When one thinks of King Lear, the image of a half-naked, feeble old man wailing away on a dark stage comes readily to mind. Shakespeare’s tragedy is typically performed as a bleak meditation on man’s helplessness in an inhospitable universe. So the current Public Theater production, starring Kevin Kline as Lear and Michael Cerveris as Kent, is something of a departure. From the haunting (but not heavy) Sondheim score to the colorful and inventive staging, this King Lear is almost defiantly buoyant. more ›

A memorial service for Robert Altman, who passed away in November will be held on Tuesday. The service is open to the public and will take place tomorrow at noon at the Majestic Theater (247 West 44th Street). The Times reports that Julianne Moore, Tim Robbins, Bob Balaban, Harry Belafonte, E. L. Doctorow, Kevin Kline, Alan Rudolph, Joan Tewkesbury, Lily Tomlin and Garry Trudeau are all expected to speak. more ›

Broadway star Michael Cerveris (Hedwig, Sweeney Todd, 21 Jump Street) has joined the already exciting cast of King Lear, which opens next month. He’ll be squaring off in the role of Kent across from Kevin Kline’s hotly anticipated Lear. But according to Isaac Butler’s Parabasis, the production’s real star is “genius-level Shakespearean actor” Philip Goodwin in the role of the Fool. But that’s not all! The Public Theater is giving a young upstart named Stephen Sondheim his big break by enlisting him to compose the music. (Tickets go on sale at the Public Theater’s box office this Sunday.) more ›

A look at some noteworthy programs this week: more ›

has been building. Maybe it's merely the oddity of combining Garrison Keillor's radio program, Altman's usual troop of amazing character actors and the teen starlet that has people intrigued but it finally hits general theatrical release. Besides a blonde LIndsay trying to hold her own with the likes of Lily Tomlin and Kevin Kline, it should be fun to see Streep behind the mic, as apparently she and many other cast members sing in the film. more ›

Remakes and sequels and genre formula, oh my! February is a great month for releasing exactly what the studios think the people will pay to see and this week's release schedule is a textbook example of this development by marketing focus group strategy. Oh well, doesn't mean Gothamist is ready to give up on moviegoing quite yet. Here's a few suggestions to guide your weekend viewing. more ›

You've already heard us wax poetic in our NYFF coverage about Noah Baumbach's latest cinematic foray, The Squid and the Whale, but how can we not? Based on events in Baumbach's life, the film looks at a family going through a messy, joint-custody divorce in Brooklyn in 1986. Each family member internalizes the bitter reality in their own way and Baumbach artfully brings the psychological unravelling to life in his bleeding dramedy. Jeff Daniels and Laura Linney give outstanding performances as the parents, Jesse Eisenberg (Roger Dodger) and Owen Kline play the kids. And if you're impressed by young Owen's performance and were wondering what rock he came out from under, well, he's the spawn of Phoebe Cates and Kevin Kline, so it seems he got that acting gene. more ›

Narelle Sissons, Set Designer more ›