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Tony Nominations 2014: After Midnight, Aladdin, Beautiful, Gentleman’s Guide– Movie Stars Snubbed

Roger Friedman
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Tony Nominations 2014: After Midnight, Aladdin, Beautiful, Gentleman’s Guide– Movie Stars Snubbed

The Tony nominations are out. And putting “Lady Day” in the play category didn’t help it at all. The move simply put Audra McDonald in Best Actress in a Play, rather than a musical. But the show lost out completely. So did most of the Hollywood stars on Broadway, from Denzel Washington to James Franco, Michelle Williams and Daniel Radcliffe. A nice surprise through is Chris O’Dowd nominated for “Of Mice and Men” as Best Actor and LaTanya Richardson as Best Actress in “A Raisin in the Sun.”

Similarly, Idina Menzel was nominated in “If/Then” but the show was largely ignored. Woody Allen’s “Bullets Over Broadway” received 6 nominations but not Best Musical.

No nominations for “The Bridges of Madison County” other than Kelli O’Hara means that show will close quickly. The weak box office can’t be saved. “If/Then” producers will have to keep Idina Menzel there because when she leaves, that show closes too.

But the noms are a boon to “Rocky” certainly, and to “Bullets,” each of which can tout their total numbers if not Best Musical.

“A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder” got 10 nominations. It will win Best Musical.

The Tony Award “seers” on all the websites got most everything wrong, missed key elements and didn’t understand what was going on. I know it’s a game, but it’s a lot of wasted blathering isn’t it?

Best Play

 Act One

Author:  James Lapine

Producers:  Lincoln Center Theater, André Bishop, Adam Siegel, Hattie K. Jutagir

All The Way

Author:  Robert Schenkkan

Producers:  Jeffrey Richards, Louise Gund, Jerry Frankel, Stephanie P. McClelland, Double Gemini Productions, Rebecca Gold, Scott M. Delman, Barbara H. Freitag, Harvey Weinstein, Gene Korf, William Berlind, Caiola Productions, Gutterman Chernoff, Jam Theatricals, Gabrielle Palitz, Cheryl Wiesenfeld, Will Trice, The Oregon Shakespeare Festival,

American Repertory Theater

Casa Valentina

Author:  Harvey Fierstein

Producers:  Manhattan Theatre Club, Lynne Meadow, Barry Grove, Colin Callender, Robert Cole, Frederick Zollo, The Shubert Organization

Mothers and Sons

Author:  Terrence McNally

Producers:  Tom Kirdahy, Roy Furman, Paula Wagner & Debbie Bisno, Barbara Freitag & Loraine Alterman Boyle, Hunter Arnold, Paul Boskind, Ken Davenport, Lams Productions, Mark Lee & Ed Filipowski, Roberta Pereira/Brunish-Trinchero, Sanford Robertson, Tom Smedes & Peter Stern, Jack Thomas/Susan Dietz

Outside Mullingar

Author:  John Patrick Shanley

Producers:  Manhattan Theatre Club, Lynne Meadow, Barry Grove

Best Musical

After Midnight

Producers:  Scott Sanders Productions, Wynton Marsalis, Roy Furman, Candy Spelling, Starry Night Entertainment, Hal Newman, Allan S. Gordon/Adam S. Gordon, James L. Nederlander, Robert K. Kraft, Catherine and Fred Adler, Robert Appel, Jeffrey Bolton, Scott M. Delman, James Fantaci, Ted Liebowitz, Stephanie P. McClelland, Sandy Block, Carol Fineman, Marks-Moore-Turnbull Group, Stephen & Ruth Hendel, Tom Kirdahy

