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Broadway: Bette Midler Goes on 2 Week Vacation and Tickets Are Suddenly Available Like Crazy

Roger Friedman
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Broadway: Bette Midler Goes on 2 Week Vacation and Tickets Are Suddenly Available Like Crazy

Goodbye, Dolly. Hello, Donna. Last night Donna Murphy stepped into the role of Dolly Levi in “Hello, Dolly!” and I’m sure she was just great. For one thing, she’s the right age. Second, she
is a real bona fide Broadway star. Her “King and I” remains one of the landmark shows of all time.

So Murphy took over last night and guess what? There are seats galore at the Shubert Theater! If you want to see “Hello, Dolly!” and pay a normal price for a good seat– like $119 for front row mezzanine– now is the time. I may do it myself since there were no press seats for this show, and Midler’s tickets come in at an unforgiving $500.

Bette is out for two weeks– til July 9th– and then has all sorts of breaks through the end of the year. At that point my guess is “Hello, Dolly!” will wrap its cash register run unless they can find a Really Big Star to take over. Ru Paul, anyone? (I still say Dolly Parton is the way to go.)

hello dolly fri june 20 mezz

hello dolly fri june 30 orch

Hello, Dolly! Fri June 30 mezzanine on the left, orchestra on the right. Monday box office numbers are going to hurt.

Michael Moore Donates $10,000 to Public Theater After Sponsors Cancel Because of “Julius Caesar” Trump Scandal

Roger Friedman
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Michael Moore Donates $10,000 to Public Theater After Sponsors Cancel Because of “Julius Caesar” Trump Scandal

Michael Moore has donated $10,000 to the New York Public Theater’s Shakespeare in the Park festival.

Moore says it’s to make up for some of the lost sponsorship money after the scandal in which a murdered “Julius Caesar” looked like Donald Trump. Bank of America and American Express were among the cowards.

The lost sponsor money was no doubt larger by hundreds of thousands. But Moore’s gesture is a generous one, and he makes a point. It’s hoped that other individuals will step in as well. Moore says the money is equal to his advance pay for appearing in his one man show on Broadway this summer.

It’s odd how there was such a crazy response to this production. Years ago (2006), there was a movie called “Death of the President” in which sitting president George W. Bush was assassinated. Life went on. The director kept working.

Will Ferrell Faces Rare Bomb with “The House”: So Far No One’s Seen It, and No One Will

Roger Friedman
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Will Ferrell Faces Rare Bomb with “The House”: So Far No One’s Seen It, and No One Will

Tonight in Hollywood, some people– I won’t call them lucky– are finally seeing Will Ferrell and Amy Poehler in “The House.” They are among the very few who’ve been exposed to what I hear is a fairly awful comedy. There are no reviews posted even though “The House” opens Friday. No press person in New York seems aware of it.

Recently, Ferrell– to get some press for what looks like a turkey– threw Mariah Carey under the bus saying she’d been cut out of the film for being a diva. But really, her complaint– that they not shoot her (like with a gun)– seemed pretty normal. I think she dodged a bullet not being in the movie.

Last fall, I told you they were doing massive re-shoots on “The House,” throwing in guest stars because the movie itself was a dud.

Right now, there are reviews up for all of Friday’s movies except “The House.” And those movies are all terrific. “Baby Driver” leads the pack, and everyone wants to see “The Big Sick.” For Warners, which has “The House,” “Wonder Woman” is so huge none of this matters.

Funny thing: when a movie is good, we know all about it well in advance. Both “Spider Man: Homecoming” and “War for the Planet of the Apes” are like that, and they don’t open until next month!

For Will Ferrell, “The House” will be a rare flop. Movies in which he headlines tend to be hits. His last one was “Daddy’s Home” in December 2015– a $100 mil plus hit. That same year he also had “Get Hard.” I’m a big fan of “The Other Guys.” His misses are usually ones in which he’s featured as a bit player (“Zoolander 2”). He hasn’t had a big flop since 2009’s “Land of the Lost.”

As for Amy Poehler, everyone loves her. This will just pass. On Seth Meyer’s “Late Night” last week — on which she talked hilariously about everything else in the world– she barely mentioned the film. It must be terrible.

