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Comedy Screenwriter-Director Elaine May to Receive WGAW’s 2016 Laurel Award for Screenwriting Achievement

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Los Angeles, CA. (FNN NEWS) Acclaimed comedy screenwriter-director-actress Elaine May (Heaven Can Wait, Primary Colors) is set to receive the Writers Guild of America, West’s 2016 Laurel Award for Screenwriting Achievement, honoring her extraordinary career and body of work, at the 2016 Writers Guild Awards L.A. ceremony to be held on Saturday, February 13.
“Elaine May defines the phrase ‘smart and funny.’ From the Compass Players to Nichols & May to A New Leaf and The Heartbreak Kid and Mikey and Nicky, she invented a strain of knowing, painful, ironic humor that quickly became central to what we now think of as comedy. She’s received Oscar nominations and WGA nominations and Writers Guild Awards, all well-deserved; but it is time to recognize, plainly and simply, the debt that all of us owe to her brave, groundbreaking, fiercely intelligent, deeply human, relentlessly honest, scorchingly funny work,” said WGAW President Howard A. Rodman.
A WGAW member since 1962, May received her first Writers Guild Award nomination (Screen: Adapted Comedy) for her 1971 debut film, A New Leaf (Based on Jack Ritchie’s Short Story, “A Green Heart”), which she also directed and memorably co-starred as the sky heiress “Henrietta Lowell” opposite Walter Matthau.
Later that decade, May earned a Writers Guild Award (Screen: Adapted Comedy) and an Oscar nomination (Best Writing, Screenplay Based on Material from Another Medium) for co-penning 1978’s Warren Beatty-starring hit comedy Heaven Can Wait (Screenplay for Elaine May and Warren Beatty, Based Upon a Play by Harry Segall), which was remade years later as 2001’s Down to Earth, starring Chris Rock.
She also received a Writers Guild Award nomination (Adapted Screenplay) for 1996’s The Birdcage, the U.S. remake of the French farce La Cage Aux Folles, starring Robin Williams and Gene Hackman (Based Upon the Play “La Cage Aux Folles” by Jean Poiret and the Script Written by Francis Veber, Edouard Molinaro, Marcello Danon, and Jean Poiret).
Next, she won a BAFTA Award for Best Adapted Screenplay, as well as received 1999 Academy and Writers Guild Award Adapted Screenplay nominations, for her screenplay for the political satire Primary Colors (Based on the Novel by Anonymous).
Her other screenwriting credits include 1971’s Such Good Friends (written under the pseudonym “Esther Dale,” adaptation by David Shaber), 1976’s Mikey and Nicky, which she also directed, and 1987’s big-budget Warren Beatty/Dustin Hoffman buddy comedy Ishtar, which she directed. May also directed the 1972 romantic comedy The Heartbreak Kid, which garnered two Oscar nominations for the film’s co-stars, Eddie Albert and Jeannie Berlin.
As an actress, May has made several scene-stealing appearances in numerous films during her career, including roles in Enter Laughing (1967), California Suite (1978), In the Spirit (1990), and co-starring opposite Woody Allen in Small Time Crooks (2000), which earned her a National Film Critics Society Award for Best Supporting Actress.
In 1994, she received the American Comedy Awards’ Lifetime Achievement Award in Comedy. In 2000, she shared the U.S. Comedy Arts Festival’s Career Tribute award with her frequent collaborator over the years, director Mike Nichols.
Most recently, she was awarded the National Medal of Arts by President Barack Obama in 2013.
Awarded to a Writers Guild member who has advanced the literature of motion pictures and made outstanding contributions to the profession of the screenwriter, past recipients of the WGAW’s Laurel Award for Screenwriting Achievement include screenwriters David Mamet, Lawrence Kasdan, Robert Benton, Barry Levinson, Steven Zaillian, Eric Roth, Tom Stoppard, Paul Mazursky, and Harold Ramis.

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Entertainment

‘SPAMALOT’ Joins Dr. Phillips Center’s 2026-27 Broadway in Orlando Season

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Tony Award-winning musical will play Walt Disney Theater Nov. 3-5, 2026

ORLANDO, Fla. (FNN NEWS) — Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts is expanding its 2026-27 Broadway in Orlando season with the addition of SPAMALOT, the Tony Award-winning Best Musical, scheduled for Nov. 3-5, 2026, at Walt Disney Theater.

Inspired by the classic comedy Monty Python and the Holy Grail, SPAMALOT brings Monty Python’s distinctly British humor to the stage through a comedic adventure following King Arthur and his quest for the Holy Grail.

The production comes to Orlando following a celebrated 2023 Broadway revival at the St. James Theatre, directed and choreographed by Josh Rhodes.

Monty Python Comedy Comes to Orlando

Described as “lovingly ripped” from Monty Python and the Holy Grail, the musical features British royalty, flying cows, dancing girls, shrubbery and the Lady of the Lake.

The 14-time Tony Award-nominated musical features well-known numbers including “Always Look on the Bright Side of Life,” “The Song That Goes Like This” and “Find Your Grail.”

SPAMALOT features a book and lyrics by Eric Idle, with music by John Du Prez and Idle.

Cast Announced for Orlando Production

The cast features Major Attaway, whose credits include Aladdin, as King Arthur; Sean Bell (Harmony) as Sir Robin; Chris Collins-Pisano (Forbidden Broadway) as Sir Lancelot; Ellis C. Dawson III (Hamilton) as Sir Bedevere; Leo Roberts (Les Misérables) as Sir Galahad; Amanda Robles as the Lady of the Lake; Blake Segal (Mary Poppins) as Patsy; and Steven Telsey (The Book of Mormon) as the Historian and Prince Herbert.

