Thursday, March 27, 2008
More, Speed Racer, More
The movie just looks cooler and cooler the more we get to see of it. It's obvs the Wachowski brothers really want to create an eye-popping live-action version of a much beloved cartoon. I love everything I've seen thus far ... it would appear they really have done a great job with this movie. [Source]
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Nine Inch Nails Are Coming
Woot! Woot! This will be the first US tour of the Year Zero era. You may recall that NIN played a fairly extensive European tour last year just as Year Zero was released. It's been a couple of years since NIN played any shows here in the US ... but these new dates give us something to look forward to. I know I'll be at a show or two ... hopefully I'll see you there. [Source]
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Madonna Does Vanity Fair
This is the first new promo pic of Madonna that doesn't have an overt fighter theme to correspond with the other promo pics that have been released lately (including the cover artwork for her album Hard Candy). Madge looks a bit like a super hero on this cover of Vanity Fair, I think. She's got the whole world in her hands ... seems fitting, no? [Source, thanks Kevin]
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Head's Up, Prison Break Wins Back A Major Character
Prison Break fans, prepare to seriously lose your heads. Sarah Wayne Callies — whose rather ugly contract dispute with producers led to her apparent decapitation last October — is returning next season. Full-time. As Dr. Sara Tancredi. Head and all. Seriously. How? Why? When? WTF?! All legitimate questions. Good thing I just hung up with Mr. Answer Man (aka executive producer Matt Olmstead).
TV GUIDE: So... I take it that wasn't Sara's head in that box....
Matt Olmstead: Yeah, that wasn't.
TVG: But initially it was supposed to be her head. What changed?
Olmstead: What changed was.... once we realized that the emotional hook of Season 3 was going to be the death of Sara, when we didn't get the actress to do it, as soon as we wrote it and shot it, we realized that there was actually a way she could still be alive. Lincoln glanced at the head in the box for a split second. That could've been anyone. He wasn't about to pull it up from the hair and inspect it closely. And then we were fairly careful thereafter of references we made to that and who took credit for it and what was seen or heard, and we left it fairly [vague]. But initially when we realized that we never actually saw the character get killed, we just had that knowledge in our back pocket and moved forward with the narrative as we intended. Which was: she's out of the picture, Michael's [feeling guilty] and Lincoln is freaking out because if they did that to her, they could do that to his son. It really gave us a real push for the season.
Bullshizz! Prison Break got lucky to get another season and they decided to eat crow, make nice with Callies and concoct this whacky scheme to win back viewers. It's a gamble that might pay off ... but I dunno if bringing back this one character will really save the show. I guess we'll see how it all plays out next season ... I, for one, am intrigued but not totally convinced just yet. Click HERE to read the rest of the TV Guide interview with the Prison Break producer as he tries to explain the decision to bring Dr. Sara back from the dead. [Source]
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The White Stuff
Photo credit: Splash News
I am telling you ... I cannot get enough of watching the Golden Girls, as shocking as that may sound to pretty much no one ;) Lifetime plays GG at 9 and 9:30 AM, 4 and 4:30 PM and 1 and 1:30 AM Monday - Friday ... I set my DVR to record all the eps so that I have a box full of TV to watch at any given time. David also records all eps of Golden Girls so that we can have the same surplus of TV to watch in NYC as well. I'm just so happy to see that Betty White is still active and happy ... I love seeing new pics of her out and about. Maybe she'll show up at Villa this weekend to party with the young'ns ... but even if she doesn't, I'll love her anyways :) [Source]
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Pink Is The New Interview ... With Megan Hilty
Megan and I chatted on the phone for a bit and we had a really great little convo. I recorded our interview so that I could post it on the blog but the sound file was corrupted and unpostable. So ... I transcribed our entire conversation for all y'all's reading pleasure:
TV: Hi Megan, it's Trent from Pink is the new Blog, thank you so much for talking with me. Let me start off with a usual question -- What was your first introduction to musicals?
