Jon Bon Jovi has already performed “Living on a Prayer” and “Here Comes the Sun.” Springsteen is next. The Obamas and Bill Clinton coming. Then they all go to North Carolina with Lady Gaga. Quite a night for Hillary Clinton. Donald Trump? Scott Baio and Ted Nugent are his celebs.
Bruce Springsteen, James Taylor to Join Sting for the Bi-ennial Rainforest Concert at Carnegie Hall
Baby, it’s cold outside! That’s the theme for Trudie Styler’s Rainforest Fund concert– just announced for December 14th at Carnegie Hall. Sting will headline, of course, with Bruce Springsteen, James Taylor and Chris Botti on the bill– plus many surprise guests.
You can read more about it at the Rainforest Foundation website. This is a not to be missed event. (It’s the only time I got to meet Nina Simone, which was amazing.)
Plus Sting’s new album will be freshly out (this Friday, November 11th) along with Bruce’s just released “Chapter and Verse.” Trudie Styler (AKA Mrs. Sting) always comes up a cool theme for the show, which means the superstars will be performing some things very special not on their usual repertoire for “Baby It’s Cold Outside.”
Since 1989, the Rainforest Foundation has expanded to 23 countries and raised millions for the indigenous peoples throughout Brazil and other countries including Belize, Cameroon, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Guyana, Honduras, Indonesia, Madagascar, Mexico, Nicaragua, Papua New Guinea, Peru, Suriname and Venezuela. And the money really goes to those people– it’s one of the best run of these types of charities.
For VIP tickets and dinner seats email rainforest@eventassociatesinc.com or go to Carnegie Charge or call 212-247-7800.
James Corden Stings as Host of Hollywood Film Awards: “A lot like the Trump campaign, except they really are rigged”
Trump bashing and more saucy clever quipping took place tonight at the lively Hollywood Film Awards at the Beverly Hilton. James Corden ‘killed it,’ as the host in his opening monologue. “This could be last awards ceremony before the apocalypse. Come Wednesday morning we could all be watching a real-life version of the “The Purge.”
Corden, the British Tony Award winner who’s become an unlikely overnight star in the U.S. thanks to his late night talk show and “Carpool Karoake,” was a stinging host for this untelevised night of Hollywood back-patting at the Beverly Hilton Ballroom. Big stars showed up so movies– some of which haven’t been released or seen by anyone — could get awards for existing at all.
“This year they brought back “Star Wars,” with a female lead, they rebooted “Ghostbusters” with a female lead and I pray to God they reboot the Clinton presidency with a female lead,” he said in his opening remarks. Corden also managed to poke a bit of fun at the HFA. “The Hollywood Film Awards sounds like something Michael Bay gives to himself on Christmas morning to feel less alone.” He went on: “ The HFAs sound like a urinary tract infection.”
Corden also got political which was a theme woven into the night. “The HFA are a lot like the Trump campaign, except these awards really are rigged. Susan Sarandon is here. She recently endorsed Jill Stein for President. That’s it. That’s the joke.” He then wiggled in, “If you haven’t won an award and you’re here, fire your publicist.”
And then the handing out of awards began. Robert DeNiro, honored with the comedy award, put on his forceful “Taxi Driver” Travis Bickle face by saying, “I know we’re here to celebrate movies in Hollywood. But it’s two days before a frightening election and the shadow of politics is hanging over us whether we like it or not, it’s hard for me to think of anything else. So let me just lay it out right here. We have the opportunity to prevent a comedy from turning into a tragedy. Vote for Hillary Tuesday.”
Leonardo DiCaprio and Fisher Stevens were then honored for their documentary, “Before The Flood.” Leo said, “Let’s use all our power as citizens to do the right thing, please vote. Vote for people who believe in climate change.” To which the crowd then rapturously applauded. Corden then came on and asked any Trump supporters to raise their hands. One woman on the side stood up and started idiotically dancing, to which Corden snapped, “Shut the fuck up. You look like someone who’d be voting for Donald Trump.”
