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Broadway: With No Tony Awards Action, Musical “Pretty Woman” Becomes the Latest Show to Announce Summer Closing

Roger Friedman
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Broadway: With No Tony Awards Action, Musical “Pretty Woman” Becomes the Latest Show to Announce Summer Closing

Even adding the famous song it was named for has not saved Broadway’s “Pretty Woman.” The tepidly reviewed musical will close on August 18th after a rocky year on the Great White Way. The show received no Tony nominations.

“Pretty Woman” has great stars– Andy Karl, Samantha Barks, Orfeh– but it was yet another ill conceived show based on a movie. They come, they go. The songs by Bryan Adams and Jim Vallance were not memorable. It was only last week that producers got the rights to the Roy Orbison song for which it was named. But it’s too late.

“Pretty Woman” joins a raft of shows closing this summer or already closed. They include three Scott Rudin productions (“Gary,” “Hillary and Clinton,” and “King Lear”), as well as “Be More Chill,” “King Kong,” “The Cher Show,” “The Ferryman,” “The Prom,” as well as limited runs like “All My Sons” and “Burn This.”

In their place, “Moulin Rouge” has arrived in previews. New shows will start trickling in after Labor Day. But Broadway is going to be a little quiet this August, that’s for sure. The Carole King musical “Beautiful” may be the next to go based on recent receipts. Last night, Carole, star Vanessa Carlton, and some upbeat performers appeared on PBS’s “Capitol Fourth” to promote the show. Let’s hope that works.

 

No Network Coverage for Trump’s Military Fourth of July Parade as CBS. NBC, ABC Opt Out, You Tube Channel Only Has 3K Subscribers, Facebook Only 419

Roger Friedman
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No Network Coverage for Trump’s Military Fourth of July Parade as CBS. NBC, ABC Opt Out, You Tube Channel Only Has 3K Subscribers, Facebook Only 419

Who exactly is Donald Trump’s Fourth of July military parade for?

It won’t be seen on the major networks. CBS, NBC, and ABC have opted out of showing it. MSNBC won’t cut to it. CNN will probably have it on in the background. Fox News? You can watch it there.

The website for the parade directs to YouTube and Facebook, where the parade will be streamed. But so far the YouTube channel has only 3,333 subscribers.

Currently, at 1:44pm, there are only 222 people watching the Facebook feed of the afternoon activities.

Keep refreshing. Trump’s zillion dollar tribute to himself begins at 5pm.

“Spider Man: Far from Home” Picks Up $27 Mil on Second Day for $66 Mil Total, Heads to $170 Million First Week

Roger Friedman
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“Spider Man: Far from Home” Picks Up $27 Mil on Second Day for $66 Mil Total, Heads to $170 Million First Week

Everyone is going to see “Spider Man.” I mean, everyone.

Yesterday, “Far from Home” raked in $27 million, bringing the two day total to $66 million. The Tom Holland-starrer is on its way to $170 million through Sunday night.

If the second movie in this trilogy cracks $154 million by Sunday it will be ahead of its predecessor, “Spider Man Homecoming.”

What a web this chapter is spinning! But good reviews and strong and word of mouth will keep propelling Peter Parker forward!

keep refreshing…

“Wolf of Wall Street” Film Financier Arrested in Malaysia for 1MBD Money Laundering Scandal That Involved Leonardo DiCaprio Among Others

Roger Friedman
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“Wolf of Wall Street” Film Financier Arrested in Malaysia for 1MBD Money Laundering Scandal That Involved Leonardo DiCaprio Among Others

The step-sister of Raza Aziz posted today that the owner of Red Granite Films and movie producer of “Wolf of Wall Street” has been arrested in Malaysia in the 1MBD money laundering scheme.

Yana Najib wrote: “Today MACC decided to charge my brother. He has faced a civil lawsuit over the same subject matter in the US. As part of the settlement, Red Granite has paid a substantial amount to the DOJ. But despite the settlement in the US and the fact that alleged wrong-doings occurred entirely outside of Malaysia, MACC decides to press charges after a whole year of leaving this case in cold storage.
He is not a criminal, he’s my brother.”