The company also includes Lindsay Lee Alhady, Delaney Benson, Jack Brewer, Connor Coughlin, L’ogan J’ones, Graham Keen, Claire Kennard, Ben Lanham, Nathaniel Mahone, Maddie Mossner, Emilie Renier, Mark Tran Russ and Meridien Terrell.

Creative Team

The production’s creative team includes scenic and projection designer Paul Tate dePoo III, costume designer Jen Caprio, lighting designer Cory Pattak, sound designers Kai Harada and Haley Parcher, and wig designer Tom Watson.

John Bell serves as music supervisor, with Jonathan Gorst as musical director and conductor.

Derek Kolluri is associate director, Michael Fatica is associate choreographer and casting is by Geoff Josselson, CSA. RCI Theatricals serves as general manager, and Jeffrey Finn is the producer.

Tickets on Sale Now

Single tickets for SPAMALOT are on sale now through Dr. Phillips Center.

Performances: Nov. 3-5, 2026
Venue: Walt Disney Theater at Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts
Location: Orlando, Florida

Tickets and additional information are available through the Dr. Phillips Center website.

 

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Central Florida News

Dr. Phillips Center Generates $227.6 Million Annual Economic Impact, Supports Nearly 2,500 Central Florida Jobs

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ORLANDO, Fla. (FNN NEWS) — The Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts generated $227.6 million in annual economic impact, supporting 2,483 jobs and producing $13.2 million in state and local tax revenue, according to a newly released independent study by Tourism Economics.

The analysis, conducted by Tourism Economics, an Oxford Economics company specializing in economic impact and tourism research, measured the direct, indirect and induced economic activity generated by the arts center’s operations, performances, visitors and related spending throughout Central Florida.

The findings underscore the Dr. Phillips Center’s role as both a premier performing arts destination and a major contributor to the region’s economy.

“For more than a decade, we’ve seen firsthand how the arts inspire people, bring communities together and create lasting value,” said Kathy Ramsberger, president and CEO of Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts. “This study confirms that our impact reaches far beyond our stages—supporting thousands of jobs, driving business growth, attracting visitors from around the world and helping position Central Florida as a more vibrant, competitive and connected region.”

Economic Impact by the Numbers

According to the Tourism Economics report, the Dr. Phillips Center generated:

  • $227.6 million in annual economic output
  • 2,483 jobs supported across Central Florida
  • $70.8 million in total labor income in Orange County
  • $13.2 million in state and local tax revenue
  • $73.1 million in off-site spending by event attendees, performers and production crews
  • 61,600 hotel room nights generated annually

The study highlights the ripple effect created by visitors attending performances, benefiting nearby hotels, restaurants, retailers and other local businesses.

A Global Destination for Arts and Entertainment

Now in its 11th year, the Dr. Phillips Center welcomes more than 910,000 guests annually, attracting visitors from all 50 states and more than 80 countries.

Since opening in 2014, the venue has hosted:

  • More than 6.2 million guests
  • More than 6,200 performances and events
  • Programming presented 99% of the year
  • Venue occupancy rates ranging from 82% to 97%

The center has become one of the world’s busiest performing arts destinations while helping position downtown Orlando as a leading hub for arts, culture and entertainment.

Community Investment Beyond the Stage

In addition to its economic impact, the Dr. Phillips Center continues investing in arts education, community outreach and cultural programming throughout Central Florida.

According to the organization, it has:

  • Served 935,920 students and community participants
  • Supported and hosted 202 regional arts organizations
  • Received support from 24,085 donors
  • Benefited from $256 million in philanthropic contributions since its inception

Through partnerships with schools, nonprofit organizations, community groups and touring productions, the center continues to expand access to the performing arts while strengthening the region’s cultural and economic vitality.

Looking Ahead

Eleven years after opening, the Dr. Phillips Center continues to demonstrate that investment in arts and culture produces measurable returns through tourism, employment, education and community engagement.

As Central Florida continues to grow, the independent analysis reinforces the performing arts center’s importance as both a cultural landmark and an economic engine for the region.

Additional information about the economic impact study is available through the Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts.

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Entertainment

Blue Man Group Orlando Launches $25 Kids Ticket Offer at ICON Park Through Dec. 31

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ORLANDO, Fla. (FNN NEWS) — Families can enjoy Blue Man Group Orlando for less this summer and fall thanks to a new ticket promotion that allows children to attend performances for $25 with the purchase of a full-priced adult ticket.

The limited-time offer is available for online purchases through Dec. 31, 2026, making one of Orlando’s newest live entertainment attractions more affordable for families.

Special Kids Ticket Offer

Under the promotion, guests who purchase a full-priced adult ticket may purchase a children’s ticket for $25.

The offer is valid for performances:

  • Monday through Thursday
  • Fridays at 5 p.m.

The promotion is not valid for:

  • Saturday performances
  • Sunday performances
  • Fridays at 8 p.m.

New Orlando Production at ICON Park

Blue Man Group opened its new resident production at ICON Park in May inside a custom-built theater located along Orlando’s International Drive entertainment district.

The production blends music, comedy, technology and audience participation, while featuring many of the signature moments fans expect from Blue Man Group alongside new material created exclusively for the Orlando production.

Global Entertainment Phenomenon

Since debuting in 1991 at New York’s Astor Place Theatre, Blue Man Group has entertained more than 50 million people worldwide through resident productions and international tours.

The show continues to expand with performances in Orlando, Las Vegas, touring productions across North America and an upcoming tour in Japan.

Blue Man Group is owned and operated by Cirque du Soleil Entertainment Group.

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