TV on the Radio musician dead of lung cancer at 36

Reuters, LOS ANGELES, April 21: The bass player with alternative rock band TV on the Radio died on Wednesday after a battle with lung cancer, the group said. Gerard Smith was 36.

"We are very sad to announce the death of our beloved friend and bandmate, Gerard Smith, following a courageous fight against lung cancer," said a message posted on its Web site. "We will miss him terribly."

Smith's illness was disclosed five weeks ago, with the band noting in an upbeat statement that given Smith's "legendarily willful disposition ... it might just be cancer that has the problem."

He was diagnosed with cancer after the band had finished recording its new album "Nine Types of Light," which coincidentally debuted at No. 12 on the U.S. pop chart Wednesday.

Smith joined the five-piece band in time to work on its previous album, 2008's "Dear Science." Away from the band, he and singer Tunde Adebimpe wrote and composed music for "The Lottery," a documentary that looks at public education through the eyes of Harlem's Success Academy annual intake lottery.

"Gerard was a classy, thoughtful guy and he always seemed kind of bemused by the rock'n'roll thing," Spin magazine music editor Charles Aaron said. "He hung back, because he didn't write the band's songs, and didn't wanna try to interpret the other guys' work, but he had plenty of strong opinions."

Dr. Dre wins judgment over "Chronic" reissue

Reuters, LOS ANGELES, April 21: Dr. Dre has emerged victorious in a lawsuit against his former label, which put out a new version of his iconic album "The Chronic" and a greatest hits collection, without his permission.

Dre, whose real name is Andre Young, claimed that the digital release of his early work violated a 15-year-old contract that guided how such material would be presented to the public.

The lawsuit stems from his days at "gangsta" rap label Death Row Records, which he co-founded. The label later suffered financial problems and has emerged under new corporate ownership as WIDEawake Death Row Records.

In 1996, he left Death Row to set up a new shop at Interscope Records, and bought his freedom by disclaiming his ownership interest in both Death Row and the sound recordings he had produced there.

But Dre also didn't want his legacy tarnished, so in a 1996 deal, he sought some measure of security in how Death Row presented his recordings by making the label agree not to distribute any of his songs except "in the manners heretofore distributed."

One of the first releases for the new WIDEawake Death Row Records was a digital re-issue of "The Chronic" as well as a Dre greatest hits collection. Dre then sued.

The issue of artistic control and profit participation in digital releases of old work has been a sore subject for the past decade. Other artists such as Pink Floyd have sued, contending their works were only meant to be distributed as albums, not singles in venues like Apple's iTunes. Some producers, like the one guiding Eminem's early career, have successfully argued they should be entitled to higher royalty rates from record labels for digital distribution of their work.

In Dre's case, the issue turned on his artistic intention and an examination of contracts made during the formative period of his career. Arriving at a conclusion here wasn't easy. Most of the agreements made between Dre and the folks running Death Row at the time were oral ones, subject to differing interpretation about what was said upwards of two decades ago.

A few months ago, a judge dismissed several of Dre's claims -- that the reissue constituted trademark infringement, false endorsement, and a publicity rights violation -- but the main claim over an alleged contract breach survived.

In a decision on Tuesday, U.S. District Court Judge Christina Snyder finds that the agreement not to distribute Dre's songs except "in the manners heretofore distributed" unambiguously prohibited Death Row from reissuing "The Chronic" in a new form, including as digital downloads.

The case now moves onto a question of damages. Judge Snyder agrees that Dre was forced to accept a reduced royalty rate for the reissue than he normally would have accepted. She limits Dre's award to "actual damages," though. Just how much Dre is owed will be the subject of a jury trial, in all probability.

"American Idol" mulls voting tweaks to fix boy bias

Reuters, LOS ANGELES, April 21: "American Idol" producers said on Wednesday they are considering tweaking the voting system on the top-rated TV contest to correct a bias toward male contestants by the show's largely female audience.

But any changes are unlikely to take effect this season, which has already seen the early exit of four female finalists, including presumed front-runner Pia Toscano.

"We are aware very much that the voting could quite possibly be skewed toward the boys," executive producer Ken Warwick told reporters in a conference call.

