Piper Perabo News

Piper Perabo has been tapped as the lead in USA Network's spy thriller "Covert Affairs."

The project, which has been quietly casting two major roles for the past month, hasn't received a firm pilot order, but a green light is expected within a couple of weeks.

Written by Matt Corman and Chris Ord, "Affairs" centers on Annie Walker (Perabo), a CIA trainee who speaks six languages and excels at any endeavor she undertakes.

More info when it becomes available.

Story from Hollywood Reporter July 2, 2009

See the pretty Piper in this preview for the movie Carriers which opens September 4, 2009.

Photo will follow as soon as Topix gets the "bug" fixed.

Reasons Star Perabo and Walker Join Cast of Unspeakable Reading

By Playbill (Andrew Gans)

22 Jun 2009

As previously reported, Peoria Stroker and OBC DreamTheatre in association with Mike Muse and Minna Mae Productions will present a by-invitation-only reading of the new play Unspeakable June 25 in Manhattan.

Directed by Rod Gailes, the reading of Gailes and James Murray Jackson, Jr.'s play will be presented at 7 PM at Studio 3A at the New 42nd StreetSM Studios.

Loretta Devine, who created the role of Lorrell Robinson in the original Broadway production of Dreamgirls, will be featured in a cast that also includes Paris Campbell, Michelle Wilson and James Murray Jackson, Jr.

Newly announced for the reading are recent Reasons to Be Pretty star Piper Perabo and actor Pernell Walker.

Unspeakable, according to press notes, "is an unflinching ride through the emotional landscape of iconic comedic legend Richard Pryor. Growing up in a Peoria brothel, where his mother toiled as a prostitute that his grandmother owned and operated, Richard faced situations that forever shaped and scarred his sensitive soul. Coping with the reality of being born into the life, his imagination allows him to escape and ultimately leads him to comedy. Experience his rise to superstardom in the shadow of Bill Cosby and his blazingly self-destructive love affair with cocaine….and Jennifer."

Loretta Devine has also been seen on Broadway in Hair, A Broadway Musical, Comin' Uptown and Big Deal. Among her more recent screen credits are "Eli Stone," "Boston Public," "Boston Legal" and "Ally McBeal."

Studio 3A at the New 42nd StreetSM Studios is located in Manhattan at 229 West 42nd Street.

Industry folk interested in attending the reading should contact unspeakableonbroadway@gmail.com.

The producers of Neil LaBute's Reasons To Be Pretty, have announced the production will end its Broadway run at the Lyceum Theatre on June 14th. A show spokesperson reported the news, a full announcement will be made shortly.

Marin Ireland, Steven Pasquale, Piper Perabo and Thomas Sadoski star in the four-person play, directed by Terry Kinney.

This year, Reasons To Be Pretty was nominated for 3 Tony Awards, including Best Play, 2 Outer Critics Circle Awards, including Outstanding New Broadway Play, 3 Drama League Awards, including Distinguished Production of a Play and 4 Drama Desk Awards,including Outstanding Play.

Maybe we should call June 7, 2009 Piper Perabo night. We caught a glimpse of the pretty Piper in the audience before she took the stage as a presenter and then we were privileged to see more of her as she presented a clip of her play, reasons to be pretty.

If you are lucky enough to have a dvr, or tivo, or something that can catch a show you have to miss then hopefully you got the episode of Law & Order: CI that Piper was in (it was on the same time as the Tony Awards show was airing). If you didn't get a chance to watch or record that episode, the USA channel does re-run current episodes quite often. If at all possible, catch Piper in the episode titled, "Folie a Deux". It is just more proof of what a very good actress she is - the chameleon.

The date for Piper's episode of Law & Order: CI is set for June7, 2009 at 9 p.m. eastern. As luck would have it, that is also the date of the Tony Awards in which she will be a presenter. The episode should re-broadcast twice, later that night which will actually be June 8 at 12:00 a.m. and the following night at 12:35 a.m. These will be on the USA network.

The title of the episode is "Folie a Deux" and Piper plays a Cornell graduate who is a stay-at-home mom named Calista Warner.

Presenters for the 63rd Annual Antoinette Perry "Tony" Awards were announced May 26.

Presenters will not only introduce the evening's various performances, but will also present the Tony Awards to the winners in each of the 27 competitive categories.

Those currently scheduled to present are Lucie Arnaz, Kate Burton, Kristin Chenoweth, Jeff Daniels, Hope Davis, Edie Falco, Will Ferrell, Carrie Fisher, Jane Fonda, Hallie Foote, James Gandolfini, Lauren Graham, Colin Hanks, Marcia Gay Harden, Nicole Kidman, Anne Hathaway, Jessica Lange, Frank Langella, Angela Lansbury, Audra McDonald, David Hyde Pierce, Piper Perabo, Oliver Platt, Susan Sarandon, Kevin Spacey, John Stamos and Chandra Wilson.

