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Sunday, April 6, 2025
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New York Nightclub Scene Exclusive: Famed Rock Club May Change

The notorious New York late night hang the Beatrice Inn isn’t coming back. But former owners Paul Sevigny and Nur Khan may have an interesting alternative.

I am told that the pair of newly minted restaurateurs are looking at taking over Don Hill‘s famous rock club on Spring Street in West SoHo. If the plan works, Don Hill‘s will get a much needed make over. And in the process, a new world of celebrities will start flowing through its doors.

This idea, still in the planning stages, would leave Don Hill himself still running the rock side of things. But a touch up wouldn’t hurt. And there’s plenty of room for limos, lines, and velvet ropes.

Meanwhile, Sevigny and Khan have just about pulled off the impossible over at the corner of East SoHo and Little Italy. Their new restaurant, Kenmare, is a hit. It’s a really fine dining establishment, too, with top notch food and a high end adult atmosphere. Plus, the staff seems inordinately friendly.

Khan, of course, is famous for his Rose Bar at the Gramercy Hotel. Segvigny, brother of actress Chloe, went from Wall Street to dj’ing, to notoriety at the Beatrice, a small intentionally seedy club in the West Village. But the Beatrice’s infamy finally did it in, and Sevigny wisely decided to take his Paul Stuart suits and follow his dream. The Kenmare looks like a keeper. Adding Don Hill’s to the mix would make Sevigny and Khan unstoppable in the nightlife world.

Also in New York nightlife: The Lion on West 9th St. has a second helping of private dinners this week before really opening soon. Former Waverly Inn chef John DeLucie is in charge, with partners Dave Zinczenko of Men’s Health and Today show legal analyst Dan Abrams.

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Frasier Crane Goes Trannie; Tony Awards Countdown Begins

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Kelsey Grammer may be a noted Republican conservative on some issues, but he’s certainly not afraid of transvestites or homosexuals. He opened last night as Georges, the “plain old homosexual” whose life partner is Albin, the most famous homosexual drag queen in the country in the very good revival of “La Cage Aux Folles.”

Grammer, who will always be known as Dr. Frasier Crane, is spot on as George, and British actor Douglas Hodge is a wonderful surprise as Albin. This is a new stripped down “La Cage,” unplugged at the smallish Longacre Theater from its original showings at the Palace Theater. You wonder before the curtain goes up how they’re going to fit this show into this tiny stage. But it works: the new “La Cage” seems very much at home here.

Kelsey has his admirers, starting with wife Camille who was trailed into opening night by cameras from “The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills.” I’ve never seen a camera crew inside a Broadway house before the show starts, but the crew wanted to record every bit of Camille’s reactions. Two more BH housewives sat in my row, and I have to say, they looked about as fake as the “women” on the stage. They certainly contained more plastic. One of them fiddled with her Blackberry through the show. I’m not sure if they’d ever been to the theater before. There was no shopping involved.

It didn’t matter. When the show ended, Jerry Herman–the 78 year old master songwriter–was brought on stage to huzzahs and cheers. He wrote “:A Cage” and “Hello, Dolly!” as well as “Mame” and “Mack and Mabel.”No word on why Harvey Fierstein, who wrote “La Cage” with Herman, wasn’t in attendance. But Harvey Weinstein was, happy with his latest theater investment. (No word yet on the progress of talks with Disney despite fevered reports elsewhere.)

Here’s the big news: Kelsey will switch roles at the end of six months. He will play Albin. Georges will then be played either by Hodge, if he stays, or someone else. There’s talk that David Hyde Pierce, Grammer’s TV brother Niles, will step in. That will depend on whether Pierce is then in a production of “La Bete.” Pierce was there last night to cheer Grammer on, along with Kelsey’s actress daughter Spencer, Grammer, Jason Biggs, Tommy Tune, and a smattering of Broadway loyalists.

One quick word on character actor Fred Applegate: he’s sensational. Whoever’s casting “How to Succeed” should pin him down immediately.

And so the Tony countdown begins. Shows left to open after “American Idiot” premieres Tuesday: “Fences” with Denzel Washington, “Sondheim on Sondheim,” “Promises Promises,” “Enron,” “Collected Stories,” and “Everyday Rapture.”

The original musicals are “American Idiot,” “Memphis,” “Million Dollar Quartet,” “Everyday Rapture,” “The Addams Family,”and “Fela.” The latter is a bust–no effort has been made to promote it or endear the press to it. So scratch that. “Addams” got the worst reviews in history. That leaves the first four to vie for Best Musical.

