I’M A GET A SCHOLARSHIP IN HAM’S NAME
I PROBLY SHOULDNT BRAG BUT DAG WES IS CHANGIN THE GAME
(OVERWHELMED by this) https://t.co/o1WtHG4asm— Lin-Manuel Miranda (@Lin_Manuel) June 15, 2016
One thing I didn’t mention from Sunday’s Tony Awards: usually the big expected winner of the night walks the red carpet last at awards shows. But Miranda– and his Hamiltonians– came early and made sure to see everyone who wanted to see them. It was very refreshing.
Michael Jackson’s son, Prince, is becoming an entrepreneur.
He’s started a real video company called King’s Son Productions, registered as a limited liability corporation this past March
in California.
And Prince has signed his first act, gorgeous matching sisters called the Sco Triplets.
Prince named his company after his father, the King of Pop, hence King’s Son. He’s attending Loyola Marymount College and is obviously planning a future in entertainment business.
I think he’ll do just fine even though he’s also putting out a video by Michael Jackson hanger-on Omer Bhatti. Twenty years ago, Michael plucked found this Norwegian kid doing Jacko imitations in Tunisia. (Omer is Norwegian.) Michael kept the kid, and hired his parents as a nanny and gofer at Neverland. Since Michael died, Omer has latched himself onto the Jacksons as an older “sibling.”
Meantime, sister Paris has signed to appear in a magic special this fall with Las Vegas star Criss Angel.
LOL. A press release sent the trades into a tizzy today.
HBO announced Larry David would return for a 9th season of “Curb Your Enthusiasm.” That’s it. That’s all the news.
When will this happen? How many episodes? Who’s in it?
Answers: nada. Pretty pretty much nothing. Except this one quote which the trades are dining on like caviar for starved piranha: “In the immortal words of Julius Caesar, ‘I left, I did nothing, I returned.’”
But it’s a good get for new HBO chief Casey Bloys because Larry has not committed to anything in a long time. He’s spent the last few months playing Bernie Sanders on “Saturday Night Live.” He had a Broadway show called “Fish in the Dark.” He’s just had fun being Larry David.
Presumably Jeff Garlin will return. And you know Larry loves J.B. Smoove. Richard Lewis would be missed. Maybe Cheryl Hines could come back for a couple of episodes.
But something tells me Season 9 is farther away than this announcement says. When I asked Larry about a new “Curb” at the opening of “Waitress” back on April 24th, he seemed unenthusiastic and non committal. So applause to Bloys for getting even an announcement. It’s pretty pretty pretty good news.
The Tony Awards almost had no red carpet this year.
Because of the tragedy in Orlando, there was a discussion to yank the red carpet completely on Sunday just hours before celebrities were due to pull up at 5pm.
I confirmed this with William Ivey Long, Tony award winning costume designer and outgoing chief of the American Theater Wing, which puts on the Tonys.
A discussion went on for some time before Long came up with a solution: thinking on his feet (and in his tuxedo) he quickly sketched out a shiny, glowing silver ribbon to be given to everyone who set foot on the carpet. Long dispatched assistants to find the right ribbon, then hand cut 1,000 of them. Assistants stuck in pins and viola! the Tonys were observant that the tragedy had occurred.
That, plus James Corden’s opening, put the Tonys in a good spot for the rest of the evening. And far from some of the crazy awards show we see from the west coast that are just product or network plugs, the Tonys came off classy and elegant, as well as exciting.
Dana Giacchetto is dead. The unrepentant Hollywood fraudster was 53. He was found by his roommate on the Upper West Side on Sunday, after a wild night of partying.
I wrote the original piece about Giacchetto in the New York Observer in 1999, unmasking him as a liar, a fantasist, and a criminal. Some of the crimes he committed came after a Vanity Fair article in which he was portrayed as Leonardo Di Caprio and John F. Kennedy Jr.’s best friend and Mike Ovitz’s “life advisor.” In fact, he was running a Ponzi scheme.
Giacchetto claimed to everyone he was a Harvard graduate, but he’d only taken a six week summer course at the Ivy League school. It was just one of his many complex lies as he bilked clients out of millions of dollars.
