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Pop Music: Hot 100 “Frozen” As Disney Soundtrack At #1 Since New Year’s– And No End in Sight

Roger Friedman
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Pop Music: Hot 100 “Frozen” As Disney Soundtrack At #1 Since New Year’s– And No End in Sight

“Frozen”? You know it was an animated movie, won the Oscar, and had something to do with kids. But did you know the soundtrack to “Frozen” has been at number 1 since its debut there on January 6th? Released on November 25, 2013, the “Frozen” music, with the hit single “Let it Go,” has not melted since that time. Other releases have come and gone, but “Frozen” sells and sells. As of this week, it’s hitting the 2 million copy mark. Half of the sales are digital.

Part of the success of “Frozen” is that there is nothing else out there. With so many stories about music executives changing jobs, people announcing new labels and all kinds of deals, there’s very little product being released. And the product that is released amounts to very little.

Right now there are no big releases until May 6th. That’s when Mariah Carey is supposedly releasing her long awaited album postponed from a year ago. There’s no guarantee that it will be the needed monster hit. Carey has released two singles, and one more “for her fans.” None of them did much. After Carey comes the May 13th releases from Coldplay and Rascal Flatts. The May 20th charts will reflect those sales, which should be good. Coldplay, in particular, seems poised for a hit. And the country market won’t fail Rascal Flatts.

But then comes another desert. Jennifer Hudson has her new album on May 27th. A month later comes Ed Sheeran’s “X.” By then, if Coldplay has not nailed down #1 for two weeks, “Frozen” could be back on top. Why? Who knows? “Let it Go” should have been let go a long time ago. No follow up single has emerged. “Frozen” is not exactly Adele’s “21.” It’s not a treasure trove of hits. It’s more like background music for a mall party.

Meanwhile, there will be more announcements of record execs earning millions and millions, cutbacks at whatever labels still exist, and radio playing the same stuff over and over and over. Nothing guaranteed. Pharrell’s wonderful single, “Happy,” is played constantly everywhere. Yet it hasn’t translated into blockbuster album sales. His “G I R L” collection has fair numbers, and comes in around number 4. Not bad, but not great.

Maybe there will be a surprise album release. Beyonce had one, and churned up the charts. But who would the artist be? Legacy artists from my generation don’t sell beyond one week. The 90s and early 2000s didn’t leave us much. It’s a bleak picture. Wanted: music superstar. Needed: quickly.

Michael Jackson Irony: $800K Court Order Means He’s Paying Concert Promoter for Death

Roger Friedman
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Michael Jackson Irony: $800K Court Order Means He’s Paying Concert Promoter for Death

Here’s the weirdest ending to the Michael Jackson saga: Katherine Jackson, Michael’s mother, has to pay $800,000 to AEGLive in court fees and legal fees. Why? She lost the lawsuit she brought against AEGLive over Michael’s death. After spending millions on her own lawyers, Mrs. Jackson now has to cough up this chunk of cash. But where will she get it from? Mrs. Jackson has no money of her own. Her funds come from Michael’s estate.

Essentially, Michael Jackson is now paying AEGLive after they were going to pay him $10 million or more for the London concerts. It’s not AEG’s fault. That’s the way the court system functions. Mrs. Jackson even got $400K knocked off the total AEG was asking for. The concert promoter was asking for $1.2 million originally. In settlement talks they arrived at $800K. What a bizarre conclusion.

In other miscellaneous Michael Jackson news, there are tabloid reports that Debbie Rowe wants to either get custody of Michael’s kids and/or marry her BFF, gay porn producer Marc Schaffel. It seems unlikely either of things might happen, but you never know. Sources tell me that Prince aka Michael Jackson Jr. has no interest in that, and can’t be forced to live with Rowe. Paris remains in her boarding school for troubled teens. “She hates it and wants to come home,” says an insider. Rowe, the source says, has best shot with Paris. Blanket will remain with Mrs. Jackson since he is not Rowe’s biological child.

Meanwhile we wait for Michael’s second posthumous album, “Xscape,” with a cover of the America song “Horse with No Name.”