"It is something we are going to have a long discussion about after we finish this season. We won't be in the process of changing anything at the moment. It is going to go the way it goes," Warwick said.

Warwick said reality TV shows like "American Idol" traditionally attract predominantly female viewers, who then tend to drive telephone, text and online votes toward male contestants.

That bias has resulted in a male singer being crowned the "American Idol" and winning a recording contract, every year since 2008. Jordin Sparks in 2007 was the last woman to win.

Paul McDonald last week became the first man to be booted off the most-watched U.S. television show, leaving just two women -- Haley Reinhart and Lauren Alaina -- in the running for a shot at reaching the finale in May.

Warwick said one of the changes under consideration was allow the three judges -- Jennifer Lopez, Steven Tyler and Randy Jackson -- to vote each week. The judging panel on ABC's popular "Dancing with the Stars" TV contest have their votes counted along with those of viewers.

"Just one of ideas on the table is to let the judges vote," Warwick said, but added, "I am pretty sure we won't be putting anything into practice until next year."

Ballad singer Toscano, 22, was eliminated on April 8, moving Lopez to tears and stunning the 25 million strong "Idol" audience.

"American Idol", now in its 10th season on Fox television, has produced bona-fide stars like Kelly Clarkson, Carrie Underwood, and Oscar-winning actress-singer Jennifer Hudson.

But in recent years, the public has chosen white, male middle of the road singers as the champion, although few have been able to translate their victory into top-selling albums.

"Restrepo" director Tim Hetherington killed in Libya: doctors

Reuters, MISRATA, Libya, April 21: Two photojournalists -- Oscar-nominated filmmaker Tim Hetherington and Getty photographer Chris Hondros -- were killed on Wednesday after coming under fire in the besieged Libyan town of Misrata.

Hetherington, co-director of Afghan war documentary "Restrepo," and Hondros were among a group working together on Tripoli Street, a main thoroughfare and scene of fighting between rebels and forces loyal to Muammar Gaddafi.

"It was quiet and we were trying to get away and then a mortar landed and we heard explosions," Spanish photographer Guillermo Cervera said.

Doctors first said that Hetherington had died while Hondros had suffered brain injuries. Getty Images later released a statement saying Hondros had died of his injuries.

Hetherington, who won the 2007 World Press Photo of the Year award, co-directed with Sebastian Junger the 2010 documentary "Restrepo," which was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Documentary.

His British family issued a statement saying they had learned of his death with great sadness and that he would be remembered "for his amazing images and his Academy Award nominated documentary 'Restrepo.'"

Hondros covered major conflicts including Kosovo, Angola, Sierra Leone, Lebanon, Afghanistan, Kashmir, the West Bank, Iraq and Liberia, according to his website. He received multiple awards including the 2005 Robert Capa gold medal. His work in Liberia earned him a Pulitzer Prize nomination.

"Chris never shied away from the front line having covered the world's major conflicts throughout his distinguished career and his work in Libya was no exception," Getty said.

The New York based Committee to Protect Journalists said two other journalists had already been killed covering the conflict.

Mohammed al-Nabbous, founder of the online Libya Al-Hurra TV, was killed by an unknown gunman as he was streaming live audio from a battle in Benghazi on March 19, the CPJ said in a statement. Cameraman Ali Hassan al-Jaber was shot when his Al Jazeera crew was ambushed near Benghazi on March 13.

In Washington, the White House press secretary said in a statement that the Libyan government and all governments across the world must take steps to protect journalists who "give a voice to those who would not otherwise be heard."

Morgan Spurlock's new film takes swipe at advertising

Reuters, NEW YORK, April 21: Director Morgan Spurlock readily admits the idea for his new documentary was a stroke of genius.

The "Super Size Me" director convinced 15 companies to pay $1.5 million to fund his latest non-fiction film, opening in U.S. movie theaters on Friday, that examines corporate marketing, product placement and brand integration.

The 40-year-old director's latest swipe at business shows Spurlock hilariously pitching companies to fund his film that exposes sponsorship and advertising in movies, TV shows and just about everywhere people turn -- knowingly and unknowingly.

