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Tuesday: Help Stop the “Maisels” from Wrecking Lower 5th Avenue with a 200 Foot Billionaire’s Tower

Roger Friedman
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Tuesday: Help Stop the “Maisels” from Wrecking Lower 5th Avenue with a 200 Foot Billionaire’s Tower

Joel Maisel isn’t a real person, but his portrayer on “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel” is actor Michael Zegen.

On Tuesday, the Landmarks Preservation Commission will hear another plea to stop Zegen’s real life real estate developer brothers from knocking down two 170 old buildings in the landmarked Greenwich Village Historic district.

Josh and Marc Zegen own a real estate development company called Madison Realty Capital. They want to demolish14-16 Fifth Avenue, between 8th and 9th Streets, and replace the two small unassuming structures with a 230 foot tower of mindblowingly expensive apartments only billionaires could afford. The ground floor would be some kind of expensive retail establishment that no one in our neighborhood wants or needs.

We would like a supermarket, but they’ve been driven out of the area by greedy real estate developers and landlords.

Click here to sign the petition to stop the demolition.

Apparently, the new building would have fewer apartments than the ones already there. And the people who live in 14-16 would be replaced by Wall Street financiers and foreign investors.

Ironically, I reported that last week a brawl broke out just two blocks away during a remote shoot for “Mrs. Maisel.” Star Rachel Brosnahan was accosted by a Washington Square habituee who put another man in a headlock. Michael Zegen wasn’t there. But his brothers can always describe the incident to their prospective buyers of $30 million apartments.

Glenn Close, Classy as Ever, Responds to No Oscar Win After 8 Noms: “First of all, I don’t think I’m a loser”

Roger Friedman
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Glenn Close, Classy as Ever, Responds to No Oscar Win After 8 Noms: “First of all, I don’t think I’m a loser”

Classy, classy, classy Glenn Close is a WINNER. She’s won 8 Oscar nominations. And she tells the AP, “I don’t think I’m a loser.”

Far from it.

Glenn will get her Oscar and maybe more than one. And it doesn’t matter. She’s got it right. I do think she’s got to make her “Sunset Boulevard” musical film. Singing “As If We Never Said Goodbye” will win her dozens of awards. On Broadway she got standing ovations every night in the middle of the show. (She also has THREE Tony Awards! That ain’t chopped liver!)

Long may she reign. Viva Glenn Close!

Van Morrison Outs Himself as a Right Wing Anti-Semite with New Album, Song: The “Moondance” Is Over

Roger Friedman
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Van Morrison Outs Himself as a Right Wing Anti-Semite with New Album, Song: The “Moondance” Is Over

The “Moondance” is over.

After almost years of hits, Van Morrison has outed himself as a right wing anti-Semite on his new album, “Latest record Project, Vol. 1.”

The song that’s making people angry is “They Own the Media,” which doesn’t name its enemy but it seems pretty clear. And on YouTube, the comments coming in are all in agreement.

It’s a sad end to a great career. But the heyday of that career was 40 years ago.

Back in March, Van released a track called “Only a Song,” that I wrote about. I thought it was funny, that he was sending himself up. But it’s not only a song, Van. Words have meaning. I retract that whole review.

This album follows Morrison’s anti-lockdown song, “Stand and Deliver,” which compared wearing masks and social distancing to slavery. He got Eric Clapton to record it. I wonder if Clapton regrets that now.

“Stand and Deliver” isn’t on the new album, which has 28 tracks of a kook sounding off like Archie Bunker from his easy chair. In the press version of the album I received digitally in late March, “They Own the Media” was the third track. But now it’s been sent to almost the very end. Nevertheless, it’s standing out like a sore thumb on a bloody hand.

Here are the lyrics. After reading them, my first thought was to say: Van, Jackie Wilson said, go to hell.

And you know the problem? The music on the album is swell. All the crazy lyrics like “Stop Bitchin’, Do Something” are set to his brand of upbeat and moody jazz. This track, which you can hear below, has beautiful horn work. But that doesn’t negate the message, and maybe the way Van Morrison has felt all along. What a shame that he’s turned into a little shit.

