Viral video a stealth promo for "Robot Chicken"

(MEYER, ROBOT, CHICKEN, WRITER, GREEN, EPISODE)

By Nellie Andreeva
LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - A viral video billed as "Breckin Meyer Responds to Perez Hilton" plays like a parody of Hilton`s video statement about his recent run-in with the Black Eyed Peas in Toronto. But in fact it`s a stealth promo for an upcoming "Robot Chicken" DVD release.
Since being released Wednesday on FunnyOrDie.com (www.FunnyOrDie.com) and later on AdultSwim.com (www.AdultSwim.com), the clip of actor/writer Meyer, which features Zac Efron, has nabbed about 370,000 views.
It was written by "Robot Chicken" creators Seth Green and Matthew Senreich and head writer Tom Root to tease Adult Swim`s unusual marketing campaign for the DVD release of the animated series` extended "Star Wars Episode II" special.
Green and Senreich are donning skates to host an eight-city roller-rink tour across the U.S. The admission-free events will feature performances by hip-hop band Gym Class Heroes and appearances by "Robot Chicken" writers, producers and voice cast members, including Meyer, as well as guest bands.
Sponsored by Boost Mobile, Adult Swim`s "Robot Chicken: Star Wars Episode II" Roller Skating Tour kicks off August 1 in Los Angeles, with stops in Las Vegas, Denver, Kansas City, Mo., Indianapolis, Richmond, Va., Philadelphia and New York.
"Grab your friends, your couples skate partner and some kneepads," Green said. "We`re coming to your town! Or at least to a major market somewhat close to your town."
To heat things up, "Robot Chicken" will hold a preview party July 25 during Comic-Con in San Diego with a guest DJ. It`s open to the public.
"When Seth first pitched the idea of throwing roller-skating parties around the country, I rolled my eyes and laughed at him," Senreich said. "Now that we`re actually going to do it, I`m in awe of its absurdity and can`t wait to attend. It fits with the randomness of our `Robot Chicken` show."
The "Robot Chicken: Star Wars Episode II" DVD, which features 15 minutes of never-before-seen footage, will be released July 21. The final nine new episodes of the show`s fourth season begin July 26.
(Editing by Sheri Linden at Reuters)
Original article

ABC goes old-media to promote "Castle"

(SEASON, CASTLE, AUTHOR, MYSTERY, NOVEL, HYPERION)

By James Hibberd
LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - As television networks brainstorm dizzying high-tech ways to promote shows online and via social networks, ABC is adopting a decidedly retro medium to excite viewers for the upcoming second season of "Castle": a book.
Because the show`s protagonist, Richard Castle, is a best-selling author of mysteries, what more appropriate tie-in than to publish a mystery novel credited to the character?
The first chapter of Castle`s novel "Heat Wave" will debut August 10 on ABC.com.
The network will post the first half of the book, a chapter a week, for 10 weeks. The full novel will be published September 29 by Disney sister company Hyperion. The story apparently is a stand-alone mystery with elements that relate to the on-screen story.
The show`s second season premieres in late September.
The network teamed with Hyperion for 2006`s "Lost" tie-in "Bad Twin" and "The Diary of Ellen Rimbauer," which tied in to the ABC miniseries "Rose Red." The real author of "Heat Wave" is not being unveiled.
(Editing by Sheri Linden at Reuters)
Original article

Aerosmith drummer writes of "Hitting Rock Bottom"

(AEROSMITH, KRAMER, PEOPLE, ABOUT, HAMILTON, ALBUM)

By Gary Graff
DETROIT (Billboard) - Aerosmith drummer Joey Kramer says he wrote his new book, "Hit Hard: A Story of Hitting Rock Bottom at the Top," in order "to be entertaining, but at the same to ... help people."
Kramer tells Billboard.com that "Hit Hard," which was published Tuesday (June 30), is the result of a four-year process with writers William Patrick and Keith Garde. The book, which includes a forward by Motley Crue`s Nikki Sixx, chronicles the drummer`s substance abuse problems, his psychologically scarring relationship with his father and a similarly tumultuous, "co-dependent" battle with Aerosmith frontman Steven Tyler. Kramer hopes that the book will shed some light for those dealing with the same issues in their lives.
"My desire to help people plays a strong part in my character," Kramer says. "Because I`ve been allowed to do what I`ve done via Aerosmith, I`d like to be able to carry it on as I get older, on another level. Whatever that may be is really unbeknownst to me -- maybe some sort of a lecture series or circuit or whatever -- but I know that it will come."
Kramer says that Tyler -- whose own autobiography, "Does the Noise in My Head Bother You?," has been pushed from an October publication date to the summer of 2010 -- was supportive during his bandmate`s book-writing process. "When I was trying to tell him about some of the stuff that was in the book, his comment was ... `Hey, man, as long as it`s the truth, I don`t care,`" Kramer recalls. "And that`s pretty much where Steven is at. He`s about the truth."
Bassist Tom Hamilton, who Kramer portrays in "Hit Hard" as perhaps his closest friend in Aerosmith, calls his rhythm section partner`s tome "pretty amazing. It`s a really hard-hitting book ... but there`s also a lot of neat references to people that we knew when the band started and things that happened that I forgot about. So it has some real entertainment value, too."
Aerosmith as a band collaborated with author Stephen Davis on 1997`s "Walk This Way: The Autobiography of Aerosmith," but Hamilton says he does not anticipate each member of the Boston quintet bringing out his own book.
"Right now my passion is expressing myself through music," Hamilton says. "I think the thing to do is to be the last one to write a book. That way you can let everybody else put things in their book that are gonna make you mad, and then you can answer back and (have) the last word."
Aerosmith is on the road with ZZ Top until mid-September and performing its 1975 album "Toys in the Attic" during the shows. The group plans to return to work on its next album with producer Brendan O`Brien after the tour.
(Editing by Sheri Linden at Reuters)
Original article

"Gravity" takes off as ABC series

(GRAVITY, NETWORK, DRAMA, EXECUTIVE, PRODUCER, PARRIOTT)

By Nellie Andreeva
LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - ABC is "Defying Gravity." The network has picked up the 13-episode adventure drama starring Ron Livingston.
"Gravity," whose cast includes Laura Harris, Christina Cox, Malik Yoba and Florentine Lahme, is set in the near future and revolves around eight astronauts from five countries who undertake a mysterious six-year mission through the solar system.
The internationally produced series -- also set to air on Canada`s CTV, Germany`s ProSieben and the BBC -- hails from familiar ABC contributors: creator/executive producer James Parriott, who served as an executive producer on ABC`s "Grey`s Anatomy" and "Ugly Betty," and executive producer Michael Edelstein, former executive producer of the network`s "Desperate Housewives."
Slated to air on ABC this summer, the show is a co-venture of Fox TV Studios (FtvS) and Vancouver-based Omni Film Prods., whose Brian Hamilton and Michael Chechik also executive produce.
Along with "Mental" and "Persons Unknown," "Gravity" is one of three drama series that FtvS produced independently with international partners in the past year. It`s the second, after "Mental," to land a U.S. distributor and the first to go somewhere other than a Fox-affiliated network.
FtvS is in advanced talks with cable networks for "Persons," with a sale expected during the next couple of weeks.
Unlike "Persons" and "Mental," which were existing pilot scripts at FtvS originally developed for other networks, "Gravity" was developed specifically for the company`s international producing model.
"We`re excited about being pioneers in doing television a different way," said Edelstein, who got the ball rolling on the project more than three years ago when he caught a repeat, on Discovery Channel, of the BBC docudrama "Space Odyssey: Voyage to the Planets," about an international crew of astronauts on a trip through space.
He acquired the rights to it from British producer Impossible Pictures and approached Parriott, with whom he worked on ABC`s drama "Threat Matrix."
If "Gravity" does well on ABC and FtvS` foreign broadcast partners, Parriott and Edelstein hope to do more seasons of the show.
"I have the first three seasons blocked out, and I know the ending of the series," Parriott said.
(Editing by Sheri Linden at Reuters)
Original article

"Casanegra" shows storied city in realistic light

(LAKHMARI, THROUGH, CASANEGRA, ABOUT, CHARACTERS, KARIM)

By Natasha Senjanovic
TAORMINA, Italy (Hollywood Reporter) - The likes of Bogey and Bergman are nowhere to be seen in Nour Eddine Lakhmari`s tour through the nocturnal underbelly of Casablanca, or "Casanegra," as the city`s underclasses call it. Lakhmari picked up the prize for best director at the Taormina festival for this film about two childhood friends, young men striving to rise above the surrounding squalor.
Moroccan films usually are relegated to art-house cinemas, but "Casanegra" is hip, stylish and engaging enough to break out further -- if it weren`t for its two-hour running time. Lakhmari takes too long to set up the main premise, and then too long to see it through, though offering some Coen-esque characters and social criticism along the way.
The film begins with the protagonists running from the police, then flashes back to explain how they got there. Adil (Omar Lotfi) lives with his mother and violent stepfather and dreams of moving to Sweden. Karim (Anas Elbaz) is secretly in love with an older, upper-class French woman, and his family struggles with the burden of his sick father.
The two make petty money through petty crimes, some for local heavy Zrirek (a deliciously over-the-top Mohamed Benbrahim), whose sadism is equaled only by his neurotic love for his little dog.
The more street-smart Karim is leery of getting further involved with Zrirek, but Adil needs to score big to buy fake documents for Sweden, and hopes to take his buddy with him. You know things will go downhill when Adil talks his friend into accepting just one big job that will solve all their troubles.
The film caused a scandal at home, presumably for offering a different view of the infamous city. Like Lakhmari`s antiheroes, no one in the developing or developed world wants to work menial jobs anymore, and class divisions widen especially in poorer countries. Even Karim, the brains of the duo, would rather continue selling contraband cigarettes than gut fish for his father`s exploitative former employer.
The acting from newcomers Lotfi and Elbaz is first-rate. Their chemistry is good, and they easily walk that fine line of making audiences care about two characters with relatively flexible morals. Shot mostly at night, the film has a palette of mostly seedy yellows and washed-out blues.
Original article

