No-one is recognised as knowing more about Hollywood and celebrities than David Hartnell MNZM. He’s not only spent a lifetime reporting on Hollywood’s trivia, gossip and scandals, but he counts many celebrities among his personal friends. Every Monday morning David will give you an exclusive weekly update on the gossip, scandals and trivia of Hollywood’s elite.
David is an award winning broadcaster and columnist and he is also the patron of The Variety Artists Club of New Zealand Inc.
Her Majesty The Queen, awarded David the Insignia of a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit (formerly an MBE) in the Queen’s birthday Honours list 2011 for his recognition for his services to entertainment.
In 2012 he was made an Ambassador St James Saviours, the trust formed to save the iconic Auckland theatre. In 2014 he was made an Ambassador to the Prostate Cancer Foundation of New Zealand.
In 2016 he was made Patron of the Brotherhood of Auckland Magicians.
Visit David’s Website
‘Under a spell – David Hartnell’s First Love,‘ in the NZ Woman’s Weekly. View the article here on David’s website.
Be in to win monthly DVDs
…simply answer a question correctly, from this week’s column and you will be entered into the draw.
This week: Which colour is in the movie title How …. Was My Valley?
Answer by clicking here.
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Monday 24th October 2016
I’m not one to gossip but……………… Azealia Banks is telling her side of the story after Russell Crowe kicked her out of his hotel room in an incident this past weekend.
The 25-year-old rapper alleges that she told one of Russell‘s friends his
upcoming movie would suck.
“I don’t know, maybe Russell was supposed to be in that movie. But then
Russell turns to me, and he was like, ‘Hey, you haven’t done anything in
your career, and you’re so young, and you don’t know what you’re talking
about. You don’t know what you’re talking about, you haven’t done anything in your career, blah, blah, blah.’
“I was confused, I’m just like, wait, is he joking, is he serious? But I keep it light, and I’m just like, ‘OK, well, you’re not poppin’ anymore. Your best days are behind you, Russell Crowe. Nobody’s checking for Russell Crowe right now,’” she recalled to US Weekly magazine. “Like, I could just see him boiling. And he was just trying to, like, figure out how he was going to get me out of here. I even started putting on my shoes at that point.”
Azealia alleges that Russell used a derogatory word and assaulted her, but she also confirmed she’s not going to be pressing charges anymore.
“Even if I were being erratic, you should have enough sense to have me escorted out properly…and keep your hands and your spit to yourself.” RZA came to Russell‘s defense, but did confirm he spit on Azelia during the altercation.
Azealia got in one last dig in the interview, saying, “I’ve got youth and beauty, and he’s got beer belly and jowls! I got music. I got music, and I got youth.”
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If American comic Wanda Sykes is not looking quite as young as she used to, she says Donald Trump is to blame.
‘I never thought that I would need plastic surgery but Donald Trump has
cracked my face,’ Wanda said on today’s episode of The Ellen DeGeneres
Show.
‘I have permanent creases right here,’ she said as she pointed to frown
lines between her eyebrows.
She explains that the deepening creases are from the ‘What the hell did he just say?’ expression she makes when the Republican presidential candidate says something outrageous.
Again pointing to her frown marks she complained: ‘Now I have a ditch right here in the middle of my forehead.’
Sykes, 52, said she’s been watching the presidential debates in recent weeks and doesn’t see Trump changing he style anytime soon.
‘Even from the beginning they said, “Oh, Trump just needs to learn how to be more presidential. He needs how to control his temper and just not be so impulsive, you know, fly off the handle. Well, control your temper and not being impulsive, those are things I’m teaching my kinds right now and they are seven. Donald Trump is 70! He’s not gonna learn anything at 70! That is just who he is.’
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Another reason to love David Bowie: his artistic taste in collectibles! His
collection of amazing Memphis furniture and objects is up for sale at Sotheby’s, along with his killer art collection.
Apparently his wife Iman is not as fond of these whimsical and beautiful pieces as he was. Our personal favorite is this astonishing Italian radio/ stereo designed in the ‘60s.
Follow this link to see it all.
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We have a serious first world problem on our hands, folks! Dorothy’s iconic
ruby slippers have fallen into disrepair and desperately need to be cleaned
and sterilised.
The sequined slippers, worn by Judy Garland in the 1939 Hollywood classic The Wizard of Oz, are currently housed at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History in Washington, D.C. and are one of the museum’s most popular exhibits.
Sadly, after nearly 80 years, they are starting to show their age. So the museum has decided it needs $300,000 (US) to have them professionally cleaned, repaired, and sterilized by a cobbler. The money will also be used to build a custom state-of-the-art display case for the relics.
Just to help give you some context here, the median price of a home in the U.S. is $284,000 (US). To help raise the much-needed money, the Smithsonian has launched a Kickstarter page, which has already raked in over $160,000 from 2,900 people in less than 48 hours.
“The Smithsonian is a federal trust,” curator Ryan Lintelman told Washington news station WTOP, “so we get a generous appropriation every year to keep the lights on and pay the salaries here. But for exhibitions and projects like this, we require outside funding.”