And look at all the plays: “Behanding in Spokane,” “Red,” “Enron,” “Race,” “Next Fall,” “Time Stands Still,” “A Steady Rain,” “Superior Donuts.”

More about the revivals tomorrow. And where are the special awards for Carrie Fisher? Her “Wishful Drinking” was a masterpiece. Let’s see the love, all you critics groups!

Green Day: “American Idiot” Makes Broadway Feel Alive

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Green Day‘s “American Idiot” doesn’t open until Tuesday night but I can tell you now, it’s a hit.

The problem is, it’s not quite a Broadway musical in the traditional sense. It’s a jukebox show without much of a story per se, or a “book.” If you’re looking for deep character development, “American Idiot” is not the show. This is no “Billy Elliot.”

But: “American Idiot” is vibrant, and so full of raw energy that it can’t be denied. It’s also maybe the best staging of a new musical since “Billy Elliot,” and far more cutting edge. Director Michael Mayer along with the set designer Christine Jones and choreographer Steven Hoggett have fashioned something unique and fresh from Green Day’s Grammy award winning 2004 album (along with some other songs from the group’s repetoire).

And then of course there are the young actors. “American Idiot,” is a little like “Spring Awakening” meets “Rent” but chucking the pretentiousness. John Gallagher Jr. leads the cast, and he is just mesmerizing along with Michael Espers, Tony Vincent, Rebecca Naomi Jones, Christina Sajous, and Mary Faber. Stark Sands (what a name, huh?) nearly stole the show from Gallagher, which isn’t easy.

It’ s hard to believe Green Day has been around since 1990. They’re sort of a punk-New Wave revival group, updating a  power pop sound that first emerged around 1975-76 and lasted for about or seven years before it was commercialized. It’s ironic that when it originated, New Wave music was mostly shunned by radio and the general public for the more conservative sounds of Fleetwood Mac and the Eagles. By the time Green Day picked up the thread, the nostalgia wave for it was ready. The group owes everyone from Wreckless Eric and the Only Ones to the Dickies, the Cramps, the Stranglers, Nick Lowe and especially the Sex Pistols and the Ramones a shout out for inspiration.

What’s interesting about “American Idiot” is how well it works as a concert piece as designed by Mayer. (As a nod to Green Day fans, Mayer throws in an inventive curtain call of a non “AI” song, the group’s watershed hit from years earlier, “Time of Your Life” aka “Good Riddance.”) Every one of the songs is eminently performable, from the well known hits “Boulevard of Broken Dreams” and “Wake Me When September Comes” to lesser material like “Are We the Waiting” and “Holiday.” You come out of this show humming songs you thought hadn’t really mattered.

So: more on “American Idiot” Wednesday morning after their premiere, which has to be great. And how I look forward to the CD score from the show to go with the original CD. (Download “American Idiot” now on amazon.com.) It may not be Sondheim or even “Memphis.” But “American Idiot” is so much what Broadway needed this season. It’s alive.

P. Diddy Pal Rick Ross Must Pay Big Bucks For Vicious Blogger Attack

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Rick Ross, a rapper who Billboard says is being managed by Sean P.Diddy Combs, lost a major and potentially career damaging civil case in Manhattan yesterday.

A Federal court jury ruled that Ross would have to pay $300,000 to DJ Vlad, aka Vlad Lyubovny, for allowing his entourage to beat the guy to a pulp.

Ross, aka William Leonard Roberts II, records for DefJam. Lyubovny was beaten up by Ross’s entourage at the Ozone Awards on August 10, 2008 in Houston. The blogger and DJ is also a vice president at SRC/Universal Records.

The reason? Ross was angry that Vlad had revealed in a blog that prior to being a rapper, Ross was a corrections officer in Florida. Lyubovny’s injuries included a broken eye socket, a broken nose, nerve damage to his face, cheek, upper lip, teeth and gums– all of which required seven stitches under his right eye following the attack.

Brian D. Caplan of Caplan & Ross, who represented Lyubovny at the trial, issued a statement: “There is no place in civilized society for members of the media to have to fear retribution for their news coverage and commentary. The jury awarded Mr. Lyubovny $250,000 in punitive damages against Rick Ross to send a message that such conduct will not be tolerated or condoned.”

Weirdly, it’s since all this happened that Combs, according to Billboard, has become close pals with Ross. According to a report yesterday in Billboard, not only is Combs managing Ross, but Ross is helping to write Combs’s next album. He’ll need the money.

