Private Practice

I’m always amazed at how busy the actors from Private Practice are even when the show is in production. Now that it’s on a “hiatus” of sorts due to the writer’s strike, the actors have remained just as busy.

Taye Diggs has been doing some good deeds of the victims of Katrina of late, but that doesn’t stop him from using his acting muscles as well. According to a rumor in Vanity Fair, Diggs might just be be starring in the upcoming Chicago 7 directed by Steven Spielberg along with Sacha Baron Cohen and Philip Seymour Hoffman. Well, Mr. Speilberg… HELLO.

Roma Torre from NY1 News is praising Audra McDonald’s work in 110 in the Shade, calling it “phenomenal.” McDonald IS a talented actress. Even if she is the wrong Naomi.

But I digress!

Here’s her belting out “Simple Little Things” on The View a few months back. I think she’s talented, no doubt, but her performance on was a little too over the top. Yeah, yeah, I know Broadway IS over the top… but her voice is just too… much like watching an obnoxious kid sing “Silver Bells” on Christmas. (Like a certain cousin of mine who used to think she was Barbara Friggin Streisand. You know who you are.)

KaDee Strickland and Paul Adelstein, meanwhile, are supporting the striking writers by their participation in “Diversity Day.” Check out Adelstein’s bearded up face – the typical “I’m out of work” sign for any actor.

Speaking of which… when’s that writer’s strike gonna come to an end already?

actors from Private Practice, Taye Diggs, Chicago 7, directed by Steven Spielberg, Sacha Baron Cohen and Philip Seymour Hoffman, 110 in the Shade, KaDee Strickland, Paul Adelstein, Diversity Day, writer’s strike

What are the Private Practice stars doing over the holidays?

Kate Walsh started hers by attending Katherine Heigl’s wedding to Josh Kelley[/tag]. The Grey’s girl and her musical beau tied the knot December 23rd in Utah. (Heigl is pictured with Kelley here at the Troubador in L.A. back in October.)

The wedding was apparently low-key, with only a few celebs in attendance. Besides Walsh, T.R. Knight and Sandra Oh, and Justin Chambers were in attendance. According to OK! Magazine, the bride dashed down the aisle in an Oscar de la Renta gown. White, of course. The two lovebirds also wrote their own vows. Awwww……

Heigl met Kelley on the set of his video “Only You” where she played the object of his affection. Here’s a peak for all you folks that haven’t seen it yet:

Tip for all aspiring musicians: If there’s a particular girl you’’e digging, just invite her to do a music video. No actress can resist this, and when you sing to her it automatically makes her fall for you.

Wonder if our girl Kate gave Kat any tips on marriage? How to have your photograph snapped at the grocery store, perhaps? Or how to smooch in public with your new hubby?

While Kate attends weddings and helps promote Private Practice elsewhere in the world, Audra McDonald is working on Broadway projects and waiting for the writers strike to end so she can return to work at Private Practice.

McDonald is quite a talented Broadway actress, and if you haven’t had a chance to see her yet, check out this clip from the Rise and Fall of the City of Mahagonny where she actually sings opera.

Amazing.

Playbill reports that McDonald will once again reprise her role in A Raisin in the Sun (that’s the one she did with P.Diddy) on February 25. This one will be for TV. Where will it air? ABC… of course.

Private Practice, Kate Walsh, T.R. Knight, Sandra Oh, Justin Chambers, Oscar de la Renta gown, own vows, on the set of his video, tips on marriage, Audra McDonald, Rise and Fall of the City of Mahagonny, A Raisin in the Sun, P.Diddy

I’m always amazed at how prolific the stars of Private Practice are in regards to other acting projects. We’ve got KaDee Strickland currently starring in American Gangster, Amy Brenneman starring in The Jane Austen Book Club, and Audra McDonald doing all kinds of stage work. McDonald’s current project, A Raisin in the Sun (the made-for-TV-movie based on the play), will be screened at the Sundance Film Festival in January. A Raisin in the Sun has an awesome cast. Besides McDonald, it stars Phylicia Rashad, Sean Patrick Thomas, and Sean Combs (that’s P. Diddy to you and me.) McDonald and Combs are the ones pictured, as if I needed to tell you that. Incidentally, Combs is in the part originally played by Sidney Poitier.

