It’s certainly a tall order for Mr. Levy, who has been based in the city for several years working as a producer with Robert Boyett Theatricals. “This job came about as a result of me wanting to work with The National again, but stay based here—it was quite a gradual process,” revealed the 34 year-old. Previously, American producers would make the decision to transfer shows over to Broadway, but the new office means that creative control has been passed back to the British company.

Commercial transfers between the States and the UK are a risky business, but one that Mr. Levy believes have a great pay-off: “The exciting thing about bringing shows over here is that you never know for sure if American audiences will like them and find them funny. In One Man Two Guvnors, James [Corden, who won the Tony for best lead actor in a play] came here as a relative unknown and left as the toast of Broadway, which was thrilling.” With the Manhattan office in place, it seems that more success is on the horizon for The National and its new think tank in NYC.

Academy Award Nominee Rooney Mara

This morning, thousands upon tens of New Yorkers are realizing they have to go see Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close, as that film was announced as one of nine Oscar Best Picture nominees.

Big surprises of the morning included that film's nomination for Best Picture, the inclusion of Best Actor nominees Demian Bichir and Gary Oldman, and the breadth of the Best Picture category, which found room for movies as different as War Horse and The Tree of Life after speculation tended towards the notion that there would be fewer nominees about which voters felt more strongly.

The predictions we got right? That Rooney Mara would take the place of Tilda Swinton in the Best Actress race, and that Albert Brooks would fall out of Best Supporting Actor--as well as the first five of those nine nominees. We didn't speculate on Best Animated Feature, speculating to ourselves that the field was a bit fallow, and with nominees including Chico and Rita and A Cat in Paris, we may have been right.

Hugo leads the race with 11 overall nominations, followed by heretofore perceived frontrunner The Artist with 10.

The nominations in top categories are below, and the full list of nominations is here.

Best Picture

The Artist; The Descendants; Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close; The Help; Hugo; Midnight in Paris; Moneyball; The Tree of Life; War Horse

Best Director

Woody Allen, Midnight in Paris; Michel Hazanavicius, The Artist; Terrence Malick, The Tree of Life; Alexander Payne, The Descendants; Martin Scorsese, Hugo;

Best Actor:

Demian Bichir, A Better Life; George Clooney, The Descendants, Jean DuJardin, The Artist; Gary Oldman, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy; Brad Pitt, Moneyball

Best Actress:

Glenn Close, Albert Nobbs; Viola Davis, The Help; Rooney Mara, The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo; Meryl Streep, The Iron Lady; Michelle Williams, My Week With Marilyn

Best Supporting Actor:

Kenneth Branagh, My Week With Marilyn; Jonah Hill, Moneyball; Nick Nolte, Warrior; Christopher Plummer, Beginners; Max Von Sydow, Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close

Best Supporting Actress:

Bérénice Bejo, The Artist; Jessica Chastain, The Help; Melissa McCarthy, Bridesmaids; Octavia Spencer, The Help; Janet McTeer, Albert Nobbs

Best Original Screenplay

The Artist; Bridesmaids; Margin Call; Midnight in Paris; A Separation

Best Adapted Screenplay

The Descendants; Hugo; The Ides of March; Moneyball; Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy

Best Animated Feature

A Cat In Paris; Chico and Rita; Kung Fu Panda 2; Puss in Boots; Rango

Andrew Durand (Press photo)

While Stephen Spielberg is busy promoting his adaptation of the Tony-Award winning War Horse (you know, the one with the life-size horse marionette...which unfortunately will be played by an actual horse in the movie), the Broadway show has gained a new--and terribly attractive--lead actor.
Andrew Durand might already be recognizable to those familiar with sexy stage stars: he replaced Skylar Astin as Georg in Spring Awakening in 2008, and more recently in off-Broadway musicals like The Burnt Part Boys and Yank!. He'll be taking over the role of Albert Narracott--the English farm boy who follows his horse into battle (usually the other way around) from Seth Numrich, who helped War Horse clean up the Tonys with 6 awards.