As previously announced, Neil Patrick Harris will host the June 7 ceremony at Radio City Music Hall

Piper Perabo had a "family" reunion this last Saturday, May 16. Her Cheaper by the Dozen sister played by Hilary Duff made a visit backstage after Piper's play, reasons to be pretty.

Julianna Margulies Hosts Reasons To Be Pretty Talkback

BROADWAY MAGAZINE – With Tony Nominations in hand, including one for Best Play, reasons to be pretty is continuing to conduct post-show talkbacks about the production. On Sunday, celebrated actress Julianna Margulies will host the discussion which will also include the entire cast.

Actors Thomas Sadoski and Marin Ireland also received Tony Nominations. In total, reasons to be pretty was nominated for 3 Tony Awards, 2 Outer Critics Circle Awards, including Outstanding New Broadway Play, 3 Drama League Awards, including Distinguished Production of a Play and 4 Drama Desk Awards, including Outstanding Play.

“THE BEST NEW BROADWAY PLAY OF THE SEASON. Tight, tense and emotionally true. Neil LaBute is America’s great chronicler of the unbridgeable chasm of the sexes.” –Richard Zoglin, Time”

A REAL LOVE STORY. Wonderfully acted with the freshest, most illuminating dialogue anywhere.” –Ben Brantley, The New York Times”

Unquestionably, reasons to be pretty is a HIGHLIGHT OF THE SEASON.” –Michael Kuchwara, Associated Press”

FEROCIOUSLY FUNNY!” –John Simon, Bloomberg News”

No contemporary writer has more astutely captured the brutality in everyday conversation and behavior than Neil LaBute.” –Elysa Gardner, USA Today

Neil LaBute, Terry Kinney and reasons to be pretty Cast to Appear at Borders Columbus Circle

Playwright Neil LaBute, director Terry Kinney and cast members of the Broadway production of reasons to be pretty will discuss the work at Borders Columbus Circle at 5pm on Saturday, May 9.

The work, now at the Lyceum Theatre, stars Marin Ireland, Steven Pasquale, Piper Perabo, and Thomas Sadoski. It concerns Greg (Sadoski), a factory worker whose life is thrown into turmoil when he makes an offhand remark about his girlfriend's face. The play has been nominated for numerous Drama Desk and Outer Critics Circle Awards.

For more information, call 212-823-9775.

Theater News By: Brian Scott Lipton · May 2, 2009 · New York

(can't promise Piper's appearance but you shouldn't take a chance and miss it)

The Tony Awards Administration Committee met on May 1 to discuss eligibility for the final 17 Broadway productions of the season. The Tony Award nominations will be announced at 8:30am on Tuesday, May 5. The awards will be presented at 8pm on Sunday, June 7 at Radio City Music Hall and aired live on CBS-TV.

...On the acting side Thomas Sadoski will be eligible as a Leading Actor in a Play for reasons to be pretty, while Marin Ireland, Piper Perabo, and Steven Pasquale will all be Final 2009 Eligibility Rulings Announced place in the Featured category; Brian Dennehy will be considered eligible as a Featured Actor for Desire Under the Elms, while Pablo Schreiber and Carla Gugino are eligible as Leading Actor and Actress; and David Hyde Pierce will be considered in the Leading Actor category for Accent on Youth, with the remainder of the cast eligible in the Featured category. ...

For more information, visit www.TonyAwards.com.

(taken from Theater News By: Dan Bacalzo · May 1, 2009 · New York)

Thank you to Piperperabobo myspace page.

reasons to be pretty adds Monday performances to Broadway schedule

Neil LaBute’s reasons to be pretty, which includes Piper Perabo as Carly, will add Monday night performances to its current schedule beginning on 4/27/09.

The show’s new schedule will now play as follows: Monday at 8pm, Tuesday at 7pm, Wednesday at 2pm and 8pm, no performances Thursdays and a standard weekend schedule. Reasons to be Pretty is now running at the Lyceum Theatre, having opened to critical acclaim at the venue on April 2, directed by Terry Kinney.

info provided by Broadway.com

--New wave addicts that is. If you are missing out on this year's crop of Broadway shows because you cannot let that cell phone out of your hand, you are in luck. Not only can you leave it in your secure and reassuring palm - you can leave it on! (at least for a little while)

Running counter to conventional wisdom, audiences are encouraged to turn ON their cell phones prior to the performance to participate in a social experiment by texting ‘pretty' to a special phone number. They are then given the opportunity to rate themselves - and the person sitting next to them - on a scale of 1 to 10 (from Carrot Top to Angelina Jolie). Results from that performance's participants are texted back at intermission and are posted online.

Check www.reasonstobepretty.com to find how last night's audience rated themselves... and each other.(NYC Theater blog)

CARRIERS - written and directed by Alex and David Pastor, will hit theaters September 4 of this year. No doubt the movie's placement in the post-summer date has to do with the fact that it stars Chris Pine of the sure-to-be-a-blockbuster STAR TREK remake, as one of four friends trekking across the country to escape a viral pandemic; Piper Perabo, Christopher Meloni, Emily VanCamp and Lou Taylor Pucci also star.