The 1MBD scandal — in which Aziz was accused of using a public fund in Malaysia set up by his stepfather. the prime minister, to pay for “Wolf,” other movies like “Daddy’s Home” and the “Dumb and Dumber” sequel, expensive art work and so on — reached all the way to star Leonardo DiCaprio. Aziz gave DiCaprio pieces of art to be auctioned off at his Leonardo DiCaprio Foundation gala in St. Tropez. The art eventually had to be returned. Aziz was in business with Malaysia con man Low Taek Jho, aka Jho Lo, who became DiCaprio’s third criminal pal in the Oscar winner’s sketchy business Life. (The other two were now dead fraudster Dana Giacchetto and formerly imprisoned art dealer Helly Nahmad.)

There is still no public accounting for DiCaprio’s foundation, by the way. Most charities and private foundations file Form 990s with the IRS which are on public view. But DiCaprio’s foundation is hidden under a California trust that doesn’t break out individual numbers. So there’s no way of knowing how the Malaysian money was intermingled with Leo’s.

“Wolf of Wall Street” was based on the story of crooked Long Island stock broker Jordan Belfort. But it turns out that the story of making the Martin Scorsese movie was much more interesting as life imitated art.

More to come…

Pic taken before heading off this morning”

Reports Say Mad Magazine is Shutting Down After Nearly 70 Years, Influential Humor Magazine Was Home of Alfred E. Neuman

Roger Friedman
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Reports Say Mad Magazine is Shutting Down After Nearly 70 Years, Influential Humor Magazine Was Home of Alfred E. Neuman

It does seem like Mad Magazine, born in 1952 and signified by the fictional gap toothed Alfred E. Neuman, is coming at an end. Reports on line and Tweets from current staffers suggest that Warner Media and DC Comics, which owns Mad, is winding down operations.

“What, me worry?” is the magazine’s and Alfred’s motto, but in magazines these days worry is all that’s left. Mad was so popular in the 60s and 70s, but has faded over time. It’s known for parodies, for Spy vs. Spy, for the folding inside back page. But all that has been replaced by video games.

Cartoonist Evan Dorkin has been running a Twitter feed all night saying goodbye to the magazine. He wrote: “Today won’t end. Goodbye, MAD Magazine. As a youngster I was a huge fan of the 70’s era, as a young adult I rediscovered the 50’s comics, as an old nerd I somehow became a contributor (often working w/r) for the last decade +. Getting the e-mail today was crushing.”

He added: “I don’t feel bad for myself, we were discussing new work but nothing set or soon. We had a good run. Seeing MAD close down hurts, especially during a morbidly depressing year for cartoonists and the comics industry in general. And my heart goes out to the Usual Gang freelancers.”

Longtime MAD contributor David DeGrand confirmed the shut down in a blog post.

It’s not surprising Mad Magazine is ending, but it’s sad, especially for people of a certain age. Mad’s satire and wit got us through a lot of bad and weird times. This era could only benefit from Mad humor, but who knows what’s going on at Warner Media now that it’s owned by AT&T.

The trouble at Mad began in February when Bill Morrison was fired from his jobs as editor of Mad and of DC Comics. He became editor of MAD Magazine in June 2017, after the retirement of editor John Ficarra, who’d been there for 30 years. DC Comics moved their offices from Manhattan to Burbank, which never was– as Johnny Carson was the first to observe– a funny place.  Morrison relaunched the long-running humor magazine, but with AT&T taking over, the outlook was bleak.

Weird Al Yankovic wrote on Twitter: “I am profoundly sad to hear that after 67 years, MAD Magazine is ceasing publication. I can’t begin to describe the impact it had on me as a young kid – it’s pretty much the reason I turned out weird. Goodbye to one of the all-time greatest American institutions.”

I had all these paperbacks, too, in the late 60s and early 70s. RIP.