O`Neal leads mourners at Farrah Fawcett funeral

(ANGELES, SERVICE, FAWCETT, CANCER, STEWART, CHURCH)

By Laura Isensee
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Actor Ryan O`Neal led friends and family in a private funeral service on Tuesday for actress Farrah Fawcett, who died last week aged 62 after a long and public battle with cancer.
O`Neal, the long-time companion of the "Charlie`s Angels" star, was one of the pall-bearers and gave a reading at the service at Los Angeles Roman Catholic Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels.
Redmond O`Neal, the "Love Story" actor`s 24-year-old son with Fawcett, was allowed briefly out of jail where he is being held on drugs possession charges to attend the funeral service. Redmond also gave a bible reading, according to a program made available to the media.
Fellow "Charlie`s Angels" star Kate Jackson, former model Cheryl Tiegs and rocker Rod Stewart`s ex-wife Alana Stewart were also among the mourners. Fawcett`s Los Angeles cancer doctor, Dr. Lawrence Piro, delivered the eulogy with Stewart.
Fawcett`s coffin was taken into the church as a quartet of musicians played "Amazing Grace" and Irving Berlin love song "Always", according to the program.
Outside the downtown Los Angeles church, a few dozen fans watched as Fawcett`s casket was taken inside, covered with sprays of bright yellow flowers that seemed to reflect the sunny smile and golden hair that made Fawcett a worldwide star 30 years ago.
Fawcett died in a Los Angeles hospital on Thursday with O`Neal and Stewart at her side after a long struggle to beat anal and then liver cancer. A personal video diary chronicling her cancer treatments was broadcast on U.S. television in May.
Watching from the street, Karla Dishon, 47, told Reuters outside the church she had come to pay tribute to Fawcett -- a star whose hairstyle she had copied as a teenager like millions of others around the world.
"All the girls did -- wavy, pretty, surfer, California girl hair," Dishon said. "She is an icon and she is a very beautiful woman, and I think it`s too bad that we lost her so young."
Original article

Michael Jackson "Suit of Lights" glove up for sale

(JACKSON, AUCTION, MADDALENA, PROFILES, HISTORY, SHELL)

Bob Tourtellotte
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - He was famously called "The Gloved One," and now anyone can slip their hand into one of only two Michael Jackson electric-white gloves that could sell in the six figures, an auctioneer said on Tuesday.
Joseph Maddalena, who heads auction house Profiles in History, said the item was consigned by glove designer Ted Shell and worn by the singer on the Jacksons` 1984 Victory Tour.
"Michael Jackson is `The Gloved One.` That`s his nickname. That is one thing he`ll be remembered for," said Maddalena, who said the glove comes with a letter of authenticity from Shell.
Jackson died suddenly last Thursday after suffering cardiac arrest at age 50.
Over the years, he wore many gloves when he performed, of course, but the glove being sold by Profiles in History is one of only two made for Jackson`s "Suit of Lights" on stage.
Shell not only designed the glove, but he went on the Victory Tour to protect and maintain the glove. After the tour ended, Jackson gave him one glove and kept the other, according to Maddalena.
The glove is emblazoned with bugle beads, Austrian crystal rhinestones and fitted with 50 small lights powered by a small battery placed in the cuff of the glove.
The glass light bulbs were wired on separate circuits making them twinkle at random for added visual impact on stage -- now that`s one hot glove.
"I estimate (the value) at $60,000 to $80,000, but it could sell for hundreds of thousands of dollars," Maddalena said, noting the fervor over items owned by the King of Pop due to his death could easily push the price up.
In fact, a recent sale by Julien`s Auctions of 21 items of Jackson memorabilia brought in more than $200,000. One painting with an estimated sales value of $1,500 sold for $20,000, according to Julien.
The illuminating white glove being sold by Maddalena is just one of many Jackson items that will go up for sale at the Profiles in History auction set for October 1 and 2, 2009.
Maddalena said other items include costumes Jackson wore on stage, a platinum record for the 20 millionth copy of "Thriller" and a fedora the singer wore that says on the headband that it was made expressly for Jackson.
(Editing by Dean Goodman)
Original article

Family discussing Jackson tribute show: promoter

(LONDON, MICHAEL, JACKSON, FAMILY, PHILLIPS, BEFORE)

By Mike Collett-White
LONDON (Reuters) - The promoter of Michael Jackson`s planned run of 50 concerts in London wants his family to stage an all-star show in his memory and said on Tuesday he had discussed the idea with them.
Randy Phillips, chief executive of AEG Live, also said Jackson appeared to be fit and ready to perform the day before he died last Thursday, aged 50, after suffering cardiac arrest.
"At some point the world needs to see this production, and I would imagine if we could do it, it would be done as a tribute with the family ... but also other stars who loved Michael and were influenced by him," Phillips told Sky News.
"But the world needs to see this production, and it`s done," he said, referring to the spectacular that Jackson and AEG Live created for the run of shows at London`s O2 Arena which had been scheduled to open on July 13.
"We`re discussing that with the family and obviously the sooner the better."
Countering suggestions that Jackson was in poor health and should not have been pushed to rehearse for a series of physically demanding concerts, Phillips said he had spoken to the star the day before he died.
"He gave me a hug and whispered into my ear: `Now I know I can do this`, he was that engaged."
Photographer Kevin Mazur told Reuters earlier that Jackson had been "full of energy" at rehearsals in Los Angeles.
"A picture tells a story," he said, referring to images he took in Los Angeles on Tuesday, June 23, two days before Jackson`s death. They were released to the media this week.
"He was just the same old Michael and when he hit the stage he was full of energy, happy, very upbeat, having fun."
Phillips said AEG Live was considering releasing footage of Jackson rehearsing in order to prove this point.
FINANCIAL FALLOUT
Insurance experts have said AEG Live, which has offered full refunds to the 750,000 people who snapped up tickets to the Jackson shows, faced sizeable financial losses. Phillips conceded that hiring Jackson had been a risk.
"When you`re in business like we are, you take risks all the time and in the case of Michael Jackson ... we thought it was an acceptable risk.
"We had (insurance) coverage and stuff like that. We probably will be fine financially from this but, right now, we`re trying to do the best thing for the estate."  Continued...
Original article

Related articles:
Family discussing Jackson tribute show: promoter

Michael Jackson gets more bizarre after death

(JACKSON, REPORTS, PUBLIC, MOTHER, FAMILY, NEVERLAND)

By Jill Sergeant
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Bizarre in life, Michael Jackson`s complex personal affairs are taking even stranger twists in death, with sketchy reports on Tuesday of plans for an elaborate public memorial and questions over the parentage of his children.
After five days of television replays of Jackson`s hit songs and glowing tributes to his musical genius, attention has turned to the murkier side of the "Thriller" singer.
Celebrity website TMZ.com, which broke the news of Jackson`s death, reported the entertainer was not the biological father of his three children and that his ex-wife, Debye Rowe, was not the genetic mother of the eldest two.
A 2002 will signed by Jackson was reported to have been turned over to his family but its validity was unclear. The attorney said to have the will, John Branca, did not return calls for comment.
In that will, the King of Pop was said to have left the bulk of his multimillion-dollar estate to his three children and his mother Katherine but cut out his father, Joe, who Jackson had accused of beating him as a child.
Several media reports said Jackson`s body would be driven to his Neverland Valley Ranch near Santa Barbara in Central California on Thursday ahead of a public viewing this weekend.
One story in Britain`s Sun newspaper said Jackson`s body would first be driven through Los Angeles in a glass-sided horse-drawn carriage, complete with a matching glass coffin.
None of the reports could be verified with the many managers, lawyers and spokespeople who claimed to speak on behalf of Jackson or his family since his sudden death after cardiac arrest on June 25, at the age of 50.
Several California public safety officials said they had not yet heard from the Jackson family, although they confirmed they were meeting to discuss a possible service at Neverland.
Tom Barrack, chief executive of Colony Capital LLC, the private equity firm that co-owns Neverland, issued an open letter to the people of Santa Barbara County asking them to prepare for "a global drama of epic proportion."
BURIED IN BAD MEMORIES
Yet the theme park-style ranch, a four-hour drive northwest of Los Angeles, was the site of the infamous sleepovers Jackson held with young boys that led to unproven charges of child molestation in 1993 and a 2005 trial. Now shuttered and emptied, Neverland was abandoned by Jackson after the trial.
Despite his charisma on stage, Jackson was largely reclusive off stage. He relied on an ever-changing series of aides to fend off curiosity about his two brief marriages and changing physical appearance -- all of which led the British media to dub him "Wacko Jack" some 15 years ago.
"This is a story that`s going to last and develop and get bigger in the next year," TMZ managing editor Harvey Levin said on Tuesday. "You`re going to see quite the show here."
Among the extraordinary claims Tuesday, celebrity magazine Us Weekly said the biological father of Michael Jr, 12, and Paris, 11, was Jackson`s Beverly Hills dermatologist, Dr Arnold Klein, for whom Rowe once worked. The identity of the surrogate mother of Prince Michael II, 7, has never been known.  Continued...
Original article

Related articles:
Michael Jackson gets more bizarre after death

Family discussing Jackson tribute show: promoter

(LONDON, MICHAEL, JACKSON, FAMILY, PHILLIPS, BEFORE)

