Stewart, McKellen will wait together
Serious theater fans have a reason to suddenly freak out: Ian McKellen and Patrick Stewart will team up on Broadway this fall in two of the most iconic plays of the 20th century.
Producers announced Thursday that Stewart and McKellen will star in Harold Pinter’s “No Man’s Land” and Samuel Beckett’s “Waiting for Godot” which will play in repertoire under the direction of Sean Mathias. The Broadway theater and performance dates will be announced later.
Stewart, 72, and McKellen, 73, first worked together in 1977 in Tom Stoppard’s “Every Good Boy Deserves Favour.” They’ve also starred in the “X-Men” movie franchise as Professor Xavier and Magneto.
Christie has ultimate Facebrook friend
Facebook’s CEO has friended New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie again. Mark Zuckerberg will host a fundraiser for Christie next month at his home in Palo Alto, Calif.
The young tech billionaire and the Republican governor teamed up in 2010 when Zuckerberg pledged to donate $100 million to Newark’s public schools, which are under state control. Christie said Thursday his relationship with Zuckerberg has turned into a friendship over the last three years.
“He picked up the phone unsolicited and asked what he could do to help,” the governor said. “He offered to do a fundraiser.”
Abrams to helm next ‘Star Wars’ entry
Another universe of sci-fi fans has been put in the hands of J.J. Abrams.
According to multiple trade reports, Abrams is set to direct the next installment of “Star Wars,” which Disney has said will be “Episode 7” and due out in 2015. Disney bought “Star Wars” maker Lucasfilm last month for $4.06 billion.
The Emmy-award-winning director of the TV show “Lost” also captained the reboot of “Star Trek” for rival studio Paramount Pictures, with the next installment in that series, “Star Trek: Into Darkness,” set to hit theaters May 17.
The birthday bunch
Actor Dean Jones is 82. Actress Leigh Taylor-Young is 68. Actress Dinah Manoff is 55. Actress Christine Lakin is 34. Rhythm-and-blues singer Alicia Keys is 32. Actor Michael Trevino is 28.