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Barbra Streisand’s duet with Paul McCartney has jumped to number 3 on iTunes.
That’s the biggest hit for either of them in decades.
The song is “My Valentine,” which McCartney wrote for wife Nancy more than a decade ago.
The song was originally produced as a solo track for Paul, produced by the late great Tommy Lipuma. I remember sitting in Tommy’s living room in Pound Ridge, New York when he played it for me before the release.
But now these two legends collaborated with Paul’s lifelong pal, super producer Peter Asher. The production and arrangement are colossal. Barbra hasn’t sounded this good in years. She was clearly excited to sing with McCartney.
Barbra’s duets album arrives June 27th. “My Valentine” may still be on the charts then!
Supporters, Celebrities and Cabaret enthusiasts came out to support the Annual “friendraiser” for the Hamptons Summer Songbook by the Sea at the Triad Theatre in New York City.
Hamptons Summer Songbook by the Sea, produced by Donna Rubin and LTV’s Creative Director Josh Gladstone. Produced at LTV Studios in East Hampton each summer, this captivating concert series brings together a stellar lineup of celebrated cabaret and Broadway performers, presented in an inspired, reimagined industrial television studio—where state-of-the-art lighting and sound meet the romantic charm of café-style seating, modular staging, and a gleaming Baby Grand piano.
The Friendraiser delivered an exciting taste of what is to come this summer season with performances by KT Sullivan and Mark Nadler, Natalie Douglas, Marta Sanders, David Alpern, Maria Abous, Karen Murphy & Steve Ross, Moipei with Beth Ertz, Eric Comstock & Barbara Fassano, and Craig Rubano.
Notable Attendees included: Donna Rubin, Josh Gladstone, KT Sullivan, Mark Nadler, Natalie Douglas, Marta Sanders, David Alpern, Maria Abous, Karen Murphy, Steve Ross, Moipei , Beth Ertz, Eric Comstock, Barbara Fassano, Craig Rubano, Julia Haart, and Jean Shafiroff.
Ari Aster’s three hour meditation was basically unwatchable. It made no money and went to cable, where it was like the Yule log or a sleep aid.
Now “Eddington,” from A24, which specializes in difficult movies that require pretentious reviews, has debuted in Cannes. Reviews are coming in and they are hilarious. So far 17 critics have posted, and the film has a 59% on Rotten Tomatoes. Even the “fresh” reviews indicate no one knows what the movie is about.
Joaquin Phoenix is back, along with Emma Stone — who keeps making difficult post-Oscar movies, plus Pedro Pascal — late of “The Last of Us” — star, along with Austin Butler and the great Clifton Collins, Jr. The Deadline.com review says: “Without ceremony or mercy, Eddington rips the Band-Aid off, and not everyone is going to want to look at, or think about, what’s there underneath it.”
One blogger named Luis Mendez wrote on Twitter: “Yep, my skepticism over this one as an awards contender was well-founded. I’m sure it’ll cause lots of dialogue when it comes out, and show up on a few critics’ “best of” lists, but I’m not smelling Aster’s Oscar breakthrough based on these.”
Yes, I really want to see that!
Angelina Jolie and Natalie Portman were each on the Cannes red carpet tonight, so that’s something!
Donald Trump is desperate to divert people away from his shenanigans abroad.
So today he wrote on social media: Has anyone noticed that, since I said “I HATE TAYLOR SWIFT,” she’s no longer “HOT?”
He also thinks he was responsible for the choosing of the new Pope.
Swift is enjoying her life after two or three years of insane popularity and financial success. Trump thinks her absence from the stage right now is because he said he hated her.
This will rile the Swifties, who would be better sending their hate to him over accepting a $400 million plane from Qatar, parading around Saudi Arabia, taking pictures with killers, and at home, trying to destroy the core underpinnings of democracy.
Also, Donnie, just a note: Swift has sold 3.1 million albums since January 1st without any new releases or publicity.
Donald Trump has attacked Bruce Springsteen after the famed singer’s critique of him in Manchester, England this week.
Bruce called Trump “incompetent, and treasonous” among other things.
Trump, a schoolyard bully, has responded, calling Bruce a “Dried Out Prune of a Rocker…pushy JERK…ought to keep his mouth shut”
Trump screeches, and highlights Bruce’s skin care, which is definitely a new one in the history of political feuding: “I see that Highly Overrated Bruce Springsteen goes to a Foreign Country to speak badly about the President of the United States. Never liked him, never liked his music, or his Radical Left Politics and, importantly, he’s not a talented guy — Just a pushy, obnoxious JERK, who fervently supported Crooked Joe Biden, a mentally incompetent FOOL, and our WORST EVER President, who came close to destroying our Country. If I wasn’t elected, it would have been GONE by now! Sleepy Joe didn’t have a clue as to what he was doing, but Springsteen is “dumb as a rock,” and couldn’t see what was going on, or could he (which is even worse!)? This dried out “prune” of a rocker (his skin is all atrophied!) ought to KEEP HIS MOUTH SHUT until he gets back into the Country, that’s just “standard fare.” Then we’ll all see how it goes for him!”
