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The Full Grammy List: Bruce Springsteen Also Snubbed for “Western Stars” Album, Ed Sheeran’s Latest Mostly Ignored

Roger Friedman
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The Full Grammy List: Bruce Springsteen Also Snubbed for “Western Stars” Album, Ed Sheeran’s Latest Mostly Ignored

Here are the main nominations. Bruce Springsteen’s “Western Stars” failed to resonate in either Pop Traditional or Americana. That’s a stunning insult to the Boss. Ed Sheeran’s “Collaborations No. 6” didn’t get much love either. The nominees are heavily female this year, too. Five of the 8 Album of the Year nominees are women.

 

ALBUM OF THE YEAR
I, I – Bon Iver
Norman F***ing Rockwell! – Lana Del Rey
WHEN WE ALL FALL ASLEEP, WHERE DO WE GO? – Billie Eilish
Thank U, Next – Ariana Grande
I Used to Know Her – H.E.R.
7 – Lil Nas X
Cuz I Love You (Deluxe) – Lizzo
Father of the Bride – Vampire Weekend

RECORD OF THE YEAR
“Hey, Ma” – Bon Iver
“Bad Guy” – Billie Eilish
“7 Rings” – Ariana Grande
“Hard Place” – H.E.R.
“Talk” – Khalid
“Old Town Road” – Lil Nas X Featuring Billy Ray Cyrus
“Truth Hurts” – Lizzo
“Sunflower” – Post Malone & Swae Lee

SONG OF THE YEAR
“Always Remember Us This Way” – Natalie Hemby, Lady Gaga, Hillary Lindsey & Lori McKenna, songwriters (Lady Gaga)
“Bad Guy” – Billie Eilish O’Connell & Finneas O’Connell, songwriters (Billie Eilish)
“Bring My Flowers Now” – Brandi Carlile, Phil Hanseroth, Tim Hanseroth & Tanya Tucker, songwriters (Tanya Tucker)
“Hard Place” – Ruby Amanfu, Sam Ashworth, D. Arcelious Harris. H.E.R. & Rodney Jerkins, songwriters (H.E.R.)
“Lover” – Taylor Swift, songwriter (Taylor Swift)
“Norman F***ing Rockwell” – Jack Antonoff & Lana Del Rey, songwriters (Lana Del Rey)
“Someone You Loved” – Tom Barnes, Lewis Capaldi, Pere Kelleher, Benjamin Kohn & Sam Roman, songwriters (Lewis Capaldi)
“Truth Hurts” – Steven Cheung, Eric Frederic, Melissa Jefferson & Jesse Saint John, songwriters (Lizzo)

BEST NEW ARTIST
Black Pumas
Billie Eilish
Lil Nas X
Lizzo
Maggie Rogers
Rosalía
Tank and the Bangas
Yola

 

POP

BEST POP SOLO PERFORMANCE
“Spirit” – Beyoncé
“Bad Guy” – Billie Eilish
“7 Rings” – Ariana Grande
“Truth Hurts” – Lizzo
“You Need to Calm Down” – Taylor Swift

BEST POP DUO/GROUP PERFORMANCE
“Boyfriend” – Ariana Grande & Social House
“Sucker” – Jonas Brothers
“Old Town Road” – Lil Nas X featuring Billy Ray Cyrus
“Sunflower” – Post Malone & Swae Lee
“Señorita” – Shawn Mendes & Camila Cabello

BEST POP VOCAL ALBUM
The Lion King: The Gift – Beyoncé
WHEN WE ALL FALL ASLEEP, WHERE DO WE GO? – Billie Eilish
Thank U, Next – Ariana Grande
No. 6 Collaborations Project – Ed Sheeran
Lover – Taylor Swift

BEST TRADITIONAL POP VOCAL ALBUM
Sí – Andrea Bocelli
Love (Deluxe Edition) – Michael Bublé
Look Now – Elvis Costello & the Imposters
A Legendary Christmas – John Legend
Walls – Barbra Streisand

 

ROCK

BEST ROCK PERFORMANCE
“Pretty Waste” – Bones UK
“This Land” – Gary Clark Jr.
“History Repeats” – Brittany Howard
“Woman” – Karen O & Danger Mouse
“Too Bad” – Rival Sons

BEST ROCK SONG
“Fear Inoculum” – Danny Carey, Justin Chancellor, Adam Jones & Maynard James Keenan, songwriters (TOOL)
“Give Yourself a Try” – George Daniel, Adam Hann, Matthew Healy & Ross MacDonald, songwriters (The 1975)
“Harmony Hall” – Ezra Koenig, songwriter (Vampire Weekend)
“History Repeats” – Brittany Howard, songwriter (Brittany Howard)
“This Land” – Gary Clark Jr., songwriter (Gary Clark Jr.)

