Mario Cimarro to Star in the Historical Scripted Drama Series “Coolie”

Posted on November 28, 2023 by Tom Castaneda

Mario Cimarro is preparing to set sail on a new project…

The 52-year-old Cuban actor has joined the cast of historical scripted drama series Coolie, produced by Meileen Choo’s Singapore-based Cathay Film Company.

Inspired by the little-known history of enslaved Chinese “coolies” in Cuba in the 1860s, the English and Chinese-language series features a multinational ensemble cast from Hong Kong, Taiwan, Cuba and Colombia.

In addition to Cimarro, Hong Kong actress Nina Paw Hee-Ching has also joined the cast.

Set during the mid-1800s, when the African slave trade was outlawed throughout the Americas, the series follows indentured servants from China, known as “coolies”, working on plantations in Cuba where they were initially treated as slaves. They eventually integrated into Cuban society and fought for independence from Spain side by side with Cubans.

Cimarro will play Captain Salvador Santiago, a multilingual sailor, whose ship transports coolies to Cuba. Paw will play Chulin’s grandmother, a practitioner of Traditional Chinese Medicine, who arranges for her granddaughter to marry an indentured Chinese worker in Cuba, to pay off a family debt.

Series creator Meileen Choo said: “We’re beyond excited to have Mario and Nina join the cast of ‘Coolie’ and fully embrace the on-screen diversity and authenticity we’ve architected with purpose to tell this story.”

Previously announced cast members include Hong Kong rising star Louise Wong; Taiwanese actor Joseph Chang; Colombian actor and TV personality Mauricio Henao and Cuban actors Camila Arteche and Sian Chiong.

Cimarro is known for his roles in Baz Luhrmann’s Romeo + Juliet and Colombian series Pasión de gavilanes.

The eight-episode series will be directed by Taiwanese-American filmmaker Arvin Chen.

The series will shoot in the Dominican Republic and Panama with principal photography scheduled to start in December 2023.

Natalie Mendoza to Star as Satine in Broadway’s “Moulin Rouge! The Musical”

Posted on August 5, 2021 by Tom Castaneda

Natalie Mendoza is seeing rouge…

The 42-year-old part-Spanish Australian actress/singer has been cast as the lead role of Broadway’s Moulin Rouge! The Musical, filling the vacancy left when the Tony Award-nominated Karen Olivo resigned in April.

With the casting of Mendoza, the full Moulin Rouge! cast is in place for the resumption of performances on Friday, September 24, at the Al Hirschfeld Theatre.

The musical originally opened on July 25, 2019, but performances were suspended in March 2020 when Broadway went dark due to the COVID-19 pandemic shutdown.

Mendoza joins a principal cast that also includes Aaron Tveit, Danny Burstein, Sahr Ngaujah, Tam Mutu, Ricky Rojas and Robyn Hurder.

The casting is a bit of a homecoming for Mendoza, who portrayed a can-can dancer named China Doll in Baz Luhrmann’s 2001 film Moulin Rouge!

“From the moment Natalie was cast as China Doll in Moulin Rouge! the film, we knew we had discovered a major young talent,” Luhrmann said in a statement. “That young talent has now blossomed into the lead in our Broadway production. I could not be more thrilled that Natalie will be lowered in that glorious swing as Broadway’s Sparkling Diamond.”

Said Mendoza, “Having been involved with the film from its early conception, the role of Satine has always been close to my heart. This rare jewel of an opportunity to play a character like her on Broadway feels like a full circle moment. With this stunning group of bohemian artists and this uniquely conscious creative team I couldn’t be in better care.”

Mendoza, raised in Australia, previously worked with the Broadway musical’s director Alex Timbers when she appeared as Imelda Marcos in Here Lies Love at London’s Royal National Theatre.

He starred on the BBC One drama series Hotel Babylon and The Descent horror film franchise.

On the film side, she’ll next be seen in the buzzy Cannes Film Festival film Annette, directed by Leos Carax and starring Adam Driver and Marion Cotillard.

