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Carlton Street, Suite 1032, Toronto, ON
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LE NEWSLETTER
June 14, 2007
Summer may not be officially here but I don't care - I'm
absolutely loving this weather! Happy Father's Day to all
those great men out there that are raising and/or mentoring the youth of today
and the decision-makers of tomorrow.
Russell Peters and friends rocked Diesel
Playhouse
for a free myspace.com standup comedy special. Pics are in my PHOTO GALLERY.
As well, Kayte
Burgess' CD release was hit and you can now take
a peek at pictures in my PHOTO GALLERY.
How about a dose of the sounds of smooth jazz and steelband? Eddie
Bullen, Afropan, David Rudder and Demo Cates serve it up at Ivory N' Steel on June 24th. Check out the sultry
details for Girls Night Out on Saturday, June 16th. Mark your
calendars now and check all details below!
::HOT EVENTS::
Girls Night Out – Saturday, June
16, 2007
Source: Ajahmae Live Entertainment
Ajahmae and Up
From The Roots bring you the hot
and sexy Girls Night Out! Finally – a night that activates a
woman’s mind, body and soul. Ladies are looking for a night out that
stimulates their obsessions – be it erotic poetry, laughter, good food and/or
sexy men. What more can a women ask for? This show provides the
comedic stylings of Jay
Martin, the erotic poetry of Dwayne Morgan, the sexy vocal sounds of new
R&B group Untitled - TRIXX is at the turntables.
A full dinner and after party joined by the men. Food, erotic poetry,
comedy and good music – and let’s not forget some rock hard eye candy for
dessert. Girls Night Out will provide all a women wants
for one night for the low price of only $35 dollars (advance tickets
only).
You don’t want to miss this!
SATURDAY, JUNE 16, 2007
GIRLS NIGHT OUT
Club Paradise
220 Atwell Dr. (private event)
Doors open at 7pm for dinner and show to follow
VIP advance: $35 $40; $40 at the door
$10 afterparty tickets - open to men
Tickets order line: 416-949-2766
Tickets on sale now at all Nappy locations*
www.Jaymartin.tv
OR www.comedyclash.com
Ivory N’ Steel – Sunday, June 24, 2007
Source: www.eddiebullen.com
This exciting collaboration of Smooth Jazz
and Steelband music returns
to The Toronto Centre for the Arts this summer with another great line-up. Eddie Bullen & friends and the 25-member Afropan, present
an evening of hot jazz and soca entitled Ivory N’ Steel with special guests David Rudder and Demo
Cates in the George Weston Recital Hall at the Toronto
Centre for the Arts, one show only, Sunday June 24, 2007 at 3:00 PM.
Last year Ivory N’ Steel rocked the Toronto Centre For The Arts and had
hundreds of music lovers begging for more. This year’s show will be even
hotter, with David Rudder … “The Bob Marley of Soca”, and the seductive Demo Cates,
lending their power to the island sounds of Afropan and the titillating tones
of Eddie Bullen and his contemporary jazz flavoured with Caribbean and Latin
rhythms. Add to the mix surprise guests including young Quincy Bullen –
recently described by Pride Magazine as ‘a Quintessential star in the making”,
the best concert hall in Toronto, and this is one concert that you do not want
to miss!
Eddie Bullen: Performer, songwriter, arranger and producer Eddie
Bullen is, in every way, a standout amongst the latest generation of
multi-talented artists. Eddie's lengthy career has yielded an abundance of
awards and recognition for his outstanding talents. From his first album, 'Nocturnal
Affair' to his most recent 'Desert Rain', Eddie gives
his audience a taste of contemporary jazz, flavoured with Caribbean and Latin
rhythms." Eddie Bullen keeps audiences in Canada and throughout the
Caribbean on their feet and begging for more with his distinctive style. ‘His
compositions are audacious and sexy, titillating the senses’ ( New York
Daily News). Since his move to Toronto in 1980 from Grenada , Bullen
has worked with major Canadian artists like jazz singer Liberty Silver and pop
star Dan Hill. He also composes and arranges for City TV, YTV, CBC, and TMN*
the Movie Network. A three time nominee for Canadian Smooth Jazz awards, Eddie
creates is in constant demand. Visit Eddie at www.eddiebullen.com.
The Afropan Steelband (Afropan) is Toronto 's oldest community steelband
and by far the most successful. In 2003 they celebrated their 30th anniversary.
From 1973 to 2006 Afropan, under the leadership of Earl La Pierre Sr., has won
the best playing calypso competition at the Caribana Festival 26 out of the 34
occasions this competition has been held and has placed second on the
7other occasions. Afropan is a musical orchestra of which
the primary instrument is the steelpan. The steelpan (the pan) is a percussion
musical instrument made from a steel drum. The steelband is an ensemble of
steelpan instruments accompanied solely by an untuned percussion section. The
family of steelpan instruments can generally be divided into four sections;
soprano, alto, tenor and bass.
David Rudder: David was born in Belmont , Trinidad on May 6, 1953, and
began his musical career at age 11, when he joined a group called The
Solutions. In 1977, he joined the brass band Charlie's Roots.
Rudder has been musically influenced by the Shango and Pan yard that he grew up
in as a young boy, although his musical tastes have often leaned towards jazz,
and African drum beats. His first big break came when he was asked to fill in
for Christopher "Tambu" Herbert, lead singer with Charlie's Roots,
while on the band’s tour. Rudder stayed on as a co-lead singer, and built a
reputation for his scintillating performances. He established himself as
one of the few band singers who wrote all his own songs. David has been
featured in Rolling Stone Magazine, New York Times, The Village Voice, The LA
Times, Newsweek Magazine, Billboard, The London Observer, The Jamaica Gleaner ,
Now, and Miami Herald. He has won several awards for his popular and often
controversial songs, including Album of the Year at both the Caribbean Music
Awards, as well as the Nafeita Awards.
Demo Cates: Cates
has earned the respect of Jazz musicians at home and abroad with his visionary
method and superlative talents. Grown and developed in Detroit Michigan but
exposed and revered in Toronto , Cates is a mature Musician and Vocalist from
Detroit who in his words, 'plays on emotions and allows the sax to translate
inspiration in smooth and sensuous sounds.' The “7 Mile”, Latin and R&B
Music inspired Detroit native, credits the Motown era as his constant source of
motivation for his first band, The Fabulous Counts, a 4-piece band that opened
for greats like Al Green and Stevie Wonder.
SUNDAY, JUNE 24, 2007
IVORY N’ STEEL
Toronto Centre for the Arts - George
Weston Recital Hall
5040 Yonge Street
3:00 pm
Tickets: $40.00 and $35 orchestra and balcony; $30
To purchase tickets: call Ticketmaster at 416-872-1111
Visit www.ticketmaster.ca
(keyword IVORY N STEEL)
Or visit The Toronto Centre For the Arts Box Office, 5040 Yonge Street
::TOP STORIES::
The Peters Principle
Excerpt from www.thestar.com - Raju
Mudhar, Entertainment Reporter
(June 13, 2007) Russell Peters is enjoying one of those
moments where it seems like he is suddenly an overnight success. The
Brampton-born, L.A.-based comedian is about to embark on the Canadian leg of
his tour, which includes two near sell-out shows at the Air Canada Centre on
Monday and Tuesday (the shows were sold out, but seats were added). He's also
headlining Montreal's Just for Laughs Festival and the inaugural Toronto version
of the comedy fest. We sat down for a Q&A.
Q: I talked to you right before your last DVD came out and you were
complaining a bit about all you had to do.
A: That was around August, right? I was in the whirlwind at the time. I was
worried about burning out. But now the thing is, I'm ready. Like, my mindset is
so much better this year. After Outsourced (his recent DVD) became a
success, the tour and travelling around the world, I sort of accepted my role
and said, "Fine, I get it." So now I'm happy with all of it.
Q: Now you're playing the Air Canada Centre for like, what, 27,000 people
over two nights?
A: Hey, it's 29,000, let's not gyp. I never look at it like it's happened
overnight because it's been 18 years in the making. It's all happened in levels,
stages and steps. I mean, sure, I may have skipped one or two at one point, but
to end up at the ACC over two nights, let alone one, I would never, ever, not
on my wildest day think I could do that .... So the day of the ACC shows, like
next Monday, I'm going to get there in the early afternoon and sit on the stage
for at least a half hour and just absorb it all, so when I walk out it's not a
big shock to me.
Q: Racial comedy is your thing. When you're making up jokes, do you ever
say, `Oh, I can't say that, that's pushing the line too far'?
A: I do push the line. I think people understand what my motivation is. It's
not to hurt your feelings; it really is to make you laugh, to make people think
about how absurd some things are. I say things onstage that if you said it to
somebody on the street, they'd probably want to fight you .... Like, I'll say
to an Arab guy, "Are you having a good time? Then clack your rocks
together." You couldn't say that to a guy on the street, but they
understand when I'm saying it. It really is like I'm your friend and I'm
breaking your balls.
Q: I hear you're about to sign a new TV deal. Does it bug you that you
haven't had a big TV show or movie?
A: I guess if I was a pessimist, it would bug me. I would look at it like,
"What do I got to do?" But at the same time, I'm grateful for as far
as I've gotten. I never think it's not going to happen, so it doesn't bother
me. Because it's not like I'm starving on the way to it. I'm fine.
Q: A lot of your success comes from the Web, with a lot of your stand-up
being forwarded around. What do you think about that?
A: It's funny, I still get emails from people quoting my stuff from so long
ago, and I'm like, `C'mon dude, there's new stuff on the Internet that you can
download.' But honestly, I'm still not computer savvy. That's pretty funny,
considering I'm an Indian guy. But I honestly don't know how to upload. I
barely know how to download, I know how to go to myfriendshotmom.com and press
"save as," and that's about it. Save to desktop. Good, got it.
Q: Do you ever get any crazy fans moments here?
A: When I went to India and Dubai, people were like, `Omigawd, Russell Peters!'
and I understood it, because I'm not from here, and you are actually a fan of
what you've seen on the Net, so I get that. But in Canada, when I walk around
... I get people who are genuinely happy I made it .... They feel like they've
come to this place with me, they've watched me grow, they have a sense they
nurtured this.
Joe’s ‘Nothin’ Certainly Something
Excerpt from www.eurweb.com
-
June 11, 2007) *Soul
balladeer Joe has returned to the
Rhythm & Blues ranks with his latest album “Ain’t Nothin’ Like Me.” He says
this one is slightly different from his previous releases. With “Ain’t
Nothin’ Like Me,” the singer – whose biggest hits include slow chivalric jams
such as “All The Things Your Man Won’t Do” and “I Wanna Know” – is taking a
slightly more up-tempo attitude. “I’ve done a lot of ballads in the past and
I’m pretty much known for doing that,” the singer said of his forte. “So the
purpose of doing more up-tempo is to show a different side. I’ve had certain
[fast] records like ‘Stutter,’ ‘Ride Wit U,’ ‘I Don’t Wanna Be A Player,’ but
as an album, I wanted one that had more up-tempo beats to it. I think people
prefer up-tempo songs better ... so, I took this album a little more up-tempo.”
The disc, described as “a collection of songs that are snapshots from his own
life,” still has the authentic love and loyalty jams that his fans have grown
to love, but while the words have the same standard of gallantry, the rhythms
are a bit livelier. For instance, the first single “If I was Your Man” centered on the
premise of a woman who can’t decide between two men. “Though being a
ballad, it still has an up-tempo beat to it. It feels like it’s moving as
opposed to a normal ballad,” Joe said of the track.
Joe said that he took his time and was rather careful in crafting this disc.
“For the past year and a half I’ve been working on the album. I’ve really taken
my time. We had a few release dates before and we ended up pushing them back
only for the purpose of making sure that everything that I felt that this album
needed was on there. I’m not mad about taking a year and half to make a record
as long as it comes out great.” He explained that there is always a good amount
of pressure to get back on the charts, but that those pressures didn’t get in
the way of him putting out the best album he felt was possible. “There’s a lot
of pressure that comes from inside the camp – from the label and management.
And when you’re in the streets, people are always saying, ‘When is the next
album coming out?’ So, those are a lot of things that keep you motivated and
pushing the project forward.” The singer said that he’d pounded out the right
rhythms and lyrics and fine tuning the disc that he considers a shift in gears,
but his last album, “And Then” hit in 2003. So what has the singer been up to
in the interim? Let’s just say this PK (preacher’s kid) has been into the
spirit and then some. “I’ve been behind the scenes doing a lot of work outside
of the music business. I’ve been designing a clothing line and also I’ve got a
deal with a tequila called Sojo (pronounced so-ho) and also I’ve got a couple
of wines – a sauvignon blanc and a pinot grigio.”
While some might considers the worlds of music and liquor and fashion worlds
apart, the singer told EUR’s Lee Bailey that the triple threat combination
makes perfect sense. “I love fashion. That’s always been a part of me,” he said
of his designs on fashion design, “and alcohol, that just made sense with all
the parties that we go to and all the parties that I host. It just made sense
to be celebrating your own brand in the clubs.” Joe continued that what brought
him into the liquor industry was both a friend of his in Italy and his manager
who owns a vineyard in France. And though Joe is an owner in these ventures, he
said that he doesn’t plan on using his name as a way to advertise the brands.
He believes that the concepts, particularly flavoured Sojo, will make the
product a hit even, keeping a balance between his singing career and other
business careers. “I use each one as a vehicle for the other,” he
explained about tying and promoting his products. “When I talk about the
alcohol, I mention my record in the same sentence. It’s always for me, the
music first, but when I talk about the music, I get the chance to talk about
other things that I’m doing as well. Whether [or not] this takes off, I’m
always focused on music.” Joe just completed a spring US tour with Brian
McKnight, which started in Oakland and capped off last week in Oklahoma.
However, the singer isn’t slowing down in promoting the new disc. In July he’ll
be in South America, then Japan in August. After that he heads down under to
Australia and then South Africa. But don’t worry if you missed him while he was
stateside; at the end of the year, he’ll be back to do his own tour. In the
meantime, “Ain’t Nothin' Like Me” is currently in stores and available online.
“It’s definitely good R&B mix of music,” Joe said. For more, go to www.joescrib.com
or www.myspace.com/officialjoemusic
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Waiting Tables Pays Off Big Time For Singer
Excerpt from www.thestar.com
- Kerry Gold, Special To The Star
(June 11, 2007) VANCOUVER–If Andrea Greenway had
won a reality TV show, her whirlwind week might have made sense. As it
is, the 26-year-old Vancouver waitress and student had a week straight out of
weirdsville, courtesy of 14-time Grammy-winning producer David Foster. She was squired from city to
city, staying at luxury hotels, all expenses paid, occasionally performing. It
began when the classically trained singer sang for Foster, whose table she
served at a Vancouver restaurant. Even before she'd sung for the L.A.-based
mega-producer – seated with American Idol alumnus Clay Aiken – she'd
caught his attention. "He looked at me and said, `I get a really
good vibe from you. Whatever you do after this, I get a feeling you're going to
be really great,'" says Greenway. Foster has helped shape the
careers of singers Josh Groban and Canadian Michael Bublé. "I
thought, `Maybe this will be the day my life took a different turn.'"
Bublé, who was discovered by Foster at the wedding of Brian Mulroney's
daughter, can relate. "I have been in her shoes, and just to be on
David Foster's radar is extraordinary," he said. "It's probably the
biggest shot you can get." Greenway is a part-time server who'd abandoned
her singing dream when she didn't get into the University of B.C.'s opera
program three years ago. She was studying to become an interior designer,
working one day a week at Umberto Menghi's Il Giardino restaurant.
A proud Menghi often insisted that she sing for his patrons, especially those
with music industry connections. About a week ago, Menghi seized the
opportunity to unite producer with potential protégé. A bedazzled Greenway
happily complied with an aria. "How fast can you be on a plane?"
asked the producer. The next day, Greenway was in Calgary to perform at a
private benefit for the David Foster Foundation. Aiken also performed.
"There was real pressure not to suck," recalls Greenway. The response
was positive. "Right after, David asks me if I'd like to continue
with the weekend and we could go into the studio at some point. I started
crying." Within minutes, she was on a private jet with Foster and Aiken to
Toronto for the opening ceremony of the Royal Ontario Museum's addition.
"We hung out with Jann Arden all day. It was so cool." Greenway was
in Las Vegas the next morning, where she watched Foster in the studio with
Chinese classical pianist Lang Lang and opera star Andrea Bocelli. On Sunday,
they flew to Foster's Malibu studio to work. Greenway is slated to meet with a
songwriter in Nashville this month to work on songs. But it's not so
simple as meeting Foster and her career now exploding, says Bublé. "I
definitely don't think David alone can do it," says Bublé. "It's got
to be an artist with great drive and a great sense of personal style."
Peter Simpson, 64: Canadian Film Legend
Excerpt from www.thestar.com
- Martin Knelman
(June 08, 2007) Peter Simpson, the
veteran movie
producer who died Tuesday at age 64, loomed large not only in the Canadian film
industry, but also in the advertising world and in the backrooms of Ottawa. But
what made the founder of Norstar Filmed Entertainment a legend was the slashing
wit he used to cut through sham and hypocrisy in the world of showbiz. One of
his favourite targets: pretentious writers and directors who made movies no one
would pay money to see as a substitute for getting therapy. Simpson, who
reigned for years as the king of B movies, always presented himself as the
hard-nosed guy who knew what would sell. That included Prom Night (1980),
which spawned three sequels, No Contest and Cold Sweat. In all,
he made 35 movies and kept a lot of people employed, earning a Genie for
lifetime achievement. After forming a partnership with Allan Scott, the British
writer and producer, in 1997, Simpson concentrated on more prestigious movies.
He was especially proud of The Fourth Angel (starring Jeremy Irons and
Forest Whitaker) and Regeneration (a war story that became an art-house
hit). According to Scott, "While he often ended up making the films
he could get financed over the ones he admired, his understanding of the script
and the talent involved was distinct and passionate." Ted Kotcheff, the
movie director and TV producer, says: "Peter had a robust sense of humour,
and took delight in skewering the worst side of the business."
Simpson's roots were humble, and unlike many of the poseurs in the movie world,
he never made the mistake of forgetting where he came from. Born just outside
Glasgow, he arrived in Canada at age 10. His father, who had been a grocer in
Scotland, went to work for Eaton's. According to Simpson's older brother,
David, their mother did not want her sons to end up working in a shipyard.
Before getting into the film business, Simpson earned a reputation in the
advertising business. He made a boutique business out of media buying, starting
his own company. Veteran political strategist Allan Gregg recalls:
"He was the first to recognize the competitive advantage you could have
over other agencies by focusing on that one aspect of the business." In those
days, Simpson smoked and drank with abandon but more recently he gave up both
and became a fitness fanatic. A devout Conservative, Simpson worked both as a
media buyer and a film consultant when Tories were in power in Ottawa. "He
always lightened up the meetings with his hilariously vulgar humour, which made
it hard for others to take themselves seriously," says Gregg. Simpson was
famous for his short temper, but there was an up side. "The more furious
Peter got, the funnier he became," says Scott. On one occasion they had a
conference call with a third party, and decided in advance to play good cop,
bad cop. Simpson was so brilliantly ferocious that when the call was finished,
he burst out laughing and told Scott: "I think we were more like good cop,
psycho cop." I had a glimpse of that side when Simpson and his wife, Ilana
Frank, optioned my biography of John Candy for a TV movie bio. At one point, he
suggested that a deal point I had requested made no sense and was totally
idiotic. "Peter didn't think he was dying," says actor Jason
Priestley, who made four films with him and was set to play SCTV boss
Andrew Alexander in the Candy film. "He kept his focus on his next
movie." A drink with Peter Simpson was never just business. He put on an
entertaining show, making comments on well-known figures that were outrageous,
hilarious and probably true. I'll miss him.
