On Stage
Oscar host Hugh Jackman plans to reveal more than most at Sunday's awards ceremony
"I haven't told anyone this, but we are going to do most of it naked and
we're going to sing through the whole show". The affable actor joked during
an interview backstage at the Kodak Theater. "In fact, all the acceptance
speeches are going to be sung. There will be some interpretive dance behind
them, and I really think it will be beautiful and touching." But don't expect
People magazine's "sexiest man alive" to show everything. "There will be a
strategic leaf placed here or there," he said. "We don't want to be
distasteful or anything. This is a raw night. This is the Oscars. Raw
emotion, that's the quality we're going for." The 40-year-old entertainer has
hosted the Tony Awards three times, but this is his first time in the Oscar
spotlight. "If I hadn't done the Tony's, I think I'd be a lot more nervous
than I am," he said.
Jackson to announce London dates
Michael Jackson is expected to announce a series of summer comeback concerts
at the O2 arena in London. The pop legend is due to appear at the venue on
Thursday make to a "special announcement", a statement said. It follows
months of speculation about a string of money-spinning shows. Jackson last
performed in 2006, at the World Music Awards in London. But he disappointed
fans at that event by singing just a few lines of We Are The World. He last
toured 12 years ago. The O2, in Greenwich, south-east London, is the venue
where Prince played for 21 nights in 2007, and where Britney Spears is
performing for eight nights in June. Jackson would be likely to follow a
similar pattern of a run of gigs at one venue, rather than an extensive tour.
At Thursday's press conference, he will hope to convince fans he is fit
enough to perform a number of full shows.
Grey's Anatomy's Chandra Wilson Coming to Broadway
Chandra Wilson will soon be trading her scrubs for something more gritty –
a prison guard's uniform. This summer the Grey’s Anatomy star will be
joining the cast of the musical Chicago for a four-week stint on Broadway.
The Emmy-nominated actress, who portrays Dr. Miranda Bailey on Grey's, will
take on the role of Matron "Mama" Morton, the bawdy boss of a women's cell
block portrayed by Queen Latifah in the film version of the popular musical.
The show's producers have announced that Wilson will debut on June 5. Not
that it's her first time on the New York stage. Wilson, 39, has appeared in
The Good Times Are Killing Me and Broadway productions of Avenue Q and On the
Town.
Report: Michael Jackson Sells Out 50 Concerts in Hours
Sales of Michael Jackson's just-announced comeback performances in London
have been thrilling: his run of 50 U.K. concerts scheduled to begin on July 8
sold out five hours after tickets went on sale on Friday, according to
promoters. The 50-year old pop star was originally slated to perform 10
concerts for his This Is It tour at London's O2 Arena, but the overwhelming
fan response – 750,000 tickets have been sold to date at the rate of 11
tickets per second – led organizers to expand the run to 50 shows, ending
on February 24, 2010. "Michael's already pretty much put together a list of
the dancers he wants," Randy Phillips of promoters AEG Live told BBC Radio.
"Michael's very engaged now." The unprecedented sales come despite the fact
Jackson hasn't recorded an album since 2001's Invincible and has gotten more
attention in recent years for his bizarre behavior and, in 2005, his
acquittal on child abuse charges. The "King of Pop" has sold around 750
million records and won 13 Grammys.
Steve Martin Offers to Pay for High School Production
Actor and comedian Steve Martin has offered to pay for the off-campus
production of his play Picasso at the Lapin Agile after it was banned from an
Oregon high school. Martin wrote in a letter to The La Grande Observer that
his goal in paying for the performance of the play is to keep his work "from
acquiring a reputation it does not deserve," the Associated Press reports.
According to reports, Picasso at the Lapin Agile was banned from La Grande
High School in Oregon after a parent objected to the production and provided
a petition signed by 137 people. The main objections to the play were the
drinking scenes and its alleged disrespectful references to women. The
imaginative play is set at a Paris bar where Albert Einstein and Pablo
Picasso meet while attempting to make their marks in the world of physics and
art. Martin said in his letter to the paper that the goal of the play is to
show "the similarity of the creative process involved in great leaps of
imagination in art and science," AP reports. The production will now be shown
off-campus at Eastern Oregon University from May 16-18.
