HollywoodNews.com » Barbra Streisand

‘Housewives of NYC’ star threatened by lawsuit from Barbra Streisand

Molly Sullivan — Sat, 10 Dec 2011 18:19:34 +0000

HollywoodNews.com: Although the ‘Real Housewives of New York City’ sometimes seem to think they can do anything they want, it seems not everyone will let them get away with anything.

Former star Jill Zarin was allegedly recently threatened by Barbra Streisand’s team with a lawsuit, states RadarOnline.com. Zarin was reportedly at a private event where Streisand performed, recorded the show and put it on YouTube.

However, that apparently wasn’t fine with Streisand as her team allegedly contacted Zarin about it.

“Someone from Barbra streisands company just called my store to tell me to take down my YouTube video or they will sue me. Is that nuts? Sorry guys. I took it down!” Zarin commented on Twitter about what happened.

Do you think that is normal or ridiculous?

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Sue Mengers, Hollywood super agent, was truly “A-List”

Roger Friedman — Mon, 17 Oct 2011 19:26:20 +0000

HollywoodNews.com: You’ll read a lot about Sue Mengers today. In the 1960s and 70s she was a force to be reckoned with in Hollywood. A super agent before there were any, Mengers guided the careers of Barbra Streisand and so many A list names. In Julia Phillips‘ infamous memoir, “You’ll Never Eat Lunch in this Town Again,” Mengers figures largely in the failure of Phillips to make Erica Jong‘s “Fear of Flying” into a movie with Goldie Hawn. But Mengers also figures largely in a lot of movies that were made, like Peter Bogdanovich‘s classics “Paper Moon” and “What’s Up Doc?” as well as the remake of “A Star is Born” with Streisand and Kris Kristofferson, among others.

Mengers’ clients included Cher, Michael Caine, Ali McGraw, Gene Hackman, Faye Dunaway, Bob Fosse, Peter Bogdanovich, Tatum O’Neal, Ryan O’Neal, Candice Bergen, Ann-Margret, Burt Reynolds and Cybill Shepherd. If there was a big deal or movie made with A list stars in the 1970s, Sue Mengers was at the center of it. Mengers was also incredibly loyal, perhaps wrongly, to corrupt movie exec David Begelman. Ironically Begelman’s whistleblower, actor Cliff Robertson, also died this year.

The great New York columnist, Aileen Mehle, aka “Suzy,” described Mengers thusly from the New York premiere of Steven Spielberg‘s “Close Encounters of the Third Kind,” produced by Julia Phillips in November 1977, at the end of a long list of heavy hitters: “…and Sue Mengers, the top Hollywood agent, a flying object who was identified a long time ago.”

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Paul McCartney is “MusiCares Person of the Year”

Roger Friedman — Wed, 14 Sep 2011 20:31:07 +0000

HollywoodNews.com: Paul McCartney has finally agreed to accept the MusiCares Person of the Year award. The prestigious award entails the big gala on the Friday night of Grammy weekend in February. McCartney was offered the award long ago but finally has time on his schedule. He follows last year’s honoree, Barbra Streisand.

For Person of the Year, the artist chooses a bunch of performers to sing his/her songs. The honoree also usually puts on his own show. So this year’s gala should be the biggest ever. MusiCares is in the middle of a big campaign to bring in music fans from all over. Go to www.musicares.org to read more about it.

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Barbra Streisand’s album is top 5 for this week

Roger Friedman — Thu, 01 Sep 2011 21:18:18 +0000

HollywoodNews.com: Barbra Streisand still has it. She’s got a top 5 album this week with ”What Matters Most.” The CD– A strong collection of ballads written by lyricists Alan and Marilyn Bergman with a variety of composers–sold a little over 70,000 copies in its debut week. Not bad.. Among the songs Streisand covers is the couple’s tour de force, “Windmills of Your Mind,” and another classic winner, “That Face.”

All the tracks are produced with wit and class by Streisand herself. There’s no downside here, but it would be nice to hear Streisand attempt some more upbeat material, maybe with edgier arrangements. On “Windmills” she’s offered herself up accappella. It’s a terrific track. She should immediately allow a bunch of modern remixers take a crack at it–she could have a club hit.

