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The Michael Jackson Vultures Circle June 25th for 1st Attack

Roger Friedman
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20
The Michael Jackson Vultures Circle June 25th for 1st Attack

The vultures around Michael Jackson have circled June 25th–the first anniversary of his death– for their first attacks.

That’s the day Ian Halperin, sleazy tabloid muckracker, airs his “Gone Too Soon” film on the TV Guide Network. Halperin has already feasted on Michael Jackson‘s remains with a book last year. Now he comes with an editorial film in which he interviews the D list from the Jackson outer circle about their knowledge of Jackson’s life. It will be interesting to see how he handles not having Jackson’ s music in his film, let alone the people who really knew him. Expect much heavy weighing in from the illustrious Tohme R. Tohme.

Even better: June 25th is also launch date for a, ahem, book by Leonard Rowe, erstwhile concert promoter. Rowe was in cahoots with Joseph Jackson  before Michael died to try and wrest control of the London “This Is It” concerts from AEG Live. Rowe and Jackson actually called this reporter a few weeks prior to Michael’s passing, thinking they could enlist my help in this effort. I essentially hung up on them. For a short time, Rowe wormed his way into Michael’s good graces before he was fired. Yes, Rowe was fired in writing by Michael Jackson. Now he wants to sell his side of the story.

The self published “What Really Happened to Michael Jackson, King of Pop” looks like it’s a hoot. On Rowe’s website he’s already given away the introduction. Rowe basically accuses AEG Live of killing Michael. My favorite of his assertions is that “not many people knew that Michael owned 50% of Sony’s entire catalog.” Uh, Leonard, I don’t think there’s a Sherpa in Nepal who doesn’t know that whole story. This is not exactly a revelation.

rowe writes: “I was also trying my best to fight what I perceived to be the evil that was surrounding him at that time.” He says: “In my opinion, AEG had a contract with Michael that was nothing less than a cocked financial gun pointed to his head.  It is my belief that he was being totally exploited.”

Indeed, the only people who certainly intended to exploit Michael Jackson were Leonard Rowe and his partner, Joseph Jackson. These two have their own long history. Joe Jackson actually sued Rowe in the 80s over a Jacksons tour. Not only that, but Rowe is an ex-con. He also lost a lawsuit brought against him as a concert promoter by R. Kelly and was ordered to pay $3.4 million. He also had to pay NeYo $700,000.

In Rowe launched a lawsuit against the William Morris Agency, CAA and other group claiming racism as the reason he couldn’t promote more concerts. On December 30, 2005 ,after losing the case and appealing it, Rowe was finally crushed by a federal appeals court judge. A year earlier, another judge, finding for the defendants, wrote: “plaintiffs raised no genuine issue of material fact and that no rational trier of fact could find for plaintiffs on any of the myriad of claims made in this action.”

According to one report: “Rowe spent time in federal prison in the early 90’s for being convicted of wire fraud for his role in the cashing of a fraudulent insurance check. He has had multiple arrests for writing bad checks.”

Stay tuned because the lunacy has only just begun. There’s word that Brian Oxman, representing Joseph Jackson, wants to file a wrongful death suit against AEG Live. And he is going to accuse AEG of violating the Americans With Disabilities Act, saying that they knew he was a drug addict. To paraphrase Michael Jackson, “I got to be there” when these actions are filed, just to see the looks on the faces of the court clerks.

Oxman was disciplined by the California State Supreme Court last December, for the second time in a dozen years. He was fired by Tom Mesereau, Jackson’s criminal attorney, for among other things falling asleep in court during Jackson’s child molestation trial.

Here’s a story I wrote in 2005 about Oxman getting fired. http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,154573,00.html

James Franco Bringing Film and “Performance” Exhibition to NYC

Roger Friedman
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3
James Franco Bringing Film and “Performance” Exhibition to NYC

James Franco: he is the Renaissance Man of his generation. Now he’s got a film, drawing, photography, sculpture and performance exhibition opening in New York on June 22nd at the Clocktower Gallery. It’s called “The Dangerous Book for Boys” and seems to be connected to the recent children’s book of that title. See above link.

