Tom Hanks And Davis Guggenheim Partner On Obama Campaign Video

Those who claim Hollywood is an ant’s nest of Democratic and liberal activism are already riled up over Saturday’s debut of HBO’s Sarah Palin picGame Change.Now they will have more reason to shake a fist at the entertainment community with today’s unveiling of the 2-minute trailer for The Road We’ve Traveled,a new campaign video for President Obama’s re-election effort. Narrated by Oscar-winner Tom Hanks at his most passionate and directed by David Guggenheim (director of Al Gore’s Oscar-winning documentaryAn Inconvenient Truth), the 17-minute film will be released March 17. The trailer, which debuted this morning onsocialmedia sites like Facebook, features comments from Vice President Joe Biden, former Chief of Staff (and current mayor of Chicago) Rahm Emanuel, former economic advisor Austan Goolsbee and others. Republicans are already foaming at the mouth over the trailer, while the Obama faithful are waiting anxiously for the remaining 15 minutes. Such is life in the 2012 election season.

LulzSec cyber-terrorist face federal charges

LulzSec, the hacker group that focused its attacks on entertainment galleries throughout the summer time of 2011 before disappearing as rapidly because it made an appearance, continues to be caught. The U.S. Attorney's Office introduced Tuesday it had billed five individuals with computer hacking along with other crimes, which a sixth -- Hector Xavier Monsegur, also known as alleged LulzSec leader "Sabu" -- had pled guilty to individuals charges. The audience rose to prominence this past year, first by hacking the pc system of PBS -- altering the site of news program "Frontline" to publish an incorrect are convinced that rapper Tupac Shakur was "alive and well" in Nz, together with Biggie Smalls, also known as The Well known B.I.G. That mischievousness required more aggressive turns within the ensuing several weeks, once the group stole and published the private data of roughly 100,000 customers of The new sony Pictures' website, and then compromised videogame writer Bethesda Softworks, using the group declaring credit for stealing the information of 200,000 clients. "LulzSec began an offer of malicious cyber-assaults around the websites and personal computers of numerous business and governmental organizations within the U . s . States and around the world,Inch prosecutors stated inside a statement. Operating under an early on pseudonym, the audience seemed to be accountable for entering Fox's system and seeping a database of X Factor participants that contains contact details of 73,000 participants. Monsegur was allegedly the best choice from the band, and reviews indicate he cooperated with federal government bodies to discover and help capture another people. Also billed were Ryan Ackroyd, Mike Davis, Darren Martyn and Donncha O'Cearrbhail. Monsegur pleaded guilty to 3 counts laptop or computer hacking conspiracy, five counts laptop or computer hacking, one count laptop or computer hacking in furtherance of fraud, one count of conspiracy to commit access device fraud, one count of conspiracy to commit bank fraud, and something count of irritated id theft. He faces a maximum sentence of 124 many six several weeks imprisonment. Contact the range newsroom at news@variety.com

Mass Hysteria reaches 'Boiling Point'

Mass Hysteria Entertainment has acquired rights to upcoming action thriller "The Boiling Point." Project's written by Joshua Courtade and Ryan Leeder, with Warren P. Sonoda attached to direct and Daniel Grodnik producing for Mass Hysteria. Barry Brooker and Stan Wertlieb exec produce for Grindstone Entertainment. Story follows a gangster assigned to take out a mob informer -- his ex-girlfriend, who disappeared years earlier into the witness protection program. Production is tentatively scheduled for late spring. Sonoda is the director of the recently released "Unrivaled," starring Rashad Evans, and "5ive Girls," starring Ron Perlman. Grindstone Entertainment has acquired all North American rights. Contact Dave McNary at dave.mcnary@variety.com

Who's Excited for your Animal House Musical... With Music By Barenaked Ladies?

Following inside the actions of hit musical adaptations Billy Elliot, Wicked, and convey It On: The Musical, Universal's stage adaptation of John Landis's Animal House will hit Broadway getting a magazine by playwright Michael Mitnick, being directed by Book of Mormon's Casey Nicholaw, with music with the males who sang the indelible lyrics "Chickity China china chicken/There is a drumstick along with your brain stops tickin'." Because nothing states "Broadway" like frat boys and crunchy Canadian alt-rock, right? [THR]

