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We already know he’s destroyed the Kennedy Center, named for the late president John F. Kennedy.
He took over as CEO, fired almost everyone, cancelled any shows that would address race, gender, or actual history. Subscriptions are down, ticket sales are way off, and he intends to make the sedate arts institution look like Catherine the Great’s summer palace.
Today, Trump paved over Jackie Kennedy’s famous rose garden. Four years ago he tasked Melania with getting rid of the roses and removing all the charm. Now the lawn is gone so that the White House backyard looks like tacky Mar-a-Lago.
No one stops him, no conservancy or historical organization. No elected officials say a word. Trump’s march of destruction continues in all corners.
I was skeptical when I read that tickets to Hugh Jackman’s shows at Radio City weren’t selling like hotcakes.
But listen: the Ticketmaster maps of Radio City for Hugh’s shows are dotted blue oceans. You can sit anywhere, not for much money. On StubHub there are tickets going for as low as $26.
This is Hugh Jackman, lovable star of “The Music Man.” Wolverine, the great Marvel anti-hero. “Deadpool and Wolverine” made a trillion dollars.
But after the first two shows in April, things have gone south. At the first show his buddy Ryan Reynolds came and introduced him. There was a smattering of celebrities. It all looked very buzzy.
What happened next is a publicist’s nightmare. Hugh left his wife, Debora Lee Furness, after 36 years. He dumped her despite their years of PDA. Hugh, who a lot of people thought was gay, was outta there.
Next came the Blake Lively mess, with Hugh — like Taylor Swift — getting pulled into the drama of “It Ends with Us.” There were lawsuits with Justin Baldoni and miles of video on tabloid shows. The back and forth became fodder for all wags. And there was Hugh, an innocent bystander.
Finally came the news that Hugh had been hooking up with “Music Man” co-star Sutton Foster for a while. He left the wife for her. Foster who has a halo on Broadway was suddenly in the middle of a scandal. Hugh, always the hero, now looked like a villain as Furness started coming out with the story.
That is not a good time to book more than a dozen shows headlining Radio City. The results are pretty awful. One reason might be lack of publicity. It feels like Hugh depended solely on good will to sell tickets. Jackman has 15 more shows to sell with three this weekend.
But it’s more than likely that his affair and divorce are a turn off to his largely female audience. Women don’t want to be reminded this could happen to them.
Jack Schlossberg is outraged and this time you can’t blame him.
The son of Caroline Kennedy is taking TV producer Ryan Murphy to task over a new series he’s shooting about Jack’s uncle John Kennedy Jr and his wife Carolyn Bessette.
The pair died in a horrific plane crash along with Carolyn’s sister on July 16, 1999. John was piloting the private plane which went into the ocean near Martha’s Vineyard.
Murphy, Schlossberg, says, has not asked anyone’s permission to make the series. Caroline must be livid, and the Bessettes horrified, that Murphy would turn their tragedy into tabloid fodder.
But this week there have been photographs over all the local NY media showing the actors playing John and Carolyn. The show looks very low rent, like the worst Lifetime spectacle. But it’s for FX, which is disappointing to say the least.
Murphy has managed to rope in quality names for the production including Max Winkler, director, son of Henry, plus Alessandro Nivola, Grace Gummer, and Naomi Watts. The series is called “American Love Story,” and is set for 2026.
Carol Kaye has played bass on thousands of hits for the last 70 years. Some say 40,000 songs. She turned 90 in March.
She was the only female musician in Phil Spector’s Wrecking Crew, the legendary band that was loaned out to provide the music for everyone from the Beach Boys to The Fifth Dimension. She literally IS Oldies Radio at this point.
But Carol — whom I’ve known for years — is declining her invitation to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. I am not surprised. Carol is an iconoclast who goes her own way. It’s very refreshing.
She writes on Facebook:
“People have been asking: NO I won’t be there……. I am declining the rrhof awards show (and denny tedesco process)…..turning it down because it wasn’t something that reflects the work that Studio Musicians do and did in the golden era of the 1960s Recording Hits…….. you are always part of a TEAM, not a solo artist at all….there were always 350-400 Studio Musicians (AFM Local 47 Hollywood) working in the busy 1960s, and called that ONLY ….since 1930s, I was never a ‘wrecker’ at all….that’s a terrible insulting name.
“Just so you know, as a working Jazz musician (soloing jazz guitar work) in the 1950s working since 1949, I was accidentally asked to record records by producer Bumps Blackwell in 1957, got into recording good music, w/Sam Cooke, other artists and then accidentally placed on Fender Precision Bass mid 1963 when someone didn’t show…….I never played bass in my life but being an experienced recording guitarist, it was plain to see that 3 bass players hired to play “dum-de-dum” on record dates, wasn’t getting it…..it was easy for me to invent good bass lines…..as a Jazz musician, you invent every note you play……and they used a lot of Jazz musicians (and former big-band experienced musicians on all those rock and pop dates too)………..I refuse to be part of a process that is something else rather than what I believe in, for others’ benefit and not reflecting on the truth – we all enjoyed working with EACH OTHER……..Thank-You for understanding. Carol Kaye”
I do wish Carol would take the award and accept the kudos but I know why she won’t. It’s not done with malice. The Rock Hall Museum can still have display for her and the Wrecking Crew including Hal Blaine, Bones Howe, Denny Tedesco, and some of the stars that matriculated like Glenn Campbell and Leon Russell.