BEST ROCK ALBUM
Amo – Bring Me the Horizon
Social Cues – Cage the Elephant
In The End – The Cranberries
Trauma – I Prevail
Feral Roots – Rival Sons

 

ALTERNATIVE

BEST ALTERNATIVE MUSIC ALBUM
U.F.O.F. – Big Thief
Assume Form – James Blake
I,I – Bon Iver
Father of the Bride – Vampire Weekend
Anima – Thom Yorke

 

R&B

BEST R&B SONG
“Love Again” – Daniel Caesar & Brandy
“Could’ve Been” – H.E.R. featuring Bryson Tiller
“Exactly How I Feel” – Lizzo featuring Gucci Mane
“Roll Some Mo” – Lucky Daye
“Come Home” – Anderson .Paak featuring André 3000

BEST R&B ALBUM
1123 – BJ the Chicago Kid
Painted – Lucky Daye
Ella Mai – Ella Mai
Paul – PJ Morton
Ventura – Anderson .Paak

BEST R&B PERFORMANCE
“Love Again” – Daniel Caesar & Brandy
“Could’ve Been” – H.E.R. Featuring Bryson Tiller
“Exactly How I Feel” – Lizzo featuring Gucci Mane
“Roll Some Mo” – Lucky Daye
“Come Home” – Anderson .Paak featuring André 3000

BEST TRADITIONAL R&B PERFORMANCE
“Time Today” – BJ the Chicago Kid
“Steady Love” – India.Arie
“Jerome” – Lizzo
“Real Games” – Lucky Daye
“Built For Love” – PJ Morton featuring Jazmine Sullivan

BEST URBAN CONTEMPORARY ALBUM
Apollo XXI – Steve Lacy
Cuz I Love You (Deluxe) – Lizzo
Overload – Georgia Anne Muldrow
Saturn – NAO
Being Human in Public – Jessie Reyez

 

RAP

BEST RAP PERFORMANCE
“Middle Child” – J. Cole
“Suge” – DaBaby
“Down Bad” – Dreamville featuring J.I.D., Bas, J. Cole, EARTHGANG & Young Nudy
“Racks in the Middle” – Nipsey Hussle featuring Roddy Ricch & Hit-Boy
“Clout” – Offset featuring Cardi B

BEST RAP/SUNG PERFORMANCE
“Higher” – DJ Khaled featuring Nipsey Hussle & John Legend
“Drip Too Hard” – Lil Baby & Gunna
“Panini” – Lil Nas X
“Ballin” – Mustard featuring Roddy Ricch
“The London” – Young Thug featuring J. Cole & Travis Scott

BEST RAP ALBUM
Revenge of the Dreamers III – Dreamville
Championships – Meek Mill
I Am > I Was – 21 Savage
Igor – Tyler, The Creator
The Lost Boy – YBN Cordae

BEST RAP SONG
“Bad Idea” – Chancelor Bennett, Cordae Dunston, Uforo Ebong & Daniel Hackett, songwriters (YBN Cordae featuring Chance The Rapper)
“Gold Roses” – Noel Cadastre, Aubrey Graham, Anderson Hernandez, Khristopher Riddick-Tynes, William Leonard Roberts II, Joshua Quinton Scruggs, Leon Thomas III & Ozan Yildirim, songwriters (Rick Ross featuring Drake)
“A Lot” – Jermaine Cole, Dacoury Natche, 21 Savage & Anthony White, songwriters (21 Savage featuring J. Cole)
“Racks in the Middle” – Ermias Asghedom, Dustin James Corbett, Greg Allen Davis, Chauncey Hollis, Jr. & Rodrick Moore, songwriters (Nipsey Hussle featuring Roddy Ricch & Hit-Boy)
“Suge” – DaBaby, Jetsonmade & Pooh Beatz, songwriters (DaBaby)

 

