Paging Madonna: For "Valley Of The Dolls" Remake

Madonna: I Am Helen Lawson Hear Me Roar!

"Boobies, Boobies, Boobies" - Neely O'hara "Valley of the Dolls"

Rumor has it that 20th Century Fox are courting Madonna to play the indomitable aging diva Helen Lawson in a remake of "Valley of the Dolls." 

Given the infamous quote above spouted in the original by Patty Duke as Neely O'Hara and Madonna's obvious affinity for the role, the Big M is a dead on choice for Helen...Here is the 411!

The “new” Valley of the Dolls, will have a decidedly different “spin” on the original with L.A.’s music business being a big part of the story, particularly with the Neely O’Hara character (Patty Duke) the up and coming star who makes it big and has a major fall from grace. One of the writers of the new VOTD is Paul Rudnick, who did the “First Wives Club” and “In and Out." There will be a dark comedy aspect to the film.

Actresses on the “A List” for this movie are Anne Hathaway, perfect as the prim Anne Welles, Jennifer Lawrence as Jennifer North (the fallen Angel played by Sharon Tate) and Emmy Rossum as Neely O’ Hara,  and producers are lobbying hard to get Madonna to play the aging Broadway star Helen Lawson, a role intended for Judy Garland in the original movie.

Lindsay Lohan: I'm Neely O'Hara!

I love all the choices especially the one of  Jennifer Lawrence, one of my favorite actresses who would be dead on as Jennifer North. But if you really want to make this happen I would personally cast Lindsay Lohan as Neely O'Hara, no offense Emmy Rossum, just sayin'....

Way To Go, Margaret Cho!

Margaret Cho

Friend and "Entertain Me" favorite the one the only Margaret Cho landed the coolest gig ever recently!

That's right Ms. Cho has landed the role of the administrator in the untitled Tina Fey and Matt Hubbard university comedy for FOX simply known as "Cabot College" read on peeps...

Fox's untitled Tina Fey and Matt Hubbard women's university comedy has found its administrator in a familiar face.

The comedy takes place at a women's college that has just opened its doors to men for the first time. 30 Rock Emmy nominee Margaret Cho has boarded the untitled comedy known as Cabot College.

Cho will play the series regular role of Laura Thibault, the president of Cabot College who made the difficult decision to admit men into the school. She's further described as a divisive figure on campus and does her best to be welcoming of the male freshmen but is often irritated by their antics. 

Production on the comedy  begins in March!

The casting marks a reunion for Cho with both Fey and Hubbard after the actress played Kim Jong-Il and his son, Kim Jong-Un. She earned a guest actress in a comedy Emmy nomination for the former role.

Way to go Margaret!

Turn and face the Cho at: http://www.margaretcho.com/

Pentatonix Sell Out!

Way to Go! See you guys March 1st at The Orpheum..!

Pentatonix Celebrates 100% Sold Out North American Tour

YouTube Channel Eclipses 300 Million Views with More Than 4.5 Million Subscribers

Pentatonix Collaborates With Lucky Charms on 50^th Anniversary Commercial, Debuting During 2014 Grammy Broadcast

Sesame Street Performance Set To Air February 7

Vocal sensations Pentatonix continue their ascent towards the top of the pop landscape, as their first run of shows in 2014 – a 30-city North American tour – is officially sold out, still weeks before the tour begins.  The run includes multiple dates at New York City’s Beacon Theater (4/3 & 10), Los Angeles’ Orpheum Theater (3/1 & 2) and Boston’s House of Blues (4/5 & 6) in addition to Oakland’s famed Fox Theater (2/22), Nashville’s Ryman Auditorium (3/22) and Washington DC’s 3700-capacity DAR Constitution Hall (3/29).  The North American tour will be immediately followed by a European run that already features 9 sell-outs and has added additional shows at London’s Shepherd’s Bush Empire and Amsterdam’s Paradiso.

Pentatonix most recent album – PTX Volume 2 – had originally debuted #10 on Billboard’s Top 200 Album Chart and features 8 brand new tracks, with 3 original songs and 4 covers including a 7-song Daft Punk medley, its video released via the group’s YouTube Channel has garnered over 40 million views. The iTunes version of the album also features a medley of the Swedish House Mafia hits “Save The World” and “Don’t Worry Child” as an iTunes album-only bonus track. 