Aladdin

Producers:  Disney Theatrical Productions, Thomas Schumacher

Beautiful – The Carole King Musical

Producers:  Paul Blake, Sony/ATV Music Publishing, Jeffrey A. Sine, Richard A. Smith, Mike Bosner, Harriet N. Leve/Elaine Krauss, Terry Schnuck, Orin Wolf, Patty Baker/Good Productions, Roger Faxon, Larry Magid, Kit Seidel, Lawrence S. Toppall, Fakston Productions/Mary Solomon, William Court Cohen, John Gore, BarLor Productions, Matthew C. Blank, Tim Hogue, Joel Hyatt, Marianne Mills, Michael J. Moritz, Jr., StylesFour Productions, Brunish & Trinchero, Jeremiah J. Harris

A Gentleman’s Guide to Love & Murder

Producers:  Joey Parnes, S.D. Wagner, John Johnson, 50 Church Street Productions, Joan Raffe & Jhett Tolentino, Jay Alix & Una Jackman, Catherine & Fred Adler, Rhoda Herrick, Kathleen K. Johnson, Megan Savage, ShadowCatcher Entertainment, Ron Simons, True Love Productions, Jamie deRoy, Four Ladies & One Gent, John Arthur Pinckard, Greg Nobile, Stewart Lane & Bonnie Comley, Exeter Capital/Ted Snowdon, Ryan Hugh Mackey, Cricket-CTM Media/Mano-Horn Productions, Dennis Grimaldi/Margot Astrachan, Hello Entertainment/Jamie Bendell, Michael T. Cohen/Joe Sirola, Joseph & Carson Gleberman/William Megevick, Green State Productions, The Hartford Stage, The Old Globe

Best Revival of a Play

The Cripple of Inishmaan

Producers:  Michael Grandage Company, Arielle Tepper Madover, L.T.D. Productions, Stacey Mindich, Starry Night Entertainment, Scott M. Delman, Martin McCallum, Stephanie P. McClelland, Zeilinger Productions, The Shubert Organization

The Glass Menagerie

Producers:  Jeffrey Richards, John N. Hart Jr.,  Jerry Frankel, Lou Spisto/Lucky VIII, INFINITY Stages, Scott M. Delman, Jam Theatricals, Mauro Taylor, Rebecca Gold, Michael Palitz, Charles E. Stone, Will Trice, GFour Productions, American Repertory Theater

 

A Raisin in the Sun

Producers:  Scott Rudin, Roger Berlind, Eli Bush, Jon B. Platt, Scott M. Delman, Roy Furman, Stephanie P. McClelland, Ruth Hendel, Sonia Friedman/Tulchin Bartner, The Araca Group, Heni Koenigsberg, Daryl Roth, Joan Raffe & Jhett Tolentino, Joey Parnes, S.D. Wagner, John Johnson

Twelfth Night

Producers:  Sonia Friedman Productions, Scott Landis, Roger Berlind, Glass Half Full Productions/Just for Laughs Theatricals, 1001 Nights Productions, Tulchin Bartner Productions, Jane Bergère, Paula Marie Black, Rupert Gavin, Stephanie P. McClelland, Shakespeare’s Globe Centre USA, Max Cooper, Tanya Link Productions, Shakespeare Road, Shakespeare’s Globe

 

Best Revival of a Musical

 

Hedwig and the Angry Inch

Producers:  David Binder, Jayne Baron Sherman, Barbara Whitman, Latitude Link, Patrick Catullo, Raise the Roof, Paula Marie Black, Colin Callender, Ruth Hendel, Sharon Karmazin, Martian Entertainment, Stacey Mindich, Eric Schnall, The Shubert Organization

Les Misérables

Producer:  Cameron Mackintosh

 

Violet

Producers:  Roundabout Theatre Company, Todd Haimes, Harold Wolpert, Julia C. Levy, Sydney Beers, Amy Sherman-Palladino and Daniel Palladino, David Mirvish, Barry and Fran Weissler, Elizabeth Armstrong, Mary Jo and Ted Shen

