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Roseanne Barr Goes to See TV Sister Laurie Metcalf on Broadway, Walks with a Cane

Roger Friedman
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Roseanne Barr Goes to See TV Sister Laurie Metcalf on Broadway, Walks with a Cane

On Wednesday night the audience at “A Doll’s House Part 2” got a nice surprise: Roseanne Barr was in the house. Roseanne, walking with a cane, and looking a little fragile, was there to see her TV sister Laurie Metcalf, who plays Strindberg’s Nora 15 years after the real play ended.

Soon, Barr and Metcalf will be reunited in the revival of the “Roseanne” TV show on ABC. Taping will start this summer. John Goodman and the original cast members are returning. Why? Money. It’s just about money. There is no reason to revive that show.

Anyway, Metcalf — a serious theater actress– is hedging her bets in case “Roseanne 2.0” doesn’t work out. She will appear next spring back on Broadway with Glenda Jackson in a revival of Edward Albee’s “Three Tall Women.” Jackson– who retired from acting some time ago– is back and obviously looking for a Tony Award in 2018.

Metcalf and Barr shared a light and brief repast after the show at Bar Centrale in the Theater District. Also in house: David Schwimmer, with a date, sitting with a large group that included Angela Bassett; Matthew Broderick with friends; Paramount chief Jim Gianopolous with Broadway producer Kevin McCollum; and actress Pam Shaw entertaining pals from Australia including “Anastasia” actress Caroline O’Connor.

 

The Universe Speaks: Roger Ailes Bought a Mansion for $36 Mil WIth Fox Settlement– And The House Killed Him

Roger Friedman
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The Universe Speaks: Roger Ailes Bought a Mansion for $36 Mil WIth Fox Settlement– And The House Killed Him

Karma is a bitch.

Roger Ailes died not of cancer or heart disease. He developed blood clots from a fall he took in his $36 million Palm Beach mansion. He and his wife bought the home last fall with the $40 million settlement Ailes received last summer from Fox News as a consolation prize for harassing female employees.

That is called irony.

Ailes had only owned the home since last September.  The house is described on a real estate website as having six-bedrooms, spread across 12,747-square-feet.  The two-story house was completed last year and included interiors with marble and wood floors, an oceanfront pool and Jacuzzi and a guest home. It has 94 feet of oceanfront and spans 0.85 acres.

And it was there, in this palace purchased with money from a settlement for demeaning employees, attempting to ruin their lives, and causing so many to lose livelihoods, that Ailes took the spill that would lead to his death. If he hadn’t done all those things, Fox News wouldn’t have paid him the $40 million, his wife wouldn’t have gone to Palm Beach and plunked down most of it, and Ailes might have lived 10 more years.

Elizabeth Ailes can think about that, I’m sure, when she puts the house back on the market.

The universe has spoken.

Michael Jackson’s Rabbi Shmuley Is Back, Throwing a Charity Gala for Where Charity Begins: At Home

Roger Friedman
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Michael Jackson’s Rabbi Shmuley Is Back, Throwing a Charity Gala for Where Charity Begins: At Home

Shmuley Boteach is back. “America’s Rabbi” once told the UK Independent that the 11th Commandment was “thou shalt do anything for publicity and recognition.” You know Shmuley, supporter of Trump, such a good friend of Steve Bannon that he Tweeted out a selfie in the loathed White House adviser’s office that revealed Bannon’s white planning board in the background. That Shmuley.

The one time BFF of Michael Jackson (who published private transcripts of conversations with Jackson after the singer’s death) has a long sketchy history of raising money for charity. This Sunday, he’s throwing his annual gala for the World Values Network at Cipirani 42nd st. Tickets range from $500—to tables for $100,000. Who gets the money? That’s a good question.

According to the form 990 most recent tax filing available for World Values Network, Shmuley’s self invented charity generated revenue of $2.7 million in 2015. Who’s getting all that money? None of it-– not one penny–went to grants to other organizations or assistance to individuals. But a whopping $701,577 went to salaries. (That number was up from $474,424 in 2014.) Of that total, Rabbi Shmuley paid himself $330,371. Another $300,000 is listed as “Other salaries and wages.” They are not specified. No other paid staff members are listed.

So what is the World Values Network? For one thing, it’s headquartered at Boteach’s New Jersey home.  Its mission statement in the 2014 filing says: “The World Values Network is based on the teachings of Rabbi Shmuley Boteach and his passion for bringing universal Jewish values to mainstream American culture and beyond.” He adds, preposterously: “Judaism’s core values are not widely known in either Jewish or secular circles.”

