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Broadway: Liza Minnelli Rumored to Appear with Eclectic List of Celebs for John Kander 100th Birthday Show — (Exclusive)

Roger Friedman
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Broadway: Liza Minnelli Rumored to Appear with Eclectic List of Celebs for John Kander 100th Birthday Show — (Exclusive)

Is Liza Minnelli coming to Broadway?

A source tells me that Minnelli will likely fly in for a celebration of composer John Kander’s 100th birthday on Monday, May 19th at the Stephen Sondheim Theater.

Joel Grey will undoubtedly be there, too. But I’m told both appearances are being kept under wraps for now.

Alan Cumming is the night’s emcee, which makes sense since he played the emcee in a revival of “Cabaret.”

Scott Ellis, Susan Stroman, and David Thompson, are the creators of the event, which has such an eclectic list of performers that Jennifer Lopez is included.

Others expected to perform one way or another at “Ring Them Bells: A Birthday Celebration for John Kander” include Victoria Clark, Charlotte d’Amboise, Brandon Victor Dixon, Whoopi Goldberg, Ramin Karimloo, Jessie Mueller, Bebe Neuwirth, Kelli O’Hara, David Hyde Pierce, Lillias White, Tony Yazbeck, and Karen Ziemba.

Proceeds from the show are going to the Roundabout Theater. Please visit https://roundabouttheatre.org/ringthembells for information and to purchase tickets.

Weeks ago, a source close to Liza told me she was planning something “big” for May. Let’s hope it all works out. If she sings one line from “New York, New York,” the Sondheim audience will lose its mind!

PS Will Liza be chosen for Kennedy Center Honors this year? She’s waited a long time. And if she does, will she go under the current circumstances at the theater? These questions loom.

Harry Potter’s Reimagined HBO TV Series’ Hogwarts Staff Will Feature Tony Winners John Lithgow, Janet McTeer

Roger Friedman
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Harry Potter’s Reimagined HBO TV Series’ Hogwarts Staff Will Feature Tony Winners John Lithgow, Janet McTeer

Tony winners John Lithgow and Janet McTeer have joined the staff at Hogwart’s.

They will play, respectively, Dumbeldore and Minerva McGonagall in the reimagined HBO TV series of “Harry Potter.”

Several great British actors have been cast as well including Paapa Essiedu as Snape, Nick Frost as Hagrid, Luke Thallon as Quirrell, and Paul Whitehouse as Filch.

The whole next month will be filled with more casting announcements for the HBO version of the beloved series including Harry. Hermione, and Ron.

The new “Harry Potter” will not just be recitation of the films word for word. It’s being adapted, and there will be many changes for a new generation.

But so far, so good. Just wait and see Janet McTeer– she’s the Maggie Smith of our generation. And Lithgow is a genius.

Tony Winner Leslie Odom Jr Will Be in the Room Where it Happens When He Returns to Broadway’s “Hamilton” This Fall

Roger Friedman
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Tony Winner Leslie Odom Jr Will Be in the Room Where it Happens When He Returns to Broadway’s “Hamilton” This Fall

Lin Manuel’s award winning Broadway musical “Hamilton” is still selling out most of its shows 9 years after it debuted.

Come September 9th, though, “Hamilton” will be totally maxed out when Tony winner Leslie Odom, Jr. returns as Aaron Burr.

If people still bought tickets in person, there would be lines up the block and around the corner for Odom, who will once again be in the room where it happens.

Odom has had many successes since leaving “Hamilton” in 2016, but this will forever be his signature role. His shows will run through November 23rd.

Will Odom be the only original cast member to return? Or the beginning of a series of such events? Either way, it’s great news!

Trump Attacks “60 Minutes” After CBS Show Runs Excellent Pieces on Ukraine and Greenland: “They should lose their license!”

Roger Friedman
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Trump Attacks “60 Minutes” After CBS Show Runs Excellent Pieces on Ukraine and Greenland: “They should lose their license!”

CBS’s the “60 Minutes” ran two breathtakingly good stories tonight.

Scott Pelley interviewed Volodomyr Zelensky about the destruciton of Ukraine by Putin, and Donald Trump’s obsession with the Russian leader.

Then Jon Wertheim’s piece on Greenland was so incisive and full of information we didn’t have — who these are, were, and where they’re going. Greenland is not letting Trump invade their sovereign nation.

Trump’s response? That CBS should lose its license for broadcasting these two well told stories.