Through The Storm: Robin Givens
Excerpt from www.essence.com - By Patrik
Henry Bass
You can say this for Robin Simone Givens: It's
impossible not to have an opinion about her. Her defenders think that the New
York–born actress was unfairly vilified by the press as a gold digger who married
heavyweight champion boxer Mike Tyson in 1988 solely for his millions. Her
detractors feel she deserved the distinction as America's Most Hated Woman that
same year, just eight months after the controversial couple were wed. Now,
nearly 20 years after she said "I do" to Tyson, Givens, who has
consistently delivered stellar performances on-screen and onstage, is ready to
set the record straight about who she is, and more important, who she isn't in
real life. With the exception of her appearances on Broadway in Chicago,
in which she was the first Black woman to play murderous schemer Roxie Hart,
and her roles in urban theatre productions like Men, Money & Gold
Diggers, we've seen very little of Givens. All that will change this summer
when she releases Grace Will Lead Me Home (June 5, Miramax, $23.95), her eagerly anticipated memoir that
sheds light on a lot of dark moments in her life, especially her tumultuous
union with Tyson. In person, Givens is tinier—both in height and size—than
you'd think of someone with such a larger-than-life persona. At 42, she can
easily pass for a coed, and at times during this two-hour interview, she has
the energy of a freshman cheerleader. Gone is the icy armour that she admits
she used as protection from the slings and arrows of a two-decade-plus show
business career that has seen its share of up and downs. This is the softer
side of Givens, a working mother who is most proud of her sons, Buddy, 13, and
Billy, 7, and that today she is a "survivor."
"Gold Digger? It's a word I hate!"
Givens concedes that she sees how people could have confused her with her
starring role in the 1986–1991 brainiac ABC sitcom, Head of the Class,
that cemented her aloof and not-one-of-us reputation—but she's still hurt by
the perception that she's less than Black. "I'm a Black woman," she
says, leaning forward. "I am a sister through and through. To have your
people not embrace you, hurts." Still, there was suspicion when Givens
began dating "Iron" Mike Tyson in early 1987. What, many wondered,
could this sophisticated young girl see in Mike Tyson besides his $40 million
net worth? The differences were beyond stark. Givens enrolled at tony Sarah
Lawrence College at 15, graduated at 19, and quickly landed a guest spot on The
Cosby Show that put her on another career track. She and her younger
sister, Stephanie, were raised by their single mother, Ruth Roper, an
entrepreneur who designed portfolio management systems for brokerage houses in
New York. Tyson grew up in Brownsville, a section of Brooklyn where life could
be hard. In 1987, at age 21, the former juvenile delinquent became the
“undisputed heavyweight champion of the world” by defeating Tony Tucker. It had
been a long time since we had a champ we could root for. We liked Mike. We
wanted to protect him. Givens spelled trouble to many. She had already dated
two of our wealthiest and most eligible bachelors. First, Eddie Murphy, whom
she'd met while in college, and then Michael Jordan, when he was gearing up to
set records as a member of the Chicago Bulls basketball team, both before the
public really knew who she was. In early February 1988, after a whirlwind
courtship, Mike Tyson and Robin Givens were married in Chicago and later in New
York. He was 21, she was 23.
There was no prenuptial agreement. Tongues wagged. Givens bristles at the
thought that she didn’t marry Mike Tyson for love. "Gold digger? I
wish," says Givens. "It’s a word that I hate. I can support myself
incredibly well. We can go through a lot of women who are married to men and
they don't make as much as the men do. Eddie (Murphy) is a dear friend of mine.
Look at his ex-wife. They were allowed to just be in love. Why not me?"
"I Didn't Receive One Dime"
In an ill-fated move in the fall of 1988, the couple decided to talk about
their relationship with Barbara Walters on the ABC prime-time news program 20/20.
That one hour sit-down is now one of the most infamous celebrity interviews
ever. The cameras were there in the couple's 30-room Revival mansion built in
1897 in Bernardsville, New Jersey, as Givens described her life as "pure
hell." With Walters prodding her, the actress told a rapt audience of
millions: "He shakes, he pushes, he swings. He—sometimes, I think he's
trying to scare me. And just recently I’ve become afraid." Givens said
Tyson was "manic depressive." Questions abounded. If he was sick, why
wasn’t she standing by him? Givens says being in an abusive relationship is
complicated, without easy answers. “When you love someone who can also do you harm,
it’s confusing.” In retrospect, she says she would have changed some things
about the interview, but she still doesn’t regret that she did it. "Do I
wish I could take some things back? Absolutely," she says. "But I was
trying to hold on to my sanity." What she didn’t tell us that night, but
details in the book, was how he once punched her in the left temple and knocked
her to the floor, held a knife at her throat, and choked her while she was
filming ABC's television movie adaptation of The Women of Brewster Place.
Two days after the interview with Walters, police were summoned to their home,
where an explosive Tyson began throwing furniture out the window, while Givens,
her mother, her sister and a family friend cowered in the laundry room. Givens
says she had had enough: "I saw what I'd put my sister and family through
and I couldn't allow it." And though she first retained a high-powered
divorce attorney to represent her in their divorce, today she says, "I
didn’t receive one dime."
"I Was 'Hot' But I Was Hurting"
By the time she left Tyson, Givens was damaged goods to the public. She was
labelled The Most Hated Woman in America in the fall of 1988 by several outlets
after a CNN NewsNight viewer poll reported that 93 percent of
respondents said the couple’s divorce was her fault. The venom in the air
against Givens was palpable. Once a woman walked up to her on the street and
yelled, "He should have kicked your ass. I wish he would have killed
you." And yet Givens tried to put her career and life back on track.
"I was a woman not wanting to be defeated," she says. "I didn’t
want somebody to have gotten the best of me." In 1990, director Bill Duke
cast her in the decidedly grown-up role of Imabelle, a charming minx, in his
indie film A Rage in Harlem, an adaptation of the Chester Himes novel
set in 1950's Harlem. Starring opposite Forest Whitaker and Danny Glover,
Givens threw herself into the role. She followed up Rage with perhaps
her best-known role as sexy cosmetics executive Jacqueline Broyer in Boomerang,
former boyfriend Murphy’s glossy corporate love story. Givens arguably walked
away with the movie, no small feat with a cast that included Halle Berry,
Martin Lawrence and Grace Jones. Givens has never seen Boomerang,
perhaps her greatest film triumph, in its entirety. She doesn't remember much
of those days except that her agents were telling her she was "hot,"
while she was feeling "sad, confused and disconnected." She adds:
"I was 'hot' but I was hurting. I chose to deal with my hurt."
Two years after Boomerang’s release, Givens moved to a small town just
outside Hilton Head, South Carolina. There was much that was new in Givens’s
life, including a son, Buddy, whom she adopted at the beginning of 1994. But
old demons haunted her. Although she took on the occasional television or film
role, Givens withdrew from public life. Instead of front-page headlines, her
short-lived 1997 marriage to tennis instructor Svetozar Marinkovic (they
separated after one day) was relegated to the tabloid news briefs. After the birth
in 1999 of her second son, Billy, with White tennis player Murphy Jensen, whom
she never married, she returned to television to host the talk show Forgive
or Forget. Again, Givens made headlines, but insists that she had nothing
to do with the ouster of TV personality Mother Love, the older Black woman who
had created the show. Love didn't take the firing well. Petitions circulated to
restore Love as host. Though Givens's ratings were decent, after a few months
the show was cancelled.
Givens, who returned briefly to New York where Forgive was taped, moved
again, this time near Tampa. She wanted her son Buddy to enrol in the area's
competitive tennis camps. She was 36 with two sons, and her phone wasn't
ringing off the hook. Instead of allowing fear to overtake her, she started to
lean on her faith in God. The lapsed Catholic began attending church services
again and started to feel a sense of calm that she'd never felt. "I'd been
in such survival mode for so long that I hadn’t given myself time to heal,"
she says. Her renewed faith was integral to her sense of feeling whole.
"I needed to be quiet enough and still enough to hear God," she says.
"He taught me how to live in a peaceful way. I learned how to pray
unselfishly. I learned to stop trying to control everything and allow God to do
His will. When I take things in my own hands, I mess them up. But not God. He
made me appreciate everything.” Givens started to jot her feelings down in a
composition book. She began to realize several neglected truths, the most
important among them being that she had lived in denial for much of her life.
"Denial was my friend. That was the only way I was able to walk into a
room and audition for A Rage in Harlem or Boomerang, because I
wanted to pretend everything was okay," she says. It wasn’t. Not only was
she forced to deal with the hurt with Tyson, but also the pain that her father,
Reuben Givens, caused when he left the family. Givens still feels betrayed by
her father, which is something that she says she prays about “every day."
"I Thought I Failed Michael"
Nearly three years ago Givens broke her silence about her stormy relationship
with Tyson on Oprah. She says the appearance was about her own
"healing." Though Givens took meetings with New York publishers in
2000 to tell her story, none were as interested as they became after listening
to her riveting one-hour sit-down with Winfrey. More than a decade ago, her
agents had told her she was hot. Now the heat was on her again. Several
publishers wanted Givens's story, which ultimately went to Miramax for an
undisclosed sum, although insiders suggest that it had to be significant based
upon its 150,000 first printing. The title, Grace Will Lead Me Home, is
not just about her renewed faith, but is an homage to her grandmother Grace
Turner, a fearless matriarch who walked away from an abusive marriage and
headed to New York to make a new life for her daughters Peggy and Givens's
mother, Ruth. Givens is generous and sensitive in detailing both her
grandmother's and her mother's lives. It's a finely crafted memoir. And though
her publisher has high hopes for the book’s success, Givens believes that Grace
is by no means a slam dunk and the book’s fate is in the hands of the public.
"I think the fact that she was once vilified actually works in her
favour," says Karen Holt, deputy editor of Publishers Weekly.
"Americans love a comeback." Givens doesn’t feel as if she's making a
comeback. She feels as if she's had a breakthrough after completing the book.
"My big job now is being a mother," she says. "That’s the only
thing important, after God. If I never acted again, I'd be fine."
And she's made her peace with Tyson, who declared bankruptcy in 2003
after a string of unfortunate personal and professional choices. While writing the
book, Givens ran into her ex at the premiere of Get Rich or Die Tryin’
at the famous Mann’s Chinese Theatre in Los Angeles. "He hugged me and
said, 'I'm sorry and I wish you only the best.' And I thought, Wow," she
says. Hindsight is 20/20 for Givens; she now admits she and Tyson should never
have gotten married. But then she adds, "I love him. We’re still bonded in
ways. I thought I failed Michael. That's really the issue that I still struggle
with. My sense of failing him. I wasn't the person I wanted to be. I was a
little girl. I wasn't ready to marry anybody."
And what about today? Givens, who once dated Brad Pitt shortly after her
divorce from Tyson, and shock jock Howard Stern in 2000, says don't believe
that she hooked up with R&B singer Tank: "There's absolutely no truth
to those rumours." She does admit that she’s just started seeing a
"friend," an older man who she says is "very smart." She
confesses, however, whether he is The One or not, she is ready to settle down
again. "I want my children to have a father. I want a husband," she
admits. But she wouldn't sacrifice anything for the peace of mind she has found
through her faith.
"I know the power of miracles and God's grace," Givens says.
"That's why in so many ways my life is spiralling upward."
::MUSIC NEWS::
Celebrating A Living Jazz Legend, Without Him
Excerpt from www.globeandmail.com
- Simon Houpt
(June 11, 2007) NEW YORK — The main auditorium of
Carnegie Hall was all but sold out Friday night, but one seat remained
unoccupied: that reserved for Oscar Peterson. On an evening dedicated to celebrating the Canadian jazz giant's
career, one which organizers had privately hoped would provide him with one
last opportunity to take the stage where he first snagged the world's attention
with a surprise 1949 appearance, Peterson, 81, was at the last minute declared
too ill to make the trip. Instead a large photo of him, seated at the piano and
smiling broadly, sat on an easel at stage right, as 22 of his contemporaries
and younger admirers streamed past and paid tribute. But if many wondered why
Peterson hadn't shown up - curious chatter filled the hall's various bars
during the interval - the audience still got more than enough opportunities to
leap to their feet and pay tribute to his generation. Clark Terry, 86,
took more than a minute to shuffle to centre stage. But his scatting proved as
energetic as ever with his signature piece Mumbles, which he'd recorded
with Peterson more than 40 years ago. Pianist Marian McPartland, who recalled
her nervousness when she met Peterson in Toronto in the 1940s, also walked
slowly, but turned in a gorgeously modulated The Nearness of You. The
Cuban clarinettist Paquito D'Rivera, who was the subject of a similar tribute
in the same hall two years ago, , joked that the real reason his friend
Peterson wasn't in the house was because he'd developed a Cuban accent after
eating black beans and rice cooked by D'Rivera, and had been detained at the
border. Under musical director Roger Kellaway, the evening played out as a
series of trios and quartets, backed by bassist Christian McBride and drummer
Lewis Nash, occasionally taking a rewarding risk, as when cellist Borislav
Strulev came on for Sweet Lorraine. Jazz violinist Florin Niculescu,
flown over for the event from Paris, served as a musical reminder of Peterson's
work with Stephane Grappelli.
The radiant vocalist Dee Dee Bridgewater sounds nothing like Ella Fitzgerald.
But she scatted her way energetically through How High the Moon and then
offered a sensuous, sculpted rendition of Midnight Sun, which Fitzgerald
and Peterson had recorded on their 1974 disc. On her way off the stage, she
curtsied in front of the photo of Peterson, then kissed it on his cheek.
Vocalist Roberta Gambarini briefly transformed the cavernous hall into a smoky
jazz club with Raymond Hubbell's Poor Butterfly, though her voice may be
too sweet for a number made famous by Sarah Vaughan. Pianist Renee Rosnes,
originally from Saskatchewan, ably represented Peterson's homeland with Ballad
of the East, from Canadiana Suite. The youngest player to take the stage,
the 20-year-old piano phenom known only as Eldar, grew up in his native
Kyrgyzstan listening to Peterson. "Oscar Peterson was the very first piano
player in my life," he told the audience, before tearing through a
breakneck Place St. Henri, also from Canadiana Suite. But the
night belonged to his elders including Freddy Cole, the younger brother of
Peterson's occasional set-mate Nat King Cole, who performed Blame it on My
Youth. And Wynton Marsalis demonstrated his notoriously clean tone on Just
Friends. If the night proved an embarrassment of riches - at almost three
hours, it might have been edited - Peterson's wife Kelly and daughter Celine,
who watched over proceedings from the first tier, seemed genuinely touched by
the affection . At the evening's conclusion, a recording of Peterson's
own Back Home Again in Indiana echoed through the hall as the performers
gathered on the lip of the stage. It would have been nice to hear it live.
North By Northeast Finds A Fresh Direction
Excerpt from www.thestar.com
- Ben Rayner, Pop Music Critic
(June 11, 2007) A favourite pastime of Toronto music fans is
bitching about how Canadian Music Week and North
by Northeast are always kind of scattershot,
disappointing non-events, but there was a marked emergence of positive
sentiment during the past weekend's NXNE festivities. The encouragingly decent
and diverse array of acts on offer for North by Northeast 2007 was a common
topic of conversation amongst the jaded musicians, industry folk, writers and
scenesters thronging downtown clubs from Thursday to Saturday, but the
contented vibes were always tempered with an undercurrent of incredulity. Let
it be said nevertheless that this year's NXNE program was its most solid in
years, with few gaps in the nightly schedules and a welcome smattering of
moments where there was simply too much cool stuff going on at once to choose
from, not to mention three separate performances in three separate venues by Swedish
live legends Soundtrack of Our Lives. The daytime saw an increased number of
South by Southwest-styled barbecues hosted not just by the veteran merrymakers
at EMI Publishing but also folks like Ottawa indie label Kelp Records and the
organizers of the Pop Montreal festival.
Here's a brief, incomplete rundown of some of the NXNE performances that stood
out this year.
The show to beat: Handsome Furs, Comfort Zone, Friday: This busman's
holiday for Wolf Parade co-front man Dan Boeckner and his fiancée, Alexei
Perry, is seriously in danger of overshadowing the man's main gig. The stark,
gloomy tunes from the pair's debut disc, Plague Park, were even more
riveting from the stage, brought to life with naught but raw guitar noise,
Perry's dime-store drum programming and Boeckner's earthy yelp. Some of it came
off like Neil Young or Bruce Springsteen with beats, while the more up-tempo
excursions betrayed the New Order/Joy Division influence laid plain by
Boeckner's "Love Will Tear Us Apart" T-shirt.
The kids to watch: The Miles, Silver Dollar, Thursday: They don't come
much tighter or more appealingly frantic than this trio of 17-year-old Toronto
lads, who could very well dethrone Tokyo Police Club as the city's hottest
high-school-spawned ingénues. They could do with a nudge away from their Franz
Ferdinand-esque, post-punk gallop, but the tunes are there and they're already
an impossibly disciplined guitar/drums/keyboards attack squad. Cute as hell,
too. Lock up your daughters.
The mild disappointment: Brant Bjork and the Bros, El Mocambo, Thursday: Admittedly,
the former Kyuss and Fu Manchu drummer's history leads one to expect a certain
amount of standard, downtuned stoner-rockisms, but the hirsute Bjork – now a
rather uncomfortable, guitar-toting front man – stuck a little too tightly to
one straightforward, riff-driven template to generate much excitement in a room
of obvious devotees. Perhaps peyote would have helped.
The talk of the town: Sebastien Grainger, Horseshoe Tavern, Saturday: Everyone's
waiting for the former Death From Above 1979 drummer and vocalist to kick
MSTRKRFT's butt with his forthcoming solo album, but the disc's status as a
work in progress was confirmed before a jam-packed 'Shoe by Grainger's slightly
directionless and distracted set. The heavyset, but melodic tunes have oodles
of promise, however.
The "it" girl: Jade McNelis, Rivoli, Thursday: The industry
was out in droves to catch this 20-year-old Montreal singer/songwriter's
Toronto debut. Unfortunately, the many "faces" in the room also
chattered away enough to drown out much of the gifted McNelis's short set, a
faithful tour through the captivating art-pop tunes on her new All the
Fables EP. Not quite there yet, but she'll hit her stride.
The mosh-makers: No Dynamics, Silver Dollar, Saturday: This arch Toronto
splatter-punk outfit is such a galvanizing force that even several rock critics
and label types were lured into a small but impressively roiling pit conjured
in front of the stage by local indie booker Trevor Coleman. Vanessa Fischer
might be the city's most underrated front woman. She could definitely kick your
ass.
The most improved players: Cities in Dust, Silver Dollar, Thursday: These
Hamilton ne'er-do-wells have always been a volatile little unit, but there's a
newly sharpened edge to the band's confrontational punk-rock battery. Singer
Zach Frank has become nicely unhinged, too, knocking over monitors and
conducting much shirtless writhing on the floor in front of the stage. Good
times.
Rihanna’s Doing ‘Good’: Singer Releases Third Disc
Excerpt from www.eurweb.com
- By Kenya M Yarbrough
(June 8, 2007) *Def Jam diva Rihanna had one of the hottest hits of
2005 with her single “ Pon De Replay ” from her debut disc. The anthem, along
with her rippling voice and stunning looks, made her a household name. And then
came the DJ banger “S.O.S.” off her sophomore set, reconfirming that the Barbados
beauty was a pop star on the rise. Just three years after grabbing radio
waves, the R&B starlet has released her third disc, which has fans
anxiously awaiting the next big thing from the singer. The disc, titled
“Good Girl Gone Bad,” is already doing quite a bit of good. The first single, a
hip- hop track called “Umbrella,” featuring Jay-Z, rocketed to the top of
Billboard’s Top 100. To add to the fact that she has a new album, she
just signed on as the new face of CoverGirl and is the hot cover and revealing
article for Giant and Complex magazine’s June issue. Yes, it seems the singer
really does have it all covered. At a party celebrating the Giant issue,
Rihanna came out with a new look and a new attitude. Slender and sleek, the
singer said that creating her new image was all her idea. “Usually, the process
involves a lot of people,” she said of putting together her image for the new
album. “But this time, like why I called the album ‘Good Girl Gone Bad’ ... I
didn’t care what anyone else wanted me to look like. I didn’t even talk to
anybody about it. I just did me. I didn’t care if they liked it; I was
sticking with it.” It is definitely a style that’s working for her. After all,
it is the new face of CoverGirl cosmetics; a fact that Rihanna revels in.
“It’s a blessing. It’s another dream come true for me,” she said of the
contract. “And I get a lot of free makeup, so it all works out.” When asked
about handling her look with CoverGirl and at the same time keeping in mind the
responsibility in her image for young girls, Rihanna commercially replied,
“Every woman has several personalities. Every woman has that bad girl and every
woman has the little girlie feminine side. CoverGirl brings that out in me.”
