ENTERTAINMENT NEWS … PRISCILLA QUEEN OF THE DESERT

ENTERTAINMENT NEWS …

PRISCILLA

QUEEN OF THE DESERT

 

Complete casting has been announced for the pre-Broadway Toronto run of Priscilla Queen of the Desert: The Musical, directed by Simon Phillips. Written by Stephan Elliot and Allan Scott, the musical begins its North American premiere at Toronto’s Princess of Wales Theatre on October 12, with opening set for October 26. Priscilla makes the jump to Broadway in spring 2011.

Joining previously announced stars Tony Sheldon (Bernadette), Tony Award nominee Will Swenson (Tick/Mitzi) and Nick Adams (Adam/Felicia) are Ashley Spencer (Diva), Mike McGowan (Frank) and ensemble members Christopher Gurr, Ellyn Marie Marsh and Jeff Metzler. The production also features C. David Johnson (Bob), James Brown III (Jimmy), Nathan Lee Graham (Miss Understanding), J. Elaine Marcos (Cynthia), Jessica Phillips (Marion), Steve Schepis (Farrah), Keala Settle (Shirley), “Divas” Jacqueline Arnold and Anastacia McCleskey and Thom Allison, Kyle Brown, Bryan West, Tad Wilson, Joshua Buscher, Susan Dunstan, David Lopez and Eric Sciotto.

Priscilla Queen of the Desert is a heart-warming, uplifting adventure of three friends who hop aboard a battered old bus searching for love and friendship in the middle of the Australian outback and end up finding more than they could ever have dreamed. The show, written by Stephan Elliott and Allan Scott, had its world premiere in Australia in 2006.

It is based on the 1994 Australian film that blitzed overseas box offices, causing near riot at the Cannes Film Festival. It won an Academy Award and starred well known Australian actors including Hugo Weaving, Guy Pearce and Terence Stamp. It's fun, daring, over-the-top and unforgettable. A road movie that has attitude and the occasional frock.

TRIVIA BITS... DRAGONFLIES

TRIVIA BITS...

DRAGONFLIES

Dragonflies are one of the fastest insects, flying 50 to 60 mph.

SUPERSTITIONS … BROKEN MIRRORS

SUPERSTITIONS …

BROKEN MIRRORS

The belief that you’ll have seven years’ bad luck if you break a mirror is said to come from the Romans, who were the first to create glass mirrors. But long ago many cultures, including Greek, Chinese, African and Indian, believed that a mirror had the power to confiscate part of the user’s soul. The thinking was that if the mirror was broken, the person’s soul would be trapped inside.

ENTERTAINMENT NEWS … BLONDIE

ENTERTAINMENT NEWS …

BLONDIE

Blondie have confirmed plans to release their first studio album for seven years.

The follow-up to 2003's The Curse Of Blondie is titled Panic Of Girls, the band's official website has confirmed.

"Blondie's forthcoming studio album Panic Of Girls is coming soon. You can hear some of the new songs during Blondie's summer tour," a statement read.

Drummer Clem Burke told Billboard: "We tried to make the recording process as organic as possible and tried to stay away from programming as much as we could, because [The Curse of Blondie] had a lot of programming on it. So in the spirit of Woodstock, we kept going in the studio and playing.

"Everyone in the band contributed songs... We've switched out a few people in the band, so the creative dynamic has changed a little bit."

Keyboard player Jimmy Destri was reportedly planning to be part of the album but has not contributed to the final release.

Around 14 of the 35 songs recorded by the band will be featured on the album, with some of the extra tracks potentially being made available online. Songs previewed at recent live shows have included 'What I Heard', 'The End' and 'Mother'.

QUOTABLES … GHANDI

QUOTABLES …

GHANDI

Eye for eye and the world will go blind.

- Ghandi

ENTERTAINMENT NEWS … 2010 PRIMETIME EMMYS

ENTERTAINMENT NEWS …

2010 PRIMETIME EMMYS

Glee star and Broadway vet Matthew Morrison is among the first group of presenters announced for the 2010 Primetime Emmy Awards. Morrison will be featured on NBC's live telecast on August 29 at the Nokia Theatre in Los Angeles. Jimmy Fallon will host.

Stars of heavily nominated shows dominate the initial list of presenters. Morrison is a lead actor Emmy nominee for his performance as Will Schuester in Glee, which received a total of 19 Emmy nods. Presenters will also include Emmy nominees January Jones of Mad Men, Julianna Margulies of The Good Wife and Sofia Vergara of Modern Family, plus funnyman Ricky Gervais and The Office’s John Krasinski.

