Join Stephen Fry, the legendary comedian, actor, presenter, writer, and masterful storyteller, for a captivating evening in, as he celebrates the launch of his new book, Troy.

After enchanting readers with his formidable ‘Mythos’ and ‘Heroes’, Stephen Fry returns to complete this epic trilogy with yet another grand narrative from Ancient Greece, this time exploring the passionate and powerful story of Troy. Curl up on your sofa with a hot cuppa as Stephen brings to life the legendary kidnapping of the beautiful Helen, for whom the Greeks launched a thousand ships and lay siege for ten bloody years; the king of the gods, Zeus, who triggered war when he asked Trojan prince Paris to judge the fairest goddess of all; and the terrible, brutal war with casualties on all sides. Find out how these human passions of heroism and hatred, revenge and regret, and desire and despair still speak to us today.

TROY: OUR GREATEST STORY RETOLD – STEPHEN FRY’S GREEK MYTHS

Organized by Fane Online and Penguin Live, ‘A Night In with Stephen Fry’ will be broadcast on 30 November at 6:30 UK time and will be available to view up to a week after the event has ended and can be accessed Worldwide.

Don’t miss this one-off opportunity to join one of Britain’s best-loved authors as he invites us to join him at the fireside to hear the greatest story ever told.

Follow this link to register for this one of a kind event.

The ‘book and live stream’ package includes a unique ticket for the live stream, and a copy of Troy, worth £20, deliverable to any UK, Australia & New Zealand or rest of the world address. The first 1000 book and live stream packages in the UK will be signed.

On Saturday, 7 November 2020, at 8 PM GMT/3 PM EST, The American Society of Music Arrangers and Composers (ASMAC) will welcome Academy and GRAMMY Award-winning composer Michael Giacchino to discuss his first solo LP, ‘Travelogue: Volume 1’, featuring his Nouvelle Modernica Orchestra.

Giacchino will be joined in conversation by Tim Simonec, who arranged the string parts for the album, along with members of his Nouvelle Modernica Orchestra including Mark Gasbarro, Dan Greco, Abe Laboriel, Abe Laboriel Jr, Gayle Levant, and Andrew Synowiec, as well as mixing engineer Warren Brown.

The concept album, which was released on 30 October 2020 on Mondo Records, was recorded during the pandemic and saw Giacchino reunite with a few of his long-time collaborators. The record features spoken-word interludes voiced by actress Janina Gavanka and ‘follows a space traveller seeking solace on a planet that isn’t as broken and lost as her own distant world. Upon discovering earth, the story unfolds throughout its 11 captivating tracks.’

©MONDO

Michael Giacchino’s credits include some of the most popular and acclaimed film projects in recent history, including ‘The Incredibles’, ‘War for the Planet of the Apes’, ‘Ratatouille’, ‘Star Trek’, ‘Jurassic World’, ‘Rogue One: A Star Wars Story’, ‘Spider-Man: Homecoming’ and ‘Coco’. Giacchino’s 2009 score for the Pixar hit ‘Up’ earned him an Oscar®, a Golden Globe®, the BAFTA, the Broadcast Film Critics’ Choice Award and two GRAMMY® Awards.

Giacchino studied filmmaking at the School of Visual Arts in NYC. After college, he landed a marketing job at Disney and began studies in music composition, first at Juilliard, and then at UCLA. He moved from marketing to producing in the newly formed Disney Interactive Division where he had the opportunity to write music for video games.

After moving to DreamWorks Interactive, he was asked to score the temp track for the video game adaptation of ‘The Lost World: Jurassic Park’. Subsequently, Steven Spielberg hired him as the composer and it became the first PlayStation game to have a live orchestral score, recorded with members of the Seattle Symphony. Giacchino went on to score numerous video games including Spielberg’s ‘Medal of Honor’ series. Giacchino’s work in video games sparked the interest of J.J. Abrams, and thus began their long-standing relationship that would lead to scores for the hit television series ‘Alias’ and ‘Lost’, and the feature films ‘Mission Impossible III’, ‘Star Trek’, ‘Super 8’ and ‘Star Trek Into Darkness’.

