Odds & Ends: Oprah to Star in George C. Wolfe Film, Drama Desk Awards to Add Book Category & More

Here's a quick roundup of stories you may have missed today and over the weekend.

Oprah Winfrey to Star in George C. Wolfe Film
Tony winner George C. Wolfe, currently represented on Broadway by Shuffle Along, will direct Oprah Winfrey from his own adaptation of The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks. The HBO film, based on Rebecca Skloot’s bestselling nonfiction book of the same name, follows the true story of Henrietta Lacks, an African-American woman whose cells were used to create the first immortal human cell line. Filming will begin this summer.

Drama Desk Awards to Add Book Category
It would seem there has been a bit of a kerfuffle after the Drama Desk nominations were announced on April 28. Broadway.com has received the following statement: "We have heard the concerns of the theater community about this year's omission of the Outstanding Book of a Musical category, and take them seriously. The Nominating Committee will reconvene to address the matter next week." We will keep you posted!

Lesli Margherita's Karaoke Success
Thanks to the efforts of Olivier winner Lesli Margherita, Tony winners Lena Hall and Betty Buckley, along with Tony nominee Orfeh, Jesse Tyler Ferguson, Tituss Burgess and more, the Broadway Acts for Women karaoke event on May 1 at 54 Below, raised more than $50,000. The money will be distributed by Reproductive rights advocacy organization A is For among Jane’s Due Process, Mississippi Reproductive Freedom Fund and Physicians for Reproductive Health.

Michael Riedel Picks Up $10,000 Marfield Prize
Michael Riedel's Razzle Dazzle: The Battle for Broadway has been awarded by the Arts Club of Washington with the prestigious Marfield Prize. The $10,000 honor recognizes the author of an outstanding nonfiction book about the arts published in the previous calendar year. Check out Broadway.com's walking tour of the Great White Way with Riedel below.