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Broadway: “Groundhog Day” Box Office Recovers After Bill Murray’s Two Very Public Visits

Roger Friedman
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Broadway: “Groundhog Day” Box Office Recovers After Bill Murray’s Two Very Public Visits

Congrats to the PR team behind “Groundhog Day” on Broadway. The musical was faltering at the box office after not receiving any Tony Awards. Summer can be a killer on Broadway– just ask “Bandstand,” which just put up closing notices, and “The Great Comet,” which committed suicide.

So what to do? Bring in Bill Murray, star of the movie “Groundhog Day.” Make a BIG deal of it. Have him carry on, cry, interact with the audience. Murray had not seen the show since it opened, but he’s more identified with it than Tony nominee Andy Karl, who’s doing a great job.

During Tony week, June 11th, “Groundhog Day” was its peak box office with around $936,000 for the week. But no Tonys came, so the ticket purchases slowed down.For the week ending August 6th, they were down to $607,345.

And then came Bill. He went to the show two nights in a row last week. He made the New York Times, Page Six and everywhere anyone could think. He met with the cast, cried, carried on, gave speeches. And that was just the first night. Then he went back again. Just like the plot of “Groundhog Day.” Genius!

The result: The gross was $703,000 this week, up by $96,550. The Murray Effect worked. Now people want to see this show. Hey, maybe Bill Murray will be in the audience!

It’s like Bill Murray waved a magic wand. Will it have a lasting effect? Will they bring in Andie McDowell next? An actual groundhog?

The “Groundhog” team will have to keep pumping out the Murray publicity if they want to stay alive. I do hope Bill gets something out of it. But knowing him, he just did it as a lark, to help them out. Good for him. Maybe he’ll get a cut if they ever recoup. It’s very hard out there unless you’re “Evan Hanson.”

Listen: go see this show. Their top ticket back on June 11th was average price $103.11. They’re down to $87.77. Andy Karl is worth it.

Pop Review: Khalid, 19, Debuts NY Show to Standing Room Only, Heir to Babyface, Usher, Even The Weeknd

Roger Friedman
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Pop Review: Khalid, 19, Debuts NY Show to Standing Room Only, Heir to Babyface, Usher, Even The Weeknd

Khalid Robinson– well, just Khalid. Get ready. He’s the brightest light to take the 2018 Grammy Best New Artist. At least he’ll be nominated.

Last night Khalid fans were literally hanging from the rafters at Terminal 5. His fans– a mixed group of black and white, teens and young twenties– knew all the words to all his songs, even “Silence,” which was released on Friday. It was the 21st stop on his first real national tour.

Did I tell you Khalid, from El Paso, Texas, just turned 19?

The middle child of military parents, Khalid put a few of his songs on SoundCloud from Texas. A manager in New York, Courtney Stewart, heard them. Next stop: RCA Records. Forget “American Idol.” Khalid, whose album, “American Teen,” was released on March 3rd, is off like a rocket.

The songs are all so catchy they’re hits once you hear them. RCA has spent the last six months breaking him on radio. Why “8 Teen” isn’t the song of the summer I don’t know. The title track, plus “Young, Dumb & Broke,” “Saved,” “Coaster” — recall The Weeknd, Usher, Babyface, and a half dozen other R&B crooners. Khalid, just hatched, is their natural successor.

You can catch him tonight again at Terminal 5 (they had to add a second show). He’ll be in Los Angeles soon– don’t miss him there or anywhere in between. Clean cut (as yet, we cross our fingers for the future) Khalid is so ready for the Grammys and success I just hope none of it will spoil him. His show consists of all 15 songs from the album plus two new ones. He’s pretty much on stage by himself, with two dancing cheerleaders (love the pom poms) and a crack band that propels him.

On a weekend when things looked pretty bleak in the world, Khalid was very reassuring. There’s nothing like pop songs to save the summer.

Report: Movie Box Office On Track for Lowest in 25 Years as Spielberg-Lucas “Blockbuster Implosion” Omen Prevails

Roger Friedman
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Report: Movie Box Office On Track for Lowest in 25 Years as Spielberg-Lucas “Blockbuster Implosion” Omen Prevails

Reports now, according to Exhibitor Relations: if things continue as they have, this will be the lowest box office in a quarter century. While there have been bright spots (“Dunkirk”) and surprises (“Baby Driver”) the failures have outweighed everything.