Mendoza’s other credits include Michael Winterbottom’s futuristic thriller Code 46, Miramax’s The Great Raid and, on television, ABC’s production of South Pacific, ITV’s McDonald & Dodds, CBS’ Blue Bloods and in upcoming episodes of Amazon Prime’s Jack Ryan.

On stage, additional credits include Miss Saigon, Spiderman: Turn Off The Dark and Ghost.

Matthew Lopez’s “The Inheritance” Named Drama League’s Outstanding Play of the 2019-20 Theater Season

Posted on June 19, 2020 by Tom Castaneda

Matthew Lopez’s latest project is in a League of its own…

The 43-year-old Puerto Rican playwright and screenwriter’s two-part play The Inheritance was named the outstanding play of the 2019-20 theater season by New York’s Drama League.

The 86th Annual Drama League Awards – announced virtually in lieu of an in-person gathering – covered the shortened theater season for both Broadway and Off Broadway.

The Inheritance opened at the Young Vic Theatre in London in 2018, before transferring to the Noel Coward Theatre in the West End. The production was directed by Stephen Daldry. The play premiered on Broadway at the Ethel Barrymore Theatre on September 27, 2019 in previews, with the official opening on November 17.

Set in New York three decades after the height of the AIDS epidemic, The Inheritance wrestles with what it means to be a gay man today, exploring relationships and connections across age and social class and asking what one generation’s responsibilities may be to the next. The play is a loose adaptation of E.M. Forster‘s novel Howards End.

Meanwhile, Moulin Rouge!, starring 43-year-old part Dominican & part Puerto Rican actress Karen Olivo, was named musical of the year.

Olivo stars as Satine in the musical, which is based on the 2001 film Moulin Rouge! It’s directed by Baz Luhrmann and written by Luhrmann and Craig Pearce.

Chosen by the Drama League’s nationwide organization of theater artists, industry professionals and audience members, this year’s award winners also include Moulin Rouge! actor Danny Burstein (Distinguished Performance Award); Broadway’s A Soldier’s Play (Outstanding Revival of a Play) and Off Broadway’s Little Shop of Horrors (Outstanding Revival of a Musical).

Previously announced special awards and honors went to director Marianne Elliott, playwright Terrence McNally, and director/playwright James Lapine.

Netflix to Premiere Part II of Guardiola’s “The Get Down” in April

Posted on February 26, 2017 by Tom Castaneda

Herizen F. Guardiola is ready to get down all over again…

Netflix has set an April 7 return date for The Get Down Part II, the follow-up to the premiere season of the Baz Luhrmann and Stephen Adly Guirgis hip-hop musical drama starring the 20-year-old half-Cuban American actress.

“Gonna take our music from minor to major league,” says a voice-over on the new clip announcing the return date. Set in the late-1970s South Bronx and focusing on six gifted kids at the forefront of the hip-hop musical revolution, The Get Down premiered last August with six episodes and a cast including Jimmy Smits, Justice Smith, Shameik Moore, Skylan Brooks, Jaden Smith, T.J. Brown Jr. and Yahya Abdul-Mateen II.

Part II is set in 1978, a year after the events of the debut season. With disco reigning supreme, a new, as-yet-unnamed genre is burgeoning, with young lovers Books (Justice Smith) and Mylene (Guardiola) caught up in the “looming cultural revolution,” as Netflix puts it. “Amidst the backdrop of a bankrupt New York City, ruthless gangsters and money-hungry record label bosses, they discover it’s only their creativity and love that will carry them through – and that they’ll sacrifice everything for their music, and each other,” says Netflix.

Diaz-Matos Wins Two Guild of Music Supervisors Awards for Netflix’s “The Get Down”

Posted on February 20, 2017 by Tom Castaneda

There’s no reason for Stephanie Diaz-Matos to get down…

The Latina music supervisor picked up two Guild of Music Supervisors Awards.