Ratings: “Twin Peaks” Showed Amazing Episode With No Warning or Promotion, and Failed to Attract Audience

Roger Friedman
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Ratings: “Twin Peaks” Showed Amazing Episode With No Warning or Promotion, and Failed to Attract Audience

On Sunday night, “Twin Peaks” on Showtime presented what may one day be considered a classic 45 minutes of television– something for the ages, an amazing piece of work that may have explained the whole show for the first time and offered something that cinephiles will study.

The show’s ratings came out today. It ranked 90th of all shows seen on cable on Sunday night. A total of 264,000 people watched it. That’s fewer than the previous week by about 30,000. So even the lure of Laura Dern and an episode with familiar faces wasn’t enough to keep up the paltry ratings to this point.

Of course, the first 16 minutes of Episode 8 “Gotta light?” were much like the first seven episodes. Maybe viewers tuned out. A three minute performance by Nine Inch Nails may have done the trick. I just thought, this is the end. Who needs this?

And then, a just-shot dead Evil Agent Cooper (too hard to explain) opened his eyes, revived from death. And what commenced was surreal and beautiful. It required a lot of patience as it unfolded. But basically we saw David Lynch and company used the Trinity nuclear bomb test in New Mexico, in the summer of 1945, to explain all the evil in the world that followed.

Or certainly the evil that occurred at Twin Peaks. I do think they went back and said, what Bob (Bob being the evil presence on Twin Peaks) could be considered the inventor of evil? And the Lynch folks decided it was J. Robert Oppenheimer.

Well, whatever. It was amazing. Few people saw it. When “Twin Peaks” continues, either the palate will have been cleansed and there’s a much better show, or things just get weirder. In any case, Episode 8 will go down in the record books.

The biggest problem–no promotion. No one from the show is doing publicity, and Showtime doesn’t offer press previews. No one knew Episode 8 was coming. It’s as if it appeared on a UHF channel by accident. But maybe David Lynch wants it that way.

I’ll bet Showtime can’t wait for “Billions” to return. I’m with them.

Barbra Streisand, 24/7 For One Week: All Her Films at One Theater in Greenwich Village

Roger Friedman
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Barbra Streisand, 24/7 For One Week: All Her Films at One Theater in Greenwich Village

Barbra Streisand fans, West 13th St. in Greenwich Village awaits you.

Starting June 30th, for one week, the newly renovated Quad Cinemas will show just about every single Streisand movie that ever existed. They have four screens, and they’re going to be running night and day.

“Simply Streisand” consists of All Night Long (1981), For Pete’s Sake (1974), Funny Girl (1968), Funny Lady (1975), Hello, Dolly! (1969), The Main Event (1979), The Mirror Has Two Faces (1996), Nuts (1987), The Owl and the Pussycat (1970), The Prince of Tides (1991), A Star Is Born (1976), Up the Sandbox (1972), The Way We Were (1973), What’s Up, Doc? (1972), On a Clear Day You Can See Forever (1970), and Yentl (1983).

They are not showing any Fockers movies or Guilt Trip, by the way. The latter is just as well.

Knock yourselves out, kids. Maybe La Barbra will stop by and say hi.

PS My favorite in there– “What’s Up Doc?” Peter Bogdanovich directed, Madeline Kahn co-stars with Ryan O’Neal. It’s a gem.

Credit due to Charles Cohen, real estate mogul turned movie man, who’s been releasing great films like this year’s “The Salesman.” He bought the Quad and fixed it up, and it’s beautiful.

 

U2 Puts on a Mini Concert in Times Square for Charity, Bassist Adam Clayton Credits Clapton, Townsend For Helping Save Him

Roger Friedman
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U2 Puts on a Mini Concert in Times Square for Charity, Bassist Adam Clayton Credits Clapton, Townsend For Helping Save Him

You’d think everyone in Times Square would have known that U2 was putting on a mini show tonight at the Playhouse Station Theater on 44th and Broadway. (This was once the Loews Astor Plaza movie housw where I saw the “Star Wars,” “Superman,” and Indiana Jones movies. But I digress.)