Britney Spears Walks Off Stage During Concert
The show didn't go on in Vancouver Wednesday night after Britney Spears
pulled the plug on her sold-out Circus concert 15 minutes and three songs
into her performance – departing the stage and leaving the audience in the
GM Place in the dark for more than half an hour. Boos ensued. Cigarette smoke
from the crowd was blamed, with a female voice announcing to the crowd, "The
building is awfully smoky. It is uncomfortable for everyone on stage,
including Ms. Spears. Please extinguish all cigarettes – this is a
non-smoking building, and the show will resume when the smoke on the stage is
cleared," the Vancouver Sun reports. Until the agitated crowd settled down,
GM Place was filled with piped-in intermission music played at hockey games
– which, one concertgoer told PEOPLE, left the fans "really pissed off. The
break in the concert ruined it for everyone. The vibe was gone." When she did
return, Spears, 27, delivered a well-received Bollywood take on "Me Against
the Music," followed by "Everytime" – during which she asked the crowd
"What's up, Vancouver?" before she again left the stage, some 90 seconds
before the end of the song. The concert concluded with Spears singing
"Womanizer" and advising the still-restless crowd, "Vancouver, don't smoke
weed." Her sign-off was also peppered with a couple of X-rated expletives and
a warning to "drive safe." After the show, a statement was posted on the
singer's Web site: "We want to apologize to all the fans who attended our
Vancouver show tonight for the brief pause in Britney's set. Crew members
above the stage became ill due to a ventilation issue." Spears kicked off her
Circus tour of the North America and England in New Orleans on March 3. Her
father and attorneys are exploring the possibility of expanding the tour,
says AP.
Jennifer Hudson Sidelined by Throat Condition
Jennifer Hudson is taking a break this week from her national tour with Robin
Thicke. Doctors are said to be treating her for a throat condition related to
her singing. Last night's stop in Oakland, Calif., was postponed until May
19. This week's concerts in Dallas and Houston have also been rescheduled for
later dates, according to Thicke's rep. Hudson last performed on Saturday at
L.A.'s Nokia Theatre. I was there, and she proved to be a real superstar
because she didn't show any signs that something may have been wrong. So just
how well did Ms. Hudson do? Throughout her hour-long set, she was hitting all
of those very high and very powerful notes that she's become so famous for.
Her best numbers were "You Pulled Me Through" and "If This Isn't Love." No
surprise, but her one encore was "And I Am Telling You (I'm Not Going)" from
Dreamgirls. Thicke started the night off with a set that left his fans
swooning, screaming and very hot and bothered. The man can move. More than
once, he dropped to his knees to gyrate while serenading several lucky women
in the front row. Among the notables in the audience were Dreamgirls director
Bill Condon and producer Larry Mark and Gina Prince-Bythewood, who directed
her in last year's The Secret Life of Bees. Chaka Khan popped onstage to join
Hudson for her cover of "Sweet Thing." Now, what about that rumored
pregnancy? Ms. Hudson made no mention of expecting—or not expecting, for
that matter—her first child with fiancé David Otunga. However, her
all-black ensemble was unable to hide what appeared to be a baby bump. Sounds
like the spotlight may be back on.
Susan Boyle shines in return to BGT tour
Scottish singing star Susan Boyle was met with rapturous applause as she took
to the stage in Glasgow on Monday night, defying new fears for her health
sparked by her withdrawal from a show the previous night. Boyle, a
48-year-old church volunteer whose frumpy appearance hides a soaring voice,
sang her signature tune "I Dreamed A Dream" from the musical "Les Miserables"
as part of a tour of the talent show that made her famous. There were doubts
as to whether she would perform in the "Britain's Got Talent" live show in
the Scottish city after she pulled out of an event in Manchester,
northwestern England, on Sunday night. Two weeks ago, Boyle was rushed to a
London health clinic suffering from exhaustion. Her treatment followed her
defeat in the talent show despite a global following on YouTube. However, her
fans in Glasgow were not disappointed last night. "I thought she was
fantastic. She brought tears to my eyes," said 39-year-old Audrey Hinde. "She
didn't seem under pressure at all." A clip of Boyle singing "I Dreamed A
Dream" is now one of the most watched ever on YouTube.
