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Mariska Hargitay Gets the Last Laugh: 20 Years After Winning Her Only Emmy Award the “SVU” Star Will Host the Show this Fall

Roger Friedman
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Mariska Hargitay Gets the Last Laugh: 20 Years After Winning Her Only Emmy Award the “SVU” Star Will Host the Show this Fall

The only time Mariska Hargitay won an Emmy Award for playing Olivia Benson was 20 years ago, in 2006.

The star of 27 seasons of “Law and Order SVU” went to more nominations but her final one was in 2011.

But now, she gets the last laugh. NBC’s longest running star will host the Emmy Awards this September on her home network.

This has been a big year for Hargitay. She just had a stint on Broadway in a one woman show, “Everything’s Brilliant.”

Her documentary, “My Mother Jayne,” about her late movie star mother, Jayne Mansfield, was highly praised and won a raft of awards. Catch it if you can — it’s terrific.

But it’s her run as Olivia Benson, the pioneering detective turned captain in the Special Victims Unit of the NYPD, that is her calling card. Almost three decades have passed, and Hargitay has never hit a lull. Her performance is consistently good, a high standard for TV or movies.

The Emmys have long ignored procedural dramas, no matter how big a star might be featured. For example, Angela Bassett is on “911,” and gets no attention. Linda Hunt was on “NCIS New Orleans” forever. There’s so much talent, but a lot of snobbery. Almost no broadcast shows get any nominations.

For Mariska, this has to be sweet vindication. And NBC isn’t stupid. Olivia Benson is incredibly popular. Hargitay radiates good vibes. The Emmys may finally get a rating. And think of all the actors who’ve worked on “SVU” over the years. The whole Emmys could be a running gag about Hargitay employing all of Hollywood.

Nicely done!

Ed Sheeran Plans for Chart Comeback Signing at Interscope Records, Leaving Catalog of Hits Behind at Atlantic/Warner

Roger Friedman
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Ed Sheeran Plans for Chart Comeback Signing at Interscope Records, Leaving Catalog of Hits Behind at Atlantic/Warner

Ed Sheeran is plotting his comeback as a chart topping pop star.

According to the Hollywood Reporter, Sheeran is signing with Universal’s Interscope Records after leaving Atlantic Records in March.

Sheeran must have been eager to leave Atlantic. He’s leaving behind his catalog of hits like “Perfect,” “Shape of You,” and “The A List.” They will stay with Atlantic for the time being.

The carrot topped pop singer just played a show in Denver last Saturday night after attending pal Taylor Swift’s wedding-zilla in New York. He’s kind of sauntering through a tour that takes him next to Las Vegas’s Allegiant Stadium on July 18th. So far, ticket sales are moderate to good.

Sheeran had a hot run of chart-topping singles and albums for several years. But a lawsuit — which he won — over his song “Thinking Out Loud” — did him some damage. His life also changed, as he married and had children.

Interscope is the home of Lady Gaga, Kendrick Lamar, and Billie Eilish among others. He couldn’t be in a better place to get on track with a new album and back on the charts.

Sounds “perfect.”

Madonna Loses Her Voice: Instrumental Version of “Confessions II” Album Is Number 1 on iTunes, Outselling 3 Others

Roger Friedman
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Madonna Loses Her Voice: Instrumental Version of “Confessions II” Album Is Number 1 on iTunes, Outselling 3 Others

Ok, this is weird.

The instrumental version of Madonna’s “Confessions II” album is number on iTunes.

It’s ahead of three other versions, all with Madonna’s vocals.

Well, Stuart Price’s production on “Confessions II” is really amazing. I suppose it could be listened to without the vocals or words to the songs.

But the album is Madonna’s, and I’d think her fans would like to hear her sing the songs.

Right now, Madonna holds the top positions on iTunes. Instrumentals is first, followed by a “Grindr” edition. This is not chicken parm. It’s her loyal core gay audience. According to the website, it’s a vinyl LP picture disc with a nonstop mix of the original tracks.

Soon there will be editions for every kind of Madonna fan. I’m looking forward to polka Confessions.

The result, by the way, is that “CII” is selling 101,000 copies this week and should come in at number 1.

Really, the instrumentals are nice, but I think Madonna might take offense that the fans don’t want to hear her voice. Amirite?