By Mike Collett-White
LONDON (Reuters) - The promoter of Michael Jackson`s planned run of 50 concerts in London wants his family to stage an all-star show in his memory and said on Tuesday he had discussed the idea with them.
Randy Phillips, chief executive of AEG Live, also said Jackson appeared to be fit and ready to perform the day before he died last Thursday, aged 50, after suffering cardiac arrest.
"At some point the world needs to see this production, and I would imagine if we could do it, it would be done as a tribute with the family ... but also other stars who loved Michael and were influenced by him," Phillips told Sky News.
"But the world needs to see this production, and it`s done," he said, referring to the spectacular that Jackson and AEG Live created for the run of shows at London`s O2 Arena which had been scheduled to open on July 13.
"We`re discussing that with the family and obviously the sooner the better."
Countering suggestions that Jackson was in poor health and should not have been pushed to rehearse for a series of physically demanding concerts, Phillips said he had spoken to the star the day before he died.
"He gave me a hug and whispered into my ear: `Now I know I can do this`, he was that engaged."
Photographer Kevin Mazur told Reuters earlier that Jackson had been "full of energy" at rehearsals in Los Angeles.
"A picture tells a story," he said, referring to images he took in Los Angeles on Tuesday, June 23, two days before Jackson`s death. They were released to the media this week.
"He was just the same old Michael and when he hit the stage he was full of energy, happy, very upbeat, having fun."
Phillips said AEG Live was considering releasing footage of Jackson rehearsing in order to prove this point.
FINANCIAL FALLOUT
Insurance experts have said AEG Live, which has offered full refunds to the 750,000 people who snapped up tickets to the Jackson shows, faced sizeable financial losses. Phillips conceded that hiring Jackson had been a risk.
"When you`re in business like we are, you take risks all the time and in the case of Michael Jackson ... we thought it was an acceptable risk.
"We had (insurance) coverage and stuff like that. We probably will be fine financially from this but, right now, we`re trying to do the best thing for the estate."  Continued...
Original article

Michael Jackson gets more bizarre after death

(MICHAEL, JACKSON, DEATH, CHILDREN, BIOLOGICAL, MOTHER)

By Jill Serjeant
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Bizarre in life, Michael Jackson`s complex personal affairs are taking even stranger twists in death, with reports on Tuesday questioning the parentage of his children and what caused his untimely demise.
After five days of television replays of Jackson`s most famous hits and glowing emotional tributes to his musical genius, attention has turned to the murkier side of the "Thriller" singer.
Celebrity website TMZ.com, which broke the news of Jackson`s death, reported the entertainer was not the biological father of his three children and that his ex-wife, Debbie Rowe, was not their genetic mother.
Citing multiple but unnamed sources, TMZ said all three children were conceived "in vitro" but that neither Jackson`s sperm nor Rowe`s eggs were used.
Rowe was quoted as saying in 2004 that Jackson was not the biological father of Michael Jr, 12, and Paris, 11, but she had been assumed to be their mother. The third child, Prince Michael II, was born in 2002 and the identity of his surrogate mother has never been known.
Rowe`s lawyers did not return calls for comment.
Celebrity magazine Us said the biological father of Michael Jr and Paris was Jackson`s dermatologist, for whom Rowe once worked.
None of the claims could be verified by the parade of managers, lawyers and spokespeople who said they spoke on behalf of Jackson or his family during his career and who have resurfaced since his death on June 25 at the age of 50.
INHERITANCE
The question of parentage is important because the children stand to inherit a share of what is believed to be the pop star`s multimillion-dollar estate. Whoever has guardianship over the three children will control the money.
Jackson`s mother Katherine won temporary guardianship of the children and control of his estate on Monday until a July 6 hearing.
Despite his long career, Jackson was largely reclusive off stage. He relied on an ever-changing series of aides to fend off curiosity about his two brief marriages, controversial relationships with young boys and changing physical appearance -- all of which led the British media to dub him "Wacko Jacko" some 15 years ago.
"This is a story that`s going to last and develop and get bigger in the next year," TMZ managing editor Harvey Levin said on Tuesday. "You`re going to see quite the show here."
Lacking a focal spokesperson, reports on Tuesday of Jackson`s funeral arrangements trickled out piecemeal, with conflicting sources speaking of a public viewing at Jackson`s Neverland Valley Ranch in central California on Friday or Saturday, or possibly both.
A cause of death has not yet been determined. Results of toxicology tests are not expected for about 4-6 weeks but speculation is rife that Jackson`s death will be attributed to his prescription drug use.  Continued...
Original article

Related articles:
Jackson`s mother wins temporary control of estate

Michael Jackson`s body to return to Neverland: reports

(JACKSON, CALIFORNIA, ACCORDING, SANTA, BARBARA, SERVICE)

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Michael Jackson`s body will be driven to his Neverland Valley Ranch in central California as early as Thursday with public viewing being set for later this week, according to media reports on Tuesday.
A motorcade of as many as 30 cars is expected to accompany Jackson`s body to his ranch, which is located near the town of Los Olivos, north of Santa Barbara, according to reports by TV network CNN and celebrity website TMZ.com, citing police officials.
Entertainment news website E! News cited a Santa Barbara Sheriff`s department spokesman as saying meetings were now taking place with the California Highway Patrol to discuss security for the trip from the Jackson family home in Los Angeles to Neverland Valley.
A spokesman for the Santa Barbara County`s sheriff`s office was not immediately available to comment, nor were representatives for Jackson`s family.
Pop superstar Jackson, whose hits include "Thriller" and "Billie Jean" died suddenly of cardiac arrest last Thursday.
Jackson`s birthplace of Gary, Indiana, also is planning a memorial service for the deceased singer on July 10, according to a spokeswoman for the Gary mayor`s office.
Lalosa Burns, spokeswoman for Gary Mayor Rudy Clay, said the memorial service would take place at US Steel Works sports stadium, and that more details would follow. She did not have any information about the service being planned in California.
(Editing by Sandra Maler)
Original article

Avant-garde German choreographer Pina Bausch dies

(GERMAN, CHOREOGRAPHER, BAUSCH, DANCE, DIRECTOR, COMPANY)

By Sarah Marsh
BERLIN (Reuters) - German choreographer Pina Bausch, whose work is credited with revolutionizing the language of modern dance, died on Tuesday after being diagnosed with cancer only days earlier. She was 68 years old.
Bausch, artistic director of the Wuppertal Dance Theater, earned world renown for her avant-garde performances and choreographies mixing dance, sound and fragmented narrative.
"Just the Sunday before last, she was standing on stage with her company in the Wuppertal Opera house," the dance-theater company, which she had led since 1973, said on its website.
It said Pausch had been diagnosed with cancer only five days before her death.
"Unlike almost no other, she broke out of traditional structures in dance, modernized classical ballet and coined her own, idiosyncratic style," German Vice-Chancellor Frank-Walter Steinmeier said in a statement.
Bausch choreographed and staged her own pieces, such as Cafe Mueller and Viktor, and performed in films by iconic film directors Federico Fellini and Pedro Almodovar.
The German choreographer had been preparing to work together with director Wim Wenders on what was being called the first 3-D dance feature, a project named "Pina."
From Paris, where Bausch often performed, the city`s Mayor Bertrand Delanoe and France`s Culture Minister Frederic Mitterrand issued statements of condolence.
"The world of dance is in mourning today after the loss of one of its most brilliant representatives," Mitterrand said.
Pina Bausch began her dance studies at the age of 14 at the Folkwang School in Essen, where she studied with several teachers, including the German expressionist choreographer Kurt Jooss.
Bausch went to New York in 1960 to study at The Juilliard School, later becoming a member of the Metropolitan Opera`s ballet company.
In 1962, Bausch returned to Germany where she became a soloist in the newly-formed Folkwang Ballett. In 1973 she became artistic director and choreographer at the newly founded Wuppertal dance-theater company.
"Pina Bausch continually pushed the boundaries of what we call dance," said John Neumeier, the director of the Hamburg ballet company. "I simply cannot imagine a successor to Pina Bausch." (Reporting by Sarah Marsh; Additional Reporting by James Mackenzie in Paris; Editing by Noah Barkin)
Original article

Koons, with eye for pop, brings Popeye show to UK

(KOONS, SERIES, POPEYE, SYMBOL, INFLATABLE, THROUGH)

By Mike Collett-White
LONDON (Reuters) - Artist Jeff Koons has presented a series of Popeye paintings in London, saying the cartoon hero born of the 1929 Depression was a symbol of self confidence, before adding enigmatically: "May be art is the spinach."
The 54-year-old American, one of the world`s most successful artists dubbed the "king of kitsch" for his shiny, balloon-like creations and references to pop culture, is marking the first major survey of his work to be held in a public English gallery.
"Jeff Koons: Popeye Series" opens at the Serpentine Gallery in London on July 2 and runs until September 13.
As well as the Popeye canvases, it features a series of Koons`s trademark casts of inflatable toys in the shape of lobsters, walruses, turtles and monkeys.
Some of them appear to be pushing through wire fencing or garden chairs in what some critics see as a symbol of people determined to get through the recession.
"I always see a little bit of my father in Popeye," Koons told reporters at a preview of the show.
"But something that`s not so personal is that it`s `I yam what I yam`, and it`s this self-acceptance.
"And for art to function ... you first have to trust in yourself and when you trust in yourself you can follow your interests and follow them on a profound level."
Speaking of his fascination for inflatable animals, which he reproduces in minute detail using aluminum and paint, he added:
"In our own life we`re inflatables. We take a breath as a symbol of optimism, we exhale and it`s a symbol of death. We`re in a permanent state of being optimistic."
"FEEL-GOOD ART"
Koons said he wanted his art to make the viewer feel good about life.
"Art`s this vehicle that connects you with human history and that`s what these works are about. I want the viewer to come into contact with the work and to feel that everything about their life to that moment is perfect, absolutely perfect."
Another recurring theme in the show is the inflatable lobster, a reference to surrealist Salvador Dali`s use of the animal in his art as well as his elongated mustache.
In the 2003 canvas "Elvis," the creature is painted over two images of a semi-naked woman staring voluptuously at the viewer, a sexual reference that also runs through Koons` art.  Continued...
Original article

