Langfield
Entertainment
88
Bloor Street E., Suite 2908, Toronto, ON
M4W 3G9
(416)
677-5883
langfieldent@rogers.com
www.langfieldentertainment.com
NEWSLETTER
Updated: November 16, 2006
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::HOT EVENTS::
Carl Cassell Opens ‘Harlem’ in Toronto –
Monday, November 27*
(Nov. 1, 2006) Carl Cassell and Carl Allen (also of Irie
Food Joint) invite you to join them to the grand opening of ‘Harlem’ on Monday,
November 27th! The official opening is
Saturday, November 25th so YOU get the opportunity to have the sneak
peek on November 27th of Carl Cassell's second restaurant and music
venue! Harlem is Carl’s new landmark restaurant-bar and benchmark of
Northern cool which is located at 67 Richmond St E., the corner of Richmond and Church Streets. Doors open for
the launch at 7:00 pm.
“I’m focusing on the renaissance going on in Toronto,” says
Cassell. “It’s fully on. There’s a kind of pleasure in inventing, creating
something new and changing the energy of a building.” Situated in the hub
of city movement, the grand opening of Harlem will add polish to an area
already carving out new urban development. But no development is ever complete
without the social and cultural contributions of the colourful class.
You’ll find it all passing though Harlem.
“I now have a space to house my vanguards, literally and figuratively,” says
Cassell. The second floor hosts a fully wired space which will feature
the magnificent spin compositions of Toronto's finest DJ and co-owner Carl Allen. Immersed in
sound, you’ll discover delectable food for thought and good taste, all steeped
within Harlem's break-through artistic backdrop. “We’ll have the best of
Toronto’s DJs,” says Allen. “Expect a combination of live music and the DJ, and
the focus will be on a lot of local talent.”
Want to check out the latest hot spot in Toronto to hang out? Come and
check out the grand opening of Harlem on Monday, November 27th!
* Previously scheduled for Monday, November 20th
MONDAY, NOVEMBER 27
GRAND OPENING OF ‘HARLEM’*
67 Richmond Street E. (at Church St.)
Doors open at 7:00 pm
2006 AroniAwards Gala - Sunday, December 10
nominate :: participate :: celebrate
Help us honour the unsung heroes of our community who continue to work
in their respective fields, with a dedication to social harmony.
Join AroniAwards Foundation, the Harmony Movement, and Canada’s
premier entertainers for an inspirational evening to empower our youth.
nominate :: participate :: celebrate
If one word could be used to describe what the Aroni awards means to our
community – it would be “Inspirational".
The award will strive to inspire people – especially the young to reach for the
stars, hence their greatest potential. Aron was a forward thinker
and a free spirit who always saw the glass as being half full, and never failed
to see the potential in people – even when they didn’t see it in themselves.
The award will honour individuals who exemplify through their work what Aron Y. Haile epitomized during his
short life.
SUNDAY, DECEMBER 10
I N S P I R E
2006 ARONIAWARDS GALA
Atlantis Pavilions
955 Lakeshore Blvd.
4:00 pm-11:00 pm
$62-$88 (Online $50 Early Bird
Tickets Almost Sold Out)
www.aroniawards.com
::JUST MY OPINION::
Do You Love Janet?
Say what you will about Ms. Jackson, I just love her ability to re-invent
herself! She is one of the few artists that I actually screamed for
during the concert - ok, it was 1990, but still ... it was the Rhythm Nation
tour. I know. I can feel all the rolling of eyes as I write but
hey, I'm just a fan.
For instance, one of her latest videos, So Excited, is an example of
what I consider sexy without all the bumpin' and the grindin' in so many of the
music videos taking over the small screen. You can always count on Janet
to give a full out show including new choreography and new concepts in
technology, much like her brother, Michael (remember?).
Quite often the balance and pure entertainment value of a well-choreographed
concert or video is underwritten as trying to hide a lesser talented artist but
I, for one, appreciate the attention to detail. It certainly is more
interesting to me than watching some of the videos out there today.
And that's just my opinion.
Go HERE to check out the video, in case you
haven't seen it!
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::top stories::
Canadian Russell Peters's Career Was A Modest Success – Until
Myspace Boosted Him Into Another League
Excerpt from The Globe and Mail -
Michael Posner
(Nov. 15, 2006) Making your name on the international
comedy circuit is no simple matter. Ask Russell
Peters. For years, the Canadian comic hopscotched
around the globe, slowly building a profile in Britain and Asia. And by most
standards, he did very well. Exploiting a gift for foreign accents and making
gentle mockery of ethnic and cultural stereotypes, Peters, 36 -- the son of
Indian immigrants, born and raised in Brampton, Ont. -- toured widely, a solid
performer with an engaging conversational style. He wasn't exactly rich, but in
a tough business, he was a bona-fide success story. But in July, 2003, an event
occurred that was to boost Peters to another level. The event had nothing to
do, per se, with Peters or even with comedy, but its effect on his career has
been electric. The event was the launch of MySpace.com, a communal website that
allowed Internet users to share just about everything. Among the things they
started sharing were video clips of Peters's performances. Soon, tens of
thousands of users were watching the clips and posting comments. Of course,
MySpace was soon joined by YouTube.com and in no time at all Russell Peters
couldn't walk down the street in Los Angeles, where he now resides, without
being stopped by fans. Not that he minds. It is, he says, the best part about
becoming something of a celebrity. Web exposure has simply whetted demand. In
the coming weeks, Peters will play in Chicago and New York, followed by a
seven-city tour of Australia. Many of these dates are already sold out. When he
played London's Hammersmith Apollo venue last month (capacity 3,700 people), it
was standing room only. Torontonians will have a chance to see him, briefly,
when he appears at a benefit performance on Nov. 20 for Gilda's Club, which
supports people living with cancer. The evening, hosted by Eugene Levy, also
features Eric McCormack, Jann Arden, Sandra Shamas, Sean Cullen, Colin Mochrie
and Brad Sherwood. Meanwhile, Peters's new DVD, Outsourced, based on his
Comedy Central special that aired in August, is a very hot number.
It's gone quadruple platinum in Canada -- that's more than 40,000 units -- in a
matter of weeks. He has bought himself a new Porsche Cayenne and has remodelled
his house overlooking Los Angeles. "I'm living the Canadian dream,"
he acknowledged when I caught up with him recently by telephone as Peters was
sitting down for a 3 p.m. brunch, having done a show the previous night at
L.A.'s Wiltern Theater (45 bucks a pop) and having been up until 5 a.m.
"I'm feeling pretty good about it all. There's no downside. I'm sitting
outside in California and it's 93 degrees." Peters's new status has taken
his income to new levels as well. "I don't want to toot my own horn,"
he says, "but beep, beep, you know. I didn't see it coming, in the same
way the industry did not see me coming." He's about to make the network
rounds again in Hollywood for talks about a possible sitcom. Earlier
discussions with Fox fell through. Peters seems reconciled to the roulette
wheel that governs TV decisions. "It is like goldfish," he says.
"If one doesn't make it, you go out and get another one." And he's busy
enough with his stand-up career that if no TV deal materializes, he wouldn't
complain. In the United States, he has even slowed the pace of his appearances,
performing now mainly on weekend dates. But with his international gigs, he
says he's still onstage 180 to 200 nights a year. The downtime is spent either
writing or in meetings to discuss his career. His older brother, Clayton, is
his manager. "It's in the family. You know how my people do." As a
comic, Peters's strength is taking real-life situations -- for example, his
mother's attempts to find him a nice girl -- and giving them a nice comic
twist. "A nice girl," he says at the end, "is one that goes home
in the morning."
Despite his mother's best efforts, Peters has never married. "I don't know
if that's the road for me," he says. "I love women too much to marry
them." He's not afraid to poke fun at Asians, their accents,
idiosyncrasies and predilections. "Lots of Asians in the audience tonight,
I see," he'll say. "Nice. Of course, I knew that from all the Honda
Civics in the parking lot." But the humour is so light and free of
rancour that it gives no offence. Indeed, the more he mocks them, the more they
seem to want. "The most common comment I get from audiences is that they're
happy someone has finally recognized them. I guess they feel like an invisible
minority. "So I get, like, 'Hey Russell, when are you going to do some
Cambodian jokes?' . . . Okay, I'll get right on it." Peters's parents
emigrated to Canada from Calcutta in 1964. He grew up in a mixed-race
neighbourhood and encountered more than his share of racism. But while it
bothered him, he found humour an effective antidote. "More annoying than
funny" as a kid, Peters made his debut -- "on a Tuesday night in
November" -- at Mark Breslin's Toronto Yuk Yuks club 17 years ago. He was
19. "I was horrendous, but I got enough giggles that I wanted to do it
again. Mark was very good to me, very gracious. He let me get onstage as often
as I needed to."
We Remember Gerald Levert
Excerpt from www.eurweb.com
(November 10, 2006) *R&B singer Gerald Levert, the son of legendary
O'Jays singer Eddie Levert, has died of a heart attack at his home in Newbury,
Ohio, his label Atlantic Records has confirmed. He was 40. "All of us at
Atlantic are shocked and deeply saddened by his untimely death,” read a
statement from the label. “He was one of the greatest voices of our time, who
sang with unmatched soulfulness and power, as well as a tremendously gifted
composer and an accomplished producer." Dan Bomeli, public relations
manager at University Hospitals Geauga Medical Center in suburban Cleveland, said
Levert had been brought to the hospital, but he would give no further details,
reports the Associated Press. Levert’s family told Cleveland’s Channel 3 News
it appears the singer died in his sleep. Per Wikipedia: Gerald Levert (born
July 13, 1966 in Cleveland, Ohio) was one of several from the musical Levert
family. His father, Eddie Levert, is the lead singer of the 1970s soul group
The O'Jays. Gerald Levert sang with his brother, Sean Levert, and Marc Gordon
in the R&B trio LeVert. He was also part of an R&B musical group
comprised of legendary R&B artist Keith Sweat, Johnny Gill and himself
called LSG. During the 1980s and early 1990s, LeVert scored big hits with
"Pop, Pop, Pop, Pop (Goes My Mind),” “Casanova," and "ABC-123."
As a solo artist, Gerald's hits included "I'd Give Anything (to Fall in
Love)," "You Got That Love," and "Mr. Too Damn Good to
You." Gerald and Eddie collaborated together on many different
occasions, and they recorded an album called “Father and Son” together.
Gerald Levert also sang the chorus on the Chris Rock spoken-word comedy
piece, "No Sex (In the Champagne Room)." In 2005, Levert's
daughter Carlysia was featured on an episode of MTV's “My Super Sweet Sixteen.”
Levert is survived by four children.
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R&B Star Gerald Levert Dies Of Heart Attack
Excerpt from www.billboard.com
- Gail Mitchell, L.A.
(Nov. 10, 2006) Popular R&B singer Gerald
Levert died today (Nov. 10)
of a heart attack in his hometown of Cleveland. The artist turned 40 years old
in July. The son of O'Jays lead singer Eddie Levert, Levert emerged from his
father's shadow to become a well-regarded singer/songwriter and producer in his
own right. Some 20 years after notching his first R&B hit with
"(Pop, Pop, Pop, Pop) Goes My Mind," Levert's warm, sensual voice
remained a concert draw, especially among female fans who rushed the stage to
grab -- and sometimes wrestle over -- the teddy bears he would toss into the
audience. The artist came to national attention as a member of Atlantic
Records' Levert, comprised of his brother Sean and friend Marc Gordon. The trio
scored with the aforementioned "Pop" in 1986. Next came the No. 1
R&B/No. 5 pop hit "Casanova" in 1987, followed by three more
R&B chart-toppers, "Addicted to You," "Just Coolin'"
featuring Heavy D and "Baby I'm Ready" in 1991. Also in 1991,
Levert launched his solo career with the EastWest album "Private Line,"
whose title track notched No. 1 on the R&B charts. A second No. 1 R&B
single, "Baby Hold on to Me," arrived the following year.
Levert went on to record eight solo albums, the most recent being 2004's
"Do I Speak for the World?" "Voices," a compilation of
Levert duets with his dad and other artists, was released last year. Levert was
also a member of the group LSG, which included Keith Sweat and Johnny
Gill. Beyond singing, Levert's talents included songwriting and
producing. His collaborations included projects with Barry White, Stephanie
Mills, Teddy Pendergrass and the Winans. He also co-wrote and co-produced Barry
White's last No. 1 R&B hit, 1994's "Practice What You
Preach." "He was one of the greatest voices of our time, who
sang with unmatched soulfulness and power, as well as a tremendously gifted
composer and an accomplished producer," reads a statement from Atlantic.
"Above all, he was an exceptional human being whose warmth and grace
inspired us all."
Friends, Family Mourn Loss Of Gerald Levert
Excerpt from www.eurweb.com
(November 13, 2006) *Eddie Levert spoke
briefly to EUR’s Lee Bailey
over the weekend about the sudden loss of his son Gerald
Levert, who died of a heart attack Friday at his
home in Newbury, Ohio. Levert, who now lives in Las Vegas, was on his way
to the family’s Cleveland hometown Saturday when Bailey reached him by phone to
offer his condolences. Their conversation was off the record, at Levert’s
request. The shaken O’Jays singer offered to speak with Bailey again, on the
record, later this week. In the meantime, Levert’s family issued a statement
over the weekend expressing gratitude for all of the prayers and support.
"As everybody knows, Gerald was a man who loved and breathed music,” the
statement read. “To his family and friends he was a man of strong character,
who had an infectious personality and a zest for life. For his fans, his
greatest love was touching the hearts and souls of all people through his
music. At this very difficult time, we thank you for your prayers and hope you
will understand our need for privacy." In the days following Gerald
Levert’s death, friends and colleagues of the singer are sharing fond memories
of his friendship and passion for music. "It's very sad. He was an
amazing talent, obviously," friend and fellow R&B singer Will Downing
said. "Gerald was a hard worker. He would go out there and do his thing,
and be in places where the folks were. He would touch the people, and that's
really what it's all about."
Patti LaBelle, who had worked and recorded with Levert, said he "was like
a son" to her and hopes to sing at his funeral. "He was such a
great entertainer. It's not for real to me that he is gone ... Nobody was
prepared for this," LaBelle said. R&B singer and friend Freddie
Jackson said in a statement: "Gerald Levert was the essence of soul music.
His showmanship, authentic vocal style and delivery set the standard for all
R&B crooners. Gerald poured his heart and soul into every note, and with
his passing, not only R&B, the recording industry has lost one of its
greatest gems. Gerald will be deeply missed." Producer Bow Legged
Lou sent the following statement to EUR regarding Levert’s passing: “God bless
his friends and family. God bless his legendary father Eddie Levert. Me,
my brothers and cousins were fortunate to call G.L. a friend. We worked in the
studio together and had great times. He is truly in a better place. A true
legend and great fun loving guy was Gerald. The brother was always smiling
[and] laughing. A real talented and feel good type of person. God rest his
soul. In times like this we all should never take each other for granted, We
should all love and care for each other more. We are gonna miss the soul of
Gerald Levert but his spirit will live on. We love u G.” The Rhythm and Blues
Foundation is also mourning the death of Gerald Levert and offered the following
statement: “Gerald Levert’s respect for the roots of Rhythm and Blues was
evident in both his music and philanthropic activities. He
regularly participated in the Rhythm and Blues Foundation’s Pioneer Awards,
paying tribute in song to his musical heroes. As an Advisor to the
Foundation, Gerald was a powerful role model for his generation of artists as
he acknowledged the influence of early Rhythm and Blues performers.” His label,
Atlantic Records, commented: "All of us at Atlantic are shocked and deeply
saddened by his untimely death. He was one of the greatest voices of our time,
who sang with unmatched soulfulness and power, as well as a tremendously gifted
composer and an accomplished producer."
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Wonder, Gill, Stone To Salute Gerald Levert
Excerpt from www.billboard.com
- Clover Hope, N.Y.
(November 14, 2006) The family of R&B vocalist Gerald
Levert has arranged a public musical tribute for
the late singer, who died last week at the age
of 40. The Celebration of Life will take place at 12:00 p.m. Friday (Nov. 17)
at the Cleveland Music Hall. Stevie Wonder, Johnny Gill and Angie Stone
are among the artists set to perform, as well as Gerald's younger brother Sean,
who sung with him as a member of the R&B trio LeVert. Fans attending
the ceremony will be admitted on a first come, first served basis. Donations in
Levert's name can be made to the R&B Foundation. Preliminary autopsy
results indicate that mild to moderate heart disease may have been the cause of
the singer's death but a final determination may not be available up to eight
weeks. At the time of his death, Levert had finished an as-yet-untitled
album, due in February, and wrapped his first book, "I Got Your
Back," which he co-wrote with his father Eddie Levert, Sr., and author
Lyah LeFlore. The book finds Gerald and Eddie reminiscing about their familial
and musical bond.
Ed Bradley, 65, Got The News For 60
Minutes
Excerpt from The Toronto Star - Jim
Bawden, Television Critic, With Files From AP
(Nov. 10, 2006) What people immediately noticed was Ed Bradley's
quiet authority. Sitting in on an ideas meeting at 60 Minutes, I was
impressed by Mike Wallace's iron feistiness, Morley Safer's ironic detachment,
Dan Rather's news sense. But it was Bradley on that day who got his next story
approved by executive producer Don Hewitt because he'd so thoroughly researched
his topic. Bradley, who died yesterday in New York of leukemia at the age
of 65, once described himself as "a newsman who could play all the positions."
A self-confessed fitness freak who claimed to do 1,000 abdominal exercises
every day, he was hospitalized in 2003 for heart surgery and never fully
bounced back. A product of working class Philadelphia, he was the first
black journalist to have a regular post on CBS News. He cut his teeth as a
Vietnam war correspondent, suffering a wound in the field. He went on to win 19
Emmys for his reporting, including his most recent one for re-opening the 1955
racially motivated murder case of Emmett Till. Another recent Bradley
coup was his 60 Minutes report on the Duke University sex scandal.
"It's what we do here," Bradley told TV critics, seeming surprised
that his investigative work should get so much attention. And as always, he
thanked his crew on the story, which included a field producer, researchers and
several writers.
In the past year Wallace had semi-retired after 39 seasons on 60 Minutes and
so had Safer after 37 years. That made Bradley, with his signature earring and
close-cropped beard, the elder statesman at last, yet as he hit 65, CBS reduced
his workload from 23 to 18 pieces a year. He considered job offers but it
wasn't in his heart to ditch CBS, he said. Nobody a year ago knew Bradley
was fighting leukemia. One had to look intently to see he was losing weight.
And then he disappeared from 60 Minutes altogether. He'll be
missed. Other Bradley highlights were the only interview with Oklahoma City
bomber Timothy McVeigh, a 2000 report on Africans dying with AIDS, his 2001
reporting on the Columbine high school massacre and a 2002 report on sex
scandals in the Roman Catholic Church. Hewitt praised Bradley's ability
to put guests at ease, then get them to say what he wanted. In his presence,
even the mumbly Bob Dylan got so relaxed, he seemed almost articulate
describing how his songwriting changed after the 1960s. I remember one
CBS press bash in New York where Bradley put aside the news to talk about jazz,
his enduring passion. He also prized his tickets for the New York Knicks games.
Twice divorced, he married artist Patricia Blanchet in 2004 near his vacation
home in Aspen.
We Remember Ed Bradley
Excerpt from www.eurweb.com
(November 10, 2006) *Revered news
journalist Ed Bradley, whose trademark salt-and-pepper beard and one earring combined
with his award-winning reporting to make him a true journalism star, died of
leukemia Thursday at New York’s Mount Sinai hospital. He was 65. A statement
from the NAACP remembers a career that canvassed an unequalled array of people
and events, which included in particular those issues and personalities of
interest to the African American community. ‘He was on the Gulf
Coast quicker than most national news types, filing multiple stories related to
the plight of those impacted by Hurricane Katrina,’ notes the NAACP. Most
recently he completed a thorough analysis of the Duke University lacrosse team
rape case. Throughout his 26 years with “60 Minutes,” Bradley
counted among his many interviews Tiger Woods, Morgan Freeman, and Condoleeza
Rice, as well as music legends Miles Davis, Lena Horne and Michael
Jackson. Thoughts on the life and career of the Philadelphia native were
offered by many who knew him well or were inspired by his career
accomplishments, which included four George Foster Peabody awards and 19 Emmys,
the latest for a segment on the reopening of the 50-year-old racial murder case
of Emmett Till. Here are just a few:
• NAACP President & CEO Bruce S. Gordon: "Ed Bradley was a world class
journalist. He got the stories no one else could get and he covered those
stories the way no one else could cover them. The world will miss him as a
journalist. I will miss him as a friend."
• BET Chairman and CEO Debra Lee: “Ed Bradley represented a special generation
of African-American journalists – one who proudly, but somewhat quietly,
carried the mantle of pioneer. He was the consummate professional whose
most probing and controversial questions still represented the very best in
journalist ethics and news judgment. Ed was a favourite of our BET News
division. He often lent his voice and expertise to help us deliver the
news from an African-American perspective. We will miss him.”
• Former CBS News anchor Walter Cronkite: Bradley "was tough in an
interview, he was insistent on getting an interview, and at the same time when
the interview was over, when the subject had taken a pretty heavy lashing by
him — they left as friends. He was that kind of guy."
• Katie Couric: Bradley was "considered intelligent, smooth, cool, a great
reporter, beloved and respected by all his colleagues here at CBS News."
• Wynton Marsalis, artistic director of Lincoln Center's jazz department:
Bradley was "one of our definitive cultural figures, a man of unsurpassed
curiosity, intelligence, dignity and heart."
Bradley was born June 22, 1941, in Philadelphia and graduated from the
historically black Cheyney (Pa.) State College in 1964 with a B.S. in
education. Soon after graduation, the diehard jazz fanatic took a dream
job as a jazz DJ and news reporter for a Philadelphia radio station in 1963. He
moved to New York's WCBS radio four years later. The Associated Press reports:
He joined CBS News as a stringer in the Paris bureau in 1971, transferring a
year later to the Saigon bureau during the Vietnam War. He was wounded while on
assignment in Cambodia. He was named a CBS News correspondent in early 1973 and
moved to the Washington bureau in June 1974. He later returned to Vietnam,
covering the fall of that country and Cambodia. Cronkite recalled first meeting
Bradley in Vietnam: "He seemed to be fearless, an incredibly smart
reporter in getting the story." After Southeast Asia, Bradley returned to
the United States and covered Jimmy Carter's successful campaign for the White
House. He followed Carter to Washington, in 1976 becoming CBS' first black
White House correspondent — a prestigious position that Bradley didn't enjoy.
He jumped from Washington to doing pieces for "CBS Reports,"
traveling to Cambodia, China, Malaysia and Saudi Arabia. It was his
Emmy-winning 1979 piece on Vietnamese boat refugees that eventually landed him
on "60 Minutes."
In 1981, he joined the staff of “60 Minutes,” when Dan Rather left to replace
Walter Cronkite as the anchor of the “CBS Evening News.” He is the first -- and
to date only -- male correspondent to regularly wear an earring on the show. He
had his left ear pierced in 1986 and says he was inspired to do it after
receiving encouragement from Liza Minnelli following an interview. Accepting
his lifetime achievement award from the black journalists association, Bradley
remembered being present at some of the organization's first meetings in New
York. "I look around this room tonight and I can see how much our
profession has changed and our numbers have grown," he said. "I also
see it every day as I travel the country reporting stories for '60 Minutes.'
All I have to do is turn on the TV and I can see the progress that has been
made." But, he added, "There are many more rivers to cross, and
many more stories to cover and, I hope, a lot left in this
lifetime." He was married to the artist Patricia Blanchett and kept
homes in Woody Creek Colorado and New York, New York.
Akon’s 'Smack' Attack
Excerpt from www.billboard.com
(November 14, 2006) Waiting at New York's JFK Airport to hop a plane to
the United Kingdom, Akon would much rather be flying to Atlanta to spend a weekend in his
own bed. "I have never worked so hard or lost so much sleep," the
Senegalese-born singer says, as his engaging laugh gets lost in the static of a
flight announcement. "It sometimes seems like I have less freedom than I
did when I was actually locked up." But chilling at home won't
happen anytime soon. The release date for the artist's sophomore set, "Konvicted"
(SRC/Upfront/Konvict/Universal Motown) was advanced from Dec. 12 to Nov. 14 --
that's because the buzz factor has ratcheted up significantly thanks to the
tight chart race between his dual singles, "Smack That" featuring
Eminem and "I Wanna Love You" featuring Snoop Dogg. For Akon,
"Konvicted" picks up where 2004's "Trouble" left off. The
latter was the first chapter in his redemption following a jail sentence for
car theft. The new album finds the artist on the rebirth trail, but this time,
more of his knack for fusing R&B/soul, hip-hop, pop, jazz and reggae is
exposed. "I want people to say, 'Here's a true artist, not someone
pigeonholed into one genre,'" says Akon, the son of jazz percussionist Mor Thiam. Hence, club banger
"Smack That" gives way to the live piano and violins lacing the
ballad "Never Took the Time." Then there's funky jazz via the love
song "I Can't Wait" before Akon's past rears up on the anti-gangsta
"Tired of Runnin'." "So many people are banking on this
situation happening," he says. "And I am too. I just don't want the
hype to separate me from my goal: making music."
::OPPORTUNITIES::
All Inclusive Trip For
Two – Jamaica!
Source: Canadian Reggae World – www.canadianreggaeworld.com
All inclusive trip for two to SandCastle Resort in Ocho Rios, Jamaica as well as airfare
provided by Air Jamaica, for three nights –an approximate value of $3,000 being
raffled for $10.00 / ticket or 3 for $20.00. Draw to be held
on Saturday 25th November at Spacco, 2415
Yonge Street (north of Eglinton). Purchase tickets at the venue on
the night of the event or online at www.myspace.com/pubnight.
Journalists for Human Rights
– Job Opportunities
Co-founded
by Ben Peterson, who also holds the
title of Executive
Director, this is an organization that is doing very important things globally
when it comes to human rights issues. Currently, they are looking to fill
three vacant positions - please see below and consider contributing your time
to this worthy organization.
