Cherry Jones: From DOUBT to 24!

Some of you Bay area residents were lucky enough to witness actress Cherry Jones star in the role that she won the Tony Award for on the Carol Morsani stage in the national Broadway tour Doubt. Now it seems she's moving from the principal's office to the White House as she takes over as the newest president on FOX's wildly popular real-time drama 24.

Watching Jones as Sister Aloysius was a highlight of 2007's theatrical offerings - there's no doubt in my mind at all of that. Now it will be a lot of fun to watch her on Monday nights in my biggest pulp TV indulgence.

Have Doubts (or questions)? Join our discussion!

Join TBPAC and Magic 94-9 for a FREE interactive discussion with cast members from the Tony and Pulitzer Prize winning play, DOUBT. The discussion will be held Wednesday, March 28, 5-5:45 p.m. at the Carrollwood Barnes & Noble (11802 N. Dale Mabry Highway, Tampa 33618). For more information on the show, visit doubtontour.com.

-Angela L.

Taking the show on the road

NYC -- The producers of "Monty Python's Spamalot" told their production team that if they couldn't take the show on tour, they wouldn't open on Broadway.

It's that important.

Half of the Broadway audience is outside NYC, reached through tours and subscription seasons.

"Spamalot" obviously solved its weighty chain mail issue and is touring with great success, including two sold-out weeks here in Tampa earlier this season.

Another presenter talked about how important it was for thought-provoking works such as "Doubt," with actresses such as Cherry Jones, to tour the country in artistically unifying events.

He likened it to a Harry Truman-like whistlestop political tour. "It's like she's running for election ... and I think she'd win."

"Doubt" will be at TBPAC later this month. -- Michael Kilgore/TBPAC

We'd like to thank ...

NYC -- There are serious issues to be discussed this week at the League conference: media fragmentation, the art of the deal, costs of putting a show on the road. But, first, because it's NYC and because this is Broadway, first there are the awards presented specifically to Broadway shows touring the U.S.:

Touring Broadway Awards
People's Choice Awards -- "Wicked"
Best Production Design -- "Monty Python's Spamalot"
Best Play -- "Doubt"
Best Long-Running Musical -- "Chicago"
Best Choreography --Twyla Tharp
Best Direction --"Monty Python's Spamalot"
Best Musical Score -- "Light in the Piazza"
Touring Broadway Achievement Award -- Tom Hewitt
Best New Musical -- "Monty Python's Spamalot"

Michael Kilgore/TBPAC

The puzzling Pulitzer

The Pulitzer Prize is one of those awards that you know is important, but perhaps you don't know exactly what it means. According to Pulitzer.org, the Pulitzer Prize for Drama is awarded to "a distinguished play by an American author, preferably original in its source and dealing with American life."

In 2006, The Pulitzer Prize Board decided not to award a Pulitzer in the category of Drama (this has happened before) because they felt the nominees didn't meet the high standards of the prize. Since the 2007 nominations will be announced on April 16, Playbill.com notes in an article published today, "An informal survey of theatre industry vets found that for the second year in a row, no work is an obvious standout the way Doubt was in 2005."

Did I mention Doubt will be here April 24-29 starring Cherry Jones in her Tony Award-winning role as Sister Aloysius?

– AngelaL/TBPAC

Broadway, meet Hollywood

As the saying goes, "If you can make it here, you can make it anywhere." That continues to hold true not just for people but for shows. As of recent years, both Rent and The Producers have found their way to Hollywood and now another NYC success is headed West.

According to Broadway.com, the Pulitzer Prize and Tony-Award winning Doubt will start shooting the movie version in late 2007 and should be in the theaters by 2008. It will be written and directed by the show's original playwright, John Patrick Shanley. Though the play has a cast of four the movie promises to have more characters. Casting hasn't been announced yet.

Also in recent Tony-Award winning Broadway actor goes Hollywood is Dan Fogler (AKA "William Barfee" from the NY cast of Spelling Bee). Though working in small films for quite a few years, most recently he can be seen as "Zack" in School for Scoundrels. He's currently filming several new films including Horton Hears a Who and Kung Fu Panda due out in 2008 and just wrapped several more due out in 2007.

- Angela L.