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Amazon Studios Struggles to Find a Hit, Wipes Out at Least $10 Mil Spent for Box Office Office Disaster “Life Itself”

Roger Friedman
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Amazon Studios Struggles to Find a Hit, Wipes Out at Least $10 Mil Spent for Box Office Office Disaster “Life Itself”

Even Amazon is learning: Life, itself, is expensive.

Last year Amazon Studios fought off two other studios to buy Dan Fogelman’s “Life Itself.” Reports say they ponied up at least $10 million to buy the movie from the creator of NBC’s hit TV show “This is Us.” Hot stars Oscar Isaac and Olivia Wilde, as well as Antonio Banderas, led the cast.

But “Life Itself” is now dead. Two weeks into release, the poorly reviewed, incoherent ensemble film has about $3.7 million in the bank. This past weekend, its second, the take was just $770K in 2,355 theaters.

Amazon, which isn’t about theaters in the first place, will have to cut the number drastically for the next two weeks. They will also have to differentiate it from “Life Itself,” the documentary about Roger Ebert that now comes up in the Amazon search for Movies with that name.

For Amazon Studios, the movie is a total write off. Jeff Bezos’s company has so much money it doesn’t matter to them, probably. But in the competition with Netflix, Amazon is suffering. Last fall they struck out entirely except for “The Big Sick.” The year before they had “Manchester by the Sea.”

But this year, Amazon Studios has made around $8 million at the box office on three releases, including “You Were Never Really Here” and “Don’t Worry He Won’t Get Far on Foot.”

The company has had several changes of leadership in a short time. Jason Ropell stepped in for Roy Price when he was fired for sexual harassment issues. Ropell has left recently, replaced by Jennifer Salke. Amazon isn’t clear what kind of movies they want– indie Oscar nominees or blockbusters. In the meantime, they have really great people like Ted Hope and Bob Berney to release and market the heck out of whatever the product is.

Broadway Review: Janet McTeer Soars in Tony-Certain Performance for Topical, Funny “Bernhardt-Hamlet”

Roger Friedman
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Broadway Review: Janet McTeer Soars in Tony-Certain Performance for Topical, Funny “Bernhardt-Hamlet”

Janet McTeer is a frustrating performer. With “Bernhardt/Hamlet” she’s only starred in five Broadway productions since 1997. How is that possible? To date, if you mention her Nora in “A Doll’s House”  from 21 years ago, groups of people start talking about how it was one of the greatest things they’ve ever seen. She won all the awards for that one, and was nominated again in 2009 for “Mary Stuart.”

We are so lucky she’s back, this time in Theresa Rebeck’s original– and best– play ever, “Bernhardt/Hamlet.” McTeer plays the legendary Sarah Bernhardt, the Meryl Streep of 1899. She played Hamlet that year in a gender bending London production. She was 55 years old, already a huge star, and still to appear in the hot new play “Cyrano de Bergerac” by Edmond Rostand, then 29 and a burgeoning playwright.

Rebeck gives a bang for your buck. Not only do we get her new play of Bernhardt trying to stage her “Hamlet,” we all get the famous chunks of Shakespeare’s play as Bernhardt (McTeer) rehearses it. In Act Two, we get sections of “Cyrano,” because as Rostand is sleeping with Bernhardt and re-writing “Hamlet” for her (it didn’t work, he was replaced), he is also staging his famous work–dedicating Roxane to Bernhardt.

The other characters in Rebeck’s are all real life people from the time: Constant Coquelin, the French actor who played the original Cyrano in Rostand’s Cyrano de Bergerac; Rosemonde Gérard, a poet and playwright married to Rostand; Maurice Bernhardt, Sarah’s only child; and Alfonse Mucha, an artist who created iconic Art Nouveau posters of Sarah’s stage roles. They are played to perfection by the excellent as always Dylan Baker, Ito Aghayere, Nick Westrate, and Matthew Saldivar, Jason Butler Harner is perfect as the self-obsessed Rostand. Tony Carlin ditto, as well as Aaron Costa Ganis.

The heavily named Moritz von Stuelpnagel excels at moving groups around. His credits include Kevin Kline and co. in the 2017 “Present Laughter” and the zany gang from “Hand to God.” Costumes and sets here are rich and lovely. Toni-Leslie James and Beowulf Borritt, respectively, make you feel like you’re at a real Broadway production, that’s how good they are.

I don’t know what the Roundabout Theater is planning for this play because they’re scheduled to close on November 11th. What a shame that would be. “Bernhardt/Hamlet” couldn’t be more timely as Sarah fights for the right to be not just an independent woman, but a person who will answer to no one. The sexual politics from 1899 make you realize we haven’t gotten that far at all some 119 years later. Janet McTeer is a treasure, commanding the stage like few others these days. It’s time for her to be celebrated. Let’s hope the Roundabout moves this production somewhere really good, or juggles their schedule. “Bernhardt/Hamlet” should stick around for a while.

