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2024 Charity Season Comes to a Close with Jane Fonda, Tedeschi Trucks Helping Raise Millions

Roger Friedman
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2024 Charity Season Comes to a Close with Jane Fonda, Tedeschi Trucks Helping Raise Millions

The late fall NY Charity Season has come to a close. As always, I recommend donations to Elton John AIDS Foundation, The Rainforest Foundation, Rosie’s Kids, Musicares, and the Samuel Waxman Cancer Foundation.

Here’s a round up of events:

Institut Curie presented its prestigious Marie Curie Legacy Medal to Academy Award-winning actor and activist Jane Fonda at an exclusive Gala event held at the iconic Rainbow Room in New York City on November 19th, 2024. Awarded for only the second time, the Medal recognizes citizens who, through their public advocacy, increase awareness about cancer, a major global health threat. Jane Fonda, through her personal battle with cancer and her dedication to shedding light on the disease, perfectly embodies the spirit of this award.

The Institut Curie Gala, under the high patronage of French Ambassador Laurent Bili, provides an important opportunity to showcase the latest advancements in cancer research. The evening, co-chaired by Rear Admiral, Dr. Susan Blumenthal, and Mr. and Mrs. Mathieu and Virginie Chabran, carries forward Madame Marie Curie’s legacy of forging close scientific bonds between France and the United States and Americans support of her work in pursuit of scientific breakthroughs that will improve the health of people worldwide.

Famed musicians Susan Tedeschi, Warren Haynes, Derek Trucks entertained at the Samuel Waxman Research Foundation’s 27th Annual Collaborating for A Cure Gala at Cipriani Wall Street. This year’s event honored Mike Rawls, chief executive officer at Xome Holdings LLC. Rawls received the 2024 Distinguished Business Leader Award for his steadfast commitment to supporting cancer research. The Gala raised more than $3.1 million for critical cancer research.

The New York Women’s Foundation (NYWF) ushered in the holiday season with a joyous celebration hosted by indefatigable philanthropist Jean Shafiroff, honoring the Foundation’s unwavering commitment to advancing gender equity and supporting women and girls across New York. The event was a resounding success, bringing together notable guests and supporters of the Foundation’s mission.

NY State Assemblywoman Rebecca Seawright presented citations to long-time Board member Jean Shafiroff and Ana L. Oliveira, the dynamic President and CEO of NYWF. These honors recognized their outstanding contributions, leadership, and dedication to improving the lives of women and families while championing economic justice and equality.

Broadway: “Gypsy” Cancelled Again, Audra McDonald Musical Misses Vital Christmas Week Box Office

Roger Friedman
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Broadway: “Gypsy” Cancelled Again, Audra McDonald Musical Misses Vital Christmas Week Box Office

Terrible news for the revival of “Gypsy” on Broadway.

They’ve cancelled tonight’s show, which means the entire Christmas week was a shut down because of illness.

Obviously, star Audra McDonald came down with something — maybe COVID — as did others in the cast.

It’s a financial disaster for the raved about show. Christmas week is when everyone makes their money, especially to get through the winter.

Of course, ticketholders are disappointed, especially those who came into New York especially to see the six time Tony winner live on stage.

Undoubtedly, “Gypsy” will return to sold out performances soon. But this is a setback no one saw coming.

Get well, everyone!


Carnie Wilson Recalls How Producer Richard Perry Gave Wilson Phillips Its Start as a Pop Group

Roger Friedman
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Carnie Wilson Recalls How Producer Richard Perry Gave Wilson Phillips Its Start as a Pop Group

Carnie Wilson, daughter of Brian Wilson, has written a beautiful homage to late record producer Richard Perry on Instagram.

Carnie recalls how Perry was key to the beginning of Wilson Phillips, the group she was famously in with sister Wendy and Chynna Phillips.

Richard’s history with The Pointer Sisters encouraged Carnie to take his advice and counsel. What she doesn’t mention is that 20 years earlier, Richard has been the guiding light for the all girl band, Fanny.

