“Billy Elliot” announced Chicago cast

Including J.P. Viernes as Chicago’s 4th Billy

Universal Pictures Stage Productions, Working Title Films and Old Vic Productions in association with Weinstein Live Entertainment, has announced, with Broadway In Chicago, casting for the Chicago production of Billy Elliot the Musical, previews beginning March 18th at the Oriental Theatre; opening night being Sunday, April 11th. The cast includes John Peter (J.P.) Viernes who joins the previously announced actors Tommy Batchelor, Giuseppe Bausilio and Cesar Corrales in the role of ‘Billy’.

Below: 3 of the 4 Billy’s

Starring in Billy Elliot are Armand Schultz (Dad); Cynthia Darlow (Grandma); Patrick Mulvey (Tony); Keean Johnson and Gabriel Rush (Michael); Chicagoan Samuel Pergande (Billy’s Older Self); Jim Ortlieb (George); Chicagoan Susie McMonagle (Mum); Chicagoan Blake Hammond (Mr. Braithwaite); and Maria Connelly (Debbie).

Also featured are Matt Allen; Jason Babinsky; Chicagoan Elijah Barker; Madison Barnes; Cindy Benson; Sara Brians; Chicagoan Tony Clarno; Abby Church; Christine DeFillipo; Alexandra Dell’Edera; Faith Fetscher; Susan Haefner; Ryan Kasprzak; Chicagoan Kayla King; Kent Lewis; Will Mann; Kate Marilley; Spencer Milford; Brittany Nicholas; Chicagoan Mark Page; Mitch Poulos; Emily Richardson; Annelise Ritacca; Michaeljon Slinger; Jaclyn Taylor Ruggiero; Jamie Torcellini; Nicholas Torres; Brionna Trilling; and Kayla Vanderbilt. Additional casting will be announced at a later date.

About “Billy Elliot”

Billy Elliot is the funny, heartwarming tale of a young boy with a dream, and a celebration of his triumph against the odds. Set against the historic British miners’ strike of the 1980s, the story follows Billy’s journey as a boy in a small mining town who, after stumbling across a ballet class while on his way to a boxing lesson, realizes that his future lay not in the boxing ring but on stage as a dancer.

Featuring music by Elton John, book and lyrics by Lee Hall, choreographed by Peter Darling and directed by Stephen Daldry, Billy Elliot opened at Broadway’s Imperial Theatre on November 13, 2008 and was the winner of ten 2009 Tony Awards, including Best Musical.

Billy Elliot the Musical is produced by Tim Bevan, Eric Fellner, Jon Finn and Sally Greene. Angela Morrison and David Furnish are Executive Producers. The production features scenic design by Ian MacNeil, costume design by Nicky Gillibrand, lighting design by Rick Fisher and sound design by Paul Arditti. Musical supervision and orchestrations are by Martin Koch.

So yesterday we hosted the launch of Elton John AIDS Foundation’s ‘Out the Closet’ pop-up shop at the Covent Garden, Flower Cellars. Essentially, David Furnish and Elton John sold off their designer wardrobe for the AIDS charity. The clothes were A-FUCKING-MAZING. The Covent Garden Flower Cellars were literally DRIPPING in designer, from LV to Versace and Yohji Yamamoto to Bottega Veneta.

Obviously a lot for EJ’s rather outlandish pieces and accessories were on sale, however there was an array of more demure high-fashion items from his partner, David Furnish. I managed to pick up an amazing pair of Bottega Veneta patent leather shoes (thank god I am a size 8.5) and a Versace belt for less than £150 all up. Frankly for any male fashionista, it is WELL worth heading down. It is the fifth pop-up shop for the foundation, but is the best stocked this far – thanks to EJ losing weight and DF putting it on. Overall, prices range from £10 to £2,000 – it is going to be there until 19th December, when there will be a clearance sale for all remaining stock.

All proceeds go to EJAF. The last sale in Britain, in 2002, sold 15,000 items and raised £400,000. A sale in New York four years ago raised £700,000.

