To his stage and film credits, he's adding a book
Even renowned Broadway producer Stewart F. Lane has to chuckle at the run he's having. The musical version of "Legally Blonde" produced by the three-time Tony winner opened this week on Broadway. The Boston University alum has two films he executive-produced out this month: the documentary "ShowBusiness: The Road to Broadway" and Providence-based filmmaker Michael Corrente's drama "Brooklyn Rules." And he has a how-to book called "Let's Put on a Show" due out next month. "It's funny to me now, sure. You start what you can, and you hope that something will come of it -- in my case everything seems to be happening at once," Lane said from his New York offices. Lane and his wife, actress-producer Bonnie Comley, are due back here tomorrow for the dedication of a theater in their names at UMass-Lowell, Comley's alma mater. The couple also have a theater at the Calderwood Pavilion in the South End and a music room at Emerson College that bear their names.
Jordan’s queen visits Harvard
Jordan's Queen Rania was at Harvard yesterday to attend a women's leadership luncheon, meet with faculty, and deliver a speech at the Kennedy School, where she also met with students. In honor of her visit, the Women's Leadership Board at Harvard announced it was establishing two fellowships for Jordanian undergraduate women to study at Harvard's summer school. Jordan's queen is scheduled to visit MIT today.
Stage, right
"Sweeney Todd" star Judy Kaye and "Avenue Q" cast member Rob McClure were at the Colonial Theatre yesterday to help Broadway Across America-Boston announce its 2007-08 lineup. Broadway producer Kevin McCollum said he expects "Avenue Q" and its potty-mouthed puppets will play well in Boston. "I don't think we'll have to make adjustments to the show. . . . The themes will translate to a city like Boston with its college population," said McCollum, whose "The Drowsy Chaperone" is also coming here.
Nantucket Film Festival to honor Benton
Writer-director Robert Benton will receive the NBC Universal Screenwriters Award at next month's Nantucket Film Festival. The three-time Oscar winner, who wrote and directed "Kramer vs. Kramer" and "Places in the Heart," said in a release that he's honored to be in the company of the past recipients, who include James Schamus, Charlie Kaufman, Ring Lardner Jr., and Ruth Prawer Jhabvala. The festival's opening-night film is "Evening," which was shot in Rhode Island last year and stars Claire Danes, Toni Collette, Vanessa Redgrave, Hugh Dancy, Natasha Richardson, Meryl Streep, and Glenn Close, several of whom are expected to attend the June 13 event. . . . Don Cheadle, the "Hotel Rwanda" actor turned activist, and International Crisis Group's John Prendergast, a former adviser to President Bill Clinton, will be at the Kennedy Library in Dorchester today to discuss their new book, "Not On Our Watch," about the genocide in Darfur and individuals who have raised awareness to stop the suffering. The duo have several Boston stops today.
Red Sox brass make pitch for star treatment in HBO’s ‘Faithful’
"Faithful," the book about the '04 BoSox written by diehards Stephen King and Stewart O'Nan, is coming to HBO. The cable network is creating a six-part miniseries based on the improbable dream season, which culminated in the franchise's first World Series win in 86 years. Sox co-owner Tom Werner, who's pals with the miniseries' executive producer Bill Haber, said yesterday that screenwriter Bill Diamond will be in Boston soon to begin work on the project. ( Diamond's credits include "Wings" and "Murphy Brown," and he's a Boston-are a native.) "He'll be meeting with various members of the team to get the real scoop," Werner said. While the book is based on King and O'Nan's obsessive e - mails and journal entries, the six hourlong segments will include story lines from the perspective of fans, players, and the front office. With any luck, Werner said , the miniseries could air in '08. And if you're already casting the characters in this small screen send-up, you're not alone. Werner kidded that he could be played by George Clooney; John Henry by James Woods; Theo Epstein by Adrian Grenier; and Larry Lucchino by Clive Owen. "At least that's who Larry Lucchino thinks should play Larry Lucchino," Werner said, laughing. And the ballplayers? Werner said one wag suggested the role of Manny Ramirez go to Whoopi Goldberg. (Might we suggest Manny be Manny?) Asked if the movie could cause the current team to lose focus on the field, Werner said no. "Part of our responsibility is to keep the Red Sox brand as strong as possible," he said, "and the triumph of '04 is quite a remarkable story."
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