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Jim Carrey Goes Over the Top, Posts Clever R Rated Drawing of Donald Trump and (Fill in Blank Porn Star) Called “Fifty Shades of Decay”

Roger Friedman
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Jim Carrey Goes Over the Top, Posts Clever R Rated Drawing of Donald Trump and (Fill in Blank Porn Star) Called “Fifty Shades of Decay”

Movie star Jim Carrey has become something of a controversial artist on Twitter. He’s posted renderings of Sarah Huckster Sanders and Jared Kushner recently, each of which has ignited talk.

Now the once and always Pet Detective has depicted Donald Trump legislating with an unidentified porn star. They are covered by the presidential seal. Carrey calls it “Fifty Shades of Decay.”

I actually preferred the Kushner drawing, which I’m attaching below. Carrey is capturing the essence of this administration!

Rachel Maddow, Sean Hannity Split the Week So Far, But Maddow Leads in the Key Age Group

Roger Friedman
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Rachel Maddow, Sean Hannity Split the Week So Far, But Maddow Leads in the Key Age Group

It’s been as rough a week on cable news as it has been on the stock exchange.

Rachel Maddow and Sean Hannity have so far split the week. The MSNBC anchor won Monday night and last night. Hannity took Tuesday and Wednesday.

Really, their numbers every night are pretty close in total viewers. What isn’t close is the number of viewers in the 18-49 key demo. Maddow wins that hands down, usually with a .36 average. Hannity is well below that.

Hannity’s viewers are older by far, less likely to buy anything from an other than a sleep aid or a Magic Pillow.

Tonight’s numbers will decide the week. But in all likelihood, Maddow will address the real issues of the day while Hannity carps about Hillary Clinton’s emails or something with Monica Lewinsky. The older viewers like him because Hannity presents Nostalgia News.

Tragedy: NYC Firefighter Dies in Massive Fire on Harlem Set of Edward Norton Movie “Motherless Brooklyn”

Roger Friedman
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Tragedy: NYC Firefighter Dies in Massive Fire on Harlem Set of Edward Norton Movie “Motherless Brooklyn”

There are numerous reports this morning of a tragedy in Harlem on a movie set. Michael Davidson of Harlem’s Engine Company 69–a 15 year veteran of the FDNY– died after being separated from his company on the set of Edward Norton’s “Motherless Brooklyn.”

Davidson is survived his wife and four young daughters. FDNY Commissioner Daniel Nigro told reporters at a press conference: “Our entire city mourns his loss.”

According to reports, Norton spotted the fire coming out of the basement of the old St. Nick’s Jazz Pub at 773 St. Nicholas Ave. He called 911. “Our hearts ache in solidarity with his family,” said Norton in a statement.

It’s unclear whether the fire was caused by the film company or something else happening on the block.

Davidson had 15 years with the FDNY and had been cited for bravery four times in his career.

Let it Go? Never! Disney’s “Frozen” Opens On Broadway and It’s a Hit out of the Box

Roger Friedman
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Let it Go? Never! Disney’s “Frozen” Opens On Broadway and It’s a Hit out of the Box

“Frozen” arrived on Broadway Thursday night and it’s a hard nut to crack. Quibbles? Sure, everyone’s gota quibble. But the facts are clear: “Frozen” will be with us a long, long time. It’s a hit out of the box. Everything about it is satisfying on a large scale– the music, the staging, the actors, all of it. For Disney’s Tom Schumacher– who now has three hits on Broadway– “Frozen” is a triumph that will pay him back for years.

Disney, of course, over did themselves to make “Frozen” an unforgettable opening night. Guests came in black tie formal wear and gowns. The after party was at the cavernous Terminal 5, an un-Broadway place for a premiere gala. (Usual places are Gotham Hall, Tavern on the Green, Copacabana.)

But everything about “Frozen” is big, so spread the word: this is the box office killer of 2018. Negative reviews won’t even make a dent.

The biggest quibble about the musical is that it’s unclear what’s going on if you don’t know the movie. It’s sent in a fantasy kingdom. Two little sisters, princesses, are orphaned. One of them, queen-to-be, has the power through her hands to freeze things, so she wears gloves. The other sister is just a lot of fun and doesn’t mind that she won’t be queen. They look, on paper, like Queen Elizabeth and Princess Margaret from “The Crown.”

