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Charity: New York Women’s Foundation Features Cynthia Nixon, Toshi Reagon, and a Lot of Percussion

Regina Weinreich
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Charity: New York Women’s Foundation Features Cynthia Nixon, Toshi Reagon, and a Lot of Percussion

This is what woke me up at the Marriott Marquis last week: to the amazing all-women Brazilian Samba Reggae drum line Fogo Azul. They were noisy but rhythmic. (See below)

The event was the annual New York Women’s Foundation Breakfast practicing “Radical Generosity” in Times Square. The organization, dedicated to creating a just and equitable future for women, girls, and gender-expansive individuals and their families, honored a diverse lineup: artist Andrea Arroyo among them. Her message: “Let’s be fierce and tender together. Art can change the world.” The recently deceased artist Faith Ringgold was acknowledged.

This Year’s the New York Women’s Foundation Celebrating Women Breakfast awards honored leading change-making organizations and individuals at a celebration in New York City. Since 1987, The Foundation has invested $125 million in 500+ organizations, creating a vibrant community of grantees, philanthropists, advocates, innovators, and change-makers.

Cynthia Nixon, one-time candidate for governor running against Andrew Cuomo, spoke about her wedding to Christine Marinoni at which famed roots singer Toshi Reagon officiated. Best known for her roles in “The Gilded Age,” and as Miranda on “Sex & the City” and its spinoff, “And Just Like That,” Nixon was a child actor on Broadway and grew up in this city.

Nixon — whose political stands are controversial, to say the least — wanted everyone to know her son, a grandchild of a Holocaust survivor, begged her to use her platform to stop war now. On the subject of protests at colleges: “We are brutally making young people pay for speaking up. Listen to young people. They are the best of us.”

And this year’s breakfast was memorable too for other speakers, women who were enabled to turn bleak and battered lives around with the help of this vital foundation that grants many other organizations to provide work, careers, counseling, inspiration. The powerhouse voice of the aforementioned Toshi Reagon ended the program singing “Freedom.”

The 2024 Celebrating Women Breakfast recognized Fondation CHANEL with the Vision Award for the organization’s courageous efforts in creating a world where women and girls are free to shape their own destiny. The following changemakers were awarded with Celebrating Women Awards: Andrea Arroyo, an award-winning visual artist, New York Liberty, an original WNBA team who embraces its role to elevate and embrace women while building community, Cynthia Nixon, Emmy and Tony award winning actress, activist, and theater director, Toshi Reagon, a singer song-writer who knows the power of song to unite and mobilize people for justice, and S. Mona Sinha, Global Executive Director of Equality Now.

The awards were presented by Jacqueline Woodson, MacArthur Fellow and National Book Award-winner for her children’s and adult books, Ana Maria Archilla, immigrant rights, worker justice, LGBTQ rights, and women’s rights advocate, and Foundation Board Members Anne Delaney, Helene Banks, Lola C. West and Karen Choi.

The celebration closed with a special performance by New York Liberty’s Timeless Torches, a 40-and-over dance team, and their mascot Ellie the Elephant, ending the program on the perfect high note, capturing the inspiration and motivation of the event.

Guests of note included  Andrea Arroyo, S. Mona Sinha, Jacqueline Woodson, Ana Maria Archilla, Anne Delaney, Helene Banks, Lola C. West, Karen Choi, Ana L. Olivieri, and Jean Shafiroff.

“Young Sheldon” Ends with a Big Ratings Bang: Fourth Highest Night of Series Run

Roger Friedman
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“Young Sheldon” Ends with a Big Ratings Bang: Fourth Highest Night of Series Run

The series finale hour of “Young Sheldon” on Thursday night went out with a Big Bang.

The beloved comedy had its fourth highest night since the end of season 3, scoring an average of 9.2 million viewers. The first half hour was all about the funeral of Sheldon’s father, George.

The second half hour — with 9.3 million viewers — featured Jim Parsons and Mayim Bialik of “The Big Bang Theory.” We learned that the couple named their son Leonard (which is weird — if it’s in tribute to their friend, is he dead?). Also they let Penny babysit him once.