Best Book of a Musical

Aladdin

Chad Beguelin

Beautiful – The Carole King Musical

Douglas McGrath

Bullets Over Broadway

Woody Allen

A Gentleman’s Guide to Love & Murder

Robert L. Freedman

Best Original Score (Music and/or Lyrics) Written for the Theatre

Aladdin

Music: Alan Menken
Lyrics: Howard Ashman, Tim Rice and Chad Beguelin

The Bridges of Madison County

Music & Lyrics: Jason Robert Brown

A Gentleman’s Guide to Love & Murder

Music: Steven Lutvak
Lyrics: Robert L. Freedman & Steven Lutvak

If/Then

Music: Tom Kitt
Lyrics: Brian Yorkey

 

Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Play

Samuel Barnett, Twelfth Night
Bryan Cranston, All The Way
Chris O’Dowd, Of Mice and Men
Mark Rylance, Richard III
Tony Shalhoub, Act One


Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Play

Tyne Daly, Mothers and Sons
LaTanya Richardson Jackson, A Raisin in the Sun
Cherry Jones, The Glass Menagerie
Audra McDonald, Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar & Grill
Estelle Parsons, The Velocity of Autumn


Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Musical

Neil Patrick Harris, Hedwig and the Angry Inch
Ramin Karimloo, Les Misérables
Andy Karl, Rocky
Jefferson Mays, A Gentleman’s Guide to Love & Murder
Bryce Pinkham, A Gentleman’s Guide to Love & Murder


Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Musical

Mary Bridget Davies, A Night with Janis Joplin
Sutton Foster, Violet
Idina Menzel, If/Then
Jessie Mueller, Beautiful – The Carole King Musical
Kelli O’Hara, The Bridges of Madison County


Best Performance by an Actor in a Featured Role in a Play

Reed Birney, Casa Valentina
Paul Chahidi, Twelfth Night
Stephen Fry, Twelfth Night
Mark Rylance, Twelfth Night
Brian J. Smith, The Glass Menagerie


Best Performance by an Actress in a Featured Role in a Play

Sarah Greene, The Cripple of Inishmaan
Celia Keenan-Bolger, The Glass Menagerie
Sophie Okonedo, A Raisin in the Sun
Anika Noni Rose, A Raisin in the Sun
Mare Winningham, Casa Valentina

 

Best Performance by an Actor in a Featured Role in a Musical

 

Danny Burstein, Cabaret
Nick Cordero, Bullets Over Broadway
Joshua Henry, Violet
James Monroe Iglehart, Aladdin
Jarrod Spector, Beautiful – The Carole King Musical


Best Performance by an Actress in a Featured Role in a Musical

Linda Emond, Cabaret
Lena Hall, Hedwig and the Angry Inch
Anika Larsen, Beautiful – The Carole King Musical
Adriane Lenox, After Midnight
Lauren Worsham, A Gentleman’s Guide to Love & Murder


Best Scenic Design of a Play

Beowulf Boritt, Act One
Bob Crowley, The Glass Menagerie
Es Devlin, Machinal
Christopher Oram, The Cripple of Inishmaan


Best Scenic Design of a Musical

Christopher Barreca, Rocky
Julian Crouch, Hedwig and the Angry Inch
Alexander Dodge, A Gentleman’s Guide to Love & Murder
Santo Loquasto, Bullets Over Broadway


Best Costume Design of a Play

Jane Greenwood, Act One
Michael Krass, Machinal
Rita Ryack, Casa Valentina
Jenny Tiramani, Twelfth Night


Best Costume Design of a Musical

Linda Cho, A Gentleman’s Guide to Love & Murder
William Ivey Long, Bullets Over Broadway
Arianne Phillips, Hedwig and the Angry Inch
Isabel Toledo, After Midnight


Best Lighting Design of a Play

Paule Constable, The Cripple of Inishmaan
Jane Cox, Machinal
Natasha Katz, The Glass Menagerie
Japhy Weideman, Of Mice and Men


Best Lighting Design of a Musical

Kevin Adams, Hedwig and the Angry Inch
Christopher Akerlind, Rocky
Howell Binkley, After Midnight
Donald Holder, The Bridges of Madison County


Best Sound Design of a Play

Alex Baranowski, The Cripple of Inishmaan
Steve Canyon Kennedy, Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar & Grill
Dan Moses Schreier, Act One
Matt Tierney, Machinal