Start with a total write off on “King Arthur” and go from there. Then go to “The Dark Tower.”

One terrible new failure: “Nut Job 2,” they say, is the biggest loser ever in  wide release (4000+) studio movie. It made just over $8 million this weekend.

Four years ago, at a USC symposium, famed and very successful directors George Lucas and Steven Spielberg warned the film industry that reliance on blockbusters– tent pole movies that failed would cause an implosion. At first no one took them seriously. But now maybe we’re seeing what they meant.

Spielberg said at the time: “That’s the big danger, and there’s eventually going to be an implosion — or a big meltdown. There’s going to be an implosion where three or four or maybe even a half-dozen mega budget movies are going to go crashing into the ground, and that’s going to change the paradigm.”

Other huge flops this year include “Life” — the sci fi movie no one saw, “Monster Trucks,” which was a monster disaster. “Ghost in the Shell” with Scarlett Johansson also came and went quickly. Plus Will Ferrell’s “The House” was a total write off, and Sony’s “Rough Night” was an embarrassment.

I’m not counting the $100 million plus lost on “The Promise,” because it was a vanity production.

This year also brought Tom Hanks’s biggest flop in decades, “The Circle.” And of course there were the two misbegotten TV remakes– “Baywatch” and “CHiPs.”

Even blockbusters that seemed like hits weren’t — “Pirates of the Caribbean 5” was a bloated mess. And “Transformers 5” was so bad that critics wondered why it was made. “The Mummy” also reeked of failure and desperation.

Studios keep counting on international sales to bail them out. And it works a lot of the time. But continuing to send bad product from the US will eventually take its toll.

 

 

RIP Joe Bologna, Star of “My Favorite Year,” Half of Hollywood’s Most Married (And Happiest) Couple

Roger Friedman
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RIP Joe Bologna, Star of “My Favorite Year,” Half of Hollywood’s Most Married (And Happiest) Couple

I am so sorry to hear that Joe Bologna has died in Hollywood at age 82. They say it was pancreatic cancer, the most unfair thing in the world. Joe was one of half of Hollywood’ most married– and happiest couple. He and Renee Taylor (you know her from “The Nanny” among other things) renewed their vows every year since 1965. They were probably one of the most popular couples ever in Hollywood.

Joe and Renee always worked, whether it was stage, TV, or film. He’s probably best known for playing King Kaiser (really Sid Caesar) in the brilliant Richard Benjamin movie, “My Favorite Year.” This is a must see if you love great comedy. He had a steady run in good movies from 1971 for two decades including “Blame it on Rio,” with Michael Caine and “Transylvania 6-5000.”

In 1971, Bologna was nominated for an Oscar for Best Adapted Screenplay with Taylor for “Lovers and Other Strangers.” The cast of the movie–based on their hit play– was like a Who’s Who–Cloris Leachman, Diane Keaton, Bea Arthur, Richard Castellano, Bob Dishy, Gig Young, Jerry Stiller and Anne Meara. The play, which premiered on Broadway in 1968 and ran for two months, was directed by Charles Grodin.

It always seemed like his movies were just filled with friends who happened to show up. In 1996, Joe co-wrote and directed another movie like that called “Love is All There Is.” It was one of the first films to showcase Angelina Jolie, daughter of one of their friends. (That’s when I met her, and she was like a scared fawn that night– no tattoos or blood in vials yet.) For some reason, when I think of the Bolognas I think of Paul Sorvino and Lainie Kazan. They’re all in that group.

What a shame– condolences to Renee Taylor and their writer-director son Gabriel. Joe Bologna was a really good guy.

 

It’s a Shonda: ABC Loses “Grey’s Anatomy” Creator Shonda Rhimes to Netflix, Which Gets Away with Murder

Roger Friedman
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It’s a Shonda: ABC Loses “Grey’s Anatomy” Creator Shonda Rhimes to Netflix, Which Gets Away with Murder

Shonda Rhimes is moving Shondaland from ABC to Netflix. This is a ‘shonda’ or shame in Yiddish, for ABC, which has lived on “Grey’s Anatomy,” “Scandal,” and “How to Get Away with Murder” for years.