So these are mighty big shoes to fill. Is Mr. Durand up to the challenge of playing opposite a fake horse? Judge for yourself:

Here is the young Mr. Durand singing "Boys of Summer" from Spring Awakening:

And this is what he'll be jumping into the saddle of when he joins Warhorse on January 12th:

Will Andrew Durand make a great Albertt Narcott? It all depends...how good is he at faking a British accent? Oh that's right: he was amazing in the West End London production of The Umbrellas of Cherbourg. He'll be fine.

That's not quite fair: The production that opened at the Booth Theatre last night is also blessed with two other fine performances and a beautiful, minimalist, occasionally haunting staging by Rob Ruggiero. But its cliché-ridden script would be rejected even by Lifetime, unless perhaps Meredith Baxter was attached.

Sister Jamie works in a Catholic rehab facility, where, we're told, she typically counsels good husbands who drink too much and good kids who pop pills to help them study. Jamie knows her stuff: She became a nun late in life; before that, she was a rebellious girl-turned-alcoholic, and she can't entirely shake her old ways. She occasionally relapses, and her boss, Father Michael (a characteristically good Stephen Kunken, given little to do), helps cover for her.

Father Michael, naturally, has secrets of his own--an addict sister he didn't help when he could have, and an addict nephew, her son, who may or may not have killed another boy. Michael compels Sister Jamie to treat the boy, to keep him out of jail. And so arrives a young, addicted gay hustler named Cody, put immediately into Jamie's care.

Cody (the newcomer Evan Jonigkeit, who is impressive even in the scenes when he keeps his pants on), naturally, has his own secrets, and he (naturally) challenges Jamie, causing her to reevaluate her preconceived ideas and (still naturally) reminding her of crises in her past. Mr. Jonigkeit is intense and surprisingly convincing as the young addict who doesn't care if he gets clean and doesn't care if he lives.

Unfortunately, neither the plot--so many convenient secrets! So much obvious melodrama!--nor the dialogue is remotely convincing. ("And who knows," Father Mike says to Jamie when he tells her about Cody. "You might even learn something from this one.")

The playwright Matthew Lombardo, who explains in a note distributed to the press that he based his script on his own recovery from addiction, plainly means High to be about the power of transformation, of faith, of believing in miracles. But it doesn't come close. Instead, like his campy Tallulah Bankhead romp Looped last season, it ends up being about the power of a bravura leading lady to at least somewhat salvage a mediocre piece of writing.

Looped opened and closed in a month last year. If High does much better, I'll believe in miracles.

"To my misfortune, I'm not homosexual," the venerable critic John Simon once sniped on Charlie Rose. "And therefore I'm a kind of odd man out in the theatrical world, and sometimes I feel a bit aggrieved about that." I have a different cross to bear than does Mr. Simon, but it can leave me no less aggrieved: My misfortune--and it's one I was born with, one that apparently separates me from the vast majority of theatergoers--is that I'm not an animal person.

The Royal National production of War Horse, a smash hit in the West End that's been anticipated in New York with panting enthusiasm, arrived last week at Lincoln Center Theater, where it received a largely drooling response.

War Horse tells the story of a British farm boy and his beloved equine, and how their idyllic if impoverished existence is upended by World War I. It involves gorgeously realized life-size horse puppets by the Handspring Puppet Company, each manipulated to stunning effect by a trio of actors. It also, almost incidentally, involves some human actors--more than a few not quite as supple as those horse puppets. They tell a by-the-numbers tear-jerker of a story about the horrors of war, the magic of noble beasts and the power of a boy's faith.

There has been praise for the staging, which is indeed spectacular, and for the story, which is almost unbearably trite. (Directors Marianne Elliott and Tom Morris are magicians to have taken something so banal and rendered it so beautifully.) Moments before the horse, Joey, and the boy who reared him, Albert, are to be inevitably reunited in a French field hospital--Joey is about to be put down after a run-in with barbed wire; Albert, mere feet away and pining for his trusty mount, has been temporarily blinded by a tear-gas attack--a soldier draws his weapon, preparing to put the horse out of his misery. There were gasps from the audience, as if there was any doubt a happy ending was coming. This is a play for animal people.