Well, not much to be said about all that. After all, she is a spokesmodel for
the brand. However, Rihanna did bare her soul in Giant mag’s latest issue,
though. The article reveals the singer’s rough childhood watching her father
battle a crack addiction. She told reporters that she had no intention to share
that part of her life, but sometimes in being comfortable talking with people,
certain things come up in the conversation. “I think that my private life
should be in private, but it depends on the person – I get comfortable. I don’t
regret it at all,” she said of the article. “Everybody has something that makes
them stronger in their life. [My childhood experiences] helped to make me a
stronger person and a stronger woman. That is very necessary in this industry
and in this career. I need to be strong and I need to be very responsible. My
childhood helped me to do that.” Rihanna has grown as an artist and as a person
with the new project and said that she feels more comfortable now being
herself. “I don’t have to think about, ‘Should I have done that?’ I don’t
really care. The fans, they relate to people that are real and true to
themselves.” “Good Girl Gone Bad” is available in stores now. For more on
Rihanna, check out her artist page at www.defjam.com.
Robin Thicke Is What’s Hot This Summer
Source: Ava DuVernay | Ellene Miles, The
DuVernay Agency, ellene@dvapr.com
June 8, 2007) New York, NY -
Proclaimed by Oprah Winfrey
as her "new favourite singer," platinum crooner Robin Thicke graces his first national
magazine cover with the June/July 2007 issue of GIANT Magazine. In the
highly-anticipated edition, available on newsstands now, the blue eyed soul
singer speaks freely about his once waning self-esteem, issues in his marriage
to actress Paula Patton, and his fourteen year ride to overnight stardom.
Outlined below are select passages from GIANT Associate Editor Celia San
Miguel's exclusive conversation with Thicke entitled: "Soul Brother #
1."
ON HIS PERSONAL DEMONS
"I understand struggle because I've struggled with my own demons, my
own ability to love myself. I might have grown up in an aesthetically
larger building, but that doesn't mean I haven't felt pain. That's what
the whole (expletive) album is about. It's about a dude who needed to
believe in himself when the world said, 'We don't love you.'"
ON STRAINS IN HIS MARRIAGE TO PAULA PATTON
"She was having sex scenes with the guy who won Album of the Year
(Andre 3000), and I pretty much had no record deal. She didn't come home
during the three months of filming (Idlewild) because she was so focused.
I started believing she didn't need me anymore, and when she came home, I
started projecting that onto her and pushing her away. That's what
'Complicated' (a song from his album) is about - me saying, 'I wish I could
stop thinking I'm not good enough because, otherwise, I won't be able to get
this girl back."
ON BEING JEALOUS OF JESUS
"I was seven years old hearing about how wonderful Jesus is, and I was
like, 'I'm special. I'm able to be righteous. How come Jesus gets
to be the Son of God and not me? Why don't I get to be as loved by God as
Jesus was? I believe we should all get to be the sons of God."
ON THE VIRGINIA TECH MASSACRE
"I started writing this song last night about the guy who did the
shooting. I figured if anybody needed love, it was him. He was
reaching out, but nobody listened. And, you know, everyone said he
was quiet. I started writing about feeling like you're a shadow.
And even though I'm not him, I know what that feels like. There is so
much hurt and struggle, so many people who need hope."
ABOUT GIANT MAGAZINE
Since 2006, GIANT Magazine has published covers featuring Beyonce Knowles,
Janet Jackson, Pharrell Williams, The Killers, Diddy, Ciara, Jennifer Hudson
and Eve. GIANT magazine is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Radio One, Inc. (www.radio-one.com)
(NASDAQ: ROIAK and ROIA), the nation's seventh largest radio broadcasting
company (based on 2005 net broadcast revenue) and the largest radio
broadcasting company that primarily targets African-American and urban
listeners. Radio One owns and/or operates 70 radio stations located in 22 urban
markets in the United States and reaches approximately 14 million listeners
every week. Additionally, Radio One owns interests in TV One, LLC (www.tvoneonline.com),
a cable/satellite network programming primarily to African-Americans and Reach
Media, Inc. (www.blackamericaweb.com),
owner of the Tom Joyner Morning Show and other businesses associated with Tom
Joyner. Radio One also operates the only nationwide African-American news/talk
network on free radio and programs "XM 169 The POWER," an
African-American news/talk channel, on XM Satellite Radio.
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Red Stripe Reggae Sumfest Marks 15 Years
Excerpt from www.eurweb.com -
(June 7, 2007) *Bob Marley was once quoted as saying
‘The Words of the
songs, not the person, is what attracts people’ and how these sentiments ring
true today. Who would have thought that the mere idea, some 15 years ago, of
hosting a reggae festival could have grown into an event of such tremendous magnitude
attracting over 30,000 patrons last year alone. Today Red Stripe Reggae Sumfest holds
a dominant place on the reggae entertainment calendar and is viewed, across the
world, as the marquee reggae event of the Summer. To celebrate reaching this
pivotal point of 15 years, the organizers of Red Stripe Reggae Sumfest,
Summerfest Productions have promised a star studded line up of Jamaican and
international talent. Of course every attention will be paid to organization,
security and production, to ensure that all goes well for the festival
scheduled for Sunday July 15th to Saturday July 21st , 2007 in Montego Bay
Jamaica. Johnny Gourzong, Executive Director of Summerfest Productions, says
that this year marks an important milestone for the festival and he gave his
assurance that the event would be a first class one that will feature a
plethora of talent, both new and ‘well seasoned’. The weeklong event will begin
with a beach party featuring the Fab 5 band. Dancehall night ‘dubbed’ the
‘Xplosion’ will kick off the signature three nights on Thursday July 19th with
stars such as Bounty Killer, Elephant Man, Baby Cham, Beenie Man, Ninjaman,
Vegas, Lady Saw, Macka Diamond and Anthony B. Hot and relatively new
dancehall acts including Mavado, Aidonia, Munga Honourable and Busy Signal are
also on the line up. As the name suggests ‘Xplosion’ will see explosive talent
and a convergence of different styles with Vybz Kartel, Chuck Fenda, Wayne
Marshall, Voice Mail, Little Hero, Gyptian, Lutan Fyah, Erup, Shane O, Teflon
and Kip Rich rounding out the set for the night.
The Evolution is up next representing the first of two international nights on
Friday July 20th. LL Cool J will perform on that night; so too will Grammy
award winner, Shaggy, performing alongside some of Jamaica’s other greats –
Buju Banton and Morgan Heritage. Richie Spice, Etana, Daville, the
scorching vocalist Cherine Anderson and the ever-rising star Christopher Martin
are also included on this line up. Things will climax on Saturday night July
21st at the ‘Zenith’ where the sultry soulful diva Mary J. Blige will entice
the audience with her powerful lyrics. She will share the stage with another
powerhouse Tanya Stephens while Allison Hinds will add a soca element fresh
from the Carnival season. The leading man of soul, Beres Hammond, will combine
his potent lyrics and heart stopping performance to the event as well.
The evening’s entertainment will be completed by Tarrus Riley, Tessanne Chin
and the band Rootz Underground. Carlo Redwood, Group Marketing Manager for Red
Stripe, the title sponsors of the event admits that he is elated to be a part
of the event for yet another year and expressed great confidence in the
Summerfest team to put on another record breaking show. “Summerfest
Productions has demonstrated time and time again that they can certainly
deliver a world class event, we expect nothing less this year and will be
working closely with the team to ensure that all goes as planned,” Mr. Redwood
said.
Disco Diva Thelma Houston Is Back!
Source: Jolyn Matsumuro, The Brookes
Company, Jolyn@brookescompany.com;
Lauren Gaffney, Shout! Factory, lgaffney@shoutfactory.com
(June 7, 2007) Los Angeles, CA - Thelma Houston, the dynamic voice
behind the disco anthem "Don't Leave Me This Way," is back with her
first album in over 17 years. In a clever twist, Houston uses A Woman's
Touch (in stores August 14th via Shout! Factory) to transform songs made famous
by some of the biggest singers - male singers, that is - in R&B and
pop. Conceived by Thelma Houston, A Woman's Touch is filled with
songs she has long been a fan of. "They are songs I always wished I
had recorded," she explains, "and I loved doing them from a woman's
standpoint." But Houston doesn't just put a female spin on the
lyrics, she takes over and completely reworks the songs through soul, R&B,
blues and dancefloor filters. "Ain't That Peculiar" and Sting's
"Brand New Day" get bluesy, sassy makeovers, while "Disco
Heat/Mighty Real" (a nod to Houston's disco past and tribute to her old
friend Sylvester) starts out a poignant gospel song and closes with Studio
54-era exuberance.
Houston revisits another friend from her early career, covering Jimmy Webb's
"By The Time I Get To Phoenix" (Webb wrote and produced Houston's
1969 debut album), rebuilding it with incredible old school R&B
flair. And then there's Thelma triumphant return to her dancefloor roots
with a fierce version of Luther Vandross' "Never Too Much." A Grammy®
Award-winning artist who has released more than a dozen albums, Houston is
currently headlining the Summer 2007 Solid Gold Dance Party Tour which includes
a concert at the Greek Theater in Los Angeles on June 16th. "I feel
blessed because I've never stopped working and I love what I do. I can truly
say that I appreciate my career and sometimes it really feels like I'm just
getting started," says Houston. In the years since "Don't
Leave Me This Way" topped the pop and dance charts, Houston has toured
incessantly, performing over 200 shows each year, including an opening slot on
Cher's Farewell tour. She was recently inducted into the Dance Music Hall
of Fame and honoured on the television show Showtime at the Apollo as an Apollo
Legend. Most recently she was cast in the role of Madam ZinZanni in the highly
popular play, Teatro ZinZanni, performed internationally in the touring cast of
Fame, starred in the musical Big Otis' Jump Up Blues Revue (by Tony Award
winning director Otis Sallid) and appeared in OprahWinfrey's Beloved. A
tireless supporter of AIDS related charities, Houston was honoured by the City
of West Hollywood (CA) in 2003, when it declared January 29th "Thelma
Houston Day."
Born in Leland, MS, Houston moved to Long Beach, CA as a child and continues to
reside in Los Angeles today. She signed with Motown Records in 1971 and in 1977,
won the Grammy® Award for "Best R&B Female Vocal Performance" for
"Don't Leave Me This Way." Her other hits include "If It's the
Last Thing I Do," "Lean On Me," "I'm Here Again,"
"Saturday Night, Sunday Morning," "If You Feel It," and a
Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis produced Top 20 R&B dance track "You Used to
Hold Me So Tight."
www.MySpace.com/ThelmaHouston
www.ThelmaHouston.com
About Shout! Factory: Shout! Factory is a diversified entertainment company
devoted to producing, uncovering and revitalizing the very best of pop culture
- The Stuff You Grew Up On But Never Outgrew. Founders Richard Foos, Bob
Emmer and Garson Foos have spent their careers sharing their music, television
and film faves with discerning consumers the world over. Shout! Factory's
DVD offerings serve up classic, contemporary and cult TV series, riveting
sports programs, live music, animation and documentaries in lavish packages crammed
with extras. The company's audio catalogue boasts Grammy®-nominated boxed
sets, new releases from storied artists and lovingly assembled album
reissues. These riches are the result of a creative acquisitions mandate
that has established the company as a hotbed of cultural preservation and
commercial reinvention. For more on Shout! Factory, visit www.shoutfactory.com.
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T-Pain Releases New CD
Source: Jive Records
(June 6, 2007) NEW YORK, NY. - Konvict/Jive Records
recording artist
T-Pain, who is on top of the
Billboard music and ringtone charts with his breakout smash single "Buy U
A Drank (Shawty Snappin')," released his sophomore album Epiphany June
5th. "Buy U A Drank (Shawty Snappin')" recently beat out
artists such as Maroon 5, Avril Lavigne, Timbaland, and Ne-Yo to the top of the
Billboard Hot 100 chart as the No 1 single in the country. On four
separate Billboard charts the single has been firmly entrenched at the No 1
position for several weeks: No 1 Hot 100 Airplay; No 1 Hot R&B/Hip-Hop
Songs; No 1 Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay; No 1 Rhythmic Top 40, and for seven
consecutive weeks T-Pain was the No 1 selling ringtone on the Billboard Hot
Ringmasters chart. Early rave reviews have already started pouring in. Rolling
Stone magazine gives Epiphany three stars and exclaims that " ... The
hooks come fast and loose ... Epiphany should be lighting up both bedrooms and
the clubs." The Washington Post raves, noting that " ... T-Pain's
best cuts evoke the dripping grooves of Zapp, the breakneck beats of Baltimore
club music, even the punk- funk of Fishbone."
One of music's rapidly rising and omnipresent stars, T-Pain's sophomore album
Epiphany expresses his growth as an artist and the definition of the album
title as a "sudden moment of insight or revelation" truly
encapsulates his efforts on this release. On Epiphany, T-Pain takes over the
reins as producer, writer and arranger and enlists artists such as Akon - who
discovered and signed him to his Konvict Muzic label, and Yung Joc to hone and
master the unique sound that he introduced on his gold-selling debut album
Rappa Ternt Sanga. Recently T-Pain has been crisscrossing the country producing
and collaborating for a wide and varied list of mega-artists that include
Usher, Britney Spears, R. Kelly, Chris Brown and Busta Rhymes. His follow-up
single "Bartender" featuring Akon is rapidly moving up the charts and
is following in the footsteps of his chart-topping first single "Buy U A
Drank (Shawty Snappin)." Fans can catch T-Pain perform live on BET's 106
and Park on June 6th and on the Jimmy Kimmel show June 14th.
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Teddy Pendergrass: Idol, Legend Or Icon
Excerpt from www.eurweb.com
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(June 12, 2007) You’ll hear many things about singer Teddy
Pendergrass on this 25th anniversary of the tragic
automobile accident that caused his severe spinal injury on March 18,
1982. I have read many words from respected journalists about not only
the accident but also about the enchanted life story of this R&B legend. We
all know by now that the late night auto accident left many questioning his
association with the transvestite exotic dancer, Mr. Tenika Watson, who was his
passenger. We know there was a cloud of doubt as well as speculation about the
cause of the brake failure on the Rolls Royce he drove that night. There was
however, no speculation about the fact that Mr. Pendergrass is a history
maker. He is credited as being the first African American musician to
score five consecutive one million selling albums. It’s worth noting that in
today’s music market, five back-to-back platinum CD’s is still a major
accomplishment. There is no doubt, though it may be difficult to provide
reliable statistics, that Teddy’s sultry ballads and provocative baritone was
responsible for many a birth “back in the day.” Ask your mom and dad--you may
very well be a product of the Teddy Pendergrass era. Just mention the words
“Close the Door” and see if a smile emerges on mom's face as she tries to
dampen what is unmistakably a blush. See if dad allows a grin to sneak through
at the mention of “Turn Off the Lights.” He might even offer, “Those were the
days” then ask you: “What do you know about the Bear? That was before your
time.” There is something timeless about Teddy Bear’s music. To this day there
are those who would remind us of his classic “For Ladies Only” concerts where
Pendergrass systematically collected undergarments from his orgasmic female
fans.
What that account fails to note is the fact that TP was a man’s man at a time
when there was little question about our notion of what it meant to be a man.
This was the quintessential tall, dark and handsome image, with a voice that
only God himself could take credit for. He was a specimen for every other
man to model. Remember, if you will, that this was a time of Muhammad Ali, Jim
Brown, Fred Williamson, Clyde Frazier, Dr. J, Bill Cosby, and a host of other
Black men who showed up to the party with charm, charisma, and more than their
share of machismo and Teddy still made a reputation for himself as a man among
men. Men of that day possessed an intriguing combination of strong, yet smooth;
powerful, yet vulnerable – and Ted was a bad motha – “shut yo mouth” - “I’m
talkin’ bout Ted.” Yes, I called him Ted – not TP or Bear – just Ted… always
did. See, I’m a few years younger so I missed a lot of the hype of that era. By
the time I was ready to enjoy the romanticism that the music invoked it was
more of an Earth, Wind and Fire and Stevie Wonder era. It was time for
consciousness and social action. Marvin was asking “What’s Going On?” and Teddy
had gone from “Turn Off the Lights” to “Wake Up Everybody.” The next true
romantic was Luther Vandross and by then the whole vibe had shifted from strong
to sensitive. Men would weep publicly at the sound of “A House Is Not A Home.”
Ted always felt like a long lost big brother to me - still does to this
day. There is an inexplicable connection where I know exactly where he’s coming
from. Then there’s the mystique. There is the public persona, then the
CIA, highly classified, private man that we may never know. It’s that man that
has captured my imagination.
This 25th anniversary of a tragedy that would have doused a less-formidable
spirit is the perfect time to ask what brand of magic is at work here. Ted
speaks of the spirit and how his mom instilled an awareness of and appreciation
for the spirit of God in him from the time he could first walk and talk. Is
that it? They say Ted was singing in church by age two and by age ten he was
ordained to the ministry. Could it be that the spirit of God alone is at work
in the life and testimony of this man or will the film, and of course there
will have to be a big screen depiction of this biography, tell otherwise? I
stood at his bedside as Ted offered advice to me--his reluctant protégé. I
recall what I think were his most simple but poignant words of advice: ”Miles,
just be yourself.” He knew there would be those who would try to encourage me
to emulate him. He must have also known that I wasn’t equipped for such a
daunting task. It’s more than just talent that makes a Teddy Pendergrass – it’s
a mindset. I watched him through the studio glass day after day as I produced
tracks for the Joy CD; wondering 'where it comes from - where does the strength
come from?' Every third or quarter hour his private nurse would have to
come and physically shift his dapper frame in his wheelchair – such a simple
adjustment he was unable to make on his own--but he was ready to sing. He was
ready to be Teddy! There were, however, times in the studio when I thought I
detected fatigue in his voice so I would press the “Talkback” button and tell
Ted I was tired. I would say, "I’ve had it for the day" and he would
concede on my behalf. He didn’t want to overwork me.
He might ask, “You sure?” Then he would offer, “O.K. we’ll start again
tomorrow.” Then I would see his shoulders relax and I would know I made the
right call. Then my shoulders would relax too. Yes, I was feeling the
pressure. I was new to the game and I was producing Teddy Pendergrass. Brother
or no brother, this man’s a legend and the expectations will always be sky
high. I’ve concluded that in a business full of insecurity-stricken “stars”
Teddy Pendergrass is one of the most secure, confident, self-assured
individuals I have ever met. Even as a quadriplegic he exudes more sexuality
than all of your American Idol winners combined – include the judges if you
like. Unlike some stars, the music doesn’t make him sexy, he makes the music
sexy. You try singing “close the door, let me give you what you’ve been waiting
for” in your most sensual, sultry tones. How’d it go? See what I mean? No way
was an automobile accident going to get the best of him. No way was paralysis
going to keep him down. I can imagine him thinking, “I’m Teddy Pendergrass dang
it!” He’s right! He is Teddy Pendergrass and that’s all there is to it. It’s a
level of confidence that is borderline arrogance – the likes of which you might
find in a world champion heavyweight prize fighter. They say that it’s not
uncommon for PK’s and PGK’s, (Preacher’s Kids and Preacher’s Grand-Kids), to
exhibit a precocious nature as youngsters and hyper-developed egos as adults.
I’m told it’s a result of the assumption that they are endowed with special
gifts.
True or not true, when it comes to whether Teddy Pendergrass is an idol, a
legend or an icon it all becomes crystal clear – he’s all of them. If you’re
wondering what that means, it’s very simple, an individual to whom those words
apply are endowed with a very unique quality; they decide in their hearts and
minds to pick up where God left off, strive for greatness and never tire.
Perhaps we can all learn a bit from Ted’s example. Perhaps that’s the secret
he’s known since he was just a child. Perhaps that’s the secret he now wants to
share with the world. Like the bestselling series “the Secret” by Rhonda Byrne
affirms, it’s only when we partner with God that the real magic begins. Congratulations
Big Bro. and Happy 25th Anniversary!
