Spring has a new Awakening

The possible puns on the title Spring Awakening are endless, as I am quickly finding out...

The Eugene O'Neill Theater is now showcasting a new billboard for the Tony winning musical. "Broadway actors...they're just like us!" raves Us Weekly! "They wear real clothes! They pose in awkward positions!"

(Click here to enlarge)

And they even signed it...how sweet! Things I notice: they look ridiculous. It's an interesting idea to have the cast in their street clothes...but what's up with those poses! They look more unnatural than if they were just standing there in their costumes chatting with one another! Also, I saw a swing in the role of Hanschen when I saw the show in May...where is he on this Billboard? With one male and one female swing who understudy most of the roles, you would think they should get recognition too (especially since the ensemble, who sit in street clothes among the audience onstage and pop up every now and again do!)! And I think some of their signatures are pretty funny...I'm not saying my personal signature is the best in the world, but it's cute to see their signatures and it definitely gives away the fact that most of them don't have much experience. The "thing" to do as a theater actor is to have a signature that resembles a violent scribble...some of their signatures look like that, but then you see full names carefully scribed in cursive, and big first letters with the rest of the name written inside them...I think I did that in middle school! And lastly, how long do you really think this billboard is going to last? It's funny enough to see the dated 10-year old photo of the OBC of Rent in front of the Nederlander...it'll be even worse to see these people 'au naturale' still hanging up on the wall even after they leave the show!

• Parents, lock up your children! Put away your valuables! Keep your pets indoors! Paris Hilton is out of jail. She got out at 12:01AM, amid a flurry of camera flashes from paparrazi. Paris is back! And so is my nausea.
• Isaiah Washington is set to do an interview with Larry King soon, so I'll definitely be chiming in on that. But he's also in talks to work for NBC on a new show. Apparently NBC is ok with being in the lowest spot in the ratings. And with Isaiah on their network, so am I.
• There have been a lot of deaths in the WWE world, both real and staged, and regardless of their nature, it all seems a bit strange to me! Most recently, wrestler Chris Benoit was found dead in his Atlanta suburb home, along with his wife and son. On Friday June 23, Benoit allegedly asphyxiated his wife and his 7-year old son the next day, before hanging himself.
• If Justin Timberlake, Nicole Richie, Jessica Simpson, or Matthew McConaughey want to take a lesson on keeping a relationship under wraps, they should look to the current slew of unkown Hollywood couples who have called it quits recently. The under wrapts couple with the highest profile who have recently split is Jake Gyllenhaal and Reese Witherspoon. While it is speculated that the two were even together in the first place (not to mention only speculated that they called it quits) and were only seen once in public together, the rumor mills have been turning over their breakup. In addition, Weeds stars Mary Louise Parker and Jeffrey Dean Morgan have broken up, as well as High School Musicals' Zac Efron and Vanessa Anne Hudgens and Lost's Evangeline Lily and Dominic Monaghan. Um, did we even know these three couples were together? Very cute, but even together?

Broadway Headliners

• Universal Studios in Los Angeles will launch a weekly "Wicked Wednesdays" event on, you guessed it, Wednesdays. Featuring performances and autograph sessions by cast members of the musical, it is either an entertainment filler, or a desperate attempt to get locals to visit the park. You choose.
• The Off-Broadway hit In The Heights announced they are closing, but not Coram Boy style. More like Spring Awakening. The show is moving to Broadway! They don't know when, and they don't know where, but apparently they are going to do it. If that doesn't sound like an ambiguous upcoming flop, I don't know what does.
• Oklahoma is celebrating it's statehood centennial. How are they celebrating? With an all-star production of Oklahoma! starring Kelli O'Hara (an OK native) and Will Chase, duh!
• As if its empire wasn't big enough, Diney's High School Musical (which yours truly was in the west coast premiere of, thankyouverymuch) launched its national tour in Detroit. So far the announced venues are in the east and mid-east of the US, so the west coast will have to rely on cheesy children's theatre productions for now. No offense.
• The incomparable Kenneth Branagh has announced the principal cast for his fourth Shakespeare collaboration with BBC & HBO. The upcoming film adaptation of As You Like It will star Brian Blessed as Duke Frederick/Duke Senior, Romola Garai as Celia, Bryce Dallas Howard as Rosalind, Kevin Kline as Jaques, Adrian Lester as Oliver, Janet McTeer as Audrey, Alfred Molina as Touchstone and David Oyelowo as Orlando. Sign me up!