U2 launch world tour in Barcelona on giant stage

(BARCELONA, MILLION, WHICH, SHARPLY, UNITED, STATES)

By Ben Harding
BARCELONA (Reuters) - Irish rock group U2 kick off their first tour in three years on Tuesday, playing to 90,000 fans in Barcelona on one of the biggest concert stages ever built.
Over the next four months U2 will perform to an estimated three million fans in 31 cities across Europe and North America, with more dates expected to be announced next year.
The " U2 360 Tour" lives up to its name with a round stage which fans will surround inside FC Barcelona`s Nou Camp stadium.
Around 500 ticket holders slept outside the venue on Monday night hoping to grab a spot right by the stage when the doors open, local media reported.
That will be easier this time around, organizers say, with the new stage concept giving more fans a clearer view as well as allowing for more people, meaning lower ticket prices during the recession.
The U2 360 Tour is reported to be the group`s most expensive to date, costing an estimated $100 million, but industry experts suggest it could be money well spent.
Live performance is becoming an increasingly important source of revenue for major acts like U2 as sales of physical CDs declines sharply and online piracy remains rampant.
Billboard, an authoritative music industry publication, believes the U2 360 Tour could become one of the highest grossing ever, possibly eclipsing its 2005-6 Vertigo tour which earned the band $389 million.
GRAND STATEMENT
The stage, which takes 120 trucks to transport, is another grand statement from the four rockers who have won more Grammy awards than any other band.
On the Zoo TV tour, huge video screens overloaded fans with flashing images of pop culture. On the PopMart tour lead singer Bono appeared from inside a 12 meter glitterball shaped like a lemon.
The abiding visual memory on this tour is sure to be the "Claw," a four-legged "monster" that towers 50 meters over the band`s heads and on which the sound system is mounted.
Bono, plus guitarists The Edge and Adam Clayton and Larry Mullen, Jr on drums will be showcasing their 12th studio album, "No Line on the Horizon."
Reviews of the record, which mixes trademark atmospheric guitars with more eclectic sounds from Morocco where it was partly recorded, were generally good, and it went straight to No. 1 in 30 countries including the United States and Britain.
Early sales in the United States, however, were sharply down on those for U2`s previous album "How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb," released in 2004.
(Editing by Mike Collett-White and Paul Casciato)
Original article

First $1 million find for U.S. Antiques Roadshow

(MILLION, APPRAISAL, ANTIQUES, ROADSHOW, RECORD, STATEMENT)

By Claudia Parsons
NEW YORK (Reuters) - A woman who inherited some Chinese carved jade from her father has scored the first $1 million appraisal from experts on the U.S. television program "Antiques Roadshow," the producers said on Monday.
In a record for the show, four pieces of Chinese carved jade and celadon from the Chien Lung Dynasty (1736-1795), including a large bowl crafted for the Emperor, were given a conservative auction estimate of up to $1.07 million.
"For 13 years, we`ve been hoping to feature a million-dollar appraisal on `Antiques Roadshow;` it`s been our `Great White Whale,`" executive producer Marsha Bemko said.
"We`re thrilled that, despite this year`s slow economy, `Roadshow` finally captured this elusive trophy," she said in a statement released by Boston-based production company WGBH, which licensed the format from the British show of the same name produced by the BBC.
On both shows, members of the public bring in items to be appraised by professionals in the hope of discovering that junk from the attic is actually a valuable treasure.
A spokeswoman said the appraisal was a record for the U.S. show, which is not affiliated with the BBC original. According to British media, the BBC`s version had its first million pound appraisal ($1.655 million) last November -- a scale model of Anthony Gormley`s artwork, "The Angel of the North."
The statement said the owner of the jade inherited the collection from her father, who bought the objects in the 1930s and 1940s, while stationed in China as a military liaison.
She brought them to an "Antiques Roadshow" event in Raleigh, North Carolina on Saturday.
Asian arts appraiser James Callahan said the fine quality of the pieces indicated they were not made for tourists.
"He was rewarded by finding a mark on the bottom of the jade bowl that translates as `by Imperial order,`" the statement said.
The previous highest appraisal on the show was a 1937 painting by American Abstract Expressionist artist Clyfford Still, found in Palm Springs, California, in 2008. The painting had been given a retail estimate of $500,000.
The appraisal of the jade items will be shown in the next series of "Antiques Roadshow" starting January 4 on PBS, the producers said.
Original article

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First $1 million find for U.S. Antiques Roadshow
First $1 million find for U.S. Antiques Roadshow

"No Clothes" brings together comics, politicos

(COMEDY, FORMER, SECRETARY, PRODUCERS, USCAF, ASPEN)

By Georg Szalai
NEW YORK (Hollywood Reporter) - "The News Has No Clothes," a stage show mixing politics and comedy and featuring comedian Lewis Black and former White House press secretary Dana Perino, might be the next late-night television format.
Veteran comedy producers and masterminds of the defunct U.S. Comedy Arts Festival (USCAF) in Aspen, Colorado, are returning to the mountain resort as part of this week`s Aspen Ideas Festival to try out their idea. If the stage show works, its producers hope to pitch the concept -- described as "The View" and "Politically Incorrect" meet the vintage BBC show "That Was the Week That Was" -- to TV networks for a possible late-night slot.
The first trial Thursday will feature co-hosts Perino (press secretary for President George W. Bush), Black, comedian D.L. Hughley, public radio host Kurt Andersen and "Daily Show" correspondent Larry Wilmore. It will include video packages by the Onion. Among the issues to be debated are the role of the news media, the economy, President Obama`s performance and the culture wars. Guests for specific topics will include former Secretary of Homeland Security Michael Chertoff. The show also will feature stand-up performances.
The team behind the idea includes Joe Lang, director of festival producer Jazz Aspen Snowmass and former local producer for USCAF; Craig Minassian, assistant press secretary and director of TV news in the Clinton White House and USCAF director; Robert Morton, former executive producer of "Late Show With David Letterman" and Comedy Central`s "Chocolate News"; and Stu Smiley, executive producer of "Flight of the Conchords" and "Everybody Loves Raymond" and a USCAF founder.
"So many late-night shows are single-person and host-driven," Morton said. "But you can plug various talent into this format."
The Aspen experiment also is a sign of the times. Facing cutbacks in the television development and pilot process, the producers decided to take matters into their own hands by taping the show, with the goal of showing it to networks themselves.
(Editing by Sheri Linden at Reuters)
Original article

Jackson`s mother wins temporary control of estate

(ANGELES, JACKSON, KATHERINE, CHILDREN, ESTATE, COURT)

By Jill Serjeant
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Michael Jackson`s mother Katherine on Monday won temporary guardianship of the late singer`s children and control of his estate as a legal battle over his kids, money and belongings began to take shape.
Katherine Jackson won the first round in what could become a protracted fight over an estate that could be valued in the hundreds of millions of dollars. It is unclear if Jackson drew up a will before he died.
Questions about the singer`s health prior to his death resurfaced Monday when Celebrity Website TMZ.com reported that Los Angeles County coroner officials returned to Jackson`s rented home looking for more medication.
Four days after the singer`s death from cardiac arrest, his father, Joe Jackson said the family was awaiting results of a second, private autopsy, and he expected to get details "real soon." He said funeral arrangements had not been made.
"We don`t have a timeframe for that (the funeral) because I want to see how this autopsy is coming out," Jackson said after a family meeting at his home in suburban Los Angeles.
Two autopsies have been carried out on Jackson`s body, one by the coroner`s office and a second by a private pathologist. Speculation about what caused Jackson`s heart to stop has centered on his prescription drug use, but toxicology tests are expected to take several more weeks.
The pop star died on Thursday at his rented Los Angeles home, days before kicking off a string of concerts in London that were designed to revive a career grounded by his 2005 trial and acquittal on child molestation charges.
On Monday, promoters AEG Live released pictures from a dress rehearsal two days before Jackson`s death. Jackson looks thin, but much like his typical singing and dancing self. AEG Live declined to comment on reports it had video footage of the rehearsals that could be released on DVD.
JACKSON`S MOM WINS TEMPORARY CONTROL
A Los Angeles Superior Court judge on Monday approved the appointment of Katherine Jackson as temporary guardian of Prince Michael, 12, Paris Katherine, 11, and Prince Michael II, 7, pending a hearing next week.
Katherine Jackson was also named "special administrator" of her son`s estate until a July 6 hearing, but the court order stipulated that she was not to take possession of money or property, except as permitted by the court.
In her court filing, Katherine Jackson said she was seeking control of funds "for the exclusive use of the decedent`s children" and was concerned about bank accounts controlled by unnamed "third parties."
Jackson was reported to be as much as $500 million in debt when he died, but his estate has been estimated at $1 billion or more and is likely to rise following his death. Court papers list the value of the estate as "unknown."
His two eldest children were from his marriage to Debbie Rowe and the third is from an unidentified surrogate mother. In court papers, Katherine Jackson said the children had "no relationship with their biological mother," and it was unclear whether Rowe would also seek custody of the kids.
"Whoever has ultimate custody of these children, who are probably going to be the beneficiaries of his estate, will get control of his money to care for the children. So to that extent, whoever the permanent guardian will be will have tremendous sums of money to take care of the children," entertainment attorney Jerry Reisman told Reuters.  Continued...
Original article