“In 1986, Wendy, Chynna, Owen, and I took a chance one night and drove our car to (what was once Ronald Reagan’s home) music producer Richard Perry’s house. We had just formed a “group” and thought that we had a really cool sound. Chy’s Mom Michelle suggested we see her friend Richard Perry & sing for him. I remember the excitement as we drove up Doheny Drive and how nervous we were…but thrilled at the same time .

“We couldn’t believe that a producer of that magnitude agreed to meet with us. When we arrived, Richard rolled a joint and said “OK what do you got for me?” We had been singing a lot of Heart, Stevie Nicks, The Eagles, Fleetwood Mac -practicing …so we decided to sing four words from Stevie Nicks’s song “Wild Heart”. We sang “dare my wild heart” and stopped. We said “so what do you think?” He said ” that’s it?… that’s all you’re gonna sing ,four words?” We said “yeah how do you like our sound?” He paused, took a hit off his joint and said “I see the Beatles”. We screamed. Then he said “I think you should name your group “Pretzels With Mustard”. He was clearly high from the joint… lol …we laughed hysterically.

“This was the beginning of our musical career. I’m grateful for a lot of things about Richard. He took us under his wing. He introduced us to a wonderful guy named Jim Tract . Jim was used to working with women because he worked with the The Pointer Sisters who we adored, so we trusted Jim. He taught us how to stand around a microphone together. Richard produced our very first record that we covered in the studio, which was “Mama Said” . I still have the demo on cassette.

“I’ll never forget those moments and those early days of recording. We were young and eager, hopeful and knew that we were on the road to something. He said we needed to write our own songs in order to be respected in this business. If we didn’t- we’d be looked at as spoiled, Beverly Hills children riding on the coat tails of our famous parents. That’s when the miracle happened and he brought us to @glen.ballard. Everything changed and we became a real group with songs we wrote and a vision. I’m forever grateful for u Richard. Rest in Peace and music.”

Bob Dylan Lands 5 Albums on the Top 100 as “A Complete Unknown” Amps Up Box Office for Day 2

Roger Friedman
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Bob Dylan Lands 5 Albums on the Top 100 as “A Complete Unknown” Amps Up Box Office for Day 2

All of a sudden, everything is about Bob Dylan.

You know, you can watch DA Pennebaker’s famous documentary, “Don’t Look Back,” for free on the Criterion Channel website.

Meanwhile, “A Complete Unknown” picked up $4 million yesterday on its second day of release. The James Mangold movie is so much of a hit that Timothee Chalamet’s soundtrack album is in the top 20 on iTunes.

Dylan was never a chartbuster. But today he has FIVE albums on the top 200, three in the top 20. His catalog is booming. “The Essential Bob Dylan” is number 5. Also on the chart is “The Freewheelin’ Bob Dylan,” the original Greatest Hits album, and “Blood on the Tracks.”

The times, they are a-changing!

New Dylan fans can also check out The Basement Tapes, with the Band, Nashville Skyline, Desire (one of my faves), and Shadow Kingdom, an album Dylan recorded during the pandemic that really is gold. We were lucky to get it.

Beyonce Half-Time Show Puts “Cowboy Carter” Back in the Top 10, Makes a Case for the Grammy Award

Roger Friedman
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Beyonce Half-Time Show Puts “Cowboy Carter” Back in the Top 10, Makes a Case for the Grammy Award

Until Christmas night, Beyonce had not done much to promote her “Cowboy Carter” album.

While Taylor Swift, Billie Eilish, and Sabrina Carpenter have been everywhere pushing their songs, Beyonce seemed to drift away after the album’s release last spring.

But on Wednesday night, Beyonce came roaring back with her NFL half time show on Netflix during the Chiefs-Steelers show.