Springsteen, opening his show in Manchester, England this week, gave a less dermatological evaluation of Trump:
“The mighty E Street Band is here tonight to call upon the righteous power of art, of music, of rock ‘n roll in dangerous times. In my home, the America I love, the America I’ve written about, that has been a beacon of hope and liberty for 250 years is currently in the hands of a corrupt, incompetent, and treasonous administration. Tonight we ask all who believe in democracy and the best of our American experiment to rise with us, raise your voices against authoritarianism and let freedom ring!”
Trump — whose own beauty regimen consists of slathering Sherwin Williams on his face and arranging his hair like days-old cotton candy — refrains from offering advice to Bruce for moisturizing.
For the time ever, Barbra Streisand collaborates with a Beatle.
For her new album of duet, Barbra sings with Paul McCartney on his song, “My Valentine.”
It’s a historic moment helped by a gorgeous production thanks to Peter Asher. Barbra has never sounded better, and the material really suits her. She should do a whole album of McCartney songs.
Barbra’s album, “The Secret of Life, Partners Vol. 2” comes out on June 27th.
Others featured on the album include Bob Dylan, Sting, Hozier, James Taylor, Mariah Carey and Ariana Grande, and more.
Lots of high fives today among “Law & Order SVU” fans. Kelli Giddish is coming back for Season 27.
Giddish played Amanda Rollins for 12 years but got caught in a budget crunch at the end of Season 24. She was replaced by new, younger, and less expensive actors.
But Giddish held on, and came back for guest appearances in Seasons 25 and 26. The Fans love her, and on top of that, her character is married to ADA Dominick Carisi, played by Peter Scanavino. The fans again loved seeing them together.
So now Giddish is back but it’s at the expense of the newer cast members. Last week, NBC announced that Octavio Pisano — who came in strong but was never used effectively — and Juliana Martinez — were leaving the series. No reason was given, but I’m told it was budget.
As shows age the budgets get tighter and more expensive actors are cut. This has happened year after year on “Grey’s Anatomy,” for example. Giddish was just too popular to ignore, plus star Mariska Hargitay loves her
Pisano and Martinez will go on to good things on new shows, and we’ll all say, Oh, look, I know her/him!
Meantime, welcome back Amanda Rollins. Season 27 is going to be a good one!
Comedian Beth Stelling has abruptly canceled her Saturday night shows at the Kennedy Center.
Stelling follows cadres of performers who’ve refused to perform at the Center since Donald Trump took over and kicked everyone out.
Even the touring company of “Les Miserables” — a dozen cast members — on June 11th for a Trump fundraiser.
Today, the remaining Kennedy Center employees from the pre-Trump era have asked the National Labor Relations Board to help them unionize. It may be too late since they’ll probably be fired before anything can happen.
Stelling’s show was announced four months ago. She is a popular comedian with a current special on Netflix.
Exclusive: I had a partial scoop on CNN showing “Good Night and Good Luck.” Instead of after it closes, CNN will broadcast the live June 7th performance, the night before the play closes.
Thanks to the CNN publicist who did not call or text back this morning, so I had to go with what I had.
EARLIER: George Clooney’s Tony nominated play closes June 8th after making millions of dollars on Broadway. Like three or four million a week. Tickets are running $900 a seat.
Now “Good Night and Good Luck” — the stage version — may get a new lease on life after it closes. I’m told there’s a chance it will air on CNN as a nighttime special sometime next month.
Clooney and the writing of the play have both been nominated for Tony Awards.
If this comes to pass, it won’t be a surprise. Clooney and CNN are already pretty cozy as the actor seems to be the source for a headline making anecdote in Jake Tapper’s new book about Joe Biden. Tapper was in the audience on opening night.
Just ten days ago, Wolf Blitzer posted a rave about the play on Twitter X.
It’s a good idea, too. CNN needs viewers desperately. A Sunday night showing of the just closed theatrical experience would bring them in.
My sources say meetings are going on as we speak. The play has not yet been filmed for posterity. But that can happen very quickly.
I don’t understand anything about how Miley Cyrus’s career is handled.
She made a “visual album” that looks from the trailer to be incomprehensible. It will be shown at the Tribeca Film Festival on June 6th, and then get a one night only release on June 12th in theaters (June 27th international).
Then I guess it goes to streaming or YouTube.
The movie is called “Something Beautiful,” and it accomanpies an album of the same name due May 30th.
There are 13 songs on the new album, which follows up her massive hit, “Flowers.” Four of the songs have already been released, and they bombed. Too bad because two of them — “More to Lose” and “End of the World” — could have been hits. Alas, they’ve fallen to numbers 98 and 99 on iTunes.
“More to Lose” was originally promoted on Miley’s social media with just her and the piano. It was beautiful. But when it was released, the production was so horrendous that it was unlistenable. Miley’s gorgeous voice was drowned out by really loud strings. Ugh. A big disappointment!
I wish she could go back and fix this before the album comes out. But it feels like “Something Beautiful” is going to be something not so good.
