NEW YORK (Billboard) – Paul Simon and Art Garfunkel joined forces for a surprise reunion in New York on Friday, performing three songs during the encore of Simon's show at the newly renovated Beacon Theater.
The occasional adversaries dueted on "The Sound of Silence," "The Boxer" and "Old Friends," in what is believed to be just their third appearance together since concluding a 2004 reunion tour. Garfunkel had flown in from Florida, where he played in Key Largo the night before, and he returned to play in Fort Pierce the next night.
The reunion added extra glitz to an evening attended by celebrities such as New York mayor Michael Bloomberg, Paul McCartney, Jon Bon Jovi and Jimmy Fallon, and showcased the Beacon's refurbished interior and new sound system.
Simon played an eclectic two-set show, drawing equally from classics such as "Me and Julio Down by the Schoolyard," "Slip Slidin' Away" and "Graceland" as he did songs from his ill-fated Broadway musical "The Capeman" and newer material such as "Father and Daughter" and "Amulet," a collaboration with Brazilian vocalist Luciana Souza.
Also featured were off-the-beaten-path cuts such as "Duncan," which hearkened back to Simon's folk roots, "Train in the Distance," from the critically maligned 1983 album "Hearts & Bones," and "Loves Me Like a Rock," a 1973 precursor to Simon's future dabbling in African music.
Simon also performed at the Beacon on Saturday.
Sunday, February 15, 2009
Tuesday, February 10, 2009
Suspended Animation - News Release
They’re not toying with your affections in Pauls Valley. Well, actually, they are, but that’s entirely appropriate for the exciting celebration of the first anniversary of the world’s only Toy and Action Figure Museum (TAFM) and the Oklahoma Cartoonists Collection it houses.
On Saturday, October 14th, the celebration begins with free admission to the museum from 10am to 5pm. There will be free toy give-aways every hour at TAFM, several Pauls Valley merchants will also be giving away toys, and many Oklahoma cartoonists will be autographing their work. Those attending at this time include Jack and Carole Bender, who produce the comic strip Alley Oop, and writers Michael Vance and R. A. Jones, who have worked for more than a dozen comics publishers. More are expected to attend and sign.
There certainly is a lot to celebrate. More than 15,000 tourists have already visited the museum, it was chosen as the 2006 Outstanding New Tourist Attraction by the Oklahoma Tourism Department, it has been featured in dozens of newspaper and magazine articles and on television across the state, and the Oklahoma Centennial Commission has chosen it as an official Oklahoma Centennial Exhibit! And if 10,000 action figures and toys, comic books, Sunday comic strips, original comic book and strip art, and more, aren’t enough to bring out the kid in you, how about dinner!
TAFM will also host a fund-raising dinner from 7:00 pm to 9:00 pm at the museum including a presentation of an overview of the museum’s first year, and a look at future plans. David Toth, the museum’s manager, will present an award to the Volunteer of the Year. Two new toy-lines will be inducted into the Action Figure Hall of Fame, as well as an action figure Sculptor of the Year, and writer Michael Vance will induct six Oklahomans into the Oklahoma Cartoonists Hall of Fame. These inductees include Chester Gould, Bill Mauldin, Clarence Allen, Dick Locher, Ric Estrada, and R. A. Jones.
Cheater Gould was born in Pawnee, Oklahoma, and produced his first professional work for a Tulsa newspaper. His Dick Tracy was one of the most popular comic strips in history. At its peak, Tracy was enjoyed for decades by hundreds and hundreds of millions of readers worldwide, and was featured in movie serials, toys, comic books, books, television cartoons, and as a feature length motion picture. Among his many accolades, Gould won the highest honor possible from his peers, the Reuben Award. Tracy debuted on Oct 4th, 1931, and celebrates its 75th ‘birthday’ this year.
Bill Mauldin was the best know cartoonist on earth during WWII. His first cartoons were published in the Daily Oklahoman, and were republished in hard and soft cover books after the war. He joined the St. Louis Post-Dispatch newspaper in 1958 as their editorial cartoonist, and won two Pulitzer Prizes during his illustrious career. Featured in countless magazine like Life and Sports Illustrated, and having appeared in movies and television, few cartoonists have matched his popularity and success in the worlds most popular artform, comics.