Madonna Pays Tribute to Jackson
Madonna paid special tribute to Michael Jackson when she resumed her Sticky &
Sweet tour in London Saturday night. Madonna performed a special song and
dance number in memory of Michael, according to the Associated Press. First,
a photo of a young Michael was shown on stage, while Madonna performed
"Holiday." This was followed by the entrance of an MJ impersonator, dressed
in homage to the late King of Pop. The concert took place at London's O2
arena, where Michael was slated to stage his 50-date tour.
Madonna to Visit Workers Injured in Stage Accident
Madonna continues to pay tribute to those killed and injured when part of a
set collapsed on stage workers at a Marseilles stadium. The singer is
scheduled to arrive in the French city Sunday afternoon to visit some of the
workers. The more gravely injured are in three local hospitals, and Madonna
will visit some or all of them. The singer said last week that she was
"devastated" by the accident. "My prayers go out to those who were injured
and their families along with my deepest sympathy to all those affected by
this heartbreaking news," she said in a statement. Madonna was originally set
to perform Sunday at the Velodrome, a 66,000-seat venue where the accident
occurred July 16 when a crane raising the roof of the stage set collapsed. A
French lighting technician, Charles Criscenzo, 53, was killed on the stage,
and Charles Prow, 23, from Great Britain, died shortly after at a hospital.
At least eight other workers, some part of Madonna's traveling stage crew,
were hospitalized. A criminal investigation has been launched into the cause
of the accident. Madonna's Marseille concert has been canceled. The next stop
on her concert tour is a sold-out show in Barcelona July 21.
Miley Cyrus to Share Stage with Fellow Divas
**Miley Cyrus** [1] will join some of the world's best female pop musicians
to perform at "VH1 Divas!" Adele, Kelly Clarkson, Leona Lewis and Cyrus are
gearing up to perform together at the Brooklyn Academy of Music (BAM) Howard
Gilman Opera House in Brooklyn, New York. "Don't let some of their young ages
fool you - these women are among the best entertainers in the world and will
continue to thrill music fans for a long time to come," said Lee Rolontz,
EVP, Original Music Production & Development VH1, and VH1 Classic. The "VH1
Divas" concert will air live on VH1 Thursday, September 17 .
[1] http://new.shoofeetv.com/celebrity/4090/miley-cyrus
Rock legends to perform Hall of Fame concerts
Bruce Springsteen, U2, Paul Simon and other rock legends will come together
for two concerts in October to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the Rock and
Roll Hall of Fame. The concerts on October 29 and 30 at New York City's
Madison Square Garden will trace the history of rock and roll, from soul to
hard rock, and also feature Eric Clapton, Aretha Franklin, Stevie Wonder and
Metallica, with guest stars and collaborations promised. Simon and Garfunkel
will grace the stage together, as will 1970s staples Crosby, Stills Nash &
Friends. Proceeds from the concerts will help raise money for a permanent
endowment for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Foundation and Museum which was
founded by Atlantic Records founder Ahmet Ertegun. "Twenty-five years ago ...
Ahmet Ertegun created this foundation to recognize and celebrate the music
and careers of artists whose music helped shape and define our generation,"
said Jann Wenner, chairman of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Foundation. "These
once-in-a-lifetime concerts are designed to celebrate the artists and their
music." Tickets go on sale to the general public on August 3.
Miley Cyrus collects six honors in "The Teen Choice Awards"
The Teen Choice Awards, which were selected by over 83 million votes cast
online, honor celebrities in TV, film, music and sports.