With surprising results, some marketers eventually join him in return for some often comic product placement in the film that gives companies mostly good exposure while Spurlock also makes his point. He even changed the title to add a product, "POM Wonderful Presents: The Greatest Movie Ever Sold," in a nod to juice maker, POM.

"I am incredibly convincing," Spurlock said, laughing about his idea. "But it took a lot of wooing to get them on board, there was a lot of contractual negotiations."

Such is his wooing prowess that since the film debuted at the Sundance Film Festival in January, Spurlock has added even more companies to sponsor his expose on their own marketing practices. On Wednesday he announced an additional eight companies as sponsors, bringing the total to 22.

The idea for the film first struck Spurlock when he and producer Jeremy Chilnick watched the TV show "Heroes" and one character became very excited about a certain brand of car.

"I was like 'Wow,' that's really where we are right now with television, such a blatant in-your-face commercial in the show," he said. "So we said, 'Let's make a film that looks at product placement, completely paid for by product placement.'"

They called hundreds of companies to participate, starting with ad agencies then marketing strategists, who all refused. Then, they started contacting the brand companies directly.

"Every brand that came on in the film, we agreed not to disparage them in any way, that was consistent, but ultimately we would be able to help dictate the placement," he said.

"ARTISTIC INTEGRITY, WHATEVER"

The audience sees Spurlock pitching companies in a comic fashion, promising to show himself drinking only POM juice, stay only in Hyatt hotels, fly only JetBlue, and so on.

He examines the world of film, TV and music, interviewing major Hollywood directors such as Peter Berg and Brett Ratner, asking them age-old questions of art versus commerce, to which Ratner replies, "artistic integrity, whatever."

"The people who make big blockbuster Hollywood movies have to play that game, because to make a movie that costs $200 million dollars you have to do everything you can," Spurlock said.

"You really want to create, much like we talk about in the film with 'Iron Man,' this ubiquity of advertising."

Yet, like his hit "Super Size Me," that bashed McDonald's restaurants, "Greatest Movie Ever Sold" has a serious side.

Spurlock goes into U.S. schools that are struggling for funding and looking at using companies to market to kids.

"What will really take people back is the way advertising is starting to infiltrate the education system," Spurlock said. "To make ends meet they are starting to sell advertising in schools...they are marketing to your kids in a classroom."

The director makes a trip to Sao Paulo, Brazil where five years ago they banned outdoor advertising, and he marvels at the ban and being able to see architecture.

"Maybe eliminating advertising in every city in the world isn't the answer, but it is an incredible way to look at things differently," he said. "What if we pulled it back a little?"

Ultimately, Spurlock is honest about his own brand of documentaries, using light and entertaining comedy to get across his own serious message.

"I want to give you spinach, but I want that spinach to taste like cotton candy," he said. 

'Rio' continues to soar overseas

AP, LOS ANGELES, April 21: The animated family film "Rio" had another strong showing overseas this past weekend with $47.6 million in a whopping 46 territories as it flies toward the $150 million worldwide mark.

"Scream 4" had its international debut and nearly matched the North American receipts in 28 territories with $17.7 million and a global total through the weekend of just over $40 million.

Debuting in fifth place, the Japanese film "Detective Conan: Quarter of Silence" is the 15th animated movie in the Detective Conan Anime and Manga Series and proved to be a very popular title in Japan last weekend, drawing an impressive $6.6 million.

Here are the top 20 movies at international theaters last weekend, followed by international gross for the weekend (excluding North America), number of theater locations, number of territories, worldwide gross to date (including North America), and number of weeks in release as compiled Wednesday by Rentrak Theatrical and provided by Hollywood.com:

1. "Rio," $47,565,837, 9,876 locations, 46 territories, $126,440,433, two weeks.

2. "Scream 4," $17,719,848, 6,073 locations, 28 territories, $40,470,750, one week.

3. "Hop," $8,559,750, 6,709 locations, 37 territories, $112,284,948, three weeks.

4. "Limitless," $6,838,318, 3,424 locations, 25 territories, $110,777,491, five weeks.

