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As much crap as I give Shia LaBeouf for claiming to be the new indie king while demanding $18 mllion for Transformers 4 (and, in the process, getting his greasy butt replaced by Mark Wahlberg), Shia’s sort of planning a really smart career move. He’s heading to Broadway! Maybe he can actually prove himself beyond a former child star who has only demonstrated enough range these days to be able to yell, “No no no no no” while running and driving. Shia could truly sink or swim here, and he’ll be starring opposite Alec Baldwin:
Good thing Shia LaBeouf has officially kissed big blockbusters goodbye — he’s now free to star in a Broadway production of Lyle Kessler’s Orphans, which premiered in 1983 in Los Angeles. This will mark the play’s first appearance on Broadway.
LaBeouf will play Treat, a young, orphaned thief who lives with his mentally damaged younger brother Phillip (a role that has not yet been cast). When Treat kidnaps the wealthy, older Harold (Alec Baldwin), he and Phillip realize that they may have found the father figure they’ve always yearned for. Baldwin last appeared on Broadway in 2004, when he starred in the Roundabout Theatre Company’s revival of Twentieth Century.
Orphans begins previews March 19 at the Schoenfeld Theatre, currently home to a Glengarry Glen Ross revival starring Al Pacino. Its opening night is set for April 7. Think Michael Bay might show up in the cheap seats?
[From EW.com]
I generally think it’s a good thing when Hollywood actors try their hand at doing plays. John Malkovich has famously stated, “A movie is like a line drawing, but a theater performance is like a painting.” So I guess very soon, we’ll find out whether or not Shia can paint on a canvas or merely scribble on the wall with Crayolas like a bad little boy.
In other Broadway news (since there’s hardly ever an occasion to talk about Broadway here), Scarlett Johansson has just scored a $40,000 per week payday for her upcoming role as Maggie in Cat on a Hot Tin Roof. She will also get 7.5% of ticket sales above $530,000 based on an average of four weeks of ticket sales. Not bad, right? People often forget that, after all, she is a Tony winner. Now she’s cashing in on that win, and she can tell all those people who say she can’t act to suck it. Go, Scarlett!
Photos courtesy of WENN
Written by Bedhead
Posted in John Malkovich, Scarlett Johansson, Shia LaBeouf
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Can any broadway buffs enlighten me on something please. I think Scarjo is quite an over rated actress, I was shocked when I first heard that she’d won a Tony. Is she actually talented or is there a general consensus that award was bought?
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I agree, the only film she’s ever really good at is girl with pearl earrings. After that it’s just the same act,hardly any differences between characters, and she always open her mouth.
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I believe it was a case of “we have Scarjo attending so let’s give it to her” kind of thing. That same year, I believe, Denzel and Viola Davis won theirs but, you know, they actually are considered great actors unlike Scarjo.
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NYT critic Ben Brantley usually hates celebrities who come on Broadway, but even he raved about her performance.
http://www.vulture.com/2010/01/scarjo_on_broadway.html
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I saw her in a View From the Bridge and she was excellent. Totally changed my opinion of her. Going to see ‘Cat’ in February – even though it’s more for C.Hinds than her. But still – can’t wait.
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I too saw her in A View from the Bridge, and thought her performance was very weak, particularly in comparison to the performances of Liev Schreiber and Jessica Hecht. The play seemed very dated, so, perhaps this was in part due to the limitations of the role. I think Tonys are awarded for some of the same reasons that Oscars are – which are not always talent or strength of the performance.
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I don’t particularly like the guy, but I just watched Lawless and I was blown away. The movie is incredible, and Shia was great in it. I hope he does well on Broadway!
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ITA! I thought he was great in Lawless. I just wish he wasn’t a douche bag in real life.
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So true.
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you know what? I like Scarjo but I would take her more seriously as an actress if she didn’t have stupid tattoos on her body, like, WTF is that bracelet tattoo? Leave that for the likes of Nicole Richie!
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Ugh he annoys me so bad. He’ll probably be complaining about this show in a few years.
Scarlett has done well on Broadway and will sell tickets, I think.
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Scar Jo is a terrible actress.
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Agreed. Can’t act her way out of a paper bag.
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This is such a bummer for actual actors. I know it’s economics-the shows are expensive, rarely make money-so to try and make sure the shows are successful-they have to put in celebs to draw crowds. But there’s a whole lot of great actors (who can actually act: hello, ScarJo and Katie Holmes) in NYC who don’t get cast as a result.
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I have to admit, Alex Baldwin is a real ass, but I love his acting. Shia is annoying; with his weird, big alien head. Way overrated!
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Hahaha I keep thinking how Alec would put this one in place!
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Shia was great in New York, I love you. His short was really moving. Other than that, I don’t really have an opinion on him.
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You know he never demanded 18 million dollars and never wanted to do Transformer 4 as they has been denied multiple times by his publicist. If he and Michael Bay were fighting Shia would have never presented him an award at S.E.T awards. Your suppose to be a journalist, try for a little objectivity please.
Good for him for doing the Broadway play, if you seen his non-block buster movies you would knonw he can act.
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They are both insufferable and painful to watch on screen. They should hook up. They might cancel each other out.
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Scarlette is way over-rated, and goes on as how she’s struggled as an actress, and “worked my ass off’ What a joke. She’s been just a hollywood pretty-face. If you’ve seen Lost in Translation, that’s what she does.
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