MH: Well I got interested in musicals when I was really little, I loved the show The Music Man and I would always try to mimic what I was hearing. I wanted to be Whitney Houston originally, fortunately that never happened. I started getting into voice lessons when I was really young and because I was mimicking people's voices, people's bigger voices, they thought that I should start training for the opera ... and I found out that that was a very boring lifestyle, that people were really uptight. So I thought, How can I sing and still have fun and not be so worried about my voice all the time? And that's when I got into musical theater. I did youth theater every summer, I started doing all kinds of community theater stuff and then that led to performing arts high school and then performing arts university -- it was kind of a big snow ball effect.
TV: So you were definitely on track from a young age?
MH: Yeah, I'd say so.
TV: Which show is your favorite?
MH: Well, I started with The Music Man when I was little and then I saw Into the Woods and that became my favorite and then somebody showed me a video of Sweeney Todd and that's been my favorite ever since. It's my favorite, favorite musical.
TV: That's a great one, I have to tell you that I love musicals because they are such an inventive way, fun way to present a larger than life performance -- especially when you see them live in the theater, which is way better than seeing them on video or DVD. And, I have to tell you, Wicked is definitely one of my favorites. And your portrayal of Glinda the Good is stunning. I have to say, it is your performance of Glinda that really made the show one of my fave Broadway shows ever. Can you tell me the amazing things about working on Broadway and the not so amazing things about working on Broadway?
MH: Well for one, it's Broadway. Anyone who has ever dreamed of performing dreams of performing on Broadway. So it really was a dream come true when I got the role [of Glinda], which I got straight out of college. It was a real whirlwind. It was the greatest thing that ever happened to me and the worse thing that ever happened to me at the same time [laughter]. I got this huge part in this huge musical and at the same time I was responsible for this huge part in this huge musical. And there is a lot of pressure involved with a part like that. And I put a lot of pressure on myself ‘cuz I was following in such huge footsteps (well, I guess such tiny footsteps) like Kristin Chenoweth's. But I came after two amazingly talented women, you know, some of the greatest comediennes on Broadway ... and singers, too. It's extremely daunting but extremely worth it.
TV: Yeah, I get what you're saying. I can't even imagine the pressure that other people put on you let alone the pressure that you put on yourself. But I've been hugely impressed with the way you made the character your own and I think you definitely become the character.
MH: Oh, thank you!
TV: I am very excited for the musical version of 9 to 5, in which you will star as the Doralee character. Can you talk about how your involvement with the show came about?
MH: Well, it's funny because I was up in Toronto performing in Wicked on tour and me and my boyfriend were sitting around and he's like, You know they're doing a musical version of 9 to 5, right? And I was like, Yeah I just heard about it. And he asked, Why are you not going after the part of Doralee? And I was like, I don't know! And literally the next day my agent called and said the director of 9 to 5 called and he wanted me to come in for a reading ... and I almost lost my mind. And the cast is so awesome, do you know who's in the cast?
TV: No, I don't actually.
MH: It's Allison Janney in the Lily Tomlin role and Stephanie Block who was Elphaba on the [Wicked] tour and on Broadway (I think she's on Broadway right now) ... and Marc Kudisch is Mr. Hart. And oh my God, the cast is so ... it's brilliant, it's brilliant. So I did the reading actually at the same time we were rehearsing the LA Company for Wicked.
TV: Really, I had no idea it was such a long time in the works.
MH: Yeah, it takes a long time to put together a musical, especially one like this. So yeah, we did that and then they kept me for the workshop which we did last summer, I took my vacation time to do the workshop and it was, like, magical. I've never been part of a reading that got such a great response, it kinda felt like magic in the room ... sorry to sound so corny about it but ..
TV: No, not at all ...
MH: But it really was, we all felt like we were a part of something really, really special.
TV: I think there are certain stories that when you hear that they are turning them into a musical you think, Of course that story should be a musical and I absolutely think 9 to 5 is one of those stories.