PHOTO BY DAN GOLDWASSER

Additional projects include collaborations with Disney Imagineering on music for Space Mountain, Star Tours (with John Williams), the Ratatouille ride in Disneyland Paris, and the Incredicoaster on Pixar Pier at California Adventure. Giacchino was the musical director of the 81st Annual Academy Awards®. His music can be heard in concert halls internationally with all three ‘Star Trek’ films, ‘Ratatouille’, ‘Jurassic World’, ‘Up’ and ‘Coco’ being performed live-to-picture with a full orchestra. In June 2018, Giacchino premiered his first work for symphony orchestra, Voyage. Commissioned by the National Symphony Orchestra and the Cincinnati Pops Orchestra, the piece celebrates the 60th anniversary of the founding of NASA. In July 2019, a third movement was added for the 50th Anniversary of the Moon Landing.

‘Jojo Rabbit’, the critically acclaimed Fox Searchlight film written and directed by Taika Waititi, earned Giacchino a BAFTA nomination this year. His upcoming film projects include Matt Reeves’ ‘The Batman’.

Giacchino serves as the Governor of the Music Branch of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and sits on the advisory board of Education Through Music Los Angeles.

The American Society of Music Arrangers and Composers is a non-profit organization dedicated to promoting the arts of Music Arranging, Composition and Orchestration within the entertainment industry community and the general public. To find out more about ASMAC or to become a member, visit www.asmac.org.

Tickets:

To register for the event, follow this link.

ASMAC Members – $5.00
SCL, Maestra, ASA, AWFC – $8.00
Non Members – $10.00

©MONDO

To purchase this gorgeous vinyl, visit mondoshop.com, or listen to the album on your music streaming service of choice.

On Saturday, 10 October 2020, The American Society of Music Arrangers and Composers (ASMAC) hosted an online event as part of their Master Class Series, featuring a very special guest: the prolific Emmy-winning and Academy Award-nominated composer John Debney.

Moderated by composer, arranger, pianist and ASMAC board member, Sylvester Rivers, the master class was cleverly structured into five main topics:

•  Anatomy of a comedy score

•  Anatomy of a rom-com

•  Anatomy of a big action movie

•  How to get inside a director’s head

•  Surviving post-pandemic Hollywood

Famously charismatic and friendly, Debney began the master class with the cheerful statement, ‘Let’s have fun! Let’s have a look inside my crazy musical brain!’

JOHN DEBNEY

A musical chameleon, John Debney has composed music for over 100 films and shows in a variety of genres during his career that spans over three decades, including ‘The Passion of the Christ’, ‘Iron Man 2’, ‘The Jungle Book’, ‘The Princess Diaries’, ‘Star Trek: The Next Generation’, ‘Sea Quest DSV’, ‘A Pup Named Scooby-Doo’, ‘Inspector Gadget’, and ‘The Ant Bully’, to name but a few.

For this class, the composer chose to analyse in detail three big genres: comedy, rom-com, and action. As such, Debney dissected a few of his memorable cues from films like ‘Liar Liar’, ‘Bruce Almighty’, ‘Isn’t It Romantic’, and ‘Iron Man 2’, providing aspiring film composers with advice on how to go about writing music for these genres and important aspects that need to be taken into consideration in each case.

Over the course of three and a half hours, the composer received a plethora of fantastic questions from ASMAC members and attendees alike, graciously answering each and every one of them and offering invaluable advice, as well as words of encouragement to aspiring film composers. He also elaborated on some of the challenges the industry is facing in the time of COVID-19 and how the musicians are adapting.

ASMAC Executive Board President, Gayle Levant, who is also Debney’s long-time friend and harpist on many of his films, joined the composer in reminiscing about their experience of working together. Among other things, she praised Debney for his professionalism, excellent conducting skills, and ability to keep calm in stressful situations.

JOHN DEBNEY PRESENTING DURING THE MASTER CLASS

There were two notable nuggets of wisdom the composer shared with the attendees that are perhaps the most important pieces of advice he has offered during the class. Firstly, Debney encouraged aspiring composers to ‘become the best composer you can become’ by learning all styles of music (even the ones they dislike), studying everything from how to write a melody, to counterpoint, orchestration, conducting and the ranges of each instrument, to work hard, be a good person, treat people well, and to always remain humble.

And secondly, following a question from an attendee regarding the toll that this profession can take on one’s mental health, Debney urged film composers to be disciplined, take care of themselves, make sure they have a great support system and not ‘take it so seriously that it will eat you alive’.

Needless to say, the hours flew by very quickly. The master class was a great opportunity for aspiring composers to get a sneak peek behind the curtain with one of the most successful composers in Hollywood and to learn a few tips and tricks on how to navigate this increasingly competitive landscape.