Sure enough the super rock group, about to play the Meadowlands Giants Stadium for two nights, rocked out in front of around 200 people Monday night as a tribute to their bassist Adam Clayton, who was honored by MusiCares. It’s the Grammy Foundation’s kick off of their upcoming year in New York, with the Grammys at MSG on January 28, 2018.

u2 bandIn front of a wheel heeled group of honors, several other artists saluted Clayton and the band first including Macy Gray, the Lumineers, Michael Franti, Chronix, and a sensational UK based performer named Jack Garratt who could break big this year. He’s outstanding. Macy Gray– we’ve underestimated her somehow over the years. She gave a performance of “I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For” with Hal Wilner’s band that was meteoric. I hope someone recorded it.

Island Records founder Chris Blackwell, who just turned 80, and signed U2 decades ago, came to make the toast to Clayton. He was preceded by NARAS president Neil Portnow, who’s made the Grammys and MusiCares into international brands. I also ran into MusiCares chief Dana Tomarken, and loads of MusiCares directors. This organization is vital to the actual health of musicians all over the US. It’s always my number 1 choice of groups to give to in entertainment.

But I digress again. Adam Clayton gave a very moving acceptance speech (he’s really a sweetheart). He said that both Eric Clapton and Pete Townsend– poster boys for drug abuse– helped him get clean, and thanked them. He also thanked his bandmates (Bono, The Edge, Larry Mullen), his wife, and U2’s long time (now retired) manager Paul McGuinness.

Meanwhile, current manager Guy Oseary had good reason to be beaming from the audience. The band — yes, U2– surprised the audience and hit the stage with “Vertigo,” “I Will Follow,” and “Stuck in the Middle.” It was extraordinary to seem them up close and in such a small setting. After 40 years, U2 is a well oiled machine but like the Rolling Stones live, they summon excitement by remaining fresh. Wow.

“Imagine,” Bono said, grinning from the stage, “we’re in band with Adam Clayton!”

 

Photos c2017 Showbiz411

 

Megyn Kelly’s Unwatchable Sunday Night News Show Beaten Again by Reruns of “60 Minutes.” Home Videos

Roger Friedman
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Megyn Kelly’s Unwatchable Sunday Night News Show Beaten Again by Reruns of “60 Minutes.” Home Videos

Megyn Kelly’s Sunday night news show was beaten once again by a rerun of  “60 Minutes”– literally twice as many viewers, and a rerun of Home Videos.

“Sunday” night or whatever it’s called is basically unwatchable. Cynthia McFadden and Harry Smith had good pieces, but they could be on “Dateline.” There is no compelling reason for “Sunday Night”. Kelly herself did a snore of a piece on a writer named J.D. Vance– who? Exactly. They are capturing the zeitgeist of home hospice.

Kelly has a terrible delivery. She is so far removed from what used to be considered the standard for this kind of TV hosting. She has no gravitas. Her sentences sound like they’re going to end in question marks. She seems out of her depth, and the show is basically a curio. But not enough of one to draw viewers. She should be on MSNBC doing what she does best: opinion TV.

David Lynch Just Blew Everyone’s Minds with a Brilliant Mini-Movie Inside “Twin Peaks” (Plus there’s an “X Files” Reference)

Roger Friedman
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David Lynch Just Blew Everyone’s Minds with a Brilliant Mini-Movie Inside “Twin Peaks” (Plus there’s an “X Files” Reference)

About fifteen minutes into tonight’s frustrating episode of “Twin Peaks.” something incredible happened. The show itself dropped away and was overtaken by a separate 45 minute movie that I think people will be writing about for years to come.

I’m not even sure how to describe it, other than to say first it was mostly in black and white, seemed to indicate that the hydrogen bomb testing in 1945 in Arizona and New Mexico unleashed a massive evil that accounts for the series’ mysterious villain BOB (who now may be J. Robert Oppenheimer) and all kinds of other hideous things that have occurred since then.

I’m sorry we watched it on televisions. This mini film has to be seen on a big screen, Lynch and co. go inside the mushroom cloud of what may be the Trinity nuclear test of July 16, 1945– this goes on Malick style for some time. but it’s not boring at all. It’s just not “Twin Peaks.” It’s something else. Shown large it must be beautiful. And of course, as it’s Lynchian, it concludes by being frightening.