Clarence Allen was one of the earliest editorial cartoonists in Oklahoma. His work was published in the Tulsa World and Tulsa Tribune newspapers starting in 1929 where he served as an artist, art director, and editorial cartoonist. Allen also illustrated a book by Houdini, worked on Mutt and Jeff animated cartoons, as an extra in movies, and created posters for Columbia Pictures. He created architectural designs, Christmas cards for movie stars, published several books, and painted many murals around Tulsa. Allen won ten Freedom Foundation awards during his long career.
Artist Dick Locher is an Oklahoma Cartoonists Collection Associate because of his work with Chester Gould. He has drawn Dick Tracy since 1983, and is a Pulitzer Prize winning writer and artist whose editorial cartoons are published in the Chicago Tribune newspaper. His work has been featured in hundreds of newspapers worldwide, and in Time, Life, Newsweek, and many other magazines. Locher also won a Reuben award from the National Cartoonists Association.
Artist Ric Estrada is an Oklahoma Cartoonists Collection Associate because of his work with Oklahoma writer E. Nelson Bridwell in Creepy magazine. He has drawn everything from ‘50s war comics to Wonder Woman during his amazing career. With comics legend and Oklahoma Associate Wally Wood, Estrada helped revive the historically important All-Star Comics title that originated superhero teams, drew Batman and Superman, and worked on He-Man cartoons in the 1980s.
Tulsa writer R.A. Jones has created many of his own characters for comic books, including Scimidar, The Protectors, and Dark Wolf. He has also written extensively for many major comics publishers including Marvel and DC Comics on titles including Bulletproof Monk, Wolverine/Captain American: The Contingency, Metal Hurlant and Weapon X. First establishing himself as a popular reviewer, Jones has written a column for a Tulsa newspaper, and co-authored a book on the history of comics with Michael Vance.
On Saturday, October 14th, the celebration begins with free admission to the museum from 10am to 5pm. There will be free toy give-aways every hour at TAFM, several Pauls Valley merchants will also be giving away toys, and many Oklahoma cartoonists will be autographing their work. Those attending at this time include Jack and Carole Bender, who produce the comic strip Alley Oop, and writers Michael Vance and R. A. Jones, who have worked for more than a dozen comics publishers. More are expected to attend and sign.
There certainly is a lot to celebrate. More than 15,000 tourists have already visited the museum, it was chosen as the 2006 Outstanding New Tourist Attraction by the Oklahoma Tourism Department, it has been featured in dozens of newspaper and magazine articles and on television across the state, and the Oklahoma Centennial Commission has chosen it as an official Oklahoma Centennial Exhibit! And if 10,000 action figures and toys, comic books, Sunday comic strips, original comic book and strip art, and more, aren’t enough to bring out the kid in you, how about dinner!
TAFM will also host a fund-raising dinner from 7:00 pm to 9:00 pm at the museum including a presentation of an overview of the museum’s first year, and a look at future plans. David Toth, the museum’s manager, will present an award to the Volunteer of the Year. Two new toy-lines will be inducted into the Action Figure Hall of Fame, as well as an action figure Sculptor of the Year, and writer Michael Vance will induct six Oklahomans into the Oklahoma Cartoonists Hall of Fame. These inductees include Chester Gould, Bill Mauldin, Clarence Allen, Dick Locher, Ric Estrada, and R. A. Jones.
Cheater Gould was born in Pawnee, Oklahoma, and produced his first professional work for a Tulsa newspaper. His Dick Tracy was one of the most popular comic strips in history. At its peak, Tracy was enjoyed for decades by hundreds and hundreds of millions of readers worldwide, and was featured in movie serials, toys, comic books, books, television cartoons, and as a feature length motion picture. Among his many accolades, Gould won the highest honor possible from his peers, the Reuben Award. Tracy debuted on Oct 4th, 1931, and celebrates its 75th ‘birthday’ this year.
Bill Mauldin was the best know cartoonist on earth during WWII. His first cartoons were published in the Daily Oklahoman, and were republished in hard and soft cover books after the war. He joined the St. Louis Post-Dispatch newspaper in 1958 as their editorial cartoonist, and won two Pulitzer Prizes during his illustrious career. Featured in countless magazine like Life and Sports Illustrated, and having appeared in movies and television, few cartoonists have matched his popularity and success in the worlds most popular artform, comics.