Now it is perhaps more important than ever to have access to such events, considering the exceptionally challenging times brought about by the pandemic. Not only do they provide attendees with invaluable and entertaining information, but they also help keep the community together and the conversation going on how industry professionals can adapt to the new normal.

To keep up to date with ASMAC future events, visit www.asmac.org, where you can also become a member, or follow their Eventbrite page.

On Saturday, 10 October 2020, at 12 PM PDT/8 PM BST, film music lovers and aspiring film composers alike will get a unique chance to attend an online masterclass with the Emmy-winning and Academy Award-nominated composer John Debney. Organized by The American Society of Music Arrangers and Composers (ASMAC), the event will be moderated by the ASMAC board member Sylvester Rivers.

Topics discussed during the event include:

•   Anatomy of a Comedy Score

•   Anatomy of a Rom Com

•   Anatomy of a Musical

•   How to get inside a director’s head

•   Surviving Post-Pandemic Hollywood

JOHN DEBNEY

John Debney is one of the most successful and versatile composers in Hollywood. During his prolific career that spans over three decades and more than 100 film scores, the composer has penned music in a variety of genres for films such as ‘The Passion of the Christ’, ‘Iron Man 2’, ‘The Jungle Book’, and ‘The Princess Diaries’, television projects such as ‘Star Trek: The Next Generation’ and ‘Sea Quest DSV’, as well as numerous cartoons such as ‘A Pup Named Scooby-Doo’, ‘Inspector Gadget’, and ‘The Ant Bully’, to name but a few.

Beloved by collaborators and fans alike, Debney’s musical talent is only matched by his famed charismatic and affable disposition, which makes for one extra reason to join this not-to-be-missed event.

SYLVESTER RIVERS

Sylvester Rivers is a composer, arranger, pianist and ASMAC board member. He has recorded with numerous hit artists including Lionel Richie, Diana Ross, The Jacksons, Sammy Davis, Jr., Dionne Warwick, Nancy Wilson, Kenny Rogers, New Edition, Smokey Robinson, The Temptations, Gladys Knight &The Pips, Martha Reeves, Lamont Dozier, Barry White, the Love Unlimited Orchestra, Shalamar, Cheryl Lynn, Gloria Gaynor, Candi Staton, The Sylvers, Marc Bolan & T. Rex, Ray Parker, Jr. & Raydio, Deniece Williams, Johnny Mathis, Billy Preston, Syreeta Wright, Michael Henderson, Earl Klugh, Stanley Turrentine, Najee, Maxine Nightingale, Aretha Franklin, The Fifth Dimension, and many others.

The American Society of Music Arrangers and Composers is a non-profit organization dedicated to promoting the arts of Music Arranging, Composition and Orchestration within the entertainment industry community and the general public. To find out more about ASMAC or to become a member, visit www.asmac.org.

Tickets:

To register for the event, follow this link.

ASMAC Members – $5.00
SCL, Maestra, ASA, AWFC – $8.00
Non Members – $12.00

Every Saturday at 5pm EST from 3^rd October till 31^st October, the new thought-provoking series Red Pilling America, hosted by TV and Broadway Star Ciara Renée, will be putting the spotlight on democracy, American politics and the current socio-economic climate through the lens of Tonya Pinkins’ new socio-political horror film, Red Pill. New guest stars will be featured each weekend while participants will be able to chime in on the live discussion, asking any and all questions.

RED PILL MOVIE 2020 LLC

Written, produced and directed by Pinkins herself, Red Pill is a progressive dystopian nightmare shot by cinematographer John Hudak Jr. and is set to be released this fall. The movie is a visually stunning metaphor for all our fears and a reminder that there are worse things than death. Cassandra (Pinkins), a Black American woman fearful for the fate of her country in the next election, reluctantly accompanies her best friend Rocky, a land preserver activist (Ruben Blades) and his wife Emelia (Luba Mason), her roommate Lily (Kathyrn Erbe), close friend Nick (Jake O’Flaherty), and her partner Bobby (Adesola Osakalumi) to canvas in newly blue Virginia. As the friends arrive at their “Super-Host” housing, they encounter signs that point to possible trouble and before the weekend is over, the fight for their country becomes a fight for their lives.

Pinkins: Red Pilling Of America will take place through Marissa Lynn Daniel Studios on Zoom. Proceeds will go towards the funding of Red Pill and to supporting actors during COVID-19.  For more information and to enrol, visit, www.marissalynnstudios.com.

