Green Room UK

Stars say goodbye to Danny La Rue.

admin — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 16:11:19 +0000

Family and friends of Danny La Rue have attended the flamboyant entertainer’s funeral in London.
Stars including actress Barbara Windsor and comedian Ronnie Corbett were at the private service at the Catholic Church of the Transfiguration in Kensal Rise.
Many celebrities also sent floral tributes including Paul O’Grady, Dame Judi Dench and Bruce Forsyth.
La Rue died in his sleep on 31 May after a short illness aged 81, his spokeswoman said previously.
Windsor, a friend of La Rue since the age of 18, read out Jack’s poem for Danny, composed by La Rue’s former partner and manager of 32 years, Jack Hanson.
Hanson died in 1984 and Windsor said that La Rue had been going through his items when he found a tape on which Hanson recited the poem, which he had composed for La Rue’s 50th birthday.
Other stars who attended included comedians Barry Cryer, Roy Hudd and Joe Pasquale.
Hudd paid tribute to the star, talking of La Rue’s ability to generate “non-PC belly laughs” adding: “He was classy, great at the job, a star performer and a star human being. I loved him very much.”
Corbett described La Rue as a “darling, darling man”.
He said: “We have all of us lost someone special and we were all privileged to have been at some time with him, and near him.”
La Rue’s family said that donations may be given in his memory to the Entertainment Artistes’ Benevolence Fund.
The star, who was born Daniel Patrick Carroll in Cork in the Irish Republic, moved to London with his mother when he was nine.
He first donned his wig and eyelashes during a naval concert party, having been sent to Singapore as part of Lord Mountbatten’s invasion task force towards the end of World War II.
He went on to become a West End cabaret star and was the first female impersonator to appear at the Royal Variety performance in front of the Queen.
Read full story at BBC

LONDON, ENGLAND – JUNE 23: A copy of the order of service for the funeral of Danny La Rue outside the Church of The Transfiguration in Kensal Rise on June 23, 2009 in London, England. Danny La Rue died in his sleep at the age of 81 after a short illness. (Photo by Gareth Cattermole/Getty Images)
Copyright 2009 Getty Images. All rights reserved.

Dad’s Army veteran dies aged 82.

admin — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 20:38:45 +0000

Actor Colin Bean, who played Private Sponge in Dad’s Army for many years, has died aged 82 in Wigan Infirmary.
He spent his last years at Wickham Hall Care Home in Springfield and died at the infirmary on Saturday.
After many years in repertory, he was spotted in 1968 by his friend Jimmy Perry, one of the creators of Dad’s Army, and given a part in the series.
He last appeared in public at a reunion of the Dad’s Army Appreciation Society last year.
Read full story at BBC
Colin Bean was one of the last surviving cast members of Dad’s Army, and featured in almost every episode as Private Sponge.This video is a fascinating insight into the actors life . He was in about seventy five episodes and spoke in twenty eight.
Our deepest sympathy goes to Colins family and friends.
A sad loss and the end of one of tevisions most loved series.

Wedgwood wins £100,000 art prize.

admin — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 20:53:13 +0000

A museum dedicated to Wedgwood, the world-famous pottery company, has won the £100,000 Art Fund Prize for museums and galleries.
The prize was announced by film-maker David Puttnam, at the Royal Institute of British Architects in London.
The judges said they were “bowled over” by the “extraordinary” Wedgwood Museum, which is in Stoke-on-Trent.
Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum; Ruthin Craft Centre, and the Orleans House Gallery were also shortlisted.
The judges, who included artist Grayson Perry, praised the way the Wedgwood Museum used its world-renowned collection to take visitors on a 250-year tour of British social, design and industrial history, while remaining embedded in the local community.
Lord Puttnam, who chaired the panel, said: “This Museum is extraordinary for so many reasons and we were all but unanimous in our decision.
“The Wedgwood Museum brilliantly highlights the marriage of art, design, manufacturing and commerce; a marriage that resonates more today than at possibly any time in the intervening years.
“In every respect it fully meets our criteria of what a 21st century museum should aspire to be.”
It was the first year the public had been able to have their say in choosing the winner, via the People’s Choice poll.
Over 27,000 people voted on the Guardian website, also choosing the Wedgwood Museum as their clear winner.
Last week it was revealed an investigation had begun into alleged voting irregularities in the poll, but the Guardian later verified the voting was correct.
Andrew Macdonald, acting director of The Art Fund, said: “The Wedgwood Museum… is a richly deserving winner of this Prize, and its victory could not have come at a better time for the area, after all the uncertainty there has been over the future of the factory which still operates alongside the museum.”
In addition to the cheque for £100,000, The Wedgwood Museum will also receive the Art Fund Prize Bowl, enamelled in silver by the craftsman Vladimir Bohm, which they can display for one year.
Last year’s winner was The Lightbox museum and gallery in Woking. Previous winners of the award – formerly known as the Gulbenkian Prize – include Pallant House Gallery, Chichester (2007); and Brunel’s ss Great Britain, Bristol (2006).
Read full story at BBC
Visit The Wedgwood Museum