Lintelman added, “Since these slippers belong to the American people, we’re asking them to help us make sure that they’ll last for generations to come.”
While several pairs of the slippers were made for the movie, this is the only pair on display to the public. The slippers were actually created from cheap department store shoes that were painted red then had a layer of sequins glued on top. Today, they’re worth more than your house.
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Sarah Jessica Parker is addressing those rumours that she had an on-going feud with co-star Kim Cattrall on the set of Sex and the City.
“It used to really confound me and really upset me,” SJP said during an
interview with Howard Stern when asked about the rumours.
Sarah Jessica also brought up that Sex and the City aired during the same
time as another hit HBO show, The Sopranos, and “nobody ever questioned the relationships of the men on that show….No one ever said to them, ‘Did you hang out this weekend with each other? Do you give each other Christmas presents?’”
“This is a family of people who needed each other, relied upon each other
and loved each other. And this sort of narrative, this ongoing cat fight,
it really upset me for a very long time,” Sarah Jessica continued, adding
the feud rumours “had taken on a life and it didn’t matter.
“It was upsetting because it was usually about bad behaviour on the set and I take very seriously my reputation. I work very hard and I treat people well. And I have a work ethic that’s very meaningful to me and it’s based on the affection I feel for the people I get to work with…To suggest that I’m behaving poorly or not treating somebody well… It’s so anathema that it would drive me bananas,” SJP concluded.
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Cher, 70, says she can still fit into her old concert costumes, but she doesn’t know how to accept the fact that she sees “this old lady ” in the mirror. The one and only Cher looks back on her legendary career and weighs in on the presidential race.
NBC special anchor Maria Shriver reports for US TV show The Today Show. Of Donald Trump she says: ‘I feel like I’m
yelling “Fire!” and no one is listening. I care about the country, and I know that the people that are following Trump, they care about the country, too. But I don’t think it’s the same country I care about.’
Of Hillary Clinton, who she is making campaign appearances for, Cher says: ‘She’s done some things that I’m sure she wishes she hadn’t done. And she’s done things – I can’t back every play. But I think that if she has the chance to be a great president, she will rise to that occasion.’
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The thrills are multiplying…Grease is the word this spring – It’s ELECTRIFYING
* 25 cities nationwide * 40 performances * The biggest jukebox musical ever
Get out your leather jackets and pull on your bobby socks with Rydell High’s senior class of 1959.
The producer of HMS Pinafore, Buddy, The Pirates of Penzance and South Pacific, Ben McDonald Productions brings you GREASE the musical.
Featuring all those unforgettable songs from the movie, and dazzling costumes, GREASE is the original High School musical, featuring all the unforgettable songs from the hit movie including You’re The One That I Want, Grease Is The Word, Summer Nights, Hopelessly Devoted To You, Sandy, Greased Lightnin’ and many more.
Packed with explosive energy, this high-octane rock ‘n’ roll party is ready to rumble through 25 New Zealand cities from Kerikeri to Invercargill and play some 40 times in what will be an ELECTRIFYING tour.
Since the show’s Broadway premiere in 1972, followed by the 1978 hit movie starring John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John – which went on to become the highest grossing movie-musical of all time – GREASE has triumphed across the globe, striking a universal chord with its irresistible mix of adolescent angst, vibrant physicality and 1950s pop culture.
Set in 1959 at Rydell High School, GREASE follows 10 working-class kids as they navigate the complexities of love, cars, and drive-ins. Danny Zuko, the hot Greaser, falls in love with the wholesome and pure Sandy Dumbrowski and when their worlds collide, it’s a-wella-wella-umph!
Then there’s Rizzo, the tough and sarcastic leader of the Pink Ladies, whose world turns upside down when she thinks she’s pregnant; Frenchy, the ditzy beauty school drop out; and Vince Fontaine, the egotistical, slimy radio disc jockey trying to relive his teenage years.
So throw your mittens around your kittens and hand-jive the night away with the show that’ll make you want to stand up and shout, ‘A-wop-bop-a-loo-bop A-wop-bam-boom!’
Be there or be square!!!
