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“Motown: The Musical” returned last night to the famed Pantages Theater in Hollywood, after two long runs on Broadway and a national tour.
This new streamlined version of “Motown” features more than 40 classic hits from the record label’s glory days, and tells their story through founder Berry Gordy’s eyes. The show is over-the-top-fun, energetic, exuberant singing and dancing.
The Motown royalty came out in force last night. Sitting in front of me was the indefatigable Motown founder (and a producer on the show) Berry Gordy with his cohort Smokey Robinson, and Gordy’s one time assistant turned noted Producer Suzanne de Passe (she curated the Jackson 5.)
When I asked Smokey how many times he’s seen the show, he quipped, “I’ve lost count,” to which Berry laughed and agreed. “Not sure how many times. But I discover something new every time I see it.”
Smokey and Berry did crack up many times throughout and the packed house was as entranced by the show as they were. Special kudos to Chester Gregory as Gordy and the luminescent Allison Semmes as Diana Ross. The show runs through Feb 12th, and will tour after that. Everyone will love this show, guaranteed.
FRIDAY MORNING “I Do” has jumped up to number 8 iTunes. The single, which has no real hook or repetition of the title, and not much of a bridge, debuted on iTunes at 110. But now it’s getting some traction. James Packer will have to add it to his playlist. Stay tuned…
EARLIER Mariah Carey is rapidly turning into Taylor Swift. Her songs are all about her breakups! Last year, Mariah warbled about ex husband Nick Cannon in “Infinity.” Now she’s taking more than a few swipes at ex fiancee billionaire James Packer in “I Don’t.” It’s I don’t as in not- I do. She’s cast 26 year old rapper YG as Packer in the song. (If you don’t know YG aka Keenan Jackson, he’s already had the requisite number of shooting incidents to set him on the way as a genuine rapper.) The song was written by Kyle West and Donnell Jones, with input from Carey and YG. It drops tonight. Will it be a hit? I hope so, but I’d sure like the hear an album of Mariah singing some classic songs a la “Without You” and “I’ll Be There.” She has never let her voice operate as a real musical instrument on record.
I Don’t
Mariah Carey
Featuring YG
Produced By Bryan-Michael Cox & Jermaine Dupri
[Intro]
Ladies & Gentlemen!
[Hook: YG]
I know you love me
You just don’t trust me
You don’t understand me
But you love it when I call you Ms. Carey
I know you love me
You just don’t trust me
You need to understand me
But you love it when I call you Ms. Carey, yeah
[Verse 1: Mariah Carey]
Somewhere in another life
We stole a moment in time
Gave you everything that you needed
I was even down to repeat it
Said you would always be mine
Feeding me nothing but lies
I was so gone, I admit it
Happy messed up for a minute
[Pre-Chorus: Mariah Carey]
But I’m tired of cryin’, no more tears
Pity party of the year
Cold at night cause you’re not here
Leaving you was my worst fear
I was caught up, I was… blind
You kept playin’ with my… mind
Told you I’m finished, gassed up the whip and…
Rear view, bye
[Chorus: Mariah Carey]
‘Cause when you love someone
You just don’t treat them bad
You messed up all we had
Probably think I’m coming back
But I don’t, I don’t
‘Cause boy I was buggin’
Thinkin’ somehow I could trust you
See, I used to love you
But I don’t, I don’t
‘Cause boy I was buggin’
Thinkin’ somehow I could trust you
But you don’t mean nothing
‘Cause I don’t, I don’t
[Verse 2]
I tried to make it work
No matter how much it hurt
You had to make it all about you
Tell me why you go and do me like you do?
I went from me and you
To walking right out on you
I know you want love, in your feelings
Frontin’ on me like your love was the realest
[Pre-Chorus: Mariah Carey]
And I’m tired of cryin’, no more tears
Pity party of the year
Cold at night cause you’re not here
Leaving you was my worst fear
I was caught up, I was… blind
You kept playin’ with my… mind
Told you I’m finished, gassed up the whip and…
Rear view, bye
[Chorus: Mariah Carey]
‘Cause when you love someone
You just don’t treat them bad
You messed up all we had
Probably think I’m coming back
But I don’t, I don’t
‘Cause boy I was buggin’
Thinkin’ somehow I could trust you
See, I used to love you
But I don’t, I don’t
‘Cause boy I was buggin’
Thinkin’ somehow I could trust you
But you don’t mean nothing
‘Cause I don’t, I don’t
[Hook: YG]
I know you love me
You just don’t trust me
You don’t understand me
But you love it when I call you Ms. Carey
I know you love me
You just don’t trust me
You need to understand me
But you love it when I call you Ms. Carey, yeah
[Verse 3: YG]
Hold up, hold up, hold up, hold up
Hold up, I just got you ring, for what?
I put you in the game, now it’s game over
Every time you went to the Louis store you got chauffeured
Hold up, how you gon’ leave that?