Summer Theater Programs Are an Alternative to Summer Stock

William Shakespeare's "Cymbeline" is probably not the first title that comes to mind when you think "children's theater camp." But a few seasons ago at the Idyllwild Arts Summer Program in Idyllwild, Calif., actor-turned-director Johanna McKay found herself leading seven kids, ages 8 to 12, through that play's complicated dramaturgy. McKay wrote a mini version in rhymed, child-friendly iambic pentameter ("King Cymbeline came roaring through the house: / 'Get out! How could you marry her, you louse?' "). She also added a sequence involving a slow-motion sword fight. This artistic excursion was as rewarding for McKay as it was for the kids, perhaps more so. "We did it at the open-air amphitheater," she recalls. "We had the audience sit on the stage. You could see the woods and the hills and flags fluttering in the breeze. It was everything I'd hope a summer experience would be if I were in a Shakespeare repertory company." Sounds like a pastoral paradise, doesn't it? "Happy Days: A New Musical"; campers rehearse for a production at Long Lake Camp for the Arts. (Rodney Lee) Working for a summer theater camp or similar summer program may not be for everyone. But for those who enjoy working with young people, it can be a viableand inspiringalternative to acting in a summer-stock program yourself or pounding the sunbaked pavement looking for work in the city. Of course, no two camps are exactly the same. Back Stage recently looked at four programs to get an idea of the options available throughout the country.Stagedoor Manor, Loch Sheldrake, N.Y. Arguably the most famous of all children's theater camps, Stagedoor Manor is in a renovated resort hotel in the Catskill Mountains. The list of Stagedoor alumni includes such names as Robert Downey Jr., Natalie Portman, Zach Braff, and Lea Michele. Actor-director Todd Graff drew on his experiences at Stagedoor for his 2003 film musical, "Camp."Campers at Stagedoor range in age from 10 to 18. As with most acting camps, participants not only take classes and workshops but also prepare a production as the finale of a three-week session. The camp is extremely popular. According to program director Chris Armbrister, a decade or so ago Stagedoor operated at 8090 percent capacity. Now, in the "Glee" decade, it tends to be fully booked by the October preceding its three summer sessions.Unsurprisingly, employment at Stagedoor is highly desirable. Says Los Angeles actor and teacher Amy Lyndon, who worked at the camp while a BFA student at Syracuse University, "I enjoyed it so much, they had to remind me that I worked there and wasn't paying to participate." Armbrister notes that there's a 95 percent return rate among the camp's directors, choreographers, and music directors. Armbrister also hires camp counselors, who manage kids in the dorms by night and serve in various capacitiesvideographer, lifeguard, makeup artistby day. There's even a sports counselor position. "In a lot of camps you have all these sports, and then you have one person doing the drama program," says Armbrister. "We're the exact opposite. We have one guy who teaches our tennis classes and runs our cast-versus-cast volleyball games. He's our sports department." (Brian Coffey) New Jerseybased actor Brian Coffey has worked as a teacher and director at Stagedoor for a half-dozen summers. He notes that Stagedoor campers often perform highly sophisticated dramatic material. One season Coffey was set to direct Beth Henley's "Crimes of the Heart" with kids ages 13 to 17. But when enrollment shot up, he was asked to switch to a show with a larger cast: the homophobia-themed "The Laramie Project," from Moiss Kaufman. "There's no way," Coffey says, "to 'sugarcoat' the themes of such a play. The only thing I can do is to tell the kids, 'This is adult material. If you have questions, ask.' "Coffey is often startled by the talent level of the kids he encounters. He recalls one tiny blond-haired girl who performed a monologue as an aging Italian woman looking back on a joyless life. The child's skills, he says, were astounding. And she was one among many: "You see kids, and you think, 'Oh, that's a young Christine Baranski. That's a young Mandy Patinkin.' "Despite their talent, these young people often lack an understanding of basic playing techniques. Coffey recalls directing children in a vintage comedy. "They don't necessarily have a knowledge of humor earlier than, like, 'The Hangover,' " he says. "So I had to teach them spit takes, double takes, triple takes. They were so hesitant. I had to keep saying, 'It's funnytrust me, it's funny.' And then they realized, once they started getting laughs, that it was funny. It was like watching a flower bloom."Idyllwild Arts Summer Program, Idyllwild, Calif. Some of the senior artistic staff in the drama division at Idyllwild are working actors, directors, or choreographers. All are expected, however, to have some previous experience working with young people. But according to the summer program director, Steven Fraider, few staff members are certified public-school teachers. "I hope it doesn't sound immodest," he says, "but we think we have a higher standard than that."In addition to faculty, some 60 people are hired as camp counselors. These positions are relatively low-paying and tend to be filled by college students or recent graduates. If you're a counselor with a theater background, you won't necessarily be in charge of drama kids alone. You may supervise music or visual arts campers as well.Most of the summer sessions at Idyllwild are two weeks long, but some of the larger theater programs last three weeks. Theater campers do more than simply rehearse a show for final presentation. They also build sets and make props and costumes for the performances. "You could probably get better-looking stuff by renting it," says Fraider, "but we think the students learn a lot more by making it." (Johanna McKay) Johanna McKay discovered Idyllwild 17 years ago while she was an MFA acting student at UCLA. She started out as an assistant to the late John Altieri, who began the camp's "Shakespeare's World" program. McKay had limited institutional experience working with young people but had tended kids before: "Who knew that my typing class and my baby-sitting were gonna be the things that really helped me out in life?" Eventually McKay took over the "Shakespeare's