Happy Birthday to actress/singer Danielle Brisebois (1969), "1408" star John Cusack (1966), Denver Broncos star John Elway (1960), "Star Trek: First Contact" Borg Queen Alice Krige (1954), "About Schmidt" actress Kathy Bates (1948), late "SNL" alum Gilda Radner (1946; d. 1989), British actor John Inman (1935), "The Karate Kid" star Noriyuki "Pat" Morita (1932; d. 2005), "The Producers" creator/actor/director/producer Mel Brooks (1926), and theater composer Richard Rodgers (1902; d. 1979).

Young Frankenstein star Cloris Leachman has lost her bid to reprise her Frau Blucher character in the film's upcoming stage musical adaptation - Tony-winner Andrea Martin has landed the part.

Leachman rallied to join the cast of the new Mel Brooks musical and fans petitioned the producers but the brains behind the new Broadway show have decided not to offer the veteran actress the role.

Instead, Martin will play the part when the musical opens in Seattle, Washington in August before heading to New York in November. She'll join Roger Bart, Megan Mullally and Sutton Foster in the ...

Cloris Leachman has challenged theatre star Mel Brooks to a fight so she can prove she is healthy enough for a role in his forthcoming Broadway musical Young Frankenstein.

Leachman, 81, was devastated to learn she had been snubbed for the part of Frau Blucher, Dr. Frankenstein's household servant - a role she originally played in the 1974 movie version - despite having reportedly breezed through the audition process.

Theatre insiders told New York Post's gossip column, Page Six, "(Leachman had) a wonderful audition... She was involved in a workshop recently and everyone loved he...

David Hasselhoff has been stunned by the support he has received from celebrity friends after footage of him drunk and rambling on the floor of a Las Vegas hotel room was leaked to the media earlier this month.

The actor's teenage daughter, Taylor, shot the footage in an effort to show her father what he was like when he was intoxicated. The video prompted officials to temporarily stall his custody rights to his daughters, and fuelled his ex-wife Pamela Bach's fight to gain full custody of her kids.

Almost a month after the embarrassing video was leaked, and following a bitter w...

Former Desperate Housewives star Roger Bart is in final negotiations to play Dr. Frankenstein in the upcoming stage musical adaptation of Mel Brooks' Young Frankenstein.

The actor, who originated the role of Carmen Ghia in Brooks' stage hit "The Producers," is slated to take on Gene Wilder's lead role in the new productions, joining a cast that will include Shuler Hensley as the Monster and Megan Mullally as Elizabeth.

Meanwhile, an effort by fans to bring actress Cloris Leachman back as Frau Blucher - a role she played in the cult 1974 comedy - has failed. Plans to add Leachman...

The Broadway version of The Producers has come to an end after more than 2,500 performances at the St. James Theatre in New York. The production has played across the world and won twelve Tony awards and tells the story of two crooked producers who set up a flop Broadway show about Adolf Hitler.

After the final matinee show yesterday, Mel Brooks - who wrote the music and lyrics - took to the stage to address the audience.

He said, "We have had six years of frolic and joy, and you have been such a good audience to give us such a rich, final performance."

The St. James theatre ...

Hit musical The Producers will end its Broadway run after six years and more than 2,500 performances in April.

The show, which is based on Mel Brooks' 1968 film about two producers who scam old ladies out of money to put on a flop Broadway show, has been a massive stage success - winning 12 Tony awards during its run.

Brooks says, "The last six years working on this show have been pure joy for me."

Brooks is now getting ready for his next show, a stage version of another of his films, Young Frankenstein.

(This news article provided by World Entertainment News Network)

Veteran singer Frankie Laine has died in a San Diego, California hospital. He was 93.

Lane, best known for singing the theme from classic TV western series Rawhide, suffered a heart attack following hip replacement surgery. He passed away yesterday at Scripps Mercy Hospital.

Laine's other hits included Jezebel, I Believe, Mule Train, Cold Water and Answer Me.

Born Frank LoVecchio in Chicago, Illinois on March 30, 1913, Laine had his first hit in 1947, going on to enjoy a career in which he sold 250 million albums and was awarded 21 gold records.

In 1974, Laine sang the t...

Veteran filmmaker Mel Brooks has coped with the death of his wife Anne Bancroft by recalling his time as a soldier during World War II. The director survived life as an engineer in North Africa during the war by living from "one hedgerow to the next", and he's adopted the same attitude since Bancroft died of uterine cancer in August.

Their son Max reveals, "In the months after my mom passed, I stayed with him a lot - from the day the oncologist told her, 'Your scan came back, and two points lit up,' to the moment she stopped breathing in that bed in Mount Sinai (hospital, New York Cit...

Nathan Lane and Matthew Broderick have been approached to reprise their roles in The Producers on Broadway before the curtain comes down on the production.

According to the New York Post, the two actors, who recreated their roles for the movie adaptation of the Mel Brooks comedy musical, are in negotiations for a swansong performance this summer.

Producers have reportedly asked the pair to close the show's run in June 2007, when the production will make way for another Brooks classic, Young Frankestein.

With Lane and Broderick as the leads, The Producers became the recipie...

Actor Ron Carey died on Tuesday of complications from a stroke at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles. He was 71. Carey is best known for his roles on the sitcom Barney Miller and in Mel Brooks films.