Watch “Daft Punk” Here: http://youtu.be/3MteSlpxCpo

Watch “Save The World / Don’t Worry Child” Here: http://bit.ly/SHMCptx

PTX Volume 2 follows the group’s two 2012 Madison Gate Records Releases – PTX Volume 1 and PTXmas.  Both albums originally debuted on Billboard’s Top 200 Chart and re-entered the chart last month, with a deluxe version of PTXmas leading the charge.  With the addition of new tracks “Little Drummer Boy” and “Go Tell It On The Mountain,” PTXmas has sold more than 200,000 copies, while Pentatonix have sold more than 400,000 albums in total.  The video for “Little Drummer Boy” was a worldwide viral hit, racking up over 25 million views and landing at #13 on the Billboard Top 100 Singles Chart, while the album spent the 2013 holiday season at #1 on the iTunes album chart.

In support of the huge success of PTX Volume 2, Pentatonix have performed on 

Ellenhttp://www.ellentv.com/2013/11/04/pentatonix-performs-evolution-of-beyonce/, Conanhttp://teamcoco.com/video/pentatonix-12-10-2013 

The Today Showhttp://www.today.com/toyotaconcertseries/sing-winners-pentatonix-perform-studio-2D11758792 ,

The Sing-Off http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3DMDGbtlg3c 

The Queen Latifah Showhttp://queenlatifah.com/loving/pentatonix-new-album-tour-dates and numerous others.

The group was also featured on 

CNN Headline News http://www.hlntv.com/video/2013/11/08/cappella-pentatonix-sing and on 

ABC World News with Diane Sawyer in the highly coveted “Persons of the Week” segment.  Click here to watch: http://abcnews.go.com/WNT/video/amazing-success-story-testament-giving-20834572     

Next up is a special appearance and performance on Sesame Street February 7, 2014.

In other exciting news, Pentatonix have teamed up with Lucky Charms^® cereal to celebrate its 50^th Anniversary.  The collaboration will include a brand new version of the Lucky Charms song, which has been arranged and recorded by the quintet and and will make its debut on music’s biggest night during the Grammy Awards telecast this Sunday, January 26^th on CBS.  The commercial – which features Pentatonix as animated characters – can be viewed here: http://youtu.be/uwQxviY2cSU

Online, the Pentatonix YouTube channel boasts well over 300 million views, buoyed by more than 4.5 Million subscribers, and is one of the Top 60 most subscribed-to channels and the #16 most subscribed-to music channel. Pentatonix fanbase continues to grow exponentially with over 100,000 new fans added on Facebook and Twitter this past week bringing the current tally to more than 960,000 Facebook fans and 220,000 Twitter followers.  

2014 U.S. Tour Dates

February

4                         Midwestern State University          Wichita Falls, TX

5                         Cain’s Ballroom                              Tulsa, OK

6                          Gillioz Theatre                               Springfield, MO

8                         Chicago Theatre                         Chicago, IL

9                          Egyptian Room                            Indianapolis, IN

11                        Milwaukee Riverside Theatre      Milwaukee, WI

12                        State Theater                               Minneapolis, MN

15                         Paramount Theatre                      Denver, CO

17                         The Complex-Rockwell                Salt Lake City, UT

19                         Vogue Theater                            Vancouver, BC

20                          Paramount Theatre                     Seattle, WA

22                          Fox Theater                                 Oakland, CA

23                          Grand Sierra Resort                     Reno, NV

25                           Soma                                           San Diego

26                           House of Blues                            Las Vegas, NV

27                           Rialto Theatre                              Tucson, AZ

March

1 & 2                      Orpheum Theatre                        Los Angeles, CA