The 2015 World Values Network Form 990 expense sheet is full of unexplained outlays of money. For example: $700,485 for “public outreach advertising.” There’s $221,020 for “Other.” Total functional expenses: $2,242,887. Net assets at the end of 2015 were $921,443.

On the list of officers of the World Values Network, Boteach intentionally misidentifies himself as “Jacob Botach.” Jacob is Shmuley’s first name, apparently. ‘Boteach’ is spelled wrong on purpose. It’s not a mistake because the same name “Jacob Botach” turns up later in the report under Officers & Directors. Again, the deceptive listing of Shmuley as someone else is intentional. He’s listed on the 2014 Form 990 twice again as “Jacob Botach” with a salary of $273,077.

Where does the money come from? Boteach seems to be raising it through an annual gala. On Sunday, he’s using the Wiesel name to sell ducats. Tickets start at $500. Sponsor tables go for $100,000. Last year Boteach honored right wing Trump backer Sheldon Adelson as a lure. There have been other Adelson-related events as well. Boteach knows how to shmooze and suck up to the right people. Politics are irrelevant. Two years ago he used New Jersey senator Cory Booker as bait. Booker had been bamboozled by Boteach years earlier according to a report.

Boteach has also actually managed to get Sean Penn and Yoko One to his events. It’s unlikely either knows much about the World Values Network. But Sunday’s event– honoring Wiesel’s memory– may raise new questions. There is currently no one in charge of the Elie Wiesel Foundation. I’ve sent emails and left phone messages to the group’s controller, but so far no response.

Pop Charts: Harry Styles Can’t Catch a Break as Selena Gomez Drops New Single, Chris Cornell Kills Himself

Roger Friedman
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Pop Charts: Harry Styles Can’t Catch a Break as Selena Gomez Drops New Single, Chris Cornell Kills Himself

Harry Styles is trying soooo hard to get a couple of chart hits. But every time he gets close, something new gets in his way.

First, Selena Gomez dropped a surprise single that went straight to number 2 in like a minute. “Bad Liar” is a really good bluesy atypical 2017 record, too. When it was released this morning, “Bad Liar’ knocked Styles’ “Sign of the Times” down a few pegs.

Then, Chris Cornell of Soundgarden and Audioslave fame, killed himself over night. This is really tragic. He was a great musician and songwriter. I met him many times when he recorded music for movies. He seemed like a great guy. Cornell was 52 and had played an upbeat show hours earlier.

So now Cornell’s death has sent 9 of his singles and 9 of his albums right up the charts. Soundgarden’s “Superunknown” 20th anniversary edition is number 1. Cornell’s Audioslave album is number 3, and so on. Soundgarden’s 20 year old single “Black Hole Sun” is in the top 5.

And Harry just treads water. Tomorrow brings more new releases. Music is booming for the first time in a long time. But it’s not doing Harry Styles any favors!

Little Steven and the Disciples of Soul Get Their Love on the Wrong Side of Town (Listen)

Roger Friedman
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Little Steven and the Disciples of Soul Get Their Love on the Wrong Side of Town (Listen)

Friday (tomorrow) brings the first album by Little Steven and the Disciples of Soul in a generation. You know Steve van Zandt from the E Street Band. We also know him from his own solo career for furthering the career of Southside Johnny and the Asbury Jukes.

On “Soulfire,” the new album, the Disciples cover a couple of Southside songs written by van Zandt including “I Don’t Want to Go Home” and “Love on the Wrong Side of Town.” The latter was co-written with a guy named Bruce Springsteen. When Little Steven told me was making this new album, I asked if that song would be on it. “No,” he answered and shook his head. His beautiful and smart wife, Maureen, said, “It’s my favorite song. I don’t know why it’s not there.”

I agreed. “Love on the Wrong Side of Town” has long been a favorite of mine. It’s almost a “perfect” rock-pop-soul song. (I often wish Ronnie Spector had recorded it. Steven once recorded her on Billy Joel’s “Say Goodbye to Hollywood” with the E Street Band. It’s on my Desert Island Discs list.) I said, “Steven, I won’t write about the album unless you record that song.” I was kidding, of course.

A few months later, I was told the recording had been done. That I might have had a 5% influence makes me very happy. I love this song. And I love the album. As Southside Johnny sang on another favorite song, “This time it’s for real.”

Take it to the beach, the pool, the picnic. I will have “Soulfire” blaring from my car all summer. What a treat!

bonus live version

Jordan Peele and Keegan-Michael Key May Reunite for “Get Out” Director’s Next Movie

Leah Sydney
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Jordan Peele and Keegan-Michael Key May Reunite for “Get Out” Director’s Next Movie

Jordan Peele, a longtime pop culture comedy fixture with his Comedy Central co-star, the mega talented Keegan-Michael Key, is now a Hollywood darling as well, with his sleeper hit horror movie about racism in America,  “Get Out.”  The film cost just $4.5 million to make; it just passed $200 million in worldwide box office.  