Best Sound Design of a Musical

Peter Hylenski, After Midnight
Tim O’Heir, Hedwig and the Angry Inch
Mick Potter, Les Misérables
Brian Ronan, Beautiful – The Carole King Musical

 

Best Direction of a Play

Tim Carroll, Twelfth Night
Michael Grandage, The Cripple of Inishmaan
Kenny Leon, A Raisin in the Sun
John Tiffany, The Glass Menagerie


Best Direction of a Musical

Warren Carlyle, After Midnight
Michael Mayer, Hedwig and the Angry Inch
Leigh Silverman, Violet
Darko Tresnjak, A Gentleman’s Guide to Love & Murder


Best Choreography

Warren Carlyle, After Midnight
Steven Hoggett & Kelly Devine, Rocky
Casey Nicholaw, Aladdin

Susan Stroman, Bullets Over Broadway

 

Best Orchestrations

Doug Besterman, Bullets Over Broadway
Jason Robert Brown, The Bridges of Madison County
Steve Sidwell, Beautiful – The Carole King Musical
Jonathan Tunick, A Gentleman’s Guide to Love & Murder

* * *

Recipients of Awards and Honors in Non-competitive Categories

 

Special Tony Award for Lifetime Achievement in the Theatre

Jane Greenwood

Regional Theatre Award

Signature Theatre, New York, N.Y.

Isabelle Stevenson Award

Rosie O’Donnell

Tony Honors for Excellence in the Theatre

Joseph P. Benincasa

Joan Marcus

Charlotte Wilcox

* * *

Tony Nominations by Production

A Gentleman’s Guide to Love & Murder – 10

Hedwig and the Angry Inch – 8

After Midnight – 7

Beautiful – The Carole King Musical – 7

The Glass Menagerie – 7

Twelfth Night – 7

Bullets Over Broadway – 6

The Cripple of Inishmaan – 6

Act One – 5

Aladdin – 5

A Raisin in the Sun – 5

The Bridges of Madison County – 4

Casa Valentina – 4

Machinal – 4

Rocky – 4

Violet – 4

Les Misérables – 3

All The Way – 2

Cabaret – 2

If/Then – 2

Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar & Grill – 2

Mothers and Sons – 2

Of Mice and Men – 2

A Night with Janis Joplin – 1

Outside Mullingar – 1

Richard III – 1

The Velocity of Autumn – 1

#TonyAwards
www.TonyAwards.com

 

Clippers Scandal: Sterling Donates Yearly to Black Charities, GF’s Name is Not “V Stiviano”

Roger Friedman
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Clippers Scandal: Sterling Donates Yearly to Black Charities, GF’s Name is Not “V Stiviano”

UPDATE: This doesn’t excuse Donald Sterling from anything he’s done or said. But it’s interesting to note that he’s donated money annually to at least two black charities a year, sometimes three.

Also his girlfriend’s name is not “V. Stiviano.” No one’s name is “V. Stiviano” in the United States. In fact no one with the last name of Stiviano is any phone book. It seems like that’s a corporate name this woman took for a t shirt and cap company. Her real name is either Monica Gallegos or Maria Perez.

As for Sterling: in 2010, 2011, and 2012 at least, he donated $10,000 to both the Black Business Association and the United Negro College Fund. In 2011, at least, he donated $5,000 to the Los Angeles chapter of the NAACP. Does that not make him a racist? I have no idea. But that’s what’s in the filings, for better or worse.

By the way, his wife Rochelle must have a full time legal staff. She’s constantly in L.A. Superior Court about something.

Exclusive: Clippers Owner Reneged on Tuition Payment at L.A. Catholic School– Made them Pay Him Back

Roger Friedman
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Exclusive: Clippers Owner Reneged on Tuition Payment at L.A. Catholic School– Made them Pay Him Back

Donald Sterling, now the subject of much scorn, not only owns the L.A. Clippers and lots of real estate, but he also has a charitable foundation. According to the 2011-12 Form 990 for the Donald Sterling Foundation, Sterling reneged on a tuition to payment to St. Bernardine’s School in Woodland Hills for $10,000. According to the filing, “the disbursement was unintentionally made by the founder of the foundation.”  Sterling demanded his $10,000 returned, and the school sent it back.