The awards recognize outstanding music supervisors in 14 categories, representing movies, television, games and trailers.

Diaz-Matos, who served as the music supervisor on Baz Luhrmann’s Netflix series The Get Down, won in both categories she was nominated in: Best Music Supervision in a Television Musical or Comedy and Best Song/Recording Created for Television for the track “Set Me Free,” performed by Herizen Guardiola (feat. Nile Rodgers & The Americanos).

Here’s the complete list of winners:

Best Music Supervision for Films Budgeted Over $25 Million
Steven Gizicki for La La Land

Best Music Supervision for Films Budgeted Under $25 Million
Chris Douridas for Captain Fantastic

Best Music Supervision for Films Budgeted Under $10 Million
Howard Paar for 20th Century Women

Best Music Supervision for Films Budgeted Under $5 Million
Joel C. High for Of Mind and Music

Best Song/Recording Created for a Film
“City of Stars” performed by Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone (La La Land)
Steven Gizicki (Supervisor)
Justin Hurwitz, Benj Pasek, Justin Paul (Songwriters)

Best Music Supervision in a Television Drama
Nora Felder for Stranger Things (Season 1)

Best Music Supervision in a Television Comedy
Stephanie Diaz-Matos for The Get Down (Season 1)

Best Music Supervision in a Docuseries or Reality Television
Clyde Lieberman and Jill Meyers for The Voice (Season 10)

Best Music Supervision in a Television Limited Series or Movie
PJ Bloom for The People v. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story

Best Song/Recording Created for Television
“Set Me Free” performed by Herizen Guardiola (Feat. Nile Rodgers & The Americanos) (The Get Down: Episode 105)
Stephanie Diaz-Matos (Supervisor)
Louie Rubio, Alexander Shultz, Raja Kumari, Baz Luhrmann, Elliott Wheeler(Songwriters)

Best Music Supervision for a Documentary
Iain Cooke and Ian Neil for Oasis: Supersonic
Music Supervision for Trailers
Lana Bui and Naaman Snell for Suicide Squad (Trailer #2 “Rhapsody”)

Music Supervision for Video Games
Cybele Pettus for FIFA 17

Best Use of Music by a Music House
Sam Spiegel (Squeak-E Clean) for Kenzo The New Fragrance

Best Use of Music by a Brand
Apple iPhone 7 “Dive”

Diaz-Matos Earns Two Guild of Music Supervisors Award Nominations

Posted on January 22, 2017 by Tom Castaneda

Stephanie Diaz-Matos has plenty of reason to get down…

The Latina music supervisor has received two Guild of Music Supervisors Award nominations.

Diaz-Matos, who served as the music supervisor on Baz Luhrmann’s Netflix series The Get Down, earned nods in the Best Music Supervision in a Television Musical or Comedy and Best Song/Recording Created for Television for the track “Set Me Free,” performed by Herizen Guardiola (feat. Nile Rodgers & The Americanos).

Jojo Villanueva also received two Guild of Music Supervisors Award nominations.

He’s up for Best Music Supervision for Films Budgeted Over $25 Million for his work on Sing, as well as Best Music Supervision for Films Budgeted Under $10 Million for his work alongside Dave Jordan on Middle School: The Worst Years of My Life.

The awards recognize outstanding music supervisors in 14 categories, representing movies, television, games and trailers.

The Guild of Music Supervisors Awards will take place on February 16 at the Theatre at the Ace Hotel in Los Angeles.

