Evening News

Theater Mania: ONE LIFE TO LIVE star Timothy D. Stickney will star in the title role of the New York State Theatre Institute's production of William Shakespeare's Macbeth, February 1-13 at the Schacht Fine Arts Center at the Russell Sage College in Troy, New York. The production will be directed by Elizabeth Swain.

Jalopnik: New clip from former ALL MY CHILDREN star Justin Bruening's new TV movie "Knight Rider."

Us Magazine: John Mayer breaks up with FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS star Minka Kelly.

Soap Opera Weekly: While his GENERAL HOSPITAL alter ego Trevor Lansing has a checkered past — and present, for that matter — filled with violence and mobsters, Stephen Macht has a much more respectable history. "I got a chance to play a Blackfoot Indian warrior brave — me, a Jew from Brooklyn. I played opposite Charlton Heston, and I chased his ass all over Wyoming, trying to kill him."

Entertainment Today: Before the writers-strike began to wreak havoc with Hollywood’s self-congratulatory season of every imaginable awards show, one laudable event took place that deserves attention-- the Diversity Awards. Lovely Sharon Leal, who was in the big screen comedies Tyler Perry’s Why Did I Get Married and This Christmas, was happy to report that she plays Cuba Gooding Jr.’s wife in the upcoming drama Linewatch. She also pointed out that her career would not be where it is today unless the daytime drama GUIDING LIGHT embraced diversity, giving her the opportunity to become a teen soap star. “I think the soaps deserve credit for being the first to break down barriers in so many areas.”

AfterEllen: Bree Williamson and Bethann Bonner. A couple?

Black Voices: Mario Van Peebles will join the cast of ALL MY CHILDREN. And although it's cold outside, the acting veteran will surely heat things up in the mainstream. On the legendary ABC soap opera, the 'New Jack City' director and star will take on the role of Samuel Woods, a U.S. District Attorney who is running for the Senate.According to sources familiar with the storyline, the show's veteran vixen Erica Kane (played by Susan Lucci) will take special notice of Samuel, primarily as a guest on her talk show, 'New Beginnings,' but she's in store for a lot more than a spike in ratings: Samuel will soon become a nightmare, though one that could turn into a romance! A show spokesperson didn't confirm the possibility of a hot, interracial romance but did say "maybe." Van Peebles' first air date on the Emmy Award winning daytime drama, which celebrates its 38th anniversary this month, is January 29.