Spice Girls - The Things They Say 7998 & other: May 2008

Saturday, 31 May 2008

Britney Spears Las Vegas Comeback Is Off?

It looks as if Britney Spears may not be heading to Vegas after all.

Rumours of a Sin City performance emerged earlier this month, after the singer was spotted dining with Palms Hotel & Casino owner George Maloof Jr. in Los Angeles.
However, her former manager Larry Rudolph – who patched up his relationship with the singer earlier this year - has refuted reports she is in secret negotiations to stage a major comeback spectacular in Las Vegas.

He tells the Las Vegas Review Journal, "She's not here (in Las Vegas) and she's not coming in. I wouldn't lie to you."
Yesterday a Los Angeles court heard that Brit is still incapable of participating in any legal proceedings, with her attorney telling the court that her doctor hopes to carry out "additional testing in the not-too-distant future".

Friday, 30 May 2008

Dennis Quaid - Quaid Campaigns For Patients Rights

Actor DENNIS QUAID is calling on the U.S. government to preserve patients' rights to sue drugmakers for injuries.

The actor's twin babies had to fight for their lives last year (Nov07) when they were mistakenly given a near-fatal overdose of blood thinner Heparin, and Quaid insists the mishap could have been avoided if there was a better system of marking medicines.

California regulators fined hospital bosses $25,000 (GBP12,500) after concluding the failure of staff at Los Angeles' Cedars-Sinai Medical Center to follow their own procedures resulted in incorrect doses of the drug being administered to Quaid's infants and other children.

Quaid and his wife Kimberly Buffington have sued Baxter International Inc, the maker of the blood-thinning drug given to his twins

On Wednesday (14May08), Quaid said victims of harm from medicines should be able to seek damages from manufacturers in state courts.

He says, "I believe if preemption of lawsuits is allowed to prevail, it will basically make all of us, the public, uninformed and uncompensated lab rats."

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Rufus Sewell - 62nd Tony Awards Nominees Announced

The list of the nominees for the 62nd Tony Awards has been announced.

They include Tom Stoppard for best play and playwright for "Rock and Roll".

Laurence Fishburne, Rufus Sewell, Patrick Stewart and Mark Rylance are the nominees in the best actor category.

Meanwhile, Eve Best, Deanna Dunagan, Kate Fleetwood, S. Epatha Merkerson and Amy Morton are all shortlisted for the best actress award.

The complete list of nominations is below:

Play (and playwrights): "August: Osage County" (Tracy Letts), "Rock 'n' Roll" (Tom Stoppard), "The Seafarer" (Conor McPherson), "The 39 Steps" (Patrick Barlow).

Musical: "Cry-Baby," "In the Heights," "Passing Strange," "Xanadu."

Book-Musical: "Cry-Baby" (Mark O'Donnell and Thomas Meehan), "In the Heights" (Quiara Alegria Hudes), "Passing Strange" (Stew), "Xanadu" (Douglas Carter Beane).

Original Score (music and/or lyrics): "Cry-Baby" (Music & Lyrics: David Javerbaum and Adam Schlesinger), "In the Heights" (Music & Lyrics: Lin-Manuel Miranda), "The Little Mermaid" (Music: Alan Menken, Lyrics: Howard Ashman and Glenn Slater), "Passing Strange" (Music: Stew and Heidi Rodewald, Lyrics: Stew).

Revival-Play: "Boeing-Boeing," "The Homecoming," "Les Liaisons Dangereuses," "Macbeth."

Revival-Musical: "Grease," "Gypsy," "South Pacific," "Sunday in the Park With George."

Actor-Play: Ben Daniels, "Les Liaisons Dangereuses"; Laurence Fishburne, "Thurgood"; Mark Rylance, "Boeing-Boeing"; Rufus Sewell, "Rock 'n' Roll"; Patrick Stewart, "Macbeth."

Actress-Play: Eve Best, "The Homecoming"; Deanna Dunagan, "August: Osage County"; Kate Fleetwood, "Macbeth"; S. Epatha Merkerson, "Come Back, Little Sheba"; Amy Morton, "August: Osage County."

Actor-Musical: Daniel Evans, "Sunday in the Park With George"; Lin-Manuel Miranda, "In the Heights"; Stew, "Passing Strange"; Paulo Szot, "South Pacific"; Tom Wopat, "A Catered Affair."

Actress-Musical: Kerry Butler, "Xanadu"; Patti LuPone, "Gypsy"; Kelli O'Hara, "South Pacific"; Faith Prince, "A Catered Affair"; Jenna Russell, "Sunday in the Park With George."

Featured Actor-Play: Bobby Cannavale, "Mauritius"; Raul Esparza, "The Homecoming"; Conleth Hill, "The Seafarer"; Jim Norton, "The Seafarer"; David Pittu, "Is He Dead?"

Featured Actress-Play: Sinead Cusack, "Rock 'n' Roll"; Mary McCormack, "Boeing-Boeing"; Laurie Metcalf, "November"; Martha Plimpton, "Top Girls"; Rondi Reed, "August: Osage County."

Featured Actor-Musical: Daniel Breaker, "Passing Strange"; Danny Burstein, "South Pacific"; Robin De Jesus, "In the Heights"; Christopher Fitzgerald, "Young Frankenstein"; Boyd Gaines, "Gypsy."

Featured Actress-Musical: Laura Benanti, "Gypsy"; de'Adre Aziza, "Passing Strange"; Andrea Martin, "Young Frankenstein"; Olga Merediz, "In the Heights"; Loretta Ables Sayre, "South Pacific."

