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Bret Michaels Update: Rumors of Death Exaggerated

Roger Friedman
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Bret Michaels Update: Rumors of Death Exaggerated

Bret  Michaels remains in critical condition this morning. So does the situation concerning his public relations.

This morning, someone called the “Today” show and “Access Hollywood” and insisted Michaels had passed away. Not so says Michaels’ beleaguered press rep Jo Mignano. “He’s alive, being treated, he’s sedated. Nothing has changed.”

Sources say Donald Trump‘s team from “Celebrity Apprentice” — which Michaels ostensibly has won for the men’s team–is as much in the dark as anyone else about Michaels’s whereabouts. Only his family and close friends know where Michaels is hospitalized.

Trump and NBC now walk a fine line. If they continue to make statements unauthorized by Michaels’ family they run the risk of appearing to stoke ratings for “Celebrity Apprentice.”

On the other hand, they have three more previously taped episodes that lead up to chef Curtis Stone being fired and Michaels becoming — to use Donald Trump’s language — a “champion.”

A wo hour live special set for May 23rd will have to feature Stone, as the odds of Michaels making the show–even as he recovers–are pretty slim.

Raffling Off John Legend; “Memento” Remembers Anniversary

Roger Friedman
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Raffling Off John Legend; “Memento” Remembers Anniversary

John Legend is indefatigable when it comes to charities. Over the weekend he joined Sting and the Roots on the Mall in Washington DC for Earth Day. On Tuesday May 2 and 3, he’ll have dinner and play golf with the winner of a raffle for the Show Me Campaign. The raffle ends tonight–see this link http://bit.ly/biif8t. The dinner is in New York at Marea.The golf is at Liberty National Golf Course…

It’s the 10th anniversary of Christopher Nolan‘s mind twisting debut film, “Memento.” I don’t know how anyone remembered to celebrate this event (inside joke).

If you’ve never seen “Memento,” it’s essentially told backwards and forwards simultaneously. The main character, Leonard Shelby (Guy Pearce) has been attacked in a home invasion and can’t make short term memories. If you like “Lost,” you’ll love it. I love it and can never get enough of it.

On Saturday, there was a 10th anniversary screening at the old Chelsea West aka SVA Theater, with a panel discussion following featuring Jonathan Nolan (who wrote it with his brother), and stars Guy Pearce and Joey Pantoliano. They are all still debating the film among themselves, and with the fans. It will never end! In 40 years I will be screening “Memento” at the Jewish Home for the Elderly and chewing it over with anyone who can hear or see…

Denzel Washington Hits It Out of the Park and Over the Fences

Roger Friedman
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Denzel Washington Hits It Out of the Park and Over the Fences

Denzel Washington has two Academy Awards. Come June, he’s going to be able to add a Tony Award as well to his collection of gold statues.

Last night at the Cort Theater, Denzel and Viola Davis opened in a revival of the late August Wilson‘s “Fences” –directed by Kenny Leon— to cheers and raves. Each of these actors deserves a Tony for their work, and my guess is they will get them. Very few this season (maybe Alfred Molina, Laura Linney, Jan Maxwell) came close to the work they’re doing at the Cort. They are just mesmerizing as a couple whose 18 year marriage is not what it seems.

And while Denzel’s Troy wants to put up fences to keep out trouble, it’s he who inevitably invites it in. It’s not Wilson’s most sophisticated metraphor, but almost three decades after it premiered with  James Earl Jones, Mary Alice, and Courtney B. Vance, the play resonates. The audience is just as vocally involved as they were when I saw it in 1987. (The play takes place from 1957 to 1965 in a city that could be Detroit or Pittsburgh.)

Washington steps into James Earl Jones‘s awesome shoes with authority. It’s funny that I remembered Jones as being older, but really he was just about the same age as Denzel is now–55, give or take. Jones had a little more physical heft, and that booming voice. But Denzel makes up for it by making Troy seem human and vulnerable. He also sheds a lot of the tics that come to inform any movie actor over time. “Fences” for Washington must feel like a house cleaning.

Viola Davis–what can I say? She’s sensational. Where Mary Alice was sweet and heartbroken, Davis is devastated and outraged. A quiet person in real life, she can project anger like no other current actor. The audience flocks to her side instantly when she’s attacked. After her short, powerful scene in “Doubt” led to an Oscar nomination, Davis can do anything. Her performance as Rose is unforgettable.

