I have a lot of misgivings about the overall movie, “Respect.” But watch Jennifer Hudson perform the famous song on Colbert last night. This is Triple AAA plus. Jennifer has outdone herself promoting this movie, tirelessly. Of course, she has a producer’s credit so the movie’s success is good for her, too. But her whole heart and soul is in this project. Forget the screenplay. Revel in JHud. Aretha would be very proud of her for this — and it’s in the Ed Sullivan Theater, the last place where Aretha appeared on TV, on Letterman. (She sang “Rolling in the Deep.”)
Netflix Drops Four New “Grace and Frankie” Episodes and a Message from Jane Fonda, Lily Tomlin
Overnight, without warning, Netflix dropped four new episodes of “Grace and Frankie.”
Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin are currently filming the seventh and final season of Netflix’s longest running original show. So there are 12 more to go with these, which will come in 2022.
In the meantime, these four were completed before the pandemic stopped everything. In the video, Jane and Lily joke about this little gift. “It was either this or Del Taco gift cards,” quips Lily.
Perfect timing in hot August for some cool comedy.
A ‘Grace and Frankie’ Surprise: Netflix Drops First 4 Episodes of Final Season Early https://t.co/B9NoDNEJhk
— The Hollywood Reporter (@THR) August 13, 2021
No “Respect:” Daughter of Aretha Franklin Producer Speaks Out on Missing Movie Characters: “Very little historical accuracy yet again”
Tom Dowd was one of Aretha Franklin’s three main producers/arrangers at Atlantic Records. But like the great Arif Mardin, he is also entirely scrubbed from the new movie, “Respect.”
Dowd and Mardin worked for and closely with Atlantic Records founder Ahmet Ertegun, a legend in the record business and the man who put Aretha on the map after Columbia Records’ John Hammond made 9 mediocre albums with the future Queen of Soul.
In “Respect,” none of them exist, only Jerry Wexler (in large part, I think, because he left behind a book, “Rhythm & Blues,” that the screenwriter could lift anecdotes from).
This excising doesn’t sit well with the late producer’s daughter. Dana Dowd, who writes on Facebook:
“Not at all knocking the stellar performances of the actors/actresses in this film. It is however very unfortunate that Hollywood relies so heavily on music to assist in making films but does not have the “respect” to properly tell the story of the making of the music when “re-creating” films about an industry and fellow form of artistic expression they rely so heavily on.
P.s. – my father nor Arif were just “Producers” of Aretha’s most well known era but also contributed their engineering and/or arranging skills and conducted the musicians on 99.9% of those songs. Ahmet was co-writer of one of Aretha’s hits (“Don’t Play That Song”). It was also not Jerry Wexler who discovered the Aretha sitting at the piano nuance of her vocal range, but my father. So there is very little historical accuracy yet again.”
Tom Dowd was memorialized in a great documentary easily found on YouTube and Amazon called Tom Dowd and the Language of Music.
Comedian Jim Gaffigan’s Mostly Unsold Radio City Shows Blocking Tony Awards at Radio City Music Hall
Well, this is weird.
The special Tony Awards event set for September 26th won’t be in its usual home, Radio City Music Hall.
The Tonys instead will be held at the cavernous but much smaller Winter Garden Theater. Hugh Jackman and Sutton Foster will bring the very high priced ticket “Music Man” revival there in December.
The Tonys are usually in June. But the pandemic postponed the last two Junes. The Broadway League has never given out the 2019-2020 Tonys, so they chose September 26th for a return. The show will be live on CBS from 9 to 11pm after a two hour special on Paramount Plus.
But the reason the awards can’t be at Radio City on the 26th is the weird part. Comedian Jim Gaffigan is book for four nights in a row at the fabled theater. Gaffigan is very funny, but four nights at Radio City? Really?
Indeed, except for the final show on September 25th, Gaffigan’s shows are mostly unsold. According to Ticketmaster, there are hundreds of seats at every price level.
But the Tonys could never load in for the Sunday show or have rehearsals in that situation. Also this way they don’t have to deal with 5,000 people and COVID restrictions. The Winter Garden seats 1,500, meaning two thirds of the regular Tony audience will have to wait until June 2022 for the next Tony show at Radio City.
This round of Tony Awards is unusual anyway. The only actor nominated for lead in a Musical is Aaron Tveit, of “Moulin Rouge.” Presumably, he’ll win since he has no competition. Adrienne Warren, who plays the title role in “Tina: The Musical,” would seem the likely winner of Best Actress. Most of the other nominations are for shows that closed long ago.
