Celebrity
Ariana Grande Will Not Spend Sunday In The Park With George
n an era where artists are expected to be constantly visible, perpetually productive, and endlessly available, Ariana Grande has made a different choice.
The Grammy-winning singer and Wicked star has announced she is stepping away from public-facing work following the conclusion of her Eternal Sunshine Tour, withdrawing from her anticipated West End debut in Stephen Sondheim’s Sunday in the Park with George opposite Jonathan Bailey.
According to her representative, Grande plans to complete her tour, which concludes in London on September 1, before taking “a much-deserved break from public-facing work and appearances.”
“Ariana will be taking a step back from visibility after she completes the Eternal Sunshine Tour. She looks forward to finishing the tour and ending it on a high note, both healthily and happily.”
The statement also acknowledged the relentless attention Grande has faced regarding her appearance, citing the “endless, ongoing public scrutiny” surrounding the star.
The producers of Sunday in the Park with George quickly voiced their support.
“We know this cannot have been an easy decision, and she makes it with our complete understanding and support,”Empire Street Productions said in a statement. “We wish her nothing but the best.”
The production remains scheduled to open at London’s Barbican Centre in the summer of 2027, with replacement casting to be announced.
Much of that discussion reignited following the release of her latest music video, “Petal,” in which Grande portrays Pepper, an aspiring performer navigating the brutal machinery of Hollywood. The stylized, satirical video critiques an entertainment industry obsessed with youth, perfection, and marketability. Ironically, many viewers focused less on the video’s message than on Grande’s body. Social media quickly filled with speculation about her health, with some expressing concern while others defended her right to privacy. It is a familiar cycle that has followed the singer throughout much of her career.
Grande herself has repeatedly addressed the issue. “Don’t comment on my body… Your business is yours and mine is mine.”
Earlier this year, Grande told Vogue Japan, “Balance is the goal for the next 15 years,” explaining that she hopes the next chapter of her career will look very different from the relentless schedule that brought her to global superstardom.
Grande’s withdrawal also resolves weeks of speculation after ticket sales for Sunday in the Park with George were quietly delayed, prompting questions about whether the production would proceed as planned. It will, only without one of its most anticipated stars.
Grande’s announcement suggests that changing the conversation may begin with one simple word that performers rarely feel permitted to say: No. Sometimes the most courageous performance isn’t stepping into the spotlight. It’s knowing when to step away from it.
G.H. Harding
EMMYS TO PRIME — As predicted, the 77-year-old Emmys have been jettisoned to Prime Video. That said, Prime Video had very little impact on the most recent show.
The recent show was good, but suffered from some of the worst writing I’d ever seen. Stephen Colbert boasting that his writers wrote for the show may have been a huge error in retrospect.
Don’t expect a host as marquee-level as Mariska Hargitay next year.
Check out the full story from Deadline:
https://deadline.com/2026/10/amazon-emmys-six-year-global-deal-1237147189/
Green Lantern
LANTERNS FINALE — HBO’s Lanterns finale aired Sunday and after 7 somewhat dismal and heavily re-written episodes from the original comic-lore, ended with a bang. If you’ve been following it as I have, I never, ever would have suspected that Kerry Kane (yes, related to Batgirl Kate Kane) killed Hal Jordan … or, did she?
Damon Lindelof, from Lost and The Leftovers wrote the script and as he has with everything he’s touched, put his rather remarkable stamp on it. Heavily re-written from what the original DC comic was, it enraged hard-core comic fans and delighted others with many pundits comparing the new narrative to what True Detective was like.
Kyle Chandler was great and it’d be awful to see him leave. That said, I don’t think there’s a chance in hell that HBO renews this show … but, anything can happen.