Are there a million references I didn’t get? Oh yes. That’s the Platters singing “My Prayer” while this stylized sort of sci fi B movie unravels. The whole thing was extraordinary. I don’t know if this was a message suggesting that the “Twin Peaks” creators couldn’t continue to make this dreadful, disconnected show and decided to go for it– a work of art. I’m so glad they did.

West coast: watch this episode.

PS Just a little more: SPOILER ALERT– Evil Cooper is taken to the woods and shot by his companion. Immediately, some incorporeal figures from the other world appear and try to resuscitate him. Then Nine Inch Nails perform like an intermission of very evil sounding music for about 2 mins. And then the mushroom cloud business starts.

We never return to “Twin Peaks” the show. We are now in some cosmic place as we witness the explosion over White Sands, New Mexico. This may be Mark Frost and David Lynch’s explanation at last for evil in the world, and all the crazy shit on “Twin Peaks” and “Fire Walk with Me.” If that’s what it is, my hat is off to them. After 25 years, someone in the writers’ room came up with a reason for everything. Very cool.

We will have to watch this film a few times to get it. It’s a piece of art, an art installation, Lynch’s best work in decades. I’ve criticized “Twin Peaks: The Return” for being pointless. But if this is the point, it was well worth waiting for.

Also, the special effects and music are mesmerizing. And expensive looking.

Note: The radio station KJPK is from an “X Files” episode, by the way. Also no doubt dozens of references to other sci-fi material. But the look it reminded me of the Mole Men from “Superman” the TV show.

Al Gore, Filmmakers Will Add Paris Climate Pull Out to “Inconvenient Sequel” Before August 4 Opening

Roger Friedman
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Al Gore, Filmmakers Will Add Paris Climate Pull Out to “Inconvenient Sequel” Before August 4 Opening

Al Gore and filmmakers Jon Shenk and Bonni Cohen have a finished film in “An Inconvenient Sequel.” It’s set for release on August 4th. But the filmmakers revealed today at the Nantucket Film Festival they will add an epilogue before release. The subject: Donald Trump’s ill advised negation of the Paris Climate Accord agreement.

“Inconvenient Sequel” only runs 99 minutes now. The filmmakers could easily add 10 minutes on Trump’s disastrous decision, its impact on other world leaders, and how state and local governments are overriding Trump. The Trump withdrawal certainly makes for a potent PS to a film that updates us on the continued perils of global warming.

Keep refreshing…

 

 

 

with Regina Weinreich

Daniel Day Lewis’s Singer-Model Son Defends His Dad’s Retirement: “I am indescribably proud and in admiration of your accomplishments”

Roger Friedman
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Daniel Day Lewis’s Singer-Model Son Defends His Dad’s Retirement: “I am indescribably proud and in admiration of your accomplishments”

gabe kaneDaniel Day Lewis has three sons. The eldest, whom he had with actress Isabelle Adjani, is speaking out on Twitter and Instagram. Gabriel-Kane Day-Lewis, who goes by the moniker Gabriel Kane, finished school last year and has taken off as a model and aspiring singer. (Check out his accounts–he’s good at both endeavors!)

On Twitter, Gabe was very emphatic in all capital letters: I WILL NOT BE MAKING A STATEMENT SO DONT ASK AND BE RESPECTFUL.

On Instagram Kane wrote: “You shared your talent with the world over many years and it was a gift for us all to cherish. Though the idea of never seeing you on the big screen again deeply saddens me and many others, I am indescribably proud and in admiration of your accomplishments and of you as a man, an artist and a father. You are loved by your family and your family by you. Thank you for everything”

My sources say to look at the wording of DDL’s announcement more closely. He says he’s retiring from acting. That doesn’t mean all of show business. Look for DDL to direct and write, among other things, for screen and stage. It makes sense. He’s got 3 Academy Awards as an actor. How many do you need? And maybe his last film, “Phantom Thread,” is so good, he feels that’s enough.

Kudos to son G-K, for his lovely postings.

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