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Broadway: Rumored Big Change in Theater Ownership Today as Curtain May Come Down on Jujamcyn After Many Standing Ovations

Roger Friedman
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Broadway: Rumored Big Change in Theater Ownership Today as Curtain May Come Down on Jujamcyn After Many Standing Ovations

Five famous Broadway houses may be changing ownership today.

The rumor on the Rialto, as the late Earl Wilson would say, is that Jujamcyn Theaters is selling its heralded homes to the Ambassador Theater Group.

The New York Post’s Cindy Adams alluded to this in her column last week, very quietly. The theaters are the fabled St. James Theater, the August Wilson, Al Hirschfeld, Eugene O’Neill, and Walter Kerr.

Jujamcyn is not a real word. The theater company get its name from the first three letters of the former owner’s grandchildren’s names: Ju[dith], Jam[es], and Cyn[thia]. No one ever knew how to say it, and now they won’t have to.

The company has been owned since 2009 has been owned by Jordan Roth, the theater producer and son of real estate magnate Steven Roth of Vornado Properties. Jordan Roth, acting with now retired theater producer Rocco Landesman, turned the company into a powerhouse on Broadway. They’re the third largest owner after the Shuberts and Nederlanders.

Currently playing in their houses are some of the biggest hits including “Funny Girl,” “Hadestown,” “Moulin Rouge.” and “The Book of Mormon.” Coming soon to the St. James is “New York, New York” following a sold out run of “Into the Woods.”

ATG owns 58 theaters around the world but only one on Broadway, the Hudson Theater on West 44th St. They also own the Kings Theater in Brooklyn.

So stay tuned.

Review: Mary McCartney’s Abbey Road Documentary is Not to Be Missed, for Beatles Fans or Anyone Else

Roger Friedman
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Review: Mary McCartney’s Abbey Road Documentary is Not to Be Missed, for Beatles Fans or Anyone Else

I’m sadly late to this game. But I have only just now watched Mary McCartney’s “If These Walls Could Sing” on Hulu, and I’m agog. It’s a beautiful film about Abbey Road Studios, particularly the Beatles and George Martin’s historic hit making journey.

After having gone through Peter Jackson’s voluminous “Get Back” several times, I can recommend Mary McCartney’s movie as a more concise look at the Beatles’ process of creating their later, and ironic, recordings. There’s wonderful footage not even in the Jackson project or anywhere else unless you’re an obsessive archivist of Beatles material.

There are other artists, too. I didn’t realize Elton John played piano on the Hollies’ “He Ain’t Heavy, He’s My Brother” right in that room. Ditto Jimmy Page, long before Led Zeppelin, playing guitar while Shirley Bassey recorded “Goldfinger” with John Barry. Their recollections are invaluable.

British star Cliff Richard is featured, as is Pink Floyd. We get more of the story of “Dark Side of the Moon”‘s creation here than anywhere else. The warring Gallagher brothers of Oasis, who usually seem insane, are quite reasonable talking about their heavily Beatle inspired work like “Wonderwall.” And so on.

Mary McCartney is Paul and Linda’s third daughter after Heather and Stella. Like her mother Linda she’s an accomplished photographer and has an excellent eye. You can see why she wanted to commemorate this place that, as she says, grew up in. We see her a baby photographed crawling on the carpet. The studio is in her blood, so no one else could pulled this off.

What Mary does, besides explaining the history, is give her witness to her father’s and the Beatles history. She’s found footage of them constructing the White Album and Abbey Road, all of which is a revelation. Obviously, she leans heavily on her father’s work. But as in “Get Back,” you see Paul McCartney writing his classics, on film, in real time, and putting together all those albums and you can’t believe this all really happened. As Ringo Starr jokes, if it hadn’t been for Paul the group would have made three albums, not eight.

Kudos to Mary McCartney. I wish I’d seen this last summer or before, but I didn’t what can I say? I don’t even know whose movie it was. But if you have Hulu, it’s right there, and not to be missed.

Linda Ronstadt 1970 Hit “Long Long Time” Goes Top 5 at iTunes as HBO’s “Last Of Us” Gives Song Unexpected Renaissance

Roger Friedman
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Linda Ronstadt 1970 Hit “Long Long Time” Goes Top 5 at iTunes as HBO’s “Last Of Us” Gives Song Unexpected Renaissance

Guess what’s number 5 on iTunes today? Why it’s Linda Ronstadt’s 1970 hit, “Long Long Time.”

The song — written by Gary White — was featured on Sunday night’s episode of HBO’s “The Last of Us.” And now, like Kate Bush and Lady Gaga recently — Linda is back on the charts.

Indeed, Linda’s Greatest Hits is up to number 25. Before last night, neither of these records was on anyone’s radar.

“Long Long Time” was not a big hit in 1970. It sort of came back when it was included on Linda’s first greatest hits collection after “You’re No Good” launched a string of top 10 hits beginning in 1973. “Long Long Time,” “Silver Threads and Golden Needles,” and “Different Drummer” all caught up with Linda’s Peter Asher-produced smashes like “Heat Wave” and “Blue Bayou.”