Madonna’s “Madame X” Album Falls off iTunes Top 150 After 3 Weeks Despite Massively Expensive PR Campaign Failure

Roger Friedman
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Madonna’s “Madame X” Album Falls off iTunes Top 150 After 3 Weeks Despite Massively Expensive PR Campaign Failure

UPDATE Friday July 5th: Madame X is at 174 now and looks like it may drop off the top 200 soon.

Madonna’s character Madame X was depicted on her social media accounts as many things: warrior, teacher, lover, spy, mother, and so on.

But what she also was: out of date, fusty, in tune with the Madonna of the 1990s. She was not of these times.

The result is that “Madame X” the album is now dead, or at least on life support. After two and a half weeks, she’s fallen off the iTunes top 100. She’s not coming back.

“Madame X” has sold around 100,000 copies including streaming, sales of CDs and downloads. And that’s pushing it. In “real” sales, the number is way lower.

It wasn’t for lack of trying. Remember this started in early May at the Billboard Music Awards, where Madonna was rumored to have spent $5 million on her live production. Then she went to Israel to the EuroVision Awards. Lots and lots of money was spent, even after single after single failed to make a dent in sales or any kind of radio play. Millions more were spent on “Medellin,” which had the excitement of a shuffle board game at a nursing home.

Madonna is planning a theatrical spectacle this fall for her theater tour. But she must realize that fans are not going to want a whole “Madame X” show. The failure of the album as a marketing idea complicates her situation. But Madonna can always make lemonade out of lemons. She has all summer to create a show her fans want.

“Spider Man: Far from Home” Scores Biggest Tuesday Open Ever with $39 Mil, Beats “Force Awakens,” Heads to Record Week

Roger Friedman
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“Spider Man: Far from Home” Scores Biggest Tuesday Open Ever with $39 Mil, Beats “Force Awakens,” Heads to Record Week

Amy Pascal must be smiling. I hope she’s lounging by a pool with waiters delivering peeled grapes.

Her “Spider Man: Far From Home” broke Tuesday records last night with $39 million. It’s the biggest Tuesday opening ever, beating “Star Wars: The Force Awakens.”

“Far from Home” should have a record week through Sunday, as well. Sony is giving a low ball estimate of $125 million, but the reality is closer to $170 to $190 million. Peter Parker never had it so good. And that’s not looking at international sales.

“Far from Home” will be the whole story this week and July 4th weekend. Word of mouth will be intense too since the movie is perfectly jiggered for kids, tweens, teens, and young adults through their 30s. Older people, like yours truly, will find it very enjoyable too!

And this just the middle chapter in a trilogy. We think. Tom Holland definitely gets a third “Spider Man.” And he can keep appearing in Marvel Universe movies for quite a while because he’s so young.

Sony Pictures can breathe a sigh of relief. Between this and “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood,” they’ve got a nice summer ahead.

 

Neil Diamond Will Follow Carole King onto Broadway with Brill Building Musical, But It Won’t Be So Easy This Time

Roger Friedman
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Neil Diamond Will Follow Carole King onto Broadway with Brill Building Musical, But It Won’t Be So Easy This Time

Carole King has had a huge hit with her Broadway musical, “Beautiful,” even though it may be winding down soon. King’s songs with Gerry Goffin, plus her own songs, and those of Cynthia Mann and Barry Weil, were sophisticated gems that writer Doug McGrath ably wove into the stories of the writers’ lives.

Now Neil Diamond is coming with his own musical, still untitled, although I’d name it “I’m a Believer” after the 1966 hit he wrote for the Monkees. Like King et al, Diamond came up through the “Brill Building” with publisher Donnie Kirshner, writing songs for pop groups until he found his own footing as a solo act.

