From the Multichannel News.com:

By Order Of The King: A Third 'Tudors' Season
Production Set To Begin In Dublin During Mid-June

By Mike Reynolds -- Multichannel News
4/22/2008 2:12:00 PM

King Henry VIII will return for a third season on Showtime.

The premium network, as expected, is bringing back The Tudors for a third campaign in 2009. Production is slated to begin on June 16 in Dublin, with Jonathan Rhys Meyers, who portrays the randy royal, set to return. The show's first season and Rhys Meyers received Golden Globe nominations.

The announcement comes as the sixth installment of the 10-episode second season is scheduled to premiere on the linear network Sunday night. Showtime Entertainment president Robert Greenblatt told Multichannel News and then an assembled crowd at a screening in New York last month that writing had already begun on a third campaign.

"The Tudors is now a fixture for us at Showtime and we're on our way to completing the entire saga of all six wives of Henry VIII," said Greenblatt in statement. "We are enormously proud of this show, the extraordinary cast, and the production team that recreates the grandeur of the Renaissance year in and year out. There is nothing like this anywhere on American television."

During the current season, Henry VIII marries Anne Boleyn (Natalie Dormer), while continuing to declare his marriage to Queen Katherine of Aragon (Maria Doyle Kennedy). In turn, Pope Paul III (Peter O'Toole) excommunicates the king. However, Anne's failure to bear a male heir ultimately carries a heady price -- and sends Henry toward Jane Seymour (Anita Briem), who later becomes the third of six wives.

And from the L.A. Times.com:

02:20 PM PT, Apr 22 2008

Showtime announced today that it is picking up a third season of "The Tudors," which will begin production in Dublin in mid-June. Season 3, which will debut in 2009, will trace King Henry VIII's marriages to Jane Seymour (Anita Briem, above) and Anne of Cleves. Star Jonathan Rhys Meyers (above) is set to return. The lavish drama is midway through its second season, which centers on Henry's ill-fated marriage to Anne Boleyn, played by Natalie Dormer.

The series has emerged as something of a calling card for the pay cable network. Robert Greenblatt, Showtime's entertainment president, told The Times recently that he'd ultimately like to extend it for four seasons, covering all of Henry's six wives. But it remains to be seen whether Rhys Meyers, who is only committed to three seasons, will sign for a fourth.

-- Matea Gold

THE HOMECOMING wins Special Ensemble Drama Desk Award

Press release from The Drama Desk: Monday, April 28, 2008 at 10:30 AM (ET)

New York, April 28, 2008—Nominations for the 53rd Annual Drama Desk Awards were announced this morning at the New York Friars Club by Bebe Neuwirth and Len Cariou, multi-award winning stage, screen and television stars. They were joined for the announcement by William Wolf, Drama Desk President, Barbara Siegel, Chairperson of the Drama Desk Nominating Committee, Robert Blume, Executive Producer of the Drama Desk Awards, and Randie Levine-Miller, Director of Special Events for the Drama Desk.

In keeping with the Drama Desk's unique mission, the nominators considered shows that opened on Broadway, off Broadway and off-off Broadway during the 2007/2008 season in the same competitive categories. Final deliberations took place at the Travel Inn, New York City.

The 2007/2008 Nominating Committee for the Drama Desk Awards is composed of: Barbara Siegel (TalkinBroadway.com and TheaterMania.com), Chairperson; Dan Bacalzo (TheaterMania.com); Robert Cashill (New York Theater News and Live Design); Celia Ipiotis (Eye on the Arts);Gerard Raymond (Back Stage and The Advocate), and Richard Ridge (Broadwaybeat.com).

Leading the slate of distinguished nominees is A Catered Affair with twelve nominations, followed by Adding Machine with nine, South Pacific and Young Frankenstein, each with eight, August: Osage County, Passing Strange, Sunday in the Park with George and The Slug Bearers of Kayrol Island, tied at seven, and Xanadu with six.

The 53rd Annual Drama Desk Awards will be held Sunday, May 18, 2008, in the LaGuardia Concert Hall at Lincoln Center. The awards show will be webcast for the sixth year in a row by TheaterMania.com. It will also be broadcast live on satellite radio's XM – 28 On Broadway for the second consecutive year.

Drama Desk nominees will receive their official nomination certificates at a cocktail reception on Thursday, May 1, 4:00 to 7:00 PM at Arte Café, 106 West 73rd Street, between Broadway and Columbus Avenue.

In the Heights, which was distinguished with multiple nominations and awards last season, was considered only for new elements in the current Broadway production. Glory Days did not commence performances before the Drama Desk cut-off date and it will therefore be eligible next season.

This year the nominators chose to bestow special ensemble awards for acting to the casts of two shows –The Dining Room off-Broadway and The Homecoming on Broadway. Therefore individual cast members for these shows were not eligible for acting awards in the competitive categories. The Drama Desk maintains its tradition of acknowledging excellence in the theater by announcing special awards to: Edward Albee, James Earl Jones, 59E59 Theaters and Playwrights Horizons.

Congratulations to the splendid cast of The Homecoming ~ Ian McShane, Raúl Esparza, Eve Best, Michael McKean, James Frain and Gareth Saxe! Well done Drama Desk!

And thank you Carol for the find!

The nominations have been announced and two of James Frain's castmates as well a The Homecoming itself have been honored with Tony Award nominations.

Nominated for 3 Awards:
Best Revival of a Play
Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Play Eve Best
Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a Play Raúl Esparza

Harold Pinter's 1964 work premiered on Broadway in 1967, winning a Tony Award as Best Play.

The nominations for the 62nd Annual Tony Awards were announced Tuesday morning, May 13 at 8:30 AM by Tony Award winners David Hyde Pierce (in this Broadway season's Curtains) and Sara Ramirez (of Spamalot fame) live from The New York Public Library for the Performing Arts at Lincoln Center.

According to Playbill.com:

This week will also feature the "Meet the Nominees" press reception, a chance for the New York press to interview the Tony nominees, May 14 at The Hilton New York Hotel; and the Tony Nominees Luncheon, which is open only to those nominated, on May 29. The nominees will also receive their nomination certificates at the latter event.

As previously announced, the 62nd Annual Tony Awards will be presented June 15. Tony and Academy Award winner Whoopi Goldberg will host. CBS-TV will broadcast the event live from Radio City Music Hall, 8-11 PM ET. (Red-carpet arrivals will begin at 6 PM).

Many Congratulations to Ms. Best, Mr. Esparza and to everyone involved with the production of The Homecoming!

The official Tony Awards web site is at www.TonyAwards.com.

Excerpt from Playbill.com:

By Andrew Gans
May 12, 2008

Winners of the 58th annual Outer Critics Circle Awards were announced May 12. Top prizes went to August: Osage County, Xanadu, Young Frankenstein, Dividing the Estate, Adding Machine, South Pacific and The Homecoming.

The 2007-2008 Outer Critics Circle Award winners follow (winners names are underlined and with an asterisk)

Outstanding Revival of a Play (Broadway or Off-Broadway) Come Back, Little Sheba Cyrano de Bergerac *The Homecoming Les Liaisons Dangereuses

The Outer Critics Circle Awards are decided upon by a group of writers "covering New York theatre for out-of town newspapers, national publications and other media beyond Broadway."

Tony Award winner Karen Ziemba and stage and screen star Sandy Duncan announced the Outer Critics Circle nominations April 21. The new Mel Brooks musical Young Frankenstein had earned the most nominations, ten.

Winners will be celebrated with an awards dinner May 22 at Sardi's Restaurant.

Eve Best and Raúl Esparza were also nominated for their outstanding performances in the play.

from Playbill.com:

By Andrew Gans April 13, 2008

The 40th anniversary revival of Harold Pinter's The Homecoming plays its final performance at Broadway's Cort Theatre April 13 at 3 PM.

When it closes, the production will have played 15 previews and 138 regular performances.

Previews of the Pinter classic — starring Ian McShane, Raúl Esparza and Eve Best — had been scheduled to begin Nov. 23, 2007, but were delayed to Dec. 4 due to the stagehands strike. The production officially opened at the Cort Dec. 16.

The 39 Steps begins performances at the Cort April 29.

Directed by Daniel Sullivan, the Homecoming company comprises McShane, Esparza, Best, Michael McKean, James Frain and Gareth Saxe. (A free run-through of The Homecoming was presented Nov. 25, 2007, at New World Stages to benefit Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS. That evening featured the entire Broadway cast.)

Set in North London, The Homecoming, according to press notes, "concerns the ultimate dysfunctional family, presided over by its patriarch Max (McShane). Living under his dilapidated roof are his younger brother Sam (McKean), and two of his sons: Lenny (Esparza), the town pimp, and Joey (Saxe), a boxer-in-training. Tensions begin to flair with the arrival of Max's eldest son Teddy (Frain), who returns home . . . with his new wife Ruth (Best). Seduction, betrayal, and divisiveness ensue, as the family welcomes the homecoming of its estranged brother and vies for the attention of his dangerously alluring wife."

The design team features set designer Eugene Lee, lighting designer Kenneth Posner, costume designer Jess Goldstein and sound designer John Gromada.

Harold Pinter is also the author of The Caretaker, Betrayal, The Room, Ashes to Ashes and Celebration.

The Homecoming was produced on Broadway by Jeffrey Richards, Jerry Frankel, Jam Theatricals, Ergo Entertainment, Barbara and Buddy Freitag, Michael Gardner, Herb Goldsmith, Terry Schnuck, Hal Thau, Michael Filerman/Lynn Peyser and Ronald Frankel/David Jaroslowitz.

The Homecoming made its Broadway debut in January 1967 at the Music Box Theatre. The production won four 1967 Tonys: Best Play, Best Direction of a Play (Peter Hall), Best Actor in a Play (Paul Rogers) and Best Featured Actor in a Play (Ian Holm). A revival was seen in 1991 at the Criterion Center Stage Right.

The Cort Theatre is located in Manhattan at 138 West 48th Street.

For more information visit TheHomecomingOnBroadway.com.

