Men Club being sued for Stripper Idol show name
Simon Cowell would much rather be a judge of this competition! FremantleMedia, the corporation that created …American Idol, is suing the owners of the Palazio Men Club in Texas, TMZ.com reports. The suit is over a $500 stripper competition they held called …Stripper Idol. In the lawsuit, filed this week in U.S District Court in Texas, Fremantle claims Palazio competition, which allegedly used Idol name and trademarked logo, has tarnished the singing show good name. Fremantle is looking to strip away the club profits from …S.I. along with collecting on all damages sustained and legal fees accrued from the suit.
‘American Idol’ coming to Disney World
Starry-eyed singers who dream of being discovered — like Carrie Underwood, Jennifer Hudson or Clay Aiken — will have a chance when a new “American Idol” attraction opens in February at Walt Disney World in Orlando.
Or, if singing on stage doesn’t appeal, visitors to the theme park’s new attraction can make like Simon Cowell or Paula Abdul by taking on the role of judge in the live, interactive competition.
The attraction, scheduled to open Feb. 12 at a time when attendance and revenues are down at the Orlando theme park, was announced today in a joint statement by Disney Parks and Resorts and producers/creators of the phenomenally popular “American Idol” TV show, Fremantle Media Licensing and 19 Entertainment.
More Idol Headlines after the JUMP…
Simon Cowell Interview, Part I
Simon Cowell was kind enough to do a round-table interview with a bunch of journalists and bloggers by phone yesterday. He was funny and delightful, I really enjoyed it. I’ve got the first part of the interview edited and formatted for you guys today.
Simon Cowell Interview Part II
A number of idol this year were nominated for Grammy ‘ Jennifer Hudson, Carrie, Fantasia. I was wondering your thoughts on that. Obviously, you must be proud.
You know what? I absolutely love it when that happens ‘ (a) because they deserve it and (b) I was referring to this earlier on: There so much snobbery in the music business about what we do on these shows and I know how upset they all get, so I think it fantastic.
‘Rock of Ages’ locks Broadway run
“Rock of Ages, ” the Off Broadway tuner that draws its score from a variety of 1980s rock hits, will jump to Broadway in the spring with a reduced pricing plan and in-seat cocktail service.
Show will sit out the industrywide January doldrums by shuttering at Off Broadway’s New World Stages Jan. 4, then begin Rialto perfs at the Brooks Atkinson Theater in March.
As many producers tout discounted tickets to encourage legit biz in what’s shaping up to be a particularly chilly winter, “Rock” arrives on Broadway with lower-than-usual pricetags already in place.
Tickets for the Rialto incarnation of the tuner will range from $46.50 to $99, with a top ticket price of $89 on weeknights and $99 for weekend perfs. (Most musicals on the Main Stem top out at around $120; “Billy Elliot” stretches up to $135.)
CD Sales Coldest Winter: December Numbers Plummeting
As is becoming an annual winter tradition, CD sales are having yet another icy December, with sales down 21.7 percent compared to the first week of December 2007. It hard to blame this year slate of releases, as the Top 10 albums are selling better than their counterparts last year. So what to blame? Most likely the recession: iPods and Wiis arent selling out like in previous years, either.
“12 Days of UNICEF” Encourages Americans to Give Gifts that Give Back This Holiday Season
New York, NY (PRWEB) December 19, 2008 — The U.S. Fund for UNICEF announced today “12 Days of UNICEF, ” a blogging campaign to encourage Americans to give back this holiday season with Inspired Gifts. Beginning December 19 and running through December 31, UNICEF celebrity Ambassadors and Supporters, including Lucy Liu and Clay Aiken, will post daily blogs on the UNICEF website at http://fieldnotes.unicefusa.org about Inspired Gifts and their impact on children around the world.
Carrie Underwood Looks Toward New Album
With Carrie Underwood Carnival Ride Tour completed this year, she beginning to focus on the third album of her career.
She goes into it with the knowledge that the audience is interested in seeing what she able to create. Carrie debut album, Some Hearts, has been certified for shipments of 7 million copies. Her sophomore project, Carnival Ride, is double-platinum.
“I’m a lot more comfortable with the process, ” she told the Associated Press. “I have two good albums under my belt, and now I can focus on what I really want to do and say.”
Carrie wrote three of the hits from Carnival Ride ‘ “So Small, ” “All-American Girl” and “Last Name” ‘ a development she considers a bonus to her career.
Photo: Carrie Underwood performs at the Grand Ole Opry
Oklahoma native Carrie Underwood finished her busy touring schedule for 2008 Tuesday night when she performed at the Grand Ole Opry.
In this photo provided by the Opry, Underwood and fellow Opry member Martina McBride and Carrie Underwood perform …Rockin Around The Christmas Tree along with special guest Julianne Hough, who was also making her Opry debut.
This performance and more can be seen during …Opry Live at 8 p.m. Saturday on GAC (Great American Country) cable network.
MarVista Presenting New Thrillers at NATPE
Headlining MarVista Entertainment’s slate for NATPE are the thrillers Reflections, Special Delivery and The Watch, as well as a diverse lineup of family movies, comedies and animated features.
American Idol’s Justin Guarini stars in the romantic feature Fast Girl, about a young woman from a small town whose goal is to follow in the footsteps of her late father and become a professional racecar driver.
