New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg declared yesterday "Village Voice Obie Awards Day" in the Big Apple, celebrating the half-century mark of a program that recognizes the best of Off and Off-Off-Broadway theater. Jerry Tallmer, the awards' founder, recalls the original Obies, held in June, 1956, when Shelley Winters hosted the event. Pictured above are Obie golden anniversary hosts Brían F. O'Bryne and Stockard Channing.

Continue ReadingVillage Voice Celebrates 50 Years of the Obies

"Microsoft Caves on Gay Rights," published in the April 21 edition of the Seattle alt-weekly, accused the software giant of withdrawing its support for an anti-gay-discrimination bill in response to pressure from an evangelical Christian pastor. The New York Times followed the next day with front-page coverage of the story, and since then hundreds of publications around the globe have picked up The Stranger's scoop. Advocates of the legislation reacted with outrage -- vocally enough that Microsoft Chairman Bill Gates told the Seattle Times yesterday that the company might reconsider its stance toward such legislation.

Continue ReadingReaction to Stranger Article Has Microsoft Reeling, Rethinking

Robert Kasner, senior vice president and circulation director for Village Voice Media, died of liver cancer last week at the age of 53. Since 1998, Kasner oversaw the process of getting a quarter-million copies of the The Village Voice off the press and delivered to 1,700 locations. He also led the paper's battle against city rules that imposed tight restrictions on the free-newspaper industry. In an obituary in this week's Voice, publisher Judy Miszner says that Kasner "had an amazing intellect and kindness about him."

Continue ReadingVoice Senior VP and Circulation Director Succumbs to Cancer