Tuesday, June 21, 2016

06/21 RICHARD SHERMAN, MILT LARSEN, "SMASH FLOPS": CLASSIC COMEDY SONGS BY TWO HOLLYWOOD LEGENDS

RICHARD SHERMAN & MILT LARSEN - "SMASH FLOPS": CLASSIC COMEDY SONGS BY TWO HOLLYWOOD LEGENDS

Magic Castle Records is pleased to announce the release to The Orchard of the new comedy compendium of old and new Smash Flops - a collection of songs that just missed being smash hits due to unfortunate timing.  Words and music by the team of Richard M. Sherman and Milt Larsen.

Richard M. Sherman and Milt Larsen both have stars on Hollywood's Walk of Fame - but for other reasons: Two time Oscar and two Time Grammy Winner, Richard M. Sherman, is the composer/lyricist of "Mary Poppins" and "Chitty Chitty Bang Bang," "Jungle Book" and many more (Nine Academy and four Grammy nominations).  Milt Larsen is a lyricist, actor, author, entrepreneur and creator of the world famous Magic Castle private club in Hollywood.

In addition to the new re-mastered  previous smash flops like “Bon A collection of songs that just missed being smash hits due to unfortunate timing, “Bon Voyage, Titanic,” “When the Hindenburg lands today,” “Congratulations Tom Dewey,” “The Confederate Victory Song” and many others, the team of Sherman and Larsen have written dozens of near misses over the years. Included in the new CD collection are two new songs, “The Palin for President Polka” (Sung by her fans who won't give up.) and “The Fracking Song” (Sung by hard-hatted Friends of Fracking).

Milt and Richard have been friends and collaborators for over 60 years and have written many songs and shows, including their latest musical comedy, “Pazzazz!” that tells the story of a very young George M. Cohan and the gay nineties comedy team of Weber and Fields. Richard currently wrote words and music for a new song to accompany the fireworks finale celebrating the Disneyland 60th Anniversary. Their offbeat comedy songs are now available on line.  Go to Sherman and Larsen at iTunes or Amazon to enjoy their comedy songs today.


RICHARD M. SHERMAN BIO - composer/lyricist of "Mary Poppins" and "Chitty Chitty Bang Bang," "Jungle Book" and many more (Nine Academy and four Grammy nominations)

Throughout the legendary Sherman Brothers' career, Richard M. Sherman, along with his late brother, Robert B. Sherman, have written more songs for motion pictures than any team in cinematic history. For generations, the Shermans, foremost composer-lyricists in family entertainment, have written the soundtrack of our childhood, including the most translated song on earth, IT'S A SMALL WORLD (AFTER ALL).

The Sherman Brothers' prolific career has spanned over six decades.  Their achievements include: two Academy Awards for MARY POPPINS (score) and CHIM CHIM CHER-EE (song), nine Oscar nominations, three Grammy Awards, twenty-four Gold and Platinum albums, a Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, induction into the Songwriters Hall of Fame, an honorary Doctorate from their alma mater, Bard College and in 2008 at the White House, 'National Medal of Arts' the highest honor bestowed on American-born artists.

The brothers first gained recognition in popular music with Top 10 hits YOU'RE SIXTEEN, LET'S GET TOGETHER and TALL PAUL. In 1960, the Sherman Brothers were signed to an exclusive contract by Walt Disney, himself, becoming the Disney Studio's first (and only) staff songwriters. The Sherman Brothers wrote over 200 songs featured in Walt's films, TV shows and Theme Parks. The Shermans' 36 feature Disney film credits include: JUNGLE BOOK, THE PARENT TRAP, SUMMER MAGIC, THE ARISTOCATS, BEDKNOBS AND BROOMSTICKS, THE HAPPIEST MILLIONAIRE, THE FAMILY BAND, THE SWORD IN THE STONE, and the WINNIE THE POOH series. They wrote Disney's long-running TV theme song, THE WONDERFUL WORLD OF COLOR and their many contributions to Disney theme parks include: THE TIKI TIKI TIKI ROOM, THERE'S A GREAT BIG, BEAUTIFUL TOMORROW (Carousel of Progress), and ONE LITTLE SPARK (EPCOT).

After their Disney decade, The Shermans had continued musical success, writing words and music for CHITTY CHITTY BANG BANG, SNOOPY COME HOME, CHARLOTTE'S WEB, and their first Broadway musical, OVER HERE! The brothers then penned both the screenplays and song scores for TOM SAWYER, HUCKLEBERRY FINN, THE MAGIC OF LASSIE, and THE SLIPPER AND THE ROSE (the 1976 Royal Command film).  In 2000, the Sherman Brothers returned to Disney to write the song score for the animated feature, THE TIGGER MOVIE.  In 2009, Disney Studios released the critically-acclaimed documentary, “the boys: the sherman brothers' story” which chronicles the brothers' personal lives and professional partnership.

The Shermans' songbook continues to delight audiences around the world. After a record-breaking four year run at The London Palladium, CHITTY CHITTY BANG BANG plays national tours in the U.S and U.K. The stage production of MARY POPPINS, which ran on Broadway for over six Supercalifragilistic years, continues wowing audiences with worldwide touring companies circling the globe. For decades, Richard has enjoyed raising money for numerous worthwhile causes by performing at charitable events.  One of his proudest moments came when he, along with former president, George H.W. Bush, was awarded the Gold Medallion of Honor by UNICEF for his help in raising funds for children with HIV/AIDS.

Richard M. Sherman continues writing songs and composing music every day. Recently, two collections of his solo instrumentals were released on Solid Air CD:  “Forgotten Dreams” (2010) and “Keys of Love” (2012).

A song Richard penned, “Make Way for Tomorrow Today” was featured in the blockbuster film, IRON MAN 2.   Recently, Richard served as Musical Consultant on the Walt Disney film, “Saving Mr. Banks,” which tells the story of how Walt Disney acquired the rights to produce his masterpiece, MARY POPPINS. Also, Richard is working on a stage version of the animated classic, “The Jungle Book”, and PAZZAZZ!, a new comedy musical written in collaboration with Milt Larsen.


MILT LARSEN BIO - a lyricist, actor, author, entrepreneur and creator of the world famous Magic Castle private club in Hollywood

MILT LARSEN IS BEST KNOWN FOR HIS ROLE IN THE WORLD OF MAGIC.   In September 2006 he celebrated the fiftieth anniversary of his annual stage show It’s Magic!  The event was commemorated with an all-star show at Hollywood’s famed Kodak Theater.  At that time Milt and his late brother Bill were honored with a star on Hollywood Boulevard’s Walk of Fame.
In 1963 he founded the world famous private club for magicians, the Magic Castle in Hollywood.  He is the President of Magic Castles, Inc.   In the year 2000 Magic Magazine polled their international readership and voted Milt Larsen as one of the 100 most influential individuals in the history of magic.  He is a true renaissance man in that his career encompasses writing, producing and performing.

As a writer he is best known in the field of audience participation having written Truth or Consequences starring Bob Barker for an incredible run of eighteen years!  In his early days he authored five joke books and three books involving Magic Castle.  He writes a weekly column for members of the club as well as editing their monthly newsletter.

In the songwriting field the team of Sherman and Larsen have a cult comedy following for their outrageous songs (for their time) that can be heard currently on CD’s “Bon Voyage Titanic – Smash Flops” and “Banned Barbershop Ballads.  He has written many stage revues and musicals.     A new musical, “Pazzazz” Music and Lyrics by Richard M. Sherman and Milt Larsen, enjoyed a full-scale premiere production at the University of Texas in Arlington, Texas.  It will have its world premiere at Santa Barbara’s Lobero Theater March 27-30, 2008.

His collaborator is Richard M. Sherman who has won two Academy Awards (Mary Poppins song and score) and eight Oscar nominations.  He is a member of the songwriter’s Hall of Fame and currently has two major stage hits “Chitty Chitty Bang Bang” in London and “Mary Poppins” in London and on Broadway. The Sherman Brothers also were honored with a star on Hollywood’s Walk of Fame.

As a producer, in addition to The Magic Castle and It’s Magic! Larsen owned and operated to Mayfair Music Hall in Santa Monica producing live stage revues for 10 years and the Variety Arts Theater, a 1200 seat variety theater in downtown Los Angeles for 12 years.  He has produced TV special for ABC, CBS and NBC.  He was the creator and consultant for the fifty million dollar Caesars Magic Empire at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas.

As a performer he is an active member of SAG and AFTRA and has been seen yanking tablecloths in films and commercials. He has been the opening act for The Amazing Johnathan in Las Vegas.  He has been a lecturer at the Smithsonian in Washington D.C. and magic conventions in America, Mexico, Europe and Japan.

On radio, for several years Larsen was the Monday morning guest on Ron “The Baron” Herrons popular KZBN 1290 AM Breakfast Club Show in Santa Barbara.   This led to his creating a weekly radio feature “HEAR THEM AGAIN – for the first time”- featuring recordings from the first half of the twentieth century.   The show is now heard on CRN the Digital Cable Network coast to coast Saturday morning at 6-7 AM and Sunday at 4-5 P.M.  TV Channel 946.  www.CRNTALK.COM. The show is also heard worldwide Saturday afternoons at 4:30-5:30 on Satellite radio www.yesterdayUSA.com

Milt Larsen lives on Santa Barbara’s picturesque Mesa overlooking the Harbor with his wife, award winning costume designer Arlene, and their two lovable mutts, Angel and Wizard.

COLLECTOR/HISTORIAN
IN ADDITION TO HIS OTHER INTERESTS Milt Larsen is a well-known theatre historian and record collector.  Many consider the closing of the famed Palace Theater in New York in 1932 as the final curtain for vaudeville.  At that time Milt was only one year old.  He became interested in the vaudeville era as a kid and loved talking to as many of the “old-timers” still around at the time.   He was an aspiring comedy writer and was fascinated by the comedians of the past.  He started collecting recordings of showbusiness personalities as a teenager.  His hobby grew into a passion and his collection of thousands of vintage 78’s and LP’s is a treasure trove of variety history.
Through his magical family he met and got to know famous people who were stars long before he was born.  Working as a writer for Ralph Edwards TV Productions he was often called upon to keep subjects of his “This Is Your Life” TV show occupied while the production team set up their surprise for the subject.  Edwards knew his young writer was enamored with the older stars and enjoyed talking to them.  Thus Milt entertained legends like Buster Keaton, Stan Laurel, Ed Wynn, Mack Sennett, George Burns, Jack Benny and many others.   While still in High School he worked as a record archivist for Eddie Cantor.  Veteran stars Milton Berle, Bob Hope, Buddy Ebsen and Steve Allen often called upon Larsen for his consultation on songs and variety acts.

