Issue #38: January 15, 2000

• The Chicago tradition of putting recognizable stars in key roles continues. Television veteran Robert Urich is the most recent addition with him performing the role of Billy Flynn. I wonder what his next television series holds for him — a song and dance luxury liner captain or private investigator?

• When the touring production of The Scarlet Pimpernel hits the road it will be starring the Broadway lead Douglas Sills.

• The Actor’s Theater of Louisville, Ky, will be the site of the premiere of an unconventional stage biography of Orson Wells. The 24^th Humana festival, which runs from February 29 to April 2, will feature director Anne Bogart and playwright Naomi Iizuka’s War of the Worlds in March.

• Lord Andrew Lloyd Webber has become the number one theatre landlord now that he has acquired the 10 theatres from Australian-owner Stoll Moss. Among the properties now part of his empire are the Palladium, the Garrick, Her Majesty’s and Theatre Royal.

• The original Phantom of The Opera Michael Crawford is teaming up with his old boss, producer Cameron Mackintosh to star in the musical version of The Witches of Eastwick. Crawford will play the devil, the role made famous in the movie by Jack Nicholson.

• Woody Allen is leaving his New York digs to take up residence in London. He heads there in the fall to direct a series of one-act plays in some of London’s more intimate theatres. Allen is planning to stay in the U.K. at least a year.

• The Australians have finally agreed on their answer to the Tonys and Olivier awards. In 2001 the Helpmann Awards will make its debut. The Australian Entertainment Industry Association will oversee the 24 categories for achievement in stage drama, musicals, opera and ballet. The awards, already nicknamed the Bobbys, are in celebration of ballet dancer, actor and choreographer Robert Helpmann. The first awards ceremony will take place in Sydney, March 2001 with the awards being shared in alternate years between Sydney and Melbourne.

• That talented Jude Law, currently starring with Matt Damon and Gwenyth Paltrow in this season’s hottest movie The Talented Mr. Ripley, is no stranger to the stage. I remember seeing him in an outstanding performance on Broadway in April 1995 opposite Kathleen Turner in the highly acclaimed production of Indiscretions. His scene coming out of the bathtub is most memorable! Although in his current movie he plays an American it is his British home where his career began. From 1987 to 1990 he worked with the National Youth Music Theatre. In 1994 he created the role of Michael in the Royal National Theatre production of Les Parents Terribles (Indiscrestions). Jude has also acquired numerous television and film credits including The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes and Paul Anderson’s Shopping.