Direction-Play: Maria Aitken, "The 39 Steps"; Conor McPherson, "The Seafarer"; Anna D. Shapiro, "August: Osage County"; Matthew Warchus, "Boeing-Boeing."

Direction-Musical: Sam Buntrock, "Sunday in the Park With George"; Thomas Kail, "In the Heights"; Arthur Laurents, "Gypsy"; Bartlett Sher, "South Pacific."

Choreography: Rob Ashford, "Cry-Baby"; Andy Blankenbuehler, "In the Heights"; Christopher Gattelli, "South Pacific"; Dan Knechtges, "Xanadu."

Orchestrations: Jason Carr, "Sunday in the Park With George"; Alex Lacamoire and Bill Sherman, "In the Heights"; Stew and Heidi Rodewald; "Passing Strange"; Jonathan Tunick, "A Catered Affair."

Scenic Design-Play: Peter McKintosh, "The 39 Steps"; Scott Pask, "Les Liaisons Dangereuses"; Todd Rosenthal, "August: Osage County"; Anthony Ward, "Macbeth."

Scenic Design-Musical: David Farley and Timothy Bird & The Knifedge Creative Network, "Sunday in the Park With George"; Anna Louizos, "In the Heights"; Robin Wagner, "Young Frankenstein"; Michael Yeargen, "South Pacific."

Costume Design-Play: Gregory Gale, "Cyrano de Bergerac"; Rob Howell, "Boeing-Boeing"; Katrina Lindsay, "Les Liaisons Dangereuses"; Peter McKintosh, "The 39 Steps."

Costume Design-Musical: David Farley, "Sunday in the Park With George"; Martin Pakledinaz, "Gypsy"; Paul Tazewell, "In the Heights"; Catherine Zuber, "South Pacific."

Lighting Design-Play: Kevin Adams, "The 39 Steps"; Howard Harrison, "Macbeth"; Donald Holder, "Les Liaisons Dangereuses"; Ann G. Wrightson, "August: Osage County."

Lighting Design-Musical: Ken Billington, "Sunday in the Park With George"; Howell Binkley, "In the Heights"; Donald Holder, "South Pacific," Natasha Katz, "The Little Mermaid."

Sound Design-Play: Simon Baker, "Boeing-Boeing"; Adam Cork, "Macbeth"; Ian Dickson, "Rock 'n' Roll"; Mic Pool, "The 39 Steps."

Sound Design-Musical: Acme Sound Partners, "In the Heights"; Sebastian Frost, "Sunday in the Park With George"; Scott Lehrer, "South Pacific"; Dan Moses Schreier, "Gypsy."

Also announced:

Regional Theatre Tony Award: Chicago Shakespeare Theatre

Special Tony Award: Robert Russell Bennett

Lifetime Achievement Award: Stephen Sondheim

14/05/2008 16:12:27

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Britney Spears - Spears Mum Prays For Better Family Fortunes

BRITNEY SPEARS' mother has turned to God in a desperate bid to turn the troubled first family of pop around.

Struggling Lynne Spears has a lot on her mind - her eldest daughter has twice been hospitalised for mental illness this year (07) and teenage Jamie Lynn is pregnant.

But the matriarch is philosophical about the family's problems, revealing she's hoping regular prayers will turn their fortunes around.

In an exclusive new interview with the upcoming issue of Life + Style magazine, Lynne Spears says, "All I can do is turn to God for answers and just leave it in his hands."

Spears admits she was "a bit disappointed" when her youngest daughter fell pregnant, but now she's resolved to the idea of becoming a grandmother again - and she thinks 17-year-old Jamie Lynn will make a great mum.

She explains, "She really has a way with children - she's a natural nurturer. I just wish she had waited a bit."

And, as for Britney, who was recently diagnosed bipolar amid her custody battle with ex-husband Kevin Federline, Lynne insists the eldest daughter would greatly benefit from spending more time with her young sons, Sean Preston and Jayden James.

She adds, "I pray for Britney every day to be a better mother. She's gone through a lot of trauma, but she seems to be coming out of it - and it's showing in her relationship with the boys. They're really bonding."

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Cbs - Viacom-cbs Divorce Permanent Says Redstone

Sumner Redstone insisted Thursday that Viacom and CBS, the two companies that
he heads, will never be reunited. Redstone, speaking at CBS's annual
shareholders meeting in New York, was responding to a report that appeared in
the New York Post suggesting that Viacom chief Philippe Dauman would
like to see the two companies wedded again. "There has never been such a plan
in existence and never will be," Redstone said.

23/05/2008

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Madonna - Madonna Vacuums In Clean Up Video

MADONNA has posted a video online featuring her vacuuming the set of her new 4 MINUTES video, stating, "Cleanliness is next to Godliness."

The odd YouTube.com video is Madonna's attempt to poke fun at fans who are posting homemade videos of her new single online.

The pop superstar says, "All you people out there who are making videos to my single, you've got to clean up after yourself."

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Law & Order star is leaving series

'Law & Order' star Jesse L Martin, who plays Detective Ed Green in the police drama, is leaving the series.
Variety reports that it is expected that 'Transformers' star Anthony Anderson will replace Martin later this season.
Martin has starred in nine seasons of 'Law & Order'.
He is due to shoot one more episode before leaving the series.
Martin is set to play Marvin Gaye in a new film about the last years of the soul legend's life.
'Sexual Healing' will chronicle Gaye's self-imposed exile in Belgium and his return to the big time with the help of promoter Freddy Cousaert (James Gandolfini).
Filming is due to begin in April.