World" program. In addition to her adaptation of "Cymbeline," she created a version of "Hamlet," complete with an interpolated "pirate" episode showing Hamlet, Rosencrantz, and Guildenstern on the high seas. Recently, an adaptation of "As You Like It" that McKay prepared for Idyllwild was published.Her work at the camp led McKay to a new career during the non-summer months. She now is employed by P.S. Arts, which provides arts training for kids in underfunded public schools in the Los Angeles area. That doesn't mean McKay is done with acting. "Even though Idyllwild is two and a half hours from L.A., my managers know when I'm leaving town," she says. "If something big comes up, they'll call me. And the camp lets me off." She encourages actors with curiosity about camp work to give it a whirl, even if it takes them out of the audition pool for a spell. "You might find yourself sucked in," she says.Oregon Conservatory of Performing Arts, Medford, Ore. Jeff Tabler, artistic director of Oregon Conservatoruy of Performing Arts, in rehearsal. (Rodney Lee) Artistic director Jeff Tabler founded OCPA in this southern Oregon community in 1998, in part to compensate for the diminishing arts instruction in public schools. In addition to the organization's summer camp, OCPA offers classes during the school year. Over the seasons nearly 2,000 kids have participated in the conservatory's programs.The summer program is a day camp, so there are no dormitories that require the hiring of counselors. With campers returning to their homes each night, there tends to be more day-to-day parental involvement than one would find in a sleepover setup. So staff members sometimes face the prospect of dealing with stage moms or dads.Tabler hires instructors and other staff largely from among the local theater and film community. Southern Oregon University and the Oregon Shakespeare Festivalboth in nearby Ashlandare handy resources. For newcomers with little or no experience working with kids, internships can provide a foot in the door.Tabler stresses that staff must be part of a team: "We certainly don't like anybody coming in and just saying, 'I can do it all myself, and I don't really need you but I'm stuck with you.'... [Staff members] have to have patience with kids, understand kids. And when I say 'kids,'we work with kids up to 19."For Tyrone Williams, who's also a longtime actor at OSF, 2012 will mark the ninth season at OCPA. Williams runs the conservatory's "Classical Camp," directing abridged versions of plays by the likes of Shakespeare and Molire. Because of his wealth of experience, Williams enjoys considerable autonomy in picking scripts and devising curricula. This summer, Williams intends to direct a Shakespeare play leavened with Monty Pythonstyle antics.Working in a day camp requires a talent for adaptability, Williams says. "You walk in, and they say, 'Oh, [this camper] isn't going to be here today. He has a dental appointment.' And you go, 'Okay, we didn't know about that, did we, until this morning? So we're going to have to change what we're doing in rehearsal today.' " Williams double-cast last season's "Tartuffe" in part to avoid such disruptions.Williams is frequently impressed with the creative maturity of the campers. "On the other hand," he says, "I'm surprised at how young they are and how much they haven't lived yet." He feels that his own acting has become "simplified," thanks to his work at the camp: "I have a more articulate way of [explaining] my own process because I've had to explain it to a 12-year-old."Long Lake Camp for the Arts, Adirondack Park, N.Y. At Long Lake Camp, it's all about the camper. Geoffrey Burnett, Long Lake's co-director, explains: "We make everybody feel like they're very, very valuable. We offer a noncompetitive approach to theater, and that dictates who I hire. So we're not looking for your very aggressive, bombastic, egotistical director, who says 'Look at me through my kids.' We're looking for those who say, 'Wow, look at those kids!' " "Happy Days: A New Musical"; campers rehearse for a production at Long Lake Camp for the Arts.(Geoff Burnett) Long Lake gives its theater campers plenty of opportunity to explore artistic and recreational pursuits in addition to drama, Burnett notes. In fact, kids structure their own days. If they feel like exploring ceramics or canoeing instead of taking an acting workshop, they're welcome to do so.Sam DiRosa, who has taught and directed at Long Lake for two seasons, offers one amendment to Burnett's description: If campers wish to be part of a theater production, they must make themselves available for rehearsals. There's no running off to a table tennis tournament when there are scenes to be run.Making kids feel at home and comfortable is the task not only of Long Lake's camp counselors (known as "unit leaders") but also of instructors such as DiRosa. Most kids love being at camp, but bouts of homesickness are inevitable. Some campers are shy or uncomfortable about themselves to begin with.DiRosa says he has never encountered a child at Long Lake who hasn't been able to befriend a like-minded camper. "It's not that we play matchmaker or anything," he says, "but if we see certain kids who are really quiet, who just sort of keep to themselves, we'll go up to them and start talking to them, see what they're interested in, what they're into. Between all the staff there, we really get to know the kids and troubleshoot to see what it is that's bothering them."The work at Long Lake can be strenuous. In each of his seasons at the camp, DiRosa has participated in all three 3-week sessions. At each session he has directed two musicals, one rehearsing in the morning, the other in the afternoonand these are large-cast shows, such as "Annie" and "Les Misrables." After DiRosa rehearses the second musical, his day isn't yet over; he will then teach workshops on such topics as improvisation and audition technique.He doesn't mind the hard work or long hours. Nor does he fret about taking a break from his own acting career. At the staff talent show DiRosa is sometimes asked to perform. He avoids it: "The last thing I want to do is sing."In autumn and winter and spring, he says, everything revolves around his own career and creative development. The summer months provide a welcome respitean opportunity to focus on the artistic growth of somebody else. By Mark Dundas Wood February 22, 2012 