From The Los Angeles Times:

by Tom O'Neil
April 19, 2008

Stay tuned for the episode of "The Tudors" that will air Sunday, April 27. Showtime informs Gold Derby that No. 205, "Anne's Family's Power is Jeopardized," is the one the network plans to submit to Emmy judges in the race for best drama series--if the show makes the top 10 runoff after a popular vote of 14,000 academy members, which seems likely. At that point, the strength of just one episode will decide if "Tudors" can pull off a historic breakthrough and become the first non-HBO cable series nominated for best drama series. Or best series, for that matter. None has managed to make the comedy cut either, come to think of it.

There is still time for switcheroos to be made by network execs, who are currently seeing the final season episodes, like No. 10, for the first time. So these decisions aren't royal decrees. In order to lighten the workload involved in shows officially entering the Emmy race, the TV academy asks networks to make early episode declarations, which can be changed later with ease as long as the initial filings are made on time.

It's a good thing that Showtime can change its mind about the episode planned for Jonathan Rhys Myers: last Sunday's segment, No. 203 ("Henry Marries Anne in Secret"). Yeah, it's great TV that finally gives viewers the Big Payoff of the Cranky King's wedding to Anne Boleyn, but Rhys Meyers doesn't get much screen time to showcase the kind of dramatic grandstanding that voters expect. So Showtime is also considering No. 210, whatever that is. Details haven't yet been disclosed.

Here's what happens in No. 203: Henry harrumphs, "The annulment of my marriage (to Catherine) must be declared immediately!" You see, the belly of his mistress, Anne, is ballooning fast and he needs to make a decent queen out of her, pronto.

He installs a new, wimpy Archbishop of Canterbury to make the proclamation the Pope will not, then he finally weds Anne in a quiet, vaulted place. Afterward, they proceed to the coronation, traveling by regal carriage through the empty streets of London. (Obviously, his subjects ain't too crazy about his new queenie.) An assassination attempt against Anne seems to go unnoticed.

Next comes the grandiose coronation during which Henry jumps up, snatches the crown from the archbishop and places it upon Anne's head as he booms, "With this — St. Edward's crown — I do so solemnly crown you queen of England!"

A few nights later, he cuddles up with Anne in bed, but she shoos him away, saying, "Can't now! Our baby!" His highness is not amused.

He's also not smiling with the baby is born and it turns out to be a girl. "I'm so sorry!" Anne sighs.

Randy Henry's a good sport about it, noting, "You and I are both young. With god's grace, boys will follow."

Not not anytime soon. Not with Anne. Next scene we see him eyeing the sexy Lady Eleanor, who he corners in a game of nude chess. Checkmate!

You see, this episode is fun, yes, but I don't spy an Emmy-worthy performance here. No, no, no.

The following is the full, prelim list of "The Tudors'" Emmy campaign:

'The Tudors'' Emmy strategy: The episodes

If Emmy contenders make the final runoff after a popular vote of 14,000 members of the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences, they must submit a sample episode to a judging panel that will determine the five final nominees. Final episode declarations aren't due until the end of May, but here is what "The Tudors" plans [as of now] Updated by LA Times on April 26, 2008:

Best Drama Series (205 "Anne's Family's Power is Jeopardized" airs April 27)
Lead Actor: Jonathan Rhys Meyers (209)
Supporting Actor: Henry Cavill (210)
Supporting Actor: Jeremy Northam (205 "Anne's Family's Power Is Jeopardized")
Supporting Actor: Nick Dunning (208)
Supporting Actor: James Frain (209)
Supporting Actress: Maria Doyle Kennedy (207)
Supporting Actress: Natalie Dormer (210)
Guest Actor: Peter O'Toole (208)

Directing: Ciaran Donnelly (205 "Anne's Family's Power Is Jeopardized")
Directing: Dearbhla Walsh (208)
Directing: Jon Amiel (209)
Directing: Jeremy Podeswa (201 "A Cook Poisons a Bishop")
Writing: Michael Hirst (205 "Anne's Family's Power Is Jeopardized")
OTHER CATEGORIES: Art Direction, Casting, Cinematography, Single-Camera Picture Editing, Hairstyling, Music Composition, Sound Editing, Sound Mixing, Visual Effects, Stunt Coordination

So, good to know that James Frain's Cromwell will be put forth for Emmy consideration, and the specific episode is Episode 9 (209). Hmm, just a few episodes away. He's been excellent in everything so far this season, so Episode 9 is definitely an object of anticipation here at AJF! Can't wait, can't wait.

Thanks again to Carol for uncovering the details for us.

April 14, 2008
From your webmaster:

Hello dear readers. I, your humble webmaster has decided to indulge myself in a bit of blogging. This is my Broadway Bids Bye Bye blog to The Homecoming. The forty-year-old revival that coincided with James Frains fortieth birthday.

On a cloudy Sunday afternoon at The Cort Theatre in Manhattan, a well-filled theater enjoyed a last opportunity to see this season's revival of Harold Pinter's "The Homecoming." The play ran from it's strike postponed beginning on December 4, 2007 until April 13, 2008. I got to see the play three times, on opening night, once in January and on it's final matinee on April 13th. This final performance was flawless. The brutal emotions onstage were riveting, broken up surprisingly, by frequent laughs. Perhaps Pinter designed roller-coasters in another life?

These six actors gave it their all, one last time, with feeling. The family tensions were very palpable, the cutting jokes dark and sharp. In the midst of this family reunion, each character seemed to be fighting to keep their little light of themself ablaze in the midst of everyone trying to rain on each others parade.

In the end, Teddy leaves defeated and bitter, his wife refusing to return to America with him to his well ordered university life. Ruth steps out of her vacant, formally defeated self by seizing the reins on this new group of men over whom she has clearly gained control. The final moment shows the surly Max's patriarchal throne being toppled by his own display of vulnerability in his admission of desire for Ruth. An act which is punctuated by the dropping of his sword-wielding cane as he himself drops to his knees. The last slow fade of the spotlight ends with Ruth at the center of this new dysfunctional family union, bringing this homecoming into a new chapter which we are gratefully not going to be witnessing. Fade to black, indeed.

Thirty seconds later, the stage lights come up again and the last curtain call was on. The cast was recieved by a standing ovation, with cheers as each cast member took their bow. Ian McShane asked to take a couple of minutes and thanked, well, absolutely everyone. He began with thanking the great audience (always a good start), then thanking "The Shuberts for the loan of their theater." Director Daniel Sullivan was thanked and the producers, "for their courage in bringing this show back to Broadway." He then warmly thanked many, many of the crew and production team by name, during which Michael McKean popped in a suggestion to the audience "check the fine print in the program."

Mr. McShane also thanked "these wonderful, excellent five actors" with whom he got to share the stage for the run. What a treat. It brought back old high school play excitement to witness the cast finishing up with hugs of farewell to one another. As the house lights came up some people joined them onstage as everyone else made their ways out or backstage, depending on who they were and where they were wanted, one supposes.

I attended the plays finale with my fellow Frain fans Carol and Bianca. We three joined a mild throng outside the stagedoor after the play. It was one last chance to see this cast as they go their separate ways. I don't generally (okay, never) do the stagedoor thingie, but sought to keep my friends company. It was fun to see all the non-cast folk as they came out onto the street to be greeted by a group not waiting for them. The range of reaction was charming, some people looking almost apologetic, some amused, some plowing through trying to get on their way. One woman gave a triumphant glance back towards us as she went her way into the stagedoor! Three guys came out with some equipment. I said - "Oh, must be the band." Okay, it's not a musical, there was no band. Sometimes I like to keep myself amused. Bianca laughed. I don't think Carol heard me.

Then all at once, out came Ian McShane, Raúl Esparza and Gareth Saxe. Gareth had a bouquet of blooms and signed autographs as he scooted around to the theater doors waiting for someone, making him look more like a fan than a cast member. Very sweet. Both Ian and Raúl stopped and chatted with everyone, signing Playbills and taking pictures, talking about the performance, the run and what they'll do next. Whilst this flurry of activity was happening, Michael McKean popped out, jacket on and backpack in hand and made his way towards 7th Avenue, stopping momentarily to sign a few autographs and acknowledge a compliment or two from fans. Raúl Esparza especially seems to have quite a popular following of theater fans. It's wonderful to see the time and care they took to greet folks. But still no James.

After the first cast folks made their way away, many of the fans went as well. A few of us were still there waiting on James Frain and Eve Best. Our little crowd of three had a few non-Playbill items seeking an autograph. Carol had her copy of the play in paperback, Bianca had a copy of the photo that her understanding boyfriend Frank took of her and James last month and I had a programme from James' first play at the Almeida - the 1991 production of "All for Love" which was also his first professional job ever. His bio in the programme is exactly two lines long. I quote - "JAMES FRAIN     Myris ~ Currently training at Central School of Speech and Drama. First professional engagement."    That's it.

After another good five or ten minutes of waiting, during which we talked about the performance, were checking train and bus schedules and plotting our own getaways, the door opens and out comes James and his party. His wife and friends made their way to the outer edge of the wee crowd to wait. He very graciously chatted with us as people complimented the performance, his hat and talked other topics.

Seeing folks with Playbills and pens out, he asked "Anyone want the do-da?" When my turn came, I presented him with the seventeen-year-old Almeida programme asking "I wonder if you wouldn't mind autographing this for me?" His eyes and mouth went wide and he said "Where did you find this?!"    "Online." (where else?) He immediately started craning his neck around trying to spot his wife Marta and said "I've got to show this to my wife, may I?" I said "Of course" of course, and he dashed 'round to show her, saying "Someone brought this..." I couldn't hear what else he said because everyone around us was asking "What was that?!", and I had to explain. When he came back I opened it to his wee bio where there was a nice space for his autograph. He looked on, still in wonder as did the fellow standing next to him who said"Wow," at which laughed.

I tried to take a photo of Mr. Frain with my play companions, but couldn't get to grips with Carol's alien camera. I was having trouble fitting their three heads in at which James suggested "Why don't we step back?" I said to him, "You're very good at this!" We checked the one I managed and James Frain said "..and we have feet!" Imagine my embarrassment. Feet! Oh dear. Then a fellow stage door fan stepped in and took the nice one. Actually he was nicely taller than me, my photo would have been a different angle even if it were properly done. I really like this one. Thank you nice stagedoor guy!