RIP Cindy Williams of “Laverne and Shirley” Fame, Dead at 75, Also Starred in “American Graffiti”

Roger Friedman
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RIP Cindy Williams of “Laverne and Shirley” Fame, Dead at 75, Also Starred in “American Graffiti”

“Laverne and Shirley” star Cindy Williams has died at 75.

Williams played the straight woman (meaning straight faced) to Penny Marshall’s Laverne. It’s hard to believe they’re both gone. The show as an enormous hit for eight seasons in the 70s and 80s. “Laverne and Shirley” was part of Garry Marshall’s mini empire, spun off from “Happy Days.” Williams appeared on the original show too.

Her movie career included George Lucas’s beloved “American Graffiti,” and Francis Ford Coppola’s “The Conversation.” She was married for 18 years to Bill Hudson, of the Hudson Brothers, after he was married to Goldie Hawn. That means their two children are half siblings of Kate and Oliver Hudson.

Shirley was cute as a button, and made a little nuts by Laverne’s over the top mischief. The actresses didn’t always get along when they were filming but they had a pretty good friendship after it was all over.

Condolences to her family and friends. So sorry.

Grammys Exclusive: Kacey Musgraves Set for Loretta Lynn Tribute, Mick Fleetwood, Sheryl Crow for Christine McVie

Roger Friedman
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Grammys Exclusive: Kacey Musgraves Set for Loretta Lynn Tribute, Mick Fleetwood, Sheryl Crow for Christine McVie

The Grammys are starting to take form for Sunday and they look really good.

Kacey Mugraves, I’m told, is booked to perform a tribute to Loretta Lynn. That sounds perfect.

I hear also that Sheryl Crow and Mick Fleetwood are lined up for a tribute to Fleetwood Mac’s Christine McVie. No word yet on participation from other members of the group.

There’s also word that “Elvis” star Austin Butler will take the stage as a presenter.

Stay tuned for more…the Grammys are on Sunday at 8pm on CBS…

Will Smith as the Genie in “Aladdin 2”? I Wouldn’t Count On It, Even with Blue People ‘In’ Right Now

Roger Friedman
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Will Smith as the Genie in “Aladdin 2”? I Wouldn’t Count On It, Even with Blue People ‘In’ Right Now

Because of Avatar 2: The Way of Water, blue people on screen are really in right now.

But one blue person who I don’t expect to be showing up anytime soon is the Genie from “Aladdin” in a sequel.

No, Will Smith is not likely to be reprising that role in the near future, even though someone planted a trial balloon item in the UK Sun today.;

Smith is not yet out of the dog house for his Oscar slap against Chris Rock almost a year ago. His career is basically on hold. Apple had so much trouble with “Emancipation,” I’m told other studios are taking a breather.

Plus, Disney is not going to bring Will Smith back, especially with his ten year (now I guess nine) suspension from the Academy. First, we’re going to have to get past the first anniversary of the slap on March 12th, and see what that brings. Then there’s going to have to be some kind of reckoning with Chris Rock — a real sense of contrition and apology — before everyone moves forward. That slap was heard and seen around the world, and it’s going to take time before it fades.

Not A Shock: Showtime to Be Merged with Paramount Plus, Three More Shows Cancelled

Roger Friedman
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Not A Shock: Showtime to Be Merged with Paramount Plus, Three More Shows Cancelled

Put a fork in “American Gigolo,” “Let the Right One In.” and the upcoming “Three Women” on Showtime cable. They are all cancelled as Showtime is being rebranded as Paramount + Showtime, or some unwieldy nomenclature. The fact is, Showtime is over.

This has been in the wind for some time, as David Nevins was removed as the leader of Showtime last year and other shows like “City on a Hill’ were cancelled. “Billions” is coming into its final season. That leaves “Yellowjackets” and “The Chi.”

As I read it, whatever’s left of Showtime in the present will remain on “Paramount+ with Showtime,” but there will be a $9.99 per month subscription service — akin to HBO Max — if you want to see older shows, or some that will only be available there. And that’s where all the Taylor Sheridan shows like “Yellowstone” will be playing. It will be funny if customers confuse “Yellowstone” with “Yellowjackets.” They might cannibalize each other. (LOL.)

Showtime has run a distant second to HBO for decades. In recent years they’ve not made any effort to get Emmy Awards or have any distinction. Soon the word Showtime will be like Oldsmobile, a brand of the past. Let’s hope things improve for them as Paramount+.

“Today, we’re announcing that we will be fully integrating Showtime into Paramount+ across both streaming and linear platforms later this year, providing even more popular franchises and hit originals for viewers to enjoy,” Paramount CEO Bob Bakish said in a memo Monday. “To reflect this change, both our premium streaming tier on Paramount+ and the Showtime linear network will become Paramount+ With Showtime in the U.S.”

Michael Jackson “Double” Nephew Set to Play King of Pop in Estate Approved Film

Roger Friedman
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Michael Jackson “Double” Nephew Set to Play King of Pop in Estate Approved Film

An actor has been tapped to play Michael Jackson in an upcoming film. Jaafar Jackson, Michael’s “double” nephew, will play his uncle in film.