“Mad Men” Scores Lower Premiere Ratings than Usual As Audiences Expect Weekly Cheap Shocks

Roger Friedman
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“Mad Men” Scores Lower Premiere Ratings than Usual As Audiences Expect Weekly Cheap Shocks

First it was the Red Wedding, and everyone died. Now that annoying kid king on “Game of Thrones” was offed without a word. On “The Good Wife,” Josh Charles got shot by a random character in the courtroom. Dead. On “Breaking Bad,” characters were knocked off without warning, and in brutal unexpected ways. All of it is to get ratings and drive the audience crazy. Cheap shocks for little pay off. “House of Cards” pushed major player Kate Mara in front of a train.

So “Mad Men” debuted on Sunday night to a lower than expected audience. Beautifully acted, exceptionally well written, with a story that’s teased out over many episodes, “Mad Men” had no sudden shocking deaths. No one was murdered. And while bloggers, Tweeters and some critics keep hoping Megan will be killed by Charles Manson, it’s not going to happen. “Mad Men” has had few shocks over its years. Maybe the biggest was the suicide of Lane Pryce (Jared Harris). Otherwise, Matthew Weiner’s characters react and act in ways that are identifiable to human beings.

That’s called drama. It’s not melodrama, which “Scandal” dishes out minute by minute. The only way to keep the audience interested, it seems, is to put everyone in peril every week. The lesson is, If you don’t come back we might kill your favorite character.

But it’s unlikely that Don Draper will jump out a window or fall down an elevator shaft. When Megan made note of their new home in the Canyons, its isolation and howling coyotes, Weiner was merely taking the piss, as it were. He’s heard all the Sharon Tate rumors. He was pulling your leg. And still, people took it seriously. If the next song from the Sixties on “Mad Men” were “Helter Skelter” it would be totally out of character.

Is the audience immune to regular drama? On “Law & Order SVU” this year it wasn’t just the guest characters in trouble. Olivia (Mariska Hargitay) was kidnapped and tortured by a crazy guy. How can Don Draper and his friends’ psychological portraits? “Mad Men” is logical, and elegantly told. Weiner is dealing with nuances of character. Peggy is not going to shoot an intruder in her building. She’s going to try and navigate the idiosyncrasies of her life to some kind of satisfying conclusion.

If you missed “Mad Men” on Sunday night because cheap shocks were triggered elsewhere, please do come back. The final march of the “Mad Men” through 1969 is already fascinating. It won’t be easy, or pat. You may have to wait for a real payoff. But that’s what worth it. And that’s what makes the show special.

A couple of things from Sunday night: Neve Campbell’s character could be an intriguing turn for Don. She was instantly with the program. Joan’s blossoming was historic. Also seeing Peggy up against a man who doesn’t appreciate her work skills was a great idea. So far, she’s had it easy. Will Bert Cooper die? I bet he does, in the second half of the finale series next year. Will Roger leave advertising for good? Will Pete and Peggy see their child? Sorry, no one’s getting pushed in front of a train.

Word: Annette Bening Coming Back to New York Theatre This Summer

Roger Friedman
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Word: Annette Bening Coming Back to New York Theatre This Summer

Is Annette Bening returning to New York theater at last? I am told– still unconfirmed–that Bening has agreed to play Goneril in the New York Shakespeare Festival’s production of “King Lear.” Her Lear would be John Lithgow. Daniel Sullivan is the director.

Bening rose to fame in “Coastal Disturbances” opposite Tim Daly way back in 1987– many eons ago! She hasn’t been back since then but you know, she’s a pretty big movie star.

Bening, I think, got cheated out of an Oscar for “American Beauty” and again for “Being Julia.”

Lithgow and Bening means the Delacorte Theatre will be the hot spot of the summer. All hail the Public Theater’s creative director Oskar Eustus!

Now: who will play the pther daughters? Lily Rabe is already in “Much Ado About Nothing.” She gave up the next “Hunger Games” for it. Would she have the energy? How about Lily and the Gummer sisters, Mamie and Grace?

Stay tuned…

UPDATE: Golden Globes Makes Huge Mistake About Charitable Donation, Ex- Prez Still Suspended!

Roger Friedman
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UPDATE: Golden Globes Makes Huge Mistake About Charitable Donation, Ex- Prez Still Suspended!

UPDATED 3:55PM: The idiots at the HFPA had posted a donation of “five million dollars”– spelled out no less. They have now corrected it to “five thousand” after seeing my article. Everything else stands. I’m told that Phil Berk’s suspension and the move to get rid of his book has to do with the June 4th appeals hearing in their case with Dick Clark Productions. Somehow they think the appeals judges will not have heard of the book or read it. I’ll send them my copy.