Finally, it is a shame that GQ magazine and GQ online don’t communicate with each other/share content, because if you pick up a copy of this month’s GQ, you will see a shoot by Jo Levin, of celebrities including Sting, Neve Campbell and Natalie Imbruglia kitted out in some of the more iconic items on sale.

Probably not, but still pretty bad.  “Elton John Comes Out of the Closet with Sale of Flamboyant Clothing Collection“. Oh, artdaily!

Not art market news per se, but it’s amusing and for a good cause.

Out the Closet 2009 will be the fifth pop up shop that the Elton John AIDS Foundation has held. The last Out The Closet, in 2002 on Regents Street, sold approximately 15,000 items and raised £400,000 for the Elton John AIDS Foundation. Elton commented, “Out of The Closet has become an amazing fundraising opportunity for the Elton John AIDS Foundation. We always get a fantastic response from the public – I think the idea that the items we all buy and enjoy can help someone in dire need, particularly at this time of year, really strikes a chord. I’m so grateful for everyone’s support in making this happen.”

On December 12th Elton John and Partner David Furnish will be opening a new store in London Called “Out of the Closet”

The store will feature many items of clothing,and stage costumes owned and worn by Elton John. This will only be a week long event and all proceeds go to the Elton John Aids Foundation.

I wouldn’t buy anything there but I wouldn’t mind checking it out!

I’m in a two bedroom apartment style hotel room. In a brand new hotel, built no doubt in 6 months to be on time for the WORLD CUP crowds that will descend on Cape Town.  The room has been furnished by Ikea complete with IKEA faux wooden floors.Is this what they call parquay floors ? So horrible to walk on barefoot that with each step you take you feel cheaper. The hotel lobby and public areas are pure TRUMP circa 1989. I find being alone in economy hotel rooms on a crappy job, terrible sad. I ordered up my evening cup of hot chocolate that I find goes so well with a xanax, and the room service waiter handed it to me and said “ENJOY”. I haven’t been sleeping well at all. I’m haunted by being involved in the creation of an ad with talking dishes. I can’t get past the idea that this has to be the end of a largely uneventful and unlikely advertising career. This is how my career ended, in a cheap, new hotel in Green Point, Cape Town, reviewing animatics for talking dishes ads.  I wrote to my shrink yesterday. A long long long whining rant about how depressed I am by my life, and he wrote back with a quote by the poet Alexander Pope (remind me to google him), and the quote was “All things look infected to the infected spy, all things look yellow to the jaundiced eye.”  I know. Anyway, Cape Town has been pleasant. I have visited the National Gallery with a great exhibition on the 4 south african noble peace prize winners. I have visited the Goodman Gallery and Michael Stevenson and a few others.  South Africa and particularly Cape Town is still a very creative place. Great restaurants serving watermelon salads with yoghurt dressing and feta cheese (even the chef’s are creative) and funky clothes shops and music stores. The worst problem here is that nobody is keeping an eye on the arcitecture so the most generic looking, bland buildings are going up fast, everywhere. But the people of Cape Town are lovely and soft and gentle and it’s a nice place. I’d be bored out of my mind living her tho. It seems the only evening entertainment is eating out and movies. Come to think about it, that may be common to every city. I just have to get through this hideous shoot and out of this crap hotel. Did I mention that for this shoot I inherited this Prague “model” who has a boxy face which is lopsided. She had zits, small eyes, bad teeth, a push-up nose and a double chin.And this morning woke up with a cold sore on her lip.  I have no idea what fools orginally hired her.  Oh and a head hunter from New York called me tonite, but didn’t give me all that much hope. She spoke about a Global job based in Chicago. I’d rather stay in London. She also mentioned my ex-partner and nemesis who is doing “fabulous” work in Toyko. Fuck, that’s all I need to hear. And then she went on to talk about how she’s interested in what she calls the exit strategy jobs. Fuck, I’m now at that age in advertising where I either have to have an exit strategy in place like Augusten Burroughs, James Patterson, Donnie Deutsch and David Furnish had, to name just a few, or I have to find the last job before becoming the 48 year old freelancer in converse sneakers and artsy spectacles who still uses words like “awesome” and “dude”. Maybe I could go live in Beirut and become a director.