MOVIE NEWS … ERNEST BORGNINE

MOVIE NEWS …

ERNEST BORGNINE

Ernest Borgnine will be honoured with the Screen Actors Guild Life Achievement Award at the 17th annual SAG Awards, to be held January 30, 2011.

The 93-year-old, who is a best actor Oscar winner for 1955's "Marty," will be recognized for his career achievements and humanitarian efforts at the ceremonies, which will be broadcast live from the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles by TNT and TBS.

"Whether portraying brutish villains, sympathetic everymen, complex leaders or hapless heroes, Ernest Borgnine has brought a boundless energy which, at 93, is still a hallmark of his remarkably busy life and career. It is with that same joyous spirit that we salute his impressive body of work and his steadfast generosity," SAG president Ken Howard said.

Borgnine, who first attracted attention for his performance as the vicious Sergeant "Fatso" Judson in "From Here to Eternity," has appeared in nearly 200 films and TV shows, including the series "McHale's Navy."

ENTERTAINMENT NEWS … ELVIRA

ENTERTAINMENT NEWS …

ELVIRA

After a long absence from television, Elvira is storming back with a new TV showcase.

Tentatively titled "Elvira's Movie Macabre," the new series will feature 26 two hour horror films, hosted by the Mistress of the Dark herself. The series will air on THIS! Television and in national syndication through its distributor, Trifecta Entertainment.

"Elvira will be every bit as relevant as the first day she burst onto the scene; a beautiful opinionated woman who always delivers just what her audience expects from her," offered Trifecta CEO, Hank Cohen. "At Trifecta, we take pride in bringing proven and trusted brands to the syndicated marketplace; Elvira is a time-tested and wildly successful brand unto herself and her new show perfectly exemplifies our strategy."

Elvira was first created and performed by actress Casandra Peterson back in 1981, when she was chosen to host a revival of "The Vampira Show" that eventually became the original "Elvira's Movie Macabre." Peterson's Elvira became quickly known for her distinctive makeup, sexy outfits and her sharp valley girl wit. During the '80s, Peterson frequently appeared as Elvira on "The Tonight Show" and several other TV talk shows, as well as several national ad campaigns for Coors Light and Mug Root Beer.

Elvira reached the peak of her popularity in 1988 when Peterson starred and co-wrote the feature film, "Elvira: Mistress of the Dark." The character also spawned multiple comic book series, action figures, trading cards, pinball machines, perfumes and even a wildly popular Halloween costume.

Cassandra remains on board the new "Elvira's Movie Macabre" series as both a writer and producer, in addition to her title role. Ted Biaselli is also attached as a producer, along with Executive Producer, Anita First.

"Elvira's Movie Macabre" will debut in the US the weekend of September 25.

ELIVRA OUT OF MAKE UP

ENTERTAINMENT NEWS … SHANNON TAVARES

ENTERTAINMENT NEWS …

SHANNON TAVARES

Shannon Tavares, the 11-year-old former star of Disney's Lion King, got 50 Cent's attention when she was diagnosed with leukaemia. A distant cousin of the rapper, 50 Cent did everything he could to help the former Broadway star and has since made it his mission to help leukaemia patients nationwide find a bone marrow match.

Two weeks ago, 50 Cent and Tony Yayo registered with DKMS and filmed a PSA showing their fans how easy it is to "Get Swabbed to Save a Life." As a continuation of his on-going philanthropic efforts, the rapper hosted a DKMS bone marrow drive at the "50 Cent" Jackson Community Garden in Queens earlier this week where he filmed a second PSA with Tony Yayo urging people to register. Check it out at www.GetSwabbed.org.

Since he began working with DKMS two weeks ago, 50 Cent has registered nearly 4,000 potentially life- saving donors with the organization.

"I think when people hear about donating bone marrow, the whole process seems complicated and a lot more difficult than it would be to actually to save someone's life," said 50 Cent. "I think people would be interested [to donate], especially if they saw me do it, because [fans] look at every blog I put up. So one of the things I'm interested in is being a donor at some point. 70% of the people don't have a match in their family so they have to look outside. You need the help of someone you don't know."

US readers are encouraged to follow in 50's footsteps and sign up for a DKMS registration kit online at www.GetSwabbed.org.

For Australian readers contact the Australian Bone Marrow Donor Registry by clicking HERE.

Or contact Australian Bone Marrow Donor Registry, 153 Clarence Street Sydney, NSW 2000 Australia phone: +61 2 9229 4464 or +61 2 9229 4317

ENTERTAINMENT NEWS … GLEE WITH BRITTANY

ENTERTAINMENT NEWS …

GLEE WITH BRITTANY

With the Season 2 premiere of GLEE rapidly approaching, anticipation for the much talked about Britney Spears episode is growing daily. Check out this photo of GLEE's Brittany, played by Heather Morris, posing with the pop music superstar.