MH: And I'm telling you, there have been a few movies that have been made into musicals that haven't been doing that well but this movie translates so well to the stage. You know, especially with all the fantasy sequences and things like that ... it's amazing, cuz you know there certain songs that go into certain spots -- there's like a flow of different types of songs that each musical needs -- and it's perfect, it's genius.
TV: Oh, I didn't know that Dolly Parton was this involved with the show.
MH: Yeah, Dolly Parton is a musical genius, I can't wait to staring working with her again because she's so freakin' cool.
TV: Okay, I have to ask ... will there be any sort of "enhancements" to your Doralee costume so that you look the part that Dolly Parton originally portrayed?
MH: [Laughter] There will be ... there will definitely be needed assistance in the wardrobe. [Laughter] Um, I can only imagine it now, yeah. In the workshop I really played "the girls" up, too.
TV: I kinda have an image of how it might look and it's a good one, I think it's gonna be a great show.
MH: Yeah, I'm really, really excited.
TV: What can you tell me about The Meg'an Sho Show?
MH: Oh my Goodness, I am definitely excited about this. Shoshana Bean and I worked together on Broadway, we started out as standbys together and then we took over the roles (of Glinda and Elphaba) together. We're both originally from the Northwest and they asked us to do the Northwest part of the tour of Wicked together -- so we have worked together a ton. And we kind of assumed that we were gonna be doing the show together here in LA, too, but it didn't work out that way and so we were really upset that we weren't going to get to work together again. Then we just thought, Why don't we just do our own show? We've been asked by some producers who are interested in a new kind of variety show, kind of like a Carol Burnett Show meets an Ellen DeGeneres Show with performances and skits and stuff but there're also interviews and hot topics and stuff like that. So the Meg'an Sho Show is kind of a showcase for that, to try and see if we can work out a new kind of format for a new kind of variety show.
TV: So this is something you do on stage in front of a live audience?
MH: Everything is live on stage and it's in front of a live audience. Right now we have three shows booked and I think the first two are sold out already. And they are each increasingly larger audiences to see what works, what doesn't work, we're going to be constantly changing things ...
TV: It sounds amazingly creative ...
MH: Yeah, we've been having a lot of fun putting it together.
TV: And you do the show with Shoshana Bean?
MH: She is amazing, have you ever seen her?
TV: I have not.
MH: Oh my goodness, she is ridiculous, her voice is ...
TV: Well I will have to see about getting tickets for the third show.
MH: Yeah, just let me know if you need tickets and I will set you up with some.
TV: That would be amazing!
MH: Totally. To-tal-ly!
TV: Okay, you have an amazing voice, is there any chance that you might record an album of your own someday?
MH: I am slowly working on that. There are a lot of musical theater albums that are just, like, I dunno, I don't want to put out a typical "musical theater album". You know what I'm saying? I'm trying to put together something that is a little more ... I'll definitely have musical theater songs on it but they're going to be with my own twist. It's not going to be like, Okay, these are the songs that I do in my book or songs that people know me to do but I'm really going to take my time and do a really, hopefully, classy-ish album (well, as classy as I can get). But yeah, an album is definitely in the works.
TV: That sounds excellent, I'm definitely looking forward to that. Okay, last question, What is the one piece of advice you would give to aspiring performers who want to make it to Broadway?
MH: Um, the advice? Oh gosh. I guess you have to really understand who you are and why you want to be in this business. Because if you don't know who you are, you're not going to know how to market yourself and to go out for the right things. I think a lot of people have really grand ideas of how glamorous this industry is ... it's a lot of hard work and people don't really grasp that. And if you're not in it for the right reasons, whatever those are to you, then it's just not going to work. You have to really understand how hard it is.
TV: Megan, again, thank you so much for taking the time to talk with me today and I definitely plan on seeing you as Glinda in Wicked here in LA at least one more time before you finish your run (Megan's last performance is May 11th) and I'm really looking forward to seeing you in 9 to 5 ... I'm such a fan, I just want to see you in everything that I can.