Stage Manor Choreographer Robert Gonzales rehearses with Campers. PHOTO CREDIT Geoff Burnett William Shakespeare's "Cymbeline" is probably not the first title that comes to mind when you think "children's theater camp." But a few seasons ago at the Idyllwild Arts Summer Program in Idyllwild, Calif., actor-turned-director Johanna McKay found herself leading seven kids, ages 8 to 12, through that play's complicated dramaturgy. McKay wrote a mini version in rhymed, child-friendly iambic pentameter ("King Cymbeline came roaring through the house: / 'Get out! How could you marry her, you louse?' "). She also added a sequence involving a slow-motion sword fight. This artistic excursion was as rewarding for McKay as it was for the kids, perhaps more so. "We did it at the open-air amphitheater," she recalls. "We had the audience sit on the stage. You could see the woods and the hills and flags fluttering in the breeze. It was everything I'd hope a summer experience would be if I were in a Shakespeare repertory company." Sounds like a pastoral paradise, doesn't it? "Happy Days: A New Musical"; campers rehearse for a production at Long Lake Camp for the Arts. (Rodney Lee) Working for a summer theater camp or similar summer program may not be for everyone. But for those who enjoy working with young people, it can be a viableand inspiringalternative to acting in a summer-stock program yourself or pounding the sunbaked pavement looking for work in the city. Of course, no two camps are exactly the same. Back Stage recently looked at four programs to get an idea of the options available throughout the country.Stagedoor Manor, Loch Sheldrake, N.Y. Arguably the most famous of all children's theater camps, Stagedoor Manor is in a renovated resort hotel in the Catskill Mountains. The list of Stagedoor alumni includes such names as Robert Downey Jr., Natalie Portman, Zach Braff, and Lea Michele. Actor-director Todd Graff drew on his experiences at Stagedoor for his 2003 film musical, "Camp."Campers at Stagedoor range in age from 10 to 18. As with most acting camps, participants not only take classes and workshops but also prepare a production as the finale of a three-week session. The camp is extremely popular. According to program director Chris Armbrister, a decade or so ago Stagedoor operated at 8090 percent capacity. Now, in the "Glee" decade, it tends to be fully booked by the October preceding its three summer sessions.Unsurprisingly, employment at Stagedoor is highly desirable. Says Los Angeles actor and teacher Amy Lyndon, who worked at the camp while a BFA student at Syracuse University, "I enjoyed it so much, they had to remind me that I worked there and wasn't paying to participate." Armbrister notes that there's a 95 percent return rate among the camp's directors, choreographers, and music directors. Armbrister also hires camp counselors, who manage kids in the dorms by night and serve in various capacitiesvideographer, lifeguard, makeup artistby day. There's even a sports counselor position. "In a lot of camps you have all these sports, and then you have one person doing the drama program," says Armbrister. "We're the exact opposite. We have one guy who teaches our tennis classes and runs our cast-versus-cast volleyball games. He's our sports department." (Brian Coffey) New Jerseybased actor Brian Coffey has worked as a teacher and director at Stagedoor for a half-dozen summers. He notes that Stagedoor campers often perform highly sophisticated dramatic material. One season Coffey was set to direct Beth Henley's "Crimes of the Heart" with kids ages 13 to 17. But when enrollment shot up, he was asked to switch to a show with a larger cast: the homophobia-themed "The Laramie Project," from Moiss Kaufman. "There's no way," Coffey says, "to 'sugarcoat' the themes of such a play. The only thing I can do is to tell the kids, 'This is adult material. If you have questions, ask.' "Coffey is often startled by the talent level of the kids he encounters. He recalls one tiny blond-haired girl who performed a monologue as an aging Italian woman looking back on a joyless life. The child's skills, he says, were astounding. And she was one among many: "You see kids, and you think, 'Oh, that's a young Christine Baranski. That's a young Mandy Patinkin.' "Despite their talent, these young people often lack an understanding of basic playing techniques. Coffey recalls directing children in a vintage comedy. "They don't necessarily have a knowledge of humor earlier than, like, 'The Hangover,' " he says. "So I had to teach them spit takes, double takes, triple takes. They were so hesitant. I had to keep saying, 'It's funnytrust me, it's funny.' And then they realized, once they started getting laughs, that it was funny. It was like watching a flower bloom."Idyllwild Arts Summer Program, Idyllwild, Calif. Some of the senior artistic staff in the drama division at Idyllwild are working actors, directors, or choreographers. All are expected, however, to have some previous experience working with young people. But according to the summer program director, Steven Fraider, few staff members are certified public-school teachers. "I hope it doesn't sound immodest," he says, "but we think we have a higher standard than that."In addition to faculty, some 60 people are hired as camp counselors. These positions are relatively low-paying and tend to be filled by college students or recent graduates. If you're a counselor with a theater background, you won't necessarily be in charge of drama kids alone. You may supervise music or visual arts campers as well.Most of the summer sessions at Idyllwild are two weeks long, but some of the larger theater programs last three weeks. Theater campers do more than simply rehearse a show for final presentation. They also build sets and make props and costumes for the performances. "You could probably get better-looking stuff by renting it," says Fraider, "but we think the students learn a lot more by making it." (Johanna McKay) Johanna McKay discovered Idyllwild 17 years ago while she was an MFA acting student at UCLA. She started out as an assistant to the late John Altieri, who began the camp's "Shakespeare's World" program. McKay had limited institutional experience working with young people but had tended kids before: "Who knew that my typing class and my baby-sitting were gonna be the things that really helped me out in life?" Eventually