newsmakers

newsmakers

Schwarzenegger joins Stallone in ‘The Tomb’

LOS ANGELES

It’s an action superstar reunion: Arnold Schwarzenegger is joining Sylvester Stallone for the thriller “The Tomb.”

The filmmakers said Wednesday that Schwarzenegger has signed on to star alongside Stallone in the prison-break adventure.

Schwarzenegger previously had a cameo in Stallone’s action hit “The Expendables” and also appears in its upcoming sequel.

“The Tomb” will feature Schwarzenegger as an inmate opposite Stallone, who plays the designer of a master prison forced to escape from his own jailhouse. Directed by Mikael Hafstrom, “The Tomb” begins shooting in Louisiana this spring.

Schwarzenegger is just finishing work on “The Last Stand,” his first starring role since returning to acting after serving as California’s governor.

Autism-friendly musicals planned

NEW YORK

Two more autism-friendly performances of Broadway musicals will be offered this spring and fall following the success last year of the first showing of a Broadway show specially altered for those diagnosed with the disorder.

The Theatre Development Fund, a nonprofit organization focused on providing access to live theater, said Tuesday it plans to offer specially designed matinee showings of “Mary Poppins” on April 29 and “The Lion King” on Sept. 30.

The move comes after the Fund got enthusiastic feedback from grateful families when it launched a pilot effort in October with an autism-friendly showing of “The Lion King.”

“It went so much better than any of us had hoped,” said Victoria Bailey, the Fund’s executive director. “The value of being able to go to the theater as a family with kids on the autism spectrum and their siblings in an environment that felt safe was huge.”

Judge retires charge against Rodney Atkins

NASHVILLE, Tenn.

A Tennessee judge has retired the misdemeanor domestic-assault charge against country music singer Rodney Atkins.

Atkins was arrested last November and charged after his wife, Tammy Jo Atkins, told police he attacked her and tried to suffocate her with a pillow after a night of drinking.

Attorney Rose Palermo says Atkins passed court-ordered anger management, drug and alcohol evaluations and has agreed to do 30 hours of community service. If he stays out of trouble for 11 months and 29 days, the charge will be removed from his record. He did not admit any guilt.

The platinum-selling singer is known for No. 1 hits “If You’re Going Through Hell [Before the Devil Even Knows]” and “Take a Back Road.” He and his wife are divorcing.

Indiana stage builder cited in fair collapse

INDIANAPOLIS

The company that built the stage ahead of last summer’s deadly Indiana State Fair collapse appear- ed to be indifferent to safety standards, the state Department of Labor said Wednesday.

The agency cited Mid-America Sound Corp. with three major safety violations in connection with the collapse of outdoor stage rigging Aug. 13 when a powerful storm swept into the fairgrounds. The stage toppled onto a large crowd of people who had gathered to watch the country duo Sugarland perform, leaving seven people dead and 58 injured.

“The evidence demonstrated that the Mid-America Sound Corp. was aware of the appropriate requirements and demonstrated a plain indifference to complying with those requirements,” Labor Commissioner Lori Torres told reporters at the release of an Indiana Occupational Safety and Health Administration report on the collapse.

The department issued a $63,000 fine against the Greenfield, Ind.-based company. Mid-America did not immediately respond to a call seeking comment.