267 stories by "Ken Levine"
With the Winter Olympics getting underway, I thought today would be a good day to talk about FROZEN.
FROZEN is an example of how you can take a formula, but if you do it really really wel…
For a TV writer or a playwright, there's nothing like seeing your first production. After God knows how many specs, one acts, and plays that never saw the light of day, the feeling can be g…
This you've GOT to see. That's all I've got to say.
I
discovered this extraordinary memo from David Mamet to the writers of
THE UNIT, a series he created a few semesters back for CBS. (The
origination of the memo seems to have come from I…
As a follow up to today's post, thanks to reader Darms for turning me on to this: The Alamo Drafthouse and their uncensored version of a NO CELL PHONE reminder.  Brilliant.
A new documentary premiered last night on HBO that I can't recommend highly enough. It's called SIX BY SONDHEIM. Now before you roll your eyes and say, "yet another Stephen Sondheim tribu…
Here's what I liked about THE SOUND OF MUSIC LIVE (or SOUND OF MUSIC TAPE DELAYED on the West Coast). It was event television. The show got big numbers and yesterday everybody was talking …
These
are pictures from the musical I co-wrote with Janet Brenner, THE 60s
PROJECT. Just by looking at them you can tell it was a great show,
right? Thanks to Janet for the pix.The sh…
TCM is devoting this whole day to a Natalie Wood marathon. There goes my Sunday.
As longtime readers (two weeks) of this blog know, I am obsessed with Natalie Wood. Whenever I can't fin…
Some celebrity deaths hit you much harder than others. Usually it's because they're major stars, cultural icons, and they represent a good period of your life. You're mourning your own ch…
The difficulty in securing an agent is not confined to those writers
just starting out. I tried to get a theatrical agent when I wrote my
play a few years ago and hit a brick wall, even wi…
...here are highlights from my past Tony reviews. I won't be reviewing them this year because they're tape delayed and I don't want to stay up until 4:00 writing a review of a show that onl…
I know I've been down on actors taking advantage of their notoriety to get money from fans on Kickstarter, but suddenly a project has come along that's so important, so VITAL that even I hav…
Great PBS special last night on Mel Brooks " truly one of the funniest people in the galaxy. I recently got the box set DVD's of his work and it's been a true joy revisiting the laughs.
…
Zach Braff is trying to raise money on Kickstarter to fund a movie he wants to make. Zach Braff is a good actor and a fine filmmaker. GARDEN STATE was a terrific movie. But I wouldn't gi…
When the musical I co-wrote was produced I was asked to submit my bio for the program. The trouble is, if I list that I am primarily a TV writer it's like putting a big target on my chest…
If you loved the stage musical, if you're a devoted fan, if you can tell the difference between all the songs then you will probably love the movie version of LES MISERABLES. If you're not…
Sorry to hear of the passing of Jack Klugman. He was 90. You may remember him as either Oscar Madison or Quincy M.E. For years before that he was a character actor. My favori…
Readers of this blog know that I file travelogues whenever I return home from trips. I even compiled the funniest of them in a book, WHERE THE HELL AM I? TRIPS I HAVE SURVIVED, w…
As many of my longtime blog readers know, I am obsessed with the Natalie Wood drowning case. I don't believe her death was "accidental." And now, apparently, neither does the LA…
So sorry to hear of the passing of Andy Griffith. I never worked with him, only met him once. It was at a memorial service for one of his writers. Just the fact that would attend say…
Actors, here are some tips on how to convey your script concerns to writers in a way that might result in them addressing your problems without hating you, slashing your tires, or making …
Time once again to review the lowest rated Awards show in America " the Tonys. I have more Twitter followers than Tony Awards Show viewers. And in L.A. it competed with the Gay Pride Par…
Playwright and theater director, George S. Kaufman went back to see a musical he had directed some months before. Afterwards, he sent a note to the cast that read: Rehearsal tomorrow at 10…
From Daniel Geraghty. Great stuff. But there go all our Peabody and Humanitas awards.