Getting a head start for the upcoming awards campaign, Peele, producers Jason Blum (his red hot Blumhouse also just had a huge hit with “Split”),  Sean McKittrick along with Jeff Shell, chairman of Universal Filmed Entertainment, recently hosted an event to herald the forthcoming home release of the film on the Universal Studios backlot area, right on “Desperate Housewives” Wisteria Lane.  

Transformed to imitate the scary neighborhood of “Get Out,” the street included a gardener looking creepily at guests while at the next home one looked up and saw the movie’s maid eerily looking down.  The garage was converted to be the bedroom of Rose, Allison Williams’s character, along with Fruit Loops, milk, Twinkles and Yodels.  The now famed video of the spoon stirring the cup of tea was playing in the living room across the street aka, the creepy ‘Sunken Place.’  I asked native New Yorker Jordan how it feels to be the ‘it’  guy now.  

“I’m so glad Hollywood has responded to this invitation,” he answered.  “I can sort of feel what the movie is doing and there are interesting waves.  I love that it’s resonated with everybody, there is no type, race or gender that has embraced the movie, it’s been an equal thing.  That’s the goal for me as a filmmaker.” 

Would he do a sequel?  “ I’m only going to do it if I can make sure it’s better than the original.” What’s up next for him?  “I’m doing a horror film for Universal,” he said. (He just signed a two-year first look production deal with the studio.)  

Will his good buddy Keegan join him?  “I’m saying yes, I want him in everything I do, but it all depends if he can.”  Does he think Trump has seen the movie?  Peele quipped, “I bet you he has because he just consumes pop culture as opposed to doing his job.” He then couldn’t resist one more jab. ”Please Trump, stop golfing.” 

 

Roger Ailes is Dead at Age 77, Creator of Fox News, Media Mad Men, Loved and Hated

Roger Friedman
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Roger Ailes is Dead at Age 77, Creator of Fox News, Media Mad Men, Loved and Hated

Roger Ailes is dead at age 77. He was sick for a long time. Not long after he was ousted from Fox News in disgrace I saw him at lunchtime in Michael’s restaurant, the media “cafeteria.” I think it was his farewell public appearance. He and his wife had been given the best table, in the front corner. It was hard to believe that this little titan whom I’d worked for for over a decade looked so diminished. He was clearly not well.

Throughout the lunch no one else in the restaurant got up and spoke to him, not even Fox personality Jeanine Pirro– who he’d invented after she stopped being the Westchester prosecutor. It had to be explained to actor Michael Caine, who was at the next table, who Roger was. As the restaurant filled up, people came and went, and no one said a word. They just went about their business until finally the Aileses got up and left. It was if he was already a ghost.

There will be a lot written and said about Roger all day. Was he crazy? Yeah, like a fox. He hired me, and then a decade later he fired me without cause. We had ten good years and one really bad day. The ten good years were really good, though. We had a nice relationship. We met in his office on the 2nd floor quite a lot, sometimes just to gossip about Hollywood and people we knew. People we both liked: Warren Beatty, Liz Smith, Matt Drudge.

Roger really appreciated my Michael Jackson coverage, and was supportive of FoxNews.com. That was pretty prescient of him. He’d had hired a staff to create the network’s website and put resources into at a very early stage. I was hired as the online gossip columnist. After a year this enormous enterprise went bust, and a few us were drafted into Fox News. George W. Bush was president, and politically things were fairly calm. It was Roger who put me– a journalist with a face for radio, as they used to say– on television right away. The rest is history.

Is there bad stuff? Lots of it. But today we’ll just think of Roger Ailes as an evil genius. Before we really knew how had he was, he was pretty good.

Ivanka Trump’s Book “Women Who Work” A Sales Disaster Two Weeks After Release

Roger Friedman
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Ivanka Trump’s Book “Women Who Work” A Sales Disaster Two Weeks After Release

Ivanka Trump may still be selling cheap perfume and jewelry somewhere, but in the book world, she’s a bust.

Ivanka’s “Women Who Work” was released two weeks ago, on May 2nd. It’s now ranked at number 933 on amazon.com. The Kindle version is around 15,000. So few people have bought it the sales can’t be measured.

On Barnes & Noble’s website, “Women Who Work” is ranked at 6,157.

Penguin Publishing Group is basically taking a bath on the whole thing.