RIP Louise Lasser, Famed Comic Genius Star of “Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman,” Remembered by Ex-Husband, Friend Woody Allen

Roger Friedman
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RIP Louise Lasser, Famed Comic Genius Star of “Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman,” Remembered by Ex-Husband, Friend Woody Allen

UPDATED
So sad to see that Louise Lasser has passed away.

The comic genius of an actress was 87 and died of natural causes here in New York.

Lasser was most famous for starring in Norman Lear’s offbeat nightly droll satirical soap opera, “Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman,” in the mid 1970s.

Mary Hartman was a midwestern wife with a lot of problems including a cheating husband a father was who was a flasher in their little town of Fernwood, Ohio. The show was a divisive send up of middle American values, way ahead of its time. Mary was played by Lasser as alternately clueless and wily.

Just to say, I was addicted to “Mary Hartman” for two seasons before it became “Fernwood Tonight” with Martin Mull and Fred Willard, which was equally hilarious.

Louise Lasser came to “Mary Hartman” from three Woody Allen movies. The couple was married from 1966 to 1971. She was featured in “Bananas,” “Take the Money and Run,” and “Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Sex.” Her comic delivery and presence were something from the future and the past simultaneously. She was brilliant.

Woody Allen tells me: “She was a true original.”

Lasser was very eccentric, and into the 1980s her career had no particular trajectory. She has a lot of credits on the imdb including “Girls” on HBO, but nothing could rival her work in the 70s.


James Franco, Canceled After $2 Mil Sex Case: Comeback is Stage Play About Acquitted Accused Murderer Actor Robert Blake (Video)

Roger Friedman
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James Franco, Canceled After $2 Mil Sex Case: Comeback is Stage Play About Acquitted Accused Murderer Actor Robert Blake (Video)

Once upon a time, James Franco played the Wizard of Oz.

He also directed himself in a number of projects which suggested he was gay, which he was not.

Franco is now notorious for settling a $2.2 million lawsuit from former female acting students he slept with, and from having acting exercises in which the women were naked. Two students alleged in their class action suit that they and others were coerced into filming overt sexual acts by Franco and his partners. In interviews Franco admitted to sleeping with students.

Now, to polish up his image, Franco has written and directs himself in a piece of “experimental theater” in which he plays the late actor Robert Blake. Blake, who starred in “Baretta” on TV, became a pariah much like Franco when he was acquitted in 2005 of murdering his wife, Bonny Lee Bakley, in 2001.

In “Desert Films,” Franco plays Blake who’s playing his character from David Lynch’s “Lost Highway.” He seems to be booking very small theaters in towns where no one knows his recent history. It’s a far cry from his halcyon days more than a decade ago when he co-hosted the Oscars (and got hostile reviews) the same year he was nominated for “127 Hours.”

The last time Franco was on stage was on Broadway, in the very short lived, and panned, adaptation of John Steinbeck’s “Of Mice and Men.”

According to the Santa Barbara Independent, the play involves Franco taping another (male) actor, playing a kidnap victim, to a chair. The paper called the production “an unexpected tarantella of offbeat intensity and peculiar comedy.”

Franco’s Instagram page indicates he’s still plying that $2 million lawsuit smile with clueless ladies at autograph sessions. He also keeps adding odd videos he’s being chased by someone. Maybe it’s the ghost of Bonny Bakley.

PS Don’t think there’s no reward for all this: Franco was just honored at the lesser known Sardinia, Italy festival with a prize for his career. You can’t make this stuff up.

Christopher Nolan’s “The Odyssey” Begins Its Own Journey With Positive Pre-Reviews on Social Media: “Best Nolan Film Since Oppenheimer!”

Roger Friedman
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Christopher Nolan’s “The Odyssey” Begins Its Own Journey With Positive Pre-Reviews on Social Media: “Best Nolan Film Since Oppenheimer!”

The social media embargo has lifted for Christopher Nolan’s “The Odyssey.”

They, are, of course, very positive. And why not? Nolan is one of our top filmmakers. Homer, who wrote the original poem, was epic.

Seriously. This is not just “Nolan’s Best Film Since Oppenheimer!”

The clues dropped onto Twitter say all the right things. Staggering visuals, amazing production, kudos for Samantha Morton.

A lot of the posts are from people we don’t know, influencers who got a first look and are excited.

But real reviewers are approving, too. Steven Weintraub of Collide.com says: “Christopher Nolan’s ‘The Odyssey’ is *incredible*. I’ve been lucky enough to watch it twice and it gets better on the second viewing. I’m really blown away by this film.”