5. "Detective Conan Quarter of Silence," $6,623,818, locations NA, one territory, $6,623,818, one week.

6. "Paul," $5,426,670, 1,245 locations, 15 territories, $76,072,029, nine weeks.

7. "Just Go With It," $5,248,989, 1,706 locations, 48 territories, $137,443,236, 10 weeks.

8. "Sucker Punch," $4,500,395, 3,001 locations, 40 territories, $72,879,852, four weeks.

9. "Red Riding Hood," $4,076,549, 1,440 locations, 19 territories, $57,293,973, six weeks.

10. "Battle: Los Angeles," $3,910,222, 2,566 locations, 47 territories, $98,777,302, six weeks.

11. "Source Code," $3,448,843, 3,953 locations, 16 territories, $54,992,111, three weeks.

12. "Gulliver's Travels," $2,864,346, 444 locations, 10 territories, $219,328,938, 17 weeks.

13. "Crayon Shin Chan 2011," $2,335,331, locations NA, one territory, $2,335,331, one week.

14. "The King's Speech," $2,253,997, 1,727 locations, 28 territories, $394,150,132, 21 weeks.

15. "Titeuf, Le Film (3-D)," $2,180,897, 666 locations, three territories, $6,407,572, two weeks.

16. "3-D Sex and Zen: Extreme Ecstasy," $2,108,047, 36 locations, two territories, $2,108,049, one week.

17. "Generation P," $2,094,414, NA locations, one territory, $2,094,414, one week.

18. "I Am Number Four," $2,079,506, 1,314 locations, 24 territories, $114,990,173, nine weeks.

19. "Justin Bieber: Never Say Never," $2,024,091, 694 locations, 24 territories, $82,368,451, 10 weeks.

20. "Suspicious Customers," $1,977,081, locations NA, one territory, $2,274,752, one week.

'Rio' continues to soar overseas

AP, LOS ANGELES, April 21: The animated family film "Rio" had another strong showing overseas this past weekend with $47.6 million in a whopping 46 territories as it flies toward the $150 million worldwide mark.

"Scream 4" had its international debut and nearly matched the North American receipts in 28 territories with $17.7 million and a global total through the weekend of just over $40 million.

Debuting in fifth place, the Japanese film "Detective Conan: Quarter of Silence" is the 15th animated movie in the Detective Conan Anime and Manga Series and proved to be a very popular title in Japan last weekend, drawing an impressive $6.6 million.

Here are the top 20 movies at international theaters last weekend, followed by international gross for the weekend (excluding North America), number of theater locations, number of territories, worldwide gross to date (including North America), and number of weeks in release as compiled Wednesday by Rentrak Theatrical and provided by Hollywood.com:

1. "Rio," $47,565,837, 9,876 locations, 46 territories, $126,440,433, two weeks.

2. "Scream 4," $17,719,848, 6,073 locations, 28 territories, $40,470,750, one week.

3. "Hop," $8,559,750, 6,709 locations, 37 territories, $112,284,948, three weeks.

4. "Limitless," $6,838,318, 3,424 locations, 25 territories, $110,777,491, five weeks.

5. "Detective Conan Quarter of Silence," $6,623,818, locations NA, one territory, $6,623,818, one week.

6. "Paul," $5,426,670, 1,245 locations, 15 territories, $76,072,029, nine weeks.

7. "Just Go With It," $5,248,989, 1,706 locations, 48 territories, $137,443,236, 10 weeks.

8. "Sucker Punch," $4,500,395, 3,001 locations, 40 territories, $72,879,852, four weeks.

9. "Red Riding Hood," $4,076,549, 1,440 locations, 19 territories, $57,293,973, six weeks.

10. "Battle: Los Angeles," $3,910,222, 2,566 locations, 47 territories, $98,777,302, six weeks.

11. "Source Code," $3,448,843, 3,953 locations, 16 territories, $54,992,111, three weeks.

12. "Gulliver's Travels," $2,864,346, 444 locations, 10 territories, $219,328,938, 17 weeks.

13. "Crayon Shin Chan 2011," $2,335,331, locations NA, one territory, $2,335,331, one week.