As  previously reported, GLEE will feature a Britney Spears tribute episode in its second season, premiering in the US on September 21, 2010 on FOX. Says GLEE star Lea Michele of the episode: it's "15 music videos inside this episode, very much like the Madonna [tribute episode]." Heather Morris, who plays 'Brittany' on the show, will be playing Britney Spears in a dream sequence. To date, however, GLEE execs were mum on whether or not Spears herself would be making a cameo in the episode.  Series creator Ryan Murphy has finally spilled the beans and revealed on Ryan Seacrest's radio show  that - yes - Spears would be appearing on the show.

Zaptoit.com additionally reveals of the episode that "New Directions' pleas for Britney tunes fall on deaf ears with Mr. Schuester (Matthew Morrison), so when they pay respective visits to the dentist (John Stamos), anaesthesia-induced fantasies bring out the musical numbers and the all-but-official Britney cameo."

MOVIE NEWS … MEMPHIS THE MOVIE

MOVIE NEWS …

MEMPHIS THE MOVIE

The New York Post is reporting that Zac Efron, movie star and High School Musical alum, is indeed interested in starring as deejay Huey Calhoun in a movie version of the Tony-winning musical. But Efron may face some superstar competition for the part: According to the Post, Justin Timberlake (who was born in Memphis) is also interested in playing Huey in a film adaptation to be directed by Oliver Stone.

With its juicy storyline of a white deejay who begins a dangerous love affair with a beautiful African-American singer in the 1950s South—not to mention a rocking, Tony-winning score by Bon Jovi's David Bryan and Joe DiPietro—Memphis is proving to be catnip for stars actors and directors. The Broadway production continues its run at the Shubert Theatre, starring Tony nominees Chad Kimball as Huey and Montego Glover as his true love, Felicia Farrell.

ENTERTAINMENT NEWS … BETTY WHITE

ENTERTAINMENT NEWS …

BETTY WHITE

The Betty White juggernaut just keeps on rolling.

G.P. Putnam's Sons announced Wednesday that the 88-year-old actress has signed a two-book deal, with the first one — "Listen Up!" — due out next spring in the US.

The book is said to focus on her 60-plus-year Hollywood career, — including stints on "The Mary Tyler Moore Show," "The Golden Girls" and now "Hot in Cleveland," as well as her highly rated "Saturday Night Live" appearance in May — plus her reflections on aging, love and sex.

The second book, scheduled for 2012, is to be called "The Zoo and I: Betty and Her Friends" and will feature stories and photos of zoo animals. White is a longtime Los Angeles Zoo board member.

"Much as I love what I do for a living in show business, I love writing even more — so I am thrilled to be working on not only one new book but two of them," she said.

The publishing house tweeted Wednesday: "Have you heard the news?! We just signed actress Betty White for two books!!! I LOVE her!"

White previously wrote "Betty White in Person" (1987) and "Here We Go Again: My Life in Television" (1995), as well as a couple pet-related books.

TRIVIA BITS ... SLEEP

TRIVIA BITS ...

SLEEP

The average person falls asleep in seven minutes.

QUOTABLES … AL GORE

QUOTABLES …

AL GORE

It isn't pollution that's harming the environment. It's the impurities in our air and water that are doing it.

- Al Gore, US Vice President

THIS WORLD … RAINBOWS

THIS WORLD …

RAINBOWS

The French Riviera is famous for its nightlife, lifestyle and stunning vistas but none more colourful than this spectacle recently.

Photographer Lionel Cironneau snapped these pictures from his balcony in Nice as a storm and the dusk light combined to create an intense rainbow.

"I didn't use any special effects, or try anything especially technical," he said.

"The picture was just there for everybody to see.”

A more typical view of Nice.  

SUPERSTITIONS … BIRD’S DROPPINGS

SUPERSTITIONS …

BIRD’S DROPPINGS

It sounds like a recipe for the ultimate bad hair day, but many people the world over believe that if a bird lets loose on you, good things are coming your way. One idea is that it’s a sign of major wealth coming from heaven, based on the belief that when you suffer an inconvenience (albeit a pretty gross one), you’ll have good fortune in return.

TRIVIA BITS ... BARBERS

TRIVIA BITS ...

BARBERS

Barbers at one time combined shaving and haircutting with bloodletting and pulling teeth. The white stripes on a field of red that spiral down a barber pole represent the bandages used in the bloodletting.