Hip-hop stars looking for love on VH1 shows

(SERIES, DENTON, CHILLI, LIVING, SEASON, PROJECT)

By James Hibberd
LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - VH1 is giving two female hip-hop artists their own reality series -- Sandra "Pepa" Denton of Salt-N-Pepa and Rozonda "Chilli" Thomas from TLC.
The as-yet-untitled series are scheduled to premiere in 2010. Eight half-hour episodes have been ordered for each.
The "Pepa" series follows Denton as she begins her to search for love after living a celibate life for years.
"Chilli" from R&B group TLC is also searching for romance and has enlisted the help of Brooklyn relationships expert Tionna Smalls.
The network has also renewed "Celebrity Fit Club" for a seventh season and "Sober House with Dr. Drew" for a second season.
Recently VH1 also announced new primetime series including Jessica Simpson`s "The Price Of Beauty;" a series about the family and career of "American Idol" winner Fantasia Barrino; "The OCD Project," about obsessive-compulsive patients living together; and "The Aspen Project," a docusoap set in one of the wealthiest communities in the world.
(Editing by Dean Goodman at Reuters)
Original article

Comic-Con boasts heavy TV lineup

(COMIC, EVENT, PROGRAM, FIRST, PANEL, MIDSEASON)

By James Hibberd
LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - TV studios plan a strong presence at Comic-Con, the annual fan convention that seems to feature a greater number of series each summer.
Next month`s lineup at the San Diego confab includes a few titles beyond the usual sci-fi and fantasy genres. Procedurals such as Fox`s "Bones" and USA`s "Burn Notice," Fox`s musical "Glee" and Discovery`s "MythBusters" are in the mix.
Warner Bros. TV is bringing 11 shows to the event, the most the studio has featured.
"Comic-Con is the one place where Warner Bros. cross-divisionally presents a face to the consumer," said Lisa Gregorian, the studio`s executive vp marketing.
One returning WBTV program is CBS` "The Big Bang Theory," which the studio brought to the event for the first time last year. Most sitcoms would not be a good fit for the Comic-Con crowd, but the geek-friendly "Big Bang" drew an enthusiastic response. The studio hopes to make a panel for the show a regular event, particularly after its ratings surged last fall.
When selecting programs for Comic-Con, Gregorian said any show with a mythology automatically belongs, and even genre series not premiering until midseason should screen.
"Our philosophy is that if it`s ready, and it`s great, and you`re not making a lot of changes to it, you should show it to the fans," said Gregorian, whose midseason program "Human Target" will be shown.
ABC Studios is hosting at least seven panels, including one for the final season of ABC`s "Lost," credited as the first TV show to launch at Comic-Con.
ABC takes a different approach to its "Lost" panel. Instead of simply screening footage and answering questions, the event is a carefully planned production that typically includes specifically shot footage and surprise guests.
"We`ve been working on the `Lost` panel for literally months," said Mike Benson, executive vp marketing at ABC Entertainment. "We want the audience to experience `Lost` in a fully entertaining way."
This year, ABC is extending that approach to panels for its new dramas "V" and "Flash Forward."
"We don`t like to just stick people on a panel and have them answer questions," Benson said. "We feel like we have to do more for the audience than just promote the show. By having that experience, it gets them talking about the panel more."
20th TV is offering about nine panels, including those for Fox`s new animated comedy "The Cleveland Show" and the newly revived "Futurama."
NBC Universal has at least eight programs, but most are for Sci Fi Channel and USA, with the studio planning only a "Heroes" panel for NBC. ("Chuck," produced by WBTV, also will have a panel.) The studio`s apocalyptic midseason drama "Day One" will not be shown -- an NBC Universal spokesperson said it is "too early" -- but there will be some buzz-building marketing.
In one network`s case, Comic-Con itself will be used as programing. G4 will broadcast what is billed as the first televised panel in the event`s history. Olivia Munn and Kevin Pereira will host the two-hour "Star Wars Spectacular," including a table read of a new "Clone Wars" script.
(Editing by Dean Gooodman at Reuters)
Original article

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Comic-Con boasts heavy TV lineup

Michael Jackson fans hold candlelit vigil in Moscow

(JACKSON, MICHAEL, DEATH, WHILE, SEVERAL, FAILED, AFTER)

Michael Jackson, the King of pop
Michael Jackson - pop music legend
Russia had special romance with Michael Jackson - expert
Fans sing Michael Jackson’s songs on Los Angeles streets
MOSCOW, June 28 (RIA Novosti) - A crowd of Michael Jackson fans held a candlelit vigil outside the U.S. Embassy in Moscow overnight, placing flowers and pictures by the wall.
A steady stream of fans has been visiting the site to pay respects since Friday morning, when news of the King of Pop`s death broke.
Among the many messages placed among the flowers and candles is one in colored chalk that reads: "Michael Jackson, we will love you forever! Rest in peace, King."
About 100 cards have been stuck to the wall with images of Jackson, while portraits tied with black ribbons line the pavement. One of the cards carries the message: "Michael lives, and will live forever."
Jackson`s death of a heart attack at the age of 50 has dominated the global media over the past three days, and social networking and video sites have been flooded with tributes. While grieving fans have been celebrating Jackson`s musical legacy, several questions have arisen over the circumstances of his death.
Los Angeles police have held an "extensive interview" with the cardiologist who tried to resuscitate Michael Jackson before his death.
Dr Conrad Murray reportedly disappeared several hours after Jackson`s death on Thursday, and failed to sign a death certificate.
The Rev Jesse Jackson, a long-serving politician who has been maintaining close contact with Michael Jackson`s family, told reporters that the doctor had failed to speak to relatives after the death, and that many questions remained unanswered.
 
Original article

Michael Jackson autopsy `permissible` says top Russian Muslim

(JACKSON, MICHAEL, THEIR, 50, DEATH, GIZATULLIN, WORLD)

Pop icon Michael Jackson dies at 50
Michael Jackson sets London concerts
Talk Of TheTown: Jackson on top
Michael Jackson turns 50
MOSCOW, June 26 (RIA Novosti) - Performing autopsies on famous Muslims such as Michael Jackson is acceptable in order to establish their cause of death, a senior Russian mufti told RIA Novosti on Friday.
"He was a great world figure who worked for the sake of love and peace. His work belongs to the entire world community. And now doctors and specialists must have their say," said Damir Gizatullin, the deputy head of the Council of Russian Muftis.
Jackson, who died in Los Angeles on Thursday of a heart attack at the age of 50, is believed to have accepted Islam in 2007.
Gizatullin added that Jackson`s millions of fans had to be sure of the cause of death, so as to avoid "rumors and worry."
While Islamic tradition dictates that a believer must be buried before sundown on the day of his or her death, Gizatullin said that, "In today`s global world, Muslims live in different parts of the planet, and it is very difficult to bury a person on the same day. This is very tough and this requirement is not always fulfilled."
Jackson, born near Chicago in Gary, Indiana, spent almost his entire life in the public eye, shooting to stardom in the 1970s with the Jackson 5, a pre-teen Michael and brothers stunning the U.S. with their vocals and synchronized dance routines. The group, who recorded for Motown, was the first to see their four debut singles reach the top of the U.S. charts.
As an adult, his Thriller album sold more than 50 million copies worldwide, making it the best selling album of all time. However, his later career was hit by allegations of child abuse and financial difficulties.
 
Original article

`King of pop` Michael Jackson dies at 50

(JACKSON, MICHAEL, 50, US, THEIR, BROTHER, ALBUM)

Pop icon Michael Jackson dies at 50
Michael Jackson sets London concerts
Talk Of TheTown: Jackson on top
Michael Jackson turns 50
MOSCOW, June 26 (RIA Novosti) - Michael Jackson, the U.S. pop star whose career spanned five decades, has died of a heart attack in Los Angeles. He was 50.
Emergency services were called to his Beverly Hills home at 12.21 p.m. on Thursday (19.21 GMT), the TMZ.com website said. He was pronounced dead some three hours later at the UCLA medical centre.
His death came shortly before he was about to take part in series of comeback concerts in London.
His brother, Jermaine, told journalists that doctors had attempted to revive the singer for more than an hour.
"The family request that the media please respect our privacy during this tough time," he added.
Jackson, born in Gary, Indiana, near Chicago spent almost his entire life in the public eye, shooting to stardom in the 1970s with the Jackson 5, a pre-teen Michael and brothers stunning the U.S. with their vocals and synchronized dance routines. The group, who recorded for Motown, was the first to see their four debut singles reach the top of the U.S. charts.
As an adult, his Thriller album sold more than 50 million copies worldwide, making it the best selling album of all time.
His later career was hit by allegations of child abuse and financial difficulties.
"Today, the world has lost one of the most influential and iconic figures in the music industry. From his performances with the Jackson 5, to the premiere of the `moonwalk` and `Thriller,` Michael was a pop phenomenon who never stopped pushing the envelope of creativity," California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger said in a statement.
 
Original article

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Stone Age bone flute could be world`s oldest musical instrument

(FLUTE, FOUND, IVORY, HOHLE, CONARD, CAVERN, FIGURE)

MOSCOW, June 25 (RIA Novosti) - A 35,000 year-old bone flute found by archeologists in southwest Germany is the world`s oldest known musical instrument, the Nature Journal said.
The flute, made from a vulture wing bone, is about 21 cm long and 8 mm wide, and has five holes and a notched end. It was found by a team of scientists led by University of Tuebingen archaeologist Nicholas Conard in the Hohle Fels cavern to the west of the city of Ulm last year. Along with the flute, scientists also found fragments of two other flutes made of ivory, presumably from a mammoth tusk.
An ivory flute fragment was also found during excavations at another site, some 25 km northwest of Ulm.
"The modern humans that came into our area already had a whole range of symbolic artifacts, figurative art, depictions of mythological creatures, many kinds of personal ornaments and also a well-developed musical tradition," Professor Conard was quoted as saying.
The Hohle Fels cavern made headlines in May after the same team discovered a female ivory figure, possibly the world`s oldest human figure. Other discoveries included animal carvings and a stone object that archeologists say could be a prehistoric "sex toy."
 