PS The mystery of the 2012 donations continues…

EARLIER: Posted on their website: the kooky Hollywood Foreign Press Association has decided to donate $5 million– five million dollars– to the Art of Elysium charity. This is more than three times the amount the HFPA donates in one year to a variety of charities. It’s also more than the Art of Elysium has received in total since 2007 in donations from everyone. In 2011, their total income, for example, was only $1.5 million.

Many crazy things here. In 2012, the HFPA gave Art of Elysium just $5,000– five thousand dollars. So they went from five thousand to five million in one year. Second, nice as the Art of Elysium is– they encourage actors and artists to help the underprivileged–they have nothing to do with film or the film world or really anything in the realm of the Golden Globes. What the two groups have in common: they give great parties.

Many of the HFPA’s regular charities– like Martin Scorsese’s film preservation foundation or film schools– must be shocked to hear this news. The most they ever get from the HFPA is $100,000 or so.

Plus, as I reported in January, just three months ago: the HFPA has never said what happened to the $1.5 million they said they donated to charities in 2012. The group wrote a check to its now non existent self named Charitable Foundation — a 501 c 3 that is no longer active. When I asked Theo Kingma, current president of the HFPA, he never could provide an adequate answer.

On top of this, Mike Fleming reports over at Deadline.com that former president Phil Berk has been suspended for six months from the HFPA over his insane memoir called “With Signs and Wonders.” Plus the book is being pulled. (Amazon says it only has 3 copies anyway– it wasn’t exactly a best seller.) The book shows that Berk is really a nut– vicious toward his enemies, not so nice to fellow HFPA members.

You can read about the book here.

The HFPA starts its “new year” in the summer. I’m told that all the officers are giving themselves raises, too. Kingma would then be getting $100,000 a year to steer this ship. The whole thing would be hilarious if it weren’t so sad.

Poignant: Mick Jagger’s Daughter Georgia Breaks Silence on L’Wren Scott: “I Miss L’Wren So Much”

Roger Friedman
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Poignant: Mick Jagger’s Daughter Georgia Breaks Silence on L’Wren Scott: “I Miss L’Wren So Much”

Since the funeral of L’Wren Scott we haven’t heard much from the Jagger family. But Georgia May Jagger, daughter of Mick and Jerry Hall, posted a photo of herself with L’Wren and a lovely thought on Instagram. This should negate the terrible and ugly fictions created by the tabloids that Scott was not close to the Jagger kids. Lemming tab writers just swallowed whatever crap their colleagues came up with. If Karis Jagger, Mick’s eldest daughter, hadn’t like Scott she sure wouldn’t have shlepped around L.A. looking for a cemetery.

She writes: “I miss L’wren so much and I am so sad she isn’t here anymore. She was such a big part of my life. I will never forget all the fun times we had together. She was part of our family and always will be. Rest in peace.”

Barbra Streisand, Rare Celeb Who Puts Money Where Mouth Is: $666K to Charities

Roger Friedman
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Barbra Streisand, Rare Celeb Who Puts Money Where Mouth Is: $666K to Charities

Barbra Streisand is one of the rare celebrities who backs up her ideas with money. In 2012, according to the tax filing that just came available, the multi hyphenate actress-singer-director gave away $666,400 to charities through her personal foundation. And unlike say, Madonna, none of it went to kooky religions or cults or other questionable activities.

The foundation claims net assets of $7.5 million and just one employee. Streisand’s long time political consultant, Marge Tabankin, well respected in the community, makes $168,000 a year. She’s the sole paid staffer. The foundation otherwise has minimal expenses– no rent, and just $2,500 listed for “travel, conferences, etc”.  In other words, they keep it clean, and to the point.

The largest donation is $62,500 to the Clinton Foundation, which is no surprise. The next biggest are to Cedars Sinai Hospital in Los Angeles and to the Brooklyn Community Foundation — $25,000 apiece.  Streisand gave $15,000 to pal Donna Karan’s Urban Zen Foundation, a worthy cause.

Streisand’s donations actually increased from 2011 to 2012, although it doesn’t look that way at first glance. In 2011, she gave Cedars Sinai $1 million. The balance — to miscellaneous groups– came to $475,000. The Cedars Sinai bequest was a one time thing (and still pretty amazing).