Rapper Rich the Prince Beats Kanye West to Release with Song Called “Yandhi”

Roger Friedman
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Rapper Rich the Prince Beats Kanye West to Release with Song Called “Yandhi”

Rich the Prince? I don’t know anything about him. But he’s beaten Kanye West to the punch. Three days ago he released a single called “Yandhi.” It’s on Amazon.com. His real name is Cesar Ibarra. Your move, Kanye.

Here’s the link.

“Saturday Night Live” Scores Second Highest Season Premiere Since 2012 with Anti-Trump, Kavanaugh Material,

Roger Friedman
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“Saturday Night Live” Scores Second Highest Season Premiere Since 2012 with Anti-Trump, Kavanaugh Material,

“Saturday Night Live” scored huge ratings last night.

The comedy program had its second highest season premiere since 2012. In metered Nielsen markets that had a 4.8.

In the key demo “SNL” did an impressive 2.3– which means half their audience as between 18 and 49.

The show had a killer opening, with Matt Damon playing beleaguered Supreme Court candidate Brett Kavanaugh. He was hilarious, as were Kate McKinnon as squirrel like Lindsey Graham and Aidy Bryant as prosecutor for hire Rachel Mitchell.

Later in the show, McKinnon was a hoot as Ruth Bader Ginsberg. The whole show was spot on with the exception of Kanye West, who was brought on at the last minute to replace Ariana Grande. The latter pop star wasn’t emotionally ready after the death of her ex-fiancee Mac Miller, and a lot of other upheaval.

Donald Trump made a disparaging Tweet about “SNL” after the show, but the ratings clearly show he was outnumbered.

Harvey Levin, TMZ Ready to Exploit Kanye West’s Mental Illness, Rapper Doubles Down on Slavery Proclamations

Roger Friedman
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Harvey Levin, TMZ Ready to Exploit Kanye West’s Mental Illness, Rapper Doubles Down on Slavery Proclamations

Kanye West is mentally ill and no one is protecting him.

West, clearly on a manic tear, announced the launch of an album for last night while he appeared on “Saturday Night Live.”

He appeared, doubled down on his career-killing support of Donald Trump, and dropped no new album. The idea of the album, called “Yandhi,” has all but disappeared.

At the same time, Kanye– who announced that he changed his name to Ye– Tweeted that the 13th amendment, which abolished slavery, should itself be abolished. Then he amended the Tweet, and said the 13th amendment should be amended. He wrote: “the 13th Amendment is slavery in disguise meaning it never ended We are the solution that heals…”

Tomorrow, Harvey Levin will welcome Kanye to TMZ Live. The last time Kanye was on TMZ, he proclaimed that “slavery is an option.” Levin, who is no friend of anyone except maybe Donald Trump, was happy to let Kanye hang in the wind. Now it will happen again. TMZ is exploiting a man with a mental illness.

Thanks to the original TMZ appearance, as well as Kanye’s continued support of Trump, West has lost much of his music career. His “Ye” album, which only cost $7.99, sold just 52,000 hard copies. Streaming brought another 200K in sales. But that total–250K–is a disaster for a rap star who spends like Kanye and lives at his level.

One African American friend of mine said, when I mentioned this, “Are you kidding? No black person is buying a Kanye West album.”

If “Yandhi,” a ridiculous title, is ever released, Kanye may have completely undermined its sales in advance.

 

Kanye West’s “SNL”: Wears Perrier Bottle, MAGA Hat, Changes Name, Fails to Launch Promised New Album

Roger Friedman
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Kanye West’s “SNL”: Wears Perrier Bottle, MAGA Hat, Changes Name, Fails to Launch Promised New Album


It was another Saturday night for Kanye West.

He dressed like a Perrier bottle for one song, wore a MAGA hat for another, changed his name to Ye, and failed to deliver his promised new album.

Kanye had Tweeted he was dropping an album called “Yandhi.” Not only did he not do that, he didn’t perform any of the songs from it on “Saturday Night Live.”

Instead, he presented three other musical entertainments. In one he wore a Trump-ian Make American Great Again hat and made a pro-Trump speech. A performance with Teyana Taylor was an embarrassment.

In the other, he wore a Perrier bottle as a Halloween costume.

UPDATED Global Citizen Concert: $7 Million in Salaries, No Grants to Poor People, Chris Martin Keeps Fans From Freaking Over Fallen Barrier

Roger Friedman
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UPDATED Global Citizen Concert: $7 Million in Salaries, No Grants to Poor People, Chris Martin Keeps Fans From Freaking Over Fallen Barrier

SUNDAY Chris Martin did show up, and to his credit he kept the crowd near the stage in Central Park from freaking out after a barrier fell. The fans thought it was gunshots. For a group that’s supposed to be about knocking down barriers, they didn’t seem to get the metaphor. That was on MSNBC. On FoxNews, Trump proclaimed he’s fallen in love with Kim Jung Un. Really. This all happened at the same time.

SATURDAY It’s time for the annual Global Poverty Concert, now called Global Citizen.

Here’s the rundown of main salaries. On their 2016 Form 990, Global Citizen spent $7 million totally on salaries, of the $11 million in revenue. And the revenue was down $5 million from 2015.

