Thursday, December 18, 2025
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Broadway: Bette Midler Snubs the Tony Awards But They Give Her Best Actress Anyway

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Bette Midler didn’t perform on the Tony Awards but they gave her Best Actress in a Musical for “Hello. Dolly!” tonight. Ben Platt won best actor for “Dear Evan Hansen.” Midler did give a funny speech which made up for her absence. She is likely still talking now. For a woman who would not perform on the Tonys, when she finally got the chance, she talked and talked and talked.

All night, though, mention of Midler and “Hello, Dolly!” received tepid responses,  not the standing ovations one would have expected. The mood in the room at Radio City was fairly unimpressed. Every other musical nominee performed on that stage. Only Midler, who’s never done a Broadway show before as a headliner and probably never will again, declined.

Instead, she let David Hyde Pierce do a one-man number from the show, and a bad number at that. It’s a song that was cut from the original show and only added back to give Hyde Pierce (who everyone loves) a solo number in the show. When he was finished, Midler came out to present Best Actress and barely acknowledged him. Backstage must be a laugh riot at “Hello, Dolly!”

Producer Scott Rudin got his Tony for Best Revival of a Musical with Dolly. But all the spending he did on ads failed to produce a Best Play award for “A Doll’s House, Part 2.” Instead, “Oslo” won. Rudin did get Best Actress in a Play for Laurie Metcalf.

“Dear Evan Hansen” won Best Musical. Its star Ben Platt, won Best Actor, and Rachel Bay Jones won Best Featured Actress. Best Featured Actress in a Play went to Cynthia Nixon for “The Little Foxes.”

The Tony show was a mixed bag. There were a lot of plugs for the Radio City Rockettes, for no reason other than to placate the owners of the theater. There were a few plugs for CBS’s Stephen Colbert. Kevin Spacey’s celebrity imitations wore thin fast. He doesn’t seem to realize Johnny Carson has been dead a long time, and that most of the audience who remembers him is old.  Ditto his obsession with Bobby Darin, which is now probably embarrassing Darin in heaven among friends.  Spacey’s Bill Clinton imitation went over like a lead balloon, as did his references to Hillary Clinton’s email. Stale, stale, stale.

 

Best Musical
Dear Evan Hansen

Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Musical
Bette Midler, Hello, Dolly!

Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Musical
Ben Platt, Dear Evan Hansen

Best Revival of a Musical
Hello, Dolly!

Best Play
Oslo by J.T. Rogers

Best Revival of a Play
August Wilson’s Jitney

Best Choreography
Andy Blankenbuehler, Bandstand

Best Direction of a Musical
Christopher Ashley, Come From Away

Best Direction of a Play
Rebecca Taichman, Indecent

Best Performance by an Actress in Featured Role a Musical
Rachel Bay Jones, Dear Evan Hansen

Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Play
Laurie Metcalf, A Doll’s House, Part 2

Best Orchestrations
Alex Lacamoire, Dear Evan Hansen

Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Play
Kevin Kline, Present Laughter

Best Book of a Musical
Dear Evan Hansen, Steven Levenson

Best Score
Dear Evan Hansen, Benj Pasek and Justin Paul

Best Lighting Design of a Musical
Bradley King, Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812

Best Performance by an Actress in a Featured Role in a Play
Cynthia Nixon, Lillian Hellman’s The Little Foxes

Best Performance by an Actor in a Featured Role in a Musical
Gavin Creel, Hello, Dolly!

Best Performance by an Actor in a Featured Role in a Play
Michael Aronov, Oslo

Best Lighting Design of a Play
Christopher Akerlind, Indecent

Best Scenic Design of a Musical
Mimi Lien, Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812

Best Scenic Design of a Play
Nigel Hook, The Play That Goes Wrong

Best Costume Design of a Musical
Santo Loquasto, Hello, Dolly!

Best Costume Design of a Play
Jane Greenwood, Lillian Hellman’s The Little Foxes

Gwyneth Paltrow Has No Idea What’s On Her Goop Website, Has Never Tried Some of the Stranger Products

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Gwyneth Paltrow told Jimmy Kimmel this week she has no idea what’s on her Goop website. She has also never tried products she sells like a Jade egg meant to be placed in the vagina. She also says she knows nothing about “Earthing,” which is also recommended on her site. “I don’t know what the f– we talk about,” Paltrow admitted to Kimmel.