Carol had the presence of mind to ask him what he is up to next. He said that they are still waiting for official word on a go ahead to film a third season of The Tudors. One possible kink being the looming possibility of a Screen Actors Guild strike. It seems everyone is having their turn this year. It's a pity that anyone has to strike and people's livelihoods are certainly worth defending. America has a proud history of striking when needed and we need to spread the capital from our capitalism.

The other work he mentioned was a small part - "..just a small something," he said - in an upcoming Robert DeNiro film - Everybody's Fine which will be filming in Connecticut. So, hopefully everything will be fine and James and his fans will have some new things to look forward to.

He winded up the autographs and pictures and finally made his way towards the corner with his group. There were a last couple of folks holding out for Eve Best to make an appearence, but our work was done!

We thanked the fellow who helped with the camera and before saying goodbye, decided to take a three-block walk to the Sheraton to see if the Tudors publicity castle was still wrapped around the base of the hotel. It was, we gazed, snapped pictures and it seemed a fitting way to end the afternoon. We three bid farewell to one another, the doorman at the Sheraton helped me into a cab and I made my way home.

So, I can personally say that I find James Frain to be a gracious, charming man with the most lovely blue eyes in addition to being a brilliant actor with a serious gift for accents. And there are witnesses to back me up. I believe we can also confirm that his Broadway debut hasn't ruined him! It was a pleasure to meet him.

On Wednesday, March 19 at the Sheraton Hotel in New York City, Showtime hosted a screening and party of the premiere episode of the new season of The Tudors. Many of the cast were there - star Jonathan Rhys Meyers, the incomparable Peter O'Toole, Natalie Dormer, Henry Cavill, David Alpay and James Frain who must have gotten an excuse note for the night off from The Homecoming. Also in tow were Tudors costume designer Joan Bergin and writer Michael Hirst along with other Showtime actors in current projects, such as Billie Piper - "Secret Diary of a Call Girl" and Tracey Ullman - "Tracey Ullman's State of the Union." Showtime has graciously provided the video above so that we may share it with you here.

We love the comment by Henry Cavill as to what he attributes the success of the series; "I would guess it's just the excellent writing of Michael Hirst and the acting abilitiy of most of the cast." "Most" of them Henry? Geez man, way to support your fellow thesbians! LOL!

Here below is another video report of the screening party as provided by Hollywood Live Video.

That's right, as of Sunday, March 16, Showtime has added a preview of the premiere episode from Season Two online. After a good 5 minutes or so of catch-up in a "previously on The Tudors" segment, we are treated to an "edited" (for content or time, we don't know) version of the premiere. What fun!

It opens in London, 1532 in the midst of Henry's battle with the Catholic Church over his desire to divorce Queen Catherine and marry Anne Boleyn. Enjoy!

You can access each episode from Season One from the following site as well as the premiere episode above. We are not certain if these previews are viewable only on North American computers, so give it a try and see! THE TUDORS EPISODES ONLINE.

Having watched it, let me just say that it worth the wait. The plot thickens and we are introduced to a few new characters. Peter O'Toole in his first wee snippet is elegant perfection! As for James Frain's increasing role, let me let our Carol give her impression:

"I watched the Season 2 Episode 1 preview and it did not disappoint! Chock full of the requisite and by now justifiably expected intrigue and cruelty and death and gems and baubles and cleavage and suggestive glances and probable creative history and sex and best of all this time, lots of Thomas Cromwell! James Frain walking his incomparable walk, in tights, no less! Curls! Gorgeously nuanced facial expressions and subtley delivered lines. As is his talent, he immediately, single-handedly elevates the pith quotient, watchability and overall caliber of this super soap!!

On behalf of the king as well as to his own benefit, Thomas Cromwell witnesses, participates in and even generates some fairly unpleasant business, putting it mildly. It is due to the great talent of James Frain that we are able to detect conflict and even regret in this chilling character. As always, James Frain enables us to experience exactly what his characters are feeling, and allows us to still see their humanity even as we watch them perform their foulest deeds. What could be bad?

Enjoy!
Best--
--Carol"

Thanks for the preview review! And thank you Carol for relaying the info on the preview to us. So, go, go! Make a nice hot cup of something, grab the comfy computer chair and enjoy!

We've heard and read some tantalizing promises of a third season already being "greenlit"; here is one source from a Variety article by Liz Smith:

Posted: Wed., Mar. 26, 2008, 4:48pm PT
The network is already planning a third season, minus the unfortunate ladies, Anne and Catherine, who meet their respective ends this year. Jonathan says, "I hope season three focuses on the rebellion in Scotland, where you see Henry fight for a change." I wondered if the series would touch on the pathetic Katherine Howard, the second wife to lose her head? Jonathan couldn't say, but did remark that Mistress Howard "absolutely deserved to be beheaded. Anne Boleyn was executed because there was no other way to get out of that. She couldn't give him a son and that was the reason for the marriage. But Katherine Howard earned her beheading. She was a little nymphomaniac. She had over one hundred lovers in the palace!" Now, I begged to differ with Jonathan; she'd had a number of indiscreet affairs before and, alas, during her marriage to Henry, but a "nympho" a "hundred lovers?" The actor was adamant and I let it go -- you don't argue with Jonathan Rhys Meyers! He did soften slightly, "Well, she was very young and silly, the poor thing had no concept of 'wed and bed' -- she didn't see she was doing anything wrong, Henry being rather gross by then." Jonathan spoke glowingly of Maria Doyle Kennedy, who plays Catherine, and infuses her every moment with dignity and strength, "Isn't she magnificent?!" he exclaimed. And of the delectable Natalie Dormer, as Anne, he insists, "season two belongs to her. She owns it; she plays it like a harp and broke down walls with this performance."

So, before Season Two is even officially begun, we have the promise of a third installment of our favorite history-meets-modern-fantasy classic in the making. Sex, politics and religion?! What are they thinking? Michael Hirst, sharpen your pencils, buy some fresh doodle pads and check your computer for disk space! Perhaps all of you extras in Dublin should look at your calendars and keep your summer open!

The following features interviews with many of the actors appearing in the upcoming season, including James Frain. Meet the cast from Season Two of The Tudors, in "Royal Cast of Characters:"

This lovely snippet just appeared on January 29, 2008 at the IMDb messageboard for Quid Pro Quo:

"At Sundance writer/director Carlos Brooks and one of the producers confirmed that it will be distributed in about May 2008.

It's great that you mention James Frain because Carlos couldn't say enough good about him. Frain's part is small but well-played."

So, no more details than that, but so good to read that the film should be popping up in theaters beginning in May. Also, always lovely to hear some Frain appreciation!

The 2006 David Gleeson film, strarring Eriq Ebouaney and James Frain is now released on DVD in North America and in the UK as of February 12, 2008. It's a bit of an odd film to have come out just before Valentines Day, but we'll be happy for the chance to see it at last!

For those who don't know the story - it takes place in Ireland, an African immigrant bank security guard turns the tables on Dublin's nastiest criminals when they force him to be the "inside man" on a bank robbery. And yes, James Frain gets to play "Eddie" the nastiest of the nastiest criminals. He's such a good baddie. Go here to read our review page on The Front Line.

The DVD is available at:

AMAZON.COM in the United States,
AMAZON.CA in Canada and
AMAZON.CO.UK in Europe.

From Playbill News, Playbill.com:

Tony Committee Announces More Eligibility for 2008; Morton and Dunagan in Best Actress Slot

By Kenneth Jones
22 Jan 2008

The Tony Awards Administration Committee met Jan. 17 for the second time this season to decide the eligibility of 14 Broadway productions for the 2008 American Theatre Wing's Tony Awards, presented by The Broadway League and the American Theatre Wing.

In one of the rulings sure to prompt fan buzz, Chicago actresses Amy Morton and Deanna Dunagan, of the Steppenwolf Theatre Company's August: Osage County, were deemed eligible in the same category — Best Actress in a Play. Dunagan plays the braying pills-and-booze-addicted mother to Morton's middle-aged daughter.

Among the committee's determinations:

Raúl Esparza, Michael McKean, James Frain and Gareth Saxe will all be considered in the Featured Actor in a Play category for their performances in The Homecoming.

All other decisions were consistent with the opening night credits. That is, only actors whose names appear above the title are eligible for nomination in the Leading Actor/Actress categories. Producers must petition the Administration Committee in order to change actors' eligibility status.

This is the second time the Tony Award Administration Committee has met this year. It will meet two more times to discuss the eligibility of shows opening in the 2007-2008 season. The cut-off date for eligibility is May 7, and nominations will be announced on May 13.

The 62nd Annual American Theatre Wing's Antoinette Perry "Tony" Awards will be broadcast live on the CBS-TV network from Radio City Music Hall on June 15.

The official Tony Awards web site is at www.TonyAwards.com.

So, wonderful news that the entire cast of The Homecoming are eligible for consideration! Good luck one and all. To read this article in it's entirety, just click on the playbill link above.

Just a reminder to one and all, we are just a few weeks away from the end of this wonderful Broadway revival. This strictly limited engagement has been having a great run and just gets better and better as the weeks go on. This brilliant cast has managed to thrive despite strike delays and the always challenging East coast winter season. If you find yourselves able to attend, we strongly urge you to get a ticket or three, put on your theater-going best and head to the Cort Theatre before April 13.

We can only imagine what the experience has been for James Frain in his Broadway debut. From the looks of this photo on the right taken by Frain fan Jan (Frain femme from Canada!), he seems to be enjoying his winter in New York thus far. Hopefully his future will see a return to the Great White Way so that we fans in the States can enjoy more live performances.