14. "The King's Speech," $2,253,997, 1,727 locations, 28 territories, $394,150,132, 21 weeks.

15. "Titeuf, Le Film (3-D)," $2,180,897, 666 locations, three territories, $6,407,572, two weeks.

16. "3-D Sex and Zen: Extreme Ecstasy," $2,108,047, 36 locations, two territories, $2,108,049, one week.

17. "Generation P," $2,094,414, NA locations, one territory, $2,094,414, one week.

18. "I Am Number Four," $2,079,506, 1,314 locations, 24 territories, $114,990,173, nine weeks.

19. "Justin Bieber: Never Say Never," $2,024,091, 694 locations, 24 territories, $82,368,451, 10 weeks.

20. "Suspicious Customers," $1,977,081, locations NA, one territory, $2,274,752, one week.

Broadway musical 'Sister Act' will convert you

AP, NEW YORK, April 21: It's time to stop mocking Mormons. And high time to have fun with Roman Catholics.

"Sister Act" — the crowd-pleasing musical that rhymes "chicks" with "crucifix" — opened Wednesday at the Broadway Theatre, having imported its dancing nuns from a well-received stint in London.

Calibrated to be frothy, giggly and yet often poignant, the Jerry Zaks-directed musical is based on the 1992 movie of the same name starring Whoopi Goldberg, who is now producing. This is a musical that hits all the right spots, achieving something close to Broadway grace.

Goldberg's old part, that of the wannabe-nightclub singer Deloris Van Cartier, is played to perfection by newcomer Patina Miller, whose voice, dancing and charm are, ahem, heavenly. "Yeah, I'm fabulous, baby!" she sings in an early song, the perfect way to announce this wonderful new talent. "Feast your eyes — can't disguise/my star quality!"

It helps that the musical has great original tunes by songwriter Alan Menken and lyricist Glenn Slater that skitters from Motown, to soul and funk, to disco and even a little jokey Barry White. Menken and Slater, who also teamed up for "The Little Mermaid," know perfectly how to switch up the mood and tempo. (See how their "Take Me to Heaven" transforms from a Donna Summer-like number at the beginning to a religious hymn by the end.)

For its trip from the West End, "Sister Act" has gained some script tweaking, some song changes and a rehauled cast, most especially with Victoria Clark bringing depth to her role as the grumpy Mother Superior. Zaks took over direction duties and playwright Douglas Carter Beane massaged the story by Cheri and Bill Steinkellner. The action has shifted from the West Coast in the movie to the `70s of Philadelphia, which allows for the introduction of soul, in more ways than one.

The plot is faithful to the movie: A nightclub singer accidentally witnesses a murder by her crime boss lover and flees to a convent to hide. The stuffy nuns come alive as she teaches them razzle-dazzle and rhythm — "Shake it like you're Mary Magdalene" — and she in turn learns the value of sisterhood and self-sacrifice.

Does it seem like Broadway musicals are having a lot of jokes at the expense of religions this season, what with "The Book of Mormon" and now "Sister Act"? Not to worry: Both these shows ultimately champion belief, even if they tweak what might be considered the external silliness of faiths.

Despite the uplifting message, the Vatican will be unlikely to endorse "Sister Act," even if the pope himself does make an appearance — in reality, conductor Michael Kosarin in holy vestments.

The sets by Klara Zieglerova whiz about the stage — church, convent dining room, bar, stained glass panels, a huge statue of Mary and a police station — as if God himself was moving them. Funny choreography in a show like this is crucial and Anthony Van Laast has clearly relished putting doughy-looking women in wimples through their Vegas-style paces. There's also a farcical chase that uses all of the stage.

He has been helped by Lez Brotherston's costumes which upgrade the nuns' black-and-white habits with a liberal dose of sparkles and rhinestones. The increasing lush, razzle-dazzle outfits of the nuns and priests is a running joke as Deloris' influence in the convent grows. But a note of warning: If the white suit John Travolta wore in "Saturday Night Fever" still haunts you, this show may trigger flashbacks.

