News
1. `No, No, Nanette' giddily celebrates 1920s musical theater
By MICHAEL KUCHWARA - May 9, 2008
NEW YORK -- "No, No, Nanette" is one of those Broadway musicals that is the perfect combination of tap and tune -- catchy songs and dance numbers guaranteed to get an audience giddy.It did in 1925, then again in 1971 and now, 37 years later, that fizzy feeling is back,...
2. Rapper DMX arrested for drugs, animal cruelty
By BOB CHRISTIE - May 9, 2008
PHOENIX -- DMX was arrested on drug and animal-cruelty charges following an overnight raid on the rapper's house Friday, authorities said.The 37-year-old rapper, whose given name is Earl Simmons, initially tried to barricade himself in his bedroom but emerged when a SWAT...
3. Mary J. Blige starts foundation to help women with careers
By Associated Press - May 9, 2008
YONKERS, N.Y. -- The queen of hip-hop soul is establishing a foundation to help women develop careers and gain self-confidence.Mary J. Blige and Steve Stoute, who founded a youth-oriented brand consulting firm, say they're setting up the Foundation for the Advancement of...
4. Fans flocking to see 'Sex and the City' _ in the city
By SAMANTHA GROSS - May 9, 2008
NEW YORK -- Forget the Empire State Building. Some New York tourists are eager to see the city's other landmarks: Carrie's stoop, Charlotte's gallery and that restaurant where Samantha threw a martini in a boyfriend's face.Fans of "Sex and the City" have long arrived...
5. Glenn Close's best-known roles belie love of dogs
By JERRY HARKAVY - May 9, 2008
PORTLAND, Maine -- Glenn Close's signature characters have boiled a bunny, plotted the skinning of Dalmatian puppies and, more recently, helped arrange the killing of a pet dog to leverage a balky witness.She suggests that her new business venture is a form of...
6. Correction: Missing Violin story
By Associated Press - May 9, 2008
NEWARK, N.J. -- In a May 5 story about a violin accidentally left in a taxi, The Associated Press misstated the date of violinist Philippe Quint's next New York performance. It is May 19 with the Jupiter Symphony Chamber Players, not his Sept. 23 concert at Carnegie Hall.
7. Foxy Brown pleads guilty to menacing Brooklyn neighbor
By Associated Press - May 9, 2008
NEW YORK -- Rapper Foxy Brown has pleaded guilty to menacing a neighbor with her cell phone last year. She avoided jail based on time already served.Brown and neighbor Arlene Raymond got into a fight last July over Brown blasting her car stereo outside their Brooklyn...
8. LA judge rules in favor of Notorious B.I.G.'s family
By Associated Press - May 9, 2008
LOS ANGELES -- A judge has reinstated a wrongful-death lawsuit brought by the family of slain rapper Notorious B.I.G., reversing an earlier decision to dismiss the case.U.S. District Judge Florence-Marie Cooper threw out the lawsuit March 21 after determining the family...
9. Pace picks up `The Fall,' but won't push it too much
By MICHAEL CIDONI - May 9, 2008
LOS ANGELES -- Near as Lee Pace can tell, the best way to scare audiences away is to tell them how good something is."I think people are really cautious about important movies," said Pace, who stars in "The Fall," opening Friday. "If you're told, `There's an important...
10. From couch to court, Gabriel Byrne charms in 'Camelot'
By MARTIN STEINBERG - May 9, 2008
NEW YORK -- He can't sing and he can't dance, but Gabriel Byrne can charm -- and he did while portraying the chivalrous King Arthur in "Camelot."After playing the tormented shrink Dr. Paul Weston in HBO's "In Treatment," the Irish actor went from couch to court, starring...
11. Cosmetics firm Lancome and Uma Thurman in contract dispute
By SAMUEL MAULL - May 8, 2008
NEW YORK -- French cosmetics giant Lancome and Uma Thurman are wrangling over the use of her name and image in an advertising campaign. The company asked for a ruling against the actress, who it says is demanding $1 million for unauthorized use of her name and face on...
12. `Rafta, Rafta' gently lampoons generational differences
By JENNIFER FARRAR - May 8, 2008
NEW YORK -- Picture two young people trying to enjoy their wedding night in the bedroom right next to the groom's parents, and you'll get an idea of the frustrating yet touching comedic premise of Ayub Khan-Din's warmhearted play, "Rafta, Rafta ...," currently in a New...