The Portland Vase, which Wedgwood considered his finest work.

Winehouse ‘in denial’ over drugs.

admin — Wed, 17 Jun 2009 10:24:25 +0000

Amy Winehouse is constantly in denial over her drug addiction and continues to drink heavily, the singer’s parents have told ITV News in an interview.
Mother Janis Winehouse said: “The need to rescue her is enormous. Amy is in denial all the time.”
Father Mitch, who blames his daughter’s estranged husband Blake Fielder-Civil for her addiction, said she is on a drug programme but is still drinking.
The 25-year-old Back To Black singer has recently been staying in St Lucia.
“I just want her to be okay and I would do whatever it took to make that right,” Mrs Winehouse said.
“Amy is in denial all the time. She probably feels trapped, her body is trapping her.
“But I know with addiction you do not have the choice because the substance itself directs you.”
The interview will show footage of the star, known for hits such as Rehab and Love Is A Losing Game, drunkenly attempting to play the drums.
Mr Winehouse said he wants his daughter to be a “whole person again”.
He added: “I tried it all -- I said, ‘Amy you’ve got to do this, you’ve got to go to this doctor, you’ve got to do this, you’ve got to do that, you’re killing me, you’re killing your mum’. None of it worked.”
He said he has seen a “remarkable recovery” in the star in the last six months but she still has alcohol-related “backward steps”.
A reunion between Winehouse and Fielder-Civil in the near future is not likely, according to her father.
“The option of them being together is too horrible to contemplate,” he said.
“They are going to get divorced and who knows what’s going to happen down the line.
“Amy and Blake have decided that they want to get on with their lives separately, and if they get back together again in the future and they’re both clean and they still love each other, that’s up to them.”
Winehouse’s health has been the subject of speculation over the last couple of years.
She received treatment last year for “traces” of the lung disease emphysema and has spent several stints in rehab.
Read full story at BBC

The 25-year-old Back To Black singer has recently been staying in St Lucia.

In 2009 Five time Grammy Award winner Amy Winehouse returned to the stage for the first time, after months of seclusion, as the headliner of the St. Lucia Jazz Festival.But its clearly not the Amy that her fans want, as she struggles to complete a set.

Pitt donates $1m to cancer ward.

admin — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 10:38:22 +0000

Hollywood actor Brad Pitt and his siblings have donated $1m (£612,000) to help open a new paediatric cancer centre in the US.
The ward will be named after their mother in honour of her passion for children’s issues.
The money was given to St John’s Hospital in Springfield, Missouri – the town where Pitt and his brother and sister grew up.
The Jane Pitt Pediatric Cancer Center is expected to open this summer.
The donation will pay to hire the only paediatric oncologist and haematologist in the south-west Missouri region.
Dr Sami Khoshyomn said: “This certainly is a significant milestone in the history of children’s healthcare services in our region.”
Pitt, star of Benjamin Button, is well known for his charitable work and has helped to rehouse some of the people affected by Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans.
Last year, the actor and his partner Angelina Jolie donated $1m to help children affected by the war in Iraq.
Read full story at BBC
Last year Jolie and Pitt donated money to children in Iraq.