Yesterday I posted a Facebook status that said “Elton John saved my life.” This isn’t really something to be taken literally (as I think that suicide is a selfish thing to do, and I’m also too much of a coward to attempt it) but it is quite figurative. During some of my lowest points I always end up listening to a lot of Elton John music. Don’t ask me why, because I’m not actually sure… Anyway, last year during my rough patch, I was super low. Songs like “Someone Saved My Life Tonight”, “Sorry Seems to Be The Hardest Word”, and “Don’t Let the Sun Go Down on Me” always make me feel better. Even if they are slightly depressing songs. However, songs that will really lift your mood are songs like “Bennie and the Jets”, “Philadelphia Freedom”, “Saturday Night’s Alright For Fighting”, and “Bitch is Back”. He is a true musical artist, and a fantastic performer. (Though I have yet to see him live…)

A friend texted me after that Facebook post, and we got to talking about what it would be like to meet Sir Elton randomly one day. Because I have an overactive imagination, I actually did daydream about meeting him (because I’m a fangirl) and here’s what I came up with. ***This is in no way realistic, because Elton and David (Furnish, his partner) probably never have to walk anywhere, or eat in any sort of random London cafe. Don’t hate- I’m just being imaginative.***

I have plans to go to London this summer. I imagined that while I was there, just walking the streets with my friend, when we decide to pop into a small cafe to get a quick bite to eat before setting out on our next adventure. Before going in I see two people who look familiar, and get an anxious feeling in the pit of my stomach. We enter the cafe, and with our backs to the two gentlemen, I can’t make out who it is and why I recognize them. We receive our food, and turn around to find a place to sit. Upon sitting down, it hits me: It’s Elton John and David Furnish! Oh my God! Oh my God! AHHH! (I obviously freak out a bit.) I whisper to my friend who it is, and upon realizing it, we both have mini-strokes. How is this man who is so great eating in this small, badly lit cafe? We eat a few bites, but our stomachs are so unsettled.

It looks as though the two gentlemen are finished eating, and as they get up to leave I suddenly have a problem- Do I get up and ask him for a picture and autograph? Do I leave him alone, which is probably what he wants? If I ask him for anything will he be rude and say no, and leave me embarrassed? What a dilemma… Without a lot of thought, I decide that since he has no idea who I am, risking a bit of embarrassment might be worth it. I get up, say excuse me, introduce myself, my friend introduces herself, and we ask for an autograph and picture, if it wouldn’t be too inconvenient. He obliges us, thanks us for listening to his music, and asks if there is anything else he can do for us. In my mind I’m thinking, “Well… I’d like to see you in concert…” But I keep my mouth shut. As though he had read my mind, he asks us where we are from, and says he can arrange to fly us to see him live and hang out with him backstage.

A few months pass by, and I receive a phone call from Sir Elton’s agent. He says Elton is having a concert in St. Louis, and is personally inviting my friend, myself, and a guest each, to come see him perform. Of course we all go, have a good time, and from then on, Elton and I are BFFs.

This is an example of how my imagination works. There are always more of these stories around… Do you have any stories like this? Comment below and tell me!

An obscure sighting, yes. But there he was, David Furnish aka Mrs Elton John, in the flesh. How many years have I been looking at him in the social pages wearing velvet jackets and hugging Liz Hurley ? And here he is beside me at the counter paying for his things as I am hastily paying for mine. He pays with a Gold American Express card, and I pay with a transparent blue debit card.  I’ve gotto say he’s way more handsome than he appears in pictures. And very masculine too. I was quite surprised by him. He’s def got the smell and sheen of money.  This has been a lousy star-sightings weekend for  us. We’ve seen C and B listers all weekend. David Furnish takes the cake. Anyway, we did see NEW MOON today in the Dome at Arclight, and what saves this film from being absolute drek, is the two leads. They really do have chemistry and they avoid the cliches every time. They are genuinely cool and it translates to film. I am so old that I don’t even know their names, and they are the biggest stars in the world right now. He is on the cover of at least 6 magazines this month, including a cover with her for Harper’s Bizaare. Beautiful. They are super dashing, I am too jetlagged to write much more of this drivel. Sorry.

