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Top Gun Maverick: Memories of Meg Ryan, None of Kelly McGillis, and Lady Gaga at the End

Roger Friedman
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Top Gun Maverick: Memories of Meg Ryan, None of Kelly McGillis, and Lady Gaga at the End

I know everyone is getting ready for the “Top Gun Maverick” reviews. They’re coming tomorrow morning at 9am.

In the meantime, I can tell Lady Gaga fans that you will have to wait through the whole movie for the hit song, “Hold My Hand.” It’s worth it. Despite a source telling me a few weeks ago that the song “comes too late” in the movie, it’s actually right on time. The placement will put a lump in your throat. It also guarantees an Oscar nomination next year for Gaga, if not a win.

The production has said that neither Kelly McGillis nor Meg Ryan, who were in the original movie, were invited back. But you will see nostalgic clips from the first “Top Gun” of Ryan as Carole, from 1986. Ryan had just had her breakthough on “As the World Turns.” By the time “Top Gun” hit, she was off to the races. “Sleepless in Seattle” came in 1989.

McGillis’s Charlie isn’t mentioned, or thought about. There are no clips of her. McGillis went on to big hits with “Witness” and “The Accused,” and worked steadily through the 1990s and 2000s. Over time, she’s slowed down her career. But her role in the first “Top Gun” remains iconic.

Madonna Naked and Unafraid in 3 Animated NFTs, Butterflies Escape from Her Nether Parts

Roger Friedman
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Madonna Naked and Unafraid in 3 Animated NFTs, Butterflies Escape from Her Nether Parts

“Predators pick at my fruit and scrape my bark.”

Madonna, never one for subtlety, is auctioning off 3 NFTS today. They’re animated 1 minute films she narrates in which she’s naked, legs open, with a lot of different objects grow from her nether parts.

I’m being modest in my description because Google will censor me if I get more descriptive.

The whole this is called Mother of Creation. It can be found here.

Madonna collaborated with something called Beeple. She says on the website: “When Mike and I decided to collaborate on this project a year ago, I was excited to have the opportunity to share my vision of the world as a mother and an artist with Mike’s own unique point of view. It’s been an amazing journey building this together from an intellectual idea to an emotional story, giving birth to art. I wanted to investigate the concept of creation, not only the way a child enters the world through a woman’s vagina, but also the way an artist gives birth to creativity. Most importantly we wanted to use this opportunity to benefit mothers and children who are most in need right now.”

Three charities benefit from the sale of the NFTs: The Voices of Children Foundation, City of Joy, and Black Mamas Bail Out. A crypto company called Moonpay is also contributing $100,000 to each charity. Moonpay just secured $86.7 million in funding with help from Jared Kushner’s brother, Josh, and a roster of celebrities (who probably didn’t invest anything) including Ashton Kutcher, Justin Bieber, Jason Derulo, Bruce Willis*, Paris Hilton, Gwyneth Paltrow, and Matthew McConaughey. (*I’m sure has no idea what this is.)

Watch “Company” Star Patti Lupone Curse Out A Mask-Abuser at After Show Talk Back

Roger Friedman
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Watch “Company” Star Patti Lupone Curse Out A Mask-Abuser at After Show Talk Back

Tony nominee Patti Lupone gets my vote for this eviscerating of a fan at the after show talk back for “Company.”

Patti, who’s had COVID at least once (maybe twice) does not suffer fools gladly. When she saw a member of the audience with their mask below their nose, she hit the ceiling, and rightly so.

The audience member tries to fight back, but Patti is the Muhammad Ali of Broadway. She’s also a New Jersey girl who loves Bruce Springsteen. You’re not going to win.

“SNL” with Benedict Cumberbatch, Arcade Fire Sets No Ratings Records

Roger Friedman
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“SNL” with Benedict Cumberbatch, Arcade Fire Sets No Ratings Records

Yikes. I know “The Simpsons” isn’t getting ratings. But “SNL” is having its own troubles.

On Saturday they had the star of a movie that made $187 million over the weekend– Benedict Cumberbatch. They also have a beloved rock band, Arcade Fire. And still that did nothing to light up the TV sets.

Ratings for this past Saturday were 4.5 million, about average for the last few weeks and nothing special. Also, last year at this time Elon Musk hosted with Miley Cyrus as musical guest. The ratings were 7.2 million.

Overall, ratings are on a down trend since the season opener- 4.9 million– and highs of over 5 million during the winter.

Sean Puffy Diddy Combs Wants a Comeback With LOVE Records, But Past Artists Want Some LOVE From Him

Roger Friedman
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Sean Puffy Diddy Combs Wants a Comeback With LOVE Records, But Past Artists Want Some LOVE From Him

I was walking down Broadway in the 50s last week and came across this tableau: a boarded up Bad Boy Records. Brown paper covered the windows. The whole signage looked like it was falling apart.

Once, Bad Boy — when it was part of Arista Records — ruled the world of hip hop and rap. Then it all went away.

