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LONDON, Jan. 17 (UPI) -- Will Smith joked at a London movie premiere that he would be open to playing U.S. President-elect Barack Obama in a film if Obama ordered him. 'If I am ordered by my commander in chief to star in a film about him, I will do ...

Contra Costa Civic Theatre will open its production of Nine (The Musical) on Friday, February 6, 2009. Directed and choreographed by Amy Nielson, with musical direction by Joe Simiele, Nine was the winner of numerous Tony awards, including Best Musical and Score in 1982 and Best Revival in 2003, and will soon be made into a movie.. It features a book by Arthur Kopit and music and lyrics by Maury Yeston. The musical was inspired by Federico Fellini's movie 8 1/2 and was adapted from the Italian by Marrio Fratti.CCCT's production features Derrick Silva as Guido Contini, a famous Italian film director. His last three films have been flops. A creative block sends him into the fearful throws of a mid-life crisis, questioning his life's direction and his own mortality. What does an artist do if he cannot create?

Various reports indicate that the 2009 Reprise Theatre Company season which was to present the world premiere of CHESS with a new book by Tony? winner Richard Maltby, Jr., has cancelled the production. THE FANTASTICKS, a musical they were planning for next season will now take it's place. CHESS was to play May 5th through 17th, 2009. Reprise is getting ready to open the classic international hit 'Man of La Mancha,' it begins performances on Feburary 14th.

The Bickford Theatre at the Morris Museum, 6 Normandy Heights Road in Morristown, NJ, is proud to present the World Premiere of a new musical comedy cabaret, Three Joisey Tenors, on Thursday, January 29, at 2 p.m. Performances continue Thursdays at 2 p.m. on February 12, March 12, March 19 and March 26. Moving from the waiting room at the NJ Dept. of Motor Vehicles to the grand concert stageof the Suds & Studs Launderama & Chop Suey Parlor, these Garden State guys prove they're willing to 'let it all hang out' as they hilariously entertain with the best of Tom Jones, Elvis Presley, Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Engelbert Humperdinck, and showstoppers from Les Miserables, Guys and Dolls, West Side Story, Anything Goes, Pippin, Man of La Mancha, and much more. Three Joisey Tenors opens the Bickford Theatre's 2009 A La Carte Series and stars Christopher Budinich, David Scott Miller, and Michael St. John. All performers are NJ residents with major National Tour and Regional Theatre credits.

West Side Story returned to where it all began for the show in 1957, the National Theatre in Washington, DC. official out of town performance period. West Side Story played a limited engagement at the National with the final 'Somewhere' being sung 'Tonight' (forgive us-but too easy) January 17th, 2009. The cast will next bring the classic story to life on the stage of The Palace Theatre on Febuary 23rd, the first scheduled preview performance. West Side Story's official opening night on Broadway is set for March 19th, 2009. The producers of West Side Story have assembled a dynamic cast for the new Broadway production. The cast of 37 stars Matt Cavenaugh (A Catered Affair, Grey Gardens) as 'Tony,' Karen Olivo (In the Heights) as 'Anita,' Cody Green (Movin' Out) as 'Riff' and George Akram (The Farrelly's Stuck on You) as 'Bernardo.' The role of 'Maria' will be played by Broadway newcomer Josefina Scaglione. The 21 year old actress comes directly, by special arrangement with Actors' Equit

The legendary jazz musician admits he was hoping he'd be asked to perform at one of the inauguration concerts, and sure enough, he'lll be part of the opening event at the Lincoln Memorial on Sunday.

Front Page: 'Notorious,' 'Bloody Valentine' finish 2nd, 3rd -- Sony's Kevin James comedy "Paul Blart: Mall Cop" opened to No. 1 at the Friday box office, grossing an estimated $9.9 million from 3,144 runs as the long Martin Luther King Jr. holiday weekend got underway.

ET has the details...The Walt Disney World Resort in Florida is raising the curtain on a first-of-its-kind attraction, and ET brings you an exclusive sneak peek. Opening Feb. 14 at Disney's Hollywood Studios theme park, "The American Idol Experience" brings to life all the excitement of "American Idol" right before Walt Disney World guests' eyes. Guests will be able to experience the challenge of auditioning, the rush of performing on stage in competition, or the thrill of judging the performances in a live interactive entertainment setting with all the glitz and glamour of the distinctive "American Idol" set.

Classic Stage Company's new production of Anton Chekhov's UNCLE VANYA, starring Tony Award winner Denis O'Hare as Vanya, Maggie Gyllenhaal as Yelena and Peter Sarsgaard as Astrov, extended its limited engagement through Sunday, March 8, it was announced today by CSC Artistic Director Brian Kulick and Executive Director Jessica R. Jenen. Directed by Austin Pendleton, UNCLE VANYA will begin previews on this Saturday, January 17 at Classic Stage Company at 136 East 13th Street, with an official opening set for Thursday, February 12.The cast of UNCLE VANYA also features Mamie Gummer (Sonya), Louis Zorich (Waffles), George Morfogen (Srebryakov), Delphi Harrington (Maria) and Cyrilla Baer (Marina). UNCLE VANYA will feature scenic design by Tony Award winner Santo Loquasto, who received wide acclaim last season at CSC for his design of The Seagull and who has designed numerous Chekhovian productions in his esteemed career including the famed Lincoln Center production of The Cherry Orchard i

The 25th Sundance Film Festival opened on Thursday with founder Robert Redford sounding an optimistic note for cinematic art and an artful movie challenging audiences to laugh through the pain of an imperfect world....