Since Sterling isn’t Catholic, and his two living children are grown (a son committed suicide last year), it may be the child for whom the tuition was reneged had something to do with his mistress, V. Stiviano.

But who is this Stiviano? In public records all over the U.S. no such person exists. However, in a lawsuit filed against her on March 7th by Sterling’s wife Rochelle, Stiviano may actually be named Monica Gallegos. The lawsuit doesn’t mention the tuition or a child. But Rochelle Sterling does claim “Stiviano” is a gold digger who managed to get Rolls Royces and $1.8 million from Donald Sterling, as well as a condo.

Indeed “V.  Stiviano” is a corporate name for Maria Perez with many aliases. Here’s her Instagram page: http://www.enjoygram.com/vstiviano

The lawsuit was reported at the time by local CBS in Los Angeles and other outlets, but didn’t become national. It may have been the catalyst for TMZ suddenly releasing the now worldwide known tape of Sterling and “Stiviano” discussing his feelings about blacks in basketball and in life in general. The result is a firestorm. “Stivano” says she didn’t give TMZ the tapes, but history shows that a woman scorned on TMZ used to be called Mel Gibson’s baby mama. And she had loads of tapes.

It should be of interest that Sterling gave away $340K to various charities in 2011-12 including $10,000 to the United Negro College Fund and $10,000 to the Black Business Owners Association. This by no means excuses his alleged comments on the TMZ tape, but it’s a fact nonetheless. He made the same contributions in 2009-10, and 2010-11, as well as $5,000 to the Los Angeles NAACP.

The St. Bernardine’s tuition isn’t the first charity money Sterling has reneged on. In 2008 he pledged $50 million for homeless shelters in L.A. According to the L.A. Weekly, they’ve never been built. No record of such a shelter turns up in his foundation’s records.

Good read: http://www.laweekly.com/2009-01-01/news/donald-t-sterling-39-s-fake-homeless-center/

“Mad Men” Takes a Field Trip, Everyone Comes Home Feeling Bad

Roger Friedman
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“Mad Men” Takes a Field Trip, Everyone Comes Home Feeling Bad

“Mad Men” season 7, episode 3, “Field Trip”: Betty agrees to go on Bobby’s field trip. It’s a disaster. Henry seems like he may be running out of patience with her. Don takes a field trip to L.A. to see Megan. It’s a disaster. Megan is reported by her agent to be acting strangely, but it’s April 1969. I remind you that Sharon Tate was killed later in the year. That’s not going to happen. But their marriage, which might be considered a field trip, is over.

When Betty asked Henry if she was a good mother, I could hear the answer from Boston to Miami. How many couches were fallen off of?

In the office: you did get the feeling that if the characters weren’t under contract, and had to somehow be written into the next episodes, they would have kicked Don out. Why Don agreed to their demands and stayed at Sterling Cooper is beyond me. Raise your hand if you think it won’t last.Why Don didn’t let them buy him out and just go to Wells, Rich, Greene, or anywhere else including California, is a mystery. So he’ll come back and win the place over?

Plus, Lou is the most despicable character ever to be on the show. You know things will end badly with him.

What’s with Peggy telling Don he wasn’t missed? What’s with Peggy anyway?

Cultural references: the Algonquin Hotel, which has some kind of deal with “Mad Men.” They’ve been advertising it in their lobby for weeks. Also, Joey Heatherton. “My Favorite Martian” was heard in the background on a TV. Jimi Hendrix played out the show with “If 6 Was 9.”

And here’s a a clip from the movie Don was watching on TV, “Model Shop” from 1969. Listen to that last line Gary Lockwood says in the trailer. Don could have said it to Megan.

