Prince Charles, son's wife share interests
LONDON, April 27 (UPI) -- Prince Charles of Britain and his daughter-in-law enjoy incognito trips to the opera and art galleries, staffers say.
The duke and duchess of Cambridge, also known as Prince William and the former Kate Middleton, celebrate their first anniversary Sunday. Members of the royal household told CNN for a documentary the duchess has made a good adjustment to life in the royal fishbowl, The Daily Telegraph reported.
The duchess recently gave her first speech at a children's hospice in Ipswich. Her husband, a Royal Air Force search-and-rescue helicopter pilot who was deployed to the Falklands at the time, gave her some long-distance coaching.
"For her, the public engagements are a joy," one insider said. "She enjoys it. Not much fazes her. She is confident enough to handle it. She is strong-willed. She knows her mind. She is professional."
Staffers said the duchess has built strong relationships with her in-laws, including Queen Elizabeth II. But they said she is especially close to Prince Charles, because they have strong interests in common.
"She and the prince spend a lot of time together," one said. "They go on visits to the opera and art galleries; they share passions that neither of the [younger] princes [William and his brother Harry] share. They get on very well."
11-year-old to star in Broadway's 'Annie'
NEW YORK, April 27 (UPI) -- An 11-year-old girl from Los Angeles has been cast in the title role of "Annie," the Broadway revival's producers said Friday.
Lilla Crawford was cast following "a multi-city coast-to-coast search that spanned nine months and over 5,000 auditions," the producers said in a news release.
The show, directed by James Lapine, is to open this fall.
"Oh, my gosh, it happened! My heart just stopped," the young actress said upon hearing the news. "I thought it would be so cool just to be a part of 'Annie,' but to actually be playing Annie is a dream come true!"
"We fell in love with Lilla from the moment we saw her," said producer Arielle Tepper Madover. "When she is in the room you can't take your eyes off her. She has a gorgeous voice, is a terrific actress, wonderful dancer and a sweet girl. She is everything that we could have ever hoped for in an Annie. We are so happy to have met her and think everyone will fall in love with her the way we did."
Lilla made her Broadway debut last year, playing Debbie in the closing cast of "Billy Elliot" on Broadway.
Will Ferrell, Eli Manning to host 'SNL'
NEW YORK, April 27 (UPI) -- Comic actor Will Ferrell and New York Giants quarterback Eli Manning have been tapped to serve as guest hosts of "Saturday Night Live," NBC said Friday.
Manning will star in the May 12 episode of the sketch comedy series with Rihanna as the musical guest.
Ferrell, who was a cast member on "SNL" from 1995 to 2002, will serve as guest host May 19. Usher will provide the music for the evening, NBC said.
"SNL" is wrapping up its 37th season.
'Impossible' tops DVD sales, rental charts
LOS ANGELES, April 27 (UPI) -- "Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol" is the top-selling DVD and No. 1 rental in the United States, Rentrak announced Thursday.
Coming in at No. 2 on the DVD and Blu-ray sales chart for the week ending April 22 is "War Horse," followed by "Alvin and the Chipmunks: Chipwrecked" at No. 3, "We Bought a Zoo" at No. 4 and "The Muppets" at No. 5.
Rounding out the top tier are "Game of Thrones: The Complete First Season" at No. 6, "The Iron Lady" at No. 7, "The Darkest Hour" at No. 8, "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo" at No. 9 and "Hop" at No. 10.
The No. 2 DVD rental for the week ended April 21 is "We Bought a Zoo."
"The Darkest Hour" is No. 3, "War Horse" is No. 4, "The Sitter" is No. 5, "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo" is No. 6, "The Descendants" is No. 7, "The Iron Lady" is No. 8, "Alvin and the Chipmunks: Chipwrecked" is No. 9 and "Immortals" is No. 10.