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Niyoki: Her Praise Music Has a Secular Flavour
Excerpt from www.eurweb.com
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(June 12, 2007) *Niyoki looked like a lady on the road to
fame or at least someone who knows the direction she intends to go in
life. Her demeanour was tranquil and her large almond shaped eyes,
expressive. They are filled with confidence and an inner serenity that
seemed to suggest that this singer vibes to her own personal inner music.
She talked about both her DVD video disk and CD audio disk “Turn it Over”
and ‘Niyoki Live’ which contains worship songs like: “Praise Time,” “A Worship
Medley,” “Amazing Grace” and of course her “Turn It Over,” video as we
conducted our interview at the offices of the Double XXposure Public Relations
firm. Her lyrics on her CD audio disk “Turn It Over,” say “…When you open
up your eyes, you finally realize, that whatever you have been looking for…
will always be right there.” These lyrics seem to sum up Niyoki’s philosophy in
life. Listening to her words one can appreciate the richness in the
tone of her music and understand that Niyoki’s lyrics are reflective of her
unshakable faith in God. She knows with an absolute certainty that when
one asks something of God, an answer will be forthcoming. Her music is an
interesting blend of praise music set to an R&B beat. It uplifts, it
inspires, and it offers hope which is exactly what it’s intended to do.
“The message of gospel is the fundamental message of my life,” says Niyoki who
was raised as a preacher’s kid. “That’s right. I am a PK. A
preacher’s kid, so naturally I grew up with a Christian background and singing
in the Church. Both my parent’s come from singing families. I have
been singing since I was six. The family, who are from Fort Wayne,
Indiana, released 5 albums as the ‘White Family.’ White is my maiden
name,” explained the attractive singer. “My Mom, Dad, my brother, and 4
sisters comprise the musical group The White Family. Our family toured
when I was in elementary and middle school. We were professional
singers. We traveled on weekends and throughout my high school days,”
continued Niyoki. “My sisters and I eventually decided to take off on our
own. We took up our own management after having been under our parent’s
management for so long. You know how kids get rebellious and think they
want to strike out on their own and do something different? Well that was
us,” explained Niyoki of her early beginnings in gospel music.
“Our new manager told us to explore and try secular music. We started
doing a lot of harmonies. We branched out into R&B. We opened
for Boyz II Men and Art Kelly. But we became mostly known for being
Prince’s background singers. We changed our name from the White Family to
MILENIA right around the turn of the century in 2000. We thought the name had a
ring to it because it also spelled out a piece of all of the sister’s names:
Mikki, Leeka, Niyoki, and Tia. We did this around the same time that
Prince saw us in Minneapolis. He loved our harmony and he asked us to
perform as his background singers, do his vocals, and tour with him. We
did that for 2 1/2 years. That was an awesome experience. We had great
expectations but then nothing really happened,” claimed Niyoki who with her
sisters, did background for Prince’s “Rainbow Children” album. MILENIA
had many false starts. Although the sisters had expectations of being
signed, things never quite got off the ground. “Singing with Prince was
great and perhaps that is why our music has the nice undertone that it has.
It’s young and it speaks of my generation of music. However, I began to
feel it was time to step out on my own. When I was 12 years old, my dad and I
did a duet to the song “Amazing Grace,” I wanted to do something with that
song.” Niyoki took the plunge, moved out of her own way, and let God take
the lead. She was approached by Ralph Stacy who requested she do a song
with him. She told him she wanted to do something gospel and so the two
starting writing. This collaboration was the catalyst that set her on the
road toward her current path whereby she is now doing her first solo recording.
“As I said before, I sang “Amazing Grace” with my Dad at 12, so now I have
‘Amazing Grace’ on my own project. People love that song. Although, I do,
have traditional songs as well as urban gospel songs on the album. I have
fun with little beats and praise and worship music. There is everything
there. The Music is “My Everything.” It’s young, vibrant and it’s
versatile,” stated Niyoki whose name is an African word meaning “serious minded
and responsible.” “I co-wrote and co-produced “My Everything” which
has a neo-soul vibe. It’s laid back and jazzy. I would have to say
it is really my honour song to God. It says ‘God is My Lord, My King, and
My Everything!’ It’s my first solo project. Interestingly, while writing
the lyrics, I found they just came to me. It’s a gift I believe. I
was rather shocked I could write. My mother used to play, write, and
arrange a lot of the music for the White Family. I guess I have the gift
too. Creatively I have a hand in every part of my music. I usually write
out of a place of my need at the time. I think a lot of people relate to
my songs because people all over the world can relate to what I am
saying. I think everyone is looking for something, something that touches
the emotion. That offers comfort. We may not know God’s plan but I think God
has it all figured out. I just let my music speak and trust in God to
show me the way.”
To learn more about Niyoki visit www.niyoki.com
A Gloriously Over-The-Top Romp With Rufus
Excerpt from www.globeandmail.com -
Alan Niester
Rufus Wainwright
At the Danforth Music Hall in Toronto on Monday
(June 13, 2007) He is arguably the least likely pop-music
sensation on the planet. In an age of over-emoted throwback soul, insanely
simplistic two-chord bubble gum pop-punk and sadly generic rock, Rufus Wainwright turns heads by
channelling artists as diverse as Judy Garland, Kurt Weill and Neil Diamond.
When others look to the sixties and seventies for inspiration, Wainwright
wobbles happily through the past 150 years, mining Viennese opera, prewar
German cabaret and Gilbert and Sullivan musicals, and mixing them all together
in a sort of head-scratching musical bouillabaisse. But in a market where
the fastest-rising female singer is one who channels Billie Holliday (that
would be Amy Winehouse, for those not paying attention), it would seem that the
time is finally right for Wainwright's big breakthrough. And lo and behold,
guess whose just-released Release The Stars CD is currently brushing the
top of the pop charts in Britain, and also bothering the nether regions of the
North American Top 30 album charts. Yup, it's Rufus Wainwright, the 33-year-old
musical chameleon who until this point was considered just too baroque or
complex or gay or maybe just plain too weird for widespread success. On Monday
night, Wainwright returned to Toronto for the first of two sold-out shows at
the steamy Music Hall Theatre on the Danforth. He and his seven-piece band
(which included a three-piece horn section) performed in front of a huge
representation of an American flag, but instead of red and white, this flag
featured black and white stripes (representing "the two sides of the
American culture") and instead of stars in the upper left, there were a
series of elegant brooches. And though it took me a few songs to make the
connection (duh!), each player was decked out in stripes of varying hues and
elegant brooches also. This was the first clue that this was not going to be a
concert by, say, Slayer, or Cannibal Corpse.
The great bulk of the evening centred on the new album, which is as it should
have been, the songs therein representing a significant leap forward in
Wainwright's songwriting and performance skills. Indeed, he opened with the
title cut, a verbose number that puts one in the mind of Randy Newman, if
Newman sang in a dusky, somewhat burred and lisping baritone. This was followed
in kind by the vaguely Billy Joel-ish Going To A Town, the unabashedly
fluffy Sanssouci, and the slightly Neil Diamond-ish Rules and
Regulations (for which Wainwright apparently borrowed Gene Pitney's old
Mexicali horn section). Then came the "did he or didn't he" tribute
to the Killers' singer, Brandon Flowers (Wainwright suggesting on stage that he
did indeed), in which Wainwright seemed only barely in control of the piano
keyboard. Tiergarten, a cabaret number that would have done Liza Minnelli
proud, the Leonard Cohen-ish Leaving For Paris No. 2 and the rocking Between
My Legs closed out the first half. When he returned for the second half,
Wainwright had abandoned the stripes-on-stripes ensemble for a nice
German-youth-in-the-thirties look, lederhosen and all. He revisited his recent
reprisal of the classic Judy Garland 1961 Carnegie Hall concert with a version
of Foggy London Town before returning to finish off the rest of the new
album. Over the top? Certainly, but you know that going in. With
Wainwright, it's a matter of expecting the unexpected, and letting it roll over
you. It all makes for a damn good time at the old concert hall, sharing a space
with one of the last of the total originals.
Meet Sean Kingston: 17-Year-Old Has Huge Hit With 'Beautiful
Girls'
Source: Tynicka Battle, ThinkTank Marketing, tynicka@thinktankmktg.com, www.thinktankmktg.com
(June 13, 2007) After producing an endless array of
hit
records for the likes of musical heavyweights such as 50 Cent, The Game,
Rihanna and Snoop Dogg, production savant J.R. Rotem has turned his attention
to one of the most innovative young talents in music, Sean Kingston, the first signing on his
Beluga Heights label. Kingston, a 17 year old native of Jamaica who now
lives in Miami brings his very unique triple threat of talent of rapping,
reggae chatting and soulful harmonization with the 2007 release of his debut
yet to be titled album. "As an artist, my whole goal is to make
powerful and classic music," Sean divulges. "I want everyone to feel
me and understand where I'm from and that's what this album will do. The music
is all about an authentic Sean Kingston vibe. JR is a talented dude and a dope
producer and he saw that I had something different than any other artist out
there. Together we're a powerful force. In addition to J.R., The Runners,
Cool and Dre, DJ Felli Fell, and DJ Khaled will be supplying beats. In just a
short time, Kingston has already done what few in his age bracket can
accomplish - solidify a following in the streets and get people excited about
music again.
AUDIO BEAUTIFUL GIRLS (produced by J.R. Rotem)
HERE
HERE
He has two certified thunder knockers on his hands with "Colors 2007"
and the Jamaican remix. The original version is a lyrical brouhaha with
Kingston showing he can hang with the acclaimed guest MCs. Miami Mayor Rick
Ross and the multi-platinum west coast superstar, The Game. The reggae remix of
Colors is a Caribbean hailstorm featuring the legendary Vybez Cartel and the
always profound Kardinal Offishall. Both records maintain the same theme of unity and
self-reflection. "That's the whole campaign," Kingston, whose
parents are from Jamaica, elaborated. "The song is about representing
every flag that you're loyal to - whether it is Jamaica, the States, your block
etc. It's a lifestyle record that can be a street anthem no matter where you
are. I couldn't ask for anybody better than The Game and Ross to join me on the
track. The Reggae version came up because I knew I had to do one special for
Jamaica. The first person I thought of was Vybez Cartel. His verse came out
crazy. Then Kardinal Offishall, that's my homie, he really attacked the track."
Kingston's album is shaping up to be as diverse as the colors are on the
different flags he talks about.
The melody of "Stand By Me," also acted a muse for the first official
single off the album "Beautiful Girls." It is way more than puppy
love when Sean lays his vocals on the record, singing about a shattering break
up. "You're way too beautiful girl," he sings about heartbreak.
"Girls will have you suicidal when they say it's over." "I
heard the track 'Stand By Me,' one night in the studio, the radio was on. I
asked J.R., did anybody ever flip that? He made the beat the beat right there
on the spot and I wrote the songs in a few minutes. It's hard when you're in
love and a girl tells you that it is time to end things. I know everyone can
relate to that, so that's why I had to write about it."
"Drummer Boy" finds Kingston sticking mainly to rapping over the
trouncing pounce of drums, while "I Can Feel" takes it to the party
and incorporates a sample of Phil Collins' timeless "In the Air
Tonight." Perhaps one of the most eye opening track however may the
song "Prosecutor," where Kingston vents about what he calls the
wrongful imprisonment of his sister and mother. "You're lying and there's
no way to prove it," he fumes.
Sean says he was inspired to write the record after he saw his family
incarcerated when he was just 14 years old. "I always had my sister
and my brother," he began to explain. "My brother was doing his own
thing, he was there but he was running around doing his own thing. When my
mother and sister went away, it took a lot out of me. My sister went away for
four months and my mom been away for over a year. When she went way, I was like
'nah man, this is too much.' I was only 14. I missed her like crazy but I
pulled through and used it as my motivation. "Prosecutor" is a
defining song on the album for me - nothing fake about it because it touches on
something very personal to me. The dope melody that's on there makes me feel
even closer to it." Kingston wants to make it clear that he is no
cookie cutter artist that has the songs laid out for him. He comes up with 100
percent of his lyrics. "Man, it feels good to get that creative
freedom," he says. "Not a lot of artists are put in that position. I
don't feel that just because I'm a young dude, somebody should write my songs
and say 'ok spit it this way.' I think music is better when it comes from the
person, when it comes from your heart. I feel comfortable writing my own music and
them letting me do it, is a great situation. Sean talks about J.R. more
like a big brother, rather than an Executive Producer of his album. Couple of
years ago, Kingston started randomly hitting music industry contacts on
MySpace. Although none of the A&R reps responded, Rotem emailed him back.
J.R. almost had no choice, "Sean would hit me up at least three times a
day!" J.R. says. "He just had a real distinct sound,"
Rotem remembers. "I worked with some of the best and I don't see why Sean
can't grow to be one of them. His potential is limitless."
Rotem invited Sean for a meeting in Los Angeles, coincidentally; the young
performer was already in the process of moving to California. Shortly after
their initial meeting, Rotem had a flagship artist for his Epic records joint
venture, Beluga Heights. For Sean, it was almost like a prophecy beginning to
be fulfilled. Not only is music his love, it is in his blood. Iconic Reggae
artist Buju Banton is his uncle and Jack Ruby, who produced records for Bob Marley
and Burning Spear in Jamaica, is his grandfather. Now Kingston says he's
looking forward to making music and living out his dream. "In the
future I want to have my own label and work on the business side," he
said. "I went to acting school when I was younger, so I want to get into
that. I want to get into every aspect of the business. It took me a little
while to develop and build my sound, to find out who the real Sean Kingston
was. I didn't know if I wanted to harmonize, or to rap. But I found out that I
can do it all." SIGN UP for Sean Kingston updates, and join the
mobile club for exclusives! http://www.seankingston.com/#join
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MUSIC TIDBITS
Billboard Launches Canadian Chart
Excerpt from www.globeandmail.com -
Guy Dixon
(June 7, 2007) Billboard, the music trade weekly, is launching a
new singles chart known as the Canadian
Hot 100 today measuring the top songs in Canada.
The chart will be a compilation of the Canada Digital Songs chart, which
ranks the top-selling downloads in Canada as measured by Nielsen SoundScan, and
the Canada All-Format Airplay chart, ranking the songs most played on Canadian
radio as measured by Nielsen Broadcast Data Systems. The Canadian Hot 100
will be included in Billboard magazine, as well as on its billboard.com and
billboard.biz websites.
Justin Timberlake Signs Youtube
Sensation
Excerpt from www.eurweb.com
(June 7, 2007) *Last year, a Dutch teenager began
using her sister’s
webcam to film herself singing various pop and R&B songs, which she would
post onto YouTube for feedback. More than 21 million viewers are already hip to
Esmee Denters, who has captivated folks with her
renditions of such songs as Beyonce’s "Irreplaceable," Prince’s
“"How Come You Don’t Call Me," (as sung by Alicia Keys) and Luther
Vandross’ "Dance With My Father." Her incredible voice somehow
reached the ears of Justin
Timberlake, who has signed the now 18-year-old to
his new label Tenman Records and will include her on his upcoming tour, reports
WENN. "Esmee is the real deal and I cannot wait for the world to hear her,
but all of her fans on YouTube should not worry - we will keep you in the loop
every step of the way," Timberlake announced this week. Denters said:
"I have to thank YouTube and its viewers for giving me the opportunity to
show the world my voice. I also have to thank Justin, one of the biggest
artists in the world, for believing in me and making my dreams come true."
Her debut album, to be comprised of all-original material, is due out later
this year. http://www.myspace.com/esmeedenters
[Note from Dawn: This young woman is phenomenal!]
Rihanna’s Umbrella Continues Billboard
Reign
Excerpt from www.eurweb.com
June 8, 2007) *Rihanna’s new single “Umbrella” continues
to hold down the No. 1 spot on Billboard’s Hot 100 chart after rocketing 42-1
last week, while Shop Boyz keep the No. 2 spot warm for a second week with
“Party Like a Rockstar.” Rihanna's "Umbrella" also tops Billboard’s
new Canadian Hot 100 chart, which launched made its debut yesterday (June 7).
Read our feature story on Rihanna here.
T-Pain's "Buy U a Drank (Shawty Snappin')" featuring Yung Joc moves
up 4-3, while the song remains No. 1 on Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs for a sixth
week. On that chart, former Destiny's Child member Kelly Rowland has her first
top 10 hit as a solo act as "Like This" featuring Eve climbs
13-7. Elsewhere in the Hot 100 top 10, Justin Timberlake's "Summer
Love" moves down 6-8, and Huey's "Pop, Lock & Drop It" is up
10-9. The Hot 100's top debut at No. 56 is India.Arie's "Beautiful
Flower," which she wrote for the students at the Oprah Winfrey Leadership
Academy for Girls and performed on the talk show last week. Also new is
Timbaland's "The Way I Are" featuring Keri Hilson at No. 78, Kanye
West's "Can't Tell Me Nothing" at No. 80 and Kat Deluna's "Whine
Up" featuring Elephant Man at No. 91.
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Still No Plans For Live Earth Concert In
Canada
Excerpt from www.globeandmail.com
- Guy Dixon
(June 12, 2007) Toronto -- Angélique
Kidjo, Baaba Maal and Joss Stone are among the headliners at the Johannesburg Live Earth concert on July 7. The line-up announced
yesterday is for Africa's version of the international concert event organized
in association with former U.S. vice-president Al Gore and taking place in
various cities around the world on the same day to raise environmental
awareness. Other major acts include the Police, slotted to play at the New York
concert, and Madonna and the Beastie Boys among the London headliners. A
spokeswoman for Live Earth in New York said that there are still no plans for a
Canadian concert. The Toronto mayor's office had been in early talks with
organizers, but nothing had been finalized.
Prince Taps Columbia, Wendy & Lisa
For Next Album
Excerpt from www.eurweb.com
(June 12, 2007) *Prince
has reunited with his Revolution
band mates Wendy and Lisa for material on his new album “Planet Earth,” which
he has chosen to release through Columbia Records on July 24 in North America.
This marks the second time the artist has partnered with Columbia, following
the April 2004 release of his album “Musicology.” “Guitar,"
the first single from "Planet Earth," was serviced to all radio
formats yesterday; it is also free to Verizon Wireless customers for a limited
promotional period, as previously reported. According to Columbia, a
worldwide launch of “Planet Earth” will begin on July 16. Prince has also
announced the final concert dates of his 21-night stand at London’s O2 Arena
this summer. The new shows are August 24 and 25, and September 6, 16, 20 and
21. Tickets go on sale at 9 a.m. on Friday (June 15). Prince’s full run
at O2 is as follows: August 1, 3, 4, 7, 10, 11, 14, 17, 18, 24, 25, 28, 31 and
September 1, 6, 9, 12, 13, 16, 20 and 21.
Shortlist Music Prize Winner Is One Cool
Cat
Excerpt from www.thestar.com
- Associated Press
(June 13, 2007) LOS ANGELES–Mercurial singer-songwriter Cat Power has become the first woman to win the Shortlist Music
Prize, beating out finalists that included Tom Waits and Regina Spektor. The
Shortlist, now in its sixth year, honours acts who have made sterling albums
but have not hit the mainstream. Its jury of nine included journalists and
musicians, including KT Tunstall and rockers Franz Ferdinand. "Cat Power's
album quickly got under my skin," Tunstall said of Power's critically acclaimed
The Greatest. "She has one of the most beguiling voices around. The
Greatest is an immediate classic that will never age." Besides Waits
and Spektor, the other finalists were Band of Horses, Beirut, Bonnie Prince
Billy, Girl Talk, Hot Chip, Joanna Newsom and Spank Rock. Power, whose real
name is Chan Marshall, is a past finalist for the Shortlist. She received
perhaps the most acclaim of her career for The Greatest, which featured
her singing with the backing of Memphis blues vets.
::FILM NEWS::
Pacino Wins Lifetime Acting Award
Excerpt from www.thestar.com
- Associated Press
(June 08 2007) LOS ANGELES – Al
Pacino made grand
speeches on screen as Michael Corleone and Tony Montana. But when the actor was
honoured with the American Film Institute's Life Achievement Award, he was
practically speechless. "I need a character," the 67-year-old actor
said, overwhelmed with emotion. "I don't think of myself as being able to
do anything.'' Pacino didn't have to say much, though. A host of Hollywood
heavyweights – including Oliver Stone, Kirk Douglas, Andy Garcia and Robin
Williams – did most of the talking when Pacino was presented his award Thursday
at the Kodak Theatre. "The depth of your artistry is only more overwhelmed
by the generosity of your spirit and your warmth," said Garcia, who worked
with Pacino on "The Godfather: Part III.'' "You're Van Gogh. You're
Modigliani. That's who you are.'' The three-hour dinner program, set to air
June 19 on the USA network, featured clips from Pacino's most famous films,
including ``The Godfather,'' "Scarface,'' "Dog Day Afternoon,''
"Serpico'' and "Scent of a Woman.'' "Seeing my life in the
movies, I have one question," Pacino said. "And that is: Why aren't I
in rehab?'' Growing up in New York, Pacino discovered acting at an early age.
