Pentatonix: "Can You Tell Us How To Get To Sesame Street?"

Awwwwwwww, He's Sharing His Cookies With The Gang!

Well apparently someone told them because PTX made the trip to that famed street on Friday February 7th 2014...

Let's face it no matter what age you are Sesame Street is an awesome place to visit, who wouldn't want to hang with Oscar The Grouch, Big Bird & Cookie Monster for a while, righteous cool company if you ask me!

Here for all of you is Scott, Avi, Kirstie, Kevin & Mitch Singing and counting to five, that's because there are five members of Pentatonix for those out there who may be numerically challenged.

And look what street they are on...Yaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay!

                                                         Look! PTX Can Count!!!

Take a trip to Pentatonix Street at: http://ptxofficial.com/

Michael Vaccaro Is A "Child Of The 70's"

The Hit Web Series "Child of the 70's" has been around for two seasons now and is about to embark on it's third, for those of you who are not in the loop, COT70's follows the adventures of one Carlo Perdente...

"Carlo Perdente is a real loser! He's a struggling actor in New York. He loses his survival job, he gets thrown out of his apartment, his boyfriend dumps him, his overbearing Italian mother treats him like garbage, and he's about to give up... until a chance encounter with his favorite '70s star, KiKi Lawrence, completely changes his life. Will he move to LA? Will his life be any better there? Will he find love? Career success? And what will his mother say?"

Here to talk about being a "Child of the 70's" is the Writer/Creator, "Carlo Perdente" himself Michael Vaccaro!

MS: Obviously "Child of the 70's" is based loosely on your life.

MV: Very, loosely (laughs) 

MS: So why are you a "Child of the 70's?" Being that we are the same age and were both teenagers in the 80's?

MV: I gravitated more towards the music and movies of the 70's by the 80's I was horribly jaded and cynical. I consider the 70's my formative years. I actually kind of hated the 80's to me it was the time when everything went down the shit hole.

MS: Have you ever been a phone sex operator like your character "Carlo" was on the show?

MV: I did have a job at a phone sex company, that part of the show is real, I think I got fired after a couple of months. There's nothing sexual about the job at all, it is actually horrendously boring. You sit at a phone bank for eight hours a day and moan and groan into a phone. (laughs)

MS: By the way, Donna Pescow played your Mother "Anna Perdente" on the first season, how come the end credits read "Anna Perdente" as "Anna Perdente" and not Donna Pescow as "Anna Perdente?"

MV: That was a decision we made together. We thought it would be cute to do the credit that way and see if people could figure out who the actress was playing "Anna." 

MS: She was really good.

MV: Also there is a joke behind it too, every season we are going to have a different actress playing my Mother. In season two we have this amazing actress, Lynne Marie Stewart, who was "Miss Yvonne" on "Pee Wees Playhouse." I love how on "Bewitched" there was a new Darren and on "Roseanne" there was a new "Becky" and they just don't explain it at all, that is one of my favorite things, Soap Operas do it all the time.

MS: Who is the character of TV Star "Kiki Lawrence" on your show based on?

MV: "Kiki" is sort of based on Vicki Lawrence, who was on the show "Mama's Family" of course "Kiki's" show is called "Mama's Jewels." But I don't have inside information on Vicki Lawrence, I don't know if she was a psychopath like "Kiki." (laughs) But she was the jumping off point I used for writing that character. 

MS: You have some awesome cameos on the show!

Carlo & Family

MV: We have Susan Olsen from "The Brady Bunch," Geri Jewell from "The Facts of Life" and Bruce Vilanch. In season three we have Dee Wallace from "E.T. The Extra Terrestrial" there is also this amazing pop singer, Kitten Kay Sera, she is going to be playing "Kiki Lawrence's" crazy white trash sister. There is one more superstar from the 70's who is joining us in season three as well, but it is a surprise and I can not tell you.

MS: I wanna know!

MV: Sorry, I can not mention his name. Everyone will have to tune in to see who it is.

MS: When is season three set to drop?

MV: That's a great question and the answer to that is "I don't know." I'm fundraising right now. So if there is anyone out there who wants to be an investor, executive producer or a sponsor, get in contact with me. Season three is all written, the cast and crew are ready to go I just need the money to pay everybody.

MS: Season three sounds very exciting.

MV: It's the biggest, most ambitious season yet. There's a whole new story line, almost an entire new cast coming in. I'm not going to give anything away, but there is a major cliff hanger at the end of the season, something really exciting! I'll give you a hint, just remember that our show takes place in Los Angeles, CA...


Have a blast from the past and let loose your inner "Child of the 70's" at:

Website: http://www.theofficialchildofthe70s.com/

Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/ChildOfThe70s

Youtube Channel: http://www.youtube.com/user/ChildOfTheSeventies1

You Go Olivia! Olivia Newton-John's "Summer Nights" @The Flamingo

You Go Olivia!

My first girl crush from my formative years as a young man and former interview subject, check out this fun chat I did with her at AfterElton: http://www.thebacklot.com/interview-with-gay-ally-olivia-newton-john/08/2008/

 Olivia Newton-John is going to have a residency at Bugsy Malone's former Vegas oasis, The Flamingo. I last saw Ms. Newton-John perform at Los Angeles Gay Pride and she was great! I am predicting a trip to Vegas in the near future, congrats Olivia!