SHORT TAKES —- (via EW Weekly) Miley Cyrus’ new album has suffered a shocking fall from the top spot of the American charts. After debuting at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 last week, the 33-year-old’s latest LP, Bass Persuades, tumbled 156 spots to land at No. 157 on the current chart. The fall is one of the biggest for a No. 1-debuting album in history, surpassed by that of one other act: Bon Jovi, whose album This House is Not For Sale plummeted from No. 1 to No. 169 in its second week of release …
Michael Douglas
I love the so-called surprises in Michael Douglas’ new memoir One Helluva Ride. But there’s been so many reveals, I’m not sure you even have to read the book. Believe me, I know full well what a successful book tour entails, but I can’t even imagine what’s he’s held back. For one of the best takes on the book, check this out from the Hollywood Reporter: https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/michael-douglas-book-revelations-1236723340/?link_source=ta_first_comment&taid=6ac57d7ea871e000015a57ac&utm_campaign=trueanthem&utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook&fbclid=IwY2xjawUzD89leHRuA2FlbQIxMABwZG9mBWJyaWQRMVFmemc0d0JpZzcyT0dUb2lzcnRjBmFwcF9pZBAyMjIwMzkxNzg4MjAwODkyAAEe7fEet4cwDHjNBlS_APTaVxthMJu3K7ZAeIhpZ4R3iZdIPsnPnR08QOPKBt0_aem_cQKCov058dhIZU8gVtsnvg PR-pasha David Salidor had several Douglas-tales to tell when he worked for Douglas’ Third Stone Records, with Doug Morris, Ahmet Ertegun, and Douglas’s own PR-rep Allen Burry and he says they were all fun … From one of the best writers around,
Roy Trakin on Digger: Alejandro Iñarritu’s “Digger” is neither misunderstood masterpiece nor unmitigated disaster, but a white elephant of an art film that has echoes of “Dr. Strangelove” and “Synodoche, New York” and recalls George S. Kaufman’s famed quote about “satire closing on Saturday night.” Definitely worth seeing on a big screen for Tom Cruise’s over-the-top performance and monologue about our need for oil. Its dystopian corporate theme adds an extra layer of irony given the backdrop of Skydance’s birth, making it one of the final Warner Bros. movies before the merger with Paramount. I wasn’t bored, and at $7, it was a bargain … Guess Who Don’t Sue: What artist whose latest record is pressed on red vinyl is lobbying for a new artist-Grammy nomination? It’s funny when most Grammy-voters haven’t even been serviced nor heard the record as the artist’s team most likely didn’t even know that had to happen first … No big surprise Aerosmith is reuniting for a pair of shows at LA’s Hollywood Bowl. Tyler was great as an American Idol judge (seasons 10 and 11 with JLo and Randy Jackson), but I’m sure got very restless with the band somewhat retired … RIP Eva Marie Saint … Happy Bday Heather Moore.
NAMES IN THE NEWS — Al Roker; Sean Hayes; Debbie Gibson; Tom & Lisa Cuddy; Jane Blunkell; Jackie Romeo; David Adelson; Donald Johnson; Paul Morphos; Jim Yukich; Steve Leeds; Deborah Silver; Brad Balfour; Todd Sharp’ Daryl Hall; Ken Sharp; John Hughes; and CHIP!
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G.H. Harding
I COME TO SKYDANCE — Much chatter about David Ellison this week, after buying Paramount and Warner Brothers, and formerly changing the corporate name to Skydance; which was originally just his production company. For the 103-year old Warner’s and the 114-year old Paramount, it was quite a shock. The Warner’s logo remains on the full menu card, along with Paramount (albeit in a smaller format), but still, quite a shock.
SHORT TAKES — The opening of Tom Cruise’s Digger was his lowest opening in 19 years. Sure, it’s di rigueur to dislike it now, but I still want to see it. I mean, it can’t be that bad, can it? Deadline’s Pete Hammond said the film: “is unlike any film coming from a major Hollywood studio in years” and that Inarritu “takes things much further and thus could be one of the more divisive movies for the masses in a very long time.” Early reporting says the movie could lose around 150 million …
Pete Townshend
Pete Townshend: Behind Blue Eyes held its world premiere at the Telluride Film Festival. It’s directed by Frank Marshall (The Bee Gees: How Can You Mend a Broken Heart) and Nigel Sinclair (producer, Billy Preston: That’s the Way God Planned It). The Preston doc was superb, but almost no one saw it and currently the Townshend doc doesn’t have a distributor yet, but should. Townshend remains one of the pillars of rock ‘n roll in my book …
Lizzo
Excellent Willie Geist interview with Lizzo yesterday on Sunday Today, on her new kids book. Towards the end of the interview, Geist delved into the scandals that enveloped her and the fact that they were summarily dismissed. Her career was severely derailed and the powers that be are trying to resurrect it with minimum success thus far. Good dialogue for sure …
We saw a great movie called Tuner. Yes, about a piano tuner, with Dustin Hoffman and a great performance from Leo Woodall (White Lotus), Havana Rose Liu and Alisen Richmond-Peck. It starts out great and ends a little roughly, but rolls on with tremendous heart. Epic for sure. Sharply directed and written by Daniel Roher, it’s quite a tale. There’s even a cameo from our old friend Herbie Hancock! A must-see for certain … Rolling Stone’s Andy Greene at Micky Dolenz’s weekend show at AC’s Borgata … Happy BDay Lindsey Buckingham and Brent Blanchard.