Global Citizen DOES NOT give money to poor or hungry people. I don’t know why no one gets this. They spend money to PERSUADE governments or corporations to give money to those people. If the governments or corporations were helping poor or hungry people anyway, Global Citizen takes the credit.

They spend another $7 million or more on rock concerts, for which they get sponsors. The sponsors’ money goes to Global Citizen’s expenses– like travel, food, rent, and salaries.

Their founder and leader, Hugh Evans, is making upwards of $300,000 a year. So is their chief operating officer. It’s a good gig.

Anyway, how can you trust a concert that bills The Weeknd before Janet Jackson?

Do notice the absence, live, for the second year in a row, of Chris Martin from Coldplay. He’s supposed to be Global Citizen’s ambassador.  The group is not on tour. Last year, Global Citizen overlapped with the I Heart Radio festival. Not this year. In 2015 he said he signed on to the organization’s “curator” for 15 years. Maybe he’s finally figured out what’s going on.

Read my story from this past July.

Off Broadway: Dana Delany, on a Break before CBS’s “The Code,” Puts on Boxing Gloves for “Collective Rage”

Regina Weinreich
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Off Broadway: Dana Delany, on a Break before CBS’s “The Code,” Puts on Boxing Gloves for “Collective Rage”

You know that you are dealing in the abstract when the five characters in a single play are called Betty, as in the MCC production of Jen Silverman’s “Collective Rage: A Play in 5 Betties” at the Lucille Lortel Theater on Christopher Street. Betty #1, a svelte urban housewife, rages about the news, a continued anxiety unrelieved by her philandering husband. Betty #2 is babyish and impossibly lonely learning to find her pussy using a mirror; #3 a motor-mouthed lesbian uses the word pussy until the word loses its oomph, and #s 4 and 5 are preoccupied with mechanics, one tattooed, the other a Latin lover recently released from prison who owns a boxing gym.

When #1, a sublime Dana Delany, wants to have a dinner party, a red chair drops from the rafters. This absurdist world will explore, as an author’s note boasts, pussy as if it were Antarctica and you are Shackleton. Along the way, an attempt at theater—“thea-tah”– will bring this group to Midsummer Night’s Dream tropes, with Betty #4, the usually hilarious Lea Delaria, somber, playing the Wall. Adina Verson, Ana Villafane, and Chaunte Wayans fill out this cast. Much happens along the way ending in a wild party, and the ultimate “Dream” solo performance.

Whew! There’s a lot to unpack in this loud, in-your-face, queer drama, under Mike Donahue’s direction. You may not experience Shackleton’s sense of adventure. Antarctica may not be your ultimate frontier. After a performance this week, an exuberant audience sprang to standing ovation, and one viewer had already seen it twice. Clearly, the Betties are speaking to someone. Maybe it’s just semantics, but when did we stop talking about vaginas?

RIP Marty Balin, 76, Magnificent Lead Singer of Jefferson Airplane, Jefferson Starship

Roger Friedman
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RIP Marty Balin, 76, Magnificent Lead Singer of Jefferson Airplane, Jefferson Starship

Marty Balin was the magnificent lead singer of the original Jefferson Airplane. He left after making five seminal albums with the Airplane, in 1969, but returned to sing with Grace Slick on the Jefferson Starship in 1974. He also had solo hits. He’s dead today at 76. Jefferson Airplane was such an important group, they started the San Francisco movement that came to include the Mamas and Papas, Hot Tuna, Lovin’ Spoonful, Big Brother and the Holding Company etc.

What young people don’t know now is that Rolling Stone, a much different publication in 1967, launched out of San Francisco featuring these groups, and Bill Graham’s Fillmore. For kids in New York, it was like they were all from outer space, and so fascinating to read about. Marty Balin and Grace Slick were like gods, and their bluesy folk sound was intoxicating. Kanter died two years ago, and now Balin is gone. Slick — one of the greatest female vocalists of all time– retired a while ago.

Pop Charts: Stars are Re-Born as Lady Gaga-Bradley Cooper Duet Debuts at Number 1, Cher’s ABBA Album is Number 2

Roger Friedman
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Pop Charts: Stars are Re-Born as Lady Gaga-Bradley Cooper Duet Debuts at Number 1, Cher’s ABBA Album is Number 2

Here comes “A Star is Born.”

A week ahead of the release of the Bradley Cooper-Lady Gaga movie, their duet from the film– called “Shallow”– debuts on iTunes at number 1.

This will be a monster single, and the first of many from the soundtrack that also releases next Friday. Watch this soundtrack soar on the charts and the radio as the movie booms.

Another big release today is Cher’s ABBA album. “Dancing Queen” blew onto the iTunes album chart at number 2, behind Lil Wayne’s “Tha Carter V.” They have totally different audiences, of course. Cher hasn’t had a new album in years, and this one has potential to last a long time.

The two performers have little in common on the face of it– they’ve each paid high prices to be celebrities. Lil Wayne has spent a lot of time in jail on drugs and weapon charges. Cher was married to Sonny Bono.

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