"By age 3, I was doing Al Jolson," he said. "I found, in the
theatre, this place I could go to. I found this peace.'' The two-time Tony
Award winner has been nominated for eight Academy Awards. He won for his role
as Lt. Col. Frank Slade in the 1992 film "Scent of a Woman.'' He was honoured
with a Lifetime Achievement Award in 1996 by the Independent Feature Project.
The Hollywood Foreign Press Association presented Pacino with its Cecil B.
DeMille Award at the Golden Globes ceremony in 2001. Pacino's sister, Roberta,
said her brother always loved performing. She was on hand Thursday to celebrate
his career, which has spanned nearly four decades. "He's one of the
greatest artists who ever lived, according to me," she said. Oscar-winner
Jamie Foxx, who worked with Pacino on "Any Given Sunday," called him
"the greatest actor in the world.'' Stone, who wrote 1983's
"Scarface," lauded the actor's ``wicked sense of humour" and
"great, if misunderstood, heart.'' "It is with great love and respect
that I say goodnight to the bad guy," he said, recalling one of Pacino's
famous "Scarface'' lines. The program also included tributes to Jack
Valenti, who died April 26, and AFI chief executive Jean Picker Firstenberg,
who is set to retire this year. Pacino is the 35th recipient of the AFI Life Achievement
Award. Past honourees include Sean Connery, Martin Scorsese, Steven Spielberg,
Elizabeth Taylor, Alfred Hitchcock, Bette Davis and Jack Nicholson.
George Clooney: The Ocean's Thirteen
Interview With Kam Williams
Excerpt from www.eurweb.com
-
June 11, 2007) *Born in
Lexington, Kentucky on May 6, 1961,
George Timothy Clooney is the son of beauty queen Nina Warren
and TV newscaster Nick Clooney, and nephew of singer/actress Rosemary
Clooney. He was a promising enough baseball player in high school to be
invited to a tryout by the Cincinnati Reds' organization. He failed to make it
to the pros, and attended college briefly, but only found his true calling
after dropping out and heading for Hollywood where's he's enjoyed a storybook
career. The icing on the cake arrived last year when he landed an overdue Oscar
for his performance in Syriana. Once dubbed The Sexiest Man Alive by People
Magazine, here, the ever eligible bachelor talks about reprising his roles as
Danny Ocean.
Kam Williams: Who do you credit for reassembling this all-star cast with so
many matinee idols for a third go at it?
George Clooney: Jerry is the heart and soul of it, period. This, particularly,
is a Jerry Weintraub production. And that's the fun of it. He understands how
to do it. You have to remember, you gotta get all these guys together. That
doesn't mean that they don't want to be together, but it's very hard to pull
schedules together. It's really hard, because everybody's got gigs. So, to find
one period of time when everybody can come together and do the job is tricky,
and only Jerry can do it.
KW: What Ocean's Thirteen's basic premise?
GC: We're back in Vegas for the setting, and I think what we like about it is
that there's a really good reason for everybody to come back together which is
that Reuben [played by Elliott Gould] gets hurt by somebody. And so this is a
movie about revenge, which I like a lot. We always like revenge films. So, it's
about getting even with somebody, not about getting rich.
KW: How did you enjoy the addition of Al Pacino to the cast?
GC: Al's such a great foil. He's one guy you really want to get. And you enjoy
it when he gets it, when he plays a bad guy. So, he makes it really fun, and
makes this Vegas background really move and hum.
KW: You also added a femme fatale in Ellen Barkin.
GC: Ellen is Al's right hand man, see, and sort of gets sort of swept up by
Matt Damon's love aura, which you understand when you spend time around him.
He's got it. He's got that thing. And so we use Matt as a sex kitten in this
one to sort of attract her away, so we can steal some diamonds.
For full interview by Kam Williams, go HERE.
Ocean's Thirteen Steals Top Box-Office
Slot
Excerpt from www.thestar.com
- David Germain, Associated Press
(June 10, 2007) LOS ANGELES – Audiences anted up for the
Warner Bros. caper Ocean's
Thirteen, the third of
George Clooney and Brad Pitt's casino-heist romps, which debuted as the top
flick with $37.1 million, according to studio estimates Sunday. Disney's Pirates
of the Caribbean: At World's End, the No. 1 movie the previous two
weekends, sank to second-place with $21.3 million, raising its domestic total
to $253.6 million. Sony's Surf's Up, an animated adventure about surfing
penguins featuring the voices of Shia LaBeouf and Jeff Bridges, debuted in
fourth-place with $18 million. That was less than half the $41.5 million
opening weekend of last fall's animated-penguin hit Happy Feet. Surf's
Up earned good reviews, but audiences may have viewed it as a retread of Happy
Feet, which finished with nearly $200 million domestically and won the
Academy Award for best animated feature. Lionsgate's gory horror sequel Hostel:
Part II, about rich people who pay to kill victims in grisly ways, opened
at No. 6 with $8.75 million, less than half the $19.6 million debut of last
year's Hostel. The newcomers fell well short of the $60.1 million
opening of the animated hit Cars over the same weekend last year. After
a big summer start, Hollywood revenues dipped for the second-straight weekend,
with the top-12 movies taking in $133.6 million, down 9 percent from the same
weekend last year. The three blockbusters that debuted in May – Pirates of
the Caribbean, DreamWorks Animation's Shrek the Third and Sony's Spider-Man
3 – all have trailed off with big drops in revenue after huge first
weekends. Collectively, the three movies will combine for about $1 billion in
domestic receipts. But all three will finish well below the $400-million-plus
haul each of their most-successful predecessors took in. The latest instalments
on all three franchises earned mixed reviews, and they arrived amid arguably
the most-competitive summer ever for Hollywood, with huge sequels and other big
films arriving every weekend.
With Spider-Man 3 edging toward $900 million worldwide and At World's
End nearing $750 million, overseas revenues have far exceeded domestic
receipts for both franchises. Shrek the Third is rolling out overseas
gradually. "It's really become an opening-weekend business, but with all
the competition, in the long haul, they just don't have the legs that their
predecessors did," said Paul Dergarabedian, president of box-office
tracker Media By Numbers. "Studios really have to rely on those worldwide
grosses to make up the difference in the long run.'' An exception is
Universal's comedy Knocked Up, which held up strongly in its second
weekend with $20 million, coming in at No. 3 and raising its domestic total to
$66.2 million. Critical praise and audience word of mouth sustained the film,
which stars Katherine Heigl as a career woman who becomes pregnant from a
one-night stand with a slacker (Seth Rogen). Ocean's Thirteen reunites
director Steven Soderbergh with Clooney, Pitt, Matt Damon and other cast
members as the gang of thieves targets a casino owner (Al Pacino) who
double-crossed one of their own. The sequel debuted slightly behind the opening
weekends of 2001's Ocean's Eleven ($38.1 million) and 2004's Ocean's
Twelve ($39.2 million).
Kerry's Choice: Kerry Washington
Excerpt from www.essence.com - By
Jeannine Amber
It was the fall of 2004. Ray had just hit theatres, and Kerry
Washington, the wide-eyed talent who shone opposite
Jamie Foxx as Ray Charles's beleaguered wife, was beginning to feel the heat.
Suddenly people were coming up to her—in the street, at the grocery
store—acting as if they knew her and wanting to chat. "I love what I
do," says Washington, sitting in a corner booth in Angelica's Kitchen, a
vegan restaurant in Manhattan's East Village, where as recently as 2001 she
supplemented her acting with a part-time job as a hostess. "So I like when
people want to talk to me about my work." But sometimes things
get weird. Like the time a man called "Hey, Kerry!" to her on the
street. Although she didn't recognize him, she responded warmly, thinking he
must be someone she had gone to college with. "I let him into my personal
space. Then he starts saying, 'Your ass was incredible in (Spike Lee's) She
Hate Me,' “she recalls with a shudder.”It made me realize I wasn't always
going to be in control of who knew me, how they knew me, or what they thought
of me." To another actress, these intrusions might be tallied up as
the price of blossoming fame. But Washington, who is by her own admission very
sensitive, finds these encounters completely unnerving. "I used to be the
girl who would show up at the airport in pyjamas, because no one was ever
trying to take my picture," she says. "Suddenly I was losing my
anonymity, and I became really scared, scared of my career. I felt trapped and
powerless, as if I had put myself in a corner." At the same time,
Washington's mother was diagnosed with breast cancer (she's currently in
remission). So despite the swirl of accolades and awards shows that came in the
wake of Ray, the actress, who turned 30 this past January, found herself
sinking into depression.
In December 2004, Washington and her then fiancé, actor David Moscow, flew to
Thailand for a vacation. Before making their way to their beachfront hotel,
they dropped by to see some of Washington's extended family living in Bangkok.
The family persuaded the couple to spend the night. The next morning a tsunami,
which affected several countries surrounding the Indian Ocean and would kill
almost 300,000 people, struck the village the couple had intended to visit.
Washington awoke to find their hotel had been completely destroyed. "It
was just...gone," she says. That moment changed everything.
Washington says that when she woke up the morning after the tsunami, she
thought, Okay. As scared as I might be about all the unknowns in my life,
I'm alive. I should embrace the adventure rather than have it put me in a
corner and shut me down. "So I started looking for ways to be a
positive participant in my life, rather than letting my life control me,"
the actress says. "Like, with my mother's breast cancer. I thought, Here's
an opportunity for us to move closer together, for me to support her the way
she has supported me my whole life.
"The other thing it affirmed for me is to trust my instincts," she
continues. "As women of color, we're constantly feeling like we have to
make choices for other people. What will make him happy? What will make them
happy? But when I decided to stay in Bangkok for that night, it didn't feel
like I was 'supposed to.' It felt like there was so much love coming from my
family, and I should just move in the direction of the love I deserve. Since
then I've really tried to stay in that frame of mind—to trust my intuition and
go where the love is. That's my guiding light." If recent history is
any indication, Washington's light has served her well. In a profession often
criticized for its dearth of opportunities for Black women, she's been tapped
for an array of roles, starring in everything from action-packed blockbusters
like Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer, which opened last month,
to gritty indie flicks like The Dead Girl, in which she mesmerized
audiences as a young woman laid bare by her friend's murder. Unlike some of her
contemporaries, whose celebrity often overshadows their attempt to inhabit a
character, on-screen Washington virtually disappears. It's not an actress we
see, it's a desperate Ugandan wife in The Last King of Scotland, a
charismatic shoplifter in Lift, a manipulative temptress sashaying into
the life of another woman's man in I Think I Love My Wife. Her acting
appears effortless, but Washington's preparation is intense. For her role as a
transgendered prostitute in the upcoming Life Is Hot in Cracktown,
Washington spent months working with transgendered activist Valerie Spenser. At
her own expense, Washington paid Spenser to show up on set every day to ensure
the actress's performance rang authentic. "When I'm working, I give myself
over to my characters," she says. "I literally lend my life to
them."
But all this focus can take its toll. For years as a college student,
Washington, who has the petite frame and high forehead of a ballerina, suffered
through what she describes as an abusive relationship with food and exercise:
compulsive overeating followed by endless workouts to erase the damage. "I
used food as a way to cope," she says. "It was my best friend."
Washington would hide in her dorm room, bingeing on whole pizzas, pints of ice
cream, entire jars of peanut butter, and plates of fries. "I'd eat
anything and everything," she says, "sometimes until I passed out.
But then, because I had this personality that was driven toward perfectionism,
I would tell people I was at the library, but instead go to the gym and
exercise for hours and hours and hours. Keeping my behaviour a secret was
painful and isolating. There was a lot of guilt and a lot of shame."
Washington finally sought help after her dance teacher, sensing something
was wrong, approached her. "I started therapy, which I still do
today," says Washington. "I also see a nutritionist and I meditate.
Learning how to love myself and my body is a lifelong process. But I definitely
don't struggle the way I used to. Therapy helped me realize that maybe it's
okay for me to communicate my feelings. Instead of literally stuffing them down
with food, maybe it's okay for me to express myself." These days it
appears that Washington has no problem speaking her mind. She's wildly
expressive and deeply analytical, her language laced with literary references,
metaphors, yoga terminology and plenty of self-help-y affirmations. Warm and
thoughtful, she's charmingly optimistic, even in the face of her recent
break-up with her fiancé, with whom she had been living for almost five years.
Although the relationship was interracial (one African-American blog
dismissively described him as her "Something New"), the split had
nothing to do with race. "I have relatives who are from Nepal, Thailand,
Puerto Rico," says Washington. "So it wasn't a huge departure for me
to be with someone who wasn't Black. I know people were making comments about
it online. But I don't live my life based on bloggers; I live my life based on
what my heart is telling me to do." Washington says the break-up last
February was mutual and amicable and based more on the couple's sense that
things just weren't working than on who did what to whom. "When we were
planning the wedding, I didn't even feel like picking out a dress," she
says. "But I didn't rush things; I let my intuition guide me. We realized
that even though we love each other on a very profound level, we were doing
emotional gymnastics to try to work things out. We thought that instead, maybe
we should walk away. Of course, that doesn't mean it hasn't been painful."
Still, Washington is determined to keep following her light. "No matter
how bad things are—whether it was the period when I first sought out treatment
for my eating disorder or when my mother was diagnosed with breast cancer or
when the engagement dissolved—I know the other side is going to be
better," she says. "Maybe even miraculously better. I hold on to
that."
Jeannine Amber is senior writer for ESSENCE.
Community Cast Saves The Revue
Excerpt from www.globeandmail.com -
Anthony Reinhart
(June 13, 2007) Any budding screenwriter would have done
well to take a walk down Roncesvalles Avenue yesterday. There, on the sidewalk
in the late-morning sun, were all the makings of a feel-good summer flick: a cast
of characters led by a couple of working-class heroes, and the true story of
how they brought their neighbourhood movie house back from extinction. In a
testament to the cohesion of the west-end enclave where it sits, the Revue Cinema - closed and for sale for the past year - will reopen
late this summer. A non-profit community group will run it after a pair of
their pennywise, retired neighbours, Danny and Letty Mullin, stepped forward to
buy the beloved 96-year-old building this spring. "The ideal city is a
network of urban villages, and Roncesvalles is a model of that kind of
village," City Councillor Gord Perks said in an interview after the
all-volunteer Revue Film Society announced the impending re-opening in front of
the theatre. Mr. Perks, a former film student who saw his first Francois
Truffaut movie, The Four Hundred Blows, at the Revue many years ago,
theorized that the area's hemmed-in geography helps to foster its village feel
- Lake Ontario to the south, High Park to the west and railways to the north.
More than that, its social ties have been drawn ever tighter since young
families began to move in about 15 years ago, said Amrita Daniere, who chairs
the geography department at the University of Toronto's Mississauga campus.
"What you're seeing here is an example of social capital and
networking," said Dr. Daniere, herself a Roncesvalles resident for a dozen
years now. "When communities have these kinds of bonds between each other
and amongst each other, it facilitates any kind of collective action." As
a meeting place that fostered such bonds, the Revue's closing last June was
universally mourned, and the professor herself contributed $100 to the $30,000
the fledgling film society collected last summer in a bid to save the movie
house. Keeping the theatre in the community was something Danny and Letty
Mullin also wanted, after 79-year-old Mr. Mullin saw the For Sale sign last
winter. A Liverpudlian and film fan who came to Canada in the 1950s, Mr. Mullin
made his way shrewdly through life on a series of modest jobs, from bartending
and cleaning to collecting garbage. He met his wife, then a bookkeeper at the
University of Toronto Faculty Club, while he was serving drinks there. They
never bothered to buy a car; instead, they invested in real estate, and in
their son's private-school education. He's now a doctor in New York. The couple
live in an apartment building they own on Indian Road, a short walk from the
Revue. They bought the cinema for $954,000, a decent haggle downward from the
asking price of $1.275 million. "I paid a high price for this, but that
doesn't bother me, because in another 10 years, it'll be double," Mr.
Mullin said. As for taking on the role of owner, "what we've done is very
easy," he told his neighbours - who will actually run the cinema.
"You guys have done all the hard work."
FILM TIDBITS
Away From Her Tops $1-Million
Excerpt from www.globeandmail.com
- Guy Dixon
(June 8, 2007) Films about older characters dealing with
aging don't have to mean box-office death, as proved by first-time director
Sarah Polley's Away
from Her, which has grossed $1-million in Canada
since opening on May 4, according to its distributors. The highly acclaimed
film, which stars Julie Christie and Gordon Pinsent as a couple coping with
Alzheimer's and wayward love, and is based on Alice Munro's story The Bear
Came Over the Mountain, is the first English-Canadian film to cross the
$1-million mark this year, the film's Canadian distributors, Mongrel Media and
Capri Releasing, said yesterday. It is currently screening in 38 theatres
across Canada. Hussain Amarshi, Mongrel's president, notes that the $1-million
figure also includes box-office revenue from the Film Circuit, special
screenings of the film in smaller cities and towns through a division of the
Toronto International Film Festival Group. "Art-house films are primarily
sold by word of mouth. You can have the greatest reviews. You can have the best
campaign in the world. But at the end of the day, it's on very few screens, and
it's the word of mouth that keeps the film going," Amarshi said. In the
U.S., Away from Her has grossed more than $2-million through its
American distributor Lions Gate. The film has also delivered Polley into world
cinema's inner circle, as she took Away from Her from its premiere at
the last Toronto International Film Festival to such key festivals as Sundance
and Berlin, culminating in her recent stint on the jury in Cannes.
Tyler Perry To Film ‘Meet The Browns’
Excerpt form www.eurweb.com
(June 8, 2007) * Tyler Perry will again don the Madea
housedresses for a film adaptation of his stage production, “Meet the Browns,” due in early 2008 for Lionsgate. The
story follows a single mother in Chicago who takes her family to Georgia for
the funeral of her father, whom she never met. There, she is introduced to her
father’s crude-yet-fun-loving Brown family. News of the film comes a day after
the premiere of Perry ’s TBS sitcom “House of Payne,” which is being distributed
in first-run syndication by Lionsgate's wholly owned Debmar-Mercury subsidiary.
The series debut has become the No. 1 sitcom telecast in TBS history among
adults 18-34, adults 18-49, adults 25-54, overall viewers and overall
households, according to preliminary data from Nielsen Media
Research. The show, which grew a strong 12% from the first episode
to the second, also provided TBS with the network’s top series telecast of all
time among all key adult demos, households and viewers, as well as ad-supported
cable’s top scripted telecast for the year to date among adults 18-49 and
adults 25-54. Perry and Lionsgate first struck gold in Feb. 2005 with
“Diary of a Mad Black Woman,” which became an unexpected box-office hit opening
at No. 1 and eventually earning more than $50 million. A year later, Perry
scored another No. 1 opening with “Madea’s Family Reunion.” His next
film, the Madea-less “Daddy’s Little Girls,” earned over $13 million during its
opening weekend this past February. His fourth Lionsgate feature, " Tyler
Perry 's Why Did I Get Married?" is slated for a November 16 release.
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It's Not The End For Shrek
Excerpt from www.thestar.com
- Associated Press
(June 12, 2007) BERLIN–Galvanized by the success of
Shrek the Third, producer Jeffrey Katzenberg said the
tale of the green ogre who married a princess will not be the last. "More
Shreks are coming!" said Katzenberg Friday, flanked by Cameron Diaz, Mike
Myers and Justin Timberlake at a news conference in Berlin in advance of the
movie's German premiere. Katzenberg said the next film will be a half-hour
animated TV special called Shrek the Halls, featuring the Shrek characters'
own versions of holiday traditions. As for the plot of the fourth instalment of
the Shrek movie franchise, Katzenberg would only reveal that Shrek will
have to come to terms with something difficult in his own past. Meanwhile,
during Shrek the Third's premiere in Britain yesterday, the media event
focused intently on two of the movie's stars: ex-couple Diaz and Timberlake.