Then they are separated. When they’re reunited, the frozen Queen Elsa (dynamite Caissie Levy) is revealed to have this weird freezing power so she escapes and winds up in an icy Fortress of Solitude. Princess Anna comes to rescue her, and then they must reclaim their power in the castle. I mean, I think that’s it. The main thing is, “Frozen” is about girl power and sisters and facing down a good looking bad guy.

The Disney animated film was aided by the hit song, “Let it Go,” which ruled the top of the charts for weeks as sung by Idina Menzel. There were ten songs in the animated film. Four more have been added to the Broadway show by Robert Lopez and wife Kristen Anderson Lopez. They are all eminently catchy and charming, but “Let it Go” is the centerpiece. Elsa sings it at the end of the first act and gets cheers and some standing ovation. In the Denver tryout, that was it. But for Broadway, “Let it Go” returns as the closing number, too. And let me tell you, the bookending works like crazy. At the opening last night, a couple of people jumped up during the first act close and started singing along — loudly.

I’ve seen some criticism of “Frozen” that it seems cold, and a little Las Vegas-y. I disagree. Not even knowing the movie, I was able to follow along and actually cared about the characters. The actors are sensational. Levy and Patti Murin (Anna) are equally great singers and comediennes. They will each get Tony nods for lead actress in a musical. Jelani Alladin makes his Broadway debut as Kristoff, the “ice man” who is so winning, he is the find of the year.

“Frozen” — because it comes from Disney Theatricals– also features two puppets from the people who bring us “The Lion King.” Before the show puppeteer Michael Curry was telling me that one of the puppets, he thought, was a first on Broadway. He’s right. It’s a reindeer named Sven, and you just have to see it to believe it. Sven is so real he’s an actual character in the show, Bravo to all the production people involved, especially also lighting by Natasha Katz.

Director Michael Grandage and choreographer Rob Ashford just kept accepting praise all night at Terminal 5. They deserve it. (There’s a turntable scene with icicles I really loved, among others.) No, “Frozen” is not “Sweeney Todd.” It’s not even “The Band’s Visit.” But it’s totally original and satisfying. Little girls won’t let it go so easily.

No red carpet tonight but plenty of interesting people in the audience including filmmaker (and Mrs. Sting) Trudie Styler, Andrew Rannells, and designer Zac Posen. Disney supreme chiefs Alan Horn and Bob Iger were also there with their families, as was “Lion King” writer Irene Mecchi.

 

Sting’s Broadway Musical Gets Raves in Revamped UK Open, Singer Chosen for Queen’s 92nd Birthday Performance

Roger Friedman
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Sting’s Broadway Musical Gets Raves in Revamped UK Open, Singer Chosen for Queen’s 92nd Birthday Performance

Sting’s Broadway show of 2016 is back, and it’s a hit. “The Last Ship” sailed two nights ago in Newcastle, UK and was found to be a sturdy vessel. The show opened this week in the city where it is set– Newcastle– and drew raves from all the papers there. It’s a re-thought version of the show, with a new slimmed down book, some characters excised, and a couple of new songs. Overall, the reception was rapturous, which goes to show that “The Last Ship” has a lot of life left in it.

I’m pleased to hear it. Such was the case for shows like “The Color Purple” and “Chicago,” which returned to Broadway in new versions and wowed audiences that hadn’t been so positive in the first place. I hear that the new “Last Ship” jettisoned the second male lead (it was confusing) and the very popular priest played by Fred Applegate. (We loved him, we’ll miss him, and it must have been painful to cut that character.)

What is left is a streamlined show with a dozen or more terrific songs that anyone who knows them is still humming. Richard Fleeshman, who starred here in the musical adaptation of “Ghost,” is now playing Gideon, the lead. Meantime, the original Gideon– Michael Esper– is starring in the new mini-series about the Getty family called “Trust” on F/X.