He has always loved radio and his first job as a professional writer was with the ABC Radio network. It was a daytime audience participation show with variety acts and a 25-piece house orchestra.  While still a teenager he was the weekly guest with radio personality Jim Hawthorne on a CBS radio program that featured milt’s old records and commentary by CBS founder Andrew White.

His weekend national radio shows recorded in his studio on the premises of the Magic Castle in Hollywood.  His facilities house his huge record collection and his studio is designed specifically to play the old 78-RPM vintage recordings.   His studio console turntables were originally installed at the NBC Radio City studios at Sunset and Vice in Hollywood.    The shows are recorded using the newest state of the art MAC computer technology which includes to ability to clean up the snap, crackles and pops associated with the old records.

The concept of the show is that younger generations have never heard samples of the great performers of the past.  Like an old joke, if you never heard it before --- it’s brand new with that in mind he leads you down the path to discovery.   He introduces young people of today to a time of laughter and silly songs mixed in with some of the greatest music of all time.   Oscar winning songwriter Richard M. Sherman (The Sherman Brothers – Mary Poppins, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, It’s a small World After All etc) is a guest on every show talking about the great songwriters of Tin Pan Alley.  His other guest is a character known as Professor Hockmann, the world’s oldest magician and vaudevillian who always plays just one of those really old acoustical records from Milt’s collection.

Tuesday, June 14, 2016

06/14 ROBERT FORSTER, LONDON HAS FALLEN


Oscar-nominated actor Robert Forster joins the show to discuss his role in "London Has Fallen." The sequel to the highly successful "Olympus Has Fallen," Forster reprises his character of General Edward Clegg in this explosive tale of devastation and revenge. "London Has Fallen" hits shelves on Tuesday, June 14th.


Devastation of a world capital and a revenge plan against an American president fuel the high-octane London Has Fallen, coming to Blu-ray™, DVD and On Demand on June 14, 2016 from Universal Pictures Home Entertainment. The sequel to the worldwide smash hit Olympus Has Fallen raises the stakes with non-stop action and suspenseful plot twists. The Blu-ray™ and Digital HD versions also include exclusive bonus features about the can’t-miss thriller.

In London Has Fallen, the stellar cast of Gerard Butler (300), Aaron Eckhart (The Dark Knight), Angela Bassett (American Horror Story), Robert Forster (Jackie Brown), Melissa Leo (The Fighter), Radha Mitchell (Pitch Black), Sean O’Bryan (Vantage Point), and Morgan Freeman (Lucy) reprises their original roles from Olympus Has Fallen, joined by Alon Moni Aboutboul (The Dark Knight Rises), Jackie Earle Haley (Watchmen), Charlotte Riley (Edge of Tomorrow), and Waleed F. Zuaiter (Homeland). Babak Najafi directs London Has Fallen.

When the British Prime Minster dies unexpectedly, Secret Service Agent Mike Banning (Gerard Butler) knows it is his duty to prep with Secret Service Director Lynne Jacobs (Angela Bassett) for them to accompany U.S. President Benjamin Asher (Aaron Eckhart) to the state funeral at St Paul’s Cathedral in London. With every powerful world leader set to attend, the funeral should be the most protected event on Earth. Yet within moments of arriving, heads of government are assassinated and London landmarks are attacked. Asher, Banning, and Jacobs are ambushed and retreat amidst a hail of gunfire and explosives. The devastated British capital goes into lockdown. Banning will stop at nothing to secure Asher’s safe return home. Back at the White House, Vice President Allan Trumbull (Morgan Freeman) races against time brainstorming with top advisors in the Situation Room to get those trapped in London a lifeline of support and a way out. Outnumbered and outgunned, Banning reaches out for help to an English MI6 agent (Charlotte Riley) who rightly trusts no one. Failure is not an option as they attempt to stop the criminals from carrying out the final phase of their revenge plan.

BONUS FEATURES:

  • The Making of London Has Fallen – An inside look at the massive undertaking of shooting such a large-scale film in London. Featuring interviews with cast and crew, this piece shows the unique challenges encountered on-set, director Babak Najafi’s process, and the cast’s inspiration for their characterizations.
  • Guns, Knives & Explosives – Delve deeper into Gerard Butler’s iconic character of Mike Banning, and the extensive training and preparation the actor needed to play a Secret Service agent.



ABOUT ROBERT:
Robert Forster (born July 13, 1941) is an American actor, best known for his roles as John Cassellis in Haskell Wexler's Medium Cool, and as Max Cherry in Quentin Tarantino's Jackie Brown, the latter of which gained him an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor. He has recently appeared as George Clooney's father-in-law in Alexander Payne's The Descendants.

Forster was born Robert Wallace Foster, Jr. in Rochester, New York, the son of Grace Dorothy (née Montanarella) and Robert Wallace Foster, Sr., who worked as an elephant trainer for the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus and later as an executive for a baking supply company. His mother was Italian American and his father was of English and Irish ancestry. The two divorced in 1949. As a tribute to his father, Forster hung one of his father's Barnum & Bailey Circus posters in the office of his character "Max Cherry" in the Quentin Tarantino film Jackie Brown.

Forster completed his Bachelor of Arts degree in history at the University of Rochester, where he starred in student dramatic performances such as Bye Bye Birdie and, after initially intending to go on to study law, instead decided to forego his future legal career in favor of pursuing drama. He graduated with a B.A. in history in 1964.

After acclaimed supporting performances in two major Hollywood films, one as Private Williams in John Huston's Reflections in a Golden Eye (1967), another as part-Indian Army scout Nick Tana in Robert Mulligan's The Stalking Moon (1968), Forster starred in the critically acclaimed 1969 film Medium Cool. After starring roles in the TV shows Banyon (1972) and Nakia (1974), he played mostly supporting roles in action and horror films including Disney's The Black Hole (1979). Forster had lead roles in cult B-movies in the 1980s like Alligator (1980), Vigilante (1983), The Delta Force (1986), and The Banker (1989). He was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor in 1997 for Jackie Brown, which he credits with reviving his career. He has since had consistent work in the film industry, appearing in Like Mike; Mulholland Drive; Me, Myself, & Irene; Lucky Number Slevin and Firewall, to name a few. He recently appeared in the made for television movie The Hunt for the BTK Killer, as the detective intent on capturing serial killer Dennis Rader. Forster also played the father of Van on the short-lived Fox series Fastlane.

Forster recorded a public service announcement for Deejay Ra's 'Hip-Hop Literacy' campaign, encouraging reading of books by Elmore Leonard (he starred in the movie adaption of Leonard's book Rum Punch, Jackie Brown, for which he was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor). Forster is also a motivational speaker.

He appeared in the hit NBC show Heroes as Arthur Petrelli, the father of Nathan and Peter Petrelli.

Twice divorced, Forster is a father of four children. His eldest child, Kate Forster (born 1969), has worked as an actress, also appearing in Mulholland Drive.

WWW.ROBERTFORSTER.COM

Tuesday, June 7, 2016

06/07 ROBERT WAGNER, BILL MEDLEY, THE RIGHTEOUS BROTHERS

ROBERT WAGNER TALKS ABOUT HIS BOOK YOU MUST REMEMBER THIS

Robert Wagner is one of the most popular and successful stars in the entertainment industry, boasting three hit series and an impressive list of both feature and television films. As a young man under contract to 20th Century Fox, Wagner was cast by Darryl F. Zanuck in "With a Song in My Heart." Although the part lasted a scant minute, his performance as a crippled soldier responding to the song of Susan Hayward brought immediate public reaction to the studio. Spencer Tracy saw him in "Beneath the Twelve Mile Reef" and requested Wagner for the role of his son in "Broken Lance." Tracy was so impressed with Wagner, he cast him as his brother again in "The Mountain." A small sample of his numerous film credits includes "Dragon: The Bruce Lee Story," "The Pink Panther," "The Curse of the Pink Panther," "Midway," "The Towering Inferno," "Banning," "Harper," "Prince Valiant," "The True Story of Jesse James," and "All the Fine Young Cannibals." He recently re-created his role of "Number Two," the villainous henchman to Dr. Evil, the archenemy of Mike Myers' title character in "Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me." Antonio Banderas also directed Wagner in "Crazy in Alabama." In 1998, the actor was in "Wild Things," starring Matt Dillon and Kevin Bacon.

On television, Wagner has starred on three long-running series, "It Takes a Thief," with Fred Astaire, "Switch," with Eddie Albert and Sharon Gless and "Hart to Hart," with Stefanie Powers. He was nominated for an Emmy for his role as Alexander Mundy in "It Takes a Thief". Since the end of the regular run of the series, the actor has produced eight "Hart to Hart" movies for both NBC and cable's Family Channel. He also starred with Jaclyn Smith in the top-rated miniseries "Windmills of the Gods," based on Sidney Sheldon's best-selling novel; with Angie Dickinson in the miniseries "Pearl"; with Audrey Hepburn in "Love among Thieves"; with Lesley Anne Down in "Indiscreet" and in "North and South III," with Joanne Woodward in "A Kiss Before Dying"; and with Elizabeth Taylor in "There Must Be a Pony," which he also executive-produced. Wagner was chosen by Sir Laurence Olivier to star with him in the television adaptation of "Cat on a Hot Tin Roof," in which he costarred with his wife, the late Natalie Wood. Wagner also teamed up with Sir Laurence Oliver in "This Gun for Hire," Danielle Steel's "Jewels" and "To Catch a King."

In addition to all his film and television ventures, Wagner has toured the world performing A.R. Gurney's "Love Letters", with Stefanie Powers, who were the first to launch the tour Internationally. Currently, Wagner performs "Love Letters" at charity events with his wife, actress Jill St. John.

Wagner enjoys golfing and spending time with his 3 daughters, Katie (Television Personality), Natasha (Actress) and Courtney (Artist).

The legendary actor and bestselling author of Pieces of My Heart offers a nostalgic look at Hollywood’s golden age!

With a career spanning more than five decades, few actors are more qualified to recount the glamorous Hollywood era of the late 1940s and early 1950s than Robert Wagner. You Must Remember This is Wagner’s ode to a bygone age, to its incomparable style and how it was displayed, and to its legendary stars.