MISSION - In the spirit of Article 19 of the Universal Human Rights
Declaration, Journalists for Human Rights (JHR) is dedicated to increasing the
quality and quantity of human rights reporting in the African media. As a
result of this work, the African public will be made more aware of their
rights, improving peace and security and strengthening the democratisation
process. By limiting JHR's presence in any one country to five years, it hopes
to have a sustainable and enduring impact without creating dependency.
THE NEED FOR JHR - Every day, human rights abuses go unreported throughout Africa.
The lives of people are threatened, disrupted and ended by these abuses. Abuses
include ethnic warring and genocide, torture, religious discrimination and
persecution, trafficking in women and children, prevalent domestic violence and
rape, and female genital mutilation. While there are often domestic or
international laws in place to protect against these practices, the public
rarely knows that they have any rights at all. Without this knowledge, the
cycle of pain and suffering cannot end. In the words of Emile Short, Ghana's
Commissioner on Human Rights, "the biggest obstacle in our efforts to stop
human rights abuses is the public's unawareness about them." The
most effective way to mobilize public support for human rights is through the
media. The media can 1) educate the public about their rights, and 2) act as an
effective watchdog against human rights abusers.
Through numerous partnerships with the African media, JHR is working to build
the capacity of local media to report on human rights topics. This works
directly to mobilize public support for human rights. It empowers journalists
to better prevent conflicts, to encourage dialogue and to act as watchdogs on
abuse of power. It saves lives.
Opportunities Available
Three positions in Journalists for Human Rights (JHR) head office in Toronto
are now available. Please distribute widely and apply by November 22nd.
2007 Juno Awards
Submissions Deadlines
Source: CARAS
Submissions for the 2007 Juno Awards will be closing November 15,
2006. All submissions must be completed
online at http://junosubmissions.ca and received prior to
5pm EST on deadline day to be eligible. For sales based categories
the final deadline is January 8, 2007. CARAS needs your support to ensure we remain a truly
industry driven academy. To find out about more of our initiatives please
visit www.carasonline.ca.
::MUSIC NEWS::
Joni Mitchell Named To Songwriters' Hall Of Fame
Excerpt from The Toronto Star - Cassandra
Szklarski, Canadian Press
(Nov. 9, 2006) Folk music icon Joni
Mitchell and country pioneer Wilf Carter
are among the artists to be inducted next year into the Canadian Songwriters
Hall of Fame (http://www.cansong.ca). The music legends
are among four songwriters and 25 Canadian-penned classics — including
"Spinning Wheel," "Ain't We Got Fun" and "How About
You" — to be celebrated at a black-tie gala in Toronto on Jan. 28.
Raymond Egan, one of the most prolific Broadway and Hollywood lyricists during
the 1920s and '30s, and Montreal chanteur Jean-Pierre Ferland, a major figure
in Quebec music, will also be inducted. "There's so much rich and
wonderful history to this country," board member Eddie Schwartz said as he
announced the inductees at a hotel ballroom packed with industry reps.
"I'm just blown away, staggered, really, every time I come to one of these
events and get to walk down this path and learn so much more about our
country," said Schwartz, a songwriter whose own hits include Pat Benetar's
'80s chart-topper "Hit Me With Your Best Shot." Canadian tenor
Henry Burr, who recorded more than 5,000 songs under 11 pseudonyms, and folk
music impresario Sam Gesser will each receive a legacy award. Inductee
David Clayton-Thomas, who's tune "Spinning Wheel" has been covered by
more than 400 artists in 20 different languages, said the catchy song was
partly inspired by Mitchell. He recalled seeing her sing at a Toronto
club in the 1960s.
"I had an enormous crush on Joni Mitchell," said the 65-year-old
Clayton-Thomas, whose 1968 debut album with Blood Sweat and Tears sold 10 million
copies worldwide. "She was 18 years old and absolutely stunning and
sang like an angel and wrote pure genius. Her little line about `the painted
ponies' . . . in (her song) `Circle Game' stuck in my mind. And so when I wrote
`Spinning Wheel,' somehow or another `painted ponies' crept into it, and that
was courtesy of Joni Mitchell." Five of Mitchell's hits are among
the songs being inducted, including "Help Me," "Big Yellow
Taxi," "Woodstock", "You Turn Me On, I'm a Radio" and
"Both Sides Now" (a.k.a. ``Clouds"). The honour comes as
Mitchell is said to be working on her first new album in eight years.
Also being inducted is Sylvia Tyson's gospel-influenced song ``You Were on My
Mind," recorded with her then-husband Ian Tyson during the early 1960s
folk revival. Tyson said she was surprised to hear she was to be
inducted, despite being a board member of the hall of fame for six years.
"I had told them I wouldn't accept an award as long as I was actually on
the board," said Tyson, 66. "When I took a year off they kind of
slipped it by me." Songs must be more than 25 years old to be
considered for the awards, launched four years ago. The acknowledgment
for Carter, regarded as the father of country music in Canada, comes 10 years after
his death in December 1996.
His 1932 recording of "My Swiss Moonlight Lullaby" — which showcased
his yodelling — is considered the first hit by a Canadian country
performer. Carter, born in Port Hilford, N.S., was also known as Montana
Slim and performed well into his 80s. Ferland will see five of his songs
enter the hall of fame: "Ton visage," "Un Peu plus haut un peu
plus loin," "T'es mon amour, t'es ma maitresse," "Le Petit
roi" and "Je reviens chez nous." His 1970 album
"Jaune" and 1971 double album "Soleil" are considered to be
among the most influential works in Quebec's musical history. The
72-year-old suffered a stroke last month while rehearsing a farewell concert in
Montreal to mark the end of a 42-year career. Egan was born in Windsor,
Ont., in 1890 and made his way to New York, where he collaborated with many of
the best composers of the Tin Pan Alley era. He died in 1952. The gala
performance will be broadcast on CBC Radio the following day and on CBC-TV in
March 2007.
Buffy's Full Life, Blacklist Sorrow
Excerpt from The Toronto Star - Greg Quill
(Nov. 12, 2006) Regrets? Not really ... I don't do things I don't like
doing,
and I have a very full life." But the glint in Buffy Sainte-Marie's
eye suggests otherwise, and her answer to the final question about making the
documentary Buffy Sainte-Marie: A
Multimedia Life — airing Tuesday on Bravo! at
8 p.m. — rings hollow. The documentary by Toronto filmmaker Joan Prowse fully examines, within
the limits of an hour, the life of the 65-year-old Saskatchewan-born,
U.S.-raised Native American singer, artist, teacher, social activist and
inductee to both the Canadian Music and Canadian Songwriters Halls of
Fame. It's an affectionate portrait from her birth in the Piapot Cree
reserve in the Qu'Appelle valley, through her string of popular protest songs
in the 1960s and '70s ("The Universal Solder," "Up Where We
Belong," "Now That The Buffalo's Gone" and more, recorded by
Elvis, Barbra Streisand, Cher, Janis Joplin and Joe Cocker among others) and
her years on TV's Sesame Street. The film visits the Pacific
island ranch where Sainte-Marie has lived for four decades, creating music and
computer-generated digital art, painting and nurturing her Cradleboard Teaching
Project, an Internet-based educational system that imparts alternative versions
of "official" history, geography, social studies and spirituality to
American Indian children. What's missing? What's to regret? "I
only wish I could have been more effective in the U.S.," says Sainte-Marie
in the Toronto office of her Canadian agent Gilles Paquin. "It would have
been nice to succeed as a musician at the level of someone like Sting, or to
get taken on by some big-time manager, like Dylan and Joan Baez were."
Instead, for the sin of speaking her mind in topical songs and speeches
about the Vietnam war and native rights, Sainte-Marie found herself shut out of
the mainstream just as she was peaking, her concerts and TV spots cancelled and
her recordings mysteriously absent from record stores. "I was
blacklisted," she says. "And so were Eartha Kitt and Taj Mahal, and
quite a few others who were speaking out against the war and civil rights
abuses, and didn't have a high enough profile or skilled
management." She has seen the FBI files — censored with "the
fattest black marker you've ever seen" — that chronicle the Lyndon B. Johnson
administration's deliberate campaign in the late 1960s and early '70s to dampen
U.S. radio play and distribution of her recordings. She was in the dark
"till 10 or 12 years later, when I was professionally dead. At first I was
flattered, in a way, to learn so much effort had gone into crushing this ...
mosquito. Seeing those files also helped me make sense of a lot of mysteries. I
thought I was just a victim of a natural decline in popularity. "It
broke my heart to know that someone had worked so hard to make sure my medicine
didn't get to where it was needed. Ever since, my career has been on the
periphery of show business. I've never had a proper tour.
"In the long run, it didn't make me less effective (except) in America.
When I was young, hanging out in New York clubs, I never thought my career
would last more than six months anyway." A trained educator with a
second major in Oriental Studies, Sainte-Marie is presented in A Multimedia
Life as a restless creative soul who has never observed traditional
artistic boundaries. "I knew about Buffy's work in music and in
promoting aboriginal traditions, but I had no idea when I started working on
this film about her pioneering work in computer technology, art and formal
teaching," said the director Prowse. "It impressed me that she
always seems to be in on the beginning of important cultural shifts — the
songwriter movement, the application of computers in art and music, education
via the Internet. She was sending music files to her record producer in London
in the mid-1980s via modems. "Her computer-generated art, which no
one took seriously 20 years ago, is now in some of the world's major galleries.
And she spends most of her spare time writing curriculum for Cradleboard, and
setting up guidelines for teachers. She never stops, except to feed the
livestock on her farm. Nothing's an obstacle to her. Creativity is problem
solving." On a personal level, Sainte-Marie looks half her age, and
shares an active life on her secret island with a shaggy blond, muscular local
in his 30s. "I work out, I don't drink ... I'm almost a complete
vegetarian," she confided. "Just don't ask me about psychedelics ...
"
Mary Mary's Gutsy 'Yesterday' Video Tackles Domestic Abuse
Excerpt from www.eurweb.com -
November 10, 2006) Ethnic
Health America (a health program airing on
TV One) points out 1 in 3 women will be battered by their intimate partners
this year. Underscoring the pandemic proportion of the pathological
problem, a woman in this country is battered every 14 seconds (Genesis
website). That means that by the time you read this introduction,
at least 6 women will have drawn their last breath stemming from a domestic
assault. These staggering statistics are maddening, concerning,
outrageous. The Grammy-award winning gospel sister collective known as Mary Mary has broached a subject
that should be addressed in church but is absent from pulpits around
America—domestic violence. Erica and Tina Campbell remove the bandages
from the massive scar of physical abuse in our society in the new video for their
hit song, “Yesterday.” It is a powerful visual axiom that gives battery a
black eye. Domestic violence is a disturbance that does not discriminate
regardless of racial, economic, or social conditions. The battered woman looks
like your child’s teacher, the store clerk, the business woman, or even like a
celebrity, Tina Turner for example. Yet the private pain of domestic violence
is germane to the African-American family. The big screen visualized the
real-life horror of domineering Ike Turner’s wrath toward a demure,
self-conscious Tina in What’s Love Got to Do with It? We watched
leading man Blair Underwood, a wealthy, presumably debonair gentleman, morph
into a menacing, woman beating maniac who blames his future wife of “making
him” fight her in Tyler Perry’s Madea’s Family Reunion. And of course we
remember You told Harpo to beat me? -- Sophia, Sophia, Sophia (Color Purple)
confronted her father-in-law for advising her cowardly husband Harpo to tame
her ‘tude by man-handling her. Each of these male characters has in common the
mistaken notion that he owns his female counterparts and has authority to
punish her indiscriminately.
Unlike these on-screen depictions of physically aggressive men, the “Yesterday”
video holds it’s leading man accountable for his faults by having him seek
professional intervention. A select few friends, family members, and
industry VIPs were apprised to a sneak preview of the telling production
recently at their Christmas album release party in Beverly Hills, CA. People were
appreciative of the serious subject matter. The video is a captivating
“mini-movie” along the lines of the style that has become popular with R&B
artists (i.e., Ronald Isley and R. Kelley), where the music is paused and muted
in intervals to focus on the plot allowing the viewer to soak up the drama that
unfolds as well as the song’s lyrical essence. Producer/Director Felicia
Henderson (Soul Food The Series) was hired to interpret the video after Holly
Davis Carter’s (Executive Producer of The Gospel movie Mary Mary’s Manager)
vision. For her first video production Henderson curtsies with a cinematic
narrative that plants a glaring allegory as its root. “The song lends itself to
storytelling and the it absolutely screams out ‘tell a story’, I knew I wanted
to tell a visual story to go with this amazing song.” Although the main
character’s scars are painfully obvious, Henderson did not intend to make her
abuse the focus of the story: “The video is not about the abuse in her
past. The real story is today I start my future . . . I love that idea of
your past not determining your future no matter what you’ve been through,”
stated the Director. The setting does not feed into the nostalgia the songs
beckons with its hook and retro-style, but the age-old theme is placed in
contemporary environment. The video opens with the main character (Tangi
Miller, Felicity) finding the courage to break free from an abusive husband and
escapes to an empty fixer-upper home. Tina and Erica (who just bought the
home) stop by to take a look at the place that has so much potential (symbolic
of the victim) and happen upon the bruised, sobbing stranger. Her scars
begin to mend as the ladies introduce her to a crisis center for battered
women, which is actually Genesis House a well-respected domestic violence
shelter in Los Angeles.
Meanwhile, the husband seeks help for the behaviour he inherited from his
out-of-control father. He is paradoxically panged by his own perverse
ways and too, is in need of emotional repair. Miller was able to
draw from the unfortunate realities of domestic violence in her personal life
in her portrayal of the abused character. “. . .My grandmother was subject to
domestic abuse and my uncle was murdered because he was abusive and the woman,
out of nervousness shot him.” Miller found the role challenging to play and was
sad during the shooting. Her feelings were torn being sensitive to both
the victim and perpetuator of the crime. In reference to the abusive male
she says, “He is obviously a victim of his issues but he is wrong and she
needed to get out of the situation.” The ladies were convinced that an open
ending was best for the video. “The greatest thing would be him and her get
back together. They’re happy, he never hits her again,” Erica insightfully
opined. “I think one misconception about Christianity and things that have that
type of theme is that we all have happy endings. . . we can’t just take a
magical happy pill and everything is okay.” Tina summarized their
ultimate message for the video, “You can come up with a conclusion, but that’s
not everybody’s conclusion. . . What happens tomorrow we don’t know, but we
know that she leaves all the worst of the worst in yesterday. I hope
that’s what people get as opposed to looking for a conclusion.” Scores of brave
women, like the main character in this video, draw from their inner strength
and run out of the door of opportunity to a safer, healthier existence just
before coming undone. Even though for some the thought of being alone and
not having the structure and lifestyle to which they are accustomed can be
paralyzing removing herself from the environment is essential to
survival. It is a matter of life and death and time is not on the
victim’s side.
Many battered women hide behind make-up, fake smiles and the fantasy that
things are going to get better, all classic signs of Battered Woman Syndrome.
Or their impoverished self-esteem leaves them feeling undeserving of an
abuse-free life. Some women remain in their dangerous situation until
it’s too late to leave voluntarily. Other women burn-out mentally and take
matters into their own hands and murder their partners. It is a no win
situation that impacts the entire family. (Statistics from the Genesis
House web site report that children who witness domestic violence are 6 times
as likely to commit suicide and 57 times as likely to abuse drugs.
Children are a product of their environment and are destined to repeat what
they see in their households as is the case with the male in this video.)
Professional intervention for domestic altercations remains a cultural taboo
among African Americans who are suited to handle their emotional issues with
prayer or denial. As far as getting help from the community is concerned,
Churches, close friends and family members are more prone to “mind their own
business” than get involved, accepting fighting in long-term relationships as
inevitable. Regardless of its normalcy domestic violence is a crime. “Obviously
I don’t agree with domestic violence at all. . .” Miller encourages women
to leave right away if they are victimized by physical abuse. . .”You have to
get out of the home, you can’t be subject to it.” The ”Yesterday” video is Mary
Mary’s best video to date. Stay tuned to EUR Gospel for the premiere
details. If you or someone you love is in an abusive relationship, decide
to leave your tears in yesterday right now. Contact Genesis House, Inc.
for resources in your area—there is help.
.jpg){kind=link}
Omarion And Mathew Knowles Sign New Boy Band
Source: Amina Elshahawi, ThinkTank
Marketing, amina@thinktankmktg.com, http://www.thinktankmktg.com
(November 9, 2006) Few teens who one day
fantasize about forming a hip-hop group, cutting a record and hitting the road,
see that dream become a
reality a year later, but that is exactly what has happened for Milo Stokes. With the help of
his cousin, stage and film star Omarion, and his dad, manager/director Chris Stokes, Milo and his two
talented singer/dancer friends Marcel Wildy and Chris Cheeks, went from dancing
and rhyming in each others' living rooms to cutting songs in a state of the art
studio. The group was discovered by Omarion, who signed 2 Much to his O Records label,
and is currently recording under the leadership of Chris Stokes, the man behind
B2K and writer/director of "You Got Served." While hanging with
Omarion and B2K touring the states just a couple years ago, Milo, Wildy and
Cheeks were eager to start their own group, one that would, like B2K, fuse hot
dance moves with smooth R&B and hip-hop. During a New York show on the tour
that dream took a giant leap toward reality when Chris Stokes spotted a young
kid in the crowd with strong pipes and killer moves. After a brief audition
backstage for Omarion the Bridgeport, Connecticut-native Myles Cleveland,
became the missing link to the group Milo and the gang had dreamt about. And
just like that, 2 Much was born. "I saw something special that I've
never seen in a young boys group before," says producer/manager Chris
Stokes. "They're like the new Jackson Five." Remembering when his
son, Milo (the "crooner of the group"), expressed interest in
following in cousin Omarion's footsteps, Chris says with a laugh, "I hate
it-but he loves the business so whatever my son wants, I want to back him
up."
Not long after that fateful tour stop, the L.A.-based teen quartet showcased
for Music World Entertainment chief executive Matthew Knowles and Senior Vice
President of A&R Max Gousse, who immediately signed a deal with the group
for its debut released via O Records/ T.U.G./Music World Music. Ever since, 2
Much has been recording daily and performing to packed houses on the weekends
on a national mall tour. While each member boasts sharp dance skills,
vocally the group is split down the middle: Cleveland and Cheeks handle the
rhymes, and Milo and Marcel bring the smooth vocals: Says Mil "We have
real ghetto, hood stuff, but Marcel knows how to get to the ladies."
Says Cheeks: "We're here to make music for everybody. We're not trying to
separate hip-hop and R&B and make it into different genres, we're trying to
put it all together to make feel good music." 2 Much is the type of
group both destined to be embraced by both teens and their parents. "I
know this might be a big cliché," says Omarion "but I think they're
B2K, a different version-a better version. Together, the four members of
2 Much fuse such diverse musical influences as the Jackson 5, Marvin Gaye and
Jay Z, plus classic soul. All four members have been singing and dancing all
their lives, be it in front of friends, family, classmates or even the public.
Performing, says Chris Cheeks, "is the best feeling, it's like a rush, a
crazy rush, it's a totally different experience than what people take it for,
I'm a different person when I'm up there." Says Marcel, "For
me, it's the ultimate joy. It's like utopia for me." Right now, says Milo,
"We're having so much fun, we're kind of like kids in a candy
store." The group is slated to embark on the MX2 national teen tour
with fellow Music World Music star J. Xavier and Def Jam Recording artist Mic
Little in the spring of 2007 and are managed by Music World Entertainment and
T.U.G Entertainment.
AUDIO: 'Fire'
WM:
http://streaming.thinktankmktg.com/2much/2much-fire.wax
REAL:
http://streaming.thinktankmktg.com/2much/2much-fire.ram
Myspace: http://www.myspace.com/2MuchFans
.jpg){kind=link}
Catch
Ciara's 'Evolution' Live In Concert
Source: Chamber Group, Kate Lupson, kate@thechambegroup.com, www.thechambergroup.com; ICED Media , Omar Ellis, Senior Project Manager,
email: omar@icedmedia.com
(November 10, 2006) In
the weeks leading up to the release of her highly
anticipated sophomore album, Ciara: The Evolution (La Face/Zomba Label Group), multi-platinum
R&B/Pop sensation Ciara is taking the show on the road with a kinetic
16-city club tour accompanied by four major radio concert stops. Each
hour-long high-energy club date will feature fan favourites, #1 singles
"Goodies," "1, 2 Step," and "Oh," as well as
current hit "Get Up," new single "Promise," and other
never-before-heard cuts from her new album, Ciara: The Evolution, due out
December 5th. On Monday, November 13th, Ciara will bring the show to
Anaheim's House of Blues. "Previewing the new record in a small
setting gives my fans an exclusive experience where they can truly hear and see
exactly where I'm going with Ciara: The Evolution," Ciara explains.
"It's about so much more than just my personal growth - it's about the
evolution of music, the evolution of dance, the evolution of fashion. I want to
bring a taste of all that to the fans in a one-on-one environment to get them
excited for Ciara: The Evolution." Fans are already excited by the
soon-to-be major hit, first single "Promise." "Promise,"
written by Ciara and produced by Polow (Fergie's "London Bridge,"
Pussy Cat Dolls' "Buttons") has just hit radio and BET and MTV and
the buzz is high!
MORE ON CIARA'S NEW CD 'CIARA: THE EVOLUTION'
Ciara's highly-anticipated new album, Ciara: The Evolution, hits stores
December 5th. Check out the first single from the new album,
"Promise", below. The new album features production from Pharrell
Williams, Rodney Jerkins, Polow, will.i.am and more. The new album will
also include a limited-edition DVD that shows how to do Ciara's moves and
routines from the videos for "Get Up" & "Promise" and
much, much more.
Check out a preview of the DVD at the links below:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ousWBE0YNCY
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-4904112102159327042&hl=en
http://www.addictingclips.com/Clip.aspx?key=C523674FE2602702
http://viralvideo.clevver.com/video/c445005e-22bd-4dfd-8161-986e00e96f88.htm
Ciara - "Promise" Audio
Windows Media
http://media.bmgonline.com/zombalabelgroup.com/ciara/audio/promise_main_eq_64.asx
http://media.bmgonline.com/zombalabelgroup.com/ciara/audio/promise_main_eq_96.asx
The Roots, Patti Smith Highlight Dylan Tribute
Excerpt from www.billboard.com
- Susan Visakowitz, N.Y.
(Nov. 10, 2006) Twenty-two artists, many of them celebrated in their own
right, paid tribute to the acclaimed music of Bob
Dylan last night (Nov. 9) at New York's Avery
Fisher Hall. The event, which brought together an impressively varied
assortment of esteemed talent -- including Al Kooper, Warren Haynes, Joan Osbourne,
Ramblin' Jack Elliott, Allen Toussaint and Roseanne Cash, as well as
highly-touted younger artists like Cat Power, Ryan Adams and Clap Your Hands
Say Yeah -- was a benefit for the Music For Youth Foundation, which provides
music education to at-risk youth. Produced by Michael Dorf, founder of
the Knitting Factory, the evening ran with nary a glitch or disruption over the
course of two-and-a-half hours. Handling a song a piece, the acts covered
everything from early '60s breakthroughs like "The Times They Are
A-Changin'" to brand new entries like "Thunder on the Mountain,"
off Dylan's most recent album, "Modern Times." Among the
highlights were a tender reading of "Dark Eyes" by Patti Smith, who
was accompanied by Tony Shanahan on piano and Tom Verlaine on guitar; an
instrumental jazz interpretation of "Ballad of a Thin Man" by the
Jamie Saft trio; an energized "Positively 4th Street" by Sonic
Youth's Lee Ranaldo; and a quirky "Ring Them Bells" by Jill Sobule,
who along with a brass section was joined by Cyndi Lauper on vocals.
But the night really belonged to two artists: Natalie Merchant, with Philip
Glass on piano, gave an exceedingly haunting reading of "The Lonesome
Death of Hattie Carroll" that left the audience breathless. And
avant-hip-hoppers the Roots blew the house down with an ecstatic, incendiary
version of "Masters of War." The trio -- on guitar, drums and
tuba -- initially presented the damning lyrics to the tune of the "Star
Spangled Banner," then segued into the original melody, taking several
detours for fiery guitar solos and teases of other songs, including
"Taps." The searing, politically charged performance brought the
hall's entire sold-out crowd to its feet for a lengthy standing ovation.
Charles Feldman, Music For Youth's chairman, said the event raised $100,000 for
MFY. Meanwhile, Dorf revealed that the next MFY benefit is already on the
calendar: Carnegie Hall will host a tribute to the music of Bruce Springsteen
on April 5, 2007.
Keys, Bowie Duet At African Charity Gala
Excerpt from www.billboard.com
- Wes Orshoski, N.Y.
(Nov. 10, 2006) Alicia Keys joined David Bowie for a neo soul-injected
take on the latter's "Changes" last night (Nov. 9) to close out a
star-studded New York benefit for the Keep a Child Alive organization, which
helps AIDS- and poverty-stricken children in Africa. Keys, who serves as
the charity's ambassador, acted as musical director for the event at
Hammerstein Ballroom, sharing the stage with not only Bowie, but also Damian
"Jr. Gong" Marley and Angelique Kidjo. The black-tie dinner,
hosted by comedian Wanda Sykes and Bowie's wife, Iman, also included a brief
performance by Louis XIV, a poem from Saul Williams and appearances by hip-hop
czar Russell Simmons and actors Jeffrey Wright, Ed Norton and Elijah
Wood. Earlier in the evening, Keys was seen in a video filmed in Africa
visiting a Keep a Child Alive clinic, talking to teens and young adults who've
lost their parents to AIDS and are now the heads of their own households. She
brought three of the children out onstage, fulfilling one's wish to meet Wood,
the star of the "Lord of the Rings" trilogy.