19                           Peabody Opera House               St. Louis, MO

20                           Robinson Center Music Hall       Little Rock, AR

22                           Ryman Auditorium                      Nashville, TN

23                           Iron City                                      Birmingham, AL

25                           Hard Rock Live                           Orlando, FL

26                           Georgia Theatre                          Athens, GA

27                           The Fillmore                               Charlotte, NC

29                           DAR Constitution Hall               Washington DC

30                          The Electric Factory                   Philadelphia, PA

April

3 & 10                      Beacon Theatre                          New York, NY

5 & 6                           House of Blues                           Boston, MA

8                             Danforth Music Hall                     Toronto, ON

9                             UB Center for the Arts                Buffalo, NY

Get with PTX at: http://ptxofficial.com/

                        ttps://www.facebook.com/Pentatonix

                        https://twitter.com/PTXofficial

                        http://www.youtube.com/user/ptxofficial?feature=results_main%20

Get Ready For Shania, Twain That Is

Remember when Shania Twain was hot, hot, hot with the multi-platinum selling album "Come On Over?"  Not only did it sell 20 million copies (Dr. Evil would have been so proud) on CD. Yes people actually used to buy those too. It was actually one of my favorite discs, being a music whore I had many favorites. Time to check out this blast from the Shania past! The Discovery Of Eilleen Twain   CD / DVD combo pack available on February 11 Featuring early footage and songs from Shania Twain,  when she was still struggling artist Eilleen Twain.

Eilleen Twain got her first break in the late 80s  in Viva Vegas, a legendary Vegas style resort show produced by Brian Ayers at Deerhurst Inn Resort in Ontario, Canada.  Vegas North brings revealing interviews with former cast members and music veterans of that era, taking you back to Eilleen's roots along with footage of her heartfelt renditions of "Somewhere Out There" and "Somewhere Over The Rainbow."   The Bonus CD, Eilleen Twain: Beginnings 1989-1990 features ten re-mastered songs Shania's early career. The tracks are just what the title indicates: the beginnings - tunes intended to be used as demos to help draw attention to a young and struggling singer who would become a country diva known and loved around the world.    These are more rock, power pop, and adult contemporary than country, fitting into the late 80s just as they should have when they were recorded. Pre-order yourself some Shania at: http://www.seeofsound.com/p.php?s=ELE1923

Shop Till You Drop! "Dallas Buyers Club"

Last night I saw one of the best films ever "Dallas Buyers Club!"  In case you are not familiar with this amazing movie that stars Matthew McConaughey , Jared Leto & Jennifer Garner here's what it's about:

Matthew McConaughey stars in DALLAS BUYERS CLUB as real-life Texas cowboy Ron Woodroof, whose free-wheeling life was overturned in 1985 when he was diagnosed as HIV-positive and given 30 days to live. These were the early days of the AIDS epidemic, and the U.S. was divided over how to combat the virus. Ron, now shunned and ostracized by many of his old friends, and bereft of government-approved effective medicines, decided to take matters in his own hands, tracking down alternative treatments from all over the world by means both legal and illegal. Bypassing the establishment, the entrepreneurial Woodroof joined forces with an unlikely band of renegades and outcasts - who he once would have shunned - and established a hugely successful "buyers' club." Their shared struggle for dignity and acceptance is a uniquely American story of the transformative power of resilience. 

Garner, McConaughey & Leto Sitting In A Tree

The transformative power of resilience, dignity and acceptance are very powerful things and because they are, so is this film.

For me this is one the best I have seen this year. It was such a testament to what we all can do as human beings in adverse circumstances and the power of loving your fellow man.

The direction, cinematography and performances were all top notch.

My prediction is Matthew McConaughey and Jared Leto who recently won Golden Globes for their roles, will be making speeches at the Academy Awards.

Matthew McConaughey is great, however my in my opinion Jared Leto's performance was brilliant and riveting and I can't wait for him to grab the ultimate gold.

Kudos to Ms. Jennifer Garner as well.

Sprint don't run to catch this one!

"Dallas Buyers Club" : https://www.facebook.com/DallasBuyersClub

Wanna Be Popular? Get It With Darren Stein's "G.B.F."

Look, Caught In A Popularity War, It's The "G.B.F.!" 

Hey? Have you heard about the latest must have have Teen Queen accessory, The G.B.F.? Well in case you have been living under a rock...

