Elvis and The Mob Connection | Times Square Chronicles (2024)

ANNIE WHOOP ––(Via Theatermania) Whoopi Goldberg will return to the stage as Miss Hannigan in a new production ofAnnieset to play the Theatre at Madison Square Garden.

Anniewill run December 4-January 5; Goldberg will begin her run on December 11. This production will have a pre-New York run November 12-December 1 at the Chicago Theatre. Goldberg will not appear in that staging.

An Equity production of the recent non-Equity national tour, the classic musical is directed by Jenn Thompson, with choreography by Patricia Wilcox, sets by Wilson Chin, costumes by Alejo Vietti, lighting by Philip Rosenberg, sound by Ken Travis, hair and wigs by Ashley Rae Callahan, and orchestrations by Dan DeLange.

The Tony Award-winning musical adaptation of Harold Gray’s comic strip features music by Charles Strouse, lyrics by Martin Charnin, and a book by Thomas Meehan.

Full casting will be announced at a later date.

Can Whoopi pull it off? She sure can, but please don’t bring any of the other View-panelists on. Honestly, I can’t believe that show is still on. Barbara Walters and Bill Gedde are rolling in their graves!

APPLE’S WOLFS — (Via Deadline) Apple has pivoted on the Jon Watts-directed George Clooney and Brad Pitt starrer Wolfs,which makes its world premiere at the 81^st Venice Film Festival. Apple Original Films has made a deal with Watts to write, direct and produce a sequel vehicle for Clooney and Pitt.

At the same time, Apple has changed its plan forWolfsto have a wide theatrical release before it lands on Apple TV+. It instead will receive a limited theatrical release September 20, and then debut globally on Apple TV+ on Friday, September 27.

Apple confirmed the release pivot, but sources said it does not signal a change in its hybrid strategy of a streaming service release preceded by a wide theatrical with P&A that was undertaken withKillers of the Flower MoonandNapoleon. Apple will stick to the wide theatrical release on its other film starring Pitt,the Formula One drama F1, which is directed by Joseph Kosinski and produced by Jerry Bruckheimer.The Instigators, the Doug Liman-directed heist caper film that stars Matt Damon and Casey Affleck, is in limited release this week before premiering Friday on Apple TV+.

Apple will make decisions based on the marketplace; its recent release,Fly Me to the Moon, did not fare well theatrically despite having Scarlett Johansson and Channing Tatum in the starring roles. That film was released by Sony, which is also handling distribution onWolfs.

Apple’s next big feature after that, the Steve McQueen-directed WWII dramaBlitz, will get a limited theatrical release November 1. Sources saidWolfsis a crowd pleaser that has tested strongly, but this was felt the best strategy to ensure the biggest audience for a star driven film on the Apple TV+ streaming site.

InWolfs, Clooney plays a professional fixer hired to cover up a high-profile crime. But when a second fixer (Pitt) shows up and the twolone wolves are forced to work together, they find their night spiraling out of control in ways neither expected. The cast also includes Amy Ryan, Austin Abrams, Poorna Jagannathan, Richard Kind and Zlatko Burić. The film is produced in partnership with Clooney’s Smokehouse Pictures and Pitt’s Plan B Entertainment.

Watts, who is making his first original film since his breakthroughCop Car, after directing theSpider-Man Homecomingtrilogy with Tom Holland and Zendaya, producesWolfs with Dianne McGunigle; Clooney produces alongside Smokehouse partner Grant Heslov; and Pitt produces alongside Plan B partners Dede Gardner and Jeremy Kleiner.

“Wolfs is the kind of big event movie that makes Apple TV+ such an exceptional home for the best in entertainment,” Apple Original Films head of features Matt Dentler said in a statement. “With George and Brad’s remarkable and engaging chemistry under Jon Watts’ extraordinary direction, ‘Wolfs’ blends all the great elements of comedy, action, and drama into a hugely entertaining movie that will leave audiences ready for what’s next. Releasing the movie to theaters before making it widely available to Apple TV+ customers briningg the best of both worlds to audiences, and we’re excited to see fans embrace the movie as we start working with Jon on the sequel.”

Here is theWolfstrailer:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9hRQyb5cCA8

SHORT TAKES — When Kamala and Walz landed in Wisconsin last week, about the same time as JD Vance, Vance apparently went to try to say hello and Team-Kamala wouldn’t have it. Now that’s downright mean if you ask me. Truth be told, the whole thing seems a bit too mean for me …

Celebrity-biographer Mark Bego and Freda (“Band of Gold”) Payne visitedThe Churchin Tulsa last weekend promoting Bego’sBand of Gold (Yorkshire Publishing) bio on Payne. L-R are: Kent Denmark ofYorkshire; Mark Bego; Freda Payne; and Laura Denmark, Yorkshire …

RIP manager-supreme Eric Gardner who passed unexpectedly last week. Managed Paul Shaffer and Todd Rundgren. Great guy. Here’s Variety’s take on it: https://variety.com/2024/music/obituaries-people-news/eric-gardner-dead-manager-panacea-todd-rundgren-cassandra-peterson-1236092699/

… (Via Deadline) The fans of Lauryn Hill and the Fugees are feeling like the Lost Ones. Last year, Hill announced a tour to celebrate the 25th anniversary of her landmark album,The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill. In June 2024, Hill and The Fugees announced a co-headlining tour that was set to kick off Aug. 9 in Tampa, Fla. and run for 18 dates, which included a September date at the Hollywood Bowl.

Now, with no explanation, that tour appears off.The Fugees have sporadically reunited since their last album in 1996. Hill has a history of last-minute cancellations, and the group has made sporadic appearances over the last 20 years. The anniversary tour plans seemed to indicate a possible revival of Hill and the Fugees … Tuned into Beat Shazam on Fox hosted by Jamie Foxx and his daughter Corinne. Its an interactive game show that pits teams of two against the clock and each other as they attempt to identify the biggest hits songs of all time. The biggest song the contestants had to identify was Neil Diamond’s “Cracklin’ Rosie.” Embarrassing? Terribly so. Not to put on your must-see list … Scant news coverage Thursday AM re Richard Nixon’s resignation 50 years ago. Odd as I remember it like yesterday … And, just in: Kieran Culkin, Bob Odenkirk and Bill Burr will star in the upcoming revival of David Mamet’s lauded play Glengarry Glen Ross. Great casting! …Happy Bday: Ebet Roberts; Kate Hyman and Andy Warhol!

NAMES IN THE NEWS — Ed Steinberg; Deb Caponetta; John Boulos; Don Wardell; Billy Smith; Howard Bloom; Pamala Wright; Kent & Laura Denmarl; Tom & Lisa Cuddy; Adarian Niles; Kyla Nicole; Donald Johnson; Pete Bennett; Mal Evans; Jane Blunkell; Dan Zelinski; Sam Schwartz; Victor Kastel; Randy Alexander; Steve Walter; Jim Parsons; Charlie Sheen; and SADIE!

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