Watch the Royal World Premiere Spectre 007
Photos Royal Family Attends Premiere
December 11, 2015 – Friday Box Office: ‘Spectre’ Tops $800M Worldwide – Forbes
Day: December 13, 2015
The Crucible Revival on Broadway in 2016
Ben Whishaw is coming to my Hometown, New York City.
How awesome is that! The picture at the top is from a recent fashion photo shoot.
: o ) I finally get to see Ben in a play with my family and friends. Excited!!!
Love Shelley..
- John Proctor. Ben Whishaw.
- Elizabeth Proctor. Sophie Okonedo.
- Deputy Governor Danforth. Ciaran Hinds.
- Abigail Williams. Saoirse Ronan.
- Reverend John Hale. Bill Camp.
- Reverend Parris. Jason Butler Harner.
- Mary Warren. Tavi Gevinson.
- Giles Corey. Jim Norton.
The theatre and complete casting has now been revealed for the forthcoming Broadway revival of Arthur Miller’s drama The Crucible. Previews begin on 29 February 2016 at Broadway’s Walter Kerr Theatre, before an official opening on 7 April, and a 20-week limited engagement through to 17 July 2016.
Watch “The Crucible” Film Trailer
Get Tickets – Official Website
Joining previously announced Olivier Award nominee and BAFTA Award winner Ben Whishaw (John Proctor) and Tony Award winner and Oscar nominee Sophie Okonedo (Elizabeth Proctor), Ciaran Hinds (Deputy Governor Danforth), Oscar nominee Saoirse Ronan (Abigail Williams), Tavi Gevinson (Mary Warren), Jim Norton (Giles Corey), Bill Camp (Reverend John Hale), and Jason Butler Harner (Reverend Parris), will be Bill Camp (Reverend John Hale), Jim Norton (Giles Corey), Tavi Gevinson (Mary Warren), Jason Butler Harner (Reverend Samuel Parris), Tina Benko (Ann Putnam/Sarah Goode), Teagle Bougere (Judge Hawthorne), Michael Braun (Ezekiel Cheever), Jenny Jules (Tituba), Thomas Jay Ryan (Thomas Putnam), Ashlei Sharpe Chestnut (Susanna Walcott), Elizabeth Teeter (Betty Parris), Ray Anthony Thomas (Francis Nurse), Brenda Wehle (Rebecca Nurse), and Erin Wilhelmi (Mercy Lewis).
Synopsis: “The Crucible uses the Salem witch trials of the 1690s as a parable for McCarthyism. The play follows members of the town and the spreading of fear-based rumors after a group of young girls are discovered dancing in the woods. One of the girls, Abigail, out of an obsessive love for John Proctor (with whom she once had an affair,) sets out to have his wife hanged.”
This production will be directed by Olivier Award winner Ivo van Hove, who is also represented in the 2015-2016 Broadway season by another Miller drama – A View from the Bridge – and produced by Scott Rudin.
The creative team features set and lighting design by Jan Versweyveld, costume design by Wojciech Dziedzic, and original music by Philip Glass.
The Crucible originally premiered on Broadway in 1953 and has been revived a total of four times previously. 1964, 1972, 1991 and the last time it was seen on Broadway was in 2002, starring Laura Linney, Liam Neeson and Kristen Bell. It was also revived in London’s West End in 2014, starring Richard Armitage, and was nominated for the Olivier Award for Best Revival.
Ben Whishaw will be making his Broadway debut, although he has appeared off-Broadway in ‘The Pride’ at Lucille Lortel Theatre in 2010. His West End credits include ‘Hamlet,’ ‘His Dark Materials,’ ‘The Seagull,’ ‘Cock,’ ‘Peter and Alice,’ and ‘Mojo.’ His screen credits include the 007 films “Skyfall” and “Spectre,” “Paddington,” “Cloud Atlas,” “Perfume: The Story of a Murderer,” and “In the Heart of the Sea.”
Sophie Okenodo won a Tony Award for her Broadway debut in ‘A Raisin in the Sun’ in 2014. In London she played Cressida in the 1999 National Theatre production of ‘Troilus and Cressida.’ She received an Oscar nomination for “Hotel Rwanda” in 2005, a Golden Globe nomination for “Tsunami: The Aftermath” in 2007, and BAFTA nominations for “Mrs Mandela” in 2010 and “Criminal Justice” in 2009. Other screen credits include “Æon Flux,” “After Earth,” “Skin,” “Ace Ventura: When Nature Calls,” and “The Secret Life of Bees.”
Ben Whishaw Pays Homage To T.S. Eliot
Click to Enlarge Photo
From left to right, Deborah Warner, Simon Russell Beale, Ben Whishaw, Sinead Cusack, Tom Stoppard, Fiona Shaw and Jeremy Irons Photo: Helen Maybanks, London Library
“Let us go then, you and I, When the evening is spread out against the sky.”
And so the cavernous space of the stunningly refurbished Wilton’s Music Hall echoed with the poetry of T.S. Eliot as actor Ben Whishaw lulled us through his reading of The Love Song of J.Alfred Prufrock.