And listen: New York took this opening night seriously. No less than Mike Nichols, Joan Didion, Phylicia Rashad, Spike Lee, Natalie Cole, Branford Marsalis, Norah Ephron and Nick Pileggi, John Patrick Shanley, Lynn Whitfield, Tamara Tunie, Hill Harper, Denise Rich, Star Jones, and Courtney Vance himself were in the orchestra section. There was also a heavy contingent from the WME — William Morris Endeavor– including Ari Emanuel himself and Patrick Whitesell. And it was great to see the legendary manager/agent Johnnie Planco, on the mend after a brief illness.

Spider Man Musical Up to $51 Mil, Will Have No Stars

Roger Friedman
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Spider Man Musical Up to $51 Mil, Will Have No Stars

“Spider Man: Turn off the Dark” is up to $51 million in budget. Or $52 million, depending on who’s talking. What’s a million difference among friends?

The troubled show, long anticipated, is also going to take a risk. With the departures of actors Alan Cumming and Evan Rachel Wood, the producers have opted to go with no stars. The re-cast actors will be Broadway names, sources tell me. They will not be movie or TV stars or have much instant name recognition. (Lindsay Lohan, for example, will not be playing Mary Jane, although it could be a kooky idea!)

This news is added to the previous announcement that little-known Reeve Carney will play Peter Parker aka Spider Man.

Can you really have a $51 million musical without any name players? The thinking is that director Julie Taymor combined with the music of U2 should be enough to sell “Spider Man.” Experts tell me that at that budget, the show will not earn out for investors for at least five years. And that’s with every seat sold at every performance.

The average Broadway show costs a few million dollars. A biggie, like “The Addams Family,” is up around $15 million. That’s the top. Fifty one million dollars is just beyond any comprehension. It’s the price tag for a nice sized movie. Or about ten small, interesting musicals and plays.

It’s not like Taymor and Bono and The Edge can’t pull this off and have a success. Indeed, they probably will. New stars may be born. And certainly a lot of Mylanta will be ingested.

Harry Potter Daniel Radcliffe Gets a Broadway Co-Star

Roger Friedman
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Harry Potter Daniel Radcliffe Gets a Broadway Co-Star

It does look as though Daniel Radcliffe has found a co-star for his 2011 “How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying.”

I am told that newcomer Rose Hemingway (not a relative of Ernest) has been chosen to play Rosemary to Radcliffe’s Finch in the musical revival. The show will be directed by choreographer Rob Ashford, who made his directorial debut last night in “Promises, Promises.”

The shows are sort of flip sides of each other. One is how to succeed without really trying. “Promises, Promises” is about really, really trying. “How to Succeed” is from 1962. “Promises” is set in that year, but was really launched in 1968-69.

Sources say Hemingway gave an extraordinary reading of the role in the workshop and auditions. The last person to play Rosemary was Sarah Jessica Parker. The original, of course, was the great Michele Lee, on Broadway and in the film with Bobby Morse.

Sean Hayes–of Will & Grace–Stars in A Musical “Mad Men”

Roger Friedman
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Sean Hayes–of Will & Grace–Stars in A Musical “Mad Men”

Yes, that Sean Hayes, who played Jack on “Will & Grace” and won a lot of Emmy Awards. He’s headed to the Tony Awards next after his triumphant Broadway debut last night in “Promises, Promises.” He’s going to give veteran Nathan Lane from ‘The Addams Family” a run for his money as Lead Actor in a Musical. (We’ll watch for the Outer Critics Circle nominees this morning, too.)

If you want to know where “Mad Men” got its inspiration, look no further than this show. “Mad Men” creator Matthew Weiner clearly took the name of Peggy Olson, the secretary at Consolidated, for the now famous Elizabeth Moss character on the TV show. Well done!

The revival of the 1969 musical is a smash at the Broadway Theater, with co-stars Kristen Chenoweth, Tony Goldwyn (anew surprise Broadway star–great voice) and knockout scene stealer (and previous Tony winner) Katie Finneran. Let’s just say that the latter appears at the start of Act II and takes no prisoners in one of the memorable performances of any season.

But it’s Hayes who’s a bit of a surprise, and he pulls it off. As C.C. Baxter, the newcomer who’s trying to get ahead at Consolidated Life in 1962 Manhattan, he carries the entire musical. This is no small task, as the book is by Neil Simon and the songs are by no less than Burt Bacharach and Hal David. And Hayes’s predecessor 40 years ago was Jerry Orbach.

And while Hayes is the circus ringleader, it’s Chenoweth who has the toughest task: she gets to sing the Bacharach-David hits, “I’ll Never Fall in Love Again,” “A House is Not a Home,” and “I Say A Little Prayer.” She does so with aplomb, maybe getting the songs better than she does the character of a suicidal ingenue who’s having an affair with a married man. As Fran, Chenoweth is a little stiff. You’re not sure why CC is pursuing her and not the vivid Marge played by Finneran. It seems like a no-brainer.