Andie McDowell presented the Supporting Actor Award to her former “Four Weddings and a Funeral” co-star Hugh Grant. Hugh quipped, “I’m just depressed to see how well preserved Andie is. You are still a Georgia peach, and me, according to Twitter anyway, I’m a scrotum.” He went on to thank everyone, included Dick Clark Productions and ended, “Well I just love dick.”
Clint Eastwood, notoriously a director of few words and probably the only other Republican in the room, gave the Actor Award to Tom Hanks for his work in Clint’s “Sully.” When Tom came on stage, Clint instructed him where to stand and told Tom what side he would be on. Tom commented, “that’s the most Clint has ever talked to an actor in his whole career.”
Eddie Murphy, a well-known New Jersey native received the last award of the night, the Career Achievement award. He cracked the audience up by saying, “Let me start at the beginning. I was born on a plantation in the south, picking cotton, staring up at my grand pappy and telling him I wanted to be in the movies.”
Also in the mix, Sir Ben Kingsley presented Jon Favreau with the Blockbuster Award, Julianne Moore gave Tom Ford his Breakthrough Director award, Casey Affleck Other winners included Nicole Kidman, Mel Gibson, Natalie Portman, Hugh Grant, Naomie Harris, Lily Collins, (Warren Beatty presented to her) and sionger Janelle Monae, who’s made a big splash this season in “Moonlight” and the upcoming “Hidden Figures.” Justin Timberlake won an award for his song, “Can’t Stop The Feeling” and a movie called “Gold” with Matthew McConaughey– which no one has seen– was given a prize.
Carlos de Abreu, who founded the HFA two decades ago to promote his Hollywood film festival, sold the show to Dick Clark Productions a couple of years ago. Now DCP has been sold to the Chinese. The HFA’s are like a pre-Oscars in that they celebrate the movies that will likely get the big awards later. They’re also a fun way to kick off awards season just to promote Hollywood. I asked Carlos how he felt at the end of the night. “A great way to celebrate our 20th Anniversary,” he said. Agreed: The A list came out in droves; the show was well paced and truly entertaining. Well done Carlos and HFAs (not a urinary tract infection, as it turns out).
“Hollywood Career Achievement Award”
Eddie Murphy, presented by Jeffrey Katzenberg
“Hollywood Actor Award”
Tom Hanks for Sully, presented by Clint Eastwood
“Hollywood Supporting Actor Award”
Hugh Grant for Florence Foster Jenkins, presented by Andie MacDowell
“Hollywood Actress Award”
Natalie Portman for Jackie, presented by Susan Sarandon
“Hollywood Supporting Actress Award”
Nicole Kidman for Lion, presented by Dev Patel
“Hollywood Comedy Award”
Robert De Niro for The Comedian, presented by Leslie Mann
“Hollywood Breakout Actress Award”
Naomie Harris for Moonlight, presented by Lenny Kravitz
“New Hollywood Award”
Lily Collins for Rules Don’t Apply, presented by Warren Beatty
“Hollywood Spotlight Award”
Janelle Monáe for Hidden Figures, presented by Mahershala Ali
“Hollywood Documentary Award”
Fisher Stevens and Leonardo DiCaprio for Before the Flood,
presented by Jonah Hill
“Hollywood Ensemble Award”
Gold cast including Matthew McConaughey, Bryce Dallas Howard, Edgar Ramirez and Stacy Keach, presented by Kate Hudson
“Hollywood Song Award”
Justin Timberlake for “CAN’T STOP THE FEELING!” from Trolls,
presented by Anna Kendrick
“Hollywood Blockbuster Award”
The Jungle Book (accepted by Jon Favreau), presented by Sir Ben Kingsley
“Hollywood Director Award”
Mel Gibson for Hacksaw Ridge, presented by Andrew Garfield and Vince Vaughn
“Hollywood Breakthrough Director Award”
Tom Ford for Nocturnal Animals, presented by Julianne Moore
“Hollywood Producer Award”
Marc Platt for La La Land, Billy Lynn’s Long Halftime Walk, and The Girl on the Train, presented by Aaron Eckhart