McKay took over the "Shakespeare's World" program. In addition to her adaptation of "Cymbeline," she created a version of "Hamlet," complete with an interpolated "pirate" episode showing Hamlet, Rosencrantz, and Guildenstern on the high seas. Recently, an adaptation of "As You Like It" that McKay prepared for Idyllwild was published.Her work at the camp led McKay to a new career during the non-summer months. She now is employed by P.S. Arts, which provides arts training for kids in underfunded public schools in the Los Angeles area. That doesn't mean McKay is done with acting. "Even though Idyllwild is two and a half hours from L.A., my managers know when I'm leaving town," she says. "If something big comes up, they'll call me. And the camp lets me off." She encourages actors with curiosity about camp work to give it a whirl, even if it takes them out of the audition pool for a spell. "You might find yourself sucked in," she says.Oregon Conservatory of Performing Arts, Medford, Ore. Jeff Tabler, artistic director of Oregon Conservatoruy of Performing Arts, in rehearsal. (Rodney Lee) Artistic director Jeff Tabler founded OCPA in this southern Oregon community in 1998, in part to compensate for the diminishing arts instruction in public schools. In addition to the organization's summer camp, OCPA offers classes during the school year. Over the seasons nearly 2,000 kids have participated in the conservatory's programs.The summer program is a day camp, so there are no dormitories that require the hiring of counselors. With campers returning to their homes each night, there tends to be more day-to-day parental involvement than one would find in a sleepover setup. So staff members sometimes face the prospect of dealing with stage moms or dads.Tabler hires instructors and other staff largely from among the local theater and film community. Southern Oregon University and the Oregon Shakespeare Festivalboth in nearby Ashlandare handy resources. For newcomers with little or no experience working with kids, internships can provide a foot in the door.Tabler stresses that staff must be part of a team: "We certainly don't like anybody coming in and just saying, 'I can do it all myself, and I don't really need you but I'm stuck with you.'... [Staff members] have to have patience with kids, understand kids. And when I say 'kids,'we work with kids up to 19."For Tyrone Williams, who's also a longtime actor at OSF, 2012 will mark the ninth season at OCPA. Williams runs the conservatory's "Classical Camp," directing abridged versions of plays by the likes of Shakespeare and Molire. Because of his wealth of experience, Williams enjoys considerable autonomy in picking scripts and devising curricula. This summer, Williams intends to direct a Shakespeare play leavened with Monty Pythonstyle antics.Working in a day camp requires a talent for adaptability, Williams says. "You walk in, and they say, 'Oh, [this camper] isn't going to be here today. He has a dental appointment.' And you go, 'Okay, we didn't know about that, did we, until this morning? So we're going to have to change what we're doing in rehearsal today.' " Williams double-cast last season's "Tartuffe" in part to avoid such disruptions.Williams is frequently impressed with the creative maturity of the campers. "On the other hand," he says, "I'm surprised at how young they are and how much they haven't lived yet." He feels that his own acting has become "simplified," thanks to his work at the camp: "I have a more articulate way of [explaining] my own process because I've had to explain it to a 12-year-old."Long Lake Camp for the Arts, Adirondack Park, N.Y. At Long Lake Camp, it's all about the camper. Geoffrey Burnett, Long Lake's co-director, explains: "We make everybody feel like they're very, very valuable. We offer a noncompetitive approach to theater, and that dictates who I hire. So we're not looking for your very aggressive, bombastic, egotistical director, who says 'Look at me through my kids.' We're looking for those who say, 'Wow, look at those kids!' " "Happy Days: A New Musical"; campers rehearse for a production at Long Lake Camp for the Arts.(Geoff Burnett) Long Lake gives its theater campers plenty of opportunity to explore artistic and recreational pursuits in addition to drama, Burnett notes. In fact, kids structure their own days. If they feel like exploring ceramics or canoeing instead of taking an acting workshop, they're welcome to do so.Sam DiRosa, who has taught and directed at Long Lake for two seasons, offers one amendment to Burnett's description: If campers wish to be part of a theater production, they must make themselves available for rehearsals. There's no running off to a table tennis tournament when there are scenes to be run.Making kids feel at home and comfortable is the task not only of Long Lake's camp counselors (known as "unit leaders") but also of instructors such as DiRosa. Most kids love being at camp, but bouts of homesickness are inevitable. Some campers are shy or uncomfortable about themselves to begin with.DiRosa says he has never encountered a child at Long Lake who hasn't been able to befriend a like-minded camper. "It's not that we play matchmaker or anything," he says, "but if we see certain kids who are really quiet, who just sort of keep to themselves, we'll go up to them and start talking to them, see what they're interested in, what they're into. Between all the staff there, we really get to know the kids and troubleshoot to see what it is that's bothering them."The work at Long Lake can be strenuous. In each of his seasons at the camp, DiRosa has participated in all three 3-week sessions. At each session he has directed two musicals, one rehearsing in the morning, the other in the afternoonand these are large-cast shows, such as "Annie" and "Les Misrables." After DiRosa rehearses the second musical, his day isn't yet over; he will then teach workshops on such topics as improvisation and audition technique.He doesn't mind the hard work or long hours. Nor does he fret about taking a break from his own acting career. At the staff talent show DiRosa is sometimes asked to perform. He avoids it: "The last thing I want to do is sing."In autumn and winter and spring, he says, everything revolves around his own career and creative development. The summer months provide a welcome respitean opportunity to focus on the artistic growth of somebody else.