Keys, whose mini-set included a commanding rendition of Janis Joplin's
"Piece of My Heart" and versions of Mr. Mister's "Broken
Wings" and Bob Marley's "War," joined the younger Marley for his
hit "Welcome to the Jamrock," for which she sang the hook: "Out
in the streets, they call it murder." Marley also performed "Road to
Zion." In a dark suit and white shirt, Bowie performed a three-song
set that also included "Fantastic Voyage," and Kidjo delivered her
fiery version of Jimi Hendrix's "Voodoo Chile." Kidjo and Keys also
performed a new duet, "Djin Djin," that they've recorded for the
former's forthcoming debut on Razor & Tie. "She's definitely
Africa," Kidjo said of the New York-born Keys. "If you don't hear it,
there's something wrong with you."
Grandmaster Flash, T.I. take Hip Hop Awards
Excerpt from The
Globe and Mail - Jonathan Landrum Jr., Associated Press
(Nov. 13, 2006) ATLANTA — Grandmaster Flash breathed a sigh of relief
after being recognized for his turntable expertise, and T.I. finally believes
the South has gotten some respect. The Atlanta-based rapper, who was up for
eight nominations, was a winner in three of the categories at the first-ever BET Hip Hop Awards on Sunday. T.I. won
best hip hop video, CD and MVP of the year honours. “You can't hate on hard
work and talent,” he said. “This awards show will show people a lot about where
I come from.” Grandmaster Flash was honoured with the I Am Hip Hop Icon award.
When Flash received the award, he gave recognition to all other disc jockeys
who he has met, saying being a DJ was better than rapping. “To get an
award for my technological ability means a whole lot more than anything else
I've accomplished in my life,” he said. When hip-hop mogul Sean “Diddy” Combs
took the stage, he offered brief words for R&B singer Gerald Levert and Ed
Bradley, who both died last week. Bradley, the award winning 60 Minutes
correspondent passed away at 65 on Thursday. Levert, who was known for his
sensual, romantic songs, died at 40 on Friday. “Let's celebrate their lives,”
Diddy said. “People will forever miss y'all.”
Rappers Ludacris, Jermaine Dupri and Young Jeezy teamed with super-producer
Lil' Jon to kick off the show with the 2001 hit, Welcome To Atlanta.
Dupri, who won best producer, said he felt humbled for having the event in
Atlanta. “For the awards to be in my city and I win something for producing,
it's exciting,” he said. “The outcome was something I could never imagine.” In
his first act as the host, comedian Katt Williams stood in a blue suit and red
tie behind a wooden podium with a sign posted on the front that said,
“President Of The Hip Hop Nation.” He said some jitters set in before the show.
“It's a good thing I was nervous,” Williams said. “Being around hip hop helps
me though, because there's a type comfort I have around these great artists.”
The award show airs Nov. 15.
Jazz Pianist Michael Kaeshammer Teams With Guitarist Harry Manx
For National Tour
Excerpt from The
Toronto Star - Ashante Infantry, Staff Reporter
(Nov. 13, 2006) It was an unexpectedly subdued Michael
Kaeshammer
who answered the phone in a Kenora hotel room. "I have a bad
fever," said the jazz pianist, who is in the midst of a national tour with
B.C. roots guitarist Harry Manx. But there was no chance of him calling in sick that
night. "Once you're onstage you forget all about it," the
29-year-old Toronto resident said. "Then you go backstage at intermission
and lie down. Last night I fell asleep at intermission." But you can
be certain that the player, noted as both a prodigious technician and charming
crowd pleaser, was in full throttle for the second half. "When I go
see a show I like to be part of the show," he said. "It's not that I
have to be entertained like with a clown, but you want to feel like the
performer is there to involve the audience. "So I'm conscious of
that, and Harry is too. We're trying to put on a show that's about the music
but is also presented in a way that everyone can relate." The
playful banter during the duo's show, which stops at Harbourfront Centre on
Wednesday, belies the challenges of melding Manx's Indian raga-influenced
string playing with Kaeshammer's classically trained jazz chops. The unique
pairing grew out of their friendship and musical kinship.
"Both our music is based on the blues, that's our common ground," said
Kaeshammer, who normally performs in a trio setting with drum and bass.
"We chose songs that at least one of us were familiar with. The process of
finding the right tunes and arranging them has been a challenge, but once we're
onstage playing it's effortless." The two-month tour is intended as
a one-time outing, with the possibility of recording some shows for a live
album. Kaeshammer, a two-time Juno Award nominee, is sketching out songs
for his next record. Since his 1998 album debut, Tell You How I Feel,
he's progressed through a range of styles, including boogie, ragtime, stride
and bebop, and incorporated more original compositions and singing.
"I always sang along with records as a kid, but I never took it seriously
and was so involved in the piano that I never considered the voice as an actual
instrument," said the German-born musician, who began classical piano
studies at age 7 and later immersed himself in his dad's pre-1950s jazz
collection. "Then I started listening to singers and it was unbelievable
to discover that it's the hardest instrument." He's imbued with a
raspy, soulful sound, influenced by legendary crooner Frank Sinatra — to whom
he's been compared — as well as an array of other singers. "I
started listening to people like Tony Bennett, Stevie Wonder, Beck, Tom
Waits," said Kaeshammer, who moved to Canada with his family at 18.
"I think it's more the approach of all these singers that inspires me.
When I started singing I would just try and copy people; like when you play an
instrument, you copy people until you have your own licks and ability. And then
you realize you just have to open your mouth and sing like you sound rather
than someone else, but it took me a long time." Kaeshammer has also
been compared to Harry Connick Jr., who faced criticism for the singing and pop
explorations that overtook his straight-ahead piano playing. But he's not
worried about a similar backlash. "Not to sound egotistical, but I
really don't care what other people think, especially purists, because I'm not
a purist and I don't spend any time thinking about them, because I don't agree
with them. "What I do now is what I love to do and I love to play
straight-ahead things too. If you go out and you do what you love to do and
you're being honest with it, then the best comes out. "I really
don't ever think about `Is this jazzy enough? Is this serious enough?' I'm just
playing what comes out of me." The middle of three children never
envisioned a career as a musician. "In the little town where I'm
from it was not considered an option, especially playing jazz and blues. I just
did it because I loved it. My dad played a little bit of ragtime piano and he
showed me some things."
When the family settled in B.C., Kaeshammer landed a few gigs in Victoria
pubs. "I saw these people playing for $50 for five hours a night and
making a living doing it. I thought it was awesome that they could do that.
They were all happy and playing music every day. I decided to try
that." But with his parents insisting he earn qualifications for a
"job job," the youth attended two different colleges. He gave up on
math and physics at the first school before the semester ended, then tried
music elsewhere. "I lasted a month. I just couldn't see the point of
sitting in a classroom learning about (music) when I could be playing it. So I
never tried anything else."
Tomi Swick Isn't About To Let A Little Success Go To His Head
Excerpt from The Toronto Star- Vit Wagner, Pop Music Critic
(Nov. 14, 2006) It's still early days for Tomi
Swick, but the
Hamilton rocker is encouraged by the way things have gone since the release
earlier this year of his major label debut, Stalled out of the Doorway.
The disc has spawned a couple of radio hits, "A Night Like This" and
"Everything is Alright." A third track, "Sorry Again," is
poised to join the rotation. Not, the 26-year-old insists, that he's
letting any of this go to his head. And even if he did, Steeltown friends would
soon set him straight. "I can't go there and have any kind of ego
because they'll knock me right down," says Swick. "They'll say, `Hey
man, we all know where you're from.' That's the kind of place it is. It really
has an effect on your mentality. "I come from a very hard-working,
blue-collar family. My mom's side were Scottish immigrants who came and worked
at Stelco. And my father worked at Stelco his whole life. There are other
cities that have a blue- collar aspect, but you don't see it as much. In
Hamilton, the majority of the city is like that. Honesty is a word that gets
thrown around so much that it gets to be a cliché, but I feel that I come from
a very honest place. "I very easily could be working at the mills,
which is honest but extremely hard work. I'm very lucky not to be doing that.
I'm far too lazy to get up that early to go to work every day like that. And
once I started on the music, I knew that's what I wanted to do."
Swick is due to make a pit stop at home Sunday for the third annual Hamilton
Music Awards at the Dofasco Centre for the Arts. Although the singer's
five-piece is currently on the road, opening for the Goo Goo Dolls on a tour
that stops tonight at Massey Hall, Swick and guitarist Andrew MacTaggart are
making time to perform at the awards ceremony, between dates in Montreal and
Moncton. The rookie recording artist has five nominations, tied for the
most with Burlington-bred singer/songwriter Sarah Harmer. Other nominees
include electronic pop outfit Junior Boys, singer/songwriters Kathleen Edwards
and Melissa McClelland, and rock and roots group Blackie and the Rodeo Kings.
"It's a slow-moving thing, but there's a scene emerging," Swick says.
"There used to be a huge grunge scene in Hamilton, but that kind of faded
out. Now there's a lot of metal and hard rock, but there's also alt-country and
singer/songwriters coming out." As a young teen, Swick spent a lot
of time hanging out at all-ages shows by local bands inspired by Nirvana and
Pearl Jam. He started playing in bands at the age of 13, but it wasn't until he
blew out his knee playing football at local high school Cathedral four years
later that music became a priority. After a stretch of playing in various
groups, Swick started performing under his own name three years ago, briefly as
a solo act and eventually fronting a band. He signed with Warner Music after
representatives of the label caught one of his sets two years ago at the
Rivoli. Listening to Stalled out of the Doorway, Coldplay is an
obvious reference point, but there are echoes of other influences cited by
Swick — from Paul Simon, James Taylor and the Beatles to U2 and
Radiohead. "A lot of bands that get signed now, get signed on one
song," Swick says. "So when they go into the studio they try to
recreate that song 12 times. And it becomes a very monotonous record.
"I had 30 songs going into recording this album. I like to rock out. And I
like to sing ballads. I'm doing everything I can not to be
pigeonholed." And to remember where he is from. "I'm not
some Canadian Idol cast-off. It's not about that. We're a very
no-nonsense, hard-working band. We come out and play the music. No
gimmicks."
Mary J Blige Tops Off Breakthrough Year With 'Reflections'
Source: Christine Wolff, Geffen Records, christine.wolff@umusic.com
(November 15, 2006) Santa Monica, California, November
7, 2006 - To state that 2006 was one of the biggest years of Mary J Blige's career isn't hype. It
is truth. In 2006 there was no bigger story or artist, in any genre, than
Mary J Blige. Thanks to a chart-topping album, history making #1
single, galvanizing television appearances and a sold out tour, 2006 became the
12-month span in which the multiple platinum selling, Grammy winning Queen of
Hip Hop Soul scaled new creative, personal and commercial heights. So
after all of those dazzling achievements what does Mary J do to top it? Simple.
She rewards her fans by recording yet another classic in the making -
Reflections - A Retrospective - which will be released on Geffen Records
December 12th. A much anticipated and long awaited collection Reflections
- A Retrospective not only gathers together all Mary J's timeless greatest hits
but features four new greatest hits to be - the first of which is the hot
single "We Ride (I See The Future"). Spanning the entirety of
Mary J's spectacular 15-year career Reflections- A Retrospective is more than a
greatest hits collection. It's a soulful shout out to Mary J's loyal fans, and
a celebration of the year when one of R&B's most influential singers
"broke through" bigger than ever. Released on December 20th,
2005, Mary's 7th cd The Breakthrough debuted at #1, and sold an astonishing
727,163 copies its first week: making it not just the best opening week for a
solo R&B female artist in SoundScan history but the biggest opening week of
2006 to date. Period. Yet even more explosive than The Breakthrough's success
was the album's lead off single "Be Without You". Written and
produced by Bryan Michael Cox and Johnta Austin (the same creative team
responsible for "We Ride (I See The Future"), "Be Without
You" had the #1 spot on the Billboard R&B charts on lock; and stayed
there for a record breaking 15 straight weeks. "Be Without You" was
not only the biggest hit of Mary's already brilliant career, it entered the
history books by becoming the longest-running No. 1 song on the R&B chart
since it was reintroduced, after a brief hiatus, in 1965. You'd
have to go back to 1949 to find a #1 song with as lengthy a chart run as
"Be Without You."
The Breakthrough was equally dominant. The emotive cd was the recipient
of universal critical acclaim, with Vanity Fair declaring, "…she's still
the Queen…" USA Today stating "Another Blige 'Breakthrough' …Blige
still touches souls..." and the Boston Globe hailing the cd as "…a
start-to-finish triumph." Fans also felt The Breakthrough's power. Following
Mary's stellar performance on the 2006 Grammy Awards, (dueting with U2 on their
ballad "One"), The Breakthrough recaptured the top spot on the
Billboard 200. Along with that electrifying appearance -which the St.
Petersburg Times declared was "chills-inducing" - Mary also performed
on the finales of "Dancing With the Stars" and "American
Idol", "Oprah", and the ABC soap "One Life To
Live". Further proof of Mary's artistry is the breadth of her
numerous collaborations. 2006 saw The Queen of Hip Hop Soul singing with The
Queen of Soul, Aretha Franklin, on "Never Gonna Break My Faith". The
song, featured in the film Bobby marks the second time these two R&B
powerhouses have joined forces. Mary also brings her imitable flavour to
Ludacris' new single "Runaway Love". Additionally Mary, in
conjunction with electronics retailer Circuit City, is releasing "Mary J.
Blige & Friends," an exclusive two-disc CD set benefiting Boys &
Girls Clubs of America. And if 2006 was a milestone 2007 promises to be
just as significant. Rather than rest on her laurels, Mary J is in the studio,
preparing to drop a new cd of new material and once again, raise the bar.
Ron Fair, Chairman of Geffen Records says of Mary's success "Mary J. Blige
has reached the defining moment of her life - as a vocalist, as a songwriter,
and as a human being. Her new album "Reflections- A Retrospective" is
an essential collection of songs that solidifies Mary as one of the greatest
recording artists of all time. Anyone who has ever suffered loss,
experienced pain, been in trouble, gave love or been loved, can find themselves
in the music of Mary J. Blige." With her landmark 1992 cd What's The 411
Mary J Blige became R&B's standard bearer, setting both its sound and
style. Since that debut Mary has earned 3 Grammys, had 7 multi platinum
albums, lent her support to a slew of high profile charities and earned the
unqualified respect of fans, critics and her fellow performers. With a soulful
power that knows no equal, Mary J Blige owned 2006 and the Queen continues her
reign with Reflections- A Retrospective.
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Jackson Edges Back Into Spotlight
Excerpt from The Toronto Star - Erin
Carlson, Associated Press
(Nov. 15, 2006) NEW YORK — Michael Jackson is no
longer hiding out in Bahrain. Though he fled the United States after his
acquittal on child molestation charges last year, apparently happy to live in
seclusion in the Middle East, Jackson has started inching his way back into the
spotlight. Earlier this year, he went to Tokyo to accept MTV Japan's
``Legend Award." This month, he allowed the syndicated TV show ``Access
Hollywood" to film him in the studio, working on music with superhot
producer will.i.am from the Black Eyed Peas. And on Wednesday, in a rare
public performance, he is set to sing the classic charity song he co-wrote,
"We Are The World," at the World Music Awards in London, where he will
get another special award. Move over Justin. Jackson, still one of the
best-selling artists of all time, is looking to reclaim his title as the King
of Pop. But does the public care? "Michael needs to come back
strong and come back of today, not of yesterday," said Elroy R.C. Smith, a
program director at the Chicago-based radio station WGCI 107.5, which plays
R&B, hip-hop and old-school music. "He could get back in the studio,
but if he is out of touch with what's going on musically, he'll be considered, 'Well,
he's finished.' "Would the world love to see this guy come back
musically? Absolutely. Because he's still one of the greatest performers of all
time.'' But Jackson the entertainer has long taken a back seat to Jackson
the one-man freak show. His acquittal on allegations of molesting a young boy
was just the latest, and most dramatic disaster for a man who has admitted to
sharing a bed (chastely) with kids, dangled his baby from a balcony and shocked
people with his cosmetically enhanced visage. And that's just THIS century —
don't get us started on blunders of the '90s or the late '80s.
Jackson's last album, 2001's "Invincible," went double-platinum but
didn't register any megahits. Not-so-awesome news for the guy who made the
world's best-selling album in ``Thriller" and once released multiplatinum
albums with ease. Smith said Jackson's new music would have to earn its
way on his radio station. "I'm not going to play Michael Jackson
because it's Michael Jackson," Smith said. "But if it has an urban
flair to it, if it has potential, oh yeah, we will truly give it a
shot.'' "Access Hollywood" host Billy Bush recently interviewed
Jackson at his Ireland-based studio. Bush is also spending time with Jackson
this week in London. "He wants to show that he's moving forward and
getting back to doing what he does," Bush told The Associated Press.
"The theory (for his new album) is he's gonna build it in Europe and Asia
and mount it that way, and eventually, I think the endgame would be the United
States.'' And he's still got plenty of fans. Bush was stunned earlier
this week while watching Jackson generate a frenzy when he stepped out of a car
in London.
"It's the most amazing thing I've ever seen," he said. "I mean
I've seen a lot of celebrities get out of their car and get screams of
adoration and adulation and all that, but nothing as emotional and vociferous
as this.'' Music makers are clamouring to work with him. R&B hitmaker
Akon, who has a smash hit with Eminem and is collaborating on Gwen Stefani's
new album, is one of them — he plans to do a song for Jackson's album next
year. His advice to Jackson? Go with his gut instincts, "just do music
that feels good, that feels right, that's fun.'' "Once he
understands that, he'll be able to go in a studio and make an album within 30
days, because he just put his feeling into it," Akon told the AP.
"Not only to think strategically... throw all that out the window. Do what
you love to do and put it out and I promise you it will be successful.''
That may be true. But in addition to hearing Jackson, fans also have to look at
him — and from the Pluto T-shirt and big-hair look he showed off this week,
Jackson likely needs some fashion superstars to help him in that
department. Celebrity stylist Nicole Chavez, whose clients include
"OC'' actress Rachel Bilson, said Jackson should "tone down" his
look — style, hair and make-up — to appeal to a broader audience. "I
think if you get the right people involved, everybody could create a look that
would work for Michael and would work for the public," she told the
AP. Americans, Smith said, are "forgiving." They love to see
down-and-out stars bounce back (see: Britney and Whitney). A radio-friendly,
slickly produced album from Jackson might be something worth rooting for — or not.
"I don't think he can do it like he did it the first time in the '80s ...
Album sales just don't work like that anymore," Bush said. "But
I think he can capture the fascination. Good music is good music. And he's
already proven that in that mind — from that mind — comes great, great music.
So there's no question he can do it again. It's `will he?' and `will people
accept it'?''
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MUSIC TIDBITS
Diddy Joins Violator Management
Excerpt from www.eurweb.com
(November 10, 2006) *Violator
Management CEO Chris Lighty has a
new client. The company, which already represents the likes of 50 Cent,
Missy Elliott, Busta Rhymes, LL Cool J, Three 6 Mafia, Fantasia and others, has
just signed perhaps the most high-profile entertainer in the business, Bad Boy
Entertainment mogul Sean “Diddy” Combs. According to Lighty, Violator will
represent the rapper/producer in all areas of music and will begin strategic
work immediately on Diddy's Billboard No. 1 album, “Press Play,” released Oct.
17 on his own Bad Boy label (distributed by Atlantic). More specifically, the
company will implement brand extension plans intended to expand Diddy's reach and
influence exponentially in music.
Josh Groban's 'Awake' Tops Charts
Excerpt from www.canoe.ca - By JOHN WILLIAMS,
Senior Editor, JAM! Showbiz
(Nov. 15, 2006) Josh Groban had anything but a sleepy
debut on the Canadian album charts this week. The classical-pop
vocalist's latest disc "Awake" checked in at No. 1 on the charts with
just under 33,000 in sales, according to data compiled by Nielsen
SoundScan. It marks Groban's first ever No. 1 album here -- his last
effort, "Closer," checked in at No. 4 back in November 2003 with
20,000 copies sold. Trailing well behind Groban was the debut of Keith
Urban's "Love, Pain and the Whole Crazy Thing," which premiered at
No. 2 on sales of 17,000. The movement up top forced Gregory Charles'
"I Think of You" (16,000) from the No. 1 position -- which he had
held for two straight weeks -- down to No. 3. Just in time for the
lucrative holiday market, the seasonal collection "MuchDance 2007"
came in at No. 4, while Sarah McLachlan's "Wintersong" fell one spot
to No. 5. The final two debuts in the Top 10 went to the compilation
"Big Shiny Tunes 11" at No. 6, and the Foo Fighters' live acoustic
set "Skin and Bones" at No. 7. Justin Timberlake's
"FutureSex/LoveSounds" sank three notches to No. 8, My Chemical
Romance's "The Black Parade" spiralled seven spots to No. 9, and Rod
Stewart's "Still the Same... Great Rock Classics of Our Time" hung
onto No. 10. Other notable new entries included Eric Clapton & J.J.
Cale's "Road to Escondido" at No. 15, Sugarland's "Enjoy the
Ride" at No. 31, Jerry Lee Lewis' "Last Man Standing" at No. 34,
and the Dave Matthews Band's "The Best of What's Around" at No.
42. In the U.S., the compilation "NOW That's What I Call Music"
debuted at No. 1, followed by Josh Groban in second, Keith Urban in third,
Sugarland in fourth, and soundtrack to Disney's "Hanna Montana” in fifth.
Common, Bow Wow, Seal Fall Into The Gap
Excerpt from www.eurweb.com
(November 9, 2006) *Artists Common, Bow Wow and Seal
are among
the stars appearing in a new holiday ad campaign from clothing retailer, The Gap. Paul Hunter
directs Common and his daughter Omoya Lynn in both of Gap's "Holiday In
Your Hood" commercials, which features the rapper rhyming over a sample of
Madonna's 1983 hit "Holiday." The remake was produced by the Black
Eyed Peas' will.I.am. DJ Samantha Ronson joins Common and his daughter in
the spots. All are dressed in Gap hoodies while dancing around a forty-foot
gold peace sign, which doubles as the symbol for the store’s holiday marketing
campaign. The commercial is scheduled to premiere on Nov. 16 and runs through
Dec. 13. "There isn't a more meaningful time to emphasize the importance
of peace and love than during the holidays," said Trey Laird, Creative
Director for Gap. "We wanted to capture these unspoken emotions in our
holiday campaign and what better way to do that than by featuring some of our
favourite style makers with their loved ones. We chose to focus on hoodies --
everything from hooded sweatshirts to the softest cashmere sweaters -- because
they are so iconic to Gap and so perfect for the winter season."
Celebs featured in Gap's "Holiday In Your Hood" print campaign, which
launches in December, include Bow Wow, Taylor Hackford, Diane Kruger,
Claudia Schiffer, Deepak Chopra, Seal and others.
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Dancer Turned Recording Artiste Ding Dong Preps Album For VP
Records
Excerpt from www.eurweb.com -
(November 9, 2006) *Dancer turned artiste Ding Dong blazed the charts a
few months ago with the irritating Bad Man Forward, Bad Man Pull Up single. The
song's popularity, which later led to the creation of a dance of the same name,
has attracted the attention of VP Records. "Mi have an album coming out
for VP. Mi and Matterhorn wake up one ants nest now, so a lot of attention on
the dancers now. Right now dancing is out thing. Mi woulda like to see dancing
reach pon a bigger level. Dancing is like a work fi me right now," Ding
Dong said in a recent interview. Ding Dong recently completed a video for a new
track, titled Flow, which features a singer from Antigua. "We just did the
video for the song with Jay Will. I have a new song out called Killa Swing weh
a tek di place," said Ding Dong. Ding Dong pointed out that with the
success that dancers like himself, Sample Six, and the late Gerald 'Bogle' Levy
have had as recording artistes, better opportunities are now opening up for
dancers. However, he would like to see amenities, including a chart for
dancing, and more of our local dancers in international videos. On Sundays,
Ding Dong and his crew, the Ravers Clavers, play hosts to the Gabba Sundaz
session. This takes place in Nannyville. "A lot of selectors, deejays,
entertainers and music personalities, and just about anybody, turn up each
week. It a gwaan good still," said Ding Dong.
Religion Fosters Hatred Of Gays, Pop Star Says
Excerpt from The Toronto Star
(Nov. 12, 2006) LONDON (AP) — Organized religion fuels anti-gay
discrimination and other forms of bias, pop star Elton
John said in an interview published
Saturday. "I think religion has always tried to turn hatred towards
gay people," John said in the Observer newspaper's Music Monthly
Magazine. "Religion promotes the hatred and spite against
gays." "But there are so many people I know who are gay and
love their religion," he said. "From my point of view, I would ban
religion completely. Organized religion doesn't seem to work. It turns people
into really hateful lemmings and it's not really compassionate."
Religious leaders have also failed to do anything about tensions and conflicts
around the world, he said. "Why aren't they having a conclave? Why
aren't they coming together?" he asked. John said those in his own
field have been similarly lax. "It's like the peace movement in the
'60s. Musicians got through to people by getting out there and doing peace
concerts, but we don't seem to do them any more," he said. "If John
Lennon were alive today, he'd be leading it with a vengeance."
Joss Stone Teams With Saadiq For New Album
Excerpt from www.billboard.com
- Jonathan Cohen, N.Y.
(Nov. 10, 2006) Joss Stone is delving deeper into R&B
and soul on her
new, as-yet-untitled album, due March 6 via Virgin, Billboard.com has learned.
The set was produced by Raphael Saadiq, whose resume includes Angie Stone, Jill Scott, Kelis and the
Grammy-winning Erykah Badu and Common duet, "Love of My Life."
The 19-year-old Stone hit Compass Point Studios in the Bahamas to record the
album, which will feature such tracks as "Headturner," "Tell Me
What We're Gonna Do Now," "Music," "Tell Me 'Bout It,"
"Nothing Better Than (The iPod Song)" and "I Wish I Never Met
You." It's the follow-up to 2004's "Mind, Body &
Soul," which debuted at No. 11 on The Billboard 200 and has sold 1.2
million copies in the United States, according to Nielsen SoundScan.
Meanwhile, Stone will make her big-screen debut in the fantasy film
"Eragon," which opens Dec. 15 in U.S. theatres. Based on the novel of
the same name by Christopher Paolini, it also stars Jeremy Irons and John
Malkovich.