Original article

Bon Jovi makes "Stand" with Iranian protest video

(VIDEO, IRANIAN, MADADIAN, SESSION, FARSI, SAMBORA, RECORD)

By Gary Graff
DETROIT (Billboard) - A new version of Ben E. King`s "Stand By Me" featuring Jon Bon Jovi dueting in Farsi with exiled Iranian singer Andy Madadian, is making the rounds as an online video.
The track`s co-producer, Don Was, says the video is meant to send "a musical message of worldwide solidarity" to the Iranian people in the aftermath of the country`s recent disputed election.
Was tells Billboard.com that the session, which took place last Wednesday in Los Angeles, was spurred by a conversation he had with Madadian about "whether there was something we could do just to send out a little message of solidarity, remembering the `60s, believing music can change things."
When they arrived to record the song, they found Bon Jovi, guitarist Richie Sambora and John Shanks, who`s producing their next album, sitting outside and having lunch.
"They asked what we were doing, I told them, and Jon said, `Look, man, if you do it right now we`ll do it with you,`" Was recalls. "So we did."
Madadian -- who`s lived in the U.S. since the Iranian revolution of 1979 -- and Bon Jovi duet on the song, with both men singing the first verse in Farsi. Sambora plays a guitar solo, with Was on bass, Patrick Leonard on keyboards and Jeff Rothchild on drums.
"We just cut it," Was says, "and the video is the session. It took about four hours and just fell into place nicely." The video, which features footage and still photos from the session, went up on Was` portion of My Damn Channel (www.mydamnchannel.com) on Saturday and was quickly disseminated via MySpace, Facebook, Twitter and other sites. At the end of the video Madadian and Bon Jovi stand next to each other, with the latter holding a sign saying "We are one" in Farsi.
"It is not for sale," Was says. "It wasn`t intended to be on the Billboard charts, wasn`t meant to be a hit record or even pressed on a CD. It`s intended to be downloaded and shared by the Iranian people. The whole idea was to get it into Iran and tell them...to carry on, that the world is watching and we`re with you."
(Editing by Dean Goodman at Reuters)
Original article

TV "pitchman" Mays had heart disease, no trauma

(HEART, TAMPA, DISEASE, TV, TELEVISION, AFTER, FLORIDA)

By Robert Green
TAMPA, Florida (Reuters) - Billy Mays, well known for pitching a variety of products in U.S. television commercials, had heart disease but did not appear to have suffered head trauma in a rough airplane landing prior to dying in his sleep on Sunday, a medical examiner in Florida said on Monday.
The bearded, black-haired Mays, 50, who gained fame as an enthusiastic TV "pitchman" advertising an array of commercial products, was found dead by his wife at their home in Tampa, Florida.
On Saturday, Mays was among the passengers aboard a U.S. Airways flight from Philadelphia that landed roughly at Tampa International Airport after apparently blowing a tire.
Mays told local TV shortly afterward that objects had dropped from the ceiling of the plane upon impact and he had received a blow on the head, although he said at the time he felt fine.
In a preliminary statement on Monday after an initial autopsy, Hillsborough County medical examiner Vernard Adams said his examination found that Mays had "hypertensive heart disease," which refers to heart disease caused by high blood pressure, but "there was no evidence of any head trauma."
Adams said this heart ailment "was certainly capable of causing the sudden death." He said Mays had died in his sleep.
"It`s not unusual for persons with heart disease to die this young," Adams said, adding that a formal report on the cause of death would be issued only after the results of toxicology tests were considered.
Toxicology tests can show the presence of drugs in the body.
Tampa police said no foul play was suspected.
Executives from the television home-shopping industry praised Mays` role in promoting TV salesmanship.
"DRTV (the direct-response television industry) has grown to be a $300 billion business during the last 20 years, and Billy Mays played a key role in making this possible," Julie Coons, president and CEO of the Electronic Retailing Association, said in a statement.
(Reporting by Robert Green; Writing by Pascal Fletcher; Editing by Will Dunham)
Original article

First $1 million find for U.S. Antiques Roadshow

(APPRAISAL, MILLION, ROADSHOW, ANTIQUES, STATEMENT, BBC, WHICH)

By Claudia Parsons
NEW YORK (Reuters) - A woman who inherited some Chinese carved jade from her father has scored the first $1 million appraisal from experts on the U.S. television program "Antiques Roadshow," the producers said on Monday.
In a record for the show, four pieces of Chinese carved jade and celadon from the Chien Lung Dynasty (1736-1795), including a large bowl crafted for the Emperor, were given a conservative auction estimate of up to $1.07 million.
"For 13 years, we`ve been hoping to feature a million-dollar appraisal on `Antiques Roadshow;` it`s been our `Great White Whale,`" executive producer Marsha Bemko said.
"We`re thrilled that, despite this year`s slow economy, `Roadshow` finally captured this elusive trophy," she said in a statement released by Boston-based production company WGBH, which licensed the format from the British show of the same name produced by the BBC.
On both shows, members of the public bring in items to be appraised by professionals in the hope of discovering that junk from the attic is actually a valuable treasure.
A spokeswoman said the appraisal was a record for the U.S. show, which is not affiliated with the BBC original. According to British media, the BBC`s version had its first million pound appraisal ($1.655 million) last November -- a scale model of Anthony Gormley`s artwork, "The Angel of the North."
The statement said the owner of the jade inherited the collection from her father, who bought the objects in the 1930s and 1940s, while stationed in China as a military liaison.
She brought them to an "Antiques Roadshow" event in Raleigh, North Carolina on Saturday.
Asian arts appraiser James Callahan said the fine quality of the pieces indicated they were not made for tourists.
"He was rewarded by finding a mark on the bottom of the jade bowl that translates as `by Imperial order,`" the statement said.
The previous highest appraisal on the show was a 1937 painting by American Abstract Expressionist artist Clyfford Still, found in Palm Springs, California, in 2008. The painting had been given a retail estimate of $500,000.
The appraisal of the jade items will be shown in the next series of "Antiques Roadshow" starting January 4 on PBS, the producers said.
Original article

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First $1 million find for U.S. Antiques Roadshow

First $1 million find for U.S. Antiques Roadshow

(APPRAISAL, MILLION, ROADSHOW, ANTIQUES, STATEMENT, BBC, WHICH)

By Claudia Parsons
NEW YORK (Reuters) - A woman who inherited some Chinese carved jade from her father has scored the first $1 million appraisal from experts on the U.S. television program "Antiques Roadshow," the producers said on Monday.
In a record for the show, four pieces of Chinese carved jade and celadon from the Chien Lung Dynasty (1736-1795), including a large bowl crafted for the Emperor, were given a conservative auction estimate of up to $1.07 million.
"For 13 years, we`ve been hoping to feature a million-dollar appraisal on `Antiques Roadshow;` it`s been our `Great White Whale,`" executive producer Marsha Bemko said.
"We`re thrilled that, despite this year`s slow economy, `Roadshow` finally captured this elusive trophy," she said in a statement released by Boston-based production company WGBH, which licensed the format from the British show of the same name produced by the BBC.
On both shows, members of the public bring in items to be appraised by professionals in the hope of discovering that junk from the attic is actually a valuable treasure.
A spokeswoman said the appraisal was a record for the U.S. show, which is not affiliated with the BBC original. According to British media, the BBC`s version had its first million pound appraisal ($1.655 million) last November -- a scale model of Anthony Gormley`s artwork, "The Angel of the North."
The statement said the owner of the jade inherited the collection from her father, who bought the objects in the 1930s and 1940s, while stationed in China as a military liaison.
She brought them to an "Antiques Roadshow" event in Raleigh, North Carolina on Saturday.
Asian arts appraiser James Callahan said the fine quality of the pieces indicated they were not made for tourists.
"He was rewarded by finding a mark on the bottom of the jade bowl that translates as `by Imperial order,`" the statement said.
The previous highest appraisal on the show was a 1937 painting by American Abstract Expressionist artist Clyfford Still, found in Palm Springs, California, in 2008. The painting had been given a retail estimate of $500,000.
The appraisal of the jade items will be shown in the next series of "Antiques Roadshow" starting January 4 on PBS, the producers said.
Original article

Rock legends form new band, call it Chickenfoot

(CHICKENFOOT, HAGAR, SMITH, CHART, WE`RE, CHILI, PEPPERS)