DANCE/ELECTRONIC

BEST DANCE/ELECTRONIC ALBUM
LP5 – Apparat
No Geography – The Chemical Brothers
Hi This Is Flume (Mixtape) – Flume
Solace – RÜFÜS DU SOL
Weather – Tycho

BEST DANCE RECORDING
“Linked” – Bonobo
“Got to Keep On” – The Chemical Brothers
“Piece of Your Heart” – Meduza featuring Goodboys
“Underwater” – RÜFÜS DU SOL
“Midnight Hour” – Skrillex & Boys Noize featuring Ty Dolla $ign

 

COUNTRY

BEST COUNTRY SOLO PERFORMANCE
“All Your’n” – Tyler Childers
“Girl Goin’ Nowhere” – Ashley McBryde
“Ride Me Back Home” – Willie Nelson
“God’s Country” – Blake Shelton
“Bring My Flowers Now” – Tanya Tucker

BEST COUNTRY/DUO PERFORMANCE
“Brand New Man” – Brooks & Dunn with Luke Combs
“I Don’t Remember Me (Before You) – Brothers Osborne
“Speechless” – Dan + Shay
“The Daughters” – Little Big Town
“Common” – Maren Morris featuring Brandi Carlile

BEST COUNTRY ALBUM
Desperate Man – Eric Church
Stronger Than The Truth – Reba McEntire
Interstate Gospel – Pistol Annies
Center Point Road – Thomas Rhett
While I’m Livin’ – Tanya Tucker

BEST COUNTRY SONG
“Bring My Flowers Now” – Brandie Carlile, Phil Hanseroth, Tim Hanseroth & Tanya Tucker, songwriters (Tanya Tucker)
“Girl Goin’ Nowhere” – Jeremy Bussey & Ashley McBryde, songwriters (Ashley McBryde)
“It All Comes Out in the Wash” – Miranda Lambert, Hillary Lindsey, Lori McKenna & Liz Rose, songwriters (Miranda Lambert)
“Some of It” – Eric Church, Clint Daniels, Jeff Hyde & Bobby Pinson, songwriters (Eric Church)
“Speechless” – Shay Mooney, Jordan Reynolds, Dan Smyers & Laura Veltz, songwriters (Dan + Shay)

 

LATIN

BEST LATIN POP ALBUM
Vida – Luis Fonsi
11:11 – Maluma
Montaner – Ricardo Montaner
#ElDisco – Alejandro Sanz
Fantasia – Sebastian Yatra

BEST LATIN ROCK, URBAN OR ALTERNATIVE ALBUM
X 100PRE – Bad Bunny
Oasis – J Balvin & Bad Bunny
Indestructible – Flor De Toloache
Almadura – iLe
El Mal Querer – Rosalía

 

AMERICAN ROOTS

BEST AMERICAN ROOTS PERFORMANCE
“Saint Honesty” – Sara Bareilles
“Father Mountain” – Calexico and Iron & Wine
“I’m On My Way” – Rhiannon with Francesco Turrisi
“Call My Name” – I’m With Her
“Faraway Look” – Yola

BEST AMERICAN ROOTS SONG
“Black Myself” – Amythyst Kiah, songwriter (Our Native Daughters)
“Call My Name” – Sarah Jarosz, Aoife O’Donovan & Sara Watkins, songwriters (I’m With Her)
“Crossing to Jerusalem” – Roseanne Cash & John Leventhal, songwriters (Roseanne Cash)
“Faraway Look” – Dan Auerbach, Yola Carter & Pat McLaughlin, songwriters (Yola)
“I Don’t Wanna Ride the Rails No More” – Vince Gill, songwriter (Vince Gill)

BEST AMERICANA ALBUM
Years to Burn – Calexico And Iron & Wine
Who Are You Now – Madison Cunningham
Oklahoma – Keb’ Mo’
Tales of America – J.S. Ondara
Walk Through Fire – Yola

 

MUSIC FOR VISUAL MEDIA

BEST COMPILATION SOUNDTRACK FOR VISUAL MEDIA
The Lion King: The Songs – Various Artists
Quentin Tarantino’s Once Upon a Time in Hollywood – Various Artists
Rocketman – Taron Egerton
Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse – Various Artists
A Star is Born – Lady Gaga & Bradley Cooper