Of course, that’s his right under the First Amendment. But he has so denigrated real journalism and mocked the First Amendment, it’s mind boggling. He’s a purveyor of lies and “alternative facts.”

Trump is dizzyingly stupid, and morally corrupt. The juxtaposition of the US abandoning an ally and threatening to attack another should be a wake up call to everyone. America is being destroyed by Donald Trump. It’s very sad.

But these Trump posts say one thing: he’s still paying attention to mainstream media, and to “60 Minutes.” Those pieces hit home.

Trump, of course, is famously suing CBS, claiming “60 Minutes” edited a Kamala Harris interview during the election campaign. He’s wrong, and it’s provable. They did nothing of the sort. But Trump is trying to pressure the network to settle, or try to destroy them in the process. As usual he’s on the wrong side of the debate.

The Hilarious “SNL” Parody of “The White Lotus” — called “The White Potus” — Generated Nearly 1 Million YouTube Views Overnight (Watch)

Roger Friedman
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The Hilarious “SNL” Parody of “The White Lotus” — called “The White Potus” — Generated Nearly 1 Million YouTube Views Overnight (Watch)

The best part of last night’s “Saturday Night Live” was a filmed parody.

“The White Potus” satirizes “The White Lotus” with hilarious results. Among other things, it brings back former “SNL” players Alex Moffatt and Beck Bennett. Moffatt revives his Eric Trump to go with Mikey Day’s Don Jr in place of brothers Patrick Schwarzenegger and Sam Nivola.

The YouTube video alone has almost 1 million views. You’ll see why.

“White Lotus” Star Walton Goggins Silent About Movie He Made with Pedro Pascal, Directed by His Wife, That Opened This Weekend

Roger Friedman
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“White Lotus” Star Walton Goggins Silent About Movie He Made with Pedro Pascal, Directed by His Wife, That Opened This Weekend

Actor Walton Goggins is everywhere.

The “White Lotus” star has done a massive amount of press the last couple of weeks for the HBO drama, touting the great love story — his words — between his character, Rick, and Chelsea, played so well by Aimee Lou Wood.

So I was surprised to hear that Goggins’ wife, Nina Conners, directed a film that was released on Friday. He’s never mentioned it.

“The Uninvited” was ready for release in 2024, but just came out this weekend. Among the cast are Goggins himself and the ubiquitous Pedro Pascal.

Goggins did take pictures with Conners on April 7th at a screening in New York at the IFC Center. Unfortunately, no one else went to it, so there was no press coverage.

Back in November, for some reason, there was a better attended screening in Los Angeles. Again, little was made of it, and Goggins’ “White Lotus” season hadn’t aired yet.

The movie — despite the two stars plus Lois Smith, Rufus Sewell and Elizabeth Reaser — has a strange, small distributor called Foton.

“The Uninvited” apparently isn’t terrible. It has an 87% on Rotten Tomatoes. The film takes place over one night at a Hollywood party, and is kind of a satire of the glittery life.

But it’s very curious. You’d think with “White Lotus” booming, and Goggins talking to everyone about that series and “The Righteous Gemstones,” Conners could have gotten some scant mention somewhere. Pascal has also been on the press trail, for his HBO series, “The Last of Us,” which returns tonight.

Rod Stewart, 80, Says He’s Never Retiring: “I was put on this earth to be a singer and will keep doing so for as long as the good lord lets me”

Roger Friedman
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Rod Stewart, 80, Says He’s Never Retiring: “I was put on this earth to be a singer and will keep doing so for as long as the good lord lets me”

Rod Stewart — some guys have all the luck.

At 89, Rod the Sod says today he will not retire from singing or performing.

He says in an Instagram post, “I shall never retire! I was put on this earth to be a singer and will keep doing so for as long as the good lord lets me.”

When I saw him this winter backstage at the Fire Aid concerts in Los Angeles, he was literally jumping up and down and chatting up a storm, making jokes with all the red carpet press.

Rod has dates booked all year, too. And if it’s still real, he has that full head of hair.

Good for Rod! He’s an Energizer bunny. Maybe he can do the next collaboration album with his buddy, Elton John, and Ronnie Wood on guitar. Now that would be a super group!

Box Office: “Minecraft Movie” Won’t Cave In with $490 Mil Worldwide in 11 Days, “Warfare” Loses Battle

Roger Friedman
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Box Office: “Minecraft Movie” Won’t Cave In with $490 Mil Worldwide in 11 Days, “Warfare” Loses Battle

“A Minecraft Movie” will not cave in at the box office.