The duo – who had been dating since 2003 – confirmed their split in early
January. Diaz, 34, and Timberlake, 26, embraced just before stepping onto the
green carpet before a large crowd in London's glittering Leicester Square.
"We're friends. It's good to see him," said Diaz. "It's great
having him around. We've not been able to sit down and have a chat yet, we've
been so busy." Asked about his love life, Timberlake joked: "I'm
allergic to those type of questions."
::TV NEWS::
Isaiah Washington Dropped From Grey's
Anatomy
Source: Associated Press
(June 8, 2007) LOS ANGELES — Isaiah
Washington has
lost his job on the hit ABC medical drama Grey's Anatomy, five months
after creating a furor with his use of an anti-gay slur. Washington's contract
option was not renewed for next season, series producer ABC Television Studios
said Thursday. “I'm mad as hell and I'm not going to take it any more,”
Washington said in a statement released through his publicist, Howard Bragman,
without elaboration. He drew fire after using the anti-gay epithet backstage at
the Golden Globe Awards in January while denying he'd used it previously on the
set against cast mate T.R. Knight. Gay rights groups and cast member Katherine
Heigl, who publicly denounced Washington, were among his most vocal critics.
“This is something that will have changed the scope of his life,” Heigl told
Entertainment Weekly last month. Washington was “sorry and embarrassed” for the
mistake, she said.
Washington tried to make amends and said he was seeking therapy. He also met
with officials from the Gay, Lesbian & Straight Education Network and the
Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation and filmed a public service
announcement in which he said “words have power” to hurt or heal. The May
finale of Grey's Anatomy opened the door for the departure of his
character. Burke was on the verge of marrying Dr. Cristina Yang (Sandra Oh),
but her doubts at first delayed and then derailed their splashy wedding. Later,
Yang found that Burke cleared out his favourite possessions from their
apartment. In May, Bragman said the actor intended to spend the summer working
and not worrying about the show. Washington intended to continue his charity
work in Sierra Leone, which a DNA test showed to be his ancestral home, and
work on an independent movie.
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Barker's
Farewell To The Price Is Right
Excerpt
from www.thestar.com - Associated Press
(June 07, 2007) LOS ANGELES – With his final
show in the can, Bob
Barker is officially retired. The 83-year-old
daytime icon filmed his last episode of The Price Is Right on Wednesday,
ending his 35-year tenure on the CBS show and 50 years on television. "I
thank you, thank you, thank you for inviting me into your home for more than 50
years. I'm truly grateful, and I hope that all of you have enjoyed your visit
to The Price Is Right,'' Barker told the studio audience after the
cameras stopped rolling. The episode is scheduled to air twice June 15: once at
its usual time and again that evening. Reruns of Barker-hosted shows will play
until the new season premieres in the fall. Among the reported candidates to
replace Barker are Todd Newton of the E! network, Mark Steines of Entertainment
Tonight, George Hamilton and John O'Hurley. "You're never going to be
able to find somebody who's just like Bob Barker," said Cecile
Frot-Coutaz, chief executive of FremantleMedia North America, which produces The
Price Is Right. "They're very large shoes to fill.''
Barker ended his record tenure by blowing kisses and working in the same
low-key, genial fashion that made him one of daytime TV's biggest stars. He
closed the show with his usual, "Help control the pet population, have your
pets spayed or neutered. Goodbye everybody.'' Later, Barker was humble when
asked what qualities have made him an American favourite for half a century.
"Hosts of shows are like pie," he said during a post-show press
conference. "Some people like lemon, some like cherry, some like apple,
and fortunately a lot of them like the Barker kind.'' He said the key to his
success is listening. "When I talk with someone, I listen. And I think if
you do, you're going to find little nuggets of gold to go with.'' Barker
answered questions from the audience during commercial breaks in the taping.
"Someone asked, will I spend my mornings watching The Price Is Right?
In as few words as possible, no," he quipped. He quickly conceded,
however, that curiosity might get the better of him. He said the only souvenir
he planned to take with him from the Price studio was the sign from his
dressing room door. "The guys put up a sign that (says) WGMC, world's
greatest master of ceremonies.''
Barker began his national television career in 1956 as the host of Truth or
Consequences. He first appeared on The Price Is Right on Sept. 4,
1972, and has been the face of the show ever since. For 35 years, he has played
the same games with contestants and filmed from the same spot – Studio 33, aka
the Bob Barker Studio – at CBS Television City. "The only thing that's
changed on The Price Is Right is the color of my hair," Barker said
during a CBS prime-time tribute show that aired last month. Barker has
influenced the show's prizes over the years, said long-time producer Roger
Dobkowitz. "Because he's a vegetarian, we respect his wishes and we don't
advertise meat products on the show," he said. At Barker's request, they
also stopped giving away fur coats. The silver-haired host's long reign has
also inspired fan traditions. Most female contestants – and even some men –
kiss him on the cheek. Members of the military wear their uniforms. College
students wear their university sweatshirts and groups of fans come in matching
custom-made T-shirts. As the legendary host counted down his last days on the
air, fans from around the country made pilgrimages to Los Angeles to see him.
Dozens camped out overnight near CBS studios for a chance to say goodbye during
Barker's final week of shows.
"This is over-the-top amazing. It's like a piece of Americana," said
Terry Baldwin, 55, of Pebble Beach, Calif., who had camped out overnight to
ensure she got a seat in the audience for Barker's last show. "You could
feel the electricity all day long.'' Barker's long tenure was chequered by
lawsuits brought by past "Barker's Beauties," the gown-wearing
hostesses who present prizes such as microwaves, pinball machines and brand-new
cars. Some sued him for sexual harassment and wrongful termination over the
years. Most received out-of-court financial settlements. Barker said he has no
regrets – yet – about retiring: "Isn't that strange? I expected to have
second thoughts.'' He plans to fill his free time with travel, exercise and
working with his animal charity, the DJ&T Foundation, named for his late
wife, Dorothy Jo, and mother, Matilda ("Everybody called her Tilly"
he said). But he will miss the show. "How many 83-year-old men get up
every morning knowing that they're going to have a standing ovation sometime
during the day?''
Debate Rages Over Sopranos Finale
Excerpt from www.thestar.com
- Jocelyn Noveck, Associated Press
(June 11, 2007) NEW YORK – And so on the first day of Year
One A.T. – After Tony, that is – the Sopranos-viewing
world was split in two camps. One was muttering bitterly into its morning
coffee at the open-ended conclusion of the epic series, a banal family moment
over onion rings that would have delighted existentialist Jean-Paul Sartre,
author of Being and Nothingness. The other was lavishly praising the
iconic HBO drama for capturing life's essential ambiguity and disorderliness.
Forget Tony for a minute – the guy's been psychoanalyzed for years. Does all
this say anything about US? For some popular culture critics, the two reactions
speak to the difference between entertainment and art, and which of them we
want. If we wanted pure entertainment, there was obvious disappointment – no,
aggravation – in a finale that set up threats to Tony's life in that last diner
scene, then ended abruptly. But if we see it as art, they say, then why should
we object to the artist – series creator David Chase, said to be vacationing in
a French chateau Monday – painting final brush strokes on his masterpiece as he
wishes? And in retrospect, aren't unanswered questions in perfect keeping with
the moral ambiguity that's infused the whole series? And aren't loose ends a
huge part of life?
"In our popular culture, we've come to expect things to get tied up
neatly," said Jerry Herron, a professor at Wayne State University in
Michigan, who found the ending brilliant. "The claim that Chase is making
as an artist here is, real life doesn't have neat endings. "You want Tony
blown away? You want him in jail? Chase is saying, 'Fine, you write that
script,'" Herron said. "He's saying that life goes on, and art goes
on, and he's just going to end it right here.'' Brilliant wasn't a good enough
word for screenwriting professor Richard Walter, of the UCLA Film School, to
describe Sunday night's finale. "That's too tame," he said.
"This was genius!'' "Sure, I was frustrated," Walter said of the
final cut-to-black as Journey's "Don't Stop Believing" played on the
jukebox. "But you don't want everything tied up with a neat ribbon on it.
I don't know what's going to happen in MY life. Do you know what's going to
happen in yours?'' One thing was clear: around office water coolers, on blogs
and on message boards, people wanted to talk about the finale. Their most
immediate question: had the cable gone on the fritz? (The final cut was
followed by a few seconds of darkness and silence before the credits rolled.)
For some watching on DVRs or TiVo, there was also a moment of fear that the
show had run over and they'd missed the ending – a frustration that occurred
with this year's American Idol finale.
Nielsen Media Research didn't immediately have ratings information. However,
preliminary estimates indicated viewership at the four biggest broadcast
networks was down in double-digit percentages compared to last year. And HBO
said its website
crashed shortly after the episode due to the volume of people checking in and
posting messages. There were 364,000 page views a second at its peak –
"just astronomical," said spokesman Jeff Cuson. It took a half hour
to get the website up again, and an hour for the bulletin boards. The
blogosphere was buzzing as well. On technorati.com, a site that monitors blog
activity, the second-most popular term Monday morning was "Sopranos,"
after "YouTube." (It even beat out Paris Hilton, down to No. 4.) For
many fans, there was disappointment, befuddlement, even rage. "YOU GUYS
GOT ROBBED – MAJOR BIG TIME!!!!!'', one wrote on HBO's message board.
"David Chase left way too many loose ends dangling in the air, and too
many questions unanswered.'' Some critics agreed. "Tony and Gang Whack
Fans," read the front-page headline of the New York Post, which pronounced
the finale "spectacularly disappointing." Yet others argued the
opposite. "Chase was true to himself, and that's what made The Sopranos
brilliant on Sunday night, and the 85 episodes that went before,"
wrote The AP's Frazier Moore. Some suspected that Chase had an ulterior motive
for pulling his punches, plotwise: a future Sopranos movie. "The
line to cancel HBO starts here," wrote Hollywood analyst Nikke Finke on
her Deadline Hollywood website. "What a ridiculously disappointing end ...
Even if David Chase ... was demonstrating the existential and endless loop of
Tony's life or the moments before the hit that causes his death, it still
robbed the audience of visual closure. And if it were done to segue into a
motion picture sequel, then that kind of crass commercialism shouldn't be
tolerated. There's even buzz that the real ending will only be available on the
series' final DVD. Either way, it was terrible.''
As Monday wore on, however, there was the sense among some people that the
ending, so frustrating at first viewing, was a lot more plausible after a
night's sleep. "I was really annoyed watching it," said Marlene
Windmiller, a New York attorney and mother. "But now as I think about it,
it makes more sense. You know, it was what it was. There really was no more
left to say.'' To one of the nation's top television analysts, critiquing the Sopranos
finale seemed a little like picking apart a famous work of literature – for
example, by James Joyce or T.S. Eliot – and saying parts of it don't work.
"Every critic says this is one of the greatest works of art ever made for
the small screen," said Robert Thompson, of Syracuse University's Bleier
Center for Television and Popular Culture. ``You can't second-guess the
artist.'' He compared the ending to that of another popular HBO drama, Sex
and the City, in which Carrie Bradshaw finally got her man, Mr. Big.
"Now, that was satisfying," Thompson said. But was it real? "You
had these independent women pairing off like Noah's ark," he said.
"This was disappointing, sure," said Thompson, who initially thought
that Chase, who'd been rumoured to have shot three endings, simply forgot to
add one of them on. "But you could also say this is what the show needed
to do to stay true to itself.''
Joost Acting Like A TV Network
Excerpt from www.globeandmail.com
- Grant Robertson
(June 12, 2007) BANFF, ALTA. — When
broadcasters and
television producers were given a sneak peek yesterday at Joost - the highly anticipated TV website that is preparing
for its public unveiling in the next few months - what they saw was a giant
snake. It was an accidental move by Joost's senior vice-president, Stacey Seltzer,
who randomly chose one of the site's 150-plus channels to demonstrate to those
at the Banff World Television Festival how the Internet video site works. But
the 20-foot image of a hissing cobra, streaming live on one of Joost's nature
channels that are still in test mode, was fitting for Web TV. In the TV
industry's eyes, Web players such as YouTube are the ones who have slithered
into the industry over the past two years, taking content for free, fragmenting
audiences and not compensating the networks or the producers. Joost, which has
spent the better part of the past year trying to sign broadcasters and
producers to legitimate content deals, is trying to avoid being the next snake
in the grass. In perhaps one of the clearest signals of the massive shift from
TV to the Internet, Joost executives have arrived at this year's festival ready
to make deals with producers. In a sense, they are operating just as any
network might: sitting in and listening to excited pitches from hopeful writers
looking to pen the next hit and deciding where to spend.
"We came here to meet with people in the digital space, talk about new
ideas ...," Seltzer said yesterday. "But now we're taking the next
couple of days to meet with all the different kinds of providers and work on
deals with them." And like a traditional broadcaster, Joost brought its
chequebook. The Web-TV start-up has 37 advertisers lined up so far and is
willing to share that money with content providers who climb aboard. Joost
already has agreements in place with Canadian players CHUM Ltd. and JumpTV, but
it hasn't launched publicly yet. That is expected by the end of summer. Until
then, Joost is in test mode. The start-up, launched by the creators of the
controversial file-sharing site Kazaa and the Internet talk service Skype,
which sold to eBay in 2005, is a pure Web-TV idea. While YouTube operates on a
small screen with grainy, often pirated content, Joost wants to do legitimate
deals for programs that can be shown full-screen. And it still has a long way
to go. While Joost has signed deals with heavy hitters such as CBS/Viacom, it
still lacks the major deals for the top shows on television, which observers
believe will be what eventually moves Web TV into the mainstream.
Will Ted Rogers Open His Wallet For TV?
Excerpt from www.globeandmail.com -
Keith Mcarthur And Grant Robertson
(June 12, 2007) After watching Ted Rogers pay a hefty
premium to buy five CITY-TV stations, advertisers are watching to see whether
he will open up his wallet to turn them into a legitimate third television
network. Canada's two major private networks, CTV and Global, have learned that
the secret to winning the television wars in Canada is to spend big on U.S.
programming. Some industry observers say Rogers Communications Inc. may spend big on U.S. programming, operating the
network at a loss for a few years, in order to build it up. But others say that
while Rogers has much deeper pockets than former owner CHUM Ltd., it may not
want to outbid CTV and Global in the annual spring pilgrimage to Los Angeles to
seek out and acquire the next big hit.
While CTV has 21 conventional stations and Global has 10 (plus another five at
its CH network, which is being rebranded as E!), CITY-TV only has stations in
Vancouver, Edmonton, Calgary, Winnipeg and Toronto. “They just don't have the
revenue base there to be able to afford the big, big stuff,” said Jeff Wills,
who buys advertising on behalf of marketers at Wills & Co. Media
Strategies. “They may want to spend more money than CHUM did, but at the end of
the day, they've still got to pay for it somehow and they don't have a full
national network,” Mr. Wills said. Late Monday, Rogers announced that it
will pay $375-million to acquire the CITY-TV stations. The Canadian
Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission had ordered CTVglobemedia
Inc. to sell off the CITY-TV stations as part of its $1.4-billion
acquisition of Toronto-based CHUM. The price of the deal has surprised industry
observers and analysts, since it's about $100-million more than the most
bullish estimates of CITY-TV's potential selling price. “Even with
synergies, [the] valuation seems excessive given the low growth associated with
CITY-TV's conventional TV assets,” analyst Dvai Ghose at Genuity Capital
Markets said in a research note Tuesday. The CITY-TV stations have
revenue of $150-million, but are only breaking even on pretax earnings. The
deal could set the stage for a public offering of Rogers Media Inc. division,
Mr. Ghose said. The media division, which includes the Sportsnet cable
channels, the OMNI multicultural channels, and Rogers' large stable of
magazines, could be worth $2-billion, he said. “It would give Rogers a publicly
traded, pure-play media company, which in turn could be used for future media
acquisitions.” While networks have already acquired programming for the 2007-08
television season, observers say that next year, CITY-TV is likely to spend
more on U.S. programming than it did under CHUM, but still less than CTV and
Global. Lauren Richards, chief executive officer of media buyer Starcom
MediaVest Group, said advertisers may give CITY-TV a disproportionate share of
advertising revenue because it is in their interest to help nurture a strong,
third independent network. And although CITY only has five stations, they are
in the markets that most interest advertisers, she said.
“Advertisers are increasingly getting more selective about where they're
putting their advertising dollars from a geography standpoint and smaller
markets are really suffering,” Ms. Richards said. “That helps [CITY stations],
even if their programming isn't as strong. At least they're in the places that
we need them to be.” Hugh Dow, president of media buyer M2 Universal, said
Rogers may be able to provide marketers with opportunities to advertise across
the company – on CITY-TV, its Sportsnet channels, magazines and over its mobile
phones. But he hopes Rogers will be able to maintain the unique CITY-TV
culture, which appeals to advertisers because of the network's willingness to
break new ground with product placement and branded content. “I think it
distinguishes CITY and provides them with a competitive edge that they can't
always secure through top 20 programming or through numbers,” Mr. Dow said.
“But they can and were able to provide that identity in terms of their
willingness to explore new territory with advertisers.”
TV TIDBITS
Gemini Awards Heading For Regina
Excerpt from www.globeandmail.com
- Canadian Press
(June 8, 2007) REGINA — The Gemini
Awards, which celebrate the
best in Canadian television, are heading to the Prairies and for the first time
the gala show will be open to public. The Academy of Canadian Cinema and
Television says this year's broadcast will be held in Regina. Academy chair
Paul Gratton says Saskatchewan is a good choice because of the success of Corner
Gas and Little Mosque on the Prairie, both of which are based in the
province. Gratton also says there was a lot of enthusiasm from local officials.
Show organizers say the venue for the Oct. 28 gala, the Conexus Arts Centre,
has enough space to allow tickets to be sold to the public. It's the first time
that's ever happened for the Gemini Awards, although how many tickets will be
available is still unknown.
Keyshia Cole Reality Show Back For
Season 2
Excerpt from www.eurweb.com
(June 13, 2007) *The second season of BET’s reality
show
“Keyshia Cole: The Way It Is” will begin airing this fall with
episodes showing the making of her sophomore album “Just Like You,” tentatively
due on Sept. 18. Next week, Benny Boom will shoot a video for the first single,
“Let It Go,” featuring cameos from guest artists Missy Elliott and Lil’ Kim.
Cole and her manager, Manny Halley, are serving as executive producers for the
second season of “The Way It Is,” which will also focus on Cole's mother's
recent release from prison. The Bay area native’s debut album, also
titled "The Way It Is," has sold 1.4 million copies in the United
States, according to Nielsen SoundScan. The breakout hit "Love"
peaked at No. 3 on Billboard's Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart.
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Will Whoopi Replace Rosie On ‘The View?’
Excerpt from www.eurweb.com
(June 13, 2007)*The first clue that Whoopi Goldberg might be ABC’s choice to replace Rosie
O’Donnell on “The View”
was her appearance last week in Rosie’s vacated chair – the coveted moderator
seat christened by O.G. co-host Meredith
Viera. Star magazine is now reporting
that the comedian has a lock on the high-profile gig. A “network insider” tells
the publication: “As far as everyone at ABC is concerned, she has the
job." Executive producer Barbara Walters has reportedly been in talks with
Kathy Griffin, Roseanne Barr, Ricki Lake, and Oprah’s BFF Gayle King to join
the fold, but Goldberg "has won everyone over," the magazine reports.
The source added, she's "liberal and outspoken but not crazy like
Rosie." Whoopi, who is close friends with Rosie, is also said to be
signing the year-to-year deal that Rosie had asked for. ABC, instead, wanted to
lock her down for three more years. Both O’Donnell and Walters said it was this
very contract dispute that led to her early exit from the chat show.
::THEATRE NEWS::
Dora
Nominees
Excerpt from www.thestar.com
- David Germain, Associated Press
(June 10, 2007) All the nominees for the general theatre
division of the Dora Awards, to be
handed out June 25.