Franco continues to be the most ambitious and interesting actor of his generation. He’s busy making short films, long films, art installations, and appearing on “General Hospital” as Banksy gone mad. He’s going to Yale in the fall as a combination writing and film post graduate student. He’s also thinking of working with Doctors with Borders and starting a cooking show. (Just kidding.)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c5PSdBWvx8s

Here’s another video link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9gtJsK6yoIM&NR=1

You can also check out www.dangerousbookforboys.com

Two big questions waiting to be answered: why “four” boys instead of “for” boys on the invite? Are there three other people involved? And does James Franco ever sleep? Stay tuned…

Wait: better yet–will they film this for “General Hospital”? Is that the performance part?

Cindy Adams: Where in the World Is The Famed Gossip?

Roger Friedman
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31
Cindy Adams: Where in the World Is The Famed Gossip?

Only in New York, kids: a famous gossip columnist disappears and no one is asking questions.

Cindy Adams last filed a column for the New York Post on May 20th. A few days later, Page Six said she was in the hospital for anemia.

Well, it’s June 10th, and there’s no sign of Cindy. Her assistant, in fact, says she’s still in the hospital. “She was very run down” is the explanation.

The assistant also claims that no one knows which hospital Adams is in. Hello? If a publicist told Cindy that about a star, Adams would have the whole town turned upside down. We’re not going to do that, although we did check a few places to be sure. She’s not at Lenox Hill.

Cindy, if you’re reading this, we miss you! Tell us where you are, we’ll send flowers! And candy!

One thing: Cindy’s planned one woman show for Broadway is sure to be delayed. Since it’s written, and sure to be funny, I think her producers should hire a gifted comic actress and put it on anyway. Did I hear anyone say Bette Midler?

Is there a mystery here, aside from Cindy’s age? (I know it, but I’m not saying.) There’s one: I didn’t realize that many years ago Cindy and her late husband, the great comic Joey Adams, embraced Christian Science. They were both born Jewish. Also, Cindy took amazing care of both her mother and Joey in their later years. So I doubt Cindy Adams is eschewing proper doctors’ care. Even Mary Baker Eddy must have liked a cough drop.

So the search teams are on their way. The Tony Awards are on Sunday and it’s hard to imagine Cindy, in a brightly colored designer jacket with her hair piled high, not standing in the Number 1 position on the red carpet, asking questions, taking notes, getting a bunch of quotes to sprinkle through the next several columns. Cindy, if you don’t get back here in a hurry, I’m going to start telling your real story! And it’s a doozy.

Cavalia: They Love Horses, Don’t They? (They Sure Do)

Roger Friedman
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4
Cavalia: They Love Horses, Don’t They? (They Sure Do)

Run–do not walk–maybe gallop over to a series of dreamlike white tents that have planted down in the Meadowlands Sports Center next to the Izod Center. That’s where “Cavalia,” the Cirque du Soleil-like horse pageant opened last night.

:Cavalia” is the brainchild of Normand Latourelle, one of the founders of Cirque du Soleil. He was there in 1988 when Cirque first came to what was then a not totally built Battery Park City. Twenty one years ago Latourelle got the idea to bring dozens (actual number: 60) of Arabian horses and the best trapeze artists, acrobats, and performers together. He commissioned a musical score by Michel Cusson. In 2003, he opened the show in his home town of Montreal. Since then, it’s traveled to Miami, Los Angeles, and a few other locales.

You have to see “Cavalia” to understand the majesty of these magnificent horses. Not only are they each individual beauties, they are also the best groomed horses in the world. Visitors can see them backstage in their stalls. These horses are living quite a nice life. And no, they are not sitting around smoking cigars and playing poker at night. They’re getting amazing attention!

