Arthur Miller play on ‘Misfits’ filming to...

Arthur Miller play on ‘Misfits’ filming to open

“Finishing the Picture,” a play by Arthur Miller loosely based on events surrounding the 1961 filming of “The Misfits,” will have its world premiere at the Goodman Theatre in Chicago this fall.

“The Misfits” starred Marilyn Monroe, Miller’s former wife, who died one year after filming was completed.

“It’s a play about a movie and the struggle to finish it,” Miller said in a telephone interview from his New York apartment. “Maybe it will be interesting for people.”

Speculation has raged for months about the high-profile production, positioned as a pre-Broadway premiere staged with enhancement money provided by New York producer David Richenthal. The work will run in Chicago from Sept. 21 to Oct. 31. Miller completed the play in 2003. Its only exposure to date has been a reading in New York.

Chicago Tribune

Neil Simon’s pal gives him kidney

Playwright Neil Simon has received a kidney donated by his friend and publicist Bill Evans, a representative of the publicist said Wednesday.

He said the two men underwent kidney transplant surgery on Tuesday afternoon at a New York hospital. Simon, 76, author of more than 30 plays, has been undergoing kidney dialysis treatment three times a week for the last 18 months.

“Both of them are doing well,” said Evans representative Jim Randolph.

Evans, 53, has been the media representative on many of Simon’s plays, including “The Dinner Party,” “45 Seconds From Broadway” and “The Goodbye Girl.”

From Reuters

Elton John has no plans to wed

Don’t start shopping for a wedding gift for Elton John just yet.

The singer said that, while he supports same-sex marriage, reports are untrue that he plans to wed his longtime partner, David Furnish.

“David and I are in favor of gay marriage but have no plans to get married,” John said in a statement Wednesday.

From Associated Press

Tom Hanks has moon on mind

“Apollo 13” star Tom Hanks is set to return to the moon, teaming up with big-screen movie firm Imax Corp. to produce a 3-D documentary about NASA’s historic lunar voyages.

Imax said Wednesday that the two-time Oscar winner will co-produce and likely narrate “Magnificent Desolation,” which will use never-before-seen photographs and previously unreleased NASA footage.

Hanks and Imax first announced plans for the project in December 2002, but the 45-minute movie is now on track for a 2005 release.

From Reuters

A comeback for Anita Baker

After 10 years in musical seclusion due to family turmoil, Anita Baker is returning to the spotlight.

The Grammy-winning R&B; songstress has signed a deal with Blue Note Records to produce at least two albums and expects to release her first project before the end of the year.

With a deep, sensuous voice, Baker became one of R&B;’s premier artists in the late ‘80s and early ‘90s with hits like “Sweet Love” and “Rapture.” But she dropped off the music scene after releasing the album “Rhythm of Love” in 1994. At the time, Baker, who is married, had two young sons (now 10 and 11 years old), a mother suffering from Alzheimer’s and a father dying of bone cancer.

From Associated Press