Still, Neil Simon‘s original book from December 1968 remains an Erector set of splendid one liners. It’s so interesting to hear it now because almost nothing was changed, Hayes told me. And it works like a beauty: you see and hear Simon at his best.

And the music is just so impeccable. Bacharach was not expected to be here from Los Angeles. But he came, looking a little frail but feisty and proud. Of course Hal David was front and center. The songs are timeless and extraordinary. They so fit their era but have lasted 40 years. I have never been at a performance like this, where a song–“I Say A Little Prayer”– got applause before it was sung, as if it were a famous actor!

And yes, the premiere was filled with stars: Hugh Jackman, Alfred Molina, John Stamos, David Hyde Pierce, T.R. Knight from “Grey’s Anatomy,” the magnificent Mary Kay Place (who’s shooting episodes of “Bored to Death” on HBO) with famed record producer Russ Titelman, Brooke Shields, legend Geoffrey Holder, Harvey Weinstein (busy on his Blackberry), Lee Pace, Neil Patrick Harris, Nora Ephron and Nick Pileggi. I asked Alan Cumming why he dropped out of “Spider Man.” He said, with a twinkle in his eye, “It was a scheduling problem. Didn’t you read the press release?”

Trump Clue: Bret Michaels Ironic Situation in Celebrity Apprentice

Roger Friedman
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Trump Clue: Bret Michaels Ironic Situation in Celebrity Apprentice

SPOILER SPECULATION ALERT

Don’t keep reading if you don’t want to know what I’m told may happen on what has been a hot season of “The Celebrity Apprentice.”

Sources say that Bret Michaels‘ terrible sudden illness–he is in critical condition because of a brain hemorrhage–is a terrible irony, especially if he’s in for a long recovery.

Donald Trump praised Michaels on Friday, calling him “a great competitor and champion.” The wording was the tip off. Champion means victor, not just “great player.” If they had clues like that on “Lost,” the show would have been over two years ago.

Currently, Michaels is one of the two last men remaining on the show. Celebrity chef Curtis Stone is the other.

But I am told that in the end it’s more likely that Stone’s future with Trump is cooked like a Thanksgiving goose. Michaels. they say, is the odds on favorite to be named the men’s winner. That would make him one of the two finalists for “The Celebrity Apprentice.” This shouldn’t come as too much of a surprise; viewers know that Michaels is in the lead.

The shows were pre-taped weeks ago.

“Celebrity Apprentice” is scheduled to air a two hour live episode on Sunday, May 23rd. The last two contestants, one each from the men’s team and the women’s,  have to demonstrate why he or she should be the winner.

Another source admitted, “I know it’s Brett and two others toward the end.”

I do know that on the May 9th installment, there’s a big twist in the women’s story. I won’t say what happens.

While everyone hopes for Michaels’ speedy recovery, it might take a miracle to get him back in front of cameras by May 23rd. And how Michaels’ situation progresses has to be handled delicately by NBC. The Poison rock star’s health is at stake, as well as the show’s future and reputation. But if Michaels can make it to the finale, imagine the drama and the ratings. TV execs would sell their children for such an episode.

People do recover from brain hemorrhages. Gifted pop singer Phoebe Snow had one on January 19th of this year, and fell into a coma. Last week, her manager posted a message on Snow’s website saying she was awake, and making progress. Here’s hoping each of these stars makes a swift recovery.

Spitzer Documentary “Client 9”: Gov Had Mystery Call Girl as Steady Sex Mate

Roger Friedman
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Spitzer Documentary “Client 9”: Gov Had Mystery Call Girl as Steady Sex Mate

Former New York Governor Eliot Spitzer was not so involved with hooker Ashley Dupre as we’ve been led to believe by the New York Post and other tabloids.

According to a new documentary, called “Client 9,” Spitzer’s steady call girl used the name “Angelina.” (She is played in the doc by actress Wrenn Schmidt.)

Director Alex Gibney has plenty of other revelations in “Client 9.” which debuted at the Tribeca Film Festival last night. In new on camera interviews with Spitzer, he elicits from the disgraced politician an admission. “I brought myself down,” Spitzer says in response to Gibney’s suggestion that it was the governor’s enemies who conspired against him.

In fact, from the dozens of interviews in “Client 9”–it’s a massive documentary that could use a little trimming–Spitzer’s enemies were just laying in wait, readying themselves for a chance to pounce on the crusading liberal’s wars on Wall Street. What does seem clear is that they were often doing more than just waiting. Gibney suggests that the wealthier Wall Street types may have had private detectives dogging Spitzer, looking for dirt.

The sure found it.