Women who actually work took great offense at the heiress’s guide to using daddy’s money. It’s ironic because if Ivanka had not gotten involved in her father’s possibly criminal political career she might have had a shot. In the pre-Trump presidential run years she was considered smart and successful. But she’s so turned off the thinking population that no one wants to hear what she’s got to say now. If her father is impeached– which now seems possible– it’s unclear what career she will have left.

Music News: Lost Melvin van Peebles-Earth Wind & Fire Album Finally Coming Back After 46 Years

Roger Friedman
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Music News: Lost Melvin van Peebles-Earth Wind & Fire Album Finally Coming Back After 46 Years

Melvin van Peebles’ “Sweet Sweetback’s Baadasssss Song” was a hit independent movie and the first of what was known as “blaxploitation” films back in 1971. It was a huge hit and established the multi-talented Melvin, a cult hero in film and music. His son, Mario van Peebles, may be even better known to you as an actor and director.

So wait– what happened to the “Sweet Sweetback” soundtrack, all music written by van Peebles and performed by a then unknown Earth, Wind, & Fire? This was two years before “Shining Star” put EWF on the map. The album isn’t on Spotify, and has been lost to the generations.

No more! Just got word from Stax/Concord that they’re finally issuing a proper LP and digital download on May 26th. I sure hope they put out a top grade CD as well. “Sweet Sweetback” ranks among the greatest R&B albums of all time. It needs to be heard again. (I’m listening right now to the press link, and kvelling.)

This reissue is part of the Stax Records’ 60th anniversary reissue series. There are new and beautifully repackaged, remastered albums by Otis Redding, Booker T & the MGs, Isaac Hayes, The Staple Singers, Carla Thomas, Rufus Thomas, Johnnie Taylor, Eddie Floyd, William Bell, Sam & Dave, The Dramatics — with more to come! Not one of these is to be missed if you want to know anything about real R&B, and historic music. Also, you can dance to it!

Get over to Amazon and get all this stuff now! Summer is here!

PS Melvin is turning 85 in August, he’s the youngest cat around, lives right here in New York. Congrats to him!

PopBack: Top 40 Radio Beaten by Golden Oldies as “Guardian of the Galaxy” 70s Mix Tapes Take Charts

Roger Friedman
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PopBack: Top 40 Radio Beaten by Golden Oldies as “Guardian of the Galaxy” 70s Mix Tapes Take Charts

There’s trouble right now in Top 40 land. The oldsters are beating the kids on the radio, and on the charts.

On the charts: “Guardians of the Galaxy, Vol. 2,” soundtrack from the massive hit movie, is Number 1 on iTunes. Kids– or someone, maybe their parents– are downloading all the 70s hits like David Bowie’s “Moonage Dream,” Looking Glass’s “Brandy,” and the ooga chocka version of “Hooked on a Feeling.”

“GOTG2″ has knocked popster Harry Styles’ debut album to number 4. In between them” “GOTG1,” the first volume of 70s sets from the original movie.

What’s worse: in New York, the number 1 radio market, Classic Oldies station WCBS FM is number 1. It’s beating Z100, the formidable Top 40 station, by a mile. In fact, Z100, aka WHTZ-FM, is having a tough time right now. Ratings are down, down, down. The April ratings were 5.3, down from 5.9 in March. In neighboring Long Island, where Z100 is a force, ratings fell from 6.1 to 5.0 last month. These are substantial drops in audience.

Where are the kids? The fear is that they’re leaving terrestrial radio for places like satellite– meaning Sirius XM– and streaming– Spotify. Pandora, AppleMusic, etc.

Last month, Z100’s parent, I Heart Media, announced — frighteningly– that it might not be around in a year. They’re carrying way too much debt, payments are due, and audiences are in decline. And this is from a company that really is great at promotion. The rebranding from Clear Channel to IHeart literally everything is everywhere. There are IHeart conventions, awards shows, concerts, the Jingle Balls at Christmas time. If anything Z100 should be booming.

Meanwhile, adults (old people like me) — unattractive to advertisers, they say, but I think that’s wrong since we have the money– are buying nostalgia. Witness all the TV reboots, things like “Roseanne” coming back to ABC. and Netflix reviving show after show.

And: the 50th anniversary reissue of The Beatles’ “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band”– priced at $117.99– is about to be released May 26th. Pre-orders have put it in the top 20 on Amazon for weeks. Just listen to it: how is it possible this was made in 1966? Everything today sounds inferior in every way.

Don’t discount oldies as Comfort Food for the ears, though. One theory I have: we are so freaked out by Trump and the chaos in Washington that singing along to old songs is an excellent way to calm down. Of course, in the actual 70s we were freaked out by Nixon. That’s why there was a huge 1950s early rock and roll revival during Vietnam and Watergate. “American Graffiti” kicked it off in 1972, and “Happy Days” followed soon after.

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