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ENTERTAINMENT
Sir Elton vampire musical closes
Sir Elton wrote the music for Lestat and Bernie Taupin wrote the lyrics. Sir Elton John's vampire musical Lestat is to close on New York's Broadway after just 39 performances. The 17 million Dollars show was savaged by critics when it opened at the Palace Theatre on 25 April after a brief run in San Francisco. It will close on the first Sunday of June. Audiences last week were at 53% capacity for the show, based on the best-selling novels of Anne Rice. The star wrote the music for Lestat and long-time songwriting partner Bernie Taupin wrote the lyrics. It was the pair's first stage musical collaboration. But Variety called the show "beyond rescue", while the New York Times' influential Ben Brantley branded it "a musical sleeping pill". The show gained two nominations for next month's Tony Awards - best featured actress in a musical for Carolee Carmello and best costume design in a musical. Sir Elton has previously composed the music for hit shows The Lion King, Aida and Billy Elliott. Earlier, Sir Elton accepted $270,000 libel damages from the Daily Mail over false claims about his behavior. The award related to a June 2005 Daily Mail story about the star's annual charity ball. The paper falsely alleged he issued a "bizarre and absurd edict" to guests not to approach him at the event, Sir Elton's solicitor-advocate Nigel Tait told the High Court. No such edict was issued and Sir Elton greets each guest as they arrive, Mr .Tait told the court. "[He] is well-known for chatting to as many people as possible who attend the ball, not least to thank them for helping him with his fund-raising efforts." Apology: The paper later published an apology and "has at no stage in these proceedings sought to justify the allegations", Mr. Tait added. Sir Elton's spokesman said he was "happy with the settlement", to be donated to the Elton John Aids Foundation charity. In February Sir Elton accepted undisclosed damages from the Sunday Times, which reprinted the Daily Mail story. The songwriter felt the story had affected the image and reputation of his fund-raising efforts.
Stones postpone European concerts
The Rolling Stones have postponed the first 15 dates of their European tour after Keith Richards's brain surgery. The rock legends will reschedule the gigs in countries including Spain, Belgium, Russia, France and Italy. The A Bigger Bang tour is due to resume in July but the first date and venue have yet to been announced. Richards had surgery in New Zealand after reportedly falling out of a tree, but has since flown home to the US and says he is "feeling great". The European leg of the world tour was due to start in Barcelona on 27 May, but concerts up to and including the show in Zagreb, Croatia, on 5 July have now been called off.
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Richards has flown home to the US with his wife Patti Hansen. Tour promoters are asking fans to keep hold of their
tickets until rescheduled dates are announced. The band have already
performed in countries including China and Brazil and at the US Super
Bowl. Richards suffered the head injury during a break in the tour
schedule. Doctors in Auckland said he had a small operation to remove
pressure after he complained of headaches. He was originally thought to
have sustained "mild concussion" but needed surgery several days later.
The Rolling Stones cancelled a number of concerts on their 2003 Forty
Licks tour because of illness and the Sars outbreak in Asia.
Madonna defends mock crucifixion
Booed at Cannes
Marie-Antoinette became queen of France at the age of 19. Marie-Antoinette, one of the early favorites for the Palme d'Or at Cannes Film Festival, was booed at the end of the first press screening The period drama stars Kirsten Dunst and was directed by Sofia Coppola, who made the award-winning Lost in Translation. CONTINUES ON P8
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Madonna
has defended a controversial mock crucifixion in her stage show, saying
it is part of an appeal to the audience to donate to Aids charities.
"I don't think Jesus would be mad at me and the message I'm trying to
send," she told the New York Daily News. UK and US church groups
condemned the stunt after the singer began a 51-date world tour in Los
Angeles. A Church of England statement asked why Madonna felt "the need
to promote herself by offending so many people".
Madonna performed the ballad Live To Tell while suspended
from a giant mirrored cross on Sunday's opening night. Images of poverty
in the developing world were shown on video screens, while numbers
ticked away to represent the 12 million African children orphaned by
Aids. "Jesus taught that we should love thy neighbor," Madonna told the
newspaper. David Muir of the Evangelical Alliance accused the singer of
"blatant insensitivity". "Madonna's use of Christian imagery is an abuse
and it is dangerous," he said. "She should drop it from the tour and
people need to find their own means of expressing their disapproval."
This is not the first time the pop star's concerts have upset the
Church. In 1990, the Pope called for a boycott of the Blond Ambition
tour, in which Madonna simulated masturbation during Like A Virgin. The
video for Like A Prayer also brought condemnation from groups claiming
it was blasphemous. The Confessions world tour will reach Britain in
July.
