By now you've probably heard about the Writers Guild of America (WGA) strike. And you probably know that Ellen DeGeneres is catching hell from WGA East. Some of you are thinking, "Well, TV is not looking so good these days; perhaps this is an opportunity to get out of the house and catch some live theater."

Which is a great idea. Unless your plan is to see Broadway theater.

Local One, the Broadway branch of the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees, went on strike Saturday morning, effectively shutting down most of Broadway.

… continue reading

T-minus one week and counting to my favorite psuedo-holiday of the year. I love Halloween. Think about it. It's the only time of year that it's OK to accept candy from strangers. In fact, soliciting candy from strangers is expected. It's also the only time of the year it's socially acceptable for those of us who aren't paid actors to dress up in costume and pretend to be something or someone we're not.

For more than a decade, Bette Midler has been throwing one of the best Halloween bashes around. I say best not because it's the biggest or the scariest. I say best because she throws the bash to raise money for New York Restoration Project, a nonprofit founded by Midler to clean, restore and revitalize New York City's parks. The group reclaims abandonded parks, plants community gardens and offers youth education programs aimed at greening up New York City.

In conjunction with the annual bash at the Waldorf-Astoria, the group also holds an online auction. Among the items available for bid this year are a day on the set of Wolverine with Hugh Jackman and tickets to Jessica Alba's next movie premiere. Sign me up for that one.

This year, they're also having "Wicked Day" on Oct. 28, complete with block party, performances by the cast of Wicked and a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the new Friendship Gardens. … continue reading

Toy maker Todd McFarlane and filmmaker Josh Olson just announced that they are undertaking a new version of The Wizard of Oz (not to be confused with the Sci Fi Channel's Tin Man). Although Wicked has earned quite a reputation, neither Diana Ross nor the Muppets could save previous Oz Redux attempts, so my initial reaction to this was skepticism.

Reading on, I wavered between intrigued (Oz as "dark, edgy and muscular"), relieved (Dorothy will not be "some bondage queen," a la McFarlane's disturbing dolls) and bored (the film will aim to capture Lord of the Rings fans). Then I got to the description of Dorothy as less "helpless singing girl" and more Ellen Ripley.

That's right: Dorothy 2.0. Better, faster, and able to take you out. No more wavering for me — if Ripley is going to Oz, I am going, too. … continue reading