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UK Press, Vanity Fair Fall for Harry and Meghan’s Archewell Foundation “Impact Report” But Where’s Their Tax Filing?

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Harry and Meghan– you know who they are. They have an non profit foundation called Archewell. It was formed in 2020, which is now three years ago.

Today the British press fell for something called an Impact Report issued by Archewell. It says they’ve collected $13 million and given away $3 million. The report also really touts the sketchy Global Citizen charity with a big pull quote from the shady chief, Hugh Evans.

Excuse me?

So far Archewell has not published a Form 990 Federal Tax Return. This is required in the United States. The Impact Report doesn’t mention a Form 990 and there is nothing on file at the IRS’s website, or with GuideStar or Charity Navigator. The group’s staff keeps changing and their phone number isn’t published, so there’s really no way of knowing what’s going on.

If someone from Archewell wants to send along the Form 990, I’d be happy to read it. Email me at showbiz411@gmail.com.

Taylor Swift is Driving the Grammys Crazy with Will She, Won’t She Perform: She Should

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Why is Taylor Swift driving the Grammy Awards people crazy?

One day she’s showing up, but not performing. The next day she is performing. And then she’s not showing up at all.

Swift is nominated for four Grammys including Best Song, “All Too Well,” her 10 minute version. She should most certainly come and perform the song. Maybe CBS is nervous about a 10 minute song without a commercial. Who knows? If so, they should get over it, and make “All Too Well” a big moment.

Maybe Taylor is mad she didn’t get an Album of the Year nod for “Red (Taylor’s Version).” But the original album already won a boatload of awards. And she was 11 statues at home. As William DeVaughn once sang, “Be thankful for what you got.”

HBO’s “Last of Us” Scores 747K Viewers Sunday Night on Channel, 6.2 Mil Total They Say

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I really don’t get how this works.

The official number of viewers who watched “The Last of Us” on HBO Sunday night was 747.000.

HBO says that a total of 6.2 million watched all together– on HBO Max, I guess and other systems. Roku? UHF? I don’t know.

Anyway, “The Last of Us” increased its basic viewing number from the previous week by about 100,000, so that’s good. The episode is getting a lot of attention as a standalone feature gay love story with special guests Murray Bartlett and Nick Offerman. Linda Ronstadt’s song “Long Long Time” was featured and is now a hit.

Will Smith Announces Career Hail Mary Pass “Bad Boys 4” with Martin Lawrence Despite Oscar Slap Scandal

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Well, good luck with this.

In a Hail Mary pass to save his career Will Smith has announced the 4th Bad Boys movie, called Bad Boys 4. Chris Bremner, who wrote Bad Boys for Life (2020) is back to pen the new screenplay. No director has been announced.

Bad Boys comes from Sony/Columbia Pictures and Jerry Bruckheimer but it’s unclear if this movie has been greenlit or Smith and Martin Lawrence have just decided to do it. Considering the Oscar slap scandal etc this is surprising news. We’ll have to keep updating it.

“SNL” Knocked Out in 1st Round: Show Drops by 700,000 Viewers with Michael B. Jordan, Lil Baby Episode

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There’s been a knockout in the first round for “Saturday Night Live.”

This weekend’s ratings dropped 700,000 from the previous week in viewers to 4.1 million. The host was “Creed III” star Michael B. Jordan. Musical guest was Lil Baby.

Two Sats ago the show rose to new heights of 4.8 million viewers with Sam Smith musical guest, lots of cameos, and Aubrey Plaza as host.

Jordan was an amiable host but Lil Baby was not a musical guest for the ages. The fact that there were no surprises or cameos didn’t help matters. The show also veered away from political satire — and that never works. Never.

This Saturday should right the ship with Pedro Pascal hosting, he’s the star of two big TV shows including “The Last of Us.” Coldplay is performing.

Broadway: Rumored Big Change in Theater Ownership Today as Curtain May Come Down on Jujamcyn After Many Standing Ovations

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Five famous Broadway houses may be changing ownership today.

The rumor on the Rialto, as the late Earl Wilson would say, is that Jujamcyn Theaters is selling its heralded homes to the Ambassador Theater Group.

The New York Post’s Cindy Adams alluded to this in her column last week, very quietly. The theaters are the fabled St. James Theater, the August Wilson, Al Hirschfeld, Eugene O’Neill, and Walter Kerr.

Jujamcyn is not a real word. The theater company get its name from the first three letters of the former owner’s grandchildren’s names: Ju[dith], Jam[es], and Cyn[thia]. No one ever knew how to say it, and now they won’t have to.

The company has been owned since 2009 has been owned by Jordan Roth, the theater producer and son of real estate magnate Steven Roth of Vornado Properties. Jordan Roth, acting with now retired theater producer Rocco Landesman, turned the company into a powerhouse on Broadway. They’re the third largest owner after the Shuberts and Nederlanders.

Currently playing in their houses are some of the biggest hits including “Funny Girl,” “Hadestown,” “Moulin Rouge.” and “The Book of Mormon.” Coming soon to the St. James is “New York, New York” following a sold out run of “Into the Woods.”