Keira Knightley Won’t Sing More After “Begin Again,” Even If She has a Hit Single

Roger Friedman
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Keira Knightley Won’t Sing More After “Begin Again,” Even If She has a Hit Single

I told you last September from Toronto about John Carney’s movie “Can a Song Save Your Life?” Carney, who wrote and directed the beloved “Once,” has made sort of a New York version that’s a total winner, a real gem that could be the surprise release of 2014. (This is also Adam Levine’s movie debut, and he’s very, very good.)

Harvey Weinstein bought it, and changed the title to “Begin Again,” (Apparently focus groups really didn’t like the original title, and no one could remember it except me.)

Last night, the whole group had to “Begin Again” to close Tribeca: Carney, Keira Knightley, Hallie Steinfeld, and Maroon 5 front man Adam Levine (also from “The Voice,” tabloids, and a clothing line). Absent, sadly, were Mark Ruffalo, who’s dead on as a down and out loser drunk of an A&R record company guy, Mos Def as his disapproving partner, and Catherine Keener as his ex wife.

“Begin Again,” which rolls out July 4th, will be the most charming movie of the year. When the film started, my actual first thought was, My old friends, I missed these people. How often can you say that about a movie? Plus, the songs by the New Radicals’ Gregg Alexander and Danielle Brisebois (with a couple by Carney and one by “Once”‘s Glen Hansard) are all hits. Everyone one of them.

The story is about Ruffalo’s Dan, who hasn’t had a hit in years, drinks heavily, is in bad shape with his wife and daughter. He discovers unknown Gretta (Knightley) in a small club in New York playing one of her songs. She’s just left her boyfriend Dave Kohl (not Dave Grohl), who’s on the verge of becoming a rock star. Gretta wants to go home to the UK, but Dan convinces her to stay and record an album al fresco, in the streets of New York. The city has never looked better or more romantic. And while Dan and Gretta make their album outside, Carney makes his movie the same way.

And guess what? The beautiful, funny Keira Knightley, who has her breakthrough American movie at last, sings the songs Adam Levine doesn’t. In fact, it’s a weird twist: Knightley the actress sings, Levine the singer acts. For real.

Has Keira sung since the movie? “No!” she replied with a big smile when I caught up with her at the Tribeca Film Festival’s smashing closing dinner at the Tribeca Grill, sponsored by Chanel. “It was torture, and they were so nice about it. But never again!” No album coming? Sounds like Anna Kendrick after her “Cups” was a big hit from the “Pitch Perfect” soundtrack. “I’ve never met her,” Keira said, “Now we have something in common, definitely!”

Don’t be surprised if there’s a lot of awards action on “Begin Again” later in the fall. More on this terrific movie in June as the fun begins…

PS We’re waiting for a clip of Keira singing. Meantime, here’s a great one of the New Radicals’ classic 1998 hit. I’m a big fan of theirs, and I just realized why– they remind me a little of Todd Rundgren. Anyway, Gregg Alexander and Danielle Brisebois are going to have a hot year:

 

Tribeca: Grace Kaufman, 11, Is the New Dakota Fanning in “Sister”

Roger Friedman
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Tribeca: Grace Kaufman, 11, Is the New Dakota Fanning in “Sister”

You’d be hard pressed to find as engaging a kid as Grace Kaufman in David Lascher’s “Sister.” She’s the kind of little knockout that Dakota and Elle Fanning, Abigail Breslin, and Shirley Temple were in their day. When “Sister” played at the Tribeca Film Festival on Friday night, it was Kaufman who busy stealing the spotlight from “Veep” star Reid Scott and the always exceptional Barbara Hershey.

David Lascher co-wrote (with Todd Camhe) and directed this first feature about a mildly successful actor, 30ish, in L.A. who suddenly has to care for a child (Kaufman) his parents adopted late in life. The story is a little autobiographical. Lascher, 40, appeared in a lot of teen TV series like “Sabrina, the Teenage Witch” and “Hey Dude” in the mid 90s. He knows the layout of the land pretty well, which makes the inside Hollywood stuff all too real. His “Sabrina” co-star,  Caroline Rhea, the comedian, showed up to lend support on Friday night.

