Artios Awards Honor Top Casting Directors in New York, L.A.

Artios Awards Honor Top Casting Directors in NY, L.A. By Daniel Lehman September 27, 2011 The casting directors of Broadway's "The Book of Mormon" and "The Normal Heart" were among the honorees at the Casting Society of America's 27th annual Artios Awards, which were presented Sept. 26 at District 36 in NY City and the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Los Angeles."In a business that can often forget or ignore who actually gets things done and how, you guys have this night to always keep focused on the value of what you do," host Nicole Sullivan told the nominees at the ceremony in Los Angeles. "Good casting is integral to having success in TV, film, and theater, and we are here to honor that."The term "Artios" is from the ancient Greek word meaning "perfectly fitted," and the awards are presented for outstanding casting in theater, film, and television, based on originality, creativity, and the contribution of casting to the overall quality of the project."Casting directors are the unsung heroes of our business," actor Michael Urie, who hosted the event in NY, told Back Stage before the ceremony. "They spend so much time and energy and work introducing artists to each other, and then they send them off into the world. They don't get a lot of recognition, so I think it's very cool that there's a night for them, and I'm honored to be here. And I hope to get a job out of it."To begin the show, Urie told the attendees, "You are our champions, and I am honored to be kissing your ass."Award presenters in NY included Daniel Radcliffe, Bobby Cannavale, Alan Cumming, Mamie Gummer, Ben Walker, Lucy Liu, Rachel Griffiths, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Jonathan Groff, Justin Bartha, Patina Miller, Hunter Parrish, Lily Rabe, Michael Stuhlbarg, and Brooke Shields. Mike Nichols presented the NY Apple Award to Whoopi Goldberg. "I know how important casting directors are, because I was given birth to by one," Radcliffe said before presenting an award.Presenters in Los Angeles included Hailee Steinfeld, Octavia Spencer, and Darren Criss. The Los Angeles ceremony honored "Law & Order" creator Dick Wolf with the Career Achievement Award, and Shaun Cassidy presented veteran casting director Meg Liberman (senior vice president of casting, CBS Television Studios) with the Hoyt Bowers Award. Upon accepting her award, Liberman said, "I think the most satisfying part of being a casting director is discovering new talent and giving them their first big break."Casting director Bernard Telsey (Telsey + Company), winner of two Artios Awards on Monday night, was proud of his fellow nominees and excited by the continued growth of CSA's membership. He said that 15 percent of the membership in NY is new this year."Looking at the nominees, I noticed about five or seven new New York casting directors who got nominated," Telsey said. "And now, in the last two years, we have regional theater nominations and we have Off-Broadway nominations, and those are cast by so many more casting directors. It gets more people involved and more people recognized, because the work that's happening out there is just as good as the Broadway stuff."Independent casting director and CSA NY board member Megan Larche said that in addition to attracting new members, the Casting Society of America is striving to become a more unified community offering social outreach and mentorship. "We're trying to do more intercommunity activities," Larche said, "so we get to know each other not just as people on the phone or seeing each other at a showcase, but get to know each other as human beings too."Each year, the Artios Awards offers casting directors and actors the rare opportunity to interact outside the audition room. All the performers in attendance expressed their appreciation for the work that casting directors have done to keep them working, and in some cases to change their lives with a single role."I've gotten to know enough of these casting directors to know that whether you get the job or not is not personal, but your relationship with them is," Urie said before