MH: Oh thank you so much, it's been a pleasure talking to you. Let me know if you need tickets and let me know when you come, come back and say Hi. Have a great day!
As I said to Megan, I am such a big fan of hers ... I fell instantly in love with her the first time I saw her in Wicked. She is an amazing talent and I know she is going to be a huge smash in 9 to 5. The show opens here in SoCal later on this year and will open on Broadway in 2009. If you're in the area you MUST see Megan in Wicked while you still can. I promise, you will love her too!
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The TV Guide: West Coast Lurve
Tonight we have tentative plans to hang out with Steph and Alek but my friend Mike G. is flying out to spend the weekend here in LA tonight so we'll have to see what the plan is on his end. I'm hoping that David and I can spend as much time with him here in LA as we can, it'll be his first visit to SoCal. The weather is superb so I'm sure he'll have a great time away from the cold misery of Detroit.
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Les News: JL Registers, FOB Cancels, Janice Stuffs
- Jamie Lynn Spears registers at Babies R Us for her upcoming baby shower.
- Nina Garcia and Christian Siriano from Project Runway to guest star on Ugly Betty.
- Madonna talks to Z100 HERE.
- Kimora Lee Simmons files for divorce from Russel Simmons. Wait, didn't she do this already?
- Fall Out Boy cancel on Antarctica.
- PETA offers to pay some of Aretha Franklin's back taxes if she agrees to stop wearing fur.
- Keith Richards uses colorful language to discuss Mick Jagger's sexuality.
- Blackpool, England will finally allow Rolling Stones concerts in their city limits after a 44-year ban.
- Brooke Shields to undergo foot surgery.
- The Los Angeles Times effed up and is now very sorry.
- Did we really think there was just one call girl in the Spitzer closet?
- Cuba to allow gay marriage?
- The French First Lady shows her softer, nekkid side at auction; does her best Jackie O for Queen Elizabeth.
- Do YOU look like Heidi Montag? If so, she wants you.
- Adam Brody has a second job.
- Where do YOU keep your cell phone when it's not in use?
- Fergie of Black Eyed Peas is 33, Mariah Carey & Elizabeth Mitchell (Lost) are 38 and Dave Koz & Quentin Tarantino are 45 years old today. Click HERE to see who else is celebrating a birthday today.
- Britney Spears has been offered a role in a West End show in addition to being offered her own sitcom.
- "It's not even that I've made a conscious decision not to party. I don't think clubbing is a choice you make. You can have fun with friends without being part of that scene." -- Zac Efron
- Fergie denies being pregs for the umpteenth millionth time.
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Cornish Game, Then?
Since Cannes, Cornish has gotten acclaim for her acting, but, to her frustration, American audiences still know her better as the supposed catalyst for Phillippe's divorce from Reese Witherspoon. Both Cornish and Phillippe have denied a romance but say they're close friends. Paparazzi generally leave the actress alone when she's solo, but not when she's with Phillippe's children. When she's asked if it's hard for her to be photographed with them, Cornish's eyes begin to water and she presses herself closer to the wall. "It's difficult, because you're just taking a kid into a store," she says. "The bottom line is that you're just living."