Carol, your legacy is secure.
Frankly, the whole Wrecking Crew should have been inducted way back in 1989. But Phil Spector hovered over the original Rock Hall like a…spectre… and probably didn’t want to acknowledge them.
Carol has an amazing story. You can read all about her here: https://www.carolkaye.com/
Danny Boyle and Alex Garland have reunited for “28 Years Later” and critics are eating it up.
Opening tomorrow night, “28 Years Later” — the sequel to “28 Days Later” — looks like it will be big.
On Rotten Tomatoes the critics score is a stunning 95%.
The AP says: “an unusually soulful coming-of-age movie considering the number of spinal cords that get ripped right out of bodies.”
Time Out: “Boyle reinvents the zombie movie as a bloody pop-art installation.”
Not everyone is in agreement. There are three or four ”rotten” reviews, and some “fresh” that are mixed. But for the most part, “28 Years Later” should be a hit this weekend.
Boyle is the beloved, award winning director “Slumdog Millionaire,” as well as “127 Hours,” “Yesterday,” “Trainspotting,”
Jodie Comer, potential new James Bond Aaron Taylor Johnson, Ralph Fiennes, and Jack O’Connell star in this one.
Brad Pitt’s “F1” got a big publicity boost this week in New York.
Apple and Warner Bros took over Times Square on Monday with a big red carpet featuring Pitt and the cast, not to mention real F1 drivers and race cars.
We all saw it on TV. That was followed by a huge Radio City screening. Influencers were out in force, and then took to social media like bees to honey. They all loved it. Sources tell me the movie reminded them of Robert Redford in “The Natural.” That sounds promising.
On Rotten Tomatoes the reviewers right now is 87%. But even the fresh reviews include misgivings about the plot. Mostly, everyone likes the racing — and, of course, Brad is a Movie Star.
The biggest problem now is selling tickets. “F1” opens on Thursday, June 26th in previews, and IMAX theaters in the big markets are very well sold already.
But by Saturday, June 28th, there are plenty of tickets to be found in Standard and Dolby theaters. Of course, IMAX is the place for “F1” undoubtedly, but the regular theaters have to fill up, too. So far they’re not popping. But maybe by the time people can concentrate on that weekend, tickets will take off.
Kathryn Bigelow directed the Oscar winner “The Hurt Locker,” the movie that established a lot of careers including Jeremy Renner and Anthony Mackie.
She’s back this October with “A House of Dynamite,” starring Idris Elba, Rebecca Ferguson, Gabriel Basso, Jared Harris, Tracy Letts, Anthony Ramos, Moses Ingram, Jonah Hauer-King, with Greta Lee, and Jason Clarke. Kaitlyn Dever and Renee Elise Goldberry are also featured.
Netflix releases on October 24th, preceded by a theatrical release of some kind. Noah Oppenheim wrote the script which is described thusly: “When a single, unattributed missile is launched at the
United States, a race begins to determine who is responsible and
how to respond.”
No trailer yet, but we’ll put this at the top of our list. Bigelow also directed the excellent “Zero Dark Thirty” and one of my faves, “Blue Steel.”
The numbers are in for the first Broadway post- Tony Awards.
The total dropped over $6.5 million because on the afternoon of the Tonys, both “Othello” and “Good Night and Good Luck” closed up shop.
Charging $900 a ticket didn’t get either show a Tony Award, but the participants cashed out big time. Denzel Washington and George Clooney made coin and left town happy.
On the other hand, post-Tony effect was strong for a couple of shows. “Hamilton,” now 10 years old, jumped back over $2 million for the week based on its amazing anniversary performance on the Tony Awards.
Newly minted Best Musical “Maybe Happy Ending” had its best week, with $1.2 million. Best Play, “Purpose,” also had its best week selling out 95% of its tickets. The Pulitzer Prize didn’t hurt either.
A big winner from the Tonys is “Just in Time,” the Bobby Darin musical starring Jonathan Groff. The star’s performance on the show drove ticket sales to 103% of capacity.
The kooky “Oh Mary” also jumped to its highest week so far. Cole Escola, looking a cross between Amy Adams and Bernadette Peters — and a little Red Riding Hood — was certainly the most off beat character on the Tonys. People are flocking to the comedy to see him/them/someone play Mary Todd Lincoln like you’ve never seen her before!
The first post-Tony entry on Broadway is “Hacks” star Jean Smart in a one woman play called “Call Me Izzy.” Smart got great reviews in a low key opening last week. Sales are so-so which means you can get tickets at the TKTS booths. It’s a short run, so hurry!