I have grown to hate this guy...

Isaiah Washington is now speaking out about being fired from Grey's Anatomy and is blaming T.R. Knight for blowing the situation out of proportion and insinuating that the homophobic slur Washington used to describe him was uttered in a derogatory manner.

Washington admits that he used the term during a disagreement with co-star Patrick Dempsey, but that he apologized and everyone went back to work. He claims he was not fired for making derogatory slurs, and claims he is not angry, but disappointed rather.

I think it's pretty safe to assume if you're considering filing a lawsuit, you're angry. He is trying to clear his name, but I feel he is only hurting his career more by dwelling on the subject. He has said in past interviews that he has multiple offers pending, so why doesn't he lay low for a few months and take some of those people up on his offer? Is he trying to get back on the show?

He also said in this interview that ABC fired the wrong guy. Is that because he is going to fight back, or was there someone else who got fired in his place? I don't care what his intentions were in using the word the first time (and apologizing apparently didn't do enough, because he uttered the slur again a few weeks later at the Golden Globes on national television), or even the second time, there is a certain conduct that is acceptable in the workplace. I think it's interesting that everyone on that show refers to their roles as a 'job.' Well if that's how Washington wants to look at it, he should be fired for even uttering the word, and having a disagreement with Dempsey. Word!

Spring Awakening no longer Totally F*cked

Spring Awakening has taken over the top spot in Billboard's list of top selling Soundtrack Albums. The top spot, rarely overcome by Wicked, was ruled by Jersey Boys for four weeks last year after their Tony win for Best New Musical. The top five includes:
1. Spring Awakening
2. Wicked
3. Jersey Boys
4. Curtains
5. Mamma Mia!

Paris a basket case (of mail)

Paris Hilton (yep, she's still in the slammer) reportedly gets more mail than any other inmate in the history of Lynwood Correctional Facility. As if that was surprising.

What's more, Hilton is expected to be released sometime next week (Monday), and her neighbors in the Hollywood Hills are flooding LA's councilman with angry phone calls, hoping that the paparrazi storm will subside and prevent the type of traffic problems and interruptions it did when she was carted off to jail (the second time).

Waaaaaaait just a cotton panty-flashing moment. What happened to a 45 day sentence? If Paris is released on Monday, she will have only served 23 days of that sentence. Ah, whatever. I can't care about Paris Hilton anymore.

But I will say this: After claiming that her 'dumb blonde' act was just that--an act--I am very interested in seeing what happens to the socialite in the future...maybe she'll open a school like Oprah did in South Africa, only instead of school uniforms, a yoga studio, and beauty salon, she'll offer see-through panties (what am I talking about? No panties allowed!), pole dancing classes, and free hair bleaches for everyone! Sign me up!