It's hard not to be suspicious about a possible romance between these two, especially when they go to such pains to stay away from one another even tho they have a huge movie to promote. Good friends should be able to keep the focus on their work and not on speculation about a possible relationship. Nonetheless, whether or not they are involved, the two do have great chemistry on the screen in Stop-Loss. I was so taken with how thoroughly Abbie became her character in the film ... it is nearly impossible to guess that she is Australian by just her performance in this movie alone. I was also impressed with her work in Elizabeth: The Golden Age. It's a shame that she has to stay in hiding these days ... she really should be able to bask in the glow of her job well done. [Source]
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Scout's Honor
Photo credit: Wireimage
This swearing in ceremony corresponds perfectly with the on-going Girl Scout cookie sales drive (which happens annually around this time of the year) and with the release of Abigail's new movie Nim's Island -- both of which I am very excited about. I am a HUGE fan of the Caramel deLites cookies (also known as Samoa cookies) that the Girl Scouts sell (I've already purchased 12 boxes this year already) AND I love the story of Nim's Island. I've been impressed with the way other children's stories have translated to the big screen so I'm hoping this movie adaptation will be just as entertaining. I guess I should also confess that I was once a Boy Scout so I can appreciate what this induction means for Abigail. Of course, I don't suppose that she will have to endure countless camping trips in the bitter Michigan Winter where snow and rain (not to mention older boys with something to prove) conspire to wreck havoc on her person (and scar her for life, I might add) ... she at least gets to wear that smashing sash and will, most likely, be kept from harm's way. Congrats, Abigail!! [Source]
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Summer Land
Even tho it's barely Spring here in the real world, it is already Summer in A&F Land where buff men frolic semi-to-mostly nekkid with one another (sometimes with bare breasted girls, often times not) on beaches, in verdant meadows and/or in ivy league boarding school settings all year round. A&F Land sounds like a pretty spectacular place ... even tho many of us will never really get to live in such a wonderful place, it's nice to pretend ... which is where these A&F photos come in handy. As always, the folks at Abercrombie give us something to look forward to ... Summer can't get here fast enough for me :) [Source]
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Hurray For Heidiwood
If you are among those who dismiss Heidi Montag as being just another product of another reality show, consider this: Montag has a clothing line, a music career that continues despite a disastrous first attempt at a music video, and she even had hopes of altering the famous Hollywood sign to say "Heidiwood" in time for a splashy April 11 fashion show. According to Us Weekly, Montag's publicity team (who deserves congrats in their own right for turning Montag into the brand she is) wasn't able to make it happen. Los Angeles city council member Tom LaBonge told the magazine, "We rarely accept alterations of an historic monument."
Rats! Love her or hate her, this is the best idea that will never be to come along in some time. Can you imagine the media hoopla that would've ensued had the Hollywood Sign been changed to read Heidiwood? At the very least LC would've blown a gasket. You deffo have to give Team Heidi props for coming up with such a great idea ... but perhaps the way to go is amend the sign on the downlow much like the kids on Beverly Hills, 90210 did. I bet Spencer Pratt wouldn't mind sneaking up to the sign to make the changes himself ... now that would be pimp and a sure sign of his love for Heidi. I bet she'd finally walk down the aisle with him if he did manage to pull this off for her. C'mon Spence, there's still time ;) [Source, thanks Kevin]
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Limited Engagement
Photo credit: X17
Pregnant 16-year-old Jamie Lynn Spears and boyfriend Casey Aldridge are engaged, his cousin, Tina Robinson, confirms to Usmagazine.com. "He proposed a few days ago, and she accepted," Robinson tells Us. Robinson says she hasn't seen a ring and didn't know whether they would wed before or after Jamie Lynn delivers. "They probably weren't expecting [the proposal] to be, like, right now, but with her being pregnant, that really pushed it up," Robinson tells Us.
Yes, folks, the infamous shotgun wedding is alive and well in Kentwood, LA. E! News noted that JL is wearing her engagement ring on the wrong hand and speculates what it could mean:
Jamie Lynn Spears amped up her own engagement rumors Tuesday by showing off a sparkly rock during a Kentwood, La., coffee run. But while she took no pains to hide her blinged-out hand, the 16-year-old wouldn't address reports that her boyfriend, Casey Aldridge, 18, proposed ... Of course, if it is an engagement ring, she's wearing it on the wrong hand. But those Spears sisters always have done things ... uh, a little differently. With that in mind, E! News tapped celebrity jeweler Cynthia Wolff, who designed older sister Britney's engagement ring in 2004, for her take on Jamie Lynn's new bauble: Wolff says the ring "looks like a round diamond, very 1980s, with a yellow gold band. It looks like a wedding set with two different bands." The jeweler estimates the ring is only about a half carat in size and probably cost between $8,000 to $10,000 if it was custom made. It could cost less if bought off the shelf. No word on a price if the ring were procured from a Cracker Jack box, but a couple of bucks sounds about right.
