Look what I found, by accident. No marketing. But fun. Mariah looks great. Brett Ratner directed. That’s Jussie Smollett from “Empire” wooing Mimi with a little dog. Very little.
Harvey Weinstein Gets the Astaire Award: “We need new voices on Broadway. We need guys like me on Broadway”
Harvey Weinstein received the Astaire Award last night. “Finding Neverland” choreographer Mia Michaels presented it to him and called Weinstein her “bad ass big brother.” Weinstein pointed out that “Neverland” got no Tony nominations (ridiculous, in my opinion) but continues to make over $1 million a week. He said, of Michaels, “We need new voices on Broadway.” He added: “We need guys like me on Broadway.” There was a lot of applause.
Patty Watt started the Astaire Awards 33 years ago with her father, Douglas Watt, the famed theater critic for the New Yorker and the Daily News. Now the awards, for dance, are given in his memory. Weinstein accepted for the dance movies he’s made– from “Chicago” to the “The Artist” and not to mention the most famous cult dance scene in “Pulp Fiction.”
Broadway legend Joel Grey was also honored for his Lifetime Achievement, presented by daughter Jennifer Grey who made her own name in “Dirty Dancing.” When ballet star Leanne Cope won Best Female Dancer from “An American In Paris,” she actually cited Jennifer as her inspiration. Jennifer Grey could barely read her speech or one sent by Sutton Foster (in bed with bronchitis) because she teared up watching Joel’s amazing clips. Dad thanked all the people he’d ever known, his kids, and his long suffering (now ex) wife.
Other winners included a tie between Robert Fairchild and Tony Yazbeck for Best Male Dancer, and a tie between Christopher Wheeldon and Joshua Bergasse for best Choreographer. They will all face each other Sunday at the Tony Awards at 8pm on CBS. This is the most competitive Tonys in years, folks. It’s hot stuff.
The evening was more or less hosted by a dozen or so famous Broadway stars, impersonated by the brilliant Christina Bianco. Attention Fallon, Kimmel, Corden, Kelly and Michael, Ellen: you are missing the new Marilyn Michaels. Bianco does Bernadette Peters so well, her own family wouldn’t know the difference.
There were also sensational performances restaged at NYU’s Skirball Center for the Astaire Awards from “On the Town,” “Finding Neverland,” and “On the Twentieth Century.” Phenomenal. Presenters (not Christian Bianco but for real) included Richard Thomas, Charlotte d’Amboise, (a very amusing) Tovah Feldshuh, Bebe Neuwirth, David Alan Basche and Alysia Reiner. Fun fact: Richard Thomas’s father was Jennifer Grey’s dance teacher when she was a kid. Also Richard Thomas does not age.
Movie fans: Outstanding Choreography in a film went to Akram Khan for “Desert Dancer.” That movie and another indie, called “Match,” were nominated among a group of better known films. Has anyone heard of these films? They looked very good. Were the released, marketed, reviewed?
Check out Christina Bianco:
Caitlyn Jenner Twitter Account Debuts with 1 Million Followers
Caitlyn Jenner is here. Her Twitter account debuted this afternoon and immediately picked up 1 million followers. Vanity Fair is going to sell like hotcakes when it hits stands on June 9th. What a day!
I'm so happy after such a long struggle to be living my true self. Welcome to the world Caitlyn. Can't wait for you to get to know her/me.
— Caitlyn Jenner (@Caitlyn_Jenner) June 1, 2015
Bruce– now Caitlyn– Jenner: Jenner Kids Won’t Be In TV Show, No “Full” Surgery Yet, Mother Thought His Life “Was About Money”
Forgive me if the pronouns get mixed up here. We’re transitioning…
In Vanity Fair, Caitlyn Jenner’s mother, Esther, 89, tells Buzz Bissinger that she’d thought Bruce and Kris Jenner’s lives had been “all about money”…
Bissinger claims Bruce/Caitlyn is frugal, that his big toys are gifts from Kris Jenner…
No one can agree on how much Kris knew about Caitlyn, even though the older Jenner kids seem to have known for quite a long time…
My theory is that the Kardashians were too self involved to think out it. All those Kardashian girls and Kanye West– are not in the story…
The Jenner kids– four of them– two from first marriage, two from second– will not participate in the E! series. But they are supportive of Caitlyn…
Bruce was a bad parent. He didn’t want the first two kids. He missed the birth of his first daughter. He was absent for all four children’s lives…
It’s really true that Brody Jenner told his mom, Linda Thompson: “We saw Daddy getting out of the show. He had boobs.” Caitlyn had been starting transitioning in the 80s, then stopped when she met Kris.
