BY BELINDA BREMNER
Our
heartiest congratulations to Jane Alderman, who recently returned from
Los Angeles where she picked up an Artios Award from the Casting Society
of America (CSA) for her work on the made-for-television film Normal.
Prior
to her trip out west, Alderman did extensive casting for 'The Jamie Kennedy
Experiment,' which The WB brought to Chicago for eight segments. The shows
will air in December and showcase Chicago's own Katerina Lenk, Jim Saltouros,
Paul Turner, Julia Sobaski, Heather Prete, Nicola de Pinto, Susan Messing,
Danny McCarthy, Gina Coconatta, Anne Dralle, Darryl Warren, Richard Pickren,
Chris Marks, Maribeth Monroe, Jason Wells, George Ketsio, Scott Benjaminson,
Joe Foust, Andrew Ross, Jennifer Pompa, Tanya Saracho, Maritza Cervantes,
Kelli Nonnemacher and Matt Craig.
And,
lest you think things were not hoppin' over at Tenner Paskal Rudnicke,
consider this. They are currently conducting a search for the Jennifer
Connelly feature film Darkwater, as well as spots for Best Buy, Potawanomi
Casino, Marsh Supermarket and Dirt Devil Vacuums. Not to mention that
they recently cast projects for McDonalds, Always, the Chicago Tribune,
Target/Dentyne, Ziploc, Kentucky Fried Chicken, Wisconson Lottery and
Fitness Experience. The actors booked included: Stephanie Averill, Anne
Roche, Sia Moody, Omar Halais, Tim Garvey, Sam Calabrese, Molly Reynolds,
Trevor Luce, Damon Williams, Nicka Taro, Blaine Vedros, Eddie Martinez,
David Pompeii, John Morhlein, Sean Gallagher, Blake Eastman, Jeanette
Green, Michelle Gonzalez, George Monteleone, Dana Zeid, Joe Reilly, Melissa
Pond, Chris Myster, Fred Stadtler, Gary Joy, Charles Schoenherr, Bill
Saveley, Steve Misetic, Joe Hudson, Mindy Bell, Linara Washington, Scott
Studenroth and Michael Erickson.
Claire
Simon Casting has been very busy working on the Thomas Carter feature
All Day Long and Elizabethtown for Cameron Crowe. Among the commercial
casting was a project for Skyline Chili for which they booked Ronnell
Taylor, Roderick Peeples, Patricia Saarb, and Allison Latta. They are
also casting for Criminal Genius at Milwaukee Rep, Most Valuable Player
at Indiana Rep and Drawer Boy at Madison Rep. Already cast is Kaily Bell
in Romeo and Juliet at Indiana Rep and D.J. Howard, D'Mani Singleton and
Ronnell Taylor in The Piano Lesson at Madison Rep.
With
the extension of Lion King until after the holidays, Tina O'Brien and
Janet Lauer are once again casting kids for that blockbuster.
Congratulations
too to Irish-born Chicago actor and writer John Dowd whose 'The Lives
of Reilly' made it to the Final Five Finalist in the 'Pilot Project' (the
television equivalent, I'm told, of 'Project Greenlight'). Although he
came second, his Chicago-based entry generated a good deal of interest.
With luck, the project will gain even more strength and we could have
a Chicago-based television show here again. What a lovely thought!
Peace.