FILM NOMINATIONS

BEST MUSIC SUPERVISION FOR FILMS BUDGETED OVER $25 MILLION
John Houlihan for Deadpool
Steven Gizicki for La La Land
Jojo Villanueva for Sing
Becky Bentham for Sing Street
Julia Michels and Julianne Jordan for Trolls

BEST MUSIC SUPERVISION FOR FILMS BUDGETED UNDER $25 MILLION
Julia Michels for Bad Moms
Chris Douridas for Captain Fantastic
Karen Elliott for Florence Foster Jenkins
Linda Cohen and Zohran Kwame Mamdani for Queen of Katwe
Gabe Hilfer for Sausage Party

BEST MUSIC SUPERVISION FOR FILMS BUDGETED UNDER $10 MILLION
Howard Paar for 20th Century Women
Joel C. High for Boo! A Madea Halloween
Jason Markey for Edge of Seventeen
Dave Jordan and Jojo Villanueva for Middle School: The Worst Years of My Life
Ed Gerrard for Miles Ahead

BEST MUSIC SUPERVISION FOR FILMS BUDGETED UNDER $5 MILLION
Robin Urdang for Elvis & Nixon
Rob Lowry for The Intervention
Joel C. High for Of Mind and Music

BEST SONG/RECORDING CREATED FOR A FILM
“Can’t Stop The Feeling!” performed by Justin Timberlake (Trolls)
Julia Michels and Julianne Jordan (Supervisors)
Justin Timberlake, Max Martin, Karl Johan Schuster (Songwriters)

“City of Stars” performed by Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone (La La Land)
Steven Gizicki (Supervisor)
Justin Hurwitz, Benj Pasek, Justin Paul (Songwriters)

“Drive It Like You Stole It” performed by Sing Street Cast (Sing Street)
Becky Bentham (Supervisor)
Gary Clark (Songwriter)

“Heathens” performed by Twenty One Pilots (Suicide Squad)
Season Kent and Gabe Hilfer (Supervisors)
Tyler Joseph (Songwriter)

“Just Like Fire” performed by P!nk (Alice Through The Looking Glass)
Mitchell Leib and Kaylin Frank (Supervisors)
Alecia Moore, Max Martin, Karl Johan Schuster, Oscar Holter (Songwriters)

TELEVISION NOMINATIONS

BEST MUSIC SUPERVISION IN A TELEVISION DRAMA
Thomas Golubić and Yvette Metoyer for Halt and Catch Fire (Season 3)
Heather Guibert for Rosewood (Season 1)
Nora Felder for Stranger Things (Season 1)
Liza Richardson for The Leftovers (Season 2)
Lindsay Wolfington for The Royals (Season 2)

BEST MUSIC SUPERVISION IN A TELEVISION MUSICAL OR COMEDY
Jen Ross and Dave Jordan for Empire (Season 2)
Manish Raval, Tom Wolfe, and Jonathan Leahy for Girls (Season 5)
Kevin Edelman for Jane the Virgin (Season 2)
Zach Cowie and Kerri Drootin for Master of None (Season 1)
Stephanie Diaz-Matos for The Get Down (Season 1)

BEST MUSIC SUPERVISION IN A DOCUSERIES OR REALITY TELEVISION
Meryl Ginsberg for America’s Got Talent (Season 11)
Robin Kaye for American Idol: The Farewell Season (Season 15)
Carrie Hughes for Follow the Rules (Season 1)
Matthew Hearon-Smith for Noisey (Season 1)
Clyde Lieberman and Jill Meyers for The Voice (Season 10)

BEST MUSIC SUPERVISION IN A TELEVISION LIMITED SERIES OR MOVIE
Madonna Wade-Reed for American Crime (Season 2)
PJ Bloom for American Horror Story: Hotel
Tony Scudellari for Mother, May I Sleep With Danger?
PJ Bloom for The People v. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story

BEST SONG/RECORDING CREATED FOR TELEVISION
“Powerful” performed by Jussie Smollett and Alicia Keys (Empire: Episode 210)
Jen Ross and Dave Jordan (Supervisors)
JR Rotem, Talay Riley, Alexander Izquierdo, Jussie Smollett (Songwriters)

“Set Me Free” performed by Herizen Guardiola (Feat. Nile Rodgers & The Americanos) (The Get Down: Episode 105)
Stephanie Diaz-Matos (Supervisor)
Louie Rubio, Alexander Shultz, Raja Kumari, Baz Luhrmann, Elliott Wheeler(Songwriters)

