Tweets for the Day

• 11:00 I'm gonna need a bigger butterfly net! is.gd/6IqII #
• 11:11 RT @starwars: Nic Cage as George Lucas?! is.gd/6D3NK #starwars #
• 12:25 That reminds me - I really need to hit the gym. Thanks @DarthVader. is.gd/6KWhc #starwars #
• 13:36 SHARK ALARM! is.gd/6L8ac #
• 13:41 If FOX makes a U.S. version of #Torchwood, it BETTER have @Team_Barrowman or it ain't Torchwood. is.gd/6L9aV #doctorwho #
• 16:44 Holy Glitter Gun! I'm on the front page of @craft w/ @vmperella & R2-D2 showing off our Ewok puppets! craftzine.com/ #
• 16:57 RT @mtvnetworksjobs: VP, Orig Prog & Dev. of @SPIKE_TV in LA, scripted based shows of all formats ow.ly/Z9fA #jobs Who wants in? #
• 17:14 "Who wouldn't want to sound like a 90-ft robot?" is.gd/6LOVk #BetterOffTed #
• 17:39 New #Puppies on Shiba Inu Puppy Cam! is.gd/6LSWG #
• 18:24 Listening to a tauntaun make nom nom sounds may be my new happy place... #
• 18:35 Mi Death Star es tu Death Star! RT @clubjade: #SanFrancisco #StarWars fan club members get #CloneWars preview invites. bit.ly/64ueLD #
• 19:41 "She got me on the pole!" - Martha Stewart is.gd/6KJTh #
• 20:05 Yay! @NathanFillion talks about #Firefly, @drhorrible & why kids need to read w/ @wiredgeekdad! is.gd/6MiOa #Castle #
• 21:39 RT @mydisguises: #StarTrek Family Photo! bit.ly/7PVzDX #
• 22:18 Cool dad @sgnp introduces little Betty to Tom Baker & K-9 for the 1st time. She reports back! is.gd/6MCTg #DoctorWho #
• 22:48 RT @peeweeherman: Stopped by @nbcconan to explain the late-night mess to everyone (in simple terms). WATCH! ow.ly/ZfsU #TeamConan #
• 00:28 #CraigFerguson dissects #JerseyShore! is.gd/6MWhx #
• 00:40 If anyone can play The Situation in #JerseyShore the Movie, it's @thomaslennon! is.gd/6MY1N #

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December 9 @ 7:30 p.m. Solo pianist George Winston is a popular favorite, famous for his ability to evoke the passing of the seasons with his contemplative, melodic music. The Colonial Theatre Pittsfield MA   December 10 @ 8 p.m. Josh Lamkin and Eliot Bronson comprise The Brilliant Inventions, an Atlanta-based folk/pop acoutsice duo that wowed the crowd at this year’s Falcon Ridge Folk Festival, selling more CDs than any other act. They’re making their Pittsfield debut with no cover charge. Mission Bar + Tapas Pittsfield, MA   December 11 @ 8 p.m. Hudson Valley Gamelan presents its annual winter concert, including Balinese Mask dances Topeng Tua and Topeng Keras, as well as a new musical composition by HVG artistic director Tjok Gde Arsa Artha. Special guests include Balinese dancer Shoko Yamamura, one of Japan’s leading performers of Balinese dance, who, while studying at the Institute of Indonesian Arts in Denpasar, gained a reputation as one of the only foreign students capable of performing both male and female dance styles. Musicians Peter Steele, drums; Bard alumna Nicci Reisnour, reyong; and Bard students Olivia Madden, cello, and Keenan Houser, electric guitar are also appearing with HVG. Free for Bard community; suggested donation of $10 for everyone else. Bard College, Olin Hall Annandale-on-Hudson, NY   December 12 @ 7 p.m. As the shortest day of the year approaches, we could all use a fix of solas an lae, which is Gaelic for “light of day,” a fitting name for the Solas An Lae Dance Company, which brings new light to most people’s conceptions of Irish dance. This family-friendly Annual Holiday Celebration features company members and a cast of over 100 dancers from the SAL School of Irish Dance plus music by Kila and visual backdrops from some of Ireland’s most interesting contemporary visual artists. Fisher Center, Bard College Annandale-on-Hudson, NY   December 12 @ 8 p.m. In this work-in-progress showing of ZviDance’s Zoom, Israeli choreographer Zvi Gotheiner will request audience members not to silence their mobile phones, but to leave them on and even use them during the performance, an exploration of virtual communities and evolving technologies. You’ll be encouraged to free your inner artist, snap photos with your hand-held device, and instantly email them to the company’s visual designer, who may incorporate your images into produce real-time video collages. This crowd-sourced component of set design will in turn influence the choreography and music, disrupting the traditional relationship between audience and performing artists. Zoom is scheduled to debut in New York City in April ; this special sneak preview will be instrumental in the work’s development. MASS MoCA North Adams, MA   December 12 @ 8:30-ish Ever-changing Erin McKeown, who hails from the Happy Valley just over the hills in not-so-Western Massachusetts, has a new, independent album out, called Hundreds of Lions. She’d normally support the release at the late, great Club Helsinki, but now you can catch her Dream Away debut. There’s no cover charge, but please tip generously so she’ll be sure to come back! The Dream Away Lodge Becket, MA   December 12 - 13 @ various times If visions of Sugar Plum Fairies dance through your head this time of year, you can bring them to life with The Albany Berkshire Ballet’s spectacular rendition of the holiday classic, The Nutcracker, featuring local children in addition to the professional cast of dancers. Four shows over the weekend, including kid-friendly matinees. The Colonial Theatre Pittsfield, MA   December 18 @ 8 p.m. Between last summer’s appearance at the Tanglewood Jazz Festival with wife Jessica Molaskey to record their nationally syndicated Radio Deluxe program—which the duo will do again in the summer of 2010—and his return to the Mahaiwe, it seems as if virtuoso jazz vocalist/guitarist John Pizzarelli can’t get enough of the Berkshires. Judging by audience response, the feeling is mutual; who could ask for anything more? The Mahaiwe Great Barrington, MA   December 19 @ 8 p.m. December 20 @ 7:30 p.m. The New York Times called Eileen Ivers “the Jimi Hendrix of the violin.” That’s a difficult image to summon, but it becomes possible as soon as you see this star of Celtic music draw bow across fiddle on stage. Her holiday program, An Nollaig: An Irish Christmas with Eileen Ivers, features traditional Irish tunes and original songs, plus other songs of the season given a Celtic spin. The Colonial Theatre Pittsfield, MA   December 20 @ 7:30 p.m. After 45 years of songwriting and performing, iconic folkie Judy Collins has more than 40 albums to her name, many of which have gone gold and platinum, and numerous songs that capture an era. This show, her only performance in the region, is bound to sell out fast, so we’re giving our readers an early heads-up. Infinity Music Hall Norfolk, CT  

"The Nutcracker" isn't only a widely-known holiday tradition -- it's also a Centre Dance performance that stretches back generations, with cast members from families who have performed for years.

