Entertainment

Warrant: Baldwin didn’t know weapon contained live round

Published

5 years ago

October 25, 2021

SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — An assistant director unwittingly handed Alec Baldwin a loaded weapon and told him it was safe to use in the moments before the actor fatally shot a cinematographer, court records released Friday show.

“Cold gun,” the assistant director announced, according to a search warrant filed in a Santa Fe court.

Instead, the gun was loaded with live rounds, and when Baldwin pulled the trigger Thursday on the set of a Western, he killed cinematographer Halyna Hutchins. Director Joel Souza, who was standing behind her, was wounded, the records said.

The Santa Fe County Sheriff’s Office obtained the warrant Friday so investigators could document the scene at the ranch outside Santa Fe where the shooting took place. They sought to examine Baldwin’s blood-stained costume for the film “Rust,” as well as the weapon that was fired, other prop guns and ammunition, and any footage that might exist.

The gun was one of three that the film’s armorer, Hannah Gutierrez, had set on a cart outside the wooden structure where a scene was being acted, according to the records. Assistant director Dave Halls grabbed the gun from the cart and brought it inside to Baldwin, unaware that it was loaded with live rounds, a detective wrote in the search warrant application.

It was unclear how many rounds were fired. Gutierrez removed a shell casing from the gun after the shooting, and she turned the weapon over to police when they arrived, the court records say.

Halls did not immediately return phone and email messages seeking comment. The Associated Press was unable to contact Gutierrez, and several messages sent to production companies affiliated with the film were not immediately returned Friday.

The film’s script supervisor, Mamie Mitchell, said she was standing next to Hutchins when she was shot.

“I ran out and called 911 and said ‘Bring everybody, send everybody,’” Mitchell told The Associated Press. “This woman is gone at the beginning of her career. She was an extraordinary, rare, very rare woman.”

Mitchell said she and other crew members were attending a private memorial service Friday night in Santa Fe.

Baldwin described the killing as a “tragic accident.”

“There are no words to convey my shock and sadness regarding the tragic accident that took the life of Halyna Hutchins, a wife, mother and deeply admired colleague of ours. I’m fully cooperating with the police investigation,” Baldwin wrote on Twitter. “My heart is broken for her husband, their son, and all who knew and loved Halyna.”

No immediate charges were filed, and sheriff’s spokesman Juan Rios said Baldwin was permitted to travel.

“He’s a free man,” Rios said.

Images of the 63-year-old actor — known for his roles in “30 Rock” and “The Hunt for Red October” and his impression of former President Donald Trump on “Saturday Night Live” — showed him distraught outside the sheriff’s office on Thursday.

Guns used in making movies are sometimes real weapons that can fire either bullets or blanks, which are gunpowder charges that produce a flash and a bang but no deadly projectile. Even blanks can eject hot gases and paper or plastic wadding from the barrel that can be lethal at close range. That proved to be the case in the death of an actor in 1984.

In another on-set accident in 1993, the actor Brandon Lee was killed after a bullet was left in a prop gun, and similar shootings have occurred involving stage weapons that were loaded with live rounds.

Gun-safety protocol on sets in the United States has improved since then, said Steven Hall, a veteran director of photography in Britain. But he said one of the riskiest positions to be in is behind the camera because that person is in the line of fire in scenes where an actor appears to point a gun at the audience.

Sheriff’s deputies responded about 2 p.m. to the movie set at the Bonanza Creek Ranch after 911 calls described a person being shot there, Rios said. The ranch has been used in dozens of films, including the recent Tom Hanks Western “News of the World.”

Hutchins, 42, worked as director of photography on the 2020 action film “Archenemy” starring Joe Manganiello. She was a 2015 graduate of the American Film Institute and was named a “rising star” by American Cinematographer in 2019.

“I’m so sad about losing Halyna. And so infuriated that this could happen on a set,” said “Archenemy” director Adam Egypt Mortimer on Twitter. “She was a brilliant talent who was absolutely committed to art and to film.”

Manganiello called Hutchins “an incredible talent” and “a great person” on his Instagram account. He said he was lucky to have worked with her.

After the shooting, production was halted on “Rust.” The movie is about a 13-year-old boy who is left to fend for himself and his younger brother following the death of their parents in 1880s Kansas, according to the Internet Movie Database website. The teen goes on the run with his long-estranged grandfather (played by Baldwin) after the boy is sentenced to hang for the accidental killing of a local rancher.