Making fun of Paltrow and Goop is a common snarky practice by now. But I can’t think of another actress who has squandered her Oscar the way Paltrow has. I thought after “Shakespeare in Love” in 1999 she’d be making great movies, picking up more awards, maybe doing Broadway. She has got maybe only other movie anyone really cares about — “Sliding Doors” (also 1998). The other nominees the year she won were Cate Blanchett, Meryl Streep, and Emily Watson. I needn’t tell you all their credits and accolades since then.

Paltrow’s career has become about selling this stuff. She tells Kimmel she’s in the office every day, that Goop is her full time job. Well, whatever turns you on.

The Jade egg, by the way, sells for $55-$66. It was roundly criticized all over the internet, but Jade published a defense.

Box Office: “Wonder Woman” Puts “The Mummy” in Its Grave With $57 Mil vs. $32 Mil

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“Wonder Woman” weekend 2 was a phenom, with $57 million– astonishing. It’s an over the top hit, that’s for sure, and keeps growing.

But the poor “Mummy.” The weekend take was $32 million– maybe a little less. That’s way short of Brendan Fraser’s “Mummy” movies.

But for Tom Cruise, it’s not that bad. Aside from “Mission Impossible,” Cruise is not a big opener and not a big total grosser. His opening weekends for non “MI” movies range from $22 mil to $37 million. This one is right in the middle.

As for what happens to it going forward– not much. Cruise barely gets to $100 million, and that’s rare. The studio held “Edge of Tomorrow” in theaters ’til it dripped out its last customer so they could pass $100 million. But at that point you’re wasting money holding the theater, the print, the ads. “The Mummy” may go $75 million.

A sequel? Well they made a “Jack Reacher” sequel to a movie no one liked much, and look what happened. “The Mummy” should stay buried.

RIP Adam West, the Real Batman Forever, Dies at 88 — His Wry Sense of Humor Lives On

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Adam West– the real Batman of all time– has died at age 88. His rep says he had a short battle with leukemia.

West played Batman in the ABC TV series with Burt Ward as Robin in the mid 60s. His wry sense of humor and sarcasm — which we didn’t get as kids but is vividly apparent on the show looking at it now– made “Batman” a phenomenon. The show aired twice a week when it debuted in 1966, with animated tags of “POW!” and “Bam!”

 

West worked a long time before and after “Batman,” but he never recaptured that glorious moment in time for those 120 episodes and a Batman movie, as well.

What a week! The beloved Glenne Headley died yesterday at age 62 after a pulmonary embolism. She was such a fine actress on stage and film. Also, yesterday, John Heyman, one of the great movie and TV producers, a towering figure in show business, passed away at 84. (His son, David, was taught well– he produced the Harry Potter movies.)

And so it goes.

“The Mummy” Unravels at Box Office: Tom Cruise Version Well Below Brendan Fraser’s Three Episodes

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Brendan Fraser, come back! All is forgiven.

Between 1999 and 2008, Fraser starred in three “Mummy” movies for Universal Pictures. All of them did considerably better than Tom Cruise’s version, which opened Friday night after Thursday previews.

To wit: “The Mummy” 1999 opened with $43 million weekend. The opening night took in $14.5 million.

“The Mummy Returns” 2001 had a $68 million weekend. Opening night: $23 million.

“The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor” 2008 launched with $40 million, and $15 million opening night.

Now Cruise’s chapter arrives with a $12 million opening night, eyeing a $29-31 million weekend.

Two things come to mind: Universal waited too long on that third “Mummy” Movie with Fraser. Why was there a seven year gap? They lost their own momentum. And also, Fraser should have made some kind of appearance in the new movie. A hand off would given the movie a nice PR hook.

As it is, this “Mummy” will be Cruise’s second worst opening ever, following his absolute worst– last year’s “Jack Reacher: No One Gives a Damn.”

Lesson learned: Fear the walking dead.

Apocalypse Now: Justin Bieber’s Monotonous, Grating Vocals Now Occupy the Top 3 Songs on iTunes

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Yes, it’s a bad time in the world. Months and months of political chaos. LeBron James fighting for Cleveland’s life. And now this:

The monotonous, grating voice of Justin Bieber now occupy the top 3 singles on iTunes. The most odious pop star of this generation has bleated his way to a hat trick on the charts.

At number 1, it’s David Guetta’s new release, “2 U,” featuring Justin. At number 2, there’s a Spanish track called “Despacito” in which Bieber is remixed into a lively number from Luis Fonsi and Daddy Yankee.

For number 3, there’s “I’m the One,” in which Bieber is leveraged with Lil Wayne, Chance the Rapper, and Quavo.

None of the singles are his own releases. On all three, he’s the guest star. But his name on the recording, so you can’t avoid it.