BEST SONG WRITTEN FOR VISUAL MEDIA
“The Ballad of the Lonesome Cowboy” – Randy Newman, songwriter (Chris Stapleton), Track from: Toy Story 4
“Girl in the Movies” – Dolly Parton & Linda Perry, songwriters (Dolly Parton), Track from: Dumplin’
“I’ll Never Love Again” (Film Version) – Natalie Hemby, Lady Gaga, Hillary Lindsey & Aaron Raitiere songwriters (Lady Gaga & Bradley Cooper), Track from: A Star Is Born
“Spirit” – Beyoncé Knowles-Carter, Timothy McKenzie & Ilya Salmanzadeh, songwriters (Beyoncé), Track from: The Lion King
Suspirium” – Thom Yorke, songwriter (Thom Yorke), Track from: Suspiri

 

MUSICAL THEATER

BEST MUSICAL THEATER ALBUM
Ain’t Too Proud: The Life and Times of The Temptations – Original Broadway Cast
Hadestown – Original Broadway Cast
Moulin Rouge! The Musical – Original Broadway Cast
The Music of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child: In Four Contemporary Suites – Imogen Heap
Oklahoma! – Rodgers & Hammerstein; 2019 Broadway Cast

 

PRODUCTION

PRODUCER OF THE YEAR
Jack Antonoff
Dan Auerbach
John Hill
FINNEAS
Ricky Reed

BEST ENGINEERED ALBUM
All These Things – Tchad Blake, Adam Greenspan & Rodney Shearer, engineers; Bernie Grundman, master engineer (Thomas Dybdahl)
Ella Mai – Chris “Shaggy” Asher, Jaycen Joshua & David Pizzimenti, engineers; Chris Athens, mastering engineer (Ella Mai)
Run Home Slow – Paul Butler & Sam Teskey, engineers; Joe Carra, mastering engineer (The Teskey Brothers)
Scenery – Tom Elmhirst, Ben Kane & Jeremy Most, engineers; Bob Ludwig, mastering engineer (Emily King)
WHEN WE ALL FALL ASLEEP, WHERE DO WE GO? – Rob Kinelski & Finneas O’Connell, engineers; John Greenham, mastering engineer (Billie Eilish)

 

MUSIC VIDEO/FILM

BEST MUSIC VIDEO
“We’ve Got to Try” – The Chemical Brothers
“This Land” – Gary Clark Jr.
“Cellophane” – FKA twigs
“Old Town Road” – Lil Nas X featuring Billy Ray Cyrus
“Glad He’s Gone” – Tove Lo

BEST MUSIC FILM
Homecoming – Beyoncé
Remember My Name – David Crosby
Birth of the Cool – (Miles Davis)
Shangri-La – (Various Artists)
Anima – Thom Yorke

Grammy Nominations Shocker: Taylor Swift’s “Lover” SNUBBED for Album and Record of the Year in Surprise

Roger Friedman
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Grammy Nominations Shocker: Taylor Swift’s “Lover” SNUBBED for Album and Record of the Year in Surprise

Grammy shocker: Taylor Swift was snubbed for Album of the Year and Record of the Year for the 2020 Grammy nominations. Her “Lover” album failed to get nominated for the big prize, and no song from it made Record of the Year, One song, “Lover,” was nominated for Song of the Year, and “You Need to Calm Down” was nominated for Best Pop Performance, Solo.

This is a shock. Swift’s album was the best selling album of this year, and widely praised. But her many stands against the record industry may have caused an issue. It’s a stunner.

Album nominations went to Bon Iver, Lizzo, Lana del Rey, HER, Billie Eilish, Lil Nas X, Lizzo, and Vampire Weekend.

Also snubbed was arguably the actual best album of the year, Bruce Springsteen’s “Western Stars.”

The full list is below.

Gayle King and Alicia Keys presented the 2020 Grammy nominations this morning on CBS. Before the press conference went live on CBS, King stepped up to the dais with a hoarse throat and joked: “We’re on the stream. Don’t worry. I won’t say anything damaging for myself or CBS.” Keys is hosting the Grammys January 26th, for the second year in a row after a triumphant first time around last year. Bebe Rexha also helped deliver the nominees.

BEST POP SOLO– Beyonce, Billie Eilish, Ariana Grande, Lizzo, Taylor Swift.

BEST NEW ARTIST– Black Pumas, Billie Eilish, Lil Nas X, Lizzo Maggie Rogers, Tank and and the Begas, Yola.