Hollywood Headliners

• Jessica Biel has rejoined Justin Timberlake on his European tour, after he sent her home because her booty was too distracting. Or something like that. Seriously, I don't know which one has the better booty...I'll have to research that one. Biel has been seen walking around Europe with Timberlake's mother. So are these two together, or what? And when is the sex tape coming out, 'cause I'll invest in that shit.
• Brad Pitt's mom visited Jennifer Aniston over the weekend. Brad's family claims that he and Jen are friends, so it's acceptable for them to be friends with her too. When was the last time you saw Jen and Brad hanging out together? I would kind of hold a grudge against my ex-hubby for leaving me for my costar and adopting half the orphans in the world and becoming even more of a super-couple than we were together. Call me crazy. Oh, and Angelina's pissed that her hubby's mother is hanging out with Jen. Can't Angie just snap her fingers and make people 'disappear' (if you know what I mean)?
• Scott Baio is 45...and Single. That's in italics because it's the title of his new VH1 reality show. Do I really need to bother making up a joke for this one?
• Kelly Rowan, otherwise known as Kirsten "Kiki" Cohen on The OC is engaged. To a billionaire. Not just any old billionaire, no. He's only the richest man in Canada, and the 10th richest man in the world, according to Forbes. Hey, Kelly, the show wasn't real. You don't have to marry the richest man you can find...but can I borrow $100?
• Apparently the Hoff's video of him attempting to eat a hamburger with the world's strongest beer goggles on didn't mean anything to the judge who granted him primary custody of his children. His ex-wife only has visitation rights every other weekend. Hey girls, I hear Angelina and Brad want 14 kids, put in your application now.
• Troubled actor Tom Sizemore allegedly broke down in tears at a court appearance after being escorted into the courtroom in an orange jumpsuit and handcuffs. Sizemore pleaded with the judge not to send him to prison for violating his parole from a 2004 crystal meth bust. He said drugs have grabbed him around the neck, but he won't do it again. I'm pretty sure that's what Britney said after she flashed her punane, but now she's flashing her girls all over town, so I don't know if Sizemore should really be trusted in this case...

Theater Headliners

• The current Broadway revival of Les Mis is seeing even more cast changes, as Chip Zien, the original Baker in Into The Woods steps into the role of Thenardier for 10 weeks on June 29. Also, Megan McGinnis (Little Women), a current ensemble member, assumes the role of Eponine, and Robert Hunt assumes the role of Javert. It's not normal for shows to have so many cast changes...is this like a 'Cats' or 'Fosse' that sees a lot of cast changes because of injuries sustained while dancing (Les Mis is such a monster of a show that people can't commit to it for a long time?). Perhaps the cast really ARE "The Miserable..." Plus, the all-star casting choices reminds me of a time in college when my friend Candice and I did an all-star "this would be horrible but SO funny" casting of Rent, starring Colm Wilkinson as Roger. It was hilarious! (I wish I could find that list somewhere)...
• Lord Of The Rings, the most expensive musical in West End History (at $25 million) officially opened this week to mixed reviews (go figure). A few reporters have renamed the show "Bored Of The Rings," while others say that it's the best interpretation of the Tolkein novels there could ever be. That ring better be made of PURE GOLD, 'cause $25 million is ridiculous, and the tickets cost almost as much!
• Starting next year, a new Tony Award will be given for Best Sound. You heard me right (get it? Sound? Heard? Anyone?), Best Sound. Separate awards will be given out for Best Sound Design of a Play, and Best Sound Design of a Musical. Apparently it's important to distinguish the two. Come to think of it, I can't really think of many sound cues in the musicals I've seen lately. I wonder if the guy who caused the mic feedback in my ear when I saw Legally Blonde could be penalized.
• Tony Danza will assume the role of Max Bialystock in The Producers in Vegas in August, and is scheduled to remain in the show through August. Apparently, the creative team over at the show is desperate for a new celebrity draw, but they seem to be overlooking the fact that Danza was in the show when it posted its closing notice. Good news, Jersey Boys, you won't have to build a new theater in Vegas! One will be opening up for you shortly...

OMG!

Sara Bareilles is featured in the free single of the week on iTunes! Go download her free tune, Love Song! It's amazing...she's amazing!

Xanadu will not become Xanadon't!

All you Xanadu fans will think this is totally RAD!

Despite star James Carpinello's foot injury and canceled opening date, it was announced that hottie Cheyenne Jackson will assume Carpinello's position while he heals. Even though this pushes the opening date back a bit (the new opening is slated for July 10). TUBULAR!