Wagner revisits the houses, restaurants, and other haunts of Hollywood’s elite, offering an intimate view of their lives on and off screen. He fondly recounts mythic figures simply entertaining at home among friends, away from the publicity machine and public eye that morphed into today’s paparazzi culture. Wagner also discusses the business of Hollywood and its evolution from an industry once dominated by moguls to one run by agents, and examines the career arcs of his peers, carefully considering why some survived and others faded.

Engaging and entertaining, You Must Remember This is a window into the splendors of an erstwhile era and an opportunity for readers to live vicariously through one its most beloved leading men.

WWW.ROBERT-WAGNER.COM

BILL MEDLEY – THE RIGHTEOUS BROTHERS - THE TIME OF MY LIFE 

Bill Medley's indelible baritone adorns some of the biggest hits of the twentieth century—"You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin'," "(You're My) Soul and Inspiration," "Rock and Roll Heaven"—and is prominent on the soundtrack of an entire generation. He and his musical partner, the late inimitable Bobby Hatfield, formed the Righteous Brothers in 1963 and forever changed the sound of popular music. The term "blue-eyed soul" was born.

After the Phil Spector-produced "You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin'" hit #1 in 1964 and Bobby Hatfield's sweeping solo vocal turn on "Unchained Melody" enchanted millions, the Righteous Brothers found themselves in the thick of the musical and cultural changes sweeping the nation. They toured with the Beatles and the Rolling Stones, became friends with Elvis Presley and the Beach Boys, and brought rhythm and blues to the largest cross-over audience it had reached to date.

The Time of My Life is an affecting and vivid memoir of those times and beyond, an unvarnished look at Bill Medley's personal triumphs and tragedies through the filter of five decades of musical, television, motion picture, and live-performance success. Medley opens his head and his heart, sharing his thoughts and feelings about the great African-American music that inspired him, his loving yet tumultuous and complicated relationship with Bobby Hatfield, the murder of his first wife Karen and his struggle to raise their son alone, his close friendship with Elvis and its sad ending, his deep depression over losing his voice (and how he got it back), his smash duet with Jennifer Warnes on "(I've Had) the Time of My Life" for the Dirty Dancingsoundtrack, and how he learned to settle down and become a family man and enjoy a nearly thirty-year (and counting) marriage.

But Medley's story isn't just about the #1 hits and the awards. It's the story of an immensely talented young guy who lived the rock star life and reached the pinnacle of fame, success, and excess, and how he was eventually able to renew his commitment to both his faith and his family.

WWW.BILLMEDLEY.COM

Tuesday, May 31, 2016

05/31 SUSAN LUCCI, LIFETIME'S DEVIOUS MAIDS

SUSAN LUCCI - LIFETIME'S DEVIOUS MAIDS PREMIERES ON MONDAY JUNE 6TH AT 9/8 CENTRAL

As the most famous face in daytime television history, Susan Lucci has held audiences spellbound for years as the sexy, sassy, beautiful "woman you love to hate," Erica Kane on ABC-TV's "All My Children." In May 1999 she won the Emmy Award for "Best Actress," which was a historic moment not only for Lucci, but for all of television. Lucci currently stars in the hit Lifetime series, "Devious Maids" as the wealthy and effervescent socialite, Genevieve Delatour. She is also the host and narrator of Investigation Discovery's highly rated series, "Deadly Affairs." She received a Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame on January 28, 2005 and was inducted into the Broadcasting Hall of Fame in 2006. She is the second woman in the history of the Columbus Day parade to serve as Grand Marshal – the first was Sophia Loren. Lucci was named one of E! Entertainment's "Top Entertainers of the Year" as well as one of Barbara Walters' "Ten Most Fascinating People." VH-1 has also named Lucci one of its"200 Top Icons of all Time."

In 2011, Lucci appeared in the highly rated season finale of TV Land's "Hot in Cleveland" and returned for another episode in February 2012 entitled, "I Love Lucci." She also guest starred in a recurring role on Lifetime's "Army Wives" in 2012. Lucci competed on ABC's primetime reality show, "Dancing with the Stars," hosted "Saturday Night Live," and guest-starred in many successful television series and numerous movies for television throughout her career. In March 2011 Lucci released her New York Times bestselling autobiography, "All My Life" with Harper Collins. The paperback edition of All My Life was released on September 13th.

Lucci's artistic excellence afforded her the opportunity to expand to luminous careers in theater and cabaret with solo concerts across the country and nightclub performances opening for Regis Philbin. In her 1999 Broadway debut, Lucci starred as Annie Oakley in the revival of Irving Berlin's "Annie Get Your Gun," to amazing review. Michael Logan of TV Guide said, "Susan Lucci didn't just take Great White Way by storm: she took it by tornado, hurricane and tsunami, too."

Acting and singing are only two of Lucci's many passions. Within the past 10 years she became a successful entrepreneur launching a Susan Lucci Collection of hair care products, two fragrances, jewelry, shoes, and accessory lines, and a lingerie line for "beauty of all ages." Her head-to-toe collection was a constant sell-out on the Home Shopping Network (HSN). In 2002, Lucci introduced a personal microdermabrasion system with Guthy-Renker, Youthful Essence® by Susan Lucci that has sold over 8 million kits worldwide since its debut. Lucci expanded her expertise with Guthy-Renker by also presenting "Malibu Pilates," the widely popular Pilates chair fitness program.

Lucci's commitment to her work with children has taken her to Africa in support of Feed The Children, appearing in an Emmy-award winning documentary. She and her husband have been ongoing champions of Littler Flower Children and Family Services of New York and have been the spokespersons for the National AFib Campaign. She currently hosts United Cerebral Palsy of NYC Women Who Care Luncheon. She has served as the March of Dimes' National Ambassador in 2000 and as a celebrity spokesperson for AMDeC (Academic Medicine Development Company) and The New York Cancer Project. She has also been involved with Broadway Cares Equity Fights Aids and is the recipient of the Ellis Island Medal of Honor, the prestigious New York City Gracie Award and the Muse Award for Women in Film & Television. She was inducted into the American Academy of Achievement Awards and presented with the Italian Board of Guardians Lifetime Achievement Award.

Lucci's accomplishments and contributions to the world of television and the performing arts have truly made her an icon to millions.

WWW.SUSANLUCCI.COM

Tuesday, May 24, 2016

05/24 ACTOR AND CHICAGO P.D. STAR JESSE LEE SOFFER, HARLEY-DAVIDSON ROADSTER CAMPAIGN, JOE MANTEGNA, PBS’ NATIONAL MEMORIAL DAY CONCERT

ACTOR AND CHICAGO P.D. STAR JESSE LEE SOFFER - TO TALK ACTING, CHICAGO P.D., MOTORCYCLES AND HIS INVOLVEMENT WITH THE NEW HARLEY-DAVIDSON ROADSTER CAMPAIGN

Jesse Lee Soffer is currently starring on the hit NBC show Chicago PD with recurring spots as the same character Jay Halstead on Chicago Fire.  Jesse began his film career in 1993 at age eight in the movie Matinee. From that point on, his work included time on such television series as Guiding Light, As the World Turns and in the film In Time amongst others.

Jesse Lee Soffer, avid motorcycle rider and enthusiast, is available to discuss his love for riding, his involvement with the new Harley-Davidson Roadster campaign, his role on Chicago P.D. and his career including other projects he has in the works.

Jesse helps introduce the new Dark Custom Harley-Davidson Roadster motorcycle, Harley-Davidson is taking its new stripped-down, agile bike to city streets via pop-up Bike-Shares to give people a chance to test the bike out in its intended urban environment.

Harley-Davidson borrowed the popular bicycle share concept to showcase how, for as little as seven bucks a day, Americans can own a new Dark Custom™ Harley-Davidson® Roadster™ motorcycle – less than the daily cost of a bicycle share rental in all U.S. cities.

Temporary Harley-Davidson motorcycle-sharing stations showcasing the Roadster will pop-up in select U.S. cities, including Portland, Los Angeles and the Motor Company’s hometown of Milwaukee, just as Roadster hits local dealerships.

ABOUT CHICAGO P.D (WEDNESDAYS 10/9 CENTRAL)
At the center of "Chicago P.D." is Detective Sgt. Hank Voight (Jason Beghe), who is at ground zero against the war on crime in Chicago. He will do ANYTHING to bring criminals to justice.

From multiple Emmy Award-winning Executive Producer Dick Wolf and the team behind the hit series "Chicago Fire," "Chicago P.D." is a riveting police drama about the men and women of the Chicago Police Department's elite Intelligence Unit, combatting the city's most heinous offenses - organized crime, drug trafficking, high profile murders and beyond.

Handpicked as the head of the Unit is Voight, who has assembled a team of diverse detectives who share his passion and commitment to keeping the city safe. They include Detective Antonio Dawson (Jon Seda) who is more levelheaded and "by the book" than his counterpart; Jay Halstead (Jesse Lee Soffer), a brash young detective who previously saw active military duty in the Middle East; Halstead's partner Erin Lindsay (Sophia Bush), a former "bad girl" who turned her life around with Voight's help; Alvin Olinsky (Elias Koteas), an experienced undercover detective and confidante for Voight; and Adam Ruzek (Patrick John Flueger), a quick-witted cadet plucked from the police academy as Olinsky's partner.

The unit includes a new member in the form of Kevin Atwater (LaRoyce Hawkins), a charismatic patrolman who recently was brought upstairs. Kim Burgess (Marina Squerciati) and Sean Roman (Brian Geraghty) assist with the unit, but on a daily basis, they work the streets as uniform patrol officers working with Intelligence whenever necessary. Desk Sgt. Trudy Platt (Amy Morton) runs a tight precinct with tough love, although she lets her softer, more vulnerable side shine through from time to time.