Jaafar is the sixth of seven children of Michael’s older brother, Jermaine Jackson. Jaafar’s mother is Alejandra Genevieve Oaziaza . But there’s a twist: Alejandra had two children with Jermaine’s younger brother, Randy, with whom she was in a relationship before the one with Jermaine. So her children are first cousins to their half siblings. It’s a unique situation.

Jaafar, whose name may have been inspired by “The Lion King,” looks a lot like Michael before the plastic surgery and the vitiligo and skin whitening. He’s also talented, as witness the video below. He says in a Tweet: “I’m humbled and honored to bring my Uncle Michael’s story to life. To all the fans all over the world, I’ll see you soon.”

It’s ironic that it’s Jermaine’s child who will play Michael. The tension between the two brothers built to a peak while Michael was alive, and after the younger brother split from the Jackson 5 to have a huge solo career. Jermaine resented the success, and wrote a damning book about Michael. On the other hand, Michael’s long time PR man, Bob Jones, wrote in his book that Michael subverted Jermaine’s career.

The movie, directed by Antoine Fuqua and producer by Graham King, has nothing to do with the hit Broadway musical, “MJ.” It’s unclear if it will, like the musical, go beyond the “Thriller” years and cover the less savory parts of Michael’s life. Because the estate is controlling it, that’s doubtful, however — and also, nothing anyone wants to see on the big screen.

Who’s Still Not in the Rock Hall? Sting, Dionne, Cher, Neil Sedaka, Cyndi, Rufus & Carla, Chubby Checker, Plenty More

Roger Friedman
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Who’s Still Not in the Rock Hall? Sting, Dionne, Cher, Neil Sedaka, Cyndi, Rufus & Carla, Chubby Checker, Plenty More

The Rock and Roll Gall of Fame will announce new nominations this Wednesday. Then there’ll be a vote and the wrong people will get in and the right people forgotten.

It’s a tradition.

Who’s still not in after all these years? Chubby Checker. This is really a black eye for the Hall. I don’t care if he was the 15th person to record “The Twist.” The fact is, he had a hit twice with it, in 1961 and 1963. He carried the flag for rock and roll. It’s time.

There are plenty of women still waiting including Cher, Dionne Warwick, Chaka Khan, and Carla Thomas with her late father, Rufus. All of them should be in by now.

Cyndi Lauper is younger than those women, but she’s been eligible since 2009. She has classic rock hits and won a Tony Award. Her importance to human rights advocacy is enormous. Let’s go already.

Neil Sedaka: he’s really the only one from the Brill Building era not inducted. His songs like “Breaking Up is Hard to Do” and “Laughter in the Rain,” not to mention “Love Will Keep Us Together.” are evidence of his importance. I’ll bet Elton John, who revived Neil’s career in 1975, would come and do the induction. What are waiting for?

This year’s rock nominee should be The B52s. Music, fashion, art, memorable songs that were hits– they’re a cinch.

My other “rock” choice would be Sting, as a solo artist. Already inducted with the Police, Sting has had enormous solo career since 1986. Tons of hits, incredibly eclectic musically, wildly successful, amazing philanthropist. Plus, Paul McCartney said in an interview in recent years that the one song he wished he’d written was “Fields of Gold.” That should be enough.

And there are still lists and lists of names: Tommy James and the Shondells, Nile Rodgers and Chic, Stevie Winwood, Marianne Faithfull, Patti Labelle and the whole group, and a raft of influential R&B acts from the late Mary Wells, to The Spinners and many, many more…

Send us your choices at showbiz411@gmail.com

Grammy News: Harry Styles Confirmed to Perform, Adele and Beyonce Will Attend, Taylor Swift? (Exclusive)

Roger Friedman
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Grammy News: Harry Styles Confirmed to Perform, Adele and Beyonce Will Attend, Taylor Swift? (Exclusive)

Some news about next Sunday’s Grammy Awards.

Harry Styles is confirmed to perform and attend. He’s up for a bunch of awards and will likely win Album of the Year for “Harry’s House.” If nothing else, Harry seems to be the solution to the eternal question of Adele or Beyonce?

As for those two, they will be in attendance but they won’t perform. That’s what I’m hearing. Adele is playing shows Friday and Saturday in Las Vegas, so she can claim exhaustion I guess. I think she should just push herself past that and sing “Easy On Me.” She’s got a boatload of nominations, and why not?

Beyonce will also not perform, but hope to pick up some awards besides Album of the Year, I hear there’s one in particular she has her eye on — Best Electronic Music single. For the first time ever the Grammys will present that award on the air. Beyonce is the biggest star among the nominees. She’ll get her moment in the spotlight.

There are plenty of performers on this year’s show including Lizzo, Bad Bunny, Mary J. Blige, Brandi Carlile, Luke Combs, Steve Lacy, Kim Petras, and Sam Smith. I’d be shocked if Miley Cyrus didn’t pop up, she has the number 1 record in the country with “Flowers.” She could steal the show performing it.

And Taylor Swift? Not coming. Wasn’t nominated for Album of the Year, only has Song of the Year, and probably won’t win. She has a lot of Grammys. She’ll be back, trust me.

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