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Michael Jackson: Molestation Case Filed by Wade Robson Dismissed by Judge

Roger Friedman
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Michael Jackson: Molestation Case Filed by Wade Robson Dismissed by Judge

Dancer Wade Robson’s child molestation against Michael Jackson’s estate has been dismissed by family court judge (and by Michael Jackson expert) Mitchell Beckloff in Los Angeles. The estate had asked the judge for summary judgment and dismissal most recently on the grounds that it was too late after the alleged incidents. The judge concurred. The estate also denied all claims.

Robson had testified in 2005 for Jackson in the child molestation case brought by the state of California over Gavin Arvizo. Robson, his mother and sister all testified that nothing untoward had happened with Jackson when Wade was staying overnight at Neverland.

But a couple of years ago Robson suddenly declared he’d had a nervous breakdown and remembered all kinds of things done to him by Jackson, who died in 2009. But some in the Jackson camp felt that Robson, a choreographer, was bitter about not being selected to work on posthumous projects by the estate.

Adding to this was a claim by Jimmy Safechuck, another kid who’d stayed at Neverland, and whose family had been doted on by Michael during those years. Safechuck also filed a suit. It’s unclear if that case was dismissed too.

Robson worked at one time for Michael’s MJJ Productions. Robson’s lawyer has indicted he’ll continue on this path, suing as a former employee. But it does seem the endless suits against the estate will end here.

I know the Jackson super fans have a lot of questions at this point. I think it’s instructive that with these filings, the only other people who turned up were previously discredited claimants from years ago. Also, back in that period of 2003-2005, I actually trailed around old leads from places like the National Enquirer, looking for kids who were said to have been molested by Jackson. Nothing ever panned out. They were all dead ends. If Jackson had really been a serial molester, some of those names would have turned up to back Robson and Safechuck. No one ever did.

In the end, Michael’s bad decisions- to let boys sleep over, to ignore how things “looked”– was what did him in. We’ll probably never know more than we do now about why he let things get so exaggerated.

U2 Long Time Tour Manager Dennis Sheehan Found Dead in L.A. Hotel Room

Roger Friedman
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U2 Long Time Tour Manager Dennis Sheehan Found Dead in L.A. Hotel Room

TMZ and other outlets are reporting that Dennis Sheehan, long time tour manager for U2, was found dead this morning in his Los Angeles hotel room. Sheehan has been with U2 for over 30 years, is beloved. It seems as though he had a heart attack. He died at the Sunset Marquis Hotel, which is where every rocker wants to wind up. Condolences to his friends, family, U2, and Paul McGuinness. U2 is launching a world tour with a week in L.A. It’s just awful news after all the trouble Bono has had recovering from his accident. Dennis goes back in rock history well before U2, by the way, to the early 70s with Lou Reed and many others.
dennis sheehan

Blockbuster? “San Andreas” Bad Reviews Are Pouring In: The Fault Is Not In the Stars

Roger Friedman
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Blockbuster? “San Andreas” Bad Reviews Are Pouring In: The Fault Is Not In the Stars

“San Andreas” is heading for something but I’m not sure it’s “blockbuster.” The disaster film is holding at 40% on Rotten Tomatoes, but the major reviewers have all pointed thumbs down. Dribs and drabs of bloggers who are happy just to be guests of the studio (in this case Warner Bros.) have posted on the positive side.

My favorite among the “splats” called the move a “bake and quake.” I have a perverse interest in seeing “San Andreas,” although I probably won’t. One review said it was “feel good” disaster movie, meaning none of the main cast dies, there’s a happy ending after the devastation of the west coast. The fault is not with the stars of the movie, but the people who made it.

“Aloha,” also opening this weekend, has no reviews so far. There was one big press screening last night before Friday showings. I will see it, because it’s by Cameron Crowe. But the Rotten Tomatoes score willbe very low.