WWW.H-D.COM/ROADSTER

WWW.NBC.COM/CHICAGO-PD


ACTOR, PRODUCER, WRITER AND DIRECTOR, JOE MANTEGNA TO CO-HOST ANNUAL NIGHT OF REMEMBRANCE HONORING OUR AMERICAN HEROES: PBS’ NATIONAL MEMORIAL DAY CONCERT 


JOE MANTEGNA AND GARY SINISE CO-HOST ANNUAL NIGHT OF REMEMBRANCE HONORING OUR AMERICAN HEROES: PBS’ NATIONAL MEMORIAL DAY CONCERT

Live From the U.S. Capitol, All-Star Line-Up Features: General Colin Powell, Renee Fleming, The Beach Boys, Katharine McPhee, Trace Adkins, S. Epatha Merkerson, Esai Morales and Alfie Boe with Special Performance of National Anthem By AMERICAN IDOL Season 15 Winner Trent Harmon –

For over a quarter century, PBS has inspired viewers with the annual broadcast of the multi award-winning NATIONAL MEMORIAL DAY CONCERT (#MemDayPBS), dedicated to our men and women in uniform, their families at home and all those who have given their lives for our country.  Live from the West Lawn of the U.S. Capitol, the night of remembrance will honor the over 400,000 valiant men and women who are laid to rest in the hallowed grounds of Arlington National Cemetery; and chronicle the experiences of the millions of American veterans who still suffer from the seen and unseen wounds of war.

Tony Award-winner Joe Mantegna (CRIMINAL MINDS) and Emmy Award-winner Gary Sinise (CRIMINAL MINDS: WITHOUT BORDERS) are set to co-host this poignant and heart-warming event for the 11th year.  The acclaimed actors, whose dedication to the show is evident, are also longtime supporters of veterans’ causes and our troops in active service.   The all-star line-up includes: distinguished American leader General Colin L. Powell USA (Ret.); world-renowned four-time Grammy Award-winning classical superstar Renee Fleming; iconic music legends The Beach Boys; gifted actress and singer Katharine McPhee (SCORPION); country music star and Grammy-nominated member of the Grand Ole Opry Trace Adkins; Emmy, Golden Globe and SAG Award-winning actress S. Epatha Merkerson (CHICAGO MED, LAW & ORDER); Award-winning actor Esai Morales (MOZART IN THE JUNGLE); plus Tony Award-winning international sensation Alfie Boe, who has just joined the Broadway cast of the smash hit FINDING NEVERLAND; in performance with the National Symphony Orchestraunder the direction of top pops conductor Jack Everly.  And marking the end of an era, Trent Harmon, the final winner of AMERICAN IDOL, will open the show with a special performance of the “National Anthem.”

The 27th annual broadcast of the NATIONAL MEMORIAL DAY CONCERT airs live on PBSSunday, May 29, 2016, from 8:00 to 9:30 p.m., before a concert audience of hundreds of thousands, millions more at home, as well as to our troops serving around the world on the American Forces Network.


Tuesday, May 17, 2016

05/17 TONI TENNILLE, TONI TENNILLE: A MEMOIR

TONI TENNILLE JOINS THE SHOW TO DISCUSS HER MUSIC, CAREER AND HER BOOK, TONI TENNILLE: A MEMOIR

Born, Cathryn Antoinette "Toni" Tennille is best known for her '70s and '80s chart-topping hits with the pop duo Captain & Tennille and the hit series by the same name. A classically trained pianist and a prolific song writer, Toni has also released numerous solo albums celebrating the romantic music of big band and American standards. Today Toni can be found working with her award-winning Australian shepherd dogs in Lake Mary, Florida, and continuing to play the music she loves. 

She has just completed a memoir of her life and career (Toni Tennille: A Memoir / April 2016). Since bursting onto the scene in the mid 70s, the pop duo Captain and Tennille have long defined the sparkling, optimistic idea of everlasting love, both in their music and through their image as a happy and, seemingly, unbreakable couple. They were an irresistible pair to millions of fans all over the world, further underscored by the rousing “yes, we can!” gospel of their biggest hit, “Love Will Keep Us Together.” But underneath the image was an entirely different story that the fans never saw: a woman who fought a lonely struggle against the controlling and often bizarre behavior of her emotionally inaccessible husband.

Toni Tennille: A Memoir is a visceral account of Toni Tennille’s life from her childhood in the segregated South to her thrilling rise to fame in the world of pop music to where she is now: no longer one-half of a famed couple, but a stronger woman for all she has experienced—both the good and the bad. Toni hopes that her story will help anyone who feels trapped in a toxic relationship realize that it is never too late to break away from it.

WWW.TONITENNILLE.NET

Tuesday, May 10, 2016

05/10 TOM SELLECK, BLUE BLOODS, MAGNUM P.I.

It's a Magnum P.I. Reunion! Tom Selleck Joins the Show!

Thomas William "Tom" Selleck (born January 29, 1945) is an American actor and film producer. He is best known for his starring role as the private investigator Thomas Magnum in the television series Magnum, P.I. (1980 to 1988), based in Hawaii. He also plays Police Chief Jesse Stone in a series of made-for-TV movies based on Robert B. Parker novels. Since 2010, he has appeared as NYPD Police Commissioner Frank Reagan in the drama Blue Bloods on CBS-TV.

Selleck has appeared in more than fifty film and television roles since his initial success with Magnum, P.I., including a co-starring role in the highest-grossing movie of 1987, Three Men and a Baby; Quigley Down Under; Mr. Baseball; and Lassiter, to name a few. Selleck has also appeared as Dr. Richard Burke on Friends, where he played the on-again, off-again love-interest of Monica Geller (Courteney Cox), and A.J. Cooper on Las Vegas.

Early life

Selleck was born in Detroit, Michigan, the son of Martha S. (née Jagger), a housewife, and Robert Dean Selleck (died 2001), who was an executive and real estate investor. His father was of English and distant German ancestry, and his mother was of English descent. Selleck's family moved to Sherman Oaks, California, during his childhood. Tom's siblings include brother Robert (born 1944), sister Martha (born 1953) and brother Daniel (born 1955). Selleck graduated from Grant High School, in 1962.

Along with modeling, Selleck attended the University of Southern California on a basketball scholarship where he played for the USC Trojans men's basketball team. He is a member of Sigma Chi fraternity and a member of the Trojan Knights. While he majored in business administration, a drama coach suggested Selleck try acting. He then studied acting at the Beverly Hills Playhouse, under Milton Katselas.

Selleck served as a soldier in the 160th Infantry Regiment of the California Army National Guard and his unit was activated for the Watts Riots in Los Angeles.

Career

Early work and Magnum P.I.

Selleck's first TV appearance was as a college senior on The Dating Game in 1965, and again in 1967. Soon after, he appeared in commercials for products such as Pepsi-Cola.

He began his career with bit parts in smaller movies, including Myra Breckinridge and The Seven Minutes. He also appeared in number of TV series, mini-series and TV movies. Selleck also had a recurring role in the 1970s as "too good to be true" private investigator Lance White in The Rockford Files. Lance was very trusting and always lucky, much to the annoyance of Jim Rockford, the show's star private eye played by James Garner. White would frequently say to Rockford, "Don't worry Jim, clues will turn up" and then a clue would just turn up, much to Rockford's consternation, for whom obtaining clues required hard work and hard knocks. Selleck's character was based on one played in Garner's earlier TV series Maverick (1957) by Wayde Preston in the episode "The Saga of Waco Williams".

Selleck, an accessible but relatively untested actor, spent years receiving little interest from the entertainment industry. His big break came when he was cast in the lead role as Thomas Magnum in Magnum, P.I.. The producers would not release the actor for other projects, so Selleck had to pass on the equally enticing film project for the role of Indiana Jones in "Raiders of the Lost Ark", which then went to rising star Harrison Ford. The choice between the roles of Indiana Jones and Magnum actually haunted Selleck so much that before making the decision, he consulted his best friend on what to do. Together they came to the conclusion taking the high road and honoring the first contract with Universal Studios was the career-savvy direction. It turned out shooting of the pilot for Magnum was delayed for over six months by a writers' strike, which would have enabled him to complete "Raiders".

Film

Selleck starred in the 1979 TV movie Concrete Cowboys with Jerry Reed. He starred in a number of film roles during and after Magnum; among the most notable were as an acrophobic police detective in Runaway; as a stand-in father in Three Men and a Baby; and as an American 19th century sharpshooter in the Australian western Quigley Down Under – a role and film that he considers one of his best. His other films include Three Men and a Little Lady; High Road to China; Lassiter; Coma; Her Alibi; An Innocent Man; Folks!; Christopher Columbus: The Discovery; Mr. Baseball; In & Out and The Love Letter.

Selleck is an avid outdoorsman, and a marksman and knowledgeable firearms collector. These interests led him to leading-man cowboy roles in Western films, starting with his role as cowboy and frontier marshal Orrin Sackett in the 1979 film The Sacketts, opposite Sam Elliott, Jeff Osterhage, and Western legendsGlenn Ford and Ben Johnson. He followed The Sacketts with The Shadow Riders in 1982, then portraying a cat burglar in 1930s London in Lassiter in 1984.Quigley Down Under is probably one of his best known Western films, however he also won a "Western Heritage Award" for his 1997 role in Last Stand at Sabre River. His last two cowboy roles to date were in the 2001 TNT movie Crossfire Trail (based on a Louis L'Amour novel of the same name), and the 2003 motion picture Monte Walsh.

He most recently appeared in the film Killers, along with Katherine Heigl and Ashton Kutcher.

Television

Magnum P.I.

Selleck played the role of Thomas Magnum in 1980 after six failed TV pilots. Magnum was a former U.S. Navy Officer, a veteran of a special operations unit in the Vietnam War, who had resigned his commission with the Office of Naval Intelligence and become a private investigator living in Hawaii. The show would go on for eight seasons and 162 episodes until 1988, winning him an Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series in 1984. Selleck was famous for his mustache, a Hawaiian-style aloha shirt, a Detroit Tigers baseball cap, and the Colt Model 1911A1 .45 ACP Caliber pistol his character carried. Magnum drove a Ferrari 308GTSi in the series. The model became so identified with the role that Ferrari fans now refer to the red-painted model as a "Magnum" Ferrari.
Selleck has confirmed that he is the most popular choice by fans to play the role of Magnum in the rumoured upcoming Magnum P.I. movie.
Friends

In the late nineties, Selleck played the role of Richard Burke, Monica's boyfriend, at the end of the second season of the hugely successful TV series Friends. Richard was a divorced ophthalmologist who was a friend of Monica's parents, and at first the relationship was hidden from her parents. The relationship eventually ended over Richard's reluctance to commit to raising a family, though Selleck did make a few extra appearances in later shows.

