No masks and no vax test proof is cutting down the people on Broadway stages.
Sutton Foster is out of “The Music Man” again after testing positive. Sutton was already out with COVID a few months ago, and so was Hugh Jackman. The show went on a pause. Here we go again!
Maybe it’s time to look at alternatives like Steriwave. Just sayin….
Um, what year is it?
Over the weekend 83 year old Paul McCartney played a three hour plus set of Beatles and Wings songs at the Glastobury Festival.
At the same time, the Rolling Stones — total age 300 or more — brought 65,000 fans in Hyde Park.
Elvis Presley, dead since 1977, topped the box office. So did “Top Gun,” the sequel to a 1984 movie.
Comfort food for the masses?
Let’s not forget that the number 1 song, “Running Up that Hill,” is Kate Bush’s hit from 1985. It’s 37 years old. And the TV show it’s from is set in the 1980s and pays homage to movies from that era.
“Elvis” is still the King.
Baz Luhrmann’s unwieldly, gaudy, sometimes spectacular film about the King of Rock and Roll, Elvis Presley, is an unlikely hit. And a bellwether maybe for older movie patrons returning to theaters.
Total weekend take was $30.5 million. Elvis has not left the building! (And the final number will be a tad higher.)
The success of “Elvis” will bring a trend story: are the 50s back? Are audiences clamoring for nostalgia and a simpler time because of the current unrest and uncertainty in the country and world today? Hey, maybe.
Or maybe they just want to see a tremendous central performance, music they love, and really cool costumes. That could be it, too!
For Warner Bros, the “Elvis” success is also nice because it’s not connected to DC Comics. Elvis wears a cape but he’s an anti-super hero. The studio in the couple of years prior to the pandemic could not make such a movie fly. They had flop after flop in the “adult” movie department. “Elvis” is a vindication.
What is that sound you hear coming from the British press concerning the fourth divorce of Rupert Murdoch? Blaring headlines about infidelity, crazy drinking, wild over spending?
Nope, the sound you hear is silence.
I was interviewed for a big piece that was supposed to run on Sunday in a British paper. I’ve just received notice that it’s been “spiked.” The tabloids, even the ones not owned by Murdoch, are scared of libel laws and retribution from the 91 year old liver spotted addled purveyor of tripe. No one wants to start trouble.
Here in New York, the Post, of course, won’t say a word. And the Daily News, well, it’s not the old Daily News. They don’t even have a newsroom and no one is running it anyway. The New York Observer has been whittled down to a website for people who find it by accident. This is a low point in New York media. (And what happened to the revived Village Voice. Did it ever come back?)
Maybe Graydon Carter’s Air Mail will do something. His old magazine, Vanity Fair, is moribund. New York Magazine? If only. The National Enquirer? Are they still in business?
This is what I hear about the Murdoch divorce. Friends were genuinely surprised by the news. It’s unlikely anyone’s cheating. It’s more likely this is a real world version of “Succession,” which is a send up of the Murdochs anyway. The four elder children didn’t want Jerry Hall involved in their father’s eventual estate when he died. So why not pay her out now, and off she goes? So what if Rupert is lonely? They’ll find someone for him. Hall is quiet because she did better than her prenup would have allowed, and now she’s done with elder care. She’s 65, maybe she signed a deal not to write a book for 10 years.
But my oh my. If this were a normal high profile couple there would have been a week of front pages. And now all we have are tumbleweeds.
Wishing Carly Simon the happiest of birthdays today.
The famed singer songwriter was always the classiest of all the 70s legends. And now she’s finally in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. It’s about time!
So many hits, like “Coming Around Again” and “Let the River Run,” “Anticipation” and, of course, the still classic “You’re So Vain.” Before there was Taylor Swift or Katy Perry or any of the popular girls today, there was Carly Simon.
And she’s an author, too. Not only did her write her own memoir, she wrote one about her friendship with Jackie Kennedy Onassis. And who knows? Maybe there’s more in store for her. I know a movie is being planned about her life. And next year is the 50th anniversary of her watershed album, “No Secrets.”
Happy Birthday, Carly!
COVID is still on the attack. It just interrupted California surfer guy Jack Johnson’s tour. He’s cancelled the next few days of shows. Avril Lavigne is just in recovery mode. Mick Jagger and members of Ringo Starr’s touring band have had it, and more shows were cancelled.On Broadway, “The Minutes” has lost 11 cast members until next week.