Lee, son of martial arts star Bruce Lee, died in 1993 after being hit by a .44-caliber slug while filming a death scene for the movie “The Crow.” The gun was supposed to have fired a blank, but an autopsy turned up a bullet lodged near his spine.

In 1984, actor Jon-Erik Hexum died after shooting himself in the head with a prop gun blank while pretending to play Russian roulette with a .44 Magnum on the set of the television series “Cover Up.”

Such shootings have also happened during historical reenactments. In 2015, an actor staging a historical gunfight in Tombstone, Arizona, was shot and wounded with a live round during a show that was supposed to use blanks.

In Hill City, South Dakota, a tourist town that recreates an Old West experience, three spectators were wounded in 2011 when a re-enactor fired real bullets instead of blanks.

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Entertainment

Dr. Phillips Center’s Free Frontyard Holiday Festival Returns to Downtown Orlando Nov. 27

Published

6 days ago

August 26, 2026

FNN NEWS

ORLANDO, Fla. (FNN) — The holidays are returning to downtown Orlando as the Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts brings back its free Frontyard Holiday Festival, transforming the Frontyard and Seneff Arts Plaza into a holiday destination from Nov. 27 through Dec. 31.

The Frontyard Holiday Festival at Dr. Phillips Center, supported by AdventHealth, will feature nightly snowfall, live entertainment, holiday movies, themed nights, firepits, seasonal food and beverages, interactive experiences, light displays and performances by local artists and community groups.

Admission is free.

“This festival is part of our vision to create more free experiences in the Frontyard, one of the 1,000 annual free events planned as part of our master plan,” Dr. Phillips Center President and CEO Kathy Ramsberger said. “These events are designed to bring our community together while creating new opportunities that attract visitors and contribute to Orlando’s vibrant tourism economy.”

Nightly Snowfall Returns to Downtown Orlando

The festival opens Friday, Nov. 27, and runs through New Year’s Eve, giving Central Florida residents and visitors more than a month to experience the celebration.

Nightly snowfall will return as one of the festival’s signature attractions, along with holiday movie screenings and seasonal performances.

A rare musical attraction will also return this year: the only transportable carillon in North America.

The instrument features nearly four tons of bronze bells and will bring traditional holiday sounds to the outdoor festival.

Free Holiday Experience for Orlando Families

Organizers said the festival is part of the Dr. Phillips Center’s broader effort to increase free arts and cultural programming while creating a gathering place for residents and visitors in downtown Orlando.

AdventHealth returns as a major supporter of the event.

“The holidays invite us to slow down, reconnect and make memories with the people who matter most,” said Sharon Line Clary, AdventHealth’s senior vice president of community impact and partnership engagement.

Clary said the partnership is designed to help create a welcoming community space centered on celebration and connection.

Holiday Shows Coming Inside Dr. Phillips Center

The outdoor festival will coincide with a separate lineup of holiday entertainment inside the performing arts center.

The 2026 holiday schedule includes Lindsey Stirling, “The Nutcracker,” Vienna Light Orchestra, Irish Christmas in America, Straight No Chaser and “A Very Broadway Christmas.”

Other scheduled productions include “The Unauthorized Hallmarkish Parody” and “Adam Biner: A Jewish Boy’s Love Letter to Christmas.”

The lineup includes dance, orchestral music, comedy and other live performances throughout the holiday season.

More Festival Programming Coming

Additional details about performances, themed nights, movie screenings and interactive experiences are expected to be announced as the opening date approaches.

The festival is supported by AdventHealth, the city of Orlando’s Downtown Development Board, The Main Law Firm, OUC — The Reliable One, Massey Services Inc. and a donation from Neal and Jan Dempsey.

The project also receives funding from Orange County government through its Arts & Cultural Affairs Program.

Event Details

What: Frontyard Holiday Festival at Dr. Phillips Center supported by AdventHealth
When: Nov. 27-Dec. 31, 2026
Where: Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts, Frontyard and Seneff Arts Plaza, downtown Orlando
Admission: Free

Entertainment

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

Published

3 weeks ago

August 10, 2026

FNN NEWS

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.

Central Florida News

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

Published

1 month ago

July 30, 2026

FNN NEWS

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.