New “Star Trek” Movie Will Come from Director of This Season’s Biggest Flop, “Lucy in the Sky,” Which Made $320,000

Roger Friedman
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New “Star Trek” Movie Will Come from Director of This Season’s Biggest Flop, “Lucy in the Sky,” Which Made $320,000

With “Star Wars” wrapping up soon, the sci fi world is ready for a new “Star Trek” movie. The venerable franchise needs a new chapter, likely to star Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto, and so on. The last one was the disappointing “Star Trek Beyond” in 2016. That film made $343 million worldwide.

Already Quentin Tarantino has proposed his own R rated “Star Trek.”

So who did Paramount choose to helm a new installment? A big successful director with a terrific resume? Why no! They’ve tapped Noah Hawley to write and direct it.

Who is he? Hawley directed the biggest big studio flop of this year, “Lucy in the Sky,” with Natalie Portman. That turkey made just $320,000. It lost its entire budget, at least $40 million, maybe more. The whole thing, gone, and fast.

So why not give the important “Star Trek” movie to a guy whose new movie is a huge freaking flop– and it was about space travel. Makes sense, right?

Such a crucial decision for Paramount, which is suffering losses this year with other flops like “Gemini Man,” “Terminator: Dark Fate,” and “Pet Sematary.” Their only hit this year was Elton JOhn’s “Rocketman” with $96 million in the US and $195 million worldwide.

Was literally everyone else in the world busy? Hawley is a TV director whose first big screen directing job was “Lucy.” And he blew it. Big time. It’s not that he should be punished for life, but the next “Star Trek” movie will make or break that franchise. Maybe someone with a lot of successes would be a better idea.

EXCLUSIVE Jay Z Scholarship Fund: Celebs Get $40K Gold Rolexes, Beyonce Gets Billion Dollar Purse, Few Students Get Very Little

Roger Friedman
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EXCLUSIVE Jay Z Scholarship Fund: Celebs Get $40K Gold Rolexes, Beyonce Gets Billion Dollar Purse, Few Students Get Very Little

Jay Z and Beyonce really whooped it up this past weekend at a benefit for his Shawn Carter Scholarship Fund. Meek Mill and other stars received VIP Invites that included $40,000 gold watches and bottles of expensive booze. Beyonce, it was reported, sported a “billion dollar” purse.

But what is the Shawn Carter Scholarship Fund? It’s just another bloated celebrity charity that’s not doing much good except serving as a phony calling card for its namesake.

Charity Navigator gives the Shawn Carter Scholarship Fund just two out of four stars. It has a very dismal 77 score out of 100 overall for financial maintenance, accountability and transparency.

It’s the kind of foundation that pays over $200,000 in salaries but only has $700,000 in assets. Among other things, they offer a $15,000 scholarship to the very posh Riverdale Country Day School in Fieldston, the Bronx. Tuition at the school is $54,000 a year. But it sounds good, doesn’t it?

In 2017,The  Shawn Carter Scholarship Fund reported  $750,677 in revenue, and just about the same amount in expenses. That’s an improvement on 2016, when revenue less expenses came to MINUS $448,597. And still, with that increased revenue in 2017, grants (scholarships) went down, from $556,117 to $465,290. (And only about half that amount– $200,000– is delineated in their annual Form 990 for the IRS.

Salaries were equal to half that amount: $233,125.

Net assets at the end of 2017 were just $142,022.

But Jay Z is considered “the first billionaire of rap.” He could be underwriting whole classes of college students, particularly at all black colleges. Instead, the Shawn Carter Fund gave just 14 scholarships away in 2017, not one more than $32,000, and most averaged $5,000. Howard University received a paltry $11,500.

So back to the watches: according to the NY Post, both Meek Mill and Swizz Beatz advertised about getting their gold Rolexes, priced at $40,000. I’m a little surprised by Swizz Beatz, who knows that money could be going to student scholarships. He and Alicia Keys could afford a hundred of those watches. He wrote on Instagram: “Hov is on another level with the invite game…it came with a Daytona Rolex and a bottle of Ace…”

Meek Mill wrote: “Hov sent these as vip passes smh this rich s—t getting out of control lol,” adding, “I’m not joking lol.”

But still the two day party went on at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel in Hollywood, Florida.

