Anthony Ramos to Star as Mozart in Broadway Revival of Peter Shaffer’s Play “Amadeus”

Posted on June 5, 2023 by Tom Castaneda

Anthony Ramos is taking on a classical music legend…

The 31-year-old Puerto Rican actor/singer and In the Heights, has revealed that he’s signed on to star as Mozart in a Broadway revival of Peter Shaffer’s 1979 play Amadeus.

“I am excited about going back to Broadway,” said Ramos, who’ll soon appear on the big screen in Transformers: Rise of the Beasts, on the WTF With Marc Maron podcast. “I signed on to do Amadeus on Broadway, to play Mozart.” The actor said the production is still looking to cast the Salieri role.

No additional details were shared about the production.

Amadeus is a non-musical and fictionalized account of the lives of composers Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and Antonio Salieri.

First performed in 1979 in London, a subsequent Broadway production, starring Tim Curry as Mozart and Ian McKellen as Salieri, won the 1981 Tony Award for Best Play.

Shaffer then adapted his play for the 1984 film starring F. Murray Abraham (in an Oscar-winning performance) as Salieri and Tom Hulce as Mozart.

The play was most recently revived on Broadway in 1999 in a production starring Michael Sheen as Mozart and David Suchet as Salieri.

Eva Longoria Among Celebrities & Entertainment Figures Encouraging World Leaders to “End the COVID-19 Pandemic Now”

Posted on September 21, 2021 by Tom Castaneda

Eva Longoria is urging on world leaders to take action to end the ongoing coronavirus pandemic…

Tuesday morning, just before President Joe Biden addressed the United Nations for the first time, more than 80 celebrities and entertainment figures, including the 46-year-old Mexican American actress, producer and activist, issued an open letter to world leaders calling for them to end “the COVID-19 pandemic now.”

The letter, which mentioned the United Nations General Assembly Session specifically, was posted on the website of CARE, an organization dedicated to ending poverty worldwide.

It was signed by a raft of boldfaced names including Longoria, Debra Messing, Alyssa Milano, Anne Hathaway, Malin Akerman, Debbie Allen, Jordana Brewster, Connie Britton, Ciara, Peter Dinklage, Richard Gere, Dolores Huerta, Joel McHale, Iman, Edward James Olmos, Laura Linney, Julianna Margulies, Joel McHale, Idina Menzel, Ana Ortiz, Adam Shankman, Michael Sheen, Adam Shulman and Sarah Silverman.

Specifically, the letter calls COVID-19 “a manmade pandemic of apathy.” It states that “Only 2% of people in low-income countries have received a single dose.” The signatories call on “global leaders to make 7 billion vaccine doses available before the end of 2021, and an additional 7 billion doses by mid-2022 to fully vaccinate 70% of the world by next summer.”

Those are lofty goals given the world’s most highly vaccinated countries, like the U.S., remain well under 70%.

It also asks leaders to “invest in last-mile delivery systems, public education, and frontline healthcare workers to get vaccines from tarmacs into arms.”

Here’s the full letter:

An open letter to world leaders on ending the COVID-19 pandemic now.

None of us are safe until all of us are safe.

We call on leaders gathering at the United Nations General Assembly Session to boldly act
together to end COVID-19 everywhere.

COVID-19 is now a manmade pandemic of apathy. Only 2% of people in low-income countries have received a single dose, leaving the world’s most vulnerable to face COVID with no
protection. This situation also lets new variants, like Delta, emerge and ravage the lives of
millions.

We are joining with CARE to call on global leaders to make 7 billion vaccine doses available before the end of 2021, and an additional 7 billion doses by mid-2022 to fully vaccinate 70%
of the world by next summer.

To get this done the world community must also invest in last-mile delivery systems, public education, and frontline healthcare workers to get vaccines from tarmacs into arms. Millions
of doses could go to waste because low-income countries don’t have the support they
need to get vaccines to vulnerable people.

We can save millions of lives — and trillions in further economic damage — by meeting this moment with the resources and political will needed to end COVID-19 for everyone,
everywhere. Because none of us are safe until all of us are safe.

