newsmakers

newsmakers

Academy acknowledges Joan Rivers’ absence from memorial

LOS ANGELES

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences issued a statement Monday acknowledging the complaints that Joan Rivers was not featured in the “In Memoriam” tribute during Sunday night’s Oscar ceremony.

“Joan Rivers is among the many worthy artists and filmmakers we were unfortunately unable to feature in the In Memoriam segment of this year’s Oscar show. She is, however, included in our In Memoriam gallery on Oscar.com,” the statement said.

Fans on social media complained about Rivers’ absence from the tribute. Elaine Stritch also was a notable omission from the entertainment world, though her career was built on stage, not on screen.

Rivers also was not well-known for her film work, though she made a regular sideline out of her snarky critiques of red-carpet fashion.

Elizabeth Much, a spokeswoman for Rivers’ daughter, Melissa Rivers, said she would have no comment.

Nielsen: Oscars viewership down 16%

NEW YORK

Oscars viewership was down 16 percent from last year and reached its lowest point since 2009, with 36.6 million people watching the Neil Patrick Harris-hosted awards show on ABC on Sunday night.

The Nielsen company’s preliminary estimate of U.S. viewership was down from the 43.7 million people who watched last year, a feel-good show in which host Ellen DeGeneres attracted attention for posting a “selfie” with various movie stars and having pizzas delivered to the audience.

Last year’s show, which also had the star power of “Frozen,” Matthew McConaughey and U2, reached the biggest audience for any Academy Awards show since 2000.

The Oscars tend to be the most-watched entertainment program of the year on television, often second only to the Super Bowl. But viewership can be affected by the relative popularity of the movies up for big awards, and best-picture winner “Birdman” wasn’t a particularly big box-office draw. “American Sniper” was the most-popular movie but received one relatively minor award.

There also was a movement among black viewers to boycott the awards show because all of the major acting nominees were white. There’s no way to tell immediately whether this had an impact on the decrease in viewers since Nielsen did not have an immediate breakdown of ethnic viewership.

Trilogy wins Kennedy Prize for Drama

NEW YORK

Suzan-Lori Parks’ historical trilogy set during the Civil War has won a theater award honoring the late U.S. Sen. Edward Kennedy, one of the largest prizes given for dramatic writing.

Parks’ “Father Comes Home from the Wars (Parts 1, 2 & 3)” traces the journey of a slave named Hero, his wife, Penny, and the best friend he betrayed, Homer. Spanning a total of three hours, the plays premiered last fall at the Public Theater to largely rave reviews. It is the initial trio in a planned nine-play cycle.

The Edward M. Kennedy Prize for Drama Inspired by American History honors a new play or musical that explores the United States’ past and deals with “great issues of our day.” Given every year through Columbia University, it comes with $100,000.

Associated Press