the NY awards were handed out. "And they do care. I have to remind myself of that before every audition."Additional reporting by Jessica Gardner The full list of winners and nominees is below (the winners are in bold).BIG BUDGET FEATURE, DRAMA "The Fighter," Sheila Jaffe, Angela Peri (location casting)"Inception," John Papsidera"The Social Network," Laray Mayfield "The Town," Lora Kennedy, Carolyn Pickman (location casting)"True Grit," Ellen Chenoweth, Rachel Tenner, JoEdna Boldin (location casting)BIG BUDGET FEATURE, COMEDY "How Do You Know," Francine Maisler, Lynn Kressel (location casting)"Morning Glory," Ellen Lewis*"Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides," Francine Maisler*"Red," Deborah Aquila, Tricia Wood, Craig Fincannon (location casting), Lisa Mae Fincannon (location casting), Robin D. Cook (location casting) "Scott Pilgrim vs. The World," Jennifer Euston, Robin D. Cook*FEATURE, STUDIO OR INDEPENDENT, DRAMA "Animal Kingdom," Kirsty McGregor"Barney's Version," Pam Dixon, Nina Gold, Andrea Kenyon (location casting)*"Black Swan," Mary Vernieu"The Conspirator," Avy Kaufman, Jackie Burch (location casting)"The King's Speech," Nina Gold FEATURE, STUDIO OR INDEPENDENT, COMEDY "Easy A," Lisa Miller Katz"I Love You Phillip Morris," Bernard Telsey"It's Kind of a Funny Story," Cindy Tolan"The Kids Are All Right," Laura Rosenthal, Liz Dean (Los Angeles casting) "Soul Surfer," Joey Paul Jensen*LOW BUDGET FEATURE, DRAMA/COMEDY "Blue Valentine," Cindy Tolan, Richard Hicks (L.A. casting consultant), David Rubin (L.A. casting consultant) "Kaboom," Johanna Ray, Jenny Jue"Lovely, Still," Eyde Belasco*"Night Catches Us," Lois Drabkin*"Winter's Bone," Kerry Barden, Paul Schnee* ANIMATION FEATURE "Alpha and Omega," Bernie Van De Yacht"Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga'Hoole," Kristy Carlson*"Rio," Christian Kaplan"Tangled," Jamie Sparer Roberts"Toy Story 3," Kevin Reher, Natalie Lyon DAYTIME DRAMA SERIES "All My Children," Judy Blye Wilson"Days of Our Lives," Marnie Saitta"General Hospital," Mark Teschner TELEVISION PILOT, DRAMA "Boardwalk Empire," Ellen Lewis "Game of Thrones," Nina Gold*"The Killing," Junie Lowry Johnson, Libby Goldstein, Stuart Aikins (location casting), Sean Cossey (location casting)"Shameless," John Frank Levey*"The Walking Dead," Sharon Bialy, Sherry Thomas, Lisa Mae Fincannon (location casting), Craig Fincannon (location casting)TELEVISION PILOT, COMEDY "The Big C," Julie Tucker, Ross Meyerson"Hot in Cleveland," Collin Daniel, Brett Greenstein"Mike & Molly," Nikki Valko, Ken Miller"Mr. Sunshine," Francine Maisler"Raising Hope," Dava Waite Peaslee TELEVISION SERIES, DRAMA "Dexter," Shawn Dawson"The Good Wife," Mark Saks "Mad Men," Carrie Audino, Laura Schiff"Game of Thrones," Nina Gold*"In Treatment," Junie Lowry-Johnson, Libby Goldstein, Julie Tucker (NY casting), Ross Meyerson (NY casting)TELEVISION SERIES, COMEDY "The Big C," Julie Tucker, Ross Meyerson"Community," Dava Waite Peaslee"Glee," Robert J. Ulrich, Eric Dawson, Carol Kritzer"Modern Family," Jeff Greenberg "Nurse Jackie," Julie Tucker, Ross MeyersonTELEVISION MOVIE/MINISERIES "Cinema Verite," Randi Hiller"God in America," Paul Fouquet, Elissa Myers"Mildred Pierce," Laura Rosenthal "Marry Me," Gillian O'Neill, Mark Fincannon (location casting), Sharon Fincannon (location casting)*"Too Big To Fail," Alexa L. Fogel, Christine KromerCHILDREN'S SERIES "Hannah Montana," Howard Meltzer, Carol Goldwasser "iCarly," Krisha Bullock"The Suite Life on Deck," Dana Gergely, Brandi Brice "True Jackson, VP," Harriet Greenspan"Wizards of Waverly Place," Ruth Lambert, Robert McGeeTELEVISION ANIMATION "The Backyardigans," Leslie Zaslower*"Bubble Guppies," Leslie Zaslower*"Go Diego Go," Leslie Zaslower*"The Penguins of Madagascar," Sarah Noonan, Meredith Layne"Spongebob Squarepants," Sarah Noonan* SHORT FILM "California Romanza," Randi Hiller, Tamara-Lee Notcutt"The Candy Shop," Mark Fincannon"Efrain," Billy DaMota*"Neighbors," Robin Lippin"Ollie Klublershturf vs. The Nazis," Alyssa Weisberg "Sodales," Randi Hiller, Tamara-Lee Notcutt"The Thief," Randi Hiller, Tamara-Lee Notcutt"Yearbook," James CalleriNEW YORK