Bradley Cooper, Robert De Niro Have a “Silver Linings” Reunion at the Annual Arthur Miller Foundation Dinner

Roger Friedman
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Bradley Cooper, Robert De Niro Have a “Silver Linings” Reunion at the Annual Arthur Miller Foundation Dinner

Rebecca Miller, daughter of the late really great playwright Arthur Miller, started a foundation in her father’s name a few years ago. Last night, Oscar nominee Bradley Cooper hosted the annual dinner, a small affair held in the cold, drab 2nd floor of the Kimpton Eventi Hotel on Sixth Avenue. The reason for the location? Their old west Soho setting, City Winery, is gone, set for demolition by Disney-ABC.

It didn’t matter one bit that the concrete ballroom was freezing and that you could hear construction going on outside. (Jackhammers, no less, at 9pm.) For some reason, this event works wherever you put it. Maybe it’s because Miller, who is a writer, director, mother, and wife to Daniel Day Lewis, knows the right ingredients for a successful evening. A top notch jazz combo warmed up the crowd under the aegis of Julie McBride. They swung!

So Cooper hosted, which meant making announcements and introducing guests and awards winners for the night. He wore a street suit and approached the job with enthusiasm. Honorees included Pulitzer Prize winning playwright Suzan Lori Parks and music educator Keeshon Morrow, assistant principal and director of arts at the Repertory Company High School for Theater Arts.

There were rousing versions of Cole Porter songs from Broadway heavy weights Sutton Foster, Lena Hall, and Raul Esparza as well as a very winning Darren Criss (who performed a very endearing version of “Let’s Do It,” accompanying himself on guitar). The scene stealer of the night was Ayodele Casel, tap dancer extraordinaire who was trained by Gregory Hines. Each of the performers told an anecdote about their favorite theater teacher, as the AMF’s mission is to bring theater education to public schools.

Halfway through the dinner, the one and only Robert De Niro arrived and took his seat next to Cooper. They’d played father and son in the wonderful “Silver Linings Playbook.” Before this, Cooper had told me how in awe he was of De Niro’s performance in “The Irishman,” which he considers a masterpiece. When I told De Niro his ears must have been burning, he just smiled. How’s he enjoying Oscar season? “It’s okay, it’s okay, I’m having a good time. It’s better than the opposite.”

Cooper showed me a picture on his phone of his two and a half year old daughter, Lea, with model Irina Shayk. “She’s bi-lingual, she can speak Russian,” he said, proudly.

Later Tony Kushner, the Pulitzer Prize winning author of “Angels in America,” took the mic to salute Parks. “I’m sitting at the same table as Robert De Niro,” he said. “So in your honor, Fuck Trump!” Everyone laughed.

Parks is hard at work on the 8 part “Genius” series about Aretha Franklin for Imagine TV and the Discovery Channel. Cynthia Erivo plays Aretha, Courtney B. Vance plays Aretha’s father Reverend C.L. Franklin.  “We cover everything,” she said of the series, which starts shooting in Atlanta next week.

Despite being retired, Daniel Day Lewis was not in attendance. I didn’t ask about him. Miller is a powerhouse in her own right. She did tell me that her 97 year old aunt, the great actress Joan Copeland, is “looking for work.” What does she want to play, I asked? “She’s open to anything,” Miller said. Casting directors take note. She’s not kidding.

Kanye West Next Stop for Sunday Service: An “Opera” at the Hollywood Bowl, Tickets at $1,000 Plus

Roger Friedman
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Kanye West Next Stop for Sunday Service: An “Opera” at the Hollywood Bowl, Tickets at $1,000 Plus

Kanye West is in his manic period. He declared himself the greatest artist ever, as decreed by God. He spent Sunday with televangelist Joel Osteen.

Now Kanye has announced he’s producing an “opera” called “Nebuchadnezzar” on Sunday November 24th at the Hollywood Bowl. Seats are up to at least $1,000 on Stubhub.com. Religion pays. Kanye has figured out a way to make money well beyond sneakers or downloads.

The “opera” will be directed by Vaneesa Beecroft, the Italian avant garde artist Kanye has worked with in the past. She mixes fashion and music, sort of like “Sprockets.” She’s put on Kanye’s odd beige runway shows for his ill fitting clothing. Now they’re taking on Jesus, who is King. Although, really, for Kanye, Cash is King.