Hold up, give me my ring back
Never mind, you can keep that
‘Cause every time you look at your ring, me, you gon’ dream that
[Hook: YG]
I know you love me
You just don’t trust me
You don’t understand me
But you love it when I call you Ms. Carey
I know you love me
You just don’t trust me
You need to understand me
But you love it when I call you Ms. Carey, yeah
[Chorus: Mariah Carey]
‘Cause when you love someone
You just don’t treat them bad
You messed up all we had
Probably think I’m coming back
But I don’t, I don’t
‘Cause boy I was buggin’
Thinkin’ somehow I could trust you
See, I used to love you
But I don’t, I don’t
‘Cause boy I was buggin’
Thinkin’ somehow I could trust you
But you don’t mean nothing
‘Cause I don’t, I don’t
Bruce Springsteen played Melbourne, Australia last night– great timing for the Boss Down Under. Springsteen, an appropriately outraged Trump critic, mocked Trump for having a phone fight with the Aussie PM. The Boss sang “Don’t Hang Up,” a 60s hit, after saying: We come to you, embarrassed Americans tonight.”
Here’s the Orlons original from 1962
Credits:
Written by Dave Appell & Kal Mann
Executive producer: Bernie Lowe
Lead vocals: Rossetta Hightower
Backing vocals: Marlena Davis & Shirley Brickley
Support vocals: Steve Caldwell
**if anyone knows who played that amazing horn email me showbiz411@gmail.com
So now maybe we know the secret of Donald Trump’s locks that look like lox: he takes Propecia for hair loss.
So says his long time doctor Harold Bornstein, who probably said too much to the New York Times. Bornstein, whom I knew very well in the 1980s and 90s, told the Times the reason Trump’s PSA levels in his prostate are so low is because he takes Finasteride. Bornstein also says he’s unhappy because people are laughing at him, and throwing things at his windows. Oh, Harold, good lord.
I know two people who take Propecia, or Finasteride. One takes it for hair loss has done pretty well. The other takes it for prostate issues and is fairly bald. So, who knows? (I gave up a long time ago on hair loss.)
In other news: the Washington Post reports that Trump got into a fight with and hung up on the Prime Minister of Australia, one of our oldest and closest allies, over a “dumb deal” concerning refugees. He also offered to the Mexican president to send troops into his country to “stop the bad hombres.”
And the Daily Mail is reporting that Trump’s pick for Supreme Court Justice, Neil Gorsuch, had a club in his prep school called Fascism Forever.
I’m sure there’s more, there’s something almost every hour that’s totally frightening and bizarre. Like The Nation has a scoop about a leaked draft of Trump’s religious agenda that could set us back several thousand years.
Meanwhile, back to the Washington Post: they sent a reporter to West Virginia to talk to Trump supporters. I don’t want to make fun of them, but either they’re illiterate or willfully stupid. Can they read? Can they listen? Do they not understand what’s going on? It’s like they’ve been hypnotized into stupidity. Wake up, West Virginia! I know you can do better than this.
The Today Show has a lot of traditions after 60 years on the air. But one of their more recent customs is pushing out popular hosts and anchors to make way for untried personalities.
And so Tamron Hall, who was so popular on NBC and MSNBC, is gone. Adios, Tamron. She had her own show on MSNBC, did reports and news on the main Today show, and anchored the 9am hour with Al Roker since the Billy Bush incident.
Everyone loved Tamron, she was refreshing and smart and plugged in. She’s also black, which added to the Today show’s monochromatic look.
But along came Megyn Kelly, conservative reporter from Fox News who clashed with Donald Trump and Roger Ailes and left that network for greener pastures. Seems Megyn’s gain is Tamron’s loss. Hall’s contract was ending, and she felt she was owed more than being pushed back into the main Today show.
NBC has a habit of doing this. Ann Curry was ripped from her chair for Savannah Guthrie. Jane Pauley was pushed out to make way for Deborah Norville, who later got tossed aside as well.
Also, wait, Natalie Morales is gone, too. So much for the Today family!
Will Megyn Kelly ultimately take Savannah Guthrie’s spot next to Matt Lauer? I sure hope not. She’s way too abrasive. Megyn should do a Donahue -like live news show at 9 or 10am with an audience. I do not want to see her doing the soft Today bits like fashion, cooking and health. Savannah has really settled into her spot. And if she left for some reason,the audience would want to see Hoda Kotb in that chair. She’s been doing a fine job.
The folks at Page Six think Andy Lack is trying to make NBC into Fox News. Let’s hope they’re wrong. But Tamron out, Megyn in, is not an encouraging sign.
This is who will work with Mel Gibson now that “Hollywood has forgiven him.”
Gibson has signed to make “Dragged Across Concrete,” an independently financed D movie written and directed by Craig Zahler. He’s the Oscar winning director 0f– no, whoops! —
Zahler is the directed of “Bone Tomahawk.” You may recall “Bone Tomahawk.” Can’t remember?That’s because it made $481,525 at the box office, but it was a DVD hit with over $3.3 million in sales.