They tell us that ignorance is bliss
I guess by those that control the media, it is
They own the media, they control the stories we are told
If you ever try to go against them, you will be ignored

‘Cause they control
They control
They control

They control the narrative, they perpetuate the myth
Keep on telling you lies, tell you ignorance is bliss
Believe it all and you’ll never get, nеver get wise
To thе truth, ’cause they control everything you do

Everything you do
Everything you do
Everything you do

They control the narrative, they perpetuate the myth
Keep on telling you lies, tell you ignorance is bliss
Believe it all and you’ll never get the truth
Never get wise, wise through their lies

Through their lies
Through their lies
They control the media
They control the media
They control the media

Billie Eilish Fans Reject New Single, “Your Power,” Downloading Only Six Thousand Copies, Never Made iTunes Top 10

Roger Friedman
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Billie Eilish Fans Reject New Single, “Your Power,” Downloading Only Six Thousand Copies, Never Made iTunes Top 10

After eight days, Billie Eilish’s “Your Power” is at number 36 on iTunes. The new single, about a teacher who took advantage of his student, never made the top 10 on iTunes.

The single was rejected by fans, who downloaded only 6,000 copies. They did stream it, pushing the number to 160,000.

But streaming is a passive sport, and doesn’t generate a lot of income for the singer. And a song doesn’t have to be streamed all the way through. Eilish and brother Finneas have a good start to the single, but it falls apart a minute into the song.

“Your Power” comes from a new album which will be released on July 30. A snippet of the title track sounds promising.

This was a wild PR week for Eilish, who appeared on the cover of British Vogue in a bustier with platinum blonde hair, very Madonna or Lady Gaga. It was a big change from her grunge look of overalls and sharply colored hair. Did the Vogue cover turn off her core fans? Well, everyone grows up. I thought she looked great!

On the plus side, “Your Power” has 46 million views on YouTube. That sounds good, but that and $3 will get you a subway ride. (Just kidding! An Uber!)

 

 

Shocker: Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms Says She Won’t Run for Second Term

Roger Friedman
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Shocker: Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms Says She Won’t Run for Second Term

Here’s a shock: Keisha Lance Bottoms, the popular and successful mayor of Atlanta, is throwing in the towel. One term was enough for her. She’s out, and won’t run for a second term. She doesn’t really say why, except that she’s done, and hopes the Democratic party there will find a new candidate. I know nothing about Atlanta politics, but this must throw the city into a state of political turmoil. It doesn’t seem like Bottoms has a health issue, so who knows what’s going on? She was an up-and-comer. This is a disappointment, certainly.

She writes, and says in posted video:

“As Derek and I have given thoughtful prayer and consideration to the season now before us, it is with deep emotions that I hold my head high, and choose not to seek another term as mayor,” said Bottoms, who has scheduled a 10 a.m. press conference Friday at City Hall.

“People are entitled to their opinions, but don’t ever question whether or not I care,” she said at a press conference this week focused on crime. “My love for this city is deeper than probably many others standing here because my family goes back 100 years in the city. So whether I am mayor of this city or not, I will do everything that I can possibly do to keep our communities safe.”

How Much Did Ellen Pompeo Get? “Grey’s Anatomy” Starts Offloading Actors Beginning with Jesse Williams

Roger Friedman
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How Much Did Ellen Pompeo Get? “Grey’s Anatomy” Starts Offloading Actors Beginning with Jesse Williams

Ellen Pompeo’s season long contract negotiation meant her “Grey’s Anatomy” character, Meredith Grey, has been in a coma for months. She wasn’t even on last night’s episode.

But Jesse Williams was, the whole episode was about getting rid of his character, Jackson, after 12 seasons. Like so many actors before him, Williams has been chucked into the Shondland abyss because the “Grey’s” budget is shrinking and Pompeo is getting more money.

If “Grey’s” gets to its 20th anniversary it may just be Ellen Pompeo talking to herself. After 17 seasons, Pompeo, James Pickens Jr., and Chandra Wilson have made it from day one. Little by little, characters have been killed, maimed, and abandoned as their salaries increased.

Last year, Justin Chambers got the boot. This year, it’s Williams, who had to have a big salary after 12 years. Showrunner Krista Vernoff wrote him a big episode tonight setting the stage for Jackson’s move to Boston.

