Entertaining Posts

Friday, August 5, 2011

Fox stays mum on Jennifer Lopez, "Idol" talks

LOS ANGELES | Fri Aug 5, 2011 4:19pm EDT

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Jennifer Lopez's future as a judge with "American Idol" is still up in the air, after Fox television on Friday declined to confirm or deny reports that she had signed on for a second season.

Fox entertainment president Kevin Reilly told a meeting of TV critics he had no headline-making announcements -- "maybe like confirm Jennifer Lopez or something. No luck there."

The return of Lopez for the upcoming 11th season of "American Idol" has been in doubt after the singer said earlier this summer that she was undecided about doing a second year.

Several news reports, all citing unnamed sources, have reported that Lopez is ready to sign up, and this week, showbiz website TheWrap.com said a deal had been finalized that would pay Lopez just over $20 million (12 million pounds).

Aerosmith frontman Steven Tyler and veteran record producer Randy Jackson are already confirmed as judges when the talent contest resumes on Fox in January.

Lopez and Tyler joined the judging panel this past season, helping to boost flagging viewership for the aging "American Idol" and maintain its status as the most-watched show on U.S.

TV.

The show has also been good for Lopez. She topped People magazine's "most beautiful" list earlier this year and had a top 10 hit with her dance single "On the Floor."

However, Lopez announced in July that she was divorcing her husband of seven years, Latin singer Marc Anthony, with whom she had twins in 2008.

(Editing by Bob Tourtellotte)

ABC apologizes for Nicki Minaj's costume slip up

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Designer Michael Kors to marry in New York

NEW YORK | Fri Aug 5, 2011 11:52am EDT

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Will "Project Runway" be staging a gay wedding episode soon?

Michael Kors, a top designer and one of the long-running TV fashion show's judges, said he plans to marry his partner, Lance LePere, now that gay marriage is legal in New York state.

"Lance and I are very excited to finally be able to have the opportunity to marry in our home state after many years together," Kors, a Long Island native, said in a statement.

"We have no plans for a major party, but we will be getting married privately," Kors, 51, added.

Kors and LePere were seen at City Hall in New York getting a marriage license on Thursday, according to media reports. The two met in 1990 when LePere began working at the company as an intern.

Kors is only the latest public figure to announce plans to marry a same sex partner.

Neil Patrick Harris recently reiterated that he and partner David Burtka, parents of 10-month-old twins, had been engaged for several years and would marry, though he said no definite plans had been made as to a date or location.

Harris also has said the wedding would be low-key and private.

(Reporting by Chris Michaud; editing by Bob Tourtellotte)

Buskers, stars and tourists crowd Edinburgh Festival

By Ian Mackenzie

EDINBURGH | Fri Aug 5, 2011 12:38pm EDT

EDINBURGH (Reuters) - The Edinburgh Fringe Festival swung into exuberant action on Friday as 21,0000 performers ranging from street buskers and mimes to top-class singers, actors and cabaret stars set out to entertain in a city whose population doubles in size over the coming month.

The free-spirited Fringe, the Edinburgh International Festival, the International Book Festival, the military tattoo and major art exhibitions combine in the world's biggest annual arts festival.

The Scottish capital, with a population of around 470,000, virtually doubles in size over the coming weeks. The hoteliers association said its 40 members reported that most of the available 145,000 rooms were taken. A report commissioned by Scotland's festivals said they brought some 250 million pounds ($410 million) to the country's economy annually.

Buskers, magicians, acrobats and brightly clad actors promoting their shows crowded Edinburgh's historic Royal Mile in bright sunshine on Friday, after heavy rain the previous day.

The military tattoo, whose pipe bands and military performances expect to attract 220,000 spectators for its three-week run from Friday through to August 27, has spent 16 million pounds on revamping its seating and facilities on the esplanade of the Castle, which dominates the city's skyline.

The 2,542 shows scheduled for this year's Fringe range from one-person events tucked away in back alleys to world-class comedy, theater and song.

Cabaret has returned this year to feature in the programme. There is also a "free Fringe" in which more than 500 shows can be seen without charge.

The Fringe, which started as an adjunct to the International Festival founded in 1947 as an antidote to the austere days after World War Two, has also given many stars of comedy and theater their first break over the years.

Fringe director Kath Mainland said one reason performers flocked to the city was for the chance of catching the eye of impresarios, talent scouts and agents who gather from around the world in the search of new talent and acts.

The International Festival, with a strong Asian theme this year, runs from August 12 to September 4, and the book festival from August 13 to 29.

(Edited by Paul Casciato)

Thursday, August 4, 2011

Paul McCartney says appears to be phone hacking victim