Is there a solution? There’s a big rock group — can’t say who yet — using Steriwave on their tour and it’s saving them. I told you about Steriwave starting two years ago. Here’s the story.
PS I know one Jack Johnson song, called “At Or With Me.” Look it up. It’s catchy.
You’re probably looking at Netflix and wondering, What the heck is The Man from Toronto?
Netflix is wondering that, too. (It has no connection to a far better sounding movie with the same name from 1933.)
Amid a new round of 300 layoffs, the troubled streamer has dumped an original comedy starring Kevin Hart and Woody Harrelson onto their customers without a word of promotion.
The reason might be, it’s bad. On Rotten Tomatoes, “Man from Toronto” has a lowly 27%. Not even people in Toronto liked it.
The director is one Patrick Hughes, whose last outing, The Hitman’s Bodyguard’s Wife, garnered a similar 27%.
Even if “Man from Toronto” is terrible, a Kevin Hart movie would usually merit at least two weeks in theaters. Netflix could have set it loose in August. But then, people would have known about it. This way. it’s DOA.
“Man from Toronto” has a reported budget of $75 million, which ain’t cheap for a film with almost no marketing.
And Netflix counts down, meanwhile, to July 15th and the opening of “The Gray Man,” its most expensive film — $200 million — also without much marketing.
The movie audience was not cruel to Baz Luhrmann’s “Elvis” last night.
The two and a half hour spectacular starring Tom Hanks and Austin Butler brought in $9 million for a total opening including previews of $12 million.
The movie is headed to a $30 million opening weekend.
Some carped that it was too long, and certainly the supporting characters are under developed. But Elvis and Colonel Parker are the main draw and Luhrmann has made them an exciting duo and put them center stage.
Plus, the look of the film, and Butler’s amazing performances are enough to keep any crowd interested in Elvis seated for the whole time.
Warner Bros. did a great job with marketing and publicity. And now they’ll see a pay off. “Elvis” should have a good run all summer and come back for Oscars in the winter.
The movie starts with 20 dazzling minutes, goes into a lull for a bit, and then kicks into hyper driver with Elvis in Vegas. Yes, the mid 60s are skipped, but Elvis skipped them in real life, too. (Including all his movies in detail would have added an extra half hour to the already lengthy film!)
So viva Baz, we’ll see tomorrow what the final numbers are.
It only took 60 years. Mishael Morgan is the first Black actor to win Best Actress in A Daytime Drama. Morgan is on CBS’s “The Young and the Restless.” Bravo!
It’s hard to believe she’s the first since so many terrific Black actresses preceded her through the years. But there we are.
“General Hospital” won Best Drama, and an award for directing. Ron Carlivati and his team won for Writing “Days of our Lives.”
Other acting awards were;
Best Actor to 78 year old John McCook, from “The Bold and the Beautiful.” He’s been on CBS soaps since soap was invented. It’s about time.
Supporting Actor Awards went to Kelly Thiebaud from “General Hospital” and former “China Beach” star Jeff Kober also on “General Hospital.” The latter show is the place where prime time stars go to get Daytime Emmys, I guess. Max Gail from Barney Miller won the same award there a couple of years ago.
Kelly Clarkson won Best Talk Show. Tamron Hall won Best Talk Show host. “Jeopardy” won Best Game show.
Susan Lucci did a beautiful tribute to her late husband, Helmut Huber, who was her manager partner for decades. He was a lovely guy.
Michael Bolton performed two songs. He has a great agent.
A lucky few celebrated health and well being last week at Tavern on the Green. They got to hear Skip Marley, grandson of legend Bob Marley, serenade them— and feel good at the same time.
One Firelight founder Kathryn Leary was thrilled to have Skip there. She knew Bob Marley when she studied in Jamaica years ago. As Leary writes on her website:
“It was through his music that she found the motivation to complete her education with an MBA from Stanford University. She understood the healing and nurturing power of his words and knew that she could help others achieve their better selves by drawing inspiration from the magic of Bob Marley’s musical expressions. His music and the music of other conscious Jamaican artists, such as Marley’s grandson Skip, fuel this wellness experience.”
You can all about Leary and learn about http://www.onefirelight.com. OneFirelight here. And yes, they have a lot of celebrity clients. I’m not allowed to say which ones. You’ll have to try their videos and see how fast you become a star too!
