Nightline did a story about it last year, and Urie was one of the people featured:

Hi-larious.  It’s kind of a funny push-back from our “tell and show everyone everything all the time” reality society.  I believe I remember where Urie once read from Miley Cyrus‘ book, which would have been so funny you couldn’t see straight.

Joining Urie at The Gramercy Theatre, 127 East 23rd Street (at Lexington) are B.D. Wong, Kristen Johnson, Jackie Hoffman, Rachel Dratch, Frank DeCaro, Eugene Pack, Dayle Reyfel, and they’ll be reading from fellow celebrities like Madonna, Miley Cyrus, Diana Ross, Elizabeth Taylor, Ivana Trump, Star Jones, Burt and Loni, Tommy and Pamela, Zsa Zsa and more.

The show starts at 9:30 pm, and you can get Orchestra cabaret table seating for just $25 (normally $40).  See Urie’s blog for more details.

Post from: Ugly Betty News

Well, the reviews are coming in, and if this one from Variety is any clue, we can say they are quite favorable.  The review is worth a read if only for this passage:

Since we enter the play in medias res, it’s hard to know exactly what to make of Harry [Hay – played by Thomas Jay Ryan] and Rudi Gernreich (Michael Urie) when we first see them, sitting opposite one another on folding chairs under a bare bulb. Harry is in a nondescript suit, seriously grilling fashion designer Rudi, who wears a form-fitting black shirt and dress pants, being coy. It looks like the long-lost gay episode of "Dragnet."

Apparently, Urie’s character Rudi is more ‘out’ than Harry, at least as far as one could be in the early 50’s.

The reviewer, Variety’s Sam Thielman, especially loved the performance of Urie’s co-star Ryan, but he also had kind words for Michael’s portrayal of Gernreich, saying, “Between this performance and Urie ("Ugly Betty") as the conflicted Gernreich, who became his generation’s Calvin Klein, helmer Jonathan Silverstein has the tools to turn the play into a meditation on the problems of being an outcast.”

The money quote says it all:  “What ought to be a boring history lesson frequently transcends itself to become an engaging portrait of a man rightly obsessed with fairness.”

It sounds like Thielman was pleasantly surprised.

Michael Urie has some pictures from the play at his blog.  ‘The Tempermenals’ runs through May 14th at the Barrow Group Studio Theater.

Image: SplashNewsOnline.com

Post from: Ugly Betty News

Image details: 19th Annual GLAAD Media Awards – Arrivals served by picapp.com

Ugly Betty won Outstanding Comedy Series for the second year in a row. As Silvio Horta was making supposedly serious acceptance speech, Micheal Urie and Becki Newton played class clowns. Urie pulled on-set dresser Giovanni Aurilia to the front of the stage. “He’s really strong,” Urie cooed. “Open your jacket. Pick up Becki [Newton]—so strong!”

As you can see from the pics, Aurilia did just that.

I think yellow is a beautiful color on Becki Newton. What do you think?

Lots more pis after the jump!

Image details: 19th Annual GLAAD Media Awards – Arrivals served by picapp.com

Image details: 19th Annual GLAAD Media Awards – Arrivals served by picapp.com

Image details: 19th Annual GLAAD Media Awards – Arrivals served by picapp.com

Image details: 19th Annual GLAAD Media Awards – Arrivals served by picapp.com

Image details: 19th Annual GLAAD Media Awards – Arrivals served by picapp.com

Image details: 19th Annual GLAAD Media Awards – Arrivals served by picapp.com

Image details: 19th Annual GLAAD Media Awards – Show served by picapp.com

Image details: 19th Annual GLAAD Media Awards – Show served by picapp.com

Source: EOnline

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Image details: Kiss Perform At Grand Prix In Melbourne served by picapp.com

TV Guide’s Micheal Ausiello gives us hints about the Amanda/Gene Simmons story line, and if it goes where I think it’s going, Amanda will have more sadness in her life:

Question: May I have some Amanda-centric Ugly Betty scoop? — Kristi
Ausiello: Gene Simmons is back, and let’s just say life with daddy isn’t everything she hoped it would be.