Oh, these darned young folks!

They don't want to read good books like Lorna Doone and Misty of Chincoteague.  They just want to sext.

The girls all dress like s-l-u-t-s. The boys all wear these ridiculous, puffed up, out-sized baseball caps. And they wear them skewed to the side. I defy anyone to look intelligent in these caps when worn face-on, let alone sideways. Do you hear me, young man? OF course not - not with that iPod in your air.

None of these young folks want to work hard, either. They just want to be famous for being famous. And rich. Rich and famous.

I swan...if I hear one more youngster say 'peace out."

And, they're not joining swell organizations like the Shriners and the DAR.

Oh, pshaw.

But just when I thought things couldn't get any bleaker, the Wall Street Journal reports that they're not collecting beer cans, either.

Land of goshen, if it weren't for little Randy Langenbach of Hubertus, Wisconsin, who's 10 and has 200 beer cans in his bedroom - which, I trust, young man, you didn't imbibe from - there'd be barely a soul under the age of 30 who's a collector.

As the beer can nears its 75th birthday in January, many hobbyists are crying in their brew over their inability to lure young people to a pastime that hooked many of them when they were youngsters in the 1970s.

"We'd ride bikes to each other's houses and start trading cans," says Dan Baker, 47, an Illinois collector who started when he was 10. "That's what all the kids did back then."

While I'm sure the Mr. Baker is exaggerating at least slightly - I wasn't a kid in in the 1970's, but I'll consult with my younger sibs here and ask whether this was, indeed, what all the kids did back then - it sure is sad to see yet another vestige of the past lose its way. First it was ashes to ashes; now it's rust to rust, I suppose. (This picture is of Randy, by the way, not of Dan Baker.)

In order to reach out to the rising generation, the Brewery Collectibles Club of America,

...is planning an essay contest that will award free memberships to youngsters who best describe why they like hoarding cans or other brewery relics, says John Fatura, its 66-year-old president. The group's local chapters also are reaching out to microbreweries, where they drop off fliers and display vintage cans in hopes of wooing some of the younger customers.

While, I can't exactly see parents encouraging the young-uns to write about why they like "hoarding...brewery relics", and I can't see the young-uns bellying up to the bar of writing an essay, the beer can collectors had better do something, and fast.

The club has been losing its fizz for a long time. Membership has slipped to 3,570 from a peak of 11,954 in 1978. Just 19 of the current members are under the age of 30, and the members' average age has climbed to 59. An annual membership costs $38.

Now, I am no expert on beer can collecting. I average about one beer per year, usually a Black and Tan (half Guinness/half Harp), which may not even count. My beer for 2009 was had in McSorley's Ale House in September, and I will say that mug of ale (which may not even count) was delicious.

But I can see the appeal of having cans for the lost brews of my youth.

Do any of these beers even exist anymore?

When was the last time anyone saw an ad for Narragansett? (Hi, neighbor! Have a 'Gansett.)  Carling? (The best beer in the world comes from Carling Brewery. On the shores of Lake Cochituate - da-da-dum-dum - New England.) Rheingold? (My beer is Rheingold, the dry beer. Think of Rheingold whenever you buy beer.)

An Knickerbocker Beer. My father was a couple of beers a weekend kind of guy, and, on a hot summer's day, after he'd just mowed the lawn, he'd crack open a can of Knick. But not before putting it up against the neck or forehead of whatever kid was around. (An excellent way to cool down, by the way.) Then he'd open the can and give us a sip, which never took, as I never acquired the taste for beer. And when the can was empty, we could peer into it, looking for the little Knickerbocker man, who was never there.

So, I wouldn't mind having a can of Knick on my shelf, since it's certainly on my shelf of life.

And, of course, while I'm saying "can" here, mostly my father drank from bottles - which is how I was able, in fourth grade, to fashion a historic figure Halloween costume of Peter Stuyvesant. Yes, most of the girls were Betsy Ross or Sacagawea, but my friend Bernadette and I chose men. (I think she was Lord Baltimore.) But I was intrigued by Peter Stuyvesant's peg leg, which was very beer bottle like.  So, my cousin's cast off football pants; a frilly white blouse; a wide red leather belt strapped bandoleer side across my chest. And a peg leg made out of a bottle of Knick....

Anyway, maybe one of the reasons nobody wants to collect beer cans anymore is that most of the new beer cans out there are Bud, Miller, or Coors. Ho-hum.

Most of the beer action these days seems to be micro-brewery, regional type beers. There certainly seem to be no end of those out there. But most of those beers - which have catchy names like Smuttynose, and cool logos  - come in bottles.

Maybe if beer can collectors tapped into bottles, they'd be more successful in attracting, if not 10 year old members, then some of the twenty-somethings that want to try every micro-brew there is on the market.

Just a thought.

But what do I know about beer can collecting.

Book

Pygmy by Chuck Palahniuk

Narrated by skinny 13-year-old “exchange student” Pygmy, the potent satire chronicles a gang of adolescent terrorists hailing from an unnamed totalitarian state, charged with unleashing “Operation Havoc.” Palahniuk’s 10th novel poses, not so subtly, as a scathing criticism of American culture through third-world eyes.

Nick Feldman

Inherent Vice by Thomas Pynchon

This bewildering novel from the notorious Thomas Pynchon is a glorious introduction to the author’s body of work. Probably Pynchon’s most accessible novel, it lacks none of his trademark style, density or unexpectedness. It’s also laugh-out-loud funny, too.

Robert Frankel

Going Rogue by Sarah Palin

Just kidding, I’d rather sell my junk to scientists than read even a sentence of this tripe.

Morgan Gard

Album

In Ear Park, Department of Eagles

Although my favorite was a close tie between Grizzly Bear’s Veckatimest and this one, GB’s lead singer Daniel Rossen’s other project wins. In Ear Park is the perfect album for the walk to class on a blustery day and for, well, any other time, too.

Kristen Steenbeeke

Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix, Phoenix

Between bursts of urgently catchy pop and crafty electro-inspired guitar riffs, the fourth album from this French alt-rock quartet rides high on instant-hit singles like “Lisztomania” and “1901,” but never dips much below them. Sounding a touch conflicted (So sentimental / Not sentimental, no!/ Romantic / Not disgusting yet), the album serves as proof that it can be fun to get just a little older.

