A two-character play is in develop as a feature film adaptation of “Blackbird,” with playwright David Harrower aboard to script the drama about the confrontation between a middle-aged man and the then-underage girl with whom he had a relationship years earlier.
“Blackbird” premiered at the Edinburgh Festival in 2005, and then transferred to London’s West End, where as a well-received run won the 2007 Olivier Award for new play. Then, that same year it was brought to Off Broadway by Manhattan Theater Club in a staging directed by Joe Mantello and starring Jeff Daniels, whom I think is a wonderful actor, and Alison Pill.
Variety offers some of tidbits about the play; such as in 2007, Cate Blanchett directed the play’s Australian premiere for the Sydney Theater Company, while next summer, a production top billing “CSI” star William L. Petersen is scheduled to play Chicago’s Victory Gardens.
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I find it very interesting that stage productions of movies show popularity, such as All About My Mother, Brief Encounter, Terms of Endearment and the Disney films. Now, Rain Man is debuting at London’s West End with performances later this summer. Josh Hartnett is set to play Tom Cruise’s character, a narcissistic car dealer. Adam Godley is set to play the older autistic brother.
The story told in the original Rain Man, which won four Oscars in 1989 including best picture and actor for Hoffman, centers on a road trip taken by Cruise’s character with his older autistic brother whom he knew nothing about until his father’s death.
The stage version, which runs Aug. 28-Dec. 20 at the Apollo Theater, with a press opening set for Sept. 9, will be updated.
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If you are in New York this summer, here is a great article on “11 Shows to See” by Lind Winer on Newsday.com. Â One show that stands out for me is Sean Hayes (”Will & Grace”) plays the devil in this 1955 musical about a baseball fan (Cheyenne Jackson) who sells his soul to beat the Yankees, and gets to play around with the Devil’s helper (Jane Krakowski) in the bargain. Another is at the Lincoln Center Festival, three Solos by Samuel Becket, where Liam Neeson does “Eh, Joe,” Barry McGovern stars in “I Will Go On” and Ralph Fiennes follows in “First Love.”
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