November
3 Takapuna – Gala – Red Carpet Bruce Mason Centre Ticketmaster
4 Takapuna – Opening Night – 8pm Bruce Mason Centre Ticketmaster
5 Hamilton – 8pm Claudelands Arena Ticketek
6 Kerikeri – 8pm The Centre The Centre
7 Whangarei – 8pm Forum North Ticketek
8 Tauranga – 8pm Baycourt Ticketek
9 Tauranga – 8pm Baycourt Ticketek
10 Gisborne – 8pm War Memorial Hall Stephen Jones Photography
12 Taupo – 8pm Great Lake Centre Ticketek
13 Kapiti – 8pm Southwards Ticketek
15 Rangiora – 8pm Town Hall Ticketek
16 Timaru – 8pm Theatre Royal Ticketek
Nov 17 Oamaru – 8pm Opera House Ticketdirect
18 Christchurch – 8pm Isaac Theatre Royal Ticketek
19 Christchurch 4pm and 8pm Isaac Theatre Royal Ticketek
21 Nelson – 8pm Theatre Royal Ticketdirect
22 Nelson – 8pm Theatre Royal Ticketdirect
23 Blenheim – 8pm ASB Theatre Ticketdirect
24 Ashburton – 8pm Event Centre Ticketdirect
25 Gore – 8pm SBS St James Theatre www.iticket.co.nz
26 Invercargill – 8pm Civic Theatre Ticketdirect
27 Dunedin – 8pm Regent Ticketdirect
29 Palmerston North – 8pm Regent Theatre Ticketdirect
30 Carterton – 8pm Event Centre Eventfinda
Dec 1 Napier – 8pm Municipal Ticketek
2 Wellington – 8pm Opera House Ticketek
3 Wanganui – 8pm Opera House RWOH
4 New Plymouth – 8pm TSB Showplace Ticketek
6 Rotorua – 8pm HMPAC Ticketmaster
Dec 7 Auckland – 8pm Sky City Ticketmaster
8 Auckland – 8pm Sky City Ticketmaster
9 Auckland – 8pm Sky City Ticketmaster
10 Auckland – 8pm Sky City Ticketmaster
11 Auckland 4pm and 8pm Sky City Ticketmaster
13 Auckland – 8pm Sky City Ticketmaster
14 Auckland – 8pm Sky City Ticketmaster
15 Auckland – 8pm Sky City Ticketmaster
16 Auckland – 8pm Sky City Ticketmaster
17 Auckland 4pm and 8pm Sky City Ticketmaster
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American actress Amy Schumer read an open letter at her concert in NYC to Donald Trump’s supporters who walked out of her show in Tampa, Florida over the weekend.
“I’ve written an open letter to Tampa and I’d like to read it tonight,” Amy told the crowd (via People magazine). “Dearest Tampa, I’m sorry you didn’t want me, a comedian who talks about what she believes in, to mention the biggest thing going on in our country right now. How could I think it was OK to spend five minutes having a peaceful conversation with someone
with different views?
“After the show, I want you to know that I will go straight to a rehab facility that will teach me how to make all people happy. Both the rich, entitled, white people who are gonna vote for him and the very poor people – who’ve been tricked into it!” Amy joked. “And Tampa, I’m so sorry. I shouldn’t have said that he was an orange, sexual assaulting, fake-college-starting monster shouldn’t have said that. I will never again say that he is an orange, sexual-assaulting, fake-college-starting monster!”
During her show in Tampa, Amy had hundreds walked out when she started discussing Trump with a fellow audience member. Amy was also booed, but it looks like she’s having the last laugh!
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Adele just got the sweetest fifth anniversary gift from long time love Simon Konecki!
The 28-year-old Hello singer was surprised during her concert with hand written love notes by her long time boyfriend.
Simon replaced Adele‘s usual white confetti with pink pieces of paper with
love notes on them like “Happy Anniversary,” “You are an angel.”
During another concert over the weekend, Adele reportedly shared with her
fans that she and Simon – who are already parents to 3-year-old Angelo – will soon be planning for baby number two!
“My womb is starting to ache a little bit,” Adele said. “It’s like, ‘Baby, baby, baby. Need a baby, need a baby.’ I’m not pregnant. I won’t get pregnant until the end of the tour.”
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Leo DiCaprio and his production company Appian Way Productions are teaming up with Paramount to bring Captain Planet to the big screen.
The 41-year-old actor and environmentalist is looking to revive the 1990′s
cartoon which centred on five young people who were given magic rings with the power to control natural elements.
Together the group can summon Captain Planet, a superhero who assists them in the fight against environmental evils.
According to THR, the story would take place years after the original series
and focus on a washed-up Captain America who needs the team of kids more than ever.
Jono Matt and Scream Queens star Glen Powell are being eyed to write the script.
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ANYTHING IS POSSIBLE – COSENTINO
Come behind the scenes, see how a boyhood dream became a magical reality and how if you just believe, anything is possible …
“Trapped underwater in agonising pain, shackled and sinking and desperately trying not to give in to the urgent need to breathe, I really thought maybe I had pushed myself too far this time. The scar was still fresh from my most recent near miss, when a razor-sharp knife had carved into my chin in a stunt gone wrong. But at least I’d lived through that one. The situation I was in now was exactly the kind where one small problem starts a chain reaction that ends in serious injury or even worse. And it was all of my own making. Scrabbling for the chains, I knew I had only seconds before water started to fill my lungs …”
Cosentino is Australia’s premier illusionist and escapologist – a magician
to his fingertips, a man who constantly challenges our notions of what is
possible. The LA Times has said of him that ‘Cosentino mirrors the legendary Harry Houdini’ – and like Houdini, he is a true pioneer and trail blazer.
Cosentino was the first Australian magician to have his own prime-time TV shows and these TV spectaculars have now been broadcast in over 40 countries. Recognised by his peers as the ‘International Magician of the Year’, he has become one of Australia’s most popular live performers and continues to stage his award winning live show to full houses across the globe.
But Cosentino’s greatest trick of all? Well, that’s something completely different. It was learning how to read.