For full list go HERE:
NEW PLAY
Morris Panych, What Lies Before Us
Mike McPhaden, Noble Parasites
Michael Hollingsworth, The Saskatchewan Rebellion
Michael Healey, Generous
Damien Atkins, Lucy
NEW
MUSICAL
Florence Gibson and Shawn Byfield, i think i can
Neil Bartram (music and lyrics) and Brian Hill (book), The Story of My Life
Cast, Bird Flu Over the Cuckoo’s Nest
PRODUCTION
OF A PLAY
Scorched Tarragon Theatre in co-production with the National Arts Centre,
English Theatre
Of Mice and Men CanStage in co-production with Theatre Calgary
Leaving Home Soulpepper Theatre Company
Insomnia Necessary Angel , a joint production with Theatre Junction, Calgary
Here Lies Henry Buddies in Bad Times Theatre presents da da kamera
PRODUCTION
OF A MUSICAL
We Will Rock You, David and Ed Mirvish and the Kimsa Group in association with
Queen Theatrical Productions, Phil McIntyre Entertainment and Tribeca
Theatricals
The Story of My Life, CanStage
Seussical, Lorraine Kimsa Theatre for Young People
Richard O’Brien’s The Rocky Horror Show, CanStage in co-production with The
Manitoba Theatre Centre
i think i can, Lorraine Kimsa Theatre for Young People
DIRECTION
OF A PLAY
Ted Dykstra ,Leaving Home
Richard Rose, Scorched
Jennifer Tarver, Crave
Daniel Brooks, Here Lies Henry
Chris Abraham, Insomnia
DIRECTION
OF A MUSICAL
Ted Dykstra, Richard O’Brien’s The Rocky Horror Show
Conrad Alexandrowicz, i think i can
Christopher Bond & Hinton Battle, Evil Dead the Musical
Ben Elton, We Will Rock You
Allen MacInnis, Seussical
PERFORMANCE
BY A MALE IN A PRINCIPAL ROLE - PLAY
Tom McCamus, Thom Pain (based on nothing)
Rick Roberts, John and Beatrice
Kenneth Welsh, Leaving Home
Daniel MacIvor, Here Lies Henry
Ashley Wright, Of Mice and Men
PERFORMANCE
BY A FEMALE IN A PRINCIPAL ROLE - PLAY
Seana McKenna, Orpheus Descending
Meg Roe, Lucy
Kristen Thomson, The Chairs
Diane D’Aquila, Leaving Home
Caroline Cave, John and Beatrice
PERFORMANCE
BY A MALE IN A PRINCIPAL ROLE - MUSICAL
Yvan Pedneault, We Will Rock You
Ryan Ward, Evil Dead the Musical
Jeffrey Kuhn, The Story of My Life
George Masswohl, Seussical
Adam Brazier, Richard O’Brien’s The Rocky Horror Show
PERFORMANCE
BY A FEMALE IN A PRINCIPAL ROLE - MUSICAL
Sarah Cornell, Evil Dead the Musical
Melody Johnson, i think i can
Jayne Lewis, Menopause Out Loud!
Erica Peck, We Will Rock You
Corrine Koslo, Seussical
PERFORMANCE
IN A FEATURED ROLE IN A PLAY OR MUSICAL
Jane Spidell, Leaving Home
Ensemble Danny, King of the Basement
Ensemble, The Overcoat
Eddie Glen, Richard O’Brien’s The Rocky Horror Show
Colombe Demers, Insomnia
Alon Nashman, Scorched
SET
DESIGN
Michael Levine, Das Rheingold
Michael Gianfrancesco, Seussical
Kevin Knight, Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk
John Jenkins and Allan Stichbury, Of Mice and Men
Derek McLane, Elektra
COSTUME
DESIGN
Xiaomin Mo Tang Concubines
Tim Goodchild We Will Rock You
Philip Clarkson Seussical
Nancy Bryant, The Overcoat
Astrid Janson & Sarah Armstrong, The Saskatchewan Rebellion
LIGHTING
DESIGN
Thomas C. Hase, Elektra
Kimberly Purtell, Crave
Kevin Lamotte, Of Mice and Men
Andy Moro, Here Lies Henry
Alan Brodie, The Overcoat
SOUND
DESIGN/COMPOSITION
Todd Charlton, Scorched
Richard Feren, Here Lies Henry
Richard Feren, Insomnia
Cathy Nosaty, i think i can
Bobby Aitken, We Will Rock You
MUSICAL
DIRECTION
Rick Fox, We Will Rock You
Richard Bradshaw, Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk
Richard Bradshaw, Elektra
Elizabeth Baird, Seussical
Andrew Parrott, Orpheus and Eurydice
CHOREOGRAPHY
IN A PLAY OR MUSICAL
Nicola Pantin, Seussical
Jonathan Feng Han, Tang Concubines
Jody Ripplinger, Richard O’Brien’s The Rocky Horror Show
Hinton Battle, Evil Dead the Musical
Arlene Williams,We Will Rock You
TOURING PRODUCTION
Le Professionnel, Théâtre français de Toronto
Mabou Mines DollHouse, Harbourfront Centre
MacHomer, Young Centre for the Performing Arts
Sizwe Banzi is Dead, Harbourfront Centre
Tempting Providence, Factory Theatre
Spring Awakening, Utopia Dominate Tonys
Excerpt from www.globeandmail.com
- Michael Kuchwara, Associated Press
(June 10, 2007) NEW YORK — Spring Awakening, a
pounding post-rock musical of teenage sexual anxiety, and Tom Stoppard's The
Coast of Utopia, a sprawling tale of 19th century Russian intellectuals,
dominated the 2007 Tony Awards Sunday. Spring Awakening captured
eight awards, including best musical, and The Coast of Utopia had seven,
including best play, a Tony record. The previous record was six, held by Death
of A Salesman and History Boys. Spring Awakening picked up
the best score award for Duncan Sheik and lyricist Steven Sater, who also
received the prize for book of a musical. “Musical theatre rocks,” said Sheik,
who also won for orchestrations. “Steven and I definitely set out to make a new
kind of musical,” Sheik said. “We were trying to forge our own path. I think we
got lucky timing-wise — what's happening politically. People were ready to deal
with something that had teeth.” Its director, Michael Mayer, also won as
did John Gallagher Jr., who portrays a manic student in the show. He received
the featured-actor musical prize. “Heaven must feel like this,” enthused the
22-year-old Gallagher. Later backstage, he said, “I can't feel anything right
now, not even my arms. It's an honour and a thrill that never in a million
years would I dream for myself.” Bill T. Jones danced down the aisle as he
accepted his award for choreography for the musical. “I am a happy man,” said
Jones.
Stoppard's epic was equally successful in picking up awards. Jack O'Brien, its
director, won as did two of the featured players in its large cast — Billy
Crudup and Jennifer Ehle. “I know what Everest feels like,” O'Brien said. Utopia
also swept the play technical awards, winning prizes for sets, costumes and
lighting. The musical technical nods were split three ways: sets, Mary
Poppins; costumes, Grey Gardens and lighting, Spring Awakening.
As expected Christine Ebersole took home the actress-musical prize for her critically
acclaimed performance in Grey Gardens. Frank Langella, winning his third
Tony, took the actor-play prize, for his sympathetic portrait of Richard M.
Nixon in Frost/Nixon. “I am very proud to work among you splendid
people,” a gracious Langella said. “I can't believe anything,” said an
emotional David Hyde Pierce, whose portrayal of a musical-theatre loving
detective in Curtains was a surprised winner of the actor-musical prize.
Also in something of an upset, an ebullient Julie White received the actress-play
award for her portrayal of a conniving agent in Douglas Carter Beane's satiric The
Little Dog Laughed. Said a disbelieving White, “You Tony voters — what a
bunch of wacky, crazy kids.” Equally overjoyed was Mary Louise Wilson, who
copped the featured actress-musical prize for her role as the delightfully
eccentric Big Edie in Grey Gardens. She came on stage and said,
“Everyone has been so articulate.” Then she let out howl of delight as the
audience cheered. Within hours of its final curtain Sunday, Journey's End,
R.C. Sherriff's anti-war drama won the revival play award as producer Bill
Haber came on stage with the entire cast to accept the war. Despite
enthusiastic reviews, the production struggled at the box office and closed
after a disappointing four-month run.
The musical revival prize went to Company. Business was robust on
Broadway during the 2006-2007 season as both grosses ($939-million U.S.) and
attendance rose, with the number of theatregoers topping the 12-million mark
for the second year in a row. Thirty-five productions opened during the year,
including 12 new musicals and 11 new plays, according to the League of American
Theatres and Producers. The 2007 Tonys, broadcast by CBS, include 25
competitive categories and were voted on by 785 members of the theatrical
community. The awards were founded in 1947 by the American Theatre Wing which
now produces the show with the League of American Theatres and Producers.
2007 Tony Award winners:
Musical: Spring Awakening
Play: The Coast of Utopia
Actor-Musical: David Hyde Pierce, Curtains
Actress-Musical: Christine Ebersole, Grey Gardens
Actor-Play: Frank Langella, Frost/Nixon
Actress-Play: Julie White, The Little Dog Laughed
Revival-Musical: Company
Revival-Play: Journey's End
Direction-Musical: Michael Mayer, Spring Awakening
Direction-Play: Jack O'Brien, The Coast of Utopia
Featured Actress-Musical: Mary Louise Wilson, Grey Gardens
Featured Actor-Musical: John Gallagher Jr., Spring Awakening
Featured Actor-Play: Billy Crudup, The Coast of Utopia
Featured Actress-Play: Jennifer Ehle, The Coast of Utopia
Choreography: Bill T. Jones, Spring Awakening
Book-Musical: Steven Sater, Spring Awakening
Original Score (Music and/or Lyrics): Spring Awakening, music by Duncan
Sheik, lyrics by Steven Sater
Orchestrations: Duncan Sheik, Spring Awakening
Scenic Design-Play: Bob Crowley and Scott Pask, The Coast of Utopia
Scenic Design-Musical: Bob Crowley, Mary Poppins
Costume Design-Play: Catherine Zuber, The Coast of Utopia
Special Theatrical Event: Jay Johnson: The Two and Only
Costume Design-Musical: William Ivey Long, Grey Gardens
Lighting Design-Play: Brian MacDevitt, Kenneth Posner and Natasha Katz, The
Coast of Utopia
Lighting Design-Musical: Kevin Adams, Spring Awakening
Regional Theatre Tony Award: Alliance Theatre in Atlanta
Another Step In The Journey
Excerpt from www.thestar.com - Vinay
Menon
(June 13, 2007) BANFF - Colm
Feore leans forward in his
emerald chair and smiles. A rustic, three-level chandelier hangs nearby,
casting amber shadows on the Tudor balcony. Outside, fog sits atop the Rockies,
mist drifts through pine trees in the Bow Valley. We are inside the Banff
Springs Hotel, a castle in the mountains. And this backdrop is appropriate:
Canada's prince of a leading man framed by majestic beauty on the day he is
crowned with a lifetime Award of Distinction. Feore's body of work, about
100 projects and counting, includes stage (Hamlet, Julius Caesar,
Don Juan), film (Thirty Two Short Films About Glenn Gould, Chicago)
and television (Trudeau, Slings & Arrows). If anybody here at
the Banff World Television Festival is entitled to immodesty, it's him. But as
he begins to reflect on what it all means, he is so humble, I'm tempted to lean
across the oval table and grab his lapels. "The key to whatever it is that
I've got going on is my long-standing mantra: `Just keep showing up,'"
says Feore. "Very early on in my career I realized that if you could
remain standing at the end of the battle, you basically won."
Standing may be the wrong word; Feore never stops moving. He just returned from
shooting a French period film in New Orleans. There were work-related detours
to Detroit, Montreal and Toronto. "I guess because I come from a repertory
theatre environment, I like doing six things at the same time," he says.
"It makes sense to me." As he glances over the wrought-iron rail,
Feore's face recalls Trudeau. Seconds later, Gould flickers in his eyes. And on
it goes, role after iconic role, appearing and fading in a snapshot of body
language, a fleeting expression. It's hard to tell where the performer stops
and the man begins. "That's how I think it should be as an actor,"
says Feore. "That you can disappear into what you do." Are there
memories that stand out in the blur of time? "There are watershed
moments," he says. "Hamlet was important because it's a great
hurdle as an actor. It tells you an awful lot about yourself ... and it gets
you ready for the rest of your career." This becomes a recurring theme.
The award, the successes, it's not an end, it's a beginning. At the age of 48,
Colm Feore is still getting ready for the rest of his career. "It's not a
matter of arriving," he says. "It's a matter of the journey."
On this journey, Feore has established himself as the consummate professional,
the actor's actor, the director's dream, the eternal artist, the curious
student. He approaches every role with the same philosophy. "When you are
in the service of someone like Shakespeare, or a character whose worth is
undeniable like Trudeau and Gould and you have a responsibility, it's very
quickly clear that it's not about you." Looking back, I ask, what amazes
you most about the journey? "That I'm still working. That I have a
career. It's not like there's a plan, Vinay. In however much longer I've got,
at some point I'll turn around and look at a résumé that looks as if we had an
idea of what we were doing. But it doesn't work like that." When he's not
working, Feore may be found cooking, reading, taking pictures (his work has
appeared in this paper) and co-running a frenetic Stratford home – three
children, countless activities – with wife Donna, an acclaimed director and
choreographer. (Life at home? He quotes Hamlet: "Crowded with
incident.") Does he have any regrets? "No, I don't. I don't think I'm
allowed the luxury of regret." Then there's a reflective pause. "If I
had my wits about me I might have been less callow in my youth. But you only
figure that out with the wisdom of age. I was, if not an angry young man, I was
certainly excitable and brash and I'm not sure that was that helpful. "Now
I've realized that slow and steady wins the race."
::DANCE NEWS::
The Art Of Dance, Simply
Excerpt
from www.thestar.com - Dance Writer
Shen Wei Dance Arts
(out
of 4)
Choreography by Shen Wei. Until Saturday at the Premiere Dance Theatre, 207
Queens Quay W. 416-973-4000
(June 07, 2007) The only thing wrong with the
performances of Rite of
Spring and Re- by Shen Wei Dance Arts is the absence of the musician and singers who originally
performed onstage with the dancers. Shen Wei's Rite of Spring,
of all the dozens of dances made for the Igor Stravinsky score, is one of the
few that simply addresses the music. This production uses the four-hand piano
version performed by Fazil Say. It is spectacular and would be even more so, if
the pianist were there responding to the dancers. It's an urban spring rite,
perhaps, with the 12 dancers in T-shirts, jeans and black socks. Before the
music begins, they stand in rows on either side of a large abstract design on
the floor. Straight lines cover a surface of white clouds, as if drawn by a
street artist using chalk. One by one, they walk to a spot on the floor. They
are young and vivacious. A tall woman with broad shoulders and a brush cut
dances like a contemporary princess. A slight Asian man whirls like a dervish.
The dancers interpret the music in their bodies. Often they walk in quick, tiny
steps. With the bursts of Stravinsky's chords they throw themselves into
acrobatic action
The Russian artist Vasily Vasilyevich Kandinsky made paintings that were
equivalent to musical compositions. Shen Wei does the same thing with
dancers. Re- (Part One) places two women and two men inside a
geometric layout. The design is made of coloured confetti arranged in a large
rectangle with circles and squares inside it, like the sand mandalas made by
Tibetan Buddhists. As the dancers perform their simple moves – a bit like Tai
Chi – they disturb the careful design until it looks like a huge finger
painting. Jennifer Tipton's lighting gives a variety of surreal effects, as the
dancers recreate their environment, moving to the voices of singer Ani Choying
Dolma and to Tibetan chants. When Re- was first performed, the
singers walked around the rectangle. Even without their presence, we can see
them.
::OTHER NEWS::
Humour Is Laughing Matter For Desi
Comics
Excerpt from www.thestar.com
- Sharada K. Eswar
(June 07, 2007) When it comes to humour, South Asia has
been blessed. It boasts a rich tradition that stretches back to court jesters,
to Akbar-Birbal witticisms, to a gamut of writers and cartoonists parodying and
satirizing society through the ages. Even Bollywood could at one time boast of
comic brilliance. What isn't so funny is the state of humour today. In
movies, for instance, "Today's gags are all about ridiculing someone,
running down people, systems, traditions," says Mumbai-based playwright,
actor and filmmaker Makrand Deshpande. We seem to have forgotten that comedy is
different from humour, which can be serious, sarcastic or satirical. Happily
for desis, there's no shortage of great comedians - thoughtful ones - in our
midst. For instance, Toronto-born superstar Russell Peters, who now lives in Los Angeles, is the kind of success
story dreams are made of - and his shows at the Air Canada Centre June 18 and
19 are just about the hottest tickets in town . Desi Life spoke to three
Canadian comic masters who take their humour rather seriously.
Anand Rajaram
The Second City theatre in Toronto is
packed. On stage, Anand
Rajaram is bringing the house down belting out a
Bollywood musical one moment and taking on a fellow cast member the next.
"Comedy is extremely challenging because you have to be new," Rajaram
says. "I am not saying that it is harder than drama. Being a good dramatic
actor, being honest is difficult. Each displays a level of skill. And the best
actors are the ones who are versatile." Rajaram was the first
performer from a South Asian background to join any Second City mainstage cast.
"When I began, I intellectualized it a lot," he says. "In the
end, I realized the only way I could do it would be to play strong characters
from a variety of backgrounds, with different accents, so you could never peg
me." In the first sketch he ever performed with the troupe, in the
fall of 2005, Rajaram played a cab driver who wears a turban - but who speaks
with a Scottish accent. Since then he's played a variety of characters,
including Osama bin Laden coming out of hiding to audition as a country singer.
But it hasn't been easy getting to where he is. Born in New Delhi, Rajaram came
to Canada at age 5. Growing up in Toronto, he was always interested in
performing. "I loved to watch the Three Stooges and Laurel and Hardy."
After graduating in drama studies from the University of Waterloo, Rajaram
concluded the best way to break into the business was to create his own plays.
Thus was born Hys Unauthoryzed Lyfe & Tymes in 2001, a work with something
of everything Rajaram likes - including nonsense verse, comics, cartoons,
puppetry and Dadaism. In 2005, his one-person show Cowboys & Indians,
which used traditional South Indian dance to help explore the romance of cowboy
culture, won the Summerworks festival's Spotlight Award for outstanding
achievement. A Second City producer caught the show and invited Rajaram
aboard. Despite his efforts, there are still times when Rajaram feels
stereotyped. One night, he says, "One guy came up and said he knew what to
expect when he went to Second City: the tall guy, the short guy, a couple of
women and the token ethnic." Meanwhile, Rajaram prepares to face his
next set of challenges. He will soon appear as a regular in the Citytv
miniseries Across the River to Motor City, and as a mentor on the CBC show The
Second City's Next Comedy Legend. Rajaram also says he wants to create
family theatre, develop a play on the Panchatantra fables and teach shadow
puppetry to children. "My objective is to go in there to free their imaginations,
so they will find new ways to have fun."
Anita Majumdar
Onstage, Anita Majumdara is playing a high school student named Meena, who
struggles to find herself and her cultural identity. Her headstrong dance
teacher, Kalyani Aunty, also played by Majumdar, is blaming everything on the
British. Welcome to Majumdar's one-woman show Fish Eyes. "I wanted
to be a Bollywood actress," says Majumdar, who was born and raised in Port
Moody, B.C., and graduated in 2004 from the National Theatre School in
Montreal. She pauses and smiles. "I was na•ve enough to think that I could
easily become one." Bollywood's loss has been Canada's gain as Fish
Eyes has been playing to packed houses in Toronto and Vancouver, as well as in
India. "Fish Eyes came out of total necessity," Majumdar says.
"People are finally demanding to see themselves onstage. We want to
identify with those people. We want our stories told onstage. You can only see
those formulaic - I hate to say it - white plays, white middle-class shows so
many times. And also, Toronto isn't white. We need to accept that." Fish
Eyes sometimes makes people uncomfortable with its political sharpness and
straightforwardness. Through the character of Kalyani Aunty, the play delves
into the painful period of English colonialism in India. "I forget
sometimes that it is offensive. I'm sort of saying things and I see the
occasional white couple and they're just not laughing. The thing is I don't go
out of my way to offend people or try to be sensational. But I refuse to show
falsity onstage. People like Kalyani Aunty exist."