Clarence Allen was one of the earliest editorial cartoonists in Oklahoma. His work was published in the Tulsa World and Tulsa Tribune newspapers starting in 1929 where he served as an artist, art director, and editorial cartoonist. Allen also illustrated a book by Houdini, worked on Mutt and Jeff animated cartoons, as an extra in movies, and created posters for Columbia Pictures. He created architectural designs, Christmas cards for movie stars, published several books, and painted many murals around Tulsa. Allen won ten Freedom Foundation awards during his long career.
Artist Dick Locher is an Oklahoma Cartoonists Collection Associate because of his work with Chester Gould. He has drawn Dick Tracy since 1983, and is a Pulitzer Prize winning writer and artist whose editorial cartoons are published in the Chicago Tribune newspaper. His work has been featured in hundreds of newspapers worldwide, and in Time, Life, Newsweek, and many other magazines. Locher also won a Reuben award from the National Cartoonists Association.
Artist Ric Estrada is an Oklahoma Cartoonists Collection Associate because of his work with Oklahoma writer E. Nelson Bridwell in Creepy magazine. He has drawn everything from ‘50s war comics to Wonder Woman during his amazing career. With comics legend and Oklahoma Associate Wally Wood, Estrada helped revive the historically important All-Star Comics title that originated superhero teams, drew Batman and Superman, and worked on He-Man cartoons in the 1980s.
Tulsa writer R.A. Jones has created many of his own characters for comic books, including Scimidar, The Protectors, and Dark Wolf. He has also written extensively for many major comics publishers including Marvel and DC Comics on titles including Bulletproof Monk, Wolverine/Captain American: The Contingency, Metal Hurlant and Weapon X. First establishing himself as a popular reviewer, Jones has written a column for a Tulsa newspaper, and co-authored a book on the history of comics with Michael Vance.
Flight 1549 crew gets laughs on 'Letterman'
NEW YORK – He has gotten a phone call from the president, a key to New York City and a standing ovation at a Broadway show. Now the pilot who safely landed his crippled jetliner in the Hudson River has gotten another all-American tribute — some ribbing from David Letterman.
Capt. Chesley "Sully" Sullenberger and his fellow crew members from US Airways Flight 1549 appeared Tuesday on the "Late Show with David Letterman" and retold the dramatic story of the Jan. 15 flight — this time, with plenty of laughs.
An example, according to the show's transcript: Letterman mentioned a passenger who opened a door in the rear of the plane, letting in water from the near-freezing river until it was closed again. Sullenberger jokingly replied, "I think it was Steve Martin who did that," referring to the comedian.
And when the host asked whether the Airbus A320 was designed to float, Sullenberger deadpanned, "We were very glad that this one remained intact and did."
The captain even addressed his now-ubiquitous nickname: "With a name like Chesley, Sully is just going to have to happen."
Sullenberger's crew mates generated several chuckles of their own, as when Letterman marveled at the plane's passage 1,000 feet over the George Washington Bridge minutes after birds apparently flew into and disabled both the aircraft's engines.
"It's better than zero feet," first officer and co-pilot Jeff Skiles said.
On a serious note, Sullenberger said the crew members have experienced some trouble sleeping, distractedness and flashbacks.
"You know, each of us, all five of us, have experienced some of those typical symptoms. It's just human nature," said Sullenberger, who was joined as well by flight attendants Sheila Dail, Donna Dent and Doreen Welsh.
Asked whether she was in shock after the emergency landing and safe rescue of all 155 people aboard, Welsh said, "Still in shock, I think — I mean, I'm on the David Letterman show."
Monkeys hit Europe
Monkeys hit Europe
Arctic Monkeys have expanded their summer touring schedule, adding a series of European festival shows.
Alex Turner and co, who recently played comeback gigs in New Zealand and Australia, are thought to be nearing the completion of their new album.
The follow-up to Favourite Worst Nightmare" is set for release later this year and is expected to coincide with a series of live dates.
The band today revealed plans to appear at the Beatday Festival in Denmark, Highfield in Germany, Oya in Norway and Lowlands in Holland, during August.
Arctic Monkeys are yet to confirm any summer concerts in the UK.
He's Just Not That Into You
A hard-line advice guy falls for a woman who seeks him out because she can't figure out the men in her life.