He was a twelve-year-old boy with learning difficulties, teased and isolated, who struggled with reading and schoolwork. But one day, in a library, he found an illustrated book about magic – and that unlocked something in him. That magic book not only inspired him to learn to read, it propelled him on an extraordinary journey – from a shy boy with low self-esteem to the international star that he is today.
Anything Is Possible is an uplifting and wholly compelling story for anyone who ever dreamed of achieving the impossible.
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…………………. Until next week my lips are sealed!
David H. W. Hartnell MNZM copyright 2016
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Monday 17th October 2016
I’m not one to gossip but……………… Last Sunday as Patron of the Variety Artists Club of New Zealand I was delighted to present my friend Kerre McIvor with a Scroll of Honour from the Variety Artists Club of New Zealand.
The Scroll read: To Kerre McIvor for her services to Broadcasting in New Zealand and her unwavering support of New Zealand charities.
Kerre is a superb broadcaster and a great human being; she tells it like it
is in front of and away from the microphone. She is a national treasure!
Picture by Emily Hung
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Sunday night Somboon and I were invited to the gala opening night of
Priscilla Queen of the Desert, at Auckland’s mighty Civic Theatre.
This marked the fourth time we had seen the show, and it was every bit as
stunning as the first time we saw it in Melbourne eleven years ago. The show
billboard say “The best time you could have in a theatre,” and how right they are!
Please go and see Priscilla you will not be disappointed, it will
lift your spirits and I know that you will come out with a huge smile on
your face.
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Gwyneth Paltrow shows off her amazing figure in her Harper’s Bazaar November 2016 cover story.
Here’s what the 44-year-old actress shared with the mag:
On encouraging her children to take risks: “In my case, I’ve borne these two
kids into a particularly strange circumstance. They are going to have to fend off a lot and protect themselves from a lot of projections and prejudice about who they are, coming from the family that they come from.
“My daughter is super ballsy. I always follow her lead. I actually don’t need to encourage her to take risks. She likes to push herself; she wants to see how far she can get. It’s really inspiring to see that in a young woman.”
On why all women are amazing by 40: “If you haven’t taken all of life’s
incredible knocks and disappointments and used them to become a fully integrated, self-expressing person by the time you’re 40, then what can I tell you?”
For more from Gwyneth, visit HarpersBazaar.com
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Sir Elton John has reportedly signed a multi-million pound deal to pen an autobiography. Rumours have been swirling over the past weeks that the rights to the veteran musician and AIDS activist’s memoir was being discreetly shopped to
publishers.
It was confirmed today that the Rocket Man singer has signed a deal with publisher Pan Macmillan, reported to be worth as much as £6 million, for publication worldwide in 2019.
The deal specifies that the book will be the “first and the only official autobiography” of the music legend, spanning the decades of his extravagant public life.
It will cover his life from his early career and coming out to his battles with drugs and alcohol, his activism on gay rights and AIDS, and his later family life with partner David Furnish.
Sir Elton is collaborating with music critic Alexis Petridis on the “no holds barred account” of his life and work. Sir Elton said: “I’m not prone to being a nostalgic person. I’m often accused of only looking forward to my next gig or creative project.
“It’s come as quite a surprise how cathartic I am finding the process of writing my memoirs. As I look back, I realise what a crazy life I have had the extreme privilege of living. I have grown up in a period of extraordinary change in our world – and have had the joyful honour of rubbing shoulders and working with so many of the people at the heart of these changes.
“My life has been one helluva rollercoaster ride and it’s still lumbering on. I hope readers will enjoy the ride too.”
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Madonna has been named Billboard’s Woman of the Year, and will be honoured at the annual ceremony set to take place on December 9!
“Madonna is one of a miniscule number of super-artists whose influence and career transcend music,” Janice Min, president and chief creative officer of The Hollywood Reporter-Billboard Media Group, said in a statement.
“With her creative vision, relentless innovation, and dedication to philanthropic causes, she is an inspiration to hundreds of millions of people around the world, all while shattering every career record out there. She is an important feminist on top of that, a one-of-a-kind artist who’s used her
influence to change the conversation around women, sexuality and equal
rights.”
The 11th annual Women in Music event will air on Lifetime on December 12.
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Reagan Republican Arnold Schwarzenegger has put his temporary party
defection in a very nice way – he advises his fellow Republicans: “It is not
only acceptable to choose your country over your party- it is your duty.”
He carefully avoided using the name Trump in his comment. THIS is coming from a man very much LIKE Donald Trump – a wealthy, entitled, confident white guy with a weakness for women.
You’d expect Arnold to be CHEERING for Donald, but even HE appears to be horrified of the prospect of him as president.
Keep in mind, Arnold IS an IMMIGRANT. We feel this is the death knell for Trump. If a devoted Republican like Schwarzenegger is anti-Trump, what chance does he have?
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Katy Perry poses for a photo with Covergirl‘s new face, Instagram social
media star James Charles!
The 17-year-old makeup artist and high school student is the first male
Covergirl and his campaign will include TV, print, and digital/social ads.
“I am so beyond excited and overwhelmed and happy and astonished and of
course, SHOOK, to announce that I am the newest face of @covergirl. First
ever male ambassador for the brand and I am so honoured and excited to be
working with such an iconic brand. I started my Instagram one year ago to
inspire others and as an artistic outlet to challenge myself creatively.