Nick Feldman

No More Stories Are Told Today, Mew

Unlike their previous album, the brilliant And the Glass Handed Kites, Mew’s latest work may seem impenetrably dense at first. But if you give it a chance, No More Stories grows into a dreamy, majestic listen that redefines the notion of a soundscape.

Robert Frankel

Bitte Orca, Dirty Projectors

The unusual time signatures, intricate arrangements and staggering vocals in Bitte Orca create an unparalleled soundscape. The harmonic play in “Florescent Half Dome” is jaw-dropping and even more thrilling to see live.

Ashleen Aguilar

TV Show

The Tonight Show With Conan O’Brien

The final episode of Late Night left an hour-long void in my life for the next few months. Thankfully, Conan didn’t “tone it down” for his 11:30 audience. He’s back with Max, La Bamba, even his old pal Andy, and he’s as funny as he ever was.

Andrew Mitrak

Glee

Despite the shudders, grimaces and gags that are the signature reaction of “manly men” everywhere, I still assert my opinion that Glee is a good show, and catchy as hell. I may have even had an use-a-comb-as-a-microphone moment with the roomies after watching the episode with a cover of Queen’s “Somebody to Love.”

Kristen Steenbeeke

Scrubs

Scrubs, for its entire run, managed to play into, subvert and create new sitcom tropes. Of course the cast is excellent, the stories are great, and it’s hilarious. Plus, the series finale earlier this year is the best one I’ve ever seen. What? Ninth season? LALALA CAN’T HEAR YOU.

Morgan Gard

Parks & Recreation

Remember that awkward six-episode first season of the U.S. version of The Office that tried too hard to mimic its BBC counterpart? Well, the six-episode first season of Parks & Recreation was very similar to that, only it was trying to mimic the U.S. version of The Office. Fortunately, it has enjoyed a huge boost in quality in its current second season, and now that The Office is becoming unwatchable, it is becoming one of the best comedies on NBC, behind only 30 Rock.

Ivan Vukovic

Performance

Them Crooked Vultures, Nov. 21, Paramount Theatre, Seattle, Wash.

Dave Grohl, Josh Homme and Jon Paul Jones may be older now, but they still have the same on-stage energy as rock stars just at the start of their careers. Seeing them abuse their instruments was well worth the bruises I got from the mosh pit.

Joanna Nolasco

Girl Talk, Sasquatch! Music Festival, May 25, George, Wash.

A concert experience that meshes live performance with all-out dance party, mash-up DJ Gregg Gillis and his dual laptops — not to mention the confetti guns, toilet-paper-rigged leaf blowers, and an inflatable 40-foot-long whale — took the backdrop of the iconic Gorge Amphitheatre and created some of the best musical moments of the festival.

Nick Feldman

TV on the Radio, May 23, Roseland Theatre, Portland, Ore.

Watching Tunde Adebimpe dance about the stage and David Sitek’s hand strum faster than a hummingbird’s heart over the guitar strings was enough to make this concert my 2009 favorite, but Kyp Malone lost in the sound waves of their final song “DLZ” was enough to drug the entire audience in the vibrations.

Ashleen Aguilar

Coldplay, July 10, Clark County Amphitheater, Ridgefield, Wash.

When one of the biggest bands in the world leaves the main stage of an 18,000-person outdoor arena and runs onto a small platform on the general admission lawn, waits as audience members trample over blankets and run toward them, and then proceeds to perform a cover of MJ’s “Billie Jean,” you know you consider yourself lucky to be witnessing it.

Ivan Vukovic

Film

Away We Go

I have a confession to make. Sometimes even movie trailers make me cry. Clearly, I’m emotionally unstable. But I know when a movie trailer makes me cry (whether it’s because it’s sad or touching, or because I’m just more of a girl than I’d like to admit) that I want to see that movie. So naturally after getting a little misty-eyed in the trailer, not to mention the added plus of John Krasinski in something other than The Office, I went to see Away We Go. And it was worth it.

Kristen Steenbeeke

The Hangover

Featuring fantastic performances from a comedic trio in Ed Helms, Zach Galifianakis and Bradley Cooper, the tale of a bachelor party gone wrong — namely, losing the bachelor in an accidental roofie-spiked night of mayhem — was pure laughs from start to finish and just inspiring enough to encourage dreams of a bachelor party half as epic.

Nick Feldman

Black Dynamite

Haters gonna hate, but Black Dynamite is the most well-made movie I saw this year. Great cast and hilarious, plus I triple-dog-dare anyone who sees it not to be spouting Black Dynamite lines for days, or weeks, or WHO THE HELL IS INTERRUPTING MY KUNG FU?

Morgan Gard

Up

Movies have seldom moved me to tears. Up had me bawling by the first ten minutes, and twice more before the credits rolled. It’s a charming tale of imaginative fantasy blended with ageless comedy, and a message about the burden of holding on to the past.

Andrew Mitrak

A Serious Man

Only the Coens could combine quantum theory, Jewish mysticism, Kafka-esque existentialism, and Jefferson Airplane into an absorbing and affecting film. A Serious Man is both a metaphysical mystery and an absurdist comedy and it stayed with me long after I saw it.

Robert Frankel

Mare Winningham will be among cast members of the Old Globe Theatre's world-premiere production of Duncan Sheik and Kyle Jarrow's Whisper House, a ghost-story musical, to bow in San Diego in January.

The cast of the Broadway-bound "Sondheim on Sondheim" has grown. Tom Wopat will join co-stars Barbara Cook and Vanessa Williams in the Roundabout Theatre Company production,