The Closer

In February 1998, Selleck accepted the lead role in a sitcom for CBS called The Closer. In it he played Jack McLaren, a legendary publicist heading up a brand new marketing firm. His costars included Ed Asner, David Krumholtz, and Penelope Ann Miller. Despite the high pedigree, and the expectations for his first series since Magnum, P. I., low ratings caused the show to be canceled after ten episodes.

Jesse Stone series

Since 2005, Selleck has starred in the role of transplanted lawman Jesse Stone in a series of made-for-TV movies based on Robert B. Parker's novels. To date, the series comprises eight films, with the most recent released on May 20, 2012. In addition to his portrayal of the films' protagonist, Selleck now also acts as producer for the series. The fifth film, Jesse Stone: Thin Ice, was not adapted from Parker's novels, but rather an original story by Selleck.

Las Vegas

He joined the cast of the NBC drama Las Vegas in the season-five premiere on September 28, 2007. He played A.J. Cooper, the new owner of the Montecito Casino. He replaced James Caanwho left the cast in the same episode. This was Selleck's first regular role on a drama show since he played Thomas Magnum on Magnum, P.I..

Blue Bloods

Blue Bloods is an American police procedural/drama series on CBS, filmed on location in New York City. Frank Reagan (Selleck) is the Police Commissioner; the series follows the Reagan family of police officers with the New York City Police Department. The show premiered on September 24, 2010.

Other work

Selleck has also appeared in a number of made-for-TV movies in recent years. In particular, he has sought to help bring back to popularity the western, often playing one of that genre's typical characters but thrust into a modern context.

Selleck was offered the lead role of Mitch Buchannon in Baywatch, but turned down the role because he did not want to be seen as a sex symbol. The role eventually went to David Hasselhoff.

Surprising many of his fans, Selleck unexpectedly played the role of General Dwight D. Eisenhower in A&E's 2004 made-for-TV movie Ike: Countdown to D-Day. The movie showed the planning, politics, and preparation for the 1944 Invasion of Normandy, and Selleck was critically lauded for playing a cool, calm Eisenhower.

Selleck appeared in a recurring role on the acclaimed ABC drama Boston Legal as Ivan Tiggs—the troubled ex-husband of Shirley Schmidt (Candice Bergen)—and as novelist Robert B. Parker's character Jesse Stone in several CBS made-for-TV movies, earning a 2007 Emmy nomination for Jesse Stone: Sea Change.

Broadway

In 2001, Selleck played the lead role of Murray in a Broadway revival of Herb Gardner's comedic play A Thousand Clowns. It ran for only two months. Critics, though far from uniformly negative about Selleck's performance, generally compared it unfavorably to that of Jason Robards, Jr., who won awards in the 1960s for playing the character on the stage and in a movie version. (It remains the role with which Robards is most identified.) Playwright Gardner, however, actually preferred Selleck to Robards in the part, and even said that Selleck was the way he had always envisioned Murray.



Tuesday, May 3, 2016

05/03 VANESSA WILLIAMS

ACTRESS, SINGER, DANCER AND AUTHOR VANESSA WILLIAMS TALKS ABOUT SUCCESS IS CALLING, A PROGRAM THAT HELPS WOMEN BY PROVIDING THE KNOWLEDGE AND TOOLS NECESSARY TO MASTER THE PHONE INTERVIEW

Vanessa Williams is one of the most respected and multi-faceted performers in entertainment today. She has conquered the musical charts, Broadway, music videos, television and motion pictures. She has sold millions of albums worldwide and she has achieved critical acclaim as an actress on stage, in film and on television.
Vanessa partnered with TracFone and Dress for Success to expand the Success is Calling program in its second year. Success is Calling is a program that helps women by providing the knowledge and tools necessary to master the phone interview, which is often the crucial first step to employment. In 2015, Success is Calling positively impacted more than 300 women who became gainfully employed after graduating from the program, and this year the program aims to reach twice as many women across the country, helping them enter into and thrive in the workforce and beyond.

VANESSAWILLIAMS.COM
SUCCESSISCALLING.TRACFONE.COM

Tuesday, April 26, 2016

04/26 ACTOR TOM SCHANLEY STARS AS ANTHONY FLANDERS ON NCIS: NEW ORLEANS

On May 3, 2016, Actor Tom Schanley (NCIS: LA, Graceland, Hawaii Five-O) stars as Anthony Flanders on NCIS: New Orleans. He'll stir things up for the gang in NOLA for sure. Miscellaneous other talking points: Tom's recent role on USA's GRACELAND, his career as an actor (spanning over 30 years, and involving icons like Denzel Washington, Julia Roberts, Ed Zwick and more), his stories of working with Heather Locklear on Dynasty, playing the son of the Six Million Dollar Man, as crew member "Greer" in the Star Trek franchise, and much more.

ABOUT TOM SCHANLEY:
Tom Schanley is an American actor best known for his roles as the drug dealer, Ricky on "Dexter," the self sacrificing Evan Abby on "Criminal Minds" as well as his memorable guest-starring roles in "NCIS: Los Angeles," "Hawaii Five-O," "Castle," "CSI:NY," "CSI: Miami," "Without a Trace" and many more.

He recently starred as Cash Windgate in the USA Network series "Graceland" (2015), as Gabe Stanfill in "NCIS: LA" (CBS), as Captain James McNabb in the upcoming western "Hot Bath An' a Stiff Drink 2" (2017), with costars Robert Patrick, Alison Eastwood, and Frankie Muniz. He can also be seen as Evan Rachel Woods' father in the romantic comedy "10 Things I Hate About Life". No stranger to the other side of the law, Tom recently guest starred as the killer Hinze in "Hawaii Five-0", a hit-man chasing down Mel Gibson and stolen money in "Get the Gringo" and an ICE officer in the Chris Weitz (Twilight Saga) Oscar buzz film "A Better Life."

On stage, Schanley recently starred as Brick in Tennessee Williams' "Cat on a Hot Tin Roof" at the Center Stage Theatre in Santa Barbara, CA. His performance received rave reviews: Schanley radiates broken strength and raw psychic pain. His physical characterization requires both athleticism and restraint, and, by the time he has fixed his 10th or 12th bourbon neat, the audience acutely feels the deep compulsion behind his drinking and depression.  (Santa Barbara Independent).  He also starred as Marc Antony in the ground breaking LA Shakespeare Festival production of "Julius Caesar".

Tom's other notable credits include working with academy Award winning director Ed Zwick and Denzel Washington in "Courage Under Fire," as well as Julia Roberts in "Conspiracy Theory," among others.

He is also an exceptionally talented writer and producer of the independent film "The Hard Easy" with Vera Farmiga, David Boreanaz, Bruce Dern & Peter Weller.

Tuesday, April 19, 2016

04/19 Robin Leach Joins the Show!

Robin Douglas Leach (born 29 August 1941) is an English-born American entertainment celebrity reporter writer famous for hosting his first show,Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous, in the mid-1980s and into the mid-1990s, which focused on profiling well-known celebrities and their lavish homes, cars and other materialistic endeavors. His voice is often parodied by other actors with his signature phrase, "champagne wishes and caviar dreams." During the final season, he was assisted by Shari Belafonte, and the show was renamed, Lifestyles with Robin Leach and Shari Belafonte. Leach resides in Las Vegas.

During grammar school at Harrow County School for Boys, 10 miles (16 km) from London, he edited a school magazine, The Gayton Times, at age 14. At age 15 he became a general news reporter for the Harrow Observer and started a monthly glossy town magazine at age 17.

Leach moved on to the Daily Mail as Britain's youngest "Page One" reporter, at age 18. In 1963, he emigrated to America and wrote for a number of publications (New York Daily News, People, Ladies Home Journal etc.) before launching GO Magazine and then was show business editor of The Star.
Other television work includes reporting for People Tonight, on CNN and Entertainment Tonight and helping start Good Morning Australia, as well as the Food Network. Leach was also a guest at World Wrestling Entertainment's WrestleMania IV, where he read the rules for the championship tournament. In 1993, for the Fox network, Leach hosted an exposé documentary of Madonna titled "Madonna Xposed." The documentary was a biography of Madonna focusing on her career and publicity stunts. Before the documentary aired, he gave Madonna a cell phone number; he claimed that at any point during the airing Madonna could call Leach and argue any point. Madonna never called and the documentary continued without incident. He also hosted Lifestyles spinoff Fame, Fortune & Romance, along with future Today Show host Matt Lauer.

Leach hosted The Surreal Life: Fame Games on VH1 in 2007. He also served as the public address announcer for the 2010NASCAR Sprint Cup race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

As of 2008 he resides in Las Vegas and writes the daily VegasDeluxe.com Web site.

Leach appeared in the documentary film Maxed Out in 2006, which chronicled the rise of the credit card industry in the U.S. along with increased personal debt among working class people and criticized that industry's practices. Leach remarks, "Nobody would watch Lifestyles of the Poor and Unknown". The comment was highlighted by a review in the Baltimore Sun.

www.youtube.com/luxevegas  
 www.twitter.com/robin_leach 
www.lasvegassun.com/vegasdeluxe    


Tuesday, April 12, 2016

04/12 BOBBY FLAY, BRUNCH @ BOBBY’S, JOE PISTONE, DONNIE BRASCO

CELEBRITY CHEF, RESTAURATEUR AND BESTSELLING AUTHOR BOBBY TALKS ABOUT HIS NEWLY RELEASED COOKBOOK BRUNCH @ BOBBY’S

BRUNCH @ BOBBY’S - 140 RECIPES FOR THE BEST PART OF THE WEEKEND

Bestselling author and Food Network star Bobby Flay may be best known for his skills at the grill, but brunch is his favorite meal of the day. In BRUNCH @ BOBBY’s: 140 Recipes for the Best Part of the Weekend (Clarkson Potter; On Sale: September 29th, 2015), Bobby includes 140 recipes for his all-time favorite breakfasts starting with the lip-smacking cocktails we have come to expect from Bobby—along with spiked and virgin, hot and iced coffees and teas. He then works his way through eggs, pancakes, waffles, and french toast (including flavored syrups and spreads), pastries (a first for Bobby), breads, salads and sandwiches and side dishes all in signature fashion.

Eggs Benedict head to the Gulf Coast for an upgrade, served atop homemade johnnycakes and crab cakes with Old Bay hollandaise sauce. Pancakes get a double dose of chocolate before being drowned in salted caramel sauce. English popovers come stateside when made with cracked black pepper and Vermont cheddar. And salmon definitely benefits from a bright and crunchy Brussels sprout-apple slaw. So pull up a seat at the table and enjoy a Sangria Sunrise, Carrot Cake Pancakes with Maple-Cream Cheese Drizzle, Sautéed Bitter Greens Omelets, and Wild Mushrooms-Yukon Gold Hash.  This is how Bobby does brunch.