Several winners — including 16-year-old Miley Cyrus and show hosts the
Jonas Brothers — took home multiple trophies at the 11th annual ceremony at
Universal Studios Hollywood’s Gibson Amphitheatre. Cyrus sailed away with
six awards, winning for comedy TV show and actress for “Hannah Montana;”
music/dance movie actress and hissy fit for “Hannah Montana: The Movie;”
music single for “The Climb” and summer song for “Before the Storm”
with the Jonas Brothers. Cyrus also presented Britney Spears the ultimate
choice award. “I’m a huge fans of hers,” Cyrus said before a subdued
Spears accepted her own surfboard.
Bee Gees Getting Back Together?
The two surviving Brothers Gibb -- Barry and Robin said to a source a while
back that they hoped to reunite, and now it looks like they just might! A rep
for the Gibbs said, "Barry & Robin have certainly talked about playing live
again, although nothing is confirmed yet. The discussion of live shows has
been motivated by the celebration of the Bee Gees' 50th Anniversary, and to
support the impending releases of The Ultimate Bee Gees in November and the
box set Mythology in March 2010." The third member of the group, Maurice
Gibb, died suddenly in 2003 at 53 from complications following an operation
to correct a twisted intestine. The surviving brothers have not performed as
the Bee Gees since.
Michael Jackson Tribute Postponed Till Next June
The Michael Jackson tribute concert originally scheduled to take place in
Vienna this month has been postponed. The location has also been changed from
Vienna to London. The event's promoter, Georg Kindel, told reporters that
they encountered scheduling conflicts with performers that were invited to
participate. He told the Associated Press, "Maybe we underestimated these
issues." This news follows Katherine Jackson's statement yesterday that she
would attent the event, and announcements made earlier this week of A-list
acts committing to perform at this event. Artists such as Mary J. Blige,
Chris Brown, and Natalie Cole were unable to commit to the originally
scheduled event on September 26. Katherine Jackson also announced on Thursday
that she would attend the now-canceled Vienna tribute. It has not yet been
announced where the tribute will take place in London. Kindel only specified
that it will be scheduled in the first half of June 2010.
Knightley to make West End debut
Keira Knightley will make her West End debut opposite fellow British actors
Damian Lewis and Tara Fitzgerald in Moliere's The Misanthrope in December.
The 24-year-old star of films including Atonement and Pirates of the
Caribbean, will play American film star Jennifer. Lewis, best known for US
series Band of Brothers, will play the title role - a disillusioned
playwright who falls for the ambitious and mercurial Jennifer. The play opens
at the Comedy Theatre on 17 December and runs until 13 March. The production,
adapted by playwright Martin Crimp, moves the action from 17th century Paris
to modern-day London. It will be directed by Thea Sharrock, whose previous
credits include directing Daniel Radcliffe and Richard Griffiths in the West
End production of Equus, and later on Broadway. Knightley recently completed
work on two films, London Boulevard and Never Let Me Go, both due for release
next year. Lewis finished filming the US TV series Life earlier this year.
Jennifer Lopez, Adam Lambert ready for AMA stage
Jennifer Lopez plans to include fireworks and an on-stage costume change in
her performance at the American Music Awards. "American Idol" runner-up Adam
Lambert will incorporate leather and chains into his. Lopez and Lambert will
be among more than a dozen performers at Sunday's ceremony, and they took
time out Thursday to perfect their performances. Lopez is in top form, but
she's still a little nervous. She'll be singing a song fans have never heard
before and performing live on TV for the first time in years. "You know what
you're doing and you feel very good about it, but at the same time, you
wouldn't be human if you're not afraid," she said after her rehearsal. She's
set to perform "Louboutins," the first single from her new album, "Love?" —
due in stores next year. Flanked by backup dancers, the 40-year-old
entertainer busts out her Fly Girl moves in a number that begins in a boxing
ring and ends in the audience. Famed sports announcer Michael Buffer is in
the act, too. "I think it's going to be good," she said. "Dancing again,
singing, the lights and the costumes — it all feels like second nature."