Meanwhile, Sting has been chosen to headline the annual birthday concert for Queen Elizabeth II next month in London. He’ll be bringing Shaggy (featured on Sting’s great new reggae album coming April 20th), as well as Sir Tom Jones, Kylie Minogue, Craig David, Anne-Marie, Shawn Mendes, and Ladysmith Black Mambazo. What a way to celebrate turning 92– rocking out to “Message in a Bottle” and “Every Breath You Take”! That’s a hot ticket!

Elvis is Back in the Building: Priscilla Presley and Springsteen Manager Jon Landau Produce Historic Legacy Doc for HBO

Roger Friedman
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Elvis is Back in the Building: Priscilla Presley and Springsteen Manager Jon Landau Produce Historic Legacy Doc for HBO

Elvis is back in the building. Maybe he never left the building. But on Tuesday morning the draw of meeting his devoted ex wife and keeper of the flame, Priscilla Presley, made us all overcome a snow and slush storm and brought us to the building– 30 Rock, that is.

A couple dozen journalists and rock people like famed photographer Bob Gruen put on their galoshes and headed to the restaurant adjacent to the Rainbow Room to meet the legendary Priscilla and talk about her HBO documentary, “Elvis Presley: The Searcher” elegantly written by Alan Light and directed by Thom Zimny. Visibility was limited, but Priscilla– who is now 72 and looks like she’s 50– was a beacon.

With Priscilla came Bruce Springsteen manager Jon Landau, who smartly exec produced and has a quantum knowledge of rock and roll as a real Rolling Stone journo from their heyday; Memphis songwriter David Porter (who just put his stamp of approval on a new Spanish recording of “Soul Man” by Sam Moore); and Memphis historian and Elvis specialist Jerry Schilling. They’ve been on the road since South by Southwest screening “The Searcher” and stirring the cauldron of Elvis history.

“The Searcher” is the perfect look at Elvis in 2018, especially if you know little about him or think he’s an old guy you’ve heard something vague about. Priscilla — mother of Elvis’s only child, Lisa Marie, grandmother of his actress descendant Riley Keough — has made it her business to keep Elvis’s flame burning bright. It was Priscilla who rescued Graceland and turned it into a destination for travelers all over the world– quite an accomplishment.

“The Searcher” is a smart film envisioned by Priscilla and helped by all those people I mentioned. It eschews all the negatives and locates itself on Elvis’s 1968 landmark TV special. It was a comeback for the King of Rock and Roll, who’d started to seem out of it to the generation of “Sgt. Pepper” and psychedelic rock. They’d forgotten that a decade earlier, Elvis was a god. So using this event as a culmination, Zimny uses the voices of Priscilla — as well as contemporary musicians like Bruce Springsteen and Tom Petty– to build a case for Elvis’s continued supremacy.

There’s a lot of photos and home movies, and the soundtrack is selective. The best video comes from the TV show, where you see a resurrected King at the top of his game. This should go a long way to erase what would come later in Elvis’s life. But this is the snapshot that will supersede the later days: right at that moment, from 1969 to 1972, Elvis is back. You see that “Suspicious Minds” and”Burning Love” were just as important as “Hound Dog” and “Don’t Be Cruel.” Zimny is very careful to fashion a new legacy. And for once, Elvis becomes a sympathetic hero who battled to survive a kind of fame that maybe only Sinatra and Marilyn Monroe knew in that era.

“The Searcher” airs on HBO beginning April 14th.

 

The Real Roxanne, First Girl Rapper, Gets Her Own Movie, Confused Producing with Directing: She Yelled “Cut!” a Lot