Among those who make rare and candid appearnaces in “Client 9” are AIG’s Maurice “Hank” Greenberg and financier Kenneth Langone, once head of the New York Stock Exchange. To say that they despise Spitzer is an understatement. They don’t hold much back in their interviews. Of course, Gibney points out that until his sudden demise, Spitzer was on their trail. He anticipated the AIG meltdown of 2008, to no avail. He had his own meltdown to deal with.

“Client 9” is referred to as the “Untitled Eliot Spitzer Film” in the Tribeca schedules. But it’s really called “Client 9: The Rise and Fall of Eliot Spitzer,” the title that appears at the start of this exhaustively researched film. Gibney has covered as many bases as he could, including long and amusing interviews with the head of the escort service that provided Spitzer with his call girls. This woman, Cecil Suwal, acts ditzy but in fact has a better grasp of the situation that you might think. “He could not control himself,” she says of a governor who paid for sex with money orders.

Most interesting for New Yorkers who’ve been inundated by sleazy Ashley Dupre, mascot of the New York Post. It turns out she only encountered Spitzer once, according to Gibney. Her recent blast of publicity, he suggests, is being backed by anti-Spitzer conservative forces who seek to continue his humiliation. This makes some sense since the woman has no obvious talents besides those otherwise employed. Even so, Spitzer shouldn’t get too excited. Despite his desire to re-start his political career, it’s just not going to happen.

By the way, Gibney says Spitzer has not seen the film yet.

PS No thanks to Spitzer, who left us with David Paterson. The most mocked, worst governor in New York history, looks especially bad in the film during (thankfully) silent cameos.

Bret Michaels Update: “He Had The Worst Headache Ever”

Roger Friedman
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Bret Michaels Update: “He Had The Worst Headache Ever”

Here’s an update on Bret Michaels: He’s in a Los Angeles hospital undergoing tests, treatment and observation for a brain hemorrhage.

“He was at home and started complaining about a bad headache,” a source tells me. “He said it was like someone hitting him on the head with baseball bats. They called an ambulance and rushed him to the hospital. That’s when they found the blood on his brain.”

Michaels, who suffers from diabetes, was already recovering from an appendectomy. That medical crisis had happened while he was on tour in San Antonio, Texas on April 12th, just two weeks ago. After the operation, he returned to L.A. and the private care of his physician. But he was told it would take at least six weeks to recuperate from that ordeal.

Michaels hasn’t had an easy year physically. Last June 7th, 2009, he was hit by a piece of heavy scenery while performing on stage at Radio City Music Hall for the Tony Awards. http://tinyurl.com/lvwk9b. He broke his nose, and subsequently had a CAT scan. Reports now are that the brain hemorrhage is related to his diabetes. But there will certainly be speculation that it’s  somehow connected to the accident.

CBS Gets Schizo; All the News Fit to Repeat; Murdoch Melt Down

Roger Friedman
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CBS Gets Schizo; All the News Fit to Repeat; Murdoch Melt Down

CBS is acting a little schizo now. They’ve decided to air the Daytime Emmy awards. Of course, they’ve canceled two legacy daytime dramas, “As the World Turns” and “Guiding Light.” They only have two left, “The Young & the Restless,” and “The Bold & the Beautiful.” Is this a way to launch that new “View ” type show? And will there be a special salute to “World Turns”? A: yes. B: no…

…This week, we were appropriated from (ahem) quite a bit!

Today the New York Post trumpets an interview with Oprah’s aunt Katherine Esters as the first of its kind. Readers of this column know that isn’t true. We did the first interview with Mrs. Esters on April 14th. You can read it from the highlighted picture link next to the logo…

This week Page Six made passing mention of rumors of Gwyneth Paltrow coming to Broadway. They read it here, this week…

And Deadline Hollywood yesterday had a piece about Katherine Heigl changing publicists. That story ran more extensively right here 24 hours earlier…

Entertainment Weekly tried to debunk our “Men in Black 3D” story, suggested it was premature, and then concluded it would happen. I guess someone gave writer Nicole Sperling a dose of the neuralizer…

…And what about this weird news? On Wednesday, James Murdoch and Rebekah Brooks, chief executive of Murdoch’s newspaper empire, burst into the offices of rival editor in chief of the Independent and began berating the man. Their beef was a wrapper around the Independent criticizing Rupert Murdoch for trying to manipulate the British elections. First: is there no security at The Indepedent? Can anyone just walk in? And second: a few months ago Murdoch’s son-in-law Matthew Freud gave the New York Times a rogue quote. Now Murdoch’s son is showing strange behavior? The strain seems to be getting to them. Who’s next? http://tinyurl.com/24g7f3h

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