Susannah Melvoin, Wendy & Lisa et al have produced a tribute Prince with a new moving version of “Nothing Compares 2 U.” Just gorgeous.
Pop War: Justin Timberlake vs. Alicia Keys This Friday in New Singles Releases
For a minute there, Alicia Keys probably thought she had Friday to herself. Her single “In Common” is dropping, and she’s performing it on “Saturday Night Live.”
But now her own label, RCA, is also releasing a new song by Justin Timberlake. “Can’t Stop the Feeling” sounds like a disco song. Indeed, when Caitlyn was Bruce she/he/they starred in the Alan Carr disco movie of that name. It was one of the biggest flops in history.
JT’s record, however, is sure to be a hit. The fight for Number 1 is going to be vicious. Poor Drake, he thought his huge new “Views” album would be the big story this week. And it is– close to 1 million copies sold. So Poor Beyonce– “Lemonade” is already getting a little stale.
Cause it's me, you, you, me, me, you all night. pic.twitter.com/hFmEzeZXcO
— Timbaland (@Timbaland) May 3, 2016
So much good music in a short period. Lots of Grammy nominees. Of course the Album of the Year will be David Bowie’s “Blackstar.”
And soon to hit: Paul Simon’s “Stranger to Stranger.”
Surprise for Donald Trump: Megyn Kelly Adds Transgender Laverne Cox to Special
LOL. For a minute there, I wondered what was going on with Megyn Kelly. But this afternoon Fox announced Kelly has added transgender actress Laverne Cox to her May 17th special. Cox stars in Netflix’s “Orange is the New Black.”
That’s the special in which Kelly interviews (or may have already interviewed, some say) Donald Trump. Kelly will certainly be asking Cox about Trump, which should make the special very special indeed.
Other guests include Michael Douglas, certainly an avowed Clinton supporter and long time Hollywood liberal. This should be fun! Kelly has Bill Geddie, Barbara Walters’ long time producer from “The View,” putting the show together.
In real life, if there is such a thing anymore, Cox has a twin brother. I’ll bet Kelly gets him on there, too! If only all these people could sit on a couch together a la Joe Franklin!
The word out of Fox, by the way, is that Kelly has already taped most of Trump’s material in advance. Smart– he’s already in the piece and can’t back out now. I wonder how many Trump voters have watched “Orange is the New Black”?
Janet Jackson, 49, Announces Her Pregnancy on Twitter and She Looks Pretty Happy
Congrats to Janet Jackson. She’s pregnant and has announced it with a joyous GIF on Twitter. Is it her egg? Who cares? It’s her baby. May she have a happy and healthy one. (Or two.) she’s probably three months along, so due in six– so late October? And then she’ll get No Sleeeeeeeeep for a long time!
She even has videos to go along with it:
Bang bang ya gon gon get it… #DammnBaby pic.twitter.com/kOh0tUbfXK
— Janet Jackson (@JanetJackson) May 4, 2016
Watch 'em all go… #DammnBaby pic.twitter.com/tLhusGqwpk
— Janet Jackson (@JanetJackson) May 3, 2016
Pop: Here’s the New Alicia Keys Song “In Common” She’s Singing on “SNL” This Weekend
Here’s Alicia Keys’ new track “In Common.” It’s very different than her past work, and I like it. She’s singing this Saturday on “SNL.” I don’t know if there’s a sample (Alicia is sample-prone) but it sure sounds original. Cool.
That Movie Bruce Willis Made in China– With Mel Gibson as Art Director–is M-I-A
Remember “The Bombing”? This was a Chinese movie starring Bruce Willis as the only American among an Asian cast. At some point, Mel Gibson invested money in it and became the Art Director.
Now sources tell me we may never see “The Bombing.” It’s a bomb, alright.
Willis, who worked hard on it, has to be completely dubbed into Chinese since the rest of the movie is in that language. No one speaks a word of English.
Can you imagine that film being released in the Western world?
Willis and Gibson didn’t cross paths, apparently. “Mel came to China after Bruce was done,” a source says. The director, Xiao Feng, was a novice. The company behind “The Bombing” is now making a Chinese re-do of Julia Roberts’ 1997 hit “My Best Friend’s Wedding.”
There are other problems, too. “It’s about the Chinese fighting back against the Japanese in World War II,” a source told me. “It’s not like a lot of people around the world care about that. And the Japanese won’t be seeing it.”
Sharp eyed observers will be looking to see if “The Bombing” turns up in the Cannes Film Market next week. But the word is it won’t.
Broadway: “Disaster!” Musical to Close Sunday, More–without Tony Noms– to Come
No Tony nods, can’t stay open. It happens every year. “Disaster!” a funny musical parody by Seth Rudetsky, was not loved by the Tony committees. It will close on Sunday. “Disaster!” actually earned a nomination for Jennifer Simard as featured actress in a musical. I actually enjoyed this show. But it was not to be. “Disaster!” was going to close in July anyway to make way for “Motown-the Musical”‘s return. Oh well. It should have been off Broadway, and can have a life on the road.
What’s next? “Tuck Everlasting” is so awful, and it’s doing about 33% of its possible take at the box office. Not nominated for Best Musical or anything major, “Tuck” will be tucking it in soon.
How about “American Psycho”? They may last a little longer, but not much. Benjamin Walker not getting a nomination sort of seals their doom. But summer audiences may keep “Psycho” afloat through discounts.