It's her party, and she'll cancel if she wants to...

I was going to title this "...she'll drink if she wants to," but I figured it wouldn't make sense now that Lindsay Lohan has cancelled her July 2nd 21st bday bash at Pure nightclub in Vegas. Wait, what? Lindsay pass up the opportunity to be in a nightclub with her suspiciously ambiguous 'bottled water?' She'll be getting out of rehab soon. Let's see how much longer it will take for her to hop back on the party train!

Looks like she's takin' a hint from the Olsen twins...maybe she'll actually lay low for a change!

Hollywood Baby BOOM!

Just when you thought it was safe for celebs to jump in to bed together, we are reminded of its repurcussions...

Julia Roberts and husband Danny Moder welcomed their third son on Monday, Henry Daniel Moder (a surprisingly normal name next to their two-year old twins, Hazel & Phinneaus.

Tiger Woods and wife Elin Nordergrin welcomed a baby girl, Sam Alexis Woods, on Tuesday.

Also, laying low, is Keri Russel, who on June 9th, welcomed her first child with husband Shane Deary, River Russel Deary.

All this amidst rumors of Nicole Richie having the preggers (God help us all). Although I applaud Roberts and Woods for actually coming up with NORMAL names for a change (Apple and Moses, anyone?)

America's favorite toddlers are finally legal!

Mary-Kate & Ashley Olsen turned 21 on Wednesday, June 13. We know these twins are business savvy, with their empire of merchandise, films, clothing lines, etc., but they may be smarter than we think.

Unlike many other young Hollywood starlets, the girls kept it low key by celebrating with a dinner party at the legendary Chateau Marmont. While the wine and champagne flowed all night long, this is much classier and mature than other starlets who, say, are planning a huge Vegas bash while they are still in rehab.

Paris update

Even though Paris Hilton was sent back to the slammer last week, she is still managing to get the special treatment. Since returning to jail, she has been housed in the medical ward (until Wednesday night, when she was moved back to the jail where she began her sentence), which costs $1100 per day to house an inmate, compared to the low hundreds of dollars it costs to house an inmate daily in the jail. In addition, Hilton's parents came under fire Tuesday after skipping the line to visit their daughter during lunchtime, causing other visitors to be sent away and asked to return later in the day. A recent KTLA report revealed the results of a study that looked at 1,500 similar cases to Hilton's, and the sentences they received. If Hilton remains incarcerated for her full 45-day sentence, she will have served more time behind bars than 80% of the individuals with her same offense.

Why Washington was fired from Grey's

From http://www.cnn.com:

Starring on one of TV's hottest series is an actor's dream, and Isaiah Washington fought hard to keep his role as Dr. Preston Burke on "Grey's Anatomy."
But after twice using an anti-gay slur, Washington was doomed to lose the biggest role of his career because of timing, a track record of volatile behavior and pressure within the industry.
While series creator and executive producer Shonda Rhimes wept when she got on the phone last Thursday to tell Washington he was out, the decision was a coolly calculated move by Rhimes' bosses at the network and ABC Television Studios.
His "pattern of behavior" represented a potential liability that was too much risk for the Walt Disney Co.-owned companies, a source close to the production said. The source was not authorized to comment publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity.
The operation to remove Washington, 43, was quick and neat. The studio declined to exercise his contract option for another season -- Washington would have earned about $2.7 million in salary -- and he was dumped shortly after the May finale.
With Dr. Burke conveniently written out of the show in the last episode, the move had to have been planned for some time.
The decision was made by executives including ABC Studios President Mark Pedowitz, ABC Entertainment President Stephen McPherson and Disney-ABC Television Group President Anne Sweeney. ABC and the studio declined comment this week, but Washington said he was "saddened" by the outcome.
"I can only apologize so many times. I can only accept so much responsibility," he told EW.com in an interview published Wednesday. "... Isaiah will go on and do what I love to do. And I have to go about the business of letting people know what's written about me is not the truth." (Read Washington's side of the story)
Gay rights leader Neil G. Giuliano said Washington was caught up in changing attitudes toward anti-gay vitriol -- the same backlash felt by Ann Coulter after she derided John Edwards with the same f-word Washington employed.
"All of this is crescendoing, with people saying, 'Enough is enough,' " said Giuliano, president of the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation.
Hollywood's image as an unbiased haven for gays is overstated, Giuliano said. But he did field outraged calls from producers, writers and actors -- both gay and straight -- after Washington's remarks. Giuliano said he told the callers to make waves at the networks, and "I have good reason to believe most of those folks, who are not shy, made their feelings known."
One black gay activist sees the lobbying far differently. Jasmyne Cannick, a friend of Washington's, said the case reflected a division between Hollywood's powerful white gays and lesbians and those who are minorities.
"The ones calling for (Washington's) head are what I refer to as the gay Mafia," Cannick said.
There may have been more behind the decision than intolerant language. Bryan Birge, who was working as a costumer in 1997 on the police drama "High Incident," said Washington erupted in anger on the set and then grabbed him after Birge asked him to remove a magazine from his pocket for an upcoming scene.
"It was bizarre," Birge told The Associated Press. "The guy is less than easy to be around."
Washington, a Houston native who served in the Air Force, had campaigned vigorously to redeem his image. He apologized publicly, to his colleagues and to GLAAD. He filmed a public service announcement for GLAAD and the Gay, Lesbian & Straight Education Network. He made a publicly announced donation to a favorite cause, help for the African nation of Sierra Leone.
"We did everything that was asked of us" by ABC, said his publicist, Howard Bragman.
Washington was undone by a spat last October with co-star Patrick Dempsey in which he used the epithet to refer to fellow cast member T.R. Knight. Washington issued a public apology for his behavior and "unfortunate" use of words, and media attention waned.
But in January, Washington reignited the furor during a backstage interview at the Golden Globes in which he denied having used the slur, then uttered it again.
Gay rights groups that had demanded Washington apologize say they didn't seek his firing and gained nothing by it. Those who might have jumped to his defense, whether co-stars or those taking interest in the plight of a black actor, were silent or measured in their remarks.
"If he's being let go because of that incident, I'm not sure the punishment fits the crime," said Vic Bullock, executive director of the Hollywood bureau of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People. The NAACP has asked ABC for "further clarity," Bullock said.
Tavis Smiley, the national TV and radio talk-show host and author, said Washington's words cut too deep.
"As a society we are still grappling with the notion of forgiveness and redemption," Smiley said in an e-mailed comment. "What this incident shows us, not unlike the Don Imus matter, is there is some pain so deep, that an apology, no matter how sincere, just doesn't suffice."

I find it very interesting that Washington seems to be making himself out to be the victim here, saying "I can only apologize so many times, I can only go on and accept so much responsibility." It is a true judgment of his character to see that he said these things, leading me to believe that the only reason he apologized, went to therapy, and released the PSA with GLAAD is because he was trying to keep his job, not because he acknowledged he had a problem. He'll be missing that $2.7 million paycheck, no doubt.