On stage, the horses run like the wind. The human players are remarkably athletic, with riding abilities that mimic the best in Hollywood westerns. The result is like being out in the desert, and being an eyewitness to nature.

There’s also one segment where about a half dozen white and palomino stallions and geldings gather on stage by themselves, without a trainer, and have what amounts to a cocktail party. The trainer finally arrives and appears to very little to get them organized. It’s quite a scene.

“Cavalia” is in the Meadowlands officially through June 20th, but it’s already sold out. Latourelle is considering a longer stay, but has to leave once football season starts ramping up mid summer. So hurry and get over there.

Spider Man on Broadway Points to November Opening

Roger Friedman
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1
Spider Man on Broadway Points to November Opening

Believe it or not, “Spider Man: Turn off the Dark” is in full swing. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4o29VoxtsFk

At $52 million, “Spider Man” is a musical that Broadway may find spins quite a web. But the show–with direction by Julie Taymor, music by U2, and nasty comments from theater twits–is going to happen. I am told that previews are being planned for October, with a late November opening being circled. “Spider Man” will open before the end of 2010, I am assured.

Indeed, the cast and crew are headed to Las Vegas shortly for boot camp. They’re going to learn how to fly at the Foy Flying School, the best theatrical flying academy in the world, which happens to be in Sin City. So everyone’s packing up and getting ready to bolt for insane hot temperatures, pulleys, and nets. And slot machines.

“Spider Man” will offer a lot of flying–even more than we just saw in Cirque du Soleil’s amazing”Cavalia” out at the Izod Theatre in the Meadowlands. Almost no one will be spared the chance to zoom around American Airlines Theater. Even Reeve Carney, who plays Peter Parker/Spider Man, will be showing off his aviation skills. It won’t be left just to the actors who play silent Spider-men.

Roman Polanski in a Different Kind of Stew

Roger Friedman
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0
Roman Polanski in a Different Kind of Stew

At the center of Daniele Thompson’s delightful comedy of manners, “Change of Plans,” a hit at the 2009 Rendez-Vous with French Cinema, is a dinner attended annually on June 21, World Music Day, by the same –more or less– collection of characters.

On Tuesday, after IFC’s special screening, Thompson’s longtime friend Diane von Furstenberg and husband Barry Diller hosted a dinner at DVF’s studio in the Meatpacking district.

“I am so happy she offered. Diane makes these wonderful dinners,” said Thompson when I spoke to her earlier that day. Fortunately, the menu did not include the “bigos,” of the film, an old time Polish recipe credited to Roman Polanski.

“Every people has this kind of stew,” said Thompson. “The kind of dish where you throw everything in: leftovers, meat, cabbage, and so on. Roman Polanski, who is a friend, made it for me.”

In “Change of Plans,” the husband, who is Polish, busily prepares this signature dish. Thompson’s son Christopher who acts in this ensemble piece and also co-wrote the script with his mother said that Polanski’s wife, the actress Emmanuelle Seigner who plays Sarah, kept complaining on the set: “Roman’s tastes so much better.”

And how is he doing? “People think it is so easy to be confined in a Swiss ski house, but really, he cannot go out to have a cup of coffee. He is suffering,” said Christopher.

In the meantime in New York, Stephen Sondheim, Fran Lebowitz, Zoe Lister-Jones and Daryl Wein, Ann Dexter-Jones, Frederic Tuten, and many others supped on two kinds of pasta, two kinds of salad, and desserts by the sublime Sant Ambroeus.

Stephen Rivers, PR Guy and Friend, Dead at 55

Roger Friedman
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1
Stephen Rivers, PR Guy and Friend, Dead at 55

I am so sorry to read about the passing of my friend, Stephen Rivers. He was 55 and died after a long bout with prostate cancer.