The "Top Chef" season finale is on tonight and we urge fans to check out the online viewing party which will have cast members Michael V, Robin, and Ash chatting live with you as the show is broadcast at 10pm on Bravo. Follow along on Bravo's Twitter feed as well as their mobile site where they will also have prize offerings etc. for all you Chefheads.
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With all the uproar over MTV's "Jersey Shore" that it's racist, etc. prompting boycotts and key advertisers to pull out, we're wondering what the West Coast equivalent would be? Does "The Hills" qualify? Not really. What series based on a regional demographic do you think would A. Make it to broadcast and B. Generate this kind of attention? Would "East LA Lowriders" ever get airtime or is the very premise racist and if that's racist how is "Jersey Shore" not racist? Your ideas/thoughts please - let's get some MTV production time here, the economy could use it what with all the requisite body waxing, tanning products, and teeth whitening for talent and all the legal representation required for the resulting assault and defamation charge.
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Amy Sedaris fans should be aware that she is guest-starring on "The New Adventures of Old Christine" tonight.
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Get your soap while you can: CBS is canceling "As The World Turns" after 54 years of airtime. The last episode will air next September.
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We saw a lot of complaints on Twitter last night about "TV critics" who gave away the winner of "The Biggest Loser". We'd seen these complaints before regarding other season finales and we'd like to dole out some advice: 1. If there is a show you like watching that you don't want spoiled then turn off Twitter three hours before the show comes on in order to avoid the East Coast spoilers; 2. If you must have Twitter/Facebook on, tell the spoilers to stop spoiling (good luck with that); 3. Stop following spoilers. You can follow us @TheTVJunkie and we promise to never spoil. We may say that a particular show episode or performer is great, or that there is a guest star on (info that regularly appears in the TV Junkie, see above for example) but we won't give away plot lines/winners/etc. - the only exception being if we are covering an event like the Emmys live.
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The TV Junkie Plan: "Living With Ed", "The New Adventures of Old Christine", "Modern Family", "Nip/Tuck", Conan (Snoop Dogg + Carl Reiner?!), Fallon (Susie Essman + Bon Jovi?!).

6:00pm Living With Ed Planet Green - Rachelle and Hayden plan a surprise party to celebrate Ed's 60th birthday.

8:00pm The New Adventures of Old Christine CBS - When Christine discovers that Ritchie has been bullying other kids, she decides to apologize to the woman she used to terrorize in school

8:00pm So You Think You Can Dance FOX - Kris Allen performs; Wonder Girls perform; two contestants are eliminated.

8:00pm L.A. Holiday Celebration 2009 PBS/KCET - Highlights of the festive performance at Dorothy Chandler Pavilion feature music and dance pieces.

8:00pm Campus PD G4 - Series Premiere. Response to a possible alcohol overdose; confrontation with a suspected vending machine vandal.

9:00pm Modern Family ABC - Claire and Phil threaten to take away Christmas when the kids get in trouble; Cameron and Mitchell take Lily to get her first picture with Santa.

9:00pm The Victoria's Secret Fashion Show The CW - Alessandra Ambrosio, Miranda Kerr, Doutzen Kroes and Marisa Miller are among lingerie models at the annual event in New York

9:00pm Glee FOX - When Quinn's secret unravels, the Glee club may not recover in time to compete for sectionals; Will makes a potentially life-changing decision.

9:00pm MythBusters Discovery - Adam and Jamie test an old gun-slinging story; Grant, Tory and Jessi test another myth from the movie "Speed."

9:30pm Cougar Town ABC - A wealthy man (Scott Foley) tries to get Jules' attention by feigning interest in an overpriced home; Ellie tries to prove that she trusts her husband.

10:00pm Nip/Tuck FX - Season Finale. Christian's debt leads him to deception; an unexpected visitor stirs different emotions for Christian and Sean

10:00pm Top Chef: Las Vegas Bravo - Season Finale: Part II The final three chefs attempt to earn the title of "Top Chef."

10:00pm The Jay Leno Show NBC - Director Quentin Tarantino; professional football player Drew Brees.

10:00pm Ramsay's Kitchen Nightmares BBC America - Gordon attempts to help turn around a family-run bistro with hideous decor, bad food and a chef who can't face up to his mistakes.

11:00pm Lopez Tonight TBS - Performance by Morrissey

11:35pm Late Show With David Letterman CBS - Actress Rachel Weisz; author Maryjean Ballner; Rob Thomas performs.

11:35pm The Tonight Show With Conan O'Brien NBC - Snoop Dogg performs; comic Carl Reiner.

12:05am Jimmy Kimmel Live ABC - Actor William Shatner; animal trainer Kristin McMillan; Jay Sean performs.

12:35am The Late Late Show With Craig Ferguson CBS - Actor Morgan Freeman; Overtone performs.

12:35am Late Night With Jimmy Fallon NBC - Comic Susie Essman; Bon Jovi performs - check out our 47min video of Jon Bon Jovi acoustic.

Several times in the past, cast members have discussed the possibility of playing themselves 19 years in the future for the epilogue to Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. MTV has a new interview online tonight with actor Tom Felton who says he has not had confirmation yet on how that scene will be handled. Quotage:

"For the big-screen adaptation, does that mean older actors will portray Harr

...

Last week, several cast members (Tom Felton, Matt Lewis, Evanna Lynch and Jessie Cave) of the Harry Potter films took part in a public signing event at HMV for the release of the Half-Blood Prince DVD in London. Emma from Snitchseeker.com was at the event and spoke to the cast members including Jessie Cave who briefly mentions her role as Lavender Brown for Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows....

The cast of the Broadway-bound "Sondheim on Sondheim" has grown.

more images more images ‘Sondheim on Sondheim’ gets more cast members NEW YORK ? The cast of the Broadway-bound “Sondheim on Sondheim” has grown. Tom Wopat will join co-stars Barbara Cook and Vanessa Williams in the Roundabout Theatre Company production, which takes a look at the composer through his music and through film and videotape interviews with him. Roundabout artistic .... Original source  : Tom Wopat among performers added to the cast of Broadway’s ‘Sondheim on Sondheim’.

http://www.felaonbroadway.com/ A provocative hybrid of concert, dance and musical theatre, FELA! features arrangements by Aaron Johnson and Antibalas with direction and choreography by Tony Award winner Bill T. Jones. Check out this exclusive behind-the-scenes video of the FELA! cast members talking about being featured on the shows marquee! Now playing at the Eugene O'Neill Theatre.

According to an unnamed "insider," Fox News is reporting that MTV has had to hire extra security for its Times Square headquarters after receiving threats about its "Guido" reality show, Jersey Shore.

After the show's Dec. 3 premiere, featuring cast members self-described as "guidos" and "guidettes," MTV staffers were reportedly the target of threats, according to Fox News.com. "The MTV building in Times Square was getting crazy threats and they are in the process of hiring more security [and] bodyguards," an insider revealed to Fox News. Those involved with the press for the show were particular targets — receiving threatening emails, abusive phone calls and even hurtful Facebook messages, says the insider. On Tuesday, a spokesperson for MTV responded to the rumors, but said everything was fine at their headquarters. He denied the insider's claim entirely, saying that the company "has not received any death threats."

MTV may be denying the threats, but an MTV staffer friend of mine mentioned them to me on Friday, long before this story broke. Dominos Pizza has pulled their ads from the series in response to complaints - others are being pressured to do the same.