You’d think “Sister” would be formulaic, but it rises above the usual with some complications: Scott, who plays the sarcastically venal wannabe campaign manager Dan on “Veep” so well brings a real edge to the Peter Pan-ish Billy. He has almost no use for his widowed, manic depressive mother (Hershey, in a really nice turn). She wasn’t much of a mother to him and she hasn’t been so good for the late in life adopted child.

There’s nothing wrong with what is called, sometimes disparagingly, a “Lifetime movie,” if it’s surprisingly good. Is there such a thing as an “indie Lifetime” movie? Yes. “Sister” is certainly that, which means I could see it on IFC or Sundance, and on video on demand. Scott jumps out of “Veep” a notch with “Sister” and Kaufman should be working around the clock once casting directors see her.

 

 

Empty NYC: No One Talks About All the For Rent Retail Space

Roger Friedman
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Empty NYC: No One Talks About All the For Rent Retail Space

There’s more for rent retail space in Manhattan than ever before. Since the fall of 2008, the city is full of ‘for rent’ signs on the main avenues and in the ritziest districts. There’s a story in the New York Post about it today at http://nypost.com/2014/04/26/the-hidden-proof-the-economy-is-still-awful/

Let me tell you what we’ve got down here: West 8th St. between Fifth and Sixth Avenue is a ghost town. Barnes & Noble went out out of business, and no one replaced them. Vacant. Across the street, Gray’s Papaya went out, and no one’s come in, although there are rumors of something no one wants called Liquiteria.

Next to where Gray’s Papaya used to be, there’s a store that is perpetually vacant. In the old old days it was Kaiser’s Fine Men’s Clothing. One business after another has died there including the most recent, a pretty good chicken ‘n’ ribs place. This is all on Sixth Avenue, in the heart of Greenwich Village.

Two or three blocks north, there’s another retail shop vacant between 11th and 12th streets, and another between 12th and 13th streets on the east side of Sixth Avenue. Across the street, after months of being vacant after Food Emporium vacated, in moved a spooky looking deep discount store called Buddy’s. They won’t be there too long, though, since I’ve rarely seen customers.

Over at the southeast corner of Sixth and 13th, Chipotle is moving into a long vacant spot. Since there are already two Chipotle’s within another couple of blocks north and and south, you can only imagine that those will close. How much demand could there be for crappy Mexican fast food in the neighborhood? One will do.

Wait! Did I mention the northwest corner of Sixth Avenue and 11th St.? Ray’s Pizza closed, was replaced by Roio’s, and they closed. The owners sold the building, and now brown paper covers the windows. And back around West 10th Street, heading west toward Greenwich Avenue, the former beloved Pet Palace has been boarded up for over a year, maybe longer.

This is all just in a small radius of a neighborhood where billionaires live in townhouses and a huge luxurious apartment complex is being built where St. Vincent’s Hospital once stood. There is no regular supermarket anymore where you can buy paper towels, canned soup, or Reynold’s Wrap.

It used to be the New York no one talked about was in an outer borough. But nowadays, it’s right on the Gold Coast. In a lot of ways, New York neighborhoods are a lot like small towns across the country– and sometimes just as forgotten.

 

Sunday NYTimes Mag Blockbuster Cover Story on Animal Rights Has Kickstarter for Pennebaker Doc

Roger Friedman
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1
Sunday NYTimes Mag Blockbuster Cover Story on Animal Rights Has Kickstarter for Pennebaker Doc

The Sunday New York Times Magazine cover story this weekend is tied to a Kickstarter campaign for a documentary by Chris Hegedus and DA Pennebaker. Animal rights activist Steven Wise is featured by writer Charles Siebert in his piece “Should A Chimp Be Able to Sue its Owner?” For the last 18 months, the award winning Pennebaker Hegedus Films has been working on a film about Wise and his chimps. They’ve even paid a visit to Bubbles, Michael Jackson’s famous former pet. They’re trying to raise $75,000 over the weekend to help complete their work on “Unlocking the Cage.” I’ve seen some of their footage, and it will blow your mind. Anyone involved in animal rights will want to get in on this ASAP.