Astonishing, ain’t it?

Speaking of the Sundance Film Festival, this year’s “theme” (of sorts) is “films that explore individual ways of coping with a distressed world.” Bet you didn’t realize there WAS that many films that explore ways of coping with a distressed world, did you? Bet you didn’t realize the world was that distressed.

Well, I didn’t either. But another one of the films featured is Downloading Nancy starring none other than Private Practice girl Amy Brenneman. Brenneman plays Carol in the film (not Nancy, alas). Downloading Nancy is about an unhappy wife that meets a guy over the Internet and orders him to kill her, but then the two of them…. wait for it…. fall in love. (You knew I was going to say that, didn’t you?)

Downloading Nancy also stars Rufus Sewell (pictured – yum), Jason Patric, and Maria Bello.

(Sewell, Brenneman, Bello, and Patric are pictured here.)

stars of Private Practice, other acting projects, KaDee Strickland, American Gangster, Amy Brenneman, The Jane Austen Book Club, Audra McDonald, A Raisin in the Sun, made-for-TV-movie, Sundance Film Festival, Combs is in the part, coping with a distressed world, Downloading Nancy, unhappy wife, meets a guy over the Internet

Audra McDonald, a known Broadway singer and actress in addition to her role on Private Practice, will headline the upcoming Virginia Arts Festival in spring of 2008. McDonald will headline along with opera star Kathleen Battle.

I’m still trying to get used to the idea of “Naomi” singing and dancing. (She’s pictured here performing “Raunchy” from “110 in the Shade.”)

The character (at least) looks extremely serious. I can’t imagine her breaking out into song. The paper goes on to say that McDonald, “whose repertoire ranges from Mozart to spirituals, has a May 1 date in the Harrison Opera House in Norfolk” and that she earned three Tony Awards before she turned 30.

Impressive. But still, it makes me wonder why producers would cast her at all? The more I know about the actress, the more she seems ill fitted for this role. Are we supposed to judge an actor by his or her past professions and abilities? No. But when a viewer winds up doing that I think it speaks to their ability as an actor.

For example, I don’t see “Joe” from Wings when Tim Daly is being Dr. Pete. Nor do I see “Amy Grey” from Judging Amy when Amy Brenneman is hanging with the other Oceanside doc’s. I think the issue of McDonald in such a central role may serve to hinder the show. She’s the first character that is ringing “untrue” to me. I don’t believe her as BFF to Addison. I don’t believe her as being married to Sam. I certainly don’t get Dell having a thing for her. (I did with Merrin Dungey.) But I’m sure producers had a good reason (that falls somewhere into the realm of “creative”) for why they recast the role. I just wish they hadn’t done it with McDonald.

Audra McDonald, Broadway, Private Practice, Virginia Arts Festival, recasting naomi bennett, audra mcdonald replaces, merrin dungey out, changing out actors

In viewing the pilot for Private Practice, I was surprised to see that Audra McDonald had replaced Merrin Dungey as the character of Naomi Bennett. I’d become a fan of Dungey’s while seeing her on The King of Queens, although I know she’s also done work on Alias, Malcolm in the Middle, The West Wing, Summerland, Curb Your Enthusiasm, Seinfeld and Friends, amoung others.

Don’t get me wrong, both are fine actresses, but I really thought Merrin Dungey was a better fit. McDonald, though only a year older than Dungey, appears much older on screen. I cannot picture her married to Taye Diggs’ character nor can I see the character of Dell swooning over her. I can, however, see that with Dungey. More than that, I don’t see a real BFF connection with Kate Walsh’s character and McDonald.

The only thing studio exec’s have said about the switch is that is for “creative reasons.” Which is the same as saying, “We’re not telling.” Here’s a peek at the original credits for Private Practice, showing Dungey in the cast:

Audra McDonald, Merrin Dungey, Naomi Bennett, The King of Queens, Taye Diggs, Dell, BFF, replacing Merrin Dungey, Audra McDonald joins Private Practice, onscreen chemistry, changes with Private Practice