comics and MySpace teamed up to bring back “Dark Horse Presents,” an online anthology comic (darkhorse.com), which went live on Friday and will feature work by new and established creators. In October THQ will release a video game starring Conan, above, with Ron Perlman supplying that barbarian’s voice. Also in the fall, WildStorm, an imprint from DC Comics, will collect the online comics created for NBC’s “Heroes” Web site, nbc.com/heroes. In related news, Kevin Smith will write and direct an episode of “Heroes: Origin,” a six-episode television spinoff that will introduce new characters to the show’s mythology. Vertigo, another imprint from DC Comics, will publish a graphic novel based on Neil Young’s “Greendale” album. Jon Favreau, the director of “Iron Man,” a film set for release next May, will write a mini-series featuring the armored-superhero title character that will be timed to the movie’s release. GEORGE GENE GUSTINES
No Go for ‘Pal Joey’
After years of unsuccessful tries, it finally looked as if a revival of the 1940 Rodgers and Hart musical comedy, “Pal Joey” — the first revival since 1976 — was going to make it to Broadway in the spring. Though never officially announced, the production, with a revised libretto by Richard Greenberg, had lined up Christian Hoff, above right, to star and Joe Mantello to direct (Stockard Channing was also in the mix, though no deal had been made). It was even the front-runner for the Richard Rodgers Theater after “Tarzan” closed. But in the last few weeks, the producer of the revival, Marc Platt, decided to postpone the production. “This spring the timing is just not right, but hopefully it will happen as soon as it can,” Mr. Platt said in a telephone interview, adding that the postponement was not for financial reasons but for personal and professional reasons (“It’s my bad,” he said). Mr. Platt also said that Mr. Mantello and Mr. Hoff were still interested and attached to the production. CAMPBELL ROBERTSON
Footnotes
O. J. Simpson, below, is scheduled to appear live on Market News First, at MN1.com, for an hour beginning at 5 p.m. Central time today to respond to viewers’ questions and discuss his life in an interview with the host, Kate Delaney. Mr. Simpson has been a focus of interest since he was acquitted of the 1994 murder of his former wife, Nicole Brown Simpson, and her friend Ron Goldman, whose family later won a civil wrongful-death judgment against him. ... Paris Hilton, the partygoer and entertainer who was recently released from jail for violation of her probation in an alcohol-related reckless-driving case, has joined Alexa Vega and Paul Sorvino in the cast of “Repo! The Genetic Opera,” Variety.com reported. The film is described as a futuristic thriller with music numbers from opera to rock. ... The Atlantic Theater Company will open its 2007-8 season with the world premiere of the Lucy Thurber play “Scarcity,” about two siblings whose hopes of escaping poverty and life in rural Massachusetts come into conflict with their sense of family responsibility. ... Kelly Osbourne, daughter of Ozzy and Sharon Osbourne, will make her legitimate-theater debut as the prison matron Mama Morton in the London production of “Chicago,” from Sept. 10 through Oct. 27 at the Cambridge Theater.
