Odds & Ends: Watch the Trailer for HBO's Debbie Reynolds & Carrie Fisher Documentary, WGA Award Nominations Announced & More

Here's a quick roundup of stories you may have missed today.

Grab Some Tissues for the Carrie Fisher & Debbie Reynolds Doc 
Following the tragic deaths of Carrie Fisher and her mother Debbie Reynolds in December, HBO has decided to push up the release of its documentary, Bright Lights: Starring Carrie Fisher and Debbie Reynolds. Laugh and cry through the first trailer below, which features the beloved stage and screen icons squabbling over cell phones, discussing the importance of treating mental health and promising to share everything with each other (“especially the check,” quips Reynolds). The documentary is now set to air on January 7.


Cruel Intentions Heads to the New York Stage
Audiences only have until January 8 to catch Les Liaisons Dangereuses on Broadway, but soon, they’ll be able to see the same story with a musical (and ‘90s) twist. Cruel Intentions: The Musical will receive its New York premiere at (Le) Poisson Rouge for three performances only in February, following two sold out runs in Los Angeles. The show, which features classic ‘90s hits and favorites from the cult film’s soundtrack, is set to play the West Village venue on February 11, 13 and 14. Lindsey Rosin, who developed the show with Jordan Ross, will direct.

Playwrights Up for WGA Awards
Nominations for the 2017 Writers Guild Awards were announced on January 4. Among the nominees are playwright Kenneth Lonergan, who is up for his film Manchester by the Sea, and August Wilson, who received a posthumous nod for his screenplay adaptation of Fences. Also up for Original Screenplay is Damien Chazelle’s script for the movie musical La La Land. The winners will be announced during the February 19 ceremony hosted by Patton Oswalt.

A Peek at the New Helen Hayes Theatre
The Helen Hayes Theatre—Broadway’s smallest house—closed its doors last July when The Humans moved to the Schoenfeld, but its new owners are at work to light its marquee once more. According to The New York Times, Second Stage Theatre, which completed its purchase of the Helen Hayes in April 2015, aims to begin presenting shows in the 44th Street venue in the spring of 2018. The renovations, spearheaded by architect and Tony-winning designer David Rockwell, will include a pixilated interpretation of a tapestry of Bacchus and Ariadne that once appeared on the theater’s walls. The image will be recreated with a series of circles that get darker as they approach the stage. We can’t wait to see what it looks like in person (and to have one more Broadway venue).

P.S. Mark your calendars: The 2017 Pulitzer Prizes will be announced on April 10—Joseph Pulitzer’s 170th birthday. You have just over three months to speculate what will follow Hamilton as the next Pulitzer-winning drama.