Britney Spears’ Father Backs Down, Will Step Aside as Conservator After “Orderly Transition”
TMZ reports that Jamie Spears, Britney’s dad, will step down as her conservator “after an orderly transition.”
Jamie was winning in court, but losing in the court of public opinion. The world has turned against Jamie and supports Britney being “free” even if she squanders all her money on nonsense.
Jamie Spears’s lawyer says in papers filed today:
Hmmm…Jamie Spears has obviously been convinced to go this route to head off more of an investigation and audit of Britney’s funds. I don’t know if that will work. For Jamie’s sake let’s hope he squirreled away enough of the money in a secret place so he won’t have to turn to robbing banks or working at McDonald’s.
Britney is young, the money won’t last forever, so there are many chapters to write as this thing continues to unfold. And in four years her sons will start turning of age and demanding their share of the pot. And they’ll all be back in court!
Meantime, there are reports that Warner Media is selling TMZ to Fox TV/News Corp, a perfect fit for Rupert Murdoch and Harvey Levin to join forces. Lie down with dogs, get up with fleas!
UPDATED HBO Series “The Staircase” in Atlanta Hits Production Snag as Star Colin Firth Said to Test Positive for COVID
AUGUST 18TH UPDATE: Colin Firth has been back to work for a couple of days, I’m told, and is very well. His COVID was not as bad as thought, at least in retrospect. So, good news!
FRIDAY UPDATE To be sure, everyone at “The Staircase” is concerned about the situation. But Georgia– Atlanta in particular– is a hot zone now for COVID. Even with the best supervision, COVID is sneaky. It gets through sometimes when you least suspect it can. So sending best recovery wishes to everyone down there!
EXCLUSIVE SOURCES say HBO’s “The Staircase,” a mini series shooting in Atlanta, has gotten into trouble because of COVID.
keep refreshing…
I’m told star Colin Firth tested positive for the Delta variant and that brought everything to a halt. I’m told Firth was totally vaccinated for everything. We’re sending him best wishes for a quick recovery!
This is the new new for TV and movie production. One incident and everyone has to be re-tested and treated. Sources say they’re shooting around Firth, who was persuaded to do TV because of HBO’s recent successes with Nicole Kidman and Kate Winslet.
The mini series, which sounds pretty good, co-stars Toni Collette, Michael Stuhlbarg, Rosemarie Dewitt, and Dane DeHaan. Based on a true story, Firth plays a man accused of killing his wife by pushing her down the stairs. The story became a docu series for Netflix called “The Staircase,” which aired in 2018. (A more interesting saga might be why Netflix didn’t make the movie.)
Keep refreshing…
No Thanks, Chet Hanks: When Bad Children Happen to Good Parents, In This Case Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson
I’ve been reluctant to comment on Chet Hanks. He’s the son of Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson, actually lovely people.
Chet has posted two videos railing against the vaccine even though Tom and Rita were among the first to be diagnosed with COVID and really suffered from it.
For a long time, the regular press wouldn’t touch Chet Hanks, a literal walking disaster area. When he’s done some acting, you can tell he’s talented. But he’s also disturbed. He has a long trail of shenanigans posted to the web. So it was easier just to ignore his antics and celebrate his occasional successes.
But now the UK press is calling him an idiot, and other mainstream outlets are taking him to task. I think they’re all overreacting, frankly.
It’s not easy being the child of superstar parents. We think of Tom and Rita as “perfect.” But they’re humans. Look at Steven Spielberg and Kate Capshaw, their close friends. They’ve got a daughter who appears in adult films. At one time so did actor Laurence Fishburne. Nobody is perfect. Tom Cruise brought his whole family into a religious cult and doesn’t see his now-teenage daughter. I could go on and on.
The Hankses are not going to speak out against Chet. They love him. They’re doing the right thing. We all have to be smart enough to realize at this point, Chet has underlying issues. Let’s not exacerbate them or encourage them. Anyway, I keep hoping he’s pulling our legs, putting us on, maybe it’s an acting exercise. Wouldn’t that be great?
HBO’s Media Darling Series, “The White Lotus,” Heads to Finale with Critics Raves But Middling Ratings
The media loves HBO’s “The White Lotus.” It’s become the top topic among media writers and on the TwitterVerse, a clubhouse for people who like edgy, ironic series that are also a tad unpleasant.