Hollywood Headliners

• Television's Mr. Wizard, Don Herbert, died of bone cancer June 12 at his Bell Canyon home.
• The Real World: San Diego's Frankie (you remember her? the girl with the lip piercing, goth makeup and crazy hair) passed away at her mother's home in Michigan. Having suffered from cystic fibrosis (and leaving the house in San Diego prematurely because of it), the exact cause of death, while officially unkown, is believed to be from complications of her illness.
• After ten turbulent seasons, The Sopranos finally ended its run on HBO on Sunday, June 10. In one of the most controversial endings of a series in a long while, the Soprano family was seen sitting at a diner, where Tony Soprano selected "Don't Stop Believin'" by Journey from a tableside jukebox. Tony looks up and sees someone apparently approaching their table, and the screen goes black for a full five seconds before the credits begin to roll. While this ending has provided loyal viewers with little to no closure on the series and its characters, the creators of ABC's Lost promise to not repeat this sort of ending. "We will not be ending with a blackout," said Carlton Cuse, referring to the black screen that delivered an unresolved ending to HBO's mob drama. "I'm not sure there is any ending that will satisfy everyone...Our hope is that the ending will be ... the logical conclusion of the story."
• Amidst controversy that he is the father of Melanie Brown's (aka Scary Spice) 2-month old daughter, Angel Iris Murphy Brown, Eddie Murphy has finally taken a paternity test. I don't know which is less-classy: the fact that Murphy is being so unsupportive, or that Brown named her kid Murphy Brown.

Theater Headliners

• Jake Gyllenhaal may be heading to Broadway in the fall. Pardon me while I swoon...The play is a political drama entitled Farragut North, and Gyllenhaal was featured in a private reading earlier this year. While Gyllenhaal has appeared onstage in London in Kenneth Lonergan's revival of This is Our Youth, Farragut North would mark his Broadway debut.
• The June 26th opening of Xanadu: The Musical has been postponed (with no alternate date announced) after one of the shows stars, James Carpinello, sustained a foot injury while rehearsing, you guessed it, on roller skates. Carpinellos understudy has stepped in for two performances, and there is no word as to the degree or length of the injury or recovery. Maybe Xanadu will turn in to Xanadon't.
• In a huge bloodbath of closing notices, Company (which won Best Musical Revival last weekend at the Tony's), Radio Golf (August Wilson's final play), and Mayumana's Be will all play their final performances on July 1. I know Company has been struggling at the box office, but I've never seen a show win a Tony and then close down a few weeks later!
• Andrew Lloyd Webber doesn't know how to take a hint. His new kitten, Otto, somehow succeeded in destroying the music he has written for the sequel to The Phantom of the Opera, brilliantly titled Phantom in Manhattan. That's right, I said Phantom in Manhattan. Guess it's his payback for Phantom to surpass Cats as the longest running musical in history. Or a hint to give up on the sequel. You pick.

Was I right, or was I right?

I think the people I watched the Tony's with got really sick of me predicting all of the winners. But truth be told, the amount of satisfaction I got from guessing (almost) every category correctly made me feel smart for a change. You know, on a topic not very many people care about...
Here's a recap of the winners:

Best New Musical
Curtains
Grey Gardens
Mary Poppins
Spring Awakening

Best New Play
The Coast of Utopia
Frost/Nixon
The Little Dog Laughed
Radio Golf

Best Musical Revival
The Apple Tree
A Chorus Line
Company
110 in the Shade

Best Play Revival
Inherit the Wind
Journey's End
Talk Radio
Translations

Best Special Theatrical Event
Jay Johnson: The Two and Only!
Kiki & Herb Alive on Broadway

Best Leading Actor in a Musical
Michael Cerveris, LoveMusik
Raul Esparza, Company
Jonathan Groff, Spring Awakening
Gavin Lee, Mary Poppins
David Hyde Pierce, Curtains

Best Leading Actress in a Musical
Laura Bell Bundy, Legally Blonde
Christine Ebersole, Grey Gardens
Audra McDonald, 110 in the Shade
Debra Monk, Curtains
Donna Murphy, LoveMusik

Best Leading Actor in a Play
Boyd Gaines, Journey's End
Frank Langella, Frost/Nixon
Brian F. O'Byrne, The Coast of Utopia
Christopher Plummer, Inherit the Wind
Liev Schreiber, Talk Radio