The weekend total was $25.7 million, bring the grand sum of $280 million domestically and $490 million worldwide.

In China, “Minecraft” has scored $14.7 million with or without tariffs. That’s more than most of the Oscar nominated movies this year.

China also provided the third highest take of any country for “Minecraft.” The US and UK are first and second.

“Warfare” and the three or four other new releases this week were duds. Bleecker Street’s “The Friend” and A24’s “Death of a Unicorn” are in that group, too. “Black Bag,” as well. The latter has made just $21 million despite Cate Blanchett and the all star cast.

LOL Watch Donald Trump Brutally Snub Cheryl Hines, aka Mrs. RFK Jr, With Hand Extended for A Shake, at UFC Match

Roger Friedman
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LOL Watch Donald Trump Brutally Snub Cheryl Hines, aka Mrs. RFK Jr, With Hand Extended for A Shake, at UFC Match

This is too good. Pretty, pretty, pretty good!

Donald Trump either didn’t remember who Cheryl Hines was tonight at UFC 314, that she’s Robert Kennedy Jr’s wife, or he actually snubbed her.

The latter seems to be the case.

In all the videos of the meeting between Trump and the Kennedys you’ll see:

Hines extends her hand to shake his at at UFC match (where all classy presidents have always gone). Trump refuses to look at her. Hines makes a face and takes back her hand.

Nice respect for RFK Jr from Trump. And Cheryl’s white!

Hines must be so embarrassed. She gave up her career, friends, and life to support her wacko husband. No one takes her seriously anymore, especially after it was revealed that Kennedy had been having some kind of affair with journalist Olivia Nuzzi. Now Trump won’t even look at her.

As many have said tonight, cue the “Curb Your Enthusiasm” music.

What fun for the Kennedy family, who wouldn’t be caught dead at a UFC fight.

Start watching at :45 seconds, it’s a hoot.

Nicole Scherzinger Uses Night Off from “Sunset Blvd” to Present the TDF Costume Awards at Splashy Downtown Gala

Roger Friedman
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Nicole Scherzinger Uses Night Off from “Sunset Blvd” to Present the TDF Costume Awards at Splashy Downtown Gala

You may not know it, but TDF is not all about TKTS.

The Theater Development Fund runs the half price ticket booth in Times Square, true. But the Fund is also the mothership of everything theater in New York. Not much of what goes on on Broadway and off and off would exist with out TDF.

So their annual Costumes & Cocktails event is a big deal, giving the TDF/Irene Sharaff Awards, celebrating the accomplishments of the theatrical design community.

This year’s honorees are three-time Tony Award-winning costume designer Gregg Barnes, costume and textile designer Wilberth Gonzalez, milliner and artisan Arnold Levine, and legendary scenic designer Robert Israel.

The gala, at TAO, opened with “Sunset Blvd.” star Nicole Scherzinger showing up a bit late to kick off the night. (She’s allowed. As she said, it was her only night off from her exhausting schedule.) Scherzinger delivered just the right pizzazz before other presenters like actress Kathy Najimy, legendary director Martha Clarke, and RuPaul’s “Drag Race” star Valentina took the stage.

Najimy presented three-time Tonu® Award-winning costume designer Gregg Barnes with the TDF/Irene Sharaff Award for Sustained Excellence in Costume Design. Barnes joked in his acceptance speech that he was famous for dressing stars in red dresses and sending them big staircases. He won his Tony for “Follies.” But I didn’t get the joke until I saw “Boop” a couple of nights later. Just as he said, Barnes sent the sensational Jasmine Amy Rogers right down a big staircase in one of his stunning gowns. He’s the go-to guy.

Valentina gave the TDF/Kitty Leech Ascending Artist Award to costumes and textile designer Wilberth Gonzalez; Tony winner Ann Hould-Ward toasted milliner and artisan Arnold S. Levine, Inc. with the TDF/Irene Sharaff Artisan Award; and legendary scenic designer Robert Israel was be honored by Clarke with the Robert L. B. Tobin Award for Sustained Excellence in Theatrical Design.

Israel, an international artist and costume scenic designer, just saw his historic work on the opera, “Fidelio,” revived at the Metropolitan Opera to great acclaim last month.

I’d never been to the TDF gala before, but it was packed — far more even than we go to Tao for the New York Film Critics Circle dinner every year. And no one told me that the Costumers’ gang was so lively. They hit the dance floor with a vengeance may still be there for all I know!

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