Sordid Things - Premiere

Its About the Film. (which happens to have Piper Perabo in the cast).

Andrew Bloomenthal's debut film, "Sordid Things," receives its world premiere Saturday April 18, 2009 at the Boston International Film Festival.

Be here - AMC Loews Boston Common, 175 Tremont St., Boston at 6pm

Coyote Ugly Star Makes Broadway Debut

Remember Piper Perabo? She was the star of "Coyote Ugly" nine years ago.

Perabo — who lives in New York’s Lower East Side and comes from Tom’s River, New Jersey—has worked steadily over the years, but not in what you’d call quality projects. That is, until now. She made her theater — forget Broadway — debut last night in Neil LaBute’s "Reasons to Be Pretty." And to put it mildly, she’s sensational as Carly, a cop who starts out has hard hearted but winds up winning over the main character — who’s not her best friend — and the audience.

Perabo is one of many surprises in "Reasons to Be Pretty." That’s because so far, Neil LaBute’s work has been pretty psycho, and has always left you feeling a little sick. He’s the king of misogyny for one thing, and the results are never happy.

None of the actors — with the possible exception of Perabo — has any name recognition, so bringing them to Broadway was a risk. But it works, and this foursome is just as riveting as the star group in "God of Carnage." You don’t want to miss them.

The cast had plenty of support in the audience last night—in fact, there was applause between scene changes from fellow actors like Edie Falco, Bobby Cannavale, Frank Whaley, Amber Tamblyn, Gretchen Mol, Mol’s husband, director Tod Williams ("Door in the Floor"), plus Rory Culkin and Kieran Culkin, Jackie Hoffman, Idina Menzel and Taye Diggs and so on. Tovah Feldshuh even came over after finishing her performance in "Irena’s Vow" to congratulate the cast.

Piper Perabo — a beautiful blonde, by the way — is over the moon. She’s resurrected her career. How did she get the part? There’s a simple answer: "I auditioned for it." It’s really the first time she’d ever been on a stage. She will be nominated for Supporting or Featured Actress in a Play for the Tonys. I predict all four of these actors have surprised everyone on Broadway this morning. Isn’t that nice?

In her long-awaited Broadway debut, Piper Perabo proves she's much more than just devastatingly pretty.

Pay no attention to Piper Perabo's looks. She is, of course, lovely. But to fix on her beauty is to miss the point. Such is the message of Neil LaBute's two-act provocation, reasons to be pretty, which, after an acclaimed Off Broadway run last summer, recently made a splash on Broadway. In a cast of four, Perabo plays Carly, the "pretty" girl, whose husband dismantles her self-confidence by running around on her.

For Perabo, 32 and a former college theater major, this war-of-the-sexes drama was a long-delayed debut. "I moved here because I thought I was going to be a stage actor," she says. Landing the lead in 2000's Coyote Ugly changed her focus to film. But after appearing in interesting if overlooked indies, plus a critical misfire or two (The Cave?), she returned to plan A. Perabo welcomes the challenge. After all, she is a woman of substance, the sort who assesses the contents of your bookshelves when she is invited over. ("It's one of those inappropriate things, like pinging glass to see if it's crystal.") She can't help herself; growing up the daughter of an English professor in a New Jersey shore town, Perabo was a precocious reader, plucking Lolita off the shelf at thirteen. "It felt like contraband," she says.

Miles Davis, Thelonious Monk, Cannonball Adderley: These are Perabo's favorite artists, plus a little Belle and Sebastian—all, mind you, on vinyl. "Side 1 of Kind of Blue? That's a thing, you know? That's a concept." She recently threw herself a birthday party in her East Village apartment with an LP-only sound track. "If you've had it with Bitches Brew, someone has to get up and turn it off."

Alongside her records and wall-to-wall books, Perabo's apartment displays her early forays into art collecting (Basquiat, Graciela Iturbide, Ryan McGinley). With breezy sophistication, she offers critical assessments of the latest New York museum shows, the pace of gentrification on the Lower East Side, and where to get the best pickled herring in the city (Russ & Daughters).

The New York Times Thurs, Mar 19,'09 (ArtsBeat)

Culture News and Views March 18, 2009

Matinee Performance of ‘reasons to be pretty’ Reinstateed

Saturday’s matinee of “reasons to be pretty,” Neil LaBute’s debut play on Broadway, is back on after the producers initially canceled it — along with matinees Wednesday and last Sunday — because the director and one of the actors had television commitments that conflicted with rehearsal time.

Director Terry Kinney and the actor Steven Pasquale had to deal with changes in their television shooting schedules that cut into rehearsal time for the play, which is now in previews. The producers of the show said in a statement that the Saturday matinee would now be reinstated; no explanation was provided.

People who had purchased tickets for the matinees today and last Sunday can exchange their tickets at the point of purchase. The show’s opening night remains April 2.

By Patrick Healy