It didn’t hurt that 24.1 million people watched the game and saw the Queen Bey at her best. The performance sent “Cowboy Carter” to number 6 on iTunes albums, and “Texas Hold ‘Em” to number 30. They’d each been dormant for some time.

Beyonce’s NFL appearance made the best case ever for “Cowboy Carter” to win Album of the Year at next February’s Grammy Awards. Up til now, it seemed like Taylor Swift would just walk away with the award for Best Album without discussion. Her “Tortured Poets” album has sold over 6 million copies. Swift is a constant presence in the media. Her Eras tour was a $2 billion hit.

But now the Bey Hive is buzzing. “Cowboy Carter” is back in play. Beyonce has never won the top prize at the Grammys despite several worthy albums including “Lemonade.” But if she’ll stick to a campaign — maybe hit a late night show — Beyonce could have the award she has always deserved.

Kennedy Center Honors Needs a Shake Up, and Liza, as Rating Continue Decline, Lose 400,000 Viewers from Last Year

Roger Friedman
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Kennedy Center Honors Needs a Shake Up, and Liza, as Rating Continue Decline, Lose 400,000 Viewers from Last Year

The Kennedy Center Honors on Sunday night was a ratings bust.

Total viewers was 4.1 million, down from 4.5 million last year. That’s at least better than 2023, when the show dropped by 1 million from 2022.

The Honors had a strong lead in from football than “60 Minutes,” which had 8.7 million fans Sunday night. But fewer than half of those people — who should be Kennedy Center Honors aficionados — stuck around.

It didn’t help that the show began with Queen Latifah in an absolutely excruciating number. This has been the trend lately for this show, opening with something that has nothing to do with the Honors themselves. It’s a big waste of time and money.

The Honorees this year were fine if not exciting: Bonnie Raitt, Francis Ford Coppola, Arturo Sandoval, the Grateful Dead, and the Apollo Theater were a curious mix.

The Bonnie Raitt segment was excellent, with Julia Louis Dreyfus, Sheryl Crow and the ubiquitous Brandi Carlile doing the toasting.

But then things got weird. Grace van der Waal — who? — singing “The Impossible Dream” was maybe the strangest performance ever. This had nothing whatsoever to do with Coppola. If they needed music, why didn’t they have an orchestra perform the Theme from the Godfather? Where were Sofia Coppola? Nephew Nicolas Cage?

Worse yet was the Apollo segment. None of the living performers from the Apollo performed. Where were Smokey Robinson, Sam Moore, Gladys Knight? There seemed to be no sense of the excitement of the Apollo, the first institution to be inducted into the Kennedy Center (which was odd enough).

And then, the Grateful Dead. Not a group with wonderful songs, and John Mayer — who owns 51% of the sequel Dead & Co band, was just on video. Wasn’t he supposed to be the hook? The segment also lacked the Dead’s two biggest hits, “Truckin'” and “Touch of Grey.”

The Honors felt stale. None of the people the public want, like Denzel Washington or Liza Minnelli, made the cut. There’s no humor, and it all feels like an obligation. It’s definitely time to get back to the George Stevens, Jr recipe for making the show vibrant.

PS Where was Caroline Kennedy, introducing the show and explaining its importance?

“SNL” Martin Short All Star Show Added 500K from Previous Week, Highest Rating Since November 2

Roger Friedman
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“SNL” Martin Short All Star Show Added 500K from Previous Week, Highest Rating Since November 2

Last week’s “SNL” with Martin Short and a huge group of all-stars was a hit.

Total viewers came in at 4.79 million, the fourth highest of the fall season. It was the biggest audience since John Mulaney hosted on November 2nd, up 500K viewers since the Chris Rock show a week before.

“SNL” didn’t announce any surprises, so the come on was just for Short and singer Hozier. More viewings once the news got out aren’t known yet.

The episode was pretty much perfect. Every bit of it worked. And no. Tom Hanks is not ill. Someone please tell the tabloids.