Thanks to Frain fan Bianca, we also have a peek at birthday boy James in this photo to the left. Bianca attended the performance of The Homecoming on Mr. Frain's 40th birthday. She had the opportunity to meet him as he came out the stage door, chatted a bit and even had the chance to give him a birthday card. What fun. He is, by her account, " the most kind and gracious actor I've ever encountered. Very level headed and so appreciative of his fans." Thank you for sharing your meeting Ms. Bianca!

As is fitting a kind and gracious actor, he has even more fans who have found their way to The Cort Theatre of late. Just two days before his Broadway birthday, Jennifer attended a performance of The Homecoming and had the chance to meet Mr. Frain. (Funny, he doesn't look a year younger in this picture!) He autographed her Playbill and before he left she mentioned to him that she was really excited for season two of The Tudors and he said "Thanks, it comes on in two weeks." She wished him a good night and told him again that he did an amazing job and away he went towards Times Square.

To read more about The Homecoming, please visit - the official website for THE HOMECOMING.

To go directly to Telecharge for tickets to the play, please go to TELECHARGE.

from Broadway World:

This brief video features scenes and audio from The Homecoming, a fleeting glimpse into the twisted tale that passes as a family reunion in Harold Pinter's Broadway revival. Whoo Hoo!! Click onto the photo to view the video. If you have Internet Explorer, this can be viewed full screen.

To read the accompanying article, click here - BWW News Desk - Homecoming Video Preview

Thanks to Carol for the find!

The premiere of The Tudors Season Two is upon us! It will premiere in the U.S. Sunday, March 30, only on Showtime.

Showtime has kindly given us this link to their teaser videos for Season Two. The first clip entitled "Future Queen", shows Henry promising Anne the future she has been longing for and lays the groundwork for the meat of Season Two.

James can be seen in a number of the clips as Cromwell in his increasingly important role as Henry's right hand man. He gets to do King Henry's dirty work banishing people thither and yon, and will no doubt get the ball rolling in a beheading or two. Well, for as long as he keeps his own head about him at any rate.

Click on the picture to access the video clips. Enjoy!

from Rope of Silicon.com:

By: Brad Brevet
Tuesday, January 1, 2008

The Golden Globe nominated Showtime series "The Tudors" is a lot of fun, but trust me when I tell you that this is a sex-filled look at the life of Henry VIII. Written by Michael Hirst, who penned the first Elizabeth feature, "The Tudors" stars Jonathan Rhys Meyers stars as Henry and he is just a complete psycho with a ton of power. I am not much of a historian, but I have to believe a lot of liberties have been taken with the truth behind the actual events that inspired this show, but I'll be damned if I didn't enjoy these 11 first season episodes.

BUY IT AT AMAZON

ALSO at SHOWTIME!!

For an AMAZINGLY thorough review of this first season's DVD, please head over to Ultimate Disney.com for a review by Aaron Wallace.

Broadway Beat has aired an episode Online on January 7 featuring new footage of Richard Ridge interviewing James Frain and the entire cast plus director Dan Sullivan from The Homecoming opening night after party on December 16. Click HERE at Broadway World.com or on the picture to access the video report.

Thanks again to our Carol for spotting this new find!

For the rest of our news on The Homecoming, please see our coverage below.

Two New Video Reports

Carol spotted a new addition to Mr. Frain's page at IMDb including him in an online video report of Broadway Beat, hosted by Richard Ridge. We found a good link for the programme here: "BROADWAY BEAT on Broadway World.com" It's footage from the first rehearsal in November which the press were invited to join and has each cast member and director Dan Sullivan introducing us to this revival speaking briefly about the play, Pinter and their characters. James is quite animated and all involved share their enthusiasm for their new roles.

The other is a Video Feature for Broadway.com covering the after party from Opening night, December 16 at Bond 45, Opening Night: The Homecoming. It again features fun snippets with James, cast and director chatting at the after party on opening night, plus we get to glance scenes from the performance of The Homecoming. Very nicely done Broadway.com!

And nicely done Carol, great finds!

the latest on The Homecoming:

from Playbill.com:

"Dysfunctional Families" of Osage County and Homecoming to Be Part of March 7 Drama Desk Panel

By Adam Hetrick
15 Feb 2008

Cast members from Broadway's August: Osage County and The Homecoming will take part in the upcoming Drama Desk panel discussion Friday, March 7.

Entitled "Broadway's Dysfunctional Families," the panel will feature August: Osage County author Tracy Letts and cast members Amy Morton and Sally Murphy as well as The Homecoming's Raúl Esparza, James Frain and Ian McShane.

The sit-down luncheon will be held at Sardi's beginning at 11:45 AM; the panel discussion takes place from 1-2:30 PM. Drama Desk member Elysa Gardner, theatre critic for USA Today, serves as moderator.

Space is being allotted for non-Drama Desk members. Tickets for members are $35 and $45 for non-members. Interested parties should e-mail wolf@wolfentertainmentguide.com.

Sardi's is located at 234 West 44th Street in Manhattan.

