News

Theater Review: Asolo Rep's 'Great Society' covers a lot of history with impact

January 15, 2017

Robert Schenkkan covers a lot of territory in his fast-moving and often fascinating play "The Great Society" about Lyndon Johnson's full term as president, which opened Friday at Asolo Repertory Theatre. To read more, click here.

‘Hacksaw Ridge’ To Pass $100M At Int’l Box Office This Weekend

January 13, 2017

Mel Gibson’s Hacksaw Ridge, the film that follows real World War II hero Desmond Doss into hell and back on the battlefield as he saved the lives of 75 men driven by his faith and sheer force of will, is set to pass $100 million internationally at the box office this weekend for distributor IM Global. The film already has crossed $150M worldwide. To read more, click here.

In The Throes Of War, A Love Theme: Rupert Gregson-Williams On The Score For ‘Hacksaw Ridge’

January 12, 2017

“It’s about the story, not about the music.” That’s the wisdom that Rupert Gregson-Williams received from Hans Zimmer 18 years ago when the composer was cutting his teeth, writing cues for DreamWorks Animation’s The Prince of Egypt. And it’s a rule of thumb that the British composer still abides by, especially in his latest contemporary classical score for Hacksaw Ridge, Mel Gibson’s account of World War II army medic and Conscientious Objector Desmond T. Doss, who saved over 75 lives during the 1945 Battle of Okinawa. To read more, click here.

Jay Roach Nominated for DGA Award for ALL THE WAY!

January 12, 2017

Directors Guild of America President Paris Barclay today announced the DGA’s nominees for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Television, Commercials and Documentary for 2016. “There’s so much to celebrate in such an incredible year for television, commercials and documentaries as we announce the DGA nominees for directorial achievement,” said Barclay. “As content across these categories reaches record levels, the bar is set higher than ever for directors – with each genre requiring unique skillsets and talents. And our nominees this year have far surpassed the challenge with such creative and captivating projects. I congratulate all of them on their exceptional work.” The winners will be announced at the 69th Annual DGA Awards on Saturday, February 4, 2017 at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Beverly Hills. To read more, click here.

DEADPOOL, ARRIVAL, HACKSAW RIDGE Among Producers Guild Awards Nominees

January 11, 2017

The Producers Guild of America (PGA) announced today the motion picture nominations for the 28th Annual Producers Guild Awards. The categories are The Darryl F. Zanuck Award for Outstanding Producer of Theatrical Motion Pictures and The Award for Outstanding Producer of Animated Theatrical Motion Pictures. To read more, click here.

‘La La Land’, ‘Rogue One’, ‘Hacksaw Ridge’ Among Cinema Audio Society Nominees

January 11, 2017

In the Motion Picture Live Action category, the nominees are Doctor Strange, La La Land, Hacksaw Ridge, Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, and Sully. Meanwhile, in the Animated category are Finding Dory, Kubo and the Two Strings, Moana, The Secret Life of Pets and Zootopia. To read more, click here.

‘La La Land,’ ‘Moonlight,’ ‘Fences’ Nab Producers Guild Nominations

January 10, 2017

“Arrival,” “Deadpool,” “Fences,” “Hacksaw Ridge,” “Hell or High Water,” “Hidden Figures,” “La La Land,” “Lion,” “Manchester by the Sea,” and “Moonlight” have been nominated for the Producers Guild of America’s top movie award. Awards contenders “Silence,” “Jackie,” “Sully,” “Loving,” “Captain Fantastic,” “Nocturnal Animals,” “20th Century Women,” and “Florence Foster Jenkins” were overlooked by voters for the PGA’s Darryl F. Zanuck Award. The winner will be announced on Jan. 28 at the guild’s 28th annual awards show at the Beverly Hilton Hotel. To read more, click here.

BAFTA Film Award Nominations: ‘La La Land’ Leads Race

January 10, 2017

HACKSAW RIDGE is nominated for Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Actor, Best Editing and Best Hair and Makeup! To read more, click here.

The art of politics in a 'Great Society'

January 8, 2017

The arts don't exist in a vacuum.

When he picked three shows set in the "swamp" of Washington, D.C, for Asolo Repertory Theatre's new season, producing artistic director Michael Donald Edwards knew they would start around the inauguration of a new president. But there was no way he could have anticipated how the tough election campaign would divide the nation.

The unexpected (in some quarters) election of Donald J. Trump may well impact how audiences respond to Robert Schenkkan's "The Great Society," his follow-up to last season's hit "All the Way"; John Strand's "The Originalist," about controversial but respected Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia; and even Garson Kanin's classic 1948 comedy "Born Yesterday" about a businessman trying to influence political decisions to benefit his companies. To read more, click here.

Why does director Mel Gibson see 'Hacksaw Ridge' as a love story?

January 6, 2017

Poducer Bill Mechanic tried to convince Mel Gibson to make “Hacksaw Ridge” in 2002, when Gibson was still at the height of his career, and again in 2010, four years after the Oscar-winning director and star had been all but exiled for anti-Semitic comments made during a drunk-driving arrest in Malibu. Gibson says something about the story of Desmond Doss, a conscientious objector awarded the Medal of Honor for bravery in combat as a medic during World War II, finally clicked for him when Mechanic reached out a third time in 2014. Gibson took a fresh look at Doss and saw a man who transcended the horrors of war, tending to both American and Japanese soldiers alike without regard for his own safety. He saw Doss as an example of “what we’re capable of in our venality, that we have a higher self.” To read more, click here.