Malin Akerman
Debbie Allen
Dorothy Amuah
Morena Baccarin
Adriana Barraza
Troian Bellisario
Bobby Berk
Jordana Brewster
Connie Britton
Karamo Brown
Gloria Calderón Kellett
Ciara
Tena Clark
Kim Coates
Madison Cowan
Alexandra Daddario
Peter Dinklage
Melinda Doolittle
Tan France
Richard Gere
Duff Goldman
Tony Goldwyn
Fiona Gubelmann
Anne Hathaway
Ingrid Hoffmann
Anders Holm
Dolores Huerta
Osas Ighodaro
Joel McHale
Iman
Edward James Olmos
Sonam Kapoor Ahuja
Ellie Krieger
Iskra Lawrence
Annie Lennox
Lola Lennox
Esther Lewis
Laura Linney
Kimberly Locke
Eva Longoria
Anja Manuel
Julianna Margulies
Catherine McCord
Joel McHale
Spike Mendelsohn
Idina Menzel
Debra Messing
Alyssa Milano
Sepideh Moafi
Tamera Mowry-Housley
Yvette Nicole Brown
Christina Ochoa
Ana Ortiz
Helen Pankhurst
Jessica Pimentel
Julie Plec
Adina Porter
Zac Posen
Leven Rambin
April Reign
Holland Roden
Sheila Shah
Adam Shankman
Omar Sharif Jr.
Michael Sheen
Adam Shulman
Sarah Silverman
Hannah Skvarla
Todd Snyder
Kimberly Steward
Curtis Stone
Christy Turlington Burns
Laura Vandervoort
Gabby Williams
Michelle Williams
Kimberly Williams-Paisley
Russell Wilson
Scott Wolf
Kelley Wolf
Bellamy Young
Rachel Zoe

Royo Joins Cast of Showtime’s “Masters of Sex”

Posted on July 7, 2016 by Tom Castaneda

Andre Royo is pursuing his Masters…

The 47-year-old half-Cuban American actor is joining the cast of Showtime’s Masters of Sex for Season 4, according to Variety.

Royo will be portraying the late Sammy Davis Jr., who will meet Masters and Johnson (played by Michael Sheen and Lizzy Caplan, respectively) when he performs on “Playboy After Dark” this season.

Masters of Sex Season 4 premieres on September 11 at 10 p.m. on Showtime.

Royo’s credits include appearances on Marvel’s Agent Carter, Empire and Fringe.

Trailer Released for Bonham Carter’s “Alice Through The Looking Glass”

Posted on November 6, 2015 by Tom Castaneda

Helena Bonham Carter is a glass act…

The first full trailer for Alice Through The Looking Glass – the sequel to Disney’s 2010 blockbuster Alice In Wonderland – has been released, featuring the 49-year-old part-Spanish actress reprising her role as Iracebeth of Crims, the Red Queen.

For the original film, Bonham Carter’s head was digitally increased to three times its original size on screen.

Along with Bonham Carter, Alice Through The Looking Glass returns most of the cast — among them Johnny Depp, Anne Hathaway, Mia Wasikowska and the voices of Stephen Fry, Alan Rickman and Michael Sheen — and screenwriter Linda Wolverton but not original director Tim Burton (he’s a producer on this one, with Muppets helmer James Bobin taking over).

Among the newcomers is Sacha Baron Cohen, who portrays a major cog in this new story based on Lewis Carroll’s original: he plays Time, who is part-human, part-clock (and has borrowed some outfits from Brüno’s closet apparently). When Alice returns to a much different Wonderland, she must go on a quest to borrow the Chronosphere, a metallic globe inside the Grand Clock’s chamber. This sends her into the past, where she comes across friends and enemies at different points in their lives, and a race to save Depp’s Hatter (looking quite put out here) before time runs out.

The 3D pic has a May 27, 2016 release date.

Armisen to Star in the HBO Original Comedy Film “7 Days in Hell”

Posted on July 24, 2014 by Tom Castaneda

Fred Armisen has landed a Hell of a role…

The 47-year-old half-Venezuelan actor and former Saturday Night Live star has landed a role in HBO’s original comedy movie 7 Days in Hell, starring Armisen’s former SNL cast mate Andy Samberg and Game of Thrones’ Kit Harington.

Based on an original concept by Murray Miller, who wrote the screenplay, and Samberg, the sports mockumentary centers on two fierce tennis rivals in an epic, seven-day match at 2004 Wimbledon.

The location is hardly random — the longest tennis match on record was held on Court 18 at Wimbledon during the 2010 championships when John Isner and Nicolas Mahut battled it out for 11 hours over three days, with the American ultimately clinching a victory, 70-68 in the fifth set.