*
The Drama Desk, organized in 1949, presented its first awards in 1955. It is the only theatre organization whose awards are competitive equally in the same categories for Broadway, Off-Broadway, Off-Off Broadway and not-for-profit theatre productions.

~~~~~~~~

So, this seems like a fun chance to share a good meal at the famous Sardi's with some wonderful actors and fellow theater lovers to discuss fictional crazed family members. A refreshing change from the annual holiday feast we many of us have in real life where we simply share a good meal and try NOT to discuss the crazed family we are at table with. If you are free on March 7 and have the spare dosh for the ticket, this sounds like a great time!

December 2007 - January 2008

Reviews Are Coming In

Opening night has finally happened! The Cort Theatre was filled to near capacity despite the weather. The Nor'easter storm was the insult on top of the injury of the stagehands strike threatening to spoil the already re-scheduled opening night. Happy to say, it failed to keep most ticket holders from attending. AJF's webmaster was in attendence along with the often mentioned Carol and her daughter Sophie. Sophie got this shot (to the right) of the play's poster in front of the theatre.

It was a wonderful treat to be able to see James Frain's Broadway debut as he sinks his teeth into the role of Teddy in this revival of Harold Pinter's 40-year-old play. The 1960's costumes suit him quite nicely. If all goes well, he'll be donning them eight times a week until April 13 of this limited run.

I shall resist the temptation to give you my own detailed first impression. This is the first Pinter play I've seen and the reality of the content will be something I'll be sorting out for a while yet. I read the play before attending tonight's performance. It took a decided "turn" on page thirty one and you pretty much have a roller coaster ride from there. It is only eighty two pages long, yet manages to fill up just over two hours on stage, all of it riveting. I can say with certainty that it was very well done by this excellent cast. It was also very well recieved by the audience.

We have a page of reviews and articles for play, below are some quotes from various reviews. To read the articles in their entirety, please go to THE HOMECOMING REVIEW PAGE. This can also be accessed through our Theatre page.

Opening Night Photos

Arrivals Click for photos of Arrivals

Curtain and After Party Click for Photos of The curtain call and after party.

" As the first-rate revival that opened Sunday night at the Cort Theater makes electrifyingly clear, The Homecoming is every bit as big as its reputation....the fine cast assembled for Daniel Sullivan's new production including Eve Best and Raúl Esparza in benchmark performances grasps the power of holding back in making a fathoms-deep impression....Mr. Saxe and Mr. Frain are superb as the dopey, brawny Joey and the disdainful, uxorious [uxorious adj. Excessively submissive or devoted to one's wife.] Teddy. Like their fellow cast members they give archetypal characters revelatory and particularizing shading."
The New York Times

" The director's lucid, unblinking work is matched by a riveting ensemble, their vileness inching under the skin in ways as psychologically disturbing as they are theatrically bracing....Ruth's intuitive understanding of those conflicting needs -- of how suspicion of her sexual power feeds the men's urge to humiliate and dominate her, but also how their lust and their sad need to be mothered makes them easy prey -- allows her to remain in command, even as Frain's spineless Teddy looks on in festering silence."
Variety

" Even if the material isn't necessarily to my liking, the acting is stellar....James Frain is a wonder. He is always in control, his voice mastering the subtle irony of his character.
blog - Adventures in the Endless Pursuit of Entertainment"

" There's plenty to chew on about power, sex, morality, misogyny and family, which Pinter, a 2005 Nobel Prize winner, serves up with signature intelligence, mystery and ambiguity.....Daniel Sullivan's astute direction captures the distinct rhythms of Pint-er's dialogue, as the production casts a strange spell that grips you tight....McKean gives Sam poignancy, while Frain's reserve feels right for the intellectual Teddy. The robust Saxe is well cast as the tongue-tied Joey, an amateur boxer who, unlike his dad, never mastered 'how to defend and to attack.'"
The Daily News

"What do you think of the room? Big, isn't it?" Teddy (the excellent James Frain) says, when he introduces Ruth (Eve Best) to the place...Best's articulate energy raises Frain's game. His Teddy unearths from the script's buried treasures something new to me: he makes us see the ruthlessness of Teddy's indifference.
John Lahr, The New Yorker

Eve Best was a sensational Josie Hogan last season in a revival of Eugene O'Neill's "A Moon for the Misbegotten." As Ruth, she's a different kind of earth mother, more erotically charged, yet distant and forbidding....James Frain turns in a fine, deceptively understated performance as her acquiescent husband
The Associated Press

...Ian McShane's creepily mercurial Max, James Frain's tantalizingly self-contradictory Teddy and Eva Best's trifle too studiedly paradoxical Ruth. Raul Esparza, remarkably diverse in leading- man roles, adds, as Lenny, frightening if somewhat overloud villainy to his repertoire. Michael McKean's Sam shuttles aptly between self-confidence and befuddlement and Gareth Saxe's Joey can be as dumbly apathetic as stupidly aggressive.
John Simon, Bloomberg.com

It's a fascinating and entertaining piece, but the play, 40 years on, has not worn as well as I would have expected. ...Yet it's difficult to imagine an all-over better cast or a more persuasive reading; led by McShane's ugly and embittered patriarch, Esparza's smoothly confident Lenny, Frain's shiftily ambivalent Teddy and the wonderful Best, whose smugly conspiratorial smile, caps the play's ending.
Clive Barnes, New York Post

McShane is excellent as Max, who wields a cane and a brutal tongue to compensate for his declining virility. ...Raul Esparza makes a potently pathetic Lenny, delivering Pinter's trademark pauses with as much rhythmic instinct as he's shown in his varied musical theater roles. James Frain's Teddy has a deadpan poise that makes him convincing both as Max's and Lenny's intellectual superior and their willing sap. Gareth Saxe's rougher, sweeter Joey adds a sense of vulnerability, and Michael McKean's taut performance as Max's brother Sam adds to the tension and humor....Eve Best rounds out the cast, literally and figuratively, as Ruth. Last seen in New York as the awkward, mannish Josie in last spring's revival of A Moon for the Misbegotten, Best revels in the chance to show off her feminine fire — and a great pair of legs — without sacrificing the air of coolness and control also required by the part.
USA Today

R   R   R  

THIS JUST IN!

QUID PRO QUO to Premiere at Sundance 2008

Anyone remember this one? James Frain has the part of "Father Dave" in this indie film which was filmed in October of 2005. Indie films, as we know, can take a long and winding road to an actual theater. Finally, we have news of this film being premiered in the U.S., and at an excellent venue - The Sundance Film Festival in January of 2008. There are four screenings listed beginning on January 20. Hopefully this will evoke some larger interest and we may be able to see the film appearing in theaters outside of Park City, Utah sometime in the not-too-distant future. Here are the details from November's press release:

Released: 11/29/07

2008 SUNDANCE FILM FESTIVAL ANNOUNCES FILMS IN THE PREMIERES, SPECTRUM, NEW FRONTIER AND PARK CITY AT MIDNIGHT SECTIONS

Park City, UT—Sundance Institute announced today the lineup of films screening at the 2008 Sundance Film Festival in the out-of-competition sections of Premieres, Spectrum, New Frontier, and Park City at Midnight. The 2008 Sundance Film Festival runs January 17-27, 2008 in Park City, Salt Lake City, Ogden, and Sundance, Utah. A complete list of the films is available at Sundance Institute's website at www.sundance.org/festival.

As previously announced, the Festival opens on January 17 in Park City with the world premiere of IN BRUGES, written and directed by first-time feature filmmaker and award-winning playwright, Martin McDonagh. With an international cast starring Ralph Fiennes, Colin Farrell, and Brendan Gleeson, IN BRUGES tells the suspenseful, twisted tale of two London hit men ordered to take a forced vacation in Bruges, Belgium, and how their subsequent time in exile goes awry. On Friday, January 26, the Closing Film screening in Park City signals the Festival's final weekend. This year's Closing Film is the world premiere of Neil Young's CSNY DÉJÀ VU which examines Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young's connection to its audience in both political and musical terms, and the relationship between Vietnam-era sentiment and today's political environment.

The Salt Lake City Gala on Friday, January 18 will feature the world premiere of THE GREAT BUCK HOWARD, directed by Sean McGinly and starring Colin Hanks, John Malkovich and Emily Blunt about a law school dropout who answers an advertisement to be a celebrity's personal assistant.

"It is impossible to describe in one word the full tapestry of films presented in this year's Festival, particularly in the out-of-competition categories," said Geoffrey Gilmore, Director, Sundance Film Festival." In an enormously eclectic way these films reflect the role cinema can play as an international language transcending borders of class, race, culture, and religion."

"This is going to be a festival rich in talent," said John Cooper, Director of Programming, Sundance Film Festival. "Independent film has reached a new plateau, from the filmmakers who tell stories that are fresh and unique, to a lineup of the best actors working today. Sundance audiences are going to see a range of work: both from those pushing the envelope of established careers and those soon to be discovered this January."

PREMIERES

To showcase the diversity of contemporary independent cinema, the Sundance Film Festival Premieres section offers the latest work from American and international directors and world premieres of highly anticipated films.

Among the Dramatic films screening in Spectrum category are:

QUID PRO QUO/ U.S.A. (Director and Screenwriter: Carlos Brooks)—A paraplegic New York public radio reporter becomes involved with a mysterious woman while researching a story about able-bodied people who secretly yearn to be paralyzed. Cast: Nick Stahl, Vera Farmiga, Kate Burton. World Premiere

FILM DESCRIPTION: Quid Pro Quo is a dark, puzzling tale of strangers who crash into one another's lives and transform them forever. Isaac, a paraplegic, is a popular New York City public-radio reporter who is investigating a story from an anonymous source about a man who walked into a hospital demanding that his leg be amputated.

While pursuing the story to satisfy his own probing curiosity, Isaac meets the strikingly beautiful and mysterious Fiona, a restoration artist. Isaac's investigation not only initiates a relationship with Fiona but also leads him into the strange subculture of "wannabes," those longing for wholeness—or lack thereof—in rather peculiar ways. Will Fiona lead Isaac to answers about this underworld of seekers, or will their stormy association push him toward a more painful truth?

In his sleek directorial debut, Carlos Brooks confidently navigates the delicate line of the psychological thriller genre with the help of eerie and convincing performances from Vera Farmiga and Nick Stahl. Quid Pro Quo does not celebrate or sensationalize the subculture it portrays but instead explores the human psyche and allows the audience to ask questions. Brooks takes us on a journey to explore our desires, find order in disorder, and exhume the need to restore normalcy to a society we find ourselves ostracized from.

CAST:
Nick Stahl, Vera Farmiga, Kate Burton, James Frain, Aimee Mullins, Pablo Schreiber

SCREENINGS:
Sun. January 20, 5:30pm, Library Center Theatre, Park City
Mon. January 21, 11:30am, Holiday Village Cinema II, Park City
Fri. January 25, 8:30pm, Prospector Square Theatre, Park City
Sat. January 26, 7:30pm, Broadway Centre Cinemas VI, SLC

To read the entire list of Festival films please go to the Sundance Film Festival website.

IMDb page for Quid Pro Quo -- CLICK HERE, or click onto the link in the widget to your left!

Lastly, here is an interesting sneak preview of the film in an online feature - HDNet Movies Sneak Preview. It's a 26 minute program previewing several HDNet films which are soon to be released, including Quid Pro Quo. FYI, the Quid Pro Quo preview is the last one seen in the feature, beginning at minute 16:02 to 21:22, to be exact. It's an intriguing first glance.