Streisand doesn’t seem to realize that there’s a club record hit out there right now — she could capitalize on that easily. But “What Matters Most” is that her fans obviously love this collection.

Look for Streisand to hit the tour circuit sometime soon. That’s where her real income is made. Her fans have no problem paying upwards of $350 a ticket to see her.

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Barbra Streisand’s writers are hard at work

Beck / Smith — Sun, 28 Aug 2011 18:00:21 +0000

HollywoodNews.com: Songwriting greats Alan and Marilyn Bergman aren’t taking much time to bask in the glow of Barbra Streisand’s widely-praised new “What Matters Most” tribute album of their songs. They’re in the midst of working on a new version of “Queen of the Stardust Ballroom.” The Emmy-winning television movie, about a lonely widow who finds love with a postal worker, was transformed into the Broadway musical (ital.) Ballroom (end ital.) in 1978, with songs by the Bergmans and Billy Goldenberg. Now it’s being planned as a Broadway vehicle for Tyne Daly, with revamping including, says Alan, “five or six new songs” — “at least,” adds Marilyn — on which they’re collaborating with Marvin Hamlisch.

“We love to work with Marvin. He’s a great composer and great fun to write with. He’s funny. He’s so enthusiastic,” notes Marilyn.

When will the show get going? “As soon as we’re finished,” says Alan with a laugh.
The Oscar, Emmy and Grammy award-winning couple, who’ve been contributing to the Great American Songbook for more than 50 years, have also been meeting this week with another favorite collaborator, Michel Legrand. He flew in from France to discuss a new project.

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Barbra Streisand is busier than she’s been in a long time

Greg Hernandez — Fri, 19 Aug 2011 20:25:46 +0000

HollywoodNews.com: With her latest album, What Matters Most: Barbra Streisand Sings the Lyrics of Alan and Marilyn Bergman, out Tuesday, Barbra Streisand is doing lost of press.

In an interview with USA Today, it’s clear that the star – who often has long stretches between movies and albums – is busier on several fronts than she’s been in a long time.

On the Bergmans: “They’ve written for movies, so they write for stories and characters. I relate to them as an actress and a person.”

On a new film adaptation of Gypsy: “We just have to find our team and a writer. It’s too bad, because I was looking forward to working with Arthur [Laurents who died in May at 93]. I had seen him a few months before that, and he seemed so strong and healthy.”

Streisand also has a new film due next year, My Mother’s Curse, in which she plays Seth Rogen’s mom. The part is her “first starring role in many years.”

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Lea Michele won’t be in “Funny Girl” on Broadway

Roger Friedman — Tue, 26 Jul 2011 18:10:41 +0000

HollywoodNews.com: Exclusive: The revival of “Funny Girl” is on its way to Broadway, but without “Glee” star Lea Michele. There was talk that Lea was going to star as Fanny Brice, the part made famous by Barbra Streisand in 1964. But color Lea Michele booked: she is under contract to “Glee,” and, according to sources, she’s staying on that show or connected to it despite recent reports. “Funny Girl” is slated for a mid January run in Los Angeles before heading to New York in the spring to make Tony Awards deadlines. Bartlett Sher is directing, and Chris Gatelli is choreographer. Bob Boyett is the producer.

“Funny Girl” is now searching for its Fanny and Nicky Arnstein. But rehearsals are set for November in New York. Lea Michele will still be filming the current season of “Glee.” A source quipped: “By the time she’s out of Glee, they’ll be ready for a revival of this revival.” Funny. How the story of three “Glee” principals being axed from the show got so out of hand is another story altogether. But it seems clear that Michele, Chris Colfer and Cory Montieth will wind up in a spin off show next fall, or graduated to adult status. “They’re not going anywhere,” says a source.

So who should play Fanny and Nicky in the Broadway revival? Any ideas? Anne Hathaway, call your agents!

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Barbra Streisand’s new album “What Matters Most”

Greg Hernandez — Sun, 24 Jul 2011 15:18:03 +0000

HollywoodNews.com: August is shaping up to be a big month for Barbra Streisand fans. The legend is releasing a new album: What Matters Most: Barbra Streisand Sings the Lyrics of Alan and Marilyn Bergman.