G.H. Harding
KIMMEL IN BROOKLYN — After a wildly, odd interview with Howard Stern this week, where he put down both ABC and Disney, he looked terribly fatigued.
I’ve been a fierce advocate for Stern for years, but I did detect just a touch of wanting to take-a-step-back.
He conquered radio and now I expect him to do the same with HBO/MAX.
Interesting for sure.
Ray Caviano
CAVIANO PASSES — You might not recognize the name Ray Caviano, but he passed this week. Ray had the distinction of being one of the youngest-ever record company presidents in the music business and really unparalleled success back in the 80s. He was the one constant voice behind the disco-explosion back then. The Village People; Br. Buzzard’s Original Savannah Band; Voyage; and Peter Brown … all his.
Ray negotiated this success into a tremendous deal with Warner Brothers commanding a staggering $6 million dollars a year and his own label and staff. His PR-team at the time, which included veteran-PR-meister Howard Bloom, termed him the six-million-dollar man, and it was a great rags-to-riches story. From Madeline Kahn, to George Benson, the B52s, Grace Jones, The Doobie Brothers, Prince to Chaka Kahn, Rod Stewart and Ashford and Simpson, Caviano just scored a staggering degree of success.
From what I remember, all the other-labels modeled what they did after Ray and his christened label, RFC Records; which introduced Venus Dodson; Gino Soccio; The Mighty Pope; and Change, which featured Luther Vandross. He hit the top, no question, but then personal problems got in the way and he was essentially blacklisted.
I never met him, but constantly hear some of his successes and they were indeed cataclysmic as his music lives today. RIP.
SHORT TAKES — Edna Gudnersen, from USA Today fame, wrote a terrific article for AARP on who should be in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. No big surprises, but once again she’s hit the nail right on the head. One interesting post simply said: the voters can change it. Take a read: https://www.aarp.org/entertainment/music/rock-and-roll-hall-of-fame-snubs/?fbclid=IwY2xjawUrIH1leHRuA2FlbQIxMABwZG9mBWJyaWQRMU9mVTJENHlUU21yQm8wbHdzcnRjBmFwcF9pZBAyMjIwMzkxNzg4MjAwODkyAAEeCMUfSZdob2E0b7OqMN0tqZbMXfnFz1ib0PrxztT-BeCdBi54rZKmIAL-s50_aem_-r3LegoVNsCszZW3QsX1hQ …
Slow Horses
Wednesday night meant a new Slow Horses and Ted Lasso on Apple+. Surprise. Both shows have been staggeringly lackluster this season so far. U.K.’s The Guardian even termed Horses whiny! The fellow who created Horses, Will Smith, left and it’s become still good, but terribly ordinary and a lot less of Gary Oldman. Sad …
This week the long-expected merger between Paramount and Warner Brothers took place and guess who was installed as boss? The CEO of Mattel. People in Hollywood are sending are their resumes right now …
Ringo Starr
Still more buzz on that Far Out/Todd Rundgren interview. In a further missive, after dissing Taylor Swift, Rundgren now claims that Ringo best-survived The Beatles. Fascinating. Take a read: https://faroutmagazine.co.uk/todd-rundgren-ringo-starr-only-one-survived-beatles/?fbclid=IwY2xjawUqT4hleHRuA2FlbQIxMABwZG9mBWJyaWQRMWlGYWlyRW14Z24wNHIwUEJzcnRjBmFwcF9pZBAyMjIwMzkxNzg4MjAwODkyAAEeH9wqOi0plYRGr801XxzuKtasXnT8D_3b9Dfn_FPCaUOrH88qlWOw_CkfdCA_aem_Hap2wxG63VvIwa5wC0KzGw … And, Chuck Darrow had a great piece on Micky Dolenz for his weekend show at The Borgata in AC. Take a read: https://shorelocalnews.com/when-being-an-architect-was-micky-dolenzs-career-blueprint/
NAMES IN THE NEWS — Anthony Pomes; Fred Goodman; Allen Klein; Paul Bartels; JIm Yukich; Tracy Lords; Bryce Grakal; Ken Sharp; Chuck Darrow; Melissa Davis; Magda Katz; Cori Gardner; Donnie Kehr; Bill McCuddy; Deb Caponetta; Jeff Vogel; Steve Leeds; Ed Steinberg; John Sykes; Tom & Lisa Cuddy; and SADIE!