James Taylor– Listen to His Wonderful New Single, First Since 2002 “Today Today Today”

Roger Friedman
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James Taylor– Listen to His Wonderful New Single, First Since 2002 “Today Today Today”

I’m just listening now to James Taylor’s first new album since 2002. It’s called “Before This World” and like anything by JT, it’s beautifully crafted. It’s also got very catchy songs sung by that unmistakeable voice. Taylor is unerring in his vocal approach, and his intonation always makes you think of log cabins, fires burning against a snowy sky. And that’s funny, because his best tours are during the summer at places like Tanglewood. Anyway, here’s “Today Today Today.” The album is released on June 16th. Sting is one of the featured guests singing harmony on the title track.

James Taylor photo by Timothy White

Johnny Carson Lawyer Henry Bushkin Prevails in Court vs. Pal, Carson Musical is a Go

Roger Friedman
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Johnny Carson Lawyer Henry Bushkin Prevails in Court vs. Pal, Carson Musical is a Go

Henry Bushkin had a good day in Los Angeles court today. He prevailed in a lawsuit brought by his pal Bruce Singer, brother in law of Sharon Stone. Singer said he thought he was owed money from the sale of Bushkin’s book about Johnny Carson. Bushkin famously had been Carson’s lawyer in his early days, and was repeatedly a butt of his jokes on TV.

But Bushkin had the last laugh. The book called “Johnny Carson,” was a hit. It was filled with great stories about Johnny’s wives, lives, Joan Rivers, etc.

Singer claimed in court that he and Bushkin were partners. But today a judge ruled they were not. Singer is out of luck. Bushkin told me he’s sorry about the whole thing. “Bruce and I were great friends,” he said.

Now Bushkin returns to New York , where he will launch a workshop of the musical “Carson” based on his book, in September. Casting should begin shortly.

“Glee” Producer Ryan Murphy Bringing Jessica Lange, Gabriel Byrne to Broadway Next Year

Roger Friedman
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“Glee” Producer Ryan Murphy Bringing Jessica Lange, Gabriel Byrne to Broadway Next Year

Look out 2016 Tony Awards. Jessica Lange and Gabriel Byrne are coming to Broadway in “Long Day’s Journey Into Night,” by, of course, Eugene O’Neill. Wow. John Gallagher Jr., of “The Newsroom” and “Spring Awakening” among other things, will co-star. Brit Jonathan Kent., who’s directed Ralph Fiennes twice on Broadway, is the director here. It’s a Roundabout Theater production, but it looks like Lange has gotten her “American Horror Story” pal Ryan Murphy to add his name as a producer, also. That will be a hot ticket. The last time “Long Day’s Journey” was on Broadway was in 2003 with Vanessa Redgrave, Brian Dennehy, Philip Seymour Hoffman and Robert Sean Leonard. That was a stunning production, but the generations have changed. Time for a new take!

Broadway: Tony Awards Nominating Committee Members Announced

Roger Friedman
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Broadway: Tony Awards Nominating Committee Members Announced

The American Theater Wing has announced the members of the nominating committee for this year’s Tony Awards. The show airs June 7th on CBS, and it’s a hot year.

A lot of these names are known to the public, some less well. But the committee includes Marsha Mason, Debra Monk, Jack Hofsiss, and Dick Latessa.

The 2015-2016 Nominating Committee includes:

  • Douglas Aibel – Artistic Dir., The Vineyard Theatre
  • Adrian Bailey – Actor**
  • Victoria Bailey – Executive Director, Theatre Development Fund**
  • Ira Bernstein – Former Producer/General Manager/Stage Manager/Casting Director
  • Hope Clarke – Choreographer**
  • Veronica Claypool – Arts Management Consultant, Full Circle Management Group/Former GM
  • Paul Cremo – Dramaturg/Director of Opera Commissioning Program, The Metropolitan Opera
  • Trip Cullman – Director**
  • Harvey Evans – Actor
  • Sean Patrick Flahaven – Writer/Composer/Orchestrator/Conductor/Producer**
  • Paul Gallo – Lighting Designer
  • Kent Gash – Director/Founding Dir., of NYU Tisch School of the Arts’ New Studio on Broadway
  • Jenny Gersten – Former Executive Director, Friends of the High Line
  • Daniel Goldfarb – Playwright / Book writer**
  • Sam Gonzalez – Dir. of Operations, Pfizer Medical/Board of Trustees Playwrights Horizons**
  • Adam Gwon – Composer/Lyricist**
  • Roy Harris – Production Stage Manager**
  • Philip Himberg – Artistic Director, Sundance Institute Theatre Program
  • Jack Hofsiss – Theatre/Film/Television Director
  • Julie Hughes – Former Casting Director
  • Lou Jacob – Director/Chair of the MFA Directing Program at the New School for Drama**
  • Stephen Karam – Playwright
  • Tom Kitt – Composer**
  • Corby Kummer – Senior Editor, The Atlantic Magazine
  • Fran Kumin – Consultant – Perf. Arts Organizations/Foundations/University Theatre Programs**
  • Dick Latessa – Actor
  • Kate Levin – Cultural Assets Management Principal, Bloomberg Associates
  • Reynold Levy – Former President of Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts
  • Sara Lukinson – Documentary Film Producer/Television Writer
  • Patricia Marx – American Humorist and Writer/Former Television Writer
  • Marsha Mason – Actor/Director
  • Jim McLaughlin – Former Producer, CBS News
  • Debra Monk – Actor
  • Roger Morgan – Lighting Designer/Theatre Designer
  • Laurence O’Keefe – Composer**
  • Katherine Oliver – Media and Technology Principal, Bloomberg Associates
  • Christian Parker – Chair, Graduate Theatre Program, Columbia University
  • Paige Price – Actor/1st Vice President of AEA/Executive Artistic Director, Theatre Aspen**
  • Ravi S. Rajan – Dean, School of the Arts – SUNY Purchase
  • Nigel Redden – Gen. Dir., Spoleto Festival USA/Dir., Lincoln Center Festival
  • Susan H. Schulman – Director/President, Stage Directors and Choreographers
  • Scott Schwartz – Director
  • Linda Shelton – Executive Dir., Joyce Theater Foundation
  • Warner Shook – Director**
  • Arlene Shuler – President & CEO, New York City Center
  • Edward Strong – Producer**
  • Wynn Thomas – Production Designer
  • Jennifer von Mayrhauser – Costume Designer**
  • Robin Wagner – Scenic Designer
  • Tom Watson – Retired Executive-Television Advertising**
  • Preston Whiteway – Executive Director, The Eugene O’Neill Theater Center

Bruce Springsteen Signed an Extraordinary $31 Million Contract with Sony Last Year

Roger Friedman
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Bruce Springsteen Signed an Extraordinary $31 Million Contract with Sony Last Year

Bruce Springsteen is on a little bit of a work vacation right now. But he won’t be for long. I can tell you that last summer Springsteen signed a new deal with Sony Music for $31 million that will take him until 2027. The deal calls for a number of box sets and greatest hits packages, plus four new albums of material.

For all this, Sony agreed to $31 million total, with $13 million paid up front as an advance. Remember, this money doesn’t include Springsteen’s massive touring income, royalties for radio play, his publishing deal, and so on. This is just so Sony continues to own his catalog. They’re also betting that Springsteen has more classic new work in him. (It’s safe bet.)

Just about no one in the “senior” category of rock and roll has a deal like this. Also, no one else– with maybe the exception of Barbra Streisand– has been with the same record company for an entire career. Bob Dylan, also with Sony (like Bruce and Babs), wandered off the farm in 1976 briefly with a stint at Geffen Records. Tony Bennett and Johnny Mathis come close, but they have a few non-Sony/Columbia releases on their resumes.

But Bruce’s situation is unique in that he writes his own music and is not a cover artist. Among rock stars of his generation or even the older one, no one can claim this– not even Paul McCartney or Mick Jagger. For a while McCartney was very prolific, but even he fell behind Springsteen (he’s also a decade younger).