In imagined interviews, Vernoff would say she thought long and hard about writing Jackson off, and Pompeo would promise to have white wine spritzers with him after he gets off the unemployment line.

Jackson is the second actor to get the axe this season. Giacomo Gianniotti was sent into spritzer land in March when his character, Andrew DeLuca, died in the March 11 episode.

There are two more episodes left this season. Will anyone else be leaving Grey Sloan Memorial in service of Pompeo’s next contract? Stay tuned…

 

 

Broadway’s Back Pt. 3: Pandemic Delay May Have Been Best Thing After All for “MJ: Michael Jackson Musical”

Roger Friedman
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Broadway’s Back Pt. 3: Pandemic Delay May Have Been Best Thing After All for “MJ: Michael Jackson Musical”

UPDATED “MJ: The Michael Jackson Musical” was supposed to open in the summer of 2020. When Broadway shut down in March 2020, “MJ” was not selling well. There were a lot of questions about the sustainability of the show after a critical and panned documentary about Jackson aired on HBO. A lot of clouds hung over Michael Jackson’s legacy.

UPDATED: The producers say they were very happy with the advance sale. 

And then came the pandemic. Now “MJ” will open this winter, a year and a half later. Ironically, the pandemic might have been the best thing that ever happened.

The documentary, “Leaving Neverland,” came and went in March 2019. The ratings weren’t great. And many lawsuits emerged. The documentary was widely discredited by fans. And the principals saw their cases against Jackson’s estate dismissed from court.

A lawsuit brought by the Jackson estate against HBO will go to court ordered arbitration. The arbitrator will certainly know about the dismissals of Wade Robson’s and Jimmy Safechuck’s cases.

This week, a court ruled for the Estate in a major tax case. The government said the Estate owed $700 million based on much was earned after Jackson died in 2009. They said he was worth that much at his death. The Estate argued Michael’s image and career were worth about $7 million in June 2009. The IRS said the number was over $1 billion. A final ruling was the amount of $4 million.

Time has been kind to the producers of “MJ.” They probably should have waited a couple of years anyway. But now “MJ” can open without a cloud over it. The musical will encompass Michael’s early life, childhood, the Jackson 5 and his life through “Thriller.” The musical will end with everyone singing “Billie Jean” and dancing out of the theater.

Sanitized? Yes. Who cares? Naysayers can beat it.

Broadway’s Back, Part 2: 2020 Tony Awards Should Be Coming This Fall to Launch Comeback

Roger Friedman
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Broadway’s Back, Part 2: 2020 Tony Awards Should Be Coming This Fall to Launch Comeback

The longest ever Tony Awards season may be coming to an end.

With the opening of Broadway theaters on September 14 we will be getting the Tony Awards for 2020 sometime in September.

I’m hearing that CBS and the Broadway League are working out the date. But then maybe we will see Aaron Tveit, the only nominee for Best Actor in a Musical, “Moulin Rouge,” receive his prize.

And Adrienne Warren, star of “Tina: The Musical,” finally get hers for playing Tina Turner.

The 2020 season ended abruptly, causing many shows never to open and become eligible for Tonys. A big one was the original musical “Girl from the North Country,” with Bob Dylan’s songs. Now if star Mare Winningham returns, she will be back in play for 2022 Best Actress in a Musical. “Tina” will be out of the way.

Here are/were the nominees. My choices are bold faced.

Best Play
Grand Horizons
The Inheritance
Sea Wall/ A Life
Slave Play
The Sound Inside


Best Revival Of A Play
Betrayal
A Soldier’s Play
Frankie and Johnny in the Clair de Lune

Best Musical
Moulin Rouge!
Jagged Little Pill
Tina: The Tina Turner Musical

Best Book Of A Musical
Moulin Rouge!
Jagged Little Pill
Tina: The Tina Turner Musical

Best Performance By An Actress In A Leading Role In A Play
Joaquina Kalukango, Slave Play
Laura Linney, My Name Is Lucy Barton
Audra McDonald, Frankie and Johnny in the Clair de Lune
Mary-Louise Parker, The Sound Inside

Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Play
Ian Barford, Linda Vista
Andrew Burnap, The Inheritance
Jake Gyllenhaal, Sea Wall/A Life
Tom Hiddleston, Betrayal
Tom Sturridge, Sea Wall/A Life
Blair Underwood, A Soldier’s Play

Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Musical
Karen Olivo, Moulin Rouge!
Elizabeth Stanley, Jagged Little Pill
Adrienne Warren, Tina: The Tina Turner Musical

Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Musical
Aaron Tviet, Moulin Rouge!