Well after a disturbingly depressing few weeks FilmWipe365 is back with a bang.  My illness has gone (again I have not got VD as several people emailed so don’t worry you will not got a bout of te clap from reading this). If I had planned this better I would have reviewed the Korean film The Presidents Last Bang, however, I am lazy and heading to morbid obesity and didn’t think of this incredibly funny joke early enough.  I feel slightly ashamed to come back with this film.  It is like Robbie Williams 2007 return Rudebox – the first album in music history that made people want to get syphilis in their ears.  What makes the film worst is not the fact that you have to read another excruciatingly long review about how much I hated watching it, nor that I wish everyone involved with the film a short and painful career.  It is instead the fact that I was actually excited about watching it and instead had my hopes crushed much like David Furnish when he thought It’s a Boy Girl Thing would stop him from having to spounge off his sugar daddy Elton John.  Rudo y Cursi – the mainstream vehicle for Diego Luna and Gael Garcia Bernal  – is frankly the weakest film I have had the misforune to watch for sometime and actually left me begging to watch films of the quality of the Break up and Eight Legged Freaks.

The film follows the brothers nicknamed Rudo (Diego Luna) and Cursi (Gael Garcia Bernal) on their journey from the bannana plantations in rural Mexico to super stardom playing football for two of the nations biggest teams.  It all kicks off for them when Batuta (a soccer scout) breaks down near their town.  After helping to fix his car the brothers compete against one another to get him to represent them.  Cursi wins and leaves their provincial home for Mexico City.  He is a big success and finishes as top scorer in his first season, which gives him the opportunity to follow his real passion, music.   Rudo has it a bit tougher.  Several months after Cursi, Batuta gives Rudo an opportunity with a rubbish team.  He leaves his wife and children to follow his dream.  After stuggling to get a place in the team in his first season he fortunately finds himself in the top flight. The second season in football contrasts hugely for the pair.  Cursi has lost form due to his relationship with a tv star and is on the verge of being sent to a lower division club.  Rudo, is close to becoming the best goal keeper in the history of the league.  However, his gambling addiction has left him owing money to some dangerous criminals and in the game against Cursi’s team he is asked to throw the game.  He is left with the dilema of following his dream or doing what he is told.

Well after what is possibly the longest description of a film in review history, I will get down to business (I can hear the sense of relief).  Until Cursi leaves for Mexico the film is desperately dull. The film offers very little about the depressing poverty that the pair grow up in. In some ways this is good, however there is hardly anything interesting.  And when you do get a flash of something interesting you’re so bored that you struggle to notice it (such as the abuse by her boyfriend of the pairs mother).  Cursi on his own in Mexico city is abut as exciting as staring at a beie wll for 15 hours.  It is so difficult to stay awake only repeated attempts at self harm will stop you from seeing most of the film with your eyes closed. 

Personally the most excruciating aspect of the film is Rudo’s gambling addiction.  From about 2 minutes into him arriving in Mexico city you quickly guess where the story is going.  It takes about 40 minutes to get to the point that you had magically predicted.  It is so painful to watch that cutting off my penis, cooking it on an open fire and then sharing it with a small Mongolian family as I slowly bleed to death seems a tempting alternative.  There is nothing I  loath more than being able to predict what is going to happen.

If I had my way Radovan Karadžićy would not be the only one in the Hague waiting to serve trial for crimes against humanity.  Director Carlos Cauron deserves to be sentenced to a life punishment for what he has done to cinema.  Technically the film is ok.  However, as the boy genius who wrote and directed this horror show he takes full credit for the misery he has brought on the world.  The script is terrible.  Even his mum would struggle to tell him that this was any good.  The dialogue between characters is so turgid it makes watching paint dry genuinely seem quite exiting.  His direction does little to excite the senses.  Worst of all he manages to make two excellent actors seem like David Arquette.  This is quite a skill as David Arquette is so bad that even genital crabs seem like Oscar nominated actors in comparison to him.

Overall this should be avoided at all costs.  Even football thugs will be bored as you only see about 1 minute of football.  Save money and do something else.