There’s a lot more– incredible story– great work by Buzz Bissinger, who concedes he himself is a cross dresser. He’d previously written a story for GQ revealing that he was a shopping addict who owned 80 leather Gucci jackets. Now this, of course. Very interesting…
Bruce Jenner Had “Facial Feminization” Surgery on March 15th: Writer of Vanity Fair Story Admits He Himself is a Cross Dresser
You can only read the Vanity Fair story about Caitlyn Jenner on VanityFair.com’s digital edition. It’s worth it. The writer of the piece Buzz Bissinger says he himself is a cross dresser with a fetish for women’s leather. Okay?
Jenner, according to Bissinger, had facial feminization surgery on March 15th.
keep refreshing…
“Call Me Caitlyn”: Bruce Jenner Gets Last Laugh, Upstages Kim-Kanye Pregnancy Announcement
“Call Me Caitlyn” — Vanity Fair scores the coup of all time with Annie Leibovitz shooting Bruce Jenner as his new self, Caitlyn. And all pronouns are now “she.” Caitlyn upstages Kim Kardashian and Kanye West’s pregnancy announcement. Caitlyn gets the last laugh on the K’s.
Critics Choice TV Awards go to “The Americans,” Taraji, “Bessie,” “Olive Kitteridge”
Awards handed out last night. Winners, losers, people who weren’t even nominated (Mad Men, Grace and Frankie). Why? Who knows why? Does it all matter? No. But it kept an audience at home on Sunday night in good air conditioning. In Columbus Ohio there’s a 10pm curfew. Did you know that? So these shows pacify the public until they fall asleep. Congrats to everyone. I don’t know who T.J. Miller even is, but congrats to him/ her too.
WINNERS OF THE CRITICS’ CHOICE TELEVISION AWARDS
· Best Drama Series: The Americans (FX)
· Best Actor in a Drama Series: Bob Odenkirk, Better Call Saul (AMC)
· Best Actress in a Drama Series: Taraji P. Henson, Empire (FOX)
· Best Supporting Actor in a Drama Series: Jonathan Banks, Better Call Saul (AMC)
· Best Supporting Actress in a Drama Series: Lorraine Toussaint, Orange Is the New Black (Netflix)
· Best Guest Performer in a Drama Series: Sam Elliott, Justified (FX)
· Best Comedy Series: Silicon Valley (HBO)
· Best Actor in a Comedy Series: Jeffrey Tambor, Transparent (Amazon)
· Best Actress in a Comedy Series: Amy Schumer, Inside Amy Schumer (Comedy Central)
· Best Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series: T.J. Miller, Silicon Valley (HBO)
· Best Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series: Allison Janney, Mom (CBS)
· Best Guest Performer in a Comedy Series: Bradley Whitford, Transparent (Amazon)
· Best Movie Made for Television: Bessie (HBO)
· Best Limited Series: Olive Kitteridge (HBO)
· Best Actor in a Movie or Limited Series: David Oyelowo, Nightingale (HBO)
· Best Actress in a Movie or Limited Series: Frances McDormand, Olive Kitteridge (HBO)
· Best Supporting Actor in a Movie or Limited Series: Bill Murray, Olive Kitteridge (HBO)
· Best Supporting Actress in a Movie or Limited Series: Sarah Paulson, American Horror Story: Freak Show (FX)
· Best Reality Series: Shark Tank (ABC)
· Best Reality Competition Series: Face Off (Syfy)
· Best Reality Series Host: Cat Deeley, So You Think You Can Dance (FOX)
· Best Talk Show: The Daily Show with Jon Stewart (Comedy Central)
· Best Animated Series: Archer (FX)
· Critics’ Choice LOUIS XIII Genius Award: Seth MacFarlane
· Most Exciting New Series: American Crime Story (FX), Aquarius (NBC), Blindspot (NBC), Minority Report (FOX), The Muppets (ABC), Scream Queens (FOX), Supergirl (CBS) and UnREAL (Lifetime)
Awards Tally by Networks, Channels & Distributors*
HBO – 7
FX – 4