So it’s to my surprise this morning that despite several years in prison and a failed life that Giacchetto was perpetuating that Harvard lie still on LinkedIn this morning, two days after his ignominious death.
He did not receive a Bachelors Degree from Harvard University or attend the school from 1986 to 1990. This was just some kind of terrible fantasy that fueled Giacchetto’s mania to be a celebrity.
Here’s the full Giacchetto story. Or some of it, because there’s always more. What a pitiful end to his life, considering he’d fathered two children with his estranged girlfriend.
Yes, Meryl Streep is on her way to her 20th Oscar nomination. On Monday she unveiled Stephen Frears’ charming, funny “Florence Foster Jenkins” for an A list crowd including Renee Fleming (who introduced the film), Christine Baranski, Carol Kane, John Guare, Clive Davis, Gay Talese, Laura Michelle Kelly, Paula Zahn, Bill Irwin, and new Tony winner Jane Houdyshell. Cindy Adams brought Barbara Walters, who was a little unsteady on her feet but sharp as a laser.
“FFJ” is the true story of a New York socialite in the late 1930s who had so much money she paid the people around her to turn her into a coloratura opera singer. The problem was, she was a painfully bad singer. Still, she persisted until she actually performed at Carnegie Hall in an evening still so legendary that Carnegie Hall lists it as their most reprinted program.
Streep plays Florence, who’s like a horror fashion show (including a wig). Hugh Grant makes a huge comeback as Florence’s loving but philandering husband, and Simon Helberg (of Big Bang Theory fame) is her piano accompanist (and he really plays the piano in the movie). The essential Nina Arianda has a welcome and extended cameo as a floozy who’s comic relief– even though there’s plenty of humor already.
“FFJ” doesn’t open until August 12th but let me tell you now that Streep will be in the running for awards, as will Grant and maybe Helberg. Meryl takes a person who is basically a caricature and turns her into a heroine, quite remarkably. Jenkins wasn’t particularly self aware, but Streep fixes that so that you can see into her soul. I always say, Watch what Streep is doing. She’s performing a sleight of hand, card trick, magic act and you don’t know it until it’s over. She’s remarkable.
Tony winning costume designer William Ivey Long– who’s also the head of the American Theater Wing– did a little Q&A on stage after the screening at the Directors Guild Theater. This was amazing since Long, like a lot of us, was up until around 3am with the Tony Awards. Streep and Long met at Yale Drama School in 1972, so they had an easy rapport.
We learned that Streep majored in costume design herself and thought that was where she was headed. “That’s why costume designers hate me,” she said, “because I have so many ideas.” She also revealed she based Florence on her own grandmother, whose bosom, she said, was “like a breakfront.”
At the dinner following upstairs at Carnegie Hall’s Weill Room, Streep — 3 Oscars, thousands of accolades, etc– worked the room. Unlike most stars of films who sit sequestered all night at their table, Meryl went around and shook everyone’s hand, talked with all the guests. She was just about last to leave, also. She’s a mensch. What a pleasure!
In the days when there was a record business, Cynthia Erivo would already have a contract and a hit album. I wrote back on opening night of “The Color Purple” that Erivo had not been contacted by anyone in the music business.
Last night she won the Tony for Best Actress in a Musical. And? “Still nothing,” she told me. This phenomenal singer- a sensation really– who could sing pop, blues, gospel, R&B, Broadway, maybe opera– has no record contract!
At the Plaza Hotel after party for the Tonys– the main event– Erivo was swamped by reporters, photogs, fans, other winners and nominees– insane! She’s tiny, so it’s overwhelming. But this is a young woman with such grace and poise. And so much fun. But she is also a superstar in the making.
The Plaza party was teeming with stars– all the “Hamilton” people came including winners Leslie Odom Jr. and Daveed Diggs. There was a knot in the lobby area as Jake Gyllenhaal stopped and took pictures with everyone who asked– and they all asked—while Steve Martin, Edie Brickell and Peter Asher did a lap with Martin Short, winning scenic designer David Rockwell– already a star in the design world– showed off his first ever Tony for “She Loves Me.”