BROADWAY THEATER, DRAMA "Jerusalem," Jim Carnahan*"Lombardi," Laura Stanczyk"The Normal Heart," Bernard Telsey, Will Cantler "That Championship Season," Cindy Tolan"War Horse," Daniel SweeNEW YORK BROADWAY THEATER, COMEDY "A Free Man of Color," Daniel Swee"Arcadia," Jim Carnahan"Good People," David Caparelliotis "La Bete," Jim Carnahan*"Mrs. Warren's Profession," Jim Carnahan, Carrie GardnerNEW YORK BROADWAY THEATER, MUSICAL "Anything Goes," Jim Carnahan*"The Book of Mormon," Carrie Gardner "Catch Me If You Can," Bernard Telsey, Justin Huff, Craig Burns"How To Succeed in Business Without Really Trying," Tara Rubin, Merri Sugarman, Eric Woodall, Laura Schutzel"Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown," Bernard Telsey NEW YORK THEATER, COMEDY/MUSICAL "The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee," Rachel Hoffman"By The Way, Meet Vera Stark," Mele Nagler"The Grand Manner," Daniel Swee"Hairspray," Craig Burns"School for Lies," James Calleri"Tigers Be Still," Carrie Gardner"Trust," Mele Nagler NEW YORK THEATER, DRAMA "Angels in America," Will Cantler"The Hallway Trilogy," James Calleri"Other Desert Cities," Daniel Swee"The Other Place," Bernard Telsey, Will Cantler"Three Sisters," James Calleri REGIONAL THEATER EAST "A Delicate Balance," Tara Rubin, Laura Schutzel, Eric Woodall, Merri Sugarman"Antony and Cleopatra" Will Cantler"Every Tongue Confess," Alaine Alldaffer*"Follies," Laura Stanczyk "Ruined," Tara Rubin, Eric Woodall, Merri Sugarman, Laura Schutzel*REGIONAL THEATER WEST (tie) "August: Osage County," Samantha Barrie "Circle Mirror Transformation," Joanne DeNaut"Leap of Faith," Bernard Telsey, Justin Huff"Little Miss Sunshine," Bernard Telsey "Tales of the City," David CaparelliotisLOS ANGELES THEATER "The Cradle Will Rock," Scott David, Erica Silverman"Gigi," Amy Lieberman"Kiss Me, Kate," Amy Lieberman"Much Ado About Nothing," Michael Donovan "The Temperamentals," Scott David, Erica SilvermanSPECIAL HONOREES CAREER ACHIEVEMENT AWARDDick WolfHOYT BOWERS AWARDMeg LibermanTHE NEW YORK APPLE AWARDWhoopi Goldberg*Shared credit with non-CSA casting director(s) Artios Awards Honor Top Casting Directors in NY, L.A. By Daniel Lehman September 27, 2011 The casting directors of Broadway's "The Book of Mormon" and "The Normal Heart" were among the honorees at the Casting Society of America's 27th annual Artios Awards, which were presented Sept. 26 at District 36 in NY City and the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Los Angeles."In a business that can often forget or ignore who actually gets things done and how, you guys have this night to always keep focused on the value of what you do," host Nicole Sullivan told the nominees at the ceremony in Los Angeles. "Good casting is integral to having success in TV, film, and theater, and we are here to honor that."The term "Artios" is from the ancient Greek word meaning "perfectly fitted," and the awards are presented for outstanding casting in theater, film, and television, based on originality, creativity, and the contribution of casting to the overall quality of the project."Casting directors are the unsung heroes of our business," actor Michael Urie, who hosted the event in NY, told Back Stage before the ceremony. "They spend so much time and energy and work introducing artists to each other, and then they send them off into the world. They don't get a lot of recognition, so I think it's very cool that there's a night for them, and I'm honored to be here. And I hope to get a job out of it."To begin the show, Urie told the attendees, "You are our champions, and I am honored to be kissing your ass."Award presenters in NY included Daniel Radcliffe, Bobby Cannavale, Alan Cumming, Mamie Gummer, Ben Walker, Lucy Liu, Rachel Griffiths, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Jonathan Groff, Justin Bartha, Patina Miller, Hunter Parrish, Lily Rabe, Michael Stuhlbarg, and Brooke Shields. Mike Nichols presented the NY Apple Award to Whoopi Goldberg. "I know how important casting directors are, because I was given birth to by one," Radcliffe said before presenting an award.Presenters in Los Angeles included Hailee