Review: KISS 108 FM Jingle Ball 2008 keeps rollin along
Due to an unfortunate bout of commuter exodus traffic, my companion and I arrived at the Tsongas Arena too late to catch opener Lady Gaga. Instead, we were treated to the menthol-cool vocal styling of David Archuleta, 17, a former American Idol runner-up. I was quite proud of myself for knowing this small slice of sonic trivia, though less so for legitimately enjoying his performance of current single, “Crush.” Evidently, I was not alone: everywhere screaming throngs of suburban teenage girls paid tribute to their inoffensive, non-threatening teen idol by cloaking themselves in matching sets of jean skirts, purple leggings, oversized UGG boots and David Archuleta t-shirts. Scarier? Their moms were dressed the same way.
‘No outstanding UK dancers’
Nigel Lythgoe has spoken out about the lack of impressive dancers in the UK.
The American Idol producer is preparing to launch his new reality dance competition, Superstars Of Dance, which sees masters of various dance genres from around the world compete against each other. But the UK is a noticeable absence in the line-up.
“There aren’t really any outstanding dance groups that I know of at the moment that could compete in. I’m sure that’ll change and I’d love it to see it change, but not at this moment in time, in the short amount of time we had to get this together.”
Paula’s cheer-tacular special: 5 reasons to be psyched
MTV’s upcoming Rah! Paula Abdul’s Cheerleading Bowl had me at Rah! (It’s possible that my initial excitement ‘ fueled by passionately fond memories of Bring It On and Lifetime’s underappreciated reality series Cheerleader Nation ‘ was so intense that I promised to forsake all other television shows for just this one 90-minute special on Jan. 3.) But now, having recently discussed the matter with the former Laker girl herself, I will go out on a limb and say it: I truly believe it will, in fact, deliver on the promise of its name. Just a few of the reasons to watch:
The TV Guide Network Finds a Buyer
Macrovision, the owner of TV Guide, has found a buyer for its utilitarian television network of program listings. And the buyer says the network iconic scroll will eventually stop, a consequence of viewers preference for on-screen and online guides.
The television producer Allen Shapiro and a private equity firm, One Equity Partners, have agreed to purchase the channel and the TV Guide Web site for about $300 million, Macrovision announced Thursday. Macrovision, which acquired Gemstar-TV Guide in May, recently sold the TV Guide magazine to another private equity group, OpenGate Capital, for a symbolic selling price of $1.
Hallelujah set to be a Christmas No 1 and 2
If the fans behind an audacious internet download campaign get their way, the 74-year-old Canadian could find his 1984 anthem Hallelujah making chart history by becoming the first song to hit the top two slots at the same time.
And second place is almost within the posthumous grasp of Jeff Buckley. The American singer-songwriter, who drowned in 1997, recorded what some believe to be the definitive version of Cohen’s Old Testament-informed love song for his 1994 album Grace.
Such is the awe in which Buckley’s cover is held that horrified fans from all over the world embarked on a campaign to get it to No 1 as soon as it emerged that Hallelujah would be released as a single by the X Factor winner.
Lance Bass: DWTS Tour Bus ‹Much Better Than ‹N Sync
The Dancing With the Stars tour kicked off in San Diego Wednesday night and Lance Bass couldnt be happier.
Bass, who toured for a number of years with ‹N Sync, tells PEOPLE his favorite part of being on the road is living on a bus.
…I love, love riding on a tour bus, sleeping on a tour bus. Im more comfortable on my tour bus than I am in my actual home. The buses are so comfortable ‘ much better than when I was on the road with ‹N Sync, he says.
Something fans catching the show will love are new costumes and fresh performances by the stars and the pro dancers.
Dancing Stars live!
Cheryl Burke and the Dancing with the Stars tour kicked off in San Diego. SheKnows was in the middle of the live Dancing with the Stars action.
Dancing with the Stars tour hits the roadHost Tom Bergeron and Samantha Harris welcomed the audiences via the three enormous video screens. Then, led by Burke, the entire Dancing with the Stars tour cast strutted on stage to thunderous applause. After the first number, Lance Bass took the microphone and set the tone for the evening in terms of emcee duties.
Toni Braxton and her partner, Maksim Chmerkovskiy, dazzled to Santana Smooth. Braxton and Maksim entertained the thousands with Dancing with the Stars moves seen in living rooms all fall that were now live and in person.
ETA:
VH1 Maintains Its Sobriety with ‘Celebrity Rehab Presents Sober House’
“Celebrity Rehab Presents Sober House” Premieres Thursday, January 15 at 10pm*
VH1.com To Sneak Peek The First Episode Beginning Friday, January 9
NEW YORK, Dec. 19 /PRNewswire/ — At the end of the first season of VH1’s “Celebrity Rehab With Dr. Drew, ” each cast member was given the opportunity to spend three months living in a sober house as they transitioned from a rehab facility to the real world and many of them quietly took advantage of the opportunity. The cast from season two are also being given that same opportunity … and this time it will be filmed.
“Celebrity Rehab Presents Sober House” is an eight-episode, one hour series that is set to premiere on Thursday, January 15 at 10pm*. Moving into the Sober House will be Rodney King, Nikki McKibbin, Steven Adler and Amber Smith from Season 2 of Celebrity Rehab, Seth “Shifty” Binzer and Mary Carey from Season 1 and comedian Andy Dick who will join the show a few episodes in.