three dimensional retrofit illuminates box office

'Star Wars: Episode I -- The Phantom Menace''Beauty and also the Beast'Maybe three dimensional continues to have legs in the end.Greater than a decade after bowing in theaters, Fox's "The Exorcist: Episode I -- The Phantom Menace," initially launched in 1999, obtained a much better-than-expected domestic debut of $22.5 million because of its three dimensional retrofit.Probably the most positive bizzers forecasted "The Phantom Menace" hitting upward of $20 million, while more conservative B.O. experts place the pic within the mid-teen range.Our prime-finish debut for "Phantom" marks another fine feather within the cap of an increasing number of three dimensional retrofits.Disney has been doing well to date using its multidimensional redos, "The Lion King" and "Beauty and also the Animal," the second which is approaching the $50 million mark locally. "The Lion King" kick-began Hollywood's hurry of three dimensional conversions last fall, grossing an outstanding $94 million in The United States.The prosperity of these projects comes in a vital time for that format, when auds (especially families) still question the need for having to pay three dimensional upcharges.The Disney pair, in addition to "The Exorcist" to some degree, prove that family audiences still are prepared to venture towards the plexes for three dimensional.Past the retrofit realm, Warner Bros.-New Line's family-specific "Journey 2: The Mysterious Island" offered lots of three dimensional ducats, collecting a greater-than-usual 76% in the format (it paid for for 79% from the pic's total location count). Contact Andrew Stewart at andrew.stewart@variety.com

2013 honours calendar firming up

The 2013 honours calendar has started to create getting a trio of dates set. The Organization company directors Guild of America has set its 65th Annual DGA Honours for Jan. 26 -- a Saturday and similar to this year, when its occasions were round the final Saturday from the month of the month of january. The DGA hasn't introduced a venue yet. The 2013 edition in the Screen Stars Guild Honours will probably be on the very next day, Jan. 27, within the usual venue, the La Shrine Exposition Center. Next year's SAG show will probably be simulcast survive TNT and also the best spinner's. This Year's simulcast was up 3% this year, getting an overall total audience more than 5.2 million audiences. The Producers Guild of America has set its 24th honours show for Jan. 19 within the Beverly Hilton, the identical venue it used this year. Contact Dork McNary at dork.mcnary@variety.com

Winfrey tweet upsets Nielsen

WinfreyThe massive influence Oprah Winfrey sways wasn't appreciated by Nielsen Sunday night. The former daytime queen and current topper of cabler OWN used her Twitter account to ask Nielsen box-top owners to watch the 9 p.m. telecast of "Oprah's Next Chapter." "Every 1 who can please turn to OWN especially if - have a Neilsen box," was sent to million of followers. That, however, turns out to a possible violation of Nielsen policy, and Winfrey soon sent out an apology: "I removed the tweet at the request of Nielsen. I intended no harm and apologize for the reference." While the ratings for "Oprah's Next Chapter" won't be available until Tuesday, Nielsen announced they would put an asterisk next to the final total and indicate there may have been bias in how those numbers were attained. Winfrey sent the tweet from her hotel room in Georgia, where she is on location for the upcoming OWN skein "Love Town USA." Contact Stuart Levine at stuart.levine@variety.com