Sounds like Kanye will be sampling Puccini’s “Nabucco,” about the longest-reigning monarch of the ancient Mesopotamian kingdom of Babylon. His fans will think he wrote it, Puccini’s dead so there’s no sampling fee, and maybe he’ll get Nabisco to underwrite it with Ritz crackers.

There’s a sucker born every minute. And Kanye’s finding them, one at a time.

 

 

Taylor Swift Wins Taking Her Case to the Court of Public Opinion, She Can Sing Her Old Songs on AMAs, Old Record Label Caves

Roger Friedman
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Taylor Swift Wins Taking Her Case to the Court of Public Opinion, She Can Sing Her Old Songs on AMAs, Old Record Label Caves

Taylor Swift has won. She can sing her old songs this Sunday on the American Music Awards. Big Machine Records and Scott Borchetta have caved. This is what they say:

“The Big Machine Label Group and Dick Clark Productions announce that they have come to terms on a licensing agreement that approves their artists’ performances to stream post show and for re-broadcast on mutually approved platforms. This includes the upcoming American Music Awards performances. It should be noted that recording artists do not need label approval for live performances on television or any other live media. Record label approval is only needed for contracted artists’ audio and visual recordings and in determining how those works are distributed.”

Big Machine is worried that Taylor will sing her old songs live, and they will then be streamed or bought in place of the masters they paid $300 million for earlier this year. But that’s what’s going to happen. What won’t happen is that new versions of Swift’s old hits will replace the established ones on radio and in the mainstream. That never happens. But that’s another story.

Taylor was smart. She took her case to the court of public opinion. And she won, hands down. She’s very good at playing this card so far whether she’s right or she’s wrong.

A big part of this panic was what she could play at the AMAs if Big Machine put its foot down. The Grammys would not want her singing songs from her current hit album now in November on ABC, another network. They are counting on an exclusive performance on CBS January 26th of songs from “Lover.” That would not have worked out at all.

So, crisis averted. But next up are Taylor’s four summer concerts in gigantic stadiums. And even though those will be pitched toward “Lover” songs, she’ll want to do some of the old ones. And then there’s the issue of her Netflix special. But for now, this show will go on. And the AMAs got a lot more publicity than they could have ever hoped for. Now if only some other record companies will prevent their artists from performing (not saying who), we might be thrilled!

Broadway: Six Hour “Inheritance” Opens Looking for 2020 Tony Awards, But Martin McDonagh’s “Hangmen” Will Come in Spring

Roger Friedman
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Broadway: Six Hour “Inheritance” Opens Looking for 2020 Tony Awards, But Martin McDonagh’s “Hangmen” Will Come in Spring

The six hour play “The Inheritance” opened last night on Broadway, with eyes on the 2020 Tony Award for Best Play next June.

Matthew Lopez’s play already has strong competition from Adam Rapp’s “The Sound Inside,” now playing at Studio 54 to rave reviews with Mary Louise Parker.

But now comes news that Martin McDonagh’s great play “Hangmen,” which had an off Broadway run last season at the Atlantic Theater Company, is coming in February 2020. Look out. This one will be tough to beat. For one thing, it has three powerhouse producers: Robert Fox, Jean Doumanian and Elizabeth I. McCann.

But wait, stop: three great original plays! Who’d-a thunk it? Broadway really is cyclical.

“Hangmen” hasn’t announced cast yet, but I can only hope most of the original cast from the Atlantic will return. Last year the story was that star Johnny Flynn couldn’t transfer to Broadway because his wife was expecting a child. That little girl, Ida, is now two years old. I’m sure she can take care of herself by now!

Meantime, “The Inheritance” opened to a lot of praise and respectful reviews. Lopez sort of mixes “Angels in America” with E.M. Forster’s “Howard’s End.” Sort of. A very talented newish playwright, Lopez could use an editor. There’s no reason this should be split over two nights. I saw part 1 on Saturday. It rises to brilliance in some plays, but becomes pedantic and preachy in a long stretch that could easily have been cut.

The overall production rises above the minutiae however. There are usually 10 men on stage at one time. Stephen Daldry’s direction is so facile that you don’t see it unless you’re looking for it. In another director’s hands I don’t know how this would have worked. But he keeps everyone moving in subtle ways.

The actors are all top notch, but three of them stand out: Kyle Soller, the lead character named Eric Glass, is our eyes and ears through this journey to explore gay life in New York post-AIDS crisis. He’s a little like Snoopy as he pads through the many plots and twists. Eric is the solid citizen, the tentpole, so it’s not a showy role. But Soller is an extremely likable guide.