The rest of the 2012 donations are spread evenly over a selection of arts, health, and women’s groups. Some are repeats from prior years, but not all. Barbra gave MusiCares $15,000 after being named Person of the Year in 2011. Not every singer who receives the honor donates money back to the Grammy foundation for musicians in need. That was a classy touch.

There are a number of donations, of course, to liberal organizations: People for the American Way, NARAL, Planned Parenthood, and Media Matters, among them. Bravo Barbra!

 

 

 

Arnold Schwarzenegger An Artist? Rare Lithograph Goes Up for Auction, Estimated Price $100-$300

Roger Friedman
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Arnold Schwarzenegger An Artist? Rare Lithograph Goes Up for Auction, Estimated Price $100-$300

How much is a piece of art by Arnold Schwarzenegger worth? We’re about to find out. Clark’s Fine Auctions of Los Angeles has put a Schwarzenegger lithograph up for sale on April 26th. The estimated worth if $100-$300.

Clark’s says: “The lithograph is from an original painting by Arnold Schwarzenegger and hand signed by him, as the tirage sheet reflects. It comes in the original portfolio case and includes the tirage.”

Who even knew the former Governor of California and the ex-Mr. Maria Shriver fancied himself an artiste? He’s really a Renaissance man.

The drawing, lot 173, is called “Inner City Games.” The description: “INNER CITY GAMES, color lithograph, signed in pencil, from the numbered edition 100, image 18 x 14”, full margins, with portfolio case and text, a few speckles in margins, otherwise in good condition.  $100/300″

Maybe Maria wants to put it up and use it as a target. Seriously, maybe there’s a whole collection there, and Arnold has a new career!

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New York Theatre Scoops: Cynthia Nixon in Directing Debut, James Earl Jones Can’t Take it With Him

Roger Friedman
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New York Theatre Scoops: Cynthia Nixon in Directing Debut, James Earl Jones Can’t Take it With Him

These are EXCLUSIVES (sorry, have to do that because some people just don’t learn): James Earl Jones may be heading back to Broadway this fall. He’s set for a run in a revival of Moss Hart and George S. Kaufman’s classic comedy, “You Can’t Take it With You.” Jones will play the grandfather. Scott Ellis is set to direct.

The last production of “You Can’t Take it With You” with real legends Colleen Dewhurst and Jason Robards (later the great Eddie Albert took over) as Grandpa was 31 years ago! It seems like yesterday. The same team that produced Jones in “The Best Man” is behind this group, so maybe they can convince Candice Bergen to play the Dewhurst role of the Russian countess who is now a waitress at Child’s on Broadway. One of the greatest, funniest plays of all time, if handled correctly…

Also: Double Oscar winner Dianne Wiest has signed up for a run with The New Group this fall. The production will be a first for director– yes, director– Cynthia Nixon, better known as Miranda from “Sex and the City.” After a life in the theater and a Tony Award win for Best Actress in “Rabbit Hole,” Nixon will make her directing debut with “Rasheeda.” The New Group is hot hot hot.

“American Idol” Continues Steep Decline: Thursday Results Show Loses of Wednesday Audience

Roger Friedman
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“American Idol” Continues Steep Decline: Thursday Results Show Loses of Wednesday Audience

It just goes on and on. Last night’s “American Idol” results show was a ratings disaster. They scored 7.35 million viewers and a really awful 1.7 rating in the key demo 18-49. Yikes. The night before, Wednesday, there were 8.9 million viewers and the show had a 2.0.  That means more than a million people who watched Wednesday’s show didn’t come back the next night to see what happened. Maybe they tie the singers to a moving conveyor belt with a large saw buzzing at the end. “Tune in tomorrow, Bat Fans!” At this rate, the May finale is going to go with quite the whimper.

Meanwhile, much talk about “Law & Order: SVU” renewal and Dick Wolf negotiating with NBC. Let’s hope this can be finalized soon. “SVU” had a great year, and its ratings have been very healthy. It would be a shame not to have it on the schedule. And really, NBC doesn’t anything better, or with this much loyalty. NBC, pay whatever they want. It’s quality programming. And no Mariska Hargitay on the schedule is very depressing to think about!

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