A bigger question will be the fate of “Shuffle Along.” The main players (except for Brandon Victor Dixon) were not nominated. Brian Stokes Mitchell is getting a special Tony Award for 25 years’ good service (he is terrific even when the shows aren’t). Audra McDonald, Broadway’s Meryl Streep, wasn’t nominated. She’s leaving in a month– and it’s unlikely she’ll return in September with no awards buzz. “Shuffle Along” is going to need a lot of good will to keep going after it loses the Tony to “Hamilton” on June 12th.
McCartney-Stones Et Al Mega Rock Concert Scooped HERE April 15 Now Confirmed
Well, this morning comes confirmation of the mega rock concert I told you about first back on April 13th. My story was stolen four hours later by the LA Times, the Billboard. But it was right here on Showbiz411 first.
Paul McCartney, the Rolling Stones, Bob Dylan, The Who, Roger Waters and Neil Young will all play Coachella on the weekend of October 5-7, 2016. AEG Live and Goldenvoice are producing.
The shows are: the Stones and Dylan on October 7, McCartney opening for Neil Young on the 8th, and Roger Waters opening for The Who on the 9th. Originally, Waters told me The Who was going to be opening for him, so that changed. In fact. Dylan was supposed to open for the Stones in the original plan. I think the main players all asked to go on first rather than take the stage late, late at night.
Unless the Stones bring Lisa Fischer, there will likely be almost no black people on stage. There are no black headliners. I don’t get this. Why not ask Stevie Wonder, who’s certainly their absolute peer, to be in this event?
Ticket prices are as follows:
3 day passes
General admission – $399
Reserved floor – $699, $999, $1,599
Reserved grandstand – $999, $1599
Standing pit – $1,599
 Single day passes
General admission – $199
Exclusive “Magic Mike” Star Joe Manganiello to Star in Film About Alternative Rock Group The Smiths
Please note: due to fan input, we have re-classified The Smiths. Thanks for your help!
EXCLUSIVE “Shoplifters of the World” will star Joe Manganiello, and be produced by his brother Nick and my old friend Laura Rister (who was not my source for this story, unfortunately).
It’s a cool idea about the Smiths, Morrissey’s famous alternative indie UK band. In 1987, on the night when Morrissey said the Smiths were breaking up — a sad kid brought a gun to a radio station in Denver, Colorado and locked himself inside the studio. He held everyone hostage and made them play the Smiths over and over.
“True Blood” and “Magic Mike XXL” star Manganiello will play the DJ Mickey in whom the kid, Ryan, confides. Sounds like a boon for the Smiths catalog. Maybe Morrissey can play a cameo.
Steven Tyler, Master Showman, Launches Charity, Album, Tour at NYC Hallowed Music Hall
Steven Tyler– a moving target for photographers, a blur of a rock star– launched everything last night: his charity for abused teen girls, his first solo album, and a tour at Lincoln Center’s Avery Fisher-now-David Geffen Hall. The ushers had never seen anything like it. Even Beethoven– the usual composer featured in this room– could have heard this show, and he was deaf.
Tyler, who exudes charm and style, is finally apart from Aerosmith after over 40 years. Their first big hit was his masterpiece, “Dream On,” in 1976, which he’d written years earlier at age 17. They’ve never looked back despite breakups, make ups, rehabs, accidents– the full panoply of rock band adventures.
But now Tyler has a charity– “Janie’s Fund”— named for the band’s hit “Janie’s Got a Gun”– for abused teen girls. (It was officially launched back in November, but this was its Lincoln Center debut.) Tyler is serious about this as the father of three daughters who were there last night, too– Liv, the actress; Mia, the model; and Chelsea, the singer with husband Jon Foster. It was quite a family affair backstage, too, as Liv’s “Armageddon” father, Bruce Willis, also showed up, plus lots of Tyler’s Tallerico relatives including a cousin who played Motown songs on the piano in the large Green Room.
Not only that: the tour features videos and a film made by none other than “Rush Hour” director Brett Ratner, who was also in attendance. And the great rock jewelry designer Loree Rodkin.
“Out on a Limb”– echoing the title of a Shirley MacLaine book– was a mixture of one man show, memoir, and just a flip through the scrapbook of Tyler’s huge Aerosmith catalog. He did all the hits– “Sweet Emotion,” “I Don’t Want to Miss a Thing,” “Walk this Way,” “Crying (Since I Met You),” and of course “Dream On.” Tyler also introduced a bunch of new songs from his solo album– coming in July from Big Machine– including at least one that smelled like a hit called “Only Heaven.” Watch out for that one.
His voice? Lots of swagger and blues, sweet as ever with just enough coarseness that the Tyler vocal remains a distinctive beautifully aged wine. (There’s nothing else like it.) Pretty much no one can from a shriek to a howl to a purr like Tyler.
Tyler’s band is called Loving Mary, led by Marti Frederiksen, and featuring Rebecca Lynn Howard, Suzie McNeil, Elisha Hoffman, Andrew Mactaggart. The ferocious drummer, Sarah Tomek, actually used to play with Tyler’s ex (and mother of Liv) Bebe Buell in her band.
Steven told me after the gig “it’s weird to turn around and see all new people behind me, but I also feel a lot of love from them.” Is he energized from it? His quick reply: “Ya think???”
Get ready because the summer of Steven Tyler is upon us!
Photos c2016 Showbiz411