It's been fairly common knowledge for awhile now that Sir Ian McKellen would be returning to the role of Gandalf in director Guillermo del Toro's two-part adaptation of J.R.R. Tolkien's classic novel, "The Hobbit." He was brilliant in the role across all three "Lord of the Rings" movies, and neither fans nor filmmakers can see anyone realistically bringing the slightly irreverent wizard to life…

0 comments Source: moviesblog.mtv.com

It's been fairly common knowledge for awhile now that Sir Ian McKellen would be returning to the role of Gandalf in director Guillermo del Toro's two-part adaptation of J.R.R. Tolkien's classic novel, "The Hobbit." He was brilliant in the role across all three "Lord of the Rings" movies, and neither fans nor filmmakers can see [...]

The cast members of the new MTV reality series "Jersey Shore." In the first moments of MTV's new reality show "Jersey Shore," cast member Paulie D explains the "guido" philosophy.

CNN has a new article online today where cast members reflect back on the beginning of their time with the Harry Potter series as well as life post Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. Of interest are comments from Dan Radcliffe who spoke about that first day for filming of Sorcerer's Stone: "It was September 29, 2000," Daniel Radcliffe, now 20, told CNN with a hint of nostalgia about his firs...

Cast members of the musical show “Glee” have signed copies of their favorite books to benefit 826LA, a youth writing group. You can bid on any of these books: Alice in Wonderland signed by Dianna Agron The Giving Tree, signed by Kevin McHale Where The Wild Things Are signed by Chris Colfer The Grouchy Ladybug signed by Chris Colfe The Lion, [...]

Source : Allie Is Wired (subscribe)

Cast members of the musical show “Glee” have signed copies of their favorite books to benefit 826LA, a youth writing group. You can bid on any of these books: Alice in Wonderland signed by Dianna Agron The Giving Tree, signed by Kevin McHale Where The Wild Things Are signed by Chris Colfer The Grouchy Ladybug signed by Chris Colfe The Lion, [...]

I was fortunate enough to attend an intimate cocktail party last Friday for Peter Jackson and some of his cast members from the upcoming film "The Lovely Bones." Poor Peter had been doing press all day and was exhausted and jet lagged, yet managed to still be gracious and friendly to all in attendance. Figuring he was tired of talking about "Lovely Bones" and "The Hobbit," I decided to ask him the question that's really on fans' minds: When can we expect a sequel to "Meet the Feebles," his 1989 comedy about a troupe of R-Rated Muppet-esque puppets. Jackson's face...

What with all the talk of nudity, I'd kind of lost track of the fact that The Saboteur has a plot-heavy story with more than one angst-filled character.

Luckily, PlayStation Blog has got me covered with a quick rundown on all the main cast members of The Saboteur (mostly spoiler-free, too — although I'd argue that it's impossible not to know about Jules before buying the game).

The character that caught my eye was Veronique, Jules' sister. Alright, I admit it — her boobs caught my eye. Just look how tight that sweater is; did they not have her size in occupied France? Anyway, after noticing her for what felt like the first time, I spent a little while trying to figure out how to pronounce her name and then realized that she's actually not the primary sex interest in the game. Color me surprised.

Check out the rest of the character rundown here.

The exhibit apparently depicts a 1930's orgy and rejected cast members from The Munsters.

Three cast members showed up. The rest went home and cried themselves to sleep.

The exhibit apparently depicts a 1930's orgy and rejected cast members from The Munsters.

The Social Network, the movie based on Aaron Sorkin’s narrative about Mark Zuckerberg and the creation of Facebook, will be released on October 15, 2010, according to ComingSoon. Columbia Pictures has set the date, which means that we’ll be seeing Justin Timberlake grace the screen as Sean Parker in just under a year’s time.

Production on The Social Network, otherwise known as the “Facebook movie,” began in October, with scenes already being shot on location in the Boston area.

There’s also already been plenty of hype surrounding the movie and its cast and crew. As you may recall, David Fincher, the movie’s director, has also directed movies like 2002’s Panic Room, and the acclaimed drama with Brad Pitt, Fight Club.

Also noteworthy is that the book that inspired the film, Accidental Billionaires, was not without its own drama when it hit bookshelves earlier in the year — many thought that the dramatic nature of the book made it more fitting for the “Fiction” section. Given the somewhat scandalous content, the allure of Facebook and its now-famous creator, the big-name director and the cast members, we expect there to be even more buzz surrounding the film as its release date approaches.

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We got some updates from Metromix on what the cast members of "Real World DC" have been up to since taping wrapped... but they forgot one! TWT's Joe Curl, who really stole the show in the MTV trailer.

In his own words:

What have I been up to since my stint on MTV's "Real World"? First, of course, a month in rehab (hard to wean myself off those body shots at the Lucky Bar). Then, I got myself an agent, who has been selling me worldwide as "That Guy Who Was on Real World For One Day -- Look! There He Is! Right There! Oh, Too Late, You Missed Him" (never hire your brother-in-law).

No, unlike the boys and girls on the show, my life immediately returned to normal -- trying to get a straight answer out of ANYONE at the White House, driving my kids all over Planet Earth and debating with my teenage daughter the merits or demerits of a nose piercing (I'm surprisingly pro-piercing -- who knew? -- but she chickened out).

Gotta' run. Heading into the confessional just now (I built one in my house -- oh, like you don't have one). I can't believe Andrew hooked up with Emily. I mean Ashley. Or was that Josh? Wait, Mike? No, Andrew and Erika. Wait, Andrew and MIKE? Oh, who knows, but I'm furious, and I'm going to vent into the camera. Next week, I'm going to put some film in it...

New Career Opportunities Daily: The best jobs in media.

George Miller may have a new Mad Max movie brewing, but before that happens he's got to finish a film that is the polar opposite of the action sequel: Happy Feet 2. (I guess it's kind of an action sequel, too.) Elijah Wood and Robin Williams are returning to the roles they voiced in the original film (Mumble and Ramon, respectively) and will do the voice work in Australia early next year. Miller again wrote the script; hopefully he gets all the dancing out of his system before making Mad Max. Actually, scratch that. I think Max could probably cut a mean rug. [THR] After the break, Andrea Savage has dinner with schmucks, and the latest on The Hobbit. Dinner for Schmucks, the Jay Roach-directed remake of French film Le Diner de Cons, already has some great cast members. Zach Galifianakis, Steve Carell and Paul Rudd are all at the table. Now ...

Spike TV has announced that The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) Season 11 will debut on March 31, 2010, and feature a 16-man roster of middleweights vying for a "six-figure contract" under the tutelage of former TUF Coaches and bitter rivals Chuck Liddell and Tito Ortiz.

Both fighters are coming off back-to-back losses and are a far cry from where they were in their respective careers during their initial run as TUF Coaches.

