Pick A Little Talk A Lot

The Academy Awards truly reflected the international nature of the entertainment industry this past Sunday as winners from around the globe were announced. Spain, France, England were all represented this year with Javier Bardem, Tilda Swinton, Daniel Day Lewis and Marion Cotillard winning the major individual actor awards. Even Best Song was from an Irish low budget film and was composed by an Irishman and a woman from Czechoslovakia. It was a great reminder of how technology has linked the world and a reflection of the international quality of film and television these days. Productions are becoming global affairs these days and the Oscars showed that even Hollywood is branching out to vote for the best and not just its own.

It was announced today that the artists, actors and dancers who were interviewed by Michael Bennett for the Original Workshop of A CHORUS LINE will receive a financial interest in the current Broadway production and in all future shows. This is a landmark decision and very interesting when considered in reference to the writer’s strike within a similar industry. Michael Bennett’s hit show was based on interviews with the group of actors that first did the workshop with him which included Donna McKechnie, Kelly Bishop, Priscilla Lopez and Robert LuPone. The Bennett Estate and these artists arrived at this agreement which extended the artists’ 1976 agreement. Seems like a fair decision. For the basic facts you can check out Playbill’s article on the subject.