Leslie Odom, by the way, does have a new album out. Steve Greenberg of S Curve Records, the guy behind Joss Stone, was smart enough to record him. Maybe the Tony will help sales. Leslie told me: “I’m in shock.” He’d been so frustrated by the business he almost left it.
Over at Rick Miramontez’s swanky party at the Baccarat Hotel, new Tony winner (for “The Humans”) Reed Birney told me that even though we think of him as a Broadway vet, he’s only been in four Broadway shows. And his biggest hit was in the 70s– “Gemini,” a great play. He’s 61 and went 35 years between shows. Where’s he been? “Off Broadway, regional theater.” He’s pretty much near tears at this point. Bravo!
Everyone came to Rick’s by the way, the best party and hardest ticket sponsored by his new company DKC/O&M: Harvey Weinstein, Steve Martin and Edie Brickell, “Downton Abbey” creator Julian Fellowes, Diane Lane, Andrew Lloyd Webber, everywhere you turned in the gorgeous, sparkling room there were stars– Jesse Tyler Ferguson, Sophie Okenedo, Tommy Tune, Danny Burstein and Rebecca Luker, Cassie Beck, an exhausted George C. Wolfe slumped on a couch, Savion Glover (with his mini me son), Billy Porter, Joe Mantello, beautiful girls everywhere, and a disco in the back.
They were still there when I left at 3am! They may still be there!
The Tony Awards ratings look like they were up by 33%– the same amount the Stanley Cup game was down from last year. Interest in “Hamilton” was big. Promoting Barbra Streisand didn’t hurt. And there was no NBA final, which killed the show last year.
But also for the first time in years there was a mainstream, accessible host– James Corden– a past Tony winner, hot talk show host with a big following who could throw himself Billy Crystal style into the show. James Corden is the Hardest Working Man in Show Biz at this point. I predict he’ll get an Emmy for hosting the Tonys.
More ratings will come in this afternoon. But everything about this Tony Awards was inclusive and welcoming. So many non white multi cultural faces helped too. All four of the main musical actor winners were black! And you could see from “Hamilton” to “The Color Purple” and right through the casting of the show that producer Glenn Weiss and Ricky Kirshner knew exactly what they were doing.
Mary Cossette, widow of the late great Grammys producer Pierre Cossette, was thrilled. “They worked from Pierre, they learned from him!” she said and it was lovely. (Also lovely that Weiss and Kirshner invite her. The new Grammy producers do not, she told me.)
Corden was just spectacular. Here’s his opening number:
Someone’s going to have to get a spoken word recording for Jessica Lange. That’s the only way she’ll get a Grammy, she tells me. “It won’t be from my singing!” she declared with a laugh. Lange is looking for an EGOT– Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, Tony. Last night she filled in the “T” with a Tony for “Long Day’s Journey into Night.” But that elusive Grammy– maybe she can recite poetry or better yet Eugene O’Neill– since that’s what she won Tony for.
Meanwhile, there are only 14 more performances of “Long Day’s Journey” and Lange’s co-star Gabriel Byrne tells me this may be the end of his days with Eugene O’Neill even though he’s sort of perfect for the playwright’s work. “It’s too tiring,” he told me. “I think this may be it.” I hope not.
And so it went at the Beacon Theater, which is sort of the best locale ever for the Tony Awards, much more intimate than Radio City Music Hall. There’s literally no backstage area, so much of the waiting to go on stage takes place in the actual small lobby– that’s where I continually ran into host James Corden, or members of “Hamilton” or “The Color Purple” as they prepared to go on stage. Crazy but fun!
People having the most fun around the little bar or just getting some air were the great Michelle Williams and her TV actress pal, the very funny Busy Phillips, Harvey Weinstein, actor Michael Shannon, Alex Sharp (Tony winner for “Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night”) and so on. The convivial crowd could watch the show inside the theater on a couple of wide screen TVs. Several times Corden– who is already back in Los Angeles to tape his late night show tonight– came by and asked, “Is it ok? Am I all right?” He was, more than ever!