Steinfeld, Octavia Spencer, and Darren Criss. The Los Angeles ceremony honored "Law & Order" creator Dick Wolf with the Career Achievement Award, and Shaun Cassidy presented veteran casting director Meg Liberman (senior vice president of casting, CBS Television Studios) with the Hoyt Bowers Award. Upon accepting her award, Liberman said, "I think the most satisfying part of being a casting director is discovering new talent and giving them their first big break."Casting director Bernard Telsey (Telsey + Company), winner of two Artios Awards on Monday night, was proud of his fellow nominees and excited by the continued growth of CSA's membership. He said that 15 percent of the membership in NY is new this year."Looking at the nominees, I noticed about five or seven new NY casting directors who got nominated," Telsey said. "And now, in the last two years, we have regional theater nominations and we have Off-Broadway nominations, and those are cast by so many more casting directors. It gets more people involved and more people recognized, because the work that's happening out there is just as good as the Broadway stuff."Independent casting director and CSA NY board member Megan Larche said that in addition to attracting new members, the Casting Society of America is striving to become a more unified community offering social outreach and mentorship. "We're trying to do more intercommunity activities," Larche said, "so we get to know each other not just as people on the phone or seeing each other at a showcase, but get to know each other as human beings too."Each year, the Artios Awards offers casting directors and actors the rare opportunity to interact outside the audition room. All the performers in attendance expressed their appreciation for the work that casting directors have done to keep them working, and in some cases to change their lives with a single role."I've gotten to know enough of these casting directors to know that whether you get the job or not is not personal, but your relationship with them is," Urie said before the NY awards were handed out. "And they do care. I have to remind myself of that before every audition."Additional reporting by Jessica Gardner The full list of winners and nominees is below (the winners are in bold).BIG BUDGET FEATURE, DRAMA "The Fighter," Sheila Jaffe, Angela Peri (location casting)"Inception," John Papsidera"The Social Network," Laray Mayfield "The Town," Lora Kennedy, Carolyn Pickman (location casting)"True Grit," Ellen Chenoweth, Rachel Tenner, JoEdna Boldin (location casting)BIG BUDGET FEATURE, COMEDY "How Do You Know," Francine Maisler, Lynn Kressel (location casting)"Morning Glory," Ellen Lewis*"Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides," Francine Maisler*"Red," Deborah Aquila, Tricia Wood, Craig Fincannon (location casting), Lisa Mae Fincannon (location casting), Robin D. Cook (location casting) "Scott Pilgrim vs. The World," Jennifer Euston, Robin D. Cook*FEATURE, STUDIO OR INDEPENDENT, DRAMA "Animal Kingdom," Kirsty McGregor"Barney's Version," Pam Dixon, Nina Gold, Andrea Kenyon (location casting)*"Black Swan," Mary Vernieu"The Conspirator," Avy Kaufman, Jackie Burch (location casting)"The King's Speech," Nina Gold FEATURE, STUDIO OR INDEPENDENT, COMEDY "Easy A," Lisa Miller Katz"I Love You Phillip Morris," Bernard Telsey"It's Kind of a Funny Story," Cindy Tolan"The Kids Are All Right," Laura Rosenthal, Liz Dean (Los Angeles casting) "Soul Surfer," Joey Paul Jensen*LOW BUDGET FEATURE, DRAMA/COMEDY "Blue Valentine," Cindy Tolan, Richard Hicks (L.A. casting consultant), David Rubin (L.A. casting consultant) "Kaboom," Johanna Ray, Jenny Jue"Lovely, Still," Eyde Belasco*"Night Catches Us," Lois Drabkin*"Winter's Bone," Kerry Barden, Paul Schnee* ANIMATION FEATURE "Alpha and Omega," Bernie Van De Yacht"Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga'Hoole," Kristy Carlson*"Rio," Christian Kaplan"Tangled," Jamie Sparer Roberts"Toy Story 3," Kevin Reher, Natalie Lyon DAYTIME DRAMA SERIES "All My Children," Judy Blye Wilson"Days of Our Lives," Marnie Saitta"General Hospital," Mark Teschner TELEVISION PILOT, DRAMA "Boardwalk Empire," Ellen Lewis "Game of Thrones," Nina Gold*"The Killing," Junie Lowry Johnson, Libby Goldstein, Stuart Aikins (location casting), Sean Cossey (location casting)"Shameless," John Frank Levey*"The Walking Dead," Sharon Bialy, Sherry Thomas, Lisa Mae Fincannon (location casting), Craig Fincannon (location casting)TELEVISION PILOT, COMEDY "The Big C," Julie Tucker, Ross Meyerson"Hot in Cleveland," Collin Daniel, Brett Greenstein"Mike & Molly," Nikki Valko, Ken Miller"Mr. Sunshine," Francine Maisler"Raising Hope," Dava Waite Peaslee TELEVISION SERIES, DRAMA "Dexter," Shawn Dawson"The Good Wife," Mark Saks "Mad Men," Carrie Audino, Laura Schiff"Game of Thrones," Nina Gold*"In Treatment," Junie Lowry-Johnson, Libby Goldstein, Julie Tucker (NY casting), Ross Meyerson (NY casting)TELEVISION SERIES, COMEDY "The Big C," Julie Tucker, Ross Meyerson"Community," Dava Waite Peaslee"Glee," Robert J. Ulrich, Eric Dawson, Carol Kritzer"Modern Family," Jeff Greenberg "Nurse Jackie," Julie Tucker, Ross MeyersonTELEVISION MOVIE/MINISERIES "Cinema Verite," Randi Hiller"God in America," Paul Fouquet, Elissa Myers"Mildred Pierce," Laura Rosenthal "Marry Me," Gillian O'Neill, Mark Fincannon (location casting), Sharon Fincannon (location casting)*"Too Big To Fail," Alexa L. Fogel, Christine KromerCHILDREN'S SERIES "Hannah Montana," Howard Meltzer, Carol Goldwasser "iCarly," Krisha Bullock"The Suite Life on Deck," Dana Gergely, Brandi Brice "True Jackson, VP," Harriet Greenspan"Wizards of Waverly Place," Ruth Lambert, Robert McGeeTELEVISION ANIMATION "The Backyardigans," Leslie Zaslower*"Bubble Guppies," Leslie Zaslower*"Go Diego Go," Leslie Zaslower*"The Penguins of Madagascar," Sarah Noonan, Meredith Layne"Spongebob Squarepants," Sarah Noonan* SHORT FILM "California Romanza," Randi Hiller, Tamara-Lee Notcutt"The Candy Shop," Mark Fincannon"Efrain," Billy DaMota*"Neighbors," Robin Lippin"Ollie Klublershturf vs. The Nazis," Alyssa Weisberg "Sodales," Randi Hiller, Tamara-Lee Notcutt"The Thief," Randi Hiller, Tamara-Lee Notcutt"Yearbook," James CalleriNEW YORK BROADWAY THEATER, DRAMA "Jerusalem," Jim Carnahan*"Lombardi," Laura Stanczyk"The Normal Heart," Bernard Telsey, Will Cantler "That Championship Season," Cindy Tolan"War Horse," Daniel SweeNEW YORK BROADWAY THEATER, COMEDY "A Free Man of Color," Daniel Swee"Arcadia," Jim Carnahan"Good People," David Caparelliotis "La Bete," Jim Carnahan*"Mrs. Warren's Profession," Jim Carnahan, Carrie GardnerNEW YORK BROADWAY THEATER, MUSICAL "Anything Goes," Jim Carnahan*"The Book of Mormon," Carrie Gardner "Catch Me If You Can," Bernard Telsey, Justin Huff, Craig Burns"How To Succeed in Business Without Really Trying," Tara Rubin, Merri Sugarman, Eric Woodall, Laura Schutzel"Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown," Bernard Telsey NEW YORK THEATER, COMEDY/MUSICAL "The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee," Rachel Hoffman"By The Way, Meet Vera Stark," Mele Nagler"The Grand Manner," Daniel Swee"Hairspray," Craig Burns"School for Lies," James Calleri"Tigers Be Still," Carrie Gardner"Trust," Mele Nagler NEW YORK THEATER, DRAMA "Angels in America," Will Cantler"The Hallway Trilogy," James Calleri"Other Desert Cities," Daniel Swee"The Other Place," Bernard Telsey, Will Cantler"Three Sisters," James Calleri REGIONAL THEATER EAST "A Delicate Balance," Tara Rubin, Laura Schutzel, Eric Woodall, Merri Sugarman"Antony and Cleopatra" Will Cantler"Every Tongue Confess," Alaine Alldaffer*"Follies," Laura Stanczyk "Ruined," Tara Rubin, Eric Woodall, Merri Sugarman, Laura Schutzel*REGIONAL THEATER WEST (tie) "August: Osage County," Samantha Barrie "Circle Mirror Transformation," Joanne DeNaut"Leap of Faith," Bernard Telsey, Justin Huff"Little Miss Sunshine," Bernard Telsey "Tales of the City," David CaparelliotisLOS ANGELES THEATER "The Cradle Will Rock," Scott David, Erica Silverman"Gigi," Amy Lieberman"Kiss Me, Kate," Amy Lieberman"Much Ado About Nothing," Michael Donovan "The Temperamentals," Scott David, Erica SilvermanSPECIAL HONOREES CAREER ACHIEVEMENT AWARDDick WolfHOYT BOWERS AWARDMeg LibermanTHE NEW YORK APPLE AWARDWhoopi Goldberg*Shared credit with non-CSA casting director(s)