Here’s their clip:

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/929991495/unlocking-the-cage-a-new-documentary?ref=live

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/04/27/magazine/the-rights-of-man-and-beast.html?ref=magazine&_r=0

Cameron Diaz –With Terrible Reviews– Can Open a Movie! “Other Woman” Scores $25 Mil Weekend

Roger Friedman
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Cameron Diaz –With Terrible Reviews– Can Open a Movie! “Other Woman” Scores $25 Mil Weekend

Cameron Diaz can open a movie, even if it has terrible reviews. “The Other Woman” scored $9.3 million last night and is headed to a $25 million weekend. What’s the secret? Diaz is a gifted comedian and knows how to sell a film. Other than that, it’s hard to say.

“The Other Woman” will be a big hit ever for Nick Cassavetes, son of the late legend John Cassavetes. Nick has worked hard for years with lots of films like “Blow” and “John Q,” and was even the proposed director of the never made “Gotti” film. His mother is the famed actress Gena Rowlands. Neither parent… well, look, everyone has to pay bills.

“The Other Woman” also stars Nikolas Coster-Waldaj, who raped his fictional sister last week on “Game of Thrones.” Maybe he’s a draw too. Nikki Minaj, former agitator of “American Idol” fame, is also featured.

“The Other Woman” has a 24% on Rotten Tomatoes. It’s destined for airplanes and VOD. But if it keeps clicking, there will undoubtedly be sequels. So congrats!

At least these people made a movie that people wanted to see. Johnny Depp’s “Transcendence” has transcended its bottom line. It’s a total loss in its second weekend. Out the window: $100-$125 million. Poof. Goodbye. At least it wasn’t Warner Bros.’ loss this time.

Tony Awards Judges Pit 2 “Les Miz” Actors Against Each Other, Make Audra McDonald Musical a Play

Roger Friedman
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1
Tony Awards Judges Pit 2 “Les Miz” Actors Against Each Other, Make Audra McDonald Musical a Play

Broadway: the Tony Awards committee, a mysterious group that will decide who is nominated for what next week, has made a couple of last minute decisions. One of them pits two lead actors against each other in “Les Miserables.” The other turns a musical into a play. And those two decisions also affect, by coincidence, a married couple.

With “Les Miserables,” Ramin Karimloo and Will Swenson are now each eligible for a Best Actor in a Musical. Karimloo plays Jean val Jean, Swenson is Javert. Karimloo is making his American and Broadway debut. Swenson is a well liked past Tony nominee and a Broadway star. He’s also the husband of Broadway darling and Tony winner Audra McDonald.

McDonald stars in a revival of the musical “Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar and Grill.”  She plays Billie Holiday. It’s a musical. The Outer Critics Circle said it was, and so did the Drama League. They each nominated “Lady Day” for Best Revival of a Musical. The Drama Desk this morning just ignored it, but nominated McDonald for Best Actress in a Play. A play! With no music! She sings all through the show. There is wall to wall music.

Okay, this problem comes from persistent and relentless producer Jeffrey Richards. He’s been lobbying all the awards groups to make “Lady Day” a play and not a musical. Wise people ignored him. Some people– the Drama Desk– kind of ignored him.

Somehow he’s now persuaded the Tony Awards that “Lady Day” is a play. I guess when McDonald sang, they went to the bathroom. Or they were were tired of Richards’ annoying pleas. Anyway, that’s ridiculous. But with today’s Tony committee decision, the uber-talented Swenson-McDonald household can be very happy.

Do I disagree with the decision about “Les Miz”? I feel bad for Karimloo, who’s worked hard to get here. But frankly, Will Swenson’s Javert is outstanding. He probably deserves the Tony for Best Actor in a Musical.  And now he’s going to get it.

This is Audra McDonald in her play:

 

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