Much has been made of the final episode explaining the whole series and cleaning up all the differences between the two shows. It turns out Sheldon was reading his memoir the whole time and now he’s finished it up. It was very clever, and tearful.

Today CBS says members of the “Young Sheldon” cast will make occasional visits to the spin off show, “Georgie and Mandy’s First Marriage.” Unfortunately, Sheldon himself won’t since — in their story — the two brothers don’t speak again for 10 years. But Sheldon’s mother and grandmother will. I guess Annie Potts’s laments about the series ending were heard.

Chuck Lorre had a great run with “Young Sheldon.” His final card at the end of the credits just read “grateful.”

Box Office: Paramount’s “If” Opens to $8.5 Mil Friday, Heads to $25 Mil Opening Weekend

Roger Friedman
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Box Office: Paramount’s “If” Opens to $8.5 Mil Friday, Heads to $25 Mil Opening Weekend

If? If Not?

It’s still unclear how Paramount’s “If” will do over all, but Friday night wasn’t bad. Receipts came to $8.5 million for a total including Thursday previews of $10.3 million.

The weekend total should come in around $25 million although that’s uncertain, too. Reviewers on Rotten Tomatoes were split at 50%, not exactly an overwhelming endorsement. The audience rating is 85%, or a B plus.

So there’s some interest in “If,” and if not, everyone — like John Krasinski and Ryan Reynolds — will return to their regular successes.

At the very least, “If” will not be the disaster story of the weekend. That distinction goes to Focus Features’ Amy Winehouse biopic, “Back to Black.” Total for Thurs-Fri is just $1.25 million. Reviews are terrible and there’s little interest in this film here anyway. It’s already made $23 million abroad, most of that from the UK.

Amy Winehouse died too soon. She had enormous potential to be as big as Adele, but she never got the chance. She had one hit in the US, “Rehab.” Her other sales are cult only. So if “Back to Black” makes $5 million here, Focus will be lucky. Put it on Peacock and call it a day.

More tomorrow…go to the movies, there’s plenty to see this weekend…

RIP Great Comic Actor Dabney Coleman, 92, Rose to Fame with “Mary Hartman,” “9 to 5,” “Tootsie”

Roger Friedman
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RIP Great Comic Actor Dabney Coleman, 92, Rose to Fame with “Mary Hartman,” “9 to 5,” “Tootsie”

I am lucky to say I chatted with actor Dabney Coleman a few times back in the day, in Elaine’s. Elaine Kaufman loved him, too. He was dapper and erudite and a lot of fun. Coleman died today at age 92.

Dabney Coleman is probably best known as the terrible boss from the movie, “9 to 5.” He had about 15 years of journeyman service on TV, on every single show, until he finally hit it big on “Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman” in 1976. He played Merle Jeter, the con man husband of Wanda Jeter (the also great Marion Mercer). He was mean but very acerbic. Eventually Merle became mayor of Fernwood until a TV set fell in his bath and electrocuted him. The nation mourned.

Coleman’s turn in “9 to 5” was so good that Jane Fonda had him cast in her next movie, “On Golden Pond.” Coleman was on a roll. He was in Garry Marshall’s comedy “Young Doctors in Love,” as well as “Tootsie” — he was the maniacal star of the fictitious soap — and “War Games.” When he was in the groove, Coleman was able to play greedy and self-motivated with sly humor. He was the kind of actor who, when he appeared on screen, you wanted to clap. And he was always a character, never playing himself.

He had not one but two cult TV shows in the 80s: “Buffalo Bill” and “Slap Maxwell.” They may have been too much for regular audiences, but they were memorable series. If HBO or Netflix had been around then, those series would have run for years.

As late as 2019, Coleman played Kevin Costner’s father in “Yellowstone.” He had five Emmy nomminations and 1 win. According to the imdb, he had two divorces, with four children from the first marriage.

