Last week Guy LeMonnier joined the cast of the Off-Broadway production of Around the World in 80 Days. Guy replaces Josh Segarra in the role of Phileas Fogg. Guy is a founding member of the Trans-Siberian Orchestra, so all you TSO fans come on out to the New Theatre at 45th Street to see Guy knock it out of the park. Break many bones, Guy.
China - The Whole Enchilada will get its West Coast Premiere at Sacred Fools in Los Angeles, Feb. 4 - March 12, 2014. The show will be directed by Allison Bibicoff, who directed a killer production of Around the World in 80 Days at the International City Theatre in Long Beach (The show was an LA Times Critic's Choice). Allison is graciously letting me be part of the whole process. This will mark the first time I've been involved with a [...]
According to The Telegraph, police in Xinjiang, China have started using geese to help them fight crime. The poultry police are "extremely vigilant and having excellent hearing," according to Xinjiang police chief Zhang. “Geese are very brave. They spread their wings and will attack any strangers entering [someone’s] home,” said Mr Zhang. In some ways, they are more useful than dogs. A household normally keeps one dog [but] an intruder can throw a drugged bun to kill the dog. Geese are normally kept [...]
British luxury SUV maker Land Rover is hosting an epic 'Around the world in 80 days' expedition. Sixteen assorted Land Rovers, driven by their intrepid owners from the Land Rover Club of Hong Kong, are on a drive to conquer the world in 80 days. Hey, that sounds a lot like the plot to my show Around the World in 80 Days, currently running Off-Broadway. The four month expedition started on June 9, and already has chalked up more than [...]
If you haven't seen Here Lies Love, the David Byrne/Fatboy Slim musical currently playing at the Public Theatre, you better hurry on down to the theatre and beg for tickets because the show closes July 28. My friend Melody Butiu, a fantastic singer and actress, is in it and she tears it up. I saw the show when I was in town for the opening of my Off-Broadway show Around the World in 80 Days (see how I got my plug [...]
It's Throwback Thursday so I thought I'd post my old reel. Yeah, I used to be an actor but retired when I became a dad. I found trying to keep my daughter on a schedule and pursue an acting career were at odds with each other. And truth be told, I has grown weary of being an actor and wanted to concentrate on my then burgeoning writing career. So here's me in Out of Sight, Holy Man, Ally McBeal, Clover, [...]
I love Shanghaiist. If you have never been to their site and are a Sinophile like I am, hie thee to their site right away. Today there are two headlines that made me laugh out loud, The first: Survey: China is the World's Fourth 'Horniest' Country The survey was done by AskMen, China is the fourth horniest country. Who's first? Greece. I suppose they grew tired of the Occupy Greece movement and moved on to Occupy Vagistan. Here's what AskMen has to [...]
Here's another review of the Off-Broadway production of my play Around the World in 80 Days. It's a lovely review but this is what worries me: "This show, which just opened at the end of May, seems to be flying under the radar (I hadn’t heard a single thing about it beyond that subway ad)." Under the radar!? Oh no. We have to get this puppy out from under the radar and smack dab on the radar. It needs to [...]
When I wrote Around the World in 80 Days, I left out any stage directions because I wanted the actors, the director, and the designers to bring their imaginations to the show. The show is not just an adaptation of the great Jules Verne novel but a celebration of the magic of theatre. I didn't want to hamper any productions with my silly and most likely less imaginative stage directions. So it makes me happy when I see bits like [...]
The trailer for Saving Mr. Banks was released today. I can't wait to see this film. It has a great cast, but they had me at Tom Hanks and Emma Thompson.