Metcalf revisit West Finish in 'Night'

MetcalfLONDON -- U.S. thesp Laurie Metcalf ("Roseanne") will go back to free airline Finish early in the year to experience Mary Tyrone in Eugene O'Neill's "Lengthy Day's Journey into Evening."Metcalf, who made an appearance at London's National Theater in 2001 in Arthur Miller's "My Sons," will star opposite David Suchet ("Poirot), who this past year won the London's Critics' Circle award for his perf in "My Sons," and rising talent Kyle Soller, presently showing up in Alexi Kaye Campbell's "The Belief Machine" in the Royal Court.Helmed by London-based Anthony Page, whose Gotham credits range from the Kathleen Turner/Bill Irwin revival of "Who's Scared of Virginia Woolf?," the development previews in the Apollo theater from April 2, in front of an April 10 opening. Skedded until August. 18, the drama is created by Nica Burns, Elliot Martin, Kim Poster for Stanhope Productions and Max Weitzenhoffer. Contact David Benedict at benedictdavid@mac.com

Michelle Obama: 'Extreme Makeover' Is certainly an 'Extraordinary Venue' for Highlighting Military Families' Struggles

Michelle Obama found a distinctive ally -- reality TV -- in their effort to produce target the needs of military families.our editor recommendsBeyonce, Michelle Obama Surprise Children at SchoolDiane Von Furstenberg 'Embarrassed' After Demeaning Michelle Obama's McQueen Dress The initial lady, turning up Sunday round the two-part season premiere of ABC's Extreme Transformation: Home Edition, airing Sunday evening, told the Connected Press the show was the very best platform for your cause. STORY: 'Extreme Transformation: Home Edition': Michelle Obama to Guest Star round the ABC Reality Series "We live in a media age, and something factor we still share is our adoration for television" as well as the tales it might tell so effectively, Obama mentioned. "We thought it was a amazing venue to pay attention to the struggles and challenges and triumphs from the special family." Barbara Marshall of Fayetteville, N.C., who offered inside the Navy for 15 years, was dismayed by the quantity of destitute female veterans and established Steps-N-Stages Jubilee House to provide shelter, counseling together with other aid. When the house elevated cramped and inadequate, Extreme Transformation as well as the first lady walked in. She grew to become an associate of with series host Ty Pennington, a close builder and community volunteers round the Jubilee House project and was obtainable in the unveiling to surprise Marshall. STORY: Better Houses and Gardens: Michelle Obama Is First Public You will need Cover Since 1963 The episode focuses on a "effective story, effective lady, effective quantity of women who are joining together and helping one another. And then we're pretty searching toward this just like a vehicle for telling their story," Obama mentioned. Marshall is evidence that numerous military families who face their unique challenges "still find techniques for everyone others," Obama mentioned. The show must also carry this content that strong, independent veterans might not request help and seek assistance, she mentioned. Obama mentioned she hadn't seen the program within the finished version. STORY: Michelle Obama Talks at Hollywood Guild Event Moderated by J.J. Abrams "So that it's incumbent here to not make certain they're request help. And, hopefully, by watching this show, audiences could possibly get ideas inside their heads of how to meet up, whether it's as people, or as chapel groups, or as school groups, or as teachers or as companies" and uncover techniques to assist military families, she mentioned. The initial lady may also be seen on more familiar ground inside the show, giving Pennington an trip in the White-colored House grounds. She and Jill Biden, wife of V . P . Joe Biden, help lead Joining Forces, an initiative designed to increase awareness and support of homes in the males and girls serving inside the military. Related Subjects ABC Michelle Obama Extreme Transformation: Home Edition

Who's A.J. Cook's Dream Criminal Minds Guest Star? Plus 5 More Things We Learned

A.J. Prepare Qq and Prentiss have returned!Following annually of casting upheaval, A.J. Prepare and Paget Brewster came back to Criminal Minds Wednesday, a homecoming which was interspersed with Prepare live-tweeting the growing season 7 premiere.Fall Preview: Get scoop in your favorite coming back showsThe opener acquired three several weeks following the finale in a Senate hearing, in which the BAU was grilled about its rogue operation going after Prentiss' IRA enemy Ian Doyle (Timothy V. Murphy). After Doyle's boy, Declan (Conrad Bluth), was kidnapped - although not by Doyle - Prentiss (Brewster) arrived on the scene of hiding to save the day, which now finds Qq (Prepare) like a profiler, solve the situation."Gang's all here!" Prepare tweeted after Brewster's first scene.Prepare also required fans' burning questions throughout the hour, responding to doubts about from why she returned to her dream guest star.1. Why did she choose to return? "Sometimes with a few amazing people every single day. This is exactly why I returned," she authored. "I really like shooting with my buddies. It isn't go a long way.InchFelony Minds' Thomas Gibson: Situations are not to normal2. Did she develop some of JJ's eccentricities? "I believe when you see Qq smirk about something, That's AJ."3. Does she watch the show? "I attempt to look at them around I'm able to,Inch she stated. 4. What's her favorite episode? "This episode holds a unique devote my heart for apparent reasons," Prepare authored. On the other hand from the spectrum, she says episodes including children "freak me out."5. So what can we expect since JJ's back? "She's already developed a lot within this season alone, and I am excited for you personally all to determine what goes on,Inch Prepare stated, adding that JJ's love, Will (Josh Stewart), and boy, Henry (performed by Cook's real-existence 3-year-old boy Mekhai), will visit within the seventh episode. "We are likely to see more about everyone's personal existence."6. Who does she prefer to guest-star on the program? "I would like Christopher Walken."