TONYA PINKINS

Tonya Pinkins is a three-time Tony nominee for Caroline Or Change, Play On! and Tony winner for Jelly’s Last Jam. Author of Get Over Yourself: How To Drop The Drama And Claim The Life You Deserve, she is also the host of You Can’t Say That at www.bpn.fm/ycst and writer/director of Red Pill.

CIARA RENÉE

Ciara Renée‘s career includes Broadway’s Frozen, Big Fish, Pippin, and the world premiere of Disney’s The Hunchback Of Notre Dame. On television, she has starred in Facebook’s Strangers, Netflix’s Master Of None, CBS’s Big Bang Theory, CW’s Legends Of Tomorrow, Arrow, and Flash. She also played Peggy/Maria in the final lab of Hamilton and co-directed (with Michael Dallatorre) the short documentary, Beating The Odds: Children’s Defense Fund Of California. On top of that she is also a writer, EP, and co-director of the short film Reddy Records.

Guest Stars:

RASHAD ROBINSON

Rashad Robinson is an American civil rights leader and the president of Color Of Change. He has served as a board member of RaceForward, Demos, State Voices and currently sits on the board of the Hazen Foundation. Robinson has appeared in NPR, MSNBC, CNN, NPR, PBS, and BET and has a monthly column in the US edition of The Guardian. His editorials have been featured in New York Times, Huffington Post, The Washington Post, and USA Today.

JAY ARMSTRONG JOHNSON

Jay Armstrong Johnson, known as one of Broadway’s most versatile triple threats has appeared in FIVE Broadway shows including the Tony-Award winning revival of Hair, Catch Me If You Can, Hands On A Hardbody, On The Town, for which he won a Drama Desk Award and Phantom Of The Opera. Johnson also starred on TV in ABC Studios’ Quanitco.

NIK WALKER

Nik Walker led the Broadway cast of Ain’t Too Proud and starred in Hamilton, Motown The Musical, Peter And The Starcatcher and TV’s Law And Order Svu. Walker is also the playwright behind The Bloody Boston Trilogy and cohost of The Chaos Twins.

MICHAEL JAMES SCOTT

Michael James Scott starred in Disney’s Aladdin as the Genie, as well as Something Rotten, The Book Of Mormon, Mamma Mia, Tarzan, All Shook Up, The Pirate Queen, Elf and Hair.

TELLY LEUNG

Telly Leung, star of Broadway’s Aladdin, has been recognized for his notable work in Rent, Flower Drum Song, Pacific Overtures, Godspell, Allegiance and TV’s Glee.

JON RUA

Jon Rua originated roles in Hamilton, The Spongebob Musical and In The Heights and starred on screen in Blacklist, Blue Bloods and Law And Order. Rua is also a celebrated choreographer and founder of The Grit.

PAUL OAKLEY STOVALL

Hamilton star Paul Oakley Stovall, best known for Columbus (2020) Shortbus (2006) and Buffalo (2019), is an actor, activist, and president of KernoFortoProductions. Stovall was also a staff writer on season four of the critically acclaimed STARZ series, Survivor’s Remorse.

JOANNA CARPENTER

Joanna Carpenter is a New York City-based actor, singer and director who is best known for her work on The Lonely Cure (2014), Half a Dozen (2015) and Nevertheless, She Auditioned (2018)

YAEL SILVER, MARISSA LYNN DANIEL, WILL VAN MOSS

Marissa Lynn Daniel, along with Tony-Award winning producer Yael Silver and Will Van Moss will produce this event. Jordan Leigh Auriemma and Adriana Shaw will associate produce.

Every Thursday at 3pm from 10 September – 31 October, Tony award-winning actress Tonya Pinkins and TV & Broadway star Ciara Renée will come together for exclusive, one-on-one conversations with new guest stars as Pinkins puts a horror-fying lens on the upcoming US election with her socio-political horror film Red Pill. Red Pilling of America will feature conversations with Chuck Cooper, Lilli Cooper, Jay Armstrong Johnson, Nik Walker, Jon Rua, Telly Leung, Michael James Scott, and more.