Joss Stone Grabs A Tony For New Album
Excerpt from www.eurweb.com
(November 14, 2006) *She’s already worked with
R&B legend Betty Wright and the soul-saturated Angie Stone on her first two
albums. For the next disc, due March 6 via Virgin, 19-year-old British teen Joss Stone has turned to producer
and former Tony! Toni! Tone! star Raphael Saadiq. According to Billboard.com,
the two hit Compass Point Studios in the Bahamas to record the album, which
will feature such tracks as "Headturner," "Tell Me What We're Gonna
Do Now," "Music," "Tell Me 'Bout It," "Nothing
Better Than (The iPod Song)" and "I Wish I Never Met You." The
as-yet-untitled project is the follow-up to 2004's "Mind, Body &
Soul," which debuted at No. 11 on The Billboard 200 and has sold 1.2
million copies in the United States, according to Nielsen SoundScan. In
the meantime, Stone will make her big-screen debut in the fantasy film
"Eragon," which opens Dec. 15 in U.S. theatres. Based on the novel of
the same name by Christopher Paolini, it also stars Jeremy Irons and John
Malkovich.
Cancer-Free Minogue Returns To Stage
Excerpt from The
Toronto Star
(Nov. 12, 2006) SYDNEY, Australia (AP) — Singer Kylie Minogue will
take to the stage wearing feathers and sequins in Sydney on Saturday, resuming
a world tour cut short by a diagnosis of breast cancer last year. The
London-based Australian diva, her hair short and wavy after chemotherapy, has
said she is looking forward to resuming "The Showgirl Tour" in
Australia where she was diagnosed with the potentially fatal disease in May
last year. But she told a newspaper she was uncertain about how she will
feel when she begins singing to a sell-out crowd of 10,000 adoring fans.
"I think about it often. I simply can't come up with the answer," the
38 year old told Sydney's The Daily Telegraph newspaper in its Saturday
edition. The 2004 Grammy award winner had completed the European leg of
her tour when she was diagnosed with breast cancer. She underwent surgery
to remove a lump from her breast, and has since become a vocal advocate for
cancer screening and support groups.
Fantasia Preps Release Of Sophomore LP
Excerpt from www.eurweb.com
(November 14, 2006) *Fantasia’s
anticipated new self-titled
album will arrive in stores on Dec. 12 from J Records. The first single,
“Hood Boy,” features Big Boi of OutKast and is gaining momentum on U.S.
radio. For the album, Missy Elliott co-wrote and produced "Turn This
Party Up!," "Two Weeks Notice," and "No Stopppin'."
Also on board are producers Dre & Vidal ("I Nominate U,"
"Baby Makin Hips"); Midi Mafia ("When I See U,"
"Broke"); Swizz Beatz ("Surround U"); Kwame ("Not The
Way It Is," written by Sean Garrett); and three tracks written by Candice
& Bulewa and produced by Danja ("Bore Me (Yawn),"
"Uneligible," "Girl Like Me"). A special treat is the
album's closing track, "I Feel Beautiful," a superstar collaboration
with hit songwriter Diane Warren and hit-making producer Babyface. "The
lyrics on that song are very emotional for me," Fantasia says, "and
when I recorded it, I just broke down at the end. It's my song for my
Mom." The High Point, N.C. native will launch a major Yahoo! Music
promotion in December around "Hood Boy" as she becomes their
"Get Your Freak On" (Fans' Only) artist. It is their premiere video
program taking user generated content and editing it together uniting fans with
superstar artists. "Hood Boy," meanwhile, is logging nearly
100,000 plays at Fantasia's MySpace site (www.myspace.com/fantasiabarrino).
Smokey Robinson Guest Stars On 'Days Of Our Lives'
Source: Teni Halburian, Manager, Media
Relations, Sony Pictures Television, Teni_Halburian@spe.sony.com
(November 14, 2006) Legendary artist Smokey Robinson
will guest star on NBC's hit daytime drama "Days of our Lives" today,
November 14 and tomorrow, November 15 (1 p.m. in most markets) and will perform
"I Love Your Face" from his recent album Timeless Love. In the
two-episode story arc, Marlena Black (Deidre Hall) is lost in the snowy
wilderness and is startled by a mysterious man carrying an axe! She
learns it's none other than Smokey Robinson who just so happens to be
vacationing at a secluded cabin nearby. He rescues her from the
cold and brings her back to his place to recover in front of a warm fire and
calls the authorities. Later, John (Drake Hogestyn) tracks Marlena down
at the cabin and Smokey gives an impromptu performance for the reunited couple
singing "I Love Your Face." An acclaimed singer-songwriter whose
career spans over four decades of hits, Robinson's recent release Timeless Love
features some of the most romantic songs from jazz, big band as well as
traditional pop standards of the '20s, '30s and '40s. He continues to
thrill sold-out audiences around the world with his voice, impeccable timing
and profound sense of lyric. His lifetime achievements include 36 Top 40
hits, a Grammy Living Legend Award, berths in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
and Songwriters' Hall of Fame, and the Soul Train Heritage Award among numerous
other honours. This December, Robinson will receive a Kennedy Center
Honor for his lifetime contribution to the arts and American
culture. "Days of our Lives" is produced by Corday
Productions Inc. in association with Sony Pictures Television. Executive
producer, Ken Corday, is following in the tradition of his parents, Betty and
Ted Corday, who co-created "Days of our Lives" and helmed the series
for many years. Stephen Wyman is also co-executive producer. Hogan
Sheffer is the head writer.
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'More Fish' On Ghostface's December Menu
Excerpt from www.billboard.com
- Clover Hope, N.Y.
(November 14, 2006) Ghostface Killah will on Dec. 12 serve up his fourth
album, "More Fish," less than a year on the heels of
"Fishscale." In addition to production by MF Doom, Pete Rock, Madlib
and Hi-Tek, among others, the new offering boasts guest appearances from
Redman, Sheek Louch of the Lox and Ghostface's rap crew Theodore Unit.
The Staten Island-based group -- comprised of Trife Da God, Cappadonna,
Shawn Wiggs and Ghostface's 17-year-old son Sun God -- is featured on the
tracks "Miguel Sanchez" and "God 2 God." The first
single is "Good" and other album cuts include "Ghost Is
Back," produced by Ghostface, the MF Doom-helmed "Cartoonz" and
"Josephine," a Hi-Tek track that also appears on "Hi-Teknology
Vol. 2." "Fishscale" bowed at No. 4 on The Billboard 200
in April and has sold 295,000 copies in the United States, according to Nielsen
SoundScan.
TLC's Chilli Inks With Akon's Konvict Muzik
Excerpt from www.billboard.com
- Gail Mitchell, L.A.
(November 14, 2006) TLC founding member Rozanda
"Chilli" Thomas
has inked with Akon's Konvict Muzik label, which is aiming to release her as-yet-untitled solo debut
in mid-2007. The album will be distributed by Interscope. "This will
be totally opposite from when she was with the multiplatinum group," Akon
tells Billboard. "She's an incredible artist and I want people to
reconnect with her." Akon is working on half the album with Chilli; also
lending production guidance are Missy Elliott, the Black Eyed Peas' will.i.am
and Timbaland. Chilli has been relatively quiet since the release of
TLC's final album, 2002's "3D." That set was released in the wake of
group member Lisa "Left Eye" Lopes death in a car accident. In
related news, Akon will begin casting in February for "Illegal
Alien," a film inspired by the Senegalese-born singer's life story.
"The majority of the film is basically true," says Akon, who will
write, produce, co-direct and score the movie.
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Hot Cup Of Joe
Excerpt from www.billboard.com
(November 14, 2006) Rapper Fat
Joe has teamed with Virgin Records
and Imperial Records, a new urban label development unit of Caroline
Distribution, for the release this week of his new album, "Me, Myself
& I." The project features collaborations with the Game and Lil Wayne
and production from Scott Storch (on first single "Make It Rain"),
the Runners and DJ Khaled, among others. "I just started writing on
my own and made the album I truly wanted to make," the artist says, adding
that the project was his "most in-depth album in terms of vulnerability
and doing the music I love." The new album is the follow-up to 2005's
"All or Nothing," which bowed at No. 6 on The Billboard 200 and has
sold 293,000 copies in the United States, according to Nielsen SoundScan. It
was Fat Joe's final set for Atlantic. "No hard feelings, but they
weren't feeling what I was asking for," Joe says of splitting with the
label. "I've always been an artist to them, and they didn't understand me
asking for my own imprint. But one man's trash is another man's treasure."
Hunter Filling A Blues Shortage
Excerpt from The Toronto Star - Greg Quill, Entertainment Columnist
(Nov. 15, 2006) A nomination in the New and Emerging Artist category in
this year's U.S. Americana Music Awards and another, just announced, in the B.B. King International
Artist category of Canada's Maple Blues Music Awards, are not such big
surprises to 40-something British blues and R&B revivalist James Hunter. New he may be to
North American audiences, though he has performed often in these parts in the
past. He opened for Van Morrison, who spotted him busking a few years back on a
street corner in Colchester, Hunter's hometown, and immediately declared the
unknown singer to be "the best-kept secret in British R&B and
soul." But Hunter isn't new to the music. He has been studying it
since he was in his teens, after a friend returned from San Francisco with a
load of obscure blues and R&B 45s that weren't available in Britain.
As a blues artist, Hunter has been "emerging" for most of his life,
he said earlier this week in a phone interview from his band bus in the Montana
Rockies. He's in the middle of a never-ending North American tour that began
in January with the U.S. release of his independently produced revivalist
masterpiece, People Gonna Talk. He makes his professional Canadian
debut tonight at Toronto's Lula Lounge, a showcase appearance at the NXNE music
conference in March notwithstanding. He's at a loss to explain why his
music has been setting fires wherever he plays. "I think it reminds
them of something in their past, something they've lost," he said.
"But why they seem to like me so much I dunno. It's not as if there's a
shortage of great blues musicians in America." The subtlety and
grace Hunter brings to his work haven't been heard on record since the days of
Clyde McPhatter, Sam Cooke and Jackie Wilson, elegant stylists all. "It's
not like I was trying to copy anyone," said Hunter. "It's a
matter of feel. I never experienced any of this music in a live situation, and
because of that, I think I listened more closely than most."
U.S. Clears Universal-BMG Deal
Excerpt from www.canoe.ca - By Alex Veiga
(November 14, 2006 ) LOS ANGELES (AP) - The U.S. Federal Trade Commission
and the Justice Department gave antitrust approval Tuesday to Universal Music Group's
planned acquisition of BMG Music Publishing for US$2.09 billion. The deal must now receive approval from
European regulators to become final. BMG - owned by German media company
Bertelsmann AG - owns the rights to more than a million songs by contemporary
recording artists such as Nelly, Maroon 5 and Coldplay, as well as classic hits
by the Beach Boys, Barry Manilow and other entertainers. Universal Music
Group is a unit of Paris-based Vivendi SA. Its publishing arm controls the
rights to songs by artists such as 50 Cent, Mary J. Blige and
Chamillionaire. If approved, the deal would combine the No. 3 and No. 4
music publishing catalogs. "We were confident that the regulatory
authorities would find that the acquisition did not raise competition concerns,
and we appreciate that the Justice Department promptly reached the same
conclusion," Universal Music Group said in a prepared statement.
European Union regulators said earlier this month they would issue a ruling on
the deal by Dec. 8. Unlike the recording business, which sells CDs and
other products to be sold at retail, music publishers make money by licensing
songs for use in movies, TV shows, CDs, video games, ringtones and other
media. The companies also collect performance fees when songs are played
on the radio or in public venues such as clubs. Some analysts have warned
that EU regulators are likely to scrutinize the deal, in part because of an EU
court ruling in July that overturned the European Commission's go-ahead for the
merger that created Sony BMG Music Entertainment. That 2004 deal, which
reduced the number of major recording companies from five to four, is being
re-examined.
::CD RELEASES::
November 13, 2006
2Pac, Untouchable, Interscope
Akon, Konvicted, Universal
Akon, Smack That, Universal/Island
Anti_MC, It's Free But It's Not Cheap, Mush
B-Boyz, The Real Life: B-Boyz from the Hood, Urban Ikon
Beenie Man, Hmm Hmm, Virgin
Bobby Valentino,
Special Occasion, Def Jam
Boogie Down Productions,
Criminal Minded [Instrumental], Traffic Ent.
Brian McKnight,
10, Warner
Bros.
Brooke Valentine,
Pimped Out, Virgin
Busta Rhymes,
Crown, BCD
Music Group
Dan the Automator,
2K7 Instrumentals, DeCon Inc
David Banner,
The Hustler's Guide to the Game, BCD Music Group
Daz Dillinger,
Weekend, Virgin
Diddy, Tell Me/Diddy Rock, Bad Boy
Dimyn, Imagine That, Warlock
DJ Green Lantern,
Tean Invasion: Best of DJ Green Lantern, Invasion GRP Canada
Earl Bostic, Earl Bostic Story, Proper
Eldridge Holmes,
Deep Southern Soul, Aim
Fat Joe, Me, Myself and I, Virgin
Gregory Isaacs,
Live in San Francisco, 2B1
J. Sands, Place to Be, B.U.K.A.
Junk Science,
Pep Rocks, Embedded
Karaoke, Karaoke: Love Songs, Vol. 1, Audio Stream Karaoke
Lil' Flip, Connected, Thump
Lil' O, My Struggle My Hustle: The Lost Tapes, Bar None Ent
Lil Uno, Tha Boogieman, Toltec
Marques Houston,
Veteran, Universal
Michael Jackson,
Visionary: The Video Singles [Box Set], Sony
Miss Issa, Hurt No More,
Moan, The Debut,
Molemen, Killing Fields, Molemen
Moufs of Da Souf,
We R the Streets,
Ms. Jody, What You Gonna Do When the Rent Is Due, Ecko
Ms. Kra-Z, Brown Is Beautiful,
Pocos Pero Locos,
The Callbox, Silent Giant
R.P. Cola, Act Like U Know, Paid in Full
Sheree Brown,
Zhakanaka: The Word, Brown Baby Ent.
Smigg Dirtee,
The Resume, Black Armor
Solange, Solo Star [2006], Music World Entertainment
Stink Mitt, Red Album, Cochon
Surreal & The Sound Providers,
True Indeed, Abb
Tamia, Between Friends, Image
Team Deck, I Need to Know, Vol. 1, BCD Music Group
Termanology and DC,
Hood Politics, Vol. 4: Show and Prove, Brick
The Game, Doctor's Advocate, Geffen
The Notorious B.I.G.,
Ready to Die [CD/DVD], Bad Boy
Tony Tuff, Say Something, Groove Attack
Various Artists,
Chicano Rap Bangers, Vol. 2, Thump
Various Artists,
Chicano Rap Smooth Jams, Southland
Various Artists,
Chosen Few: El Documental, Vol. 2 [DVD], EMI International
Various Artists,
Everybody Loves Bob Marley, Neos Productions
Various Artists,
Ghetto Whiskey: Rhythm Album #86, Greensleeves
Various Artists,
Peg Hip Hop Rewind, Vol. 1, Phoenix
Various Artists,
Reggae Masters, Vol. 2, Immergent
Various Artists,
Riddim Driven: Consuming Fire, Voiceprint
Various Artists,
Riddim Driven: Gully Slime, VIP
Various Artists,
Riddim Driven: Sidewalk University, VIP
Various Artists,
Riddim Driven: Two Bad Riddims, Vol. 3, VIP
Willie Feaster,
On the Dirt Road: Rare and Unreleased NY Funk and Soul
1969-1979, Funky DeLicacie
Yellowman, Live in San Francisco, 2B1
Ying Yang Twins,
II Live Crew, TVT
Young Jeezy, Tha Streets Iz Watchin, BCD Music Group
Yung Joc, Yung Joc: The Jocumentary,
Yusef, An Other Cup, Universal/Polydort
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::FILM NEWS::
On-Set Improvisation Is Déjà Vu For Washington
Excerpt from The Toronto Star - John
Hiscock, Special To The Star
(Nov. 11, 2006) LOS ANGELES—Over the years he has built a reputation
as a focused, intense and uncompromising actor who has the power to inspire and
influence others. Yet Denzel Washington, who is arguably the top black actor of his generation, is quick
to shrug off such heavy responsibility. "I don't take what I do too
seriously," he says. "I just try to keep things simple."
Although he projects a strait-laced image, the Oscar winner is loose and funny
in person, laughing and joking as he talks about his latest film, Déjà Vu, a time-bending action
thriller opening Nov. 22. "When I read the script I thought we could
get laughed off the planet if we didn't do it the right way," he recalled.
The director Tony Scott agreed with him, and changes were made. In it,
Washington plays federal agent Doug Carlin whose investigation into a bomb
explosion on a New Orleans ferry leads him on a race through space and time. On
the way he discovers a puzzling emotional connection to a woman whose past
holds the key to stopping a catastrophe. Washington was fascinated by the
story's time-shifting, backwards-moving structure and its exploration of a love
story and a crime thriller. "I think we have all had the feeling
that we have been somewhere before," he said. "It's one of the big
mysteries of life. "I had a sort of déjà vu moment today. I was in
my driveway getting the mail and I just had a feeling somebody was going to
drive by so I waited a minute and a white truck comes up, stops, backs up and
it was Eddie Murphy. He said, `What are you doing?' And I said, `Waiting for
you.' "I suppose it was more of a premonition than déjà vu, but I
had this feeling somebody was going to come by." He laughed.
Déjà Vu is the third movie he has made with Tony Scott, after Crimson
Tide and Man On Fire. "He has a gravity and people believe
him," he said. "I love Denzel's obsessive quality and his internal
darkness." Any internal darkness 51-year-old Washington may have are
confined to his acting. Off-screen his life revolves around his family, his
church and his charities. He has been married to the same woman, Pauletta
Pearson, for 22 years and they have two sons, aged 22 and 15, and two
daughters, 19 and 15. The eldest son, John, plays professional football with
the St. Louis Rams. "For some people, acting is their life and I
said that too, but then I had a family and I understood the difference between
life and making a living. Acting is making a living and a family is
life." Washington makes a good living, pulling in around $15 million
(U.S.) a picture, and he uses some of it to help others. He is a major
contributor to Nelson Mandela's Children's Fund which has helped to build
hundreds of orphanages in Africa. He also works with an organization called
Save Africa's Children and the Boys and Girls Clubs of America. "I
was raised in the church and the Bible talks about tithing 10 per cent,"
he said. "I've done that every year and it's come back to me tenfold every
year, so I continue to do it." Washington grew up in a middle-class
family in Mt. Vernon, N.Y. His father, Denzel Washington Sr., was a preacher and
his mother was a beautician. Young Denzel, the second of three children, split
his time between the church and the beauty parlour. His childhood, he says, was
family-oriented and religious, which made life all the more difficult when his
parents separated when he was 14. He appeared in a college production of Othello
and won a scholarship at the American Conservatory Theater in San
Francisco. A year later he moved to Los Angeles for small roles in TV films. He
had his first movie role in Carbon Copy, a forgettable comedy, but his
career took off in 1982 when he landed the role of Dr. Philip Chandler in the
television series St. Elsewhere, which ran for six seasons.
While he was still in the series, he won the plum supporting role in Soldier's
Story, Cry Freedom, The Pelican Brief, Philadelphia, Courage
Under Fire, The Siege and three films with Spike Lee: Mo' Better
Blues, Malcolm X and He Got Game. He won the Best Supporting
Actor Oscar in 1989 for Glory and Best Actor Oscar for Training Day in
2001. Although Washington arrives on the set prepared, he does not always
stick to the script, to the occasional surprise of his fellow actors.
"I started improvising with Spike Lee and I've done it more and
more," he said. "I do the preparation and then forget about it and
see what happens. I guess it might be a little tricky for other actors because
they don't know what the heck I'm going to do, but I do usually try to get back
to the cue line somewhere." He is currently filming American
Gangster on location in New York and Toronto. He plays Frank Lucas, a
real-life heroin dealer in the late 1960s who is tracked down by a cop, played
by Russell Crowe, who sends him to jail and then befriends him. It is directed
by Tony Scott's brother, Ridley. "I don't think anybody's worked with these
two brothers back to back like this before," he laughed. Washington
made his directing debut in 2002 with Antwone Fisher and he intends to
direct his second feature The Great Debaters, based on a true story
about a small college debating team, early next year. He's planning a World War
II story, Brothers In Arms, and is also developing a film biography of
Sammy Davis Jr. Washington is content in his life. "I've learned to
simplify things, be more thankful and to understand my God and my spiritual base
and not be afraid to talk about it freely," he said. "It ain't
that complicated really. My mother used to say, `the older you get, the older
you get.' Not any wiser. You just get older."
Emma Thompson: No Stranger To Fiction
Excerpt from The Globe and Mail -
Gayle Macdonald
(Nov. 9, 2006) In the film world, Emma Thompson is a rare bird. An
accomplished actress and screenwriter, she is the only person to date to win
Oscars wearing both hats. Last fall, during the Toronto International Film
Festival, the 47-year-old Thompson said it was the wordsmith in her that made
her fall in love with Zach Helm's script for Stranger
than Fiction, a comedy (opening in theatres
tomorrow) that messes with metaphysics. The film also stars Will Ferrell,
Dustin Hoffman, Maggie Gyllenhaal and Queen Latifah. “I didn't even read the
whole script before I phoned [producer] Lindsay [Doran] to say I had to do this
because I just wanted to be part of this extraordinarily brilliant and original
concept. “The story to me works so wonderfully well in that very strange way
that stories do when they make you sit and think, ‘This is crazy. This is mad.
This couldn't happen.' And yet you go absolutely with it — hand in hand with
your characters — because you're happy to be there. And so happy to have life
explored in that particular way, with those particular voices. “Because I'm a
screenwriter myself, I'm very, very demanding. And most scripts have not had
enough demanded of them.” Marc Forster's aptly titled Stranger than Fiction
is the story of a socially crippled, brilliant but suicidal writer, Kay Eiffel
(Thompson). Eiffel is struggling to finish her latest, and potentially best,
book. She is obsessing with how to kill off her main character, an equally
socially crippled Internal Revenue Service agent, Harold Crick (Ferrell).
The metaphysical quandary arises when Crick literally starts hearing Eiffel (as
the book's narrator) in his head, detailing his every move and thought. Fiction
merges with real life, and Crick begins a quest to keep on living like he has
never lived before. His daunting challenge is to make sure the novelist doesn't
literally write him off. Not long ago, Thompson was seen by parents and kids as
the buck-toothed, bulbous-nosed Nanny McPhee (Thompson wrote the screenplay).
In Stranger than Fiction, she's dowdy again — this time, as the greasy
haired, chain-smoking author who never changes her clothes. As Thompson sees
her, Kay is “borderline bonkers” when the audience meets her. “She can't figure
out how to kill her main character so she spends her days imagining all manner
of death and destruction. You could say we meet her right at the end of her
tether.” Since her recent roles have gone out of their way to diminish
Thompson's looks, a first meeting with the British-born wit is a bit of shock.
Visitors to her suite at the Four Seasons Hotel are greeted by a statuesque
blonde, impeccably groomed in brown stiletto boots and a short skirt that show
off obnoxiously long legs. In person, Thompson is a natural 5 foot 7 beauty
with twinkling blue eyes and enviable cheekbones. She's an English literature
graduate from Cambridge, and her diction is blue-blood British and reeks of
class. But she's also disarmingly friendly, and as she continues to talk about
her career in a totally unself-conscious way, it becomes clear that the lack of
airs is genuine. A refreshing change from most mainstream celebrities who never
seem to deviate from their own careful, calculating script. “Lindsay Doran is
the greatest script editor I know,” Thompson says of the Stranger than
Fiction producer who also recruited Thompson to write her Oscar-winning
adaptation of Jane Austen's Sense and Sensibility. (Her other Academy
Award was for best actress opposite Anthony Hopkins in Howards End).
“She has edited all my scripts, and without her, I'd be nothing as a
screenwriter.” She also agreed to take on the role as the anguished author
before she knew that the part had actually been written for her by scriptwriter
Helm, who had always pictured Thompson, and her distinguished voice, in dual
duties as leading lady and narrator. Kay Eiffel is one odd duck, and Thompson says
it's her quirkiness that endeared her. For instance, when she finishes a
cigarette, she takes out a tissue, spits into it and then uses it to snuff out
the cigarette. “I thought that was wonderfully strange,” Thompson muses. “There
was just something about it that was so deliciously disgusting.” Over the
years, Thompson's perverse sense of humour has stood her in good stead. First,
as a member of Cambridge's famed Footlights group (where many of the Monty
Python members first met), and later as a stand-up comic. In 1992, she turned
down the role played by Sharon Stone in Basic Instinct, the steamy box
office hit. Not one to miss a beat, Thompson keenly observed that “Stone was
shagging Michael Douglas like a donkey, and not an inch moved. If that had been
me, there would have been things flying around hitting me in the eye.” But
while she likes to crack jokes, Thompson is also deadly serious about her
craft. And writing, she adds, is “much more difficult” than acting. “I've
written enough to make me miserable,” says Thompson, who has been writing since
she was 20, and gets up early most mornings to write for two or three hours,
and then the rest of the day is free to be mom to her six-year-old daughter,
Gaia Romilly. “I don't like sitting for hours. I can't do it. ... I can manage
it as long as I know what I'm writing. I think that's the trick. The last one I
did was Nanny McPhee and I knew what the story was before I set out to
write it. I've never experienced that before.” That film was based loosely on the
Nurse Matilda children's books by Christianna Brand.
