A couple of stars from TV’s Chuck and Smashwill soon be dating on Broadway. Producers said Monday that Zachary Levi and Krysta Rodriguezwill headline the new romantic musical comedy First Date by Gossip Girl writer Austin Winsberg. The music and lyrics are by Alan Zachary and Michael Weiner. First Date centers on an uptight young investment banker who meets a serial dater at a local bistro. A chorus of diners become various characters - family members, clergy and old lovers. The show will be seen at The Longacre Theatre beginning July 9 with an opening set for Aug. 8. The show, co-produced by The 5th Avenue Theatre, played at A Contemporary Theatre in Seattle last year.Levi, who will be in the film Thor: The Dark World, follows fellow Chuck alumna Yvonne Strahovski to make his Broadway debut. Rodriguez, who plays Ana Vargas on Smash, was last on Broadway in The Addams Family, originating the role of Wednesday Addams.
A first edition copy of Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone that contains author J.K. Rowling’s notes and original illustrations is going on sale ina charity auction. The personal annotations from Rowling included comments on the process of writing and a section from an early draft of the novel - known in the U.S. as Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone. The offerings also included a note on how the best-selling author came to invent the game of Quidditch. Rowling’s 22 illustrations included a sleeping baby Harry on a doorstep and an Albus Dumbledore Chocolate Frog card. Today’s auction at Sotheby’s London will also include other personalized books including Kazuo Ishiguro’s The Remains of the Day and Yann Martel’s Life of Pi.
Front Section, Pages 2 on 05/21/2013