Olbermann on NBC
“Countdown With Keith Olbermann” the highly rated cable news program, will be shown on network television on Sunday before a preseason NBC football game between the Philadelphia Eagles and the Pittsburgh Steelers. Since Mr. Olbermann will have a regular role in NBC’s football coverage once the season begins — appearing as a co-host on the pregame show “Football Night in America” on Sundays — this weekend’s appearance of his cable show will give a wider audience a look at what he has been up for the last four years. “ ‘Countdown’ is rocketing right now over at MSNBC — its ratings are going through the roof,” said Phil Griffin, senior vice president of NBC News. (In July Mr. Olbermann’s show averaged 721,000 viewers, an increase of 88 percent over last July, according to MSNBC.) Mr. Griffin added, “The world has changed, and I think people have come in line with the smart, focused approach he has on the show.” No immediate plans for additional network appearances of “Countdown” have been made, but Mr. Griffen did not rule them out. “It may be the first of several times you see Olbermann on the network,” he said.
‘Superbad’ Aces It
The teenage sex comedy “Superbad,” from Sony Pictures, scored at the box office over the weekend. The film, starring Michael Cera and Jonah Hill as high school friends trying to buy alcohol for a party, took in an estimated $31.2 million, placing it well ahead of all competitors, according to figures released by Media by Numbers, a box office tracking firm. Last week’s top movie, “Rush Hour 3” (New Line), slipped to second place with $21.8 million, bringing its cumulative take to $88.1 million. “The Bourne Ultimatum” (Universal) came in third with $19 million, bringing its total take up to $163.8 million in three weeks. “The Simpsons Movie” (Fox) dropped 41 percent and one spot from last week, coming in fourth with $6.7 million, which makes its total $165.1 million after four weeks in theaters. And No. 5 was “The Invasion,” the sci-fi picture from Warner Brothers starring Nicole Kidman and Daniel Craig; an update of “Invasion of the Body Snatchers,” it opened with $6 million at the weekend box office.
Ms. Rowling Is Up to Something
The Sunday Times of London reported that J. K. Rowling is working on a new book, a detective novel, and has been spotted in action at an Edinburgh cafe. The newspaper’s source would know a thing or two about sleuthing: It was Ian Rankin, the novelist who created the fictional Scottish police official Detective Inspector John Rebus 20 years ago. (He most recently wrote about Rebus this year in “The Naming of the Dead.”) Mr. Rankin told a reporter that his wife had spotted her. “It is great that she has not abandoned writing or Edinburgh cafes,” he said. Ms. Rowling initially worked on her Harry Potter stories in cafes when she was a struggling single mother trying to save on her heating bills.
Abraham and Albee
F. Murray Abraham is to star in a double bill of one-acts by Edward Albee at the Cherry Lane Theater (cherrylanetheatre.com) in the spring, in a production timed to coincide with Mr. Albee’s birthday. If his schedule allows it, Mr. Albee will direct. The production is part of the theater’s Heritage Series, which presents revivals of shows that started out at the Cherry Lane. (Amiri Baraka’s “Dutchman” was the past season’s offering.) Mr. Abraham will play the character of Daddy in both “The American Dream” and “The Sandbox,” which were produced at the Cherry Lane in 1961 and 1962. Previews begin March 4, and the opening night is set for March 18.
Bon Jovi’s Openers
My Chemical Romance, Big & Rich, Gretchen Wilson, Daughtry and the All-American Rejects will each have two chances to be the opening act for Bon Jovi when these New Jersey rockers perform a 10-concert series to mark the grand opening of the $375 million Prudential Center in Newark. The new arena, which will be home to the New Jersey Devils hockey team as well as Seton Hall University’s basketball team and a variety of concerts and other events, will officially open on Oct. 25 with the first Bon Jovi concert. My Chemical Romance will open that night and the following. The full schedule is at prucenter.com.
Coming to City Center
The National Theater of Greece will return to City Center in the fall with a six-performance run of Sophocles’ “Electra,” directed by the Olivier Award-winning director Peter Stein, who staged last year’s acclaimed London production of “Blackbird,” by David Harrower. “Electra” will be the company’s first appearance in the United States under its new artistic director, Yannis Houvardas, who took over the leadership position following the death of Nikos Kourkoulos in January. Performances at City Center (nycitycenter.org) will run Oct. 10 to 14. ... Pennsylvania Ballet (paballet.org) will visit New York this fall for the first time in more than 20 years, appearing at City Center Nov. 14 to 18 with a mixed repertory program comprised of works by George Balanchine, Val Caniparoli and Matthew Neenan.
Be Very Afraid
“Nightmare: Ghost Stories,” a haunted house inspired by actual paranormal experiences, will take over the Clemente Soto Vélez Cultural Center on the Lower East Side from Sept. 28 through Nov. 3. The event, presented by the entertainment company Psycho Clan and created and directed by Timothy Haskell, is a follow-up to last year’s popular “Nightmare: Face Your Fear,” which was based on the worst fears of New Yorkers who responded to an online poll. This time Mr. Haskell and Chip Meyrelles, the executive director of Psycho Clan, have increased the size of the house to 23 rooms from 13, each featuring a different cause for alarm. New this year will be the Maze — a scary labyrinth designed to freak out even the most intrepid navigator. For tickets and a behind-the-scenes look: hauntedhousenyc.com.
Footnotes
Shawn Klush of Pittston, Pa., was named the “ultimate Elvis tribute artist” on Friday in the first tournament of Elvis impersonators held by Elvis Presley Enterprises, The Associated Press reported. The contest, in Memphis, was part of Elvis Week 2007 for the 30th anniversary of his death. ... While Sutton Foster (“The Drowsy Chaperone”) appears in Mel Brooks’s “Young Frankenstein” this fall as Inga, the sexy lab assistant, her brother will appear in the new Off Broadway musical “Frankenstein.” Hunter Foster has signed on to play the mad scientist in the more serious production, based on the 1818 novel. It begins previews at 37 Arts on Oct. 10.