Thompson is one of two daughters born to the late Eric Thompson, creator of the
children's program The Magic Roundabout, and actress Phyllida Law, with
whom she has frequently appeared on screen. She said she was brought up to
believe stories are a vital part of life and a vital tool to help you figure
out where you belong. “I was brought up on a diet of story,” Thompson says. “I
love narratives. I'm a narrative junkie actually. And I suppose my whole brain
was affected and developed very profoundly by great early children's writers
like Joan Aiken, Leon Garfield and Alan Garner. “It was always impressed upon
me not only intellectually but also emotionally, that story was something we
needed because our lives are so chaotic. And one of the reasons I love this
film so much is because it makes it so clear that story is how we frame things
because we cannot cope with the crazy and chaotic nature of life. “I'm always
writing stories in my head. Through my daughter or whatever. I'm addicted to
it. I think you use stories to heal yourself as well. So they make sense of
life to me in a way,” adds Thompson, who is married (and had her daughter) with
fellow actor Greg Wise. Before that, she was married to Kenneth Branagh. That
union ended in 1994 because of rumoured infidelities between Branagh and Helena
Bonham Carter. Since the birth of her daughter, Thompson has deliberately cut
back on acting roles. Besides the Nanny McPhee turn, she appeared in the
award-winning HBO miniseries Angels in America and Harry Potter and
the Prisoner of Azkaban (she was Professor Sibyll Trelawney). Working on Stranger
than Fiction was a gem because of its intelligence and her co-stars,
Thompson says. “There was no posturing on this set. It was heaven, frankly. I
adored every moment of it,” says the actress, who is reported to keep her
Academy Awards in the bathroom of her West Hampstead home because everyone goes
there and it saves her from having to run upstairs every time someone asks to
see them. Thompson has been in the acting game for more than 25 years, but she
says she still gets a kick out of the process. “I love it, probably because I
don't do it very much. For instance, I haven't done any shooting this year at
all. Stranger than Fiction was shot last year in Chicago and it took me
three and a half weeks. That's all I've done in the past two years, so it keeps
you very hungry.”
Actor Jack Palance Dies
Excerpt from The Toronto Star
(Nov. 10, 2006) LOS ANGELES — Jack Palance, the craggy-faced
menace in Shane, Sudden Fear and other films who turned to comedy at 70
with his Oscar-winning self-parody in City Slickers, died Friday.
Palance died of natural causes at his home in Montecito, Calif., surrounded by
family, said spokesman Dick Guttman. He was 87. When Palance accepted his
Oscar for best supporting actor he delighted viewers of the 1992 Academy Awards
by dropping to the stage and performing one-armed push-ups to demonstrate his
physical prowess. “That’s nothing, really,” he said slyly. “As far as
two-handed push-ups, you can do that all night, and it doesn’t make a
difference whether she’s there or not.’’ That year’s Oscar host, Billy
Crystal, turned the moment into a running joke, making increasingly outlandish
remarks about Palance’s accomplishments throughout the show. It was a
magic moment that epitomized the actor’s 40 years in films. Always the
iconoclast, Palance had scorned most of his movie roles. “Most of the
stuff I do is garbage,” he once told a reporter, adding that most of the
directors he worked with were incompetent, too. “Most of them shouldn’t
even be directing traffic,” he said. Movie audiences, though, were
electrified by the actor’s chiselled face, hulking presence and the calm, low
voice that made his screen presence all the more intimidating.
His film debut came in 1950, playing a murderer named Blackie in Panic in
the Streets. After a war picture, Halls of Montezuma, he
portrayed the ardent lover who stalks the terrified Joan Crawford in 1952’s Sudden
Fear. The role earned him his first Academy Award nomination for supporting
actor. The following year brought his second nomination when he portrayed
Jack Wilson, the swaggering gunslinger who bullies peace-loving Alan Ladd into
a barroom duel in the Western classic Shane. That role cemented
Palance’s reputation as Hollywood’s favourite menace, and he went on to appear
in such films as Arrowhead (as a renegade Apache), Man in the Attic
(as Jack the Ripper), Sign of the Pagan (as Attila the Hun) and The
Silver Chalice (as a fictional challenger to Jesus). Other prominent
films included Kiss of Fire, The Big Knife, I Died a Thousand Deaths,
Attack!, The Lonely Man and House of Numbers. Weary of being
typecast, Palance moved with his wife and three young children to Lausanne,
Switzerland, at the height of his career. He spent six years abroad but
returned home complaining that his European film roles were “the same kind of
roles I left Hollywood because of.” His career failed to regain momentum
upon his return, and his later films included The Professionals, The
Desperadoes, Monte Walsh, Chato’s Land and Oklahoma Crude.
When he appeared as Fidel Castro in 1969’s Che! about Latin American
revolutionary Ernesto (Che) Guevara, he told a reporter: ``At this stage of my
career, I don’t formulate reasons why I take roles — the price was
right.” He also appeared frequently on television in the 1960s and 1970s,
winning an Emmy in 1965 for his portrayal of an end-of-the-line boxer in Requiem
for a Heavyweight.
He and his daughter, Holly Palance, hosted the oddity show Ripley’s Believe
It or Not and he starred in the short-lived series The Greatest Show on
Earth and Bronk. Forty-one years after his auspicious film
debut, Palance played against type, to a degree. His City Slickers
character, Curly, was still a menacing figure to dude ranch visitors Crystal,
Daniel Stern and Bruno Kirby, but with a comic twist. And Palance delivered his
one-liners with surgeon-like precision. Through most of his career,
Palance maintained his distance from the Hollywood scene. In the late 1960s he
bought a sprawling cattle and horse ranch north of Los Angeles. He also owned a
bean farm near his home town of Lattimer, Pa. Although most of his film
portrayals were as primitives, Palance was well-spoken and college-educated.
His favourite pastimes away from the movie world were painting and writing
poetry and fiction. A strapping 6-feet-4 and 210 pounds, Palance excelled
at sports and won a football scholarship to the University of North Carolina.
He left after two years, disgusted by commercialization of the sport. He
decided to use his size and strength as a prizefighter, but after two hapless
years that resulted in little more than a broken nose that would serve him well
as a screen villain, he joined the Army Air Corps in 1942. A year later
he was discharged after his B-24 lost power on takeoff and he was knocked
unconscious. The GI. Bill of Rights provided Palance’s tuition at
Stanford University, where he studied journalism. But the drama club lured him,
and he appeared in 10 comedies. Just before graduation he left school to try
acting professionally in New York.
“I had always wanted to express myself through words,” he said in a 1957
interview. “But I always thought I was too big to be an actor. I could see
myself knocking over tables. I thought acting was for little ... guys.’’
He made his Broadway debut in a comedy, The Big Two, in which he had but
one line, spoken in Russian, a language his parents spoke at home. The
play lasted only a few weeks, and he supported himself as a short-order cook,
waiter, lifeguard and hot dog seller between other small roles in the
theatre. His career breakthrough came when he was chosen as Anthony
Quinn’s understudy in the road company of A Streetcar Named Desire, then
replaced Marlon Brando in the Stanley Kowalski role on Broadway. The show’s director,
Elia Kazan, chose him in 1950 to play a murderer in Panic in the Streets,
which starred Richard Widmark and Paul Douglas. Born Walter Jack
Palahnuik in Pennsylvania coal country on Feb. 18, 1919, Palance was the third
of five children of Ukrainian immigrants. His father worked the mines for 39
years until he died of black lung disease in 1955. In interviews, Palance
recalled bitterly that his family had to buy groceries at the company store,
though prices were cheaper elsewhere. Yet, he told a Saturday Evening
Post writer, he had “a good childhood, like most kids think they
have.” “It was fine to play there in the third-growth birch and aspen,
along the sides of slag piles,” he said.
Jack Warner - Screen Legends
Excerpt from The Toronto Star - Bruce
Yaccato
NAME: Jack Warner
FAME: Movie mogul
BIRTH: Aug. 2, 1892, London, Ont.
DEATH: Sept. 9, 1978, Los Angeles
(Nov. 10, 2006) The Warner family rolled the dice with their butcher shop
earnings and bought a dingy movie theatre in 1905. Young Jacob (later
known as Jack) led his three brothers on a trail of dreams that pointed to
Hollywood. Warner Brothers was founded in 1923, its place etched in
history with the first talking picture in 1927, The Jazz Singer featuring
superstar Al Jolson. The studio had a gritty image with tough guys like
James Cagney and dangerous divas like Bette Davis. There was no doubt that
Jack was a visionary. Under his strong hand, countless cinematic masterpieces
were born: 42nd Street, Public Enemy and of course, Casablanca.
He remained active into the 1970s, earning him the nickname The Last
Mogul. When he cashed out, he said, "Who'd have thought a butcher's
boy would end up with 24 million smackers?" A fortune that Jacob
Warner, of London, Ont., would scarcely have dreamed of.
Asia Through A Lens
Excerpt from The Toronto Star - John Terauds, Entertainment Reporter
(Nov. 10, 2006) Toronto needs its many small film festivals for no other
reason than to help get past ethnic stereotypes. For the average
filmgoer, India is Bollywood musicals, China is martial arts and South Korea is
stylish gangsters. But just as indie American cinema trashes the Hollywood
formulas, so do smaller-scale efforts from other parts of the world. The
10th-annual Reel Asian International Film
Festival, which gets underway on
Wednesday, is an excellent way to sample the unusual and provocative from all
parts of Asia — and from Asians living in North America. The five-day
event mixes features with shorts programs, as well as some insider discussions
and events for wannabe filmmakers at the Isabel Bader Theatre, Innis Town Hall,
Bloor Cinema and the NFB Cinema. Festival organizers say there are 15
world premieres among the 65 works, from 17 countries, to be screened.
The festival's opening movie is After This, Out Exile, by Hong Kong
filmmaker Patrick Tam. Although an advance screening copy was not available,
there are several other excellent features being shown this year — most of them
serious works that begin with the most ordinary of ordinary life to tell us
something insightful about who we are as individuals and cultures within
cultures.
The following features are all being screened at Innis Town Hall, 2 Sussex Ave.
In chronological order:
BOOKS OF JAMES: A FILM ABOUT ART, AIDS AND ACTIVISM
· Nov. 16, 7:30 p.m.
Canadian visual artist Ho Tam is a master of making a strong statement with
a minimum of means. He has now taken his penchant for understated cultural
criticism from the art gallery wall to the big screen in a quietly intriguing
browse through the diaries of James Wentzy. Wentzy drifted from the Great
Plains to the Big Apple to become a professional photographer and video
chronicler of gay liberation in the 1970, and the AIDS crisis in the 1980s and
1990s. Wentzy is a quiet, almost solitary man who sees the world with a
diarist's detachment. Because Tam's camera adds another layer of filtering
between us and the events Wentzy lived through, there's a double-opaque quality
to the narrative. We are there with Wentzy, yet we are also curiously adrift on
own at times, and in places with which we may have no direct connection.
Tam's slow ramble through another man's life leaves us a bit dizzy and
disoriented. It also leaves us with the same question that powerful writers
like Albert Camus left behind: do we make life happen, or does life happen to
us? Tam, a former Torontonian who now teaches at the University of Victoria,
will give a free talk at Innis Town Hall at 6:15 p.m.
WHAT'S WRONG WITH FRANK CHIN?
· Nov. 18, 1 p.m.
Frank Chin is the anti-James Wentzy. This larger-than-life actor, writer and
cultural gadfly first began shouting out for an honest Asian-American identity
in the late 1960s. Through writing, founding a theatre and prodding anyone he
could get in his sights, Chin worked tirelessly to cleanse American culture of
Chinese stereotypes, promote Asian artists and advocate for the rights of
Japanese-Americans who had been treated badly during World War II.
American documentary filmmaker Curtis Choy creates a lively layering of past
and present as he lets Chin talk us through his colourful life. Along the way,
we recognize how cultural recognition never does happen by itself, that it
needs the tireless (and thankless) work of determined individuals to
succeed. Choy's story occasionally gets bogged down in personal feuds
that have no meaning to anyone outside Chin's circle. But it's never boring.
Choy will be present at the screening.
UMMA
· Nov. 18, 5 p.m.
Canadian filmmaker Hohyun Joung encapsulates the immigrant's dilemma over the
clash of cultures with an adult's epiphany of self-awareness as she travels to
South Korea to claim a piece of land left to her by her recently deceased
father. At the centre of this story, told in shaky, grainy hand-held footage
and old photographs, is Umma, Joung's stubborn, cranky, born-again Christian
mother. As Joung begins to slowly peel the onion-skin layers of resentment
and lack of information, she uncovers a story that mirrors the rapid evolution
of South Korean society over the last three decades. Umma, never the meek,
submissive wife traditional culture demanded she be, has, with her husband's
death and with the help of her zealous fellow church members, finally found
freedom in her golden years. Mother and daughter may not find each other
in a tearful embrace by the end of this tale, but they have developed a deeper
appreciation and understanding without veering into sentimentality or
melodrama.
LITTLE RED FLOWERS
· Nov. 18, 7 p.m.
Think of this as Charles Dickens' Nicholas Nickleby set in post-1949
China by filmmaker Zhang Yuan. Little four-year-old Qiang is deposited at a
boarding kindergarten by his faceless father. There, the women who run the
institution expect total and absolute conformity from their co-ed charges: from
squatting in the latrine while a stopwatch is held above their heads, to
washing up at the end of the day to timed whistle blows. The little boy
playing Qiang is magnificent as the big-eyed misfit — at first uncomprehending,
then, later as a deliberate underminer of conformist authority. But he suffers
endlessly for his individualism. The movie's title comes from the
kindergarten's equivalent of little god stars, used to reward well-behaved
children.
JOURNEY FROM THE FALL
· Nov. 18, 9 p.m.
American filmmaker Ham Tran's searing tale follows a Saigon family in the
aftermath of the American army's 1975 withdrawal from Vietnam. Father (Long
Nguyen) gets separated from his wife, young son and mother and sent to a series
of brutal "re-education camps." The women and boy get out of the
country by boat and attempt to start a new life in California. Tran has
made two movies in this two-hour sprawl: one depicts the incessant brutality of
the concentration camps, the other explores the difficulties of leaving your
homeland for a different culture and language. There is a lot of emotion at
play here, and the filmmaker is a master at setting up and releasing
tension. Despite so many Vietnamese "boat people" having
resettled in North America a quarter-century ago, most of us have never had to
imagine the hardships behind the journey. Tran has had the courage to show them
to us now.
JONI'S PROMISE
· Nov. 19, 5 p.m.
This Indonesian romance-comedy-turned-adventure by Joko Anwar is not a great
movie, but the sheer cute-as-a-button charm of 22-year-old Nicholas Saputra as
Joni, the lovestruck film-reel courier, helps the 86 minutes whoosh by in a
pleasant blur. The film's best moments come from a Perils of Pauline
sequence that begins with Joni having his moped stolen in a
blind-man-crossing-the-street scam in downtown Jakarta. Otherwise, the
characters are two-dimensional and the plot has some disbelief-stretching
potholes.
For full festival details, visit www.realasian.com
EUR Interview: Terry Crews -- The Harsh Times Interview
Excerpt from www.eurweb.com -
November 10, 2006) *Terry Crews was born in Flint,
Michigan on July 30, 1968. Although he exhibited an interest in the arts at an
early age, he
blossomed into a football phenom as a walk-on at Western Michigan University.
After graduation, he was drafted by the San Diego Chargers, and went on to
enjoy a six-year career in the NFL. After retiring from pro football in 1999,
the buff beefcake moved to L.A. to take a shot at showbiz. Hollywood soon took
to the charismatic character actor who quickly proved that he was more than
just a handsome hunk. Terry has since delivered a string of memorable support
performances in such movies as Friday After Next, White Chicks, Training Day,
Starsky & Hutch, The Longest Yard, Deliver Us from Eva, Malibu's Most
Wanted, Click, and The Benchwarmers. On TV, he appeared on The District, My
Wife and Kids, CSI: Miami and All of Us before landing a leading role as Julius
Rock on Everybody Hates Chris. Here, Terry talks about his latest big-screen
outing, a quickie cameo in Harsh Times, a gritty inner-city saga starring
Christian Bale and Eva Longoria.
Kam Williams:
What interested you in this picture?
Terry Crews: Well, it was a small role, but pretty pivotal.
The movie is basically all about how this guy's life is spiralling downwards.
The movie starts out dark and kind of falls off a cliff. But I'm one of the
only guys he's ever trusted. I don't want to give it away, but I'm one of the
most pivotal plot points in the movie. It's a real cool deal, and I was
honoured to be asked to do this.
KW: Do you see this movie as being similar to Training Day?
TC: Oh yeah, it's definitely similar, but deeper. I think that David [director
David Ayer] meant for it to be that way because he grew up in L.A.and
experienced these things firsthand.
KW: How would you describe your character, Darrell?
TC: He's checked out of life a long time ago. He's just decided he's going to
call it quits. It's kind of wild, because I know a lot of guys like this.
I grew up in Flint, Michigan, and I knew a lotta' dudes who kinda peaked early.
You know what I mean? In high school, they may have had all the girls, but then
all of a sudden something in life disappointed them, and they never recovered.
That's who Darrell is. I have so many friends from Flint who have checked out.
That's the reason why I identify with the character.
KW: Flint was a company town being hit hard by GM abandoning the city, so it
must have been a tough place to grow up.
TC: In Flint, there were two ways to go. You either lucked-out and got a jobin
the shop over at General Motors, or there was no work for you and you had to
leave by the time you were 20 years-old, or you'd be trapped. My character,
Darrell, is one still living in his mother's house who never really recovered.
I knew so many of those guys that I was determined never to end up like that.
My whole mission in life, whether playing football or going into movies, was to
get out of Flint, and not become a statistic.
For full interview by Kam Williams, go HERE.
Tony Rock Climbs Rungs Of Stage, TV, & Film
Excerpt from www.eurweb.com -
November 10, 2006) *Comic/actor
Tony Rock has returned to us this
fall
with the show "All Of Us." The sitcom was one of many that were
dangling last season hoping to fall into the new line-up of shows for the
UPN/WB merged network the CW. Fortunately for fans, "All Of Us"
make the cut. "We survived the cut and we survived the merger. Programming
wise we'll be in more markets, but we won't see any changes. We've been doing
this for four years and it's pretty much like riding a bike," Rock said of
being on the new network. "Last season ended with Dirk, my character,
finding out he had a daughter. So this season we're going to go more into Dirk
raising a teenage child." And in addition to having his TV
work down, Rock says that he's quite aware of how the TV industry works. He
added that because of the nature of the beast, he wasn't necessarily worried
about making it back this season. "I try to always stay
optimistic about it because you can't control it. If you get a TV show, it can
be off in a day. So I try not to lose sleep over it. When I see people on the
street they say they love the show, so I know we have some support."
Some of that support is from his very famous comedic brother, Chris in more
ways than one. Of course, the elder Chris, is very supportive of Tony's career,
but it doesn't hurt that Chris' acclaimed show, "Everybody Hates
Chris," precedes "All of Us" on the CW on Monday
nights. "So my mother doesn't have to change the channel for a
whole hour," Rock joked.
In addition to Chris, Tony has five other siblings, who he said are all equally
funny, though only he and Chris have decided to make it a career. However, he
added that there may be another young Rock stepping onto the stand-up stage in
the near future. "I have a younger brother that's unbelievably
funny. But he doesn't understand that this is work, he just checks for girls
after the show and said, 'I wanna do this.' He doesn't get the process just
yet," he said. With two famous and very successful comedian
brothers, you might think that the remaining brothers and sister might become a
bit jealous. But Rock shrugs off such a notion explaining that whatever one of
them has, all of them have. "Why would any of 'em be jealous.
We weren't raised that way. I just bought my sister a truck and me and Chris,
and we paid for her school. If anybody should be jealous, we should be jealous
of her. She's the only girl and she's younger and she gets whatever she
wants," he joked. Though Tony Rock has become a Hollywood name
mostly because of his gig on "All Of Us," the comedic actor has been
hitting the comedy stages for almost eight years and continues to do stand-up,
which he considers his foremost career. "When the show wraps
for the summer, I'm on a plane to do stand-up. I'm a comic, I just happened to
get the opportunity to act because of my stand-up," he said.
As a matter of fact he just showcased his act on the new "Def Comedy
Jam" on HBO.
"I was the first comic on the first show. I'm one of the guys that's going
to lead the brigade of Def Jam comics into the battlefield," he said of
the return of the hit TV program that launched 15 years ago. If you missed
episode 1, check the re-air schedule at www.hbo.com. That 15-year
span has brought some changes: Mike Epps is the show host and it is now filmed
in Los Angeles instead of New York. But EUR asked Rock if he noticed any
changes in comedy: "There's pretty much nothing new under the
sun - people are still in relationships, people are still somewhat
anti-government when it's appropriate, and white people still do this and black
people still do that, so as long as those things are going to continue there'll
always be things to write about. It's perspective that makes it
different." In addition to his television and stage work, Tony
Rock has also dabbled in movies. He stars in an HBO film "Life
Support" that is expected to air later this fall. The film was written and
directed by Nelson George and also stars Queen Latifah and Tracee Ellis
Ross. "It's a drama," Rock said. "I play a heroin
addict in recovery that has HIV, and I'm actually still kind of funny in it, if
you can believe that." The movie is the true-life story of
Nelson's sister, a mother who gets caught up in the drug game in the late 80s,
contracts AIDS, and loses everything. The story follows her struggle to turn
her life around and become a positive role model and an AIDS activist.
Rock also scored a part in the film "Homie Spumoni," which is about
an African-American man raised by an Italian family, who is completely unaware
that he is black until his family moves to America. The film stars Whoopi
Goldberg, Paul Mooney, Donald Faison, and Joey Fatone (NSYNC). Now while the
premise may be too much to handle, Rock explained that that's sometimes what it
takes for comedy. "Because it's a comedy, you can just let
that go," he said. "There are a million comedies where you say, 'That
couldn't possibly happen,' but you just let it go for the laughs."
FILM TIDBITS
TIFF Scholarship Honours Adilman
Excerpt from The Toronto Star
(Nov. 10, 2006) Former Toronto Star columnist and entertainment
editor
Sid Adilman hosted many journalists
who covered the Toronto International Film Festival and assisted countless
others, so a scholarship in his memory to foster mentorship of young film
critics is an appropriate way to further his legacy, festival chief Piers
Handling says. Adilman, who retired in 2002, died of heart failure last
month after a long career that featured a hunger for entertainment news scoops
and columns that championed Canadian culture. A public celebration of his
life will be held Sunday at Trinity-St. Paul's United Church, 427 Bloor St. W.,
starting at 3:30 p.m. "The Canadian arts and cultural communities
lost a great champion, and the Toronto International Film Festival Group lost a
dear friend with the passing of Sid Adilman," Handling said. "Sid's
professional and personal commitment to the festival was profound."
Donations to the Sid Adilman Festival Scholarship will go toward advancing the
journalistic skills of young reporters to assist them in developing
relationships in the arts and fostering an appreciation of Canadian and
international cinema. For information, contact Sarah Bullick at
416-934-3211 or email sbullick@tiffg.ca
Canadian Film Centre Unveils New Face
Excerpt from The Globe and Mail -
Gayle Macdonald
(Nov. 9, 2006) The Canadian Film Centre gave itself a new look yesterday, unveiling a hipper brand logo
designed to take it boldly into the multiplatform/digital era. Founded 18 years
ago, the centre was looking a "little tacky, to tell you the truth,"
said founder-chairman Norman Jewison, who was part of a press conference held
at the centre's historical Winfields Estate in north Toronto. "I know
something about makeup," added the Academy Award-winning Jewison, who has directed such
classics as Moonstruck, Jesus Christ Superstar and Fiddler on
the Roof. "In movies, we spend a lot of time making people up. Today,
we're giving the centre a new face." The centre's executive director,
Slawko Klymkiw, dressed somberly in a black-and-white pinstriped suit and black
shirt, told the crowd that the jazzed-up brand identity is part of a strategic
plan to bring along new programs addressing multiplatform content,
international co-production and script development, an enhanced feature film
program, and expanded training in interactive cinema. Klymkiw, a former
programming executive with the CBC, also announced a new initiative called the
NBC Universal Multiplatform Program, which will be rolled out in 2007 and
encourage audio-visual innovation in areas such as convergent mobile/TV
applications, to projects that span gaming consoles, the Web and digital
cinema. "This place reflects the vision and hard work of Norman Jewison,
who long ago recognized the need for a place for storytellers to perfect their
craft and embrace emerging talent," Klymkiw said. At the end of the press
conference, Klymkiw gave Jewison, who always wears a ball cap, one stamped with
CFC's new logo. "We'd like you to wear this to your next directors guild
meeting," he told the filmmaker. To which Jewison quipped: "And you
keep wearing that suit. You're right out of The Godfather."
Eminem Signs With ICM For Film Representation
Excerpt from www.eurweb.com
(November 10, 2006) *Rap star Eminem has signed with talent
agency
International Creative Management (ICM) for representation in Hollywood as the
Detroit superstar looks to boost his presence in film. According to the
Hollywood Reporter, Eminem left his old firm United Talent Agency (UTA) and has
brought his Paramount-based production company, Interscope/Shady/Aftermath
Films, along with him under ICM. With the move, Eminem is looking to book more
film roles to supplement his previous work in 2002's semiautobiographical
"8 Mile," which brought him critical acclaim and earned him a best
original song Oscar for "Lose Yourself." He is currently
attached to star in a feature adaptation of "Have Gun, Will Travel"
for Paramount Pictures. Eminem continues to be represented in all areas
by Goliath Artists Inc.
Hendrix Biopic Still In The Works
Excerpt from www.eurweb.com
(November 9, 2006) *A film about the life
and death of Jimi Hendrix is
currently in its third re-write, and actors are continuing to audition for the
lead role, according to the guitar legend’s brother, Leon Hendrix. "As far
as musically, there will be true renditions with modern elements intermixed
within the overall structure of Jimi's music," he tells Billboard.
"There will be covers by various artists, as well as some scoring
variables musically throughout the film that are fairly reminiscent of Jimi's
style -- with various contemporary guitar players reproducing that particular
approach." In the meantime, Leon Hendrix is in the studio working on his
own album to be released early next year from the Gotham Metro Company, which
will also release the upcoming biopic. The CD is a follow-up to Leon’s 2005
debut, "Keeper of the Flame," which is available through his Web site.