Amazon – 2
AMC – 2
Comedy Central – 2
FOX – 2
ABC – 1
CBS – 1
Netflix – 1
Syfy – 1
Awards Tally by Show
Olive Kitteridge – HBO – 3
Better Call Saul – AMC – 2
Silicon Valley – HBO – 2
Transparent – Amazon – 2
The Americans – FX – 1
American Horror Story: Freak Show – FX – 1
Archer – FX – 1
Bessie – HBO – 1
The Daily Show with Jon Stewart – Comedy Central – 1
Empire – FOX – 1
Face Off – Syfy – 1
Inside Amy Schumer – Comedy Central – 1
Justified – FX – 1
Mom – CBS – 1
Nightingale – HBO – 1
Orange Is the New Black – Netflix – 1
Shark Tank – ABC – 1
So You Think You Can Dance – FOX – 1
“San Andreas” Over-Performs with $53 Mil Opening Weekend, “Aloha” Waves Goodbye
Well, there really was nothing to else. And Warner Bros. did a great job apparently. Because “San Andreas” over-performed and finished the weekend with $53 million. That was well beyond the $45 million high of an estimate by soothsayers. It was everyone’s fault in the end.
Way behind it, out past the top 5, poor “Aloha” made around $10 million for the whole weekend. Big stars, potential panorama of Hawaii, and everything went wrong. The good news is we’ll see it on VOD or DVR or DVD sooner rather than later.
The only other box office news is that Ray Subers, the steadfast captain of Boxofficemojo.com, has left for greener pastures at Paramount distribution. No one seems to have replaced him. Boxofficemojo is owned by Imdb, whose own editor Keith Simanton maybe is filling in. But in the meantime, other sites are gaining fast ground for entertainment press research. Ray was running the hot restaurant in town. But now we’re going to see Exhibitor Relations and BoxOfficeGuru, former big eateries, see revivals.
Sorry for the metaphors. I guess it’s time for brunch. Aloha!
Michael Jackson’s Son, Prince, Graduates High School “With Honors,” Says LaToya
Almost six years after Michael Jackson’s death, his son, Prince, has graduated high school. Prince Michael celebrated his graduation from the Buckley School with friends and family including aunt LaToya and cousin TJ, his legal guardian. No sign of biological mother, Debbie Rowe. But Michael would have been beaming, I think. After all the craziness, he raised three nice kids who’ve survived his death and seem to be in good shape. What a nice story, for a change. Prince starts Loyola Marymount in the fall. Congrats!
Prince, you have grown into an incredibly special young man. Words can’t express how proud I am of… https://t.co/BNU0WPyaLI
— TJ Jackson (@tjjackson) May 30, 2015
So very proud of @princemjjjaxon YOU DID! And you did it with Honors!!! #buckleyclassof2015 pic.twitter.com/mc2JSfFKwj
— La Toya Jackson (@latoyajackson) May 30, 2015
Box Office: “San Andreas” Has a Big Opening Night, “Aloha” Finishes 5th (Watch First Few Minutes Here)
Friday night lights: “San Andreas” brought in $18.2 million on Friday night because, well, there was nothing else to see. There are predictions of $45-$48 million for the weekend. But that may be overzealous. We’ll see.
“Aloha” came in 5th, and earned $3.6 million. If it makes $10 million for the weekend, everyone will get grass skirts. The first eight minutes are actually available on YouTube for free. That should be enough for anyone. Sony knows it, too.
“Tomorrowland” is still playing.
Originality is not the problem with either “Aloha” or “Tomorrowland.” Those arguments are just steam being blown up the internet’s behind by fake pundits. These are just bad movies. In the fall, when all the Oscar movies are out, the same “writers” will opine about the triumph of original movies.
Go outside.