RED PILL MOVIE 2020 LLC

Written, produced and directed by Pinkins herself, Red Pill is a progressive dystopian nightmare shot by cinematographer John Hudak Jr. and is set to be released this fall. The movie is a visually stunning metaphor for all our fears and a reminder that there are worse things than death. Cassandra (Pinkins), a Black American woman fearful for the fate of her country in the next election, reluctantly accompanies her best friend Rocky, a land preserver activist (Ruben Blades) and his wife Emelia (Luba Mason), her roommate Lily (Kathyrn Erbe), close friend Nick (Jake O’Flaherty), and her partner Bobby (Adesola Osakalumi) to canvas in newly blue Virginia. As the friends arrive at their “Super-Host” housing, they encounter signs that point to possible trouble and before the weekend is over, the fight for their country becomes a fight for their lives.

Pinkins: Red Pilling Of America will take place through Marissa Lynn Daniel Studios on Zoom. Proceeds will go towards the funding of Red Pill and to supporting actors during COVID-19.  For more information and to enrol, visit, www.marissalynnstudios.com.

TONYA PINKINS

Tonya Pinkins is a three-time Tony nominee for Caroline Or Change, Play On! and Tony winner for Jelly’s Last Jam. Author of Get Over Yourself: How To Drop The Drama And Claim The Life You Deserve, she is also the host of You Can’t Say That at www.bpn.fm/ycst and writer/director of Red Pill.

CIARA RENÉE

Ciara Renée‘s career includes Broadway’s Frozen, Big Fish, Pippin, and the world premiere of Disney’s The Hunchback Of Notre Dame. On television, she has starred in Facebook’s Strangers, Netflix’s Master Of None, CBS’s Big Bang Theory, CW’s Legends Of Tomorrow, Arrow, and Flash. She also played Peggy/Maria in the final lab of Hamilton and co-directed (with Michael Dallatorre) the short documentary, Beating The Odds: Children’s Defense Fund Of California. On top of that she is also a writer, EP, and co-director of the short film Reddy Records.

Guest Stars:

CHUCK COOPER

Chuck Cooper is a Tony Award winner for THE LIFE and is best known for Amen Corner, Passion, Getting Away With Murder, Someone Who’ll Watch Over Me, Chicago, Caroline, Or Change, Finian’s Rainbow and Amazing Grace.

LILLI COOPER

Lilli Cooper starred in Broadway’s Tootsie, for which she received a Tony Nomination, Spongebob Squarepants, Wicked, and Spring Awakening. On television, she has starred in Dynasty (The Cw), Bull, Instinct, Elementary, The Code and The Good Fight (CBS).

JAY ARMSTRONG JOHNSON

Jay Armstrong Johnson, known as one of Broadway’s most versatile triple threats has appeared in FIVE Broadway shows including the Tony-Award winning revival of Hair, Catch Me If You Can, Hands On A Hardbody, On The Town, for which he won a Drama Desk Award and Phantom Of The Opera. Johnson also starred on TV in ABC Studios’ Quanitco.

NIK WALKER

Nik Walker led the Broadway cast of Ain’t Too Proud and starred in Hamilton, Motown The Musical, Peter And The Starcatcher and TV’s Law And Order Svu. Walker is also the playwright behind The Bloody Boston Trilogy and cohost of The Chaos Twins.

MICHAEL JAMES SCOTT

Michael James Scott starred in Disney’s Aladdin as the Genie, as well as Something Rotten, The Book Of Mormon, Mamma Mia, Tarzan, All Shook Up, The Pirate Queen, Elf and Hair.

TELLY LEUNG

Telly Leung, star of Broadway’s Aladdin, has been recognized for his notable work in Rent, Flower Drum Song, Pacific Overtures, Godspell, Allegiance and TV’s Glee.

JON RUA

Jon Rua originated roles in Hamilton, The Spongebob Musical and In The Heights and starred on screen in Blacklist, Blue Bloods and Law And Order. Rua is also a celebrated choreographer and founder of The Grit.

PAUL OAKLEY STOVALL

Hamilton star Paul Oakley Stovall, best known for Columbus (2020) Shortbus (2006) and Buffalo (2019), is an actor, activist, and president of KernoFortoProductions. Stovall was also a staff writer on season four of the critically acclaimed STARZ series, Survivor’s Remorse.

YAEL SILVER, MARISSA LYNN DANIEL, WILL VAN MOSS

Marissa Lynn Daniel, along with Tony-Award winning producer Yael Silver and Will Van Moss will produce this event. Jordan Leigh Auriemma and Adriana Shaw will associate produce.

Tony Award winner Tonya Pinkins will come together with Frozen star Ciara Renée for an exclusive one-on-one discussion about Tonya’s upcoming socio-political horror film Red Pill.