"The Iceman" was steering the ship opposite Randy Couture in Season 1 of the Spike TV reality show. Liddell went on to defeat "The Natural" at UFC 52 during his storied run as UFC light heavyweight champion.

Ortiz on the other hand took over the reigns for Season 3 against Ken Shamrock. "The Huntington Beach Bad Boy" defeated Shammy at UFC 61 to claim his fourth straight victory inside the Octagon.

Liddell and Ortiz have met twice under the Zuffa banner, with the icy one claiming a TKO stoppage in both encounters. While most of the heat that surrounded their feud has long since dissipated, expect a new rivalry to emerge after squaring off in Season 11 of TUF.

The middleweight cast should provide a refreshing change from the cardio-challenged heavyweights that "fought" on Season 10. Stay tuned for an announcement to reveal the cast members in the coming weeks.

Liddell and Ortiz will fight for a third time at the conclusion of the show -- but does anyone want to pay for the completion of their trilogy? Or should the two legends light up the airwaves via Spike TV?

Keep it locked in to MMAmania.com for more information and details on TUF 11 as they become available.

Lance "The Chameleon" Henriksen has been confirmed as one of the cast members of Rebellion's upcoming Aliens vs. Predator, taking on the role of Karl Bishop Weyland, a descendent of Weyland-Yutani founder Charles Bishop Weyland. This is clearly the best news of the day, if not the year. 

"They’ve made me look very good," said Lance Henriksen, "This is the first time I’ve been fully represented in a game, with my voice and how I look, and the Rebellion guys have done a great job. I might score from this game!"

Henriksen has been a huge part of the Aliens franchise, playing the android Bishop in Aliens and Alien 3, as well as his human counterpart Charles Weyland in the first Aliens vs. Predator movie. Quite what Karl Weyland is up to in AvP, we are yet to find out, but whatever it is, it's bound to be awesome. 

Because Lance Henriksen is the f*cking man!

The lead producer of the musical "Fela!" said that a "perfect storm" of injuries to its cast members resulted in the cancellation of its Sunday evening performance less than two weeks after its Broadway opening.

FL-Orlando, Our client is currently looking for a Payroll Tax Manager who has over 5 years experience with the following: • Deposit federal and state liability per requirements • Employee tax adjustments, corrections, and refunds as needed • Correspondence with tax jurisdictions • Balance and prepare quarterly/annual tax returns • Customer Service to various departments and cast members • Earnings and year-en

Former "Almost Live!" cast members and Chris Wedes - better known to some as J.P. Patches - are helping with a live radio broadcast Friday of "It's a Wonderful Life" from Town Hall in Seattle.

Source : Seattle Post-Intelligencer (subscribe)

Former "Almost Live!" cast members and Chris Wedes - better known to some as J.P. Patches - are helping with a live radio broadcast Friday of "It's a Wonderful Life" from Town Hall in Seattle.

Everyone's seen the cast members of Hideo Kojima's next "Metal Gear" game for the PSP, and now the street date for "Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker" is public information as well. Japan still gets the earliest chance to play on March 18th, and the UK gets it May 28th, but U.S. gamers will get a [...]

You should call her up. It's my understanding that Cast Members are getting 50% of...

Al Pacino will be reprising the role of Shylock in The Merchant of Venice in Central Park this summer, as part of The Public Theater's annual free Shakespeare series. (Pacino previously played Shylock in the 2004 film of The Merchant of Venice.) Daniel Sullivan (The Homecoming) will direct, while Michael Greif will helm next summer's other Shakespeare production, The Winter's Tale. According to a publicist for The Public, the two plays will be performed in repertory with the same core company of actors, though "due to a scheduling conflict with rehearsals, Pacino will only appear in The Merchant of Venice." Other cast members announced thus far include Jesse Tyler Ferguson (Solanio/Young Shepherd); Jesse L. Martin (Gratiano/Polixenes); Lily Rabe (Portia/First Gentlewoman); Ruben Santiago-Hudson as (Prince of Morocco/Leontes); and Max Wright (Old Gobbo/Old Shepherd).

Main-card winners Matt Hamill and Frankie Edgar both earned $46,000 and were top earners at this past weekend's UFC event, The Ultimate Fighter 10 Finale.

Additionally, while cast members from "TUF 10" made $8,000 to show and $8,000 to win, including show champion Roy Nelson, Kevin "Kimbo Slice" Ferguson's special contract paid him a base amount of $25,000 with no win bonus.

MMAjunkie.com recently requested and today received the list of salaries from the Nevada State Athletic Commission.

By Robert Niles: Even in December, the weather in Central Florida remains pleasant most days. But once a decade or so, a nasty cold front penetrates the state, freezing orange trees, tourists and even residents.

The morning of December 23, 1989 brought one of those fronts. With the forecast calling for temperatures to fall into the 30s that day, I put aside my Florida pride and hauled my "Northwestern" winter coat from the back of the hall closet. (That was the heavy winter coat I had worn as a student at Northwestern, just north of Chicago.) Good that I did, too. Watching other opening-shift cast members shiver in their jean jackets and sweatshirts that morning made me glad that I could put aside that I now lived in Florida, at least for this day, and dress like someone should for near-freezing temperatures.

My shift that day was to open at Tom Sawyer Island. We didn't expect much of a crowd on that Saturday, two days before Christmas. Most folks coming down for the holidays would be traveling that day, making it a tough day at the airport, but not at Walt Disney World. (Certainly no local would be fool enough to come out in this weather.)

A freeze doesn't come to Central Florida the way it arrives up north. There's no weeks-long gradual cooling into the 30s and 20s, turning the leaves and pulling warmth from the ground. Arctic air blows sharply into Florida, shrouding the still-warm waters and soil. So the Rivers of America surrounding Tom Sawyer Island weren't cooled to near-freezing temperatures. They remained in their winter upper-60s.

So what happens when you drop a blanket of Yankee winter air on top of warm Florida water?

You get fog. Lots and lots of dense fog.

Actually, the morning's fog wasn't too bad when I arrived. In fact, I could drive the Aunt Polly's crew over to the island on the raft without hassle. No, you couldn't see to the Country Bear Jamboree from the middle of the river, like you could on a clear day, but you could see from the dock on one bank to the other, which was all you really needed.

So we opened the island to a small cluster of shivering guests, stuffed into the winter coats that they also hadn't expected to be wearing in Florida. Everyone wore their shoulders around their ears that morning.

And then temperature kept dropping, down through the 30s on their way to the day's low in the mid-20s. The fog thickened. As I docked on the mainland side after my second or third crossing, I heard the riverboat's whistle. I turned to signal the riverboat clear... and couldn't see it. Nor could I see across the river to the island dock.