Back in 2006, I went to see Sean P Diddy Puffy Combs when he was making a new album, his first in many years. Combs was already very rich but had been out of the music business for a while. When the new album finally came out, it was a bust. But Sean had made a deal with Ciroc Vodka, found other endorsement situations, and made a fortune.

But the siren call of hit records never leaves you once you’ve experienced it. So Combs has made a deal for something called LOVE Records through Motown at Universal. He says there will be a new album this summer.

The press release for LOVE Records lists Diddy’s past artists as “Mary J. Blige, The Notorious B.I.G., Mariah Carey, Jennifer Lopez, Boyz II Men, Britney Spears, Kanye West.” But there’s no mention of the real Bad Boy stars like Faith Evans, Mase, or The Lox. Where did they go?

Mase, whose real name is Mason Betha, just release a new track trashing Combs in March. He’s been saying for the last couple of years that Combs has refused to sell him back his master recordings, and has made a fortume while Betha has made a pittance. So potential artists should take notice. Combs does not spread the LOVE around.

Mase wrote on social media:
“Your past business practices knowingly has continued purposely starved your artist and been extremely unfair to the very same artist that helped u obtain that Icon Award on the iconic Bad Boy label,” he wrote. “For example, u still got my publishing from 24 years ago in which u gave me $20k. Which makes me never want to work w/ u as any artist wouldn’t.”

Anna Wintour’s “Med Ball” Shuts Down “Colbert” As Jon Batiste Passes COVID to Host

Roger Friedman
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Anna Wintour’s “Med Ball” Shuts Down “Colbert” As Jon Batiste Passes COVID to Host

Stephen Colbert can blame Anna Wintour’s “Med Ball” for shutting down his show all week.

Last week, Colbert’s bandleader, Grammy winner Jon Batiste, tested positive for COVID after performing at the Met Ball Gala. Now it seems Batiste may have passed the COVID to Stephen Colbert. The show announced on Twitter this afternoon that COlbert is experiencing a recurrence of COVID.

Comic actress Amy Schumer has also admitted to testing positive for COVID after attending the jam packed celebrity party at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. None of the guests wore masks and they carried on like they were invulnerable. Turns out they were wrong.

It’s unclear how many others who went to the Med Ball are infected.

“Simpsons” Ratings Panic As Show Falls Below 900,000 Viewers for First Time in 33 Years

Roger Friedman
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“Simpsons” Ratings Panic As Show Falls Below 900,000 Viewers for First Time in 33 Years

What’s going on here?

Last night, “The Simpsons” fell in fast overnight ratings to just 804,000 viewers. That’s a 22% drop in one week.

Even if delayed viewing adds 100,000 more viewers (I;m being charitable) something bad is happening at the 33 year old series.

This would be the fourth week in a row under 1 million.

There’s no sports for competition, so that’s not the problem. And “American Idol” is also down over at ABC, by 26% to a season low 4.6 million. And that’s as “Idol” heads into its finalist shows.

Where have the “Simpsons” fans gone? And are they going to come back?

Stay tuned for an update on delayed viewing…

Here’s the Teaser Trailer for “Avatar 2,” First Sequel to 13 Year Old Hit

Roger Friedman
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Here’s the Teaser Trailer for “Avatar 2,” First Sequel to 13 Year Old Hit

The teaser to the trailer for “Avatar 2” was shown to critics last week. In New York, at least, we were unimpressed. At 1 minute 37 seconds, the 13 year wait for a sequel didn’t go over well. Plus, to me, it looked like the first “Avatar.”

But fans are chomping at the bit for this movie and a few more sequels as well. I hope they are satisfied. Yes, the 3D is very sharp. And this proves Sam Worthington is still around.

Tony Awards Headscratcher: 10 Noms for “Paradise Square” Even Though Criminal Produced It, Critics Hated It

Roger Friedman
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Tony Awards Headscratcher: 10 Noms for “Paradise Square” Even Though Criminal Produced It, Critics Hated It

Here’s a mystery.

The Tony Awards gave 10 nominations including Best Musical to “Paradise Square.”

The critics hated it. The producer is a famous criminal.

And yet, here it is.

Producer Garth Drabinsky, where do we start? Convicted and sent to prison in 2009 for fraud and forgery in Canada. He was disbarred from the Canada Bar Association. This was after he bankrupted his company, Livent, to the tune of $338 million.

His investors won a $23 million settlement against him in the US after he defrauded them.

For years, Drabinsky was prevented from traveling to the US from Canada. That was dismissed only because a US judge ruled that Drabinsky had already been prosecuted fully in Canada.

When “Paradise Square” first started previews on Broadway, there were stories about payroll problems, among other things.

None of the major outlets liked the show. The New York Times, the Post, the trades, all panned it.

F. Scott Fitzgerald said there are no second acts in American lives. But after a long intermission spent in court rooms, Garth Drabinsky is now performing his second act. What’s really amazing is the number of investors who jumped in with him this time, including one — Peter LeDonne– who was a main player in Drabinsky’s failed productions of “Barrymore” and “Candide” in 1997. Some people never learn.