Those people can’t get enough of Mike White’s six part satirical soap opera starring Jennifer Coolidge, Steve Zahn, Connie Britton and Murray Bartlett. So much so that HBO has renewed the series for another round with new characters and a new setting.
But the ratings tell a different story. The good news is, they’ve risen every week fo five weeks. First week brought 420,000 linear HBO viewers. This past Sunday saw 541,000. They are middling numbers but at least they grow and never recede.
On the other hand, the key demo ratings go up and down. Last week fell back to 0.11 after rising briefly the week before with 0.14. Even though three teens are among the featured cast, young people aren’t swarming to “The White Lotus.” It’s definitely a show for adults above 25, maybe above 35.
One thing that Mike White and his team should consider for the next round: this series has improved slowly and incrementally. It’s taken a long time to peel back the characters’ personas, back stories, and plots. “The White Lotus” has been more subtle and leisurely than, say, “Mare of Easttown” or “The Undoing.” The episodes don’t to get to a point quickly.
So we’ll see what happens this Sunday, what kind of conclusion this all comes to, and if the audience finds it satisfying. HBO may have an issue with Season 2 if none of the original characters return. We’re just starting to love them. It would be a shame to say goodbye forever!
A Cool Indie Record Company Marks 35 Years: Chesky Records Celebrates with Jazz, Classical, Folk, Pop Collection
The best indie record company is right here in New York, thriving after 35 years. Next Friday brothers David and Norman Chesky will celebrate with the release of a best-of collection, their greatest hits.
David is an accomplished composer, performer, and producer with a wide following. Norman is the entrepreneurial brother who also runs HDTracks.com, the best source of high end audiophile downloads on the web. They’re a powerhouse duo and did it all themselves, I might add. They’re very cool guys, too, almost like their own Steely Dan.
Congrats to the Cheskys! Here’s what they just sent me:
Right from the start Chesky Records had a sound. David Chesky set out to make “aural photographs” of each session, capturing as much of the sound of being there as the technology allowed, continually pushing it forward. Every note of every session was recorded “live,” there were no overdubs, no fixing it in the mix. What went down at the session, with some of the world’s greatest musicians, was in the CD, LP, or later on, high-resolution digital download.
Chesky mostly recorded in great sounding acoustic spaces, namely churches and concert halls, with the earliest sessions conducted in the legendary, and sorely missed, RCA/BMG studios in midtown Manhattan.
Every session presented unique challenges, but David Chesky and his engineers, first Bob Katz, then, Barry Wolifson, and for the last decade or so, Nicholas Prout, continued to advance the state of the recording art. We hope you enjoy the music as much as we did recording it! – Steve Guttenburg
We’re celebrating our 35th Anniversary by presenting you with a collection of some of our favorite and most influential tracks, complete with an in depth look at our record-making history. The collection features a selection of tracks from some of the world class musicians that we have had the privilege of working with over the past 35 years such as John and Bucky Pizzarelli, McCoy Tyner, Paquito D’Rivera, Ron Carter, David Johansen, Amber Rubarth, Livingston Taylor, Astor Piazzolla, Babatunde Olatunji, Ana Caram, Macy Gray, Casey Abrams, Luiz Bonfa, and more! The included digital (printable) booklet features photos, first hand accounts from David Chesky and Bob Katz, and interviews conducted by Steve Guttenburg with Bob Katz, Barry Wolifson, and Nick Prout. Not only that, but when purchased on HDtracks, this collection comes with an additional 13 tracks. And of course, like all Chesky Records releases, every track in this collection features the crystal clear sound quality that you’ve enjoyed over the years. We’ve included the highest resolution available of each track, whether that’s 192 kHz, 96 kHz, 48 kHz, or 41.1 kHz, for your listening pleasure. Come reminisce with us and listen to The Chesky 35th Anniversary Collection today!