"The acronym G.B.F. stands for “Gay Best Friend” which has recently been deemed the 
hottest new fad at North Gateway High School; the Queen Bees need a G.B.F.! But there is 
one big problem: none of the gay guys at their posh suburban high school are out of the 
closet. The vicious lady monarchs of the school, a.k.a. the three lead prom queen 
candidates, are not going to let this minor glitch get in their way; a G.B.F. is just what they 
need to give them that edgy, high-fashion appeal and win over the ultimate prize: the high 
school popularity crown."

Here to tell us more juicy details is the Director of  "G.B.F." and the cult hit "Jawbreaker" Darren Stein!

MS: Hey Darren I really enjoyed "G.B.F." you and writer George Northy are really simpatico.

DS: Yes, it definitely felt like something I could have written. It's not like I'm only out to make "Teen Films" it's about the characters and the story a script tells, and this is a story I wanted to tell.

MS: One of the things I am quite shocked by is "G.B.F." got an "R" rating.

Director, Darren Stein

DS: That was unfortunate. We definitely went out of our way in the writing and the direction to make sure th film had a "PG-13" tone. It was never my intention to make an "R" rated movie, I made one before, and this is not that.

MS: It really wasn't. There was a gay scene on "Scandal" that was more explicit than anything in your movie.

DS: Well I was told that when it comes to ratings the MPAA is really behind TV. I was even told by our MPAA consultant that they are harsher on films with gay content or characters. My opinion on what "hurt" "G.B.F." from the beginning was it was a High School Movie that told it's story from a gay perspective. The fling is still intense, but I think because it is a gay oriented fling it's more taboo.  

MS: Wow! I really like your use of actors making cameos in the film. I'm a teenager of the 80's, like yourself. I  Loved the Jonathan Silverman and Megan Mullally cameos. 

DS: Jonathan brought so much soulfulness to his role he was awesome! I've always been a fan, but when I got to work with him I was truly blown away by his talent. 

MS: I agree, Jonathan's role is such a small one, but you remember it.

DS: Megan was really great too!

MS: Sasha Pieterse was a draw to the film for me as I am a big "Pretty Little Liars" fan.

DS: She is so brilliant. Sasha has this wiseness that is beyond her years, and she is gracious, intelligent and lovely. When she started "Pretty Little Liars" she was really young, I think she is eighteen now. They were looking to potentially cast her as "Hanna" but because of her age they couldn't, I would work with her again in a heartbeat, she brings so much loveliness to the role. 

MS: It's nice to see the flip side of her talent, because on "Pretty Little Liars" she is a total bitch.

DS: Her character "Fawcett" is really sweet. It's a twist in the movie that she's a bitch at school, but she makes conditioners and shampoos in her bathroom. She's the science nerd at home, that's so not "R" rated, you know?

Get Yourself One!

MS: Yeah, I agree, the only other reason I can think of that you got slapped with an "R" rating is the content regarding the Mormon Religion, but...

DS: There is the scene where the Mormon character grabs "Tanner's" hand and puts it on his crotch and says "Does this feel straight to you?" Like I said the level of playing and sexual situations are not anymore extreme than other "PG-13" straight films. It's because it takes place between guys, like you said "Scandal" is more provocative with the gay content, but it's also adults, "G.B.F." is teenagers.

MS: "G.B.F." is the kind of movie, as gay men, you or I wished we had when growing up. Younger gay guys today have it a lot different than we did.

DS: Yeah, they live in an all access world. Which is why I think the screenplay is great, because screenwriter George Northy is a whole decade younger than me. To read lines like "I knew how to clear the Internet History when I was twelve" - It's like "I don't know how to clear the Internet History now!" (laughs)

MS: I don't either! (laughs)

DS: One of the great things about "G.B.F." is it presents a typical High School mainstream romance, like "Mean Girls." Yet it's from this gay protagonist and his perspective, I think it's important. I think people are going to look back at it ten years from now and see it was the first film to do that and had a tiny little release. (laughs) 

"G.B.F." Hits select theaters and Video On Demand this Friday January 17th

Love your "G.B.F." at: https://www.facebook.com/GBFmovie

Got Chicken Wings? "The Great Chicken Wing Hunt"

When I saw this I laughed so hard the glass of water I was drinking came out my nose. Chicken Wing enthusiasts, uh, I like chicken wings, but I'm just sayin'...