I first reported about a Bruce Springsteen movie about the album, “Nebraska,” in January 2023.
Look how far that’s come. Now Scott Cooper’s “Deliver Me from Nowhere” is getting ready for fall release.
Jeremy Allen White, who became a sensation in “The Bear,” plays the Boss. Can he pull it off?
The rest of the cast includes Jeremy Strong as Springsteen’s long-time confidant and manager, Jon Landau; Paul Walter Hauser as guitar tech Mike Batlan; Stephen Graham as Springsteen’s father, Doug; Odessa Young as love interest, Faye; Gaby Hoffman as Springsteen’s mom, Adele; Marc Maron as Chuck Plotkin; and David Krumholtz as Columbia executive, Al Teller.
The trailer is below. Release date is October 24th.
Today — June 18th — was the birthday of my great friend, Richard Perry. He died this past Christmas Eve after battling an insidious form of Parkinson’s Disease for a decade.
Today is also Paul McCartney’s birthday, he and Richard were born on the same day, something Richard liked to brag about. Over the years they became friends and collaborators as well, which Richard was very proud of.
It was Richard who brought Paul and Lind McCartney to sing on a Carly Simon record in 1971. Then Richard produced the incredibly successful Ringo Starr’s “Ringo!” album the following year, which also included John Lennon and George Harrison. It wasn’t a Beatles “reunion” exactly, but two years after the group’s devastating break up it was considered a miracle.
I was a teenager when Richard found lightning in a bottle three times– with Carly Simon, Ringo Starr, and Harry Nilsson. Seemingly overnight he became the hottest producer in the business, and this was a short time after he’d a hit with Barbra Streisand on her only rock single, “Stoney End.”
The result was that Richard was catapulted into the top echelon of hip Hollywood hangs, rubbing shoulders with Warren and Jack, dating beautiful actresses and singers, hosting exclusive parties at his unique house above Sunset Plaza. And through that time, his successes kept piling up, reviving the Pointer Sisters, giving Leo Sayer monster hits. What a time!
He loved doo wop music, and loved to sing deep bass with a Kenny Vance’s Planotones. (For his 60th birthday he performed with them at Elaine’s.) He named his record label Planet Records. He drew on that love when he produced Art Garfunkel’s best album, “Breakaway,” which included the best cover ever of the Flamingos’ “I Only Have Eyes for You.”
I ran into Richard in the summer of 2000 at Nick and Toni’s in the Hamptons. After dinner we all went back to the house his friends, Joe Allen and Annette Tapert, were renting. Richard played us a tape of an album he was working on with Rod Stewart of classic American songs. No one heard it yet, he said. We knew instantly he had a hit. That tape launched five albums, huge hits thanks to Clive Davis.
There were great times at his house when I visited LA, and when he came to New York it always involved something fun. In 2009, he re-met Jane Fonda, and they kindled a big romance that was a Love Story. They were each over 70 by that point, which gave everyone hope for the future.
As Richard needed more care, he and Jane went to live in separate places. His friends found him in his new home near the Four Seasons Hotel, and there was a lot of music. Jane was still part of the picture, but Richard’s worsening condition required a lot of attention. He spent a lot of time writing his memoir, “Cloud Nine,” a must read for anyone in the music business.
There was no one who had a stronger desire to live. In the spring of 2021 he became gravely ill. Things didn’t look good, but with help from friends and great doctors, he pulled through. At the low point, we even asked him if he wanted to keep going, to which he replied, “Of course I do.” What were we, nuts?
Of course, it helped that he had Carly Simon singing to him over the phone from Martha’s Vineyard. Jane brought the Pointer Sisters to his hospital room to sing “Slow Hand,” one of their Richard-produced hits. Clive Davis called often. That was all better than medicine.
Richard’s legacy remains unshaken. On the wall in his library, he had dozens of gold records, singles and albums, to remind him of that. It was kind of amazing. I always asked him, when we listened to his music, what was the secret formula? A Richard Perry record has a unique sound, even the rock records. The vocals are forward, set against a lush cushion. There’s a heavy presence of classic music. Each record produced an emotion. You can hear it on Nilsson’s “Without You.” It’s almost as if you’re drawn in immediately and can’t get out until the singer finishes the song. It’s so pleasing you want to hear it again.
What was his favorite of all his hits? Some days it was “You’re So Vain.” He loved an album he made with Ray Charles. “Without You” was often cited. He’d made a record with Motown’s Martha Reeves that he adored, and so on.
Richard’s friends, of course, really miss him. He had birthday parties right up through his last year. If I was in New York, I’d call in and always send chocolate. (I used to bring chocolate cake over from movie events at the Four Seasons.) His close friend, Daphna Keitel, Harvey’s wife, helped arrange everything. In the last year she took over his care with grace and affection.
So happy birthday, Richard. I guess what they say is true, you’re out of pain. But how I know he would love to have a party today, with music and Champagne and lots of toasts. We’ll all be raising a glass to him today.