All of this is the devilish work of manager Scooter Braun, who should get credit for sticking his Bieber in all the right places. On “Despacito” he’s been turned into the mall food court version of Enrique Iglesias, which is evil genius.

Bieber even managed to get on Ariana Grande’s Manchester UK charity concert last week– because Braun manages both of them. His appearance was perfunctory at best, eclipsed by most of the other acts.

So what’s next? Kennedy Center honors? Hey, why not at this point?

PS Braun is very smart. Look at this video. It already 7.2 million views. Are we surprised? Turn the volume down for future listenings.

Tom Cruise’s “The Mummy” Takes in $2.7 Mil Thursday Night: Have Suri, Scientology Scandals Undermined Popularity?

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Tom Cruise’s “The Mummy” made $2.66 million on Thursday night. That’s considerably less than “Mission Impossible: Rogue Nation” made in its Thursday outing two years ago–$4 million. It’s more though than “Edge of Tomorrow”–$1.8 million. It’s actually far more than “Jack Reacher: Never Go Back” with $1.32 million– Cruise’s most recent film.

So there’s some solace in that. But “The Mummy” will be number 2 to “Wonder Woman” this weekend. And if word of mouth doesn’t propel it past tonight, there will be a lot of jokes about mummified, it’s a wrap, walking dead, and so on.

A big hit to the box office has a lot to do with perception of Cruise by fans. By now they all know that he has had nothing to do with his 11 year old daughter Suri, based on reports. And that may be because of his devotion to Scientology, a religious cult that has now been exposed in movies like “Going Clear” and Leah Remini’s terrific TV series. Remini also wrote about Cruise’s weird life in her memoir.

All of these things add up over time. While the “Mission Impossible” series has carried him financially, Cruise otherwise struggles at the box office. “Jack Reacher 2” made just $58.6 million in the US. Even internationally it was a bust, with just $103 million. Cruise needs twice that to succeed on the bottom line. And apparently Scientology is always there with hands out waiting for more donations.

New Music Friday: Katy Perry Swings the Pendulum, Justin Bieber is Like Tofu, Khalid Just Gets Better

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NEW MUSIC FRIDAY….Katy Perry is back. She’s so back that Taylor Swift threw her whole catalog on Spotify to remind everyone she’s the Queen of the Current Pop Pack. But I don’t know. Katy’s “Witness” album is pretty good. Strangely enough I think she should have started the album with its second half. “Chained to the Rhythm” is a great single. “Pendulum” should have been the new single. The non Max Martin songs sound a little more original than the non-MMs. “Bon Appetit” also fares better in context of the album. Katy is a superstar. “Witness” is going to be a hit album with legs…

Justin Bieber is back. He’s like tofu. He takes on the flavor of whoever he’s working with. Last time with Diplo, Skrillex et al with bird noises. This time it’s David Guetta. I quite like “2U” because of Guetta. He’s made good use of Bieber. Bieber is featured on a lot of different singles lately. I think he should just be a guest star on records. It works better…

I am so impressed by Khalid, I can’t believe his album “American Teen” isn’t in the top 10 for weeks. Just 19, this El Paso, Texas R&B prodigy is going to be a superstar. In the vein of Frank Ocean and Kendrick Lamar, but better I think. The songs– they are original, not sampled– are incredibly smart and catchy. The album was released in March and is no longer on the charts. But Khalid’s tour this summer is sold out. He’s blowing up. His debut album will get many Grammy nominations. But that’s beside the point. GET this record.

Woody Allen, Warren Beatty, Al Pacino Surprise Diane Keaton to Toast Her at Hollywood Tribute

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meryl streep

Historic night in Hollywood as Woody Allen, Warren Beatty, and Al Pacino have all shown up — surprise– tonight at the annual American Film Institute gala in Hollywood, this year in honor of their ex-girlfriend and co-star Diane Keaton. Yes, she dated them all, made great movies with them, and picked up a lot of awards. They all love her. (For Beatty, it was a triumphant return to the stage of the Dolby Theater after his Oscar mishap a few months ago.)
woody

This austere trio was joined by Meryl Streep, Jane Fonda, Steve Martin, Martin Short, Reese Witherspoon, Emma Stone, Rachel McAdams, Morgan Freeman, Lisa Kudrow, and a raft of notables celebrating Diane Keaton‘s Lifetime Achievement Award.

Keaton wowed the crowd accepting her award– she sang “Seems Like Old Times,” the song she sang from her Oscar winning performance as “Annie Hall.”

But the impact of having all of Keaton’s leading men in the same room is astonishing. They’ve never been seen together at all in over 40 years of film making.

