Photo: Patrick McMullan
Dust Off Your Elvish: Orlando Bloom to London Stage
Bloom on Stage: Dashing, wooden film star Orlando Bloom will make professional stage debut in London production of David Storey’s In Celebration. Dates, theater, crazed hordes of teen girls screaming all TBA. [Variety]
Prince, Fierstein Back to Broadway: Faith Prince will star in A Catered Affair on Broadway in spring 2008. Musical, by Harvey Fierstein and John Bucchino, will co-star Fierstein. Based on TV movie and film (by Paddy Cheyefsky and Gore Vidal, respectively), musical follows a family’s plans for a wedding for their daughter. Prince will play mother of the bride; Fierstein will play the gravelly voiced gay uncle of the bride. [Playbill]
York Concert Musicals Named: The York Theater announces plans for this summer’s Musicals in Mufti series of concert readings of forgotten musicals. Among the four: It’s a Bird … It’s a Plane … It’s Superman! and I and Albert, both with music by Charles Strouse. I and Albert tells the 1840 love story of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert; Superman is about Superman. [Playbill]
Hawke Vamps: Ethan Hawke will star in futuristic vampire pic Daybreakers for Lionsgate. Movie, written and directed by Australians Peter and Michael Spierig, is set in 2017 and follows the efforts of vampire researchers to save and farm the world’s few remaining humans. High jinks ensue! [HR]
Secretariat to Race for Disney: Mouse purchases life rights to Penny Chenery, Secretariat’s owner and beloved figure in horse racing. Disney execs trying to figure out how to lure Will Ferrell to provide the voice of the horse. [Variety]
Rozema, Tucci, Krakowski All American Girls: Abigail Breslin starrer American Girl adds Stanley Tucci and Jane Krakowski to its cast, Patricia Rozema (Mansfield Park) to direct. Open call next week at American Girl Place in New York for girls to play Breslin’s Depression-era best friends. [Variety]
Turner Prize Nominees: Zarina Bhimji, Nathan Coley, Mike Nelson, and Mark Wallinger named as finalists for $50,000 contemporary British art prize. Charles Saatchi looks over list, cracks knuckles. [NYT]
Patton Oswalt Signs to Sub Pop: Beloved New York comedian Patton Oswalt’s next CD/DVD will come out in July from Sub Pop records. Fans just grateful he didn’t sell out and go to a major. [Brooklyn Vegan]
Richard Lloyd Is Mad Genius: Guitarist Richard Lloyd to split from Television this summer “in order to concentrate my own magnetic force and supernatural powers on my own career.†Calls fall album Radiant Monkey “as good as any record. It’s a perfect record. As a personal statement, it’s as strong as Marquee Moon or Axis: Bold as Love or Horses.†Adds Lloyd, “Maybe I’m overconfident.†Maybe. [Billboard]