Perri Nemiroff, who’s got a sharp eye: “A heavy contributor to making The Odyssey utterly riveting from start to finish? All the jaw-dropping craftsmanship on display in the film. Hoyte van Hoytema’s work is as astounding as ever. It’s one breathtaking visual after the next, but also, I know the team went above and beyond to shoot the entire movie on IMAX film cameras and that effort pays off BIG TIME. It’s a major reason why The Odyssey delivers blockbuster-sized thrills while also feeling incredibly intimate and character-first.”

Simon Thompson: “Christopher Nolan’s #TheOdyssey is flawless filmmaking, every inch as epic as you’d expect. Leading a stellar cast, Matt Damon gives Odysseus everything in a career-best powerhouse performance. Robert Pattinson is outstanding as Antinous and John Leguizamo’s Eumaeus is sublime.”

There’s a lot of racist comments on Twitter from people who’ve never read Homer, but just have it in for various actors or how the movie updates the story. Just ignore them. They think “The Odyssey” is a Honda.

We won’t see this movie at a real press screening until one week from tonight. The Premiere is Tuesday night and reviews will be released Wednesday. Universal has a lot riding on this movie. Regardless of early hype, it’s going to be a worthy event in movie theaters.

Richard Gere is Back! Playing “Philip Roth” in Film Based on Novel by Writer’s Former Girlfriend, The Great Ed Zwick Directing

Roger Friedman
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Richard Gere is Back! Playing “Philip Roth” in Film Based on Novel by Writer’s Former Girlfriend, The Great Ed Zwick Directing

Richard Gere is back!

Lately, Gere has been killing it in “The Agency” with Michael Fassbender and Jeffrey Wright on Paramount Plus.

But let’s face it, Richard Gere is a movie star, from “American Gigolo” and “Days of Heaven” to “Chicago” and “Pretty Woman,” for starters.

Now Gere, 76, will star in the film adaptation of “Asymetry,” playing a character loosely based on the late great novelist Philip Roth. (Roth fancied himself a “player” and probably thought he looked like Gere. He didn’t, but he was a great writer.)

Lisa Halliday wrote the book about her time when she worked for a literary agency and had a fling with Roth, who was considerably older. Diana Silvers, 28, will play the Halliday character. Silvers is not just an actress but a singer also, with a bunch of gigs coming up this fall.

Halliday, by the way, has always maintained her characters are fictional and inspired by a lot of people. Roth apparently liked the novel and sent her an email before his death calling “Asymmetry” a winner.

(Hopefully, there’s a better title for this movie.)

It’s nice to see Ed Zwick back in the director’s chair. He’s given us “The Last Samurai,” “Glory,” “thirtysomething” on tv, and many more terrific projects.

PS Roth’s most famous book was “Portnoy’s Complaint,” which was not about sports and pizza fan podcaster Dave Portnoy.

Here’s Silvers singing. She has an album out, too.

Weekend Music: Madonna Secures Top 3 Albums on iTunes, Beyonce Struggles to Get Her “Morning Dew,” Taylor Shakes It Off

Roger Friedman
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Weekend Music: Madonna Secures Top 3 Albums on iTunes, Beyonce Struggles to Get Her “Morning Dew,” Taylor Shakes It Off

Madonna should be in utter shock this morning.

Her “Confessions II” is holding the top three spots on the iTunes album chart.

At Number 1 and 2 are slightly different versions, one with a couple of extra tracks.

At Number 3, there’s a digital only instrumental version that gives due to producer Stuart Price. My favorite track is still “Betrayal,” which you can hear at 53:00. (See below.)

But three spots! Madonna is waking up from a chart coma that went on for 21 years. What a turnaround!

But this may be all part of the topsy turvy world of pop. Madonna prepared her fans for weeks for this album, even appearing in Times Square. People scoffed, but she really targeted her audience.

Guess who didn’t? Beyonce. She dropped a surprise single on Saturday, which was a bad idea. The July 4th and patriotic songs had a grip on streaming and downloading.

The result is that it’s Monday afternoon and “Morning Dew (Donk)” is nowhere on Spotify. It’s number 4 on iTunes and Apple streaming. Doesn’t bode well for the future of this single or the “BDAY” anniversary album it’s on come September.

And yes, Taylor Swift’s sales seem to have dropped with news of her wedding. The only piece still selling is her “Toy Story 5” single. But with the exception of her recent “Showgirl” album, all the rest of the catalog is gone from the charts.