Last night 250 avid listeners, gathered together to spend an evening absorbed in the work of one of the greatest poets of the 20th century.
The event marked the 50th anniversary of Eliot’s death and celebrated his deep-seated connections with the London Library for whom Eliot was president for 13 years.
Last night was, in a way, a reprise of what took place 50 years ago. When Eliot died in 1965 the talented dramatists of the day read out his poems, sharing the stage with Henry Moore sculptures, stage projections and music by Stravinsky. In comparison last night’s event was paired down though the lineup was just as impressive.
Whishaw, Fiona Shaw, Simon Russell Beale, Sinead Cusack and Jeremy Irons each read a selection of Eliot’s work reflecting on the passing of time, ageing, the fractious nature of life and the frustrations of sex and love.
There was something simultaneously bleak and enchanting about the bare stage, lit by lamps once owned by the poet himself and punctuated by small piles of his published works. It was a perfect setting for Eliot’s work which through it’s familiarity both comforts and unsettles the listener.
The atmosphere was palpable as some leant forwards hoping to grasp meaning through proximity to the stage. There were audible gasps from our neighbour, a retired film director, as those famed lines “April is the cruellest month” from The Waste Land and “This is the way the world ends. Not with a bang but a whimper” from The Hollow Men, hung in the air.
In Fiona Shaw’s acclaimed performance of The Waste Land, it’s as if she had stepped inside the poem and although these are well trodden lines (Shaw performed this poem in the same venue back in 1997) each snapshot of a character was captured through her exaggerated gestures and facial expressions.
There was something captivating about being read to from the page and one of the highlights of the night was the collective reading of Old Possum’s Book of Practical Cats.
Simon Russell Beale’s performance of Macavity: The Mystery Cat was spot on, capturing the rhythm perfectly in his delivery, and Jeremy Irons made a convincing and charismatic Gus: The Theatre Cat.
Irons closed the night with Little Gidding. When he spoke the lines “For last year’s words belong to last year’s language and next year’s words await another voice.” the irony was all too apparent. Though Eliot speaks of “the withered stumps of time” his poems endure through the years. The young will grow old with Eliot’s words and the old will grow wise with them, yet his words remain timeless.
A Homage to T.S. Eliot took place at Wilton’s Music Hall on 21 October. Londonist saw this event on a complimentary ticket. A two-volume, annotated critical edition of TS Eliot’s poems is being published on 5 November by Faber and Faber.
All photos taken by Helen Maybanks, copyright London Library
The Danish Girl In Theaters Everywhere December 25th 2015
A New York Times Notable Book * Winner of the Lambda Literary Award for Transgender Fiction * Winner of the Rosenthal Foundation Award from the American Academy of Arts and Letters * Finalist for the New York Public Library Young Lions Award * Finalist for the American Library Association Stonewall Book Award
Loosely inspired by a true story, this tender portrait of marriage asks: What do you do when the person you love has to change? It starts with a question, a simple favor asked by a wife of her husband while both are painting in their studio, setting off a transformation neither can anticipate. Uniting fact and fiction into an original romantic vision, The Danish Girl eloquently portrays the unique intimacy that defines every marriage and the remarkable story of Lili Elbe, a pioneer in transgender history, and the woman torn between loyalty to her marriage and her own ambitions and desires. The Danish Girl’s lush prose and generous emotional insight make it, after the last page is turned, a deeply moving first novel about one of the most passionate and unusual love stories of the 20th century.
-
The remarkable love story inspired by the lives of artists Lili Elbe and Gerda Wegener. Lili and Gerda’s marriage and work evolve as they navigate Lili’s groundbreaking journey as a transgender pioneer.
– Written by Focus Features
- Official Danish Girl Website
- The Danish Girl Featurette
- The Danish Girl Venice Festival
- Official Danish Girl Trailer
- Watch Golden Globe Nominations
Click photo for information about Eddie Redmayne’s Nomination
The Transsexual (Transgender) Community
Here are a few articles and videos that I have compiled that can offer some insight.
Arin And Katie Transgender Teens ABC 20/20 David Muir, Elizabeth Vargas and Deborah Roberts
Behind The Scenes of Faces of Transgender Teens in America
About Ray Official Trailer (2015) – Elle Fanning, Susan Sarandon
NYS setting example on gender bias
Surgery Not Required For Birth Certificate
Sterilization Threat Darkens Transsexual Quest
People Face Forced Sterilization Across Europe
Faces of Transgender Teens
Waiting For Transition Surgery
The Transgender Community By Numbers
Transparent Interviews
Ben Whishaw in the Danish Girl
Just a few observations (my opinion)
- Great News! Once again, NYS is leading the way in advancing..
- equal rights – Details Here
- I think Transsexuals can successfully transition with or without surgery. Many have no desire to pursue surgeries or medical intervention. That’s okay. You don’t need surgery to be happy.
- For adults who want surgery; are waiting long periods of time to get referred for sex reassignment surgery. Why is that happening?