Veteran choreographer Kenny Ortega, director of "Michael Jackson's This Is
It," gave Lopez's performance a positive review. "Awesome," he said after
dropping by the Nokia Theatre to watch her rehearse. Lambert, 27, said he's
eager to see how the star-studded crowd responds to his provocative
performance, a sexed-up rendition of "For Your Entertainment," the first
single off his upcoming album of the same name. "I can't wait to see people I
look up to as artists in the audience watching. I think that will be a trip,
and exciting and motivating all at the same time," he said after his
rehearsal. "It will be really interesting to see what kind of reaction the
number gets. It's different. It really does have an edge to it." The
performance is heavy on leather and chains and includes Lambert dragging a
woman across the stage. Other artists set to perform at the 37th annual
American Music Awards include Rihanna, Whitney Houston, Green Day, Lil'
Wayne, Lady Gaga, Eminem, Keith Urban, Jay-Z and Carrie Underwood. Janet
Jackson will open the show with a medley of songs, but producer Larry Klein
wouldn't say whether her performance would be a tribute to her late brother.
"It's a surprise," he said. Fans voted online to choose the winners of the
American Music Awards, which honor the year's top-selling artists in eight
popular genres. The ceremony will be broadcast live on ABC from the Nokia
Theatre.
'Uncharted 2' nabs top prize at VGAs
The cinematic action adventure "Uncharted 2: Among Thieves" nabbed three
prizes including game of the year at the Spike TV Video Game Awards. The
PlayStation 3 exclusive was named top game for that console and honored for
its graphics at the awards show Saturday night at the LA Live complex in
downtown, which featured appearances from Stevie Wonder, Green Day and Jack
Black [1]. Snoop Dogg and The Bravery performed. "I want to see the companies
that make these video games make them accessible so that people like myself
can enjoy them too," Wonder said before presenting the best music game award
to "The Beatles: Rock Band." Green Day announced that they would be featured
in a similar standalone title by game maker Harmonix, "Green Day: Rock Band,"
to be released next year. Jake Gyllenhaal [2] promoted his Jerry
Bruckheimer-produced action movie based on the "Prince of Persia" games, due
out next summer, and presented the game of the year award. "Uncharted 2"
earned raves from critics when it was released in October, and from attendees
Saturday ranging from actor Zach Braff [3] to "Gears of War" designer Cliff
Bleszinski. "We knew when we were making this game it was going to be good,
but nobody could have predicted this kind of success," said Nolan North, the
voice actor who plays "Uncharted 2's" lead character Nathan Drake. He said he
and developers at Naughty Dog studios had celebrated the game's big sales "by
kicking around ideas for 'Uncharted 3,' because that's what we want to do."
Zachary Quinto of "Star Trek" said he'd be lending his voice to the upcoming
massively multiplayer online game "Star Trek Online." Mike Tyson made an
appearance alongside the cast of MTV's new "Jersey Shore" reality show, who
hogged attention backstage. "Everybody in the green room is pushing all these
mega-celebrities out of the way," Braff said. "Get out of the way Sam
Jackson, I think 'The Situation' is coming in." Besides the awards, the
show's focus was on never-before-seen previews of upcoming titles, including
the rebooted, Afghanistan-set "Medal of Honor," "Batman: Arkham Asylum 2,"
"Crackdown 2," "The Force Unleashed 2" and "Halo: Reach."
[1] http://www.shoofeetv.com/celebrity/3402/jack-black
[2] http://www.shoofeetv.com/celebrity/6256/jake-gyllenhaal
[3] http://www.shoofeetv.com/celebrity/4630/zach-braff
Curtain Rises for Catherine Zeta-Jones on Broadway
Screen gems Catherine Zeta-Jones [1] and Angela Lansbury [2] are taking the
stage of The Great White Way in "A Little Night Music." Catherine was happy
to debut the production in front of her supportive family, including husband
Michael Douglas. She told "The Insider" how the stage compares to the screen:
"It's just really different. You can never ever, ever get that immediacy that
you get on stage, live theater. It's just something that I've missed…and
now that I'm doing it again, I've realized how much I enjoy it and how much
us actors enjoy that applause." The legendary Angela Lansbury praised her
co-stars, saying, "The company was very up tonight and Catherine Zeta-Jones
was just superlative, so we hope that we have a lovely hit on our hands."