“Hollywood Screenwriter Award”
Kenneth Lonergan for Manchester By The Sea, presented by Casey Affleck
“Hollywood Animation Award”
Byron Howard and Rich Moore for Zootopia
“Hollywood Cinematography Award”
Linus Sandgren for La La Land
“Hollywood Film Composer Award”
Mychael Danna for Billy Lynn’s Long Halftime Walk
“Hollywood Editor Award”
John Gilbert for Hacksaw Ridge
“Hollywood Visual Effects Award”
Stephane Ceretti and Richard Bluff for Dr. Strange
“Hollywood Sound Award”
Christopher Boyes and Frank Eulner for The Jungle Book
“Hollywood Costume Design Award”
Albert Wolsky for Rules Don’t Apply
“Hollywood Make Up & Hair Styling Award”
Shane Thomas, Angela Conte, Bec Taylor and Noriko Waztanabe
for Hacksaw Ridge
“Hollywood Production Design Award”
Wynn Thomas for Hidden Figures
Springsteen and Bon Jovi Performing on Same Stage for Hillary Clinton: Now You Know This Is Serious
Monday night, Bruce Springsteen and Jon Bon Jovi will perform on the same stage for Hillary Clinton. The site is Philadelphia, adjacent to their home state of New Jersey. I hesitate to say they will perform together. But just their existence in the same place together is serious business.
If I were from Pennsylvania, I’d be pretty impressed. I mean, now you have to vote for Hillary.
The two singers are rarely seen together for any reason. Each one commands a huge following in New Jersey and its environs. But which is bigger? Who is the King and who is the Prince? The crowns rest uneasy.
Bruce is the King, simply from seniority. He arrived on the national stage in 1973. Bon Jovi came a decade later. And there’s a decade between them.
But still, it’s always been a little tricky. The last time I can remember them coming together was for Christmas concerts in Asbury Park in 2003. They were raising money for the town, and for the local sports teams. Sam Moore and Garland Jeffreys were among their guests.
Monday night’s show is at Independence Hall. Congrats to the lucky ones who get to see history made– not just a first women elected president, but Bruce and Jon together!
Benedict Cumberbatch Bombs on “SNL” But Scores HUGE $84 Mil Opening Weekend with “Doctor Strange”
Thank goodness the weekend box office for “Doctor Strange” didn’t rest on Benedict Cumberbatch’s appearance on “Saturday Night Live.” The show was uniformly awful from start to finish. Cumberbatch, one of the great young actors around, was given terrible material that just didn’t suit him. Perhaps sensing it was a bad show, Lorne Michaels brought in veteran alums Bill Murray and Dana Carvey to prop things up.
Cumberbatch can take pride, though, in knowing he scored a huge opening weekend with “Doctor Strange.” The three day box office was almost $85 million, way ahead of expectations. Disney/Marvel continues their rule over market share this year. Moviegoers just love the world Marvel comics.
Fox didn’t do badly either. “Trolls” brought in $45.6 million. That brings the animated feature with songs by Justin Timberlake to $150 million internationally. And that’s just the beginning.
Meanwhile, Mel Gibson scored $14 million for “Hacksaw Ridge,” with good reviews (but not as great as hoped). Described as “violent” and “gory,” “Hacksaw” suffers from its director’s stand on the Holocaust, anti-Semitism, women, and so on. If you don’t mind that his father is a Holocaust denier and that Mel has never denied his father, give him $10 bucks. Me, I can wait until it’s on airplane.
Darren Criss, John Cameron Mitchell Update “Hedwig” for L.A., Adding “The guy with the Tic Tacs”
HOLLYWOOD– Please leave me alone! Hedwig implored Donald Trump at the opening night at the recent premiere of “Hedwig and the Angry Inch,” at the Pantages in Hollywood. “The guy with the Tic Tacs is stalking me on Grindr (a popular gay dating app) and wanting to grope me. Please leave me alone!”
