News Brief

DEEP SOAP: Recycle, Reuse, Repurpose
Sara A. Bibel blogs: "Fellow children of the 80s might remember the “clip show.” You’d tune in to what you thought was a new episode of your favorite sit-com, only to find that it consisted of the characters sitting around a table and reminiscing as segues into clips from past episodes. I’m not sure why they existed. Why not just show a repeat? I assumed they were relegated to the television scrap heap along with laugh tracks, especially since the internet is a treasure trove of clips. Like leggings and neon colors, the clip show is back. Monday’s episode of DAYS OF OUR LIVES consisted of a brief conversation between Phillip (Jay Kenneth Johnson) and Nicole (Arianne Zuker) as an excuse to re-air virtually the entire black-and-white film noir episodes that originally aired during the Olympics -- just a few short weeks ago. Is the show so broke after paying off all the writers it fired before their contracts expired that they decided to redress an old episode to save production costs?"

ED MARTIN: A Descent into Prime Time: 90210 and GOSSIP GIRL
"Regardless of one’s sensitivities, which can’t be very sensitive if one regularly consumes American media, The CW these days has much to celebrate. The 2008-09 season hasn’t even started yet and the network has already blasted out of the gate with two improbable wins."

Charles Schoonmaker: Costume drama
There’s no better place to fall in love than Florence, Italy, especially the romantic version of it seen in the hit Broadway musical "The Light in the Piazza." Speakeasy Stage brings the tale of young love to the Boston Center for the Arts this weekend, with an elegant staging that’s brought down to earth, in part, by the meticulous costumes of Charles Schoonmaker, two-time Emmy winner for his work on AS THE WORLD TURNS and ANOTHER WORLD.

BC/EFA Announces Complete List of Celebrities at Photo Booths
Broadway Cares/ Equity Fights AIDS is pleased to announce the stars at this year’s Celebrity Photo Booths as part of the 22ND ANNUAL BROADWAY FLEA MARKET & GRAND AUCTION which will be held this Sunday, September 21 from 10 AM – 7 PM in Shubert Alley (225 West 45th Street).

Starting at 11 AM: Van Hansis and Jake Silbermann from “As The World Turns.” Hansis and Silberman play the show’s much talked about on-screen gay couple. $40

Susan Lucci DANCING WITH THE STARS preview
"She's in her 60s. She will soon tape her 10,000 episode of ALL MY CHILDREN. She's sprightly and funny, and with partner Tony Davolani, she will be elegant. Latin dances will be her downfall. Her fans will keep her in the competition longer than her footwork."