[1] http://www.shoofeetv.com/celebrity/4196/catherine-zeta-jones
[2] http://www.shoofeetv.com/celebrity/28708/angela-lansbury
Golden Globe Nominations 2010
Hollywood's award season begins as the nominations for 67th Golden Globe
Awards were announced at the Beverly Hilton in Beverly Hills.
*Best Motion Picture -- Drama* Avatar The Hurt Locker [1] Inglorious Basterds
Precious Up in the Air *Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture --
Drama*Emily Blunt [2], The Young Victoria Sandra Bullock [3], The Blind Side
Helen Mirren [4], The Last Station Carey Mulligan, An Education Gabire
Sadibe, Precious *Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture -- Drama
*
Jeff Bridges [5], Crazy Heart
George Clooney, Up in the Air
[6]
Colin Firth [7], A Single Man
Morgan Freeman [8], Invictus
[9]
Tobey Maguire [10], Brothers
*Best Motion Picture -- Musical or Comedy* (500) Days of Summer The Hangover
It's Complicated Julie & Julia Nine *Best Performance by an Actress in a
Motion Picture -- Musical or Comedy* Sandra Bullock, The Proposal Marion
Cotillard, Nine Meryl Streep, It's Complicated Meryl Streep [11], Julie and
Julia *Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture -- Musical or Comedy*
Matt Damon, The Informant Daniel Day Lewis [12], Nine Robert Downey Jr.,
Sherlock Holmes Joseph Gordon Levitt, (500) Days of Summer Michael Stuhlbarg,
A Serious Man *Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in a
Motion Picture* Mo-Nique, Precious Julianne Moore, A Single Man Anna
Kendrick, Up in the Air Vera Farmiga, Up in the Air Penelope Cruz, Nine *Best
Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture* Matt Damon,
Invictus Stanley Tucci, The Lovely Bones Christopher Plummer, The Last
Station Christopher Waltz, Inglorious Basterds Woody Harrelson, The Messenger
*Best Animated Feature Film* Coraline The Fantastic Mr. Fox Cloudy with a
Chance of Meatballs The Princess and the Frog Up *Best Foreign Language Film*
Barria Broken Embraces A Prophet The White Ribbon *Best Director -- Motion
Picture* Kathryn Bigelow, the hurt locker James Cameron Clint Eastwood Jason
Reitman Quentin Tarantino *Best Screenplay -- Motion Picture* Up in the Air
It's Complicated District 9 *Best Original Score -- Motion Picture* *Best
Original Song -- Motion Picture* "I Will See You," Avatar "The Weary Kind,"
Crazy Heart
[1] http://www.shoofeetv.com/program/3652333/hurt-locker
[2] http://www.shoofeetv.com/celebrity/22074/emily-blunt
[3] http://www.shoofeetv.com/celebrity/3978/sandra-bullock
[4] http://www.shoofeetv.com/celebrity/4928/helen-mirren
[5] http://www.shoofeetv.com/celebrity/7766/jeff-bridges
[6] http://www.shoofeetv.com/celebrity/1884196/george-clooney
[7] http://www.shoofeetv.com/celebrity/28646/colin-firth
[8] http://www.shoofeetv.com/celebrity/29724/morgan-freeman
[9] http://www.shoofeetv.com/celebrity/4460/tobey-maguire
[10] http://www.shoofeetv.com/celebrity/4460/tobey-maguire
[11] http://www.shoofeetv.com/celebrity/3788/meryl-streep
[12] http://www.shoofeetv.com/celebrity/3132/daniel-day-lewis
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