BOBBY FLAY, a New York Times bestselling author, is the chef-owner of six fine-dining restaurants, including Gato, Bar Americain, Mesa Grill, and Bobby Flay’s Steak, and an expanding roster of Bobby’s Burger Palaces. He is the host of numerous popular cooking shows on Food Network—from the Emmy-winning Bobby Flay’s Barbecue Addiction to the Iron Chef America series, Throwdown! With Bobby Flay, and Food Network Star—as well as Brunch@Bobby’s on Cooking Channel.

BOBBYFLAY.COM


JOE PISTONE – DONNIE BRASCO WAS THE ALIAS OF JOSEPH PISTONE, AN UNDERCOVER FBI AGENT THAT INFILTRATED THE BONANNO CRIME FAMILY

Joseph Dominick Pistone, alias Donnie Brasco, (born September 17, 1939), is a former FBI agent who worked undercover for six years infiltrating the Bonanno crime family and to a lesser extent the Colombo crime family, two of the Five Families of the Mafia in New York City. Pistone was an FBI agent for 27 years and is considered to be one of the greatest FBI agents.

Pistone was a pioneer for deep long-term undercover work. The FBI's former director, J. Edgar Hoover, who died in 1972, did not want FBI agents to work undercover, because of the danger of the agents becoming corrupted. But Pistone's work later helped convince the FBI that using undercover agents in lieu of relying exclusively on informants was a crucial tool in law enforcement.

Biography
Pistone was born in Erie, Pennsylvania, and grew up in Paterson, New Jersey. He graduated from Paterson State College (now William Paterson University) with a B.A. in elementary education social studies in 1965, then worked as a teacher for one year before taking a position at the Office of Naval Intelligence. Pistone joined the FBI in 1969; after serving in a variety of roles, he was transferred to New York in 1974 and assigned to the truck hijacking squad.

His ability to drive 18-wheel trucks and bulldozers led to his being chosen for what would become his first undercover operation, infiltrating a gang stealing heavy vehicles and equipment. His penetration of the group in February 1976 led to the arrest of over 30 people along the Eastern Seaboard - described at the time as one of the largest and most profitable theft rings ever broken in America. The name Donald ("Donnie") Brasco was chosen to be Pistone's alias.
Operation Donnie Brasco (1976–1981)

Pistone was selected to be an undercover agent because he was of Sicilian heritage, fluent in Italian and acquainted with the mob from growing up in New Jersey. He also said that he did not perspire under pressure and was aware of the Mafia's codes of conduct and system. The operation was given the code name "Sun-Apple" after the locations of its two simultaneous operations: Miami ("Sunny Miami") and New York ("The Big Apple"). After extensive preparation including FBI gemology classes and again using the alias Donnie Brasco, he went undercover as an expert jewel thief.
In September 1976, Pistone walked out of the FBI office and did not return for the next six years. The FBI erased Pistone's history. Officially, he never existed; and anyone who called asking for him would be told that no one by that name was employed there. His co-workers, friends, and informants had no idea what had happened to him. Pistone stated that it was not the original aim to penetrate the Mafia; rather, the focus was to be on a group of people fencing stolen property from the large number of truck hijackings taking place each day in New York (five to six a day). It was intended that the undercover operation last for around six months.

An FBI surveillance photograph of Donnie Brasco, Benjamin "Lefty" Ruggieroand Tony Rossi. Original notations by Joseph D. Pistone, made during the filming of Rossella Biscotti's 2008 film The Undercover Man.

At the same time that Pistone was investigating the Bonanno crime family, Bob Delaney of theNew Jersey State Police, under the assumed names of "Bobby Covert" and "Bobby Smash", began investigating the New Jersey organized crime scene. During the investigation, he maintained an open association with the crime families who would alleviate their business pressures from the unions for a price. The two met through Colombo crime family caporegimeNicholas Forlano, although at the time neither man knew that the other was working undercover.

Pistone became an associate in Jilly Greca's crew from the Colombo family. Greca's crew was involved mostly in hijacking trucks and selling the stolen merchandise. Because only a few people knew Pistone's real identity, FBI and NYPD investigations had Pistone down as an actual Mafia associate called Don Brasco. He later moved to the Bonanno family and subsequently developed a close relationship with Anthony Mirra and Dominick "Sonny Black" Napolitano, and was tutored in the ways of the wise guy by Bonanno soldier Benjamin "Lefty Guns" Ruggiero. It was by doing this that Ruggiero inadvertently provided much evidence to Pistone, as Mafia members will not normally talk to non-members about the inner workings of the Mafia. Ruggiero became very close friends with Pistone and told him that he would "die with him".

Pistone was responsible for a lucrative business venture in Holiday, Florida, when he opened and operated the King's Court Bottle Club. In Florida, Pistone worked with another FBI agent working undercover as Tony Rossi. Pistone stated that he would have become a mademember of the Bonanno family if he had murdered capo Philip Giaccone in December 1981. The hit was called off, but Pistone was later contracted to murder Alphonse "Sonny Red" Indelicato's son, Anthony "Bruno" Indelicato, who previously evaded a meeting which left Indelicato, Giaccone and Dominick Trinchera dead.

After Pistone had spent six years undercover, he was ordered to end his operation. He wanted to continue at least until he became amade man; he believed Napolitano would lie about him "making his bones," participating in a mafia-ordered hit to prove his loyalty, and felt the FBI would never again have the opportunity to humiliate the Mafia by revealing that an agent had been inducted into the ranks. However, Pistone's superiors decided that the operation was becoming too dangerous and set an end date of July 26, 1981. Only after Pistone departed did FBI agents Doug Fencl, Jim Kinne, and Jerry Loar inform Napolitano and Ruggiero that their longtime associate was an FBI agent.

Aftermath
Shortly thereafter, Napolitano was murdered for having allowed an FBI agent to infiltrate the family; he was shot dead and his hands were cut off.  Anthony Mirra, who initially brought Donnie Brasco to the family, was also killed. Ruggiero was to be killed as well, but was arrested by the FBI while on his way to a meeting, in order to prevent his death.  Napolitano's girlfriend Judy later contacted Pistone and told him, "Donnie, I always knew that you weren't cut out for that world because you carried yourself different, you had an air of intelligence, you know? I knew that you were much more than just a thief. You were a good friend to Sonny and me. Sonny didn't have any ill feelings toward you." Even after finding out that Pistone was an undercover agent, Napolitano expressed no ill will, even saying, "I really loved that kid."

The Mafia put out a $500,000 open contract on Pistone and kicked the Bonanno family off the Commission. FBI agents visited Mafia bosses in New York and told them not to even bother with the contract. The evidence collected by Pistone led to over 200 indictments and over 100 convictions of Mafia members. Although the infiltration of Donnie Brasco nearly destroyed the Bonanno family, it later became a blessing in disguise for the family. When the Mafia Commission Trial saw the top leadership of the Five Families sent to prison, the Bonanno family was the only major family whose leadership was not decimated because the family had been kicked off the Commission. By dodging this bullet, the family kept its leadership intact and was able to consolidate its power once again. The boss who led that resurgence, Joseph Massino, was convicted in 2004 of ordering Napolitano to be killed for allowing Pistone into the family.

Pistone still travels disguised, under assumed names and with a license to carry a firearm. He will not set foot in any location with high Mafia presence. However, in the book Unfinished Business, he said that he went to New York while working as a consultant on the movie Donnie Brasco and mentions that some people recognized him. Pistone continues to be active as an author and consultant to worldwide law enforcement agencies, including Scotland Yard, and has been called to testify before the United States Senate as an expert on organized crime.

In September 2012, Pistone testified in Montreal, Quebec at the Charbonneau Commission public inquiry into corruption, as an expert witness.

Media
Pistone detailed his undercover experience in his 1988 book Donnie Brasco: My Undercover Life in the Mafia. The book was the basis for the critically acclaimed 1997 film Donnie Brasco, starring Johnny Depp as Pistone and Al Pacino as "Lefty" Ruggiero, and for the short-lived 2000 TV series Falcone, starring Jason Gedrick as Pistone (whose mob alias was changed from "Donnie Brasco" to "Joe Falcone" for copyright reasons). Pistone was a consultant on Donnie Brasco to add authenticity to the fictionalized portrayals and settings. His life was used in an episode of FBI: The Untold Stories.

Pistone revisited his experiences as Donnie Brasco in his books The Way of the Wiseguy (2004) and Donnie Brasco: Unfinished Business(2007). Pistone wrote a novel titled, The Good Guys, with Joseph Bonanno's son, Salvatore "Bill" Bonanno. He has also written several works of fiction such as Deep Cover, Mobbed Up and Snake Eyes. He has served as an executive producer on movies relating to the Mafia, including the 2006 film 10th & Wolf. In 2008, Italian artist Rossella Biscotti interviewed Pistone in her video The Undercover Man. A play based on Donnie Brasco opened at the Pennsylvania Playhouse.

Pistone is featured in the eighth episode of UK history TV channel Yesterday's documentary series Mafia's Greatest Hits. A Secrets of the Dead episode, "Gangland Graveyard," features Pistone and his infiltration of the Mafia as part of the long-running investigation into the murder of three Mafia captains by Massino.

Tuesday, April 5, 2016

04/05 ERIC BRAEDEN, EMMY AWARD-WINNING AND INTERNATIONALLY ACCLAIMED FILM AND TELEVISION ACTOR

Emmy Award-winning and internationally acclaimed film and television actor ERIC BRAEDEN is a television icon and arguably the most popular character in daytime history.  For over 36 plus years, he has portrayed “Victor Newman” on the #1 rated daytime drama series The Young and the Restless, which has over 120,000,000 daily viewers around the world.  The show is syndicated in over 30 foreign countries including Australia, Belgium, Canada, France, Greece, India, Israel, Italy, the Middle East, New Zealand, Romania, Slovenia, South Africa, Switzerland and Turkey.

Additionally, Braeden has one of the highest TVQ’s on television, according to A.C. Nielsen, and is one of the most recognized actors in the world.  On July 20 2007, Braeden was the recipient of a Star on The Hollywood Walk Of Fame and become the first German born actor since Marlene Dietrich to receive such an honor.