New Girl: TV Review

Fox and everyone else is overusing the word "adorable" to explain Zooey Deschanel in New Girl, however again, she's pretty damn adorable. Which may be the ticket (and also the miracle) with this mostly romantic comedy. Fox has had to calling Deschanel "adorkable" -- which works, too, because she plays a dorky but adorable optimist whose cad of the boyfriend cheats on her behalf and transmits her spinning out in to the world, requiring a brand new apartment and lots of coddling/training.our editor recommends'New Girl' Adds Justin Lengthy as Zooey Deschanel's Love InterestFox's Fall Launch Eco-Casino Party: Red-colored Carpet Interviews Zooey Deschanel on 'New Girl' Character: I'd Play Jess 'For Ever and Ever' PHOTOS: New Girl: Behind the curtain of Fox's New Comedy Deschanel's Jess is likely to be the best and many naive person you'll meet, who likes to sing and find out the great on the planet. Following the split, she moves along with three men -- a couple of whom accept is as true's a dreadful idea, only one, Schmidt (Max Greenfield), overrides everybody because Jess' buddies are models. Once within the apartment, mopey publish-breakup Jess is tutored not just by Schmidt but additionally by Nick (Mike M. Manley), who had their own horrible breakup six several weeks ago and isn't regarding this, and Coach (Damon Wayans Junior., who definitely are changed within the second episode). Also helping Jess is Cece (Hannah Simone), among her model buddies. VIDEO: Zooey Deschanel Talks 'New Girl' Theme Song, She & Him Holiday Album Audiences will need Jess to really make it in existence because, well, you'd need to be pretty jaded to not. This may appear just like a thin premise, but creator Elizabeth Meriwether handles to create the situations funny and allows Deschanel funnel her charm -- a fantastic combination. Even though pilot is dedicated to Jess watching Dirty Dancing multiple occasions to conquer her split and also the men suffering her existence, you will find ample laughs and enough possibility to wager that future episodes will develop this little world. PHOTOS: Fall TV's 12 Most Anticipated Shows Meriwether includes a knack for trembling in the phrasing of jokes so that they don't feel rote. And she or he mixes the simpler jokes (the men call Schmidt a "douche" making him put $ 1 inside a jar whenever he is doing almost anything to confirm this) with increased subtle elements. For instance, Jess' social clumsiness is endearing when she will get a compliment like, "Nice glasses," and her reply is, "They assist me see" -- without shedding an anvil at risk. You absolutely think that Jess doesn't understand come-ons or even the sordid ideas of males, and that's why her new roomies have to help her out. PHOTOS: Fall TV Dying Pool: Will 'Charlie's Angels,' 'Whitney' or 'How to become a Gentleman' Be Axed First? Like the majority of shows this fall, it's hard to judge where it's going in line with the pilot, so every positive should be approved an asterisk denoting the whole factor may go sideways within the next couple of episodes. But a set like New Girl has it factor -- Deschanel -- which causes it to be something to allow grow. Zooey Deschanel Fox Broadcasting Corporation New Girl Fall TV Preview

Viacom Demands to Be Repaid $131 Million From Shareholders of 'Rock Band' Maker

Rock Band"The Beatles Rock Band" Shareholder lawsuits against big corporations are quite common. But rarely does a corporation turn around and sue its stockholders. That's what's happening at Viacom, which on Friday sued former stockholders of ex-subsidiary Harmonix Music Systems with demands to be repaid more than $131 million. Harmonix is the studio that created the Rock Band video games. The company was acquired in 2006 by Viacom at the height of the boom in games that allowed players to simulate the experience of singing and playing musical instruments. The market for these games then crashed, leaving Viacom unable to make a profit on Rock Band. Earlier this year, Viacom sold the company for pennies and took a huge tax write-off. Meanwhile, Viacom has been battling with Harmonix stockholders. First, the original Harmonix owners sued Viacom for more than $13 million for alleged unfair business practices. In reaction, Viacom made regulatory filings with the SEC that claimed it was owed a "refund of a substantial portion of amounts previously paid." Now, Viacom has followed up on those claims with an actual lawsuit filed in Delaware federal court that alleges that earn-out payments were miscalculated.The company is now seeking $131,827,980 of the original $149,770,149 payment to Harmonix at the time of the merger. Earn outs are common in large corporate transactions between buyers and sellers, bridging valuation differences and incentivising original ownership to stay affiliated with the sold company. Typically this happens by allowing management to share in the rewards of strong financial performance past the merger. According to experts, corporations don't typically attempt to recover earn-outs, but Viacom is pursuing the remedy nonetheless. This dispute has been in a Resolution Accounting proceeding since December, but the talks have not yielded any agreement among the parties. The Harmonix shareholders dispute that they owe any refund, and in fact claim to be owed more than the $150 million they got from Viacom. Viacom sees this attitude as a repudiation of the merger agreement between the companies. Viacom claims unjust enrichment on the part of the stockholders. Here's a copy of the lawsuit: E-mail: eriqgardner@yahoo.com Twitter: @eriqgardner Viacom

Watch Movie

Andy Samberg to Perform Mash-Up of The Lonely Island Songs at the Emmys

Andy Samberg Andy Samberg is bringing The Lonely Island to the Emmy stage on Sunday, according to The Hollywood Reporter. Samberg, whose Saturday Night LiveDigital Short tracks "Mother Lover," "D-k in a Box," and "I Just Had Sex" have all gone viral, will perform a mash-up that will include Maya Rudolph and Ed Helms, among others. Check out all our Emmy coverage The most recent of Samberg's songs, "3-Way (The Golden Rule)," was nominated for an Emmy in the original lyrics and music category this year, but lost to Justin Timberlake's SNL opening monologue. The 63rd Primetime Emmy Awards air Sunday at 8/7c on Fox.