In addition to Samberg, Harington and Armisen, the all-star cast includes Lena Dunham, Will Forte, Karen Gillan, Howie Mandel, Michael Sheen, Mary Steenburgen and June Squibb. Additionally, broadcast journalist

Soledad O’Brien will appear in the HBO movie as herself.

Based on breakdowns reported by Deadline.com, Samberg’s character, named Aaron Williams, is tennis’ superstar bad boy, while Harington’s character, named Charles Poole, is channeling Andy Murray, a tennis prodigy and certified truck driver.

Adding to their rivalry is Gillan’s supermodel Lily, Charles’ childhood friend who made a sex tape with Aaron. Steenburgen plays Charles’ psychotic and controlling mother, while Forte plays a tennis historian.

Jake Szymanski is set to direct the film.

Vega Begins Filming Michael Cuesta’s “Kill the Messenger”

Posted on July 27, 2013 by Tom Castaneda

Paz Vega is killing the messenger in Atlanta…

Production has gotten underway in Georgia on the true-life dramatic thriller Kill the Messenger, which stars the 37-year-old Spanish actress.

Directed by Michael Cuesta, the film stars Jeremy Renner as Gary Webb, the real-life reporter for The San Jose Mercury-News. In the 1990s, Webb uncovered the Central Intelligence Agency’s role in importing cocaine into California that was sold to raise money for the Nicaraguan Contras rebel army. Supported by his wife and children, Webb pursued the story and went public with his evidence. When targeted for a vicious smear campaign by the CIA and rival journalists, Webb found himself fighting for his reputation and his family.

In addition to Renner and Vega, the film’s cast includes Rosemarie DeWitt, Andy Garcia, Oliver Platt, Michael Sheen and Yul Vazquez.

The film was inspired by the books Kill the Messenger by Nick Schou and Dark Alliance by Gary Webb.

Alba Starring in IFC’s New Original Comedy “The Spoils of Babylon”

Posted on June 5, 2013 by Tom Castaneda

Jessica Alba is Babylon-bound.

The 32-year-old half-Mexican American actress has joined the cast of IFC’s new original comedy The Spoils of Babylon, starring Will Ferrell.

A parody of epic television mini-series, The Spoils of Babylon is produced by Funny or Die and executive produced by Ferrell,

Along with Ferrell and Alba, the cast includes Val Kilmer, Tobey Maguire, Haley Joel Osment, Michael Sheen, Tim Robbins and Kristen Wiig.

“This amazingly talented cast will give this decadent genre its due respect,” said Jennifer Caserta, president and general manager of IFC. “Never before has a parody of a mini-series been more poised for showers of accolades.”

The Spoils of Babylon is a television adaptation of a best-selling epic novel by fictional famous author Eric Jonrosh (Ferrell) whose library spans 57 best sellers in 85 different languages. Jonrosh’s other titles include: The Spoils of Galaxy 7, The Spoils of Grasping for God, The Spoils of the Sahara, The Spoils of the Singing Night Squirrel, The Spoils of the Weeping Falcon and The Spoils Beneath the Sea.

“I’m thrilled my masterwork is finally making it to the screen, albeit the small screen. Although I guess these days people have pretty big screens in their homes but still not as big as “the big screen.” I mean, some people who have home theaters might have screens that big, but most wouldn’t, at least that’s what I would imagine. Still, I’m thrilled, and I personally DO have a giant screen TV so….” trailed off Jonrosh in a quote that was dictated over the phone from his yacht The Super Bard, anchored off his personal island in the Caspian Sea.

The Spoils of Babylon, a century-spanning saga, chronicles the sexy and dramatic lives of the Morehouse family, led by Jonas Morehouse (Robbins), his daughter Cynthia (Wiig) and her adopted brother Devon (Maguire) who made their fortune in the oil business. The series takes viewers from the oil fields of Texas to boardrooms in New York City, through war torn battlefields and velvet-sheeted bedrooms.

Cynthia and Devon’s unbridled and taboo passion for one another cannot be prevented. Add in Cynthia’s evil son Winston (Osment), her put upon husband Chet Halner (Sheen), and Devon’s new love interest Dixie Mellonworth (Alba), and the booze, the pills, more passion, more pills and the heartache, and you have a mercurial potboiler. Then add in illegal arms deals, international espionage, the Shah of Iran (Ferrell), and two US Army Generals (Kilmer, Steve Tom) and it begins to overflow with boiling liquid in a pot on a hot stove that is operational.

Production began June 2 in Los Angeles. Six, half-hour episodes will premiere on IFC in early 2014.

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