Two songs from the London production, including the gospel-raunchy "Do the Sacred Mass," were cut, which is probably a good thing for believers and nonbelievers alike. Two songs have been added, including "Haven't Got a Prayer" for Clark, who nails it.

Miller is the only one remaining from the London cast and new director Zaks proves one of his first smart moves was to keep this talented woman. She and Clark manage to add depth — exploring how people handle change, should religions keep the modern world at bay and is fame more important than friendship — to what could be just a silly comedy.

They are aided by solid turns by Chester Gregory (who plays Sweaty Eddie and has delicious fun with "I Could Be That Guy"), Kingsley Leggs (the crime boss who sings the chilling love song "When I Find My Baby"), and Marla Mindelle as a novice nun who belts out the melancholic "The Life I Never Led"). Fred Applegate as the monsignor is drolly funny.

In a word, the whole thing is rather divine.

'Three Cups' charity pledges 'full transparency'

AP, HELENA, Mont., April 21: The family friend of Greg Mortenson who has stepped in to run the Central Asia Institute while the "Three Cups of Tea" co-author is hospitalized promised Wednesday "full transparency" into how the charity's finances are managed.

Mortenson has been hospitalized in Bozeman and is awaiting surgery next week for a hole in his aortic ventricular wall. He checked into the hospital in the aftermath of reports by "60 Minutes" and author Jon Krakauer that Mortenson lied about events in several parts of his best-selling book and may have financially benefited from the Central Asia Institute.

Anne Beyersdorfer, an independent public relations professional from Washington, D.C., has volunteered to run the Central Asia Institute's operations while Mortenson is hospitalized.

In an interview with The Associated Press, Beyersdorfer declined to speak about Mortenson's condition, but she said he has been overly extended for months and "all that is in in his heart is the mission and the kids."

"He is an amazing human being. He'll be OK. He has a broader perspective than most people I know. We will let him heal and he will probably see this as a teaching experience," she said.

She said attorneys for the Central Asia Institute have spoken with Montana Attorney General Steve Bullock's office, which opened an inquiry into the charity after the reports surfaced questioning how its finances have been managed. She pledged cooperation with Bullock and his staff and said financial information going back years are posted on the charity's website.

"We are all about full transparency and communicating with whom we need to be clear about the works we do," she said.

Beyersdorfer said much of her time has been spent responding to concerns by donors who contributed money to build schools and promote education in Afghanistan and Pakistan. The Central Asia Institute also has received a large volume of calls and emails in support of Mortenson, she said.

Beyersdorfer's public relations clients have included political candidates, nonprofit organizations, corporations and industrial firms, she said. She volunteered because of her ties to Mortenson and because she cares about the work he does, she said, but she acknowledged her professional experience will be useful in helping the charity deal with the aftermath of the "60 Minutes" and Krakauer reports.

"Three Cups of Tea" was released in 2006 and sold more than 3 million copies. That notoriety helped Mortenson grow the Central Asia Institute by generating more than $50 million in donations.

According to the charity's website, it has "successfully established over 170 schools" and helped educate over 68,000 students, with an emphasis on girls' education."

Krakauer wrote in his recently published "Three Cups of Deceit" that Mortenson lied about events in his books and about the number of schools he built. Krakauer also reported that charity proceeds were spent on chartered jets, equipment and advertising for Mortenson's books, even though the charity doesn't receive any royalties.

"60 Minutes reported that only 41 percent of the Central Asia Institutes income goes toward schools in Pakistan and Afghanistan. A larger percentage is spent on travel and appearances across the U.S., and on advertising and purchases of Mortenson's books.

In a recent interview with Outside magazine, Mortenson said he had done nothing wrong and that much of that money goes toward educating people in the U.S. about the need for the schools.

Izzard finds his kind of role in Showtime's 'Tara'

AP, LOS ANGELES, April 21: Eddie Izzard says he'll never abandon stand-up, but he's looking for more than laughs as an actor.

Izzard decided to guest star in a multi-episode arc on Showtime's "United States of Tara" this season, because of the show's complexity.

"I normally try not to do comedies, but it's a dramatic comedy, a drama with a comedic edge. There seem to be two different types of comedies that exist these days. I thought, `Let's go do it,'" he said.

