I cannot tell you how hard it is for me to write about Regis Philbin without getting emotional and how much I enjoyed him on morning television for over 20 years. I‘ve already been missing him terribly since he left  Live! with Regis and Kelly in 2011. Regis had a big part in choosing his show partners and he certainly chose wisely with Kathie Lee Gifford and of course Kelly Ripa, who continues to host Live! with Ryan Seacrest. When Kathie Lee (who became a life-long friend) was asked what she would miss most about Regis, she said, “Everything.” Upon hearing the news of his passing, several friends reached out to me with condolences. They all know I was a true fan.

Regis was a master storyteller and excelled in being ‘real’ on live television. I would so look forward to each morning’s episode of Live!, especially when I knew he had big plans the night before. He would share the events of his life so well and in such animated fashion — always with amazing humor — it would feel like you had been there with him. He was seriously funny! I would hang on every word. I know for sure I was not alone drinking my morning coffee with him. He was a man of TV, maybe the last of his kind. I love you Reege. Rest in peace.

Regis Philbin 1931-2020

Christopher Nolan’s latest movie, Tenet, was steeped in mystery and uncertainty long before the coronavirus threw the entire entertainment industry into turmoil.

The highly anticipated Warner Bros. movie had been set as the studio’s summer tentpole with a July 17 premiere and after multiple delays, it will now debut in 70 countries around the world on Aug. 26. The U.S. will have to wait until Labor Day, Sept. 7, to see the join the party, however. Starring John David Washington, Robert Pattinson, Elizabeth Debicki, Dimple Kapadia, Michael Caine, and Kenneth Branagh, Tenet follows an operative known simply as “the Protagonist” who’s tasked with preventing World War III. Little else is known about the futuristic thriller’s plot aside from that it deals with a time continuum and international espionage. Even the title — a palindrome that reads the same backwards as it does forwards — is meant to be mind-bending, but what else would you expect from the director who brought you Memento, Inception, Dunkirk, and, of course, the gloriously intense Dark Knight series?

Much of the time-twisting action was filmed in an abandoned city 80 miles from Palm Springs, with Nolan telling EW: “The set would certainly rank as one of the largest-scale outdoor builds of all time … It’s colossal.” “Time has come for a new kind of mission” according to the movie’s tagline, just in time to entertain us after three months of quarantine.

For more details, click here.

Beginning on August 8, The Blank Theatre’s 28th Annual Young Playwrights Festival (YPF) will be presenting 13 plays by playwrights aged 15–19 from nine different states. The plays will be presented as digital shorts on Vimeo by professional actors and directors. Following the premieres, the content will migrate to The Blank’s 3rd Stage on Patreon (where the plays, along with a treasure trove of content from throughout The Blank’s history, are available for a nominal fee).

This year’s YPF plays will be produced under SAG/AFTRA’s Short Project Agreement. All work will be performed and recorded remotely, with all cast and crew working safely from home (these are not Zoom readings). The plays are divided up into four weekly offerings of three plays each, with a first-time additional fifth week offering — a new feature called YPF Plus (YPF+). The play Parent, Legal Guardian, Angel, Other, written by 17-year-old Zander Pryor from Dallas, Texas, is nearly ready for professional production and will bridge The Blank’s YPF and Living Room Series programs.

Producing the festival like this is made possible by the technology available through Zoom, OBS Studio, VB Audio, Skype, and more. These online platforms and downloadable software packages have made theatre from home a viable option (in new ways, of course). Undeterred by the coronavirus pandemic, The Blank is harnessing these new technologies to keep YPF alive and continue to develop the Future of Theatre.

For more details, click here.

Here’s something to ponder: what makes Hollywood so weird? Is it the culture, the people, or something supernatural? Honestly, it’s everything, which makes the neighborhood so wonderfully kooky and endearing. Grab your cameras, ghost gear, and otherworldly curiosity for Hollywood’s Haunted Walking Ghost Tour! It’s packed with haunted locations and scary stories. Step into the shoes of the fallen stars of Hollywood and peer into the grisly fates that fame and fortune had in store for them. You’ll meet your group at the Hollywood Candy Store in the Hollywood and Highland mall to begin your stroll through Hollywood with the ghost hosts with the most.

In this time of staying safer at home, here is a totally unique and fun entertainment option that takes place out-of-doors! It’s a two-and-a-half-hour walking tour of Hollywood’s most haunted locations. You’ll get the inside scoop on some of tinsel town’s most terrifying stories as you learn about the true mysteries of Hollywood. A friend of mine recently took the tour and when I asked her opinion she was very enthusiastic. She said, “Ourguide was knowledgeable and engaging. The pace was brisk, so be prepared to keep up (and wear comfortable shoes)! Well worth the price. I highly recommend it!” Note: due to the nature of some conversation and a few of the images discussed, the tour is not recommended for children under 12. How tantalizing!

For more details, click here.