It's too bad the story is so sadly simplistic, because Ms. Elliott's and Mr. Morris' stagecraft is so sublime. This play is full of literally breathtaking moments of theatrical inventiveness and stunning visuals--Joey and his fellow horses; a cavalry charge on the front; even the small, witty touch of an overeager goose on Albert's farm, a puppet on a bicycle wheel pushed by an actor.

But, for all that, War Horse is based on a children's story, and it remains no more emotionally complex. Not long into the second act, the tedium of the predictable story begins to weigh more heavily than the thrill of the visual creativity.

That's when you realize you're watching the cloying tale of a boy with an unnatural love for a half-thoroughbred.

Wonderland, the new, off-putting reinterpretation of Alice's Adventures in Wonderland that opened Sunday night at the Marquis, does at least one impressive thing: I never thought that with a former Miss America shrieking at me while wearing a goofy hat, my primary concern would be staying awake.

But that's the accomplishment of Wonderland, written by Gregory Boyd and Jack Murphy, with music by Frank Wildhorn and lyrics by Mr. Murphy, and frenzied direction by Mr. Boyd. Its story is so overwrought and incomprehensible, its good cheer so forcibly relentless, its songs so overbelted and overmiked, that it blends into something entirely soporific.

The creators' concept is easy enough to see: Let's take the prequel-to-a-classic success of Wicked, build on it with an up-to-date story--Alice here is a frazzled single mom--and throw in lots of big production numbers and over-the-top costumes (which are actually pretty great, especially for the Queen of Hearts), and we'll mint money.

But there's so much going on here--at least two ethnic stereotypes too many; a single number that quotes Evita, South Pacific, The Music Man, and Gypsy; the Mad Hatter (Kate Shindle, Miss America 1998) kidnapping Alice's daughter by strapping her to a golden Zamboni (I have no idea)--that nothing registers, nothing connects and nothing makes any sense. The whole thing's a rabbit hole you'd be best off to avoid.

It is a ridiculous quibble, I know, to wish that the Belarus Free Theatre performed in English. The troupe is Belarusian; its members are citizens of what's regularly and rightfully termed the last dictatorship in Europe. They snuck out of their country to perform at the Public Theater's Under the Radar festival in January, and they have been unable to return since. They perform in Belarusian and Russian.

Their story is harrowing, their commitment to theater is awe-inspiring and their work--they are now performing three of their plays in repertory at La MaMa (in a coproduction with the Public)--is remarkable. But their performance is so dense and intricately constructed that I kept wishing I didn't have to glance away from the stage to read the English translations projected overhead.

I saw only Being Harold Pinter (adapted and directed by Vladimir Shcherban), which virtuosically mixes the playwright's words--from his plays and from his Nobel acceptance speech--with letters from Belarusian political prisoners. It is intense and revelatory, the sort of bracing and ballsy stuff that, yes, could get you persecuted if you lived under an autocrat.

It's staged simply, creatively and wonderfully. To take one striking moment: When a character speaks of falling and cutting his head, another approaches, places his hand over the other's eyes, and sprays a burst of bright-red spray paint on his face. It makes the point, with an elegant sort of garishness, and it leaves the victim surrounded by a lingering, floating haze of small red droplets. It's a remarkable effect, and it's one of the many times you simply can't look away.