“I truly hope that this shows that anyone and everyone can wear makeup and can do anything if you work hard. I can’t wait to share with you all what we have in store, but trust me when I say it’s gonna be real good,” James wrote on his Instagram account.
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Dame Joan Collins has made a huge donation of glamorous designer labels to a leading children’s charity.
The 83-year-old actress and author gave more than 150 pieces from her
wardrobe to the Shooting Star Chase charity shop in Guildford, with prices
ranging from £5 to £1,000.
The hospice’s patron generous contributions include a prized Chanel bag, Manolo Blahnik shoes and an Alexander McQueen bracelet – and are expected to raise a staggering £10,000.
Assistant manager of the shop Sue Hamblett tried out some of outfits, including one white kaftan with intricate gold embroidery – priced at £40. Sue also wore an £80 green patterned kaftan, a £30 white stone necklace and a £150 green hat by Patricia Underwood.
She accessorised with a Chanel bag which has been put on silent auction, and has a reserve price of £500.
The donation will massively benefit the children’s hospice, who care for babies, children and young people with life-limiting conditions, and their families. Items for sale include an array of clothing, jewellery, hats, swimwear and designer labels. Also included are hats and even clothes she designed under her clothing range Jackie Palmer.
The shop is running a silent auction for some of the most iconic items which include a Chanel handbag and a pair of Manolo Blahnik shoes with a reserve price of £100, while a signed pair of LK Bennett shoes have a minimum price
of £500.
The auction also includes a £100 Tiffany necklace, a £100 Alexander McQueen bracelet, a signed copy of her book and a pair of £300 earrings worn by Joan on the set of Dynasty.
Once the word got out about the items for sale people have been travelling some distance to get hold of some special items.
One woman travelled from Dorset and spent £700. They even had a customer from Germany call up and spent £400 over the phone without seeing the items and had them posted.
Dame Joan Collins recently dropped by the charity’s Guildford hospice, Christopher’s. She met families supported by the children’s hospice charity, joining them for an early evening meal before cutting a birthday cake to celebrate the
hospice’s 15th birthday.
Karen Sugarman, Director of Fundraising at Shooting Star Chase, said: ‘It was a pleasure to welcome Dame Joan to Christopher’s and such a thrill to see the delight on the families’ faces as they enjoyed a meal with a Hollywood superstar.
‘Dame Joan has been a fantastic supporter of Shooting Star Chase for many years now and is always keen to show her support. ‘It’s so special to spend time with the children and their families. ‘I am honoured to be Patron to Shooting Star Chase whose charitable work really does change the lives of so many children.’
A dedicated patron, Dame Joan attended the Shooting Star Chase’s Ball in London’s Dorchester Hotel last Saturday.
The actress turned heads in a glistening sequinned maxi dress that showed off her svelte physique. The annual ball raises money for Shooting Star Chase, a leading children’s hospice charity caring for babies, children and young people with
life-limiting conditions, and their families.
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DIXIE CHICKS TO HEADLINE 2017 MISSION ESTATE CONCERT!
The Mission Estate Concert announced today global superstars the DIXIE CHICKS will headline this iconic event on Saturday 8 April 2017.
The biggest US female band of all time, the DIXIE CHICKS’ announcement is a coup for fans of the Mission Estate Concert and coincides with celebrating 25 years of Mission Concerts featuring the hottest acts on the planet.
The Exclusive Mission Concert Club Box Office opens at MIDDAY Monday 17 October. If you are not a member or have changed your email address since the last concert, remember to update your details. Registration is free and members will be kept posted with all the latest event news.
For Concert Club members who do not have direct internet access you can quote this special code MISSION2232 at any Ticketek Outlet also from MIDDAY Monday 17 October.
Promoter Sports Entertainment Limited chairman James Erskine says he is thrilled to have secured an act who will continue the Mission Estate Concertheritage of featuring the biggest acts in entertainment.
The DIXIE CHICKS have no less than thirteen GRAMMY Awards, six BillboardMusic Awards, four American Music Awards and countless Country Music Association Awards under their belt. They are a multi-platinum selling act across North America, Europe and Australia, and one of only a handful of acts to ever achieve ‘diamond’ status; reaching the stratospheric landmark of over 10 million copies sold, with both ‘Wide Open Spaces’ (1998) and ‘Fly’ (1999).
Since 1990, the trio has released seven studio albums, three live albums and a string of live DVDs. Well over 30 million albums have been sold worldwide to date.
They have shared the stage with The Eagles, Tim McGraw, Neil Young, Stevie Nicks, James Taylor and many other legendary artists.
Their on-stage reputation has helped the DIXIE CHICKS play to over 750,000 fans in 2016 at some of the world’s most prestigious venues including The O2 Arena, Madison Square Garden and Hollywood Bowl while outspoken songs like
‘Goodbye, Earl’ and ‘Not Ready To Make Nice’ make it clear that this power trio play by nobody’s rules. Superstars, renegades, innovators, heroes and villains – for almost two decades, the Dixie Chicks have developed from a band into a phenomenon.
