Martin Short and Forest Whitaker join New York Times Arts and Leisure Weekend

By M&C News Dec 15, 2006, 2:38 GMT

October 23, 2006 - Beverly Hills, CA The Hollywood Film Festival 10th Annual Hollywood Awards Gala Ceremony held at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Beverly Hills, CA. ©Chris Hatcher/Photorazzi

Planning on being in the Big Apple (New York city) in the New Year?  Like movies and want to meet a real "star"?

Then The New York Times Sixth Annual Arts and Leisure Weekend January 5-7 is where you want to be.

The Weekend is The Times’s annual signature event, a national and international celebration of art and culture. It consists of interviews by Times journalists with celebrated artists.

This year, headliners included “Lost” creator J.J. Abrams; best-selling memoir authors Augusten Burroughs, Frank McCourt and Jeannette Walls; “Hannah Montana” stars Miley Cyrus and Billy Ray Cyrus; Pulitzer Prize-winning author Richard Ford; Metropolitan Opera impresario Peter Gelb with acclaimed soprano Renée Fleming; American abstract painter Brice Marden; Pritzker Prize-winning architect Thom Mayne; acclaimed jazz and cabaret recording artists Jessica Molaskey and John Pizzarelli; Academy Award® winner Vanessa Redgrave with celebrated author Joan Didion;  Tony Award® winning actor/comedian Martin Short; singer/songwriter Rufus Wainwright; and “NBC  Nightly News” anchor  Brian Williams.

The following TimesTalk Special Edition events will be of particular interest for avid film fans:

Martin Short
Sunday, January 7
6:00-7:15p.m.
Fame Becomes Him: The acting-singing-dancing comedian now appearing on Broadway.
Interviewed by Jesse Green

Forest Whitaker
Saturday, January 6
8:00-9:15p.m.
The Last King of Scotland:  The actor-director-producer on his career, portrayal of Ugandan dictator Idi Armin and the issues the film addresses.

The above TimesTalk Special Edition events take place at The Graduate Center, CUNY, Fifth Avenue and 34th Street.

Tickets are $25.

To purchase tickets and for more information: www.ArtsandLeisureWeekend.com.

(All Times Talk Special Edition events are subject to change).