Combs may feel sympathetic to Ross. In 1999, he was accused of attacking Universal Records exec Steven Stoute in his office, ambushing Stoute and beating him with a Champagne bottle, a telephone, and a chair. The case was settled out of court, with Combs pleading to harassment instead of felony assault and reportedly paying Stoute half a million dollars.

Gwyneth and Mom Headed to Broadway’s Night Music?

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Stranger things have happened.

There’s some talk on Broadway that replacements are being sought for Catherine Zeta Jones and Angela Lansbury in “A Little Night Music.” Once the pair play past the Tony Awards in June, they are expected to leave for greener pastures (movies, in Jones’s case) and a little rest (in Lansbury’s.)

And so the rumor floating around is that the producers are interested in Gwyneth Paltrow and her mother, Blythe Danner, taking over the roles. This means Oscar winner Paltrow would sing the famous “Send in the Clowns.” She can sing, you know, Paltrow just finished making a musical film called “Love Don’t Let Me Down,” in Nashville with Tim McGraw. She starred in “Duets,” directed by her later father Bruce Paltrow and had a semi-hit single with Huey Lewis on a cover of a Smokey Robinson song.

Danner can do anything, so taking over for Lansbury would be a cinch.

Only problem: each is too young for the roles. Jones is three years older than Paltrow. Each of them is substantially younger than Glynis Johns was when she originated the role. Danner is strikingly younger than 85 year old Lansbury, that’s for sure. Could it work? Well, they do call it acting. All those years, Estelle Getty played 20 years older as Sophia on “Golden Girls.”

If Paltrow isn’t available, I did hear one producer mention Mariska Hargitay as a possibility. Obviously, they’re looking for stars. But I don’t think Chris Meloni could do the Lansbury part justice. (Just kidding! They could call it “Night Music SVU.”)

Meanwhile, the talented Matthew Settle takes over the part of Billy Flynn in “Chicago” this Monday, April 19th. Matthew, of course, plays the rock star dad on “Gossip Girl.” I have a feeling he’s going to be great! PS “Chicago” has been on Broadway since November 1996. I can remember in the ol’ days when “Fiddler on the Roof” and “Hello Dolly!” held the longevity records when they hit seven or eight years. How times have changed.

More stars on Broadway: Kelsey Grammer opens on Sunday in the latest revival of “La Cage Aux Folles.” The word is the production is great. Can’t you picture Frasier Crane in this show? It’s perfect casting.

Miramax May Finally Return to Its Rightful Owners

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Miramax–the name and the catalog–may finally be returned to its rightful owners, the Weinstein brothers.

I was the first to write several months ago that once Disney decided to close Miramax, they should give the name back to the Weinsteins. Well, Disney does nothing for free, except when you wish upon a star. So the Weinsteins are in the middle of talks to buy it all back. They’re joined supermarket billionaire Ron Burkle, who also owns half the debt of Barneys department stores and most of Sean P Diddy Combs.

There are others in the bid for Miramax, including billionaire brothers Alec and Tom Gores, whose brother Sam owns the Paradigm Talent Agency and is married to former “Another World” star Jensen Buchanan. The other horse in the race belongs to David Bergstein, who once owned ThinkFilm.

Bergstein is a terrible choice. He destroyed ThinkFilms and is now embroiled in a nightmare case in bankruptcy court. Giving Miramax to Bergstein would be like putting it in an incinerator, no matter how much money Bergstein says he’s representing. No one at Disney, especially Bob Iger, wants to be part of that legacy.

The Gores are an interesting family. The two brothers–Alec and Tom–could not be less like brothers Harvey and Bob Weinstein. For one thing, the Gores were very much a part of the Anthony Pellicano case. Alec hired Anthony Pellicano to wiretap Tom’s phone and that of Alec’s wife, Lisa, because he thought they were having an affair. It’s amazing they still talk to each other, let alone are combining to buy a company.

Alec Gores’ second wife, Hedi, is on the board of Madonna’s Raising Malawi, a front for the Kabbalah Center of Los Angeles. She’s used Alec’s fortune to help underwrite the cause.

Alec Gores does have a connection to filmmaking: back in 2004, he commissioned actor Tom Arnold to write and direct a $5-million feature film called “The Kid & I” starring Gores’ 18-year-old son, Eric, whose mother Gores allegedly wiretapped just three years earlier.

Eric Gores, like the character he plays in the movie, suffers from cerebral palsy. He co-starred in the vanity production with Joe Mantegna, Linda Hamilton, Jamie Lee Curtis and Shaquille O’Neal.