Langford making Broadway comeback.

admin — Sun, 14 Jun 2009 11:15:31 +0000

Singer and actress Bonnie Langford is to appear on the Broadway stage for the first time in 35 years.
The 44-year-old, who was last seen in a New York production as a teenager in Gypsy, will star in musical Chicago.
Langford will play Roxie Hart in the hit show as a member of the show’s summer line-up.
The performer is also well-known for her small screen roles, including a stint on Doctor Who and ITV’s celebrity TV show Dancing on Ice.
Langford’s last Broadway stint was as Baby Jane in the 1974 revival of Gypsy at the Ambassador Theatre.
She played Hart in the London production of Chicago in 2006 and has also appeared in West End stage shows including Cats and 42nd Street.
The performer’s niece, Summer Strallen, is also starring on Broadway as Mary Poppins.
She played the leading role of Maria in The Sound of Music in the West End until the production came to a close in February.
Read full story at BBC

18th February 1974: English child star Bonnie Langford before leaving to tour America in the musical ‘Gypsy’. (Photo by Ian Tyas/Keystone Features/Getty Images)
Copyright 2009 Getty Images. All rights reserved.

Who could forget Bonnies incredible talent in Dancing On Ice.
Bonnie Langford & Pavel Aubrecht -- Don’t Stop Me Now.

Manilow to sing at BBC Proms.

admin — Mon, 08 Jun 2009 16:24:05 +0000

Veteran musician Barry Manilow has announced his only UK gig this year will be at the BBC Proms in the Park.
The 65-year-old, best known for hits such as Mandy and Copacabana, will join soprano singer Katherine Jenkins at the annual concert, in London’s Hyde Park.
Now in its 14th year, the event on 12 September, hosted by Sir Terry Wogan, will be broadcast live on Radio 2.
Radio 2 controller Bob Shennan said listeners will be in for a “real treat” to hear Manilow perform.
The event also sees performances from acclaimed Icelandic tenor sensation Garoar Thor Cortes and the BBC Concert Orchestra under the baton of Martin Yates.
The concert culminates in a live video link-up with the Royal Albert Hall and a nationwide sing-along to traditional favourites including Jerusalem and Rule Britannia.
Read full story at BBC
Barry Manilow’s worldwide record sales exceed 75 million.

Barry will join soprano singer Katherine Jenkins at the annual concert, in London’s Hyde Park.

Billy Elliot sweeps Tony awards.

admin — Mon, 08 Jun 2009 08:00:43 +0000

The Broadway production of the British hit musical Billy Elliot has taken 10 Tony Awards at a ceremony in New York, including best musical.
The three young actors who share the title role got a unique best-actor prize. Its director also won a Tony.
The show about a miner’s son from northern England who dreams of dancing has taken Broadway by storm.
However, the musical and its composer, Sir Elton John, lost out in best score category which went to Next to Normal.
Sir Elton helped accept the best musical Tony, telling the audience: “Thank you for accepting us so beautifully on Broadway.
“We came here at a hard time economically. You opened up your wallets and you opened up your hearts to us. And we love you for it, thank you.”
Billy Elliot, the Musical is based on the 2000 Oscar-nominated film which starred Jamie Bell.

Both the film and the musical were directed by Britain’s Stephen Daldry.

“I have been blessed in my life to spend the majority of the last 10 years of my life working on the story of Billy Elliot,” said Daldry, calling it a “long, extraordinary journey”.

He said the award belonged to everyone connected to the show and especially to “three great gifts of Broadway, our three little Billys”, referring to actors David Alvarez, Trent Kowalik and Kiril Kulish.

Eric Fellner of Working Title who produced both the film and play said: “We are delighted and honoured by the amazing recognition the Tony voters have shown us.
“To have been embraced by the Broadway community so warmly has been brilliant and you can be certain we will be back.”
The musical opened in London in 2005. A Sydney production followed in 2007.
Separately, British actress Natasha Richardson was singled out during the award ceremony’s In Memoriam section. She died earlier this year following a skiing accident in Canada.
Read full story at BBC
NEW YORK -- JUNE 07: Actors David Alvarez, Kiril Kulish and Trent Kowalik accept the award for best performance by a leading actor in a musical for ‘Billy Elliot, The Musical’ onstage during the 63rd Annual Tony Awards at Radio City Music Hall on June 7, 2009 in New York City. (Photo by Andrew H. Walker/Getty Images)
Copyright 2009 Getty Images. All rights reserved.