Despite the tragedy in Orlando and stepped up security, the Tonys had a fun, mellow feel. (Mike Zimet’s security force made everyone feel very safe.) Very different than a Los Angeles awards show, that’s for sure
On the red carpet, the Broadway community mixed and mingled. I got this great show of Glenn Close (who came to the show just to play Hillary Clinton in a hill-arious sketch). You can see her laughing here (Sir Andrew Lloyd Webber, her composer for “Sunset Boulevard” is just beyond her.)
Best line of the night– Steve Martin, after losing in every category for his musical “Bright Star.” “We swept the Tonys!” He sliced his hand through the air. “Nothing!”
“Hamilton” took almost everything it was nominated for at last night’s Tony awards, except for Best Actress in a Musical and Best Scenic Design.
Nevertheless, the history making was that all four musical actors –Best Actor and Actress, Featured Actor and Actress– were all black. Three were African American, one was London born.
Host James Corden– simply outstanding all night– declared “These are the Oscars, except with diversity.”
The show was the most entertaining Tony broadcast in years, thanks to Corden.
There were few surprises, but the show was so good it didn’t matter. The big after parties were the official one at the Plaza Hotel, “Hamilton” at Tavern on the Green, and Ric Miramontez’s very swanky deal at the Baccarat Hotel where Diane Lane, Julian Fellowes, George C. Wolfe, Brian Stokes Mitchell, and a ton of celebs landed.
More later Monday…
BEST MUSICAL
Hamilton
BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A LEADING ROLE IN A MUSICAL
Cynthia Erivo, The Color Purple
BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE IN A MUSICAL
Leslie Odom, Jr., Hamilton
BEST REVIVAL OF A MUSICAL
The Color Purple
BEST PLAY
The Humans; Author: Stephen Karam
BEST REVIVAL OF A PLAY
Arthur Miller’s A View from the Bridge
BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE IN A PLAY
Frank Langella, The Father
BEST CHOREOGRAPHY
Andy Blankenbuehler, Hamilton
BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A LEADING ROLE IN A PLAY
Jessica Lange, Long Day’s Journey Into Night
BEST BOOK OF A MUSICAL
Hamilton, Lin-Manuel Miranda
BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A FEATURED ROLE IN A PLAY
Reed Birney, The Humans
BEST ORCHESTRATIONS
Alex Lacamoire, Hamilton
BEST DIRECTION OF A MUSICAL
Thomas Kail, Hamilton
BEST DIRECTION OF A PLAY
Ivo Van Hove, Arthur Miller’s A View from the Bridge
BEST ORIGINAL SCORE (MUSIC AND/OR LYRICS) WRITTEN FOR THE THEATRE
Hamilton, Music & Lyrics: Lin-Manuel Miranda
BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A FEATURED ROLE IN A MUSICAL
Daveed Diggs, Hamilton
BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A FEATURED ROLE IN A MUSICAL
Renée Elise Goldsberry, Hamilton
BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A FEATURED ROLE IN A PLAY
Jayne Houdyshell, The Humans
BEST LIGHTING DESIGN OF A MUSICAL
Howell Binkley, Hamilton
BEST LIGHTING DESIGN OF A PLAY
Natasha Katz, Long Day’s Journey Into Night
BEST SCENIC DESIGN OF A MUSICAL
David Rockwell, She Loves Me
BEST SCENIC DESIGN OF A PLAY
David Zinn, The Humans
BEST COSTUME DESIGN OF A MUSICAL
Paul Tazewell, Hamilton
BEST COSTUME DESIGN OF A PLAY
Clint Ramos, Eclipsed
OTHER AWARDS
TONY AWARD FOR LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT IN THE THEATER
Sheldon Harnick, Marshall W. Mason
SPECIAL TONY AWARD
National Endowment for the Arts, Miles Wilkin
REGIONAL THEATER TONY AWARD
Paper Mill Playhouse, Millburn, NJ
ISABELLE STEVENSON TONY AWARD
Brian Stokes Mitchell
TONY HONORS FOR EXCELLENCE IN THE THEATRE
Seth Gelblum, Joan Lader, Sally Ann Parson