‘American Idol’ finalists to join ‘Hair’ on Broadway
‘American Idol’ finalists to join ‘Hair’ on Broadway
NEW YORK — Alums from “American Idol” and “Spring Awakening” are going into the Broadway cast of “Hair.”
When the new cast of the Tony-winning musical revival takes over March 9, it will include Ace Young as Tribe leader Berger, Kyle Riabko as good buddy Claude and Diana DeGarmo as Sheila.
Both Young and DeGarmo are “American Idol” finalists. Riabko starred as the thoughtful student heartthrob, Melchior, in both the Broadway and touring companies of “Spring Awakening.”
On Tuesday, Public Theater artistic director Oskar Eustis said: “We’ve got a new Tribe — utterly unique, and just as talented and joyous as our first company.”
The original revival cast will head to England where they begin performances April 1 in London.
‘Being Earnest’ revival is heading to Broadway
NEW YORK — Lady Bracknell is bound for Broadway.
One of Oscar Wilde’s most famous characters will be part of the Roundabout Theatre Company’s season next year when it presents a revival of “The Importance of Being Earnest” starring Brian Bedford as the English society matron with a fondness for scathing remarks and flamboyant feathered hats.
Bedford will also direct the production, which was first seen at Canada’s Stratford Festival last summer.
Roundabout artistic director Todd Haimes said Monday the revival would open in the winter of 2011 at the American Airlines Theatre and would feature some of the actors from the Canadian production.
At Oscars, artists won’t perform nominated songs
LOS ANGELES — Oscar is breaking with tradition for its nominated songs.
A spokeswoman for the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences says the artists behind the year’s five nominated songs will not perform during the Oscar telecast.
Leslie Unger says that instead, each piece will be showcased with clips from the films that featured them.
Up for an Oscar in the original song category are Randy Newman’s “Almost There” and “Down in New Orleans” from “The Princess and the Frog,” “Loin de Paname” from “Paris 36” by Reinhardt Wagner and Frank Thomas, Maury Yeston’s “Take It All” from “Nine” and “The Weary Kind [Theme from Crazy Heart]” from “Crazy Heart” by Ryan Bingham and T Bone Burnett.
The Academy Awards will be presented March 7 and broadcast live on ABC.
Today’s birthdays
Actress Rue McClanahan is 75. Actor Gary Lockwood is 73. Actor Peter McEnery is 70. Record company executive David Geffen is 67. Actress Tyne Daly is 64. Actor Anthony Daniels (C3P0 in “Star Wars” films) is 64. Actor Alan Rickman is 64. Keyboardist Jerry Harrison of Talking Heads is 61. Actor William Petersen is 57. Actor Kelsey Grammer is 55. Singer Mary Chapin Carpenter is 52. Actor Jack Coleman is 52. Actor Christopher Atkins is 49. Actor William Baldwin is 47. Country singer Eric Heatherly is 40. Bassist Eric Wilson (Sublime) is 40. Bassist Tad Kinchla of Blues Traveler is 37. Actress Jennifer Love Hewitt is 31. Opera-pop singer Charlotte Church is 24. Actress Ellen Page (“Juno”) is 23. Actor Corbin Bleu (“High School Musical,” “Jump In!”) is 21.
Copyright 2010 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.