ATG owns 58 theaters around the world but only one on Broadway, the Hudson Theater on West 44th St. They also own the Kings Theater in Brooklyn.

So stay tuned.

Review: Mary McCartney’s Abbey Road Documentary is Not to Be Missed, for Beatles Fans or Anyone Else

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I’m sadly late to this game. But I have only just now watched Mary McCartney’s “If These Walls Could Sing” on Hulu, and I’m agog. It’s a beautiful film about Abbey Road Studios, particularly the Beatles and George Martin’s historic hit making journey.

After having gone through Peter Jackson’s voluminous “Get Back” several times, I can recommend Mary McCartney’s movie as a more concise look at the Beatles’ process of creating their later, and ironic, recordings. There’s wonderful footage not even in the Jackson project or anywhere else unless you’re an obsessive archivist of Beatles material.

There are other artists, too. I didn’t realize Elton John played piano on the Hollies’ “He Ain’t Heavy, He’s My Brother” right in that room. Ditto Jimmy Page, long before Led Zeppelin, playing guitar while Shirley Bassey recorded “Goldfinger” with John Barry. Their recollections are invaluable.

British star Cliff Richard is featured, as is Pink Floyd. We get more of the story of “Dark Side of the Moon”‘s creation here than anywhere else. The warring Gallagher brothers of Oasis, who usually seem insane, are quite reasonable talking about their heavily Beatle inspired work like “Wonderwall.” And so on.

Mary McCartney is Paul and Linda’s third daughter after Heather and Stella. Like her mother Linda she’s an accomplished photographer and has an excellent eye. You can see why she wanted to commemorate this place that, as she says, grew up in. We see her a baby photographed crawling on the carpet. The studio is in her blood, so no one else could pulled this off.

What Mary does, besides explaining the history, is give her witness to her father’s and the Beatles history. She’s found footage of them constructing the White Album and Abbey Road, all of which is a revelation. Obviously, she leans heavily on her father’s work. But as in “Get Back,” you see Paul McCartney writing his classics, on film, in real time, and putting together all those albums and you can’t believe this all really happened. As Ringo Starr jokes, if it hadn’t been for Paul the group would have made three albums, not eight.

Kudos to Mary McCartney. I wish I’d seen this last summer or before, but I didn’t what can I say? I don’t even know whose movie it was. But if you have Hulu, it’s right there, and not to be missed.

Linda Ronstadt 1970 Hit “Long Long Time” Goes Top 5 at iTunes as HBO’s “Last Of Us” Gives Song Unexpected Renaissance

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Guess what’s number 5 on iTunes today? Why it’s Linda Ronstadt’s 1970 hit, “Long Long Time.”

The song — written by Gary White — was featured on Sunday night’s episode of HBO’s “The Last of Us.” And now, like Kate Bush and Lady Gaga recently — Linda is back on the charts.

Indeed, Linda’s Greatest Hits is up to number 25. Before last night, neither of these records was on anyone’s radar.

“Long Long Time” was not a big hit in 1970. It sort of came back when it was included on Linda’s first greatest hits collection after “You’re No Good” launched a string of top 10 hits beginning in 1973. “Long Long Time,” “Silver Threads and Golden Needles,” and “Different Drummer” all caught up with Linda’s Peter Asher-produced smashes like “Heat Wave” and “Blue Bayou.”

RIP Cindy Williams of “Laverne and Shirley” Fame, Dead at 75, Also Starred in “American Graffiti”

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“Laverne and Shirley” star Cindy Williams has died at 75.

Williams played the straight woman (meaning straight faced) to Penny Marshall’s Laverne. It’s hard to believe they’re both gone. The show as an enormous hit for eight seasons in the 70s and 80s. “Laverne and Shirley” was part of Garry Marshall’s mini empire, spun off from “Happy Days.” Williams appeared on the original show too.

Her movie career included George Lucas’s beloved “American Graffiti,” and Francis Ford Coppola’s “The Conversation.” She was married for 18 years to Bill Hudson, of the Hudson Brothers, after he was married to Goldie Hawn. That means their two children are half siblings of Kate and Oliver Hudson.

Shirley was cute as a button, and made a little nuts by Laverne’s over the top mischief. The actresses didn’t always get along when they were filming but they had a pretty good friendship after it was all over.

Condolences to her family and friends. So sorry.

Grammys Exclusive: Kacey Musgraves Set for Loretta Lynn Tribute, Mick Fleetwood, Sheryl Crow for Christine McVie

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The Grammys are starting to take form for Sunday and they look really good.

Kacey Mugraves, I’m told, is booked to perform a tribute to Loretta Lynn. That sounds perfect.

I hear also that Sheryl Crow and Mick Fleetwood are lined up for a tribute to Fleetwood Mac’s Christine McVie. No word yet on participation from other members of the group.

There’s also word that “Elvis” star Austin Butler will take the stage as a presenter.

Stay tuned for more…the Grammys are on Sunday at 8pm on CBS…