Paula Schwartz
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The Real Roxanne, First Girl Rapper, Gets Her Own Movie, Confused Producing with Directing: She Yelled “Cut!” a Lot
Before Nicki Minaj, Lil’ Kim, Cardi B, Remy Ma and Missy Elliott, in 1984 there was 14 year-old rapper Roxanne Shanté. Born Lolita Gooden, the teenager from the Queensbridge Public Housing projects with the ponytail and braces sparked what was known as The Roxanne Wars. Her six-minute freestyle, “Roxanne’s Revenge,” was a response record to UTFO’s B side rap single “Roxanne Roxanne” and became a huge hit.
The real Roxanne Shanté, all glammed up and still rocking a ponytail — but this time it’s clipped on — was the star attraction at the New York Netflix premiere of “Roxanne Roxanne” at the SVA Theater in Chelsea Monday evening.
The two-hour film, written and directed by Michael Larnell, focuses on the hip hop icon’s turbulent life and career. She’s mistreated by men and fleeced by predatory producers and money is a constant struggle but she never loses her spirit. She’s played by recent Carnegie Mellon graduate Chanté Adams, who won a breakthrough actor award for the role at Sundance. Nia Long plays Roxanne’s alcoholic, depressive mother, and Oscar-winning actor Mahershala Ali plays her abusive, older boyfriend who gets her pregnant when is 16.
The movie has impressive credits.Forest Whitaker co-produced, along with Nina Yang Bongiovi, Pharrell Williams and Mimi Valdés. Shanté herself has executive producing credits and there’s an original score by RZA.
In her introductory remarks before the screening, Shanté said, “It’s the story about the fact of friendships and bonds. It’s a story for the run away. It’s a story for the foster child. It’s a story for the abused woman. It’s a story for the domestic abuse survivor. It’s the story for the oppressed mother, the mother who felt maybe she had let her children down or misled them some type of way. It’s a story about hip hop. It’s a story about the ability to be able to never give up on yourself, to know that in the end that if you stay focused and that you understand who you are, and whose you are, that you will be all right.”
Earlier on the red carpet, she was asked by a reporter if it all really started in the laundry? Legend has it she freestyled  “Roxanne’s Revenge” between laundry cycles.
She said it was true, adding,  “Everything starts with clean clothes.”
I asked Shanté what it was like being an executive producer of her own story.
“It was incredible because honestly I didn’t even know what the title meant. I just knew that I was there and I was going to give some information and I was going to make sure that the movie was organic and make sure that the story was told the way the story needed to be told, so that’s what I felt was my position and they were like, ‘Yeah, but this is what you’re doing,’ and I said, okay.”
She turned up on set every day but may have confused producing with directing.
“So then the first time I got a chance to really feel like I’m executive producer was the first time I said, ‘Cut!’ and they went, ‘Listen, those cuts cost money. You can’t keep doing cuts whenever you want to. That’s not how it works.’ I was like, ‘Wait a minute, Cut!’” They told her, “Listen now,  you’ll learn this more as you start to produce more projects and things like that. You’ll learn how expensive those cuts are.’”
I asked what advice the 48 year-old adult she is now would give the 14 year-old who recorded “Roxanne’s Revenge”?
“Get a lawyer. Get a lawyer that nobody knows. Go and get a lawyer. That’s what you do! Please!”
So she missed out on the big bucks?
“Exactly! So go get a lawyer! Absolutely, that’s what I would tell her but I would also tell her that I love her very much and for her not to worry because it’s going to work out  in the end.”
You could also tell her thirty years later you’ll be on a red carpet, I added.
“And you’ll be on a red carpet and not rolled up in one!” Shanté said, beaming.
“Roxanne Roxanne” streams on Netflix beginning Friday, March 23.

Broadway: Denzel Washington’s “Iceman Cometh” Postpones First Preview One Day– Because The Iceman “Cameth”

Roger Friedman
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Broadway: Denzel Washington’s “Iceman Cometh” Postpones First Preview One Day– Because The Iceman “Cameth”

Tonight– Thursday– was supposed to be the first preview for Denzel Washington in “The Iceman Cometh” on Broadway.

But you know, the Iceman- he cameth, as they say. New York this morning is slush, ice and lingering snow. So Denzel and Eugene O’Neill’s famous characters like Hickey, Harry Hope, Parritt and Jimmy Tomorrow will have to wait until Friday to get going with this revival of the 1946 classic.

Of course, all the characters are drunk so they won’t notice anyway. What’s another day?

This new production, directed by George C. Wolfe, opens April 26th and co-stars Tammy Blanchard, Reg Rogers, Dakin Matthews, Bill Irwin, David Morse, and Colm Meaney (who’s actually Irish from Ireland). If it’s not great, we’re all in trouble!