Red Pill is Pinkins’ first feature film, which she has written, directed and produced. The television, film and Broadway star decided to step behind the camera and use her voice as an artist and storyteller to paint a vivid picture of the grave repercussions that the current political climate in America has on the country’s people.

The film features the work of a talented cast and crew, including eight-time Grammy award winning Latin music star Rubén Blades (Fear the Walking Dead), Catherine Curtain (Orange is the New Black, Stranger Things, Homeland), Kathryn Erbe (Law & Order: Criminal Intent), Tonya Pinkins (Fear The Walking Dead, Madame Secretary), Colby Minifie (The Boys, Fear the Walking Dead), Luba Mason (Person of Interest, NYPD Blue), Jake O’Flaherty (Criminal Minds, Shameless) and Adesola Osakalumi (Sex & The City 2, Ice).

‘It’s Halloween weekend just days before the 2020 election. An intersectional posse of progressive canvassers drive to Virginia to get out the vote. As soon as they cross the state line it is clear they are not welcome. Distressing clues indicate that they should get out of their rental house while the getting is good. They decide to stay, armed with their heart, humor and naiveté. But what they really need is heavy artillery.’ – Red Pill 2020

KATHRYN ERBE, TONYA PINKINS AND LUBA MASON IN ‘RED PILL’. © GREG NANAMURA

Pinkins explains, ‘I wrote my own personal Get Out. #Uprising2020 is White people waking up to the world Black and Brown folks have always known. Black women are intimately familiar with Becky and Karen, White women, who on the low end of the spectrum treat us as invisible, and on the high end weaponize their whiteness and sometimes cost us our lives. Red Pill‘s #Karengonewild is a dose of what’s coming to America if liberal Whites don’t wake up.’

Red Pill is currently in post-production and is set for release this autumn.

For more information, visit: http://redpillmovie2020.com/

Marissa Lynn Daniel, along with producing partner Jordan Leigh Auriemma, will produce this event with the support of Brielle Dulce Perez, Adriana Miriah Shaw, Grace Elizabeth Antinori, Shane Glenn Vickers, Christopher Ryan Quiroz and James Rushin.

The event will take place on the 1^st of August, 3PM EST.

Tickets cost $15 and proceeds will go towards the funding of Red Pill.

Register now at marissalynnstudios.com

Bridge to Broadway has announced their next line-up of industry superstars who will mentor students and young professionals during the June masterclasses.

TONYA PINKINS, DONNA MURPHY, CHUCK COOPER AND LILLI COOPER

Actress Ciara Renée (‘The Hunchback of Notre Dame’, ‘Frozen’, ‘Big Fish’) will join Tony winners Tonya Pinkins and Donna Murphy who will lead a joint master class (available as a bonus class for June ClassPass holders only), Tony winner Chuck Cooper and nominee Lilli Cooper who will lead a father-daughter master class, Two-time Tony-winning composer and lyricist Adam Guettel (who is also the grandson of legendary musical theatre composer Richard Rodgers), Emmy winning casting director Jeff Greenberg (‘Modern Family’, ‘Frasier’, ‘Cheers’), Tony, Drama Desk and Grammy nominee Joshua Henry, Drama Desk Nominee Stephanie Hsu (‘Be More Chill’, ‘The Marvelous Mrs Maisel’, ‘The Path’), internationally acclaimed audiobook narrator Edoardo Ballerini (‘The Sopranos’, ‘Boardwalk Empire’, ‘Dinner Rush’), and master on-camera acting teacher Gary Perez (‘When They See Us’, ‘13 Reasons Why’, ‘The Blacklist’). Mickey Rowe of ‘Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time’, who is the founder and Artistic Director of National Disability Theatre, will also be among the guests on Bridge to Broadway in the following weeks.

JOSHUA HENRY AND ADAM GUETTEL

Bridge to Broadway matches emerging artists with seasoned pros in live conversations and Q&As supporting The Actors Fund. Actor and author Erik Liberman teaches master classes around the country and is a recent inductee into the National Alliance of Acting Teachers. Marissa Lynn Daniel produces this series. Director Dan Fishbach associate produces.

Readers of The Cinematic Journal receive 25% off all classes and class passes in May and June. Just use the code TTEP74GF during checkout.

For more information, visit www.bridgetobroadwayonline.com/.