NEW YORK -- JUNE 07: (L-R) Actor David Alvarez, musician Sir Elton John, actor Kiril Kulish and actor Trent Kowalik pose with the award for best performance by a leading actor in a musical for ‘Billy Elliot, The Musical’ during the 63rd Annual Tony Awards at Radio City Music Hall on June 7, 2009 in New York City. (Photo by Bryan Bedder/Getty Images)
Copyright 2009 Getty Images. All rights reserved.

Some highlights from Billy Elliot on Broadway.

Veterans gather for D-Day event.

admin — Sat, 06 Jun 2009 09:42:53 +0000

Veterans of D-Day are preparing to take part in ceremonies in France, marking the 65th anniversary of the Allied Normandy landings.
US President Barack Obama, France’s Nicolas Sarkozy, as well as the Canadian and British prime ministers and Prince Charles are taking part.
They will attend commemorations at a cemetery near Omaha Beach, where many American soldiers died on 6 June 1944.
The Allies suffered 215,000 casualties on D-Day and in the Normandy campaign.
Germany suffered similar losses as the Allies fought desperately up the beaches and into the French countryside to form a bridgehead.
President Obama flew into Paris late on Friday after a brief trip to Germany in which he and Chancellor Angela Merkel toured the Buchenwald concentration camp.
Later on Saturday he will join President Sarkozy for talks in Caen before delivering a speech at the US war cemetery in Colleville-sur-Mer, which overlooks Omaha Beach.
Veterans of the landings will be among the invited audience.
President Obama’s great-uncle, Charlie Payne, 84, who helped to liberate a concentration camp near Buchenwald, has also travelled to Normandy.

Also present will be British Prime Minister Gordon Brown and Canada’s Stephen Harper.

Britain’s Prince Charles was invited after the US intervened in a cross-channel row over the lack of an invitation for Queen Elizabeth.
“It’s a great feeling … to come here,” said Austin Cox, 90, of Maryland, who landed on Omaha Beach as a sergeant with the 29th Division of the US 115th Infantry Regiment.
“My comrades though are buried over at Omaha,” he said.
US First Lady Michelle Obama and her daughters Malia, 10, and Sasha, seven, arrived in France shortly before the president.
After the D-Day ceremonies, President Obama and his family will return to Paris where they plan to visit Notre Dame Cathedral. They are due to fly back to the US on Sunday.
Read full story at BBC
Remember, these men gave up their tomorrow for our today. D-Day.
We remember them.
June 6, 1944, Operation Overlord, the long-awaited invasion of Nazi-occupied Europe, began with Allied armies from the U.S., Britain and Canada landing.

Hollyoaks launches open auditions.

admin — Fri, 05 Jun 2009 16:16:44 +0000

Channel 4 soap Hollyoaks has launched an online open audition process to cast a new female character.
Hollyoaks Desperately Seeking is inviting budding actresses aged 18-30 to audition via the E4 website.
The lucky auditionee will land a long term part in the show, starring as a new student character called India.
The competition follows the success of Hollyoaks on the Pull which discovered former cast members Roxanne McKee, Marcus Patrick and Elize Du Toit.
Hopefuls need to download a short script from the E4 website, record an audition video in character as India and then upload the video to E4.
Video entries will be viewed by the Hollyoaks production team and 25 contestants will be shortlisted and invited to audition on the Hollyoaks set.
The top 10 auditionees will be seen by Hollyoaks’ series producer Lucy Allan, who will choose the winning actress.
“We are very excited about opening the audition process to a wider audience and hope to find that special, raw talent that we found in Roxanne and Marcus during the On the Pull series,” Allan said.
Interest in the competition was so great when it launched that the download page for the audition script crashed. Staff were working on getting it back up and running by the end of Friday.
Entries close on 22 June, 2009 with the winner announced on 4 July.
Read full story at BBC
Visit the E4 Website
Roxanne McKee was discovered by a past open audition process.