In 2008, Braeden executive produced and starred in the Lionsgate feature film The Man Who Came Back, a western set in the 1870’s against one of the worst labor strikes in American History and starred opposite Billy Zane, Armand Assante, George Kennedy, Sean Young, Carol Alt, Jennifer O’Dell, Peter Jason and James Patrick Stuart.

This year marks Braeden’s 51st  year in film and television, where he has starred with such luminaries as Marlon Brando, Bette Davis, Leonardo DiCaprio, Geraldine Page, Burt Reynolds, Dennis Hopper, James Earl Jones, Curt Jurgens, Raquel Welch, Tyne Daly, James Arness, Mary Tyler Moore, Dennis Weaver and Jack Lord among others..

Braeden has also appeared in over 120 television series and feature films.  He starred as Captain Hans Dietrich in the classic ABC primetime series, The Rat Patrol.

Braeden also starred as Charles Forbin in the science fiction classic, Colossus: The Forbin Project, directed by Joe Sargent; and he portrayed John Jacob Astor in James Cameron’s epic Academy Award winner, Titanic.

Braeden’s other credits include starring in 100 Rifles, Morituri, Escape From the Planet Of The Apes, Operation Eichmann, The Ultimate Chase, The Ultimate Thrill, Herbie Goes To Monte Carlo, Meet The Deedles Dayton’s Devils and many others.

Braeden’s numerous primetime series credits include guest-starring on the CBS series How I Met Your Mother as the father of actress Cobie Smulders as well as the telefilms Jackie Collins’ Lady Ice, Lucky Chances, The Judge And Jake Wyler, How The West Was Won and Perry Mason: The Case Of The Wicked Wives.

In addition, he has guest-starred on such shows as Gunsmoke, The Mary Tyler Moore Show, Combat, Diagnosis Murder, The Nanny, Mission Impossible, McCloud, The Night Stalker, The Man From U.N.C.L.E., Vegas,, The Six Million Dollar Man, Hawaii 5-0,  Perry Mason, Mannix, Murder She Wrote, Matt Helm and The Gallant Men.

Braeden was born Hans Gudegast in Kiel, Germany, a port city near the Baltic Sea.  In 1958, he won the German Youth Team Championship in Discus, Javelin and Shot put. In 1959, Braeden immigrated to the United States, working in the University of Texas medical school lab before moving to Missoula, Montana where he received a track and field scholarship at The University of Montana. He went on to conquer the River of No Return (aka The Salmon River) in Idaho and made a documentary of his journey prior to moving to Los Angeles.

In 1972-73 he won the U.S. National Soccer Championship for the Los Angeles Maccabees and, in 1989, Braeden was chosen as the only actor on the newly formed German American Advisory Board. The illustrious group has included Dr. Henry Kissinger, Katherine Graham, Alexander Haig, Steffi Graff and Paul Volcker.

In 1995, Braeden received the highest honor in Italian Television from Prime Minister Berlusconi and in 1998 was honored at the 38th Annual Monte Carlo TV Festival.

In 1998, Braeden received The People’s Choice Award as Favorite Actor in a Daytime Drama Series and in 1998 was the recipient of an Emmy Award as Outstanding Actor In A Daytime Drama Series.
In 2004, Braeden joined Prime Minister Ariel Sharon at the Annual Tourism Conference in Israel and the following year he joined Ariel Sharon, Elie Weisel and the Prime Ministers of Poland and Hungary at Auschwitz for “The March Of The Living” along with 20,0000 Christian and Jews.
Braeden has twice received the Federal Medal Of Honor by the President of Germany for his contributions to German American Relations.

In May 2007, Braeden was honored with a Lifetime Achievement Award from the nationally renowned organization The Pacific Pioneer Broadcasters Association in Los Angeles. Braeden was also the recipient of The 2007 Ellis Island Federal Medal Of Honor.

In September 2008, Braeden was honored by the City Of Hamburg and the Senate of Germany for his humanitarian contributions.

During Braeden’s free time, he is an avid sportsman and plays in celebrity tennis tournaments around the world, while continuing to play soccer.  He also does Olympic weight lifting.

He resides in Los Angeles, and has been married for over 40 years to Dale Gudegast and has a son, Christian Gudegast, who is a screenwriter and director.

Tuesday, March 29, 2016

03/29 ACTRESS NICOLE RODERICK, THE GOOD WIFE

Nicole Roderick plays the role of ‘Nora’ on the CBS Emmy Award winning television show THE GOOD WIFE. Nora’s character is extremely well received and continues to spark conversation around the show.

Nicole recently completed filming an episode of HBO’s newest show “Vinyl”.  Other television appearances include ABC’s hit comedy “Ugly Betty” and ABC’s “All My Children.”

Her film break came when she co-starred in the psychological horror indie feature film “Nightmare”.  The film was picked up by IFC and has become an underground cult sensation. Her performance landed her a Best Actress award and was named Jury Winner at both Austin’s Fantastic Fest and the New York Horror Film Festival.

Nicole began as a model which lead to national commercial campaigns for multiple high profile brands including Bevel eyewear, Uniqlo, Speck, Colgate, TJ Maxx, Kate Spade and Hallmark, to name a few.

Nicole is an animal lover adopting dogs from shelters and has two rescues of her own.

ABOUT THE GOOD WIFE:
FINAL SEASON - SUNDAYS 9/8 CENTRAL
Don't miss the season finale on Sunday, May 10th at 9/8c on CBS.

The Good Wife is an American television legal and political drama television series set in Chicago that premiered on CBS on September 22, 2009. The series was created by Robert King and Michelle King. It stars Julianna Margulies, Christine Baranski, Matt Czuchry, and Alan Cumming, and features Chris Noth in a recurring role. The current executive producers are Ridley Scott, Charles McDougall, and David W. Zucker. It is a heavily serialized show with many story arcs that carry over several episodes and also features stand-alone procedural story lines that are resolved or concluded by the end of each episode. The serial plots have been especially showcased in its highly praised fifth and sixth seasons. This is a rarity among The Good Wife's broadcaster CBS, as most of their shows are procedural.

The series has received critical acclaim. The Good Wife has won numerous prestigious awards, including five Emmys and the 2014 Television Critics Association award for Outstanding Achievement in Drama. The performances of the show's cast have been particularly recognized, with Julianna Margulies' role as Alicia Florrick receiving significant praise. The show has especially received wide acclaim for its insight on social media and the internet in society, politics and law. A seventh season of The Good Wifewas announced on May 11, 2015 and premiered on October 4, 2015 on CBS. CBS announced in a promo aired during Super Bowl 50, on February 7, 2016, that the show is ending with its final episode to air May 8, 2016.

WWW.NICOLERODERICK.COM

Tuesday, March 22, 2016

03/22 ED MARINARO

Ed Marinaro (born March 31, 1950) is an American former football player and actor. In 1971 he finished as a runner up to Pat Sullivan for the Heisman Trophy, and from 2010–2011 starred in the football comedy series, Blue Mountain State.

FOOTBALL CAREER
Marinaro played high school football in New Milford, New Jersey, for the New Milford High School Knights.

Marinaro played college football at Cornell University where he set over 16 NCAA records. He was the first running back in NCAA history to run for 4,000 career rushing yards and led the nation in rushing in both 1970 and 1971.

Marinaro was runner-up to Pat Sullivan for the Heisman Trophy in 1971, the highest finish for an Ivy Leagueplayer since the league de-emphasized football in the mid-1950s. Princeton's Dick Kazmaier won the award in 1951 when the Ivy was still considered a major football conference. Marinaro won the 1971 Maxwell Award and the UPI College Football Player of the Year as the top player in college football. He holds two NCAA records: most rushes per game in a season (39.6 in 1971) and career average carries per game (34.0, 1969–71).

While at Cornell, Marinaro was a member of Psi Upsilon and was selected for membership in the Sphinx Head Society. He went on to play professional football for six seasons with the Minnesota Vikings, New York Jets andSeattle Seahawks, appearing in Super Bowl VIII and Super Bowl IX with the Vikings. He scored 13 touchdowns over his career.

Marinaro was inducted in the College Football Hall of Fame in 1991.

ACTING CAREER
After leaving football, Marinaro became an actor. He has been a cast member on a number of television series, including Laverne & Shirley and Sisters. He joined the regular cast of Hill Street Blues in 1981 playing officer Joe Coffey until 1986. He also appeared in the 2006 film Circus Island.

Marinaro played the head football coach for three seasons on Spike TV's comedy, Blue Mountain State.

In May 2015 Tuff TV, a multicast television network targeted at men, named Marinaro as the diginet’s first celebrity spokesman.

Tuesday, March 15, 2016

03/15 BOBBY RYDELL

Bobby Rydell (born Robert Louis Ridarelli, 26 April 1942, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania) is an American professional singer, mainly of rock and roll music. In the early 1960s he was considered a "teen idol". According to Allmusic music journalist Kim Summers, Rydell, whose interest in show business began at the age of four years, "is one of the most sought-after nightclub and concert acts in the US. His performance in Bye Bye Birdie and his recordings "Wild One" and "Volare" made him a famous performer in the 1960s. Rydell used his talents as an impersonator and drummer mostly in pursuing a musical rather than an acting career.
   
Career
In 1950, Rydell competed on the amateur talent television series, Paul Whiteman's TV Teen Club; his first-place win gained him a regular role with the series. He worked with the Whiteman series for three years, changing his name to Bobby Rydell. He later joined several local bands in Philadelphia.[As a teenage drummer, he played alongside Frankie Avalon in a musical ensemble known as Rocco and the Saints. He later had a recording contract with Cameo Records company, and his debut success was "Kissin' Time", recorded during the summer of 1959. Rydell was considered a "teen idol" along with Frankie Avalon, Pat Boone (on whose program Rydell performed, The Pat Boone Chevy Showroom), Fabian, Johnny Tillotson, Jimmy Clanton and Bobby Vee. In May 1960, Rydell toured Australia with The Everly Brothers, Billy "Crash" Craddock, Marv Johnson, The Champs and The Crickets, recording an Australian version of "Kissin' Time" for the event.