**From The Tony Awards Rules: If the Tony Awards Nominating Committee has determined that if there is only one nominee in a category listed, such category shall be submitted to the Tony Voters which may, by the affirmative vote of sixty (60%) percent of the total ballots cast, grant an Award in that category

Best Performance by an Actor in a Featured Role in a Play
Ato Blankson-Wood, Slave Play
James Cusati-Moyer, Slave Play
David Alan Grier, A Soldier’s Play
John Benjamin Hickey, The Inheritance
Paul Hilton, The Inheritance

Best Performance by an Actress in a Featured Role in a Play
Jane Alexander, Grand Horizons
Chalia La Tour, Slave Play
Annie McNamara, Slave Play
Lois Smith, The Inheritance
Cora Vander Broek, Linda Vista

Best Performance by an Actor in a Featured Role in a Musical
Danny Burstein, Moulin Rouge!
Derek Klena, Jagged Little Pill
Sean Allan Krill, Jagged Little Pill
Sahr Ngaujah, Moulin Rouge!
Daniel J. Watts, Tina: The Tina Turner Musical

Best Performance by an Actress in a Featured Role in a Musical
Kathryn Gallagher, Jagged Little Pill
Celia Rose Gooding, Jagged Little Pill
Robyn Hurder, Moulin Rouge!
Lauren Patten, Jagged Little Pill
Myra Lucretia Taylor, Tina: The Tina Turner Musical

Best Original Score (Music and/or Lyrics) Written for the Theatre
A Christmas Carole
The Inheritance
The Rose Tattoo
Slave Play
The Sound Inside

Best Direction Of A Play
The Sound Inside
The Inheritance
A Soldier’s Play
Betrayal
Slave Play

Best Direction Of A Musical
Tina: The Tina Turner Musical
Jagged Little Pill
Moulin Rouge

Best Choreography of a Musical
Jagged Little Pill
Moulin Rouge
Tina: The Tina Turner Musical

Best Orchestrations
Jagged Little Pill
Moulin Rouge
Tina: The Tina Turner Musical

Scooped Here First: Justin Bieber Tour 2020, then 2021, Now Set for February 2022 Downsized Opening (Maybe)

Roger Friedman
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Scooped Here First: Justin Bieber Tour 2020, then 2021, Now Set for February 2022 Downsized Opening (Maybe)

Here we go again.

Justin Bieber’s 2020 tour was scrapped, then his 2021 tour was postponed. Now new dates are set for starting February 2022.

I told you exclusively AND FIRST that the 2021 tour was goners. Other outlets picked it up later and claimed the scoop. But it came from this column.

What no one is getting is that the first two tours weren’t just canceled because of the pandemic. Ticket sales were anemic. There was no buzz. We’ll see what happens this time around.

The 2020 tour was downsized to smaller venues well before the pandemic interfered. You’ll notice the routing has been changed here. The four NYC area dates have been broken up, so Brooklyn and New Jersey are preceding MSG by a couple of months.

Bieber released two new albums, “Changes” and “Justice,” to promote those original tours. The albums will be well out of date and off the radio by February. How will Scooter Braun deal with that? Release new tracks? Deluxe albums? More singles? Even “Peaches” will be rotten by then!