By Mike Collett-White
LONDON (Reuters) - Some of the biggest names in rock have banded together to form a new supergroup. They call it Chickenfoot, a name they readily admit is "silly."
While the name may not be to everyone`s taste, Van Halen veterans Sammy Hagar and Michael Anthony, Red Hot Chili Peppers drummer Chad Smith and virtuoso guitarist Joe Satriani rose high in the U.S. charts with their eponymous debut album this month.
"We called ourselves Chickenfoot as a kind of a joke, and people started digging it, and so Chad`s going, `Let`s start a real band`," Hagar said during a boisterous interview with the band in London, where they performed during a European tour.
"Joe had a band called the Squares -- all of a sudden Chickenfoot sounded like a really good name," Hagar joked.
Hagar and Anthony used to jam together at Hagar`s club in Mexico, and when Smith joined them, they gelled. Smith, who still plays for the Chili Peppers, suggested forming a group, and Satriani was invited as the final piece in the jigsaw.
The four members of Chickenfoot have sold tens of millions of records and played thousands of gigs between them over the years, but the childlike enthusiasm for their latest venture comes from starting all over again.
"We`re a new band, even though we`ve got names, we`ve all been in other bands," Hagar told Reuters. "So we have to kind of let the world know who Chickenfoot is, I think."
Bass player Anthony added that he took exception to the term "supergroup."
"For me, when I hear the name supergroup I think of some pre-fab type of thing ... If the chemistry is not there you can be the best musicians, best players there are, it`s not going to come out the way I think this came out.
"This was born out of friendship, it was more organic in that sense."
The band has played a series of small gigs in the United States before flying to Europe for a tour, and returns to North America winding up its travels at the end of September.
"We`re a new band and when you`re a new band you start and play clubs and you play to your fans," said Smith. "We`re not playing stuff from Van Halen, or Joe, or Chili Peppers, we`re just playing Chickenfoot."
CHART SUCCESS
Chickenfoot`s debut album, released earlier in June, opened at No. 4 in the U.S. pop chart and No. 1 in the independent music chart. It maintained its position in the main chart the following week before slipping to No. 7 in the latest list.
"It`s the first time I`ve ever been up in that territory, above the clouds," said Satriani, who is embroiled in a copyright infringement suit with British band Coldplay over its hit single "Viva La Vida."  Continued...
Original article

Young, Springsteen give Hyde Park rock masterclass

(YOUNG, SPRINGSTEEN, STAGE, LONDON, PLAYED, VERSION, SONGS)

By Angus MacSwan
LONDON (Reuters) - If Mount Rushmore featured rock `n` rollers instead of U.S. presidents, the faces of Neil Young and Bruce Springsteen would surely be carved there.
The two elder statesmen showed just why they are venerated by fans of all ages at the Hard Rock Calling festival in central London`s Hyde Park this weekend in performances brimming with passion, energy and timeless songs.
To cap it all, Sir Paul McCartney joined Young on stage for his encore, literally bowing at his feet as the Canadian played a feedback-drenched version of the Beatles "A Day in the Life."
Now aged 63 and 59, neither Young nor Springsteen has let up the pace in recent years. Both have released new albums in the past several months which had their moments even if they did not reach the heights of past classics.
They each took prominent positions against former U.S. President George W. Bush and the Iraq War. Springsteen campaigned hard for Barack Obama and played at his presidential inauguration.
Politics was largely absent from the Hyde Park shows though as they focused on entertaining the summer crowds in London, after headlining the Glastonbury Festival earlier in the week.
Young took to the stage on Saturday night looking like an old mountain man seeking shelter from a storm, with his bedraggled, thinning hair, craggy features and muttonchop sideburns. Not known for indulging his audiences, he played a crowd-pleasing set which drew heavily on "Harvest," his best-known album, and the guitar-heavy "Everybody Knows this is Nowhere."
He kicked off in his "Godfather of Grunge" persona with a crunching version of "Hey, Hey, My, My" and its refrain "it`s better to burn out than to fade away." He then stormed though a number of hard rockers, delighting rapturous fans, before switching to a mellow mood with a run of country-flavored numbers including "Heart of Gold" and "Old Man," as night fell on the park.
Young finished with a blazing version of "Rockin` in the Free World," uncharacteristically leading the crowd in a bout of arm-waving and leaving his black guitar wailing feedback, its strings shredded.
McCartney, an old friend, bounded on stage to join Young for the encore of "A Day in the Life," hugging Young and dancing around him. The two were clearly having fun.
Among the crowd was Beth Harley, a 26-year-old archaeologist, who had just arrived from Turkey on Saturday morning to see Young. She said she had grown up listening to his music as her parents played it all the time.
"It`s got a lot of edge. The songs don`t seem to age. It still seems relevant to what`s going on now," she said.
If Young is a willful eccentric, Springsteen is the great showman who delivers every time.
Taking the stage with the mighty, black-clad E. Street band, he launched into The Clash song "London Calling," bellowing its refrain "we live by the river" loud enough to be heard just down the road at Buckingham Palace. He then moved into more familiar territory with "Badlands" and the pace didn`t let up for the next three hours.
Springsteen ran around the stage, danced, and strutted along a special platform to get close to the fans and collect signs with song requests. He sang plenty of old favorites, switching from songs on the dreams and struggles of the working man to joyful sing-alongs.  Continued...
Original article

Comic-Con boasts heavy TV lineup

(PANEL, STUDIO, COMIC-CON, ABC, EVENT, TV, PROGRAM)

By James Hibberd
LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - TV studios plan a strong presence at Comic-Con, the annual fan convention that seems to feature a greater number of series each summer.
Next month`s lineup at the San Diego confab includes a few titles beyond the usual sci-fi and fantasy genres. Procedurals such as Fox`s "Bones" and USA`s "Burn Notice," Fox`s musical "Glee" and Discovery`s "MythBusters" are in the mix.
Warner Bros. TV is bringing 11 shows to the event, the most the studio has featured.
"Comic-Con is the one place where Warner Bros. cross-divisionally presents a face to the consumer," said Lisa Gregorian, the studio`s executive vp marketing.
One returning WBTV program is CBS` "The Big Bang Theory," which the studio brought to the event for the first time last year. Most sitcoms would not be a good fit for the Comic-Con crowd, but the geek-friendly "Big Bang" drew an enthusiastic response. The studio hopes to make a panel for the show a regular event, particularly after its ratings surged last fall.
When selecting programs for Comic-Con, Gregorian said any show with a mythology automatically belongs, and even genre series not premiering until midseason should screen.
"Our philosophy is that if it`s ready, and it`s great, and you`re not making a lot of changes to it, you should show it to the fans," said Gregorian, whose midseason program "Human Target" will be shown.
ABC Studios is hosting at least seven panels, including one for the final season of ABC`s "Lost," credited as the first TV show to launch at Comic-Con.
ABC takes a different approach to its "Lost" panel. Instead of simply screening footage and answering questions, the event is a carefully planned production that typically includes specifically shot footage and surprise guests.
"We`ve been working on the `Lost` panel for literally months," said Mike Benson, executive vp marketing at ABC Entertainment. "We want the audience to experience `Lost` in a fully entertaining way."
This year, ABC Studios is extending that approach to panels for its new ABC dramas "V" and "Flash Forward."
"We don`t like to just stick people on a panel and have them answer questions," Benson said. "We feel like we have to do more for the audience than just promote the show. By having that experience, it gets them talking about the panel more."
20th TV is offering about nine panels, including those for Fox`s new animated comedy "The Cleveland Show" and the newly revived "Futurama."
NBC Universal has at least eight programs, but most are for Sci Fi Channel and USA, with the studio planning only a "Heroes" panel for NBC. ("Chuck," produced by WBTV, also will have a panel.) The studio`s apocalyptic midseason drama "Day One" will not be shown -- an NBC Universal spokesperson said it is "too early" -- but there will be some buzz-building marketing.
In one network`s case, Comic-Con itself will be used as programing. G4 will broadcast what is billed as the first televised panel in the event`s history. Olivia Munn and Kevin Pereira will host the two-hour "Star Wars Spectacular," including a table read of a new "Clone Wars" script.
(Editing by Dean Goodman at Reuters)
Original article

A tale of two L.A. festivals

(FESTIVAL, FILMS, LAFF, AFI, YELDHAM, SCREENINGS, WHICH)

By Kirk Honeycutt
LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - Hollywood might be the heart of English-language moviemaking, but when it comes to film festivals, the city lacks a major-league franchise.
Not that Los Angeles has no film festivals. One of its two big ones, the Los Angeles Film Festival, successfully wrapped its 2009 edition Sunday. But the casual movie fan couldn`t be blamed for puzzling over the identities of the two festivals, LAFF and AFI Fest. However, recent leadership changes at both fests and economic realities of the recession might more forcefully define those identities.
LAFF, which has settled into the cozy confines of Westwood Village and nearby venues for several editions, is produced by parent organization Film Independent (FIND). Rebecca Yeldham, producer of such films as "The Motorcycle Diaries" and "The Kite Runner," came on board as festival director only three months before the current edition began, following the resignation of Rich Raddon.
Although she did inherit a significant support network in FIND exec director Dawn Hudson and LAFF director of programing Rachel Rosen, the wrapped fest was a learning experience for her. Where things go from here is, as she put it, "to be determined."
At the moment, the festival is a bit of this and a bit of that. But like AFI Fest, you won`t find many acquisition execs at its screenings. Neither festival tends to premiere must-see indie films. In its recent edition, LAFF showed several Sundance hits, and even in its narrative competition -- a place where one would expect new films -- "Turistas" played at Venice last year. The fest also included splashy premieres of such studio films as "Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen" and "Public Enemies" to bring crowds to Westwood.
Yeldham did open the festival for the first time with a world premiere of a film without a distributor. "Paper Man" did the trick: It attracted an audience filled with film scouts, studio execs and heads of independent companies.
Yeldham pronounced herself pleased with the results -- "It was a magical night for the audience and the filmmakers," she said -- but reviews of the film were tepid, and few of the execs at opening night were seen during the remainder of the festival.
Because major premieres of new works are unlikely only a few weeks after Cannes has wrapped, LAFF seeks to create "events." These range from a screening of a restored print of the 1971 cult film "Billy Jack" to "Poolside Chats" at the W Hotel and "Festival Conversations" at various venues where festivalgoers interact with filmmakers, writers and others.
Yeldham promises to increase such events. The way of the future, she said, can be seen in the new Artist in Residence component, where "The Kite Runner" novelist Khaled Hosseini and Pritzker Prize-winning architect Thom Mayne curated favorite films and participated in discussions related to those selections.
Yeldham insisted that despite being a production of FIND, "we want the Los Angeles Film Festival to be a celebration of cinema from wherever the films may come, not just American independent filmmaking."
Across town, AFI Fest plays the role of the city`s long-established festival. For more than 23 years, the festival has been presented by the American Film Institute. Its declared ambition has been to survey cinema from around the globe. Coming near year`s end, AFI Fest tends to be a roundup of the most significant films of the year. But, again, few new films.
Rose Kuo came aboard as artistic director last year following the departure of Christian Gaines. AFI Fest, which runs October 30-November 7, will undergo significant changes, some, Kuo said, dictated by "new economic realities."
The festival is moving its main venue from the ArcLight Cinemas to Grauman`s Chinese. The festival will shrink from 11 days to nine and offer free tickets to all screenings.
"We are asking the public who can be part of our philanthropy to be a patron and contribute to the festival," Kuo said. "Those who can will get a pass, which gives priority entry at the door. All individual tickets to general screenings will be complimentary for all screenings, including a limited number of individual gala tickets."
If all major L.A.-based film curators -- which would include LAFF, AFI and the city`s two cinematheques, the American Cinematheque and UCLA Film & Television Archive -- came together with studio support to create a single festival, it might rival such attention-grabbers as Austin`s South by Southwest or even Sundance. But organizational egos and branding needs always have prevented the formation a superfestival in L.A.  Continued...
Original article