As an avid fan since the show opened up at Jane Street in New York years ago, I’ve been looped into the Tony award winning “Hedwig and the Angry Inch” — which premiered on Broadway in 2014. John Cameron Mitchell’s brilliant book, along with Stephen Trask’s rock score, created a show that has been a lasting cult hit, cultivating Hed-heads around the world.
Hedwig, an East German rock singer– perhaps a man or a woman gender fluid sensitive soul — who endured a botched sex change operation, is played by the truly brilliant Darren Criss of “Glee” fame. Criss has experience with the role, he stepped in for Neil Patrick Harris on Broadway. Criss captures the soulful pain and the intimate crises that befall the long suffering Hedwig. The show is site specific, with Hedwig telling the audience that the Pantages is available, at the request of producer Bobby Nederlander, because of the sudden closing of “Hurt Locker: The Musical.” (I have to admit I picked up my “Hurt Locker” playbill before the show started and I was baffled, but a trashed car and bloodstains on the stage were obvious clues.)
Criss added to the Trump banter with, “If I wanted to see a mess in an L.A. theater, I could just see L.A. Theater.”
He also chided one of this band members with a reference to his “Glee” co star, “Lea Michele could do it better.”
Mitchell played the role for years, then when the show hit Broadway, Neil Patrick Harris stepped into Hedwig’s high heels. Criss played the role on Broadway as well and is starting the North American tour. Luckily, Lena Hall, who plays her husband Yitzhak (she won a Tony for the role) reprises her role here and will play the role of Hedwig occasionally as well. Michael Mayer does a masterful job of directing.
Criss is simply fantastic is the role, conveying soulful pain as well as pitch perfect comic timing. “I lost an uncle at Auschwitz, granted he fell out of a guard tower.” When the audience groaned Criss quipped back, “Too soon?” Criss is irresistible; his performance will be an enduring Hedwig. The tale is fraught with drama, Hedwig’s bi-polar behavior, her scandalous background with the now famous rock star Tommy Gnosis, while her career is on life support. The story, the concept of “Hedwig” has ironically turned into a musical for the ages. Exciting, clever, loud, poignant, theater perfection. Don’t miss it. The show runs till November 27th at the Pantages in Hollywood, then tours after that.
Lady Gaga Explains Donald Trump on Japanese TV: “The truth is we celebrities know he’s an actor, and this is an act…he’s essentially a political imposter”
Lady Gaga had to explain the US election and Donald Trump to Japanese TV interviewers this week. I think she did a good job. She said: “The truth is we celebrities know he’s an actor, and this is an act…he’s essentially a political imposter.”
She also said she had this insight because she’s a celebrity, and celebrities know this because they’re insiders. I’ll chalk that part of it up to severe jet lag.
Gaga’s “Joanne” album is number 1 in Japan, and they’re going gaga for her, basically.
Lady Gaga speaks the cold, hard truth about Donald Trump. #EMABiggestFansLadyGaga pic.twitter.com/Lei9IOg7YU
— PerfectWarrior (@SurvivorHealer) November 6, 2016
Watch this lovely performance of the lead track from “Joanne:”
VIDEO: Lady Gaga performs the title track of her new album #JOANNE on News Zero Japan!#EMABiggestFansLadyGaga pic.twitter.com/dSecWHDzkV
— JengKay | Lady Gaga (@OngJengKay) November 4, 2016
Exclusive: Donald Trump Ex-Playboy Playmate Girlfriend Bought Herself a “Present” in August: a $65K Mercedes
The Wall Street Journal says fitness model Karen McDougal had an affair with Donald Trump in 2006, then sold her story to the National Enquirer this past August. The Enquirer says they paid McDougal $150,000 for photos and other materials but not for the Trump story.