Coffee Talk

We're betting Tina Brown likes her coffee the same way she likes her copy: "V. v. hot!" Guests will find out tonight as the High Beastess herself throws a private book party at her Upper East Side townhouse for Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz's memoir, Onward (we hear it's full of beans). Expect plenty of Ms. Brown's beloved "buzz"--especially after those lattes start flowing. ... Meanwhile, Rob Pruitt will reveal his Andy Monument, a larger-than-life-size statue of the late Pop pioneer Andy Warhol, in Union Square near where the Factory was once located. Chloë Sevigny-who was 12 when Andy died but seems as good a choice as any-will perform the unveiling, which is to be followed by a private cocktail reception and dinner for the likes of happily married Peter Brant and punky princess Hope Atherton (we hope she never grows up!).
Tina Brown residence, private event begins 6:30 p.m.; Unveiling of The Andy Monument at Broadway and 17th Street, 6 p.m., private cocktails near the old Factory, 6:30 p.m., dinner hosted by Interview magazine in Union Square, 8:30 p.m.

Thursday, March 31

Making Bank

Turns out Muhammad Yunus, the Macher of Microlending, is also a movie star. Screening for one night only, To Catch a Dollar, a documentary about Mr. Yunus' attempts to bring his style of teensy-weensy loans to Queens, in 2008, will unspool at two theaters, under the auspices of Screenvision. Yes, this is also the service that brought moviegoers Suzanne Somers talking about her vitamins for two hours! The Nobel Peace Prize winner was recently relieved of his duties at the institution he founded, Grameen Bank, so if he's looking for a new home, we hope he'll consider New York. We spent all our money at Starbucks--Tina told us to--so maybe he can float us a little scratch?
Chelsea Cinemas, 260 West 23rd Street; 86th Street Cinemas, 210 East 86th Street; both screenings begin at 7:30 p.m. with taped appearances by Suze Orman, Matt Damon, Hugh Jackman and others; go to tocatchadollar.com for tickets.

Friday, April 1

Tokyo Stories

We can hardly believe the multiple tragedies unfolding in Japan right now. And yes, it seems a very awkward time for a tribute to "five Japanese divas" of the silver screen. But Film Forum's long-planned series offers numerous reminders of the nation's incredible resilience, not to mention the sublime beauty of its movies. The series begins tonight with Kenji Mizoguchi's Life of Oharu, a heartbreaking 1952 melodrama starring Kinuyo Tanaka. After the movie, head up the street to the Maritime Hotel, where Matsuri restaurant is hosting the Sachiyo Ito dance company. Ten percent of the restaurant's proceeds go to the Japan Society's Japan Earthquake Relief Fund.

The Life of Oharu plays at 1:10, 4:20, and 7:30 Friday and Saturday at Film Forum, 209 West Houston Street, buy tickets at filmforum.org or at the box office. Matsuri, 369 West 16th Street; Sachiyo Ito performs in 20-minute sets, go to dancejapan.com for more information.

Saturday, April 2

Le Geek, C'est Chic

Somewhere along the line-probably around the time we elected a new-media billionaire mayor-we became a city of geeks. The whole town! (We hear Lady Liberty is even sporting a pocket protector.) Last month, we all lost our heads anticipating Rupert Murdoch's iPad app-then, appetite sated by the bananas-looking weather page, we went back to flinging little birds around and cultivating virtual corn. Now the Brooklyn Academy of Music is taking it to the "next level" (gamer humor) with a two-night festival of the music from Final Fantasy. Yes, the video game. (Think Super Mario meets Pagilacci.) Premium tickets, which are going for $175 (almost enough for your very own real-life Sword of Nero!), include a meet-and-greet with the game's composer and the conductor as well as that Comic-Con hallmark: an autograph opportunity.

BAM Howard Gilman Opera House, 30 Lafayette Avenue (Brooklyn), Friday and Saturday at 8 p.m. (two-night program), tickets available at ffdistantworlds.com (BAM ticketing policies do not apply).

