Quick Takes - Aug. 6, 2010

‘33 Variations’ in L.A.

Jane Fonda, who returned to Broadway last year after a 46-year absence and earned a Tony nomination for her performance in “33 Variations,” will reprise the role at the Ahmanson Theatre in L.A. next year.

The Center Theatre Group said Thursday that the play, written and directed by Moises Kaufman, would be part of the Mark Taper Forum’s 2011 season but would be staged at the neighboring Ahmanson from Jan. 30 through March 6. Ahmanson subscribers will be offered tickets as a bonus option.

Fonda, 72, stars as a musicologist who is determined to carry out research on the last years of Beethoven’s life despite a serious illness. The rest of the cast will be announced later, CTG said, as will the rest of the Taper season.

—Lee Margulies

Markers honor

Ike Turner

Rock icon Ike Turner is getting recognition in his Mississippi hometown nearly three years after his death.

This weekend in Clarksdale, officials and music fans will gather to unveil two markers honoring Turner and his musical legacy. The unveilings coincide with the 23rd annual Sunflower River Blues and Gospel Festival, dedicated this year to “Rocket 88,” the 1951 Turner tune often cited as the first rock ‘n’ roll song.

Blues trail research director Jim O’Neal says Turner is one of the most important figures in American music, though his legacy is often overshadowed by the turbulent years of the Ike and Tina Turner Revue in the ‘60s and ‘70s.

—Associated Press

80,000 submit ‘Life’ videos

YouTube’s “Life in a Day” project has logged 80,000 video submissions as it moves closer to the finished product: a documentary film.

Director Kevin Macdonald said Thursday that the 4,600 hours of footage will soon be distilled to 100 hours. A feature-length film will premiere in January at the Sundance Film Festival and on the YouTube website. By last weekend’s deadline, user contributions had been received from 197 countries in 45 languages.

The submissions will be available for viewing when the gallery goes live next month on YouTube’s “Life in a Day” channel.

“Life in a Day” is an experiment aimed at capturing life globally on a single day, July 24.

—Associated Press

Mary Hart leaving ‘ET’

Mary Hart, an iconic figure in the world of entertainment news, announced Thursday that she will be stepping down as host of “Entertainment Tonight” at the end of the coming season.

Hart, who joined the program as a correspondent in 1982, will have spent 30 seasons at the television newsmagazine. In a statement, she said simply that she decided it was time to make a change.

“I’ve had the privilege of spending 29 years doing something I love — how often does that happen?” she said, adding: “I only meant to be at ‘ET’ for three years, suddenly it’s almost 30!”

It is unclear who will succeed her at the top-rated syndicated show. “Entertainment Tonight” now competes with a bevy of outlets jostling for celebrity gossip tidbits, but it has held onto the title of the most-watched syndicated newsmagazine for 14 years, averaging 6.2 million viewers this season.

—Matea Gold

Floyd classic

as protest song

The Pink Floyd rock music classic “Another Brick in the Wall” has been transformed by a Canadian band to reflect dissent that young Iranians have for their government.

The song replaces the teacher reference with “Hey, Ayatollah, leave those kids alone!” It’s performed by a Toronto-based rock band fronted by two Iranian brothers called Blurred Vision. It’s been seen by more than 160,000 viewers on YouTube.

Pink Floyd founder Roger Waters gave Blurred Vision permission to use the song. Proceeds will go to Amnesty International.

—Associated Press

Finally

Meet and greet: Coming to the Los Angeles Convention Center in April: the first-ever Reality Rocks Expo, a three-day convention celebrating reality TV. Organizers said fans will be able to interact with contestants, judges and hosts.