Watch X-Men: First Class Full Movie

'Book of Mormon' hooks Broadway crowd

The only method to conquer Broadway's annual publish-Labor Day slump is to possess a little belief.Belief in "It of Mormon," anyway: Per week when nearly every show about the Primary Stem saw sales drop, "Mormon" ($1,293,582) rose -- and handled to top perennial smash "Wicked" ($1,253,990) and almost nick "The Lion King" ($1,299,169). The "Mormon" task is particularly impressive since its theater seats only one,075 versus. 1,800 at "Wicked" and 1,675 at "The Lion King."Otherwise, it had been a difficult week throughout, with major 35mm slides published for the most part from the shows about the boards. "Lion King," "Wicked" and "Spider-Guy: Switch Off the Dark" ($1,197,278), for example, saw week-to-week sales visit about 20%.The annual downturn is because of Labor Day, the state finish from the summer time travel several weeks. However the effects were amplified through the attention forwarded to activities organized round the tenth anniversary of 9/11.Using the concurrent startup from the school year, productions with family appeal -- including "Mary Poppins" ($492,889) and Daniel Radcliffe topliner "How to achieve Business Without Really Trying" ($757,240) -- required a few of the toughest hits from the frame.The general Broadway cume fell $4.a million to $14.3 million for that 21 shows about the boards, with attendance sinking to 165,000 at 71.7%. Still, that marked a noticable difference within the week ending Sept. 12, 2010, when 23 shows drawn $13.4 million. Average compensated attendance fell from $91.63 to $86.92.The 19 musicals made $13,263,444 for 93.7% from the Broadway total, with attendance of 545,122 at 69.7% capacity and average compensated admission of $86.06.The 2 plays made $1,041,765 for six.3% from the Broadway total, with attendance of 10,448 at 78.8% capacity and average compensated admission of $99.71. Contact Gordon Cox at gordon.cox@variety.com

Filming wraps on The Hunger Games

Shooting has wrapped on The Hunger Games, which is based on the Suzanne Collins novel of the same name.Filming began on 23 May 2011 and principal photography ended in North Carolina following an 84-day shoot.With two other books in the teen fiction series - Catching Fire and Mockingjay - Lionsgate will hope this film can become the first in a money-spinning four-part series (yes, they're planning on doing a Harry Potter/Twilight and wringing an extra installment out of the books).And the studio doesn't have long to wait now to find out if it its first movie can find a cinema audience, with a release date set for 23 March 2012.The Hunger Games stars Jennifer Lawrence, Liam Hemsworth and Josh Hutcherson.

Watch Movies

IFC buys Lynn Shelton's 'Your Sister's Sister"

'Your Sister's Sister'After a lengthy evening of discussions, IFC Films has acquired United States and Latin American privileges to "Humpday" helmer Lynn Shelton's latest "Your Sister's Sister."The announcement is made Wednesday mid-day in the Toronto film festival, where "Sister's" world-preemed Sunday evening. The love-triangular comedy stars Mark Duplass like a guy mourning the current dying of his brother, Emily Blunt as his innocent closest friend, Rosemarie DeWitt as her sister. Retailers Submarine and UTA also closed separate deals for other areas. Studio Canal has acquired United kingdom privileges, while Madman has acquired privileges for New zealand and australia. The aggregate worth of the 3 privileges deals is believed at $1.5 million. IFC is planning for a traditional summer time release rollout for 2012. "Sister's" is definitely an ADA Films production. Producer is Steven Schardt,with Jennifer Roth and Vallejo Gantner becoming excutive producers. UTA and Submarine Entertainment are handling worldwide sales. The offer was discussed by senior v . p . of purchases & productions for Sundance Chooses IFC Films Arianna Bocco, with Submarine and UTA Independent Film Group with respect to the filmmakers. Shelton is symbolized by UTA and Anonymous Content. Contact the range newsroom at news@variety.com

Chesnut to co-star in 'Horror Story'

Morris Chesnut has signed on for just about any multi-episode arc on FX's approaching drama "American Horror Story."Chesnut may have the level of smoothness of Luke concerning the 20th Century Fox skein, which created by "Glee" professional producers Ryan Murphy and Kaira Falchuk."Horror Story," which debuts March. 5 concerning the cabler, stars Dylan McDermott and Connie Britton just like a couple who transfer to some mature La home getting a haunted history. Skeins also co-stars Jessica Lange, Taissa Farmiga and Frances Conroy.Chesnut, which has a extended report on film credits, recently will be a co-star inside the ABC sci-fi series "V." He's represented by Gersh. Contact Stuart Levine at stuart.levine@variety.com