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Art Direction and Set Art by Jana Frost for TIME @janafrost.art and Photography by Stefano Giuliano for TIME @stefanogiovannigiuliano
Power used to arrive with age, position and a very impressive office. Not anymore.
TIME has unveiled its 2026 TIME100 Next, its annual look at 100 rising figures already altering the worlds of entertainment, music, sports, technology, business, science, politics and culture. The list was created in 2019 around a deceptively simple idea: influence itself was changing. Increasingly, people weren’t waiting for traditional institutions to hand them authority. They were building audiences, companies, movements, careers and entirely new avenues of influence for themselves. TIME
This year’s three worldwide covers make the point rather beautifully. Raye, Ashley Padilla and Druski occupy wildly different corners of contemporary culture, yet each represents the kind of career that doesn’t necessarily follow the old map. Raye has become an international musical force, Padilla has emerged as one of Saturday Night Live’s breakout talents, and Druski has transformed digital comedy into an expanding entertainment empire. TIME
The fascination of TIME100 Next has always been less about celebrity than trajectory. These are not lifetime-achievement awards. The question is not simply, What have you done? It is: Where might what you’re doing take the rest of us?
That makes some of the pairings between honorees and the people writing about them almost as interesting as the list itself. LeBron James writes about Tyrese Maxey; Matthew McConaughey takes on Arch Manning; Natalie Portman writes about Charles Melton; Rafael Nadal considers Alexandra Eala; Anya Taylor-Joy writes about Raye; Trevor Noah celebrates Wawira Njiru; Kylie Minogue writes about Troye Sivan; Charli xcx takes on Alex Consani; Bill Nye writes about Gretchen Goldman; Lin-Manuel Miranda on Joshua Henry: Sarah Michelle Gellar on Sarah Pidgeon and chef Eric Ripert weighs in on E.J. Lagasse.
Joshua Henry
Taken together, the names reveal just how broadly TIME now defines influence. Entertainment is represented by Ashley Padilla, Druski, Charles Melton, Eiza González, Joey King, Molly Gordon, Cooper Hoffman, Himesh Patel, Sarah Pidgeon, Paapa Essiedu, Dominic Sessa and Joshua Henry, among others. Music brings Raye, Troye Sivan, PinkPantheress, Megan Moroney, Conan Gray, Alex Warren and Sombr, while the sports world includes Arch Manning, Tyrese Maxey, Naomi Girma, Alexandra Eala, Folarin Balogun and Olivia Miles.
Perhaps the most striking name in that last group is Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, the 15-year-old cricket player and youngest person on the 2026 list. There is no age requirement for TIME100 Next, which seems entirely appropriate for a project built around the proposition that influence no longer waits politely for seniority.
Elsewhere, the list stretches from fashion designers Robert Wun and Daniella Kallmeyer to chef E.J. Lagasse, model Alex Consani, artist Claire Tabouret and an expanding class of entrepreneurs, scientists and AI innovators. The result is less a traditional power list than a snapshot of where power appears to be migrating.
There is an interesting distinction there. Fame and influence are not necessarily the same thing. One attracts attention; the other changes behavior, industries, conversations or possibilities. The strongest choices on TIME100 Next are the people beginning to do both.
As TIME Editor-in-Chief Sam Jacobs explains, the publication launched the franchise because influence increasingly arrives earlier and through channels operating outside traditional establishments. The editors spent months looking internationally for people connected to the stories reshaping the moment, including artificial intelligence, education, immigration and emerging forms of political leadership. TIME
The list will move from the page to New York on October 29, when TIME gathers its 2026 honorees for the sixth annual TIME100 Next event. Raye will perform, with appearances scheduled from Druski, Conan Gray and Eiza González, among others.
Perhaps that is the most interesting thing about a list devoted to the future. Inevitably, some names will become enormous, some will surprise us, and others will eventually make us wonder what we saw in them in the first place. That’s part of the fun.
Identifying established power is easy. The far more interesting question is recognizing it while it is still becoming.
G.H. Harding
MADONNA AT THE VMAs — 42 years ago Lady M first appeared on the VMAs and her opening appearance Sunday night was definitely something to see, but I have to admit, it felt to me very, very dated. Almost like I had seen it before. Also, the song they performed, “Bring Your Love,” sounded liked a bastard version of maybe her biggest hit “Vogue.” The segment which seemed to morph into a washroom seem out of place too. Was it a winner?
Then with Charlie XCX and Sabrina Carpenter joining her, the song tuned to “Dancetreia Afterhours.” Again, somewhat dated.