Perhaps A&E can do a new series called "Wing-Hunters" ?

The brand new documentary and film festival favorite The Great Chicken Wing Hunt will be released on January 14, 2014 in select theaters and, in partnership with digital entertainment curator FilmBuff, across all leading Video On Demand

platforms.

Celebrating the wing's rise from lowly bar food from Western New York to one of America's (and the world's) most popular foods, the documentary directed by Matt Reynolds follows a group of self-proclaimed wing enthusiasts on a journey through America's 'Wing Belt' as they attempt to find the world's best Buffalo wing. Over the course of their journey the 'Wing-Hunters' stop at 72 bars and restaurants, travel 2,627 miles and try 270 types of wings. After 16 days on the road, and a contentious two-day deliberation, the judges finally settle on one winner, declared the greatest of all.

"The film celebrates the Buffalo wing as a uniquely American creation," Reynolds said, noting that 2014 will mark the 50th anniversary of its invention. "Experts in Wing Hunt make the case that the Buffalo wing may in fact be the first purely American food to have conquered the globe (hot dogs, hamburgers, etc, having roots abroad)."

Wing Hunt comes out just two weeks ahead of the Super Bowl, when Americans will eat more than 1.2 billion chicken wings.

In addition to Reynolds, the film's colorful cast of characters includes fellow judges Ben Beavers, a semi-pro eater, Ron Wieszczyk, an amateur sauce-maker, and Ric Kealoha, a Hawaiian chef based in Prague, as well as a befuddled Slovak film crew and Reynolds ever patient girlfriend Lucie.

Along the trip, the 'Wing-Hunters' visit Anchor Bar, in Buffalo, NY, where the hot wing was invented 50 years ago on March 4, 1964, and where the Hunters meet Dom Zanghi, the last living witness to the events of that fateful night that changed culinary history forever. The Great Chicken Wing Hunt marks the first time this story has been told on film.

The film is already available for pre-order on iTunes: http://bit.ly/18zyIYy

Grab yourself some wings on Video On Demand platforms in the U.S. on January 14, 2014, including Amazon Instant Video, Google Play, Xbox Video, Sony Playstation, Cinemanow and Vudu.

Wing Hunt was an audience favorite at dozens of festivals in 2013, including Woodstock, STARZ Denver and Austin, winning awards at Indie Spirit, Memphis, Big Apple and Williamsburg. 

Soylent Green is Chicken Wings at: http://chickenwinghunt.com/

Bring On The Drinking Games! The Golden Globes Sunday January 12th

Cheers!

Last year I missed the Golden Globes due to technical difficulties and when I heard about them via various posts on my Facebook home page, boy was I riding on a bummer, and not for the reasons you might think.

Do I care who wins? Hell to the no! Do I like to see glamour? Well of course don't we all? But what truly saddened me was I missed Tina Fey and Amy Poehler's co-hosting antics, not to mention their sure fire way to get you wasted while watching drinking game.

Well this year I will not be denied! I will be watching this magic duo grab my funny bone out of my body, chew it up and spit it out, and drink along with their diabolical plan to get the celebs in attendance and the audience at home D-R-U-N-K, thanks ladies!

FYI, just my L-U-C-K they have upped the ante, Lord I am going to be a goner this year!

Fey states: "Any time you see a gown with sleeves, you're going to drink. Any time they cut to Tom Hanks for a reaction shot, do five push-ups and you will be ripped by the end of the ceremony."

Poehler's went further: "How about this for a drinking game? Every time I drink, everybody at home should drink. And if Bryan Cranston speaks, everybody has to do a little bit of meth. Just a touch, because that's all you need, just a touch."

Alright you two it's on!

Get Global at: http://www.goldenglobes.com/

Stevie Nicks Spins The Coven This Wednesday January 8th!