Thursday night brings the Rolling Stones album, “Foreign Tongues,” which is a knockout. Get in on the ground floor!

Trump Gets Corrupt FIFA to Reverse Punishment for US Soccer Player, A Birthright Citizen Trump Would Otherwise Deport

Roger Friedman
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Trump Gets Corrupt FIFA to Reverse Punishment for US Soccer Player, A Birthright Citizen Trump Would Otherwise Deport

Everything about FIFA is disgusting and corrupt.

We love the World Cup, but the people who run it would see out their grandmothers for a Diet Coke.

The New York Times and others are reporting now that Donald Trump essentially strong armed FIFA into reversing a “red card” or punishment against US Team player Folarin Balogun.

Ironically, Balogun is a birthright citizen, the people Trump wants banned from the country. LOL. The soccer star was born in Brooklyn, New York, on July 3, 2001, to Nigerian parents who were visiting the country. You can only hope he refuses to visit the White House if he US wins, but if he doesn’t, Trump will send his whole family to El Salvador.

Happy America 250.

The Times and other outlets say Trump called Gianni Infantino, the president of FIFA, in the hours after the United States men’s soccer team played Wednesday and asked him to review the suspension of the team’s top goal scorer in the World Cup.

Since Infantino has already given Trump a bogus peace prize, it was an easy call to make.

Balogun is eligible to play Monday against Belgium for the US Team. After the World Cup, Trump will try and deport him.

Guess who the White House Liaison is to the World Cup? Why, Andrew Giuliani, son of Rudy, and long time Trump patronage employee. Not surprised, right? MAGA loves this stuff. It’s hard to know what they like more — nepotism, inflated salaries, the destruction of Washington, or Trump grifting $2 billion in income so far in his second term.

Why should international teams take the World Cup seriously now? We have to hope Spain or Portugal or another country wins fairly, and that the US players will be so wracked with guilt that they’ll blow their own chances. (I wish Cabo Verde was still in the mix.)

Read the Times story here.

Hamptons Sings: Broadway Star Norm Lewis Still Wants His Other Half of Audra McDonald’s Tony Award for “Porgy and Bess”

Regina Weinreich
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Hamptons Sings: Broadway Star Norm Lewis Still Wants His Other Half of Audra McDonald’s Tony Award for “Porgy and Bess”

Was Norm Lewis robbed of a Tony Award for his role as Porgy in the Gershwin’s “Porgy and Bess”? Maybe. His velvety distinctive baritone and stage presence certainly earned him the distinction.

Of course, Lewis had been nominated alongside his co-star Audra McDonald who won for her role as Bess. Said Lewis, “She owes me half,” before wowing everyone singing “I Got Plenty of Nothing.”

The occasion was opening night of Hamptons Summer Songbook by the Sea, a hugely entertaining cabaret series held at LTV Studios produced by Donna Rubin and the wonderful impresario Josh Gladstone.

What’s great about cabaret is how well you get to know the performers; it’s not just the musical numbers, the great American songbook, or show tunes you love, it is how the artist puts the material together. Norm Lewis must be used to singing for largely white audiences. Introducing “The Music of the Night,” he explained how he came to be the first African American to ever play the Phantom of the Opera on Broadway.

His was the voice of King Triton in “The Little Mermaid,” a character who does not sing much. Lewis preferred to vocalize Ursula, the Sea Witch, actually the villain of the piece and sang “Poor Unfortunate Souls.” Other numbers included “Misty,” channeling Johnny Mathis, “Wouldn’t it be Lovely?” from “My Fair Lady,” and Whitney Houston’s “The Greatest Love of All.” He imagined the audience response to this night would be ‘Norm Lewis had me on the edge of my seat and took my breath away.’ He got his wish.

Joy Behar of “The View” was right up front cheering Norm on leading a packed house that included Donna Rubin, Jean Shafiroff, Alex Donner, Eleanor and Howard Morgan.

Jean Shafiroff was presented with the 2026 Frances Ann Dougherty Award for Broadcast Philanthropy. The award honors leadership, generosity and a lasting commitment to strengthening the community through the power of media. Named for Frances Ann Dougherty, wife of LTV founder Frazer Dougherty. Shafiroff, a philanthropist, author and television host, was recognized for her years-long support of LTV and the continued success of her program, “Successful Philanthropy,” which highlights charitable leadership and civic engagement.

Next up is Ann Hampton Callaway, followed by Klea Blackhurst & Billy Stritch, and many more concluding with Donna McKechnie.

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