New Projects - Golden Globe Winners - TV Production Hiatus - COVID Updates
By Abigail Hardin, January 11, 2022
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Happy Tuesday, UTD!
As winter temperatures have tightened their grip on the northeast, it's a reaffirmed message to hunker down and stay indoors. And that seems to be what most of the industry is doing right now, laying low. With Omicron still surging, many TV productions are extending their holiday hiatus from production [read more below], and theatre is fighting to stay open. Mask mandates have been extending and the industry is plowing onward.
Yesterday, for the first time since late December we noticed an uptick in the news cycle and project announcements. It is normal that the industry remains quiet until around January 15th, so rest assured that the industry is weathering this latest surge and will not come to a full stop.
All of this being said, the sleeping giant is about to wake. So... if you haven't created a game plan for 2022 and refreshed your marketing tools, what are you waiting for?! Don't waste the last few days of this holiday lull.
Upcoming events
To help you get ready for pilot season and the new year of Film/TV production we are holding a free workshop tonight with Ripley-Grier Studios at 7 PM EST. Learn how you can discover new projects that are a match with your unique skills and demographics and get ahead of the casting notice. There will also be an opportunity for you to ask any of your Up-To-Date Actor questions.
Looking forward to next week, we will be holding our annual Tax Time workshop with Actors Connection. Come learn what deductions you can, and should be taking, as a professional actor and how the Up-To-Date Actor can help make this process effortless. And if you're reading this wondering what I'm talking about then hear me, you owe it to yourself to come to this workshop. There are so many deductions you can take on your taxes, but you MUST follow a few steps and protocols and set up your career as a business.
That's all from me this week. Hope to see you later tonight at our Ripley-Grier Masterclass.
Have a great week!
Golden Globes Quietly Crowns Winners; Industry Watchful of Upcoming Live Ceremonies
With as little pizzazz as I think I've ever seen for an award show in recent memory, the Golden Globes crowned its winners this past weekend, opting for a closed-door, untelevised ceremony with virtually no press attached besides an errant series of tweets. Netflix' THE POWER OF THE DOG took home Best Picture - Drama, along with Best Director and Best Supporting Actor, while Steven Spielberg's WEST SIDE STORY walked away with three top prizes including Best Actress.
Many have quickly turned their attention to the rapidly shifting SAG, Critics Choice and Oscar landscape as many of their live events remain in question as the Omicron surge continues to rage throughout the country, though many are unsure what type of indicator the outcome of the Globes will be for the year's remaining ceremonies in terms of predicting other winners. Stay tuned - the awards race has only just begun!
Check out the full list of Golden Globes winners here 🏆
COVID Updates
Theatre
It's no surprise that live events across the country are scrambling to stay afloat in the midst of rapidly rising COVID numbers in the US and around the world. Broadway officially extended its masking and vaccination policy until at least April 30th, as well as built out the vaccine requirements to children 5 - 11 years old beginning January 29th. Several shows have canceled performances once again this week, while producers for SKELETON CREW made the decision to push back the production's opening night to January 26th after a handful of breakthrough cases in the cast. And the box office took notice: Broadway took in only $14 million in the week leading up to Christmas, compared to $42 million in the same week in 2019. Here's to hoping things start to level out sooner than later 🤞
One lighter note through all of the grim COVID news on Broadway: Swings and understudies continue to be the heroes that we've always known them to be. Meet a handful of them and hear how they came to make their Broadway debuts 🤩
TV
TV production is on the verge of a potential pause as well, with many productions eyeing up an extended holiday break to weather the Omicron storm rather than risk breakthrough cases among casts and crews. Deadline reported that several major studios were considering longer hiatuses until the numbers begin to plateau - but considering the record-setting days that New York and Los Angeles have had in the last two weeks, it's anyone's guess when production may resume 🎬
Industry Intel
Stage managers of color are invited to attend the first event of the year from Broadway & Beyond: Access for Stage Managers of Color, which will connect 80 attendees with industry professionals to discuss career opportunities and networking advice. Producers, general managers, stage managers, and more will partake in Broadway & Beyond's four events since launching in December 2020, aimed at increasing representation in all aspects of Broadway. Applications close January 18th!
A new grant program will also seek to expand the pool of Broadway designers to include more marginalized and underrepresented communities, with the help of workers currently in such positions on Broadway. The 1/52 Project encourages designers to volunteer one week of their royalties to the fund, which will go toward supporting future theatrical designers selected by the fund. Any interested applicants will be able to apply later in January, with final recipients announced on Labor Day.
Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS has received its largest donation to the fund to date, courtesy of The Fred Ebb Foundation. $2.6 million was awarded to the organization last week, which provides dozens of services and assistance to a wide array of individuals in the performing arts. The donation is the latest in a long line set forth in Fred Ebb's will, which has provided the fund with $24.8 million to Broadway Cares since 2005.
A typical bright spot in the dreary New York winter landscape, BroadwayCon has postponed this year's event to July 8-10, as COVID cases continue to climb. "We look forward to the opportunity to come together again this summer to honor the core of this event - the passionate community of Broadway fans, performers, and creators," BroadwayCon Co-Founder Melissa Anelli wrote in a statement.
Less than two weeks after we had to say goodbye to the queen Betty White herself, news of another star taken from us has shocked the airwaves: Bob Saget, best known for his loveable role in FULL HOUSE, passed away Sunday at age 65. His castmates took to Twitter and Instagram to share memories of "the best TV dad ever." 💙