NYU Tisch alum, actor, and producer Jeremy Boros (‘My Crazy Ex’) launches Movie Mentors, a new podcast featuring Oscar and Emmy-winning filmmakers, actors, and creators. Boros explores his subjects’ inspirations, anecdotes about their greatest hits, and nuts-and-bolts advice for aspiring pros.

The current Mentors line-up includes: Dan Jinks (Oscar-winning producer of ‘American Beauty’, ’Pushing Daisies’, ‘Milk’), Frank Coraci (director of ‘The Wedding Singer’, ‘The Waterboy’, ‘Click’), Wendy Calhoun (writer-producer of ‘Empire’, ‘Prodigal Son’, ‘Station 19’), James V. Hart (screenwriter of ‘Hook’, ‘Bram Stoker’s Dracula’, ‘Contact’), Mollye Asher (producer of ‘The Rider’, ‘Songs My Brothers Taught Me’, ‘Fort Tilden’), Allan Arkush (Emmy-winning director of ‘The Temptations’, ‘Heroes’, ‘CSI’), Leigh Kilton-Smith (acting coach on ‘Aladdin’, ‘Murder Mystery’, ‘Baywatch’), Susan Shopmaker (casting director of ‘Hedwig and the Angry Inch’, ‘Martha Marcy May Marlene’, ‘James White’), and Mark Goldblatt (Oscar-nominated editor of ‘Terminator’, ‘Showgirls’, ‘Starship Troopers’).

JEREMY BOROS

Boros explains, ‘As film education becomes institutionalized, we have lost the tradition of direct mentorship in our industry. With Movie Mentors, my hope is that listeners leave with big-picture lessons, specific tools, and also a positive sense of being cared for by industry giants.’

Jeremy Boros has performed Off-Broadway, created the first-ever Instagram TV show, produced films in the Amazon jungle, and is pursuing his MFA at the prestigious Peter Stark Producing Program at USC.

Movie Mentors is available everywhere podcasts can be found, including Apple, Spotify and Google.

The Old Vic just launched Your Old Vic, a programme of creative, fun and inspiring events, projects and educational content to keep the theatre connected with audiences, and audiences connected with each other during these unprecedented times.

‘Today I’m very happy to announce this array of free online content which we aim to be fun, engaging, useful and supportive to our various audiences during this difficult time. We are facing a tough and even perilous year ahead, fighting for our survival like so many others in the cultural sector. But whilst our building is dormant, its heart is still beating and our sense of purpose – as an artistic powerhouse, fuelled by a spirit of fun and adventure, with an equally strong social mission – is stronger than ever.’, Matthew Warchus, the Artistic Director of The Old Vic, explained.

MATT SMITH AND CLAIRE FOY IN LUNGS © HELEN MAYBANKS

As they were rehearsing Lungs last year, Claire Foy and Matt Smith took the play on a couple of occasions to local schools in order to try it out in front of an audience before bringing it to The Old Vic’s stage. This experience gave them a chance to observe first-hand how taking theatre into schools can have a hugely positive impact.

As theatres were forced to close their doors, The Old Vic, with support from their newly-appointed Hub Ambassadors Claire Foy and Matt Smith, saw this as an opportunity to bring theatre into everyone’s homes and schools, for free. It is a resource for teachers, students, parents and guardians homeschooling, emerging talent, and anyone interested in theatre wanting to learn new skills.

The Education Hub gives audiences behind-the-scenes access to hear from artists and performers, and provides invaluable career advice, as well as resource packs for teachers, employability tips and inside guides.

‘Now The Old Vic, along with other theatres, is closed. But there is still good work we can do. Mostly through the social mission of the theatre – whilst the art on stage is on hold, we can bring our work to you at home, and in your schools. That’s the idea behind the Education Hub – a resource for teachers, students, parents homeschooling, young creatives of the future at home wanting to learn new skills; this is something that everyone can have access to, for free.’ – Claire Foy and Matt Smit

GEORGE MACKAY AND SHEILA ATIM

The Old Vic has also launched Playcrush Podcast, a brand new weekly podcast in collaboration with Sherman Theatre, Cardiff, hosted by the Sherman’s Artistic Director (and previous Old Vic Baylis Director) Joe Murphy. The first episode will air on Acast on Mon 25 May at 10am and will feature George MacKay (1917), with the second episode on Mon 01 Jun featuring Sheila Atim.

Follow the hashtag #YourOldVic for The Old Vic’s latest announcements on new content.