“I owe so much of my career to her,” Woody said, doing a rare stand up. (You could count on one hand how many tributes Woody Allen has attended let alone spoken at.)  He then added, “You’re all heard of the character Eve Harrington in “All About Eve.”  Not to judge, but Diane was ruthlessly ambitious.  She made an interesting Freudian slip when she first met me.  She meant to say ‘a talented young director,’ instead she called me ‘her stepping stone.’  He went on to gently rib his dear friend. “Her beauty is not conventional, nor is the way she dresses.  Diane dressed up looks the woman from “A Streetcar Named Desire,” who comes to take Blanche to the institution.  She also has this fear of death.  I told her that you know what’s it like when you get a colonoscopy?  You get these drugs and you’re out of it, it’s so nice.  I told her that death is like that.  Life however, is like the prep day.” He added, “I didn’t know much she loved me until I read her book– and that she was bulimic. I took her to all these $400 meals when we were together. I could have taken her to Pizza Hut and saved a fortune!

Pacino was really a surprise since he and Keaton have not been close for years. “I feel like I’ve known you for my whole life. The first time I met her was at Patsy’s in East Harlem for “The Godfather.”  It was a rehearsal dinner for the intimate cast, with Robert Duvall, John Cazale and Marlon Brando was there. Diane was enamored of Marlon, she sort of liked him.  He introduced himself to Diane and said hello I’m Marlon Brando. “  Then Al did a spot on interpretation of her and said, ‘Yeah, Ok, well.’ Everyone else was confused but I laughed.”  Al ended with a poignant, “Diane, you’re a great artist, actor, fashion, photographer, director, all of it and I saw it all happen.  Mainly you’re a charitable spirit.  I was there and I saw it.  I remember it and I love you and I’ll love you forever.” 

Beatty lauded Keaton. “Diane is unpredictable, suspenseful, sometimes comedic, sometimes tragic. She came up with so much of the story in “Reds.” If it wasn’t for her, I couldn’t have done “Reds.” You were completely indispensable.” He pointed to her and said, “You made the movie.” To which then Diane pointed back at him and mouthed, “You made the movie.”  He ended with thanking her for “your artistry, inspiration and friendship.” 

The night reflected Diane’s unabashed oddball style.  Lisa Kudrow got a hold of a deposition that Diane was deposed at, and changing the names, did her best imitation of the lawyer and then Diane answering the questions.  Steve and Marty then serenaded Diane with a short rendition of “The Way You Look Tonight,” each sitting on either side of her on the dais.  Diane looked visibly moved, until the end when they playfully pushed her back and kissed each other on the lips.

Past AFI honoree Jane Fonda got one of the biggest laughs of the night when she noted she was wearing a white suit. “But not as white as Trump’s cabinet.”

Other A list guests included  “Wonder Woman” director and AFI graduate Patty Jenkins as well as industry VIP’s including; Candice Bergen, Meg Ryan, Netflix’s Ted Sarandos, TNT’s Kevin Reilly, Power lawyer Jake Bloom and his wife author Ruth Bloom, Jerry and Linda Bruckheimer, Jeffrey and Marilyn Katzenberg, Paramount’s Jim Gianopulos, Warner’s Sue Kroll, Focus Features Peter Kujawski, Academy president Cheryl Boone Isaacs, producer Colleen Camp, Producer/Director Vince Gilligan, the AFI’s noted ex President Jean Picker Firstenberg and so many more.

AFI’s President and CEO Bob Gazzale got the night started by introducing AFI’s founder George Stevens Jr and the elegant Sidney Poitier, who was the first Vice-Chair, (the late Gregory Peck was the first Chairman.)  George noted that Sidney “brings dignity and honors our profession.” 

Richard Dreyfuss, who came to support his longtime pal, was a hit of the night as people swarmed to him.   Other celeb pals included Meg Ryan; her date was her actor son Jack Quaid, Candice Bergen, Andie McDowell, Ileana Douglas, Andy Garcia and Carol Kane.

The AFI Lifetime Achievement Awards airs June 15th at 10pm DST on TNT.

 

Taylor Swift Announces Her Back Catalog Returns to Streaming Services at Midnight

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Taylor Swift is back. She’s putting her whole catalog back on Spotify and other streaming services tonight at midnight. She says that with her “1989” album hitting 10 million in sales, she might as well go for it. Also streaming has taken over the business since “1989” was released. To be realistic, Taylor must do this. She’s releasing new music soon. And if the Beatles can embrace streaming, certainly Taylor Swift can.