Best Leading Actress in a Play
Eve Best, A Moon for the Misbegotten
Swoosie Kurtz, Heartbreak House
Angela Lansbury, Deuce
Vanessa Redgrave, The Year of Magical Thinking
Julie White, The Little Dog Laughed

Best Featured Actor in a Musical
Brooks Ashmanskas, Martin Short: Fame Becomes Me
Christian Borle, Legally Blonde
John Cullum, 110 in the Shade
John Gallagher, Jr., Spring Awakening
David Pittu, LoveMusik

Best Featured Actress in a Musical
Charlotte d'Amboise, A Chorus Line
Rebecca Luker, Mary Poppins
Orfeh, Legally Blonde
Mary Louise Wilson, Grey Gardens
Karen Ziemba, Curtains

Best Featured Actor in a Play
Anthony Chisholm, Radio Golf
Billy Crudup, The Coast of Utopia (I thought Stark Sands)
Ethan Hawke, The Coast of Utopia
John Earl Jelks, Radio Golf
Stark Sands, Journey's End

Best Featured Actress in a Play
Jennifer Ehle, The Coast of Utopia (I thought Jennifer Ehle)
Xanthe Elbrick, Coram Boy
Dana Ivey, Butley
Jan Mexawell, Coram Boy
Martha Plimpton, The Coast of Utopia

Best Direction of a Musical
John Doyle, Company
Scott Ellis, Curtains
Michael Greif, Grey Gardens
Michael Mayer, Spring Awakening

Best Direction of a Play
Michael Grandage, Frost/Nixon
David Grindley, Journey's End
Jack O'Brien, The Coast of Utopia
Melly Still, Coram Boy

Best Choreography
Rob Ashford, Curtains
Matthew Bourne and Stephen Mear, Mary Poppins
Bill T. Jones, Spring Awakening (I thought Bourne & Mear)
Jerry Mitchell, Legally Blonde

Best Score
Fred Ebb, John Kander & Rupert Holmes, Curtains
Scott Frankel and Michael Korie, Grey Gardens
Laurence O'Keefe and Neil Benjamin, Legally Blonde
Duncan Sheik and Steven Sater, Spring Awakening

Best Orchestrations
Bruce Coughlin, Grey Gardens
Duncan Sheik, Spring Awakening (I thought Coughlin)
Jonathan Tunick, LoveMusik
Jonathan Tunick, 110 in the Shade

Best Scenic Design of a Musical
Bob Crowley, Mary Poppins
Christine Jones, Spring Awakening
Anna Louizos, High Fidelity
Allen Moyer, Grey Gardens

Best Scenic Design of a Play
Bob Crowley & Scott Pask, The Coast of Utopia
Jonathan Fensom, Journey's End
David Gallo, Radio Golf
Ti Green & Melly Still, Coram Boy

Best Costume Design of a Musical
Gregg Barnes, Legally Blonde
Bob Crowley, Mary Poppins
Susan Hilferty, Spring Awakening
William Ivey Long, Grey Gardens (I thought Crowley)

Best Costume Design of a Play
Ti Green and Melly Still, Coram Boy
Jane Greenwood, Heartbreak House
Santo Loquasto, Inherit the Wind
Catherine Zuber, The Coast of Utopia (I thought Greenwood)

Best Lighting Design of a Musical
Kevin Adams, Spring Awakening
Christopher Akerlind, 110 in the Shade
Howard Harrison, Mary Poppins
Peter Kaczorowski, Grey Gardens

Best Lighting Design of a Play
Paule Constable, Coram Boy
Brian MacDevitt, Inherit the Wind
Brian MacDevitt, Kenneth Posner, Natasha Katz, Coast of Utopia (I thought Coram Boy)
Jason Taylor, Journey's End

Isaiah (finally) gets the boot!