Still, with dozens and dozens of credits, Dabney Coleman will always be clueless, egotistical, male chauvinist pig, and philanderer Franklin J. Hart in “9 to 5,” a movie more relevant today, 40 years later, than ever.

Rest in peace Dabney.

Diddy Done: CNN Releases 2016 Video of Sean Puffy Combs Physically Assaulting Girlfriend Cassie Ventura

Roger Friedman
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Diddy Done: CNN Releases 2016 Video of Sean Puffy Combs Physically Assaulting Girlfriend Cassie Ventura

Don’t click on the link below unless you’re ready.

CNN has obtained exclusive 2016 video of Sean Puffy Combs, aka Diddy, physically assaulting girlfriend Cassie Ventura.

They’re in a hotel. Cassie has escaped Combs’s room and has headed to the elevator bank on their floor. There, the hotel security footage captures Combs emerging in a towel, knocking Cassie out, kicking her, and getting her back to the room.

Last year, Ventura sued Combs and won a sizeable settlement. It may have been his last money. Since the lawsuit, and other accusations, plus an FBI raid, Combs has lost all his businesses and sponsorships.

It’s been an extraordinary fall from success for Combs, but not entirely unexpected. His life has been marked by flashes of anger. He was famously involved in a shoot out and escape with Jennifer Lopez in a New York nightclub. One of his employees took the fall and went to jail.

Combs also attacked record exec Steve Stoute, beating him with a Champagne bottle in his office. Combs is known for flying into rages, always showing flashes of anger that are shocking. This video will be worse for him than anything else so far.

Here’s the link.

https://www.cnn.com/2024/05/17/entertainment/sean-combs-cassie-ventura/index.html

Apocalypse, Now: Francis Ford Coppola’s “Megalopolis” Down to 48% Among Critics — And that Number is Inflated by Admirers

Roger Friedman
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Apocalypse, Now: Francis Ford Coppola’s “Megalopolis” Down to 48% Among Critics — And that Number is Inflated by Admirers

Yes, it’s a “Mega-flop-olis.”

The Apocalypse is here, now, for Francis Ford Coppola’s “Megalopolis.”

The more critics file reviews from Cannes to Rotten Tomatoes, the worse it gets. The film currently sits a rotten 48%. But even that number is inflated by critics who hated the movie but don’t want to label it “rotten” out of respect for Coppola.

A couple of examples:

Financial Times: Perhaps the kindest thing one can say about Megalopolis is that it will probably remain largely unwatched and be quickly forgotten.

The Daily Beast: Perhaps the kindest thing one can say about Megalopolis is that it will probably remain largely unwatched and be quickly forgotten.

“Megalopolis” has quickly reached the status of past disasters like “Heaven’s Gate” and “Ishtar” as one of the worst films ever made by a respected director. Priced at $120 million, the film would have to make a minimum of $240 million to break even in theaters. Considering the box office in 2024, that goal would seem impossible by miles.

Who will buy it? Anyone? There’s a lot of speculation that A24 could take it. They made gold out of another totally incomprehensible movie, “Everything Everywhere All at Once.” That title might be applied to this movie, from the reviews.

Broadway: Sutton Foster Coming in “Once Upon a Mattress” Musical Revival Adapted by “Mrs. Maisel” and “Gilmore Girls” Creator

Roger Friedman
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Broadway: Sutton Foster Coming in “Once Upon a Mattress” Musical Revival Adapted by “Mrs. Maisel” and “Gilmore Girls” Creator

Tony winner Sutton Foster, hot off “Sweeney Todd,” is coming back to Broadway immediately.

Foster will star in a summer revival of “Once Upon a Mattress,” the musical that brought Carol Burnett to fame 60 plus years ago.

The big news is that “Mattress,” never a substantial show, is now adapted by Amy Sherman-Palladino, the Emmy winning creator of “Gilmore Girls” and “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel.”