According to the Sony approval memo found in the Wikileaks papers (the Sony hack) Springsteen will also be delivering box sets of “The River,” “Nebraska,” “Born in the USA,” second box set of “Tracks,” as well as greatest hits. He retains the right to sell his downloads of his live concerts himself or through another party if he pays Columbia 12.5% of the gross receipts. And he owns his own master recordings.

Is there a lot that hasn’t been released or officially made available? Oh yes. Just think of how many times Bruce has performed for charity events or as a guest on other artists’ recordings.

The sweetest part? Sony is writing off around $25 million of the unearned balance of Springsteen’s last deal.

Altogether, Sony expects to earn $35 million in worldwide profits from this deal.

In case you were wondering, Bruce will be 78 years old when his entire deal with Sony is over. And still rocking like crazy.

 

 

Box Office: If You Thought This Weekend Was Bad, What’s Coming This Friday Is Worse

Roger Friedman
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Box Office: If You Thought This Weekend Was Bad, What’s Coming This Friday Is Worse

I hate to be a killjoy (or a buzzkill). But if you thought this weekend at the box office was bad, wait til Friday. Things are about to get worse.

Friday brings only two new films to wide release, and each are dogs you wouldn’t want at Best in Show.

“San Andreas” stars The Rock and no one else, basically. It could have been called “Earthquake” or “2012” or “The Day After Tomorrow.” It’s a lot of special effects detailing the world exploding, imploding, etc. A few decent actors were thrown in to divert attention from Dwayne Johnson– Carla Gugino, Paul Giamatti, Ioan Fruffud. But basically, UK pop star Kylie Minogue is in this.

Also come Friday is Cameron Crowe’s “Aloha.” Aloha means goodbye. In the hacked Sony emails, there was plenty of discussion about this movie having no script. Now there are protests about having an all white cast in a modern movie set in Hawaii. Cameron Crowe made four of the best movies ever– Say Anything, Singles, Jerry Maguire, and Almost Famous. But the buzz on this is bad. Crowe has got to get back to making personal statements. Even with Bradley Cooper, Rachel McAdams, and Emma Stone, this may go down as a mistake.

Well, I await June 3rd and “Entourage” like it’s the second coming. And Pixar’s “Inside Out” comes June 12th. Hope springs eternal!

Anne Meara, Gifted Comedian, Actress and Playwright, Is Dead at 85

Roger Friedman
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Anne Meara, Gifted Comedian, Actress and Playwright, Is Dead at 85

Anne Meara died today at age 85. She’d been living in the Hebrew Home for the Aged in Riverdale for some time, after a serious stroke a couple of years ago. She was the other half of the celebrated comedy team Stiller and Meara with husband Jerry; they were an absolutely brilliant and legendary. Meara was also a gifted playwright and director, as well as writer of Stiller and Meara’s many beloved (and kooky) commercials. She leaves her son Ben, the actor, and daughter Amy, who’d been taking care of her on a daily basis according to sources.

Here they are from the Ed Sullivan show, where they were the contemporaries of Joan Rivers, Alan King and so many legends:

Their Blue Nun radio commercials are burned into my head:

Here they are from “What’s My Line”:

Jerry Stiller, of course, is still alive. During more recent years he became famous in a whole new way thanks to “Seinfeld,” where played George Costanza’s father, and “The King of Queens.” But before that Anne Meara had countless roles in TV and film including playing a pal of “Rhoda” and “Archie Bunker,” appearing in key movies like “Lovers and Others Strangers,” “The Out of Towners” and “Fame.”

She also wrote a hit off Broadway play titled “After-Play.” Vincent Canby, in The New York Times, wrote that it was “the perfect New York comedy to attend before going out to dine with dear old friends from Los Angeles.”

As well, from 1992-99 Meara had a recurring role on “All My Children.”

I was lucky enough to know Anne; we talked a lot over the years. She was so funny, and had such a big heart. She was one of a kind. This is one of those times when you saw someone will be sorely missed, and it’s really true. Condolences to her family and friends.

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