Alexander Ludwig to Participate in The 24 Hour Plays Benefit
May 17th
Alexander Ludwig will get a chance to further showcase his acting skills in a very unique way. According to The Wall Street Journal’s Marketwatch, Ludwig will be participating in The 24 Hour Plays Benefit, a live performance in which “the entire creative process, from writing to directing and finally performance, will take place in under 24 hours!”
The creative process of THE 24 HOUR PLAYS in Los Angeles will begin at 10:00 p.m. on Friday, June 15th. Six writers, six directors, twenty-four actors, a musical guest and production team will meet at The Broad Stage, Santa Monica (1310 11th Street, Santa Monica CA). Each cast member will brainstorm ideas before the writers begin composing the plays, which must be completed by 6:00 a.m. the next morning. With only twelve hours to rehearse, the actors will perform the six new plays, interspersed with musical acts, for one night only before a live audience, on Saturday June 16, 2012.
Also featured in this year’s benefit are Sasha Alexander, Jason Biggs, Josh Dallas, Brooklyn Decker, and Ginnifer Goodwin, among others. The proceeds from the event will benefit Urban Arts Partnership, a non-profit organization that works to advance the intellectual, social, and artistic development of underserved public school students.
What do you think of Alexander Ludwig’s involvement in The 24 Hour Plays? Have you been to any of the past events? Let us know in the comments below!
Source: Marketwatch
Video: More from Elizabeth Banks on ‘What to Expect When You’re Expecting’
May 17th
Elizabeth Banks and her co-stars chat about What to Expect When You’re Expecting, which hits theaters tomorrow, May 18, 2012. They talk the impact of the film, the best and worst parts of playing pregnant, the cast, the cast’s abs and more. 
Source: Wonder Wall
Photo: BTS Shot of Liam Hemsworth From Tonight’s Episode of Punk’d
May 17th
Tonight’s the night for Liam Hemsworth to step into the hot seat, as girlfriend Miley Cyrus attempts to get him good on the latest episode of Punk’d.
Some behind the scenes images from the set have been released, you can see one below, and can check out the rest here. Also if you missed the preview for the episode, click here to watch.
Punk’d airs tonight, May 17th at 10 pm ET on MTV. Will you be watching?
Elizabeth Banks Talks Gary Ross’ Departure, Francis Lawrence, and more with Celebuzz
May 17th
During the press junket for Elizabeth Banks’ new film What to Expect When You’re Expecting (which hits theaters tomorrow), the actress sat down with her on screen husband Ben Falcone, and Celebuzz’s Taryn Ryder to talk the film, pregnancy, and more. During the interview, Elizabeth also talks about her reaction to Gary Ross’ departure from The Hunger Games franchise, and her feelings on having the “fresh eyes” of Francis Lawrence on board for Catching Fire.
Was she surprised when Gary Ross decided he would not direct the sequel, Catching Fire?
“I wasn’t that surprised,” Elizabeth, 38, said. “Of course I’m disappointed, I love him we’ve made two movies together now and he’s an amazing filmmaker and he did a great job.”
So what are Elizabeth’s thoughts on the new director Francis Lawrence?
“I also feel like it’s going to be really fun for the franchise to have fresh eyes in there and give someone else as shot,” she continued. “I think Gary is very happy. As long as he’s happy, it’s fine.”
Source: Celebuzz
Happy Birthday Leven Rambin!
May 17th
It’s Leven Rambin’s Birthday! Our own Glimmer turns 22 today!
We hope you have an amazing birthday!
And may the odds be ever in your favor.
Taylor Swift Releases Video for ‘Eyes Open’ from ‘The Hunger Games’ Soundtrack
May 17th
As you know, Taylor Swift made two appearances on The Hunger Games Companion Album, Songs from Distrct 12 and Beyond. Her first, Safe & Sound featuring the Civil Wars was the lead single and video off the album. Her other piece, Eyes Open was also recently released and now has its own video debut.
Though the song references the Games through its lyrics, the video doesn’t feature much reference to the film. The video is lyrical in nature, featuring stop motion video of the words from the song. There are a few points that seem to be nods to the fans of the series however with the sword fighting, fire on words, etc.
What did you think of the video? Did you spy any Hunger Games references? Let us know in the comments.
Thanks to Tributes_Voice for the tip!
Video: ‘Hunger Games’ Reference on ‘Glee’
May 17th
During this week’s National’s episode of Glee, Tributes watching the show got an extra reason to smile, as Sue Sylvester uses The Hunger Games to describe the top show choir competition.
Check it out, (reference is at 0:22)
Thanks to our readers for all the tips!
Video: Elizabeth Banks to Return to 30 Rock?
May 16th
Elizabeth Banks chatted with Celebuzz at the premiere for her movie What To Expect When You’re Expecting about whether her character on the TV show 30 Rock will be back for the show’s final season.
“I don’t know,” Elizabeth said. “You know I’m on next week, we’re having our vow renewal ceremony as we introduced last week. We’ll see what happens next year. They’re going to have to wrap it up, and who knows where these characters are headed.”
Hmm…do you think we’ll be seeing more of Avery? Let us know in the comments.
Trevor Donovan: Finnick is “Dream Role”
May 16th
Some of you may remember Trevor Donovan from this post, where we highlighted his Hunger Games song, “Mockingjay.” Well, the 90210 actor has now thrown his name into the mix for Finnick Odair, which has quickly become the most coveted role in the future of the franchise. Endorsed by Perez Hilton, Donovan had this to say about the role:
I’m humbled and honored, but most of all excited, because Mario [Lavandeira, a.k.a. Perez] is a good guy. All actors have a dream role; playing Finnick Odair is mine. I know the odds are stacked against me. I’ll be going up against big stars like Zac Efron and Armie Hammer, but you know what, I want it more and am very passionate about it, it’s not just another job to me, it’s much more than that. I’m not saying that it is for them. I was a fan before anyone knew the Hunger Games series would be made into movies. I read all the books the day they first came out and knew right there and then I wanted to play Finnick. I’m definitely the underdog in this race, but I’m committed and going to give it all I’ve got. As Effie Trinket says, “May the odds be ever in your favor.”
It would seem that Trevor Donovan is a true fan of the trilogy, but what do you think of him being a part of it? Let us know in the comments how he fits your image of Finnick!
Question of the Week #31: It’s a Victors’ Game
May 16th
Time for a new Question of the Week.
Catching Fire casting news could begin breaking any day now and we are literally dying with anticipation to find out who will be stepping into the shoes of all of these new characters. One big difference in this film as compared to The Hunger Games is that it will feature a prominently adult cast, from the Victors to the new Gamemaker and so on. Which brings us to this week’s question:
Do you think having an (almost) all adult cast will change the ‘feel’ of Catching Fire?
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To join in the discussion, just write your answer in the comments below. And feel free to respond to others answers too. We look forward to reading your thoughts!
And be sure to check out all the previous QOTW questions in our archive.
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Have your own Question for a Question of the Week? Email us your ideas at downwiththecapitol@gmail.com or fill out the contact us form with the subject title, QOTW.