Among the tracks are "Last Mistake" ("a funky rock thing
reminiscent of Stevie Ray Vaughan or Lenny Kravitz," says producer Greg
Hampton), "Little South of Crazy" (co-written with Danny Tate) and
the midtempo ballad "Blue September." "[‘Blue September’] came
about because Jimi died on Sept. 18, 1970, and Seattle in September is kind of
grey and blue," Leon tells Billboard. "Most of my songs are about
Jimi -- he's the most shining star in my life." The song can be sampled on
Hendrix's MySpace site.
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EUR Film Review: Candy
Excerpt from www.eurweb.com
-
November 13, 2006) *Although
Heath Ledger landed an Oscar
nomination for his work in Brokeback Mountain, he actually delivers a far more
deserving performance here as Dan, a hedonistic heroin addict as intoxicated by
love as by the drugs he's mainlining. Fellow Aussie Abbie Cornish
co-stars in the title role as Candy, the object of Dan's affection, and a similarly
self-destructive soul willing to do almost anything for her next fix. Based on
Luke Davies' novel of the same name, this faithful adaptation presents a
disturbingly realistic look at two losers blissfully spiralling down a suicidal
path. The story is set in Sydney where we find unpublished poet Dan and
struggling artist Candy in a state of denial about their dire
predicament. For full review by Kam Williams, please GO
HERE.
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::TV NEWS::
New Al-Jazeera Hits Airwaves
Excerpt from The Toronto Star - Jim
Krane, Associated Press
(Nov. 15, 2006) DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — Ten years after its
broadcasts first jolted Arab and American leaders, Al-Jazeera's long-awaited English channel lit up the airwaves Wednesday and
quickly showed it was different to Western rivals such as CNN. The new
channel's programs focused on the Third World, screening grim images of
Palestinian suffering and an upbeat take on an Islamic militia in Somalia — all
in high-definition TV. But some of Al-Jazeera English's biggest potential
audiences, including Arab Americans, were not among the 80 million homes that
could receive the 24-hour broadcasts from the channel's headquarters in Doha,
Qatar. None of the seven major U.S. cable and satellite TV operators
carried the slick inaugural broadcast. "It's November 15th, a new
era in television news," said anchor Sami Zeidan, speaking in front of a
flashy newsroom backdrop. In one of the first reports, the correspondent
spoke of "the agony of Gaza" as the pictures showed Palestinians
scavenging for food in the rubble of homes destroyed by Israeli bombardment.
Malnourished children lay in hospital beds and an Israeli helicopter gunship
fired rounds overhead. The news bulletin gave less time to Wednesday's
report from Israel, where a rocket attack by Palestinian militants had killed
an Israeli woman. Al-Jazeera English appeared eager to show its global
reach, shuffling live broadcasts from correspondents in Sudan's Darfur, Iran,
Zimbabwe and Brazil, and breaking in with a report of a tsunami striking Japan.
Many correspondents will look familiar to news junkies. Al-Jazeera's reporter
in Brazil is former CNN Havana correspondent Lucia Newman. Another CNN notable,
former Johannesburg bureau chief Mike Hanna, turned up in the Doha
studio. The network hired more than 500 staffers, poaching journalists
from American and British networks, including former CNN anchor Riz Khan, the
British Broadcasting Corp.'s David Frost and former ABC correspondent Dave
Marash. Al-Jazeera, which is bankrolled by Qatar's royal family, hopes to
steal viewers from CNN and the BBC by giving the world's 1 billion English
speakers news from a non-Western perspective. In London, BBC Global News
Director Richard Sambrook said Al-Jazeera may take away some of his network's
viewers, but the new channel's reach stands far below BBC World's 270 million
homes. "They've made a very confident start, which isn't surprising
since they have a large budget and had a long time to prepare," Sambrook
said. But Al-Jazeera's Third World focus could backfire, Sambrook
said. "They clearly want to differentiate themselves from the BBC
and CNN by representing developing countries," he said. "It will take
some time to see whether they can do that and still keep broad appeal. That may
limit their audience." In its report from Mogadishu, Somalia — not
exactly a regular feature of Western news bulletins — Al-Jazeera English said
the notoriously lawless city was now the safest it has been for a decade,
thanks to the Islamic Courts militia, a group accused of terrorist ties.
Al-Jazeera's feisty Arabic news channel has built a reputation for vexing
Western leaders, smashing taboos in the Arab world, and broadcasting the views
of political opponents who would never be aired by regular Arabic TV channels.
At one time or another, no fewer than 18 Arab governments have banned
Al-Jazeera journalists from operating in their countries.
U.S. President George W. Bush's administration has criticized Al-Jazeera's
coverage of the bloodshed in Iraq and said its broadcasting of messages from
Osama bin Laden amounts to incitement to terrorism. Al-Jazeera says the
bin Laden messages and Iraqi images are newsworthy. It has urged U.S. officials
to regard the channel as the ideal venue for addressing the Muslim world.
Al-Jazeera English has broadcast centres in Doha, London, Washington and Kuala
Lumpur, Malaysia, making it widely available in Europe and the Middle East,
including Israel. U.S. carriers have adopted a "show-me"
policy, waiting to see what sort of reaction the station generates before
carrying it, said Al-Jazeera spokesman Michael Holtzman. Al-Jazeera
English will be available to American customers of GlobeCast, the subsidiary of
a French company that offers satellite TV service and three smaller providers.
Spread Rumours, Stars Say
Excerpt from The
Toronto Star - Lee-Anne Goodman, Canadian Press
(Nov. 13, 2006) The downtown bistro is loud with lunch diners, but there's
no drowning out the nationalist pride emanating from the stars of CBC's sexy
half-hour comedy Rumours, struggling in the ratings despite being one of Canada's most
entertaining new shows. "A number of friends of mine in L.A. and New
York, people in the industry, they have seen the show and have said: `Wow, this
show's great — when are we going to get it down here?'" says actor David
Haydn-Jones, who plays Ben, a grumpy sportswriter whose reluctant employment at
a women's magazine in order to pay the bills is at the heart of Rumours, airing
Mondays at 9:30 p.m. on CBC. And yet, the 35-year-old Haydn-Jones says,
Canadians give him "the old CBC eye roll" when he tells them about Rumours.
"My family's in Calgary and I grew up in Saskatchewan. I was there
recently and talking to some nice people in small-town Saskatchewan and they
were all impressed to hear I was on TV. They asked me: `Oh, what channel is
your show on?' When I said the CBC, they actually rolled their eyes and said:
`Oh, we don't watch that.'" "It drives me crazy — it's not The
Littlest Hobo, for God's sake." Haydn-Jones's co-star, Amy
Price-Francis, who plays his professional rival and simmering love interest on Rumours,
shares his frustration. "As Canadians, we're so quick to be
dismissive of the television and the film we produce here," says
Price-Francis, 31, a luminous redhead with porcelain skin who's wearing a Rumours
T-shirt. "The audience craves quality programming, but we have to
make it for less money and then we have to promote it for less money, and then,
after doing that, there's this pre-judgment from the media and the Canadian
public that it can't possibly be any good," she adds.
Meanwhile, Haydn-Jones points out, shows that were cancelled in Canada due to
poor ratings are going gangbusters in syndication in the United States,
especially the CBC's Da Vinci's Inquest, scrapped in Canada but now one
of the top-rated syndicated shows south of the border. "And that's
my point: See everyone? See Canada? You can love it here first before it goes
on to become a success in the States," said Haydn-Jones, who possesses an
impressive résumé of roles in both Canadian and American fare, including the
recent film The Last Kiss. Rumours is based on the Quebec
television hit Rumeurs, and the idea to make an English version was the
brainstorm of longtime television impresario Moses Znaimer, who watched the
show in Montreal and was bowled over. The CBC has committed to 20 episodes of
the show, and Price-Francis has some advice to the public broadcaster: start
rebroadcasting the show from the start to attract more viewers. "You
own it, you bought it, you're 24 hours now — promote the hell out of it and run
it as often as you can. Just do it!" says Price-Francis. Sadie
LeBlanc, who plays the show's sex vixen, is grateful, at least, that the show
will have a 20-episode run. "They're giving the show a chance and
letting people connect with the characters and stick with the show," says
LeBlanc, a 29-year-old lifelong Torontonian who's currently in a strange
situation.
The show, despite being set in Toronto, is shot in Montreal with the same largely
Quebecois crew from Rumeurs — and they don't believe she doesn't speak a
word of French, referring to her simply as the "French girl."
As for the love lives of Haydn-Jones and Price-Francis? The two are suddenly
coy when asked about their significant others, glancing and grinning bashfully
at one another. "We are great friends and great colleagues. We care
a lot about each other on and off screen," Haydn-Jones says carefully, and
then quickly adds: "And I care about Sadie, too! We are a very close family
and close team."
Conquering Heroes
Excerpt from The
Toronto Star - Rob Salem
(Nov. 13, 2006) Contrary to cliché, heroes do not always triumph.
Sometimes the bad guys win. And on TV, it's usually the mediocre ones. So
it came as a delightful surprise — to the critics and to its creators — when Heroes very quickly emerged as the season's hottest new show, debuting to
the highest ratings (14.3 million) of any NBC drama of the last five years. In
Canada, where it also airs on Global, it averages a commensurate 1.2
million. The show had everything going against it: a serialized drama
sandwiched into a season of almost nothing but serialized dramas. A large cast
of mostly unknown actors. A complex, convoluted, leisurely unfolding storyline.
A heightened reality in which ordinary humans are suddenly able to fly,
instantaneously heal, read minds, see the future and wilfully manipulate space
and time ... Without a cape or stitch of Spandex in sight. And that
may be its most super-heroic accomplishment: Genre television for a mass
audience, with an appeal well beyond the expected geek contingent, downloading
episodes in their parents' basement. "It's taking that sense of
fantasy and combining it with a sense of realism," suggests Milo
Ventimiglia, the young actor who plays the pivotal role of Peter Petrelli,
whose emergent superpower appears to be channelling the super-powers of
others. "I think when you mix those two things as effectively as the
show and the writers have done, you end up with quality television that draws
you in, you know, on a weekly basis. It is more rooted in reality than any
other superhero show." Ventimiglia and his TV brother, Adrian Pasdar
— as senatorial candidate Nathan, the reluctant Hero with the ability to
fly — are the series' most recognizable actors, Ventimiglia from Gilmore
Girls and his upcoming film role in Rocky Balboa, the veteran Pasdar
from regular roles on series like Judging Amy and Mysterious Ways.
While others on the show — the adorably over-enthused Masi Oka, Ali Larter's
schizophrenic stripper — have been getting the lion's share of media attention,
the Petrelli brothers have been getting much of the initial story focus.
"The brothers did get a good piece of time to set up their relationships
and the dynamic between them," acknowledges Pasdar. "But as we've
gone on, all these characters have been given equal time to develop, and I
think that's one of the contributing factors to us being a success."
"We all play our parts," Ventimiglia agrees. "I think the story
line that was easy to start was the Petrellis. But Adrian makes a valid point
about all these other characters being just as interesting and that being an
integral part of the show's success." They have both clearly given
this a lot of thought — Pasdar particularly, given his years of experience and
his character's apparent ethical ambiguity. "Not to sound too
`hoity-toity,' but it's quite close to playing Richard III ... all I
need is some kind of physical abnormality, a hump or a limp or something, and
it would really be an almost Shakespearean experience. "Is he good?
Is he bad? I don't think he is an absolute. I do think that there is a dark
side that has to be dealt with. On this show, the people that you think are
good are probably going to turn out the other way, and vice versa."
Both actors grew up reading comics. "I was more into Batman and the
Punisher," says Ventimiglia, "guys that didn't have these
out-of-this-world abilities. They were just kind of crazy and had a vendetta
kind of a stance. "But of course, following Superman or Spider-Man
or any of those characters is exciting too." "I find myself in
the same zone as Milo," Pasdar confirms. "My favourite growing up was
the Silver Surfer. He didn't really have any super-powers, other than surfing
around on his board.... Well, actually, he did have a few, but not as many as
the others. His slug-line — "He travels fast as he travels alone" —
that always appealed to me as a kid."
And as an adult — there was a similar line in a Heroes script to
describe one of his character's earliest flights: "... and before you can
say `best show on television,' he takes off, breaking the sound barrier
..." "It's sort of cool the way they write it," Pasdar
enthuses. "I mean, they write it with the enthusiasm of a child, which is
ultimately I think the best thing that you can have in this business. We all
got sprinkled with that pixie dust as children; that's how we ended up in this
industry. And whoever retains the most pixie dust wins." That being
said, Pasdar's own 5-year-old, Jackson — the eldest of two sons with Dixie
Chick Natalie Maines — seems singularly unimpressed with his dad's Heroes status.
His hero is Ventimiglia, soon to be seen on the big screen as the son of Rocky
in the just-wrapped sequel Rocky Balboa. "He couldn't care
less that I'm in the show," Pasdar laughs, "but every time Milo comes
on, he's like, `Dad! Milo, Milo, Milo ..." Pasdar's family life
crosses over into the Heroes world in one other, unexpected sense: his
otherwise grateful and supportive network has elected not to broadcast
commercials for his wife's band's controversial documentary, Shut Up &
Sing. "It's a touchy issue," Pasdar acknowledges. "I
mean, I understand, you know, business on one hand ... but on the other, I have
to say I cannot condone that behaviour by NBC. I think it's cowardly.
"When a network takes it upon itself to decide what can be advertised in
terms of, you know, a trailer for a movie ... a documentary, for heaven's
sake! "I would be a liar if I didn't say I was extremely
disappointed."
SYLAR REVEALED: This is it, folks! The Heroes spoiler of spoilers: the
true identity of the as-yet unseen secret super-villain of the series, the
insidious, serial-killing Sylar ... Okay, it's not a real spoiler. I
wouldn't do that to you. But I will share one interesting little tidbit:
Sylar's voice, as heard in Heroes' second episode, was recorded by the
Toronto-born voice veteran Maurice LaMarche. LaMarche, best known as the
voice of The Brain (as in Pinky &), did the Sylar voice as a
one-off; much to his superhero fanboy dismay, he was never in consideration to
play the actual physical role. "I'm guessing they were after someone
a little more sinister, a bit less pleasant and kindly looking than
myself," he allows. "Still, it's great to have been asked to
contribute to such a pivotal moment in superhero history."
Mercer Report Performs Ratings Heroics For CBC
Excerpt from The Toronto Star - Lee-Anne Goodman,
Canadian Press
(Nov. 9, 2006) Rick Mercer is still giddy about his "sleepover" at 24
Sussex Drive, in reality a couple of hours at the prime ministerial residence
hanging out with Stephen Harper and his children. The show earned The
Rick Mercer Report its second-highest ratings in its three-year existence,
drawing close to a million viewers on Halloween night. Teamed up with This
Hour Has 22 Minutes, the two shows are beating the American fare they
compete against every Tuesday night from 8 to 9 p.m. ET in the ratings — a
herculean feat for Canadian programming. "It's been a great
year," says Mercer, sipping on a cafe latte in an east-end bistro.
"Every time you finish a show you think: `I'll never get another show like
that,' and every time the season ends, you think you'll never have another
season as good as that one. "But this season I feel like we're just
totally in a groove and everything is clicking." With increasing
success has come, perhaps, some increasing scrutiny. The Newfoundlander is
suddenly taking some heat. Terry Mosher, the cartoonist known as Aislin,
skewered Mercer for the sleepover. The Toronto Sun has accused him of
being too nice to Bob Rae — they went skinny-dipping earlier this season — and
says he's much harder on Liberal leadership rival Michael Ignatieff, an odd
charge given Ignatieff has been deftly providing ammunition for comics and
political observers across the country throughout his run for the helm of the
party. Mercer is sanguine, and points out he's an entertainer, not a
journalist.
"I was happy to be in an Aislin cartoon, actually," Mercer says.
"But my job first and foremost is creating a comedy show. I've spent time
with Preston Manning, Jean Chrétien, Paul Martin, Brian Mulroney and Ralph
Klein. It's my job. You can't satisfy all the people all the time."
Not even children. One young boy approached Mercer backstage as he recently
hosted the Governor-General's Performing Arts Awards in Ottawa and told him to
do away with his show's popular "rant" segment — the trademark Mercer
gripe session that he does, remarkably, without an edit. "He was
nine or 10, and he came up to me and said `I like your show, but I find your
rants really boring. I like when you're a fireman and you drive the cars, but I
don't like it when you're talking, so please stop,' " Mercer says with a
laugh. The boy appears to be in the minority. At a recent business
luncheon where Richard Stursberg, the CBC's executive vice-president of English
television, lauded Mercer's ratings heroics, some in the crowd wondered why the
public broadcaster doesn't take advantage of his popularity and turn The
Rick Mercer Report into a daily affair in the style of the popular U.S. hit
The Daily Show With Jon Stewart. Mercer isn't so sure about that
idea.
"My favourite part of the show is travelling Canada," he says. ``It's
the adventures I love. I couldn't shoot in Iqaluit, Vancouver, etc., and do
five days a week." In fact, he adds, it's seeing Canada first-hand
and allowing others to see it through the Mercer Report that is such a
gratifying part of the show. "Going up to northern Manitoba and
seeing all the polar bears — that was phenomenal. That's a great trip that
every Canadian should take. It's just fantastic." Hanging with
politicians is also a thrill, says Mercer, especially for "a political
junkie and a nerd like me. I just can't believe I'm doing it
sometimes." Arranging to spend time with the politically powerful,
however, is not always so easy — and setting up the Harper shoot was a case in
point. "It was certainly a lengthy and complicated
negotiation," he says with a wry smile. "Sometimes I felt like I was
brokering a Middle East peace treaty. It was very complicated. Just standing
next to the prime minister was a big deal, never mind sleeping over at 24
Sussex Drive — and even though I didn't actually sleep there, I might as well
have." Harper, he said, performed admirably during the segment,
making Mercer a sandwich and tucking him in for a bedtime story — the federal
Accountability Act. "There's that old adage that the most important
thing in politics is appearing sincere, and if you can fake that, you've got it
made," he said. "That also has to do with looking like a good sport
and having a sense of humour." As for any inside tidbits about life
at 24 Sussex? "The place is crawling with kittens," Mercer says
incredulously, referring to Laureen Harper's work as a foster mother for stray
cats and kittens. "There's kittens running around everywhere. The minute
you walk in the door, she's trying to get you to take a kitten. I had to say to
her as soon as I walked into the house: `I am not walking out of here with a
kitten, do you understand me?'
Taye Diggs Makes It To Day Break
Excerpt from www.eurweb.com
-
November 13, 2006) *Taye Diggs could’ve very well
started the whole
dark brothers being “in style” thing. The first time the ladies saw him
help Stella get her groove back in 1998, they knew there was a Winston
Shakespeare out there for them. He went on to solidify his sex
symbol status with numerous big screen hits like “The Best Man” and “Brown
Sugar.” He then landed his own television series “Kevin Hill” where the
ladies could get a weekly eye-full. Now again, Diggs is back with an
action packed series called “Day Break.” For the first time, we will see him test his physical
ability outside the bedroom. “I play a character named Hopper. He’s a
narcotics officer who’s basically caught in the worst day of his life,” he
explains. “…You have that, then running around the block a hundred times
and then jumping off a train and buildings blowing up and things of that
nature. I’ve never really gotten an opportunity to play a serious
unadulterated action figure. And I’m very excited at that prospect.” The
first question that came to his mind is how does ABC expect to keep this type
of storyline from getting old? How can they sustain this show? And
obviously, the network was able to answer his questions. “When I heard it way
back, the earliest thing I heard that caught my attention is that this
character is caught in the same day and that immediately peaked my interest and
all the obvious questions came after that,” said Diggs. “Would it be
redundant? How are we gonna keep the storylines coming? And once
they were all explained to me, I thought it was a very unique and interesting
device. Obviously, [the writers] have all this thought out and they have
enough stories to last, I’m sure, eight years. But, Pauley Z. I call him,
the creator, he knows why these days keep repeating, but he’s not going to tell
anybody until the end of the series.”
He agrees with the handling of the mysterious reasoning behind the day
repeating. He feels it would be in the best interest of the show. “I
think it’s a great tactic because then you give away the mystery. Why
would people watch if they knew?” he said. “‘Oh well, he’s caught in the
same day because space aliens came and took over his brain.’ I think the
more mysteries surrounding the subject the better….It has nothing to do with
the sedative that has been given to him. And it has nothing to do with
his own psyche. But those are the only two clues that Pauley said.
I think those would be a little too easy. I think that would be the first
place you’d tend to go.” A lot of people were surprised at the demise of Kevin
Hill. He now knows what may have been the problem behind the scenes and
hopefully, can carry that knowledge to his new set. “I thought
[Kevin Hill] was a great idea in the beginning and then it slowly kind of
inched away from that. And it was a fight,” admitted Diggs. “That’s
one of the things that were so frustrating was that I was fighting very hard
[because I was a producer on that show as I am on this one] for it to stay on
line with the pilot and then slowly it became softer and then people started
getting fired and hired and cast choices were a little whack, but it was a
learning experience.”
Taye Diggs, whose real name is Scott Diggs is the eldest of five. He said
that “Taye” got started from the nickname “Scottaye.” In “How Stella Got
Her Groove Back,” Diggs left many thinking that he hailed from Jamaica when in
fact he is from Rochester, NY. He received a BFA degree in musical
theatre from Syracuse University. He got his start in theatre with
the five-time Tony Award winning play “Carousel." But now that he’s back
on television, the question is will he ever return to theatre. “I was thinking
about that the other day dancing around in my kitchen,” he laughed. “At least
with Kevin Hill they were always talking about the idea of him singing karaoke
or dancing for his little daughter or something… I’m 35 years old and I’ve been
doing [theatre] for quite some time. I’ll never ever wanna stop doing
it. But as far as television is concerned and my image and the perception
that goes along with the name Taye Diggs, I’m kind of looking forward to having
this character portray that.” Sorry ladies, in case you didn’t know, Diggs is
married with two cats and a dog. He met his wife, Idina Menzel, while
starring in the original Broadway production of "Rent." She’s
currently working in NY while he’s trying out L.A. for size. But he
certainly misses New York. “New York is my home. I’m living here right
now for work, but I’m trying to reprogram my mind in the hopes that the show
will continue and I will have to live here in L.A.” Diggs is both
penetrating and convincing on the big screen. His theatre background has
given him a strong foundation and theory that he lives by.
“I tend to be more cerebral, more heady than I need to be. It forces me
to just be in the moment and focus on one problem at a time. Because as
human beings, we can only try to solve one problem at a time. We can
never truly be feeling two things at the same time, so as long as I keep
reminding myself it makes the job easier,” explained Taye. “I remember in
acting classes, so many people saying I’m feeling this, but it’s mixed with
this and then it’s mixed with and then the acting teacher would always say ‘No,
you play one thing at a time and then you take it from there.’ So
I’m going to let that guide me throughout the series." The show will list
Taye Diggs as both the star and one of the producers. He is looking
forward to giving his input and being a part of this experience that is new to
him and his fans. “I am flattered in that I think the creators and the network
and the studio realized that since I’m going to be such a major part of the
show that it would help and it would best behove everyone to just every once in
a while lend me their ear and that’s exactly what I plan to do,” he said.
“I have no intentions of coming and trying to run things it’s just if I feel
strongly, mostly about the character, the character that I’m playing, the
choices that the writers or some of the directors are making, I can voice
them. As of now, these first three episodes, I can’t imagine that it’s
going to be that difficult.” Day Break premieres on ABC Wednesday, November 15
at 9pm.
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Franklin Out Of His Shell
Excerpt from The
Toronto Star - Kristin Rushowy, Toronto Star
(Nov. 13, 2006) After 20 years, Franklin is still counting by twos and tying
his shoes. Since he was introduced to Canadian children in the book Franklin
in the Dark two decades ago, the beloved turtle has overcome the same
growing pains as his young fans: conquering a fear of thunderstorms, nervously
starting school, learning not to be so bossy with friends, coping with a really
bad day and braving a stay in hospital. That's what most credit for the
success of the series, which has sold 60 million books and spawned a television
series, DVDs and a loyal fan base around the world. Franklin even has his own
garden on Centre Island and, late next month, a movie premiere — in France —
for Franklin and the Turtle Lake Treasure (no release date has been
announced for the English version). "Everything in the stories, the
situations, the children identify with," says Mississauga kindergarten teacher
Dolly Fox, who has taught a unit on Canadian authors that focuses on the Franklin
series for almost as long as the books have been around. "They love the
stories and the illustrations" and even come to consider Franklin a
friend, she adds. The Franklin phenomenon here is comparable to
the Arthur phenomenon in the U.S., a book and television series about an
aardvark and his family and friends. While the series are different, the common
thread is a main character dealing with everyday problems. Arthur is
celebrating its 30th anniversary. This Saturday, a 20th anniversary bash
is planned for Franklin at Toronto's Lorraine Kimsa Theatre for Young People,
with a reading by author Paulette Bourgeois and an art demonstration by
illustrator Brenda Clark. Franklin is set to make an appearance.
Clark says she got goosebumps when she first saw the manuscript for Franklin
in the Dark. "I thought it was so full of imagination," she
says of the story about the young turtle who is too afraid to go into his own
shell. "I knew it had to be a turtle that wasn't realistic,"
Clark says in an interview from her home in Port Hope. "So I put a T-shirt
on him. I wanted him to look like a human, like a boy, so children could relate
to his emotions, the expressions on his face, see what he's feeling. So he is a
little bit like a boy, a bit like a turtle." As Franklin's friends
were introduced — like best friend Bear, Beaver, Fox, Snail, Goose — Clark had
to work at making them animate. It involved a lot of research at the library.
"I made the faces recognizable as a human," she says, "but still
physically like an animal." When Franklin made friends with the new
kid on the block, Moose, "it was a scale challenge." Her favourite
character, though, is at the other end of the size scale: Snail. Because he
doesn't have limbs, she used his eyes, or the way he bent his neck, to show
emotion. One treat she drew for eagle-eyed fans was little mice.
"They're in some of the books," she says, including Franklin's
Halloween. "I didn't want to force it — only if there was room and it
made sense. It's for kids to discover on the side, they can make up their own
tale about how they got there." Clark and Bourgeois collaborated on
about 30 titles but no longer work on Franklin books, which are now
based on the television series. The duo's final book was Franklin Says I
Love You.