This year the trio has set stages alight across European and North American headline dates, with epic reviews rolling in including the UK Telegraph who wrote, “… the triumphant trio proved the power lies in their musicianship, not notoriety, and their talents remain as rich and fierce as ever.”
Rolling Stone described the Dixie Chicks’ recent New York show as “thrilling” and The Boot noted, “They are equally fearless and almost absurdly talented as musicians…”.
One of the most prolific and enthralling live acts on the international circuit today, the DIXIE CHICKS’ concert in New Zealand in 2017 is sure to be one of the most talked about live experiences for years to come.
Don’t miss the headline event of New Zealand’s 2017 entertainment calendar.
For bookings – www.missionconcert.co.nz and All Ticketek Outlets
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Last week, the L.A. City Council unanimously voted to deem the Hollywood
Palladium a historic-cultural monument, reports the Beverly Press. This
means that any changes made to the building will have to adhere to some very strict guidelines.
What prompted the move? For one thing, developer Crescent Heights is
planning to erect a pair of 30-story towers right next to the Palladium,
reports the L.A. Times.
The towers are expected to include more than 700 apartments altogether, as well as 24,000 square feet of retail space. As part of the project, Crescent Heights has also promised to restore part of the Palladium itself, as well as adding an “Historic Interpretive Exhibit” that will expound on the Palladium’s place in the history of Hollywood.
The project package has been stalled, however. The AIDS Healthcare Foundation, which is housed just across the street from the Palladium, has sued the city and the developers, saying that the council had allowed developers to bypass a number of height and density codes that exist in the neighbourhood.
AHS, it should be noted, is a key backer of the Neighbourhood Integrity Initiative, a measure that aims to curb (or bring to a screeching halt) the number of new housing developments in the city.
It seems that, by deeming the Palladium a historic-cultural monument, the council aimed to strike a middle-ground in Hollywood’s contentious relationship with big development—they’re allowing a couple of high-rises to sprout up, but they also want to preserve pieces of the city’s architectural identity.
“This investment will continue to establish Hollywood as a world-class, transit-oriented community, while protecting and preserving our unique historical resources,” Councilman Mitch O’Farrell said of Crescent Heights’ project in a previous statement.
The Palladium, which opened in 1940, has certainly earned its designation as a monument. The building was designed by famed L.A. architect Gordon B. Kaufmann, who was also responsible for Santa Anita Park and the Times Mirror
Square building that houses the L.A. Times (this building, it should be noted, just got sold to a Canadian developer who might add apartments and retail spaces).
Inside and out, the design of the Palladium was very intentional, says the Los Angeles Conservancy: The curving rear automobile entrance leads into a circular foyer topped by a domed ceiling with a central art deco wood relief. The rounded columns, walls, ceiling soffit, and balcony stair railing in the entrance foyer from Sunset Boulevard convey a quiet glamour.
In the main ballroom, the curved balcony, ceiling, and wood floor pattern all align to create a dynamic space.
Over the history of its existence the Palladium has hosted a wide array of events (as well as a motley crew of guests). According to Los Angeles Confidential, Judy Garland, Lana Turner, and Jack Benny were in attendance for the venue’s opening party. It also later turned into a dining hall for visiting presidents (like, John Kennedy, who rolled by in 1961), and had served as a stage for a civil rights speech by Martin Luther King Jr.
The venue was also a popular filming location. The first Blues Brothers was shot here, as well as Galaxy Quest!
Oh yeah, there was music too. As a music venue the Palladium had carved out a niche, thanks to its size. It was bigger than the Wiltern and the Henry Fonda, but it also wasn’t a sports arena. As such, it was the go-to spot for bands that were big enough to pack a large space, but also wanted the intimate feel/acoustics of a proper music venue. A (very truncated) list of visiting musicians include The Who, Led Zeppelin, Jimi Hendrix, David Bowie, Alice in Chains, the Beastie Boys, and Bob Marley.
In 2007, when the Palladium was facing an uncertain future, Live Nation took out a lease on the space and spent a year refurbishing the somewhat dilapidated venue. It re-opened in 2008 in a truly celebratory fashion: by hosting a Jay-Z concert.
Anyway, we’re glad the Palladium is safe from any wayward wrecking balls. Though, could we possibly restore the facade to how it looked like in the past? Cause it was pretty cool – if you’re going to L.A. trust me it is well worth a look.
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Carrie Underwood holds her adorable pup Ace on the cover of Redbook’s
November 2016 issue.
Here is what the 33-year-old singer had to share with the mag:
On having a second child with her husband, NHL star Mike Fisher: “If my
husband were at the beginning of his career, I’m not sure we could handle it.
Since he’s kind of nearing the end and won’t be travelling so much, we’re like, “We can figure it out for not that long.” You make it work. When I was pregnant, I thought, how am I going to go on the road? How am I going to keep doing my job? I had to just give it to God and stop worrying about it. Sure enough, we figured it out.”
On her advice for working mothers: “Ask for help. Accepting help is hard for
me, but I’m learning. Sometimes I feel guilty that this is my son’s life: We
live on a bus and we’re in a hotel room and sometimes we’re in the middle of
nowhere and it’s not so great. It’s not all glamorous. We have a nanny who
helps out, especially when we’re on the road. But I’d feel guilty asking someone to watch him at home while I run to the grocery store.”
