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Country Singer Joey Feek’s Tragic Death Powers Couple’s Final Album to Top of Charts

Roger Friedman
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Country Singer Joey Feek’s Tragic Death Powers Couple’s Final Album to Top of Charts

Country and blue grass singer Joey Feek tragically died on March 4th as a result of cervical cancer. Now the final album she made with her husband Rory is number 1. Joey Feek was 40. She was diagnosed two years ago after giving birth to their daughter,Indaina, who has Down Syndrome.

The album, Hymns, sold 44,000 copies. It had an extra 500 streams, not very much.

Adele finished at number 2, although Rihanna was number 1 when hitsdailydouble added in her streaming numbers. She only 16,624 phsyical CDs and digital downloads. But streaming got her up to almost 53,000. Music fans dont’ seem to need Rihanna’s “Anti” album in their hands. But she’s getting paid less for the streams. I wonder if she gets that. Tidal, her main “streamer,” is getting the best of her. Justin Bieber is the same position.

Last week’s number 1, Kendrick Lamar, fell 84%. The 1975, a rock group that was number 1 the week prior to Kendrick, fell precipitously again. These albums come in at number 1, a flash in the pan, then drop like rocks. Only Adele remains afloat week after week.

Beatles Next Generation as James McCartney’s New Single Features Dhani Harrison

Roger Friedman
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Beatles Next Generation as James McCartney’s New Single Features Dhani Harrison

Now all they need is Zac Starkey on drums, with Julian and Sean Lennon on vocals, and it’s Beatles 2.0.

James McCartney, Paul’s son, has just released a new single featuring Dhani Harrison on guitar and vocals. “Too Hard” comes from James’s upcoming album, “The Blackberry Train,” due May 6th. I do not think Blackberry the company is involved, although they’d be smart to underwrite his tour. If only Blackberry were that smart…but that’s another discussion…

James has the genes, and he also has a nice independent sound. “Too Hard” is catchy as all heck. Good for him! I just wish he were playing closer to New York, but I’ll try and catch him as he sails by.

Now, if only his dad would come off the tour circuit long enough to finish a new album! Paul, almost 74, has a full tour going all summer.

Audience Allergic to “Allegiant”: Thursday Night Box Office Off by 43% from Last Year

Roger Friedman
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Audience Allergic to “Allegiant”: Thursday Night Box Office Off by 43% from Last Year

The Y/A audience may be allergic to “Allegiant” after all. Last night’s $2.35 million take at the box office was down 43% from last year’s Thursday for “Insurgent.”

Indeed, “Allegiant” may prove a deter-gent rather than resurgent by the weekend. What is a weekend, asked the Dowager Countess on Downton Abbey? It’s when the third installment of a trilogy runs out of gas.

Right now, Disney’s “Zootopia” looks like it will win the three day run, fending off “Allegiant.” We’ll keep an eye on it for tomorrow. Meanwhile, the best movie right now for people over 16 is “Eye in the Sky.” Let’s pledge allegiance there!

Broadway: Tony Awards Race Sharpens with Laura Benanti’s Sublime “She Loves Me” Turn

Roger Friedman
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Broadway: Tony Awards Race Sharpens with Laura Benanti’s Sublime “She Loves Me” Turn

Broadway musical revivals? The race is on, with “The Color Purple” and its stars Cynthia Erivo and Jennifer Hudson getting hot competition. Laura Benanti is sublime and Jane Krakowski is a wow in “She Loves Me,” which opened Thursday night.

This is the Sheldon Harnick and Jerry Bock wrote the year before “Fiddler on the Roof” put them on the map as legends. It’s not performed often, and actually, this may be the production ever. The ensemble cast is sensational, starting with TV’s Zachary Levi making his second Broadway performance. He’s an old fashioned leading man, it turns out. The rest of the cast– Gavin Creel, Byron Jennings and most especially Peter Bartlett among them– are the kind of Broadway dream team you didn’t think existed anymore.