Marvin Gaye’s Family Wins “Blurred Lines” Case on Appeal: Robin Thicke, Pharrell Got to Give it Up– $5.3 Million

Roger Friedman
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Marvin Gaye’s Family Wins “Blurred Lines” Case on Appeal: Robin Thicke, Pharrell Got to Give it Up– $5.3 Million

Marvin Gaye’s heirs have triumphed in their case against Robin Thicke and Pharrell on appeal. The appeal judge in the Ninth Circuit, Milan D. Smith Jr., has confirmed the Gaye family’s win against the two songwriters over “Blurred Lines.” He also says it sounds just like “Got to Give it Up.”

The Gayes won $5.3 million in the 2015 case. Thicke, Pharrell, and rapper T.I. were the original defendants. But Smith took T.I. out of the case because he wasn’t really involved.

Smith said: “Musical compositions are not confined to a narrow range of expression. We conclude that the district court did not abuse its discretion in denying the Thicke Parties’ motion for a new trial.”

Smith disagreed with the dissenting judge’s opinion in favor of Thicke and Pharrell. He wrote:

“[T]he dissent prophesies that our decision will shake the foundations of copyright law, imperil the music industry, and stifle creativity,” he wrote. “It even suggests that the Gayes’ victory will come back to haunt them, as the Gayes’ musical compositions may now be found to infringe any number of famous songs preceding them. Respectfully,hese conjectures are unfounded hyperbole. Our decision does not grant license to copyright a musical style or ‘groove.’ Nor does it upset the balance Congress struck between the freedom of artistic expression, on the one hand, and copyright protection of the fruits of that expression, on the other hand. … Far from heralding the end of musical creativity as we know it, our decision, even construed broadly, reads more accurately as a cautionary tale for future trial counsel wishing to maximize their odds of success.”

A lot of famous songwriters I know don’t like the “Blurred Lines” case because they think it will put a chill on composing and make it too easy for their songs to be contested. But I disagree. Really original music cannot be challenged. It’s only when a lay person like you or me can hear the similarities. Every time “Blurred Lines” commences on the radio, I think it’s “Got to Give it Up.” And that’s what did Thicke in. As for Pharrell, who knows what happened? He’s written so many great songs, this case is a weird one.

Good for the Gayes.

 

 

 

Daytime Emmy Nominations: Marla Adams, 79 and In Her Prime, Will Win Best Supporting Actress

Roger Friedman
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Daytime Emmy Nominations: Marla Adams, 79 and In Her Prime, Will Win Best Supporting Actress

Here are the Daytime Emmy nominations. Unaccountably, Megyn Kelly got one for her morning, which is sort of unwatchable.  But the show got the nod, not her.

Anyway, this is all about soap operas. Marla Adams is 79 years old. I remember her on The Young and the Restless years ago. Last year they brought her back to play an Alzheimers story line. Take a look at any of her scenes. She wins, hands down. Adams is a journeywoman actress. She was one of Natalie Wood’s pals in “Splendor in the Grass” in 1961 (with Warren Beatty).

Her imdb is full of work every year since then until 2001, when she must have stopped. Then she had 16 years of life. Now she comes back, and steals the show. What a story. Next year, Max Gail of “Barney Miller” fame, will pick up a similar award for playing a character with Alzheimer’s on “General Hospital.” Soon, everyone on soaps will want Alzheimer’s. But it’s something a real actor can actually play, rather than amnesia, fake twin, etc. Gail is on fire right now.

Lifetime achievement will go to Susan Seaforth Hayes, who’s been on “Days of our Lives” since 1968, and her husband, Bill Hayes, who’s 90 and has been on since the 70s. They were once on the cover of Time magazine. Now Meredith Publishing, which just bought Time, is trying to sell it so they don’t have to deal with it. Imagine this– Time magazine, the gold standard in journalism. But I digress: the Hayeses are a rare commodity in Hollywood. They deserve some recognition. Seaforth-Hayes is also nominated for Best Supporting Actress this year but she’s only 74. She has time. Marla Adams has it.