Fox News called that opening number a showstopper. Really?
Per Deadline: The MTV Video Music Awards may not have the same meaning as it did in the 1990s but it’s clear that this year’s event had more juice than in a number of years. Per Nielsen’s fast nationals, the ceremony hit an 11-year high and was up over 50% over the numbers from last year.
For a spirited take on the show, check out this from Hollywood Reporter andVariety
https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/music/music-news/2026-mtv-vmas-best-moments-1236713378/
BEAT STREET RETURNS — Beat Street was a film from 1984; Harry Belafonte was involved an mega-producer Arthur Baker did the music. Poised to return to Broadway, the original film was produced by Belafonte and David V. Picker, with music by Belafonte and Baker, story by Steven Hager, screenplay by Andrew Davis, David Gilbert & Paul Golding, and directed by Stan Lathan,
Beat Street starred Rae Dawn Chong, Gus Davis, and Jon Chardiet.
The film was a culmination of early-rap music, from Afrika Bambaataa to The Soul Sonic Force. Indie labels such as Tommy Boy; Prelude; Profile; Next Plateau; West End; Emergency; and Buddah had broken through like never before.
The film was a so-so hit; more historical than anything else. A fresh take may be the answer. Read via Deadline:
https://deadline.com/2026/09/beat-street-broadway-nas-creative-team-1237116101/
SHORT TAKES — Micky Dolenz, whose new EP Timeless is a critical hit, speaks to Ken Sharp for Rock Cellar Magazine this week …
Tiffany and Bobby Shaw (Facebook)
SIGHTING: NY-promo man Bobby Shaw at Tiffany’s last Spandex performance in NYC …
As expected, Tom Cruise’s Digger -opening this week- has scored reviews from positive to negative. I loved Birdman,but director Alejandro G. Inarritu, is one not to ever second guess. Right now, it’s a dead even 50% split. The always-scintillating Pete Hammond from Deadline had one great review, check it out here: https://deadline.com/2026/09/digger-review-tom-cruise-movie-1237115519/…
Charlie Sheen
Charlie Sheen and his father Martin Sheen are back playing father and son for the first time in over a decade. The duo is headlining Happy Jack, a comedy series for AMC. The half-hour family comedy has been greenlit for six episodes and will start production at Warner Bros. Studios, in the studio where Friends was filmed, for a 2027 launch. The pair have portrayed on screen father and son in a number of movies and series, most recently on Anger Management, the sitcom that premiered on FX in 2012, and most famously in Wall Street … In the new trailer for Netflix, The One About Matthew Perry, the late Friends star reflects on his TV success and the toll it took. In a voiceover early in the clip, Perry says, “I said God, you can do anything you want to me just please make me famous.” When fame arrived, Perry reflected, “God did not forget the other part.” take a look: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_iM1AOFxoDI … Happy Bday Elizabeth Neff and Chuck Taylor!
NAMES IN THE NEWS — Rusty Cutchin; Phil DiMauro; Mike Sigman; Tom & Lisa Cuddy; Race Taylor; Ross Zappin; David Adelson; Lee Jeske; Pete Townshend; Vince Aletti; Bob Siegal; Michael Musto; Don Wardell; Arthur Bell; Roger Friedman; Denny O’Connor; Phil Goldstein; Marty Ostrow; Lorylace; Kevin Mazur; Chuck Pulin; Bob Gruen; Ebet Roberts; Andy Greene; Abby Rose; and ZIGGY!
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My View: Songbird Brandie Inez Sutton Delivers a Stunning Solo Debut at 54 Below
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The Glorious Corner
My View: Songbird Brandie Inez Sutton Delivers a Stunning Solo Debut at 54 Below
About Face! Ken Fallin Takes Center Stage at New World Stages in a Celebration of Broadway, Hollywood and Beyond
Ethan Hawke, Anthony Rapp and Jeff Tweedy Are Coming to Christmas Dinner—Thornton Wilder Style
Prince Mario-Max Schaumburg-Lippe: FDNY First Deputy Commissioner Daniel Flynn Honored At Rotary Club Of NY #6 Dinner With Standing Ovation!
Microsoft Puts Guardrails Around AI Agents Inside Windows, and Businesses Should Pay Attention
Live From The Hotel Edison Times Square Chronicles Presents American Idol Contestant and Going Bacharach’s Alyssa Wray
Comic Con Is Taking Over Times Square—and House of Spells Is Ready for the Invasion
The Glorious Corner
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