"Paulette and I thought the series was complete," Clark says.
"We felt good about what we'd done and felt it was time to
stop." In the beginning, it took Clark seven to nine months to
illustrate one book; when demand grew for up to four a year, she hired an
underpainter to help. Franklin in the Dark continues to be the one
she cherishes most. "It's just one of those ones that's very special; it's
a classic story." Kids Can Press picked up Franklin in the Dark
after six other publishers rejected it, Bourgeois says. She did not write it
with a series in mind. "If you had told me then that Franklin would
become a series of books, a friend to millions of children around the world and
a player in the Canadian entertainment industry, I would have thought it more
fantastical than a turtle who walks to the far north and back before
supper." For the past 18 years, Fox has taught her young charges at
St. Vincent de Paul Catholic elementary school about Bourgeois and Clark, and
uses Franklin as the class mascot from the start of the school year.
"I run a really peaceful program," Fox says. "I know Franklin is
a character who encourages positive play; even if he has troubles with friends
he solves it by talking, which I promote in class. He's a lovely role
model. "It's interesting that with so many `modern' distractions
like videogames, superheroes like Pokémon and movies ... simple stories with
colourful illustrations can still capture their interest after 20 years,"
she says.
Have Producers Found The Formula?
Excerpt from The Globe and Mail -
Mark Medley
(Nov. 15, 2006) When The Eleventh Hour went off the air in
March of 2005, Globe and Mail television critic John Doyle elegized it as a
"show that was always lively and should have had a longer life."
Despite barely making it to a second season, it was nominated for 41 Gemini
Awards, and won best dramatic series in two of its three seasons. It had great
reviews, featured recognizable Canadian actors, yet failed to find an audience,
drawing an average of 500,000 viewers, not enough to justify the reported
$1.1-million it cost per episode. Now, 18 months later, much of the creative
team behind that critically acclaimed drama has reunited for Would Be Kings, an original,
$7-million miniseries, the first from CTV since 2004's Lives of the Saints.
It's Tuesday afternoon on the Hamilton set of Would Be Kings, and
director David Wellington has had it with the airplanes flying overhead.
They're right in the middle of filming a pivotal scene between actors Currie
Graham and Ben Bass, when a rumbling rises in the headsets. "I must be the
unluckiest [expletive] in the world," Wellington mutters after calling
cut. It's the third plane to ruin a take in the span of 20 minutes. Luck. It's
something the cast and crew of Would Be Kings are hoping will change.
With any luck, they've found a successful formula for Canadian drama. The
story, loosely based on Henry IV Parts 1 and 2, revolves around two
cousins, both police officers, dealing with corruption on the force. It has a
big budget, recognizable actors, and a gritty plot. The question is, will
anyone watch? To invest that much money into a Canadian production is always a
gamble, with Canadian one-hour dramas constantly fighting for viewers. Shows
such as The Eleventh Hour and This Is Wonderland captured Geminis
and critical acclaim but failed to capture an audience. It's a problem that Would
Be Kings writer and executive producer Tassie Cameron often ponders.
"God. We sit around having cocktails talking about this practically once a
week. It's the grand mystery and obviously having worked on one of those
critically acclaimed series [The Eleventh Hour] it's not only just a
mystery, it's a heartbreaking mystery," says Cameron the following week.
"It is a kind of profound disappointment that does make you want to go
some place that, if you're going to work that hard, at least people are going
to see it. Or, at else you're going to cry all the way to the bank." One
potential solution is to develop more miniseries or incorporate the BBC model
of limited-run series (Would Be Kings started out as six one-hour
episodes.) Cameron and co-writer Esta Spalding both point to the six-part BBC
series State of Play as an influence. "When we started this
process, we were all really inspired by the British model," Cameron says.
"Maybe that is something that could be scheduled and promoted and financed
and written well that would suit what Canada is looking for . . . I do think
there's something potentially really interesting about miniseries or limited
series as a model for future Canadian programming." "I like the idea
of doing more limited series," says executive producer Ilana Frank "I
love the idea of six hours. The British series that are done like that are
fantastic. "I actually thought that the CBC had an opportunity to go that
way and maybe use the British model, use the American HBO model," she
continues. "That would have been exciting for me. But I don't see that
happening and that's too bad . . . I don't know what the future for that is
here . . . it seemed that was the perfect thing for [the CBC] to do."
While with limited-run series and miniseries the small number of episodes means
less advertising dollars, there is potential to profit on other formats, including
DVD. "That's what we're trying with this," says Would Be Kings writer
and executive producer Esta Spalding. "If you can make it good and put a
good cast in it, it will find an audience, even if it ends up finding that
audience on DVD."
The consensus seems to be the problem runs deeper than format. Wellington draws
parallels between Canadian television and cinema. "I personally think the
difficulty Canadian TV has is not dissimilar to the difficulty Canadian cinema
has," Wellington says. "Generally, if you're going to build an
audience in Canada on a TV show, you're going to have to build loyalty based on
the show alone. In America, people will go to a new TV series because of who's
in it. They have a star system and we don't." "It's hard to build a
star system," sighs Cameron. "People in Canada are almost disdainful
of the notion of a Canadian star. It seems like a contradiction to many people.
You sit there trying to cast these shows and you're searching the databases for
Canadians who are living in L.A. who would be willing to come up and work for
peanuts." "Canada's got this thing about not wanting to become part
of the States, and yet, I've heard since I've been here, 'Oh, it's for CTV,'
" says actress Natasha Henstridge, who was cast as Graham's wife in the
series. "They have a stigma already attached to the Canadian programming,
and I think it's really sad be because with that kind of attitude towards
Canadian programming, it's not going to get any better." Then, besides
tinkering with format, what will it take for Canadians to watch homegrown
television? Cameron rattles off a list of problems: "I think a lot of it's
money. I think a lot of it's scheduling. I think a lot of it's promotion,"
she says. "But, I don't want to be one of those creative types who's
always pointing the finger at networks or broadcasters saying 'It's your fault
you don't promote it.' Obviously, we're not doing something right." It
comes down to money, Graham says. This year's CRTC (Canadian Radio-television
and Telecommunications Commission) report revealed that while $401.5-million
was spent on foreign drama, only $86.6-million was spent on Canadian drama.
"How much money are they willing to take from their advertising revenue
and how much are they willing to put back into Canadian programming?" he
asks. "I mean, it's risky, because it's a lot safer to buy a season of Desperate
Housewives or CSI because they know they're going to get numbers,
they're going to generate revenue from advertising, and they're going to make
their money." "Somebody asked me, 'Do you come back here to support
the Canadian film industry?' I said 'Absolutely not. I come back here because
there's good product,' " says Graham, who grew up only a few houses down
from the Would Be Kings set. "I think something like Da Vinci's really
showed us that a show that's done inexpensively, and with great Canadian
actors, can find an audience. The network has to believe in it and leave it on
long enough," Spalding says. Bass thinks there's money out there, it's
just a matter of networks having confidence in the Canadian television
industry. "I think it's a question of people being willing to take the
risk of saying, 'Look. Here's the money. We believe in what you're going to do.
Go do it.' "
TV TIDBITS
TV Movie About Black, Amiel To Air Dec. 4
Excerpt from The Toronto Star - Canadian
Press
(Nov. 9, 2006) Shades of Black, the eagerly anticipated TV movie about Conrad Black and his wife, Barbara
Amiel, will air Dec. 4 on CTV. The movie, starring Albert Schultz as
Black and Lara Flynn Boyle as Amiel, is based on the Richard Siklos book of the
same name. Shot in Toronto a year ago, the docudrama also stars Jason Priestley
of Beverly Hills 90210 as fictional reporter Jeff Sargeant. The
announcement of an air date comes as the most recent book on the couple, Conrad
and Lady Black: Dancing on the Edge by British writer Tom Bower, hits
bookstores across the country. Shades of Black tells the story of
the business tycoon's fall from grace after being charged with civil fraud by
the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. Black has steadfastly denied any
wrongdoing.
Axed Show Switches Sides
Excerpt from The Globe and Mail -
Gayle Macdonald
(Nov. 10, 2006) The hockey mockumentary The
Tournament apparently
wasn't good enough for CBC-TV. But now the Fox network in the United States
feels the concept will work fine south of the border. Months after Canada's
public broadcaster, the CBC, axed the show after its second season, Fox has
decided to hire the same people who did the Canadian version -- only make this
farcical drama about America's national sport, baseball. Veteran TV executive
Thomas Schlamme (The West Wing, Sports Night) has been hired as
executive producer of the Fox version. The network has also recruited Howard
Busgang, Howard Nemetz and Marty Putz -- three guys behind the creation of the
original Tournament on CBC, which aired in the U.S. last spring on the
cable channel Versus (formerly OLN). Yesterday, CBC did not return calls for
comment. There may not have been huge numbers of fans watching The
Tournament, but those who did get hooked on the miniseries loved the
program that proudly depicted "appallingly petty adult behaviour" of
the parents who were bickering and feuding over the hard-working tykes who make
up the Farqueson Funeral Home Warriors, based in a fictitious Ontario town.
Putz and Busgang (both of whom live in Los Angeles but were born and bred in
Canada) convinced the CBC that there were enough rink rats who could identify
with the ultracompetitive nature of the minor leagues. Now, they've taken the
same sales pitch to Fox, which has placed a firm order for some scripts about
the fisticuffs, politics and cussing that goes on with equal abandon in the
world of midget-sized baseball in small-town America.
::THEATRE NEWS::
How The Rockettes Pull Off Their Famed Precision Chorus Line
Excerpt from The Globe and Mail -
Paula Citron
(Nov. 14, 2006) The world-famous Rockettes — the very
word conjures up the image of a chorus line of beauties in perfect symmetry.
And now the troupe, complete with complex tap routines and precision eye-high
kicks, is coming to Canada when The Radio City Christmas Spectacular
opens at Toronto's Hummingbird Centre Tuesday night. The show is one of seven
touring productions in North America that are clones of the famous annual
production at New York's legendary Radio City Music Hall. Toronto audiences
will now get to experience beloved numbers like Parade of the Wooden
Soldiers, Rag Dolls and Living Nativity. The Rockettes first
arrived in New York from St. Louis, Mo., as the Missouri Rockets, to take part
in the inaugural show at Radio City in 1932. They never left. Since then, the
fabled dancers have become a lure for young girls everywhere who want to be on
the stage. Brampton's Krista Saab, 30, and Windsor's Jocelyne Levesque, 22, are
two Canadian Rockettes in their fourth and fifth season respectively. Says
Saab: “The energy and history of the Rockettes are tangible things. When I go
out onstage, it brings tears to my eyes and stops the heart for a second.” And
Levesque adds: “We can't help but smile back because we can feel the audience
smiling at us. It's the kind of show that makes adults feel like children
again.” Saab had dreamed about becoming a Rockette since she was 15, when she
stood on the Radio City stage during a tour of the theatre. She successfully
auditioned after a show career on cruise ships and in touring musicals.
Levesque's Rockette epiphany happened after seeing the Detroit version of the Christmas
Spectacular when she was 17. She auditioned and was one of the very few to
join the line at 18, the minimum age, when she was still in Grade 13. Life as a
Rockette appears to be a subculture of contented women where sisterhood reigns
supreme, despite the gruelling 84-performance run (there are 13 shows a week).
Saab and Levesque believe their happy dispositions are rooted in the fact that
Rockette management courts the all-rounders — intelligent women with strong
personal identities and highly developed outside interests.
The Rockette contract runs for three months, with 36 dancers in the New York
line (to fill the huge stage of the 6,000-seat Radio City) and 18 dancers in
each touring show. During the nine off-months, dancers frequently appear in
Rockette community and charity outreach programs on a volunteer basis, but they
are also encouraged to broaden their horizons, financed by the Rockettes'
“Future Kicks” program. Levesque is taking accounting courses at the University
of Windsor, while Saab is currently studying French. The company also pays for
any off-season classes to stay in shape and approves of their appearing in
Broadway and touring shows (providing they can arrange a three-month leave of
absence from them). Clearly, management regards its dancers as an investment.
According to the women, the two-day auditions are brutal and must be endured
every year. The height requirements are 5 feet 6 inches to 5 feet 10 inches,
and the dancers must be trained in ballet, tap and jazz. On day two, the
survivors have routines from the show thrown at them, and only the quickest
studies make the cut. To create the famed precision that's the Rockette
hallmark, the stage is divided into a grid with floor patterns made up of four
different coloured lines, and the numbers 1 (at centre stage) to 40 on each
side. Thus, once the choreography is learned, the exact positioning is
determined by “toeing”, “heeling” or “arching” the lines, and standing “drug,”
“urg” or “fur.” In plain English, one dancer may have to place her toe on the
blue line at No. 20 while downstage (drug), while another's heel is on the
green line at No. 37 farthest upstage (fur). Surprisingly, when they are
performing their high kicks, they just “feel the fabric” and never touch each
other directly. Instead, each dancer supports her own weight, which gives
stability to the line. An assistant choreographer (an ex-Rockette) is always in
the audience taking notes to ensure the identical look and positioning. “You
need strong peripheral vision in this game,” Levesque says. The illusion of
sameness is created by having the tallest woman as the centre pivot. At 5 foot
9, Saab is usually the centre, or one from centre. To her falls the
responsibility of taking the tiny steps to form the axis of the famed wheel
that the women make performing the beloved Parade of the Wooden Soldiers,
a routine in the Rockettes' repertoire since 1933.
Levesque, at 5 foot 8, is close to the middle. The dancers have only three
onstage requirements. They must wear false eyelashes and a bright red lipstick
of their own choosing, and be able to put their hair in a French twist. Each
can choose in which city she would like to appear, and many select theatres
near their homes. All Rockettes receive the same pay, no matter where they
perform. The eight different costume changes in the course of a show are
intense, according to Saab and Levesque, some as short as 90 seconds. In the
segue from Wooden Soldiers to their Santa costumes for Christmas in
New York, each dancer unzips the woman in front to make life easier for the
dressers. Sometimes in the hurly-burly, mistakes can happen. Saab once ended up
in the wrong starched soldier pants of a shorter dancer that were floods on
her. Theatrically, things can go wrong as well. Levesque remembers when three
shows worth of snow fell in one scene and the blizzard created white-out
conditions for the dancers. Each Rockette gets a Radio City Music Hall lunch
pail to pack food for the theatre. One can't be anorexic and be a Rockette, and
during the physical intensity of three months of rehearsals and shows, they
consume huge amounts of everything from fruit to chocolate and from hamburgers
to pizza. As a final note, the woman point to a Rockette bonus the public would
never think of. “In terms of dance opportunities, for example, Holland America
has 20 cruise ships, but only three are tall-girl ships,” Saab says. “In other
words, the Rockettes have always been the saving grace for tall dancers.” The
Radio City Christmas Spectacular runs at Toronto's Hummingbird Centre until
Dec. 31 (416- 416-870-8000).
Final Act Is Revenge For The Living Ghosts Of A Chorus Line
Excerpt from The Toronto Star - Richard Ouzounian
(Nov. 11, 2006) There are ghosts in the wings of the Gerald Schoenfeld
Theatre these days, and they cast an eerie chill on the revival of A Chorus Line that's playing
there. Some are the spirits of the deceased, like authors James Kirkwood
and Nicholas Dante, lyricist Edward Kleban and — most of all — the man who
conceived, staged and choreographed the whole thing, Michael Bennett. But
even more haunted are the phantoms of those people — all still living — who
gave their souls to create this show, and who now have to watch imperfect
versions of themselves go through the motions of what was once so close to
them. More than any other show, A Chorus Line wasn't made up so
much of songs and dances as it was of the bits and pieces of people's
lives. Bennett came up with the concept — life as an audition — and it
was brilliant. His subsequent idea was perhaps morally questionable, but
it certainly paid off with rich artistic rewards. He gathered a bunch of
dancers together in an all-night bull session in January, 1974, and taped the
stories they told about their lives. He would repeat this process several times
— prompting, exploring, selecting — and finally he put his company
together. Although there were cases where certain actors would wind up in
roles that bore no relationship to their actual lives, most of the original
cast were "on the line" in every sense of the word. They were playing
themselves. When A Chorus Line opened on Broadway in 1975 and went
on to run for nearly 15 years, it made a lot of people rich — but not the
members of the original cast.
Without them, there would have been no show. But they signed away their financial
interest for one-half per cent of the weekly gross, and the same amount of the
subsidiary rights, pooled and then distributed according to how much they
contributed to the show. Divided among 37 dancers, it didn't amount to
all that much and, as the show became increasingly successful, the hurt seemed
to grow exponentially. A kind of curse also settled on the performers
connected with the original show. None of them ever knew such success again.
Many of them never appeared in another Broadway show. And while there are
exceptions to the rule, like Kelly Bishop who still lords it imperiously over
her brood as matriarch Emily Gilmore in The Gilmore Girls, most of them
are now just fading footnotes to musical comedy history. When the current
revival was announced, most of them assumed their original royalty arrangement
would kick in again. After all, it was being produced by John Breglio,
Bennett's lawyer, and Bob Avian, Bennett's assistant, would direct. Yet,
due to a loophole in the 1975 agreement, no royalties had to be paid to the
original cast and so the wounds were ripped open once again. But this
time, in a way, the original cast got their retribution. The current revival
is as close to a picture-perfect copy of the 1975 version as possible, but it
lacks the fire and heart of the original. I remember seeing that
production, which probably still ranks as one of the most thrilling theatrical
nights in my life. The show made me laugh, caused me to weep and filled me with
compassion for everyone on the stage.
This time around, I watched calmly, dispassionately. It's not what I wanted to
have happen, but it was the only possible response to what I was seeing.
Interestingly, the roles that were most closely associated with their creators
were the ones that disappointed the most as well. Natalie Cortez, as
Diana, is a pale shadow of Priscilla Lopez, whose original description of
suffering at the hands of an unsympathetic acting teacher in the song
"Nothing" was like a razor blade that cut both user and victim.
Kelly Bishop was coldly magnificent as the Zena-esque showgirl, Sheila, showing
us deep reservoirs of pain, while the current inhabitant of the role, Deidre
Goodwin, only offers us anger and attitude. But the greatest loss is felt
in the pivotal role of Cassie, the girl who made it from the chorus to stardom,
only to fall back again. In the hands of Donna McKechnie — who later married
Bennett — her show-stopping "The Music and the Mirror" became a
cathartic piece of self-revelation. In the hands of the merely adequate
Charlotte d'Amboise, it's just another Broadway number. There are
exceptions, such as Mara Davi's luminous Maggie and Ken Alan's cheeky Bobby,
but in almost every other case, it's like watching the undead sing and
dance. "Revenge is a dish best served cold," goes the old
proverb, and it doesn't get much colder than this revival of A Chorus Line. It's
finally payback time for all those ghosts that have been waiting in the wings.
Tapping Into Broadway Glory
Excerpt from The Toronto Star- Richard Ouzounian
(Nov. 14, 2006) They met on the isles of Greece and now
they're reunited on the rooftops of London. Toronto performers Nicolas Dromard and Kevin Yee first worked together
in the original Toronto company of Mamma Mia! as Eddie and Pepper.
Then they went their separate ways for a while, but now they're back in the
chorus of Mary Poppins, the Cameron Mackintosh-Disney extravaganza that opens on
Broadway Thursday night. After clowning around for the photographer, they
try to settle down in a coffee shop on 42nd St., down the block from the New
Amsterdam Theatre where their show is currently in previews, but the youthful
energy of the pair can't be contained. "I don't think I've ever been
so excited in my life!" enthuses Yee with wide-eyed wonder. "Of
course," he adds, "it is my first Broadway show." But even
the more-experienced Dromard, with Gotham shows like Oklahoma! and The
Boy from Oz on his résumé admits to feeling the buzz. "You're
working with some of the major talents in the theatre world — Cameron
Mackintosh, Richard Eyre, Matthew Bourne — no wonder everybody on Broadway is
buzzing about this one." And they are. It's not just the fact that Mary
Poppins is arriving from across the Atlantic with a lot of impressive
London reviews, but the New York season has been depressingly lacklustre so
far, with show after show failing to excite the critics — not even the revival
of Mackintosh's own mega-hit Les Miserables.
"We have the feeling there's a lot riding on this," admits
Dromard, "but you can't think about that. You just go out onstage and do
your best." The 26-year-old Dromard has already amassed an
impressive number of credits in his relatively brief career. Born in Ottawa to
a francophone family ("I didn't speak English until I was 7"), his
life changed the day he first saw a Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers movie on
TV. "I started tap dancing up and down the halls at school, and my
teacher finally called up my mother and said `You've got to get him some
lessons or something. He's driving us crazy.'" Dromard's mother
followed his advice and then "it all started snowballing," as the
young performer recalls. "I studied dance, I joined the choir, I started
doing community theatre I did The Tin Soldier with the Ottawa ballet. I
was going night and day." Right after he left high school, he found
himself at the Stratford Festival, dancing in West Side Story. Then came
Mamma Mia! and his two Broadway gigs in Oklahoma! and The Boy
from Oz, where Hugh Jackman hit his butt with a pair of maracas every night
during the curtain call. He's also appeared in Toronto with the touring
companies of Hairspray and Wicked, but now he's ecstatic to be
back on Broadway doing Mary Poppins. "I've just been riding
the wave," he says gratefully. "Every year of my life every show just
keeps getting better and better." The path has been a little more
varied, but just as exciting, for Kevin Yee. He was born in Vancouver in
1982 and was interested in show business "from the very beginning. My mom
put me in dance lessons when I was 4, I did my first show when I was 6 (The
King and I with Rudolf Nureyev) and I've been going strong ever since then."
When he was still a teenager he spent two months dancing in the chorus of the
Donny Osmond tour of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, but
then his other love, music, took centre stage. At the age of 15, he
joined the Los Angeles-based boy band Youth Asylum and spent three years
touring and recording with them. But he found himself at the end of his rope
with "manufactured boy-band hell" and so he dropped out of show
business for nearly a year before resurfacing in Mamma Mia! During
his run with the hit ABBA show, he released his first solo album, Kev Was
Here, but says, "Broadway is where my heart is right now. You have to
be at the right place at the right time and just go for it." Both
Yee and Dromard love tackling Bourne's choreography, with Dromard calling it
"the most challenging dancing I've ever done." And as Yee
reveals, "I've never tapped before in my life and now every night,
onstage, I have a moment when I say to myself `What am I doing? Why am I tap
dancing in front of all these people?'" He gets his answer when he
looks out at the audience. "It's such a rush for them. They feel inspired
and that inspires you as well."
‘Chicago' Celebrates 10 Years On Broadway With Starry Gala
Excerpt from The Globe and Mail -
Michael Kuchwara, Associated Press
(Nov. 15, 2006) NEW YORK — There was more razzle-dazzle
than usual Tuesday in the razzle-dazzle musical known as Chicago. Brooke. Melanie.
Chita. Bebe. Ashlee. And more. The longest-running revival in Broadway history
celebrated its 10th anniversary with a special gala performance that brought
out a parade of stars who had appeared in the show during the last decade. They
were there to play bits and pieces of all the major roles in the show. Applause
was prolonged right from the beginning of the black-tie evening at the
Ambassador Theatre. Composer John Kander, who wrote the show with Fred Ebb and
Bob Fosse, came on stage to speak the show's opening lines. He was followed by
Chita Rivera, who not only starred in the revival (in Las Vegas) but in the
original 1975 production. More than 30 years after she first belted out the
show's signature song, All That Jazz, Rivera did it again — to wild
cheers. Chicago tells the story of Roxie Hart, a conniving and murderous
chorine and her quest for celebrity. And there were a lot of former Roxies on
stage — from Ann Reinking who opened the revival in 1996, to Brooke Shields,
Ashlee Simpson, Paige Davis, Marilu Henner, Rita Wilson and Charlotte
d'Amboise. Reinking, who also choreographed the revival, received some of the
loudest applause when she appeared with Bebe Neuwirth (who played Roxie's
cohort in crime, Velma Kelly) for the show's finale. Yet the evening's most
endearing moment occurred as Melanie Griffith started to sing and dance the
song Roxie. A lighting malfunction caused a persistent loud flapping sound as
director Walter Bobbie raced to the foot of the stage. He asked Griffith to
begin the number again after the problem was fixed. “I guess this is take two,”
a game Griffith giggled as theatregoers roared their approval. There were
multiple Billy Flynns on stage, too. The opportunistic lawyer was portrayed not
only by the original, James Naughton, but by Gregory Harrison, Huey Lewis, John
O'Hurley, Kevin Richardson and Christopher McDonald, among others. “This is a
cast made in theatrical heaven,” said producer Barry Weissler after the scores
of performers took their tumultuous curtain calls. He was joined on stage by
Fran Weissler, his wife and co-producer, who summed up the evening by saying,
“Except for giving birth, this is the most exciting night of my life.”
::OTHER NEWS::
Artists On An Assembly Line
Excerpt from The Toronto Star - Murray
Whyte, Entertainment Reporter
(Nov. 10, 2006) Kim Dorland, a Toronto artist enjoying his first blush of
international success, has recently hewed to a rigid schedule: Get up. Paint.
Sleep. Repeat. "I'd burn out if I kept painting like this,"
says Dorland who, as soon as humanly possible, intends not to. But there are
miles to go before he sleeps: Paintings are needed for a slate of
fast-approaching solo shows in Chicago, Los Angeles, Milan and here at home.
And then there's the art fair circuit, a gaping maw of art buying that needs
more and more work to satisfy appetites. Our own Toronto International
Art Fair started last night, but it's a small stop on an increasingly crowded
circuit. Major fairs in Miami, London, New York, Los Angeles and Basel,
Switzerland, have fed on a robust international art economy, attracting
thousands of buyers and inciting acquisition frenzies. "I've been
painting as much for the art fairs as I have for shows," says Dorland, who
plans to have a presence at the Miami fair next month. "They're a great
way to have an international audience see your work. But yeah, I'm starting to
get a little tired." Dorland means not to complain: few artists are
able to enjoy art-making as a full-time job, let alone one that's brisk-paced
and profitable. But as Dorland, 32, has learned, in an increasingly overheated
world-wide art market, the demands of a voracious — and growing — community of
buyers is putting pressure on artists to produce more work, faster, than ever
before. According to Artprice, a Paris-based firm that tracks the art
economy, auction sales of contemporary art, a key market indicator, increased
by more than a third in the past year, to $250 million (U.S.). And there's
little doubt the fairs are driving demand.