Flash required for viewing.

November 2007

from Playbill.com:

Three-Play Subscription Offered for August, November and The Homecoming

By Adam Hetrick
10 Dec 2007

Broadway can partially thank Jeffrey Richards — the lead producer behind August: Osage County, The Homecoming and November — for what many are calling the year of the play. Audiences can also thank Richards for a unique commercial-theatre subscription offer to all three.

Richards and his producing partners have created a three-play subscription that allows theatregoers to purchase orchestra or front mezzanine tickets to all three plays at $199.

With most Broadway orchestra seats selling for $120, and a few others more than doubling that sum for special seating, the new subscription is something of a steal — and an uncommon offer from the commercial sector. Subscriptions are usually associated with not-for-profit theatres or tour presenters in regional markets. The deal boasts the latest work from David Mamet, the 40th anniversary revival of Harold Pinter's Tony Award-winner, and one of the most highly praised critical debuts for a drama in recent memory.

August: Osage County at the Imperial is the praised Steppenwolf import by Pulitzer Prize nominee Tracy Letts. The family drama under the direction of Anna Shapiro stars Ian Barford, Deanna Dunagan, Kimberly Guerrero, Francis Guinan, Brian Kerwin, Dennis Letts, Madeleine Martin, Mariann Mayberry, Amy Morton, Sally Murphy, Jeff Perry, Rondi Reed, and Troy West.

Golden Globe Award-winner Ian McShane and Tony-nominee Raúl Esparza join Eve Best (A Moon for the Misbegotten), Michael McKean, James Frain, and Gareth Saxe for the 40th revival of Harold Pinter's provocative The Homecoming under the direction of Daniel Sullivan. Currently in previews, The Homecoming opens Dec. 16 at the Cort Theatre.

Finally, David Mamet and Joe Mantello are reunited for the politically-inspired November, starring Tony winner Nathan Lane. The latest work from the Pulitzer Prize winning author of Glengarry Glen Ross, set days before the presidential election, also stars Laurie Metcalf, Tony-nominee Dylan Baker, Ethan Phillips and Michael Nichols. November begins previews Dec. 20 in anticipation of a Jan. 17 opening at the Ethel Barrymore Theatre.

Further information on the subscription series is available by visiting www.3greatplays.com. To purchase tickets by phone call (212) 947-8844 and mention code "PLAY3."

AT LAST!!!

this article is from Playbill:

Broadway's Homecoming Rehearses in Anticipation of Dec. 4 First Preview

By Andrew Gans By Kenneth Jones
29 Nov 2007

The revival of Harold Pinter's The Homecoming — which had been scheduled to begin its limited Broadway engagement Nov. 23 but was unable to do so because of the stagehands strike — is currently in technical rehearsals prior to its first preview, which will be held Dec. 4.

As previously reported, the rest of Broadway will be up and running Thursday, Nov. 29.

Homecoming will officially open at the Cort Theatre Dec. 16 at 7 PM.

A free run-through of The Homecoming was presented Nov. 25 at New World Stages to benefit Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS. That evening featured the entire Broadway cast: Ian McShane, Raúl Esparza, Eve Best, Michael McKean, James Frain and Gareth Saxe.

Set in North London, The Homecoming, according to press notes, "concerns the ultimate dysfunctional family, presided over by its patriarch Max (McShane). Living under his dilapidated roof are his younger brother Sam (McKean), and two of his sons: Lenny (Esparza), the town pimp, and Joey (Saxe), a boxer-in-training. Tensions begin to flair with the arrival of Max's eldest son Teddy (Frain), who returns home after six years with his new wife Ruth (Best). Seduction, betrayal, and divisiveness ensue, as the family welcomes the homecoming of its estranged brother and vies for the attention of his dangerously alluring wife." Daniel Sullivan directs. The design team features set designer Eugene Lee, lighting designer Kenneth Posner, costume designer Jess Goldstein and sound designer John Gromada. Daniel Sullivan directs.

Harold Pinter is also the author of The Caretaker, Betrayal, The Room, Ashes to Ashes and Celebration.

The Homecoming is produced on Broadway by Jeffrey Richards, Jerry Frankel, Jam Theatricals, Ergo Entertainment, Barbara and Buddy Freitag, Michael Gardner, Herb Goldsmith, Terry Schnuck, Hal Thau, Michael Filerman/Lynn Peyser and Ronald Frankel/David Jaroslowitz.

The Cort Theatre is located in Manhattan at 138 West 48th Street.

November 27, 2007

Show Hosts Free Reading To Support Broadway Cares/Equity Fights Aids

While producers and stagehands worked toward a deal to end the Broadway strike, stars of one show put on a performance for a good cause. NY1's Lindley Pless filed the following report.

While the lights stayed out on many of Broadway's biggest shows Sunday night, at New World Stages on 50th Street one performance went on.

"I think it's a major theatrical event. We were supposed to begin previews Friday night, but of course, with the strike, we were not able to," said Jeffrey Richards, producer, "The Homecoming."

It wasn't a traditional show with make-up, costumes, and lighting, but instead, a reading of "The Homecoming." Tickets were free, but donations were encouraged for Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS.

"I think it's an extraordinarily important relationship. If this wasn't happening – if there was no a strike for example, the actors, nightly, at the Court Theatre, where 'The Homecoming' will be playing would be taking buckets out at the end of the show and asking patrons if they had enjoyed the performance to contribute to this very worthy organization," said Richards.

An hour before curtain call, crowds anxiously waited to see the actors arriving.

"This is my first reading. I haven't seen a reading before, but I'm really excited to see the difference between – I'm going to go see the production in a couple weeks, obviously, and see what the differences are. I think it will be a lot more exciting," said a ticket holder.

Because tickets were given out free of charge, those attending the show say they would undoubtedly give more money to Broadway Cares this year.

"I think Broadway Cares is great, and I think one of the tough things about the strike is that it came at the time that the collecting was going on," said a ticket holder. "So I absolutely will make a donation tonight to Broadway Cares. I think that it's great that they're doing this, and that it's connected to that makes it even better."

Because of the strike, Tom Viola, executive director of Broadway Cares, says the group has raised a lot less than usual this year. That's why it's even encouraged people to donate online, and the show that raises the most money will win the prestigious Gypsy of the Year award.

"The cast actually, from what I understand, was so eager to be in front of an audience they came up with the idea of doing the free rehearsal tonight. After which they are going to do an appeal for Broadway Cares/Equity Fights Aids, which we are thrilled about," said Viola.

He hopes the actors, who took the time to offer donation buckets to patrons after the show, will be able to collect a little extra for the cause. Raul Esparza is one of the stars of the show, which is scheduled to open on Broadway December 13th. He says the theater community has a big heart when it comes to giving back.

"It's an organization that we support every opportunity that we get," said Esparza. "Every actor that I've worked with on Broadway has been so proud to contribute to and contribute to the community. And you do benefits and you say what you can and you go where you go and you collect all the time."

For more information, visit Broadway Cares.

- Lindley Pless

from Broadway World.com:

'The Homecoming' Offical Bway Website Launched

Posted Wednesday, November 7, 2007 by BWW News Desk

The 40th Anniversary revival of Harold Pinter's Tony Award-winning masterpiece The Homecoming launches its website today at http://TheHomecomingOnBroadway.com.

The site will feature cast and creative bios, behind-the-scenes photos and videos, a blog kept by the actors and director, and a special video trailer. The newsletter will also include exclusive discount offers.

The Homecoming star Golden Globe Award-winner Ian McShane ("Deadwood"), two-time Tony-nominee Raul Esparza (Company, The Normal Heart), Tony-nominee Eve Best (A Moon for the Misbegotten), Oscar-nominee Michael McKean (The Pajama Game, Hairspray), James Frain ("The Tudors", The Count of Monte Cristo) and Gareth Saxe (Heartbreak House).

The award-winning design team will include Eugene Lee (Wicked, Sweeney Todd, Candide), Kenneth Posner (The Coast of Utopia, Glengarry Glen Ross), Jess Goldstein (The Rivals, Henry IV) and John Gromada (Rabbit Hole, Enchanted April).

The performance schedule is as follows: Tuesdays at 7PM, Wednesdays-Saturdays at 8PM, Wednesday & Saturday matinees at 2PM, and Sundays at 3PM. Tickets are priced at $26.50 - $98.50 and are currently available through www.Telecharge.com.

Tony Award-winner Daniel Sullivan (Stuff Happens, Rabbit Hole, Proof) directs the production which begins performances on Friday, November 23. It will officially open on Thursday, December 13 at the Cort Theatre (138 West 48th Street) for a 20-week limited engagement thru April 13.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The website is looking very good indeed. The blog feature should be particularly fun. It will be interesting to read the creative folk and cast takes on things. Now, if they could just get James Frains name right, that would be grand. Right now in the cast bios, the alternate text identifies him as Gareth Saxe. I know that Gareth Saxe is Gareth Saxe, but I really don't believe that James Frain is also Gareth Saxe. Do these actors all look alike to the webmaster? Let's just hope James gets to bring home his own paycheck and doesn't have to share one with Gareth!

Also from Broadway World.com:

Photo Flash: Charlie Rose & 'The Homecoming' Honor Pinter

by BWW

The 40th anniversary revival of Harold Pinter's The Homecoming recently began rehearsals. A special event was held last night, Sunday October 28 at the British Consulate Residence in honor of Harold Pinter. Charlie Rose, a dear friend of Pinter's and the last person to conduct a major interview with the playwright, was the featured guest and screened their most recent interview (from last fall). Pinter is currently in England and was not on-hand for the event.

"Undoubtedly Pinter's most sexually provocative work, The Homecoming is an edgy and compelling tale of lust, betrayal and seduction, telling the story of a dysfunctional family that welcomes the homecoming of its estranged brother and competes for the attention of his dangerously alluring wife," explain press notes.

The cast includes two-time Tony-nominee Raul Esparza (Company, The Normal Heart), Golden Globe Award-winner Ian McShane ("Deadwood"), Tony-nominee Eve Best, Oscar-nominee Michael McKean (The Pajama Game, Hairspray) and Gareth Saxe.

Tony Award-winner Daniel Sullivan (Rabbit Hole, Proof) directs the production which begins performances on Friday, November 23; opening Sunday, December 9 at the Cort Theatre (138 West 48th Street) for a 20-week limited engagement thru April 13.

The award-winning design team will include Eugene Lee, Kenneth Posner, Jess Goldstein and John Gromada.

To see the rest of the wonderful photos by Elon Rutberg of this event, go to the the article at BROADWAY WORLD.COM.

A GAZILLION thanks to Carol for some great googling in finding this latest Frain fare!

A BIG mwah!!!

Behind the scenes video at Broadway.com

Click photo to link to video at Broadway.com
Thanks to Frain fan Jan, we have news of this new video taped at the October 22 read through of the play which the press were welcomed to. It's a lovely video with input from the whole cast and director Daniel Sullivan. Mr. Sullivan and his cast give their personal comments on Pinter, family and the relevance of the revival of this 40 year old drama.

This is a great chance to see James Frain, Ian McShane, Eve Best, Michael McKean, Raul Esparza and Gareth Saxe as they begin donning the cloaks of their newly revived Pinter people.

Snippet from the Village Voice

Thanks to Teri, we have news of a wee snippet of an interview which appears within a gossip column written by the always engaging Michael Musto in the Village Voice. My favorite old-time cutting-edge underground Village paper which has become a mainstay of culture in the City.