MOVIE TRIVIA … 10 MEMORABLE MOVIE CARS

MOVIE TRIVIA …

10 MEMORABLE MOVIE CARS

Cult British film director, Christopher Petit, who once remarked that to steer behind the wheel of a moving car is the quintessential cinematic experience. A sublime marriage of machine, driver and journey where the windshield becomes the frame, the accelerator creates the action and the stereo supplies the soundtrack.

The ubiquitous automobile has, for decades, pervaded our psyches and our films to such a degree that it, quite often, has stolen the show completely.

Now, there’s only so much to remark about a million-dollar actor, inside a million-dollar car, within a million-dollar chase sequence. The memorable movie cars below had something more than just horsepower going their way. They packed their very own star power too. Unforgettable anthropomorphised automobiles that not only transported their human co-stars but also the story to somewhere otherwise unreachable.

10. 1969 “General Lee” Dodge Charger

(The Dukes Of Hazard)

9. 2005 “Tumbler”

(Batman Begins and The Dark Knight)

8. 1976 Lotus Esprit

(The Spy Who Loved Me)

7. 1932 Ford Deuce Coupe

(American Graffiti)

6. 1971 Chevrolet Nova

(Death Proof)

5. 1958 Plymouth Belvedere/Fury

(Christine)

4. 1970 Lancia Stratos Zero Concept

(Moonwalker)

 

3. 1972 Honda Z600

(Malcolm)

2. Benny The Cab

(Who Framed Roger Rabbit?)

1. 1981 DeLorean DMC-12

(Back To The Future trilogy)

TRIVIA BITS ... NAILS

TRIVIA BITS ...

NAILS

A fingernail or toenail takes about 6 months to grow from base to tip.

ENTERTAINMENT NEWS … FLASHDANCE THE MUSICAL

ENTERTAINMENT NEWS …

FLASHDANCE

THE MUSICAL

  Victoria Hamilton-Barritt in 'Flashdance The Musical’

The West End production of Flashdance The Musical will star Victoria Hamilton-Barritt and Matt Willis. The show, based on the 1983 movie, is directed by Nikolai Foster and features choreography by Arlene Phillips. It will begin performances at London’s Shaftesbury Theatre on September 24, with opening night set for October 11.

Set in Pittsburgh, Flashdance The Musical tells the story of 19-year-old Alex, a welder by day and “flashdancer” by night, whose dream is to obtain a place at the prestigious Shipley Dance Academy. The musical is about holding on to your dreams and love against all the odds.

SUPERSTITIONS … CROSSING FINGERS

SUPERSTITIONS …

CROSSING FINGERS

It’s a near-universal sign of wishing for something, but there are many theories about its origin. One is that when Christianity was illegal, crossing fingers was a secret way for Christians to recognize each other. Another is that during the Hundred Years’ War, an archer would cross his fingers to pray for luck, before drawing back his longbow with those same fingers. Yet another, even older, theory is that crossed fingers were used as a gesture to ward off witches and other evil spirits.

QUOTABLES … ALICIA SILVERSTONE

QUOTABLES …

ALICIA SILVERSTONE

I think that the film Clueless was very deep. I think it was deep in the way that it was very light. I think lightness has to come from a very deep place if it's true lightness.

- Alicia Silverstone

TRIVIA BITS ... COBB SALAD

TRIVIA BITS ...

COBB SALAD

In 1926, when a Los Angeles restaurant owner with the all-American name of Bob Cobb was looking for a way to use up leftovers, he threw together some avocado, celery, tomato, chives, watercress, hard-boiled eggs, chicken, bacon, and Roquefort cheese, and named it after himself: Cobb salad.

MOVIE NEWS … BRIGITTE BARDOT

MOVIE NEWS …

BRIGITTE BARDOT

Brigitte Bardot, the quondam French femme fatale with a history of racist and homophobic remarks, warns that "sparks will fly" if plans for a biographical film move forward.

According to London's Guardian, Bardot, 73, has come out in strong opposition to rumours that U.S. film producer Kyle Newman has planned to film a biopic about the actress. Claiming that there could be no suitable person to play her, she asserts, "They have their own personalities but they don't have mine."

She is also disappointed about her lack of participation in the film.

"I am not O.K. with a film about me when I have not been told about it and when I have not given my agreement to the person playing my role," she said. Newman's wife, actress Jaime King, would reportedly play Bardot.

Whether the film would stop at the actress's departure from the silver screen in 1962 or continue into her rather controversial life afterward is unknown.

Since 1997, Bardot has also faced several charges under France's stringent antiracism laws. Past comments have included railing against the invasion of France by "sheep-slaughtering Muslims." Israel's YnetNews reports that prosecutor Anne de Fontette exclaimed, "I am a little tired of prosecuting Mrs. Bardot."

