BY BELINDA BREMNER
As you’re mailing off your annual wish list to Santa, why not also
send word to the current and incoming elected types who can do something
about the runaway production plague. "All I Want for Christmas Is
Chance to Work" would make a good theme, carol or chant. So please,
contact your local elected officials. And, hey, what better to discuss
'round the table at Thanksgiving. Give the little kiddies a Civics
lesson along with their giblets and gravy. Get the oldsters on a topic
that doesn’t incite temper and lead to name calling and broken crockery.
If your family unit is anything like mine (and Heaven help you if it is),
there are representatives of just about every political affiliation. If
the equilibrium (and Librium does make a tasty stuffing with salubrious
effects) of your holiday meal seems in jeopardy–with poor Aunt Mildred
sniveling into her curried parsnips and that strange young man your bachelor
uncle brought making continual trips to the sideboard decanters–introduce
the runaway production topic. That’s something everyone can agree
on. Get them to do it before the drudgery of doing dishes and the soporific
effect of televised sports take their toll. Hey, arrive armed with something
other than cranberries. Find out everyone’s congressperson and senator
and prepare cards with those addresses. If nothing else, it will delay
the conversation about why you’re not whatever they are nagging you
to be. Just a thought. Now, pass the brussel sprouts.
Well, there is a little shooting around town. The Company is here as well as a snippet of Spiderman II. Speaking o’ sequels, Springfield is doubling for Washington DC in Legally Blonde II for four days. And post-Christmas, we get a nibble out of Surviving Christmas with Ben Affleck. And "West Wing" has shot an episode here. "Mind of the Married Man" and "ER" will be through briefly ere long. Meanwhile, up in Canada…You have heard, no doubt, that the Rudolph Guiliani biopic is shooting there, not in NYC (see ArtsLines). As if Blues Brothers II weren’t reason enough to take action.
Jane Alderman Casting was in charge of the "West Wing" local casting.
Chicago Casting Company is conducting a search for Asian girls, ages 11-13, for Thunderbirds and they cast Tom Gebbia for Lobby Hero at Madison Rep.
Also casting theatre was Claire Simon Casting. She is working on All My Sons for Milwaukee Rep. Commercial casting included Rebecca Spence, Chad Rheinhart, Jason Denuszak and Angie Carr for Skyline Chili. Booked for the indy Bad Meat were: Michael Bertrando, Nancy Baird, Richard Cotovsky, JoBe Cerney, Fred Husar, Mike Bacarella, Cynthia Baker, Becky Boxer, Frank Caeti, Ike Eichling, Melissa Fosse-Dunne, Ed Furman, Rich Komenich, Tim O’Malley, Rob Riely, Kevin Spengel, Elie Weingardt, Jacqueline Williams and Cedric Young.
And Lily’s sends word that there were commercials bookings for: Alex Boustany, Taylor Henderson, Jessica Tam, Emma Neistat, Kelsey Collins, Bryan Martorano, Mitch Horney, Maureen McCabe, Allen Alvarado, Tara Jordan, Brad Stevens, Caroline Gehrke, Lexi Levanto, Bianca Melone, Zander Alex, Jean Sawin, Alexandria Fisher, DJ Charewicz, Robert Buscemi, Peter Nichols, and Cosima Greco. Industrials went to: Norissa Pearson, Elaine Wong, Elizabeth Arceneaux, Katie Nahnsen, Parvesh Cheena, Lee Fuller, Sabrina Hyderi, and Nate Noggle. Robert Buscemi also booked a voice-over and Patrick O’Brien and Dan Lougheed booked independent films.
And for those of you who missed last issue’s column, which ran online, I’ve got the BEST news: Welcome to the world beautiful Samuel Eli Frelick, gorgeous brother to Aron and son of Mickie Paskal and husband Ross Frelick. He was born at 11:40 p.m. on Oct. 19 weighing eight pounds, four ounces and "healthy as can be." Congratulations to all, especially Samuel on his superb choice of families.
Peace.