Here are the new dates:

Friday, February 18, 2022 San Diego, CA Pechanga Arena
Sunday, February 20, 2022 Las Vegas, NV T-Mobile Arena
Tuesday, February 22, 2022 Glendale, AZ Gila River Arena
Wednesday, February 23, 2022 Inglewood, CA The Forum
Saturday, February 26, 2022 Tacoma, WA Tacoma Dome
Monday, February 28, 2022 San Jose, CA SAP Center at San Jose
Wednesday, March 2, 2022 San Jose, CA SAP Center at San Jose
Friday, March 4, 2022 Sacramento, CA Golden 1 Center
Monday, March 7, 2022 Los Angeles, CA STAPLES Center
Tuesday, March 8, 2022 Los Angeles, CA STAPLES Center
Friday, March 11, 2022 Portland, OR MODA Center
Sunday, March 13, 2022 Salt Lake City, UT Vivint Home Energy Arena
Wednesday, March 16, 2022 Denver, CO Ball Arena
Friday, March 18, 2022 Tulsa, OK BOK Center
Monday, March 21, 2022 Atlanta, GA State Farm Arena
Tuesday, March 22, 2022 Atlanta, GA State Farm Arena
Friday, March 25, 2022 Toronto, ON Scotiabank Arena
Monday, March 28, 2022 Ottawa, ON Canadian Tire Centre
Tuesday, March 29, 2022 Montreal, QC Bell Centre
Thursday, March 31, 2022 Newark, NJ Prudential Center
Friday, April 1, 2022 Brooklyn, NY Barclays Center
Monday, April 4, 2022 Pittsburgh, PA PPG Paints Arena
Wednesday, April 6, 2022 Greensboro, NC Greensboro Coliseum
Thursday, April 7, 2022 Jacksonville, FL Vystar Veterans Memorial Arena***
Saturday, April 9, 2022 Tampa, FL Amalie Arena
Monday, April 11, 2022 Orlando, FL Amway Center***
Wednesday, April 13, 2022 Miami, FL AmericanAirlines Arena
Tuesday, April 19, 2022 Cincinnati, OH Heritage Bank Center***
Thursday, April 21, 2022 Indianapolis, IN Bankers Life Fieldhouse***
Sunday, April 24, 2022 DesMoines, IA Wells Fargo Arena***
Monday, April 25, 2022 St. Louis, MO Enterprise Center
Wednesday, April 27, 2022 Austin, TX Moody Center***
Friday, April 29, 2022 Houston, TX Toyota Center
Sunday, May 1, 2022 Dallas, TX American Airlines Center
Wednesday, May 4, 2022 Kansas City, MO T-Mobile Center
Friday, May 6, 2022 Minneapolis, MN Target Center
Monday, May 9, 2022 Chicago, IL United Center
Tuesday, May 10, 2022 Chicago, IL United Center
Thursday, May 12, 2022 Grand Rapids, MI Van Andel Arena
Saturday, May 14, 2022 Buffalo, NY KeyBank Center
Monday, May 16, 2022 Columbus, OH Schottenstein Center
Tuesday, May 17, 2022 Nashville, TN Bridgestone Arena
Sunday, June 5, 2022 Detroit, MI Little Caesars Arena
Tuesday, June 7, 2022 Toronto, ON Scotiabank Arena
Wednesday, June 8, 2022 Toronto, ON Scotiabank Arena
Friday, June 10, 2022 Washington DC Capital One Arena
Monday, June 13, 2022 New York, NY Madison Square Garden
Tuesday, June 14, 2022 New York, NY Madison Square Garden
Thursday, June 16, 2022 Philadelphia, PA Wells Fargo Center
Saturday, June 18, 2022 Uncasville, CT Mohegan Sun Arena***
Monday, June 20, 2022 Boston, MA TD Garden
Friday, June 24, 2022 Milwaukee, WI American Family Insurance Amphitheater

***On Sale Soon

Broadway’s Back: “Six” Will Finally Open October 3rd, “Company” to Announce Return Next Week, David Byrne Show Sept. 17th

Roger Friedman
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Broadway’s Back: “Six” Will Finally Open October 3rd, “Company” to Announce Return Next Week, David Byrne Show Sept. 17th

Broadway’s back.

Tickets are on sale now and going on sale for a bunch of shows as little by little we acknowledge the pandemic is receding.

David Byrne’s American Utopia starts performances again on Septembe r7th.

The much anticipated “Company” with Patti Lupone will announce their return date next week. They never opened. Now they will. I will be at the first performance, trust me.

“Six,” which also never got to open, now does on October 3rd.

More to come. Keep refreshing…

 

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