Now Netflix has gotten away with murder, luring Rhimes and partner Betsy Beers from broadcast TV to the land of whatever you call it– computer watching, Smart TV, Something. The ‘other’.

The trades are freaking out because Netflix probably spent a fortune and took one of ABC’s best providers of content. But who knows what the future is for Shondaland? “Grey’s” is a soap opera. The other two shows, no one has really understood a word of them. The acting is great, but they’re melodramas that are hard to explain.

It could be Shondaland’s biggest days are behind them. Maybe that’s why ABC-Disney didn’t pony up. For example, the Shondaland series “The Catch” — no one knew what that was about. Finally, it was put out of its misery. And there’s a legal drama called “For the People” coming to ABC next winter that seems unfocused.

IN any case, it’s a big deal for Netflix. Rhimes and Beers attract a lot of talent. For ABC it’s a blow because they are not good at doing hour long dramas, not even commercial ones (forget about Emmy level). Their dramas come and go. At least the phase of shows being like “Lost” has come to an end.

Justin Timberlake, Alicia Keys, Pharrell, Jon Bon Jovi, Mavis Staples Raise Money for Harlem’s Legendary Apollo Theater

Roger Friedman
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Justin Timberlake, Alicia Keys, Pharrell, Jon Bon Jovi, Mavis Staples Raise Money for Harlem’s Legendary Apollo Theater

Last night in the Hamptons: Justin Timberlake, Alicia Keys, Pharrell, Jon Bon Jovi, Mavis Staples, Robert Downey Jr and Jamie Foxx performed before a very well heeled crowd to raise money for the Apollo Theater in Harlem.

Among them, probably only Mavis had ever performed at the Apollo in its heyday. Tickets were $10,000 apiece. Jennifer Lopez was there with Alex Rodriguez, but she did not sing. She socialized and dined.

Bon Jovi and Mavis did duets on Buffalo Springfield’s “For What It’s Worth” and “Let’s Do it Again.” Downey and Foxx performed together, along with Alicia Keys. Timberlake and Pharrell went on together. The Roots were the backup band. Gary Clark Jr. also chimed in on guitar of course.

Other guests included Chris Rock, Howard and Beth Stern, Matt Lauer, Priyanka Chopra, Harvey Weinstein, Kyle MacLachlan, and Patriots owner/Trump supporter Robert Kraft.

Unlike in past years there was no sign of Jack Nicholson or any Clintons. Maybe they were at Authors Night in East Hampton benefiting the East Hampton Library– a more literary crowd. That’s where you could find Dick Cavett, Robert Caro, Alec Baldwin, Alan Alda, Jessica Seinfeld (and Jerry presumably), Laurie Gelman, Florence Fabricant, and the last of the elder generation Kennedys, Jean Smith.

Most of the Apollo guests, especially the non celebrities from Wall Street with big bucks, have never set foot in Harlem or at the Apollo. But the money helps keep the Apollo’s status as cornerstone of 125th St. and northern Manhattan’s most important cultural icon.

All of the Authors Night guests have been to the East Hampton Library.

Don Lemon from CNN posted a video here: https://www.facebook.com/donlemoncnn/videos/1403092459744655/

 

“General Hospital” Star William deVry Finally Gets a New Contract After Fans Raise Social Media Ruckus

Roger Friedman
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“General Hospital” Star William deVry Finally Gets a New Contract After Fans Raise Social Media Ruckus

The soap opera world has better backstage drama sometimes than the ones on screen.

This week, “General Hospital” finally re-signed actor William DeVry as bad guy Julian Jerome after a long, protracted contract negotiation.

When the show shut down for summer vacation on June 30th, DeVry was pretty sure that was it for him. He had no contract and no idea what was going to happen.

DeVry’s fans went crazy on social media, inundating ABC with demands to reinstate this guy.

ABC is sort of infamous for letting “General Hospital” actors twist in the wind during contract negotiations. They pull the actors off the air while it’s going on, too, thinking the fans won’t notice. It’s a game of chicken. Sometimes the actors call their bluff. Tyler Christopher did that last year after winning a Daytime Emmy Award. He just announced he’s joining “Days of our Lives.”

What a racket, huh? The actors can’t anything otherwise they get blackballed in their very small industry.  DeVry, by the way, is from the family that started DeVry Technical School, now DeVry University. I’ll bet there are days he wished he went into air conditioning repair instead of acting!