Track Listing
Jazz
1. Pick Yourself Up and Start All Over Again – Johnny Frigo & Bucky Pizzarelli
2. Ow – Clark Terry
3. Maracangalha – Chuck Mangione
4. Superette – Phil Woods
5. My Romance – The McCoy Tyner Quartet
6. The Peanut Vendor – Paquito D’Rivera
7. I Had the Craziest Dream – Jimmy Cobb
8. Bahia Com H – Ron Carter & Rosa Passos
9. Sicilian Walk – Oregon
10. Emily – Monty Alexander
11. Gabriela’s Song – Caminho De Casa
Blues
12. Well, I’ve Been to Memphis – David Johansen & The Harry Smiths
13. In My Time of Dying – CC Coletti
14. Up the Line – John Hammond
15. Mama, Let Me Lay It On You – Cephas & Wiggins
16. Nightbird – Natasha
Folk
17. Hold On – Amber Rubarth
18. Down by the Riverside – Noah Wall
19. Isn’t She Lovely – Livingston Taylor
20. Mr. Bojangles – John McEuen
Classical
21. No 3, Ragtime – Stravinsky
22. Laudate Dominum – Westminster Choir
23. Dance of the Fish That Live in the Trees – David Chesky
24. Little Village – Orquesta Nova
25. Concerto in E Major, ‘La Primavera’ (Spring) RV 269, Allegro – Vivaldi
26. Muerte Del Angel – Astor Piazzolla
World Music
27. Sare Tete Wa – Babatunde Olatunji
28. Elube Chango – The Conga Kings
29. Bate-Coxa – Badi Assad
30. Home – Priya Darshini
31. Silk Road – I Ching
Singers
32. You Haven’t Done Nothin’ – Jen Chapin
33. My Blue Heaven – John Pizzarelli
34. If You Close That Door – Sara K.
35. Meditation – Ana Caram
36. Spanish Harlem – Rebecca Pidgeon
37. Redemption Song – Macy Gray
38. Got to Get You Into My Life – Christy Baron
39. La Flor – Marta Gomez
40. Eight Days a Week – The Persuasions
41. Round Midnight – Kenny Rankin
42. Baby Talk – Dave’s True Story
43. Alfie – Valerie Joyce
Bonus Tracks (HDtracks Download Only)
44. Alfie – Manha de Carnaval – Leny Andrade
45. How Deep is the Ocean – Lee Konitz
46. Caribbean Sunrise – Mongo Santamaria
47. Milestones – Fred Hersch Trio
48. Sex Machine – Coryell, Bailey, & White
49. On Green Dolphin Street – Jones, McBride, & Cobb
50. Congo Blues – Red Rodney
51. Footprints – Jon Faddis
52. La Llave – Xiomara
53. Everything is Broken – Memphis in Manhattan
54. Quiet Desperation – David Chesky
55. I’ve Got the World on a String – Casey Abrams
56. Samba De Orfeo – Luiz Bonfa
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Broadway: Beanie Feldstein Chosen for First Ever Revival of “Funny Girl” Since Streisand Launched it In 1964
Barbra Streisand burst onto the scene in 1964 with “Funny Girl” and everything changed. Her career took off like a rocket. No Tony wins but everyone was nominated for something. The movie came four years later and Streisand split her Oscar win with Katharine Hepburn.
(Just FYI “Hello, Dolly!” and Carol Channing beat them in almost every category. Then in 1970, Barbra played Dolly in that movie. Crazy world.)
“Funny Girl” has never been revived on Broadway. Until now. I guess they didn’t want to rain on anyone’s parade. But it’s coming next spring, with Beanie Feldstein as Fanny Brice. I’m thrilled. Beanie is one of personal faves, a great girl, if you can still say that! She will sweep the Tony Awards next June.
Beanie– who’s also the sister of Jonah Hill — said in a statement: “The first time I played Fanny Brice was at my third birthday party, in a head-to-toe leopard print outfit my mom made for me. So, it’s safe to say that stepping into this iconic role, on Broadway and not in my family’s backyard, is truly my lifelong dream come true. I am immensely grateful to be able to do so alongside such a remarkable creative team, and cannot wait for audiences to get back in theaters again!”
Just FYI Leah Michele of “Glee” was rumored to get this role many years ago. She certainly campaigned for it. But nothing came together. I’m told that on social media there are catty depictions of Leah Michele being very disappointed. Well, I’m sure she’s moved on and has better things to do than think about this.
Michael Mayer is directing, Sonia Friedman (no relation to moi) is producing, Matt Polk is doing the PR, and this will be a big rival in Best Revival of a Musical to Hugh Jackman’s “Music Man.” Buckle up! And mask up!
PS Beanie starred in a movie last year called “How to Build a Girl.” See it. Rent it, stream it, steal it. The pandemic ruined the release. But it is wonderful, and she should have had her breakout moment right there!