Turns out, Hollywood's writers' strike had at least one upside: It inspired a few writers to be a little more selfless. The organization Writers Give Back, founded during the strike by producer Brian Pines, is now seeking to help people in need and writers in need, often at the same time. Based in Los Angeles, WGB is staging table readings of unproduced screenplays — asking stars to donate their time to play the roles — and then finding creative ways to turn the events into fund-raisers. First out of the gate: House star Hugh Laurie, Ugly Betty star Chris Gorham, and others will perform a table read of Pines' own screenplay, the romantic comedy Now in Paperback, at the Actors Gang Theater in Culver City on Monday, May 5. The event is by invitation to industry insiders only, and guests are asked to bring at least one book as the price of admission. All books will be donated to the children's literacy organization, First Book. And here's the best part: If the screenplay is sold, the writer will donate a percentage of the sale to First Book, too. "We already give 10 percent to our agent, 15 percent to our manager and 5 percent to our
lawyers," Pines says. "Why shouldn't we give a percentage to the world at large?"
Dolly Parton is in Hollywood this week to show those American Idol kids how it's done (watch for her on the show Wednesday night). But the most intriguing appearance she's made during her time in L.A. these last few days was a brief concert at the House of Blues for a theatrical "group sales" event, where she was touting the wonders of an upcoming Broadway show, 9 to 5, for which she's written a full song score. And let's just get this out of the way now now: It's a given that any new Broadway musical is a long shot, given how most of them lose money — and lots of it. But 9 to 5 on the Great White Way with this particular team has got to be the shortest long shot of all time.
Of course you know it'll be based on the 1980 movie comedy in which Parton costarred with Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin. Maybe you don't know that it'll be directed by Joe Mantello, the hottest helmer in New York, thanks to his triumph with Wicked. You're probably not yet aware that it'll star Allison Janney in the Tomlin role; Megan Hilty (currently doing a great Glinda in the L.A. cast of Wicked) in the Parton part; Stephanie J. Block (currently Elphaba in Wicked on Broadway) in the Fonda role; and one of the theater's best-liked actors, Mark Kudisch, in the slot that was occupied by Dabney Coleman in the movie. The book is by Patricia Resnick, the frequent Robert Altman collaborator, who also wrote the 9 to 5 screenplay three decades ago.
Another victim of the Broadway strike: Duran Duran's Red Carpet Massacre at the Barrymore theater. Minutes ago, the band's management, Magus Entertainment, confirmed to EW.com that the band's three remaining shows, tonight, Monday, and Tuesday, will not go on -- at the Barrymore, at least -- due to the striking Local One IATSE stagehands.
However, band insiders report that the group is actively trying to find another venue for Monday and Tuesday's shows. Tonight's performance, which was to be played before a sold-out audience of approximately 1,100 fans, has been officially canceled. Many have flown in from around the country and the world to see the
group's three-act concert, which was meant to have a 10-night run on the Great White Way, leading up to the release of their 12th studio album, Red Carpet Massacre (on sale Tuesday). —Lori Majewski
Tim DeLaughter and his robed 24-member choir can count a new convert to the musical movement that is the Polyphonic Spree: actress Talia Shire (Adrian, of Rocky fame), who grooved, bounced, and chanted along to the band from the core of what can only be described as a "Come to Jesus'' pit, which had formed at Hollywood's Henry Fonda theater on Friday night. Shire was there to see her son Robert Schwartzman's band, Rooney, share the bill. (Shire, pictured with Schwartzman, also makes a cameo in their video for "When Did Your Heart Go Missing?".) But clutching a just-bought copy of the Spree's latest album, The Fragile Army, she was clearly impressed with the co-headliners. "It's like watching Hair," she told us as the Spree segued from a killer cover of Nirvana's "Lithium" to the psychedelic (and hence, Hair-like) "It's the Sun." "It's like a spectacle... they're so theatrical and visual, this should be on Broadway or, even better, an open-air stage." Ah, always the thespian. Besides, if the Flaming Lips can do it, why not this indie rock collective?
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