Tony Nominations Snub Big Stars Daniel Craig, Sarah Jessica Parker, Matthew Broderick, All of “Funny Girl”

Roger Friedman
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Tony Nominations Snub Big Stars Daniel Craig, Sarah Jessica Parker, Matthew Broderick, All of “Funny Girl”

The 2022 Tony Awards nominations are out, and so are most of the big stars bringing people to Broadway.

There is ONE nomination for the revival of “Funny Girl” — just one, for Jared Grimes, who tap dances his way into our hearts. No Beanie Feldstein or Ramin Karimloo or the show. Ditto “Plaza Suite” with Matthew Broderick and Sarah Jessica Parker. (The latter show got one nod, for costume design.)

The Tony committee really rained on a lot of parades.

The god awful “Diana: The Musical” got one nomination, for costumes, for William Ivey Long. Nothing else.

The Tonys liked “Company” and Patti Lupone but only one of its other performers, Matt Doyle. That’s a shame.

They liked “MJ: The Musical” and star Myles Frost, but none of the other terrific actors.

There is also no nomination for “Macbeth” or its star, Daniel Craig. Ruth Negga did merit a nomination for Best Actress in a Play.

The big winners: “Strange Loop” and “MJ The Musical” meaning it’s Michael R. Jackson vs. Michael Jackson the King of Pop, which is very strange indeed.

Also a big winner: Billy Crystal and “Mr. Saturday Night.” He was nominated, so was the show, co-star Shoshanna Bean, and the score. Not bad!

The most deserving musical, “Girl from the North Country,” had nods for Mare Winningham, the show itself as Best Musical, as well.

All three actors from “The Lehman Trilogy” were nominated for Best Actor in a Play. That’s half the category. The other three include Sam Rockwell from “American Buffalo,” and David Morse, from “How I learned to Drive.”

Here’s the thing: it would have cost the Tonys nothing to include “Funny Girl” in the musical revivals and “Plaza Suite” in the revivals, plays. Nothing. And it would have guaranteed big stars and a TV performance the TV audience would have tuned in for. And it would have been an act of good will for the stars who helped bring Broadway back after the pandemic.

Nominations for the 2022 American Theatre Wing’s Tony Awards®
Presented by The Broadway League and the American Theatre Wing

Best Play

Clyde’s

Hangmen

The Lehman Trilogy

The Minutes

Skeleton Crew

Best Musical

Girl from the North Country

MJ

Six

Paradise Square

A Strange Loop

BEST REVIVAL OF A MUSICAL

Caroline, or Change

The Music Man

Company

BEST REVIVAL OF A PLAY

American Buffalo

For Colored Girls…

How I Learned to Drive

Take Me Out

Trouble in Mind

Best Book of a Musical
Girl From The North Country
Conor McPherson
MJ
Lynn Nottage
Mr. Saturday Night
Billy Crystal, Lowell Ganz & Babaloo Mandel
Paradise Square
Christina Anderson, Craig Lucas & Larry Kirwan
A Strange Loop
Michael R. Jackson

Best Original Score (Music and/or Lyrics) Written for the Theatre
Flying Over Sunset
Music: Tom Kitt
Lyrics: Michael Korie
Mr. Saturday Night
Music: Jason Robert Brown
Lyrics: Amanda Green
Paradise Square
Music: Jason Howland
Lyrics: Nathan Tysen & Masi Asare
SIX: The Musical
Music and Lyrics: Toby Marlow & Lucy Moss
A Strange Loop
Music & Lyrics: Michael R. Jackson

Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Play
Simon Russell Beale, The Lehman Trilogy
Adam Godley, The Lehman Trilogy
Adrian Lester, The Lehman Trilogy
David Morse, How I Learned to Drive
Sam Rockwell, American Buffalo
Ruben Santiago-Hudson, Lackawanna Blues
David Threlfall, Hangmen

Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Play
Gabby Beans, The Skin of Our Teeth
LaChanze, Trouble in Mind
Ruth Negga, Macbeth
Deirdre O’Connell, Dana H.
Mary-Louise Parker, How I Learned to Drive

Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Musical
Billy Crystal, Mr. Saturday Night
Myles Frost, MJ
Hugh Jackman, The Music Man
Rob McClure, Mrs. Doubtfire
Jaquel Spivey, A Strange Loop

Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Musical
Sharon D Clarke, Caroline, or Change
Carmen Cusack, Flying Over Sunset
Sutton Foster, The Music Man
Joaquina Kalukango, Paradise Square
Mare Winningham, Girl From The North Country

Best Performance by an Actor in a Featured Role in a Play
Alfie Allen, Hangmen
Chuck Cooper, Trouble in Mind
Jesse Tyler Ferguson, Take Me Out
Ron Cephas Jones, Clyde’s
Michael Oberholtzer, Take Me Out
Jesse Williams, Take Me Out

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