“The Kid & I” is notable for being the only film in which Arnold Schwarzenegger has appeared since becoming governor of California. Gores, by coincidence, donated $7,000 to the Republican Party, George W. Bush and failed California U.S. Senate candidate Bill Jones during that period.

Obviously, neither the Goreses nor Bergstein is an appropriate owner for a catalog that includes three Best Picture winners and dozens of hits from “Chicago” to “Good Will Hunting,” “Shakespeare in Love,” “Il Postino,” “Pulp Fiction,” and “The Cider House Rules.”

In the end, Disney is a family company. Bob Iger knows that. It’s built on the Disney family legacy. Miramax is very much the same, dedicated to the memory of the Weinsteins’ father, Max, and their very much living and feisty mom, Miriam. If the Weinsteins prevail, Disney and Iger get gold stars. Everyone’s happy. And the movie universe is in balance again.

Harry Potter Back to Broadway–with Clothes!

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Harry Potter is coming back to Broadway. And this time, he’ll wear clothes!

Daniel Radcliffe has signed to star in a revival of “How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying.” It’s a musical, so apparently our Harry can sing. Who knew?

No word yet on who will be his female co-star.I guess if they could get Emma Watson to do it, the box office would sell out immediately. Radcliffe’s prior Broadway show was “Equus,” in which he co-starred with his Potter colleague Richard Griffiths. Radcliffe appeared naked for some of that show, which got a lot of publicity. In “How to Succeed,” he’ll wear suits and ties, thanks.

The last revival of this show was a hundred years ago, starring Matthew Broderick and Sarah Jessica Parker, with the great Lilias White. It was an enormous hit. For the White role, maybe the producers can get Fantasia. Now, that would be rockin’!

The original show, from the 1960s, starred Robert Morse (now of “Mad Men”) and Michele Lee of “Knots Landing” fame. They went on to star in the movie.

Saturday is Record Store Day

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http://www.recordstoreday.com/

Saturday is Record Store Day around the country. Support your local independent record store! Here in Manhattan the situation is tragic. With the demise of Tower, Virgin and HMV, there are few places where you can actually buy CDs, LPs, or videos.

Back in the late 70s and early 80s, I used to ricochet between Bleecker Bob’s and Rocks in Your Head in SoHo. Strangely enough, the former is still there on West 3rd St. Rocks is long gone, replaced by a real estate agency.

The days of flipping through bins and flirting with girls who were doing the same is relegated to “Hannah and Her Sisters” when Woody runs into Dianne Wiest. What a shame!

As much as I loathe Los Angeles, they at least have Amoeba Records. We just have greedy landlords. But check out the Record Store Day website. There are a few little shops left here and there. I’ll bet if all the people in the world walking around with little earplugs blasting music could hear the full sound of LPs or even well made CDs through a real stereo system and speakers, they’d faint. (www.stereophile.com) A whole generation of downloaders is missing the real thing. Too bad, kids.

For the best, most affordable speakers in the world: www.sequerra.com

Cannes As Predicted: Robin Hood, Wall Street, Woody, Godard

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The 2010 Cannes Film Festival movies have been revealed, and –drum roll–it’s a great list.

As I predicted, Oliver Stone’s “Wall Street 2,” Ridley Scott‘s “Robin Hood” (announced officially after we broke the story), and Woody Allen’s “You Will Meet a Tall, Dark Stranger” are all in, albeit out of competition. As I wrote this morning, Julian Schnabel declined to have his “Miral” in that group and so it’s out.

But the rest of the list is pretty cool. Derek Cianfrance’s exceptional “Blue Valentine,” from Sundance, is included. Kudos to the Weinstein Company. This will be an Oscar player next winter. There are also films from Mathieu Almaric–the actor from “Munich” who played the bad guy in the last James Bond; Sophie Fiennes, youngest sister of Ralph and Joseph and Martha; as well as Alejandro Gonzales Innaritu, Doug Liman (this could be the big surprise hit), Bernard Tavernier, Stephen Frears, Mike Leigh, and Diego Luna.

The 2010 Cannes Film Festival will be notable for one special premiere: “Socialisme,” by Jean Luc Godard. The 79 year old father of the French new wave cinema is a god in France and to all cineastes around the world. Although Godard is best known in America for “Breathless,” his resume is full of many gems and masterpieces. It might be interesting to get him and Woody Allen into a press conference.

Congratulations to Thierry Fremaux. It’s a unexpectedly great list. Let the games begin on May 12th!