Globes' value in trial spotlight

The courtroom battle over the rights to the Golden Globes delved Friday into the question of just how much the kudocast is worth. One of the arguments that the Hollywood Foreign Press Assn. is making in its suit against Dick Clark Prods. is that its longtime producer, in securing a new rights deal for the show with NBC without the HFPA's consent, prevented the HFPA from fetching higher offers from other networks. Already, in questioning of witnesses, attorneys for the HFPA have suggested that CBS Corp. CEO Leslie Moonves was willing to offer $25 million or more per year. Dick Clark Prods. and the HFPA have a 50-50 partnership in the Globes telecast, but DCP contends that it could secure a broadcast deal with NBC and didn't need the HFPA's permission. DCP cites an "extensions clause" in a 1993 amendment to an earlier rights agreement that its lawyers say gives the company options to produce the telecast as long as it landed a deal with NBC. The testimony Friday offered a glimpse into the gamesmanship at work when high-stakes deals are done in Hollywood. Marc Graboff, former prexy of West Coast business operations for NBC Entertainment, testified in U.S. District Court about the 2010 negotiations that led to the Peacock network paying an average of $21.5 million annually for the show from 2012 to 2018. "I feel we paid a little too much for it," Graboff said. He admitted that he had earlier said that NBC's "butts were kicked" in the negotiations with Dick Clark Prods. Graboff said he was told by Mark Shapiro, the CEO of DCP, that he had to secure the approval of the HFPA to do a deal. Graboff said he was under the impression that the HFPA was "intimately involved" in the negotiations, even though the org's representatives were not present at meetings or in on phone conversations. Graboff said that on "one or more occasions," Shapiro or Ari Emanuel, the agent for DCP, told him that CBS's Moonves was "prepared to offer more.""That is something you hear in every negotiation," he said. "Les Moonves is everyone's favorite stalking horse." When the broadcast deal was signed on Oct. 29, 2010, Graboff said, Shapiro told him that he still had to take it back to the HFPA membership for approval but that it would be a "rubber stamp." In Graboff's mind, that came on Nov. 9. According to one of his notes from that date, Shapiro called him and Graboff thought that everything was OK. "HFPA had the meeting and we're all good," Graboff's note read. In fact, it was near the end of October that Shapiro first informed the HFPA of the NBC deal and that it was done, triggering the latest litigation. Shapiro, testifying again on Friday, once again said that telling Graboff that he needed the HFPA's approval (even though he believed he did not) was all part of a "negotiating strategy." His rationale was to get extra leverage in the negotiations, giving the sense that there was a "higher authority" that he had to answer to that was much less likely to budge on things like the rights to the pre-show and flexibility on the show's date. As it turned out, NBC didn't get anything more than an extension of its existing deal -- but for more than double what it had been paying. Graboff said that had he ever known there was a conflict between the HFPA and DCP over the "extensions clause," he would have halted negotiations. At points in 2010, the HFPA and DCP were talking about altering the terms of their deal, one that may have indeed settled the entire issue of the "extensions" clause, but nothing ever materialized. Shapiro said that during that time he told the HFPA only that he was "talking" to NBC. Dick Clark, who sold the company in 2002, is not expected to testify. Over the weekend, attorneys were to try to come to an agreement on how Moonves will offer testimony in the case -- in the courtroom, via videoconference or by written sworn statement. The trial is to resume on Tuesday, with testimony expected to wrap up by the end of the week. Contact Ted Johnson at ted.johnson@variety.com

"Iron" forges boffo B.O.

Meryl Streep's Globes win keeps 'The Iron Lady' a hot ticket.In a well-timed election coup that would do the woman on which the film is based proud, the Weinstein Co. successfully expanded Margaret Thatcher biopic "The Iron Lady" to 802 locations for a four-day domestic weekend take of $6.6 million, topped off by star Meryl Streep nabbing a Golden Globe for her performance as the former British prime minister. Weinstein timed the expansion to coincide with the Jan. 15 Globes ceremony, having sent the pic out in limited release on an Oscar-qualifying run Dec. 30. So far, the pic has tallied $7.8 million domestically. "Iron Lady" should continue to play nicely through to the Oscars, with an added B.O. boost if Streep is nominated. Nevertheless, the pic, directed by Phyllida Lloyd ("Mamma Mia!"), will be hard-pressed to duplicate the box office success of last year's Weinstein-released biopic about British royalty. Oscar winner "The King's Speech" cumed $138.8 million Stateside, and reviews for "Iron Lady" haven't been as glowing as those for "Speech." Overseas, "Iron Lady" reached $19.5 million from a reported eight territories. In the U.K., the film has tallied north of $8 million, followed by Australia, which has contributed $6.7 million. Beside the Commonwealth, "Iron Lady" is set to bow throughout February in Brazil (Feb. 3) and France (Feb. 15), looking to benefit from potential Oscar attention. Major Asian territories, such as South Korea and Japan, will get the pic between late February and early March. Contact Andrew Stewart at andrew.stewart@variety.com

'Taken' helmer, 'Tetro' star ink with CAA

EhrenreichMorel CAA has signed "Taken" helmer Pierre Morel and "Tetro" star Alden Ehrenreich.Ehrenreich was initially discovered by Steven Spielberg in a video shown at a bat mitzvah before landing a lead role opposite Vincent Gallo in Francis Ford Coppola's semi-autobiographical film "Tetro." Thesp next stars alongside Elle Fanning in Coppola's horror pic "Twixt" and will also be seen as Mia Wasikowska's classmate in Fox Searchlight's thriller "Stoker." Morel served as cinematographer on such EuropaCorp films as "The Transporter" and "Unleashed" before making his feature directorial debut with the action pic "District B13." After 20th Century Fox's Liam Neeson starrer "Taken" became a surprise hit, grossing more than $226 million worldwide, Morel went on to direct John Travolta in the Luc Besson-produced actioner "From Paris With Love." Ehrenreich continues to be repped by Brillstein Entertainment Partners and attorney Patty Felker, while Morel remains repped by Sentient Entertainment and attorney Gretchen Rush. Contact Jeff Sneider at jeff.sneider@variety.com