“Life On Mars” performed by Aurora (Girls: Episode 505)
Manish Raval, Tom Wolfe, and Jonathan Leahy (Supervisors)
David Bowie (Songwriter)

“Does She Love” performed by Gabrielle Dennis (Rosewood: Episode 119)
Heather Guibert (Supervisor)
Gabriel Mann, Rebecca Kneubuhl, Jeannie Lurie (Songwriters)

“Half Light” performed by Banners (The Royals: Episode 210)
Lindsay Wolfington (Supervisor)
Daniel Smith, Justin Parker (Songwriters)

DOCUMENTARY

BEST MUSIC SUPERVISION FOR A DOCUMENTARY
Iain Cooke and Ian Neil for Oasis: Supersonic
Mirna Maddox for The Tower
Gary Welch for I Called Him Morgan
Dan Wilcox for Gleason
Heather Kreamer for Where To Invade Next

TRAILERS

BEST MUSIC SUPERVISION FOR TRAILERS
Toddrick Spaulding for The Accountant (Teaser #1)
Jordan Silverberg for The Lego Batman Movie (Teaser #1 “Batcave”)
Lana Bui and Naaman Snell for Suicide Squad (Trailer #2 “Rhapsody”)
Danny Exum for Kubo and the Two Strings (Trailer #1)
Marcy Bulkeley for The Girl on The Train (Trailer #1)

VIDEO GAMES

BEST MUSIC SUPERVISION IN A VIDEO GAME
Steve Schnur for Battlefield 1
Brandon Young and Katie Byam for Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare
Cybele Pettus for FIFA 17
Maya Halfon and Kyle Hopkins for Forza Horizon 3
Jonathan Mayer and Scott Hanau for Uncharted 4

ADVERTISING

BEST USE OF MUSIC BY A MUSIC HOUSE
Ryan Wines (Marmoset) for Secret “Ladies Room”
Ring The Alarm for Lincoln “Crafted”
Peter Gannon (Walker) for Heinz “Weiner Stampede”
Sam Spiegel (Squeak-E Clean) for Kenzo The New Fragrance
Dawn Sutter Madell (Agoraphone) for Audi “Commander”
Beth Urdang and Brienne Rose (Noiseracket) for Spotify “Moving”

BEST USE OF MUSIC BY A BRAND
Apple iPhone 7 “Dive”
Nike “Unlimited Together”
LG / HitRECord LG V20 “Everyday, Spectacular”

Rodriguez to Star in Guillermo del Toro’s “Pacific Rim 2”

Posted on November 22, 2016 by Tom Castaneda

Shyrley Rodriguez is Pacifically inclined…

The 23-year-old Latina actress has been added to the cast of Legendary/ Universal’s Pacific Rim 2, the sequel to Guillermo del Toro and Travis Beacham’s 2013 sci-fi film that stars John Boyega, Scott Eastwood and Chinese actress Jing Tian.

Steven S. DeKnight directs the pic, which is currently in production with a storyline that has “a strong connection to China,” according to Jack Gao of Wanda, which owns Legendary and made the announcement today.

The film is scheduled to hit theaters on February 23, 2018.

Rodriguez, who can currently be seen on Baz Luhrmann’s Netflix musical series The Get Down, has also landed a role in the film Wheels, the directorial debut indie from Top Chef and Project Runway helmer Paul Starkman. The film follows Max, a teen from Brooklyn, who pursues his dream of becoming a DJ.

Rodriguez plays the love interest Liza, a neighborhood girl who is strong willed, street smart, and sees the good in the world.

Aguilera Releases New Single “Telepathy” from “The Get Down” Soundtrack

Posted on August 14, 2016 by Tom Castaneda

Christina Aguilera is transmitting her latest single to the world…

The 35-year-old half-Ecuadorian American singer has released her latest single “Telepathy,” which features Nile Rogers.

