Journalist, Author & Syndicated Columnist
In 1977, Meco Monardo scored a No. 1 hit with ” `Star Wars’ Theme/Cantina Band,” which he was moved to write after seeing the movie . . . 11 times. Backed by 75 musicians, Meco incorporated R2-D2 sound effects and created a kitschy disco number.
Vanity Fair’s May cover girl is Natalie Portman, 17, who stars as Queen Amidala in the “Star Wars” prequel “The Phantom Menace.” Leslie Bennetts’ story presents Portman as a serious high school senior with a grade-point average of 99 (out of 100). The actress excels in her advanced placement classes (which include calculus), takes Japanese lessons and has been accepted for early enrollment at Harvard and Yale universities.
As long as there are girls, boy bands such as 98°, which performed Tuesday at the Rosemont Theatre, will fare just fine. And when you think about it, that’s not such a bad thing. Whose concert would you rather have your 12-year-old attend? The one by nice young men in 98°, who sing about eternal love, or a show by wacky Marilyn Manson, who likes to pick fights with Kurt Cobain’s widow?
Drew Lachey’s got a little something to say about the boy band phenomenon – or, depending on how you look at it, stigma.
In her first book, rap star-turned-actress Queen Latifah, candidly writes about her steady rise to fame, her close-knit family and and how she treated her grief with alcohol and drugs after her brother died in a motorcycle accident. At 173 very short pages (the type is huge and the margins generous), readers are entertained and, to a certain extent, enlightened. But they never get the feeling that they have gotten to know the artist.
Barefoot and clad in a pair of sweats that have seen better days, Viggo Mortensen walks over to introduce himself. His hands and arms are covered with names and phone numbers he has scribbled on himself after checking his answering machine. And his hair is tousled and flecked with tiny bits of paint. None of this can hide Mortensen’s deadly good looks.
Who knew that the ‘N Sync crowd would be familiar with the Beatles, much less the Sugarhill Gang? But when photos of the former were flashed on a screen above the stage Friday night at the Rosemont Horizon, the young crowd gave a knowledgeable ovation to the Fab Four.
You’ve heard their song “Tearin’ Up My Heart” on the radio. You’ve seen the video on heavy rotation on MTV. And if you have a little sister, young niece or a daughter with a subscription to Teen People, there’s a good chance you could even pick Lance Bass, JC Chasez, Joey Fatone Jr., Chris Kirkpatrick or Justin Timberlake – the Fab Five who make up the pop band – out of a dreamy lineup.
Janusz Kaminski has a brother for 5-year-old Oscar. His name is . . . Oscar. The Columbia College graduate won his second Academy Award Sunday night for best cinematography for “Saving Private Ryan.”
Deftly directed by Robert Johanson, who shows a keen eye for detail, the immaculately staged, 90-minute musical is a whirlwind of eye candy. With the collaboration of set designer Michael Anania, Johanson brings the scenes to life. One minute you see the cantankerous neighbor/witch flying high above the stage on her bicycle. The next, a farmhouse is furiously swirling through the epicenter of a tornado. All this sets the stage for the trip to Oz, where the kaleidoscope of colors are as bright as a rainbow and the onstage pyrotechnics just add to the fun.