Gay & Lesbian Critics Announce Film and TV Award Nominations

Gay & Lesbian Critics Announce Film and TV Award Nominations By Gregg Kilday January 11, 2012 Photo by Sony Pictures Classics "The Skin I Live In" In addition to such mainstream contenders as "Midnight in Paris," "The Artist," "The Descendants" and "The Tree of Life," the Gay & Lesbian Entertainment Critics Assn. has nominated Pedro Almodovar's "The Skin I Life In," the tale of an obsessive plastic surgeon, and Andrew Haigh's "Weekend," a look at the emotional side of a gay hook-up, for best film of the year.The group, which consists of 50 critics, entertainment journalists and pop culture writers, announced its nominations for the 2012 Dorian Awards on Tuesday.In the category of LBGT-themed film of the year, the organization nominated "Weekend" along with "Albert Nobbs," "Beginners," "Pariah" and "Tomboy."Injecting some humor into awards season, it also singled out five films as nominees for Campy (International or Not) Film of the Year: They are "Justin Bieber: Never Say Never," "Kaboom," "The Muppets," "Thor" and "The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn, Part 1."GALECA also nominated five films in the category of "Unsung Film of the Year": They are "50/50," "Insidious," "Jane Eyre," "Warrior" and "Win Win."For film performance of the year, its nominees are Christopher Plummer for "Beginners"; Leonardo DiCaprio, "J. Edgar"; Janet McTeer, "Albert Nobbs"; Meryl Streep, "The Iron Lady"; Michael Fassbender, "Shame"; and Rooney Mara, "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo."Turning to television, the critics nominated "American Horror Story," "Downton Abbey," "Homeland," "Mildred Pierce" and "The Good Wife" in TV drama, and "Modern Family," "Louie," "30 Rock," "The Big Bang Theory" and "Happy Endings" for TV comedy.For "Wilde Wit of the Year," the group nominated Kathy Griffin, Kristen Wiig, Louis C.K., Rachel Maddow and the staff writers of "Happy Endings."Winners of the Dorian Awards will be announced Jan. 16, and a celebratory toast will be held Feb. 19 in Los Angeles. The Hollywood Reporter Gay & Lesbian Critics Announce Film and TV Award Nominations By Gregg Kilday January 11, 2012 "The Skin I Live In" PHOTO CREDIT Sony Pictures Classics In addition to such mainstream contenders as "Midnight in Paris," "The Artist," "The Descendants" and "The Tree of Life," the Gay & Lesbian Entertainment Critics Assn. has nominated Pedro Almodovar's "The Skin I Life In," the tale of an obsessive plastic surgeon, and Andrew Haigh's "Weekend," a look at the emotional side of a gay hook-up, for best film of the year.The group, which consists of 50 critics, entertainment journalists and pop culture writers, announced its nominations for the 2012 Dorian Awards on Tuesday.In the category of LBGT-themed film of the year, the organization nominated "Weekend" along with "Albert Nobbs," "Beginners," "Pariah" and "Tomboy."Injecting some humor into awards season, it also singled out five films as nominees for Campy (International or Not) Film of the Year: They are "Justin Bieber: Never Say Never," "Kaboom," "The Muppets," "Thor" and "The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn, Part 1."GALECA also nominated five films in the category of "Unsung Film of the Year": They are "50/50," "Insidious," "Jane Eyre," "Warrior" and "Win Win."For film performance of the year, its nominees are Christopher Plummer for "Beginners"; Leonardo DiCaprio, "J. Edgar"; Janet McTeer, "Albert Nobbs"; Meryl Streep, "The Iron Lady"; Michael Fassbender, "Shame"; and Rooney Mara, "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo."Turning to television, the critics nominated "American Horror Story," "Downton Abbey," "Homeland," "Mildred Pierce" and "The Good Wife" in TV drama, and "Modern Family," "Louie," "30 Rock," "The Big Bang Theory" and "Happy Endings" for TV comedy.For "Wilde Wit of the Year," the group nominated Kathy Griffin, Kristen Wiig, Louis C.K., Rachel Maddow and the staff writers of "Happy Endings."Winners of the Dorian Awards will be announced Jan. 16, and a celebratory toast will be held Feb. 19 in Los Angeles. The Hollywood Reporter

NATPE sets Digital Luminary individuals who win

NASA and Yahoo are among visitors of NATPE's third annual Digital Luminary Honours, introduced Monday. An honours presentation will probably be situated by Alex Albrecht of Body body fat Dolphin on Jan. 25 within the Miami confab.NASA can get the organization Leadership in Movie award for "Mission Juno," an interactive doc about space. Yahoo will probably be honored for Leadership in Digital category due to its original video programming.The Very Best quality Entertainment Series award is going to be provided for the 10-episode comedy "Leap Year." Series was produced by CJP Digital Media for Hiscox Business Insurance. Charlie Todd can get the web video personality award for founding Improv Everywhere, a Gotham-based network of public pranksters.The first Content nods for drama and comedy series would go to "Goal High" and "Wainy Days," correspondingly. Released by Warner Bros. Digital Distribution, "Goal High" follows a 16-year-old U.S. agent. The My Damn Funnel exclusive "Wainy Days" has formerly received Webby Honours for comedy series.The honorees were selected by having an open distribution process by an advisory committee. Group is co-chaired by Make the most of Barnett, founder and Boss of My Damn Funnel, and Robert Friedman, prexy of media and entertainment for @radical media. Contact the number newsroom at news@variety.com