His second success "We Got Love" was his first million-album seller, gaining gold disc status. 1960's "Wild One," backed with "Little Bitty Girl", was his second million-selling single; his successes continued with "Swingin' School" backed with "Ding-a-Ling," and the million-album selling "Volare" later that year. After making his first successful recordings, he continued a solo career, performing at the Copacabana in New York in 1961, where he was the youngest performer to headline at the nightclub. In February 1961 he appeared at the Festival du Rock, at the Palais des Sports de Paris in Paris, France.

Rydell's success and prospects led his father Adrio, foreman at the Electro-Nite Carbon Company in Philadelphia, to resign in 1961 after 22 years to become his son's road manager.
Rydell released the song "Wildwood Days" in 1963. The song is about the shore town of The Wildwoods in New Jersey. His hometown of Philadelphia, also has a four block radius renamed "Bobby Rydell Boulevard" where the entertainer grew up.

In 1963, he played Hugo Peabody in the movie version of Bye Bye Birdie with Ann-Margret and Dick Van Dyke. The original stage production of Bye Bye Birdie had no real speaking role for the character of Hugo, but the movie script was rewritten specifically to expand the part for Rydell. In 2011, Sony Pictures digitally restored this film. Rydell and Ann-Margret were in attendance at the restoration premiere in Beverly Hills by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.
During the 1960s, Rydell had numerous hit records on the Billboard Hot 100 record chart. His recording career earned him 34 Top 40 hits, placing him in the Top 5 artists of his era (Billboard). These included his most popular successes, "Wild One" (his highest scoring single, at number 2), "Volare" (number 4), "Swingin' School" (number 5), "Kissin' Time" (number 11), "Sway" (number 14), "I've Got Bonnie" (number 18) and "The Cha-Cha-Cha" (number 10). His last major chart success was "Forget Him", which reached number 4 on the Hot 100 in January 1964. The song - written by Tony Hatch - was his fifth and final gold disc winner.

During this time, Rydell also performed on many television programs, including the Red Skelton Show where a recurring role was written for him by Red Skelton as Zeke Kadiddlehopper, Clem Kadiddlehopper's younger cousin. He also appeared on the Danny Thomas Show, Jack Benny, Joey Bishop, and George Burns where his love of comedy was able to bloom. Rydell was also a regular on The Milton Berle Show.

On October 6, 1964, he was a guest actor for an episode of the television series, Combat!.
This was Rydell's first dramatic acting role.

In January 1968, it was announced in the UK music magazine, NME, that Rydell had signed a long term recording contract with Reprise Records company.

Rydell continued to perform in nightclubs, supper clubs and Las Vegas venues throughout the 1970s and 1980s, but his career was hampered by Cameo-Parkway catalogue owner ABKCO Records' refusal to reissue Rydell's music, so the entire catalog was unavailable until 2005 (although he re-recorded his old hits in 1995 for K-Tel Records).

Rydell continued to perform as a solo act, and has toured as part of 'The Golden Boys' successful stage production since 1985 (with Frankie Avalon and Fabian). However, Rydell cancelled his 2012 Australia tour because his health had deteriorated significantly, and he was in need of urgent major surgery.

In July 2012, Rydell underwent a double organ transplant to replace his liver and kidneys at Thomas Jefferson University in his hometown of Philadelphia.

Media

In both the Broadway musical drama, Grease and the film, Grease, the high school was named 'Rydell High' after Bobby Rydell.

In 2000 in the book, The Beatles Anthology (pg. 96), Paul McCartney stated: "John (Lennon) and I wrote "She Loves You" together. There was a Bobby Rydell song out at the time and, as often happens, you think of one song when you write another. We’d planned an 'answering song' where a couple of us would sing 'she loves you' and the other ones would answer 'yeah yeah.' We decided that was a crummy idea but at least we then had the idea of a song called "She Loves You." So we sat in the hotel bedroom for a few hours and wrote it— John and I, sitting on twin beds with guitars.”

No Rydell song title is named in The Beatles Anthology pg. 96. But in Bob Spitz's The Beatles: The Biography, the author claims McCartney originally modeled "She Loves You" on an earlier Rydell "answering song" called "Swingin' School," not "Forget Him," as is commonly cited.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bobby_Rydell

Tuesday, March 1, 2016

MARTA DUBOIS – ACTRESS, MENTOR AND COACH FOR YOUNG ACTORS

MARTA DUBOIS – ACTRESS, MENTOR AND COACH FOR YOUNG ACTORS 

Marta is a professional actor and acting coach. She has been teaching in depth Scene Study for a number of years to many aspiring actors in Los Angeles. She is now the Acting Supervisor of Holy Wood Acting Studio.

Marta DuBois (born 15 December 1952; age 63) is the actress who played the impostor Ardra in the Star Trek: The Next Generation fourth season episode "Devil's Due" in 1991.

DuBois was born in David, Panama. She previously co-starred opposite Star Trek: The Motion Picture actor Stephen Collins and TNG guest-star Elizabeth Lindsey in the television series Tales of the Gold Monkey, which lasted only one season, airing from September 1982 through June 1983. She also had a recurring role on Magnum, P.I. and made guest appearances on such series as Hardcastle & McCormick (starring Brian Keith and Daniel Hugh Kelly in the title roles), The A-Team (with Dwight Schultz), L.A. Law (starring Corbin Bernsen and Larry Drake), Silk Stalkings, and Matlock.

She made her film debut with a supporting role in the 1979 drama Boulevard Nights, which also featured the late John Fiedler in the cast. She followed this with roles in the films Dead Badge (1995, with Raymond Cruz, Leland Orser, and James B. Sikking) and Black Out (1996, opposite Brad Dourif, Brad Greenquist, and Jeremy Roberts). DuBois also appeared in the television movies Grace Kelly, opposite Salome Jens and William Schallert, and The Trial of the Incredible Hulk, with John Rhys-Davies.

In 2000, she co-starred with Star Trek: Enterprise star Scott Bakula and Star Trek: Voyager star Robert Beltran in the romantic comedy Luminarias. Between 2005 and 2008, DuBois played Sergeant Roberta Hansen in ten McBride television movies opposite John Larroquette.

More recently, she portrayed Dora in the television western Lone Rider (2008, with Mike Starr, Tom Schanley, and Jimmy Ortega) and had a guest role as Maria Cordero in the Law & Order: Los Angeles episode "Ballona Creek" (2010, with Patrick Fischler, Lisa Kaminir, Leonard Kelly-Young, Saxon Trainor, and Tom Virtue).

Tuesday, February 23, 2016

02/23 JAMES DUMONT

Actor/Producer James DuMont is one of the busiest performers in & out Hollywood, working in both feature films and television.  He stars as J. Parnell Thomas in the autobiographical, Trumbo opposite Bryan Cranston, directed by Jay Roach from Bleecker Street and portrays WB Nowlin in the Hank Williams bio-pic I Saw The Light from Sony Pictures Classics opposite Tom Hiddleston and Midnight Special in a supporting role as the base commander opposite Michael Shannon, Joel Edgerton and Adam Driver directed by Jeff Nichols from Warner Bros.

DuMont's most recent supporting role was as Rayon's father opposite Oscar winner, Jared Leto in Focus Features’ Dallas Buyers Club and in director Lee Daniels’ The Butler, portraying Chief of Staff Sherman Adams opposite Robin Williams’ Dwight D. Eisenhower.  DuMont also appeared in TriStar Pictures’ When the Game Stands Tall with Jim Caviezel and Laura Dern and Corporal Dooley in the James Brown bio-pic, Get On Up, starring Chadwick Boseman.  James can be seen in the indie thriller Catch Hell starring Ryan Phillippe, which is also his directorial debut and Jurassic World.  Mr. DuMont can next be seen in Little Boy starring Emily Watson and Tom Wilkinson from Open Road Pictures and the indie comedy Mind Puppets starring Kevin Pollak & Vinnie Jones.

DuMont  had a supporting role in Barefoot, opposite Evan Rachel Wood & Scott Speedman; Baytown Outlaws, with Billy Bob Thornton and Eva Longoria; and Jean-Claude Van Damme and Scott Adkins' Universal Soldier – Day of Reckoning.

On the small screen, DuMont just completed a guest star role on CSI: New Orleans and had recurring roles as Foster on this season's American Horror Story-Freak Show & Dr. Morrison on America Horror Story-Coven, and the AMC series Halt And Catch Fire. and portrayed Captain Richard La Fouchette on the critically-acclaimed HBO series, Treme, working opposite Oscar-winning actress Melissa Leo. Prior to that, he had a recurring role opposite Ray Romano on TNT’s Men of a Certain Age.

DuMont was recently seen in the Hallmark movie, Remember Sunday on ABC, with Zachary Levi and the Lifetime/History Channel mini-series, Bonnie and Clyde.

After leaving Boston University for New York City, DuMont worked steadily in theater and made his Broadway debut in Six Degrees of Separation (which required nudity for the part). Journalist George Plimpton wrote a piece for Esquire magazine about James and his experience as “the Nudist Buddhist.” After Six Degrees of Separation closed, DuMont performed opposite Mary Louise Parker, Brooke Smith and Sam Robards in Throwing Your Voice, a role that won him a rave review from the New York Times. DuMont then decided to “go nude” once more in the national tour of Six Degrees of Separation.

When that tour ended, DuMont moved to Los Angeles, where he produced award-winning plays and started booking television acting gigs on The George Carlin Show, Lois & Clark, Grey’s Anatomy, Mad Men, Rizzoli and Isles, Harry’s Law and Desperate Housewives.      On the film front, his early feature credits included Speed, S.W.A.T., Catch Me If You Can, War of the Worlds, Seabiscuit and Ocean’s 13.

DuMont, meanwhile had started to produce shorts and features. His short film, The Confession, won 20 of 25 international film festivals with documentary filmmaker Michael Moore calling it “one of the darkest, funniest shorts I have ever seen.”

DuMont also co-produced Statistics, winner of the Audience Award at the Silverlake Film Festival. He also starred in and produced the critically-acclaimed stage production, Serious Games & Morphic Resonance, which won both the L.A. Weekly Award for Best Ensemble and the Los Angeles Times ‘Critic’s Choice Award.’

With over 100 major feature films and television shows under his belt, DuMont’s career is showing no signs of slowing down. He's currently developing feature films with producing partners in New York City, Los Angeles and Louisiana, his own Web Series while revising & adapting his one-man play, My Life as a DJ into a feature film.

Currently living in both Los Angeles and New Orleans, DuMont considers himself to be “Bayou Coastal.”

WWW.JAMESDUMONT.COM