Box Office: Timothee Chalamet Bob Dylan Booming, “Mufasa” Roars Back, “Nosferatu” Scares

Roger Friedman
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Box Office: Timothee Chalamet Bob Dylan Booming, “Mufasa” Roars Back, “Nosferatu” Scares

Bob Dylan isn’t blowin’ in the wind.

“A Complete Unknown” finally hit theaters yesterday and made $7.2 million. The weekend looks terrific for James Mangold’s movie starring Timothee Chalamet. A huge marketing and PR campaign has gone into this sterling film. I spoke to people who saw it yesterday and, like me, they loved it.

“Mufasa” came roaring back to life yesterday with $14.7 million. After a very slow start, “Mufasa” can pull itself out of a hole now as other family friendly films like “Moana 2” and “Wicked” have exhausted their audiences.

Also new yesterday: “Nosferatu,” which made $11.5 million and is on track for a big weekend. Also, Nicole Kidman in “Babygirl” should keep adult audiences glued to their seats.

“The Brutalist” — at almost four hours — and “The Fire Inside” — also started runs yesterday.

Barbra Streisand, Rod Stewart, Carole Bayer Sager, More Post Tributes to Famed Record Producer Richard Perry: “We became really good life-long friends”

Roger Friedman
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Barbra Streisand, Rod Stewart, Carole Bayer Sager, More Post Tributes to Famed Record Producer Richard Perry: “We became really good life-long friends”

Tributes are pouring in on social media for my friend, Richard Perry. The great record producer passed on Christmas eve after really fighting Parkinson’s Disease for years.

I’m so thrilled and touched that there are so many tributes, and that the media — radio, web, newspaper — has realized Richard’s importance. He would so happy to read these proclamations. When Richard was producing hits, there was no Grammy for that, and little recognition for producers. A few years ago, the Recording Academy gave him a Lifetime Achievement Award. (His friend and “rival,” Phil Ramone, also deserved that.)

For the last years of his life, Richard was surrounded by a family of friends who supported and took care of him including long time friend Daphna Keitel (wife of Harvey), music supervisor Bonnie Greenberg, Mr. Lauren Wild — who’s making a documentary about Richard, and many others. Robbie Robertson was a frequent visitor. Rod Stewart hung out with Richard twice recently. Carly Simon sang to him on the phone. Clive Davis called often, as did New York friends Joe Allen and Annette Tapert. Of course, Jane Fonda was always there.

Why so much love for this person? He was an exceptional, genuine friend who was interested in everyone. His door was always open. He loved music and life. He was the only person we knew who played the oboe and sang bass on doo wop songs.

The photo here I took at Clive’s 2016 Grammy party of Richard, Carly, and Jane. It was a rare and happy reunion.

PS A Richard playlist would include anything from Carly Simon, Ringo Starr, Nilsson, the Pointer Sisters, and so on. I guess “You’re So Vain,” “Without You,” “I’m So Excited,” and “Stoney End” are his classics.

Here are some tributes:

Taylor Swift Skips Chiefs-Steelers Game as Beyonce Puts on Super Bowl-Like Halftime Show (Watch)

Roger Friedman
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Taylor Swift Skips Chiefs-Steelers Game as Beyonce Puts on Super Bowl-Like Halftime Show (Watch)

If you were hoping for a sighting of Taylor Swift and Beyonce Sunday night at the Chiefs-Steelers game, you were disappointed.

Taylor did not show up in Pittsburgh to support boyfriend Travis Kelce, or to watch Beyonce’s spectacular half time show. It was better than most Super Bowl half time shows. She nailed it.

The next time we might see the two singers in the same room will be the Grammy Awards on February 2nd.

The score? Chiefs 29, Steelers 10.

And Beyonce 1, Taylor 0.

Mariah Carey opened the game with a canned, pre-taped version of “All I Want for Christmas.” It looked like an infomercial. Couldn’t Mariah sing live? Beyonce 1, Mariah 0.

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