I have two thoughts about this. The first is an empahtic: “ya think?” Gene Simmons isn’t exactly Bill Cosby in the whole husband and father department. I’m wondering if they are going to play this as Amanda finally getting tired of Simmons paying attention to groupies instead of her. Personally, I would have loved to see a feud between Amanda and Simmons’ two real-life children, but that would have meant more guest stars and more complications; that’s something Silvio Horta and the writers are trying to avoid.

Secondly, of all the characters in Ugly Betty, Amanda strikes me as the most sad – almost tragic. Yes, she mean and catty (especially to Betty), but it seems like she just can’t buy a break in life, especially in the love and family department. Her friendship with Marc is really all she has. This is why the chemistry between Becki Newton and Micheal Urie is so important.

Anyway, what do you make of Ausiello’s hints – where do you think the Gene Simmons story is going to go?

Post from: Ugly Betty News

OMG, there’s so much going on in this video! Urie and Newton perform a song (”Ready For Betty”), and interspersed with it are scenes from past shows and behind the scenes footage of new filming. They mention Henry/Gio a lot, so it’s safe to say that the ships will be featured prominently in upcoming episodes.

Becki talks about writing “Gene Simmons is my Daddy” with Beal. I love the line “Cast into hell without our Betty”. Ashley Jensen, pulling into the lot says, “I’m not quite ready for Betty…” in her beautiful accent (after makeup, she declares she is now ready). They use the pronoun “he-she” when describing Alexis.

But you HAVE to see Michael Urie grabbing David Blue’s “boobs”. You just have to.

Every cast member makes at least a brief appearance.

This video podcast did exactly what it was meant to do: it makes us crazy waiting to see the next new episode!

Post from: Ugly Betty News

• Michael Urie will be on “Live with Regis and Kelly” on Friday, January 18th.  I can’t wait to see Urie interact with Regis – for all of Marc’s flamboyance, Michael seems (at least on MARC), just a little understated.  You’ll really see it when he’s there with Regis.
• Microsoft has struck a deal with Disney-ABC Television to offer TV shows on the XBox360 system through XBox LIVE.  This was announced at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas.  This includes Ugly Betty, along with shows like Lost, Desperate Housewives, Grey’s Anatomy, and various shows from ABC, ABC Family, DIsney, and Toon Disney (including the all important Hannah Montana). 
• Did you see America Ferrera on the cover of the January edition of Celebrity Style 101 Hairstyles?

 I caught a glimpse out of the corner of my eye at the grocery, and I just HAD to look.  So, ladies, if you want that America hairstyle (and who wouldn’t?), pick up your copy while you can.

Sources: Ugly Is In, Information Week

Post from: Ugly Betty News

Micheal Urie (Marc) of Ugly Betty has a reality show that airs this starting Friday, Jan 4th: Miss America, Reality Check.  It just got a little more important.  According to a press release, the show will actually help determine an unprecedented 16th finalist for the actual pageant.

Normally in the Miss America pageant, 15 finalists are chosen by the judges.  This year a 16th will be chosen by result of MISS AMERICA: AMERICA’S CHOICE, an online competition that allows viewers to vote for their favorite Miss America contestant.  Beginning January 4th, fans can vote at http://www.tlc.com/missamerica after the first airing of MARC.  (Hey, isn’t that cool?  The acronym for the show is MARC!)

Voting will continue through the final episode January 26th, through 3am EST.  The contestant with the most votes, who is not already included as a top 15 finalist, will be chosen as “America’s Choice,” and revealed at the MISS AMERICA LIVE! finale.

Angela Shapiro-Mathes, President and general manager for TLC says, “As viewers watch MISS AMERICA: REALITY CHECK they’ll get to know the contestants in a way that they never have before.  The entire competition becomes more relevant to today’s audience as they vote and root for their favorites at the live finale.”

Of course, you’d expect one of the contestants from a populous state to get the most votes.  But, you never know.  Maybe there’s another Sanjaya waiting out there amongst the various state pageant winners.

I can’t wait to see Urie add his own style to the venerable institution this Friday.  MARC airs at 10 pm EST, Jan 4th.

Source: Fox Business.  Photo: TLC/Stephanie Diani/Getty Images

Post from: Ugly Betty News

I love the “very eligible batchelor” bit.

This is wonderful; TLC is going to let Urie use his comedic talents. I cannot wait for the first airing of this show on Jan 4th. We’ll keep you posted about the show before and as it airs.

Post from: Ugly Betty News