Also Known As:
He Is Just Not That Into You
Just Not That Into You
Production Status: In Production/Awaiting Release
Genres: Comedy and Adaptation
Release Date: February 6th, 2009 (wide)
MPAA Rating: PG-13 for sexual content and brief strong language.
Distributors:
Warner Bros. Pictures Distribution
Production Co.:
Flower Films
Studios:
New Line Cinema
Filming Locations:
Los Angeles, California USA
Baltimore, Maryland USA
Produced in: United States
Mandy Moore Pulls the Plug on Mblem Line
Not making the cut in the ultra-competitive world of fashion, Mandy Moore is saying goodbye to her contemporary clothing line.
Worn by the singer-actress-designer herself, Miss Moore has decided to pull the plug on the line Mblem, which was initially launched in 2005.
Not making the cut in the ultra-competitive world of fashion, Mandy Moore is saying goodbye to her contemporary clothing line.
Worn by the singer-actress-designer herself, Miss Moore has decided to pull the plug on the line Mblem, which was initially launched in 2005.
Nonetheless, the “A Walk to Remember” actress is still hoping a future in fashion will occur again. “I love the fashion world. I’m fascinated by it. I’m humbled by it. If I were to dip my toe back in there, it would have to be the right situation….great partnership that could represent a true reflection of me and my ideas and you know that wasn’t happening,” she told WWD.
“So next go round, that needs to be top of the list,” Mandy referring to being more involved, adding that she’s now focusing on music and will be releasing Amanda Leight, A 70’s inspired pop album on May 26.
Mira Sorvino
Date of Birth
28 September 1967, Tenafly, New Jersey, USA
Birth Name
Mira Katherine Sorvino
Height
5′ 10″ (1.78 m)
Mini Biography
Mira Sorvino was born in Tenafly, an affluent northern New Jersey suburb, in 1967. She is the daughter of veteran character actor Paul Sorvino, who discouraged her from becoming an actor, as he knew how the industry often chews up young stars. The young Sorvino was intelligent, an avid reader and an exceptional scholar. She attended Harvard, majoring in Chinese, graduating magna cum laude in 1989, largely on the strength of her thesis, a Hoopes Prize-winning thesis on racial conflict in China, written and researched during the year spent in Beijing, which helped her fluency in Mandarin Chinese.
However, she showed interest in a career in acting from an early age, and moved to New York City to try her hand in the City’s film industry, waitressing, auditioning and working at the Tribeca production company of Robert De Niro. She succeeded in getting a little TV work in the early 90s, but got her first film job in the independent gangster movie Amongst Friends (1993), on which she worked her way up the ladder behind the camera to eventually associate-produce the film, and, more importantly, was eventually cast as the female lead. The movie was forgettable, but Sorvino’s performance was not, and attracted enough buzz to get her cast in two more movies, one a more prominent indie, Barcelona (1994), the other her first Hollywood feature, Quiz Show (1994), and her skillful performances brought her yet more attention.
An exceptionally poised and articulate young woman, she may have seemed inappropriate to play a loopy hooker, but Woody Allen took the chance, and her magnificent performance as the female lead in his Mighty Aphrodite (1995) proved her range as a performer and earned her an Oscar (at the tender age of 29) for best supporting actress.
Since winning the Oscar, Sorvino has continued to take a wide range of roles, including another stretch as Marilyn Monroe in Norma Jean & Marilyn (1996) (TV), co-starring with another very intelligent and skilled young actress, Ashley Judd. Forays into action and horror, such as 1997’s Mimic (1997) and 1998’s The Replacement Killers (1998) show that Sorvino is not above being playful in the film roles she chooses.
However, what forever cemented her role in popular culture was her performance as charmingly dopey California beach girl Romy in Romy and Michele’s High School Reunion (1997), in which she and co-star Lisa Kudrow utter one hilarious absurdity after another.
Sorvino married Christopher Backus in June 2004, and the couple had daughter Mattea in November 2004.
IMDb Mini Biography By: Larry-115
Spouse
Christopher Backus (11 June 2004 - present) 2 children
Trivia
Graduated magna cum laude from Harvard University in 1989, with a BA in Chinese (East Asian Languages and Civilizations). Her honors thesis: “Anti-Africanism in the People’s Republic of China” about the Nanjing Anti-African protests, which won the Harvard Hoopes Prize for writing.