That's right all you "American Horror Story: Coven" fans, the legend, the goddess, the witch? Ms. Stevie Nicks makes her much anticipated appearance on "AHS: Coven" this Wednesday!

Stevie is the object of necromancer and possibly next witch supreme, Misty Day's (Lily Rabe) worship, Misty believes Stevie to be a witch in real life. Rumblings of the plot line have something to do with reigning witch supreme Fiona Goode (Jessica Lange) using Ms. Nicks to get to Misty, how remains to be seen.

Whatever the outcome or plot line, the guess is, Stevie will be revealed to be an actual witch on the show. Hey, those rumors have been following her for years.

In true Stevie brilliance to my knowledge she has never addressed those rumors (no pun intended) one way or the other, that makes this guest stint a perfect fit.

So now you know where I will be this Wednesday at 10pm!

Have a terrific week!

American Horror Story: Coven: http://www.fxnetworks.com/ahs/

Keira Knightley Hits Back At Domestic Violence

Keira Knightley

I know this PSA by the lovely and talented Ms. Keira Knightley is not new, it was done around the time Chris Brown beat up Rhianna, but it is powerful and the subject matter bears to be kept in our consciousness.

Ms Knightley had this to say about the PSA against domestic violence when she did it:

"I wanted to take place in this advert for Women's Aid because while domestic violence exists in every section of society, we rarely hear about it," Knightley said. "We may not think we know someone who has experienced domestic violence, but this does not mean that it is not happening."

Here are the facts:

• 1 in 4 women has experienced domestic violence in her lifetime
• Nearly 3 out of 4 Americans personally know someone who is or has been a victim of domestic violence.
• On average, more than three women and one man are murdered by their intimate partners in this country every day.

Here is the PSA. Heads Up, very strong violent content, but very effective.

In the US to learn more go to: http://www.rainn.org/?c=upworthy

In the UK go to: http://www.womensaid.org.uk/?c=upworthy

James Durbin @ The Viper Room 1/3/2014

James Durbin kicked off his 2014 acoustic tour last night at The Viper Room in Los Angeles, CA -
and of course I was there!

This is the way I like James live and raw, his voice is simply amazing on it's own without the recording studio wizardry.

So all you Durbinators out there, if James is coming to a venue near you, get yourself to one, or miss out big time!

My personal favorite of the evening was when James let loose on an acoustic version of "Higher Than Heaven" - Wow!

Here are photos by yours truly (except for the one of me and James, his publicist took that) from last night as as well as the remaining dates on James tour, enjoy!

Yep, I Was Standing Right In Front Of Him

Mr. Durbin, I Presume

James & His Back-Up Men

James & Yours Truly Backstage 

Rock On James!

2014 Tour Dates

January

7                                           Belly Up Tavern                      Solana Beach, CA

8                                           Pub Rock Live                         Scottsdale, AZ

10                                         HOB-Cambridge Room           Dallas, TX

11                                         The Station Bar & Grill           Lafayette, LA

12                                         HOB-Peacock Room               Houston, TX

14                                         The Parrish                              New Orleans, LA

15                                         Wills Pub                                Orlando, FL

17                                         Brewster’s megaplex              Jacksonville, FL

18                                         The Masquerade                      Atlanta, GA

21                                         Ziggy’s                                     Winston-Salem, NC

22                                         Lincoln Theater                       Raleigh, NC

23                                         Empire                                     Springfield, VA

24                                         I Play America                         Freehold, NJ

26                                         The Note                                  West Chester, PA

29                                         The Hollow                               Albany, NY

30                                         Marlin Room@ Webster Hall   New York, NY

February

4                                            The Rock Factory                    Akron, OH

5                                             Agora Ballroom                      Cleveland, OH

6                                            Thompson House                     Newport, KY

7                                            Austin’s                                   Libertyville, IL

8                                            Another Hole in Wall              Steger, IL

9                                            7^th St. Entry                             Minneapolis, MN

12                                          Marquis Theatre                      Denver, CO

15                                          The Catalyst                            Santa Cruz, CA

Follow James on Twitter and Facebook here: 

http://twitter.com/durbinrock,

http://facebook.com/durbinrock,

 http://www.durbinrock.com