Sunday, April 3

Damn Yankees

Baseball's opening day was Thursday (we know, you were busy trying to secure that microloan), and today the Yankees conclude their opening series against the Detroit Tigers. Warning: This is an athletic event. Some people-you know who you are-find such displays to be mindlessly absurd. But if you find yourself dragged to a sports bar, remember this: It's also a human drama. We hear Minka Kelly's boyfriend is playing. ... Speaking of human drama, mega-miniseries The Kennedys begins tonight on ReelzChannel-and if you get ReelzChannel, welcome to the most exclusive party in town! The show was booted from the History Channel for not being historical enough-or was it too historical?-but who cares! You'll come for the year's most tragic and protracted game of dress-up (Katie Holmes is Jackie Kennedy) but stay because you lost the remote!

Yankee Stadium, 1 East 161st Street (the Bronx), game begins at 1:05 p.m., tickets available at yankees.com; part one of The Kennedys airs at 8 p.m. on ReelzChannel.

Monday, April 4

Some Turnout!

The weather's finally getting halfway decent, but some like it cold, right? At least, so hope the good people behind the Skating With the Stars benefit in Central Park, which helps fund Figure Skating in Harlem. High-rollers can join the likes of Evan Lysacek for a ladies'-choice whirl around the rink. Too bad our ankles are weak-we'll have to sit in the stands, sipping hot cocoa with co-chairs Kenneth Cole and the Tisches. ... Meanwhile, the National Dance Institute's well-trained tykes show off their pliés to donors at its annual gala. The event honors a bunch of corporate types-and Alec Baldwin (who plays one on TV)-for their commitment to the arts.

Skating With the Stars, Wollman Rink, Central Park, 6 p.m., call 212-675-9474 or visit figureskatinginharlem.org for details; National Dance Institute Gala, Best Buy Theater, 1515 Broadway, cocktails at 6 p.m., dinner and performance by the children of National Dance Institute at 7 p.m., call 800-807-1787 or visit nationaldance.org for details.

Tuesday, April 5

Scotch, Neat

We still owe Mel Gibson a debt of gratitude-loony-bird that he is--for igniting the whole men-in-skirts trend (bless his little Braveheart). Gibby won't be attending the the "Dressed to Kilt" fashion show tonight-we promise!  Instead, Sir Sean and Lady Connery (yes, there's a Lady Connery) will host the knee-baring runway peepfest. Kyle MacLachlan, our pick to replace Charlie Sheen, is dropping by, along with celebrities ranging from quasi-Scottish (Mike Myers) to not-Scottish-at-all (model Selita Ebanks). And for the kiddies, Gossip Girl's Matthew Settle will be modeling, too. Publicity--it knows no tartan!... Meanwhile the Brits (Scots' sworn enemies) will be recalling their own glories at a Lincoln Center gala for the opening of West End wonder War Horse. The show is followed by dinner with the cast and Steven Spielberg's producers Kathleen Kennedy and Frank Marshall, surely taking notes for Mr. Spielberg's film adaptation. Who knew the Great War was so much fun?

Dressed to Kilt, Hammerstein Ballroom, 311 West 34th Street, cocktails at 7:30 p.m., fashion show at 9 p.m.; for tickets, go to dressedtokilt.com or call 408-206-6051; War Horse Gala, Lincoln Center Theater, 150 West 65th Street, 6:30 p.m. performance, 9 p.m. dinner with cast, 10:30 p.m. "carriages" (or depart
ure).

Wednesday, April 6

Poetic Justic

The FSG Reading Series--a two-author evening for which we can thank current Paris Review party boy-in-chief Lorin Stein--welcomes former Poet Laureate Robert Pinsky and Maggot man Paul Muldoon (that's the title of his latest book; we actually think he's lovely) to the Russian Samovar. "The space itself is so appealing-it's a good place to spend a couple hours," co-organizer Mark Krotov told us. "And the vodka doesn't hurt." (Don't worry, it's infused, so no hangovers!) The FSG organizers take the authors out to dinner afterwards as thanks; stay in the hood and you might be able to chew over free verse--or your favorite limerick!--with Mr. Pinsky. (Stalkery?)

Russian Samovar, 256 West 52nd Street, bar opens at 6:30 p.m., reading begins at 7 p.m., $5 entry fee

ddaddario@observer.com :: @DPD_