Whatever happened, it’s clear McDougal got the money. She Tweeted on August 20th that she bought herself a new Mercedes. It looks like Karen got herself an AMG 63, starting price $65,200. So however she got the money, she bought herself a nice set of wheels: “I bought myself a present today (traded other car in)! 😀. I’m a sucker for white cars/light seats! #car #HAPPYGIRL”
I bought myself a present today (traded other car in)! 😀. I'm a sucker for white cars/light seats! #car #HAPPYGIRL pic.twitter.com/JnLpGYsMMv
— Karen McDougal (@karenmcdougal98) August 20, 2016
Daytime Drama: CBS, Michael Muhney Drop Hints About Actor’s Return to “Young and Restless”
One of the strangest real life chapters from CBS’s “Young and the Restless” may be taking a new twist.
Both CBS and actor Michael Muhney have each dropped major hints that the controversial may be returning to the soap after a two year absence.
Muhney was the popular portrayer of bad guy Adam Newman until there some kind of blow-out on the set of “Y&R.” Muhney was abruptly dismissed. CBS leaked a rumor to TMZ that Muhney had been complained about regarding a possible groping incident involving a young actress on the show. No one commented officially, but Muhney left and was replaced by Justin Hartley. No charges were filed, and life went on.
But Hartley left the show a few weeks ago to join NBC’s prime time hit “This Is Us.” The character of Adam was blown up in a house explosion. But on soaps, unless the actor actually perishes in real life, characters can always be revived.
But now the first and most intriguing clue: Two days ago, CBS Soaps in Depth, the network’s house organ, ran a feature on Muhney returning to his home town to see the Chicago Cubs in the World Series. The title of the article is “The Young and the Restless’s Michael Muhney Shares His Trip to Chicago…”
The magazine presumably would not be running such an article unless CBS was okay with it. They wouldn’t be featuring an actor with whom they had legal disagreements. Also Muhney’s show status is referred to in the present tense. Another clue: Muhney hasn’t been mentioned at all in the CBS soap mag since August 2014– when he left the show– until a few months ago. In recent weeks, his name has started turning up regularly.
Then, of course, Muhney has also just Tweeted: “If you believe in something wonderful, cheer for it long enough, put out good vibes, if you have patience…it can really happen. #Heaven”. He could mean the Cubs winning the World Series, but you decide.
Muhney’s return to the show may also coincide with the departure of actress Hunter King, whom CBS has promoted to the prime time show “Life in Pieces.” King was recently dropped from her contract status on “Y&R” from regular to recurring.
So is Muhney on his way back? It does seem like it. The fans will love it. Maybe time has healed whatever wounds there were. Or maybe just the ouster of much loathed former executive producer Jill Farren Phelps has also paved the way. In what remains of the soap opera world, this is big, big stuff. I almost never write about that world because it is so damn weird. The actors never speak to press because they’re afraid of being blacklisted. And soaps are considered an alternative universe anyway in show biz. It’s best to go watch the hilarious movie “Soapdish” to understand it all!
“Doctor Strange” Set for $80Mil-Plus Weekend, Already Has $132Mil Foreign, Will Obliterate “Hacksaw”
The box office is in for a depth charge this weekend. “Doctor Strange” picked up $9.4 million on Thursday night and is headed to an $80 mil plus weekend.
Benedict Cumberbatch is about to become YUGE, as Donald Trump might say. “Doctor Strange” looks like it will be the biggest opening for Marvel introducing a new character to movies, maybe ever.
And the reviews bear it out. “Doctor Strange” is up around 90% on Rotten Tomatoes. Internationally, “Doctor Strange” already has $130 million in the bank. That huge $165 million budget will be met. Sighs of relief everywhere.
That’s doesn’t spell good news for Mel Gibson’s “Hacksaw Ridge.” Marvel is going to pulverize the violent, bloody, war film that wound up getting a middling review in the New York Times.
On the precipice this weekend is Tom Cruise in “Jack Reacher: Never Go Back.” Apparently no one’s going back, and the movie has only made $43 million in the US. Half of that goes to Cruise, and other half goes to theaters. So hmmm…that’s a problem.