Stars Flock To Big-Screen Cole Porter Musical
Elvis Costello, Sheryl Crow, Diana Krall, Alanis Morissette, Robbie Williams, and R&B singer Vivian Green will appear in “Just One of Those Things,” a big screen musical portrait of songwriter Cole Porter. Actor Kevin Kline will portray Porter in the MGM production, currently shooting in a number of international locations, including London and Venice. Ashley Judd co-stars as Porter’s wife, Linda Lee.
“These are some of the world’s top musical talents,” director Irwin Winkler says in a statement. “By lending their voices to some of the most spectacular music ever written, we’ll be able to introduce the genius of Cole Porter to a whole new generation of fans.”
Morissette will dance and sing “Let’s Do It, Let’s Fall in Love” in the film. She previously appeared in the non-speaking role of God in the Kevin Smith-directed features “Dogma” and “Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back.”
Costello — who performed with Burt Bacharach in “Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me” and appeared as himself in “200 Cigarettes” and “Spice World” — performs “Let’s Misbehave.” The artist also had a small part as a public defender in the 2001 film “Prison Song,” which starred Q-Tip and Mary J. Blige.
Crow, whose previous silver screen acting credit is 1999’s “The Minus Man,” save for a cameo as a nightclub patron in “54,” will tackle “Begin the Beguine.” Williams, who has only lent his voice to the animated features “Magic Roundabout” (currently in production) and the 1999 holiday TV special “Hooves of Fire,” will perform “It’s De-Lovely.” He previously recorded Cole’s “Did You Evah?” on his 2001 EMI album “Swing When You’re Winning.”
Krall, a jazz singer and pianist who is no stranger to the Porter songbook, has two songs in the film. She will be seen and heard performing the title song and “I Get a Kick Out of You.” Krall will also soon be seen in Woody Allen’s upcoming feature, “Anything Else.” Expected later this year, that film stars Allen, Jason Biggs, Christina Ricci, Jimmy Fallon, Stockard Channing, and Danny DeVito, among others.
Green, who sings “Love for Sale,” will be making her film debut in “Just One of Those Things.”
Kline will perform a total of 14 songs in the film, including a duet with Judd on “In the Still of the Night.” An actress who comes from a musical family that includes sister Wynonna and mother Naomi, Judd also sings “True Love” and several other songs.
Producer Rob Cowan says the film “is unlike any musical seen in recent time. With complex characters and situations for the actors to explore, amazing costumes and choreography, and Porter’s terrific music to drive the narrative forward — the result is moving and exciting.”
The film’s soundtrack to the film will be released by Sony Music. Projected release dates for the film and soundtrack have not been announced.
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