1/10 – If I couldgive minus figures Iwould but I don’t want to give it the infamy.

Relatives of Stephen Gately have strongly denied the Boyzone star  died after a long drinking session.

 

He said: “We are not saying he was not drinking but eight hours is not something we accept, he was a very sensible man. He enjoyed himself, he loved life. I was with him many a night and, if anything, late into nights he would look as though he had just arrived.”

There are reports the star may have choked to death on his vomit while asleep.

Relatives of the 33-year-old pop singer insist his death was a “tragic accident” and that no foul play was involved. A post-mortem examination will take place either today or tomorrow.

Last night fellow Boyzone members Ronan Keating, Keith Duffy, Mikey Graham and Shane Lynch arrived in Majorca and spent an hour at Gately’s apartment before staying up till late talking in a restaurant at the Mon Port Hotel.

The bandmates said they were left “completely devastated by the loss of our friend and brother, Stephen”.

Tributes have flooded in from the music world, with Boyzone manager Louis Walsh pulling out of the X Factor live finals show, saying he was “very shocked and exceptionally upset”.

Gately had been in his holiday apartment with his husband, Andrew Cowles, until after midnight on Friday when he travelled to the town of Palma, about an hour’s drive away.

Police refused to be drawn on whether officers were trying to trace a potential witness, a Bulgarian man who was reportedly in Gately’s apartment that night, along with Gately’s partner.

Mr Kean said the family have been told police are not looking to speak to anyone else in connection with the death.

Gately sent ripples through the pop music world 10 years ago when he announced that he was gay.

He was introduced to Mr Cowles by Sir Elton John and his partner David Furnish and the pair married in a civil union in 2006.

He joined Boyzone in 1993 after answering an advert in Dublin to audition for Ireland’s first boyband.

Pop star Elton John and longtime partner David Furnish are planning to adopt a Ukrainian child named Lev. The gay couple met Lev at an orphanage where many of the children’s parents have died from AIDS.

Elton John informed reporters in Ukraine that Furnish has wanted to adopt a kid but he was hesitant to do it til he met Lev. “David always wanted to adopt a child and I always said ‘no’ because I am 62 and I think because of the traveling I do and the life I have, maybe it wouldn’t be fair for the child,” he claimed.

“But having seen Lev today, I would love to adopt him. I don’t know how we do that but he has stolen my heart. And he has stolen David’s heart and it would be wonderful if we can have a home. I’ve changed my mind today,” added John.

While listening to an old Elton John CD in the car today, I wondered why Atlanta does not seem to reciprocate the singer’s love of the city.

A friend of mine who works in the music industry tells me that Elton John has said that Atlanta is his favorite place in the US (I have been unable to independently verify this comment).

Whether he said that or not, he certainly has a home here. So why no “Elton John Road?” Former President Jimmy Carter is represented in the names of a Boulevard, library, museum and other high-profile establishments.

Elton John appeared in the news on a regular basis in the UK. From his wedding to David Furnish, to his desire to adopt a Ukranian boy.

I guess that’s why they call it the blues….

I know that this article is not about helping orphans, but about the opposite.  This child is being offered a home and yet because the family isn’t traditional it’s not acceptable.  If we don’t allow homosexual or single parent adoptions think about how many children will not ever find a home.

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5gln2fqja6SfqJGRhTepE5OS2QZoQD9AN959G2

Check out William Hillier’s latest stories at www.pinkpaper.com :

- David Furnish Unveils South Coast AIDS Memorial

- Brighton Pride Announces New Measures to eradicate £50,000 debt

I am so pleased for David Furnish and Elton John that they’ve found a baby that’s stolen their hearts. Mazeltov. I say lucky lucky orphan Lev from the Ukraine. Fresh flowers in his nursery everyday. Aunty Liz Hurly to play with. And a trust fund that will last two lifetimes.