The new album, which Barbra personally produced, features ten Bergman songs which she has never previously recorded. Included in the set are the Academy Award-winning song The Windmills of Your Mind from the 1968 film The Thomas Crown Affair as well as So Many Stars which was a hit for Sergio Mendes & Brazil ’66, Nice ‘n’ Easy as popularized by Frank Sinatra, and That Face as first recorded by Fred Astaire.

Also in August, PBS will begin airing One Night Only – Barbra Streisand at the Village Vanguard.

In September 2009, a select group of fans and friends had the rare opportunity to experience the legendary star’s performance in the ultimate up-close-and-personal setting of the historic Village Vanguard in Greenwich Village. She was at her most intimate accompanied by piano, bass, guitar and drums.

Check your local PBS listings.

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Justin Bieber, Eminem take top honors at Billboard Awards

Sean O'Connell — Mon, 23 May 2011 13:23:51 +0000

By Sean O’Connell
Hollywoodnews.com: Justin Bieber, Eminem, U2 and Beyonce took home the top prizes at Sunday night’s Billboard awards. Beiber and Eminem each won six official awards, while U2 earned the Touring trophy and Beyonce grabbed the Millennium Award.

Bieber “embraced” girlfriend Selena Gomez before accepting one of his awards, according to THR, prompting Billboard Awards host Ken Jeong of “The Hangover Part II” to exclaim, “Are they not the cutest couple in the universe?”

Beyonce’s Millennium award came with an all-star tribute that included First Lady Michelle Obama; Barbra Streisand; Lady Gaga; U2 frontman Bono; and Stevie Wonder.

The 2011 Billboard Music Awards winners, who were honored Sunday night in Las Vegas, are:

ARTIST AWARDS

Top Artist:
Eminem

Personal thoughts on Elizabeth Taylor’s passing

Greg Hernandez — Thu, 24 Mar 2011 21:01:59 +0000

By Greg Hernandez

HollywoodNews.com: I flipped on the television this morning to MSNBC and heard anchor Thomas Roberts share the news that Elizabeth Taylor had died.

I felt suddenly so sad.

We knew she had been so ill but it still came as a shock much like when Lucille Ball died in 1989. Both women were in their late 70s and somehow we thought they would live forever.

And just as Lucy has, so will Elizabeth.

As a movie star crazy kid growing up in the 70s, I would devour every issue of ‘People Magazine’ and Rona Barrett’s various magazines and was particularly fascinated with Miss Taylor.

My mom had always been a big fan of the actress so whenever her movies were on television, I’d watch them with her. I didn’t really understand ‘Cat on a Hot Tin Roof,’ ‘Suddenly Last Summer’ or ‘Butterfield 8′ when I first saw them but I was mesmerized by Miss Taylor’s beauty and her talent.

But my real admiration for her came in the mid-80s when she decided to use to great fame to raise money and awareness in the fight against AIDS. She fought passionately, worked tirelessly and became one of the greatest humanitarians of our time. She began her work well before AIDS activism became fashionable and it became clear that her work as an activist had become far more important to her than her work as an actress.

Still, in addition to her earlier films, it was nice to see her do an occasional later movie like 1985′s ‘Malice in Wonderland,’ 1987′s ‘Poker Alice’ and a television version of ‘Sweet Bird of Youth’ opposite Mark Harmon in 1989. Then there was her hilarious performance as Wilma’s mother Pearl Slaghoople in the 1994 feature film ‘The Flintstones.’

[My top five favorite Taylor films: 1. A Place in the Sun 2. Cat on a Hot Tin Roof 3. Who's Afraid if Virginia Woolf? 4. Suddenly Last Summer 5. Giant.]

I began covering Hollywood events in 2000 and since then, I’ve met just about every star I’ve ever wanted to meet. But never Elizabeth Taylor. I did get a pretty good look at her from my table at the Beverly Hilton when she took the stage to pay tribute to Barbra Streisand at the AFI Tribute in 2001.

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