"United States of Tara," which airs 10:30 p.m. EDT Monday, stars Toni Collette as a suburban wife, mom and troubled host to multiple personalities. Izzard plays a professor who meets Tara when she decides to finish her college degree and signs up for his abnormal psychology class.

The professor's doubts about the authenticity of her diagnosis begin to waver when he sees Tara's startling alter egos emerge.

He's a complex character to explore, Izzard said.

"This guy is a broken genius. He's brilliant but has (erred) in his past, and that's why he's teaching in Kansas. I thought I could tap into that, someone who thinks that he's brilliant but the world says is not brilliant."

Collette calls working with Izzard a joy.

"I love his humor, his swagger and all that he has brought to season three," she said.

Izzard, 49, said he has wanted to act since age 7 and, at 30, "it started working."

His varied credits include the Tom Cruise film "Valkyrie," "Ocean's Twelve" and sequel "Ocean's Thirteen" and the TV series "The Riches." His stage work in London and New York is impressive, including a Tony Award-nominated performance in 2003 for "A Day in the Death of Joe Egg."

Izzard has put his own stamp on standup, delivering amalgams of wide-ranging observations and impressions while sometimes garbed in dresses. That has led people to assume he's gay, but Izzard has described himself as a "straight transvestite."

He has developed a theory that a comedian intent on an acting career has to be strategic, because he or she starts with "baggage."

"I think Jim Carrey suffered from this baggage. If you have transferred over (to drama), people say they are used to you" as the funnyman, Izzard said.

To stretch his boundaries, he has actively avoided sketch shows and most sitcoms and focused on drama or dark comedy such as "United States of Tara," which was created by Oscar-winning writer Diablo Cody ("Juno") and co-stars John Corbett and Rosemarie DeWitt.

"It's a harder way, a slower way, but this is the way I've decided to do it," Izzard said.

Sendup of Hollywood film-making in 'Picked'

AP, NEW YORK, April 21: What if you got your dreamed-of big career break, but it didn't seem to change your life for the better?

How an earnest young actor deals with that huge disappointment is the premise behind Christopher Shinn's thoughtful and humorous new play, "Picked," which opened Wednesday night at off-Broadway's Vineyard Theatre. The well-cast and nicely acted production features Kevin, an unknown actor appealingly performed by Michael Stahl-David, who is selected to participate in a two-year movie project conceived and written by a driven, egotistical but successful director.

Mark Blum plays the insensitive director, John, with wicked insight into just how unconsciously horrible his character actually is. Blum's off-hand delivery of John's self-serving, ignorant or smarmy remarks gets lots of laughs. Rarely letting actors' genuine emotions interfere with his artistic "vision," John says things like, "Finally figured out the visual effect for empathy — that took a while."

Kevin, who believes an actor's job is to "offer the truth," lets John literally pick his brain by undergoing neuro-imaging to provide real and compelling material for a science-fiction film about a robot and a spaceship captain.

Liz Stauber plays Kevin's patient and understanding actress girlfriend, Jen, while Tom Lipinski ably portrays Nick, a fellow actor whose career takes off dramatically after he works with John and Kevin. Donna Hanover is delightful in two small roles, as an impossibly nice casting agent and a television interviewer.

In Shinn's typically spare dialogue, these characters frequently let sentences trail off rather than complete their thoughts; Kevin and Jen in particular often communicate by sentence fragments.

In a rapid series of mostly short scenes imaginative staged by director Michael Wilson, Kevin's life goes downhill in the increasingly surreal aftermath of the movie project. It's not really clear why he enters a weird career twilight zone, morosely telling Jen, "Now I can't even get the kind of work I don't want to do." The more he tries to understand it, the more depressed he becomes.

In Shinn's other plays, like the Pulitzer Prize-nominated "Dying City," he brilliantly illuminated big emotions like grief and loss with often-elliptical dialogue and onstage silences. Using those same techniques in "Picked," he makes sly points about the ironies inherent in the profession of acting and the difficulties of creating a "true" experience in the totally artificial medium of film.

"Picked" is scheduled to perform through May 15.