After a decent showing at the Toronto fair last year, Jamie Angell, Dorland's
gallerist, decided to bypass the event this year, choosing instead to allocate
his time and money to larger fairs in the U.S. and Europe. It's a results-based
decision: A successful tour of the fairs last year netted a heavy catalogue of
demands for Dorland's kinetic, heavily textured works. Make no mistake: The
point of the exercise is to sell art, Angell says, but not recklessly.
"I'm very protective of my artists," he says. "This kind of
success is every artist's dream, but there are two sides to it. People are
hungry. They want to make hay while the sun shines. And you can make mistakes
because of that." It's a risk shared by buyer and artist alike. But
for the artist, more than money is at stake. A creative pursuit can start to
feel like a sweat shop, said Shary Boyle, a rapidly ascending Toronto artist
whose work will be represented at the Toronto fair. "There's this
constant demand for product. That's what you're made to feel like, because
there's so much emphasis on sales," says Boyle. She cites her unsettling
recent encounter with an art consultant, who counsels collectors on wise
investments. "He said, `How fast can you do these paintings?' I'd
never heard that before," Boyle says. He went on to spell out what her
current strategy should be in super-heated New York and London markets: she
should produce as much work as possible over a two- or three-year span to
maximize profits, before she dropped off and was no longer
"hot." "He was saying these things like it was totally
normal, and I was just shrinking," Boyle says. "I've always had this
romantic idea that you're an artist as a politic and an ethic, and that I'll be
doing it my entire life." Boyle has an ally in her gallerist Jessica
Bradley, who is showing her work at the Toronto fair this week. Bradley frets
that the exploding fair phenomenon, where the emphasis is on quick acquisition
rather than studied examinations of artists' entire careers, might be debasing
the field.
The quick sale stands in contrast to the traditional gallery system, she says,
where collectors develop relationships with dealers and artists over a period
of years. For many dealers in today's market, she says, "the gallery's
just a front for their activities at art fairs." Bradley was chief
curator of contemporary art at the Art Gallery of Ontario for many years before
she struck out on her own with her gallery, Jessica Bradley Art + Projects.
She's wary of over-exposing her artists to the market-driven minefield of the
international fair circuit, and buffers artists like Boyle from its
demands. "It's a huge danger," she says. "You have to be
careful not to let it run away with you when things are really good. And it
takes someone who's been around the block to resist it." Boyle has
had little trouble resisting the market's lure; her approach is simply to avoid
it. "So many artists become formulaic, and that's because of the market —
they become a brand, and they can't change," she says. Boyle works
in multiple disciplines — painting, drawing, music, film — and remains a moving
target, skirting the narrow demands of investment-minded buyers. If she can't
sidestep it, she simply vacates the scene for a time. Last year she rented a
small studio in a tiny town in Finland for eight months. "No one knew who
I was and no one cared," she said. Her success is neither modest nor
stratospheric. She's shown and exhibited at significant public galleries in
Canada and abroad; art is her full-time job. And she knows that is a rare
privilege. But she sometimes finds herself gripped with an odd yearning.
"I have so much nostalgia for being in my 20s, and no one giving a flying
crap about anything I did. I was making so much work, and I really progressed
as an artist," she says. "If it's really your heart and psyche
you're putting out there, you can't push it out like it's an assembly
line."
Canuck Yuks Fuel Sketch Comedy Fest
Excerpt from The
Toronto Star - Bruce Demara, Entertainment Reporter
(Nov. 13, 2006) A comic tradition with deep roots in Canada is staging a comeback.
Entering its second year, the four-day Toronto
Sketch Comedy Festival, which begins Wednesday,
features 29 troupes from places like New York, Los Angeles, Montreal and
Newfoundland, 50 per cent more than its debut year. It's part of a
revival of the comedy genre that is happening across the continent, said
festival co-producer Paul Snepsts. "Sketch is hot," said Snepsts, a
member of Toronto sketch troupe Boiled Wieners. "Sketch comedy is
definitely on the rise," said Alex Zalben of New York City's Elephant
Larry, a troupe formed almost five years ago by five former college
buddies. "We've had a crest of stand-up comedy, then a crest of
improv and now sketch comedy is just beginning its gigantic tsunami wave,"
Zalben said. Sketch comedy goes all the way back to Vaudeville, Snepstes
noted, featuring short, funny and often-bawdy skits, and continued in Canada
through CBC Radio in decades past. Look no further than The Frantics, The
Kids in the Hall, CODCO and SCTV to see the strong tradition that has always
existed in Canada, though it has been noticeably absent over the past
decade. Steve Cochrane, a member of the Dance Party of Newfoundland, said
his four-man troupe identified a comedic vacuum and decided to fill it.
"We just sort of decided Newfoundland's been renowned for sketch comedy,
there are no sketch comedy troupes on the go, we're all half-decently funny,
what don't we do something?" Cochrane said. "I think Canada's
ready to put the next generation out. There's a lot of audience (desire) for
it. It's great."
It's clear that there is some recent growth in public interest beyond
late-night TV fare like Saturday Night Live and MADtv. Brent
Skagford, whose troupe MANboy from Montreal is a relatively new player, said
audiences enjoy the "accessibility" of sketch. "You can
throw together stuff quite easily and people don't mind so much if your
production values are very low. They're much more forgiving when you're
changing hats every scene to put together a different character," Skagford
said. But in the Monty Python tradition, most sketch troupes are either
all-male or strongly dominated by men. Among the rare exceptions is Los
Angeles-based Keilly & Roeters, comprised of Kirsten Roeters and Suzanne
Keilly, who are coming to Toronto for the event. "That's how Suzanne
and I found each other. Both of us have played the girlfriend or the nurse or
the wife; we never got to do the funny roles even when we were in a sketch
comedy group," Roeters said. They turn their gender to their
advantage as part of their act. "Despite the fact that we're in pink
frilly underwear and all that, (our comedy) is considered incredibly dark.
We'll see what Toronto thinks," Roeters said. So what makes great
sketch comedy? Most agree it starts with the writing. "We're writers
first is the way we like to think about it. We start with a funny idea, we work
on that, we hone that and when it's absolutely perfect ... we tear it apart and
write it again," Zelban said. Eric Toth of the Imponderables — four
guys who met at Hamilton's Westdale Collegiate — said since sketches are generally
three to five minutes, keep it short, satirical and with a bit of a bite.
"It challenges society and can be a bit risky and edgy. I don't think it
should be safe," he added. Geography can occasionally play a role,
said the Newfoundland-born Cochrane. "Poverty's kind of hilarious. I
find that gets people looking to laugh a lot," said Cochrane, who openly
criticizes the province's government as "self-serving career
politicians." "If we didn't laugh, we'd kill ourselves,"
he added. Snepsts agreed. "My personal theory is that most comedy is
derived from identifying somebody else's suffering ... and being somehow happy
that it's not happening to you."
OTHER TIDBITS
IMPAC Prize Long List Includes 14 Canadians
Excerpt from The Globe and Mail
(Nov. 9, 2006) Toronto — Fourteen books by Canadians made the long list for the
IMPAC Dublin Literary Award
yesterday, including works by Margaret Atwood, David Bergen, Camilla Gibb and
David Gilmour. The prestigious prize is worth about $215,000. A shortlist of up
to 10 novels will be revealed in April, with the winner announced in June. The
Canadian books on the long list are: The Penelopiad by Margaret Atwood; The
Time in Between by David Bergen; Children of the Day by Sandra
Birdsell; Three Day Road by Joseph Boyden; An Audience of Chairs by
Joan Clark; George and Rue by George Elliott Clarke; The Lizard Cage by
Karen Connelly; The Wreckage by Michael Crummey; Drums of My Flesh by
Cyril Dabydeen; Sweetness in the Belly by Camilla Gibb; A Perfect
Night to Go to China by David Gilmour; A Forest for Calum, by Frank
Macdonald; Alligator by Lisa Moore; He Drown She in the Sea by
Shani Mootoo. Canadian Alistair MacLeod won the award in 2002 for his novel No
Great Mischief. Staff/CP
::SPORTS NEWS::
Kubina Reveals His Softer Side
Excerpt from The Globe and Mail -
Tim Wharnsby, Hockey Reporter
(Nov. 14, 2006) At 6 foot 4 and 244 pounds, Pavel
Kubina has the brute strength
to knock around opponents on the hockey rink. But when it comes to family, the
Toronto Maple Leafs defenceman turns to mush. A weary Kubina returned to the
Leafs' fold after spending four days in Prague last week for the birth of his
first child, a 7-pound 1-ounce daughter named Teresa. "It was hard for me
to leave," Kubina said. "It was an unbelievable feeling to be there.
I have to thank the Leafs for their great support in letting me go and my
teammates. They told me I shouldn't miss it because it is something great to
see. They were right." That's why Kubina threw caution to the wind when he
hired a private jet out of Boston to be there with his girlfriend, Andrea, last
Thursday. He couldn't reveal the total cost of his charter airfare because he
has yet to receive a bill. However, a conservative estimate from an airline
expert Tuesday put the dollar value at $150,000. "I know it will be pretty
expensive, but it's going to be worth it," he said. Children and family
have always been important to Kubina. He was raised by his parents, Vaclav and
Jigka, in a tight-knit family in the Czech Republic. He was extremely close to
his grandparents.
When Kubina began his National Hockey League career with the Tampa Bay
Lightning in the late 1990s, he became involved in the local Make-A-Wish Foundation
and instituted Kubina's Korner, in which he purchased more than 300 tickets for
each game that would be given to underprivileged children. He also spent time
with and raised awareness for terminally ill children and those with anger
management difficulties. He also helped teammates serve Thanksgiving dinner to
needy children. Initially, Kubina hoped his girlfriend would travel with him to
Toronto for training camp in September and give birth two months later in
Canada. But the couple's doctor back home advised against Andrea's flying to
Toronto. So Kubina met with Leafs general manager John Ferguson Jr. and coach
Paul Maurice two months ago to apprise them of the situation. The due date was
Nov. 13, which was in the middle of a four-day break for the Leafs, and the
Leafs' brass gave Kubina their blessing for him to return to the Czech Republic
for the birth. But that plan had to be scrapped when doctors decided the best
course was a cesarean section last Thursday. Kubina just missed the birth of Teresa,
but was there holding the baby when Andrea awoke. The family hopes to reunite
in two weeks if doctors give Andrea clearance to fly to Canada.
"Hopefully, she'll be here for Christmas," Kubina said. "It
would be hard to miss Christmas with our first child." The trip home
delayed Kubina's return from a knee injury by a couple games. He tried to stay
on Canadian time while in Prague so the transition would be smooth for his
first game back, in Boston against the Bruins Thursday. "It's been a long
five weeks," said Kubina, who missed 15 games. "I feel I've missed
the whole season. You can practise as much as you want, but it's not the same
as playing." Goaltender Andrew Raycroft won't play Thursday. He suffered a
mild left groin strain last Thursday and wants to make sure the injury has
completely healed before he returns to action. "It feels better every
day," he said. "I was hoping for Thursday, but we're not there yet.
Now I'll say I'm hoping for Saturday [when the Leafs play the New Jersey Devils
at home]." The Leafs made two roster moves Tuesday, assigning Staffan
Kronwall to the Toronto Marlies of the American Hockey League and seldom-used
Jay Harrison to the Marlies for a conditioning stint. Kronwall has recovered
from a high-ankle sprain that he suffered in training camp and will get into
game shape with the Marlies.
Jones Takes Job From MoPete
Excerpt from The Toronto Star - Doug Smith, Sports Reporter
(Nov. 14, 2006) OAKLAND, Calif. - Fred
Jones was dutifully running his
sprints before practice began here yesterday morning when Sam Mitchell beckoned
him to the side of the court. Jones had no idea what was coming: A
lecture on some transgressions he may have committed in the latest Raptor loss? Praise for at
least trying to bring some energy to the team's second unit? A promotion
was probably the last thing on Jones's mind but it's exactly what he got.
Making a move he said he should have considered coming out of training camp,
Mitchell elevated Jones to a starting role with the struggling Raptors at the
expense of veteran Morris Peterson. "What I think they're doing
putting me in the starting line-up is they want me to bring that mindset (from
the start) because we've had slow starts," Jones said after the Raptors
finished practicing for tonight's game here against the Golden State
Warriors. "I think the coaching staff is putting me there to keep
that same mindset of coming off the bench — be aggressive."
Mitchell, who has seen his team clobbered in the opening quarters of their two
most recent losses, said he probably should have been starting Jones all along.
The newly acquired 6-foot-2 guard had been Toronto's most consistent offensive
player in the pre-season but Mitchell relegated him to the bench.
"You're trying to balance your team and I just felt like if I brought Fred
off the bench, putting him in the backcourt with Jose (Calderon, the backup
point guard) — who's not as offensive-minded maybe as T.J. (Ford) — it would
balance out our team," said Mitchell. "It goes back to the old
saying, if guys earn it, they deserve it. "He earned it coming out
of training camp and I talked him into accepting a different role. Freddy's
been great about it ... but as you coach, you learn. What I've learned is, `You
know what, I should have gone that way in the beginning off how things went in
the pre-season.'" The question will be whether the move has any
negative impact on team chemistry, especially considering the Raptors have
suffered two disheartening losses in a row and the frustration level is
mounting noticeably.
Mitchell refused to openly criticize Peterson or his effort and Jones wasn't
biting at the issue, either. "I don't want to dwell on it because,
to me, we know why we're changing it but to me it does no good for a coach to
break down every little thing," said Mitchell. "I just think it's
necessary to maybe give us a little jump start. "It's not trying to
be dishonest to you guys (the media) but there's no way I can give the details
without offending one of my players." Peterson, who was upset at
sitting out the fourth quarter of a win over Philadelphia last week, had left
practice before Mitchell made the move public and wasn't around to discuss
it. Jones said he hopes it's enough to kickstart his teammate.
"When (Mitchell) told me, ... I didn't know who it was going to push out
of the line-up and of course, with us like a family and everyone close, you
don't want to see your teammate suffer or your teammate change," said
Jones. "Hopefully, the coaching staff sees something that that's going to
make that person who's not in the line-up play better." Statistically,
there's little difference in the two players although the perception is that
Jones was playing better. Peterson scores more points per game (14.5 to 11.3)
but plays more (32.7 minutes to 29.0). Jones shoots a better percentage from
the field (48.1 to 40) but Peterson has been more accurate from long range
(38.1 per cent to 35).
SPORTS TIDBITS
Hurricanes Reeling From Teammate’s Murder
Excerpt from www.eurweb.com
(November 10, 2006) *The Miami Hurricanes football team has
decided to continue on in the face of sudden tragedy after defensive lineman Bryan Pata was shot and killed
outside of his apartment. "They felt like Bryan would want to
practice. They felt like Bryan would want to play," Miami coach Larry
Coker told the Associated Press Wednesday after practice. "That's a
decision that we respected, and I think it's the right decision." On
Tuesday night, 22-year-old Pata was shot to death outside his off-campus
apartment, less than two hours after practice and an informal team dinner
ended. The 6-foot-4, 280-pound defensive lineman was found dead in the
apartment complex's parking lot when police arrived, and detectives ruled it a
homicide. As of press time, the shooter was still at large. Det. Roy Rutland,
spokesman for the Miami-Dade County Police Department, said cops searched
Pata's apartment for evidence. However, no details were provided regarding what
officers sought and what was found. "The investigators are following
all leads, and the release of any information at this time could compromise the
investigation," Rutland said Wednesday.
De La Hoya, Mayweather To Box For Big Bucks
Excerpt from The Toronto Star -
Associated Press
(Nov. 14, 2006) LAS VEGAS — Oscar De La Hoya and Floyd
Mayweather Jr. will meet in a highly
anticipated fight in May that could be one of boxing's richest bouts.
Mayweather, a Grand Rapids, Mich., native, will move up in weight for the
fight, which will be for De La Hoya's 70-kilogram title and will be held next
May 5 either in Las Vegas or Los Angeles. De La Hoya previously said the
fight would be the last in a pro career that began after he was the only U.S.
boxer to win a gold medal in the 1992 Olympics. He's the biggest box office
draw in boxing, though he has fought only sporadically in recent years.
Mayweather is generally regarded as the best pound-for-pound fighter in the
sport, and is coming off a near shutout win over Carlos Baldomir on Nov. 4 for
the 147-pound title. Though Mayweather dominated the bout, he was criticized
for not trying to knock out Baldomir. Following that fight, De La Hoya
gave Mayweather a week to come to terms if he wanted to fight him. Terms of the
agreement weren't disclosed. Richard Schaefer, the CEO of De La Hoya's
Golden Boy Promotions, said the fight has the potential to set records for
pay-per-view sales. The previous record was set when 1.99 million customers
bought the second Evander Holyfield-Mike Tyson heavyweight title fight in 1997.
Scarborough's Dawson Upstages Marinaro
Excerpt from The Globe and Mail -
James Christie
(Nov. 14, 2006) Even as an Ivy League football player, screen actor Ed
Marinaro was a tough act to follow, but
he's been upstaged by a Canadian. Harvard senior tailback Clifton Dawson, a native of
Scarborough, Ont., busted down the sideline and into the Ivy League record
books on the weekend when he broke Marinaro's 35-year rushing record in a game
against Penn. Dawson, who entered Saturday's game needing only 53 yards to
match Marinaro's all-time Ivy League rushing mark, set the new standard with
just his second carry of the day, a 55-yard run, in a losing cause as the Harvard
Crimson fell 22-13 to the Penn Quakers. Dawson finished the day with 119
rushing yards on 16 carries. The sure-handed Dawson has scored 19 touchdowns
this season and rushed 1,153 yards for a career mark of 4,781 yards. That
surpassed the 4,715 yards logged by running back Marinaro when he competed for
Cornell University from 1969-71. Dawson had a mere five fumbles in the first
700 carries of his university career. Harvard has built up a 7-2 record this
season and the school is hoping for a share of the Ivy League championship next
weekend in a match against rival Yale. Both Yale and Princeton have a single
loss this season. The 5-foot-10-inch, 210-pound senior, who came out of
Toronto's Birchmount Park Collegiate Institute, was lauded by coach Crimson coach
Tim Murphy as the epitome of a college footballer. "He's completely
reliable, truly and sincerely humble, classy, dignified, and I'm just very
happy for him, very proud of him. Not just for today but for his entire four
years," Murphy said. "He is the most durable, consistent and
productive football player I've coached in 20 years." "He's been a
wonderful ambassador for the Ivy League," Quaker coach Al Bagnoli added.
"He's a kid that you've got to respect his toughness, and you've got to
respect his ability and his overall talent." "The biggest thing is
that we lost this game," Dawson said. "They're an outstanding team.
This was one that we really needed, this was one that I really wanted for my
own individual goals. I wanted, first and foremost, to win an Ivy League
championship."
::FITNESS NEWS::
10 Ways to Avoid a Winter Exercise Funk
By Raphael Calzadilla, B.A, CPT, ACE, Glee
Contributor
I hate to be the bearer
of bad news, but guess who's peeking his head around the corner? Our good friend Old Man Winter is about to
make you yearn for those hot and humid summer days that you once complained
about. The change of season is never calm. Fall flashes by, and in
an instant -- boom! Suddenly it's winter. A new script: It’s too cold to
jog outside. It gets dark early, which brings on the blues. You’re annoyed by
all the layers of clothing you have to wear. Gym workouts lessen. You start
eating more junk food and going out less. You start to get fat -- ugh!
Winter! I have some real-world strategies to help you avoid a miserable
winter exercise funk. It’s not always easy, but if you have a plan and focus on
these tips, they'll help counter the winter blahs,
and actually empower you. The following are proven methods that have
worked for my personal training clients and me. You don’t have to use every
one; just pick a few and run with them. The mind responds best when it’s not
inundated, so select the few that feel right.
1. Plan a mid-winter vacation to a warm climate -- Someplace
where you can have fun and snorkel, swim, bike ride, go hiking, etc. Also,
write down a few goals related to what you want your body fat, weight and waist
measurement to be when you go on the trip. Keep those goals and the date of
your vacation posted on your refrigerator to motivate you. A lot of guys think,
“Nah, I don’t need to write goals" -- but I know for a fact that having
goals in your face every day works. It keeps you accountable and reminds you of
the road you're on.
2. Hire a personal trainer -- Just for the winter, hire a
personal trainer and make sure he/she trains you once or twice per week. You’ll
get the benefit of a structured workout program, as well as someone to monitor
your progress and motivate you to achieve a more fit body -- while everyone
else around you is getting fat. I like this tip, not just because I’m a
trainer, but because when human beings fork over some cash, they want to get
their money’s worth. If you can’t afford it, get a buddy and pay for joint
sessions with the trainer to lower the price tag.
3. Get a workout partner -- If you can’t find a friend, post a
message on your gym's bulletin board. Find someone who has similar goals and
try to work out with this person at least twice per week. Keep a workout
journal and try to improve on anything you achieved in the summer. If you know
you have to meet someone at the gym or for a tennis game at a specific time,
you’re bound to be accountable. This tip is really valuable on those cold, dark
evenings after work when you’re tempted to go home and munch on chips before
dinner. Amazing things start to happen if you work out when you don’t feel like
working out. You increase your internal strength and dedication, and it slowly
starts to catch fire.
4. Join a club -- There are many runner's clubs, walker's
clubs, etc. Find one that appeals to you. The camaraderie and scheduled
activities will be something you look forward to. You may just find yourself leaner and more athletic by the
end of the winter -- with a few more friends as well.
5. Get real -- It’s actually OK if you gain a little bit of
weight during the winter, but try not to let it go more than 5 pounds. When it
starts to get cold, your body’s natural physiological response is to provide
some insulation. This isn’t a bad thing; it’s simply your body preparing for a
cold winter. By not freaking out over 5 measly pounds, you’ll feel better about
yourself and be more realistic.
6. Scale back on workouts -- If you do find yourself slipping
into a winter funk, simply cut back on your workout time. For example, if
you’ve been consistently working out for an hour, three to four days per week,
cut back to 30 minutes. Don’t worry, you won’t get out of shape -- you'll stay
in shape. This simple technique will make going to the gym much less
intimidating during the dead of winter.
7. Consider getting some equipment for your home -- You don’t
need a fully operational gym -- just some dumbbells, a jump rope and a workout
tape for those nights when you have trouble getting to the gym. Remember, we’re
looking for every opportunity to keep you on the right track. Your mind will
play games with you during the winter, so you need to have strategies that will
work for YOU.
8. Workout in the morning before work -- I know its cold and
you may have to get up earlier, but if you can manage three morning workouts
per week, you’ll accomplish several things: You’ll stimulate your metabolism
for the rest of the day; decrease your appetite; and most importantly, get your
workout out of the way and start your day with a success. I discovered the
power of winter-morning workouts in the days when I trained for half marathons.
I found that if I ignored my “I don’t feel like doing it” attitude and did it
anyway, I had an incredible feeling of self-empowerment for the entire day.
9. Ten minutes per day -- One unorthodox routine I’ve given to
several clients is 10 continuous minutes of exercise each day, Monday thru
Friday. The exercises are purely callisthenics, so all you need is your own
body. For example, on Monday, perform a set of pushups followed by a set of
crunches. There’s no waiting between sets, you simply perform one exercise
followed by the other for 10 consecutive minutes (make sure you warm up briefly
before starting). On Tuesday, perform lunges and close grip push-ups.
Wednesday, jump rope for 10 minutes. Thursday, repeat Monday’s routine. Friday,
perform all the exercises from Monday through Thursday in succession. This
routine is very brief, but allows for some degree of daily resistance and
stimulation. It’s not meant to be a life-long routine, just something to get
you out of that winter exercise funk.
10. Join eDiets.com -- You know this time of year can be hard,
so why not use resources that can help make it easier? Like online nutrition
programs with food you can enjoy -- that’s right, enjoy! Losing fat does not
have to be a constant sate of denial. We also have a fitness program with
awesome exercise animations, support boards, email support, online meetings and
a plethora of services to help you to lose fat -- and keep it off.
The ultimate goal is to have a workable plan that’s realistic for your
lifestyle. Most of us know that exercise produces powerful endorphins.
Endorphins are hormones in the body that, when released, produce a sense of
euphoria, minimize pain, improve mood and make you feel great both physically
and mentally. Exercising in the winter will help release endorphins and make
you feel like its summer again!
::MOTIVATION::
Motivational Note - Your Faith
Excerpt from www.eurweb.com
- By Jewel Diamond Taylor
"Your faith and outlook on life will have you see a glass half full or
half empty.
When you're in a tunnel --- your faith and outlook on life will either focus on
the darkness or focus on the light at the end of the tunnel. You may feel like
you're in a tunnel of darkness because of your finances, job, business slump,
relationships, health or grief. You may not see right now how you're going to
get through this tunnel of despair. Trust God. Life is good in spite of your
circumstances. Start giving thanks in advance for the blessings you have now
and for those yet to come. A new day is coming for you. A new season is coming.
New opportunities are coming to you. Be encouraged and endure the tunnel
experience knowing this, too, shall pass. Stay on track believing you will be
carried and that there is a light at the end of this tunnel." ~ Jewel
Diamond Taylor "When a train goes through a tunnel and it gets dark, you
don't throw away the ticket and jump off. You sit still and trust the
engineer." ~ Corrie Ten Boom (author and Holocaust concentration camp
survivor) "I will lead the blind by ways they have not known, along
unfamiliar paths I will guide them; I will turn the darkness into light before
them and make the rough places smooth. These are the things I will do; I will
not forsake them." ~ Isaiah 42:16 "Guide me in your truth and teach
me, for you are God my Saviour, and my hope is in you all day long." ~
Psalm 25:5
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