Diamond modeled himself in concert on Elvis Presley, however, and created a bombastic stage presence bordering on Liberace (who I wrote about the other day). His song catalog is uneven, unlike King’s. Some of the songs are classic, some are hokum. The best are “Solitary Man,” “I’m a Believer,” “A Little Bit Me, A Little Bit You,” plus of course “Sweet Caroline,” “Song Sung Blue,” “Play Me,” “Cherry Cherry,” “Holly Holy,” and “Cracklin’ Rosie.”

But there’s a big basket of corny, too, that will be torture in a Broadway musical. “I Am…I Said” with its ridiculous lyrics (it’s sung to a chair, a la Clint Eastwood’s political convention speech). Diamond, unlike King, can be grating. His going to “America” is catchy but borders on jingoistic. “Longfellow Serenade” was a low point on the top 40.

Still, the dream of having the audience sing along to “Sweet Caroline” is too intoxicating for producers. That creative team includes writer Anthony McCarten, who wrote the Queen biopic “Bohemian Rhapsody.” Tony-winner Ken Davenport and Bob Gaudio, founding member of The Four Seasons, will produce with Michael Mayer (“Hedwig and the Angry Inch”) set to direct. They will milk that song and the bombast, trust me, for everything they can.

SPOILER ALERT Disney Asks Reviewers and Press Not to Reveal Story Points from “The Lion King” 25 Years After Animated Film, 22 Years on Broadway

Roger Friedman
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SPOILER ALERT Disney Asks Reviewers and Press Not to Reveal Story Points from “The Lion King” 25 Years After Animated Film, 22 Years on Broadway

Maybe you’ve heard of Simba. Mufasa, or Rafiki. Or what happens to them in Africa.

They are the characters from “The Lion King,” which was released in 1994. Three years later, the Broadway musical opened. It’s still running, 27 years later.

There have been lots of spin offs, as well.

Still, Disney does not want us to reveal any spoilers from the coming live action film, which is said to be a scene-by-scene remake of the original.

Here’s a warning that came with my screening invitation: In order to give audiences around the world the opportunity to enjoy our movies to the fullest and allow them to discover any surprises and plot twists, we respectfully ask that you as press refrain from revealing spoilers and detailed story points in your coverage, including on social media.

I laughed out loud. What next? Pinocchio? Sleeping Beauty?

Spoiler madness– or anti-spoiler madness– has reached heights of craziness. Is 25 years too soon to reveal the fates of the characters?

Simba, I am your father. So is Darth Vader, babe.

Exclusive: Universal Fast Tracking Movie with Prince’s Songs Now That Beatles Movie “Yesterday” is A Hit, “Rocketman” Still Soaring

Roger Friedman
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Exclusive: Universal Fast Tracking Movie with Prince’s Songs Now That Beatles Movie “Yesterday” is A Hit, “Rocketman” Still Soaring

First it was “Bohemian Rhapsody.” Then came “Rocketman.”

This past weekend, the Universal movie “Yesterday” posted $17 million at the box office with 17 Beatles songs included.

Now I’m told Universal Pictures is fast tracking a movie featuring Prince’s music catalog. I’m told that Universal chief DOnna Langley is “obsessed” with this project.

It was announced last December that Universal had secured the rights to Prince’s songs not necessarily for a biopic but as “signposts” in a narrative story. Maybe one in which no one remembers Prince but a kid from Minneapolis starts playing them after an electrical storm.

Since “Purple Rain” is already taken for the famous Prince movie, and “Little Red Corvette” is overused, my proposal is a movie called “Nothing Compares 2 U.” Or even one titled “Raspberry Beret.”

But that December story has now made Universal execs eager to get the movie going as soon as they find the right project.

So who’s next? David Bowie probably. And the Rolling Stones. My guess is Mick Jagger’s Jagged Films is trying to figure out a way to get their own movie going with the Stones catalog. Meantime, “Girl from the North Country,” a Bob Dylan musical from off Broadway, is heading uptown next year, and certainly to a movie adaptation.

All of this I guess leads back to the two “Mamma Mia” movies that used ABBA songs. And then there will be a movie adaptation of Carole King’s “Beautiful” Broadway musical, using all of her songs.

 

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