On how having her son, Isaiah, has changed her as a person: “I definitely feel like it’s changed me as a person. I’m happier. I’m in a better mood a lot of the time. He’ll be watching cartoons and I’ll be watching him. I’m completely in love. I love it when he’s sleepy and I get to hold him and smell him. He doesn’t know I’m staring at him and being all googly-eyed!”
For more from Carrie, visit Redbookmag.com!
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US actress Kristen Stewart, 26, is featured on one of eight covers for Elle’s Women in Hollywood issue for November 2016. Here’s what she shares
with the magazine.
Kristen on opening up about her love life: “I’m not ashamed and I’m not
confused. Things have changed. And not just with me—we’re really allowed to encourage this new acceptance to develop and be awesome.”
And on the gratitude she feels for her career: “Sometimes, it feels like I’m standing in one of those rooms, in a riddle, where there are all these doors. And it’s like, why wouldn’t I keep opening them? Even if what’s behind is something kind of annoying, I’d rather find out. I think it will be hard for me to know if I should ever take a break, or focus on something else, because I feel so grateful that I get to keep opening that dang door.”
And on the inspiring people she works with: “I want to write, I want to direct, I want to produce—I want to inhabit what I think it means to fully
be an artist. I always wanted to do that, but I didn’t think I had the tools. Now I look at Viola (Davis) and I look at Nate (Parker) and I look at Shonda (Rhimes) and it’s like, You just do it. You just begin, you know?”
For more from the issue, visit Elle.com!
…………………. Until next week my lips are sealed!
David H. W. Hartnell MNZM copyright 2016
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Monday 10th October 2016
I’m not one to gossip but………………Last month I became the Patron of the Brotherhood of Auckland Magicians. During research on the club, I found out that they have met in Grey Lynn Auckland since 1945.
Here is the article from this month’s Ponsonby News:
Ponsonby News columnist and long-time Grey Lynn resident David Hartnell MNZM has just been named Patron of the Brotherhood of Auckland Magicians.
David coined the famous phrases for his Hollywood gossip columns, “My lips are sealed,” and “I’m not one to gossip.” But as a child, he loved magic and he could have been famous for saying “Abracadabra” if he had followed his passion for tricks and illusions.
Pictured above: President BAM Alan Watson QSM, David Hartnell MNZN and Secretary/ Treasurer of the BAM Mick Peck.
He’s had a lifelong interest in magic and as a child performed his own magic tricks at school. At the age of 15 David had to choose between the wand and his roller skates. His passion for roller skating eventually won out and David became a New Zealand champion roller skater.
He went on to become Australasia’s first male makeup artist and ultimately a celebrity journalist and gossip columnist. he was made a member of the New Zealand Order of Merit (MNZM) in 2011 for his services to entertainment.
Brotherhood of Auckland Magicians President Alan Watson QSM said, “We are delighted to have David as our Patron. His longevity in the entertainment world, along with his love for our art form is unsurpassed.”
David said, “These are the people who are keeping magic alive in our community and who are mystifying people. So I’m extremely proud to be the Patron of his group. I love magicians because it’s such a unique form of entertainment, nothing is quite like it. You know you will be fooled but you still walk away from it feeling amazed.
“I really like the way American magician and skeptic James Randi sums up magic: “Some people cannot believe that a magician can fool them in such a way that they can’t figure it out. But magicians can and magicians do. Swindlers do and conmen do all the time, but they’re not magicians – they’re fakes. They’re lying to us, they’re deceiving us. It’s all rights to fool people as long as you’re doing it to teach them a lesson, which will better their knowledge of how the real world works.
“No matter how smart or well educated you are, you can be deceived.”
The Brotherhood of Auckland Magicians, which has a focus on membership from working professional magicians, has a long local history. Their inaugural meeting was at a house on 141 Great North Road in 1945 (now the site of Midas Car Repairs). These days the members regularly meet at The Surrey Hotel in Grey Lynn. The club provides an opportunity for magicians to socialise, network and share their magic. They also produce the annual Magic Moments Family Comedy Magic Show and charity shows to fundraise for the community.
Throughout his colourful and intriguing career as a gossip columnist, David has met and interviewed some of the world’s famous magicians. “I interviewed Hollywood legend Cary Grant once, and he also had a love for magic. After our interview, we chatted about our passion.
“Looking back, I kick myself as I should have made our mutual interest part of the interview. It’s one of my greatest regrets.”
David also visited the home of Siegfried and Roy in Las Vegas. he describes them as ‘show ponies’ and says yes, they did have tigers freely roaming around their property. David is also the Patron of the variety Artists Club of New Zealand, these two patron roles he takes very seriously.
The previous Patron of the magic club was international star of magic Paul Daniels from the United Kingdom, who died in March this year aged 77 from an incurable brain tumour.
Ponsonby News
7 October, 2016
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It’s just been announced that Diane Keaton, 70, will receive the 45th AFI Life Achievement Award next June and what a great choice she is for one of the highest awards there is in the movie industry.