The track, which was written by Sia Furler and produced by Nelson George, is among the songs serving as soundtracks of Baz Luhrmann‘s new Netflix series The Get Down starring Jaden Smith.

“This album is an introduction to the many musical genres and styles that can be heard in The Get Down, which is really a story of New York in the late 70’s, an incredibly fertile time of creativity amid chaos,” says Luhrmann. “While our production is a musical that embodies many classic hits, we also use contemporary sounds and techniques connecting the dots between then and now. My great privilege is to have associated with such a diverse musical community.”

Described as a disco track, the song is released ahead of the show’s premiere on August 12.

Jaden Smith also contributes to the soundtrack album along with Miguel, Nas, Zayn Malik, Leon Bridges and Janelle Monae.

“Telepathy” is available online.

Smits to Star in Baz Luhrmann’s Netflix Music-Driven Drama “The Get Down”

Posted on May 27, 2015 by Tom Castaneda

Jimmy Smits really knows how to get down…

The 59-year-old Puerto Rican actor has been tapped for a key role in Baz Luhrmann’s music-driven drama The Get Down for Netflix.

Set in 1970s New York City, the series — a long-time passion project for Luhrmann — revolves around a ragtag crew of South Bronx teenagers who are wild in the streets — nothings and nobodies with no one to shelter them, except one another.

Smits will portray Francisco Cruz, aka “Papa Fuerte,” a South Bronx political boss who delivers services the City fails to provide – jobs, housing, healthcare, etc. A big man with brass, he navigates downtown politics the same way he handles his uptown turf – with ease and a touch of deception. Whether it’s his niece’s desire for disco stardom or a recent immigrant’s struggle to grab a hold of the American dream, if you want something in the neighborhood, you come to Papa Fuerte.

“The Puerto Rican culture of the ’70’s Bronx plays such a large role in the story we are telling that the character of Papa Fuerte had to be played by an actor who could bring experience, gravitas and authenticity to the role,” said Luhrmann. “I know our entire cast is excited to have someone of Jimmy’s talent joining us on the journey we are undertaking. We are thrilled to have him on The Get Down.”

The setup of The Get Down — the story of how 1970s New York City on the brink of bankruptcy gave birth to hip-hop, punk and disco told through the lives and music of several South Bronx teenagers — is familiar territory for Smits. Brooklyn born-and-raised, Smits, who is of Puerto Rican descent, spent his teens and early 20s in the city during the 1970s.

Following his role as pimp Nero Padilla on FX’s Sons of Anarchy, the Emmy-winning actor was offered multiple broadcast pilots this past season but opted to stay in the cable/digital space, leading to his casting on The Get Down, a project to which he immediately responded.

The 13-episode series from Luhrmann, Shawn Ryan and Sony Pictures Television, will debut in all Netflix territories in 2016.

Grindstone Entertainment Acquires North American Rights to Leguizamo’s “Cymbeline”

Posted on September 3, 2014 by Tom Castaneda

John Leguizamo’s latest project will hit U.S. theaters in the near future…

Lionsgate’s Grindstone Entertainment has acquired the North American rights to the modern-day film adaptation of William Shakespeare’s Cymbeline, starring the 50-year-old Colombian actor/comedian.

The film, which had its world premiere at the Venice Film Festival, centers on a battle between dirty cops and a drug dealing biker gang, set in a corruption-riddled contemporary America. Shakespeare’s play centered on the daughter of the British king Cymbeline, who discovers she has secretly married a man raised in her father’s court, resulting in his banishment from the court.

In addition to Leguizamo, the film also stars Ethan Hawke, Ed Harris, Milla Jovovich, Penn Badgley, Dakota Johnson and Anton Yelchin.

Cymbeline, which re-teams director Michael Almereyda with Hawke more than a decade after their collaboration on Hamlet in 2000, will be distributed in the spring.

It’s Leguizamo’s latest appearance in a film adaptation of a William Shakespeare work. He previously starred in 1996’s Baz Luhrmann-directed Romeo + Juliet, an abridged modernization of Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet.

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