Now what of Jane Krakowski, who should really star in her own Broadway show? She’s been at it since she was a kid in “Annie” and “Search for Tomorrow.” Then she turned out to be Tina Fey’s secret weapon in “30 Rock” and “The Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt.” She has amazing comic timing, a voice that doesn’t (shouldn’t) stop, and legs that go on forever. She shouldn’t always be a second banana, an Ethel or a Rhoda. But she’s a perfect one here. And her show stopping “splits” are a new wonder of the world.

And if Krakowski is Rhoda, then Laura Benanti is Mary. As Amalia, she dazzles and is sure to win — or get very close– her first lead Tony for “She Loves Me.” Benanti has been so much on Broadway that I had to look up her age. She’s only 36! She glows in this production just as she did in “Gypsy” when she won her Tony for supporting actress in a musical. She’s a star but plays well with others– she is very much part of the ensemble, occasionally stepping out for a star turn. And when she does…well, you really float out of the theater as Amalia finds love.

PS You may recognize the plot of this musical: it was based on the classic film “The Shop Around the Corner.” In our lifetime the movie and the musical were the foundation for Nora Ephron’s great comedy “You’ve Got Mail.” Jimmy Stewart and Margaret Sullavan were the original lovers in the 1940 film, succeeded by Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan. Levi and Benanti uphold the legacy with aplomb. And how much of a dream is the story of two lovers who work in the same shop, think they hate each other but turn out be lonely hearts pen pals? The story is set in 1937 Budapest with no mention of the impending World War. It’s a lovely fantasy.

Pop Charts: Adele Fighting for Number 1 (in a Very Slow Week) with Metalcore Punks and Christian Music

Roger Friedman
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Pop Charts: Adele Fighting for Number 1 (in a Very Slow Week) with Metalcore Punks and Christian Music

The clock is ticking tonight for the weekly pop chart. The cut off is in a few hours.

Adele is fighting to be at number 1 again. But she has competition from two extreme areas–metalcore punk and Christian pop.

Right now, Bethel church’s “Have it All” is at number 1 with 21,972 copies. Hard rock metal punk group Killswitch Engage is at number 2 with 21,790. Adele is third, her “25” album so far has sold 21,297.

Keep refreshing to see who wins.

The chart is very light this week, with little selling of any consequence. According to hitsdailydouble, with 89% of all accounts in, the number 50 album by Tim McGraw has sold 2,306 copies. I mean, are you kidding? How can the business stay in business?

Friday’s big release is a Gwen Stefani solo album called “My Husband Cheated, My Marriage Broke Up, I Started Dating Another Judge on The Voice, will all That Publicity Pay Off?” Only if the songs are good.

Lions Gate Braces for “Allegiant” Disaster as Final Film Scores a Scary Low 11, Described as “Flaccid”

Roger Friedman
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Lions Gate Braces for “Allegiant” Disaster as Final Film Scores a Scary Low 11, Described as “Flaccid”

It’s all over but for the fighting.

When “Divergent: Allegiant” opens tomorrow, Lions Gate execs will pour some drinks and brace themselves. The weekend box office is not going to be pretty.

“Allegiant” is described today by the New York Times as “flaccid.” Its Rotten Tomatoes score is a lowly 16— make that a very very low 11. Eleven.

And while “Allegiant” should have a decent Friday, that will probably be its big night. On Twitter, a search for #Allegiant turns up mostly plugs from its own account. There doesn’t seem to be much fan action, actually none.

Lions Gate stock, meanwhile, is dropping again this morning. Not a pretty picture.

Nancy Sinatra Mourns Her Brother, Frank Jr, Dead from a Heart Attack

Roger Friedman
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Nancy Sinatra Mourns Her Brother, Frank Jr, Dead from a Heart Attack

The Sinatra family mourn the untimely passing of their son, brother, father, uncle, Frank Sinatra, Jr. of cardiac arrest while on tour in Daytona, Florida.