Just a few witty and sometimes urbane comments from James and director Daniel Sullivan gathered at the open rehearsal on October 22, we've added it to our Press page. Have a peek.

So, the time is finally upon us. James Frain is headed to Broadway. Let's hope it feels like a real homecoming for Mr. Frain who will be returning to the stage after a 5 year absence since his turn as Edmund in King Lear. To the cast - break a leg one and all!

October 2007

Public run-through of The Homecoming Nov. 25

Frain fan Tina just alerted us to this bit of good news. Here's the info from Playbill.com:

Free Performance of The Homecoming Will Be Presented Nov. 25 to Benefit BC/EFA
By Andrew Gans
21 Nov 2007

A free run-through of the upcoming Broadway revival of The Homecoming will be presented Nov. 25 at New World Stages to benefit Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS.

The evening will feature the cast of the Broadway revival, which had been scheduled to begin performances Nov. 23 at Broadway's Cort Theatre. Because of the strike, previews have been delayed, although the show is still aiming for an official opening Dec. 13.

Ian McShane, Raúl Esparza, Eve Best, Michael McKean, James Frain and Gareth Saxe will perform the Harold Pinter drama at 8 PM at the Off-Broadway venue. Following the run-through, an appeal will be made for Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS, whose fundraising drive has been severely affected by the current strike.

Set in North London, The Homecoming, according to press notes, "concerns the ultimate dysfunctional family, presided over by its patriarch Max (McShane). Living under his dilapidated roof are his younger brother Sam (McKean), and two of his sons: Lenny (Esparza), the town pimp, and Joey (Saxe), a boxer-in-training. Tensions begin to flair with the arrival of Max's eldest son Teddy (Frain), who returns home after six years with his new wife Ruth (Best). Seduction, betrayal, and divisiveness ensue, as the family welcomes the homecoming of its estranged brother and vies for the attention of his dangerously alluring wife." Daniel Sullivan directs.

Tickets will be handed out at 6 PM at New World Stages, located in Manhattan at 340 West 50th Street. Only the first 300 people who show up will be admitted — one ticket per person.

Thank you Tina!

from The Associated Press:

Producer Keeps Working Despite Strike

By MICHAEL KUCHWARA – November 20
NEW YORK (AP) — Most of Broadway may be shut down because of the stagehands strike, but producer Jeffrey Richards still is juggling as fast as he can. Tuesday should have been opening night of "August: Osage County," the critically acclaimed hit from Chicago's Steppenwolf Theatre. This Friday, his revival of Harold Pinter's "The Homecoming" was to have started preview performances. And then there is Richards' production of David Mamet's new play, "November," starring Nathan Lane, Laurie Metcalf and Dylan Baker. It goes into rehearsal next Monday for a January opening.

The three shows together represent an investment of over $6 million, according to Richards, a producer of the Tony-winning 2005 revival of Mamet's "Glengarry Glen Ross."

"I just came back from a rehearsal of `The Homecoming,' so I am really fired up right now," Richards said Tuesday.

Monday had been an equally busy day for the producer: attending final auditions for "November," watching a run-through of "The Homecoming" and then meeting with the company of "August: Osage County," a troupe of mostly Chicago-based actors who are now stranded in New York, awaiting the play's reopening.

It will depend, of course, on when the contract dispute between Local 1 and the League of American Theatres and Producers is resolved. More than two dozen plays and musicals are closed, dark since the strike began Nov. 10. No negotiations have been scheduled since talks ended abruptly last Sunday. Performances have been canceled at least through Sunday, the end of the lucrative Thanksgiving weekend, one of the best times of the year for business on Broadway.

Richards and the show's other producers had offered to fly the "August: Osage County" actors back to Chicago for the holiday, but they are still here, with many planning to spend Thanksgiving in New York, he said. So will his "Homecoming" cast including Ian McShane, James Frain, Eve Best and Michael McKean.

Meanwhile, Steppenwolf announced Tuesday in Chicago that the limited Broadway engagement for the $2.5 million production of Tracy Letts' play will now end March 9 instead of Feb. 17 as originally scheduled. "We hope this extension will allow `August' to realize its full potential in New York and afford Broadway theatergoers the opportunity to experience this extraordinary production," said David Hawkanson, Steppenwolf's executive director.

But the New York opening is still up in the air.

"We will replan the opening night after we consult with our colleagues from `The Farnsworth Invention' and `The Seafarer' that had dates prior to us," Richards said.

"The Little Mermaid" said Tuesday it also would postpone its opening. The big Disney musical originally was scheduled to open Dec. 6 at the Lunt-Fontanne Theatre but was shut down after doing only a week of previews.

Both "Farnsworth" by Aaron Sorkin and "The Seafarer," an Irish drama by Conor McPherson were to have opened last week. "The Homecoming," budgeted at $2.1 million, has an opening date of Dec. 13, but that may change, too.

"We are still in the rehearsal room with `The Homecoming,' even though our set is in the (Cort) theater," Richards said. "The set was loaded in prior to the strike."

At Tuesday's rehearsal, Richards said actor Raul Esparza told him, "I just want to get up on stage," adding that that his character is "one of the toughest roles I have ever played."

"The cast needs ... feedback (from theatergoers)," Richards said. "`The Homecoming' is a very funny, ironic and seductive play, and you need to have all of these elements presented in the theater — before an audience."

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Dear Cast of Homecoming,

Here's some feedback from a couple of native New York would-be theatergoers... We'd really, really, really LOVE to see just what you have all come up with. We had tickets. We got them in the pre-public American Express sales promotion long before October 20 (that's 20 October for the Brit half of you.) Not that it does us any good because the performance is now cancelled. We'd buy tickets for another performance, but guess what? We have NO IDEA when there will be ANY performances. We promise that there are more than a few of us out here in the same boat. And whenever this once-in-a-121-year historical event has played itself out, many of us will still try and show up at the Cort to give you some LIVE feedback.

We at AJF haven't a clue what will inspire the dueling powers that be to see whatever light they need to see to put an end to this show-stopper, but we truly hope that it's sometime before we get too many more gray hairs. Where ARE the scissors? Have you seen them?

Break a leg darlings. In fact, break a few! Whatever it takes to get up onstage.

Stagehands Strike Continues, Postpones previews of The Homecoming

From an article by Linda Winer on Newsday.com:

November 19, 2007
A second day of talks between striking stagehands and Broadway producers broke down last night, leaving shows in the dark for at least another week at the start of one of Broadway's most lucrative periods all year, producers said last night.

"Out of respect for our public and our local theatergoers, many of whom are traveling from around the world, we regret that we must cancel performances through Sunday, Nov. 25," Charlotte St. Martin, executive director of the League of American Theatres and Producers, said in a statement last night.

Producers walked away from the table at a theater district hotel after 12 hours of negotiations, telling the stagehands' union that its offers "were not enough," said a representative of Local One of the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees. No new talks were scheduled.

~ ~ ~ ~

One hundred and twenty one years, the Local 1 Union has run without a strike. It's a crying shame that they choose to be on strike the week that James Frain is suppose to make his Broadway debut. Not having a crystal ball, it's impossible to know just how long this situation will continue. Meanwhile, there are many dissapointed people left in the wake of it. Tourists, theater lovers and many New York businesses remain on tenterhooks.

The Homecoming, which was scheduled to begin previews on November 23, obviously won't be. As we hear any news of this interrupted revival's plans, we'll pass them on.

note from webmaster~ November 10, 2007, New York. Although 'The Homecoming' has not yet begun previews (they are scheduled to begin November 23), they have nevertheless issued the following statement on their official website:

IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT FOR BROADWAY TICKET HOLDERS: Due to a strike by Local One, IATSE stagehands, there will be no performances today. Please click here or visit Telecharge.com for details on our refund policy. We regret any inconvenience caused and encourage you to check in daily at LiveBroadway.com for a status of the strike.

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from canwest.com:

Strike darkens Broadway

Second stoppage in four years

Jay Stone
CanWest News Service

Saturday, November 10, 2007
NEW YORK CITY -- Rachel Carroll and Anna Kowlezyk, two teenagers from Utica, N.Y., drove four hours with their families to New York City Saturday morning to see the Broadway musical Mamma Mia.

They arrived to find that the long-running tribute to ABBA, along with two dozen other plays and musicals, have been cancelled by a strike that has darkened the Great White Way for the second time in four years.

Broadway's stagehands went on strike Saturday morning over the issue of union rules, ending three months of negotiations and closing such popular musicals as Legally Blonde, Monty Python's Spamalot and the Canadian show The Drowsy Chaperone, as well as plays like A Bronx Tale and The Farnsworth Invention.

Eight Broadway shows -- Cymbeline, Mary Poppins, Mauritius, Pygmalion, The Ritz, Young Frankenstein, Xanadu and The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee -- are still playing. They are in theatres that have separate contracts with the union, Local One of the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees.

Off-Broadway shows are also going on as usual.

"It's really bad," said Rachel as she waited at a crowed booth near Times Square where theatre-goers were grabbing up tickets to alternate shows. By noon Saturday, Mary Poppins was already sold out for the weekend. "Maybe we'll go to see Xanadu, but I don't want to see something just for the sake of seeing it." She didn't have to: by the time her party got to the ticket window, Xanadu was sold out as well.

"People are pretty appalled," said one picket in front of the Palace Theatre on Broadway, where Legally Blonde had been showing. "I don't blame them." She added she hoped the strike would be settled quickly. In 2003, a musician's strike lasted four days.

People with tickets to strikebound shows can get refunds at the outlets where they bought the tickets. Ticketmaster was giving automatic credits to customers within a week or so of the performance date. Those who bought tickets at a box office were asked to return after the strike was over: box office workers were honouring picket lines, and strikebound theatres were locked and empty.

Pamphlets handed out by pickets said theatre owners and producers were demanding a 38% cut in jobs and wages, even though Broadway is "a billion dollar a year industry and has never been more profitable than now."

"Unlike the producers, we are not fighting for our second or third homes; we are fighting to keep the one that we have," the pamphlet said.

IATSE has been negotiating with the League of American Theatres and Producers since before its contract expired in July. Management is asking for more flexible union rules so it can decide when stagehands are needed and how many; the union wants benefits to make up for the change.

The local has 2,200 members, of whom a quarter of them work on Broadway. Other stagehand work, such as television jobs, has been hurt by the strike by the Writers Guild of America.

Meanwhile, at the Marquis Theatre on Broadway where pickets have closed performances of The Drowsy Chaperone, a group of women from New Jersey -- who had planned to get tickets for a Saturday performance -- picked up an information sheet and turned around, heading down Broadway away from Times Square.

What were they going to do instead?

"Shop," yelled one over her shoulder.