ENTERTAINMENT NEWS … BRIDGES OF MADISON COUNTY THE MUSICAL

ENTERTAINMENT NEWS …

THE BRIDGES

OF MADISON COUNTY

THE MUSICAL

Clint Eastwood & Meryl Streep in 'The Bridges of Madison County’

A musical version of the popular novel The Bridges of Madison County is eyeing Broadway, Broadway.com has learned. The romantic tuner, based on the 1992 bestselling book by Robert James Waller, features a score by Jason Robert Brown and book by Marsha Norman.

Set in 1965, The Bridges of Madison County tells the story of photographer Robert Kincaid and his profound four-day love affair with Iowa farm wife Francesca Johnson. Publisher’s Weekly called the story “an erotic, bittersweet tale of lingering memories and forsaken possibilities.” It was made into a film in 1995 starring Meryl Streep and Clint Eastwood, who also directed.

MOVIE NEWS … BUGS BUNNY

MOVIE NEWS …

BUGS BUNNY

Warner Bros has hired Elf scribe David Berenbaum to write Bugs Bunny, a live action/CG feature film designed to revive one of the studio’s most iconic intellectual properties. Berenbaum, who also adapted The Spiderwick Chronicles and is writing an animated project with George Lucas--just closed his deal. No producer has yet been assigned. While Warner Bros has struggled to pick winners out of its DC Comics catalogue beyond Batman, the studio has done little with its Looney Tunes catalogue lately. Warner Bros scored with the 1996 film Space Jam, mingling Looney Tunes characters with NBA superstars led by Michael Jordan, but its feature momentum ground to a halt with the 2003 Brendan Fraser-starrer Looney Tunes: Back In Action.

Warner Bros has become active on the short film front. It has made a trilogy of 3D films so far. The first played before the recently released Cats & Dogs 2, the second will precede Zack Snyder’s Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga’Hoole, and the third will play in front of Yogi Bear.

While the rabbit was toned down in later Looney Tunes incarnations, the 1940 Tex Avery creation was the centrepiece for smart, topical, sophisticated and sometimes subversive cartoon shorts, marked by the vocal versatility of Mel Blanc, who also voiced Elmer Fudd, Daffy Duck, Porky Pig and others.

THIS WORLD …. WAT PA MAHA KAEW TEMPLE

THIS WORLD ….

WAT PA MAHA KAEW TEMPLE

Wat Pa Maha Kaew Temple is the only temple in the world build out of glass bottles and bottle caps. It all began in 1984 when the Buddhist monks started gathering bottles to decorate their shelters. The lovely bottle art-work they created attracted more and more visitors that began donating bottles, until there were enough to build an entire building.

Translated as “Temple of Million Bottles” Wat Pa Maha Kaew is located in Siasaket province, about 370 miles northeast of Thailand’s capital city, Bangkok. There are approximately 1,5 millionglass bottles incorporated in the temple complex,that includes glass shelters, crematorium and even glass toilets.

The bottles make for a surprisingly easy to maintain building material, they let the light in and they don’t fade. The monks are still collecting glass bottles to build even more structures at Wat Pa Maha Kaew.

JUST FOR FUN … MONEY ORIGAMI 2

JUST FOR FUN …

MONEY ORIGAMI 2

Origami, the Japanese art of paper folding, as seen some creative and innovative use in folding legal tender  … that’s right – MONEY!

Enjoy the skill and somewhat cheekiness of the artists!

MOVIE NEWS … THE TEMPEST

MOVIE NEWS …

THE TEMPEST

Helen Mirren is an outstanding British actress who appears to have been in everything for the past few years. Rest assured that what she has appeared in has always been good. And the nominations kept rolling in. She’s 65-years-old and is still making movies.

Helen will be in Julie Taymor’s The Tempest, which will be closing the Venice Film Festival in September. A new poster for the Shakespeare adaptation has been released. Alongside the living legend, you’ll be able to see Djimon Hounsou, Alfred Molina, Alan Cumming, Chris Cooper, David Strathairn, among many many other amazing names. The cast also includes Russell Brand, letting audiences see the two on screen together before the Arthur reboot. An all-star cast.

In December this movie will get general release. It means we’ll get even more Helen Mirren.

Australian release of The Tempest is scheduled for December 17, 2010.

JUST FOR FUN … MONEY ORIGAMI

JUST FOR FUN …

MONEY ORIGAMI 1

Origami, the Japanese art of paper folding, as seen some creative and innovative use in folding legal tender  … that’s right – MONEY!

Enjoy the skill and the somewhat cheekiness of the artists!