Lake Buena Vista, we've got a problem.

My lead called a supervisor to let them know we were going down, and learned that we weren't the only ones making the same call. Big Thunder Mountain couldn't open at all since the ride's trains kept speeding over the frozen track. The fog enveloping Tom Sawyer Island had also covered the Seven Seas Lagoon, taking down the ferryboats and forcing all guests to access the Magic Kingdom via monorail. The Jungle Cruise was down, too. As was People Mover, Dumbo and just about every other outdoor ride in the park.

But we still had about a dozen guests on the island. So the riverboat would have to dock while I ferried over a security guard to help the rest of the TSI crew clear the island. Frankly, they seemed happy to go. Half of them already had gathered on the dock for the return trip. The rest we found huddled in one of the caves, trying to stay warm.

No one stepped up to relive me of driving duties. (Gee, I wonder why?) So I got to sail blind through the muck on that final trip back to the mainland. Cocky raft drivers say that they can make the trip with their eyes closed. I got to prove it, in effect.

When we arrived, two of my friends from other attractions were waiting for me. With half the rides in the park closed, leads were giving any CM who wanted one an early release. Rather than spend the day shivering at the entrance to the TSI queue, letting people who didn't care know that they couldn't visit an island they could no longer see, I took one too.

We decided we'd go play in the park, but some place inside. So we chose the Land pavilion at Epcot, which, we would later discover, had become the most popular destination in all of Walt Disney World that day, with crowds thicker than the TSI fog.

On my over to the tunnels to change clothes and clock out, I felt something fly into my eye. I blinked, instinctually, and my brought my hand to my eye to wipe away whatever it was. But I felt the offending speck melt to water instead. Standing in the middle of Frontierland, I looked to the sky and saw... snowflakes.

It was snowing... at Walt Disney World.

Robert's Disney World cast member stories archive

Some of you may have heard about a little show that made its television debut last week: Jersey Shore. Filmed in a shore town much farther north than the ones Philadelphians usually frequent (e-hem, New York, this is your people, not ours), the show follows eight twenty-somethings in a sort of poor-man's Real World—living together, getting jobs, hooking up, drinking too much. We've seen it before, but this one has much, much worse hair and much, much oranger tans. And oh yeah, only one of the cast members is actually from New Jersey. Way to represent, MTV.

Anyway, it turns out that one of the show's cast members is named Jenni (although you might know her better as J-WOWW). The first episode proved that, if nothing else, the girl likes to show off her cleavage. And such displays have had men searching the internet for more information on the Franklin Square, NY-based temptress. Unfortunately, it seems that searching for any derivative of "Jenni" (Jenn, Jen, Jenny, Jennifer, etc.) plus "Jersey Shore" isn't pointing them to more information about the MTV starlet, but rather to former Phillyist Jen A. Miller's Down the Shore with Jen blog. Jen, who even wrote a book about the shore, has been blogging as the Jersey Shore Jen for a couple years now. But that doesn't mean that her accidental visitors care who came first. One recent commenter wrote:

Yo what the hell I thought this was a blog about the MTv show Jersey Shore... there's a chick with fake boobs on there named Jenny. you are misleading me, other Jen.

Jen, the real Jen, has been a vocal advocate for the real New Jersey over the years, taking a firm stand against other television shows that portend to represent her home state (Real Housewives, anyone?), and we agree with her. While MTV's version of the shore is entertaining in a train-wrecky sort of way, it's not the sort of place we'd like to visit. And it's not the sort of place that the many Phillyists who live or work just over the Ben Franklin Bridge would ever inhabit.

So stay strong, knowers-of-the-real-Shore. Watch the show if you must (and we'll admit to having seen more of it than we're proud of), but the next time that anyone says anything about Jenni from the Jersey Shore, correct them. It's Jen, and she's the real deal. No "Guidette" bullshit—just genuine shore love.

It's probably a really bad sign for both DC and myself that I have no idea if this is a big story, that I'm completely untethered from figuring out just how big because of a combination 18 sort-of similar efforts over the last ten years and general "this changes everything" hype resistance developed over 15 years of exposure, and that I could not with a gun to my head describe to a person asleep for the last 36 months how this isn't just the All-Star announcement except with slightly less interesting creators (your opinion may vary) and the comics bound from the beginning. The only thing I get out of this in the slightest that might be interesting is if this is a full-bore announcement they're done with the serial model and the Direct Market, that the old way of doing things sits in coach now, but my guess is they're going to have their dependable, deteriorating, revenue-generating cake and have a look at that cake "through modern eyes" as well. I mean, I know I'm not the audience, I really do. And I know the creators work hard and know way more about making comics than I do, but that picture of Alfred they show looks like the most unimaginative, obvious, catch up to it at 3 AM on Action Max, all the cast members on Oprah boring thing in the world, like if Angelina Jolie and Matt Damon had been cast in the roles of M and Felix Leiter in the Daniel Craig Bond re-jiggering. It's all in the execution, I guess.

Last week, I broke the news that CBS is reuniting 20 seasons of cast members for a Survivor reunion party that will also be part of the Television Critics Association's winter gathering. Part of that story was about how CBS is only paying expenses for season 20 cast members, so everyone else will have to pay their own way. Since then, cast members and others have suggested to me that's okay, because there's a recession... keep reading »

» read the full story and comment, or find the latest news about Survivor 20
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Several cast members of the Harry Potter films attended the British Independent Film Awards last night in London. As seen here in our galleries, Jason Isaacs (Lucius Malfoy), Rupert Grint (Ron Weasley), Bonnie Wright (Ginny Weasley), Jamie Campbell Bower (young Grindlewald, DH), Ian Hart (Prof. Quirrell) Nick Moran (Scabior, DH) were all the event. You can see a video interview with Jason Isaac...

HINESVILLE, Ga., Dec. 7 /PRNewswire/ -- The world-famous Perm Ballet from Perm, Russia is coming to Savannah, Spartanburg, Charleston, and Charlotte to perform the classical ballet Sleeping Beauty. The Perm Ballet cast members are all graduates of the Perm Vaganova School and are considered to be the third best ballet company in the world. Their connection to the St. Petersburg Vaganova School occurred when the school was evacuated to Perm from Leningrad during the siege during World War II. When the siege was lifted half of the school remained in Perm and the instructors have fiercely maintained the traditions of the famed St. Petersburg institution.

Nothing about Jon Fitch is sexy. He’s tall and lanky. He has big ears. He’s got shaggy brown hair and forgets to shave quite often.

 

His game is consistent with his appearance. He will not overwhelm you with his athleticism or dazzle you with his striking. You would also be hard pressed to find any footage of him that was highlight reel worthy.