Get ready for some summer lovin’ and “have a blast” as Olivia Newton-John makes her way to Flamingo Las Vegas with her “Summer Nights” residency. Opening inside the Donny & Marie Showroom on Tuesday, April 8, the beloved internationally-renowned singer-actress will take audiences on a musical journey through her life in film and music.

Tickets go on sale Friday, Feb. 7 at 10 a.m. Members of Caesars Entertainment’s Total Rewards program will have access to an exclusive pre-sale from Wednesday, Feb. 5 at 10 a.m. to Thursday, Feb. 6 at 10 p.m.   To join Total Rewards program for free, click here.  

“I am thrilled to be able to call Las Vegas home for a while,” says Olivia. “I have performed here many times through the years and have had nothing but wonderful memories and I look forward to even more fun at the Flamingo. I am especially thrilled that a portion of every ticket sold will benefit the Olivia Newton-John Cancer and Wellness Centre.”

“We look forward to welcoming Olivia to Flamingo Las Vegas, where so many other iconic artists have performed,” said Eileen Moore, regional president of the famed center Strip resort. “She has such a broad appeal and you can count all of us here at Flamingo among her adoring fan base; she’s the ‘one that we want’ and we can’t wait for her to call Flamingo home.”

The show will be a musical journey through the iconic artist’s illustrious career featuring hits from her early years including “Have You Never Been Mellow,” “Let Me Be There,” “If You Love Me Let Me Know” and “I Honestly Love You,” as well some of her favorites from Grease,“Hopelessly Devoted to You,” “You’re The One That I Want,” and of course, “Summer Nights.”  Favorites and hits from her other movies, including Xanadu, as well as her ‘80s anthem and record breaking song “Physical,” will keep the room dancing, while new songs from her recent Billboard hit album Grace and Gratitude are sure to warm the hearts of the entire audience.

Dates confirmed so far:

April: 8 – 12  
May: 6 – 10, 27 – 31  
July: 1 – 5, 29 – 31 
Aug: 1, 2, 5 – 9, 12 – 16, 19 – 23, 26 – 30 

All shows begin at 7:30 p.m. Ticket prices are $69, $99 and $139, and a special meet and greet package is available for $249. Additional service fees apply. Tickets are available at any Las Vegas Caesars Entertainment Box Office, by phone at (702) 777-2782 or (855) 234-7469 or by visiting flamingolasvegas.com. For groups of 10 or more call (866) 574-3851 or email EntertainmentGroupSales@Caesars.com.

R.I.P: Philip Seymour Hoffman

Philip Seymour Hoffman

It's Superbowl Sunday, the groundhog saw his shadow and  Philip Seymour Hoffman passed away today.

Philip Seymour Hoffman first caught my attention in a big way with his role as "Scotty J." whose character had a mad crush on porn star "Dirk Diggler" (Mark Wahlberg) in "Boogie Nights."

He also was in two other favorites of mine Todd Solondz's "Happiness" and Cameron Crowe's "Almost Famous" as famed rock critic "Lester Bangs." 

And he won the Oscar for playing Truman Capote, in "Capote."

There are so many more roles and movies that he has done and he never turned in a bad performance. 

This tweet from Rose McGowan in his memory sums it up best:  "A giant talent touched by fire. Philip Seymour Hoffman."

One of the greats is no longer among us, may you rest peacefully Mr. Hoffman.

Philip Seymour Hoffman on IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000450/?ref_=fn_nm_nm_1

Rock Out With Your C#ck Out! It's "All Downhill From Here"

For all of you who love something other than pop music, myself in particular, this is the book for you. 

It's February 1st 2014, I wonder if the groundhog will see his shadow tomorrow? If he does...It's "All Downhill From Here!" 

In 2003, the AFI message board spawned a new webzine called Scene Point Blank. AFI were at the top of the charts, The Blood Brothers and The Locust were making waves in hardcore, and a young folk-punk band called Against Me! released As the Eternal Cowboy. The times have changed, but Scene Point Blank is stronger than ever, celebrating 10 years with All Downhill From Here, a new book that highlights some of their favorite material and includes insight on the wide-ranging cast of writers behind some of the webzine world's longer reviews.

Curated from 4000+ reviews and 200+ interviews, Scene Point Blank has put together some of their most popular items, some of their favorites, and their most memorable pieces into three formats: Kindle, eBook, and print, retailing from $7-15 depending on platform. Content includes interviews and features with Ian Mackaye, Henry Rollins, Larry Livermore, Evan Dando, Jacob Bannon, and many more. 

Scene Point Blank isn't limited to punk and hardcore... They're proud of their varied content, ranging from blackened death to drone to hip-hop and even prog. They feel that music shouldn't be limited to genre and, in fact, discussing it in those terms is far too limiting. Their focus is on heavy, independent music, both the well-known and those just getting started. 

After 10 years of online coverage, Scene Point Blank now offers All Downhill From Here to the public on a format they can carry with them and share, 

Available now at:

http://www.scenepointblank.com/ 

http://www.scenepointblank.com/book/

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/