So much of what’s involved in the dying of a friend and contemporary is wrapped up in when you met them. I met Stephen in 1982 when we both worked for Jane Fonda on the 20th Century Fox lot. I was a script reader. Stephen was the in-house pr for Jane’s film company, IPC Films. He also worked for Tom Hayden that summer on his failed bid for a seat the California State Assembly.

Over the years, Stephen and I had much common as he worked for Oliver Stone, Kevin Costner, and a host of other tough clients. He represented Mike Ovitz and worked at Creative Artists Agency during a particularly difficult time there. He started his own pr firm in 1994, and I remember going down to Santa Monica to see his office and have lunch and chew over old times.

Some of Stephen’s other clients were Maria Shriver and Arnold Schwarzenegger, and Richard Dreyfus. His focus was always on the political, to the left, although he worked with Costner–not a liberal–and tried hard to persuade his friends in the press to see all sides of the actor.

Mostly, though, I will remember that early time in both our careers–he was 27, I was 25– and his devotion to Jane and her causes through good times and bad. Rest in peace, Stephen. You will be sorely missed.

PS Jane wrote on her blog today from France, where she’s shooting a film:

“I am sad anyway because my dear, sweet friend, Stephen Rivers, died last night of cancer. Stephen was my PR person for a long time —as well as my friend–and traveled all over with me, including to Russia, where I was trying to persuade the government to allow the famous and brave refusenik, Ida Nudel, to go to Israel. He was the one who arranged my meeting with 40 Vietnam veterans in the basement of a church in Waterbury, Conn. We went through a lot together. Life is terminal, but for some it happens too soon.”

Jack Johnson: The Last Rock Star?

Roger Friedman
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4
Jack Johnson: The Last Rock Star?

Is wimpy Jack Johnson the last rock star? Or is it Leif Garrett-wannabe Justin Bieber, the marketing sensation of 2010?

Sales for the top 50 CDs, according to hitsdailydouble.com, are so minimal that they’re barely registering a number. Johnson sold 250,000 albums last week and finished at number 1. Pathetic. Long gone are the days of a new album selling a million copies.

Without Johnson, the total sales for the week would be far less than a million copies. Albums now hit the top 50 with sales of 9,000 or less. Such a situation would have been unimaginable ten years ago.

Who are the culprits? Radio is the main villain in this story. Reliance on paid-for playlists of corporate pop, segmenting every genre into its own station, and refusal to play new or interesting artists has strangled the business. Artists have fewer outlets to get their music to listeners than ever before.

There are some exceptions. Train‘s “Hey Soul Sister” and Bruno Marx‘s “Nothing on You” are actually great singles in he top 10. But then there’s Katie Perry‘s misspelled and awful “California Gurls.” You wonder how she could hear the real “California Girls” and still want to get up in the morning. And then there’s Lady GaGa imitating Madonna, and Eminem still crabbing about his life, his problems, his fame and fortune. He’s “not afraid” anymore. What a relief!

Meanwhile, Warner Music stock is trading around 5 bucks today, down three dollars from its year high. The fading construct of a record company has no albums in the top 10, but four in the overall top 50, all from its Atlantic Records division. One more release, the soundtrack to the new “Twilight” movie, was released this week. Atlantic A&R chief Pete Ganbarg is one of the few bright lights in an otherwise dismal abyss. Aside from Atlantic, it’s hard to imagine how WMG stays in business.

PS I forgot to ask in yesterday’s column about Lady GaGa’s “Alejandro” video: why do all the guys have Mo Howard haircuts from “The Three Stooges”? Nyah nyah nyuk.

Motown Rules as Friars Toast Smokey Robinson

Roger Friedman
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5
Motown Rules as Friars Toast Smokey Robinson

A great New York night: the Friars Club took over the Waldorf Astoria main ballroom and toasted Motown’s Smokey Robinson and Steiner Studios founder David Steiner.