- To better serve the Transsexual Community; I think physicians need training in transgender basic health care and transition issues. Doctors also need to be familiar with barriers faced by transsexuals in the health care system.
- You don’t have to be perfect. I must inform my readers that Transsexuals come in all shapes and sizes. Hopefully, the community will defy Barbie stereotypes.
- Finally, it may take a lot of time to know if you are really transgender or not and gender reassignment surgery is irreversible. So, this is a very serious decision. (Not to be taken lightly) That’s why people are advised to think long and hard before actually having surgery. Being transsexual is very different than identifying as gay, lesbian, or bisexual. The ‘T’ refers to gender identity.
Finally, Outing = violation of privacy. Respect a person’s privacy. Outing someone who has not given you permission is not okay. Especially, when it is done for personal gain. Like the (tabloids – media) do all time to people in the entertainment world. Love Shelley
From Director Ron Howard “In The Heart Of the Sea” In Theaters
In 1820, crewmen (Chris Hemsworth, Benjamin Walker, Cillian Murphy) aboard the New England vessel Essex face a harrowing battle for survival when a whale of mammoth size and strength attacks with force, crippling their ship and leaving them adrift in the ocean. Pushed to their limits and facing storms, starvation, panic and despair, the survivors must resort to the unthinkable to stay alive. Their incredible tale ultimately inspires author Herman Melville to write “Moby-Dick.” From IMDB
New York Times Videos
Watch Hollywood Walk Of Fame Ceremony
In The Heart Of The Sea Website
Brotherhood Theme In The Heart Of The Sea
In The Heart Of The Sea Photos
In The Heart Of The Sea Featurette
Hollywood director Ron Howard has received his second star on the Walk of Fame, honoring his award-winning career as a film maker.
Howard, who won an Oscar for best director for “A Beautiful Mind”, got a star on the Walk of Fame in 1981 for a television career that included roles in “The Andy Griffith Show” and “Happy Days.”
“Two stars are pretty remarkable … I’m going to have double the foot traffic, twice as many people treading on my good name, but I think it’s a great thing and I’m proud of that,” Howard said at the ceremony on Thursday.
“However, my ambitions run deep, so two is good, three would be better and I’ve got a lot of energy.”
Howard, also known for “Apollo 13” and “The Da Vinci Code”, was accompanied by his family and actor Michael Keaton, whom he directed in several movies, for the ceremony on the famed boulevard.
“I’ve been so lucky in this business, I’ve worked with so many great people,” Howard said.
“I have so few regrets, practically none, and one of them is just only that it’s been far too long since Michael (Keaton) and I made a movie together, so I’m hoping to rectify that sooner rather than later.”
Howard’s latest film is a shipwreck story, “In the Heart of the Sea”.
(Reporting By Reuters Television in Los Angeles; Writing by Marie-Louise Gumuchian; Editing by Larry King)
London Spy Premieres January 21st at 1OPM
London Spy begins with a chance romance between two people from two very different walks of life — one from the high-powered ranks of investment banking and the other from a world of clubbing and youthful excess. But their love story quickly unravels when the reclusive banker disappears under suspicious circumstances, exposing his real identity as a spy and forcing his lover down a dark path to reveal the truth. The stirring five-part mystery, from acclaimed best-selling author Tom Rob Smith (Child 44), stars BAFTA-winner Ben Whishaw (Spectre) in a career-defining performance as Danny, an innocent, young romantic drawn into a dangerous world of espionage. He is joined by Academy Award winner Jim Broadbent (Iris), Emmy nominee Charlotte Rampling (Broadchurch) and newcomer Edward Holcroft (Wolf Hall).
London Spy opens with Danny (Whishaw) after a heavy night on the party scene. It’s dawn and he’s feeling lonely — standing on Lambeth Bridge, asking the London skyline if life gets any easier. London answers him with a chance encounter, an early morning runner who stops to ask if he’s OK, introducing himself as Alex. An unusual connection forms between these men who are polar opposites in many ways. Danny — extroverted, self-indulgent and adrift — falls for the anti-social, enigmatic and brilliant Alex (Holcroft). But just as they realize they’re perfect for each other, Alex is found dead under circumstances that Danny is sure have been staged. And so begins Danny’s descent into the dangerous world of global espionage – a world for which he’s hopelessly ill equipped. Out of his depth, Danny seeks help from his friend and wise mentor, Scottie (Jim Broadbent). They embark on a journey where no one is who they seem, including the formidable Frances (Charlotte Rampling), a mysterious yet omnipresent figure from Alex’s life.
If Danny can prove that the Alex he knew was the real Alex, then he can prove to himself that intimacy does not necessarily end in despair. But ultimately, Danny must decide whether he’s prepared to fight for the truth, knowing he’ll be risking his life in the process.
- London Spy premieres Thursday, January 21, 10/9c. BBC America
- Watch Trailer
- Interview with Author Tom Rob Smith
- Interview with Ben Whishaw Esquire
- Interview with Ben Whishaw and Jim Broadbent Guardian
- London Spy Review Guardian
Filming London Spy
Ben Whishaw's Notebook 