13. How Iron Man was trounced by a scruffy car thief
By DERRIK J. LANG - May 8, 2008
LOS ANGELES -- Niko Bellic is richer than Tony Stark.While vying for similar audiences at the same time, "Grand Theft Auto IV" bested "Iron Man" by about $300 million in their respective first weeks on the small and big screens. The highly anticipated video game about...
14. Adkins records opening song for 'Black Gold' TV series
By Associated Press - May 8, 2008
NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- Trace Adkins, a former oil roughneck, has written and recorded a song called "Black Gold" that will open an upcoming truTV series of the same name.The show, which premieres 10 p.m. EDT June 18, follows three drilling crews in their quest for oil in...
15. Capsule reviews of `Speed Racer' and other films this week
By The Associated Press - May 8, 2008
Capsule reviews of films opening this week:"The Fall" -- This whacked-out fairy tale for grown-ups is as stunning in its beauty as it is in its lack of logic. Indian writer-director Tarsem Singh, who just goes by the name Tarsem, knows how to create some sumptuous visuals, as he did with his...
16. Carly Simon charts new course with Brazilian-inspired CD
By CHARLES J. GANS - May 8, 2008
NEW YORK -- Carly Simon was worried about preserving her voice as she rehearsed for her first public performance of tunes from her new CD, but she couldn't restrain herself as she got swept away singing the sexy title song, "This Kind of Love."Tall and slender, her blond...
17. Ne-Yo bringing awareness to foster care system
By JONATHAN LANDRUM Jr. - May 8, 2008
ATLANTA -- When he was younger, Ne-Yo watched from afar as his friends hugged their fathers -- and he wondered where his dad might be."A lot of aggravation was inside me," the 28-year-old singer-songwriter told The Associated Press. "Dad stuck around for a minute and...
18. Review: No luck finding surprises in `Vegas'
By CHRISTY LEMIRE - May 8, 2008
Come on, now. You already know "What Happens in Vegas."You've undoubtedly seen the ubiquitous television commercials in which Cameron Diaz and Ashton Kutcher bicker and beat each other black-and-blue but, secretly, seethe with lust. And you already know that they'll end up softening their stances...
19. Review: No luck finding surprises in `Vegas'
By CHRISTY LEMIRE - May 8, 2008
Come on, now. You already know "What Happens in Vegas."You've undoubtedly seen the ubiquitous television commercials in which Cameron Diaz and Ashton Kutcher bicker and beat each other black-and-blue but, secretly, seethe with lust. And you already know that they'll end up softening their stances...
20. Ne-Yo bringing awareness to foster care system
By JONATHAN LANDRUM Jr. - May 8, 2008
ATLANTA -- When he was younger, Ne-Yo watched from afar as his friends hugged their fathers -- and he wondered where his dad might be."A lot of aggravation was inside me," the 28-year-old singer-songwriter told The Associated Press. "Dad stuck around for a minute and...
21. Portrait of Heath Ledger wins Australian art award
By Associated Press - May 8, 2008
SYDNEY, Australia -- A portrait of Hollywood star Heath Ledger painted weeks before his death has won an Australian art award. The painting features a bare-chested Ledger staring from the canvas as two images of the actor whisper into his ears. On Thursday, it was...
22. Jammys bring Phish together again; awards show to end
By NEKESA MUMBI MOODY - May 8, 2008
NEW YORK -- Though the Jammy Awards were able to bring together the members of Phish for the first time since they broke up four years ago, the reunion may not have been everything Phish-heads had hoped for.While all members of the beloved jam-band appeared -- and two of...
23. Mariah Carey and Nick Cannon spill wedding beans to People
By Associated Press - May 8, 2008
NEW YORK -- Mariah Carey really did get married to Nick Cannon in the Bahamas last week -- and they have the tattoos to prove it.The 38-year-old singer and the 27-year-old actor confirmed to People magazine that they tied the knot at Carey's Bahamian estate April 30...
24. Kung Fu film 'The Forbidden Kingdom' is a hit in China
By MIN LEE - May 8, 2008
HONG KONG -- Jackie Chan and Jet Li's first movie together is a hit in China.There were concerns whether "The Forbidden Kingdom" would appeal to Chinese because its script is geared toward American audiences.The movie is about an American teenager who's magically...
25. Kung Fu film 'The Forbidden Kingdom' a hit in China
By MIN LEE - May 8, 2008
HONG KONG -- Jackie Chan and Jet Li's first movie together is a hit in China.There were concerns whether "The Forbidden Kingdom" would appeal to Chinese because its script is geared toward American audiences.The movie is about an American teenager who's magically...