This is the production that played 9 performances this past winter at Encores City Center. Also featured were Michael Urie, Nikki Renée Daniels, J. Harrison Ghee, Harriet Sansom Harris, Cheyenne Jackson, Francis Jue, and David Patrick Kelly. No word yet on which of those top talents will return.

The show will run from August 12th to November 30th at the Hudson Theater. (Previews begin July 31st.)

Foster, known to a generation of TV fans from the show “Younger,” is one of our great Broadway stars. Before her recent turn in “Sweeney Todd,” she had a year’s run with Hugh Jackman in “The Music Man.” Her Tony Award was for “Anything Goes,” which she reprised in London two years ago.

When this production ends in November it goes directly to the Ahmanson Theatre in Los Angeles.

This will be summer’s hot hot ticket.

Here is the Billie Eilish Single That Should Be Released from Her New Album “Hit Me Hard and Soft”

Roger Friedman
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Here is the Billie Eilish Single That Should Be Released from Her New Album “Hit Me Hard and Soft”

Billie Eilish recently said there would be no singles from her new album, “Hit Me Hard and Soft.”

The result this morning is that Eilish has no tracks on the iTunes 100 except “Lunch,” which is only at 55 and can’t really be played on the radio or too loudly anywhere else.

But there IS a single track — actually a couple — that could be a big hit. The main focus should be on “Birds of a Feather.” It’s a totally catchy, upbeat song, intricately composed by Eilish and her brother Finneas. Billie Eilish fans: concentrate on this song!

No Singles on Billie Eilish’s Raunchy, Rocking New Album of Just 10 Tracks, “Hit Me Hard and Soft,” (Listen)

Roger Friedman
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No Singles on Billie Eilish’s Raunchy, Rocking New Album of Just 10 Tracks, “Hit Me Hard and Soft,” (Listen)

Billie Eilish’s Hit Me Hard and Soft is notable for many things including this: not so much whisper singing.

Billie, 22, is starting to belt it out. The album is raunchy, rocking, and resplendent, but it’s also just a very slim 10 tracks.

Eilish said there were no singles being released from “Hit Me,” and now we see why. Off the bat, this is not a Top 40 friendly collection.

The pop starlet is finally giving her side of the story on the issues of love and sex. It may surprise some fans. And the fans’ mothers.

“Hit Me” is brave, and could only be done by a singer whose fame is unassailable at this point. Two Oscars, many Grammys? She can sing about whatever she wants!


Bennifer 2.0 May Be Ending Soon After JLo Lost $20 Million Advertising a Possibly Bad Romance

Roger Friedman
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Bennifer 2.0 May Be Ending Soon After JLo Lost $20 Million Advertising a Possibly Bad Romance

Bennifer 2.0 may be winding up.

All signs point to the end of Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck’s marriage, their second go round. Even People magazine is saying that the couple hasn’t been photographed together in 47 days.

Indeed, Lopez went to the Met Ball by herself looking gaunt from sudden weight loss. Ben went to the Tom Brady Roast and bombed with his material.

But the real sign that this series has been cancelled comes from Lopez’s failed album and long form video celebrating the reunion. The record, “This is Me…Now,” was a sales disaster. Totals were 4,595 in hard numbers, but with streaming 121,124 (which seems inflated). The album dropped off the charts immediately.

The video, called “The Greatest Romance Ever Told,” was on AmazonPrime so no one has any idea about its numbers. But the trailer got 585,000 views on YouTube, which wasn’t much.

Lopez sank $20 million into the project and lost it all. She also got no love from reviewers. Stinks, right?

Nothing will separate a celebrity couple faster than mutual failure. It’s a tried and true story. Lopez’s mistake was turning her Affleck Renaissance into a public forum.

Instead of learning from her many past mistakes, she plowed forward into magazine covers and paparazzi around the clock. Dunkin Donuts commercials? Please. Is everything in her life fodder? Apparently so.

If it’s over, the crowd will move on. The couple will have to sell their $60 million mansion (so gross and disgusting) and make do in individual $30 million homes. Can this marriage be saved? Maybe by a reality show.

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