 

Mind you these are characteristics of the consensus No. 2 ranked welterweight in the world with a career record of (20–3) with one no contest.

 

In other words, all he does is work hard to maximize his physical tools and grind out one victory after the next. Fortunately for him “sexy” is not a requirement for winning a fight.

 

It has been a long road to elite status for the 31-year-old Fitch.

 

His journey began in Ft. Wayne, IN where he was a standout on the wrestling team at Carroll High School. He then transitioned from the northeastern to the northwestern part of the state to attend college at Purdue University in West Lafayette where he was a four year letterman on the Boilermaker wrestling team.

 

Upon graduation he wanted to continue to compete in athletics and decided to try his hand at mixed martial arts. Right off the bat he had mixed results.

 

After accumulating a (4–2) record with one no contest in both the light heavyweight and middleweight divisions he remained unsatisfied and realized it was time to make a change. He was still predominantly a wrestler and needed to improve his arsenal by getting crossed trained in other martial arts like kickboxing and jiu-jitsu.

 

His solution was to pack up everything he owned and move 2,000 miles west to San Jose, CA so he could train at the world renowned American Kickboxing Academy. It was here where he ate and slept the sport and eventually turned himself into a world class, well-rounded mixed martial artist.

 

What is unfortunate is that even though he is now one of the best in the world at his craft he remains one of the most underappreciated and overlooked fighters by fans, some media pundits, and even the UFC management from time to time.

 

Even more puzzling is the fact that he always seems to be the victim of bad luck or smack dab in the middle of an unfortunate circumstance in some form or another. The guy has never caught a break in his life.

 

His uphill battle started with a phone call from an Ultimate Fighter season one producer back in 2004 when he was already well on his way to Las Vegas, NV to become a contestant on the new reality show created by the UFC that would feature up-and-coming fighters looking to make it big.

 

“I was actually at the airport waiting to get on the plane. I only had 15 minutes until boarding started. He pretty much said, ‘Sorry but we reformatted the show and we don’t have room for you so don’t get on the plane,’” said Fitch.

 

It was a hard pill to swallow as he thought he had secured the opportunity of a lifetime.

 

The Ultimate Fighter went on to be a huge success and one of the main reasons why the UFC has ascended to its current height today. It also made stars out of cast members such as Forrest Griffin, Kenny Florian, and Diego Sanchez.

 

Fitch would eventually be signed by the UFC in due time but the damage had already been done. Not being able to participate on the show was detrimental in getting his name marketed to the masses and getting respect from the fans and the UFC management.

 

According to Fitch, “Anyone who has been on The Ultimate Fighter has had a huge advantage in exposure, that’s for sure. I fought a lot of dark matches on the undercards. It was pretty much impossible for most people to have been able to watch my fighting and my progression and know anything about me.”

 

He would go relatively unnoticed before all of the sudden everyone was essentially forced to give him attention as he had rattled off eight consecutive UFC victories to tie Hall-of-Famer Royce Gracie’s all-time record.

 

This was really the first time Fitch was both introduced to the mainstream fans and had his success publically acknowledged by the UFC management.

 

He was rewarded for his impressive streak with a title shot at UFC 87 against superstar Georges St. Pierre. He lost a hard fought five round unanimous decision in his first career main event.

 

He was battered, bloodied, and bruised, but left his heart out on the canvas and earned a lot of respect in the process.

 

In his first fight back after his first career UFC loss he took on Akihiro Gono at UFC 94, but was relegated to familiar territory on the non televised undercard for the fifth time in ten career UFC fights.

 

It was a bit of a slight to the veteran Fitch but certainly no shock to those who have followed his career. He defeated Gono via unanimous decision to return to his winning ways.

 

Things would only get a bit more peculiar in his next fight against Paulo Thiago at UFC 100. The fight was scheduled to be on the main card, however, due to time constraints it actually took place after the main event between Brock Lesnar and Frank Mir when the Mandalay Bay Events Center was nearly half empty.

 

“It was kind of hard to get warmed up and mentally ready to go and then right as you are about ready to walk out for your fight they tell you no. It is a part of being the swing bout but it was the first time that it actually happened. It did trip me mentally. If I would have fought more composed I think I could have finished the fight,” said Fitch.

 

He ended up recording another unanimous decision victory that night but his bad luck did not end there. For his next fight he was scheduled to face Ricardo Almeida at UFC 106, however, Almeida had to withdraw due to a knee injury.

 

A fight with Thiago Alves at UFC 107 was then confirmed. That was until Alves had to withdraw with a knee injury of his own.

 

Finally, after nearly five months without a fight he will remain on the UFC 107 card and take on Mike Pierce on December 12 instead of waiting a few more months to fight in a more high profile matchup against Alves once he had regained his health.

 

“I’m a fighter. I want to fight. I don’t like the idea of fighting a couple times a year. If I had it my way I would fight four times a year easily. They have so many guys and only so many cards. Then you have injuries and stuff that screw things up. I’m not sitting around and waiting for a fight,” said Fitch.

 

Pierce may be a relative newcomer to the UFC having only one fight under his belt and it could potentially be a trap fight for Fitch. This is exactly why he is refusing to take him lightly.

 

“He’s a tough guy. He beat Brock Larson. (UFC matchmaker) Joe Silva sees he’s a tough opponent so I want to fight him. I’ll treat him just like I was fighting for the title. I’m not picking and choosing guys like a lot of other guys in my weight class are saying they want bigger names. I’m here to fight. I’ll fight anybody, any day, wherever.” said Fitch.

 

It will simply be one more stepping stone on his path back to the welterweight summit that is still being patrolled by long time champion Georges St. Pierre. If given the opportunity again in the future Fitch has different plans this time around.

 

“I have a little bit of a different strategy. I’m a different fighter. I’ve sealed up a lot of the holes in my game. I’ve done a lot of work in order to become a better athlete. I’ve gotten a lot faster with my agility and my speed. Everything is on a new level. I’m not who I was when I fought him,” said Fitch.

 

Although he may deal with his fair share of bad fortune, get ignored by fans time and time again, and even endure the occasional slight from the UFC management he remains steadfast in his quest to become a champion.

 

All he has to do is continue to do what he has always done; outwork his opponents both in training camp and in the cage and let the rest take care of itself.

 

After all, a shiny new UFC championship belt would look mighty sexy around his waist one day.

 

 

Derek Bolender is a freelance writer/contributor to CBSSports.com and MMAmania.com in addition to BleacherReport.com. Follow him at Twitter.com/DerekMMAwriter and Facebook.com/Derek.Bolender.