Carey began his career as a stand-up comic on talk shows, including those hosted by Merv Griffin, Mike Douglas, Ed Sullivan and Johnny Carson. His most famous role was as detective-wannabe Officer Carl Levitt on "Barney Miller," which ran from 1975 to 1982 on ABC.

Carey's feature credits include Brooks' History Of The World, Part I, High Anxiety and Silent Movie. He also app...

Emmy Award-winning actor Peter Boyle died at the New York Presbyterian Hospital last night. He was 71. Boyle, best known in recent years for playing Frank Barone in Everybody Loves Raymond, had been suffering from multiple myeloma - a form of cancer - and heart disease.

Boyle was a versatile and talented actor, excelling in both comedy and dramatic roles. He famously played it straight as Robert Redford's campaign manager in 1972 film The Candidate before switching to farce by playing the monster in Mel Brooks horror spoof Young Frankenstein two years later.

Boyle's TV career ea...

David Hasselhoff's daughters have reportedly landed their own reality show, which will revolve around their dad's turn in "The Producers" in Las Vegas. The show, "Hoff Broadway," will be filmed during the Hasselhoffs' upcoming stay in Sin City. Hasselhoff will make his "The Producers" bow at the Paris Hotel & Casino next month.

The star agreed to let E! Entertainment cameras follow kids Taylor Ann, 16, and Hayley, 14, while he's treading the boards as Franz Liebkind in Mel Brooks' hit musical comedy - after hearing American Idol host Ryan Seacrest would be producing the series.

(...

David Hasselhoff is returning to the stage to play a bumbling director in the upcoming Las Vegas production of comedy musical "The Producers." The actor will play flamboyant Roger De Bris in the new stage show, which is set to hit the city's Paris hotel and casino next year.

Hasselhoff and show creator Mel Brooks made the shock announcement at a press conference yesterday morning, with funnyman Brooks insisting the actor was a perfect fit for the new production.

Brooks said, "He has incredible comedic timing, terrific musical theatre experience and stage presence and he will be ...

Greg Kinnear is reportedly being considered for the lead role in the forthcoming Broadway production of "Young Frankenstein." The actor reportedly met with director Mel Brooks in Los Angeles this week to discuss the role, according to gossip site PageSix.com.

Comedian Jimmy Fallon and actor Tom Cavanagh are reportedly also being considered for the role created by Gene Wilder in the 1974 film, after it emerged that Hugh Jackman is too busy making movies to commit to the production.

(This news article provided by World Entertainment News Network)

MGM is teaming with the G4 television network, Brooksfilms Limited, and Berliner Film Companie GmbH on the U.S. release of a new original television series based on the classic Mel Brooks comedy Spaceballs.

Similar to the feature film, which parodied iconic science fiction movies, "Spaceballs: The Animated Series" will take the legendary Brooks satirical eye, spoofing the biggest blockbusters of today as well as every genre of entertainment from movies and reality TV to culture and politics.

In the pilot episode of "Spaceballs: The Animated Series," the storyline will be similar t...

The Producers co-stars Matthew Broderick and Nathan Lane have denied reports they are refusing to work together again, insisting they are still "the best of friends."

The pair, who hit Broadway together with a stage adaptation of the Mel Brooks comedy in 2003, supposedly fell out after their recent revival of "The Odd Couple" was badly received - with Lane blaming Broderick for not being committed to the project.

But a spokesman for the pair blasts back, "That's ridiculous. They are the best of friends. Somebody's just trying to stir things up."

(This news article provided ...

Happy Birthday to actress/singer Danielle Brisebois (1969), "The Ice Harvest" star John Cusack (1966), Denver Broncos star John Elway (1960), "Star Trek: First Contact" Borg Queen Alice Krige (1954), "About Schmidt" actress Kathy Bates (1948), late "SNL" alum Gilda Radner (1946; d. 1989), British actor John Inman (1935), "The Karate Kid" star Noriyuki "Pat" Morita (1932; d. 2005), "The Producers" creator/actor/director/producer Mel Brooks (1926), and theater composer Richard Rodgers (1902; d. 1979).

Movie mogul Mel Brooks is bringing his horror comedy Young Frankenstein to the stage after wowing audiences with "The Producers." The actor/writer has told internet radio talk show The Young Turks that the musical adaptation of his 1970s cult film will hit Broadway, New York City, in 2007.

The Gene Wilder film garnered two Oscar nominations. He told the show hosts on Tuesday, "Mel Brooks is bringing Young Frank to Broadway in '07."

(This news article provided by World Entertainment News Network)

Actor/director Mel Brooks made his film company promise not to release his remake of The Producers until after Christmas to avoid direct competition with this season's blockbuster movies. Brooks, who wrote and directed the original film in 1968 and adapted it for theatre in 2001, remains sceptical about how popular the movie remake will be, despite the theatre production's roaring success on Broadway and in London's West End.

He says, "Universal were very kind. They wanted to go up against King Kong and Narnia, and I said, 'Come on! Do me a favor! Why don't we open on the 16th in six ...

Alanis Morissette was terrified when she started receiving dozens of phone calls congratulating her on her Golden Globe nomination on Tuesday, December 13, because she thought a loved one had been injured.

Morissette was stunned to discover she had been nominated for Best Original Song - Motion Picture for her track 'Wunderkind' from the soundtrack of Chronicles of Narnia the Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe.

Morissette will compete with Mel Brooks, Dolly Parton and Elton John's songwriting partner Bernie Taupin for the coveted gong at the January 2006 ceremony.

Morissette adm...