Dated Olivier Martinez. [1999-2002]
Dated Quentin Tarantino. [1996 - February 1998]
Chosen by People (USA) magazine as one of the 50 most beautiful people in the world [1996]
Speaks fluent Mandarin Chinese.
Attended Dwight Englewood High School in Englewood, New Jersey.
Is fluent in French.
Measurements: 34 1/2-24-35 (Source: Celebrity Sleuth magazine)
She has a beautiful singing voice. While an undergraduate at Harvard, she appeared as Dulcinea in a 1986 student production of “Man of La Mancha” at the Loeb Experimental Theatre. The show was directed by Peter Sagal. Unfortunately, she came down with a cold during the one week the show ran, and performed with a mug of tea in hand.
Parents are Lorraine Davis and Paul Sorvino.
Has a brother named Michael Sorvino and a sister named Amanda Sorvino.
Childhood friend of Hope Davis; they performed plays for the neighbors.
Was a founding member of the Harvard-Radcliffe Veritones, Harvard’s premier co-ed a cappella group. [1985]
Married actor Christopher Backus on June 11th 2004 in a civil service in Santa Monica and then had their formal ceremony on the island of Capri in Italy since Mira is Italian and this was to honor her Italian roots. She wore a gown designed by Giorgio Armani.
Met her husband when he waited on her at a restaurant called Sur Restaurant & Grill in West Hollywood. [Spring 2003]
Gave birth to daughter Mattea Angel, with husband Christopher Backus, on November 3, 2004 in Los Angeles.
Member of jury at the Cannes Film Festival in 1997.
Second child, son Johnny Christopher King, born 29 May 2006 at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, California. He weighed in at 7 lbs. 14 oz. and was 21 inches long.
She and her husband, Christopher Backus, have both guest-starred on the TV-show “Will & Grace” (1998), though not in the same episode.
Made her acting debut on an episode of “Law & Order” (1990) (which at that time starred her father, Paul Sorvino). Although her scene was cut, she still earned a Screen Actors Guild Card for her trouble.
According to Larry Cohen on the DVD commentary for The Stuff (1985), Mira Sorvino came to the set of the film to visit her father, Paul Sorvino, and was given a small part in the film. She plays one of the yellow suited “stuffies” at the plant her father’s character attacks. Larry Cohen had forgotten Sorvino appeared in the film until he was talking with her and Quentin Tarantino, whom she was dating, and mentioned that he had directed her father in the film. Mira then reminded Cohen that she actually appeared in the film.
Auditioned for the role of Dorothy Boyd in Jerry Maguire (1996).
Mentioned in theme song in The Adventures of George the Projectionist (2006).
Personal Quotes
“There’s a side of my personality that goes completely against the East Coast educated person and wants to be a pin-up girl in garages across America…there’s a side that wants to wear the pink angora bikini!”
Date of Birth
28 September 1967, Tenafly, New Jersey, USA
Birth Name
Mira Katherine Sorvino
Height
5′ 10″ (1.78 m)
Mini Biography
Mira Sorvino was born in Tenafly, an affluent northern New Jersey suburb, in 1967. She is the daughter of veteran character actor Paul Sorvino, who discouraged her from becoming an actor, as he knew how the industry often chews up young stars. The young Sorvino was intelligent, an avid reader and an exceptional scholar. She attended Harvard, majoring in Chinese, graduating magna cum laude in 1989, largely on the strength of her thesis, a Hoopes Prize-winning thesis on racial conflict in China, written and researched during the year spent in Beijing, which helped her fluency in Mandarin Chinese.
However, she showed interest in a career in acting from an early age, and moved to New York City to try her hand in the City’s film industry, waitressing, auditioning and working at the Tribeca production company of Robert De Niro. She succeeded in getting a little TV work in the early 90s, but got her first film job in the independent gangster movie Amongst Friends (1993), on which she worked her way up the ladder behind the camera to eventually associate-produce the film, and, more importantly, was eventually cast as the female lead. The movie was forgettable, but Sorvino’s performance was not, and attracted enough buzz to get her cast in two more movies, one a more prominent indie, Barcelona (1994), the other her first Hollywood feature, Quiz Show (1994), and her skillful performances brought her yet more attention.
