10-14-05
BY BELINDA BREMNER
More welcome than the first robin or crocus in spring is the sight of all those big blue trucks, honey wagons and “No Parking Movie Location” signs around town. Once again we have a wildly successful television series shooting here with “Prison Break.” The ratings have been great and the back nine episodes have been ordered. Whee and hallelujah! Claire Simon will be casting those episodes.
Lots of lucky and talented local actors have been cast in the first eight episodes. They include: Brian Hammond, Craig Harris, Jason Wells, Elijah Wells, Lillian Almaguer, Linnea Washington, Ora Jones, Peter Reinemann, Sandra Marquez, Tab Baker, Tom McElroy, Leslie Walker, Tracy Bonner, Cedric T. Young, Deanna Dunnigan, Jennifer Joan Taylor, Kevin Kelly, John Judd, Jennifer Kern, Mike Vieau, Touché Lykes, Dushon Brown, Jane Heitz, Dylan Minnette, Joe Minoso, Max Kirsch, Anthony Flemming, Blaine Hogan, Daniel J. Travanti, Daniel Ruben, David McCoy, John Heard, Howie Johnson, John Turr, Kwane Amoaku, Matt de Caro, Anna Berry, Bob Sirott, Braden Moran, James Alfred, Moracco Omari, Michael Stoyanov, Phil Smith, Gary Brichetto, James Merridith, Jacqueline Williams, Rebecca Spence, David Darlow, Dan Frick, Denise Hughes, Mary Beth Fisher, Michael Weber and Teri McEvoy.
Jane Alderman will, as always, be casting the next visit from “ER” AND she will be doing the local casting for the Clint Eastwood/Paul Braggis movie Flags of Our Fathers, which is based on the book by Ron Powers.
Meanwhile, the Illinois Film Office is out in Los Angeles drumming up more business for us and celebrating the success of Roll Bounce.
On the small screen, Claire Simon conducted searches for the NBC pilot “Baraboo,” Universal’s “David O. Russell Project,” and Fox’s “Paging Dr. Freed.” They cast a documentary on President McKinley for The History Channel. They cast commercials for Humana, Turtle Wax, Ore Ida, Global Mining and Febreeze. In addition, they are casting for The Color of Justice for Indiana Rep.
Tenner Paskal Rudnicke has been very busy with commercials as well. Recent projects included jobs for Home Depot, Calphalon, Zinsser, Associated Bank, Novartis, Miler, United Methodist Publishing House, GMAC Real Estate, South Beach and Assurant Health. They report that some of the talent recently booked are Mark Morettini, Carey Peters, Brian McCaskill, Dawn Deutsch, Leonard Lampton, Kenny Gephardt, Michael Gorman, Kathryn Jaeck, David Kersnar, Claude Johnson, Nicholas Polster, Norm Boucher, Chris Farrell, Jim Leaming, Deb Doetzer, Jon Frazier, Rob Biesenbach, Catherine Glynn, Anthony Rago, Nigel Petterson, Anthony Pierre Christopher, Eileen Duban, Pam Buccaro, Bill Ferris, Hanie Lynch, Dexter Giffard, Ryan Mahaney, Tonya Kay, Steve Haggard and Bernadette Wysocki.
Congratulations to Stewart Talent on the occasion of the 25th anniversary!
Sadly, it seems we are saying goodbye to too many terrific people, people who were much loved and who will be much missed but who leave legacies of courage, spirit, talent and love.
Gail Buchanan Curry was indeed one of those souls. Those who worked with her at Goodman, Wagon Wheel, Apple Tree, Shaw Chicago, Victory Gardens or Bailiwick were indeed lucky to have been touched by her heart, mind and soul. We had her back in the theatre community only a scant 20 years. She returned to the stage after a hiatus during which she and her husband, the late Dr. Fred Curry, raised four children, including her actress daughter Lindley Curry Traynor. She was a great lady and one heck of an actress and she will be sorely missed.
Another remarkable, richly gifted, deeply ethical, vastly read, and unstintingly loving woman is gone. Laone Mittendorf Hoerl, mother of Ted Hoerl and mother-in-law of Steve Scott, has died at 84. Few of us knew her, but we know her son, her legacy, and that is enough to know how extraordinary and vital her spirit was and how very much the world needs, requires, more lives like hers.
Our condolences go out to both families.