OUTSTANDING DRAMA SERIES
The Bold and the Beautiful
Days of Our Lives
General Hospital
The Young and the Restless

OUTSTANDING LEAD ACTRESS IN A DRAMA SERIES
Eileen Davidson (Ashley, Y&R)
Nancy Lee Grahn (Alexis, GH)
Marci Miller (Abigail, Days)
Maura West (Ava, GH)
Laura Wright (Carly, GH)

OUTSTANDING LEAD ACTOR IN A DRAMA SERIES
Peter Bergman (Jack, Y&R)
Michael Easton (Finn, GH)
John McCook (Eric, B&B)
Billy Miller (Jason/Drew, GH)
James Reynolds (Abe, Days)

OUTSTANDING SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A DRAMA SERIES
Marla Adams, (Dina, Y&R)
Camryn Grimes (Mariah, Y&R)
Susan Seaforth Hayes (Julie, Days)
Elizabeth Hendrickson (Chloe, Y&R)
Mishael Morgan (Hilary, Y&R)
Jacqueline MacInnes Wood (Steffy, B&B)

OUTSTANDING SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A DRAMA SERIES
Wally Kurth (Ned, GH)
Chandler Massey (Will, Days)
Anthony Montgomery (Andre, GH)
Greg Rikaart (Kevin, Y&R)
Greg Vaughn (Eric, Days)

OUTSTANDING YOUNGER ACTRESS IN A DRAMA SERIES
Reign Edwards (Nicole, B&B)
Hayley Erin (Kiki, GH)
Cait Fairbanks (Tessa, Y&R)
Olivia Rose Keegan (Claire, Days)
Chloe Lanier (Nelle, GH)

OUTSTANDING YOUNGER ACTOR IN A DRAMA SERIES
Lucas Adams (Tripp, Days)
Rome Flynn (Zende, B&B)
Tristan Lake Leabu (Reed, Y&R)
Casey Moss (JJ, Days)
Hudson West (Jake, GH)

OUTSTANDING DRAMA SERIES WRITING TEAM
The Bold and the Beautiful
Days of Our Lives
General Hospital
The Young and the Restless

OUTSTANDING DRAMA SERIES DIRECTING TEAM
The Bold and the Beautiful
Days of Our Lives
General Hospital
The Young and the Restless

OUTSTANDING GAME SHOW HOST
Wayne Brady, Let’s Make a Deal
Chris Harrison, Who Wants to Be a Millionaire
Steve Harvey, Family Feud
Pat Sajak, Wheel of Fortune
Alex Trebek, Jeopardy!

OUTSTANDING GAME SHOW
Family Feud
Jeopardy!
Let’s Make a Deal
The Price Is Right
Who Wants to Be a Millionaire

OUTSTANDING LEGAL COURTROOM PROGRAM
Couples Court With the Cutlers
Divorce Court
Judge Judy
Judge Mathis
Justice With Judge Mablean
The People’s Court

OUTSTANDING MORNING PROGRAM
CBS Sunday Morning
CBS This Morning
Good Morning America
Today

OUTSTANDING ENTERTAINMENT NEWS PROGRAM
Access Hollywood
Daily Mail TV
E! News
Entertainment Tonight
Extra

OUTSTANDING INFORMATIVE TALK SHOW HOSTS
Kit Hoover and Natalie Morales, Access Hollywood Live
Dr. Mehmet Oz, The Dr. Oz Show
Larry King, Larry King Now
Kellie Pickler and Ben Aaron, Pickler and Ben
Steve Harvey, Steve

OUTSTANDING INFORMATIVE TALK SHOW
The Chew
The Dr. Oz Show
Larry King Now
Megyn Kelly Today
Steve

OUTSTANDING ENTERTAINMENT TALK SHOW HOSTS
Harry Connick Jr., Harry
Kelly Ripa and Ryan Seacrest, Live With Kelly and Ryan
Adrienne Houghton, Loni Love, Jeannie Mai and Tamera Mowry-Housley, The Real
Whoopi Goldberg, Joy Behar, Sara Haines, Sunny Hostin, Megan McCain, Paula Faris and Jedediah Bila, The View
Julie Chen, Sara Gilbert, Sharon Osbourne, Aisha Tyler and Sheryl Underwood, The Talk

OUTSTANDING ENTERTAINMENT TALK SHOW
Ellen
Live With Kelly and Ryan
The Real
The View
The Talk

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