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In theory, The Homecoming is one of the shows being affected by this strike, as the Cort Theatre is owned by the Schubert Organization. However, previews have yet to begin and it's impossible to imagine that a strike would last the two weeks until November 23, when the doors are meant to open for our first glimpse of James Frains' Teddy and his North London nightmare of a family.

If the strike has an effect on the scheduling of the play remains to be seen. Rest assured, we will pass on any information as we get it.

We at AJF wish all the best for the very hard working folk in these negotiations. We hope that the outcome is both fair and fast, so that business can return to normal, with the drama being on stage instead of in the street on Broadway.

Follow Spot

by Michael Portantiere

THE PINTER OF OUR DISCONTENT

"This is a play about power, love, hate, possession, desire, uncertainty, loss of possession, all sorts of things. Sure, there's plenty of sex in The Homecoming, but the play is not about naked female thighs. [Pause] Not entirely." Thus spake Harold Pinter of one of the 20th century's most provocative stage works, which he happens to have written. Billed as "an edgy and compelling tale of lust, betrayal, and seduction," The Homecoming concerns the men of a dysfunctional British family, who compete for the attentions of an estranged brother's "dangerously alluring" wife. A new production of the play is soon to open on Broadway at the Cort Theatre for a limited engagement, with performances beginning November 3 and the official opening set for December 13. The company met the press on Monday, October 22;

Click HERE to view some pics from that event.

And from Broadway.com; BROADWAY BUZZ:

McShane, Esparza, Best & Co. Gather for First Rehearsal of The Homecoming

Date: 10/22/2007

Before the ink was dry on their Equity contracts on the morning of October 22, press agent-turned-Tony Award-winning producer Jeffrey Richards had the cast for his Broadway revival of Harold Pinter's The Homecoming up in front of the camera at their midtown rehearsal studio digs, minutes before beginning their first full day of rehearsal. Happy to have a first look, we were also very happy to greet Homecoming's trio of returnee Broadway stars—Eve Best (Moon for the Misbegotten), Raul Esparza (Company) and Michael McKean (Pajama Game)—plus the sexy fresh faces of Gareth Saxe and James Frain, and of course that man-you-love-to-hate from Deadwood, Ian McShane, making his first (and long-awaited) appearance on the Great White Way since his debut here in 1967. Harold Pinter's Tony Award-winning drama about three brothers, two uncles and a mysterious girl begins previews at the Cort on November 23. Until then, check 'em out here first!

See page with a link to photos HERE.

James Frain Coming to Broadway in The Homecoming

Thanks to Tina, we have news of James Frain's latest role, in the revival of the 1965 play "The Homecoming." This will be Mr. Frain's Broadway debut. In an article appearing on Theater Mania.com, we read that James will be playing the role of Teddy in a 20 week run of the Tony award winning play by Harold Pinter. For more information on the works of British playwright Harold Pinter, please visit PINTER'S OFFICIAL WEBSITE. Also see OFFICIAL HOMECOMING WEBSITE.

Previews begin November 23, 2007. The play opens December 13, 2007 and closes April 13, 2008. Tickets range from $26.50 - $98.50. They can be purchased by the general public from October 20, 2007. To see complete schedule or purchase tickets, visit this page for the play - The Homecoming.

Here is a synopsis of the play:
Considered one of Pinter's greatest plays, The Homecoming is undoubtedly his most sexually provocative work. Set in North London, the play concerns the ultimate dysfunctional family, presided over by its patriarch Max (McShane). Living under his dilapidated roof are his younger brother Sam (McKean), and two of his sons: Lenny (Esparza), the town pimp, and Joey, a boxer-in-training. Tensions begin to flair with the arrival of Max's eldest son Teddy, who returns home after six years with his new wife Ruth. Seduction, betrayal, and divisiveness ensue, as the family welcomes the homecoming of its estranged brother and vies for the attention of his dangerously alluring wife.

Hmmm, playing an estranged brother with a dangerously alluring wife. Sounds like typical Frain fare, eh?

This is the article about James joining the cast:

Theater News Oct 1, 2007
New York

James Frain Completes Cast of Broadway's The Homecoming

By: Brian Scott Lipton
British actor James Frain will play Teddy in the Broadway revival of Harold Pinter's The Homecoming. The production, to be directed by Daniel Sullivan, will begin performances at the Cort Theatre for a 20-week engagement starting on November 23, and will now open on December 13.

As previously reported, the cast will include Ian McShane, Eve Best, Raul Esparza, Michael McKean, and Gareth Saxe. The design team will include Eugene Lee (set), Kenneth Posner (lights) and Jess Goldstein (costumes).

The Homecoming concerns the ultimate dysfunctional family, presided over by its patriarch Max (McShane). Living under his dilapidated roof are his younger brother Sam (McKean), and two of his sons: Lenny (Esparza), the town pimp, and Joey (Saxe), a boxer-in-training. Tensions begin to flair with the arrival of Max's eldest son Teddy (Frain), who returns home after six years with his new wife Ruth (Best). The play's Broadway premiere in 1967 won the Tony Award for Best Play.

Frain's London stage credits include Other People, King Lear, and She Stoops to Conquer. His film and television credits include Elizabeth, Hilary and Jackie, The Count of Monte Cristo, Prime Suspect 3, and Showtime's The Tudors.

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The Tudors second season unaffected by Hollywood Writer's Strike

In as much as The Tudors is not a Hollywood production, combined with the fact that it's twelve-episode second season filming schedule finished up in October, it's no surprise that the programme is expected to air unaffected. Now, if it were an editor's strike, who knows? We found this addressed in the following article appearing on Canada.com network. As for the rest of this television season, we may well have to spend more time with friends and family, pull out some DVDs or gasp - read a book or two! Remember reading? Well, just for practice, read the following and see what TV programmes may be affected...

from The Gazette in Montreal:

Casualties of the Hollywood writers strike

Alex Strachan
CanWest News Service

Wednesday, November 07, 2007
One of the unexpected early casualties of the Hollywood writers strike has been the refusal by several show-runners - writers who also produce and supervise their own series - to cross picket lines.

As a result, some series that had expected to remain in production well into December have been shut down.

Most of the affected shows are studio sitcoms, as these are taped the week before they air, with writers polishing and refining jokes up to the moment the show goes in front of a live audience.

Here's an informal list of the affected shows, and what viewers can expect to see from their favourite programs in the coming weeks. The list is subject to last-minute change as events unfold.

LATE-NIGHT:
Colbert Report (CTV, Comedy Network); Jimmy Kimmel Live (Citytv, ABC); Tonight Show with Jay Leno (A-Channel, NBC); Late Show with David Letterman (CBS); Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson (E!, CBS); The Daily Show with Jon Stewart (CTV, Comedy Network); Late Night with Conan O'Brien (A-Channel, NBC); MADtv (Fox); and Saturday Night Live (Global, NBC) have gone into immediate reruns.

The late-night talk shows may return if their hosts decide to wing it without writers. Expect longer celebrity interviews and more of them if that happens. Sketch-comedy programs like Saturday Night Live and MADtv are off the air until the writers' strike is settled.

PRIME TIME:
The Amazing Race (CTV, CBS) - Unaffected.

America's Next Top Model (Citytv, CW) - Unaffected.

Back to You (Global, Fox) - Production suspended indefinitely.

Beauty & the Geek (CW) - Unaffected.

The Big Bang Theory (A-Channel, CBS) - Production suspended indefinitely.

Boston Legal (E!, ABC) - 11 episodes are ready, with the last new episode scheduled to air Dec. 18.

Brothers & Sisters (Global, ABC) -Two new episodes are confirmed, with the final new episode to air Nov. 25. Production continues, but may be suspended any day.

Cane (Global, CBS) - All 13 episodes are expected to be ready, although filming was disrupted briefly Monday and the production moved to a different location. No more episodes have been ordered.

Carpoolers (ABC) - All 13 episodes have been filmed. No new episodes have been ordered.

Cashmere Mafia (Global/E!, ABC) - Initially scheduled to debut on Nov. 27. Delayed indefinitely.

Cavemen (ABC) - Nearly all 13 episodes are ready. No more episodes have been ordered.

CSI, CSI: Miami, CSI: New York (CTV, CBS) - 13 of 22 scheduled episodes are expected to be ready, with the final new episodes scheduled to air the week of Nov. 26.

Dancing with the Stars (CTV, ABC) - Unaffected.

Desperate Housewives (CTV, ABC) - Nine of 22 episodes have been filmed. The last new episode is scheduled to air Dec. 2. Production has otherwise been suspended indefinitely.

Dirty Sexy Money (CTV, ABC) - 11 episodes completed of initial 13. No more episodes have been ordered.

ER (CTV, NBC) - Eight episodes have been made. Scripts are ready for another three, with the final new episode scheduled to air Dec. 6.

Family Guy (Global, Fox) - Unaffected. Entire season has been planned in advance.

Friday Night Lights (Global, NBC) - 15 of 22 episodes are expected to be completed.

Gossip Girl (CTV, CW) - 13 episodes are expected. Another nine have been ordered, for a full season complement of 22, but will not be made until the strike is settled.

Grey's Anatomy (CTV, ABC - 10 episodes are expected to be ready, though production on a two-part episode scheduled for Dec. 6 and Dec. 13 may be suspended ahead of time.

Heroes (Global, NBC) - 11 episodes are ready, with the final new episode to air Dec. 3.

House (Global, Fox) - Three new episodes are ready, with the final confirmed episode scheduled to air Nov. 27. Production was briefly suspended last week to accommodate star Hugh Laurie, for personal reasons.

Jericho (Citytv, CBS) - All seven episodes are ready. Scheduled for midseason; no debut date as yet.

Journeyman (Global, NBC) - 13 episodes are either made or on the drawing board. No new episodes have been ordered.

Kid Nation (E!, CBS) - Unaffected.

Law & Order (CTV, NBC) - Nine of 22 episodes will be ready. Scheduled for midseason; no debut date as yet.

Law & Order: Criminal Intent (CTV) - 10 episodes have been filmed, but production has been suspended on the remaining 12.

Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (CTV, NBC) - 10 episodes have been filmed, but no decision has been made yet on additional episodes.

Lost (CTV, ABC) - Nine of 16 episodes are expected to be ready. Scheduled for midseason; no debut date as yet.

Medium (CTV, NBC) - Nine of 22 episodes will be ready. Scheduled for midseason; no debut date as yet.

Men in Trees (Citytv, ABC) - 10 new episodes have been filmed; scripts are ready for four more. In addition, five episodes were held over from last season, for a total of 19.

Moonlight (CTV, CBS) - 12 of an initial 13 episodes will be ready. No more episodes have been ordered.

The New Adventures of Old Christine (CBS) - Production has been suspended. Originally scheduled for midseason; no debut date has been decided for already-filmed episodes.

The Office (Global, NBC) - Still in production, but could be suspended any day. The last confirmed new episode is scheduled to air Nov. 15.

Prison Break (Global, Fox) - Three new episodes are good to go, with the last fresh episode to air Dec. 3. Still in production, but production may be suspended any day.

Rules of Engagement (E!, CBS) - Production suspended indefinitely.

The Simpsons (Global, Fox) - Unaffected. Entire season has been planned in advance.

Scrubs (A-Channel, NBC) - 12 of 18 episodes have been completed in what is officially the show's final season.

Smallville (CW) - Fresh episodes are expected to air through Jan. 10, subject to last-minute change.

Supernatural (Citytv, CW) - 10 episodes have been filmed, with scripts reportedly ready for five more.

Survivor: China (Global, CBS) - Unaffected.

30 Rock (A-Channel, NBC) - Nine of 22 episodes completed. Production on a 10th episode was suspended this week; the show is now on indefinite hiatus.

'Til Death (Global, Fox) - Production suspended indefinitely.

The