January 10, 1944 – March 16, 2016

Sleep warm, Frankie…

Nancy Sinatra posted this picture and statement on Facebook for her brother, who died yesterday while on tour. He was 72. Frank Jr. never had a chance. Always in the shadow of his father, he was once kidnapped. His paid ransom was $240,000. How ironic that he has died during what was his father’s centennial celebration. He’s outlived by his mother, Nancy Sinatra Sr., who will turn 99 in September if this news doesn’t kill her. RIP, Frank.

“Indiana Jones” Announcement Omitted George Lucas or Writer on 5th Film

Roger Friedman
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“Indiana Jones” Announcement Omitted George Lucas or Writer on 5th Film

Big news this week about a fifth “Indiana Jones” movie.

But the press release from Disney omitted two big elements– the name of George Lucas, and a writer for the film.

Lucas created the “Indiana Jones” characters with Steven Spielberg and has worked on all of their stories. When the “Kingdom of the Crystal Skull”– part 4– was being developed, Lucas was rignt in there.

Unfortunately, some fans blamed Lucas for adding “Star Wars” type elements into that story. But you know, Spielberg didn’t do it with a gun to his head.

Now, no one has any idea who’s writing Number 5. Lucas may indeed not be involved at all because “Indiana Jones” has moved from Paramount to Disney. George sold LucasFilm to Disney and walked away from everything– maybe even “Indiana Jones.”

Last year Lucas said in a bunch of interviews that he’d given Spielberg the story idea but was still tweaking it. Maybe Lucas will get a ‘story by’ credit with no other involvement. The answers are as yet unknown.

But this doesn’t signal a break between the two most successful directors of all time. They are still best friends.

Katherine Heigl Is Doing a Cat Food Commercial- Yes, You Read That Right

Roger Friedman
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Katherine Heigl Is Doing a Cat Food Commercial- Yes, You Read That Right

Katherine Heigl is doing a cat food commercial. She’s the new spokesperson for Cat’s Pride Fresh and Light. From “Greys Anatomy” to movie star to this. Well, I don’t know. I always liked her. But something has gone haywire. Cat’s Pride told the Chicago Business Journal that a “portion of every Cat’s Pride Fresh and Light Ultimate Care purchase” will go to a foundation set up in the memory of Katherine’s brother. Hmmm… There’s nothing on the commercial that indicates that– thought I’m sure it’s true. Nevertheless, Heigl should be a star of her own series. She’s a good actress. I hope she gets back on track.

Kenneth Lonergan’s “Manchester by the Sea” May Be Sunk with Amazon’s Choice of Distributor

Roger Friedman
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Kenneth Lonergan’s “Manchester by the Sea” May Be Sunk with Amazon’s Choice of Distributor

Poor Kenny Lonergan. His “Margaret” wound up in a long never ending soap opera, a war between Fox Searchlight and him over final cut, distribution and promotion. The writer director of “You Can Count on Me” had a terrible time and it all ended badly.

Now Amazon, which bought his “Manchester by the Sea,” may have sealed his doom again. They’ve made a deal with Roadside Attractions, or what I call Roadkill for the all the movies they’ve dumped or ruined.

This year they’ve released Spike Lee’s “ChiRaq,” which made about $2.5 million. Of course, that meager amount is a fortune compared to Katie Holmes in “Touched by Fire,” which took in $146,000 in theaters. Roadside is the same company that managed to kill Robert Redford’s Oscar chances in “All Is Lost,” JC Chandor’s mini masterpiece.

Roadside also picked up Whit Stillman’s new movie through Amazon, and god knows what they’ll do with that. Of course, the real fear is that they will get their hands on Woody Allen’s new movie. Cue REM singing “It’s the End of the of the World.”

Right now Roadside is sitting with Sally Field in “Hello My Name is Doris.” They did a cheapo stealth premiere in New York, a few days of press (thanks to Field’s superstar press rep Heidi Schaefer at PMK-BNC) and left the movie to work on its own. So far they’ve made $84,000. Sally Field, who won two Oscars, and has rave reviews for this film– let’s see what the future holds when “Doris” expands.

Lonergan deserves better. So did Redford. At least these new releases can count on being on Amazon Prime right away.

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