The Beatles Keep Rocking: “Sgt Pepper” 50th Anniversary Box Set Still in the Top 40 Albums After Almost 3 Months

Roger Friedman
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The Beatles Keep Rocking: “Sgt Pepper” 50th Anniversary Box Set Still in the Top 40 Albums After Almost 3 Months

The Beatles released their “Sgt. Pepper” 50th anniversary box set back on May 26th. It went straight to number 1 and then hung on in the top 10 for about a month. The set retails for $117.99 on amazon.

Almost three months later, “Sgt. Pepper” is still rocking! According to hitsdailydouble, the box set sold 4,749 copies last week– up 6% from the previous week, and finished 34th out of the top 50. The box set sold more copies than Harry Styles, Metallica, or SZA.

Year-to-date, Buzzangle.com says the entire “Sgt. Pepper” project– that’s all sales, downloads and streams including singles has sold 175,000 copies. Spectacular.

A lot of the continued support has to come from the Beatles channel on SiriusXM– a great idea, by the way. Once you turn it on, you’re hooked. Plus, Paul McCartney is touring and Ringo Starr will begin to shortly. The two former Beatles are getting lots of press and they’re each doing promos for Sirius.

The next Beatles 50th would be “Magical Mystery Tour” in November. No doubt the folks at Apple and Capitol are planning something. After the “Sgt. Pepper” success, why not?

 

Al Gore Finds Stormy Climate as “An Inconvenient Sequel” Fails to Heat Up at Box Office

Roger Friedman
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Al Gore Finds Stormy Climate as “An Inconvenient Sequel” Fails to Heat Up at Box Office

Remember those heady days when Al Gore won an Oscar for “An Inconvenient Truth”? The climate change movie caught the zeitgeist of the moment in 2006. I gave it a rave review which the producers used on the DVD box. The documentary made $25 million domestically and the same amount abroad.

But sequels, especially with similar titles, can be a problem. So “An Inconvenient Sequel” has been a box office dud so far. After 17 days in release, Gore’s follow up has made just $2 million at the box office. Compare that with $5 million for the original in the same time frame. The sequel has turned out to be very inconvenient at least financially.

Times have changed since the first movie. Climate change is still an urgent issue. But Gore perhaps ran into more pressing problems playing out on CNN and other real news networks– Neo Nazis, North Korea, and a crazy president who doesn’t believe in any of Gore’s — and scientists’– theories.

Not only that: while Gore’s heart is in the right place, his hyperbole can hurt him. A mild summer in the Northeast, snow in usually hot places, haven’t helped. People don’t understand that ‘climate change’ means exactly that. Instead, they relate to the term ‘global warming.’ If it’s not 100 degrees outside, the whole thing seems far away.

Climate change movies are better suited to other platforms rather than the box office– HBO, Showtime, Amazon, Netflix. Last fall, Leonardo DiCaprio’s “Before the Flood” had a very limited theatrical release, made zilch, and was released more effectively for free on line and on National Geographic Channel. At the box office, fossil fuels can’t compete with superheroes and genius apes.

Pop: Pink Knocks “Despacito” off Number 1, Kesha Clean Sells About as Well as Kesha Dirty

Roger Friedman
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Pop: Pink Knocks “Despacito” off Number 1, Kesha Clean Sells About as Well as Kesha Dirty

“Despacito” — for some reason that escapes me– has been number 1 for weeks and weeks. But no more. Pink has at least temporarily dethroned the Spanish phenom with “What About Us,” a very good, straight ahead Pink type hit. “What About Us” is already all over top 40, which means the money is there, and the determination to make it a hit.

Meanwhile, Kesha’s “Rainbow” album is number 1. But it’s also number 8 on both iTunes and amazon. The number 8 version is “clean,” meaning it’s been denuded of all f words. This is for pre-teen and tween crowd of girls who can enjoy the music and not be sending their parents into a frenzy.

It’s not like Kesha has new words replacing the bad ones. They’ve simply silenced the second part of things like “mother—–.” Will kids know the difference? Probably not. But at least the bad language won’t be engraved in their heads through earbuds. And the kids can play the CDs in their moms’ minivans (if such a thing still occurs).

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