Past recipients include Bette Davis, Alfred Hitchcock, Henry Fonda, Jane Fonda, Gene Kelly, Barbara Stanwyck, Warren Beatty, Shirley MacLaine, Clint Eastwood, Meryl Streep, Elizabeth Taylor, Barbra Streisand, James Cagney, Mike Nichols, Kirk Douglas, Michael Douglas, Sidney Poitier, Gregory Peck, Jack Nicholson and Jack Lemmon, among others.
Diane is one of the rare actresses of a certain age who continues to get lead roles in films including last year’s Love the Coopers and 2014′s 5 Flights Up opposite Morgan Freeman. She’s still funny, still sexy, as talented as ever and she doesn’t appear to have had many, if any, nips and tucks.
We got to know her in the 70’s through a string of Woody Allen movies (including Oscar winning role in Annie Hall), the Godfather I and II and Looking for Mr. Goodbar. The 80’s brought more big movies like her Oscar-nominated performance in Reds, the hit comedy Baby Boom and the dramas Shoot the Moon and Mrs. Soffel.
In the 90’s, she was in the hit comedy Father of the Bride and its sequel and the blockbuster smash The First Wives Club, an Oscar nominated performance in the drama Marvin’s Room and Manhattan Murder Mystery.
Another Oscar nomination came for 2003′s Something’s Gotta Give and some of her more recent films include The Family Stone, Because I Said So, Mad Money, The Big Wedding, And So It Goes and Morning Glory.
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Sarah Paulson famously brought Marcia Clark as her date to the Emmys last month where she won for her portrayal of the prosecutor on the OJ Simpson murder trial.
So where was Paulson’s real-life girlfriend? Holland Taylor was watching on television in New York City where she is currently appearing on Broadway in The Front Page.
‘That whole Emmy night was so thrilling,’ Taylor said recently while promoting the play on NBC’s The Today Show.
‘She’s done six roles – different characters – in five years and been nominated for every one of them. For Marcia Clark, she has to win or the Earth is going to tilt on its fricken axis,’ Taylor said of Paulson who has been nominated multiple times for her various characters in the American Horror Story franchise.
Paulson acknowledged Taylor – a past Emmy winner herself – when she said at the end of her speech: ‘Holland Taylor I love you!’
Taylor says of that gesture: ‘… When she shouted out to me, I didn’t know she was going to do that. But the thing about Sarah is, long before she’s a brilliant actress – which she is – she is a real wonderful stand-up person of great quality and she stands on the right side of history.’
Televised awards shows have never stopped the bisexual Paulson from showing her feelings for her partner. In 2005 she kissed then-girlfriend Cherry Jones at The Tony Awards when Jones was announced as the winner of best actress in a play for her performance as Sister Aloysius in Doubt.
The pair, holding hands, shared a lengthy smooch that made it clear to television viewers they were more than friends.
Paulson told NOTOFU magazine earlier this year: ‘What am I gonna do, pat her on the back and say, Good job, dude?” It didn’t occur to me to do anything but what I did.’
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JonBenét’s brother Burke Ramsey filed a $150 million (US) defamation lawsuit against forensic pathologist Werner Spitz late last week. Court documents obtained by Us Weekly magazine show that Ramsey is accusing Spitz, who appeared in CBS’ The Case of: JonBenét Ramsey, for “explicitly and falsely stat[ing] that Burke Ramsey killed his sister, JonBenét Ramsey.”
Burke accuses the German forensic pathologist, who has worked on a number of high-profile cases including the assassination of JFK, of “having a disturbing history of making false statements related to the brutal murder of young girls.”
JonBenét’s unsolved 1996 murder was widely re-examined via numerous recent television specials for the 20th anniversary of her death. The child beauty queen was brutally murdered on Christmas Day at the age of 6. Burke was exonerated by DNA evidence in 1999, and JonBenét’s parents, John Ramsey and his late ex-wife Patsy, were removed from the suspect list in 2008.
Spitz, who offered his theory in the four-part CBS documentary that premiered on September 18, also did a September 19 radio interview with CBS Detroit, which is the focus of Burke’s complaint.
“Defendant Spitz has once again interjected himself into a high profile case to make unsupported, false and sensational statements and accusations — this time accusing Burke Ramsey of JonBenét’s brutal murder,” his lawyer John Lesko writes in the filing. “In the Interview, Defendant Spitz claims Burke, age 9 at the time of his sister’s death, bludgeoned her to death. Defendant Spitz made this accusation without ever examining JonBenét’s body, without viewing the crime scene, and without consulting with the pathologist who performed the autopsy on JonBenét.”
Burke, now 29, is seeking $100 million in punitive damages and $50 million in compensatory damages, in addition to internet, attorney’s fees and costs. He is also asking that Spitz be ordered to “remove and retract all defamatory statements” about him.
The Purdue University grad spoke about his sister’s death for the first time publicly during a sit-down interview with Dr. Phil, which aired last month. “I want to honour her memory by doing this interview,” Burke told Dr. Phil, acknowledging that he’s aware many people think he killed his sister. “I don’t want anyone to forget [her].”
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