(An update on this post, apparently David and Elton couldn’t get Lev. They were denied on the grounds that they were old (and gay) and not citizens of the Ukraine. I hope the boys fight this decisioN Madonna-style. This sucks for all of them especially Lev. )

Il lupo perde il pelo ma non il vizio. Paris Hilton, avvistata di recente più volte al festival di Cannes, è stata invitata dal marito di Elton John David Furnish a prendere parte a una festa su uno yacht di un amico proprio durante la manifestazione cinematografica in Costa Azzurra. Sembrava una buona idea, ma Furnish si è dovuto pentire. “Professione ereditiera”, infatti, si è fatta beccare da alcuni partecipanti alla toilette con il fidanzato mentre si lasciava andare a effusioni hot. Secondo Hollyscoop.com per questa ragione la coppia è stata allontanata dall’imbarcazione. Furnish ci penserà bene in futuro ad allargare gli inviti in maniera poco selettiva.

Gossip Girls reports:

Meanwhile, it sounds as if Paris and her beau had quite the embarrassing moment during their recent stay in southern France – as the pair were reportedly kicked off of Elton John and David Furnish’s yacht during a Cannes party.

“David met Paris at the Hotel du Cap and invited her to a party on his friend’s yacht,” a source told a British tabloid. “As soon as Paris arrived she had her tongue down Doug’s throat. Everyone kept saying how inappropriate they were being but Paris didn’t care who was looking. They got so worked up she dragged Doug below deck so they could have some private time.”

The source adds, “But as they were closing the cubicle door so they could tear into each other, they were caught out. David spotted them and the captain was furious. He kicked them off for unsociable behavior. Everyone congratulated the captain.”

Paris Hilton, siguió aterrorizando Cannes con sus golferías. Resulta que el marido de Elton John la conoció en una fiesta y se le ocurrió la muy estúpida idea de invitarla a una fiesta que había en el yate de un amigo suyo. Piru aceptó con mucho gusto, pero sucede que en cuanto subió al yate, hizo lo que mejor sabe hacer, es decir, ser una mega zorra. Según cuentan, Piru se la pasó besando, abrazando y manoseando grotescamente a su prometido ante todo el mundo. Yo creo que luego de ver a esta tipa en acción a todos se les quitó el hambre y de inmediato se pusieron un condón en los ojos, no se les fuera a pegar algo sólo con observarla.

Pero eso no fue todo, luego de asquear a todos con sus toqueteos, Piru y su casi esposo se fueron a encerrar a un cuarto para que se la metieran (ya era lo único que faltaba), cuando el marido de Elton los cachó y de inmediato fue a acusarlos con el capitán del yate, así que terminaron corriéndolos por tener un comportamiento inapropiado. Yo creo que lo más justo era que en lugar de expulsarlos de ahí, los hubieran tirado al mar, así hubieran hecho un favor a la humanidad. Aunque tal vez no quisieron hacer eso porque no los fuera a multar Greenpeace por contaminación acuática. Además los peces que se la hubieran comido habrían amanecido muertos por intoxicación (la carne de zorra les habría hecho mal).

Fuente

Sexy babe PARIS Hilton has been giving Cannes the benefit of her singular style – being evicted from a private yacht party after being caught in a toilet entanglement.

Paris Hilton showing her beefy pussy by keeping her legs crossed.

Finally!  Just FINALLY — someone has put their foot down and put Paris Hilton DOWN from her self-anointed petal-stool. 

According to a VERY relaibale source, here’s how it all went down the other night:

Elton John  and David Furnish invited Paris  and Doug Reinhardt to a party on a friend’s yacht in Cannes the other night. Almost immediately after they got on the boat, Paris and Doug started doing disgustingly gross ”things”  that made everyone very uncomforatble, and apparently several of the guests’ complained and were very upset over the entire “show” being put on my Ms. Hilton and Mr. Reinhardt.

One source who lived to tell the tale said, “As soon as Paris arrived she had her tongue down Doug’s throat. Everyone kept saying how inappropriate they were being but Paris didn’t care who was looking. They got so worked up she dragged Doug below deck so they could have some private time. But as they were closing the cubicle door so they could tear into each other, they were caught out. David spotted them and the captain was furious. He kicked them off for unsociable behaviour. Everyone congratulated the captain.”

Image Source:  dlisted.com