When people tell her after the show that "you must know my aunt," she
feels she's done her job. But there's a serious side to her, too. Majumdar
recently earned acclaim in the CBC movie Murder Unveiled, inspired by the true
story of a wealthy young South Asian Canadian woman who falls in love with and
marries a rickshaw driver in India. When her family finds out, they demand that
she annul the marriage. When she refuses, they ultimately have her executed.
The story affected Majumdar deeply and inspired her to take action against such
barbaric acts. And she says that will be reflected in her next project, The
Honour Killing. "I don't do stand-up. But I have natural flair for humour
and feel that if you can draw attention to an issue using humour, then why
not?"
Shaun Majumder
Sweating profusely as he holds forth on
everything from Raptors' forward Chris Bosh to the Everything To Do With Sex
Show, he has the TV audience in stitches. Raj Binder, a.k.a. Shaun Majumder, has wormed his way into the nation's
households. In a few short years, Majumder has blossomed into one of Canada's
top young stand-up comics. Since his beginnings as an announcer on YTV,
he has become familiar to TV audiences both here and in the U.S., where he has
appeared on several programs on the Fox network, as well as feature films. In
2003, he joined CBC's This Hour Has 22 Minutes, where he plays Indian reporter
Raj Binder. Now, like Peters, he's based in Los Angeles, shuttling between countries
as his workload requires. Majumder's material is slice-of-life - he might
talk about his family or his holidays. Or he might launch into a free-form
monologue. He has an outstanding range and is adroit at creating intriguing
characters and playing them off one another. He takes his time onstage and
doesn't rush punchlines. He allows the audience to follow his lead.
"Earlier, my comedy used to be about coming up with funny stuff onstage,
whereas now I talk more from true life experience," he says.
"In the beginning it wasn't the success that drove me, it was the
failure," he says. "Things like being onstage at the Laugh Resort in
Toronto and totally bombing, getting no response and thinking, 'My God, this is
awful, I can't believe this, I'll never do it again.' That's when you have to
step up and grow." Born and raised in Newfoundland, Majumder
couldn't help but develop a sense of humour. He was surrounded by it, whether
it was his grandfather's wry take on the world or the antics of friends.
"The place is filled with humour," he says. "When I say
'humour,' I don't mean jokes, but the way they see things and the way they
voice their observations. It never ceases to amaze me." Majumder was
recently in Toronto for two days to perform at a fundraiser. Then it was back
to L.A., where he is shooting a pilot for Fox.
Sharada K. Eswar is a storyteller, playwright and freelance journalist.
Email desilife@thestar.ca.
The Stars Come Out In Toronto
Excerpt from www.globeandmail.com
- Lee-Ann Goodman, Canadian Press
(June 9, 2007) Toronto — The stars came out on Saturday —
Catherine O'Hara, Gordon Pinsent and Jill Hennessy among them — to have their
names immortalized on Canada's
Walk of Fame in a glamorous
annual event meant to celebrate the country's biggest cultural success stories.
“I promised myself I wouldn't start crying,” Ms. Hennessy, dressed in a
gold-coloured gown and accompanied by her twin, Jacqueline, said on the red
carpet as fans shouted for her autograph. “This is so meaningful because this
country's given me so much. I am lucky to have been born here ... I love the
generosity and the humility and the talent of everybody here and I wouldn't be
where I am today without this country.” Seven stars were inducted into the Walk
of Fame this year: Ms. Hennessy, Ms. O'Hara, Mr. Pinsent, rock band Nickelback,
Maple Leaf goal-tending legend Johnny Bower, “Man in Motion” Rick Hansen and
CTV news anchor Lloyd Roberton, the first journalist to join the ranks.
Hollywood film mogul Ivan Reitman, who was inducted in 2001, was also there to
join the celebrations. All were on hand on a brilliantly sunny afternoon in
downtown Toronto to walk the red carpet and be honoured at a televised gala
hosted by one of Ms. O'Hara's long-time pals, fellow SCTV alum Eugene Levy. The
show airs on CTV on Sunday night.
“It's out of this world — his name's going to be permanently engraved in two
cities,” Jason Reitman, son of Ivan Reitman, said on the red carpet, referring
to his father's star on Hollywood's Walk of Fame. When Jason Reitman, director
of last year's critically acclaimed Thank You For Smoking, was told he
might one day join his father on Canada's Walk of Fame, he replied: “Doubtful.
But you know, my last name's down there and that's enough for generations.” The
celebrities themselves were just as star-struck in the presence of their fellow
inductees as the fans who were cheering them from the sidelines outside the
Hummingbird Centre. “Catherine O'Hara is someone who I've always admired, I
actually went to study at Second City in Toronto partially because of her,”
said Ms. Hennessy, the star of Law and Order and Crossing Jordan.
“And Gordon Pinsent is, I think, one of the best working actors today, and he
should be much more acknowledged on an international scale. I think he will be
and I think he's going to be nominated this year for ‘Away from Her' — I have
had a premonition.” Mr. Pinsent, who was handed a white rose by a fan, returned
the compliment to Ms. Hennessy, saying he “loved” the actress. “I always
thought that Jill was another kind of ambition of mine, but she's got her man
with her,” he quipped. But all of the male inductees, including Mr. Pinsent,
said they were most excited to meet Mr. Bower, who helped lead the Maple Leafs
to three Stanley Cup victories in the 1960s. “Johnny Bower — he played when we
had Leafs, real Leafs,” Mr. Pinsent said wistfully. “Johnny was a crucial part
of it all.”
Mr. Reitman recalled fondly taking in those winning Leafs. “I remember watching
the Maple Leafs with my father through the '60s when he was the great goalie,”
said Mr. Reitman. Mr. Hansen agreed that meeting Mr. Bower, frail at 82, was a
kick. “On an emotional level as a kid growing up, you can't help but feel close
to Johnny Bower. The Leafs and the (Boston) Bruins were my team and Johnny — he
was there through all those Stanley Cup years when all of us looked at Canadian
hockey in a really special way. He's a class guy, he really is.”
Levy Will Raise Profile Of Autism In
Canada
Excerpt from www.thestar.com
- Canadian Press
(June 12, 2007) Canadian actor and director Eugene Levy
has signed on as a spokesperson for autism and is calling for a national
strategy to help those affected by the disorder. Levy and Senator Jim Munson
are holding a news conference in Toronto tomorrow to speak about what they
consider the need for affordable and accessible autism treatment. "I feel
extremely passionate about the need for a national autism strategy," Levy
said in a news release. Canada is blessed in so many ways but somehow some of
our most vulnerable citizens are being wrongfully neglected. It is time to
address this wrong and provide these individuals with the same access to medically
necessary treatment that the rest of us enjoy throughout our lifetimes under
our country's alleged universal health-care system." Autism is a
developmental disability resulting from a disorder of the central nervous
system. While effective treatments for autism exist, some, such as Applied
Behaviour Analysis, are costly and not always covered by insurance plans or the
government.
"Many (families) are forced into privately funded treatment, with a price
tag of $70,000 to $80,000 per year," said Norrah Whitney, the mother of an
autistic son and executive director of Families for Early Autism Treatment.
"Families are losing their homes and cashing in their retirement savings,
yet are still not able to sustain treatment for their children. This is nothing
other than a two-tiered health-care system." Levy, 60, gained fame as a
star on the comedy series SCTV. The Hamilton native has also become a
fixture of Christopher Guest films like For Your Consideration and Waiting
for Guffman.
OTHER TIDBITS
Luminato:
Success Or Big Disappointment?
Excerpt from www.thestar.com
- Martin Knelman
(June 11, 2007) Star columnists Christopher Hume and
Martin
Knelman do not
agree on one thing - Luminato. Hume says he was disappointed with the
festival, which lacked authenticity. "Luminato was more a businessperson’s
notion of what an arts festival should be than the thing itself," he
writes. "(Luminato) comes across as a top-down exercise in arts
manipulation, an attempt to impose a festival on the city because it’s good for
us and the bottom line. Rather than invest in the cultural infrastructure that
might help ensure the long-term viability of the arts, the city promotes a
one-time festival that subsumes every other event in its path. The opening of
the Michael Lee-Chin Crystal, for example, suddenly finds itself part of
Luminato." Entertainment columnist Knelman argues that Luminato was a
success, with a half a million people getting in on the experience.
"Despite a few glitches, this first edition of an annual 10-day arts
festival was a bigger success than most observers, including me, expected.
"Downtown Toronto was alive and buzzing with culture at the front of the
city’s mindset in a way that is rare except at film festival time. Luminato is
a winner, and it’s here to stay." Read the full text of Hume
and Knelman's arguments on Luminato and
decide for yourself.
Backstage At The Walk Of Fame: Photos
And Cookies
Excerpt from www.thestar.com
- David Germain, Associated Press
(June 11, 2007) The stars came out Saturday – Catherine
O'Hara, Gordon Pinsent and Jill Hennessy among them – to have their names
immortalized on Canada's Walk of
Fame. And it was a family affair for many.
"I'm a proud Canadian, and more than a little embarrassed about all this
attention turned my way," said O'Hara, who burst into tears when her
sister, Mary Margaret, sang her a song to introduce her at the Hummingbird
Centre. O'Hara was joined by six others inducted into the Walk of Fame this
year: Hennessy, Pinsent, rock band Nickelback, Johnny Bower, Rick Hansen and
Lloyd Robertson. Hollywood film mogul Ivan Reitman, who was inducted in 2001,
was also there to be honoured in person.
Nigeria's Achebe Honoured For His
Contributions To Fiction
Source: Reuters News Agency
(June 13, 2007) LONDON — Nigeria's Chinua
Achebe, hailed as the father of modern African
writing, was awarded the £60,000 ($126,200) Man Booker International Prize
Wednesday. His award capped a triumphant month for Nigerian authors, as
Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie last week landed the Orange Prize, one of the literary
world's top awards for women writers. Achebe won out over a host of
international literary stars, including Canadians Margaret Atwood (a two-time
nominee), Alice Munro and Michael Ondaatje. The Booker's 15-name List of
Contenders also included such authors as Don DeLillo, Doris Lessing, Philip
Roth and Salman Rushdie. The award is granted every two years to a living
author for his or her achievements in fiction. Albanian author and poet Ismail
Kadare won the 2005 prize, the first to be awarded. Elaine Showalter, who
headed the judging panel, said the winner had "inaugurated the modern
African novel." Achebe, who is now 76, is best known for his 1958 debut
novel Things Fall Apart, which has sold 10 million copies worldwide, and
Anthills of the Savannah, which was published 30 years later. A diplomat
in the short-lived Biafran government in the late 1960s, he centres his work
mainly on African politics and how Africans are depicted in the West. Paralyzed
from the waist down in a 1990 car accident, he has lectured at universities
around the world and is currently a professor at Bard College in Annandale,
N.Y. He has been an inspiration to many African writers, Adichie said. "He
is a remarkable man. ... He's what I think writers should be."
::SPORTS NEWS::
One-Year Deal For Sundin?
Excerpt from www.thestar.com
- Paul Hunter, Sports Reporter
(June 12, 2007) Mats Sundin's long-anticipated contract
extension may end up being for one season instead of two. Sundin, whose wonky
hip has been bothering him since Christmas, isn't yet ready to announce that
this is his final season but he suggested to Swedish paper Aftonbladet
over the weekend that, physically, he's at the point in his career where he is
better to assess his future on a year-to-year basis. "At my age, there is
no use to plan too far ahead," the 36-year-old told the paper. "I am
happy for every year I can play hockey at this level." Sundin reiterated
he does not need surgery on the hip but it has forced him to change his regimen
and do "very disciplined" workouts every morning. That doesn't mean
he isn't having fun. He's been golfing in Spain and visiting relatives in
northern Sweden. He also plans on departing soon for a salmon fishing trip to
Norway. Sundin's new deal is expected to be announced soon, possibly
today, certainly by Friday when Toronto must either pick up or decline the
option year on Sundin's contract that would pay him $4.3 million (all figures
U.S.) this coming season. While the Leafs will pay him more than that, it will
be less than the $6.3 million hit on the cap (based on the average of his
existing contract) if they picked up his option. Leafs GM John Ferguson has
also been talking to Todd Reynolds, the agent for defenceman Carlo Colaiacovo,
Toronto's last remaining restricted free agent. Colaiacovo earned $900,000 last
season but deciding on fair value for the 24-year-old is tricky because he has
been frequently injured.
Re-signed Leafs, with their 2006-07 and 2007-08 salaries:
Darcy Tucker: $1.596 million, $3 million
Nik Antropov: $1.007 million, $1.95 million
Alexei Ponikarovsky: $725,000, $2.1 million
Ian White: $456,000, $750,000
Andy Wozniewski: $475,000, $500,000
Boyd Devereaux: $500,000, $550,000
OPTION-YEAR DECISION
Mats Sundin: $6.587 million. Should re-sign any day now.
RESTRICTED FREE AGENTS
Carlo Colaiacovo: $901,740. Should re-sign.
Staffan Kronwall: $612,000. Will sign.
UNRESTRICTED FREE AGENTS
Mike Peca: $2.5 million. Will he take less?
Jeff O'Neill: $1.5 million. Have we seen the last of him?
Yanic Perreault: $625,000. Can always trade for him again.
J-S Aubin: $525,000. Au revoir.
Bates Battaglia: $500,000. Bring him back.
Travis Green: $500,000. See Perreault, above.
GOODBYE
Alex Suglobov: $550,000. Gone to Russia.
De Rosario Nets Pair To Put Canada On
Top
Excerpt from www.thestar.com
- Associated Press
(June 12, 2007) MIAMI–Dwayne
De Rosario scored twice
in a three-minute span in the first half and Canada advanced to the second
round of the CONCACAF Gold Cup with a 2-0 win over Haiti last night. The
victory assured Canada top spot after the conclusion of Group A matches played
at the Orange Bowl. Canada finished with two victories and six points, followed
by Costa Rica, which defeated Guadeloupe 1-0 earlier yesterday on a goal by
Walter Centeno. Costa Rica and Guadeloupe ended with four points but Costa Rica
advanced because of the head-to-head tiebreaker. Guadeloupe still has a chance
at the second round as one of the top two third-place finishers. Toronto's De
Rosario gave Canada a 1-0 lead with his first goal in the 32nd minute. Paul
Stalteri's pass from the right wing found De Rosario open near the goal line of
the far post. From a difficult angle, De Rosario, who plays for Houston Dynamos
in the MLS, found enough space to beat goalkeeper Gabart Fenelon with a shot to
the far post.
Three minutes later, De Rosario converted a penalty kick after Pierre-Richard
Bruny fouled Issey Nakajima-Farran inside the penalty area. Fenelon guessed
correctly but still couldn't stop De Rosario's low shot inside the left post.
Haiti had limited scoring opportunities on Canada goalkeeper Pat Onstad, who
missed Canada's 2-1 loss against Guadeloupe because of an MLS commitment on
Sunday. Onstad's slide and save off Alexandre Boucicaut's 15-yard shot in
the 38th minute was Haiti's best scoring threat. Onstad overcame a violent
collision with Haiti's Ricardo Pierre-Louis in the 54th minute. Onstad hit his
head on the turf after colliding with Pierre-Louis while chasing a loose ball.
Onstad remained on the field and was attended to for nearly 10 minutes before
resuming play. Haiti's frustrations at not advancing to the elimination round
boiled over in the 81st minute, when referee Marco Rodriguez ejected Bruny for
his elbow to the head of Canada's Kevin Harmse.
SPORTS TIDBITS
Lewis Hamilton Speeds Into History
Excerpt from www.eurweb.com
-
June 11, 2007) *British-born
Lewis Hamilton on Sunday
became the first black driver to earn a victory in Formula One racing with his
first win at the Canadian Grand Prix. "I'm just having a fantastic
day," said the 22-year-old from Stevenage, Hertfordshire, England.
"This is history." Hamilton started off at the pole position and
never lost the lead during the 70-lap race on Circuit Gilles Villeneuve's
2.71-mile road course. His Mercedes McLaren was only challenged by BMW Sauber's
Nick Heidfeld, who was on Hamilton all day without ever catching him.
Hamilton finished ahead of Heidfeld by 4.3 seconds to capture his sixth
consecutive top-three finish. "It's been a fantastic season already,"
Hamilton said. "We've had six podiums and I've been ready for quite some
time for the win — it's just been a matter of when and where. The team gave me
the best car and I had no problems during the race at all." After
crossing the finish line, Hamilton climbed out of his silver and red ride,
threw his arms in the air and jumped across a barrier to dive into the midst of
his crew, hugging everyone in sight.
Darrin's Dance Grooves 2: Learn To Get
Your Groove On With New Video
Source: UnityFirst.com
June 11, 2007) UrbanWorks Entertainment
has announced the DVD premiere of Darrin's
Dance Grooves 2. Dust off
your dancing shoes and get ready for another high energy dance session with the
master choreographer himself, Darrin Henson! Learn the latest dance
moves, get active and in shape and best of all have FUN! DARRIN'S DANCE GROOVES
2 will hit store shelves on June 12, 2007. The original Darrin's Dance
Grooves which got America groovin' in 2002, sold over 3,000,000 copies and
became one of the most successful dance videos of all time. Darrin
Henson, MTV Award Winner and dance choreographer to some of the hottest stars
around, including Britney Spears, Prince, Usher, MVP, J-Lo and Justin
Timberlake, A must have for any dance or fitness enthusiast, DARRIN'S DANCE
GROOVES 2 comes with 5 new cutting-edge, street routines and new bonus material
that includes information on how to get ahead in the dance world, from creating
your own routines to getting the right head shot.
::FITNESS NEWS::
Summer Shape-Up: Results in 3 Weeks!
By Joyce Vedral, eDiets Contributor
Where did the time go? Summer is here, and you're still not in shape.
What to do? With no time to waste, you need to work out seven days a week in
short intervals, but the key is to do something different every day to shock
your body into shaping up quickly. The lower or "bathing suit"
half of your body of course needs the most work, but you cannot neglect your
upper body. You should work upper body twice a week and your lower half every
day.
Some examples
On your first workout day you could do an
interval aerobics workout emphasizing hips, butt, thighs and abs. On your
second workout day you can do stomach and add abs again, but with a different
group of abs exercises. On day three you would do lower again, but with
yet again a different set of exercises and so on, until you've completed seven
days of working out. The changing of workouts each day forces your working
muscles not to get used to the routine and to work harder. In turn, it tightens and tones much faster. By this constant
switching you can see major changes in three weeks! Your routine does not
have to be a long one, since you rest little or nothing at all. By doing this,
you save time and burn more fat in the process. Where to begin? Here are
three exercises to get you started. Do 15 repetitions of each one and without
resting move to the next one.
Saddlebag/Inner Thigh Trimmer
Start: Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, your legs straight. Be near
something in case you lose your balance.
Movement: Flexing your hip and inner-thigh area, extend your right leg out to
the side as far as you can go. Keeping the flex on your working hip and
inner-thigh area, return to start and repeat the movement until you have done
15 repetitions. Repeat for the other side of your body. Without resting move to
the next exercise.
Standing Serratus Love-Handle Crunch
Standing with your feet shoulder-width apart and holding a 2 pound dumbbell in
your right hand, palms facing outward, bend your elbow so that your arm forms
an "L." Place the fingers of your left hand on your right front side
"fatty" area.
Movement: Flexing your front side, lower your right elbow towards the center of
your body until you cannot go any further. Releasing the tension return to
start and repeat the movement until you have done 15 repetitions. Repeat for
the other side of your body. Without resting move to the next exercise.
Standing Front Thigh Tightener Leg
Extension
Stand with your right knee raised so that your thigh is parallel to the floor.
(Be near something to hold if you need it to balance.) Flexing your fright front
thigh as hard as possible extend your right leg forward until you cannot go any
further. With your right knee still raised, relaxing the tension, return to
start and repeat the movement until you have done 15 repetitions. Repeat for
the other leg.
The fitness pros at eDiets can show you how to combine exercise and nutrition
to get the best results. This is what you’ve been looking for. You will need to
make the commitment, but isn’t it time to finally take care of you? Click here to get started.
::MOTIVATION::
Motivational Note
Excerpt from www.eurweb.com
— James Allen: Author, As a Man Thinketh
"Work joyfully and peacefully, knowing that right thoughts and right
efforts will inevitably bring about right results."