An exceptionally poised and articulate young woman, she may have seemed inappropriate to play a loopy hooker, but Woody Allen took the chance, and her magnificent performance as the female lead in his Mighty Aphrodite (1995) proved her range as a performer and earned her an Oscar (at the tender age of 29) for best supporting actress.
Since winning the Oscar, Sorvino has continued to take a wide range of roles, including another stretch as Marilyn Monroe in Norma Jean & Marilyn (1996) (TV), co-starring with another very intelligent and skilled young actress, Ashley Judd. Forays into action and horror, such as 1997’s Mimic (1997) and 1998’s The Replacement Killers (1998) show that Sorvino is not above being playful in the film roles she chooses.
However, what forever cemented her role in popular culture was her performance as charmingly dopey California beach girl Romy in Romy and Michele’s High School Reunion (1997), in which she and co-star Lisa Kudrow utter one hilarious absurdity after another.
Sorvino married Christopher Backus in June 2004, and the couple had daughter Mattea in November 2004.
IMDb Mini Biography By: Larry-115
Spouse
Christopher Backus (11 June 2004 - present) 2 children
Trivia
Graduated magna cum laude from Harvard University in 1989, with a BA in Chinese (East Asian Languages and Civilizations). Her honors thesis: “Anti-Africanism in the People’s Republic of China” about the Nanjing Anti-African protests, which won the Harvard Hoopes Prize for writing.
Dated Olivier Martinez. [1999-2002]
Dated Quentin Tarantino. [1996 - February 1998]
Chosen by People (USA) magazine as one of the 50 most beautiful people in the world [1996]
Speaks fluent Mandarin Chinese.
Attended Dwight Englewood High School in Englewood, New Jersey.
Is fluent in French.
Measurements: 34 1/2-24-35 (Source: Celebrity Sleuth magazine)
She has a beautiful singing voice. While an undergraduate at Harvard, she appeared as Dulcinea in a 1986 student production of “Man of La Mancha” at the Loeb Experimental Theatre. The show was directed by Peter Sagal. Unfortunately, she came down with a cold during the one week the show ran, and performed with a mug of tea in hand.
Parents are Lorraine Davis and Paul Sorvino.
Has a brother named Michael Sorvino and a sister named Amanda Sorvino.
Childhood friend of Hope Davis; they performed plays for the neighbors.
Was a founding member of the Harvard-Radcliffe Veritones, Harvard’s premier co-ed a cappella group. [1985]
Married actor Christopher Backus on June 11th 2004 in a civil service in Santa Monica and then had their formal ceremony on the island of Capri in Italy since Mira is Italian and this was to honor her Italian roots. She wore a gown designed by Giorgio Armani.
Met her husband when he waited on her at a restaurant called Sur Restaurant & Grill in West Hollywood. [Spring 2003]
Gave birth to daughter Mattea Angel, with husband Christopher Backus, on November 3, 2004 in Los Angeles.
Member of jury at the Cannes Film Festival in 1997.
Second child, son Johnny Christopher King, born 29 May 2006 at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, California. He weighed in at 7 lbs. 14 oz. and was 21 inches long.
She and her husband, Christopher Backus, have both guest-starred on the TV-show “Will & Grace” (1998), though not in the same episode.
Made her acting debut on an episode of “Law & Order” (1990) (which at that time starred her father, Paul Sorvino). Although her scene was cut, she still earned a Screen Actors Guild Card for her trouble.
According to Larry Cohen on the DVD commentary for The Stuff (1985), Mira Sorvino came to the set of the film to visit her father, Paul Sorvino, and was given a small part in the film. She plays one of the yellow suited “stuffies” at the plant her father’s character attacks. Larry Cohen had forgotten Sorvino appeared in the film until he was talking with her and Quentin Tarantino, whom she was dating, and mentioned that he had directed her father in the film. Mira then reminded Cohen that she actually appeared in the film.
Auditioned for the role of Dorothy Boyd in Jerry Maguire (1996).
Mentioned in theme song in The Adventures of George the Projectionist (2006).
Personal Quotes
“There’s a side of my personality that goes completely against the East Coast educated person and wants to be a pin-up girl in garages across America…there’s a side that wants to wear the pink angora bikini!” NAUGHTY
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