Two more outstanding performances come from the “older” men (haha– my age). John Benjamin Hickey and Paul Hilton are a couple. Hickey is a real estate billionaire. They’ve been together for 36 years but the relationship is dormant, they’re rarely in the same place. I’m not even sure if they’re in the same scene together. But their dynamic, and these actors’ talents, make “The Inheritance” eminently watchable.

Will I return for Part 2? Yes, on a separate day. Lopez is smart. He’s got the legendary Lois Smith in Part 2, at the end, and she can’t be missed. Plus, the whole point of this thing turns out not to be AIDS or the gay journey but real estate. Howard’s End was a house in Forster’s book. In “The Inheritance,” there’s a country house up for grabs, and we want to see who gets it.

Warning: the end of Part 1 is quite moving, as said house becomes something quite transcendent. What a way to place a cliffhanger!

Trump Will Give Medal of Arts to All-White Gang of Supporters: Jon Voight, Alison Krauss, Sharon Percy Rockefeller, Et Al

Roger Friedman
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Trump Will Give Medal of Arts to All-White Gang of Supporters: Jon Voight, Alison Krauss, Sharon Percy Rockefeller, Et Al

CORRECTED: Donald Trump will further degrade awards giving when he gives the National Medal of Arts to an all white group of people this Thursday, most of whom are his ardent supporters.

The big name is actor Jon Voight, who loves Trump and is as right wing as you can get. Even though he won an Oscar for “Coming Home” in 1977, Voight is outspoken for Trump. He also filmed a role in an anti-abortion movie that’s been long in the making. I doubt his daughter, Angelina Jolie, will come to the White House ceremony.

Others include bluegrass singer Alison Krauss, and WETA president Sharon Percy Rockefeller. She’s the wife of former West Virginia Democratic senator and governor Jay Rockefeller. Trump loves West Virginia because he can do big rallies there and the people think he’s helping them. Sharon also ran WETA, a PBS station. (Ironically Trump has tried to eliminate funding for PBS). Also receiving the Medal of Arts are all the military marching bands. There might be some non-white people in there.

The group is rounded out by the Claremont Institute, philanthropist Teresa Lozano Long, chef Patrick J. O’Connell and author James Patterson. The former is a prominent conservative think tank. Long and her husband, who are at least 90, are Republican philanthropists from Austin, Texas. Patterson– I’m not surprised he’s with Trump, are you? He went from the ad biz to creating a bestseller factory of junk thrillers. Why is O’Connell getting the award? I’m sure there’s some nefarious reason.

According to the Atlantic Monthly, a committee made recommendations to Trump, but they were ignored.

Christine Blasey Ford Surprised With Standing Ovation at ACLU Gala in Los Angeles by Judd Apatow with Special Bill of Rights Award: “We need to thank courageous whistleblowers”

Leah Sydney
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Christine Blasey Ford Surprised With Standing Ovation at ACLU Gala in Los Angeles by Judd Apatow with Special Bill of Rights Award: “We need to thank courageous whistleblowers”

Christine Blasey Ford, who accused Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh of a sexual attack when they were young, was surprised tonight at the annual ACLU dinner in Los Angeles. At their Bill of Rights dinner, Judd Apatow presented Ford with a special award. It was a total surprise to the audience, and kept quiet because of security concerns.

When Apatow introduced her to the star studded crowd, the audience went wild, giving her a standing ovation.

She told the crowd: “I underestimated the machine against me, but I also underestimated my support.” She received 200,000 emails and handwritten letters. “That’s why it’s so important that the ACLU is in the forefront of this movement against sexual violence against women and to speak up for the victims.”

Other recipients of the ACLU Bill of Rights award tonight were actor Don Cheadle, songwriter Justin Tranter, and activist Judy Balaban. Presenters included Judy’s cousin, actor Bob Balaban, Regina Hall, Selena Gomez and actress Chrissy Metz. Metz performed her soon to be Oscar nominated song, “I’m Standing with You,” written by Diane Warren for the movie “Breakthrough.”

It was Ford’s brave testimony earlier this year that held up the approval by the Senate of Kavanaugh for the Supreme Court. Even though he got the appointment, Ford was widely believed by most of the country and the non Trumpers in Congress.

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