Steiner probably drew the big donor crowd, which was fine. He’s a lovely guy. But it was Smokey who brought the music. The Supremes’ Mary Wilson, a glamorous and stunning 66 years young, paid tribute by bringing the house down with “I Am Changing” from Dreamgirls, Norah Jones’s “Don’t Know Why,” and invited the audience on stage for a singalong on “Stop! In the Name of Love.”

The Temptations–all new members along with founder Otis Williams–performed songs Smokey wrote for the group during their heyday including (my all time favorite) “Since I Lost My Baby.” Paul Shaffer described Robinson’s “My Girl” as the greatest pop composition ever from the rock era. Well, it does stand tall with just a few others, maybe, including “Hey Jude,” “You’ve Lost that Loving Feeling” and “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough.”

Allen Toussaint brought a little New Orleans to the proceedings with his own funky versions of “Tracks of My Tears” and “I Second that Emotion.”

The Friars night was hosted by legendary comedian Freddie Roman, who is always a hit, and ornamented by hilarious Friar Stewie Stone. Tracey Morgan made an appearance, was subdued most of the night with his 18 year old son in attendance. Is he anything like Tracey Jordan, his character on “30 Rock,” I asked? “Like Tracey, No,” Morgan said, “I’m much wilder.”

Also in the audience: Mike Stoller, songwriter with Jerry Lieber of so many classic rock hits, with wife Corky. And a big highlight was a rare performance by Chuck Jackson, the great R&B hit maker of the 60s and Robinson’s close friend. Chuck belted out “You’ll Never Walk Alone” and his own smash, “Any Day Now” with his still stunning baritone.

Broadway’s Brian Stokes Mitchell performed for Steiner, showing off his Tony award winning range on “The Impossible Dream.”

An odd no-show for the night was Jerry Lewis, whom the Friars say sent a message last week that he was coming and to save him a spot. He just never materialized.

Oprah Winfrey sent a video taped message for Smokey which was played toward the end of the evening. She was so excited that she attempted to sing a couple of lines from his songs. “Keep your day job,” Freddie Roman cracked wise as the video ended.

With all the talent assembled in the room, still the sweetest sound of the night: Smokey himself singing lead on the big group ending “My Girl.” His beautiful tenor falsetto is completely intact. It’s not just sweet, but hypnotic. Smokey is just a rare treasure. I did ask him for whom he wrote “My Girl.”  He replied, “The Temptations.” I said, “No, who’s the girl?” thinking it was his first wife, Claudette. “I honestly don’t know,” he said, with a laugh.

Madonna: Lady GaGa Either Rips Her off or Salutes Her

Roger Friedman
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6
Madonna: Lady GaGa Either Rips Her off or Salutes Her

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=niqrrmev4mA&feature=player_embedded

Is imitation really the sincerest form of flattery?

Madonna must be trying to control all of her emotions right now on this subject. Photographer Steven Klein, who’s worked with Madonna a lot in the past, is the director of Lady GaGa‘s new eight and a half minute video “Alejandro.”

Eyes closed, “Alejandro” certainly sounds just like a Madonna record, from top to bottom. Stephanie Germanotta‘s voice is processed just the way Madonna’s was during her the late 80s and early 90s, from “Express Yourself” and “Like a Prayer” through “Justify My Love.”

But open your eyes, and Lady GaGa and Klein are just regurgitating “Vogue” or “Justify My Love.” We’ve been here, he’s been here, only Ms. Germanotta hasn’t been here. The only thing completely different about her Madonna worship is that GaGa plays the piano herself. She may even be writing the songs.

Isn’t it funny that no one thought to totally rip off Madonna years ago? I guess one obstacle was the money needed to make such an enterprise successful. But Germanotta obviously has convinced her backers this is the moment for Madonna redux. It has to be embarrassing for Klein, who must know that he’s made either a Madonna rip off or a tribute. I guess it will depend on how he spins it to the Original GaGa.

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