"Reaper" actress corners "Copper"

(PEREGRYM, WHICH, ABC, COPPER, REAPER, DRAMA)

By Nellie Andreeva
LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - "Reaper" co-star Missy Peregrym landed the lead role on the Canadian cop drama "Copper," which will air on ABC.
Billed as "Grey`s Anatomy" set in the world of rookie cops, "Copper" centers on Andy McNally (Peregrym), a newly minted cop fresh from the academy and the daughter of a homicide detective. She is anxious about her first day on the job, which doesn`t go as well as she had wished.
Montreal-born Peregrym most recently played the female lead Andi on the CW`s supernatural dramedy "Reaper." She also co-starred on the ABC drama "Life as We Know It" and had recurring roles on "Heroes" and "Smallville."
(Editing by Dean Goodman at Reuters)
Original article

"Bruno" is Borat-lite, and a little tedious

(BRUNO, BORAT, BARON, COHEN, COHEN`S, FUNNY, AUSTRIAN)

By Kirk Honeycutt
LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - We all knew Borat. Borat was a friend of ours. Bruno, you`re no Borat.
Unfair to be sure, but because everyone is going to compare Sacha Baron Cohen`s "Bruno" to his insanely funny "Borat," let`s be honest: While pushing the PC envelope in new and imaginative ways as well as the MPAA`s R rating, especially insofar as the male member is concerned, "Bruno" is only intermittently funny and all too often the "ambushes" of celebrities and civilians look staged. The movie is even a tad -- dare we say it? -- tedious.
Admirers of the British comic`s gifts for caricature and improvisation and nearly everyone who found themselves laughing uncontrollably at Baron Cohen`s unrepentant anti-Semitic Kazakhstani in "Borat" probably will turn out for Baron Cohen and director Larry Charles` latest mockumentary. So boxoffice should be solid for Universal`s July 10 release. It`s unclear though whether Baron Cohen can continue to bring his TV characters into the real world, or something approximating it, without diminishing results. Based on the evidence here, such results seem inevitable.
For one thing, where the focus was laser-sharp in "Borat," it`s fuzzy in "Bruno." Bruno, for those really out of step with modern culture, is Baron Cohen`s gay Austrian fashion expert with his own TV show, "Funkyzeit." Early in the movie, Bruno makes such a disastrous spectacle of himself at a designer`s show during Milan Fashion Week, he is schwarz-listed.
He abruptly decides to go to Los Angeles, accompanied by his lovelorn assistant, Lutz (Gustaf Hammarsten), to become a celebrity. One`s heart sinks right there. "Borat" zeroed in on bigotry and Western hypocrisy for its satire. The target of Hollywood and vacuous celebrityhood has so many quivers in its bull`s-eye, there is nothing left to hit.
Perhaps a victim of his own success, Baron Cohen probably is too well know to get away with so many sneak attacks on unsuspecting people no matter how he transforms himself physically. A few times in "Bruno," one senses a real victim. More often, especially with such demi-celebrities as Paula Abdul or LaToya Jackson but even with a determined dominatrix, one senses a more than willing victim.
In a recording session that ends the film, where everyone from Elton John to Snoop Dogg to Sting to Bono shows up, the film drops any pretense that these are not invited guests.
Baron Cohen has better luck outside of L.A. In the Middle East, Bruno does get chased by angry Hasidic Jews. And in trying to mediate a panel featuring an Israeli and Palestinian leader, his mixing up of Hamas and hummus is genuinely funny.
Bruno`s adopted African baby paraded before a black audience is not funny. It`s embarrassing, as is any joke that bombs, yet the comic keeps going back to it nevertheless. This is one of several instances where an audience might experience both exasperation and tedium with the comic`s relentless act of running a joke into the ground.
Bruno`s attempt to go hetero, assisted by two Christian ministers who specialize in such conversions, yields better results. Even here, though, Bill Maher beat him to the punch with "Religulous."
Borat was, despite his cheerful bigotry, somehow a lovable character. His questions sprang from the sweet innocence of a third-world bumpkin wallowing in isolated ignorance. With Bruno, you mostly feel annoyed. A gay Austrian fashionista would be no ignorant rube. He would be sophisticated, savvy and certainly aware of prejudices against gays. Would he really prance semi-naked through Middle Eastern holy sights?
The calculations behind Baron Cohen`s ambushes too often are mean-spirited. We sense, as we never did with Borat, the comic behind the character. Especially when his accent keeps changing -- from an unconvincing Austrian to his own British and even to a whisper of Borat himself.
Consequently, the character`s gayness reads false. Baron Cohen needs to spend more time in certain gay bars if he wants to learn how to do "flamboyant" and "fabulous." It`s a ghost of the real thing.
Tech credits are just fine for what essentially is an un-reality show.
(Editing by Dean Gooodman at Reuters)
(please visit our entertainment blog via www.reuters.com or on blogs.reuters.com/fanfare/)
Original article

Disney star Ashley Tisdale gets edgy on new album

(TISDALE, NEW, ALBUM, WANTED, WARNER, GUILTY, PLEASURE)

By Mikael Wood
NEW YORK (Billboard) - Ashley Tisdale knows it sounds silly, but her new album has a lot to do with the color of her hair.
"For the last few years everyone has thought of me as Sharpay," the 23-year-old singer/actor says, referring to her blonde-and-bubbly character in Disney`s smash "High School Musical" films.
"So after I`d finished all the promotion for `High School Musical 3` I dyed my hair back to its original color. I`d been a blonde for five years; Disney wanted us to be those characters. But the new songs I was working on felt edgier, sort of back to how I was before `High School Musical.` I wanted to show people a side of me they haven`t seen before."
Tisdale accomplishes that -- well, sort of -- on "Guilty Pleasure," due July 28 from Warner Bros. Like her 2007 debut, "Headstrong" (which, according to Nielsen SoundScan, has sold 471,000 copies in the United States), the new 14-track set offers plenty of catchy choruses and lyrics about boys.
But with songwriting and production credits from "American Idol" judge Kara DioGuardi, among others, "Guilty Pleasure" is a more mature, guitar-driven outing than the dance-pop "Headstrong." In the opener, "Acting Out," she promises to "break these chains" over driving bubble-punk drums, while the lead single, "It`s Alright, It`s OK," could be the younger sister of Pink`s "So What."
"A lot of the songs on the album are about survival and staying strong," says Tisdale, who co-wrote four cuts. "I really wanted it to be a statement and a reflection of what I`ve been through over the past year and how I`ve grown up."
Warner Bros. senior VP of marketing David Grant says the first component of the label`s album rollout was revealing Tisdale`s new look with a relaunch of her Web site in March and the cover of Cosmopolitan`s April issue. "We wanted to create a conversation and then follow quickly with the music," he says.
According to Grant, "High School Musical" fans have aged along with Tisdale, and they still constitute a significant portion of her audience. "But she`s taken it beyond that, too," he says. For "Headstrong" the label targeted tweens; this time, "we`re definitely looking to teenage girls."
Social-networking technology plays a central role in the label`s plans to reach that demographic. Tisdale is an especially avid Twitterer, with more than 750,000 followers.
"She`s very protective of it in terms of it sounding authentic," according to Warner Bros. senior VP of new media Jeremy Welt. "There have been a couple of times where we`ve said to her, `Hey, why don`t you mention so-and-so?` and she`s told us, `I wouldn`t say that.`" (What would she say? One recent Tweet read, "Happy fathers day!!! Goin to dinner with my family and the most amazing dad ever! I love you daddy!")
Facebook and MySpace also figure into Warner`s new-media campaign, the latter particularly as an "important streaming partner," Welt says. MySpace is streaming two tracks from "Guilty Pleasure," and Grant expects the site to feature the entire album before release date.
In the realm of retail, Grant says Target and Wal-Mart will sell exclusive editions of the album with bonus material, while a direct-to-consumer version will feature six posters and two extra songs.
Once "Guilty Pleasure" is out, Tisdale says she hopes to tour the United States and Europe (where the set was released earlier this month). "This album is so important to me," she says. "I really want to support it as much as I can. You put your heart and soul into something and it makes you a little bit vulnerable. It is who I am -- hopefully people will like that."
(Editing by Dean Gooodman at Reuters)
Original article