Meet The Real Craig Stevens

Laura Palotie — Fri, 18 Jul 2008 16:10:43 -0400

In early March, thousands of Youtube-surfing Broadway aficionados discovered Craig Stevens, a recent college graduate from Tennessee who, shortly after the new year, had followed his theatrical aspirations to New York.

'Title of Show' Opens on Broadway

Laura Palotie — Wed, 16 Jul 2008 14:15:13 -0400

Almost three months ago I interviewed writer-singer-actor Jeff Bowen, whose musical about the making of a musical, Title of Show, was picked up for a Broadway run (see my post here.). Much of his and co-writer Hunter Bell's success, Bowen told me, was due to the pair's self-made marketing campaign on Youtube.

Theaters Prepare for 'Dark Knight' Release

Laura Palotie — Fri, 11 Jul 2008 11:46:26 -0400

The Hollywood blockbuster hero--from a whip-wielding archeologist to a Blahnik-sporting sex columnist--is alive and well. And come next Friday, Robert Downey Jr.'s Iron Man is likely to face a dethroning from the top of 2008's box office (over $312 million to date) by late Heath Ledger's interpretation of the Joker.

In Finland, the Accordion is Still Cool

Laura Palotie — Sat, 28 Jun 2008 11:05:37 -0400

I'm currently on a short vacation in my home country of Finland, and
even through the relative isolation of a television set at my parents'
summer cottage, have been reminded of the country's famed musical
heritage. Last night's television news depicted Tuska-Festival,
an annual gathering of metal bands in Helsinki, while the night before,
the nation's cultural headlines focused on--yes--accordions.

Why Web Series Deserve Your Attention

Laura Palotie — Sat, 21 Jun 2008 09:55:56 -0400

An Arts Foundation Gathers Statistics on Off-Off Broadway

Laura Palotie — Sat, 14 Jun 2008 08:38:30 -0400

Most residents living in the family-friendly New York of today are unlikely to miss the crime and grime that characterized the city during its previous decades, but a certain cultural sterilization is also stirring collective panic in its artistic community. Its famous indie theater scene, for example, has become challenging to maintain amidst rising rents and subsequently closing theater spaces.

The Future of Media is Murky

Laura Palotie — Sat, 07 Jun 2008 08:26:24 -0400

This decade has spurred on a lengthy requiem for print media, a lament indicated in part by countless blogs covering media news, as well as news items reporting the downsizing of newsrooms. And if Wednesday's hour-long expert panel at my alma mater of NYU was any indication, some of the most successful media players remain as puzzled as ever on what will happen next.

How Emily Gould Turns Us On

Laura Palotie — Thu, 29 May 2008 19:24:46 -0400

The last seven days have kept arts and entertainment editors busy. Amidst Cannes and Indiana Jones coverage came the season finales of most high-profile TV dramas, the confetti-accompanied crowning of an indie rocker as the newest American Idol, and the climax (sorry, I couldn't resist) of Sex and The City's publicity storm.

Writers Take the Spotlight at Emerging Artists Theatre

Laura Palotie — Thu, 22 May 2008 20:57:05 -0400

For an aspiring playwright in New York, the odds of turning one's work into a stage production can feel as daunting, even foolish, as pinning an 'American Idol' audition number onto one's shirt. For those whose aspirations surpass their self-doubt, however, nonprofit organizations like Emerging Artists Theatre (EAT for short) can provide opportunities to polish
their work in front of a paying audience.

Trying Times for Indy

Laura Palotie — Fri, 16 May 2008 19:34:22 -0400

A week before his obsessively anticipated Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull opens in U.S theaters, George Lucas has a reason to bite his fingernails--and not just because Iron Man seems to already have become the blockbuster darling of the summer.