Isaiah Washington was officially released from his contract with Grey's Anatomy on Friday. The actor was informed by the show's creator that his contract would not be renewed. The speculation is that he was fired for his behavior, particularly surrounding his controversial homophobic slurs about co-star T.R. Knight

I think this is a long time coming. In fact, I think the writers purposefully had to leave his and T.R. Knight's plotlines open because the studio knew they would have to deal with this issue sooner or later, and chose to finish out the season instead of nipping it in the bud. On the show, Washington's Dr. Burke left his fiancee at the altar and disappeared with most of his possessions. Meanwhile, Knight's George O'Malley failed his intern exam, and now must decide whether or not to repeat his entire intern year.

It was also announced last week that Knight will be returning to the show next season.

Washington and his 'people' are criticizing the studio's decision to let him go even after Washington entered rehab, issued a public apology, and released PSA's for GLAAD. So, what, if he had gotten fired on the spot, he wouldn't have gone through all that? What a testament to his true character.

In a statement released by Washington's rep.'s, he says, "I'm mad as hell, and I'm not going to take it any more." Don't quite know what he is referring to, but I'm so glad his anger-management rehab is paying off.

Looking at the larger picture, especially with all this "special celebrity treatment" crap going on with Paris Hilton and the like, if Washington was to behave the way he has in any other corporate environment, he would have been fired long ago. He should be thankful that they kept him around this long, and instead of lashing out at ABC, should be looking at ways to revive his career, although I'm not sure it's possible at this point.

Paris is burning...

...or something like that.

I think it's safe to say that nobody could really get anything done in LA because of all the madness surrounding Paris Hilton. I know I ranted about her being re-assigned to house arrest (quite the punishment, given her mansion), and apparently the judge read my post about it because things just hit the fan afterward!

The judge summoned both Paris and Sheriff Lee Baca to report to court at 9AM Friday morning to discuss the reassignment. Apparently the judge ordered Paris to not be eligible for a pay-jail or house arrest alternative to her sentence. Therefore, Paris was at risk for going back behind bars, and Baca was also at risk for being charged with Contempt of Court.

After word spread that Paris would be reporting to court via phone (allegedly because the sheriff's office wasn't going to pick her up), the judge ordered a police car to pick her up. After a late start, Paris was escorted--in handcuffs--to the LA County Courthouse in downtown LA, amidst a mob of papparazzi. Once inside the courthouse, the judge sentenced Paris to return to jail and serve the remainder of her 45 day sentence (yes, he re-upped her sentence from 23 days back to 45), and they whisked her off from the courthouse back to the facility.

Ouch.

There have been many speculations about the "medical condition" that led to Paris being reassigned. From withdrawal from her meds to being a picky eater and not wanting to eat the prison hot dogs, it is difficult to speculate exactly what the problem was, but I think it's something having to do with her mental health (although she didn't need to be sent to jail for me to think that). The newest hypothesis, however, is that she didn't use the bathroom for the entire 3 days she was in jail because she was afraid a guard or attendant would snap a photo of her on the toilet. That's gotta be uncomfortable.

Paris recently released a statement declaring she would not be appealing the judges re-sentencing:
"Today I told my attorneys not to appeal the judge's decision. While I greatly appreciate the Sheriff's concern for my health and welfare, after meeting with doctors I intend to serve my time as ordered by the judge. This is by far the hardest thing I have ever done. During the past several days, I have had a lot of time to reflect and have already learned a bitter, but important lesson from this experience. As I have said before, I hope others will learn from my mistake. I have also had time to read the mail from my fans. I very much appreciate all of their good wishes and hope they will keep their letters coming. I must also say that I was shocked to see all of the attention devoted to the amount of time I would spend in jail for what I had done by the media, public and city officials. I would hope going forward that the public and the media will focus on more important things, like the men and women serving our country in Iraq, Afghanistan and other places around the world."

If that's not a carefully constructed statement by her rep's, I don't know what is!

Hopefully I won't feel compelled to write about anything Paris for at least 40 more days until she is released from jail. But Paris definitely doesn't know how to do anything quietly, so we'll see!