Zahler just wrapped “Brawl in Cellblock 99” with Don Johnson, star of the 1980s show “Miami Vice.” That Craig Zahler. He’s currently prepping “Puppet Master: The Littlest Reich.” That movie is described on the IMDB thusly:
follows a recently divorced young man who discovers a mint condition Blade doll in his deceased brother’s closet and plans to sell the toy at a convention in Oregon celebrating the 30th anniversary of the infamous Toulon Murders. All hell breaks loose during the auction when a strange force animates all of the puppets throughout the convention, setting them on a bloody killing spree.
Vaughn co-starred in Gibson’s “Hacksaw Ridge.”
Will the new movie be violent? I was going to put up a clip from the end of “Bone Tomahawk.” But it was too disgusting. If you want to, you can find it.
Beyonce has just announced on Instagram that she and Jay Z are expecting twins. Blue Ivy is going to get a pair of siblings. How lovely! The singer is probably in her fourth month, so look for the babies to “drop” in early summer. This is almost better than a new album! No, it is, just kidding. Congrats to the happy family! Maybe one can be called Tidal, and the other Lemonade!
A very odd and kind of alarming item from TMZ migrated to Page Six last night: Justin Bieber, Kanye West, and Drake are not attending the Grammy Awards.
Drake, nominated for Album of the Year, has a good excuse: he’s on tour.
But Bieber and Kanye are cited saying they don’t think the Grammys are important, or representative of “the best in new music.” The TMZ piece says “it’s not like it’s the Oscars.”
Oh, but it is, Justin. This is the top award in commercial music. And the irony is that for the first time, Bieber received an Album of the Year nomination. Before this, no one took him seriously. After this, no one will take him seriously.
Bieber’s album of bird calls, “Purpose,” was lucky to land a spot. But this is the Bieber we’ve known since he was a pre-teen: obnoxious, self-involved, uneducated.
Kanye is a different story. Better that he doesn’t come to the show. If Beyonce doesn’t win, he’ll bounce up on the stage and declare her the winner anyway. No one needs that.
The Grammy Awards have never been perfect. I think I’ve been complaining about them for 20 years. But in the end, they are what they are, they do showcase a wide variety of music. There were some misses this year, particularly in Best New Artist. And Sturgill Simpson? He was rescued from obscurity, that’s for sure. Most people had never heard his name when he was announced an Album of the Year nominee.
The TMZ piece makes a case for Frank Ocean’s “Blond” album. I’m sorry, but that album came and went because it was not good. It had no songs. It was like a notebook of doodles. Also, Ocean pulled a fast one on his record company by giving them something else to fulfill his contract, then self-released “Blond.” You’re not going to make friends that way.
As for Kanye, his “Life of Pablo” was a mess. He released it, kind of, then re-released it. Was it ever available as a physical product? Kanye continues to want to be part of the business, then snaps at it publicly.
Album of the Year is probably a dogfight between Adele and Beyonce. But Justin Bieber, who has no respect for anyone, should be happy to be in the race. I’ll bet Sturgill Simpson is. And something tells me Drake is, too.
So far the Grammy show has a ton of great performers, and lots of interesting matchups. Those will be remembered in the end, not the absentees.
Melania Trump has been silent since Inauguration Day. Her one and only Tweet on @FLOTUS was on January 21st. It was a generic “I am deeply honored to serve this wonderful country as First Lady!”
Otherwise, crickets.
Likewise, nothing on her Twitter feed @MelaniaTrump.
US Weekly is reporting that Melania may not move to Washington at all when the school year is out. Previously it was said by the Trumps that she and son Barron, 10, would come to DC at that point. Now, not so much.
What does Melania do all day? Her jewelry line at QVC was dissolved because the stuff she sold was made in China, etc and not in the US. She was going to wage a war on cyber bullying, but there was no sign of her yesterday when Donald didn’t autograph the Executive Order on cyber warfare. Indeed, it’s unclear if she even went to DC for the first weekend after the Inauguration.
Will she be the First Lady? Will she speak again? Reports are that “she’s hiring a team.” Well, the election was on November 8th. That was a long time ago. So far, she’s managed only to be on the cover of Vanity Fair Mexico, dripping in diamonds.
Such nice news: Pedro Almodovar will head up the 70th anniversary Cannes Film Festival jury.
Almodovar says in a statement: “I am very happy to be able to celebrate Cannes Film Festival 70th anniversary from such a privileged position. I am grateful, honoured and a bit overwhelmed. I am aware of the responsibility that entails being the president of the jury and I hope to be up to the job. I can only tell that I’ll devote myself, body and soul, to this task, that it is both a privilege and a pleasure.”
With Pedro running the show, it will be interesting to see who they get to join him on the jury. Almodovar has had a lot of his movies at Cannes, and he’s a festival favorite. From “Woman on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown” to “Volver” and his recent “Julieta,” the director has an immense and winning list of films. Cannes’ 70th is already shaping up as something special!
In other news: the Washington Post reports that Trump got into a fight with and hung up on the Prime Minister of Australia, one of our oldest and closest allies, over a “dumb deal” concerning refugees. He also offered to the Mexican president to send troops into his country to “stop the bad hombres.”