Yes, the ring doesn't look all that impressive but, under the circumstances, I really wouldn't expect it to be all that impressive (doesn't Casey work in construction ... with his family?). At least JL didn't shell out her own money to pay for her own engagement ring (like a certain someone we all know and lurve) because, you know, I'm sure she would've picked up something a little more flashy. My money says that JL and Casey will be wed before she births her baby ... I guess we shall soon see. [Source, Source]
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Lights, Camera, Friction
Photo credit: INFdaily, Splash News & Bauer-Griffin
Wee!!! I am so excited for this! Both Michelle and Blake look awesome ... they're wearing matching leggings (which, it pains me to admit, are starting to grow on me ... esp these shiny-looking rubber kind -- but I still hate capris, fyi) and killer shoes. I sincerely hope they've both had time to get their
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Beckham - 100, England - 0
Photo credit: Splash News
Soccer star David Beckham represented the England national soccer team Wednesday night for the 100th time, becoming only the fifth player ever to reach the triple figure. Beckham, 32, took to the field in Paris at the beginning of the game around 9 p.m. local time, making his 100th appearance for England. Beckham wore golden boots to mark the game, which was against France. "David was so excited to play," a close pal tells PEOPLE. "He is still enthusiastic and has a great passion for playing for his country." Around 38 minutes into the match Beckham received a yellow card warning for an infraction against the French team. At 62 minutes, with France leading 1-0, Beckham and his golden boots were substituted by the team manager. At the end of the game, which France won 1-0, Beckham came back out onto the field to applaud the fans. "Only four players have ever achieved this playing milestone before," says the pal. "It's an historic moment becoming the fifth English player to do it. It's an incredible honor."
Aww ... well, it sucks that England had to lose the game but we're all still very happy for Becks and his latest accomplishment. Speaking to the press after the game, Becks explained what yesterday's game meant to him:
"My parents are here, my granny is watching back home, my sister, my sons and my wife are also here. I'm very proud. Reaching 100 caps doesn't happen every day but, like I said before the game, I am hoping it is not 100 and out. I want to carry on playing for my country. Having my family and all the fans there was incredible and to get the reception I did from both sets of fans when I came off was amazing. I'm very proud of that because, if there was another place apart from Wembley where I would like to get to 100 caps then it would've been here in Paris. It is where (Zinedine) Zidane played and I have also got a house in France and love the country. I enjoyed the hour I played and the most important thing for me tonight was proving my fitness. I felt I did that. I felt very fresh and a lot better than I thought I would. As much as you work hard in pre-season, nothing is better than playing games. I've played under Fabio Capello before [at Real Madrid] and he knows what I am like as a player. From that point of view I don't have to prove anything - but proving my fitness was the biggest thing. To go over the 100 mark is a proud moment. To be up there with Bobby Moore, Bobby Charlton, Billy Wright and Peter Shilton, I'm honoured to be in that company.
Yes this is quite an accomplishment ... I imagine that the entire Beckham family was very excited to be in the hiz to show their support ... [Source, Source]
... tho you wouldn't really know it by looking at them. Vicki B., the Beckham boys and Becks's immediate family filled an executive box in the Parisian stadium yesterday lookin' totally unimpressed and generally pretty bored and miserable:
But I'm sure they were very happy and very proud of our dear Becks ... on the inside ;) In any event, Becks should be congratulated on reaching the 100th cap mark. Next up